A/N: Hiyoshi's a pain to write. Fun, but a pain nonetheless. Putting myself into his defunct mentality (as I've written him for this crack piece) after writing As Fate properly is sort of difficult. But I'm determined to finish this fic and so, this will be updating weekly on Thursdays/Fridays with "Firsts" until they are completed. I hope it meets expectations because this one was honestly hard to churn out. Do review! -iirse
Standard reminders are that this includes Irresistible, Dirty and Silver, as per the brat's demands. Don't like, don't read :P There is a little language and, plentiful OOC-ness and ridiculousness. Brain damage may occur? :D
Disclaimer: Original names, characters and places don't belong to me. I don't own anything except the general ridiculous plot-less plot and OC(s), if any. Yadablah.
True Colors of the Rainbow
From the Perspective of Hiyoshi Wakashi: A Week in Hyotei Gakuen
for: shattered. illusions. (very belated) Merry Christmas (09), chibi.
Day Four: An Interfering Jiroh Thursday
Journal-san,
I rejoice in the stupidity of my teammates. No one realizes how advantageous my observation spot in the clubroom is! It proved a really useful tool today.
I arrived early for practice only to find that I'd missed the memo that training was cancelled so we could "get our heads on straight." How careless of Atobe-buchou. Winning means more than the delicate sensibilities of Doubles 2. Gekyukujo…
Anyway, I decided to go ahead and practice anyway. Every bit of practice helps even though it is already predestined that I succeed in gekyukujo-ing Atobe-buchou. Playing that anime video game with Kirihara after classes yesterday has truly enlightened me. What is fated will happen.*
It was like a sign from the gods when I heard Atobe-buchou and Jiroh-senpai's voices just as I came out of the changing area, planning to go out and train. I of course made my way directly to observe. One can never have too much information on the enemy.
They had commandeered the couch and the room as was their wont. We Regulars have long been immune, in the same way we are immune to Shishido-senpai's vulgarity matched with Choutarou's mothering, and Oshitari-senpai's sarcasm paired with Mukahi-senpai's brashness. It's the latter pair that buchou and Jiroh-senpai were discussing.
"It's kind of hard to decide on a lineup, huh, Kei-chan?" Jiroh-senpai voiced. His tone is best described as sympathetic.
To my surprise, Atobe-buchou used normal pronouns. "Doubles 2 is messed up. I could put Hiyoshi or you with Mukahi – Mukahi won't last well in singles – but it won't beat our original Doubles 2 if they were at their best."
"Kei-chan shouldn't stress so much!" Jiroh senpai cheered, and then drooped. "But everyone's out of sorts 'cause of Yuushi and Gakuto."
"Why do you think I agreed to your idea of cancelling practice, Jiroh?" Atobe-buchou groused. "It'd have been a lesson in futility. No one's performing properly."
It startled me too, let me assure you. Jiroh-senpai had a say in training? I had thought only Oshitari-senpai as 'internal-fukubuchou,' as Sakaki-sensei called it, could interfere. It was a position for internal appearances that Atobe wasn't completely controlling. A rather foolish attempt, but present nonetheless. Anyway, Oshitari-senpai hardly interfered since Atobe-buchou did as he willed, regardless of others' opinions. In that moment, it became clear to me: as Mukahi-senpai was Oshitari-senpai's Achilles' heel, Jiroh-senpai was Atobe-buchou's.
This is, of course, an opportune point for me to illustrate how much more capable than my teammates I am, and thus, how much Atobe-buchou deserves being gekyukujo-ed. After all, no one has noticed this chink in the supposedly impenetrable armor of buchou's. And buchou is asking to be gekyukujo-ed, having a weakness like that.
I will, of course, take advantage of my knowledge. Gekyukujo…
I was rejoicing over the certainty that my gekyukujo-ing plans will succeed now that I've discovered the weak points of both Atobe-buchou and Oshitari-senpai, and how I'll be able to successfully gekyukujo Atobe-buchou and preempt any resistance when I realized that the room had gone coldly silent, and the temperature felt like it was plummeting. So, I decided to resume looking in on Jiroh-senpai and Atobe-buchou.
Oh, the revelations that brought! It proves only more advantageous!
"Did ore-sama's ears deceive ore-sama or did you just suggest confronting Doubles 2 on their issues?" Atobe-buchou's voice cut through the air coldly.
Jiroh-senpai, unsurprisingly, simply shrugged. "They could use it. They're firmly determined that they are both right. I'm inclined to believe Oshitari's being a right idiot, of course, but I'm biased in favor of Gaku-chan, naturally."
"Biased or not, Jiroh, Oshitari is being a right idiot." Buchou appeared to concede that point with a nod. "But getting caught in the crossfire between that two is something ore-sama forbids you to risk."
"Aw, is Kei-chan worried for me?" Jiroh-senpai giggled. "I'll be fine. We just need to talk to them separately, and then lock them up together until they work out their issues."
Atobe-buchou appeared to want to disagree, until he suddenly turned narrowed eyes on Jiroh-senpai. "Why does that method sound familiar?"
Jiroh-senpai rolled his eyes at buchou. "Because they did that to us? Come on, Kei-chan, think of it as revenge for their meddling or something! And you'll be able to do the lineup properly once they make up."
I don't know what Jiroh-senpai saw in Atobe-buchou's expression, but he must have seen something because after a short pause, he cheered. "Yay! Domo, Kei-chan! I'll corner Gaku-chan during lunch to go out with me after school. Cancel today's training as well, call in a meeting presumably to discuss lineups with Oshitari…"
"… And then meddle with him the same way you plan to be meddling with Mukahi." Atobe finished with a sigh. "Yes, I know, Jiroh."
"Ah! Kei-chan's psychic!" Jiroh-senpai grinned.
I lost track of them after that because I was mulling over that scene and they departed the clubroom while I was doing so. From what that scene showed, it would appear that while Atobe-buchou handled the technical details of the team, Jiroh-senpai worked on maintaining emotional balance, so to speak. The point is he did it discreetly to the point that no one really noticed.
Now that I think about it, I recall him running interference in many arguments between Mukahi-senpai and Shishido-senpai – especially after the current Doubles 1 replaced Mukahi-senpai and Oshitari-senpai, handling Atobe-buchou's altercations with Oshitari-senpai and Shishido-senpai… The list goes on.
Now that I look at it, Jiroh-senpai is the brains behind the whole operation that is Hyotei's tennis Regulars.
Gekyukujo… The strongest link happens to be the weakest.
Jiroh-senpai apparently handles essentially all of us, and is Atobe-buchou's weak point. Gekyukujo-ing him is easier as he's unprotected and yet, it is so much more effective. After gekyukujo-ing him, do the same to Atobe-buchou will be easy. They do say that to kill a snake, the best way is to cut off the head. Not literally in such gruesome imagery, of course…
Hahaue will never forgive me for doing something like that to the child of one of her valued partners. Not to mention the fact that I really don't like violence that much. Outside of video games with Kirihara, of course. Those are fun.
I should try to apply this gekyukujo-ing technique of going for the head the next time we play. Or maybe when I play with Choutarou this weekend. I'll put gekyukujo plans on the back burner for now and look forward to gaming as a reward for myself. For all that these plans are in no way a burden, I doubt Choutarou would appreciate me going on about it. Besides, with the progress I've made this past week, I think I can give it a rest as hahaue wishes I would. For now.
Of course, if information comes my way, who am I to deny it? Gekyukujo…
*Yes, I'm referring to Hyuuga Neji from Naruto. I couldn't resist, I'm sorry.