Chapter 6

A known side and a different side

The Gyokurin game proved to be basically a practice match for the Seigaku regulars, but there was something odd, about the team they would be playing in the finals. Fudomine was a team that previously hadn't really been a contender, but had beaten the second seeded team in this tournament easily. Because they weren't a team many were familiar with, training was intensified a little, and it was specifically designed to strengthen each players weaknesses. Fuji-Syusuke and I had been studied twice this week after he was done with practice. He would usually come over my parent's restaurant; where I helped out after class the days we had tutoring, and from there we went to my house on Tuesdays, and his house on Thursday. It was already Friday, and since the tournament final was the next day, the guys only had morning practice, which I usually arrived before it ended, but not too early.

Classes this day were almost the same as usual, until we got to our last class: Classics. For one, Tezuka wasn't there, which was really weird, and second, we had an assignment that was to be done in pairs. Syusuke and I chose to work together, and surely enough, (mostly thanks to the Tensai, in all honesty), we were done with about a half an hour to spare.

"Saa… I wonder where Tezuka is" he said looking out the window.

"I don't think I'd ever think he would miss a class" I said, and looked around the room, to find the pairs working away. "Does it happen often?"

"No, it doesn't" Syusuke said, his expression turning a little more serious.

"Syusuke-kun are you worried?" I asked, noting his expression.

"Ne… it's hard to say. There isn't anything for me to be worried about, but I feel like it's not a random class missed."

"Maybe it has to do with the tournament" I suggested.

"We would have known this morning if it was about that" he said, and then he looked back out the window. "But maybe it does have something to do with tennis"

"I don't follow"

"Saa… I doesn't really matter, that it doesn't." he said smiling again. "Will you be at the tournament tomorrow?"

"Kind of have to. Eiji said something about everyone going to Taka's to celebrate afterwards" I said smiling. "He was really confident you guys would win."

"We won't lose" Syusuke said with a smirk.

"Cocky much?"

"Saa… I just know that the team won't lose" he said smiling and turning to look back out the window.

"What about you? Will you lose?"

"I don't know."

I felt that going on with the conversation was not going to continue so I started packing up my things, and noticed that after a few seconds, he started doing the same. It wasn't long after that the bell rang, and most people cleared the room. Syusuke told me he was going to talk to Oishi, and told me he would see me tomorrow morning.

That night, dinner was takeout. My dad didn't feel up to cooking, nor did he feel like going out. It was a nice night in, and unlike other days were I would have left the house for a while, I went to my room, and fell asleep soon after.

The next morning I was running a little late to the match place, but I was lucky to find that the match had taken a few minutes before it started, and by the time I was there, both Syusuke and Taka were on the court for the Doubles 1 match. I moved over and stood next to the Seigaku bench, and to a standing Inui.

"Did it start long ago?" I asked.

"No. We just won the first point" Inui said, his hands ever present taking notes.

It seemed like Seigaku could win this easily, mostly when the Taka's burning game was pushing forward. From the Fudomine team, Sakurai had a fast serve, and the other guy Ishida, was throwing strong balls back, but it seemed that Seigaku was capable of winning the game. Then Syusuke used a shot I had never seen before.

"What the hell was that?" I asked Inui who was writing down and mumbling about speed prior impact.

"Tsubame Gaeshi, the second Triple Counter" Inui told me. "Using the opponents top spin, Fuji adds even more spin to the ball, which upon bounces, forces the ball to roll on the ground as opposed to bouncing up."

"Whoa" I said.

"In concept it seems simple, but the accuracy and precision of a shot like that requires an incredible level of technique." Inui said.

"Hence, Fuji the Tensai" I said, almost giggling.

"Precisely"

The game was apparently set. It was then when Ishida did something that was completely unexpected. A strange form, and then a very strong shot, that both Syusuke and Taka just saw past by them. It was too strong, too fast.

"Hadoukyuu" Inui said. "A strong return, with an almost 5% chance of return."

"They can't return a shot like that." I said. "Is this a turning point?"

"I don't think so. I believe the form and the shot itself causes a lot of stress on the body. A captain like Kippei Tachibana would not allow any of his players to use it consistently in a game."

The game went on, and it seemed like Seigaku could pull forward, but then Ishida got ready with the Hadoukyuu stance, and from the looks of it, he wasn't aiming at an empty space.

"Syusuke!" I yelled, even though I knew he would ignore it.

The Hadoukyuu was fast approaching and then all of the sudden Taka was there. It very well looked like it couldn't be returned, but Seigaku was nothing short of impressive, and Taka was able to return the Hadoukyuu with extra force and speed.

I could hear the celebrations around us, and I could see people happy; but I was solely focused on Syusuke's face. His open eyes, filled with worry, and looking at Taka with almost a sense of apprehension, of fear. He slowly walked up to Taka, who said something, but then Syusuke took Taka's wrist in his hands, and Taka yelled out in pain. For some reason I felt tear forming in my eyes, and I quickly dabbed my eyes so they wouldn't drop.

I saw as they both walked to the bench and how it was decided that Taka should go to the hospital to get his wrist checked out. Syusuke offered to go with him, and for some unknown and confusing reason, I felt myself saying I'd go with them.

The cab ride was positively the most uncomfortable 20 minute car ride ever. I was talking to Taka mostly, if by talking you mean a few questions asked here and there; but above all, Syusuke was silent as stone, even though his smile was in place. It was like the dreaded lull. That moment in a conversation when no one knows what to say, and the only way past it is changing the topic after acknowledging the weird and creepy and dreaded lull.

Once we got to the hospital Taka was taken to the doctor to get his wrist checked out. Me and Syusuke were waiting in the lobby, and seemingly not talking, until in all honesty I had enough.

"Talk to me Syusuke-kun" I said, sitting with my body turned towards him.

"About what?" he said, turning to me, half smiling.

"About what has you in this… depressed mood" I said. "Your smile doesn't fool me"

"He took that shot for me" he said after a few seconds. "Ishida aimed in my direction because he probably knew I couldn't take it. Taka blocked it to make sure I was ok."

"You are feeling pretty bad about it…" I said, putting my hand on his arm.

He looked up at me, eyes open, weird expression on his face. "It was my own fault he felt the need to protect me"

"It wasn't your fault. Taka is just that guy, the one who feels that when his friends need protecting, he'd jump in front of a bus for them" I said, and then in a very me moment, I hugged him. "Don't feel guilty about this."

"Alex-chan… arigato" he said, hugging me back.

It was one of those moments, when everything around just fades away, and it's only you, and that other person. Then of course there the moment that follows it. When someone else, a third party observant who has no understanding of the moment, clears their throat; and all you call feel is that feeling that settles in your stomach: utter shame. I was somehow pleased that it wasn't just me, but Syusuke was beat tomato red as well. Taka was standing there, his arm in a soft bandage, looking at us, scratching the back of his neck.

"Ano… we should go back now. That way we can finish watching the match" Taka said.

"Saa… you are right Taka" Syusuke said standing up, offering a hand, so I would stand up as well.

The cab ride back, was me mothering Taka, making sure he knew what the doctor said, that he made sure he wouldn't do the whole practicing until he had proper rest. Taka, was blushing madly, saying yes, and agreeing to all the rules I set for him; while Syusuke smirked on, chuckling now and then.

The game we came back to was Kaidoh struggling against a guy from Fudomine called Akira Kamio. Syusuke and Taka went to sit on the bench, but I went back to my place standing next to Inui. Funnily, Syusuke decided to stand inside the bench area, but next to us. At one point it seemed that Kamio was taking the win from Kaidoh, but then Kaidoh's resilience, proved too strong for someone again, as he pushed back, and then a shot appeared. A curving shot that went outside the post, and then back into the court behind the opposing player, far enough that not many players could make it back to save the point. Kaidoh won his match, and Echizen started his. He was playing Ibu, someone who we didn't know that much about.

Like many Seigaku matches, it very well seemed that Echizen was going to take the match, but then there was a moment, when Echizen, about to hit the ball, suddenly froze, and the ball passed right by next to him. It happened again, until Eiji and Syusuke made a comment.

"Nya! That guy plays some weird game" Eiji said, rather loudly.

"What do you mean?" I asked, confused.

"Ibu is throwing top spin after slice every time" Syusuke said.

"Am I supposed to understand what that means?" I said, and he smiled his all knowingly smile.

"It's a spot. The shot combination cause a momentary paralysis in the body, and so Ibu gets the point the moment Echizen can't send a ball back" Inui said, taking notes diligently. "It's smart tennis"

Echizen seemed to be in quite the spot, forgive the pun, and could hardly do anything about it, until he did something that looked after thinking about it for a few… stupid. The ball was coming at him, and I suppose that he felt the spot, and so, he turned his entire body quickly, but in doing so, the spot made him loose grip of his racket, and he let it go, at a high speed, directed towards the net pole, where it broke, and a piece rebounded back, directly to his face, cutting his eyelid. Yeah, if someone described it to me, I wouldn't believe it either.

It was then when the first year, Sakuno, ran into the court, and offered him a handkerchief, which he refused as he also tried getting her of the court. The referee then asked for him to be treated. We assumed that Tezuka would end the match, but Echizen got a ten minute limit to win the game.

Echizen, being the little genius that he is, started playing both handed, and switching hands as he played, so Ibu's spot was pretty much useless as he couldn't do it to both arms at all.

Echizen went on playing to win the match, and Seigaku was crowned tournament champion. It was after that, that I was treated to my first team party at Kawamura's sushi place.

Sorry for the delay, but I had a little case of writers block this week... solved it by watching Privileged, and now I need to do a little extra writing cause that finale did not go down with me, and because the show was cancelled... yeah, I may need a little closure. :P This story is still continuing, I'm still working on it, and I might even get another update in by Sunday... maybe... highly probable but not a sure thing :P:)