Disclaimer: I do not own Tennis no Ohjisama and Card Captor Sakura, especially each respective anime's characters. Iwase Kumiko-san, Maeda Hideki-san and the Reverie Café are my own creations. Any similarities with real people and/or place are unintentional and coincidental.
Author's Note: This story is not a crossover fanfiction regardless of Daidouji Tomoyo's and Hiiragizawa Eriol's occasional appearances.
Enjoy reading!
The Sadist of Seigaku
Chapter 5: Provocation
The toast has been completely forgotten.
All eyes are on the seemingly foreign team before them.
The Seigaku regulars may not have reserved a special room for their celebration. Of course, a café like the Reverie is not designed like the traditional Japanese restaurants. Then again, they are at a special table found at the corner of the café where few people frequent to. They have wanted a celebration – but they want privacy too.
Ah. Such hopes and dreams do shatter at times…
…all because Atobe Keigo and his Hyoutei minions are right before them – invading their privacy.
When every one has thought that the tense atmosphere will not be broken, Ryuzaki-sensei clears her throat to call the Hyoutei captain's attention.
"Atobe-kun, I was not expecting that you and the Hyoutei regulars will be here," she neutrally comments.
Atobe executes a perfect bow fit for the tennis coach. After that, however, he faces the whole of the Seigaku team. "I want to hang out in some quiet place. Then again, I saw Tezuka and Echizen. We're merely here to say 'hello'. We're not actually expecting to see all of you in here," he explains.
Ryuzaki-sensei seems to have bought his explanation.
Her protégés, however, have no plans in believing Atobe's explanation. Most of them, Tezuka, Echizen and Fuji aside, are wary of the cunning Atobe Keigo who had played a 2-hour match against their captain – a match that almost cost Tezuka's left shoulder. They all eyed him cautiously, never missing the sarcasm oozing in his voice.
"Oi, Atobe, let's go find a table for ourselves," Shishido suddenly interrupts.
Proud as he is, Shishido does not have plans of intruding other people's celebration; much less start an argument in front of Ryuzaki-sensei.
Atobe looks at the other regulars.
Ohtori is wearing a worried expression.
Well, Shishido looks a bit impatient.
Oshitari's eyes are on somewhere else. Atobe curiously follows his line of vision only to see that the Hyoutei genius is giving a challenging stare at Fuji Syuusuke.
Atobe just smirks.
Then there is Gakuto whose eyes are all over the café, looking for an empty table.
He is about to turn to look back at Seigaku to bid them goodbye when something unusual catches his attention:
Sleepy-head Akutagawa Jirou is nowhere to be found.
Of course, he may be sleeping somewhere else in the café, but, they are IN a café. Atobe is at least expecting that his teammate has some manners. Besides, Gakuto's eyes have been all over the café, spotting for a table. He should have seen Jirou if that were the case.
"Ohtori, look for Jirou," Atobe orders. Sometimes, not having Kabaji around is a bit bad.
Ohtori reluctantly leaves the group to look for his senpai.
"Akutagawa Jirou?" Inui interrupts.
All eyes are on him now. It is the first time that someone from the Seigaku regulars has spoken a word.
"He's the sleepy head that Fuji-senpai had fought against back in middle school," Momoshiro comments.
Shishido grunts at the comment.
Atobe just smirks. "Speaking of which, congratulations Fuji. I heard you handed the district preliminary title to Seigaku by winning against Tachibana," Atobe drawls.
Fuji places on his most pleasant and eeriest face, but he does not say anything. It's because something's amiss for the Seigaku tennis prodigy. He can't point out what though.
Atobe is about to comment on Fuji's lack of response when…
"SUGOI! SUGOI!"
An exclamation of unutterable amazement reverberates in the whole café. All eyes started looking for who is making the commotion.
But for Oshitari, he knows the owner of that voice.
"It's Jirou," he carefully says.
"Eh?!"
The others just stared.
"He may be at the counter," Ryuzaki-sensei interjects as she starts to walk towards the counter, worried that these players might make a scene in the café her granddaughter is working in.
The Hyoutei players and the Seigaku players look at each other warily. But when they heard the "SUGOI!" exclamation again, every one of them raced to the counter. Ohtori is already there, standing; his mouth gaped open. They are all shocked to the core upon arriving at the counter. Even the stoic Tezuka has his eyes wide in surprise.
Akutagawa Jirou's hands are imprisoning that of Sakuno's, swaying it back and forth in a seemingly affectionate manner. Meanwhile, Sakuno is blushing to the roots at the attention the Hyoutei regular is showering her.
"Sugoi! I haven't tasted anything like this!" Jirou exclaims.
Sakuno opens her mouth to thank him, but finds it difficult to. A blush is all that she can give him.
"Ne, ne, Atobe!" Jirou, now, turns to the Hyoutei captain, who, after the initial shock, is looking on with an amused stare.
The Hyoutei regulars are a bit surprised at the sudden loudness of their usually asleep teammate. Then again, few things really interest Jirou that when he is amazed, he really gives his all to show his appreciation.
There is one question hanging, however.
What is he interested in?
On the other hand, the Seigaku regulars are eyeing Echizen carefully. It is obvious that the first year has his eyes on Ryuzaki Sakuno. Now, to find out that some one else is throwing his feet at her – well, not literally of course – and to see how the first year will react is pretty interesting.
Kaidoh is fsshing at a corner, but is also interested.
Momoshiro and Kikumaru are grinning mad like stricken idiots.
Oishi and Kawamura are looking at Echizen worriedly. Other than that, they are also bracing themselves in case the first year decides to pounce like mad to the seemingly ignorant Akutagawa Jirou.
Tezuka and Inui are observing the first year, too, but in different ways. Tezuka is eyeing him carefully, as if assessing the Echizen's current emotional state. Inui, on the other hand, is writing everything that is happening in front of him. He gives the most special detail, though, to every quirk in the eyebrow of the seemingly disturbed first year tennis prince.
The Seigaku regulars are not complete without the prodigy who has just handed them the district victory, but it seems that no one is noticing the tiniest detail in Fuji. As the others stare at Echizen, his eyes are boring holes on to Akutagawa Jirou, whose hands are still linked with Sakuno's.
He does not like the scene uncovering before him, although he does not know why.
It may be because Sakuno is too innocent, or that she appears too flustered at the attention she is getting. Although there are times he enjoys seeing his friends in agony, Sakuno is an exception.
Somehow, though, at the back of Fuji's mind, his rationale for the unnamed emotion he is feeling does not suffice.
"I'd like to know what you are so amazed about, Akutagawa."
Every one stops with whatever they are busy with.
Even Atobe who is about to intrude Jirou stops at the eerie voice of Seigaku's prodigy. No one is expecting such a move from him – Fuji being the happy-go-lucky guy he appears whenever he is not on court.
Meanwhile, Ohtori can feel his knee joints weakening from anticipation. Fuji appears so casual, but seeing him on court and thrash his opponents mad is scary enough. Akutagawa-senpai must stop this if he wants to get out of the café alive.
Somehow, the unexpected happens…
"Fuji-san! Ne, ne!"
Jirou, upon spotting the tennis prodigy, lets go of Sakuno's hands and points to the glass counter displaying all sorts of pastries. "They are all good! I haven't tasted anything as good as them in my entire life! Sakuno-chan made them, ne, Sakuno-chan? Ne?"
Sakuno looks at Fuji-senpai, a bit embarrassed at the scene she is on. It is a good thing that there are very few people in the café or else she'll be ducking her head in humiliation. Jirou-san is nice to her, complimenting the pastries she has just made. However, she is not used to such err…extravagant display of appreciation.
Fuji regards Jirou as realization dawns on him. But still, he cannot stop feeling wary of this certain Hyoutei regular. Add the fact that he has just called Sakuno, Sakuno-chan, as if they were the closest of friends. Then again, he cannot blame an innocent man…err…boy…err…young man from complimenting the person who has made something as beautiful and tasty as the pastries he is looking at.
"Ah. Sakuno-chan is going to be a good pastry chef someday."
"Really?" Jirou blinks from Sakuno to Fuji, then back to Sakuno. "Sugoi da yo," he whispers.
"Ano…I'm still studying, Fuji-senpai, Akutagawa-san," she answers shyly. "Thank you for the compliment, though Akutagawa-san."
"Ne, Atobe!" Akutagawa calls on the captain. The others, who seem to have frozen and forgotten for quite a while, all focus their attention on the man who has caused the scene in the café. Their respective expressions puzzle the sleepy head.
Ah, innocent and sleepy Jirou does not really know anything, ne?
"Ne, Atobe, we're going to stay here right? I haven't finished tasting Sakuno-chan's pastries," Jirou begins.
Atobe looks at his teammate, then back to the expectant eyes of the others. Somehow, Jirou's tirade regarding the pastries has made the others want to try them too. Of course, Atobe is also interested. If the sleepy head finds something interesting, it is worth looking – or in this case, trying – at. But then, he is royalty. He does not want to look so eager, so he gives his consent to his overly eager teammate through a small nod.
With that, Atobe has just unleashed a newer scene for the Seigaku regulars to look at, as Jirou makes a beeline for Sakuno. He puts an arm around her and then starts asking all about the pastries presented on the counter. Careful not to cause some unwanted war inside the café, the seven Seigaku regulars drag a reluctant Echizen Ryoma back to their table before the first year processes anything of the scene unfolding before them.
Meanwhile, the other Hyoutei regulars settle at a table near the entrance, all except for Atobe who remains where he has stood.
There are many interesting events that have happened just inside the café.
But somehow, for Atobe, the people have just missed the most interesting scene of them all:
Seeing Fuji Syuusuke show the emotion called jealousy – and not know anything about it – is truly interesting.
Fuji Syuusuke is walking home all alone.
After the chaos inside the café, Ryuzaki-sensei has decided to clear things out with Iwase-san. The dear lady seems not to mind the chaos, even Atobe perhaps. Seigaku has been in dire situations ever since they have made the café one of their official hangout places. Then again, considering the bunch of people they are, things are not always going to be normal at all. Therefore, to say that he is used to such experiences is an understatement.
Oh well…
It is supposed to be a happy day for him: the team has just won the district preliminaries. They are one step closer in attaining the national title for the senior high school division in tennis. However, he cannot stop thinking about Akutagawa Jirou's hands linked with Sakuno-chan's.
Aargghhh…
He is not just disturbed by it.
He does not like it one bit.
But why?
Once he has popped that question in his mind, he realizes that he is in front of their house gate. Composing himself, he rings the doorbell. Upon hearing his sister's voice through the intercom, he greets her cheerily, the signs of confusion and exhaustion absent in his voice.
Once he is inside the foyer of the house, Fuji hears a popping sound.
"Congratulations Syuusuke-kun!"
Fuji Syuusuke smiles as he sees his sister and his future brother-in-law greeting him, both aided by confetti.
"Thank you, Yumiko-neesan, Hideki-san."
After the little greeting, the couple led Fuji to the living room where plates and a raspberry cake are on the coffee table. Fuji looks at the set-up curiously.
"Yuuta-kun has told us about Seigaku winning the district preliminaries. He won't be able to come home though, but I think his call means that he is congratulating you," Yumiko drawls carefully. "I think he is just shy to personally tell you," she adds, complementing the statement with a chuckle.
Fuji Syuusuke brightens at the mention of his brother knowing about the victory. It just says that Yuuta has watched them play. His mood lightens considerably with the realization. "Saa…that is so sweet of Yuuta."
"Yes, but you should not say that to him. He'll get flustered," Yumiko warns.
"Hai," Fuji obediently says. Then, turning to his sister's fiancé, "It's nice to have you here, too, Hideki-san."
"After Yuuta-san has called, Yumiko has called me, too, to celebrate with you. That means I am Yuuta-san's replacement for tonight," Hideki nonchalantly answers.
If anything, Fuji knows that Hideki is actually joking, but his sister's fiancé is too serious to even crack a good joke. He smiles at the statement nonetheless, secretly appreciating the man's eagerness to share in their family's little celebration.
"Iya, Hideki-kun," Yumiko chides. "You're not Yuuta-kun's replacement. I invited you to celebrate with us," she says, trying to clear things out with his fiancé.
Hideki is taken aback with how Yumiko has taken his 'joke'. To appease her, he takes hold of her right hand gently and gives her a smile, which only the two of them understand. Upon realizing what her fiancé has meant, Yumiko blushes furiously.
Somehow, the couple has forgotten that Fuji Syuusuke is in front of them, staring at them confusingly. A pink blush taints his cheeks.
Eyes glazed with unexplained emotion, he does not notice that his sister has stopped the 'moment' with her fiancé and is now calling him.
"Syuusuke-kun?"
Waking up from the stupor, Fuji embarrassedly scratches the back of his head. Hideki gives him an understanding smile, but why the older man has done so, Fuji does not know.
After that, Yumiko motions the two men to sit at the living room. Hideki sits on the loveseat while Fuji takes the armchair adjacent to him. Meanwhile, Yumiko has excused herself to get tea for the three of them.
Fuji blinks a few times, then he smiles back at Hideki.
"You seem a bit distracted today, Syuusuke-san," Hideki points out rather bluntly.
Fuji is taken aback with his comment. It seems as if Hideki-san has waited for his sister to excuse herself before remarking him in that way.
Ah, man-to-man talk eh?
He carefully regards Maeda Hideki. The older man's dark blue eyes are void of any emotion, but his voice emanates that of a concerned older brother. There is no use in lying to his sister's fiancé. Yumiko-neesan may ask him regarding his moods for the simple fact that she is concerned with him. Then again, she knowing how he really feels is a bit questionable. Things, however, are different with Hideki-san. He is a man, and he knows more of what Fuji is going through right now.
"Something is a bit off for me, Hideki-san," Fuji trails mysteriously.
He may be comfortable around Hideki-san, but that does not mean he is going to tell him what has happened in the café – and what he has felt all throughout the whole ordeal.
Respecting the young man's privacy, Hideki merely nods in consideration.
"Whatever it is that bothers you, do not run away from it. Face it, Syuusuke."
Surprised at the advice given to him, Fuji nods in quick understanding.
"I won't run away, Hideki-san. That I promise."
Tezuka adjusts his glasses.
Today's training day will be more tedious. The prefecture games will be more difficult. Of course, Seigaku may be facing the same opponents they have faced back in middle school. However, the fact remains that there are many good tennis players – they ought not to be careless.
A tap on his shoulder disrupts him from his musings.
"The regulars are all here, Tezuka," Oishi announces before he makes a beeline to his doubles partner.
Taking the cue, Tezuka regards the tennis club with observant eyes. Then, his commanding voice booms across the courts.
"Assemble!"
There is a mad scramble inside the courts. The other regulars position themselves in front of the whole team as the others drop all that they are doing to take heed of the captain's call. Ryuzaki-sensei, then, appears and stands beside Tezuka.
"The juniors will be at courts B and C. The freshmen will be at court D. The regulars will remain here. Go to your respective courts, now," Ryuzaki-sensei announces.
There is a mad scramble again. The regulars who remain wait in anticipation, on the other hand.
To their surprise, Tezuka gives a small nod to Inui, who leaves the line and grabs a box full of trinkets from who knows where. Ryuzaki-sensei tries to suppress a chuckle when she sees most of the regulars paling at Inui's actions. They have been through Inui's training menu and things tend to get weirder and weirder every year they are all together.
So, what is today's menu?
After dropping the box in front of the regulars, Inui takes a jumping rope and boxing gloves from the box. He throws them to Momoshiro, who catches the items as if they were atomic bombs to him.
"I have hung a punching bag on one of the trees near court A. Before practicing your punches, I want you to skip in place five hundred times."
The non-regular members who have heard Inui's instructions as they pass by the regulars almost choke. Kikumaru gives a low whistle while Kawamura glances at Momoshiro worriedly. Then again, the junior trump card of Seigaku is always ready for challenges, so he punches his fist to the air and confidently strides towards the specific tree Inui-senpai has told him.
"Don't miss a skip, Momoshiro. I'll know when you do," Inui warns.
"Hai, hai!"
While the rest look on, Inui breaks the remaining regulars in pairs. Tezuka will go against Kawamura. Oishi will play with Echizen. Kikumaru will play against Kaidoh. Fuji will play with Inui. But before they break into groups, they all, except Tezuka, look at Inui questioningly.
"Why is Momo-senpai left out, Inui-senpai?" Echizen asks curiously.
"Kinetic linking," Inui drawls out.
"Huh?" That comes from Kikumaru whose arm is wrapped around an irate-looking Kaidoh,
"Boxing is an application of the principle of kinetic linking where you gather energy from the ground and distribute that energy with every strike you give. Momoshiro needs to regulate the amount of strength he exerts to deliver offense effectively. Boxing will help him do so," Tezuka explains.
"Besides, after the boxing practice, Momoshiro will play against Kawamura. You have to wait for further instructions, then, Tezuka," Inui addresses to the captain, who nods in understanding.
"So, all of us will have his turn to be left out?" Oishi asks.
"Yes. All of us will be trained accordingly."
Everyone, then, becomes busy with his respective training. When it is Inui's turn to be left out, he proceeds to the clubroom to get his mat for stretching. He will be doing flexibility exercises. On his way to the room, he meets Ryuzaki Sakuno who is heading towards the courts.
"Good afternoon, Inui-senpai," Sakuno greets politely.
"You too, Ryuzaki-chan," he says.
The girl proceeds to the courts, but an afterthought makes Inui decide to talk to her for a little while.
"Ryuzaki-chan," he calls out.
"Hai, Inui-senpai?"
"I noticed something."
The girl cocks her head to her right, anticipating her senpai's question.
"You seem to keep your balance better now."
Sakuno blushes at the comment. Inui-senpai is very observant so she can't blame him for noticing the improvements in her. She is not that clumsy; she just tends to trip or fall more often than is normal.
"Ano, I've been taking dance lessons with my friend, Inui-senpai," she answers innocently.
"The one with dark hair?"
"Hai."
"May I know where you have been taking your lessons, Ryuzaki-chan?"
"Hai. It's at a gym not far from the Reverie Café, Inui-senpai. I'm sorry though," Sakuno blinks and then blushes again. "Ano, I don't know the exact address."
Inui regards her for a moment, and then tries to 'decipher' the gym she is talking about. "Is this the gym that has just opened?"
"Hai. They offer dance lessons there for a reasonable fee. You don't have to be a member to enroll in the class, senpai."
"Really? That's good to hear, then. Thank you, Ryuzaki-chan," Inui gives her a small smile as she bids him goodbye.
After the little conversation, Inui proceeds to the clubroom, a freaky grin plastered on his face.
"Hiya," Kikumaru whispers after the tennis club members are dismissed for the day. He drops his duffel bag on a bench inside the locker room before plopping himself beside it. He looks at his doubles partner whose head is covered with a bath towel.
"Na, Oishi, you okay?"
Oishi breathes deeply before answering. "Ah. I'm just tired."
"Well, every one is. My muscles feel sore," Kikumaru says as he pokes his left bicep for emphasis.
"Training will be harder now that the prefecture games are approaching," Fuji interjects as he walks towards his locker to pack his things.
Oishi wearily smiles at Fuji as he absentmindedly watch the prodigy pack his things. He is, somehow, disturbed when he sees Fuji pack a huge metal box inside his duffel bag. Curiosity nagging at him, Oishi can't help but pry.
"What is that you're packing, Fuji?"
"This?" Fuji raises the metal box.
The item also intrigues Kikumaru who suddenly stands up, approaches Fuji and tries to get a peak inside the box. Fuji smiles at his friend's antics, and so he opens the metal box to satisfy the golden pair's curiosity.
The opened metal box contains two dumbbells, weighing 25 pounds each.
Oishi blinks at the contents.
"Inui told me to do some weight training," Fuji explains, seeing the flabbergasted expressions of the two.
"Ah."
"Saa…Oishi, Eiji. I'll go ahead," Fuji says as he packs the metal box in his bag and proceeds to get out of the clubroom.
Once outside, the prodigy notices Ryuzaki Sakuno passing by. He suddenly feels a jolt of emotion inside of him. When he is about to suppress it, he remembers Hideki-san's advice last night: …do not run away from it. He also remembers his promise to his future brother-in-law.
He does not fully understand things: why he gets jealous whenever a guy drops to his knees in front of Sakuno-chan or why he is getting a bit protective of the little girl. He also does not understand the new emotions he feels inside of him. Then again, he has decided to face all these as challenges, not just because he has promised to Hideki-san. He will do so for the simple fact that he is Fuji Syuusuke – and it is in Fuji Syuusuke's nature to not run away from any challenge.
Besides, he and Sakuno-chan are officially friends. What reason does he have to run away from his friend?
"Sakuno-chan."
He calls her loud enough for her to hear. Sakuno, upon hearing her name being called, turns back. Seeing who has called her, her face brightens and she skips her way to Fuji.
"Fuji-senpai," she greets after giving him a bow.
"Na, Sakuno-chan, we are friends now, right? You don't have to be formal to me then," he says as he pokes her right cheek affectionately.
"But…Fuji-senpai is older and…"
She abruptly stops upon seeing Fuji gently shaking his head in disapproval. She quietly cedes so as not to offend him. Things clear between them, they stroll back to the school building.
"Are you waiting for Sumire-chan?"
"Sumire-chan?" Sakuno curiously asks. When she realizes he is referring to her grandmother, "No, senpai."
"Are you going to the café then?"
Sakuno shakes her head.
"Then, you can accompany me," Fuji says as he leads her to the school exit.
"Where are we going, senpai?"
"I just need to buy something, Sakuno-chan. Is it okay if you'll go with me?"
Sakuno regards Fuji while they are walking. She smiles her assent. She does not have to be in the café because Iwase-san has given her a break – a little gift for Seigaku's victory yesterday. Although she is not able to piece together what the chef has said, she gladly accepts. At least, she gets to spend time with her new friend, Fuji-senpai.
Sakuno smiles again at the simple thought of being with her friend. She does not know that her friend is actually observing her, an amused grin on his face.
The loud honking of cars in Seishun City will not disturb the quiet stroll Fuji is enjoying at the moment. He has been in many walks with his friends, but this is the best so far. He cannot explain why though, but that does not matter.
"We're here, Sakuno-chan," he says, taking her small hand in his.
Sakuno notices the signboard of the shop. It is an athletics shop, but she is not familiar with it. Perhaps only a few students know of this store.
"I need to buy a new wristband, Sakuno-chan. Will you help me pick?"
Sakuno nods. The two proceed to the accessories section of the shop where various items ranging from wristbands to headbands are displayed inside a glass shelf. Fuji starts to look from one level to another, glancing at the brand names and colors. Sakuno, on the other hand, is staring at the pieces displayed at a glass counter adjacent to the glass shelf. A saleslady is assisting her.
"Ano, Fuji-senpai, which do you prefer?" Sakuno hands out two boxes, each containing a pair of wristbands. One is in black, and one is in Prussian blue.
Fuji regards the items. They look like they are of high quality. He takes one box as if examining the item more closely. He looks at the glass counter to check out the other items. He spots another box, which has a pair of white wristbands.
"What do you think of the white wristbands, Sakuno-chan?"
Sakuno cocks her head, as if in deep thought. "Ano, Fuji-senpai is a bit pale. I think a darker color suits you better," she replies. "Ano, but if you like white…" she immediately tries to change her answer, thinking that she sounds as if she is imposing on him.
Fuji, however, gets her logic and shakes his head. "No, you're right." He walks back to Sakuno and takes the other box, which contains the wristbands in an unusual shade of blue. "I like this one, Sakuno-chan. Their color is unusual."
Sakuno beams at him, glad that she is of help. Fuji walks to the cashier as Sakuno has gone near the exit to wait for him. Fuji, however, makes a diversion when another item catches his eye. He checks what Sakuno is doing first. Satisfied that her attention is on something else, he pokes the item a bit and smiles. He grabs it and pays for the items at the cashier.
Several minutes later, the two are resting inside a quaint teahouse.
"Thank you for accompanying me, Sakuno-chan."
"Ano, Fuji-senpai does not have to thank me," she replies shyly.
Fuji smiles back and then he looks down at his cup of tea, observing his reflection.
"Sakuno-chan," Fuji calls her without breaking his gaze at his tea. "Will you consider playing tennis again?"
He looks at her as he waits for her answer. Her innocent face is now bearing a serious expression as she considers her answer. Sakuno is not good in tennis, which is why she has resolved to concentrate on what she does best.
Will she consider playing again?
"Ano, I'm not good in playing tennis Fuji-senpai," she trails.
"What if someone teaches you?" Fuji asks again as he rests his elbows on the table and inches closer to her.
"Ano, I don't know. If I were to study tennis again, I will need a very patient teacher, senpai. I'm a slow learner when it comes to sports," she replies.
"I'm a patient teacher," Fuji answers back quietly.
Sakuno may have heard wrong, because Fuji-senpai's voice is getting quieter and quieter every time he gives an answer. HE is willing to teach HER? Even Ryoma-san does not have the patience to spend time with her. Then again, Fuji-senpai is different from Ryoma-san. Who is she to judge?
Seeing the reluctance in her eyes, "Tennis is fun Sakuno-chan. You don't have to learn it just to be a pro. You can learn it and play as a hobby. When you improve and decide you want to be pro, then you can do so," Fuji says encouragingly.
Sakuno blinks at him.
Fuji smiles and continues. "Athletics is needed for the development of the body and the soul. I learned that from Plato," he adds as he remembers a passage from one of the books he has read.
Sakuno bows her head and fiddles with her fingers. She is not familiar with Plato, but that does not matter right now. Fuji-senpai is offering to teach her in tennis. She does not have to be as good as him. She can learn it for the sole reason that it is fun to play tennis. She inwardly smiles at the thought.
"Ano, if Fuji-senpai is willing to teach me, I want to take tennis lessons again," she shyly says.
"It is not a question of me being willing to teach you, Sakuno-chan. I'm always willing to teach you," he answers back. Smiling inwardly at his newfound victory, he grabs the other item he has bought from the athletics shop and hands it to Sakuno.
Sakuno blinks at the humongous stuffed tennis ball handed to her. Her hands automatically reach for it. Once in her arms, she absentmindedly squishes the stuffed ball, which is a hundred times larger than the normal tennis ball. She looks at Fuji who looks as if he has just won the billion yen lottery.
"Fuji-senpai?"
"Like I said a while ago, thank you for accompanying me today, Sakuno-chan," Fuji says, the genuine smile still plastered on his face.
"Ano…ano…you don't have to thank me senpai. This is too much," she says frantically. She quickly hands the stuffed toy to him as she realizes what it is for.
"Na ah," Fuji teases as he shakes his head. "You already have it, Sakuno-chan. I bought it for you. I'm not taking it back, unless you don't like it…"
"No…no…ano…" Sakuno stammers, blushing darkly.
"You'll take it then?"
"Hai," she answers back shyly. "Thank you, senpai," she adds.
Fuji smiles at her victoriously, satisfied that he has won three times this day:
The first one is his game against Inui…
…the second is when Sakuno has agreed to learn to play tennis again…
…and the third one is when she has accepted his gift.
Like he has thought, this is the best walk he has had with his friends so far.
Fuji's statement regarding one of Plato's passages is from Plato's "The Laws".
I hope you enjoyed reading. Please review.
Thank you.