Disclaimer: I do not own Tennis no Ohjisama and Card Captor Sakura, especially each 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 SeigakuChapter 8: Reconciliation
"0-15!"
The ball that has just hit the older Fuji eerily bounces before rolling. It stopped a few centimeters after the baseline. All eyes are on Fuji Syuusuke who has just prevented himself from hitting the ground by stepping back with his good right foot. Then, they turn to look at the other Fuji, the younger one, standing at the opposite side of the tennis court.
"One minute time out for Fuji Syuusuke of Seigaku!"
The umpire breaks the tension in the air. Perhaps, it is most needed at that time considering that the older one needs it to have his partly sore cheek nursed. While the clock ticks, murmurs start to erupt here and there, speculating whether Fuji Yuuta deliberately harmed his brother with his 'unheard' of return.
Some have even started talking low of him.
Momoshiro tightly grips the wire mesh separating them from the Seigaku prodigy. He does not know how much Fuji-senpai hurts – physically and emotionally. All he knows is that right now, the usually easy-going and calm prodigy is in turmoil. His ragged breathing and deadpan eyes show it.
"Gggrrr…why would Fuji Yuuta-san do such a thing?!" Horio angrily says as he fists his right hand as if he were ready to punch someone.
"Horio!!!"
Kachiro and Katsuo embarrassedly clamp Horio's mouth as they notice that they just caught the regulars' attention – and mention the fact that Fuji Syuusuke is just sitting a few meters away from them.
"Let's not be quick in judging people."
All eyes turn to Tezuka who is still stoically looking ahead of him, perhaps, at Ryuzaki-sensei who is coaching Fuji Syuusuke.
"Nya, what do you mean, Tezuka?" Kikumaru confusedly asks as he crosses his arms behind his head. Tezuka means something with the previous statement, that's for sure. Then again, dear Tezuka-buchou tends to be mysterious most of the time that it becomes difficult to get into the line of his thoughts.
"Look at Yuuta-kun," Kawamura continues for Tezuka as all eyes, then, turn to him. "That is not the face of a man who has intended to hurt his own brother," he solemnly continues.
It is at that moment they realize that buchou is not looking at Ryuzaki-sensei or at Fuji Syuusuke. He is looking at the tormented face of Fuji Yuuta who has retrieved his position on the court, waiting for his brother to do so, too.
Yuuta looks ill and pale from biting back tears of regret and agony. His left hand is trembling in tension, and the regulars take note of the fact that Yuuta, in order to reduce the trembling, or even to cover it up, starts to hold his racket with his two hands.
Oishi, who is rarely shaken, grits his teeth, emotions mixed and unidentified. Kaidoh fsshhs as he furrows his brows, while Momoshiro redoubles his tight grip on the wire mesh. Perhaps, instead of easing the tension in Seigaku's side, the sight of Yuuta just doubled it.
Someone has to take responsibility on the partly sore cheek of Fuji Syuusuke and the emotional turmoil the younger Fuji is experiencing.
"There is a one hundred percent chance that Mizuki Hajime taught this variation of the Twist-Spin Shot to Yuuta without a human opponent whom he could use it against."
As if the head-turning exercise were not over, Inui just released a statement that has caused all heads on Seigaku's side to whip their heads to him.
"A variation…" Oishi trails absentmindedly.
"…of the Twist-Spin Shot?" Kawamura and Kaidoh finish Oishi's statement.
"Mizuki Hajime?" Echizen Ryoma blinks at the name mentioned just before Yuuta's. He should have thought…
"That fiend!"
Momoshiro shakes the wire mesh, confusing the other watchers standing adjacent to them. He does not pay any attention to them, nor does he mind getting another verbal whiplash from Tezuka-buchou. Although sorry for partly disrespecting his seniors, he has to let his anger out. He is not the type to bottle his emotions inside, and there is only so much a guy like him can take.
Fortunately for Momoshiro, Tezuka does not give him a whiplash. Of course, the buchou's eyes flash upon Momoshiro's outburst, but they immediately turn straight ahead. To say that Tezuka is annoyed at what is happening is an understatement, but he does not want to let his emotions get the best of him.
Besides, he trusts Fuji Syuusuke to straighten things between he and his brother.
The crowd cheers as Fuji Syusuuke retrieves his spot on the court. However, instead of posing to serve, he looks straight as his brother.
"Yuuta."
Yuuta blinks, a bit dazed. Is his brother calling him?
"Yuuta."
The second call is enough for Yuuta to relax his hold on his racket and look straight at his brother. Of course, he has been observing his brother. Well, he should be. Then again, there is a difference between looking at a distance and really seeing his brother.
He is taken aback.
Fuji Syuusuke smiles encouragingly at his brother. He knows Yuuta did not mean to harm him with his return. His brother's eyes tell him so. Besides, he knows Yuuta well. Even in the midst of their tennis rivalry, Yuuta will never stoop low to a point wherein he will hurt someone just to get ahead. Regardless of how boyishly brash his brother is, Yuuta is always a man of honor.
Besides, there is only one man to blame…
…but Fuji Syuusuke will deal with HIM later.
"Don't listen to them, Yuuta," Fuji finally adds.
"Look at me."
Yuuta's eyes widen further as he takes in the gravity of their situation. It seems as if the crowd were vanishing, along with St. Rudolph and Mizuki-senpai, leaving him and his brother, a tennis court, tennis rackets and a tennis ball in a white empty space.
Ganbaru, Fuji-san!
Fuji Yuuta shakes his head, a bit confused. It seems as if Ryuzaki-san were just beside him, cheering for him. Then, after recovering, he turns to his brother.
Oh, they are still in the white and empty space.
Yuuta, get a hold of yourself! Yuuta scolds himself yet again, and at that moment, everything seems to return to normal.
"Aniki…" he starts. Before anything else, he wants to apologize to his brother, only to be stopped by clear and placid blue eyes.
He blinks yet again.
"I know you did not mean it, Yuuta."
"But…"
Fuji gently shakes his head, his pale brown hair swaying with the wind.
"Like I said, you do not need to," he continues as he prepares to serve. "But if you insist…"
Fuji throws the ball as high as he can.
"Apologize to me with your tennis!" Fuji finishes as he hits the tennis ball for a sharp slice serve.
It has been a good ten minutes and Fuji Syuusuke has taken another game from Fuji Yuuta. A gangly 3-0 match, something that most of the people have expected to happen…somehow. Besides, you're talking about THE prodigy of Seigaku, who, since his middle school years, has wowed the country and the Western part of the world with his prodigy-like skills.
Then there is his younger brother known to be a Lefty-Killer.
So much for an honorable title.
Yuuta can feel the pressure on his shoulders as he gasps for breath. If he lets his brother take one more game, winning just one would be very difficult. He has to think of something unexpected – a plan of attack – because this match is not just about winning.
He wants to apologize…
…and he will do it by delivering a tennis match that his aniki deserves.
Gathering all the energy left in him, he throws the ball and delivers a high-powered Twist-Spin serve that caused the ball to rotate on the ground for several seconds. Almost everyone in the crowd wait in anticipation as the ball bounces. Will it hit Fuji Syuusuke on the cheek again?
You're doing well, Yuuta-kun. Just the way I want, but be sure not to give this match to Fuji Syuusuke
Mizuki Hajime smirks as the ball bounces, but to his – and everyone's – surprise, the ball bounces at a 45 degree angle, enabling the older Fuji to return it with a straight shot. However, Fuji Syuusuke is destined to be among the surprised people at that particular moment. Right after he delivers a straight shot, his otouto is already waiting for the ball at the side where he has intended it to go.
"Fast!" Oishi gasps upon seeing how Yuuta has already positioned himself to attack.
"Nya," Eiji interjects as he sees Yuuta powerfully hits the ball. "He is expending too much energy."
Echizen blinks at the statement, but agrees quietly. It seems you're getting desperate.
"That seems to be the case," Inui adds. "Then again, he will lower his energy expenditure by twenty percent for the next five minutes until his speed smoothens."
"Huh?"
Most of the Seigaku tennis club members look inquisitively at the data guy.
"But he would have to do that in a way wherein he would not lose momentum," Oishi worriedly comments.
"Fuji Yuuta can do that," Tezuka mysteriously says.
Everyone starts to blink in surprise, again. Things are getting stranger by the minute, especially when they do think they are getting worried not just of Fuji Syuusuke, but their teammate's opponent, Fuji Yuuta. Just whose side do they belong, anyway?
Perhaps, that is not a question worth asking.
Tezuka looks at his teammates, before stealing a glance at the hopeful gaze of Ryuzaki Sakuno standing several meters away from them. His eyes squint in concentration, before turning back to his anxiously brainstorming teammates.
"Fuji Yuuta can do that, for the simple fact that he is a Fuji."
This is one of the very few moments when Fuji Syuusuke feels as if he were in bad need of winning a game. The strange weight on his chest and his trembling hands all indicate he wants to win this match badly. He does not know why, though, but there is more to the drastic adrenaline rush in him.
He can feel the smile on his lips getting wider and wider the longer the match gets. It's as if his lips have a life of their own and they have decided to appear like an upside-down arch on his face. That he does not mind, really. Besides, even when he is two games ahead of his brother – 5-3 – the fact that his otouto is doing well and evolving in a match against him are enough to make him happy.
This is his chance of telling Yuuta that he is proud of him.
Saa…it feels really nice to have helped you evolve in a game, even if we were to go against each other Yuuta.
Fuji pauses as Yuuta poses to deliver another Twist-Spin shot. He unconsciously tightens his grip on his racket, unaware of the effect of what had happened to him earlier. As Yuuta swings his racket the way he did several minutes ago, Fuji Syuusuke loosens his grip on his racket, before tightening it again.
I must not doubt Yuuta.
Fuji Syuusuke does know how right he is…but his sudden pause has cost him much because the ball is very heavy for his grip and his racket to take. In a blink of an eye, Fuji finds his racket being thrown off his hand and proceeds to skid on the ground. The whole crowd gasps, never expecting the younger Fuji to do just that.
Perhaps, the incident between the brothers a while ago was just a fluke…
…if it weren't, that does not matter.
After a few seconds of silence, the St. Rudolph crowd bursts into a loud cheer, loud enough for Yuuta to cringe in surprise. Nevertheless, his spirits are lifted up with the support his teammates are showing.
And when all seemed against him, Yuuta spots Ryuzaki Sakuno cheering not just for his aniki, but also for him. Then, there's his aniki, giving that look again – the one which says, I am proud of you, Yuuta.
Yuuta can feel the unfamiliar constricting of his chest. Then again, he can't say it is entirely bad. Perhaps, he is starting to get carried away with the lessons and discoveries he has gotten from one match. Memories of him and his aniki flash in his head – the day they first played tennis together; the day his aniki defended him. His brother never designed the rivalry between them – he did – and his brother deserves not just a good tennis match, but also the sincerest apology – ever.
Fisting his right hand, Yuuta positions himself as he starts to serve.
"Aniki, listen to my apology!"
The deafening cheer of the crowd, instead of being a hindrance, became an advantage for the two brothers. The match has just ended, a dramatic 6-3, with Fuji Syuusuke winning. Thus, Seigaku has won against St. Rudolph, and they move on to the next level of the preliminaries. But amidst the uncontrollable cheering outside the tennis courts, brothers remain staring at each other, the court net separating them.
Then, there is silence…
…only to be broken by Yuuta who approaches his brother, and offers his hand to congratulate the deserving winner.
"Congratulations to you, aniki," Yuuta softly says. "And to Seigaku too."
Fuji smiles as he shakes his brother's hand. Of course, it is painful to lose. Yuuta is not just fighting for himself, but also for the team he belongs to. However, Yuuta is a good sport, and he knows how to turn a discouraging situation to his own advantage.
Tightening his grip on his otouto's hand, Fuji Syuusuke says the words he has always longed to say:
"I'm proud of you, Yuuta."
While the Seigaku club members are busy "brainstorming" where they will celebrate their victory, Fuji Syuusuke quietly slips away from the group. He treads the path towards the faucet area, only to find Ryuzaki Sakuno washing her hands.
"Sakuno-chan," he quietly says.
The auburn-headed girl turns to him, surprised to see her senpai there.
"Ano, Fuji-senpai," she blinks several times before her eyes start to sparkle with immense delight. "Ano, congratulations with the game today!"
Fuji chuckles at the warmly-said greeting before caressing her right cheek affectionately.
"Thank you, Sakuno-chan."
Sakuno innocently beams at him, before sidestepping for him to get access to the faucet area. "Were you going to wash your face, senpai?"
"Uh, hai. Thanks again," Fuji sheepishly says as he drops his duffel bag on one corner, before proceeding to wash his face.
Sakuno, in mere respect for his senpai, starts to gaze at the sky. It wasn't as bright as it is now during the game, and she is glad that it did brighten. Drawn into gazing, she failed to hear her senpai walking back to her.
"Ne, Sakuno-chan, what are you looking at?"
"Eh?" Sakuno blinks again. "Oh, ano, the sky is so bright, Fuji-senpai. It's just so good to look at," she adds.
"Oh?" Fuji looks up and agrees with Sakuno's observation.
"Saa…are you going home now, Sakuno-chan?"
"Uh, ano, Tomoyo-chan invited me to tea today, senpai. But obaa-san insisted that we join your celebration first before going to Tomoyo-chan's house. But…"
"The regulars have not decided where to celebrate," Fuji finishes for her. Knowing his teammates, especially Kaidoh and Momoshiro, they are now in a mad scramble where to go. Of course, Oishi is there to pacify them, and there goes Taka-san, too.
Fuji chuckles in thought as he sits on a park bench, with Sakuno sitting beside him. He casually leans back, relaxing his exhausted muscles.
"Ne, Fuji-senpai, aren't you going to join the regulars?"
Fuji blinks at the question before gently shaking his head. "Saa…knowing them, it will take them another twenty minutes before they can decide on where to go. Tezuka would be too busy to play arbiter because he would be talking with Ryuzaki-sensei. Oishi's not enough to placate Kaidoh and Momoshiro. So, we'll wait for them, ne, Sakuno-chan?"
While Fuji explains the circumstance to her, Sakuno processes the whole information and agreed that her senpai's decision is wise enough. She proceeds to relax too, taking in the silence and the peacefulness of the atmosphere. She looks to her right, only to see Fuji-senpai limply leaning back. His eyes are closed, face serene, lips formed into a contented smile. She blinks several times before smiling herself. Even with the event a while ago, things did end happily not just for Seigaku, but also for Fuji-senpai and Fuji Yuuta-san. In her childlike delight, she proceeds to hum softly.
Though his eyes are closed, Fuji is still aware of his surroundings, that is why he did not fail to hear Sakuno's soft humming. He smiles at its calming effect, before straightening himself up.
"Oh, ano, senpai," Sakuno blinks as Fuji proceeds to stand up. Worried that she may have disturbed him in his sleep, she proceeds to apologize frantically.
"Saa…don't apologize Sakuno-chan. It's actually nice listening to you hum," he says before offering her an easy smile. "A happy thought, I guess?"
Sakuno beams at him widely before shaking her head. "Fuji-senpai seems so happy today."
Fuji blinks to that. "Me?"
"Hai."
Fuji glances at his wrist where the blue wristband Sakuno chose for him is hidden by the sleeves of his jersey jacket. He does find ways to be happy each day, but today is so different. Although he knows how apparent he may seem, few people can really distinguish whether his smile is a happy or a devious one. "It's just…many good things have happened lately, Sakuno-chan."
Sakuno nods in understanding. However, before they can even start walking towards the Seigaku regulars, they abruptly stop upon seeing Fuji Yuuta several feet away from them.
"Yuuta?"
Yuuta blinks at the scene before him. His aniki and Ryuzaki-san are together, alone, at the park. He inwardly shakes his head before assuming anything. Then again, can he help himself from thinking of such things? Furthermore, can he help himself when he can feel this sinking feeling in his stomach, which he is trying really, really hard to ignore?
Yuuta finally walks to them after the frozen-in-time moment. He gives the two a sheepish smile. "Am I disturbing anything?" He reluctantly says, scratching an invisible itch at the back of his head.
Sakuno blinks at the question, and innocently shakes her head. "Ano, no, Fuji-san. We were just about to look for the Seigaku regulars. Have you seen them?"
It is Yuuta's turn to blink before turning to his brother with a questioning look. "You weren't with them, aniki?"
"I left to wash my face, but it's so much nicer here so I decided to stay for a while longer, ne, Sakuno-chan?" Fuji replies with a smile.
"Uh, hai," Sakuno agrees as she turns to her senpai. She turns to Yuuta who is staring uncomfortably at the ground. She turns to her senpai, who, before looking at her, steals a glance of his brother. Thinking that the brothers need time to talk, she quietly excuses herself.
"Ano, Fuji-senpai, I'll go look for the others. We'll just wait for you," Sakuno suggests.
Getting a hang of what Sakuno is trying to do, Fuji gives her an appreciative nod.
"Ano, Ryuzaki-san," Yuuta interrupts before she disappears from their sight. "The Seigaku regulars are staying at the pavilion near the court where we played."
"Hai, thank you very much, Fuji-san. See you later, Fuji-senpai," Sakuno says before executing a polite bow to the two.
Fuji sees her off with a friendly wave while Yuuta gives her his best boyish smile.
Then, the two brothers are alone.
Sakuno taps her lower lip worriedly. Then, a crunching sound of a soda can being crushed is heard. She abruptly turns to her right, only to find Echizen Ryoma standing casually near a trash bin.
"Ryoma-san?"
Echizen lazily turns his cat-like eyes, a bit surprised at her sudden appearance. "Ryuzaki?" When she is a few feet from him, "What are you doing here?"
"Oh, ano, I am looking for the Seigaku regulars," she answers, a bit puzzled why the young tennis prince is not with the others.
"Ah," Echizen snorts matter-of-factly as he puts his racket on his shoulder. "They are still arguing where to go."
Sakuno blinks at the statement. Fuji-senpai is so right. "How about you, Ryoma-san? What are you doing here?"
Echizen is taken aback at the question. Usually, when she asks that, Sakuno would immediately apologize as if asking him what he is doing were a very big mistake. He, then, smirks as he pulls down the bill of his baseball cap in an effort to hide his growing blush. Things are changing – really – and like what he has concluded several weeks ago, he still has to cope up. What is he doing here, she asks? Well, when the ruckus among the regulars started, he found her and Fuji-senpai missing. So, he went out to look for her.
Mind you, with Momo-senpai and Kaidoh-senpai bickering like five-year-olds, it was very easy to slip past them without Kikumaru-senpai wringing his neck to stay with them.
Then again, how will he say that to Sakuno?
"Ah…I was - "
"Ryuzaki-chan!!!"
The two turn to see the Seigaku regulars running towards them, minus Tezuka and Ryuzaki-sensei. Ryuzaki shyly waves at them, while Echizen struggles hard to hide his frown. Kawamura is the first one to reach them.
"Do you know where Fujiko-chan is, Ryuzaki-chan?"
Sakuno blinks at the question. When she realizes who 'Fujiko-chan' is, she gently nods. "He is with Fuji Yuuta-san. They are near the faucet area."
Echizen grits his teeth at her answer.
"Fuji is with his otouto?" Inui asks upon reaching them.
"Hai, as is the case," Kawamura replies.
"Well, it seems we have to wait for him," Oishi interjects upon hearing the news.
"Nya, I hope they won't take long. My tummy is getting angry at me," Kikumaru boyishly murmurs.
"Ne, Oishi-senpai, where are we going to celebrate?" Echizen, in an effort to disrupt the growing discomfort in the atmosphere starts to interrogate.
Oishi looks at Echizen, worried and a bit tongue-tied. Puzzled at his senpai's behavior, Echizen looks at the others who all seem grim to him. Of course, whether they will celebrate or not does not matter to him. Then again, why do they all look that way?
Suddenly, Momoshiro puts an arm around his kohai, a teasing grin on his face. "My, Echizen, you'll be having a hard time today."
"Huh?"
"And Ryuzaki-chan must go with us, ne, Ryuzaki-chan?" Kikumaru says as he, too, puts an arm around Ryuzaki, earning him a death glare from Echizen. He flashes a peace sign to the tennis prince to appease him when he sees Sakuno uneasily nodding.
"Actually, we have already reached a consensus," Inui starts.
Echizen nods to that. At least, his senpai-tachi has settled the word-war between Momo-senpai and Kaidoh-senpai.
"Echizen," Momoshiro shakes his kohai's shoulders. "We'll be celebrating at your house."
Echizen slowly processes Momo-senpai's words, before turning to him in disbelief.
Now, isn't that some good news?
Yuuta uncomfortably scratches the back of his head. Sitting beside his brother, alone and unguarded by Yumiko-neechan is something he has not experienced for a long, long time. He smiles bitterly at that thought.
"What's bothering you, Yuuta?"
He turns to his aniki who worriedly looks at him. A sudden thought hits him. Since childhood, all his aniki has done is to protect him. And what did he do? He started a rivalry between the two of them and went on his separate way. Then again, being the gentleman – yes, whatever people say about his brother's so-called sadism, Fuji Syuusuke is a gentleman – that he is, his aniki gave him some space and let him be. That's why the war ended as one-sided, with him as the sole loser.
Furthermore, he has a lot to apologize for.
"Aniki…"
Fuji Syuusuke smirks at the way his otouto currently looks. He affectionately ruffles Yuuta's generous crop of hair, and merrily laughs at his brother's childish pout.
"You have already apologized Yuuta," Fuji starts as he stops tormenting Yuuta. "And I have already forgiven you," he finishes.
A surge of air overcomes Yuuta until he finds it hard to breathe. He has been feeling this way unusually frequently, but he does not mind at all. Nope. Not at all, really. It feels good that his brother has forgiven him. More so, his brother understands where he is coming from. The rush of emotion causes Yuuta to lean forward, each of his elbows propped on each knee. The older Fuji, noticing the sudden change in his brother, hesitantly keeps quiet.
Surprisingly, Yuuta gently punches Fuji Syuusuke's arm, but he also whispers words the older did not miss.
"Aniki…arigato."
A breeze follows thereafter. A few minutes pass by without any one of them uttering a single word. The older Fuji remains placid-looking, blue eyes visible, watching the scenery before him. The younger one has already leaned back, head rested on the top part of the backrest.
"Yuuta."
"Hai."
"Will you be home on Saturday?"
"Eh, we have practice on Saturday, but I may consider going home. Why?"
Fuji smiles at the last part of Yuuta's reply. "Yumiko-neechan has invited Sakuno-chan to bake with her at home. We're going to be their guinea pigs," he finishes with a smile.
Yuuta's eyes widen at the information. "Ryuzaki-san is coming on Saturday?"
"Hai."
Yuuta blinks as he digests the answer. He pouts afterwards. "I don't mind becoming a guinea pig, as long as the food will be delicious."
Fuji smiles to that. "You don't have to worry. Sakuno-chan is the apprentice of the head chef of the new café near our school. Have you been there lately?"
For some reason, Yuuta blushes lightly at his brother's statement. After gathering his composure, however, he delivers a very neutral answer. "Haven't been. But I heard that the pastries there are delicious. Yanagizawa-senpai has been ranting about it."
Yuuta thinks he is able to disguise his discomfort well enough. Poor him, though. He has Fuji Syuusuke for a brother…
…who is now smirking at his otouto's deer-caught-in-the-headlight expression.
"Saa…I think Yuuta has a crush on someone."
Bingo.
And with that, Yuuta blushes further.
"Aniki…" Yuuta growls warningly at his brother's teasing comment.
Honestly, he is attracted to Ryuzaki Sakuno. Now, who wouldn't be? Of course, she may not be as elegant as their nee-san, or as preppy as others like the ones in school. Sakuno exudes an innocent air that is far from pretentious, but there is also strength in her that cannot be ignored. Then, there is the fact that she is beautiful.
But of course, he does not have that much guts to admit that to his brother.
For Fuji Syuusuke, teasing Yuuta is so much fun, especially when his dear baby brother is trying so hard to cover up something so obvious.
Then again, he has no reason to rejoice that much. After pouting, Yuuta placidly smiles at his brother, as if admitting defeat. Fuji cocks his head in confusion.
"Aniki, Ryuzaki-san is a very special person," Yuuta starts, his cheeks as red as Kikumaru Eiji's hair.
"But I don't want to get in your way."
Ryuzaki Sumire is definitely fascinated with the way her young granddaughter is reacting to their present situation.
After being welcomed rather obscurely to the Echizen residence, the Seigaku regulars went straight to the tennis courts led by the tennis prince himself. She and her granddaughter, on the other hand, were led by an eager Echizen Rinko to the main house for tea. Sometimes, she pities the younger woman for having Echizen Nanjirou as a husband. Then again, as they say, she is not one to judge.
Seated beside her is her dear granddaughter, who she has been observing for quite sometime. Sprawled lazily in front of them is the tennis prince's father. Ryuzaki-sensei fully understands Sakuno's reaction. Her and Nanjirou's lack of interaction despite their being 'acquiantances' is really a puzzle to the young lady. However, some things are better not said. Sakuno will realize that in time.
Good thing for the threesome, Rinko appears, carrying a tray of tea and several cups. Sakuno rises to help settle the tray and serve the tea to the four of them.
"My, you've grown to become a beautiful young lady, Sakuno-san," Rinko praises as she caresses a soft curl of Sakuno's hair.
Sakuno innocently blushes at the unexpected praise, nearly dropping a cup she is about to serve to her grandmother. Ryuzaki-sensei suppresses a laugh at her granddaughter's innocence. Rinko, on the other hand, suppresses the urge to squeal at the adorable sight. They have not been blessed with a beautiful daughter. Though Ryoma's cousin graced the house with her presence, it is different to have a daughter of your own.
"Nanjirou-san," is Rinko's curt call.
And of course, the tennis legend knows exactly what that means. He lazily sits straight and faces their guests, a bit annoyed that his former teacher is there to 'celebrate' her son's victory with them.
Now, where is his son, anyway?
"Excuse me, but do you know where the boys are?" Rinko, as if reading Nanjirou's thoughts, asks.
"Oh, ano, they are at the tennis court near the temple," Sakuno shyly replies.
Nanjirou sips his tea before answering. "Those boys never know when to rest. But of course, they still have lots of things to learn, ne, Sakuno-chan?"
Sakuno blinks at the question, before nodding innocently in reply.
"The game ended rather early. Some of them were not able to play," Ryuzaki-sensei interjects. "That includes Ryoma-kun."
"Che, his excitement will get the best of him one day. That kid has to be careful," Nanjirou answers back.
"Nanjirou-san, Ryoma-kun is not a kid anymore," Rinko affectionately reminds.
Of course, Nanjirou has to scoff at the statement, but Rinko knows that his husband respects his son not just as his son but also as a tennis player. She smiles at his antics before standing up to open the door just as she heard someone ringing the doorbell.
Meanwhile, the Seigaku tennis club regulars are busy with their own agenda. Inui, Kawamura, Oishi, Fuji and Tezuka are sightseeing. Kaidoh, Momoshiro, Kikumaru and Echizen are playing doubles, with the legendary hotheads teaming up with each other. Echizen is a bit intent on appeasing his tense nerves because he was not able to play. Kikumaru, on the other hand, is enjoying every bit of the game, executing moves that annoyed Momoshiro and Kaidoh.
"Ryoma-kun!!!"
A far-off voice stops the foursome from the game, and Echizen immediately turns to the sidelines where he sees his mother, along with Ryuzaki Sakuno. Echizen nearly drops the ball he is about to serve, seeing the two together. He can almost feel his tummy jumping and rejoicing at the unfamiliar but seemingly good sight.
"Kaasan," Echizen informally greets.
Rinko affectionately taps her son's shoulder. When she is about to announce something, the other five regulars arrive, all of them carrying packages of sushi. The mere sight of the packages almost made Momoshiro and Kikumaru drool, but they mustered all of their inner strength not to embarrass themselves in front of the ladies.
"Ne, Echizen-san, thank you for allowing us to celebrate in your place," Kawamura says, as he, along with the others, greet Echizen's mother with a half bow.
"Ryuzaki-sensei is with us at the main house. Would you like to join us?" Rinko invites after the five settle the packages on the bench near the court.
All of the regulars, including Sakuno, look at the captain. Tezuka blinks at their reaction, and immediately assesses the situation. He nods to Sakuno before turning to Echizen's mother. "Thank you for your invitation. We'll be joining you in a while," he reservedly answers.
Rinko, understanding that these young men need time for themselves, nods to Tezuka. "Hmm…we'll bring the sushi with us, then. The tea will be ready soon, too."
"Ah, we'll help with the packages," Oishi volunteers, knowing for a fact that the wooden containers are a bit heavy, especially for Sakuno's small frame.
Kawamura carries two, and along with Oishi, they are led back to the main house. With that, the seven regulars start to look at each other.
"Nya, aren't we going to join them?" Kikumaru asks as he scratches the lower part of his cheek.
"Inui has some things to announce," Tezuka replies. "We'll wait for Oishi and Kawamura to arrive so that he won't be repeating anything."
"Oh," is all Momo can say. Actually, he is really ready to eat, but over the years, he has learned to wait patiently. Of course, he is still the same easily fired Momoshiro Takeshi, but he has learned when to cool down.
"Fascinating."
The six regulars blink and turn to Inui. They are all wearing questioning looks as they continue to observe him writing down some things on his notebook. After what appeared like a minute, Inui faces his awestruck teammates.
"I just discovered one thing."
"Hmmm…what is it?" Echizen asks, rather disinterestedly.
Inui turns back a page of his notebook before facing them again.
"It seems that Echizen Nanjirou and Echizen Ryoma has another thing in common, besides being good in tennis."
Kikumaru snickers at the statement. It is a fact that the older legend is a foil to his rather serious son. For them to have something in common – besides the two being excellent athletes – is a rare phenomenon.
"Both seem to like sweet-faced, auburn-haired women."
An air of silence passes them by, as each of them processes what Inui has just revealed. Echizen Rinko, despite being more than forty years of age, has her youthful beauty intact. Then, there is the adorably innocent and beautiful Ryuzaki Sakuno…
…and as Inui has said, both have auburn hair.
Kikumaru and Momoshiro each put an arm around a furiously blushing Echizen, who could not even utter a single sound because of shock. The two senpais are giggling in delight.
Tezuka coughs a bit at the revelation.
Kaidoh embarrassedly fsshs at Inui's statement, but he smirks at Echizen's tomato-red face.
Fuji has his smiling face on, but he can feel himself being enveloped in warmth. Then, there is that sinking feeling in his chest again, the same thing he felt when he saw Akutagawa Jirou sprawling over Ryuzaki Sakuno.
Hands in each pocket, Fuji Syuusuke strolls down the road, taking time to reflect on the events that had happened that day. He played a good game with Yuuta, and even though he got a bruised cheek in the process, he is more than happy. They have reconciled. There may be no bawling and embracing like the ones he had seen in the movies, but he knows that the bond between him and Yuuta has been renewed and strengthened. However, there was also Inui's latest revelation that bothered him a lot. No, it is not about the announced special training on Saturday morning. It is about the Echizen men liking auburn-haired women.
He knows for a fact that Echizen Ryoma likes Sakuno. That was the initial reason why he decided to match the two together. By now, however, he knows that, that is not the reason why he basks in Sakuno's friendship.
He delights in being her friend…
…but there is also that unsettling feeling inside of him.
Before Fuji can continue with his train of thoughts, his companion tugs his sleeve. He looks down to meet the eager face of Sakuno. He smiles at her, only to realize that they are already in front of Daidouji Tomoyo's mansion.
"Ano, Fuji-senpai, thank you for walking me," Sakuno says, bowing to her friend in gratitude.
Fuji caresses a stray lock of hair on her shoulder. "Saa…be careful Sakuno-chan. How will you go home?"
"Ano, Tomoyo-chan told me that she'll drive me home, although I told her I can take the bus back home. I don't want to bother her."
Fuji shakes his head, disagreeing with her. "Don't worry, Sakuno-chan. I think Tomoyo-chan does not mind spending some time to drive you home. She just wants to be sure you are home safe."
Sakuno blinks at him before conceding. Then, she turns to ring the doorbell. Tomoyo's voice from the intercom is heard, instructing her to enter through the gates. After that, the gates automatically open, wide enough for Sakuno to enter. Then, when she is a considerable distance from the gate, it closes, separating her and Fuji.
Sakuno turns back to her senpai, who amiably waves at her. She waves back, before walking towards the mansion. Meanwhile, Fuji stays rooted to where he is standing, taking time and making sure Sakuno gets into the mansion safely.
The unsettling feeling overwhelms him again.
This time however, he knows it is for a different reason.
When he cannot see Sakuno through the gates anymore, Fuji proceeds to walk back to the nearest bus stop. Upon arriving at the waiting shed, he is partly surprised and wholly thankful that no one is there. He sits on a bench and rests his elbows on each knee.
This unsettling feeling…perhaps, he is jealous.
Now, where did that word come from?
Fuji clasps his hands together as tight as he can in concentration.
He may be jealous – no, he is jealous.
He is not comfortable with the fact that almost all of the regulars tease Echizen to Sakuno. He is also not comfortable with the possibility of them ending up together since Sakuno had a crush on Echizen Ryoma. Then, there is also that strange feeling of longing he usually has when he sees his friend going way – just like what he felt a while ago.
He does not know anything about these.
Funny thing.
Fuji Syuusuke, the tennis prodigy of Seigaku, feared by many and adored by many girls, is overwhelmed by the simple fact that he is starting to have feelings for Ryuzaki Sakuno. Even his brother, who roughly admitted that he likes Sakuno-chan, also noticed Fuji Syuusuke's special adoration over the young lady…
…his friend.
Saa…my matchmaking plans have totally backfired on me.