Disclaimer: I do not own Tennis no Ohjisama and Card Captor Sakura, especially each anime's characters. Iwase Kumiko-san, Yasuhiro-kun, Maeda Hideki-san, Furuya Akiyoshi and the Reverie Café are my own creations. Any similarities with real people and/or places 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 14: Redemption
"Eh?"
Shishido Ryou blinks at the sight in front of him before turning to the left and to the right.
If this goes on, it won't be a good practice day today, he tells himself as he watches the captain of Hyotei Gakuen's tennis club with wary eyes.
Atobe Keigo, in all his handsome glory, is sitting on a bench, a mobile phone in one hand. While all Hyotei players are entitled to look relaxed during club break, the faraway look in Atobe's eyes should be illegal – he looks so vulnerable that it is enough to attract a throng of Hyotei females.
Atobe, .sigh.
Shishido squares his jaw as he turns to the right. There is already a crowd of screaming fangirls waiting to be tended by their captain. It seems, though, that Atobe is unmindful of their presence. If he won't stand up, the Hyotei tenni club regulars would be forced to take his place and be massacred on the spot.
Just what is his problem anyway? The other half of the so-called "silver pair" grumpily asks himself. Huffing in annoyance, he stands up from his bench and looks for Ohtori just so he can distract himself with a good practice match.
Meanwhile, Atobe absent-mindedly twirls his mobile phone, pondering over what his butler just told him:
They are absolutely pleased with what you prepared, Keigo-sama.
A smirk graces Atobe's handsome face.
His plan to make his mother's birthday an extra-special day is going too well he can't help but space out and plan his next steps – mainly tonight's dinner. His trusted butler retold him how his beautiful mother gushed over the dishes he prepared for breakfast and lunch. While he knows he has yet to master the "art of cooking", he is pretty pleased with himself.
"You seem to be in a very good mood today."
Atobe looks up and meets the amused gaze of Oshitari Yuushi. He raises an elegant brow at his friend.
The glasses boy grins at the captain. "Practice is about to resume."
Without uttering a single word, Atobe simply nods as he stands up. Putting his mobile phone back into his duffel bag, he combs his hair with his fingers and looks at the tennis court with a predatory look in his eyes.
He is definitely in a good mood today…
…and he has one auburn-haired girl to thank before the day ends.
He treads his way to the tennis court when he hears girly murmurs to his left. Turning to where the noise came from, he gazes at the mass of girls waiting to cheer for Hyotei Gakuen's tennis club before gifting them his trademark smile.
The fangirls never failed to scream their hearts out.
"ATOBE-SAAMMAA!!!!!!"
At the sound of girl hysteria, Shishido just buries his face to his free left hand.
There goes club practice.
Kaidoh Kaoru fshhs quietly at one corner of the court.
Today should just be any ordinary club practice day, but he is getting a vibe that the "normality" he is wishing for will not happen. Squaring his shoulders, he twirls his tennis racket in one hand before practicing his swings.
Meanwhile, back in the club room, Fuji Syuusuke is left alone sitting on one of the benches. In a few minutes, he will be playing a game with Tezuka. It shouldn't be a bother, really, because it is just a practice game. Then again, there lies his problem. He specifically requested a practice match with Tezuka to teach him how to be serious at the start of a game. Moreover, he wants to know his tennis style by the end of the day.
It was three years ago when he, alone in a wash room, pondered what his tennis style really is. He had played matches with Shiraishi Kuranosuke and Niou Masaharu – and many more others down the road – but the question remains relatively unanswered. While some may consider his question unnecessary – him, being considered a genius and all – knowing his tennis style will enable him to reach his potential as a tennis player.
It is like knowing one's true self.
The fact that he does not know actually frustrates him…
…and the fact that he does not know where to start annoys him further.
Gripping the edge of his seat, he closes his eyes and breathes out to ease his nerves. Now is not the time to be emotional. He will find things out sooner, but for now, he has to concentrate on his match with Tezuka.
While the prodigy is left inside the clubroom, the other regulars are leisurely practicing as they wait for their captain to arrive. Kawamura and Inui are running laps around the court while Oishi and Kikumaru assist each other in doing stretches. Echizen is dribbling the ball with his tennis racket while Momoshiro and Kaidoh are – miraculously – playing a decent match against each other.
After a few seconds, Tezuka Kunimitsu enters the tennis court with his trusted duffel bag in tow. Upon seeing their captain, all members assembled in front of him, with the regulars – minus their prodigy – leading the pack.
Tezuka gives them a calculating stare before dropping his bag to his side.
"All first years will do endurance training today in Court A. They will be assisted by the second years," he starts, eyeing the group of first and second years. "The third year students will have practice matches with the regulars in Courts B and C."
Everyone is quiet as they waited for the captain to continue. After a few seconds though, Tezuka looks like he has nothing more to say. Fortunately for all of them though, Tezuka catches on their line of thought and relieves them of their misery.
"That is all."
Eh?
The first and seconds years need no further instruction as they took their positions in their court. The third years unwillingly drag themselves to their assigned places, dreading the fact that they are going to face the regulars…again. Meanwhile, much to Tezuka's chagrin, the regulars remain standing in front of him, all wearing quizzical looks.
Sighing to himself, Tezuka turns to all of them. "Something came up."
They all blink to what he said. Normally, Tezuka will maximize the usage of all tennis courts in the school during club practice. However, he mysteriously leaves the rather secluded Court D untouched.
Just what is in his head anyway?
The "something came up" answer and Fuji's absence are not also helping.
Getting a vibe of what is coming, Oishi sighs to himself and leads the others to the court assigned to them. "Let's go guys," he finally says, quite glad that the others are following his instruction albeit unwillingly.
Taking a last glance of Tezuka, Oishi gives his friend a wry smile.
He is surprised when the captain responds with a thankful grin of his own.
"No specials."
Tezuka nonchalantly blinks at Fuji's request. Somehow, he is expecting that Fuji will request such a thing. A match, minus the display of extravagant moves and shots, will test Fuji's technique, stamina and guts.
Breathing out, Tezuka walks back and stops half a foot from the baseline. Grabbing a tennis ball from his pocket, he hits it towards Fuji's side of the court.
"You start the game."
Fuji blinks at him. "Eh? That's very generous of you, Tezuka."
"Ah. Just today, I guess."
The prodigy chuckles at the reply before taking his position on the court. With one swift move, Fuji serves the ball.
Hard.
Tezuka squares his jaw at the sound of the ball being hit by Fuji's racket. He hits the ball towards Fuji's blind spot – a few inches before the baseline – as the prodigy has run to the front of the court. To his surprise, Fuji skids to a halt and lunges back to counter Tezuka's attack.
The ball hits Tezuka's side of the court unanswered.
"15-love."
Tezuka huffs before returning to his position at the baseline. Fuji is rather serious today, and the fact that he is asking a "no specials" match tells him a lot.
I don't know what you are thinking right now, he tells himself, but I won't be left unguarded.
With all his resolve, Tezuka aims for a return ace only to be answered by an unexpected drop shot from Fuji. Running forward, Tezuka makes a lob which Fuji answers with a smash. To the prodigy's dismay however, Tezuka already anticipated his move and has already positioned himself to return the ball with a rising shot.
The two engage in a heated rally of some sort, the sounds of heavy smashes and fast returns reverberating across the court. In a matter of minutes, their match attracts the attention of almost all the tennis club members.
"Hora, I did not expect to see such a thing today," Kikumaru whispers as he stops in front of Court D. To his keen eyes, Tezuka and Fuji look like they were flying.
Oishi furrows his brows. So, this is the reason why Tezuka looked a bit apprehensive after lunch break. Somehow, he has a hunch that this practice match has something to do with Fuji's upcoming rematch with Shiraishi Kuranosuke.
"You know, I don't mind skipping club practice if this is what I will see," Momoshiro excitedly whispers, eyes fixed on the match before him.
The other regulars silently agreed with him.
Observing matches is also a way of practicing tennis.
Meanwhile, the two players on court tirelessly answer each other's return. Somehow, the game is turning to a point wherein no one is allowing his opponent to score. Fifteen minutes have passed and they are still stuck to one game all.
In an attempt to break Fuji's run, Tezuka extends his left arm further to the back for momentum. Once the ball is within his hitting range, he strikes it with his racket with an unknown force, directing the ball to baseline of Fuji's side of the court. The prodigy expectedly runs after the ball but is unable to return it much to his dismay.
Gripping his racket as tight as he can, Fuji catches his breath.
He likes the warm feeling coursing through his body. He likes the adrenaline rush taking charge of him. Somehow, he knows he has to regulate it so he can withstand this grueling match he and Tezuka are on. If he becomes careless, he might expend too much energy early on in the match and lose because of exhaustion.
If Tezuka is planning to make this a raw game, so be it.
He is up to the challenge.
"That's it, Fuji," Tezuka tells himself as he looks at his friend, fire present in his blue eyes. "Don't hold anything back."
After a few more seconds of catching their breaths, the two continue with their match, unaware of the awe-struck stares of their teammates. It took another hour and a half of deadly smashes and breathtaking rallies before their match…ended.
Six games all.
By the time they realized it, it is almost six in the evening.
Echizen stares at his senpai-tachi with predatory eyes. He can feel the energy on the court and oh boy, how much he wants to be there, playing a match either against Tezuka or Fuji. Gritting his teeth and clenching his fist in anticipation, he watches as Tezuka drops his left hand to his side.
"Let's stop for now."
Echizen gets a sinking feeling in his stomach.
Fuji stares at Tezuka with wary eyes while catching his breath. It is a bit disappointing that the captain ended their match at such a state but then, it seems that their match, for now, is already enough.
"Ah. We'll continue this some other time."
It is an affirmation, not a suggestion.
A ghost of a smile plays on Tezuka's lips.
"Of course."
Kawamura Takashi warily sits down beside Fuji Syuusuke who is limply seated on a bench, his back against the wall. The prodigy's match against the buchou did not fail to catch the attention of the whole Seigaku student body, and of course, Ryuzaki-sensei herself. Sighing his heart out, Kawamura takes another glance of his teammate.
"Is something bothering you, Taka?"
"Eh? No," Kawamura starts as he avoids Fuji's eyes. "Er, I was just surprised with your match against Tezuka, that is."
"Really?" Fuji chuckles thereafter. "Well, it's not everyday Tezuka plays a match against one of us, ne?"
"Uhn."
Silence reigns between the two. After a few seconds, Fuji abruptly stands up and faces Kawamura.
"Are you going home after this?"
Kawamura looks up at his friend before smiling. "Where do you plan to go?"
If the famed power-player of Seigaku knew of Fuji's escapades after every club practice, he would realize that his question was unnecessary. After a few minutes, said power-player finds himself in the homey café downtown – the Reverie. Blinking at the easy-going atmosphere of the place, he absent-mindedly follows the prodigy who is sauntering to the corner table.
"I did not know the Reverie is still packed even after school hours," he muses. It is already half an hour past seven in the evening and the café is still brimming with people.
Fuji smiles at his friend's comment before thanking the waiter who just placed a plate of cookies on their table.
"They are now offering Japanese fusion meals in this place," Fuji begins before asking for a copy of the menu from another waiter who just passed by. "Saa…let's go eat."
Kawamura enthusiastically nods as he reaches for another copy of the menu. Upon placing his order, he starts to look around the café only to find that his friend is not on his seat anymore.
While Kawamura searches for his teammate, Fuji is now looking at the pastries in the shelf located near the cashier. He has already sighted a few pieces of oatmeal cookies at the far right of the shelf, a number of profiteroles at the center and a seemingly fresh new tray of sweet buns.
Then again, our dear tensai is not really after the pastries.
Who he is after does not need to be asked.
A number of giggling staff decide to play with his 'guess-who-I'm-looking-for' game.
"Ne, Fuji-kun, Sakuno-chan will be out in a few minutes," one waitress informs him before giggling.
Fuji's blue eyes widen slightly at the information given him. He is aware that the staff almost considers him a 'permanent fixture' in the Reverie Café – what with his frequent visits. He has always thought that only Iwase-san knows who Sakuno is in his life, but after that comment, he has to start thinking otherwise.
He does not really like being caught off guard, but if the smiles on the staff's faces tell they 'approve' of him, he wouldn't have any qualms about it.
It is the first time in his years of service to the Atobe household that old butler Furuya Akiyoshi has seen the lady of the house beaming happily because of dinner.
Tonight's meal is quite…unusual…to say the least. Normally, dinner inside the Atobe mansion is more than a feasting extravaganza complete with hors d'oeuvres. Now, however, is a different sight altogether.
There's miso soup, grilled tuna – of the finest quality of course – rice and a few greens.
Furuya takes a glance of his young master who is eating quietly. The trusted butler of the house smiles to himself. He has not seen his young master so pleased in his whole life.
"Thank you very much for preparing dinner, Keigo-kun," Atobe Keigo's mother tells him with an affectionate pat on his hand.
Surprised at the gesture, the young Atobe heir gently squeezes his mother's hand before letting it go. He takes a glance of his father who is also looking at him with a twinkle in his eyes.
"I would have to agree with your mother, Keigo," his father comments. "It is just a tragedy that chichi-ue and haha-ue are not here to share this moment with us," he adds.
The young heir politely smiles at his father. "I will not forget to tell them of this, chichi-ue," he replies, amusement tainting his words. "I think I would have to prepare more when they come back."
Husband and wife share a smile before the lady of the house squeezes Atobe Keigo's hands again.
Dinner ends quite uneventfully with Atobe Keigo's parents heading to the garden for a stroll. Meanwhile, their young son heads to the library to dwell in his own thoughts.
To say that he is pleased with today's outcome is an understatement. While his mother is a very refined woman, she has expressed her gratitude and affection to him in the most unusual of ways. Fingering a crystal piece atop the office desk, his thoughts head to how he will thank a certain auburn-haired girl who is studying in Seishun Gakuen.
Giving her a gift of appreciation should not really be a problem. Little Ryuzaki Sakuno does not seem to be a materialistic girl. She accompanied him several days ago not because he was the Atobe Keigo or because of his money. She went with him because he was in need and she could help him. Then again, how is he supposed to give a gift to someone who isn't expecting anything in return?
Moreover…
…why is he thinking of giving her a gift that would leave her an impression of him?
Squinting his eyes in concentration, Atobe straightens up and heads towards the door. But before he could reach it, it opens to reveal his beautiful mother.
"Haha-ue?"
The lady of the house smiles at him, and he watches her sit on one of the armchairs in the room. Getting a vibe that she wants to speak with him, he closes the door before finding a seat next to her.
"I am more than thankful for what you did for me today, Keigo-kun," his mother begins.
"En?" He cocks his head to his right in curiosity before smiling. "You are welcome, haha-ue."
Silence ensues between them before his mother decides to speak again.
"Is there anyone special I should meet?"
Slowly but surely, Atobe Keigo's eyes widen at his mother's words. He does not have to be a prodigy to comprehend what she just said.
She is asking if he has a girlfriend.
The lady of the house chuckles at her son's reaction. "I know you are a very talented young man, but honestly, I have not expected you to cook," she explains. "Your father and I have been discussing on how you are going to be trained as the heir of the Atobe's group of companies. He suggested that you should be trained in one of our hotels in London as assistant to the head chef or to the hotel manager."
The lady pauses to look at her son listening attentively to her. "I was quite worried at first, but after finding out that you were the one who personally prepared our meals for the whole day…" Keigo's mother pauses before grabbing her son's hands. "I realized how much you have grown."
"I am so proud of you, Keigo."
The esteemed captain of the Hyotei Gakuen tennis club squares his jaw to control the swirl of pleasant emotions in him. He seldom hears his mother speak to him because of her busy work schedule.
Hearing those words from her made him want to be a better man.
The lady of the house smiles at her son again before her eyes twinkle in amusement. "But before I bawl in front of you, you have to tell your kaa-san who is the wonderful lady who moved you to do all this. And don't say it is me," she finishes with a hint of sass in her voice.
Atobe raises an elegant brow at his mother's antics before smirking himself. He now knows where he got his cunning. Patting her hand gently, he straightens himself before facing her with all the seriousness in his face.
Perhaps, his mother can help him with his 'appreciation gift' dilemma.
"Her name is Ryuzaki Sakuno."
It is a warm Saturday afternoon and Fuji has just gotten out of school.
He has excused himself from the rowdy group of Kikumaru, Momoshiro and Echizen who are now on their way to the nearby arcade. He gave them no details, except that he just wanted to rest. He did not even say anything when he saw the suspicious look Echizen gave him.
"Saa…"
He passes by the Reverie Café, his gaze lingering at the thought of buying a slice of apple pie. Then again, he cannot waste any minute, especially when his dear Yumiko-neechan called him to tell him to go home as soon as possible.
A few minutes later, he finds himself standing inside their house with no Yumiko-neechan greeting him.
"Eh?"
Fuji quietly makes his way towards the living room where his sister usually is. With cat-like stealth, he walks in and finds her sitting on the floor and rummaging over their movie disc collection. He quietly observes her until she turns to face him. Much to his surprise, she does not say anything.
Yumiko quietly approaches her brother, all the while fishing a slip of paper from her pocket. Once she is a good distance from him, she ruffles his light brown hair and gives him the paper.
The prodigy gently takes it from her and unfolds it to read its contents:
"Please take good care of her while I set up for our movie marathon."
Her?
Fuji does not need any clue to guess who the "her" is.
There is only one girl, besides family, that his sister will allow entrance to their house.
He blinks a number of times, quite confused with the silent treatment. Giggling to herself, Yumiko leans and whispers, "Sakuno-chan does not know you are here. I'm planning to surprise her."
Fuji grins at his sister's antics before nodding in assent.
Pocketing the slip of paper, he runs to the kitchen, duffel bag in tow.
The prodigy abruptly stops a few feet from the kitchen entrance and quietly drops his duffel bag on the floor. Breathing a sigh of relief, he takes in the beautiful sight of Ryuzaki Sakuno…kneading a lump of dough at the counter.
He silently walks to her as he watches the heels of her small hands press the dough before pushing it forward slightly. Fuji smiles in amusement on how oblivious Sakuno can be. It has been a minute since he arrived in the kitchen but she has not noticed him yet. Stopping in front of her – at the other side of the countertop – he rests his hands on the edge and leans forward.
Fuji's smile widens at the sight of a number of large apples near her. Deciding to make his presence known to his favorite kohai, he flicks one large apple. The red fruit rolls and stops an inch from Sakuno's hand. Blinking in confusion, the auburn-haired girl picks up the fruit only to notice a shadow hovering over her.
"Boo."
"Ah!"
Sakuno drops the apple in surprise but fortunately – for the fruit, that is – Fuji catches it in the nick of time.
"Fuj-fuji-senpai!" Sakuno blurts out, blushing. She is so embarrassed that she did not even notice Fuji-senpai is already in front of her. "A-ano…gomen. I did not mean t-to ignore you."
Chuckling at her reaction, Fuji gently puts the apple back to its place on the counter before caressing a lock of Sakuno's auburn hair. "You don't have to apologize, Sakuno-chan," he says as he grins at her. "By the way, are you making apple pie?"
"Hai."
If possible, the prodigy's already wide smile widens even further.
"So, I came just in time."
"Eh? Ano, I am just starting with it senpai. It will take some time before you can eat," Sakuno says as she wipes her hand of the dough particles. "Ano, Yumiko-neesan told me there are a few pieces of onigiri on the dining table. Would you like some?"
"Saa…I'm not that hungry Sakuno-chan," he replies immediately. "I just want to eat apple pie."
Sakuno limply nods at him before dividing the dough in half.
Yumiko-neesan
Fuji inwardly smiles at the ease with which Sakuno called his sister. Hopefully though, it wouldn't be because she thinks he sees her as his little sister as well.
That would be a tragedy.
The two are silent for a while with Sakuno already preparing the pie filling after putting the dough in the refrigerator to cool. Fuji, on the other hand, grabs a stool so he can sit on the other side of the counter and quietly watch Sakuno while she makes the pie.
He decided to rest today as tomorrow is his match with Shiraishi. Somehow, he is a bit restless for some unknown reason. He does not like it really well, but then, he has learned not to be overcome by such negative emotions.
Tomorrow will be an important day for him. While he has a hunch Seigaku and Shitenhouji might meet during the Nationals, he is not sure whether he and Shiraishi would play again. Besides, tomorrow is the day where he may just discover his true tennis style.
He unconsciously lets out a sigh which is not missed by Sakuno.
"Is something wrong, Fuji-senpai?"
Fuji stiffly looks at her.
"Ne, what do you think my tennis style is, Sakuno-chan?"
"Eh?"
Sakuno unconsciously cocks her head to her right, pondering why her senpai asked that all of a sudden. Then again, while the question was asked at a random, it is a very important one.
"Ano," she trails before stopping with her work. "Fuji-senpai is unpredictable when he plays seriously. Uhm…your style is unlike Tezuka-senpai's nearly-perfect tennis or Ryoma-san's evolving style. When Fuji-senpai plays seriously, he can adapt to the playing style of his opponent and counter whatever attack he has."
Fuji's eyes widen slightly at her assessment. To his surprise, Sakuno isn't finished yet.
Biting her lower lip in deep thought, she decides to continue. "Ano, your style is not very apparent because it is flexible, although you do have your always-present counters in a match."
The auburn-haired girl stops talking and looks at her senpai. Her doe-like eyes widen with worry when she sees him too quiet for her liking.
"Ano, senpai…t-that is j-just what I think. Ano…"
Sakuno stops from her stuttering when Fuji imprisons her small right hand with his left.
The auburn-haired girl may not be an excellent tennis player but her assessment of his tennis style was just like an "Aha!" moment for him. He gently squeezes her hand before relaxing himself on his seat.
"That was a very honest opinion," he quietly says. "Your assessment has helped me a lot."
"Eh? Ano…"
Fuji squeezes Sakuno's hand again, stopping her from making any statements that would demean her. The prodigy gazes at her for a while before letting go of her hand. Meanwhile, his kohai is left blinking in confusion before bowing her head to continue with what she is doing.
Silence ensues between the two of the again, but this time, Fuji decided to just stand up and watch her prepare the filling for the pie.
Suddenly, realization dawns on him.
He has not told her of his match with Shiraishi tomorrow.
While it remains a secret among him, Tezuka and Oishi, Sakuno deserves to know it.
"Ne, Sakuno-chan," he calls her. When he knows she is listening to him, "Shiraishi and I will have a rematch tomorrow."
Sakuno's eyes widen at the second surprise for the day. She has only heard of Fuji's loss against the Shitenhouji player from the other regulars. It was his first loss for an official singles match.
"Ano, I hope you will do well, senpai," she says, understanding the importance of the match evident in her voice.
Fuji wryly grins at her comment. "I would love it if you were there as well."
Sakuno looks up at him and nods.
The prodigy's dry smile brightens a bit.
"I want all the people important to me to be there," he whispers rather hoarsely. "And Sakuno…"
Said auburn-haired girl blushes at what he has just called her.
There is no suffix.
But that is just the tip of the iceberg.
"You are very important to me."
"Fsshhs…"
Kaidoh Kaoru is jogging around the tennis courts when he spots Tezuka-buchou and Oishi-senpai walking towards the nearby indoor tennis court. He is not a very troublesome guy. If he thinks what his senpai-tachi are doing is none of his business, he would just jog away. Then again, he overhears the vice-captain say something like this:
"Fuji and Shiraishi's match tomorrow should be kept a secret."
Kaidoh's eyes widen.
"Fuji-senpai is…"
No. He did not eavesdrop on purpose.
It was purely an accident that he heard his senpai say those words.
Hearing footsteps nearby, the famed viper of Seigaku runs away from the scene.
He better ask Inui-senpai about this.
Sakuno can feel air being taken out of her lungs upon hearing her senpai's words. Her cheeks are red from blushing and her knees nearly wobbled that she had to tighten her grip on the edge of the countertop to steady herself.
Her eyes are fixed at her senpai, confusion swirling in their depths. She knows she is important to her senpai because they are friends, but the manner with which he said "You are very important to me" is so…different.
It was heavy with a very pleasant but foreign emotion.
Fuji, for his part, does not regret saying those words. He is not one to be careless with words so he knows he spoke them on purpose. Then again, seeing her wide-eyed because of confusion makes him worry for her.
The last thing he wants is to force himself on her.
With concerned eyes, he caresses Sakuno's right cheek.
"Are you alright?"
Waking from her momentary stupor, Sakuno lowers her gaze before looking up at him again. Inwardly berating herself for giving too much meaning to her senpai's kind words, she gently shakes her head to appease herself and him. When Fuji visibly relaxed and released his hand on her cheek, Sakuno hesitantly walks to the refrigerator and fetches the chilled dough.
Fuji watches her move with something akin to resolve in his eyes. It is apparent that she is still confused and surprised with his words. He also knows that she just dismissed his profession as kind words. Gently letting out a heavy breath, the prodigy sits on the stool behind him.
It would take a blatant declaration from him just so Sakuno would know who she is to him.
But, for now, he would settle in being subtle.
"Ne, Sakuno-chan…"
The auburn-haired girl looks up at her senpai with her wide and trusting eyes.
Fuji sighs in relief. Somehow, he is thankful for her innocence and naivety.
"Start calling me 'Syuusuke-senpai'."
He can hear the whistling sound of the oncoming train. Once it stops and the door closest to him opens, he boards it. Instead of sitting down, however, he chooses to lean on one of the metal bars to give way to other passengers.
As the train wheezes through its tracks and on to the next station – his stop – Tezuka closes his eyes in contemplation. The indoor tennis court has already been prepared for Fuji and Shiraishi's match. Oishi has made sure no one – except for the team's captain, vice captain, Fuji and their "guest" – can enter. They are not doing anything illegal. It's just that they do not want anyone to get a word that two of the best tennis players in the country are going to play a rematch.
That would bring untoward news for both Seigaku and Shitenhouji.
Tezuka finally opens his eyes when he feels the train slowing down. Once the train is in a full stop, he goes out…
…leaving a group of whining fangirls behind.
The door to the indoor tennis court opens with a resounding whine. The gym is rather clean and presentable; fitting to his taste. He came alone, just as he originally planned – no Kintaro Tooyama and other teammates. Closing the door behind him, he saunters to the center of the court and takes another look of the gym.
His wandering eyes stop when he finds Fuji Syuusuke sitting on a bleacher at the far right corner of the gym.
Said prodigy stands up and walks to the court to meet him at the other side of the net.
"You're quite early."
Shiraishi raises a brow at him. "You were already here before I arrived. I should throw that back to you."
Fuji grins at the comment. It's only nine thirty in the morning. They still have another thirty minutes before the match begins.
The prodigy looks at the door, a move the Shitenhouji player did not miss.
"Waiting for someone?"
"Ah."
"By the way, I would like to start the match now," he casually states. "If you don't mind, that is."
Fuji gives him a blank look, assessing the situation at the back of his mind.
"I'll just get my racket."
Fuji walks to where his duffel bag is and fishes his favorite racket. When he returns to the court, he finds Shiraishi already standing at the other side of the net. When he is a good distance from him, the Shitenhouji player raises his racket to his eye level.
"Fuji Syuusuke."
A challenge
"Do not repeat history."
A threat
"This time, begin with your best shot."
The prodigy takes a good look at the rim of Shiraishi's tennis racket.
"Don't worry."
Then, he looks squarely at his opponent.
"I will."