Friendship and Burgers
After Tezuka's speech, everyone was dismissed and parted ways. The captain and vice-captain remained at the school to talk with coach Ryuuzaki, while the others went home. Since Momoshiro wasn't with his bike (he couldn't ride it because of his twisted ankle), he was now walking to the station together with Eiji, who started talking about his matches:
"…So, Oishi saw right through it and finished with a Moon Volley~yon!" Kikumaru mimicked his partner's trademark move "Nyahaha! You should have seen their faces, nya!"
"Yeah, I bet it was funny! Very funny, I bet!" Momshiro laughed with his energetic friend. Suddenly he felt (and heard) his stomach rumbling.
"I'm hungry…" Momo looked ahead and saw a familiar sign "How about a small stop?" He gestured towards the 'A' sign with his head.
"Nya, burgers! I'm in!"
"You are paying, right?"
"Why should I?" Kikumaru crossed his arms and pouted.
"How mean, Eiji-senpai!" Momoshiro faked a hurt expression "You are going to leave your helpless, INJURED kouhai to die out of hunger? I never thought you were this kind of person, never at all!"
"All right, all right, just because you are the poor little Momo-C.H.A.N~"
The duo entered the fast-food joint and ordered the usual. They took a table beside the windows and attacked the food, stopping only to make one joke or another. After they were finished, Momoshiro patted his stomach, satisfied, and Eiji restarted the conversation:
"What about you, Momo-chan? You said earlier that you played against a freshman, nya! Tell me about it, yon."
"Ah yes, that!" Momo eyes' gleamed "Do you remember what Ryuuzaki said about a new student?"
"Hoi? The one with the twist serve? It was him???" Eiji stood up and inclined forward, almost jumping over the table.
"Exactly! And I experienced that serve first-handed! I even managed to return it after some tries, I did!"
"So… You defeated him even with an injury? Then he isn't that great, nyon…" The acrobatic player returned to his seat, a little disappointed.
"Actually, I didn't…"
Eiji was up again: "You lost????"
"Didn't either."
"Hoi?"
Momoshiro couldn't help but chuckle a little at his friend's confused face. The smaller boy even cocked his head sideways, like a cat or a puppy. Then he started explaining:
"Making a long story short, the brat is good. He noted my twisted ankle and played with his non-dominant hand. After I returned his serves and made some points, he became serious and switched it. At this point, I called off the game."
Kikumaru nodded, finally understanding.
"So, what's his name?"
"Echizen Ryoma."
Outside the shop, some passersby avoided the weird teen with spiky hair and rectangular glasses that was crouching under the A Burger window. Inui Sadaharu ignored the disapproving glares he was receiving and continued writing in his notebook.