Wintersalad │ Disclaimer: I do not own "Prince of Tennis" or any referenced translations. │ Written: 09/20/10 │ Posted: 09/22/10 │ Last Edited: 05/04/11

.

.

Genius 007: The Start of the Ranking Tournament

.

Seishun Gakuen, Class 3-2

Oishi Shuichiro worried at his lips as he walked out of his classroom. Today was the start of the ranking tournaments and he still didn't know what Tezuka's decision was. When Ryuzaki-sensei suggested adding Echizen Ryoma to the list, they'd both been stunned. It was a startling suggestion, but not completely incomprehensible. Given what the two of them went through as freshmen*, it was actually more surprising that they hadn't thought of the possibility themselves. He'd love to open the opportunities to all talented players, regardless of age. Now that they had the power to do so, he wanted to use that power in order to support the future players of Seigaku, as their seniors should have done for them.

What worried Oishi however was the stubborn refusal he saw in his friend's body language. Tezuka never said anything, but it was clear that he was against the idea. What reason did the captain have against Echizen competing? Of course, he too was worried about the response the second and third-years would have at the breaking of traditions. Not to mention the first-years that will not be given the same favor. It will out-right look as if they were approving of direct insubordination to showcase one's personal ability, an example of favoritism, which could lead to disastrous consequences of rebellion and anarchy. Even still, there was not a single ounce of consideration to do so in the steadfast captain, and that, in Oishi's eyes, is a matter of concern.

What was he missing…?

So consumed in his thoughts was he that the vice-captain almost missed the passing figure of the object of his attentions leaving from the room next to his. Reaching out, Oishi was about to call out when all of a sudden, he was pulled down by an abrupt weight upon his shoulders.

"Oishi!" a cheerful voice sang in his ear.

"E-Eiji," he replied, steadying his knees to support the additional weight. "What are you doing here?"

Pouting, the third-year allowed gravity to pull his full mass towards the young man he was clinging to in punishment. "Why? Aren't you happy to see me? I'm definitely going to beat you today!"

Sighing, the worried member of the team glared half-heartedly at the amused regular that appeared to have tagged along with his classmate. Fuji was being decidedly unhelpful as he hung back and enjoyed his predicament.

"We'll see…"

Frowning, Kikumaru Eiji hopped off and spun around front to face the despondent teen. "What's wrong with you today? Don't tell me you're going to play the matches with this kind of mood! I'm not going to let you say you lost to me because you weren't feeling into the game!"

Brushing off the incised boy, Oishi kept walking down the stairs towards the club room. He'd already lost sight of Tezuka minutes ago. He guessed he'll just have to learn about the decision when everyone else did.

"It's not that, I'm just thinking about something Ryuzaki-sensei brought up during the last meeting."

Fuji's smile slipped off his face as he trained his seemingly closed eyes on him. "Oh?" he inquired. Oishi cursed under his breath. Damn, that boy was always too sharp for his own good!

"It's nothing. Just… you know that first-year Momo was talking about?"

Eiji nodded. "The kid who kicked Arai's butt in front of everybody the day you two had that meeting."

"Yeah, that one. Well, apparently his dad has some major pull with the faculty here and Ryuzaki-sensei requested that the first-year, Echizen Ryoma, be allowed in the ranking tournament."

"Eh~?" Eiji frowned and wrinkled his nose in distaste. "What's that? And here I was just starting to like the shorty's spunk."

"Well," Oishi quickly amended. "Echizen doesn't know his dad's put in a word for him. In fact, from what I hear, the two don't get along very well. And it's more as if Ryuzaki-sensei's doing the string-pulling than his dad anyways. I think they were family friends of some sort and Ryuzaki-sensei knew Echizen when he was young. Anyways, she said something about the first-year needing to be part of the team as much as the team needs Echizen to be part of them. It felt like she was hinting towards some troubles the kid's going through."

Fuji turned his gaze away from them to look forward with an unreadable expression. "Sounds complicated…"

"Well I don't like the suggestion that we're so lacking that we need some cheating first-year to help us out," Eiji objected with crossed arms, already forgetting his previous assessment of the first-year's potential. What gave him the right to bypass a standing regulation everyone in the tennis club had stood by for years before he even joined?

Nodding absentmindedly, not in the mood to deal with Eiji's tantrums, Oishi solemnly walked onwards towards their destination with the two remaining third-years following in silence.

.

This year's ranking tournament was going to be the catalyst for something huge.

.

Seishun Gakuen, Campus Ranking Matches

All the tennis club members, from first to third-years, gathered around the captain and vice-captain. The regulars took position near the front while the upperclassmen took position behind them. The underclassmen tethered around the edges in the back and to the sides, timid yet curious. There was a buzz going around the tennis courts today and the air was charged with a restless energy.

"Every month," Tezuka began. All noise dropped and the attention honed in on the captain standing up front. "There is a ranking tournament for the tennis club. Every second and third-year will be divided into four blocks to compete against one another. The top two players from each block will become regulars. A total of eight players will therefore be eligible to start in different tournaments."

An excited murmur rustled through the first-years. The upperclassmen however remained silent, serious and attentive. This was their year and they were going to prove it! The regulars smirked, confident but still anxious to secure their spots as starting players.

Tezuka waited the noise out. He grasped the clipboard tightly in his hands as he faced his club. He could feel the amused stare of the coach and the worried glances of his vice-captain. He had refused to give a decision until the last minute, unsure of the risks he was willing to stake for the future of this tennis team. He had wanted to aim for the Nationals, but with the team as they were now…

The captain sifted his gaze through the crowd before him. His attention landed on the leaning figure of a young teen against the fence, just far enough away to appear disinterested, but close enough to participate. He narrowed his eyes at the thin ankles and smooth limbs reclining backwards. The clothes, small as they were, hung from a thin frame. Honestly, it wasn't hard to mistake the girl for an undernourished youth. He suspected there wasn't really much to worry about in way of feminine guiles disturbing the team from the child, but he still couldn't shake off his uneasiness.

.

It was just too unnatural to go to such lengths to immerse one's self in a lie.

.

Granted, he didn't know exactly what the lie was, only that it entailed the girl to pretend to be a boy, but the world wasn't such an easy reality that it could forgive simple whims. He had observed the child the past few days when he could. She was detached in her social relationships, but the passion she lacked in her relationships was obsessive in her game. She was an unstable element, dangerous to both others and herself. In fact, he didn't see what the coach seemed to believe existed in the girl that would help him, help Seigaku. There seemed to be more that he had to work on than he had to use w-

"…!"

Dark amber eyes glared at him from beneath silky tresses. And for the first time, Tezuka saw in them neither the sorrow nor the anger. He saw the hunger. He saw the gold waiting to spill forth and knew that while she may not have what it takes to support Seigaku now, with the proper incentive and guidance…

Fuji watched the exchange with dispassionate eyes. Tezuka was one of the only players he had ever met that brought out his true tennis and so in that regard, Fuji respected the captain. But, narrowing his eyes, he really did not care for the calculating determination and ambition that danced across his face just now. Sure, he was all for fun and games, but the child was still too young and raw. His sharp eyes slid to the bristling first-year.

The child was still too fragile for any of Tezuka's grand schemes right now.

Perhaps it was because the child was around Yuuta's age. Or perhaps it was because he saw parts of himself in the child. Whatever the case, Fuji was familiar with Tezuka's clinical handling of other players and his cold personality. It wasn't that the captain wasn't good at his job- he was. He puts the team's welfare before his own and looks after his players where he can.

.

But Tezuka was strong.

.

His world was clearly defined and there is no hesitation when it comes to his beliefs. The fact that Oishi is troubled over Tezuka's indecision indicated towards Tezuka's desperation. For what, Fuji could haphazard a guess. But the trouble was not what caused the indecision or even the indecision itself, as Oishi seemed to mulling over, but it is what the indecision will lead to.

.

A desperate man is a dangerous man.

.

And a strong man- too strong, for only he would fall to desperation- even more so.

"That is the tradition," Tezuka continued as if the brief nonverbal interaction never occurred. "This year however, an exception is being made for first-year, Echizen Ryoma. Due to high recommendations from both faculty and regular team members, he is to be given a chance to test his worth in the upcoming matches."

A loud outburst broke through the tension as there was flurry of movement in the confusion and disbelief. What the hell was going on?

"If anyone finds this to be unfair," the captain went on over the increased volume. "You are welcomed to test your skills against his to prove it. I will listen to any objections thereafter. Other first-years wishing to participate, please speak to either the vice-captain or the coach for a spot in the open blocks.

I wish you all the best."

And with that, the young man dismissed the crowd, leaving the chaos for his vice-captain and coach to deal with. It was the least they could do after suggesting such a controversial change.

"Alright! Alright! Everyone who needs to speak with the coach, please form a line towards the side," Oishi directed. "The blocks will be posted on the boards located outside the courts! Please find your next match and prepare yourself accordingly! When the match is over, please be sure to head over to the representative waiting at each station and record your win! The tournament will begin in fifteen minutes from now!"

As the flustered vice-captain was left to deal with the incoming crowd, he spied Echizen leaving the courts out of the corner of his eyes. Smiling discreetly, Oishi redoubled his efforts in returning order to the club as he resolved to support the beginning of a revolution in Seigaku's tennis. He will support its future.

That was his job as the vice-captain of the Seigaku Tennis Club!

.

End Genius 007

.

.

Notes:

* Hopefully, the allusion to Oishi's and Tezuka's past is clear to you. If not, I may or may not further elaborate on it in the future. Feel free to leave a question in a review or pm for a more direct and immediate answer however, if looking it up or waiting doesn't seem favorable.

.

A/N: So, this is sort-of, kind-of, the end of Volume 01. Not exactly, but it's to give a general sense of where we are in terms of the manga. Technically, the chapters of this fanfic should follow the main events of the chapters of the manga, thus the identical/similar chapter titles and such. At least, that's my intention, but it might end up not working out that way. Such as in this case, where the chapter is mostly original and followed only maybe two or three of the premises from the original manga chapter.

There wasn't much action, but I'll make up for it in the next chapter. I hope no one hates me so far for making Tezuka appear so cold-blooded or Eiji so obstinate, etc. I'm hoping to keep everyone as in-character as possible, but perhaps emphasizing more on certain parts of their personality at certain times. Hopefully no one thinks I'm overdoing it or coming up with things out of thin-air. I'm trying to make this fanfic as realistic as possible, even with Ryoma being a girl (especially with Ryoma being a girl).

Let me know what you think so far. Feedback is really helpful for the continuation and development of this fanfic! The reader is as much part of the process as the writer! Thanks!