The much awaited Fuji v Ryoma match! :D Here is comes! :D Title: spotlight. Hope you will enjoy the read. :D
Ryoma and Fuji stood opposite each other on the courts. The net between them like a physical barrier between the two opposing forces. Ryoma was almost 2 entire heads shorter than Fuji.
"So who's serving?" Ryoma asked boldly in his casual and self-assured tone.
"You can go first. It's just a casual match." Fuji answered with his smile.
Ryoma nudged his specs up in response. He still haven't completely shed his freshmen rep Ryoma persona. He shrugged and headed to his end of the court. Fuji did the same to his end.
"Ja. Here I go, Fuji-senpai." Ryoma said as he bounced the tennis ball with his left hand and tossed it. Ryoma opened the match with a simple straight serve from his right hand.
The serve was relatively fast and pinpointed. Fuji caught it with no problem, returning it with a short cross to the opposite end of the court.
Ryoma pivoted on his toes, reading the shot almost immediately and dashed into position. He was fully ready as the ball hit his side of the court, bouncing towards him. With an easy right-handed swing, he returned it to Fuji's court.
"That freshmen is fast." A 2nd year murmured. The group of students around him nodded in agreement. Ryoma's footwork was neat and practiced. Unbelievable for someone who 'did not do tennis' before. Perhaps it was genes. But everyone knows that just craptalk.
"And he's accurate." another added.
The group watched the rally between Fuji and Ryoma with intense interest. It was the first time ever that the Echizen Ryoma they knew took it to the courts with a racket in a game.
"ochibi's good!" Eiji said animatedly.
"Sure he's above average in both his reflexes and strength. Stamina-wise is yet to prove itself." Inui said. "but so far, all he had been hitting is basic straight returns. Speed of serves is also rather average."
"that's not true!" Eiji challenged as he recalled the time during the freshmen club orientation where Ryoma had served a real fast ball. But alas, only he had seen it happen and the rest had only heard, mostly half-believing him.
15-0. Fuji scored the first point. Ryoma picked up the ball that dropped and as he stood up. He had to adjust his glasses again.
The glasses were getting rather in the way of the match. The heat and the exercise is beginning to make Ryoma sweat and it's just making the specs more easy to slide out of position. The point he just lost was a slight miss because of the light refraction of his specs.
Ryoma returned to his baseline and prepared another serve. Another straight fast right-handed serve. This time the speed picking up just a little.
The serve introduced yet another rally of to-and-fro with simple strokes of the racket. It was fast but nothing exceedingly impressive although the fact that he was keeping with the tensai Fuji was impressive in its own way.
Breaking the pace of straight swings, Fuji suddenly did a drop volley. Ryoma was caught off-guard but recovered quickly. He pushed off from his right heel and launched himself forward towards the net.
30-0. The ball rolled on the ground just beside the fallen figure of Ryoma. He had reached the ball but the physical difference between the two caused Ryoma to missed just by a bit. "damn it" Ryoma couldn't help himself but let out in an angry hiss to himself.
If he had kept up with practice, that kind of drop volley? He could have returned it flat out, straight when he was 9!
Ryoma picked up the tennis ball that rolled to a stop some feet away. He'll definitely get back Fuji for that one in the next serve.
Returning to the baseline, Ryoma tossed the ball slightly higher this time with his left hand and sprung into a very fast serve. Still a straight serve nevertheless but the speed was way in a different league altogether. It was no exaggeration to say that all the spectaculars were stunned into surprise. Other than Inui who suddenly have a very intense interest in Ryoma and his notebook (new and crisp, later to be named Echizen Ryoma) suddenly appeared in his hand as if magic with a pen in the other.
Fuji's eyes opened in pleasant surprise at that but closed immediately after with a smile. He moved fluidly into the position and returned it, just as fast, getting to the ball at the last fraction of the second, a very close shave.
The tensai Fuji had always been in a different league from his peers and even his seniors when he entered which resulted in him always playing 'guiding' tennis. He will always adjust the power and technique of tennis he play to just every so slightly above the other. Occasionally, to give face especially to seniors, he would drop points purposely.
Fuji had been doing that again with Ryoma. Playing with just enough effect to match Ryoma's and nothing more. The only player that Fuji had went somewhat more seriously was the match with Tezuka but that was in year 1 and ever since then they have never played each other anymore.
"Fuji senpai. You should stop dreaming or I'll take the point!" Ryoma called out cockily with a grin. Fuji had lobbed back the ball and Ryoma jumped into a smash.
With a loud exclamation "HARH!" Ryoma swung the racket down forcefully and smashed into Fuji's court.
"That's good." Fuji returned with his smile. "but not good enough Ryoma." With that, he did something that Ryoma did quite catch and the ball returned to his caught, rolling away at the position near the baseline, far away from where Ryoma stood.
"Tsubamei Gaeshi." Fuji announced coolly.
"Wu AH! That is one of Fuji-senpai's 3 counters!" The chorus of spectators exploded. Most have heard of the awesomness of Fuji's 3 counters and knew the names by heart but many had not the opportunity to see one because within the courts, Fuji had hardly used it, even between regular matches.
"Hmm? So you do have something more interesting up your sleeves." Ryoma replied, unfaltered.
Fuji smiled.
40-0
"If you drop the next point, you'll lose your serve game Ryoma-kun." Fuji commented.
"Hmm? I know that. And I won't be losing my serve game." Ryoma answered, grinning. Fuji was a worthy opponent and Ryoma could feel the tension, pressure but also the thrill of being pushed against the back of the wall. The spirit of competitiveness burning up within him.
"Referee, time out!" Ryoma called suddenly.
Everyone looked at Ryoma in surprise. Ignoring all the quizzale glances and questions yelled out by the spectators, Ryoma walked coolly towards the bench where the players usually placed their bottles and towels. He rested the racket gently by the side of the bench and in some smooth motion, took off the specs that adored his face.
Ryoma is serious now. His golden eyes glimmered with bright intensity. Now, unhindered by the glasses, Fuji could see the pure fire of the samurai, similar to that of Ryoga, whom he had the opportunity to play against occasionally, burn in his eyes.
Oh wait. The fire was slightly different. .It had a clear, untainted glow to it. The purity of the fire just made its radiance brighter. In short, Ryoma's fire seemed even brighter than Ryoga's. This just got Fuji even more worked up and excited. The uncommon adrenaline of the match begain stirring in Fuji's heart.
Fuji smiled at that action. He wondered what was coming at him next.
Ryoma returned to the baseline. His eyes looking much bigger and more golden than before. With the racket in his right hand, he bounced the tennis ball with his left a few times and turned to give Fuji a sharp and focused look before tossing it.
The toss this time was even higher. Much too high. Fuji frowned slightly. A miss? No, it didn't seem so for Ryoma was smiling, big wide smile of confidence.
Ryoma jumped and launched himself off the ground. Fuji's eyes opened as he recognized the serve, two seconds too late as Ryoma swung his racket with an unnatural but practiced twist of his body and served.
The ball hit Fuji's court. He knew what it was. It was the twist serve. One of Ryoga's specialties. Fuji had no problem returning Ryoga's twists because he already got his timing down but Ryoma's twist was something he's seeing for the first time.
The ball spun on the ground at the spot in front of Fuji. Fuji tried to time it but the speed at which the ball of spinning and the timing that it was going to launch itself off the ground towards his face was unpredictable.
Because Ryoma's strength and build were vastly different from Ryoga, the twist, which relied heavily on the servers body build and strength was also vastly different.
40-15.
Fuji missed the ball and barely moved away in time to avoid getting hit on the face.
A collective "Wu" and "Ah" resounded from the crowd. "that's Ryoga's twist serve isn't it?" Kawamura, who also joined the crowd said.
"Yeah I've seen Ryoga-senpai do it before." Kikumaru added. "I didn't know Ochibi could do it too!"
"To be precise," the cool headed and analytical voice of Inui interrupted the excitement of the regulars who had been standing together. "That is not Ryoga's twist serve. It was 0.046 seconds slower than Ryoga's and spinning power probably weaker by 1%. Given Ryoma's build difference, the angle that the ball bounced was also about 38 degrees different from Echizen senior's."
On the courts, Ryoma grinned.
"Hmm. I didn't expect that coming. But it's only a matter of time before I get your timing down." Fuji smiled back.
''Whatever you say." Ryoma answered as he returned to the baseline.
Once again, Ryoma tossed the ball slightly too high and swung his racket in an awkward but precise angle. A twist serve.
Fuji prepared for return. He managed to hit it but missed the sweet spot on his racket as he swung a fraction of a second too early. The ball went way out.
40-30
"the next one won't work anymore Ryoma-kun." Fuji answered.
Ryoma said nothing and returned to the baseline. With an unreadable expression on his face, he served another twist.
Fuji, as prmised, delivered. His got down the timing and returned it straight into Ryoma's court.
Ryoma's eyes narrowed and his legs sprung into action. He reached receiving position on time and returned. His speed was rapidly improving. He hadn't not played serious matches for a long time and his body was re-conditioning itself to the match. His speed had not returned to previous levels yet, but is doing better and better with each rally, each serve and each return.
Ryoma could feel each cell in his body pulsating with excitement and familiarity with the sport he loved and still loves. A happy smile escaped his lips. A brilliant, carefree unrestrained smile of pure happiness. He loved the courts.
The smile didn't miss Fuji of course but he let nothing show.
A long rally ensued. Straight fast strokes with slow lops and drop volleys in between. But both sides were able to keep in pace with each other perfectly.
Suddenly in the midst of the rally, a sharp whistle interrupted the attention of the two and Ryoma missed his serve, causing the ball to drop at his feet.
The whistle had been blown by Ryuzaki coach. "Club activities are over. It is getting very late now. Tomorrow there is still morning practice so everyone quickly pack up, return all balls to the shack. We shall call it a day."
Everyone began moving at once, to pick up stray balls and to collect other logistics. Fuji also walked towards the gate and made his move to leave.
"The game's not ended yet Fuji-senpai." Ryoma called from behind him as Fuji pushed open the metal gates of the court to let himself out.
"It is over Ryoma-kun." Fuji replied. He turned with a mischievous grin on his face and pointed to the ball at Ryoma's feet." The match is over." He smiled his poison smile as he left.
Game and match Fuji Syuusake.
Ryoma stared the ball with disbelief. Well, Fuji did say 1 match so…. But that point was not his fault, Ryuzaki-baa had to blow the whistle then and distract him….. But oh well. His stamina was not as good as before and he would challenge Fuji-senpai another day. Revenge matches are another favorites of Ryoma.
Ryoma bent down to pick up the last stray ball and re-positioned his glasses. Tucking the racket under his arm, he returned to the shack.
:D Thank you for reading. Shiroi Mi