CHAPTER 42
Tezuka stood there and was trying not to straggle the boy. He was going to have to say something embarrassing and it was what Ryoma himself wanted to hear as well. It was going to have to be in front of all these people. He looked to Fuji hoping the other would help, but he just saw that same sadist smile on his face knowing that he would rather watch the scene unfold. "Ryoma, if your arms do fall off we could always go catch them." 'Damn.' He thought. He knew he was going to have to try and rebuild what was left of his pride later.
"Together?" Have you ever had it when your headache turns into a full out mind explosion. Tezuka had just had that. He knew that he was going to need something stronger than his normal headache tablets.
"Yep, together." Tezuka had the idea of hanging himself right now. He couldn't believe he had just said that, just to get the boy to finish the tennis match.
"Okay. I'll play." Ryoma stood up and tighten his grip on the racket. "You know Kunimitsu..." He looked at the captain and smiled. "You're the best." Mitsu could feel his lips twitch upwards at that, but he forced them to stay down. Maybe... Just maybe in his opinion, losing some pride wasn't so bad if it got him on the boys good side again. The match continued with the spot move still causing Ryoma trouble.
Syu had walked and stood next to Mitsu with a too bright a smile. "Saa... It seems you'll do anything to be Ryo-Chan's favourite. You know I wanted to be first place out of us five." Tezuka sent a small glance at the tensai before looking back towards the game.
"I have no idea what you're talking about. But I do know that at least your higher then Keigo." Mitsu pointed out, making Syu chuckle slightly.
"Saa... So trying to force a smile down was not done because of what the boy said." Syu chuckled again before going to sit back down with Eiji. Mitsu shook his head slightly trying to concentrate on the boy in front of him on the courts. Ryoma seemed to be thinking of something. It was now every time his arm would freeze he would stop for a couple of seconds before trying it again.
Ryoma was getting more and more frustrated. He was about to return a serve when it happened again, but this time he let out his annoyance and threw the racket at the metal part of the net that held it up. It smashed against it and broke in two. The handle side bounce off and back at the boy. Acting on instinct he moved his head to the left slightly and dodged it. He watch as it skid across the ground. Ryoma still stood there fuming. He was still annoyed and doing that didn't make it any happier. In fact now he had just broken his favourite racket. He glared at the referee who said the boy could go get a spare. Picking up the broken one he went to his racket case.
"Ryo-Chan. Are you alright? You always have your twist serve with your right hand." Ryoma froze. 'Changing hands...' He looked at Syu and smiled. 'Swapping hands.' He thought.
"Thanks Syusuke." He ran back over to the court much happier.
"Nya, Fujiko what did you say to him?" Syu looked at Eiji for a second before shaking his head not really knowing either.
Ryoma stood on the court once more with a smirk. He now knew what to do. The rally started. It went on for a few more hits, when Ryoma felt his arm about to freeze again he threw the racket in to his other hand, much to everyone's surprise and continued. Shinji being court off by it missed the shot and lost the point.
The game ended with it being 6-3 to Ryoma. Ryoma went straight to Syu and gave him a hug. "Thanks." He rubbed his face in the other stomach.
"What for Ryo-Chan?" Fuji still had no idea what he said to the boy.
"For giving me the idea of changing hands." Fuji couldn't stand it any more and bent down, giving the boy a kiss on his noise.
"You're welcome." Ryoma looked at Syu with slightly red cheeks. "What? You embarrassed Ryo-Chan." He chuckled and wrapped his arms round the boy. He looked round to see Mitsu staring. He smirk at his direction and tightened his hold on the boy.
Kunimitsu could only sigh at the tensai. He could believe how he was acting. He wondered if Sei knew about this or if it was another of their plans. After all Mitsu knew they both liked the boy a lot more than normal. He just hoped that none of them got hurt by it. He carried on watching the two for a few more second when he saw Syu whisper something in Ryoma's ear. The boy nodded and let go of the other.
Both teams stood at either side of the court and the two captains shook hands. It was announced that both teams got though to the next round. Everyone was packing up and Ryoma stayed with Momo. He was still wondering why Sakuno and Tomoko wanted to talk to him so badly. Eiji had stayed close by to make sure the cat wouldn't wonder off.
"Echizen!" He heard as Horio and the other two as they ran up to him. "I can't believe you won. Besides what was that childish act you pulled on the courts?" Horio looked at the boy only to see him have his back turned on his and was asking Momo something instead. "Hey, Echizen I'm talking to you!" Horio yelled at him. Ryoma turned and just stared.
"I'm hungry." He spoke randomly as his stomach rumbled. "Where's Kunimitsu?"
"Ah, he went to sort something out. Not sure what though." Momo said as he finish putting the last of his tennis equipment away and putting it on his shoulder. "We need to go meet up with the other's. Kawamura said we can go to his restaurant to celebrate our victory." Ryoma nodded, gabbing Momo's arm along with Eiji's he dragged them to the other regulars. Horio stood there trying not to let his anger show. He was completely ignored. Kachiro and Katsuo slowly backed away from the raging team mate. Choosing to follow Ryoma and the other two.
All the freshmen along with the tennis regulars, the two reporters and Sumire where now out side the sushi restaurant. Tezuka and Fuji had not come back and Sumire told them that they'll join them later. Ryoma looked at the sign. "What's sushi?" Momo started to laugh.
"Really Ryoma. You've never had sushi before? Where the hell have you been all these years?" He carried on laughing completely forgetting where the cat had been. Ryoma grabbed the top of his hood and pulled it so it covered his eyes and faced the ground. He didn't know what was worse. Momo pointing out that he had missed out on so many things in life or that everyone was chuckling or smiling at him as if it was the funniest thing in the world. The only ones not to laugh were Inoue and Surmire. Even the freshmen were. Sumire was about to say something when the all heard a sob. Followed by mumbling.
"I'm sorry. I haven't tried it." His voice sound hoarse. Like he was holding even more back. "I was just asking." No one moved. They all stared. Momo went to go put a comforting hand on the boys shoulder, but instead Ryoma flinched and backed away looking into Momo's eye like a scared wild animal. Sumire had gone up to Momo and started to pinch his cheek.
"Ow," Momo whined in pain. "Ryuzaki-Sensei it hurts." She realised him and he went to rubbing his cheek.
"Well, maybe you should think before you act. I'm guessing Ryoma's feeling much worse." He pause to go over the words she spoke. Looking at the boy he began to think. Horio wanting to be the centre of attention announced.
"It is weird though. He 16 and doesn't even know what sushi is, let alone heard of it." Momo looked from the over confident, 2 years of tennis experience Horio to the cat who was shaking and still scared of all there opinions of him.
"Ryoma... I'm sorry. I didn't..." He never finished as Ryoma walked past him and spoke just before going in.
"Are we going in or what?" He said in a cold voice. Walking in with the others close behind trying to figure out why the boy was giving them all the cold shoulder all of a sudden.
Tezuka and Fuji didn't know what to say. The scene they walked into felt completely normal. Except that they couldn't spot Ryoma anywhere. They had both returned home, when Mitsu got a text from Shan telling him where his police hat was. Apparently he would of called Ryoma, but since they left Japan they had been rather busy and if he phoned the boy he would end up having a very long conversation with him. So they both looked around to see the others celebrating when Syu spoke up making them all freeze in place. "Just wondering where's Ryo-Chan?" Instead of answering the tensai, they all just looked over to the table in the corner and both Syu and Mitsu knew that Ryoma was most likely hiding under it.