A/N: Hello everyone! Since no one answered back about the foul language, I'm going to go ahead and assume I have writer's freedom. ^.^
Please enjoy!
"Sometimes I worry about you." Hitomi rolled her eyes at Kobayashi.
"Ito-chan, please, I can go to the match tonight!" Koba insisted.
Hitomi's eyes narrowed, "Once again, it's Hitomi. And no. You sit out and let Kamiko deal with this, alright? Besides, there's no way you'll be able to play around without everyone at your school hearing about it."
"Fine... When will we be in your region so I can start playing again?" Koba asked, she fixed her uniform skirt while looking around.
Everyone knew about Kobayashi, she was in The Group after all. Rikkaidai was known throughout their region as the best, and when it came to some of the best, the Three Demons weren't the only ones to come up on the list. Though only a few of her friends truly knew why Kobayashi was so well known. She was the top non-athletic student in the region, if not the nation. Of course she kept that well under wraps, disguising this by having tutoring sessions with the Three Demons. People automatically assumed that they were helping her, when, in reality, she was the one to be helping them. With how dedicated they were in tennis the young teenage boys could forget about subjects rather easily, save for Yanagi. Koba had helped them to balance school and sports. Being manager of the famous tennis team for three years in a row also helped put her fame as the top student on the back burner. So there it was, people had no idea how smart the girl was, simply because they thought she lived in the shadow of the top tennis team in the nation.
Koba was really a very private person, so of course she wanted to keep everyone from knowing she hung out with Ito Hitomi, Echizen Kamiko, and Demmer Lilian. Even Hitomi acknowledged that fact, so when Koba came in asking for a match when the match was in Koba's region, Hitomi knew something was wrong immediately.
"If I decide to go to the audition here then I'll give you an update as to what Sai's done since he and Kamiko have officially taken over my place. I don't think I'll be able to get here until late though, because we're practicing Act Five tomorrow for the school play. Just go to the boys' tennis practice and visit Yukimura afterwards!" Hitomi insisted with a smile, winking at her and walking away. Koba hesitated, looking back at the courts and debating whether or not she even wanted to approach the Rikkai team today.
Koba sighed, "I suppose it's time to go check on them."
"Why was Ito Hitomi of Hyotei Gakuen here?" A familiar voice asked into Kobayashi's ear.
She jumped away from Niou instantly, "Gah! Agh! Niou-kun! I told you to stop appearing out of nowhere!"
"Heh~? You're avoiding the question now. I wonder... Are you selling our secrets to give Hyotei an edge over us this year?"
"No! Wait... why do you even know her in the first place?"
"I thought anyone who interests that arrogant bastard over there would be interesting too." Niou shrugged when Koba asked. Before she could ask more on what he meant they both heard a familiar voice yelling for him.
"Niou: get to the courts! 13 laps! And don't even think about slacking off!"
It was Sanada.
Koba sighed in relief; Sanada understood privacy better than anyone. He wouldn't ask her any questions, and if he did, he wouldn't press the subject if she refused to speak.
"13 laps is a bit much, isn't it, Sanada-kun?"
Inside, Sanada agreed wholeheartedly. He didn't believe in assigning laps as punishment. It was a waste of the victim's time, and, more importantly, his time. He believed there were more effective ways of keeping the team in line whilst maintaining progress. But Niou was a troublesome one, if he was assigned to anything that was within two feet of others another chaotic mess would be ensured. And, if he were honest with himself, Sanada wanted to know why the two had been speaking alone outside the school gates.
"It's enough for him. He won't try to skip practice for another two days." Sanada replied.
Koba shook her head and looked up, "But he wasn't skipping practice! He was just wondering why-"
She stopped suddenly. Giving Sanada more suspicion than usual.
"Emi," Sanada said in a warning tone, "Do I need to inform Yukimura about this?"
"No... Niou-kun was just wondering why Ito-chan of Hyotei was here. I told him that we were just hanging out, then Niou-kun accused me of telling Hitomi- er...uh, Ito- chan Rikkai's secrets to give Hyotei the edge."
He nodded calmly, and she was relieved when no further questions were asked.
"Niou! You're on first year duty for the next week!" Sanada commanded when they reached the courts.
Koba's eyes widened. What was this fuku-buchou doing?!
"Sanada-kun! That's completely out of line. Niou-kun was just-"
"Kobayashi-san, I'll punish the team as I see fit. Niou deserves this and more because he knows better." Sanada walked away.
He left Koba completely confused.
Why was it that Sanada switched between names and honorifics? She understood that he called her by her given name when in a serious situation, but in the end it was always the same, formal Kobayashi-san. Just when she felt like she could make a personal connection with him Sanada Genichirou used the most formal of formalities to speak.
Niou smirked as he jogged around the courts in his fourth lap, "I hope I gave the two love birds some privacy~."
"Shut up, Niou-kun~" Koba replied with the same sing-songy voice that Niou teased her in. She couldn't help but roll her eyes, 'I need to talk to Yukimura.'
"I'll head towards the hospital, Sanada-kun, Yanagi-kun." Koba told Sanada and Yanagi at one of their, very few, water breaks, "I forgot to drop off a girl's Get Well Soon gift yesterday."
The two gruffly nodded, and Koba smiled, leaving after she handed them fresh towels and cold water bottles. When she'd arrived at the hospital, she looked down at the parcel of a gift in her hands. Yukimura had plenty fans, Koba knew, and he was popular in national and international lands for his tennis. After he was diagnosed, the magazines and newspapers had a wild time. They filled out columns as if the Child of God was the only being on the planet. That had been a tough couple of weeks, even for the team. But the worst was when, after it all, people just turned their backs and left it as it was. Less people showed up at the hospital, less students and teachers, even tennis players that Yukimura had played with before rarely visited. They even resorted to using Koba as a messenger. She frowned, one of the things she understood about her best friend was that, if anything, he hated letting people down. And people slowly showing up less and less, well, Yukimura thought it was because he let his team down; and he hated that feeling.
His family, of course he hated to disappoint. But when it came to his tennis and his friends Yukimura refused to back down on anything. And he would plow through to reach his goals no matter what the cost. He was bitter about this whole 'thing', as he so dismissed it.
He even went to the trouble of throwing gifts and get well soon presents into the trash can. Koba knew he hated the presents, and at first allowed him to throw them away. But after Kamiko and Hitomi had seen the ordeal the Echizen insisted that Koba save them for later. So Koba did. She kept them in a black duffel bag stuffed in a closet in Yukimura's hospital room. There was plenty room there, and Yukimura didn't even give it a seconds thought.
She knocked on the closed door, "Yukimura-kun, are you there?"
No reply.
She knocked again, "Yukimura?"
Nothing. Koba knocked once more, this time her calling was more anxious.
"Seiichi?"
"Come in, Emi."
She sighed and opened the door, "You scare me whenever you do that!"
"We've been friends for quite a while now, I believe it's only appropriate for us to call each other by first names."
"Seiichi, you know how I feel about that." Koba scolded as she stuffed the present into the duffel bag, "And one of these days I'll make you open a present so you know how awkward I feel."
"I've lost the feeling in my legs."
Koba's eyes went wide, and she was glad her back was facing Yukimura, or else he would have seen the tears threatening to fall. Koba breathed in and out slowly- calmly -just like Hitomi had advised. The tears stayed back, and Koba turned to Yukimura with a small and sincere smile.
"Well then, Seiichi, that means I'm coming tomorrow to your physical therapy. Those nurses and doctors are too transfixed on your hair."
He chuckled at her lame attempt of a joke, "Why bother coming? You'll see me fall."
"We are Rikkaidai." Koba managed to say in her best impression of Sanada, "Tarondorou!"
Yukimura chuckled aloud when Koba began to giggle uncontrollably. She smiled, "What does transfixed mean?"
"Shouldn't you know?" Yukimura asked, "I'm sure that you were the one to use it just now."
"Yes, but it is English. You never know when you would need it. In fact, when you're playing tennis with all those players they won't know Japanese! You'll say 'Good game' in English after smothering them and defeating them. You would tell Roger Federer 'Thank you' after he congratulated you, in English, about your win against him in the Open!" Koba laid beside Yukimura on his bed, and she grinned just thinking of his success.
Tennis was Yukimura's life. It was his pride, his joy, his muse, his outlet and even his job. And that was all Koba could give him. She hadn't heard much about this disease, but Yanagi mentioned that he would lose feeling in his limbs. The doctors were still figuring out ways to cure him. Nothing seemed to work, and even Kirihara, one of the most determined, began to understand that hope was diminishing.
Koba made it her job to rekindle that hope, and she knew using tennis would be the best way.
"Hm." Yukimura nodded, it was his way of ending the topic at hand, and Koba understood that well as she sat up and began explaining what happened at the tennis practice.
"Sanada-kun was so harsh on Niou-kun, and he didn't bother to explain why. He just punished! Like the Emperor he lives up to be..."
"It's good to know that Genichirou is holding the team up well." Yukimura responded, Koba sat up and frowned. The look on Yukimura's face spoke volumes to her.
"Ne, ne, he may be the Emperor, but we still need the Child of God to lead. You're the only one keeping me sane when I'm with the team!"
"Emi, you shouldn't be so mean just because Genichirou isn't transfixed on you."
"Ah~, so you do know what it means!" Koba sat up and lightly slapped Yukimura's shoulder.
The tennis player took the mock blow and returned it with a true smile. Koba was, as of now, the only one who dared to joke with him anymore; even the only one, save for the doctor's, who touched him. In turn, Koba smiled back, eager to tell stories that would ease Yukimura's mind, even if just for a little while.
"Your Genichirou doesn't allow his mind to wander far from tennis. Today I heard him yell, 'Dating? Ridiculous!' after a girl had asked him."
Yukimura chuckled, "Did he now?"
"He did!" Koba nodded, "And Niou-kun often teases me and tries to get me alone with Sanada-kun. Sometimes he'll be there exactly when I'm about to leave, or when Sanada-kun needs to leave. Then all of a sudden Niou-kun pulls off a ridiculous stunt and it leaves us alone!"
"I don't think that's a bad thing at all." Yukimura appeased half heartedly.
Koba frowned, "When he isn't interested, then it is a bad thing. I don't want to be unwanted."
"But he wants you." Yukimura laughed lightly when he saw Koba's cheeks turn a bright shade of red, "Not in the way you would want him to, but Genichirou is slow about these things. Give him time."
"One would think that two years is enough time."
"If I recall correctly, the more accurate number would be six." Yukimura pointed out.
Koba blushed furiously, feeling her body burn up at the mere mention of her longstanding crush.
"Urusai!" She whined, causing Yukimura to laugh at her. Though Koba was irked at being the object of ridicule, she was happy that she could keep her best friend smiling for hours on end.
The knock on the door stopped the two's laughter.
'There's a phrase for this,' Koba blushed again when the door opened, 'Speak of the devil and the devil shall come.'
Sanada nodded his greeting out sternly, "Yukimura. Kobayashi-san."
"O-ohayou, Sanada-kun." Koba nodded back; she checked the time.
It had been hours since she'd arrived.
"Ah! I'll miss the train home if I don't leave now!" She stood up from the bed then bowed to her two friends, "Good night!"
Disclaimer: I do not own any characters/plot/etc., of the PoT manga/anime.