Traitor

"So, you know how I told you I would be cheering for Rikkai this year?"

Yukimura froze for a moment before asking back, "Yes. What about it?"

The two of them were in Yukimura's hospital room, Ryoma having come when he heard that Yukimura was in a stable condition. In fact, according to Yukimura, he was in a good enough condition that the doctors were considering bringing his operation forward. While full recovery would still take some time, even if the surgery is successful, they were cautiously optimistic.

This was why Ryoma figured out that it was a good time to bring his little bad news to Yukimura.

"I don't think that would be possible anymore," Ryoma stated.

The older teen looked at him with puzzlement before a frown came and settled in.

"...Ryoma please tell me that you didn't join the Seigaku Tennis Club."

"I'm a terrible liar, so…:

Ryoma could hear Yukimura's groan as the latter put his head in his hands. Well, he understood really. After all, Ryoma had just basically signed the death warrant to Rikkai's dream of reclaiming their Champion title that Seigaku had taken the previous year.

"Why?"

Why? Isn't that the question?

"Tezuka challenged me to a match and I lost."

"Did Tezuka suddenly become a superhuman?" Yukimura asked, even more confused than he was previously because he knew what Tezuka was capable of and what Ryoma was capable of, and comparing the two, even his most optimistic estimate for Tezuka would still put him to be the one to lose to Ryoma without it being even remotely close.

Ryoma sighed. "So you know how I'm a sucker against people who need my help and showed their determination for it?"

Of course, Yukimura knew. Part of the reason why he and Sanada were close friends with Ryoma in the first place was because Sanada asked for Ryoma's help and showed his determination through his kendo.

Wait.

"Ah, of course." Yukimura sighed as he figured out what must have happened. He remembered the match in the Nationals Final, the one where he lost against Ryoma's older brother. Sanada had faced off against Tezuka then, and Tezuka had played to the point of risking his own future for the sake of the team, then. While Yukimura had yet to confirm it, he had a feeling that Ryoma had a fondness for people willing to push through their limits to an almost idiotic level. Which was a little puzzling for Yukimura since Ryoma doesn't seem to be the type but everyone has their quirks, he supposed.

"Have you told Gen yet?" Yukimura asked.

"Nope."

"Ah. He's in for a real surprise then."

"You're not as upset as I thought you would be," Ryoma stated.

Yukimura sighed. "Am I somewhat annoyed that you ended up not only choosing to not be rooting for Rikkai anymore but also actively gonna be the one burying our dream of reclaiming the championship? Yes, but in the end it's you."

"If there's anybody that I wouldn't mind losing to, that would be you. I think Gen would think the same too."

There's a complicated expression on Ryoma's face and Yukimura couldn't help but smile a little. It's quite rare to see Ryoma be genuinely troubled, and Yukimura knew that it's usually the result of people putting him on a pedestal of sorts. He's kind of an anomaly like that, Ryoma Echizen. Incredible in so many ways yet with an extreme aversion to positive recognition. The idea of being idolized was something very uncomfortable for him. Well, at least that's what Yukimura had managed to glean from the time he had known Ryoma.

Truly, Ryoma Echizen was an enigma, but one that Yukimura was very fond of and very happy to know that the sentiment was mutual.

Now, to figure out how to make sure that in a scenario where Rikkai met against Seigaku they would already win without Ryoma ever getting the chance to play…

Phantom

The first time that Ryoga truly noticed it, Ryoma was holding Ryoga down on a sofa to enact his revenge against his older brother who just moments earlier was trying to tickle his side. For one, Ryoma's side is way more sensitive than he liked, and he disliked getting surprised. He could tell that Ryoga did not expect that Ryoma would turn the situation around so easily, nor did he expect that Ryoma would be strong enough to subdue him.

"Looks like you underestimated me," Ryoma stated before a devilish smirk appeared on his face. "Mada mada dane, onii-chan."

The 'oh shit!' that must have appeared in Ryoga's mind at that moment was almost audible to Ryoma, as evidenced by the panic on the older's face. That didn't stop Ryoma from tickling his older brother mercilessly though.

"Wai- wait," Ryoga wheezed out in between breathless giggles as Ryoma viciously attacked his sides. "Stop, oh god-"

Ryoga finally freed up one of his hands and tried to grab onto one of Ryoma's arms and begged for mercy, "Please-"

"Okay, okay." Ryoma immediately stopped and got off Ryoga. "Try not to attack me from behind next time."

Ryoga wanted to protest that Ryoma was way too good at dodging him whenever he tried it from the front, but though Ryoma's tone was light and chiding, there was something about it that made Ryoga pause.

"Okay, okay." Ryoga sighed, pouting a little.

As he left, he noticed from the corner of his eye Ryoma looking at his arm, where Ryoga had tried to grab him, with an inscrutable expression on his face.

It's something that happened weirdly often with Ryoma, once Ryoga began paying attention. Strange moments where his mood suddenly becomes strange, even when he was having a good time just moments earlier. At the time Ryoga had simply shrugged it off, putting it as yet another Ryoma thing that he didn't really understand. Once he grew up a little and understood people just a little better, he still didn't really understand but could tell that it was not a good thing.

Because there are things, certain actions, certain touches, that triggered something in Ryoma. Like a memory, like a reflex. Something that both the body and mind remembered. It's not limited to things that Ryoma himself experienced or did, but Ryoga could see the way that sometimes when he himself acted a certain way, the person reflected in Ryoma's eyes wasn't quite him.

Ryoga had long realized that in some ways Ryoma wasn't quite "Ryoma". That there's something else there, one that made Ryoma see phantoms everywhere, including in Ryoga. But at the same time, Ryoga didn't think that whatever it was, it was something that could be separated from Ryoma. That Ryoma wouldn't be Ryoma, the one that he knew and loved if it wasn't for it.

He just wished that regardless of all else, Ryoma would stop seeing anyone other than Ryoga when he saw him. He wasn't any of the phantoms that Ryoma would see but Ryoga and only Ryoga.

Soul

Despite Yuta's skepticism and absolute refusal to partake in any of it, the Fujis had always been a family of magic and mysticism. Shusuke himself didn't really quite know the roots behind it, but his grandmother once told him a story of how a long time ago, one of their ancestors was gifted with the ability to "know" and to "see" by a mysterious man. To be able to perceive the things that others wouldn't be able to.

It's a hit or miss, from generation to generation and even within a generation. Shusuke and Yumiko had it, but Yuta didn't. Even they didn't quite have it the same way that their grandmother did, and Shusuke thinks that it's probably for the better.

The only thing that he and his sister could see was when something didn't quite belong. He knew if something was there when it was not supposed to be. He knew if he saw something that others wouldn't be able to. Spirits and the likes were beyond him, really. He could probably feel it if they were there, but anything beyond that was no good.

However, he knew that Ryoma Echizen was special the moment he laid his eyes on him. A soul far too old, an inscrutable shadow hanging over him, and above all, a stench of death stronger than in anyone else Shusuke had ever encountered. He had to excuse himself for some time to compose himself. There's no doubt that Ryoma, or whatever it is that inhabited him, had witnessed countless deaths and caused who knew how many.

Once he got back home, he told his sister about it as soon as he could because he needed a second opinion about Ryoma. He didn't think he would be able to come to the club with a peaceful mind as long as he still couldn't get the way that the younger teen's soul reeked of blood and rust out of his mind.

"An old soul, huh?" Yumiko wondered out loud. "Who knew? People don't usually remember their past life, but exceptions always exist."

"...should I be worried that my new teammate is potentially a mass murderer in his past life and perhaps even remembered it?"

Yumiko simply smiled. "Remember what grandma said?"

"'Believe not your senses but your experience and your heart.'" Shusuke quoted. "So basically you're saying for me to wait and see?"

"Well, at the very least if you were found murdered I would know where to go for the potential culprit."

So Shusuke waited. He observed the way that Ryoma interacted with others and with him. He could tell that Ryoma was quite wary of him beyond the way that others usually are, most likely because Shusuke wasn't quite able to hide his wariness of Ryoma either.

Then one day, his sister came home happier than usual and told him that she met and had some tea with Ryoma.

"Quite a lovely gentleman, he is." Yumiko sighed, "Shame about him being a broken soul, though."

"What?"

"Your new teammate. He's not… quite whole." Yumiko stated before frowning, "No. That's not quite right. He's whole, I think. But being broken is his default state of being. Yes, I think that's the better way to put it."

"Huh?"

"In some ways, he's like an old man, I feel like." Yumiko mused out loud. "He's just looking for a place to rest if my gut feeling was right."

It then clicked for Shusuke.

A soul that had witnessed great horrors, and probably committed countless crimes, in his past life. A soul that above all was tired. Who knew for what reason he remembered his past life, but in this one, most likely all he wanted was peace.

There was a long, most likely sordid story there. He noticed the way that faint, barely noticeable patches of skin seemed to encircle Ryoma's neck like a noose. He remembered a story from his grandmother about the way that one's birthmarks could tell how one died in their previous life.

"I see."

"I don't think he's a bad person," Yumiko said. "Well, the one in this life at least. The him of his previous life was much more questionable. He reeked of death, blood, and rust just like you said."

"Well, for my safety let's hope that he would never have a reason to live like his previous self did," Shusuke stated jokingly.

He still had several questions, and he still needed to confirm it himself by talking with Ryoma, but Yumiko had always been a great judge of character and he was not going to start doubting her now.

Delinquency

Akutsu very rarely lost fights he got himself into. When he did, it was usually against those much older, more experienced than him. People who he really shouldn't have messed with to begin with.

As much of a troublemaker as he was, he usually knew when he had fucked up and also knew better than to pick a fight that he knew he couldn't win. Well, usually.

By all means, Echizen Ryoma shouldn't have belonged to that category of people he couldn't beat and thus shouldn't mess with. By all means, when he picked a fight with Echizen Ryoma, the smaller teen should be the one coming out of it crying and bruised. He didn't expect that he would be the one getting beaten faster and more decisively than he had ever before in his life. First in tennis, then right after, in a fistfight.

Well, it's not really a fight. After losing miserably without getting a single point, Akutsu had jumped at the first year intending to beat the crap out of him but got knocked out with a single counter straight to his face instead.

"Are you awake?"

Akutsu groggily opened his eyes and saw Ryoma sitting next to him. After some more time, Akutsu recognized that he had been placed next to a tree which was lying on to remain upright.

"Sorry for knocking you out, I wasn't really expecting you to just pounce on me like that and end up punching you on reflex."

The fact that he could tell that the apology was genuine only further annoyed Akutsu. Because that meant that he got knocked out by someone who wasn't even trying to. With one hit. What the fuck?

"But then again you beat up Arai and Kachirou. So maybe I should have hit you harder without knocking you out instead."

"Then there's also yesterday. So you've definitely been doing this for a while." Ryoma mused out loud.

"And what about it?" Akutsu growled in annoyance, finally turning to glare at Ryoma. He froze when his eyes met Ryoma's though, because he suddenly felt a kind of fear that he had only felt once. A kind of fear that made him feel like he was a mere critter in the face of a predator much more powerful than he was.

Before that, the only time he had ever felt that was when after messing with the wrong guy, said guy brought his friends who beat him half to death and took him to their boss. The first person that Akutsu knew he shouldn't have ever crossed paths with, let alone mess with. He was lucky, then, that the man had let him go.

He had learned his lesson, then. To avoid messing with adults. To keep his targets to people who wouldn't drag him to someone who could have killed him easily if they wanted to.

Why, then, did Ryoma Echizen make him feel the same fear he felt then?

"Your tennis." Ryoma suddenly said. "It's not bad, really. Ryoga probably would like you. He seemed to have a fondness for violent puppies."

Akutsu could only grit his teeth at the utter humiliation he felt from being referred to as a "puppy". If it had been anyone else, he would have lashed out, but at that moment, his whole body was stiff from fear.

Then suddenly, that oppressive pressure, the paralyzing fear disappeared, and he felt a pat on his shoulder as Ryoma stood up.

"Well, that's all I have to say. You're from Yamabuki, right? I hope we get to see each other when our teams meet."

Akutsu had no intention of following anyone's order ever. So, when he came for the match between Seigaku and Yamabuki, he came of his own volition and not because he felt a full-body shudder when he remembered Ryoma's words as he considered not coming.

(And of course, he played against Echizen Ryoga, who not only had an incredibly aggravating personality but also treated him like a particularly interesting dog he found off the street. Fuck his life.)