Prince Of Tennis Fan Fiction ❯ Hyoutei Rabbits ❯ 02 ( Chapter 2 )

He was a beautiful Lionhead. His short coat was soft and brilliantly white, and the ruff around his neck imparted an aristocratic air. He lay atop the silk cushion, languorously. A closer look, however revealed that the languor was neither affected nor intended: his back lacked a natural stiffness, seeming to sag into his body, and his head lolled on his front limbs.

 

In the kitchen, Inui Sadaharu was preparing to remedy the situation.

 

 

Shortly after practice begun, Milk had appeared at Seishun Gakuen's (Seigaku) tennis courts, sprawled on a silk cushion, in a deep wicker basket.

 

Kamio Akira adopted Milk in an attempt to please and impress Tachibana An, with his sense of responsibility and caring nature. Kami-sama must have been busy because he did not answer the Fudoumine boy's prayers, and the rabbit languished under his care. He tried everything -he could swear to it. Different food pellets, dry hay, fresh sprouts… Heck, he even mobilised a silk cushion, which his mother saves for new years, when Milk appeared uncomfortable on his pile of new towels.

 

He was excused from practice by Tachibana Kippei, An's elder brother. The captain took one look at the rabbit, felt pity in his heart, and told Kamio `to do something before the poor thing dies'. Earlier, the second-years had discussed this issue with An. Seigaku's Inui, who knew more than the Devil, was volunteered. That was how a bewildered and contrite Kamio, and a vexed An came to stand before Inui. The Seigaku third-year promised to try his best, whilst the afternoon sun glanced off his lenses in a disturbing manner. On the way back, Kamio thought of cracking a joke about Inui's spectacles. But one look at An awakened his survival instincts, and they walked in silence.

 

 

The absence of noise from the blender should have alerted Milk, who was too weak to notice. He was abruptly covered by a towel and swiftly rolled up, leaving only his head exposed. He might have spluttered, if he was stronger, or he might not have. It would ruin his image. So he settled for glaring, although starvation robbed him of focus several times.

 

Inui sat on the couch, sandwiched the bundle between his thighs and picked up a syringe filled with the Usagi(1) Power Special Mix. From his vantage point, Milk could see the contents with vividness. He stared, with morbid fascination, at the brown flecks swirling in the green liquid in a hypnotizing dance. With a supposedly reassuring smile, Inui wedged the nozzle into Milk's mouth and pushed the plunger. The Lionhead gagged and gurgled, unable to move or spit out the offensive plastic and liquid. After a brief and fruitless struggle, he swallowed. Better to die with this dredged-up scum curdling in the stomach than to die with stained and matted fur. But if I survive this - this indignity, Inui will dance a slow dance of destruction. Then, he fainted.

 

 

It was a miracle what protein formula in mixed vegetable juice could do for a severely malnourished rabbit. Milk lounged on the leather couch, chewing on a stalk of hay. He had, long ago, exhausted his vast vocabulary of derogatory adjectives. Fortunately, the subject did not understand Rabbitese. He watched Inui head for the kitchen with the corners of his eyes and bided his time. Inui emerged with a glass of water. Good boy! As he was about to step into his room, Milk pounced and sank his teeth into the juicy tendon of an ankle. Only, it was not said juicy tendon but an ankle weight. He recoiled with jaw-numbing pain. It was so numbing, in fact, that he fainted. He thought he heard an `Oh dear', before slipping into the now familiar oblivion.

 

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1)Rabbit