Prince Of Tennis Fan Fiction ❯ Kimi ga iru ❯ Chapter III ( Chapter 3 )

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Disclaimer - `Prince of Tennis' is not mine.

Here is chapter III of Kimi ga iru. Please enjoy!

Kimi ga iru

The tall figure just stood in silent and watched the boy in front of him trying to find something in the locker. This made Tezuka Kunimitsu felt uneasy. Then he realized that this locker probably this person's property.

“I'm truly sorry, senpai. I came in here to pick up some extra towels as Inui-senpai order.” Tezuka said. “I was just looking for the towels and I couldn't find them, so I decided to look in the locker. I didn't know that it's your.

The elder boy didn't answer.

Tezuka wasn't sure if he should move out of the clubroom or stay inside. On his very first day at school and the first day of joining the tennis club, some senpai seem to like him very much and some seem to hate him.

Minutes past, but it seems like hours. Finally, the taller boy walked toward the locker. He opened the gate to pick up the white `Fila' cap and the racket which were inside the tennis bag. He swung the racket a couple times and pulled the sling lightly for checking up without looking at the other. When he finished, he turn back to his kouhai.

“I didn't ask you.” He said as he put on his favorite cap and then walked out of the room.

After hearing that, the young boy instantly considered. His first meeting with this senpai wasn't nice at all.

Echizen Ryoma always wore his `Fila' cap. It was his trademark. Some people found it annoy, but still there are many called him idol on the fine court. The way he smirk made all girls' hearts melt.

When he walked to the court, all kouhai turned to greet him in the same time.

“Konichiwa, Echizen-buchou!”

“You are late, Echizen.” Fuji said with a smile.

“I have something to taking care of before coming to evening practice.”

His friend smiled again.

“Have you met the new kid yet?”

The captain didn't answer, but the tensai knew.

He had.

Four days past. Now it was the day Seigaku tennis club must chosen the regular team. But before the announcement of the beginning had begun, all freshmen had a chance to swing their racket, even though it was only to hit the ball to the wall.

Normally, the first year student were not allow to do anything other than practice the basic of tennis, but when the competition was coming, some rules were take off as if to lose some stress out of the senpai's heads. Seeing the inferior players was something pleasure to most top players.

Kachirou was having problem with returning the ball.

“Lower your hip and raise your grip on the racket.” Tezuka advised. And his friend did as told. Finally, he successfully hit the returning ball properly.

“You can be a coach, Megane-kun!” Horio said lot load as he saw the result. His friend's shot was better than ever.

Tezuka winced. He still felt uncomfortable with the nickname given by Kikumaru-senpai was getting to his nerve.

“Kunimitsu-kun, you are doing very well. You have a lot of practice during study in your old school, right?” Katsuo asked. Right now they were close friend enough to call each other by the given name.

“Just some,” He answered shortly.

Kachiro who was the smallest boy in the group of first year students looked at his friend with thoughtful expression. He wondered about Tezuka's old school. His new friend didn't talk much about his time back then.

The four freshmen haven't had a chance to talk much when the coach came to the court.

“All third year members and qualify second year member could join the regular selection, but all the first year members are not allowed.” Ryusaki-sensei announced. She used reference notes from Inui and practice schedules which Echizen had provided as a guideline for select the regular.

The club had to have the matches between the members because it was the way to choose the regular members for the next competition. The coming official competition was the district competition. There were many school attend it and so was Seigaku. Momoshiro had informed Inui about some rumors in the street tennis courts that the school named `Fudomine' was forming their team this year. They were pretty strong under their run by the captain, Tachibana Kippei.

The result of the game between the members wasn't as important as the skills because the boys were playing in the same club and sharing the same court. They were aware of each other weakness. The top players often pin point at the weakest point of the opponents. This was not real strength. They couldn't use the same theory in the different court when they had to face the kids from other school. It would become no use.

Ryusaki-sensei set the matches for the regular's tennis selection carefully, trying not to mess the matches with the original regular member VS original regular member. She knew if she does that, it would break the each player apart and wouldn't do any good. She needed to keep the player's pride for shining on the court.

Behind the coach was the captain, he was not listen to the sensei's entire announcement since he knew she always said the same things all the time. Anyway he still a bit surprised that the vice-captain wrote down some information. Echizen wondered. What did Inui have in mind?

Then his eyes follow to where the data-man put his concentrate on. And he saw the same boy he had met in the clubroom doing the practice with the group of freshmen. With his right hand, Tezuka was doing well. He sure could fool the other people that he used right hand in playing, but not to him. When he regarded the new member, he knew immediately that the boy was master left handed. Being the left handed player himself, he knew how to analyze the left hand player from all players.

He would find out more about the boy later.

When the competition for the regular position began, the old casts were trying their best to stay in their same spot. There were only eight tickets for the Seigaku regular team.

Each match of the sophomores and the seniors began quickly especially the previous regular team's matches. They had more skills and more strength than the ordinary members.

It was not long to announce the name of the qualify members who made it to regular.

Echizen Ryoma

Fuji Syusuke

Kikumaru Eiji

Oishi Syuichirou

Inui Sadaharu

Kawamura Takashi

Momoshiro Takeshi

When the result of the last match was announce, everyone was shock. The last cast of regular was Fuji Yuuta.

It was unexpected that Yuuta had finally made it to regular team. He had some skills, but not as good as his brother's triple counter. People often forgot his existence. He was just like the grass under the sunflower. The grass needs the sun as so the sunflower, but people could see only the beautiful yellow of the giant blossom. The fresh green grass becomes dull when compare with the bright yellow sunflower.

Some of members could sense the coming problem. Having Kaidoh Kaoru drop off from the original casts meant Seigaku's second double partner would be torn. And the situation was getting worst because the first double pair was arguing a lot lately.

Kaidoh Kaoru became quiet with his lost. He was doing so much to join the regular. He even restrained his desire to be the single player to cooperate with Inui-senpai's plan to create more double pair for the team.

Momoshiro Takeshi who was always Kaidoh's ultimate rival also kept quiet. He didn't know what to say. He wanted his rival to be the regular along with him, but Kaidoh couldn't make it.

“That's what I had expected.” Inui stated. “Kaidoh has problem with the snake shot. His arm doesn't strong enough to perform it more than three times during the normal game.”

While the others tensed with Kaidoh issue. The certain person shined the smile as bright as the sun. “Yuuta, I'm so happy you make it to regular team.”

“I told you I would make it.” Yuuta said proudly.

“Give your brother a hug, ne.” Big brother Fuji had a big wide smile on his face.

“In your dream!” The younger brother shouted out loud.

Many members who witness the scene kept silent, but not the Seigaku tennis club captain. “Someone should do something about Fuji's brother complex.” Ryoma remarked.

“According to my data, that person should be you.”

“Fuji would kill me.”

“Are you listening to me, Aniki!” Yuuta shouted again.

“I want to play double with you!” Syusuke announced.

“Nani!”

“We're going to be the great pair, even grater than the golden pair. I could imagine us as the powerful Fuji pair.”

“I have a vision… we will see an incest pair very soon.” Someone remarked from afar.

“I heard someone called them Fujicest or something similar.” The other person added.

“Poor Yuuta-kun,” Kawamura said. He felt deeply sorry for the boy. The elder Fuji always tortured the younger Fuji by his undying love.

“Kaidoh,” Echizen called out his kouhai's name.

“Hai, Echizen-buchou,”

“You did well.” He said. “Try again when the next regular selection comes.”

“HAI!” The younger answer loudly, he was feeling better now. Usually the Seigaku captain rarely had compliment toward the kouhai, so when he done it, they would feel special.

When everything was done, all the members started their packing in the clubroom and getting ready to go home.

“Oishi, you are quiet today.” Kikumaru Eiji said with concern. “What's happen?”

“..Nothing,” He answered. His face looked away from his double pair.

“Look at my eyes when you answer my question.” The cat boy demanded. He knew that his best friend hide something from him.

“There is something I have to work out. See you tomorrow, Eiji.” Oishi Syuichirou cut their conversation and went out of the clubroom. He had to go. He couldn't look at Eiji's eyes right now.

“It's must be something…” Eiji said quietly.

Before everyone realize Eiji gave Kunimitsu a big hug. “Megane-kun, what should I do?”

“First, you should let go of me, Eiji-senpai.” He almost couldn't breath. The hug that the senpai gave him was too tight.

“I don't want Oishi to hate me, but he is silly lately.” The third year boy didn't listen to the Ochibi's state.

“Eiji,” Echizen said. “May I talk to your `Megane-kun'?”

“Alright, `Original Ochibi'! Don't hurt him, okay!”

“Why should I?”

Kikumaru gave Tezuka and Echizen a grin. “I will go home now.”

He then turned his attention to the boy. “Meet me at the Haruno University court this Sunday.”

The boy didn't want to go. Since their first meeting, Kunimitsu didn't want to have any interaction with this person. He knew if he wanted to stay in the club, he should not outstanding his point.

“I don't know where it is.” He answered. He was trying to keep his politeness which had left since the day he learned that the senpai was the buchou of the tennis club.

“Then meet me at the front gate of our school and then walk to that place together. I can pick you up at your house if you want me to.”

“…I will meet you at the front gate then…” The spectacles boy gave in.

During the conversation, Echizen and Tezuka didn't aware that the data-man who was sitting at the corner of the clubroom had not stopped his writing yet.

“Hey Inui. What are you writing this time?” Kawamura asked.

“A romance novel,” He replied while he was writing. His eyes weren't move from the scene before him.

“I thought you are collecting data.”

“Their story would be useful data.” He paused. “What do you know or think about `Love at first sight'?” Inui sudden asked the burning player.

“Wah…, I ... I don't know.” The shy boy said stammer. “I never really think about it before.” His eyes bend from Inui.

“Maybe this novel should be about `A love born of hate'.” The data tennis player moved his glass to set them in place. “I should learn more about their hating relationship before it grows into love.”

“…their relationship?” Takashi exclaimed. “Echizen and Tezuka?”

“Don't say it out loud or else they would keep it a secret. I must have more information on how they interact with each other.” Now Kawamura Takashi had one more reason to not mess with the vice-captain and this was probably the scariest reason.

“Inui, don't forget to let me borrow your novel once you finish it.” Fuji popped out from nowhere, made Taka-san almost scream in shock.

“Fujiko!”

“Actually I prefer angst more than romance, but I think for this story, romance would be nice. I like to read a happy ending story which has a lot of kissing scenes. Oh! Don't forget to add the scene which has Yuuta and I doing something nice.”

Inui Sadaharu with a wick thought sure was scary, but no one should forget to add the tensai, Fuji Syusuke, to the list of horror, too.

“I will keep that in mind.” Inui nodded and continued his writing. “Maybe I should make the publish version.”

Kawamura Takashi wants to say something, but nothing came out of his mouth. He was totally speechless. The innocent mind was running in his head to give Tezuka and Echizen a warning before Fuji and Inui create the shounen-ai heaven for the fangirls.

Sunday had come faster than ever. The young boy was anxious about his meeting with the captain. As he was told by his friends, the buchou of tennis club was not someone you could predict easily. He was arrogant yet icy when it comes to games.

And most of all, He was left handed.

The individual meeting was something Tezuka never like. He used to have a same kind of meeting with the group of senpai during study in the old school. The memory of that time was not memorable.

When he came to school, he met the buchou in white T-shirt and dark blue jean standing in front of the gate. He was outstanding by the white `Fila' cap.

“Ohayou gozaimasu, Echizen-buchou.” He greeted.

“Ohayou,” Ryoma answered the greeting. “Let's go to Haruno University court.”

“Hai,”

Tezuka followed Echizen and wondered why the buchou would want to meet him on Sunday. Then he was startle by the captain sudden question when they reached the destination.

“You use left handed, don't you?” Ryoma asked.

Tezuka's blood ran cold. He never thought there would be someone finds out his secret. “I used to play by left hand, buchou.” He then answered. “But now, I'm learning to use right hand.”

“You couldn't master it. Your gift is left hand.”

The younger boy tightened his right hand into a fist.

“With your right hand, you might be good, but not as good as using your left hand. You already knew that, don't you?”

“It's not that I don't want to use my left hand” His voice sounded bitter then ever.

Tennis club captain thought he would figured out later why this kid refused to use his left hand.

“Before we deal with your problem, I have to settle something.”

“….What is it, buchou?”

“I want you to become our manager.”

End of Chapter III

The Fudomine arc will begin in the next chapter. It's too quickly, isn't it? Gotta waiting for Hyotei arc! And…as always please review.