Prince Of Tennis Fan Fiction ❯ Kimi ga iru ❯ Chapter IV ( Chapter 4 )

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Disclaimer - `Prince of Tennis' is not mine.

Here is `Kimi ga iru' Chapter IV. I hope you all enjoy it.

Kimi ga iru

“I think some of the whole members already know that we finally have a manager for our club.” The coach announced and glanced at the young boy who was standing beside her. “Tezuka-kun, you know what you should do, right?”

The boy nodded and stepped forward in front of the old lady. “I'm a new manager of tennis club. I will try my best to do this work.” Kunimitsu said. “Echizen-buchou is the one who ask me to do this job.”

The Seigaku tennis club members were surprised by the news. They never expected to have a manager before. The most surprising thing was that their buchou was the one who choose the manager, plus the manager was the new first year boy who had just joined their club no more than a week.

“Original Ochibi! You're meanie!” Kikumaru Eiji said loudly at Echizen. “Meanie! Meanie! Meanie! You have something against him! I know he wouldn't go to you and say that he wants to be a manager. I know you are forcing him.”

“Stop it, Eiji. You are too loud.”

“Why are you doing this? Why my Megane-kun has to be our manager?”

Oishi Syuichiro felt deeply hurt when he heard `that word' from his double partner. He tried to be normal after hearing it, but it was so difficult.

“You will know it when the time comes.” The captain turned his eyes to the court, ignored his friend's yelling behind. “Our team will be at its strongest level soon.”

Everyone knew Echizen Ryoma was the strongest tennis player in Seigaku. His skills and habits were something to remember. Since the day that he had joined the club, Seigaku became stronger and stronger, but their school still had not reach more than Kantou level. Their dream to becoming the best in national tournament seems too far away.

Rikkai Dai still was the big bone for them.

Some people said it was a waste of time for the tennis play as skilled as him to be held back in the tennis school competition. Many people believed that it had to be something between Echizen himself and the former captain, Yamato-buchou.

“Eiji, let's get ready for practicing.” The fukubuchou said to his partner.

The acrobatic player was not in the good mood. “I want an answer.” He still demanded an answer from the tennis captain who was not interested in talking to him right now.

“Neither of us knows what Echizen is thinking, but we should have some respect for his choice. At least, your Tezuka doesn't complain about being the manager as asked.”

“But…,” Everyone who heard the conversation was shocked from found out that Oishi's tone of voice for Eiji was dangerous. Even the cat boy felt it, too.

The old woman knew from experience that she should do something by doing nothing. But she couldn't risk that. Those two boys were the great golden pair, the pride and joy of Seigaku tennis club. If they continued their talk like this, she knew the best double pair would be no more.

“I still want an answer. It has to be something behind this. I will not let original Ochibi-chan get away with this. Just because Megane-kun is the new kid, that doesn't mean he must do everything as the captain order.”

The Moon volley player was going to say something back, but Ryusaki Sumire-sensei's announcement cut it. “Tokyo District Preliminaries tennis competition of Middle school is coming soon. Get ready for more hard practices.” Many members included the regular felt relieved that their coach cut the hot conversation into half.

“It has been years since our club has a manager. You make me miss the old feeling” The coach said to Tezuka. “I have to inform you that the manager has a duty to recording the members' statistics of the team and collecting information.”

The boy didn't answer. He just merely nodded in acknowledgment.

“That's sound similar to what Inui always do.” Kawamura Takashi commented.

“I couldn't stand it, if he turns into second Inui.” Kikumaru nearly cried when he said that. “My Megane-kun would lose his cuteness!”

Oishi shrugged.

On the other side of the court, there were the Fuji brothers and Inui beside the green fence.

“Do you know why Echizen-san wants Tezuka to be our manager?” Fuji Yuuta asked his elder brother. Ever since he joined the same club as his aniki, he never sees the need of manager. Normally, their team would be advised by their coach, Ryusaki-sensei. And their data would be collected by the vice-captain, Inui Sadaharu.

The older Fuji shook his head. “Who know? He never stops to surprise us.”

“He might have some plans in his mind or maybe he just thinks that it's fun to tease that boy.” Inui said and then smiled like an evil. “This is a very good reference for my romance novel.”

“Did you add what I asked you to, yet?” Syusuke asked Inui who was writing the new interesting information in his book.

“Hm? Add what, aniki?”

The older brother lingering moved his hand to the side of Yuuta's face and closed the distance between himself and his baby brother. “You and me,” He whispered softy in the most seductive way. “…doing something,”

“BAKA ANIKI!” The boy screamed and dashed from the green court as fast as his rising shot. He didn't want to know or think of this sort of things!

The data tennis player set his glasses in place. “Thank you for demonstration, Fuji.”

“You're welcome.” He said and smiled wickedly.

The Tokyo District Preliminaries tennis competition for junior high came faster than anyone had expected. Time seemed to flow quicker than it had been. “I will announce the name of regular members who will play in this competition.” The old coach said.

All regular members nodded.

The entire members in the club were excited to hear and see the regular members being call to the court as the teacher announced their names and the position of their play. “Doubles 2 - Kawamura Takashi and Fuji Syusuke, doubles 1 - Kikumaru Eiji and Oishi Syuichiro, Single 3 - Fuji Yuuta, Single 2 - Inui Sadaharu and Single 1 - Echizen Ryoma!”

Momoshiro's heart dropped to the ground. When he recovered from the big shocked, he then shouted out many question. “I'm a reserve? Why don't I get to play? Why do I not qualify for this game?”

“There is a reason for this.” Ryoma said with bored expression.

“Momo, you will get your turn later on anyway.” Oishi said with sympathy. The vice-captain didn't want his kouhai to feel bad and lose his ambition because of he was not being chosen to play in the opening match.

“Listen to our senpai, Momoshiro” Kaidoh Kaoru said softly. Since he was dropped from the regular team, he somehow became softer to his rival.

The energy boy smiled. “Yeah,”

“I want to play, too. But I'm not a regular.”

“Only at this moment anyway. You will make it to the regular team again. I know it”

“I miss my jersey.”

“I know. I miss your, too.”

In the background near the tournament court, there were three boys cheered Seigaku team out loud and two girls who dress in cheerleader suit danced back and forth. One of two girls looked confident and determine while the other girl looked shy and embarrassed. Near them, there was the bespectacles boy who was watching his senpai on the court carefully.

The braid girl flashed a wide smile.

“Ne, Kunimitsu-kun” Ryusaki Sakuno shyly started conversation.

“What, Sakuno-san?” He looked up from his writing.

“Do you enjoy being a manager?”

The girl barely heard the answer from the boy who she talked to. It just liked a glimpse. All she could catch in her memory was a slight smile and one word... “..depend..”

“Hey, Sakuno!” Her best friend's voice put her out of her own little world.

“Your eyes are wide like an egg. I know it, you like Kunimitsu-kun, don't you?” Tomoka liked to annoy the other girl. Then she turned to the boy. “Kunimitsu-kun, you also like Sakuno, right?”

Both Ryusaki and Tezuka's faces turned as red as a tomato.

“Tomo-chan! Don't say such an embarrassing thing!”

The braid girl quick turned her back, face the court and dance wildly. And then the ichinen group continued their cheer.

“Go! Go! Seigaku!”

“Seishun Gakuen Kakkoi!”

“S-E-I-G-A-K-U”

Seigaku won again and again.

The tournament wasn't amusing as Tezuka Kunimitsu imagined it would be in the first place. Their school had Quarterfinals match with Gyokurin schools and Semifinals match with Mizunofuchi School. Of course, Seigaku team won 6-0 straight in all matches. Their regular team was in real good form. It was sure that Seigaku would make it to the Kantou tournament for junior high.

He felt it was the right decision to come to Tokyo and study in Seishun Gakuen, but deep in his heart he missed his previous school.

“Manager,” The solemn voice that couldn't be mistaken was raised behind the freshman.

“Hai, what can I help you, buchou.” The captain's attitude and present disturbed him, but he couldn't do anything about that, except to accept it.

“Just want to be sure that you concentrate on your job.” The captain spoke with the remarkable voice. “Be sure to write down the useful information and collect everything plus every detail. You never know when you will need them.”

“Hai,” He picked up his book from the bag as he answered.

“You will make a good manager.”

“I hope I would believe so.”

After they had their talk, the young boy took a note at every detail of their team as told and wrote a big note on the center of the first page `I don't like him'. The day Echizen-buchou asked him to be the manager still reminded clearly in his memory, but he didn't want to think about it, well not now anyway.

Finally, Seigaku reached to the final round of Tokyo District Preliminaries for middle school. Their final match was Fudomine, an unnamed school for the whole competition. There was so little bit of information of this school. Both their skills and their plans were unknown.

Even Inui Sadaharu had very limit data about their team.

“Fudomine,” Inui said. “As far as I know, they are a new form team under the lead by Tachibana Kippei. Their members are second year students, except for the captain himself. Tachibana is in the third year.”

“That's nothing to do with tennis, Inui-senpai.” Momo said.

The data-man shot his kouhai with a dangerous look. The lens of his glasses flashed in the sunlight, they almost look like a devil with flash eyes. “You want to try my new invention?” He asked with the cold and strong voice.

“Eh… No, thank you.” Whatever Inui refer to, it didn't sound safe for both health and mind.

“I had collected the members' name and their position of playing as following; Doubles 2 - Ishida Tetsu and Sakurai Masaya, doubles 1 - Uchimura Kyousuke and Mori Tatsunori, Single 3 - Kamio Akira, Single 2 - Ibu Shinji and Single 1 - Tachibana Kippei”

“I heard from Inui-senpai a couple days ago that you had a match with one of the Fudomine's members at the street court.” Yuuta asked Momo. The relationship between Kaidoh and Momoshiro was the rival type, but the relationship between Momoshiro and Yuuta was the friendship type. However Momo felt more close to the Mamushi more than Fuji-senpai's little brother.

“I played with that annoying guy.” Momo-chan pointed at the deep red hair boy. “He's overprotective type.”

“Overprotective?”

“I believe he fall for his captain's sister.”

“Damn you, Momoshiro!” Kamio Akira shouted from the other side of the court. “You talk about me, don't you? I will crash you before everyone!”

“The annoying guy over there is Momoshiro Takeshi, the one you always tell me that you are going to crash in front of Tachibana Ann-chan, right? I wonder if it's hard to deal with as you said it is or not. I remember Tachibana-san told me not to prejudge the other person by their appearance. He does look like funny guy, but I can not be sure if he is a funny type of person and I can't be sure if he's good or not until I get to play a match with him. His smash called Dunk smash, right? Why does it being called like that? Is it has something to do with Slam Dunk?” Ibu Shinji murmured his thought and many questions to his friend, but the redhead didn't listen at all.

“Too bad, you can't do that. I'm a reserve player.” As this moment, Momo felt good to be on a reserve because he could tease his street court opponent.

But the other boy took that as quickly as his rhythm. “So, that's mean you are suck.”

“Kamio!” The Fudomine captain roughly said his member's name then he turned to Seigaku captain. “I have to apologize on behalf of my team. They don't know what they should say and just follow their own thought without realize what they should do”

The speed ace of Fudomine became quiet, eyes facing the ground in guilty. He never wanted to disappoint Tachibana-san.

“Don't be. Momo is suck just like your member said. That's why he could only sit and watch we have our match. When he matures his habit, he would get to play on the team.” Echizen remarked. The sophomore swallowed hard. His own captain mocked him in front of everyone in the club include the other school. Even Kaidoh, his ultimate rival, also felt sorry with him.

“Let's begin our match without saying or doing anymore childish thing.”

“I must agree.” Ryoma smirked.

End of chapter IV

In the next chapter, we will see the match, romance and love begin. Some of the memories and secrets would be revealing. Plus the hint - Nothing happen without a reason!