Prince Of Tennis Fan Fiction ❯ Life's A Stage ❯ all life's a stage ( Prologue )

All Life's A Stage

 

Author's Note

 

This story is in AU form. I know that the story may sound very confusing especially for people who have read my original work in my fiction press account, The World Beneath but it's simply because I have recycled the names of some places and characters, however, this has no relation to the actual TWB series.

 

* * *

 

The sun was blazing high in the almost cloudless sky one particularly warm summer's day. Two figures ran up and down the court, seemingly undeterred by the blistering heat, not caring the blue and white backs of their polo shirts were soaked through. All they knew was the rackets in they gripped, the net between them, and that a point had to be scored soon, no matter what. Though the rest of the court was deserted, the atmosphere was choked with the intensity sparking between them, an unmistakable strong desire- to win.

 

The game was almost flawless, both players showing their skills to the fullest. The ball had not ceased moving, at least not for the last fifteen minutes or so, neither did the speed, filling the court with a steady constant sound, for the rhythm they had worked up was quite similar to the arms of a clock's pendulum. Both players seemed to match each other in strange harmony.

 

 

However, one thing that looked odd of this serious scene was that one of the players had the advantage despite their seemingly well- rehearsed game. He was noticeably less tired then his opponent who was pretty much running around the court to counter his strong serves, and looked as if he was barely moving at all from his spot on the court. No matter how the other player tried to lead the ball wayward, it always came right back to his personal radius. And he'd simply move only one of his feet into a different position and hit it back. It was as if he were a magnet drawing the tennis ball to him.

 

He then repositioned himself in a way that the other player seemed to recognise, for his opponent's eyes had widened ever so slightly and started to dash forward for the back of the court.

 

He swung his arm as the other started quickening his steps. The ball sailed through the air, barely missing the net in a graceful arch. His opponent lunged, racket extended as far as he could reach. It was too late. The ball dropped to the ground and suddenly rolled a few inches towards the net. The edge of the racket stopped just a mere centimetre away.

 

The one who lost the point picked himself off the ground, plucking onto his head, his cap that had fallen during his incredible lunge. He shook his head as if in disbelief then looked at the victor with a unnaturally wide eye, lips curving into a confident smirk though he had lost.

 

The main offset to the whole picture was when they met at the net to shake hands. The height different between them was very obvious, the winner being an inch or two over six feet and the other was barely past five. Also, it appeared that age wise, the winner looked a good five years or so older than the shorter boy. An onlooker might think this might be unfair, maybe even a case of bullying a junior student. But in reality, who these two players really were made it totally sane again. Plus one of the younger boy's earlier serves had sent the ball flying into the fence, creating a sizable impression form where the ball and net fence had burned from the friction created. Clearly this boy contained more strength and even secrets that met the eye and his opponent knew it well.

“ 5 to 6. Beat me next time.” Said the other player seriously as if giving a command.

 

“ Mada Mada dane” came the confident reply.

 

With that, they walked out of the court and were about to go their separate ways when the shorter one called out.

 

“ Buchou. Same time next week?”

 

“ No, I will be busy. I will tell you later.”

 

“Whatever.”

 

* * *

 

(One week later, same day)

 

 

The arrival hall of the Tokyo Airport was a madhouse. People cried tears of joy as they embraced their loved ones, consisting of students who had gone overseas to study and were now back for their holidays, couples unabashedly sharing teary kisses as result of long separations, friends reuniting, their laughter echoing joyously while sharing the latest news and gossip. And there were the tour groups that practically dominated the whole scene. Guides and drivers of coaches holding up the signs of various travel agencies, small groups of three or four soon multiplied as they found each other and scanned the unfamiliar first sight of Japan for the first time, excitedly murmuring despite the fact that they had not even stepped out of the airport.

 

And amidst this scene of chaos, a lone person stood by himself next to a pillar not far from where all the arrivals were exiting. He wore a pale faded purple shirt, a black jacket slung over his shoulder, arms crossed in front of his chest. His face however, was anything but casual. It bore a stoic, unmoving expression as his eyes fixated on the doorway. Waiting. That together with his height, an imposing 6'2 made all looking immediately turn away to mind their own business.

 

The mass of arrivals was clearing off and the crowd was thinning till only a handful of people remained. The man's eyes flicked briefly to the clock nearby. If anyone could read his mind, they would see it struggling between calm and annoyed. Five minutes later, it would have been going into anger and to some extent, worry. Where was she? His face however, maintained it's solemn expression.

 

Another ten minutes passed, signalling this particular arrival was twenty minutes late, which was most strange. The flight had indeed touched down. He had already some of the passengers pass him on their way out. Getting lost was certainly not going to be an excuse. Sick? They would have paged him by now. He decided to go to the customer service counter to investigate.

 

“ Excuse me. Are you Mr Tezuka?”

 

A medium pitched female voice made him stop. Someone hurried to stand in front of him. A girl. And with shoulder length dark hair that appeared to be both brown and black at the same time. She looked flustered and was slightly out of breadth. He did not realise that he had not replied until she apologised and started to leave, obviously thinking she had made a mistake.

 

He was surprised at how fast she walked but his long strides managed to catch up to her easily.

 

“ Stop.”

 

No reply.

 

“ Miss Corellith?”

 

This time she turned and he realised her eyes were brown like thick chocolate.

 

“ You're Tezuka?”

 

“ Yes.”

 

Her eyes bore a slightly confused look and then she smiled, a look of comprehension her face.

 

“ I see. You must be their son. I thought your parents were picking me up.”

 

“ My father has been posted to the States for a year.”

 

“ I see…”

 

“ My mother has gone with him, for a long vacation she says.”

 

“ So…”

 

“ They have entrusted me to be your guardian.”

 

“ Ah. But…”

 

“ Follow me.”

 

Before she could say anymore, he wordlessly walked towards the exit, dragging one of her suitcases along.

 

* * *

 

“ This is your room.” Tezuka commented. “ I hope there're no problems with it.”

 

“ No worries. It's bigger than I expected.”

 

“ It is the guest room. Dinner is at seven. I hope ramen is fine with you.”

 

“ Thanks… wait…”

 

He had already gone.

 

* * *

 

Dinner was a rather silent affair. Jack looked at her new housemates impassive face, feeling slightly disconcerted, uncomfortable and confused as to why her host was treating her so coldly. Not that she minded. She was used to people being indifferent to her and she to them. It was what she had been trained to do for the past four years. The words of her instructor echoed in her head.

 

You never know where your enemy is. Don't give them a chance to read you.

 

As was with the boy in front of her. He'd excel as an undercover operative. She thought. Silent. Always observing. Alert to all around him. Did he even talk? He had not said a word since leaving her room. Why? He could not be that upset that she had been late could he? If he was, he should not be. He was the one standing there doing nothing when she had been holding up a sign or something. He had not even been standing right at the arrival gate. How could she have noticed him? After all, she was expecting his parents. Even so…

 

“ I'm sorry I was late just now.” She blurted out, shattering the silence. “ I was detained for a while, I had to pass a fragile parcel through security, and the machine needed for the check was different from the one everyone else uses.”

 

The silence became deafening.

 

“ It's the truth! I'm really sorry. I really am. And I was looking out for your parents or a sign or…”

 

“ Corellith. Stop.”

 

She met his steely gaze.

 

“ Fragile package?”

 

“ Yes.”

 

“ I shall not judge you since I do not know you. I accept your apology.” He stated sharply, leaning forward to eat his noodles.

 

“ One more thing. Since we kinda got off on the wrong foot, I believe we should start over. I'm Jackasa, not that you didn't know already, but you may call me Jack.”

 

“ That's a boy's name.”

 

“ That's what everyone calls me. I'd really appreciate it if you did that as well. It feels weird cause only my instructors address me by my sirname. Though I know it's the custom in Japan to…”

 

“ Fine.”

 

“ And what about you? If you prefer I'd call you Kunimitsu `cause Tezuka's also your dad's name and it'd be confusing…”

 

“ Tezuka. Everyone calls me Tezuka.”

 

“ I see. Alright then.”

 

* * *

 

Later that evening…

 

They had continued the rest of dinner in peace and the only other words her host had said were “Thank you” when she helped to wash the dishes and “ the bathroom's down the hall to your right” as she went upstairs to prepare for bed.

 

She was about to sleep when there was a knock on her door. He stood there, face unwavering, looking steadily down at her.

 

“ I, apologise for earlier. I was expecting a Caucasian girl.”

 

Understanding dawned on her and she gave him a reassuring beam.

 

“ It's fine. I know my name can be a bit misleading. Oh well, it's in the past now. Tezuka?”

 

He was already halfway to his room.

 

“ Tezuka! Sweet dreams!”

 

Whether he heard her or not, she did not care. She was just relieved that they had gotten past their grievances. Now, she thought, switching off the light, it was time to sleep of the jet lag and hopefully, this awkward situation they had found themselves in would turn for the better.

 

* * *

 

To her luck, Tezuka seemed to be less tensed around her in the following days to come. Although it was not an easy thing to tell as he constantly wore that stoic serious expression on his face, and that every time he spoke, (if he did at all), it would be no more than a few words. At first she was wondering if he was one of those people who was afraid their English was bad or something for she had encountered students from her institution where English was their second or even third language. Half of them were usually shy to hold proper conversations at first as they felt their command of the language was inferior to the locals. But these students would adjust themselves in time and by graduation, you would think that English was their native tongue. However, her host's English was perfectly understandable.

 

It couldn't be. Don't tell me he's still annoyed cause I didn't tell him what exactly was in my package.

 

While Jack did not mind the lack of attention, she also could not stand not having someone to talk to, and began to formulate a plan. She wanted to know more about her host for she did not wish her situation to be as if she were staying with a perfect stranger. Thinking back to the brief she had received on her host family, she remembered that the son, Tezuka Kunimitsu, was the vice president of the student committee and held the position of captain in a sports team. When she had first read it, she had the mental picture of one of a student who was well liked and constantly surrounded by his peers. The stereotypical jock you saw in movies, good looking, active and popular in the student body, more often than not armed with a personal cheer squad and maybe even with his female counterpart in tow.

 

Maybe, she thought, he was one of those people who acted different in and out of the public eye. One who kept many things behind his smiles.

 

But school did start the following week; Tezuka Kunimitsu defied all her expectations. She came to realize that he was one of the top students at Seishun Gakuen, and that he pretty much treated his peers with the same emotionless face and stern façade as he did her. And that he was as nerdy as a top student could be. He even started studying the few days before school reopened, burning his midnight lamp so he arrived at lessons with a head start above the rest. Only two things about her earlier presumed profile of him were accurate. That he did turn heads where ever he went, though it was more of respect than anything, and that most of his attention was from the female population of the school.

 

He is, she mused unconsciously while waiting for her fifth day of school to start, more than pleasing to the eye despite the grim expression he wore, and serious countenance.

 

“ Hi Jackasa!”

 

Snapping out of her thoughts at the sound of the strangely gentle sounding male voice, she looked up and found a boy smiling back at her. He looked more effeminate from most of his counterparts who were most masculine looking. This particular oddity had light brown hair styled so that his bangs covered his eyes slightly. He also possessed a well-toned svelte figure that many girls would die for.

 

Searching her memory, Jack unfortunately could not place where she had seen him before and she smiled sheepishly, bowing her head slightly in apology as she spoke.

 

“ I'm sorry, you are?”

 

“ I am Fuji Syuusuke. I am in your English Literature class. I remember you from the Tuesday period. You're the foreign exchange student no?”

 

“ Yes, I am. I'm sorry I don't remember you. It's so hard remembering all the names and faces.”

 

“ No worries.” Fuji smiled. “ Say, the memberships for the clubs open next week. Anything you're interested in particular? Seigaku's sports are strong.”

 

“ Well, I've had more than enough sporting experience in my old school already. I'm here to concentrate on my studies.”

 

“ Ne? But sports are part of the experience here. What sport did you take at JEDA?”

 

“ Erm… it was a mixture of things actually. We had a pretty rigorous physical education. Mostly based on martial arts.”

 

“ Martial arts! That's tough ne? Well then, maybe you could consider the kendo club or something. But if you're bored of that kind of thing then maybe you could try a different sport.”

 

“ I'll think about it. Thanks for the suggestion.”

 

“ No problem.”

 

If possible, Fuji's smile got wider.

 

The teacher suddenly came into the class and everyone scrambled to their seats.

 

At the end of it, Fuji waved at her, “See you around Jackasa!”

 

“ You too, hey Fuji?”

 

“ Ano?”

 

“ Just wondering, you didn't tell me which club you were in.”

 

“ I am in Tennis Club. Tryouts are next Wednesday if you're interested.”

 

“ Right. See you!”

 

“ Hai. Bye Jackasa.”

 

As Fuji walked away from her, Jack mentally noted that his smile had never broken once through their conversation. It was a little creepy come to think of it. But he seemed friendly enough so she didn't suspect anything, which was odd as she was usually a pretty good judge of character. How did he do that? He and Tezuka, enigmas in their own ways. Indeed, her year at Seigaku was going to be most interesting.

 

* * *