Prince Of Tennis Fan Fiction ❯ Life's A Stage ❯ we open up our hearts ( Chapter 5 )

Life's A Stage:

 

Chapter 4: & When the music starts: Part 3

 

 

 

“ Fifteen laps round the courts now!”

 

“ Hai!” came the instant response and everyone scrambled to the track. If there were one thing the members of the tennis club learned, it was to never cross their buchou, even if he insisted they run a hundred laps. And he had made certain individuals of the club do that before.

 

“ One more thing.”

 

Everyone stopped and turned to their captain.

 

“ Anyone who fails to make a round by fifty seconds shall have to face the consequences. I believe you all know what that it.”

 

From his position beside Tezuka, Inui Sadahara whipped out a plastic jug, causing some of the contents to slosh over the brim. Everyone stared at the concoction, which was a shade lighter than the redness of cranberry juice. The mixture was bubbly, almost like a fizzy drink, and had a ring of froth on its surface. What was most disconcerting about the whole picture was that the bearer of the jug, Inui, was smirking in a way serial killers looked when they were cornering their victims. Sunlight glinted off his own spectacles, making him a picture of pure evil- one which they were all too familiar with. A terrifying silence followed, as well as the sound of some people gulping loudly.

 

Inui's grinned broadened and with the air of a mad scientist revealing his creation, announced,

 

“ Inui's latest juice. Hopefully this will be my final version. It combines the ingredients to energise and invigorate, as well as increase stamina and reduces water loss. Fine for replenishing after strenuous activity as well as before.” He turned to the coach, “ Would sensei like to try some?”

 

The older woman's eyes widened slightly at the cup of foaming liquid presented to her and waved it away, declining as politely as she could. Then she realised everyone was still looking at her, some even smirking, as if to say “ hah! Coach can't take it either!”

 

Her sudden bark startled them.

 

“ What are you standing there for! Do you want a drink?”

 

Nothing else needed to be said. Everyone had tasted enough of Inui's concoctions more than enough times to not want that experience repeated on them, and with a sudden spurt of energy, they ran as fast as their legs could carry them.

 

000 000 000

 

“ Nya…” Eiji groaned. “ Anything Inui makes should be illegal.”

 

Everyone around him chorused weakly in agreement. While the entire team had come in within the time allotted, their relief had been short lived when Inui had announced that since they all had made it to the finish line at the same time, it meant that not only were they the first but the last as well, seeing that the non regulars had dropped out one by one, succumbed by fatigue, the last of them lasting only till the Eighteenth round, which given the timing was a feat in itself.

 

Therefore, everyone had to drink Inui's latest creation. The gleam in his eyes was all too evident as he doled out their poison, much to their dismay.

 

000 000 000

 

And that was how Jack found all of them, sprawled carelessly on the ground in various stages of agony. Ryoma and Momo were at the outdoor sinks, taps turned to the fullest and doing their best to wash the vile taste away. Oishi looked a sickly shade of green, Kawamura and Kaidoh on the floor blinking dazedly; even Eiji did not jump up to greet her as usual as she walked to the group. The non-regulars looked just as badly affected from whatever it was that had caused nearly everyone to be in this state. Nearly being the word here as only the coach, Inui, Fuji and Tezuka seemed unaffected, standing by themselves talking softly. No one noticed her approach until she raised her voice in concerned,

 

“ What on earth happened here!”

 

The four turned instantaneously. It was Fuji who responded, smiling as usual as if the ground was not littered with whimpering bodies that made up most of the tennis club.

 

“ Jackasa!” He greeted cheerfully, “ don't mind them, they're just overreacting to Inui's juice that's all.”

 

“ Fuji!” Kikumaru groaned, staggering weakly up to them. One by one, everyone was slowly picking themselves up from the ground. “ Only you would say that nyah! That juice is horrible! What do you put in it Inui?”

 

“ This and that.” The data collector shrugged nonchalantly.

 

“ You mean Inui is responsible for this?” Jack gestured to the groaning boys in general, accenting on the “this.” She turned to Fuji, confused, “ But how?”

 

“ Well you see Jackasa, Inui has been creating various mixtures to enhance our health and stamina. Though I can't see how the others find it so bad. It is quite tasty actually.”

 

“ Fuji!” everyone cried, glaring daggers at the tensai.

 

“ I see,” Jack muttered, looking thoughtful, “ So what's in this … this juice?”

 

“ Inui's special is a secret.” Inui stated firmly. “ Unless of course, someone can guess what is in it themselves. Fuji here has been trying to figure it out for sometime now.”

 

“ Hai, I wouldn't mind uncovering the recipe, then I could make some instead of always depending on Inui.”

 

The response from the others came immediately in unison, a cacophony of voices.

 

“ What?!!”

 

“ Fuji-sempai, surely you aren't serious you want to make that, that thing!”

 

“ I knew you were crazy Fuji, but this just makes you completely insane!”

 

“ Everyone! Silence!” Ryuuzaki roared, causing the chatter to cease automatically, everyone looked at her with utmost attention. “ Enough is enough. You have wasted even practice time already. Non-members go and continue practicing your basics; I shall go round and supervise soon. Regulars, go and pair for doubles, now!”

 

“ Yes sensei!” Everyone scrambled to their ordered positions.

 

000 000 000

 

 

Jack watched the practice from outside the courts, her gaze fixated on a certain jug of bubbling red liquid. She had to admit that her curiosity had been piqued. Was it really that bad?

 

“ Jackasa-sempai! You're here! Ohaio!”

 

“ Jacakasa sempai… ano…”

 

She turned at the voices, one vibrant and chirpy, the other, softer and slightly nervous.

 

“ Tomoko, Sakuno.” She greeted the two fourth years politely, briefly, before she turned her gaze back to the courts to watch the practice. “ Those guys are really something aren't they?” She observed.

 

“ Hai!” Tomoko agreed enthusiastically, “ Everyone is so powerful and fast! And they've improved so much! Especially Ryoma-kun! Ryoma! Go go!” she called loudly.

 

If the tennis prodigy heard, he made no inclination whatsoever that he had even noticed, focusing all of his concentration on his opponents.

 

Jack dimmed her attention from the exuberant younger girl's incessant chatter and occasional cries of support. Tomoko was the self-proclaimed president of Ryoma's unofficial fan club in Seigaku, not embarrassed at all by her obvious adoration for the boy. Sakuno, her best friend and a lot quieter in comparison, stood silently by her as they watched the match. Jack studied the girl in her mind. She did not know them that well, aside from the fact that Sakuno was the tennis coach's granddaughter and that she hardly spoke even when spoken to. The girl harbored a shy schoolgirl crush for Ryoma since the day they had met. Even now though she and Ryoma were unofficially together, the feeling had not gone away. Sakuno's eyes sparkled with dreamy adoration as she watched him play against Kaidoh.

 

She proceeded to scan the court, finally falling to rest on Tezuka, who was playing a rather intense match by himself against the Golden Pair. Determination gleaned off both sides of the court, neither side giving way to the other, not wanting to be defeated. In the end, they managed to score a fair 5-6 to the buchou, the pair high fived each other, satisfied of the outcome despite their loss.

 

“ Tezuka buchou is so strong!” Tomoko was gushing. “ Even Oishi-sempai and Kikumaru sempai can't beat him! It's too bad he's so serious though. I wonder,” she rattled, “ is he like that all the time? Surely not! Oh wait, Jackasa, you stay with him don't you? How lucky! That is a position most girls would die to be in, especially the fan club! Say, Jackasa-san, so what is buchou really like? Jackasa-san… eh? Where did she go?” The older girl had disappeared. “ Sakuno! Where's Jackasa?” she asked her friend, who had gone silent, eyes wide and fixed on something, or someone in the court.

 

“ Ano… Tomoko!” Sakuno stammered, pointing a trembling hand at where she stared.

 

“ Eh? What's wrong Sakuno?” she wondered, turning in that direction, she yelped in fright when she saw the said senior on the other side of the fence.

 

“ Shhh!” Jack whispered.

 

“ Jackasa-san, what are you doing there? Only members can go in during training time. And what are you doing? Isn't that Inui-sempai's drink?”

 

“ Why, yes,” she muttered back despondently, grabbing an unused plastic cup from the table.

 

“ Jackasa-san, don't tell me you're going to drink that…” Tomoko said, suddenly nervous.

 

“ And why not?” the older girl asked, pouring some of the mixture into the cup till it was about half full.

 

“ Because… well, you saw what it did to everyone! And they're guys too! What makes you think you can drink that without collapsing?”

 

“ Well, I guess we won't know until we try will we? Want some?”

 

“ Ano! No way! You go drink it if you want, but don't blame me for not warning you.” Tomoko crossed her arms.

 

“ Whatever you will,” Jack swirled the contents around, slightly hesitant, “ Always know what you're drinking first.” She muttered under her breath, recalling her instructor's words. She inhaled. The smell was very spicy, as if there were cinnamon in it. But upon taking another whiff, she realised it held the acidic sting of vinegar.

 

“ Sempai…”

 

It took a moment to realise it was one of those rare moments when Sakuno spoke. “ You aren't really going to… especially after all the other sempais…” the petite girl stuttered.

 

“ No worries!” she smiled lightly, tilting the cup back and making a show of dipping her tongue in so a few droplets gathered on the surface. She started to grimace against the strong taste but decided against it. “ See?” she reassured, “ You don't see me dead yet no? ”

 

And to the two fourth year's horrors, they watched as she downed the rest of its contents.

 

000 000 000

 

The team was stretching to cool down, having completed their matches. Suddenly, a shriek from the other end of the court filled the air, causing most of them to jump and their ears to ring.

 

“ Jackasa-sempai! Don't be stupid! Yadaaa!”

 

Everyone turned to the source of disturbance just in time to see the exchange student drinking something from a cup.

 

That something which also happened to be a cup of foaming red mixture.

 

000 000 000

 

Jack had just intended to drink a little of Inui's concoction, but Tomoka's shriek had caused her hand to jerk and she found herself swallowing an entire mouthful. The spicy feeling one got when eating Tabasco sauce by itself overwhelmed her taste buds. It was not that terrible actually, aside from feeling like she was on fire. That was until another flavour took over as the after taste started to spread; it was ginger. No matter how many Asian cooks insisted on said root being the key ingredient to cooking, Jack disliked it in any form and quatatity. And something that was clearly ginger extract, mixed with the Tabasco like ingredient was nonetheless revolting.

 

It made her redefine a whole new meaning for the phase “grin and bear with it”

 

“ Don't worry, I'm fine…” she smiled weakly, trying to soothe Eiji and the rest of the team who were looking at her with concern.

 

Or am I trying to convince myself? Currently, the juice was starting to have really strange effects on her. Everyone's faces and outlines were becoming blurrier by the second and somehow looking at the acrobatics player jump up and down in worry gave her a severe headache; so did the voices of everyone else, sounds blending into each other, creating a distorted jumble of noise which echoed painfully in her head.

 

She closed her eyes for a second, hoping to rid her mind from the chaos. But when she opened them, it was even worse. Now she saw black spots dotting her vision every time she blinked. Not to mention she was starting to feel giddy as well.

 

“ Nyah! Jackasa! Are you okay?” Eiji exclaimed still restlessly moving.

 

Jack managed to stumble out a reply though she could not hear what she said. Through the blend of voices, she heard a voice ordering everyone to go back and continue with the practice, but in her current state of mind, she could not place a name to it. Then she heard someone say her name. She knew whoever it was; the person was standing really close as it resonated in her head painfully.

 

Everything was merging and blending, spinning around her. She gripped the table for support as black dots blocked her sight.

 

Then, everything suddenly stopped.

 

000 000 000

 

This silence is bliss… and it feels so nice and comfy, Jack thought, as she rolled over, I wish I could lie in bed all day. And man this headache is killing me!

 

Then, it struck her. Bed? What the- what am I doing in bed in the first place?!!

 

She sat up in a hurry, causing something in her back to crack.

 

“ Ow… damnit.” She grumbled, rubbing that area.

 

“ I suggest that for the meanwhile you should refrain from moving so quickly.”

 

She blinked at the voice and turned to find a certain stoic buchou standing at her door. In his hands was a cup. He looked none too pleased, a small frown crossed his face.

 

“ Dare I ask what happened?”

 

“ You fainted. Ryuuzaki sensei drove us back after practice.”

 

“ Oh.” She said meekly, making a mental note to thank the tennis coach next time. Inwardly, she felt humiliated for having caused such a scene. A blush crept up her cheeks. “ I'm sorry if I ruined your practice.”

 

“ It's already over. We were finishing anyway. Here, drink this.” He held out the cup to her.

 

She looked warily at the cup, arching an eyebrow, “ That's not some kind of herbal tea is it? `Cuz I don't like those…”

 

“ No, it' s Inui Juice version 10.2.” he said very solemnly.

 

Jack looked at him in horror and backed further into the bed. “ What! No way am I drinking that stuff again, like tell Inui it was nice of him to offer some but I can't possibly go through that again. It was...”

 

“ Jackasa, it just water.” He said.

 

“ Fine,” she took the cup and sniffed at the contents. When she found it to be odourless, she took a sip and once verifying it was really water and not a strange remedy, she drank the rest of it to rid her mouth of the slight aftertaste of juice that was still there.

 

Tezuka watched her actions silently, but then he made a strange muffled sound but quickly masked it by clearing her throat. It took Jack a moment or two to realize that that was the first time she had heard her housemate make any sound that resembled laughing.

 

“ Oh my. Did, did you just make a joke?”

 

“ I don't know what you're talking about.”

 

Trying to be serious was currently not working for Tezuka. The corners of his mouth twitched upwards slightly.

 

It only caused her to burst into laughter. “ Oh my god! You did just make a joke! Are pigs flying? I must go look!”

 

She moved to stand up and though her legs felt like dead weights, she willed herself to try and take a few steps- only to her them crumble under her. She closed her eyes and braced herself for impact with the floor, but thankfully it never came. A pair of arms wrapped around her, propping her to a standing position.

 

Feeling lightheaded, she leaned back into her support and laughed bitterly. “ Gosh I'm such a spaz. First I made a fool of myself by thinking I could drink Inui's juice without reacting to it, only to collapse and disrupt your practice. And now I almost went and fell on my face. You must think I'm the world's greatest fool or something. Put me in the fool's corner with a giant clown hat.”

 

“ Why would I think that?”

 

“ Because I court trouble everywhere I go.”

 

“ No you don't. That's Echizen's thing.”

 

“ Did you just make another joke?”

 

“ Maybe.”

 

She grinned and turned to face him. “ You know,” she poked his chest. “ You're pretty normal after all.”

 

His features softened, and for the first time in a long time, his allowed a smile to grace his lips.

 

“ What is normal?”

 

His grip on around her tightened and time seemed to drag at an unbearably slow pace as his gold hazel gaze seemed to filled her vision, then, he suddenly pulled away, his face reverting back to it's normal unwavering expression.

 

“ I have to go.”

 

Turning quickly, he left the room. Jack was frozen to her spot for a while before taking a few steps backwards and sat down on her bed, releasing the breath had been holding. What had just happened there?

 

000 000 000