Prince Of Tennis Fan Fiction ❯ Summer Scent ❯ Chapter 5

Summer Scent

 

 

Chapter V

 

 

Momoshiro was ready in the court. He didn't know why Sakuya asked him to be his opponent but he would show him the best. Momoshiro wasn't that stupid although he wasn't that bright too; for a first year student dared to challenge the regular and therefore the student was Echizen's friends had given him a sign. Sakuya must be had something in the store.

Even though Sakuya didn't (or hadn't yet) behave like Echizen, well...he meant that cocky and arrogant attitude when he first met Echizen, Sakuya in the contrary was quite friendly and nice, but he was still the opponent that you couldn't look down. There was something...that certain atmosphere around Sakuya that he couldn't decipher but Momoshiro had learnt to trust his instinct, knowing that in tennis it could make a significance effect on the game.

He also noted that since Sakuya asked for test Echizen's expression was slightly changed and he kept looking at Sakuya. Was Sakuya that great that Echizen couldn't tear his eyes off of him or was it merely because Sakuya was his friend? Well...that's for him to find out, since the match was started.

Momoshiro focused his eyes and was caught off guard when he saw Sakuya's bright green eyes narrowed, and his expression changed.

Sakuya bounced the ball then threw it in the air and hit it. It was a serve that all of them knew to well.

“A twist serve?” Horio, Katsuo and Kachiro shouted in unison as the ball went in and hit the wall behind Momoshiro.

Needles to say, everyone was shocked.

“15-0.” Echizen said, breaking the silence.

“Sakuya-kun can do twist serve too,” Sakuno exclaimed.

Inui fixed the position of his glasses. “American twist for precisely.” He said.

“American twist? What is that?” Osakada asked.

“American twist is an advanced serve in which the racket strikes the ball with an upward and sideward motion causing the ball to spin during its flight and to take a high bounce, usually to the receiver's backhand.” Inui explained.

“But...it seems that Sakuya's twist serve is more powerful than ochibi...” Kikumaru muttered.

“That's true.” Fuji joined them.

“EHH! How it could be happening?”

“Because Echizen is left handed. He has to use his right hand against the right handed player but because he is left handed, the power is less than normal. If Echizen serves uses his left hand then he will use his full power.” Inui, the ever data specialist explained to them.

Meanwhile inside the court the match continued.

Momoshiro stared at the blond. American serve, eh? It was beyond his prediction actually. But from now, he had to play more seriously. He swung his racket, making the ball flew over the net at an incredible speed. Sakuya ran to chase it.

“He is not going to make it,” Oishi muttered.

“You are right-nya,” Kikumaru agreed with him.

“Eh! Naze senpai-tachi?” Katsuo asked.

But on the contrary of their prediction, Sakuya easily returned the ball and the ball hit the corner of the court.

“Eh!”

“How he did it-nya? The ball was supposed out from his reach-nya.” Kikumaru asked in disbelief.

“Hmm...I see...Sakuya's racket is longer than the normal one.” Inui muttered, hand busy writing on his data book. He had such a precious data to collect.

“Sakuya-kun's racket is longer?” Kachiro asked.

“Really? I don't see the differences,” Horio muttered.

“Sakuya's racket range from two inches longer than the standard 27 inch racket and it gives him definite advantages such as increasing serving accuracy by five percent per extra inch and you don't have to be a physicist to figure out the benefit of more reach, especially on shots that normally hit the top of the frame. And a short player like Sakuya will gain even a bigger advantage than his taller opponent.”

“Inui-senpai really knows everything,” Sakuno whispered in a low voice.

“As expected from Inui ne?” Fuji commented.

They didn't talk anymore, absorbed to watch the match. Momoshiro struggled in the game but it seemed that every move he did, Sakuya could read it and anticipated it. And in the end Sakuya was the one who won.

“Game set to Sakuya, 7 games to 6,” Ryoma announced.

As the match over, the first person Sakuya approached was Ryoma.

Ryoma smirked at him. “You weren't playing seriously, were you?”

“Observant as always, do you Ryoma? At least Momoshiro is a lot much better than my last opponent, he was so boring.”

“Your last opponent?”

“Yeah, in that junior tournament. I joined it because I thought you also joined it.” He scowled.

“And what you did to him?” He asked, although he could pretty guess what had happened.

Sakuya smirked back at him. “I'm just playing like I always do.”

“Hmph.” Ryoma was very aware of the implications of that. For he knew for sure, were Sakuya was serious Momoshiro wouldn't have a chance. The result was probably same if he was the one who played against Momoshiro. Playing like I always do...that only meant one thing; Sakuya had crushed his opponent again. The boy was as ruthless as ever especially when he was upset. Ryoma's eyes moved to the panting Momoshiro. And that was just an exercise for him...

Momoshiro was panting heavily as the match over but when he looked at Sakuya he noticed that the blond even didn't sweat at all. The blond was busy talking with Echizen and for the first time, he noticed that Echizen's eyes seemed softer and warmer than usual.

He shook his head and smoothed the hair on the sides of his head while sweat ran down his face. He recalled the match, even though Sakuya won with a narrow difference it seemed that...Sakuya was purposely holding back. Well, the blond easily read his moves and he could place the ball anywhere on the court. Or did he read too much? But why he had this nagging feeling?

Meanwhile Oishi and Ryuzaki sensei also had their own private conversation. “So...what do you think Oishi-kun?” Ryuzaki sensei asked.

“It was great Ryuzaki-sensei. But...”

Ryuzaki sensei frowned. “What is it Oishi-kun?”

“I feel that there is something not right with Sakuya-kun's play. It just...I don't know how to explain it.”

“Really?”

“Ano...never mind...just forget what I have said Sensei.” Oishi said and excused himself, joining his team mates.

Ryuzaki sensei only stood at there, seemed deep in thinking. So Oishi also noticed it...Sakuya's greatest flaw...

Kikumaru was the first to reach Sakuya and Ryoma. “Yahoo!” he yelled. “Sakuya-kun won nya!”

“Well...I lost.” Momoshiro also joined them. Oishi was behind him.

“So this mean I can join the selection matches,” Sakuya said, the way he spoke it made it a statement.

“Yes.” Oishi nodded his head.

After that all of the member gathered on the court, listening to Ryuzaki sensei's speech before the practice was over.

“Going home! Going home!” Kikumaru sang.

“I'm so hungry,” Momoshiro complained. “Hey how about we go to McDonalds first?”

“Great idea Momo!” Kikumaru exclaimed.

“Fine with me.” Oishi said. “How about you Sakuya-kun?”

“Nope,” he shook his head. “We have something to do.” We meant him and Ryoma of course. Ryoma even already walked away. Sakuya hurriedly followed him then something clicked on his mind and he turned for the last time.

“Oh yeah...if I become regular and I will for sure then one of you will be kicked out. Do not forget that senpai-tachi.” Sakuya's green eyes twinkled as he teased his senpai. He flashed a grin to show he was joking, though he was telling the truth as well.

“Why you...!” Arai didn't like at all this newcomer's attitude. Fuji just chuckled lightly while Kikumaru and Momoshiro snickered.

On the other hand, Osakada had a very different reaction. “Sakuya-kun is so COOL!” she said huskily.

The other sweatdropped hearing it.

Then Sakuya turned a mischievous expression onto his dark haired companion. “The same goes for you too.”

A smug grin was all he got in return from Ryoma. “We will see who crushes who.”

 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 

“You are such a provocateur.”

“I learnt from the best teacher.”

“Are you coming to my house?”

”Didn't I always?” He responded with a smile.

“...”

That was true, as he could recall Sakuya spent much more time in his house rather than Sakuya's own house. He once told him that his house felt like inn. He went home to sleep, eat and go out again. Everyday that it became routineness for him. He also barely met with his father since James Carlton was busy with his business and as CEO and main shareholder in one of the world biggest oil company he often went abroad.

But later Sakuya told that his father suddenly started to spend much more time at home and began to question him: where did he go? What he did? Etc. The blond complained that those questions annoyed him to no end. He simply didn't understand but Ryoma knew Sakuya's father only wanted to get closer with his son. It would be a difficult task to do since Sakuya had become accustomed to be alone and `independent' he hardly accepted his father's presence.

“This place is quiet.” Sakuya commented as they were in way to his house.

“Quiet?” He raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah...you know Manhattan is always an urban area except for Central Park.”

“Isn't it just like your home?” He replied. As he ever witnessed Sakuya lived on exclusive and elite area, which the palatial houses there were huge, very huge indeed, with a capacious yard and quiet neighborhood.

Sakuya blinked. “...I don't know. I never pay attention to it,” he said at last.

They finally arrived at his house and was greeted by a female voice.

“Ara Ryoma-kun, you brought a friend along with you.”

They turned and found a long haired girl standing near the door.

“This is the first time you ever bring someone home.” She smiled at Sakuya. “I'm Ryoma-kun's cousin. Just call me Nanako.” Whatever the feeling she had upon seeing his cousin bring a foreigner home she didn't show it at all but acted as friendly as always.

“Nice to meet you Nanako-san. I'm Sakuya.”

“Enjoy your time here Sakuya-kun.” Then she excused herself.

“This way,” Ryoma led him to his room. When Sakuya entered Ryoma's room, the first thing he saw was a cat. It was a long fur Himalayan Spotted Cat. Curled up on Ryoma's bed, sound asleep with the catnip between its paws. Their presence in Ryoma's room woke up the cat.

“Karupin!” Sakuya called.

The cat meowed a greeting, leaping from the bed to rub with feline affection against Sakuya's leg.

“Hello Karupin. Still remember me?” He asked the cat, giving his chin a gentle tickle.

The cat purred an acknowledgment. Sakuya released Karupin and the cat climbed back into the bed and slept again. “So you brought him here?”

Ryoma only shrugged. “I can't leave him behind in New York. You probably would kill me.” The last sentence was spoken in a mocking tone.

“Yeah...” Sakuya shot him an impish grin. “Probably I would. He is a gift from me after all.”

“So...how `bout them?” Ryoma asked, a faint smile appeared on his face.

“Purin and Choco are fine. I take care of them carefully you know.” He replied. Purin and Coco was a pair of hamster that had been Ryoma's present to him on his last birthday. The gift itself however was a result of what he gave for Ryoma before. On 24th December he gave Ryoma cat and on 31th he got hamsters from the older boy.

“You have an unhealthy obsession with sweets.”

The weird names came from Sakuya's addiction of sweets. If the words Purin and Choco were combined, it literally meant chocolate pudding. When he commented about it, Sakuya simply said that he thought the names were funny. And when Sakuya commented about why he didn't give a cooler name for his cat he simply answered that Karupin was enough.

Ryoma still remembered the look on Sakuya's face when he found out what his present was. It was simply priceless.

“It's so hot.” Sakuya complained.

“I will get you a drink.” Ryoma said and went to the kitchen to get drinks, leaving Sakuya alone.

Sakuya felt a little bored so he walked to the bookshelf and inspected it. His fingers rested on the bookshelf, wandering along the various volumes there until something caught his attention. He fingered the thick volume at the corner of the bookshelf, the one book different from the rest. Sakuya took it out and smiled. It was a photo album.

He flopped unto the bed and opened the album, flipping it through the pages. All of the pictures were taken in America. Half of it was a picture taken during a school's fieldtrip to visit New York Botanical Garden, Liberty Island, Metropolitan Museum of Art and several other places. Those pics showed him, Ryoma and their classmates who all dressed in a black uniform with different pose.

His father afraid that he would lose contact with his Japanese background so he decided to put him into an international school. The students there came from all over the world, mostly Europe and Asia. They were the children of a rich foreign entrepreneur or a diplomat.

There were many Japanese people in his class, including the daughter of Japan's ambassador and of course Echizen Ryoma. The boy had just moved from Florida due to his mother's work. That's how they first met before he found out that they had a common in tennis and many other things.

He flipped the pages again and smiled. The other half of the picture was his picture or his picture together with Ryoma. Sakuya stopped at one particular pic. It was his pic. His face was red and he looked flustered in the pic.

He remembered clearly how the pic was taken. It was begun when they went to Madison Square Garden to watch basketball game between Knicks and Lakers. Hey they're probably a tennis genius but they're also a normal teenager so they often went to watch basketball game, hockey, etc...much because he insisted it. Then the problem appeared by itself as they planned to eat after the game. He wanted to eat in KFC while Ryoma wanted to eat Japanese food. The problem was solved by a bet. He bet Lakers would win and Ryoma put his bet on Knicks.

Unfortunately for him, Kobe Bryant missed his tree points shoot at injury time and as the result Knicks won 117-115. That was how he ended eating sushi at Ryoma's favorite Japanese restaurant.

“Remind me why I'm here again.”

“You lost the bet. That's it.” Ryoma simply said.

He looked at the chopstick given by the waitress as if the thing came from Mars.

“What? Are you going to eat or no?” came the innocent question from the older boy. Ryoma ate his sushi calmly, eyes watching him. Amusement glittered on those golden eyes.

“...”

He tried to use it and as he could predict before, he failed miserably. Sakuya swore that Ryoma enjoyed the very moment. He could see laughter dancing in his eyes. He tried it three times again but the sushi kept falling from his chopsticks.

“It's enough!” he snapped and started cursing when he heard a certain familiar sound. He turned to face Ryoma and asked indignantly. “What did you do?”

“Nothing.” Ryoma answered casually, putting his cell phone into his pocket. The boy had just bought the newest type of Nokia with integrated camera few days ago.

“You took a picture!” he accused as realization dawned on him. “Delete it now!”

“No.” Ryoma refused.

“Delete it!”

“No.” he told him in an astonished undertone.

“Ryoma...” he whined.

“No means no.” Ryoma stated plainly.

He scowled at him at the moment but it was funny as he thought about it now.

“Enjoy yourself?”

He turned and found Ryoma, hand holding a tray of one glass of cold chocolate milkshake and chocolate tart.

“Wow thank you! Ryoma is always the best,” he said, smiling sweetly.

“You're such a spoiled child, do you know that?” Ryoma said, sounding rather nonchalant but the twinkle in his eyes belying the gravity of his tone.

“All the time.” He replied and tasted the tart. “Hmm...sweet.” Sakuya pushed a long strand of hair out of his eyes, leaving a trail of chocolate cream down one cheek.

Ryoma leaned forward and wiped it away with handkerchief, then kissed the cheek. Ryoma's face was very close, his eyes was full of laughter. “Welcome to Japan,” the older boy said.

“Well...” A glow lit his eyes, the green glowing positively incandescent. “That was a warm greeting.”

“It was.” Ryoma admitted.

Sakuya was about to reply when a very loud yell interrupted them. “NANI? He brought a friend home! Where! In HIS room? I have to see them!”

“Baka oyaji,” Ryoma muttered.

A reluctant smile quivered at the edges of his mouth. “Your father sure is energetic.”

Ryoma only sighed.

Loud footsteps could be heard approaching and they drew apart right before the door was slammed open. Nanjirou came in and his eyes scanned the room. His gaze fell into the newcomer. So he came here, eh?

“Nanjirou-san.” The blond greeted him.

“Sakuya...still as cute as ever ne,” he grinned.

“Oyaji...”

Nanjirou inwardly smiled seeing his son dark face. “What brought you to Japan?”

“Ryoma of course,” he answered instantly. “I came to visit him.”

“Souka...?”

“Ne Nanjirou-san, I have come from far away, how if we play a game?” A wintry arrogance settled into Sakuya's tone.

Nanjirou took a quick glance at his son. The similar attitude...the similar personality...that was one reason why they were so fond of each other. The other reason? He did not want to know. It wasn't his business anyway.

He focused his attention to the blond boy. “Want to play? Sure you can't beat me...” Nanjirou mocked him.

“We will see about that.” Sakuya replied.

Even though Sakuya's ability was amazing and he even had managed to break past Nanjirou's defenses a few times he still lost at the end.

“As expected from Echizen Nanjirou ne?” Sakuya grinned, panting heavily. With grimace he recalled his match in New York few days ago; it was like that, only reversed. This time he was the one who lost badly. The difference in their strength had been obvious.

Ryoma didn't say anything, during the match he only stood outside the court, observing the game quietly.

“What's up Sakuya?” Nanjirou asked. His gaze momentarily swiveled from Sakuya to his son. The blond was born with such a great talent, which probably rivaled his son. The only problem was...

“Ojisan, Ryoma-kun, Sakuya-kun, it's dinner time now,” Nanako had come over the court and then said in scolding tone. “Playing tennis is good but you all have to eat.”

“Really? That is great! I'm so hungry!”

Nanako smiled seeing Sakuya's antics. “Please, this way Sakuya-kun.” And she and Sakuya walked away, leaving Ryoma and his father in tennis court.

Nanjirou scratched his chin. “Dinner eh? I'm hungry too.” And the unmistakable sound from his stomach proved his statement. He was about to walk away when Ryoma's suddenly said something.

“So...?” He turned to his father. “What do you want to say?”

"Eh?" Nanjirou faked a surprised look at his son, and then smirked. "What do you mean by that?"

“Stop playing fool oyaji.” Ryoma's expression was serious, just as there was never a time when Ryoma was not serious about tennis; there was no time when he was not serious about Sakuya Carlton.

“I really don't know what you're talking about.” He walked past his son.

“Oi! Oyaji!”

Nanjirou turned and for once his face was serious. “Your dear friend plays like usual and that's not good...that is if he wants to play tennis seriously...”

“Souka...?”

Nanjirou inspected his son's face but it was impossible to tell what kind of expression Ryoma had on his face underneath that cap. Deciding to let his son to handle the problem, he turned and left.