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alexoreality · 2 years

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Past - Princess of tennis Chapter 2

“Echizen, stay behind. I’d like to discuss something with you.” Tezuka stood in front of the net on the tennis court, Momochan-sempai had nodded and waved goodbye when (s)he had nudged his head toward the captain.

“What is it captain? A practice match?” Ryoma hopes so, after that nightmare; she needs a distraction although she feels bad for using her captain, the ugly feeling in her heart wouldn’t disappear.

“Not now, however.” The captain’s closed eyes slowly opened to see the reaction of his kouhai and next pillar of support. The confusion seemed to show on his(er) face, his(er) left brow slightly raised.

“Are you perhaps keeping a secret?” Ryoma had never felt her blood run colder than before, her racket (that had its head resting on the curve of her shoulder) slipped from her grip from the pure shock and horror she was feeling. That nightmare had been a warning sign... There’s no way... Why- Why now of all-

Tezuka was taken back from the reaction, Echizen’s posture became completely stiff all over, (s)he dropped his(er) racket and didn’t move an inch to try and grab it again. The color drained from his(er) face, now that he took a good look at it; Echizen was thinner, slimmer, and shorter than most boys his(er) age. Maybe... No, he shouldn’t torture him(er) like this if (s)he isn’t ready yet.

“Never mind trying to explain, I have my suspicions. However, do not let that make you careless. Grow stronger.” Tezuka walked pass him(er) after clasping him on the shoulder and quickly letting go.

‘Ho-how...?’ (S)he slowly turns his(er) head to the direction his(er) captain had walked off to. His(er) bottom lip quivered but (s)he bit it, the stinging making him(er) focus.

Kneeling and picking up her beloved red racket from the ground. ‘Captain... Are you...disappointed?’

Of course, he is... This was the Pillar he chose and yet, the Pillar was apparently weak.

Ryoma blinked away the tears as he breathed in, his(er) entire frame shaking badly, trying to calm her nerves from an emotional overload that might begin to get worse.

‘Stop, stop it. Don’t cry. Don’t cry, goddammit!’

Ryoma played with her food, dazed and worried. She couldn’t simply put it behind her and ignore it... When people found out she was a girl... It was all just bad... Their reactions were all of anger. Trying to protect their pride because they were defeated by a girl. They no longer saw her as the skilled tennis player they played along with.

And when she tried joining as a girl, they expected her to become the Manager of all things. When she spoke up with wanting to play with them... They mocked her. They suggested she should stay in the kitchen and cook for all of them while they do the ‘hard’ men stuff.

Which was winning.

They never won a practice match. Pathetic, and they said that to her right before their final practice match. There had been a deal behind the tennis match, if the club doesn’t win, the tennis club would be disbanded.

They lost.

She transferred to another elementary school again.

Again. Again. Again.

Until she had enough and decided to move back to Japan.

“Echizen-kun?” The girl in disguise as a boy jumped in his seat when a fellow freshman team member had tapped his(er) shoulder.

“Woah, we surprised Ryoma-kun. Are you okay?” Kato placed his tray down on the table as he sat down. Katsuo right behind him, the only excuse Ryoma could think of was-

“Y-yeah, just not getting enough sleep...” Ryoma let his(er) head rest on his(er) palm again, lazily eating his food. Hoping it would be enough of an excuse, the freshman regular realizes his mistake-

“Eh?! Ryoma-sama's not sleeping well?!” The leader of the so-called ‘Ryoma fanclub’ enters the scene and is loud as ever, not that Ryoma minded but it could go a bit out of hand.

“Ryoma-kun...” Sakuno muttered behind Tomoka, her eyes gazing at the boy worriedly.

“Well, I have been getting sleep, just not enough!” Tomoka was frantically checking over him(er) like (s)he’ll pass out any minute. Ryoma just let her, since she was just worried. Katsuo stood up, saying that he’ll go ahead and inform the sempais, Kato was also checking everything about him. Horio commenting about his ‘2 years of experience’ and how ‘not sleeping enough’ could cause you a game or even a match.

I do know that. It was just a lie.

Why did everyone take it so seriously?

***

End of practice and of school. As per usual, (s)he hangs out for Momo-senpai for a while before returning home. Particularly, they chose a candy shop near a park as a hang out. Momoshiro, of course, let the children pick first. The old lady who owns the small shop smiled kindly at the youngsters.

Ryoma sat on a park bench, letting his(er) muscles relax for a while before continuing training at home. He already got his soda of choice from the vending machine nearby. He waits for his senpai who was waiting in line, kids just flock over the guy, don’t they?

“Hey! What are you doing?!” Suddenly pulled out of his relaxed daze, Momoshiro grabbed the wrist of the punk who had hit the nice old lady.

“Baachan, are you okay?” One of the five kids in the shop had helped the elderly woman up and the others bravely yet nervously stood in front of her.

“Why would you do that?!” Like the pure hearted man he was, the second-year regular demanded an answer from the hostile delinquents. All of them were armed with dangerous weapons; a nailed bat, a sharp rod, and pocket knives.

“Hey, old lady. Your grandson snitched on us didn’t he? Mh, what’s his name? Ah, forget it-”

“So, you’re going to hurt a sweet old lady because her grandson did something to you? How pathetic.” Ryoma snarked back, throwing his(er) empty can of soda in the trash bin. “Those look dangerous, maybe put them away?” (S)he bounces the tennis ball on the side of his racket.

“Ryoma!” Momoshiro exclaimed with a smile. Finally, some back up!

“Like that’ll stop us from destroying this place!” The ‘leader’ of sorts charged toward the short ‘boy’. Yeah, they’re choosing the hard way out.

***

Ryoma and Momo were lucky enough that they were gullible enough to lead the small group (they were only five of them) of delinquents outside to a wide area, perfect for firing tennis balls at them.

“AHH!” One of the kids thought they could help; he had a similar white cap liker his(ers). Momoshiro commented that he saw him fire a few pebbles at them with his slingshot but alas; he was caught.

“Kid, run!!” Momoshiro tried to do his dunk smash on the guy who was about to swing his nailed bat down on the poor scared child, who had already curled up into himself, his knees close to his chest; but he left his head vulnerable when he had hugged his knees tightly.

Ryoma saw him(her)self.

Ryoma dropped the tennis ball and his(er) racket. Time seemed to slow when he was dashing forward to pull the small kid into his(er) arms, Momoshiro was pinned by two other guys, the rest of the Seigaku regulars that the kids have scurried to gather finally turning the corner.

“H-huh...?” Was the kid’s first words after the nailed bat had been brought down full force. Gazing up, the kid’s smaller hazel eyes stared into Ryoma’s pain-filled ones. “A-are you- okay-?” Short gasps of air were the ones to disrupt his voice. Ryoma felt the blood trickle down his brow, feeling it drip from the nape of his neck too.

“RYOMA-KUN!”

“ECHIZEN?!”

“OCHIBI!”

They were here! Ryoma breathed heavily as (s)he let go of his(er) hold on the kid and let him run back to the rest of his group, and hopefully to the old lady too. “Ochibi, an old lady said there was a fight happening and then you- Ochibi, stay with me!” Kikumaru-senpai's voice came through the ringing in his ears.

The red-head started to panic even more when his kouhai’s head went slump on his shoulder, “Ochibi! Ochibi!” The third year was basically close to crying, there was too much blood coming out of Ryoma’s head, red doesn’t suit him at all, it was nasty!

“Eiji, calm down! Be careful with his head too, someone call an ambulance!” Oishi kneeled down beside him as he assessed the freshman regular’s condition. Kaido kicked the last of the delinquents in the stomach, knocking him away; venting his anger when he had beaten them to a bloody pulp with Momoshiro.

“Here, this is clean, don’t worry. I had already called for an ambulance.” Inui handed Oishi a clean cloth, his phone in hand; proof that he had already dialed for the vehicle.

Tezuka left for his rehab, now this? Oishi felt more pressure and anxiety tying knots in his stomach-

“Ugh...” “Oishi... His head...” A pained groan from Ryoma snaps him out of it, shaking away his thoughts, Kikumaru holds up his kouhai’s limp body when his double’s partner finally started to treat him in first aid.

“I’m sorry...” The acting captain muttered softly when their kouhai’s brows creased together at the pain. “He’ll be fine... He’ll be fine...” Kikumaru chanted softly, what Oishi doesn’t know if it's to comfort him or the others.

Fuji didn’t like it when Momoshiro and Kaido get violent but quite frankly, these delinquents deserved it. He took the racket from Kawamura’s hand but that didn’t seem to make the angered expression disappear from his usual soft and kind face.

The so-called Prodigy steeled his nerves as he felt himself began to shake, from anger? Anxiety for his kouhai that he now sees as a little brother? Yearning? “He’s going to be fine. We’ll make sure of it.”

Why...

Why....

Why....?!

***

When Ryoma woke up, the first person she sees is her dad. Nanjiro, his head and upper body leaning on her hospital’s bed side, the railing pulled down. To her right was her mom, Rinko. Having a firm grip on her hand, dried tear tracks stained her cheeks.

Both of her parents looked tired and honest-to-god worried.

She began recalling her memories, why she was here and what got her injured-

Oh, oh no...

“Dad, if my wound ends up tearing open again... Tell them who I really am... Tell them what you know of the incident in America...”

Dear heavens... She just got kicked out the tennis club, didn’t she? Tears welled up at the corner of her eyes, her chest tight with emotion and her head starting to hurt as well. No, no! She didn’t want to be out of the club! She wanted to stay, she wanted to play tennis with those amazing players..

No one can just take it away from her because her tennis style was ‘girly’.

No one can just take it from her because she plays with her long hair...

No one can just take it from her because she’s a girl!!

***

Ehehheehe.... ALL ABOARD THE ANGST TRAIN I GUESS