Where Do We Begin [Prince of Tennis, Rikkai pre-canon]
title: Where Do We Begin
character(s)/pairing(s): Yukimura, Sanada, Yanagi, Muraoka (OC).
genre: pre-series, backstory, original character
wordcount: 1323
notes/summary: Yukimura does his best to be unobtrusive when he enters Rikkaidai Junior School's Tennis Club. First in a series exploring the Rikkai (canon) third-years freshman year at Rikkai.
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Where Do We Begin
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Yukimura does his best to be unobtrusive when he enters Rikkaidai Junior School's Tennis Club. He takes one look around and sees how some of the other freshman are being treated - the way Yanagi-kun frowns worriedly, and the way Sanada-kun glares on his behalf as their senpais discard Yanagi-kun's neatly kept notebook of relevant data without so much as a second glance. He knows where they all stand thus far.
Yukimura plans to join in with every lap, every swing drill, all the freshman chores and errands. There's the possibility his reputation will precede him but he thinks it unlikely. Nobody cares about the kids on the pre-junior school circuit in Junior School.
Until Sanada-kun looks his way. Then there is urgent whispering to Yanagi-kun - who seems to be constantly stood next to him - who then also looks over at Yukimura briefly, and doesn't seem in the least surprised. They approach Yukimura together, and Yukimura can feel Sanada's eyes on him even though he purposely does not make eye contact with Sanada until he and Yanagi are both unavoidably close. He could have turned and walked away, but he will not.
"I see you remember me then," Yukimura says to Sanada, much more casually than he feels inside.
"Remember you-!" Sanada explodes, and Yanagi's hand reaches to calm him, not for the first time that day, with a simple touch to the shoulder.
"It's clever how you can do that," Yukimura says, because he knows it will annoy Sanada, and it seems fair to balance the scales. Sanada and his loud mouth will blow his cover in mere moments if given the opportunity. Before Sanada can respond to that the captain appears and they are all prevented making further conversation. Yukimura ends up stood next to Sanada in the rows and rows of freshman recruits and can feel the anger emanating from him the entire practice.
Yukimura finds it easy after that to avoid Sanada and Yanagi, whilst managing to watch them both at the same time. Sanada's form he has seen at the Junior Tournament, just as Sanada had seen his own - and consequently his win over Tezuka to take the top spot. Yanagi is more of an unknown, but Yukimura recognises his name from the doubles tournament title records that are archived alongside the singles. Curiously, his doubles partner does not appear to be with him at Rikkai.
One afternoon, when practice is over, Yukimura is alone collecting up balls and equipment. It seems easier to pick up a spare racquet and lob the balls into the baskets than to run around scooping them all up. Nobody is around, it can't be considered showing off. And it's good target practice.
When the captain appears, along with some other third years, he sees it differently.
"Yukimura-kun," he says, because he already knows all the names of the new freshman recruits, "play a match with me."
The intent - to nip the showmanship in the bud - is clear, but Yukimura isn't an exhibitionist so there is no lesson to be learned. He plays five matches that afternoon, one after the other, and wins them all 6-0.
The next day Yukimura slips onto the tennis courts even more quietly than usual, thanks to the huge fuss going on.
"Watanabe-buchou has quit the tennis club!" Somebody yells, "and Tanaka-fukubuchou, and Yosuke - and Daisuke! And nobody will say why!"
"Ask Yukimura-kun," a voice says, and it's Muraoka-senpai, the final third year Yukimura played the day before. Luckily his words are quiet and spoken directly into Yukimura's ear where nobody else can overhear them. "I think most of them are scared to step onto a court anymore thanks to you."
"What-" Yukimura begins to say, when a shadow looms in front of him.
"Play a match against me," Sanada says, and Yukimura freezes. He slides his gaze Yanagi's way and sees the same composed expression on his face as always. There's no way to know how he found out, but he has nonetheless.
"Excuse me, Sanada-kun, but you're interrupting," Muraoka-senpai says, and Yukimura bites back a smile. Not that Sanada is ever disrespectful on purpose, but for Muraoka-senpai to go against him so blatantly is a risk, even if he is a third-year. Yukimura has worked that out already in the brief time they've been club-mates. And though he is grateful for the gesture, Yukimura doesn't need protecting.
"No," Yukimura says, turning to look Sanada square in the face as he says it.
"Genichirou, let it alone," Yanagi says. Mere weeks and they are already on first name terms. Yukimura could never be so trusting.
"What-" Yukimura tries to ask Muraoka again the second Sanada and Yanagi have turned away and their eyes are no longer on him.
"Give me just a moment and we'll talk."
Muraoka walks right into the middle of the crowd, his voice soft and calm amongst all the confused shouting.
"That's enough," he says, and everyone in the years below him quieten down immediately, leaving only the other third-years who are much less rowdy. They, too, quieten down quickly when they realise they are no longer being drowned out.
"You're good friends with the captain; do you know what happened, Tsubasa?" One of them asks.
"In what respect?" Muraoka replies. "He handed in his resignation from the club, as did some other members of the team. I wouldn't pretend to know their reasons, I'm sure. Are you asking me to speculate? That could create ugly rumours."
Some eyes widen, and others hurriedly dismiss the idea that that's what they're asking for.
"Just... What's going to happen now?" Someone else asks, glancing all around at equally mystified faces. Curiously, although Muraoka has put himself in the centre of things nobody's thoughts are gravitating to him for leadership. And yet Yukimura can understand - before yesterday he hadn't paid much attention to Muraoka-senpai himself either. Too quiet, too easy-going, too content to stay hidden in the background.
"I'll handle it," Muraoka says with an easy smile, reassuring everyone on the team immediately because now somebody has taken on the responsibility, and it isn't any of them.
"What have I done?" He says when Yukimura follows him into the clubhouse, and makes a sound somewhere between a groan and a hopeless laugh.
"I thought you knew what you were doing," Yukimura replies, eyes narrowing behind Muraoka's back as he collapses into a chair.
"I'll let you in on a secret; if you always know what you're doing that makes you one of the lucky ones, not the average person," Muraoka says, turning to look at him. "I honestly don't know what's going to happen to the club now, Yukimura-kun. What I do know, however, is that Rikkai is going to need your skills to not only survive, but to succeed."
"What does that mean?" Yukimura demands. "And what did you mean when you said they're all 'afraid' to step onto the court now?"
"You know what I meant."
Yukimura opens his mouth to deny this again, but memories suddenly assault him - weary faces with the eyes wide open in shock, the sound of heavy breathing so hard and fast that it seems unreal. The shuddering, the glassy eyes of momentary blindness, the confusion from a lack of being able to discern sound. They had all been good, good enough to provoke him to play his kind of tennis, and yet not good enough to withstand it, or even recover from it apparently. He had expected a little better from Rikkai, from the school whose motto read, 'Always win'.
"Are there enough players good enough to rebuild the team without them all?" Yukimura asks. He suddenly realises he is utterly responsible, and may have destroyed Rikkai's best players and best and only chance of winning anything at all this year.
"You tell me," Muraoka says with a wry smile.
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character(s)/pairing(s): Yukimura, Sanada, Yanagi, Muraoka (OC).
genre: pre-series, backstory, original character
wordcount: 1323
notes/summary: Yukimura does his best to be unobtrusive when he enters Rikkaidai Junior School's Tennis Club. First in a series exploring the Rikkai (canon) third-years freshman year at Rikkai.
-
Where Do We Begin
-
Yukimura does his best to be unobtrusive when he enters Rikkaidai Junior School's Tennis Club. He takes one look around and sees how some of the other freshman are being treated - the way Yanagi-kun frowns worriedly, and the way Sanada-kun glares on his behalf as their senpais discard Yanagi-kun's neatly kept notebook of relevant data without so much as a second glance. He knows where they all stand thus far.
Yukimura plans to join in with every lap, every swing drill, all the freshman chores and errands. There's the possibility his reputation will precede him but he thinks it unlikely. Nobody cares about the kids on the pre-junior school circuit in Junior School.
Until Sanada-kun looks his way. Then there is urgent whispering to Yanagi-kun - who seems to be constantly stood next to him - who then also looks over at Yukimura briefly, and doesn't seem in the least surprised. They approach Yukimura together, and Yukimura can feel Sanada's eyes on him even though he purposely does not make eye contact with Sanada until he and Yanagi are both unavoidably close. He could have turned and walked away, but he will not.
"I see you remember me then," Yukimura says to Sanada, much more casually than he feels inside.
"Remember you-!" Sanada explodes, and Yanagi's hand reaches to calm him, not for the first time that day, with a simple touch to the shoulder.
"It's clever how you can do that," Yukimura says, because he knows it will annoy Sanada, and it seems fair to balance the scales. Sanada and his loud mouth will blow his cover in mere moments if given the opportunity. Before Sanada can respond to that the captain appears and they are all prevented making further conversation. Yukimura ends up stood next to Sanada in the rows and rows of freshman recruits and can feel the anger emanating from him the entire practice.
Yukimura finds it easy after that to avoid Sanada and Yanagi, whilst managing to watch them both at the same time. Sanada's form he has seen at the Junior Tournament, just as Sanada had seen his own - and consequently his win over Tezuka to take the top spot. Yanagi is more of an unknown, but Yukimura recognises his name from the doubles tournament title records that are archived alongside the singles. Curiously, his doubles partner does not appear to be with him at Rikkai.
One afternoon, when practice is over, Yukimura is alone collecting up balls and equipment. It seems easier to pick up a spare racquet and lob the balls into the baskets than to run around scooping them all up. Nobody is around, it can't be considered showing off. And it's good target practice.
When the captain appears, along with some other third years, he sees it differently.
"Yukimura-kun," he says, because he already knows all the names of the new freshman recruits, "play a match with me."
The intent - to nip the showmanship in the bud - is clear, but Yukimura isn't an exhibitionist so there is no lesson to be learned. He plays five matches that afternoon, one after the other, and wins them all 6-0.
The next day Yukimura slips onto the tennis courts even more quietly than usual, thanks to the huge fuss going on.
"Watanabe-buchou has quit the tennis club!" Somebody yells, "and Tanaka-fukubuchou, and Yosuke - and Daisuke! And nobody will say why!"
"Ask Yukimura-kun," a voice says, and it's Muraoka-senpai, the final third year Yukimura played the day before. Luckily his words are quiet and spoken directly into Yukimura's ear where nobody else can overhear them. "I think most of them are scared to step onto a court anymore thanks to you."
"What-" Yukimura begins to say, when a shadow looms in front of him.
"Play a match against me," Sanada says, and Yukimura freezes. He slides his gaze Yanagi's way and sees the same composed expression on his face as always. There's no way to know how he found out, but he has nonetheless.
"Excuse me, Sanada-kun, but you're interrupting," Muraoka-senpai says, and Yukimura bites back a smile. Not that Sanada is ever disrespectful on purpose, but for Muraoka-senpai to go against him so blatantly is a risk, even if he is a third-year. Yukimura has worked that out already in the brief time they've been club-mates. And though he is grateful for the gesture, Yukimura doesn't need protecting.
"No," Yukimura says, turning to look Sanada square in the face as he says it.
"Genichirou, let it alone," Yanagi says. Mere weeks and they are already on first name terms. Yukimura could never be so trusting.
"What-" Yukimura tries to ask Muraoka again the second Sanada and Yanagi have turned away and their eyes are no longer on him.
"Give me just a moment and we'll talk."
Muraoka walks right into the middle of the crowd, his voice soft and calm amongst all the confused shouting.
"That's enough," he says, and everyone in the years below him quieten down immediately, leaving only the other third-years who are much less rowdy. They, too, quieten down quickly when they realise they are no longer being drowned out.
"You're good friends with the captain; do you know what happened, Tsubasa?" One of them asks.
"In what respect?" Muraoka replies. "He handed in his resignation from the club, as did some other members of the team. I wouldn't pretend to know their reasons, I'm sure. Are you asking me to speculate? That could create ugly rumours."
Some eyes widen, and others hurriedly dismiss the idea that that's what they're asking for.
"Just... What's going to happen now?" Someone else asks, glancing all around at equally mystified faces. Curiously, although Muraoka has put himself in the centre of things nobody's thoughts are gravitating to him for leadership. And yet Yukimura can understand - before yesterday he hadn't paid much attention to Muraoka-senpai himself either. Too quiet, too easy-going, too content to stay hidden in the background.
"I'll handle it," Muraoka says with an easy smile, reassuring everyone on the team immediately because now somebody has taken on the responsibility, and it isn't any of them.
"What have I done?" He says when Yukimura follows him into the clubhouse, and makes a sound somewhere between a groan and a hopeless laugh.
"I thought you knew what you were doing," Yukimura replies, eyes narrowing behind Muraoka's back as he collapses into a chair.
"I'll let you in on a secret; if you always know what you're doing that makes you one of the lucky ones, not the average person," Muraoka says, turning to look at him. "I honestly don't know what's going to happen to the club now, Yukimura-kun. What I do know, however, is that Rikkai is going to need your skills to not only survive, but to succeed."
"What does that mean?" Yukimura demands. "And what did you mean when you said they're all 'afraid' to step onto the court now?"
"You know what I meant."
Yukimura opens his mouth to deny this again, but memories suddenly assault him - weary faces with the eyes wide open in shock, the sound of heavy breathing so hard and fast that it seems unreal. The shuddering, the glassy eyes of momentary blindness, the confusion from a lack of being able to discern sound. They had all been good, good enough to provoke him to play his kind of tennis, and yet not good enough to withstand it, or even recover from it apparently. He had expected a little better from Rikkai, from the school whose motto read, 'Always win'.
"Are there enough players good enough to rebuild the team without them all?" Yukimura asks. He suddenly realises he is utterly responsible, and may have destroyed Rikkai's best players and best and only chance of winning anything at all this year.
"You tell me," Muraoka says with a wry smile.
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