One Point Shy of Winning [Prince of Tennis, Rikkai pre-canon]
title: One Point Shy of Winning
character(s)/pairing(s): Yukimura, Muraoka (OC), Sanada, Yanagi, Rikkai Regulars (OCs).
genre: pre-series, backstory, original character
wordcount: 1153
notes/summary: A series exploring the Rikkai third-years freshman year at Rikkai. Putting together a new team isn't going to be so simple.
previous: Where Do We Begin.
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One Point Shy of Winning
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"Who is left on the team of Regulars?" Yukimura asks, leaning over Muraoka's shoulder to look at the club roster. It's new for both of them; the sheer amount of paperwork.
"Gesshin, Kurosawa-kun, Nishiki-kun, and myself. And now you," Muraoka adds.
"I can already fill two more of the spaces," Yukimura says confidently. "Then all that's needed is a reserve. Also, to be sure the people left on the Regulars are deserving of it."
"You don't pull any punches, do you?"
-
"Yukimura-kun, are you sure about this?"
Yukimura just looks back at Muraoka with a flat gaze. First he admits he must defer to Yukimura's superior knowledge, and now he is second-guessing Yukimura's decisions.
"I just think you should remember it's going to be awkward. Have you thought about what it will mean to be on the same team as them?"
Or perhaps he isn't mistrustful of Yukimura's opinion after all. Muraoka is too caring sometimes.
"I don't know what you mean," Yukimura says, as if he doesn't spend an inordinate amount of time trying to side-step Sanada Genichirou on any given day. And Yanagi by association. As if Muraoka wouldn't have noticed, but Yukimura certainly isn't going to let it stop him putting together the best team possible, for the glory of Rikkai.
Muraoka approaches Sanada and Yanagi at the same time, because they are together as always. Yukimura isn't jealous, he just wonders what it might be like to have someone at his side constantly. But it would be too much trouble.
-
"This is your doing," Sanada says behind Yukimura's back. Yukimura turns around.
"What now?"
"What Genichirou means," Yanagi says, stepping between them swiftly, "is that Muraoka-buchou is not the one who had the idea to place us on the Regulars. Muraoka-buchou has no idea what either of us are capable of."
"What makes you think I do?" Yukimura asks, and Yanagi smothers a smile with his hand.
"Then why are you afraid to play a match against me?" Sanada demands. He has such a one-track mind, it's the only topic he ever settles on in Yukimura's hearing.
"Personal matches are forbidden," Yukimura retorts. It's the lamest excuse, because sometimes rules are worth breaking. Rules honestly don't matter to him unless they make sense.
"Practice matches are not," Yanagi points out. "If we are all to be on the team from time to time we will face one another in practice matches."
"Why are you encouraging this?" Yukimura asks. "You always appeared to be the sensible one."
Sanada's eyes flash and his lips tighten but he doesn't so much as flinch otherwise. He is learning quickly not to rise to the bait Yukimura throws his way. Yukimura can't help but respect him for it.
"I've never seen you play," Yanagi says, as if that explains everything. Later on Yukimura will understand the value of data to Yanagi Renji.
-
Sanada is in the midst of a practice match against Nishiki-senpai when Yukimura decides to approach Yanagi. Joshuya-senpai is playing a match against the newly recruited third year Hatayama, and Muraoka-buchou is facing the second year Kurosawa, who he has faced in practice matches before. Yukimura and Yanagi ostensibly have a match of their own to play, but Yukimura requested this opening in order to sound Yanagi out. There is much more to Yanagi Renji than meets the eye; he sees more than he is supposed to know about, and knows more than he lets on. Yukimura needs to know how much help he could be to the team, and not just as a player.
"What's your opinion of the team at the moment?" Yukimura asks. It startles Yanagi, but he recovers quickly, turning his head to look at Yukimura with a quizzical face. "I'm asking you seriously."
Yanagi seems to accept this at face-value.
"I think you've chosen the correct players; the strongest, and those with the most potential," he replies. "Although Tsuruga-senpai is also worth watching."
"I thought so too, but we've filled all the positions on the team."
"There's nothing wrong with having a back-up," Yanagi says. "An alternate-alternate."
-
"You know, it's interesting," Yanagi says to the air in front of him as they continue to watch the matches playing out in front of them. "Muraoka-buchou was a Regular before the team was rearranged," - and he says it so tactfully, almost as though he truly believes that version of events, or at least when he says it it will convince others - "and yet he was probably the least impressive of the team. His personality is also not a-typical for a captain."
He might not dare say it in so many words in front of Yukimura but Yukimura can sense an insult hiding behind Yanagi's careful phrasing nonetheless. He directs his attention to Yanagi instead of the match, eyes burning through him. Yanagi doesn't flinch; he has had Sanada's temper to contend with most days since beginning Junior High.
"Some people might assume he had a hand in whatever happened to make four Regulars quit, in order to rise to the top of the club and become captain."
Yanagi knows perfectly well what happened, and that he side-steps saying it even though they both know makes Yukimura's blood race. Yanagi may be allowing for eavesdroppers on their conversation, he may just be giving Yukimura the due he deserves because he isn't stupid and can work out what is being said regardless of how it is couched. It doesn't matter.
"Some people are idiots," Yukimura replies simply. If Yanagi is purposely attempting to anger him he will not rise to the bait; he isn't Sanada.
"Quite true," Yanagi agrees, which proves he doesn't believe it himself, of course. "It's simply something you might wish to think on, should trouble arise."
"Will it?" Yukimura asks. It sounds more like a warning than anything else.
"I wouldn't know," Yanagi replies, turning away. "I can't see into the future."
And yet he can analyse the present with utter precision, which is much the same thing.
-
"Well?" Muraoka asks breathlessly, jogging away from the court, and accepts the offer of a towel. "Did you get what you wanted?"
"I suppose," Yukimura replies. "I wanted to know if he saw things the same way I do. Being backed-up by a second opinion would give mine much more weight. It would have helped if you had been there."
Muraoka looks up at him, face a light pink that gives him a healthy glow. His mouth twists in amusement.
"But I already trust your opinion, I don't need you to find ways to prove yourself to me."
Yukimura doesn't know whether to be annoyed or embarrassed, and doesn't want to succumb to either, and ends up admitting something he hadn't planned to.
"I also wanted to know if he knew as much as I did."
"And does he?"
"Yeah," Yukimura admits reluctantly, though he doesn't know why. He knows just as much, and perhaps outside of tennis, a little more.
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character(s)/pairing(s): Yukimura, Muraoka (OC), Sanada, Yanagi, Rikkai Regulars (OCs).
genre: pre-series, backstory, original character
wordcount: 1153
notes/summary: A series exploring the Rikkai third-years freshman year at Rikkai. Putting together a new team isn't going to be so simple.
previous: Where Do We Begin.
-
One Point Shy of Winning
-
"Who is left on the team of Regulars?" Yukimura asks, leaning over Muraoka's shoulder to look at the club roster. It's new for both of them; the sheer amount of paperwork.
"Gesshin, Kurosawa-kun, Nishiki-kun, and myself. And now you," Muraoka adds.
"I can already fill two more of the spaces," Yukimura says confidently. "Then all that's needed is a reserve. Also, to be sure the people left on the Regulars are deserving of it."
"You don't pull any punches, do you?"
-
"Yukimura-kun, are you sure about this?"
Yukimura just looks back at Muraoka with a flat gaze. First he admits he must defer to Yukimura's superior knowledge, and now he is second-guessing Yukimura's decisions.
"I just think you should remember it's going to be awkward. Have you thought about what it will mean to be on the same team as them?"
Or perhaps he isn't mistrustful of Yukimura's opinion after all. Muraoka is too caring sometimes.
"I don't know what you mean," Yukimura says, as if he doesn't spend an inordinate amount of time trying to side-step Sanada Genichirou on any given day. And Yanagi by association. As if Muraoka wouldn't have noticed, but Yukimura certainly isn't going to let it stop him putting together the best team possible, for the glory of Rikkai.
Muraoka approaches Sanada and Yanagi at the same time, because they are together as always. Yukimura isn't jealous, he just wonders what it might be like to have someone at his side constantly. But it would be too much trouble.
-
"This is your doing," Sanada says behind Yukimura's back. Yukimura turns around.
"What now?"
"What Genichirou means," Yanagi says, stepping between them swiftly, "is that Muraoka-buchou is not the one who had the idea to place us on the Regulars. Muraoka-buchou has no idea what either of us are capable of."
"What makes you think I do?" Yukimura asks, and Yanagi smothers a smile with his hand.
"Then why are you afraid to play a match against me?" Sanada demands. He has such a one-track mind, it's the only topic he ever settles on in Yukimura's hearing.
"Personal matches are forbidden," Yukimura retorts. It's the lamest excuse, because sometimes rules are worth breaking. Rules honestly don't matter to him unless they make sense.
"Practice matches are not," Yanagi points out. "If we are all to be on the team from time to time we will face one another in practice matches."
"Why are you encouraging this?" Yukimura asks. "You always appeared to be the sensible one."
Sanada's eyes flash and his lips tighten but he doesn't so much as flinch otherwise. He is learning quickly not to rise to the bait Yukimura throws his way. Yukimura can't help but respect him for it.
"I've never seen you play," Yanagi says, as if that explains everything. Later on Yukimura will understand the value of data to Yanagi Renji.
-
Sanada is in the midst of a practice match against Nishiki-senpai when Yukimura decides to approach Yanagi. Joshuya-senpai is playing a match against the newly recruited third year Hatayama, and Muraoka-buchou is facing the second year Kurosawa, who he has faced in practice matches before. Yukimura and Yanagi ostensibly have a match of their own to play, but Yukimura requested this opening in order to sound Yanagi out. There is much more to Yanagi Renji than meets the eye; he sees more than he is supposed to know about, and knows more than he lets on. Yukimura needs to know how much help he could be to the team, and not just as a player.
"What's your opinion of the team at the moment?" Yukimura asks. It startles Yanagi, but he recovers quickly, turning his head to look at Yukimura with a quizzical face. "I'm asking you seriously."
Yanagi seems to accept this at face-value.
"I think you've chosen the correct players; the strongest, and those with the most potential," he replies. "Although Tsuruga-senpai is also worth watching."
"I thought so too, but we've filled all the positions on the team."
"There's nothing wrong with having a back-up," Yanagi says. "An alternate-alternate."
-
"You know, it's interesting," Yanagi says to the air in front of him as they continue to watch the matches playing out in front of them. "Muraoka-buchou was a Regular before the team was rearranged," - and he says it so tactfully, almost as though he truly believes that version of events, or at least when he says it it will convince others - "and yet he was probably the least impressive of the team. His personality is also not a-typical for a captain."
He might not dare say it in so many words in front of Yukimura but Yukimura can sense an insult hiding behind Yanagi's careful phrasing nonetheless. He directs his attention to Yanagi instead of the match, eyes burning through him. Yanagi doesn't flinch; he has had Sanada's temper to contend with most days since beginning Junior High.
"Some people might assume he had a hand in whatever happened to make four Regulars quit, in order to rise to the top of the club and become captain."
Yanagi knows perfectly well what happened, and that he side-steps saying it even though they both know makes Yukimura's blood race. Yanagi may be allowing for eavesdroppers on their conversation, he may just be giving Yukimura the due he deserves because he isn't stupid and can work out what is being said regardless of how it is couched. It doesn't matter.
"Some people are idiots," Yukimura replies simply. If Yanagi is purposely attempting to anger him he will not rise to the bait; he isn't Sanada.
"Quite true," Yanagi agrees, which proves he doesn't believe it himself, of course. "It's simply something you might wish to think on, should trouble arise."
"Will it?" Yukimura asks. It sounds more like a warning than anything else.
"I wouldn't know," Yanagi replies, turning away. "I can't see into the future."
And yet he can analyse the present with utter precision, which is much the same thing.
-
"Well?" Muraoka asks breathlessly, jogging away from the court, and accepts the offer of a towel. "Did you get what you wanted?"
"I suppose," Yukimura replies. "I wanted to know if he saw things the same way I do. Being backed-up by a second opinion would give mine much more weight. It would have helped if you had been there."
Muraoka looks up at him, face a light pink that gives him a healthy glow. His mouth twists in amusement.
"But I already trust your opinion, I don't need you to find ways to prove yourself to me."
Yukimura doesn't know whether to be annoyed or embarrassed, and doesn't want to succumb to either, and ends up admitting something he hadn't planned to.
"I also wanted to know if he knew as much as I did."
"And does he?"
"Yeah," Yukimura admits reluctantly, though he doesn't know why. He knows just as much, and perhaps outside of tennis, a little more.
-