Prince of Tennis: Monster

Monster

By: Reinne141

...

"Freak!"

'He's a demon!"

"Get that monster away from my child!"

No one wanted to play with him. They were all scared.. and he didn't even know why.

Last night, he found himself lying on the dewy grass with blood oozing out of a wound on his forehead.. and he can't remember how he got it. Tears started to well up on his eyes as the pain on his left knee worsened, covered with dried blood and mud. He tried to stand but his shaky little legs won't let him and he fell down, his face hitting the murky earth beneath him.

Right then and there, he cried.

But no one was there to help him. No one.

And now, here in the playground, just like the past few days, no one even dared to come near him. He sat alone on the swing.. while the other kids were playing together. They all steered clear, as if he's some kind of an infectious disease that sickened them to the core.

And the eight-year old Akaya didn't know why at all.

Why do they hate him so much? Did he do anything wrong? As far as he can remember, he didn't do anything that bad. So why are they throwing such lethal glares?

No one cared.. not even his mother. The night he came home bloodied, she just clucked her tongue and said in a cold tone of voice, "Useless bastard.. Just like your father."

He got used to her verbal jabs anyway so he didn't mind. Akaya was unloved but it's okay.. as long as he has his mom beside him. Many times he found her asleep on the ground, drowned in Sake. But the little kid would just help her up and wipe her clean with a damp cloth.

If only his mom would love him the way he loves her..

"..Are you okay?", a tiny voice rang beside him and he turned his head.. only to see the prettiest pair of doe eyes he has ever seen. He suddenly felt something tug in his chest as her words echoed in his mind.. that was the very first anyone has asked him if he was okay.

He blinked and tried to stop his reddening cheeks by looking away,

"Why do you care?"

Akaya heard no answer in return. Instead he felt a warm hand touch his left knee. He automatically looked down.. and saw the girl with the twin braids putting a band-aid (that has cute bunny pictures on it) on his wound. A light pink hue once again tainted his cheeks as the girl continued what she was doing.

"I-I just do..", and she stood up with a shy but genuine smile that made his young heart skip a beat, "M-My name's Ryuzaki.. Sakuno."

And for the first time in his life.. he made a friend.