Deafening Silence ( prince of tennis) (#wattys2016)

10

So you know how I said that I would do one chapter a day? Yeah, well, that lasted about 6 hours -_- Look, don't judge, I'm sat at home alone bored out of my mind, so be glad I'm giving you this chapter as a gift. Two chapters in a day. You people should be happy!

I'll post chapter 11 tomorrow, but after that I officially start my A levels, so the posting of chapters will be kind of all over the place. Wish me luck on my conquest in fine art!

Rikkaidai Fuzoku Tennis Courts

Court C

"Game Yagyuu! 3-3!"

Yagyuu was actually very impressed with this freshman. So far he had not dropped one service game, and time and time again Yagyuu fell into his trap - The Lob Trap - as he had decided to call it. Yagyuu had examined it repeatedly, looking for a hole in Echizen's tactics, but it seemed the only way to escape the Lob Trap was to smash the ball hard enough that Echizen cannot return it, and with Yagyuu's skinny arms, that was practically impossible.

So he quickly discovered that he was playing the game at Echizen's pace.

Yagyuu sighed to himself. It seemed he had to use his techniques already. He had hoped to save them for later, or not use them at all if possible, but this freshman was too tough to not go all-out on.

He didn't continue his off-handed comments after the second game. He mostly did it as his unfortunate habit of mumbling, but it quickly turned awkward when he realised that Echizen couldn't even reply to him. It was actually pretty easy to forget, that the freshman was mute. Yagyuu didn't think of him any less for it - in fact he sometimes wished that he was mute too so Niou wouldn't bother making conversation with him - and frankly he found it rather meaningless in tennis. The only benefit that muteness brings in the courts is that they couldn't call out any sort of cocky remarks - but that was really only a benefit for his opponents.

Yagyuu returned to the baseline and got into position as Echizen bounced the ball in his left hand, threw it into the air and served at the same speed he had for the last few games. Yagyuu returned it to the corner, but Echizen was there in an instant, returning it with another lob.

Yagyuu watched the ball climb higher and higher, and a small smirk spread on his lips. Echizen noticed that Yagyuu wasn't going to smash, and he dashed to the net.

Yagyuu waited until the ball was above him, and put his left hand on his racket too. With two hands, he drew his tennis racket back like a golf club, and waited for the ball to be just above the ground before he swung his racket with all his strength, sending it hurtling past Echizen at a rapid speed before it bounced just before the baseline.

"0-15!" the umpire called. Echizen's reaction wasn't as expected. He simply looked at Yagyuu for a second, his mask firmly in place, before he turned to the baseline to observe where the ball had landed.

He's thinking, Yagyuu told himself, he can't lob anymore, since I can return that with my Golf Swing.

Echizen studied the invisible line between where the ball was and Yagyuu for a moment longer before nodding to himself and returning to serve.

He stood at the baseline, and Yagyuu could tell something was different. His body language seemed more confident, and he watched the ball bounce, his eyes moving up and down in sync, before he threw it into the air. But this time, Echizen followed it by jumping into the air.

I've seen that somewhere before... Yagyuu thought.

It wasn't until Echizen hit the ball in mid-air that Yagyuu realised exactly what it was.

Twist Serve!

Yagyuu quickly moved to intercept, watching the ball as it bounced and spun on the ground for a while.

It's going to move towards my face, he thought, keeping his racket close to him. But rather than launch towards his face, the ball launched straight upward.

What? Yagyuu thought as he watched the ball climb higher and higher. Without even thinking Yagyuu jumped into the air after it and smashed it towards Echizen, only realising what he had done too late. Echizen intercepted the smash with another low Rising Shot, sending the ball back at Yagyuu.

"15-all!"

Echizen returned to the baseline and bounced another ball in his left hand.

It's not Twist Serve, it's a serve that sends the ball flying upwards, baiting you to smash it. It's the Lob Trap, but in serve-form.

Yagyuu smiled despite himself. If he couldn't smash or wait for the ball to fall, he could simply return the serve with Golf Swing.

Yagyuu watched as Echizen again threw the ball into the air, hitting it in mid-air and sending it toward Yagyuu. He watched as the ball was sent flying upwards, and Yagyuu placed his racket in both hands, waiting to intercept. As expected, Echizen moved towards the net and Yagyuu smiled as he sent the ball flying towards the corner, swinging the racket like a golf club. But suddenly Echizen was there, and he casually dropped the ball into his court.

"30-15!"

What? Yagyuu thought, how did he catch up to my Golf Swing? Was he still holding back his speed?

Echizen sent another of that strange serve his way and Yagyuu grabbed his racket with both hands to intercept. He swung the racket with all his strength towards the corner, but once again Echizen appeared and dropped it into the court.

He was holding back, he realised.

"40-15!"

Yagyuu couldn't help but smile. It seemed this freshman was full of tricks, which meant he couldn't hold back either. Echizen once again sent that serve his way, and Yagyuu smiled to himself.

I'll have to use my new technique then.

Yagyuu waited for the ball to fall, and instead swung his racket over his head with one hand, smashing the ball and sending it past Echizen at a blinding speed. Echizen's eyes widened slightly as he turned to examine the spot where the ball had landed.

Laser Beam.

"40-30!"

Echizen's eyebrows knitted together in thought, looking at Yagyuu with a curious intensity, and then his expression relaxed, and returned to the court like nothing had happened.

He won't use that serve again, it's meaningless now.

But Echizen did use that serve again, jumping up to the ball and smashing it towards Yagyuu. The ball bounced high into the air, and Yagyuu waited for it to fall before delivering an overhead smash towards Echizen. Except Echizen had not ran to the net, and instead stood at the baseline.

Yagyuu watched carefully.

The Laser Beam bounced once, and then continued its path straight toward Echizen.

In response, Echizen switched his racket to his left hand. He then began to bend backwards, slowly but surely as the ball travelled towards him, Echizen bending further backward until his back was parallel to the ground, and then, in one quick motion, like a coiled spring, Echizen snapped his back and left wrist in unison, smashing the ball above his face with such a force that Yagyuu didn't see it coming. All he saw was a green blur zip past him.

"Game, Echizen Roko, 4-3!"

That was even faster than my Laser Beam! Yagyuu's mind exclaimed. He turned slowly toward Echizen, who had his racket back in his right hand.

You were holding back a shot like that?

Rikkaidai Fuzoku Tennis Courts

Court D

Yukimura had just finished his match with Niou, and as he expected Niou played amazingly, using his yips tennis successfully against him and taking four games before Yukimura pulled back. The game was truly as interesting as he expected, and Yukimura smiled at the thought that his tennis team was finally coming together.

"Buchoooouuuuu!" came a voice in the distance, and Yukimura turned to see Akaya running towards him. Akaya eventually came to a stop in front of him, leaning on his legs and panting heavily.

"Yes?" Yukimura asked softly. Akaya took a while to regain his composure.

"The freshman... Echizen... He won" Akaya gasped between breaths. Niou's gaze snapped to Akaya in an instant.

"That kid beat Yagyuu?" he demanded, and Akaya just nodded his head.

"What was the score?" Niou asked.

"Six games to three" Akaya replied.

Yukimura wasn't very much surprised by Echizen's win, in fact he was more surprised that Akaya ran all the way here to tell him. He somehow had faith in the freshman even when he knew nothing of his skills, perhaps it was Echizen's aura of confidence that made Yukimura believe so much in him.

"In that case, you should get ready for your game, Akaya". Akaya's face suddenly lit up with burning determination.

"I will, Buchou!" he said.

Rikkaida Fuzoku Cafeteria

Roko smiled warmly as he entered the room. He had defeated Yagyuu easily after revealing his secret weapon, though his left arm was still thudding with dull pain from the match. Since he defeated Yagyuu rather early he had about ten minutes to do anything, so he decided to check if the cafeteria was open. It was, and Roko immediately moved to the counter where a chubby old lady with a hair net was standing expectantly.

"Ah, you're that mute boy" she said when Roko stepped before her.

Roko mentally sighed, brushing off the comment and instead gesturing to a cake that was on display next to the woman. The woman nodded in understanding and picked up the cake box and took it into the kitchen, and Roko took his wallet out of his bag, and paid the lady when she returned with a slice of white-iced sponge cake with a butter cream and blueberry filling.

Roko took the cake with a huge smile on his face and sat down in the empty cafeteria, putting a piece of the cake into his mouth.

Oh my god! He mentally exclaimed at how amazing the cake was. Roko then took another piece, and then another, and then another, and then another, and before he even realised it the cake was gone and Roko felt very satisfied.

Cake was probably Roko's favourite food in the whole world. He loved the texture of it, the sweet-but-not-too-sweet taste of it, and the many many different styles they came in. He knew it was rather unhealthy to eat as much cake as he did, but unfortunately he couldn't help himself sometimes. Because of this, since Ryoma had almost no sweet tooth at all, Roko was considered the cuter brother of the two, since he would happily devour any sweets put in front of him, while Ryoma would sip a can of ponta and watch Roko amusedly.

Roko often wondered if there was anyone in the world who could understand his rather disturbing love of cake. It seemed to him that people would laugh and ask 'how can you eat that so fast?', it was simply because Roko had a sweet tooth that was practically insatiable. He smiled warmly at the thought of more cake.

And then he glanced at his watch.

10:59

My match with Kirihara starts in one minute! He realised in horror. He quickly stood up, if he ran all the way there, he could make it in time for the match! If he didn't make it in time he'd be disqualified!

And so he set off, and only took two steps.

Or you could have more cake, his mind suggested. Roko stopped dead in his tracks. It was true; he had already defeated Yagyuu so he was technically a regular already. It didn't matter what his score with Kirihara was, since he had already taken the spot by winning against the Gentleman. But playing against Kirihara would be an opportunity.

Kirihara... Cake...

Kirihara... Cake...

Kirihara... Cake...

Kirihara... Cake...

...

Cake, he decided, and went to the counter to get more of that delicious blueberry-iced cake. Kirihara could come back another day.

Sigh. Roko! Don't you know you're going to get fat from all that cake? You're as bad as Marui!