Deafening Silence ( prince of tennis) (#wattys2016)

44

I'm sorry that there's not much learning about people in this chapter, but I felt like I'd already done too much of the whole texting thing, and I didn't want to devote all of the chapters to just texting.

And I apologize for not updating earlier, but recently I've become extremely lazy with my fic.

Sanada Household

Sanada sat in his living room sipping his green tea in a comfortable silence. His mother and grandfather were both busy at this time with their chores for the day, and after Sanada's short break he would practice his kendo. Sanada tried to ignore the slight tickling cold on his back from the snow outside, but to no avail, and he mentally sighed in annoyance. It was frankly annoying how most of his team had celebrated Christmas whilst he had to attend his daily duties like nothing had changed, except the thick layer of white outside. Even Yukimura had celebrated it, although he celebrated from his hospital bed. Sanada immediately pushed the thought from his mind to stop himself from feeling guilty.

His phone that was on the table suddenly began chiming, and Sanada raised an eyebrow at it as it continued to chime, and so he sighed and put his tea down and picked up the phone.

"Hello?" he asked when he had answered.

"Sanada, I'm going to be blunt" came a voice, and Sanada realised it was Yanagi. He frowned, noticing that he didn't call him by his first name like always, so he must be serious.

"OK" he said slowly, unsure of what Yanagi wanted from him. Yanagi never called unless it was to talk about the tennis line-up or some major event had occurred.

"Tell me what Echizen likes" he ordered.

Sanada frowned. Was the data master asking him for information?

"Why?" Sanada asked, equally as blunt, and he heard Yanagi sigh through the phone.

"Because I don't know what he likes, and you do" Yanagi stated distastefully, and Sanada did not fail to notice the reluctance in his voice. Yanagi was asking him for information on Echizen. That data master of Rikkaidai didn't know something. This may be the first time ever that Sanada had heard of such a thing.

"Sanada, I know what you're thinking" Yanagi cut in sharply, "Tell me what he likes". Sanada frowned confusedly.

"I thought you already had data on Echizen" Sanada stated, and he could somehow sense Yanagi's scowl through the phone.

"I have data on his tennis style and eating habits" he stated acidly, "On his personality and more personal information, but there is nothing I can use" he finished, and Sanada frowned. 'More personal information'. He didn't like how that rolled off Yanagi's tongue.

"You don't have anything useful?" he asked, still rather uncertain about whether Yanagi was being serious. He was the data master of Rikkaidai, and he had data on everyone.

"Sanada" Yanagi stated once, sounding very annoyed, "Tell me what he likes".

It was immediately clear how reluctant Yanagi was about asking him, and Sanada almost felt sympathy for him. He was the one in Rikkaidai with all the facts and figures, and the very idea of him not knowing the interests of someone else was practically alien, so Yanagi's pride must be very bruised to have to come to this point.

"Fine then" Sanada said after a while, and he paused.

"You know he likes eating cake, drinking tea, playing the cello, listening to English music and playing tennis" Sanada began, and he heard a grunt of agreement, "He also likes writing books, reading and running".

"I know all of those Sanada" Yanagi stated bluntly, "Tell me something I don't know". Sanada sighed loudly and reluctantly.

"That's it"

There was a long period of silence, in which Sanada could swear he heard the quiet but annoyed quick breaths of Yanagi through the phone.

"That's it?" he repeated.

"That's it" Sanada said rather dumbly.

"Sanada" Yanagi said, his voice strangely devoid of any emotion as always, "Are you telling me that from all your time with him you know no more about him than I do?"

"No" Sanada stated, "But what I know about him will not prove useful to you, just like your 'personal information' on Echizen" he said rather irritably. There was another long silence.

"I see" was all Yanagi said.

Sanada opened his mouth to say more, but then there was a click on the other end, followed by a low ring, and he knew Yanagi had hung up in annoyance. He sighed and put his phone back on the table and picked up his lukewarm tea and drunk it like nothing had happened.

Yanagi Household

Renji seethed in annoyance as he put his phone down on the table on stared at it. Genichiro had been totally useless, and he knew the most about Echizen than anyone. Echizen's birthday was in six days and he not made any progress with his gift.

It was shameful; it was undeniably shameful for him to admit that he was probably the only one on the team who had no idea what to buy him. From what he knew, Jackal was buying tennis shoes, Marui was making cake, Yagyuu was buying a book, Niou was buying a poster, Kirihara and Seiichi he wasn't sure of, and Genichiro was being tight-lipped about his gift.

While it was true he had talked with Echizen recently, it wasn't until later in the day that he realised the data he had extracted was totally useless. How on Earth could knowing that he wasn't born mute help him buy a present? It couldn't, because Renji was far more interested in learning about his past and gathering data than finding out what he likes, and when he finally realised that he'd been stupid enough to pass up the opportunity for completely useless data he felt like an idiot.

So now in his desperation he was doing whatever was necessary to learn about Echizen. Surely there must be something he could learn about him outside of the little he knew, but Genichiro was sadly his only opportunity, and he had not helped at all. Now he had no options left, and Renji could never forgive himself if he bought a lukewarm present for their kouhai.

What did Echizen like? He liked English music, cake, drinking tea, running, tennis, reading, writing and playing the cello.

Buying something related to English music would be pointless, considering Echizen would probably already have whatever he bought.

Cake wasn't even in the question anymore, since Marui had that covered.

Tea? What was he supposed to buy that's tea-related?

Running? Shoes was the obvious answer, but Jackal had that covered

Tennis was an obvious one, but buying tennis gear would be rather un-thoughtful

Yagyuu had reading and writing covered with the book

Playing the cello...

...

Renji sighed loudly in exasperation and threw himself onto his bed in the hopes of suffocating himself. It seemed nearly everyone had an idea apart from him, and the more people who bought gifts the less options he had.

His phone chimed on the table, and Renji stopped and frowned at it before picking it up.

Yanagi-senpai! I figured out what to buy Echizen!

From: Kirihara Akaya

For a single moment Renji had to restrain himself from throwing his phone out of the window. Kirihara had a gift, and he didn't. Renji did his best not to snap his phone in half as he replied.

And what did you find out?

From: Yanagi Renji

Renji watched his phone for a moment, and after about twenty seconds his phone chimed again.

Echizen is texting me and we started talking about tennis, and he mentioned how he sometimes runs with power weights to build up his stamina, so I thought I could get him some new ones since I asked him about it and he said that they're worn down since he uses them so often

From: Kirihara Akaya

Renji frowned. So Echizen was continuing his trial of learning more about the team, and was talking with Kirihara. Renji wondered if Echizen had learnt anything important about the team.

But back to the problem at hand, now Yukimura was the only person Renji was sure did not have a gift for Echizen. So it was him and Yukimura remaining.

I must not be the last one, he told himself. This may just be buying Echizen a gift, but Renji would not be the last one, he would not stand around and wonder what Echizen liked, because he was the data master. This was now an unofficial race, and Renji would not lose to Seiichi.

Kirihara Household

Akaya smiled widely as he waited for Echizen's reply. He was currently on cloud nine with how relieved he was that he managed to think of a gift at last. He was worried that he knew little about Echizen, but thankfully for whatever reason Echizen had decided to text him and Akaya had learnt about his worn-down power weights, so he would buy Echizen some new power wrists and ankles. Blue of course, since Akaya knew he liked blue.

His phone chimed, and Akaya smiled as he read the new message.

Do you plan to go pro with tennis?

From: Echizen Roko

Akaya smiled as he replied quickly.

Of course, I couldn't think of doing anything else. What about you?

From: Kirihara Akaya

"Akaya, who are you texting?" came a female voice, and Akaya looked up noticing that his older sister Namaki was leaning forward in front of him to stare him in the eye with a curious expression. She was in her second year of high school and had long black curly hair with deep green eyes and sharp features, and she wore a loose wool top and jeans. Akaya scowled at her.

"No one, nee-san" he said, in an attempt to get rid of her. Namaki frowned at him and leaned further forward.

"You are texting someone" she stated, and then paused, and Akaya frowned at her.

"Is it your girlfriend?" she asked after a while, with an amused grin on her face, and Akaya felt all the blood in his body rush into his head.

"It is your girlfriend!" Namaki stated loudly, pointing to Akaya's flushed face.

"Nee-san!" Akaya protested loudly and embarrassed, but Namaki had already swiped Akaya's phone out of his hands. Namaki instantly took a step back as she unlocked his phone with ease, and Akaya was on his feet.

"Oi!" he shouted, "How come you unlocked my phone?" he demanded, and Namaki snorted.

"Your password is 'tennis', Akaya, it's not hard" she stated bluntly, and she quickly moved out of the way as Akaya dove at her to retrieve his phone, but to no avail. Namaki started to type furiously on the screen, and Akaya could only imagine the horrors that would unfold.

"Give me that!" he shouted, reaching for his phone, but Namaki stepped back and moved around the sofa in the living room in an attempt to block Akaya off.

"No way!" she claimed, "I have to test whether your girlfriend is good enough for you". Akaya felt all the blood in his body in his head again and it felt like he was suddenly in a sauna.

"Nee-san!" he cried angrily, dashing at her and attempting to swipe the phone, but Namaki had already moved and was out of the living room before Akaya could react. He chased after her, and moved into the corridor just in time to see the bathroom door close, and in an instant Akaya was there trying to yank the door open, but it was locked from the inside and the door did not move.

"Nee-san!" Akaya cried furiously, bashing his fists on the door, but there were no sounds from within, and Akaya stopped. His sister thought Echizen was his girlfriend, and was going to interrogate Echizen on their 'relationship'.

This is bad.

Echizen Household

I'm not sure. I enjoy playing music, and I want to do it more often, but I love tennis just as much, and I might not do either of those anyway.

From: Echizen Roko

Roko smiled as he awaited Kirihara's reply. Kirihara was far more open about himself and would answer any indirect question Roko would ask, which made this far easier, and Roko had already learnt a fair chunk about Kirihara. He was a nice person outside of the tennis courts, and though he had a rather annoying personality Roko wasn't bothered by it, and just embraced the annoyance and moved on. He didn't really mind it anyway.

Kirihara, in his opinion, was the softest member of the team, and probably the most social. He'd say on a social scale from worst to best it went: Sanada, Yanagi, Yagyuu, Jackal, Niou, Yukimura, Marui and then Kirihara. Roko himself was probably before Sanada on the scale, but being social was next to impossible when you're mute, so it didn't bother him.

Roko waited for Kirihara's reply, which he noted was taking longer than usual, when his phone suddenly started chiming, signalling someone was calling him. Roko frowned, what were people calling him for? He couldn't speak to them. He picked up his phone and checked the name.

Kirihara Akaya

Roko frowned, but answered out of curiosity.

"Hello?" came a female voice on the other end, and Roko's brow furrowed. Who was that?

"Hellooo?" the voice asked again uncertainly.

"Anyone there?" the voice asked, and Roko mentally sighed. It seemed whoever this was had no idea who they were calling.

"Nee-san!" came a familiar voice, and Roko frowned as he recognized Kirihara. 'Nee-san'? So this was his sister?

"Akaya!" the older sister called, "There's no one there!"

Roko almost jumped when he heard the sound of splintering wood from the other end of the phone, and the older sister gasped in fright. There was a following sound of turning metal, possibly a lock, and suddenly there was a huge 'Nee-san!', which sounded like a very angry Kirihara, before there was a shout and the sounds of a struggle. Roko just frowned confusedly as he listened to Kirihara and his sister in some sort of wrestling match, with the occasional grunt or shout, before the sounds died away and the sound of heavy breathing was suddenly present.

"Sorry Echizen" came Kirihara's voice, and then he hung up, and Roko just stared at his phone confusedly. What had just happened?