Deafening Silence ( prince of tennis) (#wattys2016)

46

I'm not going to make excuses...

...

Actually I am. The reason this is so late is because apparently my entire college play Pokemon X and Y, and so we had a huge tournament at lunch, so my last few days have been 'MUST HAVE THE BEST POKEMON'. I'm very proud because I successfully killed a Mega Mewtwo :P

And this chapter is short because of my lack of inspiration, and frankly just wanting to move the plot to Roko's birthday. I'm sorry that everyone is expecting murder or dramatic stuff, but there is a severe lack of that.

Isn't it worrying how I'm 47 chapters in and the Regionals haven't even began? *cries*

Echizen Household

How exactly did you start a conversation with someone you tried to kill twice?

If Roko had an answer to that question he would have done something ten minutes ago, but sadly he didn't have the faintest idea, and so for the last ten minutes he'd been staring at his phone in the shallow hope that it would give him an answer, with only 'Hi' typed on the message. He honestly felt guilty, when he looked back on it, about how he acted towards Niou's pranks. He knew that he had serious anger issues, and Roko took Niou's pranks way too far, and so he wanted to apologize.

But how exactly did you say 'Hey, I tried to kill you twice, but I realised I overreacted and I'm sorry', without it sounding totally ridiculous?

Roko mentally sighed loudly and put his phone down, in the hopes that the silence would help him think. It was frustrating how much he wanted to apologize, but at the same time he couldn't do it in a way that would be totally awkward. Though Niou never seemed to be bothered by what Roko did. Don't get him wrong, if Roko sent a death glare at Niou he would dive for cover, but other than that he was fine, since both times Roko tortured him he turned up to school the next day completely OK. It was honestly disturbing how he could step out of it like nothing had happened, but Roko supposed he was the trickster.

Roko wondered what Niou thought of him. Did he think he was some sort of demon?

Most of the school do, they just don't say it out loud, his consciousness stated, and Roko ignored it.

Maybe Niou thought he was a kid with serious anger issues.

Which you are

Maybe Niou was actually afraid of him.

I would be too

Or maybe Niou just didn't care, since he never acted like he did.

So just like you then

Do you mind? Roko mentally replied irritably.

Not at all, carry on, his consciousness said.

Go away, Roko ordered, and his consciousness sighed.

You make it sound like I can just 'leave' your mind; I'm the other half of your brain.

Roko had decided a long time ago that the annoying voice in his head, whatever it claimed to be, should be pointedly ignored when it came to debates like this that bordered on supernatural, so he just acted like his consciousness had not said a word.

'Annoying'? His consciousness asked, somehow sounding offended, I am you, you know

You're the voice in my head, Roko mentally replied simply.

Exactly. Unless you have some sort of space probe in your head that speaks to you through someone with a microphone on the other side of the world, I'm pretty sure I'm just your subconscious.

Roko frowned. The voice in his head, whatever it was, was definitely not him. He would never use a space probe as an analogy.

I'm hurt, his consciousness stated, actually sounding wounded, and Roko mentally sighed.

His phone suddenly chimed next to him, and Roko frowned as he sat up on his bed and scanned the screen.

Niou Masaharu

Roko raised an eyebrow. Niou was texting him? Why? More importantly, why was he texting him now, when he was going to text him? Roko unlocked his phone curiously.

It's OK, I forgive you

From: Niou Masaharu

Wait what?

How on Earth did he know?

I think it's the space probe, his consciousness added helpfully, and Roko pointedly ignored it.

What?

From: Echizen Roko

Roko put his phone down and stared at it incredulously. How did Niou know he was looking for his forgiveness?

His phone chimed, and Roko picked it up quickly.

Well I was scrolling through my texts and noticed that you were typing a message, so I thought I'd wait for it, and ten minutes later you're still typing the message. So you're trying to find the words to say, or you're typing a really long message.

From: Niou Masaharu

Roko was stunned. He didn't even realise until Niou pointed it out that he had been staring at 'Hi' in his message box for the last ten minutes. Damn Niou, he was crafty, but he was just conveniently scrolling through his messages at the time?

I told you, it's the space probe, his consciousness stated amusedly.

Shut up about the damn space probe, Roko mentally replied irritably. His consciousness seemed to shut up, and so Roko rolled his eyes and replied bluntly to Niou's message.

Fair enough. Why were you scrolling through your messages at the time?

From: Echizen Roko

Roko couldn't deny that he was curious about that, and he hoped that Niou would give a straight answer.

I do get messages from other people you know

From: Niou Masaharu

Roko frowned, that wasn't a good enough reason.

And why did you specifically look at my messages to you?

From: Echizen Roko

He mentally sighed as he awaited Niou's message, unless Niou accidentally selected his messages and noticed that Roko was writing a text, there was no way it was an accident.

Space probe, said his consciousness.

Ok fine, Yanagi told me to expect a message from you.

From: Niou Masaharu

Roko's eyebrow disappeared into his hair. Yanagi? Why was Yanagi involved? He had told Yanagi about his plan, but not about who he would talk to each day. He frowned as he tried to recall if he ever discussed his schedule, but he never had, so Yanagi had figured it out himself.

But more importantly, Yanagi had just saved him the trouble of sending Niou an awkward text message.

Ok then, I suppose that makes things easier

From: Echizen Roko

Roko felt rather conflicted. On the one hand Yanagi had probably done research into who Roko had contacted and what they talked about, so he could form Roko's schedule to the point where he could predict who came next. That was rather disturbing, and Roko felt like he should do something about that. On the other hand Yanagi had just solved his problem of starting the conversation.

Roko's phone chimed suddenly.

So did you just want my forgiveness for trying to kill me?

From: Niou Masaharu

Roko frowned but replied hesitantly.

Why would you forgive me so easily?

From: Echizen Roko

His phone chimed a moment later.

I don't hold grudges

From: Niou Masaharu

Roko was surprised. Niou didn't hold grudges? He had never assumed Niou to be that kind of laid-back character. But more importantly, Niou was forgiving him? So easily? If Roko had been in the same position he probably would have never spoken to his assailant ever again, and frankly he probably would have got his own revenge, but Niou didn't even care.

I almost killed you twice and you don't care?

From: Echizen Roko

His phone chimed a moment later.

Not really, I got over it

From: Niou Masaharu

Roko frowned. While he really didn't agree with Niou's logic, he supposed it made things easier for him, so for now he would drop the subject.

Thanks

From: Echizen Roko

His phone chimed almost immediately.

You're welcome

From: Niou Masaharu

Kanagawa General Hospital

Renji moved quickly through the door and into Seiichi's room, and quickly took his place on the chair next to Seiichi's bed while he waited. The room was completely sterile with white walls and floor, with only a bed, Renji's chair, and various machines by the bed that would attach to the patient. Seiichi was in the middle of physical therapy, and would be back soon, and Renji hoped he would return quickly.

Echizen's birthday was the day after tomorrow and Renji still had no clue at all. Worse than that, because since everyone else had their own gifts the options Renji had were even narrower, and now it was only him and Seiichi who did not have gifts for Echizen. Whilst Renji didn't show it, he was inwardly despairing and seething, because he knew that his opportunity to learn about Echizen was wasted for his selfish need of data.

Which is why his gift must be perfect. There was no question anymore; the only way Renji could redeem himself was by producing the best gift possible for Echizen. In other words it had to be better than everyone else's, and Renji had two days including today to come up with it. It was a challenge, but now Renji would not idly sit around and do nothing. His gift would be the best. He would redeem himself for such a dramatically large hole in his data.

The door slid open, and Renji looked up to see Seiichi standing in the doorway on crutches with a nurse by him, and Seiichi smiled warmly.

"Renji" he greeted softly, as he moved to his bed. The nurse assisted him getting onto his bed, and then she put the covers over him and placed the crutches by his bed before leaving without a word spoken. When the door closed Renji looked to Seiichi, who was now lying on the bed next to his chair.

"What is it?" Seiichi asked curiously, and Renji frowned.

"What do you mean, Seiichi?" he asked. Seiichi glanced at him pointedly, and Renji could practically see the 'you-cannot-hide-anything-from-me' in Seiichi's eyes, and he sighed defeatedly.

"I still have not got Echizen a gift" he said bluntly, and Seiichi smiled softly.

"Oh?" he asked, "Echizen is concerning you so much? Renji, you're getting soft" he stated and then chuckled, much to Renji's annoyance.

"Well since we both do not have an idea I thought we could help each other" Renji stated calmly, and Seiichi's eyes glittered in amusement and smugness, and Renji froze.

He knew what that smug look meant.

"Oh" Seiichi said calmly, "Renji, I already have my gift for Echizen. In fact it's right here" he said, leaning towards the table on the opposite side of his bed and producing a small box that was neatly wrapped with shiny black paper and a small bow.

There were three things that went through Yanagi Renji's mind in that moment.

One, Seiichi had won the unofficial race to buy Echizen's gift without Renji even knowing.

Two, Seiichi had never bothered to tell him.

Three, Renji was now the only Rikkaidai regular without a gift.

If Renji was even paying attention he probably would have noticed the fact that he had his eyes wide open and was gaping like a fish, but right now he was too stuck in his despairing comatose to care.

Seiichi chuckled humorously at Renji's expression, and Renji managed to stop gaping and closed his eyes after much resistance.

"Seiichi" he said dryly, keeping his emotionless mask in place even though it was now pointless, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"You never asked" Seiichi replied quickly, and Renji tried not to frown.

"So Renji, you're the only one without a gift" Seiichi stated, "What are you going to do?"

Renji just buried his head in his hands in utter defeat.

"I don't know" he said into his palms, "Echizen is the most unpredictable person I've ever met, and every time I gather data on him he turns around and completely defies it". There was a pause.

"That's true" Seiichi agreed.

You are not helping, Renji thought acidly.

"Why don't you just ask him?" Seiichi asked rather bluntly, and Renji just frowned into his hands.

"But then I would just be proving to Echizen that I can't gather data" he stated, and Seiichi sighed lowly.

"Since when does Echizen care about that?" he asked evenly, and Renji sighed.

"He doesn't" he admitted.

"So what's the problem?" Seiichi asked. Renji lifted his head out of his hands and made eye-contact with Seiichi. He could see in Seiichi's eyes that he was practically screaming at him to just ask, rather than dance around the problem. It was irritating, because Renji would rather die than admit that he could not gather data. His pride was on the line, and he was the data master of Rikkaidai, and there was no one he could not gather data on.

Except the mute freshman prodigy of the Rikkaidai Tennis Club.

But how long could he continue like this? Time was running out and Renji still refused to acknowledge it. If he didn't do something soon it would be too late, and Renji didn't doubt for a moment that he would suffer at Sanada's hands for it, because unfortunately he was already past the older brother stage of protectiveness, and now he was just unhealthily overprotective, even if he didn't admit it or realise it.

"Fine" he said, totally defeated.

Niou Household

So why did you bleach your hair anyway?

From: Echizen Roko

Niou smirked at his newest message. At first when Yanagi had mentioned the fact that Echizen would contact him Niou was almost certain it would be to threaten his life. After all, the kid had practically done it twice already, though he tried not to think about that.

Niou wasn't stupid though, and he knew that if he hadn't started the conversation first Echizen probably would have never said anything. He had to admit that if he had to start a conversation with someone he almost killed he'd be pretty stumped too. But aside from that rather looming fact, which Niou chose to ignore, they were having a pretty decent conversation.

I just like silver, and I never liked my brown hair

From: Niou Masaharu

The reply was almost instant.

I can't imagine you with brown hair

From: Echizen Roko

Niou frowned, recalling his ugly brown hair. It was a sort of chocolate colour, but it looked more like mud on his head. He'd never liked his hair colour. Ever.

You don't want to

From: Niou Masaharu

Niou practically shuddered at the memory, and his phone chimed again.

I can imagine and it doesn't look right at all

From: Echizen Roko

Niou replied quickly.

No it doesn't

From: Niou Masaharu

His phone chimed a moment later.

You should give me a photo of you with brown hair for my birthday

From: Echizen Roko

Niou just rolled his eyes.

Don't push your luck

From: Niou Masaharu

His phone chimed almost immediately.

It was worth a try

From: Echizen Roko