Deafening Silence ( prince of tennis) (#wattys2016)

51

Rikkaidai Fuzoku Tennis Courts

Roko watched carefully and with focused concentration as Marui bounced the ball on the ground at the baseline. Once, twice, before grabbing it and throwing it into the air, and slamming it viciously towards him. Roko was already moving, swinging the racket and countering the serve quickly and set it to the corner of Marui's court. Marui was there in an instant, swinging the racket low and returning with a Rising Shot, sending it flying towards the centre of Roko's court. Roko reached it easily and returned the ball, allowing the ball to slide down the racket, applying rotation before returning it smoothly to Marui. Marui was in front of the ball immediately, and returned it quickly to the left corner of Roko's court, but he didn't bother moving, just watching as the ball curved towards him, and he simply tapped the ball with his racket, sending it barely over the net, and the ball bounced with a dull thud on Marui's court.

"Game, Echizen! 4-5!" the umpire called, and Marui looked at the ball for a moment and then sighed, the carefree smile back on his face.

"Not bad, Echizen" he called across the court, and Roko just nodded in acknowledgement, moving to the baseline. It was his turn to serve, and he would take the next game.

Roko bounced the ball rhythmically on the ground before grabbing it in his left hand and throwing it into the air, jumping into the air after it and hitting it with his right hand, sending the Bait Serve flying towards Marui. However Marui had already seen it enough times, and he quickly stepped forward, countering the Bait Serve with a low Rising Shot before it could bounce, sending it towards Roko's opposite corner before he could react.

"0-15!"

"That won't work on me anymore, Echizen" Marui declared proudly, and Roko narrowed his eye in thought. Changing the angle of the Bait Serve wouldn't work, since it needs to bounce first. He could use the Lightning Bolt, but he only wanted to use that to decide the game, since it was much more difficult to play with an aching arm. If he used the Lightning Bolt to take this game there would be no way he could use it afterward, and so Roko frowned in annoyance. He'd have to play it safe for now.

Roko took his position on the baseline, bouncing the ball on the ground before throwing it into the air and hitting it normally. Marui moved and countered the ball easily, sending it toward Roko's opposite corner, and Roko was sprinting there in an instant, reaching the ball and returning it quickly toward Marui. Marui almost lazily returned it to Roko's opposite corner, and Roko turned on his heel and sprinted towards the corner, reaching it with half a second to spare and instead of returning it, he tapped the ball with the edge of his racket, lobbing it high into the air. Marui looked up at the ascending ball and didn't hesitate for a second to jump up and smash it down towards the ground, and Roko reached it in an instant, twisting his body whilst catching the ball with his racket and flicking it back in the stance of Higuma Otoshi.

Marui just moved back to the baseline quickly and returned the ball easily, much to Roko's frustration, and he moved quickly to reach the ball and returned it to Marui. Marui angled his racket slightly down and tapped the ball, sending a drop shot towards Roko, and Roko moved to the net in an instant to return it.

Except the ball landed on the net, and Roko realised what was happening in an instant. The ball, as if it had a life of its own, glided smoothly down the net and reached the other side of the net quickly, and Roko twisted and reached in an attempt to catch it, but it was a millimetre out of reach and the ball dropped off the net and onto the court with a dull thud.

"0-30!"

Roko just looked back at Marui, who stood there with an uncaring expression, blowing a bubble of apple gum and popping it before smiling cockily at him.