Deafening Silence ( prince of tennis) (#wattys2016)

63

Tokyo Train Station

Tennis practice is cancelled today due to the cleaning of the courts. Genichiro says to practice twice as hard tonight

From: Yanagi Renji

Roko mentally snorted at the message, putting his phone back in his pocket with an amused grin. Tennis practice being cancelled didn't bother him; it at least meant Roko could go home earlier, though he doubted that Sanada was happy about that at all. He'd get a lot of grumbling from him in English today.

He felt a lot better when he'd woken up, getting ready for school as if nothing happened. His cello case was slung on his back, and Roko felt itching to play it, since he'd barely practiced at all during his sick days, he'd been more focused on perfecting the FuuRinKaZan, which he had done a surprising amount of. Roko had spent a lot of yesterday just repeating the techniques over and over again against a wall before he'd played Nanjiroh and used them practically, and though he didn't get a shot past him Roko knew he'd perfected it. Frankly, he couldn't remember why exactly he'd learned the technique in the first place, but he supposed it didn't matter, since now he had a new weapon to surprise Sanada with. Roko very much enjoyed how frustrated Sanada and Yanagi got over how they could never predict his movements, and he aimed to keep it that way, not out of pride, but because it was just how Roko was.

Unpredictable.

The sounds of rushing and grinding metal alerted Roko, turning to the sound to see the train pulling into the station slowly, and with a low hiss the doors slid open and passengers moved out, and Roko moved in after them, shouldering his cello case and school bag. Sometimes it was a pain carrying two bags at once, but with Sanada's incessant training and the constant carrying of them Roko barely felt their weight anymore. Or maybe his shoulders were just going numb.

Roko moved to the closest seat by the window, sitting down and placing his cello case next to him, people in front of him grabbing the handles above. Roko paid them no mind, digging out his iPod and placing his earphones in his ears, putting it on shuffle. Immediately there were the sounds of guitar strumming, closely followed by muffled whispers in the background, and Roko smiled. Another guitar entered, playing a quick riff that built up in speed as the whispering got louder, and there was a moment's pause before the guitars blared out for all their worth.

And this how it feels when I,

Ignore the words you spoke to me,

And this is where I lose myself,

When I keep running away from you,

And this is who I get when,

When I don't know myself anymore,

And this is what I choose when,

It's all left up to me.

Breathe your life into me,

I can't feel you,

I'm falling ~

Falling faster,

Breathe your life into me,

I still need you,

I'm falling ~

Falling

Breathe into me

(Breathe into me)

Roko smiled as he drifted into his own world of English alternative rock music, which was abruptly cut off when his cello case was suddenly knocked by a stray foot, and Roko moved immediately, grabbing the case before it fell and mentally sighing in relief as he glanced up in annoyance to meet the owner of the stray foot.