[HNG/POT] Go no Oujisama * chapter 5: serving no mercy

[lucathia]

Title: Go no Oujisama
Chapter: 5/?
Author: lucathia_rykatu
Fandom: Hikaru no Go, Prince of Tennis
Characters: Shindou Hikaru, Touya Akira, Echizen Ryoma, Momoshiro Takeshi, Kikumaru Eiji
Disclaimer: I do not own HNG nor do I own POT.
Archive: livejournal / ffnet

Summary: Touya Akira finds himself standing at the baselines of the tennis courts, wondering what in the world he's doing there.  It's all Shindou's fault.

-chapter 5: Serving no Mercy-

Right after he announced the score, Kikumaru sighed and shook his head in disappointment.

“Ochibi! How can you be so cruel? Shindou-kun is just a beginner!” Using his twist serve on a beginner...what was Ochibi thinking?

The short first year didn’t bother to answer his sempai. Bouncing his racket on his right shoulder, he silently walked towards the left-hand side of the court, ready to serve again.

“Ochibi! Are you listening to me?”

Apparently not. Echizen started bouncing the ball again. He didn’t even look in the direction of his partner when he uttered his next words.

“Ne, your name is Touya right? Can you get into position already?”

The boy who shared Echizen’s forest green hair was still standing on the same side of the court as Echizen. He opened his mouth to ask something, but then he noticed that Echizen wasn’t even looking at him.

Frustrated, Touya Akira turned towards Kikumaru for help.

“Ano, where am I supposed to stand now?”

Kikumaru hurried over from the sidelines to explain.

“Ochibi started serving from the right. It was best for you to stand near the net on the left then. Now he’s serving the next point from the left baseline, so the best position for you to stand is near the net on the right. Of course, you don’t have to stand there. You can stand anywhere you want.”

“Okay, thank you.”

What Kikumaru said didn’t sound too hard. He should be able to do that, right?

“Whoever gets up to four points wins the game, and whoever wins up to six games wins the match. And, you have to win by at least two games.”

Touya nodded. He could remember these rules.

-o0o-

Momoshiro stood lightly, ready to spring forward at any moment to meet the terrifying spin of Echizen’s twist serve. He had played against Echizen before and had a taste of Echizen’s serve. Echizen’s twist serve was becoming more and more polished each time he used it. It was certainly much stronger than the twist serve that Echizen had first used on him. Nonetheless, Momoshiro felt confident that he could return it.

After all, he had to return it to start some kind of rally, or he and Shindou would have no chance of winning.

He saw Echizen throw the ball up and bring his racket down.

When the ball landed, Momoshiro did not even let one moment of hesitation hindrance him. He immediately sprang towards the ball and met the ball just as it barely bounced off the clay court.

He swung forward.

It wasn’t a clean swing, but at least he made contact with the damn ball.

The ball spun wildly on his racket before leaving the strings.

He watched the ball as it seemed to drift.

Was it going to make it over the net?

The ball hit the net and sailed up.

Where was it going to land?

On his and Shindou’s side or on theirs?

The ball hit the net again and rolled.

He followed the ball’s path with his eyes.

The ball was rolling towards Echizen’s side.

Shindou whopped.

“Take that!”

Touya’s eyes seemed to flash when he heard Shindou’s words. Not knowing that Echizen had already started dashing towards the falling ball, Touya moved for the ball as well.

Momoshiro winced.

Rackets clattered and the ball rolled by their feet.

Shindou winced as well.

“Uh, are you two okay?”

“Fifteen-all!” announced Kikumaru, regardless of Echizen and Touya’s predicament. He didn’t seem too worried...instead, he was snickering.

Touya rubbed his left arm. From his position on the ground, Touya glared up at the half-sitting first year. Echizen’s arrogance was starting to irk him, and he felt a rare need to say what was on his mind.

“I have never played doubles before, but I think I know enough to say that I should have gone after that ball instead of you.”

Silence.

All eyes turned towards the two green haired boys.

Echizen fixed his cap as he grabbed his racket and pushed himself off the ground.

“Fine.”

Touya got up and picked up his borrowed racket. That response was oddly short. The first-year didn’t seem very talkative. If it had been Shindou that he had said his previous words to, a heated argument would have no doubt started.

It was probably a good thing that he wasn’t partners with Shindou, or else they would have been arguing all over the place. But, he felt that at least he would have been more comfortable being partnered with Shindou than with the reticent Echizen.

-o0o-

Hikaru tightened his grip. It was his turn to receive again! Would he be able to return that ball that seemed to come screaming into his face?

He smiled slightly, thinking about the shot that Momoshiro had hit. It had barely made it over the net, but they still earned the point.

Hikaru! Here it comes! yelled Sai to the side.

The second year heard the ball hit the ground, but he hadn’t been paying attention before, so he blindly brought his racket out in front of his face as protection. True to his reflexes, the ball came screaming at his face again, hitting his racket, knocking his racket into his face.

The ball bounced off and sailed over the net.

Sai, even though he was concerned about Hikaru, floated over towards the net, hoping that Hikaru would be able to score a point. He was a bit taken back when all Touya had to do was stick out his arm. Hikaru’s ball hit Touya’s strings and easily sailed back over onto Hikaru’s side.

Plomp.

The ball landed and no one got to it.

“Oi, you okay Shindou?” asked Momoshiro.

Hikaru, who had been rubbing his face and watching helplessly as the ball plopped onto the ground, nodded.

“hmkay,” mumbled Hikaru.

“Thirty-fifteen!” announced Kikumaru.

They got back into their positions. Echizen did another twist serve, but this time Momoshiro had already gotten his own swing and timing down. He hit the ball over the net cleanly. Echizen smirked and hit the ball back.

The ball kept going back and forth between the two tennis players.

Hikaru rolled his eyes. Note: He actually had time to roll his eyes!

“Touya, are we being left out of the game or what?”

Touya, never taking his eyes off the path of the ball, replied, “Conversing with your opponent now? You should pay more attention to the ball.”

With those words, Touya suddenly stepped in and volleyed the ball past Hikaru.

Hikaru’s mouth dropped. “That’s so not right!”

“Forty-fifteen!”

At Touya’s nonchalant look, Hikaru shut up and quickly stood behind the baseline, ready to take on Echizen’s serve. He had to get this next point and turn the game around!

Echizen tossed the ball up and swung.

This time Hikaru was paying very close attention to Echizen’s serve. He was certainly not going to let his mind wander again!

He watched the ball land in front of him, flattening slightly and then flying towards his face. He took a step back and swung.

He was surprised when all he hit was air.

“Game! One game to love. Echizen-Touya pair in the lead. Switch sides.”

“Oh, that was close. You almost got it,” said Momoshiro reassuring. “But damn, they won a game! We need to make a comeback. Do you want to serve in this next game?”

Hikaru blinked.

“What? Me serve?”

Yay! Go Hikaru! Cheered Sai.

“I can’t serve! I don’t know how!”

Momoshiro frowned.

“Have you ever served before?”

Hikaru shook his head.

“Er...that’s going to be a bit of a problem.”

-to be continued-