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queensweets
Takahisa paced back and forth in his room, thinking about what had happened earlier that day. He just couldn't stop thinking about tennis, no matter how many times he tried to tell himself that he hated the sport.
Why did it have to be tennis? Anything- anything else would have been fine!
He threw himself on the bed, burrowing his face in the pillow. He would have screamed in frustration had his father not been home.
From the day he first encountered tennis, he became aware of the sound of bouncing balls. It wasn't funny how much he thought of it, even the slightest thing, like the bricked wall around his school that made him think of the fence around where the boys had been playing tennis.
One week passed before he snuck back to watch, trying to hide better, but ended up with fingers twined in the fence, eyes glued to the players.
The two boys were there again, this time playing a girl and a boy the same age as them. They weren't the only ones there, though.
Two adult men were playing against each other.
"So you can play alone, too.." he murmured, taking in as much of the sport as possible.
This far, he had found out that you shot the ball over the net, inside the framed properties, trying to get the one or two persons on the other side of the net to miss.
"40-love!" a voice called as someone on one of the frames shot a ball right into the net.
The woman who had won a point jumped from one leg to the other, blowing a kiss towards the man on the other side. "One ball more and you owe me dinner, honey!" She laughed, her boyfriend smiling and laughing with her, before throwing the ball into the air, hitting it hard to the other side.
"Rabu?" Takahisa tried the word in his mouth, but was not satisfied. "Ravvu. Ravu. Ra- Ra- Ru- are?" He tilted his head and frowned in confusion. He had forgotten what they said already.
He was brought out of his thoughts by the woman letting out a happy sound and dancing over to the net where she met the man.
"I won, I won!" she said, hugging the other. They were equally sweaty, equally out of breath. And equally happy.
He watched the boy with glasses and the brunette play again. Their opponents were a girl with brown hair collected in a ponytail at the nape of the neck, a blue cap on her head. The boy with her had hair in a darker shade of brown, cut short in a buzz.
The ball was shot high up in the air, the boy shouting out. "It's a lob! Take it, Ami!"
"Roger!" the girl answered, jumping up and smashing the ball hard towards the ground.
The blackhaired boy's glasses gleamed. "Knew you would do that." And his friend was there, the ball moving across the space and bounced just in the corner.
Takahisa let out an amazed yell, and several eyes turned to him. He fleed in between the trees.
The next time he came, was five days after the last time, and the two boys were there once again.
And again, he ran when he was noticed.
He couldn't help but come back though, and the visits got closer and closer, until he was there every day.
It was like a part of his day now. Everyday, he would go there after school, stalling time and arriving around an hour after school ended. He would watch.
It didn't take long for the ones playing to realize that this odd guest would flee as soon as they knew he was there, so they pretended no to see him. He looked so amazed, even at the simplest of moves, they didn't mind if he was there. It didn't hurt anyone.
One day however, he noticed that the two boys were not there. Even though they had been playing every day, without fail. He pouted a little, knowing he wouldn't get to see them on what he had now learned was called the courts. He didn't hear the rustling behind him until it was too late.
A hand landed on his shoulder, not heavily, but it felt just that for the startled Takahisa, and a gentle voice spoke. "We knew you'd be here. Won't you come try it today? You're always just watching." It was the young brunette.
When he tried to run, he crashed right into the blackhaired boy with glasses. "Calm down. Why are you running?"
"Be-because- I- hate tennis.." His words shrunk, and by the last syllable, his voice was only a whisper.
The brunette lead him towards the courts anyway, Takahisa's feet moving on their own accord even though his brain was screaming at him to run, and run away fast. Another part of his head told him to come with them. They wanted to teach him tennis, that looked so fun.
"Yet you're still here to watch us every day."
"That is.." the blond didn't know what to say at that.
He just let himself be led onto the courts and suddenly there wasa raquet in his hands.
"Try to swing it." the brunette instructed, showing him how to do. He hesitated for a few moments, before doing as told. He tried it again, until the boys asked if he wanted to try to hit a few balls. He nodded, but stopped for a moment. "Can- Can I? Really?"
"Yes, these courst are open for anyone."
The brunette put a hand to his chest to stop him for a moment. "Before we start, what's your name?"
"Ka- Takahisa." he answered, not really up to people eventually finding out and telling hid father if they knew his last name.
"Takahisa-kun, is it." the raven boy said, adjusting his glasses before introducing himself and his friend. "I'm Inui Sadaharu, and this is Yanagi Renji."
When they got on the court, Yanagi stayed at the same side as him, Inui walking to the other side of the net. The brunette instructed him on how to serve.
He threw the ball in the air and bent backwards.
"Ow!"
He was sprawled on the ground, and the ball bounced against the ground. Yanagi picked it up, smiling.
"You don't have to bend until you fall, Takahisa-kun." he said and reached out a hand for him to take.
"O-okay."
When he was back on his feet, Yanagi handed him the ball.
Again, he fell backwards when he tried to serve. Even though it hurt, landing so awkwardly and sometimes even getting the ball in the face, it was fun. He had made friends, for the first time in his life, they were patient with him, and didn't yell at him when he did a mistake.
When he tried to serve this time, he felt hands supporting his back so he didn't bend too far. Surprised at that, he froze, and the ball promptly planted itself in his face.
"Ah, sorry, I should have warned. I'll help you get used to not bending so you'll fall over, so just concentrate on hitting the ball."
Takahisa nodded, picking up the ball. When the racket made impact with the ball, it felt amazing. He felt like maybe he could do this. The ball went right into the net.
He pursed his lips and picked it up. He was determinded to at least get it over no into the net.
And many balls later, he did it. It was slow and Inui easily caught it, but he finally got it over the net. He chased the ball, but he stumbled over his own feet, racket only brushing against the ball as it flew past after the bounce. He watched it roll for a bit before it finally stopped.
The two boys kept playing with him, and before they knew it, it was sunset.
"It's best we stop here for today." Yanagi said. Takahisa felt like he woke up from a trance. He looked at the time.
"It's late! I have to get home!"
Then he looked down at himself. He was warm and sweaty and out of breath. He couldn't go home yet, not without causing suspicion.
A towel was shoved into his hands, and he looked up.
"You're very flexible, Takahisa-kun." Yanagi said and motioned for him to follow into the changing rooms. "Do you do gymnastics?"
Takahisa shook his head. "I don't train any sports." he murmured, drying his face with the towel he had been given.
"You're welcome to play here, anytime you want, so don't just stand there, ne?"
He hesitated for a moment, but nodded shyly. "But I can't be all sweaty when I go home.."
Inui pushed up his glasses. "Just bring some light clothes and a towel. And preferably a bottle of water, too."
There was no problem with that, Kosuke didn't know what clothes he owned, anyway. He could easily sneak some with him in his schoolbag without him noticing.
And he knew he shouldn't, but he wanted to continue playing tennis, if only for a while. He would hide it from his father. As long as he would need. He had to.