Update - I noticed that Roko says 'I don't care' way too many times. So I changed the dialogue and added a few things here and there.
Give opinions on this chapter please. You've probably noticed that the past few chapters have been based on Roko's psychology. But the next chapters will actually involve the other regulars, and others :)
Streets of Kanagawa
The bus was due to arrive at the Kanagawa Tennis Gardens in ten minutes, and the Rikkaidai regulars were all seated awaiting the arrival. Kirihara and Niou had engaged in some argument that Sanada couldn't care less about, with Jackal trying to stop them. Marui and Yagyuu pointedly ignored them and engaged in their own conversation, and Echizen was sat by himself, staring out the window with his earphones in his ears.
Sanada couldn't understand Echizen for the life of him. It was true, they spent a lot of time together - though it was forced time together - they didn't engage in conversation often, because they both weren't the talkative type. Sanada's grades in English had improved a lot ever since Echizen had started tutoring him, always bringing a slice of cake with him to eat as Sanada worked on a paragraph. He knew that he was getting soft toward Echizen, since he noticed the amount of times he would have punished someone else for being late or wandering off, but instead he shrugged it off because it was Echizen.
It was concerning to him as a captain. He knew he couldn't be weak for Echizen, and that he had to stop and harden his resolve. But it seemed that the freshman constantly being at Sanada's side had brought out a more peaceful side to him, and Sanada did not like that one bit.
"Yanagi" he said, looking to the data master next to him.
"Hm?" Yanagi responded.
"What data do you have on Echizen?" he asked bluntly. Yanagi nodded in understanding and opened his notebook which materialized in his hand, quickly flicking to his pages on Echizen.
"What would you like to know?" Yanagi asked.
"His tennis style" was Sanada's response. Yanagi scanned the page and opened his mouth to speak.
"Echizen is by far the fastest regular on our team. His tennis style relies heavily on that speed, and so he constantly maintains it to make sure it's at the top standard. He prefers to drop balls into the court from the net, and has a habit of hitting lobs with serves rather than smashing them - meaning his weakness is power" Sanada grunted in response for him to continue.
"To counter this power weakness he developed the Lob Trap and Bait Serve. They work in the same way, the ball is sent flying upwards, and if the opponent smashes, Echizen returns it with a Rising Shot. If the opponent waits for the ball to fall, Echizen dashes to the net and drops it into the court" Sanada nodded, remembering watching Echizen's play and being impressed by the serve that sent the ball flying upwards - the one Yanagi had dubbed Bait Serve.
"And what about his other serve?" Sanada asked. There was a pause from Yanagi before he spoke.
"The Lightning Bolt, a serve that uses the player's left arm. Echizen bends backwards until his back is parallel to the ground, and then hits the ball above him, snapping his wrist and spine in unison like a spring. The ball is sent at around 260km/h, which breaks the record for the fastest serve in an official middle school game"
"But?" Sanada asked. Yanagi sighed.
"But, the serve puts much strain on the arm, as I am sure you have seen. Echizen can only do the serve four times, and then the pain in his arm would force him to stop using it" Sanada grunted and said nothing.
"Is that what you wanted to know?" Yanagi asked.
"Yes" was Sanada's simple reply.
Yanagi nodded and made no room for further conversation, and Sanada looked back at the freshman from the corner of his eye.
Is that why you keep aspirin in your bag?
Kanagawa Tennis Gardens Courts
Roko watched with a rather smug satisfaction as Yagyuu and Niou practically danced around their opponents. This school - whatever their name was - had a rather cocky regular team, cocky enough to believe they were good enough to beat Rikkaidai. Roko was actually rather impressed; this team had guts to stand there and proudly declare they would win against the National Champions. He had hoped that they would be a challenge if they think themselves better, but unfortunately they were only average - better than the team they had played previously, but still sadly average.
"Game and match, Yagyuu-Niou! 6-0!" the umpire called, and there was a sudden cheer from the non-regulars of Rikkaidai who had come to watch.
"Rikkaidai! Rikkaidai! Always win Rikkaidai!"
Roko mentally sighed in annoyance as they continually chanted it over and over again, clearly having nothing better to do. Niou and Yagyuu left the courts with an unsatisfied look, which Roko understood. Sanada offered no praise for beating a weak team, and so they both sat down and took a drink of water without a word spoken.
"Next match, Singles 3, Echizen Roko vs Yakuta Ippei" Roko sighed in annoyance as he put down his earphones and iPod - which he had put a password on - before taking off his regulars jacket and picking up his racket.
"You're my opponent?" he heard from across the court. Echizen turned to see a disgusted looking third year with weird brown hair looking at him.
"You've got to be kidding; I have to play against this idiot first year?" he remarked, and almost immediately Sanada was next to him.
"What did you say!?" he roared, but Yakuta was unfazed.
"You heard me. How on Earth can someone who's too stupid to talk even play tennis? You guys are so weak"
Roko rolled his eyes, unfazed by his insults. He'd heard them most of his life and had become accustomed to it, but it seemed that the other regulars didn't agree, and all looked at Yakuta with murderous glares.
"You bastard" Marui said icily. Yakuta just snorted.
"It's true. How do you guys even-"
"Say one more word and you will suffer" Sanada growled, giving his terrifying death glare that would cut through solid stone. Yakuta seemed to hesitate, and thankfully did not say more. Sanada then turned to Roko and gave him an intense look.
"If you drop so much as one point to this idiot you will run laps until you collapse" Sanada stated, and Roko couldn't help but mentally smirk at his comment. It seemed Sanada was rather prideful about his team, and he wanted Roko to destroy this guy. He nodded once and went onto the courts, with Yakuta already waiting at the net. Roko held up his hand to shake with him, but Yakuta just gave his annoying snort.
"No way am I shaking hands with you, I might catch your disease or something". Roko felt a slight tinge of anger and murderous thoughts, but quickly pushed it away. He could see the Rikkaidai regulars were sharing similar murderous thoughts, as were the non-regulars in the crowd, but Yakuta didn't even notice.
Roko returned to the baseline, and bounced a ball in his hand.
"Are you really Echizen Ryoma's brother?"
Roko stopped, and sharply looked up at Yakuta, who stood at the other end of the court folding his arms and had a smug grin.
"You mustn't be, I mean, you can't even speak, never mind play tennis. Echizen Ryoma is leagues apart from you!"
Roko didn't understand how someone from the Kanagawa district knew about his brother, and how good he was. But he didn't really care, because he was now using all his willpower to force down the anger rising in his throat.
You've heard it all before, he told himself, ignore it
He bounced the ball again, blocking out Yakuta's cocky remarks, and served.
Kanagawa Tennis Gardens Courts
"Echizen Ryoma..." Yanagi muttered.
"Who's he? Echizen's brother?" Marui wondered out loud.
"Well of course he is" Kirihara cut in, "they have the same last name". Marui turned sharply to him.
"I wasn't asking you, Bakaya!" he retorted, and Kirihara's eyes hardened.
"Stop calling me Bakaya, Marui-senpai" he growled, and the engaged in a staring contest.
"Enough" Sanada growled, not in any mood to break up a petty argument. He was annoyed enough at this idiot captain's remarks as it was. Fortunately, it seemed Echizen was having no trouble with him, but despite this, the idiot made a derogatory remark after every point he lost. He probably didn't even care that he was losing.
"Game, Echizen! 3-0! Change court" the umpire called. The two players moved to the opposite sides, Yakuta looking at Echizen with an open disgust that made Sanada's blood boil.
"I'm impressed, the mute boy can play" he suddenly remarked, and Sanada resisted to urge to kill him right there and then. Kirihara was on his feet in an instant.
"He's beating you, you moron!" he called, but Yakuta gave his ugly snort again and pretended like he didn't hear it.
Sanada could see in Echizen's eye that he was supressing a lot of anger and rage. It wasn't surprising really, and Sanada was actually impressed that Yakuta hadn't been killed by now; their freshman had a lot of self-control.
Yakuta was bouncing the ball to serve, and he looked up at Echizen with his annoying cocky grin.
"I'm going to destroy you now, you idiot kid" he remarked. Sanada could see Echizen twitch slightly, and his eye widened into a murderous look.
"You don't deserve to be in Rikkaidai, you stupid little mute boy"
And Echizen snapped.
Kanagawa Tennis Gardens Courts
"How on Earth can someone who's too stupid to talk even play tennis?"
Shut up...
"No way am I shaking hands with you, I might catch your disease or something"
Shut up...
"Are you really Echizen Ryoma's brother?"
Shut up...
"Echizen Ryoma is leagues apart from you!"
Just shut up...
"I'm impressed the mute boy can play"
Shut up...
"I'm going to destroy you now, you idiot kid"
Shut up!
"You don't deserve to be in Rikkaidai, you stupid little mute boy"
SHUT UP!
...
"15-0!"
Good. Send another one at me, I'll return it again
...
"30-0!"
I've used it twice now. Two more times and then I have to stop.
He's going to serve, get ready
...
"40-0!"
He looks terrified...
Good. Be afraid of me. I'll crush you, Yakuta Ippei!
...
"Game Echizen! 4-0!"
It's my turn to serve now.
Don't use the Lightning Bolt; it puts too much strain on your arm. You've used it four times.
...
"15-0!"
Good! I will destroy him if I keep this up
You've used it five times now! Sanada will be angry!
I don't care.
...
"30-0!"
Are you looking at Sanada? Do you know how angry he looks? You disobeyed him and went over the limit
So I'll end this quicker
Do you have any idea what might happen to your arm?
It doesn't matter
Don't use that serve again.
...
"40-0!"
You used it.
I did. I'm going to make this guy pay. I'll destroy him
You think that straining your arm is the answer? You don't need to go all-out to beat him.
No, I'm going to punish him. I'll make him dread the day he called me 'mute boy'
...
"Game, Echizen! 5-0!"
You've doubled your limit. Stop it now. Your arm is shaking from the pain.
Is it? I didn't even notice
Do you even realise what might happen if you go too far?
It will be fine, my arm will heal
No it won't! It doesn't work like that! This could be serious!
It won't be serious
I can't convince you, can I?
No
Do. Not. Use. It. Use your right hand from now on.
...
"15-0!"
You didn't use it, that's an improvement
Shut up
You can't even put your racket in your left hand because it hurts that much
Yes I can
...
See? You can't physically hold it, it hurts so much.
I don't care. I'll do it anyway.
...
"30-0!"
Stop trying to put your racket in your left hand! It won't work.
Shut up
...
"40-0!"
One more point. One more and the pain will be over. You just have to not use the Lightning Bolt for one more point.
I'm going to use it.
What!? You can't! You can't even put your racket in your hand
...
You idiot! Are you even paying attention to the pain? Do you think aspirin alone will fix this?
No, but I'm going to win anyway
Don't use it. Please.
Shut up.
...
"Game and match, Echizen Roko! 6-0!"
...
You dropped the racket.
I can't hold it anymore.
Because you didn't listen to me!
It hurts so much...
Because you didn't listen to me!
It hurts...
Sanada is coming.
Oh no, I know that look
...
He slapped me again.
You deserved it.
He's screaming at me.
Again, you deserved it.
Why is everyone looking at me like I'm near death?
Probably because you're pale and sweating from the pain, or did you even notice?
...
I'm leaving. Ryoma's game starts in half an hour.
You know Sanada is going crazy at you?
He can go crazy at me later.
...
I can't believe you just walked away like that.
I have to be there for Ryoma's game.
You really put others before yourself don't you? You could go to hospital and yet you're more interested in Ryoma. It's unhealthy.
I don't care.
...
Whose voice is calling?
Doesn't matter, the train station is close by.
At least take some aspirin first
Fine