Requested by @egingjr. Enjoy!
Fic title: Tennis Tag Team
Y/N's POV
I met Hoshi online. That's the basic outline of this story.
It all started on a rainy day where boredom was quick to swallow me and I had decided to pick up a new hobby. I tried videogames, baking, writing, drawing and all failed to amuse me.
So, like any normal human being, I turned to the internet.
Fun new hobbies?
Casual hobbies list?
What are some good hobbies to pick up?
I clicked every last link under these searches until I fell into a rabbit hole of random articles on WikiHow, spamming the 'surprise me' button every two seconds.
How to make out for the first time.
How to stop being bored.
How to play tennis.
Tennis? It seemed a bit... odd to do on a rainy day. Despite my thoughts I scanned through the article as well as picking my brain and wondering if I had a tennis ball and racket so I could practice solo in my basement.
I did a lot of research which dulled my boredom slightly until I found a chatroom for tennis players.
Why not?
Causingaracket entered the chatroom.
Causingaracket: Yooooooooo homsicles.
I liked the username I picked. Puns would always cause people to respond!
Or... so I thought.
When I realised that the chatroom was dead I sighed heavily, closing my laptop and just mindlessly watching TV for the rest of the rainy day.
It took a total of three continuously stormy days for me to get a response.
Anonplayer: hey
Anonplayer: how long have you been playing for?
Awkwardness swallowed my boredom as I responded.
Causingaracket: uhhhhh I'm just starting
Anonplayer: oh
Anonplayer: I mean, that's pretty cool. Good for you.
Anonplayer: hate to tell you this but this chat has been dead for ages.
Causingaracket: oh
Causingaracket: well, you seem cool enough!
Anonplayer: oh
Anonplayer: I mean like
Anonplayer: thank you but you don't have to say that
Causingaracket: I'm Y/N.
Anonplayer: Ryoma.
Causingaracket: Wait, don't you go to Hope's Peak? You're the SHSL Tennis Pro, right?
Anonplayer: You're the SHSL Y/T?
Causingaracket: wow, you know me?
Anonplayer: I think we've talked a bit in english
Anonplayer: idk tho
Causingaracket: well, I'd love to meet up at some point?
Causingaracket: you could teach me tennis maybe?
His response took a while.
Anonplayer: i mean I stopped playing a while ago
Anonplayer: but sure?
Causingaracket: tmr will be sunny apparently. We could meet up at the park and play a round? 4:00pm ish?
Anonplayer: match
Causingaracket: right
Anonplayer: sure. Sounds fun.
Causingaracket: see you there, Hoshi :)
I ended up spending the rest of the day impatiently waiting to see Hoshi.
Hoshi's POV
Y/N and I had spoken a bit. They seemed cool. I even started getting a crush.
I mean, I hate using the term 'crush' since it seemed so childish but I lack a better term.
I took my best tennis rackets and a small bag of tennis balls and made my way to the park so that I could see Y/N and play a set with them.
I tried not to focus on my many faults. I tried distracting myself by counting my steps, but doubts soon weaved themselves into my mind. I was a criminal and Y/N didn't deserve a criminal.
I was waiting by the tennis court at this point. I saw Y/N approaching and panicked. I realised how much I liked things the way they were - they didn't need to know much about me and I didn't need to pry into their personal business.
"Hoshi, hey." She waved. Her face was burning - they were probably embarrassed to be around someone like me.
"Hi." I responded, grabbing a racket and fiddling with it in my hand. "Ready to play? I mean, unless you want to do something else. It's really up to you."
"Well, what do you want to do?"
"I mean tennis, but—"
"—Then it's settled. Can I borrow a racket?"
I hesitated before handing them one. "Sure."
We played for a bit, I won the match, and we soon ended up sitting with some water so that we could catch our breath.
"Wow, that was fun." Y/N laughed. "I honestly didn't expect you to be so fast, Hoshi."
"Eh, you'd be surprised." I replied. I still felt guilty - it wouldn't be long before I'd be dragging her into my personal problems.
"Hoshi, you've seemed kind of... off. Is something wrong?"
"Oh, no no no, I just... It's dumb."
They came a bit closer. "Was I annoying? Sorry, I was completely clueless—"
"No no no!" I blurted out. "I just... I don't want to annoy you with my self depreciation and inability to cope."
"Hoshi..." They sighed. They leaned on me slightly. "It's okay."
"It's... I mean I'm a criminal and—"
"—It's okay, like I said before."
"But... You just make me so happy. I don't want to scare you away."
"Okay then." They grinned, "Let's go on a date."
Thankfully I'd just swallowed some water, otherwise I would have done a spit-take. "What?" I asked.
"Yep. If we go out with each other then I can keep making you happy. Sorry, was I too bold? Did you even mean romantically? Oh my God, I am so sorry, that was weird."
"No, let's... let's do that."
"Really?"
I tried to hide the relief in my voice that they were willing to date someone like me.
Y/N pecked me on the forehead before grabbing their water and taking their leave.