no major tags, hints of potential Ryo/Izumi and past Tezuka/Fuji/Taka unspoken love triangle
941 words
It was Takashi's day to get up early and wipe down the counters, giving his dad the chance to sleep in now that his middle school years were over -- now that school was over, for good. Now he and his father traded off days staying up until 2AM to pour drinks for the late night crowd and getting up with the sun to prep for the next day's business. He'd helped in the mornings before, to be sure, but he'd always needed to do his homework, and go to sleep early, and leave for school before his dad could get a full night's sleep. This was better. He didn't have any regrets, which was exactly the way it was supposed to be.
The sound of knuckles rapping on the door post pulled his eyes up from the rice vinegar he was seasoning. That knock was too sure of itself to be a customer wondering if they were open yet, but if it was who he thought it was, he hadn't been expecting her until just after the lunch rush! But sure enough, there was Hayakawa Ryo-chan from the oden shop down the street, smiling away with a furoshiki-wrapped box that had to be her mother's handmade dashi for their usual trade.
"Ryo-chan? You're early! I haven't packed the stuff up yet!"
"I know, Taka-san... but I've got a surprise!"
"Okay..."
And when he opened the door, he saw what she meant. The bright blue-green pleated skirt and matching blazer Ryo-chan had on were famous.
"Wait a second! Is that a Kisaragi Girls' High School uniform? That big elite high school?!"
She gave it a twirl with a smile. "Yep!"
"And here I thought you were in the no-high school club with me!" As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he wished he could take it back. "Not that it's bad you're going to high school! That's fantastic. If your Mom can afford to send you there, you should go!"
Her hands shook a little as she set the box of dashi on the counter. Taka would've poured her a cup of tea no matter what, but today he got the feeling she really needed something to settle her nerves. It wasn't just being polite. Ryo-chan had stuff on her mind.
"I got... scouted," Ryo-chan said. "There's a scholarship and everything. The school wants to start a baseball team."
"Then why the long face?" he asked, pulling a few bottles of soy sauce from under the counter. Ryo-chan's mother might make the best dashi in the district -- even his dad admitted it was better than his -- but the little oden shop didn't have space to brew their own soy sauce. "Everybody here knows you've got the best fastball any school kid's ever thrown outside of Koushien."
She sat in silence through a few sips of her tea. Finally, she said, "Taka-san, you're a tennis player. A really good one."
"Well, yeah."
"How do I talk to a tennis player? There's this girl..." she said, and turned toward the wall trying not to blush. Takashi knew that look. He used to see it ten times a day, when he met the Captain's eye by accident because they were both looking at a teammate instead of paying attention to practice for just a minute. The middle school tennis circuit might as well have been a soap opera, and he hadn't exactly been immune to the attraction of a pretty face in the locker room when sweat and endorphins were flying everywhere. Ryo-chan didn't have to say it.
"You're talking about Himuro Izumi, right?"
"How did you know?!"
"You're going to Kisaragi, and asking me about tennis. You think I don't know Himuro-san?"
Ryo-chan rolled her eyes. "Okay, that's fair."
"Anyway, it's not like tennis players have some secret code we talk in." He set the bottles of soy sauce on the furoshiki and tied them up with a sigh. "But you know... you're used to playing with a team, thinking about when you have to step up and when you have to step back. And Himuro-san isn't a doubles player. With her, it's gonna be head on. A tennis player learns to dive for every shot. Even when your team backs you up, you're the one who's got to hit the ball."
"Hmm," she answered, in that tone that meant, "I guess you're right."
"Anyway, just go after her head-on, and you'll do fine." Takashi watched her finish her tea with a smile. "And remember kiddo... Tennis is like life! Everything starts with love."
She bopped him over the head for that, which he pretty much deserved. "You're not allowed to call me 'kiddo'! We're the same age!"
"Yeah, but I'm an old working man, and you're still in school! When're you gonna grow up?!"
Sticking out her tongue, she grabbed the package of soy sauce and headed for the door. "Well, I'm not going to let some old man make me late for morning practice! Thanks for the soy sauce, Taka-san! See you around!"
"Stay out of trouble, Ryo-chan!"
"You know I won't! But promise you'll come watch if we make it to Koushien!"
He waved her off as he poured out dry rice to wash for the first pot of the day. "Wouldn't miss it! Go get 'er, kiddo!" She didn't even turn around to notice his mistake, long gone and on her way back home, but he corrected himself anyway. "It. Go get it." But who was he kidding? He hoped she got the championship and the girl.
FILL: TEAM CHIHAYAFURU, PG
941 words
It was Takashi's day to get up early and wipe down the counters, giving his dad the chance to sleep in now that his middle school years were over -- now that school was over, for good. Now he and his father traded off days staying up until 2AM to pour drinks for the late night crowd and getting up with the sun to prep for the next day's business. He'd helped in the mornings before, to be sure, but he'd always needed to do his homework, and go to sleep early, and leave for school before his dad could get a full night's sleep. This was better. He didn't have any regrets, which was exactly the way it was supposed to be.
The sound of knuckles rapping on the door post pulled his eyes up from the rice vinegar he was seasoning. That knock was too sure of itself to be a customer wondering if they were open yet, but if it was who he thought it was, he hadn't been expecting her until just after the lunch rush! But sure enough, there was Hayakawa Ryo-chan from the oden shop down the street, smiling away with a furoshiki-wrapped box that had to be her mother's handmade dashi for their usual trade.
"Ryo-chan? You're early! I haven't packed the stuff up yet!"
"I know, Taka-san... but I've got a surprise!"
"Okay..."
And when he opened the door, he saw what she meant. The bright blue-green pleated skirt and matching blazer Ryo-chan had on were famous.
"Wait a second! Is that a Kisaragi Girls' High School uniform? That big elite high school?!"
She gave it a twirl with a smile. "Yep!"
"And here I thought you were in the no-high school club with me!" As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he wished he could take it back. "Not that it's bad you're going to high school! That's fantastic. If your Mom can afford to send you there, you should go!"
Her hands shook a little as she set the box of dashi on the counter. Taka would've poured her a cup of tea no matter what, but today he got the feeling she really needed something to settle her nerves. It wasn't just being polite. Ryo-chan had stuff on her mind.
"I got... scouted," Ryo-chan said. "There's a scholarship and everything. The school wants to start a baseball team."
"Then why the long face?" he asked, pulling a few bottles of soy sauce from under the counter. Ryo-chan's mother might make the best dashi in the district -- even his dad admitted it was better than his -- but the little oden shop didn't have space to brew their own soy sauce. "Everybody here knows you've got the best fastball any school kid's ever thrown outside of Koushien."
She sat in silence through a few sips of her tea. Finally, she said, "Taka-san, you're a tennis player. A really good one."
"Well, yeah."
"How do I talk to a tennis player? There's this girl..." she said, and turned toward the wall trying not to blush. Takashi knew that look. He used to see it ten times a day, when he met the Captain's eye by accident because they were both looking at a teammate instead of paying attention to practice for just a minute. The middle school tennis circuit might as well have been a soap opera, and he hadn't exactly been immune to the attraction of a pretty face in the locker room when sweat and endorphins were flying everywhere. Ryo-chan didn't have to say it.
"You're talking about Himuro Izumi, right?"
"How did you know?!"
"You're going to Kisaragi, and asking me about tennis. You think I don't know Himuro-san?"
Ryo-chan rolled her eyes. "Okay, that's fair."
"Anyway, it's not like tennis players have some secret code we talk in." He set the bottles of soy sauce on the furoshiki and tied them up with a sigh. "But you know... you're used to playing with a team, thinking about when you have to step up and when you have to step back. And Himuro-san isn't a doubles player. With her, it's gonna be head on. A tennis player learns to dive for every shot. Even when your team backs you up, you're the one who's got to hit the ball."
"Hmm," she answered, in that tone that meant, "I guess you're right."
"Anyway, just go after her head-on, and you'll do fine." Takashi watched her finish her tea with a smile. "And remember kiddo... Tennis is like life! Everything starts with love."
She bopped him over the head for that, which he pretty much deserved. "You're not allowed to call me 'kiddo'! We're the same age!"
"Yeah, but I'm an old working man, and you're still in school! When're you gonna grow up?!"
Sticking out her tongue, she grabbed the package of soy sauce and headed for the door. "Well, I'm not going to let some old man make me late for morning practice! Thanks for the soy sauce, Taka-san! See you around!"
"Stay out of trouble, Ryo-chan!"
"You know I won't! But promise you'll come watch if we make it to Koushien!"
He waved her off as he poured out dry rice to wash for the first pot of the day. "Wouldn't miss it! Go get 'er, kiddo!" She didn't even turn around to notice his mistake, long gone and on her way back home, but he corrected himself anyway. "It. Go get it." But who was he kidding? He hoped she got the championship and the girl.