A Brief Introduction by the Author
Singles Three is finished, maybe in more ways than one, and it's time for Hida's premiere doubles pair to take the court. This chapter follows Hirohito Ito, the club captain, as he and his brother try to take down the Rokkaku pair of Ryou Kisaradu and Harukaze Kurobane. In keeping with tradition, we'll give you a brief look at Hirohito in this installment of the Dark Horse OC spotlight.
Hirohito Ito (3rd year)- As Hida's Team Captain, Hirohito is one half of Doubles One, along with his (fraternal) twin brother Tetsuya. Hirohito has been playing since he was very little, and in a pure-skills competition, he is a better player than even Seiichi and Sunama. His only fault is his occasional lack of insight into the world around him. Hirohito is usually a very pleasant person to be around, but the stress of the national tournament has brought him close to his limit and he hasn't been himself lately. Hirohito is a little taller than average, with wild black hair and green eyes. On any other day, he loves to play pranks on people and has a very large and infectious grin. (For an image of the real Hirohito, imagine Sorata Arisugawa from X/1999 and make the hair a bit spikier)
Play Style: All-Rounder
Plays: Right-handed
Height: 175cm
Weight: 56kg
Blood Type: A
Birthday: 16 July
One last incidental note: The earthquake that just hit Japan on 25 March 2007 (less than a week before this chapter was first published) happened just off the coast of Ishikawa Prefecture, in exactly the location I discuss in this chapter. An unexpected coincidence. Thank you for your time.
Dark Horse
Chapter 7 – The Weight of Water
Ishikawa Prefecture was beautiful in the fall. Red stained the leaves of the maple trees growing on the northern peninsula. The air was warm, the cold bite of winter still a few months away. Lush forest lined the back-country roads, so unlike the busy cityscapes of metropolitan Japan.
Hirohito was seven years old. His parents were taking him and Tetsuya to the sea this weekend. Hiro had never been to the sea before, and excitement kept him bouncing in his seat. Beside him, Tetsuya looked merely happy. But Tetsuya had been taking swimming lessons for the last two years. For him, swimming in the sea must not seem all that different from his weekly classes. For Hiro, this experience was all new.
Hiro had been swimming before, of course. He and Tetsuya went to the municipal pool once every month or two. But Hiro was only a passable swimmer, and as much as he enjoyed it, he didn't have the same interest that Tetsuya did. When their mother had first asked them about swimming lessons, Tetsuya had nearly squealed, he was so excited. But Hiro had decided to do something else. He'd been taking beginning tennis classes for a couple years now. It was hard, and the rackets and balls seemed so big, but he did enjoy it. Still, it would be more fun if Tetsuya came and played too.
The car glided around a turn, and the forest thinned so that Hiro could make out the sea in the distance. The water shimmered, reflecting the sunlight. Hiro's father pulled off into a large parking lot. The lot was surprisingly empty, holding less than ten other cars.
"Okay, you two. We're here." Hiro's mother turned around to smile at the boys in the back seat. "Your dad and I are going to get out the towels and the umbrella, and then we'll have some lunch, but until then, you can go swim. We'll come in later, after lunch, and we can all play together."
Hiro couldn't keep himself from cheering as he fumbled for the button to release his seat belt. "Really, Mom? Can we go swimming before lunch?"
His father turned off the ignition before turning to the back seat. "If your mother says it's all right, yes, you can. But remember to stay close to Tetsuya, Hiro. And Tetsuya, you make sure Hiro doesn't get in any trouble. I figure we'll have lunch ready in about half an hour, so make sure you're back soon unless you want me to eat all the onigiri. I'm hungry, you know. Driving's hard work." He gave a wink and unlocked the doors from the front seat.
Hiro was off and running almost before Tetsuya could get out of his seat.
"Game, set, won by Daisaku Yamaguchi, seven games to five."
Hirohito was on his feet with all the other players, cheering for Daisaku. He could hardly believe Hida had won their first set in the national tournament. It seemed impossible. Daisaku had never played that well, not even in the Tokai finals. With a win from Daisaku, the first match was almost clinched. But that injury….
Ando-sensei hurried across the court to Daisaku, worry creasing his face. He turned once to shout back over his shoulder. "Hirohito. Tetsuya. Suit up."
Hiro stood smoothly, shrugging his shoulders to make his jacket drop to the seat behind him. The cloth made a light-blue-and-black mound on the bench. He turned to Tetsuya, and found his brother rummaging in his equipment bag for his tennis racket. "Well, Tetsu, let's do this." Hiro smiled as he said it, but Tetsuya just gave a small nod without saying anything or even turning to meet Hiro's eyes. That was unusual. Tetsuya was always full of energy before a match, completely unable to conceal his excitement. Hiro hoped his brother wasn't beginning to get nervous. Nerves could take Tetsu off his game. Not that it mattered, though. Not really. He and Tetsuya would win this set even if Hiro had to play the whole thing himself. Doing well in this tournament was important to a lot of people.
Moreso, Hiro knew doing well in this tournament meant a lot to Tetsuya. Tetsu held it in, now, but he had always been the more competitive one, even when they were little. Hiro wouldn't let the team fail, wouldn't let his brother fail, no matter what it took. Hida was going to go all the way. Because, Hiro knew, that would make Tetsuya happy.
Pulling his own racket from his bag, Hiro made his way down to the court. He could hear Tetsuya trailing him silently. He clicked his tongue in irritation – this was no time for Tetsu to start acting funny – but he let it be for now. The two of them strode to the net, facing off against the two Rokkaku players.
"Doubles Two will now begin. The best of one set match. Hirohito Ito and Tetsuya Ito of Hida versus Ryou Kisaradu and Harukaze Kurobane of Rokkaku. Rokkaku pair to serve!" The announcer's voice rang out above the crowd, quieting the spectators. Hirohito reached across the net to shake the hand of a player about his height with dark, feathery hair. Beside him, Tetsuya greeted another player who wore a cap pulled down over his own long black hair. The one with the cap, Kisaradu, gave a small smile before dropping Tetsuya's hand.
"Gonna be a good game, don'cha think, Ryou?" The player across from Hiro tilted his head back and stared toward the sun, wind ruffling his hair. Hiro followed his gaze and saw a large black crow circling over the stadium, gliding lazily on the breeze. "Seems like a nice day to fly." Kurobane shot a grin at his partner and turned from the net, walking back toward the baseline.
Hirohito turned to the right, words of encouragement already on his lips, but he found that Tetsuya was already walking back to the baseline to receive Kurobane's first serve. He walked with his head bowed, fiddling with the strings on his racket. In three years, Hirohito had never seen Tetsuya play with his strings before a match. Why now? Was there something wrong with him?
"Hey, Hida. You ready to play, or you just gonna stand there?" The voice from across the net was soft and light, and brought Hirohito's head around. Kisaradu shot that same secretive smile at Hiro.
The crack of the first serve took Hiro by surprise, as he was still looking at the Rokkaku net player. "Fifteen; love." An ace? Hiro turned to see Tetsuya walking forward to the net, his eyes fixed to the court surface. He couldn't make out the expression on his brother's face.
Hiro turned, striding toward his own half of the baseline to receive the next serve. When it came, it was high and fast, bounding above Hiro's regular forehand reach. He had to catch the ball with a kind of half-smash to catch it, and his control was weak in the return. The shot flew straight to the net, and Kisaradu put it away with an easy smash. "Thirty; love."
"Looks like he serves like Iwasa, Tetsu. Just be careful and you should be able to catch them." Hirohito forced a smile onto his face as he walked by his brother, and gave him a pat on the back. Tetsuya stumbled a step before continuing to the service line, still silent.
The next serve came high again, and this time Tetsuya returned it without difficulty. The ball sliced into the backcourt, forcing Kurobane to catch it with a rising backhand. The Rokkaku player's return made a smooth, slow arc toward Tetsuya, but Hiro took a chance, lunging across the net to volley the ball into the open side of Rokkaku's backcourt. He barely kept himself from falling, but Hiro's shot struck clean and rebounded back to the court wall. "Thirty; fifteen."
The next serve went wide, and Hiro returned the slower second serve with a quick overhead snap not far different from his own serve that managed to fall outside the reach of either Rokkaku player. "Thirty all," the chair umpire's voice rang out. Hiro smiled to himself. Rokkaku's Doubles Two wasn't any stronger than he'd expected. With Sunama playing next, Hida would probably have their first round sewn up in three sets.
Kurobane's next serve to Tetsuya looked the same as the one before, quick and with a high bound. Tetsuya met it with the same return, and Kurobane was forced into the same rising backhand to return the ball. What worked once….
Hiro leapt across court to catch the shot before it could slip into the backcourt. He stretched his right arm, racket outstretched… and watched in dumb silence as the ball that he had thought barely controlled twisted farther and farther out of his reach, sliding around his racket and striking in the backcourt. Hiro was still trying to regain his footing when he heard the pluck of strings announcing that Tetsuya had managed to intercept the shot he had missed. The ball flew toward him, using Hiro's position to disguise the trajectory to the Rokkaku players – that was a favorite tactic of Tetsuya's. But still off-balance, Hiro's elbow glanced off the ball as he righted himself. The ball bounced into the net and left a stinging impression on Hiro's skin. "Forty; thirty."
Hiro rounded on Tetsuya angrily. "That was too close, Tetsu! You have to be more careful if you want to win!" He was surprised at the sharpness in his own voice. Hiro never spoke to his brother like that. Never before today, at least. He bit his lip to keep from saying more. It wasn't really Tetsuya's fault, and Hiro knew it. Hiro should have known better than to try for the volley, and Tetsuya had only played as well as he could given the circumstances.
When he had returned to the backcourt, Hiro turned to face Kurobane's serve again. The ball came lower this time, and Hiro returned it with a smooth forehand. Kisaradu caught the shot and tried to lob it into the backcourt away from Hirohito, but Tetsuya was right there with him. Tetsuya's jump brought him high into the air, and he caught the ball easily. Kurobane was advancing on the net, and Tetsuya's shot went straight for the extreme right of the Rokkaku backcourt.
And then Kurobane seemed to freeze for a moment, his knees flexing. The Rokkaku player launched himself into the air as well, his jump easily as high as Tetsuya's. Kurobane's body spun like a top, and the back face of his racket connected with the ball. The return slipped right past Tetsuya before he could bring his racket to bear. "Game Rokkaku. Change courts."
Hirohito felt his lungs begin to tighten.
The sun-soaked sand was warm against Hiro's feet. He mashed it with his toes as he stared ahead. The sea stretched away in front of him, a billowing curtain of dark blue.
"Are you still not ready, Hiro!?" Tetsuya's voice rang with impatience. He stood a few meters further down the beach, with the breakers already surging around his calves. "The water's warm. What are you waiting for?"
Hiro didn't know how to explain that he was fixing the picture in his mind. It wasn't something Tetsuya would do. Tetsuya was always too busy to stop and enjoy himself. Twins or not, there were some things Hiro just didn't know how to tell his brother about. "Sorry, Tetsu! I'll be right there!"
Tetsuya smiled and turned, plodding further into the sea. Hiro reached him before Tetsuya was up to his waist. Hiro had lots of practice running from his tennis classes. The water was a little cold at first, but Hiro got used to it quickly. Tetsuya had been right. The sea was surprisingly warm for October.
As Hiro pushed ahead, stomping out into the water, Tetsuya shot him a challenging frown. "Bet you're not so fast when we go under!" Without another word, Tetsuya dived forward and began stroking further out to sea. Hiro laughed and jumped into the waves himself. They caught him, and Hiro reached his hands forward to pull himself further into the water. Already, Tetsuya was more than a meter away.
Before he knew it, Hiro was well into the sea himself. When he stopped for a moment to look back at the shore, Hiro was surprised to see how small it looked. He could just make out his mother and father, high up on the beach under a big sun-umbrella. The sea swelled around him, pushing him up and down in the slow rhythm of the rising tide.
The sound of small splashes told Hiro that Tetsuya had turned around and was swimming back to him. Hiro looked toward the open ocean and saw his brother powering smoothly through the waves. Hiro paddled forward to meet him.
"So, Hiro, what do you think? Swimming fun?" Tetsuya's face was split by a broad grin as he treaded water.
"Yeah, of course it's fun. I always like swimming. You know that Tetsu."
A light glinted in Tetsuya's eyes and his grin sharpened. "Well, then why don't you give up on tennis and join my swimming class? Then we can learn together."
One of the swells took Hiro by surprise, momentarily submerging him. He coughed as he came back up, the taste of salt-water strong in his mouth. "But I like tennis, Tetsu. You'd like it too, I know you would." Tetsuya was always so competitive. He would have loved tennis.
"I don't even see why you keep doing it, Hiro. You're always complaining about how everything is too big and how hard it is to swing the racket."
"Yeah, but..." Hiro's voice died on his lips. He didn't know how to explain. Tennis... was just right. Tennis was what Hiro wanted to do. He loved it. Even if it was hard sometimes.
"Oh, whatever." Tetsuya's voice held a note of exasperation. "You'll give up on it soon enough, anyway. I really wish you'd come do swimming classes with me, though."
Hiro sighed. It was hard to argue with Tetsuya. Hiro's brother knew exactly what he wanted, and most of the time what Tetsuya wanted was for Hiro to do the same thing he was doing. The hardest part was, Hiro always wanted to go along with Tetsuya too. "I don't know, Tetsu... Maybe. We'll see." But Hiro really did want to keep learning tennis.
It was enough. Tetsuya smiled, and punched Hiro's shoulder. "Hey, bro, wanna try playing tag? We do that at class. It's really fun."
"Sure, I guess, if you wa-"
"Cool! You're it!" Tetsuya batted Hiro over the head and dived under, slipping out of Hiro's reach. Hiro dived after him and just caught him by the ankle. He pulled himself around and tried to stroke away before Tetsuya could catch him again.
They kept it up for almost twenty minutes. Tetsu was right, underwater tag was really fun. Then Hiro heard the sound of his father shouting from the beach that the food was ready. Panting, Hiro treaded water a moment and waited for Tetsuya to surface.
His brother's head popped up through the waves a meter away, and Tetsuya took a long breath to fill his lungs. Hiro shouted at him before he could go back under. "Hey, Tetsu! Dad's calling! We should go get some lunch."
Tetsuya nodded, still breathing deeply, and gave Hiro a smile. "Okay. Maybe you'll do a better job catching me after you have something to eat." He turned and began swimming back to the beach without another glance at Hiro.
For his part, Hiro paddled back slowly. His arms and legs were tired from trying to chase Tetsuya underwater. Hiro had forgotten how much hard work went into swimming. No matter what Tetsuya said, Hiro knew he wouldn't be doing any catching up after lunch. But that was fine; after lunch their parents would come in, and Mom and Dad would help keep Tetsu occupied.
Hiro could see Tetsuya still swimming strong, as fast as ever on his way back for lunch. Tetsuya was outpacing him easily. Hiro tried to swim faster, but his legs felt like lead weights. Sighing, he slowed his pace to keep from wearing himself out any more than he already was. Hiro tried to relax his muscles, still tense from the long stretch of tag swimming.
Tetsuya was already climbing out onto the sand when the cramp started. It began as a twinge in Hiro's left calf, but then the twinge grew, became a writhing, stabbing pain as the muscles knotted themselves into uselessness. Hiro pulled himself forward with his arms, working his right leg and trying to keep his left from moving too much. But the left leg dragged. A rising swell came up behind Hiro and nearly pushed him under before he could pull himself up and forward with his arms. Then another came, and another. The third pushed Hiro underwater for a moment, and he kicked his legs instinctively, trying to get his head above water.
The knot constricted, and Hiro's mouth opened to shout at the pain. Some sound emerged, but water rushed in as well. Hiro coughed, and found he was coughing into the water. Another swell surged forward, pushing him under completely.
"Game, Hida. Three games all." Hirohito doubled over, panting.
Six games. Six games against the Rokkaku second squad, and he and Tetsuya were only even. The set should have been over, or close to it. But Tetsuya... Anger ground at Hirohito. His hands on his knees knotted into fists, clenching around the thin blue polyester of his shorts.
"What the hell, Tetsuya!?" Hirohito never yelled at his brother. Never. "I'm playing alone out here! When are you going to start acting like the brother I know!?"
Tetsuya stood at the edge of the service box, his back to Hiro. He never moved a muscle, never gave the smallest hint of turning around to face the tirade.
"Hida," barked the chair umpire. "Get yourself under control. I've already warned you twice. Play will continue, Rokkaku Kisaradu to serve."
Hirohito shoved down the scream he could feel building in his throat. What the hell was wrong with Tetsuya? Hiro couldn't play this match alone. He squared himself, watching his opponent across the net. Kisaradu tossed the ball high, arching back to follow it with his eyes. The Rokkaku player leapt a little to catch the ball at the peak of the toss, hitting a flat serve across the net. Kisaradu's serves didn't have the power of Kurobane's, but they were still strong.
Switching to his backhand , Hirohito caught the ball on the bounce and returned it with a high-topspin shot. The ball went back to Kisaradu, bounding up in front of him. Kisaradu returned it smoothly with a short lob over Tetsuya's head.
Tetsuya jumped and caught it, barely, smashing the ball into the backcourt between the two Rokkaku players. Well, at least he wasn't asleep. Still, Hirohito thought to himself, that shot would have been an easy return for Tetsuya any other day. Hirohito didn't even turn to look at his brother as he moved to the net and Tetsuya returned to the baseline to receive the next serve.
Kisaradu faulted his first attempt, and then gave Tetsuya a high-topspin serve that jumped out of the service court at the same height as Tetsu's head. Tetsuya brought his racket forward to make an opportunisitic smash, and the ball flew low over the net, toward Kurobane. Standing in the center of the service court, Kurobane had to bend his knees to catch the ball. His return was weak, and it struck the top of the net before falling back into the Rokkaku court. "Love; thirty." Luck, or was Tetsuya finally starting to play?
Hirohito walked back to the baseline and received the next serve, fast and centered, easily. It sparked a rally between him and Kisaradu, hit and return, hit and return. At the lower levels, and even in the Tokai tournament, rallies had been enough to win some points. This was the national tournament, though. No one here would make mistakes at that level. Hirohito aimed to take the point with a forehand slice to the left border court. The ball cleared the net by a hair and struck near the forecourt line, skidding away to the left. But Kisaradu was fast. He had seen the shot coming, and he sprinted to get in front of it. With a lunge, Kisaradu caught the ball and sent it back.
The ball cleared the net on Hirohito's side of the court, but it was an easy return. Hiro brought his racket low and hit a high, arching lob to clear Kurobane, facing him at the net. But again Kurobane proved as good as his name, launching himself in the air with a spin and slamming the back face of his wooden racket into the ball in a return smash. The ball was going right, to Hiro's side of the court. Back in action or not, there was no way Tetsuya could catch it. Diving, Hirohito stretched out his racket for the ball. It caught, plucking the strings at the tip of his racket and jumping away just before Hirohito thudded into the ground, his breath knocked out of him.
"Love; forty," the chair umpire called. Hirohito coughed, trying to make his lungs fill again, and pushed himself up from the ground. His arm looked red where he had landed on it, scratched up by the court surface, but thankfully not bleeding. Triple break point. This was what the match should have looked like all along. If Tetsuya had been playing his half of the match, instead of forcing Hiro to cover for him.
Hirohito coughed again as he took position at the net. The next serve came fast, but clipped the net tape and fell back into the Rokkaku court. Kisaradu seemed to be weak on his backhand service side. The second serve was slower, and loaded with topspin again. It curved down as it cleared the net and bounded high for Tetsuya. Tetsuya aimed his return to the extreme left, and the ball slipped past Kurobane's racket, bouncing near the baseline. But again, Kisaradu was fast. The Rokkaku player managed to cross the full baseline and strike a high lob. The ball was arching over Hirohito, and looked like it would fall just inside the border court. Hiro ran to catch it, and aimed a return into the backcourt on Rokkaku's right side, opened when Kisaradu rushed for Tetsuya's return. Kurobane was already switching sides at the net, though, and he put the ball away with a quick reaching volley shot. "Fifteen; forty."
Hirohito clicked his tongue in irritation as he went to take his place in the backcourt to receive the next serve. Again, Kisaradu's forehand-side serve was clean, but Hirohito caught it with an easy backhand. Another rally, but this time Kisaradu sought to end it. The Rokkaku player turned as the ball came toward him, and hit a lob of his own over Tetsuya's head. High over Tetsuya's head. Hirohito wasn't sure his brother could have jumped high enough to hit that shot even if he had been playing his best tennis. Hiro began to rush toward the ball, planning to catch it in the backcourt himself, until he saw just how high the lob had gone. He stopped with a smile. Clearly out. Kisaradu might be able to lob over Tetsuya's reach, but it hardly mattered if he couldn't keep the lob inside the court. Hirohito turned back to the net, walking forward to take position for Tetsuya's service game.
"Thirty; forty." Hiro's feet froze. He turned his head and saw the ball bouncing away, much closer to the baseline than it should have been.
"I call that one my sky-high volley," Kisaradu's silky voice called from across the net. "Not even Bane and Davide get high enough to reach it. If you hadn't stopped running, you might have managed to catch the bounce, though, Hida." The cap on the Rokkaku player's head obscured his face except for a wide smile. He waved a finger chidingly.
"How did you- That shot was out, I'm sure of it." Still-simmering anger heated Hirohito's face.
"Topspin, Hida. I'd think you'd have known that, the way you play. The ball curves back on its way down." Hirohito found himself hating that icy calm. Cold-blooded. Like a snake, he thought to himself.
"That's enough, Rokkaku. Get back to your line." The chair umpire's patience sounded like it was wearing thin.
Hirohito tried to check his temper as he walked back to the right forecourt. The score was still against Rokkaku. If Hida could win the next point, they would take their first break. Hirohito was not going to lose - was not going to let Tetsuya lose - to a number two squad.
Kisaradu walked to the right side of the baseline and bounced the tennis ball once against the ground. His head whipped around to give Hirohito a cold smile, so fast Hiro almost missed it, before he began his next serve. This time, the first serve wasn't flat, though. It was a topspin serve, but stronger than the two he'd hit before. The ball curved down just past the net and slammed against the left service court. It almost seemed to spin backwards for a moment before lifting away in a second tall arc. Tetsuya ran ahead to meet it with another return smash, but the ball's path continued to curve in. Tetsuya stretched forward in response. The racket caught the ball, but at a bad angle now, and sent it spinning into the base of the net. "Deuce."
Hirohito felt a hollowness form in the pit of his stomach. He would not lose to this Rokkaku pair. He felt like iron bands were tightening around his chest. Three breakpoints, and they'd let them all slip away so easily. Their best chance at taking the lead in this match. Hirohito breathed deeply, trying to calm himself as he walked back to the service line, but those iron bands wouldn't go away. He couldn't let the tension take him under. Turning, Hirohito faced Kisaradu and prepared to receive.
The serve was high again, filled with topspin. Hirohito had seen Tetsuya try for it and miss. He rushed forward to meet the serve himself, keeping the spin in mind. The ball bounced high, and for a moment Hiro thought he might have overrun the path. But... no, he was right where he needed to be. Hirohito brought his racket to his back and snapped it forward in the same motion he used to serve. A hard hit to time, but Hirohito's own rising-toss serve had trained him to make just this sort of shot. He connected smoothly, and the ball flew back to Kisaradu just as fast as it had come.
Kisaradu looked surprised for a moment. The ball was going to the far corner of the court, and it looked to be out of his reach. Then, just as quickly, Kisaradu switched the racket into his left hand and pirouetted on his right foot. He extended his arm to the side, racket first flat, and then spinning to show the face just as it connected with the ball. Struck off the back side of the racket, with Kisaradu facing the back wall of the court. A blind return.
And yet, it was an excellent shot. Hirohito, still moving forward from his initial rush, caught the return at the net and batted it down with a quick forehand volley. He glanced left, and saw Tetsuya at the net with him. Hirohito felt a smile come to his lips - having both players at the net was a strong formation in doubles. It made return volleying easy, when each player only had to cover half the forecourt. Hirohito turned his attention back to the Rokkaku side.
Hiro had hoped that the volley would be a winner, but Kisaradu was just too fast. It looked like he would reach the ball before it slipped past him. Kisaradu dropped his racket, nearly touching the ground with it, and brought it up in a wide arc, sliding along the surface of the ball. A lob, but Tetsuya could...
No! The thought thundered in Hiro's head. Not again, not this time. I can get to it. Hiro started to run backwards, his eyes trained on the ball overhead. Back, back, still back. The ball hung in the air, so high overhead. A lob that high was slow, and Hiro would have time to get under it. As the ball dropped, Hiro swung his racket in a powerful smash...
And felt nothing. He looked down and found himself standing a full quarter of a meter behind the baseline. The ball would curve back in, Kisaradu had said. The ball had curved and missed Hirohito's racket. It was the same mistake Tetsuya had made against Kisaradu's topspin serve. "Advantage server."
As he walked forward to take his position near the net for the next point, Hiro growled as he passed Tetsuya. "Don't miss this one, Tetsu. I'm counting on you. We're better than them." Hirohito didn't even bother to look for a reaction on his brother's face.
The iron bands felt tighter than ever, cutting off his air. Hirohito could hear himself breathing in quick, shallow breaths, but he couldn't seem to make his lungs fill further. He stared anxiously as Kisaradu tossed the ball, as he sprang forward with that same little hop. Hirohito couldn't help himself; he followed the ball with his eyes, waited for it to spin and fall as it crossed the net. But it didn't fall. It seemed to speed up. Hirohito saw Tetsuya running forward to intercept the high bound of a topspin serve, but this serve didn't have the topspin of all the serves Tetsuya had received so far. It had... Did it? Yes. Backspin. Weak, and unpracticed, but this was a backspin serve. It landed just inside Tetsuya's service court, and bounded low, well under the high shot Tetsuya was aiming to take. The ball skittered away to the back wall as Tetsuya stared at where it should have come, at the return he should have made. "Game, Rokkaku. Four games to three."
Hirohito rounded on Tetsuya, his eyes blazing. "Tetsuya! What was that? You know how to read a backspin serve! I had you practicing with Seiichi all afternoon yesterday! How could you miss that!?" A part of Hirohito seemed to watch from outside, uncomprehending. How could he be shouting at his own brother? He had made as many mistakes as Tetsu this game. How could he be blaming his brother for his own errors? "What the hell are you doing today? Are you going to just stand there, or are you going to play tennis!?"
And then, the part of Hiro that was watching took its first real look at Tetsuya. Hiro's brother's face was tight with anger itself, and tears were running down his cheeks. Hiro hadn't seen Tetsuya cry in... in years, he thought.
"Shut up, Hiro! Just shut up! This is your fault too. Shut up and play the game!"
The iron bands closed like a vice, cutting off all air.
Hiro couldn't breathe.
All around him was only water. The swells had pushed him under, and his cramping muscles wouldn't seem to move. Adrenaline surged through his system, which only made the pain stronger. He knew the surface lay somewhere above him, and he knew just as surely that he would never reach it.
The water, the warm, inviting sea water pressed in on him like a vise. Water had gotten into his lungs when he was first pushed under, and now he found himself coughing into the sea. Coughing, so that more water could rush in.
Hiro thrashed his arms again, trying to pull himself upward, but he didn't seem to move. He kicked his legs, but the pain that shot through him nearly blanked his mind. There was nothing to do but wait. His eyes stung.
Hiro knew he was crying. He could feel the tension in his eyes that came whenever he cried. But the tears, like everything else, were washing away in the gently rocking sea.
With the air gone from his lungs, Hiro began to sink. He could see the light from the surface dimming slowly. The water felt heavier now. He'd never noticed it before. The water had a weight to it, even swimming. It pressed down on him, it pressed against his chest. It was almost comforting at first, like being hugged by his father. But it kept getting heavier, until Hiro felt like the water was trying to crush him. Not that it mattered, since he couldn't breathe.
It was ironic in a way. Hiro had enjoyed swimming with his brother so much. In his mind, he had even started to give up the thought of tennis. If Hiro joined the swimming classes, he could be with his brother all the time. Tetsu was right. And if Hiro had learned that earlier, if Hiro had learned to swim with Tetsu, then this probably wouldn't be happening.
I'm sorry, Tetsuya. This is all my fault.
The pressure on Hiro's eyes was too strong, and he shut them hoping to save himself that little bit of pain. There was nothing to see anyway. He felt something thud into his stomach as he passed out, sure he must have fallen to the bottom. Sure he must already be dead.
When he opened his eyes, it was in no place he knew. Hiro could see a white ceiling and white drapes, all around a white bed. The room was empty, save for him and a thin electronic hum. For a few moments, he wondered if this might not be where people went when they died. Then the drapes flew back and all the breath was knocked out of him when Tetsu jumped on top of him, rattling the bed.
"You're okay, Hiro! Oh God... When I heard you yelling... I saw you get pulled under. Dad tried to swim out to get you, but he was still wearing all his clothes."
"I... What? Where am I?" Hiro coughed, fighting to get his breath back. He felt like his lungs were on fire.
"You're in a hospital, Hiro." His father walked around in front of the bed, cradling his mother's hand. "I'm just glad there was one so close to the beach. I was afraid there wouldn't be a hospital until we made it back to Wajima City."
"What.. happened?" Hiro's voice sounded hoarse to his own ears.
"Your father tried to swim out to get you," Hiro's mother started in a weak voice.
Hiro's father shook his head. "I tried, but Tetsuya's the one who got to you. I've never seen him swim so fast. He found you and brought you up. I just helped him bring you back to the shore. It's a good think your mom knows CPR, too, or it might not have mattered."
It hurt, but Hiro managed a weak laugh. "I think maybe I should join those swimming lessons, Tetsu. Looks like I need them." The thought of going back in the water right now frightened Hiro more than he could say, but he wasn't willing to let being afraid of a thing stop him from doing it.
Tetsu pushed himself up off Hiro and shook his head firmly. "No way. No way, no way. We're doing tennis from now on, Hiro, and I don't care what you say."
"Shut up! I don't care what you have to say, Hiro!"
Hirohito stood, mouth open, gaping at his brother. Tetsuya brought his racket above his head for the serve and sent the ball cross-court. Hiro turned to follow it, and saw Kurobane hit a low forehand return toward the outside of Hiro's side of the court. Hiro lunged, and missed. "Fifteen, all." Hirohito felt like his mind had gone numb.
Crossing to the other court, he tried to focus his attention on the match. Behind him, he could hear the sound of Tetsuya's next serve. It struck the net, and someone cursed loudly. Tetsuya? When had Tetsuya ever... Hiro couldn't seem to think straight.
Another serve, and another fault. "Fifteen; thirty."
"What the hell are you doing, Tetsuya? You served better than that when you were ten!" Someone was yelling at Hirohito's brother. "What the fuck?"
"Hida! Watch your language!" The chair umpire was on his feet, glaring at Hirohito. Hirohito glared back challengingly. "I've warned you enough today. Penalty point to Rokkaku. Fifteen; forty."
Tetsuya screamed. Hiro paced to the other side of the forecourt, anger making him grip his racket handle until his knuckles turned white. Across the net, Rokkaku's Kurobane looked concerned. Kisaradu looked smug.
The next serve came fast and high, passing so close to Hirohito's arm that he could feel the air move. It cracked into the court surface, and sidespin made it leap to the right. Kurobane hurried to intercept it, moving into the space just past the white line that marked the boundary of the court. The Rokkaku player hit a clean return, again down the line.
Hirohito's legs were moving before he could even think. He was there, in front of Kurobane's return. He took a fierce swing at the ball, and it ricocheted against the baseline, outside the reach of either Rokkaku player. "Thirty; forty." Hirohito grunted, half at getting the point, half at the awful form he'd resorted to.
As he walked to the other side, Hirohito tugged the strings on his racket back into place. He wanted to tear them, to tear the graphite racket in half.
The next serve came fast and flat, and it bounced in the middle of Kisaradu's service court. Kisaradu rushed forward and returned it with a jumping forehand. The ball sailed back to Tetsuya, who met it with a wide flick of his left wrist, keeping his racket parallel to his chest. Closing the Fan. Kisaradu took a step to the left, but the ball's bounce twisted it well out of his reach. It jumped away, leaving the side of the court. "Deuce."
"Why the heck weren't you playing like that three games ago, Tetsu? We could've won this match, if you hadn't been so-"
"I told you," Tetsuya began in a low growl, "to shut the hell up!" The last ended as a shout.
"Hida, if I have to tell you one more time, I'm disqualifying you. Now keep your tempers in check." The chair umpire's voice had an edge like a razor.
Hirohito swung at the air, walking back to the right-hand court. How many more games if they were to win? Three? And two to lose. You're the captain of the team, he told himself. How can you be this out of control? Get it together!
Tetsuya's next serve was flat again. Why wasn't he using the kick serve? They might win this with the kick serve. Was Tetsuya stupid? The ball landed clean and bounced up, offering Kurobane an easy forehand opportunity. He returned the ball to Tetsuya, who hit a drive on the outside, hoping to slip behind Kisaradu. That was stupid, Tetsuya. You know how fast he is.
Kisaradu lunged, catching the ball and hitting cross-court again, to Hiro. It was like a practice exercise, rotating the ball around the court. Hirohito roared as he met the volley with a backhand swing, driving the ball hard into the forecourt opposite him. Why the hell am I still swinging when I'm at the net?
The ball cracked down and rebounded in a towering arc, far over Hirohito's head. But Kurobane was jumping again, jumping and spinning, like a dervish. His racket met the ball and smashed it back toward Tetsuya. Tetsuya who had the fastest reaction time of anyone on the team. Tetsuya who could reach anything. But Hiro's brother just let it sail by. The ball bounced at the baseline. In. "Advantage receiver."
Hirohito had to dig his nails into the palm of his hand to keep himself from yelling at his brother. Tetsuya should have had that ball. There was no excuse for missing it. Hirohito clenched his teeth, and shot his brother the iciest stare he could manage. Tetsuya met it with one of his own, full of burning anger. The two traded sides for the coming point.
Tetsuya's next serve was low across the net, it's path pulling to the right even before it bounced. Finally, the kick serve. Where had that been for the rest of this match? Kisaradu was waiting on the left hand side of the ball, and had to react quickly to catch the serve which was now flying up and to the right. Hirohito was impressed that he managed to get to the serve at all. The Rokkaku player's reaction time was as good as Tetsuya's, he admitted grudgingly. As good as Tetsuya's reaction time had been today, at least.
The ball sailed back to Tetsuya, who brought his racket away from his body in a horizontal arc to meet it. Opening the Fan, this time. The ball still had spin left on it from the kick serve, and Tetsuya's shot augmented that spin further. The ball bounced into Kisaradu's forecourt again, and bounced away to the right at an even steeper angle than the serve.
Kurobane was backing away from the net. Gaining the distance, the time, to read the Hida teams moves, probably. He saw the shot coming and moved to intercept it on the bounce. Kurobane aimed a smooth forehand at Hirohito.
Hiro felt like he had all the time in the world. He stepped back from the forecourt and met the ball with his own forehand slice, changing the direction of the spin. The ball sailed across the net and landed in the backcourt near Kisaradu, rising less than thirty centimeters on the bounce.
Kisaradu dipped his racket low. That "Sky-High Volley" of his. Hirohito smiled hungrily, moving back farther. Tetsuya responded by advancing to the net. Hiro was tired of that smug look on Kisaradu's face.
The ball arced high into the air, moving crosscourt into the space that had opened when Tetsuya moved forward. Hirohito dashed to the right, anticipating the ball, taking into account the topspin recurve while he considered where to meet it. He was in position well before the ball dropped, but instead of catching it with a tall overhead smash, he let it fall lower. Lower than a smash should allow. And then, dropping to his right knee, he whirled his racket over his head and met the ball at about head level.
Hirohito caught his descent on his left hand, waiting for the characteristic crack this shot made when it struck home. But the crack didn't come. Instead, the ball bounced softly. It sounded much closer than it should have. Hirohito looked up.
Tetsuya fell heavily to his knees, clutching his side. He bent double, and Hirohito thought he could hear the faint sound of sobbing. Blood drained from his face, and he felt the breath leave his body. He stumbled to his feet and hurried to his brother, dropping down beside him. Hirohito couldn't seem to breathe. "Tetsuya? Tetsu? Are you okay?" Hiro's voice was a hollow wheeze. The anger was gone. Everything was gone. Tetsuya.
"Get away from me!" Tetsuya screamed, shuffling away on his knees. "You aren't my brother! Get away from me, Hiro. I don't even know you anymore!" The sobs returned, shaking the small boy's body. Hiro could feel tears dripping down his own cheeks.
Even the chair umpire's voice was quiet. "Hida, do you need a medical break?"
Hirohito stood, his hand tightening on his racket. Air. He needed air. He felt weight pressing in on him from all sides, crushing him. "No," he said hoarsely. "No. Hida Doubles Two resigns."