Synchro World

Momoshiro-Senpai frowned in concentration, putting a hand on Ryoma's shoulder. Ryoma stared into the boy's eyes for a moment, then looked away as they widened in shock.

'I can't feel anything,' he murmured. 'It's like...'

When everyone but you has telepathy, how much would you miss out on? How could you connect with people?

Chapter 11: Ryoma quickly thrust his foot out, sending Akutsu flying. He turned around, crouching, and glared up at Ryoma.

Chapter 11: Introduction

Barely a minute after Akutsu left the library, Oishi-Senpai came in, spotted Ryoma and Horio, and rushed to their sides.

'Echizen! Horio! Are you two alright?' He gave them both a hand up.

'We're OK now,' Horio gasped. 'But oh my god, that guy was crazy! We could've been killed!'

'I just came from the clubroom,' Oishi-Senpai said, examining Horio's head. 'Arai and Kachirou told me a student from another school was after Echizen and that you went to warn him, Horio. I'm sorry I didn't make it in time.'

Ryoma shrugged and picked up the book Akutsu had thrown. Oh owch, it was a Japanese-English dictionary. Poor Horio.

'What did that guy do to you?'

'He used his tennis racket to hit rocks at us!' Horio exclaimed.

Oishi-Senpai's eyes went wide and his mouth dropped open.

'Echizen used a book to block, that was wicked! Then we were running, but he threw a book and we tripped! He told Echizen his name and said he'd see him in the final match. He left just before you got here, Oishi-Senpai.'

'Oi! What's going here?'

Matoba-Senpai, a Library Committee member in Third Year stormed in, back from the toilet.

'Echizen! What happened when I was gone? How did you get hurt?'

Ryoma wearily explained and introduced Horio and Oishi-Senpai.

Matoba-Senpai looked him over and told him to leave early and see the school nurse.

Oishi-Senpai took them to the tennis clubroom where Ryuuzaki-Sensei was waiting, having been summoned from the staffroom. Arai-Senpai (already developing an impressive black eye) and Kachirou were there too, wearing Band-Aids and ice packs.

Ryoma let the others do the explaining and only spoke when Ryuuzaki-Sensei asked why Akutsu had targeted him.

'What a dumb thing to get worked up over,' she muttered. 'OK. I'm going to treat your injuries now, then you should go straight home without getting into trouble. Oishi, sanitize your hands and help me.'

'Yes, Sensei!'

'Um, what's gonna happen now, Ryuuzaki-Sensei?' Arai-Senpai asked.

'I'll report this incident to the principal. She'll want to talk to Rokaku then.'

'I wonder if we should report this to the Middle School Sports Association?' wondered Oishi-Senpai.

'That might happen.'

That sounded like too much trouble. Ryoma wasn't sure what he wanted to happen in the future, but right now, he was just sore and hungry and he wanted to go home.

XXX xxx XXX

His family were all shocked when he went home all cut up; even Oya-Jii.

'Do you want us to talk to the school?' he asked seriously. No pretending he'd walked into a door - Ryuuzaki-Sensei had called home.

Ryoma shook his head.

'Do you think that punk's gonna bother you again?'

'Make it to the finals at the Prefectural tournament.'

'I don't think so. He's our opponent in a future match.'

'Ah.'

'If he tries to hurt you again, quickly find a teacher,' said Nanako-San.

Ryoma doubted a teacher would scare someone who waltzed into another school and served fucking rocks instead of balls. The poor teacher.

'Oo, I could just knock him over with my bike...'

XXX xxx XXX

The next day at school was as troublesome as Ryoma thought it would be.

'Oh my god, Ryoma-Sama!' Osakada shrieked when she saw him in the morning. 'What happened to you?'

Ryuuzaki cringed, but she didn't look surprised. Her grandma must have told her before.

'Are you OK, Ryoma?'

'Yeah.'

'Echizen got into a fight with a third-year punk,' Momo-Senpai told them.

'What!?'

It got worse after that; the kids in Ryoma's class asked him questions all morning, which Horio was happy to answer, and by the end of the day, everyone in the school knew he'd been in a fight, though the details were all different. He heard a couple of second years talking about him beating up a group of senior high schoolers during lunch.

'Look, it's him!' a girl whispered, pointing.

'That little kid?' her friend said.

'Yeah! Senpai, I heard he fought a gang from another school!'

'That's just a rumour. I heard it was just one guy.'

'Apparently he gets into fights 'cause he doesn't have synchro. Maybe he's messed up? I'd go crazy if I couldn't synch anyone, it'd be too lonely.'

The gossip was so bad, Ryuuzaki-Sensei had to explain the situation to the Tennis Club, since some of the kids were scared of Ryoma, and some wanted to go after Akutsu. (Actually, it was only a few of them who wanted to confront him directly, but Ryuuzaki-Sensei forbid it. Thank god, Ryoma thought. Even he could tell Fuji-Senpai was giving off a dangerous vibe.)

After the afternoon practise, Ryoma and Momo-Senpai trapped Kikumaru-Senpai and were dragging him off to McDonalds when they spotted Kawamura-Senpai entering a restaurant.

'I wonder what Taka-San's doing here,' Momo-Senpai wondered.

'Let's follow him!' said Kikumaru-Senpai.

'Yes, let's.'

'Wah! Inui! What are you doing here!?'

'Where did you spring from, Inui-Senpai?'

'I can get some good data here.'

Ryoma didn't want to know.

They followed Kawamura-Senpai in and watched from a nearby table as he sat with a thin, pale-haired woman and - made her cry. Wow.

'Appearances can be deceiving.'

'Aren't they in the first place?'

Kikumaru-Senpai brought them each an ice-cream instead of burgers while they watched the drama.

'Hey! What's that feeling?' wondered Kikumaru-Senpai. 'There's a scary feeling coming!'

'It's someone with a dangerous aura,' Momo-Senpai explained, looking around anxiously. 'Look, the other people can sense it too.'

Everyone in the restaurant was suddenly sitting up straight, their faces confused and nervous.

Ryoma noticed the stink of cigarette smoke before the doors slid open, and Akutsu walked in, smoking. Ryoma's heart jumped and his stomach twisted unpleasantly.

Akutsu strode up to Kawamura-Senpai's table and sat down next to the pale woman.

'Who's that guy?' wondered Kikumaru-Senpai. 'That scary feeling is coming from him!' He shivered.

'I wonder if Taka-San and that woman are gonna be al- hey, Echizen? What's up?'

'It's Akutsu,' murmured Ryoma.

'What!?'

'That's him?'

'Shh!'

'What's he doing with Kawamura?'

'Sh, they're talking!'

They couldn't quite hear what the other table were talking about, but suddenly Akutsu stood up, grabbed a drink and poured it over Kawamura-Senpai's head.

'Don't order me around!' Akutsu growled.

'Jin! Stop fooling around!' the pale woman cried.

'Since we know each other, I'll spare your life this time.' Akutsu told Kawamura. Then he turned his heels and slouched away.

'Ah, that's mean,' said Kikumaru-Senpai quietly. 'Oh! He's coming this - oi, Momo!'

Momo-Senpai stood up slowly, his face dark with anger.

'Momo! Don't -'

Ryoma quickly thrust his foot out, sending Akutsu flying. The taller boy managed to throw his arm out and catch himself. He turned around, crouching, and glared up at Ryoma.

Oh crap. Ryoma had done that without thinking. Was Akutsu gonna attack him now? How much damage could he do before the others stopped him? A broken arm? Broken nose?

He had to say something, definitely something clever.

'Yo. I forgot to introduce myself last time. I'm Seigaku's first year, Echizen Ryoma. I look forward to our match, on the tennis court.'

There was a moment of silence. Everyone was frozen, staring.

Then, to Ryoma's relief, Akutsu laughed.

'You're interesting, first year brat!' he said, standing up. 'I'll look forward to it too!'

Notes and translations

I don't recommend keeping quiet about violence or bullying, but this is just Ryoma's character in this situation.

I recently read online that since the early 2000's, school on Saturday in Japan was phased out, but some schools have classes or special activities/occasions on Saturday (or maybe one Saturday a month.) In Seigaku's case, (for this story) let's say they have occasional special classes and events, and some club activities.