Categories > Anime/Manga > Prince of Tennis > Fixation
Chapter 3: Gone
The taxi shook slightly as it ran over the train tracks, causing the young boy to bump his head into the window. He cursed the tracks, the driver, and the car inside of his head even though technically it had been his fault that he had hit his head. Seeing as he was the one who had decided to lean against it. In the distance he could see the airport coming into view. Once more he felt a cold settling into his stomach. Much like the one he had felt when they had come from the United States to Japan. The same exact feeling. Although this was only their second continental move he felt that he still had the right to feel the way he did. After all. This wasn't like moving states. There was an entire ocean between him and his old home now.
It was strange to see his father in a suit. It didn't fit him in his opinion. His mind was completely drained as he stepped out of the car and straightened himself. He felt that his own clothes were confining him even though he had chosen a much more casual attire for his travel. Feeling numb he took the suitcase his cousin had handed to him and tucked his carry on backpack higher on his back.
"Well... I'll see you at Christmas," his cousin said having decided to stay behind and take care of the temple.
"Mhm... yeah... sure," Ryoma answered back, halfheartedly returning the hug.
Ryoma took one last glance back as he handed his boarding pass to the stewardess. It was his last few seconds in Japan and he was going to savor them. Admitted it wasn't all that bad that he was going back to America but he had grown so accustomed to life in Japan, plus, his Tennis team at Seigaku wasn't too shabby of a reason to stay either. He tilted his cap lower to cover his face, just in case it showed any tremors of remorse. He didn't want to worry his father anymore than he already did. It seemed that the divorce was effecting his father more than him but he would play along; after all, knowing his father his pride was bigger than his appetite.
Ryoma could hear his father barking at him from somewhere in the tube of the plane and he gave a half-hearted reply. He took the tickets that the stewardess had been holding out for awhile and apologized for taking so long to notice it. The woman shook her head and smiled kindly. It was no problem. A sigh escaped from him as he picked up carry on bag and headed through the doors. It had been a week since Fuji, Oishi, Eiji, and Momo had visited him. For some reason ever since his Senpai's had visited he had been able to sleep almost everyday for what seemed like an unhealthy amount of time.
The young tennis player turned back one last time and whispered a soft good bye before stepping onto the plane.
From the moment that Momo woke up he could feel that there was something off. With growing anxiousness he got himself dressed. As far as he knew there wasn't a reason for him to feel that way. There weren't any tests he hadn't studied for going on today. He would know seeing as quickly after having woken up he had rushed to the planner where his test dates had been written down.
As he unlocked his bike he thought that the odd feeling must've been the change in his routine. Ryoma had requested that Momo didn't come pick him up in the morning anymore. His explanation had been that he got tired of Momo yelling at him in the morning if he happened to be late. But something in the back of his mind told him that no matter how much he wanted to think it, that wasn't the reason for his discomfort.
Out of habit Momo passed the Echizen house and couldn't help but feel a chill as he biked past it. He stopped fully before he passed the house, taking a good look at it and for some reason feeling that it was emptier than usual. Although he was taking care in examining the house for some reason the fact that all the lights were out in the house didn't stand out to him. He shook his head and tried to laugh off the uneasiness in his stomach as he pedaled towards school.
Momo locked his bike and almost ran to the changing room. The horrible nausea had increased as he came closer to the school. The last time he had felt like this had been when Echizen hadn't shown up for practice for the first time. But the feeling back then had been a smaller one, perhaps like a bug bite that was bothering a person but nothing like this.
Momo opened the door and glanced around, noticing that the only people there were the captain, Oishi, Kaidoh , and Eiji. Of course if Oishi was there Eiji was sure to be found. Ever since the two had become the golden pair they had been pretty much inseparable.
"Momo, are you okay?" Oishi asked noticing the slightly nervous energy around him.
"Yeah I'm just fine," Momo said smiling at his senpai before starting to change.
But that couldn't possibly fool them; even Kaidoh noticed the change in his rival's attitude. Soon after Momo's arrival the rest of the team. All but Echizen. Momo could feel his anxiety growing throughout practice as the second tennis prodigy in their team refused to show. Practice soon ended with Momo still feeling bothered, as he was walking out of the courts he caught Eiji running towards him from the corner of his eye and paused to let him catch up.
"I know what you're thinking. I'm sure he just didn't want to come to school today."
Momo nodded. Eiji was probably right. Besides the last time they had worried it had been for nothing. They had even gone to the fanclub which later turned out to be completely unnecessary. Momo chuckled to himself and made a small mental note to ask Oishi how the towel thing had gone. Although his nervousness had been put aside for the day he couldn't help but think that for some reason it was a false security.
His anxieties came back as Ryoma failed to show for the rest of the week at practice. Not even the fan club had seen him around school, and the girls in there were some of the best 'information gatherers' (or rather stalkers ) in school. Momo woke up once more feeling more nauseated than ever. He clutched his stomach and made his way to the bathroom. Never before in his life had he been this anxious. He felt like throwing up.
Quickly he got himself dressed. He glanced at the clock and noticed because of his anxieties he had woken up almost an hour before his usual time. Meaning he had plenty of time to catch Ryoma seeing as he was probably walking to school and even if he was going with the car Ryoma wasn't the type to wake up later so either way he could catch him. If he was going to school today.
Momo made his way to Echizen house and stopped at the name plate, chewing on his breakfast as he waited. Minutes passed by as he waited, glancing again and again at the room he knew to be Ryoma's.
"Excuse me."
"Huh?" Momo turned his head towards an elderly man who was heading towards his own home with a bag of groceries.
"Who are you waiting for?" he asked obviously confused.
At first Momo thought he was talking to someone else and glanced around him.
"Me?" he asked pointing to himself.
"Yes you young man."
"I'm waiting for a friend of mine."
"If you're talking about the young man who was always carrying around that humongous bag -"
"Yes that's the one!"
"- He doesn't live here anymore."
The news felt like a punch in the gut for Momo. He blinked a couple of times before pinching his arm harshly. The throbbing that came after the sharp pain told him that the pain was definitely too real to be a dream.
"What do you mean that he doesn't live here anymore?" Momo asked as he pulled himself up alone the wall.
"You don't know? He moved back to America from what I hear," the old man said completely confused. "Well. I've got cats to feed. Good day."
Momo waved good bye to the old man, feeling too exhausted to do anything else. So this is what the feeling had been. He knew something had been wrong. He should've learned by now to trust his gut instinct first no matter what. Weakly he climbed back onto his bike, staying in place for a good ten minutes, not trusting himself to be able to ride in his current condition.
With a shaky sigh he pushed on the pedals and began his wary way towards the school. By the time he got there most of the bike spots were taken but at the moment it didn't matter. He even left his bike unlocked as he headed towards the locker rooms. He wasn't sure how he was going to practice let alone tell the others about this. As far as he was aware no one else made regular visits to the Echizen household and no one else would've been able to find out.
Momo opened the door and was greeted by the enthusiastic Eiji.
"Oi Momo! You were almost late! Then you would've had to drink the new juice Inui was talking about!" he wailed.
The energetic Eiji paused however as he got a look at the completely drained face of Momo. The other team members stared at them, wondering why Eiji had suddenly stopped jumping around.
"Momo, what's wrong?" Eiji asked as he watched Momo wearily make his way to the bench, dropping his bag to the ground with a thump.
"Momo?"
"He won't be coming."
Everyone in the locker room was now completely tuned to what Momo was saying. All were confused except for two people. Fuji and Tezuka. 'Echizen?'
"What are you talking about Momo?" Oishi asked touching the younger boy's shoulder gently.
Momo glanced up at him his face pale. "Echizen won't be coming to practice.... To school... or anything..."
The rest of the team members faces paled drastically. The first thought that ran through their minds was that there had been an accident. Momo shook his head having almost read their minds.
"Not an accident."
"Then what?" Eiji asked letting out a relived sigh and breathing again.
"He's gone back to America."
The breath Eiji had just let out was sucked back in violently as he stared at Momo.
"What!" Kaidoh exclaimed looking shocked; even he had become quite attached to the young teen.
"Gone back to America? But surely there's a mistake. He would've told us if he-"
And suddenly it became clear. The reason that Ryoma hadn't been getting sleep lately, the reason he had missed school that day, the reason he hadn't showed up for the entire week. Even Fuji's stony mask had slipped away as he let himself collapse onto the bench. Why hadn't he told them? Briefly he wondered if Ryuzaki sensei knew but she probably didn't for she would've done something to warn them and most surely would've suggested to hold a fare well party for him. It always seemed like such an odd thing to Fuji, celebrating a parting, then again maybe that was just an excuse to hide the sadness and the loss that one felt.
"I have to go check something!" Eiji yelled out as he sprinted out of the locker room and towards the school.
Running through the halls the soon found the fanclub although even from them there seemed to be a dark energy entering the hall way. Gently he knocked on the door and opened it. He paused in shock as he noticed the room had been decorated in black and the room was filled to the brim with crying girls all dressed in black.
"Is it true?" Eiji managed to get out, drawing the attention of the girls who weren't sobbing hysterically to him.
The girl they had met the day before was standing at the podium in tears her hands shaking. She could only now before a fresh round of tears burst worth, causing her to collapse to the ground. Three other girls near her moved forward to comfort her. Eiji closed the door and let himself sink to the floor. 'No... not his Ochibi.'
"I can't believe it... I won't...." he muttered to himself as he gazed out at the stairs.
But he couldn't convince himself. The sobbing behind him was just simply too loud for him to think it could be anything else. Shakily he stood up and made his way back to the locker rooms. The students around him seemed to pass by like ghosts. He too felt like he had become nothing but a phantom. Eiji himself felt like bursting into tears much like the girls in the room had done before but he was still too shocked to do anything else but numbly walk forward.
His hand lifted automatically to the handle of the locker room. The others opened their mouths to begin questioning him but his expression was all they needed to confirm it.
Ryoma was truly ... gone...
Mistress Yami:
And thus chapter 3 ends! By far the shortest out of the ones published yet but I kept my promise! 2000 words I guarantee it!
The next few chapters will be a little slow and then it gets a little confusing ( from my outline of the next few chapters it does, 'cause of the little time thingy I'm about to do. )
NOTE!
I have a new story in the planning. A RyomaRyoga. Why? I just finished watching the movie last night! In addition to that I just finished the entire Prince of Tennis series and it's been forever ( well since FMA ) since I've cried this much for a series!
The taxi shook slightly as it ran over the train tracks, causing the young boy to bump his head into the window. He cursed the tracks, the driver, and the car inside of his head even though technically it had been his fault that he had hit his head. Seeing as he was the one who had decided to lean against it. In the distance he could see the airport coming into view. Once more he felt a cold settling into his stomach. Much like the one he had felt when they had come from the United States to Japan. The same exact feeling. Although this was only their second continental move he felt that he still had the right to feel the way he did. After all. This wasn't like moving states. There was an entire ocean between him and his old home now.
It was strange to see his father in a suit. It didn't fit him in his opinion. His mind was completely drained as he stepped out of the car and straightened himself. He felt that his own clothes were confining him even though he had chosen a much more casual attire for his travel. Feeling numb he took the suitcase his cousin had handed to him and tucked his carry on backpack higher on his back.
"Well... I'll see you at Christmas," his cousin said having decided to stay behind and take care of the temple.
"Mhm... yeah... sure," Ryoma answered back, halfheartedly returning the hug.
Ryoma took one last glance back as he handed his boarding pass to the stewardess. It was his last few seconds in Japan and he was going to savor them. Admitted it wasn't all that bad that he was going back to America but he had grown so accustomed to life in Japan, plus, his Tennis team at Seigaku wasn't too shabby of a reason to stay either. He tilted his cap lower to cover his face, just in case it showed any tremors of remorse. He didn't want to worry his father anymore than he already did. It seemed that the divorce was effecting his father more than him but he would play along; after all, knowing his father his pride was bigger than his appetite.
Ryoma could hear his father barking at him from somewhere in the tube of the plane and he gave a half-hearted reply. He took the tickets that the stewardess had been holding out for awhile and apologized for taking so long to notice it. The woman shook her head and smiled kindly. It was no problem. A sigh escaped from him as he picked up carry on bag and headed through the doors. It had been a week since Fuji, Oishi, Eiji, and Momo had visited him. For some reason ever since his Senpai's had visited he had been able to sleep almost everyday for what seemed like an unhealthy amount of time.
The young tennis player turned back one last time and whispered a soft good bye before stepping onto the plane.
From the moment that Momo woke up he could feel that there was something off. With growing anxiousness he got himself dressed. As far as he knew there wasn't a reason for him to feel that way. There weren't any tests he hadn't studied for going on today. He would know seeing as quickly after having woken up he had rushed to the planner where his test dates had been written down.
As he unlocked his bike he thought that the odd feeling must've been the change in his routine. Ryoma had requested that Momo didn't come pick him up in the morning anymore. His explanation had been that he got tired of Momo yelling at him in the morning if he happened to be late. But something in the back of his mind told him that no matter how much he wanted to think it, that wasn't the reason for his discomfort.
Out of habit Momo passed the Echizen house and couldn't help but feel a chill as he biked past it. He stopped fully before he passed the house, taking a good look at it and for some reason feeling that it was emptier than usual. Although he was taking care in examining the house for some reason the fact that all the lights were out in the house didn't stand out to him. He shook his head and tried to laugh off the uneasiness in his stomach as he pedaled towards school.
Momo locked his bike and almost ran to the changing room. The horrible nausea had increased as he came closer to the school. The last time he had felt like this had been when Echizen hadn't shown up for practice for the first time. But the feeling back then had been a smaller one, perhaps like a bug bite that was bothering a person but nothing like this.
Momo opened the door and glanced around, noticing that the only people there were the captain, Oishi, Kaidoh , and Eiji. Of course if Oishi was there Eiji was sure to be found. Ever since the two had become the golden pair they had been pretty much inseparable.
"Momo, are you okay?" Oishi asked noticing the slightly nervous energy around him.
"Yeah I'm just fine," Momo said smiling at his senpai before starting to change.
But that couldn't possibly fool them; even Kaidoh noticed the change in his rival's attitude. Soon after Momo's arrival the rest of the team. All but Echizen. Momo could feel his anxiety growing throughout practice as the second tennis prodigy in their team refused to show. Practice soon ended with Momo still feeling bothered, as he was walking out of the courts he caught Eiji running towards him from the corner of his eye and paused to let him catch up.
"I know what you're thinking. I'm sure he just didn't want to come to school today."
Momo nodded. Eiji was probably right. Besides the last time they had worried it had been for nothing. They had even gone to the fanclub which later turned out to be completely unnecessary. Momo chuckled to himself and made a small mental note to ask Oishi how the towel thing had gone. Although his nervousness had been put aside for the day he couldn't help but think that for some reason it was a false security.
His anxieties came back as Ryoma failed to show for the rest of the week at practice. Not even the fan club had seen him around school, and the girls in there were some of the best 'information gatherers' (or rather stalkers ) in school. Momo woke up once more feeling more nauseated than ever. He clutched his stomach and made his way to the bathroom. Never before in his life had he been this anxious. He felt like throwing up.
Quickly he got himself dressed. He glanced at the clock and noticed because of his anxieties he had woken up almost an hour before his usual time. Meaning he had plenty of time to catch Ryoma seeing as he was probably walking to school and even if he was going with the car Ryoma wasn't the type to wake up later so either way he could catch him. If he was going to school today.
Momo made his way to Echizen house and stopped at the name plate, chewing on his breakfast as he waited. Minutes passed by as he waited, glancing again and again at the room he knew to be Ryoma's.
"Excuse me."
"Huh?" Momo turned his head towards an elderly man who was heading towards his own home with a bag of groceries.
"Who are you waiting for?" he asked obviously confused.
At first Momo thought he was talking to someone else and glanced around him.
"Me?" he asked pointing to himself.
"Yes you young man."
"I'm waiting for a friend of mine."
"If you're talking about the young man who was always carrying around that humongous bag -"
"Yes that's the one!"
"- He doesn't live here anymore."
The news felt like a punch in the gut for Momo. He blinked a couple of times before pinching his arm harshly. The throbbing that came after the sharp pain told him that the pain was definitely too real to be a dream.
"What do you mean that he doesn't live here anymore?" Momo asked as he pulled himself up alone the wall.
"You don't know? He moved back to America from what I hear," the old man said completely confused. "Well. I've got cats to feed. Good day."
Momo waved good bye to the old man, feeling too exhausted to do anything else. So this is what the feeling had been. He knew something had been wrong. He should've learned by now to trust his gut instinct first no matter what. Weakly he climbed back onto his bike, staying in place for a good ten minutes, not trusting himself to be able to ride in his current condition.
With a shaky sigh he pushed on the pedals and began his wary way towards the school. By the time he got there most of the bike spots were taken but at the moment it didn't matter. He even left his bike unlocked as he headed towards the locker rooms. He wasn't sure how he was going to practice let alone tell the others about this. As far as he was aware no one else made regular visits to the Echizen household and no one else would've been able to find out.
Momo opened the door and was greeted by the enthusiastic Eiji.
"Oi Momo! You were almost late! Then you would've had to drink the new juice Inui was talking about!" he wailed.
The energetic Eiji paused however as he got a look at the completely drained face of Momo. The other team members stared at them, wondering why Eiji had suddenly stopped jumping around.
"Momo, what's wrong?" Eiji asked as he watched Momo wearily make his way to the bench, dropping his bag to the ground with a thump.
"Momo?"
"He won't be coming."
Everyone in the locker room was now completely tuned to what Momo was saying. All were confused except for two people. Fuji and Tezuka. 'Echizen?'
"What are you talking about Momo?" Oishi asked touching the younger boy's shoulder gently.
Momo glanced up at him his face pale. "Echizen won't be coming to practice.... To school... or anything..."
The rest of the team members faces paled drastically. The first thought that ran through their minds was that there had been an accident. Momo shook his head having almost read their minds.
"Not an accident."
"Then what?" Eiji asked letting out a relived sigh and breathing again.
"He's gone back to America."
The breath Eiji had just let out was sucked back in violently as he stared at Momo.
"What!" Kaidoh exclaimed looking shocked; even he had become quite attached to the young teen.
"Gone back to America? But surely there's a mistake. He would've told us if he-"
And suddenly it became clear. The reason that Ryoma hadn't been getting sleep lately, the reason he had missed school that day, the reason he hadn't showed up for the entire week. Even Fuji's stony mask had slipped away as he let himself collapse onto the bench. Why hadn't he told them? Briefly he wondered if Ryuzaki sensei knew but she probably didn't for she would've done something to warn them and most surely would've suggested to hold a fare well party for him. It always seemed like such an odd thing to Fuji, celebrating a parting, then again maybe that was just an excuse to hide the sadness and the loss that one felt.
"I have to go check something!" Eiji yelled out as he sprinted out of the locker room and towards the school.
Running through the halls the soon found the fanclub although even from them there seemed to be a dark energy entering the hall way. Gently he knocked on the door and opened it. He paused in shock as he noticed the room had been decorated in black and the room was filled to the brim with crying girls all dressed in black.
"Is it true?" Eiji managed to get out, drawing the attention of the girls who weren't sobbing hysterically to him.
The girl they had met the day before was standing at the podium in tears her hands shaking. She could only now before a fresh round of tears burst worth, causing her to collapse to the ground. Three other girls near her moved forward to comfort her. Eiji closed the door and let himself sink to the floor. 'No... not his Ochibi.'
"I can't believe it... I won't...." he muttered to himself as he gazed out at the stairs.
But he couldn't convince himself. The sobbing behind him was just simply too loud for him to think it could be anything else. Shakily he stood up and made his way back to the locker rooms. The students around him seemed to pass by like ghosts. He too felt like he had become nothing but a phantom. Eiji himself felt like bursting into tears much like the girls in the room had done before but he was still too shocked to do anything else but numbly walk forward.
His hand lifted automatically to the handle of the locker room. The others opened their mouths to begin questioning him but his expression was all they needed to confirm it.
Ryoma was truly ... gone...
Mistress Yami:
And thus chapter 3 ends! By far the shortest out of the ones published yet but I kept my promise! 2000 words I guarantee it!
The next few chapters will be a little slow and then it gets a little confusing ( from my outline of the next few chapters it does, 'cause of the little time thingy I'm about to do. )
NOTE!
I have a new story in the planning. A RyomaRyoga. Why? I just finished watching the movie last night! In addition to that I just finished the entire Prince of Tennis series and it's been forever ( well since FMA ) since I've cried this much for a series!
Sign up to rate and review this story