Prince of Tennis - Yanagi Renji - 033. Too Much
Title: Breaking the Cycle
Fandom: Prince of Tennis
Characters: Yanagi Renji, Sanada Genichiro, Kirihara Akaya
Prompt: 033. Too much
Word Count: 895
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Rikkai deals harshly with the ones who disobey the Law. Renji thinks it's time to stop the cycle of violence that's started.
Author's Notes: Spoilers for Prince of Tennis manga chapter 348! and other general spoilers for other previous chapters.
My LDT found here
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
This was a sad day in the history of the Rikkaidai Boy's tennis team. They had lost the Kanto final. They were now the runners up - not the champions. They had lost in singles.
And was their vice captain pissed off. Not at the team really, but more at himself. That was proven when he had the regulars line up to punish him. Sanada had played in the singles one slot, and had lost to that freshman wonder from Seigaku.
One by one the doubles players had taken their turn, the sharp sound of the slaps echoing throughout the empty courts - the non-regulars had been dismissed early and now it was just the seven of them.
Marui had just taken his turn, and everyone was surprised at how hard the little red head could slap. He was the last of the doubles players. Now it was their turn.
"Yanagi!" Sanada called out.
Renji stepped forward, feeling everyone's eyes on him. He had offered after his match was over - lost by him - to be punished right then and there, but Kirihara had stepped in the way, blocking Sanada's strike with his racquet, saving Renji from that. Most of Seigaku had looked shocked that Sanada had been about to strike his teammate. This was Rikkai though - they were very strict and losses were dealt with harshly and quickly.
Renji's hand was raised and his arm was pulled back to deliver the resounding blow. Kirihara watched with what looked like bloodlust in his eyes - finally it was pay back time for all the times the vice captain had hit him. Everyone watched as Renji's hand stopped just centimeters from Sanada's face.
"I can't, Genichiro." Renji said, turning away, pulling his hand back. Sanada grabbed Renji's wrist.
"Hit me."
"I can't. I won't." Renji said, turning away, walking towards Kirihara, pulling the younger boy with him. "Akaya won't be either." Renji said calmly, Kirihara struggling a little.
"Yanagi-sempai!" Kirihara whined as Renji dragged him off. Once they were away from the rest of the team, Renji stared at Kirihara until he was calm, but bitter. "That wasn't fair, sempai." He said, glaring a little.
"It was more than fair, Akaya." Renji said. Akaya had saved him from being punished, and had not had any sort of punishment for losing his own match. "It's time to stop this cycle." Renji said quietly, but meant that - the violence was getting to be too much. If Yukimura was here, it wouldn't have started in the first place. It may have still happened, but it wouldn't have been as bad as this.
Kirihara was getting one of those looks in his eyes, then suddenly understood that he had done something right during the matches. The look of understanding dawned on his face and that made Renji smile a little. "You mean - I..." Renji nodded.
"Right. You have a better example to follow - not Genichiro's." Renji said, standing up, looking back at their practice courts. Genichiro was still stalking around, but Renji was not about to let them get caught. It looked as if everyone else had been dismissed. "Go home, Akaya. I'll deal with him." Renji said softly, heading for the gym where the ball machines were set up - the same gym Sanada had disappeared into.
The smack of plastic gut against felt and rubber resounded throughout the gym when Renji entered. He stood off to the side and watched as Sanada returned every ball shot out at him. The stoic Emperor looked right at Renji as the last feed emptied. "What do you want?" Sanada asked gruffly, looking around at all the balls on the floor.
"The cycle of violence to end." Renji said, bending down to collect a few of the balls that had landed near him. "We're getting a bad reputation these days." He said, grabbing a basket for them.
"I deserved it." Sanada said, starting to pick up some of the balls himself.
"That's what I thought when I lost." Renji said. "And then I realized that between my own pride and Akaya's, that Akaya had more sense than the two of us combined yesterday." Renji paused for a moment. "If you ask what I think you might - they had enough reason to do it. They actually won their matches. But since Akaya and myself didn't get it, I honestly don't think we have any right to punish you for something that we didn't." Renji looked over at his friend.
"I still deserved it." Sanada said, looking a bit angry.
"Genichiro. I believe by not physically harming you that we're punishing you more than you think we are." Renji said, dropping the last ball into the basket. "We're still going to the Nationals, Seiichi will be back with us soon, and we will win the National title for the third year in a row. Besides, I know our practices are going to be a lot tougher now. There's a small chance we may go up against Seigaku again. Revenge will be a lot sweeter, won't it?" Renji asked, heading for the door and the locker room.
The only sound Renji heard was a 'hmph' as he changed. Perhaps this destructive cycle would finally end, and their schools reputation could be re-established as less violent - but still champions.
Fandom: Prince of Tennis
Characters: Yanagi Renji, Sanada Genichiro, Kirihara Akaya
Prompt: 033. Too much
Word Count: 895
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Rikkai deals harshly with the ones who disobey the Law. Renji thinks it's time to stop the cycle of violence that's started.
Author's Notes: Spoilers for Prince of Tennis manga chapter 348! and other general spoilers for other previous chapters.
My LDT found here
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
This was a sad day in the history of the Rikkaidai Boy's tennis team. They had lost the Kanto final. They were now the runners up - not the champions. They had lost in singles.
And was their vice captain pissed off. Not at the team really, but more at himself. That was proven when he had the regulars line up to punish him. Sanada had played in the singles one slot, and had lost to that freshman wonder from Seigaku.
One by one the doubles players had taken their turn, the sharp sound of the slaps echoing throughout the empty courts - the non-regulars had been dismissed early and now it was just the seven of them.
Marui had just taken his turn, and everyone was surprised at how hard the little red head could slap. He was the last of the doubles players. Now it was their turn.
"Yanagi!" Sanada called out.
Renji stepped forward, feeling everyone's eyes on him. He had offered after his match was over - lost by him - to be punished right then and there, but Kirihara had stepped in the way, blocking Sanada's strike with his racquet, saving Renji from that. Most of Seigaku had looked shocked that Sanada had been about to strike his teammate. This was Rikkai though - they were very strict and losses were dealt with harshly and quickly.
Renji's hand was raised and his arm was pulled back to deliver the resounding blow. Kirihara watched with what looked like bloodlust in his eyes - finally it was pay back time for all the times the vice captain had hit him. Everyone watched as Renji's hand stopped just centimeters from Sanada's face.
"I can't, Genichiro." Renji said, turning away, pulling his hand back. Sanada grabbed Renji's wrist.
"Hit me."
"I can't. I won't." Renji said, turning away, walking towards Kirihara, pulling the younger boy with him. "Akaya won't be either." Renji said calmly, Kirihara struggling a little.
"Yanagi-sempai!" Kirihara whined as Renji dragged him off. Once they were away from the rest of the team, Renji stared at Kirihara until he was calm, but bitter. "That wasn't fair, sempai." He said, glaring a little.
"It was more than fair, Akaya." Renji said. Akaya had saved him from being punished, and had not had any sort of punishment for losing his own match. "It's time to stop this cycle." Renji said quietly, but meant that - the violence was getting to be too much. If Yukimura was here, it wouldn't have started in the first place. It may have still happened, but it wouldn't have been as bad as this.
Kirihara was getting one of those looks in his eyes, then suddenly understood that he had done something right during the matches. The look of understanding dawned on his face and that made Renji smile a little. "You mean - I..." Renji nodded.
"Right. You have a better example to follow - not Genichiro's." Renji said, standing up, looking back at their practice courts. Genichiro was still stalking around, but Renji was not about to let them get caught. It looked as if everyone else had been dismissed. "Go home, Akaya. I'll deal with him." Renji said softly, heading for the gym where the ball machines were set up - the same gym Sanada had disappeared into.
The smack of plastic gut against felt and rubber resounded throughout the gym when Renji entered. He stood off to the side and watched as Sanada returned every ball shot out at him. The stoic Emperor looked right at Renji as the last feed emptied. "What do you want?" Sanada asked gruffly, looking around at all the balls on the floor.
"The cycle of violence to end." Renji said, bending down to collect a few of the balls that had landed near him. "We're getting a bad reputation these days." He said, grabbing a basket for them.
"I deserved it." Sanada said, starting to pick up some of the balls himself.
"That's what I thought when I lost." Renji said. "And then I realized that between my own pride and Akaya's, that Akaya had more sense than the two of us combined yesterday." Renji paused for a moment. "If you ask what I think you might - they had enough reason to do it. They actually won their matches. But since Akaya and myself didn't get it, I honestly don't think we have any right to punish you for something that we didn't." Renji looked over at his friend.
"I still deserved it." Sanada said, looking a bit angry.
"Genichiro. I believe by not physically harming you that we're punishing you more than you think we are." Renji said, dropping the last ball into the basket. "We're still going to the Nationals, Seiichi will be back with us soon, and we will win the National title for the third year in a row. Besides, I know our practices are going to be a lot tougher now. There's a small chance we may go up against Seigaku again. Revenge will be a lot sweeter, won't it?" Renji asked, heading for the door and the locker room.
The only sound Renji heard was a 'hmph' as he changed. Perhaps this destructive cycle would finally end, and their schools reputation could be re-established as less violent - but still champions.