Prince of Tennis - Yanagi Renji - 078 - Where?
Title: Door to the World (Part 1): Preparation
Fandom: Prince of Tennis
Characters: Yanagi Renji, Yukimura Seiichi, Sanada Genichirou, Yanagi Tori, Yanagi Kana
Prompt: 078 - Where?
Word Count: 1,259
Rating: PG
Summary: Renji applies for a student exchange program.
Author's Notes: This is the first part of a little “mini-series” unrelated to any of my other stories I’ve written for this challenge. I’m just lazy and keeping side character names the same for my own sanity.
My LDT found here
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“This is such a wonderful opportunity, Yanagi-kun. I’m sure you’ll have a good experience. We usually wouldn’t select someone your age, but we think you can handle it.” The guidance counselor was telling Renji.
“Thank you. I’m sure I will as well.” Renji responded, taking the papers he still had to fill out for the exchange program.
Renji was in the midst of filling out the papers during the lunch break. As usual, Yukimura and Sanada had sought out their friend and sat down to eat with him.
“What’s this?” Yukimura asked, setting his lunch down on Renji’s desk away from the papers. “Renji, are you finishing up homework at the last minute?”
Renji looked up from his paperwork. “Actually, no. I’m applying for a place in a student exchange program.” Both Yukimura and Sanada looked shocked about there.
“Why are you doing that?” Sanada asked, voicing the question that both he and Yukimura had on their minds.
Renji sighed a little. He didn’t want to have this conversation until he was ready to board the plane to the place that would be his home for a year. “I’m ready for a new experience. And spending a year abroad sounded like a good way to do this.” Renji said, going back to writing on his application.
“And you weren’t going to tell us?” Yukimura sounded disappointed by that.
“I never said that, Seiichi.” Renji said, turning to his friends. “I just wanted to know where I was going for sure and that I was also certain I was accepted. There’s no use in telling you something that isn’t certain.”
“So where are you going?” Sanada asked. “Or do you get to choose?”
Renji looked up. “You list your choices, and then it depends on if there’s any openings in the program.” Seiichi glanced at the list that Renji had written out.
“Spain? Renji, do you even speak any Spanish?” Seiichi asked, thinking that was an odd choice.
“Enough that I could get by until I picked up a bit more.” Renji answered. “And that’s why I listed mostly European countries. I’ve become intrigued with the romance languages, and I’d like to learn them better.”
Yukimura just shook his head while Sanada ate, contemplating everything Renji had said. Renji picked up his chopsticks from his own lunch and stole some of Sanada’s lunch while the other man was deep in thought.
“How long will you be gone?” Sanada asked finally as he slid what was left of his lunch over to Renji.
“A year.” Renji answer. “That’s only if I get accepted, but the counselor said that there was a fairly good chance that I would be accepted. I just need to get this and an essay in to him by the end of the week.” He said, sliding Sanada’s lunch back to him. “I’m on a diet.”
Yukimura frowned at Renji. “You’re still too skinny, Renji.” He said, shaking his head. Renji just shrugged and went back to the paperwork.
“Renji!” Yanagi Tori called out to her son as he rushed past her as he walked in the door. “You have a letter!” She said, holding out the said letter. “It’s from the student exchange program.”
Renji perked up at that, and came back for the letter, opening it excitedly.
“Well, what does it say?” Tori asked, trying to read over her son’s shoulder, but couldn’t since he was much taller than his mother.
Renji smiled. “I’m in.” He said, turning around and hugging his mother tightly. “I’m accepted!” Tori smiled as well.
“So where will my baby be heading?” She asked, a bit sad as well. It wasn’t every day your son was accepted into a program that was going to take him half way around the world.
“I got the place in Spain.” He said, glad he got his first choice. Renji blinked a little. “I have a lot of planning and packing to do.”
Tori frowned. “You won’t be leaving for a few months, right?” She asked nervously, not quite ready to let her youngest leave the nest before she thought he was ready.
Renji nodded. “I still have a lot to do in that time, though.” Renji softened up a little. “It’s only for a school year, Mother.”
Tori sighed a little. “I know. It’s just…Kana’s already left, and you’re what I have left. I didn’t think you’d leave before you graduated here.”
Renji nodded. “I know. It will be an interesting experience though, and a great learning opportunity. I want to go. And it’s not like I won’t be able to contact you.”
Tori nodded. “I know. Now go work on your homework, dinner will be ready in about an hour.” She shooed her son off. Renji nodded, and quickly ascended the stairs to his room.
Once enclosed in the small room, Renji leaned against the door, and sank down on his bed, staring at the acceptance letter. He had been expecting it, but a small part of him had hoped that he wouldn’t be. Renji pulled out his cell phone, considering texting his two best friends. Renji closed his eyes. They already knew, they were expecting this. Was it worth confirming that the three were soon to be just two?
Instead of calling his friends, Renji called his sister to inform her of the good news. She congratulated him and told him about her experience so far at university.
“Renji, you’re avoiding something, aren’t you?” Kana finally asked, remembering how Renji was so nervous and jittery and constantly talked to her when they had moved to their current home all those years ago.
Renji sighed a little. “I don’t want to tell Seiichi and Genichirou.” He finally admitted.
Kana rolled her eyes at that, glad her little brother couldn’t see it. “Renji, do the right thing this time. Do you really want to alienate any more friends like you did with Inui-kun?” She asked.
“You’re right. As usual.” Renji said, shaking his head, feeling his stomach twisting into knots at the thought of it.
“Of course I am.” Kana said, a hint of a smile coming through in her voice. “I’m nee-san.”
“If you were here, I’d have to hit you.” Renji said, feeling a little better.
“You wouldn’t hit a girl, Ren-ren.” Renji twitched a little at that old nickname.
“You’re right.” Renji said. “And never call me that again.”
“Get off the phone then.” Kana grinned. “Ren-ren.” She got in before disconnecting the call.
Renji shook his head as he set his phone to charge and got started on his homework. His good grades were a lot of the reason he was accepted to the exchange program, it wouldn’t do to let his grades slip before he was due to leave.
Renji sat in his desk when it finally sunk in that he would be leaving Japan. Moving had always involved going from one house, one town to another that was in the same country. This involved going beyond the shores. There would only be a few items he could take with him to keep him from being homesick, but would it be enough? Could he get involved in the new culture enough to distract him? What would his host family be like?
Renji shook his head to clear his head of these thoughts, and concentrated on the task at hand. Renji realized soon that he couldn’t concentrate and started on a list of the things he needed to do.
Three months almost seemed like it wasn’t enough time to prepare.
Fandom: Prince of Tennis
Characters: Yanagi Renji, Yukimura Seiichi, Sanada Genichirou, Yanagi Tori, Yanagi Kana
Prompt: 078 - Where?
Word Count: 1,259
Rating: PG
Summary: Renji applies for a student exchange program.
Author's Notes: This is the first part of a little “mini-series” unrelated to any of my other stories I’ve written for this challenge. I’m just lazy and keeping side character names the same for my own sanity.
My LDT found here
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“This is such a wonderful opportunity, Yanagi-kun. I’m sure you’ll have a good experience. We usually wouldn’t select someone your age, but we think you can handle it.” The guidance counselor was telling Renji.
“Thank you. I’m sure I will as well.” Renji responded, taking the papers he still had to fill out for the exchange program.
Renji was in the midst of filling out the papers during the lunch break. As usual, Yukimura and Sanada had sought out their friend and sat down to eat with him.
“What’s this?” Yukimura asked, setting his lunch down on Renji’s desk away from the papers. “Renji, are you finishing up homework at the last minute?”
Renji looked up from his paperwork. “Actually, no. I’m applying for a place in a student exchange program.” Both Yukimura and Sanada looked shocked about there.
“Why are you doing that?” Sanada asked, voicing the question that both he and Yukimura had on their minds.
Renji sighed a little. He didn’t want to have this conversation until he was ready to board the plane to the place that would be his home for a year. “I’m ready for a new experience. And spending a year abroad sounded like a good way to do this.” Renji said, going back to writing on his application.
“And you weren’t going to tell us?” Yukimura sounded disappointed by that.
“I never said that, Seiichi.” Renji said, turning to his friends. “I just wanted to know where I was going for sure and that I was also certain I was accepted. There’s no use in telling you something that isn’t certain.”
“So where are you going?” Sanada asked. “Or do you get to choose?”
Renji looked up. “You list your choices, and then it depends on if there’s any openings in the program.” Seiichi glanced at the list that Renji had written out.
“Spain? Renji, do you even speak any Spanish?” Seiichi asked, thinking that was an odd choice.
“Enough that I could get by until I picked up a bit more.” Renji answered. “And that’s why I listed mostly European countries. I’ve become intrigued with the romance languages, and I’d like to learn them better.”
Yukimura just shook his head while Sanada ate, contemplating everything Renji had said. Renji picked up his chopsticks from his own lunch and stole some of Sanada’s lunch while the other man was deep in thought.
“How long will you be gone?” Sanada asked finally as he slid what was left of his lunch over to Renji.
“A year.” Renji answer. “That’s only if I get accepted, but the counselor said that there was a fairly good chance that I would be accepted. I just need to get this and an essay in to him by the end of the week.” He said, sliding Sanada’s lunch back to him. “I’m on a diet.”
Yukimura frowned at Renji. “You’re still too skinny, Renji.” He said, shaking his head. Renji just shrugged and went back to the paperwork.
“Renji!” Yanagi Tori called out to her son as he rushed past her as he walked in the door. “You have a letter!” She said, holding out the said letter. “It’s from the student exchange program.”
Renji perked up at that, and came back for the letter, opening it excitedly.
“Well, what does it say?” Tori asked, trying to read over her son’s shoulder, but couldn’t since he was much taller than his mother.
Renji smiled. “I’m in.” He said, turning around and hugging his mother tightly. “I’m accepted!” Tori smiled as well.
“So where will my baby be heading?” She asked, a bit sad as well. It wasn’t every day your son was accepted into a program that was going to take him half way around the world.
“I got the place in Spain.” He said, glad he got his first choice. Renji blinked a little. “I have a lot of planning and packing to do.”
Tori frowned. “You won’t be leaving for a few months, right?” She asked nervously, not quite ready to let her youngest leave the nest before she thought he was ready.
Renji nodded. “I still have a lot to do in that time, though.” Renji softened up a little. “It’s only for a school year, Mother.”
Tori sighed a little. “I know. It’s just…Kana’s already left, and you’re what I have left. I didn’t think you’d leave before you graduated here.”
Renji nodded. “I know. It will be an interesting experience though, and a great learning opportunity. I want to go. And it’s not like I won’t be able to contact you.”
Tori nodded. “I know. Now go work on your homework, dinner will be ready in about an hour.” She shooed her son off. Renji nodded, and quickly ascended the stairs to his room.
Once enclosed in the small room, Renji leaned against the door, and sank down on his bed, staring at the acceptance letter. He had been expecting it, but a small part of him had hoped that he wouldn’t be. Renji pulled out his cell phone, considering texting his two best friends. Renji closed his eyes. They already knew, they were expecting this. Was it worth confirming that the three were soon to be just two?
Instead of calling his friends, Renji called his sister to inform her of the good news. She congratulated him and told him about her experience so far at university.
“Renji, you’re avoiding something, aren’t you?” Kana finally asked, remembering how Renji was so nervous and jittery and constantly talked to her when they had moved to their current home all those years ago.
Renji sighed a little. “I don’t want to tell Seiichi and Genichirou.” He finally admitted.
Kana rolled her eyes at that, glad her little brother couldn’t see it. “Renji, do the right thing this time. Do you really want to alienate any more friends like you did with Inui-kun?” She asked.
“You’re right. As usual.” Renji said, shaking his head, feeling his stomach twisting into knots at the thought of it.
“Of course I am.” Kana said, a hint of a smile coming through in her voice. “I’m nee-san.”
“If you were here, I’d have to hit you.” Renji said, feeling a little better.
“You wouldn’t hit a girl, Ren-ren.” Renji twitched a little at that old nickname.
“You’re right.” Renji said. “And never call me that again.”
“Get off the phone then.” Kana grinned. “Ren-ren.” She got in before disconnecting the call.
Renji shook his head as he set his phone to charge and got started on his homework. His good grades were a lot of the reason he was accepted to the exchange program, it wouldn’t do to let his grades slip before he was due to leave.
Renji sat in his desk when it finally sunk in that he would be leaving Japan. Moving had always involved going from one house, one town to another that was in the same country. This involved going beyond the shores. There would only be a few items he could take with him to keep him from being homesick, but would it be enough? Could he get involved in the new culture enough to distract him? What would his host family be like?
Renji shook his head to clear his head of these thoughts, and concentrated on the task at hand. Renji realized soon that he couldn’t concentrate and started on a list of the things he needed to do.
Three months almost seemed like it wasn’t enough time to prepare.