Groundwork - For arahannan
Title: Groundwork
Author: muzivitch
For: arahannan
Characters: Yanagi, Yukimura, Sanada
Rating: G
Notes: Takes place during first year
The bookstore was two streets over from his new house, and Renji had discovered it on his third afternoon in Kanagawa. Since then, he'd gone once a week, maybe more, and just wandered through the stacks. It wasn't a new bookstore like the Kinokuniya he'd gone to in Tokyo with its dusted shelves and glossy new books, but a used bookstore in an old building. The shelves were stacked full of books in every nook and cranny, and from the looks of it, they were only dusted when the owner remembered. There wasn't a polished and efficient tea shop in the corner staffed by smiling high school girls, but the owner always had a pot of oolong by his elbow and was happy to pour a cup for a customer if they wanted it.
It was not, Renji often thought, the kind of place Sadaharu ever would have gone into, but despite that, he liked it. It suited the person he was becoming.
Renji nodded at the owner as he stepped inside, smiling slightly, and then disappeared down one of the long, narrow aisles, yanking his tie a little loose as he turned a corner. The sports section was surprisingly robust for this kind of store, and Renji had been spending almost all his time there lately. Tennis club would be starting soon, and he had every intention of being one of Rikkai Dai Fuzoku's regulars. It only made sense, he reasoned, to refresh his memory on the techniques and the strategies, the skills and the plays before facing the players he intended to defeat. So he'd been spending hours there, usually alone, leafing through the store's collection of tennis books.
Renji stopped short as he reached the the narrow aisle where the sport books were jam-packed onto the shells. It wasn't empty today.
The other person, sitting cross-legged on the floor as he thumbed through a book Renji had read three days before, was familiar. Not just because he was a Rikkai student - though his dark pants and loosened green-striped tie matched Renji's own - but because they'd met before, three years before. No, Renji corrected himself, because he'd lost to Yukimura three years before.
Renji cleared his throat. "Hello, Yukimura-kun," he said, and Yukimura looked up, pushing his wavy, dark hair out of his face. He still had that air, Renji thought - something that made his adversaries underestimate him at first. It was part of why he'd lost so miserably in their match, because he hadn't expected Yukimura to much of a challenge when, in reality he was the one that was out-classed.
Part of coming to Rikkai was seeing if that was still the case.
Yukimura smiled. "Yanagi-kun," he said, shutting the book and rising to his feet. "I had heard you were at Rikkai. In Class F, right?"
Renji nodded. "Yes. You're in C," he replied, and Yukimura's grin widened.
"I would have expected you to know that," he said. "I'm doing research before tennis season starts," he continued. "I imagine you're doing the same."
"I've been coming here for a few weeks now," Renji said. "They have a startlingly good sports section."
"Mm," Yukimura agreed. "The owner was an athlete, I understand." He leaned back against the shelves, flipping through the book again. "You're joining the tennis club."
"Yes," Renji said. "So are you."
"Of course. Will you be playing doubles like you did in Tokyo?"
"No." Renji shook his head. "I don't intend to specialize anymore."
"Good," Yukimura said, and he pinned Renji with a penetrating stare. "I want Rikkai to be the best," he said. "I want you to help me."
Renji's eyebrows lifted, disappearing under his bangs. "Are we going to do this alone?" he asked.
"No," Yukimura said with a grin. "But I have someone else in mind."
*
Two days later, Yukimura was waiting for him outside class F. Renji's eyelids flickered slightly, and he paused, adjusting the strap of his bag on his shoulder. "Yukimura-kun."
Yukimura smiled at him. "Come on," he said. "I want you to see someone."
"On the tennis courts?" Renji inquired. The season didn't start for another week, but some of the older students were already practicing.
"No," Yukimura replied. "In the kendo club. I need to convince our third."
Their third, Renji noted a few minutes later, was another first year, nearly as tall as he was, from class A. Sanada Genichirou. His kendo technique was excellent - Renji was familiar enough with the traditional martial arts to tell that much - and he was easily one of the best of the floor. Statistically, it was likely that he was probably one of the best in the club.
"Do you really think he will give up kendo for tennis?" Renji asked. "He seems quite at home in this club."
"He is," Yukimura agreed, his lips tilted up in a slight grin. "But kendo is too easy for him, and that's how I'll...how we'll reel him in. He wants a challenge. I'll only give it to him if he joins the club."
"Ah," Renji said. His lips twitched slightly in a ghost of a smile as Sanada missed a point and aimed a glare at the two of them. "We are distracting him."
"Yes," Yukimura said with a smile. "I generally do."
Renji lifted an eyebrow as the other student stalked towards them. "Do you generally annoy him as well?"
"At least daily" Yukimura murmured before smiling beatifically at Sanada. "Sanada-kun. Nice to see you again."
"I'm not joining the tennis club."
"I didn't ask you yet today," Yukimura said mildly. "Have you met Yanagi Renji?" he continued. "He's originally from Tokyo."
"I saw you play in a tournament once," Sanada said curtly, before turning back to Yukimura. "I'm not joining the tennis club," he repeated.
Yukimura smiled. "No?"
"No. The only one I can't beat is you. It's not reason enough to switch."
"Sanada-kun," Renji inserted mildly. "I've seen you play."
Sanada blinked and turned his head to look at the other boy. "Yeah?"
"Yes. I can tell you why Yukimura is still defeating you."
Sanada's eyebrow twitched and he gritted his teeth as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Why's that?"
"Your forearm is too weak," Renji said crisply. "And I've noticed that, for instance, you always lead with the same foot." His lips twitched as he watched a muscle bunch in Sanada's jaw. "That's a symptom of a predictable game, and one that's easier for a stronger player to break. The forearm will be easy enough for you to fix," he continued, "kendo is probably already helping with it. The predictability is more difficult, much more complicated, and will affect your games against not only Yukimura, but any strong player." Renji tipped his head to the side. "A smart player might be able to use it against you even if they're weaker physically," he added with a gleam in his eye that made Sanada's fingers tighten on the fabric over his kendo uniform.
"Is that so?" Sanada said.
"Absolutely," Renji replied.
"Hmph," Sanada snorted. "I have to get back to practice."
"Of course," Yukimura said mildly. "I'm sure we'll see you around. At tennis next week, perhaps."
Sanada halted, and turned back. "You never give up, do you?" he said.
Yukimura smiled. "Never."
Sanada blew out a breath. "Maybe," he said. "Maybe you'll see me there."
*
Renji surveyed the milling group of first years who would we be trying, along with he and Yukimura, for a spot on the regulars. There were some interestiing possibilities there, he thought; Marui Bunta and Jackal Kuwahara were obviously already friends and would make excellent doubles partners. He didn't know anything about Niou Masaharu - no one at school knew anything about Niou Masaharu - but Renji could already tell he had interesting skills.
And Yagyuu Hiroshi, he mused, was another one to watch.
"Hey," said a deep voice next to him, and Renji glanced over. Sanada was dressed in a t-shirt and shorts, and a battered black cap was tugged low over his eyes.
"Sanada-kun," he said. "You're here."
"Yeah," Sanada said. "You knew I would be."
"It was probable," Renji stated. He flipped open his notebook and made a few notes before speaking again. "Are you going to beat Yukimura?"
"Yes," Sanada said, and he glanced over at Renji again. "What about you?"
"I intend to try."
"Hmm," Sanada said as he crossed his arms and surveyed the courts. "Maybe we should work together."
Renji tilted his head and his lips curved into a slight smile as he nodded. "Perhaps," he said. He tapped his pencil against his notebook and then spoke again.
"Tell me, Sanada-kun. Have you ever played doubles?"
Author: muzivitch
For: arahannan
Characters: Yanagi, Yukimura, Sanada
Rating: G
Notes: Takes place during first year
The bookstore was two streets over from his new house, and Renji had discovered it on his third afternoon in Kanagawa. Since then, he'd gone once a week, maybe more, and just wandered through the stacks. It wasn't a new bookstore like the Kinokuniya he'd gone to in Tokyo with its dusted shelves and glossy new books, but a used bookstore in an old building. The shelves were stacked full of books in every nook and cranny, and from the looks of it, they were only dusted when the owner remembered. There wasn't a polished and efficient tea shop in the corner staffed by smiling high school girls, but the owner always had a pot of oolong by his elbow and was happy to pour a cup for a customer if they wanted it.
It was not, Renji often thought, the kind of place Sadaharu ever would have gone into, but despite that, he liked it. It suited the person he was becoming.
Renji nodded at the owner as he stepped inside, smiling slightly, and then disappeared down one of the long, narrow aisles, yanking his tie a little loose as he turned a corner. The sports section was surprisingly robust for this kind of store, and Renji had been spending almost all his time there lately. Tennis club would be starting soon, and he had every intention of being one of Rikkai Dai Fuzoku's regulars. It only made sense, he reasoned, to refresh his memory on the techniques and the strategies, the skills and the plays before facing the players he intended to defeat. So he'd been spending hours there, usually alone, leafing through the store's collection of tennis books.
Renji stopped short as he reached the the narrow aisle where the sport books were jam-packed onto the shells. It wasn't empty today.
The other person, sitting cross-legged on the floor as he thumbed through a book Renji had read three days before, was familiar. Not just because he was a Rikkai student - though his dark pants and loosened green-striped tie matched Renji's own - but because they'd met before, three years before. No, Renji corrected himself, because he'd lost to Yukimura three years before.
Renji cleared his throat. "Hello, Yukimura-kun," he said, and Yukimura looked up, pushing his wavy, dark hair out of his face. He still had that air, Renji thought - something that made his adversaries underestimate him at first. It was part of why he'd lost so miserably in their match, because he hadn't expected Yukimura to much of a challenge when, in reality he was the one that was out-classed.
Part of coming to Rikkai was seeing if that was still the case.
Yukimura smiled. "Yanagi-kun," he said, shutting the book and rising to his feet. "I had heard you were at Rikkai. In Class F, right?"
Renji nodded. "Yes. You're in C," he replied, and Yukimura's grin widened.
"I would have expected you to know that," he said. "I'm doing research before tennis season starts," he continued. "I imagine you're doing the same."
"I've been coming here for a few weeks now," Renji said. "They have a startlingly good sports section."
"Mm," Yukimura agreed. "The owner was an athlete, I understand." He leaned back against the shelves, flipping through the book again. "You're joining the tennis club."
"Yes," Renji said. "So are you."
"Of course. Will you be playing doubles like you did in Tokyo?"
"No." Renji shook his head. "I don't intend to specialize anymore."
"Good," Yukimura said, and he pinned Renji with a penetrating stare. "I want Rikkai to be the best," he said. "I want you to help me."
Renji's eyebrows lifted, disappearing under his bangs. "Are we going to do this alone?" he asked.
"No," Yukimura said with a grin. "But I have someone else in mind."
*
Two days later, Yukimura was waiting for him outside class F. Renji's eyelids flickered slightly, and he paused, adjusting the strap of his bag on his shoulder. "Yukimura-kun."
Yukimura smiled at him. "Come on," he said. "I want you to see someone."
"On the tennis courts?" Renji inquired. The season didn't start for another week, but some of the older students were already practicing.
"No," Yukimura replied. "In the kendo club. I need to convince our third."
Their third, Renji noted a few minutes later, was another first year, nearly as tall as he was, from class A. Sanada Genichirou. His kendo technique was excellent - Renji was familiar enough with the traditional martial arts to tell that much - and he was easily one of the best of the floor. Statistically, it was likely that he was probably one of the best in the club.
"Do you really think he will give up kendo for tennis?" Renji asked. "He seems quite at home in this club."
"He is," Yukimura agreed, his lips tilted up in a slight grin. "But kendo is too easy for him, and that's how I'll...how we'll reel him in. He wants a challenge. I'll only give it to him if he joins the club."
"Ah," Renji said. His lips twitched slightly in a ghost of a smile as Sanada missed a point and aimed a glare at the two of them. "We are distracting him."
"Yes," Yukimura said with a smile. "I generally do."
Renji lifted an eyebrow as the other student stalked towards them. "Do you generally annoy him as well?"
"At least daily" Yukimura murmured before smiling beatifically at Sanada. "Sanada-kun. Nice to see you again."
"I'm not joining the tennis club."
"I didn't ask you yet today," Yukimura said mildly. "Have you met Yanagi Renji?" he continued. "He's originally from Tokyo."
"I saw you play in a tournament once," Sanada said curtly, before turning back to Yukimura. "I'm not joining the tennis club," he repeated.
Yukimura smiled. "No?"
"No. The only one I can't beat is you. It's not reason enough to switch."
"Sanada-kun," Renji inserted mildly. "I've seen you play."
Sanada blinked and turned his head to look at the other boy. "Yeah?"
"Yes. I can tell you why Yukimura is still defeating you."
Sanada's eyebrow twitched and he gritted his teeth as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Why's that?"
"Your forearm is too weak," Renji said crisply. "And I've noticed that, for instance, you always lead with the same foot." His lips twitched as he watched a muscle bunch in Sanada's jaw. "That's a symptom of a predictable game, and one that's easier for a stronger player to break. The forearm will be easy enough for you to fix," he continued, "kendo is probably already helping with it. The predictability is more difficult, much more complicated, and will affect your games against not only Yukimura, but any strong player." Renji tipped his head to the side. "A smart player might be able to use it against you even if they're weaker physically," he added with a gleam in his eye that made Sanada's fingers tighten on the fabric over his kendo uniform.
"Is that so?" Sanada said.
"Absolutely," Renji replied.
"Hmph," Sanada snorted. "I have to get back to practice."
"Of course," Yukimura said mildly. "I'm sure we'll see you around. At tennis next week, perhaps."
Sanada halted, and turned back. "You never give up, do you?" he said.
Yukimura smiled. "Never."
Sanada blew out a breath. "Maybe," he said. "Maybe you'll see me there."
*
Renji surveyed the milling group of first years who would we be trying, along with he and Yukimura, for a spot on the regulars. There were some interestiing possibilities there, he thought; Marui Bunta and Jackal Kuwahara were obviously already friends and would make excellent doubles partners. He didn't know anything about Niou Masaharu - no one at school knew anything about Niou Masaharu - but Renji could already tell he had interesting skills.
And Yagyuu Hiroshi, he mused, was another one to watch.
"Hey," said a deep voice next to him, and Renji glanced over. Sanada was dressed in a t-shirt and shorts, and a battered black cap was tugged low over his eyes.
"Sanada-kun," he said. "You're here."
"Yeah," Sanada said. "You knew I would be."
"It was probable," Renji stated. He flipped open his notebook and made a few notes before speaking again. "Are you going to beat Yukimura?"
"Yes," Sanada said, and he glanced over at Renji again. "What about you?"
"I intend to try."
"Hmm," Sanada said as he crossed his arms and surveyed the courts. "Maybe we should work together."
Renji tilted his head and his lips curved into a slight smile as he nodded. "Perhaps," he said. He tapped his pencil against his notebook and then spoke again.
"Tell me, Sanada-kun. Have you ever played doubles?"