Thursday, tennis practice. Also my "date" with Nendou. I was much more nervous about one of those things than the other.
After changing into my tennis uniform, I hit the court with my lucky tennis racket and favorite ball. Why is it my favorite ball? Well I caught it from the sidelines at a national game. I would have given it back, but the player said I had a good catch, and insisted I should keep it. I've used it at every practice.
"Hey captain!" Mikami called, "Coach is talking about laps again. Ready for torture?" She spun her racket around in her hands.
"If I'm not sweating halfway through then we're not doing it right!" I said enthusiastically.
"I heard that!" Mr. Niwayama yelled from across the court, "You'd be running laps for weeks if it was up to me."
"Man, hope we don't have to go through the same hell we went through on Monday," Takizawa laughed.
"Alright alright," Mr. Niwayama said, "Keep swinging, I'll get you started in a minute. Hairo, is that your friend?" He pointed at the bleachers. Sure enough Nendou was sitting there waving at me.
"Hey buddy!" Nendou shouted, "Told you I'd be waiting! Nice shorts!" Damn tennis short shorts. I waved back, feeling a blush form on my cheeks.
"Yeah, that's my friend," I said, "I promised I'd do something with him after practice."
"Hairo, I'm literally begging you, get that kid on the team," he said, "I've never seen someone that strong! He'd take us to nationals!"
"I know right!" I said, "I tried, but he doesn't want to, he just keeps deflecting my proposal and saying we should get ramen instead."
"Hmm," he said, "Keep trying, I think there's a chance."
"You got it coach," I said.
"Alright cupcakes!" He yelled, "Get to running! After laps we'll have a practice match!"
A good twenty laps is great for getting your blood pumping. But twenty five makes you feel stronger. We didn't have to do the last five, but I suggested we should so we could go above and beyond. Plus a quick round of situps just to make sure we were really ready to start playing.
"Go Hairo!" Nendou shouted from the bleachers, my cheeks went warm again as I did my sit ups faster. Did these shorts make me look stupid? All I know is that they're short and my pride flag pin is pinned on the inside, hiding the design but unable to fall out.
After warmups, we ran a practice game. I've always been a starter and a finisher. Put me in at the beginning to stiffen the other team early, then put me in at the end to get those last points in. So even in a practice match I was a starter.
I knew that with Nendou watching, I'd have to make the tennis club look like the pinnacle of perfection, so there was no way my mock team could lose. Every swing was everything I had, and every serve was with intent to smash the opposing mock team into the pavement. God I love tennis.
"You've got this Hairo!" Nendou cheered from the bleachers, "Kick that other team's butts!" Nendou's even cheering for me, gotta up my game. Point after point I was wracking them up until eventually we had to swap so other members could get some practice in. While I waited I did some push ups, helping to clear my head and keep myself in shape.
"Hey, who's winning?" I nearly fell when Nendou snuck up to the gate, "And how much longer? I'm getting hungry?"
"Just until the end of the mock game," I said, standing up to stand at the gate, "We're about halfway through."
"Awesome," he said, "Better hurry up and win then, don't want the ramen to be cold."
"Yeah, I'll win," I said, "Then you'll see how great the tennis club really is!"
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How to Get A Gym Bro For Life (A HaiNen Story)
FanfictionIt must have been that day on the beach that I knew he was my hero. A man worthy of becoming my rival in every physical activity. He was perfect. From his strength to how much he cares about his friends, he's the walking definition of perfection. I'...
