Prince Of Tennis Fan Fiction ❯ The End of the Dream ❯ Chapter 1

"The End of the Dream"

A _Price of Tennis_ Fanfiction

By Andrea Readwolf <andrea_readwolf @hotmail.com>

Chapter: 1/1

Rating: PG

Pairings: GP

Genre: Sad

Warnings: the GP are *not* in a romantic relationship here, folks. Characters are written in character according to author's interpretation.

Spoilers: slightly for genius 123

Summary: Eiji and Oishi have a little chat on their last day as high school students.

Disclaimer: Tennis no Ohjisama, characters and settings are the property of Konomi Takeshi.

Date Started: July 13, 2004

Status: complete

Revised: July 15, 2004

Word Count: 749

"The End of the Dream" by Andrea Readwolf

A hand waving an inch from Eiji's nose pulled the teen's attention away from his inner thoughts with a jolt. He blinked, blue eyes focusing on the texture and color of the palm of the hand, before looking up and focusing on the smiling face of the hand's owner.

Green eyes twinkled with amusement as Oishi reached into his bag and handed Eiji a bottle of lemon water.

"What's on your mind?" he asked, dropping to the patch of fresh grass the redhead had managed to find.

"Thank you!" Eiji greeted enthusiastically, happily taking a gulp from the bottle before answering. "Just... thinking."

"About?" Oishi wheedled, falling back onto his elbows and stretching his legs out before him.

"Stuff."

"Stuff?"

"Mmm." Eiji leaned back on his palms. "Like tennis...and college, and what I want to be when I grow up, and Chocolate's new album, and that test we took in history today--I think I got numbers 8 and 31 wrong..."

Oishi laughed. "Well, I *know* I got numbers 8 and 12 wrong. And probably 24 and 36, too."

"But 36 was *easy*!" Eiji protested.

"Says you!"

They both laughed and then quieted. It was nice, being able to sit in silence like this and not feel the burning sensation to fill the silence with *something*. But eventually all silences had to end.

"Have you decided about Tokyo University yet?" Eiji asked after a stretch.

Oishi sighed, shifting further back so he could lie down and stare up at the sky. "Yeah. I think I'm going to accept the scholarship."

Eiji smiled and looked down the hill they were sitting on. There, Seigaku High School sat proudly--and further back, behind the gymnasium and library was the University division. "Good."

"You?" Oishi asked.

Eiji continued to smile. "I think I'm going to stick with the home territory, you know?"

"Yeah."

"Yeah."

In the distance they could hear the shouts and calls of other students getting off from club practices.

"You gonna join the tennis club?" Eiji asked, looking down at Oishi from the corner of his eye.

"Probably not," Oishi admitted, feeling a little guilty. "It would take up too much time, and..."

"Yeah," Eiji agreed, understandingly.

"You?"

"I'll probably stick with it; for a little bit longer at least, you know?"

"Yeah."

They were quiet again, watching the clouds gather off in the distance---nighttime approaching.

"So..."

"So," Eiji agreed.

"Hard to believe tomorrow's the last day of high school, isn't it?"

"Mmm."

Eiji tilted his head back, randomly watching a stray cloud drift across the sky, eager to join the large mass to the east.

"Ne, Oishi? Play a game against me? One set match, before it gets too dark?"

Oishi looked up at his partner---and swallowed. "Sure," he answered, pushing up to his feet.

They walked in silence to the old junior high tennis courts. It had been a while since either of them had played on the dirt courts, but neither protested or suggested the use of the high school's paved courts.

Not for this match.

Each boy played fully to his ability, exalting in the sheer joy and natural high of an excellently played game... and when it ended, with the final score of 7 - 5, the grey clouds of evening were overhead.

Oishi extended his hand over the net to the match winner. They were both breathing heavy and sweating profusely, but their smiles were more melancholy than exalted.

"You've improved," he told the other teen.

"I never could have done it alone," Eiji replied, swallowing a sudden lump in his throat. "Thank you--for being my friend and partner, Syuichiroh."

Oishi sighed. "Thank you, too, Eiji. Take care of yourself, and try to keep in touch, huh?"

"Yeah. You too," Eiji agreed--and then he yanked Oishi forward into a tight hug. "I'm gonna miss playing tennis with you," he whispered over Oishi's shoulder.

Oishi hugged back--just a little tighter--before letting Eiji go. "Yeah. Me too. I'll see you at closing ceremonies, okay? And I'm pretty sure that Fuji's planning a party at Taka-san's place afterwards..."

"That'll be good," Eiji replied. "Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow, then."

"Yeah."

"Yeah."

"'Bye."

"'Bye."

And then both boy's turned to walk away towards their separate homes, leaving behind a tennis ball laying in an empty dirt court, marking the end of the dream partnership known as the Golden Pair.

~~~The End~~~