Endurance

“A book from Suguzawa-chan,” Renji said, placing it on the pile of ‘get well’ presents that they’d already opened with a sigh. Even the ever-patient Renji was getting a little tired of this.

Seiichi forced himself to keep smiling. While he wasn’t exactly enjoying being confined to bed, unable to play tennis or indeed do anything, Renji and Genichirou were being kind enough to come and sit with him so he shouldn’t inflict his bad temper on them.

On the table by his bed was a pile of presents, sent by well-wishing classmates and tennis club members. Most of it was chocolate or books, though there were already three vases of flowers lined up on the window sill.

Genichirou picked up another bouquet of flowers and looked at it with distaste. It was a large, purple creation, obviously expensive and just as obviously not Seiichi’s style. That said, it was amusing watching the way Gen-kun’s nose wrinkled slightly when he was trying not to scowl.

“More flowers, this time from Atobe Keigo.”

“Atobe,” Seiichi said thoughtfully. “He’s that singles player from Hyotei, no? The one you said had that interesting smash.”

“Hyotei’s captain now that the third years have retired,” Renji said. That was the sort of information that he kept track of as naturally as breathing, particularly when the school in question was their main rival in Kantou. “He’s got quite a . . . loud personality.”

“So Genichirou’s said, repeatedly. I wish I could have been at that training camp,” Seiichi said with a sigh. There weren’t any benefits whatsoever to this illness but one of the worst side-effects had been missing the Invitational training camp this year. The last one had had a huge impact on his tennis and his style as captain and he’d been counting the days until this one until he was interrupted by the untimely collapse in the middle of training.

“I’m sure you’ll meet him in the tournament next year: Hyotei’s not the kind of school to be knocked out before the Nationals. What would you like me to do with the flowers?”

“In a vase, I guess. I don’t suppose I can really throw them out straight away. What else is there?”

Renji picked up the last package, simply wrapped in brown paper, with easily apparent relief despite his calm face. He opened it carefully and Seiichi restrained his annoyance. He’d always disliked it when people took their time taking wrapping paper off in one piece - the whole point of wrapping it was so you could enjoy tearing the paper off. He raised an eyebrow when he saw Renji frowning.

“What is it?”

“Grip tape.”

“Rude,” Genichirou commented. “The last thing we need is a reminder.”

It was strange: everyone knew that he would be out of the tennis world for a while, that was, after all, rather obvious given that he was in the hospital, so who on earth would send him grip tape?

“No name tag that I can see. It’s normal enough: Prince. That’s not your usual either, Seiichi.”

Seiichi smiled: there was only one person he knew who used that particularly make of grip tape and who’d wrap it up in brown paper. Honestly, what other teenaged boy would use brown paper for a present? His eyes flicked to Genichirou - well, maybe there was one other.

“It’s okay, I know who it’s from. It’s more a reminder that I have a match waiting for me that I need to recover for.”

“Really? Do tell.”

“Secret. Leave that on the table, if you would.”

“You’re really insufferable sometimes, Seiichi. That’s the last of it, then. What would you like us to do with all this stuff?”

“None of it’s from the regulars, is it?”

“No, we all bring anything in person.”

“Ah, then you may as well take some of the chocolate back with you. I’m never going to get through all that and I imagine Marui and Akaya will appreciate it much more than I would anyway. The last thing I need is to come out of the hospital fat as well as with no muscles to speak of. Leave the rest of it for now: I’m not up for much other than reading and I’m about desperate enough that I’ll even read some of that rubbish.”

Renji laughed and Seiichi watched as he helped Genichirou pack the chocolate into his bag. There’d be a party in the changing rooms after practice tomorrow, without a doubt, another thing that he was missing out on.

His friends took their leave, Genichirou lingering in the doorway to look at him with the concern that had been there constantly since he went into the hospital. Seiichi smiled reassuringly and watched them head back home.

His fingers closed around the grip tape as he leaned his head back against the pillow. He’d like to know when Tezuka had been by - presumably while he’d been sleeping - and if he’d really come all the way to Kanagawa just to see him. Tezuka, who’d also missed the Invitational with his ongoing arm problems. One day they’d both be fit enough to play a proper match again. He’d just have to hold on until then.