"You're a better player than me." Fuji said, his voice carrying over the net.
"I should hope so, at your current level." Sanada snorted in reply. "But if you were challenged beyond protecting those you love, would you be better than me then?"
"I could not tell you," Fuji said, his eyes catching sight of the ball Sanada had taken out of his pocket. He stepped out with one foot and lowered his body closer to the ground. "I am possibly the one least aware of what I could really do. I've never had any desire to discover it."
"Why is that?" Sanada almost shouted, serving the ball so quickly Fuji could not respond. It hit the fence and bounced back towards the court.
"I think people will notice us if you make this much noise the entire time we're out here."
"They won't." Sanada said firmly. "I come out here most evenings, nobody ever notices."
"Do you think about Yukimura?" Fuji asked, knowing his question was far too personal.
Sanada scowled.
"We're here to discuss you, not me." He replied as evenly as he could. "And definitely not Yukimura."
Fuji shrugged. "As you say," he said, picking up the tennis ball and returning it to Sanada so that he could serve again.
"Are you going to try this time?" Sanada asked.
"Do you want me to?"
-
"You're still not trying hard enough." Sanada said softly behind Fuji as they left the court.
Sanada had beaten him, and yet Fuji didn't seem to care.
"I'm sorry, it wasn't a conscious thing."
Sanada contemplates this response as they walk back to the dormitories. He steps out ahead to lead the way back to his own room, uncaring whether Fuji notices or whether he follows. He will soon see when he turns to close the door to his room behind him whether he still has company or not.
"Won't your careful planning to hide our meeting from everyone go to waste if we find your roommate in there?" Fuji asked just before Sanada reached the door, truly making him jump that time.
"Yanagi knows when to keep quiet." Sanada said firmly. "And when he is somewhere he should not be."
"Ah," Fuji replied, smiling. Sanada opened the door, pretending a confidence he did not feel inside. One glare might do it, but for a few brief moments he would have to suffer Yanagi taking in the situation with his own eyes and coming to his own conclusions. That perhaps might be worse than anything else Sanada could say to explain the situation to him.
The room was empty, as was the bathroom, they could tell from the distinct lack of sound or sense of life.
"I told you he knows when not to be somewhere." Sanada said, letting Fuji through the door and wishing he could lock it behind them.
continued!
"You're a better player than me." Fuji said, his voice carrying over the net.
"I should hope so, at your current level." Sanada snorted in reply. "But if you were challenged beyond protecting those you love, would you be better than me then?"
"I could not tell you," Fuji said, his eyes catching sight of the ball Sanada had taken out of his pocket. He stepped out with one foot and lowered his body closer to the ground. "I am possibly the one least aware of what I could really do. I've never had any desire to discover it."
"Why is that?" Sanada almost shouted, serving the ball so quickly Fuji could not respond. It hit the fence and bounced back towards the court.
"I think people will notice us if you make this much noise the entire time we're out here."
"They won't." Sanada said firmly. "I come out here most evenings, nobody ever notices."
"Do you think about Yukimura?" Fuji asked, knowing his question was far too personal.
Sanada scowled.
"We're here to discuss you, not me." He replied as evenly as he could. "And definitely not Yukimura."
Fuji shrugged. "As you say," he said, picking up the tennis ball and returning it to Sanada so that he could serve again.
"Are you going to try this time?" Sanada asked.
"Do you want me to?"
-
"You're still not trying hard enough." Sanada said softly behind Fuji as they left the court.
Sanada had beaten him, and yet Fuji didn't seem to care.
"I'm sorry, it wasn't a conscious thing."
Sanada contemplates this response as they walk back to the dormitories. He steps out ahead to lead the way back to his own room, uncaring whether Fuji notices or whether he follows. He will soon see when he turns to close the door to his room behind him whether he still has company or not.
"Won't your careful planning to hide our meeting from everyone go to waste if we find your roommate in there?" Fuji asked just before Sanada reached the door, truly making him jump that time.
"Yanagi knows when to keep quiet." Sanada said firmly. "And when he is somewhere he should not be."
"Ah," Fuji replied, smiling. Sanada opened the door, pretending a confidence he did not feel inside. One glare might do it, but for a few brief moments he would have to suffer Yanagi taking in the situation with his own eyes and coming to his own conclusions. That perhaps might be worse than anything else Sanada could say to explain the situation to him.
The room was empty, as was the bathroom, they could tell from the distinct lack of sound or sense of life.
"I told you he knows when not to be somewhere." Sanada said, letting Fuji through the door and wishing he could lock it behind them.
-