Tennis Hiatus

[tennis_no_ko]

I...I won't be participating in the first half of the tennis season this year. Maybe longer. I'm sorry Tezuka, it looks like our showdown may have to be delayed for a while yet. And I'm sorry to you Echizen, Kazuya, since I won't be able to have any official rematches with you two either.

I suppose I owe an explanation for this. It seems auto-immune disorders run in the family. My little sister Minoru has Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis. I knew there was something wrong with her! I just knew it! And it turns out she wasn't telling me this at all. I had to find out the hard way when she just collapsed in the middle of the street. I took her to the hospital and she was already a regular patient and everyone knew her by name just like they knew me. Imagine my surprise when they told me it was getting worse by the day and she is very likely to not be able to walk soon.

My parents can't look after her; they weren't even able to tell that there was something wrong with her in the first place. They were barely around when I was a kid and in the hospital, what's going to guarantee they'll be around for a quasi-adult? She needs someone more reliable to be there for a while, somebody who'll always be there. Or else you just go....utterly mad in a hospital when you can't do anything. You really do.

And it was a difficult decision to make...but I'm no longer the kid from ten years ago, who valued tennis above people. My family comes first. So, I'm sorry. I'll be back in Tokyo earlier than I expected. Minoru'll be living with me now. And I won't be leaving Japan for tournaments for quite a while. Not until she feels more comfortable about living with it. Since there's no cure for it.

I don't know what I'm going to do. Living with her's going to be a constant reminder of what I went through for two whole years. How....how do I keep walking and smiling and pretending that everything's okay for her? And there's no miracle surgery or cure for her. No future in sight for her...

I....can't. She wanted to be an engineer more than anything. She was so much smarter than me. And now, she has trouble seeing and soon she'll have trouble with her memory and piecing things together. It's...not fair. It's not fair. I'd trade my life for hers in a heartbeat. She has so much to do and see. It's not fair. She's my little sister...and seeing her like this hurts so much more than knowing that I could die. Is this what love is?

There are medications to make things better. And I can get her to the best rehab centres in all of Japan. But she has to want to get better, but she's so depressed and resigned, I'm not even sure that she does. It's foreign to me. I can't imagine not trying to live. Maybe I'm reading it wrong. I just don't know anymore. I really don't.

-Seiichi

[ooc: Strikes deleted]

Comments

[yukarinpop.livejournal.com]

Sei-nii...If you and Minoru-san need any company, I'll be glad to come visit...

[tennis-no-ko.livejournal.com]

Thank you, Yukari-chan. I might ask for that, Minoru will probably get sick of me being around fairly soon. And she doesn't have many friends at school...

[yukarinpop.livejournal.com]

I'm more than happy to help.

[kobanemperor.livejournal.com]

If you need anything at all Seiichi, even just someone to talk to, please let me know.

[tennis-no-ko.livejournal.com]

Yeah...I might come find you when I can't keep smiling. Thanks for being here, Genichirou.

[kobanemperor.livejournal.com]

It's no problem. In our souls, we are brothers, are we not?

[tennis-no-ko.livejournal.com]

Yes, yes we are. :)

[madamadapro.livejournal.com]

...........

.....................

I'm sorry.... I know that won't help. But I still am. I guess I'll miss you as an opponent, but you do what you need to. You got a good reason for it.

So I'm not going to give you crap for quitting right now. You don't need that. I don't know what you need but...crap. I'm no good at this shit. You know what, you need anything, let me know. I'll even let you win a friendly match or something.

[tennis-no-ko.livejournal.com]

You'd better not let me win, Echizen. I'd smash you then, and where would your pride be then, hmm? What you can do is win at the main tournaments and make it a challenge for me to reach the top again when I return.

...thanks for the support, though. You'll be around for an informal match every now and then, right? I can't go that long without tennis. I'd go utterly mad. You know what I mean, right?

[madamadapro.livejournal.com]

I suppose your pride would be hurt too, if I just up and let you beat me.

Yeah. That. That I can do. Expect to see a lot of my happy smiling face on the winner's platform. I might even invite you over to let you touch the trophies.

That. Yeah. You bet I will. No way in hell I'm going to just let you Go insane without tennis go unchallenged. So, I'll be showing up on your doorstep now and again to make sure you remember I'm better than you.

[tennis-no-ko.livejournal.com]

Not really. I'd see it as you being unwilling to try against my own brilliance.

Hmmm, good. And I've got plenty of my own trophies, I'd hardly need yours, little bratling.

I look forward to proving you wrong, then, when you can spare time.

[madamadapro.livejournal.com]

Right. Just keep telling yourself that.

Oh, but I think you'll want to see them. They'll be pretty and shiny and mine.

I can spare the time for you. What are friends for after all, but to beat you into the dust.

[tokukazu.livejournal.com]

Don't worry about rematches against me, Seiichi. Family is priority now. I sincerely hope your sister will be better. If you need help, don't hesitate to let me know.

[tennis-no-ko.livejournal.com]

Thank you, Kazuya. I hope she will be too. And I'll be sure to ask.