Chapter 1
Ryoma's POV

I just woke up from a really short night. Or at least it was short for me. I only had around four hours of sleep thanks to my Father. Plus I needed half a hour to bandage the wounds.

My Father started to abuse me after my mother, his wife, died in a Car accident back in America. The worst thing was.... that we weren't told that she died over the phone or from the police that she died, they brought it on TV. The reason, well I think because she was the wife of a Legendary Tennis player.

The time she had the crash was when Father and me were only a week here in Japan. Mom wanted to come after us but she never did. It has been three years since than.

But I can't let the past haunt me, I'm not like my father. Plus I now have friends, who would help me if I needed it. But I would never say that out loud. They would just tease me anyway......

Father was still asleep, which I'm pretty thankful for, so I went out of the house quietly but I walked faster than usually. I was now on my way to school, when Momo-senpai was riding his bike right next to me.

We do that nearly every morning. Him riding his bike while I walk beside him. And there has never been a time we haven't talked to each other.

When we finally arrived at school, we went different directions. Momo-senpai left to bring his bike away and to go to morning practice, while I just headed straight into the schools library. I have to learn for an exam we have in first class.

Captain Tezuka already knows that I won't be at morning practice for a while but I didn't name him my real reason.

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Chapter 2
Ryoma's POV

The exam I had in first period was too easy, at least for me. Horio was talking about how difficult english is.... The other periods were way to boring and I nearly fell asleep. And I wish I did, because to be hones, I really need some more sleep.

But sadly I couldn't. The teachers just wouldn't let me. And my classmates always tried to keep me awake. I could miss something important.......that's what they said.

I was glad I had lunch break now.....
The only bad thing is.... that the Tennis Club is having a meeting today while lunch.....Who in bloody hell would held a meeting while lunch???

Now I can't take back at least a little bit of my well deserved sleep. I hate this........

But can I change something so stupid like that ?? Of course not !!
Only Tezuka-senpai or Ryousaki-sensei could have the power to change it.

I.DON'T.WANNA.GO!!!!
I just want to sleep, is there something bad to that ??? If yeah, than please tell me and I'll try to stay locked in my room. Locked away from my Father.....

I wonder what the meeting will be about when I finally get there.....Probably about the Nationals, .....again.
It would not have been the first time we ralked about it. But I mean we have more than enough time to practice.

Those Nationals are in more than half a year away from now. Plus I don't even know if I'm on Team Japan or Team America......
If I have to choose, which team would I use??
I honestly don't know, I mean here in Japan I have all my Middle school Friends but in America I have all my other Friends.

People in America named me the 'prince of Tennis'. The reason, I have really no Idea. My adopted older Brother is way stronger than me and Leader of the Team America. So why me and not him ??

I really don't get it.....

But back to the meeting. I just arrived at the club room and I have to say, that my back is killing me. It hurts soooo much. I wish Mom would have never died three years ago, than I could say that I wanna go home. But she isn't alive anymore......

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Chapter 3
Ryoma's POV

You know what that meeting was about, two periods ago ?? No ?? Well guess....
It was of course about the Nationals again !!

I'll swear to my dear dead mother, that I will go insane if this is going to continue. And now I have still practice. Oh, how lucky can I get ??
Did you notice the sarcasm I just used ??

It's going to be really hard, trying to ignore the bruise, I got from my lovely Father, while playing Tennis. It was already hard to ignore the pain in my back the whole day but now I still have practice....

Why does this World just hate me so much ?? I didn't do anything wrong, right ??
I wish I was in America right now.

Than I wouldn't have to deal with an abusive Father and lack of sleep. I could sleep until the afternoon but I can't because I'm in Japan, and not in my homeland.

"Hey Echizen, are you okay?? You have been acting a little bit strange the last few days...." Momo-senpai suddenly said. We always walk together, if to school, from school or to practice. No matter when, we kinda walk always together.

"Hai. I'm perfectly fine, Momo-senpai." I told him even through that whole sentence was a big lie. My Mom always said, I should never in my whole life. It wouldn't bring me anywhere but here I am. Lying to my best Friend and my whole Team.

I'm a horrible person....

"You know that you don't have to lie to me, Echizen." Said Momo-senpai as he stopped walking. Shocked with what he said, I turned around to look at him.
"Echizen, I'm your best Friend, or am I not ?? You can talk to me. You can tell me- the whole team if something is troubling you...."

Now I really felt horrible.
But I can't tell him or the Team. I can't bring them into something like this. I can't and I don't want to.....
I don't want them to get hurt because of me.......

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Chapter 4
Ryoma's POV

"Momo-senpai, I will tell you and the Team when I'm ready. Now it's still too early for you guys to know..." I trailed off as I started to walk towards the courts. I could never tell it anyone.

-Time skip after Practice🎾-

I was on my way home with Momo-senpai on his bike and Eji-senpai walking on the other side of me. Making me walking in the middle. Both of my Senpai's were trying to get anything, about my problem, out of me.

But I kept silent. I couldn't get someone getting hurt because of me. I want no one I know and care about to get hurt and probably even beaten by my abusiv Father.

"Gomenasai you two, but I have to be home early today. See you tomorrow Momo-senpai, Eji-senpai." And with that I left the two, running straight home. When I reached it and walked inside, I could already smell how drunk Father must be. I'm blad that my Cousin went back to America....

"Father I'm home." I called through the whole house, knowing what might happen when I didn't. But making Father aware of the fact that I'm home, will still earn me a beating from him.
And that's whst I got. A beating...

-Time skip after the abuse-🎾

When he was finally done with hitting, kicking, cutting and even burning my skin, he left me there on the ground. And hey, the place before the front door isn't really the warmest....

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AN



I hate you Wattpad!!!!
But what worse is, that I can't change that ......
No matter what I tried, it won't go back to normal.

I changed it to normal.......😈still hate it!

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Chapter 5
Ryoma's POV

When I woke up and looked at the clock, on the table beside the front door of this house, it was already 9 am. Of I would hurry now, I could still make it to school when It's lunch. Even through I'm already late....

I walked up to my room, stripped my clothes off and went into my bathroom to shower. When I was done with the shower, I dressed myself into my second school uniform. Before I left for school, I patched my wounds from yesterday night up.

Father's work starts at 8 am, so he is already gone. But I left this house as soon as I possibly could. I never liked it, this house is already over hundreds of years old and only god knows what may hunt it. So yeah, if I had to choose between going to school or staying at home, I would take the first option.

So when I was finally done, I run out of the house, locking the front door quickly and made my way towards Seishun Gakuen or Seigaku for short.

To my luck, I even arrived 10 minutes before lunch. I told my Math teacher that I stayed up late, studying for an upcoming exam and ended up oversleeping. Well everyone believed it, but I didn't believe myself. I never really studied for any kind of exan before in my life, so way did I use that as an excuse ??

After the bell rung....
Katsuo,Kachirō and Horiō came over to me and asked if everything was okay but all I told them was 'It's nothing.' That's my usual answer to those kind of questions.

After that we all went out of the classroom, out of the school building and sat ourselfs under a huge sakura tree. Momo-senpai and Eji-senpai joined us after a few minutes.

Those five kept talking about somethings while eating their lunch. I just sat there, staring into the baby-blue sky, not saying a word. It was really peaceful. It was great that nobody asked me anything.
Well...... that didn't really last that long....

"Hey Echizen. Is everything alright ?? You're unusually quiet today..."

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Chapter 6
Momo's POV

"Hey Echizen. Is everything alright ?? You're unusually quiet today..." I asked him. I know that he is usually quiet but he only speaks if someone asks him something. I wonder what happened yesterday. I know that there is something going on but I don't really know what.....

"It's nothing, Momo-senpai. Just tired."

He took his bag, stood up and just left us behind.

I looked over to Eiji-senpai and he also looked worried. Even if we don't know Echizen for years, it felt like we did. He is the youngest from the regulars, he is like our younger Brother, so of course we would worry or notice if something is wrong.

"Ne, Horio do you know if something happened-nya. Did he tell you guys-nya ??"

"No Kikumaru-senpai. But something definatly is wrong, he came to class 10 minutes before lunch and used as excause that he studied really long and overslept. He once told me that he never really studies for an upcoming test."

Now I'm getting really worried.

If he really uses such lies as excauses than whatever happened must be something he doesn't want people to know. And that makes my worries only grow....

"Hey Eiji-senpai..." When I'm worried,-"wanna follow Echizen after school and see if we can find out what he wants to hide ??" I get crazy ideas....

Eiji's POV

"Hey Eiji-senpai, wanna follow Echizen after school and see if we can find out what he wants to hide ??"

Momo is really worried, huh ??

"I just wanted to ask you the same thing-nya. Sure!"

We stood up, packed our things and put our bags over our shoulders. We just started to walk towards the school's entrance when...

"Senpais!"

The two of us stopped and looked over to the three freshmen.

"Can we join you ??"

"We are also worried about Echizen. He is also our Friend."

I looked over to Momo, I was fine with it but is he?? He just smiled and nodded.

"Sure-nya."

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Chapter 7
Ryoma's POV

"It's nothing, Momo-senpai. Just tired."

As I walked through the school building, ignoring everyone, I thought about my answer to Momo-sanpai. It was true, I was tired. Pretty much actually but the beatings from father yesterday were a bit worse than normally so I guess that had something to with it too.

-Time skip after school🎾-

The bell had rung, students packed their things and left the classroom. I waited until everyone left, even the teacher. Even through he looked a bit concerned, he didn't ask if something was worng, which I was glad for.

As I walked down the hall with my bed over my shoulder, I hoped that father was either away from home or knocked out thanks to the alcohol he drinks every day. I sighed, closed my eyes and went over to my locker to change shoes.

After that I finally left school only to go to my personal hell hole at home.

School is sometimes pure hell too, at least for me but the one I call home is way worse. One of the reasons I would never tell anybody. No one knows about my mothers dead, they only know about the legend my father is.

On my way home, I felt like I was being watched but everytime I stopped to look around, there was nobody or at least nobody who looked supicous. I tried to ignore the feeling but it failed.

When I could finally see the house the devil lives in, I sighed. I could finally escape the stares, the world only to be beaten up. But for me, that is better than to have the feeling of being watched. I walked extra faster, not looking behind me anymore, when I was infront of the small gate, I ran to the door opened and closed it like lighting.

I slit down the door and hugged my legs. Crying my eyes out.

Everything at the moment is just too much.

Because of the time limit my father set, I can't really play tennis with the others anymore.

I wish Ryoga-nii was here... I feel so weak, so alone...

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AN

I'm sorry for not updating in a long shot.
If I could travel back in time, I would tell my past self to not bring out every Story I got an idea for...



This update is for you, Sayamiki244

Bye~♡

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Chapter 8
No one's POV

After Ryoma started to run the rest of his way back home, Momo and the others tried to follow, even though they got the feeling not to do it. But they have come so far, they already went past the limit. There is no going back now.

It didn't take Ryoma long until he reached his 'home', his personal hellhole. He hurried inside, making a lot of noise and causing more fear to grow in his mind. The fear of being beaten by his father, the fear of being followed, the fear of being found out and hated. Sure, the boy hates his father but he doesn't want to leave the only home he knows. It's one of the only things that sorta remind him of his mother. Even if he can't remember anything about her, at all.

The group, who followed the poor boy, stood outside of his house. They knew they scared Ryoma considering he ran away from them, considering the noise he made once he reached his house. The boys could hear and see him slamming the front door. They kinda expected it through. Ryoma hadn't acted like the person they knew, of course they would be concerned. The whole Tennis Club was concerned.

But what they didn't expect is, that as soon as they wanted leave, they heard a man screaming his lungs out. It was a deeper voice coming from the house Ryoma went into. The group instantly turned back to the house, looked at each other and ran to the house. When they got near enough, they could hear what the man was yelling, but they didn't know why he would scream such stuff.

Stuff like: "I wish you were never born", "She died because of your useless existence" or "I wish you would have died instead of her".

The sound of glass being shattered could be heard, the sound of something falling loudly to the ground.

The sound of someone crying, the sound of someone groaning, the sound of someone being in terrible pain.

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AN

I'm freaking sorry... I haven't done anything for this story for months!!
I'm seriously sorry to those who also wanted an update but have never gotten anything until now...

nanami2melody
OJxAnime
Kiisaka

It isn't much but I hope you can kinda forgive my laziness for making you wait so long.

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Chapter 9
Update request by _-Kyara-_
Momo's POV

We could hear the unexpected, unwanted sounds of someone being in a lot of pain. It hurt. Knowing that Echizen, that small grumpy but hardworking kid, lived with such a parent. A parent that doesn't love you and wants you gone.

"I wish you were never born."

"She died because of your useless existence."

"I wish you would have died instead of her."

That boy went through so much pain, and I'm guessing this wasn't the first time. It definitely happened more than I would like to have it happened. Now I can understand why the boy practices until the school gates are being closed. Eiji-senpai, the first years (Sorry, can't remember their names...) and myself didn't know what to do. Or what to think for a matter of fact.

I would have never thought that I would experience some getting abused around me, but to be it my best friend. It has just made it worse. Thoughts like: 'What kind of Friend am I?' swam through my head like crazy. I have known him since he joined Seigaku and the Tennis Team, but I never knew Echizen was being abused at home.

"Hey Senpais..." first year number 1 started, Eiji-senpai and me looked over to the three. I just realized that they must have been shocked too. They are younger, having witnessed an act like that performed on their friend must be tough. "Should we check on him... ?"

"Yeah, I'm worried!"

"Me too!"

I looked over to Eiji-Senpai. Sure I wanted make sure Echizen is okay, hopefully not too beaten up and as far away as possible from his father. But I also didn't want to cause more problems. Who knows how his father might react if we 'visit' the boy.

"Can we Momo ??"

"YOU'RE THE OLDER ONE HERE EIJI-SENPAI!!!" I can't believe this guy... Sometimes I question who is actually a 3rd-year and who isn't. This man isn't acting like his age at all.

"But you are the closest to him."

"You have a point, Eiji-senpai." I sighed, should we go and make sure Echizen is alright or should we leave, to make sure his father won't harm him anymore today ?

"Let's go."

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AN

I'm sorry to everyone, it has been a while since I updated this Story but it's been even longer since I watched the Anime. I hope I didn't get the character's personality wrong.

And I also slipped in between past and present while writing... sorry.

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Chapter 10
Update request: ficreader88
No one's POV

"Let's go."

"W-w-wait where are you going Senpai??" First year #2 asked, stuttering as the older stood up and walked away from their hiding place, and the Echizen house.

"MOMO!!! What about Ochibi??! We can't just leave him in there!!!"

"That's right, Momo-senpai!!"

Momo stopped walking, only turning his head sideways before talking. "I have a plan. Trust me."

-Time Skip after 20 minutes🎾-

Momoshiro and the other four had left the Echizen household to make sure they could follow their made up plan. They were still near enough to look at the house but far enough to not be seen or heard. The small group was hiding in a pair of bushes by a small, forgotten-looking park.

The group made of five middle school students waited until the perfect time- when Nanjirō Echizen would leave the house. Eiji told the others how Ryoma once mentioned how his father would leave the house for the night. Back than, the red head wouldn't have thought of anything wrong about it, but now is a different story. Eiji's guess would be, that the Tennis Legend- Ryoma's father would go out to drink.

"Senpai... I'm getting bored..."

"I think my mom will be worried if I won't get home anytime soon."

"I think mine will kill me for staying out for too long."

"You three... be quiet, he is leaving..." Momoshiro wasn't wrong. The others looked towards the house their friend lives in, seeing a broad figure staggering out of the gate and down the road. As soon as Nanjirō was out of sight of the five, they made their way over to the Echizen household.

"My cousin always worries if we might get robbed someday. My old man never closes the front door when he leaves."

The three first years remembered their friend's words. The middle school students walked through the open-left gate and to the front door. They did their best to stay quiet as Eiji tried opening the not closed nor locked door. It was hard to be silent, especially if the floor was made out of wood.

Once inside, first year #3 put something in between the door and its frame, small enough to make it look like the door was closed, but enough for them to leave soundless.

"His room is upstairs. The first door upstairs."

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Chapter 11
Update for _-Kyara-_



(I'm sorry that it a day longer than I promised, I forgot it completely ㅠㅠ.)

Also could someone tell me the names of those three first years?? I don't want to call them #1, #2 or #3 anymore...

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No one's POV

As the two regulars and the three first years made their way around the house, they tried to be as silent as possible. The house had a lot hanging on its walls or standing in shelves. At lot of these things looked expensive and easily breakable.

And just to their luck, one of the first years somehow got a vase to fall from its spot near the stairs. Him and his friends tried to catch it before the object met with the ground. The regulars could only watch in horror.

Lucky, the smallest of them all caught it before it could meet the wooden ground and shatter to pieces.

They let out a loud sigh, being relieved how they made up until now without making any kind of loud noise and without breaking anything the household yet. But they were more than relieved at the fact, that the vase didn't break. Who knows how much it must have cost.

Sadly for the group of five, their luck didn't seem to stay long enough for them to make it out of the house.
Eiji missed the glass object, standing on top of a pretty low shelf. It was a glass swan of a decent size, with a blue-gold coloring in the inside.

Before any of them realized, the figurine already met the floor. It landed with a loud thump and imminently shattered into uncountable pieces.
The sound of the object shattering was echoing through the whole house, no doubt that whoever else was in the building also heard it.

"WHAT WAS THAT? RYOMA DID YOU LET SOMETHING FALL ON THE FLOOR?"

"Oh no..." the five let out as quiet as possible. The yelling came from a room or two away. The only things they could escape without being seen would be to run out of the front door, or silently hurrying up the stairs. "What do we do now?!"

Eiji pointed upstairs, not wanting to leave the youngest regular of their team to himself after what they could hear earlier.
As they reached the top, said boy came out of his room, seeing the panic in his friends eyes.

"RYOMA ANSWER ME!!"

Ryoma looked at them a bit annoyed but could imagine how one of them accidentally let something fall on the wooden floor.
The young boy let out a sigh, closing his eyes while telling his friends to go into his bedroom, while he will clean the mess.

"I'M SORRY NANAKO, I'LL CLEAN IT UP."

-Time skip of a few minutes🎾-

"What are even doing here?" Ryoma asked after he returned to his room. He stood by his now closed door, the other five either sat on the carpet by the bed or said on the bed. They didn't look at the boy, afraid of how he will react to an act, they thought would have been helpful.

"I'm not mad if you think like that, kinda relieved but also slightly annoyed."

But nothing more than silence.
It stayed like this for at least ten minutes, Ryoma now cleaning something small in a corner.

"We only wanted to check on you... and... we heard."

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Chapter 12


That means a lot, thank you Aetheren once again!



I am really sorry that it took so long, ithinkilldie!!!

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No one's POV

"I'm not mad if you think like that, kinda relieved but also slightly annoyed."

"We only wanted to check on you... and... we heard."

Ryoma didn't know how to proceed after having receiving such information. What could they have heard? He was sure that what ever his father had done to him, wasn't something to be heard from the outside. Or else some neighbors would have complained, right?

The small boy could feel sweat forming at his forehead and the back of his neck. The possibility of outsiders, even if friend, finding out about the situation at the Echizen house could be dangerous. If only for the boy or the others, Ryoma didn't know.

"I don't know what you are talking about. What did you hear?"

Judging on what they had experienced earlier, none of the uninvited teenagers wanted to say anything. Abusive parents weren't something unusual, but that didn't mean that they are okay. The most victims have committed suicide or died at the hands of their abusive parents.

"Ryoma. We heard your father. He was screaming at you." Momoshiro had forced those words out, not wanting to hurt the younger in any way possible. Having the boy angry at him wouldn't help him or himself. Momo had his head bowed, looking from time to time to his companions.

He didn't dare to look at Ryoma face to face.

"That's right, and nothing sounded nice..."

Horio Satoshi tried to play brave and confident. It was rather easy to look through his act though. His hands were twitching, he didn't dare to look at anyone, his eyes would move from one thing to the next within mere seconds.

Ryoma switched his attention to his classmate. He could feel the others panic. The past years taught him a lot of things, looking through an act or a facade was easy play for the Echizen boy. And he honestly felt bad for making his teammates as worried as having them to follow him.

"That is nothing new..." Ryoma had a smile on his face, filled with hurt and sadness. "Anyway, you need to leave before my father notices or your families start to worry."

"Ochibi, we can't just leave without doing anything!"

"Eiji-senpai. Please just leave."

The group of five left eventually after some starring, they had made the other promise on coming to them if it got out of control. The five teenagers gave their word that they would definitely get the Echizen boy away from his father, the sooner the better.

"Those idiots... one wrong move and it could get worse. And dangerous."

Ryoma stayed at his window, glancing at his friends from school as they left the Echizen residence. He was touched by their concerns but it was reckless. If they had really heard everything from earlier, why did they even come inside the house.

"She died because of your useless existence."

The words lingered in the boy's head for quite some time. It wasn't the first time his father had mentioned this or any of the other complaints and insults directed to him. One could even say they had filled his childhood and that he grew up with them.

"But... He is right."