Of Rikkai:
Yukimura Seiichi

1. He was four years old when he first picked up a tennis racquet.

His father had arranged a game of tennis with an old friend of his. He hadn't meant to bring his toddler son along, but his mother was out of town at the time, so Yukimura had his first exposure to tennis. He had watched in fascination while the two adults played, wide eyes following the ball back and forth.

After a while, Yukimura looked around and saw his father's spare racquet lying next to him. With a child's curiosity, he had picked it up and given the racquet a few experimental swings. The racquet was about as tall he was, but he had run out onto the court and managed to hit one of the returns from his father's friend anyway.

It didn't go over the net, but it was the start of a life-long passion for tennis.

2. He is the epitome of an overprotective older brother.

He had a younger sister five years younger than him called Kiyoko. She was a sweet, timid girl that had a fair amount of friends. Yukimura had treated her fondly, although with some of the innate bossiness all older siblings had. However, he had really reared his head as an older brother when he saw her crying since one of the older boys in school had torn up one of her dolls.

The boy had spent the next six weeks with a broken arm and a life-long nervous twitch. But of course, no one traced it back to Yukimura.

3. He was terrified when he heard the doctor's diagnostic.

"Guillain–Barré syndrome." The doctor had said quietly. "An autoimmune disorder that…"

Yukimura had listened with barely-surpressed horror as the doctor continued to explain. He had heard the symptoms, the effects, the percentages of fatality with a sort of out-of-body numbness.

When both the doctors and his family had finally left, he had lain there, just staring at the ceiling as his mind whirled.

For the first real time in his fourteen years of life, Yukimura Seiichi was absolutely terrified.

4. He was a medical miracle.

By all medical calculations, Yukimura was not supposed to even be able to play tennis at an average level ever again. He was not supposed to be able to ever become a part-time athlete, let alone return as one of the best young tennis players in Japan.

His recovery had baffled quite a number of medical experts. He had defied calculations and statistics and percentages through pure will power. (Yanagi always had a problem predicting him too.)

His team had always believed he could do it, screw the odds. But getting beaten down to the ground by a fully recovered Yukimura helped a load to erase unmentioned fears.

Yes, Yukimura Seiichi had defied all odds, simply because he wouldn't ever give in.

5. He is rich, though nobody actually realizes this.

His father is an extremely successful business man, while his mother is an acclaimed fashion designer. (He has been used as a model multiple times, though no one knows this. Yanagi and Niou suspects, but will never say anything, for fear of painful death) Together, they rake in money by the millions a year. However, no one outside his closest friends are aware of this. In other words, no one but the Rikkai regulars.

Except for Atobe Keigo, since his father had made several business deals with the Atobe empire over the past ten years.

Yukimura doesn't advertise this fact, because to him, it doesn't matter. He wants to succeed with his own power, not by leaning on his family's money.

6. He has been mistaken multiple times for a girl.

This is unsurprising, seeing as he is in fact, very pretty. But Yukimura doesn't take kindly to being called a girl, as one unfortunate sales promoter finds out. The man has developed a nervous tic in his left eye from that incident.

Oh yes, you should never call Yukimura 'Miss', unless you like having a black eye and possible (definite) mental trauma.

7. He received his headband from Yanagi.

Technically, he had received it from his whole team. But Yanagi is the one that indirectly starts it off.

Nobody had noticed that his bangs had kept falling in front his eyes except for Yanagi (who noticed too much and too little at the same time).

So Yanagi had made an offhand remark to Akaya, who being who he is, told it to Marui, Jackal and Niou; which led to Niou dragging Yagyuu along. Sanada, noticing the gathering went over to yell at them all, but was roped in by Yanagi. (After all, if it was to help Yukimura, Sanada was pretty much willing to do anything).

They had presented the headband to Yukimura the very next day, (paid by an unsuspecting Sanada)

Yukimura smiled and thanked them, and remarked with a smirk, "You know, Yanagi, would getting me a headband with your own money cost that much?"

Yanagi shrugged and replied, "It's easier."

Sanada felt used.

8. He knows his team better than they know themselves.

He knows the faults, strengths and insecurities they each have, both on and off the courts.

He knows that Sanada is willing to do almost anything for him, is terrified of needles and treasures his cap because it is a gift from his late-grandfather.

He knows that Yanagi has obsessive compulsive tendencies, that he misses his old friend Sadaharu Inui and he has an unexpected love of chocolate covered éclairs.

He knows that Niou has abandonment issues, has white hair due to a bleaching accident when he was six and plays tricks to distract himself from what's happening at home.

He knows that Yagyuu has a drive to win that maybe surpasses his own, that Yagyuu likes switching with Niou because he feels so much freer, and that Yagyuu fears failure and disappointing the people that believe in him more than anything else.

He knows that Marui doesn't really have stamina problems anymore, that chewing gum is just habitual to him now, and that Marui has an inferiority complex because of his genius younger brother.

He knows that Jackal wants to meet his old model again, but not before he is as good as he can be; he knows that Jackal is extremely prideful, but doesn't show it as much as his teammates; he knows that Jackal has an autistic younger sister and that is why he is so good at caring for people younger than him.

He knows that Akaya idolizes him, that Akaya hates his family, that he doesn't actually like hurting people, but can't stop and hates himself for it.

Yukimura knows his teammates well, and subtly helps each of them. And abuses their fears when they err him.

9. He is scary both on and off the courts.

It is undeniable that Yukimura is a terror on the courts. The sheer determination and drive to win is enough to send a shiver down anyone's spine. His style of tennis does nothing to alleviate that fear.

But only the Rikkai Regulars know just how terrifying Yukimura can be off the courts. He does not assign the traditional laps when somebody screws up (rather leaves that to Sanada). Instead, he designs creative punishments for each and everyone of his teammates, depending on their secret fears.

When Sanada screws up one day, Yukimura smiles sweetly at him and asks (orders) Sanada to go for a blood donation drive with him.

Yanagi is the only one that gets the punishment, and so he is the only one laughing. Everyone else is just confused.

10. He will win.

He will not lose, that is the Rikkai creed. It is the motto and backbone of Rikkai that was created and cemented by him.

Yukimura will not give in due to his health or any other reason, he will always struggle with all his might to rise back up and win.

Because Yukimura is Rikkai, and Rikkai will win, no matter the cost.

-0-0-0-

First of the series, the captain!

Next up: Sanada Geniichirou

If you liked it, please comment; if you disliked it, please critique.

I like this one though, especially number 8.

~FO