[And though she may not realize it through her frustration, there's something in her continued tenacity that stands out (not quite impresses him, but certainly forces him to make note of it) in the last minutes and points of the match; losing may be unforgivable according to their team's code, and Yagyuu in particular has very little tolerance for those who inevitably are forced to concede defeat, but to see this girl hold out to the very last, refusing to surrender when this has been a lost battle since before she ever set foot on the court--yes, there's something admirable in that, and it's an option that many might not have taken.

But she loses, as expected, and his win is impeccable, as predicted. And he's tired, of course, but not even close to the way that she must be; his is that sort of delicious creeping exhaustion that comes from an excellent effort and an accomplishment to show for it, the warm fade of adrenaline into a comfortable, content relaxation.

(This is the part when he's supposed to retreat to the stands, wipe his face with a towel, climb the steps to his seat and bask in that familiar, fond afterglow of victory as his teammates take their turns at battle. Except this isn't an official match, and he still has things to take care of.)

Heading immediately for his backpack, he replaces his racket carefully inside it and produces two bottles of water, returning to hand one to Rise with a firmness that invites no protest. She's going to feel this match tomorrow, and quite possibly a few days after that--more than enough to raise questions from anyone that cares to pay attention--and there's no helping that. It's the least he can do, to see that the other concerns and considerations are attended to.]

Traditionally, we ought to have shaken hands immediately following the conclusion of the match, but I think this time it can stand to wait awhile, don't you?