A/N: I have completely revised this story. I was bored, and it needed doing...I've changed some mistakes and taken some small things out of the story. And I have also added an extra chapter; which I had accidentally - not entirely sure how - missed out beforehand...which was troublesome...and I wanted to add it in...therefore you might want to read the story again; although you won't be missing overly much if you don't. Although I do like the story much better the way it is now...Thankies muchly to anyone who has reviewed in the past! :D WOopWoop! I love you all...and I hope you enjoy the new version of the story...
Song for this chapter: Kiss Yourself Goodbye - All American Rejects
Chapter 1: Hardest s'later
Hot red strands of hair whipped her back viciously as she flew back and forth across the court. Sweat was now dripping from her body, as she upped the pace for the last leg of her game. Stabling herself, and taking a few short breaths; she waited for her partner to serve. Seconds later the ball had been returned. And the game had been won.Relatively puffed, the redhead approached the net, ready to shake hands with her losing opponent. After gripping hands long enough to get their breath back, they stood back and grinned at each other.
'It seems that you will be ready to leave us soon, Ayame.' The trainer murmured softly.
'I've known that for a little while now, Hannah' Ayame replied, still smiling, 'I gather that you too, will be leaving to pursue your dreams.'
'Ahh yes, that is true. I'll take it that Kunimitsu is the one that informed you of that'. A cheeky wink accompanied her words.
'Yes,' came the soft reply, 'Kunimitsu…'
A hand coming down hard on her shoulder brought Ayame out of her reminiscence. 'You'll see him back in Japan I expect,' her trainer laughed. 'On your head be it. I wouldn't want to see that stupid, mean, moaning man again. Him and his stupid lectures...'
Ayame sweatdropped. Before laughing at the pout her trainer had donned.
Hannah sighed, 'Don't know why you two get along so well, he's so mean Ayame!' Ayame just laughed, amused by this woman's whining. She'd met many people who were worse than Tezuka Kunimitsu.
Ayame linked her arm through Hannah's, and dragged her back towards the rehabilitation centre, changing the subject as she went.
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'I ought to get it cut,' he thought to himself, as his hair tickled the back of his neck, disturbing his concentration. Sweat poured off his head as he charged back and forth along the court, whacking the ball back over the net when it invaded his area. 'Three more points,' the voice in the back of his head informed him. The first one came quickly, lobbing the ball simply over his opponents head. It took another minute to gain the second point needed, before he took his chance and ended the game swiftly with his famous drop shot.
'Maa, good game Tezuka!' Oishi called out, walking swiftly towards the net, and Tezuka himself. The team mates quickly shook hands and complimented each other's playing.
When he'd finished talking to his friend, Tezuka turned and addressed the rest of the club; 'Training is over now! Everyone is dismissed! And don't be late for tomorrow morning's practice or you'll be punished!'
A groan shock the team, as they trudged off court, exhausted from their training as usual.
As usual they annoyingly high pitched Tomo-chan greeted them with screams of 'Well done Ryoma Sama! Ryoma Sama!' as the team exited, now nursing aching legs and their more recently aching ears.
'It was a good practice, ne Tezuka?' Came Fuji's soft voice from behind the Buchou himself.
'Hai Fuji, it was indeed.'
'Hm.'
When Tezuka entered the changing room, he was rather displeased to find that, as per usual, his tennis team were chatting about completely idiotic topics; today, as it commonly was, the topic was that of girls. He could hardly understand it himself; yes, he could see that some girls were pretty, and could understand in a way why his tennis club admired them; but to imitate the girls by chatting on and on about them, well, that was just stupidity.
'Hey, hey! Echizen, is she pretty huh?' Momo, as usual was bellowing.
'Hn.' Replied the freshman. Annoyed that the subject of his cousin had caused such a big discussion. He'd only mentioned it because the others had moaned that he never had anything to say. It was pretty much the only 'news' he could think of.
'When is she coming O-chibi?' Came Eiji's input, 'Is she going to come to Seigaku? It'd be cool nya!'
'Two weeks,' the freshman reluctantly divulged. 'Not sure.'
'Ne! Oishi! Don't you want to meet Echizen's cousin?!'
'Hai hai, Eiji, it'll be nice I guess, does she like tennis Ryoma?'
'Aa.'
'Ne Tezuka, what do you think?' Fuji asked, turning to smile at his bochou.
'About?' Came the uninterested reply.
'Echizen's pretty cousin is coming to Japan!' Yelled Momo, punching the air.
'Hoi hoi!' Came Eiji, also excited, 'She likes tennis and is coming to Seigaku nya!
'Mada mada dane, I never said that.'
'I think,' said Tezuka, 'Nothing.'
The room sighed, except Kaido, who hissed, although that could be counted as a sigh. In the midst of the disappointment, Ryoma managed to sneak out of the room. 'Baka,' he thought to himself, 'Never mention girls again.'
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Ayame had never been very good at wrapping presents; it wasn't, as you could say, her forte. However, she had made a special effort this time, and the little blue box in front of her looked just fine, in her opinion. At least it hadn't taken her as long to wrap as it had taken her to write the dammed letter. Admittedly, she knew that it probably wasn't worth the trouble, she doubted he'd go in for this Valentine's day rubbish, but it gave her an excuse to contact him again. There was also the fact that she was quite sure he'd already have a mountain of gifts already from the girls at school; he was very attractive after all. She sighed. 'Well' she thought to herself, 'At least I may be able to see him again this way.'
After all, she had not seen her good friend since he left Germany to return to school in Japan, around two months ago. The term 'stupid git' came to mind, he hadn't even left a note for her, and had left while she was visiting her sick Gran. 'Maa,' she thought, 'That's Kunimitsu for you.'
She reached over and pulled her mobile phone out from her bag, before finding the number she needed and telling it to ring. When she heard the male voice answer, a smile spread across her face.
'Ne Ryoma, can I ask for a favour?'
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It would have taken far too long, and taken far too much effort for Ryoma to have pushed through the insane crowed of girls who were in his Sempai's classroom. He therefore decided that the best way to see his buchou was to wait until they were in the changing rooms for practice. Supposedly they'd be safe from the eyes of their fangirls there. 'Good,' Ryoma thought hopefully, 'no stupid giggling and screaming anymore…it's driving me up the wall.'
Ryoma, compared to his Sempai's, had pretty much managed to get through the day scott-free. The only girls that bothered him were Sakuno and Tomo. He was pretty sure this had something to do with the way the two of them, and the freshmen trio pretty much shadowed him all day, and managed to scare away a lot of people who tried to come close. Something that Momo in particular found excruciatingly amusing.
'Hey! Echizen! Maybe the rest of us should get bodyguards like that too eh! Hey! Echizen! You listening?'
'Mada mada dane.'
Tennis club was the same as the rest of the day. A riot. In a manner of speaking. All the way round the courts were girls, screaming at the top of their lungs at their preferred boy.
'Tezuka sama!'
'Ryoma sama!
'Kaido sama!'
'Fshhhh'
All Ryoma could see was girls, and all he could hear was their squawking and giggling. It was damaging to concentration. Some regulars, however, seemed to be performing even better before a crowed. Eiji's acrobatics had suddenly got a lot better. Echizen thought he was somewhat like a performing seal.
It was only after practice that the girls were dealt with by Ryuzaki sensei, who made them all 'clear off and let the boys get changed'. The clubhouse became a safe haven, 'silence', thought Ryoma, is golden.'
Much to Ryoma's distaste, the silence did not last for long.
'Hoi! O-Chibi! What did you get for valentines? Chocolates nya!'
'No idea.'
'Waa! Why not O-chibi!'
'Haven't opened them' Ryoma replied dumbly, and wasn't going to either, he thought to himself.
'Maybe Ryoma kun is like Tezuka Eiji, and doesn't open his presents, said Oishi kindly.
'Hai.' Replied Ryoma.
Typically, it was that moment when he dropped his bag and the presents he had received rolled out onto the ground.
''Are those from Tomo and Sakuno nya!? We got presents from them too right Oishi!'
'It appears that we all did,' Fuji stated. 'Maybe since we all got presents from them, we should keep at least those, Right Tezuka?
'Hn.'
Suddenly, Ryoma remembered why he wanted to get to the clubhouse so much today.
'Buchou.'
'Hai, Echizen?'
'Here,' He shoved the small blue box into Tezuka's hands.
'What's this?' He asked, glaring at the offending present, as if it was the worst thing he'd seen since the mountain of presents he'd seen when he'd got to school that morning.
'It appears to be a present, Tezuka,' Came Fuji's helpful voice from the far corner.
'I can see that Fuji. Please don't let girls shanghai you into giving me presents Echizen, I don't accept them. Who is this from? You can give it back.'
'Mada mada dane buchou' I'd rather not make my life a living hell at this age.
He received questioning looks from the rest of the team.
'She said if I didn't give this to you, and directly to you, she would make my life a living hell. And I'm inclined to believe her.
'Who is it nya! Does she come to Seigaku? Hoi hoi'
'Hn,' was the only reply.
Ryoma glanced over at the captain, who was looking at the box questioningly. He hadn't yet decided to open it or not. Ryoma was giving nothing away it seemed, but Tezuka doubted Ryoma would give him a present from a girl without good reason, he hadn't brought any others, by the looks of it.
Tezuka still hadn't opened it by the time the tennis club started to leave. 'You might want to open that, tezuka Buchou', Ryoma's voice came from behind him. Annoyed Tezuka shoved the gift into his bag and walked out, promptly forgetting all about the dammed gift on the way home.
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Okay, well I don't think this chapter changed overly much; but oh well. Please review? xx