A/N: Hello! Its my newest story yet…please review!

Disclaimer: I don't own POT. Wish I did.

Ryoma considered his cousin (on the paternal side-Nanako was a part of his mom's family) in his list of 'favorite people,' even though the list consisted of six people: Karupin, himself, his cousin, his mom, Nanako, and Fuji-senpai. But he really, really hated it when she just decided to abruptly drop by.

She was a huge flirt, sadistic, tough, obnoxious, loud, and a big show-off. She was…exactly the opposite of that Ryuuzaki girl. Except for their hair-that reddish-brown hue and that awful length. And she was exactly like his dad in every possible way.

His cousin loved to tease him in embarrassing ways, like the time she looked through his dresser and found a drawer full of his underwear-and began tacking it up around his room using rainbow coloured staples.

She had a dog. A huge, slobbering, fun-loving golden retriever. It liked to chase after Karupin, and it occasionally would knock Ryoma down when he stepped through the door.

She liked to run her hand messily through his emerald locks, and squeeze his cheeks until they grew as red as her flamboyant jacket she loved to wear.

She didn't even know what 'love' in tennis was, although she claimed she knew what 'real' love was. She didn't even know how to grip a racket.

She liked to chase away his boyfriends, with a different method each time. Once she pretended to like the guy himself so that he would feel burdened.

It forever scarred Ryoma.

But the thing that kept Ryoma from hating her was how she would always get back up after being knocked down. And the way that when it mattered the most, she would throw everything away just for it.

It still didn't keep Ryoma from being annoyed, though.

He'd just gotten off the phone with her, and it ended with her saying that she was coming over in a week.

And she'd applied for Rikkai-dai, after hearing from god knows where that he attended that forsaken school.

Uh-oh.

-

"Ryoma! You're here!"

A taller figure threw herself at the smaller boy, who, in turn, grunted in approval.

"Of course I'm here. Oyaji wouldn't let me get out of it."

Ryoma then proceeded to shoot a pointed glare at his father, who was just staring-very seriously, in fact-at his cousin's behind. She just happened to be wearing low cut shorts, too.

"Hey, Reiko-chan, you'll be sharing a room with Ryoma-is that okay? We just recently used up our spare room as a second storage room-sorry 'bout that," Nanjiroh grinned, avoiding his son's glaring eyes.

The girl finally released Ryoma from the hug, grinning a smile identical to that of Nanjiroh.

"Of course, Ji-chan!"

-

Ryoma very cautiously watched his cousin unpack. Her long auburn locks had been put in a messy bun at the nape of her neck, and she'd hastily stuck a few pins in her bangs to keep them out of her face. Hazel eyes glared at the sets of single socks-a few had gone missing in the flight. Strange. Slender hands were clenched into fists at either side of her slim waist, and she wouldn't change out of her way-too-short shorts.

Boxes containing manga books, bonsai plants (she had a strange obsession with those lately), and clothes littered the floor.

What Ryoma still didn't get was why she had shown up so suddenly! And how his mother and father had accepted all of it so willingly!

One day she was happily living in America, and the next she was happily unpacking her things in Ryoma's room.

Ryoma's room was large-well, then again, the entire house was huge. But seriously? He definitely didn't want bunk beds! It was big enough to have two beds, so why a bunk bed of all things?!

"Ryoma?"

Looking up from a tennis manga his cousin had brought, he raised a perfect eyebrow.

"Yeah?"

-

Reiko glared at the single socks. Where could they have gone?!

Her laptop was still there-they didn't steal that. Instead, they took socks. Socks. Of all things, socks.

Japan was seriously weird.

Staring out of the corner of her eyes, Reiko noticed Ryoma picking up a tennis manga-figures.

Truth be told, Reiko envied Ryoma.

Even if he didn't realize it, Ryoma was actually very lucky. He had a loving family, a happy life, and a set career. In the meantime, Reiko was being forced to learn economics and trade to take over her father's trading business.

It was actually an international company, so Reiko couldn't just run off.

But this time, she had.

Well, it didn't really matter, anyway.

Another reason Reiko envied Ryoma was because of his beauty.

It was strange, yes, to be envious of a boy's beauty.

But Ryoma was just that pretty.

His emerald locks were always perfectly in place, even after his matches. Striking gold orbs seemed to stare right through you, and his prominent cheeks were dignified and graceful. His slender hands were like a girl's, surprisingly not course even after holding a racket for so long.

But because of this, lots of jerks also happened to flock around him.

And Reiko would do anything to protect Ryoma from it all. They'd grown up together, all of the cousins, in America. Everyone knew that Reiko and Ryoma were naturally close.

After all, their personalities were compatible.

Reiko loved food as much as Ryoma, and she passionately loved basketball the way Ryoma liked tennis. They both practiced hand-eye coordination together often. They were both animal-lovers, and they both had a cocky, unreachable attitude floating around them.

So Reiko had naturally felt obliged to shield Ryoma from the harsh face of reality.

Even if it caused Ryoma to hate her, she'd still do it.

Over and over and over again.

"Hey, Ryoma?" Reiko called.

Ryoma looked up, and raised a perfect eyebrow.

"Yeah?"