Chapter 1
1 year ago…
"Do you have to leave?" asked Atobe, he sat on the sand staring at the beautiful ocean scenery with his arm over a female dressed in a knee length black dress with a square collar. She smiled and tapped his nose gently with her finger.
"Not that again Kei," she sighed, she rested her head against his chest and began curling her finger around his brown school tie. Atobe ran his finger through her long black hair and kissed her forehead as she closed her dark blue eyes.
"Must you?" he asked as he slid his hand from her shoulder to her narrow waist.
"You know I have no choice, my father's a pain in the arse," she said cuddling up to Atobe.
"I'll miss you," he said.
"I know," she said.
"I love you."
"I know."
"When you come back I will beat you at tennis," he said firmly.
"I know you'll do your best…Keigo…"
"Hmm?"
"I love you too."
"I know."
"Will you wait for me?"
"Of course… just remember, don't wear a mini skirt, don't go home after seven and if anyone asks, your engaged." She laughed lightly, placing a cool finger at the base of her chin he lifted her face towards his, leaning foreword, he kissed her passionately on the lips. He'd wait until his death bed if he had to, it'd all be worth it when he'd kiss those lips once more. The kiss seemed so romantic yet so desperate at the same time, she'd leave for England in two days, and the two were determined to make the last two days as meaningful as possible.
1 year later…
It was the end of morning practice, after a long and tiring practice all the regulars sat on tennis court resting before going home but Atobe was nowhere to been seen, he'd left his bag with Kabaji with the other regulars.
"Damn it!" swore Mukahi. "My endurance really is terrible."
"Glad you finally realized it," replied Shishido, Mukahi reached for a nearby tennis ball and threw it at him but after being pitted against Ootori's 200km/hr serves it seemed to slow and easy to catch.
"Where's Atobe?" asked a dreary Jirou who'd just woken from his slumber.
"Now that you mention it," said Ootori looking around. "Where is the Captain? Do you mind going to look for him?" he asked Kabaji. Strangely Kabaji dropped the two bags on his shoulders and left.
"Is that a yes?" asked Shishido.
"Probably," replied Osthiari, but his eyes were on the tennis bags Kabaji had left behind. Mukahi and Shishido were thinking the same.
"He wouldn't mind would he?" questioned Mukahi innocently as he unzipped Atobe's bag.
"No!" said Oshitari, Jirou, Hiyoshi and Shishido in sync.
Inside was the same as any other bag, books, a change of clothes, three tennis racquets, a towel with the initials 'A.K' embroidered in gold, a mobile and a wallet.
"Damn, no clues to the captain's dirty secrets," sighed Hiyoshi. Mukahi flipped through the wallet, aside from a few gold cards there was nothing inside except a photo. Mukahi took out the photo, he whistled.
"What?" Oshitari leaned closed to take a look at the photo. It was a picture of a very beautiful girl; she had long black hair, large sapphire blue eyes, pale skin, small but full lips and dressed in a black knee length dress. Beside her was Atobe with his arm around her waist in his Hyotei school uniform.
"She very nice looking," remarked Ootari.
"Is she Atobe's girl?" questioned Hiyoshi. Oshitari bite his lip gently while Mukahi shrugged.
"Who knows," the two said in sync.
The seven regulars put the photo back where it was found before Atobe and Kabaji returned, none of them mentioned her and no one dared ask Atobe, but she lingered on their minds for quite some time.
* * *
"Excused me," said a female voice, the two Hyotei students turned around to see who spoke.
"Yeah?" asked one.
"I was wondering where the tennis courts where," she said, they pointed her in the right direction. "Thank you," she bowed and left.
"Who was she?" asked one, he was red in the face.
"Dunno, think we'll ever see her again?"
Hope so."
* * *
"What's wrong!?" shouted Taki, ever since he'd been dropped from the regular he'd had done his best to improve his skills. "Tired already?" he asked the panting group of tennis club members. "Pick up your rackets, another 100 swings you don't deserve a break!"
"Working hard," remarked Ootari as he and Shishido walked down the stairs towards the court.
"Stop being such a push over, lame," said Shishido. The two joined the rest of the regulars where they gathered near the coach's seat.
"Agitated are we, Na Kabaji?" remarked Atobe.
"Usu," replied Kabaji. No one had told them about the discovery of the photo, but the curiosity was killing them.
"Oi Atobe! You know that-"
"Excuse me," interrupted a voice at the top of the stairs. "I'm looking for Keigo; do you know where he is?" Shishido turned around, there, stood the black haired girl from the photo only she had tied her hair up in an half ponytail and wore a pair of brown boots, black leggings, a purple dress with a belt around the waist and a large leather handbag with the handle of a tennis racket sticking out.
"Keigo? Whose he?" asked one of the club members.
"Isn't that Captain Atobe's first name?"
"Is it?"
"Who do you think she is?" asked Ootari before anyone could reply Atobe and raced up the stairs. She spotted him as he ran towards her and smiled gently, Atobe threw his arms around her waist and kissed her fiercely. She kissed him back and tied her hands at the back of his neck.
"I missed you," he breathed bringing her closer to him.
"I know," she replied embracing him. When he reluctantly let go she looked him up and down. "How tall are you now?"
"One hundred and seventy-eight, why?"
"Nothing," she said. "Aside from height I doubt you've changed."
"Same goes for you," he replied.
"Who she Atobe?" asked Shishido walking up the steps.
"I'm Kisara Sayuri, it's a pleasure to meet you," she said bowing slightly.
"Pleasure to meet you too," said Ootari.
"As I thought its Sayu!" remarked Mukahi, he practically jumped on her almost knocking her backwards. She giggled as Mukahi hugged her around the waist.
"You're such a child Gakuto," she said patting his red hair.
"Stop it Gakuto," said Oshitari pulling him off her. "It's been a while."
"Have we met?" she asked, Oshitari frowned for a momment before taking off his glasses. "Yushi! You look so different!" she remarked.
"Thank you I think," he replied giving her a quick hug.
"Umm senpai tachi, do you know each other?" asked Ootari.
"She was in my acrobatics class," explained Mukahi.
"We were taught by the same violin teacher," said Oshitari.
"So, tell me, have you been training?" she asked Atobe.
"A match?" he offered.
"Loser pays for dinner," she said, he nodded.
"How about we play doubles?" suggested Oshitari.
"Sure," said Kisara.
"You know full well I don't play doubles," scoffed Atobe.
"Then don't play," said Sayuri. "Get a team to represent you."
"Ootori, Shishido you play," said Atobe.
"Shall we team up?" offered Oshitari.
"Not fair!" remarked Gakuto.
"A mismatch pair won't win against us," said Shishido.
"What do you think?" Sayuri asked Atobe.
"If they lose I'm only treating you," he said. "Na Kabaji?"
"Usu," grunted Kabaji.
"Kabaji?" echoed Sayuri, she turned on the spot slightly. "Hiro-chan!?" she exclaimed. "My goodness, you've grown so big!"
"Usu."
"Have you been doing well?"
"Usu."
"That's good, I hope Kei's been treating you well."
"Usu."
"Hiro-chan?" mouthed Shishido, Kabaji was far from '-chan' which meant little.
"Well, I can't play in a dress and heels, I brought runners but…" Sayuri trailed off.
"Here," Atobe reached into his tennis bag hand handed her one of his spare tennis shirts. "Will that do?"
"Just fine," said Sayuri and rummaged inside her bag. "I brought a pair of shorts, it'll do."
* * *
"One set match, Shishido Ootari pair verse Kisara Mukahi pair, Shishido to serve," said Hiyoshi from the empire's chair.
"Like hell we're going to lose to her," said Shishido. He threw the ball in the air and served towards Sayuri, she wore Atobe's oversized t-shirt with her belt, black shorts, white socks and runners. Shishido did'nt even sees her swing her racket the ball was already rolling near the net. "The hell!?"
"Don't mind Shishido-senpai," said Ootari. Shishido nodded and served once more, she returned it just as quickly but he was prepared now, when the ball contacted the racket it just kept spinning and wouldn't leave the racket until the spinning stopped and it fell to the ground.
"This is the strength of 'The marionette of the court'," said Atobe. "Even your strength has no effect on that spin, the only person able to properly return that ball is Tezuka and me, Na Kabaji?"
Usu."
"A ball that won't leave the racket?" Shishido said to himself. "Then I can't return it on the full then." He threw the tennis ball in the air and served. "Then I'll just wait until it bounces." The ball flew past the net and towards her, this time Shishido saw her swing the racket, the ball travelled vertically along the racket before going over the net. The ball travelled back towards Shishido and landed at his feet, Shishido timed his swing, but what he thought was the perfect timing the ball's bounce was delayed and he swung too early.
"To manipulate the ball's speed, bounce, movement even spin like a puppet on a string, not only is she a formidable singles player, she is trusted by her partner in doubles allowing them to pull off flawless combinations even if they've never played together before," said Atobe. "But Shishido and Choutaro aren't Hyotei's number one pair for nothing."
"One game all, Ootari to serve!" shouted Hiyoshi.
"Ikyuu-nyu-kon!" said Choutaro as he unleashed his scud serve, it soared towards Kisara's feet before bouncing. Kisara watched as the ball flew towards her.
"If I tilt my racket forward by forty five degrees-" she said to herself tilting her racket. "-then hit with a downwards motion-" she swung her racket downwards like a drop volley. "-I should be able to covert the speed into spin and return it-" She hit the ball with a backspin on it. Ootari froze.
"She returned the scud serve," he exclaimed.
"Don't freeze on me now!" shouted Shishido running towards the ball, it hit the ground but instead of bouncing, it spun across the ground towards the net.
"-then end up with the reversed version of Shyusuke's tsubame gaishi," said Kisara a bit shocked herself. "Well, well, the result was better than I expect."
"Two games to one, Kisara to serve," said Hiyoshi.
Kisara threw the ball into the air and bent her back so far back her head nearly touched her foot while her other leg was near her chest, when the ball began to fall she sprang forward and hit the ball with her racket.
"No way," mouthed Mukahi as he watched the ball roll on the floor near Ootari's feet.
"How fast was that Choutaro?" asked Shishido.
"One ninety five kilometres per hour," replied Ootari. "In terms of speed, mine is faster but in the other aspects…"
"It takes someone who can hit a speed ball to return one," said Atobe. "Because of her lack of physical build and pronounced height like Ootari, she compensates by using her physical features. Female's hip joints are by far more flexible then males, by having her hips as the centre of gravity, it is closer to the centre and allows her to put her full weight into the ball. She's grown stronger again, Na Kabaji?"
"Usu."
"Six games to one, Oshitari Kisara pair victory," said Hiyoshi.
"I didn't get to do a single thing," said Oshitari slightly upset. "It was almost two on one game."
"So that's the strength of Kisara Sayuri, why haven't we heard of her?" asked Hiyoshi.
"I don't know, but there must be a reason," replied Taki.
"Sayuri's never played in an official tournament," explained Oshitari.
"That's such a waste, but why?"
"You'd have to ask her."