A/N: Any likeness to real persons and events are entirely coincidental. I do not own any of the mentioned brands and pray that I do not have any legal documents thrown at my face.

Chapter 1

Tokyo, Narita International Airport

It's so humid. Hot. Feels like I'm breathing in steam…was the only thought going through Reina Hayworth's mind as she exited Narita International Airport. It was four in the afternoon in Tokyo and it was a clear, sunny day. Is it always this stifling? Reina thought irritably. It was not her first time in Japan, but after a 13 hour flight and having rushed through a three hour pharmacology exam prior to boarding, Reina was not a happy camper. Although it was the first week of May, Japan was experiencing higher than average temperatures. Reina, having lived in New York for the past two years, was unaccustomed to the temperature fluctuations of the island country. She quickly hailed a cab and passed the driver a piece of paper with her destination written on it.

As she settled herself into the seats, Reina noticed the driver's eyes every so often stare at her reflection from the rear-view mirror. Ugh, not again. She quickly pulled out a pair of aviator sunglasses from her Nike duffel bag and slipped them onto her face.

Reina was not a vain or egocentric person by nature, however years spent in the spotlight as a professional tennis player made her aware of just how…compelling, her physical assets were. Standing at 5'8, with a slender but toned physique, she was taller than most women in the States. Heck, she stood almost equal in height with the majority of her male classmates at school, and she just about towered over them in heels. On top of that, her "honeyed caramel locks" (as one infatuated writer from GQ gushed) and golden brown eyes, almost cat-like in shape, made her a media darling throughout her tennis career. She still remembered the erratic flashes from countless cameras and mikes shoved into her face following her first major victory.

At sixteen, Reina entered Wimbledon as a wild card entry. During those two weeks, Reina endured an intense mental and physical battle, but she pushed and shoved her way through. At the end of the tournament, the critics hailed her foray into the professional circuit as a miraculous breakthrough as she defeated the top-seed. Miraculous my ass, Reina thought viciously. She had worked her ass off and some snotty-nosed journalist deemed her win a lucky one-time phenomena. Well, I sure showed them. Come September that year, Reina won her second Grand Slam title at the U.S Open. The following January, Reina continued to dominate the courts. She took the Australian Open and then proceeded to "kick ass" (as articulated by her best friend) in the French Open some months later. Those were the days, Reina thought fondly.

The car suddenly came to a stop and Reina blinked as she was woken from her wool-gathering. She quickly paid the driver, gathered her tennis bag and duffel, and stepped out of the car. The driver shot one last wistful look at Reina's figure, and drove off.

Well, mused Reina as she surveyed the three-story building, not too shabby for a training camp for middle school students. The sign beside the gates read "Junior Selection Camp."

Cafeteria, Dinner Time

It was dinner time and all the athletes were excited, or fired up (namely Hyotei Gakuen's Atobe Keigo and Rikkaidai Fuzoku's Sanada Genichiro), over Tezuka Kunimitsu's return. The Seigaku regulars were crowded near their captain, questioning Tezuka's progress in his rehabilitation and for any hints as to their training regimen. All those formerly in Ryuzaki-sensei's group strained their ears for that last tidbit of information. As Tezuka opened his mouth – most likely to make those in his immediate vicinity run laps – a sudden bang was heard. The flimsy aluminum doors connecting the hallways and the canteen swung open and a quiet, "Shit, that was loud," was heard.

All attention was brought to a slender, light haired figure by the doorway. She's clearly foreign, I wonder if she's lost to damn she's hot was going through the boys' minds.

Even though all the boys present were dedicated to their sport, some even to a degree of single minded devotion, they were still hormonal teenagers. All the testosterone in the room flew towards and zeroed in on the mile long legs, smooth and creamy, shown to their utmost advantage in the frayed (and extremely short) jean cut-offs the mysterious woman sported. Their eyes systematically drew upwards to the white button down shirt, slightly sheer and hinting to the small waist and voluptuous breasts, with the sleeves rolled up. The stranger's face was unblemished, no signs of hormone induced acne so prevalent in teenage girls their age, with lush red lips, a pointed chin, and sharp nose. Her eyes were fringed with long, dark lashes (seemingly familiar to some in the room) and appeared almost golden. Some, like Sengoku Kiyoshimi and Momoshiro Takashi, were outright ogling while the more, shall we say 'conservative in regards to the opposite sex' members like Otori Choutaro and Kaidoh Kaoru sported reddened cheeks and cast furtive glances towards the attractive woman. Woman, the boys thought, for she could definitely not be called a girl.

The silence was broken with Hanamura-sensei's "Rei!"

"Aoi, it's so good to see you," exclaimed the (hot) stranger as she ran to embrace Hanamura. "Hope I'm not too late. I just arrived from the airport."

"No. You are just in time. We just welcomed the new replacement coach Tezuka-kun. Now, let me introduce you to everyone."

The majority of those within the room only caught snippets of the conversation; those with an intermediate level understanding of the language wondered about the relationship between the two. They addressed each other casually, like old friends or colleagues, and their body language displayed a familiarity that only developed naturally through years of companionship.

Hanamura-sensei brought the young woman to the front and turned to face the boys. "Everyone, if I could have your attention for a moment. I would like to introduce you to our team's medic and physical trainer, Hayworth Reina."

The reaction was instantaneous.

"Hhhaaaaa?!"