Prince of Tennis belongs to Takeshi Konomi.
Ryoka (radiant child) is Ryoma's twin. She is exactly alike to him in looks, the same emerald-tinted raven tresses, almond-shaped golden-brown eyes, and pale skin. Except her hair reaches her stomach, her skin a shade paler, her height four centimeters shorter, and her eyes just that much wiser. She is slightly more slender than Ryoma, and far shier, falling ill with more than six people with her. For that reason, she remained homeschooled by her mother while her brother went to Seigaku. Ryoka…she'd been called many things in her numerous lives. Since the first life, where she'd been sucked into the world of magic and forced into the roles of Savior and Rebirthing Immortal, like a phoenix. Over her lives, she'd picked up many skills, but she'd much rather be a wallflower—an ugly wallflower, she would remind herself—than stand out and possibly break her heart again.
Always shy outside of her family, she clung to her only solace, her twin, who understood her better than anyone except herself. Who understood—and accepted—that this was not her first life. Who tried to help her, knowing she'd experienced heartbreak before—and would rather just stay safe with the only four she knew were okay—her cousin, her father, her mother, and her twin, older than her by ten minutes, far more outgoing and cocky, and extremely protective of her.
Yet that changed when Ryoma was hurt…and completely lost all memory of who he was.
Ryoka stared at her twin, aghast.
"You…you don't know me?" she whispered, her voice pitching in disbelief and heartbreak, tears gathering in her eyes. "R…Ryoma…"
She reached out, and Ryoma furrowed his brow, as though trying to remember something that kept slipping out of his grasp.
"Hn…Gomensai," he innocently apologized, bowing to her.
"Ryoka, can you…"
Her father trailed off when he saw the tears streaming down Ryoka's face.
"Dad…please leave," she whispered. "I need to do this…privately."
Nanjirō frowned but left the small forestclearing in favor of their small tent.
Ryoka closed her eyes, remembering.
Ne, imouto-chan? I have a bad feeling…
What do you mean, Ryo-nii?
…Ryo-imouto…if something happens to me, I need you to take my place in the Nationals Finals.
Nani?! But, but…so many people!
Please, imouto-chan! Promise me!
Ah…I would never say no, Ryo-nii…I will.
She hugged her older brother.
"Ryo-nii…please remember."
With that, she kissed her older brother, sweetly and lovingly, conveying all her thoughts and worries into the loving gesture.
They separated silently, and then Ryoma's eyes cleared.
"Ah! Ryoka…imouto?" he whispered in confusion, focusing on her.
"I will take your place…but come soon," she begged him as he fell back, unconscious.
Yet she'd seen the recognition and sudden clarity in his eyes.
She rushed towards the tent, pushing Ryoma inside as she grabbed his bag.
"Ryoka…?"
Her father sounded so hopeful.
"He remembers. He'll wake in less than an hour—get him to Tokyo Municipal Arena Tennis Court as soon as possible," Ryoka called over her shoulder as she ran into the cover of the forest, hastily slipping out of her usual thick jacket and long skirt into a tennis uniform, a duplicate of Ryoma's uniform, to be exact. She'd used her rarely-touched magic to make an exact copy—just in case. Tying her chest tightly and securely, knotting it by her side, she looked down, satisfied that the growing breasts were completely invisible. She slid on the Seigaku jacket over her polo shirt and quickly stuffed her hair out of sight into one of Ryoma's white caps. She checked her duplicate sneakers and took a deep breath.
Ryoka and Ryoma hadn't switched places in a while—three years, if she remembered correctly. However, close as they were, they could have done so—easily—at any time. Now, she told herself, as she picked up Ryoma's bag and rackets, she had to shed her shyness and become Ryoma.
She quickly ran back to the clearing, where her father was sitting beside the tent worriedly.
Nanjirō did a double take as he saw her.
"Ryoma? No, wait…"
"I'm filling in until he gets there. Please, don't forget. As soon as he wakes. I have everything he needs, just get him into his uniform," Ryoka commanded, slightly lowering her voice from its calm alto to Ryoma's somewhat-lower tenor.
"Wait, Ryoka!"
She shook her head.
"Everything will be alright. We planned for this a long time ago—accidents happen. Ryo-nii doesn't blame you, Papa," she assured him, a soft smile slipping across her face. "I have to go; Momoshiro-senpai is coming soon. I love you, Papa; pretend I'm Ryoma, and no one else is here."
She quickly kissed her father on the cheek before she grabbed onto Ryoma's bag and shut her eyes, breathing in and out in concentration.
She immersed herself in Ryoma's thoughts and memories.
I am Echizen Ryoma…I am Echizen Ryoma…I am Echizen Ryoma…I am Echizen Ryoma!
As her eyes flew open, a small helicopter descended.
"Come on, Echizen!" Momo roared.
Ryoka grabbed her bag tightly and swiftly jumped on.
"Sayonara, Oyaji!" she tossed over her shoulder, and she heard her father chuckling as the helicopter flew away.
As soon as the helicopter touched down, Momoshiro and Ryoka were racing towards the stadium.
Ryoka's eyes widened at the sight of Fuji supporting Tezuka off the court.
"Momo! Ochibi! You guys came back!"
Playful, Acrobatic Eiji.
"Hey, Echizen is here! You're late! I mean, really now!"
Chattermouth Horio.
"R…Ryoma-kun!?
That would be one of the friends of Horio…
"Oishi-senpai," Momo began.
"It's as you see here, we completely lost," Oishi sighed. "However, it's great that you could return so quickly."
Ryoka only nodded, knowing how her twin usually acted.
They sat down to watch Inui and Kaido fight Yanagi and Kirihara.
"Ryoma, you'll be Singles 1, if you don't recall," Momo whispered to her.
She raised an eyebrow.
"Of course I do."
She'd been about to tell him she was Ryoka before she caught herself, four replacing words stumbling off her tongue, however eloquently she managed to deliver them.
Tezuka watched Echizen from the corner of his eye.
Something was…off about him.
He sat the same, he talked the same, he smirked the same, he watched the same…but something about him was off.
As Fuji played, Echizen sat there, balancing his elbows on his knees and his chin resting on his palms, as he usually sat. However, instead of avidly watching every play-by-play, his eyes glazed over instead, indicating he was off in his own little world.
When Fuji reached 6-5, Echizen suddenly jolted upright, straightening swiftly with a silent gasp Tezuka was only able to see because he stood beside Echizen.
He reached out to steady him, but Echizen seemed to absently dodge his touch—which he had never done before.
Tezuka watched Echizen cautiously.
The same thing…except for the strange, very strange behavior…in the little things.
As he listened and observed, h finally found it.
Echizen's tone wavered slightly, somewhat higher than before.
He paused briefly before saying anything, and adjusted his cap several times, which he only did when nervous.
He was different…
He wasn't Echizen.
As Oishi and Eiji returned, having won 7-5, he made his move.
Carefully, he lifted the Echizen-imposter off the seat beside him, shaking him out of his daydreaming.
"E…Tezuka-buchou, what are you doing?" he demanded, twisting in Tezuka's hold above the ground.
As he squirmed around frantically, the white cap accidentally fell off his head.
By then, the scene had caught Seigaku's attention, and as the cap fell, so did his secret…
Ryoka internally sighed in relief.
Ryoma was on his way, once he arrived, she would hurry to the bathroom and switch places before the match occurred. Ryoma would play last—against Yukimura, the captain of Rikkai Dai.
Ryoka, thirty seconds before I arrive.
Okay, Ryoma, Oishi and Eiji just won 7-5—I have approximately one minute.
Ryoka was about to get up when she felt a sudden tug, and just as suddenly, she was off theground.
Ryo-nii!
"E…Tezuka-buchou, what are you doing?" Ryoka questioned uncertainly, sensing her twin's captain holding her up.
"You…are not Echizen Ryoma. Who are you?" Tezuka interrogated.
Ryoka's eyes widened as she squirmed uncomfortably.
Just her bad luck that her cap slipped off.
Ryoma's white cap spiraled off, and with it her secret as raven tresses tumbled down, beautiful in their thick, windswept way as they fell to her stomach.
Eyes zeroed in on her, gasps sounded, as everyone focused on the person posing as Echizen Ryoma.
Just then, Ryoma burst into the stadium, eyes zeroing in on his sister held in a rather painful position in his captain's grasp.
Instantly, his protective instincts took over, and he ran forward, eyes focused on his twin.
Sensing his presence, Ryoka effortlessly slid out of the polo shirt, leaving most of her upper body except for the cloth wrapped three times around her chest.
Uncaring of the cold, she vaulted effortlessly over the seats and met her brother on the floor of the stadium.
Ryoma swept her up in a loving embrace, hugging his light, shorter twin as he buried his face into her raven hair and inhaled her heavenly scent.
I'm so sorry I forgot, he whispered as he closed his eyes in peace.
Her grip on him tightened.
It'll be alright onii-san. I understand…
They pulled apart, only to find all eyes on them.
"Echizen…" Tezuka sternly looked at the two of them. "Explain. And put on the shirt."
He tossed the polo shirt at Ryoka, who effortlessly adjusted herself and slid it on without topping its flight.
"Which one of us?" she smirked, unable to resist. "I am Echizen…Echizen Ryoka."
And suddenly everyone could see it.
The two identical Ryomas…one taller, the other with longer hair.
"…"
"NANI?!"
"You have a sister?!"
"Nya~, she looks so cute! Do you play tennis too, Ryoka-chan?" Eiji questioned, pressing his face against hers curiously, eyes gleaming innocently.
Softly, Ryoka giggled, the adorably melodic sound echoing through the stadium.
"Hai, Neko-chan," she answered with a shy smile, ducking her head into her older brother's chest, amused but slightly afraid of the teenager whose stomach she barely reached.
Blink. Blink.
"Wah~, you're so cute, nya~!" Eiji cried, glomping her in a tight hug.
As she gasped for breath, Ryoma quickly stepped in, separating the two of them and taking his sister back possessively.
"Arigatou…? Eiji-senpai…" Her voice wavered uncertainly before she ducked her head back into her brother's chest and finished, "Arigatou, onii-san."
"Imouto-chan…are you…?"
Ryoma glared furiously at Eiji, who squeaked and scampered back to his seat beside Oishi.
"Ryo-nii," she reprimanded slightly. "It'll be fine."
Her eyes glazed over, and she shivered slightly before she clung tighter to her brother, eyes clear.
Ryoma swiftly scooped her up bridal-style, and she buried her face into his shoulder, trembling now visibly.
"It's too much. Gomensai, imouto-chan…I did not mean to make you so ill," Ryoma apologized gently to her as he carried her over to the seating area.
"N…No…it's okay…I wanted to, Ryo-nii…I also want to watch you play…"
He frowned down at her, worry evident in hazel eyes as he set her down between Oishi and Eiji.
"Senpai…take care of my sister," he ordered them as Ryoka fell unconscious. "She falls ill with more than 6 people in her presence…she only stayed conscious because of our agreement."
With those words, he turned around and walked onto the court.
"Seigaku Echizen vs. Rikkai Yukimura."
He glared at his opponent.
"Let's make this quick, my sister is ill."
Ryoka awoke with a gasp, digging her long nails into the palm of her hands and trying to concentrate on the physical pain instead of her emotional and mental pain.
Though she waited expectantly for the pain to distract her, it never came, as she forced the tears back in time to see Ryoma bleeding.
"Ryoka-chan!"
Blinking, she turned her head to the side to see Eiji cradling her hand in his large palm.
"You're bleeding!"
Glancing down in surprise, she watched the blood drip down from little crescent moons, knuckles completely white as Eiji pried her hand open gently.
Ryoka locked eyes with Ryoma.
I can't…I can't feel!
This they realized at the same time, as Ryoma's eyes narrowed at Yukimura.
It had started…their senses were failing.
Their sight swiftly left, and Ryoka closed her eyes, extending her magic around her, knowing she could not concentrate on her other senses before they left.
Ryoma…
You have to fight.
You can feel the ball, can't you? Coming at you….right there.
You know…And you can…because you love it.
Because you secretly love this…
Because you honestly, truly…love tennis.
Because…Because…Because…
Tennis…is fun, they finished simultaneously.
Suddenly, they could see; they could feel.
Light swirled about them, a golden aura visible about them.
The Pinnacle of Perfection.
What happened next was obvious.
"SEIGAKU!"
Ryoma won—and gave Seigaku the 1st Place in the Nationals.
As the light died down, the twins locked eyes for a brief moment.
Ryoka laughed softly, completely content to watch, as Seigaku tossed her twin up and down.
As she felt a hand touch her shoulder, she turned.
"Let's leave them to it," her father smiled down at her.
She reached up, and he cradled her small frame in his arms.
"Arigatou, Papa," she smiled.
It had been a struggle to stay conscious. Her healing sleep had been disrupted by Ryoma's sudden loss, and she had been feeding her magic—her energy, in a way—towards making her father and twin arrive at the Municipal Arena Tennis Court swiftly. After that, the strangers staring at her triggered her fear.
Ryoma…we will wait outside, she called out to him.
I'll try to get away soon.
Suppressing a giggle at his disgruntled tone, she snuggled deeper into her father's arms and fell asleep.
Thirty minutes later, Ryoma quickly made his escape, promising to tell Ryoka Tezuka apologized and Eiji wanted to see her again.
He smiled at his sleeping sister and smirked at his father.
"Come on, Oyaji. Let's go home."