Disclaimer:I am in no way associated with Prince of Tennis, its creator, producers, editors and publishers. I have absolutely no rights to the anime and manga. This fanfiction was made purely from a fan's love for this series and a love for writing.

ONE OF THE GUYS

Chapter I

"Sakuno! Sakuno!" cried Tomoka Osakada, running towards her best friend. "BIG NEWS! Ryoma-sama is coming back to Japan!" In her hands was the latest edition of Tennis Pro magazine.

"Ehh!" exclaimed Sakuno, turning around sharply from her tennis practice. "Ryoma-kun… is coming back?"

Her heart gave a little thump. Memories flooded her mind. She missed Ryoma Echizen. The last time they had met was two years ago at the airport when he left for America to attend the U.S. Open. Ever since then, Sakuno had only seen his pictures in sports magazines and newspapers, praising his skills and achievements.

The thought of Ryoma's return brought a smile to Sakuno's face. They might even be in the same school together! Sakuno Ryuzaki was going to be in high school soon. She still hadn't decided which one to attend because there were so many schools to choose from and many of the schools had good tennis clubs.

"Mhmm… and look here," said Tomoka, pointing to a page with Ryoma's picture embedded on it. "It says that he's going to be attending Seishun Gakuen High School." Tomoka squealed and jumped up and down in excitement. "Now we can finally see Ryoma-sama again! Isn't that great, Sakuno!"

"Mm... But, Tomo-chan, isn't that an all-boys' school? How are we going to see Ryoma if we're not even allowed on the school's grounds?"

"Eh… I didn't think about that. Hehe…" Tomoka replied sheepishly. "Hmm… hey, Sakuno, you still haven't decided which high school to go to, right?"

Sakuno scrutinized her friend. Her eyes were filled with suspicion. Tomo-chan was up to something, she thought. "Yes…" she answered reluctantly.

She saw Tomo-chan's left eye flinch. Aha! She was up to something! "What do you want me to do now, Tomo-chan?"

In a mocking tone, Tomoka answered, "God, Sakuno, how could you think that way about me, your best friend since junior high?" Sakuno only rolled her eyes. "Ah, all right, fine, fine. You got me. Your perceptiveness can be really annoying sometimes, you know, Sakuno. Anyway, since I've already chosen my high school, I can't go to Seigaku HS. But…"

"I have a bad feeling about this..." mumbled Sakuno.

"But you haven't chosen yet! So that leads us to my ingenious idea!" Tomoka displayed a wide set of teeth and looked at Sakuno slyly. "You, Sakuno Ryuzaki, will be attending Seishun Gakuen High School with Ryoma-sama!"

Sakuno eyes widened in shock. She tried to open her mouth but all that came out was a gasp of air. She was speechless. Of all the 'brilliant' ideas that Tomo-chan had come up with, this was by far the most outrageous. Definitely overrated too. Regaining her ability to speak, she cried, "WHAT! Tomo-chan, are you crazy? I'm going to be caught! There is no way I could pass off as a guy!"

She gestured towards herself. "Look at me and tell me if I look like a guy to you with these long pigtails…" Sakuno held up her hair. "And this skirt!" She pointed at her pink, twirly skirt. "Or am I just a very, very homosexual male?"

Tomoka sighed. She was expecting this reaction. After all the numerous times she had used Sakuno as her guinea pig for her ideas, she was getting used to Sakuno's outbursts. Despite the protests, Sakuno eventually ended up submitting to Tomoka's schemes anyway.

"Sakuno, Sakuno, calm down. My dear, this is where you need my expertise. I, the ever-so-clever Tomoka, will make you over so that no one will recognize you (except me, of course)!" she boasted. "And besides, don't you want to see Ryoma-sama?"

Sakuno argued, "Well, yes, but—"

"Then it's settled then. Come by my house tomorrow and bring your high school application with you. We'll submit your form with your preferred school of choice and I can get my mom to fix your hair. I'll do the outfits. Bye, Sakuno! See you tomorrow!" Tomoka gave her a big grin and dashed off before Sakuno could make another objection.

"Ugh… what have I gotten myself into… again?" Sakuno sulked all the way home with her braids hung lethargically on her back. She would just have to knock some sense into Tomo-chan tomorrow. For now, she needed to concentrate on her tennis skills.

Her obaa-chan (grandma), a former coach at Seigaku Jr. High who just retired recently, had coached her everyday before and after school. With her grandmother's guidance, Sakuno had been able to reach her full potential. Her serves were great: powerful and required much concentration. Her returns were just as good. Her technique and playing style… well, let's just say that they were all entirely Sakuno. Not in the negative sense, of course. Sakuno had an unrivaled determination. When she set her heart on something, she would never waver from her heart's desire.

Her obaa-chan even complimented her yesterday, saying her skills might have even rivaled that of Nanjiroh Echizen back in his day. Sakuno had glowed with pride then. She was going to become the best female tennis player and aim for the world! Just like Ryoma-kun, she added to herself.

1

A Note from the Author: I hope everyone enjoyed the first chapter of this story. I've always liked this plot and it never fails to amuse me every time it's used. Remember, reviews are always helpful to the author. They inspire me to keep on writing. Without readers, where would us writers be?