Kaguya: My very first Prince Of Tennis fanfiction!

Disclaimer: I do not own Prince Of Tennis, or Star Wars or Star Trek.


It was a placid day.

One of those days where one could stay in bed extra late, just daydreaming and watch the sun spill though one's window.

Maybe Nozomu would, except he couldn't sleep.

Daydreaming was all he did and could do, and frankly he was quite tired of it.

And sun spilling though windows? What?

Nozomu didn't fancy poetry, but did he ever like plotlines…


Death, to Nozomu, was something he didn't really think about whilst he was living. Now that he was dead, it was still something he didn't really think about, for it was really no different from when he was living. Twenty-five, living in an all-right apartment, he didn't want to achieve much and achievement didn't come to him. And he was all right with that, oddly enough, even to him.

Growing up among maids and servants at his beck and call, he was tutored and had always preferred staying in the house instead of going outside and playing ball with his neighbors, thus growing up rather pale and sickly. His mother had died giving birth to him, and because of that, Nozomu's father avoided him at all costs, except for the occasional fancy dinner during his birthday.

Nozomu, actually really never minded, for he had a secret, something that could never be taken away from him, not even death, like the way it took his mother so suddenly on a day that was to be the most joyful.

Reading was the one thing that stopped Nozomu from being a complete vegetable. He would devour those books like a beast hungry from several days without food. Picture books to easy chapters, novels to classics, everything.

And that was the reason why Nozomu decided he would write books when he grew up. He would write for kids like himself; friendless and deprived of love.

When he grew up, his father had died, giving his company to Nozomu. As soon as he got his father's will, he started to arrange for it to be sold to the highest bidder. Then, he sold the house and bought an apartment. The first thing he did after he had settled in was to buy a package of 500 sheets of lined paper and a ballpoint pen, signifying his start at his new life.

So he wrote.

And wrote

And wrote.

He wrote intricate plotlines about intergalactic battles, haunting ghost stories, or stories about pirates raging the seven seas.

But what Nozomu wanted to write was something that he didn't know what to write about.

That was, a romance.

If he told anyone about his, some would stare at him strangely. Oh, but he knew if he was to write anything about that, it would be COMPLETELY different from some trashy novel without much plotline at all. Those novels scared Nozomu, even just their covers of some radiantly beautiful girl wearing a dress that exposed A LOT with handsome suitors hovering over her like moths to a flame.

Now, he would have probably told you what his novel would be about and how it would be different, except he couldn't.

If you wanted to write a sci-fi story, for example. One could easily go to the nearest video store and immerse oneself in rounds after rounds of 'Star Wars' or 'Star Trek'. But for a romance, someone would have had to be able to been in love before to know how it felt like, which was exactly what Nozomu didn't know.

He thought, if he could write a romance, he would overcome the last hurdle in writing and at last be an accomplished writer. He was those kind of people that needed to achieve that one thing before they were able to rest easy.

And being 25, Nozomu wasn't exactly in a rush either. Over time, he thought, he would meet some nice girl, fall in love, get married, and then write that novel.

But the truck that hit him didn't agree, unfortunately.

How underappreciated writers were these days...


Nozomu was irritated.

After waiting HOURS and HOURS for the couples to finally start to arrive and take their romantic walks in the park, none of them, just like the ones yesterday, were the couple he could base his story on. Combing his lank, brown hair with his fingers, he groaned. What good was it to have eternity to write a story when he couldn't even get started?

Sitting on the park bench, or more like hovering a few millimeters above it, he inspected a couple walking along the flower-adorned, granite-paved path of the park. No this wasn't the couple he was looking for.

The couple he needed, needed chemistry, needed something that Nozomu apparently didn't know of. It was some term romance movies used. Before he could resume his daily 'couple watching', Nozomu noticed a presence beside him. He groaned inwardly. It was her again.

Mayrin Askuran was the ghost was supposed to be the one that was to help him adapt to life being dead. She had been helpful at first, but soon she began to think she had to regard him as a …friend. Nozomu apparently didn't like this. She was too damn cheerful.

"Hello Nozomu! Wonderful day isn't it!" Mayrin had died from an unknown disease when she was 24, a year before Nozomu, so they were about the same age. That same smile plastered on her face day in and day out, it annoyed him to no end.

"Everyday is the same, what makes this day so wonderful?" Nozomu replied in a monotonous voice. Mayrin stood up and twirled, laughing. "Everyday is different, whether you're dead or not silly!" To Nozomu, she seemed almost alive, except instead of the sun glinting off her rich ruby-red hair, it shone through the girl.

"Yeah, whatever." Nozomu looked away. She was so annoying.

"Aww… cheer up!" When he didn't, unfortunately this didn't put a dent in her cheerfulness. She replied to his silence, "Ah… don't worry I know something that will cheer you up!" She leaned close to his ear, as if to whisper a secret. Nozomu immediately backed away, but not before catching the words, "I signed you up for the Program."

He immediately became alert, his drowsy 'I-don't-give-a-damn' expression faded and the 'tell-me-more' expression replaced it. "Are we talking about THE Program here? As in the relocation program?" Mayrin nodded happily, but not telling the ever-anxious Nozomu more. Nozomu was caught between hugging and throttling Mayrin.

"Y-you…" He stuttered. "Yes?" She smiled sweetly. "You…just do me and favor and…shut up for a minute." Mayrin complied, giving him time to rest his reeling head.


When someone died, they were at peace; able to enjoy their days roaming the places they loved. Like Mayrin for example. But Nozomu was one of the rare ones that felt restless; unable to enjoy eternity placid and calm until they found whatever it is the heck they were searching for!

Nozomu, however, knew what he needed. All his life he wanted to be a writer, and he knew (while he was alive) that he wouldn't be able to rest until he was able to overcome all the challenges authors face. Writer's blocks, grammatical errors, plot snags… he would master them.

Being able to write stories under all categories was something Nozomu was nearly obsessed about. Fantasy, angst… just not romance. The honest thing was, he didn't know whether he wanted to write a romance because he wanted to write it, or that if he was only doing so to become the best.

Which really, really bugged him.

So, he concluded, in order for him to finally be at rest, he would need to be able to finish is uncompleted obstacle. He knew he would never be able to actually become an author, but if he could master the art of writing a romance, he would be able to be like Mayrin; happy.

But being dead was a HUGE hurdle that was virtually impossible to jump over.

Well, except for the Relocation Program, that is.


Basically, the Program enabled a spirit to enter the consciousness of a human. So it was like one was alive again, since one would be able to partly control the body only at the body's original owner's consent. So, it was like two souls in one body.

The body's original owner would have the most control. The spirit, to him or her, would merely be like a voice in his head. If the body's owner refused to help the spirit, the spirit would be unable to leave, thus landing them in quite a predicament.

Nozomu wasn't exactly ecstatic about doing to Program. There were so many risks and Nozomu wasn't exactly the impulsive kind of man.

But what could be worse than wandering the world until the end of time, worrying and restless?


"Fine." Nozomu concluded loudly.

"Excuse me?" Mayrin said vaguely next to him on the bench. She had been observing a butterfly and a clump of flowers while she had been waiting for him.

"I said fine, I'll do the stupid program." Nozomu crossed his arms and looked away, irritable as if he was doing Mayrin a favor instead of the other way around. Mayrin clapped her hands in glee. "That's wonderful news Nozomu! I'll go tell the spirits in charge about your decision." She started to walk away until Nozomu stopped her.

"Mayrin, how were you able to get me on the list?" He knew that most spirits that had signed up had to wait about a decade or more to get on the list. But Mayrin just winked and giggled before walking away, annoying Nozomu to no end.

Strange, how Nozomu never minded when people ignored him when he was alive, but it bugged him to no end that people did so when he was dead.

He huffed and looked away from this annoying girl. Although a little part of him was excited to be partially alive again, he couldn't help but think of the risks. What if this person was unable to help him get the perfect plotline for his story? Would he be condemned to be stuck in someone's consciousness, for who knows how long?


Ryoma was irritated.

That morning, Nanako had been sick so he had to eat an English breakfast. He knew this was selfish of him to think so, but he was in to bad of a mood to care much. Karupin all but ignored him, and plus he knew he was going to be late for school. And this wasn't really his fault either, since it was his father that kept lecturing him about his non-existent love life.

Echizen Ryoma just wanted to be left alone.

Alas, his horrible sufferings that morning was far from over. Hyperactive girls ambushed him with shrieks of 'Ryoma-sama!' or 'Echizen-kun!' echoed over Seigaku when he arrived at school. For once grateful to Tezuka making the regulars run laps, he managed to narrowly evade them and sprint to his homeroom, breathing a sigh of relief.

He was early, so the classroom was naturally deserted. Except for one other person, who was intently scribbling in a notebook. Ryoma identified that person as Ryuzaki Sakuno, his tennis teacher's granddaughter. Without much else to do, he found himself studying her face.

Her chocolate brown eyes were full of concentration, her pen darting back and forth in her notebook. Her ridiculously long braids were flung over her shoulder, except sometimes it would slide down, covering her delicate face, only to be flung back behind her back again.

In the process of doing so, she seemed to finally realize Ryoma Echizen was sitting there, looking at her. "Ah… Ohayo, Ryoma-kun" she stuttered, blushing profusely. "Ryuzaki." He said solemnly back, embarrassed to get caught looking at Sakuno.

They were silent for a minute, until Sakuno made a brave effort at conversation. "So, Ryoma-kun… did you get your homework done?" 'Perfect, once you finally get the chance to talk to Ryoma-kun, you start lecturing him about his homework! Idiot! '

Brave, but not so smart.

"Yes…" Ryoma knew lots of things in life, but girls were not one of them. What was Ryuzaki trying to say? Sakuno started to feel more blood rushing to her face. 'C'mon Sakuno, make an attempt to save this conversation!' "Heh, lucky you, I didn't understand questions 3-10 in English…" 'Yes, great Sakuno, make yourself seem dumber to impress Ryoma… great.'

Ryoma finally came up with a conclusion. "Would you like me to help you with that?" he said awkwardly, not used to being helpful. Sakuno's brown eyes widened. Was this real? Was the Prince of Tennis really offering to help her with her English homework? "Ah… um…."

Before she could even answer him, Ryoma was already over at her desk, flipping through her English workbook. Coming to the page, he smirked. "Seems like you made a little mistake Ryuzaki." Immediately, inside Sakuno started to panic. 'Oh no, does that mean I actually did my English homework? And he found out I was lying?

Ryoma put her book on her desk and took his out of his schoolbag, "You missed question 1-10, actually. Now, here they're saying…" For 15 heavenly minutes, for the first time in her life, Ryoma Echizen was actually being nice to her! He was actually paying attention to her! Sakuno was ready to faint with joy.

As he leaned over to take an eraser to erase a question, his hand accidentally brushed against hers, and for a second Ryuzaki Sakuno's heart stopped.

Unfortunately, the 15 minutes were over too soon, and Ryoma was already taking his English workbook and walking over to his desk. In her shock and happiness, Sakuno failed to realize her notebook was missing.


Kaguya: My very first shot at a RyomaxSakuno story, and also my first Prince of Tennis fanfiction too. I hope you liked it!