MYDEADYLYLOVER: Hi, everyone! This is my first try at a PoT fanfic so, please be gentle with your comments. Constructive criticism is always welcome. Thanks to my friend eijicute for proofreading this for me, I love you!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Prince of Tennis. If I do, then it would be one big yaoi series, the fans would be crying by the end of it.
----Chapter 1----
----Unfortunate Engagement----
"Buchou!" The redheaded acrobatics player almost shouted at Atobe Keigo's ear. His attention was definitely not on his companions as he continued to seemingly gaze into the open space of the school grounds.
Atobe's eyes were busy staring at a girl running at full speed across the grounds as the school bells started to ring. He smirked a little as he saw the girl run as if there's no tomorrow.
"Atobe, Gakuto's talking to you," Oshtari Yuushi's voice awakened Atobe from his silly little musings and he perked his head up and looked at Mukahi Gakuto, the tennis team's acrobatics player. Such things can never surprise Hyoutei's King, or at least that's what he's trying to show.
"What is it that you wanted to tell Ore-sama?" Atobe asked.
"Uhm…you left one of your phones back at the locker room, I just thought I'd return it to you before the bell rings," Mukahi said holding out a shiny black slide-up phone for Atobe to see. Atobe took it from Mukahi's hand and slipped it inside his bag.
"Ore-sama thanks you. You may now go," Atobe waved a dismissing hand and Mukahi took it as his cue to leave the classroom.
"You seem kinda out of it, Atobe," Oshitari commented after Mukahi had left.
"It's none of your business, Oshitari," Atobe glared at Oshitari before the sensei arrived and signaled for the class to start.
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Sendoh Aoi wiped the sweat from her brow as she arrived at her classroom to find it sensei-free. She sighed in relief and greeted her classmates before settling down on her own desk.
"Mou, Aoi-chan, you're late again!" A petite girl with shoulder-length hair placed her hands on her hips as she eyed Aoi sternly.
"Ahh~ gomen, Kana-chan, on my way here I saw a pregnant woman and she was about to give birth and so I decided to take her to the nearby clinic but unfortunately, the clinic did not admit her so I had to take her –" Aoi's story was cut off by her friend.
"Hai, hai, and so you have to take her to the university hospital and wait until she gives birth? Mou, Aoi-chan, can't you think of something believable other than those lame excuses? I've heard that excuse more than once before! You're lucky sensei's on leave today," Kana sighed, looking at her friend.
"Eh? So he's really not here? Lucky ~" Aoi made a peace sign to Kana and the latter only smacked her forehead in disbelief. Really, her friend's tardiness cannot be cured.
It was the tennis club's afternoon practice and Atobe sat on the bleachers observing the doubles team of Oshitari and Mukahi, noting how their play style has improved since the last match. Kabaji, as usual sat by his side, staring at the match with an impassive face. The Buchou of the tennis club drank some water from the bottle by his side when a girl's voice caught his attention.
"Nii-sama!" The voice called and Atobe averted his eyes to a girl running down the bleachers towards their general direction. She was the girl he saw that morning running at the school grounds, already late for her lessons. Atobe smirked to himself, noticing how her long black hair bounced in its ponytail as she descended the steps and how her legs lifted themselves with each step she takes. She sure runs around a lot, eh?
"Nii-sama!" she called once again, reaching the place where Atobe and Kabaji were seated. Atobe followed her with his gaze noticing the features of her face. Her prominent chin, those beautifully arched eyebrows, the sharp nose and her well-defined cheekbones and jaw line. She was a true beauty, the way she carries herself in a careless manner yet still managing to show some grace. He was about to greet her but he was put out when she sat beside Kabaji. "Nii-sama, father told me to invite you. They're going to hold a party at home for God-knows-what and they told me that you should come, nii-sama, it's ok, right? Tomorrow's the weekend after all," The girl chattered off and, apparently, Kabaji had understood what she said.
"Usu," the burly second year said and nodded.
"Ah, that's great! Don't forget to tell your parents, okay, nii-sama? Jaa~ I'll be going then, see you tonight!" And the girl picked up her bag, running up the bleachers. There she was, again, running around, Atobe thought.
"Ne, Kabaji, who was that girl just now?" Atobe asked the second year sans tennis team captain's eternal man slave.
"Sendoh Aoi, Second year class A," Kabaji said in a monotone voice.
"What's your relationship to her?" Atobe pressed on.
"Cousins," Kabaji grunted.
"You're both second years. Why does she call you 'nii-sama'?" Hyoutei's King asked once more.
"I'm older by three months," came Kabaji's reply.
"Ah~n" Atobe said, raising a perfectly shaped eyebrow. Hyoutei's King had found his Cinderella.
Aoi felt that something was not quite right the way that her mother had hired a stylist, a makeup artist and a hairdresser to prepare her for the party that was going to be held at their house that night. A few well-trusted maids would have done the job but Aoi's mother felt that it was improper and proceeded to introduce her to Japan's best fashion soldiers who are well trained (and not to mention well-priced) to do the job of prepping her up for the occasion.
"Ne, okaa-sama, why do I have to go through such fuss? The maids would have done well enough," Aoi asked her mother, cringing a bit as her hair made contact with the hot curling iron. They would surely have split ends soon, Aoi thought miserably.
"That won't do, Aoi-chan. Tonight I would like you to meet someone important so I would like you to look beautiful for that person. So that you would make a good first impression," Aoi's mother smiled at her. Aoi sighed knowing that her mother had defeated her again. She can't win against her no matter how hard she tries. Sendoh-mama always finds a way to get what she wanted.
"Just who is this person, anyway?" Aoi asked, studying her face in the mirror. These guys are quite good, eh? So far, she looks normal – even prettier than normal, actually.
"You'll see. I don't wanna spoil it for you," Aoi's mother winked and with that, she excused herself from the room. Aoi sighed again, letting the fashion soldiers do their job on her.
"Keigo-bochama, master wishes to see you in his study immediately," a maid told Atobe after he had arrived home. Keigo sighed, and handed his school bag to the said maid and proceeded up the flight of stairs of their large mansion and went straight to his father's study.
"Otou-sama, it's me," Keigo said, tapping at the door of his father's study.
"Ah, enter," came the answer from inside the room. Keigo then opened the door and excused himself inside the large study.
"You wish to see me, otou-sama?" Keigo inquired.
"Ah, yes, I have something to tell you," Atobe-senior said, turning to his son who just stood there by the doorway.
"And what is it that you wanted to tell me, otou-sama?" Keigo asked.
"Get dressed," Atobe-senior said.
"Eh?" Keigo had a confused look on his face.
"We're attending a party tonight and your presence is very much required, so get dressed in formal wear right now," Atobe-senior elaborated.
"But, otou-sama, why is ore-sama needed in that party?" Keigo pressed on. He was not in the mood for parties right now.
"I'd like you to meet someone very important. Don't run away or I'll disown you," Atobe-senior said and was satisfied to see his son's eyebrow twitch. No matter how much Keigo may want to disobey his father's orders, he had always been forced to oblige with the threat of disownment. He's still quite a child, Atobe-senior thought.
"Hai, wakarimashta," Atobe said and with that, he turned and left the study without another word.
Aoi stared at the crowd with distaste. They were a lot older than she was and she does not know anyone in that crowd. And it was certainly making her imagination run wild. Maybe she was to meet an old geezer who wants to set her up with his equally ugly son and her parents would gladly agree. The possibilities were endless and Aoi had to control herself so that her imagination would stop thinking of the worst scenarios possible. Why is Munehiro-nii-sama not here yet? Aoi asked herself as she weaved through the crowd of people and headed towards the veranda. She needs some cooling-off because the crowd just seems to get thicker by the minute. Reaching her sanctuary, Aoi let out a grateful sigh but was startled when she heard shifting movements from the unlit side of the veranda. She called out.
"Is someone there?" she asked uncertainly.
"Ah, sorry, did I startle you?" The man on the other side asked. Atobe Keigo raised his head to see the one who's been invading his thoughts since this morning. Sendoh Aoi was there, standing in a black gothic-inspired dress and seemed to glow from the faint light coming from the ballroom.
"Ah, no, It's me who should be saying sorry, you know, coming out here and disturbing your peaceful silence," Aoi replied, bowing her pretty head.
"It's quite alright, it's crowded, anyway," Atobe said nodding to the direction of the ballroom, even though he knows that Aoi cannot really see him. "I know some get sick of it and needs a breather once in a while," he continued. Suddenly, a cellphone rang.
"Excuse me," Aoi said as she answered her phone. Not long after that, Atobe's own phone started to ring.
"Why are you calling ore-sama?" Atobe said as he answered the phone.
"Keigo! Where have you gone to?" his father's voice came from the other end. Atobe held the phone a few inches from his ears.
"Ore-sama was just having some fresh air," he answered.
"Well, break time's over! Get your miserable ass over here or I'll disown you!" came his father's reply. Atobe cringed at the word.
"Hai, hai, otou-sama. Keep it down, will you. There's probably some people in Britain who did not manage to hear your voice," Atobe answered sarcastically and before his father could even think of a response, he disconnected from the call. That man can't act his age sometimes, Atobe thought before leaving the peaceful veranda and stepping into the crowded ballroom, weaving through the people, greeting back to those who knew him and headed towards the direction of the grand staircase where he saw his parents standing with two other people and his Aoi.
"Where have you gone to, Aoi-chan?" came the worried voice of Aoi's mother came from the other line.
"Ah~ I just went to have some fresh air," Aoi replied, pressing the phone to her ear.
"Oh, I thought you've gone somewhere else. Well, meet us in the grand staircase, ok, sweetie," and with that, Aoi's mother cut the call short. Aoi sighed. She did not even enjoy her short break. Stepping out of the veranda, she weaved through the crowd that seemed to have increased once again over the time she had spent on the veranda. Really, how many people does her parents know to have this much visitor on a party for God-knows-what-it-is-this-time? She headed for the grand staircase where her parents stood with two other people, one male and the other female.
"Aoi-chan, I'm sorry for making you wait, my Keigo doen't really know his manners," The female Atobe bowed in apology to Aoi.
"Ah~ please raise your head, Atobe-san, I did not wait for too long, after all," Aoi sai, feeling uneasy, the way that the Atobe's were treating her. She only met them that night yet they already treat her as if she was an important person. What was all of this about, anyway? Just before the female Atobe could apologize to Aoi for the fifth time that night, Aoi saw a young man in palest lavender long-sleeved polo shirt with its sleeves rolled up and held with a silver cuff. Incredibly hot was the first thing that came to Aoi's mind when she saw this perfect creature ascend the stairs towards their direction. The handsome face with those beautifully shaped eyebrows that would rival hers, and that charm point that draws all eyes to his face. Even that little mole was perfect in its own way. And his hair, how can she just ignore that hair that seems to glow under the light of the crystal chandeliers that hangs from the ceiling.
"Ah, finally! He's here!" Atobe-mama's voice made Aoi stop from her staring. The female Atobe held the young man's forearm and almost dragged him to where Aoi and her parents were. "Aoi-chan, Sendoh-san, this is our son, Keigo," Atobe mama introduced the young man and the young man, bowed gracefully to them. Aoi was starting to think that when describing this man, you couldn't refrain from using such poetic terms.
"Pleased to meet you, Aoi-san, Sendoh-san," Keigo bowed and kissed the hand of Aoi's mother, making the older woman smile in a pleased way. Keigo then inclined his head to Aoi and bowed lightly, Aoi responding with a slight bow too.
"And this is my daughter, Aoi," Aoi's mother introduced them, which prompted another exchange of respectful bows. After the pleasantries of introduction, Sendoh-mama motioned for their family's butler who immediately scurried to his master. Sendoh-mama whispered a few words to him and the butler just nodded to show that he understood. The next moment, he was gone, as suddenly as he had appeared. Suddenly, the lights of the ballroom dimmed and spotlights pointed towards the direction where they were currently located. Aoi could not suppress the slight shock that showed in her face. Whoever knew that they hired lighting crew for that night?
"Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention, please?" Sendoh-mama called out to the crowed and immediately, all eyes were focused on them, or at least that's what Aoi thinks because she can barely see through the brightness of the spotlights.
"We are all gathered here to celebrate a big event for our family and also for the Atobe family," Sendoh-mama waved a graceful hand towards the direction of the Atobes who beamed at the audience. Aoi couldn't figure out what was so great that it would need such a huge celebration and apparently, the youngest Atobe showed the same confusion as hers through the slight furrowing of his brows.
"This has already been decided a few years before now. And today, we are pleased to inform you that the Atobe family and the Sendoh family will be joined – " both of the youngest members of the families could not quite decipher what the elders were talking about and the confusion was eminent of both Aoi and Keigo's faces. "- through the engagement of our children, Aoi and Keigo," Keigo's father finished and he waved a hand towards the direction of Aoi and Keigo, who both had awestruck looks on their faces, still trying to absorb the information from what Keigo's father had said. After that statement, the crowd broke into tumultuous applause, almost deafening if the two would just regain their presence of mind.
"I'm … engaged?" Aoi breathed out after running over the statement several times in her head, trying to find other meanings for it, yet failing miserably. Her eyes had finally regained its focus and she looked down to the crowd below them. They were all clapping hard. It's so loud, so deafening. Aoi clapped both hands over her ears and shouted, "YADDA!!!" before running away up the grand staircase, leaving the audience in awkward silence. It's not the usual response you would expect from a girl on her engagement party. Then again, she never really knew that she was engaged until five seconds ago.
Aoi ran down the hallways of the Sendoh mansion, trying to suppress the tears that were starting to fall down her cheeks. That was just too much of a blow to her ego and her emotions. She felt as if the whole world had conspired against her. Yes, that Atobe guy was hot beyond what words could describe but Aoi felt that being set up with a guy she knew for just a few seconds was a great idea for the start of a romance. No, Aoi wanted to be free and use her decision on that area. Aoi wants to meet a guy, fall in love and eventually get engaged in a normal way. Not what happened today where she met the guy and got engaged, skipping the 'falling in love' part.
Aoi did not bother to quiet down as she slammed the door of her room. She kicked off her shoes and fell face-forward into her large flowery pink bed. Punching her fluffy pillow, she raged internally at how she was overpowered by her parents. This was the first time they ever asked her to do anything for them but to marry someone who she does not actually know until about a few seconds before the engagement was totally out of hand.
"Aoi-chan? Aoi-chan?" A knock on Aoi's door. The party must be over by now. "Aoi-chan? Can I come in?" it was Aoi's mother who has been persistently knocking on her door. Aoi sat up and tried to fix her appearance as much as she can.
"Enter," she said when she deemed herself presentable once again. Aoi's mother opened the door carefully and entered the room, noting how Aoi's beloved Gucci shoes were thrown carelessly on the floor. Her daughter must be really mad to disregard one of her favorite things just like that.
"Aoi-chan, can we talk?" Sendoh-mama said and sat down carefully at the edge of her daughter's bed. Aoi glared at her for a while.
"What else is there to talk about? It's clear that I have no more right in this household," Aoi said in a quiet voice with so much contempt in every syllable of her statement. Sendoh-mama was taken aback. Her daughter usually does not talk back. This was the first time that Aoi did and it only means danger.
"Look, Aoi, I know you're totally against this but I know Keigo-kun is a great guy. He'll be able to make you happy," Sendoh-mama tried to reason out though she knows she would fail.
"Happy?" Aoi said with a dry laugh. "You don't even know the guy that much! How could you say that he'll be able to make me happy?" She said, raising an eyebrow and crossing her arms over her chest.
"You got me there," Sendoh-mama sighed. "But why don't we compromise?" She asked, proposing an idea her brain had just hatched.
"Compromise?" Aoi asked a little puzzled yet the anger still did not waver in her features.
"Since you're both still in middle school, you still have about five years before both of you can actually marry," Sendoh-mama said.
"Go on," Aoi said, interested in her mother's proposal.
"Say, if after those five years and you did not fall in love with Keigo, we can always cancel the engagement and you can go on your own merry way," Sendoh-mama finished.
"That seems negotiable," Aoi slowly said a few minutes of pondering later.
"It's settled then," Sendoh-mama said, a little relieved once her daughter had fully accepted her proposal.
"Just keep your end of the promise, okaa-sama or I swear, I'll run away from home," Aoi eyed her mother threateningly.
"Hai, hai, wakarimashta," Sendoh-mama said and closed the door behind her.
"So, Atobe, I've heard you've got a fiancée now," Yuushi said, adjusting his glasses. It was the Monday after the party and the two together with Gakuto were sitting at the school cafeteria, something that was uncommon for the tennis team's captain. Atobe ignored the fawning stares of his fangirls and continued to eat his lunch.
"Anyway, who's the lucky girl?" the tensai asked his buchou as he continued to eat.
"Her," Atobe said pointing the girl sitting at the table behind them. Yuushi and Gakuto spun around to stare at the girl behind them.
"Matsumoto Kanaria?" Gakuto asked, eyeing Aoi's best friend with keen eyes.
"No, not her, Gakuto no baka! Her!" Atobe hissed, jabbing his chopsticks toward Aoi's direction.
"Sendoh Aoi?" Yuushi and Gakuto asked in unison.
"Shh! Quiet!" Atobe hissed once again at his teammates.
"Aoi, Atobe-sempai seems to be staring at you a lot today," Kana-chan commented at her best friend. "Do you know each other?" she inquired.
"Yes, we know each other very well," Aoi grunted through a mouthful of food.
"Really? Is it because of Kabaji-san?" Kana-chan asked interested.
"No, he's my fiancée," Aoi answered indifferently.
"NANI!!!!!"