Chapter One

The gently blowing winds lured students out of the main building into the courtyard during their lunch break for the day. Kasumi Tezuka sat next to Takeshi Momoshiro at one of stone tables since her best friend (Sakura Hinamori) and brother (Kunimitsu Tezuka) were gone for a tennis tournament. She was running her fingers through her long wavy strawberry blond hair, when her cell phone went off signaling that Sakura or Kunimitsu has sent her a text message. Takeshi gave her a strange look as she retrieved the cell phone out of her dark green skirt and read the text message to herself.
"Hey Kasumi what did they want?" Takeshi asked when she quickly shut her phone, with a displeased look on her angelic face.
"It's none of your business, Momo. My brother just requested something from me to do so I will be occupied during activity period." Kasumi replied in a short manner, showing that she was very irritated with her brother.
"Touchy, touchy. If I had known it would piss you off that much I wouldn't have asked you about it. Besides why would your brother ask you to do something when you have to get this year's gymnastics stuff ready?" Takeshi questioned and slightly teasing her.
"Don't you think if I had a team practice today he would have given me something to occupy my time during activity period?" Kasumi threatened as her hazel green eyes glared up at him through her glasses. It took several seconds for what she said to sink into his head.

"Oh, well I didn't realize that you had given your team the day off. What did he ask you to do this afternoon?" Momo asked. The school bell rang, before Kasumi could respond, signaling that lunch was over and the students to get to their next class. Takeshi and Kasumi grabbed their school messenger bags and headed back to the main building together. Kasumi was frustrated that Momo couldn't take a hint about not wanting to talk about what her brother assigned her to do. She had made it a personal resolve not to talk to him, much less let him know what Kunimitsu asked of her that was until Takeshi and a freshman collided with each other. Kasumi wouldn't have even noticed if Takeshi didn't grunt when the younger boy ran into him. She quickly glanced at the pair noting that they were both short, one had spiky black hair and the other had orange hair that sported a buzz cut.
"Takeshi, it isn't nice to go running over freshman like that." Kasumi teased her classmate, laughter starting to form in her eyes. He gave her a look telling her that she could go straight to hell. She couldn't but to help but to giggle at his antics.
"Since you're freshman I'll forgive you for this one. But you really should watch where you're going from now on." Takeshi said sternly as he tried not to let her laughter damage his ego too much. "I really don't like that look."
Kasumi stopped her laughing to see what Takeshi was talking about and saw that the freshman, with black hair, was practically glaring at them.
"You'll have to forgive him, he's taking his anger out on you since his ego took a major hit with me laughing at him. Now come on, Momo, we still have to get to our next class before activity schedule." She stated sweetly as she grabbed his arm and practically dragged him away from the freshman. The other students took noticed that Kasumi looked like she was dragging Takeshi like a girlfriend would be doing to her boyfriend. Rumors instantly began about the two with no evidence that the two were together. Kasumi didn't let it bother her, she knew that she wasn't Takeshi's type and she had her eyes set on a certain genius senpai on the tennis team. Takeshi wasn't sure yet how he felt about the instant rumors that were spreading around the school about them, knowing that the both of them were in the same class and eating lunch together would just be adding more fuel to the fire. A girl with long auburn pigtail braids and chocolate brown eyes ran up to them, Kasumi quickly concluded that this girl like the boys they had just run into was a freshman.
"Um...excuse me. My grandmother requested that Momoshiro-senpai come by her office. I'm sorry if I'm interrupting anything; I can leave and tell my grandmother that you will be by later to see her, Momoshiro-senpai." The freshman girl was blushing like mad, as if she interrupted something majorly important.
"Kasumi, let go of my hand, people are obviously getting the wrong idea about what is going on between the both of us. Besides it's completely embarrassing that you can easily drag me the way that you do." Takeshi almost yelled at Kasumi, in front of the timid freshman girl. Kasumi quickly turned to face Takeshi, her face was emotionless with a cocked brow.
"You actually care what these people say? Here's a lesson, you really shouldn't listen to what they say. Besides we aren't each other types and I like someone else. You and I know what is really between us, so it doesn't matter what those other people say. You better go see what Coach Grandma wants, tell her that I say hello and I will probably try to come by for a few moments before I leave school for the evening." She said in a very cold calm manner. She hadn't even made it two steps into the main building when her phone went off again, it merely didn't go off after a quick ring that was used to signal a text but it kept on ringing signaling that someone was calling her. Kasumi quickly placed her phone between her shoulder and chin, while covering the phone with that thick strawberry blond hair of hers.
"Kasumi Tezuka." She quietly answered the ringing cell phone, trying not to bring unwanted attention to herself from the teachers.
"KASUMI-CHAN! What in the world has happened since I saw you this morning! I just received a text message on my phone saying that you and Momo-chan are going out?! I can't leave you to be by yourself can I, you'll always need Kunimitsu's and mine supervision!?" Sakura's voice carried over loudly through the ear piece, nearly making Kasumi drop her phone to get away from the loudness. She quickly pressed buttons on the side to lower the volume of Sakura's voice.
"Sakura, take a few deep breathes, you of all people should know there is nothing going on between Momo and I. He likes dark haired people not blonds, which I might add my hair is pretty blond so I wouldn't be more than a friend to Momo. I'm doing just fine without you or my brother here thanks, just because people see me dragging him through the courtyard by the hand doesn't me the two of us are going out!" Kasumi tried to keep her voice at a whisper, but it was hard since everyone was now working her last nerves for the day.
"Kasumi-chan, that's not nice how you're speaking to me. Your brother seems to agree on that you're speaking very rudely to me seeing that you're on speaker phone. Besides you didn't need to jump down my throat, you could have just calmly explained to me that nothing is going on between you and Momo. Then possibly ask us about how the matches are going." Sakura sniped the second year girl. Kasumi began biting the inside of her lower lip from yelling at Sakura. Sakura became curious that something had happened to Kasumi since the blonde took several moments to retort back to Sakura's sniping.
"Kasumi-chan? Are you still there Kasumi-chan?! Do Mitsu and I need to send a search team to come find you?"
"Yes, Hinamori-senpai, I'm still here. Please stop acting like I'm some helpless child please, that goes for you too Mitsu. Now, I really need to get to class, I'm sure everyone is doing fine and is winning all of their matches. But like I said I need to get to class. Love you both, and I will see you tonight with details on how both of your tennis practices went to day. Bye, and love." Kasumi quickly muttered trying to keep her temper in check along with also teasing Sakura by calling her Hinamori-senpai.
"Have a good class, Kas., and I won't stop being an over protective brother. If I find out that you skipped out on what I told you to do, you'll have to run some laps in the morning. Love you little sister." Kunimitsu replied, trying to beat his girlfriend from replying first.
"Love you too, Kasumi-chan. We'll see you back at the apartment and try to stop causing so many rumors going around about you. If no rumors are getting back to us then we wouldn't be worrying so much about you." Sakura also replied after Kunimitsu, which cause Kasumi to roll her eyes as she closed her phone and put it back into the pocket of her skirt.

Kasumi took a seat on the picnic tables outside the courts that the guys normally practiced on; she crossed her legs not expecting to see much from any of the players since the top people were gone today. She had decided earlier that she would stay for the first half of today's activity schedule watching the guys and then heading over to the girl's courts to watch them, taking notes on how people were behaving and those who were possibly ready to play in the ranking tournaments, that would be happening later on in the week once the Regular Eight Teams returned, as her brother requested from his text message during lunch. Four first year boys where crowded outside of the courts talking about how there was no practice today since the Top 8 were playing a different school today, and two second year guys were just around the corner listening to the hopeful first years hoping to scheme the first years out of some money. Seeing this made Kasumi slightly disgusted with some of the members of than tennis club, just because her older brother wasn't there didn't mean that the second years could act any way they wanted to towards the first years. She raised a questioning brow above the frame of her glasses wondering if the second years realized that she was sitting on the bench watching what was happening at the tennis courts this afternoon and would report information back to her older brother. Kasumi got up from her spot and made her way past the first years to the second years, they stared at her obliviously not recognizing her out of her leo and contacts.
"Excuse me; you're not really planning on scamming money out of those first years are you?" She questioned softly using their stupidity on not realizing who she was against them.
"Yeah, but if you were wanting to hang out with us so we can get to know each other better. Taking these freshmen's money should not take us that long, you could watch and then we could leave together." The one with long hair spoke.
"I really don't think that is going to happen, my brother doesn't appreciate jerks that prey on freshmen to make themselves look better and the freshmen like fools. Though I must warn if you plan on going through with your little scam not only will Momoshiro and Coach Ryuuzaki will hear about this, but also so shall Kunimitsu." Kasumi hissed between clenched teeth, as she poked the long hair peer in the chest with her finger. Ever since what happened to her brother when he was in his first year of junior high with the senpais, it angered her that the senpais would pick on the first years and sometimes hurt them on "accident". The long haired second year swiped away her finger from his chest, he looked pretty angry that a girl was bossing him around.
"Listen little girl, this is the guys tennis courts; if you're looking for the girls they are on the other side of the courtyard. You have no right to speak Captain Tezuka's first name so personally, you really should learn so respect for your elders, little girl." The other second year commented.
"You think you're pretty tough little girl bossing around a pair of second year guys around huh? Then you're also brave enough to say our mighty captain's name so formally, you really need to learn a lesson on manners. My friend and I should teach you a lesson on these things, once we get back from taking these first years' money." The long hair second year made an attempt to grab her about the shoulder, which she easily dodged by doing a back handspring.
"You really have no clue who I am? If you dare touch me, I will personally get you removed from this tennis club and the tennis association. Leave those freshmen alone also and then I won't have to carry out my threat of reporting you to Coach Ryuuzaki, Momoshiro, and Kunimitsu. You can ask Momo, I keep my threats if people don't do what I say. And stop calling me, little girl, I'm also a second year." Kasumi stated her voice as cold as ice.
"Tezuka!" Coach Ryuuzaki's voice rang out from the building next to the tennis courts. The second year boys cowered, looking around terrified that the match with the other school had already ended and the Top 8 was back at the junior high ready for practice; Kasumi turned her head trying to find where the grandmother coach was calling her from.
"I take that is my cue to leave the tennis courts, Coach Ryuuzaki must think that Momo can keep all of you guys in line like my brother does. Oh I forgot to tell you two my name, well its Kasumi Tezuka, meaning that Kunimitsu is my older brother.
Now leave those freshmen alone like I warned because I don't need my older brother to get you kicked out of this club even if hazing is a part of the senpais' tradition, it does not happen at this club or my club got that?" Kasumi stated before taking off the other courts, where she was sure that she would be more welcomed to be there. She made it over to the female courts and saw that Arisa, a second year hopeful of the ranking tournament and Kasumi's classmate, had everyone that showed up at the tennis courts that afternoon practicing.

"Hey, Tezuka, I see that Hinamori-senpai sent you out here to spy on us. Since everyone is practicing would you like to rally with me, if we didn't have so many first years interested in the tennis club this year I would suggest that we play a singles match. But as you can see we are kind of pushing the limits of people practicing on this court. Maybe if the females are really good this year, we can get more than two courts." Arisa called out to Kasumi, when she noticed that Kasumi was watching what was going on behind the fence.
"Sakura didn't send me out here to spy… she just wants to have a heads up on what she has to come back to tomorrow. A lot of first year interest will also help getting you guys some more courts, as long as that nasty coach of yours doesn't run everyone off. But anyways about your question, I would love to rally with you. Do you have a racket that I can borrow by chance?" Kasumi hastily replied excited that her brother wasn't here to scold her if she played a small bit of tennis.
"Of course I have a spare racket, I had a feeling Hinamori-senpai would be sending you out here today. So, I grabbed the racket thinking ahead about you coming out here and laid it against the wall. Once you step onto the courts you should be able to see it." Arisa stated as she moved some first years over so they wouldn't be hit while she and Kasumi rallied against each other.
"Ah, thanks for thinking about me. Even if it's just because you want me to give Sakura an excellent review over you so you can have a real good chance of making the Top 8 team this month. I hate to break the bad news to you Arisa, but I think those third years that she's already got lined up are going to be the Top 8, sorry. Though I'll still put in a good word about you to Sakura whenever I see her tonight, you never know maybe some of the third years have slacked off and you're skills now are able to beat theirs." Kasumi gleefully said as picked up Arisa's spare racket and made her way over to the space that Arisa had cleared. Arisa smiled at her friend's weird way of putting someone down and trying to cheer the person up in a single sentence.
"Tezuka, you are really a strange person. I'm going to go ahead and serve first." Arisa said before tossing the ball up and sent it lofting towards Kasumi. It was an easy beginning that would let the two of them warm up. Kasumi returned the ball with a light backhand. Which was returned by Arisa with a forehand, which started a tendency between the two that gradually began to progress with speed and power as time passed. After a few minutes the two girls had warmed up enough that, they didn't need to worry about pulling a muscle. Trying to break the formation that had formed, Kasumi lobbed the ball high and it went of flying slightly crooked in the direction of where some of the first years squashed together as they also tried to rally. The lob threw Arisa off slightly; she quickly went after the ball. Arisa kept one eye on the ball, the other on the group of first years, she immediately stopped when she realized that she was about to run into the group.
"HEY WATCH OUT! FLY BALL, DUCK!" Both Kasumi and Arisa yelled to the group of first years that were not paying attention to what they said. The ball bounced off a first year with a weird dyed red hairstyle in the head and then landed on the ground where it rolled to the fence. Kasumi was glad that she didn't hit the ball hard, but still felt bad that the ball hit somebody even if it was just an accident. Kasumi and Arisa made their way through the first year crowd trying to find the first year that Kasumi hit.

"UGH! WHO IN THE WORLD HIT ME IN THE HEAD!?" The first year yelled out into the group making it easier for Kasumi and Arisa to find her. It helped them find her too when all of the first years backed away from the girl that got hit.
"I'm sorry, you getting hit was a complete accident. Neoko and I were rallying and we had created a pattern of backhands and forehands. Well I wanted to mix it up a little so I decided to lob my last shot, sadly my technique for the lob was horrible and it went off till it hit you in the head. Once again I'm really sorry that you got hit." Kasumi started rambling off trying to apologize in a sincere manner.
"No you're not sorry, you're probably happy that you hit me! I've only been on the courts for twenty minutes and the senpais are already out to get me because they realize me skills are far superior to their own." The first year yelled out into the crowd, facing off to Kasumi. Kasumi fully took the first year in noticing first off that the girl was several inches taller than herself, the girl had blue eyes that played slightly with the girl's hairdo.
"No, no it's nothing like that, it truly was an accident. Like I said Neoko and I were rallying and I hit a bad lob. I don't believe in hazing first years, truly I don't" Kasumi said trying to defend herself, thinking to herself maybe she should have ignored her brother's and Sakura's request to check-up on their tennis clubs.
"What's your name? I want your name! I want to report you for abuse of a first year!" The first year girl went rambling off, trying to draw as much attention as she could to herself. Kasumi bit the inside of her bottom lip, she was trying to be nice and apologize but this girl wasn't going to hear it. Arisa was shocked that Kasumi wasn't being more like her brother in the situation and was going to step in at any second if Kasumi didn't stand up and put the first year in her place.
"I didn't hit the ball hard, you don't seem to hurt because you're acting the way you are, so there is no abuse. I don't participate in hazing freshman." Kasumi shouted at the first year, irritation finally getting to her.
"You want to bet, where I come from it doesn't matter how hard you hit someone, you're in trouble." The first year shouted back, not wanting to back down to someone who looked like a first year herself.
"Listen, freshman, Tezuka said she was sorry. If you really want to create a report against her, you talk to Captain Hinamori-senpai, but I doubt she'll really pay attention to what you say when you bring up Tezuka. You could even go to the guys' captain, Tezuka-senpai, but he probably won't listen to you either seeing that Tezuka will probably explain to the both of them later tonight of the accident and apologize profusely for it too. What's your name actually so that way, you and Tezuka can have a meeting with Hinamori-senpai and she can hear both sides of the story at the same time. Besides if Tezuka really wanted you hurt she wouldn't have done such a crappy lob, she would have actually taken me serious when we were rallying and the ball would have never hit you." Arisa torn in the first year, when the first year retorted back to Kasumi in the manner of threaten to fill charges against Kasumi.

"I really don't care if she is the club captain's little sister or best friend. NO ONE I MEAN NO ONE gets away from hitting me, Nikki Olsen. There should be no hazing in any club especially if it comes from a late senpai." Nikki rambled off towards Arisa now.
"Tezuka, isn't a part of this club. She's the captain of the female gymnastics club; she only came out here today because Hinamori-senpai wanted to keep an eye out on the club to make sure nothing like this happened today!" Arisa snapped.
"Both of you shut up and let me speak! Listen Olsen, I'm really sorry that you got hit in the head with a fly ball! Neoko and I both tried warning everybody by telling everyone there is a fly ball and to duck! It is not hers' or mine's fault that you got hit in the head by the ball because you weren't listening! I didn't even hit the lob hard, I was still slightly warming up when I hit the lob, so I know you weren't hit hard! So that means you can stop about all you're complaining about abuse to a first year! I'm restating this for the last time I do not participate in hazing of anyone; first years, new club member, no one! I've learned from experience that no good can really come from it! Practice is over, everyone off the courts until tomorrow, when I say everyone, I mean everyone!" Kasumi tore into the first, finally losing the control over her temper. Arisa stared at her, mouth wide open because Kasumi actually yelled. Kasumi didn't wait for anyone's response as she turned on her heel and walked off the courts, placing Arisa's spare racket on fence, heading towards her home. She didn't pay attention to all of the people that she passed, they seemed terrified of her. They had never seen a Tezuka lose their control and start shouting the way that Kasumi just did.