Chapter 1 : I have Been Betrayed?!
"So, Echizen-kun, you performed beyond our expectations. You must be tired. Why don't you go home first and rest?" Oishi suggested, as he patted Ryoma's shoulder.
"Hai," Ryoma answered. He grabbed his tennis bag, bowed to his Senpai-tachi and left.
Ryoma had just finished walking about 20 meters away from the stadium when he suddenly remembered something. He had forgotten to ask Oishi senpai about where they would celebrate their win.
Ryoma walked back into the stadium and saw that his Senpai were still there. He was about to call out to them when he heard….
"Fuh...it feels so good to be the National Champions. Doesn't it, Tezuka-buchou?" Momoshiro chirped happily. Ryoma smiled upon hearing his best friend's words.
"That brat really was of good use. Now that we've won, we have no use for him anymore. Can we finally kick him off the team, Buchou?" Kaidoh said, without his 'Fshhh' sound.
Ryoma was shocked. 'What!Used?Me?'Ryoma's heart felt a stab of betrayal and pain after hearing Kaidoh's words.
"That's right Mitsu-kun, I don't want that kid on our team anymore. He's always so annoying," Fuji almost whined. He was currently clinging to Tezuka's arm.
Tezuka adjusted his glasses. "I agree with all of you. Echizen did a great job in bringing us to the Nationals. After this, we will kick him off our team."
"It was so hard to act as his best friend. I can't stand that brat's cocky and arrogant attitude. I always felt like wanting to punch him," Momoshiro said while swinging his hand.
"Right, Tezuka. When will you tell him?" Oishi asked.
"Oishi is right nya! How will you tell him to get out of here?" Kikumaru hugged Oishi.
"It's easy, Kikumaru-senpai. Just tell him to concentrate on the Grand Slams or something," Momoshiro answered.
"There is a 92 percent chance, that we will succeed in getting him off the team." Inui muttered, while scribing down their conversation in his green notebook.
"Maa…maa…no need to rush. We have plenty of time to tell him." Kawamura said with his concerned-look.
"Hmm…so, you were all only using me, huh?" A voice asked with a coldness none of them were used too.
The Seigaku regulars were shocked to see that the voice belonged to Ryoma. That meant he had heard their entire conversation, or at least most of it.
Ryoma's face was almost pale from shock. He grits his teeth and turns to face his team-mates, No, ex-team-mates. "Well, now that all of you have achieved your goal...I suppose I should leave then, Goodbye," With that Ryoma spun around and without looking back, he began to run with all his might.
Betrayed? Ryoma couldn't believe what he was hearing. Had his most trusted friends been lying to him all this time? Had he really been betrayed by his team, hisfamily? Ryoma could feel the tears streaming down his face. He continued to run until he felt the impact as he collided into someone.
Both Ryoma and whoever he had collided with were sent tumbling to the ground, groaning from the pain of the impact.
"How dare you do that to Ore-sama? You will ruin Ore-sama beautiful face!" Atobe berated. He looked down at the person who bumped into him. His eyes narrowed when he noticed that it was Ryoma.
"Oh, it was you, brat! Don't you owe Ore-sama an apology?" Atobe said with his arrogant tone of voice.
Ryoma quickly scrambled up. Great!Now he had to deal with Monkey King. What good luck he was having today!
"Wait, are you crying?" Atobe asked, after he noticed that Ryoma's eyes were red and dried up tears stained his cheeks. Echizen Ryoma, the cockiest and most arrogant brat in the entire world, the tennis prodigy was crying? What sort of twisted, demonic person had made Echizen Ryoma cry?
"Hey, brat. Are you okay?" Atobe's voice softened.
Ryoma who didn't want to answer all of Atobe's questions, quickly grabbed his tennis bag and began running again. He didn't know where he was running too, he just wanted to get away from the stadium as fast as possible.
"Atobe-buchou..! What happened? Was that Echizen who bumped into you? Why did he look like he had seen a ghost?" Gakuto asked one question after another, trying to get an answer from the shocked Atobe.
"Did I see wrong? He looked like he was crying," Ohtori walked towards his captain along with his other teammates.
"Yeah. I saw that too. Did you do something to upset him, Atobe?" Oshitari asked Atobe, who was still looking in the direction Ryoma had run off to.
'Ryoma was crying? My cute Ryoma was crying! Whoever it is that made him cry shall pay for their insolent attitude toward Ore-sama's future boyfriend!'
"Oiiii…Atobe-buchou!" Shishido yelled.
Atobe snapped back to reality. "Come on. No need to worry about him. I think he was just happy they have finally won the Nationals. Now, all we have left to do is find Tezuka and invite Seigaku to Ore-sama's party," Atobe said, with his cockiness beaming, trying to show how noble he was.
"Ah, that was Seigaku!" Gakuto waved to Seigaku, who happened to walk towards them.
Atobe approached Tezuka. "Tezuka, perfect timing. Ore-sama wants to invite you and all your teammates to Ore-sama's party tonight."
No response from Tezuka.
Atobe looked at Tezuka's face and then to the Seigaku Regulars. They had surprisingly gloomy faces. Atobe narrowed his eyes.
Why did Seigaku, the team who had beat Rikkaidai, the team that had just won the Nationals have such gloomy and sad faces?
What on earth had happened to them?