Taming of the Devil
Chapter 1: Here Comes the Devil and the Tamer
Rikkaidai Fuzoku Middle School: it was known for excellent academics and sports; the most famous, however, of all the clubs, was the tennis club.
The boys were famous even before two years ago, and the girls' tennis team wasn't as… glorified as the boys' team were.
It all turned upside down when a certain girl, who was devoted to tennis as much as the other guys were, came into play.
It was the first day of the school; the boy's regular was having a morning practice, being the strict and diligent team as ever.
"A second year buchou?" Kirihara Akaya, a curly black-haired teen inquired as he was short court rallying with his senpai. He was quite grumpy—oh yes, quite grumpy since he had to wake up early.
"Yeah. I heard she's really good. Like, really really good, and that she could beat majority of the guys." Marui Bunta, a magenta haired teen, answered.
"Heh, I bet she's just at that surface level." Akaya scoffed. "How good can a girl be? I bet she's not even half good as us."
"Well, she is the buchou! As a second year!"
"So? They probably didn't have enough third years."
"She's the only second year in the team. Like you."
"…Whatever." He grumbled.
"Indeed, it is pretty interesting." Yanagi commented from the side, watching them rally. "Genichirou, Seiichi, do you know who this is?"
"I do not." Sanada curtly answered. "But being a second year and a buchou… she must have some special qualities."
"That's right. I really wonder myself." Yukimura said.
"No one knows her name… Probability of her being a transfer student towards end of the school last year, 81%." Yanagi recited.
"Or maybe, she might not be all that since it is the girls' team. They've never gone past the preliminaries for as long as we all could remember." Niou commented from the other court.
"That is indeed true." Yanagi replied.
"Do you know her? You're in the same grade as her." Marui asked Akaya who was not really thinking about that.
"I don't know anyone that transferred last year." Akaya answered.
"Aw, shucks. I really want to see this girl though!" Marui exclaimed.
'Che, why make such a big fuss about a girls' team? They're probably going to drop out at the preliminaries like last year anyways.' Akaya thought to himself.
After the practice, Akaya changed into his school uniform, and walked outside of the locker room. The school was then filled with excited chatters of the students attending the first day of the school.
He was walking while dazing out into the empty space; then he collided with something, and he stumbled backwards.
"Ow…" There was a girl, with auburn gold eyes and brown hair, rubbing her back. "Gosh, I'm so sorry!" She apologized.
Akaya looked up at the girl who spoke. 'Hey, she looks pretty cute.' He thought.
"Sorry, it's my fault. I wasn't looking." He stood up, and the girl stood up also.
"Oh, since I held back a person…" She trailed off. "Could you tell me where class 2-B is? I'm kinda new here."
"2-B? That's where I'm going." He said. "You can follow me."
"Great!" She smiled. Then Akaya noticed something: she was holding a tennis bag.
"You play tennis?" He asked.
"Huh? Oh, yeah. Correct me if I'm wrong, but you're… Kirihara Akaya, right? The second year ace of the boys' tennis team?" She asked. "I heard you're really good, being the only second year and all."
"Ahaha, that's me!" He proudly smiled and pointed to himself. He liked this new girl; she acknowledged him. She could be his new friend.
"That's pretty cool. Oh, I haven't introduced myself yet. My name's Asano Miki, I transferred last year… although it was the last couple weeks of the school." She held out her hand and laughed.
"I'm Kirihara Akaya." He shook her hand, and they started walking.
"So, how long have you been playing tennis?" Akaya asked.
"Hm… as long as I could remember." She said.
"You must be good then." He said.
"Eh, not really." She smiled. "I assume you've been playing for a long time too?"
"Yeah."
They were inside the class by the time they noticed. And coincidentally, their seats were right next to each other.
"Oh, cool." She nonchalantly walked over and put her bag down. Akaya walked over too, and sat down.
"Where did you go before you came here?" He asked, since there was about five minutes left before the bell.
"I went to Hyotei." She answered.
"Hyotei?" He exclaimed, and the class' attention turned to the two. He quieted down, and the class started talking again. "Why'd you come here when you went to such a good school? Isn't it private too?"
"Yeah, but I didn't really like it there, so… plus, I don't want to be stuck between rich, spoiled kids." She crossed her arms and said.
"That's true. But aren't you… rich if you got in?"
"No, I won the scholarship."
"Heh~ You're pretty smart, huh?"
"Not really. I was lucky." She laughed. The bell rang, and the typical first-day-of-the-school routine started.
"Miki!" Someone called Miki during the break after the first period.
"Hey Riko!" She greeted.
"Who's this?" She glanced at Akaya, who was fast asleep on the desk.
"Kirihara Akaya." She chuckled a little and said. "He's been asleep for a while… maybe I should wake him up?"
"Nah, he'll wake up on his own. Anyways, are you ready for the first day of the practice?" Riko nudged her friend and asked.
"More than ready." She laughed. "I'm just still unsure if I should be the buchou…"
"You'll do just fine. After all, you are the best player in the school!" She exclaimed.
"Ahaha, I doubt that. Now that you mention it, I really want to see how good the boys' tennis team is." She looked at Akaya and said.
"Well, you'll get to see them soon! I'm sure the boys' team would be curious about you too."
Then the bell rang, signaling the start of the next period. Riko went back to her seat after saying good-bye, and Miki got ready to begin the next period; then a certain seaweed haired boy came into her view.
"Kirihara?" She quietly spoke. He didn't even budge. A scary-looking teacher was walking in; then he got ready to speak. 'Uh-oh.'
"Psst. Kirihara!" She softly whispered again. No reaction from him. She nudged him a little. "Kirihara!"
"Huh-wha?" He shot up, with his mouth and eyes half-open.
"Teacher's here! I don't think you should make this one mad!" She pointed at the teacher with her chin and said.
"Oh shit. He looks pretty darn dangerous." Akaya gulped and sighed in relief. "Thanks."
"No problem."
"What class is this?" Akaya asked, as the teacher scribbled something down on the chalkboard. It said, in English, English and his name in Kanji.
'Of all the things, a terminator- muscle man just has to be the English teacher?' Akaya dreadfully yelled in his mind as he gulped. It was a good thing they weren't having any lessons—
"You have a pop quiz." He said.
"EHH?" The whole class exclaimed.
"No question. Ten minutes, you'll begin as soon as you get the paper." He said as he passed down the papers. Akaya was not believing this; him and his rotten luck.
"Fuuuu" Akaya exhaled and put his head down on the desk. He got at least 10 out of 10 wrong.
'I better not ask how it went.' Miki sweatdropped at the boy's reaction and thought. Rest of the period passed by in a breeze; then it was finally the end of the school, which meant club activities.
"Bye Kirihara." Miki said as she walked out with her friend Riko.
"Bye." He said too, and walked to the locker room himself. Miki and Riko walked to the girls' locker room too; they got changed into the girls' uniforms.
"Looking good, Asano-buchou!" Riko pat her back and said. The two walked out, holding their tennis bags; they made their way to the girls' tennis team courts, which was not so far away from the boys' tennis team.
When she stepped into the courts, all the team greeted her; she really felt the important position of being the captain.
It's not like she didn't have any experience; she was the captain back in elementary school too. When she was selected as the buchou by the third years that graduated last year, all she had in mind was to go for the level that is a matter-of-course for Rikkaidai: nationals.
"Everyone gather!" She spoke firmly, and everyone gathered around quickly. Good; at least they were cooperative.
"Next year's buchou is going to be…" Everyone hushed down to listen carefully. "Asano Miki. Fuku-buchou will be Eda Hanae. That is all. This is my final decision, and I will not change it."
It was a mid-summer day during the summer break; girls' team gathered to watch who was going to be nominated as the buchou.
Everyone nodded along; they didn't object since they were aware of Miki's skills.
"Buchou! Why did you pick me?" Miki asked, when they were along together in the club room after all the members left. "I entered the club just couple weeks ago, and—"
"You are going to lead the team next year—to nationals, and to the top. I picked you because you have what it takes to lead this team. And I believe that for two years, a lot will happen." She said, picking up her bag.
"But—"
"No buts. I picked you, and you will respect my decision. At least do that for me, and think of it as one last wish from your buchou."
"…" Miki shut her mouth, and paused; then she slowly nodded.
"Good." She smiled. "Now, you must remember. We do not have coaches nor adult managers. Everything must be done by you and the team only. You're going to be firm but flexible of others' opinion. You are going to be confident of your position and never let anyone get to you. You will never be the first one to break down, and you will never be the one to give up at any time. Do you understand? Being the buchou is an important job."
"Yes."
"Hey Miki-chan." The fuku-buchou Eda Hanae stood next to her and greeted.
"Hi Hanae-senpai." She greeted also. The team stood in a uniform pattern, and looked at the two leaders of the team.
"Welcome, I'm the buchou Asano Miki. And this is the fuku-buchou Eda Hanae." Miki introduced.
"Renji. I'll go check on the new buchou for the girls' team with Sanada." Yukimura said, walking towards the gate with Sanada.
"I'll go too. I'm curious." Yanagi followed him, and the regulars ended up tailing behind the two.
"I don't want to!" Akaya flailed around as Niou and Marui dragged him out of the courts. "Why do I have to visit her and waste my time?"
"Just come!"
"Curiosity, is it Genichirou?" Yanagi smiled and asked.
"No. I'm serving my duty as a senior to help out an underclassmen."
"He is curious." Marui whispered to Niou and he nodded.
"Hou…" Sanada raised his eyebrows, turning back to look at the two who flinched a little.
"N-Nothing, Sanada." Marui smiled nervously.
"There she is." They gathered outside the fence.
"Our goal this year… is nationals. If anyone's here to have practice as an excuse to watch the boys and scream in the daylight, you can leave, the gate's right behind me." She said, and some girls' eyes wandered around. "I won't permit anyone ditching, being late, or not taking the practice seriously. If you're not devoted to tennis, the team won't need you so I'll make you walk out the gate. "
"Damn. Pretty intense." Marui whistled.
"Ahhh!" Akaya gasped; it wasn't her, or was she? Then some girls noticed the regulars and started squealing.
"You, you, you, you, and you," She pointed at the five without looking to see the boys' team regulars. "I advise you to leave, whether or not you're good at tennis, and whether or not you've been in this team before."
"She really is intense." Niou commented. "Pretty cute too." Sanada, Yukimura, and Yanagi were silently watching this; and Yukimura had that mysterious smile on his face.
"You can't treat your senpai this way!" One of the third years who got pointed shouted. Miki frowned at her.
"I have every right as a buchou. If you won't cooperate, I'll take it as your unwillingness to devote for this team's progress. I'm sure Eda-senpai and I made a new set of rules to expel you from this team whenever necessary. Like I said, the gate's right behind me. I'd rather walk out by myself than be kicked out." Miki crossed her arms and said. The girls stared at her; then one by one, the five walked out.
"Now, I hope all you are devoted for tennis alone to be in this team." Eda also added.
"I'll make the practice after school to six o'clock, five times a week. So that's Monday through Friday. I will choose regulars based on ranking matches within the team. It'll start this Wednesday, and the final eight will be the regulars. Now, let's start by running some laps. Ten laps around the court."
"Ten?" Some girls complained.
"I said, ten. That's nothing compared to what we'll get to." Miki firmly stated again, and the team started running.
"I want to talk to her." Yukimura walked towards the gate and opened it; Miki noticed, and turned around.
"Hi Eda." Yukimura smiled and greeted the fuku-buchou.
"Hi Yukimura. Miki, say hi, this is the boys' team's buchou."
"Hi. I'm Asano Miki." She smiled and said. She looked like a completely different person from the court just a minute ago.
"Hi. I'm Yukimura Seiichi. So you're the second year buchou, huh…?" Yukimura carefully inquired the girl.
"Yes." She spotted Akaya; their eyes met, and she smiled at him.
"If you need any advice or help, feel free to ask anytime." He smiled nicely and said.
"Thank you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go run some laps…"
"Ah, right. Sorry for holding you back."
"It's fine. Let's go senpai." She said to Hanae and started to run.
"You know her?" Marui asked frantically.
"Yeah, she's in my class. She sits next to me." He blankly said. "I didn't know she was the buchou."
"I wonder how good she is at tennis." Yukimura said. "She'll make a fine buchou, but without the skill in tennis it won't be as great."
"We'll see her play soon enough." Sanada said.
"So, Sanada? What do you think?" Yukimura asked, and Sanada stared at him.
"About what, Yukimura?"
"Asano-chan, of course." Yukimura eyed the girl running; she had already lapped the members. Akaya just stared at her with wide eyes and mouth; he was not believing this.
"…Her leadership skills are fair." He curtly answered, and Yukimura smiled at his response.
"Alright. Let's get back to our practice everyone."