This is the first AtobexTachibana fic I wrote. Actually, I think this was the first Atobana fic ever published, in my livejournal ;;hearts;; Hopeakaarme beat me down to it here, though. To make a point of a very insignificant thing, I cried when I realised the match between Rokkaku and Fudoumine didn't happen because Tachibana was in the hospital.

For some reason I keep hearing the name Atobe Keigo often these days. Of course I know who he is. It would be weird if I didn't. After all the Hyoutei Captain and his ego are quite famous around where I live now-a-days.

Funny as it is, the first person to utter that name annoyed was no other than my little sister. Surprisingly, not long after Kamio said it much the same way. Now even Shinji brings up his name in his jealous-sounding murmurs. He doesn't seem thrilled about the switch of Kamio's attention. I must agree it's sometimes very annoying, hearing him say how he'll beat Momoshiro and Atobe for sure next time.

I can understand Kamio being irked about someone breaking his bicycle, but I don't understand why the latter name keeps ringing in my ears. I have never met the guy, not that I know of, anyway.

…

We had a match against Hyoutei. I expected the team to be stronger after hearing people talk about the 200 members of their tennis club. I suspected as much. They didn't send their regulars against an unseeded team, until it was too late. It was a grave mistake from their rumoured genius of an instructor. Unheard of doesn't mean insignificant, and my team is far from that word.

I recon the day interesting as it is. I did get to shake hands with the person who has managed to annoy the hell out of three people close to me. Maybe I regret slightly bringing the match to an early conclusion. It might've been thrilling to play against that ice emperor. I can see why they call him that, though his hand is warm and his grip firm. There are few people I have come to respect with a grip like that. Tezuka Kunimitsu, for example, and that important person from my past.

…

Ambition is a good thing, I've always been taught. Back in Kyuushu I wouldn't have blinked my eye on what happened in the match between Seigaku and Hyoutei. Now I see it as cruel and unsportsmanlike. Yet it only shows a bad character, not a bad player. Atobe Keigo might very well be an opponent of worth, in the same way I wish to play Tezuka Kunimitsu one day.

This list I keep making, I've kept ever since my Kyuushu days, and this thrill I feel when I meet strong players is familiar, and they end up in my list no matter how I've tried to change. On top of the list is that important person. I won my last match against him, like I had won every other match before it, yet the feeling of victory was short-lived, like always. I was called the other of the Two Wings of Kyuushu, one of the Best, yet I feel like I've never truly won. And just the existence of that important person tells me I have no right to judge anyone else's tennis.

There goes Kamio again, shouting to the sky how he'll definitely beat Momoshiro and how he'll definitely beat Atobe, and any other jerk in his way. I have come to realize that this team I lead breaths as one organ. By annoying Kamio and my sister, Momoshiro and Atobe have managed to annoy the whole team. Might as well note once again how I find I have no particular interest in that Seigaku junior.

…

While in hospital I've had time to think. Facing Kirihara Akaya was a rush. On the other side of the court I could see myself in that age, and outside the court I could see my old team, uncaring of what menace I brought down on my opponent. I was calm, yet scared deep down inside. It was a whole new feeling to my heart-grown-numb.

I watch my supported knee, and these thoughts keep coming to me. On the court I wondered if it was karma raining down on me with every stab of pain I felt. Self-pity doesn't really suit me, but I thought for a while I would deserve it if I could never play again. Watching my team and An cry for me, scared and wide-eyed, I realised I was wrong. Where had my determination gone? When had my ambition died? There was only one person allowed to bring that karma on me.

Now I wonder if releasing Moujou on that kid would've, while cruel, maybe taught him something. I doubt it. His team seems to be very supportive of his cruel way of tennis. And of course I remember the cruel tennis the three Rikkaidai Demons themselves play. Those three demons are probably the only three people that have been on my list ever since I first saw them play in my first year: Yanagi Renji, Sanada Genichirou and Yukimura Seiichi.

…

My ambition has never died, it seems, and once I get up on my feet, I'll sew this tear in my soul once and for all. I've grown weak since the day I gave up tennis for that important person. To face him, I need not only to recover, but find my inner strength as well and work my way over any insecurity in my character, so I can grow as a tennis player as well as a person.

Speaking of insecurity, I wonder if my list is only going to grow, or if I'll ever bring myself to face those strong people. I've kept telling myself that I'll face them on a court one day, sooner or later, if only I get that far. I now see the coward in me, and I'm not pleased. I keep asking myself the question "Is the one who wants to crush these people only the old me?"

Atobe Keigo, Tezuka Kunimitsu, Sanada Genichirou, Yanagi Renji-

There is also another thing to consider. Someone in this very hospital.

…

I have met three interesting people in the passed week. Fuji Syusuke was the first of them. I don't know if he came to me for support, or tips, or something else, but I ended up giving him whatever he wanted. I don't think he came for my grip-tape. It's a label he could've bought almost anywhere. I even went to see his game against Kirihara Akaya. Where as his coming to see me in the hospital was a strange, I don't think what I did was strange at all. Maybe I can think of it as repayment. He did bring me flowers. I wonder if I should call him a friend from now on.

I was surprised to have another visitor as well, someone I certainly expected even less than Fuji. Saeki Koujiro from Rokkaku. He came all the way from Chiba, just to inform me he had looked forward to playing singles one against me, in the match that will now automatically go to Rokkaku. He set violets on the table and looked at me with stormy eyes. I felt a sudden need to pick up riffle and shoot the tiger in him. I will crush him one day. I wasn't called a Lion for nothing.

I also went to visit Yukimura Seiichi once I heard his operation went well. Surprisingly, or maybe not, he remembered me from last year's Nationals though we never played each other. I have always respected him as a tennis player, and now I find myself respecting him as a person as well. Even weakened from the operation, his grip was firm as we shook hands. He intends to play again.

I'm certain Tezuka Kunimitsu will also return. Despite getting hurt, these people get up again, just like that important person. I wonder if emotional trauma counts as an injury, yet it was me who hurt someone that time.

…

I received a postcard from that important person. It riled me to no end and I felt like abusing the poor postcard - He wrote he was disappointed to see how weak I had become. I didn't, because it was Kamio holding the card at the time. He was also the one who read it to me. I think I was ready to cry when he finished talking after that. I had no idea he felt They were holding me back.

I must recover and prove to my team and myself that there's still a lion in me. A wise lion, who can learn and change, and still be as strong as before.

Speaking of Kamio, he said that name again with an annoyed voice. What's up with that ridiculous obsession? Then again, Kamio has always had great ambitions. I'm sure if he has a list of his own, I'd be honoured to be on it.

Atobe Keigo. Yes, I caught a glimpse of him in the Kantou Finals.

…

Junior Invitational Training Camp. Kamio is away, Shinji is away. Damn it, even An is away, volunteering! I can't say I'm not frustrated with them leaving poor old Kippei alone to his nazi physiotherapist, but I'd feel worse if they hadn't. It's an opportunity after all. I did get the invitation last year, only then I had already decided to quit playing tennis. I'm starting to get better in every way. I only have a small support on my knee now.

Back to the subject that bothers me. As a volunteer An seems to have more than enough time in her hands. She seemed nervous when we last talked, though. I sure hope everything's alright. She kept babbling about how much I'd love it there. Salt to my wounds much, dear little sister? And then she continued telling me how all the great players are there, like Atobe, Sanada and all the people on my list, minus Tezuka. I'm happy I'm not a person to brood. This only gives me the drive I need.

Another postcard from that important person. He's currently in Shitenhouji, not I didn't already know that. Shitenhouji won the Kansai Regionals. He felt the need to boast. I don't know why I didn't shred the card into pieces. I think it was because he'd been creative enough to draw a dot on the cartoon lion's forehead.

…

Now Tezuka is there too.

An pushed Kirihara Akaya down the stairs, unknowingly bringing Kamio into an unfavourable spotlight. Some American kid runs around the place beating players with tennis until they can no longer stand, and Ishida happened on his way. Atobe Keigo got selected to the Junior Invitational Team along with Sanada Genichirou.

Why am I not banging my head to the wall?

Oh yes, as it happens, I now finally off the crutches. I got them off the day after I met Ishida in the park. Perfect. I'm still not allowed to do anything rash, like going to find that idiot kid and showing him the power of my Moujou. Not that I was going to anyway. My nazi physiotherapist is horrible, but I love the results. I'm recovering with the pace of a wild beast!

I confess having held a racket and a tennis ball in my hands the other day. I didn't move, I didn't put weight on my injured leg, I didn't harm my knee in any way. I was just serving some wild balls. It felt great.

...

About the Junior Invitational Goodwill matches against The American West Coast All Stars.

Atobe and Sanada played beautifully in the end. I'm now laughing at myself for thinking about playing doubles. I'm a singles player. Primarily a singles player. In fact, I suck in doubles. I've only ever played doubles with that important person, and I sucked then too. So did he.

I want to play again. I want to play until I'm dripping with sweat and gasping to breath. I want to fall down and lay on my back after a good match. I want that thrill again. I'm Never letting myself get hurt uselessly again! This recovery thing is such a pain.

Kirihara Akaya is in a hospital due to an injury received while playing. It would be exaggerating to visit him, but as much as that important person, I enjoy sending postcards too. Oh yes, I did. I sent him a get-well card. How noble of me. While picking up that card I played with an idea to send a lion-card challenge to the players on my list. I didn't.

...

His name came up again. Hyoutei will be the wild card in this year's Nationals. I'm not surprised. Their Regular team is really good.

Surprisingly, it wasn't Kamio this time, but Fuji Syusuke. He came by to my house to ask for a match. I was... oddly relieved and exited. It seems I was on his list as well. I let the Moujou out, like I haven't done in what? A whole year! (Is it really that long?) It seemed easier to control, then again, I never really tried to control it before. I still need to work on it. I wish to play Fuji again sometime. Our match was cut short due to my Abare Jishi breaking his racket strings.

I now know I can break all the triple counters. It was definitely different to see them used against me, than someone else. He seems determined, that Fuji. Maybe I get to play even harder when we're both serious?

Should I mention? I'm blonde again. Yes, it happened over night. Just like last year right before the Nationals my hair decided to turn yellow. I'm like those people in Dragon Ball.

...

I've recently realised something that bothers me for some odd reason. Atobe Keigo has never uttered a word to me. Even as he shook my hand he just nodded. I wonder if he sees me as someone insignificant, or if he's just scared of me. I doubt he's scared. It would be very disappointing, although my reputation in Kyuushu wasn't the best.

But seeing me as someone insignificant? I might make him talk to me someday. I think this feeling inside me is... annoyance? What do you know, it seems like my tennis team's general opinion about him is finally starting to affect me as well. Should I rethink that lion-card challenge?

Maybe not.

...

World of Ice, huh? That Atobe Keigo has some shrewd surprises up his sleeves. Come my match against him, I'll melt that ridiculous frozen world. It's far too cold for my taste.

I feel tired, but great anyhow. Senri won in the end, but what a game! I haven't had such a thrill in ages! Ever since I last played him, actually. I'm sorry for my boys, but I got what I wanted. I didn't win the Nationals, but I got to Senri. I met my goal. It seems he had the same idea – I heard he dropped off the team right after our match.

I'm proud of my team. We made it further than anyone expected. They're all juniors and they beat players with more experience on our way to where we got. This time Shitenhouji was the better team. That's all. Next year I won't be surprised if they make it to the National Finals without me. For that dream, work hard, boys.

...

I let myself be dragged to the public tennis courts by my sister. I admit to enjoying it a little too much, seeing as Atobe was there. I might've gone a little Moujou on him but what can I say? I'd just heard for the first time just why An was so riled up with him. Harassing my little sister is simply unacceptable.

I also might've kissed him. All I can say to defend myself is that, well, he was really, really cold, snobby and annoying. It served him right. And he didn't mind all that much.