STARTING A WHILE AGO, I WAS HOOK ON CHINESE DRAMA. I WAS INSPIRED BY THEM TO GIVE THIS A TRY.

THIS IS THE 2.0 OF THE ORIGINAL ONE BECAUSE I FELT AS THOUGH I COULD have MADE IT BETTER.

IT WILL TAKE PLACE IN HIGH SCHOOL, not MIDDLE SCHOOL BECAUSE I REALLY PREFER HIGH SCHOOL OVER MIDDLE SCHOOL.

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Key -

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"Thanks (ありがとう)" = "Thanks = in English (ありがとう) = in Japanese

{ - " Thanks. " - } = Phone call

[Thanks] = Typing

'Thanks' = background song

XxX = Change scenes in Flashback

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(DRAMA not ANIME) OOC & AU - For Ritsuka Echizen, taking on the world was everything to her. She threw away from childhood for it & invented The Mask Maiden. But because of her dad, she was forced to go to Japan & attend high school. She wanted nothing to do with the strange island or its people, but the only way for her to leave it is to play Tennis with boys, which she HATE.

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Since a young age, Ritsuka Echizen had always love tennis. Everything about the game had captured & attracted HER everything, but after what happened in China in December, she realizes something "No matter how hard girls try & work at it, they will always be looked down upon. And because of that, they will forever be 2nd rank..." Because of that, Ritsuka has stopped playing tennis & taken it seriously. Can attending Seigaku & consistently being surrounded by boys help open her eyes and remind her of what she had forgotten?

As Ritsuka lived in the new strange place, known as Japan, and with the loud, short temper, group of tennis players, she found herself being suck into their world and learning what does it mean to have true friends. But regardless of how much Japan is growing on Ritsuka, she always seems to find herself being reminded that Japan is not her home and that her place belongs to the world - taking it on. When given the chance to leave that resort island, would Ritsuka take that chance by the arm, saying goodbye to Japan, her new friends, and the New Her for good. . . or would Ritsuka finally embrace her Japanese side and pick up the racket again?

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Masquerade's Fate

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Genius 1 - The Arrival
- Part 1

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It was April 1, Monday 2014, when a plane landed in Tokyo, Japan. Among the many people at the airport, there was a fifteen years old girl, with a guitar on her back and one of her hands holding a bag. She made her way to the North Exit. When she was out outside, she stopped and looked up at the bright sky, placing a hand on her hip, "So this is the land of the Samurai... (これはサムライの土地です...)" announced the young, woman, in English.

"~~~~ Fi-ght evil by the moonlight~ W-in love by day-light... ~~ "

All of a sudden, her cell phone started playing Sailor Moon's theme song, and that could only mean one thing for the young teen.

"~~ ... Ne-ver running from a reach fight... ~"

She took the phone out of her pocket, and gave a light cough, "Yes? Hello~ (はい?こんにちは~)"

{ - " Ritsuka~ " - }

"Oh. Mom, it's you. (ああ。ママ、それはあなたです.)"

{ - " Ritsuka! Honey, you're in Japan now, not America; you need to start speaking Japanese! " - }

"... ahem... My bad."

{ - " Ritsuka, honey, when are you arriving in Japan? Your father and I can't wait to see you, again. " - }

"I'm already here. I just got off of the airplane a few minutes ago."

{ - " Really? Great~ Make sure you go straight to Kakinokizaka Tennis Garden, alright? Your father going to pick you up there. " - }

That caught Ritsuka off guard, "T-The 'Tennis Garden'? But why? I don't even play tennis, anymore."

{ - " Ohh?! Didn't your father tell you? Hyotei Academy is a Boarding School. " - }

Ritsuka leaned forward, "Seriously?! But what does that have to do with meeting at a tennis park?"

{ - " It's because your father was once a hot-stop tennis pro, so he thought that it would be a good idea to see his daughter at a tennis garden. Make sense? " - }

Ritsuka blinked own and then twice, "Well... alright, then. Uhh... I guess that find, but do you think it would be alright if I go sightseeing, and maybe do a little bit of shopping before I go to the Tennis Park? This is my only second time in Japan, after all."

{ - " Well alright. Just don't keep your father waiting too long, alright? He'll be there around 3:20 " - }

Ritsuka smiled, "Kay~ Thanks. I'll see you soon~" and just like that, Ritsuka hanged up her phone. Ritsuka then checked the time on her iPhone. '2:45, huh...? I guess I got time...' Ritsuka looked at her left, at a bullet train stop and started making her way over to it.


Ritsuka stood inside of a train, holding onto a bar, reading a book titled, 'Japan's Hot-Spot' while trying to ignore the barking of some college students. "Idiot! You don't even know what kind of grip you're using. That's the Western Grip," stated a college student.

"Western Grip?" asked another.

"Yeah. Just like holding a hand."

"Holding Hands?"

"Wrong, wrong!" went the rest.

As Ritsuka was forced to listen to all of this, she thought to herself, 'What a bunch of morons!'

"Eh?" asked the first one.

Ritsuka removed the book from her face, only to see a girl, around her age, being pick on by the college students. The girl had long black hair and was wearing a sweater and a pair of blue jeans. Ritsuka didn't understand why she couldn't speak up for herself. Ritsuka could only assume what the girl was trying to say is, "Please stop!"

"Can't hear you!" stated the first college student.

"Hahahaha!" went his friends.

"This person must be mute," stated another college student.

"Ha! Who knows." All of the college students started laughing again, as their leader, the one who won't shut-up, swing his racket in front of the girl's face, knocking down her papers.

Ritsuka looked around at the people around them and saw that everyone was quiet. 'Why is no one making a sound?' (1) Ritsuka then looked back at the girl chew the inside of her cheek, trying to hold back to urge to mouth-off to them. 'I really shouldn't, I really should... but again...' After about a few seconds, she gave up. "Hey!" Ritsuka called out.

Everyone looked at Ritsuka, including the college students, who was standing across from her.

"Do you guys mind? You're too noisy."

"What?" asked the first one, taken several steps towards Ritsuka.

His friends did so, and one even scans her up and down, "Man, who does she think she is, telling you to shut up? And just take a look at how she's dress!" he chuckled.

"Yeah."

Ritsuka looked down at her clothing. It was true, what she had on was something that most girls, even in high-school, wouldn't normally wear, but wish they did. Ritsuka was wearing a short-sleeve, blackish-gray shirt - with a Yin&Yang symbol on it, reddish-burgundy jeans, a pair of white sneakers, and a plaid purple, western scarf wrapped around her shoulders. There was a simple, black choker around her neck and a white, female, fedora with a black ribbon wrap around it on her head. And to top her outfit together, Ritsuka had on a pair of black, long sleeve gloves that reach her upper arm and had holes for her fingers to be shown. Ritsuka looked back at the high-schoolers, place a hand on one of her hips, and move the other one up and down her body, "What are you talking about? From where I'm from, this is considered hot."

The college student smirked, as the girl, who tried to speak earlier, just blushed, 'Wow! You don't see styles like that around here. Who is she? She's so beautiful,' the girl thought to herself.

The leader of the college student lifting Ritsuka's chin, "And where would that be?"

Ritsuka smiled, "America, land of the free expression."

"Oh," the leader of the group decided to lean over Ritsuka, putting his arm on her chin, "Is that a fact, now? So~, when are you graduating from High School?"

Ritsuka shoots him a glance, with her amber eyes, 'Unbelievable! This guy can't honestly be hitting on me, could he?' Ritsuka thought to herself, before using one of her hand to slap the man's tennis racket to the grown.

"HEY!" The man looked down and saw that his racket is now on the flour.

Ritsuka crosses her arms, "Hate to break it to you- no, stretch that, I would L~O~V~E to tell you that I don't date losers; especially the ones who don't even know the bases."

"Tsk! Oh, shut up! Like I would ever seriously asked out a high schooler, " the man reached down to pick up his racket when Ritsuka stated...

"That's the Western Grip," Ritsuka pointed while leaning against her pole.

"Eh?" all of the college students looked at her.

"The one you were talking about was the Eastern Grip."

"Eastern Grip?" asked one of the leader's friends,

"Don't feel so bad. It's really common, much like people like you," Ritsuka smirked. All of the leader's friends started laughing, as he got on his feet and was about to land a hit on Ritsuka when suddenly, the subway stop. Ritsuka flipped some of her hair to the side, "I would love to continue our little conversation, but I have places to be and people to meet!" Ritsuka started to make her way to the exit but was grabbed by the wrist by the man she belittled. "Hmm?"

"Not so fast, woman. I'm not done with you yet!" the college student pulled Ritsuka outside.


To Ritsuka's surprise, the moment when they left the station, they ended up at tennis park. "Can I have my wrist back, please!?" Ritsuka barked. The guy stopped and let go of Ritsuka's wrist. "Thanks..." The moment when the man turned around, Ritsuka took that chance to slapped him across the face, "... Don't. Pull. Me. Around!" Ritsuka glanced up at the man.

The man looked down at her and put his hand in a fist. He was about to hit Ritsuka with it, went he caught himself. He smirked, "Consider yourself lucky that I don't hit girls." Ritsuka just blinked at his comment, as if she heard it before.

"Why am I here?" Ritsuka looked around at the guys and was there. Her eyes landed on the girl from the subway, 'Why is she here?'

"Since you love to mouth off so much, I brought you to a tennis park so that you put your money where your mouth is?"

Ritsuka looked back up at the guy who tried to hit on her.

"What, are you shaken now?" the man sneered.

"Not interested!" she crossed her arms.

...

"What?" asked one of the other college students.

"I said that I'm not interested," Ritsuka looked at that college student with an emotionless face, "Plus..." Ritsuka looked back at the leader of the group, "... I'm not an athlete?"

"... Your kidding, right?" the man sneered.

Ritsuka shook her head, "No, I'm just not an athlete," Ritsuka started walking away, when...

"HEY! You can't just walk away!"

Ritsuka continued her walk, "Sure I can. After all, I'm not interested in you or tennis," Ritsuka finally stopped when she was meters away from them. "If there's one thing I can't stand more than tennis, that would be boys who think they're men..." Ritsuka looked over her shoulder and shot the college students and the one girl with her rare eyes.


Ritsuka sat on a bend, inside of the tennis garden, typing something on her phone. [Cherry blossom ] 'I think they're called 'Sakura', here, in Japan... Should I say sakura or cherry blossom...?' "Sakura... cherry blossom..." Ritsuka put both of her hands on the side of her and lower one of them but rise the other one, "Sak-ur-a..." Ritsuka then tilted the scale the other way, "Cher-ry blos-som..." 'The difference is one syllable and I guess it really depends on how long the music's going to be.' Ritsuka sighed and opened her guitar out of its case, which she had left on the ground. Ritsuka then put it on her lap and started stringing...

" ~ Sakura~! "

'Okay... Now let's try the English version...'

" ~ Cherry Blossom~! "

Ritsuka started tapping on her guitar, 'Okay... that sucks. I guess I'm saying Sakura... but should I sing it in Japanese or English?'

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A group of three guys, all with their tennis bags, were running through Kakinokizaka Tennis Garden as if they were in a hurry.

"Hhh... hhh... Senpai... please... SLOW DOWN!" cried the one in the back - with the black, wavy hair.

"Oh, stop crying, would ya, Akaya!" demanded a guy with the light, brown hair.

"You know, we wouldn't be lost if you would have just stop and asked for direction in the first place, Bunta!" stated a guy with dark skin and no hair.

"We're not lost! We're just running late, that's all!"

"Err! Well, I hope we won't be late for much longer!" whined Akaya, "Because I really don't want to miss Tezuka's match!"

The guy with the dark color skin stop in his tracks, "Hey, why don't we just ask them, for direction?" he pointed towards a Ritsuka, who was on the other side of a tennis court fence. Without wasting time, they all started making their way towards her.


When they turned the corner, Akaya took a step forward. "Excuse me, Mis-"

Sakura by: Che'Nelle (English)

" ~ Sakura. When I see it all hit the ground,

Ritsuka started playing her guitar and singing, catching the guys off guard.

My heart gets weak,
'Coz that dream that you and I had made

Is still so clear in me...!
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And I wonder if that day will come,
Where we could make it real,
Baby will I ever see you,
Sakura will I breathe again...!? ~ "

Ritsuka stopped singing and took out her phone, typing something on it. 'Not half bad, but needs a climax.'

The guys stared blankly at the girl in front of them, not knowing what to say. Finally, the guy with the brown hair took a step forward, walking towards Ritsuka. "Pardon..." Ritsuka looked up at the teen walking towards her. When the teen was in front of Ritsuka, he asked, "Do you think that you can point us in the direction towards Hyotei Academy?"

That caught Ritsuka attention, 'Hyotei?'

"See here, my friends and I are on our way there, right now," he looked over his shoulder and looked at his two friends, "But my friend with the shave hairdo got us lost."

The guy with no hair and dark shin blinked, 'I... ME?!... Bunta, you got some nerve.'

"So, do you think that you can show us the way?" Bunta, the guy with the light brown hair, looked back at Ritsuka and smiled.

Ritsuka just stared at him.

"Senpai...!" Akaya called out. He started walking towards Bunta and Ritsuka, with the other guy joining him, "I don't think that she speaks Japanese."

"Huh?" Bunta turned around, "But she looked Japanese. And besides, Jackal, says we should ask for direction," Bunta looked at the guy with the dark skin.

"I did, not there's no point in asking someone who doesn't speak our language," Jackal answered.

"Yeah, but-"

"No, I speak Japanese," Ritsuka answered, with her leg crossed.

...

All of the guys looked down at her. "B- But you were just singing in English?" Akaya pointed.

"Yes, but it is possible to speak more than just one language, right?"

"... S- So can you tell us where to go?" Jackal asked.

Ritsuka chewed the inside of her cheek and took out a GPS. "Hyotei high, was it? Ritsuka typed in some coordinates before showing it to them, "This where you're going?"

The guys looked at it, before Jackal nodded, "Umm."

"Great," Ritsuka got up and put her guitar back in its case, "Then let's go," Ritsuka swung the strap over one of her shoulders and pick up her bags. 'I'm not waiting forever, so goodbye, old man~.'

"Wait, you're coming with us?" Bunta asked.

"Yes. I'm going there too," Ritsuka answered bluntly, "Matter of a fact, I'm going to be attending that school."


Ritsuka and the group of boys walked through the stress of Tokyo, while Akaya carried one of Ritsuka's bag. "No way, I still can't believe that you're going to that preppy, rich, boarding school," Akaya stated.

"'Preppy'?" Ritsuka repeated, taking her eyes off of her GPS and putting them on Akaya,

"Yeah, they're totally stunk up. Especially, Adobe Keigo," Bunta answered, with disgust written all over his face, "After all, he's not called the King of Hyotei for nothing."

"Hmm... So then, which school do you guys go to?"

"We go to Rikkai Daigaku Fuzoku," answered Jackal, "Just like with Hyotei and Seigaku, Rikkai is also a boarding school."

"I see..." The group of four stop at a crossroad and waited with the crowd of people. Ritsuka looked at the people around her, 'What's with this number and the size of the crossroad? It's like three or four times the sizes of the one in America! And why are some of them going diagonally?' (2). When the traffic lights turned red (3) and the little red man on the crossroad sign switch to blue (4), all of the people started walking forward. "The school should be on the other side of that building," Ritsuka pointed at the building in front of them.


When they were in front of a school's gate, Akaya, Bunta, and Jackal bowed in front of Ritsuka, "Arigato!"

"..." Ritsuka blinked, "... Umm... You're welcome...?" With that being said, all four of them entered the school grounds and went their sperate ways. Instead of going to the main office, like Ritsuka was supposed to, Ritsuka instead wonders around the front of the school, taking in all that she saw. There were short, small flowers planted on the dirt, next to the sidewalk, while taller ones were behind them. Because of the cherry blossoms from the trees, the air had an aroma of cherries, and the grass was well-taken care for. The building that was in front of Ritsuka was a two or three story building, that could have been mistaken for a mansion. 'Wow...!' Ritsuka laughed, 'Talk about a school! And here I thought that the one in America and Europe was something!' "Haha!" Ritsuka couldn't help but smile brightly. To her, at the moment, she felt like a little kid who was being taken to her first waterslide.

Ritsuka straightened herself and took a step forward, making her way to her new school.

"R- Ring! Ring! Ring!"

Ritsuka stopped before she could take the second step and put on a confused look. She took out her phone and check the collar ID. To her discomfort, it turns out to be her father. Ritsuka sighed and answered the call, putting her phone next to her ear, "Yes...!" Ritsuka greeted drily.

{ - " Ritsuka...! Where are you?! I can't find you at the airport. " - }

Ritsuka removed the phone from her ear and put it on speaker. "The WHERE!?" 'I thought you were waiting at the tennis garden.'

{ - " The. Air. Port...! So, where are you? -"}

Ritsuka sighed, "Not at the airport, for starters. I'm at my school, Hyotei."

{ - " WHAT?! What are you doing there?! " - }

Ritsuka tilted her head, "What are you talking about? Aren't I suppose to be here? This is the school I'm transferring to."

{ - " No, you're not! You're going to Seigaku, my old school. " - }

"What!? Forget it! I'm not going there!" Ritsuka placed a hand on her hip.

{ - " Oh, yes you are! I already registered you there, so you're going! " - }

"... sigh... And why would you do a thing like that!? I happen to quite like the school I was attending, up until now, so again: WHY WAS I TRANSFER!?"

{ - " Jeez! Scream a little bit louder, why do ya! I don't think that the people in the States could have heard you clearly enough! Really, you're such a Drama Queen. " - }

"I'm a per-form-er...! What did you expect?"

{ - " A 'performer', huh? Hahaha! You know, it wasn't that long ago that you said that you were a tennis player. " - }

Ritsuka rolled her eyes, "Get to the point, old man!"

{ - " Okay, okay, okay... Man, you know, you're becoming more and more like your mother, by the minute... Well, for starters, you'll be living at Seigaku and attention all of your normal classes, like math, science, and all of that stuff there. But you'll be taking your video- music- whatever-you-call-it class at Hyotei. So, how does that sounds to you? Oh... and don't worry about the distant; I already check. The schools aren't that far away from each other. It's only about five miles, apart, so if you take the train, you should make it there in about a few minutes to ten at most. " - } (5)

Ritsuka widened her eyes, 'Wow...'

{ - " So why don't you tell me where you are so that I can come and pick you up! " - }

Ritsuka put back in her emotionless face and answered, "No need. I can get there myself."

{ - " HUH...!? What are you talking about!? " - }

"Exactly as it sounds. I'm going to Seiguk- or whatever it called, on my own."

There were silent on the other line for a period of time, before Ritsuka father answered, { - " Find! Have it your way! Just make sure that you're on time for your four o'clock meeting. " - }

"Kay~!" and just like that, Ritsuka hang up on her father and turned around, making her way to the gate, 'Right now is 3:43 and the subway will take me there in about ten minutes, so I should make it on time.'

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Word Count: 3,884


Japan REAL facts...
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1) It is considered rude to talk or eat on subways.

2) The crossroads are let's countless of people go across at a time, so they must be big.

3) The traffic lights are Blue, Yellow, and Red. Blue: Go, Yellow: slow down, and Red: stop. The lights go right to left, not up to down.

4) The crossroad lights are a little red, anime man and a little blue man. Red meaning waits, while blue means cross.

5) Trains go a speed of 320 km/h (200 mph).


Date - 2018, Jan 26

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