Author's Note: I don't own Prince Of Tennis. Here is Chapter Two. Enjoy!


Title Story: I am right here.


Chapter Two: Courage.


They both walked back to the medical centre. They passed the Shishigaku Middle School's courts again.

"Tezuka-kun?" Miko asked.

Tezuka looked at her again.

"I'll give you some time to sort out your feelings." She said kindly.

Tezuka looked away with a faint blush while Miko again chuckled.

'He might be even cute.' She thought. Suddenly a pain shot in her ankle.

"Kya!" She fell down face first to the ground.

Tezuka was immediately alerted and crunched down. "Are you alright?"

Miko nodded and pulled herself up to sit.

Her hand went to her ankle and she saw a rock near to it.

"You're bleeding." Tezuka said and dabbed the blood with his handkerchief.

Miko winced at the contact.

The bleeding stopped fast and Tezuka pulled her up again to stand.

Miko smiled. "Thank you."

"There you have the love-birds again! Like your reward, girl?" A voice yelled.

Miko looked up and saw the guys of earlier again.

She saw the guy with the cap holding a tennis racket. 'Bastard..'

She glared.

"Hmm.. what's with those eyes, girly? Still want to play me?" The guy cockily said.

Miko opened her mouth, but Tezuka said: "Good, I'll play you."

"No, Tezuka-kun. I'll play them." Miko said seriously.

Tezuka looked at her concerned. "Bu-"

Miko smiled. "I'll be alright."


Tezuka saw both players stand on the court. His eyes went to Miko. 'Will she be alright?'

Miko clutched her racket. 'I will be alright, like I said. I will definitely not let Tezuka-kun get hurt.'

She looked up and threw the ball up. She served.

She wanted to run and suddenly she felt her legs froze.

The ball passed her.

"Heh, where did that courage go?" Her opponent laughed.

Miko ignored him and served again, she winced, her ankle.

The ball was coming near her.

'No, I'll not give up!' She thought.

She forced her legs up and began to run and hit the ball back.

"Heh, not bad. I'll let you jump, girly!"

A lob. Miko's eyes widened and run. She wanted to jump but her ankle hurt.

Her eyes found Tezuka's. 'That's right, Miko. This is not for you or anybody else. But for him!'

She jumped through and felt her arm froze temporally. She gritted her teeth and let her arm slam the ball. It hit the net.

"Give up, if you can't even hit a smash, you will be taken down miserably!" He laughed again.

"Shut up! I will definitely not lose to the likes of you!" Miko yelled back.


Tezuka watched from the side. He saw her struggling, determined, she was not giving up, he knew. Sometimes she froze, but the next she could break through that.

She, who had not played any kind of match for 2 years. He became to admire her strength, her courage, even her recklessness.

Tezuka became more intoxicated by her than before.

'Tezuka Kunimitsu, what in the world are you doing?' He thought.

'Be like her. She has it worse than you. Don't be a coward and face yourself. Like her!'

Suddenly he heard a loud crack.


Miko fell down to the ground hard. 'Shit! My ankle! Only one point left. Come on stand up Miko!' And because of her fall she gave him a lob.

'Come up Miko, stand up!' Miko propped up her arms to hold her up, but she couldn't find any strength.

"It's the end, girly!" The guy yelled and the ball was slammed hard in the direction of her.

Miko groaned. 'No!' She reached for her racket further.


Tezuka's eyes widened, she is not standing up anymore.

The ball went fast to her. 'Overcome your fear!'

In a flash her kind smile appeared in his head. 'I want to help you, Tezuka-kun.'

The ball came closer and he ran. He took her racket and slammed the ball back.

Everyone looked shocked by the speed and power of the ball.

"Tezuka-kun..?" He heard a voice behind him.

"You were right." He only said.

Miko smiled at his back.

"Allow me to thank you guys." Tezuka said while pointing his racket at his opponent.


Miko watched him, while clutching her ankle. 'Tezuka-kun..'

Miko couldn't help but to smile. She felt weak, tired. But refrained herself against those feeling. She wanted to watch him. 'Even though, I'm supposed to protect you…'

She witnessed him win without flaws.

'Thank you, Tezuka-kun.' Miko felt her eyes drop.

Suddenly Tezuka was next to her, supporting her to sit up.

Miko couldn't help her tiredness, she dropped her head on his chest. Her body didn't allow her much anymore.

Tezuka swept her up in his arms.

"Liar." He only said, facing her now.

Miko smiled weakly. "Sorry."

Tezuka shook his head. "Don't worry about it."

He look at her state. "Why did you do it?"

Miko chuckled weakly and dropped her head against his chest.

"I didn't want you to get hurt because of me, remember?" She whispered.

Miko looked up at him. "And.." She breathed.

Tezuka lowered his head to hear her.

She laid her hand on his cheek, on impulse she saw his eyes race to hers.

Miko smiled. "I might even love you, Tezuka-kun." She let her hand slip away from his cheek and let her eyes drop.


Tezuka had carried her fast to the medical centre.

He hold her tightly in his arms, their bags were bouncing against his back, but he couldn't care less.

When he entered, the nurses quickly had taken her from him.

He told them everything that happened and he was told back to wait.

Tezuka sat down on a chair and placed the bags in front of him.

He looked down and waited.

His eyes found her ribbon, it was sticking out of her bag.

Tezuka took it carefully and hold on to it. 'Miko..'

There was something sewed on the ribbon.

Tezuka read the text, it was English.

'Giving up would be a sin.'

Tezuka clutched Miko's hair ribbon. 'She was right all along. Even about the fact that I lo-'

He was awakened out of his thoughts when a nurse called him.

"She is already awake and informed about her situation. Please stay by her, sir."

Tezuka nodded and entered the room.

"Tezuka-kun." Her normal cheerful voice.

Tezuka looked in the direction of the voice. He saw her smile.

"How are you feeling?" Tezuka asked while wanting to sit down at the chair next to the bed.

Miko stopped him by clutching his jacket. "Please sit on the bed, near me."

Tezuka looked surprised but did as she said. He sat on the bed, he was now facing her.


Tezuka sat on the bed. And now Tezuka was facing her, like she wanted.

"I'm fine." Miko answered his previous question. "The doctors said my ankle will heal again. The crack wasn't too bad, apparently. It will be healed in 2 months, maybe even earlier."

Tezuka nodded and stared at her for a long time, not saying a word.

Miko knocked her head questionably. "Tezuka-kun?"

"You were right all along. Thank you." Tezuka said.

Miko smiled. "You're welcome."

Tezuka put his hand on her head. "This time, it will be the other way around."

"I will be right here, you don't have to stand alone."

Miko stared in his soft eyes. She began to sob. "Uuu.."

"I love you, Miko."

Her hands went to her face and she could only see his kind eyes before her sight blurred.

And she cried.