It was odd to hear, for nearly everybody, that Ryoma Echizen, the renowned Prince of Tennis and the tiebreaker at Nationals, had called for a press conference. So as Ryoma walked up onto the podium with her family next to her, she merely smiled at the large turnout.

And mouths dropped as Ryoma Echizen, stepped into plain view.

Wearing a skirt.

Questions arose and were shouted. Notepads opened and were hastily filled, page after page. Cameras snapped picture after picture. Camcorders were turned on and began filming the tennis star. Rumors started, concerning Ryoma's true identity.

Was Ryoma a transgender?

Was Ryoma a homosexual?

Was Ryoma going to change genders?

Was Ryoma-

"Hello everybody, and thank you for coming today. I hope I haven't interfered with your schedules"

With a sweet smile and nervous words, Ryoma had them under her spell, already wrapped around her fingers without their knowledge. She gave out a shy aura mixed in with something that made it near impossible for others to look away from her. Her lightly flushed pink cheeks and the small pout resting on her lips tied together her little 'innocent' act.

"I'm sure you all have many questions, and I hope that my explanation will answer them. My name is Ryoma Echizen and I am a 12 year old girl. I have masqueraded as a male during my time in Japan because I felt it was simply unfair how girls were being treated in the sports division. I have gone to Nationals, and won no less, as a girl, hopefully proving that girls can excel in sports just as much as boys. I can only pray that you all will forgive me for my act. I understand that me admitting this will render all of Seigaku's wins invalid, but the guilt was too much for me. Again, I hope I will be forgiven. I apologize, but I am unable to answer questions for now. Have a nice day everybody."

With a bow, Ryoma's lips curled into her usual smirk, her hanging head effectively hiding it. She stood back up with a guilty face, puppy eyes averted to the side. Reporters screamed at her that they wanted to hear more of what she had to say, that they had so many questions, if Ryoma was insane taking away Seigaku's win.

The Echizen family calmly ignored each and every one of them. They had already gotten much practice from when they used to be in America. Back then, Ryoma went by another name, but was just as popular here. She held that wild card in her hands, planning to play it when Oishi Shuichiro and Eiji Kikumaru were there to witness it. Which, she hypothesized, would be very soon.

After all, she was going to the sushi shop where she knew they would gather to celebrate their win and good riddance of her. They should hear the news concerning her gender soon, but Ryoma was positive they would be far more interested in knowing they didn't win anything after all. A girl in the boy's tennis team? How wrong, disqualify them immediately!

Nanjiroh looked over to his daughter with an amused smile curving his lips gently.

"You don't seem very worried about the chaos this will cause."

Ryoma giggled and took her father's hand.

"It's fine, I planned this route from the start. If Seigaku had been actually nice, I wouldn't have spilled about me being a girl. I'd have Keigo help me fake my death so I could 'come back' as Ryoma Echizen's long-lost twin sister, given up for adoption at birth."

"Such an evil child I have raised!"

Nanjiroh flailed his other arm around as he wrapped one around Ryoma's shoulders. Ryoma didn't bother shoving him off, he wasn't that bad.

"They deserved it, Monkey King will show you the video later."

Nanjiroh sighed in the way grown-ups do when their children are doing something they specifically told them not to do.

"Be more respectful towards your cousin Ryoma."

Ryoma shrugged, also knocking her dad's arm off its perch at the same time.

"Oh please, I'm sure that Monkey King doesn't mind Oyaji."

Ryoma purposely exaggerated the nicknames as she childishly stuck out her tongue. With a roll of her eyes, Ryoma stalked off, looking for a vending machine so she could get some of that heaven in a can otherwise known as Ponta.

She supposed that it won't be long until he comes back as well. She really did miss the arms she sought comfort in after a nightmare, the warm eyes and proud smile after she won an especially challenging match, the gentle hands that would create intricate hairstyles in her long locks.

Which reminded her, she didn't need this wig anymore.

With a breath of relief and the light weight of the fake hair off her head, black hair tinted with emerald streaks fell down to Ryoma's mid-thigh. After a long time of no maintenance, it had knots, tangles, and numerous split ends. She briefly wondered if she should have it cut into a pixie style, but decided that she shouldn't since he liked her long hair so much. She did make a mental note to herself to cut the split ends off, they would only make more knots. Calmly running a hand through her mess of hair, she attempted to sort out her problem.

At the sushi shop, the regulars were running there, hoping that the news they had just heard on radio, or saw on the T.V, or seen in person (Inui) wasn't true.

Ryoma Echizen, the freshman ace of Seigaku, was a girl?

As the eight young men sat inside the reserved shop, they began discussing their predicament.

"But if Echizen's a girl, then we'll be disqualified for the win!"

Momoshiro hit his hand against the table.

"Saa… We can't change her gender."

Shusuke's eyes narrowed into slits.

"If we hadn't told her our plan, do you think we would have gotten away with it?"

Oishi leaned back in his seat, obviously miffed.

"Pshhhh, it's all Momo's fault for shouting it out loud."

Kaidoh pinned the blame on his rival within a heartbeat.

"No, you see, what we need to do now is-"

"Aww, why wasn't I invited?"

Ryoma smiled cheerfully as she skipped inside the restaurant and plopped down onto a seat next to Momoshiro and Eiji. She reached over and took a sushi roll, popping it in her mouth nonchalantly, as if she hadn't ruined everything Seigaku had worked so hard towards.

"Excuse me," Inui pushed up his glasses. "But who are you?"

Ryoma giggled, a light intoxicating sound filled with hidden intentions. She took another roll and pointed it with a wink at Eiji and then moved it to Oishi.

"Why, I'm sure the Golden Pair of Seigaku should know me!"

Ryoma bit into her food and swallowed, finishing the small treat quickly. She stood up and put one of her hands on her hips, pointing the other straight out in front of her with her fingers poised to look like a gun. She tilted her head at the blank wall that stared back at her.

"Only the Devil shall hear your cries for help."

Ryoma's now icy voice sent shivers of fear down everyone's spines, save for two who were only in excitement. Eiji jumped up, standing next to Ryoma.

"Y-You're the Devil's Fox! You're the best doubles player in America, no, the whole world! They say you can also play singles as well, but you're the most famous for being able to play doubles with anyone who trusts you! Nobody knows your real name."

Ryoma smiled graciously at Eiji. "Correct! Did your partner know as well?"

Everyone looked over to Oishi who had sparkling eyes, as if he was mentally screaming 'I can die happy now'. He was, simply put, starstruck.

"Yeah, but I think he's a bit out of it right now."

Ryoma nodded and turned her attention to the door. As if on cue, Keigo stepped in, followed by the rest of his team. Without missing a beat, meaning he ignored all the curious and murderous glares, Keigo Atobe calmly walked over and hugged his younger cousin, his arms holding her with just the right tension, not too tight to suffocate her like those glomps she had gotten before, and not too loose as if it was only half-hearted.

Ryoma sighed in content and hugged Keigo back, nuzzling into his neck. She listened to is heartbeat for a while, the steady rhythm keeping her nerves under control.

"Kei, why don't you tell them?"

Ryoma offered generously. Keigo smiled warmly, stroking Ryoma's face softly. He trailed a finger down her cheek and used it to cup her chin, making her look up at him. He pressed a sweet kiss to her forehead.

"It took you long enough to drop that infuriating nickname you called Ore-sama."

Ryoma rolled her eyes, a playful smirk on her lips. She reached up and kissed Keigo's cheek. Batting her eyelashes at him with a pout, she leaned in towards him.

"Hm? What was that Monkey King? Did you say something?"

Keigo's eye twitched in annoyance. He sighed deeply and released his captive from the hug.

"You never will learn, will you now Ryo-chan?"

Momoshiro was, surprisingly, the first to connect the dots.

"Ryo-chan? Wasn't that what you called Echizen yesterday?"

Ryoma smiled a dazzling grin at him.

"Aww, looks like Mo-mo-shi-ro sen-pai was the first to figure it out!"

Ryoma stretched out his name tauntingly. Her famous smirk lay on her lips as a death glare resided behind her hazel eyes. She placed a hand over her chest.

"Nice to meet you all! I am known as the Devil's Fox in America. But you all probably know me as Ryoma Echizen, the girl who took away Seigaku's victory."

With her announcement, the trouble began. And quickly ended when Keigo turned on the small portable T.V. he had brought along. On it was a news feed, showing some 'leaked footage' of Seigaku telling Ryoma Echizen how 'he' was unneeded anymore.

"Now that Seigaku's won, you can leave and die for all we care."

Momo's recorded voice echoed its venom filled words through the empty silence in the room, sealing off any doubt how the regulars felt about the freshman ace.

Ryoma, unnoticed by most at this point seeing as how everybody was turned towards Momoshiro, had clenched her fists tighter together. Her breathing was coming in quicker puffs and her arms trembled slightly.

Two people did notice though. Keigo whose insight led him to see all the cracks in her mask, all the broken pieces of her glass heart scattered around. Without a second wasted, Keigo was holding Ryoma in his arms once more, stroking her long hair and whispering quiet reassurances in her ear. Ryoma only hugged him back, not daring to say anything and let herself show weakness.

The other person who noticed felt his heart clench in guilt. Having second doubts about the plan that ruined one female's perspective on getting close to anyone anymore, crystal blue eyes that held the same emptiness as his smile, turned away.