Chapter 2: Ranking Matches
'Heh... He's even playing on the ranking matches,' Kimiko thought while reading the notice board. The Tennis Club was filled with excitement and battle mood. The matches were about to begin, and girls from all years cheered for their favourite players. Even Echizen had his own fan club.
"Ryoma-sama! Ryoma-sama!" cheered a group of freshmen.
"You are too loud," commented Kimiko calmly, looking at her kouhai-tachi.
"Gomen nasai," apologized a girl with braided her bowing her head. The sophomore recognized her from the previous day. 'What was her name…?'
"Iie, it's not your fault," she replied. "I'm Atobe Kimiko, from the Press Club. Do you play tennis?"
"Aa! Ryuzaki Sakuno desu," she introduced herself nervously. "H-hai, I've just joined the tennis club".
"Yoroshiku. Are you related to Ryuzaki-sensei?" asked the junior. "I hope I get to see you play someday".
"Hai, I'm her granddaughter," Sakuno answered.
"Are you cheering for Ryoma-sama, too?" a girl with two ponytails asked her sempai loudly.
"Not really," the junior replied, as Ryoma won his fourth game straight. "I've got to go watch the other matches as well. See you around".
The former regulars were amazing, none of them were losing a game. The last match of the morning was finally over, and Kimiko decided to find a silent place to have lunch and take a short nap before going back to her work.
'So, Echizen is actually excited about his next match,' she thought, when she found him hitting a ball against a wall. She kept walking until she found a tree, not too far from there. She sat under its shadow and took out her bento. She eat quickly and then fell asleep hearing the constant sound of the ball hitting the wall. She didn't know for how long she had been off when she heard voices.
"Your match is soon so... Ganbatte, ne!" said a feminine voice she recognized as Ryuzaki Sakuno's. Kimiko got up from her position to look at the two first years in curiosity. The girl blushed furiously and run away, leaving a confused Ryoma behind.
"Kawaii. Young love is so refreshing!" Kimiko said out loud, in an amused voice, confusing him even more. "Good luck in your match, Echizen," she added with a smile, and walked towards the tennis courts.
"Weird sempai..." said Echizen, under his breath.
The match between Echizen and sophomore Kaidou Kaoru was about to start. It was bound to be an interesting one, a regular against the amazing freshman. The rest of the regulars were watching intently and the fans of both players cheered loudly. Even Inoue and his fellow reporter and assistant, Shiba, were looking forward to the results.
Kaidou was an intriguing character, and perhaps a little scary, with his serious expression. He wore an orange bandana around his head, hiding most of his short black hair, and his dark green eyes scanned his opponent.
"Ano... Momoshiro-san," Kimiko called, approaching the regulars. "How do you think it'll turn out?"
"It's hard to know for sure..." he replied. The girl nodded her head in agreement.
"Konnichiwa, sempai-tachi," she told the tennis regulars with a smile, and was greeted back by them.
Echizen served first and they started rallying, until he hit a chord ball that Kaidou couldn't return.
"15-love," called the chair umpire. Ryoma served again. This time, the point was won by Kaidou, who performed his special technique. "15-all".
"That's Kaidou's 'Snake'," explained Momoshiro to three freshmen from the Tennis Club. Kimiko listened with interest.
"Do you mean his technique?" asked one of the freshmen from the tennis club, who were also watching the match with enthusiasm.
"Yes. Only someone who has a long reach like Kaidou can do that," Momoshiro continued. "Starting from the right leg and shifting his weight to the left side, he can hit it with an abnormal spin. His appearance is like a viper. He even stands like a snake".
Kimiko took a glance at Kaidou's strange pose and realized he was right. 'Not bad, Kaidou-san...'
"Heh, returning it at that angle... Mada mada dane," said Echizen, changing his racquet to his left hand, finally getting serious about the match.
Kaidou used his Snake again and Echizen was able to return it, but was not fast enough to return the next shot.
"It's not good..." said the freshman to himself.
The match continued evenly, neither of them giving an inch. However, Echizen was sweating badly.
"Ahh... Echizen has fallen into Viper's trap," said Momoshiro. "To Viper, his snake is not just a technique".
"I see. He's making him run around to make him lose his stamina, right?" asked Kimiko.
"Yes... That's his strategy to exhaust his opponent," replied her classmate.
"Hmm. I think Echizen has seen through his plan as well," Kimiko said suddenly, without taking her from the match.
"Kaidou-sempai, you are sweating a lot," commented Ryoma. Kaidou was, indeed, starting to get tired. Echizen was hitting deep and low to the line, making Kaidou bend his knees and causing him to use two or three times more energy every time he returned the ball.
"The great Ryoma-sama is EXTRAORDINARY!" yelled a loud girl next to Sakuno. Both players were tired and it soon became an endurance match. None of them was able to win more than one game in a row.
"The snake... It's Buggy Whip Shot, ne?" said Echizen, hitting a Snake. "Kaidou-sempai, this is pretty complicated. Just recently by chance, I read an article that described this technique. I just tried it to see, but it's harder than it looks"
'That guy is really something...' thought Kimiko amused, as the chair umpire announced Echizen's victory.
"Ne, Momoshiro-san," said Kimiko. "Are you busy right now?"
"Eh! Momo-chan is going on a date?!" asked one of the senior regulars, while resting his arm on his kouhai's shoulder.
"E-eh? I-it's not like than, Eiji-sempai!" exclaimed Momoshiro, nervously.
"That's not what I meant, sempai. I was going to ask him a few things about tennis," explained the girl. "Dinner's on me if you help me. You can come to, sempai".
"Free dinner? I'm in, I'm in!" exclaimed Eiji cheerfully.
"Eiji-sempai! It's not good to let a girl pay," Momoshiro scolded him.
"Iee, it's alright, I insist," she assured them.
"So, what do you need help with... etto..." started asking the senior when they were seating at a burger shop.
"Aa, sumimasen. Atobe Kimiko desu, yoroshiku!" she introduced herself.
"I'm Kikumaru Eiji, but call me Eiji. Yoroshiku! Nya!" he replied, excited. Kimiko stifled a chuckle. 'Kawaii...' she thought to herself, and then explained him and Momoshiro how she was supposed to write about the tennis club.
"EHH? Tezuka-kun gave you permission to watch the practices?!" exclaimed Eiji, surprised.
"Hai. He didn't seem very happy about it, though," she replied with a laugh. "So, let me see if I remember it correctly. Kaidou-san's special technique is the 'Snake', Momoshiro-san's the Dunk Smash, Eiji-sempai is an Acrobatic Player, Inui-sempai plays Data Tennis, Fuji-sempai has his Triple Counter, Oishi-sempai uses his Moon Volley, Kawamura-sempai plays Power Tennis and has a different personality when he's holding a racquet, and Tezuka-sempai has his Tezuka Zone and his Zero Shiki Drop Shot". Both regulars nodded, and kept explaining her about the tournaments and other schools they would be facing.
"Thank you very much for your help today," she said, once Momoshiro had finished his sixth and last burger.
"Iie, thank you for the food!" replied Eiji, and his teammate agreed.
"Ja ne, Eiji-sempai, Momoshiro-san!" she bid them farewell.
"Ne, Atobe-san, call me Momo-chan! Momoshiro makes me feel old," he complained. Kimiko nodded and smiled.
"Good bye, Momo!"
The next morning, Kimiko woke up with her pet dog licking her face. She stretched her arm to pick up her alarm clock, and looked at the time. '8:00...' she read and she finally woke up completely. "I'm going to be late!" she screamed in frustration and put on her uniform quickly. Then, she rushed downstairs and ordered her driver to take her to school as fast as he could.
"You barely made it on time today, Kimiko-chan," commented her best friend when she got to the classroom.
"Ohayou, Chie-chan" the girl replied, ignoring her.
"Ohayou!" Hinamori Chie greeted her with a smile. Her black straight hair reached her waist, and her perfect fringe covered her forehead. Her big brown eyes were gentle, as she looked at her childhood friend. "How was it yesterday? Did you get to watch the matches?"
"Hai. It was alright, I guess. There are some very interesting players. However..." Kimiko's answer trailed off.
"You are still mad because they made you do this?" Chie asked, the worry for her friend evident in her voice.
"It's just that... I thought I could finally say goodbye to Tennis. But it keeps on coming back!" Kimiko said, sighing in frustration.
"Perhaps it's just not meant to leave your life..." her friend said thoughtfully. "But don't worry for now! Today there are no matches, right?"
"No, the remaining of the ranking matches will be held tomorrow".
"Is it alright if we have lunch outside today? The weather is really nice today," Chie asked, once the morning classes were finished.
"Sure, I don't mind," Kimiko replied. "Go ahead. I'll buy a drink and then I'll look for you," she added, and walked outside the classroom.
She was deciding on what to drink when she saw Sakuno in her tennis outfit, swinging her racquet. She smiled to herself, chose a can of soda and a bottle of water from the bending machine, and walked towards her kouhai.
"You are bending your knees too much," she said, making Sakuno turn around to face her.
"A-Aa! Atobe-sempai!" said Ryuzaki, surprised. Kimiko just smiled and kept on talking.
"And you're elbow is too relaxed," she said.
"Ah... Ryoma-kun said the same thing yesterday," her kouhai said sadly. "Sempai, do you play?"
"I used to... It's been quite a long time since I last played. Let's play together sometime", Kimiko replied. "U-Un!" agreed Sakuno, and then added thoughtfully "Ne, Atobe-sempai, do you think I should cut my hair, too?"
"Aa, I take it that's something Echizen told you as well?" Her kouhai nodded. "So tactless... Don't listen to him. You should wear your hair in a bun or a ponytail, though, so it won't get in the way".
"H-Hai!" Ryuzaki said, more animatedly. "Arigatou, Atobe-sempai!"
"You can call me Kimiko, you know?" the sophomore said. "I'll be going first, Sakuno-chan. Ja ne!"
"J-Ja ne, Kimiko-sempai".
"Aa, almost forgot!" the junior said, turning back and throwing the bottle of water to Sakuno, who caught it clumsily.
"That took you quite a while," Chie said, once Kimiko had found her.
"Gomen, Chie-chan. I found someone on my way here".
"Male or female?"
"Female. Ryuzaki-sensei's granddaughter. She's cute..." Kimiko answered, smiling.
"Speaking about cute things, Momoshiro-kun asked for you," Chie informed her.
"You find him cute?" Kimiko asked in astonishment.
"Well, he's quite easy on the eyes. But that's not the point. Apparently he found out that you played tennis and wants to have a match..."
Kimiko sighed. "How troublesome..." she said quietly.
"I think you should accept," Chie said, taking her friend off guard. "You really liked tennis back then... Deep down, don't you feel like playing again? It'd be a great chance for making new friends as well".
"I... I'll think about it," Kimiko said. Chie smiled and decided to say no more on that matter. Both of them eat their bentos in silence, deep in thought.
"Ne, Atobe-san!" a loud voice called her when the classes were over for the day.
"Momo, Konnichiwa," she said, turning around to face him. "Please, call me Kimiko, by the way"
"Konnichiwa, At-Kimiko-san!" he replied. "Say, will you play a match against me?"
"Alright," she said reluctantly, realizing Chie was probably right. "I don't have my racquet, or an appropriate outfit for that matter, though. Let's meet at the street's tennis courts at 7 pm. Is that alright?"
"Hai! See you there, Kimiko-san!"
"Ja, Momo."
"'Momo', eh?" questioned Chie once he couldn't listen to her anymore. "Aren't we being overly friendly..."
"He asked me to call him that..." Kimiko said, without giving it much importance.
"So, you are meeting him?" Chie asked and her friend nodded her head. "That's great. Have fun!"
"Arigatou," she thanked her friend with a half-smile.
When Momoshiro arrived to the tennis courts that night, Kimiko was already there. She was wearing a really short tennis skirt, and a tight sleeveless work out shirt.
"Hi, Momo," she greeted him warmly. Her classmate blushed lightly, taking in her outfit. She noticed and blushed a little as well. "Gomen, I haven't played tennis in a while, so I don't have larger clothes"
"I-It's alright," he stuttered looking at anything but her. "Shall we start?"
"Hai! Smooth or rough?"
"Smooth," replied Momoshiro, and the racquet landed on rough.
"I'll serve, then," she said, and took one of her balls. She stood at the end of the court, and stared at the boy at the other side. 'It's been so long...' she thought and inhaled deeply to relax. She threw the ball in the air and hit it, but her serve didn't reach the other side of the net.
"Heh... It's heavier than I remembered. It seems I must have become weaker," she said, deep in thought, and tried serving again, this time with more power. The ball bounced in Momoshiro's court and he returned it easily. They rallied for a while, warming up and allowing Kimiko to get used to playing again, before the real game started. The game count was 2-2, and they were playing evenly, but Momo was using about 30% of his real strength, and had yet to use his Dunk Smash.
"Ne, Momo... Will you play me seriously?" Kimiko requested. The guy smirked and nodded.
"If that's what you want, I won't hold back anymore," he replied.
Momoshiro's shots were too powerful, and she was struggling to return them. He had easily taken two more games from her, and wasn't even sweating, while Kimiko looked exhausted. She had tried returning his Dunk Smash for the eighth time, and her racquet had fled from her hand once again. However, she looked far from discouraged.
"It's not over yet..." she said, a little out of breath but with determination.
It was her turn to serve, but her stance was completely different from before. This time, she did an underhand serve, letting the ball roll across the whole length of her racquet, before sending it to the other side of the court. Momoshiro run to return it, but the ball bounced toward Kimiko's side of the court, surprising him.
"Not bad, Kimiko-san!" he said.
"Iie, it's not perfect yet," she said with a soft smile. Momo managed to return her serve after two more tries, and they began rallying again. After a while, he sent a shot to the opposite side from where she was standing and she was barely able to return it as a lob. It was his chance to use his Dunk Smash again. Kimiko ran to fetch the ball and jumped, using her whole weight to return it. The ball hit the net, but it was already an improvement that he racquet hadn't been sent out flying. And Kimiko found herself wanting to try it returning his Dunk Smash again, so she lobbed the ball on the first opportunity she had. Momoshiro smirked at this, realizing her intentions, but used his best technique anyway.
'I did it!' she thought delightedly, and wanted to scream out loud, but refrained from doing so. She was still in disadvantage after all, even if she had managed to return his Dunk Smash.
They had won four games each, when Kimiko walked to the net. She was sweating badly, and had trouble catching her breath. Her legs felt numb and were about to give up on her, and she hurt all over. But she was happier than she had been in a very long while.
"It's enough, I can't go on," she said, and lifted her sore arm to shake hands with her classmate. "Thank you, Momo".
The boy took her hand and smiled widely. "It was a good game. We should play again sometime"
"Sure. Next time, I'll definitely win," she said with a grin, her usually bored-looking eyes shining in excitement.
Words in Japanese
Etto... is like 'Let's see...' or 'Um...'
Ano is used to ask for someone's attention (in this case).
Sempai - upperclassman
Sempai-tachi - plural of sempai
Kouhai - those who are younger than you, often used in schools or the work place
Kouhai-tachi - plural of kouhai
Yada - 'I don't want to do it'
Zettai yada - 'I definitely don't want to do it'
Konnichiwa - 'Hello'/'Good afternoon'
Desu means "to be". '(Watashi wa) Kimiko desu' is like 'I am Kimiko'
Yoroshiku (onegaishimazu) has many meanings depending on the context. In this case it's mostly a 'Nice to meet you', or 'please take care of me in the future'. It's more polite when onegaishimasu is added.
Arigatou (gozaimasu) is a way of thanking someone. It's more polite when gozaimasu is added.
Gomen (nasai) - I'm sorry
Ja/ Ja ne - see you later
Mada mada dane - The meaning literally means "No, not yet," but varies in similarity, with meanings that include "You still have a long way to go," "Not good enough" or "Still no good," and "It's not over yet." (Prince of Tennis Wikia)
Iie - no
Hai - yes (has other uses as well)
Ganbatte - used to encourage people. It means 'do your best' or 'good luck'.
Suffixes
'-san' is the most polite of the three. It's mostly used for older people and equals.
'-kun' is generally used for younger boys.
'-chan' is generally used for younger girls or cute boys.
I promise it'll get more interesting soon, and the chapters will be longer as well.