Tennis no Oujisama © Konomi Takeshi, Jump, Shueisha

Summery: A magnate has captured the Seigaku regulars! And now, they have to win in a tennis tournament or have their lives taken. The prize that the magnate wants is a brunette who looks very familiar to Ryoma...

Hai ni Naru
Chapter Two
Kouno Kai and Kirii Izumi

--
How long has it been since I've fallen for you?
How much longer will it be before we're together again?
…I can only wait until that day.
--

There was a strong knock at the door causing him to jerk his green eyes towards the door before releasing a long and tired sigh, waving a hand in the air he sent his closest servant to open the door for him. He gazed back down towards the item in his hand, a nearly destroyed picture. The edges of the picture was nearly burned while the face was stained and scratched--a sudden memory of him risking his own life just to save this picture nearly made him laugh out loud. Just the sight of this picture had saved him so many times, and yet, would always, in some way, drive him closer to insanity.

The picture was so distorted by now that the two boys in the picture were hardly recognizable at all, in fact, if anyone who had not known it's earlier context, saw it, they'd think it was a piece of trash. He ran a finger over the ruined face that had never belonged to him, the face that was now captured and stupidly placed up for a sex-slave by anyone who won the underground tournament. However, it wasn't just any normal tournament but a tennis tournament. After the brown haired man had left him two years ago, he hadn't been able to reach contact. Until, one day, his current rival, Umi Renji, had boasted about a new slave he had gotten and showed him off at a party.

His sudden anger was cut off when a hand had pressed itself onto his shoulder causing him to jerk away, his eyes staring into the eyes of his most trusted business partner and friend, Kirii Izumi. His friend grinned before plucking the picture away before Izumi used his other hand to grasp his face, leaning his face close enough for their breathes to mingle. However, instead of pulling away, his eyes only narrowed at Izumi.

"Kiss me and you'll die," he growled and that was enough for the man to let go, laughing. "What do you want anyway? I suppose you aren't here to boast about another something again, are you?"

"You hurt me, Kai-chin," Kouno Kai merely clicked his tongue in annoyance at the nickname causing Izumi to chuckle. "Do you honestly think I'm only here to talk about something as un-important as your best friend's life?"

Despite the guard he had brought up after Izumi had nearly kissed him, he cracked a smile before looking through his friends glasses and into the honey colored eyes. "What is it then?"

"Ah, made you smile," Izumi sang, tapping Kai on the nose, who presumed scowling immediately. "You should do that more often, Kai. You'd look so cute."

The scowl on his face didn't falter and, taking the hint, Izumi continued.

"All right, all right," he muttered, leaning against the side of Kai's favorite chair. Izumi brushed his thick black locks away from his face and grinned at Kai, his slender hands tapping at his chin. "What is the one thing that you've been secretly expecting to arrive?"

"Just tell me, Kirii," he snapped. "I'm in no mood for your games."

"You can call me by my first name, you know," Izumi said half-heartedly. "Anyway, I've gotten you one of the best tennis teams in Japan, happy?"

Kai was silent for a while as he stared at Izumi. "I thought," Kai began slowly, watching as Izumi avoided his eyes, "...you hated the idea of bringing Daisuke back."

"I did," Izumi drawled before giving a half-hearted shrug. "In fact, I still utterly despise it but, if it'll make you happy, I'll go for it."

"Kirii…" Kai whispered, in awe.

"Besides if Dai-kun is as hot as you keep on bragging about then a three-some wouldn't be so bad, would it?" Izumi asked, grinning before bring a hand up to block the expected punch towards his shoulder. However, a sudden shocked filled the older man as he was pulled into a tight grasp instead. It took a while for Izumi to register that Kai was not hugging him because of something Izumi himself would've agreed to but, as a thank-you. Blowing off the hurt, he chuckled and patted the taller man on the back.

"Yo, Kai-chin, this isn't cool…"

"Thank you," Kai whispered his voice hoarse. His body was shaking now and with a sad smile on his face, Izumi held onto Kai, listening to the younger man whisper his thanks, over and over again.

- -

It didn't take long for Izumi to leave the room, Kai always loved to think when something big hit him and when he did so, he always did it alone. Even when Daisuke had been around, which he had a vague memory of--he never liked being around the two of them--Daisuke, the man who loved Kai, would leave him alone in his thoughts. In fact, as the picture of Kai screaming and crying horribly one time appeared in his mind, a sudden hate flood thought his veins--it was one of the reasons Izumi despised Daisuke.

Pushing up his glasses, he let them rest on his head, pushing his thick black hair back before he dug into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette. Lighting the end of the fag, he took a deep breath in before walking down the hall, ready to greet his on coming guests. He hadn't expected Kai to come along with him and, when he had told Kai they were coming, the man merely mumbled something about going to greet them during dinner. A smirk appeared on his lips at this thought, Kai, to him, still acted like a child.

He soon walked down a flight of steps before taking another turn, entering the library of the estate. There, he reached into the desk of one of the furnished mahogany tables and fished out eight folders. They were to prove to be a false threat to their "guest" and make them stay. As he continued his way out of the room, he paused before Kai's favorite chair and tapped his cigarette against the nearby trash before leaving the room.

He soon made move towards the main living room, remembering that he had told Fredrick to bring them all there. God, he hoped that they really hadn't been rough with the eight of them. At this thought, he took a deeper breath on the fag, frowning as the stick was almost gone. Running a hand along the walls, he let the fag sit in his mouth, his tongue tasting the white paper that held the tobacco in.

It didn't take long for him to reach the living room, his long strides made up the time. Before he entered a young maid--probably around fifteen, Kai had a weird interest in helping poor children find a job and have a better life--walked up to him, curtsied, before saying, "they've arrive, Kirii-san."

"Thank you," he said. Walking past the young maid, he walk towards the doors and pushed it open, a grin of welcome on his lips. It was silent among the group, all eight people stared at him with heated anger, confusion, and, interest. "Welcome, my past Seigaku players," he said, setting the folders onto the coffee table before the old regular players before standing before the fire place and facing them. A silence welcomed him and Izumi sighed, lowering his glasses back down onto his nose so he could get a better view of them. Ignoring their heated stares, he grabbed the folders and began handing each of them one, marked with their names on it. Soon after, he threw his nearly gone cigarette into an empty ashtray.

"Don't open it yet," Izumi announced, returning to his previous spot. He paused before Fuji Syuusuke, frowning as he peered at the pale man. Raising a hand, he managed to touch the hot forehead before a hand grasped his wrist, besides Fuji was Tezuka Kunimistu, the captain. Offering a small smile to Tezuka, Izumi pulled his hand away. "He looked sick. I was merely making sure if he truly was or not."

"He wouldn't be if it hadn't been for your men," a hissed nearby.

Izumi smile didn't falter as he stared at Kaidoh Kaoru before nodding while clicking his tongue against his teeth. "My apologies, it seems my men were far too harsh," he said with false formality. Snapping his fingers, the young maid scampered quickly back into the room, curtsied, before rushing to face Izumi. "I want you to check up on Fuji--" Izumi eyes returned towards Momoshiro Takeshi and Oishi Syuichiroh before pointing to the two unconscious bodies "--and those two as well. Make sure they are healed as quickly as possible and, after I'm through with this meeting, I want to meet up with Fredrick. Warn him that I'm in no mood for his stupidity."

"Yes, Kirii-san," she said, nodding before waving for two young servants standing nearby. Soon, they moved Oishi and Momoshiro up but Fuji didn't budge. "Please, Fuji-sama, I need to bring you back to health," the young maid begged, casting a glance towards Izumi.

"Go, Fuji," Tezuka said before Izumi could open his mouth.

With a heated glare towards Tezuka, Fuji stood and walked ahead of the young maid who scurried after him. "Hmm," Izumi mused, smiling at the reaction Tezuka brought out of Fuji before facing the group again. "Sorry for the wait. Let me introduce myself before you open those folders. My name is Kirii Izumi and I am the business partner of Kouno Kai." At this, Inui Sadahara frowned and Izumi lips twitched.

"Kouno Kai," Inui repeated, "Isn't he merely a hotel and airline owner? What would he have to do with us?"

"Glad you asked," Izumi said dryly. He felt like a teacher. He hated kids. He hated the idiotic questions they asked, even though, if they could only wait, then they'd know the answer. Adjusting his glasses, Izumi brushed his annoying locks out of his face and continued on. "Someone" he paused, thinking of a good word "dear, has been taken away from him. Now, because of this, we've been tricked into competing against his captor in order to" he paused again, looking disgusted "rescue them."

"Che," Echizen Ryoma said. Izumi eyed him, his patience waning. What an annoying group.

"Open the damn folders," Izumi snapped. God, he hated dealing with people. That's why, when he had met Kai, he had gladly entered into business with him. For one, the man had this aura to just attract people towards him and, for two; he had a way of keeping them there. Meaning, if he had joined them, then he wouldn't have to deal with the people themselves, just the business that had to do with them.

An evil grin appeared on Izumi's face as confusion and shock appeared on the faces around him. "The people and animals--" he cast a look towards Echizen "--are under our capture. If you run from us, I'll kill them. If you do not, do as we say, I'll torture you. If you do not win, I'll keep them and sell them."

"Sell?" a soft voice muttered towards his right. He looked over and saw the haunting look on Kikumaru Eiji's face and felt the tiniest bit of sympathy for this man, after all, he was being told his whole family was "captured." Even though, in truth, they were perfectly safe.

"Yes," Izumi drawled, "sell. Become sex slaves--" with a wicked grin towards Echizen, he added "--or fish food."

It was utterly silent after that and, smiling with satisfaction, Izumi crossed his arms before announcing the tournament. "For the next three weeks, we're going to train you back into your best tennis condition. From there, you'll compete under Kai's name. Now, before you can ask me why I've chosen you, it's quite simple. When I was younger, I didn't like tennis. However, my brother was obsessed with it. Especially, Seigaku and, after all these years, I hear of all the former players--besides a few members--have become known professionals.

"From here, I want to return you back into the Seigaku team that had been in junior high. However, the tournament itself will not be normal. Let me finish!--" Izumi cast a glare towards Inui who had opened his mouth "--The tournament could even risk your life. The idiot running it, Umi Renji, likes putting people through hell and, unfortunately, likes tennis as well. That's why, I haven't brought Kawamura. The reason being is because he's a sushi chef and has been for the past four years, barely playing tennis. His skills have faltered and we do not have the time or patience to train him from the scratch.

"Also," Izumi said, with an air of an almost finished conversation. "We're going to prepare you lot for combat. Look, I don't know what that fucked-up idiot is planning to place the other teams in before tennis matches or even, during it. But, hell, I'm not going to let my best friend down. So, whether you like it or not, you're all helping."

It was silent as Izumi looked around and he inwardly smiled in relief. "You'll all be staying in your rooms with one another, you should be comfortable. Personally, I would've placed you in a different environment but, I rather not have Kai being angry about it. So, instead, I had a room with eight beds built into it. You'll be in there until your friends are all healed up--hopefully by the end of tomorrow--and then we'll start your training. Tonight," Izumi said, turning to open the doors, "you'll personally meet Kouno Kai."

He motioned for Wilson, a blonde man, who gave a slight smirk before getting off the wall he had been currently leaning on and stalking towards him. Frowning, Izumi stared up at Wilson, hating the fact that the European stood a head taller them him. Crossing his arms again, he watched Wilson run a hand though his blonde locks before lowering his arm again.

"I need you to take them to their rooms," Izumi ordered.

"Like hell I won't--" Wilson began.

"Then," Izumi hissed, ignoring the fact that the regulars whispering were starting to reach his ears. He placed a hand on Wilson's chest, feeling the muscles twitch under his touch, "I won't visit you."

A frown appeared on Wilson's, however, soon after he shrugged, leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss on Izumi's lips before entering the main living room. Rubbing his forehead, Izumi made his way towards his study, he was starting to get a headache and he still needed to speak to Fredrick. God, save him.

End
Chapter Two

Author's Note: Hmm, it's not exactly a bad chapter but... Mou, it was hard to write. I hope you enjoyed it I don't think my summery matches the story anymore ears deflate... Last, are you guys still confused? It changed to shounen-ai. Sorry.