(Readers file into the same room as the last chapter. Lost runs around in the back where a bed is covered with clothes and the desk is piled with papers.)
Lost: Hey, give me a second!
Ivy: She's going on a college visit tomorrow and won't be back at her computer until Sunday.
Lost: Hai! (dashes in front of the screen) So, I decided to give you the chapter today.
Ivy: P.S. There's an author's note at the end that you must read!!
Lost: Yup! Have fun!
(Room darkens and the screen counts down. At the number two a crash is heard and Lost yells 'I'm okay!')
"A sushi restaurant?" Ryoma and the girl chorused. Ryoma reluctantly slid the door open before closing it again at the sight inside. The two turned and tried to walk away when Momo grabbed the boy and pulled him inside, dragging the girl with him. Ryoma reluctantly sat down next to Fuji while the girl stayed on the main floor.
"What's this?" Ryoma questioned.
"This is my dad's shop. When he heard we won, he closed so that we could celebrate." Taka supplied, setting some tea in front of the younger boy.
"The next tournament should be a piece of cake as well. We have the freshman prodigy on our side after all, so unlike my useless son." Kawamura-san commented loudly to Riyuzaki. The girl started giggling at that, though no one heard over their own laughter.
"Anyway, would you like some?" Kawamura asked, holding out some sake. Riyuzaki denied him as she was to drive. "What about you, sensei?" he asked Tezuka.
"I'm the captain." He answered. The team snickered as the girl almost fell to the floor laughing. This brought the teams attention back to her.
"Fsssh, who are you anyway?" Kaido questioned. The girl stopped laughing and straightened up. She pulled her cap off, displaying sapphire eyes.
"So, Kuni-nii is still being thought of as an old man? Meh, you need to relax already. 'Kaa-san taught you better than that." The girl commented to avoid the question. Tezuka's widened to the surprise of Inui and Fuji.
"Stop tormenting them, Tenshi." Ryoma stated from his seat, chomping down on the sushi.
"But, Akuuuma!" the girl whined.
"Angela, that's enough," Tezuka admonished. Does Yuki baa-san know you're here?"
"You ruin everything, cousin, relax won't you? 'Kaa-san knows I'm here. We're moving back."
"You're Tezuka's cousin?" Fuji questioned.
"Hai, 'Kaa-san is Kuni-nii's 'Tou-san's imoto." The rest of the questions were halted by a shout from Eiji, who was using the distraction to steal sushi from Fuji.
"Whaaa! What is that?"
"Wasabi sushi, extra wasabi." Fuji answered with a serene smile. As Eiji scrambled for the tea, Angela scrambled to sit between Fuji and Ryoma.
"Yay! Wasabi! Can I have some?"
"Sure." The party continued well into the evening before Ryoma and Angela were able to follow their captains lead. The duo silently ended the house with a yawn and began to take off their shoes.
"Oi, seishonoun, did you enjoy your match?"
"It was alright, but I injured myself."
"Baka tried to force a shot during a Spot." Angela clarified.
"Oi, he didn't need to know that! Besides, it will heal soon." Nanjirouh glanced at Ryoma's eye patch before busting into laughter at the messages left behind.
"Baka Oyaji!
The next day dawned early for the Echizen household due to the scream of one lazy teenage tennis player.
"TENSHI!" the wet boy yelled as he stormed out of his room. Said girl cackled madly from down the hall. "Hidoi!!"
"Come one, Akuma, you have morning practice! If you don't hurry, we'll be late!" The two quickly finished getting ready and dashed out the door to the two-seater bike stashed in the shed. Momo had told the duo that he wouldn't be there to pick them up that morning. The two started running before hopping on at the same time.
With seconds to spare, they skidded to a stop right in front of most of the team outside the club room. Thankfully, they were already in their tennis outfits.
"Nya, O'chibi! You're late again!" Eiji called, bounding over to the young player.
"Actually, he's 5 seconds early." Inui corrected.
"Echizen was early?" Taka questioned incredulously.
"Only 5 seconds? Meh, my timing is off. I didn't think 2 months would make that much of a difference."
"Ah, Tezuka's cousin! What are you doing here?" Momo inquired.
"She's going to be our new manager." Riyuzaki answered as she came from the school with Tezuka and Oishi. "She's going to take over some of the mundane duties we have so we have more time for preparing for the tournaments. Also, she is a skilled tennis player herself and will help analyze with Inui and I, along with helping Inui with all he's been doing." In the background, Ryoma groaned, Angela quietly cackled, and Inui began writing in his notebook.
"Fuimura, I expect you here earlier next time."
"Hai, Riyuzaki-sensei, currently, I'm staying with Akuma and I had to get him up first." The coach nodded her head before turning to go back to her office.
"Nya, why are you staying with O'chibi and not Tezuka?" Eiji questioned.
"Because there isn't enough room in the house. Now, minna-san, begin practice! Stretch then 30 laps and the courts!" Tezuka ordered. The players groaned as Inui pulled out his watch and Inui juice.
The first day of practice was a little awkward as everyone got accustomed to the presence of a girl who was an actual player. She had even gone so far as to replace Oishi in the drills so that he could practice more as well. By the third day, scouts from other schools had appeared.
"I can't believe they're following us during the break as well!" Eiji complained to Fuji at the fountain. "I wonder how many there are, nya?"
"Saa, let's fin out." Fuji murmured, getting ready to spray the bushes using the faucet.
"INCOMING!" Angela yelled. The two players ducked as a stream of water appeared over their head, thoroughly spraying the surrounding shrubbery. Shouts of surprise could be heard as the scouts dashed away. The two turned to the girl who innocently held a hose. "Opps?" she shrugged. The two seniors just laughed.
"Hmm, that's 4 more then last year…" Inui muttered as he scribbled in The Notebook©
"Regulars! Begin your practice! Angela, leave the scouts alone.: Tezuka orderd. The girl pouted but put the hose away.
Practice passed swiftly despite the audience. Angela, Ryoma, and Momo walked out of the school together and headed for their usual burger joint. After eating, they headed to the pro shop to look around. AS the boys debated the shoes, Angela moved off to do the team shopping.
"We need to find out something amazing. Go listen to their conversation." A nearby student ordered his friend, pushing him towards the unsuspecting Seigakus. Angela giggled and drifted back to the boys to alert them. The boys subtly followed the spy as he went back to his friend.
"None of this info is good! We need to find out their weakness."
"Weakness, eh?" Ryoma questioned.
"Hai! This will make our information even more – Argh!" the boy shouted realizing who spoke.
"You've got some nerve following us." Momo commented next. The guy glanced at me and the ichinen girls who had just walked in.
"Haha, oh, so that's how it is. In that case, let's play a match!" Ryoma and Mom glanced at each other before reluctantly agreeing.
"We'll go with you!" Tomoko shouted out.
"Ah, well, in that case, I'm just going to finish the shopping. I have one other stop. I should be home late tonight, Akuma." Angela stated.
"Don't stay out too late, Tenshi. Oyaji will get worried."
"Hai, ja ne." she waved as she turned back to the aisles. The group left and Angela slowly finished the shopping. She then turned to the bus stop. "I hope you aren't doing what I think you are." she mumbled to herself before sitting down on the bench to wait.
Just as the boys were parting with the newly invigorated spies, Angela arrived at her destination, the tennis machines. "Oh, Kuni-nii," she whispered as she stared at the man on the other side of the fence, "You still don't understand, do you?" she silently left with no evidence she had been there at all.
(Lost limps up front again where a list of reviewers are shown.)
Lost: So...(looks between reviews and readers)...I'm amazed. I never got this many before for one chapter. This is great!
Ivy: Not like it will ever happen again for you.
Lost: Shut up! Anyway, I wasn't prepared to get such an overwhelming greeting for this story, Arigato!!! However, that means I don't have that many chapters written out.
Ivy: This means we have to work overtime and there isn't that much time left in the day as it is.
Lost: I'll try my best to post every other week from now on. If that schedule is thrown off, I'll try to tell you before hand. Thanks again!!
(Lost waves and runs back to the top. She grabs the packed bag and her keys before tripping out of the Author's Door)