DISCLAIMER: I don't own prince of tennis...so don't come rampaging with rage into this house i'm living in because i made a FAN FICTION about an anime i really, really like...for one thing, the house isn't mine,, haha...Ü

Conversations:

Japanese

English

French

Étoile De Mer:

1st floor – upper deck 1: function room, bowling facilities

– upper deck 2: 4 badminton courts

– lower deck: 25m swimming pool, workout gym

2nd floor – rock climbing (extends up to part of the lower deck), 4 regular-sized tennis courts, putting range, infirmary

3rd floor – library, arcade (with pool tables), information (materials for various sports and martial arts can be borrowed here)

4th floor – spa, beauty salon, restaurant, café, shopping boutiques

5th floor – 14 suites that can occupy 2-4 people and 10 suites that can occupy 1-2 people

6th floor – 12 family suites that can occupy 4-8 people

7th floor – 6 deluxe family suites that can occupy 6-12 people

8th floor – engines, employees' rooms, kitchen

ENJOY! (i hope...) Ü please R&R Ü


Chapter Two

DAY ONE

.: Étoile De Mer – function room, 07:34:07 :.

The setting for the breakfast feast extended up to the lower deck outside the workout gym. Imposing tables and chairs surrounded the pool area as butlers moved about to serve the strewn guests going about their own businesses. A red carpet trailed from the entrance of the elevator, across the lower deck and up to the upper deck. The rectangular function room had three glass walls. The other wall on the other hand was solid and nowhere near transparent as it was the one that connected the function room with the bowling room. It therefore prevented distractions of whatever kind to those using both rooms; but that did not matter now for everyone was busy satiating their hunger and their bloated selves with luscious viands and sundry fare and desserts. The area was impeccably designed. A chandelier hung in the middle of the enclosure. A long table was situated across the room where the cuisine was pleasingly arranged. The guests and hosts mingle with one another as they enjoyed their meal; and a grand meal it truly was!

The Seigaku men's team soon joined this grand banquet and proceeded to dine in smaller groups for each table only seated four. Fuji sat himself across the table from Tezuka to make sure he sees every one of his actions just in case anything…interesting…happens. He looked all around the room looking for no one in particular. Not too far from them sat a small group of the Hyotei regulars; Atobe and a few of the gang. To the front of the room, near the buffet table, sat the lady Kira had called Lycka-sama. She was once again with her friends. Near them sat another group of people whom Fuji knew nothing of; neither name nor face. Near both parties was Kira herself. But beside her was someone he did not recognize, a boy. 'Things just keep on getting interesting, don't they?'

"Hmm. Another rival, eh?" Oshitari guessed after seeing Kira Ardez, with another boy, entertaining the guests.

"Arn?" Atobe followed Oshitari's gaze and indeed saw a boy with her. He was a few inches taller than she was and, based on his observation, seemed to have a bit of Oriental blood; whether it was Chinese, Japanese or Korean, he couldn't tell. Atobe thought that he must have stared too long, or perhaps even glared, for it was one of Oshitari's annoying statements that broke into his thoughts.

"You've only met her today, Atobe. Don't you think you're being too fast on her?"

Atobe took a second's glance at Oshitari before he looked away and went back to his meal.

Oshitari chuckled at this and said, "Honestly Atobe, you think it isn't palpable?"

"I do not think anything, Oshitari. Now shut up with your stupid talk and finish your food."

"You mean you do not think about anything else but her. You're getting moody again, Atobe. That's not a very good sign." Oshitari took a sip of his wine before speaking once again. "That is, it isn't good for you. We wouldn't want Kira-chan seeing you being in this state whenever you're with us, now would we?" Oshitari paused at this as Atobe glowered at him. And pretending not to see anything, he went on saying, "But of course I wouldn't forget that this is also a sign of something…deep, for lack of a better word. I know you, Atobe. Don't lie to me."

"I did not lie Oshitari; and whoever told you you could call her Kira-chan, arn?"

"Very well then, you do not lie; but you deny."

"I tell you that I do no such thing."

"Then what did you wish to imply when you chided me for calling her by her first name?"

"It is a matter of ethics, Oshitari. You've been living in Japan your whole life. You ought to know that."

"So it is. But perhaps there is more to this than mere ethics."

"Stop your nonsense Oshitari. I wish no more to pursue a pointless argument with you."

"It is pointless as it is meaningful, Atobe."

Atobe had heard quite enough from his friend. Concluding that Oshitari will not cease with his knowing comments, he stood up and left the table to chat with a few other friends.

After Atobe had left him, Oshitari suddenly remembered something. 'But of course, you gave her a rose, did you not? When was the last time you gave a girl a rose, Atobe? As popular as you are, I cannot even recall the last time you did this; the last time you were actually SERIOUS about something like this. Or were you ever?'

Fuji caught sight of Atobe leaving the table he shared with Oshitari. He left rather lividly and attracted a few of his team member's attentions. He exited the room leaving the few members of Hyotei's men's team behind. 'Perhaps he had an argument with Oshitari and decided to look for other companions.' A few seconds later, he heard Kira mention Tezuka's name and his eyes went directly to look at his buchou. Tezuka seemed to have heard it too for his head tilted a bit, slight yet noticeable. 'What were they talking about, I wonder? But does that matter? Nobody even noticed what she said, save me and Tezuka. That could only mean that he had been listening all the while just as I had been.' By listening, Fuji meant that he was listening to what was perceivable. It could not be helped. They were not exactly near the party and the voices of the other guests chatting away were buzzing in the background of their conversation.

"Kira must like you a lot if she talks about you with her friends, Tezuka."

"She does? How did you know that, Fuji?" Eiji asked. They have been talking about an entirely different thing until Fuji brought up an entirely different topic out of the blue.

'Just as I thought.' Fuji gave Eiji a smile and nothing more.

"Eh? Oishi, do you know what Fuji is talking about?"

"Not at all, no." He looked at Fuji expectantly, assuming he would give an explanation.

"It's nothing important, really. Let's just keep it between the two of us, alright Tezuka?"

"I'm not sure I am aware of what you speak of, Fuji."

"Oh of course you do. Anyway, I will not be pressing any furthur on the matter at the moment."

Tezuka stared at Fuji with his eternally impassive face. He, of course, knew of what Fuji was trying to say. Curious as he was to why Kira has mentioned him, he did not let his imagination flow. He thought no more of it after that.

"So you're both at it again, huh?" Aristelle Scontry, Kira's French teacher, asked.

"Well, of course we are. It's a fun thing to do, you know?" Kira replied.

"Right. Well, don't you think they'll all get mad at you both when they figure this out?" It was now Lycaña Jhandrine who spoke, Kira's Japanese teacher.

"Oh they won't figure it out."

"So maybe they won't. But they'll eventually know," Lycka said.

"Yeah, it's like you're lying to them or something," Ari agreed.

André Tsun, Kira's companion, replied to this by saying, "All we will do is sort of hint to them all about it so we are not necessarily lying. What they make of it is completely up to their imagination."

"I can't believe this is your idea of fun."

"Well it wasn't actually meant to be a means of having fun. It was something we did to prevent people from getting too close to us. By close, I mean…yes, I know you know what I mean."

"I see; but why?"

"It's a personal…family matter…financial concerns, basically."

"The parents?"

"The parents."

"You find it hard, don't you? Not to be able to be the way you really are to others."

"It's a condition one will eventually get used to. Besides, we can't make friends out of everyone, right?"

"And it's not like we're keeping people away, no. We just…choose who we make friends with."

"And you should know that we only do this kind of thing during special occasions."

Ari raised her eyebrow and said, "Such as?"

"Such as this," Kira replied in her usual sarcastic self.


author's note(s):

…what they were talking about in the last part will be revealed…explained after a couple of chpaters…

…the reason why they do what they do, is because they're all rich and their parents don't really want them to be attached to random people…it's partly a money thing…Ü

btw,, i'm sorry for the delay...i have been trying to upload this second chap since last wed. but i couldn't upload it...i don't know why...it's so annoying...!