Even though Reika and Yukimura had started officially dating near the end of her junior high stint, no one other than the tennis regulars, her and the man himself were aware of this fact. He and the rest had unfortunately missed the entire High School's opening ceremony due to the U17 training and Reika hadn't seen them for a month and more.

In fact, if not of the regular messages she received or the phone calls occasionally, there had not been much change in their relationship. He talked about the flowers he had planted together with Fuji and Shiraishi in the camp, and seeked her opinion every now and then whenever he talked about his tennis matches. On her end, Reika told him about …everything really. The cherry blossoms that she saw during the school's opening ceremony, which she promptly took a photo of and sent to him. How she have joined the Student Council because from the Beautification Committee, she had found her passion in helping people and managing events.

"What about the tennis club?" His gentle husky voice probed while Reika was balancing her cellphone in one ear and flipping through a tennis magazine that featured female junior school athletes.

When Yukimura became the Tennis Captain in Junior High for the whole of 3 years, he had promptly fired the manager because he found her inapt and was not taking her job seriously. Between him, Yanagi and Sanada, they had managed the club themselves with an iron fist dressed in velvety gloves. If Yukimura had said the club do not need a manager, then the club do not need a manager.

However, when both of them and the rest of the regulars, besides Akaya, moved onward to High School, the current 3rd Year Captain, Yamazaki Ritsuka, maintained that a manager is required for a club that is 100 members strong. The tennis club has always been popular, and this year, when the junior high regulars joined, the application to be a manager had tripled.

"I didn't forget my promise to you, Seiichi, I applied." Reika rolled her eyes, "Captain Yamazaki however, didn't want to turn away everyone, so he came out with a trial, 3 tests, to find the ideal manager. We just finished the first one today. A written test."

"Hmm… So how did you do?"

"Passed with flying colors of course. Mostly simple arithmetic needed for managing a club. I won't have bothered if not of my promise."

He chuckled, and Reika just realized at that moment, how much she had missed him, "Do you want me to have a word with the Captain if you find it so cumbersome?"

"NO! Absolutely not." She bolted up straight, "It won't be fair if I had special treatment. Besides, I do think this is the best way to find a manager, sorting through all your fangirls."

"…And that's one of the things I like about you, Reika. Upright, straight like an arrow and just refuse to back down."

She blushed furiously, "Se…Seiichi! Just how do you always managed to say such embarrassing things!"

"Ha ha, it's the truth, Reika, and I do enjoy teasing you so much." She heard some shuffling in the background and a "Oi, Yukimura!" that sounded a lot like Shiraishi.

"Ah Sorry, I got to go. I will talk to you soon okay?" Yukimura apologized as she heard him got up from his bed.

"It's alright, Seiichi. Do your best! I will be rooting for you! I will text you if anything."

That was the last conversation Reika had with him for a long while, as she prepared for the tests ahead.

The second test, a week later, is on physical aptitude. That is about how Reika can sum it up when she raised an eyebrow at the familiar mountain load of laundry currently at her feet. Captain Yamazaki had said club managers decades ago had to traditionally hand wash this amount of clothes every week and it was only right to assign this humiliating and dirty task to test the mettle of the applicants. As she quietly took on this challenge while the rest of the girls groaned, she did wonder whether all captains read some sort of manga as part of a ritual to get this idea, or Captain Yamazaki simply had a same sadistic sense of humor as Yukimura. Reika finished the load in record time, surprising even the Captain himself, as the applicants still need to lug the clean laundry to the school roof and hang it dry. Half of the girls, much to her disbelief, had dropped out from this.

The third and last test was multi-tasking. The Captain had made the 100 man strong team run 50 laps round the school compound and the task is to keep the correct count on every single person, ensuring that they did do the full 50, all the while people will be distracting them with other menial tasks. Going by Reika's previous experience where Niou, Marui and Akaya love to slack off and cheat in their laps using every method imaginable, this is almost like cakewalk. Most of the girls made the mistake of really tracking every single individual before confusing themselves on their 10th lap when the distraction starts. Reika's trick was to focus on 5 laps, taking note on people with certain behaviors such as a sluggish attitude or defiance towards the captain. Therefore when people started distracting her, she kept a quick mental note on these people, while shouting at them to keep them on their feet.

The only people who passed this test was Reika and a first year student called Yumi Marutama. Yumi is a transfer student from Seigaku, and if she had to use a few words to describe her, Yumi is pretty, rich, popular with the team members and has a mean backhand for Tennis. Her fiery red hair, amethyst eyes with a heart-shaped face felt awfully familiar till it finally clicked together.

"AH, you appeared in the Tennis Weekly Magazine! Last week's issue!" Reika shouted in surprise, having seen her on the magazine when she talked to Yukimura previously.

"Yes, I had an interview with the female Seigaku regulars." Yumi smiled sweetly.

"Hm… I was about to suggest a tennis match to decide between you and Yumi but if she had been a regular in Seigaku, while you didn't have experience…" Captain Yamazaki trailed off.

"It's alright, Captain."

Reika was about to answer when a familiar voice piped in. With a white tennis jacket draped on his shoulders and his trademark green headband, Yukimura crossed the courts with a gentle smile on his face, while the rest of the members who slowly took noticed stopped whatever they were doing and looked on with awe. She also noticed Sanada was with him, wearing the same white jacket with red black stripes and 'JAPAN' emblazoned on it, figuring that must be their U-17 uniform.

"Hey Yukimura, Sanada! Welcome back! Are you all done with the camp?" Captain Yamazaki grinned, while slapping Sanada sharply on his back.

"For now. We can't afford to miss school any longer." Sanada replied as usual with his stoic expression. "But we will be returning for the World competition in another 3 months' time."

Yumi who has kept quiet all this while, suddenly hugged Yukimura. "Sei-chan! Gen-chan! Long time no see!"

Reika had thought Yukimura would retort back with a cold smile for this public display of affection, but he smiled genuinely, warmly patting her head, "Yumi-chan. Long time no see. Why are you in Rikkaidai, weren't you in Seigaku?"

Yumi pouted and that was the first time when Reika felt this unfamiliar anger welling in her heart, "My parents moved back to Kanagawa prefecture for work. And since I know you and Gen chan are here, I thought it be best if I transfer here and know at least some familiar faces. Surprised?"

Yukimura chuckled, "Surprised, very surprised. I bet Genichirou is really happy to see you too."

"Oh, you know Yumi?" Captain Yamazaki asked, crossing his arms with amusement.

"We used to play in the same tennis club when we were children," Yumi's eyes shone when she thought back about the past, "That's where I know Sei-chan and Gen-chan. I had to move away to Tokyo when I was 10 due to my parents' work and for the same reason, I'm back again. Gen-chan, stop frowning! You are cuter when you smile!" As Yumi moved on her very public display of affection to Sanada much to the irritation of the latter, Yukimura continued smoothly with Captain Yamazaki,

"Anyway, as I was saying earlier, why don't you let Mizuno-san try a match with Yumi chan?" Both Yamazaki and Yukimura looked at Reika for response.

Once again, her next reaction was automatic. Reika gave a frosty smile towards Yukimura, tilting her head and said, "Why not? Since Yukimura-san had such confidence in my abilities, I won't want to disappoint him now, do I?"

Reika had a bit of satisfaction when she noticed Yukimura flinched a little from her tone and smile, knowing full well that he is now back on her shit list. Captain Yamazaki was either oblivious or chose not to notice, as he then announced that the match will take place a month later, as a kindly gesture for a novice like Reika to prepare.

For the next few weeks, Reika had enlisted the help of Yanagi and Jackal to train her both in skill and physique. Even though, the female Seigaku tennis team did not win the nationals like their male counterpart, she knew Yumi is a regular and they did give a tough match towards the reigning champion, Rikkaidai.

As for Yukimura, even though he was back in school, Reika deliberately avoided him like a plague. She ignored his messages and calls, that eventually stopped and though she does not want to admit it, with a bit of disappointment. And much to her displeasure, his fangirls had exponentially increased now that he is officially a National tennis player, enough for them to form a fan club and crowding around the courts whenever he was playing. Reika can only watched with mild amusement that the fangirls were too head over heels to notice his frosty smile whenever they appeared and squealing "Yukimura sama!"

Amidst her school and now tennis lessons, Reika took solace immersing herself in student council work. Her natural charm and strong sense of responsibility had actually created a small following declaring that she is the 'elder sister' to turn to whenever the students are in trouble. Reika even received some love letters from a few senior students, which she promptly ignored since she was not even remotely interested.

Unbeknownst to Reika however, such news has reached the ears of her boyfriend and that was part of the reason he had stopped messaging her. Jealousy was a very new emotion to Reika and Yukimura, and not talking simply made the matter worst.

On one particular day when school had already ended, Reika was in the library tending to some student council research. She tried to grab a book on the highest shelf when she felt a presence that immediately caged her in with his hands on the lower shelf. That is how she found herself trapped in between Yukimura's arms in a secluded corner of the library. Yukimura did not speak a single word and just stared down at her with such frostiness that Reika would have believe hell have frozen over. However it was not in her character to back down, therefore she glared back in equal fiery defiance.

Both of them maintained this stance for a long while till Yukimura abruptly grabbed Reika by the waist before dipping his head towards her, pulling her into a raw intense kiss. Reika widened her eyes in surprise, and out of anger and displaying resistance, she hit him on his shoulders, trying to shake him off. He pressed her further against the shelf, limiting the amount of space for her to lift her hands. When Reika reflexively open her mouth trying to catch her breath, he had promptly delved his tongue into her mouth, coaxing hers to dance with his.

There was so much heat, intensity, masculinity and speaks so much of his emotions that eventually Reika backed down with a whimper and held onto his arms as her legs turned jelly. Reika did not expect Yukimura who looked so fragile and beautiful to have this side of him. He eventually slowed his pace, noticing her change in demeanor before breaking apart from her.

They held onto each other, trying to catch their breath, before he sighed, forehead to forehead, staring at Reika's eyes in defeat, "How did we get into this mess?"

She did not answer him, but merely asked, "Who is Yumi to you?"

He instantly replied, maintaining eye contact, "A childhood friend. No more, no less."

"Why do you call me Mizuno san in front of the rest?"

"I thought you didn't want special treatment. If I had revealed our relationship there and then, it won't have looked good, would it?"

Reika pouted, turning away giving herself some distance, "What about your fangirls? Going to do something about them?"

Yukimura sighed, "I'm looking into it. Trust me, it really takes time. But what about you, what about your fanboys?"

She frowned, "What fanboys?"

"Student Council President Moriachi. 3rd year tennis regular Sanosuke. 2nd year soccer captain Ichinomiya. "Yukimura recited off in a monotonous voice, "And others I do not care to remember."

"Ignored and turned down. And I didn't know about President Moriachi. Where do you get all this info… wait, never mind. I can make a guess."

Yukimura tilted her chin up with his hand, forcing Reika to look into his eyes, "I love you, Reika. Nothing has changed my feelings towards you."

She blushed beetroot red since she always felt very embarrassed whenever Yukimura was so direct with his feelings, but Reika then realized, since day one, when was he ever unclear about how he felt towards her?

"I'm sorry, Seiichi. I didn't doubt you. I just felt…" She sighed, trying to think of the right word. "Insecure. I'm still not very confident in myself to be with you."

"I know. Me too. But I can say as many times to you if it can make you feel better. But I have absolute faith in you. Including winning the match against Yumi."

"Why?"

He simply grinned like a Cheshire cat, "Because, you will have me as a coach."

A/N: ^_^ Part 3 should be final. If you like the continuation, please review!