Chapter 3

Sakaki looked away from the club members who were training to see a female Hyotei student walk towards him, he almost didn't recognise her, she'd grown out her hair and gotten thinner and paler in the time they hadn't seen each other. She looked like she'd recently been ill and hadn't gotten a good night sleep in a long time, she was wearing makeup to hide this, it was subtle but he could tell, at first glance she looked like any other student, but Sakaki could see the hollowness in her eyes.

"Satsuki," he said her name in greeting.

"Hello Uncle," even her voice had a hard edge, it was always there but recently it seemed sharper. "What do you want?" she asked coldly.

"Is this how you greet family?"

"Yes," she answered simply. "It's how I greet mine," but she smiled, it brought warmth to her face and he could see that beautiful little girl that used to cling to him whenever he visited. "But you're an exception," she made her way towards him and hugged him before kissing him on the cheek. "Hello Uncle," she said again, this time it sounded genuine and warm.

"Hello my dear," Sakaki replied, embracing her with one arm and kissing her on the forehead. "How are you?" he asked as they seperated, he shifted along the bench to allow her to sit down beside him.

"I've been better," she answered sitting down and wrapping an arm around his elbow. Sakaki however pulled away.

"You need to be careful," he said in reply to her hurt expression. "If it becomes known we're related." Akashi sighed as she subtly shifted away from him.

"I know," she answered.

"How are you handling things?" Sakaki asked again, Akashi looked away.

"As well as anyone would I guess," she said pushing her hair back. "I just changed schools, moved houses and currently spend my days looking over my shoulder." Strangely enough, Sakaki couldn't hear any bitterness in her words, just resigned exhaustion.

"I'm sorry," Sakaki answered. Akashi quickly looked at him.

"Don't be, it's not your fault," she assured him. "You've helped me more than anyone else, if it weren't for you, he'd have found me by now. As much as I hate to admit it, I'm safer at Hyotei than anywhere else, he'll never look for me here, you were right. Rather than changing names or flying overseas, he already knows my resources, I've left trails in China, England, America and Australia, with the whole world to look, he won't think of checking his own backyard."

"What makes you so certain?" Sakaki asked.

"Because I wouldn't think to look here," she answered. "And I've been told I'm just like him."

"You're not like him," Sakaki interjected, Akashi looked at him with a pitying smile.

"I've been told otherwise," she said. "I've known him my whole life uncle, you think some of those traits haven't rubbed off on me? I've certainly seen them."

"You're nothing like him," Sakaki insisted. Akashi looked down with a smile.

"Thank you," she said quietly.

"What do you intend to do?" Sakaki asked. "As you've said, Hyotei is a safer place than any for you to be, even your new home, perhaps you should stay here as long as possible then? The campus doesn't close until 9pm and opens every day at 6am."

"I'm sure you have a suggestion," Akashi said with a knowing look.

"I do actually, as you can see," Sakaki waved his hand at the vast number of tennis club members around them. "Hyotei's tennis club has over 250 members, we're expecting even more to join as it is the start of the new year, although not many will stay. You were the manager at Rikkai, perhaps you'd like to help me here?"

"I was a manager yes, but Rikkai only had 50 members, you're asking me to manage quadruple that."

"Not all of them," Sakaki replied. "Teach the basics to the first years, over see the pre-regulars and sub-regulars, and-"

"Help you with paperwork?" Akashi finished for him with a smile which Sakaki returned.

"Well if you're offering," he said. Akashi laughed lightly.

"That sounds better then my plan at least."

"Which is?"

"Spend my days at the library."

"I see nothing wrong with surrounding yourself with books."

"I was thinking along another route," Akashi admitted. "Sleep." Sakaki smiled as he suppressed a laugh. "When do I start?" Sakaki reached beside him for the pile of folders and handed them to Akashi.

"How about right now?"

XXXX

Niou made his way towards the club changing room, there were two section, the larger area was where most of the club members kept their items and changed for club activities while the smaller one was exclusively for regular members, the showers there also had first dibs on the hot water. Outside Sanada Genichiro was waiting for him, dressed in the yellow Rikkai club uniform, his cap casted a shadow over his face, making him seem almost as stern as he truly was and older.

"You wanted to see me?" Niou asked him. Sanada turned his head to look at him.

"Have you seen Akashi-san at all?" Sanada question, Niou frowned as he answered.

"I don't see how it's any of your business," he replied. Sanada help up a folded piece of paper.

"I received this from Yukimura today, it's a letter of resignation from Akashi-san," he said. "Apparently she'd given it to him at the end of last year."

"So she quit the club, so what?"

"I asked Yagyuu today and he said that Akashi-san wasn't in class today, in fact he check the whole student role and it seems she's not in any class at all, do you know anything about this?" Niou's frown turned to surprise, he wondered why he hadn't even caught a glimpse of her anywhere.

"She transferred?" Sanada nodded. "Where?"

"I don't know," he replied handing the letter to Niou. "That's why I was asking you." With that Sanada left. Niou looked at the letter in his hand, he recognised the hand writing right away, there was no doubt Akashi wrote it, turning it over, what he saw made him worry, she used to always sign her name with a heart, it was something he used to always make fun of. This time, there was no love heart.

XXXX

Akashi's introduction into the tennis club was anything but welcoming, many of the older students looked upon her with suspicion, as she stood in front of them beside Sakaki, the only friendly faces she saw were Ootori and Oshitari's, both of whom had given her a welcoming smile.

"Anything you'd like to say?" Sakaki asked her midway through his speech, catching her attention. Akashi looked around at the group of males consisting of over 250 tennis club members.

"Hello," she said with a smile, she kept her voice neutral and her eyes cold. "It's nice to meet you all, and my goodness there is alot of you, on last count 265?" She looked to Sakaki for confirmation, who nodded. "That's a lot of you," she said, her tone mockingly surprised. "Too many," she added casually. "Don't you think Kantoku?" Sakaki surveyed her cautiously, this wasn't something they'd previously discussed.

"Perhaps," he said cautiously. Akashi smiled broadly.

"Maybe we should cut the numbers down a size? I don't see any point in having more than double digits." There were gasps and murmurs within the crowd.

"Perhaps," Sakaki repeated, he looked at his nieces and instantly saw her plan, if they were to ever take her seriously, they needed to respect her, implementing fear was the first step.

"Oh well, it's a topic for a later date," Akashi said almost brushing of her previous statement. "If there is anything you need to know about me," Akashi's eyes scanned the club members, feeding off their fear and insecurities. "It's that I don't mess around, you follow my orders and do as I say." Her voice sent shivers down their spine, suddenly she smiled brightly and added. "As long as you do those two things we'll get along just fine."

XXXX

"Who does that bitch think she is?" Mukahi Gakuto demanded as he pulled his shirt over his head; ruffling his maroon hair; and shoved it into his locker. "Follow my orders, do as I say, what are we her pets?" Oshitari laughed at his double's partner's outburst while Mukahi put on his school shirt.

"She sure was confident," he said in response. "Don't mind her Gakuto, like Kantouku said, she'll be in charge of the pre and sub regulars, so she'll be out of your hairs."

"Where did she come from?" Shishido Ryo asked, brushing his long brown hair. "I don't ever remember seeing her around campus."

"She just transferred into my class," Oshitari replied.

"Your class? So she's smart," commented Taki as he looked in the mirror to check his part. "I think I've seen her face before, at the Kantou tennis tournament last year."

"How would you have remembered her?" Shishido questioned as he tied his hair.

"He wasn't looking at just at her face," Mukahi remarked with a snicker. "Were you?"

"Shut it," Taki replied. "My point is that I remember seeing her last year, sitting on one of the coach's bench during a match."

"Was she recruited?" Oshitari asked. "Even though she has excellent grades she's still a third year student, transfers that late are practically unheard of."

"Probably," said Taki. "Since she was sitting with Rikkai." All of the other regulars froze.

"Is that true?" asked a voice.

"Yeah, I remember thinking why was such a hot chick was with that sour puss Sanada-" Taki cut himself off when he turned and saw that it was Atobe Keigo, the tennis club captain, asking the question. "She was wearing the yellow jersey and everything."

"So the coach scouted her then?" commented Oshitari fixing his brown tie while Mukahi stuggled with the buttons of his shirt. "The first person she went looking for when she got here was Sakaki-kantouku."

"Maybe," Mukahi said while he flipping up his collar to put on his tie. "Why would she come here if she was with Rikk-" he gulped when he saw Atobe glare at him. "I mean, you know, Rikkai has won the nationals for the past 2 years now, it makes no sense for her to transfer."

"No," Atobe walked across the room to his couch and sat down. "What doesn't make sense is if she was scounted, why would she transfer anyway?"

"What?" asked Oshitari, Atobe looked up at him.

"Think about it, if Rikkai suddenly approached you one day for you to join them would you?"

"No," replied Oshitari.

"Why? They're the running national champions."

"I just wouldn't, because I...Oh!"

"Exactly." Atobe and Oshitari both frowned in thought.

"Are we missing something?" asked Mukahi, meeting Taki and Shishido's eyes.

"Probably."