Disclaimer--Prince of Tennis is the property of its writer and artist, Konomi.
Now, now…there's not that much time left…
Is there enough time to find that precious hero?
The Knight will continue marching forward…
straight along the path she believes in…
From Ribbons to Rackets—Chapter 3:
"Enter the Hero"
"Apparently, there's an unbelievably amazing first year female student that entered this year."
"A...amazing?"
"Yes. Apparently, she's a genius at playing any type of sport. And almost all of the sports clubs on our campus had hired her at least once to play on their team."
"Hmmmmm...I had no idea there was anybody like that at our school."
"Her name was...hmm...what was it?"
"And? What does that girl student have to do with our team?"
"Don't you understand? Your team can hire her to play with you against the other team next Saturday."
"Wh-...!! Um, oh...but...this is our team's matter...I don't know, I think we should deal with it ourselves..."
"Oh! I just remembered, her name was..."
"Kurumi…Toyosato?"
The end of summer vacation came so sudden for all of the students at Seigaku. Today was the first day to another long semester. That morning's practice for the Seigaku Girls' Tennis Team was also short-lived even more than usual. This was because their captain, Kayano, who had finally shown up to practice had suddenly called everybody in for an "urgent and very important club meeting." So, every member including the first years were all standing in front of the club-room to hear what this meeting was exactly about.
It was then at that meeting, when Captain Kayano informed all of the members about her talk with the school principal a couple of days earlier, and how this team was in danger of getting disbanded.
But, as the members all showed some signs of confusion and disappointment, Kayano also admitted to them that she was determined to fight for this team's survival. More importantly, Kayano spoke of her passion for tennis and her strong connections she felt to this team. She was feeling a little nervous about the club members' reactions to her next request, but she managed to ask "please, help me save this team!" and to Kayano's luck, all of the team members, including the Regulars, were moved by Kayano's strong words and told her, "of course, we will!"
"Uh-huh, I heard about her from the Boys' team captain, Yamato-kun,"
Kayano had asked Tsubaki to stay a little right after the meeting to ask her this question.
"and I was wondering, Kiryuu-san, if you knew about this rumored super-first-year-girl, who's apparently good at any sports imaginable! I was hoping to ask her to help us out with our game against St. Gabriel."
"Um…me?"
"Yea! You're in the same grade as her so I was wondering if you knew who she was."
Tsubaki felt herself stuck in a difficult situation. Of course, she had joined this team because she had an interest in playing tennis, and it would be such a shame to see the team get disbanded only after her first year, and she did feel some level of respect for this Captain Kayano, and even felt more of it after hearing her speech at the meeting today.
But also, it was always a big part of Tsubaki's nature to avoid getting herself involved in any sort of troublesome situations. She was not a member of the Regulars and she had hoped to simply support the team's "fight against disbandment" from the humble side-lines. So when Kayano brought this news of Kurumi Toyosato to her, Tsubaki couldn't help but to have some bad feelings.
"I'm terribly sorry Captain…but I don't believe I have ever heard of that female student before."
This was actually the truth. Tsubaki would come to school everyday, and like a model Seigaku student listen carefully to every lesson, not taking her eyes off of the blackboard. Then after school, she would go to club practice, and just simply head straight home after that to get ready to repeat it all the next day. She didn't really have anybody who she could refer to as a friend at school nor did she have any interest in that sort of thing. So it wasn't a lie at all when she had no idea who this Kurumi Toyosato was.
"So, Kiryuu-san has no idea about her either…"
Kayano let out a long sigh.
"Well then, Captain if you could excuse me, I must be going to class now. I will see you again after school…"
Tsubaki picked up her bag and started to head for her class.
"Oh, Kiryuu-san wait!"
But, it seems Kayano had not finished talking to her just yet.
"Yes?"
"Actually, I wanted to ask you too. If you'd be willing to join me and the Regulars when we play against St. Gabriel."
"…huh?"
Tsubaki could not believe what she had just heard.
I can hear the usual sounds.
Tsubaki went straight to her own seat and sat down as soon as she got to her classroom. Since it was before the beginning of class-time, most of the students that were there, both boys and girls were spending this time to have a chat, mostly about their summer breaks, with their friends.
"Hey, hey, so yesterday…"
"Oh my god, I could not believe it!"
"Hahaha! Are you serious!?"
"Hahahaha…."
The same old sounds…the same old topics… the same old…
boring people.
Soon, the bell to signal the beginning of school was heard throughout the hallways and the students all started to shuffle around to get to their own seats.
"Al—right! Now, everyone get to your seats!...Class's gonna start!"
The teacher said, while he entered the classroom.
Everything is the same…nothing changes…the same old scenery…the same old sounds…
"I want you to help play with us as part of the Regular team too!"
Kayano's words kept echoing in Tsubaki's mind.
"Me?...a Regular?"
"Yup! I want your help to save this team…our team."
Kayano gave Tsubaki a big smile.
"But…me…a Regular? I am still a first year…"
"Don't worry about that! I know Kiryuu-san's abilities and potential just by watching you practice everyday. Your form is perfect! and I can even say it's magnificent! I can clearly state that you are the best out of all the first years right now!"
"B…but…"
Kayano smiled again and looked straight into Tsubaki's eyes.
"You know, they didn't just pick me to be Captain of this team for nothing. Your form…isn't it true if I asked you you've been playing tennis for a while, right?"
"………."
Tsubaki did not answer that question.
"Well, I'm not asking you to give me an answer right now. But, can you at least think it over, Kiryuu-san?"
"I…I am…"
"I want you to help us, Kiryuu-san. Your help…to save this team…"
Unlike the usual Tsubaki, she was not listening to a word of what the teacher was saying today. She just repeated Kayano's words over and over in her mind.
"Toyosato!!...Toyosato Kurumi!!?? tisk tisk, …that kid…late, again?"
what?
Tsubaki's mind was dragged back into reality with that voice.
Did the teacher…just…call…
This was the first time Tsubaki had ever shown any interest to a classmate's name.
THUD THUD THUD THUD!!!! RATTLE RATTLE CRASH!!!!
At that very moment, there was an unbelievably loud echo of footsteps and the sound of the class door crashing open. It seemed like a student had come late to class. The whole class including Tsubaki glanced over to the door.
"Alllllllllllllriiiiiiiiiiiiight!!!!! Just on time!!! On the DOT!!!! Kurumi Toyosato is now present!!! Comin' at 'cha LIVE!!!!"
what??
For a while, the whole class was very quiet. So quiet that you can hear the teacher lecturing in the next classroom. Obviously, the whole class was just shocked at the sudden emergence of this female student, and had no idea how to react. But, the quiet classroom was soon filled with a roar of laughter.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!
"H-…Hey! Toyosato! What do you mean just on time!!?? You are definitely tardy young lady!" screamed the teacher.
"What!! No way!!"
Kurumi's already large round eyes were even larger when she made the "I don't believe it" expression.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!
And the whole class broke out into laughter once again.
"What am I going to do with you, Toyosato! …It's fine, just get to your seat already!"
"Hahaha! Toyosato, you're the best!"
"Oh my god, Kurumi, you crack me up!"
"Alright, alright! Settle down! We're going to start class now!"
While the whole classroom was filled with laughter, one student watched this whole incident quietly.
"She…was in…the…same…class?"
Tsubaki might have already known at that moment…
what that bad feeling she felt earlier that day was…
it was exactly this.
The order and systematic rhythm and melody which ruled her life until then was slowly breaking down and was beginning to present a new beat with the appearance of this Toyosato Kurumi.
and, at the same time, Tsubaki also felt…
"This is…sort of…unpleasant."
…something cloudy and perplexing in her heart, leading her to unbelievable actions later that day that would have never been committed by Tsubaki before.
Meanwhile, in the classroom next door, the Seigaku Boys' Tennis Teams First year Rookie Kunimitsu Tezuka was up at the blackboard solving some complex mathematical equation for the class.
The students were quiet…because some of the students were simply stunned by Tezuka's swiftness in solving the complex problem, but mostly because all of the female students were simply mesmerized by Tezuka himself.
clack-kut clack-kut clack-kut
only the sound of the chalk hitting the board was heard throughout the classroom. Then, Tezuka turned to the teacher,
"I'm fini—"
But, before Tezuka was bale to finish his sentence,
THUD THUD THUD THUD!!!! RATTLE RATTLE CRASH!!!!
"Alllllllllllllriiiiiiiiiiiiight!!!!! Just on time!!! On the DOT!!!! Kurumi Toyosato is now present!!! Comin' at 'cha LIVE!!!!"
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!
Kurumi's voice and their class's uproar made Tezuka jump a little and drop the chalk on the floor. Even the students who were quiet while they watched Tezuka solve the equation now started to giggle and snicker.
"Oh, it's the class next door again…"
The teacher picked up the chalk from the floor.
"………" Tezuka was a bit annoyed.
"Th—thank you Tezuka-kun, you may go back to your seat now."
The teacher smiled at him.
Tezuka sat back down in his seat and thought, school is a place to learn…I cannot believe some of these students…especially that student who seems to come in late half of the time!
"Was that Toyosato-san again?"
"Haha, yea, that was Kurumi-chan, alright!"
Tezuka overheard the girls sitting next to him.
Toyosato Kurumi…?
And Tezuka hoped in his heart.
whoever you are, I hope I won't have to ever deal with a student like you!
So it all begins from here…
spin, spin…
the wheel of fate…
-----------------------------
I know, it took a LOOOOOOONg time for me to update this story.
Since Prince of Tennis actually ended really recently. I was sort of hesitant to continue this story. But, I always loved Prince of Tennis, and regardless of whether Konomi sensei was actually going to do more of Prince of Tennis after this or not, I thought hey I should keep writing this story. Because I love the characters from Prince of Tennis. I will miss them too much if I didn:t get to see them anymore.
So, try to think of this as the other untold side of the whole Prince of Tennis story.
