This is the end of the first meetings! Next: Tezuka's Accident Happen! The Start of Kumiko's Trauma!
The Adventures of Tezuka Kumiko -4-
Prince of Tennis/TeniPuri story
"Now… where am I?" Kumiko blinked twice and sighed.
"Lost… again… Onii-chan was right, my sense of direction is zero…" Kumiko said as she cried anime tears.
"I should've gone to Syuu nii's house and play with Yuu nii… or maybe have sushi…"
"And why onii-chan always told me to go on an adventure is beyond me." Kumiko said as she walks into the school with the plate 'St. Rudolph' in front of it.
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"Tennis court, tennis court… there it is!" Kumiko saw the familiar green court and quickly walked there.
"Brown and white shirt? Are those their uniform? They sure have lots of different one… School colors…"
"I wonder what will happen if they all wear the same clothes…?"
"Hey, what are you doing here?"
"Eek!" Kumiko jumped and looked back to see a boy carrying a basket full of tennis balls.
"E-Eto…"
"You're not a middle schooler, are you?"
"N-No…"
"Are you lost?"
"K-Kinda…"
"I see, sorry I couldn't help, but I need to pick up balls."
"U-Un…"
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"What? You're still here?" Kumiko looked up from her sketchbook and saw the same boy she saw before.
"A-Ah, sorry if I'm bothering you."
"Not at all. What are you doing? Shouldn't you be asking for your way home?"
"I did and now I'm just wasting time drawing."
"Do you like to draw?"
"Yes. Oh, I forgot, my name is Kumiko, nice to meet you." Kumiko said as she bowed her head.
"I'm Akazawa Yoshiro."
"Un, Akazawa-san."
"… You draw a lot, don't you?"
"Yep. I like drawing. It's nice, capturing moments with your own hand."
"I see, I see."
"And sometimes I could observe something from my drawing too."
"Observe?"
"See here? I'm sketching my racket, but if you look closely, you can see some scratches here and there." Kumiko said as she pointed to her sketch.
"I can see it, what does it has to do with observation?" Then Kumiko picked up her racket and pointed to the same place as the one on her sketch.
"This scratch here, I got it when I played with my onii-chan." Then Kumiko pointed to the side frame, which paint started to disappear.
"And this here, is because I always dragged my racket whenever I'm trying to do a volley."
------
"I see, I see. So you also used your sketches for this kind of things, didn't you?"
"I just tried it few months ago, I never thought I would find this very useful."
"Do you also use this to help your onii-san?"
"Yep. Onii-chan did say that my eyes were sharp ever since I was young. And I like to inspect onii-chan's racket since he played so hard so it got some scratches. And my racket was used by onii-chan before, so it still got some scratches from his matches."
"Why did you ask for a new one?"
"I like my onii-chan's better. But maybe I'll got one soon." Kumiko said as she stretched her arm.
"Hn."
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"Akazawa-san?"
"What?"
"Are those dorms?"
"Yes."
"St. Rudolph got dorms?"
"Yes."
"There goes St. Rudolph…"
"?"
"Whenever I had an adventure I always ended up with schools that had tennis courts in them. Kaa-san said that I might as well look for good school to enter when I get to Middle School. I don't like dorms, so I wouldn't go here then."
"That's too bad. Two years after this, when I got to become captain, if you're my junior, I'd work you till you drop."
"Eh, that's not nice! But aren't girls couldn't join the boys team?"
"Well… that happens if the teacher allows you and the tournament rule doesn't have anything to do with it."
"Oh…"
"But girl's tennis team seemed to easy for you."
"I know, I usually asked for a game with the girl's tennis team and I could beat them without breaking a sweat!"
"I see."
"Yosh!" Kumiko said as she somersaulted down from the wall she was sitting on.
"Nice reflex."
"I like acrobatics and I tried to use it to play tennis."
"How many matches have you won?"
"… None?"
"None? But didn't you beat the girl's tennis team?"
"I wouldn't call that a win, I didn't put much of a fight in it. And I just won 2 matches from my friends. And I never won once from onii-chan, I must work harder!" Kumiko said as she punched the air.
"It's already late, shouldn't you be going home?"
"Ack! Excuse me, see you sometimes, Akazawa-san!" Kumiko said as she ran away waving.
"Be careful!" Akazawa winced when he saw Kumiko tripped and fall. Then he saw her getting back up, rubbing the back of her head while laughing nervously and ran once more.
"Strange girl."
"Kawamura-san's sushi really is the best." Kumiko said as she licked her lips. Then Kumiko took out a crumpled paper from her pocket and eyed it.
"Okaa-san said that if I don't want to go to Seigaku, I should try going to Rikkai… hmm, maybe I'll check it out. Rikkai, Rikkai Rikkai." Kumiko said as she started skipping through the street.
------
"Kaa-san, where did Kumiko go?" Tezuka asked his mother who is washing dishes in the kitchen.
"Oh, you're home already Kunimitsu?"
"We don't have afternoon practice today… where's Kumiko? I thought she'd be home already?"
"Ah, Kumiko went out earlier. She said she wanted to have snack at Kawamura Sushi."
"… again?"
"Maa, what can you say, Kunimitsu? Your sister loves their sushi. And while she's out, I asked her to look at a school."
"Which school?"
"Rikkai Dai." Tezuka suddenly choked on his tea.
"Are you sure, kaa-san? Rikkai?" Then Tezuka bowed his head when his grandfather came.
"Rikkai is the best school out there I know beside Seigaku. And your sister has always been saying wanted to go to a strong tennis club and I couldn't think of any other school."
"But Rikkai…?"
"Kumiko is a smart girl, she'll pass."
"But is it alright, jii-san?"
"As hard as it is for you to accept that your sister wanted to break apart from you, I couldn't believe it as well… The little Kumiko I know will always try to stay close to you." Kuniharu said as he sighs.
"Maa, tou-san, let her be. Kumiko's growing up after all."
"They would have to pass me first if they're thinking about having her hand."
"Tou-san, she's still 11…" Ayana said as she sighed.
"That doesn't mean I'll stop protecting her!"
"… Tou-san…"
"Ehm… did Kumiko know about Rikkai?" Tezuka said.
"I don't think so… but when I asked the school about Kumiko, the teachers seemed confident enough to let her in, Kumiko is a smart girl."
"Rikkai…"
------
"Rikkai Dai Fuzoku, this is it." Kumiko said as she read the plank on the wall.
"Rikkai Rikkai Rikkai. It's fun to chant the name." Kumiko giggled as she skipped inside the school. She quickly walked towards the tennis court and looked in awe at the number of the members.
"So many… much much more that onii-chan's…" Kumiko said. Then she spotted three boys that stood out. In front of the first line, a black-capped boy stood straight with a boy with his eyes closed beside him. The last of the boys, a purple haired boy is smiling, but it's not a happy smile, it was more like a determined smile to her.
"They seem different than others…" Kumiko then sat down not far from the tennis court and took out her sketchbook.
"Incredible mya… They train so hard, and such a tight schedule too…" Kumiko said as she started sketching.
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"Seiichi." Yanagi called.
"Yeah, I noticed too." Yukimura said as he nodded.
"What is it?" Sanada said when he saw his two best friends whispering.
"See that girl over there?" Yukimura said as he pointed to Kumiko who's sketching under a tree.
"So? She's just a young girl."
"But don't you think she's rather young to play with that kind of position? She must've trained hard."
"It's rare to see a young girl so into tennis. Just look at her." Yukimura said when he saw Kumiko placed down her sketchbook and started swinging her racket.
"Her figure is 100% correct, but from her expression she is still perfecting it."
"I wonder how good she could play."
"Yukimura, she's not a student here, rather a Middle Schooler."
"My guessing she's around 5th or 6th grade."
"I vote for the first."
------
"Um… if I put this grip on, it felt better… but something's not right… how about this one…?" Kumiko said as she turned her racket around.
"Ngg… Yeah, this is it. Okay, If I use this grip my swing will probably get a bit more sharper and faster." Kumiko said as she gripped her racket tightly. Then she heard footsteps near her and squeaked.
"Ah, did I surprise you? Sorry for that?" Kumiko looked up and saw the purple haired boy smiling at her. She then blinked and titled her head.
"… Shouldn't you be practicing?"
"I thought you were watching? We're taking a break now."
"Oh… sorry if I disturb you." Kumiko said as she bowed.
"No, not at all. In fact, I was curious. Who are you? Why are you here?"
"A-Ah! I forgot to introduce myself, my name is Kumiko, nice to meet you."
"I'm Yukimura Seiichi. And those guys are my friends." Yukimura said as he gestured to Yanagi and Sanada who're standing behind him.
"Yanagi Renji."
"Sanada Genichirou."
"Nice to meet you." Then Yukimura noticed Kumiko's sketchbook on the ground.
"You were sketching while practicing?"
"Oh, I was watching the Rikkai team practicing and used it for information, my grip is still off, so I sketch the practice earlier to check which grip is better." Kumiko said as she opened her sketchbook and showed it to the three.
"This is quite a detailed drawing, you could gather information using these?"
"Yeah. Onii-chan said that it's my talent."
"Hmm, interesting data…" Yanagi said as he took the sketchbook and turned the pages.
"I'm improving my grip so I wouldn't put so much burden on my arm and I could use some to help if onii-chan asks me." Kumiko said. Then Yanagi closed the book and handed it back to Kumiko.
"So you played tennis, right?"
"Yep, I'm not that good though."
"Kumiko… aren't you possibly be Tezuka Kumiko?"
"Eh? How did you know, Renji-san?"
"Tezuka Kumiko, winner of the elementary school division tournament for 3rd year straight with this year's win." Yanagi said.
"Ah… I've been found out, I didn't gave out my family name too…"
"Renji is like a professor." Sanada said.
"So, what gives you wandering around here alone?"
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"I see, that's rather impressive. Going here all alone."
"I like having my adventures." Kumiko said proudly.
"And does your adventure means getting lost all the time?"
"… Ehehe… You don't have to say it like that, Renji-san…"
"So, you were thinking about going here when you got into Middle School?"
"Yeah, I was thinking about going to a school that had good tennis program and then kaa-san told me to look here. So here I am." Kumiko said.
"I see, I see."
"Rikkai Dai Fuzoku is so interesting, I hope I could enter this school. And maybe join a tennis club…"
"Girls?"
"Hope the girls will be challenging." Kumiko said. Then she saw Yukimura stood up and titled her head.
"Now, how about a match? Between me and you."
"E-Eh?!"
"Let's see what you got, shall we?"
"B-But that's not allowed, right?"
"When Seiichi wants something, he gets something." Yanagi said.
"You should just do what he says."
"H-Hai…"
"No one has ever got a game from me except for Sanada and Yanagi, how about you?"
"N-Not a game?! E-eh?! How could that be?!"
"Let's get started then."
"W-Wait a minute!!"
------
Few hours later,
"I-I'm beat…" Kumiko said as she fall down on the court.
"Good job, you took a game from me."
"I'm so tired…" Kumiko whined.
"You're lucky, usually people lost their senses when they play against him." Yanagi said.
"I guess I'm lucky then… but I'm so sore…"
"I don't think it was luck Seiichi."
"Really?"
"Yes, she did her best, maybe her will blocked that effect."
"… What are you saying?"
"Well, you have talent, that I will tell." Yukimura said as he ruffled her hair.
"Hey, stop that, Sei niinii!"
"I like that." Yukimura said as he ruffled her hair more.
"No! Stop that!"
"Seiichi, better let her go home now, it's quite late." Yanagi said as he saw the sun setting.
"You better stop that, Yukimura." Sanada said as Yukimura kept ruffling Kumiko's hair.
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"I'll be going now, excuse me." Kumiko said after few minutes of straightening her hair.
"Don't be shy to come again." Yukimura said.
"After that ruffling? No!"
"Don't say that."
"Be careful."
"Un. Excuse me." Kumiko bowed and walked away.
"We'll be waiting!"
"Yes…"
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"I'm home!"
"Welcome back, Kumiko. How was Rikkai?"
"It was fun! They got strong people!"
"Oh, you played?"
"I got caught on looking. We talked for a while and then he asked me for a match. I lost 6 to 1."
"He must've been very good then."
"Yeah, maybe he's stronger than onii-chan!"
"Don't say that."
"But he's strong."
"So, what do you think? About going to Rikkai?"
"I don't mind. Rikkai seemed fun."
"Alright then, Rikkai it is."
"Yay!"
"So, tell me more about the day."
"It's like this, kaa-san! I was…"
I do not own anyone except for Tezuka Kumiko.
For info of Tezuka's family, you should check out wiki or the Prince of Tennis 10.5 book
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Next: Tezuka's Accident Happen! The Start of Kumiko's Trauma!
