Chapter 4

Awkward Dinner?

The next day my father came into my room with some very important information.

"Kimiko, Mr. Atobe has invited us to dinner," He stated.

I froze. 'Kuso! I have to think of something to get out of it.'

"Tonight?" I questioned, "I was planning on doing a training session with the girls tonight."

"You're not getting out of this one. Call them tell them that you have to call it off. You will be dressed and ready to walk out of this house by 5:45 you got that?" he stated firmly, looking me dead in the eye giving me that look that scared the shit out of me.

"Hai," I almost squeaked.

He walked out of my room. I sighed in depression; tonight was going to be tense.

~TS~

I sat at the Atobe's table directly across from Keigo, whose glare I could feel boring holes in me. The atmosphere around us was tense and I mean so tense you could take a knife and slice through it, it was so thick. I was surprised that the adults couldn't feel it. Maybe they did but decided to pay it no mind who knew with them. I could hear the clocks tick counting down when I could make my escape. I had a fool proof plan. Before I left I told my father that the girls still wanted to train tonight even if it was real late and their parents were fine with that. He had told me I had to stay until at least the meal was finished and their visiting hour began before I'd be able to leave. Finally, seven thirty hit the meal had finished about fifteen minutes ago that way it wouldn't be completely impolite of me to leave.

My father looked up at the clock. "Kimiko, look at the time."

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry Mr. Atobe I have a meeting to go to regarding the girls' tennis team. I'm very sorry for having to leave, but thank you for inviting me to such a lovely dinner," I stated acting shock and sorrowful.

"It's understandable being the captain and all. Keigo has had to go to several of those already. Thank you for coming," Mr. Atobe replied.

I bowed before rushing out the door to go change into something I can actually move around in.

~STS~

I walked out the gate of our mansion, tennis bag in hand. I wasn't expecting to see a figure waiting for me by the gate.

"What do you want, Keigo?" I snipped.

Hey, I do have a right to ok.

"My father told me to escort you so that you weren't walking on your own. It's not my choice to be here," he stated, resent reigned in his tone.

"Then how about stand out here for a half hour then you won't get in trouble and you don't have to be with me, kills two birds with one stone," I huffed.

He scoffed at that. "I may hate you but I wouldn't leave a girl defenseless."

"Awe, aren't you such a gentlemen," I mocked, turning to storm down the sidewalk.

He keep up with me effortlessly, considering he was pretty much a foot taller than me it wasn't that surprising. Once again the atmosphere grew tense as silence settled in. I wanted to bring up something; anything as long as it would break the tension, but his words from yesterday rang through my head over and over again. I looked down avoiding Keigo's eyes completely. We finally made it to the courts.

"You can leave now you know," I stated going to the girls' court expecting Keigo to leave already.

"Trying to get rid of me?" Keigo questioned.

"You're the one that said you wanted nothing to do with me," I snipped in response.

Keigo chuckled at me; I guess it was funny to agitate me, who knows?

"You don't like to be in situations that have a lot of tension I see," he commented.

"What?" I was beyond confused.

"You don't like tension in a situation. That's why you made this excuse, to get away from the dinner and now you trying to get out of this one by sending me away," Keigo stated smirking that he could see through my lie.

"I don't like tension in certain situations, I love it in competition. It's different on the tennis court than with people away from a sport," I explained though I don't know why.

"Then why did you come here even though you lied about meeting your team?" Keigo leaned against the fence.

"I have my reasons and they're none of your business," I huffed entering the court my favorite racket in hand.

I went to the baseline with a small basket of tennis balls. I grabbed one and took my stance to serve. I've been developing a new type of serve with a lot of power and spin making it nearly impossible to return, but I couldn't get it in and it frustrated me to no end. I served once and it went out like normal. I served again this time changing the angle of my racket just slightly, but the results were the same. I heard Keigo chuckle at me.

"What do you find so amusing?" I questioned getting defensive like normal.

"That you're still pathetic at tennis," he replied nonchalantly.

"Urasai!" I crossed my arms and pouted.

This earned me another chuckle from the king. I glared though it has never affected him in the first place. I went back to serving, ignoring him in the process which I knew would irk him since he is a king after all.

~STS~

I was beyond frustrated. Everything I tried did nothing but send the ball out of bounds. I sighed frustrated at myself and being constantly being watching by Keigo wasn't helping.

I heard the chain link jingle as he lifted his form from the fence. I glanced at him wondering why he chose now to move from his perch. He advanced towards me.

"You're over thinking it," he stated.

Grabbing my right hand he turned around me matching my stance. He slowly guided me through the movement of the serve showing me exactly what I was doing wrong. He guided me once through a real serve, it landed just before the base line.

"Now you try it by yourself," he said taking a step back.

I did another serve this way the same as he had guided me to. It landed the same place as the other right along the baseline.

"Why?" I questioned.

"To remind you I'm not as bad as you've come to believe," he replied walking to the exit, "Come on I'll walk you home."

~STS~

I walked through the door expect no one and was surprised that my father sat in foyer.

"So did you fix the problem between you two?" He questioned turning as soon as I walked through the door.

Heat rose to my cheeks instantly.

"I take that as a yes. What you didn't think we noticed the tension between you too? I see how much faith you have in us," he stated mock hurt at the end.

I shook my head. "I'm going to bed night dad."

I laid on my bed memories of the past rushing through my head. I remember how Keigo was to me as I child. He is the reason I play tennis. He started before me and was showing off about it. I decided I wanted to learn too but never was any good at it till Keigo helped me much like he did today. I see now maybe he hasn't changed as much as I've thought these past two years that we haven't really interacted with each other. I fell asleep thinking of the past and how I could sweep the king off his feet in the coming days.

AN: Another one done. What cha think? A little better than my last one where I had trouble getting where I wanted to that's why it kinda grinded at the end and writer's block in chapter two.