Disclaimer: I make no profit from making and posting this up. The characters are not mine (except maybe Rial) and I do not wish to be sued for this. Thank you.

Warning: Seeing as it is an M rated story, it should be understandable that there will be sex and other mature scenes (bad language, maybe violence). My spelling has not improved much during this time, so be ready for some pretty idiotic mistakes.

Italics – thoughts, twin telepathy thingy

Bold – for other languages. English in this case, since they are technically speaking Japanese. But I can't. :D

Chapter 3

The couple of second years, including the one that had been bothering Ryoma, stiffened a bit and exchanged worried looks between each other, silently trying to decide what to do now. Ryoma merely observed, not yet understanding why they feared the third year regular so much. He did look more like a girl than a boy, so it wasn't for the physical strength. Or was it?

"Fu-Fuji-sempai… We were just… Uhmmmn… Just.." one of the second years, a slightly chubby one with short black hair and glasses spoke out, all eyes turning to him the same moment. "Arai was just trying to… ahh… help him?"

The one called Fuji, as far as Ryoma could understand, smiled even brighter and tilted his head to one side, "I will ask again, or you will do what?"

The tone that this, so called, Fuji-sempai used left no place for lame excuses and lies; that much even the second year that threatened Ryoma just moments ago understood. The other two second years stepped a bit further away from Ryoma, Arai, the one that had bothered the first year, looking at the two that abandoned him to face Fuji alone.

"You see… I will.. umm… that is, help him, I guess… Fuji-sempai." Arai stammered out, his eyes darting between the floor, the third year and the clubroom door. He then threw a quick glance at Ryoma and continued. "You see.. He was having some difficulties… to.. umm… tie his shoes.. So, I just… I mean…"

There was a chuckle and the second year bully snapped his head up, his black eyes searching for something on Fuji's face. The fair-haired teen merely smiled. "Leave."

That one single word said so naturally and calmly, sent shivers down Ryoma's spine and made goose bumps appear on his skin. And it wasn't even meant for him. The sempais, to who the order(?) was addressed to, seemed to be frozen in place, eyes wide and unable to understand what to do now.

"Did you not hear me?" Fuji wondered out loud, his head tilting a bit on the right, "I said, leave. Should I remind you, that I don't like to repeat myself? Hmm?" he smiled yet again, or more like, the smile never lost its place on his lips.

"S-s-s-sorry Fuji-sempai, w-we will leave now." The fattest of the three quickly bowed and dragged Arai and the third second year out of the room, leaving a quick 'excuse us' behind. At least he had some common sense in him, for it seemed that that was his only positive quality.

With the three bully wannabees out of the room, it became quit silent, but not in the comfortable and light kind of way. Ryoma started looking pointedly at the door that hadn't closed properly. Fuji, on the other hand, seemed to be fully content, as far as Ryoma could tell, of his actions and was looking at the first year. Or maybe not. His eyes were closed, so Ryoma had no idea if he was watching at all.

It was kind of scary actually.

He blinked a couple of times and then tugged down his hat. "Thank you, sempai." He tried to sound thankful, but it probably didn't work out that good for him.

"You are welcome, Echizen-kun." Fuji said in return, not at all fazed about the obvious lack of thankfulness in Ryoma's voice.

The both stayed quiet after that, Ryoma really not the talkative type and Fuji… Well, Ryoma knew next to nothing about Fuji, except the fact that he could be quite scary. Even if he didn't look like it. It was a bit awkward and Ryoma wanted to get out, but Fuji was standing in his way, obviously still wanting something from the first year brat.

"Echizen-kun, may I ask you something?" Fuji then poke, his voice seemingly friendly. Seemingly.

Ryoma sighed, sliding his arms in the pockets of his shorts. "You ask me that even though you probably won't let me out until I will answer, right?" he has had plenty of experience with Rial in these types of games. "Won't the coach or captain or whatever you have here, be mad?"

"Don't worry about that. I will figure something out." Fuji laughed and sat down on one of the benches that were free of magazines, candy wrappers and clothes. "I just wanted to ask you about your name, that's all." For a moment there, Ryoma though that he saw a flash or electric blue. But it disappeared so fast, he couldn't be sure of it.

He mentally shook his head and frowned. This was it? Seriously? "Why? It's not like it maters which one of the two of us come to the practice. It will be one of us either way." He didn't see the point; they won't be able to tell them apart anyway.

"Oh, it's not about that." There was it again that fake-ish, creepy smile. "It's for my personal interest you see. Besides, even if you two look the same, you are different. So I just want to tell you apart, that's all." Fuji crossed his legs and waited.

Ryoma looked at him. "There isn't that much to choose from, is it?" he smirked, and walked out of the room. Why should he tell Fuji, who he met for the first time ever, his name. It's not like they knew each other and it's not like they even meet outside the club lessons.

"Interesting." Fuji mumbled and looked out of the window behind him, his eyes following the bratty first year. "We finally found you, Ryoma-kun."

"I don't get it!" Rial sighed in frustration and threw his notebook in the other side of the room. "This is stupid." He fell back on the floor, stretching his hands out as far as he could.

Ryoma finished the last question of his math homework and closed the notebook. "I thought you were good in math." He reached out for the unfinished can of Ponta.

"Oh shut up, dear little brother of mine." The oldest twin stuck his tongue out and rolled to sleep on his stomach. "I almost got into the team today." He said after a moment of silence, "But since they don't support the 'first years are just as good' theory…"

"None of the clubs support that." Ryoma lazily answered his brother and turned on the television, just in time for another cheap-ass soap opera. A sempai from the tennis club asked me my name today. Ryoma decided against telling Rial about his bully problem; he didn't want them in hospital after all.

Why? Rial closed his eyes. He wasn't a fan of the boring Japanese soap-operas. They always looked so fake. You think that he knows you or something?

Ryoma turned the volume up a bit. Nah. Either way, I didn't say anything. But he was a bit creepy.

"Hmm… I see." Rial muttered and tried to get a bit more comfortable on the hard floor. It was normal for the two of them to suddenly switch from normal talk to thought talk. Plus, it creped out the people around them.

"Rial, don't sleep on the floor like that. What if you catch a cold?" Rinko huffed and dropped the magazine she was holding on the couch. "Get up." He voice told that excuses won't work this time.

Rial tried to fake a pout, but got up anyway. "But mooom… I was getting comfy too. Ah, but what is that, that in see on the couch?" he quickly changed the topic and snatched the magazine from where it lied, "So you still feel like a young girl, even after all this time?"

"What do you mean by 'after all this time' Rial?" The tone that Rinko used was overly sweet and kind. A tone, that usually promised some serious damage to one's health. A tone that Rinko usually used after discovering yet another one of Nanjirou's dirty magazines of naked women.

Rial flinched after hearng his mother's tone and dropped the magazine where he had taken it from. "Oh nothing mother dear, nothing at all. Right, Ryoma?" his eyes jumped from his mother to his little twin brother, hoping that Ryoma would help him.

But that never happened.

"You said the forbidden phrase. I can't help you. Besides, my soap opera is on." Ryoma lazily answered and yawned. All males of the Echizen household knew that it was forbidden to remind Rinko of her age, so whenever someone made that mistake there was no chance that he would be helped.

Traitor! Little brother, you are a traitor! Rial thought to Ryoma, while running through the house and looking for a safe enough place to hide in for a while and wait for his mother to calm down.

Ryoma, on the other hand, simply emptied what was left of his soft drink and sighed. It's your fault. You knew that it was forbidden.

There was a quiet 'tch' that only the two could hear. I know, I know. Anyway, about that sempai of yours… Don't let him get too close to you, who knows what his real intentions are. With you being so cute and all that.

Oh shut up. No one likes me that way. Ryoma frowned as he changed the channels, a past-time for the commercial break time.

Should I remind you of the Otaku freak incident? Hmm? Rial was quick to answer his twin, a small tint of laughter lacing the words directed to his little brother.

Ryoma didn't answer, only deepened his frown. However, when his soap-opera started again he quietly muttered to himself: "I know that myself."

The sound of the small, yellow tennis balls being hit and bouncing on the ground filed the fresh morning air. It mixed together with the excited voices of the tennis club members, as well as the few girls that had come to watch the morning practice. It was just a usual day.

"You there, freshman, remember us?" the same overly-confident and prideful voice barely pulled Ryoma out of the day dream he had gotten himself into.

Being the uninterested guy that he was, Ryoma simply glanced in, as it turned out to be, Arai's direction, the two lackeys that the second year had right behind him. The lack of danger coming from the three almost had him smirking, but the he opted not to. It would be more of a bother later if he would do that, thus making the leader of the three angrier.

So he chose the best way out of the situation – ignoring and leaving.

"Hey, don't you dare do that! Show some respect to your sempais, kid." The wannabee bully grabbed Ryoma by his arm. The tone of his voice was strange, as if he was half scared and half angry. Though, those black eyes shone in suspicious delight after seeing the annoyance on Ryoma's face.

"What do you want, sempai?" Ryoma asked, fakeness dripping from his words. He was in no mood for respectful and nice this morning.

Arai's nostrils flared and Ryoma could swear that he saw smoke coming out of Arai's ears. Funny guy. "I want a match with you." Arai whispered out, still griping Ryoma's right arm strongly. "Now."

"What good it will do for you to beat someone like me? It won't raise your social status; that much I can tell you." Usually Ryoma didn't like to make himself weaker than his opponents, especially someone like this dude here, but this situation called for drastic measures. "Release me now, I have training to do."

"Shut up and play me." The second year ground out between his teeth.

Really, Ryoma sighed and pulled his arm out of Arai's hold, this is so troublesome. He looked at Arai from under his hat and tapped the ground with his red racquet. "Fine. But don't blame me for whatever will come out of this."

Luckily, the show-off coach and the regulars had a meeting, an important one it seemed, so no one really cared what the two were up to. For now. Some of the first years, though, were standing outside of the fence and glancing from Ryoma to Arai, not sure what to do, since matches between club members without the coach's or captain's approval were banned.

Ryoma bounced the yellow ball for a few times, looked at Arai and then threw it up while bending his body a bit. When the ball came down he hit it at the other side of the court, smirking all the while. He didn't even try with scoring a point. For now, Ryoma would allow Arai to think that he is weak and play along while using his right arm. Because, really, why should he show his real skills so soon and to someone like Arai?

The ball flew between them for a few more times and in the end Ryoma hit it where it would be impossible for Arai to reach it, thus gaining a point in his favor. It was interesting to see the rage and embarrassment twist the second years face.

"That was a fluke, you brat." Arai growled and got ready to get the next serve.

Pathetic. Ryoma thought as he served the next serve, which, by the way, Arai didn't return back at him.

It seemed that, just as Ryoma had thought before, his sempai really didn't like to be bested at something. Even more, if his opponent was someone younger than himself (only by a year though). Too easy for Ryoma.

Another two points later Ryoma had one game in his favor. And he hadn't even tried to win, but Arai just stood there and ran around the court a bit. It was as if he was losing on purpose (which he was) and it seriously got on Ryoma's nerves. Honestly speaking, Ryoma wanted to destroy him right there and now.

"So now it starts, huh?" someone from the crowd whispered really loudly. "Arai usually loses his first game if he isn't the one that serves first, right? That freshman will so lose." After those words a nasty laugh followed and soon other second years joined the commentator.

Ryoma bent his knees a bit and got ready to chase the ball once Arai has served it over the net. The serve itself was nothing special; a bit stronger that the usual and maybe faster as well, but still, nowhere near what Ryoma had seen. He returned it with ease, watching Arai run after it and use a one-handed backhand to return it.

Too easy. Ryoma smirked and used a simple volley, while being right next to the net, to make the ball bounce over the said net and slowly land on Arai's side of the court. It wasn't a flashy or special move, but it was all he needed.

"Sorry, but you're nothing special, sempai." Ryoma smirked and rested his red racquet on his right shoulder. As far as he could predict, this will be his easiest victory since… In a long time actually. "Or are you still hiding something?"

He knew he was being a brat, but Ryoma liked to taunt his opponents. It gave the whole match a whole new atmosphere and vibe. He snickered in delight as Arai kept silent and got ready to serve. He seemed strangely desperate right now. So that lame serve was his ace? Really? How disappointing.

Arai swung his racquet and made the fuzzy ball fly over the net yet again. Ryoma sighed at the simplicity of this simple serve; was this all the fun that he would get today? He lazily returned it with a forehand to the far right corner of Arai's half of the court and won the point. This was seriously getting boring.

From the looks of it, Arai was ready to jump over the net and do some physical harm to him, but the slightly worried, panicking and angry as hell, voice of their flashy coach – Ando – got in the way of Arai's plans of possible beating. "What is going on here?"

"Sensei, it wasn't Echizen-kun's fault. Sempai forced him to play. We heard it!" some of the girls that had been hanging around the courts, and were, surprisingly, Ryoma's fans, ran to the orange sweat suit wearing teacher once he had come close enough. "And besides, Echizen-kun is beating him right now."

"Just keep quiet, all of you." Ando-sensei glared at the girls and walked inside the court, his eyes flashing from Arai to Ryoma, "You two, twenty laps for causing a ruckus. First year, I would like to see you after those laps in my office." He turned around and started to get the rest of the club members to get back to their own duties.

"Che." Ryoma sighed, gave his racquet to his classmate, that turned out to be a member of the tennis club too, and went to run his laps.

A/N: This… turned out longer than I had expected it to be. I couldn't find the right moment to stop, so yeah.

And I also changed the title of this creation of mine. -looks down at her feet- I thought that the old one was lame and this sounds better. Don't judge me, I change my mind often, that's all.

P.S. I very much live off reviews. Just a reminder. :)