Two-Faced!?

It was the most awkward scene that Niou has ever seen. He was plenty sure that Kirihara is very interested in their club manager. He also thought that little Sakuno somehow liked Kirihara but the fact that she had just rejected him was so funny. The only thing that was keeping his laughter in was that it was awkward. Now that she just told everyone how she hated the junior ace, let's just say somebody's chances went up a notch.

The next morning, everyone was acting normally as far as the non-regulars are concerned. No one would have been able to tell the difference. Because they don't know.

Niou, being the resident trickster and by far the best actor, impostor, and observer, was having a hard time dissecting the actions of the young girl, and garners the concern of his doubles partner at that. He was heavily immersed trying to find out what kind of scheme the manager was laying out.

"Don't you think you're staring at her too hard?" to which Niou exchanges a half-sour face.

After a few moments of loss for words, the silver haired teen sighs in defeat. "I mean, that girl's something. If she were telling the truth, how come she can still smile like that at Kirihara?"

True. Sakuno was animatedly talking with a sullen Kirihara as if nothing ever happened the day before. But one could easily see that the boy was rigid and restricted, obviously shocked with the warm familiarity after the cold confession.

"I wonder why she's angry at him… so much as she would build him all the way up and then let him fall down… hard." Crossing his arms in deep thought, Niou has never looked more challenged than what he was now. Tennis to him is more natural than blooming adolescent feelings.

Yagyuu on the other hand was unperturbed with their junior's despair and any emotion for that matter, "I'm surprised you're thinking so hard about it."

"Hey, you make it sound like I don't have a heart."

"Do you have a heart?" Yagyuu countered Niou's hurt act, knowing that it is one. That's what happens when best friends are around each other; they know each other too well.

Not really waiting for an answer, Yagyuu returned to their game. "Still, others might think otherwise. Stare hard at her and rumors will spread like wildfire." His glasses glinted in the sunlight as he shimmied it up his nose. Niou knows, even if he could not see, that behind those thin and glazed lenses are a look of strict compliance to what would be modern chivalry. Or what is left of it, anyway.

"Tell that to somebody else."

Niou smirked.

'Everything just got more interesting. I can't wait to manipulate those idiots.'

The Devil, The Volleyist, The Trickster

Morning practice was over before Kirihara could notice how rigorous his activities were. No matter what Sanada and Yukimura pushed him to do, he did it as muscle memory. Because his mind was caught up in the turbulent swirls of emotion within him, everything else was a blur and his thoughts always led back to Sakuno and her hate. He had an idea of why. Still, there was no way around it.

'I've changed, I swear!' Kirihara raked a hand through his hair, obviously at his wit's end. Nothing occupies a human mind like emotions and social interactions do.

As such, his pain and longing for acceptance boiled within him, overpowering his will to live on. He simply slouched at his desk, not really minding anyone or anything and his day passed by as if he was on "standby." The worst part is, everyone accepted it as the normal him. No one even bothered to talk him out of it.

The pain of being alone in despair, not even a morsel of companionship!

Before he knew it, it was practice again. He didn't feel like going. But he also didn't feel like getting slapped, so Kirihara trudged through the corridors against his own will. Each and every step that heaved him closer to the courts became heavier; his bones becoming leaden.

"Damn it! How am I going to defeat them if I get discouraged by a single rejection!?" Screaming almost to the top of his lungs, Kirihara was at the state wherein he does not care anymore, seeing how piled up problems are. The other students eyed him warily and some gossiped amongst themselves as they passed but the junior ace is too numb to feel their wariness.

Still, the world does not easily give up on any being and Kirihara is sent a savior.

"Stop being so noisy. Really, you're lowering my IQ just by talking!" Marui then appeared just behind the junior, his red locks a stark contrast to the dull afternoon. Shoving past the younger but taller boy, this redhead carried himself with his usual haughtiness, thinking that somebody like his kohai should treat him like a king because he's a genius. Or that's what others would see. The two are in fact close friends.

There was but a pout on poor Kirihara's face as he righted his bag on his shoulder all the while disregarding the push. "Shut up, Marui-senpai," sounding too weak.

But then, out of the blue, the older boy draped an arm over the junior's slouched shoulders. It was so that he could muss up the already messy black hair of his junior. It was sweet and the epitome of male friendship.

With this, Kirihara felt relief wash over him. The day had passed without another person noticing his sadness. Even if it was Marui, he'd take it.

"It's okay Kirihara-kun! There must be others there…" Marui said as he relinquished his grip on the younger one. After a light tap to the back for good measure, the redhead senior tried to pass him a strip of bubblegum, the sweetest that there is, his favorite, as he tried to cheer up the sullen kid.

He hoped so much that it would work, even if just a little. If not, maybe his presence could have been enough.

"Yeah…" agreed Kirihara, too weak to even argue, and took a gum for himself. "I guess you're right."

"Damn right, you are!"

Marui couldn't have been any more right.

"Thanks Marui-senpai."

The two boys walked in silence thereafter.

The Devil, The Volleyist, The Trickster

"Hey!"

"Hey, are you going to stay here until tomorrow?"

"Hey, I'm sure you can hear me."

"Wake up!" Finally, that one last prod woke the female manager of the boys' tennis team.

Niou wasn't happy. Of all people, he was the one sent to do this chore. He was sure that the manager was not dumb enough to get that lost, though she does get lost when she is in a new place. But that is beside the point. He could have been doing something that he likes doing right now. Too bad he is stuck at looking at the groggy face of their manager who had drool by her chin.

Soon she realized it too and by her personality, she was quick to blush, how far it goes he does not know, and pleads him to stop looking. But he will not hear any of it,

"I was looking everywhere for you. Don't you know how worried I was?"

"I'm sorry, Kirihara-senpai," said Sakuno as she pat her chin with her handkerchief with one hand while the other began arranging her things.

As Niou stood there in silence, his eyes stared at her intently, gauging the manager if she had indeed read through his imitation at that point in time. But she gave no signs.

It was then that she stood up and walked past him, without even regarding the presence of Kirihara that he so perfectly pulled off, that he grabbed her by the elbow; their faces reddened by the sudden proximity.

Without so much thought, Niou had pulled her close in a last attempt to stop her from leaving. But he didn't consider how light she could be or defenseless she was, leading to their present situation. The girl, red up to her fingertips, stood shell-shocked albeit her body kept itself as far as it could upon instinct.

Sakuno was, upon closer inspection, really pretty, especially now that she did not keep her hair in those childish braids.

The trickster found himself at a loss for words for the second time in the same day. "I mean…"

"I meant what I said, t-that I hate y-you…!" muttered Sakuno as she regained her control over herself, pulling away and into the comfort of her personal space once again. "Leave me alone."

Niou's mind went into a hyperdrive. 'What? So, it was all an act, that she was nice?'

Sakuno was happily interacting with Kirihara during morning practice.

He was personally shocked. This girl, Ryuzaki Sakuno, was a person known for her kindness. The fact that she could hate would mean Kirihara went past the line. More than twice, most probably.

Then, in his best imitation of Kirihara's voice, with a devilish smirk, his deep green contact lenses mocking her, "Is it because of what I did to your senpai?" Niou guessed. There was nothing else in his memory that could acquire that much hate.

Sakuno snagged her elbow away, clearly repulsed by the brought up memories.

"No." She clamped her mouth shut; her real intentions trapped behind those plump cherry lips. Then she pushed through him as roughly as she can, not caring to look back. Left there was an unsatisfied Niou.

'Ah, damn. I wanted to play the matchmaker.'

Seeing that there was nothing left to do in the library, he decided to follow suit. He saw the other students look at him, but they did not see the real him, all worried that the new girl was brash.

'I wonder what suddenly got her so worked up…'

But when Niou got to the courts, he expected to see Sakuno there. Yukimura was expecting the same. Yet they were both surprised at her absence. The straight-laced Sakuno decided to skip club activities for once.

'I wonder if Sanada would slap the daylights out of her tomorrow?' he thought as he wiped the residue concealer off his beauty mark.

The Devil, The Volleyist, The Trickster

"Hey, Ryuzaki-san…"

"Aren't you going to practice?"

"Ryuzaki-san?"

Sakuno was torn awake from her dreams as she heard the constant calling of her surname. "Who?... W-wha?" Groggily, she raised her sore and reddened forehead. There she saw in front of her was a brilliant carmine and shiny purple staring right at her face. Whatever she made out of it was right, "Marui-senpai?"

"Aren't you going to practice?" the redhead repeated.

There was a sound of bubble popping, snapping Sakuno back to reality. "Ah, I'm so sorry… I'm still…" She sheepishly smiled. It took her quite long to realize she was no longer asleep.

But the boy was understanding. As he took a seat across her, across her things strewn randomly on the table she alone occupied, a lopsided grin adorned his features, "Yeah, sleepy."

"I don't…"

"You don't want to go? Why not?" Marui kept his gaze on her, the amethyst a deep pit that she could not escape. It was mesmerizing. She's seen blue, green, brown and gold. But never this purple.

"I don't want to be the club manager anymore…" Sakuno muttered. Her embarrassment saved her from the tempting spell that Marui's eyes had and she was finally able to look away by bowing. At the same time, the blush on her cheeks was concealed.

"Then we won't be seeing you again?" Marui was very disappointed. But, he realized, the older ones should give way. But, "That's too bad. I actually like seeing you," are the words that rolled off his tongue before he could catch himself.

The light blush that dusted the young girl's cheeks became bright red. Sakuno's hands were shaking even though she knew that it was just her senior's way of speaking, having such guts. Half-excited and half-disbelieving, the girl tried her best to hide her gushing emotions. "Huh? Y-You can still see me around school, you know!" Sakuno reasoned, hoping to get the awkwardness out of the air but she just gets it even thicker.

"I know." Marui answered as he picked up one of her stuff from the disarray. Sighing he placed it back amongst her books and smiled as he caught Sakuno peeking through her fringes.

"Um…"

Finally, the red haired boy stood from his seat. He leaned on the table, his small physique slanted towards the bowing girl as if trying to see her face. She did not budge and continued to evade his gaze. Marui sighed, "Well, you'd better submit the form then. There's so much formalities, good luck with that."

"Yeah."

"I'll see you when I see you, then?"

"Yes."

"Bye, Ryuzaki-san."

The young girl slumped back to the table, over her things. Her blush was still heating her cheeks and her heart was beating furiously in her chest. She was fervently denying all of the things she heard, thinking that it was the way that the regulars from Rikkai talked, that it was natural for them to be such a flirt. Everything that she could have thought of that would discourage her from believing, she has already thought.

'Rikkaidai was a wrong choice!' she huffed.

The little charm, she saw, was propped up by the side of her textbooks; the love character printed on it stared back at her as she nervously swallowed the lump in her throat.

'It can't be…'

Her eyes widened in horror and the consequences of things dawned on her. Sakuno resigned herself to fate.

"Isn't it a bit too early for that?"

The Devil, The Volleyist, The Trickster

Marui looked back at the library's door; his cheeks heated by a bright blush. "I hope you don't mind, Kirihara."