Chapter Seven: A Date!

After that party, Rika can sometimes be seen with Riku and Sora at Hyotei – the first and the last accompanying their friend for his music training. And the fruits of his labour were starting to show as during Riku's club training, music which almost sounds as if it was played by a professional could be heard coming from the music club's room. Riku was especially proficient with particularly difficult pieces like The Devil's Trill, Fur Elise by Beethoven, Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky or a few of the famous classical pieces like The Phantom of the Opera.

Sometimes, when Riku was still practicing in the music clubroom long after Sora and Rika had finished their club practices, the two often went to the music clubroom to wait for him and usually listened to him playing his violin as well. Occasionally, a few of the tennis regulars would accompany Rika as they usually made sure that she reached home safely after training – somewhat of a rule made up by the male regulars of the tennis team. Yagyuu, who is a music lover as well, is one of the regular visitors to listen to the freshman playing, much to his embarrassment, and Riku's popularity among the female population in the school only rise, along with Rika's, who is a tennis regular.

Currently though, all the tennis regulars were rather irritated, especially with all the scouts and spies in the school after their performance in the districts and by now, word had been getting around all the other schools about a female freshman regular in Rikkaidai, though for obvious reasons, they didn't know her name.

Not one of the regulars were pleased, especially since they were followed EVERYWHERE they go in school, even to the bathroom. As a result, Yukimura gave the regulars a day off that day especially since with all the scouts present, they can't practice properly anyway.

And so, after class, Sora and Rika headed to the music clubroom together where Riku is having his music practice. Sora gaped at Rika as she told him about the party that she went to. "He's your cousin?!" Sora nearly snorted. "You have to be joking!"

"I know," said Rika with a chuckle. "I thought I found him familiar." She then looked towards the direction of the girls' tennis courts and stopped in her tracks, raising an eyebrow.

"What's wrong?" asked Sora, looking towards the tennis courts as well only to see an unknown boy in the school uniform of Yamabuki giggling and commenting about the girls in their school. "A pervert?"

Said pervert turned around just then and noticed Rika before grinning. With speed that was virtually impossible, the boy appeared in front of them in a split instant, grinning. The two freshmen blinked rapidly, feeling a tiny bit afraid of this grinning boy.

"Konichiwa!" he said in an extremely bright voice. "I'm Sengoku Kiyosumi from Sengoku! Are you the rumoured female freshman regular from the tennis club?!" He asked, directing this question to Rika who blinked. "You're as pretty as rumoured, no wonder they call you 'Ice Princess'." Sora snorted as Rika's eye twitched dangerously. "Say, how about we have a game right—"

Tired of his rambling, Rika punched him straight in the face which sent him through some bushes and walked off. "Let's go, Sora."

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Tennis clubroom:

Yukimura read through a waft of papers that he had just received from the Tennis Board regarding the upcoming Tokyo tournament and the participating schools. Yukimura has no doubts about the strength of his own team. Even Rika is good enough in skill to defeat Kirihara, thanks to Yanagi's crazy training as he'd put her through double the training that they usually do. And she's the fastest in speed, compared to the entire team right now, and was the only one in the entire tennis team, save for Yukimura and Yanagi who can see the movements of Sanada's Invisible Swing as well as his Fuu Rin In Ka Zan Rai (Wind Forest Shadow Fire Mountain Lightning). Also, things in the club have gotten very interesting with Rika's presence.

"'Mura?" said a voice and Yukimura looked up as the door of the clubroom opened and Marui stepped in before going to his locker and opening it, unbuttoning his school uniform. "What's wrong?"

"Iie," said Yukimura, turning back to the papers in his hand, tapping his pen in a steady rhythm on the table. "I've just received the list of schools participating in the Tokyo tournament. Out of these 108 schools, only five can go to the Kantou tournament."

"Oh?" said Marui, pulling his tennis jersey over his head, adjusting the collar, looking over Yukimura's shoulder only to see that he had outlined a number of schools in red ink. One common point that all these schools had: they all have excellent tennis teams. "Now that I think about it, Rika was saying something about her brother training Seigaku."

Yukimura nodded. "Precisely," he said. "And no doubt that they'll be one of our top opponents in the future. Yanagi managed to get for us a videotape of Seigaku's matches during the district tournaments. The runner up during the district tournaments – Fudomine Middle High. They're good – easily on Seigaku's level, especially with Tachibana Kippei as their captain."

Marui nearly gaped. "Tachibana Kippei?!" he exclaimed. "The number two player in Kyushu, after Senri Chitose?! Are you sure? He's a National-level player, isn't he?"

Yukimura nodded. "I'm positive," he said. "Rika didn't recognise him because she lived in America nearly all her life, but I thought that there's something familiar about him when I saw the video that Yanagi got. I didn't recognise him at first because he wasn't blonde now, but it's him alright. With him as Fudomine's captain, they're bound to be good. We should step up our training. Since it's highly likely that Fudomine will be one of our future opponents, along with Seigaku."

"I see..." said Marui. "By the way, Yukimura."

"Hmm?"

"You like Rika, don't you?"

Yukimura nearly broke his pen as he heard Marui said that and the redhead was grinning from ear to ear. "H-How did you know that?"

"You never wondered why Rika couldn't look at you in the face without blushing ever since the districts?" asked Marui and Yukimura blinked. He had wondered why the girl wouldn't look at him. Did something happen that night? "You drank some sake by accident at the restaurant that night and since you lived the closest to Rika and myself compared to the rest of the team, we took you home. However, you ended up kissing Rika during your drunken stupor. That's why she couldn't look at you in the face."

"E-Eh?!" Yukimura flushed red.

Marui grinned. "Rika isn't very sociable. Sora and Riku are the only ones whom she mixed about with who aren't tennis players. I'm sure that you've noticed that." Yukimura nodded. "I'm pretty sure that she feels the same about you as well, since she didn't say anything about you kissing her by mistake to anyone."

Yukimura looked at Marui with an almost hopeful expression.

"Anyone with eyes can see that you like her in the romantic sense," said Marui with a sigh. "Do you still remember that time when she fell asleep against Akaya?" Yukimura nodded. "Nearly all of us, save for Akaya, since he was too petrified to move then, noticed that you got jealous. We only didn't say anything about it because we didn't feel that it's our business."

"Marui?"

"Rika likes Japanese food. I know a pretty good sushi restaurant in the Tokyo district which is near the street tennis courts that Rika and myself went to sometimes. Kawamura Sushi. Why don't you take her there? Besides, the Sakura Festival starts today, isn't it?"

"How do I ask her?" asked Yukimura, blinking.

"Who knows?" said Marui with an ear-shitting grin as he walked out of the clubroom, whistling.

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'Rika, are you doing anything tonight- No. It sounds too old-fashioned. Rika, may I have the honour of- I'm not asking her out for a formal party or something. Gah! Why can't I find a way to ask her out WITHOUT making myself look like an idiot?!'

Sanada raised an eyebrow as he eyed his best friend and captain from beside him as he watched the tennis club members practicing against each other. Yukimura may be looking at the practice, but he wasn't really seeing them as he seems deep in thought, unusual for the usually gentle and responsible captain.

Sanada looked from Yukimura to Marui who was playing a rally with Jackal – his doubles partner and sighed. 'I knew it. Marui must have something to do with it.' He then looked to their female regular who was playing against Kirihara. 'And it must have something to do with Rika.'

Sanada wasn't stupid; he knew that his best friend harboured feelings for their female regular. He only didn't say or do anything about it as he felt that it wasn't his business and this attraction of Yukimura's wasn't affecting the team or training in any way.

Sanada sighed and tapped Yukimura on the shoulder, startling him. "G-Genichirou?"

"Practice is over," said Sanada patiently and Yukimura blinked before taking a peek at his watch before clapping his hands together, causing everyone to turn their attention towards him.

"Alright. Practice is over for the day! First years, collect the balls and nets. Second years, clean the courts!"

"Hai!"


After having a quick shower and changing into her school uniform, Rika stepped out of the female locker room which the rest of the female tennis team used as well, but the practice times for the boys' and girls' tennis teams were different, and as such, no one was around when Rika was using the changing room.

Yukimura was waiting for her outside the changing room when Rika stepped out and she blinked. "Buchou? What is it?"

Unknown to Rika and Yukimura, the rest of the regulars were hiding behind a wall not too far away from them. Marui and Niou were the ones who had initiated it, dragging the rest of the regulars along for the ride.

"Erm..." muttered Yukimura, blushing red. "Are...are you free tonight?"

Rika blinked rapidly. "Huh?"

"I-It's the S-Sakura Festival tonight," said Yukimura, fidgeting about. "A-And I know a pretty good restaurant in the Tokyo district. A-Are you free to go with me?"

Rika blinked. "Date?"

Yukimura's blush deepened. "Y-Yeah."

"Okay," said Rika and Yukimura looked at her. Rika was smiling slightly. "What should I wear?"

Yukimura was smiling now. "A kimono or something," he said. "It's a festival day, after all. I'll come and pick you up at your house at six."

"Alright."

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"Date?!" Nanjirou nearly howled and his howl echoed through the entire mansion and Rika wouldn't be surprised if the entire Kanagawa district heard it too.

Rika winced as she uncovered her ears and looked at her father. At least her brother had taken it a lot better than her overprotective father did, though he was muttering something about going along with her to the Sakura Festival in the Tokyo district with his girlfriend from college. What is her name again? Fuji Yumiko?

Rika sighed as her father started yelling something about not letting some 'perverted teenage boy getting close to his precious princess' and Karupin meowed, a hint of amusement in the 'meow'. "Mum?" Rika turned to her mother. "Can you do something about this?"

Rinko sighed before pulling on Nanjirou's ear, causing the man to give out a cry of pain. "Nanji-kun!" Rinko frowned at her husband. "For the love of kami-sama, your daughter is old enough to know better and not do things that she shouldn't! Don't you want Rika to find a nice boy to marry someday?"

Rika blushed red. This was definitely not what she expected her mother to be saying.

"Oyaji, don't worry," said Ryoga with a grin. "I'll be going with Yumiko-chan too. Even if I wouldn't be close to chibisuke all the time, I can at least keep an eye on them."

Nanjirou huffed. "Fine!" he said.

"With that..." said Nanako, turning to Rika. "Do you want me to help you to pick out a kimono?"

Rika nodded.

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DING! DONG!

"Coming!" said Ryoga who was already dressed in a gray kimono with lilacs as he rushed to the front door and opened it only to see a wavy blue-haired teen dressed in a pale green kimono with a dragonfly pattern. "Are you Yukimura Seiichi-kun?"

Yukimura nodded with a charming smile. "Hai!"

Ryoga grinned and stepped aside to let him in. "Come in," he said. "Rika will be down in a moment."

Yukimura nodded before entering the house.

"And by the way," said Ryoga with a sigh. "I hate to tell you this, but Dad set some ground rules for you to follow whilst you take my baby sister out on a date."

Yukimura blinked. "Huh?"

"Dad is er...currently occupied," said Ryoga sheepishly. "So he got me to tell you. First, no doing things that you shouldn't be doing." Yukimura blushed. "No bringing chibisuke to a desolate place. And bring her back before ten."

"Buchou?"

Yukimura and Ryoga turned towards the stairs only to blink as they saw Rika making her way down. Rinko and Nanako had taken great pains to dress Rika up for her date, much to her embarrassment. Sure, she don't mind wearing dresses occasionally, but she drew the line at make-up which was what her mother and cousin put for her.

Rika was currently dressed in a dark blue and white kimono with golden koi fish patterns on it. All of Rika and Ryoga's kimonos were hand-sewn by Rinko and this particular kimono was Rika's favourite and also happened to be Karupin's favourite as well...for a reason that Rika didn't want to know. Pretty butterfly hairclips were in Rika's hair and a small white paper fan with a golden koi fish painted on it went with the kimono.

Yukimura stared. He was very much familiar with the tennis player that Rika was and he, along with the rest of the regulars had seen her in her school uniform plenty of times, but this is the first time that he had seen Rika in feminine clothing that brought out her true feminine features.

Ryoga whistled. "Chibisuke, you look great!" he said. "Mom and Nanako sure did wonders on you!"

Rika stared at Yukimura with curious eyes. "Buchou?"

Yukimura snapped out of his daze. "Er...right. You look...great, Rika. Ryoga-san, we'll be going now," he said and Ryoga nodded.

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Tokyo District:

The streets of Tokyo were already decorated with the festival's ornaments and there were already several game stalls. Rika who had never been to a Japan festival before stared around in delight and Yukimura chuckled at the look on her face.

"Is this your first time at a festival in Japan?"

"Hai," said Rika with a nod. "I spent most of my life in America and we don't have festivals like this over there."

Nearly ten feet behind Yukimura and Rika were the rest of Rikkaidai's regulars who were ducking behind a stall, much to the bewildered stall keeper's confusion. Marui was wearing a dark blue kimono with white lilacs, Yagyuu was wearing a light green kimono with floral patterns, Kirihara was wearing a dark blue kimono with coloured balls imprinted on it, Niou was wearing a dark green kimono with white clouds on it, Jackal was wearing a gray kimono with simple patterns on it, Yanagi was wearing a dark blue kimono with dragonfly patterns and Sanada was wearing a dark blue kimono with leaf patterns.

"You know, Marui," said Yagyuu with a sigh, pushing his glasses up his nose. "If Yukimura and Rika found out that we're following them, it won't be so pleasant. You do remember what Rika did to you the last time that you pissed her off, do you?"

Nearly the entire team shivered at the memory during one of Rika's PMS times when Marui unknowingly did something to piss her off.

"You're here, alright, Sanada," said a voice and the team turned to see Atobe standing behind them with his Hyotei team, all dressed in kimonos as well.

Niou blinked, staring at the Hyotei buchou and his team. "What are you guys doing here?" asked the Trickster.

Atobe smirked. "What? I can't watch over my baby cousin?"

As one, the entire Rikkaidai team blinked, save for Sanada and Yagyuu who knew of their relationship. "HUH?!"

"Rika-chan is my cousin," explained Atobe. "Our mothers are sisters. I heard from Ryoga that Yukimura asked her out, and since he'll be off somewhere with his girlfriend, I offered to keep an eye on them so that Nanjirou-jii-san don't freak out."

"I see..." mused Kirihara.

"But still..." said Atobe with a smirk. "I didn't expect for Sanada to join you on this as well."

Sanada only grunted. He didn't think that it'll be a good thing if Atobe Keigo of all people found out that he was blackmailed by Niou and Marui to join in on this.

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Yukimura and Rika had a great time together, going to all the stalls getting ice cream, cotton candy, takoyaki, okonomiyaki as well as going to several of the game stalls and Rika proved to be extremely good in the throwing dart game as her hand and eyes were extremely sharp and fast, thanks to her tennis training. Yukimura proved to be surprisingly good at the catching fish game which a paper scoop was given to them and they have to get a goldfish out without the paper breaking which Yukimura did with no problem as he was quite flexible. And he caught two fishes at the same time which is quite a feat which he gave to Rika who was delighted with it and the two walked away from the stall, leaving the poor stall keeper inspecting the scoop which Yukimura had used to see if he had tampered with it in any way.

Finally, Yukimura led Rika up to the top of the hill which overlooks the entire Tokyo and the lights shining below was a beautiful sight and Rika breathed in wonder, wishing that she had her camera with her. "Beautiful..." she said in wonder.

Yukimura chuckled. "It is, isn't it? In Kanagawa, we can see beautiful sunsets atop the hill or from the rooftop of Rikkaidai, but the view here is one of the best in Japan." He stretched slightly. "A long time ago, when Sanada, Yanagi and myself won our first official match as regulars when we're freshmen, we came here. I've came here a few times myself since then to watch the sunset or to see the lights, but it seems different every time."

Marui, Niou and Atobe sweat dropped behind some bushes and Atobe resisted the urge to bash his head against a tree. "Yukimura..." muttered Marui incredulously. "For the love of kami-sama...you're great and all in tennis, but you're hopeless when it comes to love!"

"Shh!" said Yanagi, hushing them.

"Marui told me," said Yukimura and Rika looked at him. "What had happened that night when we won the districts at Kanagawa."

Rika blushed and Yukimura chuckled.

"Now I understand why you can't even look at me in the face for days after that," said Yukimura.

The Rikkaidai and Hyotei teams blinked in confusion. "What happened?" they asked as one, turning to Marui who grinned.

"Watch and you'll know soon," he said.

"How about we re-enact that scene?" asked Yukimura with a chuckle as he stepped closer to Rika, causing her back to come in contact with a tree, both his hands on either side of her head, imprisoning her.

Rika's eyes widened as Yukimura dipped his head down and came into direct contact with her lips, kissing her tenderly. Her eyes slid shut as Yukimura wrapped his left arm around her waist and brought her closer to him, their tongues entangled in a dance. They were both lost in their own world when suddenly...

"ATCHOO!"

Both Yukimura and Rika broke away from each other, turning towards the bushes from which the sound was coming from and the two exchanged looks before going towards the bush only to see the rest of Rikkaidai's tennis regulars and Hyotei's tennis team with Niou with a hand around Marui's mouth, trying to muffle his sneezing.

Rika blushed red before her eye twitched dangerously. "Sempai-tachi..." she growled, readying a fist and the remaining of Rikkaidai's tennis club gulped nervously. "YOU WERE PEEPING?!"

A flock of birds took flight from fright in the nearest tree.

Yukimura cleared his throat and Rikkaidai gulped as they stared at their obviously not very happy captain. "You will be running a hundred laps around the tennis courts tomorrow," he said. "ALL of you."