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Misunderstanding

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Chapter Seven:

Introduction

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A/N: Hello, minna-san. Before anything else, I just wish to say that I am sorry for yet another late update. I'm really sorry and I can't even give you an excuse because I don't have a reasonable one. Sorry! Anyway, before you get bored of me. Please do read and review.

"Okay, everyone, I'll be introducing you to the captain of the girl's tennis club." Ryuzaki-sensei announced to the regulars of the boy's tennis club. "So that managing both clubs will be easier, I want each of you to be coordinated with the girl's tennis club. Understood?"

"Hai, sensei!" they replied, peeking behind their coach where a female figure can be seen.

The figure stepped out of the coach's shadow and bowed in respect.

The regulars stared at her with the exception of Ryoma who just glanced at her before going back to drinking his Ponta.

"Eh?" Momoshiro was the first to speak.

"Nya, she was the girl this morning, right?" Eiji reacted while glancing at the others.

"Yes, she was…," Oishi answered, eyes not leaving her figure.

She smiled. "Satomi Akari, desu. Second year, class 8," she spoke, introducing herself.

Fuji's eyes opened but closed immediately after. 'Satomi Akari…'

"Second year, class 8?" Eiji repeated as he looked at Momoshiro and Kaidoh.

'So, she's the one…'

"Wait, what's your relationship with Echizen?" Inui said holding his pen, ready to write on his trusted green notebook.

Fuji clenched his fists and he began to tremble.

"Inui-senpai, it's obvious, isn't it? She's Echizen's girlfriend," Momoshiro spoke up.

'Darn it. Syuusuke get a hold of yourself!'

Suddenly, everyone was talking except for Tezuka, Ryoma, Akari and Ryuzaki-sensei.

Fuji took a deep breath and opened his fists. He stopped trembling. He put on his usual smile covering up all hatred. "Saa… She's interesting, isn't she?" Fuji spoke looking at Eiji.

"Nya, I guess so…"

"Oh, when will you ask her out again?" He said smiling deviously.

"…" Eiji became silent.

"If you don't do it, I'll announce it to the whole school."

"EH?" Eiji exclaimed looking at his friend. Weighing his options, he decided to just do it himself.

"Satomi-chan, will you go out with me?" Eiji asked.

…

There was silence. Everyone was looking at Eiji and Akari.

"S-senpai?" the others continued staring with the exception of Fuji who was smiling, Ryoma who nearly coughed out his Ponta but immediately went back to normal and Tezuka who was being … Tezuka.

-/-/-/-/-

"Mou, Sakuno-chan, why do we have to run?" Tomoka asked as she continued following her friend toward the boys' tennis club.

"Because senpai might be heading home now, so we need to hurry," Sakuno explained before turning to her left.

"Yosh! We're here!" Tomoka announced as she also turned to her left before she bumped into Sakuno.

"Mou, Sakuno-chan, why did you suddenly stop?" Tomoka said as she looked around her. "Why… why is everybody so quiet?" she asked looking them.

Silence.

After a few minutes, Akari sighed then looked at Sakuno, smiling. "Yo!"

"A-anou…," Sakuno stammered as she stepped forward handing her senpai the black racket. "Thank you for lending me this, senpai."

"Of course." Akari smiled as she took her racket.

Ryuzaki-sensei snapped her fingers, gaining the attention of everyone. "Alright, if there's nothing more, everyone's dismissed. See you all tomorrow," She said as the male regulars started to walk toward their clubhouse.

"Sakuno-chan, you can go on ahead. I still have some things to take care of." Ryuzaki-sensei said as she walked away.

"Hai, obaa-chan!" Sakuno said as she watched her grandmother turn to a corner.

"So, then, who are you?" Tomoka asked looking at Akari.

"Tomo-chan!" Sakuno exclaimed. "You're being rude to our senpai."

-/-/-/-/-

"Eh? I didn't know senpai liked Satomi-chan." Momoshiro said, grinning, as he made his way to his senpai.

"No, I don't," Eiji denied.

"Then, why did you suddenly ask her out… in front of us all?" Momoshiro insisted.

"Saa… Maybe Satomi-san is simply Eiji's type." Fuji smiled.

"Eh, so that's your type of girl, huh?" Oishi spoke up.

Eiji went red, bright red.

"Ii… These are interesting data." Inui said as he busily wrote on his notebook.

"Nya, Inui, stop writing!" Eiji said trying to get Inui's pen.

"Senpai, why don't you just admit that-"

"Mou… I lost a bet with Fuji-kun. That's all!" Eiji said as he started changing.

"A bet?" Momoshiro looked at the smiling tensai.

"Eiji, you shouldn't play with a girl's feelings." Oishi shook his head, scolding Eiji.

"I'm going," Ryoma spoke as he closed the door behind him. All the noise ceased, Inui stopped writing and all of them were looking at the door.

"Eh? When did he finish changing?" Momoshiro asked, looking at his teammates before realizing that he was the only one who wasn't finished changing.

"Fssshh…," Kaidoh hissed as he exited.

"Kaidoh, here is your new training menu," Inui said as he walked out the door after the said man.

"I'm going, too," Oishi said as he went out.

"Nya, wait for me, Oishi!" Eiji called out as he ran out the door.

"Eh?" Momoshiro exclaimed as he hurriedly buttoned his shirt before running after Eiji.

"I guess I'm going ahead, too," Fuji said as he walked to the door.

"How do you know Satomi-san?" Tezuka asked, stopping Fuji from going out.

"Why do you ask?"

Tezuka stared at Fuji's back, not answering him.

"You saw that, huh?" Fuji turned around, eyes open and mouth in a fixed line.

Tezuka stared back, unaffected.

"I don't know her," Fuji answered, putting back his mask. "Now, then, I'd appreciate it if you don't concern yourself about this anymore," he continued, still smiling, before walking out.

Tezuka stared at the opening of the door, wondering what this girl had done to have gotten the tensai angry.

-/-/-/-/-

"Ohayou gozaimasu, Ryoma-kun!" I greeted him as I saw his figure. I waited for him to turn around, to acknowledge my presence but he didn't. It was as if he didn't hear me. I walked to him and realized that he was talking to someone. "Ryoma-kun?"

I approached them and saw that he was talking to Satomi-senpai. They were smiling at each other. "Ohayou gozaimasu, Ryoma-kun, Satomi-senpai!" I greeted again but they didn't stop to greet me back or even to just look at me. They continued talking, completely ignoring me.

"Ryoma-kun?" I spoke but it still seemed like they couldn't hear me. Then, I felt like I wasn't really there. I screamed and hoped that they would hear me, but they didn't. Why? Senpai? Ryoma-kun?

Then, everything around me disappeared- the school, senpai and Ryoma-kun. There was nothing left but darkness. I could still hear them, laughing. I ran to the direction of their voices. I kept on running and running but there was nothing but the endless darkness.

Sakuno's upper body shot up. She was panting and her eyes were wide open, tears streaming down.

"What…? What was that?" she whispered as she wiped tears off her face but they continued to flow from her eyes.

- o0o- End of Chapter –o0o-

A/N: Okay, so how was that? I hoped you enjoyed it. So, please leave a review to express your opinions and suggestions. I welcome flames and criticisms, and I would appreciate it if some of you would give me a deadline so I won't keep on updating late. Anonymous and signed reviews are welcome. So, please DO leave a review. Thank you!

I would like to express my gratitude to shikanta17, Yuki Taiki and Ebbie for leaving reviews.

To Ebbie-san, that was a great guess. Unfortunately, I can't tell you if you were right or wrong because that would spoil the fun for everyone, now, wouldn't it? Anyway, you were the first one to guess the plot of this fic and I thank you a lot for that. Thanks!

Please be kind; Leave me a review to find.