Matsumoto swished her tennis racket through the air in frustration. Nothing was going right at this camp! She had persuaded the captain to coerce Naoki onto the tennis team and finagle him out of Aihara's vicinity only to be stymied again. After asking around—discreetly!—for Naoki's room assignment, she had discovered that he wasn't even in residence! And then that girl showed up this morning, watching them like a hawk! And the one time that she wasn't there, Naoki had slipped through her fingers like a seasoned escape artist.

She had chosen to work out her disgruntlement with an extra hour practicing her almost perfect serve after the others had already left the courts. She finally called a halt, realizing that if she didn't stop now, she wouldn't have time to shower before dinner. Not that she particularly wanted to look at Aihara across the table, but she needed the nutrition.

Lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice that she was being followed until the group caught up to her.

"Matsumoto?"

She turned, squinting into the lowering sun. "Yes?"

"We'd like to talk to you," said one of the three female tennis players.

"What can I do for you, sempais?"


Kotoko was almost skipping along the path between the separate sports facilities, humming as the breeze ruffled the leaves of the trees and shrubs surrounding her. The afternoon tennis session had been same-sex doubles practice, so she had been set free of watchdog duty. Spurred on by a whim, she had wandered back over to the soccer area and had spent several hours with the young woman who had bandaged her old friend's knee earlier in the day. Nishikino Maki proved to be a competent young woman from a family of physicians. Unlike many of the sports managers, she had no personal athletic aspirations and was only interested in the medical aspect of the field.

"A sports manager over here in Japan has so many housekeeping tasks that sometimes the physical conditioning part of the job gets overlooked. When my family lived in the United States, we discovered that many teams employ a full-time athletic trainer. That position concentrates on treating and avoiding injuries, as well as basic first aid."

By the end of the afternoon, Kotoko had assisted in wrapping joints, applying bandages and even massaging a cramp. She had been given a list of recommended reading and a contact number for first aid lessons.

Maybe if I can make myself useful to the team in that way, it won't seem so boring acting as babysitter, she chuckled to herself. Deciding to make a quick detour into the outdoor shower facility's restroom, she found herself in the middle of someone's conversation—or rather, confrontation—as she turned the blind corner.


"Don't think your ambush of Irie-kun this morning went unnoticed, Matsumoto."

"Ambush? What do you mean?" She raised her chin defiantly.

"Come on!" the other scoffed. "You blatantly followed him into the men's side of the facility."

"So?" Matsumoto shrugged a shoulder. "Accidents can happen, especially in unfamiliar territory."

"If it had just been an accident, I don't think Irie-kun would have exited like a bat out of hell. Besides, that's just the latest incident. We've been watching you flirting with him, trying to get him to notice you."

"And what if I have? Is there a law against that?"

"You said it yourself. We're your sempais. We get first crack at the new guys." The girls raised their chins to emphasize the point.

"That's ridiculous!" Matsumoto's voice rose slightly. "You're acting like your senior position will make him give preference to you!"

"And you're acting like he's already yours! You need to back off, sister, and let the big girls have the sandbox now."

"And if I don't?"

"We'll just give you a little taste of what'll be coming to you then!"

They had barely begun to scuffle before another voice broke in. "You know, before fighting over someone, you might oughta check first if he's single."

The girls turned as one to Kotoko. "What?!" "This is a private conversation!" "Butt out!"

Kotoko drew closer and indicated Matsumoto with a jerk of her head. "So, yeah, for a few months now I've been tempted to do to her what you're doing. But since Naoki is my boyfriend, I'm afraid you don't have the right. So back off."

All three of the older girls were above average height. "Don't make us laugh. You—Irie-kun's girlfriend!" one of them scoffed. "You need to stay out of this, little girl!"

"Oh, I really wish you hadn't said that," Kotoko sighed mournfully.


"And then after that, they wished they hadn't said that," Kotoko finished the tale as Naoki used the same skills that Nishikino had in applying bandages to her scrapes. She had insisted that Matsumoto be treated first and had used her new-found knowledge to instruct him every step of the way.

"So you went to Matsumoto's defense and then she came to yours?" He winked at Kotoko.

"It was three against one!" Matsumoto said. "I felt like I had to!"

Naoki laughed. "That would make the odds even with Kotoko's fighting skills. Well, I'm going to take the first aid kit and see if the others need any treatment. No," he pointed at Kotoko, who was in the process of rising, "you sit right there, young lady. I believe I'm able to defend myself for a few minutes."

The atmosphere was slightly tense after he left. Finally, Matsumoto sighed and pulled her ponytail around her neck and looked at it sadly. "I'm going to miss this hair."

"Huh?" Kotoko looked at her quizzically. "You're cutting it off?"

"It's standard operating procedure for a broken heart, isn't it?" she replied. "I have to concede the field to you, Aihara-san. You came to my defense, plus I can see that Irie-kun is not planning to look my way."

"No, no!" Matsumoto almost fell over backwards as Kotoko took hold of her shoulders impetuously. "Your hair is beautiful! You can't cut it! I've always envied people with hair like that." She looked at the ragged end of her pigtail then glanced back up at her. "I know! I'll cut my hair for you! I was planning on doing it when summer hit and just forgot! Now that there's a reason, I'll go to the barber shop and get it chopped off!"

"Absolutely not!" Matsumoto looked shocked.

"Why not?" Kotoko smiled a little in remembrance. "I always used to have short hair."

"What about what Irie-kun would like? He might have an objection."

"It's not his hair!" Kotoko argued.

"At least ask!" Matsumoto snarled back at her. "He's your boyfriend after all, even though it pains me to say so!"

"Okay." Kotoko put out her lower lip. "But I bet he'll just laugh and say, 'Go for it!'," she muttered quietly.

"And you can just forget about the barbershop. Since you're taking the 'Heartbreak Cut' for me, I'm paying and we're going to my salon! The day after we get back from camp! Got that?" She grabbed hold of her arm.

"Yeah, I got it, Matsumoto-san. Now can you let go, cause that's one of the places that's gonna bruise up later."


The farthest and smallest of the cabins in the complex was abuzz that night.

"She was like an avenging angel!"

"Swooping in to save the tortured innocent."

"Well, I don't think the tall girl was that innocent. After all, it sounded like she was going after Irie-kun."

"Creative license, Lucas! I see that we need to revise the script. It's going to be a lot more action-oriented! I can see it now!" He spread his hands wide as if picturing a banner. "Kotorin Ninja Protector!"

"No, no! Samurai!"

The argument continued into the early hours of the morning.


"Satomi, are you really planning on dating that guy you met at the skiing circle?"

"Is there a problem with that?" she asked, eyebrow raised.

Jinko looked at her feet and kicked a stone in the path. "Well, he kind of reminds me of that Class A guy you went out with during senior year."

Her friend smiled. "Yes, he does to me, too."

Whatever Jinko was about to say in response was forgotten when they exited campus and encountered another pal from high school.

"Kin-chan!"

"Baka-Kin!"

"Wha-what!" The sleeping youth awoke and sprang off the bench at the bus stop, all four limbs flailing, eyes wide. Satomi and Jinko took several steps backward, making sure to stay out of range.

"What the heck's got into you, Kin-chan?" Jinko asked bluntly.

"Yes!" Satomi snorted. "You were out like a light, just like a bum with an alcohol problem."

Jinko leaned closer and sniffed loudly. "You haven't been sneaking Aihara-san's sake, have you?"

"What do you take me for?" he roared in disgust. "These lips," he pointed to the two on his face that were flapping in the breeze at the moment, "will not touch liquor until I drink a toast at my wedding to Kotoko!"

"It's going to be a dry few decades for this one," Satomi stage-hissed to her friend.

Oblivious, Jinko decided to inquire further. "So, have you heard from her?"

Kinnosuke wilted before their eyes and sank back down on the bench. "No-o-o!" he howled. "And I went to Kobe early yesterday to surprise her and waited and waited and WAITED in front of her house! No one came to the door, no matter how long or loud I knocked. I almost missed the last train back. I just thought I'd rest my eyes a bit before heading to work at her dad's place."

"Dimwit!" Satomi scoffed. When he beetled his brows at her, she admonished him, "You always jump off without a plan." She pulled out her phone and tapped it several times. After a few seconds it buzzed, and she sighed after reading it. "Kotoko is away at a tennis camp. If you had bothered to check her schedule…"

"C'mon, Satomi," Jinko slapped her back. "You can't expect to teach an old dog new tricks!"

"Who ya callin' a dog?!" Kinnosuke leaped back to his feet ferociously.

The girls appeared unfazed by his posturing. "It's your money to waste," Satomi retorted as she turned and headed to the train station.

"Yeah, Kin-chan!" Jinko reminded him, "now you've got to start saving up again!"

He crossed one leg over the other and rested an elbow on a knee. "Next time!" he vowed. "Next time!"