Author's Note: I deeply apologize for the super late update! I hope I didn't lose my readers...Hope you guys love this chapter and please leave a review! Arigatou!

Disclaimer: I certainly do not own Prince of Tennis


Bittersweet Love Story

"She's like a bitter sweet fruit that he can't pick yet until it has ripened…"


Chapter Eight

Love or Friendship

It's a beautiful Monday morning. The air just got colder and breezy since the autumn already started, the leaves are starting to get dry and fall off from the trees' branches.

The classes haven't started yet so Hikari spends time in the tennis courts and with her friends sharing weekend stories. She got nothing to share since she just stayed in the house because her bestfriend, who usually go out with her on weekends, spent time with a certain sugar-freak leaving her alone.

"So, Miyabe-senpai, how's your weekend date with Marui-senpai?" Aya asked the red haired girl.

"It's great, we went to Disneyland!" Miyabe answered gleefully and started telling them what happened with their date. What they did in the famed theme park and how thoughtful and sweet Marui is towards her.

Hikari doesn't want to hear her stories anymore because it only pains her heart as if a knife stabs it continuously nearly torturing it. She just realized that she doesn't really hate the sugar freak and in fact she's in love with him. Maybe she's been in love with him ever since they were younger but she just suppressed her own feelings because she keeps on telling herself that she hates the red-haired sugar freak.

"Jealous," Christine whispered to her ears. She turned to the punk girl and pierce her with a death glare that made to younger teen shiver.


Two weeks quickly past since the day that Marui and Miyabe started dating. Seeing them together just make her heartache so much because of too much jealously. She seldom spends time with Miyabe and Marui doesn't try to talk to her any more. They live under one roof but she rarely see him and she just miss him so much.

It's already almost midnight, the full moon rise up high in the cloudless atramentous heaven with the stars twinkling brightly. Hikari sits alone in the gazebo looking up at the dark heaven, cool breeze blows and touch her soft skin making her shiver and embrace herself.

She can't sleep so she decided to go out and just watch the beautiful night sky, waiting for a meteor that may grant her wish. What will she wish anyways? To make Miyabe fall out of love with Marui? Or make Marui fall in love with her? She inhaled deeply, that's so selfish of her to think of those things.

A bark sounded and she saw Marui's dog staring at her with his tongue out. The dog walk towards her, she gulped hard, she's still afraid of dogs especially a huge dog like that. She stiffened when the dog finally reach her and sits just a few inches away from her.

To her surprise, the dog brush his head on her legs sweetly like he's comforting her. Her fur are thick but soft against her skin, she felt that something warm touch her heart as doggy Hikari cuddles her. She can't help but touch her fur with her hands with a smile on her lips.

She feels good being with the dog as if she found a new friend that wanted to console her. She stoop down. "Hello there, Hikari?" she greeted the dog and she answered with a loud bark then she started licking her face. "It tickles!"she shrieked but she just continue licking her. She laughed out loud and lay down on the grass, doggy Hikari strangles her and keeps on licking her face enthusiastically.

"Hikari!" It was Marui's voice, she saw him standing just a few feet away from them. She didn't know who he had call, she or the dog? But doggy Hikari stopped playing with her and run towards his master.

"Hikari, you are still awake?" he asked her.

She sat up and shrugged. "Obviously, I am."

Marui shook his head and chuckle. "You are still as stubborn as ever."

"This is me, I will not change myself," she answered.

Marui stride towards her and then sit near her with doggy Hikari in between them. They just silently sit there on the bermuda grass and look up at the atramentous heaven...

She broke their silence after a while, "Marui, please take care of Miyabe..." she said but her eyes are still fixed up in the sky, continuously gazing at the full moon. "She's my bestfriend and I want her to be happy."

Marui turned his head towards her and stare at her tenderly. If she only knew my true feelings, if she only knew that everything is just an act...he thought.

"Please, Marui, promise me that you will not hurt her."

"I promise."

Hikari turned and face him, "If you won't keep that promise, I will assure you that I will make you suffer, Marui Bunta."

Marui chuckled. "I wouldn't dare."

Cool wind gushed making both of them shiver and cuddle doggy Hikari. "It's cold!" they both complained in unison. They laughed together heartily. "I think we should go back inside," Marui said.

"Yeah, I think we should," she agreed.

Marui stood up first and offered his hand to her. She looked at his hand a bit hesitant if she will take it but she still did. When their skin touch, she felt as if electricity run through her veins making her heart beat faster.

As he pulls her up, she felt as if her legs were wobbly and lose her balance. She was about to fall back and hit the ground but Marui secure her head with his arm and fall with her. Now he was on top of her. A loud gasp came out from her mouth.

"Careful," he said sultry with a glint in his beautiful magenta eyes. Her chocolate brown orbs look back at him, straight to his eyes and she saw tenderness behind them.

Their position was so intimate making her heart beat crazily against her chest, she's almost breathless. Their bodies were closely pressed against each other and their faces were just a few inches away from each other.

As fast as a blink of the eyes, his soft lips crushed hers. She was startled and her eyes widened but she didn't pull back, instead she just close her eyes and kissed him back urging him to deepen the kiss. He pressed his body closer to her, his hand on her waist while her arms encircled his nape pulling it lower as her hand touch his soft locks. His playful lips against hers felt heavenly especially when his tongue started to move and traced her lips pleading for entrance...she obeyed, she parted her lips and welcome him. Their tongue wrestled against each other not wanting to be dominated. o_O

Her heart felt warmth, being this close with him and kissing him just felt so right. Miyabe, she suddenly remembered her bestfriend, then she pulled away. What kind of friend is she?

Her eyes were wide as she looks back at Marui, did she just kiss him. It's so wrong! Marui was looking at her tenderly. She pushed him away and stood up. "Hikari..." he called her and get on his feet. He reached out and was about to touch her but she slap his hand away.

"Why did you kiss me?!" she almost screamed.

"But you kissed me back." She blushed brighter.

"I-I...this is wrong, you are dating Miyabe and I am her bestfriend!"

Marui held her shoulders and look at her sternly. "Hikari, listen Miyabe and I are-"

"Stop! You just said that you wouldn't hurt her but you just did! I hate you!" She slap his cheek and tears stream down her cheeks. "I hate myself, I'm the worst..." she choked.

"Hikari, listen to me!"

"No, I don't want to listen to you!" She run away from him and lock herself inside her room.

A knock sounded and she heard Marui's voice. "Hikari, let's talk, please."

"Leave me alone!" Hikari just lay down on her bed and cover herself with her blanket tears continuously falling from her eyes.


"Good morning Hikari," Cassie greeted Hikari when she saw her auburn haired friend silently sitting on the bleacher all alone that cold morning. Cassie sat beside her. "It's very unusual for you to go to school this early." There's still an hour before the class starts.

"Why, am I not allowed?" Hikari responded with a raised eyebrow.

Cassie chuckled. "Of course you are, girl. Still feisty aren't we? Now, answer me, why are you early today?"

She shrugged. "I just want to," she answered nonchalantly. But the truth is that she just doesn't want to see Marui because of what happened last night. "How about you? You don't really go to school this early."

"Well, I just woke up early today that's all," the raven haired girl answered with a smile and stare at her for a while, then suddenly she laughed. "You got big eye bags, did you even sleep? You look like a panda, girl!" Cassie was expecting a scowl from her feisty friend but it didn't come.

Instead, she just kept silent and stare at her blankly and the next thing that happen, the feisty girl before her is shedding tears "Hey, I was just teasing you!"

Hikari didn't stop and just continue crying, "I'm the worst friend..."she said in between her sobs.

"What do you mean?" she asked with a knotted forehead as she rub her back, Cassie was just so puzzled.

Hikari inhaled deeply and wipe her tears away but her tears wouldn't stop falling. "I-I...I'm in love with Marui."

"Oh."

Her head jerk up and she turned to Cassie."Oh? That's all you can say?" she eyed her incredulously.

Cassie just stare at her blankly. "What do you want me to say?"

"Aren't you even going to tell me anything, reprimand me if you want. I didn't expect to receive an 'Oh' as a reaction from you. I'm in love with my bestfriend's boyfriend and we even kissed last night! I'm a mean friend, a traitor, do you understand that, Cassie?!" she shouted at her friend.

"So you want me to say mean things to you like 'you are a bitch' or 'you are a back stabber'?"

"Cassie!" she just can't believe this friend of hers.

"What? Hikari, I've always know that you don't really hate him and that in fact you are in love with him," Cassie said matter-of-factly. And this is all Miyabe's plan so you didn't really do anything mean to her,she wanted to add but she didn't, she will let Miyabe tell her the truth.

"Y-you do?" she was taken aback.

"I do and don't ask me why anymore, I'm a tensai, Hikari," Cassie boasted.

"Tensai your face! You just know because we were in the same situation, you also keep on making yourself believe that you hate Atobe but you really don't because you are in love with him!" Hikari pointed out and wipe her tears away.

"Correction, we are not in the same situation. Unlike you who made yourself believe that you hate Marui but deep inside your heart you love him all along, but me, I made myself believe that I hate Atobe because I was just jealous of him because he's the top student. But now we are okay, we are now friends. You see, we have different situation, we are not in the same boat, Hikari," Cassie explained making her roll her eyes.

"In denial," Hikari insisted.

"Hey I am not the issue here, you were the one who was in denial."

She exhaled deeply. "Yeah I was and I regret it, but I will keep denying, for Miyabe.I don't want to hurt her."

"Actually you really don't have to," Cassie said. Since everything is just an act.

"What?" her eyes were wide as she glare at Cassie." Do you want me to tell Miyabe that I'm in love with Marui? Come on, I can't hurt her!"

"Oh well, Hikari you know...how should I say this...Miyabe is...actually..."

"What are you trying to say?" she scowled at her. "Wait, Miyabe is coming! Let's talk later."

"Ohayou!" Miyabe greeted with a huge smile. Hikari look away, she can't look at her bestfriend without feeling guilty.

"Hey, Miyabe, ohayou gozaimasu!" Cassie greeted energetically.

"Ohayou Cassie! And hey Hikari, why so gloomy today?"

She heaved a sigh and face her. "O-ohayou, Miyabe."

"What's with the bulgy eyes and eye bags? You watched dvds again, didn't you!"

She force a smile and nodded. "Yes, I did." She can never hurt a friend like her.


"La..la la..." Hikari continue twirling and humming on her own little world she was very distraught she can't get Marui and Miyabe out of her mind. It comes to the point that she just really wanted to pull out her hair out off its wits. They kissed! Not just a simple smack on the lips but a very sensual and deep kiss. Sugar freak and her! Behind Miyabe's back her bestfriend of all people! She was a horrible friend and she hate herself for kissing the man her bestfriend was dating.

Yes she loves him. And that kiss was spur in the moment! "Yes, that's it that kiss was just a spur in a moment I could justify my action with that reason yeah!" Hikari said pumping her fist in the air but then she slump back to sulking again this is just sooo lame!

" WATCH OUT" Hikari turn up only to be smack by a flying soccer ball straight to her face. The display made her schoolmates howl laugh at Hikari who was knocked flat on the ground.

"Did you see that?" A girl chided.

"Tudou-san was knocked down!"

"She's a tennis player it should have been easy for her to dodge it, so lame!" another girl remarked mockingly.

"That's what she get from being absent minded hahahaha" the others continue to make fun of her.

Hikari moved and sit down."I'm so epically lame..." Hikari muttered looking down on her hands, her face flushed in embarrassment tears gathering on the side of her eyes. She would normally be angry and defend herself but this time she don't know why whenever she want to say anything her throat so dry she can't even say a word. All because of last night! Now she was not just a guilty driven girl sulking she also looks so lame...

"Oh it was you Tudou..." Hikari look up and saw a girl standing before her wearing the soccer's team uniform. She knows this girl, Tsubasa Yumiko, the captain of soccer team and she was her classmate until her third year in middle school. She doesn't like this girl because she's a bitch with a capital B with an ITCH! She's her number one bully back in middle school who always makes fun of her and calls her fat girl.

Only one person defended her from this bitch, Miyabe. Because of Miyabe she learned to be strong and never let anyone to look down on her not only to defend herself but also for her bestfriend who's always there by her side. But what did she do? She betrayed her!

Tsubasa picked the ball that had hit her and raised it between her forearm and hips, her eyes looking down on her with with a wicked smile. "Here I thought that you already change but you are still that lame cry baby fat girl."

"Hey you!" She suddenly heard Miyabe's high pitched voice. She saw her striding forward then she stood between her and Tsubasa. "You are the one who never changed, you are the same bitchy bully!"

An evil grin formed in Tsubasa's lips. "Yeah I'm still the same bitchy bully that will never like a lame fat girl and a bastard girl like you, the rich man's daughter with a prostitute..." Miyabe's face paled.

Upon hearing Tsubasa's harsh word towards her bestfriend, Hikari stood up and shoved the girl forcefully against a tree. Her brown orbs were sharp and fuming as she glare deadly at Tsubasa. "Don't ever say another word against Miyabe or you'll definitely regret it," she hissed angrily.

"I am just stating the truth!" Tsubasa glare back at her.

"Learn to hold your tongue, bitch!"

"Whatever!"

"Hey, let go of our captain!" The members of the soccer club are surrounding them.

"You two are from the tennis club, Tudou and Akutagawa, why are you bullying our captain!"

Hikari scowled at the soccer club members. "She's the one who started it, she kicked a ball straight to my face and she's saying hurtful words againts me and my bestfriend!"

"But it's not reasonable enough to to push her!" A tall girl said.

Hikari glared at them. "Why is it reasonable to kick a ball on someone's face and instead of apologizing she even say bad thing against us!"

"Come on, Hikari let go of her." Miyabe pulled her away from Tsubasa who was still glaring at her as she dust off her uniform. "You don't want to have detention, right?"

She will not let anyone say anything bad against Miyabe, she will not let anyone hurt her bestfriend...and deep inside her heart she was so guilty of what she did behind her back.

"You are both lame," Tsubasa said and turned to her teammates. "Come on girls, back to practice."

Hikari was about to charge in but Miyabe pulled her. "Why you are really a bitch!" Tsubasa just gave her a bitchy crook smile.

"Enough already Hikari!" Miyabe dragged her away before they even have more trouble.

"I can't let that bitch say anything against you!"

"She's right that she's just stating facts...I really am a pr-" Miyabe sighed deeply, "Idon't want to talk about that anymore…" she eventually smile, " But what she said to you was a lie, you are not a lame cry baby fat girl anymore! Just look at you, you are slim and strong!"

A wide smile formed in her lips. "Yeah and that's all because of you, Miyabe." She embraced her tightly. She will never hurt her and she will forget her love for Marui...

xoxoxo

"What's with you Hikari don't torture your cake! If you don't like it, then give it me!" Cassie said upon seeing her friend stabbing her cake. They were in a famous bakeshop that Hikari's family own.

"I hate that Tsubasa!" she shrieked.

"Tsubasa? Who is this Tsubasa guy? Do you like him?" Cassie teased while stirring the left over on her parfait.

"Urgh Cassie! Tsubasa is a girl! Tsubasa Yumiko! And she's a bitch!I hate her before and I hate her now and forever!" Hikari said stabbing her poor sponge cake.

Cassie is confused, "Huh? The captain of the soccer club? What did she do?"

"She kicked a ball straight to my face and knocked me down! Instead of saying 'sorry' she said harsh words towards me and Miyabe! I can't let that pass. It's been a while since the last time that I encountered her that's why I am thankful that our campus is really big. Clashing against her again brings back bad memories."

"Bad memories?" Christine asked.

Miyabe speaks. "Well, you know that during middle school Hikari is a bit chubby and Tsubasa always bully her...

"And Miyabe-senpai was the one who protects her?" Aya inquired.

"Yes that's why I was really angry when she said something foul agaist Miyabe. I can never forgive her!"

"Oh...It's Hikari-chan..."

Hikari blushed, she know that voice it was...

"Bunta!" Miyabe called out to her 'boyfriend' cheerfully upon seeing him approaching.

"You okay?" Marui asked softly his hand holding her shoulders firmly making her feel weak in the knees.

Hikari shoved him away from her looking away, "Y-Yeah I'm fine so quit touching me!" she mumbled.

"Huh?" Marui said.

"Hey minna-san..." Hikari turned to look up it was Mayu. She was here together with sugar freak? Come to think of it they're here and still wearing their Rikkai uniform.

"Hey it's Mayu...what are you doing here with Bunta!" Miyabe huffed.

"Well...I was so curious about the new nursery just near here so I asked if I could go with Bunta and after that he said he was going to meet his lovely girlfriend so I decided to go along too!" Mayu replied while cupping her cheeks while implying something about the 'girlfriend' thing.

"Hikari-senpai what're ya doing there? Sit down!" Christine said to her friend while tapping the empty sit next to her.

"Y-Yeah.." Hikari sits down next to her punked friend her lively personality earlier was totally gone.

"Hey what happen to you Hikari-senpai you were so lively earlier cursing Tsubasa-san so why so silent now.." Aya teased.

"Tsubasa?" Marui asked.

"Woah Tsubasa? What a cool name!" Mayu added in. "Tell me is he handsome?" the only Rikkai girl asked the girls.

"She's a girl, Mayu-senpai," Aya answered.

"Too bad..." Mayu grumbled.

"Oh..she's our schoolmate...Tsubasa did something to Hikari that she couldn't forgive so...she has been cursing her since before you and Mayu came..." Miyabe informed her 'boyfriend'.

"So this Tsubasa what did she do to Hikari exactly..." Marui asked out of the blue making the girls look at him.

"None of your business!" Hikari blurted out

"What?! It's my business you know! We're friends right! Childhood friend to be exact so why can't I worry about you.." Marui shouted back at her.

"Well my business isn't your business anymore..." Just care with Miyabe! That's what she wanted to say but of course she couldn't possibly tell him that!

"Well anyway I heard that the school festival in Hyoutei is getting near, what are you gonna do with it?" It was Mayu who break the awkward silence after Hikari's outburst.

"Well the 'supreme student council' decided that we do a United Nations themed festival." Cassie answered.

"I can still remember our school festival..." Mayu said wickedly. "Marui played as Cinderella's step sister!

Marui blushed, "Mayu! Don't reminisce that horrific moment!

"Yeah, I remember!" Cassie giggled. "Aya and I were there as well as Yuushi. Akaya was Cinderella, it was an epic!"

"Wa! Too bad I didn't see that?!" Miyabe nearly screamed.

"Hey Hikari-senpai, you okay?"

"Y-Yeah Aya I'm fine..." Hikari replied thriftly. Marui was staring at her making her uneasy, seeing him just makes her remember the kiss that they shared. How can she avoid him if they have the same group of friends and most of all they live in the same house.

"So Marui and Mayu, just inform the others to attend our cultural festival that will happen on the day after tomorrow, it will be grand! I assure that as the council's vice president," Cassie said proudly.

"We will never miss it, right Bunta?"

Marui's eyes were just focused on Hikari. "Yeah, I will never miss it..."


"Miyabe, we have to talk now." Cassie cornered the red head right after their council meeting. Both of them are members of the Supreme Student Council in their Academy and just Atobe called a meeting to discuss and settle everything for the upcoming Cultural Festival that will happen tomorrow.

"Okay," she answered and they march towards Cassie's office.

"You saw Hikari and I together yesterday morning, right?" Cassie started.

Miyabe nodded. "Yeah, why?"

The raven-haired girl grabbed both of her hands. "I wanted to tell you this personally since yesterday but you were always with Hikari.,"

"What's up?"

Cassie grasped both of her hands. " Your plan worked! Hikari finally realized her feelings for Marui, mission accomplished, Miyabe!" Cassie cheered gleefully.

"R-really, t-that's great, Cassie," she replied.

"All we have to do now is to tell her the truth that you and Marui are not really together. She felt so guilty thinking that she's being a mean friend for loving your 'boyfriend' if you only see how hurt she was, Miyabe..." Cassie frowned at her friend who was suppose to be rejoicing the way she is but instead she looks gloomy.

Suddenly, it hit her, Miyabe is also in love with the sugar-freak! "Miyabe, you are in love with him!" it was not a question but a statement.

Tears suddenly pooled the face of the younger Akutagawa. "I didn't mean to fall in love with him, it just happen so fast." Miyabe embraced her tightly and she rub her back trying to console her.

When she calmed down, she pulled away and dried her tears. She inhaled deeply before speaking. "Remember when I told Hikari that I admire Marui ever since middle school? That's true..." Miyabe smiled bitterly. "Jirou-nii talks about him all time, everyone knows that he idolize him and I got curious about him. I research about him trying to figure out why my onii-san adore him a lot. When I saw how he plays tennis I understood why he adores Marui and I eventually adore him secretly. I kept distant knowing that Hikari wouldn't like it if ever I will get near him. I suppress my feelings and I thought that it's already gone but during the time that we acted that we are dating, my admiration towards him was revived and it eventually became deeper, I fell in love with him...I didn't plan this to happen..." she started crying again. "What should I do?"

Cassie held her shoulders and look at her tenderly, "Miyabe, we both know that Marui is in love with Hikari and now Hikari just realized that she's in love with him. You are the mastermind of this charade. Don't ask me what you should do because I know that you know it. Do the right thing."

Miyabe nodded. "I-I don't want to hurt Hikari, I love her and I will not ruin our friendship..."


Special Thanks to my good my friend Shirahane Aikawa for helping me out.

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