A/N: Minna,san! I must apologize completely for running like that! I really, really want to write this chapter and update a little sooner, however, second semester started and BAM! I couldn't get back to it. Gomen..

To pokemondemon369-sama, thank you very much. I appreciated it. I hope you will find my other chapters entertaining as well.

To asakociel-sama, thank you to you too. Same as pokemondemon369-san, I hope you will find the next chapters entertaining.

Both of you.. this chapter is dedicated to you.

Disclaimer: Prince of tennis is not mine. But Ryoma-sama is... in my mind.


Hotaru stood at the center of her room. She tried to walk with her *geta, however, it is so hard for her to lift herself up with her get up. Looking down to herself, Hotaru's impassive self broke and called out to her maid, "Maria!"

Her maid went to her aid at the instant. "What happened, milady?"

"Uhmm, can I take off the geta?" she asked the maid.

The maid's expression went from worry to angry, "No, milady! The outfit will not be completed with a wooden shoes. Besides that, you could not use any kinds of shoes such as rubber shoes, sandals-"

"But I am not," she interject.

"flats.. No can do," the maid pant with her long speech.

"I am going to wear a **tabi and ***zori. I am more comfortable with those. And I can hide my feet with them," she said calmly, already back to deadpan expression and tone.

The maid wonders a little, "Okay, milady. I shall fetch what you need for you."

Hotaru ignored her. She let the maid go while she walked in her carpeted room, bare feet and with heavy kimono on her body.

Before she even get up in the morning, several maids are already in her room readying what she needs that day. Because it's in the middle of the week, Hotaru could not get into her kimono until she come home at three.

When she arrived, they lead her to the bathroom and she's surprised to see petals.. yes, petals, floating in the bathtub. They wash her thoroughly with oil and milk - yes, another unbelievable thing to use in the bath - and she went from one servant to the other. They made her up, did her hair—curled it, tugged here and there, make it in two small buns, put on a ****kanzashi and colorful chopsticks - if anyone could see how they made it, you'll stare with amazement on how they did it.

They put her kimono, then the *****obi, which took hours, luckily, the party won't start until eight.

Now, standing in front of the big mirror wall as her mind wander somewhere else, her maid returned with her footwear. Maria helped her put them on as she cannot bend because of her clothing, and she feels like a pregnant woman who has a burden in her body.

Another maid knocked on the door, "Yes?"

"Milady, your escort is here," the maid gazed at her mistress for so long, she didn't catch what the mistress said. "I-I'm sorry, milady, I didn't get what you said."

"Hn," she murmured. "Please wait for me downstairs."

When the other maid is out of earshot, Hotaru asked Maria, "Do I look alright?"

"You are in your greatest, milady," she answered with whole sincerity. It's the truth though. Her lady is very beautiful even without the make up. Her porcelain skin, small, upturned nose, delicate mouth, natural red-pink lips. And her eyes, with those long eyelashes and the deepest dark irises contrasted her white skin, encased inside her pretty face.. The mascara highlighted her thick lashes. All in all, she's like a very beautiful maiden, but Maria knew what the others think of her mistress. A beautiful doll. Expressionless. Devoid of any emotion. However, she knew the truth about her because she stayed with her since the girl is seven. And for Maria, her mistress is the most brilliant sun, shining for everyone to see.

Her mistress nodded, then walk out the door. Maria trailed behind her.

Hotaru's hands shake nervously. This is the second time she's going to see him again after that meeting in their engagement. She walked like a princess, but her tensing shoulders indicates that she feels otherwise. As she walked down the stairs from their house in Tokyo, Hotaru bit her lips to stop a tremble.

Once she enter the receiving room, Atobe, her father, and her father's butler stood. She scanned the room and her eyes met Atobe's briefly. She looked away to avoid anymore contact with him.

"Hotaru," her father's hard voice snapped her to attention. "You do not make others wait for you."

"Yes, father," she answered like a robot. Her father just glared at her before turning to Atobe again.

"Then you could have her tonight," it's innocent, really. But the way the words were said makes Hotaru think that her father is renting her to Atobe as a whore. This thought makes her gut clench. She tried to relax and control her facial expressions.

"This way," Atobe turned his back and lead her out. He didn't even take another look at her, and he ignored her throughout the ride.


When they arrived at the Tanaka's residence, the driver of the limo got out and opened the door for them, Atobe wait for her as she get out off the car and has the decency to offer his right arm to her. And she took them, of course. It's a chance, and she shouldn't disregard any chances she has with him.

The announcer announced that they arrived. Sweeping off the floor with her gaze, it landed on Murosaki and Shiro. Hotaru secretly grinned as the two are in a serious mode talking about something and have their own little world.

"Hotaru-chan!" a very scandalous screeched of Reina's voice went unheard as the loud noise of the music coming from the speaker overlapped it. She gripped Hotaru's hands and gave her a bear hug before turning to her friend's date. "Nice meeting you, Atobe-san!"

"Nice meeting you, too, beautiful lady," he reached for Reina's hand and plant a kiss on it. Hotaru ignored the pain crossed in her chest.

"I am Tanaka Reina, the princess of Tanaka family," she bowed to them. "Hotaru-chan, everyone is here, I want you two to follow me in the table I reserved for you."


Atobe stared at the girl's retreating form, his fiancée follow suit. Doesn't know what to do, he follow them too. They came to a big table with three other girls and their dates. And some other guys his age or younger.

When they saw his fiancée, they stand and greet her. One of the guy reached out to her and did exactly what Atobe did earlier - kissed the back of Hotaru's hand. Then another guy hugged her. Atobe's mood darkened. He doesn't understand why. He should not feel this way even though the said girl is his fiancée. Why? Because he doesn't like her. A little. Hn.

When he saw his little fiancée emerged from upstairs to the receiving area, he could swear he saw a princess walking down to greet a lowly people. But then he remembered that he is not lowly. Contrary to that, he is a king with a capital K. It's just that she's so beautiful. No, ethereal. Elegant. To try to hide his discomfort and attraction, he turned his back and ignored her.

Then he thought, if I am this very disturbed with the appearance of my little fiancee, what about the other guys in the party? And so, he wait for her and offered his arm. So why then these people surround her as if trying to push him back away from her?

Annoyed, he grabbed her free hand and sit her in a chair, then sit beside her. Noticing the gesture, the Midnight Tennis, except for the oblivious Hotaru, approved Atobe as they regard him with their eyes.

"This is Yanagi Yuto," Reina indicated to the man sitting at the other side of Hotaru. "His family owns a chains of ryokan across Japan." The guy nod at him.

"Yanagi?" he voice out.

"Yes," the other guy pushed his glasses up to his nose. "Yanagi of Rikkaidai is my cousin."

"Hn," he nodded in pleasure.

"This is Matsumoto Riku. His family centered on airlines."

"Nice to meet you, Atobe-san," the guy said. "Please dance with Ho-chan later."

Ho-chan? Why does that sound familiar? "Same," he said, not commenting at the last sentence.

"Uhmm," Reina hesitated, feeling the change in the atmosphere. "This is my brother, Tanaka Shiro. As you know, our family kill trees-" when Shiro glared at her, she said hurriedly, "I mean, we do papers."

"This is Murosaki Kame," a black-haired beside Shiro smiled at him, although her eyes tells her feeling is different. "Beside her is Oda Mafuyu." Another girl, this time, with glasses that glinted like Tezuka's, looked at him cooly.

A blond girl smiled at him, so bright that he thought he's going blind, "I am Lovel Mizuki, nice meeting you."

"Nice meeting you too, sweet lady," he complimented her, but he felt the change, rather than see, on her face. The girl frowned at him. Atobe doesn't know if these girls were poisoned by Kinomichi's deadly fangs, if she ever has one. No robot be a snake, but then, what did he know?

"I am Hanamichi Souta," a guy said, beside Mizuki.

"And I am Oda Nobu," a quiet guy said.

"She's my onii-chan," Mafuyu offered, but everyone ignored her.

"Nice meeting you everyone. As a formality, may I introduce my self. I am Atobe Keigo, the heir of the Atobe enterprise and the king of the world."


Hotaru beside him blanched as she heard what he said. She look at her friends' faces. The boys carefully hide their thoughts in their face masks, but the girls made sounds between snorts and muffled laughter.

Murosaki who always seems to have her PMS, glared at Atobe who smirked. Mizuki, who is drinking her juice, coughed up and almost choke with it. Reina, who is going to sit beside Murosaki, missed the chair and bump her behind on the floor. While Oda laughed so hard, everyone look at their table.

The guys stand and help Reina, while Oda, another serious in the group, tried to stop her laugh. "Oh, gosh.. oh gosh..haha..haha.."

Everyone frowned at her, Tanaka's parents are approaching. "What happened dear?" A very concerned Mrs. Tanaka said.

"There is a little misunderstanding," Shiro replied to her mother. "Sorry about that, mom."

The woman smiled at them gently, "It's okay. Although, do you mind telling us what is funny, Oda-san?"

The older Oda rushed in, "My sister laughed because she remembers a humorous part of the book she's reading earlier this morning, Tanaka-basan."

"Oh, really," she nodded. "Okay then, please refrain on reading too much, Oda-san. You may want to gain knowledge by reading, but it will affect you somehow. In a different way." Indicating that's she's going to a mental hospital if ever.

"Yes, Tanaka-basan," she answered, serious again.


A/N: Sorry if this is too short. I want to continue more, but I know that you guys are already waiting for it to update. I wouldn't want you guys to wait so long.

The other half of the party will be on the next chapter.

I thought I can write a satisfying chapter, however, this one could be a bit boring. Again, gomen ne.

*geta- the wooden sandals Japanese use when they go to festivals with their Kimono or Yukata on.

**tabi- like a socks put in the feet used as a part of the kimono dress.

***zori- a flat slippers used with kimonos and yukatas instead of the usual geta

****kanzashi- a flower or ribbons put in a woman's head in Japan as a part of the accessories.

*****obi- sash

Yes, well that's it. I may be updating very slowly from now on, but please still look forward to my Amnesia.