Hi! That was an unexpected plan right? Well, things will be quite different from here on. Read and find out. Domo… ^_^

French Open info: I am currently watching the fourth round replay match between Rafael Nadal and Ken Nishikori... aww dang... I am watching two of my favorite players and I don't know who to cheer... I knew who won already and I am quite satisfied... even though... he didn't win... sign... Go for the quarter finals... Go! Go! Go!

DISCLAIMER: I am not Konomi Takeshi-sensei so I am not the one who created the Prince of Tennis. Also, I am not a boy.

johanna – Well… Its Riku Harada, the one that you are talking about in D N angel. Riku here is an O.C requested by a fellow reader of the fic named Neko Kyuketsuki HyuugaUchiha.

Yana19 – Tee hee hee... you are right... Ryoma is just him after all. And it is definitely hard to play and sing with the violin at the same time... Well, Ryoma's original plan is supposed to be to take her out from that hell. He wanted to talk to Kaito to clear things up to him… meaning that he would take custody of her for a while until she learns on how to defend herself… but because of Sakuno's defending words to her step-brother, he got offended and changed his plan. He would teach her a lesson in a way that she didn't expect… well how it goes… here… You will know what happen next in this chapter... ^_^

Chapter 10: The Outcome

Chapter Summary: He changed. After all that happened everything changed between them. And… she was worried about

"One set match! Naruse to serve!" Momiji announced the start of the game.

Everyone in the court gathered around the fence as they watched the unexpected match between Kaito and Ryoma. It was late that the regulars and some students who could only witness the game. Sakuno was still shocked as she walked her way to the side of the court, worriedly watching the two. As they stared at them, she suddenly remembered the reason why did they have that game in the first place.

Flashback:

"S-slave?" her eyes widened as she heard him say that. She couldn't believe that Ryoma could say something like that to her step-brother. He was standing in front of her. Somehow, seeing his back like that was amazing that she didn't know the reason why.

He looked cool.

"You want her to be your slave?" Kaito smirked as he heard that from him.

"That's what I mean." he smirked back at him.

Kaito placed his racket on his shoulder, "I like the idea actually, I would have given her to you without having this match. She's just a pain."

Sakuno was hurt at Kaito's words. After all the effort and hard work that she had done to his team, he still couldn't appreciate it, let alone he still couldn't appreciate her. She couldn't please the guy that she tried to get attention to. She looked down because of that.

"But I won't miss this chance of having a match with you."

Ryoma smirked when he said that, "I'll keep her after this."

"Heh, you are so full of yourself, "Kaito smirked back, "You can only be her slave for a month. She'll be returning to me after that."

"That's fine with me."

"If I win," Kaito said, "You'll stop joining all tennis competitions in the world."

"Deal." He said without any hint of hesitation.

She didn't like what she heard. She felt like a thing that they needed to win. She was a price to begin with anyway. Also, Ryoma was willing to sacrifice his freedom about joining any competition if he lost the match today. Gripping her hands tight, she tried to convince Ryoma as she approached him;

"E-echizen-san… p-please… don't do this…"

"Stay out of this," He said not even looking at her, "And don't interrupt me while I am playing if you don't want me to blame you if I lost."

Her eyes widened when he said that. His voice was cold, his treatment was cold, and his answer was cold. He was cold. He was a different person that she was seeing right now. She was hurt as she looked down. She then noticed him walked further to the court so that they could start the game.

The sound of a ball being hit made her return from her thoughts. The game had started and they began rallying. Ryoma was refreshing as well as Kaito. Both reactions were serious as they hit the ball back and forth to their sides.

They were adjusting to themselves yet until Kaito smirked as he hit an unexpected shot. Ryoma's eyes were dilated. The ball passed him that he didn't notice. He looked back at him and saw the ball outside the white line. He looked back at him;

"Yarujan." He smirked at him.

"15-love!" Momiji announced.

"You haven't seen everything yet." Kaito said standing straight on his position.

"Let me see them all then."

They continued the first game. Ryoma admitted that he was such a strong opponent. He had barely returned some of his hits. He was on his reverie when another ball passed him;

"One game to love! Naruse!" Momiji announced.

Kaito smirked, "What? Is that all you've got? What happened to the number one tennis player in the world?"

Ryoma looked at him for a while. Kaito was enjoying mocking him but he hadn't seen anything yet. He raised his racket and pointed it to him, "Mada mada dane!"

Everyone was shocked at his signature catchphrase. Even Sakuno was shocked at him first. She never expected anything like that. Well, she hadn't seen him play this serious before. Whatever he did on this game might be a shock to everyone.

"Naruse, after this…" he said his racket still pointing at him, "Your step-sister will be mine."

She was surprised at his words. She hugged her own racket. Actually, she didn't know what to feel. Somehow, she was scared of the possible outcome of the match. She hoped that no one could win the game but she knew that it was impossible.

If her step-brother won the match, things would get back to normal. Kaito would be punishing her more. After what happened that night where Ryoma found her dark secret, Kaito became crueler to her. He was pissed like he wanted her dead. The worst was Ryoma had to do the part of their deal and it was her to blame if that happened. But, if Ryoma won the game, she would be his slave for a month. What was the young guy thinking? Why slave? What was his plan? Was it the way of him helping her getting out of the hell she was in?

…To be his slave?

Wasn't it any difference than her secret?

She was scared. Whatever the outcome or the result of the game, she was scared.

Unknown to her, Idai and Ginou was looking at her. They saw her tremble from her position. They felt sorry for the girl; they wanted to help her too but how? She was their captain's step-sister. They didn't have the right to mind their captain's business.

Only this guy with lots of confidence dared their captain to enter his business and butted in.

It was Ryoma's turn this time. He dribbled the tennis ball to his side before preparing his serve. He hit the ball and went to the other side of the court.

Kaito blinked twice. It was fast that he didn't see it coming. He did see it when it was next to his face. He instantly hit it with his racket but it was being thrown behind him.

Everyone was shocked at the sudden hit.

"I-it aimed at buchou's face?" Minato said.

"That's the famous twist serve we are hearing about," Haku looked at Minato, "It was my first time seeing it."

"F-fifteen-love!" Momiji stuttered. Even him, was a bit shocked at his service ace.

He smirked at their reaction as he dribbled another ball. He hit it but it just went through him.

"30-love!"

Kaito smirked at him, "Hmmm, this is getting interesting."

The second game ended in Ryoma's service ace.

"One game all!"

The game continued for a while. The location of the sun was indicating by the crepuscular rays to the one side of the school. It was getting late. Sakuno was still looking at them play as no one tried to give up one point. Idai handed her a towel a while ago so that she could wipe her face and now she was hugging it to her chest.

She felt a slight pain to her chest from time to time and she was getting worried by it. But because of the game today, she ignored the ache she was feeling and focused at the game.

xxx

"Four games to five! Naruse!" Momiji announced the ninth game winner.

It was Ryoma's turn to serve this time. Naruse won his service game but he had a hard time winning it. Somehow, Ryoma found his flaws when he played but he hadn't known everything yet. He wasn't showing him his true strength. And he was going to show it to him… on Ryoma's service game.

Ryoma dribbled the tennis ball with his left hand and tossed it. Naruse saw it coming and prepared himself. As Ryoma hit it, Naruse took a step backward as the ball bounced to his face. The distance between him and the ball was enough to hit it. He made a forward swing before it bounced back to his face. As he did that, he concentrated on the net and hit the ball back.

Then everything went fast. The ball was at the side of Ryoma's court. The tennis prodigy blinked when he saw the ball near the net. He stood straight as he stared at the location of the ball.

"That's… a cord ball?" Haku commented.

"Buchou faked the shot and hit a cord ball." Ginou said staring at the game.

"Love-fifteen!" Momiji announced.

Sakuno quietly watched the game. She had seen that move for a several times. Kaito would shout at her if she didn't see that move of his and somehow she managed to break that move of his.

"Love-thirty!" Momoji announced.

"Hmmm," Ryoma said, "another cord ball?" he commented as he grabbed another tennis ball in his pocket and dribbled it on the ground. It was pretty amazing that his serve was being hit by a fake shot. His twist serve was not working on him anymore, "Yarujan." He did another twist serve and went near the net.

Naruse saw that so he smirked hit the ball… with a powerful swing. Ryoma was not prepared at that. His eyes widened when the ball was directing at his face. But with reflexes, he hit it but his red racket flew backwards and the ball went past him.

"Love-forty!" Momoji announced.

Ryoma looked at the racket at his back as he touched his face that had a slight bruise because of the shot and thought hard. His playing style reminded me of Higa's during the Nationals quarter finals years ago. He walked to retrieve the racket and adjusted the string. There's no way I am going to lose to this guy, not with that way of playing style. He looked at him before walking back to the base line. Giving his face one final attention, he shifted the hold of his racket from right to left hand.

Everyone saw what he did.

"I remembered; he is a southpaw player." Idai looked at his doubles partner.

"You are right," Ginou nodded at her, "This is getting more interesting."

Ryoma dribbled the ball once again and concentrated on what to do next. He hit it and examined his next moves. He saw him move one step backward. Cord ball. He thought as he ran to the net and then he saw him fake it.

"Too slow." Naruse said as returned his foot in front and ran to the ball instead before it bounced back. With that he hit it before it bounced to his court with a powerful swing.

The direction of the ball of the ball was near the baseline from where he did the service game. Ryoma became alert and made a very quick split step and ran to the base line. He jumped on it and hindered the ball from landing inside his court;

"Same tricks will never happen to me twice." With that, he hit the ball back to his direction. As he hit the ball back to his court, he made a 90 degrees angle with his racket to make the force a bit stronger. It was a smash hit which was coming from a base line. The ball landed over the neat of Naruse's court.

"F-fifteen-forty!"

"That a risk." Idai said.

"That was an unexpected drop shot," Ginou said, "Echizen-san beat Buchou's volley with his drop shot with his back facing buchou's court. Only few tennis players could do that."

"Players these days are truly amazing." Idai commented as he stared at Ryoma.

Sakuno was shocked at his shot. She didn't expect that from Ryoma. She had to receive an injury before she hit that back but on Ryoma's case, he had returned it without hassle.

"I know he's left-handed that was why it was easy for him to return that hit." Momiji said after being quiet all the time.

Ryoma dribbled the ball once again and this time Naruse did a fake hit making it a cord ball. Ryoma didn't waste any time and dashed towards the net and hit the ball with a forehand swing. He smirked, "Semi-drive B."

The ball landed just in front of the net and bounced a little. It wasn't a drop shot but Naruse didn't see that.

"Thirty-forty!"

Naruse was a bit surprised. Now that the guy was slowly counterattacking his moves he was slowly getting pissed. It was harder than I thought. He gripped the racket hard. He wasn't going to lose with the guy in front of him. But he was wrong.

"Deuce!"

Sakuno bit her lower lip. She didn't know what to do. Kaito was pissed and she could notice it. She feared that if Ryoma won the game, he would become crueler to her than before. No one knew what would happen after the game. She just hoped that everything would be fine until the end.

"Ad In!" Momiji announced.

Ryoma smirked. One more point and he would be the winner. He admitted that Kaito was a very tough opponent, despite his way of playing. But he would teach this guy a lesson that playing decent was the right thing to do.

Kaito stared at him. I won't let you score to me once again.

Ryoma dribbled the ball and hit it. Naruse hit the ball back to him and they rallied for the longest time, not giving the chance to score one another. Naruse hit the ball with a backhand swing making the ball go to the side of Ryoma's court. Ryoma ran to it and used Nitoryu to reach the ball. As long as he shifted the racket to his left hand once again, he squatted and forced himself upward to return to his actual location. Naruse did his own split step and reached for the ball. He hit the tennis ball with a powerful force. Ryoma saw it and did an actual drive B to return it. The ball bounced to Naruse's side. He hit it and created a cord ball.

"I'll end this once and for all." Ryoma whispered as he saw his move and ran to the net. Since it was a few meters away from his last special move, it wasn't that far to reach the ball. He was about to hit a drop shot when he noticed that Naruse went closer to the net. He secretly smirked and thought. Oh no, you don't. You are not going to have this. With that, he shifted his hit from a backhand swing to a forward swing in a quick, swift move. He hit it and created a rising shot instead.

Naruse wasn't prepared to that shot. He was running to the net when Ryoma changed his swinging style. As long as he reached the net, the shot was made and the ball landed before the base line of his court.

Everyone remained silent until Ryoma spoke;

"A fake drop shot."

"Ad In! Game, set, match. Echizen Ryoma wins!" Momiji announced.

Naruse looked at his back and couldn't believe what had happened. Ryoma had ways of tricking his opponent and he couldn't believe that he was one of the victims of his trick as well.

"I just did what you had done a while ago." Ryoma smirked placing his racket on his shoulder.

"Heh," Naruse smirked back. It was a good game though as he thought.

The wind blew after that, Sakuno collapsed on the ground as her feet were betraying to stay up any longer. K-kaito-kun… lost? E-echizen-san won the game. He… he beat my step-brother. H-he is definitely the number one tennis prodigy in Japan. Her eyes were wide as she couldn't believe what happened. She was in deep thought that she had barely seen the shadow in front of her;

"Hey…"

She blinked when someone talked. She looked up to see Ryoma standing in front of her. He was wearing his usual expression, the very stoic one reaction. She didn't notice the shaking of their hands and his approached to her side.

"I won you," he started, "You're going home with me starting today."

She remained speechless when he said that. Ryoma became cold in some way and she didn't know the real reason why. Her heart beat fast. Was it the same Ryoma who saved her for a couple of times?

"Get up, we're leaving." With that he turned around and ready to leave.

Sakuno slowly stood up and was about to follow him without any rejection and was still in deep thought.

"Matte."

Both of them looked at the person who talked last. Naruse called their attention. He looked at her and then said, "I'll talk to her for a while."

Ryoma started at him before closing his eyes and looked away. Somehow, Sakuno understood him and approached Kaito. Everyone wasn't saying anything after what happened. They let everything slip by.

"Everyone you are dismissed for the day." Kaito announced before walking back to the club.

Again, everyone looked at each other before deciding to pack their things and went home, leaving the no-so-blood-relative and the unexpected visitor outside.

Later on:

It was them inside the club with Ryoma waiting outside. Kaito was standing not far from her while Sakuno looked down;

"I lost the game and he's asking for you."

Still not looking up at him, she replied,"H-hai."

"Well, go with him and live with him for a month."

"K-kaito-kun…" she looked at him this time. She couldn't believe it; he was actually giving her away.

"Follow everything he says, obey him, be good to him, anything," he turned around to face her, "sleep with him if you must."

Her eyes widened when he said that, "W-what are you saying?"

"He's not bad, right. At least you will not feel disgusted if he touches you."

She bit her lower lip. She wasn't sure of that yet. Yes, he had touched her and it was only for comfort and it felt good. His hands were gentle and it seemed that they couldn't hurt a single woman. But was it the right thing?

"If you do this, I'll never let you work in that club ever again," he said keeping the same, cold tone, "I don't care if you got tainted with that guy just give me enough information of him and his team."

Then a realization hit her. He wanted her to spy on him and his team. No wonder he agreed on the deal right away. Spying the team for a month was not that hard, unlike at what she did before. She could spy on them, especially Ryoma who had been practicing at his home.

"Make that person very proud of you," Kaito walked closer to her and touched her cheek. It was very, very rare for him to that, "Follow his every order and became a passive slave to him like he asked me earlier."

She was able to stare at his eyes as he caressed her cheek. He was smirking at that time. He leaned closer to her ear and whispered something;

"If you are able to do a good job, I might forgive you to everything."

Her eyes widened as she blushed this time. If she became a good slave to Ryoma, Kaito would forgive her. He would forgive and then probably she could have a wonderful time with her step-brother in the future. She would do anything just for him to forgive her. And maybe, maybe in the future… he would learn to love her just as she was hopelessly in love with him.

Gripping her hands tight to her sides, she whispered back,"H-hai… I'll do anything."

Later on:

They walked silently on the road. Ryoma hadn't said anything since they left Yosouku. She couldn't initiate a conversation as well; she was a bit… worried. Ryoma was never this silent before… at least not to her. Something in him had changed and she was not getting used of the attitude he was showing right now.

Not long before they reached his house. Karupin walked near them and went to her feet. She smiled when she saw it purring at her feet. She bent down as she was about to touch it but then remembered something. She was not a guest there anymore. She was just a mere slave and touching her master's property was a bit rude. Karupin's was his property. The cat just looked at her before purring once again. She brought her hand back to her chest and stood up only to see Ryoma standing in front of her. She was a bit shocked and looked down;

"I-I am sorry."

She was looking down so she didn't see his reaction.

"Don't be," he said and then walked further inside the house, "You can touch Karupin if you want."

Somehow, she felt happy when he said that, "A-arigatou… E-echizen-san."

"Ryoma."

"E-eh?!" she blinked twice.

"Call me Ryoma from now on."

She looked away, "H-hai."

"Let's rest for a while, I am tired," Ryoma said not looking at her, "We will fix your transfer to Seigaku tomorrow and your few belongings from your home."

"T-transfer?"

Ryoma looked at her and said, "You will study at Seigaku as we talked about it."

She couldn't believe her eyes. She was going to study in Seigaku, the guy's school. Somehow, she felt happy about it and probably meeting the old lady everyday was such a good idea.

"You'll be sleeping on the sofa."

Her reverie was cut when Ryoma talked, "E-eh?!" She couldn't believe what she was hearing. So, she was not going to sleep in the room that she used to sleep before.

Ryoma looked at her and smirked this time, "You're my slave, remember? So act one."

She flinched when he said that. Just because she was going to study in Seigaku, she forgot the fact that she was his slave. How stupid of her to forget that easily. She looked down, "H-hai…"

Silence was present between until Ryoma broke it;

"Call me when dinner is ready." He said walking to his own room.

"H-hai… Ryoma-sa-" she was about to say his name but she remembered. He was higher than her… her master to be exact, although he wasn't acting like one… at least not yet to her, "…R-ryoma-kun."

Ryoma was inside his room already but she was still staring at it. Then, Karupin began purring at her feet once again. She looked at it fondly and she grabbed it gently this time;

"Gomen ne… Karupin, for neglecting you earlier," she hugged the cat to gather strength from it, "i-it's just that Ryoma-kun is my master now. He is our master from now on."

She walked to the sofa and sat there. She put the cat on her lap and began brushing its hair, "I guess… no matter what I do… I cannot wish for a freedom," she leaned back on the sofa as her eyes were getting heavier too, "I will always stay in someone's shadow… for the rest of my life." Her eyes finally closed as she said her last words.

Minutes later:

He grabbed the sleeping Karupin from her lap and lifted it to his chest before whispering, "Stupid cat." He walked back to his room and went outside once again carrying a blanket in his hand. He stared at her sleeping. His brow twitched when he saw her sitting on the sofa while she fell asleep. Her face was weary and tired. He knew that she had been thinking a lot. He sighed as he put the blanket on her body and gestured her to lie down without her waking up. He stared at her face once again and thought of something. Then, he noticed the few strands of her hair covering her side of her cheek. He gently brushed it as his eyes were curiously focused on her. As long as he tucked her hair to her ear he whispered;

"You will have your freedom… as long as you wish for it."

Done! How was this chapter? First, I wasn't sure about the game… I mean the name of the moves… except Ryoma's special moves. (Might give it a semi-drive B for a change? tee hee hee) The game just came to me randomly. I wrote whatever I thought of so sorry if I made mistakes about it. Second, Ryoma was rude in this chapter but I think you knew why. Everything will change from here on. The Master-slave relationship… how is she going to adjust to that? And what is Ryoma's next plan? Find that out in the next chapter.

About the honorifics: Sakuno was about to call 'Ryoma-san' there but she decided to change it and called him 'Ryoma-kun'. She had been calling him 'Echizen-san' and since Ryoma insisted her to call him by his name, she thought of calling him with the same honorifics. But Ryoma was her master here in the story so she decided to call her 'Ryoma-kun' which had higher respect and recognition than 'san'. If felt awkward to call him 'Ryoma-sama' like what Tomoka called him all the time or 'Ryoma-dono' so I'll stick to what she had been calling him like in the anime. That's better… right? Right?

Reviews please… thank you very much. A word will make my day happy… and whole.

Once again, sorry for the grammar mistakes… it is definitely inevitable. But I'll do my best to just create fewer mistakes… I really hope. Thank you… ^_^

Next Chapter: One of Us