Hello again~! Sorry for the long wait . I just started up another round of University~! Already completed three years of Art, now going back for art teaching :D So if everything goes well, I will be teaching art someday~! Lol Anyway enough about that~!
Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis nor it's characters~!
Chapter 10
Ryoma walked with his father out to the tennis court and sighed as he looked over it. It had been a while since he had stepped foot inside of one, it felt great to him.
Nanjirou looked at his son and sighed. "Alright, let's see how much you lack." he said with a slight smirk on his face.
Ryoma looked down at his hands. "Ah...I need my racket." he said. "I left it at the house." he mumbled.
Nanjirou looked at his son through narrowed eyes. "Seriously? You get me fired up only to let me hit rock bottom?" he asked swinging his racket around.
Ryoma rolled his eyes and started to walk off the court but was stopped by his brother.
"Hey Pip-squeak, use this." Ryoga smirked and threw Ryoma a familiar red racket.
Ryoma looked at the racket and the letter R that was printed on the bottom of it. He smiled a distant smile and then swung his racket around to get the feel of it back into his arms.
Nanjirou whistled and waited for Ryoma. "Hurry up~" he sighed.
Ryoma stretched and then looked over at his father. He reached into his bag and then pulled out his black cap and placed it on his hair. He smiled and walked onto his side of the court and then got into position.
Nanjiro watched as Ryoma dribbled the ball with his racket a few times. He then placed the tip of his racket on the ground.
"Smooth or rough?" he asked his dad.
Nanjirou smirked. "Brats first." he said.
Ryoma twitched and narrowed his eyes. "Smooth." he said and spun the racket.
The racket spun a few times before tipping over and landing on smooth.
Ryoma picked up his racket and then went to his servicing side and then dribbled the ball a few more times and then caught it in his hand. He looked to his father and then took a silent deep breath and threw it up in the air and swung his racket and hit the ball to the other side of the court.
Nanjirou didn't even move to hit the ball, the ball flew past his head weakly and out of bounds.
Ryoma looked, not shocked at what had happened, he knew he was out of shape and that his form was off. He had just started training with Fuji afterall, how much could one session do?
Nanjirou smirked before busting out laughing. "That was pitiful, brat." he laughed.
Ryoma narrowed his eyes more and then got ready to serve another ball. He smiled at his dad before hitting the ball directly under his father's legs. The ball went under his legs and then bounced off the court.
"15 love." he said with a smirk.
Nanjirou stopped laughing and he blinked and turned around and sure enough, to his surprise, there on the court was a smudge where a ball had landed smoothly.
"I have to admit, that one was just luck." Ryoma said and messed with the strings on his racket.
Nanjirou grinned. "Cheeky brat." he said and then got ready for Ryoma's next serve.
Ryoma smiled and hit the ball over to Nanjirou, but Nanjirou returned it with a blinding force.
Ryoma stood there in shock, he didn't even hear the ball or see the ball go past him until his father told him that the ball had scored a point.
Nanjirou smiled. "You still have a ways to go ." he said.
Ryoma smiled. "Old man...you are really starting to bug me." he panted.
Nanjirou smiled and stuck his tongue out. "Let's go, boy." he said.
~30 minutes later~
Ryoma huffed as he laid on his back on the court. His eyes were closed tightly as he held his stomach.
Nanjirou walked over to Ryoma, not even out of breath and bent down to him. "Like I said, you still have a ways to go." he said and then got up and headed back inside.
Ryoma sighed and looked up at the sky, which was full of stars now. He then grinned and stuck his hand in the air and then pointed one finger up. "I got one point..." he huffed and then sighed and got up.
His legs felt like jelly and his heart was hurting from where he was breathing hard. He stretched and gathered his things and his old racket and went back into his father's house.
"I'm going home now, got class tomorrow." he said and then waved and left his father's house.
He wasn't really going to go straight home, he would go grab a bite to eat and then message Fuji and apologize for not being able to attend their training session this afternoon. He didn't think he could bare to do anymore physical things until he was well rested.
Ryoma wanted nothing more right now, than to take a hot shower and go to bed, but his growling stomach would not allow him.
He slipped his black hat that he carried with him and then walked down the street in the city and walked into the convience store that was only a few minutes from his house. He walked through the store, buying sports drinks and milk. He threw in some meats and some vegetables that he could eat. He knew he desperatly needed to fix his menu from now on.
Ryoma walked up to the counter and placed the items that he gathered on the counter while pulling out his wallet.
The clerk gave him his things after he paid and he left. As he walked down the street he opened up one of the sport waters he bought and drunk it. He was planning on making some steamed vegtables with some white rice tonight.
He was walking down the street when he bumped into someone, a woman at that.
"Sorr-" he cut off when he saw a familiar woman, the very woman who revealed everything to everyone.
He quickly turned and started to walk away.
Laura smiled and followed him. "Oh come on Ryoma, don't be mad, everyone deserved to know the truth." she said.
Ryoma stopped suddenly and then turned around and looked at Laura with a deep and frightening glare, that caused her to turn around and walk away.
Laura walked away from Ryoma quickly, she knew that she should tread lightly from now on. She knew that Ryoma was extremely pissed at her. She had to be careful or he could press charges on her, which wasn't far from Ryoma's mind.
She sighed and walked back to her hotel room and slumped down on her bed. "I must find out where he lives." she thought and bit her lip.
Laura sat up on her bed and pulled out her cellphone and called her editor.
"Kunimitsu Teito's room please."she said and waited for the office to connect her to the hotel room the person was staying in.
There was pause for a couple of seconds followed by a loud yawn and sigh.
'Hello?' the male on the other end said.
"Yes Teito-san, this is Laura." she said and crossed her silky legs and twiddled with a string that was loose on the bed covers.
There was another pause before a loud yelling.
'Do you know what time it is! I have to get up at the crack of dawn to edit your reports and you expect me to talk on the telephone with you at midnight! What is so important that you couldn't have waited until tomorrow?' Teito yelled through the phone.
Laura laughed lightly. "Now Teito-san, I just wanted to let you know that there are a few changes in tomorrow's plans. Tomorrow we are taking the day off on our writing, instead we are going...hunting, I guess you could call it." she said.
'What? But I thought you said that your report is due tomorrow.' he said.
"Not anymore, I will call the printer's myself, first we are going on a special mission that would surely boost our scoop to the maximum level." Laura said and got up and walked over to the window and looked down at the city lights of Tokyo.
'Laura, what have you got?' he asked.
Laura smiled. "Tomorrow me and you are going to search for the residents of Echizen Ryoma." she said.
There was a long silence on the other end of the phone.
'When and where do you want to meet up?' he asked calmly now, seeming to be more awake than earlier.
Laura smiled. "The usual place at nine o'clock sharp." she said before hanging up.
She smiled and looked out her window. "I will make you shine Echizen Ryoma. You will make me a legend." she smirked and then turned out the lights and closed her evil eyes.
~Meanwhile~
Ryoma sighed and sat down on his couch. He managed to make it home before the downfall of rain.
He reached over and picked up his laptop and turned it on. He needed to message Fuji to explain why he wasn't able to meet up for their work out session today.
When he thought about it now, he seemed a little sad. He wanted to work out with Fuji today, when he was with Fuji he felt relaxed and at peace. Sure he loved the match between his father, even though he lost miserably, but hey, at least he tried.
He sighed as he began to type up his email to Fuji:
To: Fuji Syusuke
From: Echizen Ryoma
Date: Tuesday, May 15, 2012-12:35am
Subject: Sorry
Hey, sorry about this afternoon, I know that we were supposed to work out today. Something came up that I needed to attend to, I hope you don't mind, but can we reschedule until the day after tomorrow. Don't worry I will still work out like you showed me, I am also going to change my diet. Well until Thursday, I hope.
E. Ryoma
Ryoma sighed as he sent it and laid his head back on the couch. He turned on the t.v and flipped through the channel aimlessly.
He was just about to get up to go to the bathroom when he heard a bell-like noise, indicating he had a new message.
He opened it up, much faster than he intended and read it quickly and calmly.
To: Echizen Ryoma
From: Fuji Syusuke
Date: Tuesday, May 15, 2012-12:35am
Subject: Re: Sorry
Hey, don't worry about it. Something came up for me to. I hope your day was well and I am all for the day after tomorrow. And it's great to hear that you have decided to change your diet, I think it's for the best, not calling you fat or anything. Oh and be careful Ryoma, some people leaked out that you go to our University to the press, so wear a hat or something to hide yourself so you can come in safely tomorrow. Well going to bed now, see you on Thursday!
F. Syusuke
Ryoma sighed and smiled and shut down his laptop and got into bed tiredly. Tomorrow would be a long day, he could already feel it pressing down on his shoulders.
He sighed once more before drifting off to sleep, thinking of what was to happen this coming Thursday.
Well guys that is if for this chapter, I hope you guys enjoyed it~! XDDD PLEASE REVIEW~! Thank you~! Up next, something is going to happen to Ryoma! What you ask~! I am not telling you :D You must read the next chapter and REVIEW. If I get some good reviews I will have it up by Saturday! If not, then you'll have to wait~! So REVIEW to reveal what happens~!