A/N: Here's another update for you all. It's getting kind of late, and I'm tired, so this won't be much of an authors note. Oh well--that isn't what you all want to read, I assume.

This chapter gave me a lot of trouble (although there are a few bits I like), so hopefully it won't be a disappointment.

Disclaimer: I don't own PoT.

The official line-up for the consolation match against St. Rudolph had been posted in the clubhouse.

Doubles 2: Taki-Otori

Doubles 1: Mukahi-Oshitari

Singles 3: Kabaji

Singles 2: Akutagawa

Singles 1: Atobe

An all-regular line-up, then. Atobe was obviously not allowing for any mistakes this time, which seemed reasonable enough, since Hyoutei needed to win this match in order to participate in the Kantou Tournament. St. Rudolph shouldn't be an especially formidable school—they had already lost to Seigaku, after all. However, Fudoumine was supposed to be a nothing school as well, and Atobe wasn't about to underestimate another team.

So even if Otori and Taki lost, Hyoutei wouldn't suffer for it. Good, that should take some of the pressure off Otori—although, if he lost, he would probably still be off the regulars. Well, even then, his position wouldn't be as bad as Shishido's.

It was a remarkably sunny and beautiful summer day. Instead of eating at their usual table at the back of the library, Shishido and Otori had decided to have lunch outside. The hill behind the regulars' courts was pleasant and secluded, and Shishido decided that the weather was fine enough that he could stand to watch any regulars who might be using the lunch break to practice. He sank back into the grass with a contented sigh. On a day like this, everything seemed perfect.

"You're getting grass in your hair, Shishido-san," Otori said. "And staining your shirt, I think."

"Don't worry about it," Shishido mumbled, closing his eyes to bask in the sun.

"There might be bugs!" Otori's worried face appeared above him, upside down.

"Oh, are you scared of bugs, Choutarou?"

"Of course not," Otori said, in a voice slightly louder than usual.

"Look, a caterpillar!" Shishido pointed to a spot near Otori's foot. Otori shrank back, and Shishido rolled in the grass laughing.

"Shishido-san!"

"I guess we'll have to bring a blanket or something next time."

"Oh, just like a real picnic." Otori smiled at the thought.

"Yes. We can have cheese sandwiches and watermelon."

"Why cheese sandwiches?"

"Why not?"

Shishido glanced over at the tennis courts, where Atobe was playing a game against Oshitari. He nudged Otori's elbow.

"The great Atobe actually trains? You wouldn't think he would lower himself to get sweaty on a regular basis. Does he play against Oshitari often?"

"Pretty often," Otori said. "He usually trains with Jirou-senpai or Taki-senpai for a lighter warm up, Kabaji-kun if he wants to work on a skill, and Oshitari if he wants a real game."

Although, now that he thought about it, Shishido realized that Atobe must train relatively hard. Even with a generous amount of natural talent, Hyoutei's captain wouldn't be the player he was without being in peak physical condition. He probably trained just as hard as Shishido.

"He doesn't play against you?"

Otori laughed.

"Never. Taki-senpai and I spend most of our time playing the pre-regular doubles pair, or Oshitari-senpai and Mukahi-senpai."

"Well, I was in the 'light warm up' category, which doesn't seem all that much more flattering."

Shishido was surprised at how much easier it was becoming to talk about his experiences on the regulars, and tennis in general. For most of the time he had known Otori, they had avoided the subject, but that had not brought them much in the way of comfort.

Down on the court, Atobe executed a smash, which Oshitari returned with a neat Higuma Otoshi.

Oshitari had been wondering why other teams won, why Hyoutei didn't do better in the tournaments. Shishido couldn't imagine that there were many players who were more talented than Atobe and Oshitari—both of them were naturals, geniuses. If those two weren't good enough, what could the rest hope for?

"Will we ever play like that?" Otori asked, voicing the thought that had been in Shishido's mind.

Shishido shrugged.

"Probably not." Although they both wanted it.

Otori flopped down on the grass next to Shishido.

"Aren't you worried about the dirt and grass stains?"

"I can see the clouds better from here."

They were both nearly asleep when footsteps crunched in the grass behind them.

"Otori-kun!" a sharp voice exclaimed.

Otori shot to a sitting position. Shishido pulled himself up and yawned, blinking in the sunlight.

"Taki-senpai," Otori faltered. The regular was standing there, his mouth stretched in an expression of irritation. He had a wild look in his eyes, one Shishido had seen enough times before to recognize it—panic.

"What are you doing out here?" Taki demanded. Otori looked down at the ground.

"It's lunch period. What do you think we were doing, eating breakfast?" Shishido said, inwardly cringing at the lame retort. Well, he had to say something if Taki was going to talk to Otori like he was his boss.

"You might have the leisure time for such activities, Shishido," Taki said, "But Otori-kun and I have a game in three days. We can't be lounging around like this when we could be using the time to practice? If we don't use every spare moment…"

"I know," Otori said, his voice dull. "Sorry, senpai."

Taki's frown relaxed.

"You don't need to apologize," he said. "I know it's hard, your first game as a regular, and you didn't even play any formal games as a pre-regular. But if we lose this game, I'll also be in trouble."

Otori nodded.

Taki shot Shishido a look.

"If he hadn't lost the Fudoumine game, we wouldn't be in this position. So come on, Otori. Let's get down to the courts. Hanging around with an ex-regular is not going to improve your tennis" He turned, and walked away.

Otori clenched his fists.

"It's true enough," Shishido said. "The part about me losing, anyway."

"Taki-senpai wouldn't have beat Tachibana," Otori hissed. "I know he wouldn't."

He looked so uncharacteristically fierce that Shishido almost laughed. He was rather touched that it was on his account.

Shishido put a hand on his wrist. "Hey, Choutarou, you don't need to get mad for me. I know I'm in disgrace. Just win the game, ok?"

Otori nodded.

"I'll do my best."

"Come over after school, if you like," Shishido offered. "When we're done with practice."

The smile returned to Otori's face.

"Really? I'd love to!"

"Otori!"

Taki, almost at the courts, had turned back and was beckoning impatiently.

"See you later, Shishido-san."

A stream of curses rang over the courts, and a good number of tennis club members—Shishido among them—hurried over to see what was the matter. Oshitari was bending over Mukahi, who sat on the ground clutching his ankle. A distraught Otori hovered nearby.

"I'm so sorry, Mukahi-senpai!" he was saying, over and over again.

"It's fine, Otori-kun," Oshitari said, rubbing his eyes. "These things happen. It's not your fault."

"But…"

"What exactly is going on here?" Atobe's voice silenced the crowd.

Both Otori and Mukahi glanced away, looking ashamed.

Oshitari sighed.

"Gakuto landed badly trying to return Otori-kun's serve, and twisted his ankle."

"Can he walk?"

"Do you think I'd be sitting here if I could?" Mukahi snapped.

"Kabaji, take Mukahi to the infirmary."

"Usu."

Kabaji scooped up Mukahi, against the acrobat's vehement protests, and slung him over one powerful shoulder.

"I'll go as well," Oshitari said.

Atobe nodded, and snapped his fingers.

"The rest of you, back to your courts at once."

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Choutarou," Shishido said. "It was just bad luck. It's not like you hit him in the head, or something. Although, I wouldn't blame you if you had—it's an understandable temptation"

Otori shook his head.

"But what if he's badly hurt?" he said, his voice low and serious. "The game is so soon, and…oh, there they are."

Oshitari and Kabaji had returned to the courts. Mukahi wasn't with them, though. Again, a crowd gathered around, anxious to hear the news.

"Is Mukahi-senpai all right?" Otori asked.

Oshitari grimaced.

"It's just a twisted ankle, not even a sprain really, but the doctor said he should stay off of it for two or three days to make sure it doesn't get worse."

Otori had grown very pale.

"Don't worry, Otori-kun," Oshitari said. "He's in a pretty foul mood, but it's not a serious injury."

"But the match…" Otori said faintly.

"I imagine Atobe will have to change the line-up."

Doubles 2: Chikabayashi-Ogawa

Doubles 1: Taki-Otori

Singles 3: Akutagawa

Singles 2: Atobe

Singles 1: Oshitari

Shishido scowled at the new list. A pre-regulars doubles pair—one that had lost in the Fudoumine match—was now in Doubles 2. Taki and Otori had been shifted to Doubles 1. But why on earth was Atobe in Singles 2?

There was still no way Hyoutei would lose to St. Rudolph, but the situation had grown considerably more complicated for Taki and Otori. If the Chikabayashi-Ogawa pair lost, there would be that much more pressure on them.

Shishido had a reasonable amount of confidence in their tennis abilities, but he had seen how nervous Taki was already, and how badly that was affecting Otori.

He clenched his fists. He hadn't realized before exactly how frustrating it was to be watching from the sidelines, unable to do a thing to help.

If only he was Otori's doubles partner instead. That would make the situation much easier.

He brushed the thought away as it occurred to him. There was no point in dwelling on such idle notions.

A/N: Taki is driving me a bit crazy. I don't want to make him two dimensional, or too unpleasant. I'm trying to give him reasonable motivations, and I think that's working. But he appears about two times in the series, so my idea of his personality is very inferred.

The game against St. Rudolph is almost here––just another chapter or two.

As usual, reviews will be greeted with much love! 3