I woke up extra early today. I already imagined how many trillion laps I should run if I ever come to practice late. Now, now.. Who gave the whole team the idea that I should learn tennis?

Oh yeah.. the resident sadist..

I got took a quick shower and dressed in my school uniform since I planned on changing when I get there. I brought my tennis stuff with me.

Man.. Not only do I have to bring my heavy school bag.. I also have to bring my heavy tennis bag..

Damn.

I stuff a toast in my mouth and joined Ryoma on the way to school. We still have to run since we were a few minutes late. I used my ultra lightning speed and dragged Ryoma to school. We arrived looking like we need oxygen tanks. We dashed towards the courts and panted a little bit more.

"Echizen, Hinotoko, 20 laps.."

Oh god.. Like going to school wasn't enough..

Ryoma acted like he was used to running laps everyday while I was quite conscious about my breathing. I just wish I could still survive the first day of training.

Just the first.. I don't care about the next few days of torture.. errr.. I mean training..

I was muttering words like Ice-man being a meanie when I saw Fuji smiling sadistically in a distance.

Forget Ice-man being a meanie! Fuji is the worst ever!! He made me join the tennis team when he knew that I would suffer!!

I finished my last lap and went to the group of regulars who seemed to be getting instructions from Ice-man and Ryuuzaki-sensei.

"First years, use court A.."

"Regulars, use court B, C and D for rallying.." Ice-man said in a stern voice.

After the crowd went off to do what they're told, I asked Ice-man and Ryuuzaki-sensei,

"Uhmm.. What about me?" I said while pointing to myself.

"You're going with me, Reina.." Ryuuzaki-sensei said.

I quickly nodded and swallowed a big lump in my throat.

I hate one-on-one training sessions.

We arrived in a place which looked like the back of a building.

Big deal. It's a back of a building. Maybe there's magic powers in this wall that'll help me.. Cool..

"The reason I brought you here is because I think you have potential.."

I turned to Ryuuzaki-sensei with a confused look.

"I observed you from the way you walk to the way you do things.. It's all tennis-oriented.."

What the hell?!

"Uhmm.. Really?"

"As a matter of fact, after really thorough training, you might get past the regulars.."

"Cool..."

"Now, you don't have an idea of what a "forehand" or a "backhand" is, am I right?"

Forehand? Backhand? I couldn't care less if it isn't a flavor in ice cream..

She sighed.

"This is gonna be a long morning for you, Reina.." Ryuuzaki-sensei mumbled.

After explaining a few rules, Ryuuzaki-sensei made me do a few bazillion of forehands and a kajillion of backhands. I also did a few footworks. I don't the hell know what I'm doing so I decided to call it "footwork". After the long torture, I was done for the morning practice. I never thought that I could lose not only fats but my life as well.

Soo.. Tired..

I dragged my body to the tennis courts and changed back to my uniform. In fact, I'm so tired that I haven't even greeted any of the regulars.

"Ohayou, Rei-chan! How's morning practice, nya?"

"It's.. fine.." I said while looking like a zombie with my hair sticking out and my eyes drooping.

"Rei-chan's a zombie, nya!!" He said while shaking my shoulders violently.

I wasn't able to react for a few seconds and I really think I had spirals in my eyes by the time Eiji stopped shaking me.

"Eiji.. I'm..a..zombie.. Go.. away.." I said while giving him a zombie look and dragging my body towards the classroom.

I heard Eiji running around the courts and shouting about tennis turning people to zombies. I chuckled slightly despite my poor state. I sat down my desk and slumped.

Great.. Math's the first torture of the day..

Wait.. Ryuuzaki-sensei's training is the first torture of the day...

I soon fell asleep thinking about tortures and Mr. Fujima's unanswerable math problems.

"Hinotoko! Do all the problems in the board!"

I soon felt someone shaking me. I woke up and rubbed my eyes. I saw Ice-man shoving me his math notebook in a way that even the world's greatest assasin wouldn't notice.

What should I do?

Hmm.. Use clues..

1. Mr. Fujima standing in front apparently waiting for something or someone.

2. That someone might be me..

3. I saw all the problems on the board unanswered.

4. I glanced at Ice-man's notebook with all the key to the problems written on the board.

I got up and went to the board. I merely copied Ice-man's solutions since I don't the hell know why I arrived with such answers. However, on the last question, Ice-man scribbled something like a note.

The problem itself is wrong. Even if you did answer, you would arrive in an answer which is an imaginary number. If I remembered correctly, we wouldn't be studying imaginary numbers til next week. Nonetheless, the answer is "-i"

I said every word as Ice-man would say it. After I finished, Mr. Fujima and the rest of the class stared wide in awe.

"Well done, Hinotoko.. We might have someone who can actually stand up to Tezuka's understanding of math.." Mr. Fujima stated.

I went back to my desk while ignoring the looks flashed to me by my classmates. I wrote something in a piece of paper and inserted it in a page.I looked to my side and returned the notebook in the same manner as Ice-man did when he shoved it in my desk. Ice-man seemed to notice a piece of paper sticking out and read it.

He saw a word before "Tezuka" was written. Apparently, it had been crossed out a few times but still visible to the eye.

(Ice-man) Tezuka-san,

Thanks a million for saving my life a while ago. I felt kinda guilty that I was the one taking credit for what you did. I would have confessed to the whole class that I didn't know the answer but you helped me. I felt really tired from practice this morning that I didn't understood a word Mr. Fujima said. I promise to do my best in Math from now on so you wouldn't have to go through the trouble of lending me your answers. Thanks again..

Reina )

He looked at me after he read the note and he just nodded. I sat up straight and listened intently to Mr. Fujima while taking down notes along the way.

-Fast Forward to Lunch Break-

I tried my best to stay awake in all my classes and apparently, I succeeded! I decided to have lunch with Kiari-chan at the rooftop without the boys so that we can have "girl time" together. We silently ate our bentos while talking about random stuff when Kiari-chan said something that made me choke.

"So.. Do you have anyone in mind? You know.. like crushes..?" She said in a mischievious tone.

I tried my best to think of someone but I couldn't.

"Nope.. Why? Do you have someone in mind, Kiari-chan?"

"Oh come on, Rei-chan! Stop being a liar!!"

"W-What do you mean...?"

"I saw you and Tezuka-san exchanging answers during Math!!"

"Oh.. that.."

"So tell me, Rei-chan, are you and Tezuka-san.. going out?" She asked while narrowing her eyes.

"It's not what you think, Kiari-chan!!" I said while furiously blushing to the roots of my hair.

"That's too bad! I think that you and Tezuka-san make a good couple!" She said after sighing.

Me and Ice-man are just friends..

Yeah..

Just friends..

"Kiari-chan! We should eat before our food gets cold!"

"Hai!"

I'm so glad that Kiari-chan isn't shy anymore. She tells me stuff and I tell her stuff too. Somehow, I always come to think of what Kiari-chan said a while ago.

"That's too bad! I think you and Tezuka-san make a good couple!"

Of all the people. It just had to be Ice-man. I decided to shrug of the details and eat to my hearts content.

-Fast Forward to Afternoon Practice-

I changed to my tennis outfit which consisted a plain colared-sleeveless dress with pink and green stripes that ends just below my knees and my usual tennis shoes. I braided my hair in two (just like Sakuno-chan does it!) with some stray hair out of my face. I got out and went to the group of regulars only to be blocked by someone. He gave me a red letter and run off.

Oh god..

I shrugged it off and put it in my pocket and went straight for the courts. I saw Ice-man and Ryuuzaki-sensei giving their usual instructions. After that, I got tackled by Eiji.

Again..

"Rei-chan's so KAWAII!!"

"Rei-hime! So what do you think..? Uhmm.. Saturday night looks good.."

I sweatdropped.

It isn't like I haven't wore anything a lot more insane than this.

"Reina, do 20 laps with the regulars.." Ryuuzaki-sensei said out of nowhere.

The voice startled us that we run off immediately only to be followed by the rest of the regulars at the sound of Inui's voice saying,

"The last one gets to drink the Inui juice.." he said while holding a glass of green liquid.

I noticed that the regulars made a dash for it. I tried to quicken my pace.

It's just a bunch of colored water.. what harm could it do?

and then it bubbled.

Time to use my secret weapon: ultra lightning speed version 5.0

I sped my way through the a bunch of quarelling regulars and silently snickered.

You can't catch up with me now!! Muahahaha!!

Just then, Ryo-kun did the thing that I certainly won't do:

He handed a tennis racket to Kawamura.

He caught up with my speed while shouting a bunch of english words. I turned back and saw the rest of the regulars catching up. I run even faster but the regulars still caught up.

"Fujiko! I thought you liked the Inui juice, nya!"

"Saa, but wouldn't it be rude not to let Rei-chan taste it first?" He said while running and that sadistic smile plastered on his face..

Go to hell Fuji! I'm not taking a sip of that Inui poison unless I wanna end up six feet from the ground inside a cold coffin!

I ran for my life as the last lap's almost over. I used my other secret weapon: ultra lightning speed version 9.5 and speed to the finish line. I got in first by a mere 2 seconds. I lay on the floor panting wildly as my heart is jumping up and down in my chest. The regulars fell on top of me and I could tell that they were exhausted as well.

"Hinotoko came in first while the rest came in last. You must then face the consequence.." Inui said while handing them a glass of Inui poison.

I stood up still panting heavily. I noticed that when someone drinks the poison, he usually ends up passing out or rushing to the nearest comfort room.

Man, I should really learn how to run faster in order to survive...

I decided to go to the nearest drinking fountain when I heard Ice-man and Ryuuzaki-sensei talking AGAIN in the distance.

-Ryuuzaki-sensei's P.O.V.-

"I told you she has potential. She even outrun the regulars!" I said.

"Running is different from tennis, Ryuuzaki-sensei.." Tezuka said.

"But running improves good footwork that is essential in tennis!"

"Hn.."

"What happened to you, Tezuka? One minute you're allowing Reina to join the tennis team and now you're pointing out her flaws..." I said while walking away.

I left Tezuka at thought while I decided that I should teach Reina the tricks of the trade.

Maybe Tezuka is just afraid of having tennis hurt Reina just like tennis injured his arm...

"Ahh.. Young Love..." I said while sighing.