Firstly, my BIG thanks and hug to kaillinne arami who has been a sweetheart beta-ing this chap… You have no idea how glad I am to have her as a beta-reader. With her amazing help, together we managed to bring this chap a level funnier and sweeter than the original one that I wrote on my own… Hehe… as people say, two minds are better than one…
Secondly… well, there is actually no secondly… haha… enjoy reading!
Disclaimer: I don't own PoT…
Between Tezuka and Kyo
…
…
…
There was a tense atmosphere surrounding the Seigaku tennis courts as all the players where doubling their efforts to prepare for the upcoming tournament. The second and third years rallied with each other, quickly sending the balls from one side of the field to another while the first years ran around as fast as their legs and stamina could carry them to retrieve all the lost balls. Meanwhile, the regulars prepared themselves both physically and mentally. If you happen to pass by said courts you would stand in awe at the magnificent display of 'professional' tennis… although you probably wouldn't stop for long since Inui stood inside the courts waving a large pitcher of his latest juice to the other regulars: 'offering' his drink to anybody who failed to complete the task. And to make it worse: Fuji stood beside him with a new shiny camera, ready to 'immortalize' the moment.
The new training for that afternoon consisted in placing a blindfolded regular in the middle of a court and surrounding him with six other regulars who would take turns hitting the ball at different speeds towards said player. The one in the middle had to guess the direction of the ball and intercept it with a maximum time of five minutes.
'Hey Syusuke!' Asahina greeted Fuji before giving him a quick peck on the cheek (1). 'Hi Inui-sempai,' she nodded to Inui. He waited for a few seconds and was disappointed when he didn't get a kiss. 'Interesting training method!' Asahina commented as she saw Momo swinging his racket back and forth, giving the impression that he was trying to hit an imaginary piñata. 'Aren't you going to do it too Syusuke?'
'Saa, Inui and I agreed that today I don't need to join the exercise since I always play with my eyes closed anyway,' he responded, smirking at her. "Besides, I bought a new camera last week so I want to get some pictures of the regulars AFTER they try the new version of Inui juice."
'Inui juice?' Asahina asked curiously as she got closer to look at the pitcher Inui had in his hands. She almost gagged at the burning smell produced by the bubbling dark blue liquid and quickly stepped back a few steps when her vision started to blur. Even though she still felt a bit dizzy from the proximity of the 'juice' she was still able to compliment Fuji for his wicked idea.
'Do you want to come with me after the practice to develop the pictures, Rie-chan?' Fuji asked. 'I could show you my other album collections containing some of the "interesting" pictures I have taken in the past. I can assure you that you would love them.' This caught Inui's attention but he didn't say anything. He listened intently to the conversation, so that he could jot it down in his notebook later.
'Aww… I am sorry, Syusuke, I really wish that I could, but I promised a friend that I'd go out to celebrate his birthday tonight. Do you mind if we do that some other time? I would love to see all those blackmail materials that you've got,' Asahina replied and turned her attention to the court. It was Tezuka's turn to be blindfolded and except for Echizen, everyone else had failed to complete the task.
'His?' Fuji asked curiously. 'Who is the lucky guy, Rie-chan?' But Asahina didn't answer him since she was too absorbed watching the magnificent play shown by the Seigaku captain.
Tezuka had returned every ball directed to him without moving from his spot. On the top of that, he had hit the balls into a basket that was located on the other side of the court.
A soft 'wow' escaped Asahina's lips. Tezuka's supreme tennis skills had definitely impressed her. His stance was blatantly masculine and flawless. It seemed as if he had carefully calculated and planned every move and mistakes were not tolerated. She was unable to tear her eyes from him and silently wondered if his hard-edged aura and impressive play had anything to do with the attraction that was pulling her towards the captain. Or maybe it was simply because he looked so sexy in that uniform? The way his muscles continuously rippled under his clothes as he moved to return the balls. The way he clenched his jaws close in concentration. And the way his hair clinging to the sweat on his face…. Wait! What am I thinking of? Him… sexy?
'Time's up, Tezuka. You passed!' Inui called out. 'Everyone gather here. For those who failed the task, come forward and drink one of the glasses I prepared for you.'
Tezuka removed the blindfold from his eyes and put on his glasses. Suddenly, he sensed that there was someone watching him. He turned towards the source and his gaze locked on Asahina's. Caught in the act of gaping at him, she almost dove to the ground. Almost. Tezuka's gaze caused shivers to run down her spine. Cheeks burning, she looked away.
Fuji's mouth kicked up at the corner and his eyes took a mischievous knowing glint. 'Do you want to bet on something, Rie-chan?' Fuji asked her while smiling sadistically. Inui, who heard Fuji, listened intently again, wondering what the tensai had in mind.
Asahina arched one of her eyebrow at first but when she saw Fuji's devious smile, she smiled in understanding back at him. 'What do you have in mind, Syusuke?'
To Inui's dismay, Fuji moved towards Asahina and whispered something to her. Asahina chuckled. 'How could you be sure that he is going to do that?'
'I am a genius, Rie. Of course I would know,' Fuji simply stated with his smile still intact.
'I shouldn't Syusuke. I've made a promise already. What if he gets angry with me?' Asahina tried to refuse politely to Fuji's idea.
Fuji whispered something in her ear again.
'Are you sure that's going to work?' Asahina was skeptical to Fuji's suggestion. She looked at the Seigaku regulars who were walking towards them, especially the poor "victim".
Fuji nodded confidently.
'Asahina-senpai? What are you doing here?' Echizen asked surprised. It was indeed a surprise to see his favorite female senpai coming during the tennis practice because she would usually appear after practice to meet his captain. It had been a while since he ate her cooking. And it made him kind of sad knowing that he could only eat her delicious homemade food after every match in an official tournament, and not daily like he was used to.
'Ry-chan!' Asahina bent down and hugged her favorite smug kouhai. It had been a long time since she had done that to him.
'Asahina-senpai, could you please get off me?' Echizen asked lazily without even trying to get her off himself. He tipped down his cap to hide his blush.
'Aww… Don't you miss me, Ry-chan?' Asahina ignored Echizen and kept him in her arms. 'I surely do miss you,' Asahina said with her husky voice to the shorter boy.
Her advances towards Echizen made a certain captain's eyes twitch in jealousy, something that went unnoticed by the rest of the team, fortunately.
'Argh!!' Suddenly, five of the Seigaku regulars fell to the floor choking after they drank the new and improved Inui juice. This caught the other two regulars' and Asahina's attentions. The three of them turned just in time to watch Fuji snapping pictures of the fallen regulars.
'Wow! That juice really works wonders!' Asahina exclaimed. She released Echizen and bent down to poke the "dead" players. 'Excellent! What do call it?' She asked with absolute interest.
'I call it "The Ultimate Inui Juice". I personally think that it's the tastiest one I've ever invented. I also calibrated the nutrients in it to match the amount of nutrient we need for the upcoming tournament. So, as you can see: this juice is not only tasty, but it also meets our nutrient requirement.'
'Cool! I wonder what it tastes like,' Asahina pondered out loud while lifting Momo's arm. His arm made a soft "thud" sound when she released it, which made her smile in satisfaction.
'Do you want to give it a try, Asahina-san?' Inui asked while offering a big glass of juice to the innocent girl. His figure suddenly darkening as light bounced off his glasses.
'Can I? Fuji told me that Inui's juice is the best juice he's ever drunks,' Asahina took the glass from Inui and slowly brought the glass to her lips. Her eyes sparkled with excitement. 'It sure looks delicious!'
Is she out of her mind! Tezuka and Ryoma looked alarmed when the naive Asahina accepted the juice. Well, as alarmed as the expressionless Tezuka and smug Ryoma could be anyway.
Inui smiled and flipped a new page of his notebook so that he could jot down his first ever observation of the effect of the juice on a female. Fuji, who had stopped snapping pictures of his poor fellow regulars, was already prepared to shoot her pictures with anticipation.
Suddenly, a strong muscular arm extended from behind Asahina, went pass the left side of her face and snatched the glass away from her. Asahina squeaked and turned around, seeing Tezuka stern face inches from hers.
'I don't think that's a good idea, Asahina-san,' Tezuka stated firmly.
'Why not?' Asahina pouted, looking like a five years old whose toy had been taken from her. 'Give me back my drink!' She lurched forward to retrieve the item. 'Fuji said that it was the best drink he ever tasted. I want to know how it tastes too!'
'He is different. He is immune to this thing,' Tezuka stated sternly while extending his hand farther away from the girl so that she wouldn't be able to reach. 'You wouldn't want to end up like "that", would you?' Tezuka pointed to the "dead" regulars lying on the ground.
'You don't have to worry about me, Buchou-san. I can take care of myself.' Asahina could see that her attempts were failing so she immediately changed her tactic and gave him the sweetest smile he had ever seen. 'Kunimitsu-kun, onegai,' she whispered to him.
Tezuka managed to avoid her oh-so-irresistible smile in time before it could affect him. 'No!' Tezuka refused adamantly although he could feel himself blushing at the unexpected mention of his first name. He glared dangerously to Fuji, hoping the tensai would help him to discourage Asahina from drinking the juice.
Fuji smiled at him innocently and turned to Asahina. 'The juice taste excellent. I highly recommend it!'
'See! Even Fuji recommends it,' Asahina pouted cutely.
'You should not listen to him,' Tezuka retorted without looking at her. He still couldn't bring himself to look at her lovely face without melting his resolve, so he decided to throw invisible daggers at Fuji, who seemed obvious to his attempts.
'I want to drink it!' Asahina was determined to get what she wanted. She lurched towards Tezuka to grab the glass in his hand but he managed to get the glass away from her reach thanks to his height. The two of them struggled to overpower each other. Each attempt became more violent than the previous one making it a miracle that the juice didn't spill over them. However, Asahina refused to give up and decided to tickle Tezuka instead. Tezuka accidentally released the glass and, by pure luck, was caught by Asahina. She smiled at her little victory and brought the glass to her lips to drink.
Tezuka quickly recovered from Asahina's tickle attack. He snatched the glass away from her before she could drink anything and, without thinking, he drank the content himself.
Asahina gasped and her eyes widen in disbelieve. She drew back from the captain to the other tensai's side.
Ryoma just stared wide eyed while Inui scribbled furiously onto his notebook. Fuji's smile simply widened.
Mission accomplished!
Tezuka could feel his body to involuntarily twitch as the juice flowed down his gut. His head became heavy and his vision became blurry. He stood there with his eyes close for a second or two to regain his strength and determined not to fall to the ground, although he felt his knees would give in any moment. After a while, and to his great relief, he felt the twitch slowly disappearing, his head becoming lighter and his vision clearing up.
CLAP!
Fuji raised his hand in the air and offered Asahina a high five. Asahina gladly accepted the gesture. Both tensai giggled in victory.
Tezuka blinked a few times to recover and tried to comprehend with what had happened before him. He glared at the two giggling tensais.
'That was the best acting I've ever seen, Rie-chan!' Fuji complimented her with a sexy smile. 'You seriously should consider becoming an actress. You could probably make a fortune out of it.'
'Oh well, what can I say,' Asahina smirked as she curtseyed. 'I'm a natural'
Tezuka stared between Asahina and Fuji a few times. 'Did both of you planned this ahead?' He asked to confirm his suspicion, no emotion dripping from his monotone voice. And I stupidly drank the juice to try to save her. He thought, yet his face betrayed nothing
'What do you think? Aren't we good?' Fuji smiled innocently to his captain.
Tezuka frowned and put down the empty glass. Nobody could ever imagine the swirl of emotions inside him. If he didn't happen to be as mature as he was, Fuji would have a black eye and a bloody nose at that moment. He could feel the anger rising inside him, threatening to overtake him. Sure, Fuji had played countless pranks on him in the past, but this was different. He was the only one that new his 'secret', yet that didn't stop him from using Asahina to trick him. The truth was, beneath all the rage, he felt betrayed by the tensai, one of his best friends. 'Echizen, Fuji and Inui, help the others wake up.' He ordered, referring to the now groaning tennis players. 'Once everyone is up you may leave. Practice dismissed.' His calm voice showed nothing of his inner turmoil. He turned around and began walking away without saying anything else. Afraid that he might lose his temper on Asahina, he didn't even spare a glance at her.
Asahina felt guilty. Well, that was an understatement. She wanted the earth to swallow her up at that very moment. She had promised not to play pranks on him anymore!! And what did she do? Grab the first opportunity to trick him. Seeing him walking away from her towards the tennis clubhouse without saying anything to her, broke her heart. So, she decided that she needed to go after him to apologize.
Fuji patted his back mentally for being able to outsmart Tezuka AND Asahina. Not to mention, opening an opportunity for Tezuka to ask her out that night. His "tensai senses" were telling him that Kyo was the guy Asahina had promised to celebrate his birthday with. I hope Tezuka will use this chance to his advantage and try to make a move. Fuji smirked. He was feeling like a good friend at that moment.
Nobody was in the clubhouse. Tezuka could feel his head throbbing. He wondered if it was due to the effect of Inui's juice or his anger towards a certain team member. He placed his racket in his bag and took a towel from his cubbyhole to wipe the sweat off his face. Flashbacks of the incident began to invade his mind, only getting him angrier. He punched the wall out of pure frustration, his other hand trembling by his side and the light reflecting on his glasses making it impossible to read his eyes.
Asahina was startled when she saw Tezuka slamming his fist against the wall. She almost jumped out of her skin, scared of his sudden behavior. Suddenly her vision began to blur, she could feel her heart beating loudly in her throat and her body began to shake. In front of her no longer stood Tezuka, but a tall man in a gray business suit, his eyes hiding behind his straight black hair and his face contorted in rage. Asahina closed her eyes tightly and when she opened them again she was back at the clubhouse with Tezuka's back facing her. Just when she was about to turn around and leave, Tezuka hit the wall once more. She stared at his back for a long time, and then at his clenching fist. The Seigaku captain, who hadn't realized Asahina's presence, punched the wall one final time, just for good measure. She slowly approached him and slipped her arms around Tezuka's waist. Then, she brought her face close to his muscular back. 'Please stop, you'll hurt yourself.' She whispered. 'I am sorry. I know what I did was wrong. Please don't be angry with me.'
The moment Asahina's arm wrapped around Tezuka, his attention was pulled like a magnet to her. His breath hitched and his heart beat faster. He turned around to face her. His anger immediately dissolving when he saw her beautiful tear filled eyes.
'Please forgive me,' Asahina pleaded.
I am going to be in big trouble if this continues, Tezuka sighed in defeat. Gazing lovingly to his angel he said, 'I forgive you.'
Unknown to the couple, a smirking Fuji took a few pictures of them from the opened window of the clubhouse, feeling like a very good friend indeed.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
SILENT WISH SILENT WISH SILENT WISH SILENT WISH SILENT WISH SILENT WISH SILENT WISH SILENT WISH SILENT WISH SILENT WISH
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
'Did you like the movie, Rie?' Kyo asked the girl walking beside him. She was wearing a light green three quarters ladies tee shirt that showed the perfect curve of her slender figure along with a short black loose skirt. He had never seen her without the school uniform before and had never thought any girl who could look so sporty and sexy at the same time. He really wished she would be his girl so he could hold her close to him.
Asahina didn't answer. She was gazing intently at a tennis court that they were about to pass by.
'Rie?' Kyo tried to gain her attention once more by waving a hand in front of her face.
'Huh?' She said bewildered as she turned to her friend.
He smiled knowingly. 'Come with me,' Kyo answered while tugging one of her arms lightly and approaching one of the tennis courts with her in tow.
'Where are we going?' Asahina asked puzzled.
'I've never had a chance to watch street tennis before, thought it might be fun to see it live' Kyo replied with a smile.
'Never knew you were interested in tennis, Kyo.' She stated, curious to his sudden behavior.
'I just wanna know if tennis is better than soccer. Although I highly doubt it, but hey! Watching a few games won't kill me.' He turned around and winked at her. 'Besides, you seemed happy when you were looking at this place, and since I love the way you smile, it's like killing two birds with one stone.' Kyo teased her.
Asahina giggled at his remark and headed for the entrance.
'LET ME GO, YOU JERK!' Shrieked a petite redhead girl not far from where they were standing, catching their attention.
'Come on babe, you promised that if you lost a match you'd give each of us a kiss, remember' A red shirt boy sneered while holding the girl firmly. Surrounded by a group of five more sneering high schoolers the girl seemed to have no possibility of escaping.
'Get your face off me!' The girl shouted, trying to squirm out of his reach. 'I didn't agree to anything and you were cheating anyway!'
'Let her go, dude!' Kyo yelled fiercely as he approached them, Asahina following closely behind. Although she also wanted to save the girl, she was more worried about Kyo's safety since it was six against one. She looked around them for help but found that no one around the tennis court dared to interfere with them, and some even ignored the situation completely and continued playing tennis. Disgusted by their cowardness, she turned back to Kyo and hoped that they would not resort to any physical aggressiveness.
'So, you want to play hero, huh?' A blue shirt boy about a head taller than Kyo said while cracking his knuckles threateningly. But, he halted when he saw Asahina who was partially standing behind Kyo. 'Although we might just forgive you, if you let your girlfriend play with us for a while as well.'
Asahina glared at the boy hoping she had simply heard wrong.
'Let the girl go or else,' He demanded, preferring to ignore the blue shirt boy.
'Or else what?' mimicked a shorter green shirt boy standing at a safe distance from the fight. 'Just so you know, there are six of us, and one of you. Unless you don't mind getting hurt, that is. But don't worry, leave your girl here, we'll take good care of her.' The others just snickered at his words.
'Rie, run and save yourself,' Kyo instructed her as the boys got closer to them. 'I'll handle this. I promise I won't let them pass me, okay?' He advanced towards the boys and managed to land a punch on the closest boy and strong kick to another's stomach. He was about to move on to the next one when the side of a tennis racquet collided with his head. The boy with the blue shirt smirked as Kyo fell to the ground.
Asahina stood paralyzed in horror. Part of her wanted to go run for help, but the other part knew that when said help arrived it would probably be too late. To her surprise Kyo got up and started wrestling the blue shirt boy for the racquet. With a quick shove the bully pushed him off, but the force made him lose his grip on the racquet. Angry, the boy turned around and tried to land a punch on Kyo. At that very instant Asahina decided to act and managed to stand between her date and the rest. However, her move was sudden and unexpected that the boy's fist collided with right her shoulder, causing her to fall backwards.
'Rie, are you alright?' Kyo asked, feeling responsible for what had happened to her as he helped her get off the ground.
Asahina did not miss the guilt that flashed on Kyo's face. 'I am fine.' She assured him rubbing the sore spot on her right shoulder. 'It's you we should be worried about; your nose is bleeding, it might be broken.'
'Don't worry about me, Rie.' He said while she just glared at the boys, daring them to move closer to them.
One of the boys accepted the challenge and tried to approach the pair while smirking.
'Stay where you are!' Asahina growled dangerously at the boys. The boys were surprised at first but then laugh, finding her sudden determination amusing. 'I'll make a deal with you."
Kyo looked at her surprise. He was about to protest but when he saw her deadly glare; he decided that he wouldn't interfere as long as the boys kept their distance away from her.
'What are you offering, babe?' Smirked the red shirt boy.
'You can do whatever you want with me if I lose on a one-on-one match against any of you. But, if I win, you'll let me, my boyfriend, and the girl go and you won't bother us again,' Asahina challenged daringly.
The bullies laughed but quickly accepted her offer before she could change her mind. 'We'll settle this on the court!' Stated the red shirt boy, shoving the captured girl to his friends.
Kyo admired her braveness (and of course the idea of her referring him as her boyfriend just now definitely made him very happy), however he found that her deal was ridiculous. 'Rie, this is not a good idea,' He said placing a hand on her left shoulder and worry written all over his face.
To his surprised, his angel turned to him and smiled to comfort him. 'Don't worry. I've played tennis before and I'm pretty good at it,' Asahina glanced towards the high-school boys and smirked. 'And I'll be damned if I lose to these idiots.'
Kyo was taken aback by her sudden change in attitude but didn't say anything as he watched her walk onto the tennis court.
'I believe this is yours?' Asahina questioned the redheaded girl loudly as she picked a tennis racket from the ground. 'Mind if I borrow it… Ann-chan?' She asked, reading the label on the grip. Ann just nodded.
Asahina examined the racket carefully. 'So, you are a baseliner player, huh?' She remarked after flicking the racket's string with her fingers and then swinging the racket around a few times with her left hand.
Ann was surprised at the truth of the green-head girl's comment and nodded again. She could even guess what type of player I am judging from my racket alone. She must be good at tennis, I wonder who she is.
'Oh well, I guess this racket will have to do,' Asahina said, glad that she was currently wearing something suitable for playing tennis. She stretched out a little before approaching the net of the court. 'Smooth or rough?' Asahina asked her opponent before spinning the racquet.
'I serve first,' the red shirt guy declared.
'No problem,' Asahina simply said, grabbing the racquet before it fell. Both of them got into position before the guy hit his service ball.
'15-0!' shouted one of boys, as the ball passed by Asahina. 'Good job Sendo!'
15-0? What kind scoring is that? Kyo wondered. As a soccer player who was used to the counting sequence of the soccer scoring system, couldn't understand how the tennis scoring system worked. However, he didn't need to be a tennis player expert to know that Asahina wasn't winning.
'30-0!' Another ball passed by the green-haired girl.
She seems to be stiff and didn't even react to the ball, let alone attempt to run to hit it. Ann thought. Was I wrong? Could it be that the girl can't play tennis at all?
'40-0!'
Asahina watched another ball go pass her. I don't get it. I wanted to go after the ball, but my body won't move. What's going on?
'1-0! Babe, it's your serve game.'
'Rie!' Kyo called out at side of the court. But, Asahina was too deep in thought to hear him.
'2-0! Sendo to serve.' All of her serves had hit the net.
Sendo earned another two easy points with his serve.
'30-0!'
Move, damn it! Asahina willed her body to move. Move and try to hit the ball.
This time, Asahina was able to react in time and ran towards the ball hit by Sendo to the corner of the court. However, her reflexes were not fast enough and she missed the ball.
'40-0!'
That's a good start, now all I need to do is hit the ball over the net, she focused on Sendo's serve. Judging by the angle at which his racket was positioned, the loudness of the sound when the ball hit his racket, and the stance Sendo was in, Asahina ran towards the corner of the court where the ball would most likely land.
However, the ball still seemed to be a bit far from her reach. She jumped in one last hope to get to the ball but her racket missed by a couple of inches and she ended up sprawled on the ground face down. Something the bullies found very funny.
Kyo growled at the laughing boys across him and started to run into the courts to help Asahina but, Ann stopped him from afar. 'Don't get into the court. It's an insult to any player when her supporter gets onto the court and helps them while the match is still on.'
'But, she is hurt! How can you expect me to just watch and do nothing!' Kyo snapped.
'Please, I am sure she wouldn't want you to do that.' Ann pleaded.
'How can you be so sure?!' Kyo asked angrily. His eyes were glued to the seemingly helpless girl in the court. Her look broke his heart into tiny pieces. He felt guilty for letting her play. How can I forgive myself for getting you hurt?
'Look at her,' Ann pointed at Asahina. 'She is strong, I'm sure she'll win!' I hope, she added to herself.
Kyo looked at her. He admitted how daring and strong she was. But, he just couldn't let her hurt herself.
Why can't I hit the ball? Asahina tried to stand up. What's wrong with me? Asahina held back the tears of frustration that were threatening to fall. Can it be that I am no longer able to play tennis?
CLANK!
Suddenly, her cell phone flew out of her pocket. She picked the phone off the ground and halted when she noticed the pinkish white bunny mini doll given to her by Tezuka that was hanging on the phone. It reminded her of the Seigaku captain that afternoon, from his impressive tennis skill, masculine stance and carefully planned moves to his hard-edged aura that demanded respect and ignited his opponent's fear. Yudan sezu ni iko, Asahina smiled weakly at Tezuka's favorite phrase. Don't let your guard down. Somehow, her strength and determination renewed.
'Your turn to serve, babe,' the referee leered at her.
Asahina went into position and began bouncing the ball. Why couldn't I pass the net when I served? Asahina thought, trying to remember her mistakes. What did I do wrong last time? Asahina began to serve. How could my serve now be different from my serves back in Rikkai?
Unfortunately, most of her serve either hit the net or went out.
'40-0!'
Asahina closed her eyes and imagined how she used to serve when she was a regular back in Rikkai. Suddenly, her body relaxed. She let her body to remember her tennis form and smiled when her body instinctively started to move to certain position before serving. She hit the ball and, to Kyo's amazement, her serve was flawless.
The ball landed right on the line at the opposite side of the court.
'OUT! 3-0! Sendo to serve.' The referee gave the point to Sendo instead of Asahina.
'What?!' Ann protested vehemently.' That ball was an in! It landed right on the line! How could you miss that no-touch-ace?'
Kyo didn't say anything, still confused on how the point was counted. He didn't understand when the ball is counted as an in or an out, but, he did agree that the ball did land on the line.
'Shut up! I didn't miss it. It was out and my decision is final,' the referee retorted.
'Why you…' Ann mumbled in fury.
'Look,' Kyo said trying to distract the girl. 'I think her tennis form has changed.'
Asahina didn't mind if the point was given to her or not. She was now hopping back and forth from one foot to the other in deep concentration. She somehow felt much lighter and her movements were swifter and more natural. She tested her swing and moved back and forth to get in rhythm.
Kyo and Ann were amused at the sudden changes showed by the girl. He recognized the smirk on her face, the kind of smirk that he himself usually wore during his soccer games every time he was about to perform an overhead kick that would win the match.
'Split Step?' Ann said bewildered to what was happening before her. She was now standing besides Kyo. Apparently, the bullies hadn't realized that Ann was no longer with them. She can do a Split Step move? Who is she?
'Ann! Are you okay?' Momo suddenly appeared together with Echizen. They ran towards the girl. 'Someone called me and said that you were in trouble. I've already called Kamio and he said he would be here as soon as …' Momo was puzzled when he saw the boy besides Ann. 'Matsuhiro-senpai? What are you doing here?'
Both Ann and Kyo didn't respond to Momo and continued watching Asahina playing on the court.
'Hina-chan?!' Momo bewildered. 'What is she doing on the court? What is going on?'
'Be quite and just watch, Momo-senpai,' Echizen shut him up. 'This match looks interesting.'
'3-1!' It was a short game set for them as Asahina hit a return-ace to all Sendo's serve.
'Who is leading, Ann-chan?' Momo asked, nudging Ann lightly.
'The guy is leading the match,' Ann answered. 'But the girl seems to be catching up'
'I never knew Asahina-senpai could play tennis this well,' Echizen commented as Asahina hit a swift no-touch-ace repeatedly to the opposite side of the court. It landed right in front Sendo, so the referee was forced to give her the points. Her opponent was too stunned to return her serves, the balls being too fast for him.
'And she can do the Split Step too,' Ann informed the Seigaku regulars while pointing at Asahina's feet as she did the said step after she hit her service ball.
'That is no Split Step, Ann,' Momo corrected her. 'That's a one footed Split Step.'
'One footed Split Step? What's that?' Kyo asked curious.
'Don't know how to explain it. It was usually Fuji-senpai or Inui-senpai who explained it to us.' Momo said. 'I guess, in short, it just means that the one footed Split Step is much faster than the normal Split Step.'
Kyo nodded, having no idea of what they were saying, but he did notice that Asahina was indeed faster than she did before. 'What is so special about this Split Step? The way you say it makes it like a big deal.'
'The Split Step is pretty difficult technique that requires balance and agility. The trick is to have your feet land in the right place to be able to get to the ball faster. There are only a handful of players who could do that and most of them are extremely talented in tennis,' Ann explained.
'And out of that handful of people, only a few could perform the one footed Split Step…' Momo trailed off, too fascinated watching the game before him to make any more comments. Not that anyone mind because Kyo, Ann, and Ryoma weren't listening to him anyway.
'3-4!' Asahina easily got her next three points consecutively. It only took her ten minutes to catch up with the score.
'Wow! She easily beat the guy with her no-touch-aces and return-aces. The guy was not even able to keep up with her!' Momo said excitedly watching Sendo run frantically after the ball. 'She hasn't even showed her special move yet.'
'IF she has one, that is,' Echizen replied nonchalantly. Actually, he was also looking forward to seeing her special move. But, at this rate of her performance, she wouldn't need to use it even if she had one.
'Of course she's got one!' Momo said defensively.
'Have you seen it?' Echizen asked, arching his eyebrow.
'Not really,' Momo admitted. He didn't even know Asahina played tennis at all.
'Well, there is one thing for sure; that friend of yours is definitely a Kantou-level player,' Ann said. (2)
Kyo listened intently to the conversation. He couldn't help but fell amused with Ann's last comment. Is it possible for her to be that good?
'6-4! Game and match won by Asahina.'
'Next! Which one of you wants to play against me?' Asahina challenged the other boys as she went to the baseline to start the next match.
The boys were looking at each other but none of them stepped forward.
'Come on, brats! I just finished a warm-up game just now. So, which one of you bastards is the strongest player in your team?' Asahina smirked. 'Get your damn butt in here now!' She demanded.
Momo, Ryoma, Ann, and Kyo sweat dropped at Asahina's choice of words and decided to step back a little until she calmed down.
'We will get you for this!' Shouted Sendo as he and his friends ran away from the court. 'We'll definitely remember this!!'
'Sure! Just make sure you come prepared. Although, I doubt that you could ever beat me!' Asahina grinned evilly.
'Wow! That was one hell of a match,' Momo complimented. He ran towards Asahina while clapping his hands. 'I never knew you could play tennis! How come you never told us?'
Asahina blinked as she slowly becoming aware of her surrounding. 'Momo-chan? Ry-chan? What are you doing here?'
'Momo-senpai dragged me here to save his precious girlfriend,' Ryoma answered, walking right behind Seigaku's powerhouse.
Momo's eyes widen. 'Did not!' He shouted blushing as he wrestled him to the floor. 'Echizen, stop making up untrue stories, okay?!'
'Huh? Momo-chan! You didn't tell me you had a cute girlfriend! Congratulations! ' Asahina cheered, making Ann blush the same color as her hair.
'We…we're not together' Ann mumbled while playing with the hem of her shirt.
'What?! But you should! Just look at the way he's acting, you can see a mile away how much he likes you!' Asahina continued, making both of them stare at each other embarrassingly.
'Hey, that is not fair, Hina-chan,' Momo pouted, trying to regain what little pride he could. 'I haven't even accuse you for going out with Matsuhiro-senpai.'
'So?' Asahina dared him to continue.
'By the way, why does Matsuhiro-senpai have a black eye and bruises all over his face? And, how come Hina-chan ended up playing against that guy?' Momo quickly changed the topic, fearing for his life.
'I think the most important question would be when is Asahina-senpai free to play a tennis match against me?' Echizen's questioned, earning a punch from Momo. 'What! It IS an important question!' He exclaimed while pulling his cap lower. The rest just laughed.
Then, Ann told the two Seigaku regulars what had happened and thanked Asahina and Kyo for saving her.
'Ann-chan!!' A redheaded boy ran towards them.
'Kamio-kun?' Ann said, surprised.
'Momo called me and I ran here as fast as I could.' He managed between pants.
'You ran here? That was stupid,' Momo remarked coolly.
'Who you are calling stupid, stupid?' Kamio dared Momo to repeat his last comment.
'Who is this?' Asahina asked eying the new boy a safe distance away.
'Momo-senpai's love rival,' Echizen answered bluntly.
'Love rival?!' Kamio shouted angrily at Momo. 'What have you been doing to Tachibana-buchou's little sister, you bike-thief?'
Momo blushed and wrestled both Kamio and Ryoma to the floor. 'Echizen, I told you to stop making up untrue stories, didn't I?!'
'Ah, young love!' Cheered Asahina while laughing.
………………………………………………………………………………………………
SILENT WISH SILENT WISH SILENT WISH SILENT WISH SILENT WISH SILENT WISH SILENT WISH SILENT WISH SILENT WISH SILENT WISH
………………………………………………………………………………………………
'You were quiet back there, Kyo,' Asahina asked her friend. They were walking towards her apartment, since he insisted on sending her home first.
'How is your right shoulder doing? Does it hurt?' Kyo asked in concern.
'Don't worry, Kyo. I am fine. I didn't even remember about it 'til you mentioned it actually,' Asahina lied. Her shoulder was still sore but she didn't want to worry Kyo about it.
'I am just amused about what an interesting team Tezuka-buchou has, they must be a handful' Kyo said, referring to Momo and Echizen. 'And the fact that you are so good at tennis,' he turned to look at her. 'Have you ever represented your school before?'
'I just know a bit of tennis, Kyo' Asahina lied. 'I do play it but just for fun.'
'You were a completely different person back there. I was baffled with what you did.' Kyo told her, impressed. 'You know, you should probably try out for the girls' team. They definitely need a talented girl like you, 'cause from what I heard, our girls' tennis team is… underperforming. Kind of embarrassing compared to the famously seeded Seigaku male team.'
'You are thinking too highly of me, Kyo. I am not that good. The guys back there just happen to be bad at tennis. That's all,' Asahina humbly told him. 'Do you want to come to my house so that I could do something with your bruises?' Asahina offered before Kyo could ask her anymore question about tennis. 'I have first aid kit in my house.'
'It is okay, Rie. Not on out first date. I didn't want to take advantage of your generosity. What would your parents say if they saw you bringing over a handsome and irresistible male into your house?' Kyo teased her.
Asahina felt rather uneasy at the mention of parents since she actually didn't have them anymore. But, she wasn't going to correct him when her mind registered the word "first date". She could feel her face burning.
'I will be fine. Well, except my family would definitely interrogate me to know what I did on my first date to end up like this.' Kyo joked. 'I'll have to convince them that in the future this won't happen on our next date.'
Asahina's blush deepened at the mention of a possible "next date".
'You know, I still distinctly remember that you referred me as your boyfriend when you were dealing with the high schoolers. It made me really happy, although I know that you were just pretending but it was enough to let me know that you are not completely disgusted of me.'
Asahina stopped in her tracks. 'What makes you think that I am disgusted with you?' She asked confused. 'I've never felt disgusted by you, Kyo.'
'Well, I don't know, Rie. I'm a pushy, but incredibly attractive, guy who's constantly bothering you and never giving up after countless rejection from his goddess, remember?' Kyo smiled weakly at her.
Asahina didn't know what to respond to that so she just glued her eyes to the ground,
'I love you, Rie, do you know that?' Kyo whispered and grabbed one of her hands in his. He looked at her lovely face and brought her soft hand to his lips in a chaste kiss.
'Ah, Kyo…' Asahina began, but the words seemed stuck in her throat. She could feel his love flowing like an electric current from his lips to her hand and then going up her arms, making a sharp U-turn at her shoulder before heading to her guarded heart. She didn't know if it was possible, but she really could feel his tantalizing hazel eyes telling her his pure intentions: to love her with all his heart and soul. How bad he desired for her. And how willing he was to wait for her until she was ready to accept everything he had to offer her. But, do I deserve this? How could I accept his offerings when I know that I have nothing to offer back to him?
'No, please. Don't dump me again just yet. Just give me a chance to prove my worth to you. I don't mind if you consider me a friend at first. I'll wait for you.'
'Kyo, I told you that there is nothing wrong with you. It was me. I am not worth it.' Suddenly her tears fell down her cheek. I am sorry, Kyo. You are too good to be true. I really don't deserve a good man like you. I want to accept you, I just… I can't. I am who I am and I can't afford involving someone like you in my already complicated life. You just don't deserve it.
Kyo cupped her soft cheek with his hand as he kissed her tears away. 'Then, let me prove to you that you are as worthy as anyone else. Let me prove to you that you are the most precious girl to me.' Kyo whispered softly in her ear. 'Please, Rie. Give both of us a chance to get to know each other. I promise you that you won't regret it.'
Asahina looked at Kyo's face and gazed intensely at him for a long time as if searching for something. She replayed his words over and over in her mind, almost like a broken record. Kyo just stood there and let her stare at him as long as she wanted to.
When he saw her calming down, he decided to cheer her up. So, since they were holding hands, he began to walk with her in tow. 'Could you believe that my mom suspected me being gay since I haven't date any girl in my entire life?' He stated out of the blue. 'She's even tried introducing me to our neighbors' daughters because she was afraid that I might swing that way,'
'Are you serious?' Asahina asked with her eyes wide open, appreciating the topic change. 'And then what happen?'
Kyo nodded grimly in spite of the happiness he felt when she made no attempt to remove her hand from him. He pretended to look as if that matter troubled him so much. But he couldn't help to feel amused at her naïveté which was a total contrast to the girl he saw playing tennis on the court earlier. 'I told her that I haven't met the right girl who satisfies all my requirements.'
'You are probably too choosy, Kyo,' Asahina chuckled.
'Maybe I am. She was gaping at me when I told her the type of girl I am looking for.' Kyo look at her. 'I didn't ask for much, actually. All I want is a girl that's drop-dead gorgeous and super smart.'
'Well, good luck finding that combination. Most girls don't…'
'I haven't finish with my requirements,' Kyo interrupted her. His face was stern and serious.
'You mean there's more?' Asahina exclaimed in disbelieve.
'Of course there's more,' He answered, stopping and turning her so she was facing him. 'I have to wake up to her smiles every morning and fall asleep in her arms. She has to let me run my hands through her long dark green silky hair and let me sink into her emerald eyes everyday. She has to be a good cook' His voice could barely be heard over her beating heart. 'And her name has got to be Rie.' She involuntarily gasped and was sure her heart had skipped a beat before it started beating so fast and hard against her rib cage that it hurt. She could feel her cheeks burning and it took all her concentration to not start crying on that very moment.
'Although I am just kidding about telling my mom that, Rie.' Kyo finally admitted as turned and he continued walking, still not letting her hand go. 'But the part where I said I really love… er… I mean, like you is no lie at all.'
Asahina was speechless, touched by Kyo's words. How can he be so sweet? Asahina pondered as she followed Kyo.
Without Asahina realized it, they arrived in front of her apartment but she just continued walking.
'Rie?' Kyo called after her.
'Huh?' Asahina halted and turned around facing him.
'You just missed your apartment,' Kyo gave her the sexiest grin she had ever seen.
Once again, Asahina blushed in embarrassment. How can I miss my own apartment? She could have sworn she saw his eyes sparkled.
'You know, you shouldn't space out like that especially when you are alone,' Kyo's grin turned into equally sexy smile. 'But, since you are with me, I guess you are allowed to space out as much as you want.'
Asahina managed to smile at him shyly. 'Sorry.'
'It is getting late, Rie. I guess it's time for me to go,' Kyo said. He also told her that he would wait for her outside while she entered her apartment before he left.
'Thanks, Kyo.' Asahina hugged him. 'I had so much fun tonight. I'm glad you ask me out.'
Kyo was tempted to kiss her. It took his whole willpower not to. 'I should be the one who should be thanking, Rie,' Kyo said instead. 'I was so happy tonight because you were willing to spend time with me. I think, this is the best birthday present I've ever had.'
Asahina smiled but didn't dare to look at him, all the events of that evening replaying in her mind and her heart still pounding loudly.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
SILENT WISH SILENT WISH SILENT WISH SILENT WISH SILENT WISH SILENT WISH SILENT WISH SILENT WISH SILENT WISH SILENT WISH
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Asahina, Kiki, and Megume were sitting facing each other on Asahina's bed. Kiki and Megume had decided that they wanted to stay over at their friend's house for that week's girl's night out.
'I heard that you were dating Kyo-kun last night,' Megume smirked knowingly. 'Are you finally accepting him, Hina-chan?'
'WHAT!' Kiki exclaimed, falling off the bed in excitement. 'And you didn't even tell us about it?!'
'Hey, I didn't even say anything when you didn't tell me about your relationship with Niou Kazuma,' Asahina defended.
Kiki just shrugged uneasily from the floor.
Asahina helped her friend up and gave her a hug, assuring her that she actually didn't mind. 'There is not much to tell, Kiki. We weren't dating: it was a just a friendly outing,' Asahina explained although she could feel shivers running down her spines as she remembered everything Kyo had said to her last night. 'I forgot his birthday the other day, and he reminded me. We decided to celebrate it together so we went to watch movie and had dinner at a nice restaurant.'
'WHAT!' Kiki exclaimed. 'You went to a candlelight dinner with Kyo-kun?'
'I didn't say candlelight dinner, Kiki,' Asahina said surprised.
'But you DID have a candlelight dinner, didn't you?' Megume smiled knowingly as she pulled out one of Ashina's magazines from under her bed.
'I guess we did,' reluctantly Asahina finally admitted.
'Tell us about your date in detail!' Kiki and Megume exclaimed.
Asahina hesitated at first and tried to convince them that it was not a date. However, after a while when she realized that her attempts were futile, she gave up and told them about her "date" last night with Kyo. Both of her friends acted as if this was the juiciest news they ever heard by the way they were listening to her oh-so-intently and interrupted her only with 'oooohhhhs and 'aaaahhhhhs especially the parts where they were facing the high school bullies or the part where Kyo was sending her home.
'So, how is your shoulder?' Megume asked after she finished.
'I am fine, Megume-senpai. Thanks,' she answered.
'What are you going to do with Momo and Echizen now that they know you can play tennis?' Megume asked in concern. 'Aren't you afraid it might give away your identity as an ex-Rikkai regular?'
'I already asked Momo and Echizen to keep last night's incident a secret. I even told Kyo that I would like him to respect my privacy,' Asahina explained. 'So, I doubt I have anything to worry about. I only showed them the usual tennis play. Heck, I didn't even play at my best at that time.'
'I don't know, Hina-chan. You can't be sure of anything. You did tell us that you were pretty popular in Rikkai and looked upon even among your fellow regulars at that time. It would not be impossible for someone to recognize you, you know,' Megume clarified. She was really worried for her friend. She didn't want Asahina to be in trouble. 'If your ex-Rikkai team gets a wind of this, you might be in big trouble.'
Asahina hugged her worried senpai to assure her. She admitted that there were truths in Megume's words. But, there was nothing she could do about it. The last thing she wanted to do was to panic over every single possibility that might expose her past identity. She had long decided that if something was destined to happen, it would happen sooner or later no matter what she did. She just had to be brave and calm dealing with it when the time came. 'Don't worry too much, Megume-senpai. Everything will turn out fine.'
Kiki could sense that Asahina didn't want to talk about this sensitive topic so she decided to change the topic as soon as possible. 'You are so lucky to go out on a date without dealing with fussy parents, Hina-chan. The first time Kazuma asked me out and pick me up at my house, I was almost sure Kazuma would run off terrified because my parents asked him too many question,' Kiki sighed. 'I am glad that he didn't though. In fact, I'm surprised that he managed to impress my parents with his charms.'
Asahina felt uncomfortable by the mention of parents. She knew Kiki didn't mean to cause her that feeling so she tried to shrug it off with a smile. Besides, she needed this to distract Megume from worrying over her. 'I told you that he's a gentleman, didn't I? I guess having a trickster twin does help him when dealing with scary situations like that.'
'I also love the part when you said that Kyo confessed to you on the way home. He's such prince charming,' Kiki said dreamily.
'Careful what you say, Kiki. If Kazuma-senpai hears this, he'll probably get jealous,' Asahina teased her friend.
'I agree with Kiki. No wonder a lot of girls in our school fell for him. He's so romantic and so sweet yet funny at the same time!!' Megume nodded. 'If I were you, Hina-chan, I'd probably fallen in love with him on the spot. Seriously, if that didn't affect you at all, I don't know what can!'
Asahina didn't say anything to Megume's comment. There was nothing to say anyway. She wasn't even sure what she was feeling towards the soccer captain. But surely, she was touched by his declaration of love and his willingness to wait for her and not to mention the way he refused to give up on her. It did mean something to her. It made her feel appreciated and special. Something that I believed I wasn't capable of feeling. She smiled at the thought.
'You know, half of the girls in our school probably can't understand how you managed to forget Kyo's birthday.' Megume chuckled as she remembered the "riot" the other day, where the girls practically lined up to give the soccer captain his birthday presents. 'His fangirls probably will pull their hair off if they ever knew that you managed to have dinner with Kyo without even trying.'
'Well, I actually forgot his birthday too, you know.' Kiki told her senpai. 'It is not really THAT important.'
'Well, you pretty much forget about everything including me and Megume-senpai ever since you dated Kazuma-senpai,' Asahina joked.
'Look whose talking. Ever since you and Tezuka-kun became friends, you've been practically ignoring us. Even Kyo felt insecure about your closeness towards Tezuka,' Megume smirked. 'He actually asked me what your relationship with Tezuka was, a few days ago.'
'I did not ignore anyone!' Asahina said defensively. 'I just happen to be busy lately discussing about what kind of food suitable to be catered for the next tournament with Buchou-san. Our conversations were strictly friendly business related topics. You can ask Buchou-san if you don't believe me,' Then, Asahina pulled out a file out of her bag and showed it to her group. 'Before I forget, this is the recommended ingredient list prepared by Inui-senpai. I just got it yesterday.'
'Buchou-san?' Kiki asked while flipping the file before handing it to her senpai. 'You mean Tezuka-senpai?'
'What kind of pet name is that?' Megume arched her eyebrow while reading the file. 'Is that supposed to replace sweetheart or something? Seriously, you need to be more considerate when you are naming a person who clearly likes you.'
'What?!' Asahina exclaimed in disbelieve. Buchou-san… likes me?! That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard! And I've got Momo-chan sitting by my side in the cooking club.
'Come on, Hina-chan. Please don't tell me you didn't notice that,' Megume said, rolling her eyes.
'Even I noticed the special treatment Tezuka-senpai gives to you! He always looks relax and comfortable every time I see him talking to you,' Kiki stated.
'Wait! You are kidding, right? Is it just me or both of you always jump into conclusion that every guy I talk to will end up falling for me?' Asahina frowned at her friends.
'Well, it is kind of obvious, you know,' Megume said. 'It is difficult not to notice it.'
'THAT IS IMPOSSIBLE!' Asahina refuted heatedly. 'How could you say that an emotion-deprived captain like him has that sort of feeling towards me? He couldn't even smile if his life depends on it!'
'Tell me honestly that you don't find Tezuka-kun attractive at all,' Megume challenged.
Asahina was flabbergasted by Megume's statement. She could feel her face burning when she remembered that she DID think he was sexy in his Seigaku regular uniform yesterday during the tennis practice. She could distinctly remember the way he returned every ball directed to him with anticipation. With incredible confidence. His masculine and flawless tennis posture amazed her, his quick reflexes excited her and the way his muscles rippled under his uniforms every time he got into his well organized stance. How could anyone not find that sexy? Asahina smiled at that thought. Come to think of it, she also thought that he looked so cute when he was staring at anything in deep focus. Stop! Asahina mentally shouted, realizing that she had gone too far. She looked up at her friends who were smirking knowingly at her. She cursed inwardly for being so carried away with her emotions.
'Busted!' Kiki sang playfully with an ear-to-ear grin. She had never seen Asahina with such dreamy eyes, deeply thinking about a particular guy. Nevertheless, she was happy for her friend, glad that someone had finally managed to sneak into her heart and open it up, even if just a little bit.
'Buchou-san is just a friend!' Asahina declared stubbornly. 'You know, when a boy and a girl are together, it doesn't necessarily means that they are dating, Megume-senpai. Why can't you just accept the fact that Kyo and Buchou-san are just my male friends?'
'I didn't say that, Hina-chan. I accept the fact that male/female relationships don't always end up in romance, just look at your relationship with Momo!' Megume told her. 'It's just that it doesn't apply in your case this time.'
'What do you mean?' Asahina asked desperately.
'Well, let's think about it. Both captains clearly acted differently every time you are around them. They treated you more special than they would to the rest of people around them to show their feelings for you. Whether they said it out loud, or not, they're obviously madly in love with you. And the fact that you didn't break into tears and blaming how worthless you are as you did in the past whenever we were talking about relationships, somehow "bothers" me too.' Megume smirked mischievously. 'Besides you seem to be attracted to both guys.'
'Kyo probably sees Tezuka-senpai as his rival. I wonder if he thought that he needed to do something to ensure that he wins you in the end. I bet he asked you out last night to keep himself ahead of Tezuka-senpai,' Kiki speculated.
Asahina was about to refute her friends' theories but found that she had nothing to say to defend herself. She admitted that ever since she became closer to the two captains, somehow they managed to make her feel things she had believed she was incapable of feeling. They slipped into her heart and applied necessary treatment on it. Healing her slowly without realizing it. But, it doesn't necessarily mean that I'm in love, right?
Megume continued smirking in victory. 'You need to decide which one of them you like the most, Hina-chan. You can't be too greedy.'
'Wait! What are you talking about? I didn't even admit anything,' Asahina panicked. 'We are just friends, Megume-senpai.'
'But what do you think of both of them?' Kiki asked in interest. 'Who would you chose?'
'Don't be ridiculous,' Asahina could feel her face burning.
'Hmmm… If I were Hina-chan, it would be kind of hard to choose between them. Two hot elite captains with different unique personalities, both are sweet on their own ways to charm me,' Megume thought out loud and took a deep breath. 'Tough decision.'
'You know what I think?' Asahina said with a serious voice, hugging her pillow close to her and seemingly in deep concentration. 'I think you've both had way to much sugar for your own good!' And with that she threw the pillow to Megume's face. Both girls quickly reacted.
'PILLOW FIGHT!!' Shouted Kiki with delight, hitting both Megume and Asahina. The room was soon filled with girly giggles and screams.
…
…
…
(1) Asahina and Fuji had become partners in crime (or in this case prank) due to the interest they shared namely to make a certain captain suffer. So naturally, they are close to each other by now since Fuji had insisted her to call him with such familiarity. So, the peck is nothing but a friendly gesture towards each other.
(2) Forgive me if I am wrong but I think Kantou is the tournament before the national tournament. So, what I am trying to say is that Asahina is a player who can play very well in Kantou tournament.
OMG! 11 reviews?! Awesome… I never had this many reviews in one chap before… thank you so much, it really motivates me to write… In fact, it has gotten me too excited by writing this long 31 pages chap (pat kaillinne arami for forcing her beta the long chap… I hope you get your well deserve sweet sleep… I know I need to learn self-control)
Thanks, love and hug to: syahsyira, unknown player, Lei14, renren010883, kaillinne arami, ecyoj06, Otakugal, cocoamint, invisible-gurl, LivelyRose, and SS-lover06 who reviewed last time!
Okay, I have a question that just popped into my brain. What do you call players like Tezuka, Yukimura, Sanada, etc? Was it a national level players? Hmmm…
Review okay!
