Chapter 11
"You sure this is the place?"
"Yes," stated Jackal for probably the millionth time that day.
"But it's so…huge," said Akaya who was staring up at the theater. It was at least three stories tall and made completely of stone, the front for the theater had three stone pillars that went up all three stories. "He said it was a small theater!"
"Yes well, in some ways it could be considered small," said Yanagi, looking pointedly at Akaya and Niou.
"S-small?" squeaked Akaya. "This place is considered small?"
"You guys can come in you know," I laughed coming up behind them, having overheard Akaya's outburst. "The shows gonna start soon."
"Ruri!"
"You're…"
"That's a…dress."
"Why yes it is, thank you for informing me of that Niou," I stated (note the sarcasm). "I have to wear one when I play…" I muttered quietly hoping that they would let off the questions for today.
"Mm? Play what?" asked Akaya tilting his head to the side it what appeared to be curiosity. 'There goes my hoping,' I thought.
"Heh, you won't know unless you see the show, now will you?" I said smirking before turning and walking back towards the entrance and waving, "See you later!" I shouted over my shoulder.
"We should probably go in now, ne?" chimed in Yukimura who the rest of the team had forgotten was standing behind them.
"Gah!"
"Bucho!"
"…Don't scare us like that please…"
"But he's right, we should head in if we don't want to miss the show" said Sanada.
"Hai!" they chorused.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I welcome you to enjoy the orchestra from the Phantom of the Opera," said the conductor, bowing as the curtains pulled back to reveal a stage with a piano of the left and chairs in a semi-circle. Just as the curtains finished pulling back the musicians started walking out with their instruments, except one, me. I was heading towards the piano. It was one of only a few times that a piano had been added to the Phantom of the Opera's Orchestra when they had visited Japan. Yushi was walking in next to my father, towards the violin section; my mother was coming in from the same side as me and heading towards the flute section.
"Oshitari?"
"What's he doing here?"
"I didn't know he played the violin."
"Of course you wouldn't know, only his family and teammates know about it," came a pompous voice from behind the two tennis team regulars.
"Hyotei!" the two teams chorused together, except for Yukimura, Tezuka, Fuji, and Sanada.
"Shh!" whispered someone who was sitting by the tennis players.
"Sorry!"
"So, what did you guys think?" I asked when the concert had ended and I had been able to leave.
"SUGOI!" exclaimed Eiji.
"Kikumaru," said Tezuka looking sternly at the acrobatic specialist.
"Wah~ Oishi!"
"Kikumaru-san's right though. It was amazing," commented Yukimura.
"Why thank you," said Yushi coming up behind me.
"Mm, what he said," I added, yawning.
"Now, now. That's not how I raised you Ruri," came a voice from behind us, though this time it was female and completely unknown to the three schools there.
"Oh, hi mom."
"It's a pleasure to see you again Auntie" said Yushi nodding his head in my mother's direction.
"Hmmpf how many times do I have to tell you to call me Eli?" my mother asked.
"Mom please stop pestering him, you know he's gonna call you Auntie whether you like it or not," I said to my mother. This happened every time my Mom and Yushi talked to each other.
"But it makes me feel old," replied my mother pouting. This caused me to snort, trying to hold in my laughter. This excuse was new. And then the look on my cousins face, ha priceless. This did make me start laughing. My cousin just sighed as the rest of the tennis players looking on in confusion.
"Senpai, is that your mom?" asked Momoshiro, allowing me to sober up from my laughing fit.
"Yup," I replied. "Ah, she doesn't speak Japanese though."
"She doesn't speak Japanese?" asked Inui more to himself then to anyone I think, "intresting..."
"Oh, Keigo! How have you been? I didn't know you were here. How are your parents? Do you still play tennis? Have you played Ruri yet? Who won?" my mom started spewing off question after question at the young heir not giving him a chance to answer and causing everyone else to look between my mother and Atobe.
"I-I'm good. My parents are fine and I still play tennis. And no I haven't gotten a chance to play Ruri yet," replied Atobe as best he could.
"Oh, that's wonderful! Why don't the two of you play right now? You don't have anything planned do you?" said my mom getting a thoughtful look in her eye as she finished talking.
"Mom!"
"Ahn? Afraid you'll lose?" questioned Atobe returning to Japanese.
"..." I growled at this. "Have you ever beaten me? Even once?" I questioned glaring at him for even suggesting that he was better at tennis then I was.
This caused him to falter slightly before replying, "My house an hour," he growled out before stomping to his limo that had just arrived his teammates following behind slowly.
"Keigo...You'll regret the moment you said that for the rest of our life..." I said coldly before turning completely ignoring everyone around me and heading towards the train station.
"Eh? Ruri? Keigo?" questioned my mother before I was completely out of hearing.
"Haru-chan!" yelled Eiji, when he spotted me.
"Morning Eiji," I replied when I spotted the acrobat. I stopped to wait for him, the rest of the regulars nowhere in sight. "Where's everyone else?"
"Huh? Oh they said they would be here soon," he replied hurriedly before grabbing my hand and heading towards the tennis courts. "C'mon, we don't want to be late!"
"Yeah..." I replied, confused.
"Oh, Oshitari, Kikumaru where is everyone else?" asked Ryuzaki-sensei when we got to the tennis courts.
"They're coming they're coming!" said Eiji, waving to Ryuzaki-sensei before heading to the changing room. I sighed before following him. 'How could someone be so hyper this early in the morning? I mean really it was barley 6 o'clock and he was already bouncing of the walls.'
"Ne, Ruri-chan? um...H-how are you um...you know...able to...uh...change in the boys...locker room?" sputtered Eiji when I walked into the boy's tennis club changing rooms, where my stuff was. Thankfully at the time we were the only ones in there.
"Binding," was my reply as I pulled my jersey over my head.
"Binding?" Eiji questioned, pausing in tying his shoes.
"Mm."
"What's binding nya~?" he asked.
"Eiji!" said a stern voice from the doorway.
"Oh, Oishi fuku-bucho, good morning and Eiji binding is to make it look like I have a flat chest," I said before grabbing my shoes and starting to put them on.
"R-Ruri!" exclaimed Oishi (again) "That's n-not-"
"Oh, it's fine Oishi-san, he was just asking a question, it's not like it would hurt anyone," I replied having finished tying my shoes and standing to grab my racket.
"She's right Oishi" pointed out Inui as he came up behind Oishi fuku-bucho. "After all, if the rest of the team found out she may have to quit and we could be disqualified."
"Eh?Is the true? Ruri~!" shouted Eiji.
"Mmm...yeah I think that's right," I replied smirking a the look of shock on Eiji's face. "C'mon we don't want to be late to practice."