Chapter 14
All the camp participants under Hinechou's new coaching all excitedly awaited the next day to arrive. None of them would know that the training they had to do was painful.
Hinechou taught herself how to play with two racquets and the males needed coaching to learn. That goes to show how much stronger she is in tennis. The most painful would be teaching how to play with three racquets. She knew a lot of them would constantly complain that it would be too hard or it was too painful. Hinechou rolled her eyes at the thought.
"Ne-chan!" Himi yelled. Hinechou was snapped out of her thoughts. "We go play card game!"
Himi dragged Hinechou to their dorm room where other people tried learning the game. More first stringers read the rules and thought the game sounded interesting. Watanabe Duke sounded the most interested in the game. "I would like to try this game."
"Okay!" Himi smiled brightly. "When we first play, daddy win! Gong Gong lose!"
Himi made her way to Hinechou's lap and sat on it.
"Who wants to participate in the first round?" Hinechou asked.
"I will." Watanabe offered.
"I will." Kintaro Tooyama said excitedly.
"Two more." Himi said.
"Be awed at the sight of my prowess!" Keigo Atobe exclaimed.
Himi laughed at him.
"I will." Ryoga Echizen said.
"Good. All four of you, sit over here." Hinechou pointed.
Hinechou shuffled the cards then dealt them equally. Himi's tennis family were all in the room watching. They wanted to know who would be the first to receive Himi's harmless torture. The four participants began the game according to the rules. Kintaro was the only one who had to keep referring back to the rules.
Since Ryoga had the three of diamonds, he began the round. After a few rounds, Keigo was the first to get rid of all his cards. He was safe. Next was Ryoga. He watched the leftover two while biting into an orange.
"I like orange juice!" Himi told Ryoga cheerfully.
"Me too. I like anything with oranges." He smiled.
Watanabe Duke was the third to go by a very close margin. Both he and Kintaro had one card left each but he got rid of his last card first. Kintaro was the last-man standing, losing the game, and facing Himi's harmless torture. He laughed in a friendly way when he was punched, slapped, and pinched. However, he instantly cowered when Kuranosuke Shiraishi offered to do the headlock. Himi was laughing at him now. Everyone in the room joined in the laughter except Kazuya. He was watching Hinechou. 'She laughs so freely.'
Watanabe decided to play another round. Three more participants joined in the game, Shuji Tanegashima, Masaharu Niou, and Ryuji Omagari.
Masaharu had the three of diamonds in his card pile so he began the round. He was also, unsurprisingly, the first to get rid of all his cards. He had good cards, allowing him to make two lots of five card combinations that no one else could do. He got rid of all his cards when everyone else only got rid of one.
Watanabe was the second to go. It was down to Ryuji and Shuji. Unfortunately, Shuji lost, still having four cards on hand.
"Shu Shu lose." Himi said. She went over to him and punched, slapped, and pinched him. Shuji laughed. Masaharu offered to do the headlock. Shuji laughed again.
"I should teach this game to my teammates." Keigo and Masaharu said.
"I already know how to play." Seiichi confessed. "I lost only one game. I let Himi torture me. It was harmless."
Hinechou looked at the time and saw it was getting late. Himi needed to go to sleep. She told all guests of the room and they thanked Hinechou for teaching them an interesting game. They left soon after. Himi began yawning and Hinechou knew she was right. Hinechou taught Hoo how to tuck Himi into bed. Kazuya watched.
"Good night Gong Gong, mommy, and daddy." Himi drifted off to sleep. Hinechou found a pillow for Himi to cuddle so she would not have to get nightmares. Also, she would not have to trouble Kazuya a second time.