(I don't own Prince of Tennis!)

Chapter 21 – Arcane Dance

After the match between Saint Rudolph and Hyotei Gakuen, the team had decided to drag their socially-challenged buchou to the mall. Shizuru, trying to pull away, watched her effort go in vain as Ayane and Momo, being the strongest amongst the regulars managed to drag her towards the mall. Shizuru even tried running away but Rin managed to somersault over her and push her towards the other direction.

It's not that I don't want to go, Shizuru sighed deeply to herself. I have to head home; my family well expects me to be there early. Though, they may treat me differently at least they acknowledge my existence. Other than that, I could have at least gone training to improve my service! That way, they won't get hurt. My family won't know that…

Before Shizuru could finish her thought, a malicious voice cut through them. "Well, well, well, isn't it the Kurenai brat. Didn't otou-sama tell you to head home after the match!?"

The team froze at who stood in front of them. There were five boys and one of them was very recognizable to Mai. Bristling through her teeth, Mai stepped in front of her best friend while snarling.

"You're that pathetic excuse of an older brother," Mai pulled back for a punch until Isane and Momo held her back. "Don't you have anything better to do, Aikawa Onryou!?"

He tossed his hair back, causing Ayane to have a brief flashback of Atobe and making her twitch. "Well, is it bad to have fun once and awhile?"

"I throw the question back at you," Mai spat back before lunging towards him. "Your name is so ironic, I want to really kick you and show you what it means!"

Kiyone shivered while hiding behind Shizuru. This was the first time she had seen Mai so angry; the tensai's knuckles were practically white and her amber gold eyes glittered with murderous intent. There were times that Mai simply giggled and smiled like a normal sadist but seeing Mai blowing up caused Kiyone to shiver. Looking up, Kiyone witnessed an emotion in Shizuru's eyes that she had never seen before either.

It was fear.

The one queen she had always looked up to, the one whom she considered fearless, the greatest and even her mother shivered but didn't show any signs of horror on her face. Everything else seemed to glisten in her eyes as Mai got ready to bite the man's arm off. Kiyone clung on to Shizuru tightly when she saw Ayane roll up her sleeves and got ready to enter a brawl with the older man.

"I don't know why Mai-senpai's angry but the way you addressed Shizuru-senpai is just disrespectful," Ayane cracked her knuckles and found herself being held back by the Dragon Pair.

One of Onryou's friends sniggered at the red haired tensai. "Hey, this one doesn't look half bad. Think we should rough her up?"

Snarling, Mai got ready to punch when she saw kick aiming for her gut. The three girls moved back until something pushed his leg back down or rather – someone pushed the kick down and got in between them. Mai fell backwards towards Momo and Isane while staring in shock at who had blocked the kick. Ayane got ready to punch Onryou but found an arm in front of her. Shizuru's auburn eyes somehow became more crimson when her gaze darkened at her teammates.

Please, don't try anything anymore.

Ayane halted in her steps while Kiyone nearly fell over after she stopped right behind the vice captain. The brother smirked while Shizuru bowed, hanging her head.

"Dozo gomenasai, nii-sama," Shizuru bit her lip while motioning her teammates to back down. "It won't happen again."

"It better not," he snorted with a huff. "You're coming with me whether you like it or not!"

Grabbing Shizuru roughly, he dragged her off along with his snickering friends. The team helplessly watched their captain get dragged away while Shizuru smiled ruefully at them. Momo bit her lip; Isane hung her head sadly while the others stared at the people who dragged their captain off.

"Who was that," Kiyone tugged Hitomi's jacket. "I didn't even get why Mai-Mai was so angry."

"That was Shizuru's older stepbrother, Aikawa Onryou," Mai's snarl seethed through her teeth. "He's the eldest amongst the stepsiblings and a total pain…"

"He's also a tennis player but not as talented as our buchou," Hitomi began flipping through the pages. "Unlike her, his skills as a tennis player are nearly abysmal and could even make Jirou sleep on him. No, I'd say Kikumaru-san would sleep on the courts. Point is – the only reason why she fears him is because…"

Before Hitomi could say anything, she found all the regulars staring intently at her while Hitomi snapped the notebook shut. "I cannot reveal anything to you," –she remembered the last time Shizuru found out. "The consequences would be disastrous."

"Why," Kiyone cocked her head to the side, innocently. "Is it that bad?"

"There's only one person who knows what happens inside that house," Mai bit her lip. "It's Kotetsu-buchou."

"She trusted her that much?" Ayane nudged the tensai who bit her lip. "Who is Kotetsu-buchou anyway? She sounds amazing!"

Momo explained for the tensai. "That explains how strong she was. Kotetsu Naomi-senpai saved Hyotei from the recent slump while Shigetsu Kaori did for Seishun Gakuen. The two of them were neck to neck along with Rikkai Dai's famous Sorceress Homura Katsuki. These three dominated Japan along with some of the international tournaments and the moment they hit third year, the three of them knew that it was time to pass the torch. The receivers of the torch are: Rikkai Dai's Yukimura Ai, Seishun Gakuen's Souma Fuuka and last but not the least – Hyoutei Gakuen's Kurenai Shizuru. The three were trained do only one thing and that was to get their school to the top of Nationals."

"Is that why buchou's relentless when it comes to training?" Ayane stared aghast. "Is that why she always triples her training?"

"She wants to make sure that she never lets Kotetsu-buchou down," Haruka smiled weakly. "It's almost depressing to see her working so hard and no one recognizes her for it. She plays tennis for fun; not to go out and practically settle a rivalry. That's what made buchou so strong in the first place. I mean – most of us are third year and normally, we're the better ones but here we are, being outdone by those who are either a year younger or two years our junior."

Mai turned away sadly, her voice fading away. "She's also the one made Shizuru so emotionless to begin with."

"That's not true," Rin pat Mai on the shoulder. "She's always been like that."

"I'm not intimately attached to her," Mai sighed. "But – she was my best friend for a long time and always watching her cry to Kotetsu-buchou made me… bitter."

Hitomi sighed while patting the tensai on the head. "I'm sure Kotetsu-buchou didn't mean anything bad. Shizuru admired her a lot."

Ayane shook her head. "You know what – this is getting depressing! Let's head back home. I'm sure we need to get some sleep for our match against Taishaku Fuzoku Chuu."

Before leaving, Haruka suddenly got grabbed by Rin. "Haru-chan, can we go ice skating first?"

Puzzled, Haruka allowed herself to get dragged by her partner while the others headed home.

Mai, on the other hand, didn't head straight home. Seeing a disco on the side, the tensai quietly entered when she saw many of the teens drinking and even getting drunk. The dance and the beat soon got her moving and joining everyone else on the dance floor. The music soon got teenagers licking one another and practically going to a dark corner and attending to their own personal business. Mai sat at a bar while the man got a glass.

"There anything ya need, lil' missy?" He began shaking a mixture of alcohol. "You drink a bit?"

Mai looked at the tempting shot glass. "No thanks, I can't drink. I have to stay in top shape."

"You sure sweetheart," a drunken teenager approached her with slurred speech. "You seem to look like you want a shot."

"Really," Mai shoved him away. "Your breath stinks and for the record – I don't drink."

Grabbing Mai's hand roughly, the drunkard dragged her to the dance floor. No matter how hard she struggled, he wouldn't let go and soon – his body began closing in on hers. The tensai snuck past him easily and managed to get to the back but few more drunk teenagers blocked her way and pushed her back. Mai began slipping through the crowd again until she felt someone grab her. Mai fell through the crowd and landed flat on her face.

"Hey," Mai completely stiffened when she saw who it was who saved her, "S-Seiichi-s-I mean – Yukimura-kun! What are you doing in a place like this?"

The bluenette captain of Rikkai Dai helped her up. "Well," –he chuckled lightly. "My cousin brought me here since she believes I needed a little fun in my life. What are you doing here, Nagisaki-chan?"

"Well, I thought I could have a little fun without getting drunk," Mai dusted her Regular's jacket. "Then again – what can I expect from bars? It's just loaded with drinking."

"Not really," Yukimura shrugged. "You just need to know how to avoid it. After all, being a tennis player has quite a demand. Not only that, you don't look your age."

"Hey," she punched his arm playfully. "I'm not that old looking!"

"You're pretty tall for your age though," Yukimura pointed out with his oh-so-sweet smile. "Not only that, you could actually pull off being a model."

Restraining herself from fainting and squealing like a fan girl, Mai inhaled sharply while fanning herself inconspicuously as possible. Being this close to Yukimura was only in her dreams and Mai could feel her heart pumping wildly and the beat echoing in her ears. If her doubles partner were there, the captain would smile serenely at her with the 'you-will-tell-me-everything' face. Mai couldn't help but gaze into Yukimura's eyes, smiling inwardly.

"May I ask what you're thinking about?" Yukimura's silky voice cut through her thoughts. "Your face is extremely red."

Mai shook her head while trying to cover up the heat on her face. "W-Well, it's nothing! I think it's just the atmosphere!"

"Really," Yukimura began looking around. "I wonder then…"

Mai hung her head, praying that the place would make her blush some trick of the light. The tensai couldn't believe that of all times, he had to appear in a bar! She quietly sat next to him, wondering how to inch closer without him noticing her presence. Mai glanced at him once and when seeing his head turn, the tensai turned away again. Sighing inwardly to herself, Mai decided to watch the people dance instead until her phone began ringing.

Hi, I'm sure you haven't heard from me in awhile but I need to talk you about something. I know I don't have a good impression on you but please come, it's urgent. Please meet me at the fountain in the mall center. Haruka-chan, Rin-chan, Isane-chan and Momo-chan are already here with Hitomi-chan and the others. –Kotetsu Naomi

There are others? Mai's eyes widened at the name before scowling. "I'm sorry Yukimura-kun but I have to go."

"Maybe I should go with you," Yukimura offered while standing up. "It's bad to see a girl walk home alone."

Mai whooped in joy deep down and went out the door while Yukimura followed behind. Breathing in the fresh air and listening to the bustling of people, Mai began looking around until she found girls standing by the fountain. They were recognizable as her senpai and fair enough, Kotetsu Naomi stood there waiting for her. The only thing was…

Shizuru wasn't there.

This is serious, Mai began looking amongst the group. She didn't even bother calling her protégé. Shizuru is usually the one who's up to date on this.

Yukimura nudged her. "Shall we go?"

"Okay," Mai allowed Yukimura to tag along. Naomi-senpai didn't mention anything about him not being able to come anyway.

When she approached her senpai, Mai forced a smile. "Hi senpai-tachi, what are you all doing here? By the way, this is Yukimura Seiichi of Rikkai Dai."

Yukimura bowed. "I'm sorry if I'm interrupting anything."

"No you're not but," Naomi smiled gently yet apologetically. "I think you should leave Mai for awhile. It's a private matter."

You could have said that on the text message, Mai rolled her eyes. "But, you…"

"It's alright," Yukimura smiled before leaving. "I'll go now. See you soon, Nagisaki-chan."

All former regulars and current ones were standing in front of her. Ferero Lulu was there, Osakada Yuri was there and the only ones not there were Midoriyama and Shizuru. Their faces were serious while Naomi let out a sigh. "Mai, I just want to know – how is Shizuru doing?"

"Better," Mai answered placidly. "Though, she was a lot better before you turned Shizuru into a rock!"

"Mai," Isane chided. "Don't say that! Shizuru-chan isn't a rock!"

Momo placed a hand on her shoulder. "Mai, I don't know exactly what happened but insulting her won't be much help."

Calming down, Mai inhaled sharply. "So, what did you call us for?"

"It's about Shizuru," Naomi hung her head. "When I passed by after school, there were loud screams and breakages echoing around the corner. Taking a look, at first – I believed it was one of those thug fights but… apparently, I was disastrously wrong."

Haruka's eyes widened. "Masaka, Shizuru-buchou… Kanojo ni nani kotogaare ka?" (Don't tell me, Shizuru-buchou… what happened to her?)

"She was beaten up," Naomi bit her lip. "I know Shizuru was trained to fight but she didn't even raise a finger. She didn't even cry… haven't you guys tried having her over in your house?"

"Think I never tried?" Mai rolled her eyes. "Besides, she's been declining every request we've given her. Shizuru believes she owes them."

"Just try to support her as well," Lulu pleaded. "Shizuru may be captain but she's still just your age!"

"A table cannot stand on one leg alone," Naomi gently prodded. "Though a phoenix can fly great miles, there will be times that she will be pinioned."

Mai sighed heavily before turning away. "I've always checked on Shizuru. Anything else you want to tell me?"

Shaking her head disbelievingly, Yuri watched Mai walk away. "For someone who considered herself the current captain's partner, she doesn't look like it."

"Mai's just not very fond of me," Naomi smiled bitterly. "After all, what I did was somewhat unforgivable: I did take away her best friend."

Nothing seemed to be wrong with Shizuru when she came to school. She played tennis normally, Haruka and Rin didn't seem to notice anything wrong but Mai knew the captain well enough to know what had happened. While playing, the two girls engaged in a rally for morning warm-up and that's when Mai began noting the changes.

Shizuru's eyes sparkled differently, her movements increased by half, Mai forehanded it back to Shizuru. Does she even remember whether or not we have a match today?

"Taishaku Fuzoku Chuu is today," Shizuru rebuked her. "I would never forget a match, Mai."

Sure but you would forget your own injuries, Mai rolled her eyes while Shizuru managed to score a smash. "Are you sure your body can take it?"

"Mm hm," Shizuru started packing up her bag. "Maybe we should head for class. You go on ahead. I need to check something in the club house."

Mai stood by the fence while waiting for Shizuru. Sighing heavily, Mai stood there with the other regulars. Haruka shifted uneasily while Ayane and Kiyone tried to break the silence.

"So Yane-Yane, did you make his bento today?" Kiyone grinned sardonically. "What did you make him, rat poison?"

"No," Ayane snorted spitefully. "I managed to make him something non-poisonous. It's a small bento but hopefully – it will please his choosy little tongue."

Rin snickered. "I'm sure he won't mind since it's from his girlfriend."

Twitching, Ayane threw her hands up in annoyance. "Agh, I just hope I can survive this for a month! Insane little brat just decides after I lose to him in a badminton match!"

Snickering, Rin covered her mouth before falling over Haruka. "Wahahaha, I can't believe this! You actually put your dignity on the line!?"

"Shut up," Ayane snorted while folding her arms in disgust. "He just told me midway through the match!"

"I think it's more like you cut him off," Momo sighed before looking for Shizuru. "Hey, she's taking an awful while in there."

Isane went to the club room, only to find Shizuru bandaging her badly scuffed arms. The captain's arms were decorated with gashes that extended all the way to her forearms and some were still bleeding themselves open. Shizuru didn't look the least bit disturbed and she just continued bandaging them as if there was no one there. Ducking behind a trash can, Isane watched Shizuru apply ointment and wash her wounds again.

"I know you're there, Isane-senpai," Shizuru's tone becoming more melancholy. "You don't need to hide from me."

Isane peeped out of her hiding place, hanging her head low. "You don't need to conceal all those scratches," her voice came out like a concerned whisper. "Kotetsu-senpai knows all about it. Nothing's going to stop her from protecting you, Shizuru-chan."

Shizuru smiled weakly. "Please don't tell the others. I don't want them seeing this and getting into something that's beyond their capabilities."

"Like what Kotetsu-buchou told us," Isane began wrapping up Shizuru's arm. "A bird cannot keep only flying. It's bound to get tired eventually and that's where the wind comes in."

Pulling her arm gently back, Shizuru put on her regular's jacket before leaving. "It's alright – but it's the queen's job to make sure her people are at their prime. She has to be the one to lead them to the top – no matter what the consequences may be. Her personal issues soon become secondary."

Isane didn't know where she got that kind of thinking but somehow, those words seemed familiar.

Kotetsu-buchou might have said the same thing, Isane followed after the brunette who cheerfully addressed the group.

"We have a game against Taishaku Fuzoku Chuu later," Shizuru brushed her hair back. "We will not lose against them! We accept no other place but the top!"

"Yeah," the whole team chorused while ignoring the bandages peeking from Shizuru's jacket.

Shizuru took her seat next to Ohtori while opening her Literature notes. Casually flipping them, she couldn't help but notice that Ohtori was glancing at her hand once every few minutes.

"Is there something wrong, Ohtori-kun?" Shizuru gently nudged the taller boy. "If there's something you need to tell me, then better not hide it."

"Ah well," Ohtori stammered while glancing at the bandages concealed by her blazer. "You see – there are a couple of mosquitos nearby and I was wondering how I'm going to shoo them away."

Giggling softly, Shizuru pat Ohtori's arm gently. "Lying won't get you anywhere, Ohtori-kun."

Ohtori gulped hard when he saw Shizuru's 'I-know-you-saw-it' smile. "Shizuru-chan, it's just well – it's really painful to look at."

"I know," Shizuru smiled bitterly. "It's okay. As long as Shishido-senpai or Oshitari-senpai won't know, nobody will make a big fuss."

"Does," Ohtori felt like the words were torn from his throat. "Does the team know about it?"

Shizuru shrugged. "Only Isane-senpai seems to know about it. The rest seem oblivious about it and they should stay that way."

Ohtori sighed while continuing to listen to the teacher. Shizuru always hid her bandages and that's what made him more worried. Though a lot say that they were in a relationship, the two quickly cleared it when Ohtori 'accidentally' pushed Shizuru towards Shishido making them end up in awkward position though his senpai secretly thanked him after that. Watching Shizuru's hand glide gracefully across the paper, Ohtori knew that Shishido had his ways in finding out about the damage inflicted on both of her arms.

"Shizuru-chan, are you going to play in the same spot today?" Ohtori saw her scribbling something else instead of notes. "I know it's the game against Taishaku Fuzoku Chuu today."

"I guess so," Shizuru smiled momentarily before becoming serious again. "What about you? Who's your opponent for today?"

Ohtori opened his planner with several names scribbled on. "Today's Ginka, we're going to play Fudomine on Wednesday and then Seigaku a week after that."

"Ginka won't be a problem," Shizuru pat him on the back. "I mean – your Scud Serve could already scare them so no need to worry. You and Shishido-senpai are still undefeated."

Scratching his head sheepishly, Ohtori laughed a bit. "Ah, thanks really. I mean – Shishido-senpai does most of the work."

Shizuru giggled before looking out the window at the tennis courts. The game didn't start until five 'o clock this afternoon and they were half day today. Sighing deeply to herself, Shizuru planned out how she was going to play her game today. Her opponent – was the captain, which Shizuru didn't need to be a genius to know that. Closing her eyes slightly, Shizuru imagined the cracking of the ball on the other side of the court. Shizuru quickened the rally, causing her opponent to stumble and gaining her the match.

"Game and match: Kurenai, six games to love!"

She smiled a bit at the outcome however, the image began to change. Instead of the Taishaku Fuzoku Chuu captain standing in front of her, there was a young man. Staring in shock and awe, Shizuru couldn't move until she subconsciously prepared herself for the shot. For the next five minutes, she didn't move until the ball lightly tapped the back of her heel. Turning around slowly, the young man showed the face of her stepbrother, scowling and laughing at her.

"You're nothing but a fake," it howled in laughter and soon the crowd began laughing with him. "Why does dad waste time on a weakling? You can't even do anything right!"

Shizuru froze while the whole room began to swirl around her. The room started distorting and the sky became bloodier than usual, giving Shizuru a major migraine. Biting her lip, Shizuru inhaled sharply until a loud voice snapped her out of her state:

"Shizuru-chan," a rude shake followed along with it. "Hey, get up! What's going on with you?"

Shaking her head, Shizuru saw everything return to normal and Shishido and Ohtori stood in front of her. She didn't even know what had happened half the time and everyone had left the classroom already. Everything just started spinning out of control and it was like the whole world started mocking her.

Shishido, lightly tapping his foot on the floor, snorted before flicking her forehead. "Geez, that's the second time you spaced out! Are you sure you can play?"

"Mm hm," She packed her bag, smiling weakly. "Though, where is everyone?"

"School ended ten minutes ago," Shishido helped her with her things. "I don't think you should play especially – with what just happened to you and your arms."

Shizuru froze at his words. Did he see what was under her blazer?

"Your hands have bandages, I'm suspecting they cover your entire arm," Shishido frowned slightly. "How many were there?"

"Ah," Shizuru felt the words get stuck in her throat. "It's nothing, really Shishido-senpai."

Ayane on the other hand, had to go with Atobe to an extremely fancy café. Though it took her much effort to show less disdain, Ayane couldn't stop herself from getting into an argument with him. Atobe didn't seem to mind that she was sputtering left and right because he continued dragging her to the expensive shop. The moment she entered, her ears were greeted with very beautiful classical music. Sighing, one of the waiters ushered her to a private room in which Atobe had reserved just for the both of them.

"I can't believe you reserved this entire room," Ayane snorted after saying a 'thank you' to the waiter. "You spent so much money AGAIN!"

"You're not that poor, Ayane," Atobe pointed out to the freshman. "Anyway, ore-sama already ordered for us."

Ayane folded her arms while a crème bruleé was placed in front of her. A hot cup of chocolate followed right after it and then, a small plate of fruits. The desserts were elegantly arranged and drizzled over with chocolate and caramel syrup. Her eyes widening, Ayane poked the food with a dessert fork before looking at Atobe incredulously. Everything happened at a snap of his fingers when Pachabel's Canon in D minor began playing on the violin and piano. Awestruck by the assembly, Ayane tried to find a reason why she should be pissed but couldn't.

"Are you impressed now?" Atobe raised an eyebrow while Ayane's eyes kept surveying the place.

That really ruined the mood. "You moron," Ayane bit her lip to soften her voice. "You practically bought a new house," –her words seethed through.

"Not really," Atobe shook his head, smirking at Ayane's pale face. "It didn't even empty ore-sama's coin purse."

Ayane slumped a bit while staring at the frothy cup of hot chocolate. She shakily took it in while Atobe began biting a piece of watermelon. The two kept quiet at first while Ayane warily checked her food. Her eyes glanced at Atobe once and awhile. Atobe caught her several times even smirked.

How dare he do that, Ayane pouted childishly while imagining how she would kill Atobe. That brat needs a beating!

"Ore-sama didn't know you used to play badminton before," Atobe scooped up some of the crème bruleé. "You're pretty good at it too."

"I only started it so I could do something in my free time," Ayane turned away, responding more harshly than intended. "You," –to make up for her blunder, she complimented a bit. "You don't play too bad yourself."

"It just might destroy ore-sama's form in tennis," Atobe forked another peach slice. "You should finish your hot chocolate. It's going to get cold."

Ayane shakily took the cup before drinking it slowly but not peeling her eyes off Atobe. What exactly is he up to? I thought he wanted me to be miserable?

"How do you like the hot chocolate so far? Ore-sama made sure it was a new batch," Atobe's arrogant tone seemed to lighten up a bit.

"It's good, I guess," Ayane forked another piece of watermelon. "Though, what exactly is this for?"

"Arn~, ore-sama can't treat his girlfriend now?" Atobe raised an eyebrow at the vice captain. "We could go somewhere else if you like."

Hold up, Atobe was never this compliant, Ayane stood up shocked at what she was hearing. "Who are you and what have you done to the arrogant brat I'm used to fighting with!?"

Atobe chuckled a bit at Ayane's heated face. "It's alright – ore-sama is still fine. It's just you never gave ore-sama a chance to prove himself to you, that's all."

Flustered, Ayane sat down again while picking at her food. She couldn't help but wonder what made Atobe this way until something hit her.

Maybe he's just trying to make me swoon over like those other girls! Hmph, well – I don't go down without a fight, Ayane smirked mentally while imagining how she should deal with Atobe.

"By the way, ore-sama made sure you won't have to go to the match today," Atobe continued to sip his drink.

Ayane's jaw dropped. "B-but, what!? Kiyone can't do Singles, you dumbass!"

I will personally castrate you, Atobe Keigo, Ayane fumed at the back of her head.

"Who said the midget's going to play Singles?" Atobe raised an eyebrow at her. "I don't think Kurenai would be that stupid."

"You let Atobe drag her off," Mai snickered to her captain. "I swear – I'm starting to think that you're also a born sadist."

Shizuru shrugged. "It's alright – I think it's time that she learned how to get along with him. Kiyone won't be playing today."

"Aww," Kiyone twiddled with her thumbs. "Okay then – so, who's going to be in Doubles One?"

"We will," Haruka and Rin high-fived each other. "The Illusion Pair's taking Doubles Two."

Hitomi and Isane nodded at one another while Mai and Momo exchanged glances with one another, smirking as they walked in. Schools soon began to flood the place with banners and cheerleading squads. Many of the guys came swinging banners for the girls while more girls flooded the place to root on for the guys. Chatter filled the place and many other teams came in. Hyotei students became the majority and some were heard yelling.

Shousha Kurenai, Shousha Kurenai!

Shizuru smiled at her supporters and some guys were even laying down their jackets on wet puddles for her to walk on. Mai flipped her hair back causing some guys to go gaga over her and Kiyone wasn't too far off either despite being small. Haruka had some guys looking at her curves while Rin had men checking her legs. Isane, despite her towering height, some guys were drooling over her too. Kiyone clung onto her captain while glaring at them.

"I don't like fan boys," Kiyone snapped her jaws at them, though it didn't ward them off. "They keep crowding around you until you can't breathe here!"

Shizuru ruffled the freshman's hair affectionately. "It's alright – at least we have people who support us."

Rin jumped onto Haruka's back. "Man, these guys are over affectionate!"

Momo quietly slid over, ignoring the loud declarations of some of the admirers. "Now I know how Genichirou feels. When do they ever stop talking?"

"I don't think they ever stop," Isane clung onto Hitomi. "I think now's a good time to use your juice."

The Mastermind glanced at some boys, sighing. "I think some of them were already on the receiving end of my juice."

Shizuru headed towards the courts until she heard some loud cheers coming from another end. One group wore yellow and black and another came with blue and white. Shizuru knew the colours too well as the tennis players of both schools walked in proudly. Leading the first group was Yukimura Ai, who smiled innocently at her supporters while Souma Fuuka tossed back her red hair, smirking at her opponents. It would be down to them plus Jyosei Shounan most probably.

I can't believe that we have gotten here, Shizuru glanced at the courts. It feels like long ago ever since I last stepped on the court. Souma Fuuka, Yukimura Ai, Amakusa Natsuki and Hoshimura Florence would most definitely be in the Nationals. Although, what they're most likely betting on would be the rookies but Yukimura might rely more on Inuzuka Miaka and her other doubles players. Kiyone seems to have a lot of competition considering Yuugetsu Chuu still has Sunamyou Shina, Seigaku has Shibuya Rangiku and I don't even know the rookie of Shitenhouji and Rikkai Dai. Other than that, Mai and I are the ace cards in this team. Ayane and Kiyone follow up with the others.

"You don't need to be nervous," Mai placed her hand on Shizuru's shoulder. "You could wipe the floor with them if you wanted!"

Shizuru smiled meekly at the tensai. "Thank you but, seriously – how should we set up the play? Should we go for quick kill or give them a chance?"

"I'd say give them a chance and then go for the kill," Mia licked her lips, raising her eyebrows. "It's time to play a sadist game, ne?"

Shizuru, shaking her head, passed by Fuuka and everyone could feel the tension miles away from the two captains. Ai turned towards the two and Miho raised her cap a bit to watch the two get into a wild tension fight. Fuuka's emerald green orbs glared at Shizuru's vermillion red ones while the whole area became deadly silent. Mai rushed over to Shizuru's side while Vera went over to Fuuka's. The two glared at each other also until Vera broke the silence with a sneer.

"Please, where's your vice captain?" She sneered with a sickly sweet voice.

Mai, balling her hand into a fist, got ready to lunge only to have Shizuru step on her foot. The Hyotei team gathered while Seigaku rallied behind Fuuka, glaring at their counterparts.

"Well," Mai hissed a bit, "she's coming but she had to deal with someone."

A guy named Atobe Keigo that's what, Kiyone snickered inwardly while clinging on to Shizuru and glaring at Rangiku. She's probably snarling at him while Atobe's practically smirking at her left and right. Wahahaha, what a view!

"You're short," Rangiku poked the sandy haired control specialist innocently. "Everyone makes you look like a midget."

Twitching, Kiyone snapped her jaws at the smaller girl. "You wanna say that again, bean sprout?"

"You might want to keep your chow-chow away," Vera sneered at the younger captain, ushering a frightened Rangiku away. "She's scaring Ran-chan and Sakuno's not fond of dogs."

Haruka shoved Vera back. "You better watch what you're calling people, whiny."

Rin backed Haruka up, snarling feral-like. "Yeah – I hear sluts are going down in the trash cans."

"Hyotei – enough," Shizuru once again used her rare commanding voice to freeze her teammates. "We settle it in tennis, not petty fights such as this."

"She's right," Fuuka turned away. "Kurenai, I expect to see you in the Finals. Don't you dare lose to Taishaku or so kami-sama, help me…"

"You shouldn't worry about me," Shizuru smiled thinly at the Seigaku captain. "Also, please refrain in setting Vera on the loose," she deadpanned.

Vera got ready to retort while Mai withheld her snicker and the two teams left each other. Fuuka walked towards Tezuka, sighing in annoyance before watching Shizuru's fleeting figure. She couldn't help but be annoyed with everything that Shizuru had accomplished. Winning every tournament the Hyotei team was put in, keeping her grades and even becoming a potential candidate for the scholarship, Fuuka pushed away the thought of Shizuru surpassing her.

"Like I said before," Ryuuzaki-sensei warned the Seigaku female captain. "Don't obsess in beating her. Keep your mind on the game."

However, the old woman's words remained unheard while Fuuka marched towards the court with her team following behind her. Sighing, Ryuuzaki-sensei turned to the Seigaku boys before following after the girls. Though she had to admit, Hyotei was quite a competitor and they were betting on Shizuru with incomparable vigour. Atobe may be at Tezuka's level of play but Shizuru practically surpassed the mole diva and could give Tezuka a heyday. She wasn't sure how well Shizuru would function against Yukimura Seiichi but the captain's style told a lot; Fuuka's jitters didn't even affect her at all.

"Tezuka, make sure Fuuka doesn't blow it all off," Ryuuzaki-sensei pat Tezuka on the shoulder. "She's a bit obsessed with Shizuru and only God knows how far she'll drag it…"

"Ah," to Tezuka however, the phrase "a bit obsessed" was a complete understatement.

Fuji walked up next to him, smiling innocently. "I guess you had a good glimpse of your Crimson Angel, ne?"

"Fuji," Tezuka's glare would have sent any man peeing in his pants and running. However in this case…

Fuji was not just any man.

"We have a match to win," Tezuka distanced himself from Fuji before the tensai could continue interrogating him.

Fuji clucked his tongue. Tezuka, you can't keep denying your feelings towards her. Otherwise, someone more straightforward might get her.

You mean – someone like you?

Of course not, Fuji argued with his conscience. He had to admit; the girl made guys swoon without knowing and her tennis could sweep off a tennis captain's feet any day.

I could only wonder how long Tezuka's going to take in telling her what he feels, Fuji sighed inwardly. Oshitari Yuushi's probably steaming in his own juices but at least we've already gotten rid of Shishido. However, there's been another player in the game considering after I've spoken with Yukimura.

Sanada's been muttering her name once in awhile. Better get Tezuka moving or I will allow Sanada to go after her.

Fuji glanced at Tezuka who didn't have any shifting expression but somehow, he could tell that the captain wanted to tell her something. Walking towards the court where Seigaku was playing in, Fuji revealed his cerulean eyes while recalling how Fuuka glared at the younger captain. Her glare could send any man running and make him beg for mercy but he noticed that there was not just any challenge in her eyes.

Tezuka will see me, not you.

"Fujiko nyah," Kikumaru bounced towards the analysing tensai. "Are you okay? You've been watching Fuuka-chan walk away ever since her glaring match with Shizuru-chan!"

Fuji returned to his usual smile. "Saa~, it's nothing, Eiji. I'm just thinking about something."

Secretly thanking kami-sama that Fuji became distracted, Tezuka gazed at the direction Shizuru had gone off to. He couldn't help but want to watch her game but realizing that Ryuuzaki-sensei asked him to watch Fuuka's temper, Tezuka sauntered towards the courts where Seigaku was.

Taishaku Fuzoku Chuu students, dressed in yellow and fuchsia walked in with a haughty smile. One of them tossed her hair back before snapping her fingers.

"What are we going to do today?" She smirked while the team piled behind her.

"Take Hyotei down," the girls chorused before lining up at the net. "We'll bring home the gold and take the Nationals!"

Momo twitched at the sight of her opponents. "These guys sound more like a cheerleading squad than a tennis team."

"Well," Isane shrugged while patting Momo on the back. "At least these guys sound more enthusiastic than most people. Maybe we'll get a good game out of them."

Haruka glanced at her strawberry blonde sister, smiling and extending her hand. "Wow, I didn't know you've become vice captain. Mom misses you a lot, you know."

"Pshe," Ino slapped her hand away. "You're just telling me that so you can see me fall later on."

Staring down sadly, Haruka saw Ino's glance search around the team. "So, who's your vice captain?"

"Huh? Oh," Haruka hesitated before seeing a fierce glare in her eyes. "It's me, why?"

"Good," Ino huffed before turning away. "It's because I want to have the pleasure in kicking you down hard. No one else should have that opportunity."

Rin's eyes widened when Ino was beyond an earshot. "Why did you tell her you're vice captain!? It's Yane-Yane, remember!?"

"I wanted her to focus her attention on me," Haruka mumbled, glancing at her sister who was speaking to her teammates. "This is a match that I need to deal with. No, it's a match that we both need to deal with. We're a doubles pair, if one takes us – she gets the other girl too!"

"From what I remember," Momo tapped Haruka on the shoulder. "She's a doubles player right?"

"Hopefully," Haruka mumbled while walking away. "She stayed that way too."

"Doubles Two will now start: Taishaku Fuzoku Chuu's Yasogami Karin and Kajibane Riza against Hyotei Gakuen's Uchiha Isane and Yamaguchi Hitomi," the arbiter took his place on the chair. "Players, please come to the courts immediately!"

"That's us," Isane smiled mirthfully at Hitomi who simply tilted her glasses. "I hope we can learn something new."

"We can beat them, even without using our special techniques," Hitomi began scribbling a few things before going to the court. "These people are not even at National's Calibre."

Karin, twirling her long black hair with its split ends, walked with silver haired Riza to the court while smirking at the other two doubles player. "I've never seen you guys pair up before. You're a makeshift, aren't you?"

"Not really," Isane shrugged. "We may never had an appearance as a pair but we can play together just fine."

Riza glanced at her partner. "I don't like playing with makeshifts; it's kind of weird."

"There's an eighty percent chance that you would lose against us," Hitomi tilted her glasses, smiling evilly. "After all – Uchiha Isane is quite talented as a doubles player and I'm not an idiot in doubles myself. So, shall we increase that eighty percent or will you guys pull out something to impress us?"

Karin, baring her teeth at Hitomi's evil smile, spun her racquet. "Smooth or rough, take your pick."

"Smooth," Hitomi smiled evilly while the racquet fell on smooth.

Taking the service, Isane watched Riza bounce up and down before firing the service. Looking at the service box, the Sniper knew that she only had two options: one was to fire it deep onto the Singles line corner and the second was to take it right on the middle of the service box. Tossing it up, Isane carefully saw Riza sprint to the corner and fired it down the middle. However, the silver haired girl dashed the other way and lobbed it up. Taking her chance, Hitomi jumped up and brought down a smash.

"Thanks for setting it up," Karin sidestepped and deflected the smash back at Hitomi.

Seeing the ball fly up, Hitomi ducked while Isane gave it a heavy ground smash, causing Riza to stumble a bit in shock.

"Fifteen – love," Riza wiped the dust from her skirt.

"Not bad for a baseliner," Karin went over to receive. "Though, I don't think this shot is going to get past me."

Isane, bouncing the ball a few times, fired the Sniper Serve which screeched on the floor and caused the two to stare in shock. Hitomi glanced back at her partner who didn't seem the least bit surprised that her serve flew that fast. The two Hyotei players turned towards the Taishaku Fuzoku Chuu players who couldn't believe that Isane's serve could clock at that kind of speed.

"Thirty – love," Isane wiped her eyebrow before starting another serve.

"She's pretty strong," Karin remarked before taking the net line. "Where did she get that kind of power?"

Hitomi glanced back at Isane whose shirt wasn't as red as the last time she played. "Well, it's all that training we've been buffing her up with."

Isane served a fairly strong serve, resulting into Riza being able to return it with a flat shot. Hitomi volleyed towards Karin who slid it down for a top spin, causing the Mastermind to bend down. It was a low shot but Karin managed to volley the shot to the back but didn't expect Isane to forehand it in return. The two engaged in a wild rally with Isane defending the baseline with different cross court shots. Hitomi began timing the two's rhythm and calculating which shot would go where.

"Isane, go for a high lob," Hitomi mouthed towards the taller senior.

Sensing Hitomi's plan, Isane fired it straight up into the air until the sun completely blocked the ball. This left Karin and Riza wondering and gazing at the glaring sun. Hitomi gave Isane a thumb up when the ball limply landed on the baseline.

"Forty – love," the Hyotei pair gave each other a high five.

On the other side, Seigaku played against the wild Yamabuki with Minami and his partner plastering somehow the Golden Pair. Kikumaru and Oishi were practically all over the place and Kikumaru was being sealed off. The Yamabuki pair focused on depleting Oishi's stamina while Kikumaru was left to defend the baseline. Oishi began volleying in all directions but regretted not being able to stretch as far as Kikumaru. The red haired acrobat moved forward to help Oishi only to have the ball zoom past him.

"Thirty – fifteen," the Yamabuki pair smirked at Seigaku's Golden Pair.

Ryuuzaki glanced at the score at the first doubles match with ended with a 6-3 despite Fuji's genius. Kawamura slumped on the chair while repeatedly apologizing to Fuji who didn't seem to mind that they lost. He patted Kawamura on the shoulder, telling him it's something they didn't expect. Letting out a sigh, Ryuuzaki remembered the last time they played against Yamabuki and Seigaku lost horribly except in Singles since Nanjirou Echizen made up for it with a 6-0. The coach then was the same guy now and boy, did this unnerve the Seigaku coach.

"Sorry about that nyah," Kikumaru hung his head. "I didn't know that, nyah."

Oishi smiled while brushing it off. "Just don't move from your spot, okay? They did the same thing to me too so, it's alright."

Kikumaru punched the air, his expression brightening up again. "We'll get them this time, nyah!"

The Jimmies or Yamabuki's Doubles One pair began with a soft service going on for a faster strike and Kikumaru deflected it with a jump forward and Oishi defended the baseline. The Golden pair began going criss-cross and even went for the Australian Formation that always sealed the game. The spectators watched warily at how the Golden Pair began getting played but then turned the tables as the chants for Seigaku and Yamabuki got louder. Kikumaru somersaulted in the air for a smash while Oishi waited for a shot at the baseline in case they returned it.

"Thirty all," Kikumaru jumped in joy, glomping his doubles partner.

Higashikata raised an eyebrow before looking at Minami. "Boy, it's hard dealing with Oishi now since he's practically seen the strategy."

"It's Kikumaru I'm more worried about," Minami nudged his doubles partner. "Watch out for his acrobatics."

"But, doesn't his stamina suck?" Higashikata noticed how sweaty Kikumaru was despite it being the third game. "Can't we wear him down?"

"He'll make sure that we drop first," Minami glanced at Oishi. "We take out the more experienced one since Kikumaru's relying on Oishi's calls. If Oishi drops, the whole match goes to us."

"Nyah," Kikumaru poked Oishi. "If I remember right, weren't we supposed to play Hyotei today?"

Oishi shrugged. "Well, they changed the line-up considering many of the teams dropped out. So, we might play Hyotei another day but Yamabuki seems to be faring well."

"So," Kikumaru began counting his fingers. "We're only in the elimination rounds?"

"Apparently so," Oishi nodded while trying to explain it to the hyperactive acrobat. "Maybe that's why we're having this. We already played St. Rudolph in the first rounds so – this just is more or less like the Finals in the Tokyo Prefectural."

"Nyah, how confusing," Kikumaru slumped while slapping himself with his racquet.

Oishi snickered a bit while looking at his doubles partner; trust Kikumaru to try and lighten up the mood. However, Oishi knew that this game required a good synchronization and somehow, he felt like there was a game he played very similar to this. Closing his eyes, Oishi began to simulate which doubles match this game was turning out to be.

Ne, Oishi-san! Are you going to stand there or what?

Opening his eyes, Oishi instead found Ayane Kobayagi mounting her racquet on her shoulder. Kiyone balanced on her racquet's handle while smirking at him. No wonder it seemed to be so familiar, not only did he play this doubles match in the past but the two girls that the Golden Pair had lost to apparently kicked their training up five notches. Oishi didn't know where that image came from but when Ayane lowered her stance, Oishi felt compelled to do the same.

I'm looking forward to see you in the Kantou Tournament! We'll be watching you there!

Oishi found himself back in reality when the ball zoomed towards him but he lobbed it for a Moon Volley. The ball floated up while Higashikata planted a smash which bounded towards the red haired acrobat but Kikumaru managed to have a forehand score behind them. Following up with a hard forehand, Minami noticed that Kikumaru and Oishi suddenly switched places with Kikumaru's volley becoming extremely fast while Oishi's shots became a tad bit heavier. The two were not as fast and as strong as the Hyotei pair but they made a perfect simulation of the two girls. Oishi's backhand zoomed an inch over the net and cracked right on the corner, exactly how Ayane did it.

"Forty – thirty," the Jimmies glanced back at the Golden Pair in shock.

Seigaku had their jaws dropping at what kind of strategy the two came up with instead. Kikumaru walked over to Oishi and poked him about what had just happened.

"You saw them too," Kikumaru gulped when he recalled what was in front of them. "Getsugan-chan was mocking me."

"And Ayane-chan… kept on taunting me," Oishi glanced back at his doubles partner. What was that all about?

"Game, Uchiha-Yamaguchi pair: three games to five!"

Riza and Karin were panting heavily when they gazed back at the Hyotei pair. Isane and Hitomi had heavy serves and broke all their games without even breaking a sweat. The first games were all a fluke; Isane defended the baseline so well that nothing got past her. Despite Hitomi only being a serve and volley player, she didn't do too badly at the baseline unlike most players. Karin wiped away the sweat falling on her cheeks while looking at Hitomi again. It was Riza's serve now and Karin felt a smile tug up, usually – Riza performed better when it was her service game.

She still has her power, Karin lowered her stance as Riza fired a fast serve.

Isane returned it with ease only to find multiple Riza's filling up the baseline. "Holy hecklers, where do I…?"

"Don't panic," Hitomi called from up front. "Send it feather light!"

Isane gently tapped it over the net while Karin forced a lob up, allowing Hitomi to slam it towards Riza again. However, Riza completely terminated the power of the shot and forehanded it back. Isane dashed to the other end of the court not understanding how she managed to neutralize Hitomi's smash with such a weak hit. No matter what kind of power they sent towards Riza, it always returned back into its normal state. The shot flew towards them as if any power placed on it suddenly got…

"Terminated," Karin smirked at the Mastermind. "That's Riza's ability. No matter what you send at her, the power, spin, destructive ability and path will be completely terminated! Even the complicated Habu of St. Rudolph's Madoka became useless against Riza!"

Isane fired a flat shot towards Riza. "Wait, so even if we pile all our power into it – nothing's going to happen?"

"No wonder they had Riza as a Singles Player and Doubles," Hitomi tapped a drop shot over. "She renders any special technique useless. The only thing that could own her now is…"

"Speed," Isane sadly shook her head. "That is something that only Rin-Rin, Mai-chan, Shizuru-chan and Kiyone-chan have!"

"Exactly what I feared," Hitomi fired another backhand towards the two. "We're not going to get anywhere if our techniques are sealed off!"

Karin saw the annoyance flicker in Hitomi's eyes with a smirk. Riza practically neutralized even Hitomi's Sonic Volley without much difficulty however; the Sniper Serve became blind to the naked eye. Riza may neutralize everything but she couldn't catch the speed of Isane's service and let alone the power that came with it. The percent of termination depended on Riza's ability to catch the shot and right now, the silver haired girl hadn't gotten used to the speed yet. Riza couldn't even reach the service on time when Isane sent it towards her.

It will take time but at least she's adapting, Karin missed the volley shot promptly sent by Hitomi.

"Love – fifteen," Riza sighed before returning to the baseline.

"These guys are hard," Riza asked for a "time-out" from the referee, allowing the other two to head back to the benches.

"Well, they are National Calibre players," Karin pointed out before glancing at the two. "They say they've never made an appearance but I'm beginning to doubt that."

"A makeshift pair can become a good pair if the two are close to one another but that's rare," Ino noted before looking at the pair. "Though I wonder, which slot is my sister playing in?"

"You're obsessed," Karin shook her head at the vice captain. "How come you always wanted to beat Haruka-san anyway?"

Ino clucked her tongue. "Dad favoured her and the whole family practically showered praises on her since she was the eldest. Mom was the only one who understood me and when dad passed away, they blamed me for being such an idiotic daughter! Heck, I didn't even know that he was suffering from pancreatic cancer! That old bag never told me anything," she spat venomously.

On the other side, Isane and Hitomi talked things over with Sakaki. Apparently, Shizuru now had to take the coach's bench since Atobe called up and something went wrong with the regulars. It turned out that Atobe insanely put Shishido against Tachibana again and he lost miserably again but after a little prompting from Ohtori and considering that he was part of the silver pair, Shishido maintained his status. The only problem now was the line-up for the next rounds which Atobe needed Sakaki's opinion on. The only thing was – Atobe was nowhere to be found and the one who called him up was Oshitari who put up a pretty good argument that Shishido should remain a regular.

"So, buchou," Isane glanced at her captain. "Do we finish them quickly?"

"Or would you like the painful and slow method," Hitomi greeted her with a business smile. "Both ways are possible."

Shizuru glanced at Taishaku Fuzoku Chuu. "Well, it depends on you guys really. In this case, we have the liberty to lose or win. After all – they won't get past me."

"Oh yeah, you're Singles One," Isane placed a finger on her chin. "Speaking of the first slot, where is Ayane?"

"Atobe dragged her off," Mai snickered to herself. "She lost in a bet and now – she's Atobe's girlfriend!"

The whole Hyotei team burst into a loud laughter. Rin rolled on the floor, crying. Momo slammed her head on the fence rail, Haruka's cheeks puffed up when she tried to restrain her laughter, Kiyone began hooting and crying on the floor and Isane giggled while hugging Hitomi in shock. Hitomi on the other hand began scribbling data while Shizuru giggled softly at her vice captain's predicament. Seeing the other team head for the court, Shizuru beckoned her two senpai to finish the game.

"Don't let them score anymore," Shizuru smiled at the two girls. "After all, they need to have a taste what the Nationals can do to you if you let your guard down."

Waiting for the next shot, Karin watched Riza serve again until Hitomi smirked at Isane. The two of them moved in a wild formation that coexisted with data. For some reason, every time Isane returned a shot - her form changed abruptly. From Kotetsu, it became Kurenai then she returned to her old form which then turned into Ayane for the heavy backhand return. Hitomi discovered all their weak points just as easy and even brought them down.

"Love - thirty," Karin dropped her racquet, staring in awe.

Riza felt her body slow down when she stared helplessly at Karin. "What was that?"

"No matter what we did, it was as if they were in complete control like," Karin gulped before looking back at the Hyotei pair. "It was as if they were performing magic."

Hitomi rested her racquet on her shoulder. "Let's say that you guys were easily fooled by Isane's illusion. Your data about her is wrong; do you think she can only change when she doesn't move? That's what's unique about her Illusion ability. Niou needs to gather data first while in her case, she can combine and change in an instant. This dance is quite different isn't it? You guys prepared yourself for the Waltz Formation but this is nothing like theirs."

"This is what everyone calls," Isane smiled before preparing for another receive. "The Arcane Dance."

"W-wait, Hikifumi-senpai and Shimohi-senpai are playing Doubles One!? Are you insane," Ayane slammed her hands on the table while pointing accusingly again at Atobe.

"Ore-sama can't believe that you're still occupied by the Kantou Regionals," Atobe flicked her forehead, causing the said girl to sit down. "After all, Kurenai can manage the team quite well. Don't you trust her leadership? I'm sure your teammates can pull it off – with or without you."

Ayane fell silent after that comment. She realized that in some way – that was true. The team didn't need her exactly but she was only there to play doubles with Kiyone. Other than that, Haruka and Rin could hold up their end pretty well and a makeshift pair didn't seem too hard to make. Shizuru could take down an entire team if she wanted with Mai but what use would that be? Ayane slumped onto the chair while staring at the leche flan she barely even touched. Poking it, Ayane began wondering: was she extra baggage or was she essential?

"Ore-sama didn't mean that you were completely useless," Atobe saw the light flicker in Ayane's eyes. "You should stop worrying too much."

"I can't help but do so," Ayane snapped before shoving a forkful of leche flan into her mouth. "They're my teammates and Kiyone's my doubles partner!"

Sighing, Atobe began drinking his coffee while watching the younger girl stare helplessly out the window. Atobe knew it was within her nature hence making her Vice Captain. However, what worried him was that maybe it could be other things such as Seigaku's match being today, his match not being today since he completely excluded himself from the line-up. The thought of Ayane smiling and relaxing around Oishi pissed him off to an entirely new level.

"Are you done," Atobe looked at Ayane wiping her mouth, glancing and staring at the window.

"Yeah," Ayane softly sighed before glancing at the window.

Kobayagi doesn't know how her sad face will become the death of ore-sama, Atobe paid for the bill while glancing at Ayane again. "Kobayagi, do you want to get stronger?"

Ayane's head swivelled towards Atobe. "What exactly are you suggesting?"

"Obviously," Atobe pointed out the window. "Since your head is swarming full of tennis right now, you want to work it out of your system?"

Ayane saw her tennis bag lying right beside her. "Yeah, I think I need a stress reliever."

Standing up, the two walked out while heading towards the tennis court and heard a loud cry from the other side. Ayane's head perked up when she heard the faint cheers.

Shousha Hyotei, Haisha Taishaku! Makeru Taishaku!

I hope what they're saying is right; Ayane looked back towards the court as Atobe took off his jacket. "Shall we play, Kobayagi?"

Seeing his blue eyes sparkle with arrogance, Ayane forced down a blush. Darn it, this guy doesn't know I'm a sucker for guys with blue eyes! Well, Oishi's personality was what got me but…rrrgh!

"Arn~, is that a blush ore-sama sees?" Atobe walked very close to Ayane, causing the younger girl to heat up.

"S-Shut up," Ayane resisted the urge to sock Atobe in the balls. "Just get to the other end of the baseline!"

"Game, Uchiha-Yamaguchi: six games to five!"

Definitely, those first five matches were a fluke, Karin slumped onto the floor while the two Hyotei players still stood proudly. Riza's legs were swollen from all the running in order to deflect Isane's shots. The two girls practically played them into their hands. Hitomi had volleyed faster than normal causing Riza to wear out her legs even more and Karin could feel her chest heave up and down heavily. Hitomi and Isane high fived each other as Isane began her service.

"Fifteen – love," Isane's Sniper Serve marked the court.

"This game's in the bag," Haruka noted while warming up a bit. "I don't understand why the both of them stood still in the other games."

"They were lazy again," Mai smirked before watching two more Sniper Serves mark the court. "Knowing Yamaguchi-senpai, she just wanted more data on them."

Isane bounced the ball a few times before glancing at them. "Weak or strong, Hitomi-chan?"

"Finish them off," Hitomi smirked, devoid of all feelings.

With one loud crack, the two Taishaku Fuzoku Chuu regulars roll back in horror.

"Game and match: Uchiha-Yamaguchi pair, seven games to five!"

-That's chapter 21! Sorry for the late update!