One Step
Written by: Kiasidira Ixari
Co-written by: Aventria

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD

This is exactly what the subject said.

One Step is back in the running!

Kia-chan's official three-week summer break is in motion, and as such, time will not be wasted! Kia-chan will start writing and planning for future chapters, and will assure readers that they will not be disappointed!

This chapter is not an official chapter; it is merely a preview and teaser chapter I uploaded to give you a view on what will happen next.

ONE STEP: THE SECOND ARC
Chapters 25 Onwards

Teasers Galore

The players finally arrive in the Big Apple, and as always with our gang, chaos ensues. Deeper plots rise as a shadow from the Echizen family's past comes to foil their quasi-vacation in the US of A. Nanjiroh discovers that the past's mistake may not just mess up the past, but may also wreck his--and his prodigy child's--futures.

Ryoga appears to be in a tight pinch with Ryoma and the overprotective boyfriends, but don't go whining now. Worse approaches as suspicions are piled one over the other on Ryoga's already aching head. The fact that the gang he was previously in starts chasing after him so intently again doesn't help either. Will he stay loyal or repeat a betrayal even if it is for reasons that point towards incessant loyalty?

A secret will also be revealed as Fuji discovers his real heritage and uncovers a network of lies set in motion by his French-American uncle to steal him away from what he really was. The tensai suddenly finds himself in the middle of a head-turning confusion of lies and cover-ups from the past that might very well explain his present, as well as the fortune he now suddenly holds in his hands.

One of our newest original characters gets pulled into the whirlpool of covered up blunders and affairs as he ends up back where his childhood started, back to the point where he will discover that he is not a lone child after all, and that he has a real blood brother in Fuji.

Didn't you ever wonder why Tezuka lived with his grandparents? Our favorite buchou finds himself torn towards two directions as he tries to decide on what his life will focus on. Pressure bears down as the international tourney approaches, and it doesn't help that his parents--which up until now were nowhere in his life--are pulling him into academics and away from sports, which means one thing: back to Japan.

Atobe and Fuji were never on good terms with each other, and there's no doubt that helping each other is the last thing on their minds with the pressure bearing on them from all sides. However, circumstances demand otherwise. The two find themselves struggling together to win on two battlefields: on the business scape, and on the tennis court.

Ryoma is a very flexible young man, both in the literal sense (mind off the gutters, I meant tennis) and in the figurative sense. He can juggle family, work, friends, love life, and his cat without any problems. However, this time he finds himself with a greater challenge than ever before. He's practically torn in all directions: prevent Tezuka from pulling out of tennis, prevent Fuji from bringing apocalypse upon them as the tensai finds out about his past, figure out what Ryoga is up to, weasel answers out of his father regarding the letters he's been receiving, balance his relationship with Kevin as they go against each other seriously on the court in an official match for the first time since their Junior Invitational Team match, and leash Keigo before the obocchama manages to tackle and chew the cocky opponents' heads off (among others). Ah, what to do?

ONE STEP
Sidestep One: Plane Alone

What happens when you leave 30 raucous players alone on a private jet plane without responsible (Nanjiroh doesn't count) supervision?
Find out in this upcoming One Step special extra!

Preview

Niou and Kirihara snuck unnoticed into the small compartment behind the bar where the huge containers full of their drinks were located. Curiously, Kirihara poked and prodded here and there, looking around at the complicated contraptions and numerous control buttons. Niou caught Kirihara's hands just in time before the teen flicked one of the blue buttons, hissing at the younger player for being careless and rash.

"That's the button for depressurizing the cabin, dolt! We'll all suffocate to death if you press that!"

And Kirihara immediately retracted his hand.

"Anyway, I've got a much better idea in mind than making us all suffocate to death," smirked Niou, pulling out a bottle of those odorless, colorless, tasteless, VERY strong, VERY alcoholic gins.

Kirihara, being adept and fast, immediately picked up.

Similar mischievous smirks were painted on both their faces as Kirihara unscrewed the bottle and Niou opened the refill hatches for the liquid containers.

On the other side, Ryoma pushed the red button for his Ponta and proceeded filling his and Fuji's glasses.

ONE STEP
Sidestep Two: Domesticated Cats and Dogs

Snippets of the players' manor life in Japan and in the US, unrelated and detached from the real story.
We just want to have some fun.

Preview

"I hate the rain."

"Ah. We can only hope that it stops soon."

Pause.

Whine. "I want it to stop now!!" So I can play tennis!

"I know, neko-chan. We all do."

Rustle, rustle. Pause.

"Buchou…" Rustle. "Make it stop."

Rustle, rustle, rustle.

Heavy groan. "A-As much as—ahh—I'd like it to, I can't."

Screeeeeeeeeeeeech!

"OISHIIIIIIIIIIII! OCHIBI IS RAPING BUCHOU!!!"

"EIJI!"

Pause. "Hey, that's kinda hot."

"Deshou, ne? I'll have to exploit Ryoma-chan's demanding nature next time we're in bed…" Chuckle, chuckle.

Pant, pant, rustle, pause. "No—ahh, Ryoma—not here."

Pause.

"OI SEISHOUNEN, KID CAPTAIN! WHY'D YOU STOP?!?!" Grumble. "And here it was getting good…" Crunch.

…

THERE!

See how much I've been planning for you? There're even extras! (Extras weren't really in the big plan.)

Anyways, I hope I placated you some with those snippets.

SIDESTEP ONE will be coming out within this weekend.
SIDESTEP TWO will be out next weekend.
ONE STEP 25, the official start of the Second Arc, will be out on the normal schedule: Tuesday, May 15th

Cheers, then.

Kiasidira Ixari / Aventria
05.10.07