Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis by Konomi Takeshi.

~xXx~

"You got that James Dean day dream look in your eye

And I got that red lip classic thing that you like

And when we go crashing down, we come back every time

Cause we never go out of style

We never go out of style."

—Taylor Swift, Style

~xXx~

During her first year of high school, Shun hadn't joined the tennis team. She'd been all too willing to quit back then, instead opting to run on the track team. And damn, was she fast. The quickest female sprinter on the 100 and 200, and she'd been looking forward to possibly learning the pole vault later.

She'd been so full of promise back then, brimming with hope. And then it all came crashing down when she crossed the finish line one day and collapsed.

Shun had woken up in the hospital, a doctor hovering over her. Anemia, he'd said, eyes sympathetic. Quite frankly, the fact that you still ran despite your asthma is admirable, but certainly not healthy. Developing anemia over the years certainly hasn't helped, either.

We're so sorry, Himura-san, but you can't run competitively anymore.

Shun had gone through losses before. She'd already lost her oldest sister, her older brother, and her twin. Her mother would soon be gone too, after the divorce papers were finalized. She'd also lost Takara, her only friend, with a smile that matched her bright eyes.

But when she lost running, that was the first time she'd felt so vulnerable. Cracked open and pitiful, just waiting for vultures to take what little life she had left away, to put her out of her misery. She loved running more than she loved tennis, more than she loved Takara and Taiki.

At the moment, with Hashimoto Sayuri's eyes of winter boring into her, Shun felt that same feeling she did when she was told she couldn't run anymore. Hollowed out and empty, cut open and vulnerable for all to see.

Rapidly, she shook her head. "I think you must have mistaken what Takara meant. I don't love her in that way, okay, and she probably just worded it wrong. Because really, why would I…" Shun trailed off at Sayuri's knowing look, hanging her head in defeat. It was inevitable wasn't it, that her deepest fears came back to haunt her?

"I'm not here to judge or confront you, Himura-san," Sayuri said, sounding sincere enough for Shun to meet her gaze. The Rikkai second year shrugged flippantly, said, "Your life is none of my business, and neither is Suzuki-fukubuchou's. But I just think you should know something."

"What?"

A flash of sympathy went across Sayuri's face. "Suzuki-fukubuchou has been dating Marui-senpai for the past three years."

She should have seen it coming, honestly. Takara was fairly average looking, but her spunky and outgoing personality attracted many, and she was an excellent tennis player. That was what first piqued Shun's interest, and it was probably what got Marui Bunta interested, too.

But still, Shun couldn't help but hope that it wasn't true. Hashimoto Sayuri did not seem like the type of person to lie, but she was Rikkai after all. The enemy. The elite. The force that would go to any means if it meant victory.

Shun was about to say something in reply—she had no idea what, but just anything was better than nothing—until she heard her name being called.

"Himura, where have you been? Akutagawa's already finished Singles 2, and it's time to go," said Ikue, standing straight and domineering with her arms crossed and violet eyes cold towards Sayuri. "Trying to psyche us out already, Rikkai?"

Sayuri smiled in amusement. "You decide that for yourself, Hyotei-san," she turned to go, lifting an arm as a goodbye. "We look forward to playing you at the finals, assuming you get that far."

Once Sayuri was out of earshot, Ikue rolled her eyes. "Rikkai bitches," Ikue cursed, peering at the stripe of blue in her hair. "Come on Himura, let's get back to the team."

Nervously, Shun nodded. "How…how much did you—" she began to say, only to be cut off.

"Enough," Ikue stated flatly, the look she gave Shun enough to make the vice captain squirm. "But none of that matters. Let's just get back, since Akutagawa's wondering where you are."

Nodding hollowly, Shun followed the other girl back to the courts, fear crawling around her insides.

~xXx~

"What's wrong, Zuru?" Airi asked curiously. The boys' team was packing up after their win against Fudomine, milling around and chatting. Sakaki was speaking to Tachibana about something, probably about what tactics Tachibana used within the team to keep such strong spirits.

Chizuru glanced up from her phone, hastily slipping it into her pocket. It was amazing how even though Chizuru thought she was doing her best to hide her emotions, Airi could still see right through her. "It's nothing important, Airi. I'm just disappointed that I lost with Shiina-senpai again," she said, tapping her fingers nervously against the bench.

"So? We all lose every now and then," Airi pointed out, sitting down beside her friend. "What's the point in winning all the time if you don't learn anything from it?"

"Yeah, but I just feel so guilty," Chizuru confessed. "Because Shiina-senpai's a really good player and she seems to understand doubles pretty well, but I just feel so nervous every time and end up dragging her down."

Airi was quiet for a second, and then whacked her friend on the shoulder, causing Chizuru to flinch back. "What's with that attitude, Zuru? A loss is a loss and you can't do anything about it but keep on trying? At least, that's what Keigo-senpai and Mune always tell me, and how do you think they got to be so good?"

Chizuru's mouth parted in surprise. Keep trying, she thought, just keep trying. That was her own principle on everything else, wasn't it? On piano, on track, on her studies, all Chizuru ever did was keep on practicing, keep on trying. But why, for some reason, was her tennis the one thing she chose to neglect the most when it was so important to her?

There's our Chizuru, our little number one! You're going to be great one day, as long as you always place first in your studies. Remember that above all else.

You've made more accidentals than usual today. Are we paying Aomori-san for nothing, because this quality of music is simply unacceptable.

Squeezing her hands into fists, she suddenly felt herself overcome with adrenaline, with the desire to be more than what she was told to be. If she wanted to get better, she would work her heart out for it.

"Thanks, Airi," Chizuru said, smiling briefly at her friend. "I think I know what I have to do."

Without another word, Chizuru stood up and walked over to where Shishido and Ootori were standing by the water fountain, idly chatting about something or another. Tough, determined Shishido who'd pushed Chizuru to work harder on her running and inspired her in more ways than one. Sweet, kind Ootori whom she'd harbored a crush on since middle school, who'd rejected her but was still so kind. Chizuru was going to try her hardest to get him to like her back, and she did not plan on getting rejected twice.

"Shishido-senpai, Ootori-kun, I have a favor to ask," Chizuru said, standing up as straight as she could when their eyes turned to her. "Will you work with me on my doubles play?"

Ootori smiled, amber eyes gentle. "Of course we will, right, Shishido-san?"

The third year regarded Chizuru with a stern look, like he was trying to find out where her sudden bout of confidence and intuition came from. Truthfully, Chizuru herself did not know, but what she did know was that she was going to try her best so she wouldn't disappoint anyone the next time.

"Alright," Shishido finally shrugged. "You'd better be ready for this, Kataoka."

~xXx~

"So this is where you work?" Anna marveled, craning her head back to get a full view of the café. After being told to meet at Erena's that evening, Tsukiko had let the team go do whatever until then. Ikue had asked if Anna would keep her company during her shift at work, and the two had hopped onto the train to a part of Tokyo Anna had only been to a few times before.

The café Ikue worked at was pretty and charming, almost vintage-like with it's flowered curtains and black and white checkered floor. Anna was seated at the bar in front while Ikue manned the cash register right next to her.

Ikue nodded. "Yeah. It's kind of far from school, but still nice. Actually, I think that's why I wanted to get a job here you know, because it's far enough away that there's not much of a chance of seeing somebody from school here," she commented casually, tying her black apron around her waist.

Anna didn't know what to say to that. Even though they'd been friends for a while now, there were still a lot of things about Ikue that she didn't know, such as details of her personal life to her complex thought process.

Well, there was something Anna knew about Ikue that Ikue herself didn't know about, but of course that wasn't something Anna wanted to delve into at the moment.

"You want something to drink?" Ikue asked, blowing golden-brown hair out of her face. The stripes of blue and green were tucked behind her ear together, colors merging. "Like a coffee or smoothie or something?"

Anna had been about to say no, but a coffee actually sounded pretty good right now. Especially since she was a little worn out from her singles match, and it was going to be a long night. "Yeah, a coffee would be nice. One sugar, please."

"Got it."

Anna sat in silence as Ikue made the coffee. The shop was fairly empty at the moment, with only few staff around and Ikue managing the drinks by herself. "So how long have you been working here?" Anna asked.

Ikue shrugged as she slid a cup of coffee towards Anna. "A couple years now. The owner of this place, Andou-san, has known Daisuke and Hotaka since high school, so it was pretty easy getting a job here."

"Oh," Anna nodded, wrapping her fingers around the cup to absorb the heat. "I used to want to get a job at the pet store because I've always really loved animals, but I turned down the offer when I was fifteen."

"Why?" Ikue asked, raising a brow in confusion. "If you really wanted the job, why didn't you take it?"

The golden haired girl shrugged. "My mother didn't want me to," she said, hunching over in her seat a little. She thought of the tears, the angry screaming match that happened during that particular argument. One argument out of thousands, and it was one of the clearest memories Anna had. "She thought that it wasn't proper for me to work there since she was obsessed with the fact that we're high class—which I don't really think we are—and thought that it was demeaning to work with animals. Which, well, I didn't take too well. I got the offer after she'd already moved out, but by then I guess things had just changed."

Never before had Anna shared information about her mother to anyone outside of her family—not even to Oshitari, in fact—but somehow, it felt right to tell Ikue about it. They didn't have that much in common, Anna and Ikue, but they understood each other better than most people. Anna was grateful for having that kind of connection with someone.

"Did you ever wish that you'd taken the job?" Ikue wondered, methodically tossing a coffee cup back and forth between her hands. Anna had noticed that Ikue was a natural fidget and that she could never keep completely still. Whether it be tapping her fingers or stretching racquet strings or tossing coffee cups, Ikue was always in motion.

She took her time to take a sip of her coffee, contemplating the question. Finally, Anna said, "I don't know. But you know, I've always wondered why I didn't take the offer after my mom left, because it wasn't like she still had any control over me or anything."

Ikue shook her head. "I think the whole point is that she still does, even if she left. I wouldn't know myself, but from what I can tell, you really do care about what your mother thinks about you, even if you hated her so much." Before Anna could reply, Ikue had already changed the subject into something much lighter. "So, what's going on with you and Oshitari? None of us can tell if you're actually together or what," she smirked.

Glad at the topic change, Anna laughed nervously. "Not yet, no. I guess you could say we're taking our time. There's not really any rush, I don't think."

Ikue laughed at the same moment the café door opened, bringing forth a group of customers. "If there's anything I've learned from Daisuke and Hotaka," she said as she hurried to the cash register. "It's that if you really care about someone, go for it. Like, don't rush into it, of course, but don't take long either. Anything is better than never moving."

Go for it. Anna still wasn't sure if she wanted a relationship with Oshitari Yuushi just yet. She liked him, and she was definitely sure that he liked her back, but well, things were a little complicated at the moment.

But what better time would there be if she didn't move quickly?

Mind made up, Anna downed the last of her coffee and got up. "I think I'm going to talk to him right now. I'll see you at Fukumitsu's later."

Ikue waved a hand. "See you later, Anna."

~xXx~

Jirou tugged on Shun's arm insistently. "Come on Himura-san, let's go watch Rikkai play Kaminokawa! I want to watch Marui-kun's match!"

At the mention of Marui's name, Shun felt her stomach twist. Suzuki-fukubuchou has been dating Marui-senpai for the past three years, Hashimoto Sayuri's words rang through her head. If Marui was playing, then that meant Takara for sure would be watching, and Takara, the person that Shun usually wanted to see the most, was now the last she wanted to face. "You go by yourself, Akutagawa-kun. I should be heading home," Shun mumbled quickly, jerking her arm out of Jirou's grip and readying her to make a mad dash out of the vicinity.

"Wait!" Jirou cried, yanking her back. "What's wrong, Himura-san? Didn't you once tell me that you have a friend that plays for Rikkai? Don't you want to see her?"

"Akutagawa-kun…" Shun trailed off, resisting the urge to cry. "You won't understand, but Takara is the last person I want to see right now. Please, just let me go already." She wanted nothing more than to run home, to throw herself onto her bed and soak her pillow with tears. Takara's whole team knew. Ikue knew, and she was bound to be disgusted. Shun wanted to bury herself in a hole and never come out.

Jirou let go of her arm, his features softening. "So it's true then, what I heard?"

Shun froze. "What did you hear?" She demanded, gripping the front of his jersey. One teammate overhearing her conversation with Sayuri was bad enough, but Jirou too?

"I was running late this morning and ran past a group of Rikkai girls," Jirou explained, voice calm and soothing. "I overheard them talking about Hyotei, and then your name was brought up by this girl with brown hair. She was saying that you'd been in love with her when you were younger, and that she hadn't realized that you still were. Is that true?"

She could feel herself breaking down like a machine, first failing internally then spreading towards the outside. Before she even knew what she was doing, Shun found herself gripping Jirou's shoulder like her life depended on it, tears rushing down her face so fast she couldn't see. It was now or never, and it was impossible to deny anything at this point. Once the tears were shed, only the truth could be told.

"Yes. It's true," Shun whispered, immediately covering her mouth with a hand.

Jirou said nothing. For as much as he was sleepy and silly, he could also understand how much Shun was going through. So he didn't say anything as she cried, but he was there for her. And for Shun, who had only known people to leave her life, Jirou's presence was just enough.

"Come on, Shun-san," Jirou smiled at her after a few minutes, causing her to look up and wipe her face. "Let's go to the candy store. They have a new chai caramel there that I think you're going to love."

"Okay," Shun nodded, using her jersey sleeves to wipe away any wetness left on her face. "Candy sounds pretty good right now."

She could do with a lot of cheering up, after all. And with the three giant bags of candy Jirou thrust at her, maybe the road to recovery wouldn't be so bad.

~xXx~

Anna tapped her foot nervously, suddenly feeling like Ikue with all the fidgeting she was doing. She'd texted Oshitari to meet her in front of the bookstore so they could talk, to which he'd replied that he'd be there in twenty minutes. And twenty minutes were soon to be up with a certain blue haired boy still yet to show.

Calm down, idiot, she chided herself. He's not the kind of person to just stand you up.

It was funny how just three months earlier, Anna would have immediately jumped to the conclusion that Oshitari was a douchebag playboy, and now here she was, nervous and excited to meet up with him. A lot could change in just a matter of months, she supposed.

After a few more minutes, she caught sight of Oshitari through the crowd, her chest suddenly tightening. Mentally berating herself, Anna took a deep breath.

"Hi," Oshitari said, stopping about a foot away from her. He stood with his hands in his pockets, expression solemn and curious as he looked directly into her eyes. "To what do I owe the pleasure of being called out at this moment?"

There were a lot of things she probably could have said. Anna could have told him what Ikue had said to her, for one thing, or she could have even just confessed her feelings to him. But when she opened her mouth to say those words, others came out.

"Look, Oshitari, I think we both know that at the beginning of the year, I was not a people person," Anna began, holding up a hand to keep him silent until she was done. "A lot of people tell me that I'm a cold, contemptuous bitch by nature, and I guess that's just how I was brought up. I've been like that my whole life, and for some reason, you come sauntering along and all that's changed in less than three months."

He met her gaze levelly, calm and collected as always. "I've never found you to be cold, Anna-chan."

Anna scoffed. "Don't lie to me. I know what people say behind my back you idiot, I have ears just like everyone else." Normally, Anna was good at ignoring what was being said about her. About looking so beautiful that she had to be a cold-hearted bitch. That she wasn't tall enough to be a model even if she was so beautiful, so that automatically meant she had no future. That she probably cheated or bribed the teachers to get consistently ranked in the top ten. That her tennis wasn't good enough and that she looked more like a sports model than an athlete in her uniform.

Anna had heard it all, without acknowledging any of it. She used to think that ignorance showed strength, but now she wasn't so sure.

"I've never lied to you," Oshitari stated, his tone so confident that it made Anna's breath hitch in her throat. Oshitari's eyes were blue and pure and honest, calculating sometimes, blank when he sealed his heart, but they told all when he wanted them to. Just like how they were now. "And I'm not lying when I tell you that I've never found you cold or full of contempt. In my opinion Hayashi Anna, you're like fire."

Fire. Anna didn't know if that was supposed to be a compliment or not, or if he even meant anything in particular by it. Usually, she would have scowled and demanded to know what Oshitari meant by comparing her to fire, but now, she just accepted it. Because after all, being fiery was better than being a cold, contemptuous bitch.

Without even thinking, Anna wrapped her arms around him, resting her head on his shoulder.

Oshitari stiffened, before relaxing and returning the embrace, one arm curling around her waist while the other held her by the blades of her shoulders. "It appears that this a pleasure indeed," he murmured, lips dropping next to her ear.

She smirked, before tilting her head up to kiss him on the cheek, tantalizingly brushing the corner of his lip. Anna could almost feel his growl of frustration at how close it was to a real kiss.

"I'm not kissing you until you take me out on a proper date," Anna smiled cheekily, closing her eyes and tilting her head to side. "So be a gentleman and just ask me out already, Oshitari."

He threw his head back and laughed. "Demanding aren't you, Anna-chan?" Oshitari grinned, his smirk wide enough to match hers. "Alright then, if you so insist. Friday right after practice, and you're not going to get a second chance if you're a second late? Deal?"

"Deal," Anna agreed, elbowing him in the ribs in a gesture that had become etched into her mind. "And I swear to god if you don't act like a perfect gentleman you're not going to get a second date."

"Ouch," Oshitari winced, offering his hand to hers. "If then, I give you full permission to send your wild beast of a dog after me."

Anna lifted a brow in amusement as she took his hand. "Seriously? I mean, that's setting the bar pretty high then, because I'm sure Mamoru would love to have a go at you," she teased.

Oshitari rolled his eyes. "Come on, I'll walk you to Erena's for your team meeting. And on the way, may we discuss how much information I am allowed to disclose to Kenya about the current nature of our relationship?"

She merely elbowed him again.

~xXx~

"Alright, alright, settle down. We've got some important stuff to talk about," Erena clapped her hands together, successfully capturing the attention of her teammates. All eight of them had arrived at her house by now, and there were some serious things to discuss. "The match today against Midoriyama went fairly smoothly, but there are some things that still need to be talked about."

Erena cleared her throat. "For one thing, our opponent next week is going to be St. Rudolph. Normally I'd say that they aren't that much of a threat, but from what I've seen of them today, I've got to admit that they might be tough. And when I mean they're tough, I mean that their doubles teams have been undefeated so far this entire season."

A collective gasp went around the room, as well as a few groans. Tsukiko and Yuuka would no doubt be able to handle whatever situation was thrown at them, but it was the matter of the dreaded Doubles 2 that was much more concerning. The team still didn't have a proper second doubles pairing yet, and if St. Rudolph's Doubles 1 did happen to be strong enough to take down the Tsukiko-Yuuka pair, then that would put immense pressure on the singles players.

Airi, however, was the only one that didn't seem to get it. "Um, excuse me, but Keigo-senpai was talking about St. Rudolph earlier, and he was saying that neither team has very strong singles. So even if we lose both doubles—which I'm not saying that we will, of course not—shouldn't we be able to pull through with singles?" She suggested.

Erena shook her head. "I have no doubt that we'll be able to beat St. Rudolph," she declared confidently, looking each of her teammates in the eye. "And this may seem like a silly concern, but it's all about reputation. As shallow as it sounds, it would cause a great stir if King Hyotei were to be forced all the way to Singles 1 in only the quarterfinals, and we have to improve our doubles in general," Erena sent Ikue and Chizuru a pointed look. "I know that you may feel like I'm singling you out, Kataoka and Ikue, but our team needs a strong second doubles pair if we're going to succeed all the way to Nationals."

Anna raised a hand. Erena had seen her arrive with Oshitari earlier that evening, to which Erena had shaken her head in amusement. Had it been just a few months earlier, Erena would have never guessed that Oshitari and Anna would actually grow to like each other, much less become a couple. Being around each other seemed to change both of them, like how Anna had become considerably warmer over time, and Oshitari had finally found a girl he was serious about. Erena was very happy for her two friends, and hoped that they would be able to last for a long time.

"What if we keep on trying different doubles combinations?" Anna suggested. "I know I said that I never wanted to be put in doubles again, but if it turns out that I'm more useful there and someone else is more useful in singles, I'm willing to try."

"Thanks for the offer, Anna, but that's also hard to pull off," Erena sighed. "With us benching Airi for the majority of the season, she can't play in any official matches. I'm not much of a doubles player myself, and unless Shun would like to try—"

"Actually, I'd like to."

Everyone in the room turned at the same time to look at Shun, who appeared to be more withdrawn and weary than usual. Shun coughed nervously before saying, "I've never tried doubles once, and you'll never know if you'll never try, right? Maybe I won't be terrible at it," she suggested with a tone uncharacteristically light. Or, to Erena's trained ears after spending years with Tsukiko and Yuuka, perhaps Shun sounded too lighthearted.

But still, Shun's suggestion wasn't a bad one. "Okay then," Erena nodded, mentally calculating the combinations for the next few weeks. "Then against St. Rudolph I think we should have Anna and Shun in Doubles 2. Kataoka, you can be in Singles 3, and Ikue can take Singles 2. How does that sound?"

The reactions of her teammates ranged from thoughtful—Tsukiko and Yuuka exchanged a few glances—to determined—Shun, Anna, and Ikue—to flat out shock from Chizuru. Airi, meanwhile, was grinning enthusiastically at her fellow second year. "You're going to do great in singles, Zuru!" Airi cheered, shaking Chizuru's shoulders excitedly.

Tsukiko laughed, gently separating the two. "That's enough Airi, don't make us give you a restraining order," she joked.

"But," Chizuru started to say, stumbling for words. "Am I good enough to be put into Singles 3? What if St. Rudolph's singles players are actually pretty good this year and I—"

Erena interrupted. "And you'll win for sure, Kataoka. Have a little more faith in yourself," Erena offered her a quick smile. Still, Chizuru didn't look too sure, which frustrated Erena, because she believed that nobody should ever have to feel insecure or unsure about themselves, not ever. "If you want, Kataoka, I can work with you on your singles play during practice this week. It's all just a matter of being in control," Erena advised.

"It's not only St. Rudolph that we should worry about," Yuuka cut in, her expression serious and grave. "We've also got more trouble coming ahead later in the tournament. Josei Shonan shouldn't be too much trouble in the semis, but it all comes down to whom we're playing in the finals. Playing Seigaku again is going to be a pain in the ass, and if not Seigaku, it's definitely going to be Rikkai. I don't need to remind everyone what happened last year, do I?"

Erena grimaced at the memory. Hyotei had lost in straight sets, with Shun and Erena having been unable to do anything since they hadn't had a chance to play their singles matches. Even Tsukiko and Yuuka had lost Doubles 1 to Rikkai's former captain and vice captain. "Yeah, I don't think that's necessary," Erena agreed, tracing her fingers over her arm brace out of nervous habit. "But we'll cross that bridge when we get there. Right now, we need to focus on the problem at hand."

And then, Erena thought privately, maybe then we can all be happy.

~xXx~

As a part of its vigorous academic curriculum, Hyotei held monthly exams on each subject. Results of the top 100 from each grade were always posted exactly a week later, and anybody that scored lower would find out where they were placed later in class.

On June's exam, Chizuru and Kabaji claimed the first and second ranks for second years, with Kabaji scoring only two and a half points lower than Chizuru. Hiyoshi took eighth, and to Ootori's delight, he'd gotten an all time high of nineteenth.

"It's all thanks to you, Kataoka-san," Ootori grinned, shaking Chizuru's hand in thanks. Chizuru just blushed in return.

Airi, however, was not so enthusiastic. "Guys, help. I can't find my name anywhere," she hissed, mortified as her eyes travelled lower and lower down the list. After getting ranked in the seventies on the last exam, she'd sworn to Atobe that she'd stay within the top hundred and if possible crack the fifties. But by the time she got to the eighties, Airi's name still had not been listed, and she was starting to worry.

Kabaji leaned closer to get a better look. "There it is," he said, pointing to a spot dangerously low on the list.

#97 Yoshida Airi

"Whew!" Airi breathed out in relief, flopping against the wall. "I'm safe! Keigo-senpai's not going to kill or lecture me now, thank god."

Chizuru laughed nervously. "You know, Airi-chan, I think you might want to look into getting a tutor. Not trying to be mean or condescending, but you know." She suggested.

Airi shook her head regretfully. "Can't. I've got the normal two and a half hour practice right after school like you do, and then I've got another hour long private lesson with Yuuka-senpai or Erena-senpai. Then I'm required to go join Keigo-senpai's family dinner, and when that's all over there's barely enough time to do homework. I've tried finding a tutor, but none of them have times that work well with the schedule," Airi explained.

Just hearing about Airi's busy schedule made Chizuru feel exhausted, and Chizuru knew a thing or two about being completely booked up. Morning jog. School. Tutoring Ootori during lunch. Tennis. Afternoon run. Piano. Homework. "Maybe you could ask one of our senpais for help during lunch?"

"I've tried that too, but I can never find any of them," Airi groaned in despair, clutching her temples with her hands. "And I just don't understand why Keigo-senpai is so insistent that I rank within the top hundred. I've never been academically smart and he knows it, so why is this such a big deal?"

Kabaji was having none of that. Sternly, he looked at his childhood friend with a formidable stance. "Because he knows that you can do so much better than what you're showing," Kabaji stated. "You do need to work hard Airi, and I know that you know it."

Airi sighed. "Yeah, I guess," she agreed, though her face suggested that she didn't like the idea of academic training very much.

Chizuru opened her mouth to give Airi some more encouragement, when suddenly her attention was captured by commotion over at the third year's board.

"No way! How is this possible?"

"Did you think that this would ever happen?"

"How…just how?"

Exchanging a glance with her fellow second years, Chizuru immediately made her way over to the crowd to see what all the fuss was about. She had a suspicion, and if that suspicion happened to be true, Chizuru knew that there would be trouble.

~xXx~

In his mere seventeen years of life, Atobe Keigo had seen more than a normal seventy year old would have. He'd seen countless countries across six different continents, tasted foods that mere mortals could only dream of, and had been blessed with certain knowledge about high society that not even other Hyotei students were aware of.

But in all of Atobe's life, he had never once thought he'd see this sight.

#1 Akechi Yuuka

#2 Atobe Keigo

"Incredible," said Oshitari, who was the fourth place ranker. The blue haired boy was shaking in head in disbelief. "We've always known that she could, but for Akechi-chan to actually pull through and be serious…well," was all Oshitari could say.

Atobe was in agreement, but not even he could fathom why Yuuka had actually been serious on this exam. Normally, she would purposefully shave a few points off of each of her subjects so she would only rank third, but this time, she had gotten a perfect score on each of her exams in a feat that was unlike anything Hyotei had ever seen. Not even Atobe himself had ever been able to get a perfect score on all of his subjects.

Dimly, Atobe scanned the other scores to see if there had been any other major upsets. Anna (or as Atobe liked to refer to her as Oshitari's girlfriend) was sixth again, missing fifth place Shishido by a single point. Tsukiko, Erena, and Ikue were all in the twenties, while Mukahi and Jirou were somewhere in the forties or fifties. Everyone else's score was fairly normal, so why, just why, was Atobe's so wrong?

Or perhaps, he thought, it wasn't his score that was wrong. No, the numbers he'd gotten on each subject were the same as usual, it was only Yuuka's that were different. Every 100 for each subject that was usually only a 96, and the ranking next to her name was so out of character for her.

"Where is Yuuka right now?" Atobe muttered through his teeth to Oshitari. "I need to speak with her.

Oshitari shrugged, glancing around the crowd. "I haven't seen her the whole day, and Anna-chan mentioned that she wasn't at practice this morning."

Atobe swore under his breath, before catching sight of a flash of dark red hair. "Sorano-san!" he called, loping over to where Tsukiko was speaking with Erena. The two turned to him with equally confused looks, and that was enough for Atobe to know that neither of them knew where Yuuka was, either. "Do you have any idea where she might be?"

Tsukiko shook her head ruefully. "I don't know. When I went to her house to pick her up this morning her mom said that she'd already left. She wasn't in class today either," she explained.

"I haven't heard from Yuuka since last night," Erena added, nervously playing with the ends of her fringe.

Atobe swore again, resisting the urge to punch a wall or worse, one of those eavesdropping classmates nearby. "So where the fuck is she then?" He demanded, well aware that he was acting irrationally.

Only then did it dawn on him that he knew exactly where Yuuka had gone, and he'd been the one to give her that means of escape. "Shit," Atobe spat out, clenching his hands into fists. "I know where she is."

~xXx~

"Now boarding Flight 621 to London, first class."

She shouldered her bag, gripping her ticket so hard she wished it would just rip in half before she could hand it over. What the hell am I doing, I can't do this, she thought, wanting to just run out of the airport and go back home.

But she didn't. Calm as the surface of a lake, she handed over the ticket and waited as the security guard scanned it.

"Have a wonderful flight, Akechi-san," the guard said, handing her the scrap of ticket with her seat number on it.

She nodded once, before trudging through the tunnel and onto the airplane. Here goes nothing.

~xXx~

"London?!" Tsukiko yelped, staring at Atobe like he'd grown two heads. "How is she in London? I mean, it's not like her parents would just send her there, and she doesn't have the money herself."

Atobe refused to make eye contact with the other captain.

Narrowing her eyes, Tsukiko frowned. "Tell me you did not just meddle with her life again," Tsukiko warned, taking a threatening step closer to him. Atobe still did not reply. "I thought you'd get it by now to give her some space!"

"Calm down," Erena ordered soothingly, grabbing Tsukiko by the shoulders. When the taller girl turned to Atobe, however, her green eyes were also flashing. "Why don't you explain to us what happened?"

"I only gave her the tickets so she could have her space!" Atobe snapped, frustration boiling in his veins. "I didn't think she'd ever actually use them, but I just wanted her to know that if she needed a break she could have one. I'm not trying to meddle in her life."

Tsukiko rolled her eyes. "Right. So what's Yuuka going to do on her break then? Go sightseeing? Because I can clearlysee Yuuka wandering around with the other tourists," she said sarcastically.

Atobe was all for confidence and self-assurance in people, but at the moment, he found himself wishing that Tsukiko was still the quieter, shyer girl she'd been just a year or two ago. "That's up for her to decide what she wants to do, since it's her time off," Atobe stated, standing up to his full height (which was admittedly still shorter than Erena). "You accuse me of smothering Yuuka, when you do the exact same thing, Sorano. Don't even try to deny it." He regretted his words immediately, but it was too late to take them back. And Atobe Keigo did not ever show weakness.

At that, Tsukiko went silent, her pretty face growing angrier with rage. Even Erena looked alarmed, taking a nervous step backwards. "Tsukiko, it's fine. I'm sure Yuuka knows what she's doing, and you shouldn't take it out on Atobe-san," Erena insisted.

Tsukiko closed her eyes and took a deep breath, already looking much calmer than before. "I don't disagree with Atobe," Tsukiko sighed in resignation, opening her eyes and shooting Atobe an apologetic smile. "Look Atobe, I get that we both care about Yuuka a lot, and I know that we both take it too far sometimes, but," she took another deep breath, raising a hand to press against her temple. "Maybe we both need to be more careful."

Only then noticing the crowd watching them, Atobe quickly said, "I am sorry, Sorano, both for what I have done and what I said to you. But you can trust me that Yuuka will be fine, I promise."

Deep down, Atobe wondered how empty that promise was. He didn't even know what state Yuuka would be in when she got back to Japan, but he hoped to God that her downward spiral would be over or at least halted.

Tsukiko, seeming to see through Atobe's promise, smiled wryly. She said, "We'll just have to wait and see, won't we?"

~xXx~

"Game, set, and match, Hashimoto! 7-6, 5-7, 6-3!"

Hushed whispers immediately followed the umpire's declaration, complete with shocked faces of disbelief.

Minori, however, was impassive as usual. She'd seen it coming a mile away, but she had to admit that she was a little surprised that it had happened this soon.

On the court, Sayuri shook hands with a defeated Takara, who looked disappointed but also accepting of the fact that she had just lost. Not only was it her first loss to Sayuri, but now Takara was demoted to Singles 3 while Sayuri claimed the Singles 2 position.

"Her progress has been incredible, hasn't it?" Azami commented, smiling proudly. "Last time we played, Sayuri crushed me."

Minori smiled briefly. "And now she's overtaken Takara. That's our second year ace for you, Azami," she teased lightly.

Azami laughed in agreement, before shooting her best friend a thoughtful glance. "Yanagi and I were discussing Sayuri the other day, and he suspects that she'll overtake you by the end of the season. I'd be careful if I were you, Minori," the curly haired girl warned.

"We'll see about that," Minori replied cryptically. "But no matter how much progress Sayuri has made, there's still more to be accomplished."

"True," Azami admitted, glancing back down to where Sayuri was speaking to Maiha and Kirihara, while Takara was being consoled by the other third year girls.

Secretly, Minori was thinking that it would only take another month before Sayuri was in Singles 1.

~xXx~

"Can I ask you a question, Erena-senpai?"

Erena looked up as she tossed a ball to Airi. They were in the middle of working on Airi's serves, with Erena standing by the basket and observing. "Depends on the question," the tall senior said.

Airi paused, shifting nervously from foot to foot. Though she received personal lessons from Yuuka, Shimazaki, and Erena, Airi knew Erena the least. Even Shimazaki was more open than Erena, and as it turned out, Yuuka was quite friendly once Airi had gotten to know her better. She was still tough and unrelenting, of course, but somewhat smoother, with less rough and calloused edges.

Erena, however, was still a mystery to Airi. She hadn't had that much interaction with her senior outside of tennis, and Erena spoke few words during their private lessons. All Airi knew was that she was a superb player that had a crippled left arm and a passion for photography. Other than that, Airi knew absolutely nothing.

What she did know, actually, was that Erena was still waiting for a question. Hastily, Airi asked, "Why does Keigo-senpai indulge on Yuuka-senpai so much? He never even told me her name before I moved here, and it looks like she keeps on pushing him away."

Erena did not say anything. Assuming that she'd touched a sore subject and wouldn't be getting an answer, Airi turned so she could serve.

"He really loved her, you know," Erena said. Airi was so shocked by the sudden statement that she swung and completely missed her serve. Continuing, the senior said, "A lot of people assume that their relationship was just a publicity stunt, but we could all tell that Atobe really did love her."

"What about Yuuka-senpai then? Did she love him back?" Airi dared to ask, not sure what the answer would be. She wasn't sure if Yuuka was capable of loving someone romantically, as mean as it was.

Erena shrugged. "None of us really know for sure, but I doubt it. She does care for him, definitely, but just not at the same intensity that he cared for her."

"Oh," Airi nodded, confused. Back when she had still been in London, Atobe had mentioned that he had a girlfriend, but had not disclosed any details, not even her name. Kabaji hadn't said anything either, which at the time had greatly frustrated Airi.

Upon meeting Yuuka in person, Airi had to say that maybe there was a specific reason why Atobe never went into details about her. But Atobe being in love with Yuuka? That was hard for Airi to wrap her head around.

"You know," Erena suddenly proclaimed, hesitating before continuing with, "When we were in middle school, Yuuka was diagnosed with conduct disorder."

"Conduct disorder? What's that?"

"It's like antisocial personality disorder, expect for children," Erena explained. "It's not that important though, because not even two weeks later the psychiatrist decreed that it had been a misdiagnosis. Yuuka hasn't gone back to a psych since, and I don't blame her."

The mere fact that Yuuka had once gone to a psychiatrist interested Airi, but she wasn't going to pursue that topic now. "How'd the psychiatrist realize it was a misdiagnosis?" Airi inquired instead.

Erena smiled in what was an emotion between rueful and wry, one that Airi had never seen before. "It was pretty obvious. Yuuka was aggressive, but didn't get into fights, nor did she ever steal anything. She wasn't destructive either, and she rarely ever lies. The misdiagnosis was so wrong that the psychiatrist got fired, even."

Airi's eyes widened. "Wow," she whispered in awe, and that was all her brain could handle saying at the moment. She had so many questions she wanted to ask about Yuuka—what made Atobe attracted to her? What was her relationship like with him? Just who was Akechi Yuuka in the first place? But more than that, Airi wanted to know so much more about Erena herself. What happened to her arm? Why did she take so many pictures? What truly, deeply mattered to Erena?

But she had a feeling that she'd already asked enough questions when she'd only said she had one, so Airi stared at the ball in her hand that she still had yet to serve. Finally, she said, "I hope that we can all be happy eventually." It wasn't just about Yuuka and Atobe, but about everyone on the team, because Airi could tell that most of them weren't as happy as they could be.

Erena just lifted a shoulder, said, "I think we're all going to be okay in the end."

No more words needed to be spoken, Airi tossed the ball up and served.

~xXx~

End

~xXx~

A/N: Okay, that ended up glummer than I'd originally planned. All these characters need a well deserved break, don't they?

On the bright side, Oshitari and Anna finally got together! Will there be drama concerning them? Of course. Will they stay together until the end? I have no clue. Just wait and see.

I can safely promise that the next chapter is going to be a fluffy one, sort of like a filler chapter. But I can actually promise that it's going to be cute and lighthearted, I really can!

Please go check out my one-shot about Ikeda Minori called so lovely when you say goodbye and review it. It's a monster to read, but I'd like to get some input so I can decide whether or not I want to keep on putting out one-shots similar to it.

And of course, don't forget to leave a review on this chapter as well! ;)

Love, Cara