Chapter 26:

"Mizu-chan! Give me a big bowl of rice please!" Kikumaru said as the tennis players gathered in the cafeteria for breakfast. "Not as big as Momo's though, I can't eat that much." He added, seeing Horio place a giant mountain filled bowl full of rice on Momoshiro's plate.
Mizuka laughed and placed his food on his plate. "I don't think anybody can eat as much as him."
"Hurry it up." Atobe impatiently said as he got beside Kikumaru.
"Hoi, hoi. Good morning, Atobe!"
"Morning." He grunted, making Kikumaru shift away.
"Bye nya, Mizu-chan!" He called, following his fellow group mates.
"Hurry up." Atobe said again, waiting for Mizuka to place his food. She nodded, not meeting his eyes after their awkward mini-fight in their dorm just before breakfast.

"You can't even say my name?" Atobe said. "Is it really that hard for you?"
"No..." Mizuka quietly replied, seeing the anger in his eyes.
"I've been calling you by your name when we first met. It's been three months now and you can't even do the same for me."
"I don't see what the big deal is. I've only ever called Nisan by his first name."
"The DEAL is that you're calling me by my last name, what you call every other guy." Atobe sighed in annoyance and turned away from her. "Whatever. It doesn't even matter then."
"But-"
"You should leave. You're already done getting ready."

"Thanks." Atobe abruptly said and left before she could reply and she frowned, continuing to serve the players.
"Something wrong, Mizuka?"
She heard Oshitari's voice and looked up, realizing he was the one who she was placing food on at the moment. "No, nothing."
"If it's Atobe, I can talk to him for you. We are in the same group."
"No, it's alright. I can handle it."
"If you say so. I'm here if anything." He said and went away.

"Hey, Mizuka."
Mizuka turned to the sound of her name to see Ann. "Oh, it's you."
"You don't have to be so mean."
"What is it?"
"I can help you bring those to Ryuzaki-sensei's and Hanamura-sensei's group." She offered seeing as Mizuka carried two boxes.
"Fine." She let Ann take a box from her and walked down the hallways with her to go outside.
"I still don't understand why you are going out with Atobe."
"Why are you asking that again?" Mizuka sighed.
"Because onii-chan was hurt by Kirihara-san on purpose when they were having a match! It's because of him that onii-chan isn't here! If Atobe didn't hurt your brother, he would've been here, wouldn't he?"
"Even though Atobe did hurt nisan, the feeling of remorse is even worse for him. He regrets aiming at my brother's weakness, causing him to sacrifice his shoulder for the match. Don't you think Kirarhara feels the same way too?"
Ann stopped and sighed. "You're right.."

"You look tired." Oshitari remarked to Atobe when he arrived outside in the courts.
"Do I? I didn't really sleep last night."
"Problems?"
"Nope. Just lack of sleep." Atobe sighed. "Maybe I shouldn't have gotten angry at her."
"Out of curiosity, what did Mizuki say to you?"

"Your friend from Hyotei, she's very attractive."
Atobe stopped in his steps in the hallways and turned to see Mizuki smirking, using his finger to twirl a strand of his hair. "Of course she is." He replied coolly.
"You don't find it unpleasant that almost all the guys on this campus have their eyes on her?"
"Like you said, she's very attractive. I can't control who can or cannot see her that way."
"How can you possibly think like that?"
"It's called trust, Mizuki. Something that you and your teammates could use."
Mizuki sighed and leaned against the wall. "I suppose so but we had quite the conversation. An innocent girl like that, is she really suited for you?"
"I don't have time for this." He said as he turned to walk away.
"If I had a girlfriend, I would want her to call me by my name, not what she calls everybody else."

What Mizuki said to him the night before didn't bother him until that morning. "That annoying bastard." Atobe cleared his throat from his British accent that slipped out as Oshitari tried not to laugh. "He's annoying, as usual. Nothing to worry about."

"I have to deal with some paperwork so I'm going to leave for a bit but no slacking off!" Ryuzaki said once Mizuka and Ann arrived. "Watch over them for a bit, alright?" She winked at the girls as she went off.
"Hey, Mizuka." Shishido and Otori greeted as they went over to her to grab towels.
"How's training?"
"We're stretching for now and then we're going to have matches after."
"Mizu-chan!" Kikumaru jumped at Mizuka from behind and hugged her. "Play a match with me!"
"You know I'm not allowed to." She replied and cried out softly when her hair was ruffled by Sengoku.
"What's up, Mizuka?"
"Stop it, Sengoku!" She giggled.
"So this is the famous Tezuka's little sister." Mizuka turned to see a tall slender guy with brown hair and purple eyes studying her. "Forgive me for my rudeness but you just bare a resemblance to him. Even the students at Josei have heard of his greatness."
"Thank..you?"
He chuckled and held out his hand. "My name is Takahisa Kajimoto. I am the Captain from Josei Shonan."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Tezuka Mizuka."
"Tezuka's little sister, huh." Kirihara gazed at her.
"Hey guys, it looks like Hanamura-sensei's group is starting their matches." Momoshiro pointed out. "Let's go, Echizen!"
"What? Wait!" Echizen held his hat as his senpai pulled his arm.
"Mizu-chan, let's go too!" Kikumaru took the towel box from her and pulled her with him before she could reply.
"That Atobe, I wonder how he will react." Shishido commented as he watched her get pulled away.
"What do you mean?" Takahisa asked.
"He is in Hanamura-sensei's group and he isn't exactly the non-jealous type."

"Today we will hold practice matches." Hanamura Aoi explained. "My purpose is to gather data so I can apply my theories to each of you. The members of the Invitational Team will not be based on the outcomes of these matches."
"Josei Shonan coordination, huh." Atobe mused.
"We don't lose to Hyotei on the popularity of girls, at least." Wakato Hiroshi stated.
"Hey, popularity is all your school has, right?"
"Be quiet." Hanamura said as she began to form the doubles teams. "The first doubles match will be Oshitari-kun and Amane-kun versus Ibu-kun and Shinjou-kun."
"Maybe I should charm that hot volunteer into coming to Josei. She is from Hyotei, right?" Wakato started again once they were outside the gates.
"Charm her all you want. She's going to stay in Hyotei."
He noticed Atobe's quick anxious response and smirked. "Edgy, are we? You scared that I might take away your precious girlfriend?"
"No, not really. You wouldn't stand a chance anyways." Atobe replied coolly but looked towards the sound of her name.
"Mizu-chan! Mizu-chan! Who do you think is going to win?" Kikumaru asked from the side of the gates.
"Don't you think he's a bit too clingy to her?" Wakato said as Kikumaru ruffled Mizuka's hair.
"I don't mind. She's free to associate with whoever she wants." Atobe shrugged.

"Oshitari is smart and his partner has a long racquet so that's an advantage but I don't know the stats for the other team so who knows." Mizuka replied as they watched the match finish with Oshitari and Amane's team winning.
"You were right, Mizu-chan."
"HEY, YOU THREE. GET BACK TO PRACTICE." Ryuzaki called over, making Kikumaru, Momoshiro, and Echizen jump and run back.
"See you later, Mizu-chan!" Kikumaru waved as he ran off. Mizuka waved back and she stayed and watched the rest of the matches before bringing the box of towels to Hanamura-sensei.
"Ah, Mizuka, is it? Thank you. You may place them here." Hanamura said. "Oh, be a dear would you and hand these out to them." She added, giving Mizuka a stack of papers. "It has their name on each of those."
Mizuka took the papers and went to each of the tennis players to deliver the papers, pausing when she saw Atobe's name. "Atobe...Keigo." She already knew she blushed from saying his name in her head as she quickly went towards him. "Atobe." She said but he turned away. "Atobe.." She repeated, trying to give him his paper but he walked away towards Oshitari. She sighed and took a deep breath.
"Uh, Atobe. I think Mizuka's calling for you." Oshitari remarked, looking over at Mizuka.
"I know, I know." Atobe sighed. "I'll-"
"KEIGO!"
He froze when his name echoed throughout the field. Hanamura giggled and watched in amusement as Atobe slowly walked back to Mizuka, dumbstruck at her call as she shoved the paper into his chest and ran off, embarrassed. She got to the door only to be pulled back and into an embrace. "It's okay, it's okay." She heard Atobe say as she tried to push him away. He pressed her face into his shoulder and kissed her head. "It's okay." He whispered.
She nodded and sighed, slowly wrapping her arms around him and he chuckled softly. "Thank you, Mizuka." He lifted her face up to see her smiling lightly and kissed her. "You're welcome...Keigo."

"Your name. All you wanted her to do was call you by your name." Oshitari said when Atobe got back to the court.
"Yes, problem?" Atobe grinned.
"No." He laughed lightly as their group looked at Atobe amused.

When he got back to their dorm later that night, Mizuka was pacing back and forth looking frantic. "What's wrong?" He asked.
"N-Nothing." She stopped and barely took a glance at him and he pulled her close to him.
"Tell me what's bothering you."
"Ryuzaki-sensei...S-She collapsed...I-I don't know what to do...Maybe I should go to the hospital too." She started for the door but he pulled her back.
"You going won't do anything, Mizuka. Just stay here."
She nodded and he pulled her with him towards the bed and lay down. He could tell that her mind was elsewhere, her eyes seemed distant as she lay beside him so he leaned in and kissed her and her eyes were immediately on him. "Keigo.." She whispered.
"She probably collapsed from tiredness. Everybody is stressed about the tournament."
"Even you?"
"No, because I know I'll be chosen anyways."
She giggled at his total belief in himself and laced her hand with his. "Me too."

"I wonder what will happen to Ryuzaki's group since she'll be in the hospital from now on." Tomoka wondered as she walked with Mizuka towards Ryuzaki's group out in the field where she only shrugged to the shorter girl in response. "Sakuno is in the hospital with Ryuzaki-sensei. I hope she'll get-" She stopped when she bumped into Mizuka's back as she stopped abruptly right when they got outside. "What happened?" She followed Mizuka's stare to the tall slender man in the familiar blue jersey standing in the court with dark brown hair and her jaw dropped. Mizuka ran off towards him and hugged him from behind, surprising him as he turned and hugged her back.
"Why didn't you tell me you were coming back?!"
"Sorry." Tezuka said.
She frowned at his only response and hugged him tighter.

"You're not here to participate? Why? Then why are you back? Shouldn't you be in Germany for rehab?"
"Everything will be explained soon. I have to speak with the General Manager first." Tezuka said to his younger sister as she followed him down the halls of the campus. He stopped her from following him through the doors to the office. "You can't come."
"But-"
He pulled her into a hug and sighed. "I've missed you too but right now I have things to do. We can talk later."
"Fine." She finally released him and watched him enter through the doors. "He's back." She didn't know why but she didn't feel too rejoiced at the fact that her brother was back. "If he's not done rehab, does that mean he'll go back?" She bumped into somebody and looked up to see Sengoku and realized she was outside. "Oh, Sengoku."
"What's the matter, Mizuka?"
"Nisan's back."
"Yeah I know Tezuka's back. But you don't seem happy about that."
"I am happy."
He pinched her cheeks and lifted her face up to a smile. "That's a happy face." And then he pulled her face down to a frown. "That's a sad face. What you're showing me is this." She pushed his hands away and laughed.
"But he's not participating and he's not done rehab so that just means he'll go back."
"That may be true but you should still be happy that your brother is back. Treasure the moment before he goes back again or you'll just regret it. Besides, Germany isn't that far away."
"Yes it is."
"No, it's just a plane ride away."
"A plane ride is far away!"
"This is the expression you should be showing." He said as she smiled.
"You're right." He was surprised when she hugged him. "Thank you, Sengoku."
They pulled away when they heard the voice of Hanamura through the speakers. "Attention participants. Please make your way to the cafeteria for a meeting right away."
"Shall we go?"
"I'm going to go find Keigo." She blushed and started to walk away. "I'll see you there."
"Keigo, huh?" Sengoku mused to himself as he waved to her.

"Tezuka's back, ahn?" Atobe thought once Mizuka met up with him outside.
"That must mean he's participating." Oshitari said."
"He's not participating."
"Then what is he here for?"
"I don't know. He wouldn't tell me that's why we need to go." She said and they made their way to the campus.
"If he's not here to participate then that must mean he's not done rehab. Wouldn't he go back to Germany?" Atobe took Mizuka's hand in his as they walked down the hallways.
"Yeah it does but it's fine. Sengoku made me realize that him being back now is all that matters. Even if he goes back to Germany, he'll finish rehab and come back, right?" She gave him an assuring smile.
"Sengoku?"
"You're right, Mizuka." Oshitari cut in. "Right, Kabaji?"
"Yes."

The meeting didn't take long as some of the participants in Ryuzaki's group had their doubts about Tezuka being their replacement coach. The next thing they knew Tezuka was having a match outside in the courts. "Your brother really knows how to show." Oshitari stated.
"He's not showing off. He's just proving himself worthy of being a coach." Mizuka said.
"In other words, showing off." He gave Mizuka shrug as they watched each player that challenged Tezuka lose.
"Even though you are not in full health, you are still this powerful." Atobe watched as Tezuka defeated Takahisa, Shishido, Otori, and Sengoku. "Not bad, Tezuka. Let's go."
"Keigo.." Mizuka tugged at his hand. "I'm going to stay with Nisan."
"If you must." He lifted lifted her chin up to kiss her. "I'll see you later." He kissed her hand and watched her walk off to Tezuka.

"Sing?" Mizuka said with complete surprise. "You're going to sing?"
"Why must you always repeat what I say?" Atobe had met up with her right before they were going to enter the cafeteria. "I should do something to represent the welcoming of Tezuka."
"I've never heard you sing before."
"Well today is your lucky day."
"You don't have to."
"I want to." He said and added to himself. "It's more like I must."
"You must?" She was pushed against the wall with her hands held above her head as Atobe's free hand trailed up her stomach. "S-Stop! W-What are you doing?! People might come by!" She frantically squirmed, trying to pull her hands free from his.
"You know.." He unbuttoned one of the buttons on her collar. "I don't mind you repeating me but it makes me want to tease you when you do." His fingers unbuttoned the second and last, showing her chest and cleavage.
"Not out here..!"
"Say please."
She bit her lip and looked at him with begging eyes. "..K-Keigo...P-Please.."
He was stunned at her words for a couple seconds, feeling a warm rush go through him before he released her hands and buttoned her shirt back up just before they heard voices and footsteps coming along the hallway. He took her hand before she went through the doors to the cafeteria and kissed it. "Be awed by the beauty of my voice."

"They don't look alike at all." Shishido commented as he observed Tezuka and Mizuka sitting at a table in the cafeteria not too far away after all the performances.
"Really? I see a resemblance." Otori said, also taking a look over at them. "They have the same hair colour and she's tall too but not as tall as he is. They have the same face features but her eyes are bigger."
"That's not the only thing that's bigger." Oshitari realized what he just said as the other two gave him an odd look and sighed. "I'm becoming more like Gakuto."
"Yeah, I think you're shrinking too. Right, Kabaji?"
"Yes."
He looked at Atobe and Kabaji who had come to join them at their table. "Haha, very funny."
"They seem close." Otori continued to look over at them, seeing Mizuka smile as she talked to the normally stoic expression Tezuka.
"Yeah.." Atobe gazed over at Mizuka.
"You know, it's not illegal for siblings to date." Oshitari said, grinning at the look of horror that had appeared on Atobe's face before realization dawned on him and he looked at Oshitari with a glare.
"Yes it is."
"Keigo.." He heard his name being called quietly and looked at Mizuka who had come over. "I'm sleeping with Nisan today."
"WHAT."
"What Atobe means to say is I hope you get caught up with Tezuka." Oshitari went between them and smiled, turning Mizuka and gently pushing her away.
"Uhm, okay." She confusedly said as she went to her brother who was waiting for her by the doors.

Atobe sighed in the hot shower when he returned to his dorm. Immature thoughts had occurred in his mind and he groaned and pressed his forehead against the wall. He left his room later on and found himself in front of Tezuka's dorm, knocking on it for Mizuka to open it. "What are you doing here? Is something wrong?"
He took her hand and pulled her to him. "Do you have to sleep here?"
"It's just for one night." She said, looking concerned at Atobe's tenseness and added. "If you don't want me to, I don't have to."
He knew she wouldn't if he told her to but he looked into her pleading eyes that showed she wanted to stay in the same room as Tezuka after not being able to see him for so long and he sighed, pulling her out into the hall and pushing her against the wall. "Give me a goodnight kiss." He leaned into her and she moved up to pressed her lips against his, pushing her tongue into his warm mouth and playing with his as his hand moved through her hair and pulled her closer. They closed their eyes as she moved her hand to his shoulder and with his arm around her waist, pulling her against him. They slowly moved back, giving small kisses before he kissed her hand. "Goodnight, beautiful."
"Goodnight, Keigo." He chuckled when she blushed after saying his name and waited for her to close the door before leaving.