Chapter 29

What doesn't kill me…

A/N: Alas, the next to last chapter of Champion!!! Woo! I can't believe I have only one chapter left. I feel so accomplished. I hope you enjoyed it!!!


"Ray-kun, why aren't you eating?"

The girl fiddled with the necklace around her neck, the charms tinkling together, "I'm too excited to eat."

Ryoma smirked before putting some food from his plate onto hers, "And soon you'll be whining about how hungry you are."

The girl munched on a muffin, "True."

Ryuzaki stood from her seat and moved to whisper in Rayah's ear. The girl followed the older woman into the hall, "Wassup?"

"I spoke with a nearby doctor and with his advice I have decided to not let you play today."

"What?! Is it because I played yesterday?! My ankle?!"

The old woman sighed, "Yes. Rayah, if you play today, you will, physically, never be able to play again."

The girl fell silent, tears burning her eyes, "Never…?"

"I'm sorry Rayah."

Rayah felt numb as she went back towards the table. 'Never? I'll never play again? That means gymnastics is done too…it's the end of everything.' She thought to herself. Everyone became quiet as they noticed the girl's drastic change in mood.

Tezuka moved to stand from the table and moved to her side but she shook her head. Yuki pushed back her plate, "What's wrong?"

Rayah tried to smile, "I have something to say to you guys." She looked to her coach, "I think this is something my friends and teammates should know."

Ryuzaki nodded her approval and the young girl nervously tugged on her white, Team Japan, jacket, "The old woman just told me that a doctor came to a conclusion about my ankle. He says that if a play again anytime soon, I'll physically never be able to play again."

Yuki gasped and the guys had various emotions over their faces.

Atobe stood, "Ore-sama will not stand for this!" he turned to Tezuka and pointed an accusing finger, "Kunimitsu this is your fault! If only you had exercised your authority yesterday princess would not be going through this!"

"Kei, if I remember correctly it was me who pushed so hard." Rayah started. She looked at Tezuka, "And I'll push again, I want to play today."

"What?"

"But Ray-kun!"

"Ray you can't do that!"

"Rayah don't be stupid."

Tezuka stood from his seat and gently grabbed her arm, "No. Atobe was right. You will not play today."

The girl glared at him but the effect was softened due to the tears in her eyes, "F-fine."


"Tezuka, can I talk to you?"

The boy turned away from the opening of the stadium and looked at his girlfriend. Her face was slightly pink and her eyes were still puffy and red from crying.

"I've made my decision Rayah. It's final."

"I know dammit!" she stopped to calm down, "I know Kunimitsu I just…I wanted to say that if I know I'll never play again, I want this to be my last match. I want to be playing side by side with my friends, not sitting on the bench." She looked down at her hands, it was so unlike her, "I'm not telling you to change your mind, and I just want you to think about how I feel."

She kissed him gently on the lips, "As my boyfriend, you should already be doing that."

Tezuka watched as she walked the span of the hall and got back in line. Atobe walked over to him, "Ore-sama feels bad."

The young boy adjusted his glasses, "This is what's best for her."

The two boys entered the line as the announcer announced the American team, and Ryoma poked his captain boredly on the back. He glanced behind him at his 'sister' who was about two people away, "You know Buchou, I hope you're doing what's best."

"Hn."

"And now we welcome back Team Japan! Who won their qualifying match against China!"

The teens entered the stadium and waved to the many people that cheered for them, or cheered for the heck of it. Yuki whispered to her mother in the stands as she noticed that Rayah had her head hung, the only person not waving to the crowds, besides Tezuka and Oshitari who simply nodded.

Mrs. Kyoto turned to her daughter, "Sweetheart, what's wrong with Rayah?"

Yuki sighed, "Don't worry about it mother, she's probably just tired."

"Oh dear, hopefully she has the energy to play."

The girl sunk into her seat, "We probably won't have to worry about that."

The air seemed so tense around the team as they exchanged handshakes. Rayah's old classmate found his way to her and tightly gripped her hand, "Looking forward to crushing you."

She glared, "You'll have to do it another time. I'm not playing."

"You forfeit?" he asked, a smile on his face, "That's good to hear. I can go home and tell everyone that you're still a quitter."

Momoshiro wasn't too sure he liked their conversation and grabbed Rayah's arm, pulling her away from the boy, "Ignore him."

"Thanks Momo."

The teams returned to their prospective sides of the court and took a seat at their benches. Rayah propped up her feet and turned her attention away from everyone. Ryuzaki came over and put her hands on her hips, "Everyone is clear on the roster correct?"

A unanimous chorus of yes' filled her ears. She chanced a glance at the lone female on the team. "Alright everyone, you have five minutes before the first doubles match."

Tezuka stood with his clipboard, "Eiji and Oishi warm up; you're first."

Momo stood and shot his hand in the air, "Buchou!"

The teen lazily turned to him and adjusted his glasses, "What is it Momo?"

"I want Rayah to play in my spot."

The girl frantically grabbed his jersey and tried to pull him to the bench and make him shut up but he continued, "I want her to play, this is what she really wants and this whole team can see it on her face."

Rayah stood, "Ignore him." She said to Tezuka before turning to her favorite human vacuum, "It's not fair to you, you haven't played at all."

"But I can play again next year." She quieted and backed off, "This is your last chance, you graduate after this and who's to say any of you will ever play again?" he said towards the seniors. "I want Rayah to play in my spot. I really do."

"Momo…"

Tezuka sighed before looking to his girlfriend, "You do know what you're risking right?"

"Of course, I'm not stupid." She folded her arms and rolled her eyes, "I'll never play again. Even if a wake up one morning and decide to go on with it I will never be able to."

Everyone got quiet and she sighed, "Yes I know all of this but I'll remember the moment that we won this match, and how much fun we had."

Tezuka glanced at Atobe who waved his hands in the air, "Don't look at Ore-sama! Princess is on your half of the team."

The boy adjusted his glasses, "Rayah, warm up."


"You ready?"

"I guess." Rayah said as she tied her shoe. "One of our doubles teams got their ass' handed to them." She said, referring to Eiji and Oishi.

Ryuzaki sighed loudly, "We have to win all three of these singles or at least two."

"No shit." The young girl ran a hand through her hair before pushing it back with her white headband.

Tezuka put a hand on her shoulder, "Just try your best."

"Ray-kun, please don't push too hard." Eiji said, holding and icepack on his shoulder. His constant acrobatic tricks had taken a toll on his body and hadn't done much for their match.

Rayah grabbed her racket, "Don't push too hard?" she scoffed, "You're talking to an Echizen, and we push all the time."

"And now Team Japan's Rayah Echizen, and Team America's Ryan Bailey!"

The two teens walked onto the court and Ryan squeezed Rayah's hand and glared at her, "Should've given up."

"Afraid I'll kick your ass?"

He squeezed tighter, "You'll regret this."

"Trust me I won't."

"Bailey to serve!"

Rayah waited patiently for the ball and rocked back ad forth. Setting a rhythm in her mind. Her heart was pounding at her ribs and she tried to ignore the pain that had already started in her ankle, probably due to her anticipation.

The thwack of racket meeting ball made her look up and smirk as the ball came right at her and she sent it whizzing back.

It almost made her nauseous as the game went on like that for what felt like an hour, back and forth at an extremely slow place. The girl then started to calculate in her head, 'He's trying to make me get used to this slow rhythm.' She thought.

Ryan had switched up so fast that she simply hadn't seen it coming. The ball came fast and landed at her feet, spinning before whizzing around her and off the court. She looked up at the boy, "Where did you learn that?!"

"Fifteen love!"

"It isn't about the win or loose. It's about how much fun you have with your team, the people who care the most." Rayah took a deep breath as she remembered her father's words.

He had said that to her when she freaked out about loosing her first championship match. She glanced over her shoulder at Hyotei and Seigaku, her team, her friends.

She smiled as she crouched low again and gripped her racket, "Whatever doesn't kill me, can only make me stronger."


"Echizen is on the ground and Bailey is going for the winning shot!"

Tezuka adjusted his glasses with a small smile on his face as he watched his girlfriend, laying on her back on the cold court, her body shaking with laughter.

Ryoma simply tugged down his hat, trying to hide his smile as the American team rejoiced their second match win.

A medic brought Rayah over to the bench and sat her down, going to work on her obliterated ankle. Tezuka sat down next to her, "I'm proud of you."

She smiled, "Yeah, I'm proud of me too. Even though I lost, that was the most fun I have ever had, it was worth it."

The girl kicked the nearby Atobe with her good leg, "You better win you peacock."

He flipped his hair, "Ore-sama is perfectly capable of winning such a simple match Princess." He pat her head, "Don't fret. Hiyoshi-san and I will work wonders."

Ryoma sat next to his 'sister', "So you finally got it?"

"Yeah, I finally got it."