Hey everyone. It's been One LONG year since I have updated this story. It's my very first prince of tennis story and I sure did have a lot of ideas a year ago. I've been re-reading my chapters and everything seems okay, but I think I'll need to edit it.
I want to apologize for the slow updates, and I'm happy that you guys read it :) I also have two other POT FF I am working on. So far, Grinding Emotions seems to be on a good roll . Thank you for reading that story, too!
This year however, the updates for ALL my stories may be slower because I'll be taking honors and one AP class. I just hope I get a good grade, since I heard from people how hard it is. Well, Wish me luck. I'll try to brain storm ideas and I don't think this story can be Oc-centric since it doesn't make sense. I'm making Tsubami a bit of a Mary Sue for Everyone to fall for her.
I've been trying to finish this chapter, but I had other stories to do and stuff. I know I got so much excuses but I will NOT ABANDON this story!
But I'll try to do some future editing once I finish this story.
And I just can't believe it's been 2 YEARS since I published this story?! Haha, I'm just so excited how my writing improved- kind of. Anyway, enough of my rambling and hope this chapter make up for such a long wait. There's also a small bonus at the bottom !
Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for the plot and my oc(s). Everything belongs to their rightful owners.
~Yuka Hara
"Well?" Aya questioned as she tapped her foot. Her eyes flared up as she glared at the middle schoolers. Some gulped feeling the threatening aura from her but said nothing. "What do you guys want?" She asked, saying the words harshly.
"Calm down." Yamato said with a calm smile. "We'll explain why." He said, "How are you by the way."
Aya sighed, "Nothing new." She stated though it was probably a lie. A lot of things happened, but she bet it happened more to Tsubami. But she didn't want to say anything, it wouldn't be a good idea to bring out some bad news to these young tennis players. They had a life ahead and didn't need to worry about anything. "Nothing at all." She says before having a tick mark appearing on the side of her forehead, "Except for kidnapping me." She spoke with a scowl on her face.
The girl sat back in her seat, her expression became calm as she took a deep breath. She looked around, the chattering of many individual voices in the room boomed around. She didn't try to listen to any one of their conversation. She started to zone out, her face becoming blank and her stare wasn't at anything specific anymore. In her own thoughts, the noise level became low and she wasn't where she was anymore. The old school building, the footsteps of the plastic indoor shoes and the shining light of the sun that seeped through the large, rectangular glass of the windows. Back at Seishun High, she was laughing happily with a girl girl.
The two ignored others, only into their own conversation. They both waved their hands goodbye when it was time to go home, but that didn't mean they didn't spend their weekends together. Aya could only watch her friend toughen up. She wasn't the only one changing though.
"I'm just here to help." Aya spoke with a smile. There was a small gong of a bell that sounded through the whole building. The girl stood up and started walking towards the door, "Well, I got to go." She spoke in a cheerful tone. "Who knows what that girl wants..." She muttered to herself in frustration. She stalked out the room, slamming the door behind her.
"Eh?! What just happened Koshimae?!" Kintaro shouted rather loudly through Ryoma's ears. Ryoma clicked his tounge in annoyance and tipped his hat forward to hide his eyes and started to walk away. "Koshimae! Where are you going?" The ace of Shitenhouji shouted, following the other boy.
The other schools gave confused and strange looks to the members of Seigaku. Their looks said : 'She's from your high school division right? Why don't you go talk to her?'
As Aya walked through the hallways, she rubbed her wrists from the tight marks of the rope. "Harsh..."
The maids that walked past her gave her small glances but she only smiled at them. "Nice to meet you." She greeted, "I'm just going to see Rika-sama now, do you know where she is?" She questioned tilting her head to the side. One of the maids looked at her suspiciously while the other gave her directions to where the heiress was. "Thanks!" She said running towards the elevator.
There was a small vibration and Aya looked around. She realized it was her phone and took it out from her pocket. Looking at the I.D caller, she instantly pressed answer. "Moshi, Moshi?" She questioned, "You found out?! No way! I was just trying to be like a super ninja or even a samurai! Why did you find out today? Can't you wait just a teensy bit longer!? I'll avenge you just wait! I got the perfect plan! Well, no I haven't actually started it...What?! You fell down?! I bet its those three! They've been talking bad about you to everyone in the whole school ever since you were gone a few weeks. You never met-"
Aya's voice was cut off when she heard the harsh voice of her friend. "Aya, please don't get into any trouble. I know that you're trying to help me, but I wasn't kicked out! I accepted it. Really."
The voice became strained at the end yet the girl kept insisting on her plan, "It's fine." Aya spoke, "I don't really want to hurt anyone, it's just I don't want to see you sad either. I'll try to persuade them for you to come back. But for now, just do the workload I gave you?" On the other line, it was completely quiet. "I'm fine Tsubami-chan! Really. Well, take care. I think it's pretty fun at this camp, no wonder you-. Sorry. Yeah yeah, bye to you too!"
Aya placed her phone back and sighed. She knew how hard headed Tsubami was and she wasn't going to persuade any longer. She decided instead of her original plan of making Tsubami a hero and humiliating Rika, she wanted to evaluate the girl. Just how mean was she to kick someone out? She wasn't sure and that was what she needed to make sure off.
"Rika-sama?" Aya asked, poking her head through the younger girl's bedroom. She the girl sitting by the side of her bed and staring at a picture album. "Rika-sama?" She tried calling out again yet there was still no response. Knocking on the door, she watched as Rika swiftly threw the album under her mattress and sit upright.
"C-Come in!" She called before staring at Aya who was just standing there at the door, "Were you here the whole time?"
"Of course not! I just called you yet you won't answer! You know, I thought something happened to you! I was looking for you the whole time and couldn't find my way to your room until one of those other girls came and told me the way." Aya said in a carefree tone before looking around, "This room is really- really! BIG!" She shouted, "I've never seen such a large room before. Are you okay to just sleep here alone? You're a bit young aren't you? It doesn't matter if your an heiress but those aren't your maids and are you sure they can be trusted?"
Rika smacked her forehead at the girls lengthy chatter but replied back nonetheless, "I may be short, and my age may be younger then yours, but that does not mean I am immature. I've learned formal etiquette and proper manners at such a young age, I've learned about many things. And about the other girls..." Rika closed her eyes and looked quite hesitant to answer, "They're...fine. We've all made a deal, and they have signed contracts. They won't just leave me. After all, whose going to take them back to their homes? It is for their help and service to me that I give them the light of seeing their...admiration."
Aya stared at the younger girl and laughed, "You're the strangest girl I've ever met! Either way, it's nice to be of service to you." She said, sticking her hand out to the said girl for a handshake.
"Likewise, Aya-san."
Tsubami huffed and crossed her arm against her chest as she tried to recall all the problems that occurred recently in her life. She didn't want to cause any problems. She never knew how a female's jealousy could reach so high. Of course she wasn't as dense as she acted. She could see the looks on people's faces that screamed out the tennis club member's names in every direction.
She placed a hand on her chin to think for a second. 'They are pretty good looking...' She thought to herself before blushing and trying to throw away her thoughts. She sighed frowning, she knew them just too well when becoming their coach. Some might say she might have become attached to them and the other way around. 'But no one have to bully their way through guys...'
Tsubami couldn't really understand what it meant to fall crazily in love. It wasn't like she ever loved someone like that. When she thought of the middle schoolers and the high school students, she thought of them like close friends that she cared about deeply. But never thought of anything beyond that. Everything that included romance or having a relationship among two different genders in terms of being a girlfriend or boyfriend was a total enigma to her. What would they say to each other? How do they act? Questions flooded her head and she couldn't help, but bend down in confusion.
"Oh well." She said with a smile, "It shouldn't really matter at this moment. Sooner or later, it'll just happen. Fate will do it for me." She muttered to herself.
Tsubami still wandered when fate was going to turn. Every girl always had a chance at a young age to fall in love at first sight. Well, something like that. She picked these details off Shoujo mangas she read for fun, but she wasn't so sure that it was true. Call her childish, but the only thing she knew about romance was from mangas and maybe a bit of animes she watched as a child.
She walked to her bed and just laid on her mattress. She stared at the ceiling with no thoughts coming into mind. Just to lay there, to do nothing, it was peaceful. It helped her relax. She never knew how stressed her muscles really were until she felt the tension gone.
Somehow, one way or another, she can finally think clearly. She stood up and stretched her arms and legs. Feeling satisfied, she took a seat by her desk and started to scribble down her problems. She felt like mumbling to herself, but even to her, it sounded quite creepy. So instead, she thought to herself. She wrote down things like her accident down the stairs, the moments she had at the U-17 camp, meeting Rika and love-stricken girls, cocky tennis players and even how Aya sneaked herself through the camp to do some type of bidding for Rika. For the situation about Aya, she wasn't so sure how her friend managed to persuade the rich girl. First of all, Aya didn't know a lot of personal information about any of the tennis players, will neither did she, but she could understand their personalities well. Aya must have searched up information or something on the computer. Second, to get in, Tsubami knew that the girls had to be the president of some type of secretive fan clubs that is probably known throughout Japan. She knew for a fact that her hyper-active friend was not a current president of a fan club. Unless Aya said something like she could give advice to the other girls so they can capture the hearts of their guys, but that can't possibly be right, right?
After much trouble thinking, Tsubami decided to dial her friend's number once again. These following days were always the interactions between the two best friends. It felt like neither of them could leave the other alone. "Hello, Aya?" Tsubami asked cautiously as she heard a loud commotion behind her. She could have guessed that they were in the cafeteria if not for a loud scream that went something along the lines like a rushing river. Perhaps they were in the forest area then?
"Ah! Tsuba-chan."
Tsubami raised a brow in question. Aya first shouted in recognition of the voice over the phone but then she became quiet. "Are you in any type of danger Aya?"
Aya's voice chirped through the phone. It was unclear what the expression the girl was wearing, but her voice sounded happy enough to know that she was healthy and safe. "I'm fine Tsuba-chan. Er, to tell you the truth, I think Tezuka-kun is quite...intimidating along with the other captains. How did you deal with all this?"
Tsubami smiled thinking back on the first day of camp. She woke up late, and had to try to find a way to get to the camp, but Atobe came to save her day. He helped her to their bus with the rest of the Hyotei regulars and there she met some eccentric people again. Hyotei members didn't really remember her except for Atobe. Then when she got there, she walked herself to the computer room where she met the coaches. Through the screens, she could see how ever single tennis player that was still qualified to be in the camp pair up. She saw some interesting pairs like Sanada vs Yukimura, Tezuka vs Kaidoh, and etc...
As her original work was to help be a health officer, she sat in the office by herself. Then when she heard the voices that sounded like the regulars of Rikkai, she helped Marui out by asking him about his stomach. Then from there, she became a sort of trainer for those who were suppose to go on the mountain. But the coaches chained the regime this year for her specifically so she had something to actually do. Again, things changed drastically when Yoshina Rika invaded the peace of the camp. She brought along her presidents of so called secretive fan clubs and made them maids to the person they wanted to court. And just when Tsubami believed she had to leave because she did not need to do anything anymore, the coaches told her that they didn't need her and about her otousan's condition. And now, it lead to the present.
Her days at the camp was like a huge adventure. She wandered if she changed in any way. When she asked her okaasan, the woman just laughed at her daughter's silliness and said that she was the same as always. "Even if there was any change, I know it will be a good one. You're my daughter after all." Aoi said with a triumph smile.
Tsubami smiled in remembrance and took out the large folder given by the principle. "I guess I will have to work harder."
So when the sun risen the next morning, Tsubami made sure she was the early bird that day. She found her mom still asleep and tiptoed down the stairs. Making breakfast was a leisure thing to do. It relieved stress and allowed her to forget everything around her. Everything about the cooking that was set in front of her was the most important thing. Her cooking skills weren't the best, but she could make a few decent dishes. Taking the plastic wrap, Tsubami wrapped up her mom's breakfast and headed off to school.
She walked along the nostalgic path that she took every year so far for Seishun high. She rounded a corner and went straight. Making her first stop, she went inside the school grounds of Seishun Gakuen, her old middle school. As to why she was here, she wanted to talk to Ryuzaki Sumire. It had been a long time since she talked with the tennis team coach and she was just wandering how the woman was doing. Her parents were very active, and knew a lot of adults that had so many different connections, she wouldn't be surprised if they know all the tennis members at the camp. Well, that might be a little exaggerated. It was clearly impossible for her parents to know every single person she had interacted with.
Tsubami saw the non-regular members working hard on their training with Sumire shouting at them. It looked like the coach was a demon, screaming her lungs out at the members of the tennis team, but she really did care for the team. Tsubami stood behind the fence and tried to be as quiet as she could, somehow the thought that the noise of the club would be louder than whatever she would be doing slipped her mind. Then she sneezed and saw sharp eyes looking at her. She eyed Sumire and the older woman came walking up to her.
"Tsubami, what are you doing here?" Sumire was confused on why the girl was standing in front of the tennis club. Shouldn't she be at the camp that was pretty far away? "Did something happen at the camp?"
Tsubami was a bit surprised when Sumire voiced concern to her. She could her how harsh the words came from the second question. She quickly shook her head, "Nothing happened, Sensei." She answered with a smile. "They- they're just busy, so I decided to come back."
Sumire looked at the girl suspiciously before letting out a hearty laughter. "I see. Well, if there's nothing wrong, you're attending classes again right? It's almost time for the bell so you should hurry and go."
"Alright, I'll see you later sensei." The girl said, waving a hand of goodbye and ran as fast as she could to Seishun High.
When she made it, she still saw some students walking towards the building. She made it just in time and wasn't too late. But there was one thing that was strange around the school. Maybe it was how she ran towards the school or something that made a huge impact, but she was sure that almost every student was staring at her or whispering and pointing fingers. The way they eyed her wasn't something positive either, they all gazed warily at her. Her eyes furrowed in confusion as she started to walk to class. There was a crowd around the bulletin board and almost all the chattering stopped when they saw her. She ignored the strange stares and hurried off to class. She should check the bulletin later during lunch. She had a feeling that whatever was on the board was the answer to the reactions of the other students.
When lunch finally rolled in, Tsubami was the first one to stand up. She swiftly grabbed her lunch box, and walked towards the bulletin board. 'I made it in time' She thought to herself as she saw some people around it again. When she went to look, there didn't seem to be anything that was out of the ordinary, but then her eyes locked onto one specific poster. There were some blocked letters on it and there seemed to be a picture of some sort, but she couldn't make out what it was since it was shredded into pieces. "Excuse me-" She started to say something, but the group that was there quickly scattered.
"Che, what is she back here talking to us as if nothing happened?"
Tsubami caught a bit of what they were saying, a click of the tongue and why she was talking to them. This confused her even more. She made a silent note to herself to find out what was going on. She neared the bulletin and picked up a few pieces of paper that was still stuck on it. She was sure that the poster was still one piece before, but now it was shredded into pieces.
When the bell rang, she sighed to herself as she walked to class. She felt agitated. There was some type of strange feeling occurring and she wanted to get to the bottom of it. Luckily, class zoomed past and she quickly walked out of the class. Sure she felt some looks, but she ignored them.
Tsubami kept on walking with a head held high. These stares reminded her when she first stepped onto the grounds of the U-17 camp for the very first time. Everyone stared at her because well, she was a girl. And girls were never allowed to be in the U-17 camp for boys. But she was invited either way, and the director established a room just for her. It sure was strange, but she had a lot of fun during the few months she was there.
The stares had the similar feeling of disappointment. She had to disappoint anyone, but there were always those who held so much expectations of her which is impossible for her to keep up with.
And then she fell.
Tsubami was too busy with her own thoughts that she was a little late in noticing a girl sticking out her legs in front of her path. And when she fell she felt her knees hit the ground hard. There was going to be a large bruise there alright, but it wasn't anything that serious and could be easily fixed with some rest and an ice pack. "What are you doing?" She asked the girl who tripped her deliberately.
The said girl wore a scornful expression as she glanced down at the fallen girl by her feet. "What." She seethed out, "Didn't you see my feet there? It's not my problem you were blind enough to trip over someone's foot."
Tsubami tried to be calm, but with all the pressure of the stares and everything, she was sure to explode sometime soon. "Then I'm sorry for not looking." She said simply, but was worried that her tone may be too harsh.
The other girl clicked her tongue, "Are you trying to be nice and act like you're not angry at all? Why don't you show your true face to everyone already?!" The girl held out a fist but was pulled back by her friend.
"C-Calm down!" Girl 2 shouted, "If you do this, you'll be the one to get in trouble."
Girl 1 started to calm down as she turned to her friend, "You're right. I'll just leave her off with a warning." Then her attention turned back to Tsubami again who was now standing up and dusting her skirt, "Watch it Wakoto-san. Your facade is over."
When Girl 1 and 2 started to stalk off, Tsubami didn't even notice the crowd that gathered because of the commotion. She pushed her way through and walked quietly back to her class. The gears in her brain was starting to turn though she didn't know exactly what it was for there was still a little information collected, but she knew one thing and that was a rumor. Someone spread a rumor about her something like that and now everyone is getting the wrong impression of her. She didn't think leaving for a month or two would give away this big impact
As Tsubami sat down in her seat, she gripped her hands into a fist. She'll do something about this. She wanted to know who started this rumor and the posters had something to do with it. If she had to go undercover, she would literally dye her hair but then again, Aoi probably would scream if she bleached her hair.
There was a small ping coming from her cell phone and there was still twenty minutes left of lunch so as she flipped her phone open she also started to take out her bento to start eating. She scanned the message that was sent to her. It was from an unknown number but somehow she knew who it was, 'Aya came, we found her. Why is here, did something happen?'
Tsubami sweat dropped remembering her best friend's words of trying to be cautious and using some type of plan to bring her back to the camp. 'I got to tell Aya that I left on my own will...'
Then there were a bunch of pings and Tsubami quickly made her cell on silent. She didn't bother looking up from her seat when someone tried to catch her attention. Her full attention now was answering these text messages that somehow random showed up.
OMAKE:
"I'm sending a message to Tsubami-san, Koshimae!" Kintaro cheered as he waved a green cell phone in the air and jumping next to Seigaku's first year ace who didn't even bother to pay attention to the red head and just nodded. "She's so nice. When we get back I want Koshimae to show me where she is!"
Ryoma gave a laid back reply, "Why would you think I would do that?"
"But Koshimae!" Kintaro whined as he tried to do the puppy dog eyes on Ryoma which didn't even make him flinch. His attention however, was diverted into something else. "Ah! I got a message!"
'Kintarou-kun? Hi! (@´ー`)ノ゙ How did you get my number? And that's great, we should definitely make takoyaki together again!' The red head who received the message just sat down in a empty chair and smiled happily. He then started to type more messages and eagerly stared at the phone for the notification of a new message. When he heard a 'ping!' sound, he picked the cell again, read the reply and hurriedly typed like there was no tomorrow.
Shiraishi found his kouhai typing away furiously and laughed nervously. Tezuka was looking at Shitenhouji's captain straight in the eye, and as if captains could transmit mental messages, Shiraishi got the idea that he needed to stop Kintarou from typing anymore to whoever it was. He wondered who the red head was so eagerly talking to, but being the loudmouth Kintarou was, he shouted the person's name.
"Ah! Shiraishi! You're here too?" Kintarou asked as he glanced up for a few seconds.
The said captain started to talk, but he was intervened by Fuji. "Saa...Wouldn't you bother Tsubami-chan for messaging her around this time? School isn't over yet." The brunette smiled rather widely but it only brought chilld down the back of the people in the room.
"Eh really?" Kintarou said with a frown as he started type a goodbye message, then he turned to Ryoma and spoke. "I didn't know about the time Koshimae!" He looked down at his message and thought for a few seconds before continuing to write, 'Bye Bye Tsubami-san! Shiraishi is being scary trying to threaten me with his poison hand! I'm sorry I didn't know you had school still...but we'll really really make takoyaki again right? And then we'll eat it together!
"You didn't ask." Ryoma said as he uncapped a new can of ponta.
'Ping!'
'Hmm alright Kintarou-kun. It was fun talking to you, of course we'll make it again! If you never get a chance to come to Tokyo, I'll drop by Osaka if I have to and Good luck on the tennis matches! +.(´・∀・)ノ゚+.ダー '
For that last message, Kintarou didn't feel the stares of others on his phone. So as a result he didn't realize how he punched someone that was standing behind him. "Look look Shiraishi! Tsubami-san used this cute emoticon!" When he said that, the red head had his phone literally snatched away by the arrogant captain of Hyotei. "Urgh...!" Kintarou said as he tried to take back his cell, "Give me back Monkey King!"
"Hmph! T-This is a stupid emoticon." Atobe spoke these words, but not before stuttering somewhere in the middle.
"E-EH!?" Akaya shouted as he started to shake Marui's shoulders. "M-Marui-senpai! A-Atobe-san, he -" Of course the seaweed haired boy was cut off when a hand clamped onto his mouth. It was Niou wearing a devious smirk. He sent the message 'Don't you dare to speak'. To Akaya, he was annoyed but when he saw the mean aura from Sanada, he instantly quiet down.
"Don't you think that's a bit harsh Atobe?" Yukimura asked from where he was sitting which was at a table with Sanada across from him, both drinking a cup of tea. "If she really were to hear this, it would be...bad right?"
Atobe just raised a brow, "Hm? Well, she isn't really here right now."
Yukimura's eyes glimmered sharply in the sunlight. "Niou, take out the phone."
Niou replayed a voice audio, the voice was clearly distinguished as Atobe saying those exact words. And that was how the captain of Rikkaidai blackmailed thee Atobe Keigo.
Back at a certain school, a raven haired girl was sitting still reading a quite lengthy text. And when she got to a certain part, she frowned. "I have to start changing to better emoticons I guess." She didn't take the message to heart, after all, it was really unlikely for her to use those happy faces. Well, too bad for Atobe who is being threatened by something that isn't even threatening. And then the vibrations increased, so Tsubami did the only thing a normal person did; check her mail. There lined up was a bunch of texts sent from her kouhais. Fuji and his teases, Eiji and his happy faces, Oishi and being a regular worry wort about her well being, Tezuka and his support with never giving up, Kawamura talking about a new sushi dish and Inui asking about nutritious facts about bugs. Yes they were beyond strange, but she loved their messages.
And FINISHED!
H-How was it?! I really am so so so sorrry!
I haven't updated in forever and I finally got the chance to do so! I know the omake is just random and how everyone kinda randomly like Tsubami but uh, I think I'll do some friendship stuff. I know I will put Atobe and Tezuka and Fuji since it is shown pretty clearly in this story that they like her in a strange way that I haven't really explained yet.
She isn't Mary Sue is she? I feel like she is nearing it though.
Anyway, Tsubami is getting bullied! And she has yet to notice that it's bullying. She just think it's mistreatment but isn't that the same thing?!
Thank you guys and girls or well, basically for reading this chapter! Thank you for making to the end of this chapter without wanting to just exit or skip it! I hope I can hear some comments/reviews from you guys! But yeah, I don't know when the next chapter will come out, but I'll see what I can do. I'll more likely update when I get breaks or on weekends :) !
~Yuka Hara
