They all gathered up their things and headed over to the magazine office.

"Ah, Sayomi! I see you've brought all your friends."

"Yeah...they sorta showed up yesterday."

"Well come in, have a seat. I have to get a few things ready, I'll be there shortly."

They all sat down. Unfortunately, there weren't enough chairs for everyone, so a few of the regulars sat on the floor. Leah happily gave up her chair to Tezuka, sitting on the floor beside Eiji. Soon, Candace returned.

"I'm sorry there weren't enough chairs for everybody. I wasn't expecting so many people."

"It's okay, we don't mind sitting on the floor."

Candace took out her notepad where she'd written down her interview questions.

"Okay, so like I told you a couple days ago, I'm Candace Walker, the photogropher and editor for Junior Tennis Monthly."

"And as we all know, that's Sayomi Shihobu, Canadian tennis legend."
"Leah, shut up! This is Sayomi's interview, not ours."

"Well anyway, I think the question on everybody's mind is: why did you leave so suddenly?"

"Well, I'd heard about this amazing tennis school, so I got myself registered there since that March. Then, when the tournament came around, I had all my bags packed and left for Japan."

"Well we're all glad that you're back."
"Actually, I'm only here for spring break."

"Well even if it's only for a week, we're all glad you're back. And I'm glad to see that you've made plenty of friends at your new school."

"These guys I just recently met. But I met Kome when I first got to my new school."

"So guys, how did you meet Sayomi?"

The regulars each conveyed their thoughts to Tezuka.

"Essentially, we all met her though Ryoma."

"And how did you meet Sayomi, Ryoma?"

"Tennis match."

"Now Sayomi, if you don't mind me asking, are any of these guys your boyfriend?"

"What? No, no, no! I barely know most of them."

"Do you have a boyfriend back in Japan?"
"Oh, no, no."

"Well, going back to the questions I planned: what school are you going to right now?"

"It's called Seishun Academy, Seigaku for short."
"Are you liking Seigaku?"

"Yes! I love Seigaku!"

"That's good to hear. Have you been in any tournaments yet?"

"Not yet."

Eiji shouted to Tezuka, who calmly relayed Eiji's thought.

"Eiji's is mad that Sayomi is not on the tennis team of Seigaku."

"Sayomi, you didn't join your school's tennis team? Why?"
"I didn't want to be the center of attention."

"Well that's too bad. I'm sure you could've led your school to the nationals."
"I know she could've."
"What was that, Ryoma?"
"I said I know you could."

"So Sayomi, did you enjoy the tournament yesterday?"
"It was a lot of fun!"
"Being a televised event, your fame here just got a huge boost. How are you feeling about that?"

"Well, before the tournament, when people recognized me, I was pretty overwhelmed. A fame boost is not what I need right now."

"Think of it this way: you'll only have to put up with it for a week."
"Miss Walker, I know you're interviewing me, but could I ask you one question?"

"Uh...sure. And please, call me Candace."

"Candace, could you tell me how everyone reacted when I left?"

"To be honest, most people suspected that you were hiding from your newfound fame until it died down a little. Days, weeks, and even months went by before anyone had a clue."

Leah and Tiffany jumped into the conversation.

"We knew!"

"But Sayomi told us not to tell anyone because she didn't want to cause a fuss over her."

"And besides, it was kinda funny watching everyone wonder where Sayomi was..."
"Why she wasn't at school..."

"Why no one could get a hold of her..."
"All that stuff."

"But what did you guys tell them when they asked about me?"

"We just told them that you didn't want a bunch of people coming after you and going crazy."

"You know me so well. That's exactly right!"
"Is that part of the reason you left?"

"I guess so. I was kind of afraid that people wouldn't treat me the same."

"But Sayomi, can you imagine how popular you'd have been?!"
"And how popular we'd have been together?!"

Sayomi turned her head toward them, signalling them to be quiet.

"They're right though, Sayomi. I'm sure you'd have been quite popular after your win."

"But the question is: would they want to be friends with me, or the best junior female player in North America?"
"That's true. But anyway, back to the interview. If you hadn't registered at Seigaku, would you have still participated in the tournament and dealt with the fame?"

"I would've still done the tournament in a heartbeat. I love tennis! As for the fame, it would've just been a part of my win."

"You're obviously a pretty modest person. Why didn't you soak up the glory like anyone else would?"

"Isn't it obvious? She isn't like everyone else."

"More than ordinary."
"Extraordinary!" Leah and Tiffany said together.

They smiled and clapped for Sayomi.

"So Sayomi, tell the readers what you've been up to in Japan?"

"Pretty much the same things I did here: hang out with friends, and play tennis."

"That should about do it for the interview. Thanks for your time, Sayomi."
"No problem."

Candace shook Sayomi's hand and showed her out.