Me: Oh boy, here comes the epic tennis matches! XD Anyhow, I appreciate the reviews that you have given me so far! I promise to put more romance after this. The tennis matches definitely take up a lot of the story. XD I know I'm taking long with the one shot requests but yes SengokuXMomo is almost done. *claps* Thank you once again for the reviews! Also, I do not own Prince of Tennis! I only own the OCs and their abilities! I guess I should be putting more romance now since well - the teams are about to gather soon! XD

Chapter 54 - We Are Dragons

Ayane stared incredulously at the King, shaking her head. "What do you know about doubles, Keigo? Last time I checked, you couldn't play doubles to save your life."

Atobe sighed dejectedly; even in the high tension she could still insult him. "Ore-sama may not know anything about Doubles but ore-sama can definitely understand the concept behind techniques regardless of it being doubles or singles."

Ayane bit her lower lip as she stood at the baseline, bending low for a reception. "Alright, show me what you know."

Inhaling deeply, Atobe took the baseline whereas Shiraishi took the front line. Kiyone blinked several times while glancing at Ayane who shrugged in response at her. Both girls readied themselves at the other end of the court. The icy eyed king narrowed his eyes while recalling exactly what the Heartbreaker technique was and how he would integrate it into his own style. He inhaled deeply before tossing the ball in the air and sending her a fast serve.

"She can return things like that," Shiraishi blinked several times, staring incredulously at the purple haired captain. "Atobe, I think we're supposed to have a warm-up not an all out match."

Atobe chuckled at Shiraishi wistfully as a proud smirk appeared on his lips. "Ore-sama is guessing you have never been on the receiving end of the Queen of Hearts' strength."

The sandy brunette kansai captain only stared in astonishment as the ball exploded right off her racquet. He immediately retaliated with a volley as it deflected off his racquet with Kiyone striking quick at Atobe's feet. The Hyotei male lunged forward for a drive volley at the smaller girl until Ayane switched places with the younger girl and slammed the ball straight at him again. Wincing at the impact, Atobe staggered back as he forcibly lobbed the ball up in the air. Kiyone jumped up into the air, preparing for a smash. However, Kiyone soon found herself staring down at the court. Shiraishi, as instructed by Atobe, moved towards the middle with Atobe going far back to receive. She prepared to smash until Kiyone recalled Atobe being slightly able to perform the Higuma Otoshi. Smashing at Shiraishi would easily allow a drive right past her while she's descending from the air.

There... There aren't any openings!

She twisted her body in the air, slicing the ball down to slide on the net. Atobe countered with a fast dash as he volleyed it towards Ayane. The tangerine haired female flinched before backing up badly for a forced lob. Seeing Atobe's plan, Shiraishi cracked the ball for a smash with a spinning smash. Kiyone stared in shock before exchanging expressions with Ayane as the two first years stared at the two seniors. Atobe showed no sense of fatigue and Shiraishi remained completely calm about it.

"Atobe are you sure this is a good idea," Shiraishi raised an eyebrow questioningly at Atobe, watching Kiyone shakily saunter towards Ayane as the older girl consoled her. "We can't have them fighting against each other. It's going to screw up their synchronicity!"

Atobe bit his lower lip anxiously, watching Ayane and Kiyone discussing strategies. "Ore-sama would have preferred an easier way without having to do it but it's a visual thing to understand the concept behind the Heartbreaker strategy. Ore-sama could barely understand it through Taki's explanation. Thankfully, he recorded the game for ore-sama."

Shiraishi sighed into his palm, raising his eyebrow. "You probably didn't think that Ayane could understand it via video?"

"Ore-sama is not underestimating Ayane's intelligence - he knows she will understand it but not the whole concept," Atobe raked his fingers through his straight cut violet hair, sighing deeply. "The Heartbreaker, as simple as it sounds, shatters the synchronicity of the pair in three dimensions. Ore-sama can explain it but physically memorizing it is much better rather than orally deciphering the strategy."

The Shitenhouji captain sighed deeply to himself while watching Kiyone and Ayane take on another strategic stance. He pondered on the rhythm in his mind before taking his stance once again by the net while Atobe took on service. As another shot cracked off Atobe's racquet, Kiyone rushed forward for a volley while instantaneously switching positions with Ayane. Shiraishi responded with a forehand which he sent to the far end of the baseline which Ayane exploded the shot right towards Atobe. The king of Hyotei however rammed the shot into the middle, causing the two for the first time to actually smack into one another.

There it is. The evidence of the Heartbreaker...

"Owie, sorry Yane-chan," Kiyone rubbed her butt while helping the tangerine haired girl up. "I don't know what happened..."

Ayane blinked several times while glancing at her racquet. "That's odd - we never bumped into each other before like that..."

Kiyone cocked her head to the side before her eyes widened in realization, prompting her to comically cry. "Actually, yeah - we never did. Yane-chan, your boyfriend did something again!"

Hyotei's female vice captain fumed up instantly, jabbing her racquet at him angrily. "WHAT THE HELL IS THIS FOR, KEIGO! WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO BREAK OUR CONCENTRATION? WE HAVE A GAME COMING UP! I SWEAR, YOU'RE GONNA PAY BIG TIME AND THERE'S MORE THAN JUST A FRYING PAN TO WHACK YOU WITH AROUND HERE!"

"That, Ayane, was the first mechanic of Heartbreaker."

Ayane stared incredulously at the king as Atobe remained completely calm despite her outburst. "What are you talking about...?"

"Haven't you noticed that you have much more difficulty coordinating with Getsugan," Atobe pointed out immediately before his girlfriend would continue exploding at him. "Ore-sama may have not used any big finishing move but the mere positioning and speed of the match started throwing off your concentration. That is Ryuuzaki's specialty. Although Shiraishi here cannot exactly replicate her supposed speed, what ore-sama is trying to simulate is the psychological war that Jerrard would inflict on you. Most of the time however, she would be yapping and talking half the time like some broken record. Since you can't block out your emotions like Kurenai, ore-sama will explain to you how it works. As of now, ore-sama cannot even come up with a counterattack."

Ayane froze completely as she noticed Atobe's normally arrogant expression become more of a concerned expression. "Atobe...?"

"Ore-sama has seen many doubles pairs fall to this technique and ore-sama refuses to have you fall to the same thing," Atobe maintained a holier-than-thou disposition with a smirk. "Do you plan on handing the title of the best doubles players of Japan to some second-rate players from Seigaku?"

Ayane glared holes into Atobe with a determined snort, pumping her fist into the air. "That bitch better think twice before she thinks she's the best doubles player in the district! Nobody beats Kiyone and I in doubles! The day Blondie beats me is the day you stop using the pronoun ore-sama and Oshitari-senpai stops writing and quoting romance novels!"

Shiraishi laughed good-naturedly at Ayane's declaration. "Kenya's definitely going to get a laugh out of that! When he did that before back in school, Kenya thought the sky was falling!"

Atobe smirked as he watched the two girls take their position once more as he inhaled deeply. "Alright, ore-sama will now demonstrate the second mechanic of the Heartbreaker. Ore-sama although thinks that this one may be the hardest component to explain. It took several hours before he managed to replicate the same effect. He tested it on the Silver Pair of course."

Ayane nodded stiffly, blinking several times. "No kidding if you couldn't understand it in a day! Hold on, how were you able to understand the concept if you're not a doubles player?"

"Ore-sama may not be a doubles player but he can definitely see through her with his Insight," the King frowned at the Queen of Hearts. "At the same time, he can duplicate the psychological damage. Shiraishi on the other hand can somewhat duplicate Ryuuzaki's speed. Getsugan needs to get used to Ryuuzaki's bouncing and movement."

Kiyone blinked several times, cocking her head to the side innocently. "Isn't Ryuuzaki Sakuno the same girl who got scared witless by buchou? I remember megane-senpai showing us a video that she shrieked instead of buchou during the bravery test."

Atobe disguised his shock with a smirk, throwing back his violet hair flippantly. "Of course Ryuuzaki would be terrified. Kurenai wouldn't be worthy to be my colleague if she had herself scared witless by some Hollywood prop."

Damn and to think ore-sama made sure he put everything she was scared of in there.

Atobe glanced back at Ayane as she started, pondering deeply to herself. He bit his lower lip anxiously as the king tried to simulate the second mechanic of the Heartbreaker. The king of Hyotei flipped around his racquet as he stood at the other end of the baseline. As he bounced the ball on the ground, Atobe visualized the match once again as he recalled the pattern of Vera's attack.

"From what I heard," Shiraishi strode smoothly to Atobe, taking his place by the net once again. "She doesn't have any special moves. Her main strategy is more on psychological damage. If anything, Jerrard-san's title seems unfitting for her playing style really."

Atobe chuckled darkly with a taunting smirk. "If you subjected this early to the Heartbreaker, what kind of doubles player are you, Ayane?"

Ayane glared icily at Atobe, tightly gripping her racquet. "Shaddup, you overgrown peacock! I just dropped my guard down a bit for awhile! I just needed to get a good grasp of what you're doing!"

Atobe frowned darkly at the insult but maintained a holier-than-thou smirk. "Really - shouldn't a playmaker pay attention to all the factors around her in order to give direction to her attacker?"

Ayane froze for a moment, contemplating on Atobe's words. She glanced at her racquet for a moment, trying to understand Atobe's idea of playing. The tangerine haired female exhaled sharply while glancing at Kiyone for a moment. The sandy brunette and her exchanged glances as they prepared to execute their next strategy.

I won't lose to you, Atobe - especially in doubles!

Ayane forehanded the shot towards Shiraishi, watching the Hyotei captain intently. The male teen's icy blue orbs followed after her every movement as Shiraishi started blocking Kiyone. The tennis ball remained within the two volleyists as Shiraishi and Kiyone exchanged the ball in between them. The ball zoomed back and forth as Kiyone cracked a fast drive volley towards Shiraishi. The Shitenhouji captain immediately raised his racquet to defend his face as the ball deflected straight towards Ayane. The vice captain rushed towards the net with a strong strike as Kiyone threw herself back. Shiraishi staggered back as Atobe substituted to receive her shot, only to wince in pain. His wrist screamed upon receiving the shot as Atobe struggled to return the shot back. However, Atobe managed to return the shot with extreme difficulty.

"They sure are something huh Atobe," Shiraishi chuckled as he struck with a speeding backhanded volley. "This is the first time I ever played against the famous doubles pair of Hyotei. Fighting against them seems to be such an honour."

Atobe chuckled deeply while tracking down Ayane's movements. "Arn~, of course Ayane is talented! She did not become ore-sama's queen by simply being nothing. Ore-sama made sure she's not helpless and pathetic. If anything, ore-sama has faith in her physical capability. It's more..."

"I understand," Shiraishi cut smoothly while volleying towards Kiyone once again, preparing to attack from the baseline. "I wouldn't want Kiyone-chan getting crushed either by some ordinary players..."

Ayane slammed the ball towards the very end of the baseline as Shiraishi forehanded the shot towards Kiyone. The sandy brunette volleyed it right across towards Atobe who retaliated with a strong drive volley, promptly forcing Kiyone back. Ayane lunged forward as Shiraishi sent top spins and under spins right at the girl's feet as the vice captain forcibly lobbed the ball. Seeing the chance, Atobe leapt high into the air and smashed it straight at her once again. Kiyone retreated towards the back as she forcibly threw her weight forward to blast another shot which clipped right at the edge of the net, luckily. With a long jump forward, Shiraishi sent a drive volley towards Ayane who blasted the shot back to Atobe. However, the two females despite their synchronicity suddenly ended up backing into one another. Ayane stumbled towards the other side with Kiyone tumbling after tripping on the vice captain's foot.

Atobe, reminding himself to get some mouth wash and truck loads of ice, snorted haughtily with his ice blue eyes glistening with arrogance. "If ore-sama remembered right, the Queen of Hearts is one of the most powerful cards in the game of Pusoydos. So what's the problem? Ore-sama thought mongrels could do better than that. Then again, you're just dogs..."

Ayane, ore-sama would rather see you angry at him than you breaking down in tears because he could not help you...

Atobe replayed the words in his mind as Kiyone began shivering fearfully. He had watched Ayane beat down her opponents with pure muscle power and doubles tactics but she often dealt with things by the sheer power of her voice and physical strength. Jerrard Vera, recalling the characteristics about her, played her opponents like a puppeteer. Taking advantage of the mess, she made everyone dance into her traps easily without much problem. Ryuuzaki Sakuno may have made Shizuru look graceful on heels but Vera made up for her clumsiness with psychological attacks. Things played out like a chess game. Although her brain seemingly had gone down the drain, Vera definitely knew Ayane for her lack of anger management. Who did not know Ayane for her uncontrolled volume of voice?

Ayane's face contorted into pure rage before she pointed the racquet in his face. "YOU BASTARD, SAY THAT AGAIN! I'LL BLOODY PULL OUT YOUR TAIL FEATHERS ONE BY ONE!"

"Kiyone," Shiraishi immediately darted forward to help the fallen girl until Atobe placed his racquet in between them. "Atobe-!"

"We cannot aid them for this, Shiraishi," Atobe narrowed his eyes at the two girls as Kiyone and Ayane slowly got on their feet. "Watch, they'll get stronger."

Do you have any idea how much pain ore-sama is in by simulating this mess?

His stomach twisted into knots as Ayane tried to hold the doubles pair together. Kiyone began hyperventilating with shock and surprise clearly written all over her face. Atobe bit his lower lip, looking away from the scene unfolding. If he had not instigated this, Atobe shuddered at the outcome of Ayane being crushed. He definitely knew Shizuru was forgiving but people would spit on Ayane for her loss. She would be considered baggage of Hyotei Gakuen and sooner or later - the vice captain would be ridiculed. He could only imagine what his fan girls were going to do to her, waiting for the slightest slip-up.

However, the smaller girl swallowed hard as her whole body trembled fearfully. "I don't get it; what's happening to us, Yane-chan?"

Ayane trembled as everything in her body completely froze. She glanced at Atobe for a moment and bit her lower lip shamefacedly. For someone she had constantly insulted, he had easily rendered her defenceless in her own element. She struggled to gather wits but her heart pounded wildly with pain throbbing angrily against her skull. The vice captain resisted the urge to pass out from the pressure. The aura surrounding Atobe easily overwhelmed her as she struggled to stand up against the pressure. If she were to compare the two captains, Shizuru demanded respect as well but she had a more gentle approach despite being firm. Atobe's power raged with a cold ruthless takeover and Ayane bit her lower lip and realized there and then what it meant to be severely overpowered.

"The second step of the Heartbreaker," Atobe walked over to Ayane slowly, watching her trying to stand up.

"Is verbal distraction and destruction," Ayane smiled triumphantly as she struggled to get up. "By removing the concentration and hijacking doubles players' signals, the opposing players will soon find their bodies completely uncoordinated am I right?"

Shiraishi stared in amazement while Atobe smirked proudly. "Arn~, ore-sama knew you could do it, Ayane."

The tangerine haired female snorted indignantly while getting up on her feet. "I think I was more shocked by the fact that the "great ore-sama" had the capability to play doubles in a makeshift pair. You were always dancing around saying 'look at me, love me'. Just like Luigi says in the Cars movie."

Atobe couldn't help but chuckle at his girlfriend's analogy, raking his fingers through his purple hair. "Although ore-sama does not know who this 'Luigi' is, he definitely phrases his words well."

His statement was met however by the clattering of a racquet as he found himself staring at a gaping Ayane. Her bright emerald green eyes clearly displayed the shock all over her face.

"What," Atobe stared at her strangely for a moment until Ayane suddenly grabbed him by the collar, shaking him roughly.

"HOW CAN YOU NOT KNOW THE MOVIE 'CARS', YOU INSANE PEACOCK! IT'S PIXAR! IT'S A PART OF OUR CHILDHOOD! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN LIVING - UNDER A ROCK?"

Shiraishi stared in amusement as the king had a thorough lecturing from the vice captain, snickering a bit. "To think I though this only happened in 9gag commentaries and comics," -he redirected his attention to Kiyone, jumping over the net. "Kiyone-chan, are you alright?"

Hold up, did I just call her by her first name?

Kiyone wobbly gained her stance while trying to discern and remember the strategy. The sandy haired volleyist slowly gained some of her wits back as Shiraishi held her hand, prompting her to lean against him. Kiyone shuddered a bit at the thought now of being Doubles One. If someone like Atobe could easily break their strategy, what more a more experienced doubles player? She recalled her last match with Seigaku's Golden Pair - was it all a fluke?

"It's more that you cannot find signals for the attack," Shiraishi smiled kindly at her as he helped the smaller girl to a chair, brushing her hair away from her face. "I guess you and Kobayagi-san are much more used to seeing things blatantly rather than a slow and unnoticed creeping. Yukimura's technique is somewhat similar to that."

"That's why Yukimura is virtually invincible and same with this Jerrard if one were not to notice the signs right away," Atobe held Ayane possessively at the waist, causing the said girl to stare at him stupidly. "So will you let that happen?"

"You crazy," Ayane stared at him as if he grew a second head, pushing him aside. "We will win! If she wants to challenge the Queen of Hearts and Queen of Clovers, so be it! We're gonna give her one hell of an ass-kicking!"

Despite Ayane's selected choice of words, Atobe couldn't help but smirk at his girlfriend's newfound determination. However, the fear of her being crushed still remained. His body literally shuddered at the thought of Ayane giving up tennis. Her power surpassed his and with time - her skills would too. For once, Atobe finally found some common ground for him and Shizuru to agree on in which who has potential and who did not. After all, she is his Queen of Hearts...

Well done, Ayane. Although ore-sama can give you the basics behind it, he can only hope you can immediately recognize the signs and counter them.

And once you mess with the queen, the king will definitely crush you.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Niou quietly trudged his legs along the stony pathways in the tennis courts area. He cast a forlorn gaze towards the dark cloudy skies while shuffling the magic cards in his hand. He chuckled darkly to himself as the card transferred from one place to one another. The Trickster continued shuffling the cards as a Jack of Clovers appeared in his hand along with an ace Card behind it. A bitter smile crept up his lips before heading towards a familiar bluenette sitting down on one of the benches.

"Buchou," he blinked several times in disbelief when he saw Sumiyagi Rena standing next to him. "Oh, hello Sumiyagi."

Rena batted her eyelash demurely at him, smiling weakly. "Oh hello, Niou-kun."

Damn don't do that again.

Niou shuddered at Sumiyagi for a moment when he noticed how she batted her eyelashes. She barely stood past his shoulder while tousling around with her brown curly pig tails and smoothing out her crumpled skirt. Her translucent circular glasses refracted some light while revealing a part of her deep set black eyes but Niou found himself glaring at her eyes instead. Rena somewhat shivered at the intensity of his gaze despite his relaxed position.

"Niou, I would appreciate it if you stopped scaring my girlfriend," Yukimura smiled serenely while standing up next to the terrified girl. "Isane-chan may withstand your antics but not many have that kind of tolerance for your habits."

Niou, upon hearing Isane's name, let out a hollow chuckle with a monotonous tone. "Ah sorry, buchou."

Hearing Niou's melancholy apology caused Yukimura to crease his eyebrows a bit. "They say that bullet wounds only hurt when they go straight through the heart. It's reparable but it will leave quite a scar and cause problems for one later even after one takes out the bullet in time."

Niou slightly shuddered at Yukimura; where did he get that information? "Buchou, I..."

"A battalion doesn't only have one man," Yukimura smiled cryptically. "It's like how a chess game cannot be played with only a king or a queen. For the board to be complete, you need the queen as well. A person can have two pawns to use to trick the opponent to become a knight and capture the queen."

Damn it, I hate it when he does this to me!

Niou never found himself so infuriated in his life. Was he becoming that easy to read? He slapped his cheeks a bit to wake himself up only to sigh deeply in the end. It didn't make any sense on how his buchou managed to figure out about Isane and him. During the whole Rikkai Dai ball, Yukimura had typically dragged away Sumiyagi off somewhere else to God knows where. Rena and him had their own business didn't they? The next day, Yukimura subconsciously revealed a bright red mark right near his neck. Whether or not it was a hickey, the team knew the consequences if they did inquire.

"Buchou, you're scary y'know that," Niou chuckled sheepishly before sitting down next to Yukimura. "I guess I can say the same for you. Y'know - it's the same about Sumiyagi and you being boyfriend and girlfriend?"

Yukimura chuckled deeply while running his fingers through his wavy blue hair. "Indeed. But when one's tolerance breaks, what do you do?"

Niou refused to grace him with a response.

"You repair the problem do you not," Yukimura glanced at the dreary skies, seeing a hint of sunlight. "If you leave it under the rug then, it grows bigger."

Niou shook his head with a devious smirk despite slightly shuddering. "Damn Buchou, you're starting to sound like Isane's captain."

Yukimura chuckled softly, smoothing out his clothes a little. "Is that so? Although I'm not usually this nosy but, you're making it quite obvious and your performance has been suffering lately according to Yanagi and Sanada. Kurenai-san can easily understand and interpret people's emotions. However with oneself, she cannot understand her own feelings either. Quite ironic isn't it?"

"Heh I guess this is what makes her loveable to fukubuchou and Tezuka," the Trickster cast his gaze towards the cloudy skies, playing with the cards in his hands. "I always kinda found her a bit mousy compared to Isane. She's kinda like you when she gets pissed though according to my sources."

Yukimura smiled slowly, sending shivers down the Trickster's spine. "Ah, so she does. But do not deter from the subject Niou, what will you do about Isane-chan now?"

The trickster remained silent as he began re-shuffling the cards in his hands. A small sigh escaped the silver blue haired male's lips as he started fingering the cards carefully. The winds gently tossed around his hair as he glanced back at the road he took coking from the tennis courts. Another sigh escaped his lops as he glanced at the bright green plants rustling with the wind. However, Niou suddenly shook his head as he found himself seeing Isane's eyes instead. The trickster never found himself this deep before; most of the dates he went on were for his reputation. But now, Niou found himself staring straight at the deck of cards if the odds looked kindly on him.

They were always so vibrant...

"Oh God," Niou groaned in realization, staring aimlessly at the sky. "I'm really deep aren't I?"

Yukimura smiled in agreement, folding his arms. "It's about time you realized. Now go get her while you still have the chance. Whether it is a tennis game or a game of life, you know the rule of Rikkai Dai."

The trickster chuckled as he started walking towards the bleachers once again.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Game Hikifumi-Shimohi: four games to two!"

Enma remained completely calm while Midori sprawled out on the ground. The Goth girl refused to budge an inch, without batting an eyelash. The Pearl Dragon eyed her opponents carefully, watching Midori managed to stumble towards her partner. Haruka bit her lower lip anxiously as she analysed their movements carefully. Her body trembled with sweat pouring down her face as she gripped her racquet tightly in her hand.

"I can't believe we outlasted them," Rin grinned cheerfully, punching her fist into the air."We can do this, Haru-chan! We're going to bring them down!"

Haruka put her hand in front of the black dragon, steeling her expression. "We can't relax just yet. They could have set a trap for us anytime."

Enma calmly flicked back her long jet black hair, driving back her hime style bangs. "You're quite cautious. Normally, people would take this as a sign for victory."

"That's what I'd like to ask you actually," Haruka narrowed her chocolate brown orbs to meet the raven orbs of Enma. "What happened to the true potential of the Gothica Castle? Your world of Insight - I believe? Our strategies were left constantly with holes yet you chose not to exploit it at all."

Enma let out a hollow chuckle, staring intently at the Pearl Dragon without relenting in her stare. "I shouldn't have expected less from Maestro Osakada's partner. However," -she twirled her racquet, plucking the strings stoically. "I'm her to cast a little shadow into your sky, Zhujiang."

"I'd like to see you try though," Haruka smirked confidently, folding her arms with a raised eyebrow. "It will take more than a couple of dark clouds to discourage a dragon. What makes you think you can discourage two if you can't even bring down one?"

Enma stared beadily at the two dragons before emotionlessly shoving the green haired acrobat off her shoulder. "Get up Midori, we have dragons to pinion."

Midori whimpered with a childish pout, pulling her sleeve. "But Enma, you know we can't beat them in a protracted game! The black dragon's crazy to deal with!"

"Shut up and move," Enma glared coldly before moving towards the baseline, slapping Midori's hand away before lowering herself down for reception. "If you're going to act like that then, why do we even enter here at all?"

Rin shivered at the indifferent expression of the Goth girl before hiding behind Haruka. "Haru-chan, is Mouri really like that to Tashiko-chan? We fellow acrobats stick together..."

Haruka shook her head darkly, refusing to tear her gaze away from the black haired Seigaku female. "I know but we can't really sympathize with Mouri right now. As much as I want to reprimand her for treating Tashiko badly, we can't. Today, we're two people fighting for one thing and that's victory and glory."

"Two," Rin cocked her head to the side as the pink haired female grinned at her.

"Yeah, aren't we considered a unit - wherever I go, you go and vice versa," Haruka gave her a fist bump before preparing to serve once again, noticing a slight shift with Enma's emotions. "You better get ready, Rin. Things are about to get ugly here."

Heilongjiang took note of the Pearl Dragon's tone as she positioned herself nearest to the net, waiting for the volley. She noticed Midori hold a melancholy appearance before watching Haruka's serve fly from her racquet, blocking Midori's attempt to volley at their side. The two acrobats continued leaping around and attacking until the ball zoomed past the green haired acrobat. Enma forehanded the shot towards Haruka as she flipped around her racquet with a small smirk.

"Dragon's Tail," Haruka watched it crack at the very line of the doubles court before creating a whiplash.

"Fifteen - love," Enma maintain her composure before walking towards Midori.

The green haired acrobat blinked a few times before grinning in response. "Hey, it's no big deal! We can steal another-!"

Before she could finish her statement, a crisp sound echoed in the air with Enma emotionlessly slapping the green haired acrobat in the face. The acrobat staggered back, fearfully looking at the calm girl's eyes. Her body continued to tremble as her hand lifted up to touch the sore spot on her cheek. On the other hand, Rin forced out every amount of restraint to not tackled Enma to the ground and make her stop mistreating Midori. However, Haruka pulled back the black haired acrobat's collar while glaring back at the Goth girl.

"Is this some game to you," Enma icily glared at the trembling green haired acrobat, jabbing her racquet in her direction with a calm tone. "Stop being such extra baggage and fight."

Rin froze upon hearing Enma's venomous words, causing her to clench her fingers into fists tightly. How could she do that to her own doubles partner and not even flinch? Sure, she and Haruka had her difference but never did Haruka call her "extra baggage". The best insult Haruka came up for her is "Wild Monkey" which the black dragon admitted that she constantly did especially on a sugar rush. They had their fair share of fights but nothing became this lethal. In fact, Haruka would immediately make it up to her by treating her out to the chocolate cafe down the lane or order her favourite cake from Raindrop Avenue.

"Geez, Rin will you pipe down? I'll be collecting tin cans in the morning."

"Rin, stop jumping around like a wild monkey! I knew I should never have given you chocolate!"

"Rin, I'm sorry about today. Come on; let's go get something to eat. My treat."

The black dragon curled her hands into fists upon staring at the two members of Seigaku. Her blood boiled at the sight of Enma degrading Midori and humiliating her in public. She glanced at the Pearl Dragon who visibly flinched a few times at Enma's fierce whispers. Although Ayane and Kiyone constantly had their fights, the two were more comical about it. Most of the issues ended up being about Atobe and Ayane's relationship and how Ayane was in denial. Rin laughed fondly at the memory upon remembering the constant times that Shizuru had the send the two girls off for laps because she got a headache from all the noise. However, Rin bit into her lip darkly before stepping forward.

"What kind of doubles pair are you," Rin, finally exasperated, slammed her racquet onto the ground. "I sometimes make mistakes during a match but Haru-chan never calls me extra baggage!"

Enma stared back at her with an expression devoid of emotion. "Who are you to talk about to me about to handle Tashiko? After all, the one who does most of the thinking is Hikifumi. You're too oblivious to understand what Tashiko is anyway."

Much to Enma's surprise, Rin chose not to retort but walked towards the net line. "Haruka, we play like never before. Beneath the shadows lies a powerful storm..."

The Hyotei team stared in astonishment as Rin stiffened her shoulders. Their usually hyperactive, bubbly Rin stiffly stationed herself in front of Haruka as the Pearl Dragon prepared to serve. Haruka glanced at Enma, wondering at why she would even try doing such a tactic in front of so many people. However, what egged her more was that Souma didn't condone the action at all. If she did that to Rin, Haruka shuddered at how hard Ayane would slap her for being an idiot and how many laps and how long Shizuru's sermon would be.

Never mind that for now, we have a game to win!

"Hey," - she felt someone's hand drop on her shoulder, seeing Haruka with a huge grin. "Don't mind her. Everything will be fine."

Rin stared at her for a moment before grinning in response. "Mm hm!"

With a speeding service, Haruka prepared to receive the attack until Rin intercepted with a volley. Midori found herself unable to react on time as Enma covered for the green haired acrobat. She attacked with a baseline shot which Haruka let out a short under spin which Midori volleyed towards Rin. The black dragon leapt to one side and sent a drive volley towards Enma. Haruka never saw Rin become increasingly aggressive before let alone at the net. She would always grin and smile, leaping around like the hyperactive dragon that she was. However, Rin remained ultimately silent but Haruka managed to cover up for her in case things got past her. The black dragon suddenly sent a drive volley towards Enma who struck with a long backhand, not expecting Rin to bend back extremely and return it with an L-shaped trajectory.

"Hey isn't that," Isane stared in amazement as Rin started attacking more relentlessly.

Hitomi nodded lightly, adjusting her eyeglasses. "Kajimoto Takihisa's L-Serve - one of the trickiest serve's throughout the Kantou region. The problem mainly with this serve is the set-up time for the technique. Henceforth, it becomes more obvious."

Gakuto jumped on the bleachers, hollering. "Don't you dare lose, you crazy monkey!"

Rin did not respond only to reveal the Wind Dragon Cannon as she spun in the air for a hard smash. As the crash thundered throughout the court, Rin slowly and inaudibly landed on the ground as she watched Enma with a hardened gaze.

"Thirty-love," Enma inhaled deeply while looking at the mark on the ground.

"Mouri, Tashiko," - the Goth girl and her partner swivelled their heads towards the bench, revealing a disapproving Souma and Ryuuzaki-sensei. "Get over here."

Watching the two sauntering towards Ryuuzaki-sensei, Haruka beckoned Rin to follow her and go talk to Shizuru and Sakaki-kantoku.

"You're doing quite a job in dealing with the Renaissance Pair," Sakaki-kantoku nodded in acknowledgement. "Many have said that Mouri Enma's Insight rivalled Shimohi's. So she seems to be holding back. But it seems more like that she cannot utilize it in doubles play as well as Shimohi can. It proves one thing - Mouri Enma cannot spread out in doubles play. Utilize that to your advantage, Hikifumi."

Hitomi glanced through the pages. "In reality, Tashiko Midori does not fit in the Tennis Team. She had only been recruited during the half of the second year. Originally, Tashiko played for the Seigaku Gymnastics Team."

Momo furrowed her eyebrows, folding her arms together. "So what made her change teams?"

"Mouri Enma previously was a suicide case," Hitomi tilted her glasses down a bit. "Her mother became quite the alcoholic and her father had become a drug lord. They became very negligent of her and proceeded to get rid of their sorrows. Enma constantly became the receiving end of being beaten by her drunken mother and her drugged father. Currently, she lives alone and has a total of fifteen attempts to take her own life. In order to prevent her from doing so, Enma was recruited by Sanhyoujin Ami and Shigetsu Kaori in order to curb her suicidal tendencies. She..."

Haruka waved her hand in front of the blonde Mastermind. "I don't think we should be divulging that kind of information. But what we do need is her history of being a tennis player."

Jackal glanced at the scoreboard, staring in amazement. "Maybe you should try luring it out if you want a more satisfying fight. Maybe go on a two on one thing. Tashiko doesn't seem to be fighting with Rin. What I remember from my match against Momoshiro and Kaidoh is after breaking Kaidoh's concentration - Momoshiro literally took us both on. Even Marui found himself completely astonished."

Marui scoffed with an indignant snort. "Hey, I think astonished is too big a word. I prefer surprised."

Haruka bit her lower lip before pondering deeply about Jackal's words. However, the pink haired female winced at the thought; how could she break someone who prefers misery over everything? She stared for a moment at the scoreboard before walking back towards the court. The two dragons cast their eyes towards the court before seating next to one another.

"You know," Haruka leaned against her elbows, watching Enma and Midori. "I remember the time we first argued with one another. Those two girls remind me of that time. It was Osakada-senpai who introduced us to one another."

Flashback

"Haruka dahling," - the pink haired first year swivelled her head up while she cleaned up her racquet, seeing Yuri standing in front of her. "There's someone I want you to meet."

Behind the senpai, a black haired girl suddenly peeked out from behind her. She grinned cheerily before walking towards her before randomly sniffing her. Staring awkwardly, Haruka immediately jumped away before twitching furiously. Her chocolate brown eyes centred themselves on the auburn eyes of the other girl.

"Why the heck are you sniffing me," Haruka raised her eyebrow questioningly, folding her arms. "What kind of person in their right mind does that?"

The black haired female snorted with a huff. "I'm still in my right mind, you meanie! Who do you think you are?"

Haruka beat her chest with a snarky grin. "My name's Hikifumi Haruka! I'm the Pearl Dragon of Hyotei! Who are you supposed to be?"

The black haired little girl puffed up her cheeks in annoyance, tip toeing to reach Haruka's height. "I'm Shimohi Rin! I'm the best gymnast there is! I am the Flying Black Dragon!"

As the two girls stared beadily at one another, the two girls heard a loud giggle coming from one side as they both found Osakada Yuri laughing at them.

"What?"

The Maestro laughed with a cheeky grin. "I knew you two would be perfect for one another. Shimohi-chan wanted to play tennis so I started her off with doubles. Haruka, you have to learn how to synchronize with other people also henceforth - she'll be your doubles partner when I can't make the cut. So, take the practice off today. Try getting to know one another."

Freshmen Rin and Haruka exchanged glances with one another before both of them let out an indignant snort. Their eyes stared beadily at one another as they turned away from one another. Haruka scoffed lightly; what could an acrobat do in tennis anyway? She certainly knew them more for contorting their bodies in weird directions but never knew anybody as infuriating as this girl.

"But it's only the start of the year and you're only second year," Haruka jabbed her finger at the black haired acrobat, pouting childishly. "Senpai, I don't want to partner up with a loony!"

Rin stared aghast before glaring back at her. "I'M NOT A LOONY! YOU'RE SUCH A MEANIE, KUWEE~!"

"I told you she was crazy, senpai," Haruka hid behind her immediately, venomously glaring at her only to be patted on the head affectionately.

"You'll get along," Yuri grinned all knowingly, ruffling the hairs of both girls.

End of Flashback

Haruka stared dreamily into the sky, folding her legs. "It seems so long ago that we became the Twin Dragon pair. To be honest, I never thought we'd get this far. I was planning to join the Wu Shu club after she left. But you came along and we watched her graduate together. You really made things different for me, Rin."

Rin smiled cheerily, staring at the sky as well while taking a drink. "You know Haruka? I thought I wouldn't be a regular for the tennis team. I mean - Momo-chan knew how to make people know their place. Who knew that a bunch of misfits like us end up together? Hitomi as is already has a record for blowing up the chemistry lab. Isane is the lanky giant sniper, Momo came from Rikkai Dai and then there's you and me - not wanting to pair up with one another at first. Then we have the kohai..."

Haruka chuckled humorously before smiling at her racquet. "Shizuru and Mai defined the team in who we are. They were our turning point after all the drama we went through."

"Players return to the court!"

Hearing the arbiter call out for them, Haruka extended her hand to Rin. "You ready to fly?"

Rin grinned enthusiastically, taking her hand with a firm grip. "Let's dance!"

Watching Rin take the net, Kajimoto silently stood at the back of Rikkai Dai and the other schools. He glanced at Seigaku as everyone began focusing their eyes once again on the match. A helpless smile curved up his lips as the serve cracked off Haruka's racquet once again. Rin cart wheeled to one side before unleashing another drive volley at the pair. He admired her smile and the way she carried herself along with the wind.

The black dragon truly flew better than the others.

His memory flashed back during their first skating session with one another. He remembered how she floated into his arms as they began spinning around as if they were in a world of their own. The Jyosei Shounan captain reflected the moments her eyes sparkled with enthusiasm and excitement as the wind carried their movement. He glanced at his palms before remembering the trusting grip of the black haired female acrobat. He continued to daydream until some lemonade was shoved in front of him by Wakato who greeted him with a smirk.

"You're still thinking about her," Wakato raised an eyebrow, chuckling in amusement. "Didn't you already seal the deal?"

Kajimoto frowned at his teammate. "What are you talking about?"

"You know what I'm talking about," the Changeover specialist emphasized with a furrow of his eyebrows. "It would also explain your new addiction to lemonade lately."

She always had this citrus smell and her lips... Agh, don't think that way!

Kajimoto finally found an open space before leaning against the railings, giving him a better view of Rin. Enma scored past Rin with a flying forehand before the female struck back with a drop volley, allowing Haruka to set up for the Dragon's Tail. He sighed to no one in particular as his eyes followed the blur of black that zoomed to and fro by the net. What surprised him more is that Seigaku began struggling against the Twin Dragon pair as Haruka and Enma kept the ball between them.

"I will not lose here," Enma darted after the tennis ball, slamming it towards Haruka with a hardened glare. "Defeating you is the sole reason for my existence!"

Haruka rushed forward as well to confront the Goth girl. "I promised Rin that we would be on top! We will take nothing less because WE ARE DRAGONS! We run the world!"

"I didn't know Enma had an obsessive compulsive attitude," Vera glanced at Fuuka who kept her eyes glued to the court. "Who knew that putting her up against the Twin Dragons of Hyotei would develop into an obsession?"

Fuuka narrowed her eyes at the blonde vice captain. "Jerrard, begin warming up. The Hearts and Clovers pair hasn't shown up in awhile. Atobe's gone also so my guess is - he's off training them and helping them warm up. Don't screw up."

Vera snickered lightly. "I never knew you as the manipulative type, Fuuka. You knew that Enma and Midori had no chance against Hikifumi and Shimohi."

"It was pure coincidence, Jerrard," Fuuka darkly glared at her vice captain, dismissing her. "Go with Ryuuzaki to warm up. You're pissing me off."

Sashaying away with a shrug, Vera dragged Sakuno along as the Seigaku captain watched the match unfold before her eyes. Mouri Enma had always posed to be a problem to the team. Trying to utilize the opposite law of magnetism barely worked in her favour. She and Midori became two extremities and lost their synchronization. How in the world did Shizuru do it, she constantly wondered before glancing at the brunette sitting next to her coach.

Damn it, how did she do it?

"You know - sometimes the concept of following the same style doesn't always work," Karin seated herself next to her captain. "Haven't you tried their anti-theses?"

Fuuka rolled her eyes sarcastically at her data master. "That's basically what I did, you moron."

"I meant the anti-theses of the opposing pair, Fuuka," Karin frowned at the edginess of the shaggy red haired female. "You've been edgy for these past few days. Don't let your personal vendettas get in the way of your goal, Souma."

Fuuka prepared to retort until Ryuuzaki-sensei held the girl's arm back. "Souma, you're taking this too far. Sooner or later, you will lose everything you have worked hard for."

The red haired captain folded her arms with a disgusted snort as she glanced at the match unfolding before her. Midori struggled to synchronize with Enma only to have the Goth girl brush her off darkly. Enma suddenly unleashed a shot that flew straight in between Haruka and Rin as a dark aura formed behind her.

"Sekai no Kage: Hagoromo Kitsune," Enma stared blankly back at Haruka as the two dragons suddenly found themselves overwhelmed. "I guess it's time for a night parade no?"

Rin bristled angrily at Enma, glaring at the Goth girl. "We're gonna shoot you straight out of the sky, Mouri! Your Hagoromo blah blah blah won't beat us!"

Haruka sheepishly laughed before giving herself a face-palm. "Rin, its Hagoromo Kitsune."

"Eehhh I don't like big words," Rin pouted childishly at the pink haired female, prompting the whole Hyotei tennis team to sweatdrop at the senior.

Momo groaned before leaning against her elbows in defeat, face-palming. "I'm really starting to wonder whether or not she's a senior..."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Ayane stared into the blue skies while sitting next to an exhausted Atobe. Shiraishi wiped his sweat off as Kiyone dropped down next to the tangerine haired vice captain. The small volleyist munched on a small coffee bun before offering some to Ayane. However, the tangerine haired vice captain found herself staring endlessly into the sky before looking at her racquet.

"Arn~, what is troubling ore-sama's queen," Atobe glanced at her solemn emerald eyes. "Ore-sama barely sees her like this."

Ayane flipped around her racquet with a dejected sigh."Honestly, I don't know..."

Now hearing her not snap at him for calling himself ore-sama really worried him. "Ayane, you will defeat Jerrard. You understood the concept of her play faster than I did."

"But you're an idiot in doubles play," Ayane bitterly bit her lower lip before restraining herself from tearing. "I've heard Doubles Pairs dissolve because of her. I don't want that to happen to me and Kiyone. We promised to become number 1 in the world!"

Ore-sama never knew it meant this much to her... This victory...

Atobe barely knew how Ayane was when depressed. Normally, she would be trying to kill him or something for some reason or for merely breathing in her presence or calling himself ore-sama. Kiyone would be singing how she would squish his head like a lemon and how they would fight like an old married couple. After that, Ayane would hound the small girl until Kiyone hides behind Momo, Shizuru or any form of authority that she recognizes.

"Ayane, ore-sama knows you will win but win or lose - you will learn from it," Atobe held Ayane's hands in his own, giving her his usual confident smirk. "If you do lose, it does not mean that ore-sama will think less of you. In fact, he will love you for losing but rising again to the challenge."

Ayane bit her lower lip anxiously before staring back at Atobe's confident icy blue eyes as he pressed his lips against her forehead, prompting her to blush. "K-Keigo...!"

"You're fretting too much," Atobe brushed away a tangerine strand from Ayane's face, smirking lightly. "If ore-sama can defeat it and he's not even a doubles player, what more you - Ayane? You are the Queen of Hearts! You do not let some commoner waltz in and smash whatever you have worked so hard for!"

The tangerine haired girl broke out a small smile. "Keigo, that's actually inspirational... coming from you..."

Atobe chuckled humourlessly before capturing her lips for a few brief seconds. "Arn~, be awed by ore-sama's prowess, Ayane."

"You know what you and Sengoku-san have in common? You both tend to ruin the moment," Ayane deadpanned before teasingly slapping Atobe's face, earning a frown from the diva. "I'm kidding Keigo - if you didn't do that, you wouldn't be the peacock with the bloated ego. You're a moron but at least you don't walk in front of a car while texting and stopping in the middle of the road."

Atobe snorted at her poor attempt of a recovery, frowning at the Queen of Hearts. "Arn~, ore-sama isn't that oblivious."

"Yeah says the man who went to school on Sunday," Ayane grinned evilly which caused the other two to end up laughing at him and soon caused her to explode laughing at him as well.

"Ore-sama lost track of time is all!"

Ayane wiped a tear from her eye, tapping his cheek teasingly. "I'm sorry - it's just so funny."

Shiraishi shook his head with a disbelieving laugh. "I know Shitenhouji can be full of loonies and hard workers but this one takes the cake."

Atobe sighed at the humiliation but he saw Ayane lightening up once again. A helpless smile appeared on the Ice Emperor's lips as he watched Ayane gain some of her momentum back. By all means, if his misery made her happier - Atobe sighed to himself; a spoonful of sugar surely helps the medicine go down. He traced the scar at his hip with most annoyance, noticing the keloids that had built up from the last few months ago. Despite it being a mar on his skin, Atobe particularly didn't care. He somewhat avoided putting the medicine on purpose; Oshitari found it amusing that Atobe would keep such a scar on his body.

Ore-sama should find a way how to make that man lose his composure!

On the other hand, Kiyone grinned for a moment but not until she glanced at her racquet. Somehow, the small volleyist continued trembling despite being able to defeat the simulated Heartbreaker. She glanced at her clammy palms before looking up at the sky. She desperately tried wiping her hands only to feel the sweatiness of it once again.

"You were doing great out there," - the volleyist swivelled her head towards the kansai captain. "Kiyone-chan, I don't think there's anything to worry about. You did great out there."

Kiyone grinned cheerily with a chirp. "Wha, really? Thanks! But, I still don't think I can measure up to the Phantasm Pair. They were amazing. Buchou and Mai-senpai broke every technique that came in their way. According to Haru-senpai, their synchronicity made the other doubles players jealous."

Shiraishi smiled before leaning against the bench. "I don't think you should compare yourself to them. If I were to compare Kurenai-han and you, it's like comparing apples and oranges. You're faster in volleying but Kurenai-han can play on all fields. But, still - you're very different. Don't become someone you're not. Their method may not be able to work out with you guys."

Kiyone sighed dejectedly, glancing at her racquet. "Yeah but it..."

Shiraishi smoothly chuckled before running his fingers through Kiyone's hair. "It doesn't matter. I prefer Kiyone any day. You shouldn't compare yourself no matter what. You'll be great as you."

Damn, how did I come up with such a sappy thing?

Shiraishi smiled inwardly as sandy blonde tresses slipped through his fingers. His heart pounded wildly upon the sight of Kiyone's sparkling cerulean eyes. He's seen many people with blue eyes - one was Seigaku's Fuji in the newspapers, Atobe's was icy blue and Jyosei Shounan's Hoshimura Florence's eyes sparkled liquid blue. But none of them mystified and expressed emotions as well as Kiyone's. He slightly swooned at the thought of staring into her cerulean eyes.

She's a doll, she's a catch and she's a winner

I'm in love and no beginner

Could never grasp or understand just what she means...

Shiraishi immediately shook his head; where did that song come from? Did that song have to be so exact? Kiyone definitely made Echizen look normal size but then again the other regulars probably make her tinier than she already is. Shiraishi sighed deeply in realization as he stole a glance at her once again. She definitely had an appearance of a doll; her bright blue eyes glimmered innocently despite her sadistic remarks and her sandy blonde hair framed her face perfectly. Not those kinds he saw TV, he mused inwardly to himself but more of those amazing Aryan porcelain dolls he's seen from his sister's doll collection. If anything, she could be mistaken for a doll.

Baby baby blue eyes, stay with me by my side

'Til the morning through night, stay with me, holding my sides

Close your baby blue eyes, every moment feels right

And I may feel like a fool but,

I'm the only one dancing with you.

"Darn it, there it goes again," Shiraishi began lightly tapping his head with a dejected sigh. "I should ask Zaizen to reinstall my old playlist. I'm starting to hear songs in my head."

"You have an mp3 player stuck in your head," Kiyone tilted her head to the side innocently until a huge grin appeared on her lips. "Ooh ooh, that sounds so awesome! Where did you get one of those?"

Shiraishi sweatdropped but laughed good-naturedly nonetheless. "No no, I have a bad case of LSS is all. My kouhai messed up my mp3 playlist and replaced it with catchy tunes and now it's stuck."

Kiyone pondered for a moment before beaming with inspiration. "You know what you do? Make Yane-Yane and Mole Diva argue! It cures me every time I have LSS!"

Ayane slapped the smaller girl at the back of her head, staring incredulously at the small girl. "Where the heck did you get that idea?"

Kiyone whimpered in pain before giving her the puppy pout. "Waaah, you're so mean! It actually works, Yane-Yane! Poor buchou's probably going to need a nice set of Senheiser headphones to block out your arguments with mole diva!"

Ayane huffed irritably while tossing her hair back before screeching angrily. "Geez, we're not that loud!"

Atobe smirked in amusement, causing the girl to flush a bright red colour. "Indeed, it should be that Ayane is the only one who's loud."

"Oh shut your trap, Keigo!"

Shiraishi chuckled at the relationship of the two before casting his eyes towards Kiyone who burst out laughing at the argument. "Kiyone-chan, after your match - someone mentioned to me that there was a green house here full of rare plants. I was hoping you knew where it was?"

Kiyone swivelled her head towards the sandy haired captain of Shitenhouji before grinning widely at him. "The Horticulturist Greenhouse, you mean? There are a lot of those here in Tokyo but there are more flower gardens than the greenhouses, Shiraishi-san."

Shiraishi nodded lightly, smiling and scratched my head sheepishly. "I actually wanted you to come with me. We can sort of... Go out?"

Nice on Shiraishi, that was incredibly smooth

Shiraishi sighed dejectedly at himself until Kiyone started leaning against him before letting out a yawn. A small chuckle bubbled from his throat as he stroked Kiyone's hair absent-mindedly. The sandy blonde locks lightly passed through his fingers while he smiled at her. Slowly and carefully, he lifted her body to adjust her position and gently lay her head on his lap.

"It's amazing how you could make Getsugan submit easily."

Shiraishi swivelled his head towards Atobe before the king started snaking his arm around Ayane's waist, prompting the tangerine haired girl try and wiggle away. "I think it's more she's tired from the wild training we've been doing."

Kiyone mumbled before curling up like a cat on Shiraishi's lap. "...Sure, why not?"

Shiraishi blinked while she sleepily smiled at him. "We can go after the matches."

Shiraishi smiled back at her before shielding her eyes from the sun. "I'll wake you up when your match begins."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Game and match, Hikifumi-Shimohi: six games to four!"

Rin leapt onto Haruka's shoulders, punching the air repeatedly. "Yeah, we did it! Oh yeah! WE ARE AWESOME! Kuwee~!"

Haruka grinned before nodding enthusiastically. "Yeah, you bet we did and you bet we are!"

Howls and whistles thundered throughout the court as Rin and Haruka hugged each other in delight. Enma stalked off the court with a sheepish Midori as Rin glanced at the Hyotei supporters cheering loudly for her until she swivelled her head to one side. Kajimoto and his whole team were there; Wakato whistled loudly while Youhei and Kouhei waved a banner with Hyotei all over it. However, her red eyes gazed at Kajimoto's dark ones as he smiled proudly. The black dragon leapt off her doubles partner before running to the bleachers.

"Kajimoto-kun," Rin threw her arms around the brown haired acrobat. "You made it!"

Kajimoto wrapped his arms around the black haired female as well. "Congratulations, Rin..."

With a beaming smile, Rin jumped up and down while pointing excitedly. "One more game and this one is ours! We'll be heading out to the Nationals!"

Kajimoto nodded with a gentle hold on Rin's hand. "Um Rin, there's something I wanted to let you know..."

It's now or never, Kajimoto!

Rin stared at him with a puzzled expression. "What is it?"

Kajimoto heard the loud cheering as he decidedly pulled her away from the crowd. "There's something I wanted to show you."

She glanced back as Haruka got congratulated by the rest of the team. Ohtori smiled in amazement with Gakuto tackling Haruka to the ground. Shishido ruffled Haruka's hair and Kabaji started blowing out a horn, prompting the whole team to laugh. Jackal stepped forward also and nodded her. Haruka grinned as Jackal embraced her, causing the whole Rikkai Dai team to whistle at the two.

"Okay," Rin cheerfully followed after Kajimoto as they walked out towards an empty building structure. "Eh, where are we? Wait a minute, this is where I was training in my gymnastics. Then, Gakuto started yelling at me for something and then you showed up. You were breaking the argument between Kiku-chan and Gakuto then you started helping me with my flips before... I messed up one..."

Chuckling lightly, Kajimoto stared absently at the area before flipping open the lights. Inside, it was a whole gymnastics area with cleaned handle bars and equipment. The fans hummed to life as the sot mats remained completely clean under the LED lights.

"Wow," Rin stared in amazement as she started fingering the wooden bars. "This is so cool! By the way, what are we here for?"

Kajimoto slung off his jacket before walking towards the bars with a reassuring smile. "You want to try it again? I'll spot you."

Rin bit her lower lip anxiously upon remembering the stunt. She couldn't flip her body in time and if not for Kajimoto's save - she would have broken her neck. She fearfully grabbed the bar with her hands trembling until Kajimoto overlapped his hand with hers.

"You'll never know unless you try," Kajimoto whispered gently to her.

Rin nodded determinedly as she gripped the bar firmly. She deeply inhaled whereas Kajimoto took his position. She leapt up for the handle bars before whirling on the bar. She swung herself to and fro and prepared to throw herself into the air. Her hands suddenly became clammy as she continued swinging around. Her eyes widened fearfully as her grip slowly loosened and she flew straight into the air. Forcibly somersaulting, Rin waited for the slightly cushioned fall but felt nothing. Her body trembled with warmth tickling her skin. She looked up and found Kajimoto smiling at her. She found him balancing on a swinging bar as he wrapped his right arm around her body while maintaining his balance. He controlled both their weights before landing on the ground gracefully and inaudibly.

Rin trembled slightly before sheepishly scratching her head, blushing brightly. "Th-thank you, Kajimoto-kun. It must be funny to constantly catch me..."

"It's alright. But," Kajimoto smoothed her hair away from her face before chuckling sheepishly. "I never imagined myself with anyone so extraordinary but... I guess I was wrong. Dragons are meant to fly in the sky after all..."

Damn it, are you giving up already?

Kajimoto glanced at bewildered Rin as he let her go. Though he loathed it, the Jyosei Shounan captain knew that this was bound to happen. Kajimoto tried to ignore the loud pounding in his ears as his throat tightened considerably. His words literally latched onto his throat as he stared into her big expectant crimson eyes.

"I don't know if you're willing to have a knight instead of a dragon," Kajimoto averted his eyes away from the Heilongjiang. "But the truth is - I can't exactly explain it verbally but..."

Kajimoto closed in on Rin before giving her a chaste kiss on forehead, running his fingers through her black hair. "Rin... I... Gag, I..."

Spit it out already, you idiot!

Before Rin could say anything, Kajimoto finally managed to rip the words from his throat.

"Rin, I l-love you."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Oh yeah, he finally did it! I actually feel bad for Kajimoto since he was one of the better looking characters in the anime but didn't get many appearances. Hopefully I'll be able to update faster. Sorry for the long delay! Please don't forget to review! Thank you!