History in Two Words
...or less...
Summary: Kagome Higurashi once lived in America; she and her mom had left her father after he had an affair and had traveled the world to allow Kagome to participate in Tennis Matches...along the way, she met Ryoma, and she became one of the few tennis players his age that he would practice with...when she finds out that he is returning to Japan...and he asks her to return as well...Kagome is faced with a choice, go back and face her past, or continue in America to world lackluster without her best friend!
Genre: Romance/Humor
Pairing: Kagome/?
Rated: M
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The first game was easily one, 6-0, no problems there. Her opponent was someone she'd already forgotten both the name and face of, her match had gone so fast. It was a bit sad really but expected. She didn't think she'd get a truly strong opponent until she was able to face off against a Regular. Stepping up to the booth, she lifted her, "Bracket C, Higurashi, Kagame. Six games to Love."
Oishi laughed, "your friend just finished his game too, six to love. The two of you are something else."
Looking at the board, she turned her eyes to Ryoma's name and a small grin played on her lips. "He'll certainly make the Regulars lineup." No doubt about it, she left Oishi to stare after her as she went to buy herself a drink. She needed something sweet.
"Ah, K-Kagame-Kun! Ryoma is practicing against the wall in the back if you're looking for him."
Turning around, Kagome smiled, "Thanks Ryuzaki-San, I wasn't actually looking for Ryoma though. I was going for a drink. He needs to focus on his upcoming game, and I don't want to distract him."
"O-oh. Right."
Walking off, Kagame quickly found the vending machine and pulled out a few coins. Slipping them into the slot, she picked a strawberry-kiwi flavored drink and started back to the courts. Her matches for the day weren't done, she had at least one more.
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Rai leaned back as she examined the jersey in her hand. Putting it back on the rack, she pulled a slightly smaller size out and thought of her daughter. Too big and it would sag off of her, too small and it wouldn't hide her growing figure. "This should be right," in her cart she already had more than a few boys' shorts and jeans. Jerseys and shirts that weren't fitted, and a few baggy-looking hoodies that her daughter had already been fond of well before her adventures in crossdressing. As she bought her daughter more clothes to expand her wardrobe, she realized that not much had changed from it. She just wouldn't be wearing skirts anymore. The few that she had. 'I wonder if I should just pack her more feminine clothes until a time when she's ready to play as a young lady again.'
Paying for her purchase, Rai made her way home. It was annoying, after having thought long and hard on it, she had decided to get a normal home. But she kept thinking about the Sunset Shrine, and so, in the end, she'd moved her and her daughter back to the hilltop shrine. The walk was agonizing, but at least she was able to keep in shape. Kagome had only complained a little at first, but then bit the bullet as she was happy just to be with her friend.
"I should go ahead and figure out what's for dinner tonight too while I'm out."
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Kagome was not one to deny talent where there was talent. She could recall a handful of matches that left her as frustrated as she felt at this moment. Ryoma and her constantly traded wins and loses. She hadn't managed to beat his dad, no shocker there though. They could barely scratch the surface that was Samurai Nanjirou. The person in front of her was not Nanjiro-ouji. He was just a third year. A fourteen-year-old student who had a bit of power to his hits.
No, she wasn't belittling his play style. She was just frustrated by it! Aggressive Baseliners were the bullies of the court. She was smaller, and her arms were not made to return a power shot like his. Staring irritably at the teen across the court from her, she calmed her breathing as she watched him smile with such an annoyingly carefree attitude.
"Are you done already?"
Her grip tightened on the basic red tape along her racquets grip. "Don't insult me."
He gave a small chuckle and waited as she walked to the neon yellow tennis ball that he'd nearly slaughtered her with. It was her serve...and so, she would have to make sure every service was a point. Catching the ball with her sneaker, she let it dribble and knocked her racquet against the ball. Once she had it in hand, she bounced it a couple of times before stepping up to the baseline. 'I won't give you a single point of my service game!'
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Oishi stood beside Tezuka, watching one of the first-year students head up against Takashi. It was quite the spectacle. When it had seemed like Takashi had this match in the game. But as soon as Higurashi stepped up to serve.
"Don't the two of you have a match to be playing?" Even asked as a question, the asking party already knew the answer.
Tezuka didn't turn his eyes away from the match in front of him. Physically, it shouldn't be possible for this first year to hold up against Takashi's power play. Logically speaking, his body was just too...petite. Actually, he wasn't sure why he placed him in the C block against two of the current third-year Regulars. Now, well, he was thinking that perhaps the matchup wasn't as uneven as he'd once thought. So far, Takashi had missed every single one of the twelve-year-old's serves.
"Saa~ should I record the match?"
"...Oishi, let's go."
"Right,"
Shuusuke smiled and turned to the match in front of him. Whoever won, would be his next opponent. "Those two are proving to be quite interesting," his eyes opened a bit and took in the two-step and spin, turning into a backspin to combat the return of Takashi's first return to one of Higurashi's serves. It was shocking just how effortless this boy was making Tennis look. In fact, he had made it look like a dance, a rather competitive dance, but a dance nonetheless. "Hm?" Looking curiously at the stance, the way he leaned and moved, "what a fragile stance."
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Kagome moved to the net as Takashi returned the ball, catching the ball at an angle, she sliced the ball with added topspin, sending the ball spiraling to the corner of his service box. Watching him run to the ball, she tensed at the thought of how close she was to the net, if he hit back, she wouldn't be able to retrieve it. The ball bounced away from him and he missed it by the neon fuzz of the ball.
He stared in confusion at the ball before yelling, "BUUUUUURNIIIIING!"
'What's with this guy? His energy is overwhelming, and these power shots, they're insane!' Rotating her shoulder, she walked off to the baseline and pulled a ball from her pocket. "I think dragging this game on would be unhealthy." Throwing the ball up, she jumped and threw her shoulder into the serve, the followthrough was a familiar serve. One that she owed Ryoma for teaching her. The only reason Takashi hadn't scored a point off of her service game yet, was because of her Twist Serve.
The problem with using that serve over and over again was that she was opening herself up to failure. Giving her opponent time to learn the trajectory and her body's tell-tale signs of the serve. More than that, it was Ryoma's signature serve, it put him at a disadvantage too if she used it too much. She just wasn't left with much choice.
"GOT IT!"
His yelling put her nerves on edge. Most people she played with, weren't so loud. "Tch...Ryoma would probably laugh if he could see me getting so bent out of shape." Closing her eyes, she took a slow breath before bouncing lightly on her feet. When she stopped, she opened her eyes and locked her eyes with the older boy, 'this match will be mine!'
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Ryoma stepped off the court, walking past the easily impressed first years that had banded around himself and Kagome. "Did anyone watch Kagame's match?"
"Kachiro wanted to watch Higurashi's match since we were watching yours. Oh," Horio pointed, "looks like it's done." The boy they'd been talking about was running back to them with a large smile on his face.
"HIGURASHI WON!"
"Echizen too!"
Ryoma walked away from the cheering, making his way to the court at the far end of the green top. He saw Kagome sitting down on the court, staring thoughtfully at the net as she rubbed her thumb in circles over a tennis ball. Stepping past the Senpai who was watching her curiously, he made his way to her side and crouched down, "rough game?"
"...my wrists hurt." She held one up and he took it carefully in hand before turning it over. It wasn't swelling up, but it was red. "Mada Mada Dane."
"Y-Yoku Naru Dake."
Smirking, he stood up and pulled her to her feet. Watching as she grinned widely into her victory. "Who do you play tomorrow?"
Walking off the court with Kagome beside him, he watched her turn and look up at the Senpai who was still watching her. "...I think, I play Fuji-Senpai..."
"Saa, so it seems. I will be playing against both Takashi-San and Higurashi-San tomorrow. What a busy day I have ahead of me."
"...Senpai, what kind of playstyle do you have?"
"If I told you, that would hardly be fair."
"You say that, but you stood there watching my match till the end, the least you can do is tell me whether or not you're an Aggressive Baseliner or not."
He leaned against the chainlink a bit and smiled, "I'm not an Aggressive Baseliner,"
Kagome nodded, "then I look forward to our match tomorrow. I'll be sure to give it my absolute all."
"I have to play against Takashi-San first, but of course, if I win, I will certainly do my best to beat you too. Until tomorrow, Higurashi-San."
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Kagome grunted as she pulled on the handle for the net, relaxing as the cap was unlocked. Twisting the cap counter-clockwise to release the gear mechanism, she started winding the handle slowly as she lowered the net to the ground. Pleased that there was no pressure on the net, she turned and started helping with picking up the balls around the courts. A few here and there, using a racket to pick them up and bounce them into a basket, she wasted no time in cleaning the court with the others. Well, sort of. Ryoma was sweeping, but the other three were still gossiping. "Tomorrow is another match altogether, so rather than speculating whether or not we will or we won't win, why not help us with the court."
"Ah, gomen!"
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Me: Here is chapter 10, while I'm trying to write the others, I'm keeping myself busy! I'm actually a bit sad. I had the next chapter to Butterflies mostly done at work, saved it on fanfiction on my documents, and when I got home, it was open also on my laptop, so I accidentally saved an early version of the chapter and lost a large portion of it. *cries in gucci*