Chapter 9
"Wow!" exclaimed a female reporter in surprise. She and an older man were watching Oishi and Tezuka playing. Girls were screaming while Rei, Yuki, and Kiyoko were checking to see if their ears were still working.
"I didn't know the senpai were so popular," said Rei.
"Thanks to Tezuka-senpai's hard work, the team matches that of Rikkai University Middle School," said Kiyoko excitedly. Yuki looked at her.
"Kiyoko," said Yuki, "Shouldn't you be in D-block right now? Your game starts in ten minutes against Inui-senpai."
"Eek!" screamed Kiyoko as she ran to the court wailing about being late. Yuki smiled at Kiyoko's retreating figure before looking back at the senpai.

"Let's both make this game enjoyable," said Inui to Kiyoko. She smiled cutely.
"All right," said Kiyoko. The referee stood up.
"The best of one!" he called, "Inui, service play!"
"It's starting," thought Kiyoko to herself, "For someone as tall as him, I wonder how he'll play." Inui served at Kiyoko who's eyes widened. "High speed serve?!" Kiyoko returned hurriedly. Inui was not at the net. He returned and Kiyoko smiled. She hit an open spot right behind him.
"Too bad," said Inui returning the ball Kiyoko had thought was a point clincher. The next game started and Kiyoko served. Inui went to the ball with ease. "Nice path, but I still caught it."
"30-0!" announced the referee.
"He knows just where to counter!" thought Kiyoko to herself worriedly.
"That bastard," muttered Ryoma watching the game from afar. Kiyoko narrowed her eyes and returned.
"The Cross Shot?!"
"That's going too far! At such a short distance."
"The probability of you making a cross shot is 75%," said Inui returning the ball Kiyoko had thought was unpredictable.
"This isn't over," said Kiyoko calming her heart beat to a normal rate, "I guess it's time to give it all I've got." Kiyoko stilled herself before opening her eyes and returning the ball.
"Still two balls left?!" exclaimed Horio.
"Missed," said Inui as the ball hit the racket.
"Inui-senpai can totally predict Kiyoko's shots," said Fuji from behind. Yuki stood next to him her eyes averted to Kiyoko's game.
"Maybe he is better than Kaido," said Horio amazed. Yuki turned her eyes to him.
"Inui-senpai won three out of three of his matches against Kaido- senpai," said Yuki her eyes glazed over.
"I've watched all four of your games," said Inui his back turned to Kiyoko, "I know all of your moves." Kiyoko was taken aback before she smiled at Inui.
"Don't worry senpai," said Kiyoko, "Things are about to get interesting."
"1-0! Inui leads!" Kiyoko served the ball and it hit the net.
"Didn't you know where the ball was going?" asked Kiyoko.
"I did not analyze your recent mistakes," said Inui blandly. Yuki shook her head and sweat dropped.
"She's being as cocky as Ryoma now," said Yuki, "But, I always knew she wouldn't concede to defeat."
"However," said Fuji, "that's not how you win a game." Yuki was startled at how close Fuji was. She looked closely at him. His face was as happy as ever but there was a seriousness in his voice.

"That's it!" said Rei with a smile, "Captain's drop volley!"
"Game Set! Tezuka 6-1!" Tezuka shook Oishi's outstretched hand across the net. Tezuka suddenly turned to Rei who now gave him a cool look. He walked to Rei.
"What!" exclaimed one of the third years, "Why is Tezuka going to that freshman girl?"
"Shouldn't you be watching Kiyoko's game?" asked Tezuka. Rei nodded.
"Yes," said Rei, "But Yuki's telling me all about it later."

Kiyoko shot to the edge of the court. "Pity," said Inui returning with ease.
"This is like one of those chess games when the opponent knows where the other is going," observed Yuki, "His style is nearly flawless."
"Nearly?" asked Horio looking at Yuki as if she was crazy. Just then Kiyoko lobbed the ball above Inui's head moving back as she did. Fuji grinned.
"Inui could retreat two steps and with his height advantage."
"He hit it?!" exclaimed Kachiro amazed.
"Inui-senpai's in great form," said Yuki.
"This is certainly the first time I've seen Kiyoko pushed back," said Yuki worried.
"You're a very talented player to calculate my height reach and serve the lob," said Inui to Kiyoko, "However, no matter how skilled you are, it won't make a difference. I can always reach your ball."
"He seems very confident," said Ryoma, "I guess this is the pride of a third year."
"There's no way Kiyoko can win," said Horio. Yuki took on a serious expression and turned Horio around so that he would face her and aimed her racket straight at him.
"Don't worry about Kiyoko," said Yuki, "She'll get through." Kiyoko laughed as she tightened her grip on the ball.
"I'm glad I can go to this school," she said giving Inui a wink, "My efforts to come here was well worth it."
"She's still laughing at a time like this," said Horio disbelievingly.
"Because now I can defeat a variety of tennis styles her," said Kiyoko slinging her racket over her shoulder. She stretched her legs as if preparing for something. "I just thought of something that will win this for me."
"According to the data which side will she hit that ball," said Inui aloud.
"You don't need to guess which side," said Kiyoko, "Because it's going to the left." The ball was going at a faster speed than before. "Now, to the left."
"You're not supposed to say where it's going to go," said Inui returning the ball.
"Now above!" said Kiyoko now having fun. Her steps were much faster than before.
"She's going to do it," said Yuki eagerly.
"To the right!" said Kiyoko. Inui halted.
"Senpai missed the ball!" exclaimed Horio.
"Out of bounds!" said the ref. The ball bounced out of the court in loud thuds.
"Hmm," said Kiyoko thoughtfully, "I guess I overdid it. Oh well, the good show's nearly at it's end."
"Where did this kid come from?" exclaimed a woman in her mid-20's. Yuki looked to the side and saw a photographer a few steps away.
"She must be from a tennis magazine," thought Yuki to herself before looking at two girls crowding around Ryoma. One was Sonako. Yuki walked over to her. "Ryuzaki-san!" called Yuki to Sonako.
"Aihara-san!" said the girl with a smiled before bounding up to her, "I didn't know until yesterday that you were part of the men's team. That's wonderful."
"What are you doing here?" asked Yuki curiously, "Is that your friend?"
"Meet Sanae," said Sonako. Yuki nodded to her.
"Here to see the rankings?" asked Yuki.
"Yes!" said Sonako nodding cheerily, "We couldn't see Echizen-sama's game so we wanted to congratulate him now." Yuki thought she was here for the girls but she seemed like another boy fanatic. She put on her fake smiled before going back to the other first years and the game.
"Those shots were amazing!" exclaimed Kachiro, "I don't know anyone who could return shots with such speed."
"This is only an inkling of Kiyoko's technique," said Yuki, "Notice how her feet are moving."
"Oh, the split step," said Takeshi knowingly.
"Split step?" asked the first years. Horio turned to them.
"Of course!" said Horio, "It's at the basics of training. When your opponent returns the shot, you hop with your body tilting forward, landing on your toes. Doing this, your reaction will be faster by half a step."
"How come?" asked Kachiro. Horio was now clueless. Eiji laughed.
"That's because of the expansion and contraction of the muscles," said Eiji, "It allows her to dash forward. If he's half a step faster, than she can return shots that would normally be out of his reach."
"For such a simple move, Kiyoko has made it into a complex art by doing one simple thing," said Yuki focusing her attention on the game. The others followed and noticed that Yuki was not jumping down on both feet but at a continuous step one at a time."
"It's going to the middle and them I'm moving to the net," said Kiyoko.
"She's moving to the beat of her own drum, it seems," said Fuji. Just then Inui missed.
"Senpai missed?!" exclaimed a second year.
"Kazumi's moves have gotten faster," said Takeshi.
"But," objected Horio, "Wouldn't Kiyoko's technique be dangerous if she didn't know where the ball would land?"
"Only people born with a gift for tennis uses the abilities they have to win," said Yuki, "Senpai is playing against a whole different person. He plays data tennis correct? I wonder, could he play his style against a person he has no information on?"
"Inui-senpai missed again!" exclaimed a second year.
"I refuse to surrender," said Inui to Kiyoko. The girl smiled as she bounced the ball up and down on the court.
"There are some things you can't help senpai," said Kiyoko, "Even if you knew where this serve is going, it will be fruitless to even move." The ball she served went an inch in front of the net on the other court and flew directly to Inui-senpai. The racket flew off the third year's hands.
"How could this happen?" asked a second year aloud.
"Relying on your data is not going to help is you don't have the skill to back it up," said Ryoma.
"Game Set! Won by Echizen, 7-5!" Yuki smiled and gave Kiyoko a bear hug.
"Yuki! I can't breathe!"