CAT CAUGHT MY HEART: DAY IX—TEZUKA KUNIMITSU
"Is everyone here?" Tezuka looked around the group. He was silent for a moment, then asked in a quiet voice. "Where is Kisara?"
"S-she's not here, yet." Oishi winced. "I went to her house to pick her up, but she wasn't there."
"We have only fifteen minutes before we'll be disqualified." Momo said anxiously. "Where is she?!"
"Fuji, did you take her home late last night?" Eiji turned toward the other boy. "Maybe she's still in bed."
"No. My sister and I took her home as soon as we were done with dinner." Fuji explained. "She said she had something important to do. Maybe she's—" He rubbed his chin, a thoughtful look in his eyes.
Taka-san gasped and caught Kaidoh's eyes. "On a date?!" They finished simultaneously. Inui looked up.
"Date?" A gleam flashed in his eyes.
A strangled sound came from Momo. "B-but, she's so young!" He protested. His mind immediately went to Kamio Akira and Ibu Shinji. "Those corrupters." He growled under his voice, cracking his knuckles. "Just wait till we get on court.
"This is terrible!!!" Eiji wailed. "Our baby is all grown up…and breaking guys' hearts!"
"Which pervert would date someone so young?!" Kaidoh was enraged, his fists clutched tightly by his side. Fuji sweatdropped at the reactions of his mumbling teammates.
"Actually, I was going to say maybe she's ill again."
A feminine exclamation caught all the guys' attention as they turned toward the south court. There she was, her long silky hair flying behind her and the bells at her throat tinkled with a gesture of her head.
"I-I'm sorry I'm late!" She apologized as she panted for air. "I walked here and I got lost on the way. I'm sorry."
"It's okay, Kisara-chan." Eiji pardoned, giving her a forgiving wink. "You made it after all." Then he paused, and an unidentified look shadowed his expression. "What are you wearing?" Everyone looked back.
"I-I, uh…" Kisara played with a strand of her hair murmured demurely. "…T-this is Ryoma-kun's. I-I fixed it so I would look like part of the team and not embarrass his school." She shuffled her toes. "D-does it look very terrible?"
The boys look over her silently. Even though Ryoma is a small, the sleeves of his shirt still came down past Kisara's elbows. The shorts that had came above his knees were well below Kisara's knees. She was so small and fragile in the large clothing that she almost disappeared in it. She definitely looked different than when she was wearing her white tennis skirt and white cotton shirt. Along with the neckline of the shirt being too large, it was disevlished during her run, causing it to droop below one shoulder. To the rest of her teammates, she looked so…
"Cute!!!" Eiji cooed, dropping his racket and hurrying over, pulling Kisara into a hug.
"You're really part of the team now!" Oishi approved. Taka-san grinned and Momo gave a thumb-up sign. She smiled shyly.
"Even though I'm not playing today, I'll be cheering you guys on."
"We really need to report in now, or we won't be playing at all." Tezuka turned away and walked toward the register table.
"Seigaku Tennis Club. The two doubles will be Momoshiro Takeshi and Kaidoh Kaoru as well as Eiji Kikumaru and Oishi Syuichiroh. The three singles are to be Kawamura Takashi, Fuji Syusuke, and myself."
As the guy recorded the names and games, the guys could hear the little voice giving herself a pep talk while still in distress as Kisara whipped out a white handkerchief and quickly pulled her glossy hair into a high ponytail. In her haste, delicate tendrils escaped and framed around her deep blue eyes.
"Know your opponent…" She muttered. "Relax the muscle, but do not lose focus…stand with heels planted firmly on the ground…" While she was busily pulling her hair back, the bottle of milk from between her fingers slipped and would have fallen to the ground if it wasn't for Kaidoh's quickness.
"Here." He handed it back to her.
"Thank you." Her voice was breathless and Kaidoh saw that her body was trembling with excitement.
"Hey." He said quietly, hesitating before laying a hand on her shoulders. "Relax your muscles… Don't worry. Calm yourself before the game."
She nodded mutely, clutching to her bottle of milk. She tried to do as Kaidoh said throughout the first three games. They won against Yamabuki easily, with Fuji, Tezuka, and the Golden Pair 6-0. But as their final game came closer, she quickly grew apprehensive again. Something is going to go wrong, she could sense it in the air.
"Yo! Seigaku! Kisara-chan!" A voice called just as the last two schools walked off the court. Kisara looked back, blinking, and saw Shinji and Kamio waving from behind the benches. Kamio ran over.
"Hey, Kisara-chan." He said shyly.
"Hey, Kamio." She looked over. "Shinji."
"What are you guys doing here?!" Momo bellowed as he came up to Kisara protectively.
"The same thing you guys are doing." Shinji's voice was still emotionless and monotonous. "We just won against Hyotei. We thought we'd watch your tournament with St. Rudolph before our next game."
"Kisara-chan, what happened to your fingers?!" The other boy exclaimed loudly. He grabbed her hands just as she tried to hide them behind her back.
"Hey, keep your hands off our player—" Kaidoh was coming toward them, but Kamio ignored him and stared at the small white hands, the fingertips wrapped with bandages, in his hands. He, then, let out a hiss, and dragged Kisara over to where the whole Seigaku team was sitting. They looked up expectantly as he stomped in front of them.
"Is this what you let your teammates do to themselves?!" He demanded as he stuck Kisara's hands out for everyone to examine. "What kind of friends and teammates are you guys?"
"Kamio Akira!" Kisara tried to draw her hands away with all her might, but her team has already gotten a good look.
"Those are the hands of a tennis player." Kamio's voice nearly cracked. "What did you guys do to it?"
"Now, wait a minute, Kamio." Eiji blinked and jumped up. "We have no idea what happened. We never even knew she was hurt until now."
"What happened, Kisara?" Tezuka 's voice was quiet. Kisara stared down at her hands.
"Let me see it, Kisara-chan." Oishi held out a hand. "It is serious?"
"If it's serious," Taka-san put in. "You shouldn't probably do anything harsh for several days."
"Maybe a glass of my vegetable juice would make it feel better." Inui remarked in a wise voice as he pushed his glasses up.
"What is it?" Momo hovered behind Kisara. "What happened anyway? Did you burn your fingers? Or did you cut yourself by accident?"
"It is nothing!" Kisara finally cried, throwing her arm out and backing away from the group. "I just pricked myself numerous times with the needle when I was altering Ryoma-kun's clothes yesterday. It doesn't bother me! I have lived for this day. This won't stop me, besides, I'm not even playing!"
"But, I've heard that needle punctures, though harmless, are extremely painful." Shinji's eyes never left her fingertips. "If you do get to play today, your grip of your racket wouldn't be as good."
Kisara's eyes flashed and twitched. Her pink lips pursed into a thin line. Her mouth opened, then closed. The boys watched quietly as she opened the bottle of milk with shaky hands, and slowly drank the whole bottle. She wiped her mouth when she was done.
"Mmm…that was yummy!" She exclaimed happily, her moods shifting once again. She chucked the bottle in a garbage can. "I'm going to get another bottle, I'll be right back."
"W-wait a minute, Kisara-chan…" Momo halted. "The game—" The icy blue look that Kisara sent him made him stop immediately.
"I'm going to go get another bottle of milk… do you want to stop me?" Kisara was a sweet-souled girl, but also like any girl, she could still inject some venom into innocent italics when occasion required.
"Um…no." Momo stammered. "Be back soon." Kisara gave him an innocent sweet smile.
"Thank you, Momo-chan." She waved. "I'll be back soon, guys!"
After she was gone, Eiji let out his breath. "Was that just me, guys, or did the air just grew colder?"
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Kisara walked through the trees and past crowds of people until she found a milk machine. Pressing a button, she retrieved her glass bottle of milk.
Calm down… you're not even playing, why are you so nervous? Something's going to go wrong. A little voice said in her head. She walked back through the crowds and toward the Seigaku court, where Momo and Kaidoh were starting the first game against St. Rudolph. But then she changed her mind, and instead of walked toward her teammates, she trooped onto the grass and sat down under a tree. Relax…relax… nothing's going to go wrong, Tezuka-sama is not going to let anything happen. The game has already started, and I'm not even playing. So everything will be fine. She took a deep breath and settled down deep into the soft grass.
Relax…
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"Go, Kaidoh! Go Momo!!" Oishi yelled as St. Rudolph led 5-4. "Don't give up!"
"Game point, St. Rudolph!" The referee announced.
Though Momo and Kaidoh fought their best, they lost their first match to St. Rudolph. But Eiji and Oishi, the "Golden Pair," won it back easy by winning the second doubles 6-1.
Eiji bounced back into the bench and immediately preoccupied himself in a victory dance. "Victory! Victory!" He crowed. He grabbed Momo's hands. "Come on, Momo-chan, let's do a victory dance!" Momo jumped up and jerked Taka-san up along.
"You heard him, Taka-san!"
Unfortunately, their victory dance ended up in tragedy. Sadly, during their promenade, they had somehow upset the row of tennis rackets lined up behind them. As the domino effect clattered behind them, the boys sitting on the bench could only watch helplessly as a whole array of heavy rackets attacked the one person sitting at the end of the bench. When the boys' brains finally comprehended to what was happening, it was too late.
"Tezuka, watch out!"
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"…And whispered…in the sound…of silence…" Kisara sang softly to herself as she watched the clouds move with lazy blue eyes. Her muscles had finally relaxed and she sat up slowly. The girl let out an inaudible sigh. It's about time she go back and cheer Ryoma-kun's school on. She wasn't here just to sit and sing to herself. But just as she stood up and dusted herself off, her sensitive ears heard the shouts of her name. She cocked her head.
"Kisaraaaa!!! Kisara-chan, where are you?!" Without a mistake, it sounded like Oishi. She jumped from her hiding place and hurried out.
"Oishi-kun, Fuji-kun, I'm over here!" She waved she met the boys halfway. "What's wrong?" Her heart thudded with dread. She nearly fainted as she heard Inui's words.
"Tezuka's hurt."
"But how?! He was fine when we were playing against Yamabuki!" Oishi finally caught his breath.
"The row of rackets collapsed on Tezuka." Kisara's palm went to her lips. "And it would have been alright," Oishi continued. "Except that they fell upon Tezuka's left arm…"
"Oh, no…" She wavered, saying in a soft voice. "How is he going to play now?" Fuji took hold of her shoulders firmly and gave her a little shook.
"He can't, Kisara. He can't play. It's all up to you."
For a moment, Kisara swore she saw black. "B-but—I can't!" She blurted. "I'm not skill enough. I can't even win a game, not to mention it's a championship game…and the first single!!"
"It doesn't matter." Inui replied. "You need to fill him in, or we'll have to forfeit the whole match. It would be a 2-2, there isn't anyone else to fill in with the rematch anyway."
"Come on," Oishi urged. "Taka-san's playing the third single against St. Rudolph right now, Tezuka wanted to talk to you."
"B-but—!" The three boys ignored her protest and dragged her toward their court. They propped her down as they neared the team. Kisara could feel the tension and pressure in the air about the Seigaku people. She cautiously shuffled toward Tezuka.
"Tezuka-sama…" She whispered, not meeting his eyes. Tezuka looked up, and she could detect the lines of pain that he was trying so hard to hide. Her eyes dropped down to the icepack he held on his left arm.
"Kisara, look at me." She raised her blue eyes up and met his eyes. His expression was dead serious. "I cannot play, Kisara. You'll have to take my place." His stern voice was firm.
"B-but, how can I, Tezuka-sama?" Kisara's lower lip trembled and she felt tears beginning to build up under her lashes. "I can't play. I am nowhere near good. I can't win."
"You don't need to win, Kisara. Right now, this isn't about winning. This is about going up there and represent your team and your school. To prove to yourself that you are part of the team. Teammates depend on each other. I depend on all of you as much as you depend on me. Because we're a team. If we don't need or depend on each other, then this isn't a team. I know you think you're not ready for this, especially to fill in my place, but we've been preparing you for this. Your team needs you, and I believe you could do it."
Kisara was mute. Tezuka watched her silently.
"I know I've been strict with you, Kisara." He said again, in a lower, softly voice. "That's because I believe you have the potential for this very moment. If I didn't think you could do it at all, I wouldn't bother expecting so much from you." He was quiet for another moment. "If you can't do this for us, Kisara. Do it for Echizen Ryoma. Isn't he the reason of why you came here in the first place?"
Ryoma-kun… Kisara thought through her hazy mind. Tezuka-sama is right. The reason I'm here in the first place was because I wanted to help his school win. To be known by everyone in Japan that it's his tennis team that won the final in the Tokyo National Championships. But now…
She looked around herself. She saw the hope in the eyes of all her teammates. They accepted her the first moment she showed up. To them, she is a member of the Seigaku tennis club. …I'm no longer only playing for Ryoma-kun, but for everyone here. Tezuka-sama, Oishi-kun, Eiji-kun, Fuji-kun, Kaidoh-kun, Momo-chan, Taka-san, Inui-kun… I'm playing for all of them now. Because I'm part of their team.
"I'll do it." Tezuka heard her say. She looked up, and he was taken back at the determination that blazed in her eyes. Her dark eyes were on fire, a fire of determination and courage. "I may not win, but I'll give it all I've got. I'll play with everything you and everyone else have taught me." Her voice was earnest.
"That's all we can ask." Tezuka nodded satisfactorily and the group saw that he was very please. They watched speechlessly as the captain of the tennis team gently lifted a hand and brushed against the line of her face with a feathery touch. "I'm proud of you, Kisara. Very proud."
"So…who am I up against?" Now that she had given her gallant speech, the child in Kisara was still just a bit intimidated. Fuji studied the piece of paper in his hands.
"You're up against Mizuki." He announced, then cocked his head. "That name sounds familiar."
"That guy that I met at your house last night?" The girl was horrified and her complexion paled to the shade of moonlight. "H-he's really good, isn't he?" She swallowed hard and turned around, looking for something. Then she remembered that she left it back by the tree when she heard Oishi calling her.
"I left my milk by the tree. I-I have to go get it really fast." Taka-san saw how unsteady her spirit was and at once offered to go find it. He came back with it and Kisara gratefully took a long drink. When she was done, her spirits were renewed.
"Okay, I'm up as soon as Fuji's done, right?"
"Yes." Momo nodded.
"I lost my match," Taka-san said shamefully. "But if Fuji wins against Yuuta, then we're even. And the game point would depend on you." Kisara shuddered at the last part of the sentence.
"I'm going to win." She said firmly aloud. Then, in a smaller, much small voice, she added in a whimper, "I'm gonna die…"
"Now, Kisara," said Eiji, in a soft and persuasive voice, trying to soothe her. "You know you're not going to die." He winked and slung an arm around her shoulders. "I won't let you die."
"You can do it, Kisara." Kaidoh sat down beside her and entwined his fingers together. He looked over at her and Kisara saw that his eyes were not the usual hard and cold look, but had a light in them. "I believe you can." He stiffly turned back to the game, with Fuji leading 5-2.
"Oh, and I never got a chance to tell you." Kaidoh said without looking over. "I do like dog-tails." Kisara caught her breath.
"Thank you, Kaidoh-kun." She whispered.
"The match goes to Seigaku." The referee announced as Fuji came back to the benches. "Final match! First singles, we have Echizen Kisara vs. Mizuki. Players on the court please."
"You're up, Kisara, good luck!" Eiji cheerfully clapped Kisara on the back. He seemed to be the only one unaffected by the change of players, but Oishi, as his closest friend, could tell that he was just as strained as the rest of them. The redhead was just unwilling to pile up more pressure for their youngest teammate.
"Elegance and agility, that's you." Inui whispered by her ear as he sent her out into the court. "That's what you are in my notebook, remember that. You are elegance. You are agility. You are the winner for this match. Repeat that to yourself and believe in it!"
Kisara hurried to the court with her knees trembling beneath her, before she heard one of the boys yelling behind her, "Kisara-chan, you forgot your racket!" Then she skidded to a stop and ran back as the whole spectators burst into laughter. As she grabbed Ryoma's red racket from Fuji, they could see that the girl was on the verge of tears.
"Aiya…" Eiji fell back into the bench and sighed. "This is no good, ne…"
"She needs to have some confidence, or she won't make it through the first round." Shinji frowned.
"She needs to believe in herself." Taka-san shook his head and looked down at his feet. "Or she's going to lose for sure."
"She's never had a chance to believe in herself, she's never ever won a game. Not with us." Oishi added, rubbing his chin in a worried fashion.
"Well!" Fuji smiled broadly and clapped his hands, catching the whole teams' attention. "If she can't believe in herself, then we'll have to believe in her in her place." Tezuka nodded, endorsing.
"That's right. She's up there where we can't be with her right now, so all we could do is believe in her for herself."
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There, on the court, Kisara, dressed in the white and blue Seigaku tennis shirt along with Ryoma's shorts and her tennis shoes, she looked awfully small and defenseless to the boys.
"Ah…you!" Mizuki cried when he saw whom he was up against. "What are you doing up here? I was aiming to play Tezuka!"
"Tezuka hurt himself," Kisara drew herself up as tall as she could and put up a defensive expression. "I'm here to take his place to beat you and your school in this game." Her voice wavered just a little as she said the last few words.
"So cute…" Mizuki cooed, before remembering that he was in the middle of the court. He cleared his throat. "And you say you're going to beat me?"
"T-that's right." Kisara wished with all her might that she looked intimidating.
"Just because I really like you, doesn't mean I'll take it easy on you. I'm determined to win this year's championship." Mizuki warned, his heart sympathizing the younger girl.
"I don't want you to take it easy on me!" He was surprised when she snapped, jerking her chin up to meet his eyes. "I'll beat you!" She said fiercely, her eyes flashing. "And I'll beat you fair and square!"
He gave her a little smile and patted her on her head. "That, we shall see."
"Oh…I'm going to kill him…" Momo jumped up from his seat. "I'm going to rip his heart out!"
"Sit down, Momoshiro." Tezuka ordered without looked over.
"But did you see the way he was looking down upon her? He was daunting her on purpose!"
"Sit down, Momoshiro." Momo sat, but didn't cease his grumbling.
"St. Rudolph first serve."
Mizuki served, and everyone could tell that he wasn't holding back. He was determined to end the match quick, with himself as the winner. However, he was in for a big surprise when Kisara, with a complex twist, returned his serve in the most intricate way.
He barely managed to catch it in time and he soon learned that though the "charming child" doesn't look like it, she was a complicated player. She returned in all the manners possible and many caught him by surprise because they were not known. True, they were basic moves and even original, nonetheless, when played in her manners it seemed more than he could take. And he soon noticed that she was quick to pick out his crucial weakness. Her speed was good but it does not make up of the lack of skill. However, her agility promptly justified for her lack of power and ability.
"She's holding her own well." Fuji remarked at the sidelines. "You know, Tezuka," he thoughtfully studied the creature in front of him. "If we should win the Tokyo Nationals, we really should buy Kisara-chan a colorful, cute frock for tonight. That child is too plain. It seems as though she has no other clothes. She's always so…white." Tezuka nodded.
Kisara didn't score much. But she didn't let Mizuki score either. At least not without an uneasy fight. It's almost as if she's challenging him, saying, "If you want to get the ball past me, you've got to take me down first." With more nimbleness than her teammates has ever seen, she returned all of the balls Mizuki hit toward her.
"St. Rudolph, 4-1"
"She needs to score, or we'll never get anywhere. Her endurance isn't that good yet." Oishi looked concerned.
"This game's been going on longer than all of our games put together." Momo frowned, watching the small figure on the court.
Kisara panted hard on the court.
"Serve goes to Seigaku." The referee declared. Kisara clutched the ball tightly in her hand, her eyes were closed and all sounds around her were muted as she focused all she's got on the object in her hand.
The audiences were silent. The players were silent. Everyone was silently waiting, anticipating.
This is it, I've got to get him while I have the serves. So far, I've only scored once, and that's because I caught him by surprise— Her breath quickened. That's it! Surprise. Surprise him! Get this point!
"This is for you…Ryoma!" With a movement too fast for even Eiji to follow, she gracefully leaped and the ball left her hand as she served it. It disappeared from her side of the court and shot past Mizuki.
"Wha—" He gasped and whirled around.
"It's in!" A whistle blew. "Seigaku, 2-4!"
"Go, Kisara-chan! You can do this!" Eiji chanted.
"Beat St. Rudolph, show them what Seigaku's got!" Momo was yelling at the same time. Soon, the voices of the boys were mingled into a loud uproar.
"Sheesh…" Mizuki rubbed his temples. "And I said you were a charming creature, too. Seems like you're as serious as I am." Kisara narrowed her eyes until they were only slits.
"Are you finally going to take me seriously?" She asked hotly, still breathing hard.
"Seriously?" Mizuki tossed his head and cockily blew her a kiss. "I've been serious the whole time, love."
"Seigaku, serve!" The referee wasn't an impatient man. Kisara tightened her grip on her racket, ignoring the pain coming from her fingers. Funny, the racket seemed heavier than it had been. She slowly raised up the racket and threw the ball. She swung the racket with all her strength, but…
"Deuce!" The people were silent as they watched the ball fall from hitting the net.
"She's lost a lot of stamina." Kamio sat up straighter and looked worried. They held their breaths as she served for a second time.
"Deuce!"
No! Kisara discovered that it was harder and harder to breathe and to run for the ball. Don't give up. You are agility. You are elegance. You are the winner. Try again.
She threw the ball and swung her racket again. Please go over the net. Please go over the net. She prayed to herself.
"Deuce! 60-0. St. Rudolph, 5-2."
"Kisara-chan, don't feel down." Eiji bellowed across the stadium. Kisara didn't move. In fact, in the eyes of everyone, she was facing the shocking collision of defeat.
"We're not lost yet!" Seeing her thin shoulders hunching in defeat, Tezuka hastened to call.
"St. Rudolph, serve!" Referee blew her whistle. Mizuki was just about to serve, but seeing Mizuki's situation paused and raised his voice,
"Hey, princess, I'm going to serve!"
There was no respond from Kisara, only the beginning of a slight tremble about her shoulders.
"Kisara-chan!" Oishi called out in a painful voice. "Don't take this too hard. Finish the game. It doesn't matter if you lose. It wouldn't be your fault."
"Yeah," Kamio also agreed. "They won't blame you!" He narrowed his eyes and glared at Kaidoh from the corner. "Or would you?"
"Shut up." Was the cold answer.
"Serve, St. Rudolph!" Referee was getting impatient.
"Don't give up, Kisara-chan. It's not that big of a deal if we lose this match. I lost my match." Taka-san's voice, though soft, could be heard. "Play even if you know you're going to lose, that's courage."
"Never mind," the Seigaku team heard someone from the audience say. "She can't handle the pressure. She's going to lose."
"Maybe we should forfeit, she can't continue. It's too much for her." Momo rubbed his head and sighed. "We're going to lose…"
"And you guys wouldn't have a next year." Shinji folded his arms in a sign of utter defeat. "It's over for you."
All of a suddenly, as if she had abruptly came alive, Kisara's head jerked up. She threw her face toward the Seigaku tennis team. They were shocked to see tears streaming down her face, but her eyes…her eyes burned the most living fire they've ever seen. The orange flames jumped and danced in her midnight blue orbs. Everyone, even the referee, was speechless as her grip tightened on her racket.
Then, as if on sudden impulse, she threw the racket down. The lonely clatter echoed through the whole stadium. She yanked the handkerchief from her hair, allowing it to tumble down wildly past her waist. Then she reached down and untied her white tennis shoes. She pulled them off and tossed them vigorously aside, along with her socks.
"St. Rudolph, serve now or this whole match is forfeited!" The referee blew his whistle shrilly. With no choice, Mizuki served.
Let's finish this match, Kisara. He thought grimly. This is a good match, but it will go to the better man.
The crowd roared as they thought this was the game point. However, it grew deathly quiet as a white figure, as free as the wind now with the accessories gone, her cloud of hair streaming behind her, leaped up with the unbelievable aura of burning flames. As her racket connected with the tennis ball with a loud CRACK! everyone heard a voice cry passionately,
"I…will…not…LOSE!!!"
Like a rocket, the tennis ball flew past Mizuki's ear. It landed several inches within "in" the boundary. She landed lightly on her feet, still breathing heavily, but the determination in her eyes blazed with a internal fire.
"D-do you guys feel…warm, all of a sudden?" Eiji spoke very slowly, his eyes never leaving the creature on the court. With her hair spilling dramatically over her shoulders, her feet bare and light, she gave the boys a sense of a wild and the unbroken filly.
"I've never said this aloud before, but…" Oishi hesitated. "Sometimes, Kisara is really…strange…" He trailed off. Taka-san was the only one that nodded slowly.
"I mean," Oishi continued, his brow furrowing deeper. "Don't you guys feel, sometimes, the impression she gives to us…is like one of the animals?" Momo lifted his head at the last word.
"Animals?" Oishi's metaphor has caught everyone's attention by now.
"Yeah…I don't know how to say this…but sometimes, it's almost like…she isn't human at all." Oishi bit his lips. "Sometimes, there is not a single human trait inside of her."
"Yes," To everyone's surprise, it was Fuji that spoke up so surely and so strongly. "It's almost like she has the understanding and knowledge beyond our mentality. She's always full of an unknown aura of life and spirits…" The tennis prodigy paused for a moment. "Almost like an animal, judging by their instinct, searching for the right direction and target."
"Precisely." Everyone looked up at Inui. He had a smile that proved that he had seen this side of her. "Fuji, you're absolutely correct. The her at those times, is indeed very exotic and mysterious. She gives people the feeling of distance, like she trusts no one." He turned toward Kamio, Shinji, and Kaidoh. "Have you guys ever felt it?"
"When I was playing tennis with her…" Shinji spoke slowly, as if realization has finally dawned onto him. "She gave me that feeling. That impossible feeling that she's…unstoppable, even though she wasn't winning. As if she was unchangeable and untamable as well. It's like she's expressing to the whole world that she'll always be free." Inui snapped his fingers.
"Yes!" Then, he looked onto the court, where the lone figure stood posed, ready to battle. "And gentlemen, this is exactly what we're seeing right now. An animal that will not be hold down by human implements. And the spirit she's showing right now, is the unstoppable aura of a wild beast that will not allow themselves to be caged and tamed."
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Kisara breathed hard, but her grip on her racket was still firm.
"0-15. St. Rudolph, serve!" Mizuki silently retrieved the ball, but in doing so, took a distinctive long time.
"St. Rudolph, serve!" The referee repeated.
"I-I…uh…can't." Mizuki mumbled, walking up to the referee and holding out the ball.
The tennis ball had been busted, it's velvety hides split from each other and the inner bursting out. It was not only from the impact against the racket and ground, Mizuki suspected, but also the fury air pressure when it was flying.
A new ball was brought and their games resumed, but Mizuki's heart was no longer in it. From that split second when Kisara had threw her racket to throwing off her shoes, he had just personally witnessed the powerful, unrestrainable spirit that the Seigaku tennis team were speaking of.
"Serve the ball, Mizuki." He heard Kisara call from the other side and looked up. He saw only a child surrounded by mists of determination. No skills, no talent, only a heart full of the fire of determination and courage. But the moment Mizuki met her eyes, he knew he was going to lose.
My goodness… Mizuki stifled a breath as unconsciously chewed on his nails. I am going to lose! No…no, I should put it this way. I might win this match, but Kisara has already won. As truth opened up to him, he grew even more nervous. By spirits, that girl is a winner. The match already belongs to her. I have lost. We're going to lose this game to Seigaku!
"St. Rudolph, last chance to serve!"
Mizuki raised his racket and served. He thought he had made a good serve that would win the game for him, but after a few seconds, he saw that his aim had missed the ball completely.
"Deuce!"
Focus, Mizuki, you haven't lost yet. And you won't. But in his heart, Mizuki has already lost all confidence and a little voice continued to nag him. You can win. No, you've already lost. You're going to win. No, the victory belongs to her! To take victory from that sort of spirit is the biggest mistake!
He lifted the ball and served again, but this time, the ball dropped limply on the net, then fell back to his side of the court.
"Deuce!" Mizuki felt as if he'd had the wind knocked out of him. In that instance, he gave up completely.
"St. Rudolph will forfeit this match." He muttered. Kisara had to strain to hear the unbelievable words.
"What?" The referee demanded, having never heard such thing. A school, on the verge of winning, is forfeiting?!
"I said," Mizuki lifted up his head, his voice loud and clear. "I'm forfeiting this match!!"
Every person at the stadium, players and viewers alike, watched in stupefaction as Mizuki silently walked off the court. Kisara was stunned. By the time she found her voice, Mizuki had almost disappeared.
"W-wait, Mizuki!" She called, hurrying over to the net, the fires in her eyes distinguished. Mizuki looked back and saw her hanging on the tennis net. He smiled and waved.
"You are a killer player, Kisara!" He called, giving her a saucy wink. "You deserved this game. I am proud you have you as my opponent. Keep up at it, you'll be a master at tennis yet."
With that, he was gone. Kisara stood alone in the center of the tennis court, taking in what Mizuki had told her.
"What just happened…?" She asked herself. Then, she realized. "We won the game!" She spun to face her team, her eyes sparkling like raindrops. "We won! Tezuka, we won!!!"
"Match and game, Seigaku!" The referee finally announced. The boys never forgot the look of light in the girl's blue eyes as she heard the winning proclamation.
"We won!" Eiji was shouting. "We won the Tokyo National!"
"We did it!" Momo, on sudden impulse, grabbed Kaidoh into a hug. "We finally did it!" Then, noticing he was hugging his nemesis, he let go just as Kaidoh growled.
The whole Seigaku team swarmed out into the court, including people from their school.
Kisara threw herself into the arms of her teammates.
"We won! We won!!" That's all she could say, over and over again. Eiji picked her up and swung her around.
"Yes, we did, Kisara-chan. You won the match that won the game for us!"
We won, Ryoma-kun! We won!! Kisara laughed lightheartedly, surrounded by the Seigaku school members, as she stared up into the sky. We won, Ryoma-kun, we won!!!