Disclaimer:

Punjabi Patipees (Sumatra and Rakasha) do not own Prince of Tennis or the characters in it. We do own the Asahara siblings, though.

Kumi: You do?

RP: Yup.

Akikoi: Why was the second chapter short?

S: Because we want to (sings "It's my party and I'd cry if I want to, cry if I want to, cryyyy if I want to")

Akiko: sweatdrops

Kumi: sings with Sumasha

RP: 0o…on with the story!

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Chapter 3 This Old Man, he played one…….

"Inoue-senpai, isn't it time for us to go to Seigaku and watch the ranking tournament?" Shiba asked the man beside her.

'Hai, hai. Just wait 'til I find the keys to the car." Inoue said as he searched for the keys in his pocket.

"Inoue-senpai, I heard that Seigaku's joining the Prefectural Games Mixed Division, is that true?" Shiba asked.

"That's correct, and it's even more exciting this year." Inoue smiled.

"Eh? How so?" Shiba asked bewildered.

"Because from what I heard from Ryuzaki-san, The Mockingbird appeared." He gave her a knowing smile.

"Onee-chan! We're out of cereal!" Eiji yelled frantically to his sister.

"Aa. Gomen, gomen. I was supposed to buy some at the grocery but it just slipped my mind. Don't worry though, I'll buy some later. For the meantime, I'll just give you money so you could buy some snacks along the way." His sister called out from the kitchen.

"Mou, what an unlucky day…" Eiji pouted. "Well, at least I've still got lots of time before the ranking tournament." He shrugged.

"Eiji-kun. Won't you be late for today's game?" his sister called out.

"Nee-chan, what are you talking ab-" he took a glance at the wall clock and his eyes widened at what he saw.

"I'M LATE!"

"What's taking them so long?' Oishi asked himself worriedly. "It's not like Eiji to be this late. Neither does Momo." He sighed in frustration. "I'd better go and find out what happened." He immediately went to find Ryuzaki to ask for permission.

"You'd better be back before the game starts." His sensei warned him.

"Hai. Arigato Ryuzaki-sensei." Oishi bowed and then left quickly leaving an exasperated Ryuzaki behind.

'Just…a little…bit-umphf-more." Momo strained to reach to the nearest branch.

"M-meow." The kitten mewed, frightened.

"Mai-chan hang on!" the little girl under the tree called out.

"There! Gotcha!" Momo grinned triumphantly as he scooped the cat in his arms. Unfortunately, the cat became even more scared and began to claw and scratch him.

'H-hey! Hold still or else…" Momo began to lose his balance.

"Mister! Is everything alright?" the girl asked.

"Whew, that was close." He said as he regained his composure. He began to slowly climb down the tree, the cat still in his arms.

"Here you go." He handed the kitten to the girl as he reached the ground.

"Thank you mister." The little girl bowed politely before she ran off.

He smiled fondly and shook his head as he mounted on the bike. He took a peek at his watch before his eyes almost popped out from their sockets.

"I'M GOING TO BE LATE!"

"Hmm…" Eiji held his chin thoughtfully. He was having problems choosing between strawberry and chocolate flavor.

"Nyah! I can't decide! And now I'm definitely late!" he cried out, frustrated.

"EIJI! There you are!" Oishi said while panting. He ran all he way from school to Eiji's house, only to find out that the red-head already left. The two began heading out the store when they almost collided with Momoshiro's bike.

"Hey, watch--senpais?" Momo stuttered.

"Block A? Wonder who'll be my first opponent." Akiko muttered to herself. She turned around and found herself face to face with Ryoma. She scowled. "Move it buster. You're blocking my way." She said through gritted teeth. He took one look at her and lazily stepped aside. Somehow his attitude seemed to piss her off even more. She was about to punch the daylights out of him when she felt a tap on her shoulder.

"You're Akiko Asahara ,right?" a blonde girl asked her, smiling.

"Ah-Hai." Akiko replied, completely taken aback as the girl's smile grew wider.

"My name's Rikku Tanaka." She held Akiko's hand and began to pump it vigorously. "It's nice to finally meet you!" Rikku said cheerfully.

Ryoma completely forgotten, Akiko turned her attention to the overly-hyped up girl and sweat-dropped. "Nice to meet you too." She replied politely before she continued, "However, my match with Arai-senpai is about to start."

"Gomennasai! You're also in Block A, right?" she asked.

"Hai." Came the reply.

"Yatta! I'll see you later then! Ja mata!" without waiting for a reply she took off.

Akiko shook her head in confusion. What was that all about?

Kumiko just finished three consecutive matches against Kaidoh, Inui and Fuji respectively, and was trying to arrange her chocolate bunnies by height against the bleachers instead of preparing for her match against Tezuka.

Behind her Inui remarked, "Looking at her from afar, one wouldn't think she was the same person who beat each of us in a span of twenty minutes."

"Hmm." Fuji held his chin thoughtfully in one hand. "The next match ought to be interesting." He smiled as he saw the usually expressionless Tezuka frowning at the petite brunette who seemed to have no care about what's happening around her.

"Game and match, Asahara Akiko. 6-0."

Akiko frowned distractedly at the now panting Arai as he looked at her in disbelief. "Where the hell is that bastard?" With that she left the court with a gaping Arai staring blankly at her retreating back.

"She's really something huh, Mina?" Rikku nudged her friend with her elbow.

"She IS Asahara-san's sister." Mina pointed out.

"And she's got character." Rikku said, nodding her head.

"Though she's quite brutal. She seems so different from Asahara-san. Kumiko seems friendlier." Mina said thoughtfully.

"Your next match starts in 5 minutes. Gambat te " Rikku smirked at her absent-minded friend.

"Oh! Hai! Gambari masu" she called out as she hurriedly ran to the other court.

"Don't hold back Kumiko." Tezuka growled uncharacteristically.

"Hmphf." came the reply.

Tezuka frowned as he bounced the ball with his right hand and prepared to serve.

Kumiko hummed a tune as she returned the ball with ease.

"She managed to return a seeming no-touch ace, having no problems with it at all. Incredible." Kawamura said in awe. He was watching the game from outside the court.

"And she seems to be winning it." Fuji added.

"Mou, Kunimitsu. Lighten up a little, will you?" she teased as she ran to her left to return the ball, however, as the ball hit her tennis racket, she found it hard to return.

Hmm. His strength increased. She thought as she hit the ball harder.

Tezuka gritted his teeth in frustration. She returned it again. He thought angrily. And she wasn't even serious from the beginning.

Kumiko began to sing while she returned all the balls that Tezuka hit: "This old man. He played one, he played knick-knack... hmphf." Kumiko scowled. Damn. I forgot.

Just then Eiji came and asked, "Nyah, did we miss the game?"

Tezuka grunted. He was getting distracted by Kumiko's repetitive singing. Most of all, he was getting irritated by her laid-back attitude.

"Mm…This old man. He played one, he played knick-knack on…on…" she stood up straight and held her chin in one hand, thinking.

She failed to hit the ball. Tezuka gripped his racket tighter until his knuckles turned white. The girl was trying his patience.

She didn't budge. His patience snapped.

"Don't. Get. Careless." He bit out.

Eiji decided to help his cousin. "Kumi-chan. I think it goes like this: This old man he played one, he played knick-knack 'til I'm numb."

Eyeing Kumiko warily, Tezuka again began to serve the ball.

"No it's not! I think it's: He played knick-knack till I'm dumb!" Kumiko spun around to face Eiji, causing her to miss the ball. AGAIN.

"He played knick-knack on my thumb" Tezuka grumbled lowly.

"WHAAATTT?" Everybody looked up at Tezuka, mouths open.

Kumiko smiled….

"Game and match. Tezuka Kunimitsu. 7-5." The referee announced.

"This ought to be the match of the year." Rikku said smiling.

"How so? I think somebody should place a restraining order between these two people, they'd kill each other!" Mina remarked half in awe, half-scared.

Ryoma and Akiko had been playing for two straight hours, both sweating and each possessing a red face. But not from exhaustion. With Echizen's Twist serve heading straight to Akiko's forehead and Akiko's Slam shot always aimed at Ryoma's nose, it's a wonder both players haven't suffered serious injuries yet. The two were lucky to be out of Ryuzaki-sensei's and Tezuka's eyesight, for both would have been severely reprimanded for their actions.

Suddenly, Tezuka decided to watch the match between the two. However, Ryoma was distracted by the expression on Tezuka's face. Since when did Tezuka-buchou express anything? Ryoma wondered what really was happening.

Akiko took the opportunity to deliver a swift return while Ryoma was distracted. With Tezuka in sight, both couldn't continue playing as before. She wanted to scream in frustration. Why can't that guy go away! She thought angrily. He's ruining my play!

Ryoma managed to return the ball and smirked. "Hey Asahara-san, scared of Tezuka-buchou?"

Akiko didn't reply and hit the ball with such force that it threatened to tear itself apart. Unfortunately, Ryoma was able to return it again.

"Mada mada dane." Ryoma smiled.

"Game and match. Echizen Ryoma. 6-4." The referee called out.

Ryoma tripped. Akiko smiled. She had just stuck her foot out in time to see Ryoma fall flat on his ass. Served him right.

Everybody gathered to see the results of the ranking tournament. Those who were admitted as regulars for the competition were:

Tezuka Kunimitsu

Asahara Kumiko

Echizen Ryoma

Fuji Syusuuke

Asahara Akiko

Inui Sadahara

Tanaka Rikku

Kaidoh Kaoru

"Nya. We didn't make it!" Eiji pouted. Oishi and Momo looked downcast too.

Kumiko looked at the three of them and decided to cheer them up. "How about we go swimming after practice?" She smiled as Momo blushed. Eiji pounded Momo on the head.

"Ow! What was that for?" Momo asked annoyed.

"Nya, nothing." Eiji smirked. Let Momo think what he wanted to think.

Suddenly, Kumiko looked back at the courts where Tezuka was still practicing. "Kunimitsu, don't forget our date tomorrow ne?."

Tezuka looked blankly at her then proceeded with his serve.

"CANNONBALL!" Momo shouted as he threw himself in the pool.

The group, mainly everybody except Tezuka, was having a pool party in the Asahara household.

"Your house is really beautiful, Asahara-san." Sakuno said as she looked around.

"That's because she helped in designing it, nya!" Eiji bounced up to his cousin and hugged her from behind.

Tomoka and Sakuno blushed at the intimacy that the two were showing.

"Kikumaru-senpai, Asahara-san! We should go now!" the two girls hurriedly scurried off and left the two confused.

At the far-side of the pool, Horio was attempting to best Kachiro in a contest. "I bet I could hold my breath in 5 minutes!" Horio boasted. Kachiro and Katsuo gave him doubtful looks. "Do you want me to prove it to you!" he screeched. The two boys decided to ignore him completely and started a conversation of their own.

"I wonder what Inui-senpai is writing on his notebook right now." Kachiro commented as he watched his senpai scribbling busily on his notebook by the side of the pool. "He seems to be observing Asahara-san very well." He added, not noticing Horio by his side, waving his arms and almost drowning. Meanwhile, Kumiko joined Momoshiro on his Cannonball quest and threw herself on the other side of the pool.

"That was a good one Kumiko-san." Momoshiro said admiringly. Kumiko gave him a thumbs-up sign and grinned. "I've been practicing that for years!" she said proudly. Just then Akiko came out of one of the sliding doors looking disheveled and extremely tired. Kumi's eyes widened and she gasped. "Akiko! What happened to you!"

"Nothing much." She shrugged. "My bike broke down, slipped and fell on a puddle and got chased by dogs along the way. The usual." She turned to go back inside and paused to look back at the pool party. "Nice party." She raised an eyebrow at the number of people. "Won't you join us?" Kumi asked. "No, thanks anyway. If anyone asks for me, I'll be upstairs in my room applying antiseptic on my wounds."

"Oh. Okay." With that Kumiko turned and threw herself again on the pool. As she raised her head above the water, Momoshiro asked.

"Will she be alright, Kumiko-san?" Momo said turning to Kumiko.

"Nothing she can handle. Yesterday was worse, she forgot her wallet during lunch, spilled grape juice all over her sensei, and fell down the pool after tripping on my bag. This is actually one of her better days." Kumiko said nonchalantly while Momoshiro sweat-dropped. Meanwhile, Kawamura was being hounded by none other than Rikku who was pestering him about sushi making. "And so after you roll it like this…" he motioned to Rikku who was listening to him, an eager look on her face. On the other side, Ryoma was being harassed on the other table by Tomoka who was dragging a blushing Sakuno behind her. All this was being watched by a hiding Akiko behind the curtains of her room, a smirk playing upon her lips. A plan was suddenly formulated.

Thanks to KatrinaKaiba, LadyLight, Shells, pertyprincess, joyjoy, TsukiMizuno, starwberry ice cream, bratgurl, anonymous and moochan for reviewing.

To joyjoy: Didn't we tell you we're sadistic? (Rakasha: That's just YOU Sumasha!) (Sumasha smirks evilly.)