Tennis no Ouji-sama © Konomi Takeshi, Shuheisha, Inc.


- Act XI -
[ Telepathic Match]


"D-don't tell me it's—" Takeshi stuttered.

"Hyotei's…" Takashi continued.

"AtobeKeigo," Inui finished their sentence.

Hikari glanced at each of them, blinking several times as she noticed how they were observing her reaction. "Uh, I'm sorry but… who is this Atobe Keigo?" she asked.

"Oh, you didn't mean him?" Shūsuke huffed, looked slightly relieved.

"What a relief, nyaa. You wouldn't want to be involved with someone like him, Hikari-chan," Eiji said.

"For your information, he's Hyotei's tennis club captain, also the student council president since thefirst year, and literally the living rule in Hyotei. He always begins his morning with Wagner's music and a cup of Darjeeling Imperial tea. His father appears to be the president of Atobe Group that owns many things from properties, electronic supplies, medicines, hotel chains, to food and beverage products—including the tea you're drinking."Sadaharu pointed at the green tea Hikari was holding. "Just like your brother, Atobe is also a national-level tennis player."

"I see…" Hikari didn't know whether she was impressed with this Atobe Keigo or the depth of information Sadaharu just gave her because she didn't even know how her best friend began her day.

"So, you really don't know him, Hikari-chan?" Takashi asked.

Hikari shook her head. "Nope. The man I've met isn't even a student so I'm not sure you'd know him." Hikari smiled upon the memory of him giving her a rose as if she was a princess and entangled her fingers upon the building euphoria that clouded her senses.

"Who is this man?"

The drop of temperature in the room wasn't caused by the air conditioner, and she knew that the Seigaku regulars would agree with her. She had to muster her guts to tilt her head to her brother, whose eyes scanned hers for an answer.

"Uh… h-he's a janitor," she said.

"Janitor?! They have a janitor?! Does that mean they don't have to clean their shits?! How unfair!" Takeshi asked disbelievingly.

"That's not the point, Momochan-senpai. What I want to know is what makes you so impressed with this janitor?" Ryoma asked.

"You have to see him yourself, Echizen-kun! Not only that he's kind and handsome! Uh… actually I didn't get a better look at him because he wore a mask back then… But I'm pretty sure that he's handsome! (Ryoma rolled his eyes at this.) I think he's also quite skillful in tennis because he could return a ball with a broomstick!"

But before she could utter more things, her brother had risen from his seat. The temperature had once again, had once again dropped to the point where she could feel the tips of her toes freezing.

"I need to go home right now. Thank you for inviting me and my sister," he told his friends and left the table. "Let's go, Hikari."

She really didn't want to go at that moment. He definitely wanted to talk about the janitor and would lecture her about it. Craning her head to her brother's teammates, Hikari tightened her lips, showing how much she wanted to seek their help. However, none of them seemed to be able to answer her SOS signal as both Shūichirō and Shūsuke placed their hands on her shoulder, while the rest of them gulped and transmitted something that translated as 'we wish you good luck' through their eyes.

How she needed good luck to survive her brother at that time.

But she didn't seem to get it because it had been thirty minutes since she sat before him.

"I get it, okay?! I get it!" she finally burst when she couldn't feel her legs after folding them underneath her thighs.

"I didn't say anything," he stoically replied.

"You don't have to say anything, Onii-chan! The way you're staring at me has spoken a lot of things already!"

"Then what did I say?"

"You don't like me talking about boys and romances," she exaggerated the last part.

"You're too youngto talk about that, that's one thing. You've promised to be careful and now you're associatedwith a nameless stranger."

Two, actually, she thought while biting her lips. He would absolutely 'kill' her if he found out.

"I've been living alone in Germany for five years and look how well I can take care of myself!" she retorted."Why can't you trust me more, Onii-chan?!"

Her brother sighed. "I would trust you more if you weren't going against me most of the times, Hikari."

"That's because you don't give me the freedom I need to grow up, Onii-chan! If I fall in love, then let me fall in love like the other girls around my age. It's natural! Have you ever fallen in love with a woman before?!" She snorted. "Forget it, you might never."

But there was an unusual silence coming from her brother. He only fixed his glasses without words and that kind of silence usually meant…

"Wait. There is?"

"Don't try to change the subject, Hikari. What's more important is—"

"No, you don't try to change the subject!" Hikari excitedly walked with her knees until she was on her brother's side and clutched on his shirt. "Who's the girl? Spill it already! I want to know everything! Please, please, please ! Onii-chaaan…!"

"Let's just focus on your school instead since the deadline is near," he stoically replied and pointed at her previous spot. "Sit down. We need to talk about that."

Hikari pursed her lips and unwillingly returned to her previous spot. "This is unfair. You're no fun. You want to know my secret but not willing to share yours," she blabbered with a low voice. She couldn't help but be curious about what kind of woman was able to capture her brother's icy cold heart.

"Hikari." She turned to him and stopped rambling upon seeing the hint of sadness in his eyes. "There are some stories I can share while there are some that are better left in the past and forgotten. Please understand."

Her eyes remorsefully fell to the floor before slowly nodding at him. "Okay. I'm sorry to push you, Onii-chan…" If he didn't want to tell her, the memory might hurt him even more than the injury in his dominant arm. It saddened her that her brother chose to bottle up everything inside himself while she couldn't keep her mouth shut about her personal problem.

It was the maturity she had to learnt from her brother.

"So, back with your school—" Hikari glanced down to her pocket when her phone rang and apologetically smiled at her brother.

"Sorry, Onii-chan. Let me get this first." Hikari unlocked her phone and widened her eyes upon seeing the e-mail she just received. "Onii-chan! I got a scholarship from Hyotei!" she screamed out of excitement, but she didn't get the same response from her brother. He deepened his frown instead, as if it was the most suspicious thing he ever heard.

"That's impossible, Hikari. You didn't sign up for any scholarships. Did you give them your mail address?"

She opened her mouth in realisation. "Yeah, you're right. But I did give them my e-mail address. It was required when I filled in the guestbook during the school tour." Tapping her finger on her chin, she scrutinised the mail again before giving it to her brother. "Do you think this is authentic?"

He took it and scrolled it several times, using his phone to check Hyotei's homepage, and said, "No doubt. This is authentic."

"So, should I accept it? This is a good opportunity, Onii-chan! They'll provide free uniforms and enough money for me to buy books and other things for myself, plus I get a free field trip to Norway!" She squealed. "I'll talk to Otou-san and Okaa-san about this!"

"Wait, Hikari."

"Yes?"

He seemed to arrange his sentence in his silence before saying, "I will get straight to the point. I don't think going to Hyotei is the best for you."

"You've told me that before but why are you and your friends are so against that school?" Hikari tightened her lips as she tried to recall the name they mentioned before. "Is it because of that Atobe guy?"She heard her phone buzz again and took it out. "Sorry, just a sec."

[You should go to Hyotei. Ore-sama thinks that you're truly belong to Hyotei.]

Blinking her eyes, she stole a glance at her brother, then back to her phone again. She had told him her dilemma between the two schools and that the vampire king persisted that Hyotei was the best for her.

"I will express my thoughts from an objective perspective. I don't like the way they pamper their students. That isn't a good education, Hikari."

[The school has complete facilities so students can focus on studying and enjoy their youth.]

Her upper lips curled, so did her brows. She glanced at her brother, then back to the phone screen, then back to her brother again.

"On my personal thought as your brother, I just don't like how the students' behaviour will affect you."

[I will make sure you're safe and sound in that school. Anyone who touches you in a filthy manner will be decayed under my command.]

Hikari started to wonder if the two men were somewhat connected and were telepathically debating over which was the best school for her. She felt a strong sense of rivalry between the two, as if they were playing tennis and she was the ball.

"So, have you decided?"

[So, have you decided?]

They even asked the same question at exactly the same time. She was grateful that she was surrounded by people who truly cared for her well-being.Her brother was staring at her, waiting for her answer. Taking a deep breath, she circled her arms around her brother's and snuggled at him.

"Thank you for your opinion, Onii-chan. But please, give me some more time to think about it."

Her brother nodded, then gently patted her head."Okay, I'll leave it to you then." Afterward, he headed towards the door and tilted his head towards her before getting out, "Good night, Hikari."

"Good night, Onii-chan," she responded.

The door made a subtle click when he shut the door. She sighed, not knowing why she felt tense after hearing and reading those two contradictory notions. She wondered what would happen if the two men really meet in real life since she was sensing some rivalries between them. After taking some more time to think about her new school, she was feeling certain about her choice. Snatching her cell phone, she finally replied to the unanswered messages.

[I have made up my mind.]


Taking a hot bath was something she missed the most from Japan. Even though she hadn't been to a hot spring yet, her home bath was enough in the meantime. Smiling as she smelt the rose-scented bath bomb, Hikari threw herself to the bed and happily moved her hands and feet like she was flying.

"I love you, my bed! I will marry you when I get older!" She then giggled to herself.

However, the word 'older' made her recall the moment when her brother half-admitted that he used to fall in love. She glanced at her reflection and stared from her eyes down to her appearances and noticed how childish she looked.

The girl her brother used to love must be a mature girl who knew how to take care of herself.

"No wonder Onii-chan doesn't trust me…" Not only her appearances, but her attitudes. She then took a box and started to get rid of the toys and things she used to play with as a kid. Checking her wardrobe, she took the clothes she deemed childish and decided that she would shop for clothes that would make her look more mature. After that she took the dress she thought okay and put it over her body while staring at her reflection in the mirror.

"Tezuka Hikari. You're going to be a high school student in a few days. Starting from this day on, you will prove yourself to be an independent woman who won't rely on anyone, including your brother." She then smiled to herself. "Then someday, you will be a world-class ballerina. Nothing will ever bring you down anymore."

After that, she went to her bed and tugged herself into her blanket. Staring at the night sky through the gap between her curtain, she spotted millions of stars on it.

"And you'll fall in love with the right person one day…" she finished her words to herself, thinking about that person before shutting her eyes.


AN:I'm really sorry for a super late update, guys! Before the pandemic began, I already have a handful of things to do and barely have time to update my story, especially because I am working on my original stories. My country didn't do any lockdown to begin with (just school and I've sadly graduated XD) so the only disadvantage I have in this situation is the inability to travel to another country. .;;

Anyway, I hope you like the update and click that little star for me if you do. Wherever you are, I hope you, your family, friends, relatives, anyone around you are doing well. Do trust that this pandemic will be over. Don't forget to take care of your hygiene and always wear a mask when you're commuting! God bless us all!

So, you might spot Tezuka's backstory here. His past will be revealed a bit in later chapter but there won't be any separate fic dedicated for him. LOL~

Favorite, follow, and most importantly—review are gold for me! As I mentioned in the previous chapter, the story is also posted in Wattpad. Since the site allows me to post videos and images, I might be able to pamper your eyes there. Check my account in ReikaNanatsuki!

Thank you for reading and have a nice day!