Hey fellas! It's been a long time! I got so busy and well, I got some sort of mental block. But nevermind of that. Finally Tennis and her Mist is now updated! Yey! Though I feel that this chapter was roughly nah very roughly written. I'll post it not but may delete it or edit it later? I just don't know. Sorry for any mistakes and OOCness. You might notice but sometimes I call Nagi here as Chrome. Oh also with the tennis matches since I'm not good with that so if you notice some errors, sorry for that. There is some of it that I had to read and search in the internet. Ehehehe So without further ado… here's the Chapter 8 of Tennis and Her Mist.
Btw I don't own POT and KHR.
Chapter VIII
6 years ago
"What… are you playing?" Little Nagi asked. It was a mere chance when, for a miracle her family decided to have a picnic at the park. That's when she saw two young boys playing with a ball and racket. It had mesmerized her how the two hit the ball back and fro without the ball falling to the ground. That's why she, who was really timid, decided to approach and asked them.
"You don't know it? It is called tennis." One of the boys answered.
"In playing you will use a racquet to hit this ball over a net into the opposite court not letting it pass the line. You must keep the ball in play and you can only bounce one time on the court surface before your opponent hit the ball back over the net. " The other explained briefly for her to understand and with that Nagi's eyes shone in wonder.
The moment they went home, she decided to ask her father to buy her tennis racket and ball. At first, her mother was so against it since dolls and dresses would suit her more but her father, her ever loving father argued and in the end Nagi's wish was granted albeit a secret from her mother. She almost jump in happiness as she received her racket and hold it with so much care as if it would break. Since there is no one she can call to play or teach her, Chrome learned tennis by herself. It wasn't a feat for she had been a diligent and persistent child as well as fast learner too. If she could, being top of the class is a simple feat if she had a little confidence on herself though it doesn't bother her a bit, not anymore since she found something that she likes. Tennis.
Every after her classes before she went home, Nagi would go at the park with the children she once met and play tennis with them. It was that time she started acting a little like a normal kid which made her father happy. Despite of the fact that she still doesn't have any close friends, he was contented to see her smiling playing outside than locking herself inside her room that is why he supported Nagi on everything about tennis just to make the new version of his daughter stay.
Slowly, day by day, she became good in playing tennis and despite of being shy and no friends at school, she was so happy because of tennis. She started joining mini competitions and she was supported by her father. She never thought that something like this will happen in her life and wished that it would remain forever not until that fateful day. While going home after a certain tennis competition, their car suddenly had an alternator problem thus it broke down while they are traveling. Nagi's father decided to check it while she was playing with her racket when she accidentally hit the ball a bit strong that it flew on the middle of the road. She chased it not hearing her father's shout and everything dimmed. When she finally opened her eyes, Chrome saw a lot of people encircling her. It was then she remembered her tennis ball and started to panic to look for it only to see at her side, her father lying in a pool of blood.
"Poor girl. To lost her father right in front of her." One of the people spoke but she can't understand. She can't understand or perhaps she feigned ignorance. Little Nagi just won't accept the fact that her father died, that she got her father killed because of her. Her mother after finding out that it was all about tennis got very angry and started to be cold at her till she would neglect her telling she doesn't want her as her child. Ever since then, Nagi reverted back to her old self but worse than before. She dropped her studies and stopped playing tennis. Everytime she sees her racket or anything related to tennis she would saw her father's death that it had scared her much more drive her to that trauma, she had locked that painful memory and decided to forget everything."I hate tennis."
Back to Present
She was brought up from her trance when she heard that coins being inserted in the vendo machine. Nagi did not realize that she had been standing on it for a long time. Since she had arrived in this world, she kept on remembering her past although it was already unlocked during their fight 10 years in the future while she was on the verge of death. Admittedly, it doesn't hurt her any more than what she had expected but it didn't make her play tennis again. After all she had chosen her family and her boss. "I want to see them." Chrome gently spoke longing was deeply etched to her voice as she recalled her rowdy family and with a sigh she turned back and started walking away when an old man with a long beard stopped her giving her some candies. "Uhm ano? Are you sure you're giving this to me Ojii-san?" She quietly asked to which the old man nodded and left. Nagi stood stupefied when Kachiro called her. She muttered apologies and the two walked away. They meet with Horio who was waiting for them and started going to where their team is.
It's the first day of Nationals and they are watching the match between Higa Middle School and Rokkako Middle School. In the whole duration of the game, Nagi noticed that the members of Higa Chuu are always verbally abuse the members of Rokkaku and in the end, all of the matches are easily won by Higa Chuu. When Rokkaku's old coach, Oji, to which Nagi was shocked to see and find out that he was a tennis coach explains that Higa Chuu members manage to play their tennis since they incorporate the Okinawan martial arts that allows them to move quickly backwards and forwards around the court. One of the Higa Chuu member who played the match purposely hit the ball into Oji's eyes, knocking him unconscious. This then angers both Rokkaku and Seigaku members; however the Higa Chuu couldn't care less. Nagi detested their playing style and her flame spike up the moment they hit Ojii-san, the kind old man who had given her Chuu won and will be the next opponent of Seigaku. Chrome had been thinking of what should she do to them that she forgot she had been glaring them so hard which noticed by Fuji and teased about it.
"If looks could kill for sure you had already killed them Nagi-chan." At the call of her name, Chrome give a somehow loud yelp and blush. She incoherently stutter for reasoning which only made Fuji chuckle. "Saa saa.. Glaring that hard doesn't suit your cute face. Don't worry we'll win. We will never lose to such team who uses dirty trick to win." Fuji seriously spoke as he eyed the other team.
On the next day, Seigaku members enter into the court with the cheering crowd from Higa calling the Seigaku players "Losers".
"Heh! Here comes the losers! Bunch of losers!" Some of the Higa chuus taunted and laughed till the whole crowd started calling Seigaku as losers. This act irked the Seigaku regulars for their bad behaviour.
"Che can't wait to silence them later." Momo commented cleary dislike what the Higa chuu are doing. "Oi Echizen make sure not to lose."
"Chisu." Was the only thing Ryoma answered. Of course there is no way he wanted to lose with that kind of team.
The first match begins with Singles 3 between Ryoma and Tanishi. Ryoma starts with his trademark serve, the Twist Serve but Tanishi returns it by using the Carioca step. Ryoma then hit I back using Cool Drive that doesn't bounce after touching the ground. He continued playing like that and before the game point, Ryoma tells Tanishi that all the shots he hit were only Drive Cs which the rotation speed is less than half of the real Cool Drive. This made Tanishi a bit nervous but in the next game, Tanishi serves his Big Bang and Ryoma's racket gets blown away. He continued using his Big Bang while Ryoma attempts to use the Drive B. However, he barely gets the ball in front of him.
In the next game, with Ryoma serving, he had kept his cool and gets the game. This goes on until the score reaches 6 games all. But Tanishi kept all of his serves with the Big Bang too and did not lose a single point since Ryoma still haven't find a way to return it. Worried about Ryoma, Nagi went near the railings and called him.
"Echizen-san daijobu desu ka?" She softly asked which surprises the little samurai. After all, she rarely talk to everyone. He then gives her his usual smirk and his "Mada mada dane" which puzzles the mist guardian. The game resume and it now came to a tiebreak. Higa chuu's Tanishi kept his serves the same with Ryoma till the score came to 5 points each. Once again, Tanishi serves his Big Bang and to every one's surprise, Ryoma returned it. It seemed that all this time, Ryoma deliberately dropped his racket everytime he will hit the Big bang to purposely show that the its power wasn't dropping off. Because of it, Tanishi became extremely furious telling that he will get the next point but Ryoma finally hits the real Cool Drive. Tanishi tries to hit it before it bounces however the ball's extra spin makes it go straight to his face making Ryoma win.
The next game was Doubles 2. The game started with Seigaku's Kawamura doing his Burning Serve but was returned by Higa Chuu's Hirakoba. However on the midst of their game, Higa Chuu's Coach signaled Hirakoba to hit Ryuzaki-sensei using his Habu. As the ball was sent flying towards Ryuzaki-sensei, Nagi with her hitman reflexes without any hesitation jump in between and blocked it using her hands. Ryuzaki-sensei, Fuji and Kawamura approached her alarmed as well as the other team members
"Nya~ Are you okay Nagi-chan?" Kikumaru asked.
"Oi oi. You shouldn't do things like that you know!" Momo chided which Kaido agreed to.
"Fssssh. Don't do that again."
"Does it hurt? Should we treat your hand?'' Oishi as the mother hen of the group got very worried. Who wouldn't be? That shot is strong enough to knock a man how much more if a girl as frail as her would be hit.
"It's alright. I'm fine senpai." She dismissed them without stuttering as she once again unconsciously glared the coach of the opposing team. The others were surprise to Nagi's sudden change of demeanor but no one speak of it. She then sat beside Ryuzaki-sensei, to her left exact directly opposite to where the opposing team was. "It would be fine right Ryuzaki-sensei?" Nagi spoke softly without looking at her. "After all I am the team's manager." She firmly said before glaring to the Higa chu's coach Harumi Saotome once again then muttering something in Italian. "Coloro che giocano con strumenti bordati dovrebbero essere tagliati."
The match then continues as Fuji executes his Higuma Otoshi only to be returned by the opponent and having Kawamura's Hadoukyuu sealed. However, Fuji has already adapted to Hirokoba's Habu thus being able to return it without any problem. This made Hirakoba excited as he felt something unlike before but then, Saotome once again shows the sign that tells Hirakoba to hit Ryuzaki-sensei. Nagi, Fuji and Kawamura noticed it as they ready their selves to protect her but Hirakoba instead hits a smash to get the point making the score 5-3 which angered their coach. At match point Fuji uses his Hakugei but it was returned by Hirakoba using his special technique Giant Habu. But it was also the time Fuji shows his fourth counter Kagerō Zutsumi that wins the point. In the next point Kawamura uses his Hadoukyuu and gets the point because Hirakoba's Habu's rotation lessened due to being frustrated when he couldn't get the point. This made Kawamura to be able to hit more Hadoukyuus and therefore wins the match for Seigaku with the score 2-0.
"VICTORY!" Kawamura shouted waving back and forth his racket only to drop it reverting him to his own self. "But of course it is due to the support of all the team members." He continued sheepishly as everyone laughs after that. With that Nagi released a long sigh she didn't know she was holding. She was about to stand up and leave since she already deemed that it was safe now but Ryuzaki-sensei stopped her.
"Why not continue watching here eh Nagi-chan? It will be finished soon."
"Uhm… Hai." Chrome return to her seat and watch the final match against the two captains of each team.
The last game, the Singles one started with Eishirou Kite able to counter all the shots of Tezuka using the Shukuchihō Method, which was more powerful due to his incredible control and balance abilities that let him move in all directions. The game seems to start one sided with Higa chu's captain in the lead. However, as the game progresses, Tezuka seems to be catching up effortless. It was then that Higa Chuu's captain uses a dirty trick just to prevent Tezuka's return ball showing that he would do anything to win by scraping his tennis racket on the court to brush small pebbles into Tezuka's eyes. Everyone who saw it got mad even Nagi who somehow narrowed her eyes. She really is thinking of what should she do to them with her illusions. Ah it seems that she absorbed the sadistic side of her Mukuro-sama and Mammon-shisou. Or perhaps physical torture will be sufficient? Nagi shook her head as she cleared her mind. No! No thinking of torture or whatever Chrome! So in order to stop it, she decided to direct her attention to the game once again.
The score was 4-3 with Kite on the lead but that was not the reason Tezuka was upset. So with his usual calmness, he spoke to Kite. "A racquet and ball must not be used to hurt others."
"Ah are you threatening me Tezuka?" Kite only smirked at him.
"No. I'm giving you an important advice." After answering the question, he then walked away to start his service. It was then that he attains the Muga no Kyouchi similar to Echizen but what everyone thought was wrong. It wasn't Muga no Kyouchi but was the Hyakuren Jitoku no Kiwami, one of the 3 doors beyond the Muga no Kyōchi where the Muga's explosive power was focused into one arm therefore the shots are returned with double power and spin doubled while reducing the stamina's draining side effects. Because of it, he defeats Kite easily ending the game with 4-6 in his favor.
Nagi was so mesmerized with the game of their captain so much that she forgot to blink and even breathe. Her heart, just by watching the match skips a beat. She stared Tezuka and his movements till the end of the game as if memorizing everything. As the game ended, and Tezuka was about to walk away from the court, he caught her staring. She turned her head hurriedly and blushed. This action didn't fall unnoticed by Fuji.
'I am actually caught staring! It is so embarrassing but but but.. I can't take off my eyes away.' Nagi berated herself. 'Tezuka-san's playing style is so beautiful as if he is the god of tennis.' Nagi thought inside.
"Dio del tennis." And she giggles. She watched them as the two team shook hands and bowed. She had then thought what could happen if she had meet them first instead of her Mukuro-sama? Would her fate be different?
"Will it be tennis or mafia then?" Nagi suddenly heard a voice. "What will you choose then?" She looked around finding where does the voice come from. She was sure that the person used some telepathy like how she and Mukuro-sama talk. She kept looking until on her line of vision, she caught the sight of an unfamiliar hooded person and before she could run after it, it had vanished in a thin violet mist, a flame so much similar to hers.
Wait!? A flame?! I thought Chrome fell into a world without Mafia and flame so why is it that she sense a flame much more a mist flame similar to her? What do you think? Who would it be? Let's find out soon sooooo that would be the end of this chapter. As you can noticed I decided that the timeline for POT would be during the National preliminaries coz I'm thinking of continuing this until the New Prince of Tennis part though I just know. Then well thank you for the read. Take care minna.