Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Prince of Tennis!
...
...
"I don't know," Hari said again when asked where Ryoma was. "I left early today because I had to stop by a place before I came here."
It was true. She had to drop some of her homework for her magic lessons off with her mentor Hisakawa at a small office downtown before arriving at the courts that held the Tokyo Prefecture matches this year.
"Arhg!" Horio yelled.
"What a day to be late!"
Hari rubbed the back of her neck as she took in the anxious expressions of those around her and even Inoue and Shiba looked nervous. She did feel a little worried as well. She really hoped that Ryoma was alright and that nothing had happened to him.
"I'll call home and see if he's still there," Hari said and walked away from them to make the call.
She waited for someone to answer the phone and ignored the crowd around her as she did.
"Hello?" Nanako answered the phone.
"Nanako-san," Hari greeted. "Is Ryo-chan still home?"
"Hari-chan?" Nanako asked. "Oh, um, he just ran out of here in a hurry. He barely looked dressed…"
Hari could hear the worry in her voice and sighed.
"So he overslept," Hari grumbled.
"He did?" Nanako asked. "Well, he's on his way…"
"Yeah," Hari said. "Thank you, Nanako-san. Talk to you later."
"Of course," Nanako said. "Bye, Hari-san."
Hari hung up and sighed as she rubbed her eyes tiredly. Maybe she should have dragged him with her when she left. Seriously…
"Baka," she grumbled just as she turned on her heel to walk back to her team and let them know but she walked straight into a solid mass and stumbled back and fell to the ground with an undignified yelp.
"Itee," she muttered as she looked up to see what she had walked into this time. She blinked.
"Oh, this seems familiar," a laughing voice said and Hari glanced to the side to see Kamio laugh as he watched her.
"You're in my way again," Hari grumbled as she got to her feet and glared at Ibu who glared back at her.
"It's not my fault that you don't watch where you're going," Ibu said. "I was just walking and I can't be blamed when you just walk straight into me and fall down. You should have learned from last time…"
"Ibu," Tachibana sighed and Ibu shut up. "Are you alright, Hari-san?"
Hari smiled at him and rubbed her forehead sheepishly.
"I'm fine, Tachibana-kun," she said. "I guess it was my fault this time."
"That's good," Tachibana nodded.
"Hari-chan!" An suddenly joined them and ran over to her and hugged her. Hari stiffened for a moment before she hugged the other girl back and smiled.
"Hey, An-chan," Hari smiled.
"Why aren't you with your team this time, Hari-chan?" An asked when she let go of Hari. "Are you lost again?"
"What?! No, of course not!" Hari protested indignantly. "I was just calling home because Ryo-chan is late."
An gave her a suspicious look but let it go and rolled her eyes at the last part.
"He really is your brother, Hari-chan," An sighed exasperatedly.
"What's that supposed to mean?!" Hari frowned at her. "Of course he's my brother, but that's no reason to say it like that."
An just laughed as Hari pouted much to the amusement of the rest of Fudomine who were watching them.
"So, you have been busy lately," An said.
"I guess," Hari shrugged, "I was thinking on calling you soon, though."
"We should get together soon," An nodded. "I want to hear about your latest adventure of getting lost."
"Whatever," Hari mumbled feeling a blush rising in her cheeks and looked away from An who was looking way too amused. "I have to go and find the others. Good luck with your matches today!"
"Bye," An and some of the others said and Tachibana nodded at her.
"Don't get lost now!"
...
Hari frowned as she looked around the crowd and wondered where the others had gone because they weren't at the place she had left them. She sighed as she took to the right and hoped she would find them that way. She really hadn't thought about how large this place was.
"Oi!" She blinked and looked to the side to see Yuta staring at her.
"Oh, Yuta-kun," she said. "I didn't see you there."
He frowned at her.
"What are you doing walking around like that?" Yuta asked.
"Why? Can't I?" she blinked at him.
"You're lost again," he accused.
"Of course I'm not lost!" Hari said wondering why everyone always assumed that even someone who she had only met twice before! "The others just moved and didn't tell me where!"
"Right," he said in a voice that clearly said he didn't believe her.
She huffed. "What do you want, Yuta-kun?"
"Nothing," he looked away and she noticed the uncomfortable look on his face.
"Hm," she hummed. "You're playing us today, aren't you?"
He looked at her again.
"I bet you wish to play Shu-chan," Hari continued.
"I'll beat him!" Yuta declared.
"I see," Hari nodded. "I look forward to seeing you play!"
She waved and started to walk again.
...
"Where did Hari disappear to, nya?" Kikumaru looked around.
The others looked around as well and sighed as one.
"We should have followed her," Momoshiro groaned.
"What are we going to do, Tezuka-Captain?!" Horio exclaimed.
Tezuka just sighed and just then a buzzing sound sounded and everyone turned toward Fuji who pulled out his phone. He smiled.
"She says Echizen is on his way and that we should register without him," he said, "maybe have Horio pretend to be Echizen or something because they're almost the same size. And…"
"And?" Kaido asked gruffly.
"And…we have to stop moving around because she can't find us," Fuji smiled.
They stared at him.
"That girl!" Momoshiro suddenly yelled. "She's lost again!"
Inui scribbled in his notebook muttering about data and shaking his head as he listed the probabilities of her finding them on her own.
"I guess we should do as she says," Ryuzaki said and looked at Horio who blinked and suddenly looked very nervous. "Kaido, lend him your jersey!"
She tossed him a cap and Kaido reluctantly gave his jacket for Horio to put over his t-shirt. He looked like he was swimming in it but they had no other choice.
"I will get Echizen for this," Horio swore as he followed the regulars feeling very nervous.
"Good plan, though," Kikumaru commented as he glanced over at Horio who was looking rather pale.
"Yes," Oishi nodded. "Well, we should get the register matter done soon."
...
"He didn't need to make the jacket so dirty, though," Horio was saying dejectedly. "It was Kaido-sempai's!"
Hari glanced at the dejected boy who held up the blue and white jacket that looked rather filthy.
"What did you do to it?" Hari asked curiously making Horio and the other freshmen jump and spin around to stare at her.
"Hari-chan!" they all yelled. "You found us again!"
"You all kept moving around," Hari muttered. "It's not my fault."
"It is!" Horio yelled.
Hari pouted.
"Well," she said and looked at Horio. "What did you do to the jacket? Is it Ka-chan's?"
"Hai," Horio said miserably. "Echizen had to go and get it dirty…"
"Oooo," Hari tilted her head and smiled slightly. "Give it here."
"Eh?" Horio looked at her.
"I'll help you," she smiled. "Give it to me and I'll fix it."
"Really?" Horio asked hopefully.
"Sure," Hari nodded and took the jacket.
She walked to the bathroom and noticed that the freshmen followed but they waited outside. She was pleased with that. She looked around and saw that there was no one inside the bathroom and quickly pulled out her wand.
So, okay, she wasn't really supposed to do magic outside like this. But, the Japanese Ministry of Magic had granted her permission to use magic outside of school and had removed the trace from her wand. Mostly because she needed to be able to use her magic when she did her magical homework.
"Scourgify!" she said with her wand pointed at the jacket.
The jacket quickly turned back to the clear white and blue colour and held no trace of the dirt that had been on it. She smiled. She was very pleased that she had learned that charm.
She walked outside again and presented the jacket to Horio who stared at it wide-eyed.
"How…?" he started.
"Himitsu," she winked.
"Thank you!" he looked close to tears in his relief and she reached out and ruffled his hair as she would do to Ryoma.
"No problem," she said and started to walk. "Come on. We should find the others."
"You're going the wrong way," Tomoka yelled and Hari froze.
...
They found the rest and Hari had to endure teasing from Fuji about getting lost again and she glared at him but couldn't help but smile slightly as well. She noticed Ryoma standing by Momoshiro and was dressed in his tennis clothes so he looked ready for the match that was just about to start.
She stood at their sides and watched them all fly through the first round and everyone winning their match. She smiled and cheered with the others even as she noticed the dark-haired boy standing on the other side watching as well. She wasn't sure who he was but she could tell that Inui also noticed him.
...
Tezuka glanced at Fuji who was quiet and didn't really take part in any conversation that took place around them. He knew what was on his friend's mind. Fuji Yuta. They would be playing his team next and Tezuka knew it would be a difficult team to meet, he had heard Inui's reasons and worries about the team manager.
A groan followed by laughter had Tezuka look to see Ryoma being locked in a headlock by Hari who ruffled his hair and in the process made the white cap Ryoma normally wore fall to the ground. Not surprising it was Momoshiro and Kikumaru who laughed at the younger boy's misfortune.
"Hari!" Ryoma complained trying to get free from his sisters hold. "Let me go."
"Ie," Hari refused. "You won your match! Congratulation, ototo!"
"Why do I have to be the youngest one," Ryoma complained and Hari laughed.
Tezuka felt a smile twitch on his lips but he soon pushed it back as he watched. He noticed that Fuji also watched and smiled slightly if not a little sadly.
"Take the complaint to Nanjiro and Rinko," Hari quipped. "But I don't think it'll help. You're my cute little brother."
"I'm not cute," Ryoma protested.
"Yes, you are," Hari said.
"No, I'm not," Ryoma said.
"Yes, you are," Hari said again and Tezuka sighed.
The atmosphere in the team was better as they watched the two siblings and Tezuka wondered just how strong Hari was to keep Ryoma from escaping her hold or maybe Ryoma wasn't trying all that hard.
As he watched he was reminded that he had to watch Hari play again soon. He had a feeling that she had taken large steps in the right direction in her play. He noticed how she had held back during practice and that she seemed to be closer to Fuji lately.
"You've been spending time with Hari-san lately, Fuji," Tezuka said and Fuji glanced at him.
"Hai," Fuji nodded. "She's becoming a good friend."
Tezuka glanced at him and nodded thoughtfully. He looked over at them again and noticed that Ryoma had gotten free and was now chasing Hari who laughed freely a sound that was contagious and spread happiness in those who heard it. Even if Tezuka never would admit it out loud.
"Well, well," someone spoke up and Tezuka suddenly noticed that Atobe Keigo had walked up to them and was watching Hari and Ryoma with something in his onyx eyes that looked like jealousy, but Tezuka was not sure because it was gone as quickly as it came. "What a happy scene, Hari-chan."
Tezuka noticed the familiar way he addressed Hari, but most addressed her by her first name so it didn't necessarily mean anything. He did notice that Ryoma tensed and immediately glared at Keigo who only looked at Hari now.
"Keigo," Hari smiled slightly as she waved at him.
Tezuka wasn't the only one surprised by the use of his first name if the looks the others exchanged was anything to go by. He looked closer at Hari and then over at Keigo. He remembered, of course, he did, when Keigo had come to Seigaku a little while ago and had talked to Hari. He never knew what they talked about and Hari never said anything about it to anyone. At least not that he knew off.
"I had forgotten that you would be here as well," Hari said.
"I'm the Great Atobe Keigo!" Keigo said dramatically, "of course I'm here!"
Tezuka felt like rolling his eyes but refrained but he did notice that Momoshiro and Kikumaru snorted quietly at the dramatics of Keigo and Hari actually did roll her eyes and muttered something that sounded like: "just like Malfoy" under her breath.
"Yeah, yeah," Hari waved her hand. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to get you," Keigo declared. "So, come!"
Tezuka arched a brow as he took in the order and was not sure he liked it. Hari didn't move, though but that might be because Ryoma placed himself in front of her and glared at Keigo.
"Don't order Hari-chan around!" Momoshiro yelled before Ryoma could say anything.
"Yeah! Hari-chan is our friend and you can't just come here and just take her, nya!" Kikumaru said.
Tezuka watched in silence as the two loudmouths protested and noticed that Kaido was also looking serious and was glaring at Keigo. Oishi looked more worried than angry, but that was typical Oishi. Kawamura looked curious and slightly amused as he watched, while Inui was, of course, scribbling in his notebook. Fuji was watching curiously but had a small frown on his face.
Keigo just arched a brow as he looked them over before his eyes landed on Ryoma who glared silently at him. Again there was that look in Keigo's eyes and Tezuka couldn't really understand why the two suddenly seemed to be in a glaring battle.
Suddenly Ryoma moved and Tezuka was about to move as well because he could tell that the younger boy was about to attack the Hyotei Captain, and Tezuka couldn't allow that, but Hari reacted before he could and grabbed Ryoma's arm and pulled him back.
They all tensed.
Tezuka frowned as he looked at Ryoma seriously as he was curious and worried about what caused the boy to react like this. He normally never moved to actually hit anyone, verbally insult them – yes. Hit them –no.
What was going on here?
"Ryo-chan, calm down," he heard Hari tell her little brother.
"Hn," Ryoma looked away and folded his arms over his chest.
"Keigo," Hari frowned and looked away from Ryoma. "Are you trying to start a fight?"
"Of course not," Keigo said coolly.
Hari sighed.
"Then maybe you should use the manners I know your parents installed in you and actually ask and not order," Hari said.
"I want to introduce you to my team," he said after a pause. "So, will you please come with me?"
Tezuka arched a brow in surprise and looked at Hari who was watching Keigo before she nodded.
"Captain, I will be back soon," she said and glanced at Tezuka.
"Hari," Ryoma frowned.
"Don't worry, Ryo-chan," Hari smiled at him. "I'll be back soon."
...
Ryoma scowled as he watched Hari walk away with Keigo and Kabaji chatting with them easily and he couldn't help the worry that she was slipping away.
"What was that?!" Momoshiro asked.
Ryoma just shrugged and crossed his arms over his chest and looked away. He didn't want to talk about it.
"I didn't know she was close to him," Kawamura commented questioningly.
"Me neither," Kikumaru frowned. "Ochibi-chan?"
Ryoma walked away without saying anything and sat down on a bench and stared at the ground looking like he was in deep thoughts.
"Perhaps its best if we do not talk about it," Oishi frowned.
"But Oishi…" Kikumaru whined.
"It's none of our business, Eiji," Oishi said firmly. "There's clearly something going on that we don't know."
Sakuno and Tomoka exchanged looks before they looked over at Ryoma. They had never seen him like this before. He seemed distracted and almost sad or worried, maybe, and just because Hari went to meet this Atobe Keigo's team. Why?
...
"Honestly, Keigo," Hari frowned at him. "You know they're going to be asking me a lot of questions now."
"So?" Keigo huffed.
"So it's going to be boring to have to answer them," Hari said.
"Then don't," Keigo shrugged. "Now, come on. My team is over here."
Hari sighed and followed him over to the group that was sitting around some picnic tables and chatting. She did notice that some of them were not in their training clothes and she frowned slightly as she took them in. Why would not all of them look like they would be playing tennis at all? What was Keigo thinking?
"Captain is here," a boy with long brown hair tied back said and he looked to be one of the few who had his team t-shirt on and looked ready to play.
"Who are you?" a boy with short dark red hair asked frowning at Hari.
Hari just tilted her head curiously as she stared back at him but she hid the nerves she felt at the fact that they all stared at her. She blinked at him.
"Who are you?" She asked. "It's polite, you know, to introduce yourself before demanding a name from someone you don't know."
They all stared at her shocked and Keigo sighed closing his eyes for a moment before he opened them again and his face was back at the normal confident look.
"Echizen Hari, meet my team," he said and listed their names in quick succession as he pointed them out for Hari who gave them curious looks but kept her face blank. "Team, meet Hari-chan."
Hari waved at them and noticed the way they seemed to be seizing her up, especially the one with longish blue hair and glasses. He seemed very calm and collected and she could instantly tell that he was the kind to analyse everything around him, Keigo had called him Oshitari Yushi.
The one who had asked or rather demanded to know who she was – was frowning at her and if she remembered correctly his name was Mukahi Gakuto or something like that. He seemed rather prickly if Hari was being honest.
Shishido Ryo with the long brown hair had looked away from her and seemed to be preparing his tennis equipment instead of paying her any attention and she found that she kind of approved of this. If only because it was one pair of eyes less that was watching her.
The other one she took notice of was the one with silvery-grey hair and kind smile that was looking the most welcoming of the group. Hari had to think for a moment to remember the name Keigo had used for him… oh, yeah, Otori Chotaro.
She glanced to the boy who was lying on his back sound asleep and had to admire the fact that he could sleep that peacefully at a place like this. His name was Akutagawa Jiro if Hari remembered correctly.
"Hello," Otori smiled. "Nice to meet you, Echizen-san."
"You too, Otori-san," she smiled shyly. "Also, just call me Hari. Most everyone does."
"Al-alright," he nodded and glanced at Keigo almost as if he was asking permission.
Keigo sat down and motioned for Hari to do the same. She sighed.
"So, how do you know our Captain?" Mukahi frowned with his arms crossed over his chest. "Are you his girlfriend?"
Hari sighed.
"Why does it have to be girlfriend/boyfriend every time I am seen with a boy?" she grumbled.
Keigo smirked but he shook his head.
"No, she's a family friend," he said. "Her mum was my godmother."
So he wasn't going to hide the connection. She gave him a thoughtful look before she turned back to his team who blinked at them. She nodded to show that this was true.
"So, are you here visiting?" Otori asked.
"Nah," Hari shook her head. "Keigo dragged me from my team to come here…"
"I didn't drag you," Keigo frowned at her.
"You pretty much did," she smirked at him.
He huffed.
"Your team?" Shishido asked looking up from whatever he was doing.
"She's a part of Seigaku," Keigo explained.
"I didn't think the girls' team played in this area today," Oshitari commented as he pushed his glasses up his nose.
"They don't," Hari deadpanned.
"She's on the boys' team," Keigo added when Hari didn't say anything.
"Not one of the regulars," she said.
"Yet," Keigo corrected.
They stared at her again and she saw they all looked more interested in her now and some even got a contemplative look in their eyes as they watched her. She pretended she didn't notice this.
"So, you're not going to start our school with Atobe-Captain?" Mukahi frowned.
Keigo smirked.
"I'm in the process of getting her to transfer over," he said.
"Hm, interesting," Oshitari said.
Hari, however, was frowning at Keigo.
"I'm not leaving Seigaku," she frowned at him.
"This is clearly the better school, Hari-chan;" Keigo said.
"That's not necessarily true," Hari scowled at him. "Honestly, I'm not going to transfer over to Hyotei. I like Seigaku."
"What's to like about that school?" Mukahi sneered. "We're clearly the best!"
"Says you," Hari gave him a blank look. "I don't care."
Mukahi glared at her.
"You'll see that this school is the best, Hari-chan," Keigo said and leaned forward slightly. "It can offer you the best subjects and possibilities for your future, and the tennis team is great. You will find your place with us. It's how it was supposed to be."
Hari stood up and glared at Keigo.
"I'm not leaving my brother," she said. "Sorry, Keigo. I'm staying with Ryo-chan and Seigaku and there's nothing you can say to change my mind about that."
...
She stalked away from them and didn't even care that she was being rude. She was so… angry! She should have seen that Keigo had some sort of agenda with his seeking her out as he did. She should have seen it! Why hadn't she questioned it?
He shouldn't have just said it like that. Like it was already decided and a done deal without talking to her about it first. She hated to have things sprung at her like that and being put in the spot like she had was…
"Baka!" she snapped and ignored the way a boy jumped away from her and gave her a frightened look.
She shook her head as she tried to calm down and push the anger away. She shouldn't let Ryoma see her angry. He was worried enough. She remembered the worried look he had when she walked away with Keigo. She felt a stab of regret and upset as she remembered and how she had waved his concern off. She really shouldn't have done that. Not when she could tell that he had been worried and if she came back upset…then his match would be ruined and she didn't want that. He needed to be focused.
She paused and took a deep breath before exhaling again and felt her body relax slightly as she did the exercises she had been practising to calm down. There was nothing she could do about it now. She would need to talk to Keigo later and make him understand that she wasn't going anywhere and that she wanted to stay at Seigaku.
In a way she should have seen this coming. He was very much like Malfoy in the sense that he felt entitled and had a right to demand things and expected them to be followed. She could, partly, understand him. In his mind he was right. He really thought she should be at Hyotei because had she been living with them, grown up with them, like she was supposed to, then she would most likely have gone to Hyotei as well.
That didn't mean that she liked the way he had just blurted it out there and talked like it was a done deal. She really hated that.
No, she was getting angry again. She had to stop her thoughts. She worked to push the thoughts away as she had learned during her years at Hogwarts. With a last effort, she shook herself and started to walk again.
She actually found the right court where Seigaku was going to play against St. Rudolph without getting lost and felt her mood get slightly better, though she frowned again when she saw the two teams standing to face each other outside of the court and Yuta seemed to be standing slightly in front of the rest of his team and glared at Ryoma.
...
Yuta glared at the younger boy in front of him and felt really annoyed when he just got an indifferent look back. He knew he was going to be facing him in his match and felt a stab of annoyance toward Mizuki who had prevented him from playing his brother. He hadn't said anything because he knew it wouldn't do anything to change the boy's mind, but he didn't by the fact about Mizuki having tried to match them up.
"You name is Echizen Ryoma, right?" Yuta asked giving the dark-haired boy a sceptical look. He did his best to ignore Fuji standing right there, only a few steps behind Ryoma.
"Hai," Ryoma said.
Yuta wondered because that was the last name of Fuji's friend, Hari. Were they related? He didn't think they looked like each other at all, but… maybe? He was curious. He had not been able to get her words out of his mind since he had seen her last. She thought he was a good player and she wanted to see his style of tennis. She had even been angry when he had assumed that she thought that he wasn't like his brother.
She was weird but also…fascinating. He wanted to know more about her and know just what made her seem so believable. He had tried to push her words away as lies, but he couldn't do it. Her tone, her expression had all been so sincere.
I will look forward to seeing you play and I can tell that you really love tennis. I'm really interested in your style.
The words echoed in his mind and had done so day and night.
"You know Echizen Hari, then?" Yuta finally asked and thought he saw his brother stiffen slightly.
Ryoma frowned at him. Finally a reaction, Yuta thought.
"You know Hari?" Ryoma asked.
"We've met," Yuta said. "You have the same last name."
"That's because Ryo-chan is my little brother, Yuta-kun," Hari suddenly said and an arm was slung over Yuta's shoulder and he stilled before glancing to his side and saw Hari right there and being really close to him. He fought the blush as he worked to glare at her.
"Let go of me," Yuta grumbled knowing he was blushing.
Hari grinned and backed off holding up her arms in a disarming way.
"Gomen," she chuckled. "Couldn't help myself when I saw you glaring at Ryo-chan. Are you two playing each other, perhaps?"
"Hai," Ryoma said.
Hari glanced at him before looking back at Yuta who scowled. He tried to look disinterested but couldn't help that he was looking at her.
"You know Fuji-sempai's little brother, Hari-chan?" Horio asked.
Yuta stiffened as he glared and noticed the thoughtful look on Hari's face as she watched him. He noticed how she glanced at his brother who didn't say anything before she looked back at him.
"I have met Yuta-kun a couple of times," Hari finally said, "you shouldn't refer to him as Shu-chan's little brother. He is more than that, Horio-kun. Yuta-kun is Yuta-kun and Shu-chan is Shu-chan. It's rude to just refer to someone as 'little brother' instead of by name."
Yuta couldn't help the look of shock that crossed his face as he stared at Hari. She just gave him a small smile and turned to continue past him.
"Good luck today, Yuta-kun," she said as she looked over her shoulder and smirked at him, "I look forward to seeing your style. I'm sure it will be interesting."
"Ha-hai," he mumbled.
He watched as Hari patted Ryoma's shoulder before walking over to his brother and whispered something and nudged his shoulder making him smile ever so slightly.
He had no idea what to think about her. All he knew was that she was different from everyone else.
...
Hari stood outside the fence watching the teams' line-up and do the regular greeting. She had deliberately placed herself a little bit away from Sakuno and the rest of the first year and the two journalists. Right now she wasn't in the mood to carry any conversation or listen to them talk, she knew she probably wouldn't be left alone for long but right now they seemed inclined to let her be.
She sighed as she looked at Ryoma who was looking pensive and glanced over at her from time to time. She hoped he would be able to focus on his match and not on whatever he was thinking about Keigo. She wasn't really sure why Ryoma was so against Keigo in the first place. All she knew was that he got really grumpy and almost clingy when Keigo was mentioned.
She watched as Momoshiro and Kaido prepared to play in the first doubles match. She blinked before a small smile crossed her lips. She guessed they could work if they just learned to work together. She would at least get some entertainment watching them.
"You okay?"
Hari blinked and looked to her side to realise that Fuji had joined her and even if he seemingly had his focus on Momoshiro and Kaido she knew he was also watching her.
"I'm fine," she said looking back at the match again.
Fuji was silent for a moment and she felt a spark of amusement as she watched Kaido and Momoshiro growl at each other. She smiled slightly and felt something inside her lighten as she watched them.
She looked at the boy with the red band around his head and thought he looked kind of familiar… she had seen his face before but she was pretty sure she had never seen him. She frowned. Where had she seen him?
"So, I didn't know you still had contact with Atobe," Fuji suddenly said and Hari was interrupted in her attempt to place the teen on St. Rudolph.
"Mm?" she glanced over at Fuji.
He was looking at her with a pensive look on his face.
"I've met him a few times since he came to Seigaku," she admitted.
She could rarely say that she had seen Fuji surprised but it was clearly the main emotion on his face now but he schooled his expression quickly.
"I didn't know that," Fuji said before getting a pondering look. "Are you dating?"
Hari huffed and rolled her eyes.
"No," she stressed but she knew Fuji would still be trying to figure it out and she wondered why she even kept it secret. It wasn't like it was a secret, right? Keigo had told his team easily enough. She briefly frowned to herself before she sighed and gave Fuji a look. "My mum was his godmother. I never knew until the day he came to the school. I was supposed to have been growing up with his family when my parents died when I was a baby. That, obviously, didn't happen and…well."
She shrugged and turned her eyes to the match again just as Momoshiro and Kaido won their second game now leading 2-1.
"Huh," Fuji said and Hari couldn't help but think that this was very uncharacteristic of him so she glanced at him and saw that he looked surprised but his expression quickly turned pensive. "I didn't expect that."
Hari smiled slightly and shrugged.
"So, he just wanted to introduce his team to you?" Fuji asked.
Hari scowled and clenched her hands tightly as the anger came back and she was reminded of what had happened.
"Hari-chan?" Fuji sounded worried now.
"He wants me to transfer over to Hyotei," she admitted.
"Nan da yo?"
"I'm fine, Shu-chan, I won't leave Seigaku. I like this school and you have all become my friends." She gave him a genuine and soft smile before she nudged his shoulder. "So stop looking so worried, Shu-chan. And besides, we should be paying attention to the match. Ka-chan and Momo-chan seem to be having some trouble…"
Fuji nodded and she knew that the conversation was over for now.
...
...
AN: What do you think? :) Hoped you liked it!
I just wanted to let you know some of my thoughts about how I cover the matches coming up. First of all, I love all of the matches played in PoT and find them all interesting and fun and I wished I could cover them all with Hari's commentary and view of the matches. I will do so for some of them, but I can't do it for all. Second, this story would get too long if I started to do that and I don't really think it will be all that interesting for you to read. That's why I will only focus on a few of the matches, one or two, against the teams they meet. Soon, Hari will also be with them to play in the matches as well.
Thank you for reading and supporting my story! XD
Japanese words used:
Baka - Idiot
Itee - Ouch
Himitsu - Secret
Ie - No
Ototo - Little brother
Hai - Yes
Gomen - Sorry
Sempai - upperclassman
Nan da you? - What?
