Disclaimer: Do not own anything.

~~ The Mighty King Arrives ~~

~~ 25. February, Early Morning ~~

Ryoma got pushed out of his house, felt the nails of the other teen dig into his flesh painfully. His father laughed from the door, having a magazine with naked women in his right hand and a piece of bread with egg in his left one, biting in it in delight. Great, today he could have a decent meal which wasn't burnt but instead he was dragged out of his own home. The disagreeing teen felt his jaw fall when a long dark purple limousine stayed right before his house. His eyes opened wide in confusion and his view wandered from the beginning to the end of the long and unaffordable car. Who the hell found the necessity to drive with such a bragging thing in the morning? Ryoma didn't need to wait to receive an answer.

A man, from Ryoma's view on a butler or servant, opened the door of the car and out came a young man named Atobe Keigo. It was clearly visible as the name was written on his uniform in big letters so everybody knew who he was. Also his presence alone screamed 'pay me attention because I'm the best'. The newcomer wore a light brown jacket with a white shirt beneath and a red necktie around the neck. The trouser was in a darker color than the jacket. It was the uniform of the school in the middle of the three buildings – Hytoei Academy.

The young teen wanted to puke when the scent of roses and other flowers hit his sensitive nose. A tickling sensation overwhelmed his poor nose and he sneezed loudly. He had always been allergic against the scent of roses and other sorts of flowers. He took a few steps back, rubbing his itching nose. The Fuji-guy blinked at him before understanding his reason for backing off. Ryoma sneezed again.

"Good morning, Kei." The brunette began to chat, left his side and stepped forwards to the purple-haired teen. Fuji stood on his toes and, to the mute's utter horror, kissed the stranger on the left cheek. Ryoma's eyes widen, watching with surprise and horror the scene in front of him. He blinked a couple of times, completely overwhelmed with the sudden change of situation. Since when was that allowed? Was it normal to kiss another guy in Japan? Wasn't it in some other country a greeting? Maybe France? But Japan? No, that could have been never a simple greeting. The kiss lasted far too long as to be a greeting between two male friends.

"Morning, Syu." Fuji walked back, stopped beside Ryoma and grabbed his left wrist, holding it tightly in his surprisingly rather strong grip. The mute struggled to free his hand and shot his neighbor a piercing glare. His intensive gaze met icy blue orbs, sharp and rigid. "And who might this shorty here be? Ore-sama has never seen him before."

Short!

On Ryoma's forehead popped up a vein. How he hated it to be called short. The mute turned his burning glare to the newcomer, hoping to see the wanting reaction. Instead of stumbling back, the guy named Keigo narrowed his eyes, stayed still and waited. The following words truly startled the teen.

"Ore-sama doesn't like your gaze. Say, shorty, what is your name." The mute watched, only watched. It irritated most of the people and it seemed, the diva didn't like it either. Ryoma only smirked and kept his mouth and hands shut. Why should he tell this guy his name? He hadn't even introduced himself. "Ore-sama told you to say your name!"

Ore-sama? How many strange guys were going to his school or near his school? First Fuji and now there was this guy who wasn't right in his mind. He acted as if he owned everything and was a present from the gods personally. What a monkey king!

"Maa, maa, don't yell so early in the morning, Kei. You know it gives you wrinkles and that would ruin your beautiful face." Fuji chuckled and played with a strand of purple hair. Ryoma wanted to puke even more after hearing such a comment about someone's look. This was so not like being a man….

"Ah, you're right, Syu. Thanks for remembering Ore-sama."

"And to answer your question, the student before you is Echizen Ryoma, freshman in Seigaku, transferred here a few days ago from the Untied States."

"Echizen Ryoma... I have heard the name before..." Atobe Keigo mumbled to himself and put his hand on his chin. Soon, he changed his 'I'm thinking'-position, flipped his gorgeous hair back which would make every female student shriek. "Be honored by Ore-sama's presents, Echiz-" Atobe noted fast enough that the brat wasn't listening to him at all. The boy's attention lay on the bluenette who left his house right at the moment, biding his family inside goodbye. Ryoma couldn't look away, stared directly at the beauty and didn't notice Atobe's curious and appraising view at him.

Yukimura straightened his uniform and notice the three teens in front of his house. He went straight to them and Ryoma felt his heart skip a beat for the nth time since he had arrived here in Japan, which wasn't even a handful of days ago. Though, this time it wasn't out of shock or disgust, but for another reason. His heart skipped a beat because he was excited to play a match against the bluenette, nothing else. There was surely no other reason.

"Keigo, good morning. Are you here to pick me up for the meeting?" Yukimura went up to Monkey King, kissed him on the lips with his tongue sliding over the bottom lips slightly. A shiver overwhelmed Ryoma and he asked himself for the reason…. Was it really normal to greet people like this in Japan? Or were all guys in this street….. were their bodies flooded with hormones but the girls were too much to handle? Well, if Ryoma remembered the incidence from yesterday with the girls in his class he could understand…. The bluenette was truly a beauty…. for a guy…..

"Meeting?" Fuji questioned and interrupted Ryoma's train of thoughts.

"Yeah, a meeting for the captain and Vize-captain of the three tennis clubs. Nothing you need to worry about as you're just a simple regular in your team."

"Right because I don't need to brag about my ability to lead other people. I know how good I am and how good I play tennis." Ryoma felt an icy cold shiver and the uncomfortable air around them like a blanket around his body. The thunder was close to erupt. One tiny bit more and the lightnings would flow. The mute saw the lightnings in both eyes as they glared at each other.

Better to go before he was in the middle of those thundering people. Making this decision, Ryoma walked around the two tensais and also beside Monkey King, leaving them behind. He knew now where his school is, had watched outside while Fuji's sister had driven him and the other guys to school.

"Hey, brat." Atobe called, seeing how the teen had used the chance to walk alone to the school while he had tried to calm his boyfriend and lover. "Do you want to have a ride with the great Ore-sama?" The wonderful self of Atobe twitched visibly as he got ignored by the freshman. Ryoma continued to stomp along the road. Seeing two guys kissing in front of him twice was enough for his poor mind.

"Ryoma!" Fuji left the bluenette mid-sentence and followed his new enigma. The other two stared after them.

"Keigo, we should get in the car if we want to be there on time." Yukimura saw the swing of mood in his lover's eyes. Keigo had something in mind, something Yukimura wouldn't like to hear. His diva-like boyfriend told him he was the only one for him... but sometimes it looked as if….. Could he trust his boyfriend's words? The lovers entered the limousine and waited inside in silence to arrive at their schools. Keigo gazed out of the dark-toned windows, thinking strongly about something. It didn't go on unnoticed by his boyfriend. "What makes you think so hard?"

"Echizen...Ryoma..." Yukimura's ears peaked up by Atobe's voice.

"What?" The bluenette asked and looked surprisingly at his lover. "Where did that come from?"

"The new guy, the small one, you have met just now was Echizen Ryoma... I have heard the name before but can't remember when or where."

"Echizen Ryoma? Maybe Echizen Ryoma as in son of Echizen Nanjiroh?" The diva looked surprised for a second, nevertheless, recovered soon. He rose an asking brow, waited for Seiichi to continue. "I have read an article about him yesterday night. He is the best tennis player in the junior tennis section, has also beaten a few of the senior section. They talk highly about him. Why he is here in Japan - nobody can understand."

"mhmmm... interesting..."

"What a waste... he is going to Seigaku... but I'm sure he will change his mind quickly..."

"Seiichi, what are you up to?" His boyfriend smirked which wasn't a positive sign. The bluenette was smart and tricky. He could manipulate people if he wanted to and whatever he was planning, Atobe had not a very good feeling about it. Maybe he should warn Syusuke.

Ryoma arrived at school on time, at least on his second day. Fuji followed him all the time, asked him questions which he ignored. It was a complicated doing - it turned out that Fuji was a sadistic tensai with a strange liking on torturing people's minds and had a family of cacties standing on his window sill which he loved dearly….. Oh, and he loved something called Inui's juice. The emerald-haired teen shook his head, it was humiliating to think this person was his neighbor from now on. He was so screwed! His life would be hell if he wouldn't get ride of this Fuji-guy soon!

"Fujiko! Ochibi!" The youngest male hadn't the opportunity to look up. A heavy someone tackled him and a mess of dark red hovered in his face. He tried to shove the person away - it was to no avail. The guy sure had a strong grip around his throat.

"Hello, Eijiko."

"Fuji! Please, give me your homework in English, nya! I haven't understood a single word of the question! And we have Kuro-sensei today!" The redhead wailed and Ryoma rolled his eyes. Though, he didn't know if it was due to the tightening grip around his throat or the stupidity of this redhead.

'Baka!'

"You do know we have practice right now, don't you? When do you want to copy my answers?"

"Practice got cancelled. Tezuka and Oishi needed to go to a sudden meeting, Ryuzaki-sensei and Inui are sick. Momo bet Inui has played guinea pig on his own juices. I bet he is faking sick because he couldn't stop to create them and is too tired to go to school, nya."

...So it was another day without practice... without tennis... how boring.

Somewhere behind him stopped a car rolling and the scent from earlier rushed inside his nose, tickling it and making him sneeze loudly over and over again. Even if his sneezes were loud enough to hear a ring in his ears, it was drowned by the shrieks and gasps from all the sudden groups and herds of girls. The squeaking, high and way too loud, made it clear for Ryoma... it must have been the Monkey King's fangirls. Such crazy girls. They surrounded the mighty king and also the bluenette, wished them a good morning and asked them all sort of minor questions. Ryoma couldn't believe he heard right when a girl asked Monkey King which conditioner he had used this morning to make his hair so glorious. Oh god... Where the hell had his father sent him?

To some kind of funny farm for teenagers with too much of hormones?
Wait... then why was he here?

Atobe lifted his right hand and flicked with his fingers. An echoing flick resounded. "Thank you, my loyal beauties. Ore-sama wishes you a magnificent morning as well." The girls squeaked and some even fainted when the arrogant monkey flipped his hair back.

Ryoma wanted to puke. The girls must have lost their minds or maybe he was just lucky enough to be a boy with style? Or maybe there was a third option which would actually prove that his guess was right. The girls were flooded with hormones and had lost their minds... That must be it... Well...

He shook his head and made his way inside the building, now knowing where to go. Better to get away from those freaks as soon as possible. Who knew what could happen if he stayed too long with Monkey King... and with the annoying girls... Ryoma hated girls if all of them acted and reacted like those in his new class.

Man, he was tired from all the walking and thinking so early in the morning... Thankfully he had a double class English for the start. Perfect, he would use this chance and take a little nap.

The three pairs of eyes following his every movement went on unnoticed by him.

The bell rang and his English teacher entered the class, the students stood up. Ryoma was the last to stand and received a strict glance from his teacher. Only then did he actually notice that it wasn't the same teacher like yesterday. This one was quite familiar, although Ryoma couldn't remember where he had seen him before.

"Bow!" The teacher, Kuro-sensei, said in his military-like voice. The students shivered slightly and bowed deeply. The class was quiet, every sneeze was suppressed, every cough hindered. Ryoma bowed a little bit - still not knowing why - to avoid any stress and punishment. "Sit!" The students sat down again, neat and straight like in military. Maybe he wouldn't get a chance to sleep.

"As you have heard the flu goes around and most of your weak teacher are sick, so now I'm in charge for Nakato-sensei. My name is Kuro-sensei and if you want to learn something, be something, than go to Rikkaidai." Ryoma blinked. Where did that come from? The class winced in fright.

"Quiet! The lesson starts from here on. Nobody speaks unless I order him to. Understood?" The students nodded violently, frightened. What the hell was going on here? Had Rikkaidai always such strict teachers? Poor students. It would be one boring class and as if his body wanted to agree with his mind, Ryoma yawned. In the wrong moment. The teacher happened to look in his direction just this moment. A stress-vein beat violently on his left temple and his eyes narrowed dangerously.

"You there!" The emerald-haired teen gazed out of the window. The teacher was gone for him, somewhere back in his mind. "I spoke to you, freshman, Echizen Ryoma!" The freshman turned his head around, surprised to look directly at Kuro-sensei's stomach. The man was thin but his height was amazing - Ryoma guessed around 190 cm.

"Is my lesson so boring? Why don't you go on the black board and answer my question? Go!" Kuro-sensei's face was red from anger. Nobody would yawn in his lesson! The student walked to the front, yawned and waited for the teacher to tell him his question. Instead of a question, the older man shoved a thick book in his hand.

"Translate page 152 the last ten sentences." Ryoma smirked in triumph. It was too easy. His new English teacher, who thought he didn't understand a thing and wanted to embarrass him in front of his class, would lose this little game. It took exactly 3 minutes and 47 seconds for Ryoma to write the ten sentences down correctly. His smirk grew by the stunned expressions of his classmates and especially by Kuro-sensei's red glowing face. He bet if there was a possibility there would be steam coming out of his ears... "You..."

Sensei cleared his throat, he was irritated and Ryoma could already see how his teacher's mind search for another way to torture him. The guy must have been by the military, always scaring the freshmen with his harsh attitude. "You can sit down." Ryoma's smirk never left as he did what Kuro-sensei ordered.

All the while was Kuro-sensei going to his own desk, opening the folder with the details of all students in this class and looked up once more. He read through Echizen Ryoma's file... further and further. Nothing. None weak point. All his grades were at least a B or even better. Having a private tutor wasn't something to be ashamed of as he had gone to one himself...

So where was this guy's weakness…. Everyone had one... There!

Ryoma saw the teacher grin, then viewing up to him anew. The mute didn't like the grin nor the flash in his teacher's eyes. Something was wrong here, not like planned. Kuro-sensei had found something to harass and embarrass him.

"Echizen Ryoma, I want you to explain the structure of your sentences." And it dawned Ryoma what he had found out... He glared at the teacher for taking advantage of his sensitive spot. He wouldn't answer, no matter how hard the teachers would try. He had made a promise and he would keep it.

"Promise me... promise, you won't tell, you won't speak! If you promise me, I'll stay by your side." The child before him looked at him with tears in the eyes. Blood covered their clothes, not theirs but still familiar. Innocent and young had they been, didn't understand the real, cruel world.

"Ryoma... I beg you... stop using your voice... for us.. for her sake... Tsukiko... we don't want to lose her, too...Please!" The elder man had begged him, shook him on his shoulders. Tears streamed and the man cried in his arms. It wasn't the older man comforting him but the child comforting the older man. The child nodded.

"You will be staying late after school for your refusal of work. One whole week. Next, you over there with the brown piggy-tails..." Kuro-sensei's voice grow quieter in his head with each word. Refusal of work? How? He was declared mute, asshole! He couldn't and wouldn't speak! How should he answer if he didn't have a voice like everybody thought? Nobody in his family knew he had a voice.

Staying late for not answering. The school was crazy... with totally idiotic teachers. The rest of the English class was mind-ripping. He had acted as if he read, instead he slept with open eyes. He wanted to play tennis, needed it so he would be able to suppress the incoming wave of sadness overwhelming him. He needed it to calm down, to feel the adrenaline in his veins and the sweat on his skin. His muscles ached to hold a racquet.

Ryoma smiled when he saw a distressed teen with spiky-black hair running to one building to another. As if he searched for something or someone. The teen also noticed that a few more students walked on the schoolyard and in the direction of the tennis courts. He could see them from here, though, only one half of one court as the others were behind his back. The students wore all the same uniform as him, only with one or two more stripes on their jackets - showing the students were juniors or seniors.

The emerald-haired teen recognized Fuji and also the jumpy redhead called... what was it again? Eijiko or something like that.

So Fuji played tennis?

Interesting.