I'm sorry for not updating for so long, but I've been really busy these past few days. So here's Chapter 8. Enjoy!

Chapter 8

Tensai, tensai, tell me why

You always succeed in everything you try

Shyoko woke up to the sound of birds chirping and the rustling of leaves outside her window. She pulled back the curtains with a wide smile, letting golden sunbeams sweep into her room. As she yawned, the alarm clock caught her eye.

"WHAT?!! I'm going to be late!" She rushed out to the bathroom, leaving her room in a whirlwind of disarray.

Her mother looked at her for a moment, and shook her head. Children...

It took little more than a minute to gulp down her breakfast before she was out of her chair and out of the house. The door slammed behind her, only to be thrown open again. Shyoko dashed in, gasping.

"Forgot – my – bag!" Was the hasty explanation before the door slammed again. Her mother rubbed her temples. Really, all that slamming was starting to make her head hurt...

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Shyoko reached the courts, gasping and out of breath. Tezuka raised an eyebrow at her slightly dishevelled appearance, but merely told her to go and warm up.

She obediently did some stretching, although the run from her house to the courts was more than enough warm up in her opinion. When she finished, she looked around.

"Where's Fuji?"

"He's not here yet, nya!" Eiji informed her happily.

"WHAT? It's already so late!"

"No, there's still half an hour before the mixed doubles start. 96 chance Fuji will turn up in the next five minutes."

"But – but I thought it started at 8.30?"

"Nine o'clock." Came the prompt reply.

She was quite nearly on the verge of banging her head against the wall when Fuji turned up, strolling in with that eternally present smile on his face.

"I can't believe I ran all the way here only to be half an hour early!"

Fuji heard her outburst, and smiled that infernal smile of his. "There's no hurry, Shyoko."

She could have slapped him right there and then.

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"All participants please line up!"

Shyoko stood with Fuji. Her stomach was doing flip-flops all over the place, which was never a good sign.

"Nervous?" Fuji whispered.

She shook her head mutely. Then she decided against the evils of lying, and nodded.

"There's no need to be afraid." He grasped her hand tightly. The physical contact was somewhat comforting, and she found herself relaxing a little.

"The first match – Seigaku vs. St. Rudolph!"

Her stomach was acting more like a Mexican Jumping Bean than a part of the digestive system.

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They stood opposite one another, only a flimsy net separating them. While she fought to keep her heartbeat at a normal speed, she observed her opponents.

"Kaneda Ichirou!" That was the boy. Rather diminutive, she thought, but there was no telling what tennis could do to people. Taka-san was one good example.

"And Shizaka Maiko for St. Rudolph!" The girl, now, was an altogether different matter. Well-endowed in the chest area, her build was also pretty impressive, and she looked like a formidable opponent.

"For Seigaku, Fuji Syuusuke and Darika Shyoko!"

The two pairs shook hands with an air of cordiality.

"Best of one set match, Seigaku's Fuji to serve!"

Shyoko took a deep breath. Focus, she told herself. Nothing exists outside this court.

Fuji tossed the ball high into the air, and brought his racquet down for an ace.

"Fifteen-love!"

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Shyoko breathed a sigh of relief. They had kept their service game quite easily.

"Shizaka to serve!"

Shyoko returned the ball with some effort. That girl sure has power...

But she had no time to reflect on that newly learnt fact, as a lob came soaring towards her. She leaped into the air with feline grace, her racquet curving in a smooth arc that sent the ball to the opposite forecourt. Kaneda was there, ready to return the shot. But the ball flew to the ground, straight as an arrow. And spun.

And spun.

And kept on spinning.

Before the disbelieving eyes of the spectators and the referee, the ball spun to a standstill, still in the same spot where it had first touched the ground.

There was stunned silence around the court, before they regained their senses enough to talk.

"What the heck was that?"

"Did she just do that?"

"Tell me I'm not going crazy."

Fuji caught her eye, and smiled. There was still a lot he had yet to learn about Darika Shyoko.

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They won the match, as expected. Shyoko was ecstatic. Fuji, of course, was happy, but since he always smiled, he just smiled a little wider. The whole team went to celebrate at Taka-san's sushi shop.

On the way, the regulars, especially Inui, kept bombarding them with questions.

"How was it playing against St. Rudolph?"

"What was that shot, Shyoko-sempai?"

Everybody waited with bated breath for her answer.

"I don't rightly know." She confessed. "It's just one of the shots I can do."

"Then let's name it, nya!" Eiji thought for a moment. "How about... ah, I can't think of anything! Suggest something, Ochibi!"

Ryoma pulled his cap a little lower. "Why is it always me, Kikumaru-sempai?"

"How about the Pinpoint Smash?"

They all turned to look at the speaker.

"What's pin-po-in-to, Fuji-sempai?" Momoshiro asked.

"Never mind, nya! It sounds nice!" Eiji was literally bouncing with excitement.

"Pinpoint... Interesting." Inui's pencil flew over the page writing scribbles that only he could decipher. "Do you realise that the two of you will be almost invincible as a pair?"

"Invincible?" Shyoko echoed.

"With that smash of yours and Fuji's Higuma Otoshi…"

Eiji's mouth hung open. "They're both unreturnable!"

Momo finished Inui's train of thought. "Sugoi!"

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The regulars dispersed, after promising not to injure themselves in any way. After all, how could they forget when Tezuka was constantly saying, "Yudan sezu ni ikou"?

Fuji walked home, humming softly under his breath. He caught sight of a familiar figure, and brightened. "Yuuta!"

Yuuta turned at the sound of his name, and saw (horror of horrors!) that his aniki was right behind him. He started walking faster, but Fuji simply matched his pace to that of his younger brother.

"The match today was good, ne?"

"Aa."

"Are you coming home today?"

"Aa." Walk faster.

"Saa, then let's walk home together!"

He groaned. There was no escaping his aniki.

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Sugoi - Awesome!

Yudan sezu ni ikou - Tezuka's catchphrase meaning, "Let's not get careless."

Yes, I know their match was sort of uneventful, but this is just St. Rudolph. Wait for Hyoutei, and then sparks will really fly!