C.S.C.: I'm actually updating this a bit sooner than I thought I would. Cuz you see, I started watching a lot of the Prince of Tennis anime, and that got me in a Prince of Tennis "mood." You know, when it's like your current obsession. I watched a lot of the anime, started re-reading the books (so many!), and reading Prince of Tennis fanfictions. I even started writing my own PoT fic.

Then something happened. I got 3 reviews in the same hour. One after the other, asking me to write the next chap. Funny thing was, I was actually writing my PoT fic when I got them. And I felt guilty that I was leaving people hanging. So thanks to ilovemusic32, Deerdryad, and Shizune16, cuz it's cuz of you that I started writing this chap, and putting away my PoT stuff for now. (Although I still imagine Sadahara's voice when Ochiai's talking! Gah!) And of course, many thanks to the other people who reviewed, Blue-Straws, and eternalchemist363, your reviews counted too!!

Disclaimer: if I owned this then I wouldn't have to put a disclaimer, now would I? (Kudos to Gotta Love Shoes for that one :D)

Recap of chap 2 (Narumi's POV)

I woke up coughing. It was just a dream, but the smoke seemed so real. In fact, I can still smell it.

I continued to cough as I sat up and opened one eye. I opened the other as I noticed that it wasn't just a dream!! My room was filled with black smoke!!

I covered my mouth as I fell to the floor and began to crawl towards my door. I had to feel my way around as I couldn't see because of the smoke.

After banging into a couple of things, I finally made it to my door. I slowly opened it….and in the distance I saw orange.

Bright orange.

I yelled one word.

"FIRE!!"

End recap. End Narumi's POV

Oh gosh my house in on fire! Narumi thought as he slammed he door shut. H-how? He could hear the loud crackling noises that the fire was making.

What am I going to do? I can't go out of my door, cuz the fire's nearby…and what about everyone else? Did they make it out okay?

Narumi looked around his room. Oh! The window!

Narumi covered his mouth and ran to his window. He grabbed it and pulled…pulled it…pull-

Narumi stared at his window. It wouldn't open! Why? Was it because of the smoke? No, that wasn't it.

In any case, now is not the time to analyze why the window wouldn't open. Narumi grabbed the nearest object and used it to smash the window open. He looked at the object in hand.

Oh. It was his briefcase containing his scissors. He was looking at the side that had his name inscribed in gold letters. Well, if scissors were a beautician's life then he defiantly can't leave this behind. He threw it through the window, hoping it would survive the fall. Then he quickly ran to his adjourning bathroom and grabbed a towel. He used the towel to break away the big pieces of glass. Then he quickly climbed out, ignoring the small cuts he was getting from the remaining glass.

Narumi grabbed hold to the large branch next to his room, praying that it wouldn't snap.

He hoisted himself up then realized that his prayers were unanswered when he heard a large SNAP!!

Down fell Narumi, and landed face first in one of the bushes surrounding his house.

I am going to kill whoever is responsible for this stupid fire Narumi thought as he got up. He found his briefcase of scissors and lifted it up.

As he lifted it up, he noticed something different about it. He inspected it closer and saw…

Writing on it.

Scrawled in black magic marker were the words:

Shogo Narumi, take this as a warning that we are not fooling around. If you don't drop out of the contest immediately, out next move will be much worse than just a simple fire.

Narumi looked up at his house, which was by now engulfed by flames. Simple fire? He gulped. Then something hit him.

When he picked up his briefcase in his room there was no writing on it! And the writing was on the same side that he saw, the one with his name inscribed on it.

That would mean that it was written on AFTER he threw it out the window…

And that would mean that the person was still close by…

Narumi felt his heartbeat speed up at the thought that right now that person could be watching him…

He shuddered and started walking quickly toward the front of his house. He noticed a fire truck where his mom and Chisami were huddled together, watching the fire.

His dad was busy yelling at a firefighter.

"You don't understand! Sho-chan's in there! You have to save him! He is the heir to Salon-de-Narumi! You hear me?"

The fire chief sighed. "I understand, sir, and my men are doing everything they can. I'm sure they'll find him soon."

"No need. I'm right here." Narumi said as he walked up to them.

"Sho-chan!!" his dad exclaimed, becoming teary eyed, then hugging him.

"Ugh! GET OFF ME!!" Narumi yelled, struggling to get loose, as the fire chief radioed his men that the boy has been found.

"Oh Sho-chan!! Papa was sooooo worried about you!!" Yujiro continued.

"Whatever," Narumi answered. "And Dad!! I thought I already told you that I'll never take over your stupid salon!!"

"Whaaat?" Narumi's dad said innocently, then his voice became lower. "Well, that all depends on whether or not you win the contest, you know."

Narumi turned away and started walking away. "We'll win! You'll see!"

He could hear his dad chucking as Narumi walked up to a man who he guessed was the arson investigator.

"Hey, um, are you investigating the fire?" Narumi asked the man.

"Yes, I am." The man replied. "How may I help you?"

"Um, well, I think that this might be of help to you," Narumi said as he showed the man his briefcase.

The investigator took the briefcase, and in the light provided by the fire, read the message. "Hoo boy. Seems like it might be arson. I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to confiscate this as evidence. Is there anything in here important?"

"Yes, my scissors."

"Well, here. Get your scissors out of there then give it back to me," the investigator said as he handed back the briefcase to Narumi, then walked away.

Narumi knelt down and put it on the ground. He pushed the button to unlatch it, then opened the top.

He stared.

His scissors were gone…

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Next week at school…

"Oh Narumi, your house burned down?" Ochiai asked him during homeroom, the next week when he returned to school.

"Yeah." Narumi answered.

"Oh, so that was why you missed a whole week of school, Naru-Naru?" Kei asked as he sucked on a lollypop.

"Well, yeah."

"So where are you currently boarding?" Ochiai asked.

"Ha! My stupid dad just went and bought another mansion, furnished, and new everything!"

"So you lost everything, Naru?" Kei asked, tilting his head sorrowfully.

"Yeah…but I got new everything too. Which reminds me…." Narumi said as he turned toward Ochiai, and he proceeded to tell him about his briefcase and missing scissors.

Ochiai did his thinking pose. "Hmm…so you were unable to open your window? So you used your briefcase to break the window, then when you climbed down, you noticed writing on it, and your scissors gone?"

Narumi rubbed the back of his head. "Well…I didn't really climb down….but yeah, that 's how it happened."

"Ah," Ochiai said, grasping the situation. "And have the investigators ruled what the cause of the fire was?"

"Yeah…arson. But they don't know by whom."

Ochiai sighed. They did exactly what I predicted they would. Narumi, I must tell you something. The night of your fire, I got another email."

Narumi pounced on Ochiai's desk. "REALLY?! ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE STUPID EMAILS?! WHAT DID IT SAY?!"

"Uh, well, it just said that they thought that we weren't taking them seriously, so they were going to send us a sign, to prove to us that they were serious."

"A…a sign?" Narumi choked out.

"Yes. Apparently your house fire was that sign. For in the email they gave these clues: that it was loud, bright, and toasty. So in other words, a fire."

Narumi had his fists clenched on Ochiai's desk, and was shaking with rage. "Those…jerks…THAT FIRE WAS A FRICKIN SIGN?? I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED!! WHAT IF I HAD BEEN KILLED??"

Ochiai pushed his glasses up on his nose. "I believe that may have been their intention."

Narumi gaped at him. "W-w-wha-at?"

Ochiai sighed. "I believed that perhaps at first it was only for what they said. A sign. But it's quite possible that they took advantage of the situation to try to get rid of you once and for all. Your sealed window and the broken branch only confirm that."

"H-hang on. Those things weren't accidents or anything?"

Ochiai raised an eyebrow. "Narumi. Do you really think that simply smoke could seal a window?"

"Well, no, I thought it was kinda strange that it wouldn't open…"

"Exactly. So they must have put some sort of sealing substance on it. And how about the tree outside your window? What type of tree is it?"

Narumi thought for a sec. "Oak, I think."

"And how thick was the branch?"

"Pretty thick. I thought it would hold my weight."

"Under normal circumstances, it would. But if somebody tampered with it, say, cut partly through it, then that would cause it to snap."

Narumi stared. "Oh." He sat back. It wasn't exactly a good feeling knowing that there was a group of people out there that wanted you dead. Then he slowly began to get angry again.

"WELL WHAT IS WITH THOSE GUYS?? IS A MILLION YEN REALLY WORTH THAT MUCH TO THEM THAT THEY WOULD KILL FOR IT??WHY DO THEY NEED TO WIN THE CONTEST SO BADLY?? AND AM I THE ONLY ONE BEING TARGATED?? OR ARE THEY THREATING EVERYONE ELSE TOO??"

Narumi huffed.

Ochiai shook his head. "Unfortunately, I do not know. All I need is once piece of information and that would suffice. But until I get there, there's nothing I can do."

Narumi gritted his teeth. "They told me that next time they would do something much worse than a fire." He said in a low voice. "But if they think that they will make me drop out, then they better wake up. BECAUSE I, SHOGO NARUMI, WILL NOT BACK DOWN!!"

Ochiai smirked. "Ah, so, do you want me to submit our withdrawl?"

Narumi banged his fist on Ochiai's desk. "NO!! WE WILL NOT WITHDRAWL!!" he exhaled, then raised his eyes to send a glare to Ochiai. "My dad will not win," he said in a low voice.

Narumi turned around in his desk to face forward as class began. But he whispered one more sentence.

"I will do everything I can do to make sure that my dad does not win."

C.S.C.: Ta da!! There's the third chapter! Goes back to watch more PoT anime. Lol, well I'll write the next chap soon, so don't worry! Btw, hey Haley (aka ilovemusic32) when you come over, I'll show you my Beauty Pop books so you can see the characters, kay?

Sorry if it's too short, that just seemed like the best place to end it, lol. Oh and here's something that might help understand one part better: the prize for winning the All-Japan-Beatuy Contest is one million yen. Roughly about 100,000 U.S.

Review if you would, please!!