Take One
Summary: After winning consecutive tournaments, the princess of tennis disappears from the American media only to reappear in Japan to find new opponents.
Chapter II: The Super Freshman?
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The school bells chimed, indicating that school was starting. Students flocked at the front gates, entering the school. It was rowdy, Ryoma thought as she struts into the gates, skillfully avoiding the groups of freshmen talking to each other as if they knew one another already.
Cherry Blossom petals danced around the entrance, greeting the new students for the new girl had to admit, the sight was pretty in her eyes it made her kind of wish that the schools in LA had the same view during the start of the semester.
Ryoma sighed inwardly at the murmurs surrounding her, a little bit annoyed at the words coming out of their mouths.
"Oi...look at her, she's so pretty!"
"Wah…"
"Nah, nah, do you think she'll be in the same class as us?"
"I surely hope so…"
The emerald haired girl just ignores them with a usual impassive expression adorning her face, muting everyone else out as she maunders about the school hallway with a parchment of paper that said 1-A.
she bumps into another girl who apologized to her nonchalantly. She gave her a small nod and proceeds along the corridors, catching eyes glancing at each room labels. A few minutes later, she found her class— already filled with students chattering about.
Her golden eyes ignored the stares garnered by her soon-to- be classmates and saw that some boy was sitting on her seat number to which she remembered as seat sixteen. The onyx haired boy who was currently chatting with his friends did not notice her approaching until one of his friends saw her and nudged him.
"Uh?" He gave her a quizzical look, unnerved at her blank stare. However, he quickly smiled at her flirtatiously and scratched his cheek when his friend began to elbow him at the sides in an act of teasing.
" Do you-" Before he could utter anything further, he was cut off.
"Ne...could you move?" She cuts him off, pointing at the seat.
"That's my seat."
"A-Ah…" The boys were caught off guard by the sheer apathetic tone that she had. They quickly dispersed from her area reluctantly and the girls began to gossip about her. She tuned them out the moment she took a seat, resting her chin against her hand; looking outside the window.
'Boring…'
Ryoma begins to think about the tournament a week ago. She was disappointed to say the least. The finals was a breeze, winning the game with a flat out 6-1 score; shocking the whole audience. Her opponent— whom she barely remembers— admittedly was a bit more decent than the others she has played, considering he did reached the finals, but he had still more ways to go.
Although disheartened by the tournament's outcome, Ryoma's mind wanders off to the group of boys she met back.
That guy she played was good. She didn't remember what they looked like, as always due to the fact she never pays attention to their features at all plus she was bad at remembering people's faces and name.
Even if she did take notes about them.
Going back, now the task at hand was how to look for players like him.
"Enter the Seigaku tennis team, Bishoujo. I had things prepared for you already, talk to an old hag by the name of Ryuzaki; she'll know what to do." Her dirty old man's voice echoes in her ears.
She heard that name a few times from her dad a few years back when she was little. From what she remembers from her mother's stories, Ryuzaki was the name of her father's coach. The one who coerced him into aiming for the world.
And she was now meeting that coach of his.
She was brought out if her thoughts when clanks if the seats chorused together as they were being pushed back.
"Good morning, sensei!" Her classmates greeted.
Ryoma blinks, watching her classmates take their seat and the woman— who was probably their homeroom teacher— placed her books on the desk and looked at them gently with a smile.
"Good morning, class. From today onwards, I will be your homeroom teacher, my name is Hanabusa Sakura." She motioned to herself, picking up a chalk and writing the character on the board.
"Now, please introduce yourselves."
"Sensei! We don't really need to!" A girl jokes playfully.
"Sou sou! Everyone here already knows each other!" Another one added, as the girls and boys broke out into fits of giggles.
"That may be true, Arukawa-san. But sensei still isn't very familiar with everyone you know?"
"Hai~"
"Jaa, I'll start!"
Taking turns, everyone introduced themselves. Their names, hobbies, likes and dislikes, including irrelevant stuff like favourite subjects. After the third person, Ryoma had already tuned everyone out, her eyelids feeling a little bit heavy and dozed off.
She came to by a nudge on her shoulder from a classmate sitting right beside her, becoming aware by the stares she was receiving once again.
"Hey, it's your turn now." The brunette grinned at her.
"Aa…"
"I almost forgot to mention to all of you…" the teacher trails off, motioning for her to go to the front. Reluctantly she sighs and obeyed.
"Will you please introduce yourself?"
"Echizen Ryoma, nice meeting you." She flatly said, shifting her weight on one leg.
'Eh, that's all?!' Hanabusa-sensei thought to herself, sweat dropping as she watches the emerald haired girl yawn. Meanwhile, her classmates were a different story. The boys looked at her with blushes on their faces and whilst the girls looked at her with admiration.
'So pretty/So cool!' The whole classroom thought simultaneously.
"Well I'll take it from here, meet Echizen Ryoma. She's a transfer student from America, please treat her well, okay?"
Seeing the astonished look on the freshmen's faces, Hanabusa sweatdropped again. Then all hell broke loose. Ryoma was being bombarded with questions left and right about herself and what it was like living in America.
With a twitch of an eyebrow, Ryoma grimaced; trying to regain her composure, raising her left hand in front— quickly getting their attention.
The class fell quiet.
"No comment." She says curtly, a tone she usually uses when interviewers would haul her during the times she would win her tournaments or during the days where some would invade her privacy by attempting to interview her at school or when she was out with her acquaintances.
Silence.
"SO COOOOL!"
"RYOMA-SAMA!" The boys chorused.
When she sighed, combing her hair away from her face; she gives everyone one last bored look and asked, "Na, Hanabusa-sensei...Can I take my seat now?"
"Eh? A-Aa...you may…"
"Thanks."
As the girl makes her way to her seat, Hanabusa noticed one thing, "Echizen, why aren't you wearing your blazer?"
The girl blinks and looks at herself, ah...that green blazer along with her white shirt. "It felt too hot. It's alright isn't it, sensei?"
Hanabusa sighs, putting a hand on her hip. "You know Echizen, It's school policy."
"Aa… I know. I am wearing the uniform, just omitted the blazer." She countered dryly, taking her seat.
Feeling that there was nothing she could do with the liberated girl, Hanabusa scratches her cheek in dismay.
'Mah, it wouldn't matter too much. If the disciplinary committee sees it fit to enforce rules on her then they probably will in due time.'
"I understand." She shook her head, turning her attention to the rest of the class.
"Since it's the first day if school, an orientation will be taking place at the auditorium. All freshmen are required to attend and after that will be filing a form to which club you wish to join." Hanabusa announced.
"Remember, joining at least one club is mandatory!"
'Club...eh?' She mused, recalling her old man's words again.
"Class dismissed!"
Tokyo Prefecture
Hyotei Gakuen
"A new season has come, around this time, I propose we hold a intern ranking match."
A man in a brown suit announced inside the clubroom surrounded by eight teens wearing similar jersey uniforms. His stern eyes locked with disapproving greys as he stands up from the bench.
"I can't agree with you on this one, coach Sakaki." Says the grey-eyed teen holding the same kind of authority in his voice.
The man known as 'Sakaki' quirks an eyebrow at the teen without batting an eyelid, "And tell me why, Atobe?" He demanded.
"I just think there is no need to hold a ranking match. The current regulars are good enough as it is." The teen, Atobe, reasoned— motioning at his teammates.
"I've done a thorough search on the current club members, so far, only one person is capable enough to join the regulars."
"Oh?"
"Moreover, anyone is free to challenge the current regulars for their spot. That's how it's always been here, why start to change it now?" He added, slipping his hands into the pockets.
Sakaki didn't push it, even if it was in his powers as both manager and coach, he concluded it didn't really matter how the regulars are decided. It was a rule they follow, only the strong survives; age didn't matter— everything was based on skills. That's how this boy known as the 'king' in his own school done things, fair and just. That was one idealism he and Atobe shared.
Nodding in surrender, Sakaki makes an exit.
"Still, Atobe— If I deem anyone unworthy for the spot of the regulars, I will drop them out immediately without second thoughts."
"Fine by me, coach."
"As long as you know."
Click. The door shut close.
"Wah, I can't believe you just rejected Sakaki-coach, Atobe!" A redhead exclaimed, resting his hands on his hips.
"Hmph, he might be our manager; but ore-sama will not let him change our traditions here." Atobe flipped his bangs pompously.
"Well, that's true."
"In any case…" Atobe trailed off, his eyes moving towards the sleeping figure at the corner.
"Ore-sama is surprised Jirō got home quickly." He muttered. "Didn't that idiot miss our flight in Switzerland?"
"He did, but I quickly took care of it, Atobe-san." The tall silver-haired boy smiled sheepishly. "I had some relatives in Switzerland and asked them to rebook his flight as quick as possible, thankfully enough."
"Ahn? If that's the case, ore-sama thanks you Ōtori."
"Oh yeah, Yūshi did you hear?" The redhead began, "That girl at the tournament— I heard she won the finals."
Oshitari smirked, "I'm not surprised, she's good."
"What are you all talking about?" Atobe questioned, raising an eyebrow.
"We met a girl a few days ago at Kakinozaka. She was registered under the U-16 category boys', surprisingly enough it appears that she won the tournament." Oshitari informed, adjusting his glasses.
Atobe hummed, interested at the odd news. He takes a seat on the couch provided inside the clubroom, thinking.
"Did you see her?" He asked the genius of the team.
"Huh?"
"Her face." Atobe corrects. He had an inkling suspicion about this girl playing in the boys' tennis. For all he knew, there was only one girl around the age of twelve who could be capable enough to play or be even allowed in playing against boys by the Tennis Association.
He wasn't a hundred percent sure, the world was big. Still, his intuition told him that it might be her.
"Well…" Hyotei's tensai trailed off, trying to recall the girl's features.
"She had dark hair…wore a Fila cap and…" Oshitari allowed a half smile across his face, "She probably is the first person I saw with such enthralling cat-like golden eyes."
"Don't forget she was also very arrogant and pompous!" Gakuto added from the side.
"Aa, that too." Oshitari chuckled.
Atobe simply smirked. Oh, he knew only one girl at the same age that had that signature feline, golden eyes.
"I see." The heir to the multi-billionaire corporation Atobe Zaibatsu, murmurs. Fishing out his phone, Atobe dialed his cousin's number.
A few rings and she finally picked up.
"Hello?"
"Ah, Nanako." Atobe Keigo smirked.
Seishun Gakuen
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Walking around the grounds, Ryoma was dead set on ignoring the blithering loudmouth behind her. Somehow after slipping away from the crowd of classmates after the orientation, this boy had taken it his mission to introduce himself to her with his boasting about his two years of tennis experience.
Obviously the boy quickly assumed she played tennis because of the bag she was carrying— but what she couldn't comprehend was why he felt the need to follow her around and attempted to get acquainted with her.
Even after minutes of pretending he did not exist, this boy was still persistent. With an inward sigh, Ryoma pauses on her tracks; almost making the boy bump into her. She turns to him with a pointed look and asked in a standoffish tone.
"What?"
Apparently, even with the obvious display of dislike, the unibrowed boy didn't take note of it and puffed his chest,
"You play tennis right? I'm Horio Satoshi— I have two years of tennis experience so I can be pretty decent!" He says in one go.
A deadpan leer was what he received before Ryoma quickly turns around to continue on her path; hoping he would stop chasing her.
But alas, he didn't.
Instead Horio followed her everywhere and to be frank, it was almost getting on her nerves. Probably the only thing that made her day was the sight of the tennis courts lined up in her peripheral vision.
Her eyes dimmed down in dismay when she realized that the courts were empty. Turning her head left and right in search for a club member; her vision lands on two boys around her age, picking up tennis balls.
"Ne," she says, catching their attention, "Do you know someone named Ryuzaki? She's a coach here."
The boys exchanged looks before answering, "We do but we don't know where she is at right now."
"Are you signing up for the tennis club?" The buzz cut boy asked.
"Aa."
"The girl's tennis are right to the other side of the building." The shorter of the two pointed at the direction. "But I doubt you will be able to sign up for today, recruiting starts about tomorrow."
Ryoma blinks, registering the information laid out to her. So basically, this Coach Ryuzaki was somewhere. Great.
Despite the unhelpful information regarding the girls' tennis club, she thanked the two quietly anyway. The boys got acquainted with one another and began chatting about tennis, cheerfully exchanging their dreams to become good players and achieve being a regular one day.
To the everyone sans her, the conversation had been pleasant. That was until a demanding voice interrupted their flow.
"Hey! You freshmen, slacking off are we?" A tanned sophomore boy with a green headband smirked at them.
"Cheers!" The three boys quickly bowed their heads in respect but Ryoma only stared at him defiantly.
"Tsk." The boy clicked his tongue, somehow unnerved by her blank stare and decided to take another approach with her.
"Hey, little miss." He slides his hands in his pockets, arrogantly peering over at her.
"What are you doing here? Registering for the girls'tennis?" He asked, looking at her bag.
Silence.
"Not quite the talker eh? Mah— I'll let it slide, since you're cute and all." He grinned slyly at his friends behind him.
"Anyway, you freshmen should not slack off!" The plain looking brunette behind the leader hollered, "—and you got some guts talking about being a regular!"
Horio shrieked in fear at their threatening glares, quickly uttering apologies at them for his dear life.
"Anyway, since you are registering for the tennis club; we actually have a tradition for newcomers." The one with the headband said, exchanging conniving grins to each other which only Ryoma noticed.
The tradition turned out to be a small game where the challenger would have to hit the can across the court; given only ten balls to claim a win against the game. Ryoma nonchalantly watches as the boys attempted but failed terribly with their control.
The last one to try out was Horio. For a loudmouth, he wasn't as horrible as she thought he would be. He was still an amateur definitely, but he faired well than the other two. The balls he hit came only inches away from the target, sometimes grazing it.
The final ball however almost knocked off the can, but it stayed firm. Upon finishing the game, the boys was about to pay up for the fee; however, she found out later on what those conniving looks meant.
They were swindling unsuspecting first years.
Ryoma narrows her eyes in annoyance. She found it stupid and momentarily debated whether she should beat some sense out of them or let things be. It's not like it was her problem.
Still, it seemed escaping it was not an option anymore when the three sophomores irked her to participate as well. Resisting the provocation wasn't really necessary, therefore; Ryoma abided to their rules.
Being handed a ball, Ryoma bounces it with her hand before preparing to toss.
"No matter how much you hit it straight on, it won't fall." She stated, glancing at the sophomore's nervous expressions.
"You put stones inside, right?" Hitting the ball, Ryoma hit it over the lid with pinpoint accuracy, allowing it to lose balance, henceforth it toppled over with the lid coming off.
The moment Ryoma's theory came to evidence, her fellow first years became irate at the cheating nature of the sophomore who then retaliated quickly by using an excuse such as,
"What the hell do you know?!"
Ryoma felt like playing them. Their dirty nature pissed her off, so she began to hit the can again and again; intimidating the older boys at her display of control.
"Ne, if I keep hitting it a hundred times— will you give me a million yen then?" She jeered smugly at them as another ball hits the can.
The older boys looked at her nervously; gawking at the fact she had better control than them. Hitting something small with pinpoint accuracy was a skill to be recognized— they couldn't even do that!
"Ne, if you're so above us, entertain me." She sent them a half-smirk, walking to the baseline.
"You're good right?" Tapping her racquet on her shoulder, a taunting sneer was sent at the older group's way.
"...or...are you just all talk?" The provocation sent the ringleader reeling in irritation at the cheeky girl's attitude.
"Tsk! Fine, you're dealing with us." He motioned for his friend to get his racquet who quickly tossed him the item.
"Lose to us once, and you take back what you said." He glanced at the three boys, "and while we're at it, those three will be my personal gophers if you lose."
A baleful smirk tugged at the edge of her lips.
"And if I win?"
"We'll leave those boys alone."
"Not quite a bet now isn't it?" She drawled, unimpressed.
"Shut up! Take it or leave it!" His lackey retorted.
Ryoma stared at them impassively before sighing, it didn't really matter what the bet was. She just felt like giving them a lesson— just because they were older didn't mean they have to feel entitled.
"Whatever." She mutters, "you serve first."
The sophomore with the headband sneered at her then without any further adieu, he served.
"I'll make you eat your words!"
Ryoma simply returned it without any difficulties. Having hit a cross, the boy attempted to catch up to the quick return but failed to reach it in time. She straightens and brushed some locks behind her ear, sauntering off to the service line.
"Make me eat my words huh?" She mumbled to herself with an inward sigh.
The American born Japanese already deduced that this match was nothing from the get go; not even enough to warm her up. However; these dirty entitled sophomores will have to learn their places.
At the next serve; she earned the game with all ace returns; her pace ascending each ball just to feed on the boys' shocked faces. The edge of her lip curled upwards in a complacent manner as her golden eyes bore into his soul.
The game hadn't even lasted six minutes and she ended the game with service aces and return aces— defeating their ringleader. He fell to the ground, his knees having given up strength on him and she leered over his defeated form with a blank stare.
Her eyes shifted to the two by the entrance who held the same flabbergasted expression as the first year boys.
"Next." She says in rebuke, giving the two sophomores one last glance before getting back to position.
"You're not going to run away are you?"
Whether it was her audacious jibe or the fact that she just insulted them, the two sophomores instantly forgot how the girl overpowered their friend and glared at her. The dark haired one growled, taking his own racquet and stomped into the court across her whilst the defeated on scampered off court to give space.
"You're too full of yourself!" He grits out, picking up a ball.
Ryoma resisted the urge to sigh and instead stays silent as she waited for his serve. As soon as he did, Ryoma felt no contempt at all at his mediocre serve. She didn't taunt this time, she just resolved to end the match quickly.
After rallying him for a minute or two, the princess of tennis ends her game with a flat one set game. There weren't any mockery exchanged, the boy was too frustrated in his own rights for having lost to a girl who didn't even look like she was breaking a sweat after two games.
"A-amazing…" the bowl cut freshman stammered, looking over the game.
"I-I never knew she'd be so good…" Horio gawked.
"Un…"
"It's hard to believe she just bested Arai-senpai and Mizuno-senpai…" the buzz cut boy mumbled in awe.
"Next."
The last one of the three looked determined; even if he seemed shook. For a brief moment, Ryoma commended him for at least having the guts to stand across her after beating his two friends. She noted how his grip trembled slightly, a bud of sweat trickling down his cheek as his face contorted to focus as he serves.
Kachiro pursed his lips into a thin line as he watched on as the game began. His eyes fixated onto the stoic girl in the courts, amazed. Echizen Ryoma was good, although being a beginner in tennis himself, he was well aware the big difference between their senpais and her.
The lax expression on her body was an obvious evidence to that conclusion. Not only that, but the severity of how quick her serve was is also apparent that she overpowered the sophomores completely in tennis.
His dad was a tennis coach in a school, and even so—none of the students there were as good as this girl before him. He gulped in anticipation at the last minute, just in time that the last ball hit the sophomore's end of the court and stuck to the wiring behind.
She won.
"S-sugoi…" Katsuo mumbled beside him.
"S-She really won." Horio voiced out.
Ryoma sighs, resting her racquet on her shoulder with a bored expression. 'Not even enough for a warm up.'
"Che...Jaa, It's my win, senpai." The mocking tone at the end infuriated the defeated sophomores.
"Keh!"
"You'll keep your end of the bargain." She commanded rather than asked.
The three sophomores scowled at her, humiliated. They were angry, but they knew enough not to step the line to resort to violence. Clicking his tongue, the one wearing the headband stalked off.
"Whatever."
"Oi! Arai, what are you guys doing?" Another older boy came to view, a group consisting of seven followed behind.
"Oh, Kurano—"
She tuned them out when she felt a vibration from her skirt pocket. Wondering who could be calling her at the moment, she checked only to see an unknown number.
Staring blankly at it for a moment, contemplating whether to answer it or not, she told herself that she should answer it to know who the caller was; there is a probability it was someone she would know— a relative perhaps?
But the question was, who? It wasn't like she was close to any of her relatives. Her father's side was quiet And usually didn't bother to check on them; her mother's side were busy people as well and would only see seldom in a year.
Tapping it to answer, she held the device against her ear.
"Hello?" She spoke in her mother tongue.
"Ryoma, it's me." An unfamiliar voice sounded at the other end.
Her eyes narrowed, "who?"
"Ahn? You don't remember your own beloved cousin?"
"Ah," she recognizes that pattern of speech. Only one person uses it.
"Kei." Mumbling out his name, Ryoma shifted as he spoke.
"I see you're not as forgetful as you ought to be, dear cousin."
"What do you want?" She interrupts.
"Is that a way to talk to your older cousin, ahn?"
She refrained the urge to sigh loudly and glances at the group of sophomores who were discussing about something then glared at her. She ignored them.
"Oi! Girl!" She hears one call out to her.
"What was that?"
"Nothing, ignore them."
"Don't you dare ignore us!" One growls, stomping his way to her.
"Oi, are you sure? What's going on?"
Before her cousin could say another word, she mutters out an excuse and hung up on him by telling him she was busy and while he was trying to figure out the sounds coming from her line.
She inserts her phone back into her pocket and looks at the angry sophomore impassively.
"Who're you?"
"Guh! That's not a way to talk to your senpai!"
"Just because you're a year older doesn't mean that we should bow down to you, senpai." She retorts, unfaltering at the enraged look by her senior.
"You're just a freshman!"
"Aa, I am. So what?" She slaps his incoming hand away.
"I'm still better than you in tennis." She smirks.
"What did you say?!"
"Oh, are you deaf now as well?" Cocking her head to the side, Ryoma stares at him impassively.
"That's it! You think you're all that being a girl and beating one of our club members, but I'll have you know that they aren't the strongest around!" He yells which earnt a protest from Arai at the sidelines, "Have a match with us, I'll make that cocky mouth of yours shut up for good , girl."
A stern scowl, "That's my line."
"E-Echizen-chan…"she could hear Horio from the sidelines, hesitating to stop her.
But she wasn't going to listen, she's had it with boys underestimating her because of her gender. It was true that there aren't many female players who would take the sport seriously, but she was different.
Standing in position behind the service line, she motioned for the sophomores to begin. When her first opponent began his serve, a menacing smirk tugged up at the edge of her lips.
She was so going to humiliate them.
They stood awestruck and quivering, gaping at the sight before them. The group of sophomores laid splayed out across the court gasping for air, a lone girl standing in the middle of the court. If they had not seen it with their own eyes, they would have never believed it ever happened at all,
"She really did it…"
"How strong is she?..."
"She hasn't even broken a sweat…"
Words were stammered almost inaudibly due to shock. Since they were too stunned, they failed to notice the newcomers outside the courts, two looking on with amusement while the other two were just as amazed at the sight.
"S-sugoii~" they heard a girl's voice from behind. Kachiro turns to the source out of curiosity and saw two first year girls.
"Oh~ she really done it this time." An elderly woman around her fifties said in a sing-song voice.
"Obaa-chan, do you know her?" The timid looking girl questioned.
"Of course, she's a daughter of my student." The woman happily informed.
"Ehhh?"
"But still, she's too good." The pigtail girl.
"She's not dubbed as 'The Princess of Tennis' for nothing, you know." The woman in tracksuits laughed proudly as the apathetic looking girl sighs.
"Mada mada dane, senpai-tachi." She mutters, stalking off towards the direction of her bag.
"Princess of tennis eh?" A voice spoke from behind. Knowing full well who it was, the woman in tracksuits smiled,
"Oya, Momoshiro— I thought you went home already?"
Emerging from the shadows under the Cherry Blossom tree, an onyx haired boy with deep purple eyes shining in glee— grinned. His racquet rested on his shoulder as he cocked his head slightly to the right, oozing with confidence as he raised one bushy eyebrow.
"I thought about asking my fellow sophomores here to give me a light practice," he chuckled, eyes averting from the woman to the court of defeated members,
"But then I came to find this instead."
"You should take it easy for now." The woman had a chastising tone, but the boy simply shrugged it off.
"I did say only a light practice, baa-san." He entered the courts, ignoring the woman's words.
"Oi, oi, you guys are being pathetic right now!" He bellowed, earning his fellow members their attention as he entered the courts.
"Momoshiro…"
"Getting beaten by a small girl younger than you, and you call yourselves Seigaku's tennis members?!" He yells, glancing at the girl who seemed completely uninterested. As she was about to leave, he stops her.
"Hey you—"
Ryoma turns to look at him and blinks as if she was innocent.
"— you don't think you'll just get away like that don't you?" He says, narrowing his eyes. "I can't let you get away thinking Seigaku's boys' tennis is weak, I just can't."
The girl just stared at him as if saying silently 'Are you done?' His eye twitched, then released his stiff expression.
"So not cute." He mumbles to himself.
"Play a match with me." He challenged. "I'm not—"
"No." Came a blatant response before he could finish his sentence. Momoshiro face faulted as he watches the girl attempt to walk away.
"Oi! Is that a way to talk to your senpai?" He calls after her, "And to think I would let you play with me—"
"Hey…" she sighs, looking at him over her shoulder.
"You're injured, right?"
Her piercing golden orbs darted to his foot, "Your ankle."
That one statement froze him on the spot and surprised everyone around her. At the sidelines, the woman recovered quickly from her surprise and smirked.
'This girl is really something, to think she noticed Momo's injury that quick.' She mused.
"We could play," she announced, averting her eyes from him and sauntered off outside the courts.
"When you're healed."
Momoshiro watched as the girl steps outside only to be greeted by their coach, still frozen on the spot. The girl knew of his injury and instant she looked at him? Normally one would think it was absurd, just like the freshman present at the moment. But it wasn't impossible; however, one would have to be very observant to know in a split second.
He wasn't limping after all, Momoshiro made sure to conceal his injury. Still, she saw through his endurance. His deep purple eyes bore through her back as she left with their coach and the two girls, oh he was delighted indeed— and he just can't wait to tell the news to his senpai's about her as well.
'Seems like this year won't be so boring after all.'
Later on that night, Atobe Keigo managed to get a hold of his cousin once more who lightly brushed off his peeve at being cut off in the middle of the call earlier that day. As Ryoma crawls beneath her covers, she listens to her older cousin talking on the phone in a half hearted manner with constant grunts of agreement when she saw fit.
The conversation was short. She decided not to answer most of Atobe's questions and instead suggests to answer him personally and possibly make up for hanging up on him as well.
Atobe could not find a better opportunity, so he took it. In any case, he was actually planning to ask his little cousin for an appointment around the weekends when they're both free, so when he heard her suggestion— he was more than pleased to accept.
Muttering a 'goodnight' to her cousin, Ryoma turns off the call, plugging in her earphones into the audio jack of her phone and begins to listen to her selected music.
Don't Stop Me Now[Slow Acoustic] - Ryoga E.
The sounds of the boy's mellow voice pulled Ryoma into a deep state of tranquility. A mix of emotions pass through her as memories begin to flash vaguely around the black canvas around her, distant voices of two young children laughing and talking as the euphonious notes of each string plucked cancels out the voices, turning it into nothing but a muffled noise at the background as she loses her senses of reality.
A/N: Lemme know what you guys think. Criticisms are highly appreciated as well. ^_^