Disclaimer- I don't own Prince of Tennis
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"Are you seriously thinking about making that seventh grader a starter, Kiri?" Raina asked as she watched her captain going over that days practice. At first Kiri didn't say anything, her face set like it always was when she was working on something important. She was like this all week before they announced the starters.
"I'm considering it, yes, she did well today," Kiri said, but didn't look up from the paper she was scrawlling notes on. "Unlike many of the eighth and ninth graders, who are simply trying to show us their best and not doing as we asked: to have them work on what needs improvment. A willingness to improve is a requirment."
"Yes, I understand, but you have enough enemies as it is and if you make a seventh grader a starter you'll be asking for trouble," Raina warned. She wasn't talking to the captain anymore, but rather to one of her best friends. Kiri's twisted smile came onto her face again.
"They wouldn't try anything, especially not after the boys' team did the same thing," she told her as she finished the notes. "There," she said, "and you can tell Oishi to stop waiting outside the door. What is he a vampire that needs invited in?" Raina laughed a bit as she moved to open the door. Oishi was standing there, just as Kiri had said. It was kind of scary how she was always right about these things.
"Hello Yamatashi-san," Oishi said with a slight bow. Kiri nodded her head in response.
"Oishi," She said and he took a seat at the table in the club room. He glanced down at Kiri's notes, with the even handwritting, but that was scrawled rather carelessly across the paper. He read a few lines.
"Not to happy with your new players?" he asked, an eyebrow raised at the riducule she had written out. She sighed.
"Not really, they're mostly strong players..." Kiri rested her head on the back of her hand. Raina got the hint and continued for her.
"She's upset that they are showing their best when she asked them to try to improve themselves today," Raina said with her careless smile. Kiri sent Oishi a suspiscious look.
"I know you didn't come here to ask me about the troubles I may be having with my players," She said flatly, "Just ask me your question, beating around the bush is annoying."
"Who says I came here to ask a question?" Oishi asked, but the look the female captain kept sending him told him to not try and deny it. He sighed, it really was strange how she figured out these things, "There was a seventh grader that came to tryout today. I wasn't able to come and see so I wanted to ask how it worked out. She's a friend of many of our starters."
"I figured that much, a few of them were hanging out around the courts before they had to go for their practice. Didn't they bother to tell you what happened?"
"You obviously have never really talked to those guys," Oishi sighed, thinking about the sadistic way they had kapt the information from him. Kiri smiled in her odd way.
"No, I haven't. I have my hands full enough as it is. However" she said, "The girl did well, she played one of our starters before practice and actually got her into playing her best game. Naturally I made them both run laps."
"You're ruthless," Oishi shivered.
"She was beating Cara too! It was an interesting match!" Raina put in from where she was standing by the doorway, "She used some amazing techniques too!"
"So she used Cara's techniques against her I'm guessing? We were quite startled when we first saw it too," Oishi smiled, but the two girls frowned.
"She didn't copy anyone's techniques, she used moves I have never seen nor heard about," Raina said, and Oishi looked surprised.
"I've never seen her use her own style, she managed to copy many of the best moves our players have just by seeing them once," Oishi informed them.
"That brat is a bit scary," Raina shivered and Oishi couldn't say he disagreed. He turned to Kiri.
"So, what are you thinking?" Oishi asked.
"You should know better than to ask Oishi, one's mind is their final sanctuary," Kiri quoted, but Raina laughed.
"She's thinking of letting the girl start," Raina informed him, at the expense of a small glare from Kiri. Oishi just smiled as he watched all this unfold.
"Well," he said, standing up and pushing his chair in, "I had better get going. I'll see you two around." he headed out the door, "Goodbye."
"Bye," both girls said and Kiri turned to Raina, "Why did you tell him?" Raina blushed.
"W-well, I couldn't see why not," she said, "Besides, Oishi's nice." Kiri's strange smile returned as her gaze drifted out the window. She already knew why Raina had acted that way, but she had to ask.
Nanjiro Echizen was disgusted by the things that this young girl was telling him. Just hearing about what she had been through made his skin crawl. There were times when he was sure she would burst into tears. Her shoulders shuddered and her voice occasionally shook. Not that he could blame her, she had been through allot. When she finally stopped the room went completely silent. Nanako, Ryoma's couisin, seemed to be hit the hardest by the news. This was a girl that had seemed so happy just the day before when they had hung out. Nanako guessed she hadn't even been happy then, not completely anyway. Ryoma's grandmother sat there with her lips pressed tightly together, not saying a word or attempting to break the silence. It was worse than she had previously feared when she first saw the tattered girl. Ryoma's mother had her hand over her mouth, which was still slightly open and shocked, even after Shia had stopped talking. She had seen all of the bruises when she had bandaged Shia up, but to think that her mother gave those to her was unsettling. Nanjiro opened his mouth to say something, closed it, and then opened it again.
"Why...? Why would she do this?" he asked slowly. Shia tensed up, but Ryoma put a reasuring hand on her shoulder.
"We don't know," He lied, "Tennis sets her off for some reason." Nanjiro looked like he wasn't ready to beleive this, but he shook his head.
"We can worry about that later," he said, "In the mean time, Shia, you can stay with us. I can't send you back there in good conscience."
"B-but! Samson!" She said quickly. Nanjiro raised an eyebrow.
"That's her dog. Her mother hates it," Ryoma explained.
"She won't feed him! She won't!" Shia said, no longer caring that these things were meant to be kept secret by the unspoken oath she shared with her mother. Nanjiro sighed and shook his head.
"First a girl and now a dog? I don't know how much more I can take," Nanjiro sighed, put his wife hit him lightly and he smiled playfully, "Alright, I'll take care of the dog. You just hang out here, I have to go take care of a few things first." He looked over at Ryoma, "Maybe you can punish my son on the courts for me." he said and Shia laughed.
"You have my word!" she smirked, "Aw! I didn't bring my racket because I thought I might be coming home!" she whined and Nanjiro smiled wider.
"You can punish my son with my racket! How fitting!" they both laughed while Ryoma scowled. Nanako Watched with only the slightest smile on her face. It was good to see Shia looking happy again, it had seemed so strange to see her not smiling when she had told them all those terrible things. 'Then again,' She couldn't keep the thought from crossing her mind, 'They say that He who smiles the most carries the greater silent rage within.' And, if only for that moment, she beleived it was true.