Damn that Niou-senpai!
Kirihara rushed into the boy's bathroom and slammed the door shut, ignoring the first-year he'd pushed aside.
Why couldn't he, the second-year ace Kirihara Akaya, get to play as singles2?! Instead it was Niou-senpai! Stupid Niou-senpai!
He had challenged Niou-senpai the day before yesterday too, in order to make Yukimura-buchou change his mind. Since Kirihara was Rikkai's second-year ace it should've been an easy win.
But instead he'd lost a humiliating defeat of 6 games to 4 when his senpai had started to impersonate other tennis players. First he'd been and then Shitenhouji's buchou Shiraishi. And then, Niou-senpai had impersonated Seigaku's tensai Fuji…!
When the hell had he learnt that?! No way Niou-senpai had been that good a few months ago! And Yukimura-buchou had been smiling, too! He'd been smiling!
"Akaya" the muffled voice of Yanagi came from the other side of the door. "I'm sorry to have to disturb you but I have a first-year here who urgently needs to use the bathroom. Would you please open the door?"
Kirihara growled, but proceeded to unlock the bathroom door and walked out. The first-year rushed into the bathroom and slammed the door shut. Then, it was just Kirihara and Yanagi standing in the empty school corridor.
"What d'you want Yanagi-senpai?" Kirihara muttered.
"You forgot your English homework in the clubroom" Yanagi answered, handing it to his kouhai. Kirihara reluctantly took it; he hadn't actually forgotten it, more like tried to get rid of it since he hated English and hadn't done his homework.
"Thanks", he mumbled and stuffed the homework into his bag.
"You left in a hurry", Yanagi noted. "Any particular reason?"
"No… not really." Only stupid idiot Niou-senpai. He had bumped into Niou outside the showers and the stupid idiot had grinned at him like some kind of white-haired devil. So Kirihara had left the clubroom before everyone else because otherwise he would've hit that stupid grin out of his equally stupid senpai's face.
"Akaya" Yanagi said, partly opening his eyes. "Care for a walk to the courts?"
"Uh… sure!" Any excuse to miss English class was a good thing.
Yanagi led the way to the courts and neither of them said a word while crossing the sundrenched schoolyard. When they reached the courts, Kirihara spotted Marui, Yagyuu and Jackal sitting on the benches facing the courts.
"What's going on, Yanagi?" Yagyuu said as they approached the group. "Why did you call us here all of a sudden?"
"We're missing home economics" Marui sulked, popping his gum.
"… you're not supposed to take that class senpai" Kirihara said, wrinkling his nose.
"Yeah I know. But the new home economics teacher doesn't!" Marui grinned wide.
"Uh… why'd you say 'we'?"
"Why do you think?" Jackal muttered. "Bunta told the teacher all Brazilians are this tall their first year in middle school so I'm taking that class too…"
"Stop complaining! You get to eat my wonderful cooking!"
"True, true… and I get to clean up your mess too."
A coughing sound ceased their talking and Yanagi.
"The reason we're all gathered here", Yanagi said, "is because of the newly arranged order for the Finals."
"Yeah, with Niou hogging the singles2 all singles places are taken" Marui exclaimed.
"Which leaves the two doubles pairs" Yagyuu said. "Now, with Yukimura-buchou in the team we have an extra player. That means one of us won't be playing in the Finals unless any unforeseen occurrences take place."
"Singles3 will probably be Sanada, singles2 will apparently be Niou" Yanagi said. "As for Singles1 it will be Yukimura."
"That leaves me, huh" Kirihara said, feeling a slightly sinking feeling in his stomach. "I'm the only one here who's not a doubles player."
"Well, normally that would exclude you from the Finals" Yagyuu said. "But given the fact that you're one of the best players in Rikkai…"
"I think we're being too nice, really" Marui said, popping a bubble. "But we're giving you a fair chance here."
"You will challenge all of us in singles" Yagyuu said. "And if all four of us lose to you we'll teach you how to play doubles."
"Yanagi insisted" Jacka added when he saw the distrustful look on their kouhai's face.
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Later, when Kirihara lay in his room, he still couldn't believe his luck. Or was he really that lucky?
FLASHBACK
We'll start tomorrow, Marui said. I'm up first so meet me at the courts after school's finished and Sanada's gone home. And if I win you'll buy me ice cream for the whole month right?
END OF FLASHBACK
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NEXT DAY AFTER SCHOOL
Marui was already at the courts when Kirihara got there, the other boy was fixing his shoelaces at the bench. He wasn't wearing his tennis uniform but rather a t-shirt and a pair of shorts.
"Alright let's do this!" Marui said, and pointed his racket at Kirihara. "And remember the ice cream dear kouhai!
"I'm gonna make you regret this" Kirihara said, grinning.
Marui swallowed hard. He now remembered why he didn't like playing against Akaya. And suddenly forfeiting didn't sound so bad after all…
TO BE CONTINUED