Chapter One: Meetings
Dawn was breaking through the night as it followed two petites jogging towards the west side of the river bed. The cold morning breeze brushed across their faces, welcoming a new day, as they continued towards their way towards the train station.
"Hmm…I guess…This is where we say our good-byes…Hiroki." they hugged through their sweat and laughed remembering about it.
"Gee! Don't we smell just great~" Hiroki stated as she laughed it off and then waved good-bye. "Take care of yourself, Rika-chan."
"Mmm! I know now Hi-chan, have fun at Hyotei~! Say Hi to Miya for me!" she boarded the train and headed towards the Kansai region.
"I guess, I should head back then." Hiroki thought aloud as she began to jog towards the academy. 'Hyotei huh? I guess I knew that we wouldn't be hanging out together anymore.'
As Rika sat down she thought about her past and how she met her dear childhood friends, 'I think it was when we were seven. Hahaha, it's been that long huh?' A faint smile curled upon her lips as she looked at changing scenery.
"Nee! Nee! Hi-chan! You have a boy's name, how come?" a child with chocolate-colored locks asked curiously while circling another girl.
"I don't know. Mom and Dad wanted a boy but since I was their only child and didn't want another child so they named me 'Hiroki'. Well at least that's what they told me…." she replied, somewhat detesting that idea, "Come on Rika! Let's play tennis together!"
"Sure! But, I don't like playing doubles…Hmmm…Ah! Hey you -I mean- Miya!" the child ran towards a girl whom was on the swings. "Um, do you want to play with us?"
"What are you guys playing?" she asked as she smiled innocently.
"Tennis! But I don't like playing doubles, so…can you play with Hi-chan? She likes playing tennis in duo's so…" Rika began to feel unsure if this'll work but it did some how.
Time passed as they grew a bond stronger then before, years and years later. They were best of friends, later on Miya found out Hiroki was actually a girl which surprised her. They realized how much they loved playing tennis together, laughing together, and most of all being there for one another.
Rika, Miya, and Hiroki were always in the same school doing the same club, Tennis. However Rika's parents forced her to live with her grandmother, Rika slowly began to get into fights because of the stubbornness some of the females had on Miya and herself. Hiroki seemed more like a female more and more however students that didn't know that she was a girl thought that she was a cute boy. So the girls would pick on Miya more due to her soft side and acceptance of everyone. Rika always had a sleek and killer face expression around her so no one bothered with her.
"Obaa-chan. I'm back~!" Rika cheerfully heard a 'Come to the kitchen' from her grandmother's dying voice. "Thanks for everything Obaa-chan~" she held her rather short grandmother and smiled before she sat besides her.
"My, you say that way to much Rika. You're such a beautiful girl. Yet you partially act like a tomboy." her grandmother sighed although she still loved her the way she was.
"Haha, I can't help it. After all those…Erm…I guess you can say 'experiences' with some girls I've been more interesting in protecting the people I love." she smiled while placing a spoonful in her mouth. "Mm! Tfi ish good!"
"Don't talk with your mouth full dear!" her grandmother lectured while Rika just began laughing.
"Mmfh, Neva! Just playing I will. Haha." she smiled widely as she began to walk towards the kitchen for a drink. "Do you want anything Obaa-chan?"
"Oh, I nearly forgot the tea I made earlier is on the counter. I thought you'd be visiting Hiro-chan again so I made you some too." she stated as she slowly rose up her chopstick.
"Thanks Obaa-chan! You know I love your homemade teas." she took sips of the traditional homemade green tea and grinned.
While Rika began to eat and talk more with her grandmother, Hiroki was taking a shower at her place. Her blue cotton candy-colored hair became damped with water as she left the shower and towards her bedroom. The hair blow dryer manages to slowly dry her hair, which had slowly curled in at the bottom as well as her bangs. She left off with her usual, toast and something-she-felt-like-snacking-on snack in her empty hand.
"I'm going, 'Kay bye." she hurried as she slipped up her flats into a more comfortable position and hurried towards a petite by the gate. "Sorry Miya, let's go."
"Don't worry about it…" she sighed as she asked, "D-Did you see Rika?"
"Yep. Oh yea! She said hi." she muffled her toast down as she began to walk faster, followed by Miya. "Crap! My racket! You go first I'll be there soon! Bye!"
"O-Okay…Shessh I didn't get to tell you about the tennis club event next week…" Miya muttered as she slapped her forehead and walked away.
Running as fast as she could, Hiroki made it towards her homeroom class which was on the second floor. Her pants were faint but she cleared her throat and walked in formally.
'Ugh, and just when I just ran two miles today…ugh…' she thought as she sat down and began to take notes.
"Shitenhoji…I don't wanna go to school today…" Rika sniffled as she stood by the gate while resting her arms against it's wooden gate. 'Not today, I know there's practice today but still…I'm the only chick! It's so…so-'
"Ahaha! Ri-chan! What are you doing here! We're going to be late come on!" a cheerful first year gripped her wrist and dashed towards the tennis courts.
"Kintaro! S-Stop! You're running to fast! K-Kintaro!" she frantically tried to catch up but as only being dragged along, painfully. 'This day is going to suck!'
The bell rang with an unconscious Rika slouching on the ground with trembling legs. She groaned and yanked her hand free, while Kintaro cheered around and sang a victory song. Other members of the tennis team looked at them as they laughed and talked.
"Ah! I'm so sorry Ri-chan…" Kintaro realized that he gave a bruise on Rika's right wrist. "Now you can't…play…"
"Huh? Kintaro, don't worry! I'll play with my left hand!" she patted his wild red spikes and smiled. "Well at least I made it on time because of you. Thanks."
"Haha! Yeah!" he joyfully jumped liked a monkey and glomped Kenya and the others.
Rika smiled as she shook her head playfully while giving a slight smile and turned her back on them. Today she felt like skipping the class, perhaps the coach wouldn't mind. She left just enough to run for it, the gate, however, with lousy tennis members you'll never get away.
"AH! You're going to ditch tennis practice Rika?" they all yelled in unison, expect for Zaizen, purposefully since they saw him coming this way.
"Shut up you guys!" she furiously retorted while she felt a stare from her back. "Oh…Oh…Good morning?"
"Ri-chan~ Where do you think you're going~?" the coach's hand slightly touched her shoulder as she creaked back to look.
"N-No…I'm just…Um going to change in the locker room…I can't go when there's guys in it. Right Watanabe-sensei?" she lied, but in the end she did just that.
"Okay then~" he left her with a smile which hide the face of a smirk of evil. "Warm up until Ri-chan comes back out guys."
"Okay!" they began to do just that after ten minutes of practice, however Rika encountered a problem.
'Luck is not on my side today! Oh no…' she groaned and held in a mix of sorrow, her bra strap caught onto her shirt. "Ugh! Where's a girl when I need it!"
She paced around the small locker room and wondered what to do, she didn't trust the tennis guys that much. However there were guys everywhere, however there was still yet an immature and clueless young boy lurking among them, Kintaro.
"K-Kintaro!" she shouted out his name as she tried to hide behind the door. "Kintaro! Can you come here!"
"Eh~? But I was going to play a match…" he replied as he kicked the pebbles on the court.
"I'll treat you at lunch if you help me with something!" she began to bribe him, seeing that he loves his sweets. "I promise!"
"Really? Alright! What is it?" he asked, while others began to look.
"I-I just need your help with something!" she tried her best to get him to come he did, slowly.
"But you need to tell me!" he remarked as he began to walk towards the gate.
"Ugh! I'll tell you when you come here! Right now!" she demanded, causing him to chill with fright, with a extremely bright red face.
He came in and he looked at her with a frown, as he sighed from troublesome. At least he wasn't surprised -or embarrassed- to see her white laced bra stuck on the shirt. In a second they both went out and everyone looked at them with a curious look, especially from the Zaizen. He was quite interested why she needed someone's help for "something" he grinned slightly and then turned around.
"Hey what did you think they did?" Kenya whispered as he walked towards Zaizen. "Hey Zaizen."
"How should I know moron. I don't see through walls." he retorted as he walked with the racket behind his back. "Let's just play a match. Besides I'm sure Kintaro will tell us next time, when she's not around." he his lips curled into a playful smirk as he glanced at Rika.
"What?…" she stated as she glared at Zaizen. 'Hmph, he better not ask Kintaro. Knowing that Kintaro will tell. Oh well.'
"Nothing." he kept on smirking for a while then stopped, he was starting a match.
"Jerk I hope you fall down and hit your face on the floor!" she yelled in a whisper making Shiraishi and Senri laugh. "O-Oh, Shiraishi-senpai and Senri-senpai! Um…Keep it a secret that I said that…"
"Sure, let's get warmed up then Ri-chan." Senri suggested as Shiraishi nodded in agreement.
"Okay!" Rika was so happy to play tennis, she regretted thinking that she should just ditch today's practice.
As for Hiroki, she sighed and wondered what to do for the time being. She changed with the other students as she finished their lecture from the coach. It was the same old at the school, especially with that stuck up "Atobe-sama" hanging around. She didn't like him due to his personality but she slowly forgot about him until she saw, his face.
'That..That stuck up pretty boy!' she growled in thought as she turned to the other direction. 'Come on Hiroki, I'll be seeing his face for a while. Take deep breathes of air and calm down.'
"Atobe-sama~! Kyaaa~!" they all squealed while she walked towards the empty side of the tennis gym and shook her head, it was all too loud for her.
"My head hurts…" she whispered as she felt a light tap on her shoulder, from Chotaro Otori.
"Hey are you okay? Are you sick?" he was friendly towards everyone.
"Yea I'm fine. They're just…Um how should I put it…Loud?" she tried to laugh it off as he walked her back towards the group, which calmed down.
"Ahahaha, I feel like that too sometimes." he replied as he left back towards the regular's side. "Good luck, umm."
"Hiroki Otonashi. Nice to meet you senpai." she bowed as he scratched his scalp, not knowing what to do.
"Haha, you don't have to bow. I'm Chotaro Otori. Nice to meet you Otonashi-san." he smiled as he slowly continued to walk.
After another lecture which was given by Atobe Keigo, the girls didn't mind him talking to them -or lecturing in that fact- as long as he stood and smiled at them. As the regulars scanned the girls playing tennis, they noticed Hiroki and Miya.
"Miya!" she cried out her name, gesturing that she had to get the ball.
"I've got you covered." Miya replied as she made a lob towards the other girls. "Alright! This is easy~!"
The girls weren't that well trained since they mostly tried to dodge or either run away from the ball. They were frightened of the ball most of the time so they won mostly every round.
"Change court! Winners move up one. Losers move down one." the coach ordered as everyone did just that. "Again? You girls always stay at this spot when doing doubles."
"Hehe~ I can't help it Sensei, the girls aren't that challenging enough. Well, more like they're afraid of hitting the ball…" she sighed as she glanced away with a saddened look.
Atobe seemed interested in them and asked that male tennis players should participate as well. Of course, him being the "King", it was allowed and the girls and boys held their little competition.
"Hm, well young lady let's see how well you'll do now." he smiled at Hiroki and she merely just smirked back with confidence.
Two males, not regulars, stood on the opposite side of the court while they served first. Miya and Hiroki were trying more then usual since they were quite more advanced but neither the less, they won.
"6 games to none!" the referee stated as everyone began to switch courts once again, they won.
"Quite well actually~" she winked at him as she turned and thought, 'Today seems like a great day~! I can't wait to see who'll I go up against next~!'
"Heh, she's not half-bad. Kabaji. Let's have some fun." he stated as he watched Hiroki with interest. "Care to play with me?"
"Osu..." Kabaji followed behind Atobe and went onto the court.
"I don't see why not. However you'll have to actually try or at least move. I won't accept a lousy and loafing "king" get in my way." she glared at him with a smile as she raised her racquet over his figure form afar.
"So be it. I'll try in this round. Kabaji you-" he paused and looked at her and then felt a smile curl at the end of his lip.
"Nope, he'll have to play too." she interrupted him without caring about his statement he was going to say.
"Fine, fine." he stated as he tossed the ball to her, "Ladies first."
"I'm honored." she sarcastically spoke as she tossed the ball into the air and collided the racquet and the ball together.
CLIFF HANGER~! Hanging on a cliff, and that's why he's called cliff hanger~ Anyways this is my first attempt to do Atobe and Zaizen. *sweat drop*
So~! Who will win! Atobe? (Of course you fan girls will say, "No duh~!) But! This is my story so HAHAHAHA! Just playing it'll depend if I feel like making the next one with him losing or not so I don't know. Anyways, rate and review enjoy.