Hey Guys! Guess what? It's my Birthday! April 7! I'm so happy! Gonna be a good day and to start a good day I'm updating the story! I hope you guys like it. Please Favorite, Follow and Review! Love to hear what you guys think and if you have any advice don't be afraid to just let it rip. :D
~Kay
I do not own Prince of Tennis.
At the moment Shyuusuke was having too much fun playing around with his prey. They had started the game and just to make it more fun, Shyuusuke decided to feign ignorance and play horribly like a newbie.
Sasabe had quickly become full of himself as he won the first then second match, not losing but one point to the kid he was "teaching" how to play tennis. Shyuusuke let him have his fun but now he decided to show him how he really plays.
Shyuusuke immediately went into offense and the game turned tides. He won the next and everyone watching went silent.
The few people who were clinging to Sasabe before stood in awe and disbelief before one yelled out, "Sasabe, what are you doing? The kids starting to beat you."
Sasabe couldn't help but start to panic, he was trying after all but he couldn't tell them that. Beads of sweat were starting to trickle down his back and chest and his breathing was becoming labored.
Swing…run, stop, swing…run, stop, and swing. The process repeated itself over and over, usually ending with Sasabe losing a point and letting Shyuusuke win the match.
Sasabe couldn't let him get the last round; he couldn't let a kid beat him in front of all his friends. He began to push himself more and more to try to get to the ball but it always ended up just outside his reach, it was beyond frustrating.
Shyuusuke could see it also, his patience was wearing thin and soon Sasabe would push himself too far.
Three more hits went by like this but Sasabe was determined this time. That ball wouldn't get past him no matter what because if he didn't then the kid would win the game.
Sasabe had just hit it back from the left corner and he could tell the kid had gotten to the ball with no problem. This time the ball was heading straight for the other corner and he began to run as fast as possible.
Sasabe was so close he could feel it, literally. Sticking his racket out to reach as far as possible to get the ball is when everything seemed to stop.
He saw the yellow ball coming in slow motion and he could tell now that he would make it for once just in time. A feral smile etched itself onto his face as he could taste the small victory for himself.
Closer…closer…and closer. Pain. He felt it in his legs just as he was about to get the ball and he stumbled into it instead of hitting it.
Sasabe was now lying on the ground face planted into the court, hiding what became a menacing glare. No one saw it coming except for Shyuusuke and once again the air was silent.
Seconds pass before everyone realizes what happened and they all start to head towards Sasabe who is still on the ground. Said man turned himself up and off from the pavement as he saw Shyuusuke with a content smile on his face walk toward him.
The guys all run up to him and asked if he was okay but he shoos them away.
"Saa…Maybe next time you'll warm up before playing, then you won't cramp up at the last second. Thanks for the game, Sasabe-sensei." Shyuusuke makes sure he stresses the word sensei with a mocking tone as he turns around to leave with an even wider smirk on his face.
All Sasabe could do then was yelling in frustration and slight pain at Shyuusuke being able to beat him and the scratches on his hands and knees.
The coach for the local club knew all about Shyuusuke's skills and he was ever grateful for putting Sasabe in his place. Thanking him in his mind he then goes to find the first aid kit and start teaching his lessons again for the others.
Shyuusuke then ended up walking home cheerfully thinking, 'Wonder what I'll have for lunch. Maybe wasabi rolls.'
It had been a quiet afternoon the rest of the day after Syuusuke had left Nanamialone with Ryoma. She watched and watched as Ryoma slept peacefully and without a problem.
Another nurse eventually came sometime throughout the afternoon and told her Matsuo would be unavailable. The nurse had grinned and giggled as she said so, so now Nanami's interests were peaked at getting some new dirt to use on her boss.
Asking the nurse what was going on the woman at the door pointed at Ryoma saying,
"Matuo-sensei passed out like a light when he got to the break room. Some of the other nurses told me he had been up all night with Ryoma-kun to try to get him to go back to sleep. Although I did hear from Aoki-chan that he was feeling guilty for leaving Ryoma-kun alone for too long and, oh! You weren't supposed to know that part." She mumbled the last part in surprise.
"Thank-you~" Nanami said with a sing-song voice and a smile on her face.
'He left my little Ryoma-kun alone huh?' The nurse left as soon as she could, knowing Nanami was going to give it to Matsuo when she saw the would have to talk to him about that.
Another hour had gone by without interruption from anyone and Ryoma still slept. She began to entertain herself with the clouds she could see that drifted by through the sky by looking out through the window.
It was now almost 5:30 and she could feel her stomach begin to rumble from hunger. The door then opened just as she was standing to leave for the cafeteria downstairs.
Stepping into the room was Matsuo with what Nanami thought was a grumpy face but she looked closer and it became grim and serious. She began to worry but before she could voice her concern he started to speak.
"Nanami-chan…we have a problem."
"Huh? Matsuo-san wha-" Nanami stopped mid-sentence when the door behind Matsuo opened again but this time it was someone she didn't recognize.
An older woman pushed her way through the doorway and walked past Matsuo just in front of Nanami. She was a skinny older woman who wore a business suit and a scowl on her face.
Her thin skeleton-like fingers were wrapped around the handle of her suitcase and a folder she held to her chest in the other hand.
The old woman gave Nanami and hard and calculating stare before she started talking,
"Well…" she began in an annoyed voice.
"Don't expect me to wait around all day. You need to fill out this paperwork immediately." Nanami couldn't help but let her eyes widen in shock at the total disrespect this woman was showing them.
"Harada-san, I asked you to stay in the waiting room. You're not allowed to be in here." Matsuo said, obviously not happy about this woman being in the room.
"Do you think I'm here to just check up on things? I didn't come all the way down here to waste my time…" she said in a drawn out voice that was coated in dislike.
"I assume this is the boy's room then." Harada-san said with her head held high in a snooty attitude as she looked around the room taking a survey until she saw Ryoma on the bed.
Nanami finally gained some of her voice back when she saw the look the old woman was giving him and looked towards Matsuo in panic and confusion.
"Matsuo-san what is going on?"
"This is Harada-san; she's a representative from the Child Care Services for Ryoma-kun."
Harada turned around at their voices and started talking, trying her best to get her business done and over with.
"Yes, and I am here to get you to sign the papers. The quicker I can get them signed the quicker I can move him into the Children's Orphanage and then the boy will be adopted faster and by a proper family. Now here…" She finished her rant and gave Matsuo a vanilla folder with a paper on top waiting with a blank space at the bottom for his signature.
Nanami couldn't believe this woman, she must be insane! Did she not see the condition Ryoma was in? He wouldn't be able to move anywhere for at least another couple of days.
She looked to Matsuo again with alarm; there was no way he could let Ryoma go.
Matsuo made a hard face before he began saying,
"Harada-san, I cannot sign this. My patient isn't ready to leave yet. I will sign the papers when he and I are both ready. Now I-"
"Matsuo-san…" Harada cut him off before he could continue and started talking in a louder and angrier voice.
"I don't care whether or not he feels ready, he needs to be put in a home and it's my job to make sure it happens."
Pushing the folder with the release forms into Matsuo's hands again she said, "Now sign these papers."
"I don't think you understand. I won't be signing any papers until I deem him fit to be moved. Now I'm asking nicely, please step out of the room before you wake my patient."
The woman standing in the middle of the room created a scowl so large you would think it was going to fall off her face.
"Fine." She spat out, "But when I come back here, I will be taking Echizen with me and you will have no other excuses."
It quickly became a glaring contest between the two people and Nanami could feel herself becoming more panicked by the second.
Although the silence only lasted a few seconds before a small voice broke it.
"Matsu-san, Nami-chan why do I have to go?" Nanami's heart became crushed when she heard the familiar but scared voice of Ryoma ask this.
'Oh no, this is exactly what I didn't want to happen. He woke up.' She thought.
Matsuo couldn't take it anymore, his patience with this woman was going to burst in 3…2…1.
"Harada-san, out now." He almost growled to the 'old hag' that was still just standing there.
Before she moved to the door she looked back at Ryoma and glared. Ryoma sunk back into the bed and pulled the blanket up to his nose, shaking at the mean look he received.
'Who is she? Why does she hate me, I didn't do anything? Did I?'
Harada glared even more the longer she looked until the look on her face almost became hostile. Turning on her heel she left without another noise and into the hall.
Nanami quickly went to Ryoma's bedside and took his small hand in hers; trying her best to comfort him as her other hand went to the top of his head.
"Shhhhh…she's gone, I promise." She stroked his head in a soft and loving motion as she tried to get him to calm down.
Matsuo looked back just as Nanami looked at him and they shared a silent agreement. Matsuo would get rid of her and then come back to the room to see Ryoma.
Nanami sent a look of 'please and hurry' and she turned back to Ryoma as Matsuo left the room.
It was only a couple of seconds before Ryoma fell under Nanami's magic spell as the soothing words calmed him.
He remained that way now holding her hand back tightly before he asked her,
"Who she? And why she say I leave wit her?" Ryoma almost became teary-eyed at the thought of leaving with that mean old woman; there was no way he could do it.
"She is umm, well…don't worry about her, you're not leaving okay? Now let's forget about her. Listen, why don't we get you something to eat, okay? You're probably really, really hungry right?" Ryoma nodded his head at her words and when his mind let go of the fear, something to eat did sound good.
"Okay, I'll just get you something light to start off from the food cart in the hall. I'll only be one second okay?" Ryoma nodded a second time as he watched her leave.
He really hoped he wouldn't ever have to see that scary woman again.
Well? I hope you guys enjoyed the next chapter! Review, Follow and Favorite! :D
Thanks to everyone who reviewed my last chapter and followed or favorited!You guys Rock!