My beta's name is Lieyan, and I thank her greatly for her help to better this story.
Last night I couldn't sleep for hours because I was concocting ideas for the sequel. The sequel! This story's got to be at least 20 chapters long. I mean, seriously, I was like envisioning my story between hazy dreams.
Chapter Two: Kin's Own Identity
Inner Taro: U-.- That's what I've been trying to tell her the entire time, but she won't listen to me...
---Next Day---
"Kin, aren't you going to finish your breakfast?" her mother called from the kitchen. Trying desperately to swallow a mouthful of eggs, only gibberish escaped.
"Ja ne!" their father waved before speeding out the door.
"Matte!" Kin called. Her eyes darted, making sure no one would catch her, and swiped Tezuka's racket near the door. She bolted out the door, hugging the racket and disappeared around the corner.
"Kin, Matte!" her mother called, holding a lunch bag. "Kunimitsu, can you do me a favor? Kin forgot her lunch again. I made her favorite, dango."
Tezuka didn't want to waste his lunch today- the regulars tournament was coming up and as captain, he was busier than ever. He blinked at the door numerous times, looking around. "I swear I left my racket here."
"Oi, you're her brother," his mother thrust it into Tezuka's hands and smiled. "Arigatou gozaimasu. You don't want Kin to starve, do you?"
---At Lunch---
Kin's stomach rumbled noisily.
"Uh, Kin-chan?" Taro sweatdropped at the sight of Kin drooling viciously at his sushi.
"That looks good," she stared.
"Y-you can have one if you like," he chuckled nervously.
"Hontou? No kidding?"
"Go ahead," he smiled at her reinvigorated bright blue eyes and shoulder-long brown hair. 'Kin-chan's always so cute.' He blushed furiously when he realized the thought.
"Neh, oi, Kin-chan..." He gaped in sheer amazement at his empty lunch box. "You ate all my sushi in seconds..."
"Nawuzkma?" she mumbled, chewing furiously while popping sushi into her mouth left and right. She burped loudly after she finished and fell into her seat, dozing.
Inner Taro: U-.- She's not cute, she's a monster.
---Meanwhile---
"Suminasen, do you know where Tezuka Kin is?" Tezuka stepped into the hallway.
"Suminasen?" the lady turned to him, smiling brilliantly.
"Can you please tell me-" Tezuka started, holding up a brown lunch bag.
A girl screamed from the other side of the hallway, pointing accusingly at Tezuka. "Isn't that Tezuka Kunimitsu?"
"Sugoi! It's really him!" the girl exclaimed, looking as if she just won a million dollars.
"Nan-" he muttered before fan girls crowded around him, climbing over each other for a sight of him.
---After School---
"Yosh! Come on, Taro-chan, let's go join the tennis club!" she exclaimed, stretching and yawning from her brief snooze in seventh period.
"Tennis?" Taro repeated, gaping at her, genuinely worried. He touched her forehead, checking for a fever.
"What are you doing, Taro-chan?" she blinked innocently.
"Well, you're not sick," he frowned, "AAAHHHH! You alien from Mars! Give me back Kin!" He made a scary face, trying to muster his courage.
"Baka," she sighed, "Let's go." Grabbing by his ear, she dragged him behind the school towards the tennis courts.
"Itai, itai, itai!" he squealed, "That hurts, Kin-chan!"
"Hmm," she rubbed her chin, "There's not many people here today."
"Kin-chan, I don't even have a racket!" he protested.
"That's okay, you can borrow theirs," she kept walking, undeterred. She picked up a tennis ball that rolled by and bounced it on the ground.
"Oi, kid, there's no tennis practice today. It's only on Tuesdays and Thursdays before the regulars tournament," the student told her. She cringed, dropping the ball.
"Oh." Defeated, she looked down at the ball and kicked it. "Let's go, Taro-chan. We'll come back tomorrow."
"H-hai..." he agreed and followed her.
"Demo," the sophomore smirked, "It's okay if you want to stay and practice. Kiyoshi and I will be staying until six." She turned around, her azure eyes glittering, shining brighter than the sky overhead.
"Hontou?"
"Mochiron. My name's Hiroki," he smiled, throwing the tennis ball up and down.
"Yosh! From here on out, Taro-chan," her eyes were ablaze, "I'm going to find Kin's Own Identity!"
Inner Taro: That didn't even make sense. -.-U---A Few Hours Later---
"Taro-chan, I'm exhausted," Kin collapsed on the ground, her racket still in her hand. Her normally bright eyes were swirling, completely knocked out.
"Ah, same here," he lay next to her, breathing heavily. "Kin-chan?" he asked, alarmed at Kin clutching her stomach and making painful noises. "Daijoubu?"
"I'm hungry," she groaned. Taro sighed with relief. He closed his eyes, feeling his best friend's calm presence beside him. He blushed when he realized that her hand was right next to his, but he couldn't muster the courage to hold her hand.
"Oi, enough rest! There are balls to pick up!" Kiyoshi shouted.
"Onii-chan, you really are amazing. I never imagined that tennis was this hard. It always looked easy when you played it..." A waterfall of anime tears fell down her cheeks, and Taro-chan obediently worked hard to make her feel better.
"Yosh! That's enough crying for now. Onii-chan, you better watch your back because there's a new star in town!" she rose, the sunrays shining on her magnificently.
"That's my Kin..." Taro smiled weakly and passed out from fatigue.
"T-Taro-chan?" she asked hesitantly, "AAAHHH! Don't fail on me now!" She grabbed him and waved vigorously back and forth, but that just made his nausea worse.
"Those freshmen are losers," Kiyoshi stared, shaking his head.
"Really? I think they're kind of cute," Hiroki laughed as he proceeded to pick up all the balls.
---Translations---
Hontou- Really?
Mochiron- Of course.