I love this chapter. I've used some... unorthodox writing styles in this chapter. Enjoy!
Chapter 13: Tamed Doggies
Inner Taro: What tamed doggies? You can't possibly be talking about...
Inner Kin: Doggy, doggy, doggy... (laughs maliciously)
Inner Taro: I wonder what goes on in that head of yours... U-.-
"10 more laps, everybody! Whoever loses will have to do all my homework for me!" she shouted, setting her watch.
Inner Kin: Poor Doumoto. There's no way he can keep up.
'Hmph. Don't be too sure about that.'
Smirking, Kin watched as Doumoto terrorized everybody around him, pulling their necks back as he raced to the front of the line. Then he shouted blackmail and the non-regulars cowered as they ran obediently behind him like pups to their mother.
Inner Kin: The fact that a member on the team is bullying everyone doesn't concern you?
'Who can blame him? He's being resourceful to make up for his lack of endurance.' Grinning from ear to ear, she called out the time.
"Do I still have to run even though I'm the captain?" Fukushi sighed as he took a sip of water. Kin slapped him on the back of his head.
"You're wasting valuable time! If the captain won't run it, who will? Ten more laps for you!" She waved his fists at him and he sprinted off to finish his laps.
"Mendokusu... Sometimes I wish this girl didn't appear at Ginka," he muttered under his breath, ignoring the desperate pleas of help from his burning muscles.
"Now that's more like it," Kin grinned sadistically, not realizing that a kid was pulling on her sleeve.
"Suminasen, but is this the track team?" a little boy with puppy eyes gazed up at her.
"I-iie, this is the tennis team," she bent down, smiling, "Can I help you?"
"Sou ka. Well, I won't disturb you anymore," he frowned and sprinted away.
"Matte! I can show you where the track team is!" she called as he disappeared from view. "Geez, that kid... AAHHH?" She stared as she realized that everyone had vanished without a trace. The courts were completely empty, like as if no one had touched the place that day.
Inner Kin: Sugoi, I never knew everyone was this afraid of you.
"EVERYONE, COME OUT BEFORE I ADD 50 MORE LAPS!" She exploded in incredible anger.
---Meanwhile---
"Itai!"
Crunch.
"GET YOUR BUTT OUT OF MY FACE!"
"G-gomen..."
"Damare! She might hear us."
Rustle.
Wind blowing...
"Is she still there?"
"Shh!"
"Fukushi-buchooouuuuu... why do we have to hide behind the bushes like this? It's getting uncomfortable." That was an understatement. Only the world's greatest gymnasts could accomplish a feat of hiding behind one measly bush.
"Would you rather suffer that torture?"
"T-this is torture in itself."
Twitch.
Crash.
Someone cursed.
"I-I think you just broke my wrist."
"G-gomen..."
"C-can't breath..."
Bonk.
"Ah! Suzuki-kun fell onto the ground, unconscious! What do I do, what do I do?" Everyone was too busy shielding their noses.
"Get some deodorant, Itsuki-san. That's what."
"AHA! I FOUND YOU!" Kin's thunderous roar frightened the skittles out of everyone. "100 LAPS, EVERYONE!"
---The Next Day---
"I can't believe it. If this continues, our vice-captain is going to be the youngest mass murderer in Japan's history," Suzuki complained.
"Stop your whining, Suzuki-san. You had it easy because you fainted. Only 89 laps and she let you go. I had to do all 100," Itsuki sighed.
"Well, Itsuki-san, until you get some deodorant, you could become the first tennis player to win a match by raising your armpits and making your opponent faint," Tashiro laughed and everyone followed.
"Y-you guys are so mean," Itsuki sniffed and soon that turned into an enormous waterfall.
"D-do you think I went too far?" Tashiro's eye twitched.
---The List---
Doubles 2: Itsuki/Tashiro
Doubles 1: Hiroki/Kiyoshi
Singles 3: Suzuki
Singles 2: Taro
Singles 1: Fukushi
"NANI? I'm paired up with this freak?" Tashiro gaped.
"Oi, who're you calling a freak, you freak!" Itsuki grabbed his collar.
Inner Kin: Was it really smart to put them two on doubles together?
'Both of them worked hard during the training. Tashiro did extra because he didn't want to drag the team down, and Itsuki did so because he didn't want to stay as a reserve. Neither of the are going to forgive themselves if they lose.'
"Don't get in my way, okay?"
"Same goes for you."
"Matte," Doumoto blinked, "If they're playing doubles, what about Suzuki and me?" Everyone became silent, cringing.
"Doumoto-senpai," Kin mustered up her courage and addressed him, "Until you overcome your weakness and get some endurance, you will stay off-court." Everyone held their breath in anticipation. No one had ever defied Doumoto like this, not with his explosive anger management issues. A red line rose on Doumoto's face until it reached the peak boiling point.
"Understood, fukubuchou."
Everyone did an anime fall as steam escaped from Doumoto's ears.
"I-I can't believe it..." Suzuki gasped, "It's like we're dogs on a leash –Doumoto being the pit bull- and Kin's dragging us all..."
"This is... ridiculous," Fukushi shielded his crimson face, "We've been tamed by a 12-year-old girl. Since when did we drop this low?" Kin gave them a glare of pure malice.
"Did you two say something?"
"Iie. I was just wishing everyone luck for tomorrow," he scratched his head.
Still glaring at him. Not persuaded at all. Jabs with stick suspiciously.
Fukushi sweatdropped. 'There's something wrong with this girl...'
Inner Kin: Paranoid much?
---Meanwhile---
Mizuki stared fervently through his binoculars with his glinting sapphire eyes, the gears in his head working brilliantly. Chuckling softly, he smirked slightly, twisting his dark hair with his pinky. "Ginka is nothing but a joke. Chance of victory: 100 percent."
"Mizuki-kun? Why are we hiding behind the bushes?" Yuuta asked, slightly pink. If his older brother saw him like this, what would Syuusuke say? Probably just smile. Sighing, he collapsed on the ground, his arm full of Mizuki's journals.
"We're gathering information of course. St. Rudolph is not to be underestimated." Mizuki chuckled his trademark sadistic laugh, which only made Yuuta sigh again. Sure, he appreciated everything Mizuki's done, but sometimes he still doubted his decision.
---Ginka vs. St. Rudolph---
'St. Rudolph only recruits talented tennis players, such as Fuji Yuuta, and they only practice once a week. We practice everyday, especially with the tripled training, but still...'
Hiroki placed a hand on her shoulder. "You trained us well. Don't worry about us. We'll win for sure." He still had a soft spot for Ginka's coach. He knew that even though she put up a tough front, emulating her older brother's father-like sternness, inside, she was really sick with worry, a young ambitious girl with insecurities and the strength to overcome them.
"You're right. There's no use stressing myself out." She collapsed onto the bench, staring up at the sky. 'I wish I had a Ponta right now.'
"Doubles two will now begin. I repeat: doubles two will now begin."
"The last few days have been torture. We'll show you the fruits of our tripled training!" Smiling, she rested on the bench. 'They'll do great. I know they will. I believe in them.' Taking a deep sigh, she let the sounds of the ball bouncing and racket hitting soothe her worries.
---10 Minutes Later---
"Game to Ginka. 30-15."
"Not bad, neh, Tashiro-san?" Itsuki bit back the urge to gloat.
"Those two actually aren't that bad," Suzuki rubbed his chin.
"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, BAKA? We're losing by three points!" Tashiro screamed at him.
"That's your fault, not mine! They went on your side of the court!"
"I take that back," Suzuki sighed. 'Looks like this was a lost cause after all.' He looked pleadingly at Kin to appease the growing tension in the doubles pair, but Kin just sat there, her eyes closed, unmoving like a statue. 'Strange.'
He approached her and called her name. Then, when she didn't reply, he heard a soft snoring. 'You can't be serious.'
"You guys need to shut up," Fukushi ordered.
"Ah, our beloved girl coach has fallen asleep on bench," Suzuki muttered.
"NANI? Are we really that boring?" Itsuki scratched his head.
"Not we, baka. You."
"N-D-Teme..." He glanced at the snoozing vice-captain. She was so confident of them that she could sleep through it know what happens. 'I can't let her down. No, I'll never forgive myself.'
"Oi, Itsuki, Tashiro! You can't believe she chose you two over me! You guys are such losers! I'll kill you two if you lose," Doumoto waved his fists in the air, a vein bulging in his head.
Hiroki covered his face with his hands. Ginka really was a mess. Their doubles pair won't cooperate to save their lives. The member on reserve is screaming death threats. Fukushi's not acting like a captain at all, and the only spark of talent in Ginka is dozing. She's probably pushed herself to exhaustion. Poor girl. Couldn't blame her. They were a handful, all right.
"Come on, Hiroki. Let's go warm up."
"Yeah. I need some air to clear my head," Hiroki agreed as they went for a jog.
---15 Minutes Later---
"THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE! How could you lose? My predictions haven't been wrong this year!"
"Sugoi. We won."
"Miracles do happen after all."
"T-this is illogical. There's no way... that stupid-"
"Ironic that we just needed a sleeping coach to make it happen."
"That girl actually arranged the pair so it would work. She really is something, isn't she?"
"Calm down, Mizuki-kun. It's just one game-"
Snore. Snore. Wheezy snore.
"Should we wake her up?"
"No, she's tired enough as it is. Let her rest. She's done enough. I wonder what she's dreaming of right now?"
---Meanwhile---
"Sei-ga-ku..." Kin was a haunted figure with bags under her eyes. "I will break you."
No response from Tezuka.
"Ginka will crush you!"
Tezuka gave no sign of hearing her.
"Oi! Ginka, charge! Doumoto in front!" she commanded, pointing.
Silence. The little doggy pups under Tezuka grinned playfully as they rolled around with tennis rackets.
"NANI? They're gone again?" All of Ginka's regular doggies had disappeared. "50 LAPS EVERYONE!"
---Behind a Bush---
Kiyoshi was a poodle. Hiroki was a Shitzu. Fukushi was an emancipated basset hound. Tashiro was a Chow. Suzuki was a German Shepherd. Doumoto was the overweight pit bull underneath everyone's weight.
Ssssss...
And everyone was desperately covering their nose from Itsuki –being a boxer- who was urinating under the bush.
---10 Minutes Later---
Both Hiroki and Kiyoshi collapsed to their knees. They couldn't believe it. Their opponents' strength was just incredible. How had Tashiro and Itsuki managed to beat the first two?
"Game to Yamabuki. Five games to love."
He saw fear in his opponents' eyes. Obviously not of them. Then who? He saw the still-furious coach bench who had adamantly clung on to his data. They'd probably suffer if the tiniest detail of Mizuki's prediction goes awry. And he thought Kin was bad.
---Later---
"NANI? I fell asleep? Why didn't anyone wake me up?" Kin jolted awake. "What happened?"
"Singles three will now begin."
'Singles three?'
"Hello, I'm talking to you guys here! Who won?"
"That girl is really out of it, isn't she? Do you really think we can win? Hiroki and Kiyoshi lost in a love match. I've heard that the manager of Yamabuki is psychic. Do you think Suzuki will be all right?" Itsuki sighed.
"To be honest..." Fukushi crossed his arms, "No."
Everyone did an anime fall. That wasn't exactly the most heart-warming thing he could have said.
---15 Minutes Later---
Turns out Mizuki wasn't the only one who was psychic. Fukushi would qualify as well. Suzuki, most definitely, did not turn out all right. Mizuki still had simmering resentment at having his prophecy broken by Ginka. He played perfectly, as usual, seeking their weaknesses and assaulting mercilessly.
Kin had expected herself to be facing Mizuki, not Fuji Yuuta. 'They must have switched the ordering at the last minute. Damn them!' Because of that, Suzuki was suffering. The poor guy. Although there was still one last game, she could see that hope had left his movements and eyes. It was just one last act of desperation.
'This is bad. Yuuta's known as the left-handed killer. Word must have leaked that I'm a lefty. Well, too bad I've got a surprise for them.'
Inner Kin: If you lose, it'll be all over, you know?
'Don't worry. I won't lose. Nobody messes with Ginka. I'll teach that to everybody, even if it is Fuji's little brother.'
Inner Kin: Overprotective as always. Looks like you're more fired up than usual. Don't forget that even if you do win, I doubt that Fukushi can win against this Akazawa guy.
'Don't worry about Fukushi. He won against me, remember?'
Inner Kin: You mean you let him win.
'No, he won that game fair and square.'
Inner Kin: You were just supporting his ego so he wouldn't freak out because his name's on singles one.
'Ah, well. Besides, we made a bet.'
Inner Kin: What bet?
'If he lost, he would have to go on a date with me.'
Inner Kin: NANI?
'Yup. Dressed as guys.'
Inner Kin: If he won?
Inner Kin dreaded the answer to her question.
'He would choose my date.'
Inner Kin imagined Doumoto and her holding hands. Gag.
Inner Kin: Okay, it's officially worse than I thought it was.
'Like I said, at least he won't lose.'
---Translations---
Iie- No.
Fukubuchou- vice-captain.
Sou ka- I see.
Matte- Wait.
Suminasen/Gomen- Sorry/Excuse me.
Teme- You.