"Managerial Mayhem"

SUMMARY: Wanted! A manageress for Hyoutei's Tennis Club. Applicant? Ito Himawari, an ambitious girl who wants to be anything but normal. What to expect: Headaches, sore legs, angry fangirls, flying tennis balls, and maybe even… love?

DISCLAIMER: The Prince of Tennis was created by Konomi Takeshi. As usual, the characters in the franchise do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series. Thank you and have fun reading!

CHAPTER FOUR: The Manager is a Girlfriend

I'm popular.

Himawari stumbled upon this stunning conclusion one day in Philosophy class before her club activities. It was precisely two weeks after she had been declared as the temporary manager. After her exemplary efforts, Atobe was forced to acknowledge her capabilities and deem her their official club manager.

She had been frequently getting love letters and confessions from different schoolmates after that. Boys all called her innocent and modest and one even likened her to a fragile flower that he needed to protect. Fragile? Please! Himawari almost fell out of her bed laughing when she read that one. As if that wasn't enough, everytime she would reject one of them, the suitor would go on mumbling the names of the Hyoutei Regulars in contempt in a way that he might as well have been screaming.

Then and again, maybe the rumors that she had been getting too friendly with the Tennis Club Regulars were growing exaggerated to the point of corrupting the minds of the ignorant Hyoutei students. The school newspaper, possibly more dedicated to gossip than school occurrences, published an article about Himawari getting the position of the manager that caused a riot among the female population of Hyoutei.

True, she had become popular, but she also knew that there were some people out there who were envious of her and would do anything to pull her down. Lately, she's been getting "interesting" messages from anonymous people…

BACK OFF MY RYOU-CHAN!

JIROU DOESN'T NEED A FUGLY B-H LIKE YOU!

TANGO PAIR FOREVAH!

And so and so forth. Himawari had a massive headache as she decided to let the letters meet their doom. (Paper shredder anyone?)

She's popular now, but why does she feel so unsatisfied?

"Class dismissed!"

The teacher's voice snapped Himawari back to reality. Himawari blinked at the blackboard, now filled with the day's lessons that she did not jot down her in her notebook. She inwardly cursed herself for being distracted as she hurriedly took her pen and copied the notes with carefulness.

"Himawari-chan?" Yuki looked over Himawari's shoulder.

"Ah!" Himawari made a mistake in writing.

"So sorry!" Yuki placed a hand on her mouth, horror-struck. "I was too loud so I-"

"Don't mind, don't mind," Himawari found herself saying. "It's not a big deal. See?" She placed a parenthesis on the part where she made the mistake.

Yuki did not look relieved, but even more concerned. "Himawari-chan, I'm really worried about you. I know you're a really amazing person but I think you're overworking yourself. Not to mention that the threats you've been receiving lately on your locker are getting worse and worse!"

"Not too loud, Yuki!" Himawari flashed Yuki a deadly glare.

"Demo," Yuki bit her lip. "Himawari-chan! There's even a dead frog on your locker! And the spikes on your school shoes! And the-"(1)

"Aan~?" Atobe's voice suddenly filled every corner of the room with static. "What is this Ore-sama hears?"

Himawari and Yuki felt the blood drain from their faces.

"Ahahaha," Yuki nervously laughed, sweat forming on her face. What should she say? She's very bad at lying! "Ahahaha! The Kabuki show last night at NHK was really incredible, ne Himawari-chan? They've got the best actors there! It's so amazing! Ahahaha!" (2)

Himawari wanted to facepalm. Atobe could see right through Yuki, no doubt about it.

"Ahaha!" Yuki laughed forcibly, making her sound like an android. "Ahaha! So funny! Have you seen it, Atobe-sama? Hahahaha!"

Atobe only elegantly raised an eyebrow but said nothing else.

"Pay no mind to Yuki-chan, Atobe-san!" Himawari decided to come to the rescue. Yuki cannot lie to save her life. She's much more experienced when it came to these matters. "The Kabuki show just did some temporary brain damage to Yuki-chan. She'll be back to normal in no time!" The girl then gave another award winning smile. "So, uhm, what brings you here anyway, Atobe-san?

Atobe seemed to be deep in thought, before responding, "Yes. Well, Ore-sama wishes to see the documents about the club expenses. There are also some matters to make plans for, especially the arrangement of practice matches with nearby schools. The tournament is coming up. Ore-sama hopes that you would not forget that."

"I see! I see!" Himawari nodded as she noticed all her classmates becoming awe-struck at Atobe's presence. She couldn't blame them for feeling disoriented; Atobe rarely graced their classroom with his presence. To be truthful, a big commotion was already forming inside the classroom.

"Hmm?" The King of Pompous Planet lifted his head to scan the room. "Where is Oshitari? Aren't you two classmates?"

"I think he already left the room," Himawari answered. "I'll be going too. I just need a minute to finish my notes."

"Go ahead and finish them then," Atobe said, though it felt more like a command. Himawari screamed inside her head that Atobe didn't need to tell her that because she was going to do them anyway. His reminder was totally unnecessary.

"Uh…" She turned to Atobe when the awkwardness in the room started to get heavy. Why were her classmates taking pictures with their cameras anyway? "Shouldn't you be going now, Atobe-san?"

"Ore-sama wishes to wait for you," Atobe stated. Himawari wished that he didn't say that because the females in the classroom all fainted in shock. "Be grateful, Ito."

Like hell I would… Himawari turned back to her notebook and continued writing, but compared to her legible handwriting a while ago, her notes were more, er, scribbly.

(On one corner of the room, a classmate had fallen in a suspiciously graceful manner. "Atobe-samaaaaa!" She cried out as she fell down, down, dooownnn-)

You did that on purpose. Atobe pretended not to notice the fallen girl and continued standing over behind Himawari's shoulder, much to the girl's irritation. The girl's owl-like eyes then blinked in confusion. Without noticing it, she'd involuntarily drawn a jagged line in black ink right across the page.

"Whoopsie!" She said as she tilted her head and smiled playfully. "Ohoho! How clumsy of me! I made a mistake."

"Hurry up, Ito," droned Atobe's bored voice. "The great Ore-sama is waiting, lest you forget."

(At this proclamation, the fallen girl stood up and dusted her skirt while longingly looking at Atobe.)

"Of course," Himawari replied as another ominous aura overtook her body again. Whoever said that you should wait anyway?

(The fallen girl's companions were enviously gazing at Himawari.)

Nevertheless, the girl continued with her work. When Himawari finished, she and Atobe walked together to go to the tennis courts. While Himawari was happy that her classmates were all paying attention to her, she was also half-embarrassed because something else might be going on inside their heads. When a girl and a boy walked together, it was almost impossible for the gossiping body of Hyoutei to not pick it up and start a speculation circle. Atobe cuts a godlike figure among the Hyoutei population, but she really couldn't stand him!

However, it made her heart lighter when she realized that Kabaji was with them in the first place. It was a blessing how Kabaji could be invisible sometimes. Even if he was large, his presence almost always goes unnoticed because he gives the impression of an inconspicuous puppet.

"A-Atobe-sama!"

A girl with a petite body and young face came forward to meet the two down the hallway.

Judging from the way that her eyes gave that slightly glazed look, the girl was obviously another great fangirl of Atobe. It was as if she wanted to jump into Atobe's arms and kiss him senseless while proclaiming her never-ending love for the Hyoutei King.

The girl then noticed Himawari, and gave her a frosty look. Or perhaps it could be read as –What are you standing there for, thus preventing me from jumping into Atobe-sama's arms and kissing him senseless all the while proclaiming my never-ending love for him?

The new manager sighed. This was really getting out of hand.

"Atobe-sama, Ito-san," the girl finally spoke after a minute or so of gazing at the two. She looked very nervous, playing with a lock of her hair. "Forgive me for being rude… But I just have to confirm!" She took a deep breath. "A-Are you two… Going out?"

The horror! Himawari promptly choked as she looked at Atobe for help.

"Oh, but it seems that Kabaji has taken a liking for Ito," Atobe suddenly said, making Himawari glare at the back of his neck. Maybe, just maybe, if she glared hard enough, it would erupt in flames and cause a permanent hole. "Isn't that right, Kabaji?"

Himawari pleaded inside her head. Be one with the wall Kabaji! Please don't-

"Usu."

TRAITOR!

"Then…" On the mysterious girl's face formed a huge smile. "You two are not going out?"

"Of course not," they answered at the same time, with Atobe saying it with enviable grace and Himawari saying it with a rather obvious forced smile.

"Thank you so much! I have to tell this to everyone!" The girl looked really delighted as she turned to Himawari and winked, "I wish you and Kabaji-san all the happiness in the world!"

What the hell?

Himawari looked at Atobe, who was wearing a very smug expression. She couldn't stop the scowl from making an appearance on her face. Why Kabaji of all people? It would've been better if he just denied it! This makes things so much more complicated!

"Aan~?" Atobe seemed amused. "What is that look you are giving Ore-sama, Ito?"

"Nothing at all, Atobe-san," Himawari replied though there was a certain edge to her voice.

"Would you rather confirm the rumors?" Atobe asked teasingly.

Himawari made a strangled sound. "Of course not! Atobe-san! In fact, I also like Kabaji! He's a good listener! Kabaji is perfect! Ne Kabaji-san?" Without realizing it, she turned to Kabaji and smiled at him. He didn't even move a muscle on his face. "See? Kabaji agrees with me! We're like peanut butter and jelly! We would make the very best of friends!"

"Excellent," Atobe's facial expression changed and grew more serious. "From now on, Kabaji would be accompanying you until Ore-sama orders him to stop."

The raven haired girl didn't know how to respond. Mechanically, she took a step back, her eyes twitching in apprehension. She did not know how the Hyoutei King's mind worked and while the general consensus agreed that he was a genius in many things, Himawari couldn't help but think that this- this insanity!- was just a little game for him to test her.

If this was a challenge, she wouldn't be the one to lose. "If you say so, Atobe-san."

"You're very obedient, Ito."

Himawari almost bared her teeth in response.

"Really, this is all for the best," Atobe mysteriously said as he picked up his pace and started walking again. "Come Ito! We have much to discuss!"

"What a load of crap!" Shishido commented as he flipped a page from the Hyoutei Times.

"This is worth a laugh though!" Gakuto sniggered as he drank his juice.

"Senpai-tachi…" Choutarou couldn't help but notice the mess they were making.

"…" Hiyoshi dutifully ate the onigiri his mother prepared for him. (3)

"What do you think of this, Ito-san?" Oshitari turned to the only female in the group.

"I think," Himawari struggled to hide the frustration in her voice, "that it's perfectly alright with me if our oblivious schoolmates assume that I am dating Kabaji-san. They do not know the truth anyway. As they say: 'Ignorance is bliss.' Ne, Kabaji-san?"

Kabaji chewed his food.

"See?" She smiled back at them, a black aura emanating from her.

All the Regulars blinked. Was that toxic atmosphere just a figment of their imagination? Shishido couldn't help but get the feeling of déjà vu.

"Anyway, good things have happened since Kabaji-san became attached to me," Himawari shrugged. Her statement was actually true; ever since she had been linked as Kabaji's future girlfriend, all the horrible messages immediately ceased and the voodoo dolls that were being delivered to her house mysteriously disappeared. It gave Himawari some relief. However, there was one persistent person out there who continued to pester her with death threats.

"Then all is fine," Oshitari smirked after a minute of looking quite thoughtful. "If Atobe was the one who directly ordered Kabaji to stay by your side, then all is fine."

Himawari inwardly frowned. There were a lot of things that could upset Ito Himawari and one of them was being left out of the loop. She didn't get what the Hyoutei tensai was trying to say and somehow, it made her feel uncomfortable. Was there a hidden meaning in his words? She coughed and decided to change the topic, "Wait, why are we eating at the rooftop? I am pretty sure that the principal strictly told us during the Opening Ceremony that no one was allowed here especially during break hours."

"If buchou said it was okay, then it's okay!" Gakuto threw a piece of shrimp high up in the air and caught it with his chopsticks. What a show-off.

"Yeah, his word is law!" Shishido added. The baseball capped boy didn't seem too relaxed around Himawari's presence though.

"I see…" Himawari allowed herself to smile again. She did not want to admit it, but the tennis players around her were friendlier than she could've ever imagined. Somehow, they made her feel as if she belonged with them. "I should loosen up some more… Ne, Kabaji-san?"

Kabaji swallowed his food in response.

(1) In Japan, students are required to take off their shoes and put on slippers at the entrance of the school. This means that their school shoes are all inside the locker.

(2) Kabuki is a form of Japanese theater. Nowadays, Kabuki can be seen on old theatres or live broadcasts.

(3) The word onigiri means riceball in Japanese.

Why halloo there minna-san! I'm back! Anyone missed me? -narrowly dodges random flying deadly objects- It was a joke OK? No need to get so worked up about it! Sheesh!

Just so you would all know, I decided to entirely delete the preview sections of this story on Chapters 1,2 and 3. The reason? I think that it was quite unnecessary and would just spoil too much of the plot.

Now time for some MAIL TIME!

MyPrinceOishi08- thank you for reviewing again! As for how Himawari would handle the job, it would take about two to three chapters more before she can really impress Atobe. -wink, wink-

lol- I know right? Even Kabaji needs some loving! XD

Tallyism- Himawari's character was actually based from the main protagonist of Kare Kano! Wafufufu... I've never heard of Skip Beat though. Is it good? Well, in any case, I really appreciate your review. And sunshine princess? Haha! Cute nickname for Himawari-chan! (Though she really isn't such a happy-go-lucky person.) About Atobe pulling off a bastard act? Hehe, we'll see about that. -evil grin-

XxMichyBabyxX- You really love Himawari's song? Haha! I actually thought that it was quite corny though... ^.^; Oh, and Himawari's not a Mary Sue? YAY ME! Thank you so much! -bows gratefully-

Lady Aduka- Wow, a real life Himawari-chan! -gets awed- Thanks for taking the time to review and wishing me luck on my studies!

brokenasepsis- Thank you for pointing that out! As you can see, I do not want to portray Atobe as just an egoistic rich guy who thinks he owns the entire Milky Way Galaxy. There's more substance to him and I will try my best to depict a more flawed side of him in this fic. (Oh, and did you move your account? It seems like I can't see your prof page!)

Hmm. I just noticed that the pacing is incredibly slow. Maybe it's time to step it up a bit? Haha. And if you notice, there's not much AtobeHimawari stuff yet... You see, I want to develop Himawari's chracter first and focus on her relationship with the whole tennis club as a whole. Hope that helps!