A/N: I know right! Atobe's so OOC. I'm sorry Under A Cloud-sama, I'm murdering your fanfic, I can't stop myself. It is really hard to right Atobe without him being an Ooc, however, I read in Prince of Tennis Wikia that Atobe is very gentlemanly or something in the dating games, lol. Well, when I read that, I thought, "What a bishie!" and/or "Host Club?!"
So sorry, Cloud-sama!
Oh well, I've been waiting for followers to review and other readers to follow and review but there's no one so... Just Thank you very much for those who viewed it!
A big thanks to yaoilovekassy.
Disclaimer: Prince of Tennis and its characters are not mine.
"...friends..."
That's what she said but Hotaru regretted it afterward. Why did she need to say that? Why did she gave in so quickly? Is she that foolish to open up to him, much less to accept his friendship?
She stomped angrily at the hallways of St. Rose's Academy, everyone who saw her either shook in fear or sweat-dropped after seeing the most elegant and graceful lady of their school turned into tomboyish woman.
They all think that the abduction made changed her attitude. They said that she did a 180 degree turn of attitude but Hotaru does not care what they think about her. She always been like this since she was a child: frilly dress in front of her parents and grandparents, and shorts and shirts when they're not around.
Hotaru banged her classroom's door and went inside grumpily. Reina run to her when she saw her, "Hotaru-chan! Good morning!"
"Good morning," she grumbled. When everything was solved, her relationship with her friends had gotten stronger because she doesn't need to pretend to be someone else anymore.
"No can do, Kinomichi-san," Murosaki said, she grinned as the said person glared at her. "Why are you so grumpy today, huh?"
She sneered, "None of your business, Shiro-koi (Shiro's lover)."
Murosaki turned red. Everyone except Hotaru knew about the close relationship that formed between the two in the Tanaka family's party, that's why Hotaru held a grudge towards them. She used their new found love as a teasing weapon.
"You! You..." Murosaki tounge-tied turned around and put her arms in her chest before pouting in the air.
Mizuki laughed, "Ho..ho..ho.. Such a sweet, young love!"
"You're the one to talk," Oda pushed her glasses up her nose. "Aren't you dating the blond boy?"
"Me!?" she shouted indignantly, "Where did you get that? No way! Come here and I'll grind you in the wall!" And they began to chase each other around the classroom. Hotaru watched them before turning away to hide her satisfied smile.
"Oda-san! Mizuki-san!" their homeroom teacher called them and they went to her with heads down. The school also changes after Hotaru's case. The Mother Superior realizes their mistakes for the past years and she went to all out reform of the school. "... we only think about our reputation, not thinking about the happiness and pressure we put our lovely students through... this year's next semester, we are to change our school system... we are going to allow our students to open up sport clubs that allow them to sweat and compete with their strength... we need clubs that will help our students, who are girls, to defend their selves... and so on and so forth
The school personnel smiled sadly because after the announcement, different girls who wants to play different sports come up to them, and they were shocked to learn that there are really people they prevented to grow because of their silly rules. Of course, they still have a limiter, like the student council looking through each club, every month report from the club's progress, the fees that each member pay to maintain the club needs to be check upon, etc.
But the students were happy. Well, not all but still. When Hotaru came back from Karuizawa after her rest (if getting mad at Atobe could be called relaxing), those who appreciated the new system greeted her with gratitude everyday that Hotaru told them to stop it or she's going to ask the Mother Superior to turned back the old system. They stopped, but the show their gratitude to her by inviting her in their club events.
That was two months ago, and now she entered the Tennis club's locker room. Her after school sport club. The only problem with having sport clubs is that they need coaches and the school needs to hire them. When the school announced it through the media, many coaches rushed in to do the interview. Chaos occurred, coaches fought each other, badmouth each other, and some also challenge each other to show who's greater.
Those who started it didn't get hired. Even though the Mother Superior agreed to this new system, she doesn't like people that would cause bad reputation for her beloved students. And those coaches would, if they have their chances.
One day, Murosaki dragged her along with the other girls and showed the Tennis Club application to the Student Council who agreed so readily, turned out that they owed Hotaru their positions. Why? Because even though the Council is there, they didn't stand out much and they don't have anything to do except for a little mishaps from time to time. They said that they're getting bored and having authority over clubs like sports are great.
They said that they are not going to abuse their positions and they will be fairly good at their job to accomplish what they are made of. Like the other girls, they thanked Hotaru so many time, which she only returned with her smile.
When they started, she learned that they didn't have tennis coach because they were late to submit their application. Hotaru roared in frustration and made them run twenty laps around the court. The school needs them to have their own coach but a teacher to supervise them is accepted. They said that Hotaru would be enough for them and they didn't need a coach.
Hotaru managed to persuade them that if they want to compete with other schools, they need to have their power up and everything. She said tat they need a coach and she knew one.
"Coach Murata," she said as she approached their female coach. "I would like to run you of the training ingredients I thought up last night for our training today."
"Ah," said the 5'7 coach, her hair's tied in a black tie and in her t-shirt and gym pants. "Okay, Kinomichi-san."
The teacher chuckled when she saw how hard the training the little captain made for her teammates.
Atobe couldn't play for the first games but his teammates showed how strong they are without their captain by going through the quarter finals. Now, after he was cured and ready to go, Atobe was going to play for their team in the quarter finals against Kugarawa High's Tennis club.
Shiro smirked at Atobe, "Ready to be beaten, eh, Atobe-san?" His teammates paled and turned violet, Shiro ignored them.
"And you are?" Atobe asked cheekily.
Shiro felt a vein popped, "Don't forget me. I'll tell you, I'm Tanaka Shiro and you're going to pay for hurting Ho-chan."
Atobe's smirk fade and looked as seriously as ever, "Ho-chan?"
"Oh... you forgot about her already?" Shiro still couldn't forgive this guy who hurt his friend so much. "Or you really didn't care about her at all that's why you always forgets about her?"
Atobe turned to his right to meet the wind and the sunlight. His hair fluttered and a silver, broken-heart shaped pendant glittered. "Forget? Maybe, but I remembered now." He smiled sweetly as he said this, making those who saw it stopped. Those who know him and his personality couldn't grasped Atobe and sweet smile in the same sentence. Cocky or smirk or even grin, but not sweet and soft or anything that sort.
Shiro stopped mid-tracked, "Hmmm, then I'll just beat you." And he walked away with his teammates who are shaking in embarrassment and fear.
"Who's that?" Shishido asked.
"My ex's 'best friend'" Atobe answered nonchalantly.
"You mean, Hotaru-chan?" Gakuto queried. Atobe ignored him.
"What's wrong with him? The way he said ex... was bitter?" Gakuto turned to Oshitari.
Oshitari shrugged, his glasses glinting, "I don't know."
"That was explosive," Shishido breathe heavily. "I don't know they're that good."
Oshitari said, "According to my sources, Kugarawa Gakuen rose rapidly in the past tournaments in both the District and Prefecturals. The way they rise just like that is the same as Fudomine or much greater. Their new captain Tanaka Shiro is a second year and he was respected by his fellow teammates because he is a great leader. Not only that, he is an all-rounder and could do the Insight."
With that, all turned to Atobe, "Hn."
"All 2, huh," Atobe smirked before walking out of the court to warm up somewhere. "There's still time."
"Oi, oi," Shishido's brows furrowed. "I'm not defeated yet."
"Yet is the key word," Oshitari snickered which made Shishido grit his teeth.
Atobe faced the wall and start beating the ball into it. He remembered the last time he talked to Hotaru.
"Hey, I still have a matches to play. Will you go and watch? I think that everyone would want their charm in the game."
She didn't answer, instead, she dialed something on her phone and the next thing he knew, she was asking the guard to escort him outside.
"Hey! Hey! Hotaru, what's the meaning of this?" he yelled out to her.
"I'm sorry, Keigo. I realized that I still cannot forgive you," as she said those words, tears falling out of her eyes.
"Dammit!" he returned the ball hard. It bounces to the side and he didn't get there fast enough to return it back.
"Tsk, tsk tsk," he heard somewhere beside him. When he look up, he saw a girl shaking her head from side to side.
"What do you want?" he growled.
"Is that the first thing you ask when you are talking to someone you do not know?" she held out the ball to him. "How rude.."
He swiped the ball out of her hand and said, "Then who are you?"
"Murosaki Kame," she held out her right hand, which he shook.
"Atobe Keigo," he answered. This girl got guts on her. "Now, what do you want?"
"I'm Tanaka Shiro's girlfriend," and with that, she blushed, which made his blood boil.
"What does that guy... Oh," he said when he realized something. "You're Hotaru's friend."
"Uh-huh," she grinned. "Don't worry, I am not here to grill you. Just warning though, my other friends might and Kinomichi's here. She's cheering on our side."
With that, she left a very stunned Atobe. Grrr.. so what?
"Who cares if that girl cheers for the other team," he fumed. He went back to the court and scanned the other team's side. He saw Hotaru cheering on, "Go Yuto-kun! GO GO Go!"
"What is she doing on the other side?" Oshitari asked him.
"Yeah, what is our lucky charm doing there?"
"She knew the other guys on the other team," he answered. "So who won?"
"You're next," Shishido said hotly. "Show them what we've got."
"Relax, Shishido-senpai," Otori said. Putting his hand on Shishido's back.
Atobe stepped in the court, his tennis racquet is on his shoulder being held by his right hand. He looked at the other side and to see Tanaka Shiro stepping in in his graceful movements.
"I'm gonna kill you if you don't win!" his girlfriend shouted and everyone from their team sweat-dropped. Hotaru and the other girls were laughing hard as Shiro stumbled on his own feet.
Shiro glared at his girlfriend who returned it with an innocent smile.
"Kugarawa, Tanaka serve," the referee said.
"Let's do this," he said and started the match with a Flat Serve.
The match continued and the two players want to overthrow each other. The both breathe heavily and ounce after ounce of sweat dropped regularly from them.
"This is fun, don't you think so?" Shiro asked Atobe.
"Hn," Atobe smirked.
Atobe set his hands between his fingers and he grinned as he saw an opening on Shiro's field. He put on a force in his spin and the ball twirled around into the ground before bouncing to the other direction. Shiro stopped as his eyes went wide. He tried to use the insight earlier but unfortunately, he couldn't see any blind spot on Atobe's field.
This is the last game, I couldn't let him win...
He put a huge amount of backspin when he returned a ball from Atobe. Unknowing to Atobe and to the other watchers, the ball touches the ground and instead of bouncing, it spinned there for a matter of seconds before rolling towards the net without the bounce.
Atobe stared at it, "Kuso," he whispered quietly before looking to see Shiro grinning.
"That's the Zero-shiki!" someone in the audience yelled.
"How could he do that?" Gakuto shouted to no one.
"Go sweetie!" Murosaki cheered on, the other girls including Hotaru grinned.
"I can't let you win, Atobe-san," Shiro told him. "My girlfriend is watching."
Atobe went from relaxed to serious.
"Oi, Atobe," Oshitari called out."Don't let him provoke you."
"Too late," Shishido said.
Atobe srerve and the rally went on. Shiro gaped as he saw dark and crystals. Frozen crystals around him. What is this?
"This is the true form of Insight," Atobe answered his silent question, as the ball went passed Shiro. "World of Ice. I can see through your many blind spot, and I will use them to my advantage."
"Can't possibly," Shiro said.
The referee called out the winners and even though the other team lose, they cheered on.
"Good game," Atobe told Shiro. Shiro looked at him with a blank face, then broke into grin.
"I bet Haruto-kun could beat you up for me," he said as his eyes searched for Hotaru who hide behind Murosaki.
They bowed and shake hands before exiting the court to the tournament ground.
Hotaru went to the near vending machine and popped out some of her cash before pressing the Ponta button.
"So hot..." she sighed as she stood in front of the vending machine while drinking the juice.
A boy her age with a white cap on whistled his way to the machine. He glanced at her before turning his eyes on the thing.
"You're Echizen Ryoma, right?" she tried for a conversation.
He looked at her again, "Hn?" His wide cat eyes questioned silently.
"I'm Kinomichi Hotaru," she smiled at him. "I know you from that party at the Atobe mansion before."
He just stared at her and Hotaru is losing her patience, "Aa."
"You kissed Ryuzaki Sakuno on the lips and started making out in front of everybody," she said loudly, causing the boy to blushed furiously and lowering his head to hide his heating face. He turned his back to her and walk sluggishly. He bumped on a pole before straightening, trying to regained his missing dignity.
Hotaru laughed heartily at the scene she witnessed. A Tsundere? No, he's not violent, just a little mute and shy.
"What are you laughing by yourself over there?" she heard Atobe's voice behind her. When she turned, she saw him and his teammates.
Before she can answer, Reina appeared beside her. "Hello, Atobe-kun. Nice seeing you again."
A/N: To be continued. Sorry, I couldn't write anymore, lol.
Thank you everyone who take their time to read and review and follow. I will going to check any mistake later, so sorry if there are tons of them. I also try to write another one today to make up for those four days I didn't type. You guys know the reasons... My sister type her Hitsugaya Karin on weekends, so... Well, please read hers too.
I apologize for any mistake.