Disclaimer: I don't own Prince of Tennis
Chapter Four
"Fifteen-Love!" the referee announced as a girl in yellow and black jersey hit a merciless smash on the other side of the courts, making her opponent kneel down in distress and fear. The wind making her damp navy hair flew gracefully behind her back, thus making the scene more dramatic as she walked confidently towards the net to have a nice view of her agonized opponent.
"Is that all you've got?" was what she said with the authoritative tone only the Child of God could do, but deep inside the girl knew that it was far less than how the true Child of God says it. And knowing the truth, she can't help but belittle herself despite her win.
Standing up filled with firmness, she saw how the frail girl on the other side of the net look at her with malice and disgust, as if she had just taken everything away from her without mercy. Which is, in fact, quite the truth. The navy haired girl had taken everything from her, her passion, her spirit, her will power and her dignity. All were taken and nothing left of her.
'She knew this would happen but was still stupid enough to continue the match.' The navy haired girl thought as if trying to convince herself that her opponent was the one to blame.
"Well, I think it's already my victory?" Blue strands of hair flew charmingly as the girl turned with a sneer to the third year referee who was intently watching them and almost feeling pity towards the underdog of the match.
"A-ah." Was all he could say, his heart skipping a beat though he didn't know if it were due to the astounding beauty of the girl or to chilling aura she was emitting.
As soon as the one syllable word was heard, she walked graciously to the bench and fetched her tennis bag, quickly placing her Prince Tennis racket inside and sliding it to her shoulders. She didn't even bothered resting for a while or wipe off her sweat, they would run dry anyway. For all she knew, she needed to get out of there as soon as she can. Another minute spent there would be like hell, with the audiences' chatter serving as fire that burn every part of her insides, most specially the one near her left chest.
"That's Yukimura Mai right? The transfer student? I heard she's Yukimura's younger sister."
"More like a copycat to me. Have you just heard how she talked to Kaede? So intimidating that it sent me chills!"
"Well, a God's Child is a God's child."
"Yukimura-buchou is the only God's Child!"
"I wonder why she transferred here. I heard rumors that she's doing well at Seishun."
"She's merciless, unlike her brother!"
"Idiot! Have you ever seen her brother play! Yukimura-senpai is still far better than her."
"But I heard she's just a sophomore! And she plays so well she could almost beat her brother!"
"Well, take note! It's just almost. That's still far from winning though. She still has lots to work on."
"Sssh she's coming!"
"Oh man she's so pretty! I bet Yukimura-buchou is keeping a close eye on her."
"Hey Sora! Your boyfriend is hitting on the transfer!"
"So the influential Yukimura siblings aren't even going to spare the girl's tennis team a break huh."
"Tch. Show offs."
She almost wanted to spit out everything she had eaten that morning to them, good thing she had been thought good manners and right conduct back in her old school. The way they talk about her made her feel so disgusted of the institute she's standing on. Rikkai Dai Fuzoku. Is this the school everyone thinks highly of? That everyone fears about? Surely they should be feared when it comes to skills, but seriously, are they just a bunch of insecure mammals gossiping about a new found rival? If she were to be asked, she would say that this school is almost as repulsive as Hyotei Gakuen, what with people nattering behind their backs, thinking that everyone is a foe to be looked out for.
Boldly walking away from the tennis courts, she tried not to flinch at every word they utter. The way they judged her, it was as if they were more born to criticize people than to show off their fortes. Do they somehow major in mass communication in here? If they do, at least let her know so that she'll have time to practice her tongue.
Rounding on the nearest corner, she found a place to hide and bristled towards it. The back of the shower rooms was a good place to hide, secluded, shadowed by the trees with only few, almost none, people passing by since no other school buildings were near it.
Upon reaching the said hide out, she leaned down on the wall and slid down on it, making her gracelessly sat on the soiled ground. She took one small peek behind the wall and upon finding out that no one had followed her, she let out an exasperated sigh.
"I never knew being so intimidating is such a tiring act. No wonder intimidating people are looked up for, they make so much sacrifice."
Mai exercised her jaw and made some faces to make sure she could still move them. After fifteen minutes of only smirking and glaring, she had to make sure her face didn't caught cramps. Sunsequently after making sure her face was still working normally, she looked up, leaning her head on the wall and letting her tennis bag slid off her shoulders and fall with a thump on the ground.
"Well hello Mr. Sun. Guess what? It's just you and me again." She talked to the gleaming circular body hidden behind the leaves of an unknown tree she could careless of.
"I hope you're ready for my endless ranting. Well you see I beat some random girl who valiantly challenged me to a match."
She talked to the beaming object in the sky just like any normal day since she came here to Rikkai Dai. You may think she's crazy, hell she also thought she was, but truth was, she just didn't have any one to talk. Everyone was scared of her, saying she's Seiichi's sister and that the whole tennis club would beat anyone who make a move on her. She didn't even know where that matter came from; she asked her brother once but said he knew nothing of it.
Well, being scared off was quite an advantage so she took it. Being a socialite on this school did nothing good anyway since people just stabs each other's back. That was why, she was here talking like a crazy fool to the inanimate object above. She didn't even know if the source of light was even willing to listen to her or if it even listens, what she knew was that, she needed someone to talk to, someone she could vent her irritation on. Even just for a while. Even he or she, or in this case it, doesn't respond to her. Now you know why she's in a secluded place such as this, for if people saw her talking to a nobody, rumors questioning the Yukimura's sanity might quickly spread.
"I didn't mean to scare her really! But, she was just so annoying! It was her fault for provoking me! Everyone should know better than to compare me with Seiichi…. nii." The last syllable came out a little long after the name, debating first if she should add the suffix after her brother's name. Sighing, she closed her eyes and let her mind drift off, back to the place she belonged before.
When she came here, everything started out wrong. 'Man! Coming here was even wrong in the first place!' She thought. It was a very unfamiliar place to her, sure she came here and lived here during childhood days, but the aura has changed so much that it almost seemed so foreign to her. Truth be told, she never wanted to be here. She was living peacefully on the city but then her mother just had to depart the country for who knows what reason and leave her in the custody of her dad and brother.
If you were asking why she's in Tokyo while her brother and father is in Kanagawa, well, it just so happen that their parents decided that things were not working out properly for them and that they should just separate ways with Mai and her Seiichi-nii to her dad's custody. But I'm not going to tell the whole story since that part of the past won't concern the story's progress anyway.
So, as I was saying, she's now here in Kanagawa prefectures due to her mother's departure, making her leave the busy streets in Tokyo and live off the city life. But, deserting the town isn't her issue. In fact, she could go to the mountains and dwell on it without a single problem.
The issue was about the people around her. Starting from the ones she was living with in the house up to the ones she encounter on the institution. Every one, each one of them, made her feel… unwelcome.
Don't get her wrong, she's not holding a grudge to her dad and brother, it's just that from the day they decided to live on their own here with tennis as their life, they almost became strangers to her. Talking about tennis in the morning till midnight, and she swore she heard her dad sleep talk about tennis once! Freaky right? She thought so too... And that was only the half of the story of why she decided to live with her mother in Tokyo.
Comparison between siblings was normal. And it was almost every day when people they knew, and sometimes don't even know, compares her and her brother, Seiichi. She was never the one to dwell on how people think of her. But when it comes to them as siblings, she somehow felt the need to fight for herself since no one was there to do it for her. And to save herself from further insecurity and self pity, she made up her mind to find herself in Tokyo. Far from the people that intimidated and rubbished her. Which, by the way was a success. She had found herself there, and for that, she was proud of.
But now that she's back from the town filled with decries, she never even wanted to consider the sympathy she felt for herself before, back when she was still Mai and not Yukimura Mai. And to be able to that, she needed to be as intimidating as she could, scaring people off so that they won't criticize her down, even though it means wearing a mask with torn inside that slowly destroys her true self.
She looked on her palm and felt callouses earned from numerous training to become an accepted Yukimura, to somehow reach the skill her brother once passed. Talented is what her brother is, while she was a faux, manufactured through rigorous training.
Tearing her eyes off her hands, she decided it was time to talk to someone real. When was even the last time she had a proper communication? Nobody knew, even her. She needed someone who could somehow retort even though through insults. And there was only one person left for that.
She fished her pink and white LG phone from her Rikkai uniform (which, by the way, isn't to her liking) and texted with a smirk plastered on her face.
Hey Mr. I want to beat Syusuke but still isn't good enough; I need to talk to you. And I know you miss me by now. Don't even try to oppose! Meet me at you know where by 5 PM. don't be late! 3 Yuki :P
She quickly clicked the sent button and turned off her phone, taking off the battery and tossing it inside her tennis bag. It was one way to make sure the guy wouldn't have a chance to cancel her scheduled meeting.
Smiling at her wise ways, she again leaned on the wall then looked at the substitute friend in the sky, which as if taunting her that he, the guy she just contacted will never come to meet her.
"Hmp! My boy friend is better than what you give him credit for."
The clouds passed its way to the sun, blocking it for a while then giving it again a full view of the still proudly beaming Mai.
"No Mr. Sun! I know him better than you do and maybe better than he knows himself. You know why Mr. Sun?"
She stopped for a second, looking at the object with a raised eyebrow and confident smile on her face. Somehow, she could feel like she could remove her set up mask for a while this day.
.
Maybe she could somehow sing one lovely song for today instead of the usual blue ones she played for her life.
.
"It's because…
.
.
I'm his best friend." She beamed, finally taking of the torny mask and letting the Rikkai Dai sun see her veiled lively smile.
Then off she went to the guy she never knew would make such a difference in her, their song playing on her mind…
'Do you hear me? I'm talking to you
Across the water across the deep blue ocean
Under the open sky, oh my, baby I'm trying
Boy I hear you in my dreams
I feel your whisper across the sea
I keep you with me in my heart
You make it easier when life gets hard.'
.
.
…Her duet partner, Fuji Yuuta.
.
Mwahaha! What a short update. I just want to give you guys some sort of compensation for my probably looooong vacation. Uuuuhh… I know! It freaking makes me sad too. But unfortunately college just have to be this hard and make me just want to tear my hair off my scalp (which I won't be doing since I love my hair XD)
I'm sorry if this story focused on Yukimura Mai, my first OC introduced. (Yay me! :D) I just wanted to point things out about one of my weird characters. Haha! Her biography would perhaps show up on the next chapter. By the way, don't be confused, Mai and Yuki are one and the same, things would be explained on the next COMING chapters. Yes! Coming! Because I really promised to finish this Fic whatever happens! And it's all because of you dear readers! Aja author! (Lol self-encouragement!) ^.^
And once again, Fuji Yuuta is on the cliff hanger. Hahaha! That guy sure knows how to excite you guys huh? The next chapter would probably focus on the two BESTFRIENDS first. Hmmm best friends they say, I wonder if it's true. And how the hell they met? You want to know? Oh yes I know you do! So watch out! :D
Ok… lastly… THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU TO ALL WHO ADDED THIS TO THEIR FAVS AND TO THOSE WHO FOLLOWED! And to those silent readers! OMG I never thought any one is reading this crazy story of mine! You don't know how happy I am when I found those out! Thanks to 's new features! T^T
If you can, you could also review about this fic! XD
(I'm still accepting request songs since I still don't know what duet… oopsiee. Anyway! Just in case you have a song in mind, don't hesitate to tell me! XD)
Oh! And the song back there is Lucky by Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat. Listen to one, it's an amazing song and quite fit my besties stories. XD