Chapter One – Seimaku
Sitting in a classroom was never her ideal place of residence. She'd rather be on the court. On the court she was free – she could fly if she imagined it so. In the classroom she was a captive of the continuous and repetitive lessons that downright bored her to tears. A small sheet of folded paper landed on her table and she found her ticket. She glanced over at Kara who looked just as bored as she was, looking expectantly in her direction from the corner of her eye. Miyako stealthily opened the piece of paper and had to stifle her laughter at the small message.
Kara had gotten her wish. They had English, Literature, Mathematics and History together. Literature was their current lesson – all they were doing was discussing the topic they would be studying and the texts that went along with it. She'd breathed a sigh of relief when she found one of the books she had read already and the other book seemed interesting enough to read.
Miyako looked down the row she and Kara were seated on and she managed to muffle her laughter again. Takeshi Momoshiro was fast asleep in the middle of the class. His hand cupped his chin and kept his head up; fake glasses covered his eyes to make it look as though they were open.
A worthy attempt, but the teacher had noticed several minutes ago.
Miyako looked down at the note again and grinned. 'This happened all the time last year. He's supposed to be responsible because he's a Regular on the tennis team, but he's not so the teachers show him no mercy.'
As the teacher slammed his ruler against the desk and Momoshiro started awake, Miyako smiled a little as the class erupted into cackles of laugher, but turned her eyes out the window. Being outside was infinitely a better idea than being couped up in a stuffy classroom.
"So, Miyako, are you going to join the tennis club?" Kara asked, leaning across the gap between their desks. The teacher was still yelling at Momoshiro so there were no worries about getting caught.
Miyako shrugged. "I don't know. I'll go along to have a look. But I'll have to think about it."
"But you bought a racquet, didn't you?" Kara asked. "I'd join the club myself but I have to help out at my parent's shop in the afternoons."
Miyako smiled. "I intended to just have a little muck around on the courts seeing as they were available. If there are no spare courts then I'll probably just go home"
"That's a shame, to have a racquet bag like that one you must play a lot." Kara muttered lightly as the teacher was bringing the class back to attention.
Miyako instantly regretted having her racquet with her at all. If she'd wanted to muck around on the courts then there would surely be spare racquets that are free for use. She supposed it was just a habit – if there was a chance of playing tennis she would have her racquet handy.
Finally the bell rang shrilly and the teacher excused themselves and wished the class a good lunch break.
"Awwww!" All eyes found the middle of the room again where Momoshiro was slumping against the top of his desk. "I ate all my lunch in first period!" He exclaimed. "Oh well! I'll just go and buy it!"
While the class, yet again, laughed at the class clown, Miyako retrieved her bento box from her bag and opened it to eat. Kara pulled her chair from behind her desk and lined it up beside Miyako's desk to sit beside her.
"So hey, we're friends now right?" Kara asked. "I don't know anything about you." She said.
Miyako smiled. "You're right. Umm. Well, I don't know what to tell you." She admitted sheepishly.
"Well, start with your hobbies. You like tennis, ne?"
"Yep. It started as something to keep me busy on a Saturday morning. And then I wanted to play more so I started afternoon lessons. And eventually I left lessons and began to kind of teach myself. Lessons were too constrictive to how I wanted to play tennis." Miyako explained.
Kara laughed. "But then how do you get better?"
"Practice. Every day. Any chance I can get." Miyako replied. "There's a free range tennis court not far from my house and as I said, if there are any free courts here at school then I'll gladly use those instead."
"We'll have to go by the courts then this afternoon – I'm kind of curious about how you play."
"But you said that you – "
"First day of school, I get the day off." Kara said with a delighted smile. "That means I get to see my Kikumaru-senpai play tennis~!" She exclaimed excitedly.
"It's a really big deal here, isn't it?"
"Yeah~!" Kara replied, swallowing a mouthful. "And all of the guys on the Regulars team are totally hot~!"
Miyako raised her eyebrows. "There's more to tennis than hot guys."
"Oh, yeah, that's true. Of course it is. The game is great. But it helps when there's hot guys playing it." Kara said with a giddy smile.
Miyako shook her head in amusement. "Right."
. : . : . : .
Ryoma Echizen proudly made his way to the tennis courts of his new school. Coach Ryuzaki had recommended it, especially as all the players of the Seigaku Junior High tennis regulars had joined the same one. Instantly he noticed Momoshiro and walked over.
"Yo, Momo-senpai!"
Momo looked over, a bottle in his hand, racquet in the other. "Ah, Echizen. Welcome to Seishun Makuen."
Echizen, not as naïve or tough acting as before, smiled. "Nn."
"Oh, and by the way, you've been followed." Momo said in a hushed tone.
Echizen looked up questioning from under the shade of his cap.
"Your fans. There are even ones from Seigaku who've rushed here just to see you." Momo replied.
An arm suddenly hooked around Echizen's neck and held him tightly. "Aaah! It's the baby~!" Eiji exclaimed excitedly. "It's good to see you around again, nya~!"
"That's enough." An all serious voice commanded and Eiji looked over at their team captain.
"Ahh, Tezuka, you're too mean." Eiji complained, pouting and released Echizen reluctantly and headed for the change rooms.
Tezuka offered a small, horrible excuse of a smile to the once again first year. "Welcome back, Echizen."
Echizen nodded and headed for the change rooms as well.
Momo walked onto the courts and began to warm up as Syusuke Fuji stepped up beside Tezuka. "Do you think he'll make it onto the team?" He asked, smiling brightly as normal.
"If he can beat Inui again." Tezuka replied simply.
"Ahh, you're going to make them play against each other again?" Fuji asked. Once Tezuka nodded in reply, Fuji's smile widened "That's a little mean, Tezuka."
Tezuka payed him no heed and walked onto the courts too to begin ordering the other team members of the tennis club to begin practice.
. : . : . : .
"You're just going to wear your school skirt?" Kara asked as she followed Miyako from the bathrooms and towards the tennis courts.
"Not like I have any other on me at the moment. Besides, a skirt's a skirt. It'll do." Miyako replied. "So, are you sure that this court will be free?"
"During practice it always is." Kara replied knowledgeably. "No one really needs it because they can play one another and this court is a pair of half courts."
"And that's all I need." Miyako replied as they began to walk by the regular tennis courts. As she walked by there was a chorus of wolf whistles and cat calls that had Miyako flushing ferociously. She knew that wearing her favourite tennis playing shirt was a bad idea in front of so many people. It was a tight tank top that was a slight tinge of pink, but it was mostly white so it was still wearable with the deep green skirts of the school uniform.
Kara giggled. "They like you~."
"Oh, shut up." Miyako hissed, self-consciously pulling her tank top neckline up a little, noticing the sharp stare of Kunimitsu Tezuka, who had looked over to see the source of the team's disruption. Using her tennis racquet bag as cover she rushed passed the courts and towards the ones that Kara had told her about.
"Hey, you're that transfer student right?"
Miyako looked over and noticed that Momoshiro had appeared at the fence of the tennis court, looking at them through the diamonds. Miyako nodded.
"You play huh?" Momo asked.
"Not really." Miyako replied and continued to walk, refusing to stop, to the – as Kara had predicted – empty court.
"She seems a little jumpy." Momo noted to Oishi who was also looking in their direction.
"She's got her own racquet bag and everything, why did she say that she doesn't play?"
"She's disruptive." Tezuka stated.
"Only to the guys who have the attention span of a sparrow." Momo said, grinning, still looking in the girl's direction.
"Yeah, like someone else we know." Oishi stated, grabbing Momo by the head, ruffling the spiky hair and moved him in the direction of the court. "Get back to practice." Once Momo was gone, Oishi turned back to Tezuka. "So, Captain, what's the drill for today?"
"Observe new members and then I can set up a timetable for those who are running for a spot on the Regular's team later on this afternoon." Tezuka replied, his eyes straying to the always spare courts. "What does she think she's doing, coming here?"
Oishi chuckled lightly. "She has the right to use to the courts."
Tezuka glanced at him and Oishi raised his hands in defence as he walked over to play a match with Momo.
Tezuka watched her carefully, wondering if she was worthy of using the courts and not be on the tennis club. She served well enough and after that she was able to have a reasonable rally with herself, singing to herself the whole time, her movements set to a strange rhythm. And then she missed the ball. All she did was giggle with her friend, run to retrieve the pink coloured tennis ball and serve herself again. As she did so he noticed that her long plait swung erratically with her movements, and to his surprise reached just by the hem of her school skirt.
"She's rather good, isn't she?"
Tezuka glanced sideways at his long time friend. "Perhaps. Her technique is a little off though."
"She's clearly had lessons though." Fuji commented.
"But does she still have them?" Tezuka asked.
Fuji's eyes opened. "Maybe you should go over there and tell her what she's doing wrong?"
Tezuka averted his eyes from the girl and to the tennis club's activities and said nothing.
Fuji shut his eyes as his endearing smile widened ever so slightly. "No need to be so worried about her presence, Tezuka."
"I'm not worried about anything that has to do with her – other than the disturbance she'll cause to the boy's attention span." Tezuka stated coldly. "If she causes much more of a problem then I'll have to ask her to find other times to use the courts."
Fuji's smile morphed into a grin. He'd gladly be there to see that interaction.
. : . : . : .
Dumping her bag on the ground and slipping off her school shoes she greeted her barking Retriever. "Iie, iie. Kiba. Don't jump." She said, giggling as the young dog yapped excitedly and licked at her fingertips. "You've been a good girl today?" The creamy Golden Retriever barked in reply and tailed her owner up the stairs and towards her room.
Miyako pushed her door the rest of the way open and sighed at the lump under her blankets. She sat on the side of the mattress and pet the lump. "Good day to you, Kohana. You've found solace in my room today?"
A muffled meow voiced the 'welcome home' from the feline before a rumbling purring began.
"Kaiya will be jealous." Miyako said to the young cat.
Unfazed the cat shifted and continued to purr and sleep.
Downstairs the opening and closing of the front door announced the arrival of her favourite person in the world. "Kaiya!" Miyako called, exiting her room to stand just outside of her door.
Elated, a small pair of feet stumbled and rushed up the stairs. "Miya-neechan~!" Rounding the corner the small girl with caramel eyes and a ponytail of short, dark brown hair bouncing behind her as she leaped into her sister's waiting arms.
"How was your first day of school?" Miyako asked as Kiba began to prance around them.
"It was super fun, Neechan!" Kaiya replied. "They had lots of games and books to read too!"
"You're a fan of books, aren't you?" Miyako said.
Kaiya giggled. "Yes."
Miyako placed the girl down. "I think you'll have to kidnap that kitten of yours, she's hijacked my bed."
Kaiya followed her sister into the room and giggled at the lump on the bed. She climbed onto the bed and flew the covers back to reveal the Balinese feline of white fur and lilac points. Irritated the feline opened its bright blue eyes and meowed. "Kohana~!" Kaiya giggled and pulled the kitten into an embrace that was partly one-sided. The cat began to purr and rub her head against her owner's cheek affectionately.
"She's missed you a lot, didn't she, Kaiya-chan?" Miyako asked, sitting on the bed, petting between Kiba's ears.
"She's my kitty, of course she did." Kaiya replied, grinning widely.
"Girls!"
Both sisters looked up. "Yes, Mum?" They replied.
"Come and help me with dinner please."
Kaiya giggled and left Kohana on her sister's bed as she was carried off and out of the room.
. : . : . : .
"Game set and match to Echizen, 6 – 4."
The cheering reached the spare court and for a moment Miyako lost her concentration and looked over. "It looks like Echizen-kun has won another match with Inui-senpai." She muttered softly with a smile.
She mildly regretted missing that match, but she had her own practice to do. Kara was working that day and would be for everyday from then on so she had no company – which was probably better. She knew that it was boring to only watch and to never play.
It had been nearly three weeks since school had started and everyday she'd find herself on the half courts practicing the game she loved, but for some reason…she felt a twinge in her wrist and every time she swung the racquet it was aggravated.
She turned back to the wall she was playing against and after bouncing the ball a few times threw it into the air and swung her racquet to serve. As the ball returned to her left she ran and easily sent it right back – intending that it would make her run to the other side of the court to exercise her pace and speed. So far all she'd done was miss the ball entirely, but she was determined to nullify that problem.
Tezuka looked over from the courts, his eyes focusing on the same girl who'd shown herself every day for the past three weeks. She'd returned to that same empty court – without her friend – and was practicing again. Her white and aqua racquet and pink tennis ball in hand. She didn't seem to realise it but her wrist was moving oddly and the slight twitch in her facial features certainly recognised it.
She let the ball pass by her and she felt the flesh around her left wrist tenderly. She twisted her wrist around a bit. Then she seemed to decide that it wasn't hurting anymore so she retrieved the ball and served again.
With one last glance to the tennis courts, barely meeting the eyes of Fuji, he sighed, turning towards those half courts. Normally he wouldn't care less, he knew this. And yet he couldn't bear to see a tennis player slowly, but surely, injuring themselves.
He stepped up beside the court gate and waited for her to finish her rally with her imaginary opponent. She was singing softly to herself and he realised that she had an iPhone attached to her hip – from it came the music that she was singing along to.
He rolled his eyes softly and continued to watch her for a short moment. And then, when she returned the ball, she winced and let the oncoming ball pass her again.
Tezuka took this as his moment to announce his presence. "You need to keep your wrist straight."
The girl started, looking over in his direction. Dread filled her chocolate eyes as she registered who had been watching her. "W-What?" She stammered. Since that first day on the courts she'd been scared to death of Tezuka. His glare was steely and it sent chills down her spine.
"You have a tendency to flick." Tezuka stated. "When you do that you lose control of the ball."
She frowned at him disbelievingly.
"That is also why your wrist is hurting – if you continue to flick like that it will be injured to the point that you won't be able to play anymore." Tezuka warned.
She looked at her wrist and felt the flesh as she had done before. "So that's why it was hurting?"
Tezuka nodded, his arms still folded over. "More than likely." And with that said he turned to walk away.
"Uhh..hey?"
He half turned back.
"Thanks."
Tezuka only nodded and made his way back to the tennis courts.
Miyako smiled a little. His stare was intense and scary, but he did seem to have a heart that was in the right place. She blushed a little – unable to believe that she'd changed her mind about him so quickly and began to practice swinging her racquet without flicking her wrist.
She realised with a twinge of frustration that it would take a long while before she would be able to accomplish this skill.