Echizen Nanjirou was a tennis professional who could have easily taken the Grand Slam, if he hadn't chosen his family over tennis. In fact, he stopped playing in the professional circuit the day Ryoma was born. He wanted to train his son to be his next opponent. However, Ryoma was a girl. After Ryoma's birth, Rinko couldn't bear another child. Thus, Nanjirou could not hope to have a son. Though he didn't show it, Ryoma knew that her father wished that she was a boy.

Because of that, she told her father that she wanted to play tennis and that she wanted him to train her, which Nanjirou did. She really hoped her father would still love her as a girl. She wanted to just show him that she could be a good tennis player even if she was a girl – or more, she would prove him that despite being a girl, she could be better than a boy.

As she played tennis every day with Nanjirou, she was really happy – until one day…

One day, her father brought a boy at home. His name was Ryoga. He was five years older than Ryoma. Ryoga would be her big brother. Ryoga was his best friend's son, who died in a car accident with his wife, leaving Ryoga an orphan. Nanjirou took him in. Ryoma couldn't blame her father for this nor could she blame Ryoga. It wasn't his fault after all. As for Nanjirou, he was happy. He finally had a son.

Nanjirou continued to train Ryoma in tennis, but he also trained Ryoga. And Ryoma could see that her father trained Ryoga far more seriously than he did her. After all, Ryoga was a boy, and he was the son Nanjirou always wished to have. And more than everything, she knew that Ryoga was a better tennis player than her - he was a quick learner, he was faster than her and had more physical aptitudes. It was easy to understand why Nanjirou favored Ryoga over her. That was where it hurt her the most.

Knowing her daughter was hurt by Nanjirou's actions, Rinko explained to Ryoma.

"Ryoma, it is true that being a girl, you cannot best Ryoga in terms of physical capabilities. But that doesn't mean that you cannot surpass him somewhere else. I encourage you to continue to play tennis, but you should also try to develop your others aptitudes," Rinko said. "Besides, if your father really doesn't love you, he would have returned back to the professional tennis circuit instead of continuing to play with you, right?"

Ryoma reluctantly nodded.

"Ryoma, maybe you cannot beat Ryoga with physical strength, but maybe you can win over him with your intelligence. After all, girls are much smarter than boys, right?" Rinko whispered secretly into Ryoma's ears, winking at her.

And as a matter of fact, Ryoma scored better at school than Ryoga. When the family traveled around the world – for vacations or because of Rinko's job, Ryoma would pick up the local language. At the age of 10, she spoke fluent Japanese, English, French and German.

One day, Nanjirou decided it was time for him to return back to Japan with the whole family. Ryoma decided to take the entrance exam of Seiyou Academy, the school for top elites of Tokyo, to complete her education. Because of her outstanding marks, she won the scholarship. All her tuition fees will be covered by the school, with the condition that she must keep to be the top of her class. She was happy to have won the scholarship as she didn't want to burden her parents.

She still continued to play tennis. She kept practicing hard every day. Even if she always lost to her father or to Ryoga, she never gave up. She would prove them that she could be a very good tennis player even if she's a girl. One day, she would beat the crap out of them. That was her ultimate goal! She chose Seiyou because the school was the first seed of Japan junior tennis players. Being at Seiyou will give her a great opportunity to improve her tennis (so that one day she will DEFINITELY beat her oyajii (1) and her aniki (2)!)

But, she didn't expect this to happen…

"Hihihihihihi!"

"Hahahahahahaha!"

"Wuahahahahahahahaha!" Ryoga and Nanjirou laughed madly, pointing their fingers right into Ryoma's pissed off face, her right eye twitching.

"You two… Shut. It. Up. Right now!" she roared.

But that didn't stop them.

"Yiiiiiiiiiii hahahahahahaha!"

Click! Click! Click!

Nanjirou took pictures of her at every single angle.

"Oyajii, stop it!"

"Why? It's too much fun! And bishoujo (3), you look absolutely cute like that! Don't you think too, Rinko?" Nanjirou asked his wife.

"Nanjirou, that's enough!" Rinko scolded him.

Ryoma was currently wearing the Seiyou Academy uniform. That's normal since she will attend Seiyou. The problem, it's a boy uniform. A grey pants and a deep blue jersey with the school emblem on the left breast, and a blue and golden striped necktie. The school no longer had a girl's uniform in her size. The only small size available was a boy uniform. They told her to wear it until they had a new one made for her. The person in charge of the academy uniform would be released from hospital in two weeks. Also, the particular fabric of Seiyou Academy's uniform was no longer available. They needed the person in charge's signature so they could order the fabric. Then again, Ryoma will have to wait for her girl uniform to be done too. In short, Ryoma had to wear the boy uniform for a period of a month at least.

"Whahahahahahaha! And with that wig, you look almost exactly like me, Chibisuke!" Ryoga laughed again.

Ryoma shoot him daggers glares. It was because of him and baka oyajii that she couldn't cut her own hair.

Flashback

"Ahhhhhhh!" Ryoma jumped three feet back when she saw herself in the mirror.

There was a gay guy just in front of her. And he looked soooooooo much like herself, only dressed in a boy uniform. His long hair just made him so gay. Ryoma sprinted away down stair at full speed.

Down stair, Nanjirou, Ryoga, Rinko and Nanako looked up to the ceiling, where running foot steps could be heard. It sounded as Ryoma just saw something terrible. They wondered what? From the staircase, they saw her running down, almost tripping over the steps.

"Kaa-san! Kaa-san! Kaa-san!" Ryoma desperately called, trying to catch herself before really tripping down the stair.

"What is it, Ryoma?" Rinko calmly asked.

"Kaa-san, where are the scissors! Please, CUT OFF MY HAIR!" Ryoma howled on the top of her lunges from pure fright.

"Huh?" Rinko blinked, but Ryoga and Nanjirou interrupted her.

"WHAAAAAAAAAAT?" Nanjirou and Ryoga yelled, jumping on their feet.

In less than 0.1 second, they were in front of her in their giant form with fire burning around their bodies and in their eyes. Their hell form made Ryoma becoming tiny, forgetting momentary her fright. Nanjirou and Ryoga were more frightful than the gay guy she saw in the mirror.

"YOU do NOOOOOOT cut off your hair! You perfectly hear me!" Ryoga said.

"Heh? What! Why?" Ryoma stuttered. "It's my hair. I can cut them when I want!"

"Ryoma," Nanjirou trailed in a serious tone, his head bend down.

Ryoma gulped. Nanjirou was using her first name. Something bad was coming.

"Ryoma," Nanjirou said again, "if you cut your hair, I will make sure that you will never be able to play in any tennis tournaments and competitions again in the future and for your next 100 lives circle."

Ryoma turned white and yelled an unvoiced scream.

"So, Chibisuke, do you still want to cut off your hair?" Ryoga slowly asked.

Ryoma couldn't answer because she was still in shock at the perspective that she could no longer play tennis. And her spirit form, which was floating above her head couldn't answer either. The spirit itself was also in a huge shock.

"Ryoma?" Rinko tried to call. But still no answer from the poor girl.

Rinko sighed, then eyed Nanjirou.

"Nanjirou, Ryoga, how could you say such a thing to her?" Rinko was saying, mad.

"Hum…" Nanjirou and Ryoga only grunted, but still refusing to change their mind.

End flashback

And that was how Ryoma got herself with a wig. She really feared that Nanjirou would put his threat into execution. She knew that even if he was retired, Nanjirou still possessed a great influence over the International Tennis Association and the press and medias. And if her baka aniki also joined in with the baka oyajii, Ryoma was really doomed.

"Wuahahaha!" Ryoga and Nanjirou continued to laugh, and louder.

Ryoma wished her eyes could shoot laser and kill him and baka oyajii on the spot.

"I must agree with ojii-san (4), Ryoma-chan (5)! You do really look absolutely cute like this! I bet that all the girls in the school will also think the same thing as me!" she said, giggling.

'No thank you!' Ryoma thought.

Click! Click! Click! Nanjirou continued to click on the digital camera.

"Hey! Maybe you can bring home a future sister-in-law for me, Ryoma-kun (6)!" Ryoga teased her.

A vein popped on Ryoma's head.

"That's right! A cute one with a sexy bod-…! (Whack!) Outch! Hey! What was that for, Rinko?" Nanjirou yelped, rubbing his sore spot, where his wife whacked him.

"Keep your mouth shut. There are young children here!" she scowled him.

"Wuhahahaha!" Ryoga brailed louder.

"Aniki… Do you want to die again?" Ryoma said, her fist slowly up, ready to strike.

Ryoga immediately shut up. Alas, Ryoma didn't forgive him. She only asked by pure courtesy – because her mother had always taught her so. But Rinko never said that she had to wait for the other's answer or applying to their desires. Thus, she chased after Ryoga.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaah!" Ryoga yelled, running away for his life while Ryoma was right behind him.

'Maybe I should have told her to wait for the person's answer before doing anything,'Rinko thought, sighing.

(1) oyajii: old man;

(2) aniki: informal way to call big brother;

(3) bishoujo: pretty girl;

(4) ojii-san: uncle;

(5) -chan: suffix usually used for girl, but not exclusively;

(6) -kun: suffix usually used for boy, but not exclusively.