"Tadaima (1)," Ryoma called as she entered her house.

"Okaeri (2), Ryoma," her mother greeted her. Nanjirou grunted and returned to his magazine.

"Kaeri, Chibisuke!"

"Okaeri, Ryoma-chan," Nanako greeted.

Ryoma went up in her bedroom to change into more comfortable clothes. After that, she joined her family down in the family room.

"How was your first day at school?" Rinko asked her.

"Weird," Ryoma said as she sat next to Ryoga. "Right in the morning, there was a parade of Benz and Rolls Royce cars in the front of the school. In my class, people are crazy. And the girls are scary - they asked me if they could be my girlfriend."

"Pffffffffffff! Cough cough cough cough cough!" Ryoga choked in his tea and coughed.

"Ryoga, you shouldn't laugh while drinking," Rinko said as she hit his back to help him.

Nanjirou looked up at Ryoma from his newspaper, blinking, surprised. Nanako giggled.

"I told you so, Ryoma-chan," Nanako said.

"Yeah. But it was still scary."

Karupin climbed in her laps and Ryoma stroked his fur. Ryoma continued to relate her day. She talked about her classes, her teachers and all the promotions to join different clubs. She talked to them about the tennis club, describing the facilities, the court - everything.

"And I almost got hit on the head by a tennis ball."

Ryoga froze, worried.

"How come? What happened?" Rinko asked.

"Well, a guy try to aim the ball at me, but I stopped it," Ryoma explained hastily when she saw her mother's worried expression. "It's really nothing, kaa-san (3). Don't worry. I taught the culprit a good lesson."

Rinko didn't say anything. She wasn't she can trust Ryoma's words.

"Meooooooooow!" Karupin meowed.

"That's right, Karupin! He was a stupid guy for trying to attack me!"

Evening.

Ryoma and Nanjiro were having a match in the tennis court in their backyard. Ryoga was watching them in silence. He remembered what Ryoma told about her first day at school.

When he learnt that she won the scholarship for Seiyou Academy, he was happy for her. But he was also worried. Seiyou Academy was a school institution for elite people, not for normal people. Students there were sons and daughters of ministers, association and corporation presidents, wealthy businessmen, reputed doctors and lawyers and so on. The students there were all born with silver spoons in their mouths and were all pampered immensely. They were used to have everything they wanted without any difficulty. They didn't have to work hard for it. Because of that, sometimes they can act terribly if there was something displeased them. For example, if they didn't like a person, they could easily dispose of said person. Before he was an Echizen, Ryoga knew that kind of world.

Ryoma came from a normal world. Ryoga feared that they would bullied her or harm her in some way. Rich kids don't easily accepted strangers in their realm of fortune, fame and power. Ryoma might be…

"You're worrying too far, Ryoga," Rinko shattering his reverie.

"Kaa-san."

Rinko sat next to Ryoga, looking at her daughter chase after the yellow ball.

"I am a bit worried too, but I believe Ryoma will pull it through. She's a very capable girl."

"I know, but…"

"Wait and see what happens next before doing anything," Rinko said told him

Ryoga sighed.

"Hai, kaa-san…"

A ball flew to him and he caught it with his left hand.

"Hey! What was that for, Chibisuke?! I almost got hit on the head!" Ryoga yelled.

"Well, it didn't, right?" Ryoma retorted, her hands on her hips, "Or don't tell me that you became weaker since we return to Japan," she taunted.

"What did you say…?" Ryoga growled.

"Then play with me! Now! It's a challenge!"

"You're going to regret it!"

Ryoga took Nanjirou's place on the court.

Ryoma smirked.

'That girl… Cocky as ever! Even now, she still challenges me!' Ryoga thought, smiling.

"If I win, you bring me to Tokyo Disneyland this Sunday and treat me everything I want!" Ryoma called.

"And what if I win?"

"You still bring me to Tokyo Disneyland this Sunday and treat me everything I want!"

Ryoga's smile was wiped clean off his face. Rinko and Nanako giggled while Nanjirou smirked.

'Spoiled brat!' Ryoga thought.

"Hey! What kind of weird prize is that? If I'm the winner, I decide what I want, not you!" Ryoga protested.

"No you won't, because I will win!"

"We'll see about that!" Ryoga answered heatly. He fired up.

Ryoma glared him. She fired up too.

"Whenever you're ready, aniki!"

"Ryoga against Ryoma. One set match. Service, Ryoga," Nanjirou called.

"Twist Serve!" Ryoga said as he served.

(1) tadaima: I'm back;

(2) okaeri : welcome back;

(3) kaa-san or okaa-san: mother.