A/N: There is no FujiXRyo moment in this chapter, but it's a key chapter for the next development of the story. So please, just be a little bit patient. Thank you!

In the green house.

The atmosphere was deadly heavy. No one said a word nor made a sound.

"Wha… What do you mean… Yukimura-senpai…? Trans… Transferring…? N-now…? " Ryoma stuttered.

They had won the Preliminaries and next month would be the National Championship Finals. Ryoma had always thought that they would be together at the Nationals. But Yukimura…

'Why Yukimura is transferring school now? And he'll be our next opponent? Why?' Ryoma shouted in her head.

"What about the Nationals? You told us we'd be together for the Nationals! Then why?"

Yukimura closed his eyes, not answering.

"I'm sorry, Echizen-chan…" Yukimura stood up and left.

"Senpai! Wait! Senpai!"

HOwever, Yukimura didn't respond to her calls and left the green house. Ryoma ran after him but Sanada stopped her.

"Echizen, no!"

"But Sanada-senpai, Yukimura-senpai… He…"

Sanada shook his head.

"Ryoma-chan, come here," Fuji told her, a hand patting the chair next to him. Ryoma turned to look at him but didn't move.

"Ryoma-chan…" Fuji firmly called once more. Ryoma fidgeted. Then, reluctantly, her feet carried her to Fuji and she sat next to him. Sanada, too, sat at the table they were gathered around.

"Atobe, explain what happened," Sanada demanded. Atobe took a deep breath.

"Last month, Yukimura's father made a mistake which almost brought the family business into bankruptcy. At the last moment, he was saved by someone called Torada Junichi."

"Torada?" Ooishi repeated. "That's…"

"Yes. That's the name of the captain of Genhoujii Chuu tennis club, Torada Juujirou. Genhoujii is our opponent for the final of the National. Torada Juujirou is Torada Junichi's son," Oshitari said.

"Genhoujii is aware that they can't win against us because we have Yukimura," Yanagi said. "The only way to ensure their victory is to have Yukimura in their team."

"Thus, Torada Juujirou had his father make Yukimura's father transfer Yukimura to Genhoujii," Inui said.

"Then, it means that…" Jirou trailed off. For once, he wasn't sleeping. It was a much too important time for him to be asleep.

"…that Yukimura got blackmailed," Atobe finished for him. "Yukimura is being coerced into winning the Nationals for Genhoujii. Should he fail... his family business will fall into bankruptcy."

A heavy silence took place in the green house.

BAM!

Shishido angrily hit the table, but didn't say anything. Instead, it was Momoshiro who spoke for him.

"Kuso! (1)" Momoshiro cursed, frustration emanating from him.

"Momoshiro!" Ooishi reprimanded halfheartedly.

"Ano yaro no Torada (2)…" Kaido mumbled, not fsssh-ing this time.

"With Yukimura, Genhoujii is already the champion of the National," Hiyoshi murmured, but everyone heard him. Their faces all adorned a sad expression.

"This can't be!" Ryoma slammed her hands against the table. "You can't let it happen like that! Senpai-tachi, can't you do anything to help Yukimura-senpai?"

No one answered her.

"Echizen-chan... Right now, I don't know what to think about this. I don't see how we can help Yukimura and win the National at the same time. It's giving me a headache just thinking about it," Oshitari said, rubbing his forehead. Atobe's face was dark reflecting his unhappy mood. He stood up.

"Ore-sama is tired. He is going home now. Kabaji!"

"Usu!" They left.

"I can't think about this anymore. I'm going home!" Sanada walked out of the greenhouse.

"Me too," Hiyoshi muttered, getting up to leave as well.

"I don't see a way out of all this rubbish. I'm leaving!" Gakuto stormed out.

"I don't see the point of staying here!" Shishido yelled, frustrated. He got up to leave, following the others out the door.

"I agree with you!" Kirihara ran after him. Kikumaru stood up from his chair.

"Ooishi, I'm going to eat dried squid noodles!" Kikumaru declared, shoulders heavy. He headed out of the greenhouse.

"Ehh!" Ooishi and Kawamura exclaimed out of horror. Kikumaru hated dried squid. What had come over him? Ooishi ran after him. Kawamura sighed, shaking his head. He stood up, deciding to follow Kikumaru as well.

"Arrrrrrrrrrrrrggggh!" Momoshiro shouted, running out of the green house.

". . ." Kaido didn't say anything, but he stood up to leave.

"I'm going to eat an Thai extra spicy curry with kimchi!" Marui tossed over his shoulder as he, too, made for the doors.

"Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Niou and Ootori shouted, shocked.

Did he just say that he want to eat something which wasn't a sweet! Marui never eats anything spicy - he wasn't able to stand spicy food.

"Hey! Don't poison/kill yourself!" Niou and Ootori shouted, running after him worriedly. Why were people suddenly wanting to commit suic-…! Errr… No! Sorry! I mean, why were people suddenly wishing to eat food they had never wished to eat before? One by one, they all left. Only Fuji, Yagyuu and Ryoma were left behind in the green house. Yuuta was there as well since he was waiting for Fuji to go back home with him.

"Yukimura-senpai…" Ryoma whispered sadly. Someone put a hand on her left shoulder. Ryoma turned her head to see Fuji.

"Fuji-senpai…" She looked at him with distressed eyes. She grabbed onto his jacket. "Can't we do something about this mess?"

"Ryoma-chan, calm down," Fuji said. Gently, he removed her hands from his jacket, keeping them in clutched his. "Let's stop here today. We'll find a way to help Yukimura tomorrow. For now, you should go home and rest."

Ryoma lowered her head.

"Come on, Ryoma," Yuuta said. "We'll bring you home."

Ryoma sighed but followed them anyway.

"Arigatou, senpai-tachi, for bringing me home," Ryoma said.

"Fuji-kun, Yuuta, Yagyuu-kun, why don't you come in to have a drink?" Rinko offered.

'Hiroshi?' Ryoga look at the megane (3) boy. 'What's he doing here?'

"Thank you, Echizen-san, but we should go home now," Fuji said politely.

"Then stop by another time," Rinko said.

"We will certainly," Fuji answered.

"See you tomorrow, Ryoma," Yuuta said, waving goodbye.

"Hai. Thank you again."

Fuji, Yuuta and Yagyuu stepped out the house.

"Kaa-san, I'm going out for a while," Ryoga said, putting on her shoes once more.

"Okay. But be back by supper time," Rinko called after her son's back.

"Hai!"

Fuji and Yuuta returned to their home. Meanwhile, Yagyuu and Ryoga stopped by a coffee shop. Yagyuu wasn't a guy who would go to anyone's house without a good reason behind his head. To find out what this reason was, Ryoga went after him, determined to have this conversation.

"So, Hiroshi, what happen that caused her to be so depressed?" Ryoga asked. Yagyuu sighed before proceeding to explain everything.

When Yagyuu finished, Ryoga grabbed his head, scratching it in an attempt to get rid of the headache that was slowly but surely growing.

"You have such a complicated story. First, your Tezuka-buchou has yet to come back from Germany. And now, this Yukimura-boy also has to leave and is being transferred to your opponent's team," Ryoga resumed. "You all must be pretty lost right now."

"I don't need you to tell me that!" Yagyuu said, sighing. "For three years, we've aimed for the victory of the Nationals. For two years, we won the Nationals. But this year Nationals is the most important for us. It's the ultimate goal of all our achievement. But right now, we can't win it. Yukimura is not with us."

"You mean without Yukimura, you've already lost? Is he that strong?"

"Yukimura never lost a game in his life. He is not called the Child of God for nothing," Yagyuu said.

"Why?"

"He play ESP tennis."

"E… S… P…" Ryoga slowly repeated, a cold chill slowly making its way up his spine. "ESP… I hope you don't mean ESP like in…"

"Like in Extra Sensory Perception? Sadly, yes it is," Yagyuu said. "Using his sixth sense, he can return all his opponent's shot, take away their five senses and made them believe that they no longer want their ball to cross the net."

". . ."

Yukimura Seiichi was a rare phenomena. People with ESP are one in a billion and there was someone with that ability in his acquaintance. Even worse, Yukimura Seiichi was a tennis player. Ryoga now understood the meaning of the title of the "Child of God". Playing against Yukimura Seiichi was like playing against a god. It wasn't David against Goliath, but an baby ant against something a thousand time larger Goliath.

"Not even Fuji, Tezuka or Sanada, who are our strongest players, can win against Yukimura. Unless you're also an ESP player or you possess something else which can confront his ESP, you cannot win against him," Yagyuu finished.

"But can't you do something else that doesn't need you to play against him?"

"Like what?"

"For example, break into Torada's house, steal Yukimura's family stock back and voila! So, how is it, that incredibly genius idea of min-…!"

BAAAAAAAAAAM! Yagyuu slammed his hand against the table.

"You moron!" Yagyuu shouted. "Stop saying such stupid things! I don't need to hear them now!"

Yagyuu spilled his coffee in his anger. It was a good thing because his coffee was no longer drinkable for him. Yagyuu never added sugar or milk in his coffee. He always drank it black. But for some unknown reason, there were five empty cups of milk and ten torn sugar bags next to his cup.

"Hola hola! It was only to make you stop frowning because you looked like you were constipated!" Ryoga defended while a waitress cleaned the table. "Beside, it works. You stopped frowning!" Ryoga finished, smiling in self-satisfaction, his arms crossed. Yagyuu froze.

". . ." Ryoga gotten him. "Ah…" Yagyuu sighed and sat back in his chair.

The waitress came back with a new cup of coffee for Yagyuu. Unconsciously, his hands picked the milk and the sugar and poured them in his coffee. The black coffee slowly turned into a beige hue.

"Can't you buy back Yukimura's shares from Torada?" Ryoga asked.

"It is a possibility but Torada would't hesitate to raise the price a thousand times its current value," Yagyuu said. "Beside, I doubt he would actually sell it. And if we go to Torada for a business exchange, it's like attacking a lion from the front."

"Well, if you can't face the lion from the front, why don't you attack from behind? Pulling his tail, for example!"

"Ryuu (Ryoga ticked an eyebrow at the name), your jokes are so lame!" Yagyuu said, shaking his head in exasperation.

"Hmph!" Vexed, Ryoga turned his head away, chin held high in arrogance. He took his coffee and drank it in one gulp. He shouldn't have.

"Blwueeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeh!" He sputtered, spitting out the mouthful that he had just swallowed. The coffee was too sweet. Ryoga looked at his coffee. It was beige-white. Too much milk had been added in.

"Hey! This isn't my coffee!"

Yagyuu picked up his cup and drank it calmly. By some miracle, his coffee was black again. He had switched Ryoga's cup with his own.

"Why you… You… You thief! Grrrrrr!" Ryoga couldn't find the words he needed.

"That's for being stupid," Yagyuu said, putting down the empty cup. "I'm leaving now. Thank you for the treat!"

"Stingy," Ryoga snorted. "Hiroshi, no one is as tricky as you! You can do illegal things while still be legal in the eyes of the law. With that twisted brain of yours, it would be the end of the world if you were to rule it!" Ryoga said.

"Thank you for the compliment!"

Yagyuu left the shop.

"Tche!" Ryoga snorted. But he smiled.

'He seems to have slightly cheered up,' Ryoga thought. He watched his watch. 'It's almost time for supper. I better go back before Kaa-san decide to hunt me down!'

He paid the coffee and hurried back home. Rinko may be a sweet woman, but supper time was sacred to her. No one wanted to miss supper time with her if they wished to see the sunrise the next day.

Yagyuu mansion. In Yagyuu's room.

Yagyuu got out of the shower, a towel on his head. He sat in his arm chair and threw the towel away, feeling relaxed.

'I feel much better now,' Yagyuu thought. 'Even after so many years apart, he still possesses that strange power to release me from my stress and worry.'

He leaned back in his chair, watching the moon outside and letting his mind rant. As he watched the white ball in the dark blue sky, Ryoga's words rang in his head again.

'If you can't face the lion from the front, why don't you attack from behind? Pulling his tail, for example!'

Yagyuu blinked.

". . ."

Ryoga's words echoed in his head again.

'You thief!'

Yagyuu straightened up in his seat.

'You can do illegal things while still be legal in the eyes of the law.'

Something clicked in Yagyuu's head.

'That's it!'

He grabbed his glasses.

Tit tit tit! Tit tit tit!

Putting on his glasses, he opened his now ringing cellphone. It was Fuji.

"Yagyuu, I have been thinking about something," Fuji said.

Yagyuu smiled.

"I was going to call you," Yagyuu replied.

He opened his laptop and punched the keys of the keyboard while listening to Fuji.

1) kuso: equivalent to "Damn it!"

2) ano yaro no Torada: "That good-for-nothing of Torada!"

3) megane: glasses.