A/N: THANK YOU FOR 100+ REVIEWS! THANKS TO ALL PEOPLE WHO HELPED ME REACH THAT GOAL! You don't know how happy that made me to see so many reviews...

Disclaimer: I don't do drugs… except for PoT. (But I don't own it.)

So, last time Chiharu beat Aiko in a match, and this match is between Kimiko (Marui Bunta's cousin) and Izumi (Kikumaru+Fuji's Classmate)

I'm thinking of making this story... semi-AU. Like, "What if PoT took place during their high school years?" So... Has everyone seen Fuji's Tsubame Gaeshi? Yes. Do they know everyone on the Fudomine team? Yes. Will Tezuka go to Germany? ...maybe. I'm working on that one. Will they face Rikkaidai in the Kantou's just like the anime? Yes. Has Yukimura had surgery yet? No. That kind of stuff.

Sorry, couldn't fit RyoSaku into this chapter either. And it's unlikely they'll make an appearance in the next one. But the next, next one will be all about RyoSaku! So no worries!

To Catch A Falling Star—Chapter Seven; Izumi: Dancer

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Kimiko bit down hard, her molars grinding together, trying to control her breathing. She blinked her lavender eyes several times before swiping the back of her hand over them; the sweat that ran into them was irritating them. Izumi served again; a no touch ace, meters from her racket.

This was not going well.

"Game, Morioka. 2 games to 1."

How was it possible? Time seems to pass slower; a slow, agonizing pace. That one game alone took half an hour. Kimiko was well aware of Izumi's tactic against her; she was making her run around the court. Instead of trying to win points immediately, she sacrificed some of the score each game in order to wear Kimiko out. Izumi was always hitting the ball just within Kimiko's reach… To Kimiko, this tactic was all too familiar; it was the same one Izumi used against her last time. She knew it… but… 'Why can't I counter it?' Her precious stamina was being drained away. Another game like that and she might just end up on the ground.

"Damn you, Akane." she cursed out loud. The arrangements were obviously made by her. To pair Kimiko up against Izumi again… To test her if she could overcome this obstacle… that was so Akane's style.

Kimiko didn't realize this, but she wasn't the only one Akane was testing.

"Game, Morioka. 3 games to 1. Change court."

She had lost her service game. 'I'm going to get beaten flat… again…' Kimiko thought as she all but collapsed onto the bench, panting hard. She put a wet towel over her eyes in attempt to cool them down, feeling the cool water soothe her eyes. 'No… I can still catch up… I just have to find her weakness…'

"Oh, looks like we made it in time." Akane, Aiko and Tezuka as well as Echizen and the freshman trio relocated to this court after the match between Chiharu and Aiko finished. Chiharu, Reina and Inui were more concerned with Suzume's match, so they moved on to court D.

"What's the score?" Akane asked Fuji.

"3 to 1, Izumi-san leading." he told her. "Marui-san is running out of stamina."

Akane noticed that he called Izumi by her first name.

"That pink second year's battery is just about out," Kikumaru said with a sad look. "Poor her, Morioka-chan made her run around from the start." He ran a hand through his red hair, complaining, "I hate this kind of play."

"And she wasn't able to go to the net." Akane assumed.

"Oh, does Pinkie specialize in net play?" Kikumaru asked, immediately interested. "But Morioka-chan held her at the baseline."

'Pinkie? Obvious reference to her hair, but couldn't you be a bit more original?' "She won one game, right? Her service games are always Serve and Volley."

"Saa…" Fuji smiled. "I'm afraid we missed that game since someone decided to punish us…"

"Fuji…" Tezuka's voice carried a warning tone.

—X—

"Please return to the court!"

Kimiko's legs begged her not to walk with them. They felt like jelly; she was sure they wouldn't support her weight. Halfway through the game, and she was already exhausted. However, she ignored her legs and forced herself to step back onto the court. 'Just a little longer…' It was going to be over soon… wasn't it?

Was it?

Looking into Izumi's eyes, the second year realized that her senpai had no intention to end this quickly.

Her racket fell out of her hand and clattered onto the ground. Her hand was sweating so much that she had lost her grip. Her strength was so drained that she couldn't even hold it tightly enough so that she had a firm grasp on it. She bent to pick up the racket, only to drop it again. "Gomen…" she said to Izumi, who was waiting patiently to serve. She tried putting her racket into position, but it was too heavy, it dragged her hand down. She couldn't even lift it.

"Oiii….!" A voice suddenly called. "Kiimiii-chaaan…!"

'I know that voice.' Her pale eyes darted around, trying to locate the source of the voice, but she couldn't find it. Before long, she found herself looking up, to meet the eyes of someone perched perfectly comfortably on the top of the green wire fence.

"Bunta!" she exclaimed, shielding her eyes from the sun.

Several people at the court turned around to see what was going on. The Rikkaidai volley specialist waved at her. "Are you giving up already?" he asked with a grin. "How can you lose when all your techniques are copied from me?"

"Copied?" she cried in protest. "You taught them to me!"

"I did that because I thought you were going to Rikkaidai!" he pointed out, although the grin was still on his face.

"Hey, get down from there!" Oishi cried. "It's dangerous!" 'How did he get up there in the first place? Surely we would've noticed him climbing the fence…'

"You should listen to him, Bunta." A low voice came from behind the fence.

"Hi Jackal!" Kimiko waved, acknowledging her cousin's doubles partner.

Marui jumped off the fence and into the court, landing as lightly as a cat. "You should be thankful, Kimi-chan," he said. His pants were covered with green flakes from where he sat on the fence; as the paint was so old it was peeling. "I took a bus all the way from Kanagawa just to see you." He brushed the flakes off.

Face to face, it was nearly impossible to tell the two apart. Kimiko was obviously shorter and her eyes slightly bigger in comparison, but besides that it was like looking in a mirror.

"You know, we could switch clothes," he suggested. "And I could win that match for you."

She poked his nose and giggled when he became cross-eyed for a split second. "I doubt you could beat her."

The match in the other court had paused. Sayaka jumped and rumpled her brother's hair. "Now I wonder why we don't look so similar. We're twins."

"Hmm… it is strange for cousins to look so similar," Inui muttered, consulting another one of his notebooks. "Oshitari Yuushi from Hyotei and Oshitari Kenya from Shitenhouji look nothing alike…" He looked up. "Fuji doesn't look like his brother either…"

"Oh, really?" the tensai asked with a smile.

"Ne, Kimi-chan," Bunta put his hand on her head, blowing a turquoise bubble. "Get out there and win this one, okay?"

"Oi… you…" Kaidoh hissed as he approached them. "Rikkaidai-teme, get out of our courts!"

"Hai, hai…" he replied easily. He began walking toward the door, before turning around. "You forgot this, Kimi-chan." He threw a small object over. She caught it, observing it strangely. Abruptly, she let out a laugh. It was a lollipop.

"Strawberry. You remembered." She unwrapped it, admiring the pink color and glad that Chupa Chups were small in shape. She didn't want a huge bulge poking out of her cheek while she was playing.

Marui made his way around the fence so that he could still watch her through the wire, joining his doubles partner.

"Sorry for making you wait." Kimiko said to her senpai as she got back into her position on the court. She shoved the lollipop into her mouth.

Her gaze sharpened.

"The look in her eyes changed…" Ryoma murmured.

"And we still can't figure out why Kimiko plays better with a lollipop in her mouth," Akane wiped the sweat off her neck with a towel. It was hot, and she had just finished a match. "Reina spent a week analyzing the components of a lollipop. Do you know how many sugar syrups are in there? Reina knows them all." She smiled. "The chemistry teacher thought she was mad; Reina entered the lab everyday with about 50 lollipops in her arms."

Izumi served, exactly like she did before. However, this time Kimiko caught up to the ball easily, and hit a fast return ace.

She giggled at the shock that appeared on Izumi's normally expressionless face, as well as on everyone else's features, extracting the lollipop for a moment. "Sorry, but I'm long from being done!"

"It's a psychological boost, I think." Akane continued. "She believes that when she has sugar in her mouth, it'll increase her stamina. It doesn't by much, really."

Izumi hit the ball to Kimiko's left, then to her right, then to her left again. 'You can't keep running forever…'

However, Kimiko's returns were carrying topspin, and Izumi was having a hard time controlling them. She hit a straight shot to the right side, the ball going out by inches. Frustration clawed at her. She breathed, adjusting the grip on her racket. Kimiko's shots were messing up her ball control.

She couldn't make Kimiko run around anymore.

The pink-haired girl grasped her chance, hitting a cross shot to the corner. Izumi had to back up to reach that one; it was hit straight to the baseline. As she retreated, Kimiko used this time to quickly approach the net. When Izumi hit the ball back she returned it with a powerful, two hand backhand.

'It's a powerful shot…' Izumi thought. 'But I can see its path; I know exactly where it's going to land.' She reached that area, interpreting the ball's path correctly.

Suddenly, the ball hit the net…

The speed changed…

…and the ball went in.

"40-love."

"She aimed for the net, didn't she?" Kikumaru asked, his eyes wide.

"Ah," Fuji answered. "And increased the power of her shot so that the cord ball would go in."

"But isn't Pinkie running low on stamina?" he questioned, confused. "How is she playing so well all of a sudden?"

"Notice her play style," Akane spoke up. "She's at the net, so she can minimize the length she has to run to the smallest possible. She's also feinting more often and setting up traps that don't require much stamina…"

Izumi nearly missed a ball that was hit into the net again.

"…and Izumi is falling for all of them…"

Izumi aimed for Kimiko's feet, so she would have to step back and retreat. ' Then I won't let you get to the net…' However, Kimiko twisted her wrist in such a way that she literally scooped up the ball in mini-lob. Izumi had to run forward to get that one. Kimiko hit another cord ball, making Izumi lunge for it. Seeing her chance, Kimiko hit a cross shot to the other side. However, Izumi was back on her feet with surprising speed and managed to hit it back, winning a point.

"40-15."

"Seems the team has a lot of hidden talent, Akane." Tezuka said.

"So you noticed," She smiled and nodded, watching them began another rally. "Normal players would trip and fall after lunging for a cord ball like that," She inclined her head toward the dark haired girl. "But Izumi has an amazing sense of balance.

Just then, Kimiko hit a drop shot. Izumi ran forward, anticipating it. 'I won't get caught again.' There was plenty of time for her to reach it.

The ball bounced on the net and rolled across it.

"Tsunawatari." Bunta and Kimiko said in unison. "Tightrope Walking."

The ball dropped to the ground at the other end of the net, winning her the game.

"Game, Marui. 3 games to 2."

"Nice…" Bunta gave Kimiko a thumbs up from outside the fence. "Looks like you've grown up."

Izumi forced herself to breathe. 'Calm down…' She could feel her heart beating in her ears. 'You still have a lead, calm down.' She knew how to beat Kimiko; she'd done it before. She was still a game ahead. It didn't matter that she had lost her service game, she would still win. The next game would be Kimiko's serve… 'She'll serve and charge for the net. That's her style, serve and volley.' Inhale. 'All I need to do is aim for her feet to break her run…' Exhale. 'It'll be fine.'

'Then why am I feeling so pressured?'

Kimiko proved to have the upper hand in the next game. Although Izumi's shots hit areas near her feet with precision, Kimiko could just use the technique she did the last time: twisting her wrist to hit the ball without pausing in her run for the net. Her returns were weak, as twisting your wrist to hit the ball always lessened the power, but that worked to her advantage. She made sure the returns were just barely going over the net, attempting to make Izumi stumble for them and create opportunities. It worked well, and the score proved it.

"Game, Marui. 3 games all."

"Pinkie's on fire!" Kikumaru enthused, jumping up and down. Then he stopped. "Mou… doesn't that mean Morioka-chan's in trouble?"

Akane watched the dark-haired girl retreat to the baseline. "Actually, I doubt that," she said, and they all turned their eyes to Izumi. "I think she's going to start playing seriously."

"Eh? So she wasn't playing seriously?"

"Perhaps I ought to have reworded that," Akane backtracked. "She was playing seriously, but now Izumi is going to start playing her tennis. Rather than rely on a strategy that she knows, in theory, would win against Kimiko, she's going to play her own style."

"Oh?" Fuji smiled, interested. "Why is she switching tactics all of a sudden?"

Akane 's expression turned solemn. "Remember when I told you that Izumi quit halfway through a match?"

They all nodded, curious and intent.

"Izumi knows she can't let her opponent take the lead. Once she loses the advantage, her tennis pretty much falls apart." Akane closed her eyes. "It's as if she can't take the pressure."

"The match that caused her to quit…" Fuji inquired. "Who was it against?"

Akane opened her cerulean eyes. "Me."

"I see…" Fuji remembered their conversation outside the hospital. ' "It doesn't matter… Akane already hates me… ever since I quit…" '

"I had her down 4-0 when she quit…" Akane said. "One of the reasons I put her against Kimiko in this practice match; I wanted to pressure her. Kimiko's practically unstoppable when she's in this state," She pointed her thumb towards the reddish haired girl. "When she has all her attention directed in the game, nothing short of an earthquake will break her focus." She shifted her gaze back to Izumi. "Izumi needs to learn to overcome pressure, or at least bear with it. The tournaments coming up will be more stressful and pressuring than ever."

The others silently contemplated the information.

"But it's rare to see Izumi resorting to her own style," Akane said, smiling again. "I haven't seen her tennis for a while." She brushed her hair out of her eyes, feeling the wind cool down her sweat drenched forehead. "You guys might want to see this; you're in for a treat."

Prior to the game, Izumi had wound her hair tightly around her head, securing it with a chopstick-like ornament. She now removed the hair ornament and let it fall to the ground. Her black hair tumbled down to her waist; a dark waterfall.

The wind gently blew the strands around her, like black ribbons unraveling.

"Won't that get in the way?" Kachiro asked.

Akane shook her head. "It's another psychological change. Equivalent to…" She paused, glancing outside to the two Rikkaidai players watching the match. "Tennis players removing their lead power wrists… or something similar. Perhaps Izumi feels that she has just let go of her restraints…"

Izumi tossed the ball up, jumped, and served.

'Jumping serve?' Kimiko thought as she ran for it. 'It's so ordinary it seems like a trick.' Her racket made contact with the ball, and it felt as ordinary as it looked. She returned it easily. Suddenly she gasped.

The ball seemed to slow down when it reached Izumi. Kimiko blinked her eyes—twice—perhaps her return wasn't that fast? The ball was flying towards her again, aimed at the left corner. 'Okay, let's try this...'Although she was tired, she put power into her two-handed backhand. It was a fast return, she knew it was fast. This time…

'No…'

The ball seemed to slow again. Izumi calmly returned it—a simple return. 'How is this possible!' Kimiko forced even more power into her next shot.

"Out! 15-love!"

She swiped the sleeve of her T-shirt over her forehead, taking the lollipop out of her mouth. It had shrunk by a great deal. The inside of her cheek has a coat of sugar over it; it felt stiff so she licked at it. The wind blew the short pink strands of her hair. She shivered, feeling the cold chill on her skin.

Something about Izumi's movements was confusing her. Her shots were perfectly ordinary… were they? She couldn't quite place her finger on it, but Izumi seemed to be moving at a slower pace, while still keeping up with the ball. 'That's not possible!' She shook her head to clear herself of her troublesome thoughts.

Izumi served again. 'If I hit shots with topspin,' the pink second year thought, 'she wouldn't be able to control the ball as well… so she can't do whatever she's doing now.' Kimiko swung her arm in a forehand, trying to put a harsh spin on the ball. But Izumi still managed to return it easily. Strange, she thought, as the ball slid by her left leg. Very very strange.

Kimiko decided to focus on her movements rather than the ball for the time being. She could afford to lose a few points if it put her mind at rest. Izumi's movements were… different, somehow.

"30-love!"

Yes, they were different. It wasn't so much the shots she made; it was the way she made them…

"40-love!"

At that moment, she realized something. All the shots she was making...—she hit another powerful one as a final test; yes! It was true!—were coming back devoid of spin and power, no matter how much spin or power she put onto the shot. She glanced up to observe the way she moved once more… her strokes were longer and more elaborate, she ran with longer steps… her movements were almost graceful

"Is she…" Kikumaru's eyes bulged out of their sockets. "…dancing…?"

"Yes."

He let out an impressed whistle.

Fuji felt Akane's words echo in his head. ' "[Chiharu]'s downright clumsy, but except for maybe Morioka Izumi, you'll never find a more graceful person on the courts…"'

Akane smiled. "You see how she moves her arms?" They all watched Izumi make a stroke at the ball, her arm curving, swinging the racket in a circle. "She uses her entire arm and the movements of it to absorb the power of the ball, so there is no reflex power coming from her racket, nor strain on her wrist. Her technique completely neutralizes what power or spin is on the ball."

Ryoma watched. "Even her steps seem to be on a beat." he noted. He turned his eyes to Kimiko for a second. Comprehension dawned on him. "I see…"

"See what, Ochibi?" Kikumaru grasped a hold of him again.

"Look at her steps."

Fuji had his eyes open, concentrating on Izumi's footwork. The ball left her racket. 'One, two, three, four, five,'the ball came back, 'six,' the ball bounced, 'Seven,' She ran forward, 'Eight.' "Now I realize…" he said with a smile, his eyes closing. "That truly is amazing."

"Fuji, not you too!" Kikumaru whined. "Can someone tell me what's going on?"

"Count the beats," Akane told him. She began snapping her fingers in a rhythm. "One two three four five six seven eight."

"The ball's always bouncing on the sixth beat!" Kikumaru cried, finally understanding. "And she's always hitting it on the eighth beat!" Then he pointed to Kimiko. "She's doing it too! She's always hitting the ball on the fourth beat! Why doesn't she ruin the rhythm so Morioka-chan can't use it anymore?"

"She can't," Akane said. "If she hits the ball early, it'll hit the net, if she hits it late, it'll go out. Izumi is a counter puncher, and now she's waiting for Kimiko to make an error.

"Unlike Kamio from Fudomine, who increases his rhythm so his opponents can't keep up," Tezuka said. "Morioka forces them into her rhythm."

Kimiko's next shot hit the net, and Izumi took the game.

"Game, Morioka, 4 games to 3."

"Don't mind, Kimi-chan!" Marui Bunta beckoned to her. When she walked over, he poked her nose through the fence. "You'll get her in the next game."

"I don't think I can do this! She's forcing me to make exact shots at exact movements; she's not predicting my next move, she's making it for me! How am I supposed to—" Her word rush was abruptly cut to a halt when her cousin put a finger to her lips.

"Hey, don't worry," He grinned. "It's your serve next, remember?"

Kimiko looked at him blankly for a moment. A smile then slowly formed on her face. "Yeah," she said. "It is."

"Once you're at the net, no one can beat you and you know it," he said confidently, blowing a bubble. Kimiko tried to pop it with her finger, but her cousin pulled away just in time and popped it in his mouth. "Except me, of course." He winked. "Go get her, Kimi-chan."

"Thanks." Kimiko walked to the baseline of her court, picking up a tennis ball and bouncing it on her racket a few times. She squeezed the ball and tossed it in the air. After her racket made contact, she rushed for the net.

Izumi replayed a tune in her head, moving to it naturally. She could almost hear the music playing. Her steps were perfectly on beat as she hit the ball.

Kimiko's return was again forced into the rhythm.

The rally could've become a percussion accompanist for a 4/4 piece of music; it was that precise in its rhythm.

As Izumi hit the ball again, Kimiko winked at her. "That style won't work against me anymore!" She brought her racket forward in a drop shot. 'If I hit a cord ball, the ball will slow down, and the rhythm will be broken!' She hit the ball and watched its path.

It bounced on the net.

'I got it!'

Suddenly, Izumi appeared out of nowhere. The ball was slammed into the ground behind Kimiko.

"0-15."

"Ne, wasn't that a cord ball?" Katsuo asked. "Didn't it break the rhythm?"

Fuji shook his head. "Morioka seems to have controlled the power and spin of the ball in her returns, so even the cord ball was on beat. The ball bounced on the net at exactly half a count. One, two, three-da-four."

"Then why doesn't Marui-senpai hit Tsunawatari?" Kachiro asked. "Wouldn't that work?"

"In a way of techniques, Izumi is much like Tezuka," Akane said, glancing at the stoic captain. "Almost like the Tezuka Zone, Izumi controls the spin and power on the ball so that it is always on the rhythm. Tsunawatari would probably end up taking exactly two counts, before falling off the net on the third because of the spin Izumi put on it."

"Morioka-senpai's zone?" Horio echoed. "Morioka Zone…?"

Akane laughed. "Why not? We never bothered to name it."

"Ah!" Kachiro suddenly cried, pointing. They all watched Kimiko bring her racket into another drop shot. "There she goes! Tsunawatari!"

Just as Akane predicted, the ball rolled across the net for exactly two counts before falling. Kimiko immediately ran back after interpreting a cross shot. 'Damn it,' she thought as she struck the ball. 'I need to put on a stronger spin. All I need to do is make the ball stay on the net for half a second longer. Half a second is enough to break the rhythm!'

She put even more spin on her next drop shot, but everything was still on beat. 'Damn it, damn it, DAMN IT!' In frustration, she placed both hands on her racket and hit a forehand slice.

'Hold on… the impact felt weird…'

The ball hit the net, the spin so powerful you could hear it brushing against the net.

Izumi relaxed, as she had won this point.

All of a sudden, the ball began to travel up. All of them gaped silently at it. The spin was so great that the ball rolled itself vertically up the net. It teetered dangerously, threatening to fall on either side.

And then it fell.

"15-all!"

The court was silent. All onlookers were awestruck. Even Kimiko was shocked at what just happened. Then, gradually, whispers filled the court.

"Did you see that shot?"

"How did she do that?"

"It broke Morioka's rhythm!"

"Of course it did, it rolled up the net!"

Jackal turned to his doubles partner. "You didn't teach her that shot, did you?"

Bunta clutched at the green wire fence, a grin on his face. "Nope. She figured that one out herself." He chuckled. "Heh. Kimi-chan, you have really grown up."

"Izumi-senpai!" Kimiko called, vaguely out of breath. She grinned, holding out a victory sign. "Am I not a genius?"

—X—

Maybe it was shock at seeing a near impossible shot being performed, or perhaps it was disbelief that her rhythm had been disrupted, but Izumi lost three consecutive points, allowing Kimiko to take the game and tie the score at 4. She made several unforced errors in the next game, however, she seemed to get a grip on herself, and reinstate her rhythm, or, as Horio named it, "Morioka Zone", and turn the tables on the game, winning it after reaching a deuce.

"Game, Morioka. 5 games to 4."

Ryoma twisted his cap to the back of his head, then back again. "Seems that shot was a one-off…"

Akane nodded in silent agreement. Kimiko had tried to hit that amazing forehand slice, but she couldn't achieve the effect it had the first time. She had now stopped trying to use that shot. Smart of her to realize that she couldn't rely on a lucky shot as her strategy. However, Tezuka felt that it was a bit of a pity that both Inui and Reina were watching the other game. No one else would be able to construct a menu to teach her how to master that shot for future use. He made a mental note to separate the two data specialists in the future.

"But Kimiko's still working through a way to ruin the rhythm. She has a plan," Akane said, smiling. "I can tell… When Kimiko gets that look in her eyes, it means she'll break the seal, no matter what it is." They all looked at the short second year. Her lavender eyes were sparkling.

"She really loves tennis…" Fuji murmured.

Unexpectedly, Izumi's shot hit the net, leaving her dumbstruck.

"0-15!"

"Ne, did Morioka-senpai just miss?" Katsuo asked.

Akane was frowning. "That's not right. Izumi has ball control that rivals Reina's. She'll occasionally hit the ball out of bounds, but to hit the net on an easy shot like that is just… not like her."

"Besides, isn't it still in her rhythm zone?" Kikumaru pointed out.

"Maybe… that's why…" Ryoma murmured.

"Eh? What do you mean, Ryoma-kun?"

He didn't answer and concentrated his eyes on the game.

Pok. The ball hit the net again. Izumi looked at her racket strangely.

"0-30!"

Ryoma's eyes narrowed. "It's a twist kite."

"What?"

"I understand," Akane suddenly said. "Kimiko's been hitting twist kites so that Izumi is missing the beat by a fraction of a second."

"Twist… kite?" Kachiro enunciated. "As in… Ryoma-kun's Twist Serve?"

"Ah," Fuji said, his train of thought following theirs. "When the ball is flying towards your face, you can't help but move out of the way a little. It's human instinct, and it's being used against her here."

'Looks like she learned a thing or two from Suzume…' Akane thought with a smile. "When Izumi moves out of the way, she misses the beat by a bit. She's now trapped in her own rhythm. And there's another one of her weaknesses," The clouds blocked out the sun for a moment. "Izumi concentrates too much on her own play; she doesn't pay enough attention to what her opponent is doing." Akane looked up at the sky, noticing the dark clouds that mysteriously appeared out of nowhere. "Oh, are we in for some rain? This wasn't in the weather broadcast…"

"But Marui's counter-technique comes with a price." Tezuka said.

"Yes," Akane closed her eyes for a brief second. "She should be at her limit now. There's no way she can keep putting twist kites on those balls after chasing them halfway down the court. Her stamina is pretty much done."

"Game, Marui. 5 games all!"

Izumi tightened her grasp on her racket. She had to bring the advantage back to her side, or it would become likely that she would lose the match. 'I didn't think I'd have to use this in a practice match, but here goes. I haven't used this in a while…'

Kimiko hit a twist serve, intent on breaking the rhythm before it even began. Izumi returned it without attempting to control the spin. The rally went on until Kimiko put a topspin on a ball that she aimed to the baseline.

Izumi saw her chance.

She caught up with the ball. Suddenly, she spun a 360 degrees turn on one foot, her hair swooshing around her. The momentum gathered from the twirl added even more spin onto the ball. Kimiko ran for it, but as she swung her racket, she missed the ball completely. The shot dropped to the ground quickly and had a very low bounce, almost as tiny as one would expect from a drop shot.

For a second time that day the court was completely silent.

After the onlookers got over the initial shock, the voices began. Gradually, murmurs filled the crowd once more.

"Whoa… sugoi…"

"That shot was nearly as awesome as Marui's."

"Hell, I knew Morioka could dance, but to put that in tennis…"

Fuji chuckled. "Izumi… You just can't stop dancing."

"Haven't seen that one in a while. That's Izumi's signature move," Akane said approvingly. "'Whirlpool'."

"Whirl…Pool?" The freshman sounded out the name in unison.

"She spins her body to put more topspin on the ball so that it drops quickly and has a low bounce." she explained. "It's also a jazz step similar to a pirouette."

"Hmm…" Kikumaru reflected on the rally before, remembering where Izumi had lunged for the drop shot. But instead of falling, she crossed her legs and rebounded in the opposite way. "Now I know why she has an amazing sense of balance. It's from dancing!"

"If Chiharu's our 'Miracle', then that makes Izumi…" She smiled. "Dancer."

"Ah, there it goes again!" Kachiro cried. "Whirlpool!"

—X—

Soon afterwards, the ball slid by Kimiko's leg. It was an easy shot to return, but she couldn't lift her arm. Her racket fell to the ground.

"Game and Match, Morioka, 7 games to 5."

Bunta smiled. "Great job, Kimiko."

To say Kimiko dragged herself to the net to shake hands would be an understatement. Her shoulders were slouched; even keeping a straight posture was too tiring. This made her seem shorter than ever. She wasn't even aware that she finished her lollipop until the stick dropped to the ground from her mouth, no candy left on it. She forced her last bit of strength into lifting her hand in order to shake Izumi's.

"It was a good game…" Izumi said quietly.

Kimiko barely had enough energy for a nod. Her legs suddenly buckled under her weight.

"Kimiko-san!" Izumi caught her under the arms, supporting her weight. Akane ran on to the court and helped Izumi carry Kimiko on a bench where she could rest. 'It's exactly like last time.'

"Ano… Izumi-senpai…" Kimiko said, her eyes cast on the ground.

"Yes?" Izumi leaned in closer.

"I'm sorry… but could you leave me alone for a while?"

The black haired girl took a step back, feeling slightly stung. Her lips parted a little in shock. She dipped her head and closed her lips, walking back to the court without saying another word.

"Great game, Morioka-chan!" Kikumaru bounced over, handing her a towel. "Congratulations on winning!"

Izumi took the towel and rubbed at the sides of her cheek and her chin, where sweat was dripping down. She didn't smile, nor did she acknowledge her victory. It was as if she had lost. Her voice was bitter when the only words she uttered were, "Great. Now another person hates me."

"Izumi-san…" Fuji said. "Marui-san wouldn't hate you for winning her in a game. Someone always has to win in a game." 'She really does think that everything is more severe than it actually is…' He placed his hand lightly on her shoulder. She flinched at the contact. He removed his hand instantly, frowning slightly; had he perhaps overstepped the line?

"He's right," Akane appeared next to her once more. "Give Kimiko a bit of time. She'll be fine by tomorrow; all cheery and smiley and making little poses at you." She turned and grasped Izumi by the shoulders, like she did when Izumi first returned to the team. "Izumi, that game was amazing. I'm proud of you, and honestly happy to have you back on the team."

"…thank you…" How does one reply to something like that? Izumi avoided eye contact.

"Hoi! Here!" Kikumaru was holding something shiny in the air. She blinked and recognized it as her hair ornament. It was shaped as a tree branch, with jewels dangling off the ends to represent flowers.

"Arigato, Eiji." She took it back from him, her fingers brushing against his.

"Hmm… I think I like your hair down better…" Kikumaru said after scrutinizing her. "It suits you more. Don't you think so, Fujiko?"

Fuji smiled his trademark smile. "Yes, I do."

'Okay, I am going to put my hair up right now.'

Izumi put the long ornament between her lips as she wound her hair in a knot behind her head, ignoring Kikumaru's protests—"but you look so nice with your hair down!"—"Akane, could you help me put it in the knot?" she asked, holding up her hair with one hand and handing her the ornament with the other. It was a fairly Japanese hair style; a 'chopstick' through a knot, with the excess hair hanging down - almost like a messy bun, though it was a bit troublesome to do on one's own. She always had to get up early if she wanted to wear her hair this way.

"Umm… I don't really have much experience with this kind of thing," Akane admitted. "Ponytails are the extent of my knowledge with hair styling."

"I'll do it!" Kikumaru took the ornament from her before she could object, examining the knot that she had made. "Umm… let's see… I remember my sister made me help her once… I think it was like this…" He pushed the ornament in her hair and fished around until he found an exit in the tangle of her hair. "There!"

Izumi removed her hands from holding her hair up, and her hair fell down again, the ornament clattering on the ground. She picked it up and rewound her hair into the knot.

"Ah, gomen," Kikumaru said sheepishly. "I guess I'm a bit out of practice."

"Maybe I could help?"

Izumi stiffened after hearing the voice. Could she refuse him? God help her, she handed him the ornament.

She felt his fingers smooth the strands of the knot down, and his warm breath on her neck. A shiver ran down her spine. She prayed he wouldn't notice.

Fuji gently placed the ornament in her hair, taking care not to even brush her skin with his; he did notice that she shivered slightly. He wondered why she seemed to fear physical contact. No, he she didn't fear contact—she had let Oishi help her stretch, right? Why did it seem to be him that she feared? "There." he said when he had finished.

Izumi let go of her hair and looked at him in surprise when it didn't tumble down. She didn't even feel him put the ornament in. Her fingers went around her hair where the ornament was; it was firmly tucked in. 'How did he put it in so… gently?' "…t-thank you…"

He opened his eyes, but before he could meet his eyes to hers, she averted her gaze. She couldn't bring herself to look into those eyes, not now, not now… They were too blue, too pure, too dangerous to look at, yet she almost wanted to see them, to fall into them, to be lost within their blue pigment, and that's what scared her more than everything.

"Hey, you guys…" Akane said. "Don't you think we should relocate?" She pointed to Court D. "I've been wondering why that match is so popular."

They all turned to see. Sayaka and Suzume's match was still ongoing, and it looked like it was an even harsher and exciting one than the one they just observed. Most of the regulars were there, not only because Sayaka was Momoshiro's twin, but also because Akane had called Suzume their 'Junior Ace'. And all the regulars had witnessed some intense rivalry between the two girls, which added to the excitement.

"Mou…" Kikumaru said, looking up at the sky. "I really hope it doesn't rain…"

"That's an unlikely wish." Akane replied wryly. The sky was darkening with the clouds that had gathered, and the wind had picked up.

"There's a storm out there that we shouldn't miss." Izumi murmured cryptically. Kikumaru, Ryoma and the freshman trio looked at her perplexedly, but Akane and Fuji understood her meaning and smiled.

"Right," Akane said. "Sayaka and Suzume: Two completely different styles, clashing it out on a tennis court."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

End Chapter Seven

A/N: I don't want readers to skim the chapter if it's too long, because I try to put in a bit of foreshadowing in several actions/dialogues. So READ all of it.

Next up is Sayaka and Suzume! Working on a title at the moment…

Questions? Comments? Criticism? Flames? (X on the last one) REVIEW!