Disclaimer: Don't own.

This is a very special update for me! Why? Because today is my birthday!

This chapter is dedicated to the following individuals:

To Vivien and thesadisttensaifuji for discussing my story with me and helping me with plot ideas.

To Lilyice, Shadowed-Shikyo and cityangelz for their undying loyalty and comprehensive (and very punctual) reviews. I can't say how much I look forward to your feedback.

To SnowCharms and LadyLadington for sticking by me since the beginning (three years, baby, three YEARS), and faithfully reviewing every chapter. (I'm sure there are more loyal readers. You'll make my hotlist next time.)

To AznMistress, who came up with the idea for the sport. You are my muse, dearie.

To yumcha-girl and animelover704, who always make me laugh with their reviews.

To ChocyPockyStick, who really needs to get an account because they have some amazing ideas. Believe it or not, I often use what you write in your reviews as inspiration.

To Monkeyheart for always being the awesome, enthusiastic, yet anonymous encouragement I need.

To all those other reviewers that I did not mention. I read and appreciate every single one of your reviews.

ANYWAYS ON WITH THE CHAPTER.

Last chapter. Izumi lost her match because of poor concentration (partially caused by Mizuki) but Reina won hers, revealing her "chess" tennis.

To Catch A Falling Star, Chapter Twenty Three: Prince of Archery.

~X~

Yes, Paradise is very nice,
It's here between the row
Of targets and the shooting line
And archers in the bow.

~X~

"So, how is the mixed doubles thing working anyways, if there are only two matches per school?" Sayaka asked her brother as they were on their way to morning practice. The weather was in their favor. It was one of those winter days where it was perfectly sunny, and yet the wind bit into their skin with its chill. Perfect for sports; you could work up a sweat but not be unbearably hot and uncomfortable. "I mean," she continued as they passed some classmates from school, "we won both against Mizunohuchi, Koshikawa, and the other schools. But we won one match and lost the other when we played Fudomine."

"We win one point for every match we win. And the school with the most points in the end wins." Momoshiro explained, walking his bike. "Didn't you see the rulebook?"

Sayaka grinned sheepishly. "You know me and reading… I get bored. But hey," she paused thoughtfully. "I haven't thought about that. It means Fudomine might actually beat us if they win all their mixed doubles matches. What happens if we tie in points?"

"Hmm… I think then they add up the game count and see which school took more games from their opponents."

"Damn," Sayaka swore. They didn't do very well against the Fudomine team. The Momoshiro twins had managed to steal a win from Sakiko and Ishida at 7 games to 5, but Tachibana and his sister destroyed the Seigaku Fuji-Watanabe pair at 6-2. If they tied with Fudomine in terms of points, the game count definitely did not work to their advantage.

"Momo!" A voice called from ahead of them.

"Ah, Eiji-senpai! Morning!" Momoshiro called in return.

"Hurry up!" the redhead yelled at both of them, jumping up and down. "Inui just got the results of the tournament. You aren't going to believe who we're playing in the finals…"

~X~

"YAMABUKI?"

All of the guys yelled at the same time.

Momoshiro shook his head in disbelief. "What the hell happened to Fudomine?" With all the stronger schools eliminated in the earlier rounds, the public school was a clear favorite for finals.

"With Akutsu gone, they shouldn't have won…" Kawamura said in shock.

"Yamabuki's doubles are as strong as ever," Inui explained, standing next to the tournament chart with a pointer. He looked very much like a professor. "They took Fudomine in the first three matches."

"No way…" the freshmen trio breathed, pausing in the midst of their ball-fetching duties.

"You would've wanted to be there, Tezuka," Inui said, turning to the captain. "Sengoku vs. Tachibana in singles 3…"

"Wait," Oishi interrupted. "You're not telling us that Sengoku beat Tachibana…?"

His long silence confirmed it.

Fuji's eyes opened in alarm. "Tachibana is nationally ranked…"

"And Sengoku will be, if he keeps playing like he did," Inui said.

"Im-impossible…" Kaidoh stammered, incredulous. They all knew how strong Tachibana was. He was a legend in the high school tennis world.

"If you must know," Inui said, deliberately carrying a casual tone. He seemed to enjoy the fact that he had a lot more information on the situation than everyone else. "Tachibana was not playing very well. I suspect he was ill or injured. At the same time, Sengoku played better than he ever has."

"He would," Momoshiro said, almost irritably. "Lucky Sengoku."

"So what's the Yamabuki girl's team like?" Sayaka asked, a little apprehensively.

Akane fixed her eyes on all of the girls, her expression grave. "That's the bad news. We're not playing Yamabuki. Their girl team got eliminated in the second round."

"Oh," Sayaka said, looking a little put out. "Well that's fine. Who are we playing, then?"

Akane's mouth settled into a grim line. "Hyotei."

~X~

"Hyotei?"

"Yup."

"The school that Inoue-san said was really strong?" Sakuno asked timidly.

"Does it matter which school we're playing?" Suzume countered indifferently. "I mean, we'll crush them as it is."

"Don't be arrogant, Kimura." Akane bit out.

Suzume's eyes met hers. Akane was obviously not in a good mood if she was using Suzume's last name before practice had even started. "Why the short fuse, buchou?"

"You have no idea what you're up against. Hyotei had to beat Fudomine to get into the finals to play us. And their game count was 6-0," Akane looked at their astonished faces sternly. "For every game."

Suzume's eye widened fractionally. "Did Saki-sen—"

"Matsuyama played singles 3. She didn't get a single point."

The girls had lost their urges to speak. Sakiko was someone who could flatten Suzume in a match, and the fact that she didn't even get a single point… There was a long, uncomfortable silence.

"I don't mean to scare you," Akane continued.

"Really?" Sayaka said weakly. "Because you're certainly succeeding."

"But—" She shot Sayaka a look. "I want you to know that we are completely unprepared. So later today, when Suzume, Chiharu, Tezuka and Taka-san go off for their mixed doubles matches, I want the rest of you to remain here and continue training. We can't afford to lose any more practice time. This weekend, we are going to train our asses off."

"Actually, about the mixed doubles…" Suzume said. "I know I said I wanted to crush those St. Rudolph bitches too. But after what happened yesterday…" She stopped, glancing at the girl beside her. "I think vengeance belongs to Izumi-senpai, don't you?"

Akane hesitated. 'We were lucky she came to practice today,' she thought to herself. 'I don't want to put her in another game for a while, much less in another one with St. Rudolph…' "I don't think Izumi wants to play against Mizu—"

"No," Izumi suddenly spoke up, quietly but firmly. "I-I want to play."

To say Akane was shell-shocked was an understatement. Izumi had all but quit yesterday. She'd let her game fall apart after one single comment. Akane had heard from Reina that in the end she had nearly stopped trying. Akane recognized the behavior; it was how Izumi would react in all their practice games when she was being pressured. Her game would crumble. And yet, now she was on her feet, asking for another chance. This wasn't like the Izumi she knew.

"Are you sure? Bec-"

"I want to play," she repeated.

The ginger headed captain met her gaze saw the first hint of determination flash through her eyes. It wasn't a fire, it wasn't a flame, but there was a flicker of something in those dark eyes. Something inside Izumi had started to burn. And Akane smiled, her eyes softening. "You got it. Don't let us down." She glanced towards Kawamura. "Now, you'll need a partner, so if Taka—"

"I'll do it."

All of them whirled around to face the tensai who'd spoken.

Fuji merely smiled enigmatically. "Besides, I have to get my own revenge."

"Fuji-senpai has gotten his revenge a thousand times over…" Ryoma muttered.

Oishi looked back and forth between Izumi and Fuji. Izumi looked less than thrilled that he'd offered. "Umm… well Morioka-san partners well with Taka-san, so…"

"Let them do it," Coach Ryuzaki suddenly ordered. "You've got the whole morning to figure out your partnership." She shook her head, fingers rubbing her temple. They'd spent far too much time on this already, and the other regulars needed to start their training. Besides, did they think she was blind? Even she could tell that there was some sort of tension between Fuji and Izumi. That kind of thing was not good for the team dynamic. She wanted it resolved as quickly as possible, and what better way to do that then have them partner up against a common enemy? It certainly worked for Momoshiro and Kaidoh.

Fuji turned towards her, all smiles. "Shall we?" he asked gallantly, gesturing towards the empty courts that Tezuka and Chiharu had walked to.

Izumi silently followed him, clutching her racket in her hand. 'Perfect,' she thought to herself wryly. 'Just perfect.'

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"That was a pretty dangerous gamble, Akane-san," Oishi called to her as he was hitting a tennis ball towards her. He pinpointed it to the baseline.

Akane sprinted after it and hit it straight into the basket she was supposed to be aiming for. Perfect shot. "Well, hopefully it pays off. At least we gave them the morning to practice."

"I don't think one morning isn't enough to work out a doubles combination..."

"Ryuzaki-sensei used to put you guys in random doubles on court and have you work out your combinations on the spot." she retorted.

That was true. Momoshiro and Kaidoh had been forced into a game as a pair with no prior knowledge that they would be partners. Then again, that was probably because they would've refused to partner up with each other. Oishi smiled.

Akane finished with a smash into the basket, panting lightly. "Great," he called. "Marui-san, you're up next!"

Akane took the towel that Inui offered to her and rubbed it along her neck. She noticed that Inui was going over something in his notebook, looking extremely serious. Serious and worried. "What's up?"

"I'm going over the Hyotei girl regulars," Inui replied without looking up. "There's Gamaro…"

"That's the super tall one, right?" Akane asked, sipping from her water bottle.

Inui nodded grimly. "184 cm. My height.

"She's going to have a heck of a reach, that's for sure," Akane said. "Who else?"

"Fuma..."

"Is she the really smart one?"

"Apparently," He shuddered slightly. "She could compete with Reina-san in terms of analytical skills."

"Speaking of which… where is Reina?" Akane whipped her head around, looking. "Shouldn't she be going over this with you?" Her eyes scanned the area and found the black-haired girl. Reina appeared to be adjusting Sayaka's form. "What is she doing?" Reina jumped slightly and landed on one foot. And then she had Sayaka perform the same move.

"Fixing Sayaka's landing problem." he replied. "Sayaka has a recoil bounce when she lands. It leaves her vulnerable. If the opponents catch onto that, they could volley the ball back during her landing."

Akane watched as Reina moved Sayaka's arm outwards, showing her how to use it for balance. She looked very much like a choreographer. The ginger haired captain turned back to Inui. "So, who's Singles one?"

Inui flipped the page. "Shigohara."

Akane froze. "I've heard that name before."

"She's won many individual tournaments. She used to play in France. I bet she jumped at the chance to lead a team to victory when a girl team tournament was announced." Inui explained. "She's the one that took out Matsuyama from Fudomine."

Akane ran hand through her fluffy hair, taking a moment to think. "Didn't she play singles three in that match? What makes you think she's the strongest?"

"I… did more research," Inui said furtively, in a tone that sent shivers down her spine. And not in a good way.

She decided not to ask. "We're going to have to make Chiharu play all out from the start if we want to win."

Inui nodded, but murmured in an almost eerie manner, "That is, if we even make it to singles one."

Akane shook her head at him warningly, but he had already turned away. He flicked a few pages back, checking something. "By the way, Akane, how would you rank the girl members?"

"Rank?" Akane repeated thoughtfully. She brought a finger to her chin. "Well, Chiharu would be number one. Reina, me and Suzume are locked in some kind of weird rock-paper-scissors triangle."

"But…?" Inui pressed.

"But Reina would rank number two. Followed by Suzume."

"And you?" he guessed.

Akane merely shrugged, looking around the court at everyone practicing. Aiko was swinging her racket nearby. Sayaka was experimentally working on her landing. Izumi was engaged in a practice match. Kimiko and Sakuno were doing drills with Oishi. "Maybe for now. But I think we've got a strong lineup. Any one of them could surpass me."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Izumi chased the ball down the court, taking long, graceful steps. It bounced on the ground, following the correct beat. Bringing her arm forward, she swung it and aimed for the far left of the court.

Tezuka intercepted it easily, pushing it back. It came towards her again.

She caught up and waited for the bounce. It happened a split-second late.

Izumi frowned at the broken rhythm. She swung again, her racket connecting with the ball. She could feel the tremendous spin that Tezuka had put on the ball. It shook her to her very core. 'He's trying to use Tezuka Zone…' If she wanted to keep using her 'rhythm' tactic, she needed to be able to control the spin. At the same time, Tezuka needed to control it too, in order to keep it curving back towards him. It was a battle over control. She smiled slightly. 'Tug of war.'

Her arm was quivering under the pressure of the spin. She gritted her teeth and tried to twist her arm around, so she could change the spin, or neutralize it, or do something. All of a sudden, the strength of the spin broke her grip, and her racket clattered onto the ground.

She looked down at her hands. They were shaking with effort. Tezuka's zone felt like a solid wall. Unbreakable. No wonder he was Seigaku's pillar. When their two zones clashed onto the court, it was clear which one was stronger.

"I... can't do it…" she said quietly. "Tezuka-san's spins are too strong."

Fuji smiled. "As expected of Tezuka."

This time, Fuji went for the return shot. Tezuka and Chiharu both seemed to favor their left side, despite Chiharu being a righty. He aimed to Tezuka's right in a sharp forehand.

Suddenly he stopped.

The ball was curving. 'Tezuka zone again? No…' No, it was curving towards Chiharu. Fuji felt his eyes widen. 'Impossible… There's no way Chiharu could use Tezuka zone…' However, the scene before him suggested otherwise. Like she was the vortex of a whirlpool, the ball landed perfectly in front of her. If it wasn't for the surprise etched on her features, Fuji might've believed that it was Chiharu using the zone. 'No way… Unless…' Fuji realized. 'Unless Tezuka can freely move the center of his zone…'

Chiharu hit the ball back, scoring a point in the empty court. She turned to Tezuka, amber eyes wide. "You… used me as the center of your zone?"

Tezuka seemed to give her the tiniest of nods before looking back at their opposition. "Let's continue."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Chiharu didn't know what to say.

'He used me as the center of his zone…'

'He trusts me…' she told herself, feeling warmth creeping in her cheeks. 'He's relying on me.' Her grip on the racket tightened. 'I won't let him down.' She narrowed her eyes, focusing on the movements of the ball. He didn't give her any indication about when he was going to center the zone on her. It meant he trusted her to figure it out by reading the ball's movements.

'He expects a lot out of me…'

And he was one of the few people that Chiharu hated to disappoint.

The thing about Tezuka centering his zone on her was that the minute he did it, the zone was technically broken. The ball landed at her feet, and she hit it back, but the next return would neither curve towards her nor towards Tezuka, because she didn't know how to use the zone. The minute Fuji discovered this, he began volleying Chiharu's shots back. They hit the empty areas on the court like gunfire.

Although they weren't keeping score, Chiharu could feel the momentum shifting back towards the other pair. And she wouldn't let that happen. She hadn't lost a match yet, (official or unofficial, due to the fact that the tournament wasn't established until this year), and she liked how clean her record was. Tezuka, needless to say, was practically invincible, and she would not be the one to bring him down. So, there was only one thing to do.

Chiharu closed her eyes.

She could feel it. The minute she knew where the ball was, she sped off after it like a cat. Her racket slammed against the green ball and it smashed itself into the corner of the court.

She opened her eyes and looked at him. He gave her another tiny nod of approval, as if to say, "Good one."

She responded with a smile. 'Thank you.'

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Fuji knew that the pair surpassed them in both skill and technique. Izumi lost the battle of spin control to Tezuka, and he was no match for Chiharu's instincts. There was one place to turn—combination. A thought occurred to him.

"Izumi-san, do you remember Albinoni's Sonata?"

Izumi inclined her head, puzzled. Of course she did. It was the song she'd played in her head during her last match. "Yes…" she replied uncertainly. "Why?"

"Nothing…" Fuji smiled secretively, getting back in position. He began humming the beginning softly, letting the wind carry the melody to her ears.

Izumi soon found the tune catching in her mind. As they began the next rally, her feet began favoring the stronger beat. She could feel Fuji stepping in time with her.

'Just like a silent waltz.'

Their footsteps were merging together. When the music reached a crescendo, they both increased their speed. Chiharu went for a lob and Izumi let Fuji take it, smashing it into the left alley.

Chiharu opened her eyes in shock. Since when did they become so… in sync? Their footwork was perfectly simultaneous, melting together until she couldn't tell that there were two people opposite her. She couldn't play with her eyes closed anymore, or else she might completely misinterpret their formation. It's like they were one person.

Chiharu and Tezuka lost the next few points based on errors. Fuji and Izumi had suddenly produced a smooth formation, concealing all their weaknesses. Their unity was mystifying. No words, no signals, just pure… harmony.

Chiharu was always known for being perceptive. She knew that there was some unresolved tension between the two. She could feel it in the air. But now it was rapidly disappearing, fading into nothingness as this overpowering duet took over.

Their mysterious harmony suddenly broke as Fuji sped up while Izumi's speed remained the same. The small lapse in the formation felt like a sour note amidst a symphony. Tezuka saw his chance and put a shot in between the two, far from both of them.

Instead of looking where the ball had landed, Izumi turned to her partner. "Wait, isn't it…" She hesitated. And then she self-consciously tried to hum the melody of the song. Izumi was never known for her singing.

"No, it goes into the bridge before that part."

"Ah, I see…" Her eyes cleared up as she figured out the segment he was talking about. "Sorry…"

"Heh, don't worry about it…"

And the waltz continued as they glided across the court, following a melody only they could hear.

Coach Ryuzaki smiled at the two pairs. Somehow, by assembling these two, they had killed two birds with one stone. Both produced great combinations.

Needless to say, St. Rudolph did not know what hit them that afternoon.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Akane-buchou…"

The turquoise-eyed captain looked up from knotting her shoe. The locker room was empty. "What is it, Aiko?"

She faltered. "I couldn't help overhearing earlier… When you were talking about the rank of the girls…"

"Oh, really?" Akane shrugged it off, but inside she was taken aback that Aiko could understand so much. This girl was secretly overcoming the language barrier. "Well, we're having a ranking tournament soon so if you feel that you need to prove yourself—"

"It's not that," she insisted. "It's just…" She stopped, as if wondering if she should continue.

"Just…" Akane prodded.

"I don't see how Chiharu is ranked number one!" she finally burst out in slightly jumbled Japanese. "Even though I lost to her, I… I don't think she's that strong. I even took three games away from her." Once she started speaking, a torrent was unleashed. All that bottled up frustration, of not making it into singles, of not understanding them, of being afraid to speak, of being left out and of feeling like she was progressing so slowly...

"Reina does strategy play, you toy with people's emotions, and that Suzume girl is all about destroying them with pure aggression. But she's… using some weird phenomenon to climb the ranks?" She broke off. "It—it just doesn't seem right."

Her fists were clenched. It wasn't resentment, it wasn't a grudge, it was just… It wasn't even about Chiharu. It was about her. Aiko didn't realize this until now, but overhearing their conversation had hurt her more deeply than she thought. Because she wasn't even acknowledged as a strong player, but that girl… that girl used some sort of ability without needing to work for it to get to number one. For Aiko, who worked for every last skill she had, it was like a spit in the face.

Akane surveyed her for a moment.

So this is what it takes to get a foreign girl to speak.

"I don't mean to disrespect—"

"No, I understand," Akane said. "Hey," She picked up her bag and headed towards the door. "Come with me. I want to show you something."

Aiko watched dumbly as Akane walked away. The ginger headed captain stopped, looking back at her expectantly, and she followed. She followed her onto the subway and to a district of Tokyo that she hadn't visited before. The sun had already set, and she put her hands in her pockets to protect them from the cold. She hoped it wasn't much farther. Her nose was getting frozen.

They walked to the outside of a local gym. "Do you see that?" Akane asked, pointing.

When Aiko saw where she was pointing, she felt her lips part in shock.

The bright light was against her, but Aiko could see a petite figure relentlessly hitting balls that came out of the two machines. The light highlighted her graceful form and made those unmistakable ash-blue curls shine silvery gray. Aiko held a hand over her eyes, letting them adjust to the sharp light. When she saw what Chiharu was doing, her mouth dropped open again.

Chiharu was blindfolded.

She was battling two machines blindfolded.

Two balls came flying out of the machines simultaneously. In a flash, she swung left, then right, both of them hitting the wife fence with a harsh rattle.

"So fast…" Aiko whispered.

There was a bruise on her arm and scratches on her legs. She might've gotten the scratches today but the bruise was old. 'Does she come here every day?'

Chiharu was panting hard. Without warning, another two balls were fired out of the machine in different paths, one of them heading straight for her. Aiko almost cried out to her.

Underneath the blindfold, her eyes locked onto the balls. Her arms became a blur. BAM. BAM. Two balls hit the fence and came rolling to a stop right in front of them.

"You didn't think that you were the only one to put in extra effort, did you?" Akane asked with a knowing smile.

"No, I never—"

"It's fine," Akane assured. She turned back to Chiharu, pride glowing in her eyes. "Usually, she only practices with one machine. I think today's doubles match threw her off a little. She found out that reading two people is much more difficult than reading one," The former girls' captain then brought her gaze to Aiko's eyes. "It's not just a miracle, Aiko. Chiharu ranks first because she deserves it."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Izumi felt apprehensive when she saw his number flashing on the screen of her cell phone. What on earth could he, of all people, want from her?

A new guinea pig, probably.

She answered it. "Good evening, Inui-san."

"Morioka-san. I need a favor."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

They left as quietly and abruptly as they came.

"Don't think I don't notice," Akane suddenly said, staring straight ahead as they kept walking. They had almost reached the subway station. "I know. You probably put in more effort than everyone else. And you're frustrated."

"I… I'm sorry…"

"No, don't apologize!" Akane whirled, eyes creasing into a laugh. "Don't apologize for trying hard. That's ridiculous. Aiko, let me ask you something," She stopped walking and faced her. "Do you want to play singles in our next match?"

"You're… you're asking me?" She was stunned.

"Coach Ryuzaki asked you the same thing, didn't she? Right now, I'm giving you a choice."

Singles. Aiko felt a pull of desire from inside. It was what she wanted from the start. A one on one confrontation with the opponent. To win a game with your own skill. The victory would not be split among two. It would be her chance to shine alone, to show them what she was capable of. She wanted it. She wanted it so, so much.

But…

But…

"'Aiko-senpai… will you play doubles with me?'

'You can trust me!'

'See? I told you we'd win them easily!'

'If I force them to lob, then you can get it with your super-jumping skills!'

'Aiko-senpai, that was such an amazing shot!'

'We're going to kick-ass with this new formation!'

'We did it!'

'The Kantou tournament won't be ready for us!'"

'…"for us…"'Aiko sighed internally. 'Goddammit, Kims. I wasn't supposed to like having you as my partner. I wasn't supposed to like doubles' "Not now," she said to Akane. "I can't right now."

And for a moment, all she could hear was that bubbly voice in her ear, and all she could see were those pale lavender eyes winking at her.

'…Right, Aiko-senpai? Because we're going to win Nationals together!"

"Together…" she repeated softly.

Akane's brow was crinkled. "What did you say?"

"Nothing…" A smile crept onto her face as she walked onwards.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"So, why did Inui have us assemble here so early in the morning?" Momoshiro said, yawning. They were in the older part of the neighborhood, not too far from where Ryoma lived. In the distance, the steady plonk of bamboo hitting a rock echoed.

Kikumaru leaned against the wall, folding his arms behind his head. "Who knows…"

Fuji chuckled. "I bet he has something fun planned, just like the last time."

Oishi and Kikumaru shivered. "Last time" had been the billiards game, and it most definitely was not fun.

Suzume gave the tensai a scornful look. "Shouldn't we be training? We're playing Hyotei, and from the looks of it, Yamabuki isn't going to be easy cake either…"

"A break won't kill you," Akane said firmly. "Training resumes in the afternoon. Besides, who said that this activity won't train you?"

Some of them began to feel nervous.

"Yo!" Inui waved while he approached them. "Now that we're all here, let's head off."

"Wait a second!" Kimiko said, looking around. "Izumi-senpai's not here yet!'

"She's meeting us at our destination. Let's go."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

They walked up to an old fashioned family estate. A stone lay near the entrance with the Kanji for "Morioka" carved into it.

"What are we doing at Morioka-senpai's house?" Momoshiro asked curiously.

Inui pulled on the cord attached to the large bronze bell. A resounding DING echoed through the area, startling some of them. Chiharu flinched and covered her ears to muffle the sound.

The bamboo door slid open, revealing Izumi herself. "Good morning."

The regulars stared.

"Whoa…"

Izumi was dressed in a traditional hakama that bore her family crest. Several of them eyed her outfit appraisingly. She shifted under all their eyes, looking a little discomfited. "Is… something wrong?"

"You… you look really nice!" Kimiko finally said eagerly. "Kind of like a warrior princess from ancient times!" In her mind, she thought of those feudal Japan action movies. The women always seemed to be flying around in kimono and hakamas, with the sleeves billowing gracefully. Thinking a little more, she realized how impractical those sleeves were. They must've gotten in the way of everything.

"So…" Sayaka said, gesturing at Izumi's hand. She really did look like a warrior princess, complete with the weapon. "I suppose that's our activity for today."

Izumi lifted the bow in her hand. It was taller than she was.

"That's right," Inui said with a satisfied smile. "Archery."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It took a few minutes for them to get changed into hakamas of their own. Most dojos had a strict decorum code, including dress. It was very interesting to see what people looked like in traditional Japanese attire.

Kimiko, for example, looked ridiculous in a hakama. It was too long and too baggy, and just… didn't fit, and she knew it. She swung the sleeves around like a seal clapping its flippers.

Tezuka, on the other hand, looked perfectly comfortable. There was no denying that he was very attractive in this sort of attire. Although Momoshiro and Ryoma were snickering behind his back about how he looked like an old man.

"I didn't know your family owned a kyudo dojo," Momoshiro said to Izumi. "That's pretty cool."

"Don't most traditional families have dojos attached to the estate?" Kawamura asked. He studied karate with a traditional family when he was in elementary school. The ancient names often had ties to ancient arts.

"Most do," Reina confirmed. "Among the junior tennis circuit, the Tezuka family teaches judo, the Kimura family teaches karate. The Wakashi family teaches kobujutsu, and the Sanada family teaches kendo."

"And Reina-senpai is a stalker." Suzume finished under her breath.

"This house actually belongs to my uncle," Izumi said, a hand clasped around her bow which was called a 'yumi'. The wood was smooth to her touch. "Father used to teach at our old home in Kanagawa too. Our whole family does kyudo."

"Are we training our accuracy or something?" Sayaka asked curiously as she picked up a bow and a glove. The glove was two-fingered and made out of deerskin. As she pulled it over her hand, her fingers suddenly felt restricted. She awkwardly stretched them out.

"No, actually," Inui responded, picking up his own bow. "You're training your control."

All of them looked up.

"Most people associate archery with accuracy," Inui explained. "But archery is more than that."

"It's how firmly you can pull the bow back," a man's voice said. A black haired man walked down towards them regally. "It's how steady you can hold it there. It's how calm you can be during the whole procedure. And its how close to the bull's-eye you can get."

"My father," Izumi introduced.

Besides the dark hair and dark eyes, there was little resemblance between the two. Izumi's father was as harsh as his daughter was soft. He seemed to be made of marble and ice, of everything cold and sturdy. As he stood before him, his tall frame demanded their respect.

"He looks like buchou…" Momoshiro whispered to Ryoma in awe. There was a similarity between the two in how dominating their presence was.

"So, is this your tennis team?" Izumi's father asked her. She replied with a nod.

Tezuka stepped forward, dipping his head in respect. "Sorry for imposing this on you. I'm the captain, Tezuka."

Izumi's father returned the bow. "Thank you for taking care of my daughter. And as for the lesson, well, I enjoy a challenge."

~X~

The wooden floor creaked beneath their feet as they followed Izumi and her father into the archery alley. Thankfully, the floor was heated. At that moment, Chiharu slipped and fell on her bottom, causing a slight commotion. Many faces swiveled around to face the newcomers.

"Are those new students?"

One girl blushed and whispered excitedly, "Who are they? They are so good looking!"

"Look at the tall one at the front! He's so handsome!"

"Back to practice!" Izumi's father barked at the crowd. They scurried off like mice and left the regulars alone.

He himself took a stance at one of the targets and picked an arrow out. The targets were made of straw and fastened to the wall. "Kyudo is as much about spirituality as it is about the shooting." He arched his arm back in a slow, graceful motion, stretching the bowstring back until his fingers reached just below his eye. "You need to find your peace in the movement, until you can compress all your thoughts into the one, final release of the arrow."

He let go.

The arrow shot through the air and plonked into the target. Perfect bull's eye.

The regulars applauded in awe. He made it seem so effortless.

"Now we will begin target practice," Izumi's father ordered as they all assembled in front of respective target boards. There were buckets of arrows beside each target. He paced across the ground as all of them began clumsily trying to stretch the arrows onto their bowstrings. "Do not skip the arch of the arm. Slowly draw your arrow back. Slow the movement down if you need to. Find your peace. Only then can you concentrate enough on the bull's eye."

Sayaka obeyed him and tried to mimic the arm movement he showed them, taking as much time as she needed. 'He's teaching us how to be aware of our bodies!' she suddenly noticed. 'To know the extent of where your arm can reach…' She let go, and her arrow hit her brother's target instead.

"Oi!" Momoshiro glared. "Keep to your own side, will you?"

She grinned. "Sorry bro!"

The area was filled with the sound of arrows flying and piercing the straw targets, the steady thonk sounds reminiscent to rainfall. However, on the regulars' side of the alley, most of the arrows were clattering on the ground, sliding across the floor, embedded in the wooden floor boards or even the ceiling. Izumi's father's voice boomed over the din. "Find your peace!"

Oishi was the first one out of the regulars to hit his target.

"Whoa!" Kikumaru said, blue eyes bulging. "Sugoi, Oishi! That's amazing!"

"You." Izumi's father pointed a finger at the red haired third year.

"Me?" he squeaked with a jolt, looking bewildered. It took every last inch of courage not to back away from this intimidating man.

"You're not concentrating. You need to empty your mind."

"Ah… ah," Kikumaru watched him walk away, before turning back to the target. 'All right. Here goes.' His hand arched backwards, slowly tugging the bowstring. He closed his eyes, gathering his focus. 'Concentrate, concentrate.' Suddenly he opened them, sharpened his gaze, and let fly.

His arrow sailed straight and true and hit the target with a thud.

"Yeah! I got it!" he cheered, waving his bow in the air.

"You did it, Eiji!" Oishi enthused.

Izumi's father stopped at Suzume's target. "You have good concentration," he commented. "But your form isn't right. Stand straighter. Don't lower your head." He fixed her posture and proceeded on, smiling when he heard the unmistakable sound of an arrow hitting the target come from behind him.

Kaidoh found that after his 20th arrow, his arm was beginning to ache. 'This isn't just about control… it's about strength too,' he realized. He clenched his hand into a fist and pulled the bowstring taut. 'I won't lose!' Out of the blue, a high-string snapping sound burst into his ear. His bowstring had snapped into two.

"Ano…" he said uneasily. How would he explain this? Apparently he was too strong for this sport. "Morioka-senpai…"

Izumi approached and saw his dilemma. From a leather pouch on her hakama she pulled out a coil of string, unwound some, and attached a new bowstring. "It happens a lot…" she reassured him.

Her father joined her. "You're too impatient. Harsh movements will break the string. Relax more. Draw the arrow back slowly," He pushed Kaidoh a little, and the 2nd year wobbled. "Balance. Why do you think my daughter can dance?" He winked at Izumi.

"A-ah…" Kaidoh glanced towards Kawamura, wondering if he'd broken any strings yet. But the Seigaku power player was actually quite gentle in his normal state.

"Mou… this is really hard," Sakuno murmured to herself as she rested her arm for a moment. She moved it in a circle. It was hurting a little already.

Her arrows were all shooting upwards instead of forward. She knew that the proper form was to pull the arrow back to the ear. But if she did that, the arrow would be tilting up at a very slight angle, rather than being parallel, due to her shortness. 'Maybe I should ask Ryoma-kun…'

Although when she glanced over, she noticed that he was having just as much trouble as she was.

~X~

"Good job so far!" Izumi's father commented, raising his voice. "You three," he said, pointing at Tezuka, Oishi and Reina. The latter two jumped, startled. "You're the best of the bunch. Come over here and show them how it's done."

Tezuka stood firm like a mountain. Oishi drew the arrow back with the grace of a samurai warrior. And Reina shot the arrow like it was an extension of her own body. Each one of them managed to hit the target.

"Aw, man, we got shown up," Momoshiro muttered as they went back to practice some more.

As her father left to supervise the other pupils, Izumi took over correcting their forms. "Hold your bow higher," she said to Kaidoh, lifting his hand into the right position. His next shot plunged into the straw. He let out a satisfied grunt.

Momoshiro threw him a glare of envy. 'I want to get a shot without help!' With renewed determination, he took a new arrow, cocked it, and released the taut string.

A searing pain erupted in the side of his cheek and he dropped the bow. "Ouch! Oh, f*ck…" His hand felt along the area and felt wetness. He was bleeding. "What happened?"

"You idiot," Suzume said, walking over. "You released the arrow too close to your cheek. The bowstring hit you."

He glared. "Did you come here just to say that t— Ow!" She pulled out a Band-Aid, removed the backing, and slapped it onto his cheek.

His fingers immediately went to the edge of the adhesive cloth, and he was astonished to find it perfectly positioned over the cut. "Do you always carry first-aid with you?" he asked, mildly surprised at Suzume's deftness at dealing with injuries.

"I got hurt a lot. I used to hang out with people like Akutsu, remember?" She raised and lowered one shoulder indifferently. "Wasn't always a carnival with them."

He stared at her, not sure how to respond. "You…"

"Momo-chan!" Kimiko bounced up and down from where she was standing. "Did you hit yourself with the bowstring too?" She indicated the Band-Aid on her face cheerfully. "Hurts, doesn't it?"

"Yeah," he said, distracted. He grinned. "Gotta be careful, right?"

~X~

After checking up on Momoshiro and making sure he was okay, Izumi moved on to adjust Chiharu's form. Chiharu, being highly observant, retained information well. She was adept at mimicking the form. It was her concentration that kept getting broken.

Chiharu was almost too observant. The action around her translated into chaos in her mind. It was hard to filter through the excitement.

"Try to clear your mind…" Izumi told her gently. "Pull everything out of focus…"

She squinted her amber eyes shut, then snapped them open at the last minute and released the arrow. It grazed the edge of the straw. She smiled, curling her hand around the bow. "Almost there."

Fuji was (surprisingly) also struggling. In fact, it was so surprising to her that for a moment, Izumi wondered if he was pretending. She just assumed that he'd excel at this the same way he excelled at everything else he did. Perhaps being a tensai had its limits.

"You're gripping the yumi too high…" she said softly, stepping next to him. "When you ready the bow, lift and bring it down so your hand is aligned with the target…"

He did as she told him, lowering the bow to eye level.

"Then draw the bowstring back."

He obeyed, pulling the arrow back to right underneath his eye. The feathers of the arrow brushed his cheek, and as he glanced at it, he couldn't help but turn his gaze towards her. Her head was tilted towards the side as she mentally measured the height of the target. She gently lifted the bow so it was in the proper position. He never took his eyes off her.

Then she suddenly caught his eye and turned to face him. The minute her eyes met his, she felt herself inhale sharply. Their faces were less than an inch apart. She had never been so close to those blazing blue eyes before. They burned with a cold inferno.

Oh god, those blue, blue eyes.

She couldn't not look at them. Every time she looked into his eyes she got lost within them, and a magnetic feeling arose from within her. And now, she knew she shouldn't, shouldn't, shouldn't be looking at them, because she wasn't sure what her own eyes would reveal, but they were so blue

Izumi liked language and writing. Words were her forte. But in that moment, her usually poetic brain failed her and the only word she could think of using to describe his eyes was "blue."

He went back to the target and released the shot. It penetrated the straw, only an inch or two away from the center. "Ah. Looks like I got it."

Izumi moved on, and for some strange reason, felt herself barely suppressing a smile.

~X~

"Morioka-senpai," Ryoma said, looking faintly annoyed. He held out his yumi. "This bow is too big for me."

Izumi looked at his target. His arrows were embedded in the wooden ceiling boards, sticking out like a porcupine's quills. None had hit the target.

She took another look at Ryoma, and then at his bow, and said, quite simply, "You're too short."

He made a disgruntled noise while the regulars burst into laughter. Ryoma gave Momoshiro and Kikumaru (who were laughing the loudest) an angry glare. "You're laughing too much!"

"Looks like I need to add more milk to your daily menu, Echizen," Inui mused.

~X~

"All right," Inui said, clapping to get their attention. "Here comes the fun part."

"Eh? That wasn't it?" Kikumaru asked.

Inui snapped his fingers and screens dropped before the boards, each one having… a card deck pasted onto the front, face up.

"We're playing…" Inui took a dramatic pause. "Poker."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"EEEHHH?"

"Now, let's go through the rules." Inui continued, looking smug and very pleased with himself. "You each shoot five arrows, competing against one other person. Normal poker rules apply. Since each target board has all 54 cards plastered on front, it is possible to get the exact same hand as your opponent. If that's the case, you each shoot one more arrow, and whoever hits a higher card wins. Jokers are wild cards and the highest cards in the game."

Aiko instinctively glanced at the person next to her. It was Kaidoh. She looked back at the target boards (now covered in cards) and frowned. Although a few months ago, she had won all of them at poker, it was different. It wasn't reading faces and guessing probabilities. This was about skill and accuracy.

She peered at the board some more. The lowest cards were positioned in rings around the highest cards, so it was harder and riskier to get a higher hand. For example, she could aim for the ace of spades, but she could miss by a few centimeters and hit the three of hearts instead. And those cards were so small…

He was challenging them to strategize. 'That Reina chick will be good at this.'

"Can we spy and see what cards our opponent is aiming at?" Kimiko asked.

"Of course," Inui replied. "You wait for your opponent to finish shooting all his arrows before you start, if you'd like."

"Is there a prize?" Kikumaru asked hopefully, his eyes sparkling.

"Please let there be a prize…" Momoshiro pleaded.

"Actually…" Inui pulled out a colorful coupon. "I have a gift card for Mitsumaru Sports. Whoever wins will get this."

"Yahoo!" Kikumaru jumped up excitedly.

"That's awesome! I've wanted to get this new grip tape for forever," Sayaka said, clasping a hand.

Aiko smiled. She knew the shop well and had her eye on some new wrist weights.

"And for the people who miss or don't get a single pair…" Inui took another, even more dramatic pause.

The regulars felt a cold sweat break out on their forehead at the sudden sense of déjà vu.

"It's a pity, but I didn't have time to develop a new juice. We will have to settle with the regular Inui Vegetable Juice instead."

"THAT'S BAD ENOUGH!"

~X~

The pairs that would face off in the first round were (as determined by lucky draw): Momoshiro and Kaidoh, Chiharu and Fuji, Reina and Tezuka, Kikumaru and Ryoma, Sayaka and Oishi, Suzume and Aiko, Kawamura and Kimiko, Sakuno and Inui, and finally, Akane and Izumi.

"Just my luck. I had to get stuck with you. I am so screwed," Akane said good-naturedly as Izumi took her place next to her.

Izumi gave her an apologetic look.

"Really, you shouldn't be allowed to compete." The ginger-headed girl grumbled jokingly, cocking her first arrow. She aimed for the jack of hearts. It ended up going into the 10 of diamonds instead. "Damn."

Izumi shot three arrows, one right after the other. She hit the queen of hearts, the queen of spades, and the queen of diamonds. Her hand slipped a little on the forth one and it almost missed the queen of clubs, but it pierced the corner. She breathed in. 'I need to slow down.' She did not want to make a fool of herself here. Then she hit the three of diamonds. "Four of a kind…" she said, turning to Akane.

Who had fainted on the floor.

"Huh?"

"Her second arrow missed," Inui clarified, his glasses glinting. He held up a glass of green liquid.

"I… I see…"

Momoshiro and Kaidoh were locked in a stalemate. They eyed one another angrily. "Shoot already!" "You shoot first!" "What are you waiting for!"

Finally, Kaidoh decided to go first. He struck the king of diamonds, shocking Momoshiro. (Kaidoh was surprised too, since he was actually aiming for the jack of spades.)

Momoshiro went and hit the four of hearts, prompting the other 2nd year to sneer at him. He dropped the bow and grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt. "You want to go?"

"Bring it on!"

"Oi, you two…" Oishi sighed tiredly as he stepped between them. "Not in someone else's house, okay?"

Both of them huffed in annoyance, but nonetheless returned their respective posts. After all, if they pissed off the Morioka household, they'd probably get an arrow in the butt

They both ended up missing the next shot.

"Damn," they said at the same time. Their arrows sank into the backboard between the cards, piercing none of them.

'CLUNK' was the sound of them falling to the ground simultaneously, after drinking their penalty glasses.

Reina and Tezuka's face-off was interesting. Both were pretty skilled at archery. Reina managed to beat Tezuka with a four-of-a-kind, despite the latter scoring a very high full house. However, since he didn't miss, he was exempt from the penalty drink. It was a pity, Inui thought, slightly dejected. He wanted data on Tezuka's response to Inui Juice.

Aiko and Suzume ended up going into the "tiebreak". They both hit three fives and two sevens of the same suit. For the last card, Suzume hit a three whereas Aiko hit a six. Aiko advanced, and Suzume found that she didn't really mind. As long as she didn't have to drink that horrible thing.

Sakuno grasped her yumi with willpower. 'Yoshi,' she thought, pulling back with force. 'Even though my opponent is Inui-senpai, I can't lose!' "Hyaa!" she shouted as she let go of the shaft. Her arrow ricocheted off of the ceiling and plunged into the floorboard, sticking out vertically like a tree, quivering ominously. "Ah… I missed!"

Inui could only sweatdrop. "So I see…"

So she drank the Juice and dropped out.

Sayaka, on the other hand, knew to play it safe. The easiest cards to hit were the low ones nearer to the center. That way, even if you miss you might still hit something, rather than missing entirely and being forced to drink Inui Juice. She lucked out by getting a pair of fives and few more low cards. Oishi won easily, hitting three sevens.

"It's quite a hard game…" Kawamura murmured as he took aim.

Kimiko slid up next to him. "Hai, Kawamura-senpai!" She chimed up. "Here's a racket!"

As he took it, he suddenly appeared to glow red. "BURNING! WHAT ARCHERY? I'LL WIN IT ALL!" He yanked hard on the bowstring, only to snap it into to two. His shot skidded across the floor. As Inui moved in with the Juice, Kawamura cried "Oh nooo," in despair. A second later he slumped to the ground, the energy gone in that tiny moment.

Inui made a note that Kimiko was probably the sneakiest of the bunch.

"I can't lose to our baby boy!" Kikumaru proclaimed as he finished hitting his five cards. A pair of kings, a pair of tens, and one jack. "Two pair!" He declared with a grin.

Ryoma looked at the cards. He needed to get either two higher pairs, or a three of a kind to beat him. "Hmm…" He stretched the bowstring a few times, back and forth.

"Hee hee!" Kikumaru smirked. "You aren't tall enough to beat me!"

"I think it went like this…" Ryoma murmured to himself. Instead of pulling arrow back so it reached under his eye, he pulled it so that it was over his head. He released, and it shot straight into the two of spades.

"That's a low card, nya!" Kikumaru teased. "Doesn't the Inui Juice look tasty?"

Ryoma didn't say anything. He drew the bowstring a few more times, trying to find the right tension. He tried to imagine his eyes were above his head. It was harder to aim for something that wasn't eye-level. He aimed for the two of hearts, but the arrow went a bit higher and hit the four of clubs instead.

He frowned, re-adjusting his string some more. Once again aiming for the two of hearts, his arrow shot off and plunged into the five of spades.

Kikumaru snickered, arms folded behind his head. "You know if you don't get a single pair, you'll have to drink Inui Juice!"

"I know," he said, a tinge of irritation in his voice. He glanced back at the arrow, and then at the target, flexing the string. "Hmm," he murmured, tapping the bow. "So that's how it is." He took careful aim, and shot another arrow forward. This time it hit the two of hearts smack in the center. He smiled.

"Huh," Kikumaru said, moderately interested. "I guess you got a pair."

"Mada mada dane, Kikumaru-senpai!" And with that, his last arrow hit the two of clubs. "Three of a kind."

Kikumaru's eyes bugged out as he stared stupidly. "WHAAAAT? Rewind for a second! How did this HAPPEN!"

~X~

The game went on until only Fuji, Reina, Izumi and Ryoma were left. The rest were mostly slumped in a pile to the side of the dojo. Tezuka had lost interest in the game and was going back to his own practice. Kimiko, who was immune to the Juice in the first place, was content with sitting off to the side and watching. Inui was acting as referee for the final four. "And now let's have… Fuji and Echizen, and Reina-san and Morioka."

"This isn't going to end like billiards, Echizen," Fuji said as he drew his bow.

"Huh?" Ryoma glanced over, somewhat disconcerted. Was it possible that Fuji still held a grudge against him for that time? His senpai was very frightening indeed.

"Full house," Fuji said, satisfied when he finished shooting. He turned to Ryoma's alley. Ryoma was counting up the arrows he'd shot.

"Hmmm. Ah," Ryoma murmured. Then he smirked and straightened up. "I hit a flush."

'S-straight flush?' Inui thought, dumbfounded. While Ryoma had been shooting, he'd shot the arrows at random intervals. He'd even missed one and hit another instead. How did it work out to be a straight flush? Was it luck? He exhaled. "Echizen, that's just like you."

Izumi had also emerged as victor from the other side.

"Guess it's down to you two," Inui said.

"I'll go first to give you a handicap," Izumi murmured as she readied her yumi.

Ryoma scowled slightly. "I don't need one…" he grumbled under his breath. Although letting her go first was a huge advantage. That way, he could see which cards she'd hit and hit higher ones to beat her.

Izumi released a shot. Ace of spades. Exhale. Another one. King of spades. Breathe. Another. Another.

"She's going for the highest hand possible," Fuji mused, noting the card choice. "A royal straight flush."

"In the spades suit," Reina added. "She's serious."

'Only the ten of spades left…' Izumi thought to herself. 'Don't mess up now.' She took longer in drawing her bow, forced herself to breathe, and let fly. The arrow sliced through the ten, dead center. Perfect.

"You have to hit the same hand as her, Echizen," Inui warned. "That's the only chance you have at beating her. That way, you can go into the tiebreak."

"I got it…" Ryoma muttered, walking into position. He lowered the bow to eye level, eyes on the ten of spades. It was sandwiched between a three and a six. He had to be careful. He first pulled his string back to the eye, taking carful aim. Then drawing the string back above his head, he released the shot. In plunged into the ten.

"Where did you learn to shoot like that?" Izumi asked, interested.

"I watched those people." He indicated with a tilt of his head. All of them turned around curiously. There was a group of younger pupils (probably middle school level) practicing at the far end of the dojo. As they watched, one of the pupils drew the bowstring right over his head in order to keep the arrow parallel with the ground.

"So that's how he did it," Inui said to himself. "He watched other people his height practice in order to see their solution to the height problem. Then he tested his solution out in the first two rounds."

Izumi watched with wonder. 'He figured out how to aim like that in that short a time? He's so observant...'

"You're amazing, Echizen." Fuji said.

"Domo," he said as he released another shot, aiming for the king of spades that was between a ten and a four. This one went a little low. It hit the edge of the ten of hearts instead.

"So close," Reina said.

"I guess Morioka is our winner, then," Inui concluded. He was already reaching for the envelope.

"The game isn't finished yet," Ryoma suddenly cut in. He released another arrow. Ten of clubs.

"I hit the highest possible combination…" Izumi told him softly. "There isn't any way to beat it now. Your only hope was to hit the same cards and go into a tiebreak."

Ryoma's jaw was set stubbornly. "You don't know unless you try." He shot another arrow. Ten of diamonds."

"Even though you hit a four of a kind, that's still lower than—" Inui stopped, mouth open.

The solution hit them like a bus.

Ryoma, as it seemed, had found a loophole in the game.

"I see!" Fuji said, his eyes open. "If he hits the joker, the wild card, then that's five of a kind!"

"But the joker…" Reina pointed.

"Aa," Inui agreed. The joker was stuck within a ring of twos, threes, and the odd five here and there. All low cards. Furthermore, the cards around it were also farther apart, so if he missed, he'd probably hit the backboard instead. Which meant Inui Juice for him. It was also positioned at the right low corner, a place more awkward for left-handed archers. "It's a tough shot. Probability that he'll miss… 68 percent."

Izumi responded with a nod. It would've been hard even for her.

Ryoma looked at the card, tugging the bowstring experimentally. He tried to imagine a target painted on the card. Izumi's father's words echoed in his mind. '"Find your peace!"' He drew the bowstring back. The graceful pull of the bowstring wasn't that much different from a tennis swing, he realized. You were always aiming for a point on the other end. He steadied his arm.

'Imagine it's a tennis racket…'

He closed his eyes, preparing.

'And the arrow is a tennis ball…'

His fingers tightened around the bow.

'And Horio's face is on the target...'

"Heh." His eyes opened. He narrowed them, like a leopard ready to pounce. With resolve, he let go, the bowstring quivering against the wood.

Thonk.

All of them stared.

Even Ryoma took a moment to recover.

Then immediately, he was back to his cheeky self. With a self-satisfied grin, he said, "Mada mada dane, Morioka-senpai."

~X~

Inui handed him the gift card. "Really, Echizen, do you know how to lose?"

Ryoma examined the gift card, looking very pleased. He looked up at his senpai, a blank expression on his face. "Why would I want to lose?"

"That's just like Echizen to win like that," Fuji chuckled. He turned to Izumi. "Don't mind it, he did it to me too…"

"I don't mind," Izumi said, even though she was fuming (just a little) inside.

The rest of the team was stirring. It seemed they were finally overcoming the effects of the Juice. Akane managed to prop herself up. "Let's do a little more practice, and then go back to school for afternoon training, okay?"

There were some unenthusiastic "Hai"s as the team stumbled to their feet and back to their respective targets to practice a little more.

Suddenly, the area was filled with whispers as Izumi walked towards a different target range. Heads were turning. The pupils parted for her like the Red Sea. A small crowd of dojo pupils gathered around her as she stepped into position. After exchanging a few confused glances, the regulars also joined the crowd.

"Ne, what's going on?" Kimiko asked, lavender eyes wide and curious.

Then they noticed the target that Izumi was aiming at. It was at least 60 meters away.

"No way! Is she really going to try and hit that?" Kikumaru cried in shock.

Izumi exhaled, allowing her whole body to relax. Almost in slow motion, lifted the bow above her head as a symbol, and lowered in front of her eyes. She arched her arm back, so graceful that some of the onlookers drew in a breath. There was just something ethereal about Izumi. The feathers tickled her cheekbone as she drew the arrow back. Look. Her dark eyes focused on the target. Don't think about— Exhale. Why are you—Inhale. Breathe. Don't think. Just let it go.

With this shot, you should die.

You are reborn in the next.

She let go.

She let the arrow fly like it was a piece of her soul. The force from the release caused her hair to fly upwards slightly. She watched as the shaft disappeared into the target board. Two inches from the center.

"Sugoi!" The regulars applauded. (Ryoma felt like she stole his victory back from him again.) But many of the dojo students just sighed, and some of them even shook their heads in disappointment.

"Hey," Fuji walked up to one of the pupils and asked curiously, "Wasn't that a good shot? What's wrong?"

"Um," The girl blushed at being addressed by such a good-looking boy. "Well Morioka-senpai has always been one of the best archers here. And she used to be able to hit that target, dead center, every time. Sometimes Sensei would even have Morioka-senpai demonstrate to show us the level we were aiming for. But…" She trailed off, not sure how to continue.

"Something happened," Fuji surmised, looking over at Izumi. She was running a hand along her bow; the movement itself was filled with all longing and sadness in the world.

"Yeah…" the girl said quietly. She looked downwards. "It's like Sensei said. "If your heart wavers, your shot wavers." And ever since four or five months ago, Morioka-senpai has never been able to hit the bulleye's again."

~X~

An hour or two later, they all gathered for afternoon practice. Akane stood at the front of the girls. "Before I dismiss you guys, I want to announce the roster."

There were a few murmurs of excitement. "I'm all pumped for this match!" Sayaka declared.

"Doubles one, as usual, Aiko and Kimiko." The two doubles players looked at each other with a nod.

"Doubles two," Akane paused. "Sayaka and Suzume."

"Wait. What?" both of them yelled.

"She sucks at doubles!" Sayaka argued, pointing an accusing finger. In the background, Ryoma nodded vehemently. He distinctly remembered that time that he and Suzume crashed into each other during doubles practice. That was pretty painful.

"I hate to say it, but Namazu-chan is right," Suzume said. "I hate doubles."

Akane crossed her arms. "Kimura, I've never known you to back down from a challenge."

Suzume glared silently. 'Oh no, she's not going to bait me like this…'

"I know you're good. We all know that. And we need to bring out the big guns early in our Hyotei match. Can you understand that?" Akane's eyes glinted threateningly. "Can you do that?"

Suzume gave in with an irritated sigh. "Fine. Doubles two, then. With Namazu-chan." She shot a look over at Sayaka. "You were right when you said that it's a 'challenge'."

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean, you stupid sparrow!"

"Singles three," Akane commanded their attention once more. She exchanged a glance with Oishi quickly. The others looked perplexed. Was something wrong? "Singles three," she repeated decisively, and locked her steady captain's eyes onto the individual in question.

"Singles three will be Sakuno."

"EH?"

"Ryuzaki in Singles?"

"But—"

Sakuno felt her racket drop to the ground in pure shock. She had gone white.

"S-Singles?"

~X~

End Chapter Twenty Three.

A/N: So yeah, sorry for no Sakuno development in this chapter. Because I have big plans for her in the future!

I also know that there are people who read but don't review. Nudge nudge. A review can really brighten my day, you know. –guilttrips-

Long author's note. So yeah, leave a review for this (belated) birthday girl!