(I don't own Prince of Tennis!)
Chapter 3 – Rise of Hyotei's Matchless Queens
On Yuugetsu Chuu's side of the court, the tensions were visibly rising. The captain, Motomiya Atsui, massaged her temples as her teammates hung their head downs in shame. How could they have lost, she scowled at the thought. They had spent four months training hard and with her working them to the ground. She had their manager tailor their diets and even compromised some of their grades. She looked into their guilt-ridden and shamed expressions before standing up and stomping in front of them.
"So, you've lost doubles two and you, my best doubles pair had lost doubles one against a couple of first years," the Yugetsu Chuu captain paced for a moment. She then turned to them with a glare. "How could you have not played well against a bunch of first year students!? Secondly, Shimohi Rin and Hikifumi Haruka should have had no chance against your strength! Explain yourselves!"
Suzune remained stoic despite her captain's harsh tone. "They're not ordinary players, buchou. You saw those two first years. We couldn't even score a point and they played without exchanging any words with each other."
Rima hung her head. "The only time they exchanged words was when the other one was fighting with the guy over there."
"You should have taken advantage of that!"
"We tried–!"
"You didn't try hard enough!" Atsui shrieked. "Yuna, you're the powerhouse of this team and yet you still lost to a weakling like Shimohi? Get real!"
Shina sneered. "You guys suck."
Mayumi shuddered at the little girl's words before snapping at Atsui. "You're actually condoning Shina's way of playing!? She could have killed someone!"
Atsui brushed the concern aside, waving her hand in dismissal. "Yeah, yeah, whatever." She looked among her players. "So, who's next?"
"That would be me, Atsui."
Atsui looked towards another one of her members who had similar features she did. She had a slender nose and deep set amber orange eyes with a strong jawline that formed a slight corner at her chin. While she had bright auburn hair that she had been proud of, the girl standing before her had mustard blonde hair. Atsui herself was slender while the girl in front of her was stocky. While she had long, flowing, straight hair, the girl had short spiky blonde hair having a cut similar to a male.
"Ah, so you're playing. Kumiko-oneesama." She sneered.
Her older sister let out a disgruntled snort and looked away in disgust. "I'll never understand why you became captain. But I don't think you're going to walk away in one piece."
"Hmph, tennis will always be a battlefield and we will make our mark in the finals."
"True but that doesn't mean we have to stoop down to cheating."
"We'll use all tactics no matter how cheap and dirty they are." Atsui folded her arms in finality. "Now get going. Your opponent's waiting."
On the other bench, Ayane couldn't believe what she had seen. While growing up with brothers exposed her to high levels of aggression, she had never expected to see it on a noble sport such as tennis. Most of her opponents back at the junior circuit hit the ball as if they were trying to swat a mosquito from trying to bite them. But seeing the number that Shina did on Isane changed things. She clenched her fists tight while wringing out the cold water from the towel before dabbing it on Isane's eye.
"Sheesh, where did she come from?"Ayane turned to the seniors with a shake of her head. "Isane-senpai can't go around looking like a panda!"
Haruka nodded. "Yeah and it's all because she," - she gave Isane an annoyed stare. "She decided to try and teach her something."
Isane laughed sheepishly and shrank with a shrug of her shoulders. "Ah haha, sorry...?"
"Sorry!? You could have gotten killed, Isane!"
"Well, I'm not...?"
"You won't be so lucky next time! What if it were someone looking forward to turn your insides into Egg Fooyong!?"
Ayane blinked and turned to Haruka. "Egg... Fooyong?"
"It's Steamed Egg Pudding, dear." Haruka explained.
"Oh. I always knew it as just Egg Pudding."
"If it were that, you may as well call it an egg tart without the crust."
Ayane nodded and turned to look at the Yuugetsu Chuu's team. Although she stood at a distance, she could clearly see how disheartened they were from their losses. The cockiness they had displayed on the court vanished like a little ember snuffed out by a snow storm. It hurt to see that. It reminded her of how she really loved to play and get out there. While it wasn't necessarily tennis, she loved the energy that came out of playing and meeting new people. She only heard bits and pieces of the captain's scolding but the look on their faces said it all.
"Come to think of it," Ayane turned to the seniors. "I've never heard about them before."
Hitomi shook her head. "That's because they never made it past the eliminations in both elementary school and middle school."
Rin nodded with a frown. "They are what we call dark horses."
Kiyone cocked her head to the side. "What's a dark horse?"
"A dark horse is someone who's new to the circuit that nobody has an idea what they are capable of," Hitomi explained to the sandy blonde freshman. She looked towards their team with her eyebrows furrowing. "Although at this rate, I don't think they're going to last the next round at all."
Mai picked up her racquet with a shrug. "Well, you know what they say. Just give them an end fitting of their status."
Ayane saw the look of seriousness flicker behind Mai's amber gold, feline eyes. She could tell that the sophomore fully intended to show no mercy. While she had never seen Nagisaki Mai play before, the thought of her being the genius of the Hyotei tennis team became self-explanatory. While Hikifumi Haruka and Shimohi Rin prioritized on harmony and rhythm, she and Kiyone relied on whatever they had, Momo relied on her knowledge in her swordsmanship, what was Mai going to be like? She looked at the slender red-head standing before the court.
"She looks amazing," Kiyone whispered to her.
"I know." Ayane nodded. "I never did see her play seriously."
"That's because we were just training, Yane. This is the real deal now."
"True."
Mai loosened up her body for her match, feeling her racquet in her hands. The rubber grip absorbed whatever sweat was on her right palm and let her grip it tight. She looked at the court and at the audience who was watching. She then turned to her teammates; the team they were fighting were going to do everything to win. Even if meant physically injuring one of them. Her fists clenched tight and her heart slowed down. She closed her eyes to block out the cheers of the audience. The voices faded and she heard music instead. She tapped her foot onto the ground and felt the music fill her body.
"Hey," she heard someone call her.
Mai turned around to see Hiyoshi poking her head with a racquet. "Stop spacing out. You're supposed to be overthrowing someone by now."
The red head chuckled. "The concept of gekkokujo only works with people above you. What's the need to overthrow when these people are already beneath me?"
"Mai," she heard someone chide her.
The red head turned to her captain who had a calm look on her face.
"Don't get too cocky just because we secured Doubles." Shizuru warned. "They can still get things if they win against you."
The red haired prodigy grinned at her captain. "Relax, Shizuru. I'll be fine. I'll speed things up so we can go home early."
"As much as that would be nice, please just don't get killed."
"Yeah, yeah, relax. I don't think all of them grew up in the wilderness."
Shizuru giggled softly and shook her head. "Alright, just get in there."
"Yes ma'am!" Mai grinned and walked onto the court.
She walked onto the court and looked at the scores of the finished matches displayed before her. There were the two doubles matches; both of them having a slaughter score of 6-3, and 6-0. The singles match is what disappointed her. But how could have Isane won against someone like Shina? No one in the team was equipped to handle someone with that kind of ferocity! She looked at the rest of the team and then at her opponent from Yuugetsu Chuu. As much as she wanted to take out the little brat who was responsible for riddling Isane with bruises, she couldn't. All she could do was take it out on the poor, unsuspecting soul who was going to be her opponent.
"Singles Two will now begin! Hyotei Gakuen's Nagisaki Mai versus Yuugetsu Chuu's Motomiya Kumiko!"
Mai stood at the net and in front of the girl with a despondent sigh. "Well, looks like you're stuck with me and I'm you."
Kumiko chuckled. "You seem a little disappointed."
"Well, put it this way - I was hoping to scratch out the eyes of the girl who hurt Isane. But then, you'll have to do."
"Shame, sorry for not being up to your expectations."
"Not really, it's more that if I do - my captain's going to have me grounded for days."
Kumiko shook her head. "At least she doesn't condone violence."
The tensai shrugged. "We don't condone violence. If it was an accident, we say sorry. By the way," she looked over to the bench, noticing a resemblance between Kumiko and the captain who sat at the bench. "Just curious, you and the captain are sisters?"
Kumiko, puzzled, nodded. "Yes, why?"
"I'm just wondering. I mean, is it wrong to ask?"
"No, it's just not many people ask."
"Ah, makes sense. So sorry for that." Mai gave her a mischievous grin and spun her racquet on the ground. "Which do you choose, smooth or rough?"
"Smooth." Kumiko visibly shivered at her grin.
With that, the racquet fell on the rough side. Mai walked away from Kumiko and headed towards her side of the service court. She exhaled sharply and kept playing the music in her mind, feeling the rhythm fuel her. Her eyes rolled to take a sideward glance at Kumiko once more, examining her body build a little more closely. Outrunning her's my best bet, Mai told herself. She noticed Kumiko's stocky build and thick legs. But then again, she noticed that her arms and legs didn't look anything that of a weight-lifter. Unlike Ayane, she mused to herself. The tangerine haired vice captain had the waist, the legs, and the arms meant for a body-builder.
"Alright!" Mai served the ball. "Let's dance!"
The rally resumed with Kumiko returning the shot. Mai narrowed her eyes as she raced to one side and sent a cross-court shot aiming for Kumiko's backhand. Her eyes widened however when the girl suddenly tossed her racquet from her right hand to her left hand. Tch, the genius scowled. She didn't expect Kumiko to be ambidextrous! The forehand flew towards her as she made her way to the net and deflected the shot instead.
I have to keep it at the net, Mai thought to herself.
Playing baseline with someone who could use both hands was not fun, in her opinion. That meant that no matter the distance, the person could use their favoured swing on either hand to send the shot back. That increases their accuracy, Mai added. She flicked her wrist to return another shot and kept on volleying until one flew far back. She leapt back with her racquet managing to catch the ball and sent a cord shot to the net. Kumiko closed the gap immediately and dropped it over.
Tch, she's fast! Mai lunged forward. Time to change rhythm.
She quickened her pace and lobbed it over slightly over the net. Kumiko reached for the ball and lobbed it all the way to the back line. The Hyotei tensai skidded from her last bolt and launched herself towards the ball. She quickly twisted her body and punched her hips for a smash heading straight towards the service line. Kumiko jumped back and waited for the ball to bounce before giving her a forehand to the left side. Mai watched the ball spinning, noticing even where the ball's pivot was. She stopped for a moment, timed it and, sliced the ball right under to spin it over to the other side.
"Quite a talent that motion vision of yours," Kumiko suddenly complimented her with a top spin heading towards the left side of her court.
Mai neutralized Kumiko's spin with a slice and sent a sinking shot towards the right side. "And you're complimenting me now, why?"
"Nothing. It's a thing I just noticed now."
"I don't think so. You could have picked up that information from your manager."
"I suppose. But I think it's time I add a little more excitement." Kumiko watched the ball slide towards her and sent it up. "Oops?"
Mai narrowed her eyes. Why would she make a careless mistake like that? The ball floated in the air as she bolted for the ball. She glanced over at Shizuru and noticed the afternoon sun slowly losing its glow. She wanted to head home. There were a few things she still had to do after the match! Mai watched the ball slowly descend before giving it a hard smash. She looked towards Kumiko to see what would happen. Instead, she saw a smirk curve up Kumiko's lips.
"Tut, tut, someone's in a hurry." Kumiko mused.
"Huh?"
Kumiko dropped down to duck with her arm drawn back. Mai's eyes widened when she suddenly rotated in a full three-sixty degrees, caught her shot, and sent it flying. The tensai, realizing her mistake, rushed towards the ball. Tch, I didn't know she could do that! Mai berated herself for not noticing that Kumiko had baited her to strike with the shot. She stopped running the moment the ball dropped onto the baseline and bounced away.
"Love 15!"
Looking at the mark the lob made, Mai rewound the exchange in her mind. It was a fast rally with Kumiko being able to keep up with her speed. A smirk curved up her lips; now this was something interesting. She looked towards the net where she saw Kumiko standing at the baseline, waiting for her to serve. She remembered seeing that move before. Someone she knew once used the attack and it reminded her of another attack she herself used to nullify those kinds of attacks. Smashes were often the deciding point of a rally but with that counter, people would be less afraid of smashes. She exhaled deep and cleared her mind. She looked towards Motomiya Kumiko and changed her stance.
"Oh, what's this?" Kumiko smirked. "Something you made up just on the spot won't save you."
Mai stood on her tip-toes and extended her arms with a graceful flick. Despite being on the tip of her toes, she showed no signs of struggling. In fact, it was something she found herself more comfortable with. A small smile curved up her lips as she tossed the ball in the air and served it towards Kumiko.
"Dance me if you can, Motomiya-san."
Confusion wrote itself on Kumiko's face but the girl still went at her anyway. A forehand launched itself off Kumiko's racquet and zoomed straight towards Mai's far left side. Despite the distance, Mai leapt forward. She swam through the air with a pas de chat and landed near the shot and was able to return it. Kumiko rushed towards the ball and dropped the shot over the net. Again, Mai leapt forward and spun the ball with a flick, all the while balancing on the tip of her toes. Kumiko dropped it again but Mai bent her knees and sprung up with a light backhand, sending it spinning and landing at the corner of the right side of Kumiko's service court.
"15 all!"
"What in the world is that tennis?" Kumiko gawked. She saw Mai land back in a bent position before she bowed.
"Grace and finesse always beat power." Mai smiled. "When you know your rhythm, you know what to do."
Kumiko raised an eyebrow at her. "What?"
"It's called ballet, dodo."
At the sight of this, Hiyoshi chuckled with a fold of his arms. "Of course she decides to use ballet. It's easier for her to use."
Hiyoshi had known Mai for a long time since their mothers were close friends. Mai's mother was not only his mother's bridesmaid but also the designer of her wedding gown from what he was told. Their history went as far back as the time both their mothers had both enrolled in Hyotei Academy years ago. According to his mother, Mai's mother had been the prima ballerina when they were still studying. It made sense as to why Mai learned ballet and why she used it over the regular tennis form. It was what her body was used to. He remembered also the times his mother would coax him to try learning ballet to reinforce his swordsmanship but, it never happened. Hiyoshi chuckled; he couldn't imagine himself in pointe shoes and doing pirouettes all day.
"There she goes again being unorthodox," Hiyoshi's upperclassman, Oshitari Yuushi, chuckled and leaned against the railing. "She always did love dancing, didn't she?"
Hiyoshi nodded. "You'd think that she was trained to dance ever since she could walk."
"It's more like that dancing was the talent she was born with."
"Or at least, something she loved and worked hard on." Someone else said.
Hiyoshi and Oshitari looked at Shizuru.
"Before Mai became a member of the tennis team, she was already practicing for dance competitions, broadways, recitals ever since we were in elementary." Shizuru explained to the both of them. "Mai didn't just like dancing. She loved – no, loved is the wrong word. She breathed dancing as if it were a part of her."
"Like an old friend." Hiyoshi nodded. "The feeling of having something familiar is wonderful after not seeing it for so long."
"True. You yourself would know that, Hiyoshi-san."
Hiyoshi nodded and turned to Atobe who let out a snort. "What's your problem?"
"Ore-sama has no problem with her style." Atobe hummed coldly. "What ore-sama has a problem with is why Nagisaki didn't use that style to begin with."
Oshitari rolled his eyes. "Not everyone is as gung-ho as you, Atobe. She assessed the situation like any normal person would do."
"Yes, ore-sama forgot. He is beyond normal."
"Oh God."
Hiyoshi shook his head; so much for being role models. He looked back at the court where he saw Mai score another point but this time performing a Ballonné, pas to cover the distance between her and the ball. And all it took was one leap! A small smile curved up his lips as he saw the power rise in her dance movements. The grace and finesse now had more strength than it did when she usually performed Swan Lake or one of the more classical pieces. She leapt with more force and somehow, he could hear the music she was dancing to as she performed a pirouette to add more strength to the shot.
"Nagisaki-san is really amazing," Ohtori beamed.
Hiyoshi nodded. "Yeah, you always get the front seat for being First Violin."
"That's one of the few perks I like about being First Violin, I guess."
"Yeah, save for the pressure. But seeing her dance, it's rather enlightening."
Ohtori added. "It also relieves you of a lot of stress. Watching her is like watching a storybook tell its tale."
Hiyoshi nodded and hummed a merry classical tune to himself. Mai covered all sides of the court as long as she kept up her ballet. Her arms would gracefully wave with the wind and her pointed toes gave her the power she needed to spring herself forward with less effort. Less effort in her case, Hiyoshi added to himself. Then, he plucked out his wallet from his pocket and began counting the bills. He looked at his watch and then at Mai.
Mai exhaled sharply and saw the hidden terror inside Kumiko's eyes. A small smirk appeared on her lips as she rested back onto the soles of her feet to take a bow and a breather. While ballet had been something her body had been accustomed to, distorting the art to support tennis drained her a bit more than she thought. Her toes felt numb from constantly springing and her legs felt the strain from leaping around a lot. She could see that Kumiko also had been long exhausted from trying to keep up with her. Sweat poured down both their faces and onto the court as they found themselves at the end of one game.
"Game, Nagisaki: 3-0!" The arbiter declared.
"So this is the true power of Hyotei's genius," Mai heard an applause. "Or should I say the Queen of Spades?"
Mai raised an eyebrow at Kumiko. "Now, where did you hear about that?"
"I've seen you perform on stage. It was your stage name due to your debut as one of the Black Queens in your company's interpretation of Alice in Wonderland."
"Ah, I see."
"But you've just been playing around with me. Haven't you?"
Mai shrugged. "Well, if I didn't - it wouldn't be fun for the audience now would it?"
"You're thinking more about them than this?"
"Well, it's an entertainer thing. But first, I'd like to ask my captain something."
Kumiko rolled her eyes at her. "By all means."
Mai chuckled and shook her head. She's getting cocky just because she figured out I wasn't going full out, the tensai scoffed. Anyone who knew her would know that. She never did use her full power on the first rally. It's common sense, Mai snorted. She walked over towards her captain and shrugged.
"So, light and easy or do I make her beg?" Mai raised an eyebrow.
Shizuru smirked. "You're asking me?"
"You usually come up with good plans."
"I'd normally go with light and easy."
"Would you prefer quick and painless?"
"Mai, it wasn't entirely her fault that Sunamyou was off her rocker."
The tensai sighed and ran her fingers through her red hair. "I suppose you're right."
"Keep to the objective, Mai." Shizuru reminded her. "And what was your objective?"
"To not die?"
"Mai, are you serious?"
The redhead hooted with laughter and shook her head, waving her hand dismissively. "I'm kidding. It's to win, of course!"
"Yeah so...?"
"So?"
"Go out there and win."
Mai snickered. She nodded at Shizuru before heading back to the court. Mai always knew she could count on her captain to help her decide things. But Shizuru was also right; it wasn't Kumiko's fault that Sunamyou Shina happened to have breathtaking anger management issues. It wasn't her fault either that Shina could have possibly be risen by wolves that hated humans. She shrugged. Clearly left without much of a plan, she decided to go around it her way.
"Well, I'm waiting." Mai shrugged and readied herself to receive Kumiko's service. "Let's dance!"
Kumiko smirked and sent the ball at her. Mai charged at the ball and sent her a drive volley screaming at her. She leapt back and saw Kumiko deflect the shot for a baseline attack, running over to send it back. She watched Kumiko's movements carefully, noticing her slide on the court. She took note of every single detail in Kumiko's movement. How her wrist flexed, how her arm tensed, how her body shuddered whenever she received her shot – it was something that gave her the advantage in every match she had been into. She launched herself at the baseline and sent another forehand towards Kumiko's feet.
"15-0!"
"She's pretty fast, for someone who doesn't even join the track team." She overheard one of the male regulars, Mukahi Gakuto comment.
I don't need to join the track team to be fast, Mai smirked to herself. I just need my rhythm to win!
However, she noticed something else. Kumiko despite being pushed back showed no signs of stress. It was something she found weird. She looked towards the crowd and saw that she wasn't the only one who had found it strange. Shizuru's crimson red eyes kept themselves locked onto the court and Hyotei male team captain, Atobe Keigo had been drumming his fingers for quite awhile on the railing. His icy blue eyes seemed to focus on Kumiko and she knew from the pursed lips on the young man's face, there was something that Kumiko wasn't showing.
The Yuugetsu Chuu player slammed her serve again and Mai backhanded the ball in return. Kumiko rallied the ball back to her and Mai caught the shot for a drop. She saw the determined glint in Kumiko's eyes as she lobbed it high into the air again. To seal the deal, Mai retreated a few steps back before jumping high into the air. She twisted her body and sent a strong backhand smash spiraling straight down. Her eyes widened when she saw Kumiko take the stance again and tried to kick back in the air to catch the lob for a double smash. However, instead of the lob heading above Mai's head - the ball zoomed straight towards her chin. Unable to dodge in time, the ball slammed into Mai's chin and sent her plummeting to the ground.
"Mai!" Ayane screamed.
Haruka's eyes widened. "She's not slowing down!"
Without warning, Shizuru leapt off her chair and zoomed straight for Mai. Momo also sailed over the railings and both girls lunged and caught Mai, tumbling into a tangled heap.
"Ugh," Mai groaned and saw Momo and Shizuru, helping her up. "So much for the heroic save."
Shizuru shrugged. "A thank you would be nice."
"Thanks but, seriously - couldn't you just have waited for me to come down lower? I can catch myself like a cat."
"You were stunned and dazed by the shot. Tell me how you're going to do that."
"... Point," Mai conceded to her captain. She turned to her senior. "Thanks for the catch."
"No problem." Momo nodded. She turned towards Kumiko. "Well, I guess now we know she sort of snapped."
The tensai nodded. "I agree. To be honest, I expected something more explosive."
Shizuru sighed and shook her head. "Stop playing around, Mai. I know you could have returned this with return-aces."
"Wow, way to be anti-climatic."
"This isn't a movie, Mai. This is a match where your physical well-being is getting threatened."
"True, I guess. No need to be so uptight though, Shizuru."
The brunette scowled. "I'm just concerned considering she just smashed your jaw."
"It was a light smack," Mai snickered. "Kinda like a kiss. Only harder and... more painful."
"God." Shizuru dropped her face into her palm.
Mai laughed at the sight of her captain's face. "Now go shoo," she beckoned her captain to leave. "I'm gonna end this fast."
Watching Shizuru and Momo walk away, Mai sighed and returned to the match with Kumiko showing no hint of remorse that she had smacked her in the jaw. So, there's intent, Mai thought to herself. She clenched her racquet handle tight and exhaled deep. She remembered how she had utilized ballet to get through the first three games but now that Kumiko started to up the tension and rhythm, ballet didn't work anymore. Shrugging, she then turned to the coach's bench where she saw Shizuru take her seat. Despite the calm look in Shizuru's eyes, she couldn't help but shiver at the intensity of her gaze that disguised her cold fury.
"Finish her off." was what Shizuru's gaze said.
The moment she figured out what her captain said, an evil grin curved up Mai's lips. She turned to face Kumiko and cracked her knuckles and loosened her body once more. Forget grace and finesse, her mind coaxed her. This means full on power, Mai smirked. While she didn't like using brute strength, the tensai knew a kind of dance that utilized the strength of rhythm and her entire body. She readied herself again, looking at Kumiko who prepared to attack.
"You think you got me figured out?" Kumiko glared at her. "You're going to have a problem if that's the case."
Mai smirked. "You're the one who said that. Not me."
The moment she made her declaration, Hitomi began digging through her bag. Kiyone blinked in surprise when the bespectacled blonde pulled out a tripod and a camera along with a notebook. She pulled out her pencil, activated her camera, and sat down on the benches to watch the match intently.
"Uh, senpai," Kiyone gawked at the sight of the set-up. "What are you doing?"
"Now's a good time to at least scrape the surface of Mai's true power." Hitomi beamed with a eager delight glinting under her eyeglasses.
Kiyone blinked and looked towards the other people. Everyone who was once calm was now sitting at the edge of her seat and watched the match unfold. Mai stepped up her attack and sent a dazzling display of forehands and backhands. The sandy blonde freshman couldn't help but be amazed at the sight. It was like watching a falcon dive down and take out is prey with style.
"Were they always this good?" Kiyone whispered to herself. She shook her head. "This is amazing!"
"You bet it is," she heard someone say.
She looked up to see a towering grey haired boy with an amazed look twinkling in his dark chocolate brown eyes. "Wah! Who are you?"
The towering grey haired boy smiled. "I'm Ohtori Choutarou, sophomore."
"Oh cool. I'm Kiyone. Getsugan Kiyone."
Ohtori nodded and chuckled softly with a shake of his head. "Mai-chan has always been one of the best in the Hyotei Team. Every time there's a regulars' try out, people usually say that there are only five spaces left."
Kiyone blinked, bewildered. "Why five?"
"Because it's not just her but also Shizuru who takes the other spot. Nobody has been able to dethrone them ever since they got into Middle School."
"Really?"
A capped smaller boy nodded with a smirk. "Those two were actually matchless as a doubles pair to begin with. They played doubles back in elementary until people began to think that Shizuru-chan was getting too good for doubles. People thought that Shizuru should try singles and so, she's been playing singles and doubles every now and then. She's one of the few who can do that actually."
Kiyone gawked. A person who could play both singles and doubles consistently!? "Wow. Wait, who you?"
"That's Shishido-senpai." Ohtori introduced him to her. "He's my doubles partner."
The sandy blonde haired girl bobbed her head with a nod before looking back at the match. She could clearly see that everything tilted in Mai's favour. The red haired tensai had the reach she needed to cover the distance. Her movements were fluid; not a single movement or speck of energy wasted in achieving the shot she wanted. Even in her service games, Mai showed no strain in taking out Kumiko and barely showed any signs of stress. It was like she was having fun, Kiyone noticed.
"Game, Nagisaki: 5–0!"
Kumiko gasped for air, staring at Mai in disbelief. "You're a monster."
Mai shrugged. "So I have been told. Being wicked is a part of me." She had a devilish twinkle in her eye.
Kiyone watched Mai change her rhythm again. This time, it was much faster. Mai performed a Chassè and knocked back the ball straight into Kumiko's area. The mustard blonde girl gasped and panted while chasing after the ball, struggling to keep up with the red head. She could see not only was everyone dazzled by Mai's flick kicks, fan kicks, and other movements but even Kumiko was struggling to figure out her strategy.
"So that's how it is," she murmured. "Dancing was something she loved and also she used to disguise the true nature of her tennis."
Hitomi turned to Kiyone. "What? Did you say something?"
Kiyone shook her head abruptly, realizing that Hitomi was next to her. "Oh! Nothing! Nothing at all!"
She continued to watch the match as Kumiko crashed on the floor. Kiyone could see that her legs were numbed and destroyed from constantly trying to keep up with Mai's dancing patterns. The sandy-blonde was amazed and turned to Ayane who was bedazzled as much as everyone was in the court. Her fingers wrapped around the railing tight as she continued to watch the match. If there was anything she wanted, it was to improve her style. And it was just like what Ayane once told her when they were starting out.
Everyone has to start out somewhere.
Mai stood before Kumiko, seeing that the girl now lay crumpled on the floor. A small smirk curved up her lips. The moment the legs gave out, it was a closed game. Everything would be one-sided in her favour. However, she couldn't help but be surprised also by the match. Not many people had the guts to continue fighting against her Dance Tennis. Then again, she thought to herself. It was probably because many people just gave up too early.
Time to pick up the pace, she watched Kumiko take service. "Time to end the show!"
Kumiko, weakened, sent a serve but it lacked the power that it once had. Seeing her chance, Mai plastered the shot and blew it straight into Kumiko's side of the court.
"Return ace, Love -15!"
Frustration was all over Kumiko's face as she tried again.
"Return ace, love - 30!"
Kumiko's legs nearly gave out under her as she sent another serve. This time, there was a hardened look on Mai's face as she sent the ball zooming towards her. She yelped and leapt out of the way, ducking and hiding behind the shot.
"Return ace, love -40!"
Mai smirked. The game was ending well and on its way. She looked at the horizon and saw that the sun had already begun to drop. She turned back to Kumiko who tried again. With a shrug of annoyance, she yawned and waited for the ball to come in as the serve zoomed towards her. The red haired tensai saw the visible strain on Kumiko's face and decided to end it quickly. With a flick of her wrist, she sent a drive volley down the line.
"Game and match, Nagisaki: 6-0!"
Another win, another day, the tensai smirked in delight. She hadn't expected to take that long or to use one of her variations either. Then again, Mai shrugged. She was playing in the prefecturals after all. And if Hyotei would lose to people who never even qualified, it would be shameful! Shameful all the way to the cow, her senior, Shimohi Rin once said. She looked towards the board where she found the Singles Two board now with 6 on Hyotei's side and 0 on the Yuugetsu Chuu's side. Mai smirked and walked over to the net, seeing Kumiko struggle to get up. A sigh escaped her throat as she extended her hand out to shake it.
"Good match, save for that one shot."
"True," Kumiko paused for a moment, nodding. "It was an honour playing against you."
The tensai nodded and made her way back to the bleachers where her teammates waited for her. She saw Shizuru with an approving smile on her face, Ayane had begun clapping her hand with glee, Haruka and Rin had an approving look. Hitomi buried her face in her notebook and Kiyone giggled with delight.
"Yay! You won!" Kiyone clapped her hands in delight. "Congratulations!"
Mai chuckled and ruffled Kiyone's hair. "Thanks, it wasn't hard to be honest."
"Of course it wouldn't be. What kind of tensai would you be if it were?" Momo snickered with a fold of her arms.
Mai snickered and turned Shizuru. "Sorry for taking so long," she bowed in apology.
"It's alright. Better that than nothing,"Shizuru smiled. "Anything particular you'd like to note? Anything weird about your chin?"
"Nah, as far as I know I can still eat my favourite potato chips."
Shizuru chuckled lightly and looked at the score. It was then Mai noticed her face become more serious. "Looks like it's my turn."
Mai nodded and elbowed Shizuru with a grin. "Go get 'em, buchou."
Shizuru nodded at her teammates before facing the courts. It should be like every other match, Shizuru reassured herself. She plucked the black, red, and white racquet out of her back and gripped the white handle of her racquet. She inhaled sharply and strode forward with the crowds suddenly becoming quiet. She hated it when her steps could silence the crowd; it meant that everyone was looking at her.
And if she had to be honest, she hated it.
It drove her mad to no end that she was forced to let people watch her play. A sigh escaped her lips as she looked back at her teammates. Each of them had secured a win except Isane who had her head drooped down in shame. She shook her head and walked over to the tall, silver haired girl and knelt in front of her.
"Isane-senpai, there's no need to feel bad." Shizuru said and patted her knee. "You just got a bad draw, is all."
Isane shook her head. "I should have been able to stop her," she hiccuped, coughing from the damage on her ribs.
"Should have being the key word. But you weren't and that's okay."
Isane looked up at her. "Really?"
"Everyone learns something new from their losses. You gain more from losing. Not saying you should lose all the time."
"... I... I suppose so."
"Besides..."
Shizuru added with a smile. "You can close in on the net better now, right?"
Isane gasped. "You noticed?"
"Of course, it was quite an improvement from last time."
Seeing that Isane's face brightened up, Shizuru then turned to Ayane and Hitomi. "Ayane-chan, Hitomi-senpai, please have Isane-senpai brought to the infirmary immediately. I want to make sure she didn't break anything."
Ayane stiffened up and nodded immediately. "Sure, buchou!"
Hitomi nodded. "As far as we know, Momo and I only did first aid. We're going to need professional help if we're going to make sure she doesn't bleed out."
"Go ahead." Shizuru nodded. Her eyes wandered towards the Yuugetsu Chuu benches, glaring. "I think someone needs to know why they shouldn't just kick a nest like that."
If there was one thing Shizuru could not tolerate, it was someone else hurting the people she loved. Rage fuelled her but it wasn't anything explosive. It was a cold but sparking light inside her. Her blood boiled and her knuckles paled. It was something she would never condone: violence. Even if, she looked at her own hands. She shook her head and continued to step forward towards the court. Before she knew it, someone grabbed her wrist. Shizuru spun around to find that it was Mai grabbed who grabbed her wrist. She could see the concern flickering in the red-haired tensai's eyes.
"Shizuru, watch yourself out there." Mai warned.
"Mai, I'll be fine." Shizuru rolled her eyes.
"I know you're strong but you do have a tendency to fly off the handle."
"Better me than you."
"True but still, I know what it's like to be on the sidelines watching the person suffer from your fury."
Shizuru sighed and shook her head. She looked at her hands, recalling the times it trembled in fear. She remembered also the times that everything just went pitch black and all she focused on was obliterating her opponent. Shizuru, shaking her head, never did understand what it was. It was just something inside her that one day snapped like a twig. She remembered it was Mai whose life was in danger. The opponent had been obliterating Mai and attacking her physically. And it was then, she had lost her mind. According to Hitomi and what her seniors told her, it was as if she had become devoid of all emotion and life. Her mind had been consumed with the cold desire to destroy her opponent. She shook her head and nodded to Mai.
"I'll be fine."
"Don't break her down hard, buchou."
"I just might have to," Shizuru walked to the court with a powerful and terrifying emitting from every side of her body.
Kumiko looked back at the court where she and Nagisaki Mai once fought. She could feel the air around her becoming cold and calculating instead of the usual hot and adrenaline-fuelled that she had been used to. She looked towards the crowds surrounding the court as they all stood up and bowed to someone. She looked around only to see that the ordinary looking brunette was the one to step up to the court. Unlike her teammates, she didn't look much like a character. In fact, she seemed to be the most sane one among them.
Shaking her head, she sauntered back to the benches and sighed. "I'm sorry I couldn't get a win off her."
While the others murmured with an "it's okay", Atsui snorted. "That's because you're so pathetic next to her. Nagisaki made you look like a fat pup out there."
Mayumi stomped towards Atsui and stood in front of her. "These girls aren't ordinary middle school players, buchou! Did you see the way those four girls played doubles? Once or twice they exchanged words but that's it!"
Yuna nodded. "Shina may have won but she won it through violence. That's not tennis anymore!"
"Sure it is," Shina swung her leg with an innocent sardonic grin. "It's just my style of tennis."
Rima turned away in disgust. "Why did I even join this team? You guys do nothing but hurt people!"
Suzune stood up with her sister. "I agree and I have to admit: those two first years showed us what it's like to enjoy tennis! I know Kobayagi-san kept screaming at Getsugan-san but she did have a reason. They were quite funny though."
The captain snorted while getting off the bench. "You guys are just a bunch of losers, that's why!"
"It's not their fault," Kumiko snapped at her sister, "I think we're really outgunned here! Most of these players went to the Nationals before! This isn't a child's game! This is what's in the Nationals!"
The captain shoved her sister aside. "You should know how to respect your superiors! You're only vice captain anyway!"
Yuna clucked her tongue. "I hold deep respect for Hikifumi-san, she and Shimohi-san showed what it's like to make a great doubles pair!"
Suzune added. "Kobayagi-san and Getsugan-san aren't even identical twins and they played as if they had telepathy. This proves one thing: their skills are beyond ours!"
"If their skills are beyond ours," the captain pointed at Shina. "Then why did she win against that Uchiha girl!"
"It was out of default," Kumiko shot back defensively. "If Uchiha-san wasn't so badly injured, perhaps she would have won the match 7-5!"
Shina sneered. "I doubt it though because Uchiha-san was scared of the net."
"But she conquered that fear in the end," Yuna stated slowly. "In fact, she scared you."
Without warning, the small girl lunged at Yuna. The other girls yelped as Shina slammed her senior against the wall. "Shut up!"
The captain didn't seem to care while she walked on the court. "I'll be starting my match now. Bye."
Rin cheered her captain on. "Alright, time to show Hyotei's ace card!"
The crowd howled as Shizuru stood in the tennis court with her determination fuelling her. She looked towards her teammates as the cheers thundered all throughout. All the people from courts gathered to watch and she even saw members of different clubs from Hyotei closing in to watch. A small chuckle bubbled from her throat when she saw her teammates cheering her on. It was something she could use instead of having to rely on that cold fury. She knew exactly what Mai was talking about that time. It was a power in her that even she didn't understand.
Haruka jabbed Rin in the ribs while coaxing the girl. "Rin, your manners..."
"Mou~, Haruka-chan, I'm sorry!" The raven haired girl pouted while sitting on the bench.
Momo chuckled. "No matter what that girl does, that captain of Yugetsu Chuu won't even make Shizuru think twice about her injury."
"Singles One: Yugetsu Chuu's Motomiya Atsui and Hyotei Gakuen's Kurenai Shizuru, please report to the court." The arbiter declared.
Hearing the announcement, Shizuru walked towards the net and stood in front of Motomiya Atsui. The girl had vibrant auburn brown hair similar to hers save for hers being darker. She was almost the same height as her, reaching by her ear. She wore the usual uniform of Yuugetsu Chuu of pink and violet. She had opal purple irises with a haughty smirk curving up her lips.
Atsui tousled her hair around her finger. "So, you're their captain?" She turned to Team Hyotei. "This brunette hussy is your captain?"
Shizuru narrowed her eyes but instead kept a small but cordial smile. "I'm sorry if I do not reach your expectations. But last time I checked, auburn is a shade of brown and red."
"So what!?"
"It also means you could be the brunette hussy."
"Oh shut up!"
"I'm pointing out the obvious. You set yourself up."
Atsui hissed. "You'll pay for that."
"I'm not sure about that. But let's start since you're so determined in finishing me off. Now, which one do you choose: smooth or rough?"
"Rough." Atsui seethed through her teeth.
Seeing the racquet land on rough, Shizuru took the racquet and went to the baseline. She glanced at Atsui with a cold glare and then at Sunamyou Shina. A part of her bubbled with pure cold hatred. She winced for a moment, stopping mid way. Shizuru gasped and heaved for a moment before checking on Isane again. I can't forgive her, she told herself. To actually use a small child to do her bidding - it disgusted Shizuru to no end.
Atsui threw the ball in the air mockingly. "I'll go easy on you first because I don't think you can handle a high speed serve!"
Watching the serve descend, Shizuru returned the serve with twice the speed towards Atsui which burst right past the latter. "Return ace, Love 15!"
Grabbing the ball, Atsui served again this time even faster. "Don't bother in trying to butter me up, freak!"
Shizuru remained calm. She breathed deeply and listened to the zooming of the ball. I have faced worse, she told herself. The shot barely screamed or tore through the air unlike a few she had heard long before. Waiting for the perfect shot, Shizuru returned the shot. Drawing the backhand from below, she cut the ball right below and sent it zooming straight towards Atsui's right-side.
"Love 30!"
While Shizuru returned to her position again, Kiyone turned to Hitomi. "I don't get it. Why does everyone use two fisted backhands while nee-san only uses one?"
Hitomi ruffled Kiyone's hair and explained. "Bjorn Borg was the first one who popularized the two fisted backhand. His grip was extra long unlike our racquets now but buchou well – because she's more of finesse and style, she uses only the single handed backhand."
Mai helped Kiyone understand the concept. "It's like Ayane-chan using the Jack Knife almost in every shot because of her two fisted backhand while buchou uses the what I dub as the Sword Draw backhand. Shizuru draws her racquet down from the ground like a sword from its guard. To her, it's basically one of her natural shots. She won't put any spin on it first and then she will."
Another backhand spun right on the singles line while Shizuru portrayed a beautiful single handed backhand. "Come at me with all you have."
Atsui couldn't believe that she was losing to a second year student while firing another serve. "I won't let you get past me!"
Shizuru fired another forehand right at the corner of the baseline and Atsui tried to deflect it only to make it a lob.
"Yeah, chance ball!" Rin beamed.
The younger captain jumped high into the air and made a shattering smash on the court. "Game, Kurenai: 1-0!"
Landing gracefully on the ground, Shizuru offered with a gentle smile. "May I offer a little advice–"
"–Spare me the junk." Atsui dismissed her and stormed off. "I don't need advice from someone younger than me."
Shizuru shook her head. I didn't know I offended her that badly, she thought to herself. She returned back to the baseline and exhaled sharply. She wanted to end this match quickly and the only way to do that was to go full out. But she's not even worth it, her pride groaned. Shizuru shook her head; her dignity demanded that she always went full out with her opponents.
Shizuru exhaled sharply and sent the service screaming towards the Yuugetsu Chuu captain. Atsui, furious, charged at the ball for a drive volley only to have Shizuru deflect it back. Frustration etched itself on the Yuugetsu Chuu captain's face as she parried it with a backhand but Shizuru returned the shot again. Atsui bolted for the corner to rally it back to the Hyotei captain. Shizuru breathed in deep and continued to keep up the speed with her forehand deflecting the shots.
"I got you now!" Dragging her racquet on the ground, she threw dirt into the captain's eyes forcing the Hyotei captain to falter in her shot and was forced to lob.
Shizuru yelped and staggered back, shaking her head. Tch, she blinded me!
"Shizuru, it's a smash!" Mai jumped up from her chair.
Atsui sneered and leapt up into the air, preparing for a smash. "Let's see how you like it when you're blind!"
Trusting Mai's word, Shizuru waited for the ball to descend before cutting it beneath. The ball spun with a slight clip before twirling around and landing on the net. She shook her head to throw away the dust from her eyes where she saw Atsui gawking at her. The tennis ball slipped over the net and bounced on the other side.
"If you continue to play like this," Shizuru warned. "You're not going to get anywhere."
"Like I said," Atsui glared at the younger captain, "I don't need your crap."
Watching her walk away, Shizuru looked at her racquet for a moment. A sigh escaped her lips as she recalled the time she had fought someone violent. She shut her eyes and tried to calm herself down, trying to keep her blood at a simmer rather than a violent boil. Shizuru breathed in deep before looking back at her opponent. If anything, she wanted to end this quickly before she did something she would regret.
Exhaling sharply, she nodded to herself and sent a service again. She added a little more power to it and let Atsui go after the ball. The two rallied once more with a sharp exchange of forehands and backhands. Shizuru narrowed her eyes and bolted forward for a drive volley until Atsui met her with the same attack. The Hyotei captain frowned and deflected the shot with a drop shot.
"So, you're an all-rounder. Quite the player, I'd say. You look like you're hiding something from me."
Giving her a backhand, Shizuru remained silent. Her eyes watched the ball fly from her racquet as she remained expressionless. Fuming in anger, Atsui did a powerful forehand aiming for Shizuru's knees. "Let's see you try and return that!"
Time seemed to slow down for a moment when Shizuru had a faint smile. Atsui's face paled when the ball suddenly vanished upon impact from Shizuru's racquet. She stood there, dumbed by the sight. Only to hear a loud explosion echo on her side with the tennis ball rolling towards the wall.
"30 Love!"
Shizuru smirked. She winced however at the impact her arms had to take in from the ball. She shook her arm a bit, loosening up any of the tense muscles that tightened itself on that shot. A chuckle bubbled from her throat and she looked at Atsui who reminded her of the girl Ayane defeated on her first day. What was her name again? Shizuru pondered to herself. She shook her head; that wasn't really important now was it?
Mai smiled. "That's only her basic speed."
"You're the quiet type." Atsui smirked when Shizuru picked up the ball again to serve. "But the fact that you just give me that face just irritates me! Hope you lose!"
Shizuru bounced the ball several times before taking a look where to aim. "Well, that utterly depends when you'll stop talking."
Fury decorated itself on Atsui's face as she prepared to blast Shizuru's serve back at her. Upon seeing her face, the Hyotei female captain couldn't help but roll her eyes. Shizuru scoffed mentally to herself; anger powered by sheer hysteria didn't do much. While it did give a person a lot of power, they gave up their common sense in return. She shook her head and fired her service. I will not have this idiot annoy me, Shizuru reminded herself. However, the captain felt she already failed that portion of the thought. She wanted to wring the girl's neck as is.
Falling back on her butt, Atsui screeched. "What in the world was that?"
"An ace," Shizuru replied as a matter of a factly.
Atsui slammed her racquet on the court. "That's crap! There's no such thing as an ace! Lucky serve would be more like it!"
The arbiter sternly scolded, "Motomiya-san, warning for racquet abuse and profanities."
Atsui clucked her tongue while returning to the baseline. "Che, I'd like to see you do that-!"
Without letting her finish, Shizuru silenced her with another ace. "Game, Kurenai: 2-0! Change court!"
Walking towards the other side, Atsui snatched the ball with a growl. "Let's see you return the next shot!"
Shizuru said nothing and continued to make her way to the other side while Atsui sent in her service. "Return this!"
The ball flew so fast that it disappeared in an instant but Shizuru mumbled. "There is no such thing as a ball that disappears into thin air."
Countering it with another spin, Shizuru sent the ball back except this time when it bounced; it curved in a seventy five degree angled direction and disappeared. A small smile curved up her lips as she found the ball reappear and roll near the net.
"Love 15!"
Atsui felt her jaw drop when she found the ball by the net already. "What was that?"
"Her signature move - something that was created out of inspiration," Mai beamed."The Gliding Dragonfly."
Rin's eyes widened. "What does that do?"
The red haired tensai explained to her teammates. "Instead of making it roll towards the opponent, when it bounces, it curves away and disappears. Shizuru puts a powerful spin on the ball by sliding it with a certain amount of strength. Unlike the Zero Shiki drop shot of Seigaku's Tezuka Kunimitsu and the Tsubame Gaeshi of Fuji Syuusuke, this one requires no spin from the opponent. It just gets stronger if you hit it towards her with a spin. But, it's already undefeatable even if the shot is just a sinker because at times – it just stays in that position, it doesn't bounce towards the opponent."
Kiyone shrugged her shoulders. "Won't she get tennis elbow with the way she plays?"
"As long as she keeps her form, Kiyone, then, she won't get any," Momo reassured the smaller one.
Haruka tried to keep up with Mai's explanation. "So, because of the heavy amount of spin on the ball, it disappears and rolls towards the net, right?"
"The speed of the spin is what makes the shot disappear into thin air but when even if you have motion sight, it tends to have you dizzy." Mai sheepishly admitted, "I learned that the hard way."
Hitomi smiled while she watched Shizuru do another backhand calmly down the line. "I'll need another set of notebooks for data taking."
Kiyone cheered her on, "Go go, nee-chan, take her down hard! Squish her like a lemon!"
"You can see in her eyes that nothing will get past her." Mai smiled while she watched her former doubles partner do another drop shot.
Momo nodded in acknowledgement. "Hyotei values several things: first is leadership, second is power and third and most of all - virtue."
Shizuru flew high into the air and gave her a vertical smash that whizzed right past Atsui's ear. "Love 40!"
"I'm sorry for making you miss the game, Vice Captain Kobayagi." Isane ruefully bowed down while the doctor bandaged her arms. "I'm sure you would have wanted to watch Shizuru-buchou's game."
Ayane shook her head. "It's okay! As long as Shizuru-buchou is with them, they're not going to lose!"
The silver haired senior laughed at Ayane's enthusiasm but at the same time admired her respect for Shizuru. Anyone who came across Shizuru at first wouldn't take her seriously. The girl looked increasingly ordinary save for her crimson red eyes and her long wavy brown hair. Other than that, all the other regulars stood out like a sore thumb. Ayane had tangerine hair and green eyes and Kiyone was sandy blonde with liquid blue eyes. Among the seniors, she had her silver hair and emerald green eyes, Rin had jet black hair with dark amber gold eyes, Haruka had pink hair, Hitomi had blonde curly hair, and and Momo had dark violet hair. For the sophomores, Mai had flaming red hair with bright amber gold eyes along with her bronzed skin.
But that's what made Shizuru stick out: her ability to look completely natural despite being surrounded by unique ones.
Isane nodded. "She truly is amazing, isn't she?"
"I agree," Ayane replied. "From the way she plays, she's way better than Atobe-san!"
"Oh? Why so?"
"Simple," Ayane stood up.
Oh dear, Isane laughed to herself as Ayane began her rant.
Ayane ranted, "He's nothing but egotistical! Everything's about him! Nothing else! He thinks he's so beautiful, he thinks he's all that! I never knew a guy who carried a mirror in his pocket just so he can stare at himself anytime anywhere all freakin' day! I mean – buchou's pretty but even she doesn't do that! You're also pretty, Isane-senpai. I know you don't have a mirror in your pocket. Sure you have lip balm but the days are humid! You have a proper use for that thing! I bet he even has lip stick!"
Isane couldn't help but giggle. "He doesn't have lip stick but mirror, yeah, he does."
"Annoying, egotistical, pompous, narcisstic, vain, arrogant, loud mouthed," Ayane enumerated every single one. "Haughty, ignorant, overbearing, conceited, disdainful, fashion-challenged, spoiled, bratty and irritating jerk! He has no class, asks Kabaji when the poor guy only says 'usu' to whatever the so called 'ore-sama' asks and even won't go to the supermarket alone! Doesn't anyone do his groceries or whatever in his house!"
The silver haired senpai watched Ayane seat herself again angrily. "Kobayagi-san, Atobe-san isn't as bad as you think. He did contribute a lot to Hyotei."
"Yeah, like what exactly did he contribute! A couple of pink walls and flowery set ups?" Ayane shot back in annoyance.
Isane decided to explain it to her. "Did you know that… buchou's only on scholarship?"
"Huh?" Ayane didn't know where that came from.
Isane knew that this got her attention. "Atobe-san one day found her in a no namer school with good grades and so, because he found her ability as a tennis player amazing, he sponsored her. If it weren't for him, she wouldn't be here. She'd be in a no-namer and be making a name for that school. If she didn't come here, who knows? She could have ended up in Yugetsu Chuu."
Ayane was horrified. "I'd rather have her anywhere but there!"
"I know but Atobe-san isn't as bad as you think. Why do you think Shizuru-chan is very polite to him even if he demands something from her?"
"That still doesn't justify how bratty he is!"
At Ayane's fury, Isane found herself unsure on how to pacify the tangerine haired girl. Nonetheless, a part of her always had been curious as to where Ayane's hatred came from. Sure he did a lot of insane things but to merit an explosive rage every morning and not lose his cool. That was one thing she had to give Atobe credit for. She glanced at her bandaged arm and then at the doctor who began washing her hands to then work on her scraped knees. Isane could only sigh; this was going to take some time.
"Game, Kurenai: 3-0!" The arbiter declared while watching an exhausted Atsui makes attempts against Shizuru.
Shizuru kept calm and looked on an exhausted and enraged Atsui. She could feel her feet hurting but she refused to show it on her face. She took short breaths, trying to calm her pounding heart. Stay calm, control your breathing, she reminded herself. It was one of the techniques she had picked up to keep up her stamina. Her diaphragm burned. Sweat poured down her face from the arid heat while watching Atsui grip the net angrily.
"You're supposed to be nothing by now!" Atsui shrieked. "I've volleyed, smashed, forehanded and backhanded you and you returned them with that technique of yours, I don't even know what it is!"
Not my fault you can't aim properly, Shizuru wanted to say but shook her head instead. "I chose skill and finesse while you chose brute force. And brute force is often times followed by brute idiocy."
Atsui rose to her feet and snarled, "Shut up, you know nothing!"
"So says the one screaming angrily half the time during the game."
"What did you say!?"
Shizuru couldn't believe how this girl could easily get so riled. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes and kept her calm and blaise expression. You only have one job, the captain reminded herself. She looked at her racquet and then at the score. She had to finish this; fighting a nuisance like Atsui began to drive her insane!
"Get this, bitch!" Atsui fired the serve.
Shizuru watched the ball and noticed the spin. Seeing that it had an awkward spin, she waited for it to hit the ground. The moment it did, she immediately scooped the ball up and sent it flying for a volley. Atsui yelped and brought the racquet to her face to deflect the ball back at her. Seeing the ball fly past her, Shizuru bolted for the baseline and sent a forehand. The two captains dueled it out with fast shots. Shizuru had to admit however; Atsui did have some talent. Now, if only she stopped screaming so much. Suddenly, Atsui hit the ball and made it disappear!
What the, Shizuru froze for a moment.
Mai shot up from her chair. "Shizuru, watch out for your eye!"
Hearing Mai's warning from the sidelines, Shizuru kept still and waited for the ball. "Thanks!"
Atsui smirked at Shizuru. "But there is something called a ball that can hit people now is there?"
The ball appeared right under Shizuru's eye and on reflex; the Hyotei captain backed up and sliced it down. "Tch..."
Shizuru's shot glided past the net and stop there at one point to bounce.
"Love-15!"
Atsui hissed in annoyance while she sent another ball to attack Shizuru under the eye again. However, she was ready for it. Giving her a powerful backhand, Shizuru attacked the corners. Atsui yelped as the ball zoomed past her and landed right on the corner.
"Love-thirty!"
Oshitari chuckled and nodded at the sight. He had seen Shizuru play once and that was good enough for him to know how powerful she was. The kansai prodigy knew that all those who thought Shizuru was just ordinary was in for a slap of their lives. The first time she showed up was the first time he had seen Hyotei Gakuen's captain of that time, Kotetsu Naomi break into a large amount of sweat and fall on her knees. For a woman to be known as the Queen of Hyotei, Naomi had to have a considerable amount of skill. That title was only given to the best of the best. And today just reminded him why Naomi had easily relinquished the crown and title to the brunette.
"If Kotetsu were here," Oshitari murmured with a shake of his head. "I wonder what would happen."
"Who are you talking about, Yuushi?" Gakuto asked and peered over his shoulder.
"The former captain before Shizuru."
"You mean, Kotetsu Naomi?"
"Yes, Gakuto."
Shishido shook his head. "But didn't Shizuru scare her into submission?"
"In a way, yes," Oshitari said and shook his head. "It wasn't anything in Shizuru's personality that made her scary. It was the sheer potential and the fact that she was hard working that terrified any player. Unlike Mai who easily secured a spot in the team, Shizuru clawed her way to the top. And there was something also that snapped inside her that day."
"What do you mean snapped?" Shishido raised an eyebrow. "Shizuru-chan looks fine to me!"
Ohtori shook his head. "Actually, Oshitari-senpai might be right."
"What? That she lost a nut and a bolt?"
"Not like that, senpai. But there was a time that she didn't have talent but all of a sudden it just burst out and took everybody down."
"Like some inner genius awakening or something?"
Oshitari nodded."You can say that." He then turned to Atobe. "You were there when it happened, weren't you?"
Atobe visibly shuddered but scoffed to hide his fear. "Ore-sama knows."
"It was the first time even you wanted to pee in your pants. We were looking for your tennis ball I think."
"Ore-sama has no idea what you're talking about."
"Face it, Atobe. And even I admitted it to myself. The moment I saw it happen, even I couldn't sleep for a few days."
Atobe scowled. "Oshitari, keep your mouth shut. We shall never speak of this."
Oshitari nodded. It was a day that terrified even the King of Hyotei. While some of the girls were fearsome, Shizuru struck a fear like no other. Her dead stare, her voice just fading and her emotions appeared to have drained all from her body. She focused only on one thing: to take down her opponent no matter what. Unlike Sunamyou Shina who screamed like an angry beast, Shizuru kept a cold and professional demeanor. It was also the same day that Mai had been pit against a vicious player from Seigaku. If causing Shizuru to snap had been Naomi's intention, she did an extremely good job. The aftermath effects had taken over; Shizuru now had a more professional and more regal air around her.
Jirou squealed in delight again, "She did it again! She did it again! It's the Gliding Dragonfly!"
Hiyoshi muttered under his breath, "I must... overthrow her..."
Hearing their words, Oshitari walked over to the women's team. He stood next to Mai who kept her eyes glued onto her friend.
"It's been awhile since I last saw buchou this way," Mai admitted mildly. "Despite that face, you can see that she's a bit... sad."
Watching Shizuru easily prevail over Yugetsu Chuu's Motomiya Atsui, Oshitari nodded in agreement. The Shizuru he remembered had formerly been more aggressive. In first year, she was a little more talkative. But as the months passed, the girl became elegant and more reserved. Her aggression became a thing of the past and she had become a pacifist. However, that didn't mean that she held back. The more she released her power. Oshitari watched Shizuru glide through the air and perform the Subera Kagerou once more, taking the next game.
"Game, Kurenai: 4-0!"
Atsui slammed her fist in the ground. "You little prick, how is it that you can keep using that technique again and again?"
Shizuru kept quiet and focused on the court. Her ears rang with Atsui's shrieking and protests but she chose to ignore them. A sigh bubbled from her throat as she looked over to the bleachers and saw everyone keeping their eyes on her. But she could also see Atobe's sharp icy blue gaze on her. She remembered that day; how could she not? It was the day that everything went down and she refused to hold back. That day, she took no prisoners. Ever since then, she had done the same thing. And now, Atobe expected it from her to do it again.
With that thought in mind, she launched the next bullet serve. One after the other, she didn't care if Atsui screamed or not. As long as she was an opponent and obstacle to the Hyotei Team, she had no hesitation in cutting the person down. The tennis shots exploded one after the other as the people cheered. Atsui staggered back in terror as Shizuru prepared for the final serve to seal the next game in her favour.
"Who are you?" Atsui shivered.
Who are you?
It was the same question Naomi asked her before she graduated. It was the same question she constantly asked her whenever she had fallen. When Shizuru fell to her knees, Naomi would always grab her by the chin and look her dead in the eye. The former captain would demand of her, who are you? With that, she drilled into her head on who she was supposed to be.
Shizuru shook her head. "My name is Kurenai Shizuru and I am the captain of Hyotei."
With that, Shizuru exploded the next service onto the court. Atsui screamed as the ball's impact thundered throughout the court. When it made contact, the ball burned a mark into the court before zooming straight into the hedges and the wall right behind Atsui.
"Game, Kurenai: 5-0!"
Shizuru stood and waited for the serve. She could see Atsui hobble towards the ball and pick it up. It was clear that Atsui was afraid. Her legs shuddered and her body twitched the moment she picked up the ball. Shizuru nodded. This match won't last long anymore.
Jumping high into the air, Atsui fired a service right at the middle of the service court. But Shizuru instinctively moved back to weaken the shot and sliced it. "I've returned it, what next?"
"This!" Atsui did a powerful volley which would have knocked out Shizuru's racquet if not for her quick reflex.
Shizuru backhanded the shot with a top spin. "Well, let's end this shall we?"
Atsui lobbed it by accident. "Shut up!"
Shizuru leaped high into the air. "You let yourself be distracted, this is why I'm going to win."
A smash exploded on to the left court giving Shizuru the point, "Love 15!"
Atsui jumped for another driving backhand from Shizuru. "Love Thirty!"
Mai began packing her bags cheerfully. "I think buchou will be finish in the next thirty seconds."
Rin watched Shizuru pull out another Gliding Dragonfly. "Yep, this game's ours."
Atsui fell flat on her face when Shizuru did a pile driving forehand down the line. "Game and set, Kurenai: 6-0!"
Momo's eyes widened. "Not even a single point."
Mai clapped her hands. "Yeah, that's Shizuru for you!"
Walking towards Atsui, Shizuru decided to help her up. "Are you alright?"
Slapping her hand away in disgust, Atsui marched away. "I don't need help from a haughty queen like you."
Shizuru moved away from the court when the score was announced.
"Game and match, Hyotei Gakuen: 4-1!"
Haruka cheered while Rin glomped her doubles partner. Kiyone whooped with joy; Mai and Momo applauded their captain. Hitomi chuckled with a small smile, muttering something about Shizuru's victory being expected. The moment she won, the arbiter called the teams for them to shake hands with one another. Shizuru nodded and beckoned her team to come down. All the Hyotei girls lined up with the Yuugetsu Chuu players as they bowed to one another.
"Thank you for the match!" All the players said in unison.
After their usual courtesy bow, Shizuru headed towards the gates. "Let's check on Isane-senpai and Ayane-chan. I'm curious about the results."
Hitomi nodded. "Alright. Shall we go then?"
The team stood in full assembly. "Yes!"
With their captain, Kurenai Shizuru leading them, Yamaguchi Hitomi as their manager and Kobayagi Ayane as their vice captain, they knew this year would be different. Momo looked at her team mates composing of: Captain Kurenai Shizuru, Vice Captain Kobayagi Ayane, Genius Nagisaki Mai, Control Master Getsugan Kiyone, Researcher Yamaguchi Hitomi, Baseliner Uchiha Isane, the Twin Dragons: Shimohi Rin and Hikifumi Haruka and she, traditional old Sanada Momo.
"This year is going to be so much more different."
-That's chapter 3! Please review!