Me: Hi guys, now that Ayane's been recovered – what will the girls do to escape now? Ai's currently fighting through stuff and yep – their tennis matches will start soon. Thank you for the multiple reviews that you've been sending me! Although the story alerts, favourite author notifications are very much appreciated, the reviews help a lot more in updating. XD By the way, I do not own Prince of Tennis! I just own the OCs and the plotline of THIS story – not the anime or manga itself.
Chapter 47 – Coming Back to the Light
Ayane trailed after Natsuki and Florence as they led her back to the private plane provided by the Amakusa clan, pondering whether or not she should have remained. Despite her soullessness during the match, she shivered violently upon remembering her captain's brutal nature. The speed of her buchou's attacks rendered her speechless as the brunette didn't even show any signs of fatigue or instances in which she had drawn out her sword or inched away from her spot. Fuuka's strength equally terrified her; she glanced at her hands before shaking her head in distraught and disbelief. Perspiration trickled down her forehead as she halted in her steps.
"Guys, how long are you going to keep fighting," Ayane trembled, hugging her body tightly to prevent any more shivering. "The battles out there – they're not normal!"
"Nothing was ever normal in our lives," Natsuki shook her head with acceptance before sighing dejectedly with her thick kansai accent, raking her fingers through her charcoal gray hair. "You can't expect things to always be served on a silver platter. All our lives were screwed up by the wheels of Fate – nothing ever came easy to us. Did you think your captain had a bright happy life? Please, not when her father's an insane megalomaniac hell-bent in resurrecting whatever that demon's called and unaware that she's alive; the hell with it – she doesn't even remember who she really is. Fuuka's got a father who sold her off to the government for some cash for gambling, Florence was born with a bad set of lungs but heck – her parents dote upon her like anything. Ai was created solely for providing Yukimura Seiichi another set of organs and serving L.X.A and the government and me – I lost my parents in a car crash. The only thing remaining in our memories is the pain and sorrow we've endured to become women we are today. It's like an orange; the juice is sweet but the skin and zest taste like crap. Not many people are allowed to have the juice – many of them in the end receive the rinds after others have taken in the sweetness of the juice. Sweet can be memorable but bitterness is unforgettable."
The Hyotei vice captain remained silent, reflecting deeply on the Shitenhouji captain's words. Her emerald green eyes flickered with sadness before glancing back towards the darkness that she had emerged from. She balled her hands into a fist, biting hard into her lower lip as the images of her captain fighting desperately flashed in her mind. Her feet cemented themselves to the ground as she hesitated to advance towards the airplane.
"Amakusa-san," she trembled before choking out a sentence, fighting back the tears of guilt stinging her eyes. "Is there any way I can help my captain?"
"Ah wouldn' suggest that Sugarcube. Ya might as well gonna git yerself shot," Natsuki mournfully noted before looking at the endless darkness. "All ya can do fer now's fight fer the gold for her in the Regionals. Secondly, stop making yer team worry with yer kidnapping and ahm sure Atobe's going to throw a hissy fit. The best course of action would be keeping the rest ya have seen as a secret. Otherwise, Florence and ah are gonna have ta put ya down, permanently.
Ayane swallowed hard while imagining the torture the two could put her through before following them on board the aerial vehicle. She made her way to the seat, wondering how the team managed without her and their captain. Natsuki boarded along with her as she set the auto-pilot on the airplane before nodding reassuringly at the vice captain. Florence turned on all the air conditioning units while programming everything to make sure the Hyotei female would be comfortable on her way back.
"Dun worry 'bout it Sugar Cube," Natsuki pointed to a cordless phone on the side. "There's a phone there that ya can use in case ya wanna contact any of us. Also, whatever ya do – don' touch the controls. That's yer only way home unless you know how to fly an airplane which yer purdy much like a one legged man in a butt-kickin' contest. Yeah and there's cable – an' lotsa candies courtesy of the crazy Yukimura out there fighting. Shizuru also brought some magazines and novels to tide ya over the ride. It's a three hour journey back to Tokyo and don' worry 'bout it – we already have clearance for ya ta land in the airport. Oh the heck with it, call Atobe."
Ayane giggled softly while looking over her cellphone, dialling up Atobe's number.
First thing I bet he's gonna do is say that 'ore-sama is wondering how you got kidnapped so easily despite your irritating voice'
The dial tone greeted her as the ringing continued on for the next ten minutes until the phone clicked.
"Arn~, ore-sama speaking," –the usual pompous voice echoed through the phone. "Wait, Ayane – is it you?"
"What do you think, mole diva," Ayane chuckled lightly, leaning against the chair with a glass of strawberry iced tea she found in the refrigerator. Somehow, it feels nice to hear his voice...
Suddenly, the line became very silent until Atobe softly broke the silence. "I'm sorry..."
Ayane's eyes widened for a moment as she pondered on what he said. "Wait, why are you saying sorry? The hell with that – you're not using ore-sama!"
"Ore-sama is more than capable of finding you by himself," –Ayane's sudden shock fell away as she heard the bitterness lacing his voice. "Yet, he had to rely..."
"Atobe, it's not easy," Ayane sighed dejectedly at the same time, wondering how to nurse his bruised and wounded ego. "Kazama – I mean, Kurenai-buchou, Hoshimura-san, Amakusa-san, Souma-san and Yukimura-san have been training in this line of field for a very long time. At least, I wasn't injured or assaulted or anything. I mean – the only thing I'll probably come home with is a few bruises."
Atobe slammed his hands on the table, shocking Ayane on the other end. "Where did those come from?"
"Uh, did I say bruises," Ayane quickly shifted him away from the topic as soon as she could, realizing how nasty Atobe could get upon hearing when his girlfriend gets hurt. "I meant blouses!"
"Ayane, the two words are very different in sound and meaning," Atobe scoffed disbelievingly, easily detecting her lie. "You're as horrible as Kurenai when it comes to lying."
Ayane pouted on the other the end, folding her arms impishly. "Atobe, promise me you won't murder anyone when I tell you."
"Call me Keigo and maybe I'll reconsider," Atobe relaxed a little, remembering that Ayane had barely addressed him by his first name.
"I want that to be certain," Ayane argued back, tightening her grip on the cellphone. God, please don't make Keigo argue with me...
Silence deafened the cabin as Ayane slumped deeper into the bucket seats, wondering how to appease a murderous Atobe on the other side. The dangerous part about the violet haired captain remained in the fact that everything he needed was just a push of a button away. She ran her fingers through her long tangerine hair frustratingly while contemplatively tapping her chin. Sweat trailed down her cheeks as she held in her breath, praying Atobe would agree.
"Alright," Atobe sighed through the phone, leaning against the computer chair. "First question, where are you?"
"I'm on an airplane heading back to Tokyo," Ayane carefully spoke until realization hit her like a lightning bolt. "Damn it, Keigo! I should be worried about you! You're the one who took a shot to the hip! Secondly, there wasn't only one bullet fired – it was repeated and you could probably have one imbedded in your knee or any of your joints! Do you know how dangerous that is? To get you walking again, you're going to need surgery and rehabilitation! You're doing a Tezuka stunt!"
Atobe brushed it off uncaringly, waving his hand dismissively. "Ayane, it doesn't matter. Ore-sama survived completely unscathed."
"No, you're not," Ayane snapped angrily, throwing Atobe off guard. "Did you have your wound checked? If that lodged deep into your hip, you're never gonna play tennis again! What is wrong with you? I'm a big girl! You're a guy who just took a bullet and cheated death after trying to play the hero! Are you some kind of a nut!"
"Ore-sama will admit he is a nut," Atobe sighed while raking his slender fingers through his purple hair. "But, he is only a nut because he cares."
Ayane sighed helplessly at her predicament as a horrible awkwardness wedged itself in between them once again. Glancing out the window, the tangerine haired vice captain melancholically gazed at the drifting clouds as images of the battle continued to flash in her head. The desperation flickering in Shizuru's eyes and the murderous intent spilling out of Rigald's body caused her to shudder fearfully especially with the image of blood splattering against her face. She shivered before bringing the phone closer to her face.
"Okay," Ayane inhaled sharply before messing up her strawberry blonde hair. "The truth is – I don't remember much other than being KO'ed with chloroform and being shoved into the trunk of the car. After that, I was tossed out into some warehouse where there were those neon green tube thingies that had stuff that were basically unidentifiable. The heck with it, you'd say it was the worst looking thing you ever seen."
Atobe nodded slowly on the other end, gathering and imagining the information Ayane gave him. "Did you hear anything outside? Do you remember anything distinguishable to narrow the place down?"
"All I know is that I left some crazy port since there were some seagulls and I heard rolling waves," the tangerine haired vice captain reminisced slowly before noticing the airport below her. "Keigo, by the way – where are you? I don't hear a crowd or a Hyotei cheer behind you."
"Ore-sama had himself brought to Tokyo Airport," Atobe responded smoothly while looking up into the sky, suddenly walking forward. "Ore-sama sees a huge airplane with the Amakusa symbol scrawled across it. Ore-sama will be there to get you."
Ayane sighed as the dial-tone met her ears, clamping her phone shut as the airplane slowly began to descend. While the tangerine haired teenager cast a weary glance out the window, she pondered upon the predicament of her captain. As the clashes of steel continued to echo in her mind, the female mindlessly descended the steps as Atobe rushed over only to grab her by the shoulders.
"Ayane, what happened," Atobe stared into her emerald orbs, shaking her violently. "Are you alright? Did they do anything to you?'
Ayane snapped out of her daze, grabbed the older male's collar and shook him equally as hard as Atobe's icy blue eyes blazed wildly. "Ato- I mean Keigo, stop shaking me! You're not helping by shaking out all the information, you shit-for-brains!"
Atobe, upon hearing her response, weakly let go before averting his eyes and letting out a defeated sigh. "Ayane..."
Seeing the worry flicker in Atobe's eyes, Ayane slowly raised her hand to his cheek. "Hey, I'm alright. Don't worry about it. You said it yourself; it'll take more than a tank to bring me down. Besides, you don't need more white hair – your hair colour's gonna look awfully wrong if it's purple and white. Besides, where's that insane arrogance you always had especially when it came to other people getting caught and not you?"
Atobe chuckled humourlessly before glancing at the transport. "The Amakusa family actually let you use the jet? Who was with you?"
"Amakusa-san and Hoshimura-san escorted me home, Keigo," Ayane responded slowly as she watched Atobe survey the plane. "Keigo, they put it on auto-pilot. They couldn't leave Yukimura-san alone to fight whoever that crazy man was. He started fooling around with animals and even with people's lives, Keigo. I'm amazed that I survived actually."
Atobe's glare instantly froze as his hands balled up into a fist. "Do you remember the man's name?"
Ayane shook her head dejectedly, massaging her temples. "Sorry, everything's still so fuzzy. All I remember is holding this black octagon-shaped thing and then – everything went pitch black. After that, I found Souma attacking me and buchou fighting this other guy whom she actually ripped to shreds."
"You're exaggerating," Atobe folded his arms in annoyance, rolling his eyes. "Kurenai is anything but violent. That's your division."
"You know the kind of person who has a calm and taciturn expression as her sword slashes at all the vital points?"
Atobe raised an eyebrow sceptically at the tangerine haired female. "She pulls off a Sanada tactic?"
"You can say that."
Octagon shaped thing, Atobe bit his lips hard as he started drawing out an image. The Atobe Corporation had not come up with a device like that and in doing so would require his father to invest millions. He remembered seeing one of the weapons belonging to the girls but never realized their function, combative ability and strength. A frown marred his features as he leaned against his left foot, tapping on the ground impatiently. He glanced at the jumbo jet for a moment as he started walking towards the plane.
"Atobe, where are you going," Ayane darted after him as his pace quickened. "Atobe Keigo, what the hell are you doing?"
As her words fell on deaf ears, Atobe immediately searched the cockpit as he started pressing buttons to access the GPS system. A holographic projector revealed a huge globe and a magnified version of the island of Japan with a grid and dots blinking brightly. His icy blue eyes narrowed darkly while he fished out a piece of paper from his pocket, scribbling down the coordinates. As Ayane's footsteps rapped louder against the stairs, Atobe immediately shoved the paper into his pocket until he swivelled around to meet the female vice captain.
"Keigo, what are you doing," Ayane raised an eyebrow while looking past him. "Why's the GPS on?"
Atobe pulled out his cellphone, quickly dialling buttons. "Ore-sama will make sure that he will regret living his life."
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
"Game, Inui: seven games to six!"
The bespectacled data man of Seigaku adjusted his eyeglasses before walking towards the bench, receiving praises from his juniors and fellow teammates. Seigaku's audience and supporters chanted louder and louder as Yanagi sauntered towards the bench with a solemn expression. The Rikkai Dai team remained silent until Sanada stood up from his chair and a crisp sound echoed into the air with the Professor staggering back until Kirihara blocked it with his own racquet. The crowds fell silent as the Emperor glared sternly at his fellow teammate.
"Yanagi, do not forget why we are doing our best," Sanada narrowed his eyes at his fellow demon, glancing at the score.
Yanagi nodded solemnly before walking towards the bench with Kirihara flipping around his tennis racquet with a mocking grin. Niou whistled at the huge swelling mark on Yanagi's cheek whereas Marui blew up a huge bubble. Yagyuu remained completely silent with Jackal leaning contemplatively on the bench. Kirihara on the other hand arrogantly sauntered towards the court as Fuji made his way to his end as well while maintaining his usual cordial smile.
"God, looking at Fuji smile like that's giving me the creeps," Haruka shivered slightly as Kiyone swallowed hard, tugging her collar. "Imagine what he could do to Mai but he was only at half his normal potential that time."
The red haired tensai narrowed her bright molten gold eyes at the feminine tensai while checking her watch. Her eyes widened all of the sudden before she stood up.
"Haruka-senpai, you'll have to take charge," Mai slung on her tennis jacket while snatching her cellphone and wallet out of her bag. "I need to check something!"
Watching Mai's figure disappear from a distance, she shrugged her shoulders. "What in the world?"
"She's probably worried about Yukimura," Momo checked the date on her cellphone before flipping it back into her pocket. "She's always been like that. Yukimura mentioned about her visiting him a lot."
Hitomi nodded before adjusting her glasses, glancing towards the scoreboard. "Mai is not the type to break her promises to her friends. Secondly, Yukimura and she often have contact with one another especially in the tutor houses. After hearing about Yukimura's recent collapse in the Kanagawa train station, Mai rushed over to help him. She cares for him deeply the same way she would care for Shizuru. Do you think she'll actually stand back and watch us get hurt when comes a point in time?"
Everybody remained silent for a moment until Isane broke the silence. "But, does he even understand her approaches?"
"We can only assume that he doesn't," Hitomi shook her head distastefully, folding her arms. "Yukimura may be the demi-god of tennis but that doesn't mean he's excellent in everything."
"It's like assuming that Sanada can kiss a girl shamelessly in front of the crowd just because he's an emperor," Momo added while watching the game between Seigaku and Rikkai Dai. "The tensai's playing around with the devil apparently. Although, the longer he does that..."
Fuji fired a fast forehand to which Kirihara lunged for a volley while the tensai sprinted off to fire a cross-court shot. A small glitter of cerulean sparkled under Fuji's long lashes as Kirihara maintained his cocky smirk with his emerald green eyes glimmered with arrogance. Students stared in awe as the honey haired tensai leapt up into the air, executing an aerial smash. The tennis ball cracked off Fuji's racquet before spiralling towards Kirihara's knee, throwing back the sophomore ace.
"Game, Fuji: one game to love!"
Seigaku whooped for joy as Rikkai Dai watched in horror. Kirihara shuddered fearfully at Fuji's unnerving smile while picking up the tennis ball.
"You're the one who attacked Echizen's knee," Fuji revealed his mystifying cerulean blue eyes, glaring daggers into the sophomore's psyche. "Aren't you?"
Kirihara, trembling slightly as terror and guilt seized him, quickly disguised it with his cocky smirk. "So, what if I did?"
Upon noticing his reaction, Fuji resumed to smiling his usual patented smile. "Ah, it's nothing. I was just confirming my suspicion is all."
As Kirihara turned around, the black haired sophomore inched away bit by bit with sweat trickling down his face and his heartbeat pounding in his ears. "What in the world...?"
Niou shook his head disdainfully at Kirihara before glancing at a very wary Isane. She maintained her usual shy and timid appearance but on the court – her personality may sometimes take a whole 180 degree turn. Stories of the Hyotei female tennis players being downright vindictive and cruel had spread all over Kantou and even towards the other areas. Niou chuckled darkly; her playing style simply targeted specific points on the court. However, the one he distinctly remembered watching long time ago was the match of Rikkai Dai and Hyotei. He remembered seeing Homura Katsuki brag to Naomi Kotetsu regarding her newest addition Yukimura's younger sister, Ai. However, he shivered slightly the moment he saw the members of the Hyotei team. Chihiro's malicious and bestial grin firmly imprinted itself into his memory while the aura emitting from Isane's former doubles partner – Ferero Lulu clearly indicated she could clobber a man single-handedly.
Bakaya thinks Fuji's scary? That's crazy – he hasn't seen the captain unleash hell yet.
The trickster lazily leaned against his bag before plucking out a lollipop from Marui's bag, throwing the wrapper carelessly at Yagyuu.
"Niou-kun, you shouldn't be miserable just because she disliked your style of play," Yagyuu frowned while throwing the wrapper into the trash can, shaking his head distastefully. "If it's your natural style of play, you shouldn't forsake it."
"Who said I was miserable over that," Niou scowled darkly as he shoved the lollipop into his mouth. "For starters, who said I was miserable?"
"You're in denial," Yagyuu pointed out sternly, folding his arms before directing a gaze towards his doubles partner. "You're actually becoming more sensitive."
"That's really bad for my image, Yagyuu," Niou rolled his eyes while returning his gaze towards Kirihara's match. "Just watch the game."
"You've becoming moodier each and every time you see her," Yagyuu seated himself next to his doubles partner. "Mind telling me what?"
Niou glared daggers at Yagyuu who barely flinched until realization hit him like a thunderbolt. He never used to glare; it was more he would smirk and whoever received his prank was the one glaring at him. The silver haired trickster exasperatedly ran his fingers through his hair while glancing at the bleachers now seeing Isane exchanging notes with Shishido.
He shouldn't care right? He's just doing his usual...
"Niou, you're actually falling for this girl rather than leading her around, aren't you," Yagyuu glanced at Hyotei's position on the bleachers, noticing only Kiyone, Haruka, Rin, Hitomi, Isane and Momo stood there. "For starters, it's contradicting your usual way of just going around with girls for fun and you're quite unsure on how to deal with it."
"You're not a psychologist, Yagyuu."
Niou snorted in annoyance before casting a glance towards the scoreboard and reminiscing through the match that he had recently played. Kikumaru did take a nasty hit to the eye although; injuries were highly common in sports. He recalled the time Sanada's Ka sent him flying towards the wired fences and how it made sure he couldn't climb up onto his bed without any difficulties. His bright blue eyes narrowed darkly as Kirihara took more than a beating until his eyes became bloodshot. Fuji soon found himself being pushed back by Kirihara's brutal force as his racquet strings nearly snapped with an unbearable twang. Kirihara chortled maniacally as Fuji darted left and right on the defensive while Kirihara's shots echoed throughout the courts.
"Come on, attack me, Fuji," Kirihara grinned psychotically before backhanding it towards Fuji. "What's the matter? You look a little pale."
Kirihara continued to beat down on Fuji with exploding forehands and backhands while Fuji spun them over to all sorts of directions to prevent the devil from blasting another shot. However, the tensai found himself exceeding his limits and wondered inwardly to himself what pushed him so hard. He recalled Tezuka's match against Atobe – seeing him go all out, baffled him to no end.
"I see an opening," Kirihara gleefully cackled as he smashed the ball straight towards Fuji, clobbering the tensai on the head.
His racquet clattered on the ground as Fuji reeled back but managed to keep a stable stance. However, the moment he looked up – everything remained pitch black. He touched his face and searched for his racquet before wobbling around. Sweat trickled down his face as he desperately began looking around until the darkness swallowed him up.
Seeing her student nearly crippled, Ryuuzaki-sensei walked over to him. "Fuji, are you alright?"
The tensai shook himself out of the daze. "Yes, I'm fine. Please continue the ma..."
I, Fuji's eyes widened with horror as the whole mocked him with its darkness. I can't see!
Fuji recalled the moment in his head, tracing the trajectory of the ball. He remembered pondering about Tezuka – wondering how his friend managed to find a drive. The tensai soon found himself baffled by most captains as to how they became so amazing. The match he had in the camp against Mai and Shizuru flashed through his mind, making him question his ability. Fuji rubbed the aching spot where the ball had come in contact with in his head before flinching slightly due to the pain.
"Because of the blow to my head," Fuji whispered low to himself. "My vision's become temporarily impaired... what a terrible miss I've committed."
Ryuuzaki-sensei, finding the ball near her, picked it up before handing it to Fuji. "This person... He's purposely targeting your body..."
Fuji swished his hand around, wondering where the ball was much to Ryuuzaki-sensei's horror.
"Fuji, don't tell me," Ryuuzaki-sensei retracted her hand immediately but Fuji managed to snatch it back.
"Whatever you do," Fuji walked back towards the court with his cerulean blue eyes glittering despite his blindness. "Don't withdraw me from this match!"
Upon releasing his service, Fuji darted forward for Kirihara's next shot as the ace easily returned it with a mocking grin etched on his face. Kirihara licked his lips contentedly as he started targeting Fuji's body again and again. The tennis ball collided with Fuji's shoulder, causing the tensai to reel back.
"Game, Kirihara: one game to three!"
Momoshiro pounded his fist against the railings, gritting his teeth angrily. "That bastard, he's doing it on purpose!"
Ryuuzaki-sensei visibly winced at the sight of her student taking a harsh beating; her lips thinning out grimly. "This is bad. If Kirihara were to find out about Fuji's condition, he would go straight for Fuji's weakness."
As the ball rolled away, Kirihara snickered with his bloodshot eyes gleaming delightfully. "I'm going to make you pay for making this match go beyond thirteen minutes."
Kirihara easily targeted open corners due to Fuji's blindness and one shot even made its way to the tensai's elbow, causing Fuji to stumble back. The devil smacked his lips with satisfaction as he continued his relentless assault against Fuji. The tensai ignored the sweat pouring down his face as he desperately made every attempt to return the shots, biting his lower lip hard as the ball's explosion echoed loudly in his ears.
"Game, Kirihara: three games all!"
Horio winced at the beating, shivering fearfully. "Fuji-senpai's getting completely dominated..."
"Game, Kirihara: four games to three!"
As Kirihara darted for another shot, he smirked while watching Fuji stumble around to grasp his surroundings. His eyes lost their focus and concentration on the ball, allowing him to strike at any point he wanted. He chuckled to himself as the black haired sophomore of Rikkai Dai prepared a forehand.
"You're doing pretty well despite you being unable to get a visual," Kirihara taunted as he exploded the shot towards the corner.
Fuji, breathing heavily, desperately chased after the ball until he finally made contact with it for a backhand.
Marui shook his head with dismay, gaping with shock and surprise. "No way, he returned it? Sure, he could've done it with the service because he's in control but in a regular rally without a visual – that's downright impossible!"
Kirihara prepared for a strong smash, grinning determinedly. "Yeah – it's just a fluke!"
As the forehand flew across the court, Fuji slowly closed his eyes before stabilizing his stance. The wind and speed of the ball brushed near him as he pounded it back despite his darkness.
Those limits I thought I had, they never existed now did they?
Fuji smiled weakly to himself, remembering the matches he had with all the people who managed to drag out his full potential. Echizen forced him to reveal two of his counters, Mai dragged him out despite her taking a severe beating and Shizuru only used three of her techniques to seal him off. Tezuka soon questioned him what would make him use his full power. Inui always noted that he could never get any real data from the tensai as well. A dark smile appeared on Fuji's face as he continued attacking the ball with his new grasp on the flow.
Ryuuzaki-sensei staggered onto her feet with shock clearly written across her expression.
He has far exceeded my expectations...
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Sunlight penetrated the white walled room as a bluenette visibly shifted on his bed. His lavender eyes groggily opened to see the IV drip and heard the pacemaker beeping soundly as he adjusted himself. His body weighed him horribly as the feel of anaesthesia flowing through his bloodstream forcefully dropped him onto the bed. A relieved yet dejected sigh escaped his lips as he wearily swivelled his heads towards the shining sunlight. He lifted his hand, contemplating at fortune of his surgery. Subconsciously, Yukimura smiled lightly while relieving himself of the light-headedness.
"Yukimura-sama," a small feminine voice peeked from behind the door as it slowly creaked open, revealing a brunette with high pigtails shyly smiling at him. "I heard your surgery was a success... How are you feeling?"
"Oh, Sumiyagi-san," Yukimura propped himself against his pillow, regaining some of his senses with the anaesthesia wearing off. "It's nice seeing a friendly face after a surgery. I trust the Student Council is handling things well?"
Watching the brunette quietly peel the apples, Yukimura shook his head as his memory remained completely fuzzy. He leaned against the pillow with a frown marring his delicate features before running his fingers through his long blue tresses. Before entering the surgery room, he recalled hearing an echoing voice ringing in his ears. His vision blurred horribly before he collapsed onto the bed again, completely exhausted.
"Yukimura-sama," Rena suddenly stood up, rushing over to the bluenette's side. "Are you alright? Do you want me to call the nurse?"
"It's alright," Yukimura chuckled sheepishly with a weak smile gracing his lips, sinking deeper into his pillow. "It's just a little side-effect from the surgery. They loaded me with a lot of sedatives after all."
Rena smiled as she gently brushed away the locks covering Yukimura's pale face, blushing suddenly before averting her eyes away from him. "Oh um, Yukimura-sama – there's something I need to tell you... Um, Sanada-san, he's currently..."
"He's currently trying to impress Kurenai but she's not there am I right," Yukimura raised an eyebrow at the girl as she started twiddling with her thumbs. "Whenever my sister vanishes, Kurenai and the other captains go along with her. It's been like that for several years now. Mom and dad know something and they're not telling me anything so – I'm guessing that I'm not really supposed to have a sister but she was created for the sole purpose for keeping me alive..."
Rena's eyes widened as she gaped in surprise. "Yukimura-sama, how is that possible? I mean – maybe it's some leadership training..."
"Perhaps," Yukimura swivelled his head towards the girl with an intense stare. "However, there's something else you want to tell me isn't there?"
Rena hung her head as she bit her lip hard, playing with an imaginary dust bunny on the ground. "Yukimura-sama, the truth is – when I visited you the other day, I really wanted to tell you that... I..."
Yukimura watched her pensively as she shyly handed him a box of chocolates. "I know this is really out of the occasion but here..."
Yukimura's lavender orbs surveyed her burnt fingertips as he found nicely crafted chocolate waiting for him inside. They had white swirls on each of them and when he cracked it open – white chocolate filing melted into his mouth. The blue haired Rikkai Dai captain savoured the taste in his mouth before turning towards Rena who continued to smile demurely at him. The bluenette captain looked up as she hung her head abashedly at him.
"Yukimura-sama, the truth is – I really like you," Rena murmured softly as tears threatened to spill out of her eyes.
Yukimura found himself speechless as to what to say. He could not reject her, not that she had done much for him already. His body trembled with the world swirling around him while Rena tensely stood in front of him with crystals rolling down her cheeks. The suspense caused his heartbeat to thunder loudly in his ears as he tried to come up with a response. She had been accommodating everyone ever since his sudden admission to the hospital. Nevertheless, he couldn't simply reject her after everything – it would have been too awkward for them to continue. The feminine captain lightly placed his hand on her cheek before gently lifting her head up for better eye contact.
"And perhaps, so do I," Yukimura smiled at her, causing Rena's expression to significantly brighten up.
However, he did not notice the sudden change of red from his door along with the slightly tapping on the ground.
The red haired tensai of Hyotei fought back the salty crystalline that threatened to spill out of her eyes. Her knees wobbled horribly as she continued to run faster than ever. The hallways swirled around her as her pace quickened while she carelessly bumped into people. Her molten gold eyes suddenly dulled into dark amber as she stumbled over and collided against the freezing marble pavement. Her necklace rattled across the floor as the chain snapped and lay in pieces. For a few moments, Mai found her body completely paralysed with darkness slowly overwhelming her. Her body trembled violently as she wobbled back and forth while clambering to her feet.
He didn't hear me after all...
Mai leaned against the wall with her bangs falling over her eyes as her fists tightened. Her heart pounded wildly into her ears as she stared at the ground, defeated. Tears trickled out of her eyes as the white walls of the hospital towered over her with their flickering white fluorescent lights. The steel lined windows permitted a small amount of light as it reflected off her silver necklace as she lifelessly picked up the pieces of her favourite necklace. Her whole word crashed against her shoulders as her face contorted with annoyance and frustration.
Never mind, Mai brushed it away dismissively, wiping away much of her tears. "Maybe I should go back to watching. The team's going to need me soon. I can't just sit here and mope the whole time."
Glancing one more time at the hallway, Mai snapped her head away before beginning her sprint. The tensai resisted the urge to turn heel and return back to Yukimura's hospital quarters and tell him the truth or drill it into his head until nothing else would be able to counteract it. However, the responsibility of handling the team weighed against it as she quickened her pace towards the courts until she bumped into something really soft.
"Oh sorry," Mai swivelled her head and found Ayane stumbling back and landing on her butt, beaming in amazement. "Ayane, you're okay! What the hell, Atobe where did you go?"
"Ore-sama went to fetch her from the airports," Atobe frowned slightly at Mai's crude greeting. "I throw the question back to you."
Ayane shook herself out of the daze, grinning cheekily. "You betcha I am! Where are the others?"
"They're the in courts," Mai latched onto Ayane's hand before dragging her all the way to the courts, completely ignoring Atobe altogether before he sprinted after them. "Fuji's getting decimated right now hence, we're going to have to wait awhile. Knowing him, he's probably got some ace cards up his sleeve to shock Kirihara into oblivion. After that, he's gonna annihilate Kirihara with a heck of attacks. After all, we're talking about the same Seigaku that your crazy boyfriend has been harping about almost everyday in school on how he'll beat them and bring them to the Nationals."
Atobe snorted in disgust. "Ore-sama is simply ambitious, Nagisaki."
Ayane blushed beet red before digging her heels into the ground, causing Mai to nearly tumble over. "Wait a minute, how did you find out?"
"Ayane, do you forget who you're talking to," Mai raised an eyebrow at the vice captain, urging the tangerine haired vice captain to sigh hopelessly.
"Yes, I forgot," Ayane rolled her eyes sarcastically before feeling the tensai pull her once again. "But seriously, I want to know."
"With Atobe, news gets around easily," Mai continued to dash forward until they reached the entrance of the match, suddenly stopping in her tracks and hanging her head. "Everyone missed you, you know. You're crazy, getting yourself kidnapped like that."
Ayane helplessly sighed at the sophomore until she noticed Mai's grip slowly loosen. "Mai, what happened?"
The tensai, noticing shiny beads of tears falling out of her eyes, quickly wiped them away before letting out a fake sickeningly sweet chirp. "It's nothing! I'm cool!"
"You cannot escape ore-sama's insight, Nagisaki," Atobe prepared to see through her lie until Ayane placed her arm in front of him.
Ayane folded her arms before raising her eyebrows, skeptical. "Are you sure?"
"I just hate the heat," Mai chuckled sheepishly before freaking out at her hair, pulling out a strand. "It's getting all stringy again."
As they reached the courts, the whole Hyotei team screamed in delight as they hugged or nearly suffocated their vice captain. Ayane gasped for air as Kiyone grabbed her by her collar, shaking her silly before comically crying out fountains of tears. Haruka laughed as she ruffled Ayane's hair with Rin pouncing on top of her and hugging her tightly that the whole team could have sworn that Ayane turned blue for a moment, gasping for oxygen. With no hesitation at all, Atobe grabbed her out of the crowd before spinning her around into his arms causing the whole crowd to become excruciatingly silent. Ayane blushed wildly as Atobe's slender fingers entwined with her own until realization drummed itself into her head.
"Atobe Keigo, what's with all the drama," she screeched before struggling against him until Hyotei's king forced her to face him, bending forward to press his lips against hers and making her nearly fall backwards. "What the...?"
Atobe smirked before running his fingers through her hair. "Ore-sama forgot to show everyone else that you're his."
"Argh, you stupid arrogant peacock," Ayane prepared to slap him but averted her eyes from his piercing amused blue eyes instead. "Did you leave your brain behind at the airport?"
Both teams erupted in a loud laughter until another large explosion echoed into their ears as Fuji landed on the ground, completely exhausted and Kirihara stunned.
"Game and match, Fuji: seven games to five!"
Seigaku howled and chanted gloriously for their tensai as Fuji, with a little help from Oishi, made his way to the bleachers. Rikkai Dai's cheerful and confident atmosphere slumped considerably as Kirihara walked lifelessly back to bench in his fatigued state.
"Fujiko-chan, that was amazing nyah," Kikumaru jumped onto Fuji, glomping his best friend and teammate. "You really showed him!"
"I didn't know you could literally play with your eyes shut, senpai," Momoshiro declared loudly as well before handing Fuji a towel. "It's all down to Singles One now. Even with your eyes damaged, you were able to beat that crazy doofus."
Fuji chuckled before looking up to the sky. "Well, it's because I couldn't see that I won..."
As his sight slowly returned to him, Fuji stared in surprise when the first sight that greeted him was Seigaku's flag billowing against his face. Memories of his conversations with Tezuka flooded into his mind as he recalled every moment during the match. He let out a sarcastic laugh – the irony of his blindness amused him before he took another swig from his water jug. A ghostly smile appeared on his lips before he checked the scoreboard, realizing the pressure on the next player as Echizen stood up with a cocky grin on his face.
"Bring it on."
Kirihara weakly and shamefacedly sauntered towards Sanada before standing firm. "Please hit me, Sanada-senpai!"
Silence descended onto the crowd as the vice captain of Rikkai Dai stood firmly in front of Kirihara Akaya. A dejected sigh escaped the female Sanada's lips as she found Sanada Genichirou walking past Kirihara with a disappointed glare for an expression. Momo narrowed her eyebrows a bit until her cellphone vibrated in her pocket, urging her to pick it up. Her cellphone lit up, revealing her sender to be none other than Midoriyama Nanako.
To: Sanada Momo
From: Midoriyama Nanako
Thanks to you, I'm having my surgery for my legs done today.
I realized there was so much stuff that I missed out on and I felt
that you should be the first to know. Naomi had isolated herself from a lot of us but,
She's opening a little more now. I thought you might wanted to know since it's still true that
Shizuru does care for her but not in the same way she used to. All of us are waiting for you guys to bring home
the championships. Not for us but, for your sakes. Do not forget who you are, Momo. Believe in your strength. Survive,
live and continue on the true legacy of being Hyotei's Shinigami.
Momo, puzzled as to why her former doubles partner would send her such a message, proceeded to reply only to discover that the number was shut off right after. The purple haired Shinigami sighed quietly to herself before watching cranes fly across the sky as the tension between Sanada and Echizen built up.
Thank you, senpai.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Staring at the blank sheet of bond paper in front of him, Tezuka remained completely unsure of what to write. The last message he had sent to his advisor in romance apparently asked him to try sending a note of getting know her as to not freak her out. Stalkers often ended up being tracked by the police after all. An annoyed crease appeared on his forehead as he tapped his sign pen on the desk, pondering as to what to write. Time ticked away with the clock somewhat beeping every minute with him continuing to stare at the blank sheet of paper. A frown marred his features before he tipped his glasses above his nose, glancing at the clock.
10:30 PM.
The Seishun Gakuen male captain pondered on the thought whether or not he should try writing a letter. He barely began his communication; most people started it for him in order for him to get the flow of things but never did he find himself in the position to be the one to initiate a conversation with a girl. A girl from Hyotei, his crush and possibly Fuuka's next murder victim nonetheless. Tezuka leaned against the swivel chair before glancing at his notes that he had prepared to study over the week but nothing seemed to enter his head. He prided himself on memory but the problem lay now in his inability to concentrate due to his other problems.
"Kunimitsu," a soft voice prodded him gently in his head as he swivelled around only to see no one.
Why am I hearing things now?
Tezuka massaged his temples in annoyance before redirecting his attention back to the blank sheet of paper. The bespectacled male continued to sigh to himself before opening a small drawing book, thinking he could copy anything from the scenery to the market places or the mountainous areas. Unfortunately, what stared back at him were sketches of Shizuru smiling, laughing, blushing and all sorts of other things of how he suddenly put those there. The teenager scared himself the next day when he saw the contents; he refused to believe his ability in art. Fuji did most of the artistic stuff along with Kikumaru since they're probably the most artistic there despite their grade school-like drawings. He traced the linings of the drawing until his computer let out a loud ding to reveal an e-mail from Fuji.
To: kt1007 yahoo. com
From: smiling_sadist gmail. com
Saa, Tezuka – I have some new photos for you. Although I'm not sure you'll want them but maybe you will. XD
Tezuka scrolled down to the bottom portion of the e-mail revealing five pictures and the download button sitting right next to it. The bespectacled teen warily clicked the button, wondering what kind of photos Fuji would send him at this crazy hour. Fortunately, the internet speed didn't drive him crazy like most times as the images appeared on his screen. The first one was Shizuru going for a service shot towards whoever. A chuckle bubbled from his throat as he recalled her intense concentration every time she took the shot. The next image was of her laughing and smiling with whatever antic her teammate pulled off. His heart lightened a little as the next image appeared with her sleeping against the tree with her racquet lying dutifully beside her.
He picked up his sign pen and suddenly began to write.
Dear Shizuru...
Tezuka shook his head away from any sappy romance that may appear on the letter. The bespectacled coffee blonde teenager nearly choked on the contents of his mind before writing more things. His pen remained a few inches away from the plain white sheet as he pondered more on the contents. How would he approach a girl if she barely knew him?
Dear Kurenai-san,
You're truly an amazing person. Your tennis matches from what I hear are amazing. I hope to watch much more of your matches.
Sincerely yours,
Anonymous
Tezuka soon found himself wondering whether or not if this was all his IQ [Intelligence Quotient] and eloquence could come up with before thumping his head against the wooden desk. For the first time, a wave of cluelessness and bewilderment washed over him as the letter remained completely short and barely one-fourth the paper. Crumpling up the paper, Tezuka pitched it into the black trash can before resuming his work. He slowly started scribbling more things but continued to create a huge pile of papers filling up the trash bin. He continued to stare at it again until a loud ding woke him up from the stupor.
backstreetgirl_22793: need any help? XD
A helpless smile appeared on his lips as he typed back.
kt1007: you have no idea how much help you're going to be right now.
backstreetgirl_22793: I'm guessing it's the love letter you're trying to send to your angel, ne?
kt1007: ...
backstreetgirl_22793: oh come on, a guy has a pet name for every girl they like. There's got to be one for yours too.
kt1007: ... I don't know any...
backstreetgirl_22793: why can't you?
Tezuka sighed into his palm while watching his conversation with his literary colleague get nowhere. However, the Seishun Gakuen senior did cringe at the thought of someone calling Shizuru "sugar pie" or any of all those disgusting pet peeves he's seen on those romantic comedies. The mere thought of Sanada calling her that irked him beyond imagination as he typed back.
kt1007: it wouldn't be befitting of someone for her class.
backstreetgirl_22793: I'm sure there's a word out there.
kt1007: the best thing I can describe her as... is nothing...
backstreetgirl_22793: what do you mean by that?
kt1007: if I were to choose a word to describe her, it would never be good enough to do so.
backstreetgirl_22793: anyway getting back to the topic, what do you want to do with that love letter first?
kt1007: how do I tell a girl I love her without freaking her out with an anonymous note?
backstreetgirl_22793: if she were extremely popular, she would be used to getting those things.
Tezuka frowned at his predicament and was now mentally kicking himself for following his crazy rehabilitation coach's advice.
backstreetgirl_22793: hey this gives me an idea. Why don't you try it out on me first? I can comment and give you a good idea of what she may like.
Tezuka leaned against the swivel chair, pondering on the suggestion before typing it out. Closing his eyes for a moment, Tezuka slowly conjured an image of Shizuru in his mind. She was playing tennis, completely sweaty from the hard work out with a bright smile on her face. Tezuka found himself standing at the other end as he looked at the score: 6-6; a helpless smile appeared on his face until the whole imagination suddenly shifted into something else. He stood in the auditorium as bright Christmas light floated around as Tezuka's eyes widened with shock as Sanada held Shizuru's hands with his own, closing in the gap. Their foreheads were pressed together as a small smile appeared on Sanada's lips while Shizuru giggled softly.
Snapping his eyes open once again, Tezuka stared at the blank e-mail page that mocked him. He shook his head disdainfully, wondering why he would be trifled by such matters.
Ah, you have Sanada as a competitor don't you?
Tezuka frowned slightly at the idea of Sanada smiling with Shizuru, let alone staring or admiring her. Somehow, an idea of kidnapping Shizuru appeared in his head but he quickly cancelled it after realizing how horrible his rationale started becoming. The bespectacled male leaned against his swivel chair until it slightly tilted backwards before searching the ceiling, wondering if answers do descend from out of nowhere.
Your ability has mesmerized me. I am unable to tell you how amazed I am by your skills. To be honest, I have not seen just your tennis skills but with everything else. Everyone's mood seems to lighten when you speak to them. With a gentle sense of authority, you were able to command an elite team. Perhaps your skills are not just in your ability to associate with other people but how well you can charm them without being so extravagant.
-Anonymous
Tezuka sent it to his partner to check and after waiting anxiously for five torturing minutes, his computer let out a loud ding as the message came back.
backstreetgirl_22793: Simple, short – not bad.
kt1007: is it workable?
backstreetgirl_22793: she'll probably be more interested with this more than the usual "Kurenai-san, please go on a date me". XD
kt1007: that's... subtle. You sound like you know her...
backstreetgirl_22793: I hear stories a lot. XD
kt1007: ah.
Tezuka once again daydreamed about returning back to Japan, regarding the Nationals and other things. The slow ticking of the clock caused him to slightly twitch before he stood up from his chair and began pacing around. With a disgruntled snort, Tezuka mechanically picked up the remote to watch the news as image of a burning battle stadium flashed in front of him. The news woman spoke in German and although he was Japanese, Tezuka prayed that his ears deceived him as more smoke rose from the burning dome.
In an inhabited island of Kyushu, a battle dome owned by the Ueda corporation had been ignited by the Urabutousatsujin held by the family companies. A team called Constellation Chaos immediately decimated teams one after the other as the bets on them increased even more.
"Constellation Chaos," Tezuka murmured before leaning on his elbows, watching intently. "Where have I heard that name before?"
The audience has been screaming for more bloodshed as the fighters go after each others' throats relentlessly. Welcome to Japan's Kumite matches, live in Kyushu! We'll go now to you, Steve!
The screen shifted to a blonde man who stood amongst the crowd. Tezuka narrowed his eyes and plugged his ears from the volume of the audience's demand for more blood. He visibly flinched from the loud clashing of steel and scrunches of breaking bones as Steve dodged another flying projectile.
Well, right now – Constellation Chaos is about to fight their next opponent and they've been doing a good job holding up their end.
Glaring darkly at the screen, Tezuka immediately killed the television before fishing out his racquet from his bag. The smoky image flashed in his mind, wondering how people managed to even get a vivid camera view of the underground tournaments. The bespectacled male headed out towards the courts as he continued to contemplate on his situation with the enigmatic Hyotei brunette, ignoring the echoing of his footsteps in the hallway. The lights slightly dimmed as the Honeysuckle flowers in the hallway were tinted with a light white to make the blue shine out more outright
"You must be Tezuka Kunimitsu," a voice caused the coffee blonde bespectacled adolescent to spin around and face another coffee blonde male with a more muscular body.
The bespectacled male narrowed his eyes at the other man that stood across the hallway. Unlike him, the other male stood straight with a strong build in a silver motorcycle jacket and white straight cut pants. He tightened his red gloves before folding his arms, analysing Tezuka carefully. The tennis captain slightly stepped back, watching the man's steps cautiously.
"Who are you supposed to be," Tezuka narrowed his eyes darkly. How does he know...?
"My name's none of your concern," the male advanced forward with a pink haired robot standing behind him. "Alisa, scan him for any weaponry."
The pink haired robot remained motionless for a moment before Tezuka heard another ding. "No hostile weapons contained. Identity confirmed: Tezuka Kunimitsu, Seishun Gakuen captain. Lars-kun, why are we looking for him?"
Lars, Tezuka raised an eyebrow while throwing back stern glare towards him, regaining some of his composure. "Is there something bad that I have done that I'm not aware of?"
Lars maintained a stoic expression, remembering the data he received from his grand-nephew and his nephew. He also knew the family himself but Lars preferred confronting face to face rather than sneaking behind the shadows. He softened his gaze before retreating to a more calm and controlled stance.
"No, there's nothing," Lars smirked slightly before turning around, throwing a glance back at him. "I just wanted to make sure of something."
As Lars walked away, Tezuka remained bewildered by the sudden approach as the gaze from the other male somehow paralysed him in place. His racquet clattered down onto the ground before the tension ceased strangling him. The physical presence rocked through his nerves somewhat similar to being cornered by a lion, nearly throwing him back. Silently berating himself for his carelessness, Tezuka wobbled slightly to push himself from the wall before walking towards the training centre.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
"OW," Fuuka yowled before scratching it, glaring at Florence as she tightened the bandage. "Did you have to do that!"
Florence sighed defeated while applying more ointment on her wounds, earning more howls from Fuuka. "Well, you're the one who threw herself into a berserker fury in the first place."
Ai swung her legs around jovially while Shizuru manipulated a small bubble of water before hovering it over the bluenette's wounds. Natsuki opened her computer while checking the standings and potential opponents before finding an extra tab with a conversation in it. Scrolling through it, the female kansai captain whistled profoundly while glancing towards Shizuru and then at Fuuka. A smirk appeared on her lips while leaning against the head board. Her deep set eyes strayed towards the glistening chandelier as they awaited their next opponent.
"So, who's after Ueda Majin," Florence glanced at Natsuki, shifting uneasily in the silence.
Natsuki sighed bitterly before checking the mappings and the standings. "So far, there's another match before we get to fight again in the semi-finals. Both teams sponsored by Ueda are going to fight one another and whoever wins will be our opponent in the semi-finals. I wonder," –holding up her CHroME in her hand towards the ceiling, the charcoal gray haired captain slumped down back on the bed. "Is it really us or our CHroMEs really the source of our combat capability?"
Fuuka snorted disgusted while tracing the lining of the linen bandages on her arms, lying halfway on the bed. "Thinking back, I guess we became too reliant on it. Before, we could handle ten big burly men without our CHroME. I guess we significantly lost our strength considering our inactivity and this was one of the very few times that we were actually pulled out of our normal lives."
Everyone remained silent once again while Ai picked up the remote to check the news. "Hey guys, can't we watch the matches from here? They said they're being televised."
"What kind of idiot would televise an underground tournament," Fuuka scowled darkly while watching the channel; her eyes widening with shock. "Is he insane?"
The five girls found the stadium being flashed on screen as the match between two men were revealed. Unlike his opponent, a young man stood with silver hair cascading past his shoulders as he smiled courteously at his opponent who towered over him. The opponent revealed his big burly arms until his eyes suddenly became demonic yellow and veins started bulging at his temples.
Fuuka winced slightly, sitting up with a puzzled expression. "Great, lemme guess – he's gonna grow hair and be as big as a sumo wrestler?"
Florence twitched a bit before pointing to the LCD screen. "How about – he gets big and ugly and shoots poles out of his mouth?"
Fuuka stared at her strangely only to gape in astonishment when she glanced at the screen. "What the hell... oh..."
The bigger man became enormous as he towered with poles sticking out of his back with hard scales enveloping his body while he greedily stared back at the silver haired man with his beady yellow eyes. Chuckling darkly, he raised his fist before smashing down on the stadium with debris flying into the air. Gracefully sailing through the air, the silver haired man transmogrified his right arm into a cross bow before unleashing black arrows that easily pierced through the bigger man's armour. Howling agonizingly, the attacker staggered back as his opponent found him up in the air with his right arm into a huge blade. A small smirk appeared on the gentleman's face as he immediately reduced the huge tanker into little morsels before kicking his decapitated head towards the wall.
Natsuki's eyes widened before she rubbed them to make sure that everything happened exactly the way she saw it.
Florence stared calculatingly, wondering how exactly he managed to reduce something that huge into pebbles.
Fuuka placed her hands onto her eyes, wondering if her eyeballs had rolled out of their sockets yet.
Shizuru held her breath in, fearfully watching the man land gracefully on his feet. He's amazing...
"Holy crackers," Fuuka slapped herself out of the daze, biting her lower lip. "How the hell are we supposed to beat this guy? He turned that tank into masses of scarred tissue in an instant!"
Shizuru however narrowed her eyes at the opponent. "He's in my aisle."
Everyone swivelled their heads towards her as she recalled his attacking pattern. "This guy is a quick draw specialist and his moves – none of them wasted energy like most people. If he were able to turn something that huge into little chunks then, his strength would be coming from the speed and grace – not physical sharpness itself. I'm the best equipped to fight him. We have similar fighting styles; I should be able to figure out his weak point much faster rather than just bashing him randomly."
Florence re-analysed the battle, pondering quietly as to wonder how things would turn out. "I guess Shizuru has a point. It's like deciding a position in a tennis match. However, who's going to take the first slot?"
Everyone became silent once again until Yukimura Ai smiled childishly before singing impishly, punching the air. "I'll take it!"
"Startin' out strong maht be a good ahdea," Natsuki pondered on the idea carefully, anticipating their most plausible combat order. "But we can' just go blasting all our firepower at da first part of the rodeo. The first matches usually don' matter; it's the last that counts."
Florence, searching their eyes, watched their auras flicker fearfully as they all changed into all sorts of colours. "I'll start us off. I'm not as strong as you guys and Shizuru, Fuuka and Ai can easily make up for me. Besides, as long as we outdo the opponent – Ai and Fuuka can go for a clean sweep with both you and Shizuru."
"You sound like you're the only one who's gonna have a hard time," Fuuka snorted with annoyance before leaning against the headboard, picking up one of her tennis balls before tossing it up and down in her hand. "Face it, Hoshimura – we're all gonna have hell to pay as soon as the quarter finals start. Even if we're done with this, we're gonna get an earful from our mothers back home."
"I'm an orphan," Natsuki raised an eyebrow questioningly as Fuuka rolled her eyes.
"Have you heard Kobayagi sermon Shizuru into the next eon and nag her about everything," Fuuka scoffed with a slight snicker, earning a defeated sigh from the brunette. "You should have seen her. Kurenai looked like she would rather get eaten and spat out than go through another nag session courtesy of the crazy vice captain."
Everyone giggled except the brunette who sighed in defeat while shrugging. "Well, she's simply showing she cares."
"Yeah but that's quite an overload isn't it," Fuuka folded her arms, impishly grinning at the junior. "You have to admit; your ears were beginning to bleed."
Shizuru refused to grace her with a response as she glanced at her light blue CHroME, reflecting away the light from the lamp. She stared at it for a moment while pondering on the many possibilities and ideas on how she could take down an opponent with such grace. As she stood up, her wallet fell to the ground open – revealing a picture of the team when they first started out. A nostalgic smile appeared on her face as she gracefully squatted down to lightly close her wallet before eyeing the octagon shaped device waiting for her on the table.
The last thing we need – is one of us dying!
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
I'm sorry for the really late update! I've been having a lot of projects and less inspiration bursts lately. :( But hopefully, I will continue to have the drive in writing this story! Please don't forget to review! By the way, I'll also be posting a set of one-shots. First up – AyaneXAtobe! XD