Me: Thank you for the constant support you've had for this story! Honestly, the reason why I stopped was because I stopped watching Prince of Tennis and that I started getting addicted to Guild Wars 2. But now, since I've managed to organize my schedule – I've managed to find some time to write and the last chapter hyped me up. So, here's the next chapter! Sorry for the slow updates! I don't own PoT! I only own the OCs!
Chapter 78 – I'm not like most people
When Florence and Mai won, the whole female team whooped in delight. The boys' team cheered for them as well as Florence had to lean on Mai for support. The British-Japanese female felt her knees buckle down while trying to keep a grip on Mai's shoulder. She could feel her chest tightening and something thick climbing up her throat but she managed to force it back down. It was a small price to pay, Florence smiled to herself. That small price was her forcing her body to recover faster. She remembered the therapy she had put herself though, sometimes even doubling the amount required just because she wanted it to get it done faster. When Lady had found out, she remembered Lady screaming and shoving her back down the bed when she found out that Florence had made the decision to abandon her rehabilitation just because she wanted to play in the Goodwill Games. Despite feeling the blood suddenly coming up to her throat, Florence forced it back down and glanced longingly at the bench that appeared to be extremely comfortable.
"Well, that was quite a game," Florence let out a deep, gratifying sigh as Mai helped her towards the net.
"That's because you're one crazy bloke you know that," Mai snickered and drawled with a thick British accent, shaking her head with distaste. "I didn't expect you aggravate your condition."
Florence nodded with a laughter bubbling from her throat. "Nice, sounds authentic."
"I try. But I do better as a Spaniard or Portuguese."
"Of course, your mother is a Brazilian-Japanese."
The two girls walked up to the other two members of the British Team. Jade smiled and Lyra extended her hand to shake hers. Mai shook her hand while trying to make sure Florence didn't fall and hit the floor. She could clearly see Florence's legs become jell-o although her legs were about to do the same. The people's cheers and cries made her ears turn pink as let out a relaxation. She could feel her knees buckling beneath her but Jade nodded to Mai and then turned to Florence.
"She's a good partner," she remarked, referring to Mai. "A schoolmate?"
Florence shook her head and glanced at Mai. "Well, not a schoolmate but one hell of a teammate."
Mai grinned and clapped her hand against Florence's back. "Hey, you're not bad yourself."
Lyra nodded. "I hope we get to face you two again someday."
The redheaded genius nodded and winked at Lyra. "Same, you just need a little work but you're in the right direction."
As the two Japanese girls retreated back to their bleachers, Jade and Lyra headed straight to Natasha who nodded. Jennifer handed a towel to Lyra who gratefully accepted it while Irene clapped her hands for the two of them. The whole British team knew how powerful Florence was, save for her genetic problem. But now, she was recovering and they knew now she could play at full power somewhat. But Natasha never expected Mai to rise to the occasion and be far more terrifying than the others she had seen.
"A game well-played by the both of you. I'd expect nothing less from Florence," Natasha remarked offhandedly and passing a glance at Florence. "But she's still insane, don't you think?"
Jade chuckled and looked distantly at Florence who was being congratulated by the other members of her team. "Yes, definitely…"
"That Mai Nagisaki girl is good," Lyra nodded with a smile. "I'd love to play against her again."
Natasha nodded and patted the younger girl on the head. "I'm sure you would. You're taking it a whole lot better than I expected."
"I guess it's because I didn't have any expectations only for me to be my best," Lyra admitted mildly. "Having expectations can really mess you up sometimes."
"If they're highly unrealistic that is."
Natasha stood up and walked down the stairs as she saw Fuuka standing at the bleachers. But much to her surprise, it wasn't Fuuka who was moving but it was a bouncy and cheery bluenette with a big huge grin on her face. Natasha blinked several times in disbelief; where could people get all the energy to be that exceedingly happy? Whatever it was, she didn't know but whoever this was – she could tell that the girl carried some sort of terrifying ability. She would have to have some level of ability, Natasha argued with herself. This isn't just some simple game!
The arbiter then declared. "Japan vs. Britain: Singles One will now begin! Yukimura Ai of Japan versus Natasha Cumberpatch of Britain!"
Natasha looked at the bouncy girl, slightly twitching. "Do I even want to know how much sugar you put away?"
Ai stopped bouncing and shrugged, happily singing. "That depends if you're in the mood~."
Natasha blinked in disbelief; again, it stupefied her as to where someone could get that amount of energy. Then again, British people were not always that hyper and she was normally used to people calm and composed. Even the other players on the team less energized than she did and the bluenette in front of her kept on bouncing as if she had a limitless supply of energy! She let out a defeated sigh and walked up to the net, extending her hand.
"May the best player win," she smiled politely, forcing her feet to stay put and not break into a sprint. This girl is too hyper…
Ai beamed and shook her hand vigorously. "Yeah! May the best player win… which usually is me!"
Fuuka face-palmed at the sight of the interaction of the two girls, dropping her head against the steel railing. "Ai… you dunderbolt…"
"Has she always been this hyper," Mai gawked with her mouth slacking the match before raising an eyebrow at Florence who laughed sheepishly.
"Well, sort of… Unless someone fed her a pixy stick this morning…"
Ai fair enough revealed the culprit as she grinned at Hitomi. "Thank you for your Olympiad 3.0!"
Everyone swallowed hard and turned their accusing stares towards the Mastermind. "YOU GAVE HER WHAT!?"
Hitomi shrugged before returning to her notes. "She happened to be curious-."
They didn't care as Fuuka grabbed the blonde Hyotei girl's shoulders. "What the fuck was in that concoction!?"
Hitomi slumped in Fuuka's arms and shrugged, giving them the list. "Apples, banana, carrot, mango-."
Everyone heaved and sighed in relief; nothing poisonous thankfully.
"The base was Red Bull and Bacchus energy drink which was then mixed with coffee beans and 2 table spoons of whey protein and sugar," Hitomi finished her list. "I was going to slip it to Momo or Shizuru to try but I thought under the circumstances that both were incapable candidates. And Yukimura Ai just happened to chance upon me when I was in my dorm room…"
"So, you decided to test it on her," Fuuka gawked at her, snapping moodily. "Don't you know there are ethics when experimenting on people!?"
"I didn't even give it to her," Hitomi waved her hand dismissively. "She just happened to chance upon it, asked me it was rainbow juice and before I could say anything, she just drank it."
"Goddamn it, you're not supposed to feed people random things!"
Yukimura Seiichi on the other hand couldn't believe how his sister was his sister when her obliviousness was similar to that of a child's, smiling serenely at the blonde. "Hitomi… if my sister dies…"
"Your sister won't die as long as she can burn all the energy properly," Hitomi pointed out. "Besides, I've tried it constantly on the regulars and none of them died yet."
"Shizuru nearly died because you put nuts in one, you halfwit," Mai pointed out.
Hitomi bobbed her head nonchalantly. "So that was one incident. I didn't know her level of nut tolerance would be that low…"
"There was also the time that Ayane broke out because you mixed corn in it," Mai added.
"Mai, at that time – I was not aware of any of their allergic reactions."
On the other hand people were noticing that now Ai was running around like the Energizer Bunny. She leapt high into the air before smashing downward. Even if she wasn't as strong as Fuuka, her shots exploded from her racquet and screamed straight towards Natasha. The British girl could only gawk as she returned Ai's shots. She could only wonder; how long it would last? At the moment, Natasha began praying that she outlasted her own opponent before she herself went crazy from all the energy that she was expelling. Ai jumped into the air and fired the shot straight at Natasha. The British girl forced herself jump back to reduce the impact of the ball against her racquet. She managed to swing her racquet as Ai happily returned the shot as if it didn't bother her at all. Was she even aware that she was currently on a sugar high?
"Isn't that technically running someone on drugs," Natasha pondered to herself.
"Sugar isn't a drug," a voice suddenly cut through her thoughts.
She glanced at Ai who smashed the ball right in between her legs.
"Sugar can't be a drug. It's the greatest thing known to all," she sang.
Natasha could only twitch at the sight of the bluenette. This kid is really high…
"Love – 15," the arbiter declared.
Natasha shook her head and picked up the ball, watching Yukimura Ai swing contentedly while waiting for the ball. She watched the bluenette's lavender coloured eyes, seeing if there was any hint of emotion or give-away she could use. Unfortunately, she saw nothing. All she saw was a sugar-high girl swung herself side-to-side and stretching her neck, waiting for her to attack. Natasha sighed and tossed the ball before sending a hard serve. The ball zoomed towards Ai before curving mid-path and slipping past Ai.
"Ai, you idiot," Fuuka screamed over the bleachers. "Get your ass in gear!"
Ai blinked several times before hanging her head back to look at Fuuka. "But Fuuka, the ball had such an awkward spin! Even if I did return it, it would be out!"
Natasha smirked and nodded; for someone on sugar high, she caught on pretty quick. Then again, she knew that the Japan team had several monsters for the girls' team. The boys too had their own monsters; speaking of which, she hadn't heard anything about the British male team. She glanced at the cameras and the match-boards, scanning the list to look for the British team line-up. Her younger brother had just gotten into the match and she definitely didn't want to lose her own. However, Yukimura Ai proved to be a bigger problem than she initially believed.
Let's try it again, Natasha looked around to find a blind spot only to see one at Ai's left ankle. There!
The ball zoomed in the air before curving awkwardly past Ai.
"Thirty – fifteen," the arbiter declared.
Atobe shook his head. "Ore-sama cannot believe that there is someone who could survive Yamaguchi's drinks. Ore-sama would rather jump into a lake full of piranhas than drink any of Yamaguchi's drinks."
"Nobody wants to drink that crazy thing," Shishido shook his head disdainfully.
Ohtori winced at the idea of drinking Hitomi's drinks. "Has there ever been one that she made that was… well, harmless?"
"You're asking the wrong guy for that, Chouta."
Miaka face-palmed and groaned into her gym bag; she knew that Ai was a great captain but she really had to stop just putting everything in her mouth! "Buchou, are you insane!? Drinking Yamaguchi's drinks might result to death!"
Ai turned to her with a grin. "Sure it will! Death to the other person that is not drinking it!"
Natasha gawked at Ai as the blue haired girl slowly turned her head towards her and craned her neck with a dark grin. "You know… you're just wasting your time using your fancy pansy moves~! I'm gonna waste you~!"
With that threat, Fuuka shook her head. "I'm not sure what's worse. Seeing Ai grin like a mad axe murderer or having to accommodate the idea of drinking one of Yamaguchi's drinks."
"At this rate, I don't think anyone wants to face Ai with that kind of juice in her system," Sarah shook her head. "Heck, even I'm scared to try her mildest ones."
Natasha served the shot with it awkwardly curving towards Ai. The bluenette female watched the ball spin towards her as a smile curved up her lips. She sidestepped and slapped the ball back at Natasha. The British girl gawked in surprised before stepping back to return the shot. Ai grinned and gave her a deep backhand which prompted Natasha to start running. Yukimura sat while watching with a smile of approval. Of course he expected his sister to win! She was a Yukimura! And Yukimura's hate losing! They were all divinely talented in their own right. He was divinely talented in tennis; since she was supposedly his clone and "organ donor", she would be expected to have the same.
"I think she's way better off being an axe murderer," Fuuka shook her head with a snort.
Florence nodded with a sheepish grin. "Unfortunately, I would have to agree…"
Yukimura beamed and leaned forward to get a closer look at Ai's match. "Ai is still adorable. She's my little sister after all."
"She's only adorable to you because you're a demon behind a pretty face," Fuuka scoffed with a fold of her arms.
Yukimura chuckled with a serene smile. "And you're a rabbit behind a hulking gorilla."
On the court however, Natasha narrowed her eyes at Ai who jumped back to return the shot towards her. Her heart pounded as her legs suddenly sprung to life to catch the attacks from Ai and her eyes set themselves on Ai's figure. The bluenette had easily fought toe-to-toe with her and she didn't even appear to break a sweat. Most players she had played against had a determined look on their faces and she always took delight in seeing them crack under the pressure. However, Ai seemed to keep on skipping and bouncing around to get the shots. Yet, Natasha felt her heart pound against her chest with sweat pouring down her temples. She could feel her legs tightening as she sprinted for the next shot, returning the drop shot that Ai sent. When she slightly lobbed it, Ai darted forward and raised her racquet for a smash to which Natasha forcibly twisted her body to return the shot.
"Tch," Natasha scowled while wincing at the ebbing pain in her legs. I hate jerky movements like that!
Upon seeing that, Ai stopped for a moment to stare before giggling and singing. "Ooh, you know the Higuma Otoshi – it seems to be a pretty common move nowadays!"
"Higuma what," Natasha blinked several times and gawked. What in the world is she talking about?
"You know," Ai sang and swayed her body while returning the shot. "The one where you spin around and return the shot with a centripetal force, making it land on the baseline!"
The other British girls gawked at Ai when the bluenette ran all the way back to jump up and drive it back towards Natasha. Jennifer leaned closer and gripped the hem of her tennis skirt, breathing heavily at the sight of Natasha being plastered by some sugar high girl. Irene bit her thumbnail while Azola continued to watch Natasha, keeping an impassive expression. Nerissa flinched and winced at every exploding shot that came from Ai's side and ricocheted from Natasha's racquet. She could already see that Natasha's legs burned up from the constant running or trying to keep herself standing.
"If this keeps up, Natasha will be out of energy way before that Yukimura girl will," Lyra winced at the explosive shots coming from Yukimura Ai's side. "Surely, there is a way to exhaust her prior to her collapsing first?"
Jade gripped her own hands together tightly and shook her head. "I… I am afraid not."
She herself trembled at the power Ai was throwing around and she wasn't even on the court! The power Ai threw against Natasha made a mere mockery out of hers! She could feel her body freezing and her throat tightening and running dry. Her fingers began mechanically twitch and turn while she could barely keep herself still. Jennifer bit her nails as Ai began pushing deep shots towards Natasha to prevent the latter from attacking. She glanced at Jennifer who had been fidgeting on the bench while shutting her eyes tightly at every blow received by Natasha.
"She may not be physically hitting her but her power's insane," Jade shook her head and cracked her knuckles.
"Power and skill," Lyra nodded with her eyes shifting back and forth between Natasha and Ai. "Even the grace and speed! You don't find people like this just walking around the streets!"
That's because I'm not some person to walk the streets…
Ai sombrely recalled the time she had been told that she was simply Yukimura Seiichi's organ donor or blood donor should the need arise. She had caged herself up in a room, refusing even to eat. She remembered how her hands trembled and the spiralling darkness she had seen in her room, not even wanting to open the lights. The whole world had crashed around her when she was just created for her brother's benefit. Did he know this? That, she wasn't sure of. But that was the only reason why she went to Rikkai Dai even if she had been offered a scholarship in Hyotei.
I wanted to beat my brother on his own terms. His own game!
As his clone, she obviously had her brother's looks. She had the same blue hair that limply cascaded past her chin but hers reached until her back. Her eyes sparkled bright lavender like her brother's save that she appeared a little more slit-eyed than her brother. She and Seiichi were also the same height. Everything about her was based off him. She continued to dart across the court, ignoring the sweat and the loud screeching sounds from her soles rubbing against the court. She bolted towards the other side before suddenly crashing with a loud thud and skidding, flinching at the burn mark from skidding.
"Ai," her teammates screamed in unison.
The moment Ai crashed, Natasha beamed and raised her racquet to drive the volley. There! I got you now!
Seeing Natasha going up for the return, Ai rolled towards the shot before kicking herself up from the ground. Finally getting up, she saw the ball zooming towards her. Instead of bringing up her racquet, she head-butted the ball for a drop shot. Natasha, staggered back, clearly astonished from Ai's stunt. Why in the world would she do something so crazy especially if the ball were zooming towards her at bullet speed!? She saw the ball floating over the net and immediately lunged after the ball only to crash on the ground as well and slightly lob the ball. As the ball floated over the net, Ai showed up right in front of her and smashed the ball that zoomed right past her ear. Natasha could do nothing but yelp, covering her head with her hands and curling up into a ball. The ball zoomed past her and racked right behind her.
"Thirty all," the arbiter declared.
Ai exhaled sharply and clenched her racquet tightly until her knuckles turned white. She turned back to see Yukimura Seiichi watching her with an impassive look. Seeing no change in his expression, Ai looked away and hung her head a bit with a crestfallen expression. All the years they have been together as children, her parents had always praised Seiichi for whatever he did. 'Seiichi, you're so amazing!', 'Seiichi you did so well!' – it was always about her brother! She clenched her fist tightly until her knuckles turned white; she never once did hear her parents praise her. Not even when she won her first tennis tournament. As long as she served her purpose of being Yukimura's organ donor, her parents didn't really care whether she lived or died. Tears began to brim at her eyes as she hung her head looking down at the green court beneath her feet.
"It's always been about you, hasn't it," Ai chuckled bitterly and glanced up at Natasha. "You know how it feels like. To be cast aside for someone better or just to be a safety latch for the other."
Natasha stopped for a moment. "Huh?"
"Isn't that why you're so mad at Azola?"
Natasha froze; she wasn't as hyper anymore! "What do you mean?"
"Azola Cumberpatch, she's your sister," Ai pointed out. "But I'm guessing she was born the genius and you weren't."
Natasha growled and narrowed her eyes. "You know nothing about me."
Ai slowly nodded with a smile creeping up her lips. "Really? The feeling of suddenly being cast aside? The feeling of being just a safety net for someone who your parents love more?"
The British girl squinted and shuffled closer, observing Ai more closely. "How do you…?"
"Nattie, don't listen to her," a voice screamed from the bleachers. "She's just messing around with you!"
Natasha looked up to see Jennifer leaning against the bleacher's railings. "Jenny?"
"Don't mind her," Jennifer pleaded. "Just please! Finish her off while you still have the energy!"
Jade glanced at Jennifer. "Jen, what's wrong? You're not normally this worried for Natasha…!"
"Can't you guys feel it," she whimpered and embraced her whole body, trying to keep herself from trembling. "Can't you feel that dark aura?"
They looked at Ai who simply just tilted her head to the side and observed them from the court. "Yes?"
Lyra glanced at Ai before slowly turning her attention back to Jennifer. "Jennifer, I don't think… huh?"
It was then that Jennifer started hyperventilating which she suddenly dropped to her knees, gripping her shirt. The whole British team gasped and rushed towards Jennifer save for Natasha. The British captain looked up and saw Jennifer collapsing to the ground. Natasha threw her racquet to the ground without any hesitation before swiftly bolting after her. She squatted before jumping up to sail over the railing and land behind the bleachers. She rushed towards Jennifer and picked her up, shaking her.
"Jenny! Jenny, no, no," Natasha, clearly panic-stricken, roughly shook Jennifer and gripped the other's girl's shoulder tightly. "Jenny, it's okay! I'm alright! I promise – I'll win this!"
On the other side, Fuuka shook her head. "Yeap, I thought so."
They all turned to Fuuka. "What?"
"Cumberpatch can't feel the yips because she's already well-experienced," Fuuka watched Natasha pile drive Ai. "Ai doesn't have full control over that fear tactic of hers. So, when she does it – it sometimes pours out to the people watching. Especially to those who are close to that person."
Florence glanced towards her former teammates from Britain as Jade tried to help Jennifer onto a chair. Her former coach, Coach Thomas ran in with Natasha zooming past him and cradling Jennifer's head against her chest. She didn't need super-farsightedness to notice that Natasha had been shaken. She'd be that concerned too if one of her teammates just fainted. She glanced at Ai again who was just twirling her hair with her fingers and bobbing her head to some imaginary tune. Florence shook her head at the bluenette; how could she be that heartless? Won't most people be concerned? She exhaled deeply before dropping onto the bench with her arms folded. On her left, she did not notice Coach Hanamura observing her as the red haired woman placed a hand on Florence's thigh.
"Florence, I understand that," Coach Hanamura began.
Florence shook her head and cut off her coach curtly, plucking the woman's hand off her thigh. "I'm not frustrated with anything. I'm just a little ticked off with how I can't help them when they were the ones helping me during my rehabilitation."
Coach Hanamura laughed bitterly. "Perhaps you already did."
Florence raised an eyebrow. "And how do you suppose think I did that?"
"You did it by playing your best even when you were at your limits."
Florence opened her mouth to protest but slowly shut it once she started piecing it together in her mind. She glanced at the court again and then at her racquet. Exhaling sharply, she stood up and looked at Natasha with a frown on her face. She knew that Natasha was head-over-heels in love with Jennifer but her stalling like this was not going to do good for any of them. She knew that Jennifer was probably having some anaphylactic shock; Ai's abilities did have some fear factor to them. She just didn't expect Jennifer to start convulsing.
"Natasha," Florence hollered out.
Natasha looked back and saw Florence standing at the other bleachers.
"Quit your grovelling and snivelling," Florence snapped and glared at the girl, clenching her fists tightly until they turned white. "If you want to save Jennifer then, defeat Ai!"
The whole Jyosei Shounan team gawked at Florence, blinking in surprise. Why in the world did she say that? Fuuka glanced at Florence and sighed deeply; she knew that Florence always had a strong connection to them even if she spent most of her more formative years in Jyosei Shounan. Natsuki could see the small crystals forming at Florence's eyes and how she pursed her lips to restrain herself. All those times, even if Florence had only spent her pre-school years there, Natsuki could see how much she cared for them.
Florence's shouting then cleared Natasha's mind as she glared at the bluenette. She gently placed Jennifer's head on her jacket before slowly stalking back onto the court. The crowds gasped and fell into a deep silence while Natasha strode towards the court with her racquet in hand. Her fingers wrapped themselves around her racquet's grip tightly with her knuckles turning white. She looked at Ai's left ankle and then at the girl again, watching the bluenette sway to and fro. Her haw clenched as any possible plan of attack began forming in her mind. As creepy as she is, she began before shaking her head. No! I have to do this!
This… is for Jenny…
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Tezuka had no idea why Shizuru suddenly decided to ask to walk with him. But he could feel his formerly heaving chest now relaxing and he heard himself sigh with relief. After Awi Jahi's fracture, the whole public began gasping and reporters had tried to hound him. He glanced at Shizuru who was still breathing heavily from all the walking and sometimes running from the journalist. Surprisingly, for someone with a formerly injured knee – she managed to scale walls and get them through places he didn't even imagine trying. Then again, he thought to himself. She is an athlete and martialist at that. Scaling a wall shouldn't be so hard.
"Thank you," he managed to say, glancing back at the places where they had just run out from.
"No problem," Shizuru shrugged as if it were the most normal thing in the world. "I've had my fair share of escaping reporters."
No kidding, with that martialist skill that you have, Tezuka pondered before letting a chuckle bubble from his throat. "Shizuru-chan, can we sit for a bit? It's a little important."
Shizuru, blinking several times, looked around and found a bench. "How about there?"
"That looks good."
The two tennis captains went towards the bench and fell into a deep silence. Tezuka glanced at Shizuru who silently twiddled with her thumbs unable to look at him. He could see her cheeks burning despite the dim lighting and thankfully, it was rather quiet so nobody to drown out whatever they were saying. The only thing he could hear was the cold winds blowing past them and brushing against their skin. He could feel his sweat become dry but his hands still slightly feel clammy. He looked at Shizuru before exhaling.
"Shizuru-chan, I know I said things out of the blue. But I mean every word I said," Tezuka began. "I really do care for you. I think I do like you in a… a more than friend way."
Shizuru raised an eyebrow. "You think? I'm sorry, but I think you should be more certain about your feelings."
Tezuka shook his head. "Sorry, let me rephrase. I care for you and I do like you."
"But why the 'I think'? Usually, people say that when they're not sure."
Tezuka exhaled sharply, trying to compose himself. "I've felt this feeling before. And I made a really big mistake with that feeling which is why I'm hoping this time it's right."
Shizuru nodded before chuckling. "I see…"
The two of them remained silent again. Shizuru could feel her blood rushing up to her cheeks. Here she was, sitting right next to the man she had always admired. She recalled how Tezuka would play tennis and imagined the intensity of his gaze focused on her. Stern but soft at the same time but now she found herself unable to say anything properly.
"Tezuka-san, the reason why I cannot say yes or no is because," Shizuru paused for a moment before sighing. "I've… I've been experiencing problems…"
Tezuka raised an eyebrow at the brunette. "Problems?"
Shizuru looked towards him and shook her head. "It's nothing related to tennis. It's more psychologically. I'm seeing things and most likely hearing things. I've been having terrible mood swings and my body is not exactly cooperating with me. The moment my emotions spike, so does something else inside me. I," – she smiled bitterly. "I just wish I knew what it was."
He could see the fear flickering in the brunette's red eyes. Her hands clasped one another tightly as she inched away from him. Mood swings? She looked perfectly fine and even if she did have some mental disorder, wasn't there some treatment on how to keep things like those at bay? She sat still without flinching, making Tezuka wonder if she really did have mood swings. If she did, she would be snarling one moment and then crying the other. She couldn't have been as bad as his first one, right? He slowly began to inch towards her, sitting a little closer than he had intended. She had a pensive expression, looking at Tezuka at one moment before suddenly looking away.
"The truth is – I really do want to try," Shizuru admitted mildly. "I-It's just… these things that have been bothering me plus the fact that I have never been in a relationship before…"
Tezuka blinked in disbelief. "You… never had a boyfriend?"
Shizuru shook her head. "I liked someone but it didn't pan out like I wanted it to."
"I see…"
The two captains became silent again as the trees began to dance with the wind. Tezuka looked up as the sunset seemed to illuminate Shizuru's face, giving her dark brown hair a soft glow. Her red eyes seemed to stare at the ground, clearly haunted by something. Perhaps the visions, Tezuka concluded. But he couldn't help but find her expression captivating. He watched her for a moment before looking at her hands. He saw how tightly clasped her hands were and how she kept on biting her lower lip. He had never seen a girl act like that. Then again, he was never the one to confess first. His first girlfriend was the one who went looking for him.
And boy, did I regret accepting her.
"Shizuru-chan, so, what do you want to do first," Tezuka asked.
Shizuru sighed deeply before looking at him. "I-I was hoping to know you more. You know, hang out a bit. Go on dates a bit but not necessarily be a thing just yet."
Tezuka nodded. "I'm alright with that. For someone who has never been in a relationship, you seem to have a good head on your shoulders."
Shizuru couldn't help but scoff at that comment. "Hey just because you're the famous Tezuka Kunimitsu does not mean I'm instantly gonna go 'yes I like you please marry me'."
Tezuka was taken aback by the sudden daggers as Shizuru shook her head. "See? That's what I mean. I'm having weird personality switches and I don't even know where they come from."
Tezuka nodded numbly. "But you're trying to look for it?"
"Yeah," Shizuru nodded weakly and hung her head. "If only I knew where to start…"
Well, this was a part of Shizuru he had never expected.
He had always seen her as the brunette beauty of Hyotei who carried the air of nobility around her when she entered the court. That was why her name was the Queen of Diamonds; it wasn't just her level of play but also her personality. Flawless as some would say, Tezuka shook his head. Every person had a flaw; it's just that Shizuru knew how to hide it very well or at least find a way to compensate for it. But he could see the bewilderment flickering in her eyes. But somehow, seeing this way made him feel more – relaxed? Not that he was relishing in her misery but now, people's painted picture of her seemed to crumble and it left him with a whole lot of new things that people never knew about her.
And that in itself, was good enough.
"Don't worry," Tezuka suddenly said.
Shizuru looked up to see Tezuka smiling at her and inching nearer to her.
"I'll help you. You're not alone, Shizuru," he said. "A wise man once told me that "life is not about finding yourself but about creating yourself". And what better way to do it with people you can trust?"
Shizuru laughed softly. "Where'd you get that?"
"My grandfather tends to say wise things when he's not picking on me."
"Aww, at least your grandfather isn't boring?"
Tezuka chuckled and nodded. "Yes. Far better than most."
Shizuru smiled before realizing that she had to tell Tezuka. "Um, Tezuka-san?"
"Yes? Shizuru, please call me Tezuka-kun. You don't have to be so formal anymore."
"Oh um," Shizuru began blushing madly, something that Tezuka found adorable. "There's something you need to know. You see… I'm not just an ordinary school girl. I mean… I look like one and…"
"And yet you do martial arts and can fight 5 armed people without breaking a sweat," Tezuka concluded and chuckled. "Shizuru-chan, I think the time at Hideyoshi's castle proved that."
"Yeah and," it was then it hit Shizuru that Tezuka didn't seem the least bit afraid. "Wait, you're not afraid?"
"I'm scared if I get on your bad side. But for now, I do not think there is anything to be afraid of as long as I do not threaten you."
Shizuru shook her head with a small smile. "Thanks, makes me feel better already."
"I also know about your involvement in L.X.A."
Upon hearing that, Shizuru's blood ran cold. "Wh-what? Who told you…?"
"Souma-san told me," Tezuka said with a shrug. "And if you have a stalker like Inui and having Oishi panic, word tends to get around. It's alright; I understand. Your secret is safe with me."
Shizuru smiled and shrugged, relaxing. "Well, it's okay. It's just a part of my past that I think should stay buried. I didn't like what I did for them…"
"According to Souma-san, you were trained how to infiltrate and kill systematically," Tezuka recalled and hung his head. "That's one messed up childhood."
Shizuru laughed. "You can say that again!"
The two captains then began laughing before they both sighed to themselves and looked at the setting sun. Tezuka couldn't believe he had gotten this far to Shizuru. He wanted to hold her hand but they weren't anything yet. So, he had to be creative. Whatever it was, he couldn't help but yearn for the feeling of being embraced by her. Having her stand by his side when he needed help like today. And knowing the fact that she didn't give her first kiss to anyone, it made him giddy. Or did she give it?
"Shizuru, do you mind if I ask a personal question," Tezuka began.
Shizuru blinked several times and tilted her head to the side. "What is it?"
Tezuka swallowed nervously, not sure if he should ask. "Have you ever… kissed before?"
Shizuru blinked again with an innocent look before turning bright red and hiding behind her twiddling thumbs. "N-No… I've never… I-I…"
Tezuka couldn't help but have a chuckle bubble in his throat. From the strong and confident Shizuru, she was more timid than anything he had ever seen. Or perhaps, it was because no one had ever bothered to ask her about it. But he never had imagined she would look so… dare he say it, adorable. The way she hid behind her hands and shrank into her large jersey jacket. Come to think of it, her jacket was so big that it effectively looked like a man's jacket draped on her shoulders. Her hands didn't even peek out past the sleeve holes and it made her body look a lot bigger than normal.
"Huh? Is there something on my face," Shizuru began checking until Tezuka shook his head.
"No but I was wondering why your jacket is way bigger than your own body," Tezuka chuckled.
Shizuru blinked before suddenly giggling herself. "I like big jackets. They're warmer and they feel cozier. I can make one into a tent if I want."
"Ah double functionality."
"Yeap, I could sleep anywhere as long as I had a big jacket to work with."
Tezuka nodded before resuming as to why they were talking. "So, where do we go from here?"
The brunette herself wasn't sure. She was supposed to be asking him that! Then again, Shizuru mused. She figured that Tezuka just wanted to respect her space and considering that she was the one who did offer the idea of ambiguity, Shizuru figured that she had to take the reins for this first part. She glanced at Tezuka and then at her hands and then at him again. How many girls dreamed that Tezuka would one day confess to them? She didn't expect him to confess to her! She admired him for his skill and persona on the tennis court but seeing him outside the tennis court made it a whole new dimension for her. Uncharted waters, her friends would say. She nodded slowly before turning to Tezuka with a shrug.
"I guess we just hang out first like friends," Shizuru shrugged. "I really want to know if it's me you're looking at or the girl on the court."
Tezuka nodded. "I understand. Take it slow."
"Mm, especially when my mood swings. I'm warning you ahead already."
The Seigaku captain gently dropped his hand on her shoulder with a small smile. "Thank you for the warning. I'll handle it in the best way I can."
"Thank you," Shizuru smiled before looking at her watch. "I think we better head back. I think I just missed Ai's pummelling of Natasha Cumberpatch."
Tezuka looked at her, bewildered. "Pummelling?"
"The longer you fight her, the more you…"
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
"… Succumb to the yips," Natasha gasped and dropped one knee to the ground. "H-How…?"
Her whole body refused to take any of her commands and just cemented itself to the floor. Her arms were dangling and even her eyesight began to fade. Her sense of smell was already dead but what use was that on the court? She tried to lift her feet that just drooped and dropped back on the ground like a boulder. Her neck stiffened and her knees couldn't even push her upward to stand. No matter how hard she struggled, her body refused to move. Her back slouched over as she winced at the numbness, feeling as if there was a boulder dropped on her back. She winced and struggled to stand upright but all she could see was Ai's ever so innocent looking face, looking down at her. She wanted to slam her fist onto the court out of frustration but those were the first of her body to go. Now she understood why Jenny had panicked; Yukimura Ai had a more passive ability.
"Can you feel it now," Ai suddenly asked. "The meaning of true despair?"
Natasha looked up as Ai who stood at the net, casually leaning on it. "How could you talk about it like that?"
"Talk about what," Ai cocked her head to the side with an innocent look in her eyes.
"Despair," Natasha spat. "You know nothing of despair! You're just a little girl who plays tennis! What would you know of despair?"
"I know the despair of knowing that you were not meant to exist," Ai admitted mildly.
Natasha stopped and gawked at the bluenette. "What?"
"I'm just a clone of my brother," Ai simply said. "I was created to simply be his organ donor should something go wrong. He was born with a Guillain-Barré syndrome which messes up his neural connections. Sometimes, these neural connections don't just break the brain. They break the other parts of the body. I remember the days that I was as young as three years old that I had to undergo surgery to give him one of my kidneys…"
Upon hearing that, Yukimura Seiichi himself could only stare in surprise. His parents never told him that! They just always doted upon him…
"They told me as young as three years old that I was nothing more than an organ donor to Seiichi," Ai kept an emotionless face, devoid of any innocence that she once had. "So don't tell me I don't know what it's like to be cast aside. You were just less doted upon because you were older and you were thus seen as more reliable. I'm the younger one and they just threw me away just like that."
Natasha chuckled bitterly. "It seems we are on the same boat then…"
"Yes," Ai replied absent-mindedly and glanced at her brother. "Yes we are…"
Glancing at his sister, Seiichi kept a stony expression but he could feel everything rushing around him inside. First, he has red flashes in his memory after his surgery and then he finds out his sister was his organ donor. It didn't help that he was starting to get lapses of memory! What's next? He turns into a dragon and starts burning down villages? The demigod shook his head; he still could not wrap his mind around the idea of his sister being put on a surgery table as a toddler! As is, he remembered only getting injections – nothing more.
"Anyway," Ai just waved it off. "Shall we continue? Did I buy you enough time for you to get your senses back?"
Natasha froze and suddenly she could feel her legs moving again! "Y-yes, but…?"
"The yips only take effect after being constantly exposed to it," Ai shrugged and walked back towards the baseline. "That was one of the few ways to get past it."
But the fact that Ai had helped her stumped the British girl. "But why help me?"
Ai shrugged again. "I don't know. Maybe it's because I saw myself in you. How easily disabled I once was by a simple revelation."
"So, it's pity?"
"No, it's called empathy."
Natasha chuckled and nodded. "That was a sudden flip of personality. I didn't expect that from someone so hyper."
Ai smiled with a toothy grin. "Well, expect the unexpected! You never know – you might make a friend from the opposing teams."
Natasha laughed softly when she looked up to find another member of the Japanese team join them along with a bespectacled male. She remembered the girl who had taken down Nerissa; the brunette had suddenly had a burst of talent and power. Yet, if she were to describe her – she was more like the calm or the surface of a vast ocean whereas Ai reminded her more of a tornado. Crazy on the outside but calm on the inside, Natasha pondered deeply. Japan was full of interesting people; maybe that was why Florence preferred fighting for Japan than Britain.
"It makes perfect sense," she mumbled. "Even her partner was unique…"
I just prayed and hope that it would scramble her brains.
She remembered what Mai had told Florence while they were on the court. A small smile curved up her lips; Florence really had crazy friends. Even though she said Mai was just a teammate, she could imagine what would happen if they were really close friends. They would have been a force to be reckoned with, Natasha beamed. She looked at the doubles pairs that Britain put out and even then, she could only imagine how far Lyra and Jade would go. Her eyes then fell to her sister who stuck close to Irene. She hung her head for a moment; it wasn't fair to Azola. It wasn't her fault that her father happened to cheat on her mother. She sent a passing smile to Azola before focusing on her match again.
"I never expected to realize many things while I battled you, Yukimura," Natasha chuckled and then glanced at the score. "Is that why you haven't been using your fullest potential of the yips on me?"
Ai glanced at the score with an innocent shrug, noticing how evenly tied they were at 4-4. "Maybe…?"
"You're a peculiar character, no wonder Florence spoke highly of you."
"Are you flattering me because you're trying to buy time that you're tired or you just want to flatter?"
"It's the second. I'm just saying you're rather unique. You and your friends are."
Ai shrugged and grinned before looking at her teammates who were watching from the stands. She saw Miaka with her usual punk and rugged get-up while absent-mindedly picking her ears. Sarah looked upon her worriedly; well, who wouldn't considering she did just drink of Yamaguchi Hitomi's "poisons"? She had to be honest, it actually tasted good. It had pomegranate, mango and, some other energy boosting things. Who knew one could mix Redbull and coffee and it would taste good? She laughed with giddy to herself before lowering her stance.
"I like you, you remind me of Natsuki-chan," Ai grinned. "Save for the accent, you're pretty transparent."
Natasha laughed with a small smirk. "Is that so?"
"Yeah, I could tell if you're lying. The Yukimura sense never fails!"
The whole team glanced at Yukimura Seiichi. "The Yukimura sense?"
Yukimura, upon seeing everybody's eyes on him, shrugged with chuckle. "It only affects the women. Unfortunately, I don't have that kind of thing on me."
"I can testify to that," Miaka snorted in amusement and kicked back to lie down, resting her hands behind her head. "I can blind you with a blindfold and tell you that I'm a 50 foot pink platypus bear without flinching and you'd still fall for it."
"That's because you can lie without problems, Inuzuka-san."
"I'm not that duplicitous. Don't throw me there, Yukimura," Miaka scoffed before folding her arms, slumping against the chair. "I just want this match to be over with already. Ai's just been playing around with her and I've been sitting on my ass bored by just watching her."
Tora patted Miaka's shoulder. "Relax, don't be so antsy. I'm sure Ai just wanted to have some fun. You know her."
"Yeah, buchou sometimes has too much fun that she ends up missing the objective," Miaka scowled before storming off, grabbing her jacket. "I'm going back to the locker room to sleep. Wake me up when Ai isn't fooling around anymore, senpai."
Tora chuckled at how the gruff sophomore stomped off towards the locker room. Miaka never liked sitting down for too long but then, they were still having the segregated matches. She wasn't sure when the non-segregated matches would happen but whatever it was – she too was getting a bit antsy. She sat down on one of the benches only to hear a small clink. The ginger picked up the glass which had been scribbled on with the word "OLYMPIAD 3.0" and sighed. She could only imagine what kind of weird chemicals that Hitomi put in there. But whatever it was, Ai was taking it pretty well.
"Yamaguchi-san," she heard one of the Seigaku male regulars – Oishi ask her. "You sure that thing won't kill her?"
"For the umpteenth time, Oishi-san, she won't die," Hitomi rolled her eyes with an annoyed scoff. "I'm pretty sure that if it doesn't kill Shizuru or Momo – it won't kill her either."
Tora laughed softly and watched Ai finally get serious. The ball cracked off from Ai's racquet as Natasha forehanded the ball back, forcing Ai to step back farther. She watched her captain skip around with a grin before hitting the ball back without any spin or any special thing at all. She could only wonder; why did Ai never make any special techniques? Fuuka had her monstrous strength and her attack known as the Aries' Revenge. Shizuru had evolved the Ayame Gaeshi into the Sogyo no Mai: Eien. Natsuki was known for her similar style to Sarah for being the Dust Eater (which she knew that Sarah did admire the kansai captain and thus tried to emulate her). Then there was Florence who was known for her speed. She frowned; why hadn't Ai come up with anything?
"Because she's already terrifying by herself," Fuuka rebuked her thoughts.
Tora glanced at Fuuka who shrugged.
"Why does she need to come up with something fancy when she can: return every shot, show no fear and, be as energetic as the energizer bunny," Fuuka chuckled with an amuse snigger. "The girl without fear – no matter what technique you use against her, she's gonna return it anyway."
"Then how did she lose to Shizuru then," Tora raised an eyebrow at her.
"That's because sometimes Ai can be such a dim-bulb," Fuuka rolled her eyes and scoffed. "In strategy making, Shizuru completely trumps her in that department. Ai just likes playing around, just like a kid. Maybe that's what terrifies most people but having grown up with Ai in the same place – we captains know what she's like already and we're pretty used to it."
Tora nodded before sitting next to the red-haired captain. "Is it true though…?"
"True what," Fuuka raised an eyebrow at Rikkai Dai's vice captain.
"Is it true that she was genetically enhanced by combining your genes and Yukimura's?"
Fuuka scrunched up her nose before raising an eyebrow. "Would that make her any less human? Would that dampen your respect for her?"
Tora shook her head. "No but, it's just so hard to imagine someone like her at a young age being tied to a surgical table all the time. Having your destiny and powers decided by man instead of letting Nature take its course…"
"Yeah," Fuuka shrugged. "But Ai did grow up far differently than her genetic programming had planned."
Tora raised an eyebrow at Fuuka. "What do you mean?"
Fuuka watched Ai jump up into the air and smash the ball with a huge grin. "She was someone who was supposed to be the "perfect" Princess. The perfect agent – no fear, no emotion, nothing. She wasn't supposed to feel anything in order for her to always think logically and knowing how to dispose the opponent in the quickest way possible."
"But that," Tora glanced at Ai who was laughing and giggling while rallying with Natasha.
"But the way she is now is completely different," Fuuka nodded. "It's the whole battle between Nature versus Nurture. In this case, I think Nurture won out pretty well considering that she did grow up with us."
The vice captain nodded with a small smile. "Ah, at least she did have some semblance of a normal childhood."
"Yeah somewhat," Fuuka smiled at Ai who had began turning the tides against Natasha effortlessly. "This is Ai after all. Ai didn't want to be like Yukimura. She wanted to just be Ai."
Ai, overhearing what Fuuka had explained to her vice captain, couldn't help but smile. Her heart calmed and she could feel a warm feeling pulsating through her body as she ran to and fro from the baseline. Not many people understood her the same way the captains did for her. She had grown up with them; remembering all the birthdays and home-schooling they all had gone through together made her feel she was never Yukimura Seiichi's organ donor. She was just Ai to them; nothing more. She gave shot a strong forehand to Natasha who deflected it by running towards the net for a drive volley. Ai however didn't meet her up close and instead gave her a backhand that glided right over the net and headed towards the corner. Natasha bolted back and forehanded the ball again before Ai dashed towards the net to drop the shot, forcing Natasha to run again. When the British leapt for the ball, she managed to barely send it over the net while Ai had cut it right beneath to send it towards the edge of the Single's court.
"30 - Love!"
"Brava," Natasha chuckled while panting and heaving. "I never thought I would feel this kind of exhilaration again."
Ai grinned. "Yeah, who was the one you fought before again? It was Fuuka-chan, right?"
Natasha nodded. "Yeah, that friend of yours is a monster."
"You don't say? You haven't tried waking her up from bed!"
Fuuka turned bright red at the mention of Ai's comment, twitching. "Ai…!"
"She's Fuuka the Evil Morning Monster," Ai continued blabbering on while serving the shot with a grin. "Heck, I'm supposed to be programmed without fear yet I know not to go near her if I want my limbs attached!"
"Ai, shut up," Fuuka hollered from the bleachers. "Just get this game over with!"
"Yeah yeah," Ai waved her hand dismissively at the female Seigaku captain. "I just like making new friends you know. Making people smile makes me smile!"
Fuuka groaned and smacked her forehead into the steel railing whereas Florence could only pat Fuuka's shoulder reassuringly. "Don't worry, Ai pretty much has this game in the bag. I don't think Natasha's going to be able to catch up with her now that Ai hasn't even been playing at full potential."
Yeah Florence, you're right. She has been holding out on me.
Seeing Ai play now and then reflecting on the rallies before, she could only imagine how much Ai held back from her. Even with all the sugar running through her system, she had half-expected Ai to collapse mid-game but apparently Ai was fighting ten times better than she was awhile ago. She first would win one game and then not even bother returning the shots when it was her turn to serve. It made no sense to her! But Natasha could see the sweat dripping off her nose whereas Ai looked like she didn't even sweat one bit. She smiled and nodded; this game was already in Ai's favour far before than she had ever thought.
"But that doesn't mean that I won't stop trying," Natasha gave her a drop shot.
"30 – 15!"
Ai beamed and clapped her hands with joy. "Yay, now you're fighting back!"
"Sorry it took a little long," she chuckled and glanced at the score. "Now let's get a little more serious shall we?"
Seeing Ai finally get serious, Yukimura couldn't help but smile at his younger sister. But the thoughts he had heard from her still disturbed him; she was his organ donor? That was no fair to her; it was if she were genetically engineered to be his organ cow should one of his organs go wrong. Did his parents not love her the same way they did him? She was saving his life for crying out loud! She could at least be offered a bit of solace in that. He saw Tezuka sit down next to him and smirked; Tezuka had finally triumphed and told Shizuru his feelings. He could only wondering; why didn't Sanada push through with it?
"So you finally have the girl," Yukimura let out a humourless chuckle. "Now what?"
Tezuka frowned at the effeminate Rikkai Dai captain. "I don't have her, Yukimura. We both just decided to start out slow – as friends."
Yukimura snapped his head towards Tezuka, puzzled. "She… didn't accept you?"
"She didn't say yes, she didn't say no," Tezuka simply said. "Quite ambiguous but it's better than no."
Yukimura nodded with a curt smile. "I suppose. But any girl would want Tezuka Kunimitsu to be their boyfriend. So, why didn't she say yes right away?"
"She said she was experiencing some psychological problems. Like hallucinations, flashbacks, mood swings," Tezuka explained. "She said she wants to get that out of the way first."
"Ah, quite the mature one. She sounds like she's been in a relationship before."
"Why are you suddenly so nosy, Yukimura?"
Yukimura shrugged. "Why? Is it wrong to be concerned about your rivals?"
"There's a fine line between nosy and concerned, Yukimura," Tezuka fired back, wondering why he was trying to fish information out of him. "If you're trying to make Sanada feel better by telling him about her flaws, you know he's not going to go for that."
Yukimura chuckled; that was the first time he had heard Tezuka speak full length sentences. "I must have riled you up for you to become so talkative."
"It's called 'you're being irritating'," Tezuka flatly said; he didn't know how word it any milder than he said.
"I'm sorry, do I look like I care," Yukimura smirked; somehow, riling Tezuka and seeing his tone change even by a few pitches amused him. "Besides, I'm just asking. Why do you have to be so defensive?"
Tezuka narrowed his eyes and just shook his head, burying his face into his hands. "Look, I'm still just reeling…"
"That was Awi Jahi's fault and even his coach said so," Yukimura's playful teasing expression became sterner. "There is no reason for you to feel guilty over that."
Tezuka nodded. "I suppose."
Yukimura chuckled and looked at Tezuka who was also watching the match between Ai and Natasha. But, he had other things to deal with. He glanced at Mai before another red flash hit him and everything just faded out. The sounds of the cheering crowds and the image of his sister taking the point faded into red and silence. He nearly staggered over but managed to catch the rail before falling to the ground. He gasped and panted, trying to gain back his balance. His heart pounded hard and he could not hear anything at all. Was this what it was like to suffer hallucinations? Whatever it was, Yukimura Seiichi couldn't believe what was happening to him. They told him that after the surgery and the therapy, he would be perfectly fine!
"But… what is this," he winced and groaned in pain.
Atobe had been the first to notice. "Oi, Yukimura…!"
Mai swivelled her head towards the bluenette and found him staggering. "Yukimura!"
Upon hearing the commotion, Ai snapped her head up to see her older brother staggering and stumbling around. So much for the demi-god, she thought before shaking the thought away. How could she say such a thing? He was her brother! Her elder brother who had doted on her when her parents did not! Even though she knew she wasn't meant to exist, he made her feel that she was just more than an organ donor. Why should she blame him for the mistakes of her parents? She narrowed her eyes and turned to Natasha, lowering her stance.
"I'm sorry, Cumberpatch-san," Ai declared. "I must finish this match quickly."
"Tut, tut, haste makes waste," Natasha smirked as Ai began her service.
However, Natasha gaped at the power Ai began putting in her shots. She winced as her body began to throb in pain from running all over the court. She could see the determination and seriousness in Ai's eyes now. Ai had tightened her grip and she could see the bluenette's knuckles turning white. She also could feel the ferocity in the girl's shots as she bolted towards the net with volleys. She watched Ai's eyes as she sent down a drop shot that required Ai to drop low. Much to her surprise, the bluenette suddenly dropped down for a 180 degree split and flipped it back up right over the net which dropped on Natasha's side.
"40-15!"
Natasha scoffed and Yukimura sent her service. But instead of her usual strength, there was a sudden burst of brute power from the bluenette. Natasha saw the ball coming and immediately tried to deflect it only for the ball to drill against her racquet. She placed to hands on the throat of her racquet, gripping it tightly as she could to repel it but even she felt blown back by the force. All the members of the Japanese team could only gawk at the sudden shift of ability in Yukimura Ai; when did she get that fast and flexible? As far as the Rikkai Dai team was concerned, Ai seemed to move in a more superhuman way.
"That's because Ai was supposed to be a combination of all of us," Florence said while leaning on the bars, shaking her head. "She's literally someone who was genetically engineered to be perfect."
"Well, physically anyway," Fuuka added.
Florence couldn't help but chuckle at Fuuka's comment. "Yes, mentally and psychologically – well, that's the battle of nature versus nurture."
"Game, Yukimura: 5-4!"
Natasha bristled at the score while bouncing the ball. She could see that Ai was getting antsy, jumping around anxiously. It still astonished her however that Ai still had enough energy to play the way she did despite being forced to run around. A small smirk curved up her lips; this was the kind of match she had been waiting for in London. After being declared Number 1 in London, Natasha found herself longing for better players. Even though Azola was a genius, she knew how to beat her. Talent didn't always surpass hard work.
"Alright then, give me a good game," Natasha declared before serving the ball.
The ball zoomed and curved awkwardly towards Ai; it was the same serve that Ai chose not to return awhile ago. She knew that this was one way to get her on edge. Any way that Ai would hit it, it would always be out. However, that premise immediately overturned when Ai suddenly let the ball bounce and knew exactly where it would land. The bluenette hit the ball with enough force to explode throughout the court as it screeched on the court with skid marks. Natasha gawked as Ai returned to her position.
"Please do not try buying time. My brother has a serious health condition you see," Ai's demeanour had completely switched from her happy demeanour into a more serious one.
"Love – 15!"
The rest of the British Team couldn't believe how Ai immediately aced past her. All this time, the Japanese bluenette had been playing around? Azola shivered and clung onto Irene while Jennifer began biting her nails. Lyra glanced at Jade who wrung fingers together and pursed her lips. Seeing that expression on her doubles partner's face was an omen; that meant that Natasha really had no chance. At this rate, Lyra shook her head. She didn't have a chance to begin with! Ai had masking her true potential all this time just so she could have fun?
"Return ace: love – 40!"
This is it, Jennifer shook her head. She looked at the British fans looking on them and how they were sitting at the edge of their seats, wondering if Natasha would push it farther. But Ai would have none of it; any shot that was thrown at her got repelled right back with double the power. When she served the shot, Ai simply returned it without any special techniques. But Natasha could feel the strain pounding into her body as Ai continued to return the shots she sent. But she steeled herself further; she refused to give up! As London's number 1 junior female, she had to show what she was made of! As Lady's protégé, she had to live up to her standards. But she didn't expect Ai to be such a monster especially when she suddenly started favouring leg movements and dropped all the way down and threw the ball right under her face.
"What have they done to her," Tora shook her head. "I've never seen Ai play like this."
Fuuka scoffed. "At least yours is just worrying how she plays tennis. You should see the way she kills people."
Tora's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates, gawking. "K-Kill…?"
"When the SDF cannot handle certain threats, they send in one of their favourite hitmen," Fuuka explained and leaned on the railing. "I'm not sure if the Yukimuras know but that's why Yukimura Ai has another name."
Tora swallowed hard and stammered. "A-And what would that be?"
The red haired captain of Seigaku looked at the court as Yukimura Ai easily snatched the last game from Natasha. "Yukimura Ai… the Destroyer…"
The arbiter then declared with his arm raised, gesturing to Ai.
"Game and match, Yukimura: 6 games to 4! Japan moves up one tier!"
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
And that's chapter 78! Please don't forget to review!