The Kunoichi of Tennis (by DaPsionicFox)

Chapter 7- Ryoga, Ryoma and Ayame

"Oi, Ryoma!" she hollered at her sleeping friend. "Get up already!"

Her hollering had managed to wake up the family cat Karupin, but it failed on Ryoma.

"Five more minutes..." Ryoma muttered.

"Get up or I'm making you drink Inui Juice whether you like it or not!" Ayame yelled.

At the mention of "Inui Juice", Ryoma's eyes popped open, and he looked startled. He then saw Ayame standing at his doorway.

"Actually, last one to make it to school has to drink Inui Juice!" Ayame shouted as she turned around and bolted down the staircase.

She ran to school and settled for class.

'Dragging Ryoma out of bed, check,' her thoughts continued to run. 'Get to school on time, check. The notes notebook ready to go, check. At least that thing gives me an opportunity to review what I forgot...'

Ayame takes almost all of the same classes as Ryoma (save for English and tennis). She knows that Ryoma has a notorious habit of sleeping in class, and she had been taking notes in class to give to Ryoma in case if he missed anything. Not that she minded or anything, despite the fact that it makes it look like that Ryoma is making her take notes and he could just sit back and snooze in class. She made high marks in her classes and she wouldn't let her old friend down.

Classes dragged on like they usually did. Lunch break went on just like every school day – Ayame meeting up with Ryoma and eating lunch with him (though sometimes she finds him sleeping on the rooftop). The end of school went like it usually did – Ayame going to the tennis courts to watch the boys' tennis practice.

She arrived at the court. As she watched the balls fly over the nets, she remembered something that Ryoma asked her.

"Ayame," he had said. "Why didn't you join the girls' tennis team?"

"If I did, I'd easily defeat them," Ayame had replied. "The girls' tennis team isn't as serious as boys'. I'll just end up going to tournaments and easily winning all my games. I know I'm not a boy, but ya'll's tennis is very interesting. So, I'd rather be in the sidelines watching you boys play rather than joining the girls' team."

As Ayame watched Ryoma rally on the court, it kept reminding her of Ryoga...

"You haven't told Ryoma yet?" Ayame asked.

"No," Ryoga replied.

Ayame remembered snapping at Ryoga when she found out that he was forced to live at his aunt's. She had felt regretful about her actions and tried not to let her emotions get in her way again.

"You can't hide it from him forever," she went on. "Either way, you're gonna have to tell him."

"I know, Ay-chan, I know!" Ryoga said in frustration.

"Sorry," she said.

The door opened, and Nanjiroh was there.

"Ryoga, are you ready?" he asked.

"Wait!" he said. "I need to see Chibisuke! Ay-chan, you come too!"

Ayame watched as Ryoga grabbed a marker and started writing on an orange. He eventually went outside with the orange, and she followed him to where Ryoma was.

"Chibisuke!" Ryoga said. "I'll have a serious match with you if you can catch this orange!"

Ayame looked at the orange and noticed that Ryoga had written something on it. She wasn't able to read it clearly, but she read something along the lines of "get stronger" and "we'll play each other someday". After glimpsing a bit of the writing, she knew that this was Ryoga's way of saying goodbye.