Love-Game [A Prince of Tennis FanFiction]

[10] Reserve

Chapter 10: Reserve

***

Ugh! Why do I have to be here again?! I make a point of groaning loudly next to my sister, Ayumi. She sighs and rolls her eyes.

“Coach said it yesterday, it is mandatory  for zeroes and ones to come to the matches. So deal with it!” she frowns and searches for the rest of the team. All I see are a bunch of girls in skirts and dresses, I feel oddly left out.

I happen to be wearing jogging pants and a thin jacket over my tank top. With all these girls, I could probably pass for a guy, especially with my hair this short.

I sigh for the ten millionth time this morning. This is going to be a long day, I can just feel it.

Ayumi finally relaxes as she spots the other regulars. She drags me along with her and I barely manage to notice that I’ve never met them.

As if she’d read my mind, Ayumi turns to me, “Ah, you’ve never met the regulars, have you?”

I shake my head and a short naïve looking blondie steps up. “Hi! I’ve heard so much about you! My name’s Kesenai Yuiki, I’m a third year, it’s nice to meet you Aka-chan!” She grins brightly and practically chokes me with a wide hug. Oh dear.

But why can I only focus on the fact that her last name literally means “cannot be erased”? I force a smile. “Nice to meet you too...”

The complete opposite of Yuiki-sempai steps forward rolling her eyes, “Ignore her. I’m Sakurai Karen; I play doubles with this idiot.” Karen, the tall, dark haired model looking person smirks at Yuiki-sempai’s pout. If I didn’t know better, I would think Karen was the sempai, but obviously that’s not the case.

“That’s not very nice Karen-san,” says a person I didn’t even know was there until she spoke. And wow, those are probably the biggest glasses I have ever seen in my entire life. “Hi, I’m Hideko Naomi; I’m in the same class with Yuiki.”

I nod with an even more forced smile. I turn to the last unknown. She doesn’t say a word; in fact she seems to be staring into space. What the actual hell?

“M-Maria-sempai?” Ayumi asks, waving a hand in front of this Maria-sempai’s face.

She turns, almost shocked, “Oh, hey Ayumi-chan, when did you get here?”

I hear a collective sigh from the other regulars. Apparently this is normal. She finally turns to me in the middle of her conversation with Ayumi. “Oh, this is must be your sister! Hi, I’m Tanaka Maria...” She trails off, making me think she has more to say, but she just smiles. Wow, and I thought I was weird.

“Nice to meet you.” I mutter mainly to myself. Coach walks up to the group carrying an ominous clipboard before I can escape to buy some juice.

“Alright, we’re registered; our first match starts in ten minutes against...” I tune out from the rest of the casual explanations. I turn to leave when my name is called.

“Akari will be our reserve.” I turn back to him just in time to meet a triumphant smirk. I swear this man just loves torturing me, doesn’t he?

He glances at the shocked faces of the regulars. “Any questions?”

“May I just ask the reasoning?” Naomi-sempai doesn’t wait for anyone to ask first. “According to my data, Akari is not near ready to be a reserve.”

I glance at her. Data? Really? “I agree.” I pipe in; I have to get my opinion in. I don’t want to play. The regulars, plus coach, frown at me. Ayumi sighs.