Ryouko and Atobe looked at the Hyotei tennis club regular members in an almost comical way. "Temeira... (You guys...) (Actually translated as 'you bastards' but it had always been Atobe's own way of pertaining to other people not just limited to his own club members but towards the other clubs too.)
There was silence for a while before Gakuto let out a long whistle. "This is interesting..." He mused.
"Ya." Ryouko called, fixing them a hard stare. "You think you can help us with this instead of standing there looking like idiots?" She said.
They looked at her, quite dumb-founded at her tone. "Waa... Kowa... (Scary...)" Gakuto commented.
"Kabaji." Atobe called with authority in his voice.
"Usu." Kabaji replied, stepping forward in front of the other club members.
"Come untangle this." Atobe instructed.
"Usu." Kabaji said and went towards them. Even though his hands were big, he was able to take out the knots one by one very delicately to the point that Ryouko did not suffer from further tugging and pulling of her long, dark hair.
She made a curious face which Atobe answered. "He crochets." He said matter-of-factly.
"Oh." She muttered in understanding.
After the fiasco of the tangling of Ryouko's hair to Atobe's wristwatch, he called for a maid to set up a larger table that will fit all of them. Ryouko sat on a chair, scanning the faces of the Hyotei tennis club regulars seated around the table.
Several maids went to serve the new arrivals some refreshments as Ryouko ignored the obvious stares of the boys around her. She took her teacup and took a sip. Then she reached over for a basket of butter rolls.
"Oujo-sama, you're still going to eat?" The maid that served her earlier asked impulsively with wide eyes.
"Why? Is there a problem with that?" She asked, blinking innocently.
The maid blushed and bowed her head. "No, there isn't. I'm sorry to intrude."
"Do straighten up. I don't mean anything wrong." She answered before reaching over for another butter roll. She handed it to the maid saying, "Here, have some. We can't be the only ones eating."
The maid hesistantly took it, muttering a 'thank you'. Hiyoshi looked at her as if it were the first time he ever saw a girl in his life. Even Jirou who usually just dozed off looked wide-eyed and smiling.
"You're peculiar." Ryo Shishido commented.
"Gee, thanks for the compliment." Ryouko replied.
Shishido's cheeks went pink and he added, "I meant it in a good way."
Ryouko shrugged. "Who said otherwise?" She said before munching on her butter roll.
"You're one hard girl to talk to, aren't you?" Oshitari commented.
"So I've heard. Bear with me for a bit more. I'll be leaving as soon as my business here is over." She answered, sipping more tea.
"We've heard about you... You're the Seigaku manager. But they didn't say anything about how pretty you are." Jirou told her, his eyes shining.
"I'm flattered that you think that way, Akutagawa-san." She replied.
"You know my name?" Jirou said in surprise, rising from his chair.
"Akutagawa Jirou-san, the magic volleyer of Hyotei. Loud, easily excited and is constantly asleep." She told him.
Jirou pointed a finger at her, jumping excitedly. "She knows me, she knows me!" He squealed in enthusiasm.
"How very true." Ohtori Chotaro thought as he smiled, half-embarrassed from his senpai's behavior.
"It's rude to point fingers at other people, senpai." Hiyoshi told him.
"Ah, sou nanoka? (Really?)" Jirou said, calming down and sitting back.
"Wakashi Hiyoshi. Embu Tennis. The shoo-in for the next captain of Hyotei tennis club." Ryouko said, catching his eye. "'Gekokujou', right?" (To defeat the grater and take his place) She smirked, showing one white incisor.
Hiyoshi looked away from her rust-colored eyes which seemed to be placing him under x-ray.
"Oshitari Yushi-san.The genius of the Hyotei tennis club. 'Oshitari of a thousand skills' with the ability to copy other players' signature shots. My research unearthed that you wear glasses even though you have no eye problems just to look more intelligent." She said matter-of-factly, toying with the strawberry on top of the shortcake on her plate.
Oshitari smiled saying, "As expected. I did think you are a very clever young lady." He pushed his glasses up his nose knowingly.
"Not as clever as you are... You thought well though, because you look much better with the glasses than without it." She commented.
Oshitari coughed, choking on his tea and his tanned face grew a brilliant shade of magenta.
Ryouko however didn't notice this and shifted her attention to Gakuto. "Mukahi Gakuto-san. Acrobatic play superior to those of our own Eiji-senpai. Has stamina issues and eats a cake before a match to replenish your energy." She said.
"I don't like the stamina comment but it's nice to hear that you acknowledge my superiority over Kikumaru." He said.
"Not for long though. He might surprise you how much he can still grow. Our Eiji-senpai has still lots of potential left."
Gakuto frowned at this.
"Munehiro Kabaji-san is docile and quiet, very unusual for a power-player. He is kind and harmless despite his large body size." She continued. She looked at Kabaji.
"Usu." He said with a nod. Ryouko smiled.
"Shishido Ryo-san. The dash specialist of Hyotei tennis club. His words are rough but he's unexpectedly a softie." She said, her gaze turning on him. "A former jerk, I believe?" She added, raising a brow.
"Are you complimenting or insulting? Make your point." He told her, a bit annoyed.
"I'm just laying out facts." She shrugged good-naturedly.
"Ohtori Chotaro. Scud serve. 'Ikyuunyuukon' (One shot with all my soul). Passionate and kind, with a personality very much like our Oishi-senpai." She looked at him.
"You flatter me... I'm honored." He smiled, a bit embarrassed. She smiled back and he shrunk in his chair.
"Atobe Keigo." She continued, her voice suddenly losing all warmth from when she was talking about the other players. "Arrogant, narcissistic, conceited and over-rated. Period." She recited, the words rolling off of her tongue with hostility.
"You clearly make your point in hating me." Atobe drawled with a smirk, not at all faltered by her negative comments.
"You flatter me so with such honeyed words. Makes music in my ears." She said sarcastically.
Both took a long drink from their teacups. The members looked from one face to the other.
"Nee, namae wa nani, maneija-chan? (What's your name, Miss Manager?)" Jirou asked, oblivious of the cold air circulating around the room.
"Ryouko-desu. Fujioka Ryouko." She answered.
"Ja, Ryouko-chan... Why do you hate Atobe?" He asked innocently. Atobe looked at Ryouko from the corner of his eyes, curious about her answer.
"Cause he's hateful. We didn't really meet in a good way." She replied simply.
"What about you, Atobe? Do you hate her?" He asked, turning his head to the other side of the table.
"There's nothing to not hate in a girl with the temper of a guy. Ladies should just sit quiet and shouldn't make a scene. She also talks too much." Atobe answered.
"I'm glad to hear that. You'll be seeing more of my temper in the interschool tennis camp. I hope I won't scare you too much." She said with a smile.
All of a sudden, the door burst open and Atobe's father strolled towards them with a warm smile on his face. "Ryouko-kun..." He called, his tone as warm as his smile.
Ryouko rose from her chair and bowed. "Chairman Atobe, good day to you sir." She said in greeting. The Hyotei regular members stood up from their seats.
"Lift your head, my dear." Atobe's father told her. Ryouko obeyed. He nodded approvingly towards the Hyotei regulars. "Quite a company you've got here." He told his son.
He turned his attention to Ryouko. "I'm sorry to take your time for my own selfish request, dear child."
"No, sir. It is our own obligation to give what the client wants." She answered.
The regulars have seen Atobe's father in several occasions but they never saw him interact so warmly towards anyone. He always looked strict and frowning.
"I hope that my son entertained you well." He told her.
"Very much, sir. Very much." She said with a smirk, her tone overflowing with sugary sarcasm.
He turned towards the Hyotei regulars and said, "You kids enjoy your tea while I borrow your captain and Ryouko-kun for a while." He motioned for Ryouko and his son to follow him. "Let's talk in the next room."
The Hyotei regulars watched them leave. When the door shut close, Jirou looked at his comrades excitedly.
"Should we listen in? Can we?" He asked, his eyes shining with enthusiasm.
"I'm lying if I say that I'm not curious." Oshitari commented, his glasses shining under the light. He looked at Gakuto.
Gakuto grinned. "I don't see why not." He said.
"If you get into trouble, please don't include my name." Hiyoshi told them and sat back in his chair.
"Usu." Kabaji agreed and kept himself seated.
"Suit yourself." Gakuto said.
"How about you two?" Oshitari asked Shishido and Chotaro.
"Hmmph." Shishido scoffed and sat down. "Why would I do such a meaningless thing?"
Chotaro looked thoughtful. "If Shishido-san isn't coming then I—"
"Fine, fine. You guys stay here and stare at the wall meaninglessly. Don't be curious later and ask us about what they talked about though. We're not gonna tell you." Jirou said childishly.
The three went out of the room. The sight that greeted them struck them as funny. The head butler, two maids and two other butlers were outside the room on the right of the main sitting room, their ears pressed through the gap they purposely left between the thick, wooden doors.
Jirou almost laughed out loud. It was a good thing that Gakuto was able to cover his mouth.
"What's happening?" Gakuto asked one of the maids.
"Not much sir. They're talking about business matters." She answered. The Hyotei regular members were visiting the mansion so often that they were already well-acquainted with the servants there.
The three crouched down and placed the ears near the gap and heard Atobe's father laugh.
"My son here is so obsessed with tennis that a lot of our resources are being invested there." Atobe senior commented.
"Tennis is a good investment, Sir. Especially if you've got talented players. The Hyotei tennis team is promising. I can vouch for that." Ryouko smiled.
"Oh. That's a relief to hear. I heard that you are quite a tennis player yourself. I'm privy to the fact that you climbed your way up as Australian junior champion." Atobe senior said.
Atobe's eyes lit up in curiosity. "She did?" He said with a skeptical tone.
"Doshite desuka? (Why?) Do I look too frail to be Australian junior champion? Or do you think that a girl shouldn't be a champion?" She asked with a smirk.
"Both." Atobe answered.
Atobe seior gave a fake laugh. "My son always makes such jokes. Don't mind him too much, Ryouko-kun. He tends to turn silly in front of attractive girls." He said, making a sharp glance at his son.
"Hmmph." Atobe said as he flicked his head irritably. "Attractive, my foot." He muttered.
Outside the door, the servants and the Hyotei players laughed silently.
"If you don't mind, Chairman... I would like to go on with the signing. I looked over the list of the products and there seemed nothing questionable about the terms. If you have further queries, I can answer them now." Ryouko suddenly said.
"Oh, about that... I didn't really call for your presence because of the purchase. We had been buying a lot of products from your company for years. There is mutual trust between your family and mine." Atobe senior answered.
"Then why did you call for me?" She asked, blinking.
"I received your video." Atobe senior replied.
"Video?" Atobe and Ryouko echoed.
"The one you sent to all the families who asked for your hand in marriage."
"Oh. That." Ryouko said. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. That matter was really embarrassing in her standards.
"I just want to say that we are serious about that offer. I believe that we can benefit each other beautifully. But above that, I only want to find a suitable young lady for my only son." Atobe senior explained. He looked at Atobe. "As you can see, he's not exactly reliable."
"Oyaji! (Dad!)" Atobe exclaimed, standing up in protest.
Ryouko chortled and immediately composed herself.
"I'm very sorry to say this Sir, but marriage is a topic that is long beyond in the future. I really don't want to spend time thinking about it." She replied.
"I understand, and I'm also not pressuring you to think of it, dear child. Although you are wise despite your age, you're still very young. There is no need to hurry." The old man smiled. "I just want you to know that we are sincere and perhaps when the time comes, you may want to consider our offer. Keigo isn't so bad when you get to know him."
Ryouko looked at Atobe and raised an eyebrow. He scowled in return.
Atobe senior started to take out a fountain pen from his suit and said, "Okay then... Because you requested it, I'll get those papers signed."
There was a bit of business talk and outside the room, Gakuto looked at his teammates. "This is some juicy news..." He commented in a whisper. All of a sudden, the eavesdroppers were interrupted by Licht.
"Uhmm..." He said uncertainly as he stood tall over the heads of the servants and students crouched down in front of the door. They looked up at him.
"Can I please pass through? I have a message for my Oujo-sama." He said.
Embarrassed, they parted a path for him. He smiled as he passed. "Sorry to intrude." He said, entering.
He bowed towards the chairman and introduced himself. "My name is Licht, Sir. Ryouko-ojou-sama's personal butler."
"I believe we've seen each other several times on some events. I also heard that you've been caring for her since she was a baby." Atobe senior greeted back.
"Yessir. If I'm not interrupting something important, may I have a moment with my Oujo-sama?" He answered.
"Go ahead. Don't mind us." He answered with a sweeping gesture with one hand.
Licht went straight to Ryouko and whispered something near her ear. Ryouko's face was a mask of surprise, and then corners of her almond-shaped eyes turned up dangerously.
"It's okay. You go ahead of me. I can manage." She told Licht who immediately bowed to the chairman and excused himself out of the room.
"Is there a problem?" Atobe senior asked.
"Apparently, my dear cousin caused some kind of chaos in the house. Licht will return to the mansion to take care of it." She answered.
"Then who will take you home?"
"It's fine sir. I can take care of myself. Besides, I have to stop by a department store to do some shopping."
"Oh, is that so?" Atobe senior said and caught the eye of his son. "If you don't mind my meddling, I would like to send someone to escort you home. And our own department store is not that far from here."
"I don't want to cause any sort of trouble. You don't have to bother Sir." Ryouko politely declined.
"I insist. We invited you here and it is our duty to make sure that you are sent home safely." Atobe senior smiled.
Ryouko looked thoughtful, weighing her choices. It will be really bothersome if she got lost somewhere along the way. Her sense of direction wasn't really something she can be proud of.
"Is it really alright? I don't want to trouble anyone." She said.
"It's fine." The chairman assured her.
"Then, I'll gladly take your offer. I thank you in advance, Sir." She told him.
"Excellent." The chairman's eyes lit up in victory. He looked at Atobe who currently lost all interest in what they were talking about that he spent the last several minutes fiddling with his cellphone. "My son can take you to the department store."
Atobe looked up, surprised. Ryouko also looked shocked.
"Don't worry about it, child. He may not be a perfect escort but he can take you to any shop there accurately. He shopped so often that he knows the whole blueprint of the place in his sleep." Atobe senior bragged.
Atobe was starting to protest. "But I don't want to—"
A sharp glare from his father shut his mouth tight. He knew that look. It was the 'If-you-don't-do-this-then-I'll-cut-all-your-credit-cards' kind of glare. Ryouko looked at Atobe skeptically.
With a sigh, Atobe surrendered. There was no stopping his father when he got that kind of look. "Fine. I'll take her to the mall and back to her house."
Ryouko raised an eyebrow. "You will?"
"I will." Atobe replied begrudgingly.
She bit her lower lip and thought for a few seconds. "Okay then. But we better go now. I don't really like wasting time." She told him.
Atobe was irritated that she sounded as if she was talking to her chauffeur. Looking at his father, he bit his tongue to keep himself from saying anything.
"Wonderful." The chairman said with a clap and a smile. He stood up. "I will see both of you outside."
With that cue, the crowd behind the door dispersed and they retreated to their own places.
Atobe senior instructed one of the family's drivers to prepare a car. In three minutes, it was parked in front of the manor.
Atobe was forced to open the door for Ryouko because of his father's urging. Before he went inside to the backseat next to her, the chairman whispered something near his ear. "Don't waste this opportunity and do well. I'll disown you if you don't."
He parted from his son and flashed a great fatherly smile. "Take care of Ryouko-kun well, Keigo." He said aloud.
"Whatever. Just don't touch my credit cards." Atobe hissed at his father in a low voice.
Ryouko bowed to him for the last time and bid goodbye. Atobe went in the car.
"Let's go." He told the chaffeur.
The car drove away with Chairman Atobe wearing an expression of satisfaction. He strolled back to the mansion with both hands clasped behind his back. "Now, to gather up some spies..." He muttered to himself, walking towards the sitting room where the rest of the Hyotei members were waiting.
Atobe Keigo... A true-to-life, totally genuine narcissist? Or a gentleman that can actually lead well? Will he put up with the stubborn heroine and will it be Ryouko that will put up with him?