Tennis no Ojou-sama: A Prince...

By LCScarlett

758K 25K 30.7K

Totally alike to the point that they hate each other, Echizen Ryoma and Fujioka Ryouko became rivals at a ver... More

Character Introduction
CHAPTER 1: A New Beginning
CHAPTER 2: A Strange Bishoujo
CHAPTER 3: Girl Genius
CHAPTER 4: The Captain of Seishun Gakuen Girls Tennis Club
CHAPTER 5: Osananajimi (Childhood Friends)
CHAPTER 6: Seishun Gakuen Girls Tennis Club
CHAPTER 7: Ichinen no onnanoko (Freshman girl)
CHAPTER 8: Ryouko no uragiri (Ryouko's betrayal)
CHAPTER 9: Tennis pureiya no puraido (A Tennis Player's Pride)
CHAPTER 10: Josei maneja (Female Manager)
CHAPTER 11: Shirts and Percentages
CHAPTER 12: The Tale of the Female Manager/Assistant Coach and the Inui Juice
CHAPTER 13: The Girl Who Fell From the Sky
CHAPTER 14: Ryouko versus Hiroshi Wakato
CHAPTER 15: Ryouko's Day Out
CHAPTER 16: The Riot of the Freshmen
CHAPTER 17: Cooler, Crazier, Scarier Ryouko
CHAPTER 18: The Fujioka Clan
CHAPTER 19: The Petition of the Upperclassmen
CHAPTER 20: A Playgirl and An Ice Princess
CHAPTER 21: Secret Dates and Bouquet of Flowers
The Roots of Fujioka Ryouko
Fujioka Family 1
Fujioka Family 3
Fujioka Family 4
Fujioka Family 5
Fujioka Family 6
Fujioka Family 7
CHAPTER 22: Secret Campus Couple Echizen-Fujioka Pair
CHAPTER 23: Engagement Rings
CHAPTER 24: Cold-hearted Ryoma
CHAPTER 25: The Invitation to Atobe's Camp
CHAPTER 26: Ryouko almost kidnapped
CHAPTER 27: Setsuna, Ren, Gaito and Natsu
CHAPTER 28: And in a week's time too...
CHAPTER 29: Team... Meet Cousins
CHAPTER 30: Ryoma and the Cousins
CHAPTER 31: Couple Outfit
CHAPTER 32: Plan 'Get Rid of Ryoma'
CHAPTER 33: Trapped inside the Subway train
CHAPTER 34: Shut up and be protected
CHAPTER 35: Tasukete, Ryouko-san! (Help us, Ryouko!)
CHAPTER 36: A Night at the Fujioka Mansion
CHAPTER 37: A Love-Triangle in the Seigaku Tennis Club?
CHAPTER 38: The Tennis Ball That Fell From The Sky
CHAPTER 39: Into the Starry Night
CHAPTER 40: Ryouko and the Monkey King
CHAPTER 41: Hate and Hate
CHAPTER 42: The Diamond-shaped Ring
CHAPTER 43: Wife, my butt...
CHAPTER 44: Fruit Tart Thief
CHAPTER 45: Motorcycle Frenzy
CHAPTER 46: Trampling Over Mine
CHAPTER 47: Twist Serve
CHAPTER 48: The Tale of the Spare Tire
CHAPTER 49: What on earth...
CHAPTER 50: Stubborn Girl
CHAPTER 51: Camp Nightmare
CHAPTER 52: There was Chaos
CHAPTER 53: Behold, the Team-ups
CHAPTER 54: The First Half Hour of Peace
CHAPTER 55: The Night Before Day 1
CHAPTER 56: The Leader, the Ghost Little Sister and the Text Message
CHAPTER 57: The Leader's Jersey Jacket
CHAPTER 58: You and I have to talk
CHAPTER 59: On your marks, set and go!
CHAPTER 60: Lose or Gain?
CHAPTER 61: Are you okay?
CHAPTER 62: Perpetrator
CHAPTER 63: Always making me worry
CHAPTER 64: Something Special
CHAPTER 65: A Big Thing
CHAPTER 66: Did I?
CHAPTER 67: A Dream Inside A Dream
CHAPTER 68: The Consequence of the Absurd Dream
CHAPTER 69: The White Tower
CHAPTER 70: The First Time
CHAPTER 71: Ryouko's Saviour
CHAPTER 72: The Favor of a Lifetime
CHAPTER 73: All is Fair in Love and War
CHAPTER 74: Afternoon Thoughts
CHAPTER 75: Underneath the Dim Lights
CHAPTER 76: Ryouko and the Guidance Counselor
CHAPTER 77: Operation Commence!
CHAPTER 78: Him and Only Him
CHAPTER 80: Games and Matches
CHAPTER 81: Fallen Angel
CHAPTER 82: Changes
CHAPTER 83: Curiosity Killed the Cat
CHAPTER 84: Cat's Out of the Bag
CHAPTER 85: Strange but Beautiful
CHAPTER 86: Tea, anyone?
CHAPTER 87: Espresso Shots and the Damsel in Distress
CHAPTER 88: The Trouble with Double
CHAPTER 89: Lunch Equals Pandemonium
CHAPTER 90: Just how cool is that?
CHAPTER 91: Ootoro!!!
CHAPTER 92: Trivia, trivia!
CHAPTER 93: Onion
CHAPTER 94: Uninvited Guests
CHAPTER 95: To Tie a Ribbon
CHAPTER 96: Nothing more
CHAPTER 97: Acquaintances
CHAPTER 98: Let's Play Nice
CHAPTER 99: Bitter? Sweet?
CHAPTER 100: Orange
CHAPTER 101: Sabotage
CHAPTER 102: Atobe's Condition
CHAPTER 103: Ryouko versus Keigo!
CHAPTER 104: A Line Needs to be Drawn
CHAPTER 105: Chump Change
CHAPTER 106: Anyone but Ryoma
CHAPTER 107: The things she did and said
CHAPTER 108: His Time, Her Time
CHAPTER 109: Energy Drinks and Screenplays
CHAPTER 110: Fleeting Happiness
CHAPTER 111: Complicated
CHAPTER 112: Scripts and Donuts
CHAPTER 113: Sweet Play-acting
CHAPTER 114: Syusu-ke-sen-pai
CHAPTER 115: Winter is Coming
CHAPTER 116: Ryoma's Allergy
CHAPTER 117: Indirect Kiss
CHAPTER 118: Accidental Kiss
CHAPTER 119: No Reason To Feel Guilty
CHAPTER 120: Hotaru... Good boy, bad boy?
CHAPTER 121: Bizarre Waltz
CHAPTER 122: Sly Fox
CHAPTER 123: Slip-ups
CHAPTER 124: Always - End of Festival Arc
CHAPTER 125: Heaven Help Jessica
CHAPTER 126: Runaway Princess
CHAPTER 127: I Promise
CHAPTER 128: Constantly On My Mind
CHAPTER 129: Why is your heart beating so fast?
CHAPTER 130: Will you marry me?
CHAPTER 131: Children Grows Up Fast
CHAPTER 132: One Step at a Time
CHAPTER 133: Just Because of a Single Kiss
CHAPTER 134: Sweet Thoughts and Labels
CHAPTER 135: Formal Dating
CHAPTER 136: The Problem of Secret Dating
CHAPTER 137: Christmas Plans
CHAPTER 138: Reservation
CHAPTER 139: An Eventful Christmas
CHAPTER 140: Stupid Older Brother
CHAPTER 141: A Day Out With Family and Friends
CHAPTER 142: Invasion!
CHAPTER 143: A Change in Circumstances
CHAPTER 144: You Can Never Be Too Sure
CHAPTER 145: A Happy New Year
Chapter 146: Face It, He's Special To Her
Chapter 147: Following Tradition

CHAPTER 79: Tug of War

3.1K 117 270
By LCScarlett


"Oi, we're here." Atobe said, moving his shoulder to shake Ryouko awake.

Ryouko woke up with a start and lifted her head upright. "Eh? Huh?" She said as if she didn't know where she is or what is happening. The third event announcement came back in mind and she realized that Atobe is still carrying her.

"I want down." She said almost babyishly. Atobe resisted the urge to laugh.

"You should untie the handkerchief first." He told her.

"How long have I slept?" She asked as she unknotted it from her hands.

"Maybe fifteen minutes." He answered. As Ryouko dismounted safely, he pointed at a space in the clearing. "Look. Those must be the duffle bags that Gakuto is talking about."

There was a wooden table in the clearing, two brown enormous duffle bags sitting on its surface. At the sides of the table, two single-sized dark maroon tents stood high.

"I wonder what those tents are for." Ryouko wondered out aloud, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She yawned once.

"Well, we better read the instructions and find out." Atobe told her. "By the way, you become heavier when asleep." He commented.

"Shut up. You were the one who volunteered to carry me. Don't make complaints at me now." She snapped at him.

"I won't complain if you didn't drool on my shirt." Atobe retorted.

"I so did not drool on your shirt!" Ryouko shouted, quite offended.

Atobe smirked at her in that extremely arrogant way that she hated. "Stop fooling around with me." She said in annoyance.

"I would if you don't make yourself so susceptible to teasing." He pointed out.

They walked towars the small table and Ryouko grabbed the duffel with the number one on it in an irritated manner. She glared at Atobe before snatching the message card attached on the zipper.

"Sheesh. You sure hold grudges. I was only joking." He said before looking at his own message card.

"Open the duffle bag inside the tent. Don't forget to zip the tent close." Ryouko read out loud. "That's what mine says." She told Atobe.

Atobe held his card to her. "Mine too." He lifted his duffel and went inside one of the tents. "Later." He said before zipping it up.

Ryouko also lifted hers and entered the other tent. She placed the duffel inside and zipped it close.

"What's the big idea with this event?" She wondered. They sure made a lot of preparations for this one game.

Gakuto said that they will get the catch of the game once they see what is inside the duffel. To satisfy her curiosity, she didn't wait another second and quickly opened the bag.

"What the?" She almost cursed out loud as she saw what was inside it. She lifted the delicate material with her hands, her eyes wide. Suddenly, a card fell from the white fabric.

'Surprise! Surprise! The real name of this event is 'Cosplay Doubles Matches!' Each member will be assigned a costume according to the category designated to each team and play the match wearing it! The second team have drawn the Wedding theme from the lottery! Good luck to all! Let the best-dressed and most powerful team win!'

Ryouko's shoulders sagged. She is supposed to play a tennis match? Wearing a wedding gown? Are they serious?!

She took the dress out of the duffel and let the skirt down. It has a very exquisite design, an off-shoulder white gown with lots of frills and pink flowers along the neckline. "I hate pink." She said in disgust. To make it more terrible, it actually has a pair of gloves and a veil to go with it. There is also a gleaming pair of white shoes that looked as if it came out of a fairytail princess' wardrobe. Does she have to put on all of them?

Ryouko sighed. She is not liking this one bit. Nevertheless, she began to undress. Making sure that the tent is tightly zipped close, she went to check on something. What if her sanitary napkin needs changing? She can't have a leak while wearing a pure white dress. That would be too embarrassing for words.

What she saw surprised her though. "Tometa. (It stopped.)" She said as she peered at the totally clean covers. That was weird... Her period usually stops after three to four days. She barely had it for one day. She shrugged the matter off, thinking of it as insignificant. After all, she has more pressing matters to deal with at the moment.

Putting on the heavy gown is a struggle. She usually have Licht around to help her with dressing up. She reached over her back and tried to zip the dress close. Unfortunately, it got caught in the fabric and stopped midway.

"This... is... anno-ying..." She grunted as she tried to yank it off. She moved and maneuvered for more than a minute but she still can't pull it up. Her fuse finally exploded. "I am so not doing this." She hissed between gritted teeth, slapping the frilly dress angrily.

"Oi, Ryouko! Are you still alive in there?!" Came a shout from outside the tent. Atobe must've finished changing to whatever outfit is inside his duffel bag. "You're taking too long!" He yelled.

Ryouko bit her lower lip. Should she ask for help? After all, she can't leave the tent half-dressed and ifever she wanted to get herself into her old jersey, she had to unravel the zipper from the fabric that got caught in it to be able to zip it down. Either way, she doesn't have a choice.

She opened the tent into a small gap and peeked outside. Atobe was standing a foot away from her tent, tapping his foot in an impatient manner. Ryouko lifted a brow when she saw him resplendent in a dark blue tuxedo. "Figures. It's a wedding theme after all." She thought.

Atobe noticed her head peeking out. "The card said to just put on the clothes on the duffel and come down to the courts. It's about time you finish dressing up. Now let's go." He said.

"I'm not quite done yet." She answered.

"Huh? You were in there for more than five minutes. What do you mean by not done yet?" He said in annoyance.

"The zipper of the dress got stuck. Help me with it." She replied.

Atobe blinked down at her with bewildered eyes. "Are you asking me to help you put on your clothes?"

Ryouko looked irritated. "No! Of course not! I'm just asking you to help me with the zipper. It won't go up no matter how hard I try."

Atobe was actually a bit flustered inside but he dared not show it. If he does, she'll surely tease him. "Fine. What do I have to do?" He said, keeping his voice nonchalant and walking closer to the tent.

"Close your eyes first." Ryouko told him.

He scoffed. "Excuse me but I'm not interested in your childish body whatsoever." He said in an offended tone.

"Just close them! It's not for you, it's for me! Do you think I'm comfortable asking for this kind of favor?!" She shouted with fury, each of her words carrying the impact of a tornado.

She was so scary that Atobe actually stepped back. An angry Fujioka Ryouko is not someone you'll want to trifle with. "Okay, I got it. Put a cork on your temper, would you?" He said. She glared at him in response.

Atobe closed his eyes as Ryouko turned her back onto him. "Just pull the zipper up." She instructed.

As Atobe was searching for the zipper blindly, his fingers brushed onto her bare skin. "Hey! Watch where you're touching!" Ryouko shouted in annoyance, flinching at the coldness of his touch.

"I would but I have my eyes closed, remember?" He replied sarcastically with the same tone.

Ryouko guided his hand to the right direction. "It's right there you dummy."

"Stop being a smartmouth or I'll leave you here alone." Atobe said between gritted teeth, feeling both humiliated and insulted. He kept his eyes tightly shut.

Finally, he was able to hold onto the zipper. He unstuck the fabric with his other hand and successfully freed it. It easily slipped all the way up.

As soon as the job was done, Ryouko turned around to close the tent. "Thanks. Wait there for a while. I'll be done in a jiffy." She said quickly.

Atobe tentatively opened one eye and scoffed when he saw the tent completely close. He opened both of his eyes wide and began to react. "You didn't have to close the damned tent. I won't peek on you even if you ask me to."

"Whatever. Just shut your trap for a moment." She answered, her voice a bit muffled.

Atobe glared at the tent and crossed his arms over his chest. "If you're not out here in under a minute, I'll leave you behind."

"Then you better start counting." Came Ryouko's answer from inside.

Because she pissed him off, Atobe really did start counting. He was reaching thirty when the tent opened and Ryouko came out. "Sheesh. You are such a simpleton. Will you really leave once you finish counting until sixty?" She asked.

Atobe shifted his eyes towards her and his jaw almost dropped. Ryouko stood in front of him wearing a wedding gown. Not just a dress but an actual wedding gown. A veil rested on her head, parted to the sides so it would not cover her face. She also wore a pair of white gloves that goes up to her elbows, decorated with a ribbon to hold it in place.

She walked towards him. The veil got blown close to her face and she jerked it off in an annoyed manner. "Stupid thing." She whispered irritably.

She stopped in front of Atobe and looked up at him. "What are you looking at?" She told him.

Atobe pulled himself together and got over the shock. "You look..." He said, unable to continue. Ryouko looked up at him, blinking her doll-like eyes. "Ridiculous." He finished.

Ryouko made a face at him. "You look as ridiculous as I do so we're quits." She replied. "Let's go. We don't have much time. It's still a long walk towards the courts."

Atobe cleared his throat and followed her. Seeing Ryouko in a wedding dress really shocked him. The more surprising thing however, is the fact that he actually thought that she looked very lovely in the dress. Like an angel in white.

"Hurry up, for goodness' sake!" Ryouko shouted at him.

"Angel? You gotta be kidding, Keigo. That thing is not an angel. It's a witch in disguise." He told himself, narrowing his eyes at her.

~~~

The sun was shining brightly ahead, illuminating the good weather. The trees danced into the rhythm of the breeze as the each of the tennis courts were being set up.

Coaches Ryuzaki, Banda and Hanamura were gathered at the area to watch the third event of the camp when somebody suddenly approached them. "Coach Ryuzaki, issashiburi desu... (It's been a long time...)" Inoue Mamoru, the pro-tennis monthly journalist greeted with a smile.

"Oh? Inoue?" Ryuzaki-sensei greeted back. "Well, this is a pleasant surprise." She smiled.

"Konnichiwa, Ryuzaki-sensei..." Shiba Saori, Inoue's junior said. She was sporting a camera as always.

"Ara... What are pro-tennis monthly journalists doing in this camp?" Hanamura asked, tucking in some stray strands of her red hair behind her ear.

"We were asked by the management group in charge of the recreational center to cover the rest of the camp. We have heard that the junior tennis teams have gathered in here for a simulation under the request of the CEO of Atobe Industries. Personally, I was extremely curious and it's just our luck that an invitation from the Atobe Industries came." Inoue answered.

"They are asking us to cover the camp and write an article on our magazine about the tennis equipments and the atmosphere of the campsite so they can use it for publicity once the recreational center is opened." Shiba added. She looked around. "Well, where are the all-important junior players anyway? The courts are completely empty." She commented.

"Oh, they're still preparing for the event. The games in this camp are really interesting. It makes the kids have fun as well." Banda-sensei told them.

"They'll be returning here shortly after accomplishing the 'tasks' given to them." Hanamura-sensei said with a wink.

At that moment, the first pair of players have arrived. Tachibana An and Momoshiro Takeshi from Team 1 were paired up. The coaches' eyes widened as they saw what the two were wearing.

"Seriously, they worked hard for this event..." An commented as she entered the court.

Momoshiro laughed. "I think it's amazing! I won't get to wear such a thing everyday..."

An and Momoshiro were actually wearing police uniforms, complete with badges, a holster, a fake gun and handcuffs on their belts.

The coaches stared at the two as they went closer. An smiled at them, a little embarrassed. "Please tell me that it doesn't look so exaggerated..." She greeted them.

"Don't be ridiculous. You look amazing!" Shiba held her camera up. "Ichi plus ichi wa? (One plus one equals?)." She said.

"Nii. (Two.)" Momo and An posed and smiled for the camera. Shiba pressed the shutter, snapping a photo of them.

"What is with those outfits?" Inoue asked. He couldn't help but grin.

"The event is not just a normal doubles match, there's cosplay attached into it. That was the catch. Team 1's category is a Police Station theme. That's why we're dressed like this." An answered.

"No wonder Mukahi-san said that we'll know about the point of the game once we see what is inside those bags." Momo commented, twirling his fake gun with one hand.

Other pairs began to arrive in the tennis courts as well. Their eyes widened when they saw Seigaku's Tezuka and Yamada enter the scene.

"Kyaa! He's so hot!" Shiba squealed, unable to hold her excitement in.

Tezuka and Yamada of Team 4 were wearing kimonos. Not just normal kimonos though. It was the uniform of the famous Shinsengumi from Japanese History.

"I feel a little shy." Yamada said as he entered the court with his Captain.

"Hold it in. It's just for the event anyway." Tezuka told the first year.

"Ooh, Team 4's category if Shinsengumi huh? The outfits looked nice." An commented.

"Mine's a little big though." Yamada told her.

"They're probably not tailored to fit after all." An replied.

There was surprise everytime a pair arrives in the tennis courts. Hoshimura Shuu and Ayase Mami, both freshmen from Seishun Academy sported outfits that are very easily recognized.

"Snow White and the Seven Dwarves?" An laughed as she looked at Mami's dress.

"It'll be Snow White and the Seventeen Dwarves once everyone arrives though." Mami told her.

"I think I look more like Peter Pan than a dwarf." Shuu commented as he pinched the green pants. "Thank goodness it's not too big or small. Otherwise, I could've looked ridiculous." He added.

"There's no need to worry about that." Gakuto said as he approached them.

They swooned in awe as he saw what he is wearing. "Yamaneko! (Mountain cat!)" Shuu shouted comically, pointing at the cat ears on his head.

Gakuto almost tripped. "It's Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland, not a mountain cat. I'll kick you." He said in annoyance.

"Sorry. It was an honest mistake." Shuu said, chuckling. Gakuto glared at him.

"Team 3's category is Alice in Wonderland then..." Hanamura commented.

Gakuto nodded. "And there's no need to worry whether the outfits will fit or not. There might be a few misses since they are made in a rush but the measurements are most likely accurate. The maps we gave you contained locations where costumes tailored to your measurements were placed. We used the camp jerseys as reference. There are people at stand by in the mountains and we communicated with them with walkie-talkies about which people were paired up. They put the particular costume with the right category on the place where a certain pair will go." He explained.

"But isn't the categories decided with the lottery that the girls went through earlier? You can't predict what category each of them have drawn. If you had the costumes made after knowing which representative have chosen which category, that also doesn't make any sense. You can't possibly had the costumes made under that short amount of time." Tezuka said.

"Oh that?" Gakuto laughed. "Those cards doesn't have anything written on them. The categories have already been assigned to each team yesterday, after the second event. They're already pre-determined. We just made the girls draw those cards to buy us more time." He pointed out.

"That's kinda unfair." Mami commented.

Gakuto shrugged. "Well, at least the event will go smoothly. Do you want to put on a dress that's too large or too big for you?" He asked.

Mami looked thoughtful. "You got a point. The event organizers really thought this out, didn't they?"

"You bet we did." Gakuto said in his mind. They are, after all, the so-called 'organizers' for this event. He grinned. He just cannot wait to see Atobe and Ryouko walking towards the tennis courts wearing their full wedding entourage. The chairman will be pleased.

At the side of the court, Echizen Ryoma arrived at the scene with Sakuno at his heels. He is wearing a black tuxedo with a bowtie and a tophat. The latter is wearing a dress from the 60's period and her hair is hidden under a wig of straight blonde hair.

Gakuto whistled. "Echizen got the Mad Hatter outfit. It actually looks good on him."

"Kawaii desuyo, Sakuno-chan. (You look cute, Sakuno-chan.)" An commented with a smile.

"Arigatougozaimasu." Sakuno answered, blushing a little. She looked at the corner where Ryoma is being greeted by Shiba and Inoue. "I'm paired up with Ryoma-kun. Yume mitai. (It's like a dream.)" She thought happily.

Actually, when she was looking for the person with the same-lengthed stick as hers, she collided with Kouhei. Both of them dropped their sticks. He mumbled an apology and picked up Sakuno's in his hurry. She was about to call out to him and say that the sticks were switched but she was too late. He already disappeared into the crowd.

She was very lucky because it turned out that Ryoma had the same-lengthed stick as Kouhei. Sakuno smiled in satisfaction, quite giddy with delight.

"Yeehaw!" A cheer from the entrance of the courts suddenly caught their attention. It came from Osakada Tomoka. She stood there, prancing with her chin held high, a whip on her hand. She was dressed in a cowgirl outfit and she made it obvious that she liked how she looked. Kuwahara Jackal is paired up with her and the cowboy outfit really blended well with his dark skin. He lifted his hat and grinned at them.

"The wild, wild west ei?" Shiba said and snapped a photo of them. "This is turning out to be very interesting."

Team 2's Kajimoto Takahisa and Fuji Yuuta joined them, both wearing suits. The designs of both were different. Yuuta's is brown with a red tie. Kajimoto's is white with purple linings.

"What the heck is your team's theme? I sure can't figure it out." Marui commented as he approached them, tying his Shinsengumi head band around his forehead.

"I'm not sure." Kajimoto answered, smoothing out the collar of his suit.

"Maybe it's a formal dinner of some sort." Yuuta said.

"That's boring." Marui told them.

The courts were beginning to fill with people, each dressed in their own team's costume categories. Shiba busied herself with taking photgraphs. "I am so glad I came here... They are all so handsome..." She said dreamily as she took in Yukimura and Sanada's 'young gentlemen in suits' look. Tohru and Motoki are Tweedle-dee and Tweedle-dum, looking adorable in their costumes.

Kai Yujiro however, does not seem pleased with the rabbit ears on his head. He twirled his silver pocketwatch in a moody manner. "Why do I have to be a rabbit?" He said in frustration.

As the team 2 members gathered, they all saw each other in suits. "They say that the category is only written on the Representative's card. We won't figure out what the heck these suits are for until Ryouko arrives." Mizuki told them. He looked quite pleased though. He thought that he looked dashing in the white tuxedo with its silky, baby blue tie.

"Isn't Atobe and Ryouko taking too long? It's almost time." Yukimura said thoughtfully.

"There's still twenty minutes left. They must be on their way now." Tachibana commented.

Meanwhile, as all of these are ongoing, Atobe and Ryouko are still in the mountains. They couldn't climb down in a quick manner and it is mostly Ryouko's fault.

"Stupid damn shoes." She said in annoyance as she cautiously took one step at a time. The white heels had been giving her a hard time.

"It can't be helped. The instructions said that we should leave our clothes inside the duffel bag. You can't take your sports shoes with you." Atobe told her. It was getting irritating watching her proceed with a snail's pace.

"You have to do better than that if you want to reach the courts in time. There's only twenty minutes left." He pointed out.

"That's why I'm trying to be fast as I can!" Ryouko shouted at him moodily. She stepped on an uneven part of the soil and almost slipped.

Atobe hurried and caught her by the wrist. "This won't do. I would have to carry you again." He told her.

"I can't ride on your back. The gown will get all wrinkled." She reasoned.

"There's another way to carry a person." Atobe said and began to hook her arm around his shoulders. "Hey!" Ryouko said in complaint. He placed an arm around her back and another under her knees, lifting her in a princess-cradle.

"We're taking a short cut." He told her. "Hold on tight."

Ryouko held onto his chest, careful not to wrinkle the suit's jacket. She stayed as quiet as a mouse, feeling awkward as he carried her.

Atobe also did not say a word, feeling the same way as she is. He kept his eyes on the path and did not let them stray.

The sooner they get to the courts, the better.

~~~

"Is everyone present?!" Arai shouted over the heads of the campers with a wireless microphone.

"Yes!" Came the chorus of answers from every direction.

"Wait! We're still missing one pair!" Kajimoto shouted.

"Atobe and Ryouko are not here yet." Tachibana added.

At a corner, Ryoma's eyebrows knotted together. "Ryouko is paired up with who?" He said to himself, feeling an unpleasant tingle inside his chest.

"There's only five minutes left! If they do not arrive within the time limit, the second team will be eliminated from the game." Arai told them.

"Oh no." Aoi said. He was extremely looking forward to the game. They can't not participate.

All of a sudden, they heard a noise from the bushes at the side of the courts. Everyone turned silent. "I told you to pave the branches away!" An angry voice said.

"That's what I'm doing!" Another equally irritated voice answered. "Hey! My skirt is caught!" It added.

"Stop squirming!"

"Are you sure this is a shortcut?"

"It is! Unlike you, I can follow maps properly. Just shut up! We're almost there!"

There was a swishing of the leaves as a tall someone stepped out from the bushes. It was Atobe, carrying Ryouko in his arms.

The girls gasped audibly as they set eyes on the pair. "A-a-a wedding gown?" Mami said in delight and surprise.

Everyone stared with their mouths open as Atobe made his way inside the court, the white-clad girl still in his arms.

"Okurete sumimasendeshita. (Sorry we're late.)" Ryouko greeted them. She felt really uncomfortable under the heat of their attention. "Stop staring. Team 2's category is a Wedding theme so..." She added, trying to explain herself.

Their entrance was answered by shocked silence until a bright flash broke the ice. Without her noticing, Shiba's hands moved on their own and she snapped a photo of the two.

"Hey! No pictures!" Ryouko said as she was blinded temporarily by the flash. Too late. There were flashes everywhere as those with goofy personalities took their phones out and snapped pictures of Atobe and Ryouko.

Sengoku whistled. "What a great surprise! The only things missing are a priest and a wedding march!" He snickered.

"Don't just stand there. Put me down..." Ryouko hissed at Atobe, her face burning in humiliation.

Atobe let go of her without being careful, the back of his neck turning scarlet. Her feet wasn't on the ground yet and she swayed to the side. She would've fallen down if not for Ryoma coming to her rescue.

Surprised with his sudden entrance, the crowd ceased their picture-taking and stared at them.

"Are you okay?" Ryoma asked.

"Yeah. Thanks." Ryouko answered, meeting his golden-bronze eyes. She was a bit star-struck. She felt a strange feeling when he saw him resplendent in a suit. He actually looked really handsome in it.

The audience however, looked upon the three of them silently, surveying the unusual scenario. Atobe Keigo is wearing a tuxedo, Fujioka Ryouko is wearing a wedding gown and Echizen Ryoma's Mad Hatter outfit is a black tux. It was a rather laughable sight but as Atobe grabbed Ryouko's wrist and pulled her towards him, nobody was given the chance to laugh.

"No one asked for your help. I can handle her on my own." Atobe said, his tone a bit hostile.

A vein throbbed at Ryoma's temple and he felt irritated. "Is that so? It looked to me that she almost fell because of your carelessness." He retorted, grabbing Ryouko's other hand. Before she knew it, he tugged hard and she found herself getting pulled close to Ryoma's side.

"If she does fall down, I'll help her stand up. Quit being such a busybody and go back to your team." Atobe said and pulled Ryouko back to his side.

"I'm not being a busybody. She's Seigaku's manager and assistant coach. That's enough reason for me to get involved." Ryoma answered and pulled Ryouko towards him.

"Let go of that hand." Atobe hissed between gritted teeth, tugging at Ryouko's wrist. She was once again propelled to the side like a human-sized marionette.

"You let go first." Ryoma retorted and pulled her back to him.

Ryouko snapped and jerked both of her hands off from their grasp. "Will you stop it?! What is wrong with you two?!" She yelled angrily.

There was tension in the air as the two boys glared at the other with loathing. "He started it!" They said at the same time, sounding like a couple of elementary kids blaming each other.

Ryouko pointed at Atobe irritably. "You go to the left side!" She instructed before swerving her neck towards Ryoma. "And you go to the right side!"

Both boys were adamant. They started to protest simultaneously. "But he—"

Ryouko mercilessly cut them off. "You. To the right." She said with utmost conviction at Ryoma, pointing at the direction with one firm forefinger. She threw a menacing glance at Atobe.

"To the left. I get it. I don't need to be told twice." Atobe said quickly, not letting her speak.

Atobe and Ryoma threw a dirty look at each other before beginning to retreat. Ryouko's hawk-like eyes surveyed them, making sure that they stay far away from one another.

"Ummm... If you don't mind... I'll be announcing the line-ups for the doubles matches. We're sort of running on a schedule here." Arai said uneasily onto the microphone.

Ryouko sighed internally. "Nice assist, Arai-senpai." She thought in relief as she looked at him. "Please do so, senpai. Don't mind the ruckus and just continue." She said aloud as she marched her way through the crowd, lifting up her heavy skirt. They stepped aside to let her through.

"What was that about?" Sengoku whispered at Momoshiro's ear.

"I have no idea, but they looked like they were fighting over Ryouko." The latter answered.

An giggled. "The tug-of-war of jealousy, perhaps?" She thought.

Mami and Miyako were giggling by themselves on one corner, their shoulders shaking up and down. On the other hand, Tomoka's reaction was different. "Why does Ryoma-sama have to get involved in that? What if people misunderstand?" She thought in annoyance, seething silently in anger.

Even the quiet Sakuno was bothered. She knew about Ryoma and Ryouko's true relationship with each other but it felt sort of different. "Are they really just childhood friends?" She asked herself, feeling anxious.

As Arai explained the mechanics of the doubles matches, Gakuto slipped through the crowd and stealthily went to Yuushi's side. "I told you he's going to be a problem." He whispered at him.

"Well, won't this make matters more interesting? There's nothing like a good rival to fire things up." Yuushi answered with a smile, tilting his cowboy hat to one side.

Even a genius tennis player might not handle playing a game wearing this lovely attire! hahaha Will Ryouko be able to use charm instead of skills to win over the opponent?

This bride and groom will not walk on the aisle, they'll be walking on the court instead! XD

Not to worry, Ryoma... You're still in a tux anyway. XD You'll still look good with Ryouko. XD

Which one is your groom?

Ryouko *tsundere-mode on*: The third one's already taken. Don't even think about it. Hmph. *flips hair and makes a grand exit*

Just in case some people are wondering... This is the Shinsengumi uniform... XD XD Soooo damn coool!

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