"Do you have any idea what is going on, Tezuka?" Sanada asked, pouring the briskly boiling black tea in his cup. They were sitting around a tea table in the lobby of the main building. He, Tezuka, Yukimura, Gakuto, Yuushi, Mami, An and Miyako were all sitting together.
Tezuka glanced at the table about ten meters away from them. It was a smaller one which can only seat three people at most. Ryoma and Atobe sat across from each other, their eyes boring at each other's pupils in an intense staring game. Both had their arms folded over their chests and their right leg crossed over the other, their backs leaned back casually.
Tezuka sighed. "No. If anyone does, I'd like to know as well." He said, taking the pot full of milk and pouring some on his tea.
Gakuto laughed uneasily and took the pot of milk after Tezuka had put it down. He placed a generous amount inside his teacup. "Aren't they getting tired though? They've been at it for fifteen minutes already." He commented.
"Well, they'll tire out eventually. We just have to wait." Yukimura said, before turning to Tezuka. "There's the only thing I'm certain about and anyone can figure that out. Whatever it is, it has a lot of connection to Ryouko." Yukimura said and took the milk after Gakuto. He also poured some on his tea.
"Tell me, is life always this hectic around the Fujioka princess?" Yuushi asked. "Can you please pass me that, Yukimura-san?" He added as Yukimura was putting the container of milk back on its place.
"Sure." Yukimura said and handed it to him. Yuushi poured the milk on his cup and stirred it with a teaspoon.
"No. It's calm, most of the time." Tezuka answered after taking a sip of his tea.
Sanada took the pot after Yuushi and added the milk on his second cup of tea. When Mami took the container, it was completely empty.
"Haha." She said uneasily. "I see that you all take your tea with milk, senpai-tachi." She commented.
"Right. I thought you'll like plain black. I guess I overestimated you." Miyako added before nibbling on a strawberry doughnut.
An laughed. "Well, you're all so..." She made a big circle with both of her hands. "...big... for junior high students that I almost forgot that you're all still fourteen years old. Still, isn't it a little childish to take your tea with milk?" She said.
The five boys coughed uncomfortably.
"I usually like it plain but I'm craving something sweet today..." Yuushi said.
"Me too." Tezuka added quite hesitantly, before busying himself with the tea.
"I just copied them." Sanada said, trying his best to look poker-faced.
Yukimura laughed. "Tea with milk is good every once in a while."
Gakuto only shrugged. "I always take my tea with milk."
Mami snapped her fingers and turned to Gakuto. "I like you. You're honest."
"Well, thank you but I don't like girls that are younger than me." Gakuto replied, before taking a bavarian doughnut from the tray.
Mami scoffed. "Excuse me, senpai but you're not my type either." She replied, quite offended.
Miyako and An laughed. "Stop mocking me, you guys." Mami told them, pretending to look hurt.
"Well... Do you think we should do something about that?" Miyako suddenly said, gesturing towards the next table with her head.
When they arrived in the lobby, taking Miyako's offer of tea to somehow lift the awkward atmosphere, Atobe and Ryoma both insisted that they sit in a different table.
"No, I think it's best that we leave them alone." An answered.
"Waah..." Mami said in an awed voice as she looked at the two boys. "I'm surprised that they can last that long without blinking... Their eyeballs might pop out anytime soon."
"Keep quiet everyone... I want to hear what they'll say to each other." An told them.
"Tch. What the heck are we gonna hear if they're not saying anything?" Mami replied.
On that particular table, Ryoma and Atobe were busy measuring each other. Unlike what Mami assumed, they were actually exchanging words. Mentally, that is.
"Ha! Look down, you brat. How dare you meet my eyes equally? I simply hate your guts." Atobe thought.
"What the heck are you up to, you stupid Monkey King? What's going on in that puny primate brain of yours?" Ryoma said in his mind.
"Excuse me, sirs." A lady suddenly approached them.
Both looked up at her.
"Perhaps, do you want something to drink?" She asked.
"I thought everything around here will be done in a self-service system." Atobe asked.
"Today is an exception." She answered with a smile, glancing at the side where Yuushi and Gakuto sat. Yuushi gave her an order using CEO Atobe's name, trying to soften the mood between Ryoma and Atobe.
"Is that so?" Atobe said, hooking an arm over the backrest of his chair in a chic manner. "Then I'll take espresso. Two shots."
Ryoma scoffed. "Why is this gorilla trying to look cool?" He thought. Aloud, he said, "I'll take the same. Make mine three."
The five boys in the neighboring table almost choked on their tea.
"Es-press-o?" Yuushi repeated what he just heard with a questioning look in his eyes.
"Isn't that a really, really, really, strong black coffee?" Gakuto said. "I'm not even allowed to take coffee." He added, blinking innocently.
"Caffeine is bad for growing athletes." Sanada commented.
"Echizen will see a scolding after this." Tezuka said, crossing his hands over his chest.
Atobe sneered at Ryoma. Three shots? What a laugh.
"Yes, I will see to it immediately." The lady told them and was about to leave when Atobe stopped her. "Yes, sir?" She asked.
"On the contrary, make mine four. I'm craving something strong today." Atobe told her.
Ryoma glared at him. "Five shots." He said to the lady who was beginning to look confused.
"Six." Atobe said.
"Seven." Ryoma retorted.
"Umm... I'm sorry to interrupt but I think that six to seven shots of espresso is a bit..." The lady told them hesitantly, wringing her hands in front of her. "Three shots is already too strong."
"Is that so?" Atobe said, blinking.
"Then make it three shots." Ryoma followed. "For the both of us." He added, fixing his stare at Atobe.
"How dare you make a decision by yourself..." The latter gritted at him. Ryoma merely smiled in response.
The lady gave a small exasperated laugh and excused herself. "I'll be back with your coffee in a few minutes." She said.
Mami, Miyako and An giggled quietly. The display of manhood is truly hilarious. Just why on earth are they trying to win over the other in such childish ways?
As the lady disappeared from sight, they resumed their staring battle.
Atobe narrowed his eyes at Ryoma, remembering the way he cuddled Ryouko like a pillow. "A childhood friend? Ha! You're such a minor little detail that's not even worth mentioning. If you're using that as an excuse for your actions earlier, I'll beat some sense in that messed-up head of yours." Atobe thought.
Ryoma returned Atobe's stare with one of his own and was suddenly reminded of what he said back when he was grabbing him by the shirt. "My girl? Ha! Don't make me laugh. How dare you refer to Ryouko like that. You don't even know a single thing about her." Ryoma thought, glaring at the Hyotei captain.
"Aren't you gonna apologize for grabbing me earlier? I think I deserve an apology." Ryoma said, tilting his head in a smart manner.
"Why would I need to apologize to you? You were the one who did something wrong back then. What I showcased is chivalry." Atobe answered, meeting his eye levelly.
"Chivalry, my butt. Did someone ask for help? If my memory serves me right, no one did." Ryoma retorted.
"Well, how about you? Aren't you supposed to apologize for acting in such an inappropriate manner? You might be close friends with her but there are certain lines that you can't cross." Atobe told him.
Ryoma rolled his eyes. "Mind your own business. As to what extent I can be close to Ryouko, that's between the two of us. Dictating what those 'lines' are and whether I can cross over them or not, is also none of your business." He said, pausing at appropriate timings to emphasize the important words.
"Well, then, I'll make it my business." Atobe suddenly replied.
Furrows lined Ryoma's smooth forehead. "What do you mean?" He said threateningly.
Atobe smirked. "Who knows? What do you think?"
"Kono yaro... (This bastard...)" Ryoma thought and seethed in annoyance.
The lady before had arrived with two cups of steaming coffee. "Omataseshimashita. (Thank you for waiting.)" She said as she placed each in front of Atobe and Ryoma. Bowing on both sides, she excused herself and sidestepped away from their table.
Each boy looked at the cups in front of them. They shifted their eyes at each other and with a glare, placed their fingers on the cup's handle. They simultaneously lifted the cups to their lips, still glaring. Each of them took a sip, a small sip that shook their taste buds and reverberated all over their body.
The busybody lot on the neighboring table leaned a bit and craned their necks to see better.
"Ni—nigai... (Bi—bitter...)" Ryoma thought, about to hurl. He bit his lower lip to keep the horrid concoction inside his mouth and brought out every will he has to swallow it.
Atobe seemed to take the drink well, or so it says on the outside. He was cringing inside, forcing himself to gulp it down. Atobe did not like coffee in the slightest but it was the manliest drink he could think of that can pass their age restrictions.
The two smiled at each other as if nothing is wrong and took another sip. "Ooh..." Mami cooed in appreciation. "They're taking it well..."
An giggled. "Just who are they trying to impress? Ryouko's not even here." She thought, laughing inside.
Atobe placed his cup on the saucer and raised an eyebrow at Ryoma. "Are you alright? I think this is a little too strong for you..." He paused and placed his elbow on the edge of the table, resting his chin on his palm. "Ko-do-mo-da-ka-ra... (Be-cause-you-are-a-kid...)" He said with emphasis in every syllable and smirked.
Ryoma gave a small laugh. "No. It's quite alright. After all, I was born and raised in the US where Starbucks originated." He steepled his fingers in front of him and smiled superiorly. "A-me-ri-can-style..." He retorted in english, imitating Atobe's way of emphasizing each syllable.
The people in the other table were shaking with repressed laughter. Even the usually poker-faced Sanada and Tezuka had their hands covering their mouths to hide the amused smiles. Yukimura smiled openly, pouring himself another cup of tea. "Just how often can you see those two act like this? It's quite a note-worthy moment." He thought.
Atobe scoffed before taking another sip of coffee. He almost blanched. "This is really disgusting." He thought. As he put down the cup, he noticed something missing from his wrist. He quickly checked his other wrist.
"Where is it?" He mumbled and placed his hand in all of his pockets.
"What? Did you lose something?" Ryoma asked and reached over to get a butter roll from the basket in their midst.
"Yea, my—" His words were cut off as he noticed something on Ryoma's outstretched hand. "Hey!" Atobe said and grabbed his wrist.
"What are you doing?" Ryoma asked, letting go of the butter roll and dropping it back to the basket.
"This is mine." Atobe said, pertaining to the wristband that Ryoma is wearing.
Ryoma jerked his wrist away. "It is? I picked it up from the floor inside the room earlier. Ryouko has one, so I assumed it's hers." He lied quite shamelessly. It actually slipped off from Atobe's wrist when he let go of Ryoma's shirt. He took it before they went to the lobby.
"Ryouko does have an identical wristband but that one's definitely mine. You also saw it when we bumped to each other yesterday." Atobe said.
"I did?" Ryoma said cluelessly, taking a casual bite out of the butter roll that he retrieved from the basket.
"Yes, you did." Atobe replied, sounding annoyed. "Just give it back." He added.
Ryoma chewed and swallowed. "You see, Atobe-san... There's a series of rules that I live by..." He said, playing with the wristband to further infuriate the Hyotei captain. "One of those is 'Finders keepers, losers weepers.'" He smiled.
Atobe laughed out loud. "How silly." He said as he threw his head back. Then he pounded one fist on the table, making everything on the surface jump an inch. Mami, An and Miyako's hearts jumped along with them in shock.
"I said, 'Give it back.'" Atobe added, his tone dead-serious.
Ryoma sighed, not at all intimidated. "I don't really want to. I have this strange feeling that this belongs to me all along." He held his wrist up. "And don't you think it suits me better?"
Atobe gritted his teeth. "Just what do you mean by that?"
Ryoma smirked. "I don't know... What do you think?" He replied cheekily, raising an eyebrow at Atobe with a challenging look in his bronze-gold eyes.
Atobe leaned back in his chair, calming himself. "Well, if you're gonna be like that... How about we settle this with a tennis match? I happen to live by my own set of rules as well..." He flashed a confident corner smile, showing one white incisor. "The most important one is fairly simple. "'Winner takes it all.'" He said with conviction.
Ryoma narrowed his eyes at him and also gave an equally determined corner smile. "Sounds good to me."
Mami, An and Miyako could barely control their excitement. "Oh my gosh, this is so much better than shoujo manga." Mami thought in delight.
~~~
Ryouko was exempted from dealing with the situation between Ryoma and Atobe because of the doctor's arrival. It wasn't just a doctor actually. A whole medical team arrived, much to Ryouko's utter surprise.
She layed down on the bed with a phlebotomist at her right, drawing some blood samples from her arm, and a nurse at her left, taking her temperature, blood pressure and attaching something on her finger, probably to measure oxygen saturation. There's also a physical therapist sitting at the foot of the bed, pressing something hard at the base of her foot and asking "How do you feel when I press this area?". She had just finished an interview with the doctor a few moments ago.
As she pressed a finger on the cotton ball that the phlebotomist placed over the puncture on her arm, Ryouko sighed. The exaggeration is killing her much more than the panic attack. "I feel like an invalid." She thought.
The whole process kept her there for almost an hour. Just when she thought it was over, another physician arrived to counsel her about the recent phobia attack. She remained patient and smiled as often as she could, but the truth is, she was itching to get out of that room. She hated the attention.
Ryouko was then made to wait. The phlebotomist had left to take her blood samples to the laboratory and run tests on it. The two doctors shared their opinions for a few minutes as the nurse and the physical therapist further assisted Ryouko. "As if I need assisting... I'm totally fine." She thought, quite exasperated.
She began to think about what happened inside that room earlier. What was Keigo so angry about that he grabbed Ryoma like that? He was also spouting nonsense that Ryouko couldn't understand.
And Ryoma, that imbecile... If Keigo didn't arrive, she was planning on head-butting that idiot. She placed a finger to her lower lip. If he meant that as a prank, it was so not funny. Ryouko used to think that girls are complicated. She realized how wrong she was. Boys are much harder to understand. Well, at least Ryoma and Keigo are.
"Miss Ryouko, you're free to go now." She was brought back to reality as one of the physicians addressed her.
She smiled. "Thank you, sensei-tachi. I appreciate it."
The doctors smiled. "Well, Atobe-san was especially strict about giving you a good treatment. We would wait for the laboratory results for about two hours or so, then we'll send someone to pick you up."
"There's absolutely no need to have someone do that, I can walk on my own two feet after all." She told them.
The doctors laughed. "We did hear about your stubborn personality. Looks like it's true." One of them said.
Ryouko smiled. "I just don't like people fussing over me."
The doctors smiled back. "Sato-san will accompany you to the main hall. You should have a nutritious meal. We've been informed that you hadn't eaten all morning. Just let her take you there, then we'll give you the freedom you want."
Ryouko nodded. "It's a deal then, sensei." She got up from the chair.
"Uh-uh." The younger one suddenly said. "You can't stand and walk around. We're suspecting muscle weakness."
"But I don't feel weak." Ryouko said.
"Mind over matter, oujo-sama. You seem to be very good at that. What your body is feeling, you don't feel it because inside your head, you think that you are perfectly fine." The older one replied.
Sato-san, the nurse suddenly brought a wheelchair in front of her. "Please sit here, Miss Ryouko."
Ryouko only blinked and looked at the wheelchair with her jaw dropping. She pointed at it. "You don't mean to tell me that... I have to go around in a wheelchair?" She said, quite dumbfounded.
"Well, that's exactly what we want. Until the results of the blood tests are out, we would appreciate it if you minimize any physical activity. Sato-san will leave after accompanying you to the hall. And you have to stay there for two to three hours. Not to worry though, because a comfortable couch was carried in. You can even sleep if you want." The younger doctor told her.
Ryouko scoffed. "Seriously. People will think that I almost died or something."
"I wouldn't put it that way but it would've been really dangerous. You shouldn't underestimate your phobia, Oujo-sama." He said.
Ryouko sighed. "Fine. I get it. I'll do as I'm told." She finally said just so everything will be over and walked towards the wheelchair. Sato-san was assisting her but she held up a hand. "No thanks. I can sit down by myself."
The nurse merely smiled and stepped back. Ryouko was then wheeled to the main hall.
"You must not take it to heart, Oujo-sama. We are just being careful." Sato-san told her on the way.
"Oh? Is my facial expression so obvious?" She asked.
"Yes. You look as if you are totally dreading being seen in a wheelchair." The nurse replied.
"Well, I am. This makes the situation worse than it actually is." She answered.
"Please bear with us for a few more hours." Sato-san told her.
At last, they reached the hall. As Ryouko was wheeled in, she saw that only a handful of people were there. She was quite relieved about that as she would hate to face everyone after what had happened.
She looked around and found it odd that none of the Seigaku members were there. Sakuno and Tomoka were present though, and they are the ones that first greeted her.
"Ya, Ryouko-san... How are you feeling?" Tomoka said, a bit timidly, which is quite unusual.
"Will it be alright for you to be outside? You should rest in bed more." Sakuno added.
Ryouko smiled at them. "Thank you for the concern, but I'm really fine now. I'm sorry for whatever inconvenience I caused this morning."
"That's great." Tomoka said. "Well, we'll be going back to the representatives' cabin. Do you want us to fetch something for you?"
"No, thanks. I don't need anything in particular." Ryouko replied. The two nodded and went on their way.
Keeping her eyes straight ahead, Ryouko was wheeled towards the leather-covered couch that was placed on one corner of the large room. The nurse was about to assist her as she stood up, but Ryouko held up a hand, aware of the eyes surveying them.
"I'm quite alright." She told her.
The nurse smiled and stepped back. "Will you really be alright alone, Oujo-sama?" Sato-san asked her.
Ryouko smiled. "Yes. I'm positive."
The nurse took something from the pocket of her white uniform and gave it to her. Ryouko looked at it and raised an eyebrow. "A beeper?" She asked.
"Should you ever require assistance, please press on this to call my attention." Sato-san told her.
Ryouko took the small device from her. "I'm surprised that you still carry around something like this."
Sato-san smiled good-naturedly. "It's quite handy at times, even though it's a bit analog."
"I appreciate your concern. Don't worry. I'll use it well." Ryouko said before the nurse bowed and excused herself.
Shinji, Kajimoto and the other second team members used this chance to go towards her, expressing their relief.
"Ryouko~" Kintarou said and kneeled onto the couch, grabbing her hand. He looked up at her with his lower lip jutted out, looking very much like a five-year-old staring at his mother. "I'm so glad you're alright... You were screaming so much and I couldn't take it so I left the room. I'm sorry that I couldn't be there to support you."
Ryouko gave a small exasperated laugh. "Funny. That's exactly what my uncle said to my aunt when she finished giving birth to their youngest. Don't make it sound like I came out of a delivery room or something." She replied.
Kajimoto and the others stared dumbly at first before they erupted in laughter. Kintarou, on the other hand, only blinked innocently and looked around. "Huh? What does she mean?" Aoi also looked quite clueless.
Ryouko freed her hand from Kintarou and patted his head. "It's nothing. Nothing at all."
"I can see that you're totally recovered, Rep." Mizuki told her, striking an intelligent pose. "What is with the wheelchair though?" He added, noticing it parked at the side of the couch.
"Oh, it's nothing big. Just a precaution. I'm forbidden to walk until my blood test results come out. Actually, I'm forbidden to leave this couch for the next three hours. Bummer, right?" She replied casually.
"If you're well enough to make jokes out of your situation, I think you're quite fine." Kajimoto said, smiling.
"I feel extremely well. Except for the fact that all of you saw my pathetically whining form a few hours ago." Ryouko said.
"Well..." Hiyoshi said as he and the other boys became uncomfortable. "It wasn't that bad." He added.
Ryouko arched a brow skeptically.
"Okay, it was a bit terrifying." Hiyoshi finally admitted. The boys nodded in agreement.
"Terrifying huh?" Ryouko repeated before clapping her hands. "Well, since I've shown you such a terrible part of me, I'll be more comfortable to you guys. That will also decrease the embarrassment in my side." She announced to all of them.
"Embarrassment?" Shiraishi asked. "Why would you be embarrassed?"
"My astraphobia is something that only my family members and closest peers know, and in my standards, making you witness that is worse than showing you my underwear." She replied without an ounce of shame. Most of the boys cleared their throats uncomfortably, pink patches crawling onto their cheeks.
Aoi laughed uneasily. "Ryouko-chan... That language is a bit..." He commented.
"I told you just now. I no longer have anything to be embarrassed about with you guys." She pointed out.
"Haaah." Yuuta said in response and scratched his head. "She's pretty simple-minded at times..." He thought.
"Oh, right." Shinji said, all of a sudden reminded about something. Ryouko looked up at him questioningly.
"You haven't eaten yet, right?" Shinji asked.
Ryouko nodded. "The doctors told me that a meal is waiting here. I can't see it anywhere though. I have to admit, I'm quite starved."
Kajimoto and Shinji looked at each other knowingly. "We'll prepare your meal now, Oujo-sama." Kajimoto said with a slight bow.
"You mean, you guys cooked?" Ryouko asked them.
Shinji nodded. "We helped the staff in the kitchen earlier." He told her.
"Oh-ho... I'm impressed." She answered with an amused smile.
"We learned from your know-hows." Kajimoto said.
"Well, wait here for a few minutes." Shinji added and the two boys went away.
Kintarou kept Ryouko locked in conversation until the food arrived. The boys made a fuss in bringing in a table in front of her, getting water and other stuff, and forcing her eat seconds of every dish. Ryouko hated being fussed over but the way they did it was so refreshing that she didn't mind the attention.
In a matter of ten minutes, the dishes were cleared away and she engaged in casual chats with the members of her team before the Seigaku players arrived.
"Ryouko!" Momoshiro said in surprise when he saw her.
Fuji, Oishi, Inui, Kikumaru, Kawamura, Kaidoh and Momoshiro approached her.
"Senpaitachi." Ryouko said. As soon as all of them were in sight, Ryouko bowed her head. "I'm so sorry for causing such inconveniences. It's a shame to the name of Seigaku."
The boys looked at each other and smiled.
"Raise your head, Ryouko." Fuji said.
"Yeah. You did nothing wrong, Hime-chan." Kikumaru added.
Ryouko looked up at them. "But I..."
"No buts." Momoshiro said, grinning. "What's important is that you're safe and sound."
"Hmph." Kaidoh said with an amused smirk. "You say some useful things every once in a while." He commented.
"What do you mean by 'every once in a while'?" Momoshiro retorted in annoyance. Everyone laughed.
"Are you really feeling alright? Shouldn't you rest in bed?" Kawamura asked.
"Senpai... Everyone's been saying that to me that it's getting annoying. Once I get the heads-up from the doctors, I'll perform acrobatics in front of everyone to show you how 'alright' I am." Ryouko said in a complaining voice.
"Spare us the honor. We believe you." Inui replied with a smile.
"If you wouldn't mind, there's some people who would like to talk to you." Oishi suddenly said, making Ryouko tilt her head to one side questioningly.
"That's the cue for you to enter." Kikumaru said with a loud voice. There was some buzzing at the corner of the pathway leading to the control rooms of the main hall.
"You go first." Ryouko heard an audible whisper.
"No, you go first." Another voice hissed.
"Wah!" Someone yelled as he was pushed to the front. It was Shimada Ritsu. He straightened as soon as he noticed Ryouko's eyes on him.
He cleared his throat and stepped forward towards the direction of the leather couch. Behind him, Horio, Kachiro and Mizuno followed. The whole freshmen crowd filed in after them.
"Ummmm..." Ritsu said hesitantly as he found himself in front of her.
Ryouko smiled. "Yes?"
Ritsu looked at his fellow freshmen and nodded. He started to count. "1, 2, 3."
Ryouko's eyes widened when all of the freshmen bowed their heads and chorused, "Hontou ni sumimasendeshita. (We are really sorry.)" As soon as they lifted their heads, they launched into a flurry of narrations.
"Tezuka-buchou had explained everything to us in detail." Kazuki said.
"Apparently, what Senri heard was true but it was not all of it. Buchou said that you did start out with a personal goal in mind but you completely forgot about it because you cared for us." Tohru added.
"We were quick to judge, but I think that Ryouko-san was also at fault for not explaining yourself. That doesn't make the situation any lighter for us though." Motoki told her.
"We're really, sincerely sorry." Mizuno and Kachiro said simultaneously.
Ryouko smiled at them. "I'm also extremely sorry. I'm sure I hurt all of you severely. I should've been honest in the first place." She told them.
Before anyone can say a remark about that, she continued. "But I don't regret anything that I've done. I meant to be responsible for my actions. I'm grateful about how much you withstood my personality. Trust me, I know it's not easy. I applaud you for that and I'm really proud with all the improvements you've shown so far."
The freshmen smiled timidly, feeling pleased.
Ryouko's eyes were soft as she stared at each face. "If you don't mind, I would like to continue being your instructor. That is, if you still want me to."
"Don't be silly, Ryouko-san. Of course we'd love to continue training with you." Horio said. He looked around. "Right, guys?" There were cheers of approval from the others.
Fuji placed a hand on Ryouko's shoulder. "All's well then. I'm really glad." He told her.
Ryouko looked up at him and smiled. "Thank you, senpai."
"Thank Tezuka. He called a meeting to straighten everything out." Fuji replied.
"I see." She said thoughtfully. "Sasuga buchou. (As expected of the captain.)" She said to herself, feeling pleased and thankful. She owed him one again.
Ryouko scanned the freshmen, looking for one particular face that she wasn't able to locate. "Where's Senri?" She asked.
"He... uh..." Ritsu said hesitantly.
"I don't think he's in any condition to face you yet. Give him some time." Oishi told her.
Ryouko nodded in understanding. She figured that she should make the effort to approach him later.
She stared at Oishi, brooding on another question. "How about Tezuka-buchou?" She asked.
"Well, about that..." Oishi said, scratching his head.
"There's actually something curious that happened." Inui commented.
"Something curious?" Ryouko repeated, blinking.
"Right before the meeting ended, Mukahi-kun arrived in the doorway and asked for Tezuka to come with him. He was quite out of breath." Kawamura said.
"Really?" Ryouko said and remembered that their Captain was among the people that showed up in the room earlier. "Ahhh." She nodded in understanding.
"I wonder what it's about." Momoshiro wondered aloud.
"I'm sure it's nothing serious." Ryouko assured him.
All of a sudden, there was a faint stampede of quick footsteps outside the hall's entrance. Arai and Hayashi bursted inside.
"Senpai!" They yelled as soon as they saw the Seigaku regulars. They approached their seniors quickly.
"What is it?" Oishi asked, taking charge.
"Echizen." Hayashi breathed. Arai is also panting. It looked like they ran really hard to reach the hall.
"Ryoma?" Ryouko thought. Thinking about it, what on earth happened to Ryoma? She hadn't seen him since— "Keigo!" She suddenly told herself, recalling the events that happened inside the room where she got locked in with Ryoma earlier.
"What about Echizen?" Inui asked.
"He—" Arai panted. "He's having an unofficial match with Atobe on one of the courts. We were walking past the area when they suddenly came into view. Tezuka-buchou, Sanada-san, Yukimura-san and a few more people are watching them. We thought that everyone ought to know." He explained.
"A match?" Fuji said, his blue eyes wide. "Why would they have a match? There's nothing scheduled for today and the grounds are still wet from the rain."
"I think we should go there and ask what's going on." Kaidoh suggested.
Oishi nodded in response. "We should." He replied and started to leave. The freshmen and the Team 2 members followed, curious about what's happening.
"I'm coming too." Ryouko suddenly said.
"You said you're not allowed to move." Mizuki told her.
Ryouko pointed at the wheelchair. "I'm coming too." She repeated, her tone stubborn.
"Okay." Momoshiro shrugged and leaned down to carry her towards the wheelchair, but she held up a hand in protest. "No thanks. I can walk a few steps." She said.
As Ryouko let Momoshiro wheel her on the way, she narrowed her eyes ahead. Just what are those two boys up to?
~~~
Tomoka and Sakuno were walking towards the direction of the main hall when a small crowd of people standing outside the tennis courts caught their attention.
"Are there any tennis matches scheduled today?" Tomoka asked her friend.
"No. Everything's canceled because of the rain. It's possible that it will rain again this afternoon." Sakuno answered.
"Then why are so many people gathered outside the court?" Tomoka wondered aloud.
"Hmm. I don't know." Sakuno replied.
Tomoka grabbed Sakuno's hand and started to drag her down. "Let's go check it out." She said.
"Tomo-chan. Slow down. We might slip." Sakuno said in a complaining voice.
The moment they got there, they were surprised at the identity of the person inside the court. "Ryoma-sama?" Tomoka said questioningly.
Sakuno's heart skipped and she craned her neck to see. Indeed, Ryoma is one of the two people that are inside the tennis court. The other one is Atobe Keigo.
Tomoka approached the number of people at the side and saw Tezuka. "Senpai?" She called and caught his attention.
Tezuka looked down at her. "What's going on?" She asked.
However, it was Mami who answered her question. "Echizen-kun and Atobe-san challenged each other in an unofficial tennis match."
"But why?" Tomoka said, her eyes wide.
Mami shrugged. "Who knows?" She replied smugly. With her manner of speaking, she definitely knows why. Tomoka silently seethed. She hated being kept in the dark, especially if it's about her beloved Ryoma-sama.
"Sheesh. It's like a repetition of the nationals." Gakuto commented.
"I don't like the idea of this." Yuushi said and stomped on the damp ground.
"I agree. This is not an ideal day for a tennis match." Sanada added, looking up at the sky, still gray from the rain.
"What if it pours again?" Mami asked, looking warily at the clouds. "I don't want to be drenched."
"Can't we just stop them?" Miyako told the others worriedly.
"I don't think we can, when they looked that determined." Yukimura answered, surveying the two boys as they set up the net themselves.
"We'll self-judge. You don't mind that, do you?" Atobe told Ryoma as he tied the ropes tightly on one post.
"Sure. I don't trust you with anything but I'm positive you won't stain a tennis match with lies or trickery." Ryoma answered, tying the other end of the net to the another post.
"If you meant that as a compliment, I don't appreciate it." Atobe grunted, securing the net in place.
"It's the best compliment you can get out of me. After all, there's nothing worth mentioning about you." Ryoma retorted.
Tension was in the air as Ryoma and Atobe proceeded with the traditional handshake before the game. They said nothing as they shhok each other's hands with hostility.
"Remember." Atobe sneered at Ryoma. "Winner takes all."
Ryoma tightened his fist. "Sure. I'll take it all." He remarked.
The match was underway after Ryoma won the toss coin. He started off the first game with a genuine twist serve. He grunted as he exerted more effort to stay steady on his feet. Playing in such conditions is not very favorable, but of course, those conditions also applied to his opponent.
"Oh my, a twist serve right off the bat!" An said excitedly. "He's taking this seriously."
Atobe returned with a powerful backhand stroke. Even though the court is slippery, he was able to hold his balance quite well.
Gakuto whistled. "Atobe is not doing half-bad either. Sasuga oretachi no koori no Ou. (As expected of our Ice Emperor.)" He grinned and all worries dissipated. He merely wanted to enjoy watching the game.
As cheers from the outside echoed to the court, mostly coming from Tomoka and Mami, the rally continued for quite a long time. Neither of them were shaking off their guard.
The audience could not take their eyes off of them for a mid-second or they'll miss something.
"My eyes hurt. I want to blink. But I don't want to miss anything." Mami breathed in excitedly, her eyes starting to sting.
"A fight for Ryouko-chan's heart. How romantic." Miyako thought dreamily. Her eyes were not seeing two tennis players swinging rackets but rather, she imagined two valiant soldiers brandishing shiny swords. She sighed a shaky breath and looked at the two boys with bright, twinkling eyes with her two hands clasped together in anticipation.
"Do you think she's seeing the same thing that we're watching?" Gakuto asked, suddenly noticing the freshman girl's reaction.
"Who knows? Girls are complicated." Yukimura commented with a laugh.
All of a sudden, Ryoma's sneaker slid off a puddle of water that formed amidst the array of smooth grass. "Shimatta! (Damn!)" He said and lost his balance. He was still able to return the ball but it was unfortunately a lob.
Atobe sneered. "This one's mine!" He yelled and jumped up, meeting the ball in the air.
"Hametsu e no rondo!" Gakuto shouted form the side.
"Saseru ka? (You think I'll let you?)" Ryoma said and immediately retaliated. He switched the racket to his right and returned the ball with a calculated shot. Tezuka recognized the shot right away even without the usual racket-frame sliding before it.
"Oishi's moon volley." Tezuka said.
Indeed, the ball formed a wide arc as Atobe was nearing the ground, heading towards the back court.
"Amai! (Naïve!)" Atobe said. Upon landing, he disappeared from sight and reached the backcourt in a split-second, returning the ball with a lob.
"You're the one who's naïve!" Ryoma yelled and got ready to return the ball with his own powerful smash trademark.
"Cyclone smash!" Mami and Miyako chorused, remembering seeing it once when they watched the regulars practice.
Atobe was about to maneuver when someone from outside beat him to it. In not more than a gasp of breath, the ball hit the net right in the middle and spun on it for two seconds.
Everyone's eyes widened when the ball suddenly climbed up the net in a swift up-spin and fell on Ryoma' side of the court.
"What on earth do you think you're doing?" Ryouko's voice rang clear and she rested the frame of the racket on her shoulder before placing her free hand on her waist in a reprimanding manner.
"Eh? Just when did she..." Momoshiro said in surprise as he saw her standing on court. He was pretty sure that she's still sitting on the wheelchair when Echizen jumped up to smash. He and the others had just arrived outside the courts a few seconds ago.
"Hayai! (So fast!)" Yuuta commented, his eyes wide.
"And what the heck was that shot?" Kajimoto said with an amused smile.
Shiraishi whistled. "This girl has quite the skills."
Kintarou was surveying Ryouko with twinkling eyes, his respect for her moving up another notch. He started to pull at Shiraishi's sleeve. "I want to have a match with her!" He declared.
"What the heck did you do that for?" Ryoma said in annoyance as soon as he got over the shock.
Ryouko responded with a sigh. "Get off the court. Both of you." She said and took a step forward. Her eyes widened as a strange feeling came upon her. When her sneaker hit the ground, her knee buckled and she ended up kneeling onto the wet grass.
She tried to lift herself up with her other leg and heard a faint crick. It also gave away and Ryouko found herself sitting on the court by the left side of her behind. She blinked in confusion.
"Oi." Atobe said, noticing her weird actions. "Get up from there. The court is still damp."
Ryouko pressed her palms to propel herself up but her legs refused to cooperate. "What the?" She thought in utter shock.
Ryoma, aware of her uncanny behavior, went over the net and approached her. "What's wrong?" He asked.
Atobe threw his racket aside and went to kneel beside Ryouko on her left. "Are you hurt?" He asked.
"My legs... I can't feel any strength from them. I can't stand up." She said, stunned.
"What?" Ryoma and Atobe exclaimed simultaneously, their tones alarmed.
The others began to file inside the court. "Ah! You went and done it! You said the doctors told you that you're not allowed to move!" Mizuki said in a reprimanding tone.
"I'll help you up." Both Ryoma and Atobe said. They glared at each other and took each of Ryouko's arms, Ryoma on the right, Atobe on the left. They hooked her arm on their necks and lifted her up unsteadily.
"Oi!" She complained as her left side was lifted higher than her right because of Ryoma and Atobe's obvious height difference.
"Let go." Atobe snarled at Ryoma.
"You let go." Ryoma hissed back.
"Would you stop it?!" Ryouko yelled and struggled to get her arms out. They slipped from the boys' necks. THUD.
"Oh my. She fell." Gakuto said blankly, narrating the obvious.
"Just look at what you did." Atobe told Ryoma in annoyance.
"Me? It was you who's at fault." Ryoma replied, defending himself.
"Enough!" Ryouko yelled, the pinnacle of her patience snapping. She looked up and threw them a glare with pure mirth. "Both of you, don't even dare lay hands on me! If I have to crawl back to the main hall, then so be it!"
Apparently, Ryouko did not have to crawl her way back to the main hall because Sato-san and the two physicians who tended to her earlier are running towards the direction of the tennis courts. "Oujo-sama!" She could hear their faint yells.
Ryouko gasped and checked the beeper inside her backpocket. The button must've been pressed when her weight fell onto it! "Shimatta. (Damn.)" She mumbled and her shoulders sagged.
Atobe and Ryoma's attention, as well as the people who had rushed outside the tennis courts, were drawn by the urgent shouting and looked at the direction where it is coming from.
"I'm okay! I'm alright!" Ryouko shouted with a loud voice and tried to stand up once again. It was no use. Her knees felt like twigs.
She craned her neck as they neared the area and gasped even louder upon seeing the extra two figures running right behind the white-uniformed medical rangers, one tall and one with the average size of a freshman junior high student.
Licht and Ichi? Ryouko began to panic, looking at her unmoving legs. "Oh no, this is terrible." She told herself in a foreboding tone.
For once in her life, Fujioka Ryouko found out the genuine feeling of being a damsel in distress.
Ice Emperor goes uncool. A steaming hot cup of espresso had beaten him.
Ryoma: Yare, yare... That's why I stick to soda...
Ryouko: Both of you are 'mada mada dane'.
Oh well... Ryouko's difficulties are still not ending, and two boys are making them even more difficult! *ahem, ahem* I wonder who those two are... hehehe