Ryouko followed the girls' tennis team captain to the courts.
"Which side?" The captain, whose name is Minami Yayoi, asked as she positioned her racket perpendicular to the ground.
"Smooth," Ryouko answered.
Minami spun the racket. It stopped and fell to the ground with the grip facing upside down.
"Out of luck, aren't you?" Minami told Ryouko.
Ryouko returned her sarcasm with a smile, which irritated her more.
More and more people were coming closer to watch the match. Even the Seigaku regulars who were coming back from a neighborhood run saw the commotion and ran towards the tennis court.
Meanwhile, the freshmen, consisting of Horio, Kachirou, Mizuno, Miyako, Mami, Tomoka and Sakuno, went outside to the court.
"What's happening?" Kawamura asked.
"It's Ryouko-san's evaluation game, senpai," Horio answered.
"I think Ryouko-chan is in trouble..." Miyako said worriedly.
"Well, Ryouko-chan did do a silly thing... Applying to every girls' sports club and not joining any of them... I asked her why she did it and all she said was 'Just because'." Mami told them.
"Fujioka-san has no reason to do that though..." Sakuno commented.
"Isn't it obvious? She's just doing it to get attention." Tomoka answered.
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Horio, Miyako, and Mami replied, irritated.
"Well, all the girl senpais are saying that and I heard that Fujioka-san confirmed it herself. That's why Minami-senpai is pissed at her and threatened to crush her flat." Tomoka said.
While they were talking, Inoue Mamoru and Shiba Saori from Pro-Tennis Monthly joined the crowd. They were keeping track of Seigaku's training sessions for the month's issue.
"The focus of Seishun Gakuen had always been the boys' tennis club, but the girls' tennis club isn't something to sneeze at. I recognize Minami Yayoi over there." Inoue commented.
"I recognize her as well senpai. You asked me to interview her after she won the Girls Junior Competition last summer. All of her games ended with 6-0 or 6-1. They called her a girl genius." Shiba said.
"Ryouko-chan wa yabai kamo... (Ryouko-chan might be in trouble...)" Miyako said sadly.
"Daijoubu, Miyako. Ryouko-chan won't go down that easily." Mami comforted her.
"I say, that's what she gets for trying to stand out," Tomoka said bitterly.
"Tomo-chan..." Sakuno reprimanded her.
Ryouko and Minami both went to opposite sides of the court. Ryouko held her racket with her right hand.
"The best of one set match, Minami service play." The referee announced.
Minami served a fast curve ball. It was a fairly strong one.
"The speed is not bad," Inui commented.
Ryouko smirked and returned it.
"Ryouko-chan!" Mami and Miyako cheered.
Minami returned it. Ryouko hit it back. They followed the ball with their eyes as it propelled towards Minami, towards Ryouko, and back towards Minami. It became a rally of shots between the two players.
Then, all of a sudden, Ryouko returned Minami's shot with a lob.
"What the heck is she doing?" Kikumaru exclaimed. "If she does that, it's like giving Minami the win off a silver platter."
YOU ARE READING
Tennis no Ojou-sama: A Prince of Tennis Fan Fiction
FanfictionTotally alike to the point that they hate each other, Echizen Ryoma and Fujioka Ryouko became rivals at a very early age. Reunited after being separated from each other at age nine, will rivalry at the most precious sport of their lives still get i...
