Tennis no Ojou-sama: A Prince of Tennis Fan Fiction

CHAPTER 111: Complicated

The cool wind is blowing smoothly over the quiet town, peeking through dark windows of the houses of the residential areas where the people are sound asleep in their beds. Inside the second floor of an ordinary two-story house overlooking a large garden at the back, one window shone like a lone firefly, the light coming from the lampshade of a twelve-year-old girl with wavy brown hair pulled into two loose pigtails. She was hunched over a laptop, her serious-looking face illuminated by the blue light of the screen. Slowly, she began to type.

Cutie Mami Diary Entry #1,687

Entitled: The Worst Week of my Life

Saturday... One day before D-day.

And by D-day, I meant the start of the school's cultural fest.

I, Ayase Mami, am under the biggest crisis of my career as an amateur script-writer and director. The days are looking glum, and the chances of our class winning the foundation event are even glummer. This is the worst. It's the pits. I don't think I can ever stand up again.

There are two main perpetrators causing my depression right now and I seriously wanted to clap their heads together cartoon-style and make them eat the script that I made. For easier understanding, let me narrate the terrible events in detail.

It started on Tuesday morning... A morning so peaceful, you wouldn't think that a tornado is coming your way. I, so blissfully clueless, just arrived in class and rushed towards my seat to greet Miyako.

"What's up, girlfriend?" Mami told Miyako enthusiastically after purposely slamming her bag on the back of Shuu's head.

Shuu growled on his seat and held onto his temper. Mami always made it a tradition to irritate him first thing in the morning. If he snaps in anger, he would be playing into her hands. And so he contented himself with throwing her a dark look whilst bending down to silently pull on the shoelace of her neat brown leather wing-tipped shoe. While Mami was conversing enthusiastically with Miyako and the other girls, he tied the shoelace to the foot of his chair. He sat up again with a satisfied simper and awaited the results of his revenge.

After a few minutes, the bell sounded and their adviser arrived. When Mami turned around to go to her seat, she let out a terrified shriek as her foot was pulled back. Every head swerved in her direction. Abashed-faced, Mami looked down and saw her shoelace tied around the foot of Shuu's chair.

Shuu's lips quivered and he couldn't control himself. He let out a snort of laughter.

"You! Childish little..." Mami hissed, her hands hovering over the prankster's head, ready to pull his hair by the roots.

"Hoshimura! Ayase! Do you want to get scolded first thing in the morning?" their adviser yelled with an authoritative tone.

"No, sir..." the two chorused amidst the giggles and laughter from their classmates.

"Go back to your seat, Ayase. Homeroom is starting," the teacher ordered.

"Yessir," Mami said and bent down to untie her shoelace.

"You're gonna get it later," she whispered sharply at Shuu.

"Whatever. You're the one who started it," Shuu replied in a nonchalant tone.

"Stand," the class president said and the class quieted down to give their morning greetings.

"Bow," the class president continued as Miyako glanced to her left with a look of wonder.

"Ohayougozaimasu!" the students chorused. Miyako wasn't able to join in the greeting. As they were told to sit down, she turned to Mami and whispered, "Echizen-kun and Ryouko-chan are not in class yet."