Courting the Courted
Two
I got ready the next morning in the mandatory uniform that the captain had given me. I heard a knock at the door and quickly grabbed my Tennis bag and left. I walked to the front door with a piece of bread tucked cutely between my lips.
“Ready to go,” Ryoma asked, a slight redness in his cheeks.
“Let’s hit the road!” I yelled locking the door – my mom was at work. We walked along in silence even when we got to the train and exited no one spoke. Ryoma started walking down a hallway.
“I’ll be right back.” He said over his shoulder. I leaned against the column and waited, “Its melon soda.” He tossed it to me.
“Thanks I haven’t had this stuff in forever.” I said happily as we walked out of the station.
“When are you going to tell the rest of the team that you’re a girl?” He asked sipping on his drink.
“Never,” I replied simply, “But I’m in the chick division today too, I have a change of clothes for that too.”
“What’s your plan?”
“Well, ‘Chi’ has to go somewhere else – but his twin sister’s still here and you know me as Chiharu – so you introduce me to the team as Chi’s twin, and that I’m also in your class – which is true – as of Monday.”
“You think that’ll work?”
“Hell yeah!”
“We’re here.”
“Hell no,” Ryoma looked at me weird, “Melon makes me hyper.” We walked over to join the team.
“Chi – your match starts in a few minutes.” Tezuka said as we approached the team, “It’s against someone named Will Dashiki.”
“Great – but I’m going to have to run after – my mom’s in the hospital and she made me come here for my match even though I didn’t want to go.” I said pulling my team Jacket off, “My sister’s coming later for her match. She’ll be on the court beside us.”
I walked onto the court and took my stance. We were playing to three. I had a gut feeling that I knew this Will. I easily won the match with no need to try at all – but I made it look like I was trying.
“You, you’re Takeda Chi! You beat me at Wimbledon! I will defeat you next time!” he said as he stomped off of the court. I gathered up my stuff and said bye to my team before I went to change. I pulled on my Polo shirt and my white tennis skirt – taking up as much time as I could. I put in the same braids that I had done last night and made my way out of the change room sliding on my glasses. I made my way toward my club’s court.
The couch yelled at me like there was no tomorrow for being a couple minutes late. I hurried onto the court and took my stance. I won the serve. I always made my serves look weak so my opponent thought that they had the upper hand. She returned it with a simple back hand, I copied. This went on for a few more vollies then I easily scored a point. I served again – another point, and again. I won the match easily – and unfortunately was my only one. I looked down at my racket and realised that a string had broke – luckily it was just one.
“You’re really good Chiharu!” Kaoru said walking over to me with the team.
“Awe thanks – Kaoru is it – Chi’s told me a little about you.” I said shaking his hand. We all walked over to the Seigaku team’s court and watch Ryoma play his match.
“40 love!” The ref. said blowing his whistle. His opponent served the same serve as Ryoma, his Kick Serve. The game was locked in a tight battle. It appeared that Ryoma was done for when it was aimed for the corner, but he switched his hands and hit, luckily. Ryoma was about to return the ball – but his arm froze up, so he spun his body to try and hit the ball, but his racket flew out of his hand and hit the post of the net. The racket broke and a piece flew at Ryoma who wasn’t able to move in time. His eye was bleeding profusely.
“Momo – get my other racket out.” Ryoma said.
“I’m sorry,” The ref. said stepping toward us, “I can’t let you continue if the bleeding hasn’t stopped.” Ryoma rubbed his shirt on his eyelid to try to stop the bleeding, it worked for a few seconds.
“Come here,” Sumire said as she received the medical box from Oishi, “This’ll hurt.”
Once Ryoma was bandaged he got back on the court with a time limit set on his match. He easily beat the other guy from the school – both of which I’ve not yet learned their names for.
“You did great.” I whispered into his ear before Sumire and Ryoma left for the doctors. I had to head home unfortunately so I couldn’t join them after.
“Ready to go,” Ryoma asked, a slight redness in his cheeks.
“Let’s hit the road!” I yelled locking the door – my mom was at work. We walked along in silence even when we got to the train and exited no one spoke. Ryoma started walking down a hallway.
“I’ll be right back.” He said over his shoulder. I leaned against the column and waited, “Its melon soda.” He tossed it to me.
“Thanks I haven’t had this stuff in forever.” I said happily as we walked out of the station.
“When are you going to tell the rest of the team that you’re a girl?” He asked sipping on his drink.
“Never,” I replied simply, “But I’m in the chick division today too, I have a change of clothes for that too.”
“What’s your plan?”
“Well, ‘Chi’ has to go somewhere else – but his twin sister’s still here and you know me as Chiharu – so you introduce me to the team as Chi’s twin, and that I’m also in your class – which is true – as of Monday.”
“You think that’ll work?”
“Hell yeah!”
“We’re here.”
“Hell no,” Ryoma looked at me weird, “Melon makes me hyper.” We walked over to join the team.
“Chi – your match starts in a few minutes.” Tezuka said as we approached the team, “It’s against someone named Will Dashiki.”
“Great – but I’m going to have to run after – my mom’s in the hospital and she made me come here for my match even though I didn’t want to go.” I said pulling my team Jacket off, “My sister’s coming later for her match. She’ll be on the court beside us.”
I walked onto the court and took my stance. We were playing to three. I had a gut feeling that I knew this Will. I easily won the match with no need to try at all – but I made it look like I was trying.
“You, you’re Takeda Chi! You beat me at Wimbledon! I will defeat you next time!” he said as he stomped off of the court. I gathered up my stuff and said bye to my team before I went to change. I pulled on my Polo shirt and my white tennis skirt – taking up as much time as I could. I put in the same braids that I had done last night and made my way out of the change room sliding on my glasses. I made my way toward my club’s court.
The couch yelled at me like there was no tomorrow for being a couple minutes late. I hurried onto the court and took my stance. I won the serve. I always made my serves look weak so my opponent thought that they had the upper hand. She returned it with a simple back hand, I copied. This went on for a few more vollies then I easily scored a point. I served again – another point, and again. I won the match easily – and unfortunately was my only one. I looked down at my racket and realised that a string had broke – luckily it was just one.
“You’re really good Chiharu!” Kaoru said walking over to me with the team.
“Awe thanks – Kaoru is it – Chi’s told me a little about you.” I said shaking his hand. We all walked over to the Seigaku team’s court and watch Ryoma play his match.
“40 love!” The ref. said blowing his whistle. His opponent served the same serve as Ryoma, his Kick Serve. The game was locked in a tight battle. It appeared that Ryoma was done for when it was aimed for the corner, but he switched his hands and hit, luckily. Ryoma was about to return the ball – but his arm froze up, so he spun his body to try and hit the ball, but his racket flew out of his hand and hit the post of the net. The racket broke and a piece flew at Ryoma who wasn’t able to move in time. His eye was bleeding profusely.
“Momo – get my other racket out.” Ryoma said.
“I’m sorry,” The ref. said stepping toward us, “I can’t let you continue if the bleeding hasn’t stopped.” Ryoma rubbed his shirt on his eyelid to try to stop the bleeding, it worked for a few seconds.
“Come here,” Sumire said as she received the medical box from Oishi, “This’ll hurt.”
Once Ryoma was bandaged he got back on the court with a time limit set on his match. He easily beat the other guy from the school – both of which I’ve not yet learned their names for.
“You did great.” I whispered into his ear before Sumire and Ryoma left for the doctors. I had to head home unfortunately so I couldn’t join them after.