Prince Of Tennis Fan Fiction ❯ Life's A Stage ❯ & when the music starts ( Chapter 2 )

Life's A Stage: Chapter 2

 

& When the Music Starts

 

A/N: Terms: Kwan do is a weapon used in wushu. It's a giant jagged looking blade affixed to the end of a long pole. Here is a link http://www.ninja-weapons.com/Weapons/ Chinese_Weapons/7187.shtml to a picture of it.

Nanchakus, most people should know what these are. Think two pieces of cylindrical shaped wood, around eight inches long, like giant breadsticks joined at the ends with a short metal chain. http://www.ninja-weapons.com/Weapons/Nunchakus_with_R ope/

 

Also, more explanations will be given at the end of the chapter so don't forget to read them if you're confused!

 

000 000 000

 

It was like watching some bizarre form of dance; their movements were so precise and fluid that one who did not know better would think they were watching a contemporary dance piece, until you noticed the two taking center stage held weapons. One would have done a double take. The combination of weaponry was absurb, Kwan do versus nanchakus.

 

However, this did not seem to bother the few people watching the match. Neither did it look as if either of the combatants felt strain on their part. It was silent except for their heavy breathing. Sweat soaked through the light material of their exercise outfits but neither seemed really tired, the fire in both their eyes displayed their enthusiasm. Another astounding thing about this spectacle was that neither had lost a point throughout the fight. Every lunge made by the Kwan do player was neatly dodged, almost always at the last instant, as if the other knew exactly when to avoid. Whenever it seemed that the nanchaku wielder had ensnared the Kwan do in the chain, the blade was skillfully twisted away before the Kwan do user could be disarmed.

 

The Kwan do wielder managed to up his opponent, changing the rhythm of the fight, improvising as he went. When his blade got into the way of the nanchukus again, instead of pulling his weapon away, he maneuvered it so one of the chain's links slid over the lower hook of the Kwan do and was stuck there, and with a swift yank, tore the nanchukus away from the his opponent and flung them so they landed his side of the floor. For a while, they engaged in a strange cat and mouse display as the unarmed combatant now tried to go around him to retrieve the stolen weapon.

 

The combatant who previously wielded the nunchuks seemed unfazed. Keen brown eyes locked onto hazel ones that were a shade lighter, ears piqued, listening to the sound the Kwan do made as it slashed the air, it's wielder rotating it in a fan like manner, making it impossible to pass. Any attempt to try retrieving the nanchuckus would probably result getting injured. But this particular opponent would not relent.

 

With a move obviously honed from years of experience, the unarmed fighter did a dived to the floor and quickly rolled away, just missing the blade of the Kwan do as it came back to that same side. Slender fingers reached to grab the weapon when a sudden movement caused her to freeze. The tip of the Kwan do's blade was barely an inch away from her neck. She shot her opponent a glare and was about to make her move when the shrill ring of a whistle pierced the air.

 

Grabbing herself and the nunchuks off the floor, she gave the referee a pleading look.

 

“ But sensei, you know I could've avoided that!”

 

“ No buts Corellith, those are the rules, though I do not doubt your skill, I also do not doubt you're his.” The instructor, a square jawed, stern looking man in his forties waved a hand at the other combatant to emphasize his point. “ Now both of you do the civil thing. And all personnel, you are dismissed! Next session will be at the same time!”

 

“ Yes sir!”

 

“ You're improving with those Jackasa.” Her opponent commented, eyes flashing briefly to the weapon she had tucked under her arm as they shook hands.

 

“You still beat me.” She shrugged.

 

“ Someone's ego take a beating?” he drawled teasingly as he took off his glasses and wiped them on his shirt.

 

“ Bah, I can afford to lose one match.”

 

“ Really now, and just now you weren't almost bargaining your way into a rematch?”

 

Unable to respond, she simply scowled at him, a faint blush rising in her cheek. She quickly turned away to hide it, but sharp eyes caught her. He gave a short but deep sounding laugh and smirked, causing her scowl to go deeper.

 

Jack rolled her eyes. “ Whatever,” she muttered as she walked past him. “ I'm going to change out of these clothes. Ta.”

 

000 000 000

 

Once back in school attire, Jack grabbed her bags and started walking down the corridor leading to the exit of the center. Her footsteps were brisk and light, making hardly a sound as she went along. A few seconds later, her senses picked up on another presence, followed by footfalls that were not that much louder than her own. As she continued walking at her set pace, the footsteps behind accelerated, and then slowed as the person caught up to her.

 

Her nose caught the faint whiff of cologne; Burberry's to be exact. She was not in the least bit surprised for she did not expect any less from the one walking next to her.

 

“ Ne Jackasa, what's the rush? Not avoiding me are you? ” The voice was neither high nor low, stuck somewhere in between, words spoken in a slow lazy tone, partly teasing.

 

Without slowing down, she continued walking, “ What do you want?”

 

“ Tsk tsk, so suspicious. I'm hurt.” He smirked. “ Ore-sama just wanted to know if his Imouto would like a lift home.”

 

She paused midstep feeling awkward all of a sudden. “ I see,” she said softly “ well, thanks for the offer but I'm fine.” Then she continued, “ I guess I'm…”

 

“ Still sore that Yuushi beat you ne?”

 

She felt her cheeks pinking and cursed inwardly. That was twice in the same day. And within the same hour as well! What was wrong with her?

 

Her companion saw her reaction and laughed. “ Ne, give the guy a break. And don't be so hard on yourself. No one can beat Yuushi ones he's got the Kwando in his hands. You should know that by now too.”

 

“ I've beaten him before.”

 

“ Yes, when you used your primary weapons. You just picked up the art of nunchakus like what? Less than six months ago? For you to last that long was a feat in itself.”

 

“ I guess…”

 

“ Both of you seriously need to stop competing. You guys have been at it for like what? Four years?”

 

“ Not like you can talk. If I recall correctly, you have an obsession with beating a certain someone in tennis. Someone with the initials, T.K.”

 

“ Humph. Not fair Jack.” He pouted. Then, he stretched and clasped his hands behind his head. A mischievous twinkle in his eye, that familiar smirk on his face that seemed to proclaim “ I am the one and only Atobe Keigo, dare you challenge me?”

 

She watched, entranced. It amused her to no end how easily the Hyoutei tennis captain could change at the drop of a hat. Only certain people were lucky enough to see the more amiable side of him lurking behind the arrogant sneer he always wore. The same went for Yuushi. It was like some Hyoutei thing to constantly have a “ I-am-better-and-prettier-than-thou” look stuck on their faces. Looking at it made her think of Tezuka's serious unmoving gaze. In some ways, they were similar. But unlike Keigo and Yuushi, she had never seen so much as a twitch in Tezuka's. She tried to imagine what the stoic captain would look like if he smiled.

 

“ So,” the Hyoutei senior's voice drawled, bringing her back from her ponderings. “ How is that Tezuka anyway?”

 

 

She stopped her attempts at mentally morphing her housemate's expression. It was giving her a headache. “ Fine I guess” She shrugged.

 

“ Anything interesting happen?” he asked slyly.

 

She turned to eye him warily. “ No… Tell me, what do you think should happen?”

 

“ Oh I don't know. I mean, you and he are by yourselves, in that big house, though ore-sama's is definitely bigger! Anyway, both of you are not with anyone at the moment, and you know …”

 

“ Atobe Keigo! Get your head out of the gutter! Why must you always assume two people alone equals, well, that!”

 

“ Hey, I was just asking a question. No need to get so defensive. Really now, don't tell me after two months you have not entertained that thought at least once. You've got to admit that stiff as he is, Tezuka Kunimitsu is attractive in his own way. Ne Jackasa?”

 

Silence.

 

“ Did you not hear me? I said ne…”

 

“ If you're waiting for an `usu!' I'm so sorry to disappoint you. I'm not Kabaji's stand-in.”

 

“ Ne, you're no fun Jack. So I assume by that statement you don't find Tezuka appealing at all? Just answer me and I'll stop bugging you. Anyway, even if you deny it, I can see the truth written on your face.”

 

Her cheeks had heated up for the third time. Why? Why did he have to bring up such topics? Until now, she had never entertained such thoughts while living under the same roof with the Seigaku captain. But Atobe's words and her vivid imagination had come together forming a rather graphic image in her mind that could not seen to disappear.

 

At a loss for words, she glared at Atobe, who laughed again. When finally managed to find her voice, she managed to get out a hasty “ I need to go.” And brusquely strode away.

 

000 000 000

 

“ Where have you been?”

 

Jack jumped around in surprise, and let go of the door, which closed with a soft bang that was amplified due to the silence of the house. The voice was accompanied by a faint click and a second later; the entire living room was lighted up. The sudden brightness made Jack cringe and she had to blink a couple of times to adjust to the new lighting. There, standing in the middle of the room was the last person she wanted to encounter at that time, now more so than ever, especially with that deadly glare he was sending her.

 

“Kunimitsu! Well, Hey!” She said brightly in effort to cool things down. “ I just had extra practice that's all. And man, am I beat or what! I think I'm going to sleep now. Nights!”

 

She started for the stairs when his cool voice made her stop. “ Jackasa, please do not take me for a fool. In case you forget, as president of the student council, I know what time extra activities are. The mix club only practices one a week. And all clubs do not go beyond seven pm to keep within school regulations. It is already ten however. This is not the first time you have come home so late. Explain yourself.”

 

She stared at him, stumped, unsure of what to say. She had not lied to him. She had been at practice. It was just that she did not tell me where or what the practice was. Though she was away from JEDA's main campus, it was a requirement that exchange students all had to report to the nearest base branch for training at least one a week. Something, which she obviously could not tell everyone, even her caretakers.

 

“ What's it to you?” she asked.

 

“ Just answer the question.”

 

“ I told you I was at prac…”

 

“ Tell me the truth.” He snapped suddenly. “ Where were you?”

 

Frustrated as being cut off, she cut back, “ I wasn't lying!”

 

“ Stop acting.”

 

“ Stop acting? Me stop acting? What are you, my dad or something?”

 

When he did not reply, she continued, “Ever since I came you seem to have something against me. Your classmates may not bother with that because they respect you enough. Your friends may not mind your attitude because they're nice people. But I, I have to stay with you! Surely as a host you know you're supposed to at least show minimal civilised courtesy! Not treat me as if I was invisible! And anyway, you're the one who's always putting up some cool, untouchable front! So if I'm acting then you are one big drama king!”

 

Her words came out in a flurried tumble, not stopping until she finally ran out of breath. She stood there, breathing for a while, feeling as if a weight had lifted off her shoulders from the rant. But then, another replaced it just as quickly as she realized what she had just said.

 

A pregnant silence filled the air; along with an unmistakable tension, as if a bomb had been dropped between them, really to explode any moment. Her cheeks, which had a slight pinkish tinge from the emotion, she felt burnt furiously as guilt overcame her consciousness.

 

She raised a hand to her mouth in horror, as if trying to push back her vented words. “ Oh my… Oh my God! I'm so sorry I got too carried away! I didn't mean that! I'm so…”

 

“ That's enough.”

 

His voice cut into hers, interrupting; sharp as a blade, taking the phrase `as cold as ice' to a whole new level. He took a step forward and Jack was sorely tempted to take a step back, or run past him and upstairs even, but pride kept her frozen to her spot. The hardest thing to do however was to maintain eye contact. His eyes seemed to gleam behind the lenses of his spectacles, and more intensely then she had ever seen. He was clearly furious.

 

When he spoke next, she could hear the strain in his voice, as if he were controlling himself from shouting.

 

“ Don't go around presuming such things about people when you don't know anything about them.” he growled, gaze unwavering.

 

“ Then why don't you tell me the truth? Why are you always so uptight?”

 

“ Must you pry into my personal life? Don't you have nothing better to do?”

 

Anger coming back, she countered his stare with one of her own. “ Pry? I'm just trying to get to know my housemate better! Its something called bonding, something you obviously have no clue about…”

 

She stopped abruptly, as if she realized the meaning of her words and gasped. She blushed and tore her gaze away, looking at the ground, “ Oh my, I did it again! I'm sorry!” she exclaimed, a slight tremble in her voice.

 

Then, she made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a choked sob and ran upstairs. Seconds later, he heard a door slam shut. Tezuka stood rooted to his spot, staring after the fleeing girl in silence until she was out of sight, trying to comprehend what had just taken place.

 

A minute or so later, he too retired to bed. That night, something odd happened. Tezuka could not sleep.

 

 

000 000 000

 

A/N: Ne, sorry if this chapter is confusing. Especially the part with Atobe. All I can say is that you'll understand more as the story progresses, it's still the beginning after all. Another thing Atobe is not related to Jack in case you were wondering, although he calls her Imouto (little sister), its more a nickname to annoy her. It has something to do with an incident that happened in the past and Atobe kind of looked after Jack for a while. I shan't say why as it will spoil the story and the mystery element but I promise the explanation will be in the later chapters.

 

Another thing. I know Tezuka sound really cold and a bit OOC in this first part but I have a certain interpretation of him and he will improve from the next chapter onwards. You'll see… so stay tuned!