Prince Of Tennis Fan Fiction ❯ Rising Ambitions ❯ Jumping Off of Second Story Windows ( Chapter 1 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

"Nori-chan, Nori-chan-guess what?"

A senior girl, with her hazel eyes drooping in the most sleepy way, raised her head from its position tucked in her arms on the desk, and let out a long yawn. Her hand found its way to the front of her mouth; at least she had the decency to cover up her yawn. She slowly shook her head to clear it up, and her other hand rose to tinker with the black cross earrings she wore, hung by a silver chain. This was mostly out of habit, though. It had started when one of her friends had fooled her into thinking that her earlobe had ripped from the 'fifty-ton weighing metal cross earring' she had on. She wasn't paranoid or anything, but it was nice to know that one's earlobe wasn't bleeding profusely, you know? Noriko spat out the stray bit of highlighted hair that had wandered into her mouth, grabbed her waist-length hair (ohhh, how she and her mother had fought over the length!), and shoved it over one shoulder.

"No-" a yawn, "what?"

Noriko's friend's chocolate brown eyes lit up with excitement, and Noriko sighed. Another hour-long speech...oh, god. The first time Noriko had met Ai in pre-school, the girl had run her mouth off for an entire hour period, causing Noriko to miss her naptime. That had resulted a very cranky Noriko and a very distressed team of nannies. Ai was a good girl...really! It was just that...well, she didn't understand that sometimes, people needed peace and quiet.

"Well, I heard that the tennis team captain, Yukimura Seiichi is coming back! He's been discharged!"

Oh, joy. The sick boy the others talked about all the time...the one with cancer, was it? Noriko couldn't remember; had it been terminal? The kids all considered it taboo to talk about it much, especially in front of the tennis regulars. But Noriko was not a girl to take no for an answer; she'd managed to weedle it out of fifteen people within three days.

After all, she was a vehement player on the prestigious girls' soccer team of Rikkai Dai Fuzoku; currently the number one seeded team in Tokyo, the city that was kept alight with young hopes and dreams alike, filled with endless possibility...from what the principal said.

Well, it didn't matter who it was in this school, which has a very core built upon athletics; as long as they were a regular on one of the more notable teams, they would be in the 'popular' crowd, ranging from tall volleyball aces to tennis jocks. Oh yeah...wasn't the tennis team the one that won Nationals before or something?

Ahhh, tennis...tennis! The sport her uncle was positively obsessed with, as well as her cousin. Her twelve year old prodigy cousin, who thought of nothing but that game; he thought tennis, ate tennis, talked tennis, and lived tennis. But it was alright, as long as he was having fun--didn't he say the other day that he'd met some unusual teammates? 'Unusual' was her cousin's way of saying, 'they're not that bad,' and 'they're not that bad' was their family's way of saying, 'awesome, hell yeah they're my teammates!'.

In any case, the tennis team captain was back so soon? Oh, well...then again, he did get his surgery over with...there wasn't really anything to keep him back, was there?

Noriko wanted to see for herself who this 'Yukimura Seiichi, Child of God' was. She'd transferred mid-year, so she hadn't really met him before. He had the entire school worshipping the very ground he walked on, and he had those 'horrible devil monster teammates' backing him up. Even Kirihara Akaya, that fresh first year respected him! Last time they'd bumped into each other, his eyes had been blood-red, and he'd glared at her with disdain. Pshhh...

"Greaaaat..." Noriko drawled out, waving her fist in lazy circular motions as a sign of mock interest. She was promptly greeted with a roll of Ai's eyes.

"Oh...Nori-chan, didn't you say that today was the regular selection matches?"

That's right! Rikkai Dai had a habit of having regular selection matches once a month to keep the players on their feet; Noriko had been either center forward or striker since she'd transferred, but she still had to participate in the selection matches.

It was carried out like this: the coach and captain decided on the top fourteen players, split them into two teams, and let them battle it out. From the way the players played, the regulars would be decided; Rikkai Dai selected its regulars based on the players' personality, grades, and most of all, skill.

"AHHH! Ai-chan! Why didn't you tell me sooner?!"

Ai gave her a flat-eyed look.

"Whaddya mean, 'why didn't you tell me sooner'?!! You're the player, stupid!"

"Ohhh, shut up-"

"Hurry up and go before you're even more late, dummy!!"

"That's right!"

Noriko bolted from her seat, dashing out into the hallway, careful to dodge the disapproving looks of the teachers; but it wasn't as if they would suspend her, what with competition matches coming up! Rikkai Dai Fuzoku was a place where they valued athletic victory over all. Noriko ran to the window; this was the second floor--she should be able to jump it. She had strong legs to support her anyways.

Noriko slammed open the windows, tossing her gym bag down first. A sound 'OW!' could be heard, but Noriko brushed it off. She swung her legs over the edge, hollering, "Watch out, if anyone's there! Whoop!" And with that, Shiori Noriko, third year, placed in the regular selection matches, nationally-ranked soccer star, jumped off the second story window of the famous Rikkai Dai Fuzoku B Building.

-

"OW! What the-"

The rest of the tennis regulars decided to tune their youngest member out as he unleashed a string of curses and indecipherable words. Sanada gave an admonishing grunt, which Kirihara didn't heed. Beside Kirihara lay a yellow and black gym bag, with bold white font, Rikkai Dai Fuzoku Girls' Soccer Team, Shiori Noriko. Next to the young tennis star, Niou and Marui were laughing with gusto, heads blown back, arms wrapped securely around their toned stomaches. Yanagi merely bent down to examine the bag more closely that seemed to have dropped from the heavens above.

Of course, none of these talented young minds had bothered to think of looking up to see where the bag had fallen from until it was too late, when they heard a distant, "Look out, if anyone's there! Whoop!"

And by then, a lithe figure was seen descending gracefully, hurtling at an unbelievable speed towards their beloved buchou.

"Yukimura-buchou, watch out!" Kirihara cried out.

"Yukimura!"

"Yukimura!"

"Buchou!"

"Awww, crap."

"Get out of the way--move!"

"Run, Yukimura!"

"Buchou!!"

And last but not least, "Oopsies--I told you to move before!" a female voice called out.

In the moment that it had taken all seven players to assemble in a circle around Yukimura, each trying to help in his own way, Yukimura himself had kindly taken to catching the falling girl in his arms, who now was wrapped, bridal-style, securely in the tennis captain's arms. Her expression didn't seem surprised at all as Yukimura let her down gently and all others proceeded to give her strange looks.

In the distance, a few called out, "Yo, Shiori, late to practice again?" and a couple, "Geez, Shiori, you should really stop jumping out--Kamemiya would flip if she knew her player was falling from two floors up!"

Noriko merely gave a grin and flashed a thumbs up, completely ignoring the eight people in front of her. Apparantly, this was a normal occasion. Also apparent was Sanada and Kirihara's obvious anger at the 'man-handling' of their captain, Jackal's confused look, Marui and Niou's amusement, Renji's fascination, and Yagyuu's interest.

Yukimura glanced at each of his teammates' faces, noting that it seemed as if he was the only one who didn't know her.

"Sorry, sorry! But I did call out, ya' know," came the apologetic voice of Noriko. It snapped everyone out of his own thoughts, and Yukimura extended a polite hand, apalling Kirihara and not surprising anyone else. What did surprise them, though, was the casual manner in which Noriko took the hand and shook it exuberantly.

"Its a pleasure to meet you, I'm Yukimura Seiichi." Yukimura offered a gentle smile.

"Gee, is that what you say to someone who just nearly flattened you with her butt? Wow, you're nice. Well, its nice to meet ya' too--I'm Shiori Noriko, third year, I'm in the soccer team-are you on the tennis team..." Noriko's voice trailed off, and a look of recognition lit her face.

"Ohhhh! Hey, are you that genius tennis player with cancer?"

Glares and gasps were uttered throughout the group, even as Yukimura responded with a calm smile; he got this a lot. Now came the pitying part, 'Oh, I'm so sorry, you could have been great, get better,' etc-

"That's cool! I mean, even with a sickness, you're still suuuuper good at a sport! I mean, I'm pretty good myself, not to brag, but I mean, I'm perfectly healthy! Well, good luck--I'll cheer you on; you've just got yourself another avid fan!"

Noriko grinned widely at the shocked faces, and she laughed...so this was the 'Child of God?' He wasn't all that special though...

"SHIORI NORIKO!" An angry voice broke through the small tension that had begun to form, and Noriko's face scrunched up as her memory snapped back to her.

"Awww, crap! I'm even more late--and Captain's looking for me...you've gotta be kidding me!!" Noriko dashed to grab her gym bag, and turned to run full speed in the opposite direction in a split-second. She sped off, without even acknowledging the tennis team.

"Yanagi-senpai, who the hell was that?!" Kirihara groused, obviously pissed at the friendly manner the upper-classman had treated Yukimura with.

The data-player cleared his throat, preparing for a full-blown report.

"She's the rising soccer star of Tokyo, who suddenly appeared in the official competitions just two years ago; she's from an upper-class family, of the Shiori Corporation--you know, the one where the entire family's involved, and got started because of its founders' sports skills. She's a third year, birthday is October 15th, currently 15 years old, favorite food is pork cutlet, body measurements-"

"That is enough, Renji!" Sanada coughed.

Yukimura let out a laugh, and beckoned his team to continue their treck to the tennis courts.

-

Noriko breathed several deep breaths. In....out....in....out....alright, she could do this! If she didn't make it to the regulars, then she'd definitely be dragged back to that hellhole...that was so, not, happening.

"Noriko! You will attend this school, whether you like it or not!"

A stern man leaned in a tired manner into the leather-covered seat. He turned in the rolling chair, until his back faced a nine old girl, whose determined face showed signs of wavering, tears threatening to fall.

"Otou-sama," she whined in a childish voice. "That place is scary!"

"That place is prepratory school to form you into a suitable young lady. I have already told you, if you have no talent in tennis, then the only way to gain recognition in this world is to be smart! Your cousin is only seven, yet he's already defeating ten year olds! Look at him!"

"So..." Noriko paused, an idea forming. "If I find a sport I can be really good at, I don't have to go to that place? I can stay in Japan with mommy?"

The wrinkles creased futher on the man's forehead. A sigh escaped his lips, and the chair twirled to face Noriko.

"Fine. If you can find a sport you're good at by middle school and make a name for yourself--of course, being a regular on the best team is required, as well as winning tournaments--then you'll be able to stay."

She just had to endure one more year, then she'd get into Nakimori High, the school with Japan's number one girls' soccer team, and she'd show her father. She'd show him that she wasn't worthless, and she'd gain the respect she needed to stay in Japan instead of being shipped off like some item to that accursed boarding school. And that Yukimura...she felt for her. Maybe it was something that she could relate to, because he wasn't perfectly free, just as she was? In any case, pity or not, she had to snag a regular's spot. Had to.