Prince Of Tennis Fan Fiction ❯ The Elements of Tennis ❯ Kurai's Deal ( Chapter 10 )

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

The Elements of Tennis
Chapter Ten

Kikumaru returns to his team, the shocked look still planted to his face.

"What's wrong, Kikumaru-Senpai?" Ryoma asks, being the first one to see him.

"Did you catch up with her, Eiji?" Oishi asks.

Kikumaru nods.

"Did you at least learn her name this time?" Momoshiro asks.

"Yeah, I got her name," Kikumaru squeezes his eyes shut, wishing it were just a dream.

"What's wrong, Eiji?" Oishi asks.

"Nothing," Kikumaru shakes his head.

Kurai finds a quiet place to sit down and prepare for the match.

"After this is the Kantou Tournament, and once we win that, I'm free because we've made it to the Nationals," she thinks aloud. "If I can hold out 'til then I'll never have to . . ."

FLASHBACK:

"But, mother, what if I don't . . ." a young Kurai starts.

"It does not matter. This arrangement will take place," an older woman interrupts.

"But . . ."

"No buts about it, my dear young Diane, you will carry through. It's the only way," the woman states.

"But dear, maybe we should give her a chance to earn her freedom," a man around the same age as the woman steps in.

"Honey, you know we can't . . ."

"Really, Daddy?" Kurai asks, hopefully.

"Yes," the man nods, earning him a glare from his wife.

"How? I'll do anything!" Kurai states with a big grin.

"Yeah, how, Dear?" the woman asks, cocking her eye brow, crossing her arms and tapping her toe at him.

"Simple, we enter her in this school district called Basic Elements of Tennis, starting now," the man answers.

"Tennis?" the woman scoffs.

"Yes, at this time she would lean how to play and train to get better so that by the time she entered Jr. High she would be ready to join the Tennis Club."

"And how is this giving her a chance to earn her freedom?"

"Once again, simple, we make an arrangement with her, which entails that she must be one of the regulars on the team throughout her entire Jr. High career and her team must make it to the Nationals before she moves on to High School. During this time, she also is never to lose at anything she does. Should, at any point in time during any activity, she lose even one point or even something as little as receive a 99 on a test, she will return home and marry Kenji at once," the man explains. "Do you agree with this plan, Honey?"

"Yes, it certainly sounds reasonable enough," the woman nods. "This is the deal, Diane, are you willing to attempts it?"

"Of course, if it means I have a chance at freedom I'll do it," young Kurai nods enthusiastically.

END FLASHBACK.

"There you are, Kurai, we've gotta go change or we'll be disqualified," Akari's voice robs Kurai of her concentration with her bubbly attitude.

With a sigh Kurai stands up and heads off to the locker room with Akari by her side.

Ten minutes later, the two teams meet up on opposite sides of the net ready to begin the finals.

Kurai makes eye contact with Kikumaru, the expression on her face unchanging from the cold look she usually has before a game. Momoshiro finally gets a live look at Chikyuu and vise versa. This causes their nearby teammates to roll their eyes and remind them that this is a tournament.

"Prefectural Tournament Finals, Seigaku VS Bet," the referee starts.

"IT'S NOT BET, IT'S B. E. T.! GET IT RIGHT FOR ONCE!" the entire B.E.T. team shouts.

"Sorry," the referee cowers. "Excuse me, the Prefectural Tournament Finals, Seigaku Vs B.E.T. will now begin."

The teams exit the court, behind their coaches and second Double's players. Seigaku leaves behind Ryuzaki, Momoshiro, and Kaidoh; Ryuzaki sitting on the bench, clearly announcing that she is the bench coach. B.E.T. leaves Seeshin, Hikaji and Mizu behind, Seeshin being the bench coach in Mizu's place.

"Smooth or rough?" Hikaji asks, spinning her racket on its head.