Prince Of Tennis Fan Fiction ❯ The Elements of Tennis ❯ Racket Switch ( Chapter 15 )

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

The Elements of Tennis
Chapter Fifteen

"Are you finished yakking over there, Mizu? 'Cause we're trying to have a match over here," Kurai comments from the receiver's court.

"Huh?" Kikumaru asks as he looks over at Inui. "Inui, what are you doing over there?"

"Eiji, don't worry about it," Oishi states, convincing his partner to focus on the game.

"But, Inui . . ."

"Oi, we're waiting, Golden Pair," Kurai comments in an annoyed voice.

"Hey, what's up with their formation?" Horio questions, pointing out Kurai and Akari, who are standing next to one another in the center of the court.

"Yin-yang Formation," Mizu states to herself with pride.

"Yin-yang Formation?" Inui states with interest right behind her.

"Here I go," Oishi announces as he throws the ball up.

He jumps up and hits it strong.

"Go, Oishi-senpai! It's pay back for the first game!" Horio shouts.

The ball flies over the heads of Kurai and Akari, heading for the seemingly unprotected court.

"Yes!" Horio cheers.

"Those two haven't moved," Ryoma comments.

"Huh?" the brown haired freshman asks.

"B.E.T. doesn't seem worried, they're just standing there," Momoshiro confirms.

"Arrogant brats," Kaidoh hisses.

Suddenly the ball starts flying back over towards the boys.

"Eiji!" Oishi calls out in shock.

"Right," Kikumaru responds as he goes after it.

He swings his racket but winds up hitting the ball with the edge of his racket, sending it flying out of bounds.

"Out, 0-15," the referee calls.

"What . . . what just happened?" Momoshiro shouts.

"Kurai moved, hit the ball and returned to her place next to Akari," Fuji responds.

"They're fast," Kikumaru admits. "Did you see the ball, Oishi?"

"Yeah, it seemed to just float there," Oishi nods as he helps his partner up from the ground where he had landed.

"Nice Gravity Glitch, Kurai," Akari smiles happily.

"Whatever," Kurai shrugs. "But, it looks like they might be a little better than we thought."

"You mean . . ?" Akari states with stars in her eyes.

"Yeah, here's your racket," Kurai nods as she hands the white racket with black strings back to Akari.

"Yay! I get my racket back!" Akari celebrates as she tosses Kurai's black racket with white strings at her.

"Show some respect, would ya?" Kurai comments. "You messed up the grip."

"Well, sorry," Akari places her hand on her hip.

"You grip your racket too tight," Kurai blinks before turning to Mizu. "Oi, Mizu, have my grip ready for after this game."

"Is that really necessary, Kurai?" Mizu states with a sweat drop.

"Just do it," Kurai rolls her yes as she sets up again.

"I can't believe they were playing with each other's rackets," Oishi comments.

"Maybe we should try that some time, Oishi," Kikumaru smiles.

"Yeah, maybe," Oishi smiles.

"Does the racket really matter?" Tomo asks, curiously.

"Yeah," Fuji nods. "Everyone's racket has a different grip, or the strings are strung in a specific way, or the weight is set to a certain standard. If any one of those elements are off, it could change everything about your style."

Oishi serves the next ball, and the game resumes. Within no time the referee is announcing:

"Game to B.E.T. Akari-Kurai pair, 2-0. Change court."

"I can't believe Oishi-senpai and Kikumaru-senpai lost two games in a row without scoring a single point," Katsuo sighs.

The girls walk over to Mizu while the boys head over to their coach. Akari instantly grabs her water and takes a drink.

"Ah, so refreshing!" Akari smiles.

Kurai shakes her head as she leans against the fence and starts removing the old grip from her racket. Mizu hands her the new grip when she is finished and she applies it to her racket.

"Is it better now?" Akari asks.

"Yeah, it'll do," Kurai nods as she takes a sip of her water.