Prince Of Tennis Fan Fiction ❯ The Elements of Tennis ❯ Confused Hearts ( Chapter 39 )

The Elements of Tennis
Chapter 39

 

"Now, now, Diane, stop acting out," the blonde woman stated curtly as she stepped back. "If anything goes wrong today, Kenji's parents may call off the engagement."

"Good riddance," Kurai hugged as she brushed her mother's hand off of her shoulder. "I never wanted this to happen anyway. Why do you think I'm working so hard to win this deal?"

"Don't talk to your mother that way, young lady," the black-haired man behind the blonde stated.

"Can we at least pretend to be a happy family for one day?" the blonde woman asked as she tried to hold back her anger and frustration.

"Mom, Dad, glad you could join us," Kenji called down the street.

"Please, Diane," the blonde and her husband begged.

"Please, Kurai," Kenji whispered as he grasped her hand and squeezed it for a second as if to say: I'm counting on you; everything's going to be all right.

Kurai sighed and began to do something she never would do under any other circumstances.

"What…what is she doing?" Hikaji blinked as they looked on.

"She's…laughing," Mizu joined in on the blinking.

"No, she's…giggling!" Shinzoo gasped.

"Don't be absurd, Kurai rarely smiles, why would she be laughing?" Akari commented.

"Wait a minute, are they're fingers laced?" Chikyuu gasped.

"Kikumaru-senpai, where are you going?" Momoshiro asked.

"Home," Kikumaru responded as he pried Shinzoo's little sister off of his arm and started walking away.

"Eiji, is something wrong?" Oishi asked.

"Nah, I just wanted to go help out with the chores," the redhead replied as he walked off.

"No! He can't leave!" Shinzoo complained.

Woishi watched his doubles partner leave and couldn't help but feel the cloud that hung over the usually hyper redhead. He shook his head as he opened his mouth to say, "I'm sorry, guys, I totally forgot, but I have house cleaning to do back home."

"All right, good luck," Koorai wished him. "Tell Kikumaru-kun that this has to be a misunderstanding."

Oishi nodded and headed off after his partner, relieved that the others understood his reasoning.

"They're dropping like flies," Shinzoo pouted.

"Well, it can't be helped. Poor Kikumaru-kun feels rejected, and Oishi-kun can't help but worry for his partner. They are the Golden Pair after all, I don't think there's any other person on Earth that can understand them than each other," Koorai explained with a shrug. "But, I guess this means that me and Raiki are out."

"Man, that means I have to get back to class, this sucks," Raiki complained.

"Tell me how it turns out, 'kay?" Koorai smiled as she headed off.

Kurai let out a girlish laugh, pulling out the girl inside of her that her parents had always wished she would be. She leaned into Kenji as if someone had just said a joke.

The things I put up with. At least the girls aren't anywhere nearby; she thought as Kenji's parents came up and shook hands with my parents.

"Why, Diane, you look as though you've been sleeping in a tree," his mother point out.

"Oh, I didn't want to stand out too much," Kurai responded.

Kenji's parents let out a slight laugh and with that, the family proceeded to a restaurant for lunch.

An hour into the meal, Kurai had had enough of living in the life she had chosen to leave behind.

"Kurai," Kenji spoke up, interrupting the conversation. "Isn't that movie that I wanted to see in theaters today?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, it is, isn't it?" Kurai responded, realizing his attempt to break away from the parental units. "In fact, I think that today's the last day that it's in theaters."

"What are you talking about?" Kurai's mother asked.

"Surely you aren't thinking about skipping out on our family day, Diane, we've been planning this day for months," her father stepped in.

"I know, and I'm sorry, but I've just been so busy with all of my extra curricular activities that we haven't been able to go see the movie, and Kanji's been waiting for me to have a day available to watch it with him," Kurai explained.

"Why that sounds like a marvelous idea," Kenji's mother stated with a large smile on her face.

"It does?" Kurai's mother blinked.

"Of course, this whole day is about bringing our children closer together as a couple, and what better way than letting them go on a date to see what it's really like to be a couple?" Kenji's father nodded.

"Thanks, Dad," Kenji smiled as he got up, taking Kurai's hand and pulling her along with him.

"Bye," Kurai waved to her parents as they headed out the door.

They walked away from the restaurant hand in hand, keeping true to their course for the theater until they were positive that their parents were not following.

"Thanks, Kenji, I needed to get out of there," Kurai thanked as she hugged him.

"No problem," Kenji smiled as he hugged her back.

Kurai opened her eyes over his shoulder in time to see a familiar redhead on the other side of the street with a crushed look on his face as he turned and started heading down the street in a dash. "Oh no," she stated as she pulled away from Kenji and looked after Kikumaru's retreating form. "Kikumaru-kun! Wait!"

Kenji gave her a nudge forward in the direction the redhead was running in, hinting for her to go after him with a smile on his face. She took the hint and began pursuit of the acrobatic tennis player.

"Where's she going?" Shinzoo asked as she watched her teammate run off away from the boy she was with.

"Who cares, she's leaving that boy, isn't she?" Akari pointed out.

"Well yeah, but what for?"

"Hey, isn't that Oishi-Senpai?" Momoshiro asked pointing to his black-haired teammate approaching the boy Kurai was with.

"Yeah…what's going on? I'M SO CONFUSED!" Shinzoo complained.

"Kikumaru-kun, wait!" Kurai called out, getting frustrated with the chase. "I don't want to have to stop you by force!"

Kikumaru blocked out her words, unable to bring himself to listen.

Kurai pulled to a stop as she pulled her racket and tennis ball out of her bag. "Suit yourself," she mumbled as she shot the ball directly at his knees, knocking him into a bush to the side of the path he was running on. She walked up to him after safely storing the racket and ball back in her bag and slinging it over her shoulder once again.

"What's wrong with you, Kikumaru-kun?" she asked as she grabbed his hand and lifted him to his feet unwillingly. "Where's that smile you're rumored to always have?"

"What do you want?" Kikumaru asked as he pulled his hand away and started walking away again.

Kurai grabbed his shoulder, stopping him. "What's your problem?"

"Nothing," he replied as he brushed her hand off of his shoulder.

"Is this because of Kenji?" Kurai asked.

"Who?" Kikumaru blinked, turning to face her.

"If it is then you've got issues," Kurai rolled her eyes. "I mean, Kenji's just a friend. Besides, you have no right to be jealous about him because you and I just met, baka."

"Who said I was jealous?" Kikumaru complained.

"Your face said it all," Kurai teased.

Kikumaru's cheeks went red causing Kurai to laugh a little.

"Stop laughing at me," Kikumaru complained.

"I can't help it," Kurai smiled at him. "Look, Kenji's just a friend, you don't have to worry. Our parents may want us to be together, but believe me there's no chemistry between us at all. In fact, if it'll make you feel better, I'll let you in on a little secret, Kenji's gay."

"Why are you telling me all of this?" Kikumaru asked.

"I don't really know, but for some reason, I trust you," Kurai shrugged. "Besides, as Kenji would say, you're cute," she laughed as she ruffled his hair a little.

"Hey!" he complained as he tried to fix his hair.

"You remind me of a little kitten," Kurai smiled as she turned and started walking away. "But don't think that this all means that I'll go easy on you in our next match."

"Who said that I needed you to?" Kikumaru stuck his tongue out at her.

"Well you certainly can't win on your own judging from our last two matches," Kurai joked.

Kikumaru sent a semi-glare at her, unable to muster up a real glare.

"Hey, Kikumaru-kun," Kurai spoke up as they walked back towards civilization.

"What?" he blinked.

"You like animals, right?"

"You bet I do!"

"Stop by the shop around five-thirty tomorrow, I'll let you help out a bit with the animals," she offered.

"Why are you being so nice?"

Kurai shrugged. "Maybe it's cause I actually like you," she suggested. "Or maybe it's just because I don't want to be involved in Shinzoo and Akari's little matchmaking game."

"Where'd Kurai go?" Akari asked.

"I don't know," Fuji commented as he looked around.

"I think that's enough for one day. Let's give them some space. We've already lost Kurai, there's no point in following that pour guy around all day," Hikaji pointed out.

"Besides, looking like Oishi-Senpai is already checking him out for us, we'll just get the info from him," Momoshiro pointed out.

"I think they're right, Shinzoo," Akari agreed.

"But…but!" Shinzoo complained.

"Give it up," Chikyuu sighed as she started pulling her friend away from their hiding place and towards their homes with the remaining members of their team. "I'll catch ya later, Momo-chan," she called back to her new boyfriend.

Momoshiro nodded his head in agreement as he went off in his own direction with his teammates.