Momoshiro Takeshi//The key to my lock\\15

Recap: "Hoi? Momo-chan, who's this nya?" Eiji suddenly noticed me.

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Eiji hopped off Momo and landed in front of me, his face inches from mine. I stared at him as he stared back at me.

"NYAA~~!! Momo! Your girlfriend is KAWAII nyaa~!" He jumped up and down, and then onto me.

"Ooffh!" He knocked the air right out of me. Gosh. This guy's really hyper, AND in the morning also.

"Uh, Eiji-senpai? Could you please get off her?" Eiji was on my back, and rubbing his cheek against mine.

"Ah. Gomen gomen... uh.. what's your name nyaa~? He hopped off me.

"Yameshu Shinera." I gasped, trying to get oxygen back into my lungs after Eiji knocked it all out.

"Nyaa~! Gomen Shinera-san! Nyaa~! Shinera is such a long name. I'll give you a nickname! SHINY-CHAN!!" He grinned broadly.

Oh god. Not another one. Ah well, it's Eiji. Can't REALLY blame HIM, can I? But, then again, is my name really THAT long?

Eiji was now prancing about doing all sorts of cartwheels and shouting my name for the entire world to hear. Momo and I sweatdropped.

"Eiji-senpai? We really have to get to morning practice, or Tezuka-bouchu will KILL us."

"NYAA~! That Tezuka-meanie. I don't wanna run LAAAAAAAAAAAAAPPS~!!" He grabbed both mine and Momo's hands and we flew all the way to Seigaku. Yeap. you got me right. FLEW.

Once there, Momo and Eiji went to change, and I found a place to sit. I found a tennis ball lying around on the ground, and Momo's racquet was sticking out of his bag.

Guess he wouldn't mind if I borrowed it for awhile. Just for precautions, I decided to hit the ball on the tree beside where I was sitting. There was a circular thingy on the tree, and I aimed for it, continuously hitting the ball in that little circle. I followed the pace of the ball, hitting it left and right and changing hands accordingly, while maintaining the same spot. Hm. This is quite easy eh. What I DIDN'T know was that the regulars were starting to crowd behind me, until-

"SUGOI NYAA~~ SHINY-CHAAAAAN~~!" It just HAD to be Eiji. I turned around to see 9 guys in Seigaku regular jerseys. Eiji jumped on me, again.

"Ooffh!"

"I didn't know you could play tennis nya!" Eiji glomped me.

"I CAN'T." I gasped.

"But I saw you hitting that ball nya! It always hit the same spot! ANNNDD you can change hands too nya~!" Eiji was really excited, he started bouncing on me, knocking the little air I had in my lungs all out.

"That was random hitting." I spluttered. I saw Momo's astonished face, and Tezuka's emotionless one. Boy, his face could really match MINE.

"20 laps. Everyone."

"nyaa~! Bouchu!"

"Eiji. 30 laps."

"Awwwww~~fine then." All of them truged off, leaving me gasping for breath. Damn you Eiji. I'm REALLY gonna GET you for that. It's the SECOND time today.

"You too. 20 laps."

"What for."

"Disturbing practice."

"Look, they found me, NOT the other way round."

"Take it, or it's 30 laps."

"Fine." I ran off. Seirously, with my 5km morning jog, this was peanuts. I overtook everyone at least 5 times, even Kawamura in burning mode, and finished my 20 laps faster than everyone else did.

"You've finished?" Came Tezuka.

"Yeah." I put my arms behind my head and leaned on the fence.

"Fast."

"Nah. Wasn't sprinting yet. Not fast."

"But still-" He pointed to the other regulars who were still running. "-you're faster than them."

"They're slow."

"What club are you in?"

"Swimming."

"Harsh training?"

"So-so."

"Who's the captain?"

"Me."

"Hn. Don't let your guard down. Keep it up." Tezuka eyed me carefully.

"Right." It's amazing how this conversation passed without a single facial emotion.

I watched the team play for the rest of the practice, studing each player's strokes and moves.

"Hey! Shinera-chan! Wanna play a match with me?" Momo called out to me. I shrugged.

"Whatever. Lend me a racket." Momo tossed me his spare racket, and we went down to the courts to play.

I tried out the few moves I saw earlier. I used Ryoma's twist serve, and Momo hit a lob, looking very surprised. I took the point with a smash. The 1st game ended in my favour. For the rest of the game, I tried out some of the other regulars' specialities: Oishi's Moon Volley, Kaidoh's snake and Fuji's Tsubame Gaeshi. The game ended in my favour, 6-4. While I tried out the moves, sometimes I fumbled, so Momo took the point. All the regulars watched, awestruct as I performed thier signature moves. Well, except for some, like Eiji's acrobatics, the Tezuka Zone and Inui's Data Tennis, for reasons obvious.

Momo was awed.