In a random class room after school:

People in the class room POV:

"Must be hard dividing the talented tennis players in to 4 groups, ne Tezuka?" said Ryusaki-sensei, Tezuka just tapped on his paper with his pen, "Ah." "I hear, Ryuzaki-sensei has someone in mind" said Oishi, "Like one of the freshman" Ryuzaki-sensei chuckled, "It doesn't matter what I think..... Basically, our freshmen can't play in a ranking match till the summer." Oishi just looked at Tezuka, "Ma, I guess it all depends on the buchou" Oishi and Ryuzaki-sensei made silent eye-contact. Tezuka didn't say anything and just went back to his concentration.

At the tennis court...

No one's POV:

Most of the first years thought they were dying, while lying down on one of the tennis courts, "Why... are.. the practice... here.. so..hard!" panted Horio. Echizen just looked at him, barely sweating at all. "Mada mada dane", then he looked at Ryoka's hiding place, she was asleep with one eye open. How did she do that, he didn't know, and really he doesn't really want to. "Hey freshmen! 50 more push ups!" yelled one of the 8th graders. "Nani!!!"

Meanwhile Mr. Inoe and Shiba have just arrived at the scene where the freshmen were doing push-ups, "Its a shame that he might have to only do basic training since he is a first year, He probably won't be in the ranking matches." Mr. Inoe remarked, Ryoka, who was still sleeping with her one eye opened, only half conscious, did a little chuckled. Meanwhile, Echizen finished his push-up, "...50." Then Horio whispered to him, "oi, Echizen there here!" "Nani?" He looked behind him to see Arai and some of his cocky friends. They stared at each other mockingly for a few moments, while Ryoka rubbed her eyes now awake, because she sensed something interesting happening. Arai looked at Ryoma's tennis bag and thought semi-angrily, "Who is this guy to have 3 rackets!" Then he said outloud, "Hey! Don't show off just because you can play a little tennis!" (Shin-chan: He can beat you, even me, and I don't play tennis)"The regulars return today, if you keep this up, this Arai-sama will...." Arai was cut off when he heard footsteps behind him (Shin-chan: More importantly, did he just call himself Arai-sama?! That stuck up jerk!) Katsuwo and Kachiro looked up in awe, while Horio just said "Th.. They're here!" Arai looked back to see 5 eye-catching teens walk into the courts, Ryoma focused on them observing them thoroughly and boredly. Ryoka just rolled lazily on the her branch, and only focused on the middle guy, 'second year, regular, scary-looking, reminds me of a snake...' She looked at the rest, the third years she met the other day, 'Should I reveal myself, or just let them find out?' I thought to myself, then shrugged 'Lets just see what fate does.'

(Shin-chan: Am I the only one hearing music when they entered? Really what is with this anime trying to make everyone look so cool?)

Ryoma's POV:

I studied the regulars. They are eye-catching I admit, they have that aura. I only feel this aura if it only means that they are good tennis players, are they good enough to be worth my time? For some reason my gut told me yeah, thats the first.... well whatever. I kind of feel like they are making a really big entrance, I mean what is it with there normal cool expressions and there form? Anyway here's what I think of them. Smiling-brunette- Looks like a harmless girl, but for some reason I get shivers down my neck, reminds me of Ryoka. Egg-head- Seems like a normal one, reminds me of mom. Neko- seems like an energetic person, man those are really tiring, Shy guy- I can see his muscles all the way from here, power player definately, Glasses-blockhead- what is he a computer? And finally the snake in the middle, he looks like he's acting tough, but I bet that he is a softy. Then I dismissed these thoughts, 'Well, it almost doesn't matter how they act, the important part is are they good at tennis?'

No one's POV:

All the freshmen bowed (well except Ryoma, of course) "We want to let the freshmen members feel right at home, so pick a court and start hitting." said Oishi, there was a small cheer going through the freshmen, "You know thats captain Tezuka right, he went all undefeated last year!" said Horio pointing at Oishi, (Note: at this point Ryoka was holding a video camera) "Wow what a presence.." said Katsuwo, Fuji then asked "Oishi, lets go and do some light hitting as well." "Hmm? Oh sure Fuji." Then they walked off, Kaichiro and Katsuwo looked at Horio, "I don't think that was Tezuka" said Kaichiro while Horio just whistled his face turning red. Ryoka just chuckled, 'But for some reason I feel like that maybe Fuji did it on purpose....well doesn't really matter' Ryoka thought, then just kept recording. Then everyone's thoughts were intruppted by the regulars who did there practice, Oishi began lobbing balls toward Fuji and he hit it straight into the basket. "Wow..." most of the freshmen breathed while Ryoka and Ryoma were unimpressed, Oishi lobbed another ball, "You were one step late Fuji" "No matter where he hits it.." started off Horio, as Fuji returned another ball into the basket, "he always hits it right back..." He finished looking at them in awe. "So that's what Seigaku's regulars are like..." said Kaichiro. Ryoma just looked on boringly. Arai looked smug, "Our senpais are great, as usual" then he looked at Ryoma and shouted, "Hey! Do you get it know! Just because you can luck out on a Twist Serve, doesn't mean you can compete in the ranking matches!" Ryoma just looked on with his cat-like eyes, Ryoka just smiled and wrote in her black book Arai's name down. Oishi lobbed another ball "Ah, too far!" the ball went infront of the sun, Ryoma looked up to see it coming towards him, he went into his stance and hit it easily back into the basket, twice as hard then Fuji. (Shin-chan: No seriously, am I the only one hearing this cool music in the background trying to make Ryoma all cool?)

Some of the freshmen gasped in shock as Kaichiro dropped his racket, Ryoma's small scene didn't go unnoticed by the regulars as they looked at him. Arai went out of his shock trance and looked back at Ryoma, he stood up from his stance, and did his signature smirk, "It was unexpectedly simple" Ryoka laughed silently in her head, still recording all this. Arai seemed to have enough and lifted Ryoma's collar up. "Damn you and your arrogance..." (Ryoka made a mental note to make sure Arai's pain would be slightly more fun) While Arai just kept yelling "Don't get so cocky! There's no room for you annoying freshmen!" "What are you arguing in the court?" said a new voice they all turned to look, "Buchou!" said everyone. Ryoka just narrowed her eyes for some reason. "For causing a disturbance, both of you run 10 laps around the courts!" Arai stuttered in protest, "W....Wait, it was he..." "20 laps!" Tezuka ordered. "H-hai!"

Meanwhile Tezuka gave orders to the rest, while Arai was seething in anger as Ryoma just went to do his laps. "Damn! That capped brat better remember this!" seethed Arai. "You looked stupid." said one of his friends, Arai gave him a nasty glare, when he spotted Ryoma's tennis bag and came up with an idea. Ryoka did not see this happening because she went out quickly to get a ponta from the vending machine. (She got one for Ryoma too)

1 hour later....

"Ah, Echizen, done your laps already, well the freshman have to do 100 swings so hurry and get your racket and start swinging." said Horio. "Hah..." said Echizen looking around, "what happened? Did you forget your racket?" Horio asked, "No." Ryoma said. Ryoka, meanwhile, was narrowing her eyes quite dangerously, then she took a lick on her ice cream, and looked around to see if she could spot Ryoma's racket. "Well the confident brat didn't bring his racket." Arai arrived with his friends they made a few more snarky comments, They laughed.

"Your not slacking of are you?" said one, "If your so confident play me right now." Then he looked at his friends and grinned, "Oh wait you don't have a racket do you...Here." He threw a beaten up racket to Ryoma, "Whats wrong can't face me, brat?" Arai taunted, 'Arai-san is so dirty.. no one can play with that racket..' Horio thought. Ryoma just looked at Arai with silently angry eyes.

Those rackets were a birthday present from Ryoka, they were precious.

Meanwhile the regulars noticed the small drama, "Oi, Arai is picking on the freshmen." said Eiji to Inui, Inui just looked over, "Should we stop them?" Eiji just put a hand on his head and sighing, "They'll get scolded again once the captain comes back." Fuji just smiled and put a hand on his chin, while Kaidoh just glared like usual. Ryoka, just watched all of this in total silence, no thought entering, not bothering to move, but just had an expressionless face like Ryoma's, though her eyes narrowed slightly more. Arai just continued taunting Ryoma, "That racket is perfect for you. Learn from this and never show off again! If that happens, your 3 precious rackets might show up." Arai and his friends laughed, while Ryoma's eyes dangerously narrowed then shot opened with extreme anger,

Those rackets are precious to him. And he would not let this two-faced%$#%^^ Do what he want with it, but this is worse, actually using them against him. He will pay dearly. The Echizen twins will make sure of that.

Echizen walked to the court, "Oi Echizen! what are you doing?!" asked Horio, "There are some who play trick because they are weak." "what?" Arai glared.

"Are you saying I hid it" shouted Arai, Ryoma just stopped at the court, "Saa~who knows?" then he looked at Arai with his cold eyes. "Okay...let play." Ryoma said, releasing a powerful aura, which Arai just had to sweat to. Fuji just smiled, "Hmm.... I want to see more of this." Eiji, just shivered a little, "I knew you were going to say that". Arai regained his confidence, and stood on the other side of the court, "You have some nerve, brat, I will completely crush you." Horio just thought, 'That fool! With that racket, no matter what, the match is already decided' Ryoka just watched silently with her expressionless face. Shiba just said out loud "Its impossible with that racket!" Sakuno and Tomoka also arrived at the scene.

MATCH BETWEEN RYOMA AND ARAI:

"Here I go!" said Arai doing a top serve. Ryoma ran and returned it but it hit the net. "Just as I thought, its impossible with that racket" said Horio. Arai just smiled confidently and smugly, "Ara ara, looks like you only have a big mouth, now you're going to suffer till the end!" Arai served again, and Ryoma returned it but it hit the fence surrounding the court. "Its no use, he has no control!" said Horio. "No use, you can't hit it" Inui said, "You're right" said Eiji, Fuji just smiled, "Hmmm.... with that gut you can't really spin the ball...".

Arai was just thinking triumply, 'just look, he can sweat and pant, but he will make himself a loser, and he'll never be able to boast again!" (Shin-chan: I'm not going to tell you what Ryoka is thinking right now so I won't give you nightmares, but I think she knew what Arai was thinking...)

Ryoma just hit the racket a few times lightly with his knuckles, "Hmm, I see" Arai just laughed, "Baka! Trying to act all tough! You have no chance at all!" He served the ball. Ryoma ran and twisted his body then hit it. The ball landed on Arai side of the court and went up and hit the fence. Arai looked shocked. (Shin-chan: I think I'm hearing that music again) And everyone began to murmur, "No way he actually returned it?,... Maybe the racket wasn't that old..... No way did you hear the sound it made....." "He added more twist so that he could control it" said Eiji, "Hmm...He's good" said Fuji still smiling. Arai just refused the believe the facts. "Just because you returned one ball!" He then gritted his teeth and served again, "Why you!" Ryoma instantly returned it, 'How is he able to play with that racket?!' thought Arai as he missed the ball. Fuji opened his eyes half-way, "A great calligrapher doesn't need to choose his pens..." (Some metaphor I don't get) Ryoka's eyes slowly opened and her lips formed a tiny smile. 'Damn, at this rate, I'll be the laughing stock!' Arai thought desperately as the he almost tripped on the ball, "That ball is in the way?" asked Ryoma smirking. Then he served another ball which hit the ball between Arai's legs, Arai collasped on his knees in shock and disbelief. "Echizen is controlling it already!" shouted Horio in awe. "That freshman is awesome!" someone said, "amazing Ryoma-kun!" shouted Kaichiro an Katsuwo as the wind blew softly on Ryoma's hair, making him look even cooler. Kaidoh just huffed and walked away, "He is an idoit, he's making the second years look bad"

Ryoma wiped some sweat off and looked at Arai, "Warm-up complete." Arai just took a step back scared. "Huh? One you strings are broken Echizen!" Yelled Horio. Ryoma just looked and said "Oh, its fine." then looked at Arai with a menacing smirk, "We are going to finish this to the end. Senpai~" Arai's friends tried to back him up, but got shot down by Ryoma's famous "Yadda." He served another ball.

Back at the Random classroom:

"Tezuka, what do you think?" asked Oishi, Tezuka replied "I don't condone breaking the rules have everyone run laps" then Tezuka walked out, probably heading for home. Oishi just sighed and did what he was told.

After laps:

Fuji's POV:

Echizen forced Arai back into the match after the laps and beated him mercilessly. "O-oi brat, you were just lucky..." Arai mumbled. Looks like he still had some fight left in him, when a suddenly I heard clapping. Everyone heard it, a elegant gentle slow clapping, going to a certain beat, we all looked to where the clapping noise was coming from. A familiar blond haired boy entered the court with a elegant smile, some girls dashed to the bathroom because of nose bleeds while some fainted. The only ones standing were Tomoka and Sakuno. "Had fun Ryoma?" he asked in a voice I don't think I will ever forget.

It was Masahiro.