stormy1x2fanfic | [fic] Tennis Teens for Charity, 2/9

Title: Tennis Teens for Charity

Author: Stormy1x2

Word Count: 6,000+ (42,000+ overall)

Dedicated to Nyx Nox Night, yumi2482, Fluffy Pearl and ice flow and anyone else who has reviewed an LGO fic. Thanks for letting me know others are interested in it, otherwise I'd be writing it just for myself. ^^

As always, I couldn't have done anything without lucathia_rykatu.

Tennis Teens for Charity Chapter 2

The more he thought about it, the more Shishido Ryo liked his idea. All of his sports magazines had, at one time or another, reported on charity sports events. Generally, they tended to be done by professionals, guaranteeing huge draws because of the athletes and celebrities that would turn up for them, but tennis was a big deal in Tokyo. Despite only being in high school, there was never a shortage of people coming to check them out. Ryo knew damn well that among the usual people his school played against, there were at least seven or eight people capable of going pro, and at least three who were gonna try it. Probably more, if he included the players from outside the Kanto region.

As much as he liked them, Ryo would much rather play tennis for charity than walk a herd of dogs.

The first thing he did when he got back up to his room was call Choutaro. His best friend and partner, Choutaro, would be the one to help organize how he could present the idea to Atobe in a way that the diva wouldn't be able to resist. Choutaro was very good at finding the tiniest flaws in his ideas and offering solutions for them.

The first thing he did was call Choutarou.

Despite the late hour, his partner still answered with a cheerful greeting and listened quietly, offering only a 'hmm' and an 'I see' here and there. Ryo finally paused. "Well?"

"I think it's a good idea, Shishido-san," Choutaro said after minute. "And it's one the whole team can be involved with – they do encourage everyone to get a head start on their volunteer hours instead of waiting until the last year to meet the requirements."

That was an unexpected bonus. Ryo grinned into the phone. "What a hardship. I get to hang out with my best friend, meet graduation requirements and I get to play tennis. Win-win, all the way around."

"Just best friends?" Choutaro asked slyly.

Ryo blushed even though he knew Choutaro couldn't see it. While not officially dating, it was pretty obvious there was something between them that was stronger than simple friendship, and yet was different from the strong partnership they'd formed during their doubles career. Surprisingly enough, it was Choutaro who had grown more comfortable with the idea before Ryo, and he had taken to gently teasing Ryo whenever he thought he could get away with it. "Shut up." He knew Choutaro heard the tone more than the words.

"Sorry Shishido-san," Choutaro apologized, laughter still bubbling in his voice.

Kamio woke up Friday morning and grudgingly admitted he felt better for having taken the sedatives Akaya had ordered him to swallow the night before. Akaya didn't sleep over every night though, so it wasn't like he was going to develop a dependence on them. He could take them when necessary. At least that was how he made himself feel better about having to have them in the first place.

Speaking of Akaya, the former demon of Rikkai was apparently already up, Kamio discovered as he patted the side of the bed in search of his partner. He blearily opened his eyes and noted the pulled-back bedcovers. A minute later, his ears registered the muffled sound of the girls laughing, and Akaya's deep rumble of a voice drifting up the stairs. For a minute, he contemplated snuggling back into his pillow and catching five more minutes, but then he caught sight of the clock. Akaya had already let him sleep in an additional fifteen minutes. Further inspection showed the alarm hand re-set to go off in two more minutes. Kamio smiled sleepily. Sometimes Akaya really did think of everything.

He turned off the clock before it could go off, and pushed himself up. His practice clothes were already set out for him – Mother Akaya strikes again, he chuckled to himself – and he snagged them with one hand as he made his way to the shower.

Fifteen minutes later, showered, dressed, and feeling surprisingly hungry, he made his way downstairs. The air was heavy with the scent of bacon and eggs. Sachiko, Michiko and Kirihara all looked up as he entered the kitchen. "Western?"

Sachiko grinned. "There's rice and miso soup."

Kamio grinned back and ruffled her hair. Michiko had a mouthful of bacon but thankfully remembered her manners and waved at Kamio instead of shouting 'Good morning' as she usually did. He walked up to the stove where Akaya was carefully turning perfect strips of bacon over in the pan, keeping them crispy on the ends, slightly chewy in the middle, and not a hint of burn marks anywhere. "Good morning."

Akaya turned his head and kissed him firmly. "'Morning," he replied. He nodded at the bowl of rice already scooped for Kamio with a partially cooked egg spread out on top. "Go eat."

"Did I tell you recently that I love you?" Kamio hugged him and then picked up the bowl.

"Last night, as a matter of fact," Akaya smirked, and then pretended to flinch when Kamio gave him a light hip-check.

"Not in front of the monsters."

"Yeah, yeah."

Kamio sat down with his sisters and started eating. A minute later, Akaya appeared at his side with one of his iron pills and a raised eyebrow as if to say, 'you gonna fight me on this?' Kamio sighed, and shook his head minutely. Akaya smiled and set a glass of apple juice down, before returning to the stove to fill his own plate.

'Are you gonna fight me on this?'

"'Kira-nii, are you sick?" Michiko was looking at the large pill with concerned eyes.

Kamio shook his head. "Nah, sprout. It's kinda like a vitamin tablet. You know your chewable vitamins you take every day?" The girls nodded. "Well, I'm almost an adult so I don't get the sweet-tasting chewy ones. I get the big ones like this."

Sachiko looked at Akaya. "'Kaya-nii, where's your vitamins?"

"Don't need 'em," Kirihara said smugly, digging into his rice. "I'm as healthy as a flippin' horse."

Kamio rolled his eyes. "You girls almost ready for school?" he asked, changing the subject. Michiko nodded but Sachiko shook her head. "Sachi?"

"My school bag's not packed," she admitted. "But my homework is all finished."

"Good girl. Finish eating and then go get it ready, okay?" Kamio glanced at the clock. "We gotta leave in about fifteen minutes. " He and Akaya had practice at 7:30, which meant they needed to catch the 6:40 bus. It took less than five minutes to walk to Minagawa's home to drop them off – Sachiko was best friends with Hana-chan, Minagawa-san's daughter, and the cheerful woman had long ago agreed to take the girls to school together each morning. Then he and Akaya caught the bus and sprinted from the stop to the school, usually reaching the courts just as Yukimura and Sanada emerged from the locker room with the rest of the team to begin practice.

They had practice after class every day too, from four o'clock until five-thirty. Minagawa-san picked up Sachi and Michi with her daughter and would bring them to her home until Kamio (and sometimes Kirihara) arrived around 6:20 or so. Then it was home for dinner. Being that it was a Friday night, he didn't have track club practice. That meant a night of homework, relaxing with the girls – and, he thought wryly, looking at the piles of clothing stacked next to the small laundry room – washing clothes.

Sachi and Michi put their dishes in the sink and excused themselves from the table, disappearing into the living room to get ready. Kamio finished his rice, slurped up the miso soup, and then took his dishes to the sink. "You going home tonight?"

"Have to, man." Akaya shrugged. "Mom's actually gonna be home tonight and wants to see me. She had Chizuru schedule it in and everything."

Kamio didn't say anything. He didn't need to. It was a common occurrence in Akaya's life. His mother was a wonderful woman who loved her children, but she was never home to show it personally. Her love showed in the gifts she had her two personal assistants purchase and send to her home, or the loving text messages she sometimes remembered to send. She was a highly successful lawyer who worked with one of the most prestigious law firms in Japan. She was on call to work with the Atobe family, for Kami's sake. She represented everyone from celebrities, to sports stars, to reporters and was constantly flying around the country – and the world, sometimes - to meet with her clients. When actually in the country, she put in long hours at the firm, and spent most nights at exclusive restaurants, or in late-night meetings via conference calls all over the globe, from the United States to the United Kingdom.

While this meant that Akaya had grown up with every conceivable creature comfort known to mankind, it also meant that he was alone most of the time too. His sister, seven years older than him, had escaped a long time ago at the age of eighteen, pursuing her doctorate in psychology in the United States. Akaya hadn't seen her in almost six years. Every so often he got a card or an email from her.

His father was almost as bad, spending months of the time living in other countries as he helped them establish their companies. His father was a kind man, but Akaya hadn't seen the man in nearly a year now. His mother was often able to meet with him when her business trips took her out wherever he was located at the time, but Akaya had school and tennis commitments and could never go.

It would be so easy for Akaya to hate them for never being there, and for Akira to hate them on his behalf, but events of last year had proven to both of them just how much the Kiriharas did care in their own way. It was a long story, but Akaya had asked his mother to help Kamio sort out a problem involving his father's will. His mother was one of the best – if not the best – lawyer in Tokyo, maybe even in Japan, and he knew Kamio needed all the help he could get. She had listened – and to his astonishment, she had agreed to help.

Kamio had been embroiled in a bitter war with his own mother – but all of that had changed on Kamio's sixteenth birthday. Akira's sudden access to money from investments and trust funds left behind from his father, had made being a mother sound like a good idea. Kamio Yukio had tried to barge back into their lives, claiming the money should belong to her since she was the legal guardian. It had been a long and messy battle that had given Kamio nightmares. [1]

That whole fiasco was over now. Kamio blinked out his reverie. The events of last year were still so fresh in his mind – it was so easy to get sucked into the memories, but it was over. He really needed to work on getting over it. He shook his head, coming back to himself completely. "You should cook her dinner."

"She's my mother," he replied. "She should cook me dinner."

"Cook together?"

Kirihara considered that a moment, and then shook his head slowly as he got up and ran water into the sink for the dishes. While his relationship with his mother was improving, it was apparent he was still hesitant to get too close. Like he didn't believe his mother's 'caring' persona was going to last. Kamio knew Akaya was used to feeling abandoned – it would take some time for things to repair themselves. But at least they were both trying. "I think take out. Maybe Chinese."

Kamio smiled, a bit wider this time. Akaya wasn't a fan of Chinese food, but he knew his mother was. That spoke volumes. "Good idea."

The sink was full. Akaya turned off the water – the dishes would soak all day, and Kamio could do them at night when he got back. "We gotta get moving."

Kamio nodded and went to get his things together, calling for the girls as he did so. "Shoes! Jackets!"

"Yes sir!" came twin smart-alec responses.

Within ten minutes, everyone was ready to leave. The girls shot out the door, Akaya slouching along behind them with his hands in his pockets. Kamio locked the door and slid the key into his pocket, checking for his bus pass at the same time. He had it. Then they were out the gate – pausing momentarily while Kamio locked it– and then they were on their way to Minagawa-sans house.

Kamio bumped shoulders with Kirihara as they walked, but he didn't call attention to it as Akaya pulled one hand free from his jacket and silently grasped Kamio's. He smiled instead, and was positive he was glowing enough to light up Tokyo at midnight. It was such a simple gesture, but it warmed Akira's heart, and actually made him feel better about the world in general. With Akaya at his side, no doubt he'd find a way to solve Michiko's problems. The two of them together simply couldn't fail.

Still grinning, he tugged at Akaya's hand, and they jogged to catch up with the twin terrors.

The Atobe compound

Shishido hated the fact that whenever they had to work on a project together– something they had done numerous times over the years – Atobe insisted on working at his house. And they had done many projects together. Partly because they`d been the same class for years, and partly because no one else could put up with Atobe`s attitude except the females of the school, and Atobe – for all his professed suaveness with the opposite sex – refused to work in an enclosed environment with any of the young socialites itching to sink their claws into the heir of the Atobe empire.

At least, that`s what Atobe told everyone. Shishido was of the belief Atobe was actually terrified of the girls but simply hid it better than most.

Atobe was perusing the charity tournament idea he`d sketched out with Ohtori a few nights before. Shishido was just waiting for the snarking to begin. It was inevitable. It was his idea, and he was surrounded by the Hyoutei Regulars. Much like the stars coming out at night, or Atobe choosing to wear purple ruffles while on a camping trip, snarking was inevitable. Having Ohtori submit the proposal was simply a way of delaying it.

"A charity tennis tournament, ahn?" Atobe's eyes were filled with two parts amusement and one part suspicion. "An interesting idea. It will allow me to show off my talents in so many ways. I approve." He looked up from the proposal to the blushing Ohtori. "And you thought of this? I'm surprised. It doesn't sound like something you'd suggest. I was half-expecting something involving puppies or children or something else equally as fluffy and irritating."

"Actually, it was Shishido-san's idea," Ohtori blurted out.

Though he had been expecting the team to find out as they discussed the finer details, Shishido still growled. His partner still had a habit of caving like a first year in front of his sempai.

"Choutarou!"

"Sorry sempai!" the 2nd year apologized. "But it is a good idea, and I can't take credit for it."

"Shishido?" Atobe smirked. "This sounds even less like the result of one of your brainstorms than it did Ohtori's."

Shishido valiantly tried to suppress his temper. "Look, I just wanna get this stupid project out of the way. It's easier for me – and you guys too – if we stick with our strengths. Tennis is our strength. Just run with it."

"Hmm." Atobe set the paper down, one hand pressed to his forehead. Shishido silently groaned as he recognized his captain's famous 'insight' pose. "I think there is another reason for wanting to do this. I see that you noted some ideas about where to distribute the resulting funds. A pet charity of yours, perhaps?"

"Which one?" Gakuto raced around the table, pushing past the disgruntled Shishido to peer down at the paper, no doubt anxious to detect a soft spot in Shishido with which to torment him. "Michiko… I don't of any local charities by the name of 'Michiko'."

"That's 'cause it's not a local charity, you asshole." Shishido swiped out at the irritating redhead, who snapped his head back and danced out of the way with a cackle.

"Then do enlighten us," Atobe commanded.

Shishido groaned again, out loud this time. "Fine." He nodded at the paper. "I figure if we're gonna do a charity fundraiser, we might wanna do it for a cause we can all get behind. What better way to do that to help one of our own?"

"A Hyoutei student?" Oshitari asked disbelievingly. "Which student at this school could possibly require charitable intervention?"

"Not 'us, the school'," Shishido corrected him gruffly. "Tennis. Tennis players."

"A fundraiser for lesser players?" Gakuto twisted his nose up. "What, to buy them better brands of tennis shoes? You feel sorry for the competition?"

Ohtori could obviously tell Shishido was close to snapping again as he stepped forward, bowing his head a fraction. "Allow me, sempai." He looked around at all of them. "Shishido-san's brother is a runner with the Tokyo Track Club. He is coaching Kamio Akira, formerly of the Fudomine tennis club."

Predictably, Hiyoshi glared. "That stupid redhead cost me the semi-finals two years ago!"

"We know, we know," Gakuto said, shooting his own glare back. "We've had to live with you whining about it for the last two years."

"Get on with it, Ohtori," Atobe ordered over the squabbling.

"Shishido-san found out that Kamio's little sister has a worsening ear condition. She'll be deaf in a year or two without surgery, but Kamio's family obviously can't afford to pay it."

That was true enough. Shishido knew that everyone was more or else aware of Kamio's family situation through Atobe. Part of it anyway. There was a whole scandal last year when it came out that Atobe's best lawyer was the mother of one of the Rikkai demons – Kirihara Akaya – who was involved with Kamio himself. Atobe had been privy to most of the information through his father but had only chosen to pass on some of it. It may have been odd to think of Atobe respecting the privacy of someone inferior to him like Kamio Akira, but Atobe had a lot more to him than just the diva he portrayed to the world at large. Shishido would have killed him years ago if there hadn't been.

Anyway, Kamio was the primary caretaker for his family and through the help of Kirihara's mother and a very specific will left by Kamio's father, had gained custody of his siblings (following a long story that apparently involved Kamio's mother being bribed to sign them over in exchange for a large sum of cash). He had also apparently come into some money left to him by his father, but it certainly wouldn't be enough to pay for an expensive surgery. Not if he had to use it to pay for bills and other things kids like him weren't even supposed to have to deal with at their age.

Shishido had gnawed on that for a while when he'd formulated his idea. He didn't have a problem with the guy, and his brother thought he was awesome – always pushing for Ryo to hang out with him more. Why not help if they could? He broke into Ohtori's explanation to wrap it up himself.

"Anyway, Kamio may be a Rikkai-kid now, but he's a Fudomine brat at heart. That means he won't accept handouts from just anyone. But if a charity had a fundraiser for the local hospital…" he trailed off pointedly.

Oshitari pushed his glasses up on his nose. "…the hospital can kindly inform Kamio his sister was chosen to receive a grant to pay for the operation." He nodded approvingly. "A very good idea."

"Indeed," Atobe drawled. "I'm rather surprised you were able to devise such a scheme."

"Bite me, Keigo."

Despite the bickering, once the team agreed on Shishido's idea (read: once Atobe gave his official blessing and informed everyone else they had no say in the matter), the planning got underway quickly. They were all familiar with how tournaments ran, which made it easier for them to decide on the smaller details. Atobe kept them well fed and caffeinated. His personal maid brought in assorted beverages and snacks every hour while they plotted.

A few hours later, most of the basics had been covered, Jirou was out cold again, and Shishido swore if Atobe's maid Ami-chan tried to get him to drink anymore coffee, he was going to throw up in Atobe's direction. After he went to the bathroom – again.

Stifling a yawn, Gakuto jotted down a few more notes. "So each singles player or doubles team pays an entry fee which goes to the prize – which is divided 50/50 – half to the winner and half to the charity of choice." He smirked. "But in the case of this being the first year, the charity is preselected. Secretly, of course. They find out after the tournament."

Jirou, who had finally woken up after repeated poking (and subsequent whispered apologies) by Ohtori, added his two cents to the discussion. "Spectator fees go to the charity."

Gakuto added that to the list. "We can figure out the fees later. Obviously we have to keep them low enough so as not to frighten off viewers from the lower tax brackets, but enough that raising the cost of the operation is actually feasible." Gakuto, being the math whiz in the group, was entrusted to figure out the relevant calculations later on, once everything had been decided. "Shouldn't be too hard. High school tournaments average anywhere from one thousand to fifteen hundred spectators over the course of two days, what with all the students coming out to support their schools. The Nationals had triple that. If we advertise it as a charity, we'll draw in even more people who want to support a good cause, even if they don't particularly care about the players."

"What about the venue?" Oshitari put forth pragmatically. "While it is simple for one of us to cover court fees for a day or two in order to run it, we are supposed to avoid paying such things in an effort to prevent students from simply buying their way out of this. Though they are free, the street courts are not adequately equipped to support that many viewers."

Atobe smirked. "A simple enough problem to solve. Once we have secured a date, we can petition my uncle to allow us the use of the courts he just recently had installed at the new sports complex his company built last year. That will do, and will count as soliciting a donation."

"What about medals?" Jirou asked suddenly. "Or like, a really cool trophy." His eyes widened with enthusiasm. "We could put the money in the cup like they do in those tournaments on TV. Or spray champagne!"

Shishido rolled his eyes. "They spray champagne when people win at NASCAR or horse races, Jirou. Not tennis."

"Shishido watching NASCAR?" Gakuto snickered. "How remarkably… red-necked, of you."

"My family works with a company that supplies awards to the winners of the kendo and taekwondo tournaments we run across the country," Hiyoshi spoke up unexpectedly. He immediately looked back down to the table after he finished.

Atobe nodded once. "We shall require first, second and third place trophies for both divisions," he said crisply. "Do try not to forget that there are two people in doubles and each winner will need one of their own. There will be no sharing—" he shuddered at the thought. "—of trophies at my tournament."

Shishido glared. "Your tournament?"

"Very well, you miserable whiners. Our tournament."

Behind them all, Ohtori was gathering up their papers and sorting them into piles. Shishido craned his head to see, - rules, tournament venue details, officials – and nodded with approval. "Does this mean we're done?"

Oshitari shrugged one shoulder. "Are you determined not to let Kamio know the reason we're doing this?"

Shishido mimicked the tensai's shrug. "He'd see it as charity. And it is. He wouldn't accept it."

Jirou cracked an eye open at that, leading Shishido to once again wonder whether or not Jirou really slept as much as it seemed, and whether he was just making sure people would talk freely around him. "He has his pride, after all. Shishido would know all about that, hmmm?" A sleepy smile, and then Jirou closed his eyes again.

Shishido would not blush. He would not. "Shut up." He braced his hands on the table and looked around at everyone. "So now we just need a way to get Kamio involved without actually letting him know about it. Ideas? I mean, I know him through my bro, but not that well."

"Fear not, as I have already devised a way to let the relevant parties know. Advertising the tournament should be enough to get him there – like almost all Kanto players, none can resist the lure of competition - but just in case..." Atobe took out his cell phone and pressed a speed dial number. "Ah, Yukimura? Atobe. I do hope now is not an inconvenient time to discuss something of the utmost importance with you…."

It was beautiful Monday morning. The birds were singing, the sun was shining – and Kamio had the distinct feeling Kirihara was keeping something from him. It had been a good weekend – both of Friday's practices had gone well, and Kamio had successfully conquered Mount Dirty Clothes with the help of his siblings. Saturday had been a good day too – Michiko had demanded they play cards, and Kirihara had taken that as a sign that it was time the girls learned the fine art of fleecing people out of their money. By the end of their first Poker lesson, Sachiko had earned an entire bag of caramel candies, and Michiko was showing signs of being the world's youngest card shark. Her ethics seemed to mirror that of Akaya who subscribed to the belief that it wasn't cheating unless one got caught.

Then there was the night before. During a marathon run of old Inuyasha episodes (Kamio was thankful the girls seemed to be moving away from Pokemon and Card Captors), Kirihara had received a phone call from their Buchou. After listening a minute, Akaya had excused himself to finish the conversation in the other room – and hadn`t returned for almost forty-five minutes. When Akira had asked what Yukimura wanted, Akaya had mumbled something about wanting to discuss a way to improve Akaya`s footwork at practice.

Kamio would have bought if not for the fact that A) Yanagi was the `personal trainer` of the team and usually called to discuss such details, and B) why would it take forty-five minutes to tell Akaya he was going to work on his foot work?

Still, Kamio hadn't thought much about it until he realized morning practice was almost over and Kirihara hadn't done a single thing to practice his footwork. He had however, had a private conference with Yukimura and Yanagi, and all three of them had cast him furtive looks when they thought he wasn't looking.

Foolish people. He lived in a house with two young siblings and a boyfriend who made it part of his life's work to prank him at every given opportunity. He had learned a long time ago to be aware of surroundings at all times, lest he pay the price. Hell, he still had a habit of patting his pillow down, checking for Jello before he went to bed.

Speaking of being wary, movement out of the corner of his eyes caught his attention. Before he could move, the strings of a racquet bounced lightly off the top of his head. Unsurprised, he turned to frown at a smirking Niou. "Was that really necessary?"

"Sure was, " Niou drawled. He reached out with one long arm, draping it around Kamio's shoulders with an easy grace Kamio sometimes envied. "You slackin' off there kid? If 'Mura catches you standing around, he'll make you run."

He reached out, draping an arm over Kamio's shoulder.

"What about you?" Kamio countered swiftly.

Niou chuckled. "Better keep us both out of trouble then. Come on and rally with us." He pointed to where Yagyuu was practicing with Marui. "Jackal has classroom duties so he had to leave early and we need a foursome." He winked. "Oh, excuse me. I mean, a fourth."

Kamio rolled his eyes and followed the silver-haired Trickster to B court. He could always bribe Kirihara later to find out what the big deal was.

The second meeting Hyoutei had to plan their tournament went as smoothly as the first – bickering and sniping aside – and they had managed to confirm the referees for the event. Shishido had been impressed by Jirou's suggestion to ask their old middle school coaches, and had been more impressed that the 'committee' selected to go and ask them – Jirou, Kabaji, Hiyoshi – had been partly successful. Sakaki-sensei regretfully declined, having scheduled an orchestra performance the same weekend they had slotted for their tournament. Ryuuzaki-sensei from Seigaku middle-school had been happy to accept the role of referee. Banji from Yamabuki had been a risky choice, but Sakaki-sensei had recommended him in his stead, and Sakaki-sensei's word still carried a lot of weight with the Hyoutei alumni.

That had left them with two ref spots left to fill. Gakuto had been struck with the idea of asking Inoue Mamoru when he'd spotted an old article on Hyoutei written by the sports reporter on Atobe's desk. Atobe had agreed it was worth a shot, and had promptly sent Gakuto to the offices of Pro Tennis Monthly to ask Inoue-san in person. Inoue-san had been very pleased at being asked, according to Gakuto, and had accepted on the spot, with the request that he be allowed to send some of his colleagues to cover the matches and have exclusive interviews with the players.

They were still short one spot. Gakuto had requested that if Sakaki-sensei or Ryuuzaki-sensei could suggest anyone to them, to let them know. Ryuuzaki-sensei had looked thoughtful at that, and said she might have someone in mind. She was supposed to let them know in a few days.

Then there had been the matter of advertising their tournament. Despite all of them possessing great natural talent in tennis, general athletics, and their classroom work, none of them possessed any design talents. Oshitari was skilled in writing compositions that could make his Literary professors weep, but for all that he could write a book about their planning process, he couldn't write ad-copy. The only other one of them that had any skill in the arts whatsoever was Ohtori – which was great if they wanted a score or their own anthem composed for the tournament, but it wouldn't help them come up with a poster that didn't look like it was hand-drawn by kindergarten students.

Hiyoshi had then come up with a brilliantly practical solution. Why didn't they, he stated softly, simply have the first and second year non-regulars that were part of the design and audio/visual clubs design something for them? Surely they would jump to do a favour for their captain, and they could also count the time spent designing it for their own volunteer hours for their future graduation. The motion was passed (read: Atobe waved his hand imperiously and nodded, which Gakuto said was the equivalent of him stating "I have decreed thou shalt make it so") and so Hiyoshi had been sent to recruit the other club members.

Everything had seemed to progress smoothly. Too smoothly, Shishido thought dryly, staring in horrified amazement at the poster that had been submitted to Atobe just prior to their third planning meeting that evening.

It was very… purple. And sparkly. To say nothing of the large picture of Atobe in the corner, arms outstretched as though welcoming all participants to his tournament, even as he towered over the smaller photo of the Hyoutei regulars beneath him.

Hyoutei was spelled out in large, silver letters, curving in an arc from the left side to the right corner, with the 'H' being the largest, trailing off to the final 'i' at the end, with the word 'presents' in smaller, but no less silvery (and sparkly) text running horizontally across the page. Under 'presents' was the title 'Tennis teens for Charity'. The date, the address of the venue, and the basic rules - mainly regarding sign-in times, tournament format (round robin style), that it would be both Singles and Doubles, and that participants must be involved with the tennis teams at their high school within the Kanto region (special consideration would be given to exceptional players who submitted their names to Hyoutei in advance) - were underneath the sparkly text. Several large posters had been printed on photo-quality, glossy paper, and about a hundred smaller color fliers had been handed along with it for personal delivery to chosen schools or individuals.

Atobe was obviously pleased with it. "I am surprised that our junior members were able to create something so exceptional," he mused thoughtfully. "I shall have to re-evaluate my opinions on them."

Gakuto had his face pressed into Oshitari's shirt sleeve, his shoulders shaking. He was obviously trying to prevent himself from howling with laughter. Oshitari's face was calm but his eyes were filled with amusement. Jirou had rolled over moments after prying one eye open to observe the poster and make the simple comment, "It's pretty!"

Ohtori had the same shocked look Shishido was sure was on his face, and Hiyoshi had a look of betrayal on his, as though he couldn't believe his wonderful idea had born such atrociously ugly fruit and would this end result be attributed to him? Kabaji was obviously no help – his expression hadn't changed since middle-school and he was obviously used to seeing even stranger things, what with being around Atobe so much.

Having inspected – and approved of – the poster, Atobe was busily going through a list of first year club members who would play the role of delivery men to the various locations the posters would be sent to. All the schools in the Kanto region – or at least the ones Atobe managed to have a sliver of respect for – would receive a flier and a personal invitation. Shishido pried his eyes away from the shiny monstrosity and tried to focus back on the work at hand.

Seigaku, Rikkai, Yamabuki, St Rudolph, Jyousei Shounan, and Rokkaku would be given invites. Ginka wasn't worth considering. The first fifteen Singles players to apply would be allowed to play (they were limited to eight courts at Atobe's uncle's venue and one day – Gakuto had averaged how many rounds they could play and still have both the Doubles and Singles components, but without going over their maximum time frame). There would be a two hour time limit for the matches. Same went for Doubles – the first fifteen pairs to apply would be permitted to play. Anyone who applied after the limit was reached would be added to a reserve list (first come, first served) and anyone who failed to sign in on tournament day before nine-o'clock would be cut, and a reserve added.

Shishido reflected that they would probably receive some complaints that Hyoutei had given themselves priority status – only Kabaji had opted not to enter; Atobe wanted him to be added 'security' to help keep things moving smoothly, so that nothing would prevent Atobe from being able to show off at his own tournament. He glanced at Ohtori with a small smile – no way in hell he'd pass up a chance to compete with his partner. As if he'd heard him, Ohtori looked in Ryo's direction and smiled back. Shishido felt his cheeks flush red, but he didn't look away, and a minute later they both looked back to their papers, still smiling to themselves.

Shishido checked the sign-in sheets. Their names had been added, as well as Gakuto and Oshitari's. That had been a given, as was Hiyoshi insisting on playing Singles. What had been a complete surprise was Jirou sleepily mentioning he wanted to try Doubles, since Atobe never let him in their high school matches.

After Gakuto had pointed out that he was lacking a partner, Jirou had managed to convince Atobe of all people to play Doubles. Jirou hadn't come out and said exactly how he'd persuaded Atobe, but he'd hinted it was all in how you asked –apparently, Atobe could be convinced to show off his prowess in all aspects of tennis, including Doubles, since apparently in the world, there existed people who may not have believed him capable of doing such a thing, despite what he had done during the Nationals. After all, it had been a long time ago, and people tended to forget these kinds of things. Jirou had winked cheekily after that. Shishido could only marvel at the levels of sheer sneakiness Jirou was showing these days.

Atobe finished the list with a flourish. "Oshitari, you and Gakuto shall distribute the fliers and posters to the first years, with instructions on where to leave them – and who to give them to directly."

Oshitari nodded and gathered up the papers. "Very well."

Gakuto was still incapable of speech, but he managed a nod and a thumbs-up as he stumbled after Oshitari. He lasted until they got outside Atobe's study door, and then Shishido could hear him howl as they moved further away. Atobe shook his head. "I swear, one day I should make an appointment to have Gakuto evaluated by a professional. His behaviour at times can be absolutely worrisome." He paused, looking thoughtful. "I wonder if Oshitari is aware of his partner's potential mental instability?"

Shishido immediately began gathering his own things together. He was only minutes behind following Gakuto's lead and giving in to the sheer hilarity of the situation, and he had no intention of seeing a shrink to satisfy Atobe's apparent concerns. Ohtori was right behind him, and with a quick wave, they were gone before Atobe could open his mouth to return the farewell.

End Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Hope some people are still reading this. Thank you Nyx Nox Night, yumi2482, Fluffy Pearl and ice flow for letting me know you enjoyed it. It means a lot! Chapter 3 just needs cleaning and will be up in a few days. Feedback is always loved. :D

[1] This refers to a fic that takes place after LGO and before Tennis Teens that is still being written.