Comedy much? - Prince of Tennis fanfic

◆ 3 ◆ The born of a Tsukkomi manager

"Ahem. Here's a brief introduction of our club, these boys you see here are part of the tennis club which I'm coaching." Osamu introduced Niko who calmed down to the boys. Niko looked at them begrudgingly and the boys gulped. "And guys, this is Tsukomi Niko. A second year student of Shitenhouji junior high as of tomorrow. She just returned from England. Since I've been asked to look after her at school, I decided to make her the manager."

"EHHHHH?! That's why you made her the manager?!" All the second year regulars stared at her in shock. 'More importantly, she's the same age as us?!'

"Tsukomi Niko. As of tomorrow, a second year student of Shitenhouji. Nice to meet you." Niko said (spat) to them with a, um, kind smile? They just thought they heard the venomous tone she placed in some of her words and could only avert their gaze away from her icy cold ones.

"Hm? Not getting along already?" Osamu finally noticed the tense atmosphere around them. "Better fix that up. She's gonna be your manager after all."

"Hold on! I haven't agreed to that yet!" Niko slammed her hands on the table as part of the regulars sighed in relief mentally thinking she might reject the position. "But... If it's Osamu-chan asking then it can't be helped." Niko's voice shrank as she decided to accept the position, to their dismay.

"That's my girl!" Osamu ruffled her head as the all the regulars' hands and knees(except Zaizen of course) touched the floor.

"I-Is that really alright, Osamu-chan?" Shiraishi asked, his voice trembling when he met eye to eye with Niko's sea blue orbs.

"All's well and ends well." Osamu said with a huff. "Here," He then took out a wrapped box and gave to Niko. "A delivery from Taiyou-senpai."

Niko's face twisted at mentioning of her father's name whom got her into this mess. "From that old man?"

'Couldn't he just give it to me at home?' She thought as she tore open the wrapping and found a card underneath the wrappings. She read the card which was addressed to her:

To my beloved daughter,

You are the daughter of a comedian, that you must never forget. Since you're gonna attend Shitenhouji, here's a must have item for your life at school.

P.S. You're mother and I are going on a world tour to promote Japanese culture which consists of comedy and won't be home anytime soon. I'm sorry since you've just return from England, but good luck in learning the art of comedy.

-Your world known comedian father.

After reading the card, she found herself holding a large sized paper fan often used for comedy purposes as a straight man act she took out from the box. Her bangs covered her face as she faces down the floor but they could see her shoulders trembling slightly.

'She's crying?!' they thought and look at their coach only to find him smiling as usual. 'And he's not going to comfort her?!'

"C-cheer up, Tsukkomi-chan." Oshitari was the first to recover from the shock and tried to comfort her. Probably been rubbed off by the traits of his gentleman cousin.

(In a classroom of second years at Hyoutei, a certain glasses wearing blue head sneezed.)

The other second years also gave a word of encouragement as her shoulders went from trembling slightly to violently and her grip on her newly gifted paper fan tighten.

Zaizen too wondered whether or not he too should give a word of encouragement to the older girl before him when a strange sound of 'slap' went out.

SLAP

SLAP

SLAP

SLAP

SLAP

With a swift movement of her hand, Niko made sure the paper fan made contact with all the second years in the room each with equal strength.

"Who do you think you're calling Tsukkomi?!" Niko yelled at the second years who held their hands to the newly made bump on their head. They immediately shifted their gaze to Oshitari who yelped. "And did really think I'm crying just because that old man of mine ran out on me?! Dream on!"

Osamu who knew she was actually burning in fury snickered at the corner of the room. "As expected of a daughter of a comedian, a true tsukkomi..." Fortunately, Niko didn't heard him as she was busy with the second years. (Shi-chan's notes: Tsukkomi means a straight man act for a comedy joke. They made a pun out of her name "Tsukomi".)

Zaizen blinked at the sight of his senpais getting beat up by a girl much smaller than them. He took out his phone and snapped a photo of his senpais kneeling on their knees and their soon-to-be female manager slash senpai to blog about. Not later after that, he let out a stifle sound of 'Pfft' and the curling of the end of his mouth he tried so hard to suppress.

However, his faint sound of laughter didn't escape the ears of his comedy loving senpai and a certain comedy hating raven head. He froze when they shift their attention on him.

"Did you just laughed?" Hitouji once again popped the question.

"Ah, no-"

"Amazing! She's the second person to make Zaizen laugh!" Oshitari exclaimed excitedly as the girl in question just stared at the younger boy. Sage green orbs met with sea blue stained with green ones.

"Ho? So you thought that this is funny?" Niko smiled at him ever so sweetly. Note, sweetly.

Zaizen gulped at the question directed at him, hesitating whether to answer or not when she approach him in same manner as he did so earlier at the rooftop and he didn't get the chance to evade her attack.

SLAP

It was the first time ever since they recruited him to see Zaizen Hikaru, the genius labeled player of their team to got hit by a paper fan. And by a girl, no less.

"She's someone amazing after all!"

"Ahn~ Ecstasy~" -Shiarishi

"What's the point of you getting competitive, Shiraishi?!"

"Hey! Better quiet down before she hit us again!"

Is it her or are they regarding her in a newfound respect and fear at the same time?

And with that as the beginning of their comedic conversation, jokes were being cracked around her again. Niko closed her eyes and massaged her shoulder for awhile before setting out for an action.

"Quit it!" And with that, Niko made a second bump on their heads. She huffed, "Hmph, I'm leaving!"

"Ah. Wait for a sec, Niko." Osamu told before she opened the door. She turned around just when he tossed her a small wrapped up pouch. "A welcome present for being our manager."

Niko opened the small wrapped pouch and found a blue whistle bounded with a silver string. She looked at Osamu confused about the whistle in hand.

Osamu seemed to understand her confusion without her speaking and explained it to her. "It's a must have item for a manager."

Niko paused for awhile as she rests her hand on the doorknob, her grip on the newly gifted paper fan soften as she put on the whistle. With a lift of a heel she half turned her upper half of her body to face them and flash them an unexpected smile that caught them off guard.

"I'll be in your care then!"

Niko got a feeling. A feeling that the tennis club is just the beginning of her life at Shitenhouji and a comedic life. But strange enough, it's a feeling of a good premonition.