The Misplaced Foreigner (Prince of Tennis)

An Unexpected Guest

Hot.  It's so hot.  Yuri shoved the covers off of her and sat up.  As she did, a wet towel fell off her forehead landing on her lap.  Huh?  She looked around her surroundings not recognizing the dark room she was in.  She panicked for a moment and jumped out of the bed she was in.  However, as soon as she got to her feet, she saw dark spots and had to still herself waiting for the dizzy spell to pass.

As Yuri's vision cleared, her eyes landed on a photo resting on a dresser.  It took her a moment to recognize the boy in the photo.  It's him!  It was the boy who saved her.  Although it wasn't as if she needed saving, she thought.  She definitely could have handled it herself.  Despite this attitude, she really had no idea where she was running and would have certainly gotten lost though she would never admit that to herself.

This must be his home then, she concluded.  How many times had he saved her now, she wondered?  

While she was staring at the photo the door opened.

"Oh, you're awake!" A tall slender girl with long dark blue hair walked into the room.  She's pretty, Yuri thought.  "Please get back in bed, you must rest.  You were burning up when Ryoma brought you in!"  The girl ushered Yuri back into the bed and set a bowl of soup beside her on the night stand.

Ryoma...That must be his name.  Yuri had a nagging feeling in the back of her mind that she was forgetting something important but quickly dismissed it, seeing the predicament she was in.  

"Um-"

"Yes?" the girl replied.

"Who are you?" Yuri asked, hoping she didn't sound rude.

"Oh!  I'm sorry!  My name is Nanako Meino! I'm Ryoma's cousin," she smiled.

There's that name again.  "H-How did I get here?"

"Ryoma said you collapsed not too far from here so he carried you all the way home."  Nanako smiled remembering it.  She had been quite shocked to see him out of breath, carrying an unconscious girl.  However, that didn't stop her from helping Ryoma settle her into his bed so she can care for the sick girl.  Rinko was just finishing up dinner when Ryoma came home and had been surprised as well.  She was the one who whipped up some soup for Yuri.  

"Really??" Yuri was surprised the boy was able to carry her home.  He's stronger than he looks.  "I'm so sorry for causing you all so much trouble!  I really can't thank you enough for helping me like this," Yuri bowed her head down, recalling the proper position for apologizing in Japan.  

"Don't mention it!  I'm just glad Ryoma found you when he did.  But aren't your parents going to be worried about you?  Is there someone you need to call, Miss-?"  Nanako paused, still not knowing what to call this girl considering Ryoma hadn't gotten a name from her either.

Yuri froze for a moment but recovered swiftly, "Yuri! Sorry, I completely forgot to introduce myself.  My name is Yuri Ha-" she paused for a moment making a decision, "Haruname.  Actually I'm here traveling from America.  There's someone I need to meet here."

~~~~~~~~~~

Ryoma was tired.  He had unexpectedly needed to carry a stranger to his home.  There was no way he could have just left her there.  Not after he saw her being chased by some man, and definitely not after she called him by his dad's name.  He was still confused by how a young girl like her could know his old man's name.  

Putting his dishes in the sink after dinner, Ryoma snuck a peek at his dad who was laying on the ground in the same ridiculous monk garb he always wore.  He was reading something, probably one of his dirty magazines, Ryoma deducted.  Again he couldn't fathom how the girl he'd brought home could know his father's name.  He still hadn't told his father about it nor did he really plan to considering he didn't feel up to talking to him since their conversations always ended up with his dad ridiculing him or saying something immature.

Nanjiro Echizen was napping around the house when all the frantic activity of his son bringing a sick girl home occurred.  Nobody had bothered to wake him up for it because frankly nobody saw the need to.  It was unconsciously decided by the rest of the household that Nanjiro would be useless in such a situation and just get in the way.  

After finally waking up for dinner and hearing about the incident, he was intrigued, especially by the fact that the person his son brought was a girl.  He teased Ryoma about finally becoming a man and saving a damsel in distress (referring to him bringing a collapsed girl home since Ryoma hadn't told anyone in his family about the scene just before that of her being pursued).  Nanjiro was also entertained by the idea that there was another female in the house--and possibly a cute one at that.

Nanako, knowing her uncle, whispered to him in passing that he'd better not disturb the resting girl less she tell his wife about his dirty magazine stash.  

That's why Nanjiro was lazing about reading his precious magazines instead of going to meet the girl his son brought home.

Ryoma let Nanako take care of the girl since she was more than willing but now he needed to sleep and the girl was in his room.  His room had been the closest one after getting up the stairs not to mention he was the one who brought her so he figured the least he could do was put her in his own room.  If he was going to have to sleep on the couch, he'd be needing something to sleep in.  With that Ryoma headed up the stairs.

~~~~~

"Someone you have to meet?  Wh-" Nanako was cut off by the young Echizen's appearance.

Yuri turned to the door and watched as the boy entered the room.

So she's awake, Ryoma thought.

"Dad's downstairs reading his dirty magazines again," he said casually waiting for his cousin to take the bait.

"Oh uncle!" Nanako shouted as she hurriedly left the room.  A few moments later a loud whine could be heard from downstairs.

Yuri turned to get a good look at the person who saved her because if he had left her where she was, they would have surely found her.  She guessed he was probably around the same age as her but he was a bit short.  Not like she was one to talk though.

Ryoma decided to cut to the chase, "So are you going to tell me who you are?"

"Ah, sorry.  My name is Yuri Haruname.  Thank you for saving me, I am in your debt."  Yuri spoke quickly bowing again.  The name came easier this time.

Yuri Haruname...  Ryoma pondered for a moment on whether or not he should ask her about the chase she was in.  Then he decided that it was probably just some perverted old drunk and cut to the question he was really curious about.  He usually didn't care to know much of anything about his father but he was interested in her reasons for calling him 'Nanjiro.'

"Why did you call me Nanjiro?"

"Huh?  I-I did?"

"Right before you passed out," Ryoma added trying to help out her memory.

"Oh!" It came back to her and she blushed that she had been out of it enough to call this boy, who was no doubt about the same age as her, 'Nanjiro.'  "I'm sorry, I just-" she thought of his eyes and looked up at the boy--Ryoma, his cousin had called him--"You reminded me of someone."  His eyes really were-

"I reminded you of who?" Ryoma asked, already guessing what her answer must be.

"Nanjiro Echizen, he's a famous tennis player--or I should say was.  You must know him!  You do play tennis don't you?"  Yuri had not missed the signs in the room that he was indeed a tennis player.  She took his silence as a yes and continued, "He's fantastic!  Truly a one-of-a-kind pro!" she could feel herself getting riled up.

Heh.  How funny is it that this random stranger I found turned out to be a fan of my old man.  Ryoma instantly decided not to tell her about his relation.

"Never heard of him," Ryoma shrugged, "but how did I remind you of some old man tennis player?"

Yuri narrowed her eyes a bit at the fact that he's never heard of him but then replied, "Nothing, it's stupid.  It's just that-" she wondered if she should tell him since she was a bit embarrassed about it.  She finally decided to just tell him.

"You have the same eyes."