The Ice Princess of Rikkaidai

Chapter Five: Districts Tournaments

Kanagawa Districts Tournament:

Sanada grunted, tapping his foot impatiently and looking at his watch which said 09:45am. "Where are they?" he muttered impatiently. "They're so late!"

"Maa, maa," said Yukimura, trying to calm the irritated vice-captain down. "They should be here at any moment."

And the remaining of the Rikkaidai team then heard the sound of running footsteps and turned to see Marui and Rika running up to them, panting heavily. Sanada turned to them with a frown. "You're late!" he grunted.

"Blame this guy instead!" growled Rika, glaring at Marui who 'eeped' and tried to hide behind Yagyuu. "I had to go to his house to wake him up and bring him here because sleeping beauty here simply refuses to wake up!"

"I see..." said Yukimura with a blink. "And by the way..." He looked pointedly at the dripping wet jerseys and jackets of the Rikkaidai tennis regulars on Marui and Rika both. "What happened to you two?"

Marui 'eeped' as Rika turned and glared at him. The redhead coughed politely. "We...er...kind of fell into the river," he said.

"You mean you fell in and dragged me in," grunted Rika, glaring at a sheepish Marui, much to the tennis team's amusement. Rika's tennis jersey had to be pre-ordered by Yagyuu from the tennis shop that usually made Rikkaidai's tennis jerseys as she's the smallest in both size and body frame compared to the rest of the team and because she's a girl.

The Rikkaidai jacket was still the same as the one that all the boys wear, though what was worn beneath was slightly different. The tennis jersey was roughly a tank top version of the loose fitting polo shirt with the yellow and black colour scheme. And like most of the tennis team members, Rika wore a pair of white cargo pants, with a pair of black wristbands around both her wrists.

Rika muttered something under her breath and glared at Marui. "Remind me again why I'm the one to go get you whenever we have a match?"

Yagyuu coughed politely, quite amused. "Maybe because you live closer to Marui compared to the rest of us?" he asked.

Rika sighed. "Forget it," she said irritably. "Take it that I've never asked."

Jackal looked at Rika up and down with concern. "Do you need an extra jersey?" he asked. "We usually kept an extra with us during matches in case of emergency."

"No, don't bother," said Rika hurriedly. "I have a spare." And she looked in several directions at once before turning back towards Jackal sheepishly. "Which way to the toilet?"

Jackal pointed her towards the direction of the restroom before Rika unzipped her tennis bag and took out her spare set of her tennis jersey and walking off towards the direction that Jackal had pointed her in and Niou grinned.

"She seems pissed off about something," remarked Kirihara. "Rare for our resident Ice Princess." He turned towards Marui. "Marui-sempai, did you do something?"

"No."

Niou blinked. "Then is it her 'time' again?" asked the Trickster. "She's usually that short tempered when she does." The entire team – even the stoic Sanada – shivered when they recalled a time when Rika is on PMS. Poor Kirihara who happened to be her training partner that week had to be nursed for several bruises and severe psychological trauma.

"Maybe," said Marui, taking out his spare jersey from his tennis bag as well. "But I won't ask her if I'm you. I value my life, thanks. I'll be back in a moment."

And he walked off towards the direction of the restroom.

Yagyuu sighed, pushing his glasses up his nose. "Whoever Rika's opponent will be, I already pity him," he muttered and the rest of the team nodded in agreement.