9 Games To Love

Chapter 6: Captain Child of God

Wednesday

08/13 9:00 AM

Rikkaidai Junior Department, Class 3 - C

Yukimura is sitting in his classroom 3-C while contemplating over what the peculiar young transfer student had requested. She wants a game against him. Yukimura knows she wasn't being arrogant or haughty but still, that was a bold request. Yukimura didn't think twice about accepting Phoebe's request, however he is still unsure on how to approach the girl in the game. Should he use yip and mercilessly destroy her or should he go easy? But then something tells the Child of God that even the yip won't stop the resident first-year prodigy from playing. From what Yukimura has seen from her games, Phoebe is a talented southpaw player, much like a certain chibi from Tokyo, but there is something off about how she plays. Yukimura notes how Phoebe seems to know where the ball would land before it even leaves the racket of her opponent. Additionally, she has an outstanding reflex and her body's flexibility rivals that of other acrobatic tennis players he knows. Niou and Kirihara report that the smaller teen's hits are extremely heavy when it gets heavier as the game proceeds.

Smiling sadistically, Yukimura made his decision.

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For Phoebe's last game, no students were there to crowd the fence except the regulars. Yukimura had told a white lie to the student body that Phoebe's final game already took place so that the first year and Yukimura can focus without any disturbances. Yanagi sits as the umpire for the game. Yukimura is watching the female player intently as she stretches and practices some light swing.

"No earbuds today I see," Yukimura comments.

Phoebe smiles, "No senpai. For this match against you, I want to be at my top focus."

"I see," Yukimura states, "but why be so cautious with me?"

To the regulars' surprise, Phoebe gives the blue hair captain a neutral smile, "Yukimura-buchou, Kirihara-senpai and Niou-senpai are basically beasts on the court. If you are their captain, how much more of a monster are you?"

From where Phoebe stands, she can hear a distant "did she really put 'monster' and 'Yukimura' in the same sentence?"

The said captain only smiles "innocently" as the two players split and return to their positions.

Rikkaidai's data master announces the match to begin. Phoebe was offered the first serve and accepted. From the start, the green eye player has her racket in her left hand. Bouncing the ball and then grasping it in her hand, Phoebe throws it up in the air and higher than normal. Yukimura tightens his grip on his racket as Phoebe twists her body and slams the ball onto his court. Right when the ball lands next to his right foot, the ball spins with an amazing speed until it bounces up, nearly hitting his face. Though it didn't, Yukimura can still feel the air pressure that remains from the unnaturally spinning tennis ball.

Marui's gum pops as he exclaims. "The Twist Serve?! Where did she-!!"

The blue-haired male narrows his eyes at the girl; It was the Twist Serve, but far heavier and more powerful than Echizen's. The ball's spinning speed causes the air to flow along as its speed is increased, creating a whirlwind.

"15-love," Yanagi calls the point, watching the girl closely as she returns to serve.

You truly prove to be a challenging adversary, Barnes Phoebe, The violet eye captain praises internally.

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