Hidden Plays

6: Held Me Back

Satomi woke up early the next morning, getting ready for school. She put on the uniform that she utterly despised and her contact, and ate breakfast. Her driver drove her to school like usual.

Being a second year class-president and valedictorian of her year she had all her priorities checked. She had many followers (fans) from in the school, most there just to seek her for her authority and use the title as her friend to get stuff. Being a second-year she was the vice-president of the student council at Hyotei, as Atobe choose her to be vice-president.

Girls did not like her all that much, especially the third years. They believe that she's Atobe's girlfriend, despite being a year younger. She is close with the famous tennis team, and is the only girl most of the tennis team talks to only. She was the only underclassmen that was allowed in the third-years hallway.

Walking down the third-year hallway on crutches with a stack of papers tucked into her bag neatly attracted a lot of attention. All the sudden a third-year female stuck her foot out and Satomi tripped, her crutches falling to a side as she fell on her knees. Keeping her stoic face on she started picking all the papers up. The girl then pushed Satomi onto the ground with her foot. Satomi sighed but couldn't stand up in the position she was in.

"Can I help you, senpai?" Satomi asked softly. She hated getting in arguments.

"Yes stay away from our Atobe-sama! You got that?!" The third year yelled at the poor girl. Satomi sighed, and turned to pick up the papers as she sat on the ground. She had just sorted them too.

The same girl pulled her hair.

"While you're at it, resign as student council vice-president and the Team Manager of Hyotei tennis team. I bet I play tennis better than you." The girl said.

"You just earned yourself a detention." A deeper voice said from behind the girl pulling the girl off of Satomi. It was Atobe with the tennis team behind him.

"Bullying an injured underclassmen? Hyotei has a prestigious reputation, you're going around and ruining it." Atobe glared at the girl.

"Atobe-sama you got it wrong. She pushed me to the side of the hallway so I acted in self-defense." The third year girl said.

"I saw the whole exchange, not to mention how could she push you on crutches and with her hands full? Go to the headmaster and your punishment will be given." Atobe said. The girl scurried off in tears. Atobe then helped Satomi pick up the rest of the papers.

"I'll take them, don't worry about organizing them. I'll have someone else handle that." Atobe said helping Satomi up and handing her the crutches. Atobe wouldn't do this with anyone else, but since the tennis team needed their precious manager, he would do it for her.

"Gomennasai bucho-senpai." Satomi said with a half bow.

"Don't worry about it. You should head back to class." Atobe said.

"Arigatō senpai." Satomi said in the same soft tone she always used and bowed before turning around and heading back to the second years hallway.

Atobe watched her leave.

"If anyone dare hurts or threatens the tennis team manager and vice-president again will have to face me." Atobe said to all the third years before heading to his classroom. During lunch Satomi had a few printed out documents to give to Atobe again. She headed to his classroom and entered. She gave him the documents and started to head out, but before she could she stopped in her tracks.

"I can defend myself, Buchou senpai, also tell coach I'll be at another school looking at the competition this year." Satomi said before stumbling out on her crutches. Atobe sighed.

"Yet you got injured by following down steps." Atobe said as she left. They, the tennis team, believed her lie.

After class Satomi stopped in the bathroom. She tied her hair up into a ponytail, and changed out of her uniform.

Once Hikari and Nori came to pick her up she headed into their car.

She put on her blue visor. Then put her mask on in the car.

Soon enough they arrived at the school and Satomi pulled her face mask up to cover her nose and mouth while putting her eyepatch on and sliding her visor down a little.

Nori headed out went to help Satomi. Satomi shook her head quietly telling Nori she could do it herself. After a good minute of moving around she finally got out and walked behind Nori. They headed to the courts, and was greeted by Coach Ryuzaki. At first no body noticed them because they were off to a side as everyone was engrossed in the matches.

"I'm glad you would make it." Coach Ryuzaki said. Satomi just nodded while Hikari-san greeted the Coach and Nori was looking around.

"Mysterious, just like the Ninja himself, eh?" Coach Ryuzaki asked.

"After losing to Samurai he gave up his identity as part of the bet. I'm not as foolish as he is." Tomi said in no more than a soft mumble.

"Yet you try so hard and got yourself injured." Coach Ryuzaki said.

"I had that ball, if I just timed myself more accurately I wouldn't be in such a predicament." Tomi said with a huff.

"It seems like I'm talking to him all over again. You are exactly like him except for the plays, you are a defensive player while he is an offensive one." Ryuzaki said. Tomi just shrugged.

"Hey isn't that the junior famous Duo of Japan?" A player on the courts asked. All the attention was then directed towards them.

"That's definitely Nori, but that might not be Tomi. Tomi's identity is not known to anyone except a select few." Inui said taking his notebook out. Tomi adjusted her eyepatch to cover her awkward silver eye so that the 'data' boy could not find out anymore about her identity.

"Ryoma." Coach Ryuzaki said. A shorter seventh grade both with a red racquet came out. He had blue, green, black hair a white cap with the letter 'R' and a Seigaku regulars jacket on.

"This is Tomi and Nori, you might know them as the Japanese Junior duo. I was planning on having you play Tomi, since her life time tennis coach was your father's biggest rival, Katashi Yoshida. Ask your father about him. Tomi had picked up his style of tennis. If you were to be able to defeat Tomi, you would be one step closer to your goal, and of course discovering your own path. Since Tomi is injured, I'll have you play a game against Nori." Coach Ryuzaki said.

"Stop right there." Tomi said.