Hidden Plays

11: So I just put on an act

Another day can mean a lot of things, but right now it meant gloomy and not fun. When Satomi came out of her small family limo she watched it drive off before she could start heading towards the entrance, but all the sudden a pink car sped through a puddle and splashed water all over her. Satomi was now soaked from head to toe. The driver was the older sister of one of the Hyotei junior high girls. Out of the car, from the back came three 3rd year Hyotei junior high girls who laughed at Satomi before joining Atobe's group of fangirls who were waiting for Atobe. Atobe soon came in his huge limo and saw Satomi being pushed by some fangirls while soaking wet. He glared at the girls telling them to leave and helped Satomi, who was still on crutches, to her feet.

It had been one week since Satomi first visited Yukimura. She had been visiting him every time at the Tokyo Hospital before she went to Yokohama.

But the Metropolitan matches were coming up on the weekends.

Atobe brought her to the nurse's office. The nurse had Satomi change her uniform into a new uniform and changed the bandages on her foot, and drying her hair before she could go back to class.

Classes went by fairly quickly.

So did the rest of the week. The Metropolitan matches were finally here. Satomi was bench coach once again.

She took a picture of the board. Hyotei played some really weak school in the beginning.

Even with only three regulars playing, sometimes not even if they won their first few matches, either way, win or lose they got a scolding.

Satomi let Atobe be the bench coach when she was spying on Seigaku, but she wasn't there was Hyotei went against Fudomine and lost, so when she heard anyone could guess how angry she was.

She sighed and the whole team went stiff and quiet, Shishido stood in the front with his head down in front of Satomi.

"Jirou-senpai will take back his place as a regular on the team." Satomi said. People and teams around them were looking.

"Jirou-senpai, if I find you lazying around during a harder match up you will be replaced too. Now let's go. We will have to win the extra position into the Kanto tournament. Coach and I will discuss the line up for those matches. We can't afford to lose, so regulars do be prepared." Satomi said before turning around and leaving started talking again. Seigaku's match with St. Rudolph was about to start, so when Ryoma, Sakuno, Horio, Kachiro, Mizuno, and Ishida-san saw this they were shocked.

Ishida started taking pictures of the young girl.

"I've heard of her with my two years of tennis experience! She's the Hyotei Doll, a halfer, half french, half japanese. The manager of the tennis team, and she has more authority than the captain. Not to mention she's only a second year!" Horio said proudly stating the facts. All the sudden she was gone. They looked around.

"I prefer it if you wouldn't talk about people behind their backs, and while you're at it, don't call me the Hyotei Doll. I have a name. You should respect your senpais at all time, even if they don't attend the same school as you." A voice behind them said. They turned around and saw Satomi, but only her back. She was a few feet behind them, with her back facing them as she continued to walk away.

Ryoma's eyes narrowed. To him, she seemed familiar. With her crutches, she still walked away with dignity.

They saw her exit the park and enter a black car. Before it drove off.

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She changed her manager outfit into a normal everyday outfit. She was headed to Kawasaki then Yokohama. With nothing to do her father gave her the task of handling the Yokohama location of the Yoshida Tennis Club.

She stopped by the flower shop and bought a white rose. The flowers that she had already given to Yukimura were peonies, sunflowers, lavenders, orchids, and sakuras.

She hadn't gotten him any roses yet. She wrote another card and headed to the hospital. She found his room empty and asked the doctor what was up. The doctor told her that he was allowed to move around, but had was supervised and had to return to the hospital. She guessed he was currently with the Rikkaidai tennis team. She left the white rose on the counter with the car under it. She then headed out and went to the tennis club. Her main job was just sitting in her father's office and going through the paperwork he had to do.

She guessed it was the reason why he asked her to take over the Yokohama location for sometime. She also had the job of planning the tennis clinics based off of age, gender, level, and time preferences.

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When Yukimura returned to his hospital room he saw the white rose and card. He lied in bed and opened the card.

Dear Yuki,

A white rose symbolizes innocence. There's really not much I can relate it to, but I feel that the innocent always are burdened. As for me, when it comes to tennis, my style is far off innocent. Nori likes to take her opponents head on. It's not that I cheat, but I always use my opponent's weaknesses to my advantage, I can't just win by defeating them straight forwards. Sorry for getting off topic, but you remind me of an innocent little lamb getting dragged into a horrible situation. I believe you can continue fighting and make it!

Warm wishes,

Satomi

The whole letter made Yukimura smile.

"I'm not the type to play that innocent kind of tennis that my cousin and Genichiro plays." Yukimura mumbled as he picked up the flower and smelled it. Before placing it in the base with all the rest of the flowers.