A/N: Her name is Echizen Shirley. Her mother named her, so there's my excuse for the American first name.

She's older than Ryoma, but younger than Ryoga.

Echizen Ryoma. The Prince of Tennis. For years, many fans knew of his constant tennis playing against his rival, Sakamoto Shirley, while he was in America. What they DIDN'T know was that these two players were actually brother and sister.

For an outsider, it might seem like one of those strange occurrences: "Wait, but she has a different last name! Does that mean she's adopted?", or "Is she even part of the family?"

Well, actually, she was.

But unlike her two brothers, Ryoma and Ryoga, she didn't like the limelight. While the brothers were comfortable using their own names, she preferred another pseudonym, "Shirley Kaneko" (she had a LOT of pseudonyms...), and tried to live as normal a life as possible.

Well, as normal as a life with tennis and the Echizen household could get.

She still attended public school, went out with friends, and even did all the things a normal girl her age could possibly do (she acted quite maturely for her age, which was a surprise to many), and then she had tennis.

To her, it was like she had freed herself from the grip of reality and was experiencing a sensation one could only call bliss. It was the only proper term, and it was really like flying.

Then her father wanted to move to Japan and the whole family moved there, excluding her. She stayed back in New York with Ryoga for a few reasons, namely: she (1) sucked at fluent Japanese, and (2) heard that she would attend a tennis school, which she didn't want to do for fear of being exposed.

Life went on for a while, daily calls to Japan, more shopping, and tennis playing with her brother. But as time went on, she grew weary and started longing for her family to come back. Or that she could join them.

And that's what she did. A few months later, when she graduated middle school, and Ryoga was leaving on a trip somewhere else in America, she boarded a plane and headed. For Japan.

Another A/N: School in Japan starts in April. NYC schools let out in June. So, she wouldn't be missing a beat at all. Also, Middle School (US) ends in 8th grade, JHS (some schools in US like my old school and Japan) let out in the US equivalent of 9th grade.

Yawning, she walked outside and squinted at the harsh light coming from the sun.

She forgot what it was like to take a plane trip around the world, she realized, as she walked down the steps to where the taxis were waiting. As she did, she pulled out the Japanese iPhone that she had, took her American one, and switched phones. At least everything's synced, she thought.

Whistling for a taxi, she quickly put her stuff in the trunk and got in the car, before realizing two very important things.

One, where she came from (America), there is no bowing or culture BS. But in Japan, she realized she'd have to do that. So, trying to be as polite as possible, she asked the driver if he could take her to the house.

Two, she remembered that she'd probably have to wear a uniform. She was going to HATE that. (I'll just bring a change of clothes, I guess, she thought).

Smiling at the thought of seeing her family again, she dozed off.

"Hey! Hey! Wake up. We're here, miss!"

She groggily opened her eyes as she noticed that the driver was shouting at her. She blinked a few times and then proceeded to look at her surroundings.

The first thing she noticed were the style of houses. Wow... it feels like something out of a textbook. I'm going to have to figure out this culture before I screw some etiquette thing up.

The next thing she noticed was the name on the house in front. Echizen. Ah, damnit, we're here already?

She got out of the taxi, gathered her belongings, and paid the taxi driver. Then she was about to get her stuff when she realized that she was about to fail as a Japanese girl on day one. She quickly bowed. "Thank you very much for bringing me here," she said. "And I'm sorry for falling asleep in your taxi."

She then turned away promptly and walked up the steps to the house. I am going to HATE doing that.

Knocking on the door, she waited. And waited.

Wtf. WHY AREN'T THEY OPENIN-

"Well, well, about time you got here, onee-san."