A/N Woah, this is a quick update. I was feeling peckish, so I made this right away since I had nothing better to do. Once again, thanks to Judge Claude Frollo for giving me this lovely challenge, I had a lot of fun writing it.
Enjoy the last chapter!
Disclaimer: Let's be reasonable now, shall we?
Chapter 5 (Final Chapter)
"Ahn? What's this?" Atobe surveyed his team with his eyebrow raised. "Are you actually going to play tennis today?"
Indeed, for the first time in a week, the four Regulars looked ready and wiling to play tennis. Atobe was almost overjoyed. Except…
"What is that vile creature doing here again?" He pointed at the puppy. "Surely Ore-sama has told you that such carriers of swine flu are prohibited from the courts!"
"But, Atobe-sama," Oshitari looked at the captain. "Mari-chan is our supporter. She's the one who we're playing tennis for."
"That's true! After this, we promise never to bring Mari-chan, or any other animals to the courts!" Ohtori pleaded.
Since Atobe rather liked people pleading him, he flicked his hair over his shoulder and smirked.
"If that is what you wish." He sighed dramatically. Then he whirled around and glared at Oshitari. "But just this once, alright?"
"Yes sir." Oshitari said back, not fazed at all by the diva's mood swings.
"Alright then. Proceed." Atobe walked away gracefully, thinking he had just done the human race a miracle.
"Now that we've got that out of the way…" Oshitari motioned them over to Court C. He wheeled out a blank whiteboard from behind the court.
"Who's playing who?" At the top of the whiteboard, he wrote, Tennis Tournament in big letters.
Mari-chan woofed her approval.
As the other 3 pondered, Ohtori took out a little blanket from his tennis bag and laid it out on the ground. He took the little platter he had filled with water earlier and laid it beside the blanket.
"Here you go, Mari-chan." Ohtori smiled. "I probably won't get to keep you, since my tennis ability isn't that great, but I hope you'll live happily with your owner."
"What is Ohtori over there, just mumbling quietly to himself?" Gakuto whispered.
"Don't come so close to me, senpai." Hiyoshi moved away.
"I didn't hear you, say it again please?" Gakuto smiled sweetly while leaning in towards Hiyoshi.
"You two can discuss your hearing problems later." Oshitari pushed them apart. "If we don't start planning, practice will be over, and his royal highness Atobe will be royally pissed off."
"So?" Gakuto scoffed.
"Whatever. Let's just plan it." Hiyoshi grunted.
"Ohtori-kun, do you have any preferences?" Oshitari looked at the 2nd year.
"Oh, I want to play Hiyoshi!" Gakuto cut Ohtori off.
"You want to get crushed into the ground that badly?" Hiyoshi glared. "I don't mind."
"Um…" Ohtori paled. That meant…
"I guess we will be playing each other then." Oshitari said pitifully to Ohtori. He didn't really want to crush the little 2nd year so early on, but he had no choice.
"We're playing first." Gakuto and Hiyoshi said in sync, both glaring at each other furiously.
"This'll be fun to watch." Oshitari murmured.
"Yes… indeed…" Ohtori was still stricken with fear at the thought of having to play Oshitari.
The only thing that could save him from falling into a pit of despair was something impossible. Something unthinkable…
"So you're back, Shishido." Atobe looked down at the shorter Regular.
"Yeah, no thanks to someone." Shishido muttered.
"How was China?"
"It was Chinese. I didn't understand a word they said." Shishido grumbled, yawning.
"You didn't take a course to learn it?" Atobe was shocked.
"I took German instead."
"How unsightly. I will not have you embarrassing yourself at the reputation of our tennis team. Next time you go-"
"I won't." Shishido cut him off and walked past him. His fingers were itching to pick up a racket and play some tennis. It had been so long since he had heard that familiar plonk of the ball, since he had felt that familiar round shape in his hand.
Now, where was Ohtori…?
"How rude, naa Kabaji?"
"Usu."
"I think Shishido needs to be taught some manners. He said he took a German course, right?"
"Usu."
"Get Ore-sama my phone."
"Usu."
"I won't let you keep Mari-chan!" Plonk.
"And you think that pitiful shot can let you have her?" Bam.
"Don't underestimate me, orange-head!" Woosh.
"Gekokujou." Wham.
"Game to Hiyoshi, 4-3."
"Looks like a tough match. It's been a while since they've started, but they've only played 7 games." Oshitari pondered out loud.
"Yeah. I hope they don't overwork themselves." Ohtori said, worried.
"Don't worry; the game will be over soon." Oshitari said knowingly.
"Really?" Ohtori fiddled with his cross. He needed to start warming up.
Getting up, he went to stretch his legs. Halfway down the path to the track, though, he spied a bobbing blue hat in the distance.
Could it be…?
Oshitari smirked, and promptly put his fingers in his ears.
"SHISHIDO-SAN!" Hiyoshi, Gakuto, Shishido and just about everyone in a 100m radius cringed.
"…Ohtori." Shishido managed weakly after Ohtori bounded over to him like an excited puppy.
"I miss- I mean, we missed you!" Ohtori smiled.
"Not really." Gakuto could be heard mumbling.
"Thanks." Shishido smiled anyways. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the whiteboard.
"A tournament? What are you guys doing?"
"We're playing to win Mari-chan." Said Oshitari simply.
"Mari-chan?" Shishido was confused. "What did you guys do in the past week?"
"I won a challenge!" Ohtori said excitedly.
"Me too." Oshitari smirked.
"I kicked Gakuto's ass in Guitar Hero." Hiyoshi put in.
"We found a puppy!" Answered Gakuto.
"…I'm not following." Shishido raised an eyebrow. Suddenly, his eyes lit up.
"Koujirou!" He called out happily. Running over to where Oshitari was sitting, he scooped up a small silver puppy in his arms.
"…Koujirou?" Echoed the other four.
"I missed you, what are you doing here?" Shishido snuggled the puppy.
"Uh, Shishido, is that your dog?" Gakuto questioned.
"Yeah, you got a problem with that?" Shishido's face went back to his normal scowling one.
"But that's Mari-chan." Ohtori pointed out.
"No, this is Koujirou. I don't know what you guys are talking about, but it must have been absolutely dreadful for you to think that this manly puppy is a girl." Shishido scowled.
"So all these challenges have been for nothing?" Hiyoshi frowned.
"I'm still not following what you guys are talking about." Shishido put Koujirou on the ground carefully.
"Let me explain…" Oshitari sighed.
"He peed on your hand?" Shishido couldn't help but grin.
"Yes." Oshitari said painfully. Curse Gakuto for bringing that up. He'd have to have a long talk with him later.
"That's my boy." Shishido happily petted Koujirou. They had all sat down on the grassy field, and Koujirou was napping in the middle of their circle.
"And you too, congratulations for winning that challenge." After Shishido's praise, Ohtori's face shined.
"Well, isn't this just peachy?" Atobe interrupted their get-together imposingly. "Not only do you ignore practise, forget your promise to me, but you also take time off to play with that… thing!" Atobe pointed at Koujirou.
"Atobe. Chill." Oshitari drawled.
"20 laps." Atobe said as he walked away. Sure, he had overestimated his team mates, but surely they couldn't be ignorant to this extent. He'd have to start being more strict. Maybe he could get Sanada to come over and slap the lot of them while Tezuka made them run laps.
Yes, that was certainly a brilliant idea. His team would finally learn some proper manners. As for Shishido, well, that matter would be settled tomorrow.
"…Then it's decided. Shishido will be our representative!" Shishido was brought back to Earth from daydreaming with an all too familiar phrase.
"Huh?" He grunted. He looked at the board. "Shishido" and "Germany" had been put in big letters in the center.
He gulped. He'd have to lock up Koujirou when he got home.
A/N And that is it, ladies and gentlemen! With an overwhelming 3 points, Shishido wins The Contest Of The Puppy! Thanks for reading, and a big thank you to all the reviewers. I hope you enjoyed it!