Akira was the first to exit the showers, something that was very rare. However, he was lost in his own fantasies and oblivious to the few girls still lingering around. After imagining a few scores against his imaginary opponents, Akira waved and smiled at his cheering fans.
He was so lost in the world of his own making, that Akira had started to walk past Natsumi.
"Hello! Does it always take you so long just to take a shower?" Natsumi's voice brought Akira back to earth.
"Uh, well I guess. I like being the first one to practice and the last guy to leave." To himself, 'It gives me a chance to practice without being seen and laughed at.'
"Such dedication! I knew it the moment I laid eyes on you, you're perfect!"
"Perfect?" Akira murmured. His shaggy blond hair didn't hide the blush of his ears.
"Oh, yes! I saw you the last few days playing against that boy, Haitani, who was clearly better than you and I didn't think I'd ever see you playing again. Yet, today here you were giving it your all. I must say in only a short time you've improved greatly."
"Everybody knows he's the best guy on the team, but do you have to say it like that?" Akira slumped his shoulders and tried not to whine.
"He's the best on the team?" Natsumi paused thoughtfully before her next outburst. "You're marvelous! You are willing to face the humiliation of continued defeat until you've finally established yourself as number one! Why didn't you just start small, beat the worst guy on the team and work your way up to Haitani?"
Akira felt all of his pride slip away. "I am the worst guy on the team," he confessed.
Akira knew he should focus on improving against the other players. He should focus on team spirit and comadry. But Akira always got so riled up by Haitani that he put all of his energy into his desire to defeat him.
He met the green haired boy when they entered high school and were in the same homeroom. For some reason Haitani had taken an instant dislike to Akira and was always picking on him in class and encouraging other students to do the same. Akira had thought learning tennis would be easy and so had joined the team instead of joining theater with Mitsune. He'd put everything into wanting to be able to beat Haitani just once at his own game. No matter how foolish he knew it to be, since he couldn't drop from tennis and join another club, Akira stayed on the team.
"Here, have some juice." Natsumi held out bottled juice. "If you have some time I'd like to talk to you about a very important job."
Akira accepted the offered drink and gave his thanks. 'When will I have time for a job if I'm going to get enough extra practice in?' he pondered.
One look at Natsumi's cheerful face had Akira renewing his vow of serves. "Whatever you need done I'm your man!"
"You really are wonderful," Natsumi squealed in delight.
Akira led the way. "I know of a nice place to get food, you can tell me all about the job there."
'She's cute... If someone sees me with her at least the guys won't say I can't get dates anymore.' Haitani, Kyo, and the other boys on the tennis team were always picking on Akira for not being able to talk to girls. While Akira was friends with Mitsune and her female friends, he rarely was ever with them and spoke to them in public since starting high school. Akira had a hard time walking up to new people and talking to them, but particularly girls. This was a source of amusement to his teammates.
Natsumi and Akira arrived at a park. He paid for food from a street vendor and they sat on a bench.
"So, as I was saying." Natsumi began, but stopped when Akira handed her the food. Her eyes sparkled with anticipation. She took a large bite out of her food. She moaned in pleasure as she chewed.
"Hey, are you okay?" Akira asked. He watched her worried if he would know what to do if she started choking.
"This is wonderful! Thank you so much for buying this delicious meal." Eagerly she took another bite.
"It's just hot dogs, nothin' special... don't take big bites." He then began eating his own hotdog.
Calm and finished eating, Natsumi picked back up on her story. "As I told you, I'm a princess from the country Natagiwagi. It is my solemn duty to capture two agents from Natagiwagi who have gone rogue, but to accomplish this mission I need your help."
"Right, you need me," Akira said as he puffed his chest out with pride.
As Natsumi continued, Akira only partly paid attention as he looked around at the people passing them. 'I wonder if anyone I know has seen us yet. By tomorrow all the guys in my classroom are going to be slapping me on the back and congratulating me. When the girls learn I'm not such a loser it will be easier to talk with them.' Akira could barely contain his growing excitement.
"You have demonstrated to me that you're a great warrior who would be invaluable in the pursuit of these rogue agents."
At the word warrior, Akira snapped back to attention and straightened up "Wait, when did I prove that I'm a war hero?"
"Oh, well your talent with that odd stick when you did battle with the other boy and that ball."
"You think losing a game of tennis makes me a warrior?" He gazed at the strange girl in confusion. Had he missed something important?
"The first time you wear quick and the few times you hit the ball there was great strength in it. Also when you did hit the ball it would have landed where you wanted it if Haitani hadn't hit it. You have a good aim."
"Uh..." He knew from the delighted way she recounted events and was smiling that she was complimenting him and not mocking. But he still couldn't fully understand her logic or main point.
"And then there was today. In a few days you improved greatly, you're very fast, strong, and you hit the ball way more times than before, still showing great accuracy."
"I did improve my game by a lot recently..." Akira shoved the self doubt down and focused on the positives.
"Rui and Sakaki are experts at hand-to-hand battle and I need a real fighter if I'm going to capture them."
"You want me to fight rogue agents?"
"Yes, I need you if I'm going to get them, and then you'll be a hero!"
"A hero huh... Leave it to me!" Akira leapt to his feet as he stood on the bench in what he thought was a hero pose. "I Akira Azuma will capture the rogue agents from Nagawagi if it's the last thing I do!"
"It's Natagiwagi."
"Right!" Realizing he probably looked silly, Akira sat back down.
~*~*~
Two days after Akira had become Natsumi's first deputy he met her outside of her homeroom.
She bounced out into the hall wearing her school uniform for the first time. She grinned when she spotted Akira.
"What do you think? I love the twirl skirt."
Compared to the burning energy of desperation Akira would display on the tennis court and ever changing emotions on his face when they first met, the boy in front of her seemed almost lifeless. His shoulder drooped and his green eyes seemed dark and dull. His lips tried to tip upwords at the corners.
"Twirl skirt?" He asked, his voice more polite than curis.
Natsumi continued to grin as she twirled in the hallway, showing how the skirt flared out. "Isn't it cute when it flares out with a slight twirl?" she asked.
Akira moved closer to Natsumi to prevent her from bumping into other girls who were walking past them. "Shouldn't it be called a flared skirt?"
Natsumi stood still and waited for the dizziness to subside. "A common mistake, but that would give the impression the skirt is always flared out. Also it's not as much fun to say."
"Ah, I suppose that makes sense." Akira said as the two began to walk beside each other.
Natsumi knew he had spent the last few days busy with tennis practice, this was the first that they were able to meet up. She figured he must be exhausted and decided not to take his lack of enthusiasm personally. She knew the outfit was cute even if he didn't notice.
Akira had his cell phone out. "If we share contact information you won't have to leave notes for me in my shoe locker."
"That's a great idea!" Natsumi enthused with all sincerity. "But I don't have a phone since arriving in Japan yet."
"What do you have planned for tonight?" Akira asked. "We could go get you a phone now if you want."
"Really? That would be great."
A pleasant silence fell on the duo. Natsumi could tell from Akira's vacant eye gaze he was lost in his own thoughts again. He turned his body to lean his back against the wall and was walking sideways, glancing around the hall. She figured he was daydreaming about being a spy.
It looked like fun, so Natsumi decided to join him. She ignored the other students walking down the halls giving them odd glances. But then something caught her attention.
She leaned over and whispered. "I think we're being followed."