"Hey, who's that girl?" Kirihara pointed to a girl with silver locks on the other side of the cafeteria, "I haven't seen her around before...."

The Rikkai Dai boy's tennis team regulars were all having lunch together to discuss game plans for the upcoming match against Seigaku in Kanto Regional Finals. However, since several members have not yet arrived, and the attention spans of some of the more active regulars were waning, Kirihara wandered his eyes around the room when his focus landed this girl.

No one answered Kirihara?s question and the curious second-year looked to the resident data specialist for help, "Yanagi-senpai, you must know something? Any data on her?"

"I..." Yanagi shook his head as he flipped through his notebook and answered, "I have nothing on her..."

At that time, Yagyuu arrived and set his lunch on the table. He tipped his glasses and took the liberty of answering Kirihara's question, "Her name is , a recent third-year transfer."

" huh?" Niou repeated the name as he dropped his chopsticks, "She looks like a good prey, don't you think?"

"Niou, isn't like the other girls," Yagyuu warned as he noticed that all too familiar look in Niou's eyes, "She will not fall for your tricks easily."

"You call by her first name?" Yanagi asked, always noticing the tiny details, "How come?"

"We used to play golf together and our parents are good friends as well..."

Niou stood up and cast a challenged look at Yanagi, "If you think you know her so well, then how about a bet then?"

"A bet?"

"That's right, if doesn't fall for me by Halloween eve, then I will forever abstain from my playboy tactics," Niou extended a hand, "Deal?"

"Wow, high wages on your part Niou-senpai!" Kirihara exclaimed, "For him to stop tricking girls' feelings is like taking away his meaning in life!"

"Deal," Yagyuu accepted Niou's hand after weighing the pros and cons, 'Even though I don?t like the prospects of betting on , maybe this loss will save a few would-be broken hearts.'

"Let the games begin..."

"Hello beautiful, I'm Niou Masaharu", Niou made his way to 's table and positioned him in a seat across from her, "I must say, you got amazing eyes."

took one look at Niou and replied casually, "Save it playboy, I?m not interested."

got up and left Niou stunned in his seat. After a moment, he turned to face the tennis table and saw the rest of the regulars trying to hide their laughter at his failed attempt, 'Maybe this is going to be a little more difficult than I thought.'

"What a coincidence, we have a class together!" Niou greeted the girl as she stepped into the classroom, "Must I say, you got the most beautiful silver hair."

"I told you, I'm not interested." replied and slide into the seat next to Yagyuu, "Besides, can't you think of a more original pick-up line?"

turned and ignored Niou as Yagyuu turned around in his seat and sent Niou a smile that clearly said, 'I'm so going to win.'

Niou felt his fist tightening, but relaxed when he realized that there was still two weeks until the deadline of their bet. So for the next few days, every time he 'accidentally' encountered , he would put on his charms and get rejected over and over again.

"Still not interested." sighed as she rejected Niou for the nth time that week, "Just give up already, I'm tired of saying 'no'."

"Then say 'yes'?" Niou prompted hopefully, "Say 'yes'!"

shook her head and picked up her books, ignoring Niou once more as she started to walk toward the opposite end of the hallway.

"You will fall in love with me!"

turned and raised an eyebrow at the intensity of Niou's reply. She was partially frustrated and partially amused.

"Fine, let's see what you can do then."

10 days have passed since the start of the bet and there was still no sign of victory for Niou. Looking at the calendar, he realized that he only had 4 more days before Halloween eve. So the infamous trickster of Rikkai Dai was getting more and more nervous by the hour. His bad mood carried over and he appeared so angry that the girls who usually fangirled over him kept their distances for the fear of provoking him.

"Niou!" Sanada shouted, "Please watch where you're hitting the tennis balls!"

Niou snapped out of his anger and realized that he had managed to hit and injury a couple of freshman tennis club members: several of the poor boys, who were picking up the tennis balls around the court, were on the ground nursing various bruises. While his practice opponent Marui Bunta was also covered in small scraps from dunking Niou?s anger balls.

"Maybe you should take a break and calm down." Called Marui from across the court, "The doubles game start in 10 minutes, so just relax until then okay?"

Niou nodded apologetically and went to the benches to get some water to cool down. Just as he was about to drown himself in the ice-cold water, he heard familiar voices in the direction of the clubroom. He put down the water bottle and crept through the bushes to see what was going on.

and Yagyuu Hiroshi were talking and just as Niou poked his head through the bushes, he saw standing on her tip-toes and wiping the sweat off Yagyuu's forehead. At that sight, Niou felt his anger returning and stomped angrily back to the courts. Moments later, Yagyuu also returned to the courts and got into position for the Niou Yagyuu vs. Marui Kuwahara practice game.

Niou was so consumed in his anger that he ignored any signal that Yagyuu sent his way and was playing the game as if it was singles. He tried to control the entire court and blocked Yagyuu in many opportunity shots. So of course, as a result, they lost to Marui and Kuwahara 6 games to 0.

"Niou," Yagyuu said, "What is wrong with you today?"

"You should know!"

"What did I do?"

"You're not playing by the rules," Niou casted an angry look at Yagyuu, "You must told something and that's why she's not falling for me."

"I didn't!"

"Don't deny it!" Niou tightened his grip on his racquet and screamed at Yagyuu, "I saw you two together and you seemed very friendly together."

"It's not like that!" Yagyuu realized that Niou must have misunderstood something and grabbed the boy's arm, "Niou, listen to me!"

Niou wouldn't listen to Yagyuu and instead, twisted his arm from the boy's grip and threw his racquet at his doubles partner. Yagyuu let out a gasp of pain and fell to the ground clutching his arm. The spectators who were watching this conflict rushed to gather around Yagyuu to see what was wrong.

"Hiroshi!" dropped her bags and ran to Yagyuu's side, "Oh god..."

"He should go to the nurse's office." Said Sanada after examining the damage, "Kirihara, help -san."

The second-year nodded and lifted one of Yagyuu's arms over his shoulders as picked up Niou's racquet and after a long gaze, she handed it back to Niou without a word.

"..." Niou trailed off as he saw the tears in the girl's eyes, "I..."

"Please don't say anything," looked away, "I never want to see you again."

"I..." Niou couldn't find anything to say as he watched and Kirihara carrying Yagyuu to the nurse's office.

"Yagyuu, I'm really sorry about what happened," Niou apologized when Yagyuu returned to practice the next day with a cast on his left arm. "Please forgive me!"

Yagyuu waved off Niou's apology and said, "It was an accident, don't worry about it."

"You forgave me?"

"Of course, we're double partners!"

"But I said so many mean things to you." Niou dropped his head, "I thought you wouldn't want to partner up with me anymore."

"Hey! All partners fight, but they are still partners." Yagyuu said, "Look at the Golden Pair, I heard even they fight!"

"You're right," Niou nodded, "And from now on, I will stop being a playboy and behave myself."

"What are you talking about?" Yagyuu exclaimed, "There's still 3 days left in the bet!"

" would never like me now," Niou muttered, "Besides, I realized that was the one I have been waiting for all along."

"You love her?"

"Yes."

"Hey Niou, are you coming to the Halloween party for all members of sports clubs?" Marui asked as the two were leaving the clubroom, "It's going to be fun!"

"I can't," Niou replied as he held the door open for the other boy, "I promised to take Kira to go Trick-or-Treating."

"Kira?" Marui repeated the name and rummaged though his memory, "Oh, he's the little boy from that orphanage you hang out with once in a while right?"

"Yeah", Niou confirmed as the two parted their separate ways at the school gate, "I promised him, so I guess I going to have to skip out on the party."

"Hey Niou, this is so fun!" A boy of eight years old skipped about as he looked in his bag full of candy, "I have never been trick-or-treating before! Thank you so much for taking me!"

"No problem Kira," Niou smiled at the little boy, "I don't think there's much room left in your pillow case, so why don't we finish up at the end of this street and go to my place to watch a scary movie?"

"With popcorn?"

"With popcorn."

"Alright!" Kira nodded and walked to the next door in sight and rang the door bell, Niou and Kira waited for the door to open and both shouted, "Trick-or-Treat!"

"Um...Niou-san, aren't you a little too old to be trick-or-treating?" A familiar voice sounded as the door opened completely.

Niou concentrated on the girl and realized it was standing by the door, giving him a very odd look. He blushed slightly and motioned toward Kira.

"Um...not me," Niou explained, "I'm just taking Kira trick-or-treating."

"Is he your little brother?"

"No! I'm an orphan, and Niou has been taking time to playing with me." Kira answered for Niou, "He's the best ever!"

"Really?"

let out a sigh of relief and dropped a basket full of candy into the boy's pillowcase. She took a long look at Niou and gave him a very faint smile.

"Niou, maybe you're not such a bad person," said before she started to close the door, "Maybe I will consider going out with you after all."

Niou was stunned at the girl?s response and only came back to his senses after the door was completely closed. He realized what possibility that answer could open and bent down to hug Kira.

"Kira, you saved my life!"

"Really?"

"Yeah, you saved my love life!" Niou said excitedly, "So this weekend, I will take you to the amusement park, and then we will go get ice cream, and that action figure you wanted, we will go buy that too, and anything else you want, okay?"

"Yeah!"

Written by Amiya
Requested by x-sweetyt
October 22, 2007