She has been staring on her cream white sneakers for a while now. And she's also fiddling with her thumb. She and her guy are standing outside her house, their silhouettes illuminated by the streetlamp above them.
The emerald-haired lad cleared his throat, and Sakuno had wondered whether Echizen Ryoma really is the one in front of her. "Um…"
She looked up at the sound of his uncharacteristically squeaky voice.
He opened his mouth to speak, and he averted his gaze, clamping his mouth shut and thinking about it once more. He opened his mouth for the second time; but closed it yet again.
He took a deep breath. "Goodnight," and he leaned down to peck Sakuno's forehead.
The latter blushed bright red, and somehow, she felt absolutely lucky that the streets were already dark. She cracked a smile. "Goodnight."
She turned around to open the front gate; but Ryoma had grabbed her wrist, with Sakuno half-facing him. "Wait."
Talk about cowardice.
He inserted his free hand inside his grey coat pocket and yanked a small, bright pink teddy bear. He gulped once before handing the toy to her.
Sakuno stared at the toy's big brown eyes and mentally chuckled. 'It's Ryoma-kun we're talking about.'
She got a hold of the palmtop teddy bear and shivered as her dainty fingers touched the back of Ryoma's hand. Her cheeks turned a little pink. "T-thanks…"
xXx
She had bounced her way on top of the stairs, not minding the reprimand her grandmother sent her. She let out a cheeky grin as she opened the door of her room and flopped on her bed. She outstretched her hand and looked at the pink teddy bear clutched in it. She giggled.
Sakuno stood up after a few minutes of staring at the toy and went to her dresser. She opened it and placed the toy on a box full of many stuffed toy of different kind. She smiled. That was the 364th stuffed toy Ryoma had given her everyday since the day the two started dating. And yes, they were together for three hundred sixty four days.
Almost one year.
She frowned. They have been dating for a year yet he still hasn't said those words. She shook her head and decided better not thinking about it.
But in any case, Ryoma is Ryoma. And for him, everything is mutual.
Or at least she thought it is.
xXx
Ryoma groaned inaudibly as Sakuno stepped a foot inside her house. He almost said that; but why had it not gone in his way!
He swiftly turned and kicked the wall fencing the Ryuuzaki residence.
He is a fuckin' damn coward!
And yes, that should be two curse words in a sentence.
Ryoma raked a hand through is hair once; then he proceeded to ruffle it like a mad man.
The tennis prodigy gave one last swift kick on the wall before running towards the temple of his house and passing dinner to sulk in the sanctuary of his room.
He buried his face in the mass of his pillows and the thought of him being a 'coward' echoed in his head like a boundless mantra.
He grumpily pulled a giant white teddy bear from under his bed and stared at its big black plastic eyes for a long moment.
He scowled.
'Tomorrow is her birthday.'
And he dared not to complete his thought. Bu if he did, it would be continued like this, 'And I still haven't told her that I love her... at least not personally.'
He yanked his newly-bought mini-recorder from his coat pocket—he still hasn't changed—and shakily pulled the mic in front of his slightly quivering lips.
"I-I…" he groaned. It was always like this. All of the recordings he had made have his voice cracked. 'At least make a decent recording on her birthday, Ryoma!'
"I l-l-lov-v-ve y-you…" he shook his head, dissatisfied at the recording. He took a deep breath, intending to try once more. "I love you."
He blinked. 'Did I just say that?'
He shakily pressed the 'play' button, still having his self-doubt if he really had said those words without stuttering.
I love you.
The soft sound of those words hit his eardrum loudly, despite how soft he had voiced that out. He suppressed the urge to squeal. Even though that sounded emotionless, that should do.
He grinned cheekily and placed the giant stuffed bear on his nightstand, staring at its big eyes once more before drifting into sleep.
Seemingly forgetting one thing.
xXx
She ran as fast as her legs could carry her. Ryoma had called her and asked her to go to the nearest train station for an urgent business.
Ryuuzaki, train station, now. It's urgent.
His panicky voice echoed continuously in her head as she ran, ran, and ran.
She reached the train station five minutes after Ryoma had given her a call, slightly out of breath. She panted and leaned against the vending machines adjacent to the entrance of the station. She looked up as a shadow loomed over her.
"R-ryoma-kun…" she croaked, still out of breath.
Ryoma looked at her sternly; then giving her a big yellow teddy bear, he voiced out: "Go on a date with me."
xXx
Sakuno giggled as she remembered the moment of Ryoma's confession one year ago. She put the tray of cookies out of the oven, humming to herself.
"You look happy today. Is that what human feels when it's their birthday?" Mimi, the bakery of her workplace's personal robot-maid entered the kitchen, settling the used plates on the sink.
"Aa, Mimi-chan. I just remembered Ryoma-kun's confession," Sakuno couldn't help but to giggle.
Though not really understanding their employee's statement, the robot replied logically. "Echizen Ryoma. Ryuuzaki-san's boyfriend for exactly one year."
Sakuno let out a low laugh. "Yes, yes. I'm so happy when he had confessed, even though he only said 'Go out on a date with me', it will do. It's Ryoma-kun after all." She smiled to herself, still reminiscing their first date.
Mimi robotically blinked, trying to analyze what Sakuno is saying. "Confession. Saying 'I love you' to a special person and admitting their harbored feelings."
Sakuno momentarily stopped packing the cookies, her hands beginning to shake. "H-he hadn't said that."
"What?" Mimi asked, Sakuno's previous statement getting unclear for her.
Sakuno frowned as her eyes began to heat. "H-he still didn't say that he l-loves me."
"Then he does not love you," Mimi replied, still sticking with its logic. "People saying 'I love you' are the only way to say their feelings, then, if he didn't say that, he does not love you."
Sakuno felt a stab hit her chest. It hurts to know the truth. She stared unseeingly at the nearly-empty tray of cookie on the counter, tears silently flowing down her eyes as hurt and anger filled her heart.
xXx
Ryoma waited patiently at their mutual meeting place—the train station. He's clutching the over huge teddy bear in his back, hiding it from view. He's getting excited.
Minute passed, but there's still no sign of Sakuno. The emerald-haired prodigy was starting to get worried. He wet his lips, prying his nervousness away.
"Ryoma-kun," came a dry voice of Sakuno, the darkness of the night giving her silhouette a creepy gleam.
Ryoma couldn't help but to smile as he ran towards her, shoving the white teddy bear in her face. "Happy Birthday."
Sakuno clutched the toy being given to her as she looked up, tears sparkling in her ivory face. Ryoma frowned, thumbing the trails of tears. "Something wrong?"
Sakuno gulped once, her lips setting in a firm line. "Ryoma-kun, do you love me?"
Ryoma's jaw dropped at the unexpected question; but nonetheless, he nodded.
"T-then say it."
"I—I…" he started, his mouth parted open, but he found his voice gone. He clamped his mouth shut, deciding to try again. "I—I"
Sakuno snapped. "S-so you don't," her breathing became ragged as she tried to calm herself. But she couldn't help it as she saw red. She threw the teddy bear in the middle of the street, anger overcoming her.
"No!" Ryoma tried to stop her, but to no avail as the bear flew in the street. His mind became blank. 'The recording. The recording.'
And he ran to retrieve the toy, unaware of a speeding car hurling towards him.
.
"Ryoma-kun!"
Sakuno felt like that was the loudest and quietest moment she has experienced.
xXx
Breaking down in the sanctuary of her room, Sakuno clutched the teddy bear Ryoma had given her. 'It's my entire fault. It's my entire fault.' she squeezed the bear harder.
"I-I…" Sakuno paused, looking around as she thought she had heard a sound. "I l-l-lov-v-ve y-you…"
She jumped on her feet, looking at the innocent-looking teddy bear left abandoned on her bed.
"I love you."
Her eyes widened. 'I-is this why he's doing it all along?'
She raced to her wardrobe, pulling out the basket containing all the three hundred sixty four stuffed toys Ryoma had given her.
She gulped, getting a toy and squeezing it.
"I-I… l-l-ove y-you…"
Tears streamed from her already puffy eyes as she heard the recording. She moved on the other stuffed toy, hearing the same voice of Ryoma. And she continued doing it, squeezing all the bears, Ryoma's confession echoing in her head.