We were never been too late, all love just ends

InuShikaCho

oOo nukach'an oOo

Disclaimer: I do not own anything about Prince of Tennis, Ryoma and Sakuno are created by Takeshi Konomi

(A/N): My returning fiction before my school year starts once again. Another RyoSaku fiction to all of their supporters. I know how much despicable I was to end my last fan fiction, so I apologize for it. But this time, I would make a total love for the couple but I wish no one would expect a forever more (smiles). This fiction is full of love but a heartbreaker too. It all says from the title of the fan fiction, hehe. So I hope you'll love this one and read it on its next updates until the end. Starting point: Apologies for grammatical errors if ever there is, and repeated-words-like-poetry – it's like my style of writing :)

Spoiler Note

Chapter Note: I don't know if same traditions also happen in Japan (traditions in graduation specifically : like wearing togas; in my country we always wear them every event, either in pre-school/kindergarten, elementary/grade school, high school or college). But I'm sure about the second-button thingy. I always see them on other Anime and some movies.

oOo Chapter 1 : "Prologue" oOo

I was wearing the greatest suit you could ever wear when you are in high school. A special suit that tells you that you are almost reaching to your goals and your real life is about to start. The white cotton I was wearing slowly slid through my fare skin while I wore them in front of the mirror. As I look myself to that parallel world, I smiled and then later on I frowned. Graduation is really remarkable but once the day of it ends, you'll realize that the next day all you'll ever have is pure nostalgia and forlorn.

My heart was beating for two things, achievements and love. After all the years of my hard work, now is the time to feel fulfilled again. Though in high school, you can still feel that you're already near to the top of the hill, you're already reaching the peak of your life. From my childhood years until the year I was that time, standing and facing the whole crowd before me, looking at the carpeted floor with the white toga I was wearing, feeling proud and honored…

As I walked through that pathway, hearing the claps and the cheers, I suddenly recalled my second reason of beating, love. Yes, for three years I had endured the pain and the coldness I know I don't deserve. Wanting to hear his sweetness was my dream and I know within me that sooner or later I would hear it from him. I was hoping for him to see me, even just a little glimpse of my whole being, it would be enough. But right after that day, that day when everything started to change… confessions and reality walked to me. Behind all of them, was a total hider. And I ended up smiling to the sky with love and being loved. My life was starting to have its own worth, and I'm thankful for it.

I wanted to be honest and so was he. I told him that I always waited for a love from him and I always seek him every day of my life. He told me that he was sorry for all the things he had done and he loved me now, and that was the most important. I love him and so was he, but the saddest thing we ended up with was "not committing" to one another. Commitments are wonderful and also worse. He told me once that one reason why he never wanted a commitment was that he's afraid that we'll both hurt each other and he's afraid to see me that way, dreaming and believing, laughing then sobbing. His intentions were what I idolized, and in that way I loved him more.

But what worse thing could have happened was the time when you feel like you need to say goodbye so soon…

"You're leaving?" I asked in frustration and of course in pain.

"I'm really sorry Sakuno, but my parents and I will be moving back to America… I know it's a sudden, but I cannot refuse anymore…" he explained to me with deep eyes of despair.

"B-But why?" I wanted to cry but not in front of him. No I can't, I must not cry in front of him.

"Living in America was much easier than here in Japan. Besides, my mother got a good job back in America and even my father refused in going, but my mother was too persistent. And also…" he stopped and looked at me surprisingly, "I'm going to college in America…"

I gasped quietly, and hid myself by my eyes, "…A scholarship is waiting for me there and they didn't want me to lose it."

I kept quiet for a while and fought for my side, "But you can even get scholarships here in Japan! You're a famous tennis player ever since the nationals had ended, universities will hunt you down for sure!"

"I'm really sorry… But we already bought tickets and I cannot refund them even if I beg my parents to do it…"

I stopped and thought for a little while. Thought of something that could make me feel relieved and later on, I felt what he meant about hurting one another inside a commitment. Now I truly understand, but the part which he couldn't was that even having commitments or not, he'll still break my heart and we'll hurt each other no matter how high or low the impact is. So, I heaved a sigh and placed my hands over my back crossing my fingers to one another, "I see… I guess there's nothing we can do about it…" I looked at him in the eye and pretended that everything was alright within me, "So when are you leaving?"

"After graduation…"

Yes it was the worst thing that had happened. He's leaving right after the greatest day of anyone's life. I thought everything would just be fine, I thought he would stay for me. But what I had thought all over these days were wrong. I couldn't control his life nor be an importance. I felt a little wrong over my dreams, I was starting to regret the days when I hid myself over the timidity of my own. Because that time, I stood over the huge crowd, accepting my diploma and taking a bow to everyone as I cry myself secretly behind my eyes, saying that everything is too late…

The program had successfully ended while I was there hugging my girl friends on a corner and bidding our goodbyes and wishes. That wasn't the end and we knew about it, but for me it felt like it was. For the last time, we held each other's hands and talked for a short while, until the other girls away from us started screaming and running all over the place. How could anyone forget the tradition? For female high school students, it's important for them to get the second button of their partner before the graduation day ends, it's like love tradition… you know, fate?

I used to dream that before when I was still in my first years, seeing Tezuka-senpai, Fuji-senpai and the others graduating. But of course, I never wanted their buttons. What I had in mind was to get his second button when our graduation arrives. And that dream could probably come true when either one of us will move on that day. But there I was waving my last goodbye to my friends and prayed for them a good life on the future, not making a single move for that dream to come true.

A few more minutes and I needed to leave already.

Standing in front of the Seishun Gakuen and staring the whole building for more than a minute. Reminiscing the best days and memories I had spent together with my classmates, my friends, and of course with him. For the last time, I murmured myself a goodbye over the grounds. Everything seemed to be so quick, I thought. Days passed me so fast that I didn't imagine that I would be there right now. The feeling was so strong that it had occupied my whole body trembling in tears, cause that time I had totally realized, "We didn't even see each other for the last time… How selfish life can be…"

"Sakuno!" a shout echoed from the empty grounds of the school. I never wanted to look back and inspect if there was anyone in there and think that it was just a big, big, big hallucination, because it would be really a pain.

"Sakuno, at last I found you" but too bad for me, I cannot stop myself from loving him.

"R-Ryoma-?"

"I was looking for you after the program was over. I thought you already left…" he was panting a lot with his head lowered near to the floor.

"I wanted to see the school for the last time… so I said I'll be staying for…" my eyes widened in surprise as he ran towards me and embraced me so tightly as if I couldn't breathe, "R-Ryoma what are you doing?" yet, he didn't speak. He was just there hugging me so tight. So tight that made me break down and cry. "Ryoma … I…"

"I'm really sorry for leaving…" now he spoke, "I forced them but they didn't even listen to me… Sakuno, I also don't want this to happen…"

"I understand that very well" adding gasps of air and groans, "B-But, having you not beside me isn't life at all!"

"Sakuno maybe all of this are planned… I'm trying to fight the pain right now, for a reason that I also feel the same way too. It's sad for me to see you here alone. I know we didn't commit anything but we know that we both belong to one another. I'm grateful that I had met someone like you. But maybe this is the first trial for our real happiness. Sakuno why don't we believe that if we are really meant for each other, our own destinies will bring us back together! If we're away from one another, fate will do its best to get us back together again! I'm saying this not because it's already the end. I'm not going because we're already done! I believe that this isn't too late, we're just starting! So Sakuno please believe me, believe us!"

I was starting to cry unstoppably while it marked on his coat. His words were really perfect. So perfect that I had believed him before he spoke. I nodded him back and embraced him tightly on his waist. My tears couldn't stop falling down from my hazel eyes and I wouldn't mind stopping it, because just a single thought, it might be the last time I could cry to him.

He pushed me gently away, and rubbed my eyes to erase my tears. He showed me his sweetest smile and I force myself to stop from sobbing. He suddenly reached his hands to his coat and his fingers worked. He looked at me again and took my hand in front of us, and then he gave another smile. "I tried escaping from the other girls to get this from me. They've been following me ever since and they didn't stop even for a single minute. But good thing I manage to hide myself over the rooftop. I've been keeping this the whole day for you to have it." He took out his other hand and placed something on my palm. Once he let go, I ended up crying again. "I know you wanted to have the second button!"

Sometimes he's too snobbish. Sometimes he's too good. Sometimes he lies and then he apologizes. Sometimes he yells at me and then later on he'll chant words of love. He's unpredictable and too stubborn. But because of his mistakes and wrong turns, I had started to love him, so special that after a few years, I had neither loved nor go out with anyone else. I got myself stuck on him and never planned to let go. Because right after I saw his plane leave, I started believing that one of these days would be the time when destiny will do its magic.

oOo E n d O f C h a p t e r oOo