Chapter 1
Sakuno:
PAM! Her tennis ball hit the wall with speed and strength.
PAM! Another strong shot.
PAM! "Sakuno! Where are you? It's time for your lesson!" She heard her grandmother and couch yell.
Sakuno quickly gathered her things and started towards the teaching courts.
It had been 3 years since Ryoma had left to train in America and Sakuno had improved her tennis play dramatically. She had trained with her grandmother every afternoon for hours so that she could play the game properly and now she was the captain of the girl's high school tennis team. All the while thinking of her one true crush, the tennis prodigy, Ryoma Echizen. That day at the terminal when Sakuno said goodbye to her beloved Ryoma she was crying. Who could blame her, she loved him and she had told him that she loved him but his mind remained unwavering. He was going to train in America no matter what obstacles he needed to concur; even if the obstacle was breaking a young girl's heart. From that day on she had become a strong girl, no more crying, or being embarrassed or being concerned with being a proper lady. She was going to be a tennis star, and maybe one day meet up with Ryoma on the court.
Sakuno was proud of her improvement and wanted to play with opponents at her level but unfortunately the old Seigaku tennis team had long since broken up. Tezuka went to Germany to recover and become a pro, Fuji decided to study abroad in New Zealand and nobody had heard from him since he left, Oishi and Kawamura decided to stop playing tennis after they graduated from Seigaku, Eiji was depressed because of Oishi's decision and now only played recreationally, Inui started working at a juice bar and didn't have time for tennis, and Momoshiro and Kaido played against each other on their high school teams. Sakuno couldn't remember the last time the whole gang was together.
By the time Sakuno had made it to the court her grandmother was getting agitated. "Sakuno, why did you take so long? I have something very important to tell you." Now Sakuno was intrigued, "What are you talking about grandmother?" Sumire motioned for her granddaughter to sit with her on a near by bench. "You've told me many times that you are finding it very difficult to have a proper match lately because you have simply outgrown your opponents and I can see why, you have improved so much over the past few years. It is truly remarkable.
Back to the point, the U-17 training camp that decides the Japanese representatives for the international junior tennis competition is coming up and there will be many strong players attending from across the country." Sakuno knew exactly what Sumire was talking about. When she was at school the Ryoma, it was all he would ever talk about, and Sakuno had made it a dream of hers to watch Ryoma play in the competition because, undoubtedly, he would compete. That was one thing Sakuno loved about Ryoma, once he set his mind to something, you could rest assured it would be done. No. Stop thinking about him. You decided long ago that your priority was going to be you and you weren't going to concern yourself with Ryoma for the time being. Sakuno thought to herself.
"Yes grandmother, it is a wonderful opportunity for players under seventeen year old but the camp is only for boys and there is no female equivalent because most of the girls my age don't care about tennis at the level needed for such an event." Sumire was a bit nervous about telling her beloved granddaughter this next part, "I know my darling Sakuno, and it might be crazy of me to even think of this, it's just that you show so much promise, well…I think you should go to the camp disguised as a boy. I could say you were a son of a friend from overseas and came to live with me in Japan because of family circumstances. What do you think?" Sakuno was shocked. Shocked and delighted however shocked all the same.
"Grandmother, I don't think I could pull it off. My hair..." Sakuno had beautiful wavy hazelnut hair that fell down to the nape of her lower back. "It is too beautiful to cut so we could have to tuck it into a hat and pin is so that is would be secure." Sumire answered without a second thought. "What about my chest?" Sakuno had become more daring with age and was no longer embarrassed by anything and everything. "You would have to bandage your chest every morning and then wear baggy shirts to conceal your breasts." Sakuno was concerned at first but now that she saw how much her grandmother believed in her she was motivated and if it meant she could play tennis against some strong opponents then she was all for it. "If you think they won't realize I am a girl then I just have to make sure to kick so serious butt out there!" "There is the fighting girl I know so well!"
Now that we have decided I'll be apart of the camp I will have to train with all my heart and become unbeatable! Sakuno decided with determination. After Sumire said she was free to go, Sakuno went to change so focused on her game that she didn't think at all about a certain cat-eyed boy and how he might be attending the same camp in a week's time.
Ryoma:
Ryoma let out a huge breath he hadn't realized he was holding once his feet made contact with he Japanese earth. It had been 3 years since he had left everyone and everything behind to train in America and he was dying to see everyone again, especially a certain girl with big brown eyes and long hazelnut hair. When he had said goodbye to Sakuno she was in tears, and Ryoma didn't quite grasp how large a part of his life she was until it was too late to do anything about it. Sakuno had confessed to him when they were still in school together but Ryoma had though nothing of it because he was so focused on his career. How could I have ever left such an amazing girl slip from my grasp? Ryoma thought to himself as he made his way to the taxi stand.
Ryoma hadn't told anyone he was coming home except for his annoying old man who swore that he would keep his return home a secret. He wanted it to be a surprise. It was just a lucky coincidence that his contract with the American tennis association ended just in time for him to rush back to Japan to be a part of the U-17 training camps.
Ryoma hopped in a cab and gave the driver directions to his family home. After he had left for America he had lost contact with all his teammates and he wondered how they were doing. He was disappointed that he had to leave everyone behind, especially after Tezuka wanted him to be the "Seigaku pillar of support". Ryoma rustled around in his bag until he found what he was looking for. It was a clear zip-lock bag full of about 30 or so letters from Sakuno he just could not part with.
For the first 6 months after Ryoma left Sakuno frequently wrote letters to him telling him that everyone was doing fine and how she was playing tennis more often with her grandmother but then all of a sudden the letters stopped coming. Ryoma was talking to his father enough to know she was safe so that wasn't the issue. Yes it is true that Ryoma never responded to her letters but if she had known him well, which she did, then she would not have been expecting a response. So why did she stop writing to him? It was a question he was going to ask when he met up with the girl from three years ago.
Ryoma continued to stare out the window and eventually drifted off. He dreamt of middle school; everyone was there. Everyone was at the tennis courts; it was a normal afternoon and they were all training together. He and Momo were in the middle of a practice match and Ryoma was laughing because his opponent was dripping in sweat and yelling at him but Ryoma didn't even have a bead of sweat on his face. Then he heard a faint "Go Ryoma!" from the sidelines. When he looked over he saw Sakuno with her loud and annoying best friends Tomoka. She was so beautiful; standing there with that gorgeous hair (still in twin braids) blowing in the wind and a slight flush forming on her perfectly angular face. They made eye contact for a second and Ryoma got a good look at the bright brown eyes staring back at him. Before he could do anything Sakuno looked away sheepishly and Tomoka ran towards him grabbing him by the arm and hugging him way to tightly for his liking.
The taxi hit a small bump and jolted Ryoma back into reality. Ryoma must have been sleeping for a while because they were already in his old neighborhood. Just as they were pulling down his street Ryoma saw a girl walking along the sidewalk. Ryoma had to blink twice she was so breathtakingly stunning. Her long hair reached far down her slender figure and her slim legs seemed to go on for days. When they drove by her he noticed she was carrying a tennis bag but Ryoma couldn't get a clear look at her face because she was wearing a tennis cap that was pulled over her eyes.
When Ryoma finally set down his bag in his old bedroom his thoughts were still on the mysterious girl. She occupied his mind for most of that night before he fell into a deep peaceful sleep.
