Childhood Sweetheart
by Zero-onE001
'Ryo-chan...'
That awfully familiar name crossed my mind again... Every same situation, every single time... Just to remind of one thing... Just to COMMAND me one thing...
"I'm sorry Tarou-kun, but I already have someone in my mind," I replied bitterly. What can I do? That name is already locked in my thoughts. That name already takes over my whole mind, and my whole heart. I am a SERVANT of that name...
xXx
A braided-haired girl, around five to six years old, walked around as she searched for someone or something. As she looked to her right, a big smile crept its way through her face. She saw her object curling into a ball and sleeping under an orange tree. She ran toward her object and dropped on her knees. She watched her object—a certain emerald-haired lad—sleeping, purring quietly now and then. She chuckled and poked his nose.
"Ryo-chan..." she called. The lad purred again and somehow let out a grunt. She chuckled again. "Ryo-chan..."
The lad somehow managed to open his eyes. He saw white, only white. He tilted his cap upward and winced as sunlight hit his face. He also managed to slip a glance to the person who called him. Sleepy golden orbs stared into chocolate-brown ones. He closed his eyes yet again and let his cap hide his face. The girl pouted, "Mou, Ryo-chan!"
The lad grunted and managed to say, "It's Ryo-kun."
The girl's pout deepened, "-chan is cuter!"
Hearing no protest or reply, she called again, "Neh, Ryo-chan."
"Hn."
"Do you know who my parents are?" she asked with pure curiosity.
The lad sat up and leaned on the tree before tilting his head and looking at her, wondering, "Aren't 'Kaasan and Oyaji your parents too?"
The girl sighed and rolled her eyes. This is the disadvantage of being eleven months older than her so-called little brother, "Of course not. We are not siblings. I'm just taken here as an orphan."
"But you call Oyaji, Otousama and 'Kaasan, Okaasama. That does mean that they're your parents', right? And Oyaji told me that all of the kids here should be treated as my brother or sister. Isn't that true?" the emerald-haired child asked.
The girl sighed and mentally slapped her forehead. She wanted to say, "Mou, Ryo-chan... You're awfully talkative today," but refrained to do so for she could see that her object was desperately trying to figure out what she meant, "Hmm... How can we put it like this...? Otousama and Okaasama technically are my parents since I'm living in an orphanage owned by them. And you and Ryoga-niichan are their real children. The other kids here are... well... orphans too," she explained, though, even she didn't understand what she explained. She just heard that when her Rinko-okaasama and Nanjiroh-otousama talked with their clients. She looked at the younger boy who was trying to comprehend what she meant.
"Hmm... So you're not really my sister. Then, who are your parents?" he looked up at her as he asked.
The girl sweat dropped. "I thought that was what I'm asking you... Never mind... Well, will you agree if someone adopts me?"
The lad gaped and stared at her incredulously, "What does 'adopt' mean?"
She sweat dropped, she had expected that he'll say 'no' or something in negative, but it didn't come... Oh well, "Never mind... Too young to understand. What'll you do if I leave?"
The younger boy stared at her, wondering what had gotten into her to ask stupid questions, but he answered, nonetheless, "Of course I will d-.."
"Chibisuke! Sakuno-chan! Where are you?"
The two children's attention was lifted and the braided-haired girl was tad disappointed.
"Hai!"
Too bad, she hadn't gotten an answer...
xXx
"Sakuno-chan!" a girl in pigtails yelled from afar. Said 'Sakuno-chan' turned her head and smiled, "Ohayou to you too, Tomo-chan."
"Waai!" Osakada Tomoka squealed as she gave her best friend a tight bear hug. "So, how was it? How was it? How was it?"
Sakuno stared at her best friend, confusion clouding her chocolate-brown orbs as her best friend clasped her hands and looked at the sky with heart-shaped eyes, or rather, in fangirling mode, which added to her confusion, "What 'it'?"
Tomoka gasped, "Your date! Your date with Tarou-sama!"
Sakuno mouthed an inaudible 'ahh' before sighing and looking at her best friend suspiciously, "You set that up, didn't you?"
Tomoka grinned sheepishly as she raised her balled fist, "Yeah! I'm really awesome, right? Soooo... How was it?"
"Yeah, I think so too..." Sakuno paused. "I rejected him."
Tomoka froze, "What? What do you mean?"
Sakuno sighed, "I mean what I said..."
"Wah... But why? Why? Tarou-sama is the ideal and he likes you! Any girl in school swoons when he's around, except you! Why. Did. You. Reject. Him?" Tomoka exclaimed while shaking the life out of her best friend.
"You do know that I already have someone in my mind."
Tomoka stopped, stared at her shortly before sighing, "Can't you move on? It's been six years since you left the orphanage and still, you can't forget that Ryo-chan of yours. Is it still kick of sibling complex? Is it still puppy love?"
Sakuno looked down, unsure of what to say, "I... I don't know either... When months passed since I left them, I thought I was only missing him... When a year passed, I longed on how heshoved a bag of cookies and a can of soda in my face... When years... I don't know... I always think of him."
Tomoka leaned on the table, staring at Sakuno intently. Sakuno didn't even notice that they had arrived in their classroom, "I think you're already in love with him... whoever he is."
Sakuno sat down as she arranged her books, "I don't appreciate love that time... I'm just six back then."
"Yeah... But now, you already do..."
xXx
The six-year-old braided-haired girl was lying on her stomach under an orange tree as she read a pictured storybook. An emerald-haired boy, around her age, walked towards her, a bag of cookies and two cans of soda in his hands. He leaned against the tree and opened the cookie bag, sharing it quietly with the girl. The girl took a piece and stuffed in her mouth, "Neh, Ryo-chan."
"Hn?"
"Nanako-oneesama suggested that I should cut my hair for it's already way too long. What do you think?"
A long pause erupted before the emerald-haired boy held a braid and twirled it around his fingers. He then mouthed, "I prefer it long... and braided."
xXx
Sakuno chuckled slightly at the memory as she continued hitting tennis balls alternately against a wall. 'That's why I kept my hair long…and braided.'
"Hair too long," a voice from behind muttered, making Sakuno gasped. She turned around and stared at Ryoma who was bouncing a tennis ball on his racket and sipping his favorite soda calmly.
"Ryoma-kun," she addressed politely, "How may I help you?"
"Betsuni," he stated and calmly walked away. Sakuno stared at his retreating back with a blush spreading on her face. She hastily shook her head as if she had just waken up from a daydream.
'Mou... I feel that I'm getting attracted to Ryoma-kun even though I have Ryo-chan in my mind... That can't be... I will be betraying Ryo-chan if this continues,' she thought as she ran away.
xXx
"Otousama, Okaasama!" the auburn-haired girl ran towards the direction of their orphanage's main office, her pigtails bouncing behind her. She knocked several times and entered when she was given permission to. She was faced with her 'Otousama' and 'Okaasama'. Rinko smiled at her, "What is it, Sakuno-dear?"
The young girl looked up, eyes brimming with unshed tears, "I-is it true? Is it true that I'm getting adopted?"
Rinko's smile faltered and she picked the younger girl up, letting her sit on her lap, "Yes..."
The girl, as much as she wanted to pull her tears back, sobbed, "B-but...! I... I'm already contented here... You and Otousama already are my parents... I don't need another..."
Rinko patted the younger girl's head and smiled, "Don't worry Sakuno, they'll be good parents..."
xXx
'*sigh* Does Ryo-chan still remember me? *sigh* I miss Okaasama and Otousama... I've tried locating the orphanage but it's already closed... I wonder why...
'Maybe they're already tired of adopting children... or maybe they're focusing more on Ryo-chan's studies... or maybe, just maybe, th-...!' her train of thoughts abruptly stopped as she bumped into someone, falling on her behind.
She nursed her aching lower back as the other person picked their things up rapidly and muttered, "Gomen, Ryuuzaki" before speeding up. Sakuno was surprised the least. She hadn't even guessed that he was the one who bumped on her. She stared at his running figure, 'I wonder why he is running...'
She stood up and started to leave when she stepped on something... soft. She lifted her foot and picked the item.
A wallet.
His wallet.
Ryoma-kun's wallet.
xXx
"Happy birthday, Ryo-chan!" the auburn-haired girl greeted her guy companion while handing a silver locket with a tennis ball design. The emerald-haired boy took it and smiled slightly which she returned.
"Arigatou, Sakuno-chan..." he said as he kissed her in her cheek as a 'thank you' kiss.
"You're welcome!" the girl said cheerfully as a double flash of camera blinded them. The two blinked and stared at the older emerald-haired guy holding a Polaroid camera.
"Ayie! Chibisuke and Sakuno-chan really are cute! Happy birthday, Chibisuke!" he said he took the newly printed photo he just captured. "Here, it's my gift," he handed one photo to the boy and one to the girl, "and a bonus blow out for Sakuno-chan!"
The two stared at the photo. The girl smiled, "Arigatou, Ryoga-niichan!"
xXx
Sakuno contemplated if she should open and take a peek at the wallet. She merely stared at it for a while before sighing. 'Mou... What shall I do to this? Part of me wants to open it, even though I perfectly knew that that isn't right... I'm curious as what does the 'Prince' has inside his wallet... Jeez... I feel like I'm Tomo-chan... *sigh* Might as well leave it here.'
And so she did.
As she was planning to leave, she took one last glance at the wallet and...
Picked it up,'Maybe it wouldn't hurt if I just took a peek, right? It's been killing me! Besides, who said I'll tell anyone?'
Evil, evil, Sakuno-chan...
As she opened the item, what she saw made her gasp...
Tears welled in her eyes as she stared at the wallet, trembling and eyes widening. Inside the wallet are photos... photos of the owner... together with a girl. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she looked at the photos, her hand madly shaking.
There were photos of the owner and the girl, smiling... There were photos of them, their pinkies twirled, their forehead and nose touching, and they were grinning... There were pictures of the owner, kissing the girl in her cheeks.
There were the photos of the emerald-haired lad and the auburn-haired braided girl...
'R-ryo-Ryoma-kun... i-is... Ryo-chan!'
xXx
"I will miss you, Ryo-chan...," the auburn-haired girl whispered from under the same orange tree. The lad slightly pouted beside her as she sobbed.
"I think I will too, Sakuno-chan... You will return, right?" the emerald-haired lad asked, eyes filled with hope.
"I... I don't know either... My new Okaasan said that we will travel in Kyushu Region and I will study there... But I promise, I'll return and I'll find you..."
"Really?"
"Un," she raised her pinky and twirled it around the lad's pinky. She smiled, "This is what we do to keep our promises, right?"
The lad grinned, "This is childish, you know?"
"Yep..." she also grinned, and slightly leaned on his forehead as their noses touched each other.
xXx
The Prince of Tennis, as what would his fans call him, was playing tennis with the wall with his over calmed features. But inside his mind, in his chibi form, he was pacing back and forth, back and forth.
'Where did I leave that wallet? Stupid, stupid! I don't remember getting that out of my bag, so how come it isn't there anymore! Did someone steal it? Aaahh! It can't be! There is a-…'
"Anou, Ryoma-kun," a voice from behind made him nearly trip over his shoe, but being the Prince, and the Prince has awesome reflexes, he prevented that, thinking that it wasn't manly to trip over own shoe... in front of a girl nonetheless.
He faced the girl with his oh-so-famous poker face and blurted, "Nani?"
Sakuno blushed; he seemed pissed, she thought, "A-anou... I-it seemed t-to f-fell when w-we bumped to each o-other yesterday...," she stuttered out as she handed him his wallet, eyes closed and trembling slightly. Ryoma's eyes widened for a fraction of second before getting the wallet and turning around. "A... E-etou... Ryoma-kun... Ahm... Ryo-chan... Etou... Ugh..."
Ryoma turned and faced her again; his cocky smirk present in his face, "Took you long enough."
Sakuno looked up at him, her unvoiced question seemingly answered; however, she didn't get what he had just said, "Hah?"
Ryoma grinned and bent down slightly, his face an inch away from her. She blushed furiously at the closeness and closed her eyes. Ryoma gave her a peck on her cheek and mouthed, "Arigatou, Sakuno-chan."
She snapped her eyes open and stared at the smirking Ryoma, 'Fa-familiar...' and then she remembered...
The emerald-haired lad slightly smiled at her, the locket clasped in his hands. He kissed the girl in her cheek as a 'thank you' kiss and mouthed, "Arigatou, Sakuno-chan..."
"R-ryo-chan..." she whispered.
Ryoma smirked, "Mada mada dane."
Sakuno let her eyes close and she smiled. "Ryoma-kun."