Kentarou Aoi looked at Ryoma he was really excited that they could have a match again. But suddenly he looked passed Ryoma towards the group of people behind him and he whistled, and then smiled. "Ryoma, come here." He said and crooked his finger at Ryoma. Ryoma was semi-used to this after spending so much time with him. They'd had many practice matches. Ryoma sighed, and walked over. The two groups looked on in amusement. When Ryoma's faced turned puzzled, they became curious. Ryoma whispered back.

"Who are you talking about?" Kentarou pointed at Sakuno, Ryoma's eyebrow rose. "What about her?"

"What's her name?" Kentarou asked.

"Ryusaki, Sakuno Ryusaki, why?" Ryoma frowned a little, what did he want with her?

"I think she's really cute. Is she a freshman like us? Is she dating anyone, can I ask her out? Or do any of you like her. Have I met her before, I think I have, hey why don't you introduce us?" Kentarou got really excited. Ryoma looked at him, he was kind of mad, but he calmed his facial features and replied.

"She's a freshman, you've met before, at the beach, no she's not with anyone, and no you can't ask her out. She's interested in someone else, and that person is going to ask her out soon. No I won't introduce you." Ryoma then turned away, and ignored the rest of Kentarou's pleas. Suddenly Kentarou got quiet, so Ryoma turned around. Kentarou seemed to be in a thinking position. Finally he smiled again and whispered.

"You like her don't you?"

"And if I do?" Ryoma said back glaring openly this time.

"Fine she's yours, but we're friends and I want an introduction to the girl who's got your attention. If you don't I'll do it myself, and she'll probably be embarrassed. After all, she'd probably feel so sorry for me that she'll go get a drink with me. You never know she might end up liking me more than you." Kentarou looked off as if he was about to do as he promised when Ryoma's arm stopped him.

"Fine, but she'll never like you as much as me." Ryoma whispered back. He turned to the groups behind him. "Hey Sakuno, come here." He ordered. Everyone was shocked Ryoma never called Sakuno by her first name. Sakuno was so shocked she just walked over and stood in front of them. This was getting interesting for our match making sepias.

"Hai, Ryoma-kun?"

"You remember Kentarou Aoi, right?" Sakuno nodded. "He wanted to say hello." With that Ryoma shut his mouth. Kentarou frowned.

"That wasn't a very good introduction." He then turned back to Sakuno and grabbed her hands in his. "Hi I'm Kentarou Aoi, a friend of Ryoma's, I seem to have met you before, but I don't remember. Sorry, so I'd like to reintroduce myself and say YOU'R REALLY CUTE. I can't believe no one's dating you right now. If you came to my school, I'd pick you up, or at least try to, and ask you to be my girlfriend before someone else did. Anyway, since you don't do you want to become friends. I like friends who are girls. To bad I don't know many thanks to always being around guys. Anyway what do you say? Want to be friends?" During this entire process, Kentarou had been shaking Sakuno's hand and right now she seemed to be getting swirls for her eyes now. Got to remember Sakuno's balance is usually out of whack, but with all that shaking it was making it worse.

Ryoma noticed this and placed his hand on Kentarou's arm effectively stopping him. Kentarou looked at him and then at Sakuno, and turned immediately red. "I'm so sorry are you okay? I just get so excited when I met new people especially people I like. You are alright, right?"

Sakuno looked at him, and started laughing. She was really happy; she'd never gotten a complement like that from someone, defiantly not a boy. She was always ignored when it came to guys. It was like she never registered on their radar's. Especially around tennis players; they were always too preoccupied with tennis. And since she wasn't really beautiful no one noticed her. That was why Tomo and she got along to well. Tomo was loud and caught attention, and that help Sakuno met new people, she was to shy to talk to on her own. In return she kept Tomo from going wild, she calmed her down. It was really nice to be noticed for once.

In a surprising turn, it gave her a confidence boost and she said before thinking. "I'd love to go out some time; why not after the practice game?" She then realized what she was saying, and stopped; and her face turned red. She looked from Ryoma's surprised face back to Kentarou really happy one.

"Do you mean it?" he asked, he was surprised she said yes too, but he wouldn't kick a gift horse in the mouth. "That sounds wonderful. Will you wait?"

"Ah, sure, I mean I came with my friends so I have to wait any way." Sakuno didn't like going back on her word, and since her big mouth got her into this mess, she'd just have to go trough with it.

"That's great." Kentarou then yelled. "Hey let's hurry and start this match. I have to go somewhere with a pretty girl and I don't want to keep her waiting. So who do I get to play?" They had pulled numbered straws earlier to decide players. At the time Ryoma had felt unlucky to have pulled the same number as Kentarou, he wanted to play Fuji, but now it didn't feel so unlucky anymore. He suddenly felt like pummeling Kentarou into the ground.

"I am." Ryoma said, if you didn't know him well you'd miss the barely there anger in his, but all could tell he was really serious. This would really be interesting after all.

There was a prize to win, and Sakuno was it; though she didn't know it, yet.

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