Ryoma was a hard case to crack, his mind worked like rocket science. Even if you gave him an incredible compliment he wouldn't say a thing.
Everyone who knew Ryoma well knew this and so did Sakuno Ryuzaki. She knew him better than anyone did somehow.
She kept her distance when necessary and when Ryoma wanted her to be around he'd find a way to show it.
One day, something changed. Sakuno was sitting after one of his tennis matches for his last middle school match and they were soon going to be in high school.
Ryoma walked past Sakuno then stopped expecting Sakuno to follow close behind. But when she didn't he looked back at her.
Sakuno just stared back into his eyes with a blank face. Ryoma looked way then pulled his hat down "bye" he said then walked away slowly as if everything was normal.
Ryoma walked all the way home and half listened to Horio while he talked then stepped inside and shut the door. There, he broke. He started breathing heavily and clutching his chest which was going a million miles an hour.
His cheeks went completely red and his hands shook.
His mother walked to Ryoma then frowned
"what's wrong? Are you sick?" she asked about to check his forehead but he shook his back and forth fast then ran upstairs.
"Ryoma! Where are you-" his mom gave up then shaking her head mumbling about his strange behavior.
Later, he came down for dinner after calming down but his brain was somewhere else far away.
"Mom, can I…question" Ryoma said looking over his shoulder to make sure his father didn't hear anything.
Her eyebrows went up, he'd never asked questions because of his arrogant attitude and barely talked at all.
"Yes" she agreed, curious.
Ryoma's cheeks went red.
"If you had an old tennis racquet that you never used much but it was still beautiful would give it a try or would just leave it be? Because that tennis racquet is very dear to you and you don't want to damage her-it at all. Or, because the racquet is so special, use it in your tennis match?" Ryoma asked.
Ryoma's mom tilted her head then smiled when she realized Ryoma was not talking about tennis at all.
"I think I would take the racquet that was dear and take that chance that she-it will get hurt or you will" she told him.
Ryoma nodded then walked off.
The next few weeks Ryoma noticed things about Sakuno he hadn't before.
She was very observant and was not gutless because he found when he acted dense she called him a baka.
Maybe it was true but girls are confusing.
Then school break came, he didn't see Sakuno at all since his family took a vacation to the tropical islands.
His growth spurt had finally started and very quickly.
He sat on the porch sighing and rubbing his legs in attempt to make the pain stop, his father came out.
"Ryoma, what are you doing up?" Nanjiro asked blinking but hiding the porn behind his back.
Ryoma stared "growing pains, my arms and legs hurt" he replied.
Nanjiro smirked "finally, I was afraid you'd stay short forever" he rambled making Ryoma glare at him.
"Okay, okay, I'll go get you some medicine" Nanjiro replied then went back inside and came back with water and a pill.
Ryoma took the pill and swallowed it, gulping down water.
He bounced his leg up and down rapidly "I can't keep still! Every time I get up to get rid of the energy it just hurts again!" he growled in frustration.
"Welcome to the land of teenagers" Nanjiro replied smirking.
"Well I hate it! Ugh, stupid growing pains, stupid sempais, stupid girls" he growled.
Nanjiro's eyes widened "what was that last part?" he asked in hope that his son, that hadn't shown interest in girls at all for years.
Ryoma was so angry and frustrated because of the pain he didn't realize he was actually saying what he felt.
"The sempais kept pointing out to me that Ryuzaki's figure had changed and I just had to go and look and now she's…she's not shy anymore and almost never stutters and I don't know what do!" he yelled in frustration and his voice cracked.
When that happened he blushed "arghh!" he then stormed off into the house and went to bed.
Nanjiro smirked evilly "so, that son of mine has a crush on Sakuno-chan huh?" then read his porn mag.