Facing Change
One-Shot
By: fanfatic08
A/N: Hello, minna-san! Okay, so this is just a little something for Valentine's Day. Hope you enjoy!
"Sakuno-chan, what are you planning on doing tomorrow for Valentine's Day?" Tomoka asked her best friend as she slung her bag on her left shoulder.
"Anou… I don't really know yet. I might give Ryoma-kun some chocolates… or not…" Sakuno answered, fiddling with the hem of her skirt. She was nervous.
"KYA! You're finally going to confess to Ryoma-sama!" Tomoka screamed, putting her face in front of Sakuno. Her excitement was evident on her face. "Don't worry, Sakuno! You can do it!" She cheered in a rather loud voice.
"E-Eh! Tomo-chan, you're too loud." Sakuno said, looking right and left, blushing to a bright red.
"Ah! I know! Let's make the chocolates in my house! You can sleep there, too. I'm sure Ryuzaki-sensei wouldn't mind."
"I-I guess that's okay…" Sakuno said, smiling at her friend.
"It's settled then. Let's go talk to your obaa-chan then head out to buy the ingredients!" Tomoka said as she dragged her friend out of the room, towards the tennis courts.
-/-/-/-/-/-
"15 to Love," Horio spoke as he refereed for Momoshiro and Ryoma's practice match.
"Oi, oi. Echizen, what's going on?" Momoshiro asked, wondering why the tennis prodigy was unable to return an easy shot.
"Nothing," Ryoma muttered before tugging on his cap. He went into position and waited for his senpai to serve. This time he returned the shot and scored.
Ryoma continued to play the game absentmindedly. His mind kept on drifting on to what his mother said that morning before he left for morning practice.
Flashback...
"Ittadakimasu!" Ryoma said before digging into his Japanese style breakfast.
"Ryoma-kun," Rinko said, catching her son's attention as she sat down on the chair opposite him.
"Mm?" Ryoma looked up from his food.
"I was just wondering if you had a girl that you liked." Rinko said slowly as if she was scared to drive her son away.
Ryoma coughed on his food before gaining his composure. He didn't answer. Instead, he tugged on his cap and continued to eat.
"Eh? So you do have one!" Rinko exclaimed, eyes sparkling.
Ryoma kept quiet.
"So? Who is she?" Rinko asked, intrigued. Clearly it had to be someone very special to have caught her son's attention.
Ryoma looked up from his food only to glare at his mother.
Rinko, knowing that she would never be able to force it out of him, kept quiet and thought of something.
"Ittakimasu!" Ryoma said as he opened the sliding door.
"Eh? When did you get there?" Rinko said as she went to the door and handed something to Ryoma. "Here. Get her something nice for tomorrow."
Ryoma just looked at his mom quizzically, then to the credit card on his hands.
"Girls aren't the only ones who's supposed to make an effort on Valentine's Day. Now, go!" Rinko smiled as she pushed Ryoma out.
End of Flashback...
What can I give her? Ryoma asked himself before he realized what he just thought. You're not seriously going to buy her something… are you? A part of him asked.
Ryoma shook his thoughts away before he ended up having an argument with himself. He stepped forward and hit another shot from Momoshiro.
That can do... Ryoma thought before he ended the match with a smash.
"6 games to 2. Game, match and set goes to Echizen Ryoma."
"Mada mada dane, senpai!" Ryoma said before grabbing his things and heading for the club house.
"What's wrong with him?" Momoshiro asked.
"Must be the Valentine's Day spirit making its way to his head." Horio said.
"Aaaah, young love…" Momoshiro said, grinning.
-/-/-/-/-/-
"Anou… Tomo-chan, who do you plan on giving your chocolates to?" Sakuno asked softly, looking at her friend who was paying the cashier.
"Ah. Eh… Anou…" Tomoka blushed before grabbing her change and the bag of groceries.
"Eh?" Sakuno looked at Tomoka, following her with another bag of groceries in hand.
"What's wrong, Tomo-chan? You're flustered." Sakuno asked after a few minutes, walking fast to keep up with Tomoka's pace.
"Nothing," she answered as her face finally started to go back to its usual color.
Sakuno continued on following Tomoka with a questioning look. After a few more minutes they were inside the Osakada residence.
"AH! You're giving them to Horio-kun!" Sakuno blurted out.
"Eh? What gave you that idea?" Tomoka said, going bright red again.
"Tomo-chan, you're blushing…" Sakuno looked at her, amused.
"W-whatever!" Tomoka said before turning her back from Sakuno.
Sakuno just smiled and followed her to the kitchen.
"By the way, Tomo-chan, where are your parents and siblings?" Sakuno asked, finally noticing the silence of the household.
"They went to visit our relatives and left me to take care of the house."
"Oh," Sakuno said before they started to work on their chocolates.
-/-/-/-/-/-
"Tomo-chan, what's the matter?" Sakuno asked groggily. She sat up from the futon Tomoka has set up last night and rubbed her eyes before opening them to see Tomoka pacing back and forth in her room.
"Tomo-chan?" Sakuno asked as her eyes followed her friend, watching as she constantly pulls on the roots of her hair.
"Tomo-chan!" Sakuno tried again, this time louder. But she kept on walking like she didn't here Sakuno call her name.
"Tomo-chan!" Sakuno shouted, instantly blushing afterwards, realizing that she had just shouted.
"What? Why? Eh?" Tomoka looked anxiously from left to right before her eyes landed on Sakuno.
"What's wrong, Tomo-chan? You look nervous."
"It's nothing." Tomoka said as she finally settled down on her bed.
"Okay," Sakuno whispered as she got up and started to fix the futon.
"I'm just worried." Tomoka started, making Sakuno look at her before deciding to take a seat beside her. "What if he doesn't accept it? What if he does? How much will things change? Will it change for the better or for the worse? I-I'm … scared." Tomoka continued, saying the last word in a whisper.
"Eh? You're really going to give chocolates to Horio-kun?" Sakuno asked, surprised.
"Mou, Sakuno-chan!" Tomoka said as she allowed herself to fall back to the bed.
Sakuno thought for a few minutes before she finally spoke, "Mou, Tomo-chan, what's happening to you? You wouldn't normally act like this. The Tomo-chan I know will just walk up to Horio-kun and hand him the chocolates without any fear or nervousness." She smiled at her friend as she finished.
"You're right! Why am I worrying, anyway?" Tomoka said as she sat up and smiled back at Sakuno. "Arigatou, Sakuno-chan." Tomoka said before hugging Sakuno.
"Yosh! Let's go!"
-/-/-/-/-/-
Ryoma looked up at the sky. The sun was beginning to set yet there was still no sign of her. He sighed and just continued to lie down on the cold cement of the rooftop of SEIGAKU. He had been there since the end of the last period. He didn't even bother to show up for their tennis practice. He looked at the door again.
What could be taking her so long? Was she even going to show up? What if she wasn't even planning on giving me some chocolates? After all, I haven't been kind to her. These thoughts dominated Ryoma's mind and he couldn't help but remember all the time that he had ignored her.
Maybe she really isn't coming. Oh, well. Ryoma thought as he closed his eyes.
-/-/-/-/-/-
"Ryoma-kun," Sakuno whispered from behind the only door going to and away from the rooftop. She was panting. She had searched the entire school campus just to look for him. She hadn't really thought that he would be here. He never came here except for lunch break.
Sakuno took a deep breath and was about to open the door when all of the things that Tomoka said made their way to her brain.
Will things really change that much? Should I be worried about the outcome? If, only if, Ryoma-kun accepts, what will happen? I will be the happiest person on Earth. She smiled at how cliché that sounded but knew that it was true. But how will we be treating each other afterwards? And, if Ryoma-kun declines... I don't think I can handle it...
She lowered her hand then remembered Tomoka. She started to worry about her friend. She was in the same place as her. What did I just do? What if Tomo-chan gets hurt? What if- No, Tomo-chan is strong... unlike me. Maybe I just shouldn't give Ryoma-kun some chocolates. I'm not yet ready for the change...
"Tomo-chan, looks like I'm the one who should have been worried. I'm the one who's… scared." She whispered. "I can't face it yet… I can't face the change just yet…"
With that, Sakuno turned and started to descend the stairs.
A/N: Okay, so how did you like that? Please leave a review!
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Yup, I was kidding. That wasn't the end yet.
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Sakuno turned and started to descend the stairs when her clumsy nature kicked in. She tripped on her own foot and was falling down, head first. She closed her eyes and got ready for impact but felt nothing but two strong arms around her waist suspending her in air. She opened her eyes and realized that her face was just inches away from the floor. She felt the arms stand her upright and steady her. She looked up to have her eyes meet two golden, cat-like eyes.
"R-Ryoma-kun?" Sakuno's eyes widened in shock.
"What are you doing here?" Ryoma asked, indifferently.
"I… Anou…" Sakuno looked down at her shoes before she finally decided to just offer the chocolates to him. She raised her hands with the chocolate on them. "I-I was just wondering if…" she looked away, unable to make eye contact with the prince.
Ryoma just stared at the chocolates before side-stepping and moving around Sakuno.
Sakuno closed her eyes, trying hard to keep her tears inside at least until Ryoma had gone away. I guess that was expected. He wouldn't want anything from me. Sakuno thought as her hands started to tremble.
Tears were about to leak from her eyes when she felt something being placed around her neck. She opened her eyes and saw two hands placing something around her neck. Her hands made their way to her chest where it found the letters "R" and "S" dangling from a silver chain. Her eyes made their way to the prince who was busy fastening the lock behind her neck. Then she saw his annoyed look. Sakuno chuckled, realizing that it was because he couldn't fasten the locks.
Ryoma glared at her before he felt her hands make their way to his as they took over and fastened the lock in no time.
"Arigatou, Ryoma-kun." Sakuno said, blushing furiously.
"Mn," was all Ryoma said as he took Sakuno's chocolates before he started to descend the stairs.
"I guess that wasn't so bad… Facing change…" Sakuno whispered.
"You coming?" Ryoma asked as he turned to face Sakuno.
"A-ah! H-Hai!" Sakuno said as she rushed to catch up with Ryoma.
A/N: Okay, so this is my longest one-shot and I hope my efforts will pay off. Please leave a review. Tell me what you thought of it. Comments, suggestions, and flames are welcome. Both anonymous and signed reviews are accepted. Thank you, minna-san!