The Biggest Ferris Wheel
a/n: This is not a oneshot. LOL… my third fanfic. Please enjoy!
Summary: A new transfer student, a girl who excels in Tennis, and a Ryoma in love, and a heartbroken Sakuno.
THE PRESENT
Echizen Ryoma, age fifteen, a tennis prodigy, and a cocky brat, cannot sleep. He keeps tossing and turning in his bed, trying to erase the guilt that has been enveloping him ever since he parted with Sakuno that night.
Flashback
"You just used me." Sakuno stated. It wasn't in a question form. It was as if a confirmation of everything that he said earlier. Hurt was evident in her face.
"Gomen, Sakuno," he said, pulling his cap down. "I know I've hurt you---"
"Who wouldn't?" she cut him off in mid-sentence. Silence enveloped them.
"Ne, Ryoma," Sakuno was the first one to break the silence, looking at the biggest Ferris wheel that was lighted with various colored bulbs. " could we ride the Ferris wheel?"
He was stunned. He didn't expect this reaction from her. He expected her to be sobbing or crying her heart out or slapping him hard. But neither happened. Instead, this girl --- his soon-to-be ex-girlfriend --- ask him for a ride in a Ferris wheel. He cannot turn her down yet, neither is he planning to.
He stood up and grabbed the girl's hand. He bought the ticket.
They were seating opposite each other. Ryoma, on the far right corner of his seat, and Sakuno, on the far left. When the ride started to move, Sakuno spoke.
"Ryoma, can you look away?" She said. She knew so well that she can't hold back her tears anymore. She doesn't want Echizen to see her crying face.
Echizen obliged without asking questions. Soon enough, he heard sobs coming from the girl. He wanted to turn around to say sorry once more, but he knew that would hurt her even more. He closed his eyes and readied himself for what's to come.
"You know what, it really feels good to be high up here. Everything seems to look so good and you would start wishing to be up here forever. You wouldn't thought of falling down from here, coz it feels so secure." Sakuno started. Her feelings are starting to get the better of her. "When you first took me for a ride here, and asked me to be your girlfriend, did you know what you did to me? You pulled me up. You've let me fly with you up to the greatest heights of the sky. I never thought that I would fall from such a high place coz you staying beside me was an assurance. For me."
"But now, I realized. I was flying without wings. I was flying because you were holding onto my hand. The shadow of my wings that I see every time I look down was merely an illusion, because that shadow was yours to begin with."
"I fell. I fell down in the end, realizing that your grip was never too tight to let me fly with you forever. You were just holding on to me so that the person you really want to hold forever would form the need to fly with you."
"Have you ever given a thought if there would be someone who would catch me if I fall? Maybe there would be a lot of people who would cheer me up. But are they strong enough to lessen the impact?"
"Why did you do that to me? I was in love with you ever since I was twelve. I was there for you since the beginning. I was just happy to see your success… to see you happy… to see you smile… I didn't ask for this. In fact, I did not ask for anything!"
"Now I know the reason why you didn't say you love me. Why, in all those days that we spent together, I felt that you were never really with me. Now I know the reason why I didn't have the chance to tell you I love you… why I never felt that you are mine. Coz it never wasn't that way from the start."
Her sobs lessened. Ryoma was too dumbfounded to say anything. He didn't expect that Sakuno had loved her ever since two years ago. He thought that Sakuno just like him ---not love him --- coz she never said 'I love you' all throughout their relationship. Well, neither did he. He would be too guilty if he would lie to her to that extent, right?
"Ne, can I ask you a favor?" Sakuno spoke again, this time wiping her tears, as if ready to let go. " When we get out of this ride, can you forget about me? Can you intentionally avoid me? Can you forget about my name and just call me Ryuzaki once again? Can I call you Ryoma-kun once again? Can we go back from the beginning, and pretend that we never got close? Can we, Ryoma?"
He kept silent. He doesn't know what to do. Instead of answering, he lowered his cap once more.
"You wouldn't decide on this, right?" Sakuno mocked him. "Then I would."
In a louder voice, she made a vow to Heaven.
"I, Ryuzaki Sakuno, swear to Heaven, that I wouldn't have anything to do with Echizen Ryoma anymore."
Tears began to trickle from her face once again. A lump on her throat is making her talking difficult. Ryoma closed his eyes even more, not knowing what to do.
"From the moment I step out of this Ferris wheel, my ties with him will be forever broken." Then she turned to him. "Ryoma, avoiding me is the least you can do for me. Please, as a compensation for breaking up with me."
He turned to look at her. She smiled. He nodded. Maybe this is the best solution after all.
End of Flashback
They parted after that ride. Sakuno declined his offer to walk her home. Above all that, she called him Ryoma-kun.