SesshoumaruXRin: Hey guys, this is the rewrite version, I'm deleting the old one cuz it really sucked. Bad. I was going to say I'm going to send everyone who reviewed the link to this rewrite, but apparently I had 50 reviews, so yeah I think I'll just leave my old one up for now. And I also realized my chapters are so short! They feel long when I'm writing it xD So I guess I'll try to make them longer, maybe take a dab at writing a little bit at a time instead of doing it all in one sitting. But I work so much better that way...:) Anyways, I hope you like! :)

Disclaimeter: I do not own Prince of Tennis or any of its titles.

OoOoOoOoOo

The sun shone brightly today, even though Sakuno felt more gloomier than ever. She really did try to make the best out of everything. Whatever that is supposed to mean. How does one make the best out of her situation? What would have Tomoka done? With a big sigh, Sakuno slouched her shoulders in, not caring about posture for the moment. 'Mou...I can't believe Tomoka moved to the other side of Japan right before our second year of junior high. I'm so alone! I spent almost the entire year last year to myself...Well, I mean I did acquire some friends to at least pretend we were close friends. People to sit with, laugh with sometimes, occasionally go for a sundae. I mostly just said I had to focus on my studies.'

"Heeeey Sakuno!" Greeted Maya from a distance, probably the closest one that's actually come to filling just a little bit of Tomoka's spot. She winced. She's gotten used to not hearing her best friend's voice shout her name, just like that, but maybe even a little louder. She smiled weakly and waved. 'Maybe this would've been just a little more bearable if he were here...' Sakuno wildly shook her head. 'No, No, NO! Do not think like that! Do not hope! Do not imagine! You'll only hurt yourself further Sakuno, get a grip! Besides, even if he was here...it'd be just like before. You desperately trying to get his attention and failing miserably every time. And the only times you did, it's because you were a clutz, embarrassing yourself. Or had too long of hair, wobbly hips and rigid knees..."

Sakuno plopped into her homeroom chair, pulling out a notebook to doodle on. She pulled out her favorite pencil that had tennis designs on it, with a half erased tennis ball eraser at the end. She doodled absent mindedly as she listened to some of her classmate's conversations.

"Man, what does a guy have to do to get a date around here?" said Kyo, two seats in front of her. Which was still far from the front of the room, considering she was seated in the last row. She truly did thank her teacher for that.

"Um, be attractive?" Kyo gave Akira a good punch in the arm for that remark, while Horio, Katsuo, and Kachiro laughed at him. The trio smiled and nodded at her but didn't say anything.

"Seriously, I have plenty of admirable qualities. These girls are too picky. It's not like there's that 'perfect guy' out there who has good looks, amazing talent, and whatever else makes girls swoon. I swear, if they just sit here and wait for their prince charming, um HELLO, news flash? He's not coming." Sakuno winced again. She's been doing that a lot lately. She knows he wasn't talking to her, but somehow the words hit home. 'Mou, it's not like I'm waiting for him or anything. He's no prince charming either...' She knew, though, she thought he was better than prince charming. He was real. He didn't prance around on a white horse. No, he would pull down that famous white cap, with that trademark smirk of his getting the swoons of every girl that was in the vicinity. She knew he didn't like those show off-y girls. Then again, last time she saw him he was 12. Things may be different now...more hormones...Sakuno's stomach did an uneasy flip as she pushed the horrendous pictures out of her mind.

"Well, I don't know about prince charming, but I do know of a certain prince they might all by vying for. I swear that guy stole all the girl hearts in this school." Horio furrowed his still uni-brow. "Mmhmm, I don't doubt it for a minute. Even thousands of miles away, he's still stealing the spotlight!" Kyo and Akira looked at each other, then back at Horio.

"Who are you talking about?"

"Why none other than the Prince of Tennis of course! Ryoma Echizen. He took this school by storm his freshman year. Went abroad to compete in tennis tournaments."

"I'm not much into tennis so I don't know all about that, but I have heard his name being said by a few girls with obnoxiously big hearts in their eyes." Kyo rolled his eyes at the memory. "It was so annoying. I was wondering who he was."

"My dad's big into tennis and I've watched a lot of things with him. I know enough to have heard his name a million times before. He's taking the world by storm, they say he's going to become the best player in the world before he even reaches 20. I don't know if I believe that but it's certainly pretty cool someone's saying it!"

"Yeah but the lucky bastard wasn't interested in any girls...tennis was the only thing on his brain. Ne, Ryuzaki?" Sakuno whipped her head up at hearing her name. Akira and Kyo looked over, wondering since when did they ever address the quiet girl's name that sits two seats behind them. So Ryuzaki was her name? They have never even heard her speak before, their teachers never ever called on her and she never raised her hand.

"E-e-eto, h-hai! H-he would always have a racket in hand and tennis on the brain." Kyo blushed. 'What a sweet voice.' He'd never really noticed her before and now he's wondering how he hadn't, she was incredibly gorgeous. Long, wavy hair and big eyes that were complemented by the pink scattering across her cheeks.

"But then again...if he ever showed any interest of any form, it would've been Ryuzaki, they did spend a lot of time together." Kyo mentally cursed. Figures. He couldn't help but think it was incredibly adorable how her face turned beet red at Horio's comment.

"N-n-no! We really didn't spend that m-much time together! I was mostly bothering him all the time anyway, he would just help me with my tennis. He couldn't even call it a warm up for him..." Sakuno looked to the side, sadly. She missed him. She really did. No matter how many times during the day she would try to not think about him, she could never stop herself from hurrying home and watching his tennis matches, Googling any new article about him, any type of information...like relationship status for instance...

"Aw don't sweat it Sakuno, you've gotten extremely good! You said it yourself the captain said you were super close to making it as a regular. Just wait until Echizen comes back and you can show him how well you've improved!" said Kachiro, attempting to cheer Sakuno up the best he could, not realizing it made things worse.

"I won't wait. He's never coming back and I know it." Sakuno was too upset to notice the trio's shocked faces look right behind her.

"Who's never coming back?"

Shivers ran up her spine. 'This voice. I-it couldn't be...it's deeper, more mature but still unmistakably his.' She stood frozen for the slightest millisecond, then looked to her right. Her eyes were met with an extremely sculpted arm...broad shoulders...and finally, the face she felt she's known all her life but much, much more handsome. Much. She was speechless. Breathless, even. She stared up at him with the purest look on her face. Is it true? Can I? Can I believe it's you? So many questions stirred around in her head, yet none at all. The man she's seen through the TV and computer screen so many times is finally here, finally within reach. Touchable.

"Ryoma-kun..." Then, instant fear gripped her. What if he didn't remember her? What if he did, and remembered her as the annoying girl he has to be nice to cuz of the coach? As if reading her scatterbrained mind, he smirked.

"Ryuzaki. I see your hair is still as long as ever." And all of a sudden, the world was lifted off her shoulders. More than that. The blissful feeling of the memories that once felt so long ago are here, now, in this time frame.

And her peace was shattered. By the screams of every fan girl in the entire school, overloading the hallways, getting a glimpse and glaring at the girls that got to walk into the classroom because it was their classroom. The principal came down, clearing the hallway and the teacher got the class to sit down. Ryoma walked up to the front and wrote his name on the board, even though mostly everyone knew his name anyway. The teacher cleared his throat.

"As you all may know, this here is Ryoma Echizen and he has come back from America to once again attend Seishun Gakuen. I'm sure all of you will give him a warm welcome. Echizen-san, you can sit next to-" But before he could even say or move towards anyone, Echizen somehow was already seated next to Ryuzaki, his head propped up by his arm. Ryuzaki blushed and Ryoma cast one quick smirk over her way then gave the teacher a bored look as if saying continue with your lesson.

Lunchtime

Sakuno peeked at the clock, just one minute before lunch time. She looked over at the sleeping Ryoma. He was facing her with his head in his arms. He truly looked like an angel while he slept and it made Sakuno hope, for just a second, if there was any chance at all that he could reciprocate her age old feelings for him then she would truly be the happiest girl in the world. She reached over and with the slightest touch, tapped him awake. His eyes fought on and off whether to actually open or not, as the thought of being in school wasn't fun but the little sliver he saw of Sakuno made his eyes open up and gaze at her. She looked into his eyes, seeing something she had never seen before, something that was once guarded now taken down...just for her. She couldn't figure out the meaning but her eyes went up front to listen to the teacher's last words for next week's test. When she looked over ten seconds later, he had somehow disappeared without anyone noticing. Even so, when the bell rang she knew where to find him. She sprinted to the cafeteria and got two meat buns and two pontas. Grape, of course.

A couple minutes later she opened the door to the roof only to find the sleeping figure she knew would be there. She sat down and placed the bag in between them with a clunk. He arose and without any words opened up the can of ponta, gulping a fourth of it down. He reached for the meat bun and took a big bite out of it. As soon as he swallowed he paused for a moment, looking up. Sakuno followed his gaze to a cloud that ironically looked like a giant tennis ball.

"Thanks." Sakuno looked at Ryoma, surprised by his sudden politeness. 'No, what am I saying. Ryoma's always been need-be polite. He says thank you when it's required...Just something about how he said it made it sound deeper..'

Sakuno's POV

"Your welcome." I nibbled on my meatbun, suddenly not very hungry. I feel so nervous, my tummy has been in knots and jumbles all morning. He just 'shows up' just like that. Is he staying? For how long? How has he been? Is his family here too?...and why is he spending his lunchtime with me, of all people? 'Oh, stupid Sakuno, you're the one who came up here, barging in. Granted it looks like you saved the day and fed him but still. Don't just assume like that.'

As I mentally berated myself, I realized Ryoma was looking straight at me. With that same almost gazing look from before. My mouth suddenly became dry. My face is getting hotter by the second. Say something, make conversation. You haven't seen him in two years, you need to SAY SOMETHING. I looked down at my meatbun, trying to contain my blush.

"I-it's really n-nice to see you again..Ryoma-kun..." So eloquent, so graceful Sakuno.

"Aah. I see you still have that stuttering problem." I blushed. "And that blushing problem." I blushed harder. He knew just what buttons to push. He always has. "Horio told me Osakada moved away before 2nd year." I slouched a little, remembering my best friend and thinking how happy she would be to see her prince again. "I'm sorry to hear that...I hope you've been holding up alright." I looked up. Were we this close before? I feel like his face is dangerously close to mine. Nevermind the fact that I think he was just trying to make me feel better but underneath that white cap of his I swear I detected the faintest splotches of color across his cheeks. We were so close...We both looked away, sipping at our Pontas. Our arms close, hands almost touching. His hand moved ever so slightly and now it's touching mine. The lightest touch, almost nonexistent yet it sent my heart beating so rapidly I was afraid he could hear it. I let my mind wander and think, just for a moment, what would happen if he were to touch me just a little more...

OoOoOoOoOo

SesshoumaruXRin: I don't know about you folks but I think it's much better than the original. Then again I hope most of you don't see the original xD Give me a break, it was years ago. I hope I've improved a little! I want to either rewrite or update most of my stories. Or at least take the main idea of it and rewrite it, cuz some of them were just terrible. But PLEASE REVIEW! It helps the creative mind flow, and the updates(: