"Sakuno." I looked back and my long time best friend Ryoma Echizen was walking towards me. We have been best of friends since we were little! He just came back to Japan just the day before yesterday and had started attending Seishun High yesterday. Guess what, he's in my class, sitting right next to me!
"Ryoma-kun."
"Where are you going?" He asked me.
"I'm going home." School had been over for the day and my club, which is home economics, had ended a few minutes ago.
"No you're not."
"Eh? Why can't I go home, Ryoma-kun?" I asked.
"You're coming with me to the tennis court." He said. Ever since he came back, he had been so demanding!
"Why do I have to go with you?" I asked again giving him questions to see if his reaction will change.
"Just come." He grabbed my hand and dragged me to the tennis court. Although we have been friends for the longest time, I can't deny that I have feelings for him. I had wanted to tell him all throughout junior high, but I was scared that if I tell him, he would not return them and our friendship would end, so it is an unrequited love.
When I first realized my feelings for him is when he came back to Japan at the age of 12. He was sitting in the train right across from me and I didn't even notice! There were some weird guys in front of me swinging their racket saying that this is how a western grip is.
They were swinging their racket so close to my face that I have to closed my eyes in fear that they'll hit me. He actually defended me by telling them to be quiet and telling them the right way to hold a western grip and eastern grip. I was so thankful that they stop their dangerous swinging.
I was so shocked that I almost missed my stop, but I didn't. I was standing next to a poll and looking at my watch because Obaa-chan, who had invited me to watch some tennis, is late!
I was kind of thankful that Obaa-chan was late because if she hadn't been late I wouldn't have talk to my savior, who came to ask me direction. The embarrassing part was that I gave him the wrong direction! I told him he has to go through the south gate, but really he has to go through the north gate! Mou..! Just thinking about it is even more embarrassing! Before he was out of site, I did get to know his name by reading his name on his bag… 'Echizen R'. It did sound so familiar, but I don't know at that time where'd I heard this name.
I told myself that I have to find him and apologize since it was my entire fault! I did find him lying on the grassing with his cap covering his face, but the bag that has his name on it was what tells me that it was him. I apologized and offered to buy him a drink, but I didn't have any coins on me! Therefore, he had to pay for it! Did I tell you it was embarrassing? Will? It is! And those guys that were on the train talking about the western and eastern grip showed up behind us. I guessed on of the guys were upset that a kid had to teach him the right way to grip a tennis racket, so he swing his racket and almost hit him square in the face! Only one or two inches away, but he remained calm. The guy removed his racket from his face which was a relief, but to make things worse, he threw his empty can of ponta into a nearby trash can and said if they'll teach him some tennis! How worse can one event get?!
In the end, we went into an empty tennis court. I was in charge of holding onto his jacket. I was really scared since those mean guys were bigger than he is, but those fear changed into excitement as he played them all easily! Obaa-chan can just right on time when he was serving. He served passed that men old guy! Once that guy served, he purposely loosens his grip on his racket, which made his racket flying toward my savior! That was so mean! He was bleeding too! All that mean, nasty guy said was that he 'accidentally' lose his grip! Such a liar! Just thinking about it makes me so mad! Although, he did have his revenge by showing one of his move called the Twist Serve! It was so cool how he did it! That guy got scared. He did the twist serve couple of times, though I did felt sorry of that mean guy, but he deserved all of it.
Those mean guys lost, but was asking for another match, but Obaa-chan said that they all have no chance at all since my savior was left handed and he had been playing with his right hand all this time! Wow, that was such a shocker! Those guys ran away after he served once more. Obaa-chan approached him as I handed his jacket to him.
"Nice match."
"Hn." He replied.
"You remember him right?" Obaa-chan said to me.
I looked at him and he looked at me. We both have a confused look on our faces. "What do you mean? We just met at the train station."
"Huh? Did you two forget each other already?" Obaa-chan said.
"We know each other?"
Obaa-chan nodded. "I guess it wouldn't be a surprised since you two had been separated for at least six years."
"Obaa-chan, what are you talking about?"
Obaa-chan ignored me and said to the boy next to me. "How is that perverted father of yours?"
"Hn."
Obaa-chan pinched his cheek after getting that kind of response! "I asked you a question young man and don't think that I'll show you mercy just because you just returned to Japan."
"O-Obaa-chan, yamete (Stop it)!" I said.
Obaa-chan finally let go of his cheek, which was red. "You two wait for me at the gate. We're paying this boy's family a visit." She said and left.
I looked at Obaa-chan disappearing figure then looked at the boy next to me. I put a hand onto his redden cheek. "Gomen (Sorry). Obaa-chan is always like that." He just' hn' me like he did with Obaa-chan, but I ignored it. I removed my hands from his cheek.
"Ano, your name is Echizen right?"
"Hn."
"Yoroshiku (Nice To Meet You). I'm Ryuzaki."
"Familiar." I heard him said.
"Eh?"
"Your name sounds familiar."
"Your name also sounds familiar." I said.
"Let's go."
"Eh? Doko (Where)?"
"Your grandmother told us to wait for her at the gate." He said and I nodded.
Obaa-chan drove us to Echizen-kun's house. His house looked so familiar, but I couldn't pin point when I have seen it!
"Obaa-chan, how did you know where Echizen-kun lived?"
"Old friends." She replied. Obaa-chan got out of the car and press on the doorbell.
"Hai (Yes)?" A lovely young woman opened to door.
"Long time no see." Obaa-chan said.
"Ryuzaki-baa-chan. Oh my, it's so nice to see you again!" She greeted. She then looked at me. "Kyaa! Saku-chan! It's been so long! Oh, how I miss you!"
I didn't even know who she was at the time; therefore, it was strange that she just suddenly hugged me.
"Please come in!" She said as she led me inside. Once inside, I saw a man in a black kimono reading a newspaper.
"Nanjiro!" Obaa-chan said angrily.
He looked back. "Yo, old hag."
Obaa-chan pounded his head with her fist and said, "I dare you to call me that again and you'll see who is an old hag."
Then another woman came out. "Are? Ryuzaki-san! It's so nice to see you again!"
"Rinko-san, it's great to see that you all are finally backed in Japan."
"Hai. Eh?" She looked at me like what the other lady did.
"Saku-chan?"
"H-hai!" I replied.
"I missed you so much." She said as she hugged me. Then pulled me away and looked at me. Her hands were on my shoulders as she examines my figure. "My, my, you had grown since I've last saw you."
"Ano… who are you?" I asked.
She looked at me confused. "I shouldn't be surprised. It's been years since we last saw each other."
"Eh?"
"Kaa-san, who are they?" Echizen-kun suddenly said. He was behind me the whole time.
"You're the same too?"
"He's the same." Obaa-chan said.
"Then I guess it's time. Please you two follow us into the living room." The lady said.
Echizen-kun and I sat together on the sofa as the four grown-ups looked at us.
"Do you know who he is?" Obaa-chan pointed to Echizen-kun.
"He's Echizen-kun, right? We met this morning in the train, so yeah I know him." I replied.
"That's not it."
"Eh? What do you mean?"
"Can you guys just spit it out?" Echizen-kun said. I'm guessing that he was irritated. I was too; they are making this so hard. Can't they just tell us who they all are and then we're done.
"No." They all said which made me jumped in surprised.
"Sakuno, you met him on the train, but do you know his full name?"
I shook my head. I just know that he is called Echizen.
"This lad's full name is Echizen Ryoma. Does that ring a bell?" The man in the black kimono said.
"Echizen Ryoma?" I looked at him. Why is name so familiar?
"Hai."
"Ne, Saku-chan, do you remember me?" The lady that opened the door for us asked. I shook my head in response. "I see."
"Ano… what are your names?" I asked.
The adults looked at each other.
The man said, "Saku-chan, you always called me Nanjiro-jii chan."
My eyes lit up in realization. "N-Nanjiro-jii chan?" Memories from long time ago rushed back into my mine. I looked at the two ladies in the room. "Rinko-baa chan, Nanako- nee san?"
"Yokata! Saku-chan you remember!" Nanjiro-jii chan exclaimed.
"Then this is," I looked at the boy beside me, "Ryoma-kun?"
The boy looked at me. I can tell he is confused.
"You're Ryoma-kun?" I asked.
He nodded. I was so happy. Ryoma-kun, my childhood friend! I was separated from him at such a young age that I almost forgot about him. I have to admit, I've missed him all throughout my entire life!
"I guess it's time for us adults to catch up on things. Saku-chan you can help Ryoma remember." Rinko- baa san said to me. I looked up at her and nodded.
Once they all left and the two of us were the only one in the living room he asked, "Ne, who exactly are you?"
"You don't remember me?" I asked.
"Like I said, who exactly are you?" He asked. The tone of his voice tells me that he was getting pissed.
"You used to call me Sakuno." I said. I gave him time to think about things. I can tell that he just remembered as his eyes widen and he looked at me.
"You're Sakuno?"
I nodded. "Long time no see, ne?" I smiled as tear gathered in my eyes. "Ano… can I hug you?"
Instead of answering me and replying to my question, he hugged me instead. "I miss you."
"Same here!"
Looking back at that memory, we made a vow that where ever we are, we would never ever forget each other again!
A/N: I know it's late but Meri Kurimasu minna-san! I hope you all have a jolly Christmas? Will as promise, this is Lasting Love remake reversion! I hope you guys like this as much as the last one! Thank you all for waiting! Please review and give me some feedback. Once again… ARIGATOU!