SIGNS OF TRUE LOVE
Ryoma X Sakuno
Disclaimer: I DO NOT own prince of Tennis. I am just a fan.
a/n: LOL. My second fanfic…!!! Thank you for the time for reading and hope you guys will like this. Enjoy!
Italics would mean a flashback.
Summary: Do you wonder if Ryoma ever gave a thought on true love…? Read to find out more…
It was the usual day for all Seigaku tennis club members. It was lunch time, though, and Momoshiro pulled Ryoma out of their classroom to eat lunch with him and the other regulars minus Kaido and Tezuka.
"Ne, Momo," Fuji-senpai started the conversation, "I heard from Tachibana-san that you are going out with his imoto."
Momo-senpai choked at Fuji's words.
"Eh, hounto?" Eiji-senpai said. "Thought so. Momoshiro had the thing for An-chan ever since they met."
The red-haired acrobat grinned widely at the info that he just knew.
"So how far have you gone?" Eiji-senpai was just too curious.
"Senpai, you're just too curious for your own good. Too curious." The Seigaku's no. 1 rascal said while blushing, hoping to avoid the topic. Just then, Inui-senpai came, holding his green notebook at his left hand and his mighty pen at his right, tapping it on his head.
"Eh, Inui," Eiji-senpai called out to the Data man that seems to be deep in thought. "What's the problem?"
"Are you studying the data of our opponents again?" Oishi-senpai chimed in.
"Iie." Inui said. "I am just in loss of data on my English essay. I have to submit it today and my data on the topic is only 15% sufficient. Not enough."
"What's the topic anyway?" Fuji-senpai asked, still his smile plastered on his face.
"True love."
"Eh?!" All of them, except Fuji and Ryoma, blurted out.
Fuji-senpai let out a chuckle. "Saa... You're teacher is the romantic type, ne?"
"Soudane." Inui-senpai agreed.
"Why not ask Momo?" Eiji-senpai suggested. "Since he's in love as of the moment."
"Eh?!" Momo reacted. "You just want to fill your curiosity, Eiji-senpai."
"Wouldn't that be great, Momo? It would be like hitting two birds with one stone." Inui-senpai adjusted his glasses. The glasses gave out an evil shine, and they knew what was coming. "I've got the new and improve Inui Deluxe ---"
"I got it! I got it!" Momo screamed, not waiting for Inui to show anymore of those wicked-and-gross looking drinks of his. "What do you want to know?"
"Hmm. Let me see." Inui looked at his notebook, probably looking for some data he needs to know. "Let's start with the signs of true love."
Ryoma snickered, though no one noticed because of his cap. "You're getting really into it, Inui-senpai."
"Eto… Let's see." Momo thought for a while. "Hmm. Everytime she asks you a question, you would be willing to answer or explain. Why you do this and that and so on."
Ryoma's ears perked up. A flashback suddenly came into his mind.
"Ryoma-kun, when did you start playing tennis?" an auburn-haired girl asked her.
Though it took him a while to answer, he still did.
"I can't really remember. When I noticed it, I am already playing. And I can't stop."
"Why do you play tennis?"
"There's someone I want to beat."
"Next would be..." Momo continued, this time Ryoma shook his head, trying to look uninterested. "You are willing to ditch your little black book."
"Little black book?" Eiji seemed confused. "What's that?"
"It refers to your plans. Like when you want to wear a black shirt but she insists that you wear white, then you wear white."
"Ah.." Eiji seemed enlightened.
Ryoma, on the other hand, thought about it.
"Ryoma-kun, what is that?" that pig-tail haired girl asked her, referring to the paperbag he's carrying. They accidentally saw each other as Ryoma got out of the shop.
"It's the regular's jersey."
"That's great, Ryoma-kun. Why don't you show me how it looks?"
"I'll wear it at tomorrow's practice"
"Ah… okay… That's true… I'm sorry"
That look on her face was enough to make him reconsider. He took it from the bag and replaced his school coat with it. The girl's face enlightened."A-Ano,Ryoma-kun, congratulations on making it to the regular spot." Then, she smiled.
"And if there's a place you hate, you would be willing to go there if it involves her."Another sign was given by Momo.
Still another flashback passed Ryoma's mind.
"Ryoma, you know the racket stringer near (please use your imaginaton for the name of the place), right?" Ryuzaki-sensei asked him.
"Hai, but I'm really not that close to the person." He said, afraid that his coach would ask him to go there. Definitely not, please.
"I would like you to bring Sakuno there. Her racket's strings are starting to loosen up. A beginner's mistake, you know?" Ryuzaki-sensei explained. "Is it okay with you?"
He sighed. As if he had a choice.
"What else?" Inui-senpai asked.
"Hmm." Momo thought for a while. Then said with a lot of enthusiasm. "The idea of a man talking with her makes you want to drag her with you."
"Drag is quite a harsh word, Momo." Oishi–senpai commented, sweatdropped.
Ryoma's left brow twitched.
"Ne, can I eat this riceball?" Tooyama Kintaro of Shitenhouji asked the girl who brought the food that was scattered on the floor.
"But… it dropped on the floor just now." She hesitated.
But, nevertheless, Kintaro ate it happily. "Wow! It's really delicious!"
She was surprised at first, but then Ryoma saw her expression softened.
"Oh, by the way, I'm Tooyama Kintaro, nice to meet ya! Nice to meet ya!" Kintaro happily introduced himself to the girl, then turned to him. "By the way, Koshimae, you're really strong, aren't you? Wanna have a match with me right now?"
"Yadda." He replied coolly. "Let's go, Ryuzaki."
"Then…" Momo continued to chip in informations his senpai needs. "If you see a property of hers that had scribbles about you, you had the urge to ask for it."
"Did An-chan made scribbles of you?" Fuji-senpai asked. It made Momo blush.
"N-Not really." Momo looked away, blushing again.
"What is it? What is it?" Eiji-senpai asked excitedly.
"I-It was an essay of the person you would like to hug the most next to your family." Momo stated, now blushing furiously.
"Young love, ne?" Eiji-senpai teased. Ryoma, on the other hand, lowered his cap even more.
He saw her practicing again on the wall. He picked up the ball that landed near him. He noticed that she wasn't as enthusiastic on her practice as yesterday. He also noticed that her form is getting better. He tossed the ball in the air, then noticed the drawing on it. It resembled him so much, with only one eye exposed.
"Ne, can I have this?" he said to her.
"Eh?" she was surprised. "Sure but… why?"
"Just because… I feel nostalgic."
And, actually, he was smiling.
He stood up. Momo-senpai's words are creeping into him already and he's thinking too much.
"Oi," Momo stopped him. "Where are you going, Echizen?"
"Ponta." He answered.
"Saa.. Don't you want to hear more Echizen?" Fuji-senpai asked, with that creepy smile again.
"Che." Ryoma said quietly, then walked away. If he hears anymore than what he have heard, he'll go crazy. What the hell is happening with him, having flashbacks of him and Ryuzaki Sakuno?
'I really must get a Ponta.'
