The Rainbow Connection
"Wear this ring." He said as he gently placed a silver band on her ring finger, his hair covering his face. She couldn't see his eyes nor the expression of his face, but she was satisfied as they were. So, with a warm smile grazing her features, she caressed the band on her finger and told him.
"Thank you, Ryoma-kun."
"You're pregnant." He said, his features again were kept hidden. His eyes were undecipherable. Needless to say, he was shocked. But he made a good deal of not showing it.
"Pregnant at nineteen. What a whore, right?" Sakuno said, laughing mockingly at her own disgrace. Her vision, flooded by her brimming emotions.
"It was her first time. She had been dating him since her second year in high school. For four years, she loved him. And she knew, she believed with her whole being, that he felt the same way. But when she found out, when she told him about her sudden pregnancy, he disappeared. Just like that."
"Why are you telling me? I don't need to know."
Sumire's eyes softened, accompanying it was a small smile to herself as she looked away from the professional athlete, remembering the day back in time wherein she knew the man beside her fell dreadfully in love.
"You guys are dating?"
He only glared.
"Does it look like we're dating?" He asked sarcastically in the most piqued tone he could muster. The brunette by his side only laughed.
"Yes. Yes." She couldn't help but say with a profusely pink face. The smile on her face, still ever present. Seeing this, made Ryoma smirk.
He would never forget her smile that day.
"You kind of really like her, don't you?"
His friend, Kevin Smith, laughed as the two walked towards the airport to fix some papers with their professional sport agents. Agents of which felt like big daddies towards two fifteen year olds. Ryoma merely shrugged, a glare visible in his gaze.
"Okay, okay. You don't have to say it out loud. Just, nod or something." Kevin laughed. "I need reassurance you know. 'Cause, I happen to know a lot of hot foreigners."
With this, Ryoma's scowl deepened.
"I like her, okay?"
A few seconds later he caught sight of the amused glint on Kevin's eyes. Turning around, heart racing, Ryoma suddenly froze on where he stood. Because right there at that very spot stood Sakuno Ryuzaki, red-faced and all.
"So, I guess this is where you two get together, right?" Kevin couldn't help but snicker.
"You're leaving? For how long?"
"I don't really know. But, I'll be settled in my residence in America."
"Oh. America's so far away."
"Yeah. It kind of is." Ryoma joked lightly. Sakuno only smiled at this, but her gloom towards their inevitable separation was evident.
"I'm sorry, Sakuno."
Startled by his apology, Sakuno suddenly said.
"No, no! It's okay! I'll support you all the way, Ryoma-kun! Really! I'm—"
"I've always wanted to do that."
Ryoma grinned, pulling away. He had just kissed her.
"Is it okay if we part now?" He said, grinning cheekily. Sakuno laughed.
"Ryoma-kun no baka."
Turning around the corner, her breath suddenly hitched and her eyes widened.
"Tomoya."
Suddenly, time stopped.
"You are the absolute saddestgirl I've met so far." The tease laughed horrendously. Sakuno could only stare at him, bewildered by his sudden outburst. "Miss your lovey-doves~?" He continued laughing.
Sakuno, outraged by his rudeness, picked up her things and left abruptly, banging the door closed in the process.
And thus ensued the night wherein Sawashiro Tomoya was locked in room 2-D.
The building keeper, weary from last night's drink, shuffled through his keys early in the morning. And upon unlocking the gateway to 2-D, he failed to recognize the being that sluggishly limped out of the room, bringing along with it a cool; eerie breeze.
The janitor couldn't help but shiver.
And soon enough, the endless tales about 2-D's gloomy; limping ghost spread all throughout campus.
"You're funny. Even though you seem to be the only one having fun, it seems that everyone else around you is having fun as well."
"Ah, thanks really. That's good to know." Tomoya uttered sarcastically, clicking his tongue here and there. "But that's not what I came here for. A simple apology's all I want."
"Fine." Sakuno frowned. "I'm sorry." She said coolly.
"Thanks." Tomoya said with a gentle smile. "That made my day~3. FALSE. What kindof apology is that? When people mess with me, they have and always treat me to lunch!"
"Fine." Then Sakuno left laboratory. Tomoya frowned on his seat. He knew he was horribly annoying, but had hoped for a longer conversation than that.
"I like tennis too you know."
"If I wasn't in basketball, I definitely would've joined tennis." He was starting to pique her. So, Sakuno refused to acknowledge him. That was. Until he left the basketball club and joined the tennis club.
"You think you're all that?"
"No."
"Then did you seriously think that we'd accept you in the middle of the school year? Get out of my sight."
"No. I will not." Tomoya Sawashiro, resident jokester, bowed at Momoshiro Takeshi, the current captain of the renowned tennis club of Juinchou High.
"If you let me, please let me show you what I have."
Momoshirou vs. Sawashiro. 6-love.
"Sawashiro. YOU ARE FAIL."
Everyone had a good laugh that day.
"Thanks, Sawashiro~!"
"You kind of have no talent."
"Fuck you." Tomoya hissed at his friend who was still in hysterics, laughing at Tomoya and his failure of a tennis match.
"Sawashiro, the captain of the tennis club wants to talk to you."
"Shit." Needless to say, his friends just laughed at him.
"What's so funny?" A busybody asked. Sawashiro's friend, another cheeky dark-haired lad, turned to him with a grin.
"Well, you see, yesterday, Sawashiro—"
Thus, Sawashiro's tales of epic failure spread all throughout the school.
And sure enough, he was getting famous.
"You have talent."
"What?"
"Are you deaf?" Momoshiro scowled. "I don't want laggers, so pick up the pace and start from the basics. You have potential."
"You're letting me join?"
"What does it look like I'm doing, moron?"
Tomoya grinned.
"Besides, I heard an idiot dropped out as a basketball club regular to transfer to tennis."
"So what, he's good?"
"Hmm. Give him some time. It seems as though he has potential. But I can barely tell, I wasn't the one who played with him after all." Ryoma uttered sarcastically, his chin resting on his pillow.
"How about you? How're you doing?"
"Fine. The opponents are something different though."
"France, right?" Ryoma nodded. "Good for you. Great experience."
"Hn."
"Anyway, I have to go got a BIG date tomorrow." Momoshiro laughed. Ryoma's side of the webcam suddenly shook.
"Wait." He said, holding onto his webcam. "Don't you remember?"
"Oh?" Then it hit him. "Oh! Oh, right." Momoshiro laughed. "She's doing okay I guess. Quiet though. She comes to me though, watches games. Asks me occassionallyhow you're doing. And only that."
"Hn."
"Why don't you just talk you her yourself?" Momoshiro suddenly asked. But ryomaechizen had already logged off. Sighing as he fell on his bed, Momoshiro asked himself.
"Man, I wonder when I'll get used to this."
"You know, it's not what you think."
"I don't like you, you know."
"I know." Sakuno hummed on her cellphone as she patted the soil of her sunflower plant pot.
"So, English test?"
"Failed."
Sakuno smiled.
"Me too."
"Japanese History?"
"Passed."
"Me too."
"Calculus?"
"Passed."
"Me too."
"Science?"
"Failed."
Sakuno laughed.
"Me too."
"I wanna go out with you."
"Me too."
Sakuno's eyes widened.
"Great. So, let's meet tomorrow by the school gates. No take backs!"
And with that, Mr. Ghost /Mr. Epic Fail's call ended. Sakuno stared at her cellphone, not noticing the grin on her face.
"Don't get mad, okay."
"Why?"
"She's been going out with that new member I was talking about before."
"You're engaged?"
"I—"
"Good for you. I have to go."
'I saw him yesterday.'
"She saw him yesterday."
'I couldn't speak, obaa-san.'
"She didn't know what to do."
"I'm telling you. I don't need to know. I don't care."
With that, Ryoma left.
I don't care about your stories.
Was I the only one in love for this long?
Can somebody love as long as I could?
Is there something wrong with me?
What's my problem?
Why can't I forget about her?
Why?
Just—
Just take it all away.
That day, Ryoma shut himself inside his hotel suite. For once in his life, he truly felt the gravity of his decisions. For once in his life, he felt like the wounds in his heart would never mend.
"You're twenty and with a baby.~"
"You're healthy and with a baby.~"
"You're loved and with a baby.~"
"Stop singing, baka." Sakuno laughed.
I don't care. She never meant a thing to me.
"How can you forgive me? I've left you when you needed me most! Why—Sakuno? Out of everyone in this entire world—I'm the one you should hate the most." He cried as she held on to him.
"Idiot. You returned. And that's all that matters."
I don't need to know. I don't want to know.
"You're invited to SawashiroTomoya and Ryuuzaki Sakuno's wedding."
"I'm used to it. They can judge me all they want. I'm keeping the child."
Ryoma nodded, showing her he was listening.
"Wear this ring."
He said as he gently placed a silver band on her ring finger, his hair covering his face. She couldn't see his eyes, nor the expression of his face, but she was satisfied as they were. So, with a warm smile grazing her features, she caressed the band on her finger and told him.
"Thank you, Ryoma-kun."
"Now, at least you know you're not alone in this."
Kindly RSVP to 0917-xxx-xxxx
END.
"It's a really beautiful ring, this one." She said as she fingered the silver diamond ring's intricate design.
"Hn."
"You should give it to the person you will love till death and whatever they say after that." She laughed, handing over the ring. Ryoma nodded, looking at her, his expression contrasting hers.
"Actually, I already have." He simply said, smiling softly at her. The scene fades in this part, dying down along with the breeze. Their faces remain unknown to the viewers. The only evident thing in the shot was a rainbow unlike any other. And it served as a symbol. One only has to keep an open mind to decipher its meaning.
Is it possible to be in love with someone forever?
Is it possible to keep daydreaming forever about what might have been?
I wonder each and every day when I will start forgetting.