Bribe me

By Jerui

Author's note: Another alternate reality. Setting is in high school and Sakuno and Ryoma didn't meet during middle school. Yossha! I wasn't actually planning to make this multi-chapter but you see, I somehow can't help prolong the scenes to be able to do the character development. Anyway, I need a beta. Or just leave a review so I can improve and edit. It will just take a moment and it would hurt to review right? Here it is.


Prologue


How boring. And a bit irritating if I may add.

My days has always been like this since high school started.

"Echizen-san, please go out with me!" a girl confessed to me at the back of the school and she's the same year as me from what I have read on the letter she left in my shoe rack.

I sighed. I didn't expect that this is going to happen to me every single day. Back from America, I was just a normal boy who played tennis every day. People say that they are close to me but i have no attachment to them if you ask me.

But when I came to Japan (my family migrated back because my father said he had enough of his leeching and wanted a different atmosphere) and entered Seishun High School, I felt like I was watched the whole day as if their stares could burn a hole on my back.

And then it's been a month since my freshman year started and I have received 2 to 3 love letters saying love confessions or wanting to meet almost every day. Gah! I've had enough, kami-sama!

"I'm sorry. I am not interested in going out with anybody at the moment."

"A-ano, do you have someone you like?"

"Uh, I don't but I'm really sorry." Yeah, it's getting harder to deal with this every day. Now that I looked at her, she's average. Shoulder-length brown hair, an okay face, average height and all. If I wasn't busy playing tennis, I might have considered. Maybe if she was also my type of girl. I wonder if I even have a preference. But dating is troublesome.

"O-okay. Thank you for listening" was the last thing she said and then left hurriedly. I sighed again for I have finished answering those love confessions for today.

I have been playing tennis for as long as I can remember. I remember my stupid father playing with me non-stop back from when I was five. Those days were fun because he doesn't talk about his leeching habits inside the court but makes fun of me not getting a single point from him each match. I think that was when I promised to myself that I wanted to defeat him someday.

It is 7th period, time for club. Seishun has a prestigious tennis club but I didn't bother joining. I couldn't bring myself to join the club because I never have played on a team. I'd rather sleep or train in order to join independent tennis competitions that are not school related.

I lied down under the shade of a cherry blossom tree. They were nearly out of season but they still look pleasing and interesting somehow. Girls would surely use the words cute or beautiful pertaining to the pink petals falling.

Ah, I want to cuddle Karupin, my Himalayan cat. He's my definition of cute. But of course, nobody knows that. I closed my eyes and then just a moment later, I drifted off to sleep.


"Sakuno! Ryoma-sama got called out again! I saw them from the window at the stairs earlier!" Tomoka Osakada, my best friend told me. "Geez, he's so cool and popular don't you think? He has this calm and mature atmosphere in him. He's so tall and lean and handsome too!"

"Tomo-chan, not one confession got accepted though. I mean, I commend him for not using his looks as a reason for playing with girls. But I don't see him doing anything either but sleep in English class. And the teacher doesn't even bother!"

I was fixing my things, preparing for my managerial job on the tennis club. I just finished my cleaning duties. My grandmother wanted me to help the club she was handling. Of course I accepted since I've got nothing to do. I didn't refuse even if I was the only female member of the club (the second year and third year manager were both guys). And then Tomo-chan got here and went on with her usual Ryoma-sama rant. If only I wasn't on duty, I would've gone straight to the tennis courts and help my senpai-tachi do the chores.

"…wondering why he didn't join any club. Nee, Sakuno you're not listening!"

"Uh, sorry Tomo-chan. I have to go to club now."

"Wait, teach me how to bake a cake sometimes! I wanted to make one for my brothers! I like your recipes more than any other local bakeries here! I'm sure they would love it!"

"Yeah sure, bye, take care on your way home!"

"See you tomorrow!"

Then I got out of the classroom. I love spending time with her whenever I teach her to cook in our home since we have complete cooking equipment. Tomoka really cares for her family. That is what I like most about her and she's the best person in the world although I get to hear her loud rants almost always. And her dialogs were always about Ryoma Echizen whenever we talk at school.

Almost every day, that guy gets letters and always gets called out by the schools' female population. He has about 2 to 3 daily confessions from the prettiest and the cutest girls to the plainest ones but every one of them got rejected.

I must admit that he's handsome. His greenish locks stood out from the first day of class. In addition to that, he's so tall and has this nonchalant atmosphere. The other guys from our class tried to socialize with him but they got light response so some bother to ask him to hang out after class just out of courtesy and they just got used to getting declined. Plus he's sleeping in English class! Doesn't he know how difficult English was? But the teacher didn't other waking him up at all…

I finally got to the clubroom and everyone were already at the courts so I changed my uniform to gym clothes, stretched a bit and brought out a basket of balls. My tiresome job starts. But I enjoy this.


To be continued…