"Reminiscence"
By: Miyo-chan02
Disclaimer: TeniPuri is owned by Konomi Takeshi
Chapter I: Forgotten
The clock read 6:13 in the morning. Typical kids of the age of fifteen have their bodies slumped over their beds. Having dreams, sleep-talking and even snoring- these are all a part of it. But as they say that "There's an exception on every rule", we'll have to exclude someone named Echizen Ryoma.
Beep… Beep
His clock was supposed to ring by 6:30. Is it really 6:30? He opened his left eye to take a quick look at the clock that stood right beside him. "6:14". So what is that beeping sound that's disturbing his sleep? Sleep—one of the things he considered sacred. Nothing's supposed to bother him when he does that. Being the stubborn one that he is, he decided to ignore it and to shut his eyes once again letting himself succumb in dreamland again.
Beep…Beep
His eye twitched and was forced to open again. His orange phone flickering in lights caught his attention. So that was it huh? He extended his arm to reach it, glaring at it before opening it.
"Yeah." He said lazily.
"Ryoma-san!" came the paranoid voice of his manager from the other line. Oh great. It's just Mr. Yamada.
Being the freshman who had participated in the US Open and bring his team to national championship, people have been after him. Interviews, challenges, and offers, these had been what the media are after him. With all these, having a manager would do the job.
"You should be here in the office! I beg you!" his manager begged. He seemed to be really panicking this time. Ryoma can just imagine his manager's pleading face.
"I see no reason for fifteen-year olds or tennis players to be in an office." He said keeping the 'cool' in line with 'Echizen Ryoma'.
"But Ryoma-san! Everyone's been looking for you! Oh I know! I'll give you Ponta! A truck of Ponta! There will be loads of them!" That did get a bit of the prodigy's attention, but the Echizen Ryoma will not budge that easily.
"Make it twenty."
"But Ryoma-san!"
"Heh. Mada mada dane." He said as he hung up, with his usual smirk.
"But wa—" was the last thing he heard from Mr. Yamada that morning.
He continued his sleep. Yes, sleep the thing he called sacred. One of the things that he considered as something really important… It is something that must not be missed. It is something that—Beep Beep… was disturbed once again.
He opened his phone again. "What?" he said obviously irritated.
"Seishounen, what's with the grumpiness? Woke up on the wrong side of the bed eh? You know, just in time. I sent you these magazines a week ag-" there was no need for further arguments; Ryoma has shut his phone off. Not only was that a useless message by a useless person but it was probably the most annoying thing that can ruin a morning.
Or maybe he just wasn't a morning person?
What was it with people this morning? Didn't they know that if life's not about tennis, it's about sleep! His eyelids just started to get heavy when…
BEEP… BEEP… BEEP… the clock read 6:30. Living in America, sure made him busy.
o o o
"Eiji have you tried calling again?" Oishi asked the red-head.
"Yeah but looks like Ochibi shut his phone off." He replied sadly.
Melancholy was in the atmosphere of the four-cornered room. White was the dominant color. Just in the middle, the bed stood. On it laid Sakuno. Her eyes were closed. She had some bruises and a thin layer of bandage was neatly wrapped on her head. Beside her were a worried Sumire and a crying Tomoka. The regulars and other visitors, stayed at the sides, sharing the worried and serious expressions in their features.
Rapid footsteps outside the room were soon heard as the door opened revealing Momoshiro. "The news… I heard… is it true?" he asked in between pants. The same scene welcomed him except that the people in the room faced him this time.
While Sumire acknowledged Momoshiro's presence and question, the other regulars let him in and join the crowd. "Yesterday… two motorcycles were racing. Sakuno was crossing the street because the traffic lights were red. But the motorcycles didn't stop and… she was…" Sumire wasn't able to continue.
"I…I…" Momoshiro couldn't utter even a single word for comfort. Fuji tapped his back and shook his head. "It's okay." He whispered, assuring his kouhai that not being able to say a thing is not a problem. His presence and thought are the most important factors.
Tomoka's crying became more dominant. She started to have hiccups. Horio- who stood beside her was patting her back, trying his best to ease her and give her a sense of security.
She placed her hands on Horio's shoulders and slightly shook him. "S-sakuno will be fine right?" Tomoka bursted; showing him her eyes that seemed puffy because of her crying. "She… she'll be fine…right…? Right!? Answer me! Answer me Horio! Y-you've always had… you've always had two years of experience in anything right!? You know the answer! You're supposed to know the answer!"
"Calm down!" Horio who kept silent up until this time finally spoke. "Look I… I don't know. I don't know! None of us knew this and wanted this to happen! But… we have to be… you have to be strong! At least for Sakuno."
Tomoka bit her lip, unable to say a word. She dried her tears and sat back on her seat again, watching Sakuno intently. Sumire, who was watching the scene like everybody else, smiled at the young boy. Arigatou… Horio she whispered through her lips bearing no sound.
Horio stood straight and tightened his tough expression.
Roughly half an hour passed and no one even moved from their current positions except Tomoka who's now holding Sakuno's right hand. "Don't worry Sakuno. Rest well ne?"
Tomoka held on her hand and brought it to her own forehead, enjoying the warmth it emitted. Sakuno was just an amazing person. How can someone like her deserve even a small scratch? Who are those cruel… cruel people capable of hurting her? Tomoka smiled sadly at her best friend's figure. And yet despite her situation, seeing her peaceful expression; even if Tomoka couldn't forgive those people, she knew that Sakuno would and will forget this. Tomoka closed her eyes.
o o o
Three years seem to be a short period of time. A lot has changed. Even I have changed. Though myself changing might be an overstatement, perhaps improvement would suit me best.
I've always written letters. I just keep wondering if they'll reach you. Haha silly me. Of course they will. Perhaps… what I'm really wondering about is how you look when you read them. Do you stare at it? Do you smirk? Or do you even read it?
How are you… Ryoma-kun?
Red lights flooded her view but strong vehicle sounds filled her hearing. The red lights shut down and only pitch black came to her sight. Screams were heard. Panic's in the area. Ambulance. Police cars. Sirens—what happened? What happened to me? Where am I?
Why do I feel so… empty?
"Tomo-chan…?" came a familiar voice. A voice that was soft and soothing at the same time. Was it really her? Or were their ears deceiving them? They looked at the bed. Her brown eyes were opened. "Stop crying… ne?"
o o o
"Doctor, how's my granddaughter?" Sumire asked a man wearing a white coat.
"We could say that it's a miracle. Despite the blow of the accident, your granddaughter is indeed fine. Her wounds are fully healed in a short amount of time. She can even play tennis the first thing that she comes out. We'll just conduct a few more test today, he can go out by tomorrow morning. But there is one thing…" The doctor stated as he browsed the papers on the clipboard by his hands.
"One thing?"
"She has amnesia. As you can see, there's small abrasion on her head. It's completely healed, but the impact affected her brain and she lost a part of her memories."
"That's gotta be impossible doc! She recognized me!" Tomoka defended.
"Well, according to the tests we took earlier, the duration of her memory loss took place three years ago. She was able to identify current and past events except a few things three years back."
"Is it possible to regain her memories?"
"It's possible. It may take time though and when it something we cannot answer."
"Thank you doctor."
"No problem, I'm just doing my job." The doctor left the crowd.
"Nyaa… if we're talking about three years ago, doesn't that deal with Ochibi?" Eiji asked out of the blue getting everyone's attention.
o o o
Everyone entered the room once more after a brief discussion outside. Fuji took the spot before Sakuno.
Sakuno stared at him as he talked to her, trying her best to read his expression, "Ne Ryuzaki-chan, do you remember us?" he asked.
Sakuno coudn't help but wonder at the question that the brunette had spoken out, nonetheless, she gave a nod. "Fuji-sempai, Kikumaru-sempai, Momo-chan-sempai, Kaidoh-sempai, Kawamura-sempai, Oishii-sempai, Tezuka-sempai, Inui-sempai, grandma, Tomo-chan, Horio-kun, Kachiro-kun and Katsuo-kun." She said pointing at each of them, a bit reluctant on the unknown reason on why she had to such act.
Eiji cleared his throat as Fuji asked the next question. "What about our ninth member?"
A long pause was made.
"N-ninth?" There's a new member?
"What about Ochibi?" Eiji asked.
"Ochibi?" Sakuno had never encountered this word. Well she had and knew what it meant, but never had she encountered it as a nickname for someone. For someone she knew anyway.
"Don't you remem—" Oishi cut him off by patting his back. "I think Ryuzaki-chan needs some rest." He said with Eiji's features showing more disappointment.
Sakuno couldn't help but frown as well. Did she do something wrong? Most of the regulars looked sad and downcast. She tried to open her mouth to say something but, even she didn't know what to say.
o o o
"WHAT!?" Mr. Yamada exclaimed.
Ryoma heaved a sigh. Was his manager deaf or something? "I left for Japan." He repeated sternly.
"You left… as in…? … where are you? Where are you NOW?"
"I'm in this thing you call a plane. Less than an hour, we'll be there." He said as he fixed his sitting position on the plane seat.
"L-less than a-an hour!?" Mr. Yamada fainted.
"Oi?"
o o o
"Saku-chan, are you sure?" Tomoka asked in a worried tone.
"I'll be fine Tomo-chan. The doctor said I can right?" Sakuno assured by smiling at Tomoka. While fixing her tennis attire, she grabbed on her bag. She was wearing her white headband, favorite tennis skirt, and a pink shirt which she feels most comfortable in. Her bandage on her head was already removed because it's already healed. The small scar can be barely seen.
"Saku-chan… the doctor said you can but that doesn't mean you should."
"I am doing this not because I should but because I want to. Don't worry about me. Ja ne!"
"But—" before anything else, she left.
o o o
Sakuno was walking around the tennis garden. She was spacing out, filled with thoughts and uncertainties. Even though she's eager to start with her practice, the same things seem to occupy her mind. "I'll just play tennis; I do know that I have amnesia… I heard it… everyone's been hiding it… but it's not like I am physically incapable," She suddenly halted on her tracks unconsciously stepping on someone's foot. Her thoughts were still drowning her. When did I start playing tennis?
"Hey!" a guy with brownish hair said. "How dare you step on my foot?!"
"G-gomenasai I-I didn't mean to." She backed away, apologetic.
"Sorry's all you got? Wait… I remember you." The guy looked at her from head to foot, carefully analysing her features. She cleared her throat, feeling uncomfortable under his look. "Aha! You're the girl with that chibi!" said Sasabe.
Chibi? "I'm sorry but… I- I don't think we've met before…?" Have we?
"Stop pretending little girl!" he said grabbing her by the arm.
Sakuno was terrified. Long brown hair, antagonistic features, deep scary voice; she can't recall meeting this guy. "L-let go please." She pleaded with a trembling voice, trying her best to break free from his hold.
"Let go you say? Not only did that chibi humiliate me and my dad… and you're saying you can't even remember?"
"Oi." Sasabe saw a white cap that seemed to be awfully familiar. It had the trademark 'R' at the middle. His eye twitched at the familiar letter. The one who wore it had a notable smirk on his lips. That smirk he wished to rip off by any means.
"It's the chibi! Let's go!" he yelled out then ran away proving how much of a baby he is.
Ryoma sighed. What a loser.
Sakuno looked back to meet a boy with feline eyes. He seemed to be a bit familiar but she can't recall him in any way, just like that scary guy earlier. "A-arigatou." She bowed.
"You haven't changed at all." Ryoma said letting his arms rest on his shoulders. Just how many years will it take until this girl changes?
Sakuno tilted her head sideways. She really can't remember him. "Eh? Gomenasai… but do we know each other?"
Ryoma was caught off guard. Did he just hear the right words coming out of her mouth?
EDIT: 4/27/13 – typos and grammar improved. A few lines and scenes added.
Author's notes: I can't believe how addicted I am to release another story after completing one... hehe gomen.. but this story has been bugging me for a week so I need to release it... gomen again.
please review~!