Chapter one

So, in this alternate version of Bildungsroman, Sakura is in Rikkai High School, and in the same year as Sanada. Currently, they're in their third and final year. Sakura spent her middle school years in Seigaku, and has been playing tennis since early elementary school. She's currently the captain of Rikkai's tennis team. No real connection to any of the Seigaku regulars from the canon.

Like, literally the only similarity between this and Bildungsroman (as it stands now) is her last name.

Disclaimer: I don't own PoT.
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It wasn't immediately apparent to Rikkai's student population that the boys' tennis vice-captain and the girls' tennis captain had ended their famous relationship. They hadn't been the couple that spent every possible moment together, to provoke a flurry of speculation the moment they were seen more than five metres apart.

So by and large, the student body didn't take any especial notice when Sakura came to school unaccompanied, nor when Sanada didn't wait for her after morning practice concluded. Neither occurrence was particularly unusual, for they were, after all, very busy people.

The tennis teams, however, took one look at Sakura's set shoulders, and Sanada's tight jaw, and knew.

"So who dumped whom?" Vice-captain Sumiko asked, shutting her door on the almost-overfilled locker.

Sakura paused in the act of braiding her hair for a moment. "It was mutual." She said quietly.

Sumiko scoffed. "'Scuse me if I can't really see Sanada saying he wanted to break up with you. Been in that boy's class nearly five years and never seen him so besotted."

"Well," Sakura finished looping the scrunchie around the tail of her braid. She picked up her bag. "That's not what happened, but it was mutual. I said and he accepted."

Sumiko snorted. "Sakura, honey, that's called dumping."

"Sumiko, please."

The plea in her friend's voice gave Sumiko pause. Sakura's cheeks were slightly flushed and her eyes were shining the tiniest amount. "I'm trying to keep it together here. And you're really not helping." Her shoulders were minutely trembling now. "I don't want to have to deal with this more than I have to- so please, please shut up."

Sumiko looked down, abashed. "Sorry." She muttered. "Foot-in-mouth. Insensitive, that's me. Won't happen again." She scuffed the ground with the toe of her shoe.

Without a word, Sakura locked the clubhouse, and the two girls walked away.

"Fifty laps, now!" Sanada roared at a couple of unfortunate couple of freshmen who'd taken an unsanctioned water break. They dropped their racquets where they stood and began running.

"Ten and eleven, there he goes again." Niou muttered, to Yagyuu as they switched courts.

"Kagawa ended things, then?" Yagyuu asked as quietly as possible.

"Must have, he'd never dump her." Niou replied.

They watched as Yanagi wandered over to Sanada and attempted to… say something. Comfort him. Whatever it was, Sanada merely gestured him onto an empty court.

"I really wouldn't wanna be Yanagi-senpai right now, for sure." Kirihara whispered in terror to Marui.

Marui chewed and nodded. "Fukubuchou's going to- I don't know words violent enough for it, actually."

"Why'd she do it anyway?" Kirihara wondered. "I mean, he was soppy about her." Dumb girl was on the tip of his tongue, but he liked Kagawa-senpai, she was smart and played some good tennis. In her best moods, she could- if he was honest- kick his ass. It was annoying as hell. But she was nicer than most of his senpais.

But what kind of girl could possibly dump Sanada-fukubuchou, more specifically a Sanada-fukubuchou who was- he grimaced- head over heels for her? It wasn't a very smart thing to do, to say the least.

He was surprised when Marui gave a look that was almost pitying. "What?" He asked defensively.

Marui sighed. "Yeah, he was, but to be honest, Akaya," He shrugged, and sighed again. "Most of us kinda saw it coming, y'know?"

Contrary to popular belief, Sanada Genichirou was not dense, asexual or in love with his captain. He was just very particular as to preference, and excellent at filtering out what did not suit him.

Kagawa Sakura was not the type of woman to back down from pursuing something she wanted.

It really shouldn't have surprised anyone when they got together in their second year of high school, but it did.

What happened after, however, was something of a story.

Sakura fidgeted with her tissue, trying to both look at the man across her and avoid his eyes. Not an easy task, but easier than what they were here for.

She took a sip of her lemonade, just so as to stall further.

"You meant it, then, what you said on the phone?"

He had terrible timing; half the lemonade went down the wrong pipe. She coughed and coughed, and her eyes watered.

He made an aborted movement; for a moment he looked like he was going to rub her back.

When she surfaced from the fit, her eyes were red and watering, and she kept having to clear her throat.

"W-what?" Oh, she remembered. Oh, he asked-

"Yes. I- yes, I did." Her voice was hoarse.

His hands clenched on the table. Her fingers twisted the tissue in her lap to shreds.

"Why?" He bit out. He wasn't looking at her, rather at a spot in the region of her collarbone.

"It's not- this is- it's for the best, Ge- it's better, for both of us." She said, leaning forward, trying desperately to catch his eye.

Please, she thought, please look at me. Please see that this hurts, I'm hurting, we're both hurting and-

But he wouldn't look, and she was breaking, but could she blame him?

"Is this what's best for you?" He asked. His voice was low, lower than it had ever been.

Sakura swallowed.

Eight months we've been together, and the last four we've spent fighting because we barely talk. Or barely talking because we're so busy. Or sleeping because between food and work it's all we can do. And then we feel guilty and angry and resentful and then more guilty, and this is not what a relationship should be like. This wasn't how we were supposed to be, but this is what we've come to. And I don't know-

"I don't know." She said honestly. "But I do know how things have been between us for a while, and that's," Her voice broke, just a little. "That's not what I want. In a relationship. I can't go on like this. So I'm… I'm sorry, Sanada-kun, but I think we'd best end this."

Oh, she was hurting him. She knew it, could see it; it was in the way his brows contracted to nearly meet in the middle of his forehead, the way his lips were pressed tightly together, and in the tight line of his shoulders and the set of his back. She was hurting him and it was breaking her.

"Fine." He spat. "We're done then."

His voice simmered with venom, with hurt, and she wanted to reach across and take his hand. Tangle her fingers with his own and give him what comfort she could, but that- that really wasn't an option now, and there was a hard lump lodged in her throat, and it was best that she get away from him- from all this, from this thing that had crumbled around them.

She wasn't as expressive as he was; it took more effort than usual, though, to beat back the tears that rose to her eyes. Tucking forty yen under her glass, she rose.

Her voice was stilted. "I'll see you in school."

He nodded; she nodded in reply, not that he noticed, and turned away, hurrying to the door of the café.

It was pouring with rain outside, and she didn't have an umbrella. A second's hesitation, but then her eyes cut back to his, and she wrenched the door open and rushed out. Her head was bowed against the fury of the downpour, and tears mingled with the rain on her face.

Sanada slumped in his chair; his forehead slowly came to rest on the edge of the table.

It was raining on the day that they broke up.

Review!

Chilli.