Disclaimer: As you know, I don't own any of the characters or whatsoever in the anime category. I am lazy in times of disclaimers, so don't expect me to write any of these disclaimers in this story from now onwards.

Seigaku Love

By: Fullmetalchrome

Summary: Ryuuzaki Sakuno was getting closer to the Seigaku Regulars in her high school life. But what happens if their friendship started to bloom into…? SakunoxSeigaku Regulars.

One

The cherry blossoms bloomed as the day started for her new beginning. The wind fluttered her auburn hair—tied in two neat braids. Dressed in her lime green stripped sailor uniform, pink ribbon that was neatly tucked beneath her dress and the brown school bag she carried with her during school days, she was ready to head towards her school: Gakuen Seiushen, universally known as Seigaku, the school she attended during her Junior High.

She rode on her bicycle which was given by her friend Tomoka from her last birthday. In this way, she didn't need to ride on trains or perhaps ask her grandmother to fetch her all the time.

"Good morning, Sakuno!" Tomoka waved at her as Sakuno passed by. Dismounted her ride, she waved warmly at her best friend.

Her loud cheery but wild voice in the early dawn made Sakuno's mind at eased. Perchance this was a good omen?

"Going to your first day in Seigaku High School, eh?" Tomoka said, cunningly.

She moaned as she frowned. "Somehow I just wish that mom would allow me to attend Seigaku again!" She screeched.

"It was your mother's decision, Tomo-chan," she said, encouraging her. "Besides, Horio-kun and the others are also in your school, right?"

"Who wants to be with them anyway? I wanted to be with you, Sakuno!" She wailed. "Who are you going to hang out if the idiots, Ryoma-sama and I were not in freshmen then?!"

"I can handle myself, Tomo-chan," she said, brightly. "There are some from the Junior High who will be attending in High school so I'll probably join in their group from now on. So please don't worry."

Tomoka sighed. "Fine, since we can't do anything at all now." She scratched her head. "I have to go now, Sakuno," she smiled. "Hope you'll call me after school, okay?"

Sakuno nodded and they separated in different directions.

(--)

Today would be her first day in high school although all her friends in Junior High weren't even in here, to her dismay, she knew it and believed to herself that she could get used to this new semester.

But somehow she couldn't do anything at all—or rather, she didn't know where to start!

Although she told her friend that there are some students she knew from Junior High who would be attending in here (and frankly, she was right) but she couldn't tell if they could really remember her or something. Without Tomoka, they couldn't even remember her after all.

Some first start of a new beginning.

"Oy, Ryuuzaki!" Hearing that recognizable joyful voice, she gave a sideways look on its speaker, who ran towards her with some of some familiar features.

"Glad that you make it into high school!" The one who called her, with dark spiky hair of a porcupine grinned at her as he raised his thumb.

Of course, she smiled, how could she forget that the Seigaku Regulars were also here in this school?

"Momo-senpai, Oishi-senpai, Kawamura-senpai, Kikumaru-senpai, long time no see," she gently bowed to her seniors with common respect.

"Yo!" Momo greeted, coolly.

"Hoi Hoi!" Kikumaru grinned, childishly.

"Hello, Ryuuzaki-san," Oishi greeted, properly.

"L-long time no see, Ryuuzaki-sensei's granddaughter," Kawamura helloed, embarrassedly.

Sakuno smiled widely than usual. They're the same as usual, the Regulars whom she cheered on since Junior.

"Huh?" Momo glanced at every direction. "Where are the others, Ryuuzaki?"

"Come to think of it, yeah," Kikumaru amended. "Where are Horio-kun and the others?"

"Tomo-chan and the trio attended Naminori High. It was mere coincidence that they're on the same school again," she answered.

Silence outgrew them. They stared at each one of them with anxious looks on their faces. Sakuno gaped at them, dumbfounded by this quiet eerie of discomfort.

"Doushite?"

They all looked at her and Oishi was the one who could answer. "You're not with your friends in your first day in high school. It won't be easy for you to find anyone if it's you, Ryuuzaki-san," Oishi said, warily.

Understanding what her senpais meant, she frowned. So it was difficult for her to gain friends? She knew it but then again, she hated when people think of her as a girl who couldn't do anything at all. More like someone who was dependent if that was they meant.

But that disappointed dissolved when a loud amended cheery voice boomed the quite conversation. "Yosh! It's decided then!" Kikumaru was the one who brightened her up. His words caught most of the students' attention.

He pointed his finger at her as he proclaimed, "As Ryuuzaki-sensei's former team, we, the Seigaku Regulars, will always be with Sakuno-chan!"

"Eh?!" Sakuno bewildered.

"Eiji!" Oishi hushed his overreacting partner.

"Alright!" Kawamura stomped his feet on the tables nearby and twisted his racket. Whenever Kawamura touched the racket with his bare hands, his personality completely changed into somewhat, an energetic loud guy who could beat the hell out on you. "WE'LL BE YOUR FRIENDS FROM NOW ON! BUUUUUUUR-NIIIIIING!!"

"Taka-san, not you too!" Oishi whimpered.

"Great idea, senpai!" Momo grinned as he laid his arm around Sakuno's neck. This made Sakuno blushed. To be near on a man was somehow she couldn't get used to till now.

"From now onwards, we're close buddies, no, best buddies! You could be Echizen's replacement then."

"Ryo-Ryoma-kun's replacement?" Sakuno blinked.

"Well, I really miss a friendly talk with that brat, so maybe if I will be with you, I could stop thinking of missing the nostalgic feeling," He said. "Then, Ryuuzaki! Let's go to the Burger Joint after school!"

"Weren't you guys catching some attention as usual?" Oishi sighed, hopelessly, avoiding people's stares.

"BURNING! COME LOOK AT ME SWING, BABY!"

"Sakuno-chan's friends forever!"

It seemed that her life had turned into the better since she could be closer to her senpais before, or for the worse, perhaps.

(--)

"It was brilliant of Eiji to think of something like that, Ryuuzaki," Fuji smiled at her during their break. After that incident, the rest of the Regulars knew that she would be, to her opinion, "Echizen's Replacement". But then, she knew that she couldn't be as good as Echizen during tennis.

But after Tezuka heard the loud commotion inside the hall, he gave Kikumaru, Momo, Kawamura, Oishi (although he wasn't involved) and Kaidoh (who just came to the scene right before Tezuka came and thus, was also blamed) twenty laps around the court. Sakuno tried to smile uncomfortably that time, hoping that they're alright. And since Tezuka knew that she would be hanging with them most of the time, Tezuka, somehow, agreed Kikumaru's decision. Propbably due to that fact that she was his former coach's granddaughter, Sakuno wondered.

"Yes," she replied finally to Fuji's question. "I g-guess I will be a nuisance to all of you in the f-future."

Fuji gave a soft laughed. "I never thought of you like that. Most of us would never think of you as a mere annoyance." He smiled. "Your presence along with the freshmen encourages us to move onwards. Perhaps, it was because of Echizen that brought you and the freshmen to cheer for us until the Nationals."

Sakuno could feel the warmth on her cheeks—like the blazing hot sensation she felt during summer.

"Saa, Ryuuzaki, do you still like Echizen till now?" Fuji asked, yet, another uncomfortable conversation began to make Sakuno nervous.

"I'm currently not interested in m-men for now," she replied as she weakly smiled. "After I was rejected by some guy in my senior."

"Rejected by someone?" Fuji revealed his eyes, puzzled by her answer.

"Yes," Sakuno nodded. "I do like R-Ryoma-kun, u-until now, but not the u-usual anymore. I was a coward whenever it was Ry-Ryoma-kun," she said. "I already knew that he won't return my feelings so I m-move on. I still admire him, though. But t-that doesn't stop me for liking someone else. This guy I like when I was a senior, he was too kind to me, however, I was rejected when I confessed."

"Ii data."

"Inui-senpai!" She shrieked.

"I am going to start a data on you since you're involved into Echizen's life," Inui said, coolly as he shut his data book.

"I heard everything, Sakuno-chan!" Kikumaru ran and hugged her. "You poor, poor girl! Senpai will be here to comfort you!" Sakuno flustered.

"Ki-Kikumaru-"

"Eiji! Let go of Ryuuzaki-san!" Oishi said, derisively.

"How dare that bastard reject you, Ryuuzaki?!" Momo growled. "I'll kill him if I ever see that bastard! Who is he, Ryuuzaki?!"

"I'LL TEACH THAT FELLA A LESSON, BUUR-NIIING!" Kawamura growled, loudly.

Kaidoh hissed, violently. "I have to agree with the idiotic Momo for once."

"Ah, you finally finished your laps," Fuji said.

"M-Momo-senpai, there's no n-need," Sakuno forced a smile. "Because of that rejection, I finally knew that I s-shouldn't lose hope at all."

"So it is okay, that was already been finished now." She added and then Momo calmed himself as he sighed.

"If that's what Ryuuzaki want, fine with me then," he smiled. "Let the goddesses of dates be with you always, Ryuuzaki!"

"Arigato, senpai."

Then they made a fine conversation. They first asked Sakuno about her first day, her obvious answer would be of course, that it was fine. And so on, their conversation was a great enjoyment for her. She laughed, she smiled, she shrieked and many more. But their conversation ended when a strong cold angry aura made Sakuno stiffened.

"Who gave you the permission to relax?" They all shuddered as they slowly turned their heads on Tezuka. They knew then that he was obviously pissed off. "Eighty laps around the court."

The Regulars stood up as they straightened their positions. "Hai, buchou!" And started their tiresome laps.

"I'm sorry for the disturbance, buchou," Sakuno whimpered, bitterly, avoiding the gaze of the stoic captain. "But I'll try to maintain myself from getting into your team's way, I promise."

"Don't get too worrisome over your actions," Tezuka stated, his voice sounded considerate, to Sakuno's thought. "Don't promise me anything unless you're willing to, no," he shook his head. "My teammates won't think of you as a disturbance, so I don't mind your presence at all like most of the time, Ryuuzaki."

"I…I see," She smiled, nervously. "A-ano, Tezuka-buchou…"

"What is it?" Tezuka asked, formally as Sakuno slowly gaze her eyes upon him. He wasn't looking at her after all but he was staring at his pitiable teammates.

"Thank you…" She smiled, flustered over her right words. She stood up and bowed respectfully. "Thank you for your acceptance." She giggled slightly.

Just then the bell rang right after their little cozy conversation. Sakuno looked at the Regulars again. "They haven't finished their laps yet, should we stop them, buchou?" She solicited him.

"The number of laps I have given to them can be time consuming," he replied. "They can manage before the teachers arrive but that depends on them." Sakuno blinked when Tezuka already went to the exit of the tennis courts while he was talking.

Sakuno ran after him. Perhaps, they were always been attending detentions due to this reason, Sakuno wondered and hopefully, she would ask them after school ends.

(--)

She knew that Tomoka's presence awhile ago was a good omen.

The way she talked with her new classmates slightly with confidence was a little bit unlike of her. Perhaps it was because they were quite friendly with her. Although the men in her room were fools, for her dismay, she tried her best to ignore them but she was obviously uncomfortable with their friendly gestures towards her. But nevertheless, her first day was quite enjoyable—especially their teacher, Narumi-sensei, his French accent made his Kanji funny, especially when he greeted them "Konnichiwa" in a funny French accent.

But what made Sakuno embarrassed was that Narumi mentioned her with the Regulars this morning. He told them that he was quite enjoying their little conversation. Sakuno thought that perhaps he was eavesdropping but then again the Regulars are loud enough to make it a private matter.

But then it turned out as if the incident awhile ago was a mere entertainment for the students. Sakuno was somehow glad that she didn't actually felt insulted but was rather praised by them.

After the class ended, Sakuno bid her classmates farewell as she headed towards the tennis courts.

She was halfway towards the ground floors when suddenly fast paced footsteps came towards her…until…

"Sakuno'chibi!!" Two arms clung around her waist. She was stiffened by the sudden impact due to astound. The color of carnation pink was overwhelmed in her cheeks.

Within a few seconds, she blinked. Realizing that the arms didn't eradicate his grasp, she glanced at the person.

She first saw red fringes swaying over her shoulder, she blushed when she could smell its scent—apple flavor shampoo—no doubt about it.

Then her eyes gazed at a closer feature of Kikumaru Eiji. Her face was a few inches to his. She could feel his breathing, too.

"Horrible! Horrible, Sakuno'chibi! Tezuka's horrible!" He wailed, fake tears streaming from his eyes as he pressed his cheek on her forhead.

"Ki-Kikumaru-senpai!" She wailed, she nearly fainted by her overheated blush. 'Since w-when d-did he call me a ch-chibi?' Remembering that he used to call her "Sakuno-chan".

Her eyes shifted in different directions. None.

There was no one in here but herself and her senpai. She sighed in relief.

"Senpai, aren't you supposed to be in the tennis courts?"

Kikumaru puffed his cheeks, childishly. Arrogance was written in his face. "Blame it on Tezuka. He gave us running laps….twice before class starts, remember?! Luckily that we reached class before sensei! I never thought that Tezuka can be as sadistic as Fuji!" He wailed, sullenly, still grasping Sakuno for comfort.

"A-ano, y-you didn't answer my "real" q-question yet," she said, a smile was forced on her lips.

"Who knows…Tezuka said that we should rest since tomorrow Saturday's training will be harsher than before," he replied as he finally released himself from her.

"Ano, Kikumaru-senpai," she said, sounded boldly in front of Kikumaru's eyes for the first time.

Kikumaru was nearly surprised by her eyes that shown boldness all of the sudden. "N-nani?" Hesitant words escaped from his lips.

"When you mentioned that you blame Tezuka please don't," she smiled. "Buchou wanted to test his teammates' abilities if you all can manage time. That is also known as a tennis practice, ne?"

"G-Gome, Sakuno'chi-chibi!" He grinned, nervously. "Actually, I was just overreacting! That's why I said those things!"

"And also we expected him to do that! He is the type who couldn't let his teammates into trouble, nyah!" He said cheerfully as he raised a thumbs up.

"G-gome!" Sakuno apologized. "I s-shouldn't said something that you already know!"

"It's really no problem!" Kikumaru said. "You sounded so bold back then!"

"Eh?"

"You stood up for our captain! What a kind and considerate child!" He gave another hug on the poor frail girl as his cheek fondled on hers.

"S-Senpai!" She wailed. Here they go again.

(--)

"Ah, so you came to pick me up since Momo-senpai told me this morning about the Burger Joint," Sakuno repeated his words, trying to make things sure.

"Change of plans! We're going to Taka-san's sushi bar since it will be free!" His eyes glinted with joy.

They're finally outside from the Seigaku fields. They walked as Kikumaru explained the reason why he came to see her.

"And you just hugged me, wailing that buchou was horrible," Sakuno grumbled, loud enough for Kikumaru to hear.

"Sumimasen, Sakuno'chibi!" He laughed, nervously as his gazed avoided hers. "That thought overwhelmed me when I saw you and my body couldn't resist a hug!" He finally glanced over her and grinned.

Sakuno smiled in return. Kikumaru's presence made her somewhat confident through her words. Kikumaru was like Tomoka, who could brighten her up, raising her confidence to speak and to be friendly with him.

She turned her head away from him. What was she thinking about? She had never thought of her senpai for that long!

She remembered during her freshmen in Junior High that she was thinking of her previous crush, Echzen numerous times.

It's been a long time since she was thinking of someone now.

"Actually, Fuji was the one who should be coming to pick you up but I suggested that I would come instead."

"Eh?" Sakuno's deep thoughts were put aside in her mind as she faced at her senpai. Kikumaru didn't look at her when he said that, his voice didn't sound cheerful than usual, to Sakuno's wonder.

"I came here to face you alone for a reason, of course," he said, formally for the first time she heard from him, still, his eyes were staring at his striding feet.

"W-what is it, s-senpai?" She gulped, revealing a bit of discomfort over his strangeness.

"Be my...eto…" his words trailed off as he stopped by his tracks. Sakuno stopped, too as she faced at her senpai. She waited half patiently for him. What was he trying to say?

Sakuno knew how hesitant he looked when he tried to speak out. He was stuttering of course, and she knew how it feels to unimpressed your feelings. But of course, this was Kikumaru Eiji she was talking about! She wasn't used to his hesitant look anyway.

She sighed, smiling to him though he was still staring at his feet. "You don't need to tell me if you're not ready to-"

"Be my teacher, Sakuno'chibi!" He finally faced her as he grasped her unguarded hands.

"Eh?" Sakuno yelped.

"Be my teacher in baking!" Then she finally understood him as her mouth formed a circular shape.

"B-but y-you're already good in b-baking! Y-you even baked Momo-senpai's birthday cake that t-time." But she knew that the cake was originally for the Chocolates band as what Inui stated.

"Yeah, but not as good in every recipe as you, Sakuno'chibi!"

"Onegai?" He added as he waited for her answer.

Sakuno gulped as sweat fell from her hot burning cheeks. Her blush was due to this embarrassment when people were staring at them as they held their hands. The thought made her blushed even more. But the thought of her as Kikumaru's senpai was even more surprising: Never in her life that a senpai would beg in front of her.

Glad that Kikumaru praised her this much, she nodded. "Hn!" She agreed. "I will accept then." Then she smiled.

"Yosh!" Finally, he removed his hands as he clenched both of his fists with great anticipation. "I can know how to bake every cake then!"

He faced Sakuno. "Arigato, Sakuno'chibi! We'll start our sessions every Saturdays from now on!"

She nodded as she "hn!"

Kikumaru ran as he kept rambling about his excited sessions with her as Sakuno followed by.

'Kikumaru-senpai is kind of happy that I agreed to teach him,' Sakuno thought, happiness fluttered within her heart. Perhaps, it was because her senpai needed her made her an important friend.

But then, a thought came into her. "Kikumaru-senpai, why do you-?

But words were cut off when a voice called their names. They both faced in front of the one who called them—it was Momo whose head was out from the front door of Kawamura Sushi bar.

Sakuno's jaw was half dropped. She never thought that they finally reached the Kawamura sushi bar. She recalled that Seigaku high school campus was a bit far away from this street.

Maybe it was because she and Kikumaru talked too much, that's why she didn't notice where they were.

"Oy, aren't you guys coming inside?" He bellowed, impatient was written in his face. "We've been waiting for you guys for a long time!"

"Gome, Momo!" Kikumaru laughed, nervously.

"S-sumimasen!" Sakuno stuttered, embarrassedly as she bowed.

"No need to be apologetic," Momo's frown turned into a smile as he held her hand. "We have to get inside now, hurry!" He pulled her hand, along with her body, as she went inside.

POP! POP!

The sound of confetti made her eyes blinked as large grins formed on the Regulars' faces.

"WELCOME, SAKUNO!" The Regulars jeered.

"Surprise, Sakuno'chibi!" Kikumaru jumped in front of her. "This is your "Welcome aboard to our Seigaku Regular Family" party!" He said as he popped colorful confetti in front of her.

"P-party for m-me?" She said in disbelief. She was used to their enjoyable parties but they had never made a party just for her. It made her eyes nearly into tears as a large smile crept onto her face.

"Yeah, Sakuno'chibi!" Kikumaru cheerfully implied. "And we from now onwards will call you by your first name—that was my idea of course!"

"Saa, have a seat, Ryuuzaki, no, Sa-chan," Fuji smiled as Sakuno sat next to him.

"Sa-chan?" Sakuno blushed. The prodigy called her in a cute manner. She couldn't resist blushing over it.

"Yes, I will call you Sa-chan now since Eiji made us into calling you by your first name." Fuji said, calmly. "Isn't Sa-chan a cute name?" This made Sakuno blushed even more.

"Yeah, Sakuno-chan!" Momo sat next to her as he held a large plate of sushi and placed it in their table. "As your new "close" friends, we don't need to call you in your last name!"

"Right Mamushi?" He glanced over the Viper of the team as he showed a large menacingly grin.

Kaidoh gave him a death glare as he said, "Shut up!"

"Aw, come on, Mamushi! Aren't you going to call her by her first name? I bet even Tezuka-buchou will call her "Sakuno"!" He faced their captain. "Right, buchou?"

Tezuka ignored Momo as he took another sashimi. Momo blinked in surprise as he could see the rest of them, eating the sushi!

"Hurry and eat up, Momo," Kikumaru said, mockingly. "Or we'll finish everything!"

"Ei, leave some for me!" Momo whined, grabbed his chopsticks and started to eat.

"Don't worry, Momo," Kawamura tried to calm down his teammates. "There are still more for everyone."

"YAY, give me some seconds, Taka-san!" Kikumaru grinned.

"Eiji, don't be a pig!" Oishi protested.

"Oi, Kaidoh, let me have your last nigiri!" Momo quickly grabbed Kaidoh's sushi.

"Get your own, you dumb porcupine!"

"Isn't this a bit too much?" Fuji chuckled to himself as he glanced over the silent captain. "Saa, Tezuka, do you want some of my wasabi?"

"Not a chance." Tezuka quickly decline.

"Sakuno, since you're a hundred fifty percent officially going to be part of our group, you should experience something great for once in your life," Inui said as he smirked. He gave her a large jug of strange blue liquid. "Then try drinking this-"

"No!" They all bellowed as they threw the "Inui Juice" out from Sakuno's sight.

Sakuno giggled over their same ruckus.

She missed them. She really does. Their friendship together was somehow enjoyable. And yet, she entered their friendship by making this welcoming party. She appreciated by their hard work and promised herself that she would never ruin their friendship.

Ever.

To be continued….

A/N: Woah, I made the last part (the part where Sakuno and Kikumaru meet until the end) quick and I doubt that there won't be any grammar mistakes, typos and some stuff. I have to write this as soon as possible in order to make my own POT fanfic before school starts. I might have time to update chapter 2 in the next week (depends on the reviews for inspiration)

Somehow I don't have any idea in the last part, and I'm not sure if the end of the first chapter was even eye catching…or rather, the ending was just plain…..damn.

I know that there are so many grammar mistakes, no doubt about it.

I already knew that Kawamura shouldn't be part of the tennis team after the Nationals but I couldn't help but to add him in the story! I like it whenever he is in burning mode ya know!

Again, this is a SegaSaku pair. It depends on the reviews, my choice, my mood, the progress, etc who Sakuno will ended up with as long as she'll ended up a Seigaku Regular!

I wish to read reviews, please! Reviews inspired me a lot! It made me update faster, ya know! Sankyuu, miina!

Alyssa (Fullmetal Chrome)