TITLE: First Love Vs. True Love
SUMMARY: /Sequel to "Let's FLip a Coin"/ "Ah – he is Sakuno-chan's childhood sweetheart." Tomoka said, without thinking about Ryoma's presence. Oh, she just forgot him at the moment. /RyoSaku/ONESHOT/
BTW, this is dedicated to a can of ponta and junkness for always reading and reviewing my stories (RyoSakus). Thanks a lot! Oops! and don't forget about oxXxoNIKKIoxXxo. Thanks a lot guys! :D
standard disclaimer applied.
-8- First Love vs. True Love -8-
"Ryuzaki Sakuno." Their sensei called, she was checking their attendance. "Ryuzaki Sakuno?" She repeated when she realized no one was answering her. She looked around and her eyes stopped at the empty sit of Sakuno. "Oh, is she absent... or late?" She looked at the particular student who can answer her question – Sakuno's best friend, Tomoka.
"Ah – S-Sensei... I don't know why she's still not here but maybe she's just late." They never knew but Tomoka was also shocked and really worried now that Sakuno was still not here. "She never skips cla –"
"She's sick. She has a fever." Ryoma interrupted them just as he entered their classroom. He was the one who was late and not Sakuno. He had dropped by in his girlfriend's house and he found out she was sick. As much as he wanted to stay there and take care of her because Sumire-sensei was out for a meeting of committees for three days (and today is her last day there) about the next tournament they were joining, Sakuno insisted that he had to go to school and she'll just wait for him after their classes end. He promised to be back as soon as their classes end and after he excused to their tennis captain for their practice.
"Oh, okay." The teacher answered and she continued her roll calling.
Tomoka looked at Ryoma. She wanted to ask about Sakuno's condition, but she just couldn't. They were in the class and he was sitting too far from her.
I hope I can go with him to Sakuno-chan's house later.
The rest of the class went on as Ryoma wished for the hours to pass by speedily. He was so damn worried about Sakuno. How can she eat her lunch? Although he already prepared the food for her (which is his first time in his entire life preparing for a food), he was still worried about her inborn clumsiness for sometimes. At times like this, how he wished he was on her side.
"Eh? Sakuno-chan got a fever?" Momo said, shocked.
They were at the tennis courts and was about to start their practice when they heard what Ryoma said. He got his senpaitachi's attention and they gathered around him.
"Hn." Ryoma answered lazily. He just wanted this conversation to finish already. It was Tezuka whom he wanted to speak to. It wasn't the time for his senpais to ask questions – he was in a hurry.
"So that's why Ochibi's not here this morning for practice, nya!" Eiji added. He was holding his tennis racket and his arms were crossed to his nape.
"Hn." He looked at Tezuka to say what was on his mind. Oh, come on, just say the word already.
"Okay, you can go." And as expected to his captain – Tezuka got his message.
He sighed of relief. He was about to lift his bag when here came another interruption.
"Ryoma-sama!" It was Tomoka. This was the first time he saw Sakuno's big mouthed best friend with a face like this - her eyes full of worries and concerns. "Can I go with you to Sakuno-chan's house? You know... I'm really worried about her since Sumire-sensei's –"
"Hn." He answered quickly and he lifted his bag before anyone could ever waste his time again. "Let's go."
Tomoka's face brightened as she sighed of relief. She never thought Ryoma will agree with her for the first time!
"Take care." Oishi said as his eyes followed every move of Ryoma.
"We will go there after the practice." Fuji said with his usual smile.
He was about to take his first step when someone came rushing towards them. Ahhh... here goes another interruption.
"Tomoka-chan!"
Everyone looked at the guy with their raised eyebrows. His face wasn't familiar to them, except for Ryoma (and Tomoka of course).
Ryoma's blood came rushing up from within when he saw the guy's face. He remembered the face. He was the one who was Sakuno and Tomoka were talking to happily and cheerfully last week. Sakuno even giggled which he couldn't forget. He was the one who made his day that day worsen. He was the one he was jealous of. And he was the one who –
ERASE! ERASE! ERASE!
Too much for the flashback. THAT was the past incident he didn't even want to remember ever again.
What is he doing here? Seeing the guy again made his feelings uncomfortable. He felt jealousy just got back from last week and it was rising even more.
Well, who wouldn't? Sakuno said this guy was her friend since childhood. He knew... he was just a friend but he just couldn't stop his blood circulation.
"Masato, what are you doing here?"
Ryoma heard Tomoka spoke that made him back to his senses.
"I was going to speak to Sumire-sensei but they said she's not here." The guy answered, not minding the other people besides Tomoka. "Where's Sakuno-chan?"
Hn? Hearing his girlfriend's name, this guy got Ryoma's attention fully.
Tomoka was about to speak again when Eiji beat it.
"Who is he?" Eiji got pretty interested.
"Ah – he is Sakuno-chan's childhood sweetheart." Tomoka said teasing Masato, without thinking about Ryoma's presence. Oh, she just forgot him at the moment.
"Eh?" They were all shocked.
"Sakuno-chan's first love?" Momo said, astonished. Then he looked at Ryoma with his eyes full of sarcasm. "And I thought it was Echizen!"
"Me, too!" Eiji seconded Momoshiro. "Ne, Ochibi, what can you say?" He even pushed Ryoma on the shoulder.
Ryoma glared at his big mouthed senpais. His temper was about to explode in any moment now. Why, first, they got his precious time wasted, second, they made Sakuno's waiting pretty longer, and now... they were saying stupid things, to think that this guy's presence irritated him.
He is Sakuno-chan's childhood sweetheart.
It was like a bomb.
He just felt a knife just stab him right through the center of his heart. He also thought he was her first love! Well, that was the payment for not asking Sakuno directly.
"N-no...! Don't believe her!" The guy named Masato said, embarrassed. "Tomoka-chan, you're teasing me again..!" He said and looked down with a slight blush on his cheeks.
And that didn't hide from Ryoma's sharp eyes. One thing was for sure – this guy was his rival.
Momo and Eiji won't stop teasing Ryoma and as far as he knew, this two will never stop. And no one can stop them – even their mother-like senpai, Oishi.
He made up his mind.
"I have to go. She's waiting for me." He said to Tezuka directly as he pulled his caps down and started walking.
"Wait – !" Tomoka said but he didn't stop from walking away.
"Eh? Where are you going?" Masato asked, confused.
"We're going to Sakuno-chan's house. She has a fever." Tomoka explained quickly and bowed to the regulars and ran towards Ryoma.
"Hey! I'm coming, too!" Masato said as he followed Tomoka, much to Ryoma's dismay.
"Sakuno-chan!" Tomoka cried just as the door to Sakuno's room opened. They didn't knock at the main door. Sakuno gave her key to Ryoma this morning for this afternoon, for her not to get up. "How are you?" Tomoka asked loudly and hugged Sakuno tightly. Then, she placed the back of her hand on Sakuno's forehead.
The two guys were just watching them. The one was irritated and the other was shy and feeling awkward.
"I-I'm feeling better now." Sakuno said. Her voice was still weak. "Thanks for visiting me." She looked at the two boys who were just standing and looking at them. "Masato-san!"
To Ryoma's surprise, Sakuno didn't notice him, but instead, this guy over here in his side.
"Sakuno-chan, how are you?" Masato said, slightly blushing and shy. The way he acted, anyone can say he had a heart for Sakuno.
"I'm fine, I'm fine." Sakuno smiled at him. Then she turned to notice Ryoma's sour face. "R-Ryoma-kun..."
Ryoma looked at Sakuno. "Hn?" He still managed to control his tiniest temper he got in his body right now.
"A-arigatou..." She smiled at him sweetly even though she was still feeling frail.
The half of Ryoma's anger had vanished in an instant as if the cold water had washed it away when he saw that face of his girlfriend. He just nodded and walked closer to her. He leaned over to kiss her on the forehead. "You should still take a rest."
Sakuno didn't expect that and she was stilled for a moment. The other two was shocked, too. But Tomoka grinned afterward.
"H-h-h-hai...!" Sakuno felt her blood came rushing towards her cheeks. This was the first time Ryoma kissed her with people other than them! He usually kisses her on the forehead when there was no one else looking. She felt embarrassed and her heart went wild as if it was hammering out from her chest.
"I'll buy some food." Ryoma suggested and looked at the guy steadily for five seconds saying don't-you-dare-do-anything-stupid-or-else before he went out.
He didn't take long buying their food because he was not comfortable leaving Sakuno with Tomoka and that Masato guy alone. He hurriedly went back to her house.
And when he arrived, the three were happily, cheerfully, joyfully, merrily – arghh... in short, they were enjoying each other's company, which Ryoma hated the most.
It was like the scene he saw last week – Sakuno talking to that guy, smiling and giggling and this and that. Ahh... he just felt his heart was shattering into pieces...again. They didn't even notice him!
"Ah – he is Sakuno-chan's childhood sweetheart."
Those words just made his chest felt tremendous pain. Great. He felt as if someone was gripping his heart tightly and in any moment now, bloods will be visible and he'll get a heart attack. He just wanted to turn away and walk home and cry his heart out and – what? What did he just thought? Him, Echizen Ryoma just thought about crying? Well, on his second thought, it was better to exhaust himself from playing tennis than cry in his room alone.
But, he hadn't had the chance to for Sakuno already saw him.
"R-Ryoma-kun...!" Sakuno noticed him, finally. The other two turned their heads to him, too.
"E-er – hn." He cursed himself from stammering. He managed to walk closer to them and he placed the food he bought into the table near Sakuno's bed.
"Ryoma-sama, we're just talking about you!" Tomoka said cheerfully and looked at his every move. "I just remembered the most embarrassing thing Sakuno ever did in her entire life!" Tomoka added and laughed hard as she remembered something about Sakuno. "You know what she did, Masato-san? HAHAHAHA!"
"W-what?" Masato said, having a small smile which will turn into laughter in any moment now, he turned his head to Sakuno who was now blushing like crazy.
Ryoma just rolled his eyes and listened to Tomoka's story for the next 2 hours. Gladly, he did survive. But, here goes another survival moment. Their senpais had just arrived.
"Sakuno-chan!" Eiji greeted cheerfully as he entered Sakuno's room first.
"E-Eiji-senpai...!" Sakuno was astonished just as she saw the regulars of Seigaku entering at her very room. Her face became red again after Tomoka had told Masato (with Ryoma around) every single detail on the most embarrassing day of her life. She looked around her room and studied her stuffs if they were all organized. Good thing, they were.
"How are you feeling, Sakuno-chan?" Fuji asked with his usual smile and looked at Sakuno before looking at Masato then to Ryoma, with a suspicious look on his face.
Ryoma glared at him with a threatening look. But Fuji didn't bother.
"Hello, Sakuno-chan!" Momo said who was just entered. He was the last one who came in. "Oh!" He was surprised when he saw the first love of Sakuno still there together with them. Somehow, it just didn't feel right. He smirked. Then he teased Ryoma. "Hey, Echizen, do you know that first love never dies?"
Ryoma looked at Momo. And if his glare can kill people, Momoshiro will be shut through his head by now. Luckily for Momo, he didn't have to worry about that. He continued teasing Ryoma by singing the song of The Longest Road (1980), "Everybody has a first love~ they have left in yesterday~ Feelings they have left behind~ it's just a place in time but not so far away~" The way he sang with closed eyes and exaggerated actions and voice, everybody paused and watched him speechlessly as he sang. Then Momo realized no one was making a noise. He opened his eyes and he began to feel embarrassment was coming on his way.
"Not bad, Momo." Oishi commented and smiled.
"Hmmm... Another data added." Inui scribbled something on his data notebook.
"Ah – T-thanks," was all Momo can say as the atmosphere around him became awkward.
Ryoma smirked victoriously. But that didn't lessen his anger and doubt to himself. The guy was Sakuno's first love. And like Momo said and as the saying goes, first love never dies. What if – Sakuno's feelings for that guy come back? What if that happens? WHAT IF?
Our prince of tennis had just known he had some insecurity, too.
"R-Ryoma-kun... I-is there any problem?" Sakuno asked, they were eating their dinner now. Only the two of them were left alone at last.
"Hn? Nothing." He answered briefly. The thought of Sakuno's first love was still on his head and it was killing him, he just didn't show it to Sakuno. He had his pride after all.
"I can go to school tomorrow." She said smiling. She was happy that she didn't have to be absent again. "And obaa-san is going home, too."
Sakuno spoke so much tonight than usual. But his mind wasn't on her right now.
That guy is her first love.
"Ryoma-kun."
And not me!
"Ryoma-kun?"
Oh... how can I –
"Ne, Ryoma-kun?" Sakuno made her voice louder this time.
"H-huh?" He said, surprised. "What is it?"
"Mou... I'm talking here and you're not even listening to me." Sakuno said, her face saddened. "Is there anything that's bothering you? What are you thinking?"
"..."
He looked at her, with his eyes full of accusations.
I really thought it was me – her first love... He sighed. His face showed guiltiness as he thought wrongly about him being Sakuno's first love. He can't help himself from not thinking about it. It kept bugging him. And it was giving him a heart-crashing feeling, which he couldn't take anymore.
He looked at Sakuno's confused eyes. One way to let this feeling go away – ask Sakuno directly.
"Who is your first love?" He asked without even thinking. His heart was beating so fast, he was even catching his breaths.
"N-nani?" Sakuno was shocked. It was so sudden for Ryoma to ask something like that. But then, she remembered Momo singing something about first love. But what about it?
"W-why are you asking me about that?" She answered with a question, too, trying to change the topic. Why would Ryoma have to ask that? Hadn't he known?
"Just answer it." He said impatiently. He readied himself for whatever her answer will be. He just wanted to be in peace.
Sakuno didn't answer him and just looked at his face, with questions in her eyes.
Ryoma sighed harshly. He knew, he had lost. Sakuno's silence had already answered the question. It was him after all – her childhood sweetheart – her first love.
This was the first time Ryoma had lost a match. How will he cope up on this?
Well, knowing Echizen Ryoma, he will still think of a way to win the match up to the last seconds of it, which he will also do at this very moment.
He just thought of a great counter-attack to win the match with that Masato guy.
He leaned his face closer to Sakuno's, who was in his side. "I just remembered..." He said huskily and looked at Sakuno's thin pink lips. "We never kissed on the lips." He looked at her expressions.
Her face was indeed very red now. "A-u-uhmm..R-R-R-Ryoma-kun!" His face was still leaning closer and closer to her as she was moving her head backwards.
Ryoma swallowed. He had always imagined what it would be like to kiss Sakuno but he didn't really think he was going to have that chance. Not until now.
He bent forward to kiss her. And there it was. Magic and fireworks.
Sakuno was shocked but then, she subconsciously wrapped her arms around Ryoma's neck.
I never knew kissing feels so good. I could kiss Ryoma-kun forever.
But just then, Ryoma broke the kiss off. Sakuno was kind of disappointed that it had to end so soon. But their faces were still so close. She could smell Ryoma's scents which gave her a lot of different sensations that ran all over her body.
"They say that, first love never dies ..." Ryoma said, still catching his breath. His eyes were burning with fire and desires. "But do you know that... TRUE LOVE buries it alive..." Then he again kissed her, but this time, it wasn't just a simple one but with a passion and hunger and obsession.
He didn't care who was Sakuno's first love at all. What was important now was that – he loved her truly – with all of his heart. And he'll never get insecure again, for he'll do everything to top Masato in Sakuno's eyes. He was her boyfriend, after all. He had the advantage in everything. He'll never let that Masato guy ruin their relationship. Not now. Not tomorrow.
But he didn't have to compete with Masato anymore. For he, Echizen Ryoma – was the first and true love of Ryuzaki Sakuno after all.
A/N: Next thing is... I'm going to make a prequel., I guess... on how they became lovers. I just thought about it now. XD stay tuned!