A Paper on Sakuno
Troubled Typist
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A/N: I'm trying this again…hopefully it'll be slightly smoother than my last story J
Couple: Tezuka/Sakuno
Summary: Tezuka has an assignment for class, now if only he had something to write about…
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Tezuka sat in class leaning forward with his chin resting in his palm. He glanced to his side and noticed Fuji was three slow blinks away from falling asleep and couldn't help but feel amused. Their teacher was lecturing more than he usually did and didn't seem to notice that the only person who would make it to the end of class awake was Tezuka.
"…and if you read this classic, you'll notice how perfectly the author elaborates on the characters and settings. It doesn't bore you, it sucks you in. You can tell just from reading it that the author enjoyed writing it…" The teacher continued. Tezuka started to feel his eyes droop and had to bite his lip to wake himself back up. He didn't have to though when the school bell rang through the halls, waking all of his classmates up. Over their yawns and groans of confusion, the teacher shouted out the next day's assignment.
"I want you to find someone, anyone, and write about them. And no cursing or angering anyone – yes, I'm talking to you Mr. Toriyomo, in the paper. It needs to be at least a half page long and should give me a clear idea of who the person is!"
Tezuka wrote some notes in his planner as everyone else all hustled to get out of the classroom around him. He heard someone stand beside him and looked up, already knowing who he was going to see.
"So…who are you going to write about?" Asked Fuji, grinning away. Tezuka shrugged his shoulders and stood up, grabbing his bag as he stood. "I think I'm going to write about my sister…or oh! Coach Ryuzaki! She'd be an interesting one to write about. Oh! Even better, Ryoma! Black hair, angry eyes, a view of the world that no one knows, with a hidden deeper side!" Fuji quoted happily, following Tezuka out of the room. "Maybe this assignment will be tougher than I thought it would be!" Fuji laughed, clapping Tezuka on the back.
"See you at the courts later, right? Ja!" Fuji waved as he left Tezuka in the crowded corridor. He shoved his way through the other students that the hall was full of and finally made it to his locker.
Three more classes until practice… He thought to himself. Just three more classes…
After what seemed like forever to the boy, the classes ended and he found himself on the tennis courts, supervising as everyone stretched. As he did this, his mind wandered (while he really knew he shouldn't let it) back to his paper that was due tomorrow.
Who the heck am I going to write about? He wondered. Fuji was thinking of some of the players as subjects, maybe…
"EEP!"
"SAKUNO! Are you okay?" Tezuka didn't even bother to look at the bleachers, already knowing what would be over there. The pigtailed girl and the braid girl, sitting beside each other and watching them, scratch that, Ryoma, practice.
Braids has got to learn how to walk… He thought to himself. He had everyone change their stretches as he began to look over the players, wondering who he could write about…
He first looked at Inui who was talking to the coach about something but took him off the list right away. The majority of that essay would be about penal-tea and all of hid other juice concoctions…and data. Lots of data.
Oishi was someone that he might have some information on, he had known him for a long time and-
"Woot Ryoma!"
"Tomoka! Hush!" Tezuka finally turned his attention from the practice to the two girls that were watching.
Why do they like to watch him that much? Tezuka wondered to himself, not able to figure it out. I could write pages about how loud pigtails is… He thought, and for a moment, he considered actually doing it but then decided he should at least write about someone who he's had something close to a conversation with.
He looked back at his tennis team mates and was thinking who to write about when comments on all of his other essays kept coming back to him.
Excellent work, Mr. Tezuka, but isn't there anything else you'd like to write about besides Tennis?
Good work, but perhaps next time you can write about something other than tennis?
A perfect paper, please, write about something other than tennis! I can't take anymore!
He looked back at the two girls. He knew that Ryuzaki's granddaughter was in tennis but that she wasn't that good. She probably had things about her that had nothing to do with tennis…
He thought about it for a few more minutes before deciding that he actually did know enough to write about her. True, he only really conversed with her when he had to talk to the coach, but still…he talked to her more than most.
With the ability to finally get his mind off his paper for a while he turned back to practice.
Later…
It was three days after Tezuka turned in the paper when he got it back. On top was nothing new – his paper was perfect. What was new was the teacher's comments on it.
Perfect! Beautiful! And not one word about tennis! I could feel you drifting towards it but you didn't! I'm sure your girlfriend appreciates that!
Tezuka pushed down the blush at the word girlfriend and hid the paper before anyone noticed and left the classroom.
THE PAPER
Her hair is long, brown, and always in braids, tied at the ends with ribbons. A barrette holds back some of her bangs but some still manage to get through. Her big brown eyes always open, always searching, for what, I don't think she knows.
Her nose is small as are her lips that whisper more than speak. Her face is small, which matches her small form.
She's clumsy, and it's amazing she can take three steps without falling on her face. Usually, it's more like six, but only if she's walking. She can run fine, except her stamina isn't that great. She starts getting tired after only three laps, if that.
She's nice though. Ridiculously so. People take advantage of her kindness, but she doesn't seem to notice. She just shrugs it off and says that that's the way some people are. She'll continue to help the people that use her, and she doesn't have a problem with it.
She can sing like no other, but no one is supposed to know that. It's a secret she keeps to herself. Something that is hers alone even though at least three other people know about it. Ice skating is another talent that she hides from most people. She can barely walk on hard dry ground, and putting wheels on her just make it worse, but you put her on cold, slippery ice, she's like a squirrel on tree, or an antelope running in dry grass – its just meant to be.
No one knows though. No one but me, her best friend, and her grandmother. It makes me wonder why she hides though. What's the point? Why is she scared at letting people see that side of her? It makes me want to find out more.
-fin-