Hi! This is my special one-shot for my special day. I hope you like this one.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own POT. Konomi Takeshi-sensei has all the rights. I don't own Sekaiichi Hatsukoi ending song in English translation lyrics by Wakaba as well.
Ne, Mitsukijunko-san…
What is it?
…
Ryoma-san…
Nothing… just continue writing my fics… ja.
? What was that? I am writing your fanfics you know. Geez!
Now get on with the story… I haven't reviewed this yet... so... sorry for the mistakes... I hope you like this and minus my insanity... tee hee hee
Tomorrow, I'm coming to see you
'Simply liking you won't satisfy me.
Simply admiring you won't satiate me.
Once the morning light pours in,
I, with courage, will say "I like you!"'
Wakaba - Ashita, Boku wa Kimi ni Ai ni Yuku
She was walking to the school premises as she was responsible to do some activities today. It was that time of the year where all the freshmen from Seishun middle school would graduate. She was planning to continue her studies at Seishun high and she knew that a certain amber-eyes person would do well. She'd known him for almost three years and her feelings for him would grow all these years. She didn't expect that. She couldn't imagine that her crush would turn into love. Just thinking about it would make her blush all the time. She would stare at him when he played, watched his move to every tiny details, even when he drank his ponta. She would cheer for him in every match. She was happy about that. The thing that she couldn't take was when he tried to approach her, she would run away.
When did that happen?
She couldn't remember. Everytime his fans would surround him, she was being left behind. Even Tomoka would join from the crowd, the thing that she couldn't do. How she wished that she had the same courage as her best friend had. His fans kept saying how they liked the tennis prodigy, Tomoka was able to say the same thing. Well, she was not different from them. She liked him too-no she loved him.
She was different from them. Her feelings were genuine. It was not idolization like they felt for him. Hers was coming from the bottom of her heart.
'You are transparent, Sakuno. You have the chance to him.'
She could still remember Tomoka's words. Was she that easy to read? Perhaps for Tomoka, it was. But to him, it was impossible. The boy was too dense to notice that. Or… if she was going to tell him. She stopped from walking. Her eyes were slowly dilated as she realized something.
…Confession.
She was going to confess to him. The thought made her flush really hard. Now she realized that liking him or simply admiring him from a distance wouldn't satisfy her. He had to know her feelings. She stared on the ground as she thought of something else. She had decided.
"Okay, I am going to tell him." She looked up.
"You are going to tell what to whom?"
She jumped when she heard someone talked behind her, someone that she knew well. She looked behind her slowly, "R-r-ryoma-kun, I-I ummm."
The boy closed his eyes as he walked closer to her. She panicked inside, "Where are you taking these?"
"E-eh?!" She looked below her. Right. She had forgotten about those cones that she was pushing earlier. Actually he made her stop from doing her chores. Thinking about him, that was, "Y-yeah, I need to take them back to-" she was interrupted when the boy pushed the cart, "R-ryoma-kun I-"
"These things are heavy. How could you push them like you're having fun?" he said while looking ahead.
She looked at him, "I-it's nothing. T-this is the only thing I could do to help the school."
"You're wrong; you can do more than that."
"Eh?"
Ryoma didn't say after that. They walked to the club room and placed all the cones there. It took minutes for them to finish placing all the cones there. It was already sunset when they exited the room.
"T-thank you for helping me today, Ryoma-kun." she blushed.
Ryoma just stood there beside her and nodded. The boy was staring ahead. Thus the wind blew; the sunset scent was being filled as the wind blew. She didn't know how she was staring at him.
Then his words earlier came in to her mind. She could do more as he said. It was her chance, she could confess to him right now. He looked good from her eyes. She tried to reach him when the boy suddenly looked at her. She was caught reaching out to him.
"What are you doing?" he asked her.
She blushed even more because of that. She put her hand down as she tried to say her words, "Uhmm… y-you see… t-there is something that I need to… to tell you."
Ryoma looked at her waiting for her next words.
She fidgeted, "F-for you… I…I-"
"Echizen!"
She almost screamed when someone called his name. She looked ahead as she saw a guy with his 5 years experience of tennis come rushing through them.
"Perfect timing."
She could hear Ryoma whispered something like he was annoyed because of his interruption.
"What are two doing here? Oi, Echizen, Tezuka-buchou was looking for you. You took long enough for buying ponta. We need to gather round now. Mataku." Horio said.
"Che," he looked away and faced her, "what are you going to tell me again?"
"E-eh?" she flinched on his questions, "U-uhmmm i-it's nothing important. A-anyway, I-I think I was wasting your time here. Y-you should go back to the court now," She said bowing in front of them and started to run, "T-thank you once again. See you."
She ran away from them. She could hear Horio's question 'what was that?' to him. But she didn't hear Ryoma's reply. She couldn't be careless. It was a failure attempt. She didn't know where she gathered the courage to do that. But she realized something; it was really hard to confess to the person that she loved. She couldn't bring herself to do that again. She almost embarrassed herself in front of him.
She was popular of being shy for goodness sake.
There was never a chance like that again. And she ruined that chance. The school was about to end as well. Today was pretty sad for her but when she remembered his monotonous voice and his smirk, she would become immediately happy. She stopped from her room to grab her bag;
"I wish I have more courage to say it… Mou…" She said to herself.
Several Days Later:
After the attempted confession, she became aloof towards him, at least, when his fan girls were there to surround him. The girls were asking for his second button since after the graduation rites but Ryoma didn't answer any girl that was surrounding him. He ignored them and continued walking to the court.
Her confession was actually repeated a lot of times but she failed every time she was doing that. There were times that she almost said the word 'like' to him when Momo and Eiji suddenly butted from nowhere and started to annoy the tennis prodigy. And her, being shy and embarrassed started to run away apologizing from them… once again.
There was a time that she tried to confess to him at the court one Friday afternoon. Thinking that no one was looking as everyone went home already, she gathered the courage to confess to him.
"Come out there Inui-senpai… I know you're hiding there."
Then they saw the data analysis hiding at the back of the door of the club room. Her courage sank in as she saw his senpai there. The boy approached him retorting something to him. She could hear Inui teasing him about 'love' and such. And then, her courage became zero again. She walked backwards announcing her leave to them.
"I-I'll go now… I-Inui-senpai, Ryoma-kun. S-see you."
"Wait… what is it that you are going to tell me?" Ryoma tried to ask her.
"T-that can wait. I-I'll see you on the graduation day." With that she started to run leaving the two behind.
"Well so much for her effort." Inui said to him.
Ryoma whispered something as he closed his eyes and started walking, "Not long before you appeared and ruined it."
"I heard that, Echizen." Inui said following his kouhai.
"che."
xxx
Her feet wouldn't stop running. Her eyes were closed but luckily she hadn't bumped into someone or getting lost somewhere. The love that she was feeling, the loneliness… yes, loneliness that she was feeling. Was it forlorn… or sparkling? Actually, she couldn't differentiate the two. Even she was alone, just remembering the way he talked, it made her happy... even it was for teasing or mocking… call her stupid but that what was she felt. It was sad… she couldn't tell her feelings to anyone other than him. Tomoka knew it but the girl was insisting her to say it.
She stopped as she looked at the afternoon sunset. She stared there for a while before realizing that her heart was slowly crushed by her own cowardness. She walked after that and thought hard;
I fell in love with you… but simply liking you wouldn't satisfy me nor wouldn't admiring you from the distance satiate me. Where did I gather this courage to tell you… even just for attempts? I am too clumsy to do that.
She made a decision after that, "Okay, this will be my last chance… one more time… on our graduation day… I-If I fail this time then," she gripped her hands in front of her chest, "then I'll… give up."
Graduation Day:
The ceremony went well… For the regular students that were. Good looking guys and girls in different clubs were targets for their second buttons. Young men from the tennis club were no different. Everyone was present to congratulate their kouhai even Tezuka was there. Somehow Ryoma felt relieved to have them there even though there were long graduated from the middle school. Momo, Eiji, Oishi and even Ryoma started to run from those fan girls who were asking for his second button.
"Ne, senpai! What is with the second button anyway?" Ryoma asked Momo between their escape.
"You don't have an idea? That was stupid." Momo retorted.
"I wouldn't ask you if I know." Ryoma eyed him.
OIshi answered him, "You will give your second button to the person you love."
"Yeah, Ochibi, since the second button is the nearest button to your heart, the person that you are going to give it will definitely special to you." Eiji continued.
"Mmmm." That was his only reply. Not long ago of running, he saw a certain pigtailed girl being cornered by three senior students, forcing her to accept their second buttons. He saw the girl tried her best to reject their buttons judging from her flushed reactions. That gave him an idea. He changed his course separating from his senpais.
"Oi! Echizen! Where are you going?" Momo said not even bothering to stop running.
"I am going to give my second button to someone." He said as he ran away from them.
The senpais blinked twice as they looked at each other. Finally, recognizing what their kouhai said, they began smirking. Oishi realized something different as he stopped running;
"W-wait! Guys! Why are we running anyway? We are not graduate students anymore."
Momo and Eiji looked at each other; both smiled and looked back at their former vice captain and said at the same time, "Because we like it!"
Oishi eyed them as he sighed hard while tapping his temple, "I can't believe this."
xxx
Ryoma took a different route to make sure that no one could follow him or even his senpais. He wouldn't let them know what he would to today. Not even a chance. After a fine strategy, he found his target still being harassed by those seniors. He started running to their direction really fast and in an instant he quickly grabbed the girl's wrist making her to scream and started to run away. He looked at their back seeing their confused reactions and looks. He looked ahead once again as he smirked;
Serves them right. Strategy succeeded.
xxx
She screamed when someone grabbed her hand and dragged her there. She was saved from those seniors but she was taken away by someone. She blushed when she recognized her savior.
"R-ryoma-kun?"
"You were having a hard time there. I thought I'd help you." the boy said.
They stopped at a certain area from the school. When they thought that everything was clear, she faced the boy.
"U-umm, t-thank you… Ryoma-kun."
"It's nothing." He said as he looked everywhere.
She stared at him for a while. He saved her. He dragged her there. It was her chance to confess to him.
Her final chance.
If she ruined this then, she could never tell him as if her courage drained her away. She took a deep breath from her lungs while the boy was busy looking around.
"R-ryoma-kun," she started, stepping a little forward to him, "t-there's something that I want to say to you."
The boy looked at her… straight to her eyes. He waited for her next words.
It took forever for her to say her next words, "I-I you know… for you…" she looked down. She was getting embarrassed again; she could sense that Ryoma was starting to get irritated now. She looked up once again and continued;
"Ryoma-kun, I-I really li-"
"RYOMA-SAMA! THERE HE IS! RYOMA-SAMA! GIVE ME YOUR SECOND BUTTON, PLEASE!"
They both looked at the screaming girl which was followed by the others. Sakuno was totally shocked… and frozen. She was being cut… for the last time… and that was her last chance. She wasn't aware what happened until Ryoma grabbed her wrist and gestured her to the other direction but luck wasn't on their side. The other direction had fan girls too. They started to run towards them making them to separate with each other.
Sakuno walked back as Ryoma was being surrounded by the fan girls. She saw how the boy struggled just to save his second button being stolen from him. She could see his stare that he was giving her. But her mind was not there anymore.
She missed her chance.
She lost it.
It was over.
She was not able to tell him after all. Before she could do something ridiculous in that place, she bowed in front the boy making that he would see her. She smiled at her best before starting to run away. She didn't see the boy's reaction when she turned away and went somewhere else.
Later On:
She went to the best hiding place that she thought was safer to stay.
The library.
It was impossible to stay on the rooftop for it was an open area. She could predict that someone was there probably waiting for someone to give their second button of worst his fan club. Good thing that the library was quiet and there were few people there. No one needed to shout for it was a compulsory quiet place. She walked further but she didn't sit on one of the chairs there. She stood up to a certain area where no one could find her.
Since when did I have the courage to tell him my feelings? I didn't recall any of this. I was too shy to all things… and still I am, so why did I try to do that? She thought to herself. She put her hand on the book shelf for support and continued her thoughts. I started running away from him and attempting to confess to him made me more embarrass. I couldn't face him now.
She would never try… no dare to confess to him again. His fan girls would hate her if she would do that.
Her secret and bewildered feeling were softly swaying from nowhere. No matter what she would do, she was unable to embrace both of them ever again. She loved him and she wanted to see him again. But if she would do that now, she would surely end up crying.
She looked down and whispered trying to hold her tears back as she could, "I look miserable."
"You look miserable."
She looked up ahead when she heard those words. She was actually surprised to see him there leaning on the other side of the bookshelf. She was speechless as her eyes became widened. The boy escaped from those girls but she noticed that his second button was not there. Probably one of the girls finally took a grab of it. She felt sad because of that. She was cut on her reverie when the boy spoke;
"You left me there without saving me."
She flinched as she tried to stand up and hold for support. The boy was staring straight to her eyes for goodness sake. And the boy was definitely teasing him when he said that. She looked away, "I-I am sorry… I don't know… what to do either."
"You also left without finishing your sentence."
She couldn't hold the situation anymore. Ryoma was still insisting her words. With that, she turned to herself sideways from him as she replied to him, "T-that's not important anymore."
"You keep telling me that but you always trying to say the same thing to me over and over again."
It was the wrong reply she gave him. She couldn't blame him for he was right after all. She was the one who keep saying her words but she didn't manage to finish whenever she attempted to say it. The situation was awkward now. She didn't know if she was able to confess to him;
"I-I just want to say congratulations on graduating. I-it sounded ridiculous because we will still see each other next school year… b-but two months is still far." She feint a laugh as she closed her eyes.
"That's not what I wanted to hear."
"E-eh?!" She looked up just to see him walking closer to her. She walked backwards making her to face him again. She was blushing as his stare never leave hers.
"Say it, Ryuzaki. I want to hear it." He said to her stopping a few inches from her. Well, he made spaces between them so that she could talk... enough spaces really.
She was blushing really hard. He was provoking her to confess. Her final chance was long gone but he was giving him a special bonus. What was that? A contest? She was not a contestant to participate in any competition. She was not competing for something at all. She bit her lip before deciding to say her real thoughts;
"R-ryoma-kun… I-I… I really don't know… how to say this… anymore," She looked down as she played with the hem of her uniform, "b-because of the failed attempts, I lose hope of telling you this."
Ryoma remained silent. He stared at her and found her amusing to see how red she was that time.
"I-I know I am acting stupid right now… i-in front of you that-"
"Just spill it already." He cut her ad-lib.
She looked up at him, "R-ryoma-kun… I—think, I think I-I…"
Crap.
She lost her words. She stopped in the mid-sentence. She could sense that the boy was annoyed already, leaving him in the middle. She tried to continue but the boy retorted;
"Enough! This is getting forever," with that he leaned closer to her and gave a chaste kiss to her lips. It took three seconds for him to release her. Her eyes widened as the action registered into her brain. But the boy was not finished yet as he spoke and smirked, "I love you too. You don't need to try hard."
She covered her lips that he just kissed. She was blushing really hard. That was it. The boy finished her words with his reply on it.
What?
The boy loved her too. He loved her. His surprises were not finished yet. He grabbed her hand and put something there. Her eyes widened as she saw a button. His second button.
"I saved that for you."
She was able to stare at him. She tried to hold her tears back but some still fell down her cheek. She quickly wiped them away as she said her words, "I-I still want to say it… R-ryoma-kun… please give me some time to say it."
"Un."
She took a deep breath as she closed her eyes and opening them again. She gathered all the courage she could have. And with the courage she could say it now;
"I-I like you… R-ryoma-kun."
He stared at her for a while before sighing and leaned his hand on the bookshelf near her, "Should it be 'I love you' instead of 'I like you'?"
She held her breath as she looked at him in the eyes, she couldn't say it but she nodded randomly. With the boy's amusement, he smirked as the boy hugged her.
"I admire your unbelievable courage, thank you."
It took time for her before realizing that she needed to respond to his hug. Her tears fell but she let them. It was tears of joy after all. She hugged him back.
She closed her eyes thinking that it could calm her heart. One thing; she didn't expect to happen.
Her hard effort was paid off.
Epilogue:
"H-how did you know that I was here?" Sakuno asked him out of the blue. There were still in the library, hiding from those fan-girls of his and the other seniors who wanted to get a hold of her.
Ryoma looked at the curtained window. It was not clear to go out yet because of those people looking everywhere, "This is where I volunteered, remember. I often go to this place when I don't have tennis practice."
She covered her face as replied.
"I knew that you would be here, this place is quiet. Those annoying people wouldn't dare to make a fuss here." he looked at her after saying that.
"Y-you are right. I-I was thinking the same thing when I went here." she said. She panicked when the boy walked to her place and grabbed her hand.
"Be sure to take care of my button."
She blushed really hard. She nodded as she said her confirmation, "H-hai…"
"We don't have classes now." Ryoma said.
She nodded, "W-we graduated… so that will be the case." She said. It was true that they didn't have classes starting tomorrow but on what Ryoma's next words made her happier than today.
"But Tomorrow, I will come to see you."
Done! Thank you very much for reading this fic… When I was making this… I thought that it could be clichéd. I don't know… It was my special day and I couldn't make a better plot than this… anyway I hope that it went well…
REVIEWS PLEASE! Review will make me go Eureka! Eureka!... tee hee hee…
For the little cliffhanger above (before my story starts) this is the reason why Ryoma *ehem* called me.
MENTAL NOTE: You don't have to read this one if you don't like it. Thank you… Domo…
Sitting on my chair while facing the computer, tapping the top of the keyboard but couldn't type anything, I scratched my head with my fingers like it was itching or something.
"Man! I couldn't think of anything. My mind was hollowed today," I looked up at the clock and wore a worried look on the face and sighed, "it's ten in the morning already and I can't think of the next scenes of my RyoSaku fics. And my deadline is approaching. Ugh!" I ruffled my hair like some kind of a desperate manga artist who couldn't make her own deadline as well. (Well, I don't have editors to check or to yell at me but mangaka artists have. That's the difference… tee hee hee.)
"MitsukiJunko-san…"
From my disoriented thoughts maybe I was dreaming. I saw the subject in my mind creating its own life form. And it appeared just beside my computer set. I rubbed my eyes thinking that I must be hallucinating due to my sleep deprivation.
Oh well, I must be dreaming.
A smaller version of Ryoma not the chibi ones, more like the size of Thumbelina was calling out to me. His racket was resting on his shoulder. I blinked twice before talking to my 'illusion'.
"R-ryoma-san?" I asked just to make sure.
"Of course, who else?"
I jerked back to my sit. My hands were still on the keyboard but they were not moving, "So… what brings you here?"
Ryoma closed his eyes and walked a little closer. He hopped to the glass table where the monitor and the keyboard were resting, "You don't know?"
I leaned forward just to have closer look at him. I shriek inside. He's really cuuuute! I calmed myself after that little reaction, "I don't know why you're here in the first place either."
"Heh," he gave me his signature smirk,
Bah, the nerve. I thought.
"Let my tennis show you." with that he put his racket down and yanked a ball in his pocket. He dribbled it for a few seconds before hitting it forward. I looked at the direction of the ball only to be shocked.
It was fast that I didn't see it coming. From the direction of the ball there was a white fog appeared on top of me. I stared at it for a while before I saw something few from it. I almost jumped from my chair when something *big* suddenly fell from the glass table next to the keyboard. My eyes widened due to shock. It was a chocolate cake. There was a candle on top of it that numbered_ as my age. (W-wait? H-how did he know my age?) From the surface there was a message which was addressed to me;
'Happy Birthday MitsukiJunko-san.'
I looked up at him and saw him smiled, "It's from everyone from TeniPuri, courtesy of sensei." (I can dream, can't I?... :P)
Wow! Now I must be dreaming. Rather Hallucinating. But this dream was wonderful; I wish I could meet sensei. And If he was able to great me, I would definitely express my gratitude to him.
Going back to my reverie. Yap, it was my birthday today. And Ryoma was giving me a cake.
A chocolate cake to be précised. Hmmm my favorite.
I smiled at him as I laid my palm next to him. Hesitantly, he walked to my palm and that tickles… (How does it feel? If he was really there… anybody guess?) I leaned closer to him again and said;
"Thank you very much, Ryoma-san and to all the TeniPuri cast." With that, I gave him a *ehem* *ehem* *blush* *blush* *cough* *cough* kiss on his cheek that made him *ehem* blush. (Someone throws a ball at me- Hey! I can dream, can't I? Make your own. ;P *sweat drops*)
"Ahh! W-what are you doing?"
We looked back at the keyboard just to see Sakuno who just jumped to the glass table from the TV set where Ryoma first appeared. She was cute too in her Thumbelina size.
Don't wake me up yet… Please.
"What are you here?" Ryoma said as he wore his hat and pinned it down. I giggled because of his embarrassment he was trying to hide from her.
"They said that I should go along with you but you didn't w-wait for me." the girl blushed when she said that.
"I'll leave here right away. I won't take long." He said. I put him down so that they could talk.
Sakuno fidgeted as she couldn't look to him, "b-but M-Mitsukijunko-san just-just…"
I flinched. Now the girl was jealous of me… tee hee hee… This was getting cuter. But before blood came rushing down I interrupted her speech.
"Ne, Sakuno-san. Don't worry; I just thanked him, no need to be jealous." I smiled sheepishly at them.
Sakuno blushed even more before replying to my words, "N-no t-that's n-not what I m-mean. I-I…"
"Ne, you said that you couldn't think of the next scenes right? Need a helping hand?" He smirked while looking at me. I knew what he was thinking. Sakuno became more panicked.
"W-what are you planning, Ryoma-kun?"
"Something that you love to happen." He looked back at her.
I placed my right hand to my chin, "that might be a help."
"M-mou! S-stop it. D-don't taint MitsukiJunko-san's brain!"
I laughed when Sakuno reacted like that, "Don't worry, Sakuno-san. It'll be nice. I promise."
She looked at me with an embarrass reaction, "P-promise?"
"Promise." Upon saying that Sakuno finally smiled. Ryoma cut the awkward silence.
"Well, we did what we have told to do. We need to go."
"Un."
"O-Okay… Thank you again."
The two looked at me and said at the same time;
"Happy Birthday, MitsukiJunko-san!"
I was shocked for the last time. I closed my eyes and smiled at them heartedly.
Thus, my dream ended.
Silly me, I know… But I can dream of him right… It's free to dream and I won't steal him from anyone. Ryoma was just so… I hope I can have someone like him… I kinda like a Tsundere person now… tee hee hee… Well… If you read this one… I am so pleased… So that you knew why I posted this as my special one… Thank you very much… again…
Fanfic Published date: November 21, 2012 (My official birth date.)
PHT Date: November 22, 2012 (The date I posted this fic; also Junko Minagawa and Yael Yuzon's Birthday.) ^_^
~MitsukiJunko ~