Prologue (set when Sakuno and Ryoma are eighth graders)
"Sakuno! SAKUNO! Tell me, did you do it? Did you try to hurt Echizen?" Sumire Ryuzaki shook the white-faced girl by her thin shoulders so hard that she lost her balance and fell onto the asphalt ground of Seigaku's tennis courts.
Sakuno let out a gasp of pain and surprise as she was thrown onto the ground. Pain shot through her left forearm when she landed on it, and her big brown eyes welled up with tears. She blinked and they spilled over, sliding down her cheeks and onto the ground.
The Seigaku regulars were standing in front of her, along with Tomoka, the Seigaku trio, and Sakuno's grandmother, whose face was a mix of pain, betrayal, and anger.
Kaidoh-senpai was glaring at her murderously, looking more like a poisonous serpent than ever. He wasn't even fighting with Momoshiro for once. The Dunk Smash regular's fists were clenched and he was grinding his teeth together.
Inui-senpai was shaking his head in disbelief. Beside him, Tezuka-buchou's face was stoic and dangerous. Even Fuji-senpai was not wearing his usual calm smile; the sharp blue eyes were open and glinting with malice. Kikumaru and Oishi were looking away uncomfortably, but Sakuno could see that they too were seething with anger and betrayal. Kawamaru simply wore a hurt and puzzled expression (luckily he wasn't in burning mode).
Tomo-chan was staring at her best friend like she didn't even know her.
The Seigaku trio (mostly Horio) just gawked at her in astonishment.
"Mada mada dane."
Sakuno's head snapped up when she heard that line. It could only belong to one person, after all. She peered around the regulars' barrier to see a boy sitting shakily on the ground, supported by the Seigaku trio. His raven black hair, usually covered by a white Fila cap, was mussed and matted with crusty blood. Fresh streams of the bright red liquid, despite Oishi's frantic attempts to staunch the bleeding, dripped from all over his face and appendages, which were badly cut and bruised.
Sakuno felt her breathing quicken and her heart clench.
Ryoma-kun…
He lifted his bandaged face, amber eyes boring into hers.
"Well, Ryuzaki? Answer. Why did you do it?" the tennis prince said in a monotone voice. "Did you really think such a pathetic little trap would be enough to hurtme?"
"I-I didn't-" Sakuno was scrambling to find a reply in her jumbled mind when a fist came out of nowhere and collided with her head, slamming it into the ground. The tennis court spun as Sakuno was yanked up by her T-shirt and shaken.
"Why did you do it?" Momoshiro screamed. "Why, Ryuzaki? Why did you try to kill Echizen? I thought you liked him! I thought I could trust you, Why did you betray us?"
"Momo-senpai…" Sakuno gasped as she tried to focus.
"Don't give me that senpai shit!" Momoshiro yelled. "You pretended to be so innocent and sweet, but you're just a dirty little liar!" He shook her violently.
"I'm sorry!" Sakuno cried out. "Please don't hurt me! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"
Fuji suddenly appeared by the Dunk Smash player's side. "Momoshiro." He put a restraining hand on the third-year's shoulder and shook his head.
"Fuji's right," Oishi said hastily, trying to calm the temperamental tennis player down. "Calm down."
Momoshiro's eyes widened in disbelief. "B-but senpais!" he sputtered. "She-"
"That's enough," Tezuka said, stepping forward. "Put her down, Momoshiro. That's an order." He met Momoshiro's gaze evenly.
"Argh…fine," Momoshiro growled, releasing his grip. Sakuno fell back onto the ground in a quivering heap, curling herself up into a tight ball and whimpering.
At that point, Ryoma managed to stand himself up. Leaning on a concerned Katsuo and Horio, the tennis prince said, "I'm fine, Momo-senpai. You can go home now."
"Echizen!" Momoshiro protested. "Ochibi, you need to see a doctor," Kikumaru agreed.
"Enough," Ryuzaki-sensei said. "Echizen is right. So are Kikumaru and Momoshiro. All of you," she indicated to the regulars and second-years, "go home. Inui, Oishi, and myself will take Ryoma to the hospital. Now GO." She glared at them.
"Y-yes, sensei," the students replied meekly. One by one, they picked up their bags and left the tennis court.
"Now then," Ryuzaki-sensei said, turning to the remaining regulars. "We better get Echizen to the hospital. Come with me." She led them towards the parking lot. Ryoma leaned on Oishi and limped the way there.
Sakuno was left alone on the deserted court. She sobbed quietly, still wound in a fetal position, and the sounds gradually faded into silence as the sun went down and everything became dark.