Disclaimer: Tennis no Oujisama belongs to Konomi Takeshi. Yes, the guy that lives in Japan and draws really well. Not me, 'cause my drawings are…sad.
February 14th. The day of love. The day for giving chocolates. The day of nostalgic memories. A group of giggling, excited girls came out of the chocolate shop, each clutching to their chest brightly wrapped packages of red and pink, chatting to each other in breathless voices.
"Hey, who are you going to give it to?"
A fit of giggles. "Matsuda-sempai, of course! What about you?"
"Mine's going to Morimura-san."
"Eh? Morimura? Are you finally going to confess?"
"Yeah, you are, aren't you? I mean, it's the perfect chance, right?"
"You only been crushing on him, for oh, seven years or so."
"SIX AND TWO MONTHS ONLY!"
"Right, right."
Gradually, their laughing voices faded with that of the busy street, and the girl leaning against the wall of the chocolate shop sighed, staring at the puff of white mist that came out of her mouth. It was a cold Valentine's Day this year. She buried her mittoned hands deeper into her pockets and sunk her chin lower into the soft, gray scarf around her neck.
"…Tomo-chan's so slow." It felt like an eternity since her friend had bid her to wait and gone inside the shop alone. Sakuno wanted to take a look at her wrist watch, but didn't want to expose herself to the cold. A biting wind blew by, rustling her long braids, and she involuntarily shivered. "How long does it take to pick out chocolate anyways?" she muttered to herself.
A few passing pedestrians glanced her way with questioning eyes, and Sakuno felt her cheeks grow warm. Well, at least I'm grateful for the heat, she thought. It must have been strange to them, to see a girl on such a cold February 14th, standing alone outside of a chocolate shop, of all places. A chocolate shop that was open to boot. She sighed again. Just why was she standing outside, alone, in the cold, when she could go inside and be warm? Why wasn't she in there, happily picking out chocolates for that special someone with Tomo-chan?
A bitter laugh escaped her lips. Why? Because she was weak. Because she couldn't get over him. Because she couldn't seem to get her broken heart to heal. Because she was too afraid to forget, too cowardly to let go those treasured memories, however false they were. It was because she didn't want to be reminded of the past, by exposing herself to an environment dedicated to love. But the conversation of those passing girls reminded her of those painful memories anyhow. It was all because of that incident, that incident that began exactly one year ago.
-----
She was kneeling on the ground before him, her lowered face a shade of deep crimson, her trembling arms extended up, with her hands cupping a small red box with a red rose on top. And there was silence.
It was lunch break, and after much arduous searching, she had finally found him on the roof, sleeping. At first, she didn't want to disturb him, having caught him at such an awkward moment, but it wasn't everyday that one could see her prince's sleeping face, now was it? Being very careful, she had slowly crept up to his dormant form to take a peek. One arm cradled his head, while the other gently rested across his waist. His snow white trademark cap rested upon his face, completely covering his features.
It was then that things began to go wrong, as they often did. As she was leaning over him, one of her braids slid out from behind her shoulder and tapped against the cap, which promptly fell off to reveal his sleeping face. But, had it just been that, all would have probably ended well. However, in her sudden panic, she had, on instinct, screamed out an apology.
Realizing the mistake of her voiced apology, Sakuno had clasped a hand over her mouth, but the damage was done. Her prince had already been jolted out of his slumber.
Madly blushing, Sakuno had stammered another apology as she abruptly stood up and attempted to walk away. Her shaking body and pounding heart didn't help the situation, for after taking two steps backwards, she tripped over her feet and felt her knees go weak, and she came crashing back to the ground, ending up in the kneeling position.
He had stared at her then, his eyes still tinged with drowsiness. At that moment, she remembered why she was looking for him in the first place. She had rehearsed this scene in her head many times, sweated over what to say, and prayed to kami-sama for guidance, and it seemed that her prayers were finally answered. A strange feeling overcame her at then. For at that moment, a wave of courage like none that she had ever felt before washed over her and before she could think twice, she had his present in her hands and the words of her heart came tumbling out of her mouth.
"I've really liked you for a long time, ever since I saw your first match with that high school student. Since then, you've always held a special place in my heart, and I've wanted to know you better. I…I really like Ryoma-kun, so please accept this gift!"
She hadn't dared to lift her head to see his expression. For the longest time, all that was heard was the sound of the wind. She had been praying furtively in her mind to kami-sama, asking for the strength to support her trembling arms. Then, she sensed him stand up and the weight in her palm disappeared. She had snapped her head up to see him pocketing the crimson box of homemade chocolate. His eyes were still kind of glazed over as he stared at the blood red rose in full bloom.
"A rose, Ryuzaki-san?"
Tomo-chan had suggested it earlier, saying how the added addition of a rose would further emphasize her dedication. But now, thinking back, it all seemed so stupid. She felt her face grow hotter by the second, and averted her gaze back to the concrete ground. "Uhmm…Tomo-chan had said…I mean…it's to show…and…it represents…that is to say…I…I mean that…like…"
"Okay."
She had frozen at that moment. Looking up, not sure she had heard right, or that she understood the real meaning behind his one word reply, she had questioned, "Ryo…Ryoma-kun…?"
He was looking down at her, a soft smile playing on his lips. He fingered the rose between his forefinger and thumb as a gust of wind tousled his dark green hair. A single soft, blood red petal broke off and fluttered away with the wind. "You're asking me out, right?" He sent her an apprehensive look, to which she responded with a two trembling nods. Satisfied with the response, he bent over and lowered his head next to hers. She remembered the shivers that crackled through her insides as she felt the caress of his breathy whisper reach her ear.
"Then, let's date."
She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She couldn't believe that she had just become the girlfriend of the Prince of tennis, just like that. She had thanked the gods then and there, for smiling upon her and giving her such good fortune, for blessing her with this miracle. She felt her heart on the verge of bursting with happiness. Her face was the epitome of pure joy and she looked at his face, so close to hers then, she could not help but let her smile grow bigger.
He had smiled at her then, and the thought that it looked more a smirk than a smile flashed through her mind, though it was promptly forgotten as he leaned in and gently brushed his lips across her right cheek. But the thing with miracles was that they never last, that they are often flawed, for right after that first kiss, as he brought the rose she had given him between their faces, came the words, "That is, until the last petal falls."
A crack had appeared in her newfound happiness.
And so, that began the relationship between them. He would walk her to the bus stop each day, accompany her to movies, and coach her tennis on weekends. Tomo-chan was deathly jealous at first, but quickly began to wish her friend the best of luck. No one ever found out about the rose.
It was two weeks after the incident on the roof that she went over to his house for dinner. They had come home right after tennis practice, and seeing that dinner was still in the process of being made, he had gone up to his room. She followed in suit, not sure of what exactly to do.
"It's doing quite well," he had said to her. Not knowing what he was referring to, she just gave a small, automatic nod of affirmation.
As he proceeded to place his tennis bag on the floor, she gazed around the room and noticed the small, red object sitting on his desk. It was the rose, placed carefully in a container of fresh water. A few scattered petals were on the tabletop. The once brilliant flower had only a shade of its former beauty, though doing much better than one would have expected of a two-week-old flower. Of course, so that's what he was talking about. A pain of foreboding grazed her heart, and she had passed the rest of her visit in a daze. She couldn't keep her mind off of that fragile flower, sitting along atop his table. All she could recall of the dinner afterwards was a constant buzz of a teasing voice and the smell of the cool air when Ryoma walked her to the bus stop.
She knew that her happiness was not meant to be. Gradually, his visits during lunch hour grew less and less, and they didn't go to the movies anymore. Tournaments and special Regulars' training took his weekends away, and she gradually went back to practicing her tennis alone. It was a week after the dinner at his house that she began to notice the indifference in the way he looked at her. The way he had looked at her before they started dating. Everyday, she had tried to put on a happy face and pretend that all was well, but the rose that sat in that jar, slowly dying away, haunted her. The crack in her happiness grew wider and deeper with each passing day. As much as she tried to indulge herself in those times of happiness when they had first started dating, as much as she tried to revert back to the past, by the end of the month, she knew that their relationship was wilting with the rose. Her happiness crumbled with time.
They dated each other for exactly one month. It was on March 14th, White Day, that they relationship ended. In the days that had approached White Day, she had been fretting and worrying, and every time he opened his mouth to speak to her, she expected him to announce their break-up. It had been a month, after all. No flower could still be alive after so long, but the school day was over, and he was walking her to the bus stop.
They had reached the stop in absolute silence. As she sat down to wait, he also sat down next to her. Surprised, as he usually went straight home, she began, "Ryoma-kun…"
He had opened his bag, and was leaning over, rummaging through it. Seeing this, she gathered her courage and tentatively asked, "Uhm…Ryoma-kun, what are you looking for?"
It was as if he didn't hear her, for he continued his search, and didn't respond. She felt her confidence dissipate, and lapsed into silence.
"I was really surprised. I didn't expect it to last so long." Suddenly hearing the sound of his voice breaking through the silence, she started and turned to him. He eyes were dark as he looked at her intently, his expression was that of utmost seriousness. His right hand was extended towards her, and in his palm, was a flat white box. An almost black and shriveled twig-like object with small, sharp thorns was on top of the box.
"Your present. For the chocolates."
Slowly, she lifted the box, with the final remains of the rose, out of his hand. Her White Day present. The first and last present he had, and ever will, give her.
"I watched the last fall just this morning," he continued, his eyes now gazing into the sunset sky. Then, he stood up and shouldered his tennis bag.
She couldn't look him in the eye. She couldn't even bring herself to look anywhere near his general vicinity. Her hands clutched at the white box that was in her lap as if a life line, her knuckles turning white. Biting her lip, she prayed to kami-sama for the strength not to burst into tears right then and there. Closing her eyes and bowing her head, she waited to hear the sound of the footsteps of his departure, when she felt soft lips brush against her left cheek.
"Ja, Ryuzaki-san."
She distinctly remembered wanting to call his name, to run after him, but she couldn't do either as he gradually walked away. She didn't know when the trickles of tears began their descent from her eyes, but before she knew it, she was tasting salt and sobbing her heart out into her hands as drops of sadness decorated her skirt with polka dots. All that remained of him was the white box in her lap and the withered remains of a rose once in full bloom.
Her happiness had finally completely shattered.
-----
It must have been a pretty warm day, for him to have been sleeping up on the roof, Sakuno noted with nostalgia as she shivered. Unlike today. He had given her a pair of white wrist bands, wrist bands she had not once worn in the year that had passed.
"Sakuno!"
The sound of her name brought Sakuno back to the present. Tomo-chan had just come out of the store, holding a pink bag containing her purchases.
"Your face is so cold!" Tomoka exclaimed as she touched Sakuno's cheek. "I'm so sorry for making you wait so long! But there were just so many cute things, I couldn't decide. You'll forgive me, right?"
Sakuno laughed. "Of course, Tomo-chan. Come on, let's go." Tomo-chan was, after all, the person who understood her most. It was Tomo-chan who helped her through her break-up. It was Tomo-chan who gave her the strength to smile again. She understood Sakuno's feelings; she sympathized with her pain. Even so, even Tomo-chan was not aware of the full truth, of the rose. No, she couldn't bring herself to tell even Tomo-chan that.
"Sakuno, look, look!" Tomoka had taken a beautifully wrapped chocolate bear out of the bag and was showing her. "Isn't it adorable? I'm going to give it to Yoshimura-sempai. You know, the really handsome one that's a year above us? I heard that he's the reigning champion of Go in the entire school!"
Sakuno smiled. This was so typical of Tomo-chan. Her heart was so free and unburdened. Unlike her own. Why couldn't she just let go? The gods know it's been far too long.
"Sakuno…"
Realizing that she was slightly frowning and had faint traces of tears in her eyes, Sakuno quickly recomposed herself and shook her head. "It's okay. I'm fine. You don't need to worry about me, Tomo-chan. Now what was it that you were saying about Yoshimura-sempai?"
Tomoka gave a weak, unconvinced smile, before suddenly exclaiming, "Oh! I almost forgot! There's one more place I have to go to!" Stuffing the chocolate back into her bag, she looked around frantically, her eyes wide. "Oh no! It's going to close soon! We have to hurry!" And with that, she dashed off, dragging a confused Sakuno after her.
Five minutes later, the two girls arrived at a small shop selling of flowers. Tomoka bounded in, followed by an out-of-breath Sakuno.
"I so glad we made it on time," she bubbled with happiness. "You know, this place has the prettiest and freshest flowers anywhere. It's also where I bought Valentine's Day flowers last year. You know, that…" Whipping around, she stared at her friend while clasping her mouth. "I'm so sorry, Sakuno," she whispered. "I…forgot myself…"
Sakuno shook her head. It's been a year already. Tomo-chan had always been careful, protecting her this past year, cushioning her pains. It wasn't right of her to have to put her best friend through this. Today was supposed to be a day of joy, a day of love. Love. What a simple word to describe such a complex feeling. Ever since last year's White Day, she had closed her heart up. But why? And for what? Him? Suddenly, she realized how stupid and selfish she had been. Pining over the past wouldn't change anything.
She sighed. Perhaps it was good that she was left alone in the cold to rethink the past, to reface her fears. During the time that followed their break-up, Sakuno had never been left alone, unless she was sleeping or such. Friends, family, teachers…They had all tried their hardest to keep her company, to make sure she wasn't lonely. Perhaps a moment alone to herself was just the remedy she needed.
"Sakuno…?"
She smiled at her friend, who stared at her with eyes of concern. "I'm fine now Tomo-chan. What happened doesn't matter anymore. I've learned to be strong, and it's all thanks to you, Tomo-chan, along with everyone else for lending me so much strength. I guess it's just that now, I've finally got it all sorted out."
Then, she saw the display of roses. "Those are really pretty, aren't they Tomo-chan? Are they the same kind that you bought last year?"
Tomoka looked at her with a worried look as Sakuno walked over began examining the flowers. "Sakuno, you're not forcing yourself, are you?"
Laughing, Sakuno replied, "Of course I'm not." Her eyes scanned the wide assortment of choices. "I've realized how foolish I've been, pinning over him. It's time to move on, right?" Gingerly she picked out crimson red rose in full bloom, each petal a deep shade of passion. "This is perfect."
Recognizing an almost foreign look on her friends face, a relaxed and satisfied expression of joy, Tomoka's instincts told her that her friend was back. Changed, of course, but back, no longer hiding from the past. She threw her arms around her friend and exclaimed, "Oh, Sakuno!"
"Tomo-chan! You'll crush the rose!"
Pulling away and flashing an exuberant smile, Tomoka then declared, "Now come on! Help me choose mine!"
Sakuno felt her own lips naturally curve up as she watched her best friend bound from selection to selection, picking out various flowers of her choice. In the entire past year, she had indulged in her own pities for far too long. But no longer. No longer will she continue to make the same mistake. Her heart had been closed for so long, that she had forgotten the joys of having it open. Yes, she finally understood what was truly important.
This rose will mark my new beginning. I will learn to love again, she thought to herself, as she brought the rose to her nose, wafting in its soft, sweet scent. And I will continue to love. Even after its last petal falls.
My Valentine's Day fic idea that came to me, out of the blue, at one in the morning. Obviously, judging from the numerous grammatical and plot loop-holes, this was done right after the idea came, in a rush. I wanted to get this posted before the huge rush of Valentine's Day submissions, so please forgive the quality of the work. Ryoma probably seems a little OOC, and I apologize for that too. Anyways, on a lighter note, thanks for reading, and please leave any comments/suggestions that you have; they will all be greatly appreciated.