"A CHALLENGE TO FOREVER"
-Chapter 1: tribulation appears-
=HELLO AGAIN!
=I really have a hard time thinking about this plot…
=anyway,, hope you enjoy this, and I hope it can make you cry.
=this has two or three chapters.
=hope it's not confusing.
= oh yeah, this happened 3 years after. And the tennis ball mentioned was the item given to Ryoma by Sakuno on the last episode of the anime.
….
*America*
He threw the ball really hard as he looked up at the sky. He saw the clouds, and before a blink, her image entered his mind. The ball fell as if it was never intended to be hit. It rolled and rolled until it stops. The boy sighed. He walked towards the ball, and picked it up from its place. He closed his eyes; then again, he saw her image. After a long sigh, he smiled, and held the ball upwards, covering the sun… He stared at his face on the ball, and reread the phrase "NO. 1!" He smiled again. He was interrupted when he heard those loud yet familiar footsteps. He placed the tennis ball in his pocket.
"Hey! Ryoma! When will you leave?" A blonde dude said, while moving towards him.
"Kevin, how many times did I tell you to not talk to me while I'm practicing?" Ryoma said with those cat-eyes glare. Kevin grins.
"You call that practicing? Well I can call that DAY-DREAMING. Thinking of your girlfriend again aren't we? " He tossed a drink to Ryoma. And Kevin sipped from his bottle.
"Tss. It's not day-dreaming ok? I was just focusing, and she's a special friend not girlfriend" Kevin spurted out his drink with a shocked face from what Ryoma said. "Tss." Ryoma opened the lid of the bottle and drink from it. Kevin burst out laughing amusingly.
"Defending what you can't defend. Stupid, I know you're really glad you're going home to Japan sooner or later because of her. When are you leaving?" He laughed again.
"Tomorrow. I plan on leaving tomorrow, Kevin." He said with a calm face, while the other party is shocked.
"Shoot. I thought you're leaving the next day! Damn!... I haven't prepared anything yet." He bit his lips with a bit of sadness. Ryoma moved closer to him and hit Kevin's face lightly. "What did you did that for?" Kevin said.
"I don't need that. Even if you haven't prepared anything as long as you're my rival, that's enough" He smiled.
"Nhe, Ryoma. I wonder if I let you play a blissful game with me. Nhe?" He smiled playfully.
"Hn." Ryoma left. "Hey! RYOMA! That's RUDE! I was talking to you!" Kevin said, and then Ryoma stopped walking and looked at Kevin. "Huh? I thought you wanted to play tennis?" Ryoma said with a confused face. " Hnn? Did I say that it was all about tennis? Our game will start when you arrive in Japan. " Kevin's face turned to a devilish-face.
"Tsk. Do whatever you want." Ryoma continue to move towards the practicing ground. "Hey! Ryoma! I'll make you hate it going back to Japan." Kevin said, as he was looking sternly at Ryoma. Ryoma looked at Kevin with a calm face. Then he sighs, and said. "Don't make me hate you. You'll know the consequences if you do." He continued practicing.
"Whatever." Kevin left, with the intense aura covering him.
…..
Air Port:
*Reporter:* Good Morning, this is *********** talking. The prince of Tennis will be coming back to his own country; He must be the pride of Tennis in Japan after winning consecutively in all Tennis tournaments he joined. The young prodigy of Tennis, Ryoma Echizen…
…
Hospital:
"Kyaaaa! SAKUNO! HE IS COMING BACK!" Tomoka said happily. "What will I wear? What will I give to him? What? What? Oh my Gosh! What will I do when I meet him! WHAT WILL I DO!" Tomoka said banging her head on the pillow like there's no tomorrow.
Before she expects any reply, she sat quietly and turned off the tv. She burrowed her head on the white blanket. "Sa-ku-no." Her tears fell while looking sadly at her sleeping best friend, Sakuno Ryuzaki.
"Nnghh… Sakuno… I'm so sorry… if I had come in time then…. Then…. I'll be able to see your smiling face. I want to see it again… I want to see your smiling face, I miss you." Tomo kissed Sakuno's pale yet thin face. Then she stared at her best friend.
Sakuno's eyes are closed shut. Her lips are almost dry. Her body is thin and those hands, hands that are cold. She is in a deep slumber, like a princess in a fairy tale, but… She can't be awaken by a kiss, because this ain't a fairy tale, this is reality. She's in a coma, for the last 1 year.
….
Air Port
Reporter: so, why will you come back after your big success? I think it's a pity that you'd let go of your career in the tennis industry.
Ryoma: well, I guess I'll be giving my blessings back to the person who gave me this *shows the tennis ball.* And I think, it won't be a pity if I stop playing tennis for a bit, it's like a break, and sooner or later I'll be coming back anyway.
Reporter: Oh, may I see the tennis ball. *looks at the ball* It's written in kanji. What does it mean?
Ryoma: oh… it means NO. 1. (Then he smiles.)
Reporter: I think the person who gave you that is an important person for you, is it a girl?
Ryoma: Well, She is a special and also an important person for me. And she is a girl.
Reporter: May I know her name?
Ryoma: No way. (He smiles dully with a bit of coldness in his eyes.)
Reporter: Haha… your really a narcissist aren't you?
Ryoma: I don't think so. (His smiling face faded away and then he turned his back)
Reporter: excuse me Mr. Echizen but, we're still in an interview.
Ryoma: I agree to have the interview because I thought you will be asking about tennis, NOT my PRIVATE life. (He smiled evil-y then he continued walking towards Kevin)
-Reporter: Ok.. so… Mr. Echizen doesn't want to be asked about his private life, but I think that girl is the luckiest in the world; I think I just made a mistake, but anyway! Thank you for watching!-
Ryoma continued to walk towards Kevin, then he stared at what the blonde dude was holding, a brown envelope. "Hey, Smith. What are you holding?" Ryoma tap Kevin's shoulder. "Oh! This is my surprise. I'll give it to you now, but you should open it when you arrive at Japan. Ok?" Kevin replied as he was giving Ryoma the envelope. Ryoma tried to peek but Kevin snatched it. "Stupid, I told you to open it when you arrive in Japan." Kevin said.
"Alright. Jeez, it will be mine anyway." Ryoma said while he grabbed the envelope from Kevin's hands.
"It won't be a bombshell anymore! I told you yesterday that I would make you hate it coming back to Japan right?" Kevin said as he was staring at the envelope then he grinned evil-y.
"Ok fine. But I'm telling you, don't make me hate you." Ryoma said while he hid it in his bag.
"Ryoma, it will make you hate coming back to Japan and it will make you despise me. All of the questions you want to ask me are at the last page and I hope it'll make you understand the situation." Kevin frowned.
"Hn. Hey, I gotta go. It's my flight now." Ryoma shake Kevin's hand and turned his back. As he was almost out of sight, Kevin sighed, and showed a stressful face, he shrug as he was looking at the driver outside the airport, as he was exiting, he sighs again and in his left eye, tears fell.
….
Ryoma sat quietly on the chair. His face looks eager as he was looking at the tennis ball.
*Nhe, Sakuno. I'm already number 1. I kept my promise.* He strokes the ball's surface. As he was looking at the ball, he reminisced the time he was with the seigaku members, and of course, Sakuno. He smiled every time he remember those mischief they had and he sighs with every happy moments they had, and after a moment, he fell asleep.
(Hours have passed.)
Flight attendant: Please be ready and we will be arriving in Japan.
Ryoma woke up, he yawned the stretched his arms. He fixed his shirt and then fixed his hair then he looked outside the window and smiled.
…..
Echizen's residence: Morning
A man with a black yukata/kimono sat down a chair and read the sports page in the newspaper. "Hey Rinko, Ryoma is coming back today, are you sure it's fine if we don't wait for him?" He takes a sip from his cup. He looked at the woman standing beside him while preparing for her own coffee.
"It's fine Nanjirou. Nanako is there and it will be hard for us to answer him when he asks of Sakuno's whereabouts." She shrugged.
"Oh yeah! I know they were in a long distance relationship for the past three years!" Nanjirou said while he laughs.
"Idiot, don't laugh, and Ryoma confirmed that they don't have a romantic relationship, they only had a special friendship. You know they're communication was cut off last year, because of Sakuno's condition. What a pity, she doesn't know that Ryoma is coming back home today." Rinko sighed.
"If only this is a fairy tale." Nanjirou stood up and went outside. Then Rinko sat down and burrowed her face in her hands and she whispers "I hope it was." Her face was expressing how dejected she was.
…
NARITA AIRPORT.
Reporter: Today, our very own tennis prodigy will be coming back, RYOMA ECHIZEN! There he is! The one with the black sunglasses and a black turtle-neck top, and his not just a sports player, he is a drop-dead-gorgeous guy! We will be trying to squeeze those private data he has with him! Watch out!
The Reporter walked towards Ryoma, and he asked for an interview, the reporter only received a stressful sigh from Ryoma as he was removing those sunglasses, revealing those cat-eyes glare he has with him.
"I'm sorry, but I won't accept any interview today. I'm tired, maybe tomorrow. " He said with a (fake) smile. "b-B-B-but Echizen-sama, we have a live in-" The reporter was cut when Ryoma glared at him while smirked. "I told you, I'm tired." He searched for his cousin, then he saw a placard with a "RYOMA ECHIZEN, THIS IS NANAKO" written on it. He walked towards his cousin then they talked a little while before leaving.
Reporter: His really a drop-dead-gorgeous guy! He cut my sentence with one smirk! How handsome.
….
Echizen's residence
"I'm home." Ryoma said as he placed that luggage on the floor and he removed his shoes, he went ahead Nanako and went to the living room, there, he saw his parents, the former seigaku members, the trio, Sumire Ryuzaki, and Tomoka throwing confetti at him. But wait-! He is still looking for someone. He wasn't shocked at all, while his eyes are searching for someone, for Sakuno.
"Nhe! O'chibi! Why aren't you surprised?" Eiji said as he was hugging Ryoma.
"I'm already 170 cm tall, Eiji-senpai." Ryoma said as he kissed his parents. For about 15 minutes, they kissed, hugged, shake hands with Ryoma. Then he sat down the sofa and drinks his ponta. Still, looking for Sakuno, he was curious why she wasn't there. He sighed for frustration and asks.
"Where's Sakuno?" He didn't know it was a tabloo question. He was answered with silence while the others are looking at Sumire-sensei. "Hey, I'm asking you guys, where is Sakuno? I've lost contact with her for one year so I want to know where she is."Ryoma stood up as he was looking at everyone with a glare; they averted their eyes from his.
"Ryoma sh-" Rinko was cut when Tomo cries. "Tomoka, what happened to Sakuno?" Ryoma went towards the crying girl. "Why did you have to ask Ryoma, it is hard for us to answer that question!" When she said that, Ryoma's face grimace, then he covered his face with his hands he trembled as he was feeling there's something wrong, He removed his hand from his face, and he calmly stood up and …
"Where is she?" With a trembling voice he asks, like tears are about to fall.
"Ryoma… I'll say it." Tezuka said with a face giving off an aura saying 'be brave' "THEN SAY IT!" Ryoma shouted. "She's… Sakuno… She's in a coma for the last one year." Tezuka covered his lips after saying that.
Ryoma's face was in fright, those tears fell from those cat-eyes. He felt the heavy feelings and he sat down as he was wavering, wavering with fear. Everyone kept silence and faced downwards. Ryoma clenched his fist as he was hitting the floor. "WHY! WHY! WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME! WWHHY…" he cried and cried as he was hitting the floor. Rinko moved closer to him and slapped his face.
"Don't cry! Sakuno don't want to see you being in this situation! She'd want you to stay composed and wait for her until she wakes up! You STUPID SON!" Rinko shouted. After hearing those words, Ryoma gasp and tried to calm down, he stood up and with a fierce expression. "I want to see her." He bit his lips.
"Then, Rinko I'll borrow your son for a bit. I'll take you to her, Ryoma." Sumire said as she was heading towards the door…
….END OF CHAPTER….
= ahnn… I will be updating after three or four days.
=please read it until the end, thank you very much!
= if you think somethings wrong, please tell me. THANK YOU
= hope it's not confusing.