Saiken
Chapter 1
"Every parting gives a foretaste of death, every reunion a hint of the resurrection."
-Arthur Schopenhauer
"Dad…Come on, hurry up!"
The man picked up a box of decorations and followed his six year old daughter out the kitchen. He smiled slightly as he watched her skip out into their spacious backyard, which was now carpeted with bright, red and yellow, autumn leaves. He looked back into the box which looked ready to burst. Well…he sure had his work cut out for him. He sighed softly as he closed the back door.
However, his spirits were renewed as he stepped out into the cool night air. The tables and chairs had already been set. And he had to admit it, the entire ensemble looked great. But then again, she was always good with these kind of things. He grinned slightly as he looked at his wife who was busy playing with their four year old son. A slight breeze messed her browns locks and he watched, amusedly, as she picked at them, annoyed. His fun was short lived, though, as she finally noticed him.
"Horio Satoshi, get your butt over here right now!"
His grin widened as he said, "Coming…."
"Honestly, Satoshi… how can you just laze around?" She glared slightly, "The party is supposed to begin in a matter of hours and we haven't even started on the decorations."
Horio chuckled. "Calm down, Tomoka. We'll get it done soon."
She huffed angrily in reply before she grabbed a packet of balloons and tore them open, with a little too much force.
Hori laughed at his wife's actions. "So…" he started, suppressing a chuckle, "when's the cake arriving?"
Tomoka tied a string around her third balloon as she answered, "Ryoma's already gone to pick them up."
Horio nodded in understanding and smiled as he said, "I can't wait to try Sakuno's new recipe!"
Tomoka's lips curled upward in a smile as well, as she thought about her best friend's new endeavour. No one had been surprised when Sakuno had decided to become a chef after high school was over. She was truly a magician in the kitchen and her cakes were certainly to die for. The shop she'd opened hadn't been an immediate hit but it was running smoothly now. In fact, nowadays, it was almost always full. Her train of thoughts slowly changed and her grip on the balloon slackened.
Horio glanced at his wife as she went about her work at a more normal pace. He didn't have to ask her to confirm that her thoughts were circled around them. He let out a deep sigh. Ryoma and Sakuno. But, then again, that's what this whole party was about. Tomoka had said something along the lines of two birds with one stone. However, it really couldn't be considered that way, since this was the second time they were celebrating Maya's birthday. Although, last Thursday it had been just the four of them. So, naturally, his daughter was the only one, besides his wife, who'd been ecstatic at the idea of a big birthday party. He sighed again. But who knew… maybe all this would help them. He could still remember how Tomoka had nearly blown her head off when Sakuno-
"Satoshi! What the heck do you think you're doing? Hurry up with those hangings! We're way behind schedule."
"Y-yes, ma'am!"
Frustrated, he pushed his hands into his hair, causing further chaos to his already messed up locks. How old was this dang car anyway? An image of Momo, lecturing him about classics and sentimental value, popped up in his head. He mentally snorted. Momo would always be Mada Mada Dane, in his opinion. And then he grunted. As if it wasn't difficult enough having to pick her up, now the car was giving him problems too. This was the last time he'd ever borrow anything from Momo. Suddenly, as if it couldn't bear his insults anymore, the car ground to a halt. Great.
Ryoma quickly got out and banged the door shut. As he heard the car lurch, like it was in pain, Ryoma smirked slightly, but he immediately caught himself. Frowning he thought, Che. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his black jacket. He'd been right to wear one. The night was a bit chilly and it seemed that it would rain soon.
With that in mind, Ryoma quickened his pace. But a few minutes later he slowed down again. He was going to see her and, now, it was inevitable that they'd have to walk all the way to Tomoka's and Horio's place. The fact, that it had been two years since he'd seen her, worsened things. Why had he even agreed to this? He breathed out a deep sigh.
But then he remembered; it wouldn't be just him and her. There'd be three of them. He smiled slightly; he was looking forward to seeing Sakura.
Ryoma stopped on the sidewalk for a moment. How had it come to this? How had his- no, their, lives ended up this way? He stared ahead blankly as he resumed his walk. He slowly breathed in the cool air of the night. It helped clear his head a bit. His train of thoughts, however, continued.
And they travelled back. Way back, until, they came to a stop… He guessed it must have been that day. Yeah…it must have been…although he himself had never guessed anything at the time.
13 years ago…
Ryoma could see her in the distance, running as usual. Her beautiful auburn tresses, tied in a pony, flew behind her as she raced through the crowd. Her chocolate eyes were wild as she frantically searched for him in the crowd. Her small, delicate fingers were clasped around something he couldn't really make out. He could see that she was breathing hard, gasping for air. Ryoma felt a small smirk tugging at his lips. Mada Mada Dane, Ryuzaki. He quickly hid it, as his eyes locked with hers. Ryoma saw her cheeks burn a dark shade of red. She slowed down to a brusque walk as she made her way over to where he was standing, with the rest of the gang.
It was a familiar scene actually. Ryoma was waiting for his flight to America and everyone, except a certain someone, was there to send him off. His family had already left last week and now that graduation and everything was settled, it was time for him to go. Momoshiro grinned from ear to ear as he swung his arm around Ryoma, which wasn't so easy anymore considering how their "ochibi" had undergone his growth spurt as well.
"Looks like your girlfriend's finally here, Echizen."
Ryoma shot him a bored look. "She's not—"
"Yeah, yeah…sure, sure. She's not your girlfriend." Momo cut through. He shrugged lightly before he said, "Say what you want. But you can't stay in denial forever."
Ryoma frowned as he pushed Momo's hand off his shoulder. Sometimes he wondered why he even stuck around dorks like him. "His girlfriend" 's arrival was treated with much commotion. Eiji and Momo were the first ones, of course, to welcome her. They grinned like Cheshire cats as she stopped in front of them, panting slightly.
Sakuno finally caught her breath and straightened up to face her friends. Tomoka pushed through their senpais, who were standing a few inches ahead, to greet her. She looked pleadingly at her best friend who smiled in response. It was like a silent understanding had passed between them.
Their exchange was interrupted by Eiji who suddenly burst out, "Nya! What took you so long Sakuno-chan?" His face broke into sly grin as he continued, "Ochibi was so worried he wouldn't get to see you."
"That's right!" Momo snickered, " Echizen was sweating his head off thinking—"
"I didn't mean to worry anyone. I missed the first train. I'm sorry I'm so late." Sakuno said, bowing politely.
Everyone waved off Sakuno's apology, saying that it was alright, while Momo looked a little miffed that he didn't get to finish teasing Ryoma. A few seconds later, Sakuno was surrounded by Tomoka, and two grinning dummies, who began bombarding her with a thousand questions. And in between all that, Tomoka apologised again, for giving Sakuno the wrong flight time.
Ryoma watched Sakuno, amused. She was squirming under all the attention she was receiving, which was typical of her, really. However, Ryoma couldn't deny that she had certainly changed during their high school years. In fact….
It was during their first year. She'd cut off her hair. To say that he'd been stunned when he'd seen her like that for the first time would be a major lie because, in all honesty…he hadn't even known it was her. Well, not at once anyway.
Ryoma yawned as he dropped in some money and waited for his can of Ponta. He lifted the towel and laid it over his dripping hair. Practice had just ended and it felt like his legs had turned to goo. Seriously, Inui-senpai was crazy… Ryoma closed his eyes and let out a sigh of relief as he gulped down his sweet, cold, grape Ponta. The cool breeze felt great against his hot and sweaty skin. Leaning against the wall, he really couldn't help but think that Ponta was the greatest thing that was ever discovered…after tennis of course…
"NO…FIVE!" came a distant shout.
Ryoma felt his brow twitch…What did a guy have to do to get some quiet around here?
He could hear the sound of small footsteps approaching him. A shadow loomed up to the vending machine. Ryoma vaguely noticed that it was a girl. He closed his eyes, uninterested, and gulped down the last of his Ponta. Finishing it, he looked down at the can and then at the vending machine off to his side. Hmm…he could really use one more. Ryoma crushed the can, throwing it in the bin and pushed himself off the wall.
As he stepped in front of the vending machine, he found, much to his annoyance, that the girl was still fumbling with the cans. She desperately tried to balance the others in her hand as she dropped one into a cover. More fumbling. Another can. Fumbling. Slipping. Ryoma breathed a sigh.
After what seemed like an hour, the girl was finally done. Or so he thought. Ryoma bit back the urge to groan as the girl inserted another coin inside. Seriously, girls were just too annoying and troublesome. She got out the can and stepped back. Ryoma mentally snorted. Finally!
But alas, it seemed the drama wasn't over. The girl, apparently, couldn't get her can opened. Ryoma's brow twitched. That's it…
"Oi."
The girl nearly jumped a mile and the can flew right out of her hand. She swivelled around to face him and for the first time, Ryoma saw her round, terrified eyes boring into him.
Che. Girls. Over-reacting all the time.
The girl's face seemed to turn a bright shade of scarlet as she stared at him, her chocolate brown eyes wide. Ryoma frowned slightly. Odd. She looked familiar… But that hair….
The girl's auburn hair hung freely, just below her shoulders. A small floral pin swept back a lock of her hair to the side.
Ryoma shook his head. Must have been his imagination. When he realised that the girl wasn't making a move toward her fallen can, Ryoma sighed and walked over. Picking it up, he held it out to the girl.
She looked down at it in fright and then back at Ryoma's face. Her cheeks seemed to grow redder. What was it with girls sometimes? He just didn't get them really and that's why it was better to just stick with tennis.
"U-u-u-h….."the girl began, stuttering hopelessly, "I-I-I…"
Her mouth clamped shut again as she glanced nervously at his face.
Ryoma blinked. What? What did she want? He looked down at the can. And then it hit him. She wanted it opened. Well, probably. His mother sometimes asked his dad to open jars when she couldn't. Girls…Women…All too complicated.
He reached out and opened the can with a pop.
Big mistake.
The fizz jumped up right into the girl's face and she yelped in surprise. Crap. He'd forgotten how the can had flown out of her hand.
After that initial shock, the girl was now blinking at him. Her face, hair and shirt dripping with ponta. Ryoma could feel the uneasiness growing inside him. Why though?
The answer came in a cascade. Oh crap.
Ryoma had no idea what to do and even before he could do anything the girl spoke.
"YOU! YOU'RE DISPICABLE!"
Ok, so she yelled.
"You're so mean, Ryoma-kun!"
With that she turned and ran away.
Ryoma blinked. What had just happened? He stared at the can in his hand and then, sighed. Once again, girls were a weird species.
It had been only a week later that he'd learned, courtesy the loud mouthed girl, whatshername, that 'the girl' had in fact been Ryuzaki Sakuno. The coach's granddaughter. As he'd always remembered her. But somehow…. after that incident….well….she wasn't just the coach's granddaughter anymore. Ryuzaki had always been, in his mind, the girl with the unusually long hair, wobbly hips and the one who sucked at tennis, speaking truthfully. But it seemed that everything changed forever since that fateful day.
It was three weeks later when the coach called him into her office and dropped the bomb.
"Will you tutor Sakuno?"
Ryoma blinked in surprise. Huh?
Ryuzaki Sumire chuckled. "She's quite poor in English and she's having a lot of trouble with it." She smiled as she continued, "I was just talking to her about it the other day when Momoshiro came up to me and said that you were first in class."
Ryoma felt the corners of his mouth twitch. Of course he would. Ever since that day, when the loud mouthed girl came up to him and accused him of 'attacking' Sakuno, it had been a disaster. Momo rattled on about 'respecting girls' and how, he, Echizen Ryoma, was an insolent, rude 'little punk'(insert snort) and that it was only right that he went and 'begged for forgiveness'. No matter how many times he explained that he hadn't even known that it was Ryuzaki, which earned him another round of scolding and chiding, and how he really hadn't done anything to her, Momo just wouldn't listen. And now just the mention of her name made him feel…..guilty? Darn Momo.
"So, what do you say?"
Ryoma gave a mental sigh before he nodded and said, "Hn."
So yes…he had agreed to it on guilt. But things changed. Sure the first class had been a disaster but then, slowly, things had gotten better. And somehow along the way….he'd come to know the person, Ryuzaki Sakuno. She was shy, but that was fine with him, caring, clumsy, cute, although that had been hard to admit to himself, determined and hard working. The last one he'd found out in Second Year, when she started making bentous for him. They were always so good; and the amount of work she'd put into them was just amazing. So what, if Sakuno couldn't play tennis? Cooking? That was definitely her thing. Whenever she talked about cooking, Sakuno was, surprisingly, so enthusiastic. It brought out the side of her that was confident and sure of herself.
And then, one day in Third Year, Ryoma realised how important Sakuno had become in his life…
Pok. Pok. Pok. Pok.
Ryoma gritted his teeth as he threw the ball up and his racket made contact with it. He barely had time before the ball came back onto his side of the court. Running to the other corner of the court, Ryoma hit the ball back.
As the rally went on, Ryoma could feel the sweat sliding down his cheeks. It was cooking hot outside and this match had been going on for hours. His eyes flicked towards the fence. No. Still not there. He hit the ball a little too hard.
"Out! 0-40. Match point for Rikkadai."
Che. Ryoma flexed his arm. His eyes darted towards the side lines again as he searched for a petite figure…auburn hair… Darn….she'd promised to come…. Where was she?
Pok. Pok. Pok. Pok. Ryoma glanced to the other side…Maybe…No. No sign of her. Ryoma glared at the ground. Pok. Pok.
He threw the ball and hit it.
"Net."
Ryoma cursed under his breath. What the heck was he doing? He grinded his teeth as he reached inside his pocket for another ball.
A clang of metal came from the side followed by a shout, "Ryoma-kun!"
Ryoma's head swung to the right. And his heart stopped…literally.
Sakuno was panting; her hair messily sprawled all about her. It had grown long, now reaching half way down her back. Her face was wrinkled in worry but her round brown eyes burned with confidence. She clutched the fence tightly as she nodded at him.
'You can do it! I know you can, Ryoma-kun!' Her eyes seemed to yell.
And then…..she smiled. A small, sure smile.
Ryoma felt his breath hitch. Sakuno… looked…beautiful….Devastatingly and undeniably beautiful…
Ryoma tugged at his cap as he felt his face warming up.
But slowly, a smirk played at his lips. He looked across at his opponent.
Che. This match had been going on for too long.
"Mada Mada Dane."
All around him, cheers roared. But all he could see was Sakuno's stunning smile.
And that's when he realised that he, Echizen Ryoma, had really and truly fallen in love with a girl. Of course, that realization had come to him after a very very long time, much as he hated to admit. And even then, he still had no idea how he going to tell Ryuzaki. He wasn't really a man of words. But as soon as he would get back, Ryoma was going to do something about it. Sakuno was his after all. He smirked to himself.
Ryoma was brought out of his reverie as he saw Sakuno slowly approaching him. Everyone else moved away to give the 'couple' some privacy. Sakuno suddenly became uncomfortable again, being alone with him. And although he was very much aware of her discomfort, he continued to wait nonchalantly, for Sakuno to say something. After what seemed like ages, she finally opened her mouth as though to speak. But then she closed it again. Ryoma noticed that she was fidgeting with something in her hands. Now that she was standing so close, he saw that she was holding a box, wrapped up and tied with a ribbon, and a small charm. Ryoma didn't get time to ponder on what the box might contain as he heard Sakuno clear her throat. He looked straight into her eyes, which seemed to take her aback, as she began, "U-uh….U-umm…H-hi, R-ryoma-kun…" She blushed red.
Ryoma smirked inwardly. It was always amusing to see Sakuno getting all worked up trying to voice her thoughts.
"I-I umm…" She stopped and bit her lip in frustration. She stared at the box in her hand and then shifted her gaze to the floor. Ryoma took the time to observe the emotions that reflected in her brown, glassy eyes. Confusion. Worry. Fear. And something else. He couldn't quite put his finger on it.
"Ryoma-kun…I—" she started but then she stopped, again.
She sighed. Giving up, she suddenly thrust the box and the charm at his face. Ryoma looked at it, slightly confused as to what he was supposed to do.
Seeing that he hadn't made a move, Sakuno mumbled, "It's for you. Please take it."
"Hn." He muttered, as he slowly slid them out of her slightly trembling hands. He frowned inwardly as he noticed how she balled her fists, in an attempt to stop the trembling. Was she sick?
"Umm…th-they're chocolates," she said, softly. Ryoma looked up at her face and saw that Sakuno was blushing again. She searched his face, hesitantly, before continuing, "I-I thought you should have some…i-in case you got h-hungry once you landed…" She trailed off, boring her eyes into the ground.
Somehow, it slightly annoyed him that she seemed to be avoiding his eyes. It wasn't unusual for her to do so but right then he felt there was something else besides her being shy.
"What's this for?" he asked, indicating the charm.
Hearing him speak, Sakuno's head snapped up. "P-pardon me?" she murmured, embarrassed.
"What's this for?" Ryoma repeated, holding up the charm.
"O-oh…" Her cheeks turned pink as she answered him. "I-it's a charm…"
Ryoms raised an eyebrow as if to say, 'Yeah…thanks for stating the obvious.'
Sakuno turned a darker shade of red as she understood what he meant. "I-It's for good luck." Suddenly, she smiled and looked him in the eyes, for the first time, as she said, "Although…I'm sure Ryoma-kun won't need it. I know you're going to be World No. 1!"
Ryoma smirked. Here it was… that confident side of hers. It was one of his favourite things about her. But somehow, as he looked at her face, Ryoma couldn't help but feel that there had been something…different about that smile.
Brushing it aside, he tipped the bill of his cap and said, "Thanks."
The corner of her lips curved upward. "You're welcome, Ryoma-kun."
The next instant, Ryoma saw hesitation flit through her eyes. Was there something bothering her? And as though, to answer his question, Sakuno spoke suddenly.
"Ryoma-kun….." she paused, tightly clasping her hands, "I-I—
She didn't get to finish her sentence as the announcer's voice boomed through the speaker.
"All passengers for Flight 356 are requested to head towards their terminal. The plane will be leaving in an hour."
And that was the last thing he heard from her as the rest of the gang re-joined them. They stood all around him as they said their goodbyes and well wishes once again. Out of the corner of his eye, Ryoma saw that Sakuno was standing silently beside Tomoka. Her head was bowed so that he couldn't see her face. What had she been trying to say? Somehow, the look she'd had on her face bothered him. A lot. It seemed like Sakuno was trying to keep as far away from him as possible now. Che. He frowned.
There was nothing he could do. Grudgingly, Ryoma decided to let it slide. Then he shrugged mentally. He could always ask her later. Digging his hands into his coat pockets, Ryoma made his way towards his terminal.
It was time.
He was finally on his way towards reaching his goals. His mother had been insistent that he finish High School and so he'd returned to Japan and graduated from Seigaku High. But, of course, he would never regret coming back. The image of American food made him feel a bit queasy. He mentally sighed. He definitely craved for Sakuno's food, and now, it would be quite a while before he could even hope to taste her home-made onigiris and tofu.
"I know you're going to be World No. 1!"
Ryome turned around to take one last look at her.
Sakuno's eyes were closed and her hands were clasped tight to her chest. The sight was so familiar; Ryoma felt a smile tug at his lips. Sakuno would always take that pose when he was playing a match, it was her way of cheering for him and it was something that Ryoma felt…was theirs. Just like the rooftop lunches.
Suddenly, Sakuno said something. No one around her seemed to notice, so Ryoma guessed that she must have spoken softly.
Had it been what she'd tried to tell him earlier? And why did Sakuno look like she was attending a funeral? What the heck was she thinking?
Darn….he needed to know…..but—
The attender's voice boomed over the speaker again.
It would have to wait…..for now…..Besides, he was coming back for her….
Ryoma pulled at his cap as he smirked. "You had better wait for me, Sakuno."
With that, he faced forward again and took a step towards the beginning of his journey.
Present
Ryoma stopped again. A million questions started to float around in his mind. What was it that she'd tried to tell him that day? What was it? It might have been important.… Maybe, if he'd insisted on finding it out…..none of this would've happened. Or maybe, if he'd come back for Ryuzaki sensei's funeral…
Ryoma closed his eyes. Why was he thinking about all of this now? After all these years… He opened them again and continued his walk. But as he did so, his mind unconsciously went back again…
Six and half years ago…
He slowly cracked his eyes open and peered at the large white ceiling. He flinched, as the sunlight that peeked in, through the drawn in curtains, hurt his eyes. He blinked, adjusting his vision to the partial darkness in the room. Propping himself up with his arm, he looked around his room, which looked more like a dumpster right now, what with all the cans of Ponta and beer that lay around. He grunted as he finally sat up in his huge king-sized bed.
Ryoma scowled and scrunched his nose in disgust. His entire room reeked. And he wasn't really an exception. But it wasn't much of an amazement, seeing as how he'd made himself sick, drinking all day long. He frowned.
How many days had it been since he'd done anything, besides drinking and sleeping, that is? Five? Seven? He snorted. What did it matter anyway? He felt worthless.
Ryoma ran a hand through his dishevelled hair. How had this even happened? He closed his eyes, trying to ignore the buzzing in his head and figure out what had caused his current state. And suddenly it came back to him. That dreaded phone call from Momo…..
Ryoma pinched the bridge of his nose, exasperated. Seriously…this guy was just hopeless. He didn't even have the spirit to say 'Mada Mada Dane' anymore. How many times had he heard this? Only Momo could be ripped off like that. Again. And again…. And again!.
"Hey…brat…you still listening to me?" a voice shouted from the other end of the phone.
Ryoma was very tempted to hang up but he decided to settle with silence.
"Oi! Echizen?"
"…"
"Echizen?"
"….."
"I know you're there…Answer me, you little shrimp!"
Little shrimp? Ryoma snorted.
"Hah! Gotcha… I knew it'd work. Hate to say this but….Mada Mada Dane, Echizen."
Ryoma heard muffled laughter from the other end of the phone. He scowled.
"Che."
"Oh...come on…You can handle some of your own medicine, can't you?"
More laughter, but this time, Momo didn't bother hiding it. Ryoma felt his brow twitch. And then, he heard soft giggling from the other side.
Tachibana?
Crap…That dork had put him on loudspeaker.
Snap.
Ryoma lowered the phone, to cut the call, but just as his finger rested on the button, he stopped.
"….. why Sakuno-chan…"
Ryoma held the phone to his ear again. "What?"
Suddenly there was dead silence on the other end. Now that Ryoma thought about it, it had been a long time since Momo had mentioned Sakuno. And that was strange, considering how he just couldn't get his senpai to stop teasing him about the girl.
After what seemed like ages, he heard a loud shuffle. And then Tachibana Ann's muffled shout came through.
Another shuffle.
"Ann… stop it!" Momo's voice boomed through.
More shuffling.
"You know we can't hide it forever..."
"It doesn't have to be now!"
"Well then…how long do you expect to keep him in the dark? He's got a right to know."
What were they talking about? Hide what? Had a right to know what? Ryoma furrowed his brows in a deep frown. Somehow…he didn't like the sound of it. He heard more shuffling again. And finally, Momo's deep voice came through the end.
"…You uh...there?"
The thought had occurred to him in the past few seconds and right then he couldn't help voicing it out. "Is there something wrong with Sakuno?"
"…"
The silence from Momo wasn't reassuring. At all. He heard Momo breathe out a deep sigh. Ryoma's lips pressed into a thin line.
"Look…Echizen…" He sighed again. "Uh…I...I should have told you before."
Ryoma felt the anxiety rise in his chest. What was so difficult that Momo couldn't just say it?
"I'm…really sorry, Ryoma."
He clenched his teeth. Why didn't he just spit it out?
After a few seconds Momo's voice sounded again. It was really low now.
"The thing is…Sakuno-chan…she…" He swallowed. "…She …met… this guy and well they've—"
Momo's voice went into the background as Ryoma felt relief wash through his entire body. She was alright after all. He let out a breath he hadn't even known he'd been holding.
And then it took him a few more seconds to re-think what Momo had said.
"What?" Ryoma asked, confused.
"Look man, I know it's hard to—
"No…What did you just say?"
"W-what?"
"What did you say about the guy?" Ryoma snarled.
"U-uh—He—They— Sakuno-chan's—H-He's planning to propose to her. They—They've been dating… for a year and a half now…"He paused sighing, "Fuji-senpai told us about it…The guy kind of asked him for some advice…"
"….."
"Echizen…I—I wanted to tell you…but I thought … maybe… it wasn't serious, so you know just—I…I'm really sorry…"
It took a long time time for Momo's words to sink in and when they finally did, Ryoma felt as though a hole had been punched through his chest. The phone slid from his hands and dropped to the floor with a thud.
And then the room fell into complete silence.
He closed his bloodshot eyes. How pathetic. But then he wondered how he'd ever allowed this to happen to him. Back in junior high, he couldn't have cared less about girls and now here he was at the age of twenty three, in a state worse than even dogs, because of a single, measly woman. He snorted.
Ryoma pulled himself out of the plush bed and kicked aside the cans that lay scattered on the floor, as he made his way to the wash room. He splashed the cool water on to his ragged face. Feeling more awake, Ryoma lifted his head and stared at the reflection in the mirror. He saw a miserable guy, who looked pale and haggard, with an dirty, unshaven face and eyes that looked dead. His hair was tangled and as messy as it could have been.
Grabbing a towel, he stepped outside, turning away from that horrid image. He dabbed the clean, white fabric against his rough skin. Throwing it onto a chair, he reached for his cell phone, on top a small desk, and sat down on the edge of his bed.
Ryoma leaned forward, resting his elbows on his thighs, and stared down at the lit up screen of his phone. 30 missed calls from his manager. Ryoma scowled. He'd deal with him later. 7 missed calls from Momo. Che. Ryoma flipped the phone shut and sighed.
He had to get his life back together again.
Ryuzaki Sakuno. He clenched his hands in tight fists. All of this had happened because she'd been in his head way too much over the past four years. Initially, he had tried to keep her out but when he had failed miserably at that, Ryoma accepted that she would be a part of him that was inseparable.
However, things were different now. She'd chosen to move on.
She'd left him.
Ryoma grunted. Che, he would move on as well.
He got up from bed and walked towards the front door, collecting his racket and his cap on the way. Tennis. That would always be his life. That was all he needed really. It would never disappoint him…or abandon him.
And yet…as he found some relief in those words…he could still feel that loss….So much more than that of losing a championship.
Half a year later…
Ryoma clenched his hands so tight, his knuckles turned pale. He would have loved to knock a punch on that moron sitting five seats away from him. Fiancé? Who cared? Ryoma wanted to beat him to a pulp and make sure he never got his filthy hands anywhere near Sakuno again. His Sakuno. He set his empty glass down, with a bang, on the table. So much for moving on. He grinded his teeth in fury. Why did he even come? And in answer, the sound of soft melodious laughter floated through the air. Unclenching his teeth, Ryoma breathed out. That's right. He came to see her. And although he hated to admit it, that really was the only reason. He didn't care that it was their Engagement Party. And he certainly didn't care about her fiancé, whatever his name was. Sakuno was his. She'd always been and he was determined to get her back. He wouldn't let this idiot get in his way.
He looked across the room, at Sakuno, who was sitting with her friends. Her vivid brown eyes were lit up with sheer joy and her soft, pink lips were set in an alluring smile. Her beautiful wavy auburn hair was gathered from the sides and held at the back by an intricately decorated hairpin and the shorter strands, hung in curls, framing her small, heart shaped face. The rest of her hair flowed free, like silk, and fell up to her waist. She was clad in an elegant, cream coloured, dress made of fine, smooth satin. It was spaghetti strapped and had a little piece of see-through fabric as loose sleeves. A ribbon of baby pink ran around her waist and knotted up in the shape of flower right at her waist. The dress flowed down gracefully and it came to rest just above her knees. Ryoma noticed that Sakuno kept fingering the silver, heart-shaped locket, on the chain which hung around her neck, as she spoke.
"You know sometimes it helps to talk things out."
Ryoma twisted his head to his right to look at… Fuji. Masking his surprise behind a perfect poker face, he gazed at his senpai, questioningly.
Fuji smiled lightly. "You should talk to her."
And with that, he got up and walked off to find more wasabi rolls. Ryoma stared at his back, stunned. Talk to her? He glanced in Sakuno's direction. She hadn't paid any attention to him all evening, except when he'd arrived, of course. She'd smiled, quite strained at that, and greeted him very formally. Too formally, in fact. Ryoma frowned as her words replayed in his head.
"I'm glad you came, Echizen-kun. Enjoy the party."
'Echizen-kun'? His face set into a deep scowl. He glared at Sakuno from the corner of his eyes. Closing them, Ryoma slowly got up from his seat. Darn it, why was Fuji always right? But as soon as he'd thought it, he snorted inwardly. What a stupid question.
He opened his eyes and fixed them on Sakuno who was talking with one of their old classmates. He wasn't really sure what he was going to do, but he'd definitely get her to talk to him. One way or another. However, as he pushed past another guy, he saw her walking out, into the garden. Ryoma smirked. Perfect.
He followed her quietly, keeping a distance between them as he did so. Sakuno kept moving further in to the garden, which was huge, with large ferrous trees almost everywhere. And the tall, rich, green hedges were cut in such a fashion; they were almost like a maze. The shadows cast by the enormous trees seemed to shroud the entire setting in an eerie, mysterious aura. It also obscured the path ahead but the clear moonlight that shone, through the frequent gaps, made it easier to navigate. Sakuno and Ryoma continued to walk through the dead silence of the garden. As they strolled on, Ryoma wondered lightly whether Sakuno had gotten better with directions. If she hadn't, that was just as fine with him. Ryoma smirked inwardly. It just meant he'd get more time to talk to her.
As Sakuno slowed down, he noticed that the eerie silence was disappearing. The trickling of water could be heard from a distance. Ryoma frowned. Where exactly was she going? That fool had certainly pulled out the big guns. At least he had tried to. Sure...most people would have found the place very artistic and charming. However, he wasn't one of those people. All of this would never match up to what he, Echizen Ryoma, could do, of course. Che.
Finally, Sakuno came to a stop at a clearing, where the ground was paved with bed rock. Ryoma quickly moved behind the shadow of a tall tree, to stay out of sight, for now. Peeking from behind it, he found that they'd come to a grand marble fountain. There was a stunning statue of a beautiful young maiden who held a lily in her cupped hands. The clear water that shot up from within the chiselled flower appeared to sparkle like diamonds in the radiant moonlight. Sakuno moved to sit down on the edge. As she stared into the depths of the pure, blue water, the sparkling light that bounced off it, shown onto her face, giving her an angelic glow. Ryoma felt his heart skip a beat.
Smiling, Sakuno extended a slender finger, to touch the reflection of the pale moon. Just as her finger touched the water, ripples ran across the surface, distorting the perfect image of the beautiful moon. Ryoma heard her sigh. Sitting there, bathed in the moonlight, Sakuno seemed so frail. A weak, lonely, goddess of light.
Quietly, he stepped out from behind the tree and walked towards her slim profile. His heart was pounding in his chest. Taking a breath, Ryoma stepped onto the rock floor. The sound alerted her and she spun around to look at him. He could easily read the shock written across her face. A gentle breeze blew her bangs into her eyes, but Sakuno didn't seem to notice. Ryoma advanced forward, never taking his eyes off of her. Finally, he came to a halt, a few inches in front of her. Sakuno immediately got up and raised her head to look at him. And for a while, they did nothing but stare at each other's faces.
As Ryoma's eyes flitted across her face, he noticed that the Sakuno standing before was not the Sakuno he'd last seen. Although she might have appeared to be frail, he could see the fire that burned in her bright orbs and the confidence she exuded. They were the flames of passion. Sakuno had found her own dreams. And that had made her stronger….. She was no longer the insecure, shy, teenager that he had once known. Sakuno was now an independent woman who had her own ambitions. Ryoma's eyes softened. But there was still a certain timid nature in her. He could see that. And the light blush that was growing on her face was evidence of that. Ryoma smiled inwardly but continued to gaze at her. After what seemed like an eternity, Sakuno finally spoke, her soft, steady voice, shattering the dead silence of the night.
"Echizen-kun." Her enthralling brown eyes pierced his. "Is there something you need?"
Ryoma stared back. Che, that name again. Icily he said, "Stop calling me that."
He noticed that she flinched slightly at his tone, but she continued to look into his eyes as she replied, "Calling you what?" She raised an eyebrow. "Your name?"
He shot out his hand and grabbed her wrist, pulling her to him. Sakuno's eyes widened in shock and her lips parted slightly, a soft gasp escaping from them, as her entire weight slammed against his body. Ryoma smirked. Her reaction hadn't disappointed him. Sliding his other arm around her waist, he drew her closer, so that there was only a little space between their faces now. He felt her entire body stiffen. His smirk widened. Locking his eyes with hers, Ryoma leaned forward. He didn't know if she noticed it herself, but Sakuno's free hand was tightening around the fabric of his shirt, which was quite encouraging.
He was amused to see that Sakuno's eyelids were closing. Mada Mada Dane, Ryuzaki. But, just before their lips met, he tilted his head, brushing her soft cheek with his. By then, Sakuno had become a stone statue in his arms. He brought his mouth right next to her ear and slowly breathed out, "My name is Ryoma…." He paused, loosening his hold on her wrist, ".No."
He felt her shiver in his arms. Smirking in satisfaction he pulled back to examine her face. Her eyes were blank and hazed and her lips were apart, confused. Ryoma retracted his arm from her waist, and reached for her small face. Suddenly, her eyes flamed and Sakuno pushed him away from her. The sudden force caused him to stumble back a few steps. Gaining his balance, Ryoma looked up to see a fuming Sakuno. Stunned by her strength, he silently watched her. For a moment back there, it was like she wanted him to kiss her but looking at her now, Sakuno looked about ready to rip him in two.
Her voice was laced with sheer rage, as she whispered, "What do you think you're doing?"
Ryoma stared at her nonchalantly. Women…he could never understand them. Sakuno's brown eyes shimmered with anger as she looked at him accusingly.
"I'd like for you to keep a distance, Echizen-kun."
He maintained his infamous poker face. Sakuno's words weren't going to faze him. Instead, he was even more determined to get her back now. Looking her in the eye, he retorted, plainly, "Then stop calling me that."
She glared back at him. Through clenched teeth, she muttered, "If that's all you want to say, then, I'm leaving."
And with that she moved to walk past him. Ryoma reached out and grabbed her wrist again, but this time, Sakuno seemed to have anticipated it. She stopped in her tracks, sighing. The sound rang in his mind and he frowned.
"What happened?"
It was a question that had been troubling him for the past few years and right then, it just slipped from his mouth.
Sakuno looked at him from the corner of her eyes. Then she turned around to face him. Raising a brow in question, she continued to gaze at him.
Ryoma frowned deeper. "Sakuno, what happened?"
Sighing again, she began, "What are you talking abou—"
"Don't pretend like you don't understand." He cut through, angrily, "Answer me."
Sakuno's lips pressed into a thin line. And she remained so for the next few minutes.
He gripped her wrist tighter. "At least tell me why?"
There was a small gasp followed by a moment of silence and then, suddenly, Sakuno was enraged again. "Why shouldn't I?" she asked, her eyes flaring.
Ryoma's eyes widened slightly and his mind went blank. He stared at her, stunned. Why shouldn't she? He shifted his gaze to the ground. Why shouldn't she? He had no answer. Because you love her, a small voice said, from the back his head. Loved her? He loved her? Ryoma felt his throat dry up. He glanced up at Sakuno. Her beautiful brown eyes, her long auburn hair, her small face, her soft voice…Yes, he loved her. So much. And yet…he couldn't bring himself to tell her that. Because that unfamiliar feeling was clawing its way into his heart and it had him in its cold, ruthless grip. Fear.
What if Sakuno didn't love him back? If this had been the sweet, shy Sakuno he'd known back in high school, he wouldn't have doubted himself so much. But this was a stronger, twenty-four year old version of her, who was engaged to some guy he didn't even know. A guy whom she seemed to love.
Yes…Ryoma had seen the way she'd look at him. It had made his blood boil, just looking at that dork's face, but that didn't change the fact that Sakuno cared about him, a lot. He had been there for her, when Ryoma hadn't, and that, made the greatest difference.
So …there was every chance that she would reject him. She might even say that she hated him. And then, he'd lose her.
Forever.
The thought seemed to send echoes through his mind. No…He couldn't lose Sakuno. He just…couldn't. That one time, when he had felt like he'd lost her, he had nearly ruined himself. But then he'd sworn to never go back down that road again. Ever.
Ryoma felt his determination slowly crumble away. He released his hold on Sakuno's wrist and stepped back. He kept his eyes down; he couldn't look at her face…no way…
Sakuno, however, hadn't budged. She was still standing there, fixed to her spot. A moment later, her soft, shaky voice broke the silence that had engulfed them.
"That's it?"
'That's it'? What was she saying? And what did she want him to say? Ryoma frowned at the ground, still not raising his eyes.
"I'm going back." She said, icily.
Ryoma stood still. Yes…she was going, and there was nothing he could do. His feet were rooted in place by despair and his heavy heart seemed to weigh him down even more.
He couldn't— No—He wouldn't stop her.
"Will you at least look at me?"
His head shot up and he stared into her wild, angry orbs, shocked. What— What was she saying? His mind was in a clutter. Sakuno stared at him, taking in deep choked breaths. It took him another moment to regain his composure, but his head remained foggy. What was going on here? He really couldn't understand her.
"Forget it…You're such a jerk... " She hissed.
Wh—What? Wait…what was this about? Is it because he hadn't answered her question? Or was it because…he hadn't been there for her? He searched Sakuno's face, desperate for some clue. But all he could see was pure rage.
Sakuno bit her lower lip fiercely. Freeing it, she muttered, "Goodbye, Echizen Ryoma."
It hurt. His heart felt like it had been stabbed again and again.
Even so, he watched her walk away.
Away from him.
The man she hated.
And he… let her go. Just like that.
The overwhelming silence of the eerie night enveloped him again. And as Ryoma stood there, under the pale moonlight, the fountain gurgling behind him, he suddenly realized it…
Sakuno was gone…Gone…
She was no longer his.