Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis.

Why does she always cry?

When a person is about to die, they would see flashes of their life. Like how I am seeing mine flash before me now…

I was out running with my son Jiro before this happened. He was asking me about the meaning of life and death.

I told him he was too young to understand it yet, but to remember to remind me to explain it to him when he grows older. Once he got home, I continued jogging knowing my son is safe and sound at home. Who would have thought, that would be the last time I would see my son? Why didn't I go into the house and join my wife? All I remembered was that the truck loss control and then I saw two bright lights.

As my life flashed by, I felt like my soul is slowly rushing out of its body. In these flashes, I saw the face of my wife… In that frame she was crying… Why does she always cry?

I remembered the first time I met her, I didn't like her one bit. She was weak and clumsy, always needing someone to defend her, someone to look after her. I told her so, and she merely nodded. When I walked by the small little place behind the gym I found her crying. That was the first time I saw her cry. From that moment, my mind was locked on her, as my eyes started to see only her. Without me realizing, I fell for all her faults and they became the reasons why I loved her.

When I confessed to her she didn't cry, but it was when I inched down to kiss her forehead did she start to tear. I couldn't understand why she cried when I kissed her. She told me…

"I'm happy… that's why I am crying."

The next time she cried was when she watched my tennis match and some cruel player smashed the tennis ball into my head and blood started flowing out from the corner of my forehead. She was crying very hard… When I finished the game and collapsed, she was right beside me crying streams of tears. She refused to leave my side even if it was to go to the toilet. She sat right beside me watching me carefully in the infirmary.

"Please be ok… God please make him feel better!"

The next time she cried was when I suggest we break up. I didn't want her to wait on me when I go overseas to fulfil my dream to be one of the best tennis players. She cried through the phone and I sat near her window, listening to her cry all through the night. She cried for a long time, perhaps one of the longest times. She constantly cried for a week.

She confronted me after that week, with puffy red eyes and for the first time, I watched her get mad at me. She screamed at me, slamming her fist onto my chest. I felt that the pain she caused physically couldn't be measured to the pain she causes me when she cries. I apologised, I told her I loved her and wanted her to understand me thoughts. She insistently made me realize that no matter what, I should discuss these things with her first. We never broke up. But I swear when I held her in my arms after 2 hours of her anger she cried again.

She cried when we said goodbye, she says she will keep in contact with me. She never fails to attend each and every video call we made, always managing to send me emails on everything. I always try to reply, and she understands when I don't, and trusted me.

There was only two times in my life where I truly loved it when she cried. And the first one was when I proposed to her. After 2 years of being overseas, our relationship was stronger than before. My final game in the tournament, I sent her tickets and asked her to help invite my old team mates along too. Before I start my tournament, I asked for a microphone and said to her, with my eyes staring straight at hers.

"These two years taught me many things. All of the people in my life supported me through it allowing me to push through my boundaries. Some said I couldn't do it, others cheered me on. Now here I stand in my final game and I have thought long and hard about it… Sakuno, you have been extremely patient with me… and all I can say is… I was lucky I didn't need to go far to find my soul mate. So I ask you Sakuno Ryuuzaki… Will you marry this impossible boyfriend of yours?"

I think when she smiled and cried at the same time, she looked like a goddess. She didn't say yes though. She merely screamed at me with her loudest voice.

"ONLY IF YOU WIN THIS!"

I smiled as I said in reply

"Then I better not let my guard down."

Of course I won and well, I got the girl of my dreams as well.

The second time was when we were in the hospital when she cradled our first born child, Jiro. She looked up with me, in tears and smiled right at me. She whispered to me in the most loving way…

"He looks just like you… he is very beautiful…"

I kissed the forehead of my baby and then planted one on my wife. I realized in my life, my wife never stopped crying and just lived on happily enough. After those tears there was plenty more… only this time they now made sense.

No matter how much she cries, each tear she sheds was because of the love she had for me and those she choose to shed them for. So I can boldly say that when she cries, I still feel painful, but I know it was because she loved me. And my love for her never faded either…

I see lights at the very end of this running life show of mine… it was time to go. Suddenly, I heard painful screams and I recognized the voice.

"Please wake up! Please wake up! Don't leave me now! Oh god don't leave me!"

I couldn't leave her… not when she screams like that. I couldn't, I refuse. I haven't grown wrinkly yet. I promised to talk to Jiro about life and death, and I want a third child from Sakuno. I can't die just yet, not when she calls out to me in pain.

I walked away from the light, I do not want to go that way any longer. Life may flash before me, but it is I who decide when and where I am going to die. Where ever and whenever it is, it isn't NOW or HERE. I opened my eyes, at first it was blurry. I can hear frantic voices and I turn upon the familiar face of the one reason why I still come back.

Sakuno sat there in all her glory, tears streaming down her face like the day I got injured and stuck in the infirmary. She stroked my face as she cried harder and harder…

"Thank god, thank god… You didn't leave me…."

I smiled as I weakly attempted to touch her face with my hand. She took it and held it close to her wet cheeks. Her eyes spoke wonders, and I am reminded of why I loved her. And that was because she loved me.

"Kunimitsu, don't you dare leave me again…"

"I won't, I want a third child you see…"

Sakuno lifted her eyebrows and she managed a small smile, she was really amused. I saw my old teammates right beside her watched me in awe.

"Nya, Buchou changed. He just said something kinky."

"Yeah! I thought buchou was better than that!"

"Fshh Porcupine head is worse than buchou anyway. I heard Ann saying she found a stash of porn magazines under your bed."

"You….!"

"Mada mada dane buchou, if you left I would have taken Sakuno."

"Chances were 70% that you were to be alive."

"Saa… I got all of it on video."

"Let's all leave Sakuno and buchou alone…"

Oishi guided them all out as he added

"Thank goodness you are alive, I don't think I have ever seen Sakuno so terrified before."

"I never tried to die before…"

He smiled and left, Sakuno pinched my arm lightly, I winced as I looked at her demanding an explanation.

"Don't you dare try it again Kunimitsu, or you're ending up on the couch."

I thought for awhile before I said in a quiet tone…

"So what about the third child idea?"

She smiled this time as she said in a very soft tone, making sure that the nosy teammates aren't outside listening.

"Only AFTER you recover."

Oh, I can wait. I mean, I went through death just to come back to her. I can wait.

End.