Chapter 2: Chapter 2
CANTEEN ROMANCE: THE SPOON OF LOVE
SETTING: One year before Ryuzaki Sakuno & Echizen Ryoma met at the train
SUMMARY: Elementary students are not supposed to go to the Junior High canteen but the graders are such a bunch of rule-breakers… including a certain braided brunette.
DISCLAIMER: silverdoe02 doesn't own Prince of Tennis
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I never saw him again after that fortuitous meeting…
It was her first last day in Shogakkou (Elementary school), the 11-year-old Ryuzaki Sakuno sadly yet excitedly thought. She'll be graduating from elementary this coming March and will be entering (rather nervously) Junior High in April. She sighed; she's thinking too much of the future when there is the present she must worry first. The 6th grade won't be as easy as the previous years, she's sure of that and heavy workloads are anticipated. Looks like there would be a lot of relaxation, she grudgingly thought.
Currently, the long braided brunette is heading to the school gymnasium where the elementary, junior high and senior high students and teachers alongside with the principal and other school staffs are all gathered together for the beginning-of year ceremony.
By the time, she reached the gymnasium; it was already half-full. Before she entered the jam-packed gym, she went to the bulletin board near the gymnasium entrance first to check her class section for her last elementary year. She scanned through the white board where all their names and sections are listed, hoping that for the she-can't-remember-anymore time that she'll be with her redhead best friend, Osakada Tomoka. But unfortunately, they're in the different class for the first time. It was a very sad result yet being an optimist that she is, she tried to look for a bright side.
'Ah! At least we're class neighbors!' she sanguinely thought as she finally headed to her class group.
As she was fighting her way through the large crowd, she heard a loud familiar voice calling her name but she had no time to respond since the assembly's starting in 15 minutes and she still has to find her classmates. After what seemed forever, finally, she found her group.
The school assembly's just like the previous years they had. The principal welcomed the old and new students. The discipline coordinator reminding them of school rules and prompted the elementary students about the Junior and Senior High canteen restrictions (especially Sakuno's class since her classroom is near the canteen and is located at the boundary between the Jr. High and Elem. building). Then the announcements went on. Sakuno did not listen at all. She knew those rules in her heart. She'd been hearing those annoying rules for six years now.
Sakuno's a good student. She's very obedient and polite that's why many of her teachers favored her, adding the fact that she's the granddaughter of well respected Jr. High men's tennis club coach. For the last five years of her elementary life, there wasn't any school year that she wasn't voted, nominated and awarded the 'A-student of the month'. Of course, her brains backed up everything she has but her English is not that good dropping her from the honorary circle.
After the hour-long ceremony, they were at last dismissed by the principal to their respective classrooms with their homeroom advisor.
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Recess time
It was recess time and Sakuno's classmates, despite the restrictions, went to the neighboring canteen of the Jr. Highs. Sakuno, being the obedient student that she is, went all her way from the 3rd floor to the first floor just to buy her food and drink. Tomoka's urging her to stop abiding to the rules since no one's following it at all.
"Sakuno! You're only tiring yourself, ya know! By the time, you reached the elementary canteen, it's too crowded. And…" Tomoka rambled endlessly at her.
Her best friend's not setting a good example at all, Sakuno thought. But Tomoka has a point. Why does she have to spend 5 minutes of the break time just to go downstairs when she could just use less a minute of the recess time to head for the Jr. High's canteen?
Sakuno shook her head inwardly. She must not think of those kinds of things. She must endure everything.
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One month had passed.
"Aren't you eating Sakuno?" her grandmother asked sternly one evening as they sat for supper when she noticed that her granddaughter's getting thinner and thinner. Sakuno gulped nervously while thinking of a good excuse.
"Uhm…"
"It's because of the restrictions, isn't it?" Sumire asked a bit kindly yet the sternness was still there.
Sakuno nodded her head shamefully.
Sumire chuckled. "Why do you care so much about that rule? It's not like the school's gonna suspend you from buying at the Jr. High's canteen, right?"
Not even her own grandmother. NO! She should be a good example to her instead of urging her to violate school rules! She is a member of the teaching stuff. Isn't she supposed to be a good influence to her and impose that obedience should be done at all times?
"I know, I know… I should set a good example BUT Sakuno, that rule's too trivial! No one's even following that rule except for you of course."
Did she just read my mind?
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Sakuno decisively surrendered and Tomoka's jumping triumphantly when Sakuno finally set foot at the upperclassmen's canteen. It took an hour for Sumire to convince her granddaughter that abiding at the rules at all times can be unhealthy.
Sakuno grudgingly entered the Jr. High's canteen.
But the braided brunette never thought that her entrance to the JR. High's canteen would make so much difference in her life.
