[A/N] To all dearest readers of this story, please take time to re-read 'It's About Time' from the beginning as I've made changes in its construction. I hope that these changes improved the story as what I hoped. Though the plot stayed the same, I edited some details and events to better portray the characters.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. (Minus the plot of this story and the OCs).


Chapter 2

Weary

Before she fell asleep, which wouldn't be a good thing, she got up and started rummaging her closet.

She tried to be composed, but she know it won't be happening.

At 9:30 AM after many rounds of change of clothes and doing chores too while at it, she's all done. She settled with a jumper shorts and a comfortable baby blue cotton v-neck shirt, and sneakers, and put her long hair up in a simple ponytail. She didn't of course forget the guest-of-honor who looks very adorable in his jersey.

Since Ryoma's transfer to the US in their 2nd year in middle school, she occasionally see him, most usually on Christmas when he comes to Japan to celebrate it with his family. Grandma Sumire, who was likely second family to the lad's dad, is often invited, so naturally she tags along. He stays in Japan for roughly a month, and when he doesn't mind, they spend time together, like going to trips and simply just hanging around. For her, that was good enough to keep her unrequited love stronger. And five years, surprisingly, wasn't that unbearable for her.

Heading out, she checked the time on her phone and suddenly felt that she might be forgetting something.

"Oh right! Tomoka! I haven't told her yet . . ." she paused at the thought, "But then again, she will surely have a lot to say on this . . . I guess, I'll just save it for later."

o o o

*flashback*

As the bus approaches the university, Ryutaro and Sakuno who are usually exchanging stories on the way, are notably quiet— both lost in thought. Sakuno, was understandably still on cloud nine while Ryutaro, well, who knows what he's thinking?

Randomly, Ryutaro broke the silence, "So, is that guy earlier 'the' Ryoma Echizen?"

Sakuno shot him a surprised look, "What about him?" panicked for some reason, squeezing the tennis ball harder.

Ryutaro was fast to catch on his friend who he figured was actually thinking of that same guy. He teasingly raised an eyebrow, smirking "I haven't said anything, but I get it."

Realizing her own unnecessary restlessness, she blushed.

"I finally met the reason for your still being a damsel in distress," he said lazily. Sakuno didn't respond but her face definitely blushed redder.

"His looks wasn't that bad," he said, to which Sakuno glared him for.

"'Are you serious?! His looks 'wasn't that bad'? He's freaking gorgeous, you dumbass!' is all over your face," Ryutaro laughed mockingly.

"I didn't—," Sakuno tried retorting but her face is really giving her the disadvantage in this whole conversation.

"Yeah, yeah" her good friend answered ignoring her statements. "So what's the deal between you two?" he finally asked.

"W-what? What about us? N-nothing!" she stammered.

"Well, I could see that. But what I was trying to ask was actually 'why is it that you're still stuck in your unrequited love?'" Ryutaro corrected which was kind of insensitive of him, for Sakuno's opinion. "Uhh, well, sorry, I didn't mean to be insensitive about it, but . . . uhh, well, it's probably not only you . . . right?" he quickly followed-up after realizing that he might have crossed the line.

"Well, Sakuno, look here," he started, straightening himself to get his message through, "He must be stupid for not realizing your feelings soo—, I mean his own feelings sooner . . . for you, you get what I mean?" he hesitated after feeling daggering looks from Sakuno, "but anyways, as I was saying, I think, there is just definitely a misunderstanding here, do you both expect that something will change if the either of you keeps quiet about your feelings?"

Sakuno was surprisingly listening to his blabber, and sadly replied, "I don't know about his feelings. But thanks for the effort,"

"N-No! I wasn't just comforting you!" Her friend hurriedly corrected. "But . . . ugh!" he grunted in dismay, "I guess you're not the right person to talk this to."

*end of flashback*

o o o

Kima must be feeling the anticipation from his owner but not the tension for he is leaping excitedly, almost dragging Sakuno. "Kima, can't you go slower?" she almost pleaded, "I still need time to get my heart ready."

Despite her worries, she took notice of the number of people in the park. "Oh yeah, it's a weekend," she remembered. A lot of people came to enjoy the gardens with their families, and loved ones, and unsurprisingly, among many others were couples, for which she remembered her love birds of friends, Tomoka and Ryutaro who have been happily dating for 3 years now. They first met in cram school, and things have been well-fated for them. There were times even that Sakuno would feel envious of Tomoka for being lucky with her love life.

Given her circumstances with Ryoma, there were many times when she would be lost in dreaming, like what would it be like for her and Ryoma if they shall ever be a couple . . . of all times, it had to be now. She blushed at the thought.

Approaching the designated meeting place, as if very naturally, her eyes easily spotted a guy with green-almost-black hair from the people sitting by the windows. She didn't had much time to enjoy his side-profile though, he glanced her way and recognized her after a second look. He stood up and met them halfway.

Much to her dismay (though it was as she had imagined), of course, he came up running because of Kima. He's always been very fond of the Dachshund since he was basically their dog, a puppy of their temple when given to her by Ryoma's cousin, Nanako, "so you won't get lonely in your apartment," she would say. He affectionately stroked the dog's back while it leaned to him better, showing its own affections to the lad.

Her disappointment didn't linger, for she can't help smiling at the lovely scene. She has always adored this side of Ryoma when he seems very stiff and cold to most people, but actually has a soft spot for animals. She remembered how he would play with Karupin smilingly, for those were some of the best smiles she loved about him.

He lifted his eyes and nodded to Sakuno, smiling. "God, it's that smile," she sighed inside.

"Thanks for bringing Kima along," he said.

"Sure, no problem. I guess he wants to see you too."

They savored a comfortable silence for a brief moment before Kima went off sprinting, half-dragging the offhanded Sakuno. She tried her best to resist by tugging harder on the leash but the canine sprinted too suddenly she find it hard to gain momentum.

Ryoma watched silently, and though he has somehow imagined that Sakuno would trip, he didn't imagine it to be so soon. Though she didn't totally fell over, she lost balance and the leash. Since Ryoma was not too far from her, he managed to save her from doom, grabbing hold of her arms from behind before it's too late.

"You should be fine," he said as she straighten up, turning to her savior once again.

She blushed at her clumsiness, and nodded. His handsome features smiled, and with nostalgia, he said, "you never change," which added another shade of red in the maiden's face. She bowed her head to avoid his gaze, but his free hand held it up. When their eyes met, he held it too and while looking at her, he reassured, "but I don't really mind." It seems to her that at that moment, it was not only their gazes that locked, even time seemed to have stilled.

Then as if snapping her out of daydream, she heard a call of her name. Ryoma let go and she felt a light clenching in her fast-paced heart. Halfheartedly, she faced about to address the familiar voice. Ryutaro was holding Kima's leash, which seemed to have been forgotten.

"Sakuno," he called when he was closer.

"Hey,"

"I saw your baby (Kima) running about unattended,"

"Oh yeah, sorry, I kinda lost his leash" she answered retrieving it from her friend. She glanced sideways and felt a little disappointed that Ryoma has started back to the café, leaving her.

Ryutaro's brown eyes followed her glance and recognized a guy he surely will soon have business with. His brows arched in recognition and turned to the timid girl, "Well, aren't you sly?" He teased.

"W-what?!" she exclaimed when she realized that the lad has caught her glancing, her face immediately drowned crimson, "I-it's not like that!"

"Is it?" he teased even more.

"I-it's not, I swear," trying to sound more convincing, she raised her tone an octave.

"Well, not my business. But I see you must be enjoying the park," ignoring the girl's defensiveness. "Just don't lose Kima again."

"I won't!" she cried blushing.

"Don't be too preoccupied," he said backing away, grinning widely. Sakuno gained the few steps and smacked him in the arm before he trotted saying 'ouch'.

They laughed whilst increasing the distance.

Back in the café, a certain lad sits uneasily while trying to hide his glare to the 'stupid couple' from afar who's finding fun in a conversation and some beating. When he noticed them finally bidding goodbye to each other, he tried turning back his attention to the magazine he was supposedly reading, but a little too late. Ryutaro has caught him looking at their direction and nodded to him smiling from ear to ear, "Damn!" he shouted in his mind.

As Ryutaro finally walks away, Sakuno started to the café smiling thoughtfully, looking ahead but not quite to Ryoma. This seemingly played him an advantage because at least she doesn't know that he was watching her while her ponytail flutters in the air and when the wind blew, she tucked a stray hair behind her ear, and how she adjusted her hold on Kima's leash, and mostly her smile. In his reverie, he even thought, "I could do this all day."

Only when she has seated herself across him, the guy she so wanted to look at her all this time, did she discover that he was watching her intently. With her self-consciousness swelling, she asked, "I-is there something in my face?"

When he has apparently watched long enough, he cleared his throat. "What? Oh . . . Nothing. Just . . ." he reached out his hand, "you have something in your hair." He flashed a dried leaf that he got from her locks. Guilty of half-expectation, she blushed and released the breath she didn't realize she held.

When Sakuno started college and started living alone in the very dense city of the Central Tokyo, Tomoka living nearby with her family, and Ryutaro living in the same building as Sakuno, they often hang out together, most times in Ryutaro's flat (which by the way, has a state-of-the-art kitchen), so Sakuno and Ryutaro naturally became good friends, to the point that they are even sometimes being mistaken as siblings by people from the same building.

Ryoma's mind is currently running a marathon, and suddenly he just felt like asking, since the image of her and the guy playfully laughing, flashed his mind, "Who is he?"

When the still flustered woman looked at him, she was taken aback by an annoyance he didn't make an effort hiding, "He?" she asked.

"I don't know his name, that one who returned Kima," he blankly answered, still not minding his irritation.

"You mean Ryutaro? . . . Oh my, now that you mentioned it," she clasped her hand in remembrance, "I'm sorry I never introduced him to you. I keep missing the chance. Later when we meet him again, I'll make sure."

"Not Ryutaro-kun? But Ryutaro?" his voice sounded bitter.

"Well . . . he doesn't mind." She answered though unsure if that was the right answer he was looking for, "He's a good guy," she found herself filling in for no apparent reason, obviously oblivious.

"Why do you ask?" she inquired when he didn't reply. "Is something the matter?"

"He's the very matter, you . . . little . . ." he heard himself almost shouting in his head, although no words come out. His silence made the girl sitting across him tilt her head in ignorance.

"I also wouldn't mind if you drop the honorific with me," he said flatly, sipping a drop from his mug.

She looked contemplative at the suggestion, "W-well, I don't know about that," She stammered shying away.

"Just do it."

"Anyways," he started after a long silence "Has your grandma told you anything?"

"Obaa-san? I'm afraid not. She hasn't called me this week, no . . . About what?" gulping slowly from her frapuccino the waiter had just brought.

"About why I need you?"

"Need me?" She felt her heart skip a beat. "No. I haven't." drinking again from her beverage, trying to keep her cool.

He answered pointblank, "well, I need you," he paused to put down his drink, "to allow me stay with you for a while."

She was probably anticipating for a follow-up, with much more sense, because with those words, she can't make out anything, so she sat there looking wide-eyed at him, "Pardon?"

"I said, please let me stay with you for a while . . . in your apartment, while mine shall be under renovation."

"Yours? Where?"

"In your building." He slightly smiled.

"I-in my building? . . . You mean there?" she asked incredulously, pointing towards the direction of her apartment, confirming.

o o o

To be continued . . .