EDIT:Hey, readers! This is the author, a whole almost-year later. So I was looking at how short these chapters were and why I didn't put them together in the first place. Ah, the naivety that I possessed at the age of 13. Anyway, what was once "A Realization, Part 1" and "A Realization, Part 2" are now put together to just be "A Realization". The chapter's still not long, but I just had to put the two together. If I didn't I would've been driven nuts. Anyway, enough of my ranting, please enjoy!

Chapter 2, A Realization

Echizen Ryoma was very hungry. Ordinarily, he would be satisfied and sleeping during lunch, but a certain girl hadn't come with a bento. Usually, on Thursdays (today), Fridays, and Tuesdays, she'd fix him him a bento and drop it off to him right before lunch period. She didn't eat with him. So there he sat down on the rooftop, tummy growling from lack of food. Lying back, he questioned why Sakuno hadn't given his usual bento. While pondering on this matter, his eyelids closed as she drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, Ryoma passed Sakuno on his way into school. She however, although making contact with him, continued conversing with Tomoka without a word to him. Head tilted upwards, he was once again wondering about the sudden change. Usually in the mornings, Sakuno greeted with a shaky "Ohayou Ryoma-kun." But today, she was different. Not to mention, her hair was now in a single braid.

Two hours later, Ryoma was in the hallway, walking to his next class. Sakuno appeared in his line of vision right before he turned into the classroom. He paused and was once again ignored as she walked on past and around the corner. Now irritated, Ryoma stalked into class and took a seat. He didn't like change and he really didn't like being ignored.

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Right before lunch, Ryoma finally realized. Sakuno was avoiding him by not talking to him. He certainly didn't know why, and as it turns out, his bento was missing again. There was no appearing stuttering Sakuno as Ryoma made his way to the rooftop. So, he decided to get to the bottom of it. And there was only one way to do it.

Meanwhile, Sakuno was trying to figure out how in the world she was going to explain to Tomoka about Ryoma. Of course, she was Tomoka's best friend and that came before being president of Ryoma's fan club. But at lunch, Sakuno found it just a bit difficult to explain to her.

"But why Sakuno-chan? Our Ryoma-sama needs your delicious bentos to keep his strength up!"

"Tomo-chan, I don't think Ryoma-kun even misses the bentos."

"But Sakuno-chan, I thought you liked Ryoma-sama!"

"I did and I still do admire him, but Tomo-chan I can't keep catering to Ryoma-kun when I'm obviously a bother to him," Sakuno sighed as she finished this statement, for she was still getting used to the alterations in her feelings for Ryoma.

"Mada made dane, Ryuzaki," a voice came from overhead. Ryoma had heard all of Sakuno's last statement. Sakuno, seeing Tomoka's wide eyes sitting across from her, whirled around to discover the Tennis Prince himself, standing right behind her chair.

"Can I help you, Ryoma-kun?" Sakuno asked, seeming confident, but a little shaky inside.

'Whoa, she didn't stutter,' Ryoma mused, quickly blinking twice.

"It's Friday," he merely stated.

"And," Sakuno said bravely. She was certainly used to him using as few words as possible.

'I think I'm getting the hang of this,' she thought. Looking her square in the eye, Ryoma was just a bit caught off guard at her one-word response.

"My bento," was his reply and counter.

"I'm sorry Ryoma-kun, but I'm not obligated…" Sakuno was cut off by Ryoma's "Come with me." It was Sakuno's turn to be caught off guard.

"Eh…"

"Come with me," Ryoma repeated, grabbing her wrist and pulling her out of her chair.

"Where are we going, Ryoma-kun? I wasn't done with lunch…" Sakuno was caught yet again by Ryoma's answer, "The rooftop."

While Ryoma was half-dragging Sakuno all the way to the rooftop, she was getting angrier and angrier by the minute.

'Doesn't he get it? I'm trying to let him go and he's just making it harder. And when do I matter to him anyway? He never cared before.'

By the time Ryoma opened the door to the rooftop and released Sakuno's wrist, she was all fired up for a showdown.

"What do you want Ryoma-kun?!" Sakuno demanded. Ryoma was taken aback, though he didn't show it.

"What's with you Ryuzaki?" he asked, stumped at her sudden behavior.

"I was eating lunch and you just dragged me away. I should be asking you the same question." Sakuno was surprising herself at the words she spoke to Ryoma.

"You've been avoiding me. Why?" he put it simply.

"I've been living my life. Is that so wrong?" she answered. She was suddenly feeling very strange, unlike herself, but for some reason, she didn't mind.

"You stopped leaving me bentos and hanging around," Ryoma said with a shrug of his shoulders.

"I just…" Sakuno decided to attempt to be reasonable.

"I figured I was just a bother. I heard you talking to Momo-sempai and Eiji-sempai and I thought I would just do you a favor and leave you alone," sheplained, all the while looking him straight in the eye.

Silence then prevailed as Ryoma leaned against the one wall, contemplating on how to react. Sakuno looked anywhere but his face and finally strolled over to stand near the railing.

When she finally heard his voice, he said, "You weren't supposed to hear that."

Sakuno, taking on an unusually intense frown, marched right up to him, coming mere inches away from his face. Since he was about three inches taller than she was, she had to look up. But she was far from inhibited, something she definitely would have felt had this been last week, when she was quiet, always submissive Sakuno.

"Oh, I wasn't huh?" Sakuno shot to him, in an angry tone.

"No. And I don't understand why you're so different," Ryoma said this, still not totally understanding.

'So clueless!' Sakuno thought.

"I'm doing you a favor. You don't want me around. I won't come around. Not even to your matches, if you prefer" Sakuno countered.

"I'm going back to lunch," she said next and made haste to the exit. All this excitement was giving her a headache. Just as her hand was on the knob, she felt his hand on her wrist. Again.

"Ryoma…" Sakuno growled, dropping the honorific in her anger.

"But what if I told you that all I said wasn't true," Sakuno heard Ryoma's low voice behind her.

Ahh, this chapter makes me shiver a whole year later. *bliss* Thanks to all that reviewed the original Part 1 and 2 of "A Realization." You're awesome! And to new readers, please review. You get a brownie! Or a cookie. Whatever floats your boat.