A/N: I think I'll let this remain rated T until I feel paranoid enough to change it.
Thank you wendydarling29 for reviewing and HaHaHeHe-UR-Just-Jealous-of-me for favorite-ing this story.
Standard Disclaimers apply
Previously:
The restroom was empty. The living room was bare. The kitchen was silent. And the dining room cold.
Standing in the empty house, Sumire could hear the slight chirpings of the crickets.
Walking shakily to the table, she picked up the phone. "Where is Sakuno?"
"She's with Echizen" replied Toyama.
Sumire slammed the phone down after she heard the location and all but ran to the door. Not bothering to change, she grabbed a random jacket from the hangers and the keys from the table and proceeded to slam the doors to the house. Probably waking up a few neighbors, Sumire could care less as she backed her car onto the road with a shrill screech that roused a few dogs as well.
Ryuzaki Sumire, even at her old age, was not a woman to be messed with. She trained multiple brilliant geniuses in tennis and several have reached world level. Among her most talented player is Echizen Ryoma, acclaimed prince of the game. He is also soon going to be another road kill if her rage was anything to go by. Sumire barely avoids being flagged for speeding as she continues to race through the almost empty streets.
On the other side of the phone, Toyama remains stationed with the phone in hand as he sways on his feet. It appears that whatever adrenaline that Toyama used to sound sober ran out and his head is swimming in a wave of vertigo. Voicing an airy excuse of needing fresh air, Horio walks out the house to the chilling night with his phone on hand.
Although Horio was just goading on Ryuzaki Sumire, he knows it is not to his advantage if anyone, save Toyoma, that he is against Ryoma. After all, Horio is blatantly aware of Echizen Ryoma's importance. The sponsors or trainers at the most will reprimand Echizen for his careless actions that might damage his reputation, but they won't do anything major because Echizen is much too important in the upcoming tournament. The sponsors are definitely not willing to lose their strongest player for something as trivial as this.
Breathing in the night air, Horio prepares to call Echizen. Horio takes several deep breathe, to calm his resentment, as he waits for Echizen to pick up.
The moment the call got through, Horio starts talking without waiting for a prompt.
"It's safe, right?" Horio asks impatiently.
"What are you talking about?" replies Echizen in his usual monotone.
"You know what I'm talking about. The marriage .Out of the goodness of my heart and our friendship, I'm telling you that Coach Ryuzaki is heading to your house as I speak" said Horio, completely masking his previous bitterness.
Noting there was nothing but silence on the other end, Horio continues to speak.
"She is very and I do mean very mad at you. She was cursing and insulting you so much that I wanted to tape her mouth shut."
"It's good that you didn't" replied Echizen.
"You know that she'll try to annul the marriage. Or at least make you suffer as much she can. She's well-known and influential in the circle. So she has enough power to do so."
"Let her do what she wants. The tournaments that I've won speak for itself. The sponsors won't do anything to jeopardize their profits. And I hear noise outside so I'll hang up now" said Echizen.
"You should pretend you're not home. Wait til coach is calmer before you face her. You know how she gets when's she angry. We've seen enough of it back in high school" urged Horio in a companionable tone.
"No. I have to face her right now. If I prove to her I really do love Sakuno, she should have no problems" replied Echizen as a piercing screech sounded outside his house. Finishing what he had to say, Echizen hung up and walked to the door.
Opening the door before Sumire could knock. Echizen shivered under the withering glare that Sumire had. Before she could start talking or more likely, yelling, Echizen Ryoma stepped outside and closed the door.
Wishing he had brought a jacket, Echizen Ryoma faced the old woman he had once called coach.
"Before you say anything, let me confess that I marriage Sakuno because I love her" said Ryoma in a soft tone. Or tried to. The only one that Ryoma could speak comfortably and gently was Ryuzaki Sakuno.
"You can't give her happiness" hissed Sumire in a low tone trying to avoid alerting anyone to this but couldn't keep her rage in check.
"You don't know that. She's happy with me right now, isn't she?" said Ryoma in restrained voice. He was tired from the years of rebuttal and he just wanted her to accept their marriage knowing how important family is to Sakuno. Although Ryoma promised himself that he'd rather be dead than to give up Sakuno. Not after everything they had to go through to be together.
Breaking out of his reverie, Echizen kept from sighing at hearing Sumire's reply.
"She might be happy right now" said Sumire in a low voice "but she won't be happy later."
"You know she's afraid of loneliness because of her parent's death," continued Sumire without a pause "I don't want her to live like that again."
"She won't feel that way. I'll always remain by her side" replied Ryoma heatedly.
"You can't. You're a pro. You go to different tournament every other week. And when you're not in a tournament, you're training. What are you going to do, take her with you everywhere? You know that's not possible. She has wanted a family, a stable family and you won't be able to give that to her" said Sumire in an equally heated voice.
After seconds of silence, Ryoma finally replied in a resigned voice.
"I know that and I told her the same but she told me that she doesn't mind as long as we're together."
"She's always been like that. You're just taking advantage of her" answered Sumire, her anger increasing at his reply.
"I admit that I may be relying on her self-less nature, but I just need a little more time" said Ryoma.
"Time? For what?" said Sumire, confused at Ryoma's reply.
"I've only told this to Sakuno but I'm sure you know too. I want to defeat my old man. In a real match where he's serious and his record from when he was pro," answered Ryoma "after that, I'll quit."
Contemplating his answer, Sumire was still hesitant about this whole marriage.
"If you quit, how are you going to support yourself? You're not planning on living off of Sakuno, are you?" asked Sumire.
"We won't have problems with that. I have enough money to last more than a lifetime, with everything that I've done" replied Ryoma with mirth.
"If you still think that's a problem, I'll be a coach" continued Ryoma with his usual arrogance "like you were except my pay will be higher than yours of course."
"What about your fan girls?" asked Sumire, finding all the excused she can think of.
Ryoma answered easily, already use to this question because Sakuno had asked about it, in a more indirect way.
"I love Sakuno."
Sumire was going to continue questioning but she was interrupted as another car screeched into the drive way.
From the car came someone they were both familiar with – Momoshiro.
Momoshiro opened the car door and without even bothering to close the door, ran to Ryoma.
"We have a problem."
A/N: Although I said before this is an AU fic but I was told that this is more like a future fic. I don't think it matter all that much but take your pick.
I realized that I have a tendency to end on a cliffhanger but I think its more interesting that way.
Please review! ^^ and HAPPY NEW YEARS EVERYONE!