Many thanks to Mistress Hydrangea, Ruka-Yuuya, Guest 7/25/12, Iku-sensei & paranoia syndrome for their nice reviews!

Disclaimer: Nothing in POT belongs to me. All OoC-ness, OCs, events, situations, venues and tournaments are just figments of my imagination.

CAUTION: Most of the plotlines in these chapters won't be following the original storyline from any manga, anime or movie! Characters may be out of characterness!

"xxxxx" Conversation

'xxxxx' Thoughts

xxxxxxx Flashback

The Prince for Sakuno

3. The Ecstacy Prince

A young man with short light brown hair and greyish-brown eyes ran around the empty streets frantically looking for someone. He stopped for a few moment to catch his breathe.

"I have to find her! I can't lose her because of a stupid prank."

Kuranosuke Shiraishi caught a glimpse of brunette hair from the corner of his eyes and instantly took off after the vision. She was sitting alone on a park bench, crying silently. He sat next to her quietly and waited for her to calm down. She was crying too when he first took notice of her.

- Back to Past -

He was in his 3rd. year of high school while she was in her first year. That summer, the Seishun High School Regulars came to Kansai for a practice match as well as a short holiday. She was the granddaughter of the ferocious Seishun tennis coach and she came along because she volunteered to be a helper.

One afternoon, he was going back to the tennis courts after a bathroom break when he heard someone crying. He found her sitting on the dirt floor, crying because of the bleeding cuts on her legs and knees. It seemed she had fallen down the steps leading to the tennis courts.

Being a gentleman, he swept her up into his arms bridal style with the intention of taking her to the school's infirmary. She thanked him with her sweet voice and looked at him with her large pain-filled eyes. His heart and his world instantaneously turned upside down.

He stayed with her until the school doctor had finished treating the cuts. Then he escorted her back to her grandmother and the Seishun Regulars. While talking to her, he found two things he liked about her: her love for flora and plants and her hair smelling like strawberries.

"There's a botanical garden two blocks from our school. It's a good place to see many different kinds of Kansai flora and plants."

"Really?" Her eyes lighted up, "I'll have to ask Obaasan to go with me."

"Well, if she's busy, I could take you with me."

"Eh?" Her face turned red and so did his when he realized what he had implied from his suggestion. It sounded like asking her out on a date.

"Ano, I…I would like that." She smiled shyly and his heart beat even faster.

During the few remaining days she was in Kansai, he tried to spend as much time with her as possible. He had gotten permission from Ryuzaki-sensei to escort her granddaughter around. However, it's difficult with the Seishun Regulars acting like her big protective brothers.

Still the time they spent together was full of laughter, easiness and enjoyment of each other's company. With her being a good listener, he could easily talk to her about almost everything including his love for chess and Korean dramas. She was curious about his wrapped arm and even managed to convince him to show her his golden gauntlet. She even shared with him how she wanted to be a good teacher like her grandmother.

Before she returned to Tokyo, he nervously asked her to be his girlfriend in front of the Seishun Regulars and her grandmother. She shyly accepted him amidst the hooting and clapping from their observers.

She was never far from his mind. For the next two years, they kept in touch through emails and phone call and meet fortnightly either in Tokyo or in Osaka for a date. Even when he was busy with his university courses at Kansai University, he still managed to meet up with her.

When she finally graduated from high school, he received a joyful surprise. She had been accepted by his university to study education. Her grandmother wasn't happy but she trusted her granddaughter. However, with him, her grandmother warned him with her fiercest tone not to mess around with her granddaughter. He's got the hint.

Nevertheless, their relationship grew from strength to strength now that they could see each other almost every day. He even brought her along whenever he hanged out with his former tennis Regulars on campus. His pals envied him and his fangirls envied her.

However, their relationship had one tiny problem, his cousin, Hiromata Mariko. She's a cousin from his mother's side of family and has had a long crush on him since she was a pre-teen. Ever since Mariko had found out about his girlfriend, she had been trying her best to drive them apart.

Firstly, she approached his girl, claiming to be his 'real' girlfriend. Thankfully, it didn't work. He has shown his girl pictures from his childhood days and she recognized Mariko easily. Then Mariko tried dressing suggestively to seduce him but he laughingly slammed the door in her face. Next, she tried spreading lies about him sleeping around with other women and it didn't work either. His girl trusted him just as he trusted her.

But this final prank Mariko played on them was the final straw that broke the camel's back.

- Back to Present -

"Sakuno, please hear me out."

"What's there to talk about, Shiraishi?" Her listless tone made him winced.

"I was tired. Studying for the final exams really took out a lot of energy from me. When I got back to my apartment last night, I just dropped my bag and crashed on my bed."

"I saw you in bed, Shiraishi with my own eyes. You were naked, with Mariko sleeping naked next to you."

"Actually, I wasn't naked, Sakuno. I was still wearing my jeans but the sheets were covering my legs and hips."

"Then how did she get into your apartment and you bed?"

"I think she copied my keys when I wasn't looking. She took one final gamble to finally break us up."

"So you didn't..?"

"No I didn't. I have never touched her in any perverted ways."

"Why not? She's pretty."

"Yes, she's pretty but she isn't you, Sakuno."

"What?"

"My heart, soul and body belong only to one person and that's you, Ryuzaki Sakuno."

".." Tears filled her eyes and in an instant, she was held in his loving arms. He let her sobbed out her relief. He took a deep breath and enjoy the strawberry fragrant from her hair. She fitted right into his arms like always. A thought came to him, 'I wanted to do this on my graduation day but this would be a much better time to ask her this important question.'

A few moments later, he settled her on the bench and knelt before her. She squeaked "Oh!" and her eyes grew bigger when he slipped a dainty diamond ring on her ring finger. Then he cupped her face with his trembling hands.

"Ryuzaki Sakuno, you are the love of my life. I cannot imagine my life without you. Would you be willing to spend the rest of your life with me as my beloved wife?"

Tearfully, she nodded her head wildly and threw herself into his arms. He whispered into her ears, "Arigatou for making me the happiest man on earth right now."

He gave her time to calm down and then sitting close together on the park bench, they talked about their future plans.

"Shiraishi, you're starting your new job with Tennoji Park after your graduation next month. I still have to finish university within 2 years. Can we wait until I graduated before we start our wedding plans?"

"That's fine, Sakuno. While we wait, I could save up a sum of money for our wedding and honeymoon too. You deserve to have the prettiest wedding, my love."

"Arigatou, Shiraishi." She nestled within his arms for a minute before she turned inquisitive eyes on him, "Ano, Shiraishi, what happened to Mariko after I ran away from your apartment?"

He threw her a wicked grin, "I threw her out wrapped in bedsheet without any of her clothes."

"Oh, okay."

…. The End of Chapter 3 …