Author's notes: Thank you to everyone that has read and/or reviewed my fanfic. I love it that I have make at least a couple fans. I'd like to take the time and thank my two friends Inu-chan and Kakina-chan at home for helping me with this roadblock and I'd like to thank lilcandy-78 and rennomiya for the great idea for the next chapter.

Chapter 4: A Tiny Problem

The next today was going to be awkward. Ryoma realized everything that was going on with him.

He had fallen in love, someone too far away from him.

She was always there him, by his side. Subconsciously he was always protecting her from bullies, when he was there. But his fan girls were another story.

xxFlash Backxx

"She thinks Ryoma is going to liker her!" Ryoma heard one night. It was followed by laughing.

The next day he heard crying on the roof. Heavy weeping. Ryoma hating people crying, but something inside him forced him onto the roof.

There she was crying her eyes out. Her perfect chocolate eyes bloodshot, her delicate frame hunched over like she was turning into a werewolf.

"Ryuzaki-san, are you okay?"

Sakuno turned and tried to smile. It hurt him to see that. She always though to others before herself, she was selfish in her own way. If it was anyone else he would have hugged them, well okay I wish.

Ryoma walked up to her. "Don't force yourself to smile." He waited for a second. "Here cry on my shoulder."

It was the first time Ryoma showed compassion, to ANYONE. He just couldn't take the tears from this really fragile girl. Though it wasn't the first time that he done something nice for her.

Apparently his fan girls had done this to her.

"Why does he talk to you but not us?" one of them asked.

"Ano- I d-don't kn-now"

The leader of the group grabbed her by the shirt. Others had started to pull her hair. The chocolate eyed girl started crying as her auburn hair was being pulled out of her head. The strands of her long hair laid on the floor. The fan group wasn't going to clean up; they'd make her do it.

Ryoma saw it all that day. He wished he could yell at them or do something nasty. But that wouldn't match character, now would it?

Sakuno had tried to protect herself before, but it got worse. She even asked her best friend Tomoka help her out. Still the same thing happened.

Ryoma was sick and tried of it.

xxEnd of Flashbackxx

Ryoma got to English in a daze. But then again he was always taking a nap during this class anyways. His tiredness didn't stop his classmates to bother him about his 'girlfriend.' He got so fed up that he said they broke up.

That shut them up.

Until the end of the day.

Ryoma was walking to practice. He knew his two sempais were going to break the silence, he just wished it wouldn't be this soon.

"Oi Echizen!"

"Why did you guys-" Eiji started.

"-Break up?" Momo ended.

Ryoma groaned. He didn't want to answer. 'It could have been simple!' Ryoma yelled at himself.

"Che." Ryoma walked away.

"Echizen come on!" His broom haired friend said.

"I bet he'll tell Ryuzaki!" Eiji teased.

SMACK! That hit him hard. Ryoma just waked away while pulling down his hat.

"99% Echizen is in a bad mood." The data manic said. It was like he pooped out of thin air.

"NYA! Inui stop that!" the cat like player exclaimed.

Suddenly Tezuka walked into the clubroom. "We're having a meeting after practice." The captain said.

"Nande?" Momo asked.

"We have a problem."

Ryoma stood in the middle of the circle of sitting regulars. He never felt as nervous in his life.

Tezuka and Oishi had called on emergency meeting, why? Did they know something?

"We have a problem." The vice-captain a.k.a the mother hen blahed.

"Nani! What's wrong?" His red-head partner wailed.

"Ryoma won't be around much longer."

'WHAT!' Ryoma was surprised himself. What was going on in his house?

"Oi Echizen! Is it true?" Momo yelled.

"Fssssssssssh… Baka. Bouchou doesn't lie!" Kaidoh hissed.

Everyone looked at Ryoma. He didn't know what to say.

"I don't know. Bouchou, who told you this?" Ryoma asked.

"Someone in your house named Nanako."

Everyone else went wide-eyed.

"Nani? I thought that was the name of your girlfriend… ex-girlfriend, OCHIBI!"

Ryoma sighed. So the truth got out now. He wished he could cover himself up, or get himself out of this mess.

"I never said I was dating." Ryoma said. It was the truth; they all jumped to that absurd conclusion.

"Who is she?" Momo asked.

"My cousin. She lived with us. Ryoma sighed. He didn't like talking about his personal life, even to his friends.

"Bouchou what did she say?" Ryoma wanted to get off topic.

"Your friend in America passed away recently. She said you're flying out tomorrow night for the funeral and not coming back until after the match."

'Am I the only one that hadn't heard about this?'

"Souka…"

"Nani? Who died O'chibi?" Eiji asked since everyone else who would ask was still under shock.

"I don't know. This is the first I've heard about it… Seems like something my Oyaji would do." Ryoma put on his hat and walked out the door. "If I'm not playing, I'll be on my leave."

"Ryoma you stay." Tezuka commanded.

Ryoma walked back into the clubroom sitting down on the bench outside the circle.

"Who's going to take Ryoma's spot?" the mother hen asked.

"Inui could be the substitute!" Momoshiro answered.

"I don't want Inui to play this team…" Oishi answered.

"Why not?" Kaidoh asked.

"Something happened last year…" Eiji answered, energy lost.

Ryoma was surprised. Something happened with the data manic.

"Oi! What happened?"

The door closed shut. Everyone looked at the door in shock. Inui stood there, a darkness hitting his glasses. He was ashamed.

"I don't want them to know Tezuka." Inui muttered. "But I'm ready this time." Inui's glasses flashed. The data freak…. manic was back.

Authour's notes: I'd like to say now that it's going to take awhile for the next chapter. I have school work, exams and summitives due and I need to be working on that. But I promise in every spare minute I have, it will to making this. Thanks guys.

P.S. You you guys review I might take time off to work on this. NYA!