Author's note:

I apologize for it being short. I have redone it so many times already and I still haven't thought of what should happen next hence it's shortness. Anyway I hope you guys still enjoy it

I can't take it.

The moment she stepped foot outside, she began to run.

She was running away.

She couldn't breathe. She couldn't think. She didn't know what to do or where to go. She just kept running.

She ran till she could no longer see the shop. She ran till her feet ached. She ran till she couldn't anymore.

It hurts. It hurts…so much.

She stopped running after a while. She was already out of breath and was at her limit. She bent down and placed her hands on her knees. She was panting hard and her heart was beating fast. She looked up to see where she was and saw that she was in front of park she wasn't familiar with. She stood up straight and looked around her surroundings. She didn't know where she was.

She was lost yet again.

She sighed and walked over to where the swings were. She sat down and started to sway back and forth, her thoughts still on Ryoma. She wondered what they were doing now, how the others reacted to him leaving them – leaving her.

Unconsciously, she placed her hand on her chest.

It still hurts…

And then the tears started to flow. She didn't want to cry but she couldn't stop herself from doing so. She watched as each tear drop fell to the ground. Her chest ached from the thought of Ryoma. She tried thinking of other things but she would always find that it was somehow connected to him.

Is Ryoma the center of the universe or something? Why is it that almost everything I do has something to do with him?

Sakuno frowned at herself. She felt pathetic for liking a boy who doesn't even deserve her attention.

Do I love him?

Sakuno was surprised at herself. The question just popped out of nowhere. She began to wonder if she loved Ryoma. She knew she liked him from the moment he saved her from those guys in train but are his feelings from Ryoma beyond that? She couldn't answer her question. She didn't know. All she knew was that Ryoma didn't like her the way she likes him nor he ever will. She was just wasting her time on him.

She remembered all the times she made an effort for Ryoma to notice her. She wasn't like Tomoka who could easily say what she wanted to say. She was a very shy girl and talking to someone she really liked took a lot of courage on her part. She tried everything she could think of, hoping for even just a glance from her crush. She made him food that took a lot of work and she was always there at every one of his games to cheer him on when she could have been doing something else.

Ryoma still didn't notice her. And whenever he did talk to her, it was when he needed something or was forced to. All her efforts were done in vain.

She felt stupid. She was angry at herself for letting an arrogant boy take over her life. She didn't want this anymore. She had enough.

Sakuno let her feet dangle, stopping her from swaying. She stood up, the expression on his face screamed determination. She wiped away her tears with the back of her hand. She had made a decision.

"No more Ryoma. No more tennis." she told herself.

Sakuno sighed. She looked around her surroundings that still remained unfamiliar to her.

"Well, no use in just standing here."

And with that she left the park, not knowing the trouble that awaits her just around the corner.

"Nani? You're kidding right, Ochibi?"

Ryoma had never seen Kikumaru's face so filled with confusion and frustration at the same time. He always seemed to be the cheerful and happy one in Ryoma's eyes. He felt a pang of guilt in his heart in knowing that he was the one who made Kikumaru do that kind of expression.

"Of course he's just kidding! Hey Echizen, I never knew you had a sense of humor! Hahaha!"

Ryoma frowned at Momoshiro and he stopped laughing. He knew that it wasn't a joke from the start. Ryoma wasn't the type to joke about stuff. And yet he treated what he said as one since he didn't know any other way to face the problem.

There was silence. No one knew what they should say or if they should say what they wanted to say.

"Eh? Where's Sakuno?"

Tomoka was the one to break the silence. Her eyes scanned the room but she still couldn't find her friend.

"Her bag is gone too…I can't believe she jus left without saying good-bye!"

"Nani? This isn't like Sakuno. Are you sure she didn't say anything to you before she left?" Ryuzaki-sensei was worried. It wasn't like her granddaughter to just suddenly leave. Where did she go?

"No…I'm sure she didn't say anything to me."

Ryoma stood up and swung his tennis bag on his left shoulder. He was headed for the door.

"Oi! Echizen! Where the hell are you going?!"

"Gomen. I'll explain things at another time. I…forgot something."

Momoshiro was about to grab him and shake some sense into him but before he could move, Ryoma had already closed the door behind him.

"What the hell was that?!"

Momoshiro punched the wall. He never really did understand Ryoma but he left him feeling more confused than ever. Is he really leaving for America? And where on earth did he just go?

"Oi! What about Sakuno?!"

Tomoka had her hands on her hips. She was getting anxious about the whereabouts of her friend. She knew Sakuno wasn't the type to just suddenly leave a party especially since Ryoma was here. Is there something wrong with her? And if there was, why doesn't she know about it?

Ryuzaki-sensei breathed in a heavy sigh. This was truly a confusing day. His granddaughter and student are missing. She thought of them being together and ended up having to suppress a laugh. There was no way they would be.

"I'm sorry everyone but I have to go. I have to find Sakuno before she gets into any trouble."

"Do you need any help sensei? We can help!"

Oishi was never really close with Sakuno but he knew the girl and it is his nature to get worried.

"There is a bigger chance of us finding her with more people."

Ryuzaki-sensei couldn't help but smile at them. They really were a good bunch.

"I appreciate it but I don't want to ruin your day any further by allowing you to help me find Sakuno. You guys should just stay here and have fun. I'll give you guys a call when I find her."

She grabbed her coat and was out the door before any of them had the chance to protest.

Fuji grabbed a piece of wasabi sushi. The tennis genius was usually the one to figure out what was happening, along with Inui. But this was different. He had no idea what was wrong with Ryoma or if he really was serious about leaving. And now Sakuno was missing.

"This is turning out to be an interesting day."

Please. Please let her be okay.

Ryoma was starting to panic. He searched everywhere for Sakuno but he still couldn't find her.

Where is she?

He went to every place he thought she may be. He checked the school, the burger place and every tennis court in the area. He even went to her house but found that it was empty.

Where is she?

He kept walking around till he reached a park he had never seen before. He sighed.

She isn't here either.

Ryoma turned around and was about to leave when he heard a familiar voice.

"Let me go you jerks!"

Ryuzaki?

"Not until you come with us!"

"Yeah don't you like us?"

"Who would like you guys anyway?"

SMACK

Ryoma didn't have to guess what that sound meant and so he headed towards where all the noise was coming from. He walked around a corner and found Sakuno pinned up against the wall with 3 guys standing in front of her. Her cheek was red from the hit and her eyes displayed someone who was scared but determined.

"Oi! What are you guys doing?"

Sakuno's head snapped towards Ryoma's direction. He had both his hands inside his pockets and gave the 3 guys a glare that Sakuno has never seen before. She wondered how he knew where to find her but pushed the thought aside. She had bigger problems at hand. How the hell is she going to get herself out of this mess?

"Heh. It's just a kid."

"You should go now if you don't want to get hurt!"

Ryoma continued to glare. He was furious at them for hurting Sakuno and now they were going to get a taste of his anger. He placed his tennis bag on the ground and took out his racket and a tennis ball.

"What are you going to do, kid? Teach us tennis? Hahaha!"

They 2 other guys laughed at the joke. They didn't see Ryoma as a threat and they were sure they were going to get away with what they were doing. The leader of their gang had taken a liking to Sakuno the moment she appeared from behind the corner. And being the obedient underlings they were, the other 2 guys pinned her up against the wall but it was the leader who hit Sakuno on the face. If he was love struck a moment ago, he was now mad at Sakuno for rejecting him.

"I'm not the one who's going to get hurt."