Recap…

"Echizen! Why didn't you tell us that you returned?" Momoshiro asked giving his kouhai a big pat on the back.

Ryoma just kept quiet. He didn't felt like talking. He secretly looked at Sakuno, who was still talking with Tomoka.

"Ochibi! Welcome back and congrats!" Kikumaru grabbed Ryoma into his death hug.

"Ah, long time no see, senpai-tachi, but this isn't the time for a reunion." Ryoma said after getting his senpai off his back.

"Echizen's right, we're here to send Ryuzaki-sensei and Ryuzaki-chan off." Oishi said. That was when Sakuno and Tomoka came back. Tomoka was crying, while Sakuno was trying to calm her down.

The former regulars talk with their coach and their kouhais catching up on things, when there was an announcement,"Flight 55 to America, New York is now boarding. I repeat: flight 55 to America, New York is now boarding."

"I guess this is it guys." Ryuzaki-sensei said.

"Waaa... sensei, we don't want you to go! Nya!" Kikumaru cried.

"Kikumaru-senpai, it's only for a few days. We'll be back." Sakuno reassured her senpai.

"Still, it felt like you two are going to be gone forever." Oishi said.

"Anyway, we have to go Sakuno, we can't miss this flight." Ryuzaki-sensei said walking toward the gate.

Sakuno nodded and started to walk toward the gate which will send her and her grandmother away from her friends and senpai-tachi. Sakuno look back after she handed her ticket to a machine which scan it. Tears fell from her eyes as she waved good bye to them one last time. The former regulars along with Tomoka, Ryoma, and the trios, waited until they were out of sight before they started to head back home.

To be continue…

End of Recap…

Chapter 4: Aira Takeuchi

Sakuno and her grandmother arrived just about midnight. They both were pretty tired and immediately went to bed, after they got to their hotel that they both check out just before arriving in New York.

Their hotel has two bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, a dining room, and a bathroom. There was a TV in the living room along with a table in the middle. A long sofa, with two light stands on both sides. There were plants handing down wall of the dining room with a dining table and 4 chairs on each side. There was also a veranda with some huge flower pots in the corner to make it look elegant and two seats.

As tired as she was, Sakuno couldn't closed her eyes. She was crying. She was crying not because she left home. Not because of leaving Ryoma, but because she knows the real meaning behind the letter that her mother send her. She cried and cried until her eyes were burning. Sakuno sighed got up as she was feeling thirsty and went to the kitchen.

Sakuno walked toward the refrigerator and open it grabbing a soda and went out into the veranda. It was a spacious veranda; Sakuno sat on one of the seats and look up at the stars. She sighed as she drinks her soda. That was then that she realized that she hasn't even gotten a chance to talk to the guy that she like.

She was the one that was scared that he would leave again, but this time it was her that left. She wasn't expecting this. Maybe they weren't meant to be together. Maybe, it was her destiny that set her out like this, not being able to be love by him, let alone have him. Tears stream down Sakuno's rosy cheeks as she cried, yet again. This time, for a dense boy that she loved whole-heartedly.

Ryoma was in class. Surprisingly, he wasn't asleep; instead he kept on looking at an empty desk.

Luckily, he had gotten his text books thanks to his teacher, demanding the librarian that he needed his text books for class. He continued staring at the empty desk next to him. He sighed as he put his head down.

'Just as I came back, she just had to leave.'

Ryoma sighed. He lay his head onto of his arms and fell asleep.

Ryuzaki-sensei was in her room. Her lights were on and she was making a phone call to someone that she highly trust, Kunimitsu Tezuka. He was a little surprise to hear his coach calling him.

"Tezuka, I know that this is sudden, but if you don't mind, I like you to please do a favor for me." Ryuzaki-sensei said.

"What is it?"

"Please, be Seigaku's substitute coach until I come back." Ryuzaki-sensei replied. "Will you be willing to do it?"

"I'll be there afterschool." Came Tezuka's replied after a moment.

"Arigatou (Thank you). I'll be counting on you until I come back."

"Ah." Tezuka and Ryuzaki-sensei bid good bye before they both cut off the line.

The next day, Tezuka arrived at the tennis court. He had a whistle around his neck, with information about the current captain of the tennis team. He was a little surprised that Horio was the captain of the tennis team this year, but ignore the surprised feeling.

"Horio." Tezuka called.

"A-a- ah, T-T-Tezuka-bouchou." Horio said standing straight and gave a 90 degree bow. "Ano...what are you doing here?"

"Ryuzaki-sensei wants me to fill in for her." Tezuka answered.

"Ryuzaki-sensei did?"

"Ah." Tezuka said. "Tell everyone to line up."

"H-Hai (Yes)!" Horio called all of the tennis team to line up.

Tezuka started explaining that their coach had gone to American and had asked him to fill in for her until she return. He also mentions that he'll be the one planning the warm-ups until the coach arrive.

"I heard that there is a ranking match coming up next week. Am I correct?" Tezuka asked.

"Hai." Horio replied.

Horio was getting nervous, not only is Tezuka coaching them, but the ranking match is coming up too.

Oh boy, he got a lot of training he has to do if he doesn't want to lose to Ryoma.

"Here are the sheets for you to fill out who will be participating in the ranking match." Tezuka said. "I understand that you know fairly well who should or shouldn't be on that list, am I right?"

"H-Hai (Yes), I do."

"Good." Tezuka said. "I'll leave the rest to you as the captain." Tezuka walked away as Horio almost sighed in relief. It was pretty nervous, when he had to stand next to Tezuka.

"Everyone back to practice!" Horio called.

Ryoma did as the 'captain' ordered, but his mind wasn't on tennis for once in his life, when he's on the court. It was on something else, or rather on someone else. Ryoma looked to the side of the fence. The fence that he once saw the person that he wanted to see, but only there was no one.

Ryoma sighed as he went to his own practice. A regular named Harumatsu Kyo, came up to challenge him to a match.

Ryoma nodded. He wants to get his mind off of this one girl that he kept on thinking of.

Sakuno eyes opened upon the light blinding in her eyes. Sakuno looked away from the blinding light as she stood up. She grabbed her bathroom supplies and headed toward the restroom. As she came out, she saw her grandmother already had breakfast ready. She came into the kitchen with a smile on her face as she greeted her grandmother.

"Ohayo gozaimasu (Good morning), Obaa-chan." Sakuno greeted. Ryuzaki-sensei looked at her granddaughter and also greeted her. "Ano... do you need help?"

"Ah, just get two cups of water and set them on the table." Ryuzaki-sensei replied.

"Hai (Yes)." Sakuno quickly grabbed two cups from the cabin and wash them. After that she got two cups filled with water; she set them on the table.

After breakfast, Ryuzaki-sensei told Sakuno to go and get dress. They were setting out to xxxx church. Sakuno's smiling face came off as she enters her room to get ready.

Ryuzaki-sensei and Sakuno both got to the church wearing black. Ryuzaki-sensei had a black blouse and pant. She also wore black shoes. Her hair was tied into a ponytail. Sakuno, on the other hand, was wearing a black dress that reaches her knees, black sandals, and she also wore the white and black necklace that her mother gave her. Once they enter, a woman came up to them.

"Hello, welcome." The woman said in English. Sakuno didn't understand what she was saying, but her grandmother did.

"Hi. Do you know a woman named Sayori Ryuzaki?" Sakuno was surprise that her grandmother could speak English fluently. She had never heard her grandmother speak English before.

"I do. You're at her funeral." The woman replied sadly. Ryuzaki-sensei looked at Sakuno and translated what the woman had said. Sakuno already knew that her mother had passed away, because of the letter, but having someone say it really hit her hard as she started to cry. The woman saw this and curiously asked, "May I asked who you are?"

"I'm really sorry for not introducing ourselves. Sayori Ryuzaki is my daughter and this girl right here," Ryuzaki-sensei said mentioning Sakuno "is her daughter Sakuno Ryuzaki."

"It's an honor to meet Sayori's family. I'm Aira Takeuchi. Sayori and I were best of friends." Aira said. "Please come this way." Aira said putting her arms out and guiding them into the church.

Ryuzaki-sensei and Sakuno followed the strange woman. She led them to Sayori's body. She lay in her coffin, her face was pale, her lips were blue, but her expression was peaceful. Sakuno walked up toward her mother's coffin and sadly bid her farewell. Ryuzaki-sensei also did the same thing. Aira came up to them and asked them to sit.

"I know I'm being rude, but may I ask if you're Japanese?" Ryuzaki-sensei asked.

"Yes, I am." Aira replied. "My last name is Takeuchi."

"By Takeuchi, are you by somehow related to Rinko Echizen?" Ryuzaki-sensei asked.

"Rinko Echizen is my cousin." Aira replied with a smile. "So you know her, too?"

"Yes, her husband is my long time student."

"I see. Small world isn't it?"

"Yes."

"O-Obaa-chan?" Sakuno asked weakly. Her eyes were red from crying. "W-what are you t-two talking a-about?"

"You're Sakuno, right?" Aira asked in Japanese with a warming smile.

"H-hai (Yes). " Sakuno said shyly. "A-ano... y-you speak my l-language too?"

"Of course." Aira laughed then she sighed. "You look just like your mother."

"I do?" Sakuno was confused.

"Hai (Yes)."

The Ryuzakis and Aira talked about Sakuno's mother until it was dark. Sakuno didn't want to leave her mother and wanted to stay by her side. With the help of Aira, Sakuno finally agrees to go home. Ryuzaki-sensei had asked that Aira joined them for dinner, but Aira kindly rejected. Sakuno looked at Aira with begging eyes making her finally agree.

At the hotel, Sakuno and Ryuzaki-sensei were in the kitchen making dinner, while Aira watch the two of them. Aira smile as she looked at Sakuno, who was busy chopping some cabbage to add to her homemade Okonomiyaki. She looked so skillful in the kitchen.

'Too bad I can't cook.' Aira thought.

Once dinner was served, they all ate quietly. After finishing dinner, Aira and the Ryuzakis talk in the living room. They talked about how it was in Japan and America until Aira's phone rang. She opened her purse to get it only to find a paper that was given to her by Sayori. Aira answered her phone after a quick reply she hung up. Aira put the phone back inside her purse and got out the paper. She unfolded the paper and looked at it.

"Sakuno, you're Sayori's daughter right?" Aira suddenly asked out of the blue.

"H-hai." Sakuno replied sadly.

"Did you know why your mother left?" Aira asked.

"Hai." Sakuno answered. "She doesn't want us to worry that she has leukemia. That's why she left."

"That's true. When your mother got to America, she went looking for a job. She finally found one after a year of searching. It's a big company, which represents idols. Your mother was like a professional at the job. The boss of that company couldn't fire her because of her fabulous work. He did try to make her get fire with all sorts of attempt." Aira said.

"Why would the boss want to fire her?" Ryzuzaki-sensei asked. "Doesn't her work help the company?"

"It does, but it was because of jealousy." Aira replied.

Ryuzaki-sensei nodded.

"Did she get fire?" Sakuno asked curiously.

"No, it's the opposite." Aira replied. "Sayori's job was to sew clothes and set up stands and because of that job she got a high reputation. Many idols and celebrities loved her. The boss was furious when he heard that Sayori got promoted by the boss's wife to be the manager of the company."

"What do you mean?" Ryuzaki-sensei asked. "Does the boss's wife hold half the company's share?"

"We found out the day that Sayori got promoted that the real boss was actually his wife. Anyway, that 'boss' set up a plan. He went into Sayori's office and started to rip every fabric of clothing he could find. Only that he didn't know Sayori had set up a camera in the room.

"The next morning, Sayori went and show the pictures to the idols, workers, and his wife." Aira continue. "They were all mad at him. He and his wife got into a big fight. Eventually, he blurted out that he only married his wife, just so that he could hold half of this company's share."

"I see." Sakuno said.

"His wife felt so betrayed by him; she fired and divorced him at the same time. The real boss came into Sayori's office, one day, and said that she's giving the company to her. Recruiting peoples to be idols, making clothes, and looking after the company were very tiring, and the real boss retired." Aira continue again. "That's why Sayori became the new owner of this successful company in the entertainment world."

"O-Okaa-san is amazing." Sakuno said feeling proud of her mother.

"She was." Aira agreed. "Sayori knew that she didn't have much time left, after finding out that her disease had gotten worse. She quickly got into work, and came up with this paper." Aira finally showed the paper she was holding and place it in front of Sakuno. "Sakuno, this is a contract that you will take the place of your mother and become the president of the company that your mother had held. All along, she had been planning to let you take over this company. It was written in her will. So, I asked of you and your grandmother to make a decision."

"What decision?" Ryuzaki-sensei asked.

"If you let Sakuno signed this paper, she'll need to stay in America to get her studies done and have experiences learning other things that is totally different from other students. Then, she'll take the job of being the president. If not, then she will not have to worry about the company. Please take this paper and think." Aira said. "Here's my card, call me if you had made your final decision and thanks for the dinner, it was delicious." Aira said as she stood up and left not after bowing down to the Ryuzakis.

To be continue...

A/N: I'm finally done with this chapter. Yes, I know I created a character and said that Ryuzaki-sensei knows English, but hey, that's what makes it interesting, right. I also want you guys to be curious on what Sakuno's decision's going to be. Hehehehe.

Before I forget, Okonomiyaki is a popular pan fried food that consists of batter and cabbage. Selected toppings and ingredients are added which can vary greatly (anything from meat and seafood to wasabi and cheese). This variability is reflected in the dish's name; "okonomi" literally means "to one likes".

Well I hope you guys enjoy and don't forget to review.

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