--o0o-o0o-o0o-o0o-o0o--

Misunderstanding

_._._._.--._._._._

Chapter Four:

Incident

--o0o-o0o-o0o-o0o-o0o—

A/N: Here's the fourth chapter. I hope you enjoy reading this. Let me know what you think of it by leaving a REVIEW.

I posted a poll asking if I should write a femryo story as requested by Zero-onE001. So please visit my profile.

Disclaimer: I do not own PoT or any of its original characters.

"Please shut up," a male voice spoke. "Haruka-san," he continued, smiling apologetically.

"M-momo-sama?" Haruka looked at him, eyes opened wide.

"I don't think that you would want Echizen to be angry at you for bullying his girlfriend," Momoshiro added, grinning at Akari.

"Echizen?"

"Did he mean Echizen Ryoma?" the rest of the class started to whisper to each other.

"That's enough. If no one wants to ask questions regarding Satomi-san that isn't related to the boy's tennis club members, then we will just have our quiz," their teacher said, silencing the class.

"Mou…," the class began to complain.

"Anou, Satomi-san," a voice took the attention of everyone in the class. "Where did you grow up?"

"I was born here, but I spent most of my childhood in America. I only came back here more than a year ago."

"What school did you come from?"

"Saint Rudolph."

The interrogation continued. They asked about her hobbies, her likes and even why her eyes were green. The students have asked numerous questions just to avoid the quiz. Seriously, who gives quizzes during the first period of the day? Akari had answered all of their questions honestly with one exception. She struggled to keep her smile because of this one simple question.

"Why did you transfer here?"

"I don't really know. I guess I just felt like it." She had answered while suppressing the images of an incident that had occurred one night not long ago.

"Satomi-san, please occupy the seat beside Kaidoh-san," their sensei said before leaving the classroom. Their interrogation had successfully consumed the whole period.

Akari quickly made her way to her newly assigned seat, ignoring the strange stares her classmates were giving her. She looked at a girl who she happened to pass by and saw the pity in her eyes. She reached her seat and sat down.

She wanted to know what their stares were for but she was too busy trying to keep the tears from flowing out her eyes. She was so busy suppressing the images from that dark night that she couldn't concentrate on what her teacher was saying. She simply waited for the bell to ring.

Krriingg…

The students stood up and said goodbye to their teacher before wandering off with their friends. Some already went out and headed to the canteen. Akari silently went out the room and maneuvered through the crowd filling the corridors. She had her arms wrapped around herself as if to keep herself together. She went out the school building and searched for one of the secret places Ryoma had told her off.

After a few minutes, she found herself under a tree. She leaned her back against it and allowed herself to fall to the ground. She wrapped her hands around her knees, her head hung low as tears started to roll off her cheeks.

"Gomen, gomen nasai." Akari kept on repeating those words as her whole figure trembled.

Memories kept on flashing in her mind- memories of that fateful night when everything went from good to bad. In a matter of seconds it all changed. There were memories of her, of him… He looked so hurt and he was right to be so. She did it to him. She was the one who hurt him. What happened was inevitable. Yet, she still blamed herself.

For what seemed like years, she stayed in that position, crying.

"Are you done crying?" a voice asked when she wiped her tears from her eyes.

"Yeah," she smiled and looked up to find Ryoma. Of course it would be him. Who else?

Ryoma handed her a can of grape Ponta which she took gratefully. He sat near her, leaning on the tree.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Huh?" Ryoma responded drinking his own Ponta. He knew what she meant but, still, she wanted her to say it.

"I know I've been a burden- crying like this every now and then. But you were still there. I refuse to tell you why I cry yet you stay by my side. Sorry for being such a burden and thanks for always being there." She smiled at him, looking like she hadn't cried at all. Perhaps it was a talent, looking like she hadn't cried when she just did.

"Mn," Ryoma mumbled as he looked at the sky.

"I guess it's nearly time. We should both head back to our classroom," she said looking for the way back to her room.

Ryoma nodded and tugged on his cap. He stood up and headed for his room.

"Ryoma-kun," she called, pulling him to a stop.

"What?" he asked, turning to her.

"What if I join the girl's tennis club?"

"Do what you want."

Akari smiled at this before continuing, "I'll return your racket later and have Nanako-san bring my tennis bag."

"Mn," was all he said as he started to leave again.

Akari watched his figure disappear into a corner before turning around and heading for her own room.

-/-/-/-/-

Akari successfully made her way back to her classroom. She walked to her seat, feeling the same stares from her classmates. Then, she remembered the eyes of that girl. Akari reached her seat and thought of it. 'What was so scary? Why were they looking at me as if I'm in a pitiful situation?'

Then she remembered something. She didn't, not even once, talk to her seatmate before. She turned to him and found the answers to her previous questions. She was seating next to a scary-looking guy. She would have had been scared if he had not looked familiar to her. She just couldn't quite remember where she had seen him.

"Hi," she smiled at him and extended her hand.

"Fsshh…," Kaidoh hissed before touching her hand for barely a second, a gesture that passed as a handshake for him.

Akari observed as Kaidoh's muscles flexed as he reached for her hand. She made a quick glance at his body and determined that he was an athlete, a really muscular athlete. "Have I seen you before?"

Kaidoh nodded and stared at his desk. He didn't know what to say. He wasn't used to people talking to him. Almost everybody was scared of him.

"You know my name, so I think it would be fair for you to tell me yours," Akari continued trying to have a decent conversation with him.

"Kaidoh Kaoru," he responded.

"Nice to meet you, Kaidoh-kun." She smiled at him. "Anou, 'kun' is alright, right?"

Kaidoh simply nodded before standing up to greet the teacher who had just entered the room.

-/-/-/-/-

Krringg…

The bell had finally rang to signal the start of their lunch break. Students rushed out of the classroom, quickly crowding the corridors. Akari stood up and turned to her seatmate.

"Anou, Kaidoh-kun can I have some of your time?" Akari asked, smiling at him.

"Fsshh…," he hissed before nodding.

"Great! Then, could you please give me a tour of the school. I don't know my way around and…," she trailed off.

Kaidoh nodded and they went out the room and through the crowd unnoticed.

-/-/-/-/-

"Where did Satomi-chan go?" Momoshiro asked, looking around the room. He wanted to invite her to eat lunch with them when she suddenly disappeared.

"Momo-chan, wanna eat lunch together?" Eiji appeared out of nowhere.

Momoshiro kept looking around, failing to notice his senpai.

"Nya, who are you looking for?" Eiji said, deciding to put his head in Momoshiro's line of view.

"Eh? Senpai?" Momoshiro backed away, feeling uncomfortable with how their faces had been only a matter of centimeters apart.

"Who are you looking for?"

"N-no one," Momoshiro answered, not wanting his senpai to know. He was sure he'd misunderstand and make a strange rumor about him. "Let's go have lunch," he said, heading out the room.

-/-/-/-/-

Kaidoh and Akari went around the school. Their last stop was the canteen. As they were about to enter, Kaidoh stopped and looked at Akari. He deliberated wondering if it was proper for him to ask. Then, he remembered the numerous questions she had asked about his personal life and thought that it would just be fair to ask one.

"What's the matter, Kaidoh-kun?" Akari asked, wondering why he had stopped.

"You cried," Kaidoh stated in a low hushed voice, asking for the reason why.

"Huh?" Akari looked at him in shock.

"You cried awhile ago."

"I thought that wasn't obvious. You're quite observant, Kaidoh-kun" Akari answered, trying to avoid his unspoken question.

She saw Kaidoh stare at her and she couldn't help but feel nervous. What should I say? I can't tell him the truth, can I?

"Oi," a voice brought her back to Earth. Both Kaidoh and Akari turned to face the source of the voice.

- o0o- End of Chapter –o0o-

A/N: How was it? I hope it was worth your time. If you have any suggestions and/or comments, please inform me through a review or PM. You can even flame me as long as you leave a review. Anonymous and signed reviews are welcome. Thank you!

Please be kind, leave a review for me to find.