Chapter 5: Somebody That I Used to Know
But you didn't have to cut me off
Make it out like it never happened and we were nothing
But I don't even need your love
But you treat me like a stranger and that feels so rough
BACK TO THE PRESENT
"Next! Ryoma vs. Sakuno!" yelled Coach Ryuzaki.
"What?" the regulars were shocked. How could Coach put a rookie like Sakuno against a tennis prodigy like Ryoma? "Coach Ryuzaki...are you sure?"
Murmurs buzzed throughout the courts. The freshmen trio gaped openmouthed at their classmate, who simply stood there with a carefully emotionless expression.
"Silence!" she yelled. Everyone stopped and stared at the coach, who had a smirk playing on her lips. "Wait and see." She winked at her granddaughter, who gravely nodded back, and who then turned to Ann, who gave Sakuno an encouraging smile.
Ryoma and Sakuno picked up their rackets and walked onto the court. Ryoma looked at Sakuno from under his cap. Her face was pale because she hadn't slept well, but the softness of her chocolate brown orbs was gone, and her eyes held a fiery emotion he couldn't describe. That look in her eyes was...startling. Scary, even.
"Ryuzaki, you can have the first serve." said Ryoma.
"I thank you kindly." said Sakuno, mimicking Ryoma's normal nonchalant tone.
Normally, she would have stuttered and said something like, "Th-thank you, Ryoma-kun!" and blushed. Now, however, not a spot of pink appeared on her uncommonly pale cheeks, which surprised him.
She threw the ball up and served it straight at him.
Ryoma backed up in surprise. Whoa, not a bad serve at all. She's gotten a lot stronger. He parried it back.
Sakuno slammed her racket into the ball, again right at his face. Again he returned it. Well, that was an uncanny coincidence.
The third time, the ball ricocheted off her racket and traveled with increasing speed right to where his nose was. In an attempt to protect his face he held the racket in front of it and managed to volley it back, giving him the point.
Though the coach called out "Love-15!" as clear as day, Ryoma just stood there, contemplating. Hold on a minute, he thought, is it really just a coincidence that her ball is always heading towards my face?
He looked her over, and his gaze halted at her grip on the racket. Oh, there's the problem. "Ryuzaki, your grip has gotten worse. Your balls are going for my face."
She glanced briefly at said grip and shrugged, clearly dismissing Ryoma's comment. She replied in a hard tone, "Ah, Echizen-san, my mistake."
Echizen-san? Everyone on the courts could not believe their ears. What happened to Ryoma-kun?
But Sakuno gave them no time to think. "By the way," she asked Ryoma, now jump serving, "What were you up to yesterday?"
What the hell? Why would she ask me that? "Momo-senpai and Fuji-senpai went with me to see a match. Why do you care?"
"Oh, nothing. I take it that the match was incredibly important, Echizen-san."
What's with the "Echizen-san"? Ryoma thought again."No, not really," he said while easily rallying back, slightly confused. "It was just entertaining to some extent. Those kids were really mada mada da ne."
"Oh? That's wonderful. I'm glad you had so much fun. You don't regret missing out on any other appointments, surely."
Ryoma faltered. "Other...appointments?...Oh, crap!" he swore, missing the ball.
"15-all!" the coach yelled.
At this point the senpai had noticed something wrong-hesitation in Ryoma's movements as well as the pure deadliness of Sakuno's shots. Even for an improved rookie, those shots had the power of rage and frustration poured and sealed into them. They could only ponder on what had infuriated their sweet little "Sakuno-chan" so much.
"It seems like you have regained your memory now! How kind of you." said Sakuno in a mockingly sweet voice.
Ryoma opened his mouth in attempt to defend himself, but Sakuno was tired of hearing excuses.
"If you didn't want to come, you could have just told me. Then I wouldn't have had to wait there for an hour and a half."
"Ryuzaki, listen to-"
"NO!" Sakuno yelled. "There are no second chances this time. You always,"
(smash)
"lead me on-"
(pok) (A/N: Note that this is the sound of a tennis ball being hit.)
"and then treat me liketrash!"
(pok)
"I know you don't care about me,"
(pok)
"so drop the act already!" With a cry, she leaped and smashed the next ball with all her might.
Ryoma froze before almost falling backwards due to the impact. He felt as if he had been slapped, both by her words and by the tennis ball that she had just smashed directly into his face.
Sakuno panted and glared at Ryoma, and all the regulars stared at her, openmouthed. What the hell just happened?
Suddenly, the ringing of Sakuno's cell phone buzzed through an unsettling silence on the court. A still shocked Ryoma and the alarmed regulars jumped at the startling interruption.
Tearing her gaze from Ryoma, Sakuno pulled her phone out of her pocket and flipped it open. "Hello?...What?" Her face breaking into an joyous smile, her eyes shone as she continued speaking. "Oh my God! Where are you now?...Turn around?" She turned around, staring at the doorway.
Ryoma, pushed by curiosity, turned to see who she was so excited about. Much to his surprise, his captain Tezuka Kunimitsu stood right where Sakuno was staring, shutting off his phone.
What happened next, right when he was about to say hello, surprised him even more.
Sakuno suddenly sprinted over to where Tezuka stood and flung her arms around him, exclaiming, "Tezuka-senpai! You're back! I missed you so much!"
"Hello there, Sakuno-san." Tezuka greeted her, kissing the top of her head. "I missed you too. Have you been doing well?"
"I'm fine. How was Germany? Is your arm better?"
"Germany was amazing. And my arm's completely back to normal, thank you for asking." Tezuka smiled and Sakuno cautiously patted his arm like it could possibly break with a single touch.
How does he know her so well? He's even calling her by her first name! Ryoma stared at Sakuno's unexpected greeting of his captain in shock, becoming increasingly furious as he noticed her excitement at seeing Tezuka.
What's wrong with me? he thought. He clenched his fists in rage as he watched Tezuka pull something out of his pocket and give it to Sakuno, who laughed in delight and gave him another hug. Unable to bear it anymore, he threw down his racket and walked right out of the club. Every other regular watched, stunned at the complete switch of emotions-the normally nonchalant Ryoma's sudden anger and the formerly angry Sakuno's sudden happiness.
Tezuka noticed Ryoma's storming off and gave Sakuno a questioning look. "What's up with Echizen? Did someone replace his Ponta with Inui Juice?"
Sakuno giggled uneasily, hesitating before she replied. "Well...I...sort of...y-yelled at him."
"What? What happened?" Tezuka's brows furrowed in concern.
"Well, he said he would meet me to help me with tennis yesterday but never bothered to show up." Angry though she was, Sakuno began to feel a little guilty for being so hard on Ryoma. "M-maybe I should go apologize..." She made a movement to go, but Tezuka stopped her, holding her back by the elbow.
"No, he was in the wrong. Wait until he comes around. There is no reason for you to apologize." Sakuno nodded uncertainly. "I guess so..."
Tezuka patted her on the head reassuringly. "Well, I need to go and tell my parents I'm home. I will see you tomorrow, Sakuno-san."
"Mata ashita, Tezuka-senpai!" Sakuno skipped back to her grandmother, ready to play another round of singles, her mood much improved. The still silenced regular members looked at each other, unsure of what emotions to display on their faces.
Surprise? No words to express it. Confusion? That was the tame way of describing it. Curious enough to kill the cat? Oh, you bet.
Practice ended ten minutes later, and the regulars huddled together, Momoshiro and Fuji taking on the role of leaders. "OK, we're going to go after each of them and see exactly how Echizen screwed up this time." Momoshiro said with a grin. Murmurs of agreement followed this announcement.
"All right, then. Kikumaru-senpai, you and Oishi-senpai go after Ryuzaki-chan."
"Yes, sir!" said Kikumaru, cheekily saluting. Momoshiro rolled his eyes good-humoredly.
Kaidoh motioned to himself, Kawamura, and Inui. "The remaining third years are going after buchou with me."
Momoshiro and Fuji said, "Then we're off to find Echizen?" Inui nodded, pushing up his glasses, which flashed in the sunlight.
Like the autumn leaves in the winds of a storm, the group of seven scattered without a sound. The tennis courts were empty before you could say "Seigaku!"