Disclaimer: I don't own POT, it's own by our lovely Takeshi Konomi-sensei. I'm really sorry about the problem, I always have it when uploading here, or maybe it's just the poor internet connection.

Chapter 7

Ryoma grumbled under his breath, he relayed to the regulars what really happened between him and Sakuno, how she attacked him not the other way around, it was probably the longest paragraph that the prince will ever utter in his entire life. After his little rendition of the events that took place, the regulars apologized to Ryoma for jumping to conclusion, Ryoma merely grunt, having used too much energy from storytelling and handling Sakuno, who found that moment a perfect time to take a nap.

Oishi scratched the side of his neck, apologizing again for his assumptions. "I'm sorry Echizen for accusing you, but it really is unbelievable for Sakuno-chan to just suddenly attack you" he said, followed by different agreements from his teammates. To be honest, Ryoma wouldn't believe it as well if someone told him that the quiet Sakuno could jump someone had he not experienced it firsthand. But then again she wasn't the normal Sakuno, she was behaving more of a cat than a human.

"But this is really bad senpai," Ryoma began, "What if she remain like this forever, or worse until coach learned of this" he said and all of them paled, they won't doubt that the demon coach could drag them down to hell if she knew what happened to her precious granddaughter. "We need to do something nya!" Kikumaru said looking at the Inui for help.

"Unfortunately Eiji, I still don't know why my juice produced that reaction, so I have no solution just yet" Inui answered while peering down on his green notebook. "However, I was intrigued by Sakuno-san's reaction towards Echizen" he supplied, sparking the interest of most of his teammates. "Doesn't it, just look at them" Momo shouted flailing his hands around Ryoma and Sakuno to make a point.

And they looked at the scene before them; a happy kitty Sakuno was using Ryoma's as her bed, she was seated in his lap, her whole body tucked in his side, with his arms unconsciously but instinctively placed around her midsection for support and protection. Her head placed on below his jaw and her arms resting on both shoulder, she shuffled a bit before letting out a soft purr of delight. Ryoma on the other hand tried, but failing miserably, to hide his blush.

Momo and Eiji almost squealed like a girl, while everyone else 'awwed'. "Quick, get a camera!" Momo said, Ryoma glared at them but a flash greeted his sight. "Got it," Fuji answered with his infamous smile, "I want a copy!" Eiji told him followed by a "me too" from the other members.

Ryoma frowned because somehow, his glares don't faze them as they fuss over the photo taken by Fuji. "I hate all of you" he deadpanned causing them to all look at him. Fuji grinned, "Don't worry Echizen I'll print you one and even frame it if you want" he teased. Ryoma simply mumbled profanities under his breath.

"Shouldn't we do something about this?" he said pointing at the sleeping Sakuno on his lap. "I don't see any problem with it" Momo grinned, he just gave them a blank expression. Taka knowing Ryoma might be pissed off already suggested "Maybe we should put Sakuno down first then think hard about this predicament we're in" calmly, Ryoma agreed, scooping Sakuno, he placed his hand under her legs and adjusted her body so he'll carry her bridal style. Walking back to the only couch in the clubroom, he tried to put Sakuno down, but the girl just kept on latching her nails at his back and curling more towards his body.

"Ugh" Ryoma groaned when she brought him with her on the couch, he gritted his teeth when he heard the cat calls and whistle. 'They're my senpai, I can't kill them' he chanted in his head to make sure he doesn't murder anybody. Giving up on prying Sakuno off of him, he just took a seat down the couch while Sakuno resumed to her previous position. Ryoma couldn't help but give out a sigh.

"Looks like she doesn't want to part with you Echizen" Fuji teased yet again, but Ryoma just ignored him, he propped his head against Sakuno's and closed his eyes, he was tired and they aren't helping. Within seconds, he was asleep and Fuji didn't let the opportunity pass as Momo claimed that it was truly a ''Kodak moment.'

"Sakuno we're here!" Tomoka shouted accompanied by a loud 'blag' from the clubroom's poor door. "Shut up Osakada, you're making a scene" Horio said just as loudly as Tomoka, to whom he received a punch in the shoulder and a "Shut up" of her own. "Now, now Osakada-san and Horio-kun don't fight" Katsuro and Kachiro tried to calm both fuming freshman.

A caught from Tezuka caught their attention and they sheepishly apologized for the ruckus. "We brought their bags" Tomoka tried to hush her voice but it was still a little loud. The regulars looked at the sleeping Sakuno and Ryoma to see them unperturbed by the noise created by the two. The freshmen followed the vision of their senpai-tachi and they can't help but 'aww' and approve of the picture the two presented.

"Just put their bags in here, and go back to your classes, we'll take it from here" Tezuka ordered them and the four nodded and obeyed but before Tomoka leave the room she went to Fuji, "I want a copy too" Fuji just nodded in response.

"So now that, that's out of the way, what should we do?" Oishi said and they knew the fun is over and they really need to find a solution to Sakuno's problem. Her having a set of cat ears and tails is bad enough but mentally turning into a cat is a whole level of problem that could cause them their death, courtesy of Coach Ryuuzaki.

"But really, why did Sakuno jumped Ryoma? Fssh" Kaido asked, "Cat or no, it wasn't in her nature to do that, Fssh" he added. "That's true; there must be a reason right?" Oishi said, and then they turned to Inui.

Inui shifted his glasses and wrote something in his notebook, and then he closed it and faced them. "Well according to Echizen's story, a hypothesis could be concluded" he trailed off, once again opening his notebook.

"And that is?" Momo interjected when the silence persisted. Adjusting his glasses again, he turned to his kohai, "Ryoma said Sakuno acted weird right? She purred when he was near, her tail swished and her ears twitch and she rubs her body against him..." again he trailed of.

"And then? What nya?" Eiji didn't get his meaning, Tezuka and Fuji did though and Fuji chuckled. "Saa, so it's like that huh" he smiled, opening his blue eyes for a moment. "Interesting" he chuckled again, this time it sounded a little ominous. "Hmm" was Tezuka's only response along with a sudden glint in his glasses.

"What? What is it?" Momo said desperately. "Well, what I really mean is..." Eiji and Momo simply groaned. "Just get on with it already!" they said in unison. "Calm down, what I mean is, Sakuno thinks of Ryoma as her mate" he revealed and the rest of the regulars "ohh-ed." Inui continued on with explanations.

"Sakuno, who we know, really liked Echizen. But she was painstakingly shy about her feelings and bottled up those affection, now as a cat, she still instinctively know that she liked him and therefore she must make him her mate. Simply, even as a cat, Sakuno still love Ryoma, she's just more upfront about it" he finished.

"She's what?" a voice suddenly cut them off, turning to the couch, they saw Ryoma awake. Eiji and Momo's loud voice woke him up. "She like, no loves you Echizen" Fuji answered, his always present smile turning a little sadistic. Ryoma was thrown off by that knowledge and the regulars can see it.

On their head they're all thinking, 'how dense.' "That's why she attacked me?" he questioned, Inui nodded his head, Also to ward off other females I guess" he shrugged. Ryoma looked down at the girl on her arms and think about what he learned, a pink hue then settled at his cheeks, one he quickly hidden. Sakuno stirred in her nap and looked up at him.

Smiling, she straightened and put her forehead against his, rubbing and purring at him causing another blush to appear in his cheeks. "She's marking you as her human" Inui supplied at the side. "What?" Ryoma exclaimed but once again Sakuno took it upon herself to plant her lips with his. And another flash went off, while the regulars were frozen in spot.

"Ahh, young love, young love" Fuji snickered.

A/N: I know I've put this off like what, seven months? And I'm really sorry for that. However, I'm really touched that some of you even took the time to message me to remind me of updating this story. Like I said I'm busy and our laptop broke but it is repaired now, that's why I wrote a chapter as fast as I can. I hope you like this because I really like it myself.

Love lots to all of you :)