Hi! I am back with the new chapter. I don't want to say anything anymore.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own TeniPuri and never will.


johanna chapter 5 - tama... super talaga...

chapter 4 - tee hee hee... malalaman mo rin yan in the future... :)

sweetangel - hye... hehe... oo pero minsan lang akong bumisita dun pag may iuupdate... baka makapgsulat ako ng non-related POT sa site na yun... basta reremind kita pag meron na... :) at walang anuman... :)

tee hee hee... oo... sa ngayon... well, I decided to give them some privacy... :P
yeah, kanata's really sweet... and Ryoma... well we will see... :3

Well, the evil one has already made her move... find that out here...

I am not really sure when... I'll try to write on the site first...

thank you once again...
this is the next chapter... domo... :)

heartluv - yeah, I am trying to update as possible as I can... thank you very much... I hope you like this fic... domo... :)


Chapter 6: The Miserable Ones

Chapter Summary: She focused on her work of art that she didn't know the happenings around her.


She started her canvass of the photo that Kanata had picked for her. The linings were a little damp as she started experimenting the colors. She used different kinds of combination just to get the almost exact appearance of that part of the photo. She had just started for fifteen minutes but she was not satisfied of her first try. Frowning, she tore it and placed on the floor and made another one.

She knew that it wouldn't be easy to make a sketch especially if she wanted to make it just like the way she expected it to be. And she was right; she was not satisfied with her second try. Wiping her forehead, she sighed. She knew that it would take time for her to finish the draft. It wasn't easy to do, she knew.

Sakuno stared at the photo for a few seconds before she clipped it to her canvass. She knew that photo and she knew where it was taken. It was impossible not to forget that place. Even though she wanted to, she just couldn't. Sighing, she observed her feelings. Somehow, she kind of accepted the fact and realizing that it wasn't painful anymore.

Her memories of that place were painful for her to remember.

Aside from the conversation they had in that hill, It was the day where he accidentally stole her first kiss. Or was it? She didn't know anymore. She didn't even know why she agreed to paint that valley in the first place. Kanata had a good eyesight; the place was stunningly beautiful despite her memory there.

It had been a great memory for her but she would keep it in history now.

Thinking back, she looked at her piece and stared at it for a few seconds… before she crumpled it once again. Guess she wasn't satisfied of what she had started. She had just placed another canvass when the door of the art room slammed open and close at the same time. She shrieked when she heard the noise and her eyes widened at the same time.

Echizen Ryoma was panting as he locked the door. He was still wearing his cap and his breathing was harsh and deep. She knew that he had ran a long distance just to reach that place. As if sensing that he was not alone, he turned around and faced her making her stun in the process.

The tennis prodigy just stared at her with slight wide eyes. She did the same as well. She was just sitting on a chair and her canvass was in front of her but she was leaning just to get a nice view of the tennis player.

"Gomen for intruding," He surprisingly said. He never tried to initiate a conversation and it was really rare for him to do it. One of the rarest was this one, "I've been chased."

It took seconds before she understood what he was telling her. A smile was formed to her lips as she couldn't stop herself from replying, "By your fan girls, I know."

He remained silent after she said that. She let out a small chuckle for a few seconds but realized that she was doing it and it made her stop afterwards.

"Gomen." She said as she looked at her white canvass.

"Betsuni," He said as he walked closer to her right side, "is it okay for me to stay here?"

"E?" She looked up and followed his with her eyes. Ryoma was already placing his bag on the bench which was sitting to her right side.

It was like before… when he used to spend his time there and take a nap while she was painting something.

She couldn't help but remember the past, "I don't mind." Saying those words was actually her welcoming what had happened to them. Her heart was irrationally pounding for the memory that she wanted to forget.

"What are you painting?"

His unexpected question made her look up to his direction once again. She stared back at the canvass before she answered him, "I am painting for a project."

"Project?"

"Un," She nodded as she looked up at the upper part of the canvass where the photo was and stared at it, "I need to finish it for more than two months, probably within three months."

"Sou ka," He commented as he sat down on the bench and played with a tennis ball before he looked back at her once again, "It must have been hard, mustn't it?"

"N-not really," She said as she started drafting the scene once again, "It's my passion and it's a part of it."

He didn't reply after she said that. Ryoma returned playing with the tennis balls in his palm for a few seconds while she continued drafting on the canvass. It was weird that she was able to act normally especially when they were alone like that. It seemed that she was really forgetting what was between them.

They were like mere acquaintance, just like before. It was like before… when she used to cheer him like a normal fan girl and she thought that it was better that way.

"Ryoma-kun, don't you have a practice to attend?" She asked after fifteen minutes. He stopped from whatever he was doing and stayed still for a while then that realization hit him.

"Crap!" He murmured before he hurriedly stood up grabbing his bag in the process, "Ja." He walked on his way to the door and unlocked it.

Sakuno silently watched him leave the place. The door was closed and it was the only time she chuckled to herself. He never changed… as she always known him.


Few days later:

The class was busy for the upcoming event and their own class was no exemption to that. Their sensei was preparing the whole class for the play that they were going to do and Kanzaki Honoka blurted out the play that she wanted the whole class to do.

"Les Misérables?" Their teacher said.

"Hai," Honoka nodded as she looked around, "The shoujo story."

"Shoujo story?" She said once again, "What do you mean by that?"

"I would like to highlight the scenes of the girls in the story and the love triangle instead of the main protagonist which is Jean Valjean."

The whole class murmured at the type of play that they were going to play. Sakuno on the other hand, couldn't calm her own self down. She had the feeling that something was under the girl's sleeve and she just couldn't name it. She only hoped that it was just her feeling and nothing related to the play.

"You want to get the major roles of the girls instead of the boys, is that right?"

"I didn't say that those main characters from the novel are vanished to our upcoming play," Honoka commented, "It would be suitable to say that those girls would be highlighted from the story this time."

Another murmur surfaced inside the classroom.

"Jean Valjean, Javert and the other characters would be in the play." Honoka continued.

"Okay, then how are we going to choose the characters?" The teacher asked once again.

Sakuno looked at the girl and her heart was pounding really hard. She hated to admit that her instinct was right especially when she saw her smirk dubiously.

"Would you mind sensei, to allow me to assign the characters?" She asked their teacher, "I have some major characters that fit to some of our classmates."

The teacher taught for a while before she called everyone's attention, "Very well then. You are responsible to casting your classmates for our upcoming play. You have until the end of the day."

Honoka bowed and smiled at the same time, "Hai, arigatou sensei." She sat down and looked at Ryoma before she looked at her. She felt that her heart skipped a beat when she saw her smirk at her. Looking away, she busied herself to other things just to calm her panicky heart.

Somehow, she didn't like what she was feeling at that time.


Later on, lunch time:

"I just didn't like the way she acted a while ago," Tomoka complained as she paced back and forth around the club room. Sakuno wanted to stop her from walking for it was making her dizzy, "I don't really like her choosing for the play."

"Don't say that, Tomo-chan," She answered hoping that she would stop pacing the room, "sensei chose her because she knew that she could choose a better play to perform."

"Yeah, right," Tomoka replied and did stop from pacing, which Sakuno was thankful about. She looked at her nail and tried to take off some dirt from them, "Let me remind you that I don't trust her judgment. I have a bad feeling that she is plotting something."

"Let's just give her a chance," Sakuno said as she stared at her starting canvass, "I think she will do us a better role."

Tomoka walked towards her and leaned over to her canvass, "I don't trust her, okay? You do know the story of Les Misérables. I know that girl is plotting something evil."

"Tomo-chan!" She looked up and scolded her.

Her best friend stood straight and closed her eyes, "Hai, hai. I get you. I won't say anything anymore."

Sakuno sighed at her best friend's behavior. Tomoka could be judgmental when it was necessary to do so. If someone messed up with her, those people would end up in a heebie-jeebies mode. No wonder that the trios always gave way for her… except for Horio who was her best friend's arch-nemesis. She was still ranting but not that inaudible for her to hear. This girl needed some distraction and she just knew one how.

"Tomo-chan, I want to tell you something."


Meanwhile:

"Echizen, it's your turn." Momoshiro called out to him. He quietly nodded as he went to the court. They were having a training drill at that time.

He only needed to hit 150 cans non-stop and if he missed he would welcome Inui's concoction. He started hitting the cans as he concentrated in front of him. So far so good and it was really expected of him.

He also knew that his senpais were watching him. They were focusing on his hits. Ever since his break up with her, his relationship with his senpai was somewhat changed. He couldn't blame them… not that he hurt the girl.

What he really did was uncalled for. It was ungentlemanly.

He was still somewhat lucky that she had forgiven him and even considered him as her friend. When they saw her talking to him one day, they couldn't believe that they would.

They should just accept the fact that it was all different now. They returned to normal just like before and that was what important for him.

"You dated her, didn't you?"

His ear perked up when he heard Eiji talked but he didn't stop hitting the ball.

"She's available so yeah."

Fuji answered his best friend's question.

"Where did you go?" Momo asked him this time.

"I believe I don't need to tell you the details, Momoshiro." Fuji replied smiling in the process… as usual.

"No fair." Both Momo and Eiji said at the same time.

"She's always supporting the team not to remind that she's sensei's granddaughter." Oishi commented.

Kawamura approached them as he heard the conversation, "I heard that her class is having a play for the event. The first years are included to do the play."

"We should watch Ryuzaki-chan play, nya?" Eiji excitingly commented as he looked around.

"Ne, Horio!" Momo called to the freshmen, "What play does your class will do?"

Horio looked up as he placed a hand to his chin, "We will play 'One miserable'."

"'One Miserable?'" they mimicked at the same time.

Horio nodded as he closed his eyes, "Hai, that's it.

Kachiro heard him and approached the team, "It's Les Misérables, senpai. It's translated to 'The Miserable Ones.'"

"Hey! That's what I said!" Horio insisted.

The rest nodded as they looked at each other. They sweat dropped when they saw how the unibrow defended his answer to his fellow freshmen.

"Ah, what is Les Misérables?" Eiji raised his hand and asked no one.

Momo followed as well, "Yeah, don't have any idea at all."

"Saa… beats me." Fuji shrugged as he looked at Oishi and Tezuka. They knew that they had the idea but they would not tell them to the oblivious ones.

"I think it's better to watch the play and you'll see." Oishi said as he watched their curious eyes.

Momo and Eiji sighed as they didn't find out the story but were all hyped up and decided to watch the play that day.

For the meantime, Ryoma had just finished hitting all the cans without missing a single one. They decided to watch the play. Even as a boy, he knew that he didn't like what was going to happen in the play. Despite that Honoka was the one to plan about the whole play.

Closing his eyes in the process, he tapped his racket and walked out of the court, "I am done, Inui-senpai." He murmured to his senpai before he left the court and grabbed something to drink… not caring what was happening around him.


After School Practice:

She decided to stay late doing the draft in the art club. Spending time in the clubroom after class was something that she used to do especially when she was competing for their school. Painting would take time and she wouldn't mind doing that just for the sake of her goal.

Staying in the clubroom was naturally her sickness that she always forgot the time.

"Sakuno!"

…Just like that very time.

She jumped at Tomoka's booming voice when she slammed open the door and entered the room, "Tomo-chan! Lower your voice, please. Why are you calling me?"

Instead of answering her question, she stormed in towards her and loomed over, "What are you doing here? Don't you know what time it is?"

"Time to go home?" She answered uncertainly. She couldn't even believe that she was able to answer her that pretty fast.

"No, silly!" Tomoka said leaning closer to her face, "That girl has just posted the role of the play and you freaking have to see that!"

Her eyes widened when Tomoka announced that. Right, she completely forgotten about the play and to think that it was only almost a day had passed. Realizing the power of the art that could give her, she let her best friend pull her out of the room.

xxx

"Noooo!" It can't be!" Tomoka reacted after she saw the announcement, "I can't be HER! Definitely not HER!"

She was just staring blankly on the wall where the casts were posted. The others were murmuring and complaining about their roles. Some liked their characters and some didn't. Tomoka was still complaining about the role that she got and didn't care about the commotion that she was making in the corridor.

"Look there it is!" She could hear the tennis club boy's footsteps and Eiji's voice towards their area.

"The announcement is up!" She could hear Horio standing beside her, "Huh? Who are these characters? And why do I have the same name as her?" He said pointing at Tomoka.

"Tell me I am dreaming," Tomoka said looking at her but she was still looking at the announcement, "I can't be paired with that bucko!" She pointed at him.

"What did you say?" Horio reacted.

They started to bicker but she was still ignoring them. She couldn't believe it but her instinct was telling her right. She had her role and it said on the announcement:

Les Misérables

Casts:

Echizen Ryoma – Marius Pontmercy

Kanzaki Honoka – Cosette

Ryuzaki Sakuno – Éponine

Kachiro - Jean Valjean

Katsuo – Fantine

Osakada Tomoka – Madame Thénardier

Horio Satoshi – Mr. Thénardier

Student A – Enjolras

Student B – Javert

Student C - Gavroche

"Do you like your role, Ryoma-kun?"

She heard Honoka's voice behind her and she thought that she wasn't going to react when it came to the boy's name.

But it did when her heart skipped a beat. She knew that they were just behind her.

"Who's Marius?" She heard him ask.

"Oh, you're so going to love your role," Honoka said as she giggled, "Right, Sakuno-san?"

She wasn't expecting that she would ask her but somehow, she knew how to respond to that, "H-hai, Ryoma-kun will do a good job in his role."

Honoka smiled sweetly at her before she looked back at Ryoma, hugging him to his neck in the process, "See, even Sakuno-san agrees to me. We will definitely be a cool couple in the story."

Ryoma gave her a curious look but he never voiced his thoughts whatever it was. The team was also giving the same odd look to them except for Momo and Eiji who didn't know the whole story at all.

…Though they gave them an oblivious look.

"Are you okay?" Fuji whispered to her ear making her almost jump from her position.

She looked at him and smiled, "H-hai, senpai. I am okay."

"That's good to hear." The tensai replied smiling back at her. Tomoka grabbed her and whispered to her as well.

"I told you she is up to no good," She muttered as she glared at Ryoma and Honoka, "She planned all of this in the first place." She followed her gaze and amazingly observed them. Ryoma was frowning and probably didn't have any idea about his role while Honoka never stopped clinging to her boyfriend.

"She would never do that." She didn't know why she said that but she just did.

"Oh hell, she did," Tomoka counterparted, "She's plotting alright. Just don't let your guard down."

If it wasn't for the serious situation, she would have laughed at that. No matter how she looked, she knew that she was denying it. She knew that there was something going on. As for her role in the play, she already knew what it was.

She didn't know what the outcome of the play would be.


Later on:

They prepared going home after learning their role in the play. Tomoka kept complaining about her role to Honoka but the latter said that she couldn't take her back anymore.

She said that it would be a waste of time and their sensei had already approved of their roles for the upcoming play.

…Like she didn't have a choice but to do her own role as well.

Trying to forget the role even just for a while, she was able to remember something. Looking around for security, her gazed went to her best friend when she was certain that it was just the two of them,

"Ne, Tomo-chan," She called, "Do you want to go there now?"

"Huh, where?" Tomoka asked as she was packing her things as well.

She eyed her best friend instead of answering. It took several seconds before she understood what she was asking her. She beamed as she nodded.

"I would like to go there now," Tomoka said grabbing her hand in the process and pulling her out from the room, "Let's go."

She almost chuckled at her best friend's behavior.


Later on:

Sakuno and Tomoka reached their destination in that afternoon and they were looking at the guy who was staring straight at them. The court was quiet as it was their only movements that would create sound in the area. Sakuno held a chuckle as she introduced the two to each other.

"Tomo-chan, meet my friend, Ichigata Kanata-kun," Sakuno said before she looked at the boy, "Kanata-kun, this is my best friend, Osakada Tomoka-chan."

Her best friend and friend stared at each other. Tomoka was just staring at him, jaw dropping in the process while Kanata was just shied away busying himself between things.

Sakuno chuckled after their reaction, "Mou, you two. What a great first impression you would give to each other?"

Tomoka recovered first as she scratched her head, "Gomen, gomen. My, even though you can't speak, you still a good looking guy."

"Tomo-chan!" Sakuno scolded while Kanata blushed at her best friend's remark.

The twin pigtailed girl ignored her as she extended her hand to the boy, "Osakada Tomoka at your service."

Sakuno watched Kanata's expression. He was shocked at her behavior before he smiled a little and accepted her hand. With that handshake that they did, she knew that her friend had made a new friend in the courtesy of Tomoka.

Kanata was anti-social. She was the very first friend that he ever made. Now that she would leave, if possible, she could leave Kanata to Tomoka. She could trust the two and she knew that they would make good friends to each other.

At least for the three of them, the two were not miserable when she left them.


Done! How was this chapter? Tee hee hee… random stuffs again. The play is what I originally planned long before this was invented. I hope you'll like it… soon. Domo.

Note: I forgot to tell this last week. The way Ryoma hit the tennis balls with his racket and aimed to the basket did happen in the Chinese drama. Long Ma (Ryoma) was really amazing when he was doing that.

Another thing: Long Ma also spent time in the art clubroom with the girl there. They sort of speaking some random things, tennis problems and being a member of the group. Tee hee hee… I want to do the same thing here if possible. ^^

I do not own the scenes heres. I just love sharing them. I especially don't own Les Misérables novel/movie. Zero-related.

Reviews please! I need to know your thoughts. Domo.

Next Chapter: Jondrette Girl