Singing and listening to Ryoma's character songs mode. (Crying Sky and Kimi dake no Fine Star) I was also saved by Junko's Between you and me when I attempted to cross a wall which was so high. Geez! I am afraid of heights, FYI. Domo Junko-san. Ok, I know it was unexpected and bad but hey… that is one surprise that I planned. See how Sakuno dwelt with the heated situations… new chapter unlocked!
kichisaburo - it's alright. What important is you are supporting my story still so thank you... ^_^ I still don't know what to do with Kevin but I have the slightest idea for his role. And don't worry... I'll say everything will be fine. Thank you once again... ^_^
animecouplelover - tee hee hee... those questions will remain unanswered. It will be not interesting anymore if I will answer them now. right? right? ;P I'll keep you in suspense for now. Anyway, you will have a hint in this chapter. I hope you will enjoy this. thank you very much for supporting my story... ^_^
DISCLAIMER: I do not own T.P.O.T. and everything related to the series and manga.
Chapter 7: Regret
Chapter Summary: She blamed herself from the accident. She didn't know what Ryoma was thinking when he heard the news… that extremely terrified her…
"T-three months… "
"Yes, Mr. Echizen. You need to rest for three whole months for your fractured arm to heal completely. You need to stop playing tennis by all means within those months." The school nurse instructed him while writing something on the paper and then gave it to him.
"I can't, the tournament is just merely three months away. I just can't seat all day and do nothing." Ryoma retorted.
"You have to follow me young man or you will have to take the risk of not playing the sport forever."
Ryoma gritted his teeth. He was not allowed to play tennis for three months. That was a big deal for him. He watched the nurse doing her thing, "Hey,"
"What is it?" the nurse looked at him.
"You said that I can't play with my fractured arm right?"
"Yes, I did."
"That means… I couldn't play with my ONLY fractured arm."
xxx
Sakuno was waiting outside the nurse office… with Kevin beside her. Ryoma asked them not to enter the room while he was being tended. The nurse tended her first and said that her ankle was fine. She needed compress for her ankle and it would be back to normal overnight. But in Ryoma's case, she was more worried. She was nervous all over that she panicked when Kevin found them there;
Flashback:
"RYOMA-KUN!"
He heard the girl's terrified call on her boyfriend's name. Soon after, he heard some noises that he didn't understand first but he was beginning to feel bad when the noises became suspicious. He ran to the corridor and saw some people crowding at an area. He saw some girls with their terrified look and started to run away from that place. When he reached the area he looked down only to look terrified as well. He saw the girl together with her boyfriend. She was staring at him with that horrible look while Ryoma was lying on the floor holding his right arm. He ran down to them.
"What happened here?" he asked not looking at the girl. He tried to assist Ryoma to sit up.
"H-he saved me,- " she tried to answer and explained everything to him, "f-from those girls- "
"What are you still doing here?" Kevin retorted. He looked at her with irritation planted on his face.
"W-what?"
"TAKE HIM TO THE CLINIC, YOU IDIOT!" he shouted that he couldn't hide the patience in his gut.
"Hey," Ryoma was able to speak, "Don't talk to her like that. I don't need your help." He retorted.
The two was able to argue when they walked to the nurse's clinic. She could see how he endured the pain in his right arm. She looked down, feeling nervous and tense all the time. Worst was… scared.
She returned from the present when the door from the clinic opened and Ryoma went out from it. His right arm was casted and it hurt her to see him like that. His expression was still dull and non-changeable as always… like nothing bad had happened.
"How was it?" Kevin asked him.
Ryoma closed his eyes for a while, "Three months."
"Three months?"
"I'm not allowed to play tennis for three months."
"What?" Kevin reacted, "T-that's ridiculous! I can' believe this. How did you let your guard down, Ryoma?"
Ryoma just shrugged, "It's just happened okay, it's not like I asked for it."
Three months…
Those were the words that kept ringing to her ears. Ryoma was not allowed to play tennis for three months. It was all her fault, her entirely fault. She kept staring at them fighting with each other but her mind was not actually there. What was going to happen now? She desperately wished that everything was a dream. That if she woke up right now… everything would be back to normal. She could see Ryoma playing in the court together with the American team, preparing for the first competition next year.
"Let's go."
She flinched when Ryoma talked to her. The boy walked ahead of her. She looked back at Kevin and she was right, the boy was glaring at her accusingly. She couldn't blame him after all. She followed Ryoma after that. She couldn't start a conversation when they walked home together. It was an awkward situation.
I… caused trouble to Ryoma-kun… she thought while looking down. Kevin kept warning her about keeping him away from trouble but she introduced one to him. Worst was it was somewhat affected to his passion.
They arrived at the building and went to the elevator. No one went in like they used to notice. Before the door of the elevator closed she whispered something that she didn't know whether Ryoma would hear it or not;
"I am sorry."
xxx
"I'll be in my room. Call me when dinner's ready." Ryoma said walking through the front of his room not looking at her.
Sakuno just watched the frame of his door when he entered it. Ryoma didn't say anything nor blame her from the accident. He silently ignored her presence. She knew it… he was giving her a silent torture and it was more painful than not saying anything at all.
After making their dinner, she called him and ate together. But the atmosphere was somewhat gloomy. Ryoma was able to eat with his left hand smoothly. She was actually thinking of helping him at all cost but it seemed that he didn't need one visibly. He went back to his room after dinner and he never went out there for the night.
xxx
"I told you, I can still play."
She woke up by Ryoma's angry voice later that night. The boy was mad like he was talking over the phone. And she was right… the boy was talking someone on the phone in his room.
"Do not worry. I made that clear. I can make it to the competition."
" … "
"I can take care of myself okay."
" … "
"What?"
" … "
"Hey, I am not completely handicapped here. Do not underestimate me."
" … "
"Cut that crap! I will play next year and that's that."
" … "
"Don't be stupid! I won't forfeit no matter what. There's no way and don't you dare decide on that."
" … "
"Look I am tired and I need to sleep. You might wake my girlfriend up. Will you please stop this? This is going nowhere."
She didn't hear anything after that. Probably he ended the call. She couldn't understand their words because Ryoma was speaking very fast. Her worries increased because of that call. She felt that Ryoma went out of his room after that. She sat up and having second thoughts whether she went out too or not. She was bothered by the whole thing… not being talked about it made her more guilty that she was already. She chose her first decision. She went out and saw Ryoma at the balcony sipping a can of ponta. She approached him there without him noticing.
"R-ryoma-kun… "
He looked at his shoulder and saw her standing there, "did I wake you up?"
Instead of answering him she said another word, "t-the call… "
"So you heard about it," he looked up again from the view and continued talking, "my manager asked me not to participate on the competition next year. Of course I didn't agree to him."
When he noticed that she was not saying anything, he looked back at her and saw her crying in her position. He approached her, "Why are you crying, stupid?"
"B-because… because it was all my fault," Sakuno couldn't bare the tears. She wiped them with the back of her hands, "I-if you didn't save me back then… n-none of this will happen."
"Don't blame yourself; it's not your fault."
"But it is. You shouldn't have saved me, Ryoma-kun," She turned around from him, "I-If I didn't go back to get my textbook back then… you wouldn't have followed me there. If I followed your advice that I should get it back tomorrow, you wouldn't have hurt like this. If I- "
"Stop blaming yourself. I never blamed you."
She turned to him again with her tears still flowing to her cheek. She was surprised when Ryoma wiped her tears with his bare hands.
"I never regretted being injured, you should too. It was actually nothing compared from my previous injuries."
"Ryoma-kun… "
"It won't bother me," he said, "I saved you because I promised that I will take care of you."
"I don't want you to do that." she closed her eyes after saying that. She almost screamed when Ryoma held both of her cheeks making her look at him.
"That is the only thing I'll regret, if I won't be able to fulfill it."
She couldn't find the words to say. Ryoma had something to regret about? She could see it to his eyes. The boy was slowly expressing himself to her. Everything was new to her and she couldn't name them.
"The best thing that you did today was the last words that you said to them," he looked straight to her eyes and then continued, "The risk of keeping you away from danger increased when I heard that from you."
She stared at him, blushing all over, "But I don't want you to stop… "
Ryoma smirked when she stopped talking, "Who said that I'll stop playing tennis?"
She blinked twice. She knew that he was verbally objecting about not playing the game but he was actually plotting something and she confirmed it when he continued;
"Remember that I am a southpaw player."
"eh?!"
"It's true that I couldn't play in my right arm… but I can in my left arm."
Sakuno's eyes became wide. He was definitely right. She totally forgot about it. Ryoma played with his two hands. His right was the only arm that was injured. And his left… his dominant arm was not. That means he could still play.
"W-will you going to be… all right?"
"Have you forgotten who I am?"
Sakuno touched his hands on both of her cheeks, "But still… you can not take my worries away."
Ryoma sighed after seeing her look like that, "Look, I can play. See me play at the court tomorrow."
"What about… your manager."
"Leave him… I won't listen to him anyway," Ryoma wiped her tears once again, "Go back to sleep now. We need to go to school early tomorrow."
She nodded. But before she walked away from him she whispered something to him to ease the feeling she had, "I-I am sorry."
Ryoma stared at her who was looking down. He titled her up and kissed her forehead while saying his words, "You already apologized before."
Tuesday morning:
The girls who were responsible for the accident got suspended for a week and they were not allowed to approach them if they would cause nothing but harm. But the rumors about Ryoma for not participating next year spread all over the school. Sakuno could see the blame to her as the other students were staring at her accusingly. Ryoma told her not to get bothered by such rumors but she couldn't stop thinking and acting woebegone about it.
"Sakuno!"
She turned around to see Lizzy running towards her, "Lizzy-chan."
When the blonde-haired girl approached her, she examined her look, "Hey, are you okay? I heard everything. I am sorry."
"I- I am fine. Thank you."
"Are you sure? Sakuno don't worry about it okay. Ryoma said so remember?" Lizzy held both of her hands, "Now show me your cute smile already."
She chuckled a little, "Lizzy-chan… "
"Hey! Want to go to my place this coming Friday?"
"Eh?"
"Ciel will be coming to visit me. I want you to meet him as well."
"I-I ask Ryoma-kun first." She bashfully replied to her.
"He'll agree… I know it." She closed her eyes when she said that. When they reached their classroom, she watched the girl talked to their other classmates and thought of something;
Lizzy-chan is so cute. She always smile that everyone loves her. She is very kind and lovable. She smiled while walking to her chair. Her problem was temporarily forgotten by her thoughts of Lizzy until she was interrupted from her reverie by Kevin who was already sitting on his seat.
"I warned you but you didn't listen."
She was surprisingly looked up at him. She didn't expect that he would blame her this soon although, she kind of knowing it but not this too soon.
"Don't too feel at ease just because Ryoma didn't blame you."
"R-ryoma-kun said i-it was okay."
"And you believed that," he looked at her and sighed harshly, "Pathetic!"
"H-he could still play. He told me- "
"For how long?"
"eh?"
"He can't concentrate to the fullest because of his injury. Idiot!" Kevin said glaring at the girl.
"S-stop calling me idiot!"
"Article, article! Geez! It is just a waste that Ryoma is only wasting his time on you."
She leaned back from him, she barely understood his words but she somehow he got his point, "h-he's not- "
"You are slowly taking his passion away from him because of your clumsiness."
Her eyes widened when she heard that. taking? Passion? Away? Her clumsiness? She put the pieces of the puzzle together and she understood what he was saying. She's… taking tennis away from him… because of her own… clumsiness… that never crossed her mind… only now. Was it really? She was stunned on his words.
"If you want him to stay focus and keep on playing… stay away from him." Kevin said who was standing up and walked away to exit the door of their classroom. Thinking of skipping the first period, he looked back at the girl who was looking down and verbalized his last words before leaving the room;
"Stop making more trouble to him."
Okay! This is done… I am sorry for making Kevin the rude guy here. I don't have any objection about Kevin. It's just that he fits for the role. Don't you think so? Please don't hate me for making Kevin the villain here… Just wait in the future… Well, anyway. I hope you liked this chapter. Thank you very much.
I guess the reviewers' request isn't going to work. Well anyway, I am planning to write three one shots. Yeah, you heard me right, THREE. I will post them one by one in the near future. I have plans for drabbles as well. I hope you look forward to it. (The plan was settled.) Actually, I am making the first one now since I already have the idea so I am writing them now before I forget my words. I didn't know where I get those ideas and I never ran out of them. So stay tuned.
Reviews please! Motivation guys… I desperately need it to continue writing. A word or two will definitely motivate me a lot.
Next chapter: Trouble is A Friend
