"Reminiscence"
By: Miyo-chan02
Disclaimer: That's why there's a disclaimer. I don't own it.
Chapter VII: Softening
On a fine morning, the girl's tennis team started the day practicing with their rackets. Although, it seemed that Sakuno wasn't in the mood for practice. She was too preoccupied by someone's persistence—by Ryoma-kun's persistence, to be exact.
"Ryuzaki, give more enthusiasm! You need focus. You can't hit a ball with a weak swing like that." Her buchou's yelling was enough to free her from her thoughts. She can't let herself be out of her mind and once again neglect things around her. With full spirit, she gave everything she can to every swing.
"That's it. Keep it up!" her buchou praised.
o o o
Finally it was time for lunch. She hugged her lunch box as she looked for Tomoka. "I wonder where Tomo-chan is…" she said and made her way to the rooftop. Tomoka didn't even say a word. The next thing she knew, her best friend's out of sight. Yesterday too.
She heaved out a small sigh. Tomoka was nowhere to be found. "I guess I'll eat lunch alone then." She said and made her way to the school's rooftop.
It was in fact a really great day and she shouldn't let herself be down. She sat and leaned on the wall and ate her lunch with a satisfying smile. She never saw the rooftop an awesome place.
It felt really peaceful… the wind that passed by, caressing your skin and blowing your hair, the puffy white cotton-like clouds dancing in the cerulean skies, and the sun staring at you showing how powerful it was. All in all, the place screamed perfection.
Sakuno closed her eyes to give more appreciation. Zzzzz
Snoring? Where did that come from? She looked at the side part of the rooftop—the shady part of the rooftop that the sun barely reached. She was met by someone's sleeping figure sprawled on the floor. Just because curiosity got her, she knelt near it.
Curiosity kills the cat…
She silently gasped a bit for the one sleeping was actually Echizen-kun.
She nervously backed away and placed her palm on her mouth, trying her best to stay silent and not wake him. With luck on her side, she made a noise when she accidentally kicked her lunch box.
Ryoma's eyes twitched for a second or two, the same with his fingers. Sakuno started to panic. She didn't want him to see her like that. He might think that she was staring at him while asleep.
In an abrupt moment, he grabbed her and leaned on her lap as if were his pillow. "Karupin…"
Sakuno sat still with her whole body frozen solid. It was good that he was still asleep. She wouldn't be able to tolerate him if he's sleeping so soundly and comfortably. And especially if she was his pillow.
After a few minutes of her stationary position, she finally coped up and sat comfortably. It seemed that this guy is pretty much of a heavy sleeper.
She found herself gazing at him. She realized how much he resembled a cat. He looked real different when he was awake and asleep. By this time, he looked like a harmless innocent kid. She felt her cheeks burn but shrugged it off.
She just could't imagine that this is actually the persistent brat who told her that he'll gain her memories whatever the cost is. Where did he get that confidence? And how cocky was he with his It's up to me to decide?
Her brows furrowed at the memory but a small smile crept up to her lips as her whole face softened up.
She subconsciously stroked his green hair with her delicate hands and kept it from covering his face. Her hand went to his forehead and cheeks. She slowly traced his face with her fingertips—starting from his eyebrows, to his nose, and to his… lips.
"Ryuzaki…" she heard him mumble her last name and almost made her jump. She quickly drew her hand away from his face. That snapped her back to reality. If Echizen-kun causing pain is what you call reality.
She carefully placed him back to his original position. She decided to just leave and forget that this even happened. She bit her lip and smiled sadly. For a while there, she swore… she could have surrendered to him.
Still kneeling, she turned her back on him. As abrupt as his sleeping actions before, she felt him pull her by the hand. Was he awake? For how long? Such questions entered her mind. She shut her eyes closed, feeling rigid and tensed. "… your memories."
She breathe out and calmed down. Up until dream world he remains persistent.
A teardrop escaped her eyes yet her lips managed to steal a sincere smile. "I… I trust you… please return my memories." She gave him a light peck on the forehead. Finally, she made her decision. She'll have to let him return them.
With that, she took her leave after grabbing all her things.
o o o
The wind blew taking all the loose petals of the cherry blossom trees. The girls started to scream and keep their flying skirts in place. The guys started to smile and take a peek. The hands of the girls made their way to the guys' faces making uniform loud thumps.
Ryoma's eyes started to twitch again. He was near upon awakening. The wind continued to blow and carry a pair of chopsticks upon the process. It hit Ryoma on the head.
"Ow…" he muttered rubbing his head. He yawned a bit and analysed the situation he was in.
The rooftop was on its usual state. Windy… open… just the way he liked it. It looked like he had just woken up from a deep comforting sacred thing, called slumber.
He grabbed his things and started to leave when something caught his eyes. He picked it up.
It was just a typical pair of chopsticks. Nothing special… except for the characters engraved on it. "Ryuzaki Sakuno" it read.
"It's Ryuzaki's."
o o o
Sakuno was on the faucets near the courts. She kept on splashing water on her red face. She didn't know what came into her.
The things that happened on the rooftop continued to flash on her mind as if she was watching a movie in the theatre. From stroking his hair, his face, his lips, smiling at him, entrusting her whole-being to him and… giving him a kiss.
She continued to splash water, wishing that the redness of her cheeks were just make-up.
"Saku-chan!" a familiar voice called her.
She looked up and saw Tomoka calling her.
"Tomo-chan! I've been looking everywhere for you. Where did you go?" she asked.
"Me? I… I just… had a meeting! Yeah. I had a meeting with… people." Tomoka didn't really lie. She did have a meeting with people—people whom we call regulars. And they did talk about important stuff—stuff like about Sakuno's state.
Sakuno sighed. "Fine if you say so." She muttered and started to wash her face again. She still felt her cheeks burning.
"How come you're all flushed? Don't tell me you and Ryoma-sama shared a kiss?"
"Eh? K-ki-kiss? Th-that's impossible! Wh-what are you t-talking about?" Sakuno started to stutter and as if the water had no effect at all, her face was even redder than before. She really was getting flustered.
Tomoka started to wonder. Sakuno stuttering? Blushing? Flustered? She was just teasing her. She didn't mean anything at all. A sparkle decorated her eyes. "Saku-chan! I missed you!" she screeched getting teary-eyed and gave her best friend a big bear hug.
"Eh?"
"Saku-chan… you're turning back to normal. Oh I am so happy!" She rejoiced.
So in the end, it was still Ryoma-kun who could complete her. All this time, she was being stubborn as Ryoma. "I… I can't wait to have my memories back." She said grabbing a smile from the bottom of her heart.
Tomoka was speechless for a while. Just what happened to Sakuno? "Anyway, let's go. We'll be late for class."
As they both walked to their rooms, Sakuno didn't fail to notice her chopsticks gone. "I wonder where I left it. Not the rooftop please." All she could was plead.
o o o
Sakuno was on her way out of the campus but she's still thinking on where her chopsticks had gone. Distress was clearly embossed on her face. If she was with Tomoka, she could probably trace her steps but she ate alone this day. What's worse is that, she ate the rooftop.
Mentally slapping herself, she shook her head to flush the rooftop memories away.
Those pair were pretty special for it was a gift from her friend. She sighed sadly and continued to make her way home.
"You forgot this." She heard someone say.
He was waiting for her just by the school's gates. He was leaning on his back, with his bag hugging his right shoulder. He wore his usual poker face. And he was holding her chopsticks.
"Th-that's mine." She said getting it from him.
"Obviously." He said pertaining to her engraved name.
She snatched it away from his fingers, lowering her head desperate to hide her embarrassment.
"Well? I'm waiting."
"E-eh?"
Ryoma stared at her wearing that trademark smirk of his. Sakuno looked away, "A-arigatou."
"Che." He started to walk away with a simple gesture of raising his hand. "Mada mada dane"
4/27/13 - EDIT : typos fixed, grammar improved, scenes and lines added
Author's notes: Omg! I was so happy typing this! Yay! But no. This isn't the ending. A lot will still happen. *evil laugh* lmao. Please review~!
Arigatou:
VALLED, Saruwatari Ayumu-0987654321-, AquaJet, SaKuRa-cHaN41, crosstime-097051., poems2songs, ewan, syNemYoA, ~RiN-ChAn~, oxXxoNIKKIoxXxo, B.A.K11, , junkness, midnight blue08, mikan03anime, and anonymousgirl
