Ok, so here's some more meddlesome female interference. There's going to be a bit more in future chapters, but not to this extent. I don't think Tomoka knows quite what she's gotten into. Since I seem to have left her the naïve one stuck between to crazy girls. Anyway, here's chapter nine, I hope you like it. Please read and review, I really love reviews. Thanks to those who are reading this and especially to those who have favourited it and or reviewed.
Sunday
Sanada Genichirou looked up in surprise to see his older brother sitting in the kitchen. He'd just come in from playing a game with Ryoma before Seiichi had swept the boy away for a dinner date.
"Masaru, I wasn't expecting you. Our Parents are out for the night, they'll be home tomorrow afternoon." Genichirou said by way of greeting as he sat down across from the older boy.
"I see. Well it won't hurt to tell you first, I have good news. I'm getting married, and you no longer need to."
Genichirou sat there in stunned silence as he thought over that sentence and everything it meant. If he no longer had to get married, then his brothers bride had to be one of three girls.
"Which?" he finally asked.
"The eldest, Kaede."
"I thought she was already betrothed when the contract was found."
"True, she was, but they've had an irreparable falling out that was kept quiet six months ago. He was caught in bed with the middle sister Umeko. Those two were wedded last month and there is still talk of disowning the girl."
"Does her family know she's engaged to you now? Have they told Noa that she is free now, or are they planning to marry her off to that man to fulfil the other contract?" Gen asked not quite daring to hope. If they still planned to marry off the youngest girl to that parasite of a man then he would do the honourable thing and agree to wed her still.
"That's the best part. It turns out the man Umeko married is actually part of that family and the lawyers in charge of the contract agree that their nuptials cover it. So, with my betrothal to Kaede, you and Noa are free to choose whom you will. Noa is staying with her aunt for now because her family just left for a week-long trip, she had some important tests and had to stay. They'll tell her when they get home on Friday."
The look his brother gave him made him suspect he already knew his choice. He knew his parents wouldn't stand in his way, but he was still hesitant. He had much to think of now. His mother had actually taken him aside in middle school and told him that if he was truly unhappy with the betrothal that she would try to get him out of it. He'd told her that he was fine with it, even though it meant eventually giving up his best friend. He hadn't admitted to anyone, not even to Seiichi himself, that he was in love with the boy.
Then someone else had entered the picture. Someone who had turned both their lives upside down and changed the way they looked at things, all in a few short months. Ryoma had waltzed in and changed them for the better. And curse him if he didn't find the boy attractive, captivating really, especially when playing tennis against him like tonight.
He wasn't sure if he was too late to return Seiichi's love now that he was with Ryoma, but damned if he wasn't going to try. Not that he wanted to hurt the younger boy, or push him aside. Really if he was being true to himself he wanted... well best not to get his hopes up too high.
Something occurred to Genichirou and he turned to Masaru with an apologetic look on his face.
"Congratulations older brother. I am happy for you." he finally said.
"Genichirou, you should go for it. I want you to be happy too, little brother." the young man replied with an encouraging smile.
...TKB... ...TKB... ...TKB... FRIDAY AFTERNOON ...TKB... ...TKB... ...TKB...
Ryoma sat with his back against a tree in the Rikkaidai high school gardens. Across from him sat Kirihara Akaya with a textbook open in his lap and a frustrated look on his face. Neither tennis club had practice today and when Ryoma had shown up to wait for Seiichi and Fuji to finish Garden Club Kirihara had rushed over in a panic. Akaya had called upon his friend for help in studying for the upcoming English test. He sighed, a little frustrated, before explaining the reasons why what he said didn't work.
"Really, Akaya. Why are you taking English when you're so horrible at it? I thought you hated it, how did you even get the grades for that class?" Ryoma was regretting coming here as he felt a headache set in. A commotion over by the tennis change rooms caught his attention and he turned to watch the scene unfolding in disbelief.
Yukimura Seiichi was standing on one of the courts holding a petite girl with shoulder length black hair around the waist. He had an irritated look on his face and seemed to be trying to both hold her up and push her away from him at the same time. She on the other hand had a death grip on his shirt and seemed to be pulling herself up towards his face while keeping her legs limp.
"What the hell? What is she doing here with Yukimura-buchou?!" Akaya nearly yelled this as he grabbed Ryoma, leaving his books on the ground, and ran towards his tennis captain. Ryoma didn't share his friend's indignation. He trusted Seiichi, and Syusuke who was standing beside him didn't seem worried despite his eyes being open. Just as he and Akaya reached them he caught sight of Sanada stalking towards them all, eyes intensely focused on the girl and his posture clearly expressing his anger.
...TKB... ...TKB... ...TKB... ...TKB... ...TKB... ...TKB...
Yukimura smiled as he stepped out of the tennis clubhouse. He'd just had a shower and changed after getting rather dirty during today's garden club activities. Fuji, also a part of the club, came out a moment behind him also smiling and drew his attention to a nearby tree under which sat Ryoma and Akaya going over a textbook. The Seigaku player took his camera out of his bag and began snapping pictures before someone bumped into him. Yukimura caught the girl who had been running before careening off the brown-haired boy and into him. Her legs seemed to give out even as she clung to his shirt and his arms tightened reflexively.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to bump you, I'm very sor... oh it's, it's you. Yukimura-sama. I, I've always wanted to meet you, I... I" word seemed to fail her and she pulled on his shirt as if to draw him down to her for a kiss. When that didn't work she attempted to pull herself up, still keeping her legs slack ensuring that he would keep hold of her. Instead he tried to push her gently away but her grip on his shirt tightened and he could only hold her so far away from himself. Fuji was no help despite the silent look he'd given the boy asking for his help. If she didn't get the hint soon he just might...
A yell from the direction of the trees made him look up. Akaya was dragging Ryoma towards them. Thankfully his boyfriend didn't seem perturbed by the scene, though he wouldn't have minded seeing him a little jealous. Something made him look over his shoulder as the two arrived, and he was surprised by the dark aura surrounding Sanada who was stomping his way towards the group. The girl, not having seen the vice-captain yet, reached up to pull the blue haired boys face to hers.
That was the last straw for Yukimura. He dropped her.
She hit the ground with an outraged squeak; eyes wide and staring up at him not in love or confusion but in obvious loathing. Her mask had dropped even as her body had fallen to the ground at his feet.
"This wasn't part of the plan! You were supposed to kiss me you idiot!"
"Noa, what the hell are you doing?!" Sanada's voice rang out clearly as he reached them. He made no move to help the girl up as he came to stand beside his best friend. She looked at him fearfully for a moment. None of this was going as she had imagined it.
"That's what I'd like to know. Imagine my surprise when I got to Jōsei Shōnan to pick you up Noa, only to have your little fan club tell me that you left early and were headed for Rikkaidai. What are you doing here little sister?" an older girl, woman really, said as she was led to the group by Renji.
"Kaede-nee, what are you doing here? Oh, none of this is going right! You and Genichirou aren't supposed to be here." the young girl said in a huff finally picking herself up off the ground.
"Noa, what are you doing? Or rather, what were you trying to do?" Sanada demanded again.
"Tell the truth Noa, you're in enough trouble as it is." the look on her older sister's face was enough to make her start babbling,
"I was just trying to help our cousin Tomoka. She said Yukimura stole her best friend's boyfriend. Just like he always steals your attention away from me. It's me your going to be with, so why do you focus on him so much. I am to be your wife, it's me you should be thinking of." the fifteen year old girl said looking entreatingly up at the tall black-haired boy, "I thought that if I kissed him in front of people the boy would break it off with him since he was unfaithful. And that you would... well, if you thought he kissed me against my will... you might..." she couldn't finish her sentence as tears spilled from her eyes.
"That wouldn't have worked even if you had succeeded in kissing Seiichi. Genichirou has known him longer than he has you and knows there is no chance he would do such a thing. As for Ryoma-san and Seiichi's relationship, I estimate there is only one person who could successfully disrupt it." Yanagi Renji, who had stayed to witness the drama, said matter of factly. He stared at the vice-captain significantly as he spoke. Sanada stared back at him, just as seriously.
Yukimura Seiichi was speechless as he stared at the crying girl in front of him. What was it with conniving women lately, they all seemed hell bent on making their lives miserable. He was startled out of his thoughts as Ryoma suddenly spoke.
"Genichirou-san, this is your fiancé?"
"Not anymore she isn't. No slight meant to you Kaede-san, but after this I am glad to be free of her." Sanada replied brusquely. The words startled the girl out of her tears as she stared at him in horror.
"No, please no. Genichirou, you can't do this. You promised me, promised me you wouldn't leave me to that horrible man. You swore to me that we would be married, and that you would always protect me." Noa whispered aghast.
"My promise to you was always that I would keep you from having to marry that man, at the time our betrothal seemed the only way to keep that promise. Umeko married into his family thereby negating your need to and completing that contract. My brother Masaru is to marry your sister Kaede, fulfilling the written agreement between our families. There is no longer any need for us to wed each other. You do not have to marry that man, therefore my promise is taken care of."
Noa looked to her sister desperately, hoping she would tell her this was all wrong. Tell her that it was a horrible nightmare. Instead her oldest sister nodded in confirmation of Sanada's words.
"It's true Noa, you two are now free to choose whom you will love."
"No, no you don't understand. I choose Genichirou, he's always been my choice." the tiny girl cried out trying to throw herself upon the older boy.
"Noa, stop it. You have already behaved badly today. Do not shame our family more than our sister Umeko already has. We are leaving, and we'll be having a long discussion with Mother and Father over how you conducted yourself today. I apologize for my sister's behaviour, we will take our leave now. Genichirou-san, please let Masaru know I'll call him later today if you see him." Kaede said seizing her sister by the arm and marching her to her car.
As she was dragged away her eyes caught on Yukimura and Ryoma. The look she gave them promised retribution. After all, if it hadn't been for that awful boy her cousin wouldn't have dragged her into this mess. Yukimura had always been a thorn in her side, an absent one, but a thorn none the less. Echizen though, he was the cause of all this trouble. If it weren't for him she might have been able to keep her Genichirou.
Trapped in her own hate filled thoughts Noa never noticed the brunette standing next to Yukimura open his eyes. The look he gave her was one that promised torture and pain should she try anything against one of his precious friends.
