Wound Up
By hye-kyo
Disclaimer: Nope, POT isn't mine…
Author's Notes: So here's another one-shot. Someone asked me where I get these ideas. I actually do not know. Hahaha, I just hope that these ideas would keep on coming. Anyway, thanks for the reviews for the last chappie, I haven't replied to most yet but I promise to do my part soon.
So here's the unedited ninth one-shot
---
Title: Over
Rating: K+
Genre: Romance/Humor
---
Ryuuzaki Sakuno had moved on. Okay, she has to admit that watching him in ESPN makes her heart do some little somersaults but aside from that she was totally over him.
"Right," Tomo said. She wiped her hands on her apron and said, "And Horio's a real tennis genius. I believe you."
Sakuno pouted. She ladled more soup into the bowl she was holding, filled it up to the brim and placed it on the tray.
"Really Sakuno-chan, I mean everyone knows you're still so in love with him."
"No," she said, a hint of steel in her voice. She watched as Horio came to pick up the tray.
"More in the second floor." Horio grabbed a handful of candies, placed it in a jar and said, "Hurry up washing the dishes." Then he disappeared.
"That stupid," Tomo mouthed, turning to Sakuno she said, "Remind me why I joined this soup kitchen."
"Because we want to help the needy and feed the hungry? And we need a couple more units for community service or otherwise we'd fail the graduate course," Sakuno said, ladling soup into a couple of bowls, placing them neatly on trays together with slices of sandwiches.
"Right. Thank you. Where was I?" Tomo stacked the newly washed bowls on one side and tackled the remaining. Three volunteers came and picked up the trays.
"Tomo-chan," Sakuno started, "I'm over him really." Yeah, after the rumors that he got engaged to a model started spreading over the media she was totally over him. There was no point in waiting, or in hoping. Since the beginning he had made it a point for her to understand. She should not hope.
"So aren't you excited that he's coming back?" Tomo said in a serene voice.
"Yes…but…I should not be." She swallowed hard. So she thought there was something special about them. About the two of them before he left for the States. She had hoped, had written, had called, had done a lot of things to keep their communication active. But he didn't return anything. Perhaps he had been too busy. With work, with play. With someone else.
"Well…" Tomo turned slowly to her, "I thought you might want to throw a party for him or something…you know…as a former classmate."
"I could help," she smiled a little. She let a little sigh escape her throat.
"Alright," Tomo stacked the last bowl, rinsed her hands off the suds and wiped them on her apron. "But are you sure? Perhaps you just missed out on something, I mean, we still don't know if the engagement is true or if—"
"Tomo-chan," Sakuno tried to put on her best smile, "Ryoma-kun doesn't like me."
"Oh," for Tomo the admittance was harsh enough. She wondered how Sakuno could keep a straight face after having said that.
"I'm just…I'm simply not good enough for him. Don't think bad of him alright? I know the problem's got to be me. It has to be me. He just…he just doesn't feel the same way," her voice became barely audible.
Tomoka was left speechless. She saw Horio coming through the double doors to deposit a couple of dirty dishes in the sink. How would she pursue the plans now? She glanced at Horio who winked at her, signaled towards the clock and made a face as if to say 'We'll start in twenty minutes'.
"We're almost done for the day," Sakuno said brightly, trying to change the gloomy mood. She helped Tomo finish the remaining dishes.
"Let me have that," she said. If Sakuno decides to leave now the plan would be ruined. "Ryoma-sama's coming home next week."
"Yeah," Sakuno simply murmured, "I could help with the preparations for a homecoming party if you'd like."
"Okay," Tomo forced a grin, "I guess I should throw one, shouldn't I?"
Sakuno merely nodded. She cleared the sink, wiping the tiles and then started putting away all the clutter. "I should be going now."
"Wait, we still have at least ten minutes more," Tomo suddenly said, glancing at the watch.
"I told Kurumi-sensei I'm leaving early today," Sakuno untied her apron, hanged it behind the door and started packing her things.
"Wait," Tomo abruptly said, holding her by the arm. "I still have stuff to do, couldn't you wait for me?"
"Stuff to do?" Sakuno looked quizzical.
"Yeah like…" Tomo looked around, looking for something, "Like tomorrow's menu."
Sakuno smiled, "We had that prepared already."
"I want to change some things."
"We can't simply change the menu. Besides we already bought the ingredients for tomorrow didn't we?"
"But I don't think the menu tomorrow would work," Tomo was running out of things to say.
"Didn't we all come up with that menu?" Sakuno was growing impatient.
"But I just thought that…" Tomo looked around, glanced at the clock and cursed inwardly. Just then Horio entered with the rest of the Ichinen. Tomoka looked relieved. She frowned at Horio and pointed discreetly at Sakuno who proceeded with gathering her stuff.
"He arrived earlier than scheduled," Horio murmured when out of Sakuno's hearing.
Tomo quickly picked up her bag, patted Sakuno and said, "I just remembered I have to pick something up from the Laundromat. I got to run." And without allowing Sakuno to reply she grabbed the Ichinen trio and ran for the door.
Sakuno frowned at the sudden change.
---
Ryoma nodded as the blabbermouth bestfriend, whom he now recalled as Osakada winked at him. She and the Ichinen went towards him.
"Good you're just in time," Osakada said brightly.
"Where is she?" Ryoma asked, a little too impatient. He had been waiting for twenty minutes already. He had heard enough and he needed to make certain things right.
"Inside."
"I'm sorry I didn't know you were already here. We could've left earlier," Kato said.
"Really?" Osakada chimed in, "Oh if I knew you were already here I wouldn't have made all those stupid excuses." And she laughed despite the stares she was getting.
Ryoma slipped his hands in either pocket of his jeans and sighed. Horio must have gotten the innuendo that he was getting impatient so he quickly pushed everyone away to allow him his much needed time with the auburn-head inside.
"Thanks," he muttered before they were completely out of hearing range.
Osakada waved, giving him a good luck sign as Horio and the rest dragged her away.
---
Sakuno was arranging the magnets on the refrigerator when he came. He leaned against the doorframe and heard her muttering to herself. Most were incomprehensible. He listened with amusement as he made out the words weird, stupid, hopeless and was that his name she mentioned? She continued rambling until finally she glanced at the clock and shrieked an "I'm late!" followed by her turning towards the doorway and then suddenly freezing in place when her eyes found him.
He let a little laugh escape his lips. He straightened up, happy that finally she noticed him.
"Ryo-Ryoma-kun?" she murmured.
He scanned her, letting his eyes fall on the low clinging jeans she was wearing to the white fitted shirt to her gaped lips to her pert nose and to her wide doe-like eyes. He noticed that her hair was let loose about her back, the ends wavy with a hint of playfulness. She was pretty, he nodded to himself.
Her brows furrowed and stubbornly she pinched herself. She cringed a little and her face flushed as realization hit her. "I thought…I thought you'd be here next week…what are you…" and she faltered.
"Just so you know," he stared deep into her eyes, "The rumors aren't true."
Her eyes widened and she nervously bit her lower lip. She was so tense she thought she would faint.
The movement caught his eye and almost made him pounce on her but he kept his hold on himself. There were too many things left unsaid and those things would cause them more misapprehension. Better do the explaining now. Besides, he assured himself, after the explaining part is over, he would have a lot of time for other things.
"And I wasn't able to call you back. You should know, with the ATP tour and all I couldn't stay in one place to make a call," he continued, "And all my emails bounced."
"Huh?" she swallowed hard. Does that mean he was trying to contact her? Her mind went hazy as she started theorizing.
"I sent you a postcard but you didn't reply." He said this with a hint of resentment in his voice.
"I…I didn't receive any postcard…"
He shrugged. He'd ask his secretary later. For now, he cleared his throat; he was poised for the attack. He pushed the door closed and locked it. He drew a step closer to her.
Sakuno quickly took a step back and was soon cornered against the refrigerator. She swallowed hard yet again and felt nervous and afraid and excited all at once. She remembered Tomo's reluctance to let her leave, her sudden disappearance with the Ichinen and her insistence that she think through the rumors before giving up on him. Was this planned? Her gaze crawled from his feet to his jeans to his shirt and to his face. She could see the glint in his eyes and the sudden darting of his tongue to glide across his lip brought her eyes down to gaze at his mouth. When had he gotten that close? He smiled smugly and her stomach felt a little queasy.
"So," he said in a deep, raspy voice, "Osakada says you're over me…"
---
A/n: So how was it? Don't hesitate to send me what you think. Thanks!
