Author's notes: Here's the beginning of the present! Now it will no more be Sakura, Akahiko and Ryonosuke but Sakuno, Akaya and Ryoma!
This chapter is just a prologue to the chapter depicting present times. The whole story will only begin in the next chapter. This chapter is sort of like an introduction and some background information. Not much in this chapter but please continue to support "Affections Across Time"!
Enjoy and please do not forget to read and review. Once again, I would like to thank all those who reviewed. Domo arigato gozaimasu!
Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis.
Chapter 10: It All Begins, Again
"Sakuno! Did you hear? Did you hear?" A loud voice sounded from behind Sakuno.
"Tomo-chan! Not that loud! People are looking at us!" Sakuno said embarrassedly.
"Who cares about them! Sakuno, Seigaku is going to play a friendly match against Rikkai Dai this afternoon and Ryoma-sama is playing!" Tomoka shouted excitedly.
"Really?" Sakuno had a shy smile on her face.
"Yes!" Tomoka practically screamed, attracting the attention of some students outside of the classroom. "And Sakuno," Tomoka said in a low voice to Sakuno. "It's time to make Ryoma-sama notice you!"
"Eh? Mou! Tomo-chan!" Sakuno blushed.
Ryuuzaki Sakuno and Osakada Tomoka are first year students in Seishun Gakuen High School Division. The entire Seigaku tennis team under Ryuuzaki-sensei had gone up to Seigaku High. Now that Ryoma had entered Seigaku High, the famed regulars of the Seigaku Middle School tennis team, besides Kawamura who had quit the team to start an apprenticeship with his father, were to meet again in high school. Echizen Ryoma, the former captain of the Seigaku Middle School tennis team, had led Seigaku to another national title. With him joining the high school division, the team which had brought Seigaku victory in the Nationals two years ago was now complete.
Sakuno was still very much the same old Sakuno. The clumsy girl falling down now and then, getting lost in new places, blushing frequently, those two long braids, bad tennis skills and more than ever, an Echizen Ryoma admirer. Her feelings towards the tennis prince did not change over the years, instead, it got stronger. Sakuno found her to be more and more attracted to Ryoma, yet did not dare to confess to him her true feelings. Ryoma, in contrast, bore the same cold attitude to everyone in his three years of middle school. He was indifferent about everything and was the same cool tennis prince Sakuno knew.
Sakuno however, had undergone one major change. Sakuno was still small and scrawny in middle school. Within a year, Sakuno had blossomed. Now sixteen, though still small in size, she was a beautiful young lady with the right stuff in the right places. She really made the boys in Seigaku sit up and notice her. Even Tomoka was surprised. Tomoka had developed much earlier than her and had invitations to dates by boys and had boys confessing their love to her in her second year. She had thought Sakuno would look the same ten years, even twenty years later and she would have to be the one to confess to boys to ever get a boyfriend. Now, Sakuno had invitations to dates and love confessions from boys every other day. Her shoe locker was always stuffed full of love letters and boys always specially came over to their classroom just to get a glimpse of her. She was every boy's desire. Tomoka commented: "Gosh! The number of boys who had confessed their love to me all my lifetime is even less than the number you get in three months Sakuno!"
Sakuno was undoubtedly the most popular girl in school. However she rejected all the boys who came to her. Her heart only yearned for one: Echizen Ryoma. Ryoma, like Sakuno, had undergone a major physical change. He was much taller and muscular (thanks to Inui-senpai who had built up his habit of drinking milk), and definitely more handsome. His dark hair still had the same green highlights and his cat-like eyes and superb tennis skills continued to attract the Seigaku female community like bees to honey. The Ryoma fan club, whose president is Tomoka had grown to a significant number. He was constantly irritated by the fangirls who would scream and shout during practices. There was once when he finally snapped and shouted at the fangirls to scram. The fangirls stopped their cheering for a moment before excited screams and shouts filled the tennis courts.
"Ahh! Did you hear that! Ryoma-sama screamed at us! Ahh!" the fangirls yelled excitedly. After that incident, Ryoma gave up trying to do anything to chase the fangirls away and left it to Ryuuzaki-sensei to handle the problem if it was so serious that it affected practice.
It was a known fact Ryoma was the most popular boy in middle school. Girls were practically throwing themselves at him. This phenomenon seems set to repeat itself as Ryoma entered high school in a man's body, his aloof attitude still a favourite with the girls.
Tomoka knew of Sakuno's feeling towards Ryoma. Although she was the president of Ryoma's fan club, she sincerely hoped that her friend could be with the boy she had a crush on since entering Seigaku. She constantly reminded Sakuno how attractive she was and wanted her to try and get the tennis prince's attention.
It was not that Ryoma did not notice Sakuno's transformation from an ugly duckling to a graceful swan, he pretended not to notice. He had to admit, she had become really pretty. He knew she liked him, and that made his ego swell. Heaven had even made them classmates in high school, together with her noisy friend as well as his three friends from middle school, Horio, Kachiro and Katsuo. She was exactly the same as he remembered, bad tennis skills, dense, an excellent cook, long braids, Ryuuzaki-sensei's granddaughter and blushed whenever she was around him.
"Mada mada da ne. Let's just see Sakuno, if you are really good enough for me." Ryoma thought with his trademark smirk.
1.senpai – senior
Notes: Please read and review!