The Art of Flirting Chapter 10: Epilogue
A/N: Well, it is over. Sakuno's journey through flirting was also my journey with finally completing a story. I hope you all enjoyed this and didn't get too mad at me for taking so long to update. All of your reviews gave me great hope that one day I can succeed as a writer. Thank you, thank you, and I'll be sure to write something else in the future, most likely RyoSaku. Thank you again!
Sitting on the stands for the last time in my junior high career, a feeling of nostalgia overwhelmed me. Enclosed by a mental chain-link fence were six hard-court tennis courts. A banner across the metal fence read 'JUNIOR HIGH NATIONALS!'. Instead of Horio playing Singles 1, I felt Ryoma-kun should have been on the court. I could picture him running up and down, sweat dripping down his body, and a smile filled with passion on his face. Ryoma-kun. The name brought sadness instead of butterflies to my stomach.
Horio scored another point against his tired Rikki Dai opponent. "15-30!" I stopped paying attention, letting my mind drift back two years ago, the day after I admitted my love to Ryoma-kun.
Although I don't have many friends, the walk to the mess hall was the loneliest I have ever experienced. I stopped outside of the mess hall, blinking back tears. Last night had been amazing, but I would turn back time just to have Ryoma-kun standing right next to me. I realized it wasn't Ryoma-kun's fault for leaving so suddenly. It had been my own. My own coward behavior that took me too long to admit my feelings. Sighing, I opened the door and headed toward my friend Tomo-chan.
She continued to babble on about how I disappeared, and that Ryoma-kun was jerk…
"Oh, Tomo-chan, what you don't know…" I whispered. Tears freely fell down my face.
She stopped her talking when she saw my sobbing. "Sakuno! What's wrong? Was it something I said? Oh, I'm so so so sorry! I didn't even realize!"
"No, no" I said through sobs, "I-it i-i-sn't you." I then, slowly and still sobbing, told her of the events that occurred last night. I grabbed a napkin and wiped my eyes as I finished with, "and I woke up this morning, forgetting he left, and I waited outside his cabin for ten minutes. How stupid am I?" The sobs came back.
Tomo-chan, who had been sitting opposite of me, walked around the table and gave me a hug. In her arms, I released the remaining tears. "Hey, hey," she said softly, "He'll come back for you. I think you are one of the few people he loves…of course, his cat comes first." I laughed at her joke, feeling a bit better. Actually, I felt like a heavy burden had been lifted from me. I didn't have to worry anymore if Ryoma-kun liked me. I didn't have to wonder if he appreciated me. It felt good to know the answers.
We left the beach that day. It was hard for me to leave, as so many important events had happened there. Before boarding the bus, and the right bus this time, I walked over to the senpais who practically helped create my love life.
"Senpai-tachi," I began. I took a deep breath, and, as fast as I could, said, "Thank-you-so-much-for-always-being-there-for-me." Another breath, "Tezuka-senpai-you-were-right-Ryoma-kun-did-come-around-and-thanks-to-you we are a couple." Another breath, "Thank you." I said with my sweetest smile. I waved as ran back to my bus. None of them said anything, but I could have sworn Fuji-senpai whispered something into Tezuka-senpai's ear, which caused him to blush. It all happened so fast, so who knows.
Those days at the beach had been the most dramatic days in my life. Nothing as important happened after. Sure, I got better at tennis. I wasn't Regular level at all, but I was second-string. Momo-senpai and Kaidou-senpai had won Nationals for Seigaku last year, and this year Captain Horio was taking the challenge.
It had seemed so long ago since Ryoma-kun was the reason Seigaku won Nationals. It had seemed so long ago since he had said my name without the use of a telephone. It had seemed so long ago since I made him bentos, and he ate them appreciatively. It had seemed so long ago…
I looked down at the newest letter I was writing Ryoma-kun. We had communicated in other ways too, like e-mail and texts, but I felt letter-writing was more romantic. I only wrote one sentence; 'Nationals has been going well!'. After that, I was a victim to nostalgia and the tennis match going on in front of me.
"4-5, Seigaku to serve." I gulped. When did the score get so close? I hoped Horio-kun, one of my good friends, would end the match with a victory.
"0-15." Horio was still trying his best. His forehand down-the-line was easily answered with a backhand cross-court. Horio was looking exhausted but so was his opponent. Maybe, I hoped, just maybe his opponent would tire out first.
It didn't seem likely. "0-30." Horio threw the ball high into the air and slammed down a vicious slice serve. Ace.
"15-30." There was still a chance! What would Ryoma-kun do in a situation like this? I chuckled to myself; Ryoma-kun wouldn't have been in a losing position in the first place. While Ryoma-kun was at Seigaku, to my knowledge, he didn't lose to anyone. I heard rumors he had lost to Tezuka-senpai, but I wasn't sure.
"15-40. Championship point." I gasped. Please, please, please make a comeback, Horio! I heard Tomo-chan cheering for our friend, so I decided to join in too.
"Don't give up yet Horio-kun!" I screamed. Horio served, and a rally ensued. A fore-hand drop shot was hit by his opponent, and Horio scrambled to get the ball. He barely made it, and flicked the ball back over the net. His opponent hit a topspin lob. Horio moved back, went into an overhead position, and missed. Missed?!
"Rikki Dai wins! 6-4." Horio looked crestfallen and angry. I couldn't blame him, but second place wasn't bad! After the trophy ceremony, I got up from the bleachers, put the letter into my jacket pocket, and walked with Tomo-chan to meet up with the tennis team. I knew they all felt horrible.
We found Horio with his head in his arms, sitting on one of the many bleachers.
"Hey, Horio-kun, it's alright." I said softly. "You did awesome."
"I missed." He said with a sarcastic laugh. "Echizen would never have missed…" My stomach felt the pain of sadness. He must have seen that pain on my face, as he said, "Sorry. I forgot…"
"No, no, it's alright." I laughed. "He'll come for me one day, right?"
"Yeah, yeah, your Prince Char…" His voice drifted off. Tomo-chan turned and gasped. I finally turned too. What I saw brought tears to my eyes.
Leaning against the fence was Ryoma-kun. He was taller, muscular, but he still had that same cocky expression. I knew about the first two traits from his letters, "Grew four inches" he wrote, but the expression gave me a sense of comfort. He was the same Ryoma-kun.
"Ryoma!" I felt tears roll down my cheeks. I knew they weren't tears of sadness though. Tears of happiness are always easier to cry.
"Ryuzaki." I walked up to him. There was a time when I was taller than him, but now we were practically the same height, as I had grew a few inches too. He looked over my head and said, "Horio. Mada mada dane."
"Shut up." Horio laughed. "Come on Tomo; the lovers need privacy." I blushed.
After the two left, it hit me that I had Ryoma-kun alone. The one thing I had been wishing for since the end of my freshman year of Junior High had finally come true. I was suddenly filled with nerves. What if Ryoma-kun thought I turned ugly? What if he didn't like me anymore since I still wore my hair in braids? What if he was going to....
My thoughts were cut off by Ryoma-kun hugging me. "I missed you Ryuzaki."
I beamed. Of course he still liked me. He always wrote me back, despite the fact he wrote "letter-writing is so boring, Ryuzaki." Ryuzaki. Why didn't he call me Sakuno when I always called him Ryoma-kun?
"I missed you too...I missed your touch…" I was so overwhelmed by the moment that I wasn't paying attention to what I was saying. Ryoma-kun felt so good. So warm. So comforting.
"Missed my touch? Someone grew bolder." My already red face gained more color. I didn't have anything to say, so we just stood hugging for a few minutes. Then Ryoma-kun said, "I missed yours too."
"Are…" I wanted to say the biggest question that was on my mind. "Are you staying…for good?"
He was silent for a few moments. Those moments felt like an eternity to me. "Not for good. For three more years? Yes." Three more years…. I felt disappointed that he was leaving me again. I was going to say something along the lines of, 'Only three years?' when it hit me. He was staying for high school!
"Why…" I asked in a daze.
"You wrote me that Mizuki Tano was flirting with you." A serious expression was on his face.
I giggled. "It only takes you one guy to be jealous?"
"Actually," he smiled, "it took me seven. Seven senpais, to be exact." I blushed. I didn't want to bring up the past again.
"Hey, hey," I began, "let the past be the past." I stuck out my tongue.
"Let's make a present then."
"Corny." I giggled. He raised an eyebrow, then picked me up and threw me over his shoulder. "What are you doing?"
"Taking you on a date." Blunt as ever.
"I can walk!" Actually, I was enjoying this. I was enjoying this a lot…
"We'll make a deal. You can walk if you promise no more flirting with other boys…"
"That was in the past!"
"You never know." I couldn't believe he was still worried.
"What about those girls you met in America?" I asked indignantly. I felt him stiffen up. I always knew he was angry when he got stiff. I was about to apologize; what a stupid topic for me to bring up.
"I had chances to be in relationships with girls. Ryuzaki, none of them were anything like you. None of them were honest, loyal, or a good cook. None of them cared for me like you did. None of them ever hatched a plot to make me jealous…"
"I get it." I was touched by his words. "I agree to your side of the deal. My side,"
"Who said you get a side?"
"Echizen, don't be a jerk." I joked. "It's only fair. Anyway, my side of the deal is for you to call me Sakuno. None of that Ryuzaki junk."
He laughed, a sound I always loved. "Agreed, Sakuno." I blushed. I put my head on his back, and he carried me out of the tennis courts. Sure, people were going to give us weird looks, but, I giggled, weren't we a weird couple already?
"Ryoma-kun, the deal." My subconscious screamed, 'Don't let me down!'
"Sorry Sakuno. I've been away for too long. I finally got you, and I'm not letting go." I sighed and gave in. Being carried around by the love of my life? Something I could really get used to.
The End.