A/N: Poor Sakuno. Getting the third degree from a stranger who just happens to be Niou's sister. This may or may not end well. Enjoy the new chapter!

Chapter 14 – Gumption, I Get It Now

Would this day never end? Sakuno had been sitting quietly attempting to watch the tennis matches in front of her, however, just knowing that Fuji and Niou's sisters sat on either side of her, put her on guard and she found she was having a hard time concentrating on anything except that. She could understand why Yumiko stuck around since Fuji was playing today, but why was Naoko still here? Her brother's matches were taking place on another court in the park…several courts down. And if she was honest, that is where Sakuno would have preferred to be.

"You said my brother was teaching you how to play tennis? Do you not play? Your obaa-san is the coach for the boy's team here, isn't she?" Naoko nodded towards the Seigaku players' bench.

"H-Hai! I play, but I…eto…I'm not very good," Sakuno replied almost flinching. Since meeting this woman, she could feel the hostile vibes falling off of her in waves, and that just cranked Sakuno's anxiety up a few hundred more notches.

Again, Naoko had to wonder why her brother had chosen this particular girl. Yes, Yumiko had reminded her not to judge a book by its cover, but what could possibly be found on the pages of a girl without a backbone who wore her long hair in twin braids? "You said you aren't dating my brother, and you also seem to have a small harem, which you also claim not to have…so what is the truth?"

Losing all color in her face, the younger girl opened her mouth to talk and nothing came out. In fact, she looked more like a fish out of water.

Fuji could hear Niou's sister questioning Sakuno and shook his head until this latest round of interrogations. With a broad smile on his face, he turned around and gestured towards his sister, "Nee-san, come here." When she was in front of him, his smile widened and he whispered, "Saa. What is she doing with our cheerleader?"

Yumiko wasn't stupid. She could hear the steel in her brother's voice and knew exactly what it meant. Shaking her head, she answered, "Nothing. The cards have said that Sakuno is the perfect match for Niou and Naoko is testing the waters."

"Sakuno is just getting over something. Tell her to back off…or should I?" His blue eyes opened widely

"I'll let her know, however…"

Lifting an eyebrow, he prodded, "However?"

"She is Niou-kun's sister, and even I've heard the rumors about him. Where do you think he got some of it from?" She smiled and returned to her seat, and when she sat down, she interrupted her friend, "Sakuno, your obaa-san has been the coach of the boy's team for a long time. Right?"

"Hai!" The young girl felt less pressure when it was Yumiko trying to question her. "Ano…she even coached Ryoma-kun's otou-san when he was in high school."

Yumiko leveled her gaze on Naoko when she asked, "So would you say the team were more like brothers? Looking out for you as such? That's why they are so protective?"

"Uh...ano…h-hai. I guess that's true."

Naoko knew exactly what her friend was doing and she snickered quietly. Two could play at this game, "So, you have no feelings for any of them? There are rumors that you are dating Tezuka-buchou. Of course, I've also heard that you were dating Fuji-kun."

"EH?!" Sakuno's eyes grew large with her shock and surprise. Shaking her head vigorously, she denied those rumors, "N-N-No! They just look out for me because obaa-chan asked them to." Why had her day turned out like this? First, she attracts unwanted attention when she tries to look for Niou – and honestly, she isn't even sure how that happened. Then Fuji and Niou's sisters show up and want to interrogate her – which is continuing. And now she was being accused of dating two of the regulars on her grandmother's tennis team. She wanted to bury herself in a hole and never come out again. What did it take to become an ostrich?

"Oy! Quiet! It's rude to talk during a tennis match," Ryoma snapped.

Bristling at the stern warning, Naoko narrowed her eyes and retorted, "Then why don't you turn around and shut up, shorty?" She turned to look at Sakuno and noticed how her chin rested on her chest, how her face practically glowed with her embarrassment, and how her hands were fisted in her lap. "Sakuno?" Sure she had been grilling the girl herself, but this was different.

"Why don't we go and get some ice cream, my treat," Yumiko offered and gave the younger girl's arm a slight pull. Knowing the history between Ryoma and Sakuno, it was no wonder his chastisement had done this to her especially after Naoko's interrogation.

It wasn't that she was still pining over Ryoma or that she was still crying over him, but his attitude and the fact he had snapped at them sent her over the edge when she had been teetering on the edge since Naoko's arrival…maybe before that. Allowing herself to be pulled away, she kept her head down and trusted Fuji's sister to lead her to wherever they were going.

"Sakuno?" A voice called out to her in question.

Her body tensing and her irritation growing at hearing that particular voice, Sakuno's head whipped up and around and she stared dumbfounded at her former best friend. This day was just getting better and better. "Tomoka?" The name was whispered and sounded more like a question, but this was the last person she wanted to see. Not after everything that happened between them.

It had been eye opening when everything had been laid bare. Not only was she not dating Ryoma, but Tomoka had cared more about herself, willing to go behind her best friend's back, to steal him away. No, they weren't dating – reality had been harsh with that realization – but it proved that Tomoka didn't care about who she hurt. If she wanted it, she would go for it…it mattered not if it destroyed a great friendship because Tomoka believed that Sakuno was so giving, she would forgive and forget any infractions her best friend may have done. But Sakuno couldn't do it this time. The other girl's true colors had been shown and Sakuno couldn't just sweep it under the rug. Not anymore.

"Sa-Sakuno, I thought we could talk?" Tomoka began hesitantly.

"I'm sorry, but we were just on our way to get ice cream, so we don't have time for you," Yumiko smiled giving the other girl the brush off. Hearing who she was, she wanted to get Sakuno away from her as quickly as possible.

Not to be deterred by people she didn't know, the girl with the pigtails tried again, "I wasn't talking to you. I need to talk to Sakuno."

"Why?"

"That's between us. She's my best friend!" How dare this woman question her! Who was she anyway?

Her grin growing, Yumiko said, "Do you know what the cards say about you? I do. Why don't you leave Sakuno alone, or do I need to tell my brother that you are causing trouble for her?"

"Y-Your brother? Who's that?"

"Fuji Syusuke." It gave Yumiko a great measure of joy to see the color drain from Tomoka's face, because while she may not have a sadistic streak in her like her brother – he was famous for it - it did not mean she didn't enjoy seeing someone get their just deserts when they deserved it…and if anyone did, it was this girl.

"I…I need to talk to Sakuno!" Tomoka would stick to her guns, even if it meant she would be tortured and killed for it later…if the rumors were true.

Before Yumiko could say anything else, Sakuno faced here former friend, "I have nothing to say to you and I don't want to hear whatever you have to say."

Naoko didn't have a clue as to what was going on in front of her, but she had a feeling that this newcomer was bad news the way her friend defended the younger girl. And she would also be the first to admit that she never expected to see the shy girl with braids to stand up for herself. It was a pleasant surprise.

"Even if I say, you were right about Ryoma-sama?"

"I already knew I was. You made your choice, now you have to deal with the consequences."

"That's it?"

"I don't need friends who will go behind my back and try to tear me down. I need friends who will actually be my friend!"

"Oh and these two will be?"

Shrugging, Sakuno snapped, "I don't really know them. They are just being nice because we were all watching the tennis matches together."

"So you think the team will be your friends? That someone from Rikkai Dai will treat you better than Ryoma-sama?"

There had been a time when Sakuno would forgive Tomoka almost anything, however, things change. After giving and giving without hardly receiving anything in return, she had nothing left to give to her former friend. Maybe one day in the future they could start again, but today was not that day. Everything was still too fresh and raw, the memory still too new. "The team has always been there for me when I needed them the most, and as for Niou-kun, he already does treat me better. He would never hurt me on purpose, not that Ryoma-kun's was on purpose, but Niou-kun would never take advantage of someone like that."

Naoko could not contain her giggle. Sakuno apparently did not know the real Niou Masaharu, or if she did, she ignored the trickster part and viewed him through rose colored glasses.

Ignoring the silverette's sister, Sakuno continued, "I also know that Niou-kun would not wait for me to fail, only to go behind my back, try to take what I thought was mine, and then parade my failures for everyone to see because he isn't like you."

She should have expected it after the last run-in she'd had with Sakuno, but Tomoka thought if she tried to apologize again, if she admitted she was wrong and her old friend was right, then she would have her best friend back. How could she have been so wrong? She wanted her friend back, why couldn't it be like every time before? Sakuno was the forgiving one, the one who liked everyone, the one who was soft spoken, shy, and friendly. What had changed? Tomoka had to wonder if she would ever find a way to get her friend back. Had what she done been so bad? "I'm…I'm sorry."

"I know, but that won't fix everything this time," Sakuno wanted to cave, and yet, she knew if she did, nothing would change. She had to stand up for herself, to stand on her own two feet. And if that meant cutting ties with Tomoka, then so be it.

"That's it?"

"Hai," Sakuno's voice was a little quieter with a hint of timidity, but she held firm.

Again. She had lost again. Now, she had no Sakuno and no Ryoma. Why had this happened to her? Fighting her tears, Tomoka ran away and out of the park.

Smiling, Naoko nodded and said, "I get it now. Niou chose well."

"I told you so," Yumiko winked at her friend. "How about that ice cream?"

"Nee-san! What did you do?" Niou ran over out of breath.

All three girls looked at him from the tip of his silver hair to the bottom of his feet. He looked as if he had just finished playing, but surely that couldn't be right, could it?

"N-Niou-kun? Don't you have a match?" Sakuno asked.

"Done! And I won! Puri!"

Glaring at her brother, Naoko announced, "I didn't do anything. We were just on our way to get some ice cream when some pig tailed prissy stopped us!"

"She was here? Are you okay? Puri," he asked the person that mattered the most to him, and it wasn't his sister.

Sakuno nodded, her face pink, "Hai.'

"Niou-kun! Hurry back before Sanada torundorous the whole team!" Yagyuu yelled.

A twinkle appeared in his eye as he replied, "I'm coming." Turning to Sakuno, he grinned, "I'll pick you up tomorrow morning for our lesson."

Once again her face started to turn red, but a smile pulled at her lips and she said, "H-Hai!" She couldn't wait until her tennis lesson.