A/N: As promised last week, here's the next chap.

Enjoy!

Ryoma yawned as she crossed the school gate.

'What must I come to school so early when there is no practice?!'

Yawn.

That was right. It was the time of the end of the year school examinations. Yet, she forgot to change to setting of her alarm clock.

Yawn.

'As well taking time to review for the first exam…'

Yawn again.

"Euh… Echizen-san…" someone called her name.

Ryoma turned over to see a boy she don't know.

"Hmn? Who are you? What do you want?"

"Euh hmm… Humn… I… I'm Takeuchi Kouki, from class 1-D…" he stuttered.

"Hai?"

"Humm… I… I know you always come to school early for tennis practice, so I wait here for you because… because… because… Euh… Hmnn… I… I want to tell you something…"

Fuji, who was going to his class, saw them. He hide a behind a tree and listened to their conversation.

"Oh. Euh, what is it?" Ryoma asked the named Takeuchi and proceed to listen to him.

Fuji remembered Kikumaru's words.

Flashback

"Lately, Ochibi-chan changes a lot. She's not as quick temper as she was before. She is more composed in her actions and thinking. She also becomes more feminine too."

End flashback

"I really like you… So… So… I… I want to ask if you would accept to go on a date with me…" Takeuchi told Ryoma.

He looked hopefully to her. Ryoma calmly looked at him.

Fuji watched her.

'It is true that Ryoma is more composed and more feminine than before in her behaviours and way to be. She's not as reckless as she was before,' Fuji observed.

Usually, in this kind of situation, Ryoma will be like this:

"Urgh! Huh? What?!" She will be speeshless for a couple of minute, caught by surprise. "Who know what? I think something is wrong with your head. Maybe you should see a doctor. And a psy as well. Or better, take a couple of days off and see a doctor AND a psychologist. And euh… I have practice, so jaa nee!" And she will run away.

But not now. She really was different from before.

She no longer tensed when he appeared. It was as she was in peace with herself, as she finally accepted something that she refused to accept before. Sure, she still avoid to be near him, but she no longer ran away when she saw him. She will only look at him from afar, but won't come near him.

Flashback

"Usually, when a girl becomes like that, it's because she's in love…"

"Ochibi-chan must be in love with someone…"

"That would explain why she changes so much! Ochibi-chan is in love!"

End flashback

Fuji looked at them.

"I am sorry, Takeuchi-kun, but I already love someone else," Ryoma said to Takeuchi.

Fuji's heart clenched.

'Ryoma…'

"Aa so ka (1)…" Takeuchi sadely said. "Well… In that case, I wish good luck to you… Thank you for listenning to me anyway…" And he walked away, head down.

Ryoma looked at the boy, a little bit of sadness in her eyes. She didn't like hurting him, but she told him the true. That way, she hoped that he will give up on her. She don't want him to waist his hope on her and not searching for someone else. Rejecting him was the best thing to do. Ryoma closed her eyes momentary, then turned on her heels and walked away.

'Will I be rejected like him if I tell her my feelings…?' Fuji wondered.

He turned to watch her back.

'Ryoma is in love with someone… But who?'

During lunch time, alone outside…

Fuji looked upon the sky, his eyes opened.

'If she already loves someone, then I have no right to tell her my feelings. If I confessed to her, she might rejected me. And I might disturb her and make her feel uneasy too…'

Silence.

'I don't want to make her feel uneasy. So, it's better to not let her know me feelings for her…'

Fuji sighed, his eyes sadden.

'I should be happy for her because she finds someone special… I should not let my selfishness takes over me and care only for my feelings… I must think of her too…'

No one wanted the person they loved to suffer because of one's selfishness.

'Who ever he is, he sure is a lucky guy…'

Fuji clutched his fists and closed his eyes in pain.

'I wish I was at his place…' Fuji thought, a tear running down his face.

(1) so ka: is that the case.

A/N: I know it's short. But I really had a hard time to put it up. That's also why I didn't post it at the usual timing of Monday morning.

I don't know how and why, but the chapter 36 and 37 are really hard to built up. Chapter 36 and 37 involved anger and I'm not very good dealing with these kinds of feeling.

Arararara (whirlpool eyes), I'm so happy I was able to make something up. My brain is melting now!

Anyway, chapter 37 for tomorrow!