The sound of his second alarm clock finally woke him up.

Groggily, he sat up from his bed. His pointy cat eyes squinted with sleepiness as he yawned. His room was given a somewhat cerulean glow due to his blue curtains blocking the morning sunlight. Standing up, he trudged towards the window to open it up, letting the sun shine on his place.

He yawned for the second time before finally making his way to the adjacent bathroom in his room to freshen up. After doing his morning rituals, he changed to his practice clothes. Grabbing his tennis bag, he finally got out of his room, smelling food.

"Ryuzaki must've cooked breakfast." he thought, feeling quite good that he gets to eat a decent breakfast before setting out. He was stepping down the stairs when he heard the familiar voice of a friend.

"Are you finally awake, Ryoma?"

Kevin sat on the sofa, his azure eyes looking at him impatiently. He was also wearing his practice clothes with his own tennis bag rested beside him. At the small table in front was an opened box of japanese food take out.

"What are you doing here?" the accusing tone of the tennis prince's voice went unheard to the blond boy who only shook his head ever so slightly.

"Coach was getting mad on your late streak. I just had to fetch you so you actually arrive on time in practice."

Hearing his friend's reason, Ryoma only shrugged. It was true that he did came to practice late for almost two weeks now. He can't deny that. Though he was a bit surprised that he sent out Kevin just to fetch him.

"What's with the food?" he asked, standing near the small table.

"I haven't had breakfast before I was asked to come here and I figured that you still haven't had breakfast yourself too... so," Kevin explained, "It doesn't beat Ryuzaki's cooking of course, but this ain't bad too."

He didn't reply, though he flinched a bit when Kevin suddenly dropped her name.

"Oh. I remember it now..." a sudden pang hit him and he paid it no mind.

Ryoma settled on the couch too, peeking inside the box of food.

"How did you even get inside here? I don't recall giving you my keys." he commented, picking a set of chopsticks inside the package and helping himself to a tempura.

"Oh, that..." Kevin started, also picking at his own chopsticks, "Ryuzaki passed by earlier, wanting to surrender her keys to this house. But you're still asleep, and I was already outside. She gave it to me." with his other hand, he fished out a key and put it in the table.

"I see." he said with feigned nonchalance, that didn't escape his friend's observation.

"How many weeks was it since Ryuzaki moved out?" Kevin asked, careful that he doesn't sound too intrusive.

"I don't know." the prince of tennis simply shrugged with his aura of indifference.

Though in fact, he knew. He internally cursed at himself for waking up that day and thinking that it was just like one of those days when the clumsy girl was still around. He's clearly mistaken.

It has been two weeks since Ryuzaki Sakuno moved out.

The very next day, the prince of tennis found himself about to snooze in his seat. The professor's lecture going in an ear and out in another. It was a slow day, just a little past the start of his second period for the day. He still had his third period class left before he can finally go to his afternoon training. He was trying his utter best to stifle his yawn.

To have his lazy antics go unnoticed, he peered down his open text book. His blinks were becoming heavy, a sign that sleep was finally going to take over him. But then, there was frantic movement on the vacant chair just beside him. Since everyone on their line of chairs shared the same long table, it was easy to tell whenever a seatmate arrives.

Due to the late arrival of a seatmate, Ryoma found his senses alert again. Sleep was starting to slip away from his loggish body. In his ears, the lecture was starting to make sense again. He peered on his side, a scowl painted on his face for the disturbance.

What he noticed first was his seatmate's ridiculously long brown twin braids that swayed along with her movements as she clumsily rummaged through her own bag for what he presumed to be the textbook used for the class. Her face wasn't all that visible from his point of view, not completely facing her direction.

When the girl turned to his way, flushed expression and breathing heavily as if she just ran a marathon, he recognized her.

"Ryoma-kun? What page are we on?" she whispered, not at all surprised at their meeting.

He was finally wide awake, and for some reason his pulse quickened. For the girl in front of him was none other than Ryuzaki Sakuno, his ex-house mate. It has been more than two weeks since he last saw her.

Were they always in the same class together? He wondered. He had this class twice a week and he only saw her now. Ryoma was tempted to ask, though he figured that it would be a better question after class.

"Page 241." he mumbled at once, using his sharp eyes to glance at his other seatmate's book.

Ryuzaki gratefully nodded as she flipped her book. She attentively listened for the rest of the lecture and the boy didn't feel as sleepy as before. He wasn't even sure why all of a sudden, her appearance shook him. At the corner of his eyes, he can't help but stare at the girl. And it's not like he hated it, seeing her after so long. He just felt uncomfortable with how he can almost feel his excited heartbeats as if he was looking forward to see her all along. He did his best to dismiss it all.

"Did you always have this class?" he asked her while he made himself busy stuffing his text book back in his bag.

"Not really," she chuckled softly, slipping her arms on her back pack, "I missed Professor's class yesterday, and so I had to attend his class today to catch up."

He only gave her a confirming nod in reply. It just made sense why it was the first time he saw her in his class. And if it was just an 'only' today thing, then it might take a while before he sees her again. Considering that two weeks since she moved out, their paths only crossed that day.

"Ano, Ryoma-kun..? Did Kevin-kun hand my key?" it was her turn to ask.

"He did." he replied, his bag finally slung on his shoulders.

Ryuzaki gave him a slight knowing smile before she said, "That's great. I guess, I'll see you sometime, Ryoma-kun."

The way she spoke suddenly reminded him of the night she asked to forget about her feelings. Where his feet struggled to not follow her. It felt like an indefinite goodbye that bothered him so greatly.

But just like that night, Ryoma didn't say anything as he saw her walk away... presumably to her next class.

"Ryoma? Are you done for today?" Kevin's cheerful voice came from behind him.

He turned to look at his friend who was grinning, "That was Ryuzaki who just left, right?"

"And what of it?" Ryoma replied, his nonchalant look now plastered on his face even faster than usual.

"It's been more than two weeks, huh? Until now I still wonder about what you did for Ryuzaki to suddenly decide to move out." Kevin thoughtfully commented.

"Eh? Sakuno moved out? Really?"

Kate Thompson made herself known, stepping out from being hidden behind Kevin. She had a look of genuine surprise, "I just secluded myself for a month and a half and this all happened?"

Ryoma only gave her a surprised look, considering that it was the first time she made herself show before him since his honest rejection. He didn't say anything and only turned to look at Kevin.

"Ah! Did you just ignore me, Ryoma?!" the pink-haired girl playfully slapped the tennis prince's arm, "What did you do to Sakuno?!"

"I didn't do anything." Ryoma grumbled, only the truth slipping out of his mouth.

It has been three days since he last saw Ryuzaki. And it was not because he was counting... not at all, not in the least. It just continuously gets brought up by his brain whenever. It bugged him a lot, for it meant that his concentration was always halved these days. He's had enough of stray tennis balls hitting him when he's not paying attention. It was just a bruise today, and he's sure that it would just get worse as days pass by if he doesn't do anything for this to stop.

But the problem is, Ryoma himself doesn't have any idea on how to cease all of this.

"Dude, are you okay? You've been spacing out."

Kevin tapped his shoulders, a towel draped on his shoulders as he held on his water bottle. Sweat dotted his body as he heaved.

"I'm not spacing out." Ryoma sighed, reaching on his own tennis racket. If Kevin was already finished with his regimen, then it was his own turn next. Ryoma started on his warm-up stretches.

"Sure. And pigs fly, by the way." the blond boy snickered, earning him a glare from the tennis prince.

"Shut up, Kevin." Ryoma scoffed, waving his other hand in dismissal as he entered the fenced court.

His trainer, a good ten years older than him held a tennis racket as he stood at the opposite court, five tennis ball feeders aligned beside him.

"Each of the machines would shoot two balls at the same time. You'll need to return all of them inside the opposite court." the trainer explained, moving out of the court to get the remote, "Are you ready, Ryoma?"

"Yes." he adjusted his cap before going in position, determined to push away thoughts of the certain brunette haired girl and focus on the task before him.

With a whoosh, the machines simultaneously set him the ten neon balls at a speed. He returned them all easily, having already used to playing that amount of balls by playing with Ryoga and his father.

For the next ten minutes, he hit all the balls with ease. Due to the machines' different trajectories, he often had to run to the corners of his court. His fast legs allowed him to react fast enough. On every returns he made, he was slowly getting confident that after all, he can shut out thoughts other than tennis when he's inside the court.

Ryoma was getting used with the speed and the timing of the shots that he was so sure that this part of the training would be reaching its end eventually. And maybe because he was too confident, or just had his hidden clumsiness come out. For when he was running to reach the farthest left on the court, he slipped. It resulted to him missing some balls and accidentally stepping on one. The unintended course of event led him to lurch head first on one of the wooden benches with iron feet and handles.

The impact almost made him black out. It painfully reminded him of his short middle school trauma when his racket broke and bounced back to injure his eye. He could hear the panicked voices of the people in the training area. The tennis prince touched his forehead and flinched at the contact. Fresh blood oozed out of the wound.

"Are you okay Ryoma?!" Kevin and the trainer managed to ask him at the same time.

Ryoma managed to stand up by himself and sat on the same bench. His wound ached.

"So much for not being distracted."

Thankfully, his injury wasn't that serious and he only had to rest for the whole week. Still, it didn't lessen the annoyance he had with Kevin who continuously teased him about the bandage wrapped around his forehead.

Ryoma just arrived in front of the boarding house that he's solely occupied for almost a month now. He took out his keys, swiftly opening the door and switching the light on the living room. The time on the wall clock displayed 8:00 pm. It was almost an hour since he was discharged from the university's hospital.

He walked over the kitchen, making his way to his refrigerator that was back to being a Ponta storage. With his house mate gone, the usual groceries inside were now nowhere to be found. Only a few snacks and the rows of soda cans filled the machine. He picked a can, thinking that it can somehow quench the sudden pit in his stomach that he can't understand.

Upon closing the fridge's door, he took a swig of the grape soda-- the cool and sweet concoction filling his dry mouth and throat. It was weird, how even with the time he didn't feel like eating anything for dinner.

By the time he dumped the empty soda can by the trash can in the kitchen was only when he realized just how silent the whole house was. Granted, for almost three weeks it was just the same. The whole house silent and dark, save for when he uses a particular room or he fancied to watch TV by the living room.

It was hard to think that almost a month ago, the lights inside the house were already open by the time he gets home from late practice. When he would sometimes hear the TV open, or the dishes clanking. He could smell her cooking, wafting even inside his room. Sometimes he would see her hunched on the kitchen table, studying or drinking some tea that she would never fail to offer when she notices him.

Everything seemed like long ago and he wasn't sure that it was all comforting.

He wasn't the type to feel lonely whenever he's alone. In fact, he appreciated solace over unnecessary interactions that he deemed to be unimportant if outside tennis and academics. That was the whole reason too why he moved out of his parents' home to the boarding house that he currently occupied. All his parents' and brother's meddling made him so pointlessly tired.

Ryoma could still remember how cheated he initially felt when he was made aware that another student would be allowed to live with him. Even if it was for the reason that the student is a japanese and there were no other vacant house for her, it appeared like he was hustled. When he applied for residing there, he specifically demanded that he would be left alone.

It was a good thing that Ryuzaki Sakuno turned out to be his house mate, not some crazy fan girl. At least it was someone he knew, someone that wasn't annoying if his memory served right. She was his coach's granddaughter, a classmate, an acquaintance or friend of some sort back when he was in Japan on his first year of middle school. He recognized her existence, a proof being his remembrance of her name. Though she was the last person he expected to see after five years, he appreciated somehow that it was her.

The prince of tennis was even more surprised that she was mostly the same as before. Wobbly hips, painfully shy, yet someone who could be headstrong when she goes out of her way to help whenever needed and stand on her beliefs. He could still remember the way she acted upon seeing his Ponta-filled fridge and junk food breakfast. It never fails to bring an amused smile to his lips when he recalls her adamant protests.

The past semester was a bit more entertaining than he would ever admit. And if the twin-braided girl were the reason, he's yet to conclude. He was lying if he claims that having her around the house wasn't a great experience. There's something about the young Ryuzaki that despite being in the sidelines could make you feel her utmost support. He frequently took it for granted, the soothing vibe that her silent cheers emitted through packed lunches and just being there.

"Huh?"

Without warning, Ryoma found himself on the boarding house's now unoccupied room. He must've wandered away from his intended destination, his room. Astonished golden eyes stared around, taking in Ryuzaki Sakuno's previous room. It was the first time he went there since her occupancy and now departure. Though with his numerous trips to his room and out, he sometimes gets a peek of the bed and her book-stacked study table. Now, all that was left was the bed and the empty study table. The curtains pinned at the side of the windows were back to navy blue-- the curtains that originally came with the house.

There it was again, the unfamiliar dread that tugged on him ever since he started to notice her absence more. Since when did he felt this affected? Was it really the girl's moving out that caused him this much pensiveness?

He reluctantly sat on the empty bed, facing the windows that showed the clear night. The crescent moon shone with the other celestial bodies that hung on the pitch black skies. Then, he laid on his back, boring a hole on the ivory ceiling with his intense eyes.

"When did it all turn out like this?" he wondered, a sigh escaping his mouth.

Their trip to Japan seemed to have jump started it all. The stacking of events on top of the other that had Ryuzaki's long due confession at the very bottom of the pile. Back then, though unsure of his own feelings, he sincerely believed that he managed to come up with a solution where they could both be comfortable while giving him the time to mull over his own thoughts.

But one thing led to another, misunderstandings rose up, and with Kate's sudden confession, the situation became even more tangled. And the air between Ryuzaki and him became more tense, like walking on thin ice, too careful to not seem affected and unaffected. Ryoma ultimately felt bad that it had to happen. After all, it seemed like amidst all the conflicts, he was there at the center. He was the reason, the core of the problems.

And just when he thought that everything turned out fine after much anxious thinking, the girl just had to say that he should just forget everything. Just when he was finally ready to think about her feelings more seriously, she shot her own confession down. It sent him on a turmoil of unknown emotions that to this day, he still wasn't sure of what.

He still couldn't forget how Ryuzaki's shoulders slumped and shook while she was turning her back, asking him of her favor. How her voice seemed to tremble, while her smile didn't quite reach her doe hazel eyes. How her words sent him on a shocked and confused state. It gave him a weird sort of pain in the chest, a slight yet intense feeling of dull ache he didn't know how to fix. For when she said goodbye, it all seemed permanent.

Ryoma tried his best to follow her wishes. Her request made sense, and it just might make the both of them ease up on all the thinking. The tennis prince thought that it was a decision that made the most sense. The burden of giving her a direct answer finally lifted off his shoulders and at the same time, Ryuzaki would find it in herself to forget her own feelings. The latter, he wasn't sure if it made her feel better. But since she was the one who suggested, then she was okay, right?

He pretended that her confession never existed, and for a month he thought that it was successful. They both became too preoccupied with their own busy lives. Though at the rare times that they were together in the house, they interacted normally. Just like what he wanted. Still, for some reason he felt unsettled.

The peak of what he thought was their supposed 'normal' was when he invited her to watch his match. That day, he was thoughtful enough to send her a map, knowing her tendency to get lost. He was confident that she would come and watch because she gave her word. Then, almost thirty minutes before the first match starts, she's nowhere to be found.

Ryoma remembered being a mix of displeased and worried. Even with his trainer's specific instructions of him to wait with Kevin by his designated waiting room, he still set out to buy drinks in disguise to find her. He used his sharp eyesight to find her brown head among the crowd as he counted for his own time limit.

When he found Ryuzaki sitting by one of the benches, he exhaled in relief. Of course, he teased her about her terrible sense of direction. It gave him a peculiar sense of amusement, seeing her all flustered and defensive. And as a precaution so she won't get herself lost again, he practically brought her to his own waiting room. The boy felt more secure, knowing that his friend would be there to accompany the clumsy girl.

While playing his match, he found her presence comforting and at the same time, entertaining. She would just stand there alone for a few times and continuously clap whenever he scored. Without looking at her directly, he could almost predict how afterwards she would feel embarrassed and shy over her reactions. He would admit that he found her actions cute-- though he never really used that adjective before. The match was overall fun, even if it all seemed too easy.

That night, he saw Ryuzaki sitting at the porch in the dark while staring out at the sky. Without thinking much, he was already on his way to approach her. Curious as to what she was doing, what she was thinking about. He tried to sound casual while he asked for her permission to sit.

Just like before, it was strange how silence with her felt so easy and normal. With small talks thrown in from time to time, he found her company even more enjoyable. He felt an unexplained warmth inside himself as they shared small chuckles and laughs. For some reason, around her, he didn't feel the need to put his guard up.

Those moments that they used to frequently share were the reason why it took him a lot to process her love confession before. Such facts could immediately change everything about them, including spending their small exchanges. It somehow became a thing, a kind of comfort that they were too afraid would change.

At that porch, that time, Ryoma was so sure that nothing was wrong. Until Ryuzaki dropped the bomb of wanting to move out.

And after a few seconds of processing her words, all he managed to utter was what he thought she wanted.

It reminded him of the feelings he had when she asked for his favor that certain night in Japan. His chest suddenly felt constricted and he can't look her in the eye. He managed to still look composed, even with the internal rumble of emotions that confused and left him a tinge of hollowness.

Ryuzaki moved out a week after that night. And at first, he didn't seem to notice it much. He still went on with his activities. Ryoma continuously attended his classes and training sessions without much change. But after a whole week, he's finally realizing how distracted he was. How he spaced out most of the time, due to thoughts that involved his ex-house mate.

It was as if Ryuzaki cursed him.

It would've been funny if he were joking. But he wasn't, and it was clearly the cause of his recent blunder that resulted to the bandages in his head. Now, he wasn't sure whether the pain was from his injured forehead or his bruised ego. After all, he wasn't one to make silly mistakes like slipping on the court.

The prince of tennis took a deep breath before touching the area of his forehead wound. He winced, instantly regretting his actions. He continued to begrudgingly stare at the ceiling, letting his thoughts try to make itself more sensible. It was as if his head didn't hurt because of his injury, but rather of his uncharacteristic overthinking.

The Ryoma of a year ago, would have laughed at his miserable state.

Lips wearing a bitter smile, the prince of tennis laid on his back. Right now, he's suffering from a blow that seemed to be deeper than he realized, along with a longing heart.

Maybe it wasn't too late to confess how much he missed Ryuzaki Sakuno.

A/N:

Hi! I finished this chapter earlier, so I posted it up right away. This chapter was wholly a Ryoma-centric one that focused on the aftermath of Sakuno leaving and his thoughts over the previous chapters that we didn't get to see much. Hehe. I hope I didn't make him too OOC.

And I just reaffirmed how much of a fan I am of slow-burn fics. For that, I am sorry in advance if you felt like this fic was too long with little progress sprinkled here and there. Even with few chapters left, I will do my best to tie up all the loose ends and make a satisfying ending. Hehe.

Btw, if you haven't checked my other RyoSaku fics yet, please do! Though I don't update them much since I am still focusing on this story, I get motivated when I hear from you.

I was really surprised to see the surge of reads on the wattpad version of this week since my last update. I didn't expect that there were a lot of people who silently read this here. Thank you and I hope you make yourselves comfortable enough to review or interact. Hehe.

Thank you so much for those who checked the later chapters on wattpad and was kind enough to give votes and comments. I am more interactive on wattpad, since its much easier there to reply on comments.

And in regards to updates, I'm finishing up the 26th chapter and I hope to release it on wattpad and FF this week, along with chapters 24 and 25 here. :)