8. Cruel and Sweet

For once, the loud talking between Horio and Tomoka fell deaf in her ears. As she sits beside Tomoka-who's the closest to the bed where Horio lies-her eyes remain focused on the round wall clock towering over the school nurse's table. 2:33 PM, it read.

It hasn't been a whole day since her running away, and yet, she's done it again.

Sakuno ran away. Again.

She crumples a part of her skirt, frustration at her actions over the past days resurfacing from her memory.

"Why are you doing this, Sakuno?"

Like a movie, she recalls how she ran away a moment ago when put on the spot about Inui-senpai's data of her. Almost instantly, her face blushes in remembrance. Why is it that everyone just had to be there when she read her data?

"Mou…"

Her shoulders drop in disappointment. Somehow, she's getting into these situations with the tennis prince and she can't just collect herself properly. First, it was his Fuji-senpai's question, and then the whole Inui-senpai notebook situation. Both were situations she didn't handle herself properly and just ran away without even clarifying anything. But looking back now, she finds that she handled the situation worse on the latter.

Because when Ryoma asked about what they were talking about, she instantly ran away. Like a child who just got caught stealing chocolates from the bowl, Sakuno ran away to hide without even saying anything- even if his golden eyes bored at her intensely and she forgot how to breathe.

She unconsciously lets out her umpteenth sigh, considering that it has been, so far, a tumultuous day for her.

"Are you sure you're okay, Sakuno?" Tomoka, finally taking notice of her best friend's distress, asks.

"Oh," A bit surprised by her actions, Sakuno weakly smiles at her, "I'm okay, Tomo-chan."

"You've been sighing the whole time though," Horio suddenly comments, adjusting his sitting position on the bed to avoid unnecessarily moving his foot.

At her classmate's observation, Sakuno hesitates. She exchanges glances with Tomoka who doesn't appear to buy her answer.

"Really, Sakuno. What is it?" Tomoka asks again as the girl won't budge.

Sakuno remains in silence-eyes meeting everywhere but Tomoka's. She finds it hard to share; feeling that her problems are just too childish. Also, with another person in the room, she can't find it in herself to be comfortable to be spilling her worries. Horio isn't known to be secretive, after all.

As if sensing her thoughts, "Why don't we get some drinks to pass the time?" Tomoka declares, "You stay here Horio, and wait for the nurse."

As if Horio really had a choice, he decides to just keep his thoughts to himself.

"Tomo-chan, are we really going to the vending machines?" She feels uneasy, thinking about the possibilities of running into the one person she knew who frequently uses the vendo.

"No, silly." Tomoka chuckles, casting a knowing look at Sakuno. "So what's the deal with Ryoma-sama?"

At the abrupt mention of his name, Sakuno chokes.

"W-What do you mean, Tomo-chan?"

"Ha! Sakuno, don't even think of underestimating your best friend's intuition," the pig-tailed girl grins, starting to deduce, "What happened yesterday when you got lost inside the booth? I definitely heard some interesting things from Fuji-senpai."

"E-Eh?" she tries to feign nonchalance- to which she's clearly not an expert.

"Am I wrong, then?" Tomoka laughs, rubbing Sakuno's back in comfort.

"Mou…" Sakuno lowers her head in embarrassment, "Tomo-chan, I can't really hide anything from you..!"

And so, the girl with the twin braids starts to recount the events of yesterday afternoon to Tomoka. She starts from the time when they were hiding together to the part where their Fuji-senpai teased them. She also adds how she felt so pressured and utterly embarrassed that she ran away from them just because of senpai's question.

"I know that it sounds childish, Tomo-chan…" Sakuno confesses, "That's why I didn't think of telling you… I was just planning to let that embarrassing memory die out, but then, there's this notebook that Horio-kun asked me to return…"

By the time she finishes her story, her face turns red in embarrassment. "Tomo-chan, what do I do?"

"Wow," Tomoka can only reply. It's the first time that she's hearing all this stuff that happened yesterday. "Sakuno, don't you think that this is a sign?"

"Sign?" The girl in twin braids furrows her brows.

Tomoka nods her head, grinning. "Yes!"

"Umm…" still not getting the point, Sakuno leans her head slightly. "What exactly do you mean?"

Tomoka squints her eyes at the display of denseness by her best friend. She made a mental note that this wasn't surely surprising at all. She shakes her head before looking around the premises to see if there are any bystanders. And then, she stoops her face near Sakuno's ear to whisper.

"Isn't this the perfect sign to finally confess to Ryoma-sama?"

At her best friend's suggestion, Sakuno's face can only redden in shock. As her stomach flutters at the idea, her eyes go wide in disbelief. She immediately shakes her head, "T-That won't do, Tomo-chan!"

"Why?" The pig-tailed girl gives her straightforward reply.

On the spot, Sakuno struggles to justify. She waves her hand in dismissal and her stuttering problem won't even hide.

"T-That's… be-because…it's not the time yet…?"

"Eh?" Tomoka flashes the girl with a questioning stare, "Don't you think more than three years is enough?"

It genuinely confuses the loud girl. She ultimately knows how shy Sakuno could be so she understood how she always seems to be timid. Still, Tomoka couldn't believe that they're already high schoolers, and her best friend would still cower and hide her feelings. It also baffled her how dense she could be. She always thought that clearly, Sakuno is the best person preferred by her Ryoma-sama.

No one comes close, and Mori Akane was just a small exception that wouldn't happen again.

Not restraining her fiery spirit, she clamps Sakuno's shoulders with her hands. Tomoka looks at her eye-to-eye in an attempt to convince Sakuno.

"Sakuno, I really think that it's the best time for you to confess to Ryoma-sama."

"T-Tomo-chan, d-don't be silly." Sakuno's expression looks uncomfortable. The mere thought made her anxiously giddy, "I-It's not like Ryoma-kun likes me."

"Ah! Believe me when I say it, Sakuno," Tomoka shakes her head in disapproval, "Ryoma-sama considers you special!"

Deep inside, Sakuno wants to believe that. So much that she thought she heard him speaking from afar.

"Don't blame us o-chibi!" Kikumaru says in defense, clearly trying to look innocent, "You suddenly arrived!"

"That's right! Plus it's not like Ryuzaki-chan ran away at the sight of us." Momoshiro chides, changing out of his jersey and back to his school uniform.

The club room is still quiet despite the senpais' statements. Ryoma continues to ignore them while emanating his even more icy-than-usual aura. The tension inside the room is so intense that Kawamura Takashi- who is still a member of the tennis club, though part-time-can't help but speak out.

"What happened to you guys?" His deep characteristic voice sounds gentle in concern. He momentarily stops putting on his shoes as he sits by the blue steel bench.

"It's clearly Momoshiro and Kikumaru-senpai's fault." Kaidoh suddenly comments, wiping his forehead with a towel as he searches his locker. "They've been bugging Echizen and Ryuzaki-sensei's granddaughter since the beginning of time."

"Mamushi," Momo answers, feeling betrayed."You're not that innocent either! Weren't you also reading about Ryuzaki-chan's love interest with us?"

"That's right! That's right!" Kikumaru crosses his arm in defiance.

"But I didn't stare at it for long!" Kaidoh reasons.

"That doesn't make it as if you didn't read it!" Momoshiro fights back.

"There, there… Don't fight." Takashi sweat-drops, getting the gist of the problem, "Really guys, don't trouble Echizen so much."

"Who says I was troubled?"

Finally, the first year speaks up. He blankly stares at his senpai-tachi but nobody can deny the intensity in his golden eyes. The room's ambiance isn't getting any better despite the boy feigning nonchalance. Ryoma is aware of the feeling he radiates. He does feel annoyed and betrayed that she would run away at the sight of him. Though he won't recognize that around his senpais. After all, even if he's known for his cheeky attitude, the reason given that it's because of Ryuzaki Sakuno isn't characteristic of him.

As the memory of his encounter with random girls from the vendo machine and at the hallway earlier flashes on his mind, he gets a vague idea of what is happening around the coach's granddaughter. It made him feel sour.

'It won't do.'

This misunderstanding of everyone between him and Ryuzaki needs to stop. He has to make it clear.

"Senpai-tachi seems to be getting the wrong idea." He says confidently while closing his locker door. He finishes buttoning his school uniform when Kikumaru speaks.

"Wrong idea?" The red-haired's curious cat eyes wonders.

"You are all misunderstanding my relationship with Ryuzaki." Ryoma states, slinging his tennis bag on his back, "She doesn't like me romantically."

At his words, the mouths of everyone gape, including Kaidoh who immediately recollects himself, and Takashi who closes his mouth to consider Echizen's feelings. The two other senpais around- Momo and Eiji can't just contain their emotions though.

"What did you do, Echizen?!" Momo covers his mouth in disbelief, "Did Ryuzaki-chan start to go and like someone else?"

"I can't believe it!" Eiji reacts dumbfounded. He immediately runs to his underclassman and gives him a big hug, "You must be heartbroken, o-chibi!"

At the sight of his senpai-tachi's reaction, Ryoma can't just ignore his exasperation. He could swear that there's genuine sadness and frustration from his Momo-senpai's moody pose, leaning on the wall. The tight comforting hug of his Eiji-senpai was nothing compared to his usual uninvited hugging. Taka-senpai looks concerned and appears to be deep in thought. Even his Kaidoh-senpai looks unhappy and can't look him in the eye.

Ryoma doesn't know what to feel. A definitive confusion laced in his mind trying to process everyone's reaction. He's fighting the urge to face-palm.

'Why are they overreacting?' He wants to pull his hair out.

But then, if they were not overreacting, are they his senpais really?

"Senpai… Let go." Ryoma taps on Eiji's arm, trying to sound as calm as possible.

"Oh no, o-chibi!" Eiji only consoles, "It's okay to cry."

"Senpai-tachi!"

This time, the tennis prince can't contain his temper. He breathes a heavy sigh while his four senpais only stare at him in surprise. It isn't every day that they see him lose his temper. Before the four can resume their misunderstanding, Ryoma thinks of a way to finally end this once and for all.

"Just wait here." He says, "I will bring Ryuzaki here and settle this."

When Sakuno gets out of Tomoka's grip, she starts to walk ahead to prevent any more encouragement. Finally getting that Sakuno wants to drop the idea, she can only give a knowing smile. Tomoka follows the girl and is about to tell her side of what happened yesterday when Sakuno stops on her steps.

Wondering, Tomoka walks faster to catch up. When she's about to ask, Sakuno flashes her a look before shaking her head and putting a finger in front of her lips.

"Shh, Tomo-chan…"

In a distance just before they turn to the next hallway, dark-green hair stands out between the other three people in the space. Sakuno instantly recognizes Ryoma who seems like he's talking to three girls from the girls' tennis club. While the former seems to sport his infamous glare, the latter's group doesn't appear well- of the three girls, the one in the middle is covering her eyes, crying and the other two are holding their grounds.

Sakuno and Tomoka lean closer in curiosity, though careful that they aren't caught. Even if Sakuno really doesn't plan to eavesdrop, somehow, it's killing her to know the reason for that scenario. It isn't really rare to see Ryoma being cornered by girls to confess their love, but the tennis prince never sports a glare when it happens. So she swallows the usual conscience that tells her not to meddle and channels some of Tomoka's guts. At first, she can barely hear the words but as she stoops closer, she flinches when she hears her name in their conversation.

"You know, Echizen-san, it won't hurt to just be honest." one of the girls says,

"Just say that it's because of Ryuzaki and go."

Sakuno purses her lips. Over the years of her being close to Ryoma, she's used to everyone bringing up her name when they get rejected by the boy. But it is the first time that she hears her name being brought up in front of Ryoma himself. It makes her worry deep within. There's her fear nagging in her mind. It is also the reason why she profusely refuses to confess her feelings.

What if Ryoma just quickly rejects her without another thought? Just like all the girls who confessed to him received. She doesn't want the fantasy of her friendship with him to shatter when he decides to dismiss her feelings as if he never cared at all.

"Gosh, that girl always gets what she wants no matter what," the other girl chides, "She's not even that talented, and she easily gets the regular position at the club."

At that comment, it is Tomoka who grabs her hand tightly. Sakuno glances at her friend whose expression is starting to get dark. She does feel hurt. That girl just seemed to have insulted her numerous hardship at training and passion over the sport. But since she isn't one to believe she's talented, it doesn't faze her as much.

She's used to it. She wants to tell Tomoka, but Sakuno knows that Tomoka doesn't tolerate it when she puts herself down. She can only rub her best friend's hand to calm her down- and hopefully, herself too. No matter how much she's used to Ryoma's bluntness, if he agrees to whatever was said about her, it would hurt.

"I'm not the one playing for Ryuzaki on the court. She made it because of her skills."

When it registers on her ears, Sakuno bites her lips slightly, feeling her eyes prick. She swallows the worry in her throat. At Ryoma's simple recognition, she can feel her heart flutter in happiness. It was just like him to get her out of her depressing thoughts. She stares at him from afar-only seeing his back. At that moment, she's ready to pay anything to see the look on his face when he praised her. She can't help the smile on her face as she stares at the ground in embarrassment.

"If you're so annoyed that Ryuzaki finally got the regular position…" Ryoma continues in cold words that only the tennis prince could pull off, "You should practice your swings instead of badmouthing her."

Sakuno can't process much of what's happening next besides Tomoka who did the unthinkable.

She starts charging towards the three girls, shouting, "Hey! You three! Come here if you're adamant on saying mean stuff to Sakuno!"

It was chaotic. Like an enraged bull, Tomoka runs in the girls' direction making Ryoma surprised too. From the fluttering happiness, Sakuno panics at the sight of her friend chasing the three girls away. Tomoka's pig-tails dance with the wind, and the dark expression on her face gives away the look that she does whenever she hears someone who talks badly about her and her friends.

"Fight me!"

Having the scare of their lives- obviously even greater than the ones their horror house offers- the three girls run. Even the girl who was crying earlier seems to have recovered and joins the running session. It was uncomfortable; embarrassing even to watch. But Sakuno can't help the chuckle that escapes her lips. Tomoka really loves her too much.

It almost made her forget that now, her presence is shown and surely, the prince of tennis can see her now from their hiding spot.

When she meets his gaze, her insides do somersaults that make her jittery.

"Ryuzaki…" he calls for her and starts to approach.

Sakuno gets rooted in her place, surprised at how Ryoma appears to need something from her.

"W-What is it, Ryoma-kun?"

Without saying anything more, he grabs her hand and leads her away. His hand feels warm to her touch. There's a bit of roughness-probably from years of holding his racket. But Sakuno appreciates it even more. Her heart pounds hard against her chest and she struggles to breathe in his proximity. Why would he even hold her hand? She wonders.

He's walking fast, making her feet scramble, trying to keep up with his pace. She starts to pant from the lack of oxygen; not entirely because of her stamina that since then, she has improved.

"W-Where are we going, Ryoma-kun?"

He is looking straight ahead all this time that when he finally spares the time to check on her, he's surprised at her flushing reaction. Ryoma stops on their trail, and lets go of her hand to let her catch her breath.

They stop at the small path under the big sakura tree at the back of the school building. There aren't many passersby. Visitor counts are declining after lunch and most of the students are either busy preparing for the big bonfire to celebrate the end of the festival or wrapping up their class booths.

"Somewhere… private," Ryoma says carefully, looking over everywhere. He seems anxious.

At the way he acts and words his thoughts, Sakuno blushes even more. She doesn't want to get ahead of her thoughts, but she can't help but think.

'Where could that be?' She wonders, 'Why?'

She's busy with her thoughts that she doesn't notice when Ryoma's dissatisfied face flashes briefly when he looks over the lush bushes near the sakura tree where they stand. So she almost jumps in surprise when she hears what he has to say next.

She has to be dreaming, right?

The atmosphere makes it even more intense. They're right under the blooming sakura tree and the afternoon skies starting to turn warm is a sight to the eyes. The warm wind blows on them ever so slightly, and Sakuno thought that whatever she may have said to Tomoka earlier, is completely false. She is taking back what she said. Even if it's completely random- unpredictable and out of question.

Who in their right mind would not think that this may be the sign? The cultivation of her three-year-old crush, finally unfolding. Is the universe on her side, really?

Sakuno can't think straight. Because right now, what is the best time to confess her feelings than the time Ryoma himself asks her that very question?

"Ne, Ryuzaki… Do you love me?"

Ryoma decides to just go about it. Saying it all loud and clear. After all, he figures what is the point of bringing Ryuzaki over to the club room when his senpais themselves are spying on them now. Their location is not even that far, and he's sure that they could hear everything from their spot.

When they stop for a moment to let her catch her breath, he instantly spots the red-haired and spiky-haired senpai trying to blend themselves behind the tall bushes. Meanwhile, he can spot the knot of his Kaidoh-senpai's green bandanna peeking over the tree nearby said tall bushes. Taka-senpai doesn't even try to hide while flashing him an apologizing look.

He isn't even looking at Ryuzaki when he asks her that question. He's too busy glaring in the direction of his privy senpai-tachi whom he thought really has no shame. The shocked reaction on their faces is enough for him to think that he asked the right question.

He did his part. Now it is up to Ryuzaki to prove them wrong. She just has to say it like the way she did when Fuji asked her about her real feelings toward him. He waits.

So it comes as a surprise to him, hearing what the girl has to say next.

"I…" she stutters shyly, face red as a tomato while looking at the ground, "I do love Ryoma-kun…"

At what she said, Ryoma can't hide the blush that painted his cheeks. He feels weird, hearing the words from her mouth. Somehow, there's this unexplainable tug on his stomach, making him feel things. He's definitely caught off-guard.

'How can she say that?'

But then, he knows the truth. Ryoma heard it from her lips yesterday at the horror house. He figured that the Ryuzaki now may have just meant it the other way. After all, he wasn't able to ask her clearly.

"R-Romantically?" He clarifies. It is now his turn to stammer, which he definitely doesn't enjoy one bit. He's starting to feel his cheeks warm, and hear his erratic heartbeats.

But as soon as he sees the cheerful reactions of his senpai-tachi from their spots, the feeling starts to get replaced by annoyance. His pride just can't bear the 'i-told-you-so' grins on their faces.

So Ryoma tries to collect himself, reverting to his calm persona. Ryuzaki just needs to tell the truth, and hopefully express her dissatisfaction at having everyone tease them together.

And so Ryoma waits, staring at her embarrassed face for the meantime. Her doe eyes look so pretty under natural light.

"R-Ryoma-kun… the truth is," she tries to be careful with her words, taking her time, "I have liked you since we were first years in middle school."

Suddenly, Ryoma couldn't hear any of her words past that sentence. His mouth gapes in genuine astonishment, and his mind can't process this turn of events. Right now, he's feeling at least two mixes of emotions that he can't decipher. The most dominant of all, his confusion.

He was so sure. She said so yesterday.

Why is Ryuzaki Sakuno telling him that she has liked him ever since?

At the thought, his heart pounds so much against his rib cage that he tries to avert his eyes. Unfortunately, as he turns his head, he can see his cheering senpai-tachi rushing to them. Their noise this time is enough, even for Ryuzaki to notice.

It makes him panic for some reason. As if his senpais just found out something that they shouldn't.

He scrambles his mind, not used to feeling this hybrid of emotions. He could feel his hands sweat as if he's in a match that he can't possibly win and whatever move he makes will incite results to an inevitable loss. And as if on overload- all of a sudden, he speaks of the words he's come up with amidst the chaos.

"Ah, what do I do…"

Ryoma is so sure that this is the natural way to solve everything, yet it makes him feel so strangely sad.

"I don't like Ryuzaki."

He can't even meet her eyes.

A/N:

-and cut!

Yeah, just dumb Ryoma moments lol.

We're officially around 50-60% of the story. I really enjoyed writing about Tomoka here, (aside from the Ryoma and Sakuno scenes of course) because I feel like I don't see much of her character in other RyoSaku stories that don't only portray her outgoing and loud personality.

The update is kinda fast because Red (Taylor's Version) just came out and it's all that I needed to feel that kind of emotional drive to write more.

Anyway, thank you for reading! Please comment your reviews! I love reading them :)