Chapter 04 - Her Story
We sat down as class began. I took a quick scan of the room. She was in my class after all. She's so quiet these days. She doesn't seem to be making any conversations like she used to, even though she had nothing to say. She spoke small, stuttered a lot and her cheeks were always pink. She was practically invisible with her noisy annoying friend during junior high.
All day I found myself either dozing off a lot or staring at her back. Finally recess came around and I headed off to my favourite place.
* * *
"Uhn nya, you should have seen her Oishi! She was really good. If I could move like that bah, it would be good. She was in a tight game with Momo chan, she almost had him too nya!!" Eiji was excitedly informing Oishi who had missed out on the morning match. "She, who?" "Ehh... chibi's girlfriend. Inui what's her name?" "Ryuzaki Sakuno. 162cm. Right-handed. Possibly left too. Style: Still unknown. Percentage of hitting a-" "Yeh Ryuzaki Sakuno. You remember her?" "Vaguely I do. So she's a pro now is she?" Oishi said with interest. "uhn uhn," Eiji nodded vigorously. "and cute too," "Echizen's girlfriend?!!" Oishi finally realized. Eiji shrugged. "Ask momo." "Although she hasn't quite perfected her skills, she's very VERY good." Fuji said setting down his tray of food at their table. "I want to play her sometime." "You do too, don't you Tezuka," Oishi said smiling. He only grunted at them.
* * *
The air is so nice. This place is so peaceful. I can hear voices of the students in the distance, but only faintly. I stood up against the fencing and looked over the school grounds.
'Ii na. Kimochi." I thought as the wind blew around me. It's pretty quiet without Tomo-chan with me. I giggled softly. 'Eh?' I stood still and listened for the sound of chirping. A baby bird. I looked around for it. I spotted a tiny one outside the fence trying to fly. There was a hole I could climb through.but I would have to be careful in case I fall off the top of the school building. I crawled out to it, so I wouldn't scare it, but before I could reach it, it opened its wings and finally flew off after so many attempts. I sighed and stood up. I glanced down, it WAS a fair way up, but it didn't look that scary.
* * *
'Finally, away from that noise'. DEH!! Sakuno?!! She's outside the fencing, does she plan to jump? I bolted out to her. I made a quick grab for her and pulled her off the ledge and through the hole in the fence. "Eh?!" she cried. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING OUT THERE!!" I yelled. I breathed heavily. "Ano.I saw a baby bird out there and I was going to bring it in, but it flew off," she said staring at him with her big eyes. "Baka." I muttered and sighed a sigh of relief. "Ryoma-kun?" "Nanda." "I..you're..um," I then realized I was still had one arm around her and one holding her hand. I let go like I had touched fire. "Teh..." I turned my back on her and sat down. She started laughing gently. "What's so funny?!" I snapped. "Just your reaction was so very unexpected. I thought it would have been. 'What are you doing baka. Mada mada dane'" she did a good imitation of me. She seated herself a distance from him on the ledge of the inside the fence. "Warugattana." We sat in silence for a long time. Oddly enough, it was a silence I found unnerving. I never cared about what was around me. "So-so where have you been after you left Seigaku?" I asked quietly not facing her. "I returned to Wakayama." "Why?" "My parents were in an accident. They died." She said with no emotion in her voice. "Eh." I finally turned to face her. She was leaning forward, staring down at her out stretched legs, hands beside her.. Although her voice had no emotion, the sorrow was clear in her eyes. "gomen." I said abruptly to cut her thoughts. "Ii yo. Betsuni". (Its ok. It's nothing) she shook her head and smiled at him.
How can you say it's nothing? You're not the type of person not to care. You cared about others even if you had to go out of your way or was being pushed away. Teh, who am I kidding, me understanding people?'
"You've changed." I said before I knew I had said it. "Hmm..have I?." she looked at me for an answer but before I could, "So I have. Things change. People change gradually due to time or impacts. You've changed too Ryoma-kun. You're more..open, more friendlier and not so cold. Senpai tachi have a good impact on you." "Ja..you've changed because of." she gave one nod. Jumped up and walked around. "Tell me about it?" "Eh..hontou? I don't want to talk about it if you're not going to listen Ryoma kun." She said. She's pretty open too. She seems to have gotten me. The old me. "I'll listen." I lay back, hands behind my heads and looked up at her expectantly. "Start anywhere. Take as long as you want. I don't feel like going back to class." "Sou ka. I guess at first I didn't believe they were gone.so I acted as if they weren't. Finally the day to bury them came.and it shocked me so much that it was true. I went into withdrawal for four weeks.but not once did I cry. Then I suddenly felt a lot of anger. I saw my racket under my bed, so I took it outside to smash something. I don't know how, I don't know why, but I got better. Then I suppose, to keep myself occupied was the best thing to do.for that period of time. I practiced everyday.at any hour I could. Sometimes I never went home or came home really late. My cousin would accompany me now and then, and he suggested I take classes. Fighting classes. It would be safer to be in various classes then be out at street courts in the middle of the night." "Ja.you really do you use fighting techniques in tennis." She shrugged. "I use whatever. I'm not skilled, I don't plan or have tactics or strategies. I just use whatever is in my mind."
"So.what forms did you learn."
"A lot.I can't remember them all. But martial arts, tai chi, tae kwon do, gymnastics, kendo, judo, and most sword forms across china and more. "DEH why so many." "I don't know, I wanted to be occupied. I didn't care about anything but those classes. I gradually returned to tennis. Through out all that I had a private tutor since I didn't want to return to school."
She talked a lot, but it wasn't about her feelings. Her sorrow. No matter how occupied, that pain had to be there right? Sakuno, in such a short time you've come so far. You weren't gifted I admit that, but your determination, anger, and sorrow really took you this far? Suddenly she giggled. "Don't stare at me like that Ryoma-kun. Daijoubu desu yo. Really. It's the past.I'm alright now." she smiled again looking cute. I stood up and looked at my feet.. "Daijoubu janai." I clenched my fists, then looked right into her eyes. She looked away this time. "I have to be, don't I" it was more of a statement than a question. "There's no reason to be sad over what I couldn't help." "BAKA!" I cried and grabbed her wrist. "Why are you so angry?!" she yanked her hand out of my grip. "Nanka. You're both here!" momo-senpai's voice rang out. Sakuno regained her composure and left silently. "Oiya? What did you do Echizen." He gave a knowing smile. "Betsuni." What IS wrong with me. Why did I get so angry.
We sat down as class began. I took a quick scan of the room. She was in my class after all. She's so quiet these days. She doesn't seem to be making any conversations like she used to, even though she had nothing to say. She spoke small, stuttered a lot and her cheeks were always pink. She was practically invisible with her noisy annoying friend during junior high.
All day I found myself either dozing off a lot or staring at her back. Finally recess came around and I headed off to my favourite place.
* * *
"Uhn nya, you should have seen her Oishi! She was really good. If I could move like that bah, it would be good. She was in a tight game with Momo chan, she almost had him too nya!!" Eiji was excitedly informing Oishi who had missed out on the morning match. "She, who?" "Ehh... chibi's girlfriend. Inui what's her name?" "Ryuzaki Sakuno. 162cm. Right-handed. Possibly left too. Style: Still unknown. Percentage of hitting a-" "Yeh Ryuzaki Sakuno. You remember her?" "Vaguely I do. So she's a pro now is she?" Oishi said with interest. "uhn uhn," Eiji nodded vigorously. "and cute too," "Echizen's girlfriend?!!" Oishi finally realized. Eiji shrugged. "Ask momo." "Although she hasn't quite perfected her skills, she's very VERY good." Fuji said setting down his tray of food at their table. "I want to play her sometime." "You do too, don't you Tezuka," Oishi said smiling. He only grunted at them.
* * *
The air is so nice. This place is so peaceful. I can hear voices of the students in the distance, but only faintly. I stood up against the fencing and looked over the school grounds.
'Ii na. Kimochi." I thought as the wind blew around me. It's pretty quiet without Tomo-chan with me. I giggled softly. 'Eh?' I stood still and listened for the sound of chirping. A baby bird. I looked around for it. I spotted a tiny one outside the fence trying to fly. There was a hole I could climb through.but I would have to be careful in case I fall off the top of the school building. I crawled out to it, so I wouldn't scare it, but before I could reach it, it opened its wings and finally flew off after so many attempts. I sighed and stood up. I glanced down, it WAS a fair way up, but it didn't look that scary.
* * *
'Finally, away from that noise'. DEH!! Sakuno?!! She's outside the fencing, does she plan to jump? I bolted out to her. I made a quick grab for her and pulled her off the ledge and through the hole in the fence. "Eh?!" she cried. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING OUT THERE!!" I yelled. I breathed heavily. "Ano.I saw a baby bird out there and I was going to bring it in, but it flew off," she said staring at him with her big eyes. "Baka." I muttered and sighed a sigh of relief. "Ryoma-kun?" "Nanda." "I..you're..um," I then realized I was still had one arm around her and one holding her hand. I let go like I had touched fire. "Teh..." I turned my back on her and sat down. She started laughing gently. "What's so funny?!" I snapped. "Just your reaction was so very unexpected. I thought it would have been. 'What are you doing baka. Mada mada dane'" she did a good imitation of me. She seated herself a distance from him on the ledge of the inside the fence. "Warugattana." We sat in silence for a long time. Oddly enough, it was a silence I found unnerving. I never cared about what was around me. "So-so where have you been after you left Seigaku?" I asked quietly not facing her. "I returned to Wakayama." "Why?" "My parents were in an accident. They died." She said with no emotion in her voice. "Eh." I finally turned to face her. She was leaning forward, staring down at her out stretched legs, hands beside her.. Although her voice had no emotion, the sorrow was clear in her eyes. "gomen." I said abruptly to cut her thoughts. "Ii yo. Betsuni". (Its ok. It's nothing) she shook her head and smiled at him.
How can you say it's nothing? You're not the type of person not to care. You cared about others even if you had to go out of your way or was being pushed away. Teh, who am I kidding, me understanding people?'
"You've changed." I said before I knew I had said it. "Hmm..have I?." she looked at me for an answer but before I could, "So I have. Things change. People change gradually due to time or impacts. You've changed too Ryoma-kun. You're more..open, more friendlier and not so cold. Senpai tachi have a good impact on you." "Ja..you've changed because of." she gave one nod. Jumped up and walked around. "Tell me about it?" "Eh..hontou? I don't want to talk about it if you're not going to listen Ryoma kun." She said. She's pretty open too. She seems to have gotten me. The old me. "I'll listen." I lay back, hands behind my heads and looked up at her expectantly. "Start anywhere. Take as long as you want. I don't feel like going back to class." "Sou ka. I guess at first I didn't believe they were gone.so I acted as if they weren't. Finally the day to bury them came.and it shocked me so much that it was true. I went into withdrawal for four weeks.but not once did I cry. Then I suddenly felt a lot of anger. I saw my racket under my bed, so I took it outside to smash something. I don't know how, I don't know why, but I got better. Then I suppose, to keep myself occupied was the best thing to do.for that period of time. I practiced everyday.at any hour I could. Sometimes I never went home or came home really late. My cousin would accompany me now and then, and he suggested I take classes. Fighting classes. It would be safer to be in various classes then be out at street courts in the middle of the night." "Ja.you really do you use fighting techniques in tennis." She shrugged. "I use whatever. I'm not skilled, I don't plan or have tactics or strategies. I just use whatever is in my mind."
"So.what forms did you learn."
"A lot.I can't remember them all. But martial arts, tai chi, tae kwon do, gymnastics, kendo, judo, and most sword forms across china and more. "DEH why so many." "I don't know, I wanted to be occupied. I didn't care about anything but those classes. I gradually returned to tennis. Through out all that I had a private tutor since I didn't want to return to school."
She talked a lot, but it wasn't about her feelings. Her sorrow. No matter how occupied, that pain had to be there right? Sakuno, in such a short time you've come so far. You weren't gifted I admit that, but your determination, anger, and sorrow really took you this far? Suddenly she giggled. "Don't stare at me like that Ryoma-kun. Daijoubu desu yo. Really. It's the past.I'm alright now." she smiled again looking cute. I stood up and looked at my feet.. "Daijoubu janai." I clenched my fists, then looked right into her eyes. She looked away this time. "I have to be, don't I" it was more of a statement than a question. "There's no reason to be sad over what I couldn't help." "BAKA!" I cried and grabbed her wrist. "Why are you so angry?!" she yanked her hand out of my grip. "Nanka. You're both here!" momo-senpai's voice rang out. Sakuno regained her composure and left silently. "Oiya? What did you do Echizen." He gave a knowing smile. "Betsuni." What IS wrong with me. Why did I get so angry.