*
Chapter 14
*
**
Tezuka
**
Another week went by, and thankfully Sakuno was returning to her old self once more. They never spoke of that night again. Nothing about what happened, or how close they were that night. By now he felt she might be feeling the same way as well, but he still couldn't be sure.
'Maybe she just needs someone to lean on because of what has happened lately.' He thought, walking beside her as they made their way to school. He was on the verge of telling her his feelings every now and then, but something always made him hesitant.
"Neh Tezuka?' she spoke up breaking his thoughts once again.
"Nanda."
"I've been thinking. After this week, my grandmother will be back. I just …really want to thank you for everything. You've saved me twice, comforted and consoled me so many times, and I've had a really great time with you." He stopped walking, and she stopped a few steps ahead and turned around.
"In the past four weeks, I've never felt happier to be around someone I feel safe with, someone who will listen to my constant babbling, but most of all…someone I trust and really feel happy with. Thank you …for showing me a side of you that not many other people have seen before." She looked to a side with her eyes trained on the ground.
"I don't know if you intended to show me, or maybe I had intruded your personal life. I'm sorry if I did intrude, but I'm not sorry I saw the sweet side of you Tezuka. Aiya…guys don't really like to be called sweet." She said hitting herself softly on the head then continued "You're very admirable as the captain, but I like this other side of you too." She looked up at him with her big dark round eyes, and gave him a small smile.
All this time, he couldn't take his eyes off her and his heart was beating rapidly, internally he was soaring high from her words, though his face didn't show it.
"Sakuno, I-" he began, just about to tell her everything when
"SAKUNO!!"
"Eh, Tomo-chan." Sakuno turned to be bowled over by her energetic friend. "You guys talking?"
"Eh…uh. Iie." Sakuno turned to look at Tezuka, but already had had closed his mouth.
"Neh neh, iko! Ja Tezuka-SAMA." Her loud voice called out, pulling Sakuno along with her. Sakuno turned around apologetically.
Tezuka sighed, then headed to the school.
**
Sakuno
**
'Gomen ne Tezuka. I really shouldn't have said all of that. I don't know why, but inevitable things keep happening, you keep rescuing me and it's making me love you more than I really should. It's going to hurt me someday, but I really can't help it.' Sakuno sat in class, her mind drifting and unaware of all the noise around her.
"Neh neh, Sakuno. You're getting pretty close with Tezuka-sama aren't you?" Tomo-chan whispered loudly in class, breaking into her thoughts.
"Tomo-chan! Koe ga ouki sugi desu yo." Sakuno whispered back a little embarrassed, for the students around her, heard Tomo-chan's words.
"Aww you're embarrassed! Kawaii Sakuno."
**
Echizen
**
Echizen sat behind the two girls hearing every word of their conversation. He had stared lazily out the window until he heard Tomoka's voice. Then he watched as Sakuno blushed a deep red.
He clenched his fist, and felt his heart drop and lurched.
'I have to tell her today. I don't want this to go on anymore.' He decided.
At recess, he stopped Sakuno outside the classroom.
"Oi..Sakuno."
"Nani ka Ryoma-kun."
"Meet…Can you meet me under the big maple tree around the corner from the tennis courts this afternoon." He said.
"Naze" she asked with suspicion.
"Just come." And at that he walked away.
**
Tezuka
**
Tezuka stepped out of the tennis club's changing room, changed and dressed to go home.
'I'll tell her today. I want her to know….even if she doesn't accept me. I only have a few months left before I leave high school, and I …don't want to leave without her knowing.'
He couldn't believe it but he was actually anxious to talk to her about it. He rounded a corner and saw her standing under maple tree with Echizen. He stepped back behind the building and watched them silently. At this distance he couldn't hear a word they were saying, but she looked uncomfortable, and she was blushing.
Then he saw it. Echizen pulled her into his arms and held her. She stayed quiet, and that was all Tezuka had to see. He turned around and headed off the other way, not knowing what to think. His heart only felt heavy, because there's nothing more he could do.
He walked away throwing away the thought of telling her anything.
