Chapter 2
"Hayaku!!" An extremely impatient Sakuno hurried the stranger who called was her grandmother.
"Hai hai." She answered wearily. Her granddaughter had been awfully energetic for someone who had just been in an accident, and further more, she seems even more energetic that she used to be. She was energetic, but uneasy in her own household, and was looking forward into seeing Kaidoh again.
She ran ahead of her grandmother, knowing that she had to go to the tennis courts, but she couldn't recall where it was.
"Mou…I'm lost…"she murmured. She turned around and bumped into Echizen.
"Itai!! Gomen…" she said while rubbing her nose.
He had approached her quietly, not expecting her to turn around so suddenly. The tennis prince was happy to see her, but couldn't find anything to say, so finally.
"Oi, what are you doing here?" he asked in a cold voice.
"I'm looking for the tennis courts."
"Mada mada dane. It seems that you're the same. You never were able to find the courts anyway." He said before he was able to stop himself.
Shimatta. It was suppose to be anew start.
She narrowed her eyes at him, something she never used to do.
"I don't know who you are, but that comment was unnecessary." She turned around and walked off.
"I'll show you the way." He said, following her.
"You don't need to concern yourself! I'll find it on my own!" she said without turning back.
Echizen stood there stunned. Is that really Sakuno? Since when did she act like that? She was always soft spoken and never raised her voice at people…at me.
"Mou!!" Sakuno fumed as she took quick strides. She rounded a corner and twice within one morning bumped into another person, except this person she fell back landing on her bottom.
"Ksssshh…" Kaidoh turned around and saw her. She looked extremely annoyed, something he found interesting. He went and crouched down beside her,
"Doushita." He said in his low rough voice.
"Ah Kaoru-nii" she exclaimed, forgetting her anger.
Kaoru-nii?!! He raised his eyebrows at her.
"I accidentally bumped into this boy, and he made a stupid comment at me." She told him.
"Da-re." It was an odd sight, the viper that every first year, and some second year students were afraid of, and he re he was crouching beside a cute little girl talking to her.
"Mou…wakannai…AHHHH!!! Him!!" She spotted Echizen entering the courts, and pointing at him accusingly.
"Yarou." Kaidoh hissed. He wasn't sure whether it was because his normal dislike for the boy, or the fact that he had annoyed this helpless little girl. Keeping his eyes on Echizen, he took her upper arm and helped her up.
They entered the courts and she sat down on the edge of the court leaning against the fence. Someone called Tezuka-buchou was giving them instructions and he had his back to her. Everyone eyed her smiling, and she returned them with a smile just as big, until her eyes caught that his.
She narrowed her eyes again, and turned and faced another direction.
That look she gave me is as good as a slap. Echizen thought. I guess I got off on the wrong start.
Everyone had gone off running laps, and only the captain and Sakuno were left. He turned and face, momentarily forgetting she was there. They looked at each other in silence. The silence dragged on for endless minutes until her eyes brightened when she spotted a cat. She ran and picked it up.
"Neko-chan, kawaii ne." She returned to her place holding the cat in her arms. It mewed happily as she began scratching it.
Soon everyone filed in one after another, due to the end of the run. Kaidoh was panting and sat down hard on the ground. Sakuno scooted over.
"Neh Kaoru-nii, hora." She held the cat out to him. He came back to life when she showed him the cat. He had a liking for animals, but for some reason they always grew nasty with him. He sat and stared at the cat that was being held under the arms. Suddenly, swipe! It scratched him across the face.
"TE-ME!!" he yelled. He stood up, as if he was on fire. The cat scooted out of Sakuno's arms and into the bushes. Sakuno burst into giggles. Luckily for him, the scratch didn't leave much but a few lines of dirt.
Everyone looked over to see a fired up Kaidoh, and a hysterical Sakuno.
"How could she be laughing when he looks so pissed of?" Arai asked his friend, almost afraid for the little girl.
Kaidoh looked down at the dark haired girl as she laughed until she was holding her stomach, she then fell back onto her back and accidentally hit her head.
"Itai!" she held her head, forgetting she had to be careful, she lay there for a few moments as the pain surged through her.
"Oi Doushita!!" he knelt down in a hurry.
"Sakuno-chan, you should go to the infirmary." Fuji appeared out-no-where, startling Kaidoh. The prodigy knelt down on her other side, and helped her up gently.
"Daijoubu desu." Sakuno laughed softly and held her head.
"Kaidoh, take her to the infirmary." The captain's voice said.
Don't these guys have footsteps? Kaidoh thought, being startled for the second time.
Silently obeying an order from his senpai, he turned around and allowed Fuji to place a fragile Sakuno on his back.
"Ja.." he breathed and left the courts.
"Why isn't anyone warming up?!" Tezuka turned back and commanded, seeing everyone stand there eyes wide, and mouths open.
Arai slapped his friend in the head.
"What was that for?!!"
"It's not a dream then. Kaidoh-senpai, what's wrong with him? I've never seen him like that before…" silent chatter about Kaidoh and Sakuno rippled through the team members.
Echizen hid under his cap. Why him? Why couldn't she have remembered me? Does that mean he was important to her? That's ridiculous, she was more scared of him than she was of the captain. Yarou…why is he so nice all of a sudden.
Although he was frustrated and kind of angry, he couldn't help but feel sad. Unknown even to his own mind, he had developed feelings for the cute girl some time ago. He was always finding subtle ways to talk to her, to be with her, and now she hated him. He had stood a chance back then, but now it seemed further away than ever.