Again, I thank you all for your reviews! It's giving me tons of motivation!

I scrathed out the extra chapter bit, decided to keep it to nine chapters after all, heheh.

Anyway, enjoy this fic!

This is so abnormal.

Ryoma was nervous. Ryoma was never nervous. Could it be because he'll be flying to America tomorrow? No, he's pretty much used to flying. Is it because he'll be in a foreign land? No, he's been to America so there shouldn't be anything foreign about it. Could it be the competition? Definitely not!

Could it be her…?

Ryoma swung his racquet with utmost vigour. The tennis ball hit the wall and sprang high into the air, but Ryoma didn't bother to try and catch it. For reality was sinking in…

It was her.

She had somehow managed to squirm into his heart and made a place there no tennis could ever push away. She was someone special to him that was for sure. And regret kept banging on his head.

He was too harsh, and surely she would never look at him again.

'Maybe it's for the better,' he thought. He went to pick up the tennis ball and started to hit it again. 'She probably wouldn't like me anyway. I'd be too caught up with tennis, and I'm bound to leave her behind. Girls don't like to be left behind…'

But reasoning didn't stop the pain. He wants her to be there tomorrow.

[Ryoma]
It seems like every day's the same
And I'm left to discover on my own
It seems like everything is gray
And there's no color to behold

They say it's over and I'm fine again, yeah
Try to stay sober feels like I'm dying here

And I am aware now of how
Everything's gonna be fine one day
Too late, I'm in hell
I am prepared now
Seems everyone's gonna be fine
One day too late, just as well

I feel the dream in me expire
And there's no one left to blame it on
I hear you label me a liar
Because I can't seem to get this through

You say it's over, I can sigh again, yeah
Why try to stay sober when I'm dying here

And I am aware now of how
Everything's gonna be fine one day
Too late, I'm in hell
I am prepared now
Seems everyone's gonna be fine
One day too late, just as well

And I'm not scared now
I must assure you
You're never gonna get away
And I'm not scared now
And I'm not scared now
No

I am aware now of how
Everything's gonna be fine one day
Too late, I'm in hell
I am prepared now
Seems everyone's gonna be fine
One day too late, just as well

I am prepared now,
Seems everything's gonna be fine for me
For me, for myself.
For me, for me, for myself
For me, for me, for myself
I am prepared now for myself
I am prepared now, and I am fine again

"Hmph," said Ryoma, aloud. "Well that didn't work."

Suddenly, he heard a faint voice. "Ryoma-kun."

He let the ball fall again. He lowered his racquet to look transfixed…

At Sakuno.

This song is by Seether, called 'Fine Again'. I'm sure many of you don't know this song, in fact it was all mere luck how I stumbled to this song. I chose this song particularly because it shows a side of Ryoma that is very, very frustrated... up until he thinks tennis is useless! ('I feel the dream in me expire, and there's no one left to blame it on....')

Too short? LOL, I know... and if this fic doesn't satisfy your love for RyoSaku, wait till the next chapter.

Next chapter, Sakuno comes to Ryoma's aid? Wait a sec, is that Ryoma talking to Sakuno?