Arigatou, Sakuno
I thank for all your support, I hope that there were more readers reading this as it was my first story. I know that my language was not that good but I try and work harder.
As Ryoma and the regulars came back to Sakuno's room, Oishi and Sumire were inside. Sumire stay up from the chair and walk towards Ryoma. She pats his shoulder as Ryoma look up at his coach, who looks depress and tired.
Sumire: I'm counting on you to look after her, Ryoma...
Ryoma: Hm.
Sumire: I got to go home and rest too now...
Ryoma: Ano..Ryuusaki-sensei!
Sumire: Nandai?
Ryoma: I would like to skip tomorrow's tennis club to come and visit Sakuno...so...
Sumire: Alright, you can. But next time, you will still need to come to the club in the morning.
Ryoma: Hm. Arigatou.
Oishi: Ja, Echizen, we will leave you here, see you at school tomorrow.
Momoshiro: Echizen, I'll come and pick you up tomorrow morning!
Eiji: Shhh, Momo, lower down your volume. Ja ne, Ochibi.
Kawamura: I can make a bentou for you if you are staying the whole afternoon here tomorrow.
Kaidou: SShhh...good luck...
Inui: I can also make a special "Inui Juice" for you to have the energy to stay for a long period.
Momoshiro: You mean a long period lying on the bed in hospital.
Fuji: Remember my words, Echizen.
Ryoma: Arigatou, Senpai tachi...
When all of them are gone, Ryoma walks to the side of Sakuno's bed and holds her right hand as he sits on the chair. He moves a few strains of hair away from her face. Ryoma notices that Sakuno has bandages around her forehead (no the whole head), some plaster were on her face (if you got watch one of the episode, when Ryoma go hit by the stones from Akastu, you should know how it looks like.), her right hand and chest were bandaged too.
Ryoma: Sakuno...
Chapter 4: Present
Next morning, Momoshiro is riding his bicycle but slowly because the floors were wet due to the heavy downpour yesterday night.
Momoshiro: "I wonder how Echizen went back yesterday. Nah, I don't think he went back that late."
He stops in front of Ryoma's house.
Momoshiro: Oi! Echizen!
Nanako: Ara? Momoshiro-kun, you came to pick up Ryoma-san again?
Momoshiro: Ah, he must be very tired after what happened yesterday...
Nanako: What happened yesterday? Ryoma-san came back, soaked wet from head to toe, at around midnight 1 or 2am. I wanted to ask him, but he refused.
Momoshiro: 1 or 2am?! Man, was he still blaming himself?
Ryoma: Ohayo..go..sai..mas...
Nanako: Ryoma-san, did you have enough sleep?
Ryoma: Mane...Yawn...
Momoshiro: Get on, Echizen or we will be late for the club.
Nanako: Take care.
As they were on the way to school, Momoshiro glance back for a while and saw Ryoma falling asleep while standing behind him on the bicycle.
Momoshiro: Echizen! Oi, Echizen!
Ryoma: Ah?! Nanska...Yawn...
Momoshiro: You...I mean...are you...
Ryoma: I'm alright, Momo-chan Senpai. Don't you worry; I'm looking at the brighter side now.
Momoshiro: That's good. I thought that you will be blaming yourself again.
When they reach Seigaku, Momoshiro place his bicycle at the parking slot while Ryoma was waiting for him a few distance in front of him. When he was done, he pats Ryoma on the back to tell him to move. Instead of moving, Ryoma fell but was caught by Momoshiro.
Momoshiro: Oi! Are you really alright?! I heard from your cousin that you were caught in the downpour yesterday night, were you sick after that? I bring you to the medical room.
Ryoma: Hontou ni daijoubu, let's go...or we will be late.
Ryoma push off Momoshiro's hand and went to the club first. Although he says that he was alright, Momoshiro can see that he was weak. He rubs his head and sighs as he follows Ryoma to the club. When they finish their changing, Ryoma walk towards Fuji.
Ryoma: Fuji-Senpai, I would like to have a warming up with you.
Fuji: Alright.
The both of them went to a court and start their warming, while they were playing, Fuji notices that Ryoma was not using any strength on his hits and his movement was inflexible. It was then he notices a tennis ball flying towards Ryoma.
Fuji: Echizen!!
Ryoma: Eh?!
Everyone expect that Ryoma will easily hit the ball back with the quick reaction of his, but he didn't. Ryoma get hit at the side of his right eye and fell onto the ground. Fuji and all the other members run to him.
Fuji: Echizen!!
Eiji: Oi, Ochibi!!
Momoshiro: Who the heck hit that ball?!
Horio: It...It was an accident...I didn't mean it!! Gome nasai!!
Ryoma: Itei...
Before Ryoma sits up, Fuji places his hand on Ryoma's head.
Fuji: No wonder, you're having a high fever. That's why you don't even had the energy to dodge or hit back the ball.
Momoshiro: See?! I told you to go to the medical room! How can you be fine after being caught in the downpour yesterday night?!
Eiji: NYA?! Hontou deska, Ochibi?!
Ryoma: Momo-chan Senpai, you are so big-mouth! Fine, I'll go to see sensei now.
Sumire: And you will go back home straight away.
Ryoma: Eh?! Nande?!
Sumire: Kono Baka!! (Touch Ryoma's forehead)Having such a high fever and you still want to continue schooling?! I will drive you home after you see the sensei!
Ryoma: Demo!! Ryuusaki-sensei, I still need to go...
Sumire(whisper into Ryoma's ear): I will bring you to the hospital after I drove you back home and let you change your clothes.
Ryoma smirks and nods his head as he went to the medical room with Sumire. After the check-up and drinking the medicine, Sumire drove Ryoma home. After he has his clothes changed, they drove to the hospital. On the way, they saw a lot of decoration of the upcoming Christmas Day this Sunday. It was then he remembers what Sakuno had said the day before she had the car accident.
Sakuno: Do you plan to buy any gift for Christmas Day?
Ryoma: Iie...Doushita?
Sakuno: Nan...Nan demo nai!! Ja, matta ashita!
Ryoma: "A Christmas present. I wonder..."
When they reach the hospital, Sumire drops Ryoma at the main entrance.
Sumire: I'll come and pick you up after school.
Ryoma: Hm.
Sumire drives offand Ryoma went to Sakuno's room. He sits down on the chair besides her bed and holds onto her hand. Ryoma can still feel the feeling of sickness within his body and the headache in his head. He suddenly wonders what happened if Sakuno knows he was sick, she will be worrying like hell, maybe.
Ryoma: You must be worry if you knew that I'm sick, who knows, maybe you won't.
Sakuno did not reply but just sleep soundlessly like a baby. Ryoma's heart aches seeing her like that, he tightens his grip on her hand but trying not to hurt her.
Ryoma: Pleasewake up; I want you to be awake, smiling, cheering for me and alive! It hurts me to see you like this. "Hurt?"
He remember those days when Sakuno always worrying for him, but he just tells her off. She cried and went away. Ryoma touches her face.
Ryoma: So this is how you feel when you saw me injured...Gome...I only notice it until this very day. Gome, Sakuno...
He looks down at his wrist which still has the pink ribbon Sakuno gave to him tied onto it.It was then his stomach growls; Ryoma realizes that he didn't have his breakfast as he did not have the appetite. He searches his pocket for money, but he only found 300 yen. He sighs as he knew that he can't buy food with only 300 yen, the food in the hospital were much more expensive than those outside. So he decided went to a venting machine out along the corridor to buy a drink. He inserts a 100 yen coin into the machine and thinking what he wants to drink. When he was about to press the button for a Ponta, he remembers that he was sick by the way and Sakuno will stop him from drinking it. He smiles at that thought and press the bottom for a bottle of milk. Ryoma takes a glance at the clock on the wall near the venting machine: 11.30am.
Ryoma: "Ryuusaki-sensei will be coming at around 1 to 2pm..."
At 1.30pm, Sumire has arrived at the hospital. But when she was about to went in, all the regulars shown up before her.
Sumire: AH?! Wh..Why are all of you down here?!
Fuji: To come and visit Ryuusaki-chan and Echizen.
Sumire: W..What do you mean? Ryoma is not here!
Eiji: Don't need to lie to us, Sensei. We saw the whole thing with our eyes!
Momoshiro: That's right, Ryuusaki-sensei. You can't cheat us.
Oishi: You shouldn't have done that you know.
Kaidou: SShhh...why must I come along..?
Kawamura: And I promised to make a bentou for Echizen.
Inui: And I make a special "Inui Juice" for him too.
Everyone: YOU DRINK IT YOURSELF!!!
Sumire: Since all of you knew about it, let's go.
When they went into the room, all of them went silence as they saw Ryoma sleeping with his head at the side of Sakuno's bed, he was still holding onto her hand. Everyone, even Kaidou, smiles as they saw this heart-warming scene.
Eiji: Ochibi is so cute when he sleeps like this, kawaii!!
Oishi: Eiji, lower down your volume.
Momoshiro moves quietly to Ryoma and shakes him gently.
Momoshiro: Echizen, wake up.
Ryoma: Hm..? Momo..chan...senpai...?
Eiji: Konichiwa, Ochibi. Are you feeling better?
Fuji (touch Ryoma's forehead): Looks like your fever was almost gone.
Ryoma places his hand on his stomach as it growls again. Kawamura notices it and moves towards him.
Kawamura: Echizen. You must be hungry now. Hai, kore, bentou.
Ryoma: Arigatou, Kawamura-senpai.
Inui: And this special "Inui Juice" is for you.
Ryoma (sweat dropped): Eh...I think I'll pass that for that...
Eiji: Neh, Ochibi, this Sunday, you free? It's Christmas Day, we plans to celebrate it at Taka-san's Sushi shop.
Ryoma thinks for a while and looks at Sakuno, he smiles and looks back at his seniors.
Ryoma: I want to stay here with Sakuno. I don't want her to be alone on that special day.
Oishi: It's alright but tried not to stress yourself too much.
Ryoma: Hai...
At 5pm in the evening, all of them went back together. As they were walking down the streets, Ryoma went into a shop which sells needle works materials. After 5 to 10 minutes of choosing, Ryoma bought his stuffs and came out from the shop.
Momoshiro: What have you bought, Echizen?
Ryoma: Nothing much... "A present for Sakuno..."
What did Ryoma plans to do? Stay tuned for the next chapter.
