Tennis no Oujisama © Konomi Takeshi, Jump, Shueisha

Summery: After rejecting Seigaku's high school and entering Hyoutei's high school, Sakuno still has yet to tell Ryoma-kun she wasn't going to be going to school with him. After becoming friends with him, she still had a crush for him. How will he react?

Together on the Courts

Chapter One:

Doesn't Matter

"Ow..." she said softly, looking up at Ryoma-kun, who had just flicked her forehead, with a frown. Ryoma-kun turned his head slightly, moving to the extra swing besides her before sitting down and sighing. She had simply asked if he would miss her if she went to a different high school other than Seigaku and, of course, Ryoma-kun would flick her on the forehead before giving her a proper answer. Even though it was going to be true, Sakuno was going to reject entering Seigaku and, instead, enter Hyoutei's high school. However, she didn't feel up to telling Ryoma-kun that (especially since he flicked her head).

"You're an idiot," he muttered, loud enough for her to hear.

"Eh?" she responded, knowing she should be use to that by now but couldn't help feeling hurt at the same time. It was an important matter, going to different schools that is. Despite Ryoma-kun's cold shoulder to her in the beginning, she had somehow formed a friendship between the two of them and having her leave would mean they wouldn't see each other again.

He breathed in deeply, leaning forward causing his dark locks to slide down and block his eyes (his cap missing because of school regulations). "You're so stupid sometimes," he continued, a small smirk appearing on his lips while she looked away, "and you were wicked annoying in the beginning--"

"Ryoma-kun," Sakuno said dryly, moving her leg so she swung back and forth. "It was a simple question, so if you want you can just forget all--"

"But," he said, ignoring what she had said and getting up. She eyed him until he disappeared from her sight, walking behind her. She felt a light push on her back a realized he was swinging her. "I think I'd miss those lunches you make me."

"You think?" she muttered.

He suddenly stopped her from swinging and clasped the sides of the swing, she blushed when she felt his face next to hers and looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "Would you rather me saying that I would miss them?"

"Eh..." she trailed off, looking down, a light blush touching her cheeks, "i- it'd make me feel better."

He smirked, pulling away from her. "It doesn't matter does it? You're not going anywhere."

She didn't move, even after he begun to walk away. Her toes traced into the sand (she removed her shoes earlier to join Ryoma-kun who was leaving from where he ate lunch) as a heavy feeling entered her chest. Biting her lip she forced herself not to cry as she rose her head to look up at Ryoma-kun who waited with Kato-kun from Class 3-1-- Kato being the one who called out to her. Nodding, she placed her socks and shoes back on before running over to them, a forced smile on her lips.

Back in class Tomo-chan greeted her by pulling on her arm and getting her into a seat before asking, "Did you break the news to him?"

Sakuno blushed, tucking her hair behind her ear. She now wore it down and, like Tomo-chan, had given up the pigtails. At that moment her hair was placed into a low ponytail and it seemed that the elastic was close to breaking, seeing as her hair kept on falling down to her face. "I tried," she whispered, wincing as Tomo-chan shook her head.

"What are you going to do? We have graduation in a week!" she stated causing Sakuno to blush and sink lower into her seat. "Do you want me to tell him?"

She had considered this greatly, after all Tomo-chan always asked her if she would mind but it didn't seem fair to Ryoma-kun. "No," she said, pulling the elastic away from her hair, "I'll tell him."

Hands grabbed the elastic and she jumped from shock—not from the sudden action but by the owner's voice. "Tell who what?" Ryoma-kun asked before looking at the black elastic. "It's breaking, Ryuzaki," he said, throwing it back onto her lap.

"Ah, yeah," she said, smiling at him, "thank you for telling me."

He shrugged. "Are you going to give a confession or something?" he asked, watching as her cheeks colored.

"W- What?"

"That's actually a good idea," Tomo-chan said, causing Sakuno to sink into her seat. "What would you do if she confessed to you, Ryoma-sama?"

"Eh?" Sakuno asked, sitting up and looking at Tomo-chan, "w- wait, I never said that I would even--"

"Doesn't matter," Ryoma-kun said with another shrug. Sakuno stood, facing Ryoma-kun who looked back, his expression changing when he noticed her eyes were watering. "R- Ryuzaki?"

"Idiot," she said softly, her fist clenching at her side, "How can you say that so easily? Doesn't matter! I suppose it doesn't matter if I really didn't go to the same high school as you!"

"But you aren't..." Ryoma-kun said slowly while Tomo-chan groaned besides him.

Sakuno gave a watery smile and shook her head as she tried to calm her self by taking a deep breath. "Sorry," she said, "but I'm going to Hyoutei's high school."

"Hyoutei?" Ryoma-kun repeated.

"Excuse me," Sakuno said, ignoring Ryoma-kun's protest as she left the room.

End

Chapter One

Author's Note: Ah, I thought this plot looked interesting so instead of ignoring the plot bunny (bugged me for most of my slumber), I wrote it. It seems good so far so I'll continue-- however, I'm not sure about the graduation part of the story and about the high schools. Hehe, gomen if it's wrong.