Disclaimer: I do not own The Prince of Tennis

Chapter Sixteen: An Incident Not of Miyu's Doing

It was during those two weeks that this happened.

In the second week, the day Sakuno had such a nice time with Yagyuu and Miyu during lunchtime, she made up her mind to borrow the novels of Yokomizo Seishi from the public library.

She meant it as a surprise for Miyu, not knowing Miyu did not like reading.

Luckily, that day, there was no tennis practice and Miyu could not go home with her because she had detention for being late in the morning from Sano-sensei. Therefore, after school, she started out the gate, hobbled along for some time thinking that she was finally doing something for her friend instead of it being the other way around.

It did not take long for her to realize that she had no idea where the public library was. She had only moved here recently, directly the day after she left the hospital.

She was now in an area that she did not know and she was worried. Then, she reckoned if she kept on going, she might come across a busier road and then she might see someone to ask directions from.

Although there were houses all along the way she was going, she was not so stupid or innocent that she would go randomly to a strange house and just ask for help. To cheer herself up, she hummed a little song as she hobbled slowly.

After about twenty minutes, she came to the junction and decided to turn left. After all, she remembered someone telling her that if you were in a maze, then you should keep to the left and it would lead you out.

She came to second junction after another thirty minutes and again took the left. The third time, she made the same decision.

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Fellow readers, I wonder if you realize what Sakuno was doing.

She might have gotten out of the maze by that left-side theory but we have to remember, she was not in a maze but in an orderly residential area and all the left-turns she had been making was actually causing her to hobble in a vague circular route taking her back to where she began.

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Sakuno, being Sakuno, did not realize that she had been wandering, or maybe hobbling would be a better word, in circles. Therefore she went on her merry-go-around-the-block-way.

When she finally reached the place where she started from, not that she noticed, almost two hours and more had past and she was tired and starting to worry again.

Suddenly, someone patted her on the shoulder. She shrieked and turned quickly.

It was Yukimura Seiichi. He had his tennis bag slung over one shoulder and was smiling in amusement.

He had seen her humming to herself several junctions ago and feeling curious, had decided to follow her to see where she was going. When he realized that she had been taking only left turns, he guessed that she must be lost and thought he had better help her find her way.

He greeted her as gently as he could, "Ryuzaki-chan, are you alright? You look lost."

He did not tell her that he had been following her for a while, knowing that it would probably frighten her. Obviously, he still remembered the tears she shed in front of him.

Although he knew that it was not his fault, it cast a shade over his reputation for being the most gentle and non-threatening tennis player in the regulars, not that he really cared but he would have admit, only to himself, that it had stung.

It had stung even more when he had started receiving information from his regulars, the ones who gossiped, and from his sister that Sakuno was becoming very good friends with the ones with the scary reputations, like Sanada or Niou. She was even friends with the cool and aloof Yagyuu and while he would not have cared normally, this girl was his sister's close friend and he did not like the fact that all his regulars were friendly with her and he was not.

It had nothing to do with pride… Well, just a bit but no one needed to know that.

He honestly had wanted to get to know her better. He had not found the time these two weeks because he had been kept busy by various duties at school. Now was the perfect opportunity to, using Yanagi's words, collect data.

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Sakuno was mortified to be caught lost by Miyu's brother while she was trying to do something helpful for his sister. It was most embarrassing and she blushed, "U-uh… hai… Yukimura-senpai… I am lost…"

She sounded so embarrassed that Yukimura had to fight the urge not to grin.

He said, "Where are you going? I will probably know because I grew up in these parts. Why is Miyu not with you? I thought you two go home together."

Sakuno glanced at him, not sure whether she should tell him that Miyu was in detention; it seemed like carrying tales.

Yukimura knew his sister very well and quirked a slight smile, "Let me guess, since you don't want to say, she is probably in trouble."

Sakuno gasped and thought, "How did he know?"

Yukimura chuckled, "Ryuzaki-chan, Miyu has been my sister for sixteen years. I know her very well. Since I did not wake her up this morning, she mostly likely overslept and was late to school. I remember your class-teacher is Sano-sensei. If she was late, then Sano-sensei must have given her detention."

Sakuno's mouth was gaping; she was so surprised, "Is Yukimura-senpai telepathic? How does he know?"

Yukimura could not hold it any longer; her expression was so funny that he had to laugh and he did.

He burst out laughing, a healthy jolly sound that one rarely heard coming from him.

Sakuno's mouth gaped wider, she was completely lost now, no pun intended.

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Yukimura's laughter went on for a while and then his mirth slowly subsided.

He wiped away tears from the corners of his eyes, thinking, "I haven't had a good laugh like that in a very long time. This girl is amazing; no wonder my regulars like to spend time with her, she is so artless but then, that is part of her charm."

In the beginning, he had thought her to be a sweet and caring girl, someone who worried about others more than herself and also his sister's new friend.

He had only wanted to know her a bit, then he would back off, not really interested in making friends with such a young girl. He knew that he was only two years older but she gave the feeling of someone so much younger that he thought of her as a child.

He thought his regulars did as well, but it seemed that he was wrong. They obviously saw in her something that he had missed before.

This clean sincerity that was incapable of deceit; this gentleness coupled with a generous heart that reached out to others; this spring flower that bloomed rarely but when she did, she would be the most beautiful of all – Sakuno.

Now, he wanted to know more. He wanted to know more of this girl; still young, still innocent, so ignored by the vast majority of people who did not know how to appreciate her.

Yukimura Seiichi might have the appearance of a bed-ridden invalid but he was far from it.

He was the best tennis player in the best school in the country. He was also buchou to a group of proud and unruly tennis players; all of them just intent on one thing and that was to become better, stronger, to be the best. He was swift and determined when he had decided on a course of action and now this determination turned to Sakuno.

For the moment though, he would be patient.

There would be no point in frightening the young girl. He did not know if he was attracted to her as someone of the opposite sex but he did know that he was attracted by her essence.

Right now, this sweet flower was looking at him with a worried expression, "Uh… Yukimura-senpai, are you okay?"

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He was looking at her with such intensity that she thought she must have been dreaming. The intensity was quickly replaced by his usual gentle expression and she told herself that she must have been seeing things.

"Thank you, I'm fine. I just thought of something that happened and had to laugh. By the way, Sakuno, I may call you Sakuno, right? Miyu calls you that all the time and somehow it just slipped out." He lied easily.

Sakuno brightened to hear him mention Miyu; that was familiar ground, "Of course, senpai, you may call me Sakuno, just like Miyu-chan. Uh… actually, I was trying to find the public library." She went on to explain what she wanted to do, with a happy smile on her face.

Ever since she had met Miyu, Miyu had been her protector and confidante and she really wanted to do something for her. If not for her ankle, she would have been able to make bento regularly for Miyu because she seemed to like her cooking but that would have to wait.

Yukimura had to bite his lip to keep from laughing again at the thought of Miyu being pleasantly surprised by the novels that Sakuno was going to find.

His dear sister could never sit still for long, except for mealtimes, and the thought of her expression when she received the 'surprise' was so amusing that he vowed he must be there when Sakuno presented Miyu with the novels.

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After he knew of her purpose, they made their way to the public library and Sakuno got several novels that Yagyuu had recommended.

During their walk, Yukimura got her talking about these two weeks. Delighted that they had common friends, Sakuno chatted on lightly about her lunchtimes with the regulars and how happy she was to be at Rikkai Dai.

Yukimura listened indulgently as he walked her home and added funny little anecdotes about the regulars.

They were mostly embarrassing situations that the regulars got into over the years. They would never have told her those stories about themselves, maybe about each other but now that Yukimura had taken charge, they all spilled out to pleasure this girl who was burrowing into their hearts, taking root.

Sakuno laughed and laughed at the ridiculous stories; she could not believe that the regulars could be anything but perfect; however, some of the situations that Yukimura described were definitely less than perfect.

When they got to her doorstep, she hobbled onto the step with ease and turned carefully; it would not do to trip just when she reached home, that was be embarrassing, not that she thought Yukimura would mind because he was such a kind person.

Little did she know that she was right: he would not mind but for totally different reasons.

Yukimura smiled gently at the trusting face turned towards him.

Sakuno was about to thank him and say goodbye when he bent down and kissed her on the cheek. Her face flamed and her doe-like eyes widened.

Yukimura smiled apologetically, "I'm sorry, you are such a close friend of Miyu's that I was thinking of you as another sister. I have this habit of kissing her cheek."

This was not totally a lie because they did have this habit, only it was years since they last did it. It was stopped because his regulars teased Miyu mercilessly when they found out and she lost her temper.

Sakuno bought his reason and said shyly, "Oh, I-I see. Uh… today, ano… arigatou-gozaimasu, Yukimura-senpai, for taking me to the library and walking me home. I had a really nice time."

Yukimura replied, "I had a nice time too. I'm glad that we became friends, ne, Sakuno."

Sakuno was flustered, "Huh? But, senpai, I am only a first-year student; you shouldn't call me friend. That is too great an honor!" She was very happy but did not feel she had done anything to deserve being called a friend of the popular and esteemed buchou of the Rikkai Dai boys' tennis club.

Yukimura had expected a similar reaction and she did not disappoint him, "No, you are Miyu's friend and therefore, my friend." He put on a hurt expression, "Or maybe you don't want to be friends with me?"

Sakuno would have wrung her hands they had not been clutching her crutches, "No, I mean, yes, I would love to be your friend, Yukimura-senpai; I would love to be your friend!"

At that moment, the soft-hearted Sakuno would have said anything to wipe that hurt expression of Yukimura's face; it packed so much more power behind it than Bunta's puppy-hurt-look.

Yukimura smiled in real delight, "Then, we are friends, Sakuno. By the way, wait for me tomorrow at lunchtime. I want to be with you when you give those novels to Miyu. I want to see how happy she will be."

Sakuno nodded and agreed, happy once more that Yukimura was not sad and she thought that Miyu was lucky to have such a caring and loving brother. She waved as Yukimura took his leave and then Sakuno went inside.

It was probably for the best that she did not see the smile of anticipation that he allowed himself as he walked away.