Tennis no Hime – Sama

"E – eh? We're going at your place? Right now?"

Ryoma gave an insufferable sigh as Sakuno wailed about 'surprise meetings' and 'Why didn't you say it sooner?' statements. He could guess that her previous outburst was the tenth time already.

"I thought you want to meet my old man. So, I'm taking you to him now."

Sakuno glared at him as if he'd grown two heads. Even to the extent of their relationship, Ryoma still couldn't understand her or the opposite sex, in general. Even now, he was still amazed in how a woman could easily switch moods like his nitouryuu ability in gripping a racket. Before, he was unaccustomed to Sakuno's quirks and worries and usually when things go out of hand, they would end up in an argument and then resulting into a fight.

"You shouldn't be so uptight especially to something like this. It's just a visit," he replied in an attempt to calm her frazzled nerves. Somehow, he was adjusting to Sakuno's emotional switch and it was getting interesting.

To his amusement, Sakuno complained. "A visit! Only a visit! Ryoma, are you insane! I'm about to meet your father in a very unexpected time and you don't want me to be uptight!"

"Sakuno, it's not like my dad is going to eat you up once he sees you," he chided playfully.

"No! That's not what I meant by that, Ryoma!" Sakuno wailed exasperatedly, waving her arms in different directions to prove her point. People who were walking by the sidewalks would stop and look at them then they'll be on their way, amusement shown in their faces.

Ryoma could feel the heated glances of the passerbyes as they watch him being yelled at by a girl.

He needed a drink of Ponta right now. "Then tell me, what the hell is bothering you? You said you'd like to meet my dad and then when I'm about to bring you to him, you acted like a wild animal. Now give me a reasonable explanation."

He could have sworn he saw steam come out of Sakuno's ears and mentally pinched himself from laughing. It was getting hilarious and if he only got a hold of his camera, a shot of her would be very priceless in his photo album.

Luckily, after 30 seconds she managed to calm down. Glancing at Ryoma, she smiled sheepishly. "I just wanted to prepare in meeting your father, Ryoma – kun. I don't want to act clumsy in front of him you know."

"And just what the heck do you mean by that, Ryuzaki?"

"I just want to change into something more presentable so that your father will like me," she shyly explained. If it weren't for his cap, Sakuno could almost see his golden eyes wide as saucers.

"That's it? You've been ranting for almost two hours just because you wanted to change your clothes? Man, you could've told me in the first place!" Ryoma blurted aloud, causing Sakuno to giggle.

"I really meant what I said earlier, Ryoma – kun," she said simply.

Now it was his turn to freak out. "But that's only a small problem! I thought you were having some kind of those women things and then you'll tell me that you were just having clothing dilemma!"

"Anou, Ryoma – kun, you shouldn't be so uptight about it. You said so, earlier."

"Uptight? I was terribly worried when you suddenly freaked out on me and now you said I'm uptight!" Ryoma snapped.

It was now Sakuno's turn to sigh. Their roles are now inevitably reversed.

"I'll be done in fifteen minutes!" was all Sakuno said before she disappeared into the bathroom leaving Ryoma standing like a statue in the living room.

Ryoma shrugged in an attempt to ease the pain in his neck. It was another pointless argument. He definitely needed to grab a can of Ponta now. He was almost close in psychoanalyzing Sakuno's behavior. Maybe if he could get a chance to drop by a bookstore, he would grab a copy of "Understanding the Female Biology for Dummies".

More than fifteen minutes have passed, and Ryoma was already getting comfortable slouching in the sofa. He was on the verge of falling sleep when Sakuno reappeared, wearing a pink knitted sweater with cherry blossom petals embroidered in the fabric and a simple blue denim skirt. He blinked once, twice, registering the image of her in his brain as he took notice of her long brown hair swaying softly just behind her back.

"You let your hair down," he commented awkwardly. He had nothing more to say, really.

Sakuno ran her hand through her hair. "Well, I decided to look more sophisticated and mature. Wearing braids will make me a little bit childish."

'Don't forget clumsy,' Ryoma sarcastically thought.

Sakuno ignored Ryoma's quiet musings and headed to the kitchen. Out of curiousity, he followed her and leaned back in the kitchen stall watching her remove contents in the refrigerator.

He crossed his arms. "What are you doing?"

"We're going to bake a cake for Nanjirou – san." She answered without looking at him.

Ryoma's jaw dropped. "You're baking a cake for oyaji?"

Sakuno closed the refrigerator with her butt then turned to him. "We're going to bake a cake for your father, Ryoma – kun."

"We? What do you mean 'we'? I don't even know how to boil water!" Ryoma whined.

"There's no use for boiling water in baking, Ryoma – kun."

"I know that! I'm just stating a fact that I can't cook!"

Sakuno rolled her eyes. "That's why you're going to help me bake, Ryoma – kun."

Ryoma reluctantly sat in one of the chairs in the dining room and crossed his arms. "Alright I'll help. What do you want me to do?"

Sakuno went to him and placed a mixing bowl, beater, and a carton of eggs in the table. Ryoma scrutinized them critically as if they were foreign to him.

"Don't tell me this is the first time you've seen an egg," she commented teasingly as she pulled two eggs inside the carton.

He gave her a disgusted look. "I'm not that dumb."

She gave him a sour look as she glanced at the ingredients in front of him. "You can start beating the eggs first."

Silence hung in the air as Ryoma blinked. Beat eggs? Beating tennis balls with a racket seems easy but eggs?

"I don't know how," he muttered quietly.

"What did you say, Ryoma – kun?"

"I don't…I don't know how to beat an egg," he answered, cheeks reddened from embarrassment. Sakuno stared at him for a few minutes letting the idea sink into her head. And when it did, she giggled.

"Just imagine the egg is a tennis ball, Ryoma – kun," she softly explained, holding the egg up for him to see. She picked up the beater and added, "And this beater is your racket."

Ryoma watched in childlike fascination as he observed Sakuno cracked open the egg and began to beat the egg white and yolk expertly as she continued to explain.

"You do it like this as if you're just swinging your racket. You keep beating it until it is purely yellow and firm. Just imagine your racket swings, Ryoma – kun," she said, handing the job to him. Ryoma glared at it then picked up the beater.

'You can do this,' he told himself. 'Momo – senpai will probably laugh his socks off if he finds out that I can't even beat a lousy egg.'

Breathing deeply, he imagined himself holding a racket and began to swing it and after several broken eggs and numerous spills, he finally got it and he was now enjoying himself.

Unbeknownst to him, Sakuno was laughing her head off as she preheated the oven and continued mixing other ingredients. Cooking with Echizen Ryoma was a fun – filled experience.

Unless you have a lot of stocks in the fridge in case Ryoma rans out of ingredients due to his occasional spills and clumsiness.

She sighed. 'I just hope this turns out delicious.'