Chapter 5: End
'Ryoma-kun confessed to me.'
'Ryoma-kun confessed to me.'
'Ryoma-kun confessed to me.'
'And we're now dating! Huuueee'
That's the only thing keeps chanting on Sakuno's mind. Sakuno was indeed in cloud nine. She not even realized what time or how Ryoma took her home, right after his confession, it seems her mind shut down on its own. She was still in dazed, wondering for what just happened. She couldn't remember how they or more appropriate to say how Ryoma ended up talking to her grandmother, asking her permission that they are officially dating. Everything was vague and fast on her, she couldn't grasp any of it, aside from the thing that they are now officially dating. seems like everything that happened was not properly registered in her mind. Everything was not clear to her aside from the repetitively confession of the tennis prince.
"Sakuno, you were going to be late if you still in dazed like that!" Sumire, her grandmother said, amused on how her granddaughter keeps staring for nothing in her bento box. Hunching the reason why she was acting like that, she sighed.
"Gomen obaa-chan! I'm going now" blushing, Sakuno duck her head as she continued wrapping her bentos.
"You better be, your boyfriend is already outside, waiting for you"
'boyfriend'
Right, Sakuno face blushed ten times right now, just hearing that word her face heated, she felt her whole face burned, who would imagine that the tennis prince will be confessed to her? She's just plain and unpopular. She's not even that good at everything she does.
And being his girlfriend is like a dream come true.
'I am not dreaming, isn't it?'
Convincing herself that everything is true, she slightly pinched her cheeks in a process.
"Sakuno, what are you still doing there?" Her grandmother was surprised seeing her in the entrance of their door, holding the key of their car.
"Gomen! I'm going now obaa-chan!" She said with eyes closed dashing her way out to their house.
"Okay be careful" Sumire shouted
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"What took you so long?" The tennis prince asks the moment he saw her dashing out of their house.
"Gomene Ryoma-kun" she said gasping for breath, her one hand was on her knees.
"Let's go" the young prodigy shrugs, he reaches for her hand aiming a loud gasp for the girl. "What now? As if we never hold hands before" he said casually.
"Anou... Do you think it's okay?" She asks, whispering every word.
Ryoma's brows furrowed, as if what she was saying is a completely nonsense, "Why? I don't see anything wrong holding my girlfriend's hand like this" he said slightly raising their hands in the air " unless you plan to keep our relationship in a secret" he said accusingly.
The brunette girl ducks her head, embarrassed as her thoughts was red-handedly caught by him. The young prodigy sighed, he stared at her intensely, "if you were worried about my stupid fans, don't worry about it. I don't intend to keep our relationship in secret, and I don't have any plans to keep you a secret to everyone else" he said before gently pulling her. "So, now let's go. I don't want to start a day being scolded by Yamato sensei." they both started walking together. Sakuno can't help but to stare at his back, just like what she was doing before. He got taller a lot; he was no longer the shortest member of the tennis team. Sakuno smiled.
'Since when Ryoma-kun becomes tall like this? His hand is somewhat big too"
Just how she thought it is, as long as their feet touches the Seigaku grounds, many eyes were silently staring at them, particularly on their intertwined hands. She blushed, not wanting the whole crowed attention as they keep walking together.
"I'll be going now, see you in the class" Ryoma said, looking at her straight in her eyes. His golden orbs somewhat telling her to be careful on her way to their classroom, somehow makes her smiled.
"Be careful Ryoma-kun" she said smiling at him. Making the tennis prince nodded his head.
"Un."
Sakuno silently watch his retreating back, as he was walking on his way to the tennis court. She decided to continue walking towards their classroom. while walking, Sakuno was thinking of how she will tell her best friend everything, 'I wonder what will Tomoka reaction'
'Mou. Until now I can't believe this is happening!'
As long as she reaches their classroom, she took a deep breathe. Slowly she walks through their door only to be greeted with a loud banging of the door where her best friend, Tomoka standing with huge, delighted grins on her face, her eyes were glistering with so much happiness.
"SAKUNO! I'M SO PROUD OF YOU! AS THE PRESIDENT OF RYOMA-SAMA FAN CLUB, I'M SO HAPPY! YOUR THE PERFECT MATCH TO OUR PRINCE! KYAAAAA!" She squeaks excitedly, she jumps on her, hugging her, all of the sudden, all the attentions were caught by them.
"Tomo-chan! How did you know?"
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Ryoma is somehow earlier than usual, which is pretty unusual to the young tennis prince, since he was never an early person to begin with. But ever since he came back, his own body seems cooperating at him as well, as if it has his own life waking him up so early every single day due to his free will of picking up a certain pigtailed girl on her house, it's not he is force to do so, he never complaining neither, in fact he likes the idea of picking and sending her out to her home, he loves doing it for the sake of the girl's safety. Knowing how awful and terribly her sense of direction she has, he can't risk it. Ryoma's reverie been cut as he saw the little commotion of his senpais inside the court. They were bickering inside for god knows he didn't know or at least he didn't care at all. He sighed, muttering how stupid his senpais were.
"Chissu" the tennis prince greeted, he walks beside their vice-captain, Oishi who busy stopping the unessential bickering of his two senpais Momoshiro and Kaido.
"Oi.. Oi.. Echizen" upon seeing him, Momoshiro stops from his petty fight with Kaido, he jogs beside him, strangling the tennis prodigy by his arms.
"Let go! Momo-senpai" Ryoma grunted.
"So young ... So young ..." Momoshiro keeps on saying
"Hoi... Hoi... Hoi... Ochibi! Omedeto!" Eiji jumps on him too.
'What are they talking about?'
"Hanase! Eiji-senpai" he glared at his senpais who keeps grinning like an idiot. The tennis prodigy itself was baffled.
"Probability of Echizen and Ryuuzaki officially dating... 100%" Inui said as he scribbled something on his precious book.
That caught his attention at all. 'What the hell, they knew already?'
"How on earth you knew? Inui senpai" the tennis prince asks, completely free from strangling of the two. Glaring each of them.
"That's a... Very... Classified information" the data tennis player said.
"So, it's true then? You didn't even deny it" Fuji said smiling creepily as usual.
"Che." He grunted, why he ever wondered then, his senpais were simply ... Never mind. Could it be? He glared one more time to his senpais, realizing that they might broke their promised they made for him.
'So much for trusting my senpais!'
"Nya! Our ochibi has a girlfriend nya! He's finally a man now nya!" Ochibi chanted animatedly.
"So how is it? How is it Echizen?" Momo grins elbowing him.
"Stop it Momo-senpai" he grunted. "As if you don't know what happened!" He back fired. Momoshiro gulp sentence guilty. He sweatdropped in the processed. 'Does Echizen already knew we were there?'
Of course, given the fact how sharp minded their kouhai was, it was not hard to guess it right, plus, he knows them very well, how simply nosy there are.
"Saa... What's the commotion happening now?"
All of their attention shifted to the person or rather to the people went inside the court. They all greeted their coach, Yamato sporting his easygoing aura as well as their buchou, Tezuka in his usual stoic expression.
"Saa... Since everyone is extremely energetic today, why don't we start our morning practice?" Their coach said, grinning, until now, Ryoma is wondering how he become the coach of the Seigaku High School team, knowing he's just 2-3 years old older than his senpais. Well, maybe given his skills it might not be impossible though. "But before we proceed, Echizen-kun" their orange-haired coach call his attention " congratulation for dating a sweet, innocent and charming Sakuno-chan" he said dazzling a teasingly smiled.
"You too sensei?" Ryoma grunted. He looks again with his senpais accusingly.
"Saa... Echizen, news flash fast than your cyclone smash" Tensai Fuji smiled, creepily.
"Che." Ryoma retorted. The young prodigy has a strong feeling that he was right, they are there. His stupid senpais were there. "Wait for my payback, stupid senpais'
"But, we're just happy that the two of you are together now" Oishi finally said. "Just take care of Sakuno-chan, she's like a younger sister for the all of us" he said, seriously.
"Oishi is right nya! Don't ever hurt Sa-chan feelings nya!" Eiji said, his one eye close while wagging his pointing finger in the air.
"You can't hurt her, you can't neither" Momoshiro said. "Nah... Mamushi"
"Fsuusshhhh"
"Or else... You will experience the wrath of our specialty moves" Fuji said with cerulean eyes sharply open.
"And do not let your guard down" this time, their ever-stoic face captain speak.
"Nah...Nah... I believe that Echizen wouldn't do such thing ro hurt Ryuuzaki-chan" Kawamura said, one hand scratching the back of his head.
"Che, you don't have to tell me that. I don't have a plan to hurt her" Ryoma grunted more.
"Saa... Let's proceed were we stop then" Yamato sensei said, he looks at the freshmen trio, gesturing something, hurriedly the trio pinned something on the white board. They all look on what is pinned in the board. It is the lists of the teams that will going to participate in the Regional Tournaments.
"Mitte... Mitte... We're on block B! Sugoii! We have a lots team to have a match on" Eiji, having a sharp eye sight easily saw it.
"Sou ka" Fuji look at it too, his thumb and pointing finger are on his chin.
"Huh? Our first opponent will be Midoriyama?" Momoshiro said.
"That's right Momo, Midoriyama" Inui said as he fixes his eyeglasses and start reading his book "Midoriyama they have 40 members in their tennis club, and 20 of it was considerably regulars." Inui pauses. "If you're thinking that they are still the same Midoriyama we beat during middle school, I bet they're not,"
"I heard this is the only tournament that they start being active again" Fuji said this time
"Your right, according to my source, they increase their strategical coaches from three to five. And their regulars? As far as I research the only thing I known about them, they are the same level as Tezuka"
"Maji?!" Eiji screams terrified.
"Heh, omoshiroi" Ryoma smirked. Feeling sudden excited and spirited.
"Nah, Mamushi, we can never know until we fight," Momoshiro said motivated.
"Bring it on" Kaido said with the same enthusiastic as Momoshiro.
"And don't let your guard down" Tezuka said.
"Saa... It seems that all of you were fired up, shall we start our training?" Yamato sensei said,
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Riiiinnggggg ...
The bell rang, indication that the last period for this morning ended, it was lunch time already and yet, a certain prince was peacefully sleeping in his desk. Since he returned from their morning practice which lasted until second period, all he did was to lay his head on the desk and sleep. Sakuno just stared on him from a moment, 'he looks so tired' Yamato sensei, their coach, explained everything, in which their teachers understood. Sakuno slowly stood up on her seat, contemplating whether to wake him up or let him sleep. 'But he would starve himself if I didn't wake him' She was about to taps Ryoma's shoulder when a sudden loud banging sound of the door occurred at the same time. Making the young prince open his eyes.
Baaamm...
"ECHIZEN!/OCHIBI!" Momo-senpai and Eiji senpai said in sync, they even dash on the tennis prodigy seat. Shaking their kouhai in a process.
"Nanda Yo, Senpais" Ryoma grunted, half awake, he was rubbing his eyes, annoyed for the sudden awaken.
"OCHIBI! Let's go to burger joint nya!" Eiji-senpai said as he put his arms on Ryoma's shoulder.
"Nah... Echizen let's go, Eiji-senpai would treat as all" Momo senpai grins
"W-What?! MOMO! We will split the bill remember?!" Eiji senpai said, his feet stomped on the floor like a child.
"They kind of lose on the bet, you know" Fuji senpai said with his creepy chilling smile.
"Fuji-senpai" Sakuno mumbled, they didn't realize that the tensai was there.
"Ohayo Sakuno-chan!" He greeted "maybe you should go with us together with Osakada-chan, the freshmen trio were on the outside" he informed.
"Demo..."
"It's okay nya! The more, the merrier nya! " Eiji senpai winks.
"Ja! Let's go!" Momo senpai drags the tennis prince outside.
"Oi.. matte... "Ryoma grunted.
They are walking outside the corridor, Momo and Eiji keeps chanting both arms around their shoulders, while Fuji, the tensai, ws walking together with Osakada and the freshmen trio. Ryoma, on the other hand still grunting, his eyes close, in his side Sakuno was silently looking at his boyfriend, she giggled. Surely, Ryoma looks cute even frowning.
"Neh, you're going back to your part-time job today, right?" Ryoma asks looking at her this time.
Sakuno nodded her head, she smiles upon thinking her part time job, she surely missed working, as well as Sasaki-san, and the others.
"I'll walk you there right after your club activities" He nonchalantly said.
Sakuno looks at him surprised, though the young prodigy told it to her already, "anou.. Ryoma-kun, it's okay, I can walk by myself" she said, not wanting to cause any trouble to him.
"What are you saying? We already talk about this right? "
"Demo... But... You have a tennis practice, right? I don't want you to be burden by doing that and besides, it's not just far"
"Che, I still walk you there, no buts! I already asked permission to Tezuka-buchou and sensei, they both agreed" He dismissed
"Nani? Nani? What are you talking about?" Eiji suddenly comes in their front, eyes glistering.
"Yo, lovebirds, can you please continue that later? Let's hurry up! We don't have any time in the world!"
Sakuno blushed furiously upon hearing that to Momo-senpai, while Ryoma grunted, murmuring how stupid his senpai-tachis were.
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The burger joint become too noisy the moment they stepped their feet inside. Bickering from one another, side to side, courtesy of Momo and his frenemy Kaido, and from the other side, the loudmouthed friend of Sakuno, Tomoka having her petty fight with Horio, which Kachiro and Katsuo trying to stops them; meanwhile Oishi, trying his best to stop them from bickering. They were too noisy making the other customers look at their direction, Ryoma was deadpanned looking at his senpais making their little commotion, one hand on his cheek, bored to death, Sakuno who seating right next to her boyfriend, just silently staring at them sweatdropping at the moment. Tezuka, on the other hand twitching his eyebrow, his both hands cross on his chest, though his face stoic he was close to snapping anytime, while Fuji just stared at them, amused from what is happening wearing his creepy smile. Eiji was not different with them, he was now animatedly cheering for Tomoka who was now in the middle of heated debate over something with Horio, Kawamura, holding a racket in his hand waving it in the air keeps shouting, for some reason no one knew who gave the racket to him.
"Stupid senpais" Ryoma grunted under his breathe, he realized that it's better to eat his girlfriend's home-made bento than joining them, "what do you want to eat?" He said still not looking at her, Sakuno looks at him, she was sure it was her whom he was asking, since the young prodigy gently pulled her left hand that he was now holding under the table.
"Anything is fine" she answered, enough for him to hear. The young tennis prince stood from his seat, catching his senpais attention.
"Nah... Echizen where are you going?" Momo asks, he suddenly paused from his nonessential fight with Kaido.
"Ordering" he nonchalant said, both hands on his pocket as he walks towards the counter.
"If you don't stop from bickering, 50 laps around the field" Tezuka said. That caught their attention.
"Oppss.. we going to order now nya!" Eiji dashes towards Ryoma.
"Nah... Nah.. let's order now" Momo sweatdrop hearing their buchou's threatening, he fastens his pace to his senpai and kouhai who seems busy looking at menu on the counter.
It takes almost 10 minutes before the three came back with trays in their hand, each of them carrying a two trays of mountain piled burgers in their hands, other customers can't help but look amazed with mouth gaping. From their back, a server is following them holding the tray of their drinks.
"Isn't it too much?" Sakuno can't help but voice out her thoughts. In their table full of burgers and other food. As if they are not going to eat until dinner.
"Don't worry Sa-chan nya! We can't eat this all nya!" Eiji senpai said wagging his pointer finger in the air while one eyed-close.
"Saa... Now I wonder how's your remaining allowances for this week" Fuji asks teasingly he looks at Momo and Eiji who seems not bothered at all.
"It's all covered nya!" Eiji said grinning, wagging a card with written name Yamato Yudai in between his pointing and middle finger, he grins more. "Yamato sensei covers everything; we lose a bet because of him nya!"
"Uhn. Uhn." Momo nodded his head.
"Sou ka... The reason why you choose the latter because Yamato sensei told you so, I was surprised by it too, I thought you both just overly confident." Fuji senpai said making all curious except from Ryoma and Tezuka.
"Nya! But we are expecting it too, you know!" Eiji grins.
"Nani?! Nani?! What is the bet you talking about?!" Tomoka asks.
Ryoma just grunted. "If I were you, I won't ask anything about it" he said, glaring at his senpais.
"Why is it Ryoma-sama? You know it too?" Tomoka keeps on pursuing.
"." Ryoma didn't answer, instead he keeps glaring at his senpais, of course, he knows, he suspected it all the way, they might bet there when he confessed, or much safer to say, they might be there when he went to go out with that girl, What's her name again? Never mind. But the point is, they followed him! They followed him despite they promised not to. And they might saw everything and the bet? Even he has a hunch it is better to keep it's to himself for now and confront them later since he hasn't yet a proof. He's senpais are all indeed nosy.
"What is it? What is it?" Tomoka still pushing it, her voice becomes more eager.
"Tomo-chan!" Sakuno intervened, she tries to stop her friend for being nosy.
"KEH! As if you don't know what happened that day! Senpai-tachis have a bet if Echizen will kiss Ryuuzaki-chan! That's why Kikumari senpai and Momo chan senpai lose! They bet that Echizen will do it in lips!" Horio blurted out. Eiji and Momo eyes widened in shocked, alarmed, they covered Horio's mouth but too late to do that. Of course, though they have hunched that the young prodigy knew that they followed him all along, they can't risk of being caught by him, they made a promised to their kouhai Afterall. And knowing their kouhai, it will be raised hell when he found out he was right. They don't want to face their opponent this Saturday with black eyed in their eyes courtesy of their kouhai. Embarrassed for what she heard, Sakuno blushed hard up into her hair roots. She ducks her head, as she realized everything happened that day, wanting to be eaten by floor right now.
"SENPAIS!" Ryoma literally snapped. He took his racket and balls on his bag, ready to hit them hard.
"Nah! Nah! Echizen we're just worried you know!" Momo tried to explain. Sweatdropping as he saw the black aura covering their kouhai.
"You better explain yourself or else-"
Another commotion just began, surely it is the longest lunch they all had.
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Sakuno was already finish wiping some utensils in thek kitchen when Aio, one of the employees of the cafe she was working approached her.
"Nani?" She asked, placing the utensils in its proper places.
"Look! Look! There is a handsome guy outside!" She giggles, Aio is the niece of the owner of this cafe. They were on the same grade; she was a petite girl with a dark blue pixie haircut. Her personality is much like of Tomoka's except she's not so loud like her.
For some reason, Sakuno has feeling of whom she was referring too, since it's almost time of their work to be finished and they're just doing some chores to go home. Of course, Ryoma walk her here, yet since a lot of customers when they came, they didn't saw him with her.
"He's so freaking handsome! Sa-chan!" Aio eyes sparkles, "but he really looks familiar! " Putting her hand on her chin, thinking "I wonder where I see him, but anyways, let's go and see" she said pulling her hand outside the kitchen area.
Upon going to the dining area, Sakuno saw how her manager (owner itself), ogling, her eyes shining both hands on her cheek as her face blushing, she looks like fan-Girling for some reason, same to other employees. She sweatdropped. Eyes directly to the guy outside of their store seems not bothered, or at least didn't knew he was being stared at.
"Mitte... Mitte Sakuno-chan!" Sasaki, the owner geatured her to come, eyes twinkling, "see... See... Do you know the guy outside?" Sakunol stared at the young prodigy, he was looking strikingly handsome on his casual clothes, he was wearing a black shirt and his usual shorts sporting his fila shoes, the brim of his hat is place on the back of his head, covering his dark-greenish unkempt hair that is very unusual for him, he was looking sideways almost head tilted as if something is good to stared at the sky. 'Maybe he went home first before going here'
"Ryoma-kun" she unintentionally mumbled, her heart raise inside her chest, as it seems he heard her calling for him, the guy look at his direction. Making Sakuno blushed feverishly.
Their eyes met, his cat-like eyed golden orbs looks intensely to her. Enough for her knees to become jelly. Seeing her reaction, Aio and Sasaki together with the other two, pulled Sakuno outside. "C'mon! Let's meey your friend" Sasaki winks at her, as if she already knew whom he was.
"Anou... Ryoma-kun" she mumbled, fidgeting her fingers in the process, somehow, she felt nervous, she looks at the ground.
"Are you done?" He nonchalantly said.
"Not queit, but we're about to finish" she shyly said, she looks at him, 'Mou I felt nervous just by him staring at me!'
"Okay," he simply said. Sakuno felt Aio elbowing her on her waist, gesturing for her to introduced them to him. But before she opens her mouth to speak Sasaki already do the honors of introducing herself.
"I am Sasaki, owner of this cafe, it seems you know our Sakuno-chan here!" She beams, her face shining. At her age, which is in the middle of thirties, she didn't look like one, many would say she was only at her twenties, she's indeed baby face.
The tennis prince blinks. He was staring at them, though shock, he kept his composure intact.
"I am Ericka" the tallest employee in the cafe introduced, Ericka is in her third year high school, she has a green hair curled in ponytail
"Satsuki" the pink haired girl said, she was in the same grade as Ericka, somehow her aura is same as Fuji-senpai.
"Aoi" this time, Aio said smiling from ear to ear.
Sakuno on the other hand, just watching him, he seems amused and shocked yet perfectly hide it with his stoic face.
"Domo, I am Echizen Ryoma" The young prodigy bows his head politely. "Thank you for taking good care of my girlfriend" he said making Sakuno blushed ten times.
"Mou! I knew it!" Sasaki giggled, it seems that there a lot of invisible flowers started to bloom on her side, her eyes shining like a star as she blushed.
"Heh, Sakuno-chan didn't told us you have this hot boyfriend!" Ericka winks.
"Mou . Stop teasing me!" Sakuno blushed more. Satsuki elbowed her more, teasing her to the roots. While Aio was kept on looking at the tennis prince as if he was some sort of puzzle to complete. 'he is really familiar, where did I see this guy?' she thought.
"Saa ... Sakuno-chan! Why don't you go home now?" Sasaki said.
"Demo... We still not finished yet" She refuse looking at her winking manager slash owner.
"Its fine we're just going to close anyway. " Satsuki winks.
"Go have some time to date this boyfriend of yours" Ericka winks.
"Mou... You really love teasing me!" Sakuno pouted.
"Just go! Okay, you take care two" Sasaki said, looking at the young tennis prince. Ryoma just smirked, "Usu" he said.
"Mou. I just go get change first"
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"Uhm... Thank you for sending me off" Sakuno said shyly.
"I-ie, it's nothing" Ryoma answered, they were both outside Sakuno's house. The young tennis prince is ready to bid his goodbye when suddenly, Sumire, came.
"Obaa-chan? You just got home?" Sakuno asks surprise seeing her grandmother.
"Yes, I'd finished something in school," the old woman answered. Her eyes darted to Ryoma who was looking at her "oh. Ryoma, why don't you join us to dinner? Before going home" she offered.
"Betsuni, I'm fine" he said casually.
"Horah! Horah! Just eat with us! No more buts" he whacks his head.
"What's that for? Sensei?" Ryoma grunted.
"Obaa-chan is right, Ryoma-kun, Besides I'm cooking Japanese dinner" she mumbled softly.
"Okay! It's settled. Come on kids!" Sumire said going inside of their house
"Sorry for intruding" Ryoma said as they inside of Ryuuzaki's household
"You can sit here Ryoma-kun while I prepare the dinner" Sakuno said dashing inside the kitchen, leaving her grandma and the young prodigy in the dining area.
"So, how's the others?" Sumire asks, as she seated comfortablyo on the chair
"Same as usual" Ryoma answered.
They continue chatting for a while, while waiting for the food to eat, meanwhile Sakuno just simply listening to them.
Ryoma can't help but glistened in his eyes upon staring the food on the table. It was all Japanese food. So much for Japanese food, he was bashfully happy, since he was rare to eat Japanese food when he was in America, since his okaa-san loves western food.
"Have yourself Ryoma" Sumire said started digging in.
"Itadakimasu" Ryoma said as they all eat in silence.
"When is your parents will come back?" Sumire asks in the middle of their eating.
"Kaa-san said maybe two months from now" They young prince answered.
"Oh. I see, does your parents know that the both of you were going out now?"
"Yes. I told Kaa-san about it, and she was delighted over it" He answered pausing for a while. "And they wanted to meet you once they back" he looks at Sakuno who was seating in his side. Sakuno eyes grew bigger in surprised.
"M-meet t-them?" She stutters "Demo..."
"What?" Ryoma asks, "my parents won't eat you" he casually said
"Mou. It's not like that" Sakuno pouted.
"Yeah. Right" He retorted back, munching his food once again.
"Hmm... Seems your pretty serious to my granddaughter huh?" Sumire teases.
"Obaa-chan!" Sakuno blushed.
"Che."
"But don't cross the line Ryoma, I'm telling you" Sumire warned.
Ryoma stared at the old lady. "And what do you mean by that sensei?"
"You know, you're still your father's child, if you know what I meant"
Sakuno blushed, while Ryoma seems annoyed he deadpanned look at his former coach " I'm not like my father, sensei" he said huffing.
"Then proved it to me brat!"
" Che" he retorted " I won't do anything that makes Sakuno uncomfortable" he added, "and besides" he paused, "it can be wait until the day of our marriage" he said in monotonous tone.
Making Sakuno choked from her own food. Sumire spit the water she was drinking both of them coughed, Ryoma handed Sakuno a glass of water. Then his gazed went to his former coach asking if she's okay.
"Can you at least try not to be klutz?" He said, gently tapping her back.
"Coz you saying weird things you know!" Sakuno defended said, trying her best not to blushed but failed
"What weird I've said?" He said offendedly
On the other hand, Sumire silently staring at the youngsters on her front. A smiled appeared on her lips. "Let me remind you brat, you both started dating just a day now and you seriously talking about marriage?" Sumire rolled her eyes.
"Does it count?" He asks, trying to prove his point. " I'm not dating your granddaughter for nothing" he said seriously.
"Mou, Ryoma-kun stop joking" Sakuno pouted.
"And this is the face that looks joking on you?" Ryoma unbelievably said, pointing his own face. "I am serious, I am dating you with a purpose and intention of marrying you someday. I am not saying it today" he said.
"And who said that I will hand my grand daugther to you if you marry her today?" Sumire snorted.
"Heh, now that you mention it sensei, you said it yourself, I'm still my father's child afterall, who knows?" He teases his former coach. He smiled teasingly as he closes his eyes, his child-like aura revealed.
"You brat." Sumire glared at him.
"Mou, Ryoma-kun"
They continue their conversation while eating. Sumire, occasionally asks him, while the latter will conversely be answered. They conversation lasted for an hour talking anything over the table.
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"Be careful on your way home" Sakuno softly mumbled as she accompanies him outside their house. Facing each other, Ryoma nodded his head. Slowly, he leans forward to her closing their distance as he gave her a soft kiss on her forehead. Sakuno can't help but blushed, with heart pounding inside her chest she looks up to him, meeting his golden eyes. "Now, go inside, it's getting cold" The young tennis prince said.
"Un. Please text or call me when you already at your house" Sakuno answered smiling at him. Ryoma step back, he gestured her to go inside their house, which the young lady agreed, with hands inside his pocket, he watch the girl slowly turning her body. As Sakuno was about to step her feet, the young prodigy called her attention, making her look at him one last time
"Neh, about earlier" he paused, he stared at her intensely, somehow his stares gives a different feeling, as if she was simply drowning the way he stares at her "I don't see any end to the two of us aside from two things- you carrying my name and bearing my future children" he smirked, "and I'm serious to make it happen, so be ready for it" he confidently said, making Sakuno eyes tripled it sizes, heartbeat pound ten times faster and face reddened to the fullest. "Ja ne" Ryoma waved his hand walking away with a dumbfounded Sakuno.
Was it count as indirect proposal?
