Tennis no Ouji-sama © Konomi Takeshi, Shuheisha, Inc.
- Act XXI -
[ The End of the Rainbow]
Two seagulls were heading to the endless blue horizon that spread before her. Their squawks were echoing as they flew together towards just like a couple who walked together to endless possibilities of the future.
Hikari dreamily smiled at the sight, thinking how nice it must be to walk that kind of path with a person she truly loved. Shutting her eyes, she inhaled the salty air deep into her lungs, enjoying the refreshing sensation it brought her.
Was the sea always this wonderful?
Or was it because she was engulfed with something she never felt before?
The only thing that could make her feel like this was ballet but she never thought she would eventually feel it for someone. She couldn't even stop playing the recent occurrence in her head.
The moment he shielded her so nothing would hit her during the earthquake…
The moment he tucked the strands of her hair, then caressed her cheek so gently…
Just like a prince…
Hikari covered her mouth when she let out a small giggle, not realising two pairs of eyes that were watching from both of her sides. She held the fishing rod closer to her chest when the sensation was too much for her to hold it in.
"Don't hold it like that. What if the fish suddenly take your bait?" Her brother fixed her hand position and Hikari allowed him to with eyes still staring far to the sea.
"I never thought that fishing could bring you so much joy, Hikari."
"Yeah, I'm filled with so much joy right now…" she dreamily said while thinking about him.
"Oh, good to hear that! We should do this together a lot more often then!" Her grandfather happily stated.
"Yeah, we should be… together…" She yelped when her fishing rod suddenly moved and quickly gripped it tighter. "I… I think I got something!"
"Don't reel it in yet!" Kunikazu quickly told her before she reeled in.
"Keep the fish rod up about forty-five degrees to the water," Kunimitsu calmly instructed her from her side. "Wait until the drag stops moving and buzzing." Hikari did as she was told. When the fish that took her bait started to slow down, Hikari lifted the tip of her rod. Seeing how much it bent, it seemed that she hooked a heavy fish.
"Oh, this looks like a big one, Hikari! Seize your moment and don't let it off from your hook!"
Seize her moment and don't let it off from her hook…
"I will, Jii-chan…" she said with immense determination. She grounded her feet to get a better balance. With all her power, Hikari pulled her rod and widened her eyes to see a black sea bass appearing on the surface. Both her brother and grandfather quickly helped her pull her rod. "I will seize my moment!" she screamed as they finally pulled the fish out of the water.
It must be a sign for her…
She decided that she would take her chance.
"And what makes you think that fishing a big fish might be your chance to get your feelings accepted?" Kotoha lazily asked through the phone. "Those are two completely unrelated matters, Hikari-chan."
"You think so?" Hikari pursed her lips in disappointment while playing with the hem of her skirt. "But don't you think he's returning my feelings?"
"Hmm, well… It seems that he does from your story but I wouldn't take the risk of being rejected and wait for the man to confess if I were you."
"What if he doesn't?"
"Curse him to death. That's better than seeing him with another woman."Hikari's mouth gaped open, too shocked to say anything. "Do you want me to teach you how?"
"I'm very surprised that you chose to go to Catholic school with all those hobbies," Hikari said with flat eyes.
"An all-girls school is the best choice for me at the moment. That aside, siding with Satan means I'll need to know more about his enemy."
"Okay, makes sense," was Hikari's flat answer. She'd rather not say anything that would make her cursed instead.
"Since I'm your friend, I'll tell you this, Hikari-chan. A broken heart is such a pain in ass, especially since this is your first love. Though I cope well with mine, the same thing doesn't apply to many other girls."
"How painful is it?"
"It's like someone is using a voodoo curse on you and stabbing your chest a million times." Hikari hissed while holding her chest just by imagining it. "Then they rip your chest open, taking your beating heart out and—"
"Okay, I get it! Enough with the graphic description!"
"But seriously… a janitor?" It was probably the umpteenth times Kotoha said that.
"What's wrong about it? It's one of the greatest jobs on earth! Clean places will make everyone happy!"
Kotoha sighed. "Yeah, but… Hm, how am I supposed to say this? Based on your story, you barely know anything about him. You don't know what will happen if you're going out with him. That's the same as trying out a curse without knowing what it'll do to you."Hikari sighed when Kotoha's word started to down on her. "I still don't understand why you like him so much, though."
"He's…"Hikari's eyes flitted to the dried rose he gave her the first time she visited Hyotei. She encapsulated it in a glittery oval-shaped paperweight. "He's very gentle, kind, and strong… He's also a great listener. I've been treated like a child by people around me but he's treating me like a grown-up woman…" Her eyes flitted to the dolls that person gave her during their dates.
He fit that description too, except for the gentle part. Though it wasn't much, she still held the grudge for him for making her stuck on the wall, forcefully taking her during her escapade the first time they met. That aside, his pompous personality could be too much sometimes.
He even clearly uttered his intention to not stay as a friend with her. Though she wasn't hating on him, she wasn't sure about liking him enough to the point of accepting him to be her boyfriend.
There was even a moment when Hikari was torn apart between the two…
Until she decided to follow her heart.
After confirming her own feelings, Hikari decided that she should better stop coming to the manor so she wouldn't mislead him. Hikari wasn't certain if he wanted to go out with her because he actually had feelings for her but creating the distance was the best for both of them.
She would have to tell him her reason but she was afraid that telling him that would ruin the friendship they were maintaining up to that point.
Glancing at her phone, Hikari frowned when she saw no message from the janitor guy. The earthquake incident was the last time she met matter how many times she attempted to contact him, he gave no response and she couldn't find him either in Hyotei. The sudden loss of contact pricked her heart with a thousand needles and Hikari heavily turned her heels towards the gate.
As if the sky was sympathising with her, it accompanied her walk with a drizzle before it heavily poured down. Hikari lowered her head as she stopped right below the cherry blossom tree where she met him for the second time. A part of her wished that he would come for her if she waited there.
Hikari blinked when the rain stopped pouring on her. With heart drumming with excitement, she craned her head to the side, widening her eyes when she saw a man that was much taller than her, silently holding a pink umbrella for her, facing the same direction as she did. He didn't look like a high-schooler at all both from face and body size. The grey and white-toned jersey he was wearing and the kind of situation reminded her so much of…
"Totoro?"
Only that he was the one who gave the umbrella instead.
When the man glanced at her, she quickly clamped her mouth. "Ah! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to call you that!" She waved her hands in panic. "Please don't mind me and my mouth!" She then bowed at him several times.
To her surprise, he gave her a small smile and passed the umbrella for her."Don't get sick," he simply said before bowing at her. Were those sparkles she saw around him?
"Oh, my… Thank you so much! But wait! You only have this one! I can't take this from you!"
"It's okay. I like walking under the rain."
"Yeah, of course you like it. A boar likes to bathe in mud after all." Hikari twitched upon hearing an annoying giggle that came from two Hyotei girls who glanced at the guy in a sinister way. Hikari shifted her eyes back to the guy who only lowered his head in response.
"What is this? So this poor servant manages to get a pretty girlfriend after all?" Then she threw her shoe towards him. "Ah! My bad. Get that shoe and return it to me, pig servant." The guy obediently knelt to get the shoe. It was sickening to see them laughing mockingly at him that something snapped in her. Hikari took the shoe and threw it with such accuracy that the shoe hit her face, splattering the mud all around their heads. "Kyaa! What are you doing?!"
"I got that shoe and returned it to you, just like what you asked!"Hikari glared at the two. "What? Do you want to report me? Bring this to the court? Go ahead!"
"You're gonna regret this someday!" the girls said as they scampered away.
What an empty threat…
"I will not and that's not the right way to become a 'Cinderella', by the way!" She put both hands on her waist. Then she realised that she was once again losing her lady-like attitude. Sighing, Hikari sauntered towards the guy again and said, "I'm so sorry that they said those horrible words to you. Don't mind what they said."
"No, I should be the one who apologise because this is happening in my school." He bowed back at her. "They're not representing all students of Hyotei so please don't think that they're all the same.
"Sure. You really are a great man. I should think that maybe there's a lot of men like you in here." She then realised the umbrella she was holding. "Ah! Your umbrella—"
"Please take it as a thanks for what you've done for me." He then ran into the school building.
"Ah! But I want to ret—he's gone… Anyway, thank you!" she shouted while waving her hand. "What a nice guy," she said while glancing at the bright pink umbrella that somewhat contrasted the dull colour created by the rain. Hikari chuckled when she realised how stupid she was to feel down just because of a guy matter.
Rain today, sun shines tomorrow…
She had been told that falling in love was like walking in the rain. It was slippery and sometimes she had to fall really hard along the way. But as long as she didn't give up, she would eventually see the rainbow, and the treasure of happiness it brought.
When the rain finally died down, she saw that very rainbow and happily walked towards it. She turned to the right, hoping to see what was at the end of the rainbow, and widened her eyes when she saw who was standing just across the street.
Someone she least expected to meet…
AN: You must know already who that someone is. LOL~
I'm really sorry that I can't do a double update this week due to a hectic schedule due to the increased number of covid and we have to be prepared for the lockdown (finally, unfortunately… huhu…). That aside, I ended up with wrist injuries due to the number of activities I did these weeks (typing, drawing, shopping, cleaning, etc.) I think carrying all that groceries home all by myself finally took the toll and I can't carry anything as of now. ;_;
I really hope that the pandemic will be over very soon. Wherever you are, please take care of your health and stay safe!
Anyway, I made a Hikari & Keigo's art and post the pic in my Wattpad account since FF doesn't allow pic post! Check the image on my Wattpad account ReikaNanatsuki and see it on the bottom part of chapter 21! Or check my profile to see the link to fanart for this fic!
Favorite, follow, and most importantly—review are gold for me! As I mentioned in the previous chapter, the story is also posted on Wattpad. Since the site allows me to post videos and images, I might be able to pamper your eyes there. Check my account in ReikaNanatsuki!
Thank you mapl3nin2cool & faericire for your reviews!
Thank you for reading and have a nice day!
