The Fall of The Prince
Disclaimer: Takeshi Konomi's
Note it that I am now:
- In the middle of the night
- Extremely BORED
- Trying to start learning English again
- Listening to a wonderful piano song titled "Bisaido Island"
- Actually HUNGRY!!
Status: Beta-ed by Windy!!! Hehehe!!! She's ROCKS!!
Chapter 5
Ryoma could hear his steps were mixing with Tezuka's, which felt so close with him at the moment. He could somehow feel Tezuka's presence beside him and silently felt grateful that Tezuka decided to accompany him home, leaving the practice sessions at school. He didn't know how Tezuka convinced the others that there's nothing to worry about, especially to Oishi and the suspicious Fuji. But he really didn't want to care about that kind of problem when his mind was still filled with something else.
He remembered being held in Tezuka's warm arms. He remembered how those strong arms supported him, calmed him down, and accompanied him until he stopped crying. He was aware that Tezuka was saying nothing. And he felt grateful for the silence since it was the only thing that suited him in this kind of problem. And in someway, Tezuka seemed to understand that.
Ryoma knew he wasn't the type that shows his weakness or anything that disturbs him openly. And he was aware that if he was his usual self, he would be very ashamed by his last behaviour. But somehow, he really didn't feel like being embarrassed at all. In fact, he felt relieved as if Tezuka had just sent him courage to continue his own struggling.
The way towards Ryoma's house felt a little bit longer than usual and still they spent that time in silence. And when finally they reached the front of Ryoma's house, they stopped face to face and Ryoma started a conversation.
"Buchou." Ryoma's voice was faint. "Arigatou." His eyes were staring at Tezuka's deeply. "And please don't tell the others about this. I don't want to make them worried." He gave a smile that somehow made Tezuka's heart hurt before starting to walk towards the entrance.
When Tezuka was about to say something, Ryoma turned his back against him. And this time, Tezuka felt an impairing disappointment reflected on Ryoma's golden eyes. "Buchou, gomenasai. I can't be Seigaku's pillar of support, though I wanted to." His voice was barely audible. And when he walked inside his house, Tezuka still hadn't found his voice back.
--
Ryoma directly headed to his room. He took a bath and changed his clothes reluctantly. And when he was about to lie down on his bed, he heard a familiar voice called him for dinner.
He went downstairs silently just to find the fact that his father was already coming home.
"Oi, seishonen! Dinner time. Come down here." Echizen Nanjiroh said as he saw his only son on the stairs. He was already sitting on the dining chair. In front of him were a bowl of rice, sashimi and a pair of chopsticks.
Silently as usual, Ryoma walked down and placed himself on one of the dining chair in front of his father's seat. He eyed the food served on the table but felt no appetite. "Kaasan wa? (Where's mother?)"
"She's resting in her bedroom." It was Nanako who answered. "She'll be better not getting up from her bed for a while."
Nanjiroh yawned. The skin under his eyes darkened, a sign for lacking of sleep when he was at the hospital. "Hwaaa it feels so good to be back home." Then he started to eat his sashimi while Nanako placed three glasses of water on the table. "Go on and eat, Nanako."
"Hai-hai. Just a little bit." She smiled before finally taking a seat on a chair beside Ryoma.
Ryoma hadn't touched his food yet, and it drew his father's attention. "Oi, seishonen! What's up?"
"Nothing. Just not really hungry." Ryoma answered calmly. He then reached the glass and took a sip of water.
"How's your tennis club?" Nanjiroh asked, starting the conversation. "You said you're going to face another tournament soon, ne? How's the practice?"
"Everyone is progressing." Ryoma answered. His face showed no certain expression. "They're great."
"Actually, what do you think about Seigaku? You never tell me anything about this new school of yours."
"Well, the place is interesting." Ryoma answered shortly, just like the usual way he answered every question from his father.
"What about the people in the tennis club? You're the youngest one among the regulars right? Do they accept you?" Nanjiroh asked again.
"They're kind. Some of them are a bit unfriendly, but they're basically kind."
"How about this Inui who made you this special food menu?" Nanako decided to join the conversation.
Ryoma felt himself shivered slightly as he remembered the taste of Inui's juice he had tried. "A freak." He answered.
"Freak?" Nanako seemed puzzled.
"Yeah. A freak that had made the freakiest beverage I've ever known. And I guess he's still working on its progress." That was Ryoma's answer. But then he added, "But he is good at tennis."
Nanjiroh smiled. He scarcely talked this freely with Ryoma since Ryoma himself usually hates this kind of conversation. And deep inside Nanjiroh's heart, though he really likes to tease Ryoma, he really cared about his only son's daily life. "How about the partner of your last date?"
"Date?" Ryoma asked.
"Yeah, you once told me you had just back from a date."
"Ryoma-san was dating someone!?" Nanako exclaimed in surprise.
"Wait, I don't remember!" Ryoma defended himself. He was truly aware that he had never dated anybody yet. But then he remembered the evening when he had just back from his first match with Tezuka, which he confirmed to his father as a kind of date. "Oh, do you mean that evening? It's not a date. I just came back from a tennis match with my captain."
"Captain? What's his name anyway?" Nanjiroh asked. He came into a conclusion that the one who changed Ryoma's way in tennis was this person.
"Tezuka Kunimitsu."
"Is he the tall one with brown hair and wearing glasses?" Nanako asked suddenly.
"Yes. How do you know?" Ryoma asked, surprised that Nanako actually knew him.
"I saw him when he and a few of your friends came here to bring back Karupin." Nanako answered with a smile. "I heard one of them called him 'buchou'."
"Sou ka…"
"What do you think about him, Ryoma?" Nanjiroh asked. His son had always been a solitary individual. It's scarce for him to have real friends like this.
"He's stern." That's what Ryoma said first. He stopped for a while before continuing. "He rarely speaks and he is very expressionless. But he is great. Really great." Ryoma said with a smile. "And actually he's unexpectedly kind." He added.
"He seemed interesting." Nanjiroh responded with a grin. "Invite him home. I'd like to meet him personally and ask him for tennis."
Ryoma gave a smile. It gave him a tingling sensation, imagining Tezuka and his father having a match. Somehow, he enjoyed this conversation as well as the others.
Nanako eyed the father and son with a warm smile. For a while, she thought, she could forget about Rinko's illness. "You should invite the others too, Ryoma-san. This house is big enough for all of them."
"Meeooww" suddenly Karupin appeared under the table, looking at Nanako with imploring eyes.
"Oh, Karupin, I forget your dinner." She said with a grin. Karupin mewed again as a confirmation. Nanako stood up and went to the cabinet for Karupin's cat food when she heard Ryoma spoke gently. Calmly.
"I've done a general check up."
This stunned the two adults in the room for a moment before both Nanako and Nanjiroh abruptly looked at Ryoma in surprise. The atmosphere suddenly changed.
Ryoma's face fancied with a gentle smile. It was too calm that Nanjiroh started to feel something bad was going to happen. "And I positively got leukemia."
And with that, Ryoma stood up, starting to leave the kitchen when he realized that his father was already blocking his way.
"Ryoma…" Nanjiroh called faintly. Nanako herself didn't realize that tears had slipped down her cheeks.
Ryoma stared directly at his father. He had to admit it, that if he haven't cried upon Tezuka's shoulder before, he would surely cry this time. Ryoma gave a tired smile before his father pulled him into his embrace.
--
TBC
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Note: Finished already? Ha-ha! I was only playing! (Dialogue in Dragon Ball's fighting game long-long time ago!) I'm so glad I could finish it within a week after I finished the fourth chapter. Well-well… I'm in holiday actually and I find everything is BORING that I think writing this would be better than laying lazily on my bed ;P (HOHO! Lost my laziness this time)
The conversation between Ryo, Nanjiroh and Nanako was pointless, I know! But I think it built a comfy feeling before suddenly Ryo announced his illness. Well, evil isn't it? Poor Ryo and his family… (After all I'm the cruel one to create such a plot. Hahaha!)
Next chappie: Ryoma refused to get treatment! (Hohoho! Evil me!) And Tezuka came to Ryoma's house to visit his sick freshman. grins broadly
Special thanks to:
Kawaii Chibi Yami
RuByMoOn17 basically, this story is full of Tezuryo HINTS! But, who knows what'll happen in the future? Heh-heh-heh!
Celes-chan
Liveandletlive Hwaaa! Thanks for reminding me! I was totally forgetting Oishi before. Arigatou!
babymar-mar of course he will…
Fuji JiaeR
And to all of you readers… ARIGATOU GOZAIMASU!