Yo, minna-san! I'm here again! Well what do you suppose me to do? Disappear? Just kidding! Ahehe! I'm really happy to receive 8 reviews on my first chapter. Wahehe, so humorous, ne? Oh what am I talking about? I'm crazy again! Meow!
Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis. If I do, I might have ruined their life. Just kidding!
"Anou, Shiba-san, is Kikumaru-chan here?" Sakuno asked while opening the door of Cat's Studio. Shiba looked at Sakuno with a smile. "Kikumaru-kun is inside the recording room. And Sakuno-chan, you're late again!" Shiba said, pinching Sakuno's face.
"Mou… Shiba-san… itai…" Sakuno twitched her eyebrows. Shiba let go off Sakuno's face with a big grin on her face.
Sakuno smiled. Suddenly, the door of Cat's Studio opened once again. "Oi Ryuzaki, where is Kikumaru-sempai?" Ryoma asked while tugging the brim of his cap.
Shiba stood up upon seeing Ryoma. "Ryoma-kun, is that you?" she said in amazement. Shiba walked nearer towards Ryoma and pinched his face.
"Itai… Shiba-san, stop that…" Ryoma protested.
Shiba smiled naughtily. "Oi Ryoma-kun, how many titles did you got after US open, huh? Did you win? Tell me…"
Ryoma narrowed his eyebrows. "Eh… stop that… didn't your partner told you about that?"
Shiba stopped pinching Ryoma's face, while Sakuno's features resembled a frown. "Are you talking about Inoue-san?" she asked and instantly received a nod from him.
"Anou… Ryoma-kun, you're looking for Kikumaru-kun, don't you?" the tall lady asked with a forced smile on her face.
Ryoma raised an eyebrow. What's with them?
"Ah, Sakuno-chan! You're here now!" a guy with red hair appeared.
Sakuno smiled upon seeing the guy who called her name. "Kin-chan! What are you doing here?" she asked to her close friend. Kintarou scratched his head while giving her an answer. "Anou… eto, I'm asking your manager to give you a free time…" he said with an enthusiastic smile, his cheeks painted red.
Sakuno blushed upon seeing him blush. "Anou… free time for what?" she asked. Kintarou walked nearer to Sakuno.
Ryoma raised an eyebrow. And, what the hell is with them?! Does it mean that… that guy is… Ryuzaki's boyfriend?!
Shiba came between Sakuno and Kintarou when she saw Ryoma glaring at Kintarou. "Hey you guys! Stop that! Please give respect to your visitor!" Kintarou looked around him and saw Ryoma. "Eh, Koshimae? What are you doing here?"
"Ryoma-kun is Sakuno-chan's new partner in her upcoming album." Shiba answered while piling some papers at her desk. Kintarou raised an eyebrow. "Sakuno-chan's new album?"
"Got any problem with that?" Ryoma asked, his hand tugging the brim of his white Fila cap. Kintarou smirked and looked back at him. "Keh, I don't really have..."
Sakuno twitched her eyebrows. I can't understand what they are talking about. Do Kintarou-kun and Echizen-kun know each other? If that's so, why did Kintarou-kun never told me anything about Echizen-kun! Aah, my head is…
"Anou… Shiba-san…" Sakuno called on and held Shiba's hand. Shiba, in return, looked at Sakuno anxiously. "Sakuno-chan, what's the matter?" Shiba asked, giving Sakuno her seat. "My head… it starts to ache gain…" she answered with a faint smile while rubbing her forehead.
"Wait here, I'll get some water. Hey Kintarou, tell Kikumaru that Sakuno-chan and Ryoma-kun are already here…" Shiba said while patting Sakuno's shoulder and left. Kintarou nodded and walked towards Kikumaru's office.
Ryoma looked at Sakuno with visible concern hinted in his hazel eyes. "Hey Ryuzaki, what's the matter?" Ryoma asked while taking the other seat beside Sakuno's. The auburn-haired youngster crossed her arms above Shiba's desk and buried her face on it. "Anou… Echizen-kun… this is nothing…" she said with a smile.
Ryoma narrowed his eyebrows. "Are you sure?" he asked. "This is the first time that I saw you aching like this…" he murmured.
Sakuno took a peek on Ryoma's face. "Why Echizen-kun, do I know you?"
Ryoma felt a pang in his heart, his eyebrows narrowing. "I-I don't know." He answered with an unsure tone.
"You don't know?" Sakuno raised an eyebrow. How come he doesn't know? I think he does… Is he… a part of my life before that accident? Sakuno thought while burying her face beneath her arms again while trying to think of some other things. Is it him who was lost in my memories?
I think I shouldn't have told her. Ryoma thought of. He looked at her again, and memories of her started to enter his mind again.
Flashback:
"I decided to get this for you, so…" Sakuno said with an assured smile on her face, her hand gripping a tennis ball in front of his bewildered features.
"The nationals?" Ryoma was puzzled when he saw the letters at Sakuno's tennis ball says about being number one in Nationals, not in the U.S. Open.
"It's not about the national tournament, though."
Ryoma was even more puzzled than before. Sakuno smiled and said, "It's about the whole world and you being number one. I know you can!"
He started to walk off when he heard the announcement that the plane to America is now repaired. "Thank you."
Upon seeing him walk away from her, a smile formed at her lips with her heart burning in determination.
"FIGHTO, Ryoma-kun!"
: End of Flashback
Ryuzaki, how come can you forget me? Ryoma thought of as he laid his hand over Sakuno's auburn hair.
Why Echizen-kun, do I know you? That previous question flashed through his mind again, feeling the pain striking him hardly. "Ryuzaki..."
Sakuno felt a warm hand that seems like soothing her aching head. I wonder whose hand it is… It is very… relieving… warming… she thought before her eyes went heavy.
"Ryoma-kun…" she whispered.
She called me? He wondered and looked over the gap on Sakuno's arms. He saw her chocolaty eyes shut down, her breathe escaping from her gaping lips.
Ryoma smirked with a hint of amusement playing on his lips. She's sleeping.
"Sakuno-chan…" Shiba came with a cup of water on her left hand.
Ryoma looked over Shiba. "She's sleeping." "Oh. I see." Shiba stated. And then she noticed Ryoma's hand over Sakuno's head. "Anou… Ryoma-kun…"
Ryoma looked at Shiba again. "What's that?"
Shiba had a sad expression on her face. "About Inoue-san, he already left the country after-"
Ryoma closed his eyes as he took a sigh.
She doesn't really need to cut her long hair. He thought while his fingers ran through the tips of her short, auburn hair.
"O-CHIBI!" Kikumaru called enthusiastically and towards Ryoma. "Hoi hoi Ochibi, what are you doing here?"
Ryoma raised an eyebrow. "Kikumaru-sempai?" he jolted after his former sempai's sudden appearance. "Ryuzaki-sensei didn't mentioned this to you?"
Kikumaru blinked several times.
"Ah! You are Sakuno-chan's partner! Wow! What an opportunity!" Kikumaru jumped gleefully. His cat-like eyes looked around and saw Sakuno. Upon seeing Kikumaru's observant eyes, he quickly withdrew his hand to his sides.
His grin resembled a sad expression. "Sakuno-chan…"
"Oi Kikumaru-sempai, why don't tell me all of the details?" Ryoma asked while standing up.
"That's my line, Echizen..."
"Echizen, here it goes…" Kikumaru twiddled his fingers while taking his seat inside his office.
Ryoma took the other seat in front of Kikumaru with an emotionless face. "Sempai, make it straight to the point. Why can't Ryuzaki remember EVEN a single memory of me?" his voice raised while putting his jacket at the nightstand, emphasizing the word 'even'.
"Echizen, anou…" Kikumaru hung his head low in embarrassment.
"Oi Ryoma, you're talking to Sakuno's manager. Don't act so rude." an old woman showed in front of them. "You don't need to raise your voice over him."
"S-sensei?" Ryoma raised an eyebrow. "Tell all of the details to me." Ryoma said, staring directly at Sumire's old eyes.
Sumire sighed deeply before uttering a word. "It all happened 4 years ago…"
Flashback:
It was raining all over Tokyo when Sakuno thought of writing a letter.
"Anou, obaa-chan… I'll go at the mailbox to drop the letter that I am going to give to my friend abroad. I'm going!" Sakuno said with a hint of blush at her cheeks and hurriedly ran downstairs with a pink envelope beneath her hand.
Sumire smiled as she turned off the television. "Friend abroad? Spill it. That letter is for Ryoma, ne?"
"Obaa-san! Anou...I just thought that…" Sakuno blushed while fidgeting her fingers, her long braided hair cascading on her back.
"Oh c'mon Sakuno. I knew it… He's running through your mind again, right?" Sumire chuckled over her teenage grand daughter. "Obaa-chan, I just thought that if sempai-tachi can send him letters within these past few years, I think I should give him one too. Besides… anou… I want him to remember me in some way…" she explained with pink blushes infesting her face. "Ah… okay…Why don't you wait for Inoue-san so someone will accompany you at the post mail?" Sumire asked.
"Hai!" Sakuno agreed. A few minutes had passed and someone pressed the door bell- Inoue came and picked Sakuno.
"Ready Ryuzaki-san?" asked Inoue. Sakuno raised an eyebrow. "Ready for what, Inoue-san?"
"Ready for an interview. Your grand mother said that you improved a lot, and certainty became one of the greatest players in your tennis club." Inoue explained. Sakuno blushed. "Eh, obaa-chan?!"
"Sakuno, keep on going now." Sumire said with a smile on her face. "Hai!" Sakuno responded with a baffled expression on her features.
A few minutes passed and the two of them already reached the post mail.
It was dark all around the street because of the heavy rain. Sakuno clasped the handle of her umbrella tightly, her other hand clutching her pink envelope.
"Inoue-san, I'll just drop my mail. Wait for me there." Sakuno said. She was running towards the other street when she slipped the letter from her hand.
"Ah!" Sakuno blinked several times. She looked behind her and saw the pink envelope lying on the street. She walked back and tried to pick it. Sakuno bent down to get her envelope but…
-BEEEP!!!!!
"Sakuno-chan!" Inoue hurriedly ran at the center of the street. "Oi! Sakuno-chan!"
"Oh my!" the people around the street stopped walking and started to take a look over the center of the street.
The rain flowed endlessly.
Sakuno's blood ran through her cheeks; her hand clutching the envelope that she was about to give to her crush named Ryoma Echizen, with her orange umbrella rolling towards the street. Inoue ran towards Sakuno and lifted her inactive body.
Even it is inactive, her hands involuntary clasped the letter beneath her hand. "R-Ryoma-kun…"
"Let's take her to the hospital!" Without any doubt, the one who hit Sakuno brought her to the hospital.
Sakuno's sempai-tachi and her grandmother hurriedly came to the hospital with great concern inside their hearts. A few weeks had passed, but still, Sakuno's in comatose. The doctor told Sumire that her granddaughter needs to get enough rest, because after a few days, her eyes will finally lit up.
But even it is, Sakuno will suffer. She will probably forget the person she was thinking of when the accident occurred.
Sakuno had a selective amnesia. She will forget other persons inside her mind. It's a good thing if Sakuno remembers a lot of her company, but it is really bad if she forgets someone or a group she used to hang along with. She will probably wonder who they are. She will forget the things she used to do with that certain person, nor her likes or dislikes.
Sumire and her sempai-tachi, as well as her friends, wished for a very big and great miracle that Sakuno won't forget them. The only person they forgot to tell that she's been undergoing that selective amnesia thing is Ryoma. The accident happened while Ryoma is fighting for the Australian Cup in a Tennis Competition.
They thought that he might be affected if he knew that the only person Sakuno forgets is…
Ryoma Echizen.
: End of Flashback
"Why did you…" Ryoma bent down his head, his hands clutching his pants tightly. "Why did you kept this as a secret to me?!" he asked while looking at Sumire. His tears are wandering around his brown eyes, wanting to escape from his eyes. "… and seems like you didn't told her even a single detail of me…"
Kikumaru hung his head low. "The doctor said that it is better to make new memories so she won't wonder around her so much. I can still remember Sakuno-chan's reaction when she doesn't even know how precious tennis is to her. She forgot all about you. What we can do is to make her remember her favorite sport, but she chose showbiz life and forgets about that sport. When we asked her if she remembers anything about the tennis courts, she said nothing. We can always see her cry, just to make her mind remember anything about you. But she ends up sleeping, and complaining that her head really aches so much after she tried. Her head always ache so much whenever we try to make her remember you…"
"And look after that guy to replace me?" Ryoma said, his tears flowing through his cheeks. He looked at Kintarou's image talking to Sakuno with anxiety on his eyes. You know, it seems like you lost a very important thing to you after knowing that she didn't even remember a single bit of you.
Sumire came in front of Ryoma and gave him a hard slap on his face.
"Why Ryoma? Do you think you're the only one who feels so sad about that incident?! I nearly lost a grand daughter! I don't even know what to do! And now that we let you know what happened, you'll just blame it all to us?! Why don't you just come to her and let her remember even your face!" Sumire shouted at Ryoma. "Sensei!" Kikumaru looked at Sumire and Ryoma concernedly.
"We didn't even know if you'll come back after the tournaments and tell her how you feel! All of us knew how Sakuno loved you when she turned sixteen! She hoped so much that you'll reciprocate your feelings for her! Why don't you come to her and make her fall for you again!" Sumire shouted once more.
Ryoma looked at Sumire unbelievably after hearing her. "Ryuzaki did?"
"Why?! Do you love her too to think that we made a replacement for you?!" Sumire shouted again.
Ryoma hung his head low in embarrassment.
Why? Do I have that feeling towards her too?
"Think of it, Ryoma." Sumire turned her back to him with a frown creeping out from her features.
Ryoma bowed behind Sumire while wiping his tears. "Thanks, sensei."
Sumire smiled. "Oh well…"
"Hey sempai, I'm sorry I yelled it all on you." Ryoma apologized at Kikumaru. Kikumaru shook his head. "No, ochibi. It's no one's fault."
"And the contract about being Ryuzaki's partner?" Ryoma asked.
Kikumaru blinked several times.
"Nya! Good thing you made me remember of it! Wait…" Kikumaru beamed. He went in front of his table and pulled out one envelope from its drawer. "Here ochibi…" Kikumaru handed him the envelope. Ryoma took out the paper from the envelope and signed on it. "Thank you."
"And Ryuzaki-sensei…" Ryoma called on. Sumire looked at him.
"May I borrow your granddaughter for a minute?" Ryoma asked. Sumire smiled and sighed.
"Don't ask me. Ask her instead."
"Anou… Shiba-san, where is Echizen-kun?" Sakuno asked when she noticed that Ryoma had gone missing. "Aha Sakuno-chan! Looking for him?" Shiba smiled teasingly. Sakuno blushed the same way she used before. "Shiba-san!"
"Oi, Ryuzaki…" Ryoma called on. Sakuno, Shiba, and especially Kintarou looked at him.
What is he trying to do? Kintarou thought of.
"Go out with me." Ryoma said while wearing his red jacket. Sakuno blushed and touched her lips. "Go out with you?"
"What are you waiting for?" Ryoma asked.
Sakuno smiled with her heart in triumph.
"Hai!" she responded with a great smile on her face.
The two walked side-by-side away from the Cat's Studio. Unbeknownst to them is that someone is glaring very suspiciously.
Go out with you huh? Kintarou thought of. He was to walk away when Shiba stopped him. "Kintarou-kun, let them have a moment. Give him a chance to make a new memory of him." Shiba said gently while patting Kintarou's shoulder.
"Ah… hai…" Kintarou responded. Inside him was such disappointment.
"Anou, Echizen-kun, why ask me here?" Sakuno asked when Ryoma brought her to a nearby tennis court. "Just wait." Ryoma smiled while taking two rackets from his bag. "Kikumaru-sempai said that you're quite good in tennis."
Sakuno raised an eyebrow. "I don't know anything about it…"
"Let's play…"
"Ah… hai…."
A/n: Ah, minna! I ended another chapter! I'll type the other one next time! Ahaha, got to watch Princess Hours first. Umm, not sure bout it. Nyaha. And thanks for the reviews and the hits! It raised. And receiving 10 reviews, quite new for me blush. Well, arigathanks!
And please, point out my mistakes so I can do better next time.
Ja'ne, minna-san!
rookie-chan