Pure Essence: I'm SOO sorry! You guys must've waited so long for this chapter.There's been so much going on lately like schoolwork, testing, PSAT and Saturday school, got my own room, and reinstalled Windows. All that stuff took me forever and eventually, I was able to settle down.

Another reason was that I felt bad for making Sakuno leave so I feel very reluctant to write sometimes. How weird is that! An author afraid of a plot she planned out! But, I know I eventually will have to get to it.. so… I hope you enjoy this chapter. I hope it isn't rushed since I'm a very busy girl trying to update as often as I can.Enjoy and review please.

Disclaimer: The usual gibberishy stuff. If you must see the disclaimer, go back to the other chaps

Previously in the last chapter:

"Ah… Sakuno" her obaa-chan greeted and waved a hand at her telling her to come over.
"I have something to tell you"

To Sakuno, it doesn't sound like good news. She frowned and her eyebrows knitted together in worry.

'Obaa-chan wants to talk to me?' she thought.

"H-Hai? Obaa-chan? Is something the matter?" Sakuno asked as she slowly approach her grandmother.

"Sakuno," her obaa-chan told her "We're leaving Japan."

"EH!"

Chapter 4: Moments Left Behind

Sakuno's brain went blank. She stood as still as a marble statue and she waited for the information to slowly sink in.

'This can't be! Obaa-chan must be joking around!'

Sakuno frowned visibly and said in a scolding manner.

"Obaa-chan! This is a serious matter.You shouldn't make jokes like that to scare me."

Her grandmother gave her a confused look then, closed her eyes. "Iie. I'm not joking. We will be leaving Japan in about 3 days. I have already notified the school that you will be transferring."

Sakuno's eyes widened. Her tiny hands grasped tightly onto the chair near her as if she was going to fall onto the floor if she didn't. She felt so confused and hopeless.

"Nande? Where are we going?" Sakuno's voice was barely a whisper. Her eyes were downcasted and eyebrows pinched together to form a pained expression. "Wh-Why are we leaving Japan?"

Sumire Ryuuzaki gave her grandaughter a simpathetic look. "A very close friend of mine is the tennis coach of a Japanese-American team. He recently got into an accident and may need surgery. So he is unable to coach until he is fully healed. His tennis team is really in need of a coach because they will be attending a tournament coming up really soon."

"So we're going to America?" Sakuno's voice quivered.

"Hai."

"Are we ever coming back?"

At this question, her grandmother's eyes avoided her face. Sakuno pressed for her answer.

"Are we?"

'Obaa-chan! Please say yes!'

"Gomen Sakuno. But I think we will be staying there for atleast 2 years."

Atleast two years…

That means atleast two years away from her friends, her school, the people she loved, the people she cared about. She have to leave them all behind…

Unwilling to give in yet. Sakuno asked more questions."Demo… Why did you accept without asking me first!"

Sakuno's grandmother sighed and massaged her tired eyes. She had expected this to happen. Telling her granddaughter that they were leaving in three days was something even she felt reluctant to do.

"Because.. he begged me Sakuno. He was very desperate. His team worked so hard to prepare for the tournament and if they were to give up right now, he will regret this moment for the rest of his life."

She smiled. "Besides, Seigaku is doing so well. I think they will be fine without me. With Tezuka leading them, I won't have a thing to worry about. Do you understand Sakuno?"

I don't understand and I don't want to understand!

Tears of fustration were already building up in Sakuno's eyes. How could her grandmother make decisions for her without her permission and opinion! That was just plain unfair.

Sakuno squeezed her eyes shut. Unwilling to let the tears escape like a river down her cheeks. 'I will not cry. I will not cry'

The happy moments that was with her just a few minutes ago felt like it had been washed out to sea. The moments with him that made her heart beat faster everytime she was around him, the moments that they shared alone, the moments that were all precious to her up until now felt like it was no longer important or necessary.

What a pity. Ryoma was just beginning to soften up a bit.

"May I be excused Obaa-chan? My head hurts." Her grandmother gave her an understanding nod.

"Arigato..." Sakuno made her way up to her room. Her shoulders shook and a silent sob raked throught her body as she took a step at a time up the stairs.

It's funny how everything could fall apart so quickly right when you feel like nothing could possibly go wrong…..

When Sakuno finally got to her room, she stepped inside and locked the door. Then, she slid onto the floor slowly and unable to supress her tears and sobs, she let it all out.

Sakuno cried and cried. She poured her heart out with memories of Tomo-chan, happy memories of matches, the excitement she felt during the tennis games, the happiness of a victory in a tournament. The times she had spent with the senpai's and then, there's also… him. The person that made her life so happy and fulfilled.

Ryoma….

Sakuno's head felt heavy. The world around her seemed to be spinning in circles.

'So very tired…'

Unable to hold herself up anymore, Sakuno layed her back on the floor. Her eyes became blurry and before she know it, her mind was turning black. She muttered one last word before she fell into a deep slumber.

"Ryoma."

Ryoma-kun.

Echizen Ryoma shivered. He had just felt a strange wind pass through him.

'What is this uneasy feeling?' He couldn't quite put his hand on it. But, something definetly doesn't seem right..

He stopped walking and turned around only to see a most disgusting scene. There were so many mice scurrying around. So much that he could hardly count them all.

'What is this? This was suppose to be the cleanest street of this area.' Ryoma gave a look of disgust and stood as far away from it as possible.

The mice swarmed on top of eachother and their small red eyes glowed brightly from the dim street light. Not far from him was a big dead rat. A bunch of smaller rats swarmed in that area and began eating it.

Ryoma's stomache churned.

'I think I just lost my appetite for tonight's dinner'

He took a step back and felt something rub against his leg. Ryoma froze, goosebumps traveled up his neck making his hair stand on ends. He slowly looked down to see atleast three black cats around him. Their golden eyes shoned so brightly that it almost looked unrealistic. The three black cats purred and rubbed its head on his legs. Ryoma gulped.

This is definetly a bad omen.

He stepped over the cats and ran as fast as he could. Staying in that area gave him a very bad feeling. Just thinking about it makes him feel uncomfortable.

'What the heck is going on?'

By the time he reached his house, he could hear his cousin's voice and his father's perverted jokes. He breathed a sigh of relief. Atleast he got home safely.

Ryoma opened his gate quickly and went in.

"I'm back!" Ryoma called and his father appeared by the doorway.

"Ah.. Seshounen. Where have you been?" his father grinned pervertedly and made a silly face. "Perhaps on a date with that old woman's grandaughter?"

Ryoma closed his eyes and ignored his idiotic father. He began making his way up the stairs when his nosy father suddenly popped up next to him – making him flinch .

"So, were you guys on a date? What did you do? Did you kiss her yet?" His father's consistant questions gave him a headache.

"Yes. We went on a date. We watched a movie, I bought her a drink and I kissed her."

His father jumped around in happiness like a monkey. Ryoma Echizen crossed his arms and frowned. His father wasn't acting like an adult at all!

Suddenly, his father came up behind him and gave him a hard pat on the back making Echizen cough.

"See. I knew you could do it."

His father was so simple-minded and such an idiot. Ryoma closed his eyes and started for the stairs again."Baka Oyaji. I was lying." He made it loud enough for his father to hear. "There was no such thing happening."

His father stopped dancing around like a happy drunk man and scratched his head in confusion.

"Eh?"

"Tell Nanako that I don't want to eat dinner tonight." With that said, Ryoma went to his room and closed it loudly.

Nanjirou Echizen grinned at his son's behavior. "It's so nice to be young" he chuckled slyly and then whistled his way to the kitchen.

The Next Morning (Two more days left)
9:40 A.M.

Sakuno groaned in pain. Her head felt like a balloon and the world around her was still spinning. Still, she struggled to get up, and saw a million of black dots slowly appearing in front of her eyes. She blink a few times trying to get rid of them but the black dots only became more.

She winced when she finally managed to get on her knees. It was so hard to see anything. All she saw was the outline of her bed outlined with black dots. She slowly crawled on all four towards it. She climbed onto her bed with much difficulty.

"Ohh.." she moaned in pain and put her hand on her head. It was BURNING!

Sakuno reached for the phone and tried to dial her grandmother's cellphone number. After trying to get the number right with her fading vision and cold fingers, she managed to get it right at her fourth try.

The tennis court was lively in the morning. Everybody was working hard. Cheers of fans and talking voices filled the courts.

Sumire Ryuuzaki smiled as she observed the tennis team. Closing her eyes, she tried to absorb every little detail of Seigaku's Tennis court and it's players. She had been coaching in this school for so long now. Saying good-bye wasn't so easy. She glanced on the side where The Regulars were practicing and grinned.

'Ganbatte ne. Please make Seigaku shine while I'm away.' She thought as she watched them.

Perhaps now would be a good time to tell them about her leave. However, before she could walk two steps forward, her cell phone rang.

She glanced at her cellphone cover at the the name listed: HOME

'Sakuno is still at home?'

"Moshi moshi? Sakuno?"

Sakuno was relieved when she heard her grandmother's voice on the other line.

"Obaa-chan?" She choked out. 'It even hurts to talk…'

"Hai. Sakuno, Daijoubu?"

"I don't know obaa-chan. Everything around me is so dar—" Not able to finsh what she was saying, Sakuno's eyes rolled back and the phone reciever slipped from her hand.

The phone reciever dropped to the ground with a loud THUMP and her head fell limply on the side of her bed.

"Moshi moshi! Sakuno!" the phone reciever continued to call out her name. "Don't move. I'll be home right away."

Then, there was a click and silence swept in.

Sumire Ryuuzaki glanced worriedly at her phone.

'I'll have to tell them tomorrow' she thought.

"Tezuka. I need to speak with you for a minute"

"Ah." Tezuka turned to her direction and made his way to her.

"I have an emergency and I need to leave. Do you think you can take over for me?"

"Hai Ryuuzaki-sensei."

"Arigato. Tezuka."

"Iie."

After leaving down instructions, Tezuka watched as Ryuuzaki-sensei faded from his view. Then, he turned his attention back to the tennis court.

"In 20 minutes, Freshman will clean the courts. The Regulars, Juniors and Seniors may leave."

"HAI. TEZUKA- BUCHOU!"

Pure Essence: (gasp!) What happens next? I'm sorry that there arent any RyoxSaku moments here. But it will soon! So please keep supporting me on my story and review!
I want to thank you people for all your support you've shown so far. I am very happy that you guys are reading my story and it makes me even more happy to know that you guys are enjoying it. Thank You so much!

Oh. One more thing. My Microsoft Word's spelling and grammer check is down so.. There might be a lot of mistakes here (I hope not) So please excuse me and my bad grammer use or spelling for now.