10 years later
You were reading the newspaper outside on a nice sunny day while on break from work at the tennis camp. You taught tennis to little kids as a side job during your off time not competing in one of the grand slams for tennis. It was something you liked to do because you just loved children so much. She hadn't been on the front page of a newspaper in a while, but today she was.
Ryoko Shiraishi, was now a famous star in the ballet circuit. At age sixteen she was taken in as a member of Russia's most prestigious ballet groups, she was the youngest member ever. At age eighteen she got her first major lead, as the lead female in La Sylphide and the following year she played the lead Giselle in the ballet in Rome. When she was twenty, she performed at the Sydney Opera House, her first major stage, and the same year danced for the Queen of England as well as the President of the United States. She was named the best Japanese dancer of her time for three years straight and broke top five of Japan's most beautiful women. Her latest achievement, she was named Swan Queen in the famous ballet Swan Lake and would premier tomorrow in Paris. You smiled and looked at her picture for a long time "Your dreams are finally coming true, I knew you would be a great star someday."
"Talking to newspapers are we? Since the last time I saw you, you had gotten more and more crazy." Unknowingly Shiraishi had taken a seat next to you on the bench, you smiled "How have you been doing?" you asked your old friend "Busy as usual, and more stressful with a wedding coming up." Shiraishi had become a very successful businessman in college and besides from doing so well himself, next month he was getting married. "I can't wait to go, it will be good to see old faces again." You said. "Well I didn't come to remind you of the wedding, I wanted to say good luck tomorrow at the French Open." "Thanks." you replied. "Do you think you'll do well?" you shrugged "I can never say, but I'll always hope for the best." Shiraishi sighed "From middle school and through high school, you, that Ryoma Echizen, and Tezuka are probably the only ones that still play. And out of the three of you, you're the only one that has three Grand slam titles under your belt, and tomorrow night, probably all four grand slam titles will be yours." You simply smiled "But I can see that as tennis meant little to you back then, it still means little to you now." "Thats harsh of you to say Shiraishi, I treasure tennis in my life more then you might think, because its the only connection I feel like I can have with her." He knew right away to whom you were referring "Through newspapers and television ads, its the only she can see me, as through her ballet performances on TV, its the only way I see her. I play tennis because I love to, but I win grand slams so Ryoko will always see me." He patted you on the shoulder "Ten years is a long time."
A very long time.
It was the finals of the French Open and it was you versus the competitor across from you. You had never cared to see who the other finalist was and never did your research in on him, your ears were also shut to all the rumors about this incredible player. But no matter who it was, you knew this match had a time limit. You would give your all from now, until the clock strikes ten and you would have to be gone, you had a meeting date you had to make. The other opponent entered the court and the corners of your mouth pulled up into a smile "You would be the last person I expected to face here, Tezuka." he shook your hand "Then it is to my advantage, I was anticipating our meeting here." "I have waited a very long time for a rematch with you, but suddenly now that I can play you, till my hearts content I have some business to take care of." "Business?" he asked, you walked away "I am sorry to sound rushed, but this game has to end at ten tonight, or else." Tezuka never asked questions, but he complied right away and served the ball even before the announcer could make a call to begin.
This was the last set of the match with the scores tied, Tezuka was beginning to look tired and you could only imagine how you might look, but even though you were weary, you were exhilarated by the challenge that was your old captain Tezuka. It was going to be your serve, you threw the ball in the air and as it came down, the clock struck ten. The ball fell back down on your side of the court and the referee made the call. "Fuji, what was that?" Tezuka asked, but you only threw him a smile "I told you, its ten, I have to leave now, so congratulations on your first grand slam victory." There were a lot of cameras that took pictures and many people were yelling at you to get back and finish the match, but you knew there was no one that could stop you from going where you were going.
You found her dressing room, it had a big star on it with the name Swan Queen across, and under that in smaller print was the name Ryoko Shirashi.
you were about to leave the roses at her door
when the dressing room door opened. You were looking at a pair of slender fair legs "What are you doing?"
You stood straight up and looked into the frightening blue eyes that never dimmed over time. "I just wanted to meet the ballerina who was the Swan Queen, I am a huge fan." A smile appeared on her red lips "I see, have you been a fan for a long time?" you shrugged "Not very long, for ten years." She nodded and closed her dressing room behind her "My most loyal fan, how would I repay you?" You took her hand gently in yours "Come with me for a little while, I want to show you something." She followed you into the dark and cold Paris night, through alleyways and damp streets all to come to a nice bench under the moon. You sat down and she took a seat next to you, for a while the both of you sat in silence, then you pulled a scrapbook out of your bag and laid it gently in her lap "This is for you, I want you to read this to me." She gave you a strange look. but she opened the scrapbook anyways, she touched her heart and read the intro you had made
"This is a love story, a love story about a foolish boy and the most beautiful doll in the land. You might think that a boy and a doll loving each other sounds foolish, but like I said, this is the love story of the best kind."
she turned to the first page and she smiled "You have to read aloud so I can hear too." She touched the pictures "They had their first date at a ramen shop, and she had yummy food, and she ate ice cream." She turned the page and her smile grew wider "Then they played tennis, but she wasn't very good." She turned the page and tears filled her eyes "And she ate more ice cream." In her eyes you could see she relived the memories of many years ago "Then he asked her to become his girlfriend." Suddenly she stopped and her fingers traced over the newspaper clippings, her voice dropped to a mumble "And then a terrible accident broke her spirit and she was sad for a very long time." She seemed to pause there in the painful memories, but you took her hands and guided her "Keep reading." She looked at the next pages "But she recovered, and she got better, she rose to the top. She went to Rome, Paris, England, New York, Shanghai, Moscow, and she danced ballet all over the world." She got to the last page, there was a title "10 years later." She looked up at you and you kissed her and feel 10 years erase, it was like you were fourteen, and this was the last bus ride you took with her. In the background, the lights of the Eiffel tower lit up and gave you enough light to take a picture. She smiled and touched her lips "We're older now, but yet now I feel young again, because of the same feelings I have for you." She touched the empty page "What happens to the story now?" "I'll show you." The polaroid came out and you pasted the picture under the title, with a small caption, you put "kissing under the Eiffel Tower." the picture showed up and Ryoko smiled. She leaned her head on your shoulders and turned the scrapbook to the beginning again "Read this to me again?" you smiled and draped your arm around her and began
"This is a love story..."