A/N: I've been having, er, technical problems lately in the PC, so this is the REAL Chapter 24… sorry for the bother for last time! Gomenasai, minna-san! Gomen! Gomen! I've been into making short stories lately, I hope you guys won't be --er-- disappointed. 3
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Chapter 24
Short Reflection, Part 2
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Ryoma returned to the Echizen residence, worn out, pissed off and in utter bad mood. He kicked the trash bin two times, sending them somewhere in their garden. Karupin tried to "cheer" him up by nibbling his leg and showing him the dead rat she'd found earlier that day.
Not exactly appealing to the owner.
His father wasn't helping a lot either, and neither was Ryoga, his adopted older brother. (Though, it is a wonder on how similar they looked!)
All they did were nose in his business and did not leave him alone until Rinko came. She practically whacked them in the heads for being, well, themselves. Nanako, though, thought out loud that they deserved what they got.
Ryoma got fed with everything, stomped his way to his room and practically SLAMMED (in bold letters and CAPSLOCK) the door shut. The people on the foot of the stairs winced.
"What did you two do?" Rinko looked unbelievingly at the two woman-loving Echizens. They shrugged.
Nanjirou tried to wave off the suspicion when he told the two girls (who at that time looked incredulously like saber-toothed tigers) that he came home like that. Rinko sighed.
"He's not even thirteen yet!" Rinko shook her head. Then again, there was Nanjirou… who still acted as though he was twenty years younger.
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Ryoma threw his cap off his head and flung it across to somewhere, feeling miserable and angry and defeated AND stupid. He had never felt stupid even once in his darned life.
He felt miserable because he lost. He felt angry because he lost. He felt defeated because he lost. He felt stupid…
He felt stupid…
Why did he felt stupid?
Just because he made Ryuzaki Sakuno cry again, which was becoming more and more of his routine nowadays… wait, why'd he feel stupid?
Sakuno was right. He was nothing but a schoolmate, a club mate… a friend… yes. That was what he really was.
Her friend.
He felt a pang in his chest upon the realization of why he felt stupid. He was only Sakuno's friend. She was right; he definitely had no right whatsoever on whomever she would want to befriend, let alone boyfriend.
Bingo. Password correct!
He snarled at the thought that Minami Kenichi was going to be her boyfriend, not him. Wait. Did he just think that he'd rather be Sakuno's boyfriend than that Minami bastard?
It was finally. He had really lost his marbles. And he wasn't even lying in his bed yet!
Shuddering at the thought, Ryoma pulled the chair of his desk and sat with such a force that he had regret doing, for his bottom had hurt upon contact. He lit the table lamp and unwillingly (how, I have no idea) bump his head on the table, which he again regretted because it hurt.
He wondered why he had been doing things like these pretty much lately (read: He's acting VERY clumsy), and he always end up feeling stupid and end up regretting everything because… because…
He was hurt?
No matter how many times he had thought that it was stupid thinking that he felt stupid because he was upset, moreover, because of a girl. He would've understood if it was because of tennis, or because he lost the match. But no – he felt stupid because he had let Sakuno cry again, because he was the one who made her cry!
Ryoma slid his arm before him, wherein he let his head rest. He was now confused…
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