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Chapter 27

Is This The End?

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It was a rather snowy morning for everyone; the sun had already risen although it still seemed dusk at that time. Tiny patches of orange light passed through the thick darkened clouds in the horizon, giving a faint glow, looking a little more ethereal than usual.

Echizen Ryoma couldn't believe his luck… or lack of thereof. He wasn't entirely sure of whether it was because a black cat passed by the route he was taking, or because he had just found his self walking under a ladder, or because he had kept his broken mirror, or because his shoelaces snapped right down the middle while he was walking… then again, it could be just coincidence that he ran into St. Rudolph's tennis club members (he ended up being asked by Mizuki, but knowing Ryoma, he'd probably just annoy Mizuki to death), then was almost chased by some fan-girls, who Ryoma secretly wished would never meet Osakada Tomoka; then he bumped into Sengoku Kiyosumi of Yamabuki, who sort of chased away the fan-girls because of his perverted smile. Sengoku too was with the other members of Yamabuki tennis club; Ryoma almost asked where was Akutsu, but kept himself from doing so.

He walked with Yamabuki until they got bumped into by Hyoutei Gakuen tennis club regulars (along with its 200+ members, whose transportation fee was, of course, paid by no other than Atobe Keigo). Then more fan-girls came, not only because of him though.

Fortunately, Atobe let Yamabuki and Ryoma hitch on their ride (though Sengoku said that they, Yamabuki, were lucky because they bumped into Ryoma); but just as the story went, Ryoma was rather unlucky that time that even Sengoku's "luckiness" couldn't help them.

They stuck in the heavy traffic (yep, early in the morning; Ryoma moaned, saying that he should've just walked.), got flat tires, and all sorts of misfortunes.

But it was weird, somehow, he felt like something good was coming…

"Kawaii!" Sengoku cheered as he saw a couple of young girls walking by the side walk. Ryoma saw the tennis players' heads turn swiftly, he followed.

It was a group of three girls, he couldn't see their faces because they were talking so closely, like they were whispering some sort of super sekrit (nope, not secret, but sekrit) stuff that they don't want anyone to hear. He squinted his eyes a little because he thought he knew someone from them…

The poor form, the wobbly knees, the too relaxed elbows, the super long hair…

"Ryuzaki?"

"Ryuzaki? Wasn't that your coach's name?" Dan asked out of nowhere. Ryoma nodded, then shook his head. "…Eh?"

"That Ryuzaki—" he pointed at the supposed Sakuno, "—is our coach's granddaughter."

"Then let's invite her!" Sengoku exclaimed. Oshitari cocked a brow and coughed. Sengoku turned at him with a surprised look.

"I think Atobe's supposed to decide whether it's OK or not." Atobe waved it off, though. He seemed to be preoccupied with something, the rest of Hyoutei's regulars looked at each other. Sengoku beamed like crazy, "It's OK then—" he slid down the mirror and called out, "—Oi! Ryuzaki-chan! (insert heart here)"

The girls turned around; sure enough, as Ryoma thought, the girl with the longest hair and wobbly knees was Ryuzaki Sakuno. She was accompanied by Osakada Tomoka, and Tachibana Ann; Sengoku opened the door of the vehicle and exited. He talked to the girls with much gusto, he pointed to the car. To Ryoma's surprise, Sakuno frowned when she saw the car and shook her head. Tomoka seemed to be displeased by her friend's decision while Ann just stood there, and said something that might've been in agreement with Sakuno's decision for Tomoka looked like the earth had just shattered right in front of her eyes. Sengoku went back to the car.

At first he was taken aback by Sakuno's refusal to go with them, despite the combined efforts of Tomoka and Yamabuki (Ann wasn't enthusiastic about the idea, she still couldn't forget what Atobe had done) and then Ryoma shrugged. He just remembered that he wasn't in talking terms with her that moment. He then looked at Sengoku's face.

"…" Ryoma fell silent. He didn't know how to react… should he feel sorry because Sengoku looked like he was dumped for the 100th time by different girls (he turned into a pillar of sand, with just one harsh blow…), or should he just drop being nice and laugh his ass off because Sengoku looked… unbelievably funny… hilarious, more of.

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Ryoma felt extremely groggy. It was really cool inside the fixed Atobe automobile, and he should be thankful that classrooms weren't like this, or he'd always fall asleep.

"So where are you going?" Ohtori asked. Ryoma snapped out of his La-La land.

"Daidouji Gakuen." Ryoma and, surprisingly, Sengoku replied. They looked at each other, "You too?" they asked in unison. A surprised look on Ohtori's face was quite readable.

"Ah… I suppose we're all going to see the club presentations?" Oshitari said, as matter of fact. Ryoma had a weird feeling about this…

Why did he feel like things revolved around Daigaku ever since they met those girls?

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His suspicion rose to a different level when upon their entry at Daigaku, he had seen St. Rudolph, Kakkinoki and other private schools they've fought from the last Kantou tournament. Even Ginka was there.

To much of his surprise (and Yamabuki too), Akutsu was there too. Though, he was accompanied by Kawamura and his mother, Yuuki. They didn't stay long enough to talk though because they were already being escorted by a Daigaku student.

It also seemed that some of Rokkaku's and Rikkai's tennis players were there.

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At the "Great Hall" (as hailed by some of the students, because it was rumored to expand when there are more people inside it… of course, this was never proven…), he detached his self from Hyoutei and Yamabuki, and went to where Seigaku was designated. Everyone was staring at him when Sumire took hold of both his cheeks and began to stretch them in an unbelievable way.

Yamabuki silently thanked that they had Banji as their coach, Jirou from Hyoutei thanked that Atobe wasn't anywhere like Tezuka, and Ginka prayed earnestly that they were so thankful they weren't, in any way, like Seigaku.

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When they assembled, Seigaku and Daigaku immediately went to the backstage. The host was the first to present its feature alumna; Ryoma noted that Ayashi and Mariko were talking politely to each other, as if feeling each other's aura or something. It seemed that the shouting match between them still wasn't that much settled; by any means, he was a little grateful that they were, in a way, a little professional when it comes to work.

Seigaku still hasn't sort of forgiven the Daigaku girls for not warning them about the sneaky Kinimoto Gakuen, the sister school of Daidouji Gakuen. If they had only told them beforehand, then they should've done something at the practice match. Ryuzaki had told them that they, Seigaku tennis regulars, should've listened to Inui who told them that they should be careful because he had no idea of how they played.

Even so, the celebration would still continue anyway…

Sakuno peeped a little from the backstage. "Wow… so many people…"

"Uh-huh. People were so interested with tennis nowadays." Said Emiko, who was wearing a red and black lace dress, "Can't blame them… look, fan-girls! Ha, who would've thought that the idiot would actually have fans!" she giggled. Sakuno looked at her. "Oh… I was talking about… never mind it!" she pranced away, lost in her own world, though Ryoma was sure she was just practicing for her intermission number.

"Ugh…" They swiveled their heads to where the sound came from. Tatsue was leaning on the wall, breathing heavily. She looked clammy and she was sweating like mad. She looked sick.

"Tatsue-chan?" Sakuno approached her, but she held out her hand, and then pointed at her face; she was holding her other hand over her mouth. She then almost staggered to the nearest rest room.

Ayashi frowned, "She's still demophobic after all." Sumire turned her gaze at the kendo buchou.

"She's got demophobia? But how could she fight a match in kendo?"

"There's not much people in kendo matches, unlike in presentations like this…" said Jun, who was now fixing the lights and background effects with a computer, "… we've always thought she'd get over that eventually but it seemed that…"

"It just got worse. It was a bad idea making her go with you, Megane-chan." Added a rather pretty looking girl, who was now in a rather semi-formal attire. She was being ogled at by fellow male classmates, she snarled at them.

"Who—"

"Don't ask!" the rest of Daigaku hushed the boys. The girl who just came in was no other than the tomboy, Hanami Mariko.

Jun whispered to them, "It's not always that you could see her in that." She pointed at the girl's spangled blue skirt, then at her –gasp!—un-ponytailed hair, she had her hair down in elegant waves that she was no longer recognizable as the unruly and unladylike fukubuchou of the kendo club.

"Kakoii." Ayashi just spoke, "Mariko, you look like a girl!" Mariko turned at Ayashi and gave her a cold stare. A vein was throbbing just right beneath her right eye, and there were black swivels behind her. The rest felt a swooping, shivering, cold chills running through their spines; but Ayashi just continued to ogle at her.

Without any warning whatsoever, Ayashi (now in a rather weird chibi form, ala Ginji when he sees something cute!) jumped at Mariko, who caught her just before Ayashi literally reached her chests. Mariko now held chibi-Ayashi like some kind of stuff toy.

"Oh god, Ayashi." Emiko covered her face; Jun looked away, apparently trying to suffice her laughter. Atsuyo and Mai looked at each other, and then stared at the chibi-Ayashi.

"Weird." They said in unison. Well, one could just imagine the shock that struck Seigaku.

"I thought they were enemies." Momoshiro exclaimed, pointing at Ayashi and Mariko. Jun nodded.

"Yeah, there were. But I guess, Ayashi's love for anything that piques her interest weighs a lot more than shouting matches. Just my guess, though."

Girls were really weird.

Ryoma slowly turned his head to look at Sakuno who was just some meters away from him.

Doki.

Sakuno clutched the hem of her skirt. She felt a pair of eyes staring at her.

Doki.

He knew she couldn't forgive him for saying all of those stuff.

Doki.

She'd be really thick to think it would be Ryoma… hadn't they been ignoring each other?

Doki.

He just had to say sorry.

Doki.

If only he'd say sorry…

Doki.

But what if she won't forgive him? All those times he acted so stupid… ignoring her like plague.

Doki.

But what if he'd rather not say it? All those times she acted so lame and uncool…

Doki.

She must hate his guts for being such a cocky, arrogant jerk… but that was who he was!

Doki.

He must hate her for being so lame, so wobbly, so weak, so… uncool, unlike his self.

Doki.

All he did was hurt her.

Doki.

All she did was worship him.

Doki.

It was time that things change.

Doki.

For the better.

Doki.

Take…

Doki.

Step…

Doki.

By…

Doki.

Step…

Doki.

Step by step… try to understand her more…

Doki.

Step by step… try to know the REAL him more…

Doki.

Step by step… reach out at the girl who did nothing but kindness to him…

Doki.

Step by step… search for her own weakness and strength so next time she won't lose.

Doki.

Then…

Doki.

The time will come that he will see her as who she was…

Doki.

The time will come that she will find the REAL him…

Doki. Doki. Doki. Doki…

For a mere split second, they were able to look at each other's eyes, the mystery of the other slowly preparing to be measured... slowly preparing to be unraveled…

Perhaps… then…

"OHAYOU MINNA-SAN!" Mariko and Oishi's voice boomed inside the hall. The rest of Seigaku and Daigaku were on the top box of the backstage, while Ryoma and Sakuno stayed at the main backstage; they heard the large break of applause as the program started.

"I'm sorry…" Ryoma said softly. He wasn't sure if she had heard it because the sound from the stage was deafening. He wouldn't expect her to take it that easily… he was sure he had hurt her to the highest power.

But he was proven wrong.

Her chocolate eyes were teary already. Ryoma panicked what had he done this time?!

He approached her, and for the first time in Sakuno's life, he actually showed that he was worried about her. She wiped her eyes dry and gave him the sweetest, most beautiful smile he had seen… a smile he thought he'd seen once from his mother in a picture that his perverted dad took.

"Arigatou… Ryoma-kun."

One after another applause broke from the audience, but it was no louder than the thumping of the heart, the silent melody of the heart that was quietly being heard by the people at the backstage.

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A/N: So… do you think this is the perfect ending?

Doki heart beat