This is the third chapter of Serene Music... And again, special thanks to the people who reviewed...
Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis.
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Music speaks what cannot be expressed.
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Sunday; Evening.
Sakuno was at home, practicing the piano. No matter how she played it, Sakuno felt as if her music was still lacking. Something important at that, too. What is it that I am lacking of? she thought and sighed exasperatedly. I wonder if I should join the competition this year as 'myself'... she thought again. Her secret was out among the regulars, she knew that already. But surprisingly, the regulars hadn't said a single word about her being able to play the piano. Not that I'm complaining... Sakuno thought as she stood up and decided to go out for fresh air.
Sakuno was walking around the neighbourhood when she saw a tennis court. "Eh? There's a tennis court here?" She said to no particular person, as she walked towards the court.
"... It has been a long time since I played tennis, after my embarrassing moment, that is." she twitched when the memory of her playing tennis came rushing back to her mind. Sakuno was never one to have great talents in tennis. The last time she played tennis... was when the 'incident' happened.
Flashback...
" Obaa-chan! I'm just not good at playing tennis! Why can't you just let me off the hook?!" Sakuno whined.
" Sakuno...How could you not be good at tennis when your obaa-chan is?!" Sakuno's grandmother groaned. Why is it that her granddaughter have to be so stubborn just to hit a tennis ball?!
" Fine..." Her grandmother took it as a signal and served the ball, while Sakuno, who was not expecting the tennis ball to come flying towards her stood there like a block of ice. Ryuzaki Sumire became pale. Her granddaughter wasn't paying attention!
" Sakuno!" Sakuno looked up... and got hit by the tennis ball. Right on the face too. Her obaa-chan sweat dropped, realizing her mistake. She shouldn't have asked her to look up. Sakuno cringed in pain. " Obaa-chan... I don't think I want to play tennis any more..."
"... Sure thing, Sakuno. Your talent for tennis opposed to your talent for playing the piano... Yikes..." Her grandmother sweat dropped the second time that day, while Sakuno fell down anime style. Her obaa-chan is still really slow in realising things...
End of flashback...
"... What if someone had seen that incident happened?! That would be embarrassing!" Sakuno blushed. That's total humiliation! She paced back and forth, not noticing a certain 'someone' was watching her curiously.
Che, must be another fan girl... That certain 'someone' thought indifferently and went back practicing his tennis skills. Sakuno stopped pacing when she heard the sound of tennis balls hitting against a wall. She turned to the direction where the sound was coming from which had been puzzling her for a while. Was there even a wall in the tennis court? A boy around her age was practicing his tennis skills beside the tennis court, where a huge wall stood strongly. Sakuno sweat dropped. Why hadn't she noticed the wall when she arrived here?
This person... Echizen Ryoma?! thought Sakuno, as she began to pale.
Relax, Sakuno... Maybe he was too busy playing tennis that he never even noticed your presence...Sakuno thought to herself. Inhale... Exhale... After doing breathing exercises to come herself down, Sakuno walked off, not stopping to see where she was going, which got herself lost in the end. Sakuno tensed up. It was really quiet, and it'll be night fall soon.
Think, Sakuno. What are you going to do now? Sakuno thought.
" Maybe.. turning back and walk straight? I don't remember turning left or right..." Sakuno sweat dropped. Great, now she has short-term memory loss. It's better than standing here till morning... thought Sakuno, as she began to do as she had thought of. The more she walk, the more clueless she is about her where-abouts.
" Great, now I'm in the middle of no- err... somewhere, surrounded by hundreds of houses and none of them is mine." Sakuno muttered.
" Maybe.. turning back again?" Sakuno walked and got herself back to where she was the first time. " Great..." Sakuno looked around and decided to go the other way of the street. This time, the further she went, the more familiar the neighbourhood was to her.
Sakuno sighed in relieve. She began to relax and walked in a slower pace. Not long after that, she felt as if someone was following her, which made her really nervous. Is it a stalker?... Sakuno's face turned pale, and started to walk as fast as she could. Unfortunately, the 'stalker' started to walk in a faster pace too.
Calm down Sakuno... Just think positive thoughts... yeah that's right... soon, a knight in shining armour will come sweep me off my feet and we'll live happily ever after... Ok, now where did I get that idea from? This is definitely not comforting to the mind... wait.., I change my mind. RUN SAKUNO, RUN!
Sakuno broke into a run, which the stalker mimicked with ease. Suddenly, she felt the stalker stopped trailing her. She turned around, and saw outlines of a person wearing a cap serving a tennis ball, aiming for the 'might-be stalker''s head. The mysterious person succeeded in making the stalker faint, out of the blow on the person's head. Curiosity got Sakuno to walk over to her saviour. Cheshire eyes, ebony black hair with green highlights? Sakuno twitched.
Is it me or is it the fact that meeting this person every once in a while is a little too much of a coincedence? Sakuno thought sulkily. Ryoma raised and eyebrow. He just saved this person and she's sulking? Did she actually want this person to stalk her all the way back?
" E-rr t-thanks..." Sakuno gaped mentally. Since when she stuttered?! Towards this person no-less!
" Hn." Sakuno twitched yet again. This person was getting on to her last nerve, but why was she still feeling as if there were butterflies in her stomach?
" U-uh.. I'll be going now... T-thanks.." Sakuno walked off nervously, cursing herself mentally for being so nervous just because of that person. While that, Ryoma stared her retreating self, shrugging off the feeling that he had saw her somewhere before. He too, walk off, leaving the crazy stalker laying on the street with a swollen on his head, caused by the one and only, Echizen Ryoma.
Sakuno arrived back home later after that. " Tadaima... ( I'm home)" Her obaa-chan came rushing down the stairs, looking worried.
" Sakuno! Where were you?! Do you know what time it is?!" Sakuno shrinked smaller as her grandmother's fury got the best of her. If I told her what happened, she'll teased me for having bad sense of direction even though I'm already in middle school! Sakuno sweat dropped. Not telling her grandmother something is worse though.
" I... got lost?" Ryuzaki Sumire stared at her granddaughter, and started laughing after that.
" Hah! I knew you're still bad in sense of direction!" Sakuno sighed mentally. Oh well, it's better than having her worry over me. Besides, that blow on the stalker's head might have caused him to get amnesia.
" Hai, hai... Stop laughing, obaa-chan..." Sakuno pouted. " I'm going to bed now."
" Ok, Sakuno. Oyasuminasai (Good night)." said Sakuno's grandmother, still grinning widely, her amused eyes still lingered.
" Oyasuminasai..." Sakuno replied.
Monday morning; Seishun Gakuen, 7.45 A.M.
Sakuno had arrived at school just in time, panting. The fact that her obaa-chan always arriving at school earlier than her just to see the regulars practice, leaving her at home sleeping soundly which causes her to be late for school every time. Sakuno sat down on her seat, tiredly. Listening to Tomoka babbling about Ryoma was not helping either.
" Sakuno! Are you listening to what I am saying?! I doubt you are... why do you look so tired? " Sakuno sighed tiredly, laying her head on the desk.
" Sakuno? Are you alright?" Sakuno smiled reassuringly.
" I'm fine, Tomoka... You may continue if you like." Sakuno sweat dropped. Why did I have to say that?Tomoka resumed her babbles about Ryoma, which Sakuno regretted of.
" By the way Sakuno, I think I'm going to start playing the piano. You know Takeda Yuri? I hate the fact that she's the only one who knows how to play the piano, and likes to tell everyone about her specialty. Especially to Ryoma-sama. She kept babbling about it the other day that I felt like punching her on the face!" said Tomoka, which caught Sakuno's attention. Tomoka wants to play the piano?!
" But you said you were only going to concentrate on tennis the other day." Sakuno sweat dropped. Unlike her, Tomoka was more sporty and athletic-like. If Tomoka were to play the piano... Wouldn't it make Tomoka sporty and elegant at the same time? That's a weird combination to begin with...
" Don't worry, Sakuno-chan! I'll top in both things in no time!" Sakuno sighed in defeat.
" If you say so, Tomoka-chan..." Class started after that, but Sakuno paid no attention to the class. Maybe I can help Tomoka in this... After all, she is my friend..
After school; Seishun Gates.
" Tomoka-chan!" Sakuno ran towards her friend, panting heavily than the morning before.
" Eh? Sakuno-chan?" Tomoka was puzzled. What is it that is so important that her friend had to say it now instead of telling her about it tomorrow?
" Tomoka-chan, when are you starting your piano lessons? Can I come along?" said Sakuno, after recovering her breath. I can start all over again... Then I'll get to understand piano more deeply than before...
Tomoka smiled happily. " You will?! That's great, Sakuno-chan! Let's go!" Sakuno looked at her friend, wondering what she meant.
"Huh?"
" I'm starting today, silly! Come on!"
" Hah?! Wait, you're starting to-" before Sakuno could finish her sentence, Tomoka dragged her off to the music centre.
Music Centre; 3.15 P.M.
" Hi there! You can call me Yuki-sensei. From today onwards, you'll be learning to play the piano with me. You should introduce yourselves." said Yuki-sensei. Tomoka and Sakuno grinned, eager to play the piano. Tomoka began to introduce herself while Sakuno started spacing off. This is somewhat like a dream! The feeling's as if I've just started playing the piano like I did when I was young! Sakuno thought, not noticing that Tomoka was already done with her introduction.
" Sakuno? SAKUNO!!" Tomoka's shrieks made Sakuno fell down anime style, while Yuki-sensei sweat dropped.
" H-hai? I'm sorry, I kind of spaced out. My name is Ryuzaki Sakuno and I'm really excited to learn playing the piano." Sakuno sweat dropped. Tomoka will be the death of me if she doesn't stop shouting near my ears.
" Well, Tomoka-chan, Sakuno-chan, I'll start with the basics first, and will start teaching you to actually play the piano soon after that. Do you agree to my suggestion?" Tomoka and Sakuno nodded eagerly, making the piano teacher laugh.
" My, you both sure are eager to play the piano aren't you?" Yuki-sensei smiled happily. It's been a long time since someone came to learn how to play the piano in their own free will, usually it was because of parents who wants them to learn.
" Yes teacher! Please teach us well!" Sakuno and Tomoka said in unison, making Yuki-sensei filled with happiness.
" I sure will!" Yuki-sensei started the lesson, as the two girls listened carefully.
After the piano lesson had ended, Yuki-sensei was mildly surprised. She had asked both of them questions about the piano basics, and both of them had answered all of her questions right. Every single one of them. One of them caught her attention though. The girl named, Ryuzaki Sakuno, did not even hesitate to answer her questions. She was amazed at how she answered her question, with every single details right. Some of them, was not even taught to her yet.
This Sakuno girl, she has talent, much more than Tomoka. I hope I can see more of her talents soon. thought Yuki-sensei, as her eyes shone with excitement.
Back to Tomoka and Sakuno...
" That was fun, right Sakuno-chan?!" Sakuno grinned happily
" It sure was, Tomoka-chan! I can't wait for the next lesson!"
" One thing, Sakuno-chan. When you answered Yuki-sensei's questions, you were saying a lot of things that Yuki-sensei haven't even thought yet. How did you know all those stuff?" Sakuno froze. Uh oh... I'm so used to Mizuki-sensei's difficult questions that I forgot it was only the piano basics!
" U-uh, you see, Tomoka-chan. I was already interested in playing the piano long time ago that I always check up on the Internet about them."
" Wow, Sakuno-chan! You sure love the piano!" Sakuno smiled.
" More than you ever know, Tomoka-chan!"
TO BE CONTINUED...
Look out for the next chapter! Sorry for the late update, I'm busy this month with projects and all...