Title: Frozen tear
Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis.
Chapter: Eight: My Marathon Part 1
A/N: This will be the second to the last chapter. Thank you for your support until now. I'm forever in debt with you. And I assure you guys that there will be a happy ending...somewhat. :D Enjoy.
Run. Run. Run. RUN.
Breathe. Breathe. Breathe. Breathe IN. Breathe OUT.
Run. Run. Run. RUN.
Breathe. Breathe. Breathe. Breathe IN. Breathe OUT.
Run. Run. Run. RUN.
Right. Left. Right. Left.
A mile. A hundred miles. A thousand miles. A million miles.
To match his strides. To reach him. To reach his heart.
Run. Run. Run. RUN.
Never stop. Not until you reach him.
Him. Your sanity. Your humanity. Your heart. Your love.
The instant her eyes fell upon those broad shoulders, those magnificent ripples of muscle clad with that plain uniform, she knew for a fact that this will be her last memory of the enigma that is Echizen Ryoma.
She wants to blame herself for her selfishness, for her cowardice, from being so goddamn weak.
It was she that was at fault. Majorly. Probably so.
She was the one who left, who run away from his love. It was she who wants to fall out of love- out of their love- but did not have the decency, the courage to let go. Even after all the hurtful words, the drunken nights, the unanswered calls, Sakuno never attain the courage to let him go.
For deep within her, a small hopeful and confident part in her soul knows that whatever happens, Ryoma will love her. Always.
Ryoma will keep on chasing after her, selflessly loving her, unable of letting her go, lacking the ability of moving on even if he will be at the hurting end. Brutally and painfully so.
She became cruel for leaving him but unable to let him go. At last she came with a horrible realization; she became the monster she was avoiding in the first place.
And with that she runs. After him. For him.
"May I see your ticket?"
Now that is a hard question. Especially for a girl who is chasing a superstar ex-boyfriend who is currently leaving the country in a wide, wide airport and possibly her life as well.
"Uhm..I am not really riding a plane or anything for that matter. I just need to see Ryoma…?" And she hopes the security did not notice her trembling.
A sigh. "Fans are not allowed inside."
"I am not a fan." She retorts, offended by what the man said.
"Well then, Non-fans are not allowed as well." Witty security personnel was not that amusing in this kind of situation so she did what a grown up and mature woman will do.
She stuck out her tongue in front of him. Bleh! Real mature.
She was desperate and her mind on a frenzy because of the butterflies on her stomach, and her loudly beating heart on her ribcage. She needs a plan. Fast.
She sneaks in the airport. Failed after five seconds of victory. Seriously, she didn't even get to finish her victory dance.
She begs the security. Failed even before attempting. Too much pride. Period.
She seduced the security. Failed even before coming up with the plan. One, she does not have a sex appeal. Two, she does not have a sex appeal. Three, did I mention she does not have a sex appeal? I did? Yeah, she did not have sex appeal. So….yeah!
She was in brink of melting into a pool of salty tears and other unmentionable bodily fluids when she heard a frantic voice not far from the airport entrance.
"Where the hell is he? Not even answering my fucking calls. If he is not here in five minutes, he will miss his flight for Canada. And goddamn it to hell and back, I will kill someone out of frustration even if I am the manager of a rising model-slash-actor! Contact him! Again!"
"Y-yes sir! Right away!" was the other voice's reply-possibly his assistant.
Canada?+Manager?+ Model-Actor?
Is equal to…
TING! TING TING! TINGGG!
RYOMA ECHIZEN!
Seriously, it was as if she developed a GPS program for finding him in her system.
It was instinct. It was second-nature.
She found him entering the subway with all his raven-blue-ish he pass up as hair, his toned and muscled physique glory and followed him.
He purchased a train ticket and she wonders what the heck he is planning to do. Does he not know that he has a plane to catch? Is he not aware of his currently fuming and about to explode manager?
She had her doubts but she purchased one as well.
She followed him. Silently. Unnoticed. Like the wind.
He stopped facing the railroad and she, directly a few feet behind him.
"What are you doing here?" He asked monstrously and she subtly wonders if he is speaking to her. And she remembered that just like her, Ryoma developed an unexplainable instinct that detects her.
She wanted to tell him that she wants him back, back to her life. Selfishness and morals be dammed.
But even before her first syllable attempts to leave her vocal chords, the train came. And so are the horde of bustling people.
She was drowning in the sea of people, haven't been able to withstand the intensity of the impact. She was pushed and pushed and pushed away from him until she could not catch a glimpse of that raven hair.
All hope is gone. Depression and rejection pulling harshly into her heartstrings. Her tear ducts on the verge of exploding unimaginable amount of salty fluid.
And then came hope.
A small and tiny feeling that is exploding with anticipation and excitement.
She felt a hand holding her gently but not pulling. Instead, going with the flow, going with the sea of people and the tides of the caffeine wired personas, going with her.
Then in a split of a second, they came back to square one.
It started with a train ride. Again.
And together they flew. A boy. A girl. The same uncertain destination. A wrong train.
End of Chapter.
