Two Halves of a Whole Idiot
A/N : My first pitiful attempt at writing a TeniPuri fanfic. This chapter was actually written about a year earlier than the first chapter, but it should fit in a way, so I hope you all like it!
I forgot to clarify in the last chapter, but this is set in high school, about 3 years after the series, so they would be around 15 and 17.
Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis….though I wish I did…
Sakuno sighed, she had said the usual "arigato" to Ryoma-kun today, and he had replied with the normal nod of his head that let her know he was even remotely aware of her existence.
She said down on her desk, turning her thoughts back to the English textbook that lay open before her. It was covered with notes in neat handwriting and the occasional doodle, but the words and lessons were still Greek to Sakuno.
Sakuno had always been horrible in English; every word her sensei said seems to come in one ear and out the other. She was never distracted or inattentive, but no matter how much attention she paid, the words remained foreign to her.
One could almost say she disliked the class, if it wasn't for one crucial factor: Ryoma Echizen.
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Only in his first week of the freshman year of the Seigaku High School, Ryoma was already a regular of the Tennis team. Adored by fans from far and wide, he was also considered one of the best looking single men on campus along with the regulars. Not that he needed any more fame, Ryoma was more than willing to have some peace and quite to himself, after enduring screaming fans for almost more than 3 years now.
There was one fan in particular that he did mind so much about. In fact, if he weren't so clueless, he would have realized he enjoyed her presence quite a bit.
He was reminiscent of the day they met, on a subway train towards his first game in Japan. He had stopped some loudmouthed bullies from scaring her, though he did it unintentionally.
However, he wasn't regretting the fact that she was grateful to him and sought his companionship, and with the occasional homemade bento to boot.
Though he rarely let on that he acknowledged her presence, he was content with the way things were, and believed wholeheartedly that she'll stay near him for a long time to come.
To give him some credit, Ryoma did not fail to register that Sakuno had done some growing up. She had grown a few inches taller, her face less round and more angular, which gave her a sophisticated air, her hair was no longer in braids, but flowed smoothly behind her and gracefully rests on her new-found curves. Yes, the old "wobbly-hips" has grown into a young woman.
What Ryoma also picked up was that many of the other boys who were in their new high school had also realized that fact. Fortunately for him, many were the plain, regular kind, the ones who would never tell Sakuno that they like her.
There were few courageous ones, but a polite refusal from Sakuno and a murderous cold glare from him were enough to kill any further thoughts of them attempting to put a claim on Sakuno.
Why he felt the need to glare, he had not the slightest clue, so he figured he must've felt the need to repay her for her lunches by warding off who-knows-what kind of perverts that could come her way. After all, he enjoyed her bentos, and it would be a pain to have to start bringing his own lunch, not to mention the fact that if she left, he place would undoubtedly be filled by her loud and obnoxious best friend, and he can feel that headache a mile off.
Feeling satisfied with his theory, Ryoma continued to go about his blissfully ignorant life, completely unaware of his feelings, and anyone else's for that matter.
He was late for clean-up duty. But he didn't care if he would be scolded and told to stay longer afterwards, as long as he didn't have to go back to practice.
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While one might say "ignorance is bliss", it made Ryoma completely clueless of the fact that Sakuno had made attempts to conclude the chapter of her life that was middle school, and that meant her obsession with Ryoma Echizen.
After years of unrequited feelings, not to mention the lack of acknowledging her presence, Sakuno felt the inclination to move on. It may be hard because she was in the same class with him now, but high school subjects had always kept her occupied and spared no room for any unwanted or wandering thoughts of a particular cat-eyed boy.
Granted, she still admired him greatly for his extraordinary tennis prowess, but many men were talented, like Fuji-senpai and Tezuka-senpai and the rest of the regulars, and her Ryoma-kun seemingly hadn't began to notice her presence at all! Her initial attraction to him had worn off, and now she felt it was time to move on.
She had even quit the tennis club because after two years, she did not think tennis was the right hobby for her, and when she realized she had wanted to play largely because of Ryoma-kun, she decided it was time for a change. In her experience, she discovered that she was naturally attuned to art, and she enjoyed painting and photography immensely. She had even cut her hair because she did not want it to interfere with her painting.
Now that she was in the art club, she did not have a great possibility of seeing Ryoma-kun casually walking by, and it makes moving on all the easier.
Besides, it was only a first crush, and in middle school no less. She did not want to lose his friendship, or any sort of friendliness that he might have felt towards her, but she was confident she'll find someone special who would cherish and love her back, though it might not hold the novelty of a first crush, at least her feelings will be reciprocated.
Feeling satisfied with her decision, Sakuno continued to go about her life, firmly rooted in her conclusion with her old flame whilst being completely unaware of true nature of those nonchalant grunts from Ryoma-kun, and the eager boys from her class always rushing to say good morning and help carry her things.
In her reverie, it suddenly struck her that her grandmother was out of town for three weeks, and had told her that someone was instructed to take her home. She briefly wondered who it would be, and proceeded to clean up her art supplies for the club that day. Whoever it was, she mustn't keep them waiting too long.
She hurried to put her easel away, all thoughts of Ryoma and what he might possibly feel for her forgotten.
You know what they say, "Two halves make a whole idiot".
…And so the wheels continue to turn…
TBC….
Well, that wraps up how Sakuno will possibly move on to other people, which are to be decided by you!
Please R & R!
