Hi sorry for this late update. Was in malacca in a whole four days. :D Well, just for information, I will not be updating very frequently, so just an advice to put me in your story alert, so that you don't need to keep checking. :D

XxXxX

"Here we are." Ryoma led Sakuno into the tennis court. "Our last activity for the day."

They had finished all the activities in the list that Ryoma did not cross out, and this was the last one: playing a friendly match. Sakuno had a really good time in this somewhat meaningless date. Ryoma had been really nice, and the impression of Ryoma Sakuno always had was changed. Ryoma was not as proud as people think. The only subject he could be proud of was tennis, and as for others he had quite a low self-esteem in doing it. Ryoma was caring at times when it was needed, however if everything was normal, he was as cold as an ice.

They did not really talk much, (Ryoma was apparently not the type that enjoys talking), but Ryoma was obviously making a huge effort in getting her to talk.

"The amount of food they give you in America in bigger than what you get in Japan, so if you cannot finish this you can always give me and let me help you finish." Ryoma had said in the dinner after a long silence with an amplified noise of the cutlery.

Sakuno had nodded. They had been eating dinner and lunch in Ryoma's house. Ryoma's house was extremely big, and he had very good cooks too. Couple of minutes later, Ryoma had cleared his plate clean, and was watching Sakuno eat.

"You're fast." Sakuno had commented.

"I'm hungry. But you eat slowly. You'll get fat if you eat as fast as me." Ryoma had answered impassively.

Several minutes later, Sakuno cleared three quarters of her plate.

"Are you full? You seem to be slowing down." Ryoma had said.

Sakuno had stared at her plate sadly, finally letting Ryoma wolf down the rest of the plate.

"Don't you need to study?" She remembered Ryoma had asked her one time after a long silence, as usual. Ryoma always seemed to be asking weird stuff after a long pause.

"I think so, but I had ample time to study in the weekdays. Weekends are days that people are supposed to relax."

Ryoma had nodded, and added sadly. "I never relaxed in weekends before."

"Really?"

"This is the first time I had some free time at all."

"Oh..." Sakuno had had no idea what to say. Ryoma's life seemed really different from her.

"What do you normally do?" Sakuno had asked meekly.

"Train, practice, eat, do basic exercises, perfecting moves, gym..." Ryoma had said rather dully. "Enduring the coach's shout and punishments... breaking rackets over and over again... training the eyes to stare at fast moving objects..."

"It's... Isn't it kind of boring?"

"...I don't know, that never crossed my mind."

Maybe Ryoma loved tennis so much. Anyway, here they were, in a tennis court. Sakuno smiled. She was going to show Ryoma how much she had improved. She was going to make Ryoma exclaim how good she was, like how Kevin did.

"It's a friendly game." Ryoma said. "So let's not care about who starts. You shall start."

Sakuno nodded. She threw up the ball, and hit it down towards Ryoma.

It was just an instant, but Sakuno saw it. Ryoma, standing on the tennis court, with a racket in hand, all the gentleness, all the relaxation he had before disappeared, as he tensed up and became serious. He was like a totally different person, the one you would see in matches, the cool and popular Ryoma everyone loved.

And Sakuno's mind turned blank when the ball came flying past her in such speed she could not even move. She stared at the marking on the ground, and the slightly dented fence around the tennis court. She understood the fear of those tennis players she saw in Japan playing against Ryoma or the other regular members, and the ball flew past them just like that. It was horrifying not able to react to a pathetic, small ball.

"Are you okay?" She looked up and found the normal Ryoma, the gentle Ryoma he had been, standing in front of her apologetically.

What was the meaning of this? Why did Ryoma had to hit that hard?

"I'm okay..." Sakuno said.

"I'm sorry." Ryoma said after seeing the mark and the dent. "I lost myself then. I'm used to this...I'll...Ill control myself better next time."

Sakuno nodded. Ryoma stared at Sakuno, fidgeting a bit, not knowing what to do. Finally, he placed his hands on Sakuno's head, and, rather awkwardly, gently messed it up a bit. Sakuno blushed slightly. Ryoma had a really weird way in showing his affection.

Ryoma walked back to his court. There was a few men walking into the courts. Didn't Ryoma had said that normally at night this court would be empty? She figured Ryoma would be leaving soon. It had always been pretty obvious that he liked to be left alone.

Sure enough, Ryoma was walking back towards her.

"Are we leaving?" Sakuno asked.

Ryoma grabbed her hands, and gribbed it hard as he led Sakuno out of the court hastily. Ryoma was walking faster than normal, and this was not the usual retreat he would have if there were just normal people.

"What's wrong?" Sakuno asked, catching his pace.

It did not need to be answered as a man cut their path to the exit. "Yo, Ryoma." The rest of the people surrounded them menacingly. There were about...five, six...seven including the one standing at the net.

"Ryoma-kun, who are they?" She asked. She could feel Ryoma's grip on her hand tightened, and there was a tug from Ryoma pulling her closer to him.

The man whistled. "Your girlfriend, Ryoma-kun?" He mimicked. Sakuno recognised this man. He was the one Ryoma defeated in the match last Wednesday!

"What do you want, X?" Ryoma asked.

"What do I want?" He laughed. "Well, nothing in particular, just wanted to vent my anger." He snapped his fingers, and the men around started pulling Ryoma away from Sakuno.

It came as a shock, by the time Ryoma widened his eyes as the realisation dawned on him, and he started to try and grab Sakuno, they were already separated.

"Ryoma-kun!" Sakuno shouted, reaching for Ryoma in vain.

"Be quiet, lady." The sidekick of the man held out a knife, pointing it towards her neck. Sakuno stopped struggling as she stared down at the knife in fear. She could feel the man's free hand touching her waist, sliding slowly to her butt. No one had touched her like that before. But she could not do anything with this knife under her neck. She clenched her fists helplessly.

"Get your fucking hands off her!" Ryoma roared, charging towards the man. The rest of the gang grabbed him and prevented him from saving her.

"Move, and I'll get Tan to kill her." X said, standing in front of Ryoma, towering above him.

Ryoma stopped moving almost immediately. X patted Ryoma in his face with his hand. "Good boy."

"Why are you doing this, X?" Ryoma spat. "Are you such a sore loser?"

X twitched and punched Ryoma in his face.

"Ryoma!" Sakuno shouted, as her heart clenched itself painfully. Ryoma had a distinct red in his cheek, and it seemed to be swollen.

"Oh, you are omitting the 'kun' you usually says? I don't know much, but isn't that rude not to include it in Japan?" Tan asked, seemingly interested in her, as his hands were drawing circles in her butt.

"Stop touching her you pervert!" Ryoma shouted, and lounged forward again. X punched him down, as he fall hard down on the ground.

"Stop touching her, Tan." X added. Sakuno sighed in relief as Tan's hands left her body reluctantly.

"How do you know that I'll be here?" Ryoma asked, glaring at X.

"Let me introduce you to our informer, then." X smiled. "Come on out Daryl!"

XxXxX

"Daryl?" Ryoma exclaimed, shocked. His teammate, Daryl? He had always thought Daryl as a nice and friendly person, being one of the few that talked to him like a real person in the team. What is Daryl doing with them?

"Yo, Ryoma." Daryl smiled, walking closer to him.

"Why are you helping them?" Ryoma asked, perplexed.

"You should know it very well."

Ryoma stared at him. He should know it very well? Well, he did not know anything. He knew he had insulted and angered X, but what had he done to Daryl?

Daryl looked at Sakuno, who was held by that perverted freak. That asshole, Tan was his name, right? Ryoma ground his teeth as he said to himself. If only there were not so many people holding on to him and threatening to kill him, he would have punched that man till his mouth was full of blood and broke his nose so that even plastic surgery could not help him.

"Who is that girl?" Daryl asked.

X laughed, patting Ryoma's head (Fuck him for that). "Little Ryoma's girlfriend."

"Oh yeah, what happened to you and Jennifer?" Daryl asked, with bitterness in his voice, glaring at Ryoma.

Ryoma stared back. "What do you mean me and Jennifer?"

"Stop acting like you don't know!" Daryl shouted. "You snatched Jennifer away from me and where is she now?"

Ryoma blinked. It took a while for him to register what his teammate was saying, and he burst into laughter.

"What?" Daryl asked, face red. "Why are you laughing?"

Daryl was Jennifer's ex-boyfriend, before she got sick of him and went on to Ryoma, and he...oh Ryoma could not stop laughing...he really thought that Jennifer loved him and it was Ryoma that snatched her away?

"Listen, Daryl." Ryoma said seriously after his fits of laughter. "Jennifer never treats her relationship with anyone seriously. To her you are just another toy for her to play with. I am a toy too, but I didn't want to play with her. So, for your information, Jennifer had already moved on to a doctor called Shane."

"W...what?" Daryl stared at Ryoma in disbelief, or what Ryoma thought, in denial. "You're lying...you're definitely lying, you took Jennifer away and then you dumped her for this Asian girl!" He looked at Sakuno. "This girl, she's not authorised, is she? Then you're breaking the rules! You're not supposed to have any communication with anyone other than family members and other people who are authorised by the team manager."

"You're blackmailing me?" Ryoma glared at Daryl. It was true, he never told anyone about this date with Sakuno. After all, it was illegal. No one knew except Kevin, who absolutely would not tell, he was dead sure of that. They had been angry with each other for a long time, and had not been speaking at all, until Kevin somehow found out that Ryoma was dating Sakuno, and they went into the rivalry fire like nine years ago. The other team members were surprised at how well Kevin could play when he's angry. But the matches wasn't a problem, the bigger problems were on the other stuff that Kevin do to him in their room, which he wasn't going to elaborate on.

And now Daryl knew it too. He didn't know much about Daryl, so he could not be sure that Daryl would keep this to himself.

"Well, I'll consider about it." Daryl smiled, turning back to his previous form. "Hey, X, do you want to see Ryoma humiliated?"

"Like how?" X said, bored at the two's conversation.

"Like how he asked for this date." Daryl said, casting an evil glance at Ryoma.

Ryoma blanched. That fucking asshole...

XxXxX

Sakuno had not understood a single thing this Daryl said. Ryoma understood, but she didn't. So she spent the whole time observing everyone, trying to figure out a way to get out of this place. The observation that frightened her completely was when Ryoma started to turn pale.

Is he afraid? Sakuno had never saw Ryoma frightened before, so she was not sure, but the expression on Ryoma's face was...traumatic to her memory.

"Hey, Sakuno, right?" Daryl turned towards her and smiled a very friendly smile. "Are you interested in knowing how Ryoma got this day free for the date with you?"

Sakuno stared at Daryl. Indeed, she remembered Ryoma saying that he did not have any free time at all, so why was he free today?

"He begged for it." Daryl said.

He begged for it? Sakuno repeated in her mind. Ryoma? The proud, cocky boy, begging? No, it must be exaggerated. It was not that kind of beg. It was...It must be a bow, maybe a fourty-five degree bow. She stared at Ryoma, but Ryoma was busy observing his shoelaces.

"You know how he begged? At first he bowed a full ninety degree bow..."

Right, see, it was a bow after all. But a ninety degree bow was something she could not imagined Ryoma to do...

"...and then comes the best part, Jennifer agreed, but the coach didn't. And then, where everyone's watching, he knelt in front of the coach, in front of everyone! Hahahahaha!" Daryl laughed.

"Are you serious? Him? Kneeling?" X laughed along too.

Sakuno stared at Ryoma, too awestruck to speak. He knelt in front of everyone? "Ryoma-kun...is it true?" Ryoma, throwing away his pride, so that he could be on a date with her? It's not true, it could not be true, just one pathetic day with her couldn't have worth so much.

Ryoma averted his eyes away from her.

"Is it true? Well, now you'll see a live view of it." Daryl smiled. "Ryoma, show her how you did it, convincing coach to let you a day free. Do it and I might consider not telling people about this illegal date."

Ryoma stared at the ground, unwilling to move.

X impatiently waved at Tan, and Sakuno shrieked when Tan strangled her. "Stop it, stop...!"

"Stop!" Ryoma shouted. Tan let go of Sakuno, and she took a big breath, frightened out of her wits. "I'll do it."

"Right. Let's start off with the bow. And repeat what you say to coach and Jennifer."

The people surrounding Ryoma started moving away, giving him space. Ryoma bowed slowly, and stayed in the ninety degree position. "Please, just one day will do. One day, and I'll promise I won't ever slack off in practices." His voice was bitter, and filled with animosity.

Sakuno stared as tears started filling up her eyes. No, don't do this anymore, Ryoma, don't humiliate yourself because of me...

"Right, then Jennifer went soft and agreed, and the coach didn't, barking something about you having an important match next week, blah, continue."

No, Ryoma, don't continue, don't...

Daryl smiled excited at Ryoma, as he went down on one knee, and then the other. His fists were clenched very tightly.

Ryoma what are you doing? Sakuno screamed in her mind. Ryoma was sacrificing his pride for her, he did all these...for her. Sakuno was trembling. She had got to stop Ryoma from losing more of his dignity.

"I beg you...Just one day would be enough..."

Tan was focusing too much on Ryoma, and the knife is slipping away. Sakuno took this opportunity and elbowed Tan hard, kicking him away.

"Ryoma!" Sakuno shouted. Ryoma raised his head and saw happily that Sakuno was free.

"Get back here, you bitch!" Tan rubbed his chest angrily, reaching out for Sakuno.

"Get your fucking hands off her!" Ryoma jumped up and punched Tan knocking him unconscious. The strength people have when they are angry.

Ryoma grabbed Sakuno's hands and tried to run out of the tennis court. Somehow, X managed to run in front of them and block their way. Ryoma grabbed Sakuno by the waist.

"I'm not letting go of my Sakuno." Ryoma declared as he hugged Sakuno.

"Well, we'll make you then." X smiled, as he pointed at Ryoma.

The gang rushed forward and pushed Sakuno to the ground, as she screamed helplessly. Ryoma hugged onto her and fall along with her.

Sakuno could see that the people were kicking them, yet she felt no pain. All she felt were Ryoma's warmth surrounding her, as she was protected by Ryoma's body. She could feel Ryoma's grip on her hardened and tensed as he tried to suppress his pain.

Tears started trickling down Sakuno's cheek. Ryoma, what are you doing? Let go of me already. Stop kicking him, stop it, please...

"Stop, someone's coming." X ordered. Everything calmed down, as they walked away hurriedly.

"Ryoma-kun?" Sakuno said, lifting Ryoma up from her. The floor around her was red all over. Panic took over her. "Ryoma?" She shouted as she held Ryoma in her arms. Ryoma was unconscious, and he was bleeding very badly.

"Ryoma? Ryoma? Wake up!" Sakuno screamed, shaking Ryoma, tears blurring her vision.

XxXxX

If there were ever a prize for the most irritating person on Earth, Kevin would definiely nominate Ryoma. First they had been angry at each other, challenging each other into matches, and other random stuff, which Kevin was too ashamed to elaborate on, as Ryoma won every one of it. Next, Kevin had reminded Ryoma that he must get permission from both the team manager and coach in order to have free time for any form of date. From then on Ryoma had became very gloomy and forlorn, casting weird glare at Kevin all the time.

Then came the worst part. Kevin had been practicing as usual, when Ryoma had walked past him towards the coach and Jennifer. Of course Kevin had stopped whatever he had been doing and watched Ryoma. Ryoma not practicing like a maniac is something very weird. Then Kevin had seen, with his very own eyes, how Ryoma knelt down in front of the coach.

Jennifer's eyes had been very soft and she had hugged Ryoma, telling him to rise. Ryoma had refused, and Jennifer had to beg the coach along too.

Ryoma had been so desperate. If it were Kevin, Kevin doubted he had the courage to do that.

It was so irritating. The image, the words Ryoma said, everything kept bugging him. He had stopped pestering Ryoma after that day, Ryoma had shown his fullest sincerity in making up to Sakuno. But feeling unsure, Kevin had advised Ryoma on how to treat girls during dates, and had ordered him protect Sakuno.

So this was the last straw. Ryoma was absolutely irritating. Protecting Sakuno did not mean getting himself injured like that. Couldn't he ask for help? Couldn't he ring up for his bodyguards?

"Ryoma...he's fine isn't he?" Sakuno wept, gripping Ryoma's hands.

"He'll be fine, the doctor is a really good one." Kevin assured her.

That Daryl...

"Hey, Kevin, don't lock up the place, I'll be staying here for a longer time."

"Wow, first time seeing you so hardworking, Daryl."

"Oh, it's nothing, I'm going somewhere later."

"Where?"

"Another tennis court, the one that genius goes to."

"Oh, you having a match with him? Good luck then."

How could he have been so stupid? Kevin cursed himself. There was no way Ryoma would want to play against Daryl on the day of his date! By the time Kevin realised it and rushed to the tennis court, Ryoma was already this injured.

"Stop crying, okay?" Kevin offered Sakuno a tissue.

"I...I still can't believe...that Ryoma knelt in front...of his coach...so that he can get a free day...for this stupid date..." Sakuno said in between sobs. "He's...such an idiot..."

"Yeah, he is."

Ryoma is so irritating. Even if they were competing for this girl, he did not have to go this far. Throwing his pride away, risking his own life... I surrender, Ryoma, complete surrender.

XxXxX

End.

Reviews! I'm very interested to know how you felt about this long and draggy and drama chapter. :D