Egao

By Jerui-kun

Author's note: Sorry, I didn't give any explanation about the one plus one thing. It was one of Japanese questions that they ask when they take pictures for the subjects to smile. It was like saying "cheese" for them. And by the way, Egao means "Smile."

Thank you for those who read, reviewed, added to favorite and alerted my other fic Bribe me. I hope you support this fic as you support the other.

Here's chapter two. The previous chapter and this one are not edited and if you think I need a beta, tell me so I'll find one. This chapter is a one-sided Ryosaku moment and it contains very long flashbacks. Please spare a few seconds to review.

Chapter 2

His Smile

When I feel that my world is crumbling, and my heart is in pain, smile for me so I can find hope.

"I'm happy but I'm sorry. I can't accept your feelings."

Ryoma Echizen said this while looking at me in the eye. He's very honest and I'm a bit glad for that.

"You have someone you like?" I queried.

"Yes and I'm currently going out with her. I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize, Ryoma-kun. I just wanted you to know so I could let go of this feelings. Thank you for listening."

"Your confession made me happy but I'm sorry really."

"No thank you, really. I'm glad you told me the truth. I hope we can still continue on being friends," I said. I kept my voice steady, and then I smiled at him. I know after this, it will be awkward so I had to ask him this favor. He agreed and bowed and at that time he apologized again and then he left. I was left alone and I walked towards a bench under the maple tree to shield myself from the sun.

Ryoma Echizen. I met him on the train before the start of the school year during middle school. My grandmother invited me to watch a tennis tournament that was to happen on that sunny day at the Kakinozaka Garden. I rode the train and some high school students standing in front of me were arguing about the basic types of grips used in tennis. Their leader was swinging his racket recklessly as if he owned the space. I almost got hit on the face when the boy wearing a Fila hat and a red sports jacket across me told them off.

"Ne, you guys are noisy."

The three senpai just looked at the boy. For a second, I thought they were going to hit him, but the train lurched when it changed railways causing the leader dropping his tennis racket.

The guy then picked it up.

"Sasabe got told off by a grade schooler! Ha ha!" said the other.

"Bingo. The one you did earlier was the Eastern grip. When you picked up the racket, that form was the Western grip. There really are some who mix them up," said the boy without looking.

"You brat~!"

The train stopped and I can hear the usual audio reminders for the passengers. The boy got off when the door opened.

"Ah! We have to get off! Let's go Sasabe!"

"Ah! Me too!" I exclaimed.

It turned out that he was going to the same destination as I am. But grandma is late so I told him to go to the south gate since it was just ahead. I read his name on his bag. Ryoma E.

I gave him the wrong direction so he forfeited because he was late.

He got to play though. The HS Students from the train earlier were on the same tournament as Ryoma-kun (I decided to call him that and it rubbed off on me later on up until now). They challenged Ryoma-kun into teaching them tennis and almost backed out because using the tennis courts are forbidden but Ryoma taunted them into playing so they found an empty court for themselves and started playing.

Using his right hand, Ryoma-kun fought and won the match, even with the height disadvantage and the injury caused by Sasabe throwing his racket at Ryoma. It turned out that Ryoma was left-handed and Sasabe and his companions ran away, afraid of being hit by the twist serve.

My grandmother arrived and she happened to know Ryoma-kun because his father was her former student at Seishun. She told me he was called the Prince of Tennis, a child prodigy from America who won 4 consecutive wins in an American junior tournament. Of course, young as I am and believing on having a knight in shining armor and princes, I got a crush on him. He also inspired me and so when I entered middle school, I signed up for the girl's tennis club at Seishun Academy.

We got along, though he doesn't talk much. Ryoma-kun ate the lunch I gave him occasionally. He saved me from some bullies. He sometimes coached me in playing tennis (forced by none other than his father and my grandmother) and I wrote him letters when he went back to America to play at the US Open after the National Tournament for middle school tennis.

I never thought of those times as a waste, even though I got rejected. But when everything you dreamt of is there and grabbing the chance too late, it hurts. It definitely hurts.

I sat for a very long time on the bench at the back of the school, under the shade of a maple tree; a very popular place during lunch, and a very popular place for confessing. I feel numb, not even hearing the school bell, or feeling the tears dropping from my eyes and damping may skirt.

I bowed my head, my eyes looking on my lap.

"Sakuno, are you okay?"

I looked up and saw Syuusuke-kun. His eyes are closed, not quite smiling but he had wrinkles on his forehead, indicating that he's worried.

Syuusuke Fuji. He is my childhood friend. We used to play together with Yuuta-kun in the past. He's always smiling and I like that about him. It was like nothing can sadden him. And he used to tease Yuuta to death.

He sat beside me, and then I continued looking on my lap, tears blurring my vision. I can feel the warmth his body emanates which was a bit comforting.

Syuusuke-kun is a second year, also a member of tennis club like Ryoma-kun. Ryoma-kun wasn't supposed to be able to join the club until summer but because he caught the eye of their captain, Kunimitsu Tezuka, and with the approval of my grandmother who was the coach, he got in. Sigh, I talk sound like a hopeless fangirl, telling things I know about the one I admired. I wonder how Syuusuke-kun found me.

"Syuusuke-kun," I said.

I didn't look at him but I saw his slight movement on the corner of my eyes.

And then I asked the silliest question I can think of.

"How do you cure a love sickness?"

He chuckled, placing his hand under his chin, as if thinking. "Hmmm, I don't know." And it is so like him.

I wonder why he doesn't have a girlfriend. Or I just never knew? However, I thought it was always his family and friends first before anything else. During our childhood, he loved to tease everyone around us, especially me. It was his inevitable habit. But he would do everything if someone he is close to happened to be hurt. I remember when Yuuta-kun got bullied (because he was compared to Syuusuke-kun). He, Syuusuke-kun, fought them back. Yumiko-san brought them home, and both of them were covered in bruise.

It wouldn't be Syuusuke Fuji if he isn't a sadist. He loved drinking Sadaharu Inui-senpai's infamous vegetable juice and said it was refreshing and delicious. He teased Tezuka-senpai to death about having an inflexible and stoic expression. He eats wasabi sushi at Kawamura-senpai's restaurant where Kikumaru-senpai learned not to touch Fuji-s meals (I also make wasabi sushi for him occasionally). Momoshiro-kun once said that he wouldn't want Syuusuke-kun for his enemy.

"You're love sick?" he asked, pulling me out from my musings.

"Uhuh," I answered truthfully. "And my heart broke just a while ago. I didn't know he already has a girlfriend." Wow that was refreshing! Letting out the words that were buried in my heart.

It does help, talking with a friend. Syuusuke-kun really is my favorite guy friend (Tomoka is my girl best friend).

"How can you keep smiling, Syuusuke-kun? When I see you, I keep thinking you don't experience any problem. Yuuta-kun wasn't like that even though you were brothers. But then you can't have the same personality after all." I babbled. Syuusuke-kun's smile is one of the wonderful things about him really.

"I was born this way. It feels more natural like this."

"I hope I can smile that way, too"

I watch him and then he looked at me. And then it surprised me when he suddenly opened his eyes. He appears to be serious whenever he does. I unconsciously gasped. His smile was gone, and his face was expressionless.

His electric blue eyes looked as if he can see everything, directly into my soul.

I continued looking at him thought and whispered, "Perceptive blue…"

"I'm sorry?"

"Your eyes are blue and it's like you perceive more than what we see," I added

"I guess."

I rarely see his eyes. But I loved seeing it. It was like looking into the calming ocean, cleansing my mind, erasing my worries.

He clasped his hands together and said "Then, let's practice."

"Huh?"

He held me hand to his and tilted his body towards my direction.

"(ichi purasu ichi)one plus one?"

"(Two)Ni." I answered. And then I giggled. "How childish!" I sound as if I just recovered from a severe case of colds. How embarrassing.

And then his smile returned and it was rather gentle. "That's more like you."

He let go of my hand and tucked a stray hair away from my face behind my ears.

He patted my head afterwards.

"You're like a big brother," and he always treated me like a sister. It is how I feel all the time.

"But I'm not YOUR big brother," emphasizing the word your. I giggled.

"I know," I told him. I wonder if Syuusuke-kun never saw me. I would've cried longer without any comfort.

….

"How did you see me, Syuusuke-nii?" I dared ask, emphasizing the 'nii'. I can't help teasing him back although it was nothing like what he does.

"I heard you calling me."

He heard me calling him? I chuckled again. "Really?"

I watched him smiling gently at me, forgetting for a moment I was rejected today.

"Really."

My heart must have screamed too loudly that Syuusuke-kun heard it. And his smile made me comforted though little.