"Next. Proceed to the stand, Oishi."

Oishi-senpai?

"Okay, I mean no harm in here," the vice-captain of the Seigaku Tennis Club glanced at Ryoma Echizen before sitting on a chair a on the other side. "Sorry, Echizen."

Ryoma's cat-like eyes hinted guilt in his senpai's form.

"So, I was on my way to the grocery store that day. I ran out of food for my precious fishes and I couldn't bear them eating one another, can I? Because that'll be really dreadful." Oishi sighed.

Kikumaru piped in, "Ne, you're talking off the point here, Oishi, nyah!"

Oishi scratched his egg-like head, "Sorry, sorry. Thank you, Eiji." He nodded to his doubles partner as Eiji gave him a V-sign. "So, there I was on my way to the grocery store. A long walk but not that far away from the park. It was Sunday, and the sun was shinning brightly. The air was cool and everything was just A-okay. But then, I guess I was wrong…"

Flashback

"I-Ittai…" she whimpers, sounding hurt.

The boy holding a red racket on his hand, standing beside the crouching girl looked almost like worried, "I told you to swing your racket a little higher."

There, the ditzy pigtailed Ryuuzaki Sakuno caressed her swollen ankle in a crouching position. Her pink racket long forgotten two meters away from her. There were hot tears forming on her eyes.

Shit! She's going to cry!

Alarmed, Ryoma crunched and looked over her ankle, instantly bringing the proximity between them closer. Enough reason for the auburn-haired lady blush and make her heart beat quicken.

"R-Ryoma-kun," she breathed with difficulty, her lungs were pretty tight right now. And her stomach was doing funny flips on its own.

"Hold still." Prince charming commands, one hand making contact with her flesh. "Can you stand up?" he looks up to meet her eyes.

She stammered realizing the very small distance their faces were in. She could barely feel his breath and warmth, barely yet still, she could feel it. "I-I think I can," she shutters. And her traitorous hand grabs his arms for support, preparing to stand up.

And then she completely fails and came stumbling down.

But good prince catches her, their bodies in contact with one another.

"E-Eh!" she blushes hard, burying her face on her hands as she lean on him. And she decides, before he could get any weird ideas, she has to stay away. "I-I'm sorry, Ryoma-kun! I-I r-really, didn't mean to—"

And he notices her nervousness. He notices all. "You're too clumsy."

Sakuno felt that she should have been offended, but why would she defend the truth? "I'm really sorry," she whispers and makes a quick analysis: dear Ryoma-kun is mad at her for cutting their Tennis lesson short by gracefully twisting her ankle by trying to swing her racket a little lower than she should have. "I'll call oba-chan to come pick me up." She quickly said, embarrassed. "Thank you for today's Tennis lesson, Ryoma-kun."

"Ch," the boy sneered. "You didn't learn anything."

"I know," she looked at her white new shoes. She was tempted to wring her hands around the said boy and lean in more. "I'm sorry."

Realizing that they had been leaning on one another too long, Ryoma clears his throat and carries her towards a bench with his guidance. She plays with the hem of her skirt and notices Ryoma picking up their rackets and Tennis balls on the ground. There was a pang of guilt that ran through her. She silently decides that next time, she'd make it up to him, bring him lunch maybe.

Ryoma arranged his things, his beloved racket on his bag, swung on his left shoulder. He also took her bag, hanged it on the same shoulder. He crouched, his back facing her.

She blushed, her head getting light.

"R-Ryoma-kun, I'll just call oba-ch—"

He snorted impatiently, though he was able to make it sound so elegant in Sakuno's ears. "I'll carry you home." He simply said. When she didn't answer, he glanced past his shoulder, staring at her. "Come on."

As meekly as she can, her shaking hands touched his shoulders, her petite body slowly leaning on his back. Ryoma slowly stood up and adjusted her, hooking his hands on her legs.

Sakuno could feel strong heat forming on her face. Her lungs compressed. Her heart pounded hard, as if ready to pop out of her chest. Her stomach, crunching in sheer delight.

When she rested her head on Ryoma's back and inhaled his scent, she was all set to die at that very moment.

End flashback

"I followed them. I was worried that in their way, someone might do them wrong. Regarding their disposition, they are in a certain disadvantage. Luckily, there was no danger. He gave her a piggy back all the way home. And do you realize how long it takes walking from there to the Ryuuzaki residence? Long I tell you! It was a long way! Long!"

"I'm really sorry to have cost you trouble, Ryoma-kun."

"It was a good exercise."

"I'm really sorry for being clumsy…and…causing you to…"

"It doesn't matter. It wasn't that bad."

"Huh?"

"Just take care of yourself. I'm not always there to cushion your fall. Focus. Put a cold patch to that ankle for the swell to shrink. I'll see you in school tomorrow, Ryuuzaki."

"Eh?"

"And then after being sucked in worry for those two first-years, I have totally forgotten about my fishes! I never reached the pet store! My poor fishes!"

"Eto…" Katsuo shutters, drowning on his saliva, sitting on the chair.

Even Katsuo's in it?

"Echizen," he greeted, looking at the green-haired boy tugged in ropes on the other corner of the room. "Kachiro, he…" he swallowed a lump on his throat, "held Ryuuzaki's hands."

Momoshiro looked scandalized, "Katchiro!?"

"For real, nyah!?" Kikumaru asked, tilting his head forward.

Horio looked around, "Katchiro is not here."

Of course he isn't dingus.

"Aa. Right. Katchiro said he didn't want to participate in this." Katsuo shifted, nervous. Great, Sakuno's shyness was getting contagious. "Because of what happened. There's a small rift between him and Echizen." He forced not to look at Ryoma.

"A rift!?"

"Why?"

"Tell us what happened!"

Katsuo clasped his hands, as if praying for his safety. "I was actually there when it happened. It was at the library. Ryuuzaki was holding loads of books. And we saw her, and well, we…offered to help. We divided the books in three so that the burden was lighter. Out of nowhere, she trips, and lands on the ground. We immediately went to her side, assisting her. Katchiro offered his hand."

"Whoa," the background remained silent, listening.

"And Ryuuzaki took his hand." Katsuo finished.

"Whoa!" the tennis players roared in amusement and bafflement.

Katsuo gripped his hands tighter. "The next day, he called in sick to school."

"Katchiro,"

"Echizen!"

"Let's play."

"Eh? I'm picking balls after Tennis practice. Besides, I wouldn't win against you, Echizen. I can't even win against Horio and you know how bad he is in Tennis!"

"Hn."

Plok.

"Echizen! What do you think you're doing? Throwing balls at me!"

"Playing Tennis."

"Echizen is evil, nyah!"

Katsuo avoided Ryoma's gaze, hoping to be spared of whatever consequences he had in store for him. While the Regulars including Horio and excluding Tezuka were discussing the main point here.

Their ochibi was a big meanie.

Oblivious to them, Echizen Ryoma was smirking.

To him, justice was served.

He was justice.

"I totally saw it, nyah! With my own eyes! I swear nyah!"

Ugh. Eiji-senpai.