Hye! I am back as promised! I am sorry for keeping you wait. I hope this fic is not rusted. Hehehe... Anyway, this is the continuated chapter of the story. I hope you like it.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Prince of Tennis and never will.

Saku-ryukun28 - Thank you very much. I am glad that you love this fic. Well, you'll see more dates in the future. I hope you like this one too. Thank you. :)

Chapter 16: Real Emotions

Chapter Summary: She was confused after all the incident that happened. She opened up her heart to understand what she felt.

She was fine. Yep. She knew that she was. She was back at the dorm that Sunday evening. She was exhausted after telling her best friend about her movie date with Ryoma. It was exhausting but it was also fine.

But not her heart.

Her heart kept on beating really loud and fast ever since she came back. The reason why; the person who made her heart all panicky was just a few meters away from her own bed. The person who made her heart beat faster.

He was her date... as her real self. She was not disguising as a boy and to top it all, he kissed her before they went on their own.

Well, he kissed her on her cheek... near to her lips. But it still made her heart panicky. Her face couldn't stop from blushing. They kissed before accidentally but they brushed it off. The boy thought that they were both boys. But what happened last Saturday was different. Ryoma initiated it. Before Ryoma could notice, she turned around and faced the wall, covering half of her face.

Calm down, Sakuno. You need to act normal now or he'll notice that I am not the boy he knows. Worst, the others also will. She thought and closed her eyes forcefully trying to calm herself down. There were other things to deal with and the festival was not over with. She then remembered the tennis captain of Rikkaidai, Seiichi Yukimura, who happened to know her real gender.

She bit her lower lip and also tried to forget that. Things would have been better for tomorrow, wouldn't it?

The Next day:

"CHERRY-CHAN!" Eiji bombarded her with his crushing hug the moment she stepped into the court that morning. Blush already crept to her face as she tried to get away from him, "Our little Cherry-chan is back!"

"G-good morning, Eiji-senpai..." She said trying to get away from him still, "Y-you can let go of me now."

"You should let him go now, senpai," Momoshiro butted in as he joined them. Fuji and Oishi were with him, "Someome might get jealous."

"Ah, right," Eiji did just that and looked around them, "Where's Ochibi?"

"Uissu..."

Eiji approached the youngest regular tennis player and wrapped his arm to his shoulder, "So, how was the movie date, you two?"

Hearing that made Sakuno blush. They didn't know that Ryoma asked the 'girl' version of her instead her 'real' self. She looked at Ryoma who frowned at their senpai.

"It wasn't a date." He answered lamely as he tried to get away from him this time.

"Come on, Ochibi. Don't keep the fun to yourself," Eiji insisted, pulling him to his side as possible, "You're unfair you know."

"Saa, don't force him Eiji. It's their date anyway." Fuji interrupted empasizing the word date to Sakuno. She frowned at first then she realized what he was telling her to do.

"S-senpai. It was just us watching movie," Sakuno replied when she understood what he was telling her. She blushed once again as she looked at the tensai, "It wasn't a date, really."

"It was for the prize, baka-tachi." Ryoma murmured agreeing with her in the process.

"Echizen, don't be rude to your senpais," The mother hen interrupted when he thought that the situation was getting out of his hand.. Or the others, "Anyway, we should focus on the final event of the festival now."

They looked at him before they looked back at each other. They were thinking of the same thing as they were wearing the same smirk on their faces. They were preparing for the last event of the festival of that month.

The sports festival.

Days were passing really fast and they were on their third and final month of the festival. It was the part of the event that the players wanted to participate at. They weren't to compete to the clubs they belonged to but they could try the other clubs and that was what the event made more exciting. Thus, it would end the festival and close with the big night.

xxx

Sakuno looked around the corridor before she continued walking. People were starting to gather at certain clubs they wished to join. They had this theme for the month.

Skills but not their skills.

Students from different clubs would perform their own talents but not the talents of their own clubs. Sakuno thought to herself. It felt like the first time she tried to look for a club to join until Ryoma demonstrated his skills in tennis. There were clubs that she had to be careful with or else her identity would be at stake once again.

"CHERRY-CHAN!"

Sakuno never had the chance to look behind when the person jumped on her from the back. Her cheek began to feel hot as the intruder brushed his own cheek to her, "T-Tooyama-kun! Stop scaring me like that. And let go of me!" She said trying to get out from his grasp.

"But I miss you. We haven't spent a single day here ever since I arrived. I want to have this time with you ay least!" Kintarou whined still rubbing his cheek to her.

"But-I am not-I don-t-oh all right!" She stuttered until she got her thoughts together. She only realized that the jungle boy was right. True, he was as energetic as ever but she knew that he was fun to be with, "But I am not going to try these clubs you hear me-"

"Thank you Cherry-chan!" He interrupted her hugging her in the process. Well, for a short while before pulling her and dragged her away to who knew where, "Come on. Let's not waste time!"

Kintarou took her to different clubs much to his preferences. He tried doing different clubs which she was just watching. The jungle boy joined Sumo wrestling much to her bewilderment. She was even offered to try but she strongly denied.

Kintarou tried the baseball next and the next thing they knew, they were chased for breaking one of the tallest lights of the field. He started to do his great escape with her towing behind.

"Tooyama-kun! You-"

"Heki! Heki, Bishounen-chan! Shiraishi will deal with that!" He assured as he continued running away.

I don't know if I shouldn't be worried about that. Sakuno thought but continued running. They continued running until Kintarou noticed something and abruptly stopped. She bumped into his back because of that. She was about to ask why he stopped running when she heard familiar voices.

Prepare for trouble,
And Make it double!
To protect the world from devastaion,
To unite all people within our nation,
To denounce the evil of truth and love,
To extend our reach to the stars of above,
Momoshiro!
Oishi!
Team Rocket blast off at the speed of light!
Surrender now or prepare to fight!
Meowth, Thats Right!

Sakuno sweat dropped at the scene in front of her. Literally, kneeling in front of her, Eiji who was the 'cat' in the team, gave him a red rose.

"An-Ore..." She adlibed before she caught herself in trouble. She looked at the other two who were making signature moves of a famous TV series. Eiji stood up and joined them.

In an instant the scenery became eerie and dark. Kintarou leaned closer to her and even grabbed her sleeve, "Nee, what's happening here, Cherry-chan?"

"H-how would I know?" She answered looking around them. Her eyes spotted black figures in front of them. Before she could react, something or someone jumped on them.

Particularly on Kintarou while she fell on the ground. She was able to scream like a guy all thanks to the practice she had with Tomoka. The scene in front of her was totally absurb. Kintarou was lying on his back while Eiji and Momoshiro pinned him on the floor. Both of them were wearing blue jumper and orange striped t-shirt underneath it. They were wearing face masks like stitches and each of them was holding a knife.

Sakuno was shocked at what they were holding and immediately stood up and walked up to them, "Senpai! What do you two think you are doing?" Before she could reach them, Eiji looked and glared at her making her walk backwards. Kintarou was squirming as he didn't know what was going on. Eiji returned his attention to Kintarou while Momoshiro still held him down. The former placed the knife to Kintarou's neck. He pressed his thumb finger on his forehead while his other hand on his stomach, letting go of the knife in the process. To everyone's bewilderment, he began chanting;

Ade Due Damballa. Give me the power, I beg of you.
Leveau mercier du bois chaloitte.
Secoise entienne mais pois de morte.
Morteisma lieu de vocuier de mieu vochette.
Endelieu pour du boisette damballa (x2)

"Ahhh!" Kitarou screamed and began struggling. Luckily, he was able to get out. With all the energy and adrenaline, he was able to get behind her, "They are scary! What's with all the alienated chanting!"

"Wow, Chucky! You let your prey get away from you," Momoshiro said standing up and looked at them, "You were so close of possessing his body. Just one more chant."

"Possessing? Chant? Just what is going on guys?" Sakuno moved backwards. Their stunts were somehow creepy to them. She never had any ideas about it.

"Hush, Chucky no. 2! I am just getting started."

Sakuno and Kintarou cowered uncharacteristically as they approached them. They were about to grab them when fans smacked their heads. The former sighed of relief when they saw Oishi and Tezuka appeared from the latters' back, holding fans each.

"We planned to impersonate, not to scare students! Baka!" Oishi said scolding the both of them despite that he was still flushed from the stunt he did a while ago.

"But it is fun! Besides, " Eiji defended before he grinned, "you enjoyed it too, Oishi."

The mother hen blushed at his partner's words, "Why you-" He tried to hit him with his fan once again but he hid behind Momoshiro who was grinning at them.

"You two must behave or we will not have audience to entertain." Tezuka warned them.

Sakuno looked at their captain and asked him, "Impersonate? What do you mean by that buchou?"

Momoshiro answered for him, "We planned to portray someone's character randomly as you can see what we did a while ago. This skill is what he we call the Portrayal club."

"The Portrayal... Club?" She was certain that she wasn't informed of that. She wondered if Ryoma knew about it.

"That was sure scary!" Kintarou interrupted and approached Eiji, "I thought you would kill me? Is that plastic?" He pointed at the knife and was shocked when Eiji pressed the tip of the knife and pushed it back to its hilt in an flexible movement.

"Of course it's plastic. We will not harm our costumers."

"And what kind of language did you say? I didn't even understand a thing!" The jungle boy asked as he leaned closer to the acrobatic player, "Well, except for the English part."

"That's French," A new voice said turning their heads to the sound. Fuji walked in along with the rest of the group, "In case you wonder about the translations, it goes like this;"

To the almighty Damballa, give me the power I beg of you!
To the mercy of my soul.
To the point of my death.
Hear me out of from my condemned voice.

"Sugoi, senpai! How did you know that?" Sakuno asked him.

Fuji just shrugged and smiled at her, "Research."

She sweat droppef after hearing that, "R-right..."

They continued watching the goofy scenes of Momoshiro and Eiji along with the Freshmen trio. Sakuno was entertained with them until she spotted Ryoma who looked bored in the corner. At first, she decided to approach him but then she remembered what happened to them on their date the other day. She turned from him before he could even notice her. She exited the room and went to the corridor. Her face was blushing. Realization came into her.

Her feminine side was showing dangerously.

She had to calm herself or else her secret would be revealed without being telling anyone. Not that she would tell anyone. Her feelings for him was slowly showing. Everytime she thought, looked and talked to him, her heart would speed up.

She knew that her admiration just wasn't an admiration but she wasn't going to admit it. Not that she was still in Seigaku. As long as she was inside the school premises, she would hide them.

She would hide her real emotions.

Just as she turned to a corner, she heard someone playing an instrument. A piano. The piece was really relaxing although she had no idea what it was. She followed the sound of the piano and located it, of course, in the music room. The weird thing was, no one was listening to the person. Probably because the others were too busy to drop by. But not her. As she peeked into the room, she spotted a familiar blue haired figure sitting in front of the piano. He was playing gracefully just like how she imagined it.

A gush of memory came into her when she listened to the performer. It felt nice. She had been listening for she didn't know how long and she didn't realize that the person had stopped playing until he called her name;

"Jerry-chan, is it?"

She jumped from her location and opened her eyes that she didin't that she closed them as she listened to the piece. That was the only time she recognize the person playing the piano.

It was the tennis captain of Rikkaidai.

Her panic came back to her system as she looked at him. Of all the person she could see with, why the Yukimura Seiichi of Rikkaidai? Her voice somehow backfired as she couldn't find her own words.

"Relax, I am not going to tell on you," Yukimura said and chuckled when he saw her gaping reaction, "No need to fret. If you are worried about that."

"H-how..." She looked around before she cautiously walked inside the room, "How did you know?" She whispered as she approached him.

Yukimura turned his body sideways so that he could face her, "It's all over your face. I am wondering why the others haven't found out yet."

Color faded to her face when he said that. So even a student from outside could tell. She was really doomed.

"Perhaps, you are good at hiding it," Yukimura said shrugging in the proccess, "or they are just too oblivious not to notice."

"I can't be found out. Not now." Sakuno said to herself but he heard her still.

"What are you doing in an All boys school anyway?" He said casually.

Sakuno leaned closer to him, "Please, Yukimura-san! Not too loud. I am not going to hide my identity here forever. I am going to tell them someday," She looked away and blushed at the same time, "Just... not now."

"So, why are you here?"

Her eyes darted to the piano as she took a deep breath. Then, she told him everything. She didn't know if telling him would be a good thing but she couldn't lie to him anymore. She would just hope for the best... that he wouldn't tell her on anyone.

Yukimura smiled after she finished her story, "That was worth the risk. I think he already received your thanks."

"I think so but I still want to stay. I have one year to stay here. As I promised Obaa-chan." She said, "Until then..."

They remained quiet after a few seconds. The students outside the room were making noises but none of them cared about it. Her attention went to the blue haired captain's hand tapping his side. She realized that she was standing all the time. Her feet did not hesitate to take the offer and sat beside him as she felt the tiredness of moving, walking and standing for a long time.

"Do you play the piano?" Yukimura suddenly asked.

She meant to say no but her answer was different, "I used to play when I was a child."

"Why stopped then?"

Sakuno shrugged, "It got out of tune and my parents weren't able to tune it in," Her fingers brushed the keys with her hands, "I kinda missed it but it's fine." The piano was my parents' memento. Without her knowing it, her fingers started moving and playing a piece that she knew with all her heart.

She closed her eyes and let her fingers do their magic. The song that she remembered playing together with her parents and her grandmother. How felt nice it was of remembering it now. But it almost brought tears to her face. Snapping out from her old memories, she stopped playing and opened her eyes in the process before she could cry for real.

"Gomenasai, Yukimura-san!" She stood up and bowed for several times, "I was not paying attention and I just started to-"

"Calm down, Jerry-chan, it's fine." He said chuckling in the process, "That was a nice piece you played. What was it?"

Sakuno blushed as she answered him, "A melody from a game called Final Fantasy IX. It was a piece I used to play with my family and the only piece I remembered playing."

"That was a beautiful piece. Thank you for letting me hear that."

"But you are better! I was mesmerized by the sound of your playing and followed it here. You are good at playing, Yukimura-san!"

"Why, thank you." He said and smiled at the same time as he looked at the keys, "The piece I played was from an anime inserted song. That's my favorite."

"And I loved it. Thank you for letting me hear that as well."

"More like you were drawn to it."

"That true," Sakuno chuckled and stopped herself afterwards. She bit her lower lip before she walked backwards, "I better go now. They might be looking for me."

"I guess you should. I'll continue playing here."

Sakuno nodded and turned around. She grabbed the doorknob and twisted it. Before she opened it, her head turned behind her, "Yukimura-san..."

"Yes..." He replied looking back at her.

"Thank you for keeping my secret."

Yukimura smiled at her. The smile that he usually had when something interesting was about to happen, "That's for my entertainment."

She smiled awkwardly before she opened the door and walked out. Breathing deeply, she felt that one of her worries was somewhat solved. Few people were starting to realize who she really was. She had to be extra careful from now on. If she wanted to stay in Seigaku for one year, just like how she exactly aimed, she would do just that.

xxx

The following days were like hurricane. They moved from one place to another. Doing sports from one place to another and winning sports from one place to another. What people were waiting for was the main event of the month.

The all out marathon.

Students from Seigaku and the other three schools were competing individually. Prizes were given for the first five students who would reach the goal. But the first student who would reach the goal would receive a special prize. What it was... no one knew yet.

They would announce it on the day of the marathon which would take place three days from now. And after that the night of the ball two days later.

And that would end the festival.

Time seemed to pass by really fast. The event was coming to an end. She had stayed there for five months, well almost six. She only had six months in Seigaku and she would make the best of it. Her grandmother was making her all the alibis effective whenever she did something suspiscious. Fuji was also there to help her and without his own knowledge, Ryoma was always coming to her rescue.

This would not have happened if it wasn't for Tomoka, her best friend who started all the fiasco. It was indeed all thanks to her.

Her reverie was cut when someone tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around and spotted Momoshiro grinning at her.

"Momo-chan-senpai!" She called smiling at him, "What:s up?"

"Aren't you excited about the marathon?" He asked as he walked in front of her, "This may be the last event but this is the best one!"

"Really? I've never been on a marathon before."

"Ah yes, this is your first time," He whispered before grinning back at her, "Don't worry it's going to be exciting."

"Momo-chan-senpai's right!" Horio appeared from nowhere together with Katsuo and Kachiro, "Last year, Echizen, Fuji-Senpai and Eiji-senpai got some prizes. The others were from different clubs."

"Honto! Sugoi!" Sakuno was indeed surprised at the news. How she wished that she'd seen it.

"But this time, I'll make sure that I'll win." Momoshiro promised.

"Mada mada dane, senpai." Ryoma appeared nowhere as well. He was soon followed by Fuji. All heads turn to their location, "I'll win again for sure."

"Come on, Echizen! Give chance to the others!" Horio retorted.

Ryoma grunted, "As if that happened."

"I won't lose to you. That's for certain."

"Saa, let's be civil. Like always." Fuji reminded them.

From Sakuno's eyes. That wasn't what she saw. She could sense competing aura against each other. They were only aiming for one goal.

To win the first prize.

"Ganbatte. For the everyone of us." She only commented. The others looked at her like she was just another person who thought of becoming crazy. She sweat dropped because of that.

"Guys! Guys! Latest news! Nya!" Eiji suddenly bolted in the court getting everyone's attention.

"What's the commotion about, Eiji?" Fuji asked his best friend when he finally approached them.

"It's about the marathon!" He said pointing to the direction where he came from, "They announced the prizes for the marathon!"

"Nani! It is not even the marathon day yet!" Horio reacted which was followed by several gasps.

"Who cares about that? Let's check out the prizes!" Eiji said before running away from them and went to bulletin board. The others followed him afterwards.

The place where crowded when they reached it. Some people who noticed them from behind looked their way and gave them some weird looks.

"Why are they looking at us like that?" Sakuno whispered to Ryoma though she had the feeling that everyone was actually looking at her.

"It's more on they are looking at you." He answered which confirmed her suspicion.

"Fujiko! Fujiko! You got a problem!" Eiji appeared from the bulletin and approached them once again.

Fuji looked at him and frowned, "What do you mean?"

To Sakuno's surprise, the acrobatic player looked mysteriously at her before pulling Fuji to the board.

"You just have to see for yourself."

Suspicious, the others followed suit. Sakuno felt awkward as she sensed the stares of the others were giving to her. Yep, she confirmed it. The others were staring at her like they were awestrucked or something. They reached the bulletin board and check the prizes.

The prizes were good. Exempted for a major exam, one week allowance and some gifts like tickets for amusement parks, theaters and movies for different winners. The same for the first winner.

Except for the special prize.

Everyone looked at her as her eyes were staring at the said prize. Her orbs widened as she realized what the prize was... or rather who the prize was. Which was clearly written in bold letters:

Special Prize: First Placer

A kiss to the bishounen Ryuzaki Jerry

Time seemed to stop and everything halted when she realized what that was. The deafening silence inside her brain was released when she understood the meaning of the special prize for her.

"Eeeeeeeeeh!"

Done! How was it? I hope the readers of this fic is still there. If you are please let me know. I am happy to hear from you.

Terminology:

Team rocket motto/phrase - Pokemon. I think you know it already.

Chucky's chant - From the Child's play series

Dali - from Final Fantasy IX. I remember playing this piece on the piano. My favorite instrumental song of the game.

Lucie - Pandora Hearts locket version of the song. I alsi love the voice and piano version.

By the way, I'd like to thank spacekitten chichi giving me the idea of what movie (White Chicks) should RyoSaku watch from the last chapter. Thank you so much for that... :)

I do not own all of them and never will.

Anyway, let me know your thoughts for this. Am I still keeping this in touch? Thank you once again.

Next Chapter: A Kiss for the Win

MERRY CHRISTMAS, MINNA-SAN!

AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ECHIZEN RYOMA-KUN!

~ from: MitsukiJunko ~