36 Drabbles

8: Helping

Echizen Ryoma was never much of a listener. He was never much of anything, besides a tennis genius. He did well in school, but not well enough to be considered extremely smart. Besides Karupin, tennis, and maybe Ryuzaki Sakuno, Ryoma didn't really care. Everything else was just pointless. So it doesn't come as much of a surprise for Ryoma to be sleeping during his morning class, after the teacher had come in and done roll call. Neither was it was surprise for Ryoma to miss any announcements the teacher spoke to the class about.

"School festival?" Ryoma said, his ponta halfway to his mouth as he stared at Horio beside him. The other student was looking a little exasperated, wondering how Ryoma could be so clueless about everything. With a little sigh, Horio took out a folded sheet of paper, handing it to his captain.

"Coach Ryuzaki thought this would happen, so she told me to give this to you." Ryoma took it, unfolding the lined paper and reading the message on the inside.

Ryoma,

As I'm sure you know, the school festival is coming and it's required for all school clubs to participate. Therefore, I have arranged for the tennis club to hold a mini tournament during the festival. I leave all the planning to you. Good luck!

Coach Ryuzaki

Ryoma quickly looked over it, letting out an audible "che" before tossing the note to Horio. "Get it done." He said, starting to walk away. That is, until Horio cleared his throat to get the prince of tennis' attention once more. The note was handed to him again, only on the other side of the paper. Ryoma peered at the tiny message scrawled in the middle of the page.

When I say to you, I mean to you.

Ryoma could only glare at the words on the page.

'He's having too much fun with this.' Ryoma thought, trudging along the outside of the school a week later. He was headed for his bag, which was in his classroom. The list of participants in the club was on there, and Horio said they couldn't start planning unless he got it. When Ryoma asked why Horio didn't get it, the boy just looked at him.

"You really want me digging through your stuff?"

Ryoma got up to go fetch the flimsy piece of paper.

On the way, he passed by the girl's tennis court and saw Sakuno hard at work, picking up a few stray tennis balls as she acted as messenger between the members of the tennis club. There were a few droplets of sweat making their way down the side of her face, and Ryoma supposed she had been running almost the entire day. The tennis club must've really not known how to use cell phones, huh?

Skirting that thought to the side, Ryoma continued to make his way back to his classroom.

"Okay Echizen-buchou, we're done with the match-ups. Winner of the tournament plays you as a bonus." Kachiro says, handing him the rough draft of the match-up sheet. Ryoma listened vaguely as he got up, Katsuo telling him he needed to take this to Ryuzaki so they could print out a large sheet to use in the actual tournament. Then he had to head back to confirm announcers and other such miscellaneous people. Waving his hand to show he understood, Ryoma got up and walked away, heading to coach Ryuzaki's office.

On the way, he passed by a peculiar scene in one of the classrooms. They were obviously putting on a play, what with the way some of them were dressed and others held semi-thick booklets. But most notably, one of the girls wearing a large poofy dress was holding her arms out; Sakuno crouched down behind her with a few needles held between her lips. She was stitching the back of the costumes seam's together, eyes scrunched in concentration.

Ryoma paused to look at her, forehead probably shining from perspiration. He only continued to the teacher's office when some of the girls in the room noticed him staring, and then starting to point him out or gush like the fangirls they were.

"Alright Ryoma, you're free to go." Ryuzaki Sumire said, grinning at the sheet in her hand. The captain of the tennis team across from her was scowling openly, dressed in his tennis outfit with his Fila cap. The planning for the tournament had taken up all of his time, not to mention the tennis team's time, so he didn't get to issue laps to anyone for the day. "Make sure you're here for the festival, even if the winner will never have a chance of beating you." Snorting, Ryoma tipped his hat down and turned around, calling out a "whatever" over his shoulder at his coach. When he closed the door to the teacher's office, he could hear her chuckle reach his ears.

A few students still littered about, probably still preparing for the festival in a few days. Ryoma ignored them, just trying to get to his tennis bag (which was in the change rooms) and get home. It was a long day, and all he wanted to do was lay down with Karupin and have a nap before dinner.

"Ryuzaki-san, where're those stage props I've been asking for?"

"Ryuzaki, you have to deliver these tennis balls to buchou before she leaves!"

Ryoma's ears pricked, hearing the name of the shy girl he had gotten quite close to over the last couple months. Spinning on his heel and looking to the side, he saw Sakuno carrying a large box that almost blocked her eyesight, a girl peeking out of a door from the end of the hallway, and another girl beside Sakuno trying to shove a bucket of tennis balls into her hand. That girl was dressed out of uniform, in make-up with her hair done nicely. Ryoma's eyes narrowed.

"I-I'll be right there!" Sakuno cried, trying to find a way to grab the rail of the bucket. Once she got one of her fingers on it, the girl beside her bolted in Ryoma's direction, looking a little harried and panicky. In all of the years Ryoma had played tennis, he had picked up a keen trick to predicting the next move of his opponent, and in a way, was able to manipulate the situation to his advantage. Knowing Sakuno's clumsiness as well as he did, it was safe (or unsafe?) to say she would pitch forward in the next couple seconds and her face would meet the floor, the box, or a tennis ball.

Resolved in what he should do, Ryoma took off in a sprint towards Sakuno, his shoulder hitting the shoulder of the girl who was running past him and slamming her into the wall. It didn't hurt her badly, just stunned her momentarily and caught both her attention and the attention of the girl in the doorway. At that moment, Sakuno had let go of the bucket and the box; both of them sent crashing to the floor. She was going to follow, had Ryoma not skidded to a stop in front of her and caught her round the waist, tugging her to him to make sure she had something to lean on to regain her balance.

When he caught her Ryoma could feel Sakuno's muscles relax immediately, relying completely on his support to keep her upright. If his guess was right, the selfless, idiotic girl had probably been working this hard for the past week. It was only inevitable she collapse one of these days. He was just thankful it was when he was there to catch her.

"R-Ryoma-kun." Sakuno said, a little flabbergasted. Ryoma let her go, sure that she had gotten her footing back and wouldn't fall down again. Sakuno had looked at the box and the tennis balls rolling around on the floor, her facial expression stricken with grief and doom. "Oh no…" She murmured, thinking about having to pick up all the tennis balls and the heavy box again. Ryoma's eyes narrowed for a second.

"Ne." He said, catching her attention. "Let's go. I don't want to get home too late." He turned to walk away, in the direction of the two girls who stood there a little shocked. Sakuno made a noise of protest.

"B-but, I have to deliver the box and-," She stopped talking when Ryoma looked at her from over his shoulder.

"Ryuzaki," he started. "What's your job in your club for the school festival?" Sakuno blinked, standing up a little straighter as if confused he would ask something like that. Usually it was her who would bother to wonder those questions. Ryoma was much to uncaring to think about trivial things like that. Nevertheless, Sakuno answered him honestly, blushing a little.

"W-well the girls tennis team is putting on a tennis musical. Buchou decided to make me narrator." Ryoma nodded a little, closing his eyes and tilting his head up a bit.

"And what do you need to do, exactly?" He asked, Sakuno blushing even more and her head drooping further down.

"Buchou just needs me to memorize some lines and rehearse everything, because sometimes I have to go without the script." The other girls in the tennis team began to look away guiltily. Ryoma just let out a thoughtful noise.

"Nothing else?" Sakuno shook her head, not that Ryoma could see her do so.

"No…" And Ryoma shrugged, turning his body somewhat to look at her.

"So let's go."

Sakuno looked to the two girls in her tennis team, who were slowly making their way to the box and the tennis balls lying on the floor, not daring to look at the kind girl standing between them. Their eyes were hidden, but Sakuno knew that this was their way of apologizing. Smiling a little, Sakuno jogged up to join Ryoma beside him, nodding.

"Hai."

A/N Rawr! I am kind of unsatisfied with this chapter, and I'm sorry to anyone who also thinks so!

My inspiration for this chapter was kind of along the lines of putting things in Ryoma's point of view, instead of Sakuno's like I usually do. Ryoma's definitely harder to do, seeing as he's very laid-back and apathetic all the time. It was a nice change of pace, though. I hope the next drabble turns out better.

Pie for anyone who reviews! (Will it be in your face? I don't know... =3)

Snowflake Flower