36 Drabbles

11: Rain

Sakuno sighed, leaning against the headboard of her bed as she stared out the window in the wall beside her, the rain pounding relentlessly against it. The storm clouds blocked out all the light of the sun, throwing the city of Tokyo into a dark, dreary atmosphere. Ever since she was a child, Sakuno hated the rain. It may have been because getting wet was very annoying (unless you were bathing or going for a swim); it may have been because her parents died in a car crash because of slippery roads and a drunken bastard, it may have been simply for no reason at all. If that was the case, Sakuno would always find another reason to hate the rain, and she did.

It cancelled her tennis lessons with Ryoma.

Flushing horribly, Sakuno hated how she sounded so lovesick. I mean, having a crush was one thing, but to go beyond that? Almost unheard of a girl in her youthful age. She was supposed to be like Tomoka, impulsive, carefree, and infatuated over every guy who was considered vaguely "cute". Instead, she was cautious, careful, and possibly in love with a boy her age.

But that didn't make any sense, she kept telling herself. How could she love Ryoma if she didn't even know anything about him? Sure he loves tennis, and he has a cat named Karupin, and he lives in a temple, and his cousin's name is Nanako, and he constantly sleeps, and he hates western food, and his favourite drink is ponta, and he is overall very unsociable, but that's as far as her knowledge of him went.

Sighing, Sakuno jumped in her skin as her cell phone on her night table began to ring, grabbing it as she laughed at getting scared of her own phone. Her hand paused to grab it though, remembering very clearly when her own grandmother picked up the phone on that fateful rainy day, slamming it down because she was in complete denial. But then Sakuno remembered everyone was at home because it was raining so badly. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Sakuno flicked it open.

ONE MESSAGE FROM: ECHIZEN RYOMA

Sakuno blinked at the screen, a little disbelieving at first. Ryoma texting her? Someone was obviously pulling a mean prank. Sucking in some breath for confidence, she opened the message and read over it, blushing a little.

I'm bored.

It was blunt, and avoiding anything saying Ryoma wanted to talk to her. He was usually very blunt, but sometimes saying certain things could ruin his reputation, so Ryoma disguised his messages by saying something that could be interpreted as simply friendship. Sakuno was able to understand his strange ways, having adapted to them from their time together on the roof. She hit the 'reply' button, typing in a message of her own to send to him.

Would you like to talk? I have nothing to do, since the tennis lessons are cancelled.

Sakuno hit the 'send' button, waiting for the phone to tell her the message was sent successfully before lying down on her bed, awaiting his reply. Her cell phone was lying on her stomach, pressed down lightly by her two hands. Sakuno closed her eyes, trying to block out the sound of the rain hitting the window. It worked, for a small while until her cell phone vibrated on her stomach, sending her into fits of giggling. Sakuno quickly picked it up, flipping it open and reading the reply from Ryoma.

Your hair is too long.

She burst out laughing.

They texted each other late into the night, Sakuno yawning every five seconds. The only thing that kept her awake was the thought of Ryoma's text reply, and the vibrating of her cell phone as his message reached her.

Their conversation over the phone was long and refreshing, Sakuno thought. She learned so many things about Ryoma from this one conversation alone. Like how he didn't like milk, but he drank it because of Inui-senpai's meal plan. His adventures in America, playing against top-notch professionals and winning against several of them. His baka oyaji who read perverted magazines, his strict mother whom always looked so elegant in a kimono, his cousin Nanako with her stubborn nature, and Karupin who he saw as one of his best friends.

That was when Sakuno discovered she was Ryoma's best female friend.

What could he say? No one could really match up to Momo-chan.

Anyhow, the next text message Sakuno got from Ryoma stated that it was late, and he was keeping her up when they both knew they should be asleep. So Sakuno sent him a reply, bidding him good night (and sweet dreams, but that was in her head and not in the text), before placing her cell phone on her night table and snuggling into her comfy blankets. The rain still beat against her glass window, but the storm had long since died down. Instead, it was just a soft pattering that slowly lulled her to sleep, reminding her of listening to the rain as she waited for Ryoma's text replies.

Sakuno smiled, letting a single thought pass through her head before she drifted into the dark abyss of dreams.

'Maybe rain… isn't so bad after all.'

A/N And so the eleventh drabble is out! Short and sweet? I personally wish I could've made it longer, but meh.

Inspiration for this chapter mainly came from Sakuno and Ryoma getting to know each other better. I figured Ryoma isn't the type to freely talk face-to-face, so what better way than with a cell phone?

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