AN: Hey dear readers! How are you all? Not bored at all? haha! Thanks for reading this fic! Although I think that my idea bout this fic is not really original, I hope you all find something different.

Enjoy reading!

Chapter 2:

Ryoma went to school the next morning with his tennis equipment. He was early that morning and arrived at school earlier than usual. Upon arrival inside the classroom he was greeted by Sakuno.

"Good morning, Ryoma-kun." She greeted.

"Morning." He replied. He did not notice the smile that she gave him. It was not usual that he responds nicely to her when she talks to him.

"Ryoma-kun, you brought your tennis bag! D-did you finally decide to j-join the tennis club?" asked the happy Sakuno.

"Yeah. I'm going to register later." He responded. He sat down on his seat and rested his head on the table.

"It's really nice that the music club members are required to attend club activities once a week. Although they said we could come any day we wanted. We could also choose another club to join to." said Sakuno.

"Yeah.", answered Ryoma. She's unbelievably talkative today. He thought as he glanced at her seat.

"Why are you talking to me anyway?" asked Ryoma. It sounded rude but truthfully, he was only curious as to why the weird girl is talking to him.

"A-ano..." she muttered. She blushed slightly because of the intense stare Ryoma is giving her.

"What?" he asked impatiently.

"Ummm…because I thought that you might want to h-have someone t-to talk to. You are always quiet a-and you don't t-talk to anyone.", she stuttered.

"Oh. So you want to be my friend?", he asked, as if it was a very normal thing to say with his expressionless face. But deep inside he was glad that someone might want to befriend him. A lot of people always avoid him because of his cold and arrogant nature. So this is a very good development for him. He might have a chance to have his very first real friend.

"I-if you don't m-mind, I would be glad to be your friend.", she said silently but loud enough for Ryoma to hear.

Ryoma gave her a small smile and said, "Thanks."

Then the classes started. As usual, Ryoma would either take a nap or stare somewhere. He rarely listens because most of it, he knows already. Sakuno looks at him worriedly because she thought that he might get in trouble if he does not pay attention to class.

Soon, the morning classes ended and it was lunch time. Ryoma was prepared to leave the room with his bento but Sakuno approached him.

"U-umm…Ryoma-kun? Would it be a-alright if we eat l-lunch together?", she asked while looking down and hiding his embarrassed face.

"I don't mind. Where are we going to eat?" Ryoma asked.

"There is a nice spot under a Sakura tree near the water fountain at the back of the school. If you like, we could go there."

"Okay. Let's go." Ryoma said and then he led the way to their destination.

There were only a few people walking around and the place was quiet. A big Sakura tree stood at one side and Ryoma went there and sat beneath it. He motioned Sakuno to seat near him. They ate in silence. Occasionally, Sakuno would ask him about his life when he was leaving in the states. Ryoma only told her about the usual things. He felt nice around Sakuno's presence and for him, she was the least annoying person he ever knew.

Throughout lunch, they did that. At one point, Ryoma fell asleep and laid on the side of the tree. Sakuno was glad that Ryoma is finally warming up to her. Ryoma was a good listenier, she discovered. Although he talked little and almost whatever he says sounds rude or emotionless, he was a good friend. Lunch was over and she woke up Ryoma. They went to the classroom and prepared for the next subjects.

After classes Ryoma went to the tennis court to register. Sakuno went to the girl's tennis team. He handed his registration form to the person in charge which was the Momoshiro.

"Finally decided to join?" asked the smiling sempai as he received the registration form from Ryoma.

"Hai." Ryoma answered.

"Want to play a match? We are having self-training today." he asked.

"Sure." Ryoma answered, silently smirking to himself. He is definitely going to defeat this guy, without a doubt.

They headed for the court. Before heading for the court, he drank his water to prevent himself from dehydrating. He then grabbed his red racquet and headed to the opposite side if where Momo (a/n: I'll just wright 'Momo'! His whole name is way too long. LOL) was standing. He let him serve first.

Ryoma used his right hand to play. He bounced the neon ball and then threw it in the air. He hit it and landed on the opposite court just near the line.

"15-0" the umpire called.

"That was a fast one." Momo commented.

Ryoma smirked and then served again and this time Momo was able to return it. They rallied and then Ryoma gained a point by doing a drop shot.

"30-0"

This guy sure is something. Momo thought as he missed the ball.

"Are you really a regular, Momoshiri-sempai?" he asked teasingly.

Momo blushed in embarrassment and shot back "Shut up, gaki! Just serve already!"

This time, Ryoma did a twist serve, still with his right hand. The ball bounced to the opposite direction and missed Momo's face only by mere inches.

"40-0"

"Oi, oi! That's a twist serve, isn't it?" he asked with wide eyes.

"Yeah. Why? Haven't seen one yet?" he asked. He gave him an amused look and prepared to serve the next ball.

By now a lot of spectators gathered around to watch their match. Most of the regulars were also watching the game.

"That freshman is good.", commented Ooishi.

"Hoi, hoi! Ochibi is amazing!" Eiji said cheerfully.

"Fshuu…cocky brat." Muttered Kaidoh as he turned away and went back to his own training.

"Saa…this freshman is interesting.", Fuji said.

"Data. That was a good serve." Inui muttered.

The match was 2-0. Echizen leads. As he walked near the base line, he suddenly felt a little bit dizzy. He decided that he should end their game soon or he could be in serious trouble. He did not want to end up in a hospital again and be pitied by a lot of people. He shifted to his left hand and prepared to serve.

No way! He's a southpaw? Momo thought as he saw the racquet on his left hand. He then shouted, "Time out! I forfeit!" He was amazed by the performance of the young tennis player. If he let this continue he will surely lose. He went to the middle of the court and shook hands with Ryoma. He noticed that the freshman was a little bit pale.

"You okay, Echizen? You look pale." He asked, a little bit worried.

"Worry about yourself, Momo-sempai.", Ryoma shot back with a smirk and then went to the bench to return his racquet inside his bag. He took out his medicine and drank one capsule. He was getting dizzy and his chest is starting to ache. He sat for a while and took deep breaths.

"Cocky brat.", Momo said in an amused tone as he watched the freshman go to the bench.

Tezuka, who had been watching their match, was greatly impressed. He went to the club room and decided to include Ryoma in the ranking matches that will be happening a couple of days from now. Ryuuzaki Sumire was watching the match of Ryoma and Momo from the club room. He was glad that the young lad was permitted to join their team. She knew of his condition because Nanjiroh, his old student who was his father, told her. Although she was a little bit worried for the boy, she was also thrilled to have Samurai Junior in their team.

~~~~hohohohoho~~~~

The ranking tournament took place a couple of days after that and Ryoma was able to grab a spot in the regulars.

He was now inside the locker room and fixing his things. The other regulars started to come in and approach him.

"Ochibi is so amazing! He beat Inui and Kaidoh!" Eiji said as he hugged the first year.

"Mada mada dane, sempai-tachi." Ryoma said as he got off Eiji's deathly hug. He went outside the room and headed towards the exit. As he walked towards the gate, he bumped into Sakuno, who running towards the gate as well. She seemed to not notice Ryoma walking close so she collided with him.

"Ah! I'm sorry Ryoma-kun!", said frantically, as she stood up and picked up her bag and tennis bag.

"Will you stop doing that?" Ryoma asked in a slightly irritated voce.

"W-what is it, Ryoma-kun?", she asked, wondering what she did to make Ryoma angry.

"You apologize too much.", he told her.

"Oh. Okay. S-sorry.", Sakuno said, her eyes tearing slightly.

At that moment, his sempai-tachi arrived and noticed the sad face of Sakuno.

"What are you doing, Echizen? Why did you make poor Sakuno-chan cry?", asked a shocked Momo.

"Yeah, yeah! Ochibi is bad! He made her cry! Uwaa!" Eiji said as he created fake anime tears.

"Baka, sempai-tachi! I did not make her cry.", Ryoma stated.

"Of course you did. Those are actual tears, right Tezuka?", said Fuji with his creepy smile. He pointed at the moisture forming beneath Sakuno's eyes.

"Hn." Tezuka muttered.

"You should not make girls cry, Echizen. Especially Sakuno-chan. Coach might kill you if she sees this.", said the worried Taka.

"A-ano…Ryoma-kun did not m-make me cry." Sakuno said silently.

"See?", asked the smirking Ryoma. "Let's go, Ryuuzaki. I'll walk you home.", he added as he grabbed her hand and dragged her away from the amused sempais.

They were already far away from the gate of the school when Ryoma finally decided to let go of Sakuno's hand. They walked in silence. Sakuno walking slightly behind Ryoma.

"Umm…R-ryoma-kun?", asked Sakuno.

"What is it", answered Ryoma.

"Wh-why are you w-walking me home?" she asked nervously. It was not like she did not want Ryoma to walk her home. She was just curious. He was acting weird because he is doing a nice thing for her.

"Because we're friends, aren't we?" Ryoma said and looked at her expectantly.

"R-right. Sorry." She muttered to herself.

"I said stop doing that.", ordered Ryoma.

"Wh-what?"

"That! You are always apologizing. It's not like you did something wrong. " said Ryoma, a bit irritated.

"O-okay.", responded the blushing Sakuno.

They arrived at continues walking to Sakuno's house in silence. And when they arrived Sakuno invited him in for a drink. He agreed and went with her inside. He sat in the living room. Sakuno reappeared holding a tray containing their drinks and some snacks.

"Thanks.", Ryoma muttered as he received his glass of orange juice.

Sakuno sat beside him and also drank her own juice. They ate in silence. Occasionally Sakuno would start small talk, and Ryoma would only answer in small sentences. It was quite awkward if it was normal people talking in this manner. But since it's Sakuno and Ryoma we are talking about, this conversation is just fine. Sakuno being nervous and blushing always when they talk and Ryoma being a dull person. Although Ryoma might not be showing it, he is really glad that there is someone who could stand talking to him. Most people often comment that when they were talking to him, it was like talking to a wall.

After a while, Ryoma returned home and said thanks for Sakuno's hospitality. He went back to his room, changed his clothes and brought out his cello. He wanted to play for a while and also practice for the individual presentation that their music club will be having this week. He played the Prelude from Bach's cello suit no. 1. He liked this piece very much. After playing he went downstairs to eat their dinner.

"How was school today, Ryoma?" asked Rinko.

"It was boring. We had a ranking match for the regular spots in tennis club. I got in because they were all weak." Ryoma answered.

"Really? That's great. But don't overexert yourself. You're feeling fine today right?"

"Yeah."

"How about your music club?"

"Ah. We'll be having individual presentation tomorrow."

"That's good. Will you bring your cello to school?"

"No need. I could borrow the one at school." , he said as he got up and went to his room. He did his homework and then practiced again the piece he is going to perform tomorrow during their club activities.

~~~~hohohohoho~~~~

The afternoon the next day, Ryoma did not attend the practice of the tennis club. He went to the music room with Sakuno instead. He already told the coach, Ryuuzaki-sensei, who happened to be Sakuno's grandmother, about it. She agreed but only after telling him that he should work extra hard during their next practice because the tournament is already near.

They arrived inside the music room and there were already a lot of people seated. Their club president was standing in front of them and already started checking the attendance. After the attendance is checked, Ishikawa proceeded to explain how their individual performances will work. He also said that this was also to measure their skill when it comes to playing their individual instruments.

There were a lot of students who played well with their respective instrument. Ryoma was thrilled to show them what he could do. He did not know the music club was also this fun. When his name was called, he stood up and asked for a cello from the club president since he did not bring his own. He played Bach's Prelude cello suit no. 1. It was one of his favorite and this was the piece he practiced the night before.

The members were all awed by the sound he created. Sakuno was amazed by his skill and because of this her admiration for him increased. She was also inspired to do her best in playing when her name was called.

After playing, he was given a loud round of applause. He smirked because he knew he did a great job. Ishikawa was greatly interested with the talented first year. He approached him and said.

"You did well, Echizen. How long have you been playing the cello?"

"About 6 years." he answered briefly.

"Really? You really are talented, Echizen. Why don't you participate in a music contest?" asked Ishikawa with eager eyes.

"Huh? No way." Ryoma said in a flat tone. He immediately went back to his seat and ignored Ishikawa's pleas.

After two members were called, it was Sakuno's turn. She played Moonlight Sonata first movement. Ryoma was impressed by her excellent performance. He didn't expect her to play that well. After playing, she was praised by Ishikawa and the others. After that, she went back to her seat beside Ryoma.

"That was good." Ryoma said as he faced the blushing Sakuno.

"Th-thank you. You also were amazing."

"Thanks."

After all the members finished their individual presentation, Ishikawa spoke again.

"Everyone did great. Well done. I'll be expecting you all next week. We will be planning for our performance for the school festival 3 months from now. And yes, I know that it's too early. But that will be our first performance for this year and I want it to be perfect. We will be presenting individual presentations and ensembles. So be prepared. Okay. That's all. You may go now."

The students headed for the door and exited the room. Ryoma and Sakuno walked out together. Ryoma offered to walk her home again. Although Sakuno insisted that he did not have to, Ryoma insisted because that is what friends do to each other. Sakuno blushed and she felt glad that Ryoma considered her as one of his friends. But she was also worried that she was the only one he talks to in class and he seems to have few friends. The only ones she sees him interact with are the tennis club regulars and her.

They walked towards the gate. But they were interrupted by some of the regulars, namely, Momoshiro, Eiji, Fuji and Tezuka.

~~~~hohohohoho~~~~

As Momo, Eiji, Fuji and Tezuka walked towards the gate of Seigaku after tennis practice, they noticed a familiar greenish-black haired freshman and a girl with long twin braids. Momo and Eiji rushed to them as soon as they saw the two. Tezuka and Fuji followed behind. Fuji was curious as to why they are going home together, while Tezuka wanted to ask why Echizen did not attend the tennis practice that afternoon.

"Ochibi! Sakuno-chan!", Eiji shouted as he gave them bone cracking hugs.

"L-let go, baka.", said Ryoma who is now turning blue.

"Hehe. Sorry, Ochibi and Sakuno-chan!", said Eiji while smiling sheepishly.

He let go of them and then Ryoma coughed for a while and held his chest. He felt a little pain when he was hugged violently by the cat-like sampai. Sakuno was stroking his back until he stopped and gave the two a deathly glare.

"What are you doing, sempai-tachi?" he asked in an irritated voice.

"C-calm down, Ryoma-kun. I-it's not good to disrespect your sempai." Sakuno scolded him a little.

"What are you two doing, huh? Going out for a date?" asked Momo, who was giving him a, what looked like to Ryoma, stupid smile. Sakuno's cheeks became tomato red at the statement. And Ryoma just looked at him in a bored manner, not understanding the word 'date'.

"We're going home, Momo-sempai. Now, get out of our way.", Ryoma answered rudely, ignoring the previous scolding of Sakuno.

Ryoma grabbed Sakuno's hand and headed for the exit but was interrupted again by the voice of the team captain.

"Why were you absent during afternoon practice, Echizen?", asked the stoic captain.

"Saa. Maybe he was spending time with Sakuno-chan here.", said Fuji who appeared from behind Tezuka.

"I was doing something. And I asked permission from the coach to be excused from afternoon practice once a week.", answered Ryoma, he is growing impatient by the minute. He really wanted to go home right away and sleep. He slowly feels a headache coming.

"I see. You must train hard next time to make up for your absence." Tezuka said in a stern voice.

"Hai!" he answered. He then dragged Sakuno towards the exit. Sakuno was still blushing from the previous statement of Fuji. She just let Ryoma pull her and silently follow him as he walks her home.

Eiji, Momo and Fuji eyed their intertwined hands slyly. Momo shouted from behind, "Go and make sure your girlfriend gets home safely, Echizen!"

"Of course.", he said loud enough for them to hear. Momo and Eiji were in shock, their jaws reaching the floor, while Fuji gave an amused smile and Tezuka still remained the same. Sakuno once again, blushed. They continued walking in silence. When they reached Sakuno's house, she thanked Ryoma and offered him to stay for a while for some drinks. Ryoma agreed and went inside.

Sakuno served him grape juice and a blueberry cheese cake. Ryoma gratefully accepted them and thanked Sakuno.

"Thanks for the snack. Those were my favorites by the way." Ryoma said as he took another bite from his cake.

"Don't mention it. Thank you again for walking me home.", said Sakuno. She was glad that her stuttering is lessening when she is around Ryoma. She was more comfortable with him now that they became good friends.

"It's nothing. I'll walk you home every day if you want.", he offered. He already considered her his closest friend and he talked more around her. And he would be glad to do favors for his close friend.

"Th-that would me unnecessary.", she said. She already troubled him a lot and she did not want to bother him anymore.

"It is. And I will do it because you are already my best friend.", Ryoma stated in-a-matter-of-fact manner.

"R-really?"

"Sure.", he said as he finished his cake. "Thanks again for the snack. I'll be going home now."

"A-alright. See you tomorrow." Ryoma nodded lightly as he jogged towards his house.

AN: How's that? Getting bored yet? I hope not! (laughs nervously) Review again! Thanks for reading! Love ya all!