Sakuno walked into the Aging Bar when Fanny jumped on her. "Sakuno! Congratulations, I heard that you've got a pay rise." Fanny said.
"Yup!" Sakuno answered happily.
"Must have been that new guy last time. I've heard that you have successfully made him a regular. Congratulations on getting your first regular." Fanny smiled.
"Thanks…" Wait… did she say…my first regular…? Sakuno blinked. "Who?"
"That newbie that you tended for a full half an hour, remember? Cherry was like saying that he even had a conversation with Carrie after he came out of the room, apparently requesting for you every week or something. Carrie must have been really happy that we've got one more regular coming in, and gave you a double." Fanny explained.
Sakuno gaped in shock, not knowing what to say. The person Fanny was talking about, it's Ryoma-kun, isn't it? Ryoma-kun was the only newbie that she tended to for a full half hour last week. But, Ryoma-kun, a regular? Impossible! All those 'regulars' that they always talk about were the perverted and disgusting type that only liked to take advantage of girls. How could Ryoma…become a regular…? It couldn't be…he's not that type of guy! He's not…the last time he came here was because of Momo-sempai…so why would he become a regular? No, it must have been another person…
"T…that regular…what is his name?" Sakuno asked.
"How could you forget the name of your first regular?" Fanny said disapprovingly. "He's that cute tennis guy. If I remember correctly, he's called…erm…Echima Ryomy or something…can't remember. He's coming later, I heard."
So…it's really Ryoma-kun…impossible, how could Ryoma-kun become a regular in this infamous bar? Had he changed since the first day they met, had he become a pervert, was it because of puberty? No…Ryoma-kun is definitely not that type of guy! He probably came here again because of the same reason as last time. Yes, that must have been it. Momo-sempai must have asked Ryoma to come here again.
"What's wrong?" Fanny asked, looking at Sakuno's troubled face.
"N…nothing…"
"Well then hurry up, there's a customer in room 512."
XxXxX
Ryoma wiped his sweat and covered his eyes. He never knew that coaching people tennis could be so equally tiring sometimes. Ryuuzaki-sensei made everything seem so easy. For the first time in his life in Seigaku, he finally found a whole new found admiration for his tennis coach; to be able to keep up with the coaching work until this age was not easy indeed. Is that why she was sick? Hopefully she gets well soon, then Sakuno need not do this job anymore.
Ryoma sighed. Sakuno, while doing this horrible, disgusting job, must have been taken advantage of a lot of times. While he was walking down the corridor to this room, he took a glance at other rooms. The scene that he saw made him want to punch those people in their perverted faces. He couldn't believe Sakuno actually had the courage to do this kind of job.
Oh well…it's another new found admiration for Ryuuzaki…
He heard the door open. "Get me ponta…" He croaked. "Get me five of them…no, eight of them."
"Ah…hai…" Sakuno's sweet voice sounded tentatively into his ears. "Here you go."
Ryoma opened his eyes, glanced at the masked brunette, and picked up the ponta and started drinking. He let his exhaustion be relieved while letting the sweet, isotonic grape juice slip down his throat. He drank all eight cans of ponta in one shot, crushing the last one after drinking. He sighed. So much better… Ponta really did make everything better… The sofa here was really comfortable too; the air-conditioned air was also really refreshing… Maybe this bar's popularity did have reasons other than the girls here…
Girls…
"A…anou…Ryoma-kun, why are you here again? Did your friend bring you here?" Sakuno asked, smiling in a flirting way, trying to hide her real personality.
Sakuno… Her hair was tight up in a bun, a kind of hairstyle Sakuno was never seen in; she had always been in pig-tails. Loose hair fall from the bun, not very messily, but rather as if the loose hair had been meant to be there all along, as everything about her adds to her beauty. The hair traced her long neck artistically. She is still wearing a blue tube-top dress (It's some kind of uniform, is it?), the dress was extremely short and tight, carving out her wonderful curves perfectly, and showing off her white, smooth legs. It looked as though it would break apart soon, showing her pure, white bare skin...
Sakuno must have realised that Ryoma was staring at her. She blushed a bit, while pulling her dress down consciously. "Where is your friend, is he late again? Or did you come here especially for me 'cause you miss me, cutie?" She cooed.
Ryoma frowned. This isn't like Sakuno at all. She's acting like all the other annoying girls at school that tried to get his attention. One of the many reasons why Ryoma liked Sakuno was because Sakuno did not do all those annoying stuff. He looked away. "Sakuno, cut the act."
"Eh? Ryoma-kun, I told you my name is Sakura—"
"I know who you are, Ryuuzaki."
Sakuno stopped talking, and stared at Ryoma, mouth agape. "H…how…?"
Ryoma sighed. Must he really call Sakuno Ryuuzaki for her to react? Now thinking about it, all these years of knowing Sakuno, he had tried really hard to revert to calling her Sakuno, instead of Ryuuzaki. He had tried as subtle as he could to call Sakuno by her last name when in private, but Sakuno would always ignore him whenever he did that, and he needed to call out 'Ryuuzaki' for a response. It kind of hurt his heart whenever this happened. Hopefully it's not on purposely…hopefully she was just not used to having him call her that…
"I knew all along." Ryoma stated. "You can take off your mask now." Seeing Sakuno hesitate, he added. "I won't do anything to you, don't worry." He assured.
Sakuno peeled off her mask slowly, revealing a flushing red face. Ryoma stared at her face for a while, and noticed her tears.
"S…so you…knew all along…?" She said, trembling.
Ryoma opened his mouth, and closed it again, unsure of what to say. Why is she crying? Oh damn what did I do? "I…I won't tell anyone, I promise. Erm…your secret is safe with me…" Ryoma stammered, too filled with shock.
"W…why did you come…? Did you come to see me in this embarrassing state? Or did you come to…to…" Sakuno cried, her hands moving unconsciously up to wrap her bust in a protective manner.
"What? I…I didn't! I came to…I…I heard that you'll get a double if I become a regular…so that's why…I'm really not going to do anything, alright?" Ryoma explained himself frantically, as he moved his hands slowly to towards Sakuno to comfort her. Sakuno flinched a bit when he touched her, so he kept his hands away immediately. Ryoma felt as if his heart had just got stabbed by a knife. Is he that untrustworthy, for Sakuno to suspect him like that...? "And I don't find you embarrassing. You are…" He coughed, embarrassed at what he was going to say. "…really beautiful…"
"I know…they all say that…" Sakuno said.
Ryoma stared at Sakuno. "They…you…must have been…" He stumbled for the appropriate word to say, but couldn't find one.
"I got taken advantaged of all the time, yes." Sakuno finished his sentence for him.
Ryoma clenched his fists angrily. He really wanted Sakuno to earn as much money now, and then heal Ryuuzaki-sensei, so she could be happy again, but seeing her in this kind of job…he really wanted her to quit this job! Those guys…he saw them trying to strip this poor colleague of Sakuno's…Sakuno had to endure this three times a week…she is just fifteen years old!
"Y…you…" Ryoma started, but still struggled for words.
"You don't need to say anything. I know no one will want to marry me anymore!" Sakuno exclaimed, covering her eyes while crying.
"T…that's not true." Ryoma whispered. I would. I would gladly take you as my wife. No matter what you do…I would still want to marry you…if I can…
Sakuno calmed down as she smiled wryly. "Sorry…I must have been making it really difficult for you, complaining and crying…I'm sorry…" She wiped her tears. "I won't cry anymore…" She smiled, a bit happier now. "Thanks for becoming my regular. It's so great to earn a double payment without having to…do weird stuff…" She blushed a bit, tears forming again. "Thank you, Ryoma-kun…you're really…nice…"
Ryoma averted his head, not sure if he could control himself any longer if he continued watching Sakuno cry. "D…don't cry. Ryuuzaki-sensei…is my tennis coach too…this is my way of helping her." And this is my way of showing you how much I love you…if you catch my drift… Ryoma thought sadly.
Maybe the all the hard and tiring work of coaching little brats would still pay off. After all, this would make Sakuno work here for a shorter duration…
XxXxX
"Wow, this is more than the amount you gave last week." Carrie whistled, counting the money.
"Give her anther pay rise." Ryoma stated simply.
"Hmm…if you're going to do this often, then I need to come up with lots of reason for me to give her a pay rise. Why don't you just give this to her as a tip?" Carrie asked cheekily.
Ryoma blushed, but quickly hid it by pulling down his cap. "I don't want her to know."
"Alright then, customer's the boss. I'll give her yet another pay rise." Carrie said, keeping the money. "How'd you get so much money anyway? Are you so rich?" Carrie asked, adding playfully. "Or is that the money you saved up just to woo her?"
"I got a job." Ryoma admitted.
"Wow, sure puts in a lot of effort helping her, huh?" Carrie smiled.
Ryoma shrugged, and left.
XxXxX
This is a short chapter. :P sorry about that! Well, I think next chapter will be longer. I think…
But well, THIS IS WHAT YOU GET FOR NOT REVIEWING!
Lol, no, I'm still nice. It's just…I have writer's block, so…
Well, reviews! :D