Eeeps my computer crashed, and I lost everything that I've written. So I need to write everything again… Sigh… So I might be rather slow at updating cuz I write really slowly.

Sorry! Enjoy this chapter though!

XxXxX

Sakuno hopped into the classroom cheerfully, humming a happy tune. Nothing can beat her mood today. Yesterday night had been really awesome. She recalled back as a faint blush flashed through her face.

They didn't really do anything actually. They had just lain on the bed and stayed up late all night talking to each other. (Of course they were sleeping on different beds, Ryoma's face was crimson red when he insisted that he would give Sakuno all the privacy she ever needed, he was not going to do any extreme stuff, he swore.) As a girl that hardly ever gets the chance to really speak to Ryoma, and was only able to eye him from afar, talking for hours like that was really a wonderfully fresh experience.

Sakuno bit her lips, slightly embarrassed as she thought back. It's weird, after yesterday, it feels like she had known Ryoma all along. She chuckled as she remembered how Ryoma was complaining about how he misses his cat.

"Sakuno." A deep and grave voice sounded, scaring Sakuno a bit.

"Oh, Tomo-chan, what's with the serious face?" Sakuno asked, trying to lighten the mood again.

Tomoka pulled her to the back of the class quickly, looking around to ensure that no one was eavesdropping. Sakuno blinked in curiousity as Tomoka pulled her close and whispered to her secretively. "There's a rumour going on."

Sakuno almost laughed out loud in relieve. Haha, and she had thought it was something really serious. So, it was another rumour huh. Sakuno knew in her hearts that not one of the rumours that this school is very prone to spread was true. Though she would always pity the subject involve in the rumours, as the rumours normally trend in the school for quite some time, and they would be quite notorious whether they wanted it or not. That's why Sakuno had always tried not to care about the rumours as much as possible.

Tomoka saw Sakuno's face, and frowned. "Hey, this is really important, it has something to do with you!"

"Something to do with me?" Sakuno perked up. Oh no, it couldn't be…her work in the Aging Bar was exposed?

"Yeah." Tomoka said somberly. "They say…" She pulled Sakuno closer, and whispered in a very soft voice (though Sakuno had no idea why she did that – she bet the whole school knew about this already, there's no reason to hide). "Ryoma goes to the Aging Bar."

"W…what?" Sakuno exclaimed, shocked. Dread and guilt started gushing into Sakuno's heart a like waterfall. Oh gosh, hope the rumour doesn't get too bad, or else it's all her fault…

"They say Ryoma goes to the bar every week, and the fact that he was working his butt off lately was to earn money to go to that bar. I think Ryoma…is addicted to it." Tomoka said, scowling in disapproval. "And recently he got kicked out of his house by his mother, because his mother found out about it. So apparently now, he's living with one of the…" Tomoka gulped for effect. "…prostitutes."

Sakuno gasped.

"I know right, it's so freaking scary, I mean who knows Ryoma would do this kinds of things." Tomoka said, shaking her head.

Sakuno wanted to shout at her, that the reason she gasped was because the rumours were not true, and she can't believe it that the school is going to spend the next few weeks twisting the facts further. It was all her fault, it was all her fault!

Ryoma just wanted to help her, yet he got into all sorts of trouble. Firstly he got chased out of the house by his mother, his grades were deteriorating, now false rumours were spreading around. Ryoma did not deserve all that! He's a kind-hearted soul that just wanted to help her, and help his coach. The real person at fault was her; she's the one that chose this job and dragged Ryoma into it! The more Sakuno thought about it, the more she wanted to cry, right in front of the horribly gossiping class.

"Oh, you guys heard of Ryoma already?" Horio butted in.

"Yeah, it's so shocking!" Tomoka exclaimed.

"Can't believe it right?" "Yeah, and to think he's the school's mascot." "He used to be so good, top scorer and tennis pro, gosh what happened to him now?" "Puberty?" "Sigh, what will the other schools think of us now?" "I heard that his seniors brought him to the bar as a joke to lighten his mood, but he ends up getting addicted to going there." "Asked the senior, he was equally shocked at this too." "Gosh still can't believe he goes to the Aging Bar." "Yeah, the Aging Bar! Goodness…" "He's such a pervert; I can't believe I used to like him. Argh, thinking about it now disgusts me…" "Yeah, he's so sick in the mind…" "I do not want to know what he did to the girls there."

The entire class started joining in the discussion. People from other classes came peeking into the class, thinking that they might have a more detailed explanation since Ryoma was in this class.

Sakuno felt like puking, as she stared disgustedly at the scene.

"Shhh! Ryoma's coming!" "Quick, disperse!" They went back to their seats.

Ryoma stepped into the class nonchalantly. Sakuno stared at Ryoma with eyes of worry, along with the glares from the rest of her classmates. Ryoma, either he did not notice all the glares (which was kind of hard to do), or he just acted as if he did not notice, ignored the class as he walked to his seat.

"Pervert." Sakuno heard someone whisper softly. "Where's your girlfriend?" She heard another taunt him in a very low voice.

Sakuno's heart ached, as if someone had stabbed her in her heart mercilessly.

This was all her fault…

XxXxX

"Riiiing!" The bell rang. Before anyone was able to get off their seats, Sakuno had already grabbed the two lunchboxes, and bolted out of the class.

Ryoma blinked as he stared at the immediately emptied seat of Sakuno. Her other friends are also wondering about Sakuno's weird behaviour (in a rather loud voice that he can't stand), and giving him the glares.

He sighed as he slowly got up from his seat and walked towards the rooftop. He felt a thousand times more pressurized now, in a not very good way. Previously, wherever he walked, there would be students staring at him admirably, giving him the creeps. But now, the feeling was way worse when they were all glaring at him now. Sometimes he wished they could keep their gossips down a level, and not make it too obvious.

He opened the door slowly. Behind the soft creaking noise of the door, he could hear sobs. Sakuno must be crying for him, because of all those rumours.

"Hey." He called out softly, getting her attention.

Sakuno looked up, and wiped her face vigorously.

Ryoma's eyes softened as he saw Sakuno's red puffy eyes. "Come on, Sakuno, I'm not even crying, why are you crying?" He asked, slightly amused, as he took out a tissue for Sakuno.

"B…but…they were talking about you…and…it's horrible…" Sakuno said between sobs.

"But I'm not making a huge fuss out of it, am I? So stop crying, okay?"

"B…but…it's all my…f…fault…" She spluttered, as her sobs got bigger.

Ryoma pulled Sakuno close, and let Sakuno lay on his chest while she continued crying. "Come on, don't cry." He said gently. "It's not your fault."

"Y…yeah…it's all my fault…I got you to this…"

"I don't mind, alright? I did it willingly."

"B…but…they are talking…horrible stuff…about you…"

Ryoma sighed. "I told you I don't mind already; don't cry about this so much."

"B…but…they…say you're…a pervert…and…"

"I know what they call me, Sakuno, and I said I don't mind already!" Ryoma said, a bit too loudly.

Sakuno stopped crying, as she stared at Ryoma, frightened at his sudden outburst.

Ryoma sighed. This is bad, all the stress he accumulated just came out. "Sorry, Sakuno, I didn't mean to be so fierce…it's just…I really don't mind, alright?"

Sakuno nodded reluctantly.

Ryoma kissed her gently on the forehead. "If you really feel so bad, just work harder to earn money and get out of the job as soon as possible, alright?"

Sakuno nodded. In his head, Ryoma made a mental note that he had to work harder for Sakuno too.

"Let's eat." Ryoma said, taking the lunchbox from Sakuno.

Sakuno nodded, as she watched Ryoma eat. "Erm, Ryoma-kun, you're working too, right?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Well...can I go visit you sometimes, since you always visit me in my work."

"Yeah, okay."

Sakuno smiled to herself happily, and started to eat.

XxXxX

Yeah, it's kind of short, sorry. ):

Reviews!