Disclaimer: Tennis no Oujisama/ TeniPuri is Konomi Takeshi's. Whether the new or the old. I wanna read the 17th chapter!

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A/N: My goodness! I haven't updated for five months! Noooo... Oops. I know. You want to read the next chapter already. Stop the rant here. I have to warn you though: this chapter is dry coffee-bitter. And I mean it.

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His Eyes on Hers

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Chapter 14: A Bitter Confession

A gasp was heard not to anyone else except for her. She brought her body up. The whole bed shook, making a butterfly effect on her room to shudder. It was long ago since she had her last nightmare. Dreaming was what she did when she was awake, and she rarely dreamt when she was asleep, let alone having nightmares. She clutched her shirt tightly with one hand, the other made a travel on her forehead which bathed in sweat. A glance on the clock beside her and she knew that it was just two hours past midnight. She decided to cool herself down.

She finally finished fetching herself a glass of water, but she refrained from going to the bed first. Her head was preoccupied with the nightmare. It wasn't a childish nightmare which contained monsters or ghosts or weird robots chasing her- she had too much mind force to let those beings chase her in her dreams. She was Osakada Tomoka after all, if one would imagine she might be the person to chase away after those in her dreams. But it was not that, it was very far from those childish dreams.

Tomoka stared at the picture frames set on her bed side table and took the one containing the portrait of her and her best friend which was taken when they were 4th graders. Both of them were smiling, her best friend with that dainty smile of hers, she wearing that toothy grin. A sigh, and then the frame was gently placed back on its place. How she wished she could place everything back to the past when it was only she and Sakuno, when it was a time she was the only one to understand her best friend and protect her from everything- even from herself.

"One of these days, I'll have the courage to ask her out... You'll help me with her, won't you, Osakada-san?" That was one sentence she also wished she had heard from him only in her dream.

What if Sakuno really liked Hiroshi? What if he finally confessed to her best friend, just like what happened in her dream? She wouldn't recognize the reality from the dream if ever it happened. After all, she was the one to start this confusing waltz. She shouldn't be hurt at all...

It would be hard to predict a thing if feelings play an important part in it. Like now, when it was the first of the nights in her life that she cried herself to sleep.

"You're anxious."

"Eh?" Sakuno pointed out at herself. Beside her is Ryoma who is busy eating his lunch. He did not even spare her a look.

"Would there be anyone else?"

"Oh..." She sheepishly rubbed the side of her cheek with her white hanky, "I guess I am anxious."

"Are the results of your auditioning out yet?" He asked, still with the same apathetic voice it seemed.

"...Not yet."

He grinned and looked at her. "If you did your best you should never be anxious."

It was uncharacteristic of Ryoma to say something close to comforting words, but even if those words were meant to be sarcastic, just the thought of him even thinking of comforting her was enough. She was aware of the fact that she smiled to him to tell him she appreciated the thought. He looked away and lowered his non-existent cap.

Sadaharu Inui, also known as the Data Man, proudly showed his newest concoction to everyone in the tennis club's grounds. This time he did not intend to do any harm to anyone who would like to try his newest potion. In fact, he was more than happy to tell everyone that this time, it was guilt-free to indulge in something sweet. And so he decided to name his newest concoction, "Sweet Tooth." It was sweet, plus it had all the necessary vitamins and minerals specifically for athletes! Maybe he should start thinking of selling his concoctions to interested companies.

"What the heck's in it now?" Momo whispered to Eiji as they tried not to look at the pitcher the Data Man was holding for everyone to see.

"I guess it has something like a..."

The present regulars except Kaidou and Fuji exclaimed. "Like what?!"

"A... tooth!" Eiji bit his fingernails. He shook his head and returned to biting his fingernails. The scared regulars gulped.

"Then I guess the best way to do now is to avoid it." Kaidou folded his limbs to his chest, making a hiss sound as he ended his comment. The majority agreed.

"Just like the old days, that is." Ryoma appeared behind the bunched regulars who talked to each other in hushed tones.

"Echizen! You finally came!" Momoshiro tapped his junior's shoulder and placed his arm in it. "But you were too late to see the weird grin in Inui-senpai's face. He is into something, I tell ya!"

"I had to talk to someone before I went here." The younger boy looked to his upper left then back at his senior's face.

"But," Fuji appeared next to the two and smiled. "Won't this be a good chance to know what does Inui's new concoction tastes like?"

"Fuji-senpai..." the younger regulars shuddered. They really can't understand their genius senior's taste.

"You better start the laps now then." Fuji put a hand above his seemingly closed eyes and took a view of the dust hovering around the lap courses because of the dash made by the regulars and the other club members. The next thing he saw was that he was alone now at the starting point.

"Oh. They were really into it. Tezuka would be satisfied before he leaves the Tennis Club." He smiled and started running his pace as well.

"Wa...ter..." Shuichiro Oishi panted heavily. He was the only one who managed to say a coherent set of word after the sadistic training. There were trails of "Sweet Tooth" on the ground, many drooling tennis club members, and a couple more of regular members trying to chase after their breaths.

A young man who was watching them from a room on the nearby main school building shook his head in disappointment. His club members weren't slacking off, but they should be presented to such tremendously hard training only twice a month. He looked around and saw the cause of it all. He removed his eyeglasses and wiped it, amidst making his handsome face under the afternoon sun visible. If Kawamura Takashi was here, he could have said that his team which claimed the national championship title years ago didn't change at all.

"Are you done with reading the materials, Tezuka-kun?" Yamada-sensei asked from behind. Tezuka put his eyeglasses back before answering his coach. He made a mental note that the man behind him is another example of the fact that his team is not that similar to what he had during junior high. For him, Yamada-sensei is a little more happy-go-lucky compared to Ryuzaki-sensei who took strictness to another level.

"Yes, Coach." He went to the older man's side and handed back the materials they were talking about. "I've made my decision."

"Already?" Yamada-sensei grinned and closed his eyes. He faced the window, as if he wanted to take in all the sun rays.

"Yes. I will return to Germany. My decision is final now."

The older man nodded. "Even though you are calm and composed, the rash decision you have just made still makes me wonder." He made a low chuckle.

Tezuka looked down for a moment.

"You still have more or less three weeks. Two weeks at the least. That's is still a long time to think of."

The captain nodded his head. "Yes, I understand Coach. I am fully responsible for all my actions."

"We will miss you here in the team." Yamada-sensei failed to sound very cheesy, making Tezuka grin the smallest grin he could.

"They can now do without me as their formal captain, Yamada-sensei."

"Is that so?"

"They have proven me that already."

Yamada went close to his student and put a hand in his shoulder. "Kunimitsu-kun, don't make yourself alone -- because you are not."

Tezuka gazed at the man beside him.

"I understand it perfectly, Coach."

"Oishi."

Oishi wiped his face dry after his recovery from that latest concoction and lap-running. He smiled upon hearing the voice of their captain. He finally returned. The meeting with Coach Yamada always took time. He held his towel in one hand and went to his bag.

"So how was it, Tezuka?"

"I'm returning to Germany for the sports scholarship."

The other regulars appeared and heard Tezuka. The poker-faced captain shook his head. "I guess there's no use hiding it now."

"Exactly." Fuji answered. Ryoma looked at their captain and grinned.

"Everyone! Gather here now! Our captain has an important announcement!" Oishi clapped his hand to accompany his shouting. Groggily, the other members who were just to recover from the hangover of "Sweet Tooth" made their way to their respective lines.

"Class dismissed."

Sakuno excitedly arranged her things. Ever since this morning she wanted to know the results of the auditions. Did she pass? Did Hiroshi pass? Tomoka would not need to worry because she decided that she would join the props committee so it is very sure that she has her part. For this afternoon, they would not be doing the usual workshop. Instead, the time of the club's meeting would consist of the discussion of the assigned roles and some in-depth understanding of their play. It would turn more like of an interactive English literature class. She always liked discussing poetry, so it wouldn't bother her the least. The results would do her part, however.

"You're so energetic today, aren't you Sakuno?" Tomoka commented without looking at the mentioned girl. The comment made Sakuno glance at her friend with a hint of worry.

"Tomo-chan..." She stared at Tomoka's face, "are you feeling fine?"

The pigtailed girl glared at Sakuno as if she was loathed by the world. Instead of taking a step backward, she step forward and engaged Tomoka in a staring contest.

"Really, Tomo-chan... What's wrong?" Sakuno touched her forehead and did the same with Tomoka's. "Your temperature is fine though."

Tomoka tried to send her away with an outburst, one of her trademarks. She did her witch laugh so loud that all her classmates looked at her and felt scared, wondering why she was acting like she was. Sakuno only shook her head – they were friends for the longest time, did Tomoka knew she was fooling everyone except her? The chocolate-tainted-hair girl tapped the somewhat hysterical Tomoka, causing the latter to stop momentarily.

"Those dark rings around your eyes..."

Tomoka returned back to her low-energy state. "I had a nightmare last night, and it really bugged me for the rest of the night."

Sakuno giggled and gave Tomoka a quick hug, earning her a surprised look. Even though they were friends forever, it was very rare for Sakuno to show affection by physical means. This only made Tomoka to hurt more inside. She is the sweetest person in the world, no wonder...

"Ready to go?" asked Hiroshi -- and this person as well. With the mask she was wearing, Tomoka hoped for the best. If it was for the best of the two closest persons to her now or for her best, she would not want to know right now. She cried enough last night, let no more tears flow from her eyes.

"Theater Club, results for the audition were posted earlier at the English Department office. In case you haven't passed by the office, I have a copy here with me."

"I'll go get it!" Tomoka volunteered and ran ahead to the advisers of their club. Sakuno closed her eyes tight and clasped both her hands in a prayer, wishing that the results were good for the rest of the club. Deep in her throbbing heart, she hoped too that she would be called as Ayame.

"Sakuno-san, don't worry. Let's just hope for the best." Hiroshi put his hand on her shoulder to refrain her from shaking. "You did pretty well with the auditions."

She looked from her shoulder and tried beaming. "And I was just praying for that too, Hiroshi-kun."

She would be a liar if she said that it was nothing to her. Heck, she even practiced late into the nights mastering her lines, her facial expressions, her tone... She was too naïve to even own those things when in fact it belonged to Katayama Ayame, a character of their play. Not her. She's Ryuzaki Sakuno, and she has a set of characteristics she believes is hers alone. But then, she was ready to replace those characteristics for a while if it meant performing in stage. She wanted at least, to perform on stage again, and feel all eyes to look at her, on her alone, even for a while, and spread happiness and tears for the people watching her. All these she thought of while biting the side of her cheeks. No more fluids from the eyes, no more fluids from the eyes...

She looked at the bright side. Well, if she's to perform the Rosaline of their play, Katayama Chieko, then she would only have to say three lines at the most (she haven't checked on the lines of that character), hence less chance to fail, less chance to disappoint the people around her, less chance to be mocked by Ryoma with a "mada mada da ne.". If she performed Chieko, she would appear a really important character – if she can remember it correctly from their English class, Rosaline is a rather important character, only that Rosaline was overshadowed by Juliet. Juliet, Ayame... The presentation of the characters started with a rollcall of the whole cast. From behind the actrons Tomoka saw Sakuno and looked away. She's not the only one hurting here.

"Katayama Chieko. Katayama Chieko, please step forward." Called out Kokuten Miko. Hiroshi looked at her previously duet partner and sighed. He saw how the selection of the actrons affected his ---... Well, he had to blame himself for one thing and that is failing to comfort Sakuno now. Sakuno looked at the ground, oblivious to the constant calling of the character she was supposed to act from now on.

"Ryuzaki Sakuno."

She looked ahead, too surprised to move another muscle. "Yes, yes!" She took a step forward together with the other actors and actresses. The present adviser of the Theater Club frowned at the behavior of the said girl.

"If there's something bothering you, dear." Kokuten-sensei asked. Sakuno shook her head and bowed apologetically, mumbling words of apology thrice in a row. The young adult sighed and looked back at her list. They need to keep up with the schedule. Presentation night is more or less in a month, and they were just starting with the introductions.

"Next, the House of Montague -- Katsushiro. Please step forward, Katsushiro Tatsuya."

Hiroshi momentarily looked at Sakuno again before taking a step forward. From the rest of the other members of the club, Tomoka and other Hiroshi-fans squealed in delight.

"My Romeo..!" they all said dreamily at the same time before they realized the presence of the rivals. Sparks flew, but they all shrugged it off with a laugh.

"I wish I was Ayame..." wished one girl beside Tomoka and clasped her hands.

"Me too, but what can we do? We didn't even auditioned for the role," commented another girl on the other side of Tomoka.

"This is just a play, anyway! They act things and after that, it's over!" Tomoka held her chest and head up high, making the two stop. "If Hiroshi likes someone, it's another business."

The girl on Tomoka's right nodded. "I agree. That is exactly your sentiments, Osakada-san. I know how it feels when your best friend wasn't accepted as Ayame."

Tomoka looked surprised and tried to say something, but was cut off --

"You were cheering them on to be a couple right?"

-- leaving her mouth agape. She held a fist and raised it just so the girls beside her would see.

"You know what I do to gossip-worming high school girls?" Tomoka smiled, her face showing all the bulging nerves.

"A-ah, y-yeah!" Trails of sweat threatened to drop off from the faces of Tomoka's co-members. "We know when to stop too."

"Good." The pigtailed hair-girl smiled evilly and lowered her fist. It was also the moment when the costume group was called to step forward. She step ahead from the rest of her group (the rest were shivering and kept space away from her) when she noticed the next potential rival for Hiroshi's attention (even though Hiroshi had his full attention on someone else now) – the actress for Katayama Ayame, Funabashi Saika. Oh, if things to get complicated like this... Tomoka saw how that shameless woman stared at Hiroshi. She'd rather cheer for Sakuno and Hiroshi forever than that girl. She balled her hand again into a fist yet again.

"We didn't do anything wrong yet, Osakada-san!" the girls she scared earlier cried, disturbing the rollcall. Tomoka looked at everyone and waved her hands to plead nothing was wrong. From the corner of her eye she saw Saika laugh. She glared, and the two girls shrieked again. The stares of the Theater Club persons turned into sighs and shakes of their head.

"I...p-practiced every night..."

Before she knew it, Sakuno cried her heart out. She only wanted for someone to cry on, only that it turned that it was Hiroshi's turn to do that for her. He offered his arms and his shoulders to the crying girl.

"It's okay, Sakuno-san. It's perfectly fine. You don't have to force yourself every time..."

"But I disappointed you! Tomo-chan too, and Suzuhara-sensei..."

"No, of course not..!" Hiroshi sounded glad, "did we tell you we were disappointed?"

"But still...!"

"No. I told you to believe in your abilities, did I not?" He rubbed her head slowly to help her refrain from crying.

"Sakuno!"

Tomoka rushed to her crying best friend and looked alarmed. Hiroshi let go of Sakuno, making Tomoka smile. Sakuno continued to cry and the two waited for the waves to subside. Tomoka waited for Sakuno to recollect herself and handed her a hanky. Ryuzaki laughed and accepted the hanky her best friend offered before noticing the look of hurt in Tomoka's face.

"Oh. I'm sorry. I'm sorry," Sakuno whispered. Hiroshi and Tomoka shook their heads.

"Ready to talk now?" Tomoka asked and held Sakuno's right hand. Hiroshi, although hesitant at first, did the same to the other hand. He earned a scowl from Tomoka.

"C-can I just... leave you guys for a second?" she looked at her shoes and fidgeted. Tomoka grabbed Sakuno's arm slightly.

"Sakuno...?" Hiroshi asked and looked away at seeing the tear-stained face of his ---...

She beamed, and after looking at the confused Tomoka, she joined the hands of Hiroshi and her best friend.

"Let me do something for the people close to me." Sakuno smiled and continued to join the hands of the two. Tomoka reddened and Hiroshi had his mouth slightly opened in surprise. A tear flowed on Sakuno's cheek.

"Please excuse me for a moment." The braids flew after Sakuno. When she was out of sight, it was the only moment that the two left realized that they held hands together. They practically withdrew hands as fast as they could, especially Tomoka. They were silent for a second.

"Don't tell me you were infected with her virus?" She heard him ask seriously. Tomoka looked away and pretended to be angry.

"What virus are talking about?" she held her head up high and crossed her arms.

"Her crying virus..." The voice of the young man behind her faltered causing her to look back at Hiroshi. She saw him frown.

"Look, another tear streaming down your cheek." Hiroshi tried to offer her his hanky and wipe away that tear from her face when Tomoka took a step back.

"Don't..!" she ordered aloud whilst wiping her face with the back of her hand.

"Geez, Tomo-chan..." Hiroshi almost grinned while saying those words, "why do I always have to watch girls who don't know they are crying cry?"

"Stop being all-too familiar with me, Hiroshi!" Tomoka spat, making Hiroshi frown yet again, "I mean, quit the 'Tomo-chan' thing, it doesn't sound right when it's coming from you..."

"But Sakuno-san calls you 'Tomo-chan'..." Hiroshi walked towards her. This time, Tomoka only laughed.

"That's the problem with you, Hiroshi..." Tomoka continued laughing. "You act too friendly and familiar!"

"Problem? 'Tomo-chan' sounds cute." Hiroshi smiled and felt relieved to see the girl beside her finally out of her tears. "You know I hate it when girls cry."

Tomoka gulped and looked at Hiroshi for a second before looking away. "Do you also get familiar with other girls like you do to me and Sakuno?"

"Not really. Some just swoon when I try to befriend them."

"How about wiping tears from girls' face?"

"When I see a girl crying, I try to wipe those tears off."

Tomoka's heart beat faster than usual, "Throwing unnecessary compliments to girls?"

Hiroshi chuckled, "Unnecessary? I'll do anything to make a girl smile."

"Especially Sakuno." She said with finality. She stood up, the barrier she put up in her eyes beginning to fall down.

"Where are you going, Tomoka?" Hiroshi held her arm before she could go away.

"Stop it, Hiroshi!" The pace of her heartbeat was making it hard for her to speak words, add to that the sensation of his hand holding her arm. She was pulled into a hug.

"The truth is, I wanted to understand a girl. Why she cries, why she laughs, why she needs to be loved... I don't understand you, but I want to..." Hiroshi freed her from the hug. "You're my first friend in Seigaku, and I am happy to be your friend too. Friends should understand each other, right?"

Tomoka let it out. She cried while biting her lips.

"Too bad you still don't understand when and how a girl starts to like a boy..." Tomoka faked a laugh. For the first time, she saw the look of uncertainty and fear in his eyes when she looked up.

"Because that's what I'm feeling right now for you."

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A/N (or Author's Rants):Did I also warn you this is Tomoka's chapter? I think I've told you before that I'm going to give her a brighter spotlight. :) There you go. I might be chased for a week because I've let my readers wait for five months and this is what they get -- a fluff-less chapter for RyoSaku fans, but really. The sequence of events has an important role in the development of the story (ECHO: REALLY?!). Yes, really. I promise. If that did not turn to be the effect, then you can crucify me. Yubikiri? Haha. Please, please. College makes one's head burst for some time.

Edited: And oh, another thing. My beta reader, Harumaki, replied to me and I am so happy because she told me I'm improving with my writing. I really want to upload the next chapter ASAP since I have the key points for it already, I'll just need the real thing. So just hang in there, okay? :) Reviews please? Please? Please? :) Thank YOU, yes YOU. Because I know you will press the white button with the green letters in it (even though I left this story for five months). I wish I have enough brain cells, inspiration, and time to write another chapter before the next semester starts. :) Ciao~!