Disclaimer: Prince of Tennis? Not mine. Got that? Great.
A/N: I dedicate this chapter to KiTtEn18sMiLe and Artic-Fox 14.
Warning: There will be OOCness due to circumstances invented by my imagination.
Here it is, the nineteenth chapter!
Chapter 19: Sometimes, actions are not enough.
After dinner, everyone, like always, were given a time to relax. Sachiko and Kirihara, though, thought differently when Ryoma had asked to meet them at the music room. When they entered the said room for the first time, they were amazed at the majestic room.
The walls were striped with the alteration of two colors: a simple sky blue and a refined royal blue. The ceiling was painted with a pale shade of blue-gray. The floor was fully covered with a dull red carpet, muffling all footsteps inside the room. The windows were covered by dark red curtains. The minimal furniture in the room was made with wood that was light brown and very smooth to touch.
At the right side of the door was a small array of different kinds of string instruments: a guitar, a cello, a violin, a harp and the like. On the left side was a group of percussion instruments: drums, a tambourine, cymbals and the like. One the wall across the door was a group of wind instruments: an oboe, a flute, a harmonica, a saxophone and etcetera. Lastly, in the middle of the room under an intricately designed chandelier was a dark cherry grand piano.
"Are all of these yours, Young Master?" Sachiko asked in awe as she looked around the room. "Yes, they are. Most are gifts from my mother's side of the family, but some are from real father's side. Both of them highly encouraged me to take up some interest in music." Ryoma answered as he approached them. "Were the ones you kept in our world transferred here as well?" She asked. "Yes. This mansion has more space to keep my instruments." He replied.
"You have more instruments than a store, Ryoma. They are also all in good condition." Kirihara commented as he checked the clarinet. "Thank you, Akaya." Ryoma simply replied, not knowing what to say at the obvious compliment he received. The two teens circled the room for a few minutes while Ryoma relaxed in a cushioned seat next to the window.
"Where did you get this grand piano, Ryoma?" Kirihara asked after a few minutes of silence. Ryoma stood up and went to the piano in the middle of the room. He sat before it and slid his hand against the dark cherry satin lustre finish. He lifted up the cover of the keys.
"This Steinway & Sons piano was a gift from my real father on my sixth birthday. I was eyeing it a lot every time we passed the store. He had it personalized a bit just for me." The black-green-haired teen ran his hands softly over the keys as a sad smile appeared in his face.
"Aren't those the pianos that take almost a year to make?" Kirihara asked when he recognized the company name. "Hai. The original buyer of the piano passed away before he could make the official purchase, the store owner told me one time I asked why such a piano was at his store." Ryoma replied thoughtlessly, seeming to still be caught in a trance.
He closed his eyes as he pressed a few notes, feeling the sound produced by his first instrument, his baby grand piano. "London Bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down." He sang slowly in time with the keys. He felt a familiar presence come upon him as he played his favorite nursery rhyme.
As he played on, he felt as if he was being transported to his past, where he and his father would walk on the streets of his real hometown in his current world, passing by his favorite store – the place where he first saw his grand piano. The memory of passing by and greeting many people was bringing back a sense of familiarity.
Soon enough, the song ended and he was brought back to the present. He placed the cover back to its rightful place. When he heard a shuffle of feet from his side, he turned towards the source of the sudden noise to see Sachiko and Kirihara staring at him. "What is it?" Irritation was evident in his voice, something not out of the norm.
"Just a moment ago, you looked just like the Ray kid from the memory." Kirihara told him. "Well, I do look like him." Ryoma replied. Silence once again reigned between the three teens. "Young Master?" Golden amber eyes look straight at bright red ones. "Yes?" A sigh escaped pale pink lips.
"Even if I am Creature, I can't read minds, Sachiko." Bright red eyes drew to a close for a few seconds before reopening with new found courage. "I do not want to be rude in saying this, Young Master, but I have a suspicion." Golden amber eyes do not waver, followed by a short nod.
"You are Ray Hanabusa, Young Master."
A shocked gasp comes from the older male in the room. Golden amber eyes still do not waver. "What is your basis on this, Sachiko?" His voice was not forceful or demanding, simply inquiring and curious. "While you were telling the story earlier, your voice was too much like Ray's when you two sang. His outer appearance is unimportant as the other members of the Hanabusa family look like your friends, Young Master." Her voice was simply stating without a stutter or too long a pause.
"While you were singing just now, I first thought that the young boy, Ray Hanabusa, was actually here, until I discovered it was only you, Young Master. Most of all, you were the only one other than I who was not transported into the memory. Kirihara-san told me that they only heard your voice, but your body was not there." Her voice held no hint of worry or fear, even curiosity and assurance. Her voice was as blank as her facial expression.
Forest green eyes, full of curiosity, looked at blank golden amber ones which stared in return. The staring contest continued until golden amber eyes drew to a close, and a small sigh escaped pale pink lips. Forest green eyes widened in return while bright red ones stared at the floor.
"Yes, I am Ray Hanabusa." His voice came out soft and whispery, much unlike his usual. Thin calloused fingers tighten around the soft cloth of his pants. "How is that possible?" Golden amber eyes open slowly before looking straight at forest green ones. "As you know, Oyaji is not my biological father. My actual father is the head of the previous family, Akito Hanabusa." A small frown danced on his lips.
"So what is your actual name, Young Master? Is it Ryoma Echizen or Ray Hanabusa?" Sachiko's voice was soft, unsure. It was as if she was questioning what she knew. Ryoma was silent for a few minutes. "My name is," he took a deep breath, "Ryoma Hanabusa."
Sachiko and Kirihara had questioning looks in their faces. "As of now, Ryoma Hanabusa is a person of the past. I am now Ryoma Echizen, biological son of Rinko Takeuchi and step-son of Nanjirou Echizen. Make no mistake." The seriousness of his voice reminded Sachiko of the young boy who found and saved her in their world years ago on one of his rare visits there. He was already Ryoma Echizen when he found her.
"Why are your parents separated, Young Master? What forced you to leave your previous life?" She asked. "My parents never told me for I was too young when they separated. As for my transferring of custody, it was my punishment for what happened to my step-mother." He monotonously replied.
"What happened to you, Ryoma?"
A/N: I do not own Steinway & Sons! They do make cool pianos though. hehehehe...
Anyway, I hope I didn't make the characters too OOC. I might have been a little excited when I typed this so... Please tell me any typos and inconsistencies, even grammar mistakes (being the "Grammar Nazi" that I am).
Constructive criticism is appreciated in the form of private messages and/or reviews.