Kyoko hadn't spoken to me since I asked out her best friend, which gave me the clue that she was upset at me for some reason. I don't see what I did wrong though. Maybe Hana's taking things out on her. It's Tuesday and she didn't show up to join us, although I guess it's probably for the best. But man I hate it whenever Kyoko gives me the cold shoulder—she knows it's the one thing she can do that can really get to me.

"Alright, go on and tell me why you're mad," I finally said to break the tense silence between us.

"I'm not mad, I'm just confused about your sudden need to go out with my best friend."

"Look, I can't explain it," I sighed. "I just…I like her that's all."

"Ryohei, you know I love Hana with all my heart…but even I can admit that she can be kind of…cruel. And I don't want her to—"

"Don't worry, she already called me a sweaty, immature idiot, and I'm still standing. She's not going to hurt me, give me more credit than that."

"I don't know Brother," she sighed. "When Hana says 'no', she usually means no. She's one of the most stubborn people I know. If I were you I would back off. You haven't seen how mean she can be yet. Sooner or later she's going to hurt you."

We got to our house and I opened the door. "Kyoko, you know me—I've never given up on anything in my life, and I'm not going to start now with Hana. All I want is just one chance with her, that's it. And I'd reeeeeally appreciate it if you would—"

"Oh no," she laughed. "I'm staying out of this," she stepped before me. "Hana wouldn't listen to me anyways. Like I said, she's stubborn."

"Please, Kyoko," I stood in front of her bedroom door with my hands clasped together. "It would help so much."
She sighed and pulled me out of the way. "You know, you're even more stubborn than she is—maybe you two are really meant to be."

Kyoko shut the door on me, which gave me a clue that maybe she wasn't going to be selling the idea of going out with me to Hana. Fine, I don't need her help anyway; all I need is some more discipline and a "won't take 'no' for an answer attitude" to win her over. She'll have to say yes to me eventually. I can wear her down.

She rejected me all seven times I asked her out over this past month. No matter how hard I pleaded with her, publically embarrassed her, or begged on my knees for her to go out with me, she gave me a hard "no" every single time. Even when I asked her out in front of all her friends she still said no (I thought for sure she'd feel guilty enough to say yes then, man she really does have a heart of stone like I thought).

I've been taught since I was a child to never back down at the face of failure, but every rejection and shout of Hana calling me a "stupid ape" was starting to get to me. I don't know how much energy I have left before I officially throw in the towel due to exhaustion.

Tonight was the night of a regional boxing tournament, and despite the turmoil I was feeling about Hana, I was pumped to win. To be honest, being so worked up about Hana has actually improved my strength and determination to win in the ring—probably to make-up for the fact that I can't win with Hana.

I found Kyoko outside the locker room getting hit on by some guy—despite the fact that Sawada was standing right next to her. As much as I love Tsuna, sometimes I wish that she would choose stronger, more threatening looking guys to hang out with so this sort of thing wouldn't happen to her.

"I-I don't think she's really interested," I heard Sawada stammer.

Geez, I have to do everything myself. "Hey, what're you doing with my sister!?" I barked.

"I-I didn't know she was your sister Sasagawa," the guy said, backing away from her immediately after I shouted.

"Get outta here," I snarled and scared him off. "I don't get you Sawada, you can do all that fancy stuff when we're out doing mafia things, but you can't defend my sister against a punk like that," I shook my head at him.

"Tsuna was standing up for me," Kyoko defended. "It just…wasn't working. Anyways, we came here to wish you luck."
"Aw thanks Little Sis," I hugged her. I love my biggest supporter, after all.

"Good luck Ryohei," Tsuna said, "Not that you'll need it. We'll all be cheering for you in the front row."

"Thanks Sawada," I shook his hand. "You're a real friend. Say um, is Hana here with you all?"

"Yes she's here," Kyoko rolled her eyes. "But I wouldn't try to pull anything if I were you," she wagged her finger in my face like she was our mother. "She's getting really tired of you bothering her, and I think she's reached her boiling point with the last stunt you pulled."

"I don't see why asking her out in the library was such a big deal—I spelt her name out with books."

"Yes, but you didn't have to get into a shouting match with the librarian when she asked you to leave—Hana was really embarrassed."

"Well, that's not going to stop me," I left them with a wink and a wave. "First I'll win the match, and then I'll win Hana's heart!"

As I expected, the guys I was matched with in the middle-weight division were easy to beat. After defeating countless mafia guys with the other guardians, fighting was a breeze for me. Even without using any kind of flame I could still pack a powerful punch to my opponents.

At the end of the tournament, the winners were honored before the audience and their other teammates. I was the only one from Namimori that had made it to the finals—and without a real bad scratch on me. Like Tsuna said, everyone I cared about was in the front row cheering for me. Hana was the only one not smiling out of all of them, but at least she was clapping.

Without thinking, at the end of the ceremony I ran up to the announcer and swiped the microphone from his hands, running up to the edge of the ring across from where my friends were sitting. Don't do this a voice in my head told me, but I ignored it. I'm not giving up.

"Hana Kurokawa," I said into it then took a deep breath. She looks mortified, stop talking. "Ryohei Sasagawa doesn't quit. I'm going to ask you again in front of all our friends, my teammates, and a bunch of strangers…" Don't do it, she'll kill you. "Will you please give me a chance and go out with me?"

I put the microphone in her face for her to answer into, and after a long awkward silence she grabbed it from me and stood up from her seat. Something told me she wasn't going to say something very nice. "Let me make this very clear for you, so that you and everyone here will understand," she began, making me hold my breath. Here it comes. "I will never go out with you. You've been so embarrassing and oafish lately that at this point I can't even stand to be near you. Now do me a favor and don't ever speak to me you moronic, immature, gorilla!"

She threw the microphone back at me and everyone watched her as she stormed out of the small arena. The entire audience that was once cheering for me all gave me a collective look of pity. You're such an idiot the voice said again. I know I am. Time to throw in the towel.

"Big Brother, you haven't said anything since we got home," Kyoko said through my shut door. I was laying down on my bed thinking things over.

Kyoko had been trying to talk to me since we all went out for dinner at Yamamoto's dad's sushi place after the tournament, but I have nothing to say—not because I'm devastated about Hana, but because I honestly don't know what to say anymore. I know Ryohei Sasagawa doesn't quit, but giving up entirely was looking better and better to me with every minute that passed by since Hana said her most brutal "no" to me.

"I'm sure she didn't mean what she said," Kyoko continued. "She just needs some time to cool off…she just doesn't like being the center of attention, that's all."

I rolled over in my bed and stared at the spot on my dresser where my future-self had that picture of him/me with Hana. How did he do it? Did he really go through that much suffering for a girl like that? I mean, in fairness I don't really even know all that much about Hana besides the fact that she's intelligent, sophisticated, motivated, (occasionally) empathetic, and insightful. Not to mention she can be pretty nice from time to time, and she's funny in a smart kind of way. She's also beautiful, with an amazing, rare smile. Alright, so she's worth it—and way out of my league.

"Ryohei, at least say something," Kyoko said again.

I looked at the empty spot on my dresser again and sighed. If he can do it, so can I. If she says no me this time, then I'll accept it's not meant to be and back off.

"Kyoko," I shouted through the door. "I'm not going to school tomorrow."

I swung the light sack over my shoulder and made my way out of Namimori High after I finished with boxing club. Just because I wasn't going to school didn't mean I was going to miss my practice. I remembered to shower to make sure I wasn't sweaty and even changed into my nicest shirt and slacks (but I had to wear my sneakers because I forgot my dress shoes).

Kyoko had told me she was going to be studying with Tsuna in the library again, which meant that Hana was probably on her way home alone right now. All I had to do was beat her to her house for my final proposal.

I picked up my pace and made a different turn on my usual way home to make it there quicker, but was stopped when I heard someone shout my name from behind:

"Ryohei Sasagawa," they said. I turned around and recognized him as the captain of the track team—the one who wanted to ask Hana out. "I'm Sosuke Hazuki, captain—"

"Of the track team, I know," I said and continued on my way. He caught up to me and cut me off, much to my annoyance. "Look what do you want? I'm kind of in a hurry, man."

"I'm here to challenge you at your own sport, boxing." He flashed a pair of gloves to me, making me laugh so hard I almost dropped my sack. Is this guy for real!? Does he want to get beaten to a pulp? "Don't underestimate me Sasagawa!" he shouted, putting on the gloves.

"What're you even challenging me for anyways?"

"For the heart of Hana Kurokawa!"

"Not happening," I said flatly as I stepped past him, but the annoying guy cut me off again. "Look, I don't have time for this."
Hazuki tried taking a swing at me, but I easily stopped him with the back of my wrist. Does he actually think he has a shot at beating me?

"Come on, hit me!" he shouted.

"I don't fight opponents who aren't on my level, otherwise it'd just look like I'm bullying you." He tried taking another shot but I blocked that one as well. "You're wasting your time and you're wasting mine."

"Do you really think someone like you even has a shot with Kurokawa?" he scoffed at me. "What makes you think she even wants to go out with someone like you?" He threw in another punch that I easily dodged. "I hate this stupid sport!" he shouted in frustration, taking off the gloves. "Hana Kurokawa deserves to be with someone intelligent, someone who's going places in life. She wants to be with someone like me over a brutish moron like you."

"Hey, don't put words in her mouth like that. She hates it when people speak for her." I can't believe he actually tried to swing at me again. For someone so smart, can't he see that he's going to fail? "I'm getting real tired of you," I grumbled.

"If you're so angry at me then why don't you hit me and finish this fight, then I'll back off for good."

"Because I'm not fighting for Hana because she's not some prize to be won like you think she is. And I told you, I don't fight guys who aren't on my level—with or without gloves." I checked my watch and cursed under my breath, Hana was probably almost home by now. "Look, if I let you get one punch on me will you leave me alone?"

"If I punch you, then can I have Kurokawa?"

"That's her decision, not mine. Go on," I closed my eyes. "I'll even keep them closed so I won't see it com—"

Hazuki punched me below the belt with the glove and I shouted in pain before I could finish my sentence. I fell to the ground and held my body in the fetal position, upset to see that I had spilled some of the contents of my sack.

"H-h-how dishonorable…" I winced in pain.

"Hey!" I heard someone shout. I rolled over to my other side and spied it was Hana running toward us. She looked down at me and then up at Hazuki.

"Kurokawa," he bowed to her. "I suppose this may seem like an odd time, but this idiot has been getting in my and now I finally have a chance to ask if you would—"

With a perfect left hook, Hana hit Hazuki in the face and he fell to the ground with a pathetic yelp of pain. "I heard and saw the whole thing, asshole," she sneered at him as he crawled away. "You okay?" she asked, looking down at me.

"Oh yeah," I said as I sat up. "I've gotten way worse than that…but I'm in too much pain to stand at the moment." That bastard, now I probably can't have kids.

"What're all these flowers doing here?" she asked, reaching for my bag. Before I could stop her she reached down and grabbed it then peered inside. "And why do you have so many of them here?"

"Well...I was on my way to your house so I could be waiting there to give them to you before you got home—even though you said you didn't want to see me. I didn't know which ones were your favorites, so I went around town all day during school getting every kind I could find around Namimori."

"You went through all this trouble and got punched in the crotch for me? But why?" she crouched down next to me. "I've been so mean and cruel to you, even though you didn't really deserve it…I'm sorry," she sighed and sat down next to me. "I haven't been fair to you. The only reason why I've been shooting down your advances isn't because I think you're an idiot or anything—it's because I didn't want to take a chance on you and end up hurt."

I'd never seen someone who just punched a guy in the face look so vulnerable a minute after. It was actually a sweet side of her to see. Although I liked seeing that awesome ass-kicking side of her too.

"But after seeing that you value my independence as a person by shooting down Hazuki's thoughts of me being some kind of prize…I've come to see that you actually respect me, which is something not a lot of guys—smart or not—have for me or any other high school girls for that matter."

Her words sunk into me after a moment, and something clicked in my head. "Does that mean—?"

"Yes you baboon, I'll take a chance and go out with you and see where things go from there," she got up from the ground with her hand extended to me. She had that beautiful smile on her face again.

I returned the expression and let her help me up. She handed me my sack of flowers and grabbed the ones that had fallen out from the ground. "Getting me flowers because my name means 'flower' was a totally lame idea by the way," she laughed.

"Yeah I know, but I was running out of dumb ideas to win you over."

We started walking home, and to my surprise she linked her arm with mine and said, "And for the record, my favorites are daisies."

"Noted…also, that hook you did was pretty sweet. Have you ever considered joining the boxing clu—?"

"Don't push your luck."

I laughed and unlinked to wrap my arm around her shoulders. I have a good feeling things are going to go well from here.

A/N: 3387 is definitely one of my favorite ships! I hope it turned out okay, especially because I made Ryohei a bit less EXTREME than he usually is. Anyways, I have 97 more one/two/whatever-shots to do. Definitely going to do another Ryohei and Hana story in the future.

Remember to review please, ciao!