A/N: Here you have it, chapter 1. Sorry it took a while. I fell asleep while typing up the chapter and when I wanted to continue this morning; I had to leave for school. So yup. Anyways, enjoy it and don't forget to leave a review =).

Title: Suki, Ai?

Chapter 1: "But you owe me, sempai."

The shrill ringing of the hotel room's phone woke 24-year-old Sakuno up from her deep sleep. It was the first day since the start of the French Open that she was able to have an off day and so she was looking forward to sleeping in.

"Ryuzaki! I need a favour from you," were the first words Sakuno heard when she sleepily picked up her phone.

"Eh? Nani? Sempai?" she asked feeling a tad flustered at the pleading tone in her sempai's voice.

"Erm… Well, see, I'm not really feeling well today. So… I was wondering if you can substitute for me today? There's only one match today. The French Open's men's finals," Kitamura Taki asked a tad hesitantly. His hesitance was understandable since everybody knew of his junior's intense dislike of anything to do with men's tennis. While an active amateur player herself and also popular and friendly amongst other journalists, her insistence on only covering the women's matches and staying away from anything to do with men's tennis was pretty well known. Really, if not because of his sickness and thus he was forced too, Kitamura would not have made such a request. Everybody knew that Sakuno's temper was pretty legendary too.

"Onegai Ryuzaki? I wouldn't ask you if I have other choices. But you are the only other reporting staff from our magazine in France right now. And today's match is an important one," Kitamura added, punctuating his statement with a few hacking coughs for good measure.

"Oh, alright. But you owe me sempai," Sakuno answered the reluctance evident in her voice. "Especially if I bump into that guy," she continued in a whisper.

"What's that?"

"No, nothing. So any background you can provide me with before the match," she asked. Kitamura answered her and they continued their conversation for another 10 minutes. At end of that, she put down the phone and gave a little sigh as she walked to the bathroom.

"Aah… I was hoping to enjoy my day off," she thought to herself.

"Wah! Sakuno-san, you actually agreed to cover the men's finals?" her cameraman Shirota Seiji asked with disbelief.

"Ah. Shut up Sei-kun. With Kitamura-sempai sounding that sick, there's nothing I can do. The news still needs to be reported after all," she retorted. "Can we please stop talking about this? I'm going to the washroom. Finish eating by the time I get back."

"Hai, hai," Seiji replied with a laugh before continuing his breakfast.

"Eto… Sakuno-chan?" Sakuno was a bit shocked to hear somebody call out to her in the Japanese way. Somehow feeling a bit uneasy, she turned around.

"Ah! Rinko-san? It has been a while," she said upon recognising the woman in front of her.

"It is you, Sakuno-chan! Yes, it has been quite a while since we last saw each other. Although of course, I do often see your name in that magazine you write for," Echizen Rinko said delightedly. "How have you been dear?"

"Oh yes, I'm doing fine. Busy with work and all that. Speaking of work, I gotta rush. Sayonara Rinko-san. Matta ne," Sakuno answered her in a rush. She was eager to get away. Nothing felt more awkward then meeting up with your ex-boyfriend's mother, especially considering the way they broke up. However, she does like Rinko-san and it would be rude not to answer her properly.

Rinko was kind of surprised to see Sakuno running off like that. "Hmm, ok. Do come and find us though. Nanjiroh would love to see you."

Sakuno was surprised at the invitation. In what universe does Rinko-san think a girl would want to seek out the family of the boy who dumped her in such a cruel way? Giving a non-committal wave in response, she ran off, eager to be away.

"Sakuno-san! Hurry up! We cannot miss even a second of the finals! Echizen Ryoma is playing. If he wins this match, and thus the tournament, he'll get his 8th major win, 1st 4 in a row grand slam win and also be ranked world number 2," Seiji said excitedly.

"Ah yes. Isn't that why Kitamura-sempai was so eager to make sure somebody covers this match?"

"Of course! When a Japanese player is about to make history, how can the Japanese press not pay attention to him?"

"Alright Sei-kun. Calm down already. Let's go see that Japanese player create miracles," Sakuno replied humouring her friend. Inside though, she was cursing her luck. Not only did she have to watch him play, she had to bump into his mother just now too. Life just wasn't being fair to her today.

"Game, set and match, Echizen Ryoma, Japan. 7-5, 7-6, 6-4"

"Sakuno-san! He won! An interview! We need to have an interview with him. And there's that press conference too. Let's go Sakuno-san," Seiji said, the excitement clear in his voice.

"Hai, hai, Sei-kun. Let's go to the press conf-" what she was saying got interrupted by the vibration of her mobile phone. "Moshi moshi, Kitamura-sempai? Hmm? Really? Ok. Thanks sempai. I'll get on with it then."

"What did sempai want?"

"Hmm… Apparently he helped us schedule an interview with Echizen Ryoma already. We'll meet him at 1pm, after lunch," Sakuno explained.

"Ok. Sounds good. Let's head over to the press conference first then."

"Yes, ok," she said to him. "A one-on-one interview ka? Kitamura-sempai really has no idea how much he owes me. Who would have thought that on the rare occasions I cover men's tennis, not only do I have to attend his match and press conference, but have a one-on-one interview with him too," Sakuno muttered to herself as she followed the eager Seiji.

Echizen Ryoma quickly gulped the final mouthful of his sandwich when his phone rang with a call from his manager. Clearing his throat to remove that slightly choked feeling from swallowing to fast, he quickly pressed the answer button on his mobile phone. "Hello?"

"Ryoma! Where are you? The interviewer's from Japan's Monthly Pro Tennis are already here. Heck, they've been waiting for over 15 minutes," the agitated voice of Roger Belden, his manager, rang over the phone.

"I thought they were only supposed to come at 1pm. Oh, wait. Damn, I didn't notice it was already 1.10. But seriously, I just won my first grand slam title and I still can't eat in peace? Didn't I already answer a lot of questions at the press conference," Ryoma replied slightly indignantly.

"You know this is all part of publicity. Besides, this is the Japanese media. Don't you like talking to them? Anyway, just hurry here fast!"

"Yes, yes. I'm entering the elevator now. See you in about 3 minutes," Ryoma reassured his manager just before their conversation got cut off due to a lack of signal in the lift.

"Japan press huh?" Ryoma sighed melancholically as he thought of the country where he had spent a quarter of his life. He may have stayed in America longer, but he had always liked Japan better. However, there really is no better base of operations then America, thus his move there, five years ago.

Ryoma shook his head to get rid of his thoughts on Japan. It never seems to fail to bring him back to that long ago moment in Japan and how he had left. He knew it was wrong of him to do what he did, but he also knew that if he had not just left like that, he would never find the strength otherwise. No, she wouldn't have stopped him. Instead, he was the one who would have stopped himself, finding it hard to part from her.

The mechanical voice of the lift snapped him out of his reverie as it alerted him to the fact that he has reached his destination. He smiled to himself, slightly amused at the walk down memory lane.

He stopped outside the meeting room where the interview was to take place, taking a moment to properly compose himself. Despite his dislike of journalists (or so they call themselves) who are always trying to pry into his love life, he was not really worried about this interview. He was comfortable with Monthly Pro Tennis's Kitamura-san and knew that he would not ask stupid, unnecessary questions like who he was dating at the current point in time. Seriously, sometimes he felt like the whole world are on his father's payroll or something the way they are always so interested in his love life.

He gave a quick knock on the door before turning the doorknob to enter the room. He was surprised to notice that instead of the usual Kitamura-san, a woman with long auburn hair was there instead. Waving a quick hello to his manager, he strode towards the lady, preparing to introduce himself. Instead, he found himself at a loss for words when she looked up and his eyes locked with a pair of huge chocolate brown eyes. Those same deep, chocolate pools that he used to consider as exclusively his and that had always, apparently still could make him feel like he's drowning. Looking down at their hands, which had somehow, without his knowledge, joined in a handshake, he could only think of word to say in a voice that revealed all his shock.

"Sakuno?"

A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed that! It has been 5 years since they broke up and now they finally meet again after Ryoma had gotten his first non-calendar year Grand Slam title (4 major wins in a row is considered a Grand Slam but since it doesn't happen within the same year, it's called a non-calendar year Grand Slam). Wait for next chapter to see how Sakuno takes their first face-to-face meet up after 5 years!

In the meantime, leave me a review aite? 3

Extra rambling: While doing research for the story, I stumbled on some videos of Nishikori Kei when I YouTube-d some tennis matches and tournaments. It was kinda funny when I read the comments on the videos coz they were always one or two comments about how he is "the real prince of tennis." For those of you who have never seen Nishikori Kei before, his greatest similarity to our prince of tennis is probably the fact that when he plays matches, he wears a baseball cap. Haha. Go check him out. He is currently world no 56 but many fans are predicting that he'll be top 20 if not top 10 by the end of 2009.

Cheers!