Author's Note: Thanks for everyone that had reviewed my last chapter. Anyway since I hadn't updated for a long time, I'm trying my best to update more often now. I really thank you all for patiently waiting.
RECAP:
Everyone thank Taka and everyone bid each other goodbyes. Raiko and Tezuka are the first to leave, They live in the same house. They were followed by Eiji and Oishi who are living at the same block on their bachelor's pad (A/N: What can I say, they are still unseparatable). And then by Inui, who drove off in his new SUV (A/N: What can I say, he doesn't like sports car because they are small, there's no place for him to put his Inui juices). And then by Fuji, who left with his brand new blue sports car. And then by Momo and Ann, Momo had to drop Ann home first before going home himself in his five year old house (A/N: The five year old house is the house Momo bought for his own that he and Ann had choose together, and this would also be the house where Momo and Ann would raise their children and grow old together).
"By the way Tomo-chan, don't come to work tomorrow, just stay home and rest, I'll take care of everything in the shop." Sakuno said as She, Tomoka, Kaidoh and Ryoma left the Shushi house together.
"Are you sure?" Tomoka asked as a cold wind blew their way making Kaidoh take off his jacket and put it around his wife.
"Yeah, I'm sure so just stay home and relax." Sakuno said and she kiss Tomoka's cheek and vice versa.
Kaidoh led Tomoka to their car and then he drove off leaving Ryoma and Sakuno alone. Ryoma and Sakuno look at each other for a while before they started to walk over to Ryoma's rented car.
"You know, you don't have to take me home, I can take the bus over there to my shop and get my car there." Sakuno said ponting at the bus stop sign.
"It's already late, I don't think it's safe for you to take the bus." Ryoma said opening the passenger's sit to for her.
"Demo..." Sakuno started to protest.
"Don't argue with me okay, I'll just drop you off to your car, so that at least I know you made it there safely." Ryoma said interupting her as Sakuno smile greatfully at him and enetered the car.
"So, where is this shop of yours?" Ryoma asked after he had started the cars.
"It's actually not far from Seigaku." Sakuno said, "You still know how to go there right?" Sakuno added looking at Ryoma who smiled and said 'Of course, I do.'
Chapter Three: In Return
RYUUZAKI'S BAKE SHOP...
Sakuno thank the elderly lady from buying three box of cookies. As usual there was a lot of people coming in and out of her shop, some of them are the student from Seigaku who had club activity on sundays and those are mainly, the tennis club, baseball club, basketball club and many more. As she turn her back from the door. The bell on the door rang signaling that a customer had entered.
"He... Ryoma-kun." Sakuno had said after she turned and saw who was standing in front of the line.
"Hi." Ryoma said taking off his glasses. "I thought when I wear sun glasses, no one would recognize me, I guess I'm wrong." Ryoma added looking at his glasses then at Sakuno.
"It's not that you're wrong, it's just that I know you, I've been watching your game ever since I met you." Sakuno said with a laugh. "Anyway, how can I help you." Sakuno added looking at Ryoma.
"Well, first I would like to have a slice of this fruit cake and a coffee." Ryoma said pointing at it then added, "And secondly, if you're not busy maybe we can talk."
"Of course. why not." Sakuno said and she serve Ryoma's order on a table on the corner of the shop, so no one would see Ryoma. Sakuno called one of her employee who was on the kitchen to manage the cash register for a while. "So, what do you want to talk about?" Sakuno added when she finally sat down.
"Actually, I got a lot of things to ask you, if that's okay?" Ryoma said looking at Sakuno.
"Of course, just ask away and I'll try to answer you as long as I can." Sakuno said curious on what Ryoma would ask her.
"Well, uhm, do you know where Horio, Katsuo and Katchiro are?" Ryoma asked wanting to find out where his old acquaintance are.
"Horio, after college had given up tennis, he is now an architect although sometimes he played with Katsuo and Katchiro, you know just hit some few balls but nothing more, as for Katsuo and Katchiro they are both movie producers now, they have produce a lot of movies already, they started off as a small time producer for commercials and then, boom, the next thing you know they are big shot producers, and I also heard that they are planning to direct a movie." Sakuno answered without even hesitating.
"You sure know a lot about them." Ryoma said, he is happy to hear about Horio, Katsuo and Katchiro being on top of the world in other things if not tennis.
"Not really, when I started this Bake Shop, I needed to advertise, it's so happens that Katsuo and Katchiro are the producers, then after that we get in touch with each other once a month to say hi and catch up and as for Horio I got his number from Katsuo and Horio and I do the same, call each other once a month to just catch up." Sakuno said, "Oh, and I forgot to mention that Horio is base in L.A. now since three years ago, his boss opened a branch there and had send Horio there to be the lead architect, you should have seen some of his work, it's really wonderful, anyway he's also married to an american woman named Daina." Sakuno said adding another fact that Horio is no longer in Japan and is no longer single "What else do you want to know?" Sakuno added.
"How about the other senpai? Do you know something about them?" Ryoma asked after the infromation about the three freshmen had sink in.
"Well, not really, when Obaa-chan pass away, a lot of the old senpai came to pay their respect, but everyone just said their condolences to me and left except Arai-san who chatted with me for a while. He's a cop now, to be precise, his an undercover cop so he's like a fugitive. And I don't know who or where he is now." Sakuno answered and sadness was visible in her eyes as she remembered the time when her Obaa-chan had pass away.
"Sakuno, I'm sorry, I wasn't there when your Obaa-chan had pass away." Ryoma said reaching for Sakuno's hand and squeezing it.
"It's okay." Sakuno said squeezing back. "So what else, keep your question coming." Sakuno added after both their hands let go.
"Do you know what happened to the other schools we faught with?"
"I only know some, like for the Fudoumine, Kippei-san is married and is a Physical Teraphist, Shinji-san is an Art Curator, he is also getting married next year and as for Kamio-san, he is a club owner in Tokyo called Rhythm and he had a brunch in Osaka and Kanagawa, his also planning to open another brunch in Hokaido." Sakuno said looking at Ryoma who is digesting the informations that he was getting.
"I see anything else?"
"Yup, like St. Rudolph, Yuuta-san is a doctor, he's in New York, he moved there over a year ago because he got a partnership there with a rich doctor friend of his, and as for Mizuki-san, St. Rudolph school ask him to manage the schools tennis team and that what he's doing until now except he also teaches Calculus." Sakuno said before adding, "Can you still follow what I'm saying?"
"Yup just go ahead and I'll stop you if I can't." Ryoma simply answered and listened to Sakuno.
"As for Yamabuki, Sengoku-san is now a famous boxer, he left tennis in college and concentrated on boxing, Dan-san, the one who dresses like you, you won't believe it but he and Akutsu-san became good friends and they are both vets." Sakuno said with a laugh. (A/N: What can I say Jin Akutsu is really not a bad person.)
"No kidding." Ryoma said disbilief written on his face.
"Nope, and as for Hyoutei, Well Atobe-san has inherit their business, although he ask me to be his girlfriend, which is really shocking..."
"He asked you to be his girlfriend?" Ryoma said and somehow he felt anger rising as the thought that Atobe had ask Sakuno to be his girl.
"Yeah, but that was a long time ago and I said no, anyway Oshitari-san is now a musician, Ootori-san and Shishido-san had opened a business called The Following Sea, it's a charter yacht, where you can rent a yacht for fishing or just cruising. Jiro-san has the oddest job, his job is in a hospital, something about studying how the human brains work when we dream or when we sleep, so basically all he needs to do is sleep. as for the other Hyoutei I don't know. In Jyousei Shounen the only thing I know is about Wakato Hiyoshi, Wakato-san is now a model, he was hired during his college years, according to what he told the press. In Rokkauku, Davide-san and Kurabane-san are Gym Owners in Kanagawa, I forgot the Gym's name though but I went there once, it's for male and female. And the last is Saeki-san, he teaches Kendo now and he also owned his own Kendo Gym in Kanagawa and Hokaido." Sakuno said looking at Ryoma as he cut another slice of the fruit cake and ate it.
"Does Saeki and Fuji still talk to each other?" Ryoma asked finally eating the last slice of his fruit cake.
"Yeah, in fact he was at the reunion last Saturday with his wife Ayako-chan and one year old son Sinkawa, Fuji is Sinkawa's godfather." Sakuno said, "And lastly the Rikkaidai, Jackal-san is going back and fort to his country Brazil, his a pediatrician, Marui-san owned his own candy store through out Japan, Yukimura-san and Sanada-san are flying around the world, last time I heard is they settled down in Germany and have their own family, Yagyu-san is now a famous golf player, he just got married a month ago with a family friend named Iya and it was all over the T.V., newspapers and magazine. As for the other, I got no idea."
"Wow, I guess I'm not wrong to ask you." Ryoma said drinking his coffee. "By the way, the cake is delicious and the coffee is simply fantastic." Ryoma added even running his tongue through his lips for emphasis that cause something inside of Sakuno to lurch.
"Thanks." Sakuno answered and before she could say something else, Ryoma's cellphone rang.
"Excuse me." Ryoma said smilling at her as he grabs his cellphone.
"Sure." Sakuno answered smilling back at Ryoma.
Ryoma stood up from his chair and made his way to the Men's Room to have a little privacy before answering his cellphone.
PHONE CALL...
"Hello." Ryoma answered after pushing the recieve button on his cellphone.
"Ryoma, it's me Nanako." the voice on the other line said.
"Nanako-chan, what's wrong?" Ryoma asked worriedly for Nanako rarely call him except if something happen to his mother and father.
"It's your mother, she collapse and is currently at the hospital." Nanako said and Ryoma could hear his cousin sniff from the other end.
"How's she doing?" Ryoma asked now even more worried than he already is.
"She's fine but the doctor wants her to stay in the hospital tonight for observation." Nanako answered as Ryoma who didn't realize had closed his eyes opened it slowly and let out a sigh of relief.
"Thanks for calling Nanako, don't forget to call me if something else came up, I'll try to come back as soon as I can." Ryoma simply answered.
"Where are you anyway?" Nanako asked before Ryoma could say goodbye.
"I'm in Japan right now and don't ask me why, it's a long story." Ryoma said and bid goodbye. He waited for Nanako to say goodbye before flipping his phone off.
END OF PHONECALL
Ryoma made his way back to the table and he sat back down in his vacant chair.
"Sorry about that." Ryoma apologize not looking at Sakuno.
"Is something wrong?" Sakuno asked worriedly. "You look pale." Sakuno added when Ryoma didn't answered.
Ryoma unclapse his hand and clapse it back again before saying. "My mom colapse again and is now at the hospital, the doctor said she's fine or rather the doctor said the opposite and she said she's fine, although she ask me in a form of a joke when will I settle down since she's not getting any younger. And after that I know that there's dfinitely something wrong and that's why I'm here." Ryoma run his hand through his hair showing his frustration, "I want to show her I'm settled so she would stop worrying about me and she could focus on herself but then I just can't pay someone to pretend to be my wife for God knows how long. It's not that easy, I want someone who I can stand seeing everyday, a person I know if possible but, I guess..."
"I can be your wife." Sakuno suddenly blurted shocking both Ryoma and herself.
"Nani?" Ryoma asked thinking that he might have heard her wrong.
"I said, I can be your wife if you want." Sakuno said slowly now that the shock was gone. "It's the only thing I can do, since I owe you my life." Sakuno added so Ryoma couldn't say no.
"Are you sure? We don't know how long you'll be my wife." Ryoma said reminding Sakuno that what she's entering is not a walk in the park but instead a serious matter.
"I know what I'm going into Ryoma." Sakuno said showing Ryoma how serious she was by having eye contact with him.
"But, what if you met someone that will make you fall in love with him and you're still married to me?" Ryoma said still making his point to make Sakuno change her mind.
'That wouldn't happen because as much as I want to fall in love with someone else, I can't for I still love you.' Sakuno thought but said to Ryoma, "If I pretend to be your wife at least your mom would believe it because we've known each other before and what's more, I'm your ex-kantokun granddaughter."
"When you put it that way, I say you're right, but you must promise me one thing beforeb we seal our deal." Ryioma said looking at Sakuno finally giving up on their argument.
"What's that?"
"If ever you met him, don't forget to tell me and we'll cut the deal short." Ryoma said looking at Sakuno who nod in understanding. "Good, I'll call my lawyer to draw up the contract and send it to me here." Ryoma added and excuse himself again to the men's room to make a phone call.
So what do you guys think of this chapter. Don't forget to review now!!!
Translation:
Nani- What
Kantokun- Coach