Bribe me

By Jerui

Author's note:

Belated Happy New Year Everyone!

Thanks for reviewing the last chapter symbalin, imadreamer7, Yuka Muntou, yukina-chan15, K chan! It means a lot. Yukina-chan15 and Yuka Muntou, you guys will find the answers soon. Thank you for the support. This fanfic got 40 subscribers now. haha.

This is unedited. Any constructive criticism may be put in the reviews. Or you could help me with the grammar by being my beta reader. (;p)

I think this will always be in Ryoma's prespective.

Oh! And by the way, you can also contact me at (www . formspring . me / jeruikun). Just remove the spacing. I'll answer anything you wanted to know as much as I can.

Chapter 8 Reality bites, that's why it hurts

All of our lights were on when I went home and I heard people laughing.

"I'm home!" I said as I took of my shoes and went to the living room. Hurried footsteps greeted me and I was hugged tightly, my view blocked by strawberry smelling curly red hair.

"I missed you!"

"Anji! Ugh, I can't… breathe." I protested.

"Oops… sorry. Welcome home," she smiled sweetly.

I smirked.

Anji is very petite but to cling on to me that tight, she's something. Her thick red hair has this elegant curls and it reaches to her waist. Her face is round and her eyes were chinky. She has the same color of irises of mine.

She grabbed my hand and dragged me to the sofa where my parents and Nanako were.

"Ryoma-sama is here! Ryoma-sama!" my old man exclaimed, mimicking a girl's voice but unsuccessful, with his hands clasped together. He must be drunk because his face was red or just playing stupid. He always does that. I wonder why mom's married to this man really. I may never know. "What do you say about Anji's uniform?"

This is ridiculous. No he is ridiculous.

But now that I look at her, she was wearing our school's uniform. She looked nice.

"I see that every day, you know," I told them but I winked at her, not wanting to hurt her feelings. Nanako, Anji and my mom giggled.

"He's still not cute at all," old man pouted.

"Ah, Ryoma-san, you should go together to school tomorrow," Nanako said.

"That's right. You should come with her and go to the faculty. She could be in your class," my mom said as I sat down beside Nanako.

"Yeah! Yeah! You should show me around! I heard there are awesome guys in your school from uncle!" Anji excitedly exclaimed.

"But I have tennis practice. I have to get there early."

"Sure, let me come with you! Please! Please." She's like a cat who acts cute to get what she wants. Really.

"I really can't win against you." I sighed.

They all laughed.

"Now now, Anji. Don't get to close to Ryoma at school. He might not get a girlfriend," my mother eyed me scornfully. I smirked.

I was awake.

I couldn't sleep. I couldn't get miss twin braid's expression out of my head. Why do her eyes have to tell me everything she feels? I can't be wrong about what I saw right? Of all the things that I should feel, why it must be like this? It's like something was restricting my esophagus. It feels weird.

I was just lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling when I heard an audible tap on the door.

"Ryo?"

It was Anji. Why is she still awake? It's almost eleven.

I sat up and said "It's open."

The door opened revealing Anji in a bear-printed pink pajamas. She was rubbing her eyes looking sleepy but it seems she can't. I made space for her and then I tapped the space beside me. She slid inside the sheets and lied down. I did, too.

"You nearly gave me a heart attack back there," I initiated the talk.

"Well, I did miss you, you know. We hardly get to talk. Oh, by the way, I heard you got mislead. Tell me about it." I can't see her face in the dark but she must be really interested.

And so the long tale was told. I told her about how I became very popular suddenly and how I was discovered and been recruited to the tennis club and such.

One of the best things I like about Anji, she listens carefully. She reacts on the right places and she gives the best advice. I remember the times we spent together in America. We would always be together like siblings back when we were children. We play tennis until dusk. I'd play the guitar and she sings, and we talk about everything. Things change when you get older though.

"And so I compromised with the manager and told her she should still become my girlfriend…"

"Is that so? You still like her don't you? Even when you got tricked."

"No teasing Anji.." She giggled. "I did like her before I got tricked."

"You should be more honest. Only I can hear you, you know."

"…she likes another man so I must learn not to like her." I was thankful it's dark, I must be red in the face.

"And so he speaks. Did she say that she likes another person?"

"Not really." She didn't really say it.

"So? Doesn't that give you hope? This is the first time you experience something like this, plus you're still young you should be more honest."

"What are you? Fourty two?" I joked. But really, she seemed older than she looks.

"Not funny. At least you have a girlfriend, all you have to do is to make things real."

"No way. I don't want to force myself on someone who doesn't like me. I only use her as LLP."

"LLP?"

"Love Letter Preventer."

"Lol, that's ridiculous! Ha Ha!"

"Shut up."

"So, you'll let me meet her tomorrow?"

"If you wake up early."

"Then I will. Goodnight."

"Goodnight." And then I drifted off to sleep.

"We're leaving!"

"Be careful on your way!"

Anji and I walked on our way to Ryuuzaki's house.

When we were near, I saw the captain at the gate of her house. Ryuuzaki was about to go out and then the captain met her, taking the large bag she was carrying. She was all smiles, her face so bright and full of energy unlike yesterday.

Or was it just me interpreting too much as to what I see?

And then I felt a squeeze on my arm.

"You know what, Ryoma? Reality bites, that's why it hurts, but it's your choice if you want to make things stay this way or change it."

To be continued.