"Oi! Tomoko! What happened?" Echizen inquired.
"Nothing. I'm just a bit upset about Sakuno. Why does she have to leave?"
Echizen felt like she was reading his mind. Just then, he remembered something which gave him some hope.
"Umm…Tomoko, not to be rude, but do you have any idea why she's leaving?" he asked her politely. He didn't want to make her cry even more by being cocky.
She composed herself and answered Echizen quickly. "There's a reason she hasn't told you anything yet. Believe me let her get to Paris and I will personally tell you the reason. But right now, just forget it. Oh and I almost forgot, keep Fuji-Senpai out of this. You're wasting both yours and his time."
"How do you know about Fuji-Senpai?"
"I saw you talking to Sakuno in lunch and Fuji-Senpai was sitting at the same table you then sat at. As the president of your fan-club, I know that you are not very close to Fuji-Senpai."
There was an awkward moment of silence from Echizen's side and then Tomoka walked away.
"Sakuno!" Ryuzaki-sensei called out.
"Grandma? What is it?" replied Sakuno, surprised. Her grandmother never spoke to her in front of her class.
"Could you please fetch Echizen and Fuji for me? You too Tomoka, fetch Tezuka and Oishi for me. Make it fast."
"Hai!" Sakuno and Tomoka replied instantly not daring to ask any questions. This was the first time they saw the usually calm Ryuzaki-sensei so panicked.
She was standing out of Ryoma's class. She was less scared of getting scolded at by the teacher for disturbing the class than seeing him. Yet, somehow she gathered the strength to open the door and peek in.
"Excuse me." She said, trying to get the teacher's attention.
"Yes? The teacher asked.
"Umm… I was asked by Ryuzaki-sensei to call for Ryoma-kun."
"Is it urgent? He's in the middle of an English Exam."
Remembering the urgency her grandmother spoke with, Sakuno answered "It is. Can he be excused for five minutes?"
"Excuse me sensei" Katsuo interrupted "Ryoma-kun is… he is….he's asleep."
"Echizen!" the teacher called out walking towards him and shook him lightly.
"Sensei? I'm done with my paper." He said handing it over.
"As I expected. You are called for by Ryuzaki-sensei. Be back in five minutes."
Ryoma walked out of the class and went looking for Fuji with Sakuno. The walk was short but silent. He was glad that they didn't have to go to Fuji's class as they found him wandering around during study hall.
"Fuji-Senpai! Are you bunking?" Echizen teased.
"Study hall is a period to complete homework. My homework is taken care of." Fuji said slyly.
Echizen would rather not ask who was doing the tensai's homework so; he shut his mouth and walked with Sakuno and Fuji to the tennis courts.
Tezuka and Oishi were already there with Tomoka. Ryuzaki-sensei was talking to Yukimura Seiichi outside the locker room. Even Ryoma's father was there.
Upon sighting his father, Ryoma's steps slowed down.
"Ryoma! What did you do now? Why did that old hag call me here?" his father said loud enough for everyone to hear.
"Could you please not talk to me in public?" Ryoma grumbled completely ignoring what his father had just said.
"You must be Ryoma's father Mr. Nanjiroh Echizen. I'm the team's captain, Tezuka. Nice to meet you sir." Tezuka said breaking the ice.
"Aaah! So you're the person who has been pushing Ryoma beyond his limits. I hope my idiotic son isn't too much to handle. If he is, you're free to kick him off the team."
Ryoma ignored his father but Oishi reacted.
"No sir! Ryoma is a very essential member of our team. If he wasn't here, we wouldn't have a super-rookie!"
"Calm down! I was only joking. But of course, his skills are nothing compared to mine."
"Enough with the jokes. Let's get down to business." Ryuzaki sensei interrupted.
"Sensei, so what did Yukimura have to say? Is he going to accept?" Tezuka inquired. He seemed to know what was going on.
"What is this about? And why was Yukimura here?" Fuji asked.
"The tennis organization in Japan has decided to let the best team in Japan participate in the French open next year. The selected team will also be studying in France for a year as it takes a lot of preparation." Tezuka informed.
"You will be exceptionally happy that Seigaku has entered the top five schools chosen based on their participation in the tournaments that have been held so far." Ryuzaki- sensei added.
"Wait a minute. How can a team be selected in the French open?" Fuji asked.
"There will be a split between singles and doubles players. But the top three will play out of the junior category." Tezuka confirmed.
"Why are you only telling us this?" Oishi inquired.
"That's because I want you guys to go to the remaining four schools to get confirmation and their playing order while I tell everyone else." Ryuzaki sensei ordered.
"Why us?" Ryoma asked.
"Well in doubles Oishi will be collecting data from all the schools. But you, Fuji and I will have to give our all to catch minor tricks in the opponents play styles since the singles category is the ultimate spot" said Tezuka.
"Aye-aye captain!" Fuji joked.
"But I still don't get why my baka-oyaji is here." Ryoma said irritated.
"Well, I don't know about you Echizen but he is going to be great help for our team." Ryuzaki sensei said.
"You mean as coach?"
"Yeah. But not only a coach. In order to qualify, every team needs to have recommendation by a professional. Or in his case a former professional. In short, we can't make it without him." Tezuka said with a look of gratitude towards Ryoma and his father.
First, the love of his life was leaving him to go to Paris. Second, he didn't even know the reason of her departure. Additionally, his father, who he was embarrassed of speaking to in public because of paparazzi (his dad's actions was also one of the reasons), was now going to be training his team? Could his day get any worse?