Chapter 22: At Crossroads

Little Falcon: I'm finally out from my long hiatus! You guys did a pretty good job waiting so here's a juicy update. For my own indulgence, please let me know what you think okay?

Standard Disclaimer: I only own the idea that's all. If I did own this series I'll be the happiest person on earth!

At an unholy hour, when everyone was buried in the deepest recesses of their dreams, two figures stood in the middle of a well-illuminated court. All round them were barely recognizable silhouettes of the buildings and trees- as if they were also asleep. The sound of the racket hitting the ground broke the eerie silence. Without a word, the two players walked to their respective courts and a second after a ball was served and the play began.

There were no rowdy crowds surrounding them, no sharp whistles blown, no scoreboards turned, not even single word said. They counted their points mentally, admitted their own faults and followed the rules religiously. They changed courts without question as if in perfect sync with each other's tally. Their game was clean, quiet and definitely… quick.

Her technique… it can't be… his sapphire eyes were still trembling in shock as the pair reflected the hole in the net; the tennis ball now rolling slowly towards his feet. His body remained motionless, still stuck in that defensive stance, paralyzed by what had just transpired. Saiga Toushiro… the so-called "Prince" of the Ryuugan Tennis Club… was completely utterly defeated… not even scoring a single point against his opponent.

Tipping the brim of her baseball cap, her chestnut brown eyes glinted with the ferocity of a caged tiger. Her steps were slow and confident as she approached his frozen form, not once did she break the connection between their eyes. Finally standing right in front of him, Sakuno placed the black racket on her shoulder casually. "Just who are you? Surely, you're not him… because Saiga Toushiro can't be beaten by his own technique," there was no arrogance in her words, they were monotonous… stating an infallible fact.

His paralysis instantly wore off upon hearing her words. His dark blue eyes grew wide as his head almost snapped with its fast and hard turn just to face her fully. "Careful, Hime-chan," Toushiro hissed as he gripped his racket tightly.

Unaffected, the Ryuugan princess walked back to the hotel thankful that her façade held out. Upon closer inspection, her hands were shaking uncontrollably and her knees were beginning to wobble dangerously; cold sweat was breaking through her skin as her face started to lose its color.

Was it because of her fatigue? Or was it because of her building tears that her vision grew blurry in an instant? She was right there, right in front of her room but she can't find the strength to turn the key. It was as if every ounce of her strength was drained by that short game.

I'm sorry… I'm so sorry… as the black racket fell to the carpeted floor… so did she. Her tears flowed down her cheeks ceaselessly as she remembered the kind-hearted sempai that welcomed her to Ryuugan, the one that helped her with her part-time jobs… and the one that calls her "Hime-chan," with his deep, rich tone. These memories were overwhelmed, however, followed by the cold, violent prince who has hurt her without hesitation. What was I trying to prove by challenging him, anyway? I ended up hurting him more.

The ceiling proved to be a useless medium to invoke sleep as proven by the Seigaku prince after staring at it for several hours already. There wasn't something bothering him, he feels fine but it was as if an unnamed instinct keeps sleep away for some unfathomable reason and it annoyed him greatly. Eight uninterrupted hours of sleep is a luxury, especially for athletes who have an upcoming competition in a few days and now that their sadistic female coach has given them an early night, here he is wide awake and listening to the ticking of the wall clock echo mockingly throughout his spacious room. Giving up on sleep, Ryoma changed into his training gear and bolted out of the room, focused on some intense workout- the fail-safe plan to force your body to drop dead only after a few runs.

Stepping into the lift, his destination should indubitably be on the ground floor but his finger pressed another button as if acting on its own. Ryoma clucked his tongue at his impulsive actions. Of course she's asleep… who in their right mind would be… his amber eyes widened in shock as it immediately saw her sitting outside her room, hugging her knees. Almost pushing the double doors to open fully, he ran towards her with his heart in his throat. "Sakuno!" He called with panic in his tone.

Seeing her breathing normally and unhurt made him release a breath he didn't know he was holding. Running his fingers through his dark green hair, Ryoma sat on his heels and watched her sleep. It was only then did he notice the racket lying on her feet. His brows furrowed after seeing her blistered hands. A sudden anger erupted from his chest as he finally saw the dried tear paths on her cheeks. Was it him again?

Without second thought, Ryoma carried her like a princess after finding out that her door was open after all. As gently as possible, he laid her down the bed, pulled her shoes out and covered her with the comforter. I don't think I can wait for you to tell me everything… especially when you keep on doing this to yourself.

There was a fleeting touch on her cheeks then something warm and soft brushed at the back of both her hands followed by a comforting coldness that numbed the pain she never realized she had. Her chestnut brown eyes snapped open as she sat up on her bed. The abrupt movement made the blood rush to her brain and made everything swim. Her body fell forward uncontrollably but before it hit the floor a pair of strong arms caught her just in time.

"Easy," that strong, velvet voice seemed to make everything better in an instant. Their eyes made contact for the longest one minute of her life before he pushed her back to rest. "I saw you outside your room and brought you here," picking up the damp towel he dropped; the prince placed it in the nearby basin.

"R…Ryoma-kun, I'm sorry for the trouble," when tried to sit up, he won't let her.

"Who were you up against?" There was a sharp edge in his question that made her feel that not giving the answer he needed might agitate him further. Again, took the towel, wrung the water out of it, took her hand and carefully placed it on her blistered palms.

Sakuno winced for a second as her skin came in contact with the damp cloth before she relaxed. "Arigato," there was a partial smile on her lips as she saw their hands holding. A pregnant pause ensued.

The distant look in her eyes made his chest heavy. He was causing her needless pressure by asking her pointless queries but being in a position where he barely has a clue to what's going on obligated him to continue anyway. "I'm not doing a good job, am I?" His question was almost inaudible as he averted his gaze from her. Of being there for you…

"N..no! That's not true!" As if sharing the same thought, Sakuno automatically replied as she shot out of bed and took his hand; the towel landing on the carpet once again. Why do I always keep doing these things to them? Swallowing her frustration, she dared to lift her eyes and look straight into his feline ones. "I'm sorry. I know I'm asking for too much… but please give me some time to work things out by myself. After that… after that I'm sure I can tell you everything you want to know," her voice was pathetically broken as her unshed tears were shaking in her gorgeous eyes. "I don't want to tell you half-truths… because at the end of the day, they'll end up worse than total lies,"

World famous title, countless trophies, almost bottomless bank savings… everything deemed worthless as Ryoma gazed at her pleading eyes. His solid resolve to know the truth was erased all too suddenly just by hearing her cracked voice; his treasured pride lay in shambles at his feet as he let out a difficult sigh. "You've stood in the sidelines for how many years for me? All you had to do was ask… I'll wait without question until the time you're ready to tell me everything," Where was the cold, indifferent prince everyone saw? Where were his cocky replies and arrogant smirks? Because right now, Echizen Ryoma definitely wasn't displaying anything close to those descriptions... right now for the first time, he's the dreamy prince Sakuno imagined him to be.

The loud ringing of her cellphone made her fall out of bed. Instinctively, Sakuno turned towards the chair he was sitting on before she dozed off. From a blurry recall, she remembered them sharing a long, passionate kiss before he asked her to rest while he continued to apply the cold treatment on her injured hands. Even in her sleep, she felt his lips brush against her forehead and somehow head the door closing lightly soon after. Heat flooded her face for the longest moment before another round of ringing reverberated throughout her dark room.

"Hello…"

""I know found an offer you can't afford to pass up," her skating manager on the other line instantly offered after hearing her answer. "The prize money is…"

Her pupils dilated in surprise. The amount she heard was ridiculously impossible to be awarded just for a small amateur skating competition but after hearing that the sponsor was a Russian billionaire infatuated with the inborn elegance of Japanese skaters; all her doubts were silenced replaced by rationality. With that kind of money, Sakuno can finish her course without even having to work a single day throughout her college life!

"I see, I finally got your attention kid. However, you must know that a competition with this kind of prize doesn't go unnoticed… and without doubt skaters all over Japan will fight tooth and nail to claim it. I guess it goes without saying that it won't be a walk in the park… it might even be harder than getting in the Olympics," she heard him exhale, knowing that he was again smoking.

"I'm in," her reply came in a heartbeat.

Another audible inhale then exhale from the other line before her manager spoke. "Sakuno… I know what you're trying to prove by doing two or even three things at the same time… but you should know that there comes a time when you MUST have to choose which is more important. There's no problem with your studies but training for two ultimately different sports is another thing. I've seen your passion for Tennis and I don't want to be the person who'll force you to quit playing it. But right now, that game can't give you the things you NEED. If it's really your passion, you won't have problems resuming just after a short stop. Think about it, an opportunity like this only comes once,"

The call ended a minute after. Her hand holding the phone fell lifelessly to her side. Running away now, doesn't sound too bad. With everything happening connected to the said sport, leaving it for a given period of time sounded like a relief. As sunlight peeked through her thin curtains, she glanced at the racket placed on table. Something momentarily blinded her; squinting her eyes, she saw that it was from her skating blades reflecting the sun's rays. What is it that I NEED?

Another wake-up call came in the form of a skin-jerking doorbell. I think I'm drinking too much coffee these days. Sakuno wove her fingers through her long wavy locks in an attempt to look more presentable before she opened the door without checking.

Her disappointment to find that it wasn't him was overridden by apparent shock at the most unlikely visitors. An old couple stood at her doorway with the same polite smiles on their faces as the day she first saw them- at his wake.

"Um, I'm afraid you have the wrong room. Sempai's room is over…" her hand pointing towards the direction was gently pushed back by the older woman.

"We didn't come here for him," her voice was kind as ever as she placed her hands together in front of her elegantly.

It took a couple of blinks before the Ryuugan princess could finally react. Without another second of delay, she bid them to enter and served them tea.

This pair weren't strangers… but they weren't close enough to pay her a friendly visit. In fact, this was only the second time they met. The first was at their son's wake. On that day, unlike the others who gave her an accusing glare or turned away disgustingly, these two were the only ones who accepted her condolences sincerely when it should be them who has the right to ostracize her… blame her for what she had done to their son.

"That's his racket, is it not?" The father pertained to the black one on the other table.

Sakuno nodded her head.

"Then we weren't mistaken when we thought you're the only one who can help him," The mother gingerly took the princess' hand and stared into her eyes. "Help him…you're the only one who can,"

At the end of the day, it was clear that giving up tennis wasn't an option and neither was running away.

I'm tired of giving up anything… I did that my whole life… and I'm sick of it.

Little Falcon: Read and review, okay?