IMPORTANT NOTE: I don't know what took me, but I had decided to start a new fanfic, a Harry Potter this time. But I'm still continuing this one. So, you will certainly see my updating rate for this story even slower than before. And I also have school, that's it. So, now you know the reason of my soon-to-be-slower updating rate.

Now, please enjoy chapter 63!

Last time…

When she was sick, she dreamt that someone had kissed her.

'And the worst of it, I was imaginingthat it was Fuji-senpai who kissed me.'

She could still remember the softness and the warm of Fuji's lips on hers in that illusion kiss.

But illusion or not, that dreamdisturbed Ryoma from that day. Because the dream permanently stuck itself in her head - she didn't know what to do to remove it -, Ryoma could no longer see Fuji as the usual tensai Fuji Syuusuke. Not only that, but her imagination was getting a havoc too. She often had the illusion (again!) that Fuji watched her many times. And she also had the illusion that his eyes were very soft each time he watched her.

That was something that she was scared about.

Flashback

During a qualified ranking tournament, Ryoma watched a match between Fuji and Yukimura. As Fuji and Yukimura exchanged ball, Ryoma noticed something unusual.

"Kikumaru-senpai, it's strange," Ryoma said. "Fuji-senpai's eyes are opened."

"What! Fuji's eyes are open!!!!" Kikumaru screeched. He clutched his face, which was white, between his hands and started running in circle and screaming at the same time. "Oh no! Oh no! Oh no! I must find a place to hide! I must find a place to hide!"

"Kikumaru-senpai, why are you running around?" Kirihara, who came, asked.

"Fuji's eyes are open!!!!!" Kikumaru yelped.

"WHAT!?!" Kirihara screeched too. "Aaaaaaaah! No no no! Aaaaaaaaaah! Where!? Where can I hide?!? Where?! Aaaaaaaaaah!" he yelled and started running in circle like Kikumaru did before him. He and Kikumaru crouched themselves in a bush, their hands covering their head.

"What's wrong with them?" Niou asked as he came to with Marui and Ootori. "Why are they hiding?"

"I don't know," Ryoma said, dumbfounded. "I only said that Fuji-senpai's eyes were open."

"WHAT?!" Niou, Marui and Ootori panicked.

"Ah no! Not you too!" Ryoma said. "There, look!" She pointed to where Fuji and Yukimura were. Fuji was replying to his opponent with a Kirin Otoshi. And he was ecstatic. Niou, Marui and Ootori realized that Fuji was playing against Yukimura.

"Piouf!" Niou, Marui and Ootori sighed of relieve, their hand on their chest to calm down their frantic heartbeat.

"Kikumaru, Kirihara, Fuji is playing against Yukimura," Ootori said.

"What? For real!" Kikumaru said, removing his hands from his eyes. Kirihara did the same. They looked at where Ootori was pointing.

"If Fuji-senpai is playing against buchou, then it's safe," Kirihara said, tapping his heart too to calm it down.

"Ochibi, that was scary!" Kikumaru scowled Ryoma. "Don't ever say that Fuji's eyes are open ever again!!!"

"Hah?!?" Interrogation marks popped around Ryoma'shead. "Why? What's wrong with that?"

The five boys sighed. Ootori put his right arm on her shoulder.

"Echizen, listen to me," Ootori said in a serious mode, his finger up. "When Fuji's eyes are open and he is NOT playing, that usually means bad luck."

"Bad luck?" Ryoma repeated, not sure that she heard the right thing.

"Yes! Bad luck!" Marui, Kikumaru and Kirihara confirmed.

"For example, when Momoshiro saw Fuji's eyes open last month, he got hit by a car on his way home," Kikumaru said.

"When Gakuto saw Fuji's eyes open, he made a bad jump, broke a leg and had to carry a cast for a month," Ootori said.

"Sanada had been absent from school for a week because of a food poisoning" Kirihara said. "Someone tripped and knocked Inui-senpai's juice in his soup. It was also bad luck because Kawamura-senpai had dropped wasabi in Inui-senpai's juice that day."

"The guy who knocked Inui's juice was Kaido, who walked on a ball because he saw Fuji's eyes too," Kikumaru said, sighing.

"That bad…" Ryoma said.

"Yes," the boys chorused, sighing heavily.

"So you NEVERwant to see Fuji's eyes open! Understand?" Niou finished.

"Er, hai…" Ryoma answered.

End flashback

But the weeks following the training camp, Ryoma very frequently MET with Fuji's eyes open, very freakingoften! And the worst, Ryoma discovered that she was becoming masochist!

'Yihaaaaaaaaa!' Ryoma's screamed in her head.

Even though she knew that Fuji's eyes open meant bad luck, she couldn't help herself but being completely mesmerized when he looked at her. That fact alone was enough to scare her. Each time she met his eyes, she felt herself being drawn to him, even against her will. There was just something about the way he looked at her that froze her logical mind, keeping her from thinking clearly. Instead of screaming and running around in circle to find a place to hide like Kikumaru and Kirihara did, her legs wanted to carry her closer to him because her head could no longer command them. It was like her legs had a will of their own, refusing to listen to her head. But whether she wanted it or not, Fuji's eyes were like a magnet calling her. And it was because her head wasn't working normally, she also saw illusions again, illusion that Fuji looked at her with softness and gentleness in his eyes. Not only that, but she also experimented new feelings she never had before. Those overwhelming feelings were strange and they are frightening because she had the impression that she lost control of herself. Fuji's eyes scared Ryoma because she lost control of herself, mind and body included.

Ryoma had to come to a conclusion. She wanted to admit it or not, she had changed because of the way Fuji looked at her. But gradually, as his softness succeeds to find its way to settle itself in her heart, Ryoma started to understand that change wasn't as frightening as she thought. She even had the impression that she was cherished and it was a wonderful feeling. Slowly by slowly, she learn to accept the strange feelings Fuji's eyes raised in her and, before she knew how everything started, she realized that she thought more and more often about him.

That night when Fuji kissed her, he scared her. She was scared because she wasn't prepared to face something like a kiss from a boy. But she was also scared for another reason. She understood the reason why she thought of him so often. She realized that she has feelings for him. She realized that… she loved him. When did it start and how, she didn't know. But she knew she felt like her soul was bonded to him. But when she learned of his engagement… Ryoma refused to recall how she felt broken back then.

Even knowing that Fuji searched for her, she ran away from him. She was scared to be hurt again like that night and didn't give him a chance to explain himself.

'Fuji-senpai…'

Ryoma grabbed her chest, feeling like something bite her heart, and lowered her eyes down.

"You know, Ryoma-chan," Lavinia spoke, bringing Ryoma out of her thoughts. "I know how the tennis regulars feel about me." Lavinia sheepishly smiled. "Even if they are very polite toward me, I know that they don't like me very much…"

"Miyabi-senpai…"

"I don't blame them though. I'm not blind. I understand very well why they don't like me." Lavinia stopped talking a moment. "Their friend was forced into an arranged marriage he didn't ask for and in which he doesn't even have to right and the freedom to say what he sincerely think about it. Right now, their friend is suffering alone and it frustrates them to see him like that."

Ryoma looked down to her feet. She didn't know what to say.

"It might be surprising, but I like them," Lavinia continued. "I like how they are loyal to their friend." Lavinia laced her hands together. "I knew by coming to Japan, I have to start a new life with a stranger. I was prepared to face every difficulty and hardship I might encounter on my way. I was prepared to make new acquaintances and new friends… but I didn't expect it to be so hard…" Lavinia tightened her fingers. "I wish they would consider me as a friend…" she muttered the last part.

'She looks so lonely…' Ryoma thought.

Lavinia turned to Ryoma, smiling a poor smile. Ryoma saw some tears in her eyes.

"I will tell you something, Ryoma-chan, up to now, only you and your brother are people I can consider to be my friends," Lavinia said. "All the others, they only see me as Countess Lavinia, not as a person…"

A tear rolled down Lavinia's cheek and she tightened her fists. Her body trembled and she gave up all resistance. She cried.

"Senpai…" Ryoma muttered, shocked.

She didn't expect this to happen. And she couldn't believe what she was seeing. Every time at school when she saw Miyabi, she is to be a calm person who was always in control of her emotions. But she didn't know that it was so difficult for her. Ryoma felt ashamed of herself. Lavinia was separated from her family in France. She was brought to Japan and was expected to marry a stranger and lived all her life with him. She had no one to comfort or to advise her. However, despite how much she was frightened, she didn't protest and courageously crossed half of the earth and obeyed to everything it was expected from her. Yet she, Ryoma, she had her family and her friends around her, always caring and supporting her, she was scared of her own feelings and ran away from them.

'I'm so shameful,' Ryoma thought. She looked at Lavinia's crying face. 'It must be harder for her than for me…'

Ryoma let Lavinia poured all her sadness out without interrupting her. Ryoma thought it was the best thing to do at the moment and Lavinia was grateful for her quiet presence. Suddenly, an idea came to Ryoma.

"Miyabi-senpai, are you free this afternoon?" Ryoma asked.

Surprised, Lavinia stopped crying and looked up at Ryoma.

"Yes…" Lavinia answered. "Why do you ask?"

"Then will you spend the rest of the day with me?"

"Heh…?"

"Come on! Let's go!" Ryoma stood up, grabbed Lavinia's hands and pulled her up.

"Ah! Wait, Ryoma-chan!"

"Miyabi-senpai, you are weird when you cry. I don't recognize you and I don't like it. I'm going to change it! So come with me, senpai!" Ryoma said with a smile and continued to pull Lavinia after her. Lavinia was dumbstruck by Ryoma's smile, but eventually, she returned it too. Ryoma's smile was contagious. She let Ryoma pulled her where the Ryoma wanted, just happy by Ryoma's reaction.

Ryoma called her brother and he came to fetch them. The two Echizens brought Lavinia downtown again. They resumed to Ryoma's favorite hobby after tennis: annoying her brother by making his wallet lose weight. Of course, Ryoga wasn't going to let his wallet getting emptier without saying his word, which always ended up in an argument between the two of them in the middle of the street. People passing kept watching them, but that didn't stop them. Lavinia was highly amused. Ryoga and Ryoma were so funny for making a big scene over two ice creams in front of everyone without feeling embarrassed.

After, it was Ryoga's turn to take revenge. When Ryoma wasn't around, he suggested to Lavinia to go to some dress stores, saying that Japanese fashion was quite original and interesting to discover. Amused and curious to know why a guy actually proposed to a girl to go in dress shop, Lavinia agreed. When Ryoma returned back and Lavinia told her where they were going next, Ryoma couldn't run away. Then, the three of them (actually two willingly and one dragging in by the neck of her shirt by her brother) headed to a dress store of Ryoga's choice. Soon, Lavinia discovered why Ryoga wanted to go in a dress shop. Ryoga had trapped Ryoma in a corner of the store. He was grinning evilly down at his little sister, a red strapless dress in his hand - the smallest he found in the store. Ryoma, who was sweating cold the sweat, did everything she could to avoid being touched by the red horror in Ryoga's hands. In a desperate attempt to run away, Ryoma dodged under Ryoga's legs and to climb on the top of a mannequin. But that didn't stop Ryoga. He gathered all the dresses he found and put them at the feet of the mannequin. When he finished, he looked up at his hissing scary cat sister, laughing. Ryoma was trapped on the top on the mannequin. She couldn't escape away with the dresses blocking her. The manager of the store soon came and he scowled Ryoga while the clerks tried to convince Ryoma to get down from the mannequin. As Lavinia watched the whole thing, she couldn't help but laugh.

'Hahahaha! I never saw something so funny in my life. Hahahaha!' Lavinia thought as she swept the tear from the corner of her eye. 'It's been so long since I…' She stopped. 'It's been so long since I laughed like this…' Lavinia realized. She brought her eyes back to Ryoma. 'And it's all thanks to her…'

Ryoma was still perched on the top of the mannequin. Her eyes were getting wet and she started to cry. Seeing this, Ryoga immediately stopped the teasing. He didn't realize that his joke went so far. He apologized to her, saying that he won't do it again and told her to get down from the mannequin. But Ryoma refused to move. She stubbornly tightened her arms around the mannequin head, her face red. Lavinia decided to make her move. She went to Ryoma and stopped in front of the mannequin. She spoke to Ryoma with a sweet voice with a lot of calming smiles. Eventually, Ryoma listened to her and stopped crying. When Lavinia saw that Ryoma had calm down, she told the clerks to remove away all the dresses at the mannequin feet, which they immediately did. Then, Lavinia held out her hands to Ryoma, telling her to climb down. Hesitantly, Ryoma gave Lavinia her hand and climbed down. Lavinia took out her handkerchief and wiped the tears in Ryoma's puffy eyes, telling her everything was over and that there was nothing else to be scared about anymore. To console the still distressed little girl, the manager of the store petted Ryoma's head and he gave her a lollipop (because of Ryoma's short height, he thought Ryoma was a school grader).

Ryoga guessed that Ryoma was still distressed because she was scared of her previous trip in a dress shop. Yagyuu told him about the make-over Ryoma had on the day of Fuji's birthday. He even supplied Ryoga some pictures. To apologize to her, Ryoga bought her a stuff toy, a plushy Himalayan cat like Karupin. When she saw the toy, Ryoma immediately stopped crying and smiled, eagerly taking the toy in her arms it. Ryoga petted her head as she hugged it in her arms. Lavinia smiled as she watched the two of them. Thanks to Ryoga and Ryoma, she felt much better.

'Arigatou, Ryoma-chan…'

A/N:Okay, I know I exaggerated with Ryoma trapped on the mannequin, but I cannot help it. I think it's cute that Ryoma can be a little girl sometime. She was far way too serious up to now. Sorry if it annoyed you, but I don't think that I will change it.