Hi! I am back with the next chapter. Without further ado, this is the continuation. Domo… ^_^
DISCLAIMER: The Prince of Tennis belongs to Konomi Takeshi-sensei and Gakuen Alice belongs to Higuchi Tachibana-san. All rights reserved to the both of them.
Chapter 5: Training Regimen
Chapte Summary: She thought everything was right if she would get familiar with stones but she was totally wrong about it.
She blinked her eyes twice as she stared at the front porch of their house. She couldn't have imagined it, right? There was no way that he was there.
There was no way that Echizen Ryoma was standing in front of their porch that Saturday morning.
"Yo."
She flinched this time when she heard him talk, "R-Ryoma-kun?" She was uncertain as she blinked her eyes, "W-what are you doing here?"
Ryoma didn't say a word until a full minute of silence;
"Just making sure that everything's alright."
"E-eh?" She reacted. Could it be that Ryoma was guarding her for some reason? She couldn't believe what was happening. It was too early and he was already standing in front of their porch.
"Ikou." Ryoma said walking ahead of her.
She flinched when he started walking away from her, "M-matte!"
Seigaku, Tennis Court:
No one was there yet, except for the new transferee students.
"What are you doing here?" Ryoma stoically asked them. Natsume and Mikan were playing tennis at the meantime. He then looked at Mikan, "Aren't you practicing in your own courts?"
Mikan looked at him and replied, "There are no girls yet there. Only Natsume and I are the ones in the court," She looked at Sakuno who was silently looking at them, "Good thing that you two are early."
"I am always early," Ryoma said as he looked away, "When I feel like practicing." He whispered that as low as possible but Sakuno heard him.
Sakuno knew his schedule most of the time. She also knew that he would always come late for practice that he gave lame excuses to his senpais. She couldn't help but giggle at that.
"What's funny?" Ryoma frowned at her.
"G-gomen," She replied as she weakly smiled, "I just remembered something."
"Sakuno's here now," Mikan said catching her attention, "Why don't you play me."
"M-me?" Sakuno was shocked when she asked that. She immediately waved her hands in front of her, "I—I'm not good. I… I can't play you."
"Come on, Sakuno," She said grabbing her hands as she started dragging her away from there, "It'll be fun. I'll teach you too."
"W-wait!" She started to panic but she let her drag her out from the court and went to their own.
Ryoma and Natsume were left there watching the girls go their courts. Ryoma knew that it would be a one-sided match but somehow, he knew that the alice user would give her some advice that she needed to know. He could trust the girl to her as he thought about it. His senpais were nowhere to be found and he was wondering about it. Were they really early? He was not an early bird to begin with not that he admitted it. And he was already bored. Sighing, he looked at the raven-haired boy and called him.
"Ne," He started. Natsume didn't say anything but he urged him to continue which he did, "Let's play."
Later on:
The first class started the day. Sakuno was focusing at what the teacher was saying in front of them. But Natsume was not really paying attention to the class. He was actually reading a manga at that moment. She would glance at him for several times just to check up on him.
The boy was not really paying attention at anything.
Even the teacher had caught him for several times. The boy was just giving him the unexpected answers to the teacher making the whole class shock in awe. The girls had started to admire him because of his unbelievable talent. She could only think of one.
Natsume was naturally gifted.
Somehow, he reminded her of Ryoma, good at everything. Although, Natsume was the grumpy one while Ryoma was the cocky type. She thought that it was hard to approach the fire alice user and she didn't know why he was acting like that.
"Hey,"
She flinched when he said that not looking at her and continued.
"Stop looking at me like that, it's creepy."
She blushed as she looked away. Well, she was embarrassed because she was caught looking at him but she pouted when he said those words to her.
At least Ryoma was a little considerate than him.
But still there must be a reason why.
"N-Natsume-kun," He glared at her this time making her panic in the process, "G-gomen, i-is it okay for me to call you that? O-or would you prefer me to call you Hyuuga-kun?"
"Anything is fine," He immediately said looking away from her, "And you stutter too much."
"W-What?"
"Try to speak in full sentences, it's bothering."
She pouted once again. Natsume was rude. Didn't he know that she was nervous because he was treating her that way? She could only stutter when she was nervous at something and that was what explained why she was stuttering around Ryoma. She was now because Natsume was rude to her. She didn't answer back and looked away instead.
Indeed, Ryoma was more considerate than him.
Lunch time:
There were no classes but the practice would continue in the afternoon. Tomoka and Sakuno were watching the boy's team practice at that moment. There were other girls watching the game as well. The number of audience had increased because of Natsume.
They kept shouting the boy's name.
"Looks like you got yourself a rival," Fuji said smiling as usual, "Echizen."
Ryoma peeked an eye at him and replied, "What do you mean, senpai?"
He looked at Natsume who was currently rallying against Arai, "Hyuuga is making a scene for the girls."
He closed his amber eyes after he heard that, "It doesn't matter."
"Even if Ryuzaki-chan is cheering for him?"
Upon hearing her name, he opened his eyes and slowly looked at the fence. His gaze looked at her direction and analyzed what she was doing. Sakuno was pretty excited watching the game. Her hands were clasped to her chest as she watched Natsume play. Her best friend kept shouting Natsume's name and claiming that she's second to Ryoma… she was cheering for the raven-haired boy in the end. He looked away from the fence as he pinned his hat down but he didn't answer his senpai's question.
Fuji saw his reaction and smiled afterwards. He then looked back at the court and saw the match being one-sided. His thoughts were still running wild. This is rather interesting.
After school practice:
The girl's team was no difference of playing seriously as well. Mikan got lots of admirers as well but she didn't entertain them not until she became friendly with them. Sakuno did her best to practice as well. They played tennis in the morning and Mikan's advice was pretty effective for her. She thought that she could join the ranking tournament and would try her best for it. If Mikan was good at sports, she would not lose her faith at the sports as well.
She would try her best to become better.
The day was over but she was still there. A teacher had asked her for an errand and told Tomoka to leave without her. After delivering the papers to the science club, she excused herself and planned of meeting Mikan and Natsume at the rooftop. The two thought that it was about time to teach her the basic about the alice that she was currently possessing.
They said that it was better for her safety.
Just as she went to the rooftop, a shock was formed on her face and immediately ran forward;
"N-Natsume-kun!" She called out to him as she saw some blood to his arm. His eyes were red indicating that he had a fight a while ago. She kneeled down next to him and tried to touch him but the boy just shoved her hand.
"Get away from me!" He harshly said glaring at her.
"B-but you're injured?" She said trying to reach out for him, "W-what happened? Who could've done this?"
"None of your business," Natsume said as he tried to hide it from her. He cursed through his lungs thinking that Mikan would be there any minute now. Making the girl worry would be last thing he wanted to see from her, "Just leave it be."
But Sakuno had a different determination and firmly grabbed his arm, "Stop being stubborn and let me see it." She held his hand with her hands and aimlessly did something about it.
A green light suddenly appeared from her palm and it transferred to his injured arm. Their eyes both widened when they saw the light that came from her hand. What shocked them even more was when the injury from his arm was slowly disappearing.
After a few seconds, it was completely gone. Natsume blinked twice as he lifted his arm to test it for injury. Just like he couldn't react when the girl grabbed his arm, he was also unable to react when she did that.
Sakuno on the other hand, looked at her own hand. Her eyes widened as she couldn't believe what she just did a while ago. She healed Natsume's arm in an instant. She used her second alice to him.
"Don't tell Mikan about this."
"Eh?" She looked at Natsume who was seriously staring at her.
"Keep this between us." His now hazel eyes were seriously staring at her own eyes.
"B-but why?"
"It's for the best," He narrowed his eyes when she still couldn't get him, "Don't let her know. She doesn't need to know."
She clasped her hands tight as she didn't know what to say. Why would Natsume tell her that? Was it supposed to be the other way around? She just couldn't understand him. And who attacked him? Was it the same guy from the other day? She didn't know. She wanted to make it clear to him but before she could ask him, the door to rooftop opened and revealed four people.
Mikan, Ryoma, Momo and Fuji.
"Saa… What do we have here?" Fuji said looking at the both of them, "Are you secretly seeing each other?"
"S-senpai!" Sakuno blushed when she heard that from him, "We are not!"
Natsume just grunted as he looked away.
Ryoma pinned his hat down as he whispered, "Stupid senpai."
"Saa…" Fuji looked at him and gave him his usual smile, "I am only joking Echizen."
"Che…" He grunted as much, "What are you doing here anyway?"
"We swear to protect Ryuzaki-chan too remember," Momo said answering for him, "We need to know what is happening to her."
Sakuno was blushing really hard. She didn't know what to say. She was getting attention to the people that she never expected before.
"Natsume…" Mikan walked forward to him, "Are you alright? Something's bothering you, isn't it?"
"No." He curtly replied. Mikan frowned but she didn't dig in to it.
Sakuno stared at the two of them and somehow, she felt why Natsume didn't want Mikan to know about the injury.
Natsume didn't want to worry Mikan for him.
She looked down as she thought. I don't want to worry someone as well. Natsume is good in the inside but rude on the outside. Even so he's actually nice.
Ryoma looked at the corner of his eyes and saw how she looked down. Her expression was giving him something that he didn't like to see. Somehow, it irritated him and he didn't know why. He looked away so that he couldn't see that look from her anymore.
Momo saw his kouhai's reaction and thought of teasing him but Fuji just stopped him by the shoulder. Fuji also saw the hidden tense between them. Momo looked at them in the end.
"Well, we need to start now," Mikan said looking at Sakuno this time, "Let's practice with the alices that you have."
Sakuno's heart skipped a beat when she heard that, "I… I'll try my best."
"We can't do it here," Natsume said catching their attention, "We need a place where no one can see us."
"He's right," Fuji said agreeing to Natsume, "I know a place where you can practice."
Everyone looked at the tensai and thought what he was talking about. Momo was the one to ask him;
"Where, Fuji-senpai?"
Later on:
"H-how did you know this place, senpai?" Sakuno couldn't believe what she was seeing.
"Well, I used to play tennis here with my little brother when we were kids," Fuji said walking forward and looked ahead of them, "I never thought that I could visit this place again."
"Sugoi, senpai," Momo said eyeing the place, "This looks like a…"
"A secret garden." Ryoma finished.
"It is indeed a garden," Fuji looked at them, "Well, you can call it a secret since no one has been here lately."
He was right as they looked at the place. The garden was like a jungle because of the trees that was grown wildly in the area. The place was still alive for some reason but it needed cleanliness and maintenance. Sakuno slowly walked to a branch and touched the leaves there;
"This place is pretty. It only needs some tidying." She softly said as her eyes softened to the leaves. She could see some buds and she knew that they would bloom soon.
"We are not here to take care of the place," Natsume said cutting them, "We're here to train her."
"Sorry about that Sakuno," Mikan whispered to her ear, "He's just like that all the time."
Sakuno just sweat dropped as she closed her eyes.
"Well, we better get on with it. Don't you think so?" Mikan said looking at them which everyone nodded.
xxx
"W-what am I going to do then?" Sakuno said as she was standing in front of a tiled floor that was just at the center of the garden.
Natsume walked to the side and faced her a few meters away from him, "You just have to do what you did to me when we first met." With that he created a fire ball to his hand.
Fuji's eyes opened in wide as well as Momo's.
"I-Is that magic?" Momo said looking at Ryoma who was just intensely looking at the boy.
Sakuno was shocked when he said that. She couldn't even remember what she did that time so how could she make it this time. Those chances that she created them were only pure incidental, "N-Natsume-kun, I—I can't remember—"
"Let's start." He said as he suddenly threw the fire magic towards her which she just ducked from it, "Idiot! You're supposed to block it not to dodge it!"
She bowed at him for several times, "Gomenasai!"
Mikan placed a hand to Natsume's arm and said, "Natsume, go easy on her."
"Our enemies will not going to be easy on us," Natsume looked at her and continued, "She has to learn how to fight back."
"I know but—"
"If you are worried about her, you let her try this!" Natsume glared at Mikan this time. Mikan was taken aback at his eyes which were seriously looking at her. They weren't red but she could see the fierce look at them.
Mikan looked down and removed her hand from him. She then looked at Sakuno and smiled, "Sakuno just concentrate, I know you can do it."
"B-but Mikan-chan…"
Natsume threw another fire to her dodging it again for the second time, "I told you not to dodge it!"
"I… I am trying!" Sakuno said biting her lower lip. She took a quick glance to Ryoma and to his senpais but they were too shock to absorb everything. Then she noticed a fireball being directed to her. In an instant, she tried to block it with her hands but it only stung her palms due to heat making her shriek from the pain.
"Pay attention!" Natsume retorted as he threw another fire ball.
Still not recovering for the pain, she went to her sides tripping in the process. She was on fours at that very moment. Natsume cursed as he gripped his hands tight.
"Hyuuga-san," Fuji said catching his attention, "Make her recover for a while."
Natsume looked at him, "Didn't you hear what I said earlier? They will not save us some time when that happens."
"I know that you are worried," Fuji started walking a little closer to the boy, "But you are only scaring her more that she cannot fight back."
Natsume looked at Sakuno who was still not moving from the ground. She was looking on it as she was trembling. He looked away from her and said, "She cannot stay weak like that. Stop spoiling her."
"Natsume." Mikan called out to him but he ignored her.
"She's one of us now," Natsume announced to them, "She has to learn what we have."
Sakuno heard him making her eyes wide. She was absorbing something from the thought that she was not aware what they were talking about but they knew that they were arguing about the training. She gripped her hands tight before she decided to stand up and looked at them;
"Natsume-kun," She said catching the boy's attention as well as the rest, "Please, let's continue."
"Are you sure, Ryuzaki-chan?" Momo said this time, "Do something Echizen."
Ryoma just pinned his hat down. He wanted this stupid training to stop as well. But what could he do? It seemed like Sakuno did need the training to protect herself which was not her problem in the first place. He secretly gritted his teeth at that thought. If he didn't give the necklace to her, things wouldn't have come to this.
Natsume didn't say anything but he created a bigger fire ball this time.
Everyone was silently watching the scene. Sakuno was shocked as she stared at the fire. She then closed her eyes and tried to concentrate. She had to do it. She didn't want everyone to worry about her. Just like what Natsume said, she was one of them now. She might have put a good use to it.
As the fire alice went directly at her, she snapped her eyes opened and raised her hands to cover it from catching her body.
The others watched how she was being engulfed with the white light causing the fire to reflect back before it disappeared. Fuji and Momo were definitely surprised at what she did.
"I… I made it." Sakuno whispered to herself as she looked at her palms, "I released the barrier alice."
"Were not done yet," Natsume said throwing another set of fire ball, "Stay focus."
"H-hai!" She tried to block it the second but it was only for a short time.
"More!"
"Hai!"
Later on:
They were both breathing really hard after a few minutes of training. Natsume was pretty worn out and so as her. The rest was just helplessly watched the incredible scene that was bestowed upon them. But what shocked them was when Natsume kneeled and cough for several times while clenching his shirt.
"Natsume!" Mikan was the one to approach him.
Sakuno was worried as well so she joined the pigtailed girl, "I-is he alright?"
Mikan shook her head, "This is what I am worried about. Natsume's alice is a dangerous type. If he uses his alice more than he could bare, his life would be at stake."
"Stop worrying about me, polka dots," Natsume said not looking at her. His breathing was slowly becoming back to normal, "I am fine."
"No you're not!" Mikan leaned her head to his shoulder, "Stop now… please, stop for today."
They just looked at them. Natsume was pretty shocked when Mikan said something like that. He looked away but he didn't say anything. The others were speechless as well.
"I guess we should go home," Fuji said catching their attention, "Feel free to come back here when you feel like it."
"I… I guess so…" Sakuno said before she slowly collapsed. Before she could fall on the ground, Fuji was able to catch her. He held her to her back and to her knees.
Ryoma ran to them and looked at her expression. But before he could get it, Fuji beat him for it.
"Don't worry, she's just lost consciousness."
He couldn't help but feel relieve about it.
Later on:
They went home together. Ryoma had never done anything like this but he had stubbornly told his senpais that he would be the one taking Sakuno home. The girl was still unconscious and that was the problem why Fuji was doubting about it.
He was pretty persistent so he agreed in the end. She was at the back of the younger tennis prodigy. Momo had begun teasing him but he was just ignoring him… well almost.
Fuji and Momo separated ways from them after that. Ryoma realized that she was not that heavy that he could carry her until they reached her home. He still had to explain to Sumire why would they end up in that state. He would hope that his coach would accept his explanations later.
"Well, Ryoma-kun, this is where we part ways," Mikan said, "We will see you tomorrow for another training."
He nodded when she said that. He had expected that from her. Natsume and Mikan turned their backs at him and started walking on their way home. Ryoma thought of something as he stared at their backs. With a decision being made, he took a step forward and said;
"Sakura."
Mikan looked at him as well as Natsume. The former blinked her eyes before he asked him;
"What is it?"
He stared at her for a long time. Sakuno moved a little from his back and when she found her comfortable position once again. He stated his thoughts to the waiting people in front of him;
"I want a favor to ask…"
Done! How was this chapter? What was Ryoma's favor? Hmmm… You'll know in the future… Thank you once again…
Reviews please… I need to know your thoughts… Thank you very much… ^_^
Next Chapter: The Lone Cat