I sat down on my bed and looked at Chiyo . It's probably time to tell her what happened between my parents , Ryuzaki and Momoshiro-senpai . I can trust her enough to tell her . She sat down beside me and kept quiet . I took a deep breath and started telling her about what had happened .
"Ryoma , are you sure you want to tell me ? I mean , Isn't it unpleasant ? The memories .." She stopped me before I could start . I reached out to her and patted her head with my hands .
"Its fine . I want you to know ."
"O..Okay . I'm ready . You can start whenever ."
"Alright ." So here goes nothing . "When I was in my first year of middle school ,I came back from America because my Dad asked me to and so I attended Seishun middle school . Before attending the school , I met Ryuzaki Sakuno at a tennis tournament that I joined . She was there with her Grandmother , Ryuzaki-sensei . Well , I was lost so I asked her for directions and we sort of got to know each other when I found out that she was also a student at Seishun Middle school . I joined the tennis club there and I eventually became a regular player . During those days , I became close to the senpais that I met and eventually , I became Momoshiro-senpai's best friend . I also became quite close with Ryuzaki as she was always at our tennis matches , cheering us on while we journeyed through the nationals . She was also close to Momoshiro-senpai and the three of us always hung out together . As time passes on , I took a liking to her . After the nationals , she confessed to me and eventually we went out with each other ."
Before I continued , I took a glance at Chiyo . She was listening attentively to me . Yet , she's looking at me with a worried look .
"Everything was normal . Ryuzaki and I went out with each other for that entire year and during our second year . We never fought . I guess you could say we were happy . We hung out a lot together and also with Momoshiro-senpai . The three of us were always together . We played tennis together , ate lunch at our usual Burger joint , studied at the school library and also other stuff . During our third year , my parents weren't really getting along with each other and they were constantly shouting at each other at home . I never really liked being at home . I always felt like shit whenever i'm at home . But , even so , I still stayed happy because I knew that I had Ryuzaki and Momoshiro-senpai . Because of that , I was able to stay strong . They were my pillars of support . Well … That's what I thought .. until ..." I clenched my fist hard . Damn it ! Why do I feel like my heart is being struck with a knife ?! These painful memories are running through my mind . "..Until I saw them kissing on the school roof … I saw them kissing . My best-friend and my Girlfriend . I asked them what the hell they were doing ..and they told me that they were in love with each other . I was really angry and thus , a fight started between me and momoshiro-senpai . We were yelling at each other and throwing fist at each other . I was just so angry at him . And then , Ryuzaki shouted "Ryoma-kun ! Stop it ! Stop hitting Takeshi ! I never even loved you in the first place ! I was only using you to get close to Takeshi because he was your best friend ! I was in love with him from the beginning ! So stopping hitting him already ! Getting close to you , confessing to you and going out with you was all a plan to get to Takeshi ! I've never loved you ! You're nothing in my heart !" . Momoshiro-senpai pushed me a side and stood beside her . He shouted "You hear that you brat ? You're nothing to her . So stop clinging on to someone who doesn't even love you ! Disgusting bastard ." At that moment , I felt that my heart was about to tear apart .When I went home , I found out that my mother had an affair with another man and that my parents are filing for a divorce . My father was going to travel overseas and my mother is going to marry that guy once they're divorced .They were going to leave me alone . And that's when..." I choked on my words . My shoulders shook . These memories are making me … I felt like I was about to cry ..No , I can't cry ! I'm not going to cry ! Just then , Chiyo got up from where she was and sat down on the bed beside me . She wrapped her arms around me and embraced me .
"W-weirdo ? What are you doing ? What , Do you feel sorry for me ?" I scoffed .
"No ." She replied .
"Are you trying to seduce me ? We're on a bed you know ."
"Idiot ! Don't act like that !"
"Huh ?"
"Don't pretend that you're okay ! You don't have to pretend anymore ! I know its painful ! I know its hurting inside ! I know you want to cry …"
I kept quiet . I .. I felt like crying . But ..
"It's okay ! If you want to cry , then cry ! Its okay to cry ! You don't have to hold it back anymore ! So just cry ! Let it all out . You'll feel better .You can be yourself when you're with me , Ryoma ."
"Weirdo.." I couldn't bare it anymore . I wrapped my arms around her back and hugged her as tight as I could . Tears started flowing out of my eyes . "Sorry .. I ..."
"It's okay Ryoma . I'm here for you . It's okay ." She patted my back .
"I.. didn't know what to do . Back then , I felt hatred , I felt anger and I felt betrayed . Everyone that I loved , left me . I felt so... alone … It just hurts so much .How could they do this to me . How could they say those things .. Even my parents did something like that to me . Even though I said that I hated them ... all this time , I was hoping that they might come to their senses and come back home to me and we'll be a family again . But … that's hopeless now … A day ago , my mom told me that she's going to leave japan for Paris with her new family and she's not coming back anymore . My dad too , has settled down with his new family in Hawaii . We'll never be a family again .. I'm going to be ...alone again .." I cried . My body just won't stop shivering . Tears just won't stop flowing out of my eyes . Then , I felt Chiyo's hand on my head . She caressed it while saying something .
"Pain , pain , go away . Don't be sad anymore ." She said .
"What are you doing ?" I asked .
"My mom used to do this to me whenever i'm sad . It always calmed me down . So , i'm hoping it will for you .And , you're not alone anymore . You have me , Kaidoh-senpai and Oishi-senpai . So , pain , pain go away ." She repeated the same sentence over and over while touching my head .We stayed in this position for quite sometime . I eventually calmed down and stopped crying .
"Idiot...Why did you come .." I asked while still hugging her .
"What do you mean why ? You were sick so-"
I pulled myself away from her and I looked at her .
"No . Why did you come into my life ?"
"Huh ?" She looked confusedly at me .
"I .. I was fine being alone before you came into my life . I was getting used to being lonely .."
"You shouldn't get used to being lonely ..That's just sad .." she looked down .
"I didn't have a choice back then.." I replied . But now , I have . I'm not alone anymore .
Still holding on to her , I looked at her . She looked up at me and our eyes met .
"I can't go back to being alone anymore … I don't know how anymore . After I met you , I just don't know how to go back to being alone .You .. turned my life upside down .. Whenever i'm feeling down or sad , you're the one that cheered me up . You were there for me when I was in my darkest time . You were the one that held my hands tightly in yours when I was feeling lonely . You were the one that held me tightly in your arms when I was about to cry . You...were the one that made a difference in my life .." You taught me how to trust and love again . The feelings that I thought I'd lost , came back . Feelings of trust , friendship and love . Slowly, I shifted my hands to where her hands were .
"R-Ryoma ?" She blushed as pulled her hands away but I grabbed on to it .The palms of our hands met . I pressed my palm against hers and then I felt a warm sensation . Her face grew bright red and I could hear her heartbeat . "E-erm.. Ryoma .. let me go ..."
"No..Don't go away .. I'll be too lonely if you went away ..All this time ,you gave me warmth and happiness . You reminded me of things that I had already forgotten . Your smile , your touch , your voice were the things that supported me when I faced my past trauma . I was able to get back up on my feet because you were there ." I lifted one hand up towards her face and stroked her cheek . "Your very existence is the very reason that I was able to stand back up . Chiyo , meeting you was the best thing that ever happened to me . Because Chiyo , you lit up my life . You changed my life . So , don't go . Stay with me .."
I looked at her with gentle eyes . She was staring at me , looking all dazed and her face was flushed red . I could felt my heart beating fast . What's this . Such amazing heartbeat . I could feel my face getting hot . I never felt something like this before . Not even with Ryuzaki .This is a whole different feeling . Why am I feeling so nervous ? Just then , Chiyo took in a deep breath .
"Ryoma ..I..." She choked on her words and she blushed . She closed her eyes and looked away from me . "I ..i think there's something wrong with me .."
"Huh ?" Did she not understand what i'm saying ?
"Recently...I ...i keep thinking about you .. But when I do , I keep having these weird heartbeats and I can't stop myself from being flustered ! When you're not around me , I feel so lonely ! When you're near me , I feel happy and a sense of security ! When you're hurt , I kept thinking what I'll do if you're gone ! The thought of you getting hurt and disappearing scares me ! When you touch me , my heart beats faster and my face just feel hot ! I just can't act normal whenever i'm around you ! My voice gets all weird and abnormal . I can't think straight when it comes to you ! I do weird things when i'm with you ! I..I can't stop myself from thinking about you ! I...I've been thinking about it for a while now and I've finally figured it out what's wrong .."
I smiled to myself . Geez , she scared the hell out of me . And I thought she didn't understood me . She turned towards me and opened her eyes . Her face was redder then ever .
"Ryoma ! I... I ..."
Before she could say anything else , I placed one of my hands on her cheek and i leaned forward towards her face . And then , there was silence in the room . The silence was so deafening yet peaceful . I could hear the birds chipping outside and the sounds of their wings flapping as they flew off . But on top of all , I felt the heat of Chiyo's lips against mine . Her lips were soft and warm . I felt a weird sensation . I pulled away from her slightly and pressed my forehead against hers . Her face was red and she was looking all spaced out .
"I know . Because I feel the same . I love you Chiyo .." I looked into her eyes . Her face was flushed red and slowly , she closed her eyes .
"Ryoma , I... I love you too.." She blushed. I smiled as i pressed my lips against hers . My other hand held her hands and our palms pressed against each other . A sweet heat crept on to my hands as I held hers . This feels .. nice . I just wish time would stop .
BANG ! The door slammed open all of a sudden which made Chiyo jump and pull away from me . Fuji-senpai strolled in .
"Sorry Echizen , I think I left my phone in here , mind if I take a look ?" He stopped . "Did I interrupt something ?" He turned towards Chiyo . She was standing near the wall about a few steps away from me and her face was flushed red . "Chiyo-chan are you okay ? Your face is red !"
"I-i-i-it's N-n-n-nothing ! I-i-i'm going to w-wash the d-dishes !" She grabbed the empty bowl and ran out of the room , closing the door . Fuji-senpai stood there and stared at the door . He turned towards me with a confused look on his face .
"Erm , did I do something ?" he asked . Oh god ! Someone get me a knife ! I'm going to kill this sadist right here , right now !
"Fuji-senpai . Ever heard of knocking ?!" I shouted and I shot a glare at him .
"What ? Hmmm... So I did interrupt you two ." He started smiling with his sadistic smile . I blushed and he smiled even more . "Hmm , I'm curious . The two of you are alone in a room with a bed . Chiyo-chan's face was so red when I came in . Just what were the two of you doing huh ?"
"You know what fuji-senpai ? Go to hell !" I cursed .
Chiyo
I can't believe what just happened ! I.. I kissed Ryoma . Ryoma Kissed me . That was my first kiss ! The sensation of his lips , I could still feel it . And when his hands held mine , I felt a weird sensation . His hands was so big and warm . My face is so hot . I can't stop thinking about it ! I walked to the kitchen and started washing up . I.. I'm in love with Ryoma . I only realized it recently . But I never thought that he felt the same . I was just so happy when he told me his feelings .
"Oh ! Chiyo . You're washing the dishes ?" Oishi-senpai walked in .
"Yeah ." I replied .
"I'll help out !" Oishi-senpai walked in and started helping me out with the dishes .
"Thank you Oishi-senpai . So how's practice going ?" I asked . Phew , it seemed like I've calmed down a bit .
"Oh , its going just fine . Everyone's working hard . In fact they're practicing right now . "
"What about you Oishi-senpai ?"
"Oh me ? I'm just here to take care of everyone's health and safety ." He laughed .
"Hehe , Oishi-senpai , you're like a mom ." I giggled .
"I get that a lot . Speaking of which , how's Echizen doing ?"
Ba-thump ! My heart skipped a beat when he mentioned Ryoma's name .
"W-well .. he's f-fine .." My voice started to shiver . Not again ! I'm acting weird again !
"Chiyo ?"
I took a deep breath . Chiyo , relax !
"He's fine . He just took his medication and now he's resting in his room ."
"I see . That's great news .So , are you going back to stay with him ?"
"N-No ! I mean , I don't want to disturb him !" What am I saying !? I can't face him ! It's too awkward !
"In that case , want to come watch the team practice ?" He asked . What ? Watch practice ?
"Can I ?"
"Sure ! You can see what we do during practice . Plus the air is great outside . I'm heading there now . Want to come with me ?"
"Okay . Thanks , Oishi-senpai ." I took up his offer . Having some fresh air might be good for me . Plus , I need to calm down . I need to sort things out . And I've never seen a tennis practice before ! I walked beside Oishi-senpai and headed out to the tennis courts located just outside the inn . It seemed like everyone is busy with practice . Oishi-senpai and I sat down on a bench that was nearby and watched them practice . It's so peaceful . The wind blew against my hair . I like this feeling . Its so calm and relaxing . I closed my eyes for a bit . Just then , I heard a whistle . Ryuzaki-sensei blew a whistle and everyone gathered around her .
"Alright , lets have a short break . You guys can do whatever you want . Just be back here in half an hour ."
"Yes !" they shouted together . Then , Kaidoh-senpai made his way towards us . Oishi-senpai stood up and handed him a towel .
"Great work out there Kaidoh ." Oishi-senpai said .
"Thanks , Oishi-senpai ." Kaidoh-senpai took the towel from Oishi-senpai and he wiped his sweat away . Kaidoh-senpai turned towards me .
"Hey Chiyo . You came to watch us practice ?" he asked .
"Yeah." I smiled at him . "You were really cool out there ! I'm kinda envious though . I can't play tennis like that at all ."
"Chiyo , you play tennis ?" The both of them asked . They looked surprised .
"Well.. I guess so . But I can't play it that well . In fact , i'm really bad at it . Hehe.." I can't even hit the ball correctly ! It always fly off to another direction .
"Oh , I see . And I thought we could have a little match . Just for fun though ." Oishi-senpai said .
"Sorry . . I'm really bad at it ." I laughed in embarrassment .
"We could teach you if you like ." Kaidoh-senpai told me . Eh ?! T-teach me ?! I can't trouble them so much !
"It's fine kaidoh-senpai ! You don't have to ! I can't trouble you guys !" I shouted . And besides , they still have to prepare for the upcoming tournament . They should use their free time to rest .
"It's no trouble at all . I don't mind teaching .It'll also help me study up on the basics of tennis ."
"But.."
"Don't worry about it . And besides , don't you want to play tennis with Echizen ?"
"That's right Chiyo ! If you can play tennis , i'm sure you'll be able to play with Echizen one day ! All of us can play tennis together !" Oishi-senpai beamed at me . Play tennis with Ryoma ? I blushed . I .. I want to play with Ryoma , tennis that is . Rather then watching Ryoma play tennis , I want to play alongside him . Oishi-senpai waved his hands over my face .
"Chiyo ? You okay ? Your face is red . Don't tell me you caught Echizen's Cold ?! Oh no ! What do we do ?!"
"I-i'm fine Oishi-senpai ! Calm down !" Geez , Oishi-senpai really gets worried too easily .
"So how about it Chiyo ? Why don't you let us teach you ? Tennis that is ." Kaidoh-senpai asked me . It's fine right ? Wanting to learn tennis . Wanting to play tennis with Ryoma , Oishi-senpai and Kaidoh-senpai . I won't be bothering them at all right ?
"Chiyo ?" Kaidoh-senpai called out to me .
"I want to learn ." I said , looking down to the ground .
"Huh ?"
"I want to learn how to play tennis ! I want to play tennis with you , Oishi-senpai and Ryoma ! Is it okay with you if you teach me how ?" I looked up and asked Kaidoh-senpai . I stared at the both of them with my eyes wide open in anticipation. The both of them looked at me and then , they started laughing to themselves . Eh ? Did I say something funny ?
"What are you saying Chiyo . Of course we'll teach you ." Kaidoh-senpai replied .
"That's right Chiyo ." Oishi-senpai continued laughing .
"Then .. why are you laughing ?"
"Its because your reaction was just so funny !" Oishi-senpai just can't stop laughing . Was my reaction ..weird ? My face turned red . Ah , i'm turning weird again ! It's because Ryoma is involved ! Oishi-senpai stopped laughing .
"How about we teach you after practice ?" Kaidoh-senpai asked .
"Eh ? Won't you be tired ? You need to rest ! What happens if you got sick ?!"
Oishi-senpai came over and placed his hands on my shoulder .
"Don't worry about him . He always stays back after tennis practice to practice on his own . So he'll be fine ."
"Eh really ? Then .. okay ." I nodded .
"Speaking of which , how's Echizen doing ?" Kaidoh-senpai asked me .
"He's resting in his room . He's fine ."
Just then , a whistle blew and Ryuzaki-sensei called out for everyone to gather . Kaidoh-senpai handed the towel back to Oishi-senpai and headed towards the tennis courts .
"I'll see you guys later ." He waved and he started running towards the courts . I sat back down on the bench with Oishi-senpai . Everyone then ran off from the courts and out of the area . Heh ? Where are they going ?
"Oishi-senpai ? Where are they running to ?" I asked .
"Oh ! They're running up the mountain . Its part of the special training."
"Oh ! I get it ! To train their stamina !"
"Your smart Chiyo ."
"Not really .." Wah . Ryoma must have worked so hard . His tennis is so good . I bet he's done tones of training . Just then Ryuzaki-sensei walked over to the both of us . We looked up at her .
"Chiyo , Oishi . Can I ask a favor from the two of you ?"
"What is it Ryuzaki-sensei ?"
"Can the both of you prepare dinner tonight ?"
Huh ? Prepare dinner ? Us ? Why ? The both of us looked at her with eyes wide open .
"But , Ryuzaki-sensei , isn't Sakuno and Tomoka in charged of the kitchen ?" Oishi-senpai asked .
"Hmm , they are but . I've just sent them out to the mountains to help out in the special training . So they might be exhausted by the end of today . Is it alright with you if you helped out with dinner tonight ?"
"But sensei .. cooking .. I can't really-"
"I'll do it !" I jumped up in front of her . "I'll help out with dinner !" I smiled .
"Chiyo , is it really alright ? I mean , you have to take care of Echizen ." Oishi-senpai asked while looking worriedly at me .
"It's fine , Oishi-senpai . I kinda like to cook . Hehe ."
"B-but I suck at it !" he shouted looking all flustered .
"Don't worry ! Just leave it to me ! I'll teach you what to do !" I turned towards Ryuzaki-sensei . "Please let me help out !" She smiled at me and patted my shoulder .
"Alright , I'll leave it to you then ."
I looked at Oishi-senpai .
"Oishi-senpai , is there a supermarket nearby ?"
"Eh .. Yes there is . Its just down the street . Why ?"
I smiled at him and grabbed his wrist . He stared confusedly at me .
"Come on ! If we're making dinner , we need the ingredients ! Time for some groceries shopping !" I
"Hold on a second Chiyo !" Ryuzaki-sensei came over and handed me an envelop . "Here's some cash for the ingredients . Now off you go !" She smiled at us .
"Thank you Ryuzaki-sensei ! Lets go Oishi-senpai !"
"Wait wait ! Let me send a text to Kaidoh first . We need to tell him in case he starts wondering where we went ."
Meanwhile , back at Ryoma's room ..
Fuji stood there and smiled at ryoma .
"Why are you still here ? Haven't you got your phone already ." Ryoma glared at Fuji .
"Alright Alright . I'll leave . Be sure to get some rest . I'll come back to see you after practice ." Fuji said and he walked out of the room , smiling . Just as he closed the door , his smile faded to an angry expression .
"So that's what really happened . I was just on my way to retrieve my phone but , I never expected to hear that . I overheard Echizen telling Chiyo about what really happened , even though I wasn't suppose to hear them . Momo , you scumbag . You tricked all of us into believing you ." Fuji thought to himself . He started walking away looking extremely pissed .
"Even though I know the truth now , i'm not going to expose him . I want to see how far he can get with his lies . For now , I'll just sit at the sidelines and watch ."
Oh god ! Finally ! I am done done done ! Seriously , this chapter was the hardest to write ! I had loads of writers block and head jams thinking about what to write in this chapter . Okay . So the truth is out ! Chiyo Knows what really happened . And …. they KISSED ! They confessed and they KISSED ! OMG ! XD I hoped I wrote it okay ! And also , Fuji knows ! He overheard their conversation and he heard ! But he's going to watch and see what's going to happen . Also , Chiyo and Oishi ? Cooking dinner ? What;s going to happen in the next chapter ? And what about Ryoma and Chiyo ? They Kissed but what next ?! Read to find out :P Thanks for all the support ! I love my readers ! Really love you guys TTM ! Hearts :D
Disclaimer : I do not Own POT :D