After visiting the admissions office for her schedule, Sakuno finally breathed in relief. It was a good thing that she finished the whole ordeal within the length of the first period. Clutching a print-out of her final class schedules, she immediately went her way to find her second period class. Equipped with her English honed for years back in high school, Sakuno found it easier to ask for directions. And thus, she came to her class just in time.

Five minutes before class starts, she wandered her eyes around the rows of seats and the massive space. Among the hordes of students, she found a familiar dark-green hair that can only belong to her housemate. He yawned, bored to death as he stared outside the windows. The tennis prince didn't seem to be aware that she shared the same class as him.

"Just like the old times eh?" she thought as a tiny smile graced her face.

The professor arrived on time, briefly introducing himself before he started the lecture. For the entire period, Sakuno listened attentively. She even took notes. Though she can't help but check at Ryoma through side glances. It was a good thing that the professor didn't seem to mind that the boy was fighting off sleep the whole time. Sakuno let out a small giggle, enough not to elicit any attention towards her.

Unknown to the brown-haired girl, the blonde boy sitting beside Ryoma saw everything. Call it an impressive observation, but he saw how the japanese girl looked at the tennis prodigy. Kevin Smith, Ryoma's former opponent in the Goodwill Games and is now his close friend in America, prided himself in noticing those subtle things.

Since Ryoma is not the type to start a conversation or to be friendly with everyone, it's Kevin who always talks and accompanies him everywhere. They've been friends for years and now, they're studying in the same university and took on same classes. It was rare whenever Ryoma brings up his Japan or middle school topics, so it was a nice surprise when he hears about them.

So seeing the japanese girl walking with Ryoma as they got inside the school gate earlier, piqued his interest. She even attended the same class as them. And as he saw her little glances at him and the way her cheeks gave off faint blush after doing so, Kevin was sure that the girl somehow is connected with Ryoma's past.

As soon as the period ends, leading to the lunch break, Kevin shook Ryoma's shoulder in an attempt to wake him up.

"Ryoma." The boy stirred, his eyes lazily looking back at his blond friend.

"What is it?" Ryoma asked impatiently.

"Who's the brunette with you earlier?"

As the question registered on him, he paused for a while, wondering about his question. And then, realizing that he did walk earlier with Ryuzaki as they went inside the campus, he replied.

"Ryuzaki? What about her?" Ryoma raised his eyebrow in question.

"Well, who is she exactly? I haven't seen her before," he looked like he was thinking, "A girlfriend from Japan perhaps?" Kevin smirked.

Ryoma only grunted, not really keen on giving Kevin an answer. He knew that the guy probably just wanted to tease him, and no matter what he says won't really change anything.

"Well, shouldn't I just ask her directly then?" Kevin playfully looked around, specifically on the seat that the mystery girl sat earlier. But she was nowhere. When his eyes wandered around the door, he saw a certain pink-haired girl that he knows all too well.

"Ryoma!" she called a bit louder than she should have.

"Kate, quit being so noisy." Kevin flashed her an annoyed look. The girl always seemed to get everyone's attention whenever she arrives.

"Ow!" when she approached the duo, Kate Thompson gave Kevin a slap on his arm.

"Serves you right, idiot!" she sneered.

"Serves you right, granny." Kevin teased, earning him a pinch from the girl.

"The both of you are being so noisy." Ryoma put on his cap as he stood up, ready for lunch. But even with his comment, the two still kept arguing.

They intentionally passed on one of the school's park as a shortcut and a way to avoid the crowd on their own ways to get lunch. Murmuring curses under his breath as he caressed his shoulder, Kevin spotted a familiar-looking girl on a bench under the tree. She was about to open her packed lunch.

"Ryoma, it's that girl, right?" Kevin pointed as he flashed a curious look at him.

"Ah! she's the girl from before." Kate recalled, halting on her steps.

"Ryoma, shouldn't we approach her?"

"What for?" Ryoma asked nonchalantly.

"Well, I think, she's lonely...and--" Kevin reasoned. He was about to tease Ryoma about his supposed japanese girlfriend, when Kate suddenly commented.

"Yieeee! Kevin likes her!"

"No, I don't! " Kevin glared at her as she poked on his side, giggling.

"Kevin, likes her~" Kate's tease became a chant that she kept going in order to annoy him.

"Shut up Kate." the american boy chided.

"By the way, why don't we talk to her? I'm eager to know what Kevin's type for a girl is." Kate chuckled.

Ryoma only sighed, realizing that his two companions can't really just mind their own business. The three of them walked their way to the bench under the tree where Ryuzaki Sakuno rested.

As soon as the second period class ended, Sakuno debated with herself on whether to approach him and ask to eat lunch together, or just try to get out of the area so he doesn't realize that they shared the same class. Her heart pounded loudly just at the thought of approaching him.

But when a familiar blond haired boy talked with him, her resolve faltered a little.

"What if I'm disturbing them or something?"

And they looked close too. It could be awkward if she just approached them casually. So, Sakuno contemplated a bit more. If she just adjusted her timing, then it could work without making her appear intrusive.

Just then, a mop of pink hair peered from one of the two doors within the room. Luckily, it was the door further from Ryuzaki's seat. Suddenly, her plan of asking Ryoma for lunch just crumbled. It was not like she hated his girlfriend, but for the sake of her own fragile heart, Sakuno would prefer to not be involved.

With rush, she packed her things and went outside through the other door. It took her a while, what with the crazy amount of students that loitered the hallways for lunch break. She wandered around the park at the back of the building. It was not as populated as the other parts of the school, so she figured that the vacant bench under one of the large trees would be a perfect spot to eat lunch.

Sakuno, with her lunch box at her lap, didn't open it right away. Instead, she closed her eyes for a bit, just taking a deep breath. She basked on the feel of the foreign university. The english words thrown around casually by passerbys and the different environment she's a beginner at. Studying at Thompson University didn't really sink in yet to her... not until she experienced her first (second period, actually) class.

Basing her schedule, she still had around 2 hours of free time including the lunch break. She wasn't really on the rush, so she took her time to just look around as she sat. As her eyes roamed around the area, she caught a glimpse of a white Fila cap atop dark-green hair that could only belong to someone she knew.

Echizen Ryoma walked alongside his girlfriend and the blonde guy from their class. Sakuno can see his irritated expression as the two people beside him seemed to argue and joke at the same time. They were walking on a small road, not too far from the bench where she sat at. It couldn't be helped anymore if they somehow notice her.

"And I just made sure that he doesn't see me earlier." she thought, aware of the unique way fate continued to play with her.

"Hi, Sakuno! Remember me?" Kate was the first one to greet her. She smiled at the sitting Sakuno who looked up.

How could she not remember? It's Ryoma's girlfriend. Of course, she'll know that girl.

"Hello, Kate-san." she replied, returning the smile, not really aware that she added an honorific. But Kate didn't seem to mind.

"Yo." Kevin greeted.

"By the way, this is Kevin Smith. I'm sure you know him, he's the one Ryoma played with in the Goodwill Games before." Kate sat beside the girl who moved slightly to give her space. Until now, Sakuno wasn't sure how the girl sees her, but she wouldn't want to be rude. Even if she felt a bit nervous meeting her again, she did her best to be as friendly.

"Are you eating lunch, Ryuzaki?" it was Ryoma's turn to make himself known. He promptly glanced at her bento.

"Hai." she willed herself to sound casual as she opened her lunchbox, "I could share them if you all would like?"

It was mostly Kevin and Kate who marveled at the view of the Japanese-styled bento.

"Ne, what's that?" Kate said, pointing on the octopus-shaped sausage in the box.

"A-Ah! This? It's just an octopus-shaped sausage. Want some?" Sakuno offered, handing her an extra chopstick.

"You can make octopuses out of sausage?!" Kate gratefully accepted. Eyes full of wonder, she was about to grab the food. But then, she thought of something.

"Kevin, Ryoma, why don't we just eat lunch with Ryuzaki? Please?" Kate said putting a puppy-eyes display to Kevin and Ryoma.

"Okay, okay. That's okay with you, right?" Kevin said impatiently as he asked Ryoma who just put on a 'whatever' look on his face.

It was then, that Kate decided that she and Ryoma would buy Kevin's lunch together with theirs so that Kevin could have a little more time alone with Sakuno. Of course, she didn't mention her secret plan with the pigtailed girl and her friend. She just dragged Ryoma to the cafeteria with his arm.

When the two left, an awkward silence enveloped the atmosphere at the bench. But since Kevin has his own plan, he managed to break the deafening silence by asking Sakuno.

"You like Ryoma, right?"

"Huh?" She could only reply. She wasn't sure what to take of his question. Still, his query made her cheeks red.

"What will I do? If I told him the truth, Kate-san might know... and maybe, will get furious with me for having a crush on her boyfriend. And Ryoma-kun! If he was going to know that secret then I would die of embarrassment! Yes. That's it, I will deny it!" Sakuno had a mental battle with herself.

"N-NO! W-What are y-you t-talking about K-Kevin-kun? I-I have n-no feelings f-for R-Ryoma-kun." Sakuno stuttered defensively.

To be honest, she completely realized how guilty she appeared. Sakuno can only wish that Kevin doesn't realize it at all. She was waiting for his reaction.

Then, all of a sudden, Kevin laughed. Sakuno felt her ears becoming warm too. It was such an awkward day for her.

"W-What's so funny, K-Kevin-kun?"

"Nothing," Kevin wiped his tear of laughter, "I just had this idea that probably, since middle school, you harbored feelings for him."

"H-How did you kno--I mean, What a-are you talking about, Kevin-kun?" Sakuno continued to hold her ground. Her chest pounded loudly, nervousness and shame inside her.

"I can't possibly tell him that. He's Ryoma-kun's closest friend here!"

When his laughter died down, she heard Kevin murmur.

"There's nothing wrong with falling for him."

"What do you mean?" she felt confused at the sudden shift of mood.

"How could he even say that?" Sakuno thought, "Ryoma-kun has Kate-san..."

It didn't feel right with her. Even if Kevin was clearly joking, it was a big deal to her. She's been trying to distance herself from the tennis prince because of that fact. Playing with her feelings was quite cruel.

"Got you!" sensing Sakuno's mood going gloomy, Kevin exclaimed. It only earned him a confused expression from the girl who didn't say anything.

"I mean, there's no such thing as Ryoma and Kate's boyfriend-girlfriend relationship." he chuckled, slapping Sakuno's back lightly, "It's just Kate who insisted on calling herself Ryoma's girlfriend. She's head-over-heels in love with him and she doesn't want any girl to be close to Ryoma aside from her."

Kevin just sounded like he was just casually describing the weather. The words he just blurted out was said ever so lightly, as if it was just all an inside joke. And Sakuno for the nth time was just baffled.

"E-Eh?!" The disbelief in her voice that stemmed from the forlorn one-sided crush she had and the sudden revelation last night just made it all hard to believe.

"I know that Kate's the real idiot for telling that to everyone... But since it doesn't matter to Ryoma, I just played along." Kevin stood up.

Sakuno, still unable to contain her surprise, only blinked.

"Ryoma is a dense-headed idiot." she heard Kevin sigh.

"And also her... She's also a dense-headed idiot." the blond boy muttered under his breath as his eyes landed over Ryoma and Kate, who bought their lunch.

A/N: Edited/Revised July 2020