"Waa~ Sakuno, it's really delicious!" Kate said dreamily as she ate a rice ball from Sakuno's packed lunch. Sakuno just smiled and nodded in thanks to Kate as she then, asked Ryoma, "Ryoma, Ryoma... how is it?"
"It's okay." he said boredly that made Sakuno's smile from Kate's compliment before, fade.
Sure, the girl was indeed accustomed to Ryoma's way of saying things, but she can't help but feel down. She doesn't know why. All those years that the amber-eyed boy didn't taste her cooking, he still held the same comment. Nevertheless, after her disappointment, her face started to lit up in realization.
"But he said, 'It's okay', right? Then maybe, it's not that bad at all!" she thought positively as she offered a rice ball to Kevin that muttered, "Thanks."
"Yieee~ " Kate suddenly teased, "That's so sweet!"
"Shut up, Kate..." Kevin then, muttered annoyingly, as he retorted, "Why don't you try cooking something as good as this?"
"Well, no need to do that. I'm confident that my cooking skills are FAR more better than yours, so you can't just tell me what to do with my cooking." Kate sounded smug.
"How can you say so? As far as I know, you can't even cook japanese dishes." Kevin replied, taking a bite at his rice ball.
"Why would I even need to cook japanese food to say that my cooking skills are good?!" Kate started to feel annoyed.
"It's necessary, you know! Or... you don't know the connection between Ryoma and japanese food?" Kevin mocked, determined to agitate the now Kate, with a vein popping on her head.
"Eh? So what's the connection between Ryoma and japanese food?" Kate then replied angrily.
"Oh, so you don't know? You don't know that Ryoma likes eating japanese food?" it was Kevin's turn to sound smug.
"Huh? Ryoma likes japanese food?" Kate asked, now calmed as she stared at Ryoma, hoping for an answer. But unfortunately, the tennis prince who just ate his full, currently slept at the foot of the tree where they have started to eat lunch with Sakuno just a week ago. Ryoma laid there, his usual Fila hat covering his face.
Beside him, Sakuno could only blush at his last 'Thank you', before he drifted to sleep. The loud argument of his two other friends didn't faze him at all.
"He likes japanese food, I'm telling you. Right, Sakuno?" Kevin then looked at the girl who is now cleaning their mess. She carefully wrapped her bento back to its pink wrap.
"Kate-san, I also think that Ryoma-kun likes to eat japanese food..." Sakuno awkwardly replied with a smile.
"Is that so? Then, Sakuno, can you teach me how to cook japanese food?" Kate said cheerfully. Sakuno could only nod and reply as she gets swept up with the bickering couple's conversation.
"Yosh! Then let's get started then!" Kate announced.
Her head bobbed with excitement. She's very pumped up but her mood completely shifted to a gloomy one when Kevin said, "Then where the heck would you have this cooking lesson, then?"
"Oh. I almost forgot. Our house is always occupied by my Aunt's meetings with her business partners." Kate sighed in a gloomy tone that made the others sweat-drop.
"Don't worry Kate-san, I will give and explain to you some recipes that I know. Don't be sad, I'm sure there would be some other time for me to tea--" Sakuno said, trying to cheer up Kate.
"B-But, I really want to try cooking japanese dshes." a pout graced Kate's lips.
Sakuno really wanted to at least help her, since she seemed genuinely interested. Plus, she figured that it would be nice to have friends helping each other. So she racked her mind, trying to find a possible solution.
"Ah! I know! Kate-san, we could cook at our boarding house." Sakuno finally concluded, putting aside what Ryoma's reaction might be. Since he's asleep, he can't really give his opinion.
"Well, since it's Kate-san... it should be okay."
She's already wearing her pink apron while she checked on the ingredients she bought from the nearby grocery. It was a good thing that Ryoma told her where to buy groceries. She arranged the goods carefully by the table.
Just as when she checked the time on her wristwatch, Sakuno heard the doorbell ring. Hurriedly, she walked to the front door to greet her visitor.
Kate had her short hair tied up in a half pony tail. She wore a yellow sundress. In her hand are a few ingredients that she wanted to try too.
"Sakuno! Thanks for inviting me here!" she hugged the Ryuzaki who smiled cheerfully.
"Kate-san, the kitchen is over here!" Sakuno didn't know why but she was very happy, having Kate with her. It seemed like, finally, she's starting to have friends here in America. And also, Kate is talking with her about cooking! Yeah, cooking! The thing that she loved the most besides Ryo-- no, tennis.
"I bought many ingredients that we can use to cook together." Sakuno added, too caught up with the thought of cooking that she didn't realize the Tennis Prince who stood behind her.
"Sakuno?" Kate sounded surprised that made the girl snap out of reverie. Kate, then, looked at the boy behind her. Confused, Sakuno looked back, only to see that the great Echizen Ryoma is now before her. With his eyebrows furrowed, Ryoma gazed at her questioningly.
"Ah! Ryoma-kun...A-Ano, I-I'm just going to teach Kate-san on cooking japanese food." she stuttered, reasoning out. The boy's cat eyes only looked at her suspiciously.
"Hn. Just don't disturb me in my room." he finally replied, and then retreated upstairs.
"H-Hai!" Sakuno quickly replied.
"Sakuno, you never told me that you live together! Kyaaa~ You're so lucky, Sakuno! I wish we could switch places!" Kate said, very much like Tomoka Osakada, in a way.
Sakuno just sweat-dropped and told Kate everything as they started on their little cooking lesson. Apparently, Kate was surprised to learn that Ryoma has been living in the boarding house for months too. When the boy moved out of their family home in the US, he didn't tell Kevin and Kate where he moved.
"Ah... So that's how it is..." the pink-haired girl nodded her head in understanding.
"Yeah, that's how it is..." Ryuzaki sighed.
"What is that sigh for? You're the luckiest girl I've ever met, Sakuno!" Kate said, trying to cheer up Sakuno.
The girl was taken aback at Kate's reaction. She assumed that she would hate her, at least, for not saying anything in regards to her current living conditions.
"Ano... I thought you would be angry at me. Since, I live with the person you like." she shyly asked.
"Why? It's not like you like him, right?"
Sakuno flinched as silence enveloped the room. She didn't really want to lie or tell the truth. When caught up in these kind of situations, she's sure that even if she willed herself to lie, it would've been futile. She's never been a great liar.
It probably would've been awkward, if they let the silence go on. But then, Kate decided to break the silence.
"You also like Ryoma, then?' Kate asked. Straightforward and without any ado.
"A-Ano, how d-do I put this..." Sakuno felt embarrassed and cornered at Kate's question.
"Sakuno, no need to be so tense, it's not like Ryoma's in a relationship with me." Sakuno would've believed that Kate didn't really mind, but then, she sounded weak at the last phrase she uttered. It sounded familiar... and Sakuno wondered whether she and Kate are really in the same boat.
"So, just like me, let's both do our best to win Ryoma's heart." Kate suddenly shifted the mood by cheering the both of them on.
At that realization, the girl in braids could only stare at the pink-haired girl. She didn't expect that this cooking lesson would turn up to that moment. She stil felt very confused and unsure as to what to think.
"Oy, Sakuno, don't stare at me like that. That's scary." Kate giggled, waving her hand in front of Sakuno's staring face.
"Ah! Gomen, gomen." she apologized profusely.
"It's nothing really. Don't worry, It's not like I hate you." Kate shook her head, determined to let Sakuno that she's telling the truth, "Besides, what I hate the most are the people who kept on bugging Ryoma-- continuously claiming that they like him, though they don't really know him. So don't put that face, Sakuno. We're friends, right?" Kate giggled, patting the girl's back.
Sakuno felt hesitant at first. Though, hearing Kate's words, she sincerely understood. Kate isn't the type of person to hate on you because of liking her crush. Rather, she disliked how other people seemed to think that they know Ryoma, when they have no idea. Pursuing Ryoma without actually knowing him and then getting angry when those feelings doesn't get returned. People like that tend to have fickle feelings-- an insult to people who genuinely cared for the prince of tennis.
"Hai! Kate-san."
Despite how the american girl usually acted, today just showed that she's more than just an admirer. Kate is a friend to Ryoma first and foremost. The proof is how Ryoma seemed to not reject the companionship given to him by Kate and Kevin. She wouldn't be surprised if they have known each other for years already.
And as they continued their cooking for the whole afternoon, Sakuno realized that she had a formidable rival and reliable friend in Kate Thompson.
A/N: Edited/Revised July 2020