RTS Chapter 4: one less lonely girl
"Saw so many pretty faces (before I saw you you)
Now all I see is you
I'm coming for you (I'm coming for you)
No no
Don't need these other pretty faces like I need you
And when you're mine in the world
There's gonna be one less lonely girl (I'm coming for you)"
Sakuno who couldn't believe her own eyes blinks animatedly in front of her laptop; with hand shaking she couldn't believe that she was so oblivious about him.
'He is really this famous?' Lots of articles about him scattered in the internet, even in social media accounts she has; there are lot of followers under his name, which made Sakuno wonder if he personally handles his account or he has his own separate and private account. 'mou! The heck I am curious?!' Sakuno browse and browse more about him. 'He even endorses some famous sports brand and more' Now she wasn't so surprise why everyone saw her like an alien living for the first time in Earth. 'Jeez Yukimura Sakuno'
"Echizen Ryoma" she mumbled, as she laid down completely in her bed. She recalls how the two of them met and the conversation they had.
"Oi breathe" he gently taps her back
"Puaahhahhaha! Seriously. You don't need the need to know me"
"I am just me"
Surprisingly that night, Sakuno peacefully sleep without any nightmares visited in her dreams.
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.
.
"Done stalking me?"
"Oh my God!" Sakuno jumps on her seat, she almost drops her own phone from sudden surprised. She turns her head with eyes bigger like a saucer plates and looks at the owner of that voice. "Mou! Do you have a habit of surprising people?" she asks eyeing him.
Ryoma raise his one eyebrow in return, "not my fault if you are too serious looking at pictures" he smirked arrogantly as he seated beside her under the Sakura Tree. Lately, they found themselves hanging out together. Since they have almost the same schedule, they always ended up bumping to each other whenever.
"Mou! I am not!" Sakuno strongly defended herself.
"Okay. I just pretend I didn't saw you looking at my pictures" He muttered upon getting his own phone and started scrolling on his own.
Seconds later, Sakuno's phone beep from a notification she received, curious, she looks at her notification only to stop from breathing for a while, eyes widening in fraction and astonished she turns her head to him, wondering.
"Are you not going to accept my friend request? You can delete it" He simply shrugs his shoulder.
"Oh. Why are you adding me in facebook?" she asks.
"You don't like? Like what I said, you can delete it" he repeated.
Sakuno gape on him for a while before finally accepting his request, seconds passed some photos of him pops out on her newsfeed. Most of his photos were only tagged on him maybe by his friends (since she realized that he only has few friends in his account) while some were by maybe his family members since they shared the same last name.
"There… you won't have a hard time stalking me" he smirked seeing that she finally accepted his request.
"Mou! I said I am not stalking you! I am just curious!" she blurts out.
Ryoma chuckled. He stared at her for a while before browsing on his phone.
Sakuno glared at him "Mou! But… is it okay? I mean… you were so popular…"
Ryoma looks at her, confused at the same time.
"You know, I don't want to be brutally murdered by your fans" she added.
"Puahahahaha! Hahahahaha!" Ryoma burst on laughter.
"Why are you laughing? I am serious! See? You have a lot of followers!"
"Seriously, you really had a knack to make me laugh" He said, wiping his eyes "as you can see, my posts, photos are all set privately. Not until we are friends you can't see anything on my account." He said smirking. "what's wrong for being friends? It's not liked my fans owns me. I am me." He shrugs. "And besides, I should be the one asking right, if it's, okay? I mean, your boyfriend might get mad" he said, his voice sounds different on her ears.
"Boyfriend? Me?" Sakuno points out her own self.
"Yeah. The guy that time" Ryoma looks on his phone, he paused on the particular group photo that tag on her; the same guy who chase her that time was in the photo too, wearing a tennis jersey together with the rest of the guys.
"Ohh" Sakuno looks down "Akaya-kun is not my boyfriend. He is… just a friend and I don't have one" she bitterly muttered, suddenly her mood become unpleasant. Not wanting him to notice, she diverted her attention on her account, and shamelessly went on his profile to look on his photos. Her eyes twinkles on a photo of a super cute black Himalayan cat that caught her attention. "Ohh! Is this your cat?" she asks, she even put her phone on his front confirming it.
"Yeah. His name is Karupin" Ryoma answered.
"ohh! It's super cute!" she exclaimed, her smiles were so wide and contagious that even Ryoma can't help but to smile.
"You like cats?" he asks.
"Super! I love dogs too! And birds!" she enumerated, animatedly. "Oh. What I mean is… I like animals in general" she said almost embarrassed on how she acted like a small child.
Ryoma snickered on her reaction. On his eyes, she really looks like a small bunny "Okay… you like animals in general. I get it." He said teasingly.
Sakuno didn't mind him, instead, she stared on his cat photos that surprisingly so many in his timeline. She smiled; an idea came in her mind. She plans to make sketches of this cute Himalayan Cat.
.
.
.
Sakuno stretch her body from a long sitting position. After finishing her sketches, she stood momentarily to shake her stiff body when her phone beep. She automatically smiled.
Echizen Ryoma: hey bunny
Sakuno pouted her lips before typing her reply.
Yukimura Sakuno: Mou! Why you keep calling me bunny?!
Echizen Ryoma: coz I like?
Yukimura Sakuno: mou! Quit calling me weird names!
Echizen Ryoma: bunny is not a weird name. it suits you well
Yukimura Sakuno: So mean, Ryoma-kun!
Sakuno couldn't help but smile. From days passed she always found herself smiling. And she finds it really refreshing and happy at the same time.
"Ahhhh!" Ryoma yawned once again as he rubs the corner of his eyes. "Is this not starting yet?" He asks monotonously. Boredom was written all over his face.
Fuji, his tensai tennis senpai chuckled creepily as he looks at him. "It seems like not all the participants were all here" he answered.
"It turns out that they only selected best 5 teams in Tokyo Area, 3 teams in each other regions considering the total number of Tennis teams we had in general" Inui mumbled.
"Well, this is an Exhibition match to officially opens the National Tennis Tournament in College Division isn't it?" Oishi, their vice-captain muttered.
"Yep, and in addition to commemorate the founding Celebration of College Tennis Association, they made this kind of Event." Fuji detailed explain.
"That's why... Fuji, Kaido and Momo... Do your best! You are the chosen three to play the do or die match today." Oishi mumbled.
"Do not let your guard down" this time it was Tezuka, their buchou who speaks.
"Che" Ryoma refuted upon hearing who's going to play for this day.
"Nah! Nah! Echizen! Don't be like that. I win fairly, remember?!" Momoshiro silly grins.
Ryoma frowned. Until now he still can't believe he lost his chance to play a match today over in a stupid janken game. His pride couldn't admit that he lost in the simple Rock, Scissor, paper game they play just to determine who's going to participate for today's matches. To avoid long run decisions and headaches, Janken become their first and last resort; considering that none of them wanted to give in, they were all pretty stubborn and competitive even to each other.
"Tehehe... That's okay ochibi! Better luck next time! Nya!" His Kikumaru senpai said, although years have passed and even, he was way too taller than him now, his favorite petname for him never change. "But demo, ochibi... " His voice sounds so curious at all, "did you and Kirihara have some feud or something?"
"That's right! I am itching to know too. He's been glaring at us since their team came" Momoshiro asks
"Who's that?" Ryoma asks skeptically.
"Hah! Devil Akaya remember?! Jeez. This guy, what's wrong with your memory? The one with seaweed hair?! Look at your front he still glaring at you, you idiot!" Momoshiro muttered.
Ryoma looks on the other side of the open space court; he found a familiar guy who blatantly glaring at him. 'That guy'. He smirked. The same usual smirked he always do whenever he provokes his opponent inside the court.
"Come on Sakuno let's go neh?" Tomoka stomp her feet convincing her best friend to come with them to watch the Exhibition Tennis game that will held in the Ariake Coliseum.
"Mou! I still have class" Sakuno stubbornly refuse, though the afternoon class was cancelled due to the event.
An giggles in the corner. While Tomoka rolled her eyes
"What class you are talking about?! Your classmates went straight in Coliseum y'know! Let's watch please? See... An will go too! Let's support our school!" Tomoka desperately pleaded.
"Mou! Tomo-chan, you know why I don't want to go there right?!" Sakuno looks at her. Tennis means Akaya. Akaya means another heartache to her and she can't no longer handle that. As much as possible, she wanted to distance herself to him. And to do it so, she needs to lessen the possibility for them to meet. For almost a week she successfully doing so. It's a very rare and achievement so far for her.
"Hah! Seriously, you can't stop yourself from supporting your brother just because of him! And besides we are watching our team not him! Ariake Coliseum is too big for the two of you meet! Come on Sakuno! Yes! I am supporting you for your 'let's move on to Kirihara agenda of yours' but it will never be possible if all you did was to run away from him! Jeez!" Tomoka litany said, her long eyelashes flutters. She looks at her almost glaring proving her point.
"And besides Sakuno-chan, don't you like to see Echizen-kun in action? I thought, you want to see him play?" There is a teasing tone in An's voice as she speaks.
"Mou! Why he's name being drags here?!" Sakuno asks, her eyes widen getting off guard
"heh, don't deny it. We are not blind not to see it you know?!" An shrugs.
"Mou! Stops it... I don't know what are you talking about." she pouted her lips denying the obvious.
"Jeez .. stops denying the obvious Sakuno! We know it too! We know that you both hanging out together" Tomoka points out. "And I saw your phone last time, Ryoma-sama's name pops out on your phone. You were frequent chatmates am I right?"
Sakuno who couldn't retaliate on her words shut her mouth. Well, that's the truth anyway. From the moment they become friends in face book, they become chatmates. They conversations are so random that sometime she found herself laughing to his crappy jokes. Yep, he can crack a joke even in straight and monotonous tone of his voice.
"Since you are my best friend and I love you, it's okay if you date him. I'm giving you my blessing" Tomoka teases more
"Date?! Blessings?! Mou! Tomo-chan! Stops it! We are just friends! Stops saying like that!" Sakuno eyes almost pops out on her socket.
"Hahahaa. Jezz Sakuno-chan, don't worry, Echizen-kun is a decent guy. Don't you know how many times Takeshi set him from blind dates but he refuses?" An muttered
"Mou! Please stops it! Stops connecting us! Ryoma-kun and I we're just friends!"
"See? First name basis eh! And come on it's time for you to move on, on your one-sided love! " Tomoka huffed.
"He doesn't like me, okay?!" Sakuno shouted.
"Says who? I bet my whole shares in Tachibana companies over it," An winks
"Mou! Please just stops this okay."
"You are so cute Sakuno-chan, come on now. Takeshi already texted me! Reiko neechan will come pick us up!"
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.
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"Are you going to watch your oniichan's game?" Reiko neechan asks, she looks to Sakuno in front mirror's reflection.
"Yes and No neechan" An and Tomoka both grins.
"Of course, Sakuno-chan will supports her brother aside from that we will support her future boyfriend" An said playfully
"An-chan!" Sakuno said
"Future boyfriend?!" Reiko asks confused.
"Echizen Ryoma neechan!" This time, Tomoka blurts out excitedly.
"Echizen Ryoma?!" Reiko exclaimed. "How the two of you met? I mean... Did your brother Seiichi know this? He's courting you?!"
"Exactly neechan!" An grins.
"Mou! Oh please! Stops putting colors on our friendship. We are just friends, neechan! Don't mind these two! They are just exaggerating." Sakuno pouted her lips.
"Oh my god baby girl, that's great news, isn't it?!" Reiko exclaimed once again. "That's Echizen Ryoma we are talking about"
"Mou! Not you too! I said we are just friends"
"Friends who keep updating each other neechan" An winks.
"Mou! Stops it!"
Reiko who seems amused on her cute reaction laughed. "Okay... Okay... baby girl, I will stop now, but I still want to see myself if he's worthy to you, okay?!"
"Neechan!"
"Nah, Echizen what's up with you these days?" Momoshiro asks while their eyes are busy watching for the tennis match.
Ryoma who seriously watching looks at his senpai for a while before turning his all attention to the players playing.
It was a do or die game. The rule is simple. Everyone is your opponent. All players will play they respective matches until only two remains. The one who will win will be the champion.
"You are really not interested in Ayame-chan?" Momoshiro asks, it was his sixth time attempting to set his best friend in blind dates since he came back from States however every attempts were all futile.
"I told you I am not interested." He casually answered.
"You said she is pretty." Momoshiro uttered curiously
"Neh what are you two talking about? Nya!" Kikumaru senpai butt in curious on their conversation.
"I set Echizen in blind date with Ayame-chan however this kouhai of ours refuse!" Momoshiro answered.
"Ohhh! Ayame-chan? The cheer dance leader?" Kikumaru exclaimed. "Sugoi ochibi, but why did you refuse a date with her?"
Ryoma only shrugs his shoulders.
"Nah! Nah! Ochibi! At your age you should find a girlfriend!" Kikumaru scolded him.
"Says who, you yourself Kikumaru-senpai doesn't have one" Ryoma refuted back.
Eyes widening in fraction, Kikumaru stomped his feet. "That's offending ochibi!" His face heated.
"Hahahah. Nah. Nah. Echizen is right. Eiji. You should find first. And besides, Echizen is too young for relationship" Oishi the mother hand stated
"Oishi! We are in college already! And besides I got a girlfriend way back high school!" Kikumaru said "unlike our ochibi here!" He said proving his point.
"That's right. That's right!" Momo nodded his head.
"What's the rush?" Ryoma asks skeptically. "This is not the time yet. And I am not rushing anything to had one" he said.
"So, there is one" Momoshiro grins. As he got what he meant. "I wonder who's that 'one' you referring too" he teases.
Ryoma smirked.
"Why?! Why?! Nani?! Nani?! Share it to us too!" Kikumaru whom clueless asks furiously.
Inui chuckled as he scribble something on his notes.
"Saa... I wonder who" Fuji smiled creepily.
"Heh, mada mada dane senpais" he smirked.
'how did I ended up here?'
Sakuno sighed for the nth time, seating three seat away from Honoka is the real torture. Sakuno wanted to run so badly. Right after they arrived inside the arena, the first persons they saw were none other than Akaya and Honoka.
And to make matters worst, Honoka forcibly pulled her in despite her resistance. And now, seating so close to them, Honoka who did nothing but to be so sweet with her boyfriend right in her front. Yes, she couldn't bear the fact that they acted so inlove in her front when all she did was to tried her best to forget him.
"How insensitive!" Tomoka scowled lowly. She greeted her teeth as she stared on them.
Akaya who was in the field standing in front of Honoka while Honoka was in the bench and hugging him by her arms.
Sakuno let out a sighed; she was trying her best to lessen the pain in her heart by focusing herself to other things than them. She closed her eyes, trying to prevent her tears. And look at the other side of the open field, she saw An whom waving her hand in the air and gesturing them to seat on them.
"Sakuno! Let's go with An!" Tomoka encourage.
"If you want to go there, I'll tell your brother" Reiko taps her shoulder, smiling.
Sakuno looks at her brother who was in the open field, he seems talking to Sanada senpai and Yanagi senpai. The next match was still not starting as they speak.
"Going where?" Akaya who was listening to them asks. He frowned as she tilted his head to them.
"None of your business" Tomoka rolled her eyes on him. "Let's go Sakuno, just call Seiichi niichan, and ask permission. I'm sure he will agree!"
"Tomoka is right, while the game was not yet starting." Reiko neechan said.
""Stay there are not going anywhere." Akaya ordered. "Your brother is our captain,you must stay here where the Rikkai Dai was" He added.
"What are you God?" Tomoka rebutted. "Gosh! You can't order Sakuno around" she glared at Akaya
"What?!" Akaya looks at her, his eyes piercing Tomoka, he looks mad.
"Tomo-chan!" Sakuno stops her friend.
"And who do you think you are?!" Akaya sneered.
Tomoka opens her mouth to refute, the loud buzzing sound of huge television screen caught their attention. All eyes in the screen; the next opposing teams that will play announced.
'Seigaku Vs. Hyoutei'
Sakuno's eyes automatically landed on Seigaku team; she saw the little commotion happening to the Seigaku team, seems they were having a little fight for who should play first. Sakuno notices An, she was waving both of her hands catching their attention, still gesturing them to come over. However, what's more caught Sakuno's attention was him.
Echizen Ryoma was looking at her intensely. As he notices that she was finally looking at him, he smirked yet what surprised her most is when he jumps off to the barricade and started walking leisurely without breaking his gazed on hers.
Sakuno's eyes grew bigger than saucer plates, she could literally see from his behind how the rest of Seigaku seems shocked, they all watch him crossed in the middle of the court with eyes widely open. Even her older brother, Seiichi stops from his conversation with Sanada and Yanagi. They all looked at him who walks past on them. Including the rest of the Rikkai Dai were looking at the tennis prince.
Sakuno gasps big time the moment they were face to face. She gapes like a fish. As if she forgets how to talk and only stare at him blankly.
"Neh, bunny... Are you lost?!" He smirked.
Sakuno blinks once again. She could literally feel her best friend's Tomaka's nails dug deeper on her skin restraining herself to scream.
"Neh, let's have dinner after this" he demanded
Sakuno who was still in dazed looks at him. She feels Tomoka shakes her, as if she could no longer hold herself not to scream that makes her wide awake.
"Uh...What?!" Sakuno asks unintelligently.
"Dinner. Let's have that" he repeated.
"Why?"
"Che. Why you always ask me for why's?" Ryoma asks, his brows furrowed. "Can't I just ask you for a dinner coz I want so?" He retorts.
"Mou! You making a scene Ryoma-kun!"
"Answer me then. Yes, or yes"
"Mou! That's not even a proper choice"
"Coz I am not taking no for an answer?!" He said innocently with a shrugs.
"Mou!" Sakuno pouted her eyes darted to her older brother, Seiichi that was already standing next to Akaya together with the rest of the Rikkai Dai not far from them.
"Okay let's make it hard." He negotiates. "When I win. Let's have a dinner. Deal?"
"You never lose"
"Point taken." Ryoma smirked. "Then how about let's make it harder " he negotiates again. "If I win all of my matches from 10 minutes each. Are you going to have dinner with me? I'm sure your brother will finally give his permission" he cranes his neck sidewards looking at her brother, Seiichi.
Sakuno blinks. She stared at his golden eyes, as if possessed by his eyes, she slowly nodded her head in agreement.
"Then I pick you up later Ja" he smirked. Before he jogs back towards the other side.
"Oh! My god Sakuno! Kyyaaaaa!" Tomoka screams she even shake her in all her might.
"Baby girl! I like him for you!" Reiko neechan screams too.
Sakuno who still in dazed, just keep staring at the tennis prince back. She watches him talking with his teammates. She watches him as he got his racket on his bag. She watches him stand in the middle of the court.
And the game started and finished with less than ten minutes.
-end of chapter 4-
Kyaaah! And that's chapter 4! If you take notice every chapter entitled by song titles. And I put some lyrics that is connected to the whole story. Hihihi….