RTS Chapter 5: Beautiful Soul
"You might need time to think it over
But I'm just fine moving forward
I'll ease your mind if you give me the chance
I will never make you cry, c'mon let's try
I don't want another pretty face
I don't want just anyone to hold
I don't want my love to go to waste
I want you and your beautiful soul
You're the one I wanna chase
You're the one I wanna hold
I won't let another minute go to waste
I want you and your beautiful soul"
"Game and Set Echizen Ryoma"
Loud cheering voices echoed the whole coliseum, applauds scattered from everywhere. Ryoma really did his promised to finish his match less than in 10 minutes, showing no mercy to anyone.
"Haa... I can't believe to lost once again in you" Yukimura Seiichi shakes his hands with the tennis prince. "Just don't forget to bring back my sister before 9 pm sharp Echizen. " He strictly ordered.
"Roger that" Ryoma smirked.
"She's my precious sister, Echizen, I am warning you" Yukimura Seiichi puts pressure on his hold. He looks at him seriously.
"Haaa... For someone who put his tennis career in the brink of the eye, do you really think I am just fooling around?! And hey! I am in the big disadvantage here remember?" Ryoma tilted his head.
"Puahahahaha!" Yukimura laughed as he realized what he meant. "Are you chickening out now? This will be the toughest match you will ever have, Echizen, my sister is not an easy opponent. I am warning you in advance"
"Bring it on" Ryoma said arrogantly. His eyes scream unwavering determination.
For the first time, Seiichi felt at ease; however, it is still early to make judgment. But if someone like him can make his sister happy and brought back to life, how fortunate it is, right? The corner of his lips lift, he taps his shoulder one more time and walks back to his team.
"You brat!" Momoshiro ruffled his kouhai's hair the moment he jogs back to their bench. "What was that? Did you have a heart-to-heart talk to your future brother-in-law?" Momoshiro grins.
"Che" Ryoma grunted.
"So... It was Yukimura's imoto Afterall" A teasing creepy smile appeared on Fuji's lips as he stared at him.
"Yukimura Sakuno... 17 years old" Inui mumbled.
"Nani?! Nani?! You know her Inui?!" Kikumaru asks he jumps of on his side peeking on his notes.
"Younger sister of Yukimura Seiichi...Hmmm... Aside from that I don't see any information on how did they meet." He mumbled dissatisfied on his own gathered information.
Ryoma smirked. Of course, there is no way he shares the information how he meets her.
"I need to gather more information about this girl." Inui mumbled as he fixes his eyeglass on his eyes.
"BURNIIING! Spring is coming!" Taka-san shouted in the air.
"Ah! Ah! Ochibi! So unfair! Introduce her to us nya!" Kikumaru excitedly jumps.
"Yadda!" Ryoma stubbornly said.
"Don't be like that we want to meet her too!" Momo whine.
"Fsssshhh" Kaido nodded his head.
"Mou! So unfair ochibi!"
"Ja! I'll be going now" he dismissed as he started collecting his things.
"Don't worry senpai- tachis she's studying at our school. " Tachibana, the loud girlfriend of his Momo senpai announced.
"Che" Ryoma grunted as he started walking towards where his bunny is.
Sakuno was seating silently in the bench with Tomoka besides her. After her older brother inform her about 'her dinner with the tennis prince' Sakuno couldn't help but feel nervous. Okay, it wasn't the first time they eat together, during breaks in university since they had the same breaktime, they eat together; however, it was the first time he makes such commotion like that. 'As if he was asking for a date' Sakuno flinched, she badly wanted to slap her face to silliness she was thinking.
"Haaa! What's wrong with Kirihara acting like that? Your brother is cool with it. Duuh!" Tomoka rolled eyes. "He acts like an overprotective brother now. Jeez!"
Before leaving them, Akaya made a fuss about her brother's giving permission to them. He even warns her before leaving not to be too friendly with him. If anyone would hear his words, he sounds like jealous, however, Sakuno knew better, he was just pissed and irritated to Ryoma's presence.
"Hey"
Sakuno automatically looks at him, wearing his boyish smirk, Echizen Ryoma looks fresh from his white shirt and light brown cargo shorts, it looks like he took a quick shower base on his still damp hair.
"Hey" she smiled mimicking his way of greeting; she felt her body shake a little. Sakuno looks at her best friend expectant eyes, for how she looks like, Tomoka surely doing her best to restraint herself not to scream in his front. SAKUNO turn her head once again to him. "Ano... Ryoma-kun, this is my best friend Osakada Tomoka, Tomoka this is Ryoma-kun" she briefly introduced
"Hello" Tomoka smiled. From her business-like smile, Tomoka professionally hide her fangirling attitude. However, seeing how the tennis prince smiled a little to her, makes her prim and proper persona vanish and her true personality came out naturally.
"Hi" Ryoma replied.
"Oh my god!" Tomoka squeaks, she even hit Sakuno's slender shoulder making Ryoma flinched from her sudden outburst. "Uhmmm... I'm actually your fan! Gosh!" Tomoka hyperventilate she even used her hand as a fan.
Ryoma looks at Sakuno skeptically. As if he really found her best friend, really weird. Sakuno laughed seeing his reaction.
"Oh, please Ryoma-sama, don't look at me like that. I am your future sister-in-law remember, I bet all my cards on you" Tomoka bashfully said. "I'm actually in your side!" she boasted.
"Tomo-chan!"
"If you say so" Ryoma smirked arrogantly "Shall we?" His eyes darted to Sakuno.
"Uhm... How about you Tomo-chan?!" Sakuno asks worried to her best friend.
"Nah! Don't worry about me. An, texted me already, I plan to follow them right after this" Tomoka winks.
"If it's the same Tachibana, Momo-senpai's girlfriend, I know where they going. We can drop you off" Ryoma offered in his straight face.
"For real?! " Tomoka smiled. Her eyes become round "You are a lifesaver Ryoma-sama, that's why my vote is on you." She giggled.
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"Hey bunny, you are not seriously planning to make me a driver, don't you?" He asks the moment Sakuno opens the door of the backseat at the same time with Tomoka.
"Silly girl, seat on the front Sakuno" Tomoka laughed
"Mou! How about you?" Sakuno asks.
"Nah. I'm good here, y'know" Tomoka winks, giving her teasing smiles.
Sakuno pouted her lips, she walks straight to the front seat. Ryoma whom watching her all moves raise his one brow, a satisfied smirked crept on his lips.
"You brought your car?" She asks the moment she seated inside.
"Yep. I intentionally make myself late today" Ryoma grins.
"Mou! That's not even nice Ryoma-kun" Sakuno mumbled.
"Well, in my defense, I only did that so I can have a reason to ask you out" Ryoma smirked. "Now bunny, put your seatbelt please" he muttered as he put his own seatbelt.
Sakuno nodded her head and hurriedly put her seatbelts own. However, the seatbelt stuck. "Mou! It's stuck, I can't pull it" she said having a hard time.
"Let me"
In one swift moved, Ryoma fix it for her, their face inches apart, Sakuno held her breathe, she could literally smell his scent from their distance.
Dug...dug ...dug ...
Sakuno can literally hear the deafening sounds of her own heartbeat, as if everything turns in slow motion, she just dumbfoundedly watch his every moved. Their eyes met from an instant and she could literally feel her own ears burning. His intense eyes dig deep inside hers, as if he was looking onto deeply her soul, Sakuno never meet anyone who can literally make your heart skip a beat by the way they stare.
"Ehem... Ehem" Tomoka, who silently looking at them fake her coughed. A ghost smirked appeared on her lips seeing how these two both flinched in the same time, and look away. Tomoka saw how the tennis prince coolly maneuvered his car while her best friend looks in the window hiding her blushing face.
Sakuno on the other hand, simply put her one hand on her cheeks, she can still feel the heat on her own cheeks from her embarrassment.
Silence envelops inside the car. Tomoka who simply looking at them giggled more. She saw how the tennis prince steal glances on her best friend. She keeps on informing An through chat. Telling everything that is happening inside of the car without missing a beat.
"Where to?" Finally, Ryoma speaks.
"Uhm... We are going to drop Tomo-chan right?" Sakuno answered.
"I know, what I meant is... Where you want to eat?" The tennis prince shrugs his shoulder.
"Anywhere? I am not a picky eater"
"How about at Pete's house?" Ryoma slightly wrinkled his nose.
"I thought you dislikes western foods?" Sakuno chortled, knowing the menu, since it was her brother's favorite restaurant, she was so certain Ryoma wouldn't enjoy the food on it.
"Yeah. But I made a promised to you that we will try different cuisines remember?" He shrugs. "How about Italians''? My brother said their pastas were superb. You cool with that?" He asks again.
"Anything is fine for me Ryoma-kun"
"Fine. Then let's grab some cakes in Sweetcafe. You like their cakes, right?"
"How did you know?"
Feeling exhilarated, Tomoka who could no longer hold her thrill watching them on their low-key flirting squeaks. She gasps seeing how the tennis prince and her best friend turn their heads on hers. Wondering.
"Oh! Please! Don't mind me, continue flirting to each other... Oh I mean talking" Tomoka even put her both hands on her mouth covering it. "I'll be quiet as mouse I promise!" She giggled, seeing how her best friend's face blush.
As if nothing happened, the two continue talking to each other again, as if Tomoka wasn't there.
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"Thank you and take care Ryoma-kun" Sakuno smiled as she peeks on the car window. "And drive safely. Don't drive fast, okay?" She reminded him.
"Yes ma'am"
"I am serious Ryoma-kun"
"Fine. See you tomorrow"
"Okay see you"
Ryoma smirked. He gestured a salute soon before maneuvering his car. Sakuno watch his car until it's no longer on her sight. She smiled before going inside their house.
Humming her favorite song, Sakuno didn't realized the presence of her older brother seating on their living room.
"My sister seems so happy" Seiichi muttered with smiles
"Oh! Oniichan, good evening" she smiled so sweetly to him
Seiichi who looks on his watch and found that she is ten minutes early smiled. "So, where the two of you going tomorrow?" He asks.
Sakuno eyes widened. "How did you know oniichan?"
"He asks permission in advance." Seiichi chuckled.
"Oh! I see... We are going to visit Ueno Zoo tomorrow... Is it okay?" Sakuji fidget her hands.
"Of course. If it makes you happy. Then so be it" Seiichi answered.
"Thank you." Sakuno answered happily.
"Don't worry about mom. I got you covered. Since she's outside the country for two weeks, you don't need to be wary about going out. And even she came back. I will help you out" Seiichi uttered.
Sakuno smiled. "Thank you oniichan"
"Saa... You should go upstairs. And rest."
Sakuno turns her body around for last time in front of her body mirror. Wearing a knitted black loose long sleeve crop top, sleeves pulled up below her elbow and paired with high waist skinny jeans that perfectly accentuate the shape of her body and white sneakers. She even tied her long hair in single ponytail; she looks kind of sexy in adorable way.
"Mou! I look overdress!" She whines.
"What overdress?! It's perfect Sakuno!" An interjected through the videocall.
Earlier this morning, she makes an emergency call to her friends asking for help on what she should wear.
"Yep! And don't ever tried to change! It's your 23th times already!" Tomoka glared at her in the video.
"Mou!"
"Try to put some necklace Sakuno" An intervened
"And make up!" Tomoka huffed.
"It's enough! I don't need makeup, okay?!" Sakuno said.
A loud horning sound interrupts their conversation, Sakuno peeks through her window and saw Ryoma's car outside.
"Oh! Ryoma-kun is here. Gotta go! Bye Tomo-chan! An-chan! Thanks for the help" she smiled through the screen.
The two girls wave their hand.
"Okay! Good luck in your date" Tomoka and An said in unison.
"Mou! It's not a date, okay?!"
"Haaa. Whatever"
Sakuno waves one last time before finally turns off her laptop and dashes out getting her sling bag and her finished canvas, she will give to him later.
"Are you leaving now?" Seiichi asks the moment he saw her half running through their staircase.
"Yes oniichan! Bye!" She waves her hand, smiling to her brother, her hair flutters in the air as she was rushing to the door.
"Lately, the young miss seems happy" the head nanny of Yukimura household smile genuinely. She is one of the rare people inside the mansion who genuinely cares to Sakuno.
"Yes" Seiichi smiled happily.
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"Gomene Ryoma-kun did you wait long?" Sakuno huffed, catching her own breath. Running in a short distance makes her tired fast. She really had a poor stamina compared to her brother. She looks up on him meeting his amused eyes.
Ryoma who immaculately leaning on his car looks dashing in his simple black shirt, a dog tag necklace hanging in his neck and paired with jeans, he was wearing his favorite white cap and shoes. He looks like a model in some famous fashion magazine.
Sakuno couldn't help but to look at him in daze, most especially now that he looks more dangerously handsome in his ear piercing.
"Hey bunny"
"Oh! I'm sorry!" Sakuno snaps out.
"Let's go?" Ryoma asks. He walks first and opens the front door for her.
When they finally inside the car, the tennis prince helps her put the seatbelt before putting his.
"Isn't it painful? I mean your piercing" she asks curiously.
"Oh! This?" Ryoma touched his own ear. "I got this since high school." He spoke. "And it's not that painful" he answered. "I got my first two piercing here in my earlobe" as he touches the area he was muttering. " The last one here in helix." He points again the upper part of his ear. "The last piercing, I had, I got tons of scolding to my kaa san" he chuckled before starting the engine of the car
"Honto?" Sakuno chortled. She couldn't imagine him being scolded.
"Yeah. Kaa san got really, really mad. she scolds me and my brother pretty bad" he licked his lips as he speaks and started maneuvering the car. "But later on, me and my brother both received a set of earrings as birthday gifts." He chuckled.
"Sugoii... Your kaa san is pretty cool" Sakuno mumbled, somehow she felt jealous of him
"Yeah. She is. But why did you ask my piercing? Is it look weird? Are you… somehow uncomfortable? I will just remove it" he said.
"No! Not at all. You look like a bad boy but it really looks good on you" Sakuno smiled. "It suits you well" she added.
Silence envelops them both as they start taking the main road.
Ryoma started tapping his finger as they were congested in heavy traffic jam.
"You can use my phone in dashboard to play music to kill time" Ryoma suggested.
"No, it's okay" Sakuno mumbled shyly.
Ryoma just raise his brows on her, as if not buying it and started getting his phone connecting it to the audio system of his car.
"Here... Feel free to use" he said giving his phone to her.
"Oh..kay" she answered "thank you... " She muttered and started opening his phone; it was plain as new, no passcode or even wallpaper display. Sakuno started browsing on his playlist when suddenly his phone rang.
Ryoga idiot aniki calling...
Sakuno immediately handed his phone to him.
"What?! I am driving"
Ryoma muttered in monotonously tone. However, there is no answer on the other line. Sakuno just keep staring at him.
[Hey chibusuke, there is a quite a situation here]
Since his phone is connected to his car, Sakuno could clearly hear the voice in the other line.
"What is it?"
The other line become silent once again, seconds later a voice of a crying child echoed on the other line.
[Nooooooo! I want uncle! Where is my unclee?! Huhuhuhuhu! I want my uncle! I want to go with my uncle!]
[Hey Shin, uncle Ryoma went out, let's wait for him okay… for now it's ji-chan and obaa chan will look after you]
A voice of a woman soothing the young child came on the line
[ Shin-chan! Don't cry, okay?! Ji-chan will play with you instead.
Yaadddaaa! I want uncle! I want to go with uncleee! Huhuhuhu!
Hey Rinko where did that brat go?!
Hah! Leave your youngest, he went out okay]
Another voice of man followed by another woman came in the other line. It seems that it's Ryoma's parents talking and they are all trying to soothes the young child.
[I want my uncle! Booo hoooooo!
waaaaahhhhh]
[You see ... Chibusuke, he is really looking for you.]
"I left Shin earlier not crying! What did you do? You idiot!"
The child continues crying and sobbing in the other line.
"Uhm... Ryoma-kun you see... We can bring your nephew with us" Sakuno can't help but to intervene, she really felt sorry to the kid.
[Oho! Is that a girl's voice?!]
"Shut it Ryoga" Ryoma stared at Sakuno. "Is it really, okay? I mean, my brother can really manage, that's his child after all"
"It's really okay Ryoma-kun, no worries at all" Sakuno smiled reassuringly.
"oi… you heard that aniki! Just bring Shin in Ueno Zoo. Make it quick!"
[Seems my brother is having a date now huh]
There is an amused tone on his voice.
"Quit it aniki."
[Fine. I will bring Shin, just think of him as your son for-
Toot… toot…
And just like that Ryoma cut off the line. Sakuno giggled. Seeing how he looks annoyed for some reason is new to her.
"Are you always like that? You and your brother?" She can't help but to asks.
"Yeah… he annoys me most of the time. Oyaji either. "Ryoma grunted.
Sakuno giggled. "I can't imagine you being annoyed."
"haaa! You bet"
"I'm sorry for bringing Shin and ruining your date" Shana said.
Earlier, Ryoma introduced them to her after receiving tons of teasing remarks to his older brother, Ryoga. At first, Sakuno couldn't believe the similarities of Echizen brothers physically. They were spitting image of each other's. Only that, the older brother is a rough version of Ryoma's.
"We will take good of him, don't worry Shana-san" Sakuno politely replied.
"Oh please… just comfortably call me oneechan or neechan! Don't be too formal, Afterall… I have this feeling that we will be family in future" she giggles.
"Mou! Please stops it. Ryoma-kun and I are just friends" Sakuno felt her ears and cheeks burned.
"We started just like that. And see what happens? We got Shin early than plan" Shana chortled, winking on her.
"Oi… Shan… Let's go" Ryoga calls out for his wife.
"Say bye bye to your parents Shin" Ryoma tilted his head to his nephew whom he's carrying in his shoulder.
"Bye Mama! Bye Papa!" Shin waves his tiny hands in air.
"Let's go?" Ryoma stared at her.
"Where we go first?" Ryoma asks the moment they were inside of the Zoo. Shin who looks excited asks his uncle if he can walk on his own.
"How about, let's just follow the map?" Sakuno suggested.
"uhmmm… that's better idea"
"Pretty neechan, Pretty neechan" Shin calls Sakuno attention.
"Yes, baby Shin?" she asks smiling.
"Do you like pandas? Racoons? And bears? Shin loves all!" Shin bashfully grins.
"Yes Shin, your pretty neechan likes animals… in general" Ryoma smirked mimicking how she sounds like before, when she said that.
"Mou! Ryoma-kun"
"Why? That's the truth, right? That's why we are here." He chortled. "c'mon! we better start so that we can see all the animals you love" he teases more.
The three of them walk hand in hand. And they started strolling around like a family.
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"He seems so tired" Sakuno smiled seeing how Shin peacefully sleeping in the backseat.
"Yeah." Ryoma chuckled. "Did you have fun?" he asks, his eyes whom focusing in the road looks at her for a while.
"A lot" Sakuno smiled.
After strolling the Ueno Zoo, Shin got really tired from running, walking and sightseeing. Sakuno really enjoys this day, lot of good things happened this day and truth to be told she didn't want to end this day. They even took a lot of pictures of animals as well as themselves and brought souvenirs inside the zoo.
The tennis prince on the other hand was simply watching their reaction. Both Sakuno and Shin enjoyed looking around. He even took pictures of them secretly when they look so much amazed on whatever caught their reaction. He enjoys watching Sakuno's reaction every time.
"Thank you Ryoma-kun" Sakuno smiled brightly as she peeks on the car window. "Uhm. I almost forgot, here take this" Sakuno handed the small canvas on him.
"What's this?" Ryoma asks.
"Open it once you got home?" Sakuno said smiling. "I really enjoy this day. See you tomorrow at school. Take care and drive safely, okay? Please kiss me goodbye to Shin once he wakes up" she muttered.
"Yes ma'am." He smirked. "Go inside now. We will be going" Ryoma smirked. "And thank you for this" he waves the canvas on his hand.
Sakuno just wave her hand on him.
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Sakuno was busy fixing her things in school for tomorrow class when her phone made a buzzing sound. Alarmed, Sakuno get her phone on the side of her bed.
Tomoka's deafening screams welcomes her sense of hearing; she hurriedly takes her phone away on her ears.
"Kyyaaaaaahhhh! Oh my god Sakuno. I can't! I can't take it anymore! Gooosssh! Girl!" Tomoka screams once again. She could literally hear her jumping on the other line.
"What is it?" She asks.
"Gosh! You don't have any idea?" Tomoka screams again.
"I don't know what you are talking about Tomo-chan, will you please come down"
"Gosh! Did you give Ryoma-sama a painting? Look at your Face book! Damn it, girl! For reeaal?! Look at it yourself. And now tell me to calm down" Tomoka shouted excitedly
"waiiit Tomo-chan" Sakuno hang up the phone for a while.
Curious, Sakuno hurriedly get her laptop, she immediately opens her face book and her eyes turns big from surprised.
"Oh my god what's this?" Sakuno mumbled, one by one, she tried to read top comments visible in his post.
Momoshiro Takeshi: Damn it Echizen! First time to post, and this?
Tachibana An: oh! My! God! Osakada Tomoka look!
Osakada Tomoka: My God! Told you! They were sailing! My heart! Gaaahh!
Tachibana Reiko: baby girl did you make this?
Hyudai Ayame: who's that my future artist?! T.T
Akagi Himari: is that a girl?! I mean the one who make it?!
Echizen Ryoma publicly posted 30 minutes ago, with hundreds of reactions and comments; a picture of painting of his cat Karupin she made using acrylic paint was posted, with caption written— my future artist
-end of chapter 5-
Time check: 1:56 am.. Dang I can't sleep without updating this. Sorry for typos and errors going to fix it once I have time. My apologized to lack of update in This Love Is Ours. I am just putting this story first since my thoughts were focus on this one. I need to write this down until the last drop of scene I pictured out on my head, then I'll be back in my pending story. Hope you like this. Any thoughts?