Chapter 33: Drawing

Sakuno felt the cold breeze blowing through her thin skirt and her exposed legs. She opened her eyes and though in a haze, she realized she was on a high place - a rooftop - with the city lights glimmering and the pitch-black sky surrounded them. She tugged on her skirt to cover her body.

When sleepiness left her brain, Sakuno saw that she was currently sitting beside a man, with her head resting on his broad shoulder. She instantly lifted her head and scrambled away like a scared cat.

"U-Um!" She exclaimed, trying to say words but none came to her mind as she was too bewildered at the current setup. The man just stared at her with equal shock.

"Ahh, you're awake!" He smiled. Sakuno studied his face for a moment, her brows furrowed. He didn't look familiar to her, his handsome features, defined jawline and pointy nose didn't ring a bell. Then again, her memory was blurry.

The man, seemingly noticing the doubt that somehow projected onto Sakuno's flustered face, quickly offered an explanation.

"Oh, you were about to barf downstairs and unknowingly grabbed onto my jacket for support. You looked sick, so I just decided to bring you here to get some fresh air. I'm sorry," his voice sounded much like Taka-senpai and it sent a comforting sense to her. When she heard his explanation, Sakuno's tensed shoulders gradually relaxed, and she slowly nodded in understanding. Looking at him now, the man had an aura similar to Taka-senpai and Fuji-senpai.

However, his looks rivaled that of Ryoma's. He definitely looks… handsome.

Anyway, Sakuno shook her head, erasing all unnecessary thoughts and looked around the place.

"Um… Thank you and sorry for causing you trouble. W-Where are we?"

"This is the third floor of the bar. The second floor is a hotel. I was thinking of letting you sleep there but I knew it would be improper so…" He nodded as he looked into her eyes, hoping that Sakuno understood where he was going with it. Thankfully, she seemed to understand him as her thin lips started to curve upward.

"Oh… I see. Thank you so much for taking care of me," Sakuno stood up and bowed down as a sign of her gratitude towards the kind man. She maintained her position for a few seconds before straightening her body back up.

"May I ask your name?"

"I'm Ken," He replied with a warm smile. Sakuno could not help but blush at his attractive expression.

"Ryuzaki-san, take a seat," he said before handing a canned coffee to her. Sakuno gratefully accepted it and wrapped her fingers around it, feeling the hot temperature of the beverage. She opened the can and silently sipped it before pausing.

"Wait, you know my name?" She turned her head to him.

"Yes, I recognized you. You were one of my classmates. I even remembered your name listed in the cookoff participants," Ken spoke, Sakuno nodded.

"Wow, what a small world. Although, I'm sorry that I don't remember you at all," She chuckled awkwardly. Strangely, Sakuno felt comfortable with him already. Maybe it was because of the familiar aura he emitted. It reminded her of her senpais back in their middle school days.

"Oh, the cookoff! Goodluck with that, Ryuzaki-san," he smiled again, making Sakuno's heart jump momentarily, but she smiled warmly to him, appreciating his kind words.

"Thank you," she said.

Finally feeling relaxed, she let herself admire the city lights and the calming atmosphere.

"You know, Ryuzaki-san. Don't listen to what the others are saying. You're going to be amazing. I mean, you already are. I've been a fan ever since you topped culinary class with your recipes," Ken confessed as he drank his own canned coffee beside her. Sakuno let a smile appear on her face as she absorbed Ken's compliment. She never realized that someone even knows her that well at school. All the while, she thought that she was a lone student.

"Thank you, Ken-kun. I never realized other people even know me. I just worked silently, after all," She watched her feet swirl small circles with her heels on the ground, entertaining her eyes with it. Ken also watched her as he listened intently to her reply. In his mind, he has been inspired whenever they had classes together and he witnessed just how incredible Sakuno has been with her studies and recipes she invents were beyond amazing.

Ever since then, he has taken a liking to her. Sakuno, on the other hand, surprisingly felt secured and safe that night.

"I'm rooting for you," He flashed a friendly smile to Sakuno. The girl blushed, she nodded to him.

"Thanks, Ken-kun," Sakuno felt comforted. She didn't realize how stressed out and nervous she actually is about the cookoff. It is the one event that would determine her place in the culinary world, and she hoped to do a great job, even if she doesn't win, at least, she would be pouring her heart and soul into it, and to know that someone in her class actually believes in her made Sakuno even more confident in her skills.

They sat in comfortable silence, drinking their coffee. Then after a while, when Sakuno assured him that she wasn't drunk anymore, they made their way down. Ken pushed open the door of the rooftop and almost immediately, two figures came running towards them. They looked furious, Ken thought.

"Sakuno!" Tomoka was in tears as she sprinted with her arms spread out, ready to embrace her best friend. The other person, Horio, looked angry and nervous as he matched Tomoka's speed into reaching Sakuno and Ken.

"Hey! Get your hands off of her!" Horio glared at Ken's hand that was holding Sakuno's bare shoulders, to keep her from stumbling down the stairs.

"Oh, uh–" Ken surely couldn't let go of Sakuno just yet, until they reached the bottom of the stairs. Even if she told him that she's not feeling woozy anymore, his gentleman instinct just can't abandon a person in need.

So, although he knew that Horio's knuckle was coming straight to his face, Ken kept his grip on Sakuno's shoulders and prepared himself for the impact.

But none came. When he opened one of his eyes, he saw that Sakuno was holding Horio's arm with all of her might, stopping him from injuring a helpful friend.

"Horio-kun! He actually helped me. Please don't!" she squeaked.

"What?" Horio gasped. Behind him was a nervous Tomoka.

Sakuno felt his arm lose all of that force and was slowly backing down. Her heart was beating a thousand beats per minute as she waited for him to understand the situation.

"O-Oh, is that right?" He muttered with his expression seemingly confused and unsure.

"Y-Yes… I didn't do anything to her. I swear," Ken let go of her and held both of his hands in front of him. He just hoped that Sakuno's two friends were as understanding as her.

"Oh my God, we were looking everywhere for you! I'm so sorry, Sakuno!" Tomoka ran past Horio and wrapped her arms around Sakuno's neck, and the girl sighed in relief as she reciprocated and hugged Tomoka back with much affection.

Horio glanced at Sakuno, who nodded at him. Although he felt suspicious of Ken, he decided to trust Sakuno that nothing happened, and he just really went and helped her. He heaved a sigh of relief before facing Ken.

"Sorry for almost punching you in the face, and thanks for helping our friend. I'll take it from here, uh–" Horio's eyebrow arched as he waited for Ken to state his name.

"Ken," he replied with a pleasant tone that instantly sent a wave of relief to Horio. He proceeded to assist Sakuno and Tomoka behind them and made their way to the basement parking lot. Ken waved a hand to their retreating figures before he returned to the rooftop with a soft smile on his face.

Sakuno woke up and although her eyes were cloudy, she still recognized the interior of Tomoka's car. She was currently beside her as they leaned on to each other's shoulders, enjoying their slumber. Sakuno's eyelids couldn't stay up anymore, and she let them cover her brown eyes once more, continuing her sleep.

A few moments later, or at least to her only a few seconds passed after waking up in the car, she felt the soft mattress inside Tomoka's bedroom. The memory was blurry and dark, but she still saw her best friend tucking her in before exiting her own room, still wearing the same dress she had on when they went to the bar.

As Sakuno closed her eyes and tugged on the warm duvet towards her neck, she heard the door close and distant footsteps echoed from the other side of the door.

That night, while Sakuno slept inside her room, Tomoka walked to the kitchen to get herself a cup of water. Alcohol has completely left her system and she was good as new. Sakuno almost gave her a heart attack when she suddenly disappeared and for about an hour they searched the entire place, and actually found her with a guy.

A gorgeous guy at that. If she didn't know Sakuno at all, Tomoka would have assumed the two had something going on.

She was going to take a bath when suddenly she caught a glimpse of someone sitting on the living room couch in her peripheral vision.

Oh, yeah. He's here.

Tomoka rolled her eyes and ignored his presence. Horio was going to do the same but after so many days of arguing and not seeing each other, the moment he saw Tomoka's face, flashbacks of snowy streets and playful banters rushed back to his mind. Moments when Atsushi disappeared, and the wheel of his fate started rolling towards Tomoka.

Horio missed her very much. He admits that he has been drowning himself at work, leaving no time to spare for her, and it made him feel guilty every day.

She must have felt used and forgotten.

He listened to the soft movements around the kitchen, feeling the tense atmosphere between them. Horio wanted to break the ice and speak to her like old days, but he suddenly didn't know how. It was like many years had gone by without him seeing her that she felt like a stranger, like he doesn't know her at all.

But he wanted to see her again, hear her loud but sweet voice, her angsty face but when you know how to make her smile, that smile would melt Horio's heart into a puddle.

He loves her so much that he wanted to quit his job and devote himself to her, and to her only.

But no, he couldn't. Because he was doing it for her.

"Tomo–"

"Sorry," He heard her say. Horio turned around to face her and he saw that she was standing beside the kitchen table, staring down on a glass of water. Her face looks serious, one that Horio hadn't seen in a long time they were apart.

"What?"

"Sorry for doing something so reckless," she mumbled.

Horio was not used to Tomoka apologizing. She had always held her head high and maintained that always-right reputation around him. Most of the time, Horio admits that she was in fact, always right. But now, he suddenly remembered how maddening she made him feel when he learned she went to a bar, dragging along Sakuno, no less.

"You're an idiot," he replied with a voice that could freeze Tomoka's glass of water with its coldness.

Tomoka said nothing, and Horio felt his anger melt from her regretful expression. Horio really had never seen Tomoka like that. It was all so new to him that he wondered desperately what happened while he wasn't able to go home for days.

But he only sighed in defeat.

"I'm sorry for being too busy. I neglected you in the coldest way," he blushed at his statement. He also felt strange admitting his mistakes all so easily. He wondered if he missed her too much that he just wanted to apologize for everything she has ever felt upset about.

"You probably don't care anymore… and that's fine. Just… at least tell me if it's over so I can leave as well," Tomoka said in a weak voice.

Horio flinched. He looked at her with disbelief. He certainly cares for her, in every way, ever since middle school, even when he hadn't realized that he liked her.

He cares.

He cares so much that he suddenly whipped something out from his bag and presented the small blue box to her. Tomoka flinched at his sudden action, but the object caught her attention.

"I was busy making money so that… that…" he found it physically hard to confess to her, especially with Sakuno in the other room, although she's surely in a deep sleep by now.

Horio was never one who could easily express himself. Yes, he was dorky, a know-it-all, and even too conceited for his own good. But now, he doesn't care anymore if his plans will be revealed a little bit earlier.

The dimness in Tomoka's voice was enough to make Horio feel terrified that she would give up on their relationship and eventually move on with someone else.

He opened the box and a light flickered, shining down on a diamond ring. The box stayed on the table, just a few inches from Tomoka. He just had to make his intentions known now more than ever. He feared that if he didn't, Tomoka would be gone in the morning.

The woman in front of him seemed to ignore him yet again, and her hand slowly reached for the diamond ring. Her finger lightly grazed it, admiring its sparkling beauty.

"Y-You…" She nearly choked on her words.

"I've been saving up for a wedding," His voice emanated nervousness, but he forced himself to continue, "...our wedding, if you ever accept this humble offering, Miss Tomoka Osakada."

Horio slapped Tomoka's hand away (he instinctively did so) and as he grabbed the box, he got down on one knee and properly asked the only woman who he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

"Will you marry me?" His eyes glistened with hope, as he waited for her to move.

"Horio…" her lips quivered and suddenly she understood everything.

Horio never neglected her, he never fell out of love with her. He simply made a choice to sacrifice having to spend time with her and in return, he was building their future. She understood that to be able to love someone, you have to have sacrifices, understanding, and patience. Tomoka found herself admiring Horio. He might have been her lame and stupid classmate who always bragged about his tennis experience. Now, he proved that he can be serious and passionate with something or someone he really loves.

"Yes…" she almost whispered her answer as she struggled to stop herself from crying. It wasn't like her to be this emotional towards Horio, and she's not about to start now.

Horio almost expected this when no trace of surprise was seen on his face and with no delay, he fished out the ring from the box and immediately put it on Tomoka's ring finger. He stood up and slowly but tenderly kissed Tomoka's lips. The warmth showered her, melting the tension away. Her arms made their way to his back, wrapping themselves around him, squeezing her body onto his.

After a few seconds of silence, Tomoka suddenly pulled away from Horio. She remembered someone.

"Oh no! We forgot about Ryoma-sama. He's been calling me while we were searching for Sakuno. Oh my God, what do we tell him?" She ran to grab her phone from her purse and tapped onto the screen. Horio shrugged behind her.

"Tell the truth," He muttered, drinking the cup of water that Tomoka had.

"Are you crazy? He'll be furious with me! And why should I be the one to tell him, why not you? You're always bragging about being his best friend. You should do it!" Tomoka fished Horio's phone from his pants pocket and put it in his hand. Horio saw the nervousness in her eyes.

"B-But–"

"Satoshi Horio, you are going to talk to him, or I will remove this ring right now!"

Horio never realized how scared Tomoka is from Ryoma. In his mind, the prince wasn't that harmful, at least not to his friends. Nothing even happened to Sakuno so they should be off the hook.

Although, the thing about Ken is Sakuno's problem now. He chuckled to himself as he imagined if Ryoma would be jealous if he found out about the guy.

Horio started to type a message for Ryoma to update him about Sakuno and to tell him that he's got nothing to worry about.

Hey yo, Echizen. Sakuno slept over at Tomoka's place. All is good, she's just a little tired.

-Horio

Ryoma stared at Sakuno's number on his phone. He couldn't count how many times he tried to contact her, Tomoka, and Horio that day. It was currently night in Japan, and he has been informed that the two women went to a bar. Ryoma trusts that they wouldn't do anything weird or get into trouble, but still, he texted Horio to take care of them in the event that they would be too drunk to go home.

Normally, Sakuno would send him a message about her day but so far, no one has been returning his calls or messages. That worried Ryoma a bit, especially when he saw Sakuno's attire. That would surely attract other people's attention, he thought.

Ryoma dismissed all thoughts about his girlfriend and decided to focus on his commitment today. It was a fanmeet held at a hotel conference room. He was staying at a presidential suite with his brother/manager Ryoga, who has been away since Ryoma woke up.

He didn't fret, of course. All of the things he was supposed to do had been written in a post-it note on his dresser. First was to put on the black suit that Ryoga prepared for him, and to eat some nutritious breakfast.

Ryoma shoved his phone in his pants pocket and proceeded to put on his coat. He turned around and looked at his reflection in the mirror. He ruffled his hair into a messy look, he never did learn to style his hair. That was the stylist's job, after all. Then, he inspected his face.

I look… tired.

He touched his cheeks and chin, thinking if he needed to shave. He wondered if he needed to go to the makeup artist and make him look a bit more… alive.

Just then, someone knocked on his door.

"Who is it?" He dusted his coat and closed his dresser.

"It's me, Chibisuke," He heard Ryoga's voice. Finally, Ryoma thought. He actually found it weird that Ryoga was up early and went somewhere without saying anything to him. Ryoma even wondered if he left him alone again, which is fine.

Nonetheless, he opened the door and there was his brother, looking like a full-fledged manager right now. He was wearing a white long-sleeve polo, tucked into his black trousers and a blue ID lace rested around his neck.

"The fanmeet is about to start. Let's go," he said.

"Uh, right," Ryoma hesitated if he was ready to start his day. Even though his arm was still in a cast, he told Ryoga that he was willing to go along with all of the scheduled appearances and interviews while he's recovering. He can move around with only one arm, after all.

He has decided to let fate take control of his life. Of course, that fate is named Ryoga Echizen. He trusts that the man will manage his life temporarily as he stays in America. Ryoma knew that when he decided to make a comeback, the press would come chasing him, as well. He knew that he couldn't escape that reality, so he decided to face it head on and see where it would take him.

When the fanmeet started, Ryoma didn't anticipate that lots of people would come to see him. They were carrying his photographs, magazines where he posed as the cover, and neon balls and red rackets that were identical to his own. They planned to ask him to sign all of their possessions, and it was overwhelming Ryoma. Flashbacks of his childhood came rushing back and he realized how famous he already was even before puberty hit him. Surely, this kind of welcome wouldn't surprise him anymore, but it still did!

As the program started, the host introduced Ryoma and asked him a few questions to break the ice. So far, he answered all of them with much grace and confidence. When the line for the autograph signing began, Ryoma felt a little nervous. He was not used to meeting non-tennis players and most of them were women of all ages. Some even presented him with a piece of their clothing and wanted him to write his initials on it.

"Um… can I just sign a photo?" He awkwardly asked the girl who appeared to be his age. She was stretching a red sports bra on Ryoma's table as she flashed a toothy grin at him. The prince only scratched his head and proceeded to write his signature on it, anything to keep the line moving.

"Sir Echizen!" a small boy appeared in front of him and said his name in an American accent. Ryoma was a little surprised but his face softened at the sight of the boy's big blue eyes and the white hat he was wearing that looked similar to Ryoma's.

"Hi. What's your name?" He flashed the usual smile that he did, the same smile he practiced in front of the mirror a couple of times before leaving the house that day.

"I'm Aaron! Can you sign my hat, please? I got one that looks like yours," the boy said excitedly in a small and high-pitched voice. Ryoma couldn't help but think that the boy was cute. He gladly took the hat and started writing his signature on it. The boy watched him scribble, he looked really happy to be able to meet Ryoma.

"Aaron, do you play tennis?" he asked while he continued writing.

"No… My friends make fun of me whenever I fail to hit the ball, so I don't play anymore. I just watch your games on the television every day," Ryoma noticed the sad expression on Aaron's face. He wondered if his so-called friends could even rally with each other. He'd like to see them try.

Ryoma felt bitterness when he heard Aaron's story. It brought back his childhood memories, when his father taught him how to play at a young age, and when he entered elementary school, he introduced the sport to his friends. Even though none of them could play properly, Ryoma remembered how fun it felt.

His eyes softened as he played those nearly-forgotten memories in his mind.

"Sir?" He heard Aaron say, pulling him out of his reverie. Ryoma carefully returned the hat to the boy's head and smiled.

"Don't listen to what the others are saying. Keep playing tennis and soon, you're going to be like me," The prince offered encouraging words to the boy. That was the best he could think of, but he hoped that it would suffice and encourage Aaron.

Thankfully, the boy flashed a big smile at him, making Ryoma's eyes widen in gladness.

"Thank you, sir Echizen! I finally got to meet you!"

"Call me Ryoma,"

"Okay! See you, Sir Ryoma!" He almost fell off his seat as he heard the boy still added 'sir' to his name. Does he look old? It should be Ryoga who's being called that, at least.

Whatever.

The two smiled at each other and as Aaron waved his hand to say goodbye and stepped down from the stage, the line started to move along.

"That was nice," Ryoga whispered in his ear. He was currently sitting beside Ryoma, assisting him as the fanmeet drew to a close. The older man admired him for being mature and gentle now. If he had done this years ago, Ryoga was sure that Ryoma would have said something smug and annoying to the fans. Turns out, therapy has been effective with transforming the prince into an empathetic person.

"Ryoma!" Ryoma looked up when he heard the woman call him almost in a whisper.

"Yeah?" He saw that she looked like his age, had long, brown hair that ran down to her waist, tan skin, and curvy body. She smiled at him and the two brothers saw how angelic the woman's face looked. However, Ryoma had met countless excited fans today and this woman wasn't any different to him. So, he showed his usual smile and held out his hand, waiting for something to be signed. But the woman only stared at him, she had her arms tucked behind her, maintaining her posture that seemed to emphasize her busty front.

Oh, brother.

Ryoma knew this, Ryoga warned him about this. No way in hell will he do it.

"Sorry, I don't sign on people's chests," He put the cap back on the marker and sighed. He looked behind the woman and saw that the line was almost done.

Almost done.

"What? Don't you remember me?!" She exclaimed with a blush on her face. She was visibly embarrassed, realizing that Ryoma thought she wanted an autograph on her cleavage. She cursed herself for wearing a low neck shirt today.

He looked up to her again.

"No," he flatly said.

The woman exhaled sharply, obviously feeling offended by Ryoma's nonchalance. But she had to give him the benefit of the doubt since many, many years had passed. Of course, who would have remembered a classmate from elementary school?

"Chibisuke, who's the hot chick?" The older man smirked at her which made her shudder in disgust.

"I don't know,"

The woman's eyebrows twitched, obviously feeling very offended by the two brothers' whispering session. Reminding herself about the limited time per person that Ryoma interacts with them, she cleared her throat and decided to tell him everything right then and there. She doesn't care anymore if he believes her or not.

"I'm Kaoru, your childhood best friend. We used to play lousy tennis all the time until your father picks you up from school," She chuckled at the memory. She saw Ryoma put his hand on his chin, thinking deeply about it. Realizing that there wouldn't be hope with this man, Kaoru decided to use her ultimate weapon.

She whipped out a piece of paper from her bag and showed it to him. He blinked at the sight of the ugly drawing on the paper and wondered what Kaoru meant to achieve by this.

"Your drawing's… ugly, but I guess I can sign this," he asked, grabbing the paper from her. Two friends were drawn playing tennis in the backyard of an American home. Ryoma eyed the neon balls that were scattered on the ground, and the children's rackets were red and pink.

"It's your drawing, idiot. You gave that to me when we were kids," She replied with annoyance. But nonetheless, Kaoru was thankful that she decided to attend his fan meeting and was able to talk to him.

Ryoga glanced at the paper and held his mouth, suppressing his laugh.

Sounds about right. Chibisuke has always been bad at drawing.

Ryoma shot him a glare before his eyes softened at the paper. He really can't remember his childhood memories in America, and Kaoru's name and face doesn't ring any bells. But maybe she was telling the truth, since she's obviously Japanese, too.

"We became friends because we were both Japanese," she muttered, awkwardly rubbing her neck. Her eyes observed Ryoma's reaction. He held onto the piece of memory like a precious treasure, he was being careful of it and Kaoru knew that he was beginning to believe her.

Looks like buying a ticket here is worth it, after all.

"Miss, you're holding up the line," The bodyguard behind Ryoma said. Kaoru had no choice but to move along and step down the stairs. Ryoma's eyes followed her, and when she gave him a soft smile as her brown hair swayed with her every move, something clicked in Ryoma's brain.

He remembered her. How could he forget? Kaoru was his first friend in America. Ryoma smirked as he somewhat achieved a eureka moment. He stood up and whispered something to his bodyguard, and the tall guy nodded before he stepped out. Ryoma returned to his seat and smiled at the next fan.

Outside the conference room, the bodyguard chased after Kaoru. He tapped on her shoulder and she instantly turned around. Her face projected a slightly disappointed face but still, in her mind she was glad to talk to him.

"Miss, Sir Echizen wants to see you later after the event. If you would leave me your contact number," he said in a low voice.

Kaoru's eyes widened and she took her wallet from her bag. She handed the bodyguard her calling card and they bowed to each other.

"Thank you! I'll be waiting, then," she flashed a triumphant smile as she watched the bodyguard walk back to where Ryoma is.

To be continued.

Next: Sakuno slaps and Ryoma punches… these two are now fighting back. Will they finally be together?