Chapter 16: Affirmation

January.

Winter break is over, and school resumed. Sakuno's day was the usual, with Ryoma going ahead to go to school for tennis practice and she would follow fifteen minutes later. They were now accustomed to being careful not to be photographed by paparazzi too much. Although during winter break, they have been spending time together outside, especially at night when he picked her up from work, but thankfully there were no pictures released about them. Sakuno thought that the press didn't find them interesting anymore.

She was relieved that Ryoma's reputation hasn't been tampered by her presence in his life. To the media's eyes, she remained his classmate and tenant to his house. She couldn't help but wonder about her standing in his life. Flashbacks of the kiss, and how he held her hand when they walked home from the shrine. Sakuno couldn't help but daydream about it and repeatedly played those moments in her mind.

Sakuno smiled to herself as she walked leisurely towards the school gates.

Because of Ryoma's actions lately, Sakuno has been feeling different. A month ago, she would never have thought that he might like her at all. Sure, he takes care of her but that was because they were basically family now. She's more like a sister to him and thinking about them getting together sounded off.

But now, whenever Sakuno would remember how his soft lips felt against her own lips, how he smelled so manly when his face got closer to her, and how his callous hands fit perfectly with her own small hand, Sakuno knew that it was too late. She was already having a glimmer of hope that she might have a chance for his affection. It scared her, but she decided to take a leap and try to pursue Ryoma.

So, for a while now, she has been having doubts about moving away. Her plan was crumbling in front of her the moment Ryoma entered the picture. She was about to let go of her original plan. She worked tirelessly at the restaurant to be able to rent her own place and start to work after high school, to build her own life after the passing of her grandma. She wanted to get away and start from scratch. But now, all she could see in the distant path to her future was him.

"Ryuzaki," she heard a voice call from behind her. When he spun around, she saw the one person that she wanted to see.

"Ryoma-kun," she smiled. Their relationship is going well now. There were still times that they're awkward with each other but now, it has gotten comfortable to be with each other and it felt like they were on the same page.

"Let's go," he motioned for her to go together to the restaurant. Sakuno was confused for a while. Ryoma didn't seem to care about the paparazzi anymore, and the fangirls who will clearly see them together. She doesn't quite understand the boy, but she could only oblige.

As they walked side by side, the sun was already setting, and the sky had an orange and blue gradient light. Sakuno glanced at him, observing his expression which only seemed nonchalant. Ryoma was a very hard boy to read, she thought. She couldn't tell if he was happy with her.

Don't misunderstand. They're not dating. Even after the kissing and hugging and holding hands, there were no labels at all. Not that Sakuno minded, though. She was already satisfied with how they were as friends, and who knows if either of them even knows how to date?

Sakuno's thoughts were interrupted when she realized that she was in the middle of her shift at the restaurant. Atsushi has been frying beside her, and Tomoka, Ryoma, Horio, Kachiro, and Katsuo all decided to hang out there.

"Sakuno, how is your relationship with Ryoma-sama?" Tomoka sat by the bar again and was munching on a sushi platter. She was especially hungry tonight, with only tea for her lunch that day.

"Hmm… I guess it's okay…" she blushed. Tomoka knew that Ryoma had started to behave differently towards Sakuno. Since school resumed, she has been seeing the two together more often and only her trained eyes would notice the small, tiny, microscopic, subtle actions of the prince whenever he was with Sakuno.

One time, Sakuno was in charge of taking the trash out, and to make sure that no bully would attack Sakuno, he stealthily followed her. He hid from her but made sure that he kept an eye on her. There was also a time when she tripped during P.E. class and before her classmates could attend to her, Ryoma had gone to her faster than them and held a band-aid, similar to the one he gave Sakuno when he was teaching her to ride the bike. And one day, before Sakuno could stand up and buy lunch from the cafeteria, there he was, handing a sandwich and drink to her. Of course, he spared no glance at her, not even a word. But Sakuno happily accepted him completely.

Tomoka has watched Ryoma since they were twelve to not know that he has developed a liking for her best friend. She had a rough idea of when, but the juicy details from Sakuno herself only made her sure that her guess was right.

She smiled at Sakuno, who was currently arranging the chopsticks behind the bar.

"Sakuno, do you have any idea what that means?"

"What?"

"It seems like Ryoma-sama is courting you,"

Sakuno stifled a laugh. It looks like the teasing is starting a little early than she expected.

"T-That's impossible, Tomo-chan!" she waved her hands in front of her. Ryoma? Courting her? Nope. Impossible. He's doing all those things because he cared for her. But he did kiss her, hugged, even held her hand. At that point, Sakuno realized that resisting has been an unconscious habit of hers when it came to Ryoma. Like everything just seems hard to believe when she thinks that the boy might like her, too. Sure, they kissed. But it was just like a handshake for him, right?

Sakuno scratched her head. What is she doing? She's blocking all possibilities because she's not confident in herself at all.

"Nope. I'm sure of it. He may not be knowledgeable about these things but as I see, he's doing a very good, albeit discreet job," Tomoka held up her hand, doing a thumbs-up sign. "At this point, it's only a matter of time before you personally notice what he's been doing."

Sakuno sighed. It was a ridiculous idea, but then again, she can't help but have a sliver of expectation that it was indeed true.

"Hey, Tomo-chan. I got the latest issue of the sports magazine you like," Atsushi popped up from the counter window and handed a book to her. Tomoka flipped through it, seemingly searching for a particular page, and when she finally found it, her eyes widened in surprise.

"Wow, this girl is very… busty!" she said. Sakuno was a bit curious about what she's reading and leaned closer to see it.

The page featured a certain tennis player wearing the all too familiar white cap, standing in the middle of a court with a beautiful young lady. Sakuno read the bold letters and it said that it was a practice match between Coach Rui's top players. Ryoma Echizen played doubles with a certain Honoka.

Her eyes admired the girl's beautiful face, golden hair, and… huge chest. It was alright, nothing weird going on there, but when Tomoka flipped to the next page, the photo was far too distasteful for both the girls.

Honoka is hugging/squeezing the life out of Ryoma, her lips near his own, as he winces in pain. Sakuno was shocked. She didn't know if she should be jealous or what. A mix of jealousy and envy circulated her mind. As Tomoka read the whole article, Sakuno froze in her place. In her mind, she marveled how utterly beautiful Honoka is, and how she looked good beside Ryoma. So those were the people he regularly trained with.

All of a sudden, Sakuno felt disgusted at herself for thinking that a relationship between her and the prince would actually happen. She forgot that there are tons of other women willing to throw themselves at him. Women who are prettier, sexier, more stylish, and more skillful in tennis than she will ever be.

Suddenly, she felt embarrassed for hoping.

"I never expected Ryoma-sama to actually be better at doubles than before. He has really grown," Tomoka muttered.

Sakuno could only stay silent and go about her work. Tomoka continued to talk about the article with Atsushi, who was unusually detached from the conversation. He has been absent from work a number of times during the week because of some unknown reason. He was thankful that Tomoka had not interrogated him too much.

On the way home, Ryoma glanced at the girl who was deep in thought. She hasn't said a single word to him, and it was beginning to suffocate him.

"Ryuzaki. Something wrong?" he asked while he continued to pedal.

"Hm," she muttered. That was an unusual response, Ryoma thought. Something was definitely in her mind. Feeling worried, Ryoma suddenly turned to the right and made their way to a convenience store. Sakuno was surprised to notice that he brought her there.

"Ryoma-kun, what are we doing here?"

"Wait here," he said before walking into the store. Sakuno could only sit by the bench and stare at the sky.

After a while, Ryoma returned with two ice creams. He handed one to her and started to eat his own cone.

"T-Thank you," she smiled. This simple yet romantic gesture that he did make Sakuno's heart throb in her chest. Images from the cursed magazine started to be forgotten as the boy sat beside her with a small smile on his face.

"It's so easy to make you happy," he muttered. That comment made Sakuno's heart jump. Was he trying to cheer her up? How did he even know? Was it written all over her face?

"Eh?"

"Whatever it is that's worrying you, let it go. Focus on yourself and you'll be fine," Now he was offering encouraging words to her. More things were added to things he never knew he could do. But he just knows that iced treats are one way to a woman's heart. Wait, is that right?

Upon hearing that, Sakuno smiled sincerely. She was glad that there was someone who can always make her feel good.

A faint shade of red tinted Ryoma's cheeks, erasing his uncertainty of whether he made her feel better.

Whatever. She was smiling, so he's happy.

"That smile suits you," he said to her.

Honestly, he wanted to say more nice things to her, just to staple that pretty smile across her face. Ryoma had long practiced the things he could tell her whenever she's sad, but as soon as she smiles, his mind goes blank, and he would feel the urge to kiss her again.

But he fought against it. He respected her, after all.

"Ryoma-kun, can I ask you something?"

"Hm? What is it?"

"Am I… nice?" She waited for his response. It was a weird question, but she just blurted it out. Maybe she just wanted to know if he's not annoyed by her presence.

"What do you mean?" he turned his head to her; he saw her worried eyes looking at him.

"I don't know, sorry…" Sakuno chuckled. She felt stupid for asking something so random. Of course, he's not going to understand it because she couldn't, as well.

"Hm… I don't get it but if you're asking if you act nice, then yes," he spoke. Then he put his hand on his chin, as if thinking deeply. "If you're asking if you look nice," he paused before he looked at her…

"Absolutely."

Sakuno's eyes widened at his straightforward answer. He was being romantic again, Sakuno thought. She feared that she might not take it and just combust in front of him. Her ice cream melted in her hands as she continued to stare at the boy who effortlessly managed to bewitch her over and over again.

"But right now, you look weird," he added as he put a napkin on her hands. Sakuno's face turned into a tomato, making Ryoma laugh heartily. She watched him laugh while pointing to her face. She knew he was making fun of her, and a witty comeback is long overdue.

"W-Well, who eats ice cream in winter?" she pouted. It was the first time she ever talked back at his teasings and she hoped it put him in his place.

"Wow, it seems you're learning from your friend, huh?" an image of Tomoka popped inside Sakuno's mind. Oh yeah, because he's not the only one growing up.

It was another day at the restaurant. Sakuno diligently served the customers as best as she could, since Atsushi was absent again. Tomoka sat there, deep in thought. She sees to it that she doesn't meddle with her boyfriend's affairs, but this is just too much. Either he's away without a single text message for her, or he's there, but they were never the same happy couple anymore. It seemed like his body was there with her, but his heart and mind are no longer hers.

Tomoka was beginning to suspect something rather than being worried for him.

"Sakuno, do you have an idea what happened to Atsushi?"

"No… he's not telling me anything,"

Tomoka leaned her head on her arm, she felt her stomach hurting from the stress and overthinking she's been doing for the last hour.

The door slid open and entered Horio. He was a frequent guest in the restaurant. After school, he would hang around, eat dinner, then walk home with them.

"Yo," he greeted.

"Hey, Horio-kun," at the mention of the boy's name, Tomoka spun around and immediately walked towards him.

"W-What?"

"Tell me everything you know,"

Horio was slow on the matter, so he didn't understand what Tomoka was talking about. He only shrugged.

"Atsushi hasn't been the same," she looked down.

Horio watched the girl with worry in his eyes. He felt guilty for not saying anything to her, and he was hurt to see Tomoka sad because of Atsushi. He could at least explain things to her. He's not even leaving yet and he's already treating her like he's gone.

"Okay," he said. He decided to tell Tomoka everything. He doesn't owe Atsushi a pact of secrecy, after all.

The two of them got a secluded table and started to talk about Atsushi's plans, but of course, he left the part where the guy entrusted Tomoka to him. Upon hearing that he was already set to migrate abroad, Tomoka was silent. It was the most silent she's been, Horio thought.

"So, why doesn't he just break up with me? I can handle a heartbreak or two," she muttered while she sipped on her third coffee. Horio nervously laughed at the sight of Tomoka being a wreck right now.

"Don't worry, you're a strong headed girl. He's going to America to build a better future. He's been stuck here for a long time, and he wanted to do something different. We should be happy for him, and if you're meant to be together, your paths will cross again, however long it may be."

Horio cringed at his own words. He's always been a supportive kind of friend, even though he would always say the wrong things. But now, he genuinely thinks that Tomoka needed kind words the most right now.

"Wow, so you do think sometimes," he heard the girl comment. Horio frowned. If he didn't confess to her spontaneously, he would have teased her so much that she would walk out the door right now.

They eventually shared funny stories from their middle school days and ended up having a good time with each other while drinking coffee. Behind the wall, Sakuno smiled as she admired how the two were hitting it off.

After about twenty cups of joe, Tomoka was starting to get a headache. Horio found it funny that Tomoka looked like he was drunk when there wasn't even any alcohol anywhere. So, as usual, he got ready to walk Tomoka home. He slung her arm over his shoulders and started to walk away.

"Be careful, guys!" Sakuno waved her hand to them.

"Thanks, you too," Horio managed to say as he struggled to carry the girl's weight. He was starting to think that it was a bad idea to fall in love with a troublesome girl like Tomoka.

"They seemed to be getting along. Don't you think so, Ryoma-kun?" Sakuno smiled as she felt glad about Horio and Tomoka's development. Even though she didn't have an idea what they talked about, they surprisingly enjoyed each other's company, and it was enough for Sakuno to think that they're beginning to treat each other better than before.

"Ryuzaki," she heard the boy say. He ignored her question but that didn't matter to her.

"Yes?"

Ryoma looked down on his feet and shifted his weight to his other leg.

"I like you," his mouth moved on its own. It was too late to cover it with his hand. He lost control over his muscles and accidentally spoke the words that he had been thinking about whenever he saw her. He knew that it didn't matter when or how he said it. He just needed to let her know.

After a few seconds of hearing nothing but faint car horns in the distance, Ryoma slowly lifted his head and checked Sakuno's reaction.

"W-Wha…" she found it hard to process what he said. It was completely out of the blue and she was caught off guard.

Did he just say that he likes me?

"Ryuzaki?"

"S-Sorry, I don't follow,"

He smiled at her clueless expression, unable to contain his laughter. Sakuno was cuter than he thought. Who knew that he could silence her with just three words?

"I'm saying…" he paused, then leaned in for a quick peck on her lips. It only lasted for a second before he pulled away. "I like you."

Sakuno unconsciously raised her hand and touched her lips. It was the warmest sensation she has ever felt, and she couldn't contain the love that she felt for Ryoma.

Ryoma, the boy whom she had met on the train one day and became her constant inspiration in everything she does. Initially, she thought it would just remain as puppy love, and puppy loves are supposed to end with childhood. But who knew that she would still love him for over six years, even when he left for America and then back, Ryoma still held her heart.

She wanted to tell him right then and there that she has been in love with him after all those years and that she would always love him with all of her heart.

If singing a love song wouldn't make him realize her feelings, only actions were left.

It was her turn to tiptoe and land her own lips into his. She clutched the collar of his jacket for support, as she lost control over her own body, and kissed him back. Ryoma's eyes momentarily widened at her bold move, but he soon wrapped his arms around her and deepened the kiss.

Only a single streetlight illuminated their silhouettes in the middle of the dark and snowy road.

To be continued.