Chapter 36: Responsibilities

Somewhere in Kyoto, inside a well-lit five-star restaurant where the finest cuisine and wine were being served, sat a suspicious man. Despite his intention of pretending that it was normal, it was obvious that he was wearing a wig that hid his true hair. The woman sitting across from him was visibly panicking and uneasy. Her hands flailed about, trying to calm the growing annoyance from the man. He tugged on his "hair" a bit and scratched it, then the woman, with the reddest tints on her cheeks, was seen holding his hands, stopping him from further taking off the synthetic locks.

"Ryoma-kun! No!" hissed the woman.

"It's itchy!" he whispered back, trying to wave her hands away. By now, their soft bickering was being heard by the diners sitting close to them. They tried to keep it low, but the man's stubborn actions were keeping the woman from silence. Why didn't they just have dinner at home? Both of them wondered.

When she could no longer keep the man in control, he yanked his wig off in one motion and it flew away behind him, revealing his real appearance. His dark green locks rested on his head, wildly disheveled from the sweat and tugging of the cursed headdress. The woman squeaked, surprised that he took off the only thing that prevented people from recognizing him.

By now, all of the people were observing them, some were already taking pictures and smiling as they marveled at the funny scene.

Sakuno and Ryoma blinked at each other. Oops, what has he done?

His temper took the better of him and it's only a matter of time before news about them blows up. He braced himself for the uproar that was to ensue.

Except nothing came.

"Ryoma Echizen," a few uttered his name with a surprised look on their faces, but after a few seconds of realization, they resumed enjoying their food and company. The two could only wonder why meeting the prince suddenly turned mundane.

While they were looking around, the server from earlier stood behind him and explained the situation.

"Not to worry, sir and madam. Almost every day, our regular guests meet different celebrities and would cause no trouble. Rest assured that you can enjoy the evening with your… lover," he bowed slightly and left them alone.

Sakuno blushed at the last statement that the server said. She will never get used to being addressed as his someone special.

Ryoma heaved a sigh of relief. Well then, it looks like he didn't have to disguise himself in the first place, after all. This restaurant will definitely have a good review from him, and a generous tip for that server, as well.

He smiled at Sakuno, who was busy lightly slapping her red cheeks.

Finally, he's finally starting to live.

Reporter Shiba has been pacing around her office all morning. Since reading the news about the prince, she was restless. Well, who wouldn't be? He had just announced (without a single word) to the entire world his relationship with Ryuzaki Sakuno. Oh, how she remembered Sakuno, the shy and cute little cheerleader of Ryoma from their middle school days. She recalled how hard the girl was crushing on the boy, and how he didn't even bat an eye on her. Back then, Shiba thought nothing of it, she was sure that they would never end up together, and that Sakuno would grow out of her love for him.

But apparently, she was wrong.

Looking at the picture on her desk for God knows how many times now, she couldn't help but feel butterflies in her stomach. It was unexpectedly expected, if that even made any sense.

"He looked so happy… so cute," she stared at the pixelated photo of the prince smiling. It was a rare sight, and she was thankful to have laid eyes on it. Turning to the next page of the printed screenshots of the social media post, she admired Sakuno's flustered face.

She seemed to be telling a funny story, her brows were knitted to a knot and her hands were theatrically moving as it described something unknown to the prince. It was endearing to see that she was the only person to draw out his smile, and Shiba smiled at the thought that all Ryoma needed was Sakuno to make him feel refreshed.

Now, she just has to find a way to interview and feature them on the next issue of Monthly Pro Tennis!

Ryoma Echizen started out his morning with jogging around the neighborhood. He wore his usual training clothes, his cap, and a hoodie jacket that hid his familiar hair and face. He had his air pods to block out all noise that could distract him. He needs to keep his body in shape even if he's on vacation so by the time he's called in for the next tournament, he'll be at the top of his game.

Recalling the events days ago, he felt refreshed that they didn't cause that much of a fuss at the restaurant. It seemed that those people were so used to seeing celebrities and famous athletes every day that they didn't care to ask him for autographs and whatnot.

Ryoma was beginning to feel comfortable going outside and meeting with Sakuno. In his mind, there won't be any more problems. He's ready to reclaim his standing in the tennis world, and he's with her, that was the most important of all. He can never be caught off guard with anything anymore.

When he opened the front door to Sakuno's home, the girl had the most bewildered expression on her face as she ran to welcome him in the most bizarre way Ryoma had ever seen.

"P-Pregnant!" she squeaked.

That morning when she woke up, Sakuno had the brightest smile on her face, remembering that Ryoma had been staying the night with her. Days passed since his arrival, and they were having the time of their lives. Going on dates, ignoring the envious glares of the people on her, and the ongoing speculations of their relationship on social media. It was turning out for the better, Sakuno noted. Now that Honoka surprisingly admitted that she lied to the public regarding her and Ryoma, Sakuno's image was finally clearing up, much to the two's delight.

And most importantly, Ryoma is getting better at crowds. Yes, he would sometimes feel worried and overwhelmed, but he was beginning to manage his anxiety better than before. Sakuno was relieved that his spirit was lifted even just for a little bit. Every time they go home, everything is peaceful, everything is calm. They were content.

However, the phone call from Tomoka that morning was enough to disrupt Sakuno's peaceful day. She had just told her that she's pregnant with Horio's child! Of course, that is always good news, but she sensed the worried tone in her best friend's voice. Sakuno couldn't help but feel troubled as well.

Tomoka invited her to lunch that day and they planned to talk about the news, as well as the engagement.

But Tomoka told her that maybe she's not ready for motherhood yet. That triggered something in her and the only thing that Sakuno wanted to do was to comfort her friend and convince her that everything is going to be okay.

So, after that call, she frantically searched for Ryoma in the house without even checking herself in the mirror. That's why she showed up in front of him looking sloppy.

The look on the prince's face was enough to further make her heart panic. He looked like he had seen a ghost. Sakuno wondered if she looked too ugly that morning, but there are more important things than her face, after all.

He had that dumb look on his face, his mouth agape and his eyes twitching. The sweat from the morning jog was nothing compared to the perspiration that was going on at his temple when he heard of the news.

"O-Okay, I'll take care of you," He finally spoke.

"What?" She asked.

"I said I'll take care of you and the baby. Don't worry about anything," he tried to reach out for a hug, but Sakuno slowly backed away with the most ridiculous expression on her face.

He was puzzled. Why is she looking like that? Does she not want him to take responsibility for their baby?

Wait, am I not the father?!

Before his mind went somewhere else, Sakuno finally got it and immediately tried to clear it up.

"A-Ah! Ryoma-kun… You must have misunderstood! I-I'm not the one who's pregnant, Tomo-chan is!" She was visibly freaking out and Ryoma was too stunned to speak. He realized how funny he must have looked right now. His cheeks blushed furiously as he tried to play it off as a joke. Thankfully, his girlfriend was a bit of an idiot that she didn't heed the stupidity he had just done.

Sakuno sighed heavily.

"Anyway… she wants to see me for lunch. Is it okay if I leave you here? Or do you want to come with us?" She asked.

"O-Okay," He quietly made his way to the bathroom. It felt like it was the walk of shame.

Sakuno only chuckled at her boyfriend's stupidity. How could she be pregnant when they hadn't seen each other for a long time? But she was ecstatic to know his reaction if ever they will be the ones to become parents.

Of course, that's a big "someday".

"Ryoma-sama!" Tomoka waved and the couple immediately took a seat at the table she had reserved for their lunch. Of course, it wasn't a surprise to see the prince since she had already seen numerous articles about him recently.

Without further ado, as how she had always been, Tomoka went straight to the point.

"I'm pregnant," she said with a monotonous voice. If she's going to think about her true feelings, Tomoka would be canceled for sure. She's just not ready for the responsibility. Her income is okay, Horio's income is okay. But she wasn't sure if she could take care of a baby. That's why she sought Sakuno's help, since she's always been a mother figure to them ever since middle school.

As she stares at Sakuno's gaping mouth, and Ryoma's bored look, Tomoka gasps, remembering a key detail to her upcoming wedding.

"Oh, and you're my maid of honor, and Ryoma-sama is Horio's best man," she added.

"E-Eh, okay…" Sakuno replied while the prince only arched his eyebrow in shock. Why didn't she ask if he even wanted to do it? He doesn't even know if he would attend the ceremony, much less have a role in it!

As if it was already dismissed without his approval, Ryoma was left ignored as the two women talked.

"What am I going to do? How do I tell Horio?" She rested her forehead on both her hands.

"Tomo-chan.." Sakuno held her hand, stroking it sympathetically. Honestly, she's not quite sure how to comfort her, she hasn't been in her shoes.

"I know, I know it's a blessing and all… I'm just…"

"...scared?" Ryoma finished Tomoka's words. The two women looked up at him. He leisurely swirled the orange juice in his glass as he rested his chin on his palm. No matter how uninterested he is and how clueless he appears to be, Ryoma does understand how Tomoka was feeling. After all, he had the same reaction when Karupin was given to him. Of course, that was different from a baby, but he was overwhelmed with the responsibility that his mind was in turmoil for weeks.

"Of course, I'm scared. How could I take care of a small person? Should I just hire you to be our nanny?" Tomoka jested at Sakuno's helpful nature, but the girl grew uneasy instantly.

"T-Tomo-chan, I know you can't imagine what it's like. But the moment the baby is right in your arms, you'll just know. It will come naturally to you, I promise," She smiled warmly at her, a reassuring smile that Tomoka and Ryoma admired.

Ever since she was little, Sakuno has been brought up to be helpful and considerate to others and that she would be willing to offer assistance and emotional support beyond her abilities. That was only one of the things that made her lovable.

"How do you want to break the news to Horio?" she asked.

"I don't know… I guess I'm scared of what his reaction might be," Tomoka wondered if he would be happy, or he would just feel anchored to their relationship that he would go through with the wedding. She was too damn scared.

"Just tell him. He'll be fine," Ryoma muttered in a comforting voice. Tomoka looked up at him, unable to convince herself that the Ryoma now is more soft spoken and more supporting. While she can't wrap around the idea in her head, Tomoka was feeling proud of how far he had come. But enough about him, there was a much bigger problem that she needed to sort out.

"Ryoma-kun? Are you sure?" Sakuno asked. The two women were aware how close Horio and Ryoma were, which was an indication that he's confident in his words. After all, Horio has been in love with Tomoka ever since they started middle school. Ryoma was aware of this fact because even though he doesn't care, the loud boy would pester him with stories about the loud girl for most of the day.

Ryoma smiled at the memory.

"Yup,"

"Well, what if you were in his position? What if Sakuno got pregnant, what would you do? How would you feel?" Tomoka instantly shot him a question, eager for his insights on the matter, eager for his point of view as a man.

"Wahhh! Tomo-chan!" Sakuno tried to cover her mouth, she felt embarrassed being talked about like that.

"Happy," he simply said. The two only gaped at him for being cool about everything.

"I just got a great idea, Ryoma-sama! You can tell Horio about it!" Tomoka's hands clasped together, and her eyes sparkled at her sudden thought that she thinks that that was the most wonderful idea she ever had. But of course, as expected, the prince didn't like it one bit. He doesn't like being commanded, after all.

"What? Why me?"

"Because you're the best man and the best man must help the groom with everything!"

"I never agreed on that."

"Well you should, because this baby is going to be your godson!"

"Stop imposing roles on me!"

"Oh, come on!"

"No."

"I thought you two were best pals?"

"We're not– Ryuzaki, help me out."

"Ryoma-kun, I think you can talk to Horio about it, you know… over coffee?"

"Yes, Sakuno. Tell him!"

Ryoma's jaw dropped. One word from Sakuno and he couldn't even protest, much less decline the request. Why would he be the one to break the news to Horio? Shouldn't it be Tomoka? What would he even say? Would Horio be happier if he heard it from him? Ryoma didn't understand the circumstances, but he had no choice when his girlfriend was being used by her best friend to use him.

Tomoka flashed a mischievous smile to him before smiling innocently to Sakuno.

"Damn it."

Eventually, Tomoka had calmed down after taking her window shopping for babies. Seeing different kinds of cute outfits and such, she couldn't help but feel excited.

The three stood in front of the train station.

"Thank you, Sakuno and Ryoma-sama!" she flashed a smile to the couple and ran off to board the train. Sakuno waved a hand to her and when she was nowhere in sight, they began to walk their way home.

"You know, even though Tomo-chan was stressed right now, I'm happy for the both of them and I can't wait for the wedding," Sakuno sighed as they walked hand in hand on the cold streets of Kyoto. Ryoma only nodded in response. It was truly a new chapter in their two friends' lives, and he couldn't help but feel a little glad as well. Sakuno's energy was quite contagious.

Anyway, Sakuno's going to be Tomoka's maid of honor, and Ryoma was tasked to be Horio's best man. Tomoka explained that the loud fellow had always bragged about his close friendship with the prince, that it was only natural that Ryoma's going to play a huge role in their wedding. She also didn't fail to mention how she got closer to him when Sakuno was secretly working at the restaurant.

With that, Ryoma was left no chance to deny the request. He only sighed in defeat in the two girls' hopeful eyes.

"This is a bad idea," he muttered.

One day, Ryoma was woken up by the sound of shuffling feet. There were murmurs but it was inaudible to him, being half asleep. He tried to cover his ears with the fluffy pillow but the noise that a certain woman was producing was too much for him to ignore.

He was never a morning person, but Ryoga advised him to start waking up early on alternate days and jog for at least ten kilometers. It will help condition his senses and body to tennis. So, that was how he spent his days in Japan.

But today was his rest day, which means he can sleep to his heart's content and wake up late until dinner. That was his plan, but the woman he's living with was making too much noise that he was beginning to feel annoyed.

"Oh, shoot!" she whispered a little too loud.

Ryoma groaned for the umpteenth time. Even if he didn't open his eyes, he knew that Sakuno was getting ready for school. At that time, she was getting busier since graduation was just around the corner. She's preparing for her final exam and practical so it's understandable that she had to do everything fast.

But she was disrupting his sleep almost every morning. This cannot go on.

Ryoma sat up and saw Sakuno rummaging through her dresser. She seemed to be searching for something, but he didn't care at all. His sleep was cut short, and she was the cause.

He stood behind her and wrapped his arms on her waist while he rested his chin on her shoulder. Sakuno gave a light squeak.

"You're awake!"

"With all the noise you're making, even the neighbors are awake, Sakuno," She heard his raspy voice that would only happen in the morning, and it sent tickles in her heart. She missed waking up together, since her schedule's been busy and the time, she can give him was becoming seldom. That made her feel a bit guilty.

She spun around and hugged him back.

"I'm sorry, Ryoma-kun… I'm running late,"

He frowned.

"Okay," Ryoma gently let go of her body and watched as she swiftly put on a thick sweater and was heading out the door. Sakuno found her shoes and was quickly tying the shoelaces.

"So, you're going to meet up with Horio-kun today?" She asked without looking up. Ryoma stood by the door, still wearing his thin shirt and sweatpants.

"Yeah. Don't expect that it will go well, though. I've been forced into it by your best friend," he rolled his eyes, remembering how Tomoka was too scared to know Horio's feelings that she actually had the audacity to demand such a thing from him.

Who does she think she is?

Sakuno chuckled. She finds Tomoka and Ryoma's friendship to be weird but funny. They were not the closest, but they do bicker a lot.

"Ryoma-kun helping out a friend… sounds sweet!" Sakuno turned her head and faced him with the brightest smile that Ryoma had missed for the past days. He walked over to her and before she opened the door, he reached for her chin and raised her head. It's time for a goodbye kiss.

"Be careful on your way."

"I love you, Ryoma-kun."

Another kiss, and then she was gone.

To be continued.