Disclaimer: I don't own Prince of Tennis of any of its characters.
A/N: This story is so old. I wrote this in my teen years (yeesh, 2006 wow) and the ignorance is wild. Hopefully I can salvage this one, as the mystery pair is one of my pet ones, and the PoT fandom was one of my favourite ones.
The themes may be hard to read, and unfortunately it's the reality of many out there. Here's hoping I can offer optimism in atypical love through this fic.
'I have noticed your frequent visits, Sakuno. Who are you seeing this often? I don't want to hear 'Echizen'".
Sakuno silently scoffed at the memory as she walked the crowded busy streets. Her father, Ryuzaki Mayuri, kept strict conditions to maintain an image. When she reached 23, her patience for his endeavors was gone. Mayuri's control became stronger as she started to wish for a life for herself, a private life. But always, he found ways to overrule her.
But unlike him, she didn't try to change destiny. She wasn't scared of life's vulnerabilities. The young woman did what was needed of her, and that was all. After finishing her degree in International Affairs at Tokyo University, she immediately began work at her father's company. She underwent strict training and was given the role of his administrative assistant to understand the company before taking a senior role.
It was wrong to agree even in the slightest to have him as a boss.
He watched her closely, kept tabs on her. Sakuno stopped walking and sighed at the restrains her lifestyle required. Her life revolved around image - how she spoke, how she dressed, and how she even walked. Everything was for the Ryuzaki dynasty and nothing else existed. she had to constantly watch her behaviour otherwise rumours started by other families would ruin hers. It was frustrating.
Unfortunately, he learned about her affairs with Echizen Ryoma, the fallen tennis player, and disapproved.
The thing was, Ryoma was her escape from her curated life – he wasn't financially stable but he didn't care. To him, living life to its full potential was important; a philosophy which became much more apparent after the death of his cousin and father 2 years ago.
Suddenly she lost her vision and felt a light pressure against her eyes. Smiling, she placed her hands over another's and lowered them then turned to find a smirking Ryoma.
"Ryoma-kun!"
They hugged. It took some adjustment to his new ways of showing affection, but she was fond of it. There was something liberating about his love language. But, this one lasted longer than usual.
"Is everything alright?"
He nodded and they released one another. Holding hands, they walked around the public park she had unknowingly stumbled into. The date was normal – they held hands and conversed about life in general. Well, mostly Ryoma talked and she listened. Sakuno always loved hearing what he had to say. At one point in time, it was the opposite.
"I want you to meet my mother."
She suddenly stopped walking to think about what he just said. Even when they were friends, she never met his mother. They only started dating 10 months ago and she thought it was too soon, despite it being the happiest months of her life. In many ways, it felt natural not to talk about meeting their respective parents because Sakuno knew Mayuri wouldn't accept their relationship.
She never spoke about her family willingly. Ryoma was now in an impoverished state, and any conversations that spoke to monetary status became very awkward, very quickly. His career path had taken a huge decline after the death of his family members while her father's business saw nothing but success.
So now, when he wanted her to meet his mother, Sakuno felt very happy but anxious. If she met his mother now, that must mean this relationship was taking a serious turn. What should she think of that?
"Yo, Sakuno!"
"A…ah, sorry, Ryoma-kun, I wasn't sure what to think…"
"Clearly. Don't think right now. Let's enjoy ourselves."
And so the afternoon was a wonderful break away from the world of the upper class. Eventually, Ryoma led her into the lower socioeconomic area of the city, the place where the Echizen family had to relocate to after the incident. It was a shame they had to live in this.
Once Sakuno offered a good sum of money for his mother to live in better conditions and that was the first and only time Ryoma had shown his anger. His pride was intact, a part of his personality that couldn't be removed. She learned then the difference between intentions and impacts.
He suddenly stopped at a rundown building and walked in, pulling her along. The elevator was broken, and the stairs looked as though they would break if anymore weight was placed on it. The wallpaper was torn in some places, peeling in others. There were plenty of spiders and webs in almost every corner.
Sakuno held her breath, just in case she made any weird noises. Finally, reached the top floor. She tried to hide her rapid breathing. There was only an awkward silence between the two; Sakuno wanted to prove that she could handle this environment. Her thoughts went immediately to the hygiene of the building but again, she kept silent.
He suddenly stopped again and she bumped into him, not expecting him to stop.
"Mou…" Ryoma looked over his shoulder, "Are you alright?" Sakuno rubbed her nose with her free hand and nodded. Ryoma grinned.
He turned to his left and opened a blue door, which had seen better days. "…Mom? Look who's here."
Sakuno was surprised by the inside of the apartment. The walls were painted a navy blue and the room was very neat. Nothing looked out of place, not a scrap of paper nor could a single ball of dust be seen. However, the objects inside looked unnaturally worn.
He lead her to a room just to the right of the entrance. In a battered rocking chair sat an old woman, reading a book. She knew Echizen Rinko was only 50, but she didn't age well in the last few years and she looked nearly 10 years older. It was surprising negligence could do to a person. But these thoughts she kept to herself.
Instead, she tried to give her most warmest smile. The older woman lifted her eyes and Sakuno sensed hints of sadness in those aged eyes. But the lines on her face disappeared when she saw her.
Ryoma gently pulled Sakuno next to him before pushing her lightly towards Rinko.
The anxiety returned because his mother being this happy was...unnerving. Why would she be so happy after seeing her? Even her father wasn't ever that happy to see her.
"Hello, Echizen-san. I am Ryuzaki Sakuno, pleased to make your acquaintance." She knelt and looked into her eyes.
"Ah…so this is the girl my son is crazy for…" She surveyed her, "Please, be more familiar, it feels nicer than Echizen-san…" The melancholy briefly returned then quickly disappeared. Rinko smiled at her and cupped Sakuno's chin in her hands.
Sakuno placed her hands on Rinko's lap. The long, white dress the lady wore didn't have a speck of dirt on it. The cleanliness surprised Sakuno, reminding her she needed to stop being so quick to judge.
"Of course…Rinko-san." It felt out of line calling her that. Briefly, an image of Sakuno's mother popped into her head. Sora was the same age as Rinko, but she had more to her name, meaning she was able to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
"Ryoma…why don't you drop Sakuno home now? It's getting dark, her parents must be worried." He nodded and looked at Sakuno, "Let's go."
She nodded, not saying her parents would assume she was with the driver if she came home late. Bidding a final farewell to Rinko, Ryoma lead her out. For a reason the young woman didn't understand, a heavy feeling settled inside her chest.
"Sakuno…you won't make it back alone, you'll probably get lost."
"Trust me Ryoma-kun! I'll be fine." She said playfully.
His aggressive reaction surprised her. "No." They were at the park close to her home. There were a few turns here and there but Sakuno knew her way around. But it wasn't that.
His overprotective tendency sometimes caused hostility between them. It sometimes led to an argument about a bigger issue around trust. Before she could voice her concerns, he hugged her. It was his way of avoiding a conversation before it began. He shifted demeanor and became his talkative self again.
As they walked to her home, Ryoma held her hand tighter than before. Sakuno hated the tension he created when he did that. When they finally reached her street, he gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and hastily left.
She sighed and turned around to enter the black steel gates.
When inside, while removing her shoes, Sakuno was bombarded by her mother. The normally elegant woman was happier than usual, rushing her only daughter to sit on the nearest couch.
"Sakuno! You're finally home! I have wonderful news for you."
Sora was wearing her best blue suit, an outfit worn to entertain their most important clients or business partners in the privacy of their home.
"We weren't due for guests this evening, mother. I would have stayed home to meet them if I knew."
"Oh you silly girl, these guests came to meet your father."
"Were they father's business partners?" Sora nodded.
"…Why are you so excited mother?" Sora had become restless, her smile widening to their limits.
The maid appeared and poured tea for both of them. Sakuno indicated for two teaspoons of sugar and waited for Sora to take her first sip before urging her to continue.
"Yoshida-san came to visit this evening and my goodness, it was such a lovely surprise! We haven't seen the family since her poor husband passed away last year and you will never guess what she had to say."
"..."
If memory served her right, Yoshida was the widow of her father's deceased business partners. She took her maiden name after her husband passed. Sakuno last saw that family when she was 13. Her parents attended the funeral then, but she didn't because she was travelling. If she remembered correctly, there were 2 sons and 1 daughter.
"Well, she came with a proposal. It seems Kuniharu - may he rest in peace - wanted his oldest son to marry you! Oh was he ever fond of you, always wanted you to join his family one day. Yoshida-san wanted to make sure his wish was fulfilled and their son agreed! Isn't that wonderful? And father agreed! You're getting married, Sakuno!"
Sakuno's world became silent, everything almost frozen in time as she processed the information. She...was getting married?
