After winning the mixed double match, Ryoma and Sakuno became the talk of the town at their school. Everyone was buzzing about their impressive victory and how they had brought so much attention to the previously overlooked boys tennis club. The trio were overjoyed by the sudden surge in popularity and the influx of new applicants.

As Ryoma and Sakuno basked in their newfound fame, Ryoma couldn't help but notice that Sakuno seemed distant and troubled. She always lost in thought too in class.

Ryoma asked her, "Are you okay, Ryuzaki?"

Sakuno looked at Ryoma and smiled forcefully, "I- I'm okay, Ryoma-kun."

Ryoma just silent, didn't want to push her to anything.

Tomoka also sensed that something was off with Sakuno but couldn't quite put her finger on it.

During recess, Ryoma and the trio sat together on the rooftop. The trio enjoying their lunch as they chatted about various topics. Ryoma just lay down, feeling a bit tired.

However, the conversation soon shifted to Sakuno. Hearing Sakuno's name, Ryoma opened his eyes.

"You guys noticed something weird with Ryuzaki-san lately?" Horio asked.

"Yes, she kinda always look upset lately." Katsuo said.

"Osakada also worry about her. But Ryuzaki-san didn't tell anything." Kachiro said.

"I remember a time when Ryuzaki-san was like this before. Wasn't it when Ookami was around?" Horio said while thinking.

"Ookami? Who's that?" Ryoma asked.

"Oh yeah, you didn't know about him since he was here when you still in the US. He used to be Ryuzaki-san's deskmate, that Ookami Heisuke. Well, what can I say more about him. He was rumoured to be a delinquent and people start saying Ryuzaki-san was his girlfriend. There were even rumours of a fight involving Ookami and Ryuzaki-san had been caught in the middle of it all. After that, we never see him anymore." Horio said to Ryoma.

"Yeah, poor Ryuzaki-san. I still remember when other students avoiding her because of that rumours." Said Kachiro.

"Yeah the most stupidest rumour was if you friends with her, Ookami will kill you." Said Katsuo while laughed a bit.

"But we don't really hear that rumours because we have known Ryuzaki-san much better. We treat her like usual and the rumours all just dissappeared." Horio said.

"Yeah yeah, we tried to ask Ryuzaki-san about what happened actually, but she seems like didn't want to talk about it, so we just didn't ask anymore." Said Horio again.

"Ookami always sleep in class, so we didn't have chance to talk to him. Only Ryuzaki-san able to communicate with him since she needs to bring the handouts to him." Kachiro added.

Ryoma's interest was piqued and he couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to the story than met the eye. Determined to get to the bottom of things, he decided to follow Sakuno after school one day.

To his surprise, he saw her waiting outside a bar, and before long, a guy with bleach hair emerged from the bar and confronted her.

Ryoma watched from a distance as the scene unfolded before him. It seemed like the guy was trying to convince Sakuno to leave, and she looked dejected and defeated.

As the days passed, Ryoma continued to observe Sakuno from afar, she kept coming to the bar and each time, it's either the bleach hair guy coming out and asked her to leave or he didn't come out at all.

Ryoma want to stop following her since he didn't want to pry her private life, but he couldn't stop worrying.

One day, the bleach hair guy come out from the bar and walk to other place. Sakuno, of course following him although he already told Sakuno to go. Ryoma followed they both.

They both went into secluded area, Ryoma didn't feel good about that place but he still followed them. The bleach hair guy confronted another man.

"What were you doing to my mom?" Ryoma heard the bleach hair guy asked the other guy.

Ryoma shocked when the bleach hair guy started to punch the other guy few times.

"Ookami-kun, stop it."

Ryoma realized the bleach hair guy was actually Ookami Heisuke, the person he heard from the trio before.

Sakuno tried to stop Heisuke from punching, but he accidentally pushed her, made Sakuno lost her balance.

Ryoma shocked and he rushed to Sakuno's side but he didn't make it, Sakuno's head hit the wall. Heisuke was shocked too.

Ryoma hold Sakuno and called out her, his hand shivers when he saw blood on his hand. Sakuno's head bled. Sakuno still conscious and she asked why Ryoma was there.

"Darn it." Ryoma said. He gave deathly glared to Heisuke. His other hand grasped tightly, trying to hold to punch someone.

Before he could do anything, they were all taken to the police station.

"Why you keep doing this, Ookami?" The police officer asked.

Ookami looked away from the officer. "He put his filthy hands on my mother."

The other guy snickered. "That's because your mom works in filthy place."

"What are you-" Ookami stood up to do something again to the guy, but stopped by the police officer.

"You better shut up. Don't forget I'm still investigating your fucking filthy works too." The police officer said to the other guy made the guy stop talking.

The police officer sighed. "Ookami, you need to control your anger. Now what, you involved the young miss here."

Sakuno looked down.

"Tch, I already told her not to follow me." Said Ookami.

"If she didn't follow you, you probably became a killer today." Ryoma glared at him.

Ookami glared back at Ryoma. "And who the hell are you?"

Ryoma snickered. "Me? Just her new deskmate who concerned about her. Now I know how you keep dragging Ryuzaki in your own problem, with that tiny brain of yours."

Sakuno shocked and looked at Ryoma. "Ryoma-kun, that's not-"

"What did you say?" Ookami stood up again from his chair.

"Just be quiet all of you. I don't need to hear love-triangle fight here." The policer officer increases his tone, starting to get nerve.

Heisuke sit down back and they all just silent.

Not long after that, Sumire arrived at the station, she shocked to see her granddaughter got bandage on her head. Ryoma sit beside Sakuno, only be silent. She also saw Heisuke and the other guy in front of the police's desk.

At the same time, a young woman arrived, claiming that she's Heisuke's mother. The police officer explained the situation.

Sumire went out together with Sakuno and Ryoma, while Heisuke went out with his mom.

Sumire looked at Heisuke. "I'm disappointed in you. I clearly told you not to hang out with my granddaughter again."

Sakuno protested. "Don't blame him obaa-chan. I'm the one who go to find him."

"What do you want to say to him? Tell me." Sumire glared at Sakuno.

Sakuno started crying. "I- I just want him to go to school again."

Ryoma just stood there silent.

Heisuke looked at her with pain looked. "Stop it. I told you I won't go to school! And stop crying!" He shouted.

Ryoma grabbed his shirt collar and glared. He had enough. "Don't shout at her."

"What are you-" Heisuke shocked. The other three figure also shocked.

"Think with your head before you act." Said Ryoma. He loosen his hand and let go of Heisuke's collar.

Suddenly Heisuke's mother sit on her knees and started crying. She covers her tears with her hands. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. This is all my fault. All my fault." Ookami hold his mom.

Sumire sighed and said to Heisuke. "You should think of your future and your mom. Take this, take her home and make sure she eat and sleeps well." Sumire shoved him some food she bought earlier.

She started to walk, but then she suddenly stop and looked at him back, "If you don't want my granddaughter come and find you, you should go to school. Don't you think it's pain for Sakuno to see you like this? She always treasure all her friends."

"Let's go, Sakuno, Ryoma." Sumire said and walked to her car. Sakuno and Ryoma followed her.

Sumire started the car engine and drove away, the sound of the motor drowning out any potential conversation. As they sped through the winding roads, the three of them sat in silence, lost in their own thoughts.