The next day at Seigaku High school, the sun was shining brightly, casting a warm glow over the campus. Students hurried to their classes, excited for another day of learning and fun. Tomoka and Sakuno, sat together in their classroom during the recess, munching on their bento boxes and chatting animatedly.
Sakuno's heart fluttered with a mix of excitement and nervousness as she thought about the upcoming mixed-doubles tennis tournament.
As they ate, Tomoka couldn't help but notice the blush that adorned Sakuno's cheeks. She nudged her playfully and teased, "You really like him, don't you?"
Sakuno's eyes widened in shock, and she quickly glanced around to make sure no one had heard Tomoka's words. "T-Tomo-chan, what are you talking about?" Sakuno stuttered, her cheeks turning an even deeper shade of red.
Tomoka grinned mischievously. "I'm talking about Ryoma-sama, of course. You have a crush on him, don't you?"
Sakuno's heart raced as she tried to come up with a convincing denial. "I-I...It's not like that, Tomo-chan. I'm just...a fan of his tennis skills, that's all."
Tomoka shook her head, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "Oh, come on, Sakuno. I've known you for years, and I can see the way you look at him. You like him romantically, don't you?"
Sakuno bit her lip nervously, feeling a whirlwind of emotions swirling inside her. "Even if that's true, Tomo-chan, it's just a silly crush. Ryoma-kun doesn't see me that way."
Tomoka's expression softened, and she reached out to pat Sakuno's hand. "You never know what the future holds, Sakuno. Sometimes, love blossoms in the most unexpected ways. Maybe things will work out between you and Ryoma-sama."
Sakuno's heart skipped a beat at the thought, but before she could respond, the bell rang, signaling the end of recess. Tomoka sighed and quickly gathered her things, shooting Sakuno a knowing look before she went to her seat.
As Ryoma took his seat next to Sakuno, he couldn't help but notice the flush that lingered on her cheeks. He furrowed his brow slightly, wondering what had transpired between Sakuno and Tomoka. But as always, he shrugged off the thought and focused on the lesson.
The bell rang, signaling the end of another school day. The students in the classroom began packing up their belongings and getting ready to head to their after-school clubs. Ryoma grabbed his big tennis bag and slung it over his shoulder, while Sakuno quickly grabbed her school bag, which contained her tennis racket, and followed Ryoma out of the classroom. The trio also followed Ryoma.
Tomoka waved goodbye to Sakuno as she headed off to the girls' tennis club. "Goodluck, Sakuno!"
"Thank you, Tomo-chan." Sakuno waved back at her friend before hurrying to catch up to Ryoma and the trio.
They stretched and did some warm-up exercises before entering the court. Sakuno pulled out her trusty red racket from her bag, causing Ryoma to raise an eyebrow.
"You still use that racket?" Ryoma asked, a hint of surprise in his voice.
Sakuno nodded with a smile. "Yes, I always use this racket for important tournaments. It's like a good luck charm to me."
"Good luck charm?" Ryoma asked.
"Yes, when I used this racket, I felt that you were always there watching me played in tournaments, and it kind of giving me some motivation to do the best." She said while giggled and blushed a bit.
Ryoma couldn't help but feel a warm feeling in his chest knowing that Sakuno associated the racket with him. He took the racket from her and inspected it, "The string is in good condition." he commented.
Sakuno nodded shyly, "I always brought it to Haritatsu's shop. He's really good at fixing strings."
"I see."
Before they could continue their conversation, Horio interrupted, declaring that they were ready to start practicing.
Ryoma handed the racket back to her and they began their practice session. Ryoma stepped onto the court, with Sakuno beside him. Horio and Katsuo took up position on the opposite side of the court. As they began to rally, it quickly became apparent that Horio and Katsuo had a natural chemistry on the court, while Ryoma and Sakuno were struggling to find their groove. They constantly kept getting in each other's way and missing shots.
"We're really not syncing well, are we?" Ryoma said, still thinking what to do to sync well.
"I know, I'm sorry. I just can't seem to predict where you're going to hit the ball." Said Sakuno with sad face.
"It's okay, we just need to figure out a system. Let's try to communicate better." Said Ryoma, made Sakuno nodded.
"Remember, communication is key on the court. Try to anticipate each other's moves and trust your partner." Mr. Jun said from outside of the court, who kept analyzing their moves.
"Yeah, coach Jun is right." Said Horio.
"Got it. Let's give it another shot." Ryoma said with serious face.
"Okay, I'm ready." Said Sakuno, trying to focus.
Determined to improve, Ryoma and Sakuno listened to their coach's advice and tried to communicate better. After a series of failed attempts, they finally started to click. They moved fluidly around the court, communicating with just a glance or a nod.
After few days trained together, their rhythm got better. They even manage to win over Horio and Katsuo.
Mr. Jun watched in amazement as Ryoma and Sakuno found their rhythm. "That's it! You're finally working as a team."
"Their rhythm got better." Said Kachiro happily.
"They really pulled it off." Said Katsuo, amazed with how they synced with each other despite the struggle.
After a week of intense practice on the tennis courts, Ryoma and Sakuno sat side by side on a bench, their faces flushed and tired. Kachiro, the captain of the boys tennis club, approached them with clean towels and bottles of water, feeling guilty for pushing them to join the mixed-doubles tournaments.
"Here, guys. You need to rehydrate after all that hard work. I'm sorry for pushing you guys to join the mixed-doubles tournaments. You must be exhausted." Said Kachiro worriedly.
Sakuno reassured Kachiro, saying that she wanted to help in any way possible to make the boys tennis club popular again. "Don't worry about it, Kachiro-kun. I just want to help the boys tennis club." Said Sakuno.
Kachiro felt like a lame captain for pushing them so hard. "Is there anything I can do to make it up to you guys?"
Sakuno brushed off his guilt, "It's really nothing, Kachiro-kun."
But, Ryoma had a mischievous glint in his eyes. "How about one month of free Ponta, Kachiro?"
Horio, heard the conversation and protested, "isn't that too much, Echizen?"
"Come on. You feel guilty, right? It's a win-win situation." Said Ryoma, then drink the water bottle.
Sakuno, shocked at his boldness, hit Ryoma's thigh, causing him to almost spill his drink. She scolded him gently, "don't be like that, Ryoma-kun."
Ryoma sighed, realizing he couldn't win over Sakuno. He relented and suggested, "Fine, one week of free Ponta".
Kachiro, with a gleam in his eye, agreed, "One week it is."
Their coach watched with a smile as the banter between the club members unfolded. It was moments like these that reminded Kachiro why he loved being the captain of the boys tennis club. Excitement were just around the corner, even in the simplest of interactions. "You guys are quite the team. Keep up the good work." He said.
Ryoma and Sakuno had just finished their tennis practice and were on their way back home. As they arrived, they were greeted by Sakuno's grandmother, Sumire.
"You guys got back home pretty late this week", Sumire remarked.
"Yes, we had mixed-doubles practice", Sakuno explained. "We're actually planning to join a tournament soon."
"Tournament? I see. Thankfully tomorrow is Saturday, so there's no school. You guys should go change and rest for a while. I already cooked dinner, come downstairs when you want to eat", Sumire said.
"Ok, thank you, obaa-chan", Sakuno replied gratefully.
Sakuno and Ryoma went to their respective rooms to freshen up. Later that night, before Sakuno went to sleep, she received a message on her phone. It was from Ryoma.
"Tomorrow we go run at 6am", the message read.
Sakuno smiled at the simple yet typical message from Ryoma. She quickly replied with a cute sticker and giggled to herself. 'He could just knock on my door and tell me', she thought, as she added Ryoma's LINE contact to her phone.
Ryoma received Sakuno's response and smiled to himself. The sticker truly suited her. 'I thought she already sleep.' He placed his phone on the table and closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep.
Both Ryoma and Sakuno slept peacefully that night, looking forward to their morning run and the adventures that awaited them.
