The air was thick with anticipation as the students shuffled in their seats, eyes glued to the clock that ticked down the minutes to the final exam. Their hearts raced, each gulp echoing the anxiety of those last few moments. Ryoma sat quietly at his desk, exuding a calm that contrasted sharply with the nervous energy around him. He had always been the top student, and today would be no different.

When the test papers arrived, Ryoma glanced at Sakuno. She wore an expression of intense focus, her brow furrowed in concentration. A small smile crept across Ryoma's face seeing her like that. The teacher's voice broke through the haze, instructing them to start. Ryoma opened his paper, swiftly reading through the questions. His pen danced across the page as he answered each one with practiced ease.

The exam spanned three long days, testing not just their knowledge but their resolve. As the final paper was turned in, an audible sigh of relief swept through the room. Ms. Sasaki smiled, her warmth easing the tension that had gripped them for so long. "Well done, everyone. We will announce the results after the summer break. See you guys again in six weeks, enjoy your holidays!"

Horio, ever the enthusiastic one, stretched his arms skyward. "Finally, the exams are over!" His exuberance was infectious, and as they gathered their belongings, the chatter grew lively. The group ambled out together — Ryoma, Sakuno, Tomoka, and the trio.

"Where are you spending your summer, Sakuno?" Tomoka asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"My parents are taking me to Hokkaido," Sakuno replied, a hint of excitement in her voice.

"Hokkaido sounds amazing!" Kachiro chimed in. Then, Horio asked Kachiro, "What about you?"

Blushing slightly, Kachiro declared, "I'm going to Osaka to meet my girlfriend."

Tomoka exclaimed, "That's great, Kachiro-kun! I wish I could go somewhere too."

Katsuo, ever the problem solver, chimed in, "Why not join me and Horio to the beach?"

"Beach?" Tomoka's eyes lit up.

"Yeah! We're planning to go the beach. You should join." Horio added enthusiastically.

Sakuno smiled at Tomoka. "Good for you, Tomo-chan. That sounds like fun!"

"Echizen, what are your plans?" Horio turned to him, already guessing the answer.

"I have tennis training," Ryoma replied simply, shrugging.

"You never take a break, do you?" Horio teased, shaking his head.

Tomoka nudged Sakuno playfully. "Aww, you and Ryoma-sama can't spend summer together!"

"It's okay," Sakuno said softly, looking at Ryoma. "We can meet afterward."

As the group began to disperse for home, Ryoma and Sakuno strolled side by side. "How long will you be in Hokkaido?" he asked.

"I'm not sure. It depends on my dad," she replied, glancing up at him with a hopeful smile just as Ryoma's phone buzzed.

"Sorry, I have to take this," he said apologetically, answering his father's call. "Hey, oyaji."

"Hey, Seishounen! Finished school yet?"

"Yeah. What's up?"

"Remember the training I told you about? It's in the US next week. You should come back; it'll be really beneficial. The reputed coach will be here. The training will be for a month."

Ryoma thought for a moment, then answered, "Got it. I'll be there."

When he hung up, he glanced at Sakuno, a mix of emotions swirling in his chest. "I have to go to the US for summer break."

"Oh," Sakuno paused, then she smiled. "Do your best then, Ryoma-kun."

He smiled back, warmth spreading inside him. He reached for her hand, causing a blush to bloom on her face. "Want to walk home holding hands?"

Sakuno giggled, nodding. They walked in comfortable silence, hands tightened, hearts floating on the summer breeze.

The next morning, Ryoma watching Sakuno's family pack their luggage into the car. Sayaka, held onto Sumire's hand. "Are you sure you don't want to come with us, Mom?"

"I have things to do here," Sumire smiled gently. "You all go and enjoy yourselves."

"Please take care while we're gone, and keep in touch," Sayaka urged, turning to Ryoma. "And you take care too. Don't push yourself in the training."

"Will do," Ryoma promised, feeling a weight settle on his shoulders.

Shinji hugged Sumire too and tapped Ryoma's shoulder and said take care. As they exchanged goodbyes and Sakuno hugged her grandmother tightly, Ryoma discreetly watched her. He wanted to reach out, share one last hold before her departure, but the stern gaze of her father kept him at bay.

"Take care," he said softly, smirking slightly. Sakuno nodded, hiding a smile behind her shy demeanor as she climbed into the backseat.

After they drove off, Ryoma returned to his thoughts as Sumire turned to him, her eyes full of curiosity. "What will you do before you go to the US?" She asked.

Ryoma thought for a moment before replying, "I think I will go meet senpais. They have been calling me to meet them for a while now."

Sumire chuckled, "It's been so long since you've seen them. It'll be nice to catch up."

As they entered the house, Ryoma headed straight to his room and picked up his phone. He dialed Momoshiro's number.

"Oi, Echizen", Momoshiro answered.

"Momo-senpai, I have some free time before I go to the US", Ryoma said.

Momoshiro sounded surprised, "Eh? You're going to the US again?"

Ryoma explained, "Just for summer break. I have some training there."

"I see. Meet us tomorrow at the forest tennis court. We've rented some courts to play together", Momoshiro said. Ryoma agreed and hung up the phone.

The following morning, Ryoma stepped out from his room, his tennis bag slung over his shoulder. Before he left, Sumire walked to him, "Going to meet the boys?"

"Yeah. Call me if you need anything," he said as he tie his shoelaces.

"Sure. Give my regards to them", Sumire replied.

Ryoma smiled and said, "Of course. I'm off now." With that, he left the house.

Ryoma stood at the edge of the tennis court, a familiar wave of nostalgia washing over him as he took in the sight of his senpais gathered there. Momo, with a grin stretching across his face, waved enthusiastically. "Oi, Echizen! Here! Here!"

Ryoma making his way to them, the weight of his busy schedule lightening for a moment in their company.

"It's so hard to meet you—nya," Eiji added, bouncing on his heels.

"I've been busy with school," Ryoma shrugged, brushing off the teasing.

Momo patted him on the back with an exaggerated seriousness. "Believe me, you're going to be even busier when college hits. Enjoy this while you can."

Fuji smiled softly from the sidelines, his eyes reflecting warmth and fondness. "It's been too long since we could all gather like this," he remarked, glancing across the court where Kaidoh was rallying with Inui. Inui caught Ryoma's gaze and flashed a smile, while the ever-serious Kaidoh maintained his stoic demeanor.

On the adjacent court, Takashi and Oishi were deep in their own practice. "Burrniiinnnggg! Echizen is here!" Takashi shouted, his voice cutting through the air. Oishi looked over and waved, a grin plastered on his face.

Ryoma couldn't help but smile back; some things never changed. The years had flown by, but the bonds formed remained strong, all of them having improved in unimaginable ways during their time apart.

Taking a seat on the bench next to Momo, Ryoma casually mentioned, "Ryuzaki-sensei sends her regards."

"Oh yeah, you live with her now, right?" Momo asked, his curiosity piqued.

"Yeah," Ryoma replied, and just then, Momo smirked mischievously.

"Let's rally, Echizen!" he challenged, excitement bubbling up in him. It had been too long since he had played against the prodigy.

With a nod, Ryoma grabbed his racket, anticipation coursing through him. As they started their rally, he unleashed his twist serve—a move that had only grown stronger over the years. The others watched in awe as Momo scrambled to return it, barely managing to keep up.

"Not bad, Momo-senpai," Ryoma quipped, a smirk tugging at his lips.

Their rally intensified, Momo giving it everything he had until he finally unleashed a powerful smash. Ryoma countered with one of his own, faster and more precise, leaving Momo lying flat on the court, panting heavily.

"Wow, it's been so long since I felt intense like this," Momo admitted, sprawled out in utter exhaustion, while Inui scribbled notes in his ever-present clipboard, shaking his head in disapproval.

"Iie data." Inui muttered, and Eiji chimed in, "Let's go eat hamburgers—nya!"

Oishi chuckled, rolling his eyes at his lively teammates. Takashi returned from the other court, quietly agreeing, "Yeah, let's go."

They settled in the small burger restaurant nearby, Ryoma taking a seat beside Momo. As they ordered, Ryoma's phone vibrated in his pocket, and his heart skipped a beat upon seeing Sakuno's name flash across the screen. She sent pictures from Hokkaido, capturing bright landscapes and candid moments—radiating joy.

Momo felt intrigued when he saw Ryoma's smiling. He leaned in closer, wondering what could be making his normally stoic kouhai so happy. Without thinking, he peeked at Ryoma's phone just as another message came through: "I missed you." His eyes widened when he saw Ryuzaki's name, and a piece of his hamburger nearly slipped from his mouth.

"What the…?" Momo stammered, catching the attention of the others.

"What's wrong, Momo?" Eiji inquired, leaning closer.

"Are you… and Ryuzaki-chan… dating?" Momo blurted out, disbelief etched on his face.

Eiji burst into laughter, "Ochibi dating?! I can't believe it!"

Ryoma looked at Eiji and shrugged. "Yes, we are." Ryoma stated, calm and unapologetic, even as disbelief rippled through the table. The restaurant fell silent, jaws dropping in unison except for Fuji, who simply smiled knowingly.

Ryoma took his phone and replied quickly.

"He's typing 'I missed you too'!" Momo shrieked animatedly, unable to hide his excitement.

"Stop looking at my phone," Ryoma huffed, though a faint blush crept onto his cheeks.

Oishi chuckled, shaking his head. "Come on, Momo. It's normal in high school to have those feelings."

"Just ignore Momo," Fuji chimed in, a teasing glint in his eye. "He just got rejected by Tachibana's sister."

Momo flushed crimson. "It's not like that! I haven't even confessed!"

Chaos erupted at the table as playful insults volleyed back and forth, laughter filling the small restaurant. For Ryoma, the noise was a symphony, a reminder that life moved forward but never lost sight of cherished bonds.

As night fell, Ryoma returned home, feeling a mix of joy and melancholy as he packed for his upcoming trip to the US. Sorting through papers, he suddenly found himself out of staples. He made his way downstairs where Sumire was watching TV.

"Sensei, do you have staples?" he asked casually.

"Staples? I think Sakuno has some. Check her closet, it's in one of the boxes." Sumire replied, glancing over her shoulder at him.

After thanking her, Ryoma made his way to Sakuno's room, flipping on the light. A familiar heaviness settled in his chest, reminding him of how much he missed her. His breath caught as he spotted a framed picture of them from the mixed-doubles tournament perched on her desk.

Opening her closet, he found two box and he took one of it. As he sifted through the contents, his heart raced. There, he uncovered sentimental treasures: a photograph of them during junior high, a treasured tennis ball emblazoned with his chibi face, and a stack of postcards.

The faded postcard drew his attention, its edges well-worn. He took them out and read them. Each one detailing her days—about her studies, friends, and more specially, about him. Each postcard was filled with handwritten affection and little signs of encouragement, cheering him on after every match.

His heart softened as he realized she had kept track of him all these years. Just then, Sumire appeared at the door again. "Did you find what you needed?"

Sumire's eyes widen when she saw Ryoma holding those postcards. "Oh, I almost forgot about that postcards. Did you read those?" Sumire's voice broke through his thoughts.

He turned to see her standing in the doorway. "You knew she was writing these?"

Sumire chuckled lightly. "Of course, I cleaned her room sometimes."

"Why didn't she send these postcards to me?" Ryoma asked.

"Probably because you never replied to her first postcard."

Ryoma's heart sank as he realized the error of his ways. He remembered that he had been so unsure of what to write back to Sakuno back days that he had simply not written at all.

"I'm not sure if I should tell you this, but she likes you since the junior high. She always got super excited when it comes to you," Sumire said gently, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "It's a little crush though, so don't worry about it."

The realization hit like a weight pressing down on his heart. Memories of Sakuno's shy glances and soft giggles suddenly made sense. Had he really missed that?

As Sumire left the room, Ryoma contemplated her words. He picked up the postcards and brought them to his room.

He decided to called Sakuno.

"Ryoma-kun?" Her voice lit up through the receiver.

"Are you busy right now?" he asked, trying to keep his tone light and casual.

"No, we just had dinner. What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I just wanted to hear your voice," he said softly, the words flowing naturally. He can hear Sakuno's giggled.

"I missed you," he said with soft voice.

She chuckled softly, "I missed you too, Ryoma-kun."

In the background, he heard Shinji grumble about him calling late and made her daughter saying 'I missed you too', but Ryoma merely smiled.

"Send my regards to your dad," he said, trying to lighten the mood.

"Okay, goodnight Ryoma-kun," she replied, her voice laced with warmth.

"Goodnight," he whispered, hanging up.

He stared at the postcards again, feeling an urgency to reply. Taking up a pen, he began crafting his responses—each word infused with thoughts of Sakuno, each line a bridge across the miles and memories separating them.