Two whole week without any classes! Now that's refreshing! So… I'm taking my chance to write this chapter so that I won't be in another tight situation like the one before… ahahaha. And… to make it clear for those reviewers who got my AN wrong last time: I wasn't planning on ending it there—all open and such, yet by saying that, I was planning that I will continue the story on that particular chapter until its end… but… It would take long… hehehe…
So… Please review!
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Ryoma leaned his back to the wall while pondering the words she uttered to him before she lost consciousness. Was she visualizing someone else? No. She called his name. A grunt was heard and he ruffled his ever disheveled locks, not wanting to believe that he finally knew her true feelings for him. Yet battling with happiness was shock, which he did overcome on the outside, but not on his own self.
He eyed their room, remembering those soft whispers he audibly heard beneath the raging hale. Her tender gaze and hot cheeks which brought heat to his body even if the tempest drained his entire cadaver's warmth seemed to linger still in his mind. A sigh escaped his lips, his impassive face have shown seriousness and deep thought. Ryoma finally paced once again, hoping that this matter will eventually breeze out of his mind.
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Sakuno plopped herself on her unruly bed with her face totally wet. By realizing her big maneuver during the time she was half awake, the shock was inconsiderably transported by her brain throughout her whole system. Thoughts of Ryoma giving her a cold rejection, or not even paying her attention welled up unwanted tears in her russet orbs. The blankets were experiencing her death grip, yet the tears—for some reason—never did fall.
She slowly lied down on her back, facing the grand ceiling right above her. Pondering the consequences of her action really brought isolation in her part. She covered her eyes with her arm, letting go of the wrinkled sheet.
"I wonder what he's thinking about." A suppressed sigh was all she ever mustered. After that, she rolled into a comfortable position, ready to sleep once again.
And as her lids closed, she was not able to notice a smirking presence by the door.
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Yume walked in their room, hoping that he won't be able to wake her up. Her confused expression and Ryoma's serious one did have a connection—and the best theory he could come up with was that either Sakuno or Ryoma confessed on that stormy night. Upon reaching her bed, he gently tucked her in, layering her frame with the heater he got from Inui's room.
"That should do it." He smiled at her sleeping image.
Yume stood up from his current spot, aware that the lass do need some time alone—or time with Ryoma. It was already clear that she was really in love with the tennis prodigy, and the feeling was happily reciprocated as well. He eyed her for the last time by the corner of his eyes, only to open the door and face the person his mind was concentrating about.
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He impassively stared at his widened eyes upon opening the door to their room. Ryoma raised an eyebrow in curiosity, thinking about what the hell he was doing inside a deserted room with no one in it but a sick girl who half-sleepily confessed to him on a raging stormy night. Shoot. He thought of her like that again. By reflex, he lowered his cap down, trying to hide the redness of his cheeks away from the farmer's eyes. Too bad it wasn't good enough.
Yume mentally laughed upon witnessing his obvious blush. Maybe he was thinking about Sakuno. The situation between those two may be a little bit awkward, and he wanted to help in a way. Of course, he doesn't want his sacrifice to result to nothing.
"Want to grab some Ponta?" Yume offered, bringing Ryoma back into his old self.
"Hn." He replied coldly, following the lad towards the cabin's garden (there's a vending machine).
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They drank in quietude, savoring the gentle breeze that armored their bodies. It was cold, yet the sweetness of Ponta really did soothe him out of his worries. He mentally thanked Yume for once, noting that his sense of timing was quite good.
"How's it going with Sakuno?" Yume directly questioned, dropping off the extension he usually used whenever calling her name.
"Tch. What are you talking about?" He sipped once again, his façade plastered on his features.
Yume watched him within the corner of his orbs, letting himself to read the expression hidden beneath his mask. His cold demeanor seemed to be cracking, exchanged with a serious, dazed look that can lead anyone to ponder that he's thinking about something. That he's bothered about something.
"She did it?" Yume casually asked, getting the attention he wanted to gain from the start of their conversation.
"Who's she?" He raised his eyebrows, annoying Yume more.
An exasperated sigh was heard from Yume, as he let all his frustrations for the stubborn lad to be carried away. He is surely pressing his buttons, not wanting to open up with him. He doesn't really mind about the blatant look he always possess, yet when it concerns Sakuno and he unexpectedly did something out of the way, he does have the right to talk and interfere.
"On that stormy night, she confessed to me." Ryoma answered monotonously, eyeing the empty Ponta can he held in hand.
Yume opened his mouth to respond, yet was halted by the feeling that he doesn't need to converse with him. An urge to listen was all he had for now, and the less talk he could make may be a greater chance for the fellow to continue with his endeavors and eventually open up with him in full trust.
"I've been thinking, whether I should answer her or forget about it." Ryoma saw a nearby trash can, shooting the can towards its direction.
A loud thud was heard as it hit the bottom of the bin. Yume cannot think of a way to reply, for the decision he is about to make may change their fates. He thought that he can really listen, help the lad to lighten up a bit and find relief from this topic. Yet the decision does still lie on his shoulders, not by the influence of others.
Yume stood up from his space, placing his hands on his jeans' pockets. A smile emerged from his cracking lips (due to the cold), and he blocked his eyes from vision.
"Do what you think is right. And by the looks of it, I think she remembers what she did that night." Yume paced away, passing by the trash bin to throw his very own can.
Ryoma watched as his diminishing shadow was completely gone, putting the words he said before he went away. It was nearly autumn and the leaves were starting to follow the wind. He ran his hand onto his hair, a smirk catching up with his features. A little confession wouldn't hurt.
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Ryoma entered the room, only to spot it empty. He scanned it once again, hoping to spot a bump on the bed, or auburn locks fluttered on the blanket. Yet as his eyes traveled about, the bathroom door opened wide, catching his full attention.
"Oh. You're back." Yume's topless figure emerged from the steamy bathroom, a towel placed on his head.
Ryoma diverted his gaze on the beds once again. Yume, however, read through his actions.
"She stayed with her grandmother. Sumire-baachan asked her to stay at her room for the night since she still has some fever." Yume ruffled his wet hair in front of the mirror.
Ryoma merely walked towards the bathroom, taking the towel from Yume's head. A smirk crossed Yume's face as he opened the closet.
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Hot water poured onto his weary body. The seeping moisture that flowed gently onto his skin provided him relaxation. He watched his hands once again, reminiscing the feeling of protecting her under these palms. To hold her tight amidst of their dangerous situation made him smile a bit, letting him feel like someone who is special for her.
Special. Ryoma suddenly stood up straight, remembering once again the words she whispered that night. Actually, he was ready to answer her, take her as his girlfriend, yet she wasn't there. A sigh crawled away from his lips, and he finally closed the hot shower.
As he walked out of the bathroom, he spotted his current roommate situated on his own bed. A yawn was broken down, and his eyes seemed to be feeling rather heavy. Ryoma eventually crawled onto his own space, sniffing the powdery odor of his blankets and pillows. And before he drifted off onto his own realm, a random thought about answering Sakuno crossed his mind. He'd tell her soon. With that, he turned the lamp off, letting his eyelids dominate over his tired eyes.
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Yume rolled down his bunk upon seeing the unexpected sight shoved right in front of his face. Roars of laughter battled with angered glares as they continued to stay inside the room. It was visibly their faults since they left their doors unlocked, providing access for two psychologically-impaired idiots to enter and draw stupid images on a face—Ryoma's face to be exact. Yume was, for once, thankful of his habit of sleeping with the blanket covering his entire body—including his visage. Yet Ryoma wasn't able to escape, and thus, was experiencing the humiliation his senpais provided. Oh, they won't be able to reach Seigaku again.
"Haha!! You should—haha—remove that!" Yume pointed out Ryoma's face, who in turn, gritted his teeth in annoyance.
Ryoma wasn't idiotic enough to not try to wash the markings, yet his senpais got the better of him. It seemed that they used a strong kind of marker—permanent, as they say.
Yume opened his blurry eyes upon hearing the door slam. He wiped his unshed tears, a smile still plastered on his face.
'He sure has guts to go out with a face like that.' Yume went to the bathroom, once again, laughing at the antics of the lad.
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His pride was thrown away as his anger took its toll. To be played with while enjoying his soundless sleep really boiled his arteries, and now he's ready to send whoever did this to him into the hottest pit they had ever imagined.
"Thanks for the food!" Eiji and Momo chimed together, picking up their egg rolls.
BAM!
The doors leading towards the dining room unfastened wide, revealing a killer aura that can eventually make everyone present to faint and pray that they would be admitted in heaven. Cold sweat ran down Momo and Eiji's spines, their chopsticks falling on the ground. It was already predictable that they were the culprit, seeing their reaction with Ryoma's sudden flare-up. They haven't thought that the lad would be THAT angry, clearly discarding his oversized ego just for vengeance. And now, they're both doomed.
"Senpai." A single word sounded like poison, ordering everyone to remain silent and not to laugh at his current state. Yet, one person was too dense to sense his overflowing madness.
"Eh?! Echizen! What in heaven's name did you do to your face?" Horio's booming voice echoed inside the hall, earning mental remarks on how stupid he was to level up Ryoma's foul mood.
"Why don't you answer, senpai?" RYoma's golden orbs flared in heat, his fists clenched in frustration. And as the lad started to pace forward, the others sighed in defeat, knowing the outcome of this crazy fight. Even Tezuka didn't do anything about it.
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Sakuno was utterly surprised to perceive the bruises and black-eyes her senpais had on their faces as she entered the dining hall. And even though she volunteered to help them with their wounds, they just waved their palms in front of their faces; eventually pursuing that Oishi can do his job on his own.
"I hope they're okay." Sakuno tugged her russet hair once again, halting her steps upon hearing the gushing flow of water by the washroom.
"Tch. Stupid senpais." A familiar voice took all her curiosity away, knowing who the person behind the door was.
As she was about to retreat back, the door unbolted, showing Ryoma's hideous face right in front of her eyes. Ryoma's golden orbs glared at her direction as she stifled her giggles, trying to suppress her laughter while gazing on his face.
"What?" A stingy reply showed his annoyance, letting the lass in front of him to bow her head low.
"I-I'm s-sorry." Heat seemed to find a way to reunite with her cheeks every time the lad was around.
Ryoma held his breath for a second, trying to grab onto the pride he has left. He turned away from her, running the faucet, dabbing water onto his horrendous face.
"A-ano, Ryoma-kun. I-I have some alcohol in obaa-chan's b-bedroom. I-I think it can help." Sakuno played with her fingers, staring at them as they blossomed into a light range of pink.
"Sankyuu." Ryoma smirked in thanks, letting the nervous maiden to lead their way, hoping that she won't get lost.
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Sakuno felt really discomfited as soon as Ryoma conveyed his trademark smirk. Flashes of her confession seeped through her brain for the umpteenth time, only to add discomfort for her situation now. She felt her cheeks to redden and eventually thanked Kami-sama for letting her be a foot ahead of the lad.
He idly followed her, watching as her braids swayed to and fro. Her hips wobbled uncontrollably, emphasizing her discomfort. The last statement Yume gave him last night on the garden cranked up his senses, and for once, his denseness seemed to lessen.
'Maybe she remembers.' With her actions right now, he considered the thought that she knew about her sudden outburst that night.
They both paced in silence, not even a single word to be heard between them.
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Sakuno scrubbed every inch of his face until most of the black markings were gone. It was hard work since alcohol doesn't have much effect ad they needed to scrape all those weird images off his features. Yet in time, they seemed to remove it, only to leave RYoma's face sore and red.
"I-I'm sorry!" Sakuno bowed down, sensing the stingy sensation the lad felt every time he reached out to touch his face.
"It's nothing." He replied with a hiss, feeling hot whenever his face felt skin.
"I-I'll grab some o-ointment." Sakuno stammered, rummaging the first aid kit for some skin ointment for burns.
Sakuno finally found the ointment after some time, and applied it gently on the gamin's face. Ryoma felt more heat as her skin touched his, and was thankful enough that it wasn't as obvious as hers. A smirk emerged out of nowhere while watching the lass treating his skin with such concentration, nervousness and embarrassment.
After applying her treatment, she eventually dabbed the ice bag onto his face to reduce the heat he was feeling. Oh how she wished there was another for her own as well. She jerked her head down, thinking over the words she wanted to say to him in order to clear up the confession. Yet as she gathered up her courage, a cold, blank voice rang up and caught her dead on the spot.
"About the other night, me too." Ryoma stared at her expression, unable to suppress his chuckles.
Sakuno, for once, got his message and was trapped into a reverie with his echoing words. A soft chuckle snapped her out of it, seeing the cold tennis prodigy to be so vulnerable. Without hesitation, she smiled at him as tears brimmed out of the corner of her eyes.
And for once, they felt that they were comfortable with each other's presence.
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"You got it?" Fuji's sarcastic voice led the Ichinen Trio to nod their heads in a fast manner.
The regulars smiled barbarically, the videos were quite a catch. Kaidoh and Oishi needed to cover Momo and Eiji's mouths to suppress their booming declarations of young love and remain undiscovered. Yet the best part of it still remained in Fuji's jacket.
Fuji pulled out the photo taken by the lake. The photo which was lost by its owner. The photo with English scribbles on its rear. The other regulars smiled down as they compared the last scene on the video (held on pause) and the photo Fuji recovered out of nowhere.
They were sure that it would be a happy ending. All in all, those farm disasters they had really helped these two lovers in finding their true desires other than tennis and long braids.
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The regulars, together with the Ichinen Trio, paced out of their hiding place, ready to hand this little present to their infamous monstrous coach. Yet as Fuji stayed behind, he flipped the photo onto its back, reading the foreign language plastered in black ink.
His smile widened, not expecting that the so-called icy tennis prince would be so cute.
Hair is too long, can't see her kissing me in full view. I'll cut those someday.
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There! I'm finally done! The ending was kinda not romantic, yet I wouldn't want my story to end up cliché or something like that. And by the way, they were still undergoing puberty; their ages are still the same like that of the anime—so I didn't put a kissing scene at the end.
The photo thing… I like to retain Ryoma's cool image, not to change it into some cheesy lines. And… to remain into the humor mainstream, I made fun of Ryoma once again!
For all those people who read and reviewed my story, I'm very thankful to all of you for allotting time in acknowledging my efforts! Thank you very much!
Well… I'm thinking of adding an epilogue, yet time will come soon. But for now, I'm going to consider this project as finished, and I'll eventually start a new one! Yipee!
By the way, minna-san! My ongoing project with shea-chan05 is Marriage Menace!! Hope you'll read it!
Once again, thanks for your continuous support for my first fanfic! Hope you'll support my other works as well:3
Press the purple button:3