A/N:Apparently, the author is incapable of simple math. Ah well, what's a few extra months between friends, right? Eheh. *hangs head like the lying liar she is* Shame, shaaaaame. Well, at least the chapter is extra fat to make up for it...?
Again, a great big THANKS for your fabulous reviews! From the concrit to the analysis to the one-liners, I love (and read) them all. ^_____^
Disclaimer:Prince of Tennis belongeth to the right honorable Konomi Takeshi, not I. (Curses!)
Fourth for the friend of true and steady trust,
An unexpected ally who will do as needs must.
The Fourth Day
Swoosh!
Argh! She had missed the ball again! Sakuno gritted her teeth angrily and took another tennis ball out of her pocket. She glared at it, concentrating even harder, as she prepared to swing her racket once more. This time she would hit it! She was not going to be beaten by a furry yellow ball! She swung with all her might—
And missed.
"Ryuuzaki."
Sakuno cringed. Now she was in trouble. She thought she had been improving, but here she was making mistakes she hadn't made in years. And she was wasting Ryoma-kun's time as well. Unhappily, she waited for his critique. He did not disappoint.
"Your knees should bend more. Relax your shoulders and follow your swing through from the waist. You're way too stiff," he pointed out as he sat on the wall cross legged, a bored expression on his face. With every sentence Sakuno reddened, and she could feel herself shrinking. He sounded really annoyed.
"Okay," she mumbled miserably. "Anything else?"
"Yes," he said, and the corner of his mouth turned up. "Next time try to hit the ball." Sakuno looked up sharply. He was teasing her!
"I will hit it," she huffed, a bit miffed but relieved that he was just making fun. The relief rushed through her body, filling her with reckless confidence. Right at your smug face, she added mentally. How about you feel uncomfortable for a change, Ryoma-kun! With a determination she never knew she possessed she tossed the little ball into the air, bent her knees, and—
POK!
The ball screamed through the air, missing Ryoma's face by inches, blowing his beloved Fila cap off his head. He stared at her wide-eyed. Sakuno merely smiled. For a moment, the only sound was the wind in the surrounding trees. Then—
"…Hnn."
Ryoma's eyes focused on her sharply; Sakuno's breath hitched in her chest. In one fluid motion he jumped down from the wall, and as he walked toward her, she became newly aware of just how warm the afternoon was. She noticed how the sweat trickled down her neck from beneath her hair, making her shirt stick to her back. She noticed the warmth of the sun on her arms and legs. Most of all, however, she noticed the light in Ryoma's eyes, and the heat of the gaze locked with hers.
Suddenly her mouth was very dry.
Well that got his attention.
He came to a stop two feet away from her. She tensed, transfixed, her muscles caught between flight and fright.
"Better." He stepped forward, casually invading her space, eyes unreadable. "But you still didn't swing through."
"Ah?" said Sakuno intelligently, shuffling back half a step. He followed, moving forward the same distance, and although his expression didn't change at all from its typical deadpan appearance, Sakuno had the unsettling feeling that he was laughing at her. Rattled and embarrassed, she tried to regain her poise.
"W-well, I'll just have to try harder, then," she said, turning her back to him and starting to swing her racket vigorously. Stupid stutter! she cursed inwardly as she tried to ignore the gaze she could feel boring between her shoulder blades. Unfortunately, ignoring Ryoma had never been her strong suit. On the fifth pathetic excuse for a swing, a hand caught her racket.
"You're still not doing it right," said Ryoma's voice from behind her, utterly bland.
"Then why don't you help me?!" Sakuno snapped, angry but too embarrassed to turn around and face him. There was no reply. Then, silently, the hand on the racket slipped down to the handle to cover her own.
Sakuno froze. Shocked, she could only stand there as Ryoma's left hand came around her body to grip the racket as well, neatly trapping her between his arms. He stepped closer, close enough so that his front pressed against her back. Too close.
Sakuno stiffened. He noticed, of course.
"Stop that," he said bluntly, his breath tickling her ear. A pause. "I'm not going to hurt you."
Suddenly, Sakuno felt a familiar prickling from behind her eyes.
His rudeness and his coldness she could deal with. She expected them and understood them. But his kindness…his kindness was something she could not protect herself from.
She blinked hard, trying not to cry.
It was a lie, a trick, a sham. He hadn't been excited about her. He was excited by her tennis. It was always tennis with Ryoma-kun.
'I'm not going to hurt you,' Ha.
A few silent tears leaked out, her heart breaking as he held her in that horrible parody of an embrace. He leaned into her, so close it seemed like they were one person instead of two. Together they swung the tennis racket back and forth, back and forth. The wind through the racket strings sounded mournful, almost as if it were calling her name.
Sakuno
Sakuno
"Sakuno!"
Sakuno's eyes opened. Blearily, she looked around, rubbing the sleep from her eyes with a grimace. She knew that voice…"Obaa-chan?"
"Who else?" replied Sumire Ryuuzaki with a grin. Her face fell when she saw her granddaughter's sorrowful expression.
"Sakuno, are you all right?"
"I'm fine, obaa-chan. I just had a bad dream." Sakuno tried to smile reassuringly. Sumire smiled back, her eyes gentle as she gave her granddaughter's shoulder a brisk, comforting squeeze.
"Well, as soon as you're ready, come down to breakfast."
"I will," Sakuno answered, wringing out one more smile before her grandmother left. Once Sumire was gone, she went to the bathroom to wash her face. Looking into the mirror above the sink, she saw a pale, tired girl with messy, braided hair and eyes that looked like they had been crying.
This is going to be a bad day.
***
"Echizen."
Ryoma turned around, tennis bag on his shoulder.
"Boucho?" he asked, halting just outside the locker room door. He wasn't exactly eager to get to class, but if he arrived late he'd be on special cleaning duty again.
"Don't leave yet," was all his stern-faced captain said. Curious, Ryoma went back inside. All the regulars had finished changing now. Some of them sat on the benches, others slouched against the walls, but despite their relaxed postures, Ryoma could tell that this was not going to be a one-on-one chat with Tezuka-boucho. They were all waiting.
Ryoma wished he hadn't taken off his hat.
Tezuka sat down on a bench. The others automatically rearranged themselves, forming a semi-circle that radiated out from the captain. Ryoma stood facing them, one on nine. Ryoma saw Inui glance at Tezuka, seeking permission. Tezuka nodded. Inui spoke.
"Echizen, it appears that you have not been fulfilling your duties."
Duties?
"You have been lax with regards to your responsibilities concerning Ryuuzaki."
Oh. That.
Ryoma was becoming increasingly nervous, but he knew that showing it would only encourage his nosy teammates. So he only hitched an innocent eyebrow. Who, me?
Inui was not fooled.
"First of all, you did not protect her reputation. According to my sources, before yesterday's…event, you just stood there as Ryuuzaki walked right past you." Several regulars gasped.
"Ehhhh? She kissed someone else?" exclaimed Eiji in a not-so-subtle whisper. Tezuka raised a disapproving eyebrow. Ryoma started, then tried to pretend that he hadn't.
Inui's glasses glinted accusingly. Ryoma glanced down at the floor in sullen guilt.
Momoshiro's mouth was wide with shock. What? She kissed someone else right in front of him?!? His hands curled into fists. I should have lectured him more. Better yet, pounded it into his head!
"Echizen, you moron!" he roared, forgetting in his indignation that it was Inui's time to speak. "What were you thinking, abandoning a girl in need? Idiot!"
He struck a nerve. Ryoma's head whipped around to face his sempai. He glared fiercely at Momo, his eyes dark. Momo glared right back.
"Momoshiro!" said Tezuka quellingly, his usual frown deepening. Momo's shoulders hunched slightly, as he realized what he had done.
"Ah, my bad, my bad," he said with a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sorry Inui-sempai."
Kaido hissed derisively. "Idiot."
"Shut up, who asked you, ma—"
Inui cleared his throat pointedly. The sniping deceased—though not without a few sullen glances—and Inui calmly pushed his glasses up.
"Additionally, Echizen, because of your actions, a new threat has appeared."
"A new threat?" asked Oishi anxiously. Their parents haven't disowned them already, have they? Oh no!
"Ryuuzaki has been accosted." Inui noted with interest that his kohai's pupils dilated exactly .03 centimeters. You didn't know that, did you, Echizen?
"Accosted?" said a smooth voice. Inui turned his head in surprise. Fuji's smile was gone, his eyes open and deadly serious. Inui hand itched for his note pad. What fascinating data! He hadn't thought the unflappable Fuji Shuusuke cared about anything other than tennis and his younger brother Yuuta.
"Ah," he replied, his voice carefully neutral. "By members of the Official Echizen Ryoma Fan Club."
Ryoma paled.
"Oi, Oi. You have a fan club?" asked Momo.
"It's news to me, too," muttered Ryoma, looking positively ill.
"But howwww?" moaned Momo, green with envy. "The term barely started a month ago. Why should a rude, spoiled brat like you have a fan club already?"
"Jealous, Momo-sempai?"
Momo's return glare was answer enough.
"W-what happened?" asked Taka timidly. "Was Ryuuzaki-san alright?"
"She is unharmed," Inui reassured him. "However," he said, turning to face Ryoma, "there is an 84.9 percent chance she may be in some danger in the future. The fan club members have a tendency to the excitable, and they did not take kindly to the rumors circulating about Tuesday morning."
"Eh?" said a puzzled Eiji, his eyebrows scrunched in confusion. "What rumors?"
"Why, those pertaining to the relationship between Ryuuzaki and Echizen of course," said Inui, with no small satisfaction. As one, the regulars looked at their youngest member. Ryoma's hand moved to pull down the bill of hat.
—and then stopped when he realized that he wasn't wearing it. Mildly disgruntled, he settled for an even more expressionless look than usual.
"Wait, hold on," said Momo, brow furrowed, "Who did Ryuuzaki kiss anyway?"
Inui gave a small smile. "Another first year boy." He paused for effect. "Yamada Horio."
"Ehhhh? Horio!?" chorused Momoshiro and Eiji.
"I never imagined Sakuno-chan would go for such a noisy guy. I always thought she preferred the silent, reclusive types," said Eiji, assuming a position of mock speculation—eyes narrowed, stroking his chin thoughtfully.
"Who knows?" replied Momoshiro in the same faux-serious manner. "Maybe she has a thing for unibrows."
"Hmmm. Possibly, possibly," continued Eiji, nodding sagely. "Or perhaps—" Ryoma tuned them out as they continued to babble.
"Then the blackmailer theory is incorrect," mused Oishi. "Or at least, his motive remains concealed. After all, how would making Ryuuzaki-san kiss Horio-kun interfere with our teamwork? He's not one of the regulars."
"True," agreed Inui, pushing up his glasses. "Which means that ascertaining the true identity of the culprit will be that much more difficult."
"Regardless of the circumstances, we will continue to protect Ryuuzaki-sensei's granddaughter," said Tezuka with total finality.
"Yes," agreed Fuji, smiling amiably, "but this time we will do a better job. Won't we, Echizen?" Although his voice was light and pleasant, his eyes were wintry.
Erk.
"Hai," muttered Ryoma, without enthusiasm.
"That's the spirit," said Fuji sunnily.
"That reminds me," said Inui with a ghoulish smile. His glasses flashed with excitement. "We had an agreement, Echizen." From behind his back he brought out a pitcher filled with a bubbling red liquid. It gargled and oozed, with a poisonous reek redolent of rotten eggs.
As the stench pervaded the changing room Momo and Eiji stopped their hypothesizing abruptly. All the regulars stared at the repulsive liquid, hypnotized in disgust. Even Fuji, who was usually unaffected by the data man's noxious mixtures, had turned a pale green. Ryoma took a step back.
"No way," he said flatly, eyeing the pitcher in fear. It fizzed back at him with gleeful malice. "I won't drink that stuff."
"Echizen," said Tezuka sternly. "You made a promise. You have only yourself to blame for the consequences. Do not go back on your word. Drink it."
"…Yada."
The other regulars, relieved to see the punishment fall on someone else, joined in.
"Drink it!" they yelled.
"Yada."
"Drink it!"
"Yada!"
"Don't try to run away!"
"Get off!"
"Damn it, keep still Echizen!"
"Let go of me!"
"Pinch his nose!"
"YADAAAAAAAA!"
***
RIIIIIINGGG!
Ack! The bell! Panting, Sakuno pelted up the last of the stairs, praying that Oda-sensei had stopped for coffee this morning. Although he was rarely on time himself, the crusty old English teacher was one of the strictest in the school, and she really couldn't afford to lose any points in that class. Ah, well. At least the running was good conditioning.
She skidded around the last corner, looking anxiously down the hall. A large group of Sakuno's classmates were clustered in the hall outside the classroom, chatting animatedly, with no professor in sight, yes! There was Horio-kun, and Katsuo-kun, as well as a few other boys and girls that she knew fairly well by face, if not yet by name. But where was—
"WHAAAAAAT?!"
Sakuno winced, derailed from her ponderings of the whereabouts of certain tennis prodigy. Ahh, the dulcet tones of Tomo-chan. She followed the voice to its source, wiggling her way into the group. Her friend was not very difficult to find; she appeared to be in the middle of her daily argument with Horio.
"No way," the outspoken girl was saying dismissively, shaking her head, her pigtails swaying. "Im-po-ssible!"
"It is not—!" began Horio angrily. When he caught sight of Sakuno however, the argument on his lips died. He made a small choking sound, and was silent.
"Um… good morning," Sakuno said hesitantly, a bit unnerved by his response, but still trying to work up a smile.
Horio blushed right up to his eyebrow.
"Sakuno!" squealed Tomoka, pouncing with an enthusiastic good morning hug. "Finally, you're here! I waited for you earlier, but you never came. What took you so long?" she demanded, her smile fading slightly as she took in the bags beneath her friend's eyes, the weary tension in her shoulders.
"I slept in a bit today," Sakuno replied, once she was capable of breathing again. Tomo-chan's hugs were always rather…intense.
Tomoka didn't press for information, shrugging good-naturedly. "Well, you weren't the only one. Horio here," she said, with a glance in the rapidly purpling boy's direction, "he slept so much; he dreamt up that he had a girlfriend." She gave a disdainful little sniff.
"A girlfriend?" echoed Sakuno, glancing curiously over at Horio.
"Wh—What are you talking about Osakada!" sputtered Horio indignantly, with a shifty look in Sakuno's direction, "I told you; it was not a dream!"
"Is that riiiight?" she drawled, sweetness over scorn, raising a mocking eyebrow. "Then, please tell us, Casanova-sama, who is it? Or does she only make herself visible to you?"
This last barb was simply too much for Horio's dignity. Quickly, he grabbed Sakuno's hands. Caught completely off-guard, Sakuno stumbled forward into his chest.
Eh?
"I kept it quiet until you got here," said Horio fervently, clasping her hands in his own, looking deeply into Sakuno's wide eyes, "I knew you would want to wait until we were together to make the announcement."
Ehhhh?
"Ryuuzaki and I," Horio gulped in a steadying breath, "Ryuuzaki and I…are going out!"
EHHHHHHH?
***
A beautiful house, full of echoes. Perfect rugs, perfect furniture, everything in its perfect place. Inside, the doll girl stands perfectly still, wondering...
First, the door, opening with a click, closing with a thunk. Second, the footsteps, flat on the tile. Third, the shoes—slip them off, line them up, put them away—neatly, neatly. Fourth, the coat, into the closet, into the dark. (Don't look.) Fifth, the voices, warm and welcoming—mother, father, finally back from work—No. Don't lie. There is no fifth.
It's fine. You won't miss it. The fifth was unnecessary, a burden.
You didn't need them, anyway.
Carefully, Kure Umi closed the closet door. She stepped up onto the polished marble floor of the foyer, her hand tightening on the strap of her school bag—a small, involuntary clench, just like always. She looked down at it, frowning; the hand loosened. Somewhere, a clock chimed the hour:
one, two, three, four...
Umi took a controlled breath.
"I'm home." (I'm home…home…home…)
***
Pok!
"Good return, Ryuuzaki-san!"
Sakuno gave the first un-nervous smile she'd had all day.
"Thank you, Dan-san!" she called back to the figure across the court, running to the opposite corner to return his next shot. She struck the ball hard, relishing the motion: the wind whistling through her racket, the pivot of her torso as she swung, the force in her arm slamming into the small yellow ball—all of it. It felt good.
Usually she was shy, timid Sakuno, a mousy girl with enough courage to fill an eggcup. But here, here within the lines of the court, she was Ryuuzaki, a girl who really enjoyed whapping the heck out of something other than herself for once. Ryuuzaki didn't have to be nice. She didn't have to suppress her anger, didn't have to pretend she wasn't sad. Ryuuzaki was braver, stronger, more confident. She didn't stutter, didn't blush, didn't trip. Well…she still tripped sometimes. But she got up again.
Dan Taichi served the ball right back, another cross-court shot, this time with an added slicing spin. The ball's path curved towards the deep corner. He's trying to pin me to the baseline and tire me out by making me run back and forth.Sakuno sprinted to the line, heart pounding, and caught it before it bounced. Trying to buy time and force him back she returned a high lob, and pelted forward towards the net. Dan was surprised by her attack, and struck a slightly weaker return right down the center. Seeing her chance, Sakuno drew her racket back for the smash—
POMF!
PokPok!
Sakuno stared dumbly at the place where the ball had hit on her side of the court.
Really, she mused, she ought to have known better. Although Dan-san was not quite on the same level as Echizen-kun or the regulars, he was still a good player in his own right, quick and smart, with a knack for returning the most unlikely of shots.
"Would you play a game with me?"
It was funny really, this ritual they had. She had been practicing against the wall on a Friday afternoon much like this one when…
"Are you sure you're okay?" Sakuno asked for the third time as she surveying the latest victim of her wayward serve, her eyes scanning anxiously for any lasting injuries.
"Ah, no, it's fine. This sort of thing happens to me all the time," the boy replied, rubbing the back of his bent head. "Usually though,I'm the one who's hit the ball…um." He raised his eyes to meet hers, smiling sheepishly, and Sakuno let out a quiet gasp. Dark hair, slim build, tennis racket in hand. His eyes were deep brown rather than hazel and his hair was slightly longer. No Fila cap either. But still…the likeness was uncanny.
"Are you all right?"
Sakuno blinked.
"Hm? Yes, I'm…fine." She shook her head once, firmly. "I mean—please, pardon my rudeness. Is there something I can get for your head? Anything I can do to help?"
The boy looked at her for a moment, his eyes alighting on the racket at her side.
He smiled…
"That was close!" said Dan. He smiled at Sakuno from across the net. "Would you like to keep playing, or are you ready to take a break now, Ryuuzaki-san?"
Sakuno shook herself from her recollective stupor. "Ah, a break please, thank you," she said, with a tired smile. They sat down on a nearby bench in the shade of some conveniently leafy trees. Sakuno contemplated her water bottle in silence. To her left, a pair of dark eyes studied her.
"Is there…something on your mind, Ryuuzaki-san?" Dan asked tentatively.
"Eh?" Sakuno looked up, startled. "Oh! No, it's nothing really," she answered with a small head shake and a distracted half-smile, turning her gaze once more to the bottle in her hands.
Dan was unconvinced. Was that really the truth, or was that girl-speak for, "Yes, but it would be rude to talk about it" or maybe, "Yes, but I don't really feel like talking about it right now"? Ryuuzaki-san, he knew, was a nice girl, and very polite; she would suffer through his inquiries so as not to hurt his feelings. He wouldn't want to pester her or impose on their still-young friendship. But she looked so unhappy…
He sighed. With Jin-sempai, this had never been a problem. He had just said or asked about whatever he felt like until his upperclassman left, or glared him into silence, or said something straightforward, like, "Shut it before I make you, runt."
Dan sighed again, wistfully. Guys were so much less complicated than girls.
"-san? Dan-san?"
Dan started. "Oh! S-Sorry!" he stuttered, his cheeks reddening in embarrassment at his inattentiveness. Stupid, stupid, stupid. What self-respecting teenage guy blushed, anyway? "Um, what?"
Sakuno giggled, then sobered. "Well," she spoke slowly, "What I said earlier—that "nothing"? That nothing wasn't really nothing. It was a something-nothing. You see?"
Dan didn't, but he nodded anyway. Reassured, Sakuno continued.
"It's—it's just—it's been a very strange week…"
***
Bzzt! Bzzt!
Ryoma dug his hand into the pocket of his shorts. Grabbing his cell phone, he looked at the view screen. MOMO it declared in bold lettering.
Ryoma considered hanging up.
Pros: He wouldn't have to deal with his noisy upperclassman and could go on enjoying his walk. Cons: Momo-sempai would know what he had done, and the next time he saw Ryoma, would be extra noisy…especially as Ryoma had already hung up on him twice today.
With a slight grimace, Ryoma answered the call.
"FINALLY YOU PICK UP! I CAN'T BELIEVE—" Ryoma held the phone as far away from his person as he could and waited for his sempai's voice to return to a more reasonable decibel level. After a minute or so, once Momo's voice seemed to have calmed down, Ryoma spoke.
"What is it, Momo-sempai," he said, resigned to his fate.
"Where is 'the bunny' right now?" asked Momo, his voice suddenly covert.
"Huh?" said Ryoma intelligently.
"The bunny!"replied Momo in a strangled whisper. "Ryuuzaki," he hissed meaningfully. "You're supposed to be following her!"
"…"
From the other end of the line Ryoma heard a sound rather like that when a person hits their forehead with their hand.
"Oh crap. You have no idea where she is, do you?" said Momo hollowly. Ryoma thought fast.
"Of course I do," he said confidently.
Momo groaned.
"You forgot about it completely. You have no clue and you weren't even looking for her."
Um.
Oh, well. He had started it. He might as well see it through.
"I know where she is," answered Ryoma, feeling nettled.
"Uh-huh," said Momo, completely disbelieving. "So where is she?" Ryoma's mind raced.
"She's at the"—he glanced around—"park."
"The park, huh?"
"Yes," he replied, with total assurance and absolutely no truthfulness whatsoever.
"And what is she doing?" queried Momo, still not buying it.
"Practicing," said Ryoma promptly in a strike of genius. She ought to be anyway. Last time he checked, her backhand needed work.
"You're lying," said Momo, but a hint of doubt had entered his voice. As was his nature, Ryoma quickly took the advantage.
"She's putting away her racket…now she's taking off her wristband," he continued, trying to make it sound convincing. The controlled urgency in his tone lent a nicely realistic shade to his story. (He really wanted out of this phone call.) "And she's just picked up her water bottle; looks like she's done for today. I have to go, sempai."
"Hey—" started Momo. Ruthlessly, Ryoma cut him off.
"I won't be able to keep following if I'm talking."
"Yeah, but—"
"Who knows when I might have to intervene?"
"Echizen, wai—"
"Ja," and with that, Ryoma clicked his phone shut, a self-satisfied smile on his face. He then looked around, searching for long braids.
Now, if I were Ryuuzaki, where would I be?
***
"—and everybody has been acting strangely around me recently. I saw Kaido-sempai in the halls and he wouldn't even look at me! In fact, when he saw me, he turned around and practically ran away. And Horio-kun…" Sakuno gulped. "Horio-kun is a bit confused."
"Confused?"
She flushed. "He seems to be under the impression that…well, that we're…" she looked down, her hands twisting anxiously in her lap, "—but we're not! We're really, really not, unless I've gone and done something strange again and just forgotten about it—" She waved her hands frantically, her voice growing more and more shrill. "Not that liking Horio-kun would be strange or anything; he's a good person, just a little…" she winced, "…enthusiastic."
"Oh. Um. Okay…?" voiced Dan uncertainly, feeling very much out of his depth (…and just a little worried—was being enthusiastic bad now?). He floundered for something, anything useful to say. "Excuse me, but…what do you mean, 'something strange,' Ryuuzaki-san?"
Sakuno frowned, her embarrassment momentarily forgotten. "It's just a small thing, but on Tuesday morning I found myself on the boy's tennis courts with no memory of how I had got there."
Wow, that is weird, was Dan's first very (un)helpful thought, which he wisely decided not to voice. Ryuuzaki-san looked nervous enough.
What would Jin-sempai do in this situation? Dan's imagination readily provided many solutions; unfortunately, all of them involved the liberal application of violence. Okay, he decided, grimacing slightly, bad example. What about Sengoku-sempai, then? He was smart, and eager to help girls, "Especially the cute ones!"...oh dear. Why do I have such unhelpful role-models?
Helplessly, he glanced over at his companion…and winced. Lousy role-models aside, he really ought to say something before Ryuuzaki-san's face got stuck like that.
"Ryuuzaki-san, umm…were you…tired that morning?" he said, lamely. "Or maybe…working late or very early on a project?"
"Well, I cleaned for Inui-sempai. I think I must have tripped, because I woke up on the floor."
Dan's eyebrows shot up.
Seeing his expression, Sakuno hurried to reassure him. "Don't worry; I went to the nurse's office later that day. She said I was fine," she said, waving her hands placatingly. Dan relaxed.
"Sorry Ryuuzaki-san, it was silly of me." He grinned. "After all, I also know what it's like to be clumsy."
"Me, clumsy?" sniffed Sakuno, sticking her nose in the air in mock-affrontery, "How could you say that? I'll have you know I have the best balance in Japan!"
At that, Dan just couldn't help himself; he burst into laughter.
***
Ryoma paced through the park, his steps brisk. After all, he might as well go where he said he was going to be. He scanned his surroundings, constantly on the watch for the tell-tale braids.
The truth was, although his outward appearance did not reveal it, he was starting to get edgy. He had checked the racket stringer's, the mall, the school. He had even swung by her apartment, narrowly evading additional chores from her frighteningly active grandmother. Still nothing.
If Ryuuzaki did go all weird today—and Inui-sempai said the odds were good—if he didn't stop her from kissing another innocent bystander, he, Echizen Ryoma, would be in Big Trouble. Even if by some miracle he survived the next batch of Inui-juice, there would still be disapproving looks, deafening Momo-sempai and Kikumaru-sempai rebukes, and a whole host of other annoyances to deal with. The captain would probably make him run laps around the whole of Japan. He didn't even want to think about what Fuji-sempai would do to him.
He didn't really have a plan. He wasn't even sure how he was supposed to 'intervene' anyway. He was, however, very sure on one point: it was all Ryuuzaki's fault.
Ryoma had no sooner decided this than his thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a peal of laughter. He turned. There, not thirty feet away, was Ryuuzaki. She was sitting on a park bench near their Sunday practice court, dressed in tennis gear, water bottle at her side.
And she was laughing.
Ryoma stared. He didn't think he'd ever heard her laugh like this. She smiled, yes, and she had laughed in front of him before. But it was always soft laughter—muted, repressed, under control. Not like this; this free, joyful sound.
It was annoying.
He had scraped spitballs. He had drunk the Inui-juice. He had just spent what felt like an eternity looking for her. Her hair was too long. Her laugh was too loud. And there were two water bottles.
…So.
She had been practicing. Here. At the Sunday courts. She had been practicing with someone. Else.
So.
Ryuuzaki was laughing so hard she was turning pink. A few of her bangs fell from her clip. They fluttered around her face as she continued to laugh, softer now, more like giggles. The boy on the bench reached over, tucking the errant bangs back in under her hair pin awkwardly, his fingers fumbling. Ryuuzaki smiled, a little shyly, and thanked him. A light blush dusted her cheeks.
Abruptly, Ryoma changed his mind. He strode towards the pair, hands thrust deep into his pockets.
Time to intervene.
***
"Hey."
Sakuno looked up, the blood draining from her face.
"…oh," she breathed, voice faint, "Echizen-kun." Their eyes met, and Sakuno recoiled. His expression was so dark, he was practically glaring. "I-Is something wrong?"
"Eh? Echizen…? Ah! Echizen-san!"
Sakuno felt an intense gratitude for all things Dan when, startled, Ryoma turned to look at the other occupant of the bench.
"…Dan?"
"Mm-hm!" Dan replied, a bright smile on his face. "It's been a while, hasn't it? It's good to see you."
"Un," answered Ryoma, a little dazed. Challenging a faceless goon was one thing. Using his tennis to humiliate happy-go-lucky-short-comrade-in-arms-I-want-to-become-a-great-player-like-Echizen-san Dan was quite another. For one, it wouldn't be much of a challenge. It would also feel a lot like kicking a puppy.
"So, what brings you here, Echizen-san?" Dan inquired amiably.
Ryoma was at a loss. Surely this wasn't how interventions were supposed to go.
He muttered something about being out for a walk.
Sakuno was not convinced. But suddenly that didn't matter very much because this wonderful tingly feeling was spreading through her body…
What's happening…to…me?
***
With a small groan, Sakuno opened her eyes.
The first thing she saw was Dan, staring at her in bewilderment. He looked uneasy, skittish even, and utterly, utterly shocked. She tilted her head to the side. It might just have been her imagination, but he also looked considerably more rumpled than he had been when they sat down. His dark hair— usually a bit disheveled at best—was positively messy, and his cheeks were flushed. Ryoma, on the other hand, was very still. His gaze was colder than she had ever seen it.
Sakuno's face fell. She shrank back from them, and asked, in a voice that quavered slightly, "What's wrong? Dan-san, what is it?"
"You—you don't remember?" he said squeakily.
Sakuno blanched. "Remember…? I-I don't know what—"
"Ryuuzaki."
Sakuno's head jerked up, the half-formed words dying in her throat. Ryoma moved closer, his voice ominously flat. "Explain."
…He stepped forward, casually invading her space, eyes unreadable. "I'm not going to hurt you…"
Sakuno blinked the thought away.
"I—I…" Explain what? Her gaze flitted frantically between the two boys, desperately looking for some clue. What she could have done to offend them so? Nervously, she wet her lips. "I'm…sorry?"
Ryoma's brows dipped. "You're sorry," he echoed levelly.
"…yes?"
"That doesn't make any sense," he stated bluntly, crossing his arms. Before he could demand any other impossible explanations, Sakuno made her escape, deftly ducking to the side and hopping up off the bench.
"Ah! Ryuuzaki-san!"
She snatched up her racket and water bottle quickly, sketching a hasty bow as she shuffled hurriedly backwards, away from Dan-san's hurt expression and Echizen-kun's difficult questions. "Thanks again for practice, Dan-san; I'll see you next week!"
"Ryuuzaki-san, wai—"
"Obaa-chan will be expecting me! Please excuse me!" And with that, she was off; trotting briskly in what she really, really hoped was the direction of her apartment.
***
"Tch!" Inui tutted in annoyance as peered down into the murky corner between the bookshelf and supply cabinet.
How was he supposed to reach it now? The test tube was vital. After all, it contained his newest and best energy formula for the team.
Oh well, there was nothing for it. Falling to his hands and knees, he stretched his arm out, blindly feeling for the small glass tube. Instead, his fingers brushed something rough. He pulled his hand back, opening it to reveal the… piece of paper. He glanced at the cramped writing.
Behind his glasses, Inui's eyes widened.
--
A/N: Again, so sorryfor taking so long. Thanks for reading; we finally made it to the end of Day Four! *flopdies*
It's an angsty-ish one too, with some new styles; I'm not sure how well I balanced it. If you have any ideas or just want to say Hi, well, you know the drill. :3 That being said, when I wasn't flailing, writing this chapter was really fun. I always thought that if Dan and Sakuno ever met, they would be bestest buddies in no time. :D
(By the way, the little blurb summary at the bottom of Day Three mentioned a scheme. If you didn't see it, don't worry! You are not crazy. It just so happens that in the thousands of revisions I did on this chappie that section was dropped.)
Next Time: The regulars finally get it, and Sakuno...sorta loses it. Secrets will be revealed. Eaves will be dropped. And Momo-sempai will get his burger even if it kills him!
Japanese Words...um, word
Yada: No way