'Change Is Impossible'

A Prince of Tennis Fanfiction

RyoSaku pairing

Author's notes: minna! Haha another one-shot from me! I dedicate this one-shot to my friend Chrichri well FFnet people know her as AquaJet! Chrichri, I dedicate this to you as gratitude for being a friend and for the poem ^^ Enjoy!

'Oi Echizen! Look! It's that Dan-kid from Yamabuki! You know the one who idolizes that Akutsu-guy. He sure did change a lot right?' Momoshiro exclaimed at his kouhai while pointing on another lad.

'Hn.' Ryoma never believed in changes. But he did believe that improvements existed. Things just don't change for him. They improve.

Echizen Ryoma, a tennis prodigy, age 15, remembered a flashback through a dream as he woke up from a deep slumber.

Here he was sitting right beside the plane window seeing the nearing lands of Japan.

~O~

He stepped out of the plane meeting the light of the sun and the atmosphere he haven't felt for years.

'3 years…' he said cannot wait to see a certain girl he knew. He wondered if she kept the promise she said before he left. Well not exactly a promise. He also wondered if she improved.

~O~

Ryuzaki Sakuno, 15 years of age, vice captain of Seigaku girls tennis team faced the mirror with a sweet smile pasted on her pink cherry lips.

'I wonder how everyone is.'

She brushed her hair that seemed to have the same length as before. She left her floral clip on but decided to let her hair down not putting it on her usual hairdo.

Just looking at her hair made her memories flood back. Her sweet and bitter memories of middle school freshman days.

And included in these memories…

'Ryoma-kun…'

A flashback also came.

Just about a day before Ryoma leaves for America, Sakuno spotted him sleeping soundly under a shade of a tree.

'Ryoma-kun…' she said in low and soft tone.

She came closer and looked at him.

Sakuno gave him a light kiss on his forehead.

'Ryoma-kun… a-after 3 years… I tell you… I-I'll change.' She said then ran thinking that Ryoma was asleep.

'Mada mada dane.'

After 3 years, the girl still hasn't forgotten her feelings for the prince. At first she thought that it was just what they call 'Puppy Love'. But then, if it was just that, why can't she forget him? Why does it hurt so much to be away from him? She realized that it wasn't just that. She did love him very much.

Because of this love, she was able to stay happy and look at the bright side.

And now here she was, completely different from the stuttering Ryuzaki before. The shy one who can't even utter any word. The girl who can't talk to anyone without painting her cheeks with the color of pinkish red. The girl who can't even hit a tennis ball properly. The girl called Wobbly hips and Hair Too Long. The girl who always wrinkled her skirt.

'I've changed. Ryoma-kun.' She once again smiled then left for the Seigaku reunion.

Only one thing didn't change. It's her feelings for him.

~O~

Coming straight from the airport, Ryoma made his way to the meeting place. He didn't get tired from the trip. Tennis matches are tiring for him. Maybe he just was immune to it.

~O~

'Nyaa! It's been long time guys!' Eiji said. He still had the same energy as before.

'Oi oi! Kikumaru-sempai's right!' Momo exclaimed.

'Fssssh…. You're too loud.' Kaidoh just appeared.

'What's that Ma-Mu-Shi?'

'Wanna fight?'

'Kaidoh, Momo, stop fighting. You might get hurt.' Oishi with his motherish attitude reminded.

'Data…data' the data man of Seigaku scribbled some notes on his green notebook.

'Saa… what are you writing Inui?' Fuji appeared out of nowhere with his smile.

Everyone shivered at his sudden appearance.

'Everyone. Coach just arrived.' Tezuka said clearing all the noise down.

'It's been a while minna.' Ryuzaki Sumire the retired coach said with her granddaughter following her.

'It's nice to see you too coach. Order anything you want.' Taka said giving the menu to her.

'Thank you. You're sushi bar has grown quite a lot. Congratulations.'

'Thank you too.'

The coach greeted everyone.

'Coach, who's she nyaa?' Eiji asked pointing at the girl right beside Sumire.

Sumire giggled.

'Are you sure you don't know her?'

'E??? Dnt tl m ts Ryzk-chn?' ('Eh??? Don't tell me its Ryuzaki-chan?') Momo asked with food in his mouth.

'It's Ryuzaki-chan isn't it?' Fuji said.

'Hai! Nice to see you again sempais.' She said with the sweet smile she had before and bowed.

'Eh??????? You're really Ryuzaki-chan!' Eiji said nearing his eyes on her face.

She nodded.

'Nyaaa! You changed a lot! But I'm still bigger than you.' He said giving her a bear hug.

She smiled again but didn't blush.

~O~

Outside the door, the prodigy stood witnessing all the happenings inside. His eyes widened. The one he's seeing by this very moment, are these entire true?

He always said about change being impossible.

But seeing Ryuzaki Sakuno after 3 years proved him wrong.

The girl that never smiled without shyness. The girl who always blushes. The girl who runs away. The girl who closes her eyes when playing tennis. The one he called wobbly hips and hair too long.

The girl who's always present in his matches. The girl who always made him bento. The girl whom he first met in Japan.

Did she change? Is the girl right before his very eyes proving his long philosophy wrong? He'll have to confirm it himself.

~O~

Then after that, the surroundings got all noisy again.

'Obaa-chan, I'll just go to the restroom.' Sakuno said then headed out.

Just when everyone's really noisy, the noise all died with a familiar figure standing near the door.

'May I help you sir?' Taka came close.

The boy seemed to be younger than him by a couple of years. He had dark hair with greenish color. He had a white cap on. He had a huge pair of golden eyes that resembles a cat's ones.

And most of all…

'Hn.'

He had that cocky attitude.

'Echizen?'

He nodded.

The dead noise came back to life.

'Nyaaa! Ochibi! I'm still bigger than you' Eiji bounced then hugged Ryoma. Eiji's really into this him-being-bigger-than-you issue.

'Oi! Isn't it our little freshman before?' Momo came and hugged Echizen as well.

'Quit it sempais.' He said.

'Why didn't you tell us before? We could have welcomed you in the airport.' Oishi asked.

'Oishi. You know Ochibi. The last time he came back he didn't tell us anything.'

'Oh yeah, how did you know about the reunion?'

'Momo-sempai's bugging me about it.'

Coming from the restroom, Sakuno came back only to see her sempais crowding in one spot with Tezuka as an exception.

'Obaa-chan, what's going on?'

'You'll have to see for yourself Sakuno.' She said giving a hold on her shoulders making her face the other way.

Familiar cat-eyes met her big chocolate brown ones.

'R-ryoma-kun?'

'Stuttering.' Ryoma thought then smirked.

'Hn.'

Sakuno blushed.

'Blushing.' His smirk getting wider.

Sakuno started to wrinkle her skirt.

'Wrinkling of skirt.'

'Anou… n-nice to see y-you again.'

'Wh-what's happening to me? Th-this feeling's back again.' Sakuno thought.

The whole time after Ryoma arrived; Sakuno stayed quiet and didn't socialize like she did before. It's like everything that she changed for three years, just flew with the blowing wind.

In just a sight of him, everything went away. In just a glimpse of his face, everything went away. In just a small talk with him… everything went away. Just hearing a simple grunt from him, everything went away.

She thought that she had changed fully. She sighed.

~O~

Soon the reunion has to end just like a normal day ends.

Everyone parted ways with smile on their faces but still, Sakuno didn't have one.

Sumire decided to play.

'Sakuno, I have a few matters to discuss with Taka's father. It's going to be a long discussion. You can go home now.'

'I can wait.'

'Are you sure? This'll take really long.'

Sakuno hesitated.

'Okay. I'll… go home now.'

'You can go ask someone to walk you home.'

'There's no need obaa-chan. And they all went home anyway.'

'I'm here.' Ryoma said facing them with his back.

'There you have it Sakuno. Echizen thanks.'

'Hn.'

Sakuno frowned but nodded.

~O~

The walk to home was awkward.

Maybe it was because it resembled their freshmen days so much.

Silence in the air. Continuous walking. Sakuno's stumbling.

Sakuno just felt that she was back to her old days.

'Oi.' Ryoma's voice startled her.

'E-eh?' there her stutter comes back again.

'You said you'd change.' He said smirking at her.

'E-eh? Y-you mean you were a-awake?'

'What do you mean?

'Ah…nothing.'

'Change is impossible. Improvements exist.' Ryoma said.

'Wh-what do you mean?'

He just smirked. No. He SMILED.

Stopping infront of Ryuzaki residence...

He gave her a kiss on the forehead.

'I was awake.'

'Ryuzaki… you improved.' Ryoma said leaving the girl confused.

OWARI

Author's notes: I know it was a weird especially the ending and maybe a not-so-good fic. But it just popped out of my mind. Its mocking me to write it and publish it you know. oh well whatever. this is dedicated to AquaJet. AquaJet, if this isnt any good, gomena, but still, I want u to read it.

If there are things that u want to clarify, please pm or review.

Reviews please!