… could Ryoma EVER get the guts to say 'sorry'? Probably.

/Notes/ Thanks for the reviews, sorry if I can't reply to them again. Yes, xoxoxo means hugs and kisses, I think… at least, that's what's in my mind when I'm putting them down.

/Disclaimer/ Prince of Tennis: not mine. (And as much as I like to disown this story, I'm claiming it anyway because I peed blood trying to think of a decent update. LOL Just kidding.)

The Path of a Man

By thedancingcheese

Apologizing

In the end, Ryoma decided not to apologize. And he didn't care. No sir.

And to continue this rebellious streak, Ryoma also decided not to write in his TPM. No sir.

And to top that, yes, he would learn how to live without tennis, and he didn't even bat an eyelid when Nanjiroh eventually took his racket case away, as well as have him banned from practices through Ryuzaki Sumire. No sir.

But of course, Nanjiroh and Kojiro won't let him get out of the predicament alive, would they? Yes. Yes sir.

By the sixth week, after another blank set of pages from Ryoma, the two decided to take some action, finally. They were going to wreck, er, fix Ryoma's life the way it should be fixed and that was final. So one day, Nanjiroh managed to corner Ryoma inside his room, electric shaver in hand. Behind him followed Kojiro, a conspiratory smirk on his face. At that moment, Ryoma had been bent down over his study table, working on his Algebra.

"Have you apologized to Ryuzaki-san?"

"Yadda." Scribble, scribble.

"Apologize, you idiot son."

"Come on, Ryoma. Don't be shy."

"Yad-DA." Scribbly, scribble. Erase. Scribble.

"I wouldn't have wanted to go this far, but…" Nanjiroh took a step aside to reveal Karupin. Gently, he took the Himalayan up, while Kojiro plugged in the electric shaver. It whirred threateningly to life. Ryoma flinched.

"Now, we'll be changing the question," Nanjiroh said, smirking the way Kojiro did and positioning the electric shaver near Karupin. "Do you like Ryuzaki-san?"

Ryoma stopped writing, and the two saw his shoulders stiffen. He didn't look back.

"No," he replied firmly.

He set the electric shaver to a higher setting. Karupin meow-ed innocently. "Do you like her now?"

"N-No."

"Are you sure?" Nanjiroh asked, raising an eyebrow. "Do you like Ryuzaki? Spit it out, boy!"

"No!" This time, Ryoma had spun around, a batshit expression on his face. He was sweating pearls, and would probably start shitting something big and large and painful out, but since all his muscular abilities were focused on his clenched fists, that didn't happen.

"Ah. Is that so?" With a couple of quick swishes using the device, a ball of Karupin's fur fell onto the floor, leaving the cat with a bikini bra pattern shaved on its snow-white fur. Ryoma stared at his cat in horrified disbelief, his face pale and his mouth hanging wide open.

"My dear Ryoma, we don't want you suffering. All we want to know is if you like Ryuzaki-san," Kojiro asked lovingly, as he carressed Karupin's fur in a manner that would've called for sexual harrassment.

"If ya don't want your cat to have panties, you're answering the question, brat!" Najiroh shook Karupin violently in the air.

"Now, Ryoma," Kojiro said gently, taking his hand off Karupin and patting Ryoma's hand in a comforting manner. "Do you like Ryuzaki-san?"

Ryoma's eyes darted from the two men to his beloved cat to the shaver. He bit his lip, trying hard not to cry.

"M-Maybe."

Week Seven (1 Encounter with Ryuzaki)

MONDAY

I really like Ryuzaki. She's pretty and she's not clumsy and she's so good at tennis that I'm scared of facing her in the court. I want her to be the president of the world because she would be very good at it. In fact, I think she should be placed in Mount Olympus because the human world would never be good enough. I worship her. I want to marry her someday, but I don't think I'm worthy enough because she is just too amazing and wonderful. Long live Ryuzaki!!!

COMMENTS

… Oh my GOD.

My dear Ryoma, what have we done? Attached here is a referral to my psychiatrist friend. You may have gone utterly and unconceivably insane.

xoxoxo

Kojicchan

P.S. Buy my next book for only 900 yen, it's already out in markets nationwide ;-) Please send your father my kisses.

"Ryuzaki."

The pigtailed girl turned around quickly at the sight of him, and quickened her steps.

"Wait."

Sakuno kept walking quickly, making it a point to pretend that she wasn't hearing anything.

"I'm sorry." She stopped. "And I like you."

Finally she turned around to face him, with her eyes as wide as saucer plates. "EH?!" she exclaimed. She tried to find any lines of hesitation on the tennis prince's stoic face. "R-Ryoma-kun l-likes… ME?!"

Ryoma nodded in confirmation. Very stiffly, he managed a low bow. "Please go out with me."

Sakuno had to hold on to the sidewalk railings to calm herself down. Shaking her head violently, she tried to make sure that she wasn't hearing the wrong things. The look on Ryoma's face proved otherwise. "W-Why?" Sakuno demanded, her voice still shaking.

Without a second thought, the reply came.

"Because I have to."

THE END

/Notes/ At some point, I just stopped typing and thought, "Oh. I finished the story." Actually, I was supposed to have like, 4 more chapters but since I answered the conflict accidentally, I figured that I didn't have anything more to add and just forcing myself to make this longer would be stupid. Thank you very much for the reviews and sorry if this story didn't make much sense. Life's mostly like that, anyway.

I guess I won't be writing much stories, too. I know I don't sound like it, but I'm actually a very serious student… who just happens to be very, VERY lazy and unfocused 8D. See you all next time! XD – TDC