Happiness for Tomorrow Chapter 1: The End for a New Beginning, a prince of tennis fanfic

Hi… It's the first time I write fanfiction and this is the first Tennis No Ohjisama Fic. Thank you so much for Ishka for the beta reading and the help. So… here's the story…

Disclaimer: The probability Prince Of Tennis is not mine is 100 percent. I don't own the song too, "Learn to Fly" is a1 who sing it.

Chapter 1: The End for a New Beginning

The sky was clear, and it was windy. It wasn't too hot, and the temperature was just right for a morning walk. Wherever one would look, the surroundings clearly spelled a beautiful day ahead.

"Really, it's such a beautiful morning. Don't waste it." A sweet voice spoke nearby. "Rise and shine, Ryoma-san." A gentle hand started to shake his shoulders.

Ryoma's eyes fluttered open. Heaving a sigh, he wondered what was so beautiful about the morning at all…

-----

"Ryoma… I'm sorry, I think I can't continue this relationship." Fuji said.

Ryoma, shocked, couldn't believe what he just heard. He couldn't say anything. He couldn't do anything. Deep down, his heart already knew the reason, and he knew he didn't have any chance to change it.

"Ryoma…"

"It's fine, Fuji-senpai, I understand." he smiled weakly. "I wish the best for both of you."

"Ryoma… I… It's not that I'm not happy with you but…"

"You just can't forget him, right, Fuji-senpai? Even if you seemed happy with me everyday, you still haven't forgotten him. Don't be sorry for the choice you made." He tried to keep his face look calm, although he could feel his body starting to tremble.

"Arigatou, Ryoma. Arigatou…" Fuji smiled, caressing the shorter boy's cheek as if for the last time.

Ryoma, though reluctantly, quickly withdrew.

"Ah, senpai, sorry but I have to go now." He spoke, struggling to keep his voice steady. "I need to have my racket's strings checked. See you tomorrow at school." He stood up. "Be happy with him…" As he said this, he held on to the edge of the table for support. As subtly as he could, he took a deep breath and tried to steady himself before getting out of their usual café- a place he was sure he would probably try to avoid from now on.

'Be happy with him… Syuusuke.'

Unbeknownst to him, Fuji's sharp eyes didn't miss a thing. Softly, as if whispering a prayer, Fuji spoke as his gaze followed Ryoma's retreating back. "Ryoma… Thanks for the happy moments you gave to me. I just can't live without Kunimitsu by myside, and now he's back…" Fuji clenched his fists, and sighed. "I'm sorry…"

-----

It had only been a day since he broke up with Fuji Syuusuke, and today was the day to face reality.

'The first day I have to face him after…that.' Ryoma sighed. He didn't know what to do if he met that person.

"Ryoma-san…?" Nanako's voice shook him out of his thoughts. "It's time for school…You have morning practice, right?"

'I'm not ready… I can't face him… I need more time.' Ryoma unconsciously whishpered.

"Sorry?"

"Ah, um… Nanako-san, please call Ryuzaki-sensei. I think I'll be absent. But only for morning practice." Ryoma said.

"Are you okay, Ryoma-san?" His cousin peered at him with worried eyes.

"Mm. I'm fine. Thanks. It's just a little headache." He lied.

"Okay… Just rest for a bit, then. I'll call Ryuzaki-sensei." Nanako exited his room to make the call, leaving Ryoma to fall back to his gloomy thoughts.

---000---

"Hoi… Momo, Ohayo." The hyperactive redhead shouted.

"Ohayo, Kikumaru-senpai." Momo replied with a big yawn.

"Eh…, where is Ochibi nya? Don't you two usually come to school together?"

"Oh, I came to his house to pick him up but Nanako-san told me that he will miss the morning practice. He has a headache but…"

"Nya!!!! OCHIBI IS SICK!!!!" Kikumaru shouted hysterically.

"Calm down, Eiji…" Oshi tried to placate him "and what did she say Momo?" Oishi asked.

"He will be here for afternoon practice."

"The possibility that Echizen is lying is 89 percent, and that he's really sick is 11 percent. But… since it's his cousin who said so, then the probability that he is sick goes up to 90 percent."

"WUAH…! Inui, since when have you been standing behind me?" Kikumaru yelled, looking like he saw a ghost. Inui just smirk.

Not far from where the others were busy talking, Seigaku's tensai heard the entire conversation, and his face was unusually serious. He had a very good guess behind Ryoma's absence.

'Ryoma…'He frowned'You're okay, right?' Lost in his thought, he suddenly felt someone's hand on his shoulder.

"Syuusuke, I'm sure he's fine."

"Kunimitsu, I know, he will." He smiled to the one he loves.

---000---

When you feel the dream is over
Feel the world is on your shoulders
and you lost the strength to carry on
Even though the walls may crumble
and you find you always stumble through
Remember never to surrender to the dark

"It's time to face reality." Ryoma said to himself. "Yoshi… I can do it." Ready or not he had already made up his mind to face it.

'Cos if you turn another page
you will see that's not the way
the story has to end

He knew there was no way he could avoid his seniors forever. He knew in this game called love he could never force Syuusuke to choose him. If he really loved him he would let him go He knew it from the very start and yet… it seemed so impossible to get over what had happened.

He walked to school, and he arrived right before class begun, making him feel a bit relieved. The rest of the day seemed to pass without any problems, until the afternoon practice came. When he entered the club room he saw the very person he was hoping to avoid.

"Ryoma… ah, is it still ok for me to call you by your first name?" Fuji asked tentatively.

"Should you still do so…?" Ryoma answered softly, forcing a weak smile, as if to tell the older boy he didn't mean it in a bad way.

"You're right…" Fuji hesitantly grinned back. "Echizen, are you okay?"

'No, I'm not.' he inwardly sighed.

"I'm fine Fuji-senpai, just a little headache. Where is Buchou?" Ryoma asked, trying to change the subject as he struggled to keep his voice as nonchalant as usual.

"He'll be here in a few minutes. Echizen…, I…"

"Fuji-senpai…" Ryoma sighed. "You're not wrong, don't blame yourself. You have the right to choose whom you want to give your love to. Trust me I'm fine."

He knew Fuji still felt guilty, and he didn't want it. It was also his fault. He knew from the very start that Fuji's heart was for Tezuka only, then why did he take the risk to be his lover?

Fuji was shocked. It seemed that Ryoma could read his mind.

"…"

"I'll go run for warm up Fuji-senpai, see you on the court." He turned around and left.

Looking after Ryoma with sad eyes, Fuji thought dejectedly. 'Why do you lie to me? I know you're not fine. Why don't you hate me? Why do you wear that 'mask'? Why Ryoma? Why?'

And if you need to find a way back
Feel you're on the wrong track
Give it time, you'll learn to fly
Tomorrow is a new day
And you will find your own way
You'll be stronger with each tear that you cry
Then you'll learn to fly

Throughout afternoon practice Ryoma seemed just fine but some people knew better. Ryoma was far from 'fine'. His Cyclone Smash, his Twist Serve, and his movements were rather strange.

"Is something bothering Ochibi nya?" Kikumaru asked.

"Echizen is too energic today." Said Kawamura.

"Fshu…" Kaido agreed.

"Oi… Echizen, can't you lessen your power? It's too much." Momo shouted.

"Momo-senpai, if I did that it won't be fun." He smirked.

"There's 93 percent probability that there's something bothering Echizen. What do you think, Tezuka?" Inui asked the person standing beside him as they closely observed Momo and Echizen practice.

"Hn." He answered without showing any expression on his face but in his heart he felt worried for the one he had chosen to become Seigaku next Pillar.

Not far from there, Fuji was also watching the practice and he couldn't concentrate on his own game.

"Fuji, are you okay?" Oishi asked.

"Ah, I'm fine, Oishi."

"Everyone's paying attention to Momo and Echizen's game, Echizen is far from his usual self."

After afternoon practice was over…

"Ochibi…, want to go for some burger?" Kikumaru gave Echizen his hug.

"Eiji, let him go, he can't breathe…" Oishi said worriedly.

"Oh, gomen Ochibi, gomen…"

"Mada mada da ne senpai. I can't I have something to do. Thanks for the hardwork." And he left.

"Nya Ochibi so cruel…"

"I think he'll be fine, right senpai?" Momo asked, as if trying to convince himself. His best friend may be small, but he was strong… Right?

"You're right." Oishi grinned timidly. "His arrogance, it's just him."

"Let's go home, minna." Said Oishi.

They walked home except for two people- Fuji and Tezuka.

"Mitsu…"

"Syuusuke, he'll be fine, don't blame yourself." Tezuka said and Fuji just smiled.

"Why do you smile?" asked Tezuka.

"That's just what he said to me. I think he hates me but he doesn't…"

"Hn."

"I'm lucky ne, finally be with the one I love and He doesn't hate me."

"He'll be fine. I trust him, Syuu."

"Me too Mitsu, me too, I just wish one day he'll find the right one, ne."

"He'll find, he deserves to be happy more than anyone." They smiled.

And they walk home together holding hands.

In your head, so many questions
the truth is your possession
the answer lies within your heart

You will see the doors are open
If you only dare to hope and you
will find a way to fight
the fears that kept you down
'Cos if you turn another page
you will see that's not the way
the story has to end

On his way home, Ryoma felt more exhausted than usual. As he crossed the park, the pink petals falling all over were swaying with the wind, as if dancing around him. Too tired to take another step, he sat on a park bench. It was lucky, he thought, that there was no one at home. His father and mother had gone to America for their other son, Ryoga, while Nanako went to Hokkaido for her university task, which was supposed to last for a month.

---

"Are you sure you're fine, Ryoma-san? I can still cancel my visit to Hokkaido."

"I'm fine. If you cancel it you won't be able to graduate, right?" Ryoma said firmly.

"Ok, just… If anything happens, please don't hesitate to call me, Ryoma-san. You know my phone number, right?"

"Ehm."

"Oh, I've got to go or else I'll be late. See you in a month, Ryoma-san." She hastily ruffled his hair, making the younger boy scrunch his nose, then left.

---

Ryoma himself couldn't understand what was wrong with him. At these times, it should have been normal to cry but why couldn't he shed a single tear? That was just one of the questions plaguing his mind, confusing him even more.

Why did he even want to be Fuji's boyfriend when he knew that someday the Tensai would leave him?

"Why?" Ryoma weakly whispered to the air.

How will he ever get through this?

Looking at your situation
there's so much that you can do
now's the time to make your stand
this is just an observation
in the end it's up to you
the future's in your hands

Ryoma just sat there, not knowing what to do. He knew he must move on, he must make his own future, a future without Fuji Syuusuke.

Suddenly, he realized that he couldn't move forward just yet. He was stuck at a dead end. How could he possibly take a step when he didn't know where to go? As he looked up at the darkening sky, something warm trickled down his cheeks. But he was too absorbed in his thoughts to even notice.

Give it time…

Then You'll learn to Fly

Time… He just needed time …

---000---

A tall boy slightly raised the sleeve of his uniform to look at his wristwatch.

'If I hurry up, I might be able to …' He thought as he hastened his pace. When he glanced to his right, he saw the park. Then he remembered that if he crossed the walkway lined with Cherry trees, it would be faster than if he walked all the way around park.

Along the way, he noticed that there was still someone at the park even though it was starting to get dark. The lone figure looked familiar.

"Hm? Isn't that…"

The curiosity made him decide to approach the figure. However, just as he got closer, the street light beside the bench switched on, illuminating its surroundings. When its light shined upon the younger boy's face, he inevitably noticed something that was quite out of place.

'Echizen … He's crying…'

He knew right away that the younger boy needed someone to be with him.

As for Echizen, he would never have expected that what he thought was the worst day in his life was just "The End for a New Beginning".

So… How is it? Is it fine?

Do you like it?

Can you guess who will Ryoma meet?

Just tell me what on your mind, critique and suggestion are welcome.

So… Review please…

See you all on the next chapter.