"Trying to forget someone is like trying to remember someone you never met..."
...

Chapter 5

Caught in The Middle

Echizen Ryoma, the young tennis prodigy couldn't concentrate on his tennis practice and it's definitely the first time. His reason? Because of a girl.

Miharu.

The only girl that captured his heart. She kept on avoiding him and it's obvious. He sent her countless text messages and even called her last night but he never receive any reply. He even stayed up late waited until two in the morning but he never did receive any reply text or calls, not even once.

Their strict Captain Tezuka even punished him to run laps around the tennis court for not paying attention in their practice. His inattentiveness in practice starts to worry the others. Especially Momo and Kikumaru.

After running a hundred laps, Momomshiro and Kikumaru cornered him.

"Here..." Momo said giving his kouhai his share of bottled water which the tennis prodigy accepted muttering thanks underneath his breath.

"What's up with you Echizen?" asked Momoshiro with a worried tone. He has never seen his kouhai like this. Well, ever since middle school, he knows that the only thing that interests his kouhai is tennis but now, it seems like he's interested in some other matters.

"Right Ochibi, you are not yourself today," remarked Eiji. "Is there something bothering you?"

"There's nothing," the younger teen denied.

Inui suddenly appeared behind Eiji and Momo that startled the two regulars. "There's a 99.8 percent that Aikawa Miharu is the reason why he can't concentrate," Inui told them with certainty. Ryoma just looked away.

"Inui! Don't just suddenly pop in our back like that!" Eiji complained chidishly.

"But I think Inui-senpai is right, Eiji-senpai!" said Momo then turned to his kouhai. "You were thinking about Aikawa-chan, right?" The young prodigy didn't answer. Instead, he just pulled his cap lower to hide his face from his senpai's.

"Nyah! So it was about Haru-chan!" said Eiji gleefully.

"Are you two finally together?" asked Momo.

"Since when?"

"Then why do you seem like you are worried?"

"Did you have a fight?"

The two Seigaku regular kept on interrogating their kouhai while Inui just kept on scribbling on his notebook while constantly muttering 'data.'

The younger Seigaku regular heaved a deep sigh and looked up at his senpai's. "Senpai, Miharu and I are not officially together…"

"Eh?" Momo and Eiji uttered in unison.

"But I love her," Ryoma admitted.

"Oh! Ochibi is in love!"

"Did you already confess?"

"Many times. She already knew my feelings for her but lately, she's been avoiding me."

"Really?"

Echizen nodded. "I already asked her what's wrong but she never answer me."

"Oh I see…Then why don't you ask Ayase-chan?" Momo suggested. "She's her sister, right? She might know the reason why Aikawa has been avoiding you."

"I totally agree with Momo-chan, just ask her sister Eri-chan, she's your classmate, right?"

"Yeah, I will ask her later."

Ryoma laid his back against the wall. Obviously bored while watching Eri pick up every single stuff that caught her attention. Earlier after the classes are over he asked her if they could talk but she had already grabbed his arm dragging him somewhere with her.

He sighed, "There must be a reason why Miharu is avoiding me..." And whatever it is it's obviously something to do with him. What did he do to deserve this treatment from the girl he loves? Was it because he kissed her? Probably. But maybe it was something else..

More minutes passed he was definitely getting bored and sleepy but then something shining caught his attention that wake him up instantly, he walk towards the stall where the 'interesting item' is and picked it up, it was a simple a novelty pumpkin key chain he doesn't know why but he smiled at it. Somehow staring at the key chain made him remember Miharu.

"Ryoma-kun what did you buy at the shop earlier?" Eri asked the green haired boy beside her they are now currently walking out the shop with the plan to walk towards the bus stop two blocks away from where they are.

"It's nothing..." he lied not wanting to explain anything to Eri.

"Oh I see..."

"Ayase..."

"Call me Eri..." Eri smiled cheerfully to the teen walking beside her.

"Listen Ayase I don't want to beat around the bush...I want you to know that I love your sister..." Eri was taken aback, she knows that Ryoma is in love with her sister but then she was more surprise that this emotionless boy will admit this bluntly. "And I want to know you are Miharu's sister...if something is happening to her you will know..."

"Oh really?" Eri said acting clueless but inside her heart is overflowing of mix emotions, jealousy, anger and hatred towards her 'perfect sister'.

"Wow that's good ne?"

"Can you help me talk to her..."

Cassie had invited Miharu out for dinner the two of them are currently at the Ivy's a posh restaurant near Tokyo's high class suburb.

"Thank you for inviting me Cassie-senpai..." Miharu said with a smile but that smile did not reach her usual lively amethyst orbs in fact her eyes looks so dull and swollen right now that even Cassie could figure out that something is wrong with her friend.

"Miharu I've noticed that you have been feeling down these past few days and also Ryo-chi as well both of you are acting really strange..." Miharu trembled under Cassie's gaze hearing the older girl say the name of the boy she loves that she was trying to forget is just too much for her. Somehow she didn't know when it started but she slowly start to tear up.

"Miharu..." Cassie said while putting her hand over Miharu's to comfort the younger girl.

"I-I don't know what to do Cassie-senpai..." Miharu said as she burst into tears. "I love Ryoma-kun but my sister loves him...what should I do Cassie-senpai..."

A/N: I know I'm a bad Authoress hahaha SORRY EVERYONE FOR NEGLECTING THIS PIECE OF WORK! And thanks to dokiwuvnabi for reviewing! Please continue supporting [My Cinderella] Hope everybody like this short update...

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