Prince Of Tennis Fan Fiction ❯ Summer Scent ❯ Chapter VIII ( Chapter 8 )

[ A - All Readers ]

Summer Scent

Chapter VIII

As soon as the news about the festival reached Kikumaru's ears, he heard it from Momoshiro of course since Ochibi and Sakuya obviously kept it for their self, he decided to tag along too, with Oishi.

The other regular couldn't make it, Kaido had family business to do, Kawamura had to help his father in sushi restaurant `there're a lot of customers now' was all he said. Fuji and his family went to visit Yuta at Saint Rudolph and the last...Inui. Inui said he was going to try his new special juice recipe. Wanna try some? He bespectacled boy flashed him a maniac grin. Kikumaru shuddered at this. There was no way in hell he would drink `that damn thing' again.

So now, there were only him, Oishi, Momo, Tachibana's imouto, Ryuzaki Sakuno and Ochibi. Sakuya hadn't showed up yet.

“Mou! Where is Sakuya?” he asked impatiently, turning to Echizen. “Ochibi, where is he?”

“Dunno.” Ryoma replied, after school Sakuya went straight home so he didn't know where Sakuya was now.

“Nya! How could you don't know where Sakuya is now?” Kikumaru demanded.

Ryoma decided not to reply his senpai. They only promised to meet at park front gate at 7.30. But it seemed his senpai assumed he knew everything about Sakuya. He was Sakuya's friend not his babysitter.

“Why is he so late?” this time it was Momoshiro's turn to complain.

He got his answer as a black Rolls Royce stopped in front of them and Sakuya stepped out from the car. “Traffic jam,” the blond explained.

“Okay! Let's go then!”

They walked into the park. Kikumaru, Oishi, Sakuno and Ann visited the festival every year so this was nothing new to them but it was the first time for Sakuya and Ryoma. That's why the blond was so excited. Echizen's face still wore its usual bored expression.

The festival area, when they reached it, was teeming with people. All around them there were colorful lights, people laughing and talking, boys and girls wearing traditional Japanese clothes, old man peering at the stalls and buying nothing, and children weaving in and out between the grown-ups. There were also various stalls set up along the sides of the river.

“This is awesome!” Sakuya said in delight.

“Isn't it great?” Momoshiro asked behind his shoulder.

“Yeah,” he said enthusiastically.

“This is your first time going to the summer festival, isn't it Sakuya-kun?” Ann said, coming up behind them with Sakuno beside her. Sakuno wore a pink kimono and Ann wore a yellow kimono with sunflower pattern on it. Tomoka couldn't come because she had to keep an eye of her brother.

Sakuya nodded. He was still fascinated by his surroundings before he noticed their clothes. “You're wearing traditional Japanese clothes,” he said. “Like they wear in United Nations day.”

“It's called yukata,” Ann explained. “We wear this in summer.”

“What day?” Momoshiro asked, frowning.

“United Nations Day,” the blond repeated. “We studied at international school so aside of Fourth July we also celebrate United Nations Day and at that day, we're expected to wear our own traditional clothes,” he explained.

Momoshiro nodded. Another revelation. That brat never told them anything.

“Hey! What are we going to do first?” Kikumaru interrupted.

“Let's eat first.” Sakuya urged. “I do believe it's dinner time,” he said hungrily with a glance at his watch. “And look at all the food!” he exclaimed. “There're so many!”

“In my opinion, that's an excellent idea,” Momoshiro said as he stared covetously at the food stalls.

“Are you sure you want something to eat already?” Oishi looked a bit worried.

“Of course! Come on!” then Sakuya added. “It's my treat.”

“Yay!” Kikumaru and Momoshiro cheered happily.

They spotted okonomiyaki stall and decided to eat there. “Looks delicious,” the blond commented, putting the okonomiyaki into his mouth. “It's hot!”

“You idiot. Of course it's hot. They have just baked it,” Ryoma shook his head and put a glass of cold water into his hand. “Drink it.”

Sakuya drank it then continued his eating, the same went for Momoshiro. If they didn't know better, one would think that they were in eating contest.

“Are they okay?” Kikumaru asked worriedly, concerned about their unbelievable appetite.

“They're perfectly okay,” Ryoma said. “Just ignore them.”

Fifteen minutes later, and they all finished their meal. “That was delicious!” Sakuya declared. In his opinion, okonomiyaki was just like egg pancake with meat and vegetables as the topping.

Momoshiro snickered. “After four plates, you'd know for sure,” he teased.

“Hey! You had three plates also Momo-senpai,” the blond retorted. He went to pay the food. He didn't ask the price, but simply opened his wallet and took out one 10 thousand yen bills.

“Nya! You have a credit card!” Kikumaru exclaimed. He had been standing near the blond. He looked at it. “'Sakuya R. Carlton'? Your middle name?”

“Yeah.”

“From your mother name? What does the `R' stand for?”

“No. It's my grandmother's family name. She insisted to put it into my name,” he said absentmindedly. “That's weird actually.” Abigail, Sakuya's grandmother, came from an enormous wealthy oil industrialist family that once was the richest family in the world at the oil boom time.

“But if you have credit card then you must come from a rich family,” Kikumaru mused.

Not wanting to bring up his family's story, he steered the conversation back to something that had caught his attention. “What's that?” he pointed at the long wooden crate filled by water. “Are they selling fish here?”

The girl at the stall giggled upon hearing it. “No, it's a game. Do you want to try this? If you can catch the fish and it's yours.” She explained.

“Looks interesting.”

So they all agreed. Ann and Sakuno positioned themselves by the water, paper cups in hand. Sakuno dipped her cup in the water. It tore almost immediately. She tried two times again but it all failed. She never caught fish by her own actually, different with Tomoka. Tomoka was always good in sports.

“Did you catch one?”

She turned and saw Ann, the girl was holding a plastic bag of goldfish. “No,” Sakuno shook her head. “I'm going to try it once again.” She positioned herself by the water.

“Don't put the cup in the water too quickly or it will break.” She turned and found Ryoma beside her. “Ryoma-kun!”

“Do it like I said.”

“Umm...okay.” she did exactly like Ryoma told her. It was useless anyway. “Ah! Gomen nasai Ryoma-kun.”

Ryoma only stared blankly at her. Why was the girl apologizing anyway? He then remembered something. “This is for you. I don't have any use of goldfish,” he handed the goldfish he had caught earlier. “And thanks for the pudding.”

Sakuno blushed. “Thanks you Ryoma-kun.”

Ryoma only nodded and walked to Sakuya's place. Kikumaru and Momoshiro didn't manage to catch a fish, Oishi senpai managed to catch one.

“So how to do this?” Sakuya asked the girl at the stall. “Any advice?” From watching his senpai he could make out how to do it but he wanted confirmation first.

“Well...it's easy to catch the fish if you know the tricks,” the girl answered back. “Is it okay if I tell you?” She said hesitantly more to herself, eyeing the boy in front of her.

“I won't tell this to anyone else, onee-chan.” He said, giving his most charming smile. Oh yes, victory was in his hand.

Five minutes later, he lowered his cup into the water for the fifth times and came out with a fish, which he dropped into plastic bag and held it up triumphantly. “Ryoma! Look! Look! I caught five fish!” he smiled brightly and launched into a stream of English.

Ryoma smiled back, somehow he found Sakuya's childlike enthusiasm captivating. His eyes moved to the girl and inwardly sighed. Sakuya really knew how to use people for his own benefit, the skill the blond inherited from his family although flirting with girls was something Sakuya learned from Christophe, the blond beloved cousin.

“That's good. Big catch, isn't it?” Sakuya broke in with an involuntary squeal of excitement, which died away as he went on. “But what're you going to do with them?”

“EHHH?! Oh shit! I forgot that!”

He sighed.

“Hey wait! You also caught a fish, right?”

“I gave it to her,” he said.

“Great idea!” Since Sakuya didn't know what to do with the fish anyway. “Oi Sakuno-san!”

“Ah hai?”

“Here! These are for you.”

“EHH?” She already got a fish from Ryoma and now Sakuya-kun also gave her his fish. “But-“

“Just take it,” Sakuya said buoyantly and shoved the bag into her hand. “You can give some of these fish to Osakada.” He suggested then turned to talk to Ryoma.

Ann studied the whole scene. She had been looking at them since Echizen gave the fish to Sakuno till now. Sakuya was saying something to Echizen and he moved his hand animatedly while Echizen listened. And Echizen had none of his devil may care attitude since Sakuya had all of his attention.

Judging from what she had seen of Sakuya so far, she could tell the blond was bright, cheerful and charming. He was so charming that it's impossible not to like him. And he knew how to use his charm, poor that girl. And Sakuya also was so spoilt and the amazing thing was, Echizen put up with him.

If Sakuno had some or Sakuya's personalities (except for the spoilt part) Echizen probably would notice her more but that wouldn't change anything. She had noticed the way Echizen looked at Sakuya and she seriously thought that Echizen considered Sakuya more than a mere friend. What else could it be? Friend didn't look at his friend in that way. There was a certain light in Echizen's eyes whenever he looked at his said blond friend.

“Ngg...it's okay with you Sakuya-kun?” Sakuno asked uncertainly.

“Just take it,” Sakuya replied. “I can't keep these fish by myself anyway. I already have a pet.”

“Ano...thank you Sakuya-kun.”

“You have a pet? What it is? A dog? Or a cat like ochibi?” the question came Kikumaru.

“Hamster.” Sakuya said.

“You have hamster?” Momoshiro was mystified.

Sakuya gave a helpless shrug. “It's a birthday present from Ryoma.”

“You gave me a cat,” the black haired boy retorted. “That's a fair exchange.”

Echizen's cat. Karupin. Oishi ever met with the cat once. One day Karupin followed Echizen to school ad got lost there. The freshman was so panicked at that time. For Echizen who showed no interest in anything that wasn't related to tennis, his attachment to his cat could be questioned actually. Well...Echizen got the cat from Sakuya.

They walked through the crowd and each time Sakuya would ask something and they would explain it to him, playing a role as a tour guide.

“It's a takoyaki.” Oishi said, making a mental note that Sakuya seemed far too interested in food than anything else.

“Let's try some,” the blond suggested.

He sweatdropped. “Didn't you just eat?”

“I have decided to sample all of the food here,” Sakuya stated.

”Heh. So you have same idea too?” Momoshiro questioned.

“Yeah! Since I'm already here I have to eat everything.”

“Yosh! Let's go Sakuya-kun!” And they both marched off towards the stall with the determined expression on their faces.

“Oi! Momo! Sakuya-kun!” he shouted desperately.

Echizen shook his head. “It's no use Oishi senpai.”

He turned. “But-“

“Their stomachs are like vacuum cleaner.” Echizen's mouth curved into smile. Certainly he found the situation hilarious. “In some aspect Momo senpai really reminds me of Sakuya.”

Oishi refrained himself from saying anything. Yes. Now after Echizen mentioned it, he could see the similarity between Sakuya and Momoshiro.

“Ok. So far we have eaten okonomiyaki and takoyaki. What's the next?”

“Yakisoba.” Momoshiro answered enthusiastically. For both of them the summer festival somehow had turned into food festival. They headed to yakisoba stall but as soon as Sakuya saw what yakisoba was, his face changed a bit. “Err...I don't like noodle so I will pass this.”

“Hontou ni?”

“You really don't want to try some Sakuya-kun?”

“No thanks.”

Ryoma inwardly laughed. “I though you like noodle Sakuya.” He said delicately with all of the seriousness he could muster. Sakuya glared at him.

“Here, try some.”

Even though Sakuya still glared at him, the blond moved to eat the noodle while he held the chopstick.

“It's good!”

“You said you don't like noodle,” Momoshiro said in genuine confusion.

“He likes it, he only can use chopstick.” Ryoma said.

“Are you serious?” Momoshiro exclaimed.

Sakuya's mouth twitched in respond. “Yeah,” he admitted grudgingly.

“Do you want some?” Ryoma asked him.

“No,” he shook his head.

Oishi eyed them since they sat in front of him, side by side. And he swore if Sakuya moved closer the blond would sit in Echizen's lap. He looked at his surroundings. Ann and Momoshiro were talking about something. And Sakuno...he could see that Sakuno's face was as red as tomato and she kept staring at her bowl as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. Kikumaru was too busy with his own food to notice anything. Good tactic. He tried to ignore them and concentrate on his food.

Meanwhile Ann and Momoshiro already witnessed this before so they could just ignore it. It took a more effort in Momoshiro's part.

“Isn't it a nice day?” Momoshiro asked.

“Yes.” Ann agreed.

Sakuya stared disbelievingly at Momoshiro and Ann. “'Isn't it a nice day?'” he repeated incredulously in English. “That's the lamest thing I've ever heard! How could he attract girls with that?”

“That is common way of starting a conversation,” he replied.

“Yeah right, and I am alien from Mars.” Sakuya said sarcastically.

“When we went to beach you also talked about landscape with me,” he said and as he could predict before, Sakuya's face twitched in annoyance.

They sat side by side, dangling their feet in the water. “What a beautiful evening,” he began.

“Very.”

He tried again. “This beach is beautiful, don't you think so?”

“Yeah.”

He went on. “And the water is very warm too.”

“Yes.”

He was suddenly exasperated. “Don't you want to talk?”

“Yes, I do. When you have finished discussing the landscape.”

“WHY YOU!!” he snapped. “I'm making conversation here!”

He watched him laughing and almost choked on rage which melted completely at Ryoma's next words. “Tell me about yourself.” Ryoma was actually surprised, in his life he could ever remember wanting to know someone else life.

“That's because you didn't give a damn about me! In my entire life I never said something that stupid!” Sakuya retorted. “I felt like I was going to strangle you for making fun of me.”

“And what stopped you?”

The blond smiled. “The fact that you're the only friend I have...and I certainly didn't want to lose my future lover,” he said, half joking, half telling the truth.

“How if we eat kakikori after this?” Momoshiro interrupted.

“Okay.” Sakuya replied.

“But you ate so much before,” Oishi groaned. Not again. He was amazed witnessing inhumanly appetite of Momoshiro and Sakuya.

“What is kakikori anyway?”

“It's shaved ice with syrup and read beans as the topping.”

This seemed harmless but Sakuya and Momoshiro still managed to eat three glasses.

“Sakuya-kun really eats a lot.” Sakuno muttered.

“That's an understatement of century,” Echizen said.

Sakuya ignored the sarcastic comment. “Of course I do. Eating is one of the best things about life.”

Everyone sweatdropped.

“I'm full.” Momoshiro announced.

Sakuya paused to look at him. “Really? I still want to eat.”

This took everyone's a surprise. “EHHH?”

”No, you don't.” Ryoma said. “Now we're going to look around.”

“But-”

“No but!”

“Jeez! You're no fun!”

They're about to leave the stall when Oishi said something. “How about watching taiko first? There's a taiko drum demonstration over down this way.”

“Well... we still have time till fireworks display.” Ann added.

“Fireworks display?”

“Yes. It's the main attraction of this festival.”

“Taiko? What it is?” Sakuya asked.

“Taiko is Japanese drum show,” Momoshiro said. “The performer this year is Osuwa daiko. This group combines many Japan's traditional music instruments with drum as its main instrument,” he informed them in the manner of someone handing out vital information.

“So what do you think?” Ann elaborated.

The group nodded in agreement. But after five minutes, Sakuya felt so bored. He pulled Ryoma's sleeve.

“What?” the older boy asked.

“This is so boring Ryoma. Let go and see around.”

Ryoma nodded. He already expected Sakuya to say so. Since they both were born and grew up in US, they didn't find this taiko demonstration interesting, in fact it bored them to death. He turned to Oishi and tapped his shoulder. “Oishi-senpai.”

“Yes?” Oishi asked, turning to look at them.

“We want to look this place,” Sakuya said impatiently. “So see you later, okay?”

“We will meet you before the fireworks started,” Ryoma said.

Oishi could see both Echizen and Sakuya wearing an identical bored expression on their faces. Well...since they were brought up in America, he quite understood if they're not interested in this so he nodded and they both left.

“So, what are we going to do?” Sakuya asked him.

He shrugged. “Just walk and see whatever comes.”

They were walking around aimlessly when Sakuya saw a souvenir stall. “Let's see that.”

They were in half way when someone bumped into Sakuya. “OUCH!!! ARE YOU BLIND?!” he snapped angrily. “Watch where you are going!!”

Sasabe was about to snap back when he saw who he bumped into. A gaijin?

“Are you okay Sakuya?” someone said in English.

He looked at the newcomer and almost got a heart attack. “IT”S YOU!!!” he pointed at the cocky and arrogant brat who had beaten him in tennis.

“Do you know him Ryoma?” the gaijin said.

The brat shrugged. ”None at all.”

“Sasabe?” his date approached him from behind. “What's wrong?” then she saw them. “Ara? You're yesterday guests!”

Sasabe turned to face her. “Yumi, do you know them?”

“They came to the restaurant yesterday. I don't know you're friends.”

“Err...” he smiled nervously. Shit! If Yumi knew them, it's better to get out of this place as soon as possible. There was no way in hell he would let his date knew how the boy had embarrassed him.

“Let's go Yumi!” he said.

“EHHH?! But-“

“Come on!” he dragged her away but she still turned for the last time. “Come to the restaurant again, okay? And bring your girlfriend along with you.” She winked at them both.

Ryoma blinked.

She turned to Sasabe. “What's wrong with you?”

“Nothing. Just ignore that arrogant brat!” Really. That brat not only beat him senseless but also got a gaijin as his girlfriend. Life was so unfair!

Yumi's brows furrowed. This was their first date and Sasabe already became a jerk. Arrogant brat? Sasabe must be insane. That kid and his girlfriend made a cute couple. She made a decision. This was her first and also her last date with Sasabe!

“Isn't the girl that freaky waitress? The one who kept staring at me?” Sakuya questioned. “People in here are weird.” He shook his head. “How you managed to know that bastard anyway?”

“Dunno.”

Sakuya snickered. “Ah yes. You never remember people's name and face.”

He shrugged. Aside from tennis, he only paid attention to Sakuya. Anything else was irrelevant.

“Arrogant brat, eh?” Sakuya said. “I don't know why people always label you that.”

He raised an eyebrow at this. 99 percent people he knew always considered him as an arrogant and cocky one.

“They think of you as arrogant type but you aren't. You are a guy with considerable pride and self esteem. Most of people misunderstand that,” Sakuya paused, as if he was searching for the right words. “You know,' he continued, “when someone is clearly competent than you, instead of saying I can't stand that guy coz he is more competent than me, he's described as arrogant.”

“Are you a psychologist now?” he teased him.

Sakuya shot him a dirty look. “I needn't to be a psychologist to know that. Nobody knows you as I do.”

He smirked. It was true. The one who truly knew him was only Sakuya. It was nice, to have someone who understood him, and he did have to admit that life without Sakuya was different. He had friends in Seigaku, of course, that they were not Sakuya. They didn't know him like Sakuya did. He and Sakuya liked each other, they enjoyed the same things, laughed at the same things too and they had pleasure in each other company. And he felt relax around him.

They fit in everything except one...they no longer shared the same opinion about tennis. At first he only played tennis to beat his father but now...he played for entirely different reason. He still wanted to beat that old man of course, but now he played for himself and for his team too. Something never crossed his mind before. `Be a Seigaku's pillar...” that was Tezuka buchou said to him. But...how to explain this to Sakuya?

“Ryoma?” Sakuya had a questioned look on his face. “What are you thinking?”

“Nothing.” He replied automatically.

“Whatever.” Sakuya said. “Hey! Let's sit there.”

They headed to the bench and sat there. For long time they only sat there without talking, Sakuya was the first to break the silence. “You know...It was most unkind of you to leave me.” The blond said ever so quietly that he had some difficulty to catch his words.

“...I'm sorry,” he whispered.

“Huh?! Could you say that again? My ears were temporally deaf,” Sakuya said, a slow grin turning up those full, mocking lips.

He glared at him. “Don't push your luck Sakuya.” But he lifted Sakuya's hand, turned it palm uppermost and kissed the inside of his wrist. He could feel Sakuya's pulse quickened. Sakuya's hand in his felt soft, and cold as always.

It was weird though. Sakuya sometimes was a very temperamental person but he always had a cool body temperature, Ryoma however, while having a cold personality, had a warm body temperature. But despite that, Sakuya's heartbeat was faster than normal. It was the blonde's habit, that his hearts pounding whenever he was near him. The habit started almost a year ago, since that day.

He looked at Sakuya. “Are you feeling better now?” he asked in a soft voice.

“Much better.” Sakuya flashed him a smile.

He responded with a smile of his own, one full of warmth and possession. Of his Seigaku's friends saw him smiling like this, they would think that they were hallucinating. He was not known for displays of affection yet he was much warmer when he was near Sakuya.

“Thanks for coming here with me.” The blond was saying. “I knew you don't like crowded place.”

He shrugged. “It has been a long time since we hanging out together.”

“If you're in love with me that much, you can treat for ice cream.”

He sighed. “Do you still want to eat?”

“It's obvious, isn't it?”

“But don't blame me if you get fat.”

A ringing sound interrupted them. He picked up his cell phone. It was Oishi senpai who called him. “Ah hai. We're heading there now.”

Oishi, Kikumaru, Momoshiro, Ann and Sakuno already waited for them in the open yard where they could watch the fireworks.

“Where have you been?” Oishi asked.

“Jeez! You made us wait a long time!” Momoshiro grumbled.

“Stop it guys.” Ann said. “It's almost begun. Sit and watch, okay?”

Soon, the sky was lighted up in red, green and yellow and everyone sat there, enjoying the display. After watching it, everyone went home. Oishi and Kikumaru went back together while Momoshiro walked Ann home. Ryuzaki Sumire hadn't pickep up her granddaughter yet so Sakuya and Ryoma accompanied her.

“Is it really okay?”

“Never mind Sakuno-san.” Sakuya said. “Only crazy people will leave a girl alone in the midnight.” Suddenly he jumped from the bench.

“Where're you going Sakuya-kun?”

He pointed at the ice cream parlor. “I want to eat ice ream. Do you want some Sakuno-san?”

“Iie,” she shook her head. “I'm full.”

Ryoma also got up from his chair. “You wait here,” he said. “I will go to buy it. I said I'm going to treat you ice cream.” Without waiting for an answer, he walked away.

“Ryoma-kun...”

“Just ignore him,” Sakuya waved his hand dismissively. “He's always like that all the time. So tell me, do you come to the festival every year?”

“Hai. My mom used to take me here when I was a child.”

“Souka. It must be nice then.”

“How about you Sakuya-kun?”

“My mom is dead.”

“Oh! Sumimasen! I-“

“It's okay. She died when I was three so I don't remember anything about her.”

“Ano...how about you brother or your father?”

“I'm the only child.” He shrugged. “And my father's always busy with his job. He's just like Ryoma, if the most important thing for Ryoma is tennis then for my father, the most important thing in his life is his job. I'm just the second,” he said. His voice was strangely calm.

“Don't say things like that about your father Sakuya-kun!”

Sakuya blinked. He was taken a back by her statement.

“You're his son. A father always consider his son as the most important thing in his life. And you're Ryoma-kun's friend so...so...I think you're almost important for Ryoma-kun...” she said sheepishly.

Sakuya stared at her then he broke into laughter.

“Ano...Sakuya-kun. Gomen nasai...I didn't mean to...” Why was Sakuya laughing anyway?

“Nothing. It's just...” Sakuya shook his head. “You know...you're really a nice girl Sakuno-san.”

Sakuno's face was flaming with embarrassment. This was the first time in her life someone ever complimented her.

“I thought you're just like them.” The blond continued.

She stared at him. Them? Who he meant by them?

“But you aren't. You're truly a nice girl.” He said softly then his expression turned serious. “That's why you better give him up.”

She was shocked.

“You will find someone who will return your feeling.”

“Sakuya-kun...”

“Ah Ryoma!”

Ryoma had come back with ice cream cone in his hand. “Thanks.” The blond said.

Ryoma didn't seem to notice the uneasy atmosphere there. “Ne Ryuzaki, isn't that Ryuzaki sensei car?”

The car sopped in front of them and after seeing that Ryoma and Sakuya also with Sakuno, she offered to drive them home.

“Where do you live Sakuya?”

“I will stay at Ryoma's place tonight,” the blond answered. So she drove over to Echizen's residence, the boys got out, said thanks and went in.

“Ne obasan...”

“Hmm?”

Sakuno was silent for a while, then murmured. “Ryoma-kun and Sakuya-kun really are best friends...I mean...there're a lot of things we don't about Ryoma-kun but Sakuya-kun knows everything...”

She eyed her granddaughter thoughtfully. “Sou ka?”

Sakuno didn't answer, since her mind was busy replaying the blond's remark. `You better give him up.' Then his earlier comment. `The most important thing for Ryoma is tennis.'

She knew it. She had always known it. Everyone could see that aside from tennis Ryoma wasn't interested and it showed in his manner. So, was that why Sakuya warned him?

Next to her, Ryuzaki Sumire also had his own thinking. She had called Nanjirou to tell him about Sakuya.

“So you've met him, eh?”

“Yes and he is just like you said before. There is no passion in his tennis, only desire to beat his opponent.”

“It can't be helped.”

“But they're a great double pair.”

”Che! Of course! They're always in a good mood when they're together.”

“Everyone has been saying that they're such a close friend.”

“Close friends? Bah!” Nanjirou snorted. “It amazes me to no end why they haven't married yet.”

She looked at her granddaughter. She knew Sakuno had a crush on Ryoma. But with Sakuya coming here... She sighed. Teenager and their love problem.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“It was great.” He said happily.

“Was it?” Ryoma replied.

“Everybody had a fine time, didn't they?”

“Whatever. It's almost midnight now. Go to sleep.”

“But I don't feel sleepy at all,” he retorted.

Ryoma sighed. “So, what do you want to do now?”

“Playstation?” he suggested. But ten minutes later, he felt bored so he turned and moved closer to Ryoma. The older boy was reading a book so he didn't notice that the blond already approached him from his back.

He put his arms around Ryoma's neck, hugging him from the back. “I'm bored,” he whispered into his friend's ear.

Ryoma put the book on the floor and turned his body to look at him with those golden eyes, eyes that somehow managed to be soft and piercing at the same time. “Sakuya, what do you want to do now?”

“Hmm...how about anything you want to do Ryoma-sama?” he made a charmingly naughty face and his eyes sparkled with devilment.

Ryoma smirked and pulled him into his arms, leaning to kiss him. He opened his mouth and Ryoma's tongue plunged into his mouth, sweeping in slow, sensual arcs, curling around his own tongue. “So, anything I want to do huh? Really?” Ryoma asked after they broke apart.

“Yes,” he answered. Familiar warmth he remembered well began creeping through his body. “Anything you want...” he whispered.

The bed rose to meet them and he clasped his hands around Ryoma's neck. Ryoma bent his head to press warm kisses into the curve of his neck. He could feel Ryoma's breath warm on his skin and shivers of something akin to pleasure tingled his spine.

“Hey Ryoma...”

“Hmm?”

“Clothes. We're still wearing clothes,” he murmured, reminding him.

“They come off.” The older boy soothed. His voice was scarcely more than a whisper.

Sakuya inwardly smiled.

Yes...

Want me badly...

Posses me wholly...

Take me...

And...

Make me yours...

Author's Note:

I HATE THIS CHAPTER!!!! THE WORST STORY! I re-wrote this five times and I still hated this part. Nothing seems right. The words, the sentences, the characters...everything seems wrong.

About Ryoga and Ryoma I don't know...I haven't watched the movie yet. I don't know where to get it. Geez! I'm so curious to see Ryoga though. Hehe...did he behave like Ryoma or what? And about the fic you mentioned...well...I'm Chinese but I don't understand it at all since I was born in another country...so how about some fic in English?

At the end of the anime Ryoma parents told Nanako to come to US after she finished her college right? That seemed to be a good indication that Ryoma and his parents moved back to US permanently. Not in my fic anyway.

I think if Ryoma liked someone, that person had to be like him. Someone as arrogant as him. Sakuno was way too shy for her own good. Ryoma needed someone who was blunt, just like himself. Someone who could be his equal in everything, whether in tennis or anything else.

Did Ryoma and Sakuya have feelings for each other? Seriously, I think you don't kiss your friend all the time, no matter you close you are, and grant his every whim if you don't like him. The scene is short coz I ever got a warning for breaking the rule and I am definitely not aching to receive another warning.

Taiko demonstration, huh? I personally found it so boring...about what they ate or everything they did in the festival I wrote it based on my experience at bon odori and Matsuri I once attended.