Prince Of Tennis Fan Fiction ❯ Translate This ❯ Forget Regret ( Chapter 18 )

A/N: Second to last chapter. Sorry it's a little delayed. I wrote it carefully, but I just can't squeeze any more pizzazz out of it, so this will have to do. Hope you guys like it! It is after all, the last official chapter.

 

 

 

Translate This

 

 

 

Forget Regret

 

 

 

Tenaya's POV

 

I looked down at my stainless steel tray as the lunch lady plopped a spoonful of what looked like refried beans next to my celery sticks. I thanked her quietly and moved up in line. I reached for a carton of French fries and some grapes before paying for the meal.

 

Turning away from the cash register, I scanned the cafeteria for the table where my friend Nikki and I always ate lunch. Spotting it in the back, I carefully started making my way through the crowd of high school kids. After stepping over a senior guy who was laying on the floor, probably passed out from taking on a dare to eat 50 meatballs in 1 minute or something gross like that, and dodging some flying peas, I arrived at our lunch table, for the most part unscathed.

 

"Hey Tenaya." Nikki looked up from her sandwich and motioned for me to sit down next to her. Nikki, a girl I had met a few years ago in English class, was the closest thing to a best friend I had ever had. She had a small frame, barely 5 feet, but she had long, silky chestnut hair, stunning sea-green eyes, and a knack for fashion. Wherever we went, guys would be swooning, but she always denied it and insisted that it was I who drew all the (unwanted) attention. "How're you feelin today?" She said, taking a bite of her PB&J sandwich.

 

I shrugged. "Fine."

 

Nikki rolled her eyes. "Don't give me that. You've answered 'fine' for two weeks in a row now."

 

"Then maybe you should stop asking me." I said, examining a celery stick carefully before placing it back onto my tray.

 

Nikki, never one to take offense easily, waved my sarcastic remark away. "C'mon. There's something wrong."

 

I glanced at her. "Really? I didn't know."

 

She stuffed the last of her sandwich into her mouth, and flicked the plastic bag she brought it in onto the floor nonchalantly. "Will you please tell me?"

 

I made a face. "I really wish you wouldn't do that."

 

She looked at me innocently. "Do what?"

 

I rolled my eyes, standing up to pick up her plastic bag. "Throw your trash all over the place." I placed it in the nearest garbage can. "Our school's enough of a dump."

 

"Whatever." She shrugged. "Now where was I before you interrupted? Oh yeah. You, and your little problem."

 

"I don't have one."

 

"Tenaya, you are either the dumbest creature on this planet, or you're pretending to be."

 

I poked at my soggy grapes with my spork. "The former."

 

"Ha, yeah right, then explain why you're passing honors biology with flying colors."

 

"Okay, well the key to bio is that you have to--"

 

"Nevermind, I take it back." Nikki interrupted. "Now before I forget again, you really need to do something about this. You've been so quiet ever since you came back from Japan. People don't just shut up all of a sudden for no reason." Her voice softened a little and she turned to face me, meeting my gaze with her green eyes. "I know you probably don't want to talk about it. But I want to help. Really, you're my friend, it sucks seeing you like this."

 

I smiled at her sincerity, and sighed. "I know Nikki. But I honestly didn't think you'd be interested in helping me out."

 

"Are you kidding girl?" Nikki smirked. "It's my job. Now spill the beans."

 

I glanced down at my refried beans queasily.

 

"Not literally."

 

I laughed, despite myself, and pushed my tray away from me, turning to fully face her. "Okay, but I don't know where to start."

 

She shrugged. "Well, it's a guy problem right?"

 

"How did you know?"

 

She rolled her eyes. "Duh. What else could it be? Don't you remember how I was when Jordan broke up with me last year?"

 

"Yeah." I blinked at her. "You cussed him out."

 

"Well, yeah." She shifted in her seat. "But after that."

 

"Uh, you guys got back together?"

 

She sighed. "Before that. Remember? I was just like you now. I wouldn't open my mouth to speak if you pried at my lips with a crowbar." She blew a strand of hair out of her face. "Anyway, so now that we've established that it does have to do with a guy, you fill me in. First, describe him."

 

I sighed, closing my eyes. At once, a picture of Ryoma popped into my head, and I smiled despite myself. Eyes still closed, I began talking. "Let's see, he's kind of medium height, just a little taller than me. Jet black hair, kind of in a long, shaggy, layered cut. Athletic like you wouldn't believe, this guy is way in love with tennis. He's smart, although a little lazy. He's really quiet when you first meet him, but gradually, he opens up to people. Kind of a loner by choice, doesn't have toomany close friends…. A little arrogant when it comes to tennis…but he's so good he deserves to be." I smiled and opened my eyes. "And oh yeah. He has these big eyes, so dark green they look almost black."

 

Nikki nodded, looking impressed. "Sounds like a keeper. So what's the problem? Did he reject you?"

 

"No." I looked down at my hands. "I rejected him, and told him that I didn't want to see him."

 

"Oooh." She said. "But then, why are you stressing about him now?"

 

"Because…" I took a deep breath. "Because I lied."

 

"You what?" She looked at me.

 

"I lied. I broke his heart, and doing so broke mine." I placed my arms on the table, resting my chin on them. "And now he probably hates me. But I don't hate him." I closed my eyes again. "And there's no way to tell him."

 

"Uh…telephone, hello?"

 

I sighed. "It's not that simple. Even if I did call him, and even if he did accept my apology, what would follow after? We're live on opposite sides of the world, in case you haven't noticed."

 

Nikki wrinkled her nose. "Oh yeah. Well, maybe you should talk to your mom about it." The lunch bell rang, and she got up, grabbing her backpack. "I'm sure you'll figure out a way."

 

I shrugged, standing up with my tray.

 

"See you after school!" She called, heading towards 5th period.

 

Tenaya nodded, waving. “Maybe…” She said to herself, standing up slowly and grabbing her backpack. “It's too late.” She whispered. “Maybe I should just move on.”

 

 

&&&

 

 

Narrator's POV

 

Tenaya stared at the math problems swimming around on the whiteboard, and blinked. How to derive the sigma notation sequence by exchanging the common base of the logarithm---what? She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head, but the math problems were still there when she opened them again. She sighed. “Hey Ryoma, what's number one?” Tenaya whispered to the right of her.

 

“Um, my name is Yuuto…but the answer is 34 and 3/8.”

 

Tenaya looked up, surprised, at Yuuto's smiling face. “Oh. Right.” She grinned sheepishly. “Thanks.” He nodded, and she turned back around, burying her face in her arms. This was getting really embarrassing. How many times had she forgotten that Ryoma wasn't here again? Lost count a week ago.

 

To her horror, tears sprung to her eyes, and she could feel her throat tightening. Tenaya quickly wiped them away, but unfortunately, the teacher noticed. Although, he seemed to be in a good mood today, for instead of pointing her tears out to everybody, he leaned over her with a worried expression. “Are you okay Tenaya?”

 

Tenaya nodded, wiping my eyes fervently.

 

“You don't look okay.” He stood up again. “Maybe you should go home…here, I'll write you a pass.”

 

She looked at his retreating back in surprise. Maybe the whole world wasn't against her after all.

 

 

&&&

 

 

“I'm home Mom.” Tenaya called out drearily into the house as she slipped off her shoes.

 

“Already?” She came into the hallway, brows furrowed. “What's wrong honey?”

 

She shook my head, and started down the hall to her room. “Nothing, just a little tired.”

 

Her mom looked at her, head swimming as Tenaya went into her room, quietly shutting the door behind her.

 

“Is she okay?” Carter appeared behind her, also looking worried.

 

Mrs. Rialles sighed. “I wish I could tell you. She's been so quiet since our Japan trip…Any ideas why?”

 

Carter rolled his eyes. “One.”

 

“Well, you need to fill me in then, because I can't stand seeing her like this.” Mrs. Rialles said, heading back towards the kitchen, Carter following.

 

“Oh mom, as if it's not obvious. Think about it.” He grabbed and apple before going back to his own room. “You'll know what's making her blue. And hopefully, you'll fix it.”

 

 

&&&

 

 

Ryoma's pencil scratched noisily as he scribbled down his math homework. After finishing the last problem, he leaned back to take a look at it. Deriving the sigma notation sequence by exchanging the common base of the logarithm. Easy.

 

“RYOMA!!!! TIME TO EAT!!!” Nanjiro bellowed up the stairs.

 

Ryoma winced from where he was sitting at his desk, and stood up with a sigh. “No need to yell dad, our house isn't that big.” He muttered, shaking his head tiredly. After trudging down the stairs and sitting down at the dinner table, he picked up his chopsticks respectfully and thanked his mother for the meal. Mrs. Echizen nodded and smiled.

 

“So, how are you Ryoma?” Mrs. Echizen asked politely.

 

“Good, you?” He replied.

 

“I'm great. Except…you keep answering `good' when I ask you how you are, but you've been so quiet lately...”

 

“I have?” Ryoma asked, trying to look surprised.

 

“I'm worried about you. What's wrong?”

 

He shook his head. “I don't really want to talk about it.”

 

Mrs. Echizen frowned. “Okay, well I only asked `what's wrong?' to be polite, because I already know what it is.”

 

Ryoma rolled his eyes.

 

“Ryoma, I know you probably miss Tenaya…” She started, hesitating when she saw his grip tighten on his chopsticks. “But I've learned to put the past behind me.” Her eyes softened. “Just forget the whole thing. Look forward, before you miss out on anything else.”

 

“I know.” Ryoma said abruptly, standing up. “Thanks for the meal…But I'm really not that hungry.” He said, leaving the table and going back upstairs.

 

He collapsed onto his bed, rubbing his eyes wearily. It had been two weeks since she left, and he couldn't get her out of his mind. To tell the truth, Ryoma wouldn't trade his memory of Tenaya for anything, even though it brought pain sometimes.

 

He brushed his hair out of his eyes, petting Karupin. As he listened to her steady purring, he felt his eyes close and a wave of tiredness washed over him. Maybe sleep would help this…it was said that time healed everything right? Time, it was all he needed, now that she was gone.

 

 

&&&

 

 

Tenaya sat cross-legged on her bed, picking at a stitch in her bedspread. Looking back on the whole thing, it had seemed like a huge mistake. It hurt saying it, but it was true. “This whole thing was one, giant, mistake.” She whispered. Who knew she could fall into something so utterly complicated? It was a lose-lose situation, it seemed. Either fall in love and risk pain at the departure, or deny love and regret it for the rest of her life.

 

But somehow, she had managed to get the worst of both. She had fallen for Ryoma. No doubt about that. And leaving him was painful. But she had also denied her own feelings, as well as his, and chose the selfish way out.

 

She lay down and curled into a little ball. “I hate myself.” She whispered shakily against her knees. Hadn't it been enough to suffer herself? Why had she gone and made him suffer with her? “It's all my fault.”

 

But as she lay there she remembered something her father used to say to her when she regretted something she had done.

 

Everybody has imperfections in their life. Some people fret and waste energy over it until the problem is fixed. Others know it can't be fixed, and just feel miserable. But knowing that you've done something wrong, the first step to reviving is realization. Yeah, mistakes happen, but wishing they didn't doesn't solve anything.

 

Learn to work around them. Eventually, you'll get used to the hole in your life. Learn to respect your mistakes, remember them, but to move on at the same time.

 

It was one of her most vivid memories of him. “Dad, I miss you…” She sniffled, feeling like a little baby but not caring.

 

“Ryoma, I miss you…”

 

There was a knock on her door, and Tenaya looked up. “Come in.” She said slowly. Mrs. Rialles's head peeked into the room.

 

“Hey, how're you feeling?” She asked, making her way over to sit down on the bed.

 

“Crappy.” Tenaya muttered.

 

Her mom smiled sympathetically. “I know. But listen, I know you've been down lately, so I've come up with a way to help you...”

 

 

&&&

 

 

The next day, sitting as his desk, Ryoma was finishing up some English homework. He jumped as his phone rang, and he walked over to pick it up.

 

“Ryoma?” Momo's voice came from the receiver.

 

“Momo-sempai?”

 

“Hai. I was wondering if you were busy, wanna meet me at the fast food restaurant for lunch?”

 

“Umm…” Ryoma looked at his watch, surprised to see that it was indeed lunchtime. “I'm doing some homework.”

 

“Ryoma, it's Saturday, live a little.”

 

Ryoma sighed. In truth, he almost never did his homework on Saturday, but what else was there to do? He didn't really want to go out right now, but he decided some fresh air would probably be good for him. “Okay, Momo-sempai, be right there.” He replied, hanging up.

 

He ran downstairs, waving at his mother and slipping on his shoes before going out the front door. He jogged the two blocks to the fast food restaurant, and entered, spotting the table where Momo-sempai had sat down at.

 

“Echizen! How've ya been?” Momo said, looking up from his hamburger.

 

“Fine.” Ryoma said, sliding down into the seat across from Momo.

 

“Mm-hm.” Momo rolled his eyes. “And I'm Kaido's best friend. I've seen you at tennis practice. It's like you got the life sucked outta ya.”

 

“I don't know what you're talking about.”

 

Momo sighed. “C'mon now. We all know you miss Tenaya.”

 

Ryoma winced. Why did everybody in the world want to talk about the one thing that he wanted to avoid a conversation about?

 

“We all miss her. But unlike you, she was our friend.”

 

“She was my friend too!” Ryoma returned.

 

“Well yeah, but you wish she was more don't you?” Momo cocked an eyebrow at him.

 

Ryoma sighed. “Can we not talk about it?”

 

Momo shook his head. “No, we need to talk about it. It's not healthy to keep stuff like this bottled up.” He smirked. “Now tell your best buddy here exactly what you're feeling, and he'll see what he can do.”

 

&&&

 

 

Ryoma stared up at the ceiling from where he lay on his bed, thinking about his conversation with Momo earlier. What had his sempai said? Ryoma was already beginning to forget. That's what happens when there's too much on your mind.

 

"Ryoma! RYOMA!!" Nanjiro yelled at his son. But Ryoma ignored him, getting up and grabbing his tennis bag from his room and heading toward the backyard. "I need to get out of here." He muttered.

 

&&&

 

Ryoma's POV

 

I picked up a tennis ball, threw it high up into the air, and swung my racket, watching the ball go zooming into the opposite court. Long. Way long. It's been like that the whole time, either I serve into the net or the shot is too long, or wide. I hadn't played this poorly since I was three.

 

I reached down into the tennis basket, grabbing another tennis ball with my numb fingers. It was cold as hell, and I could barely keep a hold on my racket--definitely too cold for tennis. But all the better to keep my mind on anything, anything but Tenaya.

 

I felt my heart clench painfully, as I swung at the ball, watching it hit the net with a 'thwack'.

 

It had been almost two weeks since she left…and I needed to move on. For her, it was over. But for me, I was still in love. Whoever said "absence makes the heart grow fonder" knew what he was talking about.

 

She had just walked into my life that one day, sitting down next to me in English class. Who would've known that she would probably change my life forever? Before we met, it had been tennis, tennis, tennis for me, every single day. It was the only thing I truly wanted.

 

I bounced another tennis ball, although completely focused on something else. One specific thought had been plaguing my mind for the past fortnight. The fact that what I had done, what I had chosen with my heart to do, had caused her pain. The very thought brought new waves of heart-break. If only I had kept my feelings to myself…maybe we would still be friends.

 

I tossed the ball into the air, high, and watched it sail upward into the gray, winter sky. My eyes misted as the ball reached its peak, beginning to drop. It became a green blur as I swung my racket, missing it so badly that the ball wasn't even in the court, never mind the service box. I dropped my racket, and heard it clack to the floor. I lowered my head, hiding my tears. Although I was alone, it now became a habit. At tennis practice, I could always feel everybody's eyes on me. But I didn't want their pity.

 

"Um…" A muffled voice came from the other side of the court, barely loud enough for me to hear.

 

I wiped my eyes, raising my head. I squinted at the figure in the distance that was slowly walking my way. It was a girl with medium-long hair, dressed in a thin, white blazer with a dark blue scarf wrapped around her neck and face, covering everything but her eyes. She was now standing at the baseline of the other side, exactly one tennis court away from me.

 

My eyes widened.

 

"…Tenaya?"

 

She just looked at me.

I shook my head. "I'm sorry, I just mistook you for somebody else I knew." I felt my hopes dying. "What do you want?"

 

The girl hesitated, before walking towards the net. Strangely, I felt compelled to do the same. Walking past my dropped racket and basket of tennis balls, I kept walking until I was in front of the net, and glanced at the face of the girl, now only a foot away from me. I felt my heart beat speed up, as I looked into a pair of familiar, grey eyes…

 

She lifted a trembling hand up to her scarf, pulling it down slowly until it was under her chin. My eyes widened.

 

"It's me."

 

Narrator's POV

 

"Tenaya…" Ryoma breathed. She looked almost exactly the same, except for the fact that she had cut her hair. It no longer hung down to the small of her back, but was layered to the top of her shoulder blades. He just stared at her, wondering if his mind was playing tricks on him.

 

She looked into his deep-green eyes for a moment, and then down at her feet. "I…I know what you're probably thinking." She shifted nervously, starting to ramble. "I have no right to just come barging here unexpected, especially when I was supposed to be gone for good, but I just kinda missed this place you know? I know I should probably leave, seeing as how I'm really not supposed to be here, but-"

 

"Tenaya, it's okay, I'm not going to kick you out." He stepped over the net, and she moved back a little to make space. He took a deep breath, surprised at how painful it was to be near her again, knowing what he did now. He looked into her teary eyes. "But…could you please tell me why you're here?"

 

"I-" She wiped her eyes. "I needed to talk to you." She whispered.

 

Ryoma hesitated, then nodded.

 

She took a deep breath. "Two weeks ago, when you told me that you loved me at my house, I know I reacted pretty negatively. I threw it back into your face." A tear ran down her cheek. "I just wanted you to know that all of it? It was to save my own butt." She paused. "It was to save me the pain of having to leave the next day. I figured that if we found out about each other's feelings, the goodbye would have been twice as hard. I didn't want that." She shook her head. "I was an ignorant, selfish little bitch, I admit it. But the worst part was knowing afterward that all of my precautions just lead to more pain."

 

Ryoma frowned. "You were just telling me how you truly felt."

 

Tenaya looked up at him. "But don't you see?! It was all a lie!" Tears now ran freely down her cheeks. "I was lying!" She said, her voice cracking. "Don't you understand? Ryoma, I'm in love with you!!" She said, holding back a sob.

 

Upon hearing these words, he looked up at her, eyes widening slowly.

 

"I hid my feelings, wanting to protect myself! I told myself over and over that we were just friends, but the truth was that I had fallen in love with you! I had fallen for you, faster and harder than anything I was ready for…"

 

He looked at her tear-streaked face, and slowly raised a trembling hand up to her cheek. He touched her face lightly first, as if wanting to make sure she was really there. Then he placed his hand gently onto the side of her face, watching as she leaned into his touch.

 

Without thinking, he leaned down slowly, and gently placed his lips on hers. She froze for a second, before tentatively beginning to kiss him back. He moved his hand from her cheek to the back of her head, tangling his fingers into her now short hair. He then placed his other hand on her left cheek, reveling at how good it felt to finally feel her lips on his.

Tenaya, raised her arms and wrapped them around his neck, tears still running down her face as she returned his kiss.

 

They pulled apart, and he looked into her eyes. "I love you." He breathed, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close. He breathed in her warm, comforting scent of peaches, never wanting to let her go. She hugged him back. "I love you too. And I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

 

"You're forgiven." He wiped away the tears on her face.

 

Tenaya smiled back, nestling her head into Ryoma's shoulder. “I'm so glad we met...”

 

“Me too.”

 

“I wouldn't trade my memories of us for anything in the world.” She sighed. “Remember when we first met? In English class? It feels like a billion years ago…”

 

They were both silent for a while, thinking back on everything they had gone through in the past few months. They knew that now, they'd be able to look back on all of this and be able to smile about it.

 

“Wanna play?” Ryoma suddenly said.

 

Tenaya looked up, surprised. “Now?”

 

He shrugged. “Sure.”

 

She smirked, grabbing a racket from the side bench. “All right. But I'll kick your ass.”

 

“Psh.” He smiled. “I've gotten a lot better.”

 

She laughed. “Bring it on.”

 

“I'll win. Just watch.” Ryoma said, grabbing a ball.

 

“No you won't.” She waved at him impatiently. “Now serve already.”

 

What she didn't know was that he already had. He smirked as he tossed the ball high up into the air, watching as it disappeared for a moment into the sun, before hitting it hard onto the other side. Perfect.

 

 

&&&

 

 

A/N: Finally. The last chapter is done! I don't want to sound like a whiny author again, but this chapter wasn't up to my expectations. For some reason, I can picture it in my head, but I can't get it into words. *Sigh* Oh well. I tried my best. I hope you all liked it.

 

Epilogue, coming up!