It All Started With a Bet

Foundation

Hye! I am back with a new chapter. I was actually on hiatus last week. I never had the chance to start writing this chapter and I only had it this week. Thank you guys for staying up with me until this time. I hope you like this chapter. Domo... :)

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Prince of Tennis and never will.

Chapter 19: Foundation

Chapter Summary: She would never cry. That was what she promised to herself. But the wall she built around her had broken down when she saw him.

She felt heavy when she woke up that morning. Her head was aching, her body was pain all over and she felt heavy and light fixedly. Even she felt that, she managed to get up and readied herself for school. She had been slacking for a few days and she only had less than three weeks to finish her work.

A lot had happened for the past few days and she mustn't slack again this time. She would forget everything that happened and focus on her paintings. Her thoughts were actually clouded with everything that happened that she wasn't aware about reaching the school. Her goal was to reach the club at all cost. All she could think was to finish her painting no matter what.

Nothing else.

The hallway was long and wide as she looked ahead. She didn't know she was seeing that way. She didn't pay attention of the way like that before. She closed her eyes and tried to concentrate. She needed to focus as much as she could.

"Ryuzaki."

She knew that voice even without looking. Just when she decided to forget everything but her painting, he suddenly appeared before her. Turning around, she saw Echizen Ryoma standing not far from her. His expression was frowning or she would have thought that he had. That was right.

He ditched her yesterday.

He didn't show up.

He played with her heart once again.

And she...

She believed him.

There were lots of things she wanted to tell him but knowing it would all be useless, she decided not to. She should have learned her lesson and she would reflect for it.

"Ryuzaki, about yesterday..."

Looking up, she saw him exerting an effort on how to explain himself. Before he could continue, she stopped him smiling in the process, "I-ie, that's fine," She said as she raised her hand, "I should have known better... that you'd never showed up."

"That's not what you think," He said stepping closer to her, "Something happened to Honoka and I—"

His words blocked her mind after she heard Honoka's name to his lips. Definitely right, she should have known better. Ryoma would never leave the person that he really loved. Why did she have her hopes up yesterday? She was stupid to think that.

"I told you that's okay," She suddenly stopped him and smiled as possible as she could, "I was the stupid one to wait for you there. J-just don't ask me again or I might believe you."

"I was on my way to see you," He said stopping a few inches from her, "I really did if you waited for me for a bit more."

She waited for him for what? Five hours? Just how long was he going to make her wait? It was raining hard yesterday and she had been soaked under the rain for two days. She tried to calm herself as possible as she could, "You are always like that. I am not surprised anymore," Her head ached when she said that. She closed her eyes and pressed her fingers to her temple, "Your words are worth convincing and I am having a hard time not to believe them."