Echizen's New Rival

Chapter 4: The Second Time

"I'll be there in a moment!" Sakuno shouted when her grandmother called out her name. She was the last one to finish packing up her things which she could have donelast night but wasn't able to because she spent her time figuring how Rei could strike abeautiful pose in serving a tennis ball.

Looking at it for some time, she realized that the poster didn't show much the real Rei. In it, he looked mysterious and powerful and marvelous all at the same time that before she can even put all the many facts together, she found herself waking up at the sound of her alarm clock. Before she stood up though, she reflected that tennis can change someone so gentle to a warrior in the battlefield.

"Yet another unreachable person." She said to herself being reminded of a more mysterious person.

--

"You look tired. Did you sleep well last night?" Sakuno was caught off guard at the sudden appearance of Rei but she managed to lie by shaking her head. She can't imagine herself admitting that she gazed at his picture for the nth time last night. Rei didn't buy her reason though since the evidence was very much present in her tired face, but he just decided to let it go.

"I'm fine, thank you very much." She said shouldering her bag, leading the way out of the house. Her hair was tied in a pony and she had white small earrings. She wore a pink shirt with a pair of poring wings printed at the back and some mini shorts which she didn't mind to be dressed in. It was summer. It was hot as a desert in day and that's why she can wear something revealing without anyone questioning her modesty.

"Sakuno, let me carry your things…" the girl spun around and looked at him with questioning eyes.

"I'm-" She could have said that it was okay but before she knew it, her bag was on his shoulders. "Girls shouldn't carry heavy luggage…" he smiled. Sakuno blushed but managed to say a thanks before they all boarded the vehicle. They were on their way to Seishun Gakuen much earlier than the others so her grandmother could grab some things and papers that she left in the office.

--

"So this is the school?" Rei asked trying to peek inside the quiet campus. Sakuno nodded a reply.

"Do you want to go inside?" She asked shyly. Her face looked unsure. She really had no idea how they were both going to deal with the waiting except for a tour around the grounds. Rei smiled since he knew but just nodded back since he too was interested with the famous Seisshun Gakuen that he had heard so much about, looked like.

Unlike the normal school days, the school is unusually quiet. It was nerve wracking that she was more concious that both of them are alone in such a silent school not to mention the noisy beating of her heart against her chest was loud enough she wished that he wouldnt be able to hear it. "Is it small?" she decided to say something, not really thinking about what it was. Rei almost choke a laugh at her question but hid it succesfully, almost trying to look clueless about it. 

"Small?" he asked, hoping she wouldnt what he thought about his question or the connotation he implied on it when she asked with her eyes. "The school I mean, I heard there are large schools in Europe…" she explained. Rei fixed the straps of his tennis bag that he was carrying and looked around the spacious school.

"Oh, no not at all… There are some schools in Europe that are smaller than this one."He said. "Some don't even have tennis courts…" he added. He went on and on talking about the differences of the schools in Europe, about his school and Sakuno replied by introducing and defending the best qualities of the Japanese schools.

They both didn't realize that they were already in front of the tennis courts until Sakuno stopped and pointed at them. She too can't believe how she enjoyed talking to Rei. Maybe it was because it was her first time listening to a guy opening up so much to her.