Echizen's New Rival

Chapter 7: Pain and Confessions- PART 1

Its been three days since they arrived. Sakuno felt that Ryoma was avoiding her the moment that the bus halted to a stop in this camp. Whenever she tried to look towardshim during dinner both yesterday and the day before that, he didn't even acknowledged her. Like she was transparent, invisible. 'Maybe the practice is getting on him' she convinced herself. It was true though. Yesterday's practice was traumatic

for the regulars but it was kept a secret so no one knew exactly what happened.

"I don't even want to know..." she told herself. It's because yesterday, that afternoon when the sempai's came back after the training, she was shock when she saw them looking like savages: Fuji was smiling a little devilishly, his eyes half opened. Tezuka covered his eyes with the back of his hand, comforting himself from his nausea. Momo's eyes were bloodshot red. Kaidoh screamed a restless 'meow' when startled. Oishi trembled in the corner and his partner Eiji was murmuring to himself. Kawamura became afraid of beetles, and Ryoma collapsed in the floor and didn't dare move for an hour. But oddly enough, Inui was unscathed and normal.

"Must be his new disgu-, i mean, concoction..." she can't afford herself to say the word disgusting. She has always seen her sempai as a sensitive-inside-evil-in-the-out image. Pulling herself together while shaking the memory off her head, she stood away from her bed, fixed her blankets and smiled at the morning.

She intended to wake up after all to cook breakfast for the regulars, her grandmother the coach and for Rei, the other prince of tennis. In fact, she has been thinking of nothing else except for cooking today's meal. She was not this passionate before but after what happened 2 months ago, even before the decision of having a camp was announced, she was inspired to take it seriously.

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That day, Sakuno saw Ryoma lying down under a huge Cherry Tree, just beside the courts. It was nothing new to her. Being with Ryoma and admiring him for almost a year now made her more knowledgeable to the places where the tennis prince usually hangs out. 'He really loves tennis...' Sakuno thought while she observed the lying figure about 10 feet away from her. She was going to pass him through but her eyes and feet stayed glued from where she was.

"Oi! Ryuzaki..." Echizen called out.

Sakuno felt a shock enter her body when he heard that gentle cold voice called out her name. She hesitated and stared at him blankly trying to confirm if he really did call her out.

Echizen just raised his brows He was now sitted upright, his head nested on his right palm and his arm rested on his right knee. Sakuno decided to closen the gap and sit beside Ryoma.

"What is it?" Sakuno asked. Ryoma did not answer, instead the sound coming from his stomach clearly shouted what he wanted to say. Sakuno sweat-dropped and tried to supress her giggles.

"Haven't eaten your lunch yet?" she asked discreetly. The prince shook his head and began to stretch his arms and hands. "Forgot mine back home..." he said as if he was really bothered not being able to bring it. He started to mumble some words but the only thing she got was the phrase, "stupid, perverted old man...". Another growling sound came out but he did not seem to be embarassed by it.

"I-I have an extra lunch box here... It's actually for Tomoka but she called in absent today... would you like to have it instead?" she lied. The truth is she hasn’t eaten anything since morning but looking at him, she finds it hard to resist his childish charming side.

The prince, on the other hand, looked at her, trying to figure out if she was telling the truth. Sakuno thought she did a good job because he got the lunchbox from her hands. He showed some slight hesitations but with a little push, he accepted it with a bow of thanks. He didn't speak a word and he ate it obediently. His face – blank like a boring mask.