Chapter 18 --
"Oh, Ryoka! Why haven't you gone out y-- eek!"
Rinko gaped at her only daughter as she walked into the kitchen in only a white nightdress and brown hair which could have been mistaken for a bird's nest. Along with giant bags under her glassy hazel eyes with a scowl to top it all off, she looked pretty worn out and creepy.
"Ryoka! What time did you sleep?" Rinko exclaimed, her hand -which had previously gripped the knife tightly in horror- relaxing once she recognized her daughter.
Ryoka blinked and looked around. Oh, I'm in the kitchen already. That was fast, she thought, the lack of sleep affecting her brain so badly that she didn't even remember tumbling down the staircase just moments ago.
"Answer me! What time did you sleep?"
Ryoka yawned and shrugged. She staggered towards the stools at the kitchen counter. "Dunno. I don't think I slept at all," she mumbled, sitting down on one of the stools.
"Why?"
Because every time my eyes closed I remember Fuji complimenting me. And it got so exaggerated to the point where I stabbed him eleven times in the gut because I was shy.
"Playing tennis," she lied in a monotonous voice, hoping her mother would believe her.
Fortunately, Rinko and Nanjirou's bedroom was facing away from the tennis court and the fact that Rinko was a heavy sleeper made her lie more believable.
Rinko sighed and Ryoka noticed wrinkles on her mother's face. She's getting old. Hm, when's her birthday again?
"Ryoka, if you get sick I'm not taking care of you," Rinko threatened, shaking her head before turning back to the burnt sunny side up eggs on the pan.
Was it February?
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Maybe April?
Ryoka frowned and flexed her fingers, accidentally cracking her knuckles. She winced and clenched her fist tightly.
"Good morning, Ryo-chan!"
She turned and saw Kikumaru grinning at her like he always did.
Staring closely at his face, she pointed at the plaster on his right cheek which she usually ignored. And again, due to the lack of sleep, she tended to become more observant and more curious.
"What's that?"
"What's what?"
"That plaster."
"What plaster?"
"That plaster on your cheek."
"What plaster on my cheek?"
"That one -- "
"Hi Fuji!"
Ryoka turned around and came face to face with someone's collarbone only an inch away from her face. She blinked then looked up and saw Fuji looking down at her with his usual smile.
Her cheeks heated up suddenly and she took a giant step backwards, hitting Kikumaru's shoulder.
"F-F-F-F-F-Fuji!" Ryoka stuttered out, her narrowed eyes opening wide.
Fuji smiled at her like it was any other day. "Good morning, Ryoka."
"Morning!" She shrieked before she grabbed Kikumaru's collar and sprinted away.
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"I can't talk to him Eiji!" Ryoka wailed, pacing in the boy's toilet.
Kikumaru, who was inside one of the stalls, laughed.
"Why is it affecting you now, Ryo-chan? He'd always say stuff like that and most of the time you would either not realize it or you find a way out of it."
Ryoka scowled, feeling as if her best friend was mocking her. She sat on the counter, crossing her legs and crossing her arms over her chest.
"I don't know! I've been feeling emotional lately!"
"You weren't being emotional when they announced that Tezuka-bochou was leaving."
Ryoka screamed, putting her head in her palms.
A black haired boy entered the toilet and his eyes widened when he saw Ryoka. Ryoka lifted her head and frowned at him.
"Get out!" She yelled, pushing him outside before he had a chance to protest. She slammed the door and leaned against it. "Gahh! What does a girl need to get some privacy?"
"Ryo-chan, you do realize you're in the school boys' toilet right?"
"But still! A girl needs her privacy!"
Kikumaru opened the stall door and shook his head in disappointment.
"Girls are confusing," he muttered softly under his breath.
He walked to the door and put his hand on the handle.
"Hey!" Ryoka hissed, smacking his hand away. Kikumaru frowned, rubbing the spot where she hit. "You forgot to wash your hands!"
Kikumaru sighed and quickly went over to the sinks to wash his hand and walked back to Ryoka.
"Let's go, Ryo-chan," he urged, grabbing her wrist with his wet hand and dragging her out of the boy's toilet.
A girl and a guy coming out of the boy's toilet together gathered a lot of stares from the kids rushing to their classes and a few teachers to frown at them.
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"Kikumaru! Echizen! You're late!" Their homeroom teacher growled, scowling at them once they reached their classroom.
She pointed the metre long ruler at them and the flabby skin on her arm jiggled, reminding Ryoka of pudding. It was a good thing she never liked pudding because it would have been ruined for her if she did and she would have been traumatized for life.
"Sorry, sensei," Kikumari beamed, grinning at her. "We were talking about how to make you happier today so that you'd smile that beautiful smile of yours!"
The whole class snickered. Kikumaru always tried to sweet talk the prehistoric woman to get out of whatever trouble he was in.
"Go to your seat before I give you detention!"
But, it never worked.
Fuji frowned at the duo as they scampered to their seats in fear of getting detention and missing Tezuka's flight.
Where have they been? He thought, not liking that Ryoka was alone with Kikumaru.
One could even say, he was jealous.
YOU ARE READING
The First To Lose (Prince Of Tennis)
Fanfiction"Seishun Gakuen?" She muttered to herself as she stared out the window. "Yeah," he said pulling his cap lower to cover his eyes from the bright sun. She gagged and grabbed his shoulder. "I think I'm getting plane sick," she blurted out. "What?!" He...
