Our Love Story (Kominato Ryosuke x OC)

Chapter 7

 "In the end, I wasn't able to take you to Koushien," Ryousuke said. Tatsune felt as though knives were stabbing at her heart. She felt so much pain, not because Ryousuke didn't fulfill his promise, but because Ryousuke was in so much emotional pain. The boy couldn't face her. He turned his back to her, but she knew that the expression on his face....must be so painful. Ryousuke never once showed Tatsune a weak side of himself; he never wanted to. He wanted to be the strong, sarcastic, loving boyfriend, someone she could depend on. He didn't want her to see the way he is now. Weak. Defeated. Lost. "I'm....sorry....Tatsune-chan..... I'm sorry...." Tatsune started sobbing when she heard the crack in his voice. Ryousuke too couldn't bear it anymore. The years of hard work, the never ending training, the nights he spent swinging his bat, the hours he spent running around the field...all of that ended with a shattered dream.

Tatsune stepped up to him. She reached out, but before her hands could touch him, she heard him say, "Please...don't look at me. I don't want you to see me...the way I am right now..." Hearing that, the girl instantly wrapped her arms around him from behind. Her tears flowed out like a fountain, but she kept her sobs silent.

"I won't look, Ryou-san... I won't look," she assured him. "Just let me stay like this. Let me be here for you. You've always supported me during my hardest times.... This time, let me be there for you." She could feel his body shake as he sobbed, mourning for his lost dream. Tatsune remembered back when she was at her lowest. Ryousuke was there for her as well, hugging her, just like this. He protected her from the bullies. He shielded her from the rumours. Now, she wanted to be the pillar behind him. She wanted to keep him standing, even though he's about to fall. "I love you Ryou-san. I love you!" she sobbed. She felt him break free from her embrace. Before the girl knew what was going on, Ryousuke had already turned around and pulled her into his arms. He pulled her head into his chest, and buried her face in there as he leaned his face over her shoulder. One hand, he held behind her head, and the other wrapped around her back.

"Don't look..... Don't look...." he kept repeating. Tatsune only cried harder because of that. More than it saddened her to see her precious teammates lose, it broke her heart to see Ryousuke so ashamed of his weakness. She felt so sad that he was trying so hard, even at his lowest he's trying to be her hero, her happy hero. If that's what he wants then she'll just let him be her hero. She won't break his image; he'll continue to be the sarcastic upperclassman who hits his underclassmen with a sly grin on his face. He'll continue to be the one who laughs as she screams at a scene from a horror movie. He won't break down, not again.

The third years had to retire after the summer tournament due to college entrance exams. Because of that, Ryousuke moved out of the Spirit Dorms as well and into the regular dorms. However, because of that, Ryousuke and Isashiki were able to visit the Yuuki household more often. With practice out of the picture, Ryousuke found himself with so much more free time, although he needed to use them to prepare for college. As he expected, he couldn't just give up on his baseball dream. A part of him wanted to go into the professional league, but he knew that wasn't the best choice. Therefore, he decided to apply for a college in Tokyo. He liked it here, and wanted to stay here, especially since Tatsune was still going to be here.

"Ryousuke-kun! Jun-kun! Welcome!" Yuuki's mother greeted one Saturday afternoon when Yuuki took Ryousuke and Isashiki home with him to study. Tatsune, however, had to stay after school for the baseball practice. That was a sad reminder to the third years that they have retired. The spirit, however, lives on in the hearts of the younger students. The spirit lives on in Tatsune. Even though Ryousuke couldn't be the one to send her to that stage, but he wished deep in his heart that one day Tatsune would be able to set foot there, along with the rest of Seidou, his team, his family, his pride.