♫Wonderful Days♫Prince of tennis♫Hyotei♫

♫45♫ Silver

"Ranfa, I'm sorry about slapping your hand away..." Gakuto was sitting on a stone bench with Ranfa, just simply talking to her about what he has been feeling recently. "I wanted to win so you will be proud of me. I know about my stamina issue better than anyone else. Did you know? I was so happy when you told me to fly as much as I wanted for the match." Gakuto was watching the peacefully floating gray clouds block the blue sky that he liked. "Coach would tell me to jump less and use more of my head but you told me the opposite and even got his approval about it..." 

"That's because I know how to make him see my point of view. If you show Coach you only know how to jump, of course he isn't going to approve of your play style. 

"I really appreciate the things you do for all of us." 

"I would do whatever I can, I am the manager." 

"Yeah..." Gakuto wanted to tell her his feelings but he was reminded by what Oshitari said earlier about letting her choose her own path. However, what if he confessed now and then she confess afterwards? He was in an emotional turmoil now; what should he do? 

"Ranfa, I-" 

A single drop of rain dropped on Gakuto's nose and he looked up to see the heavy downpour. 

"Sakura, there you are!" Shishido was really disappointed about the rain ruining the Doubles 1 match but he decided to let it all out in tomorrow's game. He took off his jacket and threw it over Ranfa's shoulders upon seeing that the downpour was making her shirt see through. 

"S-Shishido-senpai, what happened? Your game..." 

"While Gakuto is in need of therapy session, it's cancelled and Kabaji lost to Tezuka." Shishido looked at Gakuto, a look telling the shorter boy to knock it off. Was he sending Gakuto a signal to not confess?

While Shishido was telling Ranfa all about the game from before, Choutarou caught up to see what his senpai did for her. 

"Sakura-san..." Choutarou looked at the way Shishido looked at Ranfa. He smiled a little sadly as he thought about the conversation he had with with Shishido last night...

"Huh? W-why are you bringing Sakura into this all of a sudden?" On the way home from the Kantou Tournament's tennis court, Shishido was asked a rather personal question by Choutarou.

"Why did you never tell me that you like Sakura-san too?"

"Yeah, I like her-"

"That feeling has developed into love, hasn't it?"

"You're wrong!"

"Then, I will ask Sakura-san out right after we beat Seigaku!"

"T-that early?! W-what about the oath about letting her choose her own path?!"

"See, you reacted negatively when I wanted to break the oath..."

"Ah-!" Shishido looked at Choutarou with a guilty look, a stubbornly guilty look that his own dog would make whenever caught red handed.

Choutarou smiled a little, "Shishido-san, you like Sakura-san too..."

"Sakura wouldn't choose me of all people, don't worry about it." Only Shishido would know the reason why that was...

"Eh?"

"Even if I have feelings for her, it wouldn't matter anymore because she won't choose someone like me."

"Why would you say that?"

"Because I know her."