Tennis no Ojou-sama: A Prince of Tennis Fan Fiction

CHAPTER 71: Ryouko's Saviour

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"Are you really alright, Sakuno?" Tomoka asked again.

"I'm fine, Tomo-chan. Really. Don't worry, I didn't get hurt or anything... It was just a slight fall." Sakuno assured her for about the fifth time. They were returning to the third team's main cabin, following Ryoma's lead. Sakuno looked at his back. His shoulders looked stiff.

"Ryouko-san sure is mean. I didn't expect her to be like that. It's a disappointment really..." Tomoka said.

"Well, I..." Sakuno replied and looked once again at Ryoma walking ahead of them. She wracked her head for anything to say. "I'm sure she didn't mean it." She completed her sentence. What is she saying? Of course she didn't mean it. She knew that Ryouko didn't push her on purpose.

When Tomoka was yelling at Ryouko, Sakuno was about to speak up and explain that she and Ryouko were fighting over something. Her fingers slipped off of the tennis ball and her feet got tangled up. She slipped on her own. She perfectly knew that. But when Ryoma spoke up for her, she zipped her mouth. She didn't want to explain that it was an accident. For some reason, she didn't want to admit in front of Ryoma that Ryouko did nothing wrong.

"She sure is a spiteful girl. Why did she push you anyway?" Tomoka said, breaking into her thoughts.

"Huh?" Sakuno said, slightly baffled.

"Didn't you hear me? I'm asking the reason why Ryouko-san pushed you." Tomoka repeated.

"She... I... She didn't really push me. She... well, bumped into me." Sakuno said, thinking of something to say. She kept on looking at the back of Ryoma's head uneasily. What if Ryoma thinks that she didn't explain on purpose? She didn't want him to think ill of her. "I was in her way and she told me to move. I didn't hear her." She finally said. She regretted it as soon as the words left her mouth.

"So mean!" Tomoka commented, clenching her fist. "She could've stopped on her tracks for a second and let you pass first. She really is a walking disaster, that one... Just because she's a bit pretty, she thinks that everyone will let her get away with anything." She said, her tone spiteful.

Sakuno was riddled with guilt. "Tomo-chan. You shouldn't talk about her that wa—"

"Shut it." Ryoma suddenly said.

Tomoka and Sakuno both looked at him, surprised that he had spoken. "Ryoma-sama?" Tomoka said questioningly.

"I said that you should shut your mouth. You should've said all of those things in her face when she was with us a few moments ago. What good would it do you to badmouth her behind her back?" Ryoma said.

Tomoka pursed her lips and went silent. "Gomennasai. (I'm sorry.)" She said.

"Don't apologize to me. I don't need your apology..." Ryoma replied before swerving to the right.

"Ryoma-sama? Where are you going?" Tomoka asked.

"For a stroll. You guys go ahead." He answered without even turning back to look at them.

Tomoka looked at Sakuno, question marks written all over her face. Sakuno shook her head in response. She stared at Ryoma's back as he disappeared down the road. "Ryoma-kun..." She said softly under her breath.

~~~

Ryouko could still see nothing but darkness. Her head feels heavy. "What sort of feeling is this?" She thought. She could tell that she was conscious. She didn't faint or anything... She was awake the whole time. Then why is everything so dark? And so quiet?

"...youko..." She heard a faint voice. It sounded as if it were coming from underwater. Her hearing was gradually returning. "...lright? Snap out of it." The voice said.