Warning:
May contain a little mature scene towards the end. Nothing too graphic or lemony. Just a bit mature.
---
Ryaka's POV
Narita Airport, Japan
Ryaka raised her sun glasses to her head and took in the surroundings outside the airport.
"So this is it huh? I finally get to come back to Japan after all these years."
'Deja vu' She smirked as she gathered her bags and set out to ride a waiting cab.
'So many things has changed since I was last here in this place. It can't be helped, its been 10 years after all.' She smiled as she look out the window of the cab.
They stopped in front of the Echizen house and the driver helped her unload her luggage from the trunk.
"Arigatou gozaimasu oji-san!"
"You're welcome!" the driver said as he waved and drove off.
--
She was opening the gate when a little boy with a vivid red hair came running from the side of the house. The boy was covered in dirt.
"Kyaaaa ~! Auntie!!!!" The little kid jump impressively high towards her just as she had entered the gate.
She caught him and twirled with him in the air. "Naji-kun! I missed you!" She said as she tickled the already giggling boy.
"Where's your okasan?" She asked before putting him down.
"Inside! I'll call her for you!" Naji said before speeding towards the house.
"Naji! Go clean yourself up! You're covered in dirt!" Her cousin's voice rang.
"Ah! Rye-chan! You're here!" Nanako went to greet her and helped her with her bags.
"Nanako-chan!!!!" She hugged the cousin she missed so much.
"Ryaka-chan! Welcome back!" Eiji Kikumaru greeted her with a hug as well. Eiji looked a bit more matured but that's as far as it goes. He's still the fun-loving Eiji Kikumaru.
Nanako and Kikumaru had hit it off and were married quite a while back, they are the parents of Naji.
"Eiji-kun!" She smiled as she hugged him back.
"Where's Ryoma?" She asked looking for her younger brother, she and Ryoga had stopped calling him 'Chibisuke' a few years back since he is now even taller than the both of them which pisses Ryoga off.
"Ah he went out earlier today. He knows what time you're coming so he should be back soon." Nanako answered.
"Hai~ hai~ we had already prepared your old room for you Ryaka-san you can rest up while we finish making dinner." Kikumaru said.
"Arigatou Nanako-chan, Eiji-kun." She said as she carried her bags upstairs towards her room.
--
"Ahhh~! Its good to be back!" She said as she let herself fall into her bed. Her eyes wandered around the familiar room. 'Nanako-chan is really amazing, with all the renovations done she still managed to preserve the familiar feeling of my room.' She thought appreciatively. When they moved back to the US, Nanako was the one left. Nanjiroh was offering for her to go with them and finish up college there but Nanako refused. She was the one entrusted with the house.
She didn't notice but somehow she fell asleep. She was awakened by soft knocks on her door.
"Nee-san, its Ryoma."
"Come in"
Ryoma came in and turned the lights on. It was still afternoon when she fell asleep so she wasn't able to turn on the lights ealier.
*Yawn*
"What's up Ryoma?"
"Don't what's up me, dinner's ready. Get up!" Ryoma pulled her from her bed.
"Ne~ ne! You don't need to be too harsh you know! I'm getting up!" She pouted.
"Tsch. You're already at that age and you're still acting like a teenager." Ryoma made an irritated face.
"Pffft. I just wish you were back to our kawaii chibisuke! You don't even look cute at all now!" She rolled her eyes at him.
"Old lady! Like I want to be called cute!" Ryoma growled.
"Who are you calling old lady you idiot!!!!" She shouted back and threw a pillow at him.
"Where's my real nee-san?! Did you really get replaced by someone else??" Ryoma scowled while dodging the pillow.
Somehow, somewhere during their stay together at the US her and Ryoma's relationship evolved into something like this. Gone was the cute little brother who is always clinging to her and gone was the sweet and soft sister. She doesn't know if this was a good thing or not but she liked having moments like this with Ryoma. She felt like they became even closer and had an even stronger siblings bond as they became adults.
"Hihi. Alright you two, let's just go eat dinner downstairs now okay?" Nanako appeared in the doorway laughing at the scene.
She may not have come back to Japan for 10 years but Nanako and Eiji always comes to visit them in the US especially when they had Naji, that's why the little kid is so close to her.
--
"Wow you cooked a lot Nanako-chan, Eiji-kun!" She said while looking at the table full of great looking Japanese dishes.
"Itadakimasu!"
"You guys are a really great pair! This tastes sooo good!" She happily ate.
"Hehe~! Arigatou Ryaka-san!" Kikumaru said as he slung his arm playfully on Nanako's shoulder, Nanako just smiled lovingly at him.
Ryaka smiled warmly looking at the two, who would have known that these two would end up together?
"Uck! Okasan blushed." Naji made a disgusted face and Kikumaru just messed up his hair playfully.
--
"So how is everything here? Even if you tell me stories about everyone when you come visit, I still feel like I missed out on a lot of things." Ryaka while they are all relaxing at the living room.
"Oh about that, Inui is now the official coach of Seigaku Tennis Club. He had only been a temporary coach since Coach Ryuzaki retired a year ago and now its been made official." Kikumaru said.
"Wow that's really great! Inui-kun had always been great with training and no other person would be suited for that job." Ryaka said, with Naji climbing unto her lap.
"Ne, ne auntie, I'm excited to go to the beach house!" Naji suddenly said.
"Huh? The beach house?" Ryaka turned to look at Ryoma who just shrugged.
"Ahh! Ano, Ryaka-chan we had actually plan to go to the beach house this weekend, in celebration for your return also by that time, Ryoga-san and Uncle would be here." Nanako answered her.
"Oh that's a great idea! I missed that place! I think the last time I went there was in middle school with the Seigaku tennis club right Eiji-kun?" Ryaka suddenly had a wave of nostalgia, remembering the happy moments they had spent on that beach house.
"Hai hai! Naji-kun had been bugging us about going back there and we told him the best time would be during your return." Kikumaru answered while taking Naji off her and giving him to Nanako.
"Yay! We're going to the beach again!" Naji-kun excitedly shouted.
"Alright, alright now go wash up and its time for bed Naji-kun." Nanako softly said while leading Naji out of the living room.
'Nanako-chan really is a good mother.' Ryaka thought while looking at the two.
"Ne, Ryaka-chan, could it be that you want to have a family now too?" Kikumaru teasingly said as he caught her staring at Nanako and Naji.
"Psshffft!" Ryaka almost splashed out the tea she was drinking when she heard Kikumaru's question.
Ryoma just smirked on the side.
"Yeah because Ryoma-kun here might even go before you!" Kikumaru said with a big grin.
Now, it was Ryoma's turn to cough out his tea.
"Are? Why? Does Ryoma have a girlfriend now??? Finally!!!!" Ryaka suddenly jumped from her seat and went towards Ryoma.
"Ryoma! Who is it? What's her name? Is she pretty? When can I meet her? Why didn't you tell me you have a girlfriend already!" Ryaka asked non-stop.
Ryoma gave Kikumaru an evil glare to which the latter just replied with an even bigger grin.
"Tsch. Why would I tell you?" Ryoma just gave her his usual snobby expression.
"Pfft. Of course! I wanna know! Ne, tell me! Tell me!" Ryaka eagerly asked.
"I--its... Ryuzaki..." Ryoma almost said in a whisper.
"Huh? Who? The coach? WHAT?! RYOMA?!?!?!" Her face fell in shock.
"Nee-chan that's--!!!!!! NO OF COURSE NOT YOU IDIOT!!!!!!!" Ryoma seem to have been shocked too.
"BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHA!!!" Kikumaru is almost dying with laughter.
"B-but you said----"
"ITS SAKUNO RYUZAKI! YOU SLOW OLD LADY!!" Ryoma shouted and turned his head away.
"OMG!! Sakuno-chan!!!! Kyaaa~!!!! RyoSaku finally came true!!!!!! RYOMA I'M SO PROUD OF YOU!!!!!" She jumped up and down in glee. She had always shipped the two of them together and she knows that Ryoma liked Sakuno even back then. She just couldn't believe that they'd finally hit it together after all these years.
She went back to her seat and gossiped with Kikumaru regarding Ryoma and Sakuno to which Kikumaru was more than happy to do so.
---
Ryoma's POV
His cheeks burned with the revelation of his relationship. He doesn't really want to hide it from Ryaka but he just know his sister so much to have expected that kind of reaction.
He turned the television on to break the ambiance around the living room as he can see Ryaka and Kikumaru whispering and giggling while looking at his direction.
The TV was of course, on a tennis channel.
"Oh its Tezuka!" Kikumaru suddenly said.
Ryoma's eyes automatically darted towards Ryaka's direction. She seems to have been a bit surprised and then she looked down on her tea cup.
"Ah, I'm not in the mood to watch tennis right now. This is a replay anyway." Ryoma said and reached out for the remote.
*Yaawwwnnn* "Gomen Ryoma, Eiji-kun. I guess my afternoon nap still wasn't enough. I'll go ahead of you guys." Ryaka smiled at them before putting down her teacup and turning to go upstairs.
He and Kikumaru didn't say a word until they heard her bedroom door close.
"She still hasn't forgotten about him huh..." Kikumaru softly said while letting out a sigh.
After they had moved back to the US, Ryoma also got the news that Tezuka went back to Germany to pursue his pro tennis career. He immediately checked on Ryaka but she told him that she already knew about it. Ryaka also told him that it'll be okay since they can exchange messages and that she supports Tezuka's career. Everything was just normal even when they sometimes see him for tennis events held in America. The two are still close and almost looked like they are dating. Ryaka even went to Germany a few years back, and all the change in her started when she returned from her trip. Right after she came back she specifically told them that she doesn't want anyone outside the family other than Ms. Mayu to be bothering her, and as if to answer their question Hannah had been trying to reach Ryaka non-stop, and so did Tezuka. Ever since then, Ryaka became lively (too lively), playful and loud but at the same time, her eyes lost a special glint on them. She also would have a weird and awkward reaction whenever Tezuka's name would be brought up and she would avoid watching the tennis coverage with them if Tezuka's in it. They have asked her a number of times if there's anything she would like them to know but she would just shrug it off and fake a smile. Ryaka may have thought that they hadn't noticed but they aren't dumb to not know that something have happened between the three of them in Germany. Although he, Ryoga and their father had decided that if Ryaka wanted to deal with it her own way, they should just let her be.
Ryoma just turned the TV off and headed for his own room.
---
Kikumaru's POV
Both Ryaka and Ryoma had already gone when Nanako returned.
"Dear, Naji-kun's already sleeping. You should go and rest now too." Nanako said as she sat beside him.
"Hai, in a while. I was just thinking of Ryaka-chan and Tezuka..." He said while taking Nanako's hand in his.
"Don't worry, everything will be okay soon, wouldn't it?" Nanako smiled warmly at him.
"I hope so." He said as he lovingly kissed her hand.
-----
Ryaka's POV
'It hurts, after all these years it still hurts. Why? Why can't I forget him? Why can't I move on from him? Why?' Ryaka thought as she clutch her chest.
She looked at Mr. Panda on he side, the stuffed panda still look almost the same as it did back then, and its been 10 years already. She wanted to forget Tezuka but she couldn't bring herself to get rid of this one thing that always reminds her of him.
"Mr. Panda, why do I love that guy so much?" She whispered to the panda as if hoping to get any answers from it.
'Sigh, I really am pathetic.' She smiled bitterly. Thoughts of the past with now world-renowned pro tennis player flooded her mind.
She and Tezuka still kept their communication even after she went back to the US and Tezuka to Germany. They would exchange messages from time to time and would also make calls if he's free from training. There would also be those moments that they would meet in a few days if there's a tournament going on as Ryoga and Ryoma are still playing tennis as well, although they aren't in the same tournament as him. She and Tezuka didn't really have any commitment, they still talk like close friends but both of them have the understanding about each other's feelings. It went on for a long time and she had always been updated of his progress on his tennis career. He had just won his first championship when she decided to surprise him by visiting him in Germany. It was the worst decision that she has ever made.
- flashback -
'Yosh! I'm sure that stoic guy will be really surprised when he sees me. I haven't seen that guy since the US Open and that was almost 10 months ago!' Ryaka excitedly said as she rode a cab going to the place where Tezuka stays. She knows this as he had sent her a few things with his apartment as the return address and also, this place is close to the tennis courts that Tezuka brought him to, when she stayed in Germany.
It was almost lunch time when she arrived and she decided to stop by the restaurant that they first had lunch at together when he picked her up from the hotel. She ordered food to go and decided that they can eat together.
Her heart's thumping loudly as she rode the elevator to his floor. She tidied herself up using the mirrored walls of the elevator. 'Wow, I feel like a highschool girl once again. Teehee. But I do hope he hasn't had lunch yet.' She's sure that Tezuka's home since she had asked him about his plans for today before she left the US. It was just a casual talk so that he wouldn't suspect anything.
She exhaled firmly before exiting the elevator. "Let's see... Unit 507... This is 501... 503... 505... Ah here it is! Huh...?" She was a bit surprised to find the door to Tezuka's unit slightly opened, just enough for you to peek your head in. 'Since when did Kuni-kun became so careless?' She thought, confused. Nevertheless, she stuck her head in the door, slightly opening it. She grabbed a tennis racket on the shelf near the door and was on her toes preparing for the worse as there might be an intruder although the door doesn't look like it was forced open.
There isn't anyone in sight but Ryaka still kept her guard up, going inside and being careful not to make any noise. No one is in the living room and kitchen as well, she was about to just turn around and go out of the unit when she heard some sound coming from the other side of one door which she assumed is the bedroom. She gulped in, gathering her guts and tightened her grip on the racket. Slowly, she approached the door. It was also slightly opened and she was about to peer in when she heard a voice... a woman's voice... 'Hannah! She's here?' She relaxed a little but she heard her next words clearly. "I have always been in love with you, Kunimitsu..." Ryaka was shocked and she didn't know what came into her but she just pushed the door open...
..
..
..
..
There, in the middle of the room was Tezuka without a shirt, half his body under the sheets and on top of him was Hannah, dressed in nothing but her underwear, kissing Tezuka. She dropped the tennis racket and the bag of food which she didn't even notice that she was still holding. Time seemed to have stopped.
Her senses came back to her when he heard Tezuka and Hannah's surprised gasp. "R-rye!" R-rye-chan!"
She quickly spun and headed for the door. Her tears are falling non-stop from her face. Things haven't even sunk in to her properly yet but intuition seems to have taken over her body. She ran to the elevator and lady luck might have pitied her that she had made it into the elevator as it was just about to close. She heard Tezuka's calling after her but everything just seems so blurry. She looked at herself in the mirrored walls of the elevator, her tears are flowing like waterfalls down her face. She doesn't know why, she doesn't feel anything but somehow, these tears won't stop falling.
When the elevator opened on the ground she quickly dashed towards the entrance and out on the streets, she didn't mind the curious looks people are giving her. All she feels right now is she wants to get away from this place as far as possible. She got into a cab and she somehow managed to choke out "airport" to the driver.
Her purse is still slung on her body and she can hear her phone ringing non-stop. The driver was nice enough to not point it out and let her be. Just as they were passing by a bridge, she opened the window and threw her phone out on the river beneath.
Riding the plane back to America was hard, it all seem to sink in to her, what happened, what she heard, and what she saw. 'Hannah, why you? How could you do this to me?' She decided right there and then to cut all communication with the two and when she got home, she immediately told her family that she doesn't want to talk to anyone else but them.
She cried her heart out the day she came back to the US. But after that, she decided that she should be strong and won't let this take her down. She had just instilled on her mind that Tezuka and her, they are not really committed to each other, it is his right is he wants to be with another woman. She was the only one making a big deal out of it because of her own feelings.
The two of them kept trying to reach her, through her family and Ms. Mayurie. But she rejected all of it. Enough was enough.
- end of flashback -
Tears started to fall from her eyes once again. After months of not being able to reach her, eventually they stopped and that was the last she heard of them. Other than unavoidable times when she sees their faces on TV for tennis tournaments, but only for a split second as she changes the channel or darts away as soon as she sees their images.
~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~
A/N:
Gomeeennn! I know its been soooooo long since I published the last chapter but here you go! Note that there had been a lot of changes in their personalities as this is set 10 years after the last chapter. I try to explain things as I go.
The ending is really really close. :(
Thank you so much for reading! <3333