Hullo guys, I present to you another fic. This fic will be updated on the 14th of every month. I was already late for three months so I'll try to post the other two as long as I finished writing them. This fic is inspired from my Valentine fic 'The Listening'. Since the year has twelve months, this fic has only twelve chapters (one year, to be exact.) I'll be updating this fic every month, on the 14th. So there you have it.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Prince of Tennis and never will be.
Chapter 1: Candle Day (January)
Chapter Summary: He asked her on a date on her birthday.
Nice move Ryoma, great. You didn't know how to ask a girl out. Knowing that your senpais were 'willingly' liked to help you on doing so.
I grunted as I thought that about myself. I silently walked on my home after I 'successfully' asked her out on a date tomorrow. It would have been better if I came out with better words but I couldn't stop fathoming the words I used to ask her out.
Let's date.
Great! Just great! That wasn't asking, that was ordering! Now she was obliged to go out with me because I ordered her. Well, at least she said yes. That was the good thing about the asking facade, right? I just had to make this date memorable for her.
Tomorrow was also her birthday so I needed to do something... romantic.
I cringed. I wasn't the romantic type and she knew it. I had to do something that she would appreciate, that none of us would feel awkward while having the date.
I hated to go to my last resort but he was the last option I could think of. With that determination in my eyes, I quickened my pace so I could get home and asked him so that I could get over with it.
xxx
I knew that she would be late but I still waited for her in front of the station where I sent her a message to meet. She was never punctual. I was too but I didn't know who was worse between us not that I was complaining. I had been tapping my foot on the floor for a few minutes before I could hear footsteps running towards my direction. My head shot up and saw her. I smirked a little when I observed her for a while.
She was wearing a blue velvet winter coat. She has her dark blue knee-boots on that matched her shoulder bag. Her head was covered with a blue hat. Her twin tails were bouncing at each side of her head. Her cheeks were flushed and I could see that she prepared for this day.
"Osoi!" I said as long as she approached me.
"G-gomen, Ryoma-kun," She placed her hands on her knees as she looked at me, "I... I got lost." She abashedly admitted.
My smirk never left my lips, "Figured that long enough."
She pouted as she stood straight, "Mou, Ryoma-kun no baka!"
This girl was cute--okay, I admitted that. Got any problems?
Anyway, I realized that she was observing me. I believed I looked like a human in my clothes but her stare made me somewhat anxious. I might still be new to these things but I also wanted to impress the girl I was interested in. I looked at my own clothes. I was wearing a blue collared t-shirt and black pants. Well, not that she could see them, I was also wearing a dirty white coat. I had my rubber shoes.
Did I look weird in her eyes?
As if hearing my thoughts, she caught my attention and shared hers with me, "Y-you look great, today."
I stared at her. She was looking down and her cheeks were still flushed. This girl flushed a lot, "Un. You do too."
And her cheeks flushed even more.
"Ikou." I said walking ahead outside the station.
"W-where are we going?" She asked me noticing that we were not boarding the train. I looked at her and smirked;
"It's a secret."
xxx
The walk from the tokyo station to Otemachi station only lasted for fifteen minutes. We reached our destination by getting to the Otemon entrance which was one of the three gates of the Imperial palace.
I only aimed for the East Garden and that was we were going to. Her eyes lit up when she spotted the place. Well, it was pure white and nothing interesting to do. Oyaji's ideas was the reason I took her here and that would take place before the place closed. We had at least less than five hours to go there.
"Ryuzaki!" I called. I realized that she started walking inside. The place was white but it made the area all winter-ish. It suited the whole area for some reason. She looked back at me, her face was red. She could form some mist that was coming from her mouth. She raised her hand as she called back at me;
"Ryoma-kun! In here!" She started giggling.
My eyes widened a little. It felt so nice to see that kind of expression from her. Calming a little, I closed my eyes slowly as I inserted my gloved hands into the pockets of my coat and started walking towards her. At least she was having fun on our date.
I brought her to the museum and saw the history of the palace. I was never sure if she would like seeing the place but judging from her expression, she seemed that she was. We stayed inside the museum until lunch time. I brought her to the area where the viewing of cherry blossom in the palace was. But seeing it was winter, the area was covered with white. She observed the place as I did the same.
"This place is nice when the trees blossom." I said matter-of-factly.
"It will be," She agreed as she looked around, "It will not blossom for a while though."
I didn't reply after she said that. True, they wouldn't be blossoming anytime now but the whiteness of the place felt nice to view. I should give credits to Fuji-senpai and Kikumaru-senpai for this.
"Let's see them in spring." I said suddenly.
"What?" She looked at me curiously which I returned.
"The viewing." I watched her eyes widened as her cheeks started to become red. She started fidgeting after that but not before she nodded.
Her confirmation satisfied me.
We looked for a suitable spot to eat lunch. Being the prepared one, she brought lunch for the both us. We silently eat the food earning her praises from me.
Not really admitting it, I would do anything just to see her blush like that.
We rested for an hour before we started roaming around the palace. We mostly visited the Edo Castle's main circle. The lawn where the former castle tower was resided was wide enough to our advantage. We walked and looked around except for one place. I checked the time in my wristwatch. We still had thirty minutes before closing time. It was about time to bring her there.
Looking at her, I reached out and grabbed her gloved hand with mine. The gesture made her look at me with both surprise and bewilderment.
"I want to show you something." I said tugging her to walk without actually waiting for her reply.
I led her to a certain garden in the palace. The Japanese styled garden was located at the secondary circle at the foot of the hill. The moment Ryuzaki saw the place, a smile was formed on her face and made a dash towards the bridge. There was a small pond beside the bridge and from there I saw what was I needed for tonight. Luckily for me, the pond was not totally frozen so I could still execute my plan. Smiling at her, I walked to the side of the bridge and checked them. They had everything prepared. I saw her walking towards me and peeked behind my shoulder as I crouched. I smirked as I heard her gasp.
"Lanterns!"
I started lighting each of them and slowly placed them to the pond. When they were freely floating on the lake, I grabbed her hand once again and brought her to the bridge. From there we watched the lanterns lit the entire pond.
"It is... pretty."
My eyes found themselves to Ryuzaki's awed expression. Her face was telling all of it and before I could stop myself, I started replying to her;
"Yeah, it is."
I was actually taken aback when I said that because I was still looking at her when I spoke. Her eyes were focused on the pond below us the entire time making her flinch when she realized that I was indeed looking at her and turned her head towards me. I looked ahead and up after a few seconds, fixing my hat as if it were misplaced.
"The lanterns are supposed to be lit at night but this garden will be opened until 4:30 in the afternoon." I said needing to explain to her.
"I-ie, this is already nice. I love it," She bit her lower lip before smiling at me, "Arigatou, Ryoma-kun."
"Betsuni." I nodded at her then I remembered something. I reached inside the pocket of my coat and pulled something from it. Her eyes widened when she saw what I just showed her. It was a small rectangular box that was barely wrapped.
"Happy Birthday, Ryuzaki." I gave her a tiny smile as I greeted her. She slowly reached to it and looked at me blushing in the process.
"T-thank you, Ryoma-kun," She held it with her both hands and brought it to her chest, "Can I... can I open it?"
"Un." I nodded. I watched her unwrapped her gift. It wasn't much but when I first saw it in a bazaar my mom brought me the other day, I thought that it would suit her.
It was bobby pin with a design of a cherry petal on top.
Her cheeks flushed even more as she looked at me once again, "I love it."
"Good." I replied satisfied at her answer.
We stayed there watching the illuminated pond until it was closing time. We walked on our way to the exit. The walk back to the station was comfortably silent. Too bad it was too short. We walked further until we reached her home.
She stood in front of her porch and faced me, smiling in the process, "Arigatou, Ryoma-kun. I really had fun today."
"Un." I nodded at her, watching her expression, "Happy Birthday again. You thanked me enough so it's fine." I caught up before she could thank me again.
She smiled and nodded at me.
"We should do this again." I suddenly blurted out.
Her eyes widened. Her expression was really priceless, "Eh, do..."
"Date."
She blushed for the umpteenth time before she nodded, "Hmm, let's do this again."
I walked a few steps backward and waved, "Ja."
She waved back at me, "See you soon."
I turned around and walked ahead. Real soon. I thought to myself. I continued walking on my way home with a smirk plastered on my face.
My mission was accomplished.
Done! How was this first chapter? So, I don't know the next will be updated. I'll try to catch up with this month. So I could follow with the next few months. Domo.
Reviews please!!! Let me know your thoughts.
Happy White Day, minna!!!
~ MitsukiJunko ~