Ryouko carefully stepped down from a ledge. "It must be there somewhere." She shone her flashlight on the path, the beam hitting dried leaves and gnarled branches that fell onto the ground.
Ryouko's chest feels heavy. She wished to let out all of her frustration but she couldn't. She wanted to explain herself but she knew it was not her right. After all, what they said was true. She was indeed guilty of thinking that way. It was the right punishment that she deserved. But still...
She concentrated on finding the hair clip. All of the efforts she showed the freshmen were genuine, and she would prove it to them in her own way. She will try to win them back with sincerity.
"There!" She yelled when the light beam shone upon something red caught in the bushes. It was the hair clip! She finally found it!
In her hurry, Ryouko was not able to see the steep excavation on the path and she slipped. She gave a shriek of surprise when she fell and tumbled over all the way down the slanted ground. The base of a tree broke her fall and she hit her head on a giant root. Her eyelids fluttered as she tried to open her eyes but it was no use. Everything looked blurred and spinning. Her eyelids dropped and she lost all strength. Unconsciousness was immediate.
It was an hour and a half when Ryouko finally regained her senses. What woke her up was drops of water falling onto her face. The sound of the rain filled her ears. She realized where she was and immediately sat up. Her head throbbed. "Oh no." She said as she closed her hand onto the dried leaves where she laid. She should get back... as soon as she could possibly can.
She found the flashlight lying beside a dried twig when she navigated her way in the darkness. The rain became stronger and the leaves of the trees were the only things that are keeping her from being completely drenched.
Her head feels heavy and she felt a slight bump on the side. She shook her head to make herself more alert and shone the flashlight to the spot where she saw Senri's hair clip. She would not go back without it.
After ten minutes of searching, she finally found it. With the clip safely clenched inside her fist, she began to find her way out of the forest. She walked up, thinking that she would eventually reach the ledge. But the farther she got, the more lost she became. There was no light coming out of anywhere in the forest. One tree looked just like the other in that utter darkness.
Ryouko was getting out of breath. She must've been wandering aimlessly for almost an hour. Her legs ached and she sat down on a stone, beinding to massage her ankles. At that moment, another misfortune befell the poor girl. The light of the flashlight in her hand suddenly sputtered and died.
Ryouko gasped at the sudden darkness. "What the hell?" She exclaimed angrily and took the flashlight in both hands. She squinted at the bulb but her eyes had not adjusted to the darkness yet. In her frustration, she slammed the flashlight on the edge of the rock she was sitting on, thinking that a few shakes might make it light up to life again. It was a stupid stunt. The flashlight broke at her excessive use of strength. Groaning, Ryouko stood up and flung it aside.
She shivered in the cold. Her hair and her clothes were drenched in the rain. Only her underwear seemed to be spared. She had to find her way out immediately or she would be in big trouble.
"What time is it?" She asked herself and automatically slipped her phone out from her pocket. It read 7 o'clock. "7 o'clock?" She screeched, her eyes widening. It sure do not look like 7 o'clock! Where did the sun go? Oh sure, the clouds hid it but it should at least give a little light.
All of a sudden, a realization hit Ryouko. She had her phone with her! How can she be so stupid? She could've just called someone and asked for help!
Fortunately, the phone did not seem to be damaged by the rain. "Oh right. I've ordered a water-proof one." She suddenly remembered. She felt really stupid. She kept on forgetting one thing after another.
When she was about to check her contacts folder to see who she can call, a great flash of lightning broke into the sound of the rain falling on the trees. Ryouko's eyes widened at the sudden flash of light and became frozen solid. A rumble of thunder followed and blowed up an explosion in the sky.
Ryouko's knees buckled under her weight and she began shivering. Her lips were parted in a silent scream. She couldn't blink her eyes or try to stand up. Another bolt of lightning flashed through her eyes and she broke down, the scream finally finding its way out. Her phone slipped from her hands and she placed both hands over her head, shrieking at top of her lungs.
She could remember it all. The rain, the lightning, the thunder and fire... She was on the floor, screaming. Asking for help. Fire all around. Lightning flashing. Thunder rumbling. And she... There was nothing she can do but scream, small, weak and helpless.
"Ryo... ma..." She whimpered as she hugged herself, tears falling from her eyes.
Yes, she was screaming for Ryoma's help. He said he would go back to get her. He said he would just leave for ten minutes to make her mull over what she did. It was way past ten minutes. But still he wasn't arriving.
"Ryo—ma..." Ryouko whispered shakily. Her breath came in short gasps. Thunder rolled again and crashed down loudly. Ryouko screamed and covered her ears.
"Please, no... No more... I can't... Please..." She started crying. "Somebody... Ryoma..."
As she opened her eyes, quite blinded by tears, her gaze fell onto her phone. She have to call him. Say where she is. Ask for help.
Her fingers shaking, she reached over to pick up the phone. She did so, with much difficulty. The shaking made it hard to open it. She clenched her teeth and even though they were chattering, it made her hand more steady.
Her thumb hovered over number 'one' icon. She had put Ryoma, Ichidou and Licht on speed dial. Ryoma was one, Ichi was two and Licht was three. Unaware of her thumb shaking out of focus again, she pressed the button.
~~~
Ichidou was slumped over the couch, his shoulders sagging, the remote slipping out of his weak grip. He is currently inside the living room, trying to entertain himself with the television, but it did absolutely nothing to lift the gloom that he had been spreading all over the place.
Third day... and counting... Just when will Sunday come? He missed Ryouko so much that he had been barely eating. No snack tasted right, even rootbeer tasted like water. He had never been separated from her for so long. And now he knew just exactly what the reason is. If Ryouko left in a month-long vacation, he would probably be a cold corpse by the time she comes back.
Ichidou knew that his thoughts are terribly twisted and exaggerated but he couldn't help it. If his brothers or cousins are there with him, he wouldn't feel so bad. At least he's got somebody to talk to and play with. Going out is a bore when he is alone. There's no point in going to malls on his own, and seeing people together with friends and family might just make him more miserable.
Only Licht accompanied him and that one is spreading his own doom and gloom inside the house. He spends hours inside Ryouko's room, 'cleaning' it, he said, but all he did was stare at the chair where Ryouko sat down as Licht fixed her hair for her. He was behaving like a mother missing her child.
All of a sudden, Ichidou's phone rang. He immediately sat up. Ryouko said that she's going to call! He had been waiting for her call all day yesterday. He took his phone out and looked at the screen. He frowned as he saw an unfamiliar number flash on it. Nevertheless, he answered it. Very few people have access on his phone number. It must be from someone he knows either personally or business-related.
"Hello?" He said.
Ichidou blinked when all he heard was a heavy breathing. The background was very noisy, and it sounded like it was raining.
"Hello?" He repeated.
The person on the other line spoke and his eyes widened at the familiar voice. "Ryo... ma..." Ryouko whimpered from the other line.
Ichidou stood up abruptly. "Ryouko-chan?" He said in shock.
"Ryoma?" She breathed out. She seemed to be having difficulty in speaking and her voice sounded as if she is squeezing it out of her throat. Is she... crying? And why is she calling him 'Ryoma'? Can't she recognize his voice?
Ichidou's chest heaved up and down as he heard her sobbing, therefore confirming his suspicion. It had been years since he last heard her cry but the sound was firmly lodged inside his brain. He would not be mistaken.
"Ryouko?" He said, panic-stricken. "What's happening? What's wrong?"
"Ryoma... I'm in— the forest. East of the campsite. The biggest cedar tree. You remember? When we went to the beach..." She paused and caught her breath. She couldn't make real sentences. Phrases were all she can manage.
The chattering of her teeth can be heard from the speaker. Ichidou can see her in his mind, shivering in the rain, all alone in the woods.
"What on earth are you doing there?" He exclaimed in anger.
On the other end of the line, a terrible crash of thunder sounded. Ryouko screamed. "No! No! Please..." She cried, sounding extremely vulnerable and helpless. "Ryoma... Please... I'm scared..." She whimpered.
Ichidou's heart broke. He knew exactly what is happening and his mind couldn't think clearly.
Thunder rumbled again and Ryouko's cry of despair was cut off as the call was disconnected.
"Ryouko?" He called. "Ryouko?!"
His eyes was suddenly drawn to the television as the words of the news anchor caught his attention. A thunderstorm is raging in some of the regions of Okinawa. Warnings of dangerous waves in the sea, and thunder and lightning in the mountainous areas was being shown. Tears fell from Ichidou's unblinking green eyes. Ryouko's astraphobia. It's still there. She needs help...
But he's not there! He's hours away from Okinawa! What should he do?
Despite the pain that is splitting his head due to gulping his tears down, he took his phone in one hand and shakily dialed a number.
The person answered at the first ring. "Ichidou? Why are you callin—"
He immediately cut him off. "East of the campsite. The biggest cedar tree." Ichidou said firmly.
"Huh?" Ryoma said.
"She said you went to the beach together. East of the campsite. The biggest cedar tree. That's her location. Ryouko called me by accident, thinking I was you. She's crying and screaming. Go get her."
The dial tone was immediate as Ryoma dropped the call.
The tears that Ichidou had been swallowing came back and flooded over. Ryouko is in trouble, yet he can do nothing but call Ryoma and have him help her.
Ichidou clenched his teeth and slammed his phone onto the floor in anger. It broke into pieces. The crash alerted Licht and he came running to the living room. "Obocchama? What happened?" He asked in surprise as he arrived.
Ichidou dried his tears with the collar of his shirt before turning his eyes towards the trusty butler. "We're going to Okinawa." He said.
~~~
Ryoma slid off the ground, riding it as if on a skateboard. Mud spluttered over his sneakers as he wound his way into the forest. The umbrella he was carrying got caught in some twigs and he let go of it in his frustration. It won't do him any good anyway.
"Ryouko?" He called, cupping his hand at the side of his mouth. "Ryouko?!" He said with an even louder voice. The rain is drowning his shouts. How would she be able to hear him?
He found the cedar tree. He was expecting her to be resting on the base of the trunk, but she was not there. She might've just passed by it and made it a landmark. She must be near the tree. Whenever Ryouko is lost, she's got this strange talent of just circling around the same area for hours without noticing that she's not getting anywhere near her destination. Ryoma drew a conclusion that she must've gotten lost while searching for that cursed hair clip and was unable to return because the rain started pouring.
Ichidou said that she's crying. And screaming. He remembered Ichidou's ninth birthday, the way Ryouko wailed and panicked upon seeing those candles. And back in school, the way she collapsed on the hallway when lightning struck across the horizon outside the school building. They had been memories that plagued Ryoma for years. Even after they were separated, it still showed up in his dreams.
It was his fault. He never should have left her in that shed. When she asked for help to get out, he should've called someone to lift the blocks of lumber that fell over the door. No matter how angry he was... No matter how unfair he thought she was in taking Ichidou's side over his... He never should have taken a childish revenge by leaving her there.
He told her that she should cool her head for ten minutes and that he'll come back to get her out. But he foolishly fell asleep while waiting for those ten minutes to pass. When he woke up and came to the garden, the shed was in blazes. Ichidou was there too. He stared at the fire and the lightning with him and got drenched in the rain with him as well. They called the adults and asked for help. But it was too late. The damage had been dealt, and there's nothing Ryoma can do to unwind the mistakes and undo what happened.
He had been calling the number that Ichidou gave him for the past minutes. Ichidou said that it was the number that Ryouko used to call him. Ryoma scolded himself for being foolish. He should've asked for her number from Amane-san before going out to find her. He would've been the one to call her then. And she could tell him personally where she is.
"Pick it up, Ryouko. Please pick up the phone." He said in frustration, his hair completely drenched in rainwater.
"Ryouko?!" He yelled again as he made another call. He should keep his ears sharp and listen for the ringtone. The rain will make it difficult but that's one way of tracing her. As he kept his eyes and ears alert, he continued shouting her name.
Not too far from where Ryoma was searching, Ryouko was lying limp among the leaves and fallen twigs. "Ryouko!" A sound, muffled by the rain, reached her ears.
Her fingers moved and she opened her eyes weakly. The phone is vibrating under the earth, the ringtone playing, its sound distorted by the rain's noises.
She couldn't lift her limbs up to reach over and pick up the phone. She opened her mouth but only a sound between a yelp and a whimper escaped her lips. She couldn't yell back either. Her body was completely robbed of any strength. Finally, she remembered something. She dragged her hand towards her chest and touched the blue whistle which was hanging on a string around her neck, pushing it towards her mouth. She was able to bite onto it. Taking a shaky breath, she blew on it. The sound that it made was feeble.
She blew on it again and this time, the sound was louder. She continued blowing until the sound was loud enough to penetrate the splattering of heavy raindrops all around her.
Ryoma heard a peculiar sound breaking through the rain noises and he twisted his neck left and right, searching for the source. He knew that sound. Ryouko used that whistle during practice in the courts of Seigaku. There was no mistake in his hearing. And why else would a whistle reverberate through the depths of the woods? It is definitely Ryouko.
Following the sound hurriedly and praying that she would not stop until he found her, he yelled her name repeatedly. At last, he saw her lying on the ground, still sending her breath through the blue whistle between her lips. She choked and coughed, spitting out the whistle from her mouth.
"Ryouko!" He shouted and scrambled towards her. He lifted her limp body and made her rest her head on the bend of his elbow.
Ryouko looked at her with tired-looking eyes. "You came." She breathed out. "You really came."
Ryoma couldn't stop the tears fall from his eyes. It was just his relief that the rainwater hid them. "Of course I did. I won't repeat the same mistake again."
Drops of clear water rolled from the corner of Ryouko's eyes. He couldn't tell if it was rain or tears. "I knew you'd come..." She said softly.
He took his jacket off and wrapped it around her, twisting the sleeves into a knot. He noticed that Ryouko's right hand is closed into a fist. It was like she is clutching something in her palm. He forced her fingers open and a small red hair clip layed on her hand.
Ryoma's eyes faltered and he felt so much pity and heartache for Ryouko. "You stupid girl... You worthlessly kind and crazy idiot..." He said.
Thunder rumbled from afar and he felt Ryouko stiffen. Quickly, he placed the clip in his pocket, took her in his arms and hugged her tight. "No more chitchat. We're getting out of here." He wrapped his right arm around her shoulders and slipped his left one under the bend of her knees, lifting her up as gently as possible. Ryouko buried her face on the right side of his chest, near the collarbone, and closed her fingers of her left hand tightly over the fabric of his shirt.
She fell into a trance, half-awake, half-asleep. One thought stayed in her subconscious. She's safe now. Ryoma is with her.
~~~
The storm had clashed noisily for a few minutes, making flashes of lightning here and there and occasional low rumbling underneath the gray tufts of clouds. The players remained safe inside the warmth of the campsite's main hall, but the atmosphere is as chaotic as the winds outside.
There was murmuring all over the room after Ryoma had gone out, mostly about the strange behavior that he exhibited. Since when did Echizen Ryoma cared enough for Fujioka Ryouko for him to run out in the rain like that? And why did he look so scared? The level of worry was unnatural and all sorts of hypotheses began to surface as some of the more gossipy members began to form conversations.
Kite rolled his eyes at them. They ought to just mind their own business and keep their noses out of other people's lives.
"I told you... They're dating." Gakuto told Yuushi, raising his eyebrows in a definite manner.
The latter had his glasses off and he is cleaning the lenses with a strip of soft cloth. "I have to admit, you might actually be right. Judging by how peculiar Echizen acted, I also can't help but draw the same conclusion." He answered.
"Yes!" Gakuto said in a triumphant tone, snapping his fingers.
"Even so, don't you think that his concern is... I don't know... A little excessive?" Jiro commented. "I mean, being out in the storm is dangerous, but it's not like she can't cope with it. As far as I know, Ryouko-san is a tough girl. Surely she can handle the situation by herself..."
"I agree. His expression is a little exaggerated." Shishido said as he peeled the skin off of an orange.
"Well, there might be more to it than just what we know. Echizen-kun wouldn't act like that if he knew she's going to be alright." Choutaro replied, looking thoughtful.
At that moment, Atobe entered the room, coming from the breaker room. His father had called him on the phone and he stayed in the control room for more than two hours to sort out some of the precautions they had to take because of the cancelled activities due to the rain. He also made the staff fix the breakfast. Ryouko was supposed to be the one handling those matters but she did not come to the hall early. That fact struck him as odd. That girl doesn't seem to be the type to let other people do her job.
He was looking around the room with his hands on his pockets, a little intrigued by the buzzing from all over the corners. "Oi, temeira. Have you seen our team's rep? I can't see her anywhere." He said as soon as he reached his fellow Hyotei members.
Their necks swerved to his direction. "Atobe." Yuushi said upon seeing him.
Atobe noticed something strange in the atmosphere between them. "What's with those faces? Is there something going on?" He asked.
Shishido answered him with a shrug. "If you're looking for Ryouko, she's outside somewhere."
"What do you mean by outside? It's raining cats and dogs out there. The instructions were given to every cabin that we'll all stay here for safety purposes." Atobe said, his forehead crinkling into a frown. "She couldn't have disobeyed that."
"Yeah, but according to the Seigaku freshmen, they got into a fight with her at dawn when they were having their daily exercises and they left her alone. She did not return to the Representatives' cabin afterwards." Gakuto answered.
"Well, did someone went out to find her then?" Atobe asked, his frown deepening.
"Amane-san said that he already asked the camp organizers for some help." Choutaro told him.
"Usu." Kabaji nodded in agreement.
"Echizen also went out by himself to find her." Shishido added.
"Echizen?" Atobe repeated, the frown turning into a scowl.
"Yeah. He looked paranoid and anxious. Momoshiro tried to stop him but he went out in the rain anyway. That's why everyone is so noisy. They're trying to figure out why he did that." Jiro said, popping an orange piece inside his mouth.
"Jiro. I'm the one who peeled that. Why don't you peel one for yourself? There's a lot in the basket." Yuushi told him in exasperation.
"Well, everyone already saw them hugging in the courts yesterday... Maybe they're much more than just schoolmates going to the same club." Jiro said, ignoring Yuushi's comment.
Atobe gave an annoyed snort. "They're not what you think they are." He said as he rolled his eyes in an irritated manner.
"How should you know?" Yuushi and Gakuto said simultaneously.
Atobe was saved from the trouble of answering because of Amane Hotaru's arrival. He immediately launched into conversation with Atobe. "Keigo-sama, I've sent out a few of the staff to look for Miss Ryouko." He said and looked around curiously. "What is with the commotion?" He asked.
"Apparently, Echizen went out to search for Ryouko as well." Atobe answered, unaware of the bitterness in his tone.
"He's out in the rain with nothing but an umbrella." Gakuto added.
"Ryoma-obocchama did what?" Amane said, blinking.
"Obocchama?" Choutaro repeated, quite confused.
"Why are you referring to Echizen as a young master? As far as I know, he's not rich." Gakuto asked.
"Oh. Sorry. Old habits die hard." Amane answered.
"What do you mean by that?" Atobe asked, raising an eyebrow.
Amane Hotaru smiled. "Actually, before I worked in the Atobe Industry, I was a butler-in-training under the Fujioka household's wing. I was only eighteen at that time and one of Ryouko-oujosama's cousins, Ichidou-obocchama was my assignment. Ryoma-obocchama was always with them and I couldn't help calling him in the same manner."
The Seigaku members who were standing not too far from where he is, overheard this. Kikumaru and Momoshiro dashed towards them and joined in the conversation.
"What do you mean by Echizen's always with them? How can he be there with Ryouko and Ichidou when he just met them two months ago?" Momoshiro asked.
Amane blinked. "What are you talking about, I wonder? Ryouko-oujosama and Ryoma-obocchama had been friends since they were six years old. They even went to the same elementary school until the first semester of fourth grade." He said.
There was a second of silence until his explanation penetrated their skulls. "EHHH???" The crowd said in complete unison. Miyako, Mami, An and Tomoka raced towards them and arrived in a split-second.
"I didn't hear that clearly. Repeat that please." Tomoka said hurriedly, her eyes popping out of their sockets.
"They already know each other since they were six? That means they're childhood sweethear— I mean, childhood friends!" Mami exclaimed in delight.
"So that's why they're so close to each other!" Miyako and An added at the same time, both of them smiling widely.
"So that explains yesterday's hug scene." Nio added with his knuckles under his chin, his eyes looking playful.
"You mean, you didn't know that they knew each other from childhood?" Amane asked, blinking.
Fuji shook his head. "None of us is aware."
"They didn't say anything." Oishi said.
Inui had opened his notebook and was peering at one page. "Now that you mention it, they both have the same school in my record of educational background of the members. It's located in Los Angeles, California. Ryouko's record changed right after the fourth grade. She became home-schooled and did not attend another school after the second semester of grade four."
"Home-schooled? Hime-chan was home-schooled before coming to Seishun?" Kikumaru asked.
"Where did you get those kinds of information, Inui-senpai?" Kaidoh asked in exasperation, staring at the light blue notebook. He began having a suspicion that the thin and tiny notebook had everything written on it, like an encyclopedia.
Inui fixed his glasses and smiled intelligently. "I don't want to miss any information about our members. After all, knowledge is power." He answered.
"Well, I guess that explains why Echizen looked so frantic." Sengoku commented.
"Frantic? Ryoma-obocchama looked frantic? What do you mean by that?" Amane suddenly asked.
An explained the situation to him. "Actually, Echizen-kun acted really strangely before he went out. He was mumbling something about how Ryouko shouldn't be out in this weather. I mean, we understood that the weather is bad and she immediately have to take shelter but it wasn't that bad. It's not like there's a tornado or something." She said.
Amane Hotaru suddenly looked thoughtful. Line crinkled his smooth, youthful forehead as he frowned. "Can it be?" He murmured, quite deep in thought.
"What's wrong?" Sengoku asked.
"Oh no. This is terrible." Amane suddenly mumbled, an uneasy look coming over his eyes.
"Why is it terrible?" Shinji asked.
"Can you please explain the situation to us? We can't understand anything." Kajimoto told him.
Amane gave a huge sigh and mumbled incomprehensible words instead of answering. "Well, I figured that it's already cured since almost four years had passed. She even had to stop going to school because of it. But if what I'm thinking is right, we have to get her inside as soon as possible." He told them, starting to leave hurriedly.
Atobe elbowed people out of the way and stood on his path. "Explain what exactly you're saying. We're her team members. We deserve to know too." At the side, Sanada nodded in agreement.
"And I'm the captain of Seigaku that she is a part of. I also demand an explanation." Tezuka said, stepping forward.
Amane looked at them and sighed. "I'm pretty sure Oujo-sama wouldn't like it if I to tell anyone but since you're being this way... I'll say it." He paused and met their gazes squarely. "I was there when it happened. Ryouko-oujo-sama was only eight when she got trapped inside a burning garden shed. The garden was used for planting vegetables but since the ground there didn't seem to be useful in rearing plants, it wasn't visited anymore. There was a metal pole not far from the shed. It was used to attract lightning because electricity surges are good for plants. Ryouko-oujo-sama was locked up inside the shed when a sudden thunderstorm came. Lightning struck the metal pole and burned the tree beside it. The storm had strong winds, lightning and thunder but had very little rain. The wind knocked the tree from its roots and fell onto the shed. The wood is old and very dry and there were paints stored inside and... well, I guess you can tell what happened next." He narrated.
The hall became deathly quiet. "You can't mean... Is that the source of her fear of fire?" Kajimoto suddenly said.
"How did you know that she was afraid of fire?" Amane asked.
"She told us once while we were cooking." Shinji answered.
Amane nodded in understanding. "Yes, she does have pyrophobia. Or more accurately, she did. I saw that she no longer had any difficulty in dealing with fire. She even volunteered to cook. That's why I thought she had already gotten over her phobias." He told them.
"Ryouko said that she learned cooking to get rid of it. It makes a lot of sense. Phobias from traumatic experiences can be overcome by facing it head-on." Kajimoto commented.
Amane pursed his lips. "Well, that's right but taking it to extremes will also be dangerous." He answered.
"What do you mean?" Shinji asked.
"Oujo-sama is very prideful. After she was rescued from the incident, she stayed in the hospital for two days. There was nothing wrong with her and she didn't have any physical injuries. They just made her stay in the hospital as a precaution. She acted very normally after coming home from the hospital and had been her energetic self for the whole week right after the fire, so everyone was relieved. But when we celebrated Ichidou-obocchama's birthday the next week, we finally knew what kind of souvenir that terrible fire left her. They were lighting the candles on the cupcakes. Each one of the audience held a cupcake with small candles on top and the lights were dimmed down. It was a birthday tradition that the cousins always loved. Everyone will go up to the celebrant, wish him a happy birthday and make him blow the candle one by one.
Ryouko-oujo-sama was staring transfixed on the candlelight, but I didn't thought it odd. The moment that all candles were lit, she started to scream. She was screaming so hard and so loud that I hurried to turn the lights back on. She had her arms over her head and she was sitting on the floor, wailing at the top of her lungs. Licht-sama immediately went to her and lifted her in his arms but she only started flailing and screaming louder. The screams did not die down until she was injected with a sedative. It was a terrible moment. Every member of the Fujioka clan was concerned.
They had her examined in the hospital again and that's how we learned that she had a phobia. The doctor said that it was natural because she was stuck inside that shed for an hour before she was taken out. They explained the situation to her and she was adamant that she can get rid of the phobia. Ever since that day, every staff and member of the family became careful. Ryouko-oujo-sama was not allowed to go near the kitchen. Anything related to fire is forbidden in her presence. She was angry at this because she was positive that if she exposed herself to fire, the phobia will go away. The doctor had told her that.
And so, early one morning, she stole the master keys of the kitchen doors and locked herself inside. The cook who was going in to cook breakfast heard the muffled screams inside. He alerted the whole house but it still took fifteen minutes to break the doors down.
When we got inside, she was collapsed on the floor. All of the ovens were turned on, the stoves blazing at the maximum level... It was like she tried to reenact the fire. The effort almost killed her. Extreme fear can kill a person. If her father wasn't a doctor and we were any later in rushing her to the hospital, she would've..." Amane's words faded and he couldn't continue.
"Is that why her uncle taught her how to cook?" Shinji asked quietly.
"Yes. She was determined to get rid of the phobia so much that she might pull a stunt like that again. The doctor recommended that the family should support her in overcoming her trauma." Amane answered.
"The reason why she shouldn't be outside in this weather... It's another phobia, is it?" Kajimoto said, his eyes looking fierce. He now understands how urgent the situation is.
"Yes. Astraphobia. Fear of thunder and lightning. It was discovered late. A thunderstorm hit while she was in school and..." Amane stopped and only heaved a sigh.
"Thinking about it, it is not that easy to overcome astraphobia. When that incident happened in school, Oujo-sama left Los Angeles and went to London where there are constant rains and thunderstorms. But the elders became stubborn after she had locked herself in the kitchen and almost killed herself. The mansion in London was renovated and the walls were made sound-proof. Heavy blinds adorned the windows. Everytime it rains, the maids and butlers pulled them down so nothing can seep in.
They also made Oujo-sama quit school and study at home. She was not given permission to step out of the house. They even connected the back of the mansion to a covered tennis court in the back yard so she can play tennis there. For official matches, she was not allowed to attend without an escort. Actually, she was not allowed to leave the house without an escort. That was until she was ten. I left the Fujiokas during that year. Well, I was not really that involved in caring for the young miss. Licht-sama had always been her personal butler. But I was in charge of Ichidou-obocchama so I've always observed her from afar. From the looks of her current freedom, the Elders must've finally stopped their strictness. I figured she rebelled against them to make it happen." Amane told them.
Sakuno had listened to the story with her eyes on the floor. Now, she knew exactly how Ryoma and Ryouko are related to each other.
Seeing Ryoma get angry earlier... Seeing his rage and worry, the panic in his eyes, and watching how he stepped into the rain for Ryouko... Sakuno's eyes filled with tears. How? Just how can she be compared to that kind of friendship? She clearly had no space in between them.
"Ryouko-chan..." Miyako said softly, her eyes watering. "We have to find her and get her out of there. There's a possibility that she—"
At that moment, the doors of the main hall swung open. Someone had kicked it from the outside.
Echizen Ryoma stood on the doorstep, carrying a bundled up figure with long, wet dark hair on his arms. Water dripped from every corner of him — his hair, his face, his clothes and his shoes.
"Ryouko-chan!" Mami and Miyako yelled in surprise as they looked at the person he was holding in a princess-cradle. Miyako dried her eyes with the back of her hand and hurried towards them.
"Echizen! You found her!" Kamio yelled and started to run towards him too. The others began advancing to their direction as well, especially the Seigaku regulars, worried about Ryouko's welfare and Ryoma's own well-being.
"No one move!" Ryoma shouted, making them stop in their tracks. He lifted his eyes at them. The glint was so sharp that it can cut steel to a hundred pieces.
"I'm warning you. One more step and things will get ugly." He said with a firm voice, sounding so threatening and scary that no one dared to disobey him.
He took one step after another, his sneakers tracking mud all over the main hall's floor. Atobe suddenly blocked his path. "Give her to me." He said, opening his arms wide so he can place her on them.
"I said, move." Ryoma said in response, hitting him with a deadly stare.
Atobe realized just how serious he is and for once in his life, he stepped aside, clenching his fists. What mattered most is that Ryouko is safe. As Ryoma passed by, he caught a glance at the girl's face. Her eyes are closed, and he couldn't tell if it were tears or rainwater that is on the corners of her eyes.
Ryoma had stopped in front of An. "Please call the coaches. She need help." He told her.
"Okay. I got it." An immediately answered and went away.
Ryoma had sat down on one of the long benches at the side of the room and he is still carrying Ryouko. He tried to lay her down on it but she was refusing to let go of him, and so, he just sat there, carefully holding onto her. The others just quietly surveyed them. Another loud burst of thunder came from the skies ahead and they heard Ryouko whimper audibly. She snuggled even closer to Ryoma and sobbed, sounding like a small child.
"Shhhh..." Ryoma whispered to her. "It's alright. It's okay now... I'm right here." He said softly as if calming down a baby. He patted her head with his left hand gently.
"Who knew that Ochibi can manage such a tone of voice?" Kikumaru commented.
"Well, no one also thought that those two are childhood friends." Sengoku told him. "You guys are with them everyday, and you never suspected. This only shows that everything is possible." He added.
"Sure. Everything is possible." Atobe said as he turned around to leave.
As it is already shown that it's possible for that strong and prideful girl to break down and cling onto a boy's embrace, nothing is impossible anymore. And by 'nothing', he meant 'nothing'.
Even crumbling that friendship with his bare hands would not be impossible.
Drenched and cold yet blazing hot! XD
The other players had finally learned about Ryoma and Ryouko's connection with each other! Will they be able to know more?
What role did Ryoma and Ichidou played in that incident four years ago? They have never forgiven themselves about it, even after such a long time...
Tune in for the next update! I hope you guys liked this chapter! XD