Ryouko woke up pretty early that morning. Rubbing her eyes, she groggily went downstairs and proceeded straight to the kitchen. She thought it fortunate that she was able to gouge out a few hours of sleep. It was hard to sleep deeply with thoughts running rampant in her head.
Riko was supposed to spend the night in the room that An and Ryouko shared but somehow, she said that she'd rather sleep in Mami and Miyako's room. "It must be because of my behavior last night," Ryouko thought and sighed.
However, Ryouko did not actually have to blame herself for Riko's decision. Satsuki was supposed to room in with Mami and Miyako but Miyako told Riko that Satsuki shouldn't be left together with Mami or they'll start a catfight.
"I'm not going to spend the whole night trying to pry them from each other, thank you very much," Miyako said, quite adamant. Thus, the switch was inevitable even without the incident in the baths.
To sum it up, Satsuki ended up sleeping in a futon between Ryouko and An's beds. Both of the junior high girls suffered an ordeal with Satsuki who was unexpectedly crazy that night. She kept on starting pillow fights and fondling their chests. The remainder of the night was spent with Satsuki giving tips on how to ensure chest growth. An was faintly interested. Ryouko merely sighed and waited until they tired out and the lights were turned off. Satsuki and An were out cold after that and only Ryouko had difficulty sleeping.
"I'm parched..." Ryouko said sleepily. Yawning from time to time, she opened the refrigerator, took out a pitcher of water and poured herself a glassful. She lifted it up to her lips. The cold liquid awakened her senses as it trickled down her throat.
As she was drinking, Riko suddenly entered the kitchen. Ryouko almost choked. She gulped down the water and immediately greeted her. "O-ohayougozaimasu... (G-good morning...)" she said almost timidly.
"Ohayou... (Good morning...)" Riko answered awkwardly. "Man... I sure outdid my nosiness this time. She's on her guard. I shouldn't have said that in the baths last night," she thought.
"Umm..." Ryouko suddenly said, tucking a few stray strands of hair behind her ear and looking shyly at Riko. The corners of her lower eyelids were still moist from yawning and the way her pupils faltered looked somewhat bashful, uncannily similar to the way a teenage girl confessing to a guy she likes looked like.
"Chou kawaii... (Super cute...)" Riko thought and felt herself blushing. She abruptly turned her back at Ryouko. "What the heck is with this girl's charms? She's too beguiling!" she thought, a bit flustered.
"Senpai?" Ryouko called, a little confused at Riko's behavior.
Riko turned around to face her, laughing forcibly. "Nani, nani? (What is it, what is it?)" she said.
"About yesterday... In the grounds..." Ryouko said and seemed to hesitate. She opened her mouth but Riko interrupted her.
"Oh, about that? Don't worry. I won't pry into it. I won't ask anything about it either, even though I'm really curious. It's none of my business anyways," Riko told her, smiling and scratching her head. She regarded Ryouko with kind eyes. "You must've been startled last night. I'm really sorry," she added.
"No. It's fine. I'm the one who left so abruptly. You even went to the lengths of sleeping in another room to avoid me," Ryouko answered. She stood straight and bowed her head. "Thank you for being considerate."
"No, no, it's not a big deal. I kinda realized that I was prying too much. And it wasn't as if I was avoiding you or anything. Miyako-chan told me that it would be better if Satsuki and I switch rooms," Riko explained. "Kocchi koso gomenne... (I'm also sorry...)" she added.
"Do you know our agenda for today?" she asked, deliberately changing the topic.
"We are to have breakfast in the main cabin this morning. The tables will be split according to the team numbers. Then there's the announcement of the events. Amane told me that there would be two events today, one in the morning after breakfast and another in the afternoon after lunch," Ryouko answered.
"Really?" Riko said, smiling. "That sounds fun. I hope they came up with an interesting game for today."
Ryouko looked straight at her with soft eyes. "They're usually very creative. I think that you can look forward to it, Riko-senpai," she said and gave a dazzling smile.
"Gyak," Riko said and felt as if some kind of arrow hit her on the chest. "Too cute. She's too cute for words," she thought, swooning inside.
"Ore wa heya ni modorimasu. (I'll go back to my room.) See you later, Riko-senpai," Ryouko said and bowed politely before going back to the staircase.
"Ah. 'Ore', huh... One would remember that she's not a girly girl with that kind of talk," Riko mumbled to herself, recovering from the sudden attack. She stared at Ryouko's back as she climbed the stairs. "But man... She sure is a beautiful girl. It's no wonder that she's so popular in this place. I want a little sister like her, but that's not gonna happen unless I get reincarnated into a family of drop-dead gorgeous celebrities," she commented.
A thought hit her and she grinned. "But for a that kind of girl to get riled up and feel jealous... That boy sure is a lucky one..." she told herself and giggled as she remembered the orange incident. "Echizen-kun... That's his name, I think..."
Riko stretched her arms. "Now, now... Time to get ready. I'll take a shower first," she said and went upstairs.
As Riko returned from her shower, the other girls slowly woke up and pretty soon, everyone was busy preparing for the day ahead. The girls still had to go to their respective teams and help out with breakfast. It had been decided that everyone will dine in the main cabin but the food would be prepared by the campers as usual.
"Ah~ I can't believe that we're going home in two days... I'm kinda reluctant to leave this place..." Mami said as she put on her shoes.
"Well, I have to agree that this kind of lifestyle can get addicting. We're just starting to get used to it too. But one week is long enough, Mami-chan. After all, we still need to attend school," Miyako told her.
"School?!" Mami exclaimed, her eyes widening. "Wasureteta (I forgot)," she thought.
"Oi, oi... It couldn't be that you think it's already vacation... How thick can you get?" Tomoka commented.
"Urusai wa ne... (Shut up, won't you...)," Mami retorted.
"If you guys are any slower, I'll go ahead," Ryouko said as she slung a tennis bag over her shoulder.
An stared at the bag blinkingly. "Why are you carrying your tennis racket, Ryouko?"
Ryouko hitched up the bag. "I'm feeling kind of restless. Besides, it's been such a long time since I did some serious practice. I got too absorbed in the freshmen's training that I've neglected my own. I'm planning on hitting a few balls after breakfast. There's time allotted for a break before the first event starts," she replied.
"Ohh... How admirable," Satsuki said with a smile.
With that, the girls parted ways, going to the direction closest to their own team cabins.
Ryouko was surprised that Shinji and Kajimoto already had a head-start on the preparations for breakfast.
"Good morning. You guys sure are early," she greeted as she set her bag down on a corner.
Instead of greeting back, Kajimoto answered with an exasperated sigh. "Ahh..." he said in a complaining tone. "I thought we told you that we'd handle everything. Just rest well, would you?"
"I appreciate the concern, Kajimoto-san, but I received permission from the doctors last night that I can resume my daily activities with no worries," Ryouko answered. "I get restless when I do nothing so let me help out."
Shinji approached her with the usual solemn look on his face, carrying a peeler and a large potato. "If you say so, then here you go," he said, handing them to her.
Ryouko looked pleased. "At least someone here plays along with what I want..." she commented as she took the peeler and the potato. "Arigatou, Shinji," she said and smiled.
Shinji's cheeks turned pink. "Dou itashimashite (You're welcome)," he replied.
Ryouko turned to Kajimoto. "I guess you're the head chef for this meal, ei? What do you want me to do, Okashira-san (Boss)?"
Kajimoto sighed. "What's with 'Okashira'? This ain't a gang you know," he commented and gave a yielding smile. "Alright. Do whatever you like."
Or so he said, but Ryouko had spent the next half-hour doing nothing but preparing the ingredients. Kajimoto would snatch every ladle, spatula or frying pan that she lays her hand on. In the end, she was forced to retreat, leaving the final preparations to Shinji and Kajimoto. She left after giving a final reminder to let her know once the dishes are ready. She would at least help out with carrying them to the main cabin.
"Boys are such a pain. They think that all girls are fragile," she mumbled as she made her way to one of the rest areas.
As she waited for Shinji and Kajimoto to call on her, Ryouko took out her racket and began hitting a tennis ball at one of the pillars of the rest area. She felt ungratified for some reason. What she worried about last night was Riko knowing about the orange incident. Now that it had been put behind her, there should be no more reason for her to feel so restless. Still, the uneasy feeling in her chest won't go away. It doesn't make any sense.
"Marude jibun wo wakaranai kigasuru. Yana kanji... (It's like I don't know myself anymore... Such a displeasing feeling...)" she thought.
As she hit the ball back and forth, an image entered her mind. The way Ryuzaki Sakuno went close to Ryoma in the grounds... That unpleasantly short distance between their faces...
Ryouko's eyebrows knitted together and she bit her lower lip. "Haragatatsu (How galling)" she thought and hit the ball to the pillar with too much force than necessary.
Unfortunately, she missed the shot and the ball flew right at the left side of a pillar as a certain someone was walking around it.
"Itta— (Ouch—)"
Ryouko snapped to her senses and realized that she hit someone. "Sumimasen! (I'm sorry!)" she exclaimed and immediately went to the person's aid. "Daijoubu desuka? (Are you okay?)" she aid as she knelt beside him.
"Ryou... ko?" Kuroko Tetsuya said as he looked sidewards at the culprit who fired the shot that hit his forehead. He nursed the spot with his right palm.
"Kuroko-senpai?" she said blinkingly.
Ryouko had ran to the camp's main building and retrieved a cold pack from the staff. Kuroko insisted that he is fine but she went to get something anyways since he got hurt because of her.
As Kuroko pressed the cold pack on his forehead, silence enveloped the two of them.
"Oh," Kuroko suddenly said. He looked sidewards at Ryouko. "By the way, sorry for calling you by your first name out of the blue. Akashi-kun kept on calling you 'Ryouko, Ryouko' and it sort of rubbed on me," he explained.
She responded with a good-natured smile. "It's alright. I prefer being called by my first name anyway."
The curtain of silence dropped once again and a cold gust of wind blew past between them. "Awkward..." the two thought and felt uncomfortable.
"You and Akashi-kun seemed really close," Kuroko said, trying to strike up conversation. He was personally interested in this junior high freshman and her ability to make Akashi act out of his usual character.
"Well, we did spend three summers together. It's only a week each though," she answered. "To sum it up, the time we spent together doesn't even accumulate to a month," she added, counting the weeks of Akashi's vacation with her fingers, including the days she visited the Akashi's mansion.
"Still, it's the first time I've seen Akashi-kun interact so warmly with someone," Kuroko commented.
"Really? Well, maybe its because he thinks of me as a little sister. We're both an only child and sometimes I think that it's nice to have a sibling," Ryouko said as she hit the tennis ball up and down with the side of her racket's frame.
Kuroko gave a small smile. "I think about that too, sometimes..."
"Are you also an only child?" Ryouko asked.
Kuroko nodded. "Akashi-kun sure is lucky to have little sister figure like you."
Ryouko smiled. "I wonder about that..." She looked sideways at Kuroko. "You're a member of the Generation of Miracles, aren't you? I've heard about your junior high basketball team from Sei-sama especially during the first and second summer he visited."
"I don't really consider myself as one of them. They're all really amazing and I..." Kuroko stared at his open palm. "I'm just a shadow. I'm proud of it though."
"A shadow?" Ryouko repeated, unable to understand wat he's talking about.
"Nevermind that. I'm just talking to myself," Kuroko said as he closed his palm.
A thought hit Ryouko and she placed a finger on her chin. "Now that I remember, Seirin High is written as champion of the Winter Cup Competition in the file that Keigo gave me," she said. "Sei-sama is... in Rakuzan..." she added slowly, the realization hitting her abruptly.
She looked at Kuroko with wide eyes. "Rakuzan lost? Sei-sama... lost?" she said.
Kuroko looked back at her with a bewildered expression. "If that's a question, then I'll answer you. Rakuzan did lose. We beat them in the finals."
Ryouko answered his reply with a few seconds of silence and two blinks. To Kuroko's surprise, Ryouko suddenly laughed out loud, the kind of laugh that one would not anticipate to come from a girl as cute as her. "He... lost... I can't believe... it... After all that big talk..." she said in between giggles. Her eyes were starting to water.
Kuroko didn't know how to react. He didn't expect that kind of reaction from Ryouko. If Akashi is a big brother figure to her, she should be more upset.
"Serves him... right..." Ryouko guffawed. "'I am the absolute' my butt... The Emperor finally learned a worthy lesson," she said as she wiped the tears of laughter from her eyes.
"Why is it that you're so pleased?" Kuroko asked.
Ryouko ceased her laughter and looked at Kuroko. She heaved out a huge exhale. "You see..." she said, her eyes shining as she looked far ahead. "Sei-sama changed on his last visit in London. I was awed at the change yet I was also a little scared. But I came to love his other self as well, since I also have the tendency to hate losing and prioritize victory. I liked his overwhelming aura, his overflowing confidence, his trust at himself and his sometimes unwarranted belief that he would never experience defeat."
"There was one night though when the words my grandpa spoke suddenly came to me. He said that excessive victory is not always good. Sometimes, it can be posion. There's a reason why people have to lose. One should learn how to handle defeat. I've suffered countless losses from my grandpa when I was small. I knew how precious victory is and I strived for it. Defeat was something I tasted at regular intervals and I realized that I can never understand Sei-sama and his invincible self," she explained.
Kuroko nodded. He and Akashi started falling apart on their last year in Teiko, the same time that Ryouko was talking about. In the first place, he and Akashi have really different principles and beliefs. The others had their own as well. They went along with each other on their first and last years despite their diversities, but as the others started reaching higher heights, they fell apart. They could no longer stay as a team.
Kuroko can relate to what Ryouko is talking about. He also experienced defeat regularly. He wasn't a winner from the start. If Akashi did not discover his talent and made him the phantom sixth man of Teiko, Kuroko cannot imagine where he could be at that moment. Would he still be able to play basketball until the present time?
Meanwhile, Ryouko continued. "I was worried that Sei-sama is gonna get poisoned by victory like what my grandpa said. That youkai jiji's (monster old man) words strike home most of the time like he's some kind of fortuneteller or something. Since Sei-sama left and said that he won't be returning to see me again, I've begun to wish that he'd experience defeat even once. That ought to make him understand a lot of things. After all, there are matters that you won't be able to realize without having firsthand experience. I believe that losing and winning belongs in that category. Those who have tasted defeat will realize how sweet victory is. It seems like Sei-sama is scared of losing and thus, he created another self who will never let him lose. He sealed away the gentle Sei-sama that I know, believing that he's a weakness he needed to get rid of. I'm really glad that the two Sei-sama had finally accepted each other," she said with a smile.
"Wow. You sure understand Akashi-kun well," Kuroko commented with awe.
"He is my precious older brother after all..." Ryouko told him with an air of pride.
Kuroko smiled at her demeanor.
"Oh? You have a really handsome smile, Kuroko-senpai. Your usual blank look is cute too," Ryouko suddenly said.
Kuroko greeted this with a blank expression. "Sorry. I don't really know how to react when people are complimenting me so sincerely. I'd rather take sarcasm."
Ryouko laughed. "You're weird, in a good way," she said. "You remind me of one of my cousins."
"One of your cousins?" Kuroko repeated, tilting his head to one side in curiosity.
"Hnn. His name is Keima and his expressions are a little similar to yours. He always look blank and more plain-looking when compared to my other cousins. Fujioka children have the tendency to be flamboyant and eye-catching but he's kinda mixing into the background more than standing into the spotlight. I like that about him. He's also very quiet and won't speak unless spoken to. One of the differences is that he's clumsier than you are. He reads books while crossing the street and stuff. I lost count of how many times I've pulled the back of his shirt to stop him from getting into an accident. There are times when I tell him something and he won't hear because he's got earphones plugged on his ears all the time. Even so, Keima has his own pace that no one can interrupt and I think that's admirable," she told him. She looked at Kuroko and looked apologetic. "I'm going on and on, aren't I? I'm sorry for making you listen at my self-absorbed chatter. I'm not usually this talkative."
Kuroko smiled. "Don't be sorry. I like listening to people more than talking about myself."
"We're a good match then," Ryouko said and grinned.
Suddenly, her phone rang. She took it out and read a message from Shinji. 'Breakfast is ready. Contrary to what you said, Kajimoto made the other guys carry the food. You don't have to go to the kitchen, just proceed to the main cabin,' it said. Ryouko sighed in exasperation. "Kajimoto-san, seriously..." she mumbled while placing her phone back to her pocket.
"Looks like we should go to the main cabin as soon as possible. They told me that breakfast is served," she said and turned to Kuroko. "Is your forehead alright?" she asked.
Kuroko took the cold pack from the area. "I think so," he answered.
As this was occurring, Ryoma was walking along the path towards the main cabin. He looked down at the side of the road and saw Ryouko at the rest area.
"So that's where she is..." he murmured to himself. Suddenly, he noticed that she wasn't alone. He stopped on his tracks and squinted at the person sitting beside her.
"Ano baka, mata... (That idiot, again...)" he said irritably and looked at the guy's face. "It's not that Sei-sama person again, is it?" he thought in dismay. When he finally saw the face, he blinked. "Who's that? Is there a guy like that among the basketball players? I can't seem to remember him," Ryoma thought.
All of a sudden, Ryouko reached out a hand and touched the guy's forehead. "What the heck..." Ryoma said, gritting his teeth. His feet itched to march towards them and it took all his concentration to keep them rooted firmly on the spot.
"Looks like it didn't leave a bump. That's a relief," Ryoma heard her say.
"Thanks for this," the guy said and handed her what looked like a pack of potato chips or something. Ryoma caught sight of the label. "Oh? It's a cold pack," he said.
"You're welcome. I apologize again for hitting you with the ball, senpai," she replied.
Ryoma huffed. "Senpai, my foot. They don't even go to the same school, what's with her calling him 'senpai'?" he murmured in irritation. He glared at Ryouko's smiling face as she walked alongside the highschooler. "Ah! Shiranai! Kamawanai! Suki ni sasete! (Ah! I don't know! I don't care! Let her do what she wants!)" he said and quickened his pace to reach the main cabin before them.
~~~
Akashi was walking with his fellow Rakuzan members towards the main cabin when Hayama spotted something by the other side of the road. "Oh? Isn't that Ryouko-chan walking longside Kuroko?" he said, squinting.
Akashi swerved his head to the direction and smiled. "Yea," he said.
"Wow... Looking as picture-perfect as usual huh?" Mibuchi commented. "It's infuriating but there's no denying those angelic looks. She's quite a gem," he added as he ran his fingers though his black hair.
"She really is a beauty, ain't she?" Hayama commented and grinned.
"You think that Ryouko is beautiful?" Seijuro asked his teammate, raising an eyebrow.
"Sure," Hayama said as he uncapped a cider bottle. "If you ignore her tough-as-rock personality, she's like a total Yamato Nadeshiko (epitome of a graceful Japanese lady)," he added before taking a long drink.
"Isn't she a little too young to be viewed that way?" Seijuro suddenly said. The other boys looked at each other curiously and blinked.
"Oi, oi, Akashi... You're not accusing us of harassment just because we said she's pretty, are you? We're still minors as well, technically speaking," Hayama jokingly said.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk..." Mibuchi said, a hand posed daintily under his chin. "You have no understanding of girls, Sei-chan... Ryouko is already in her pre-teens. Girls these days mature more quickly than boys does. Besides, I suspect that she's already more mature than she looks. She's raised in a high-class family and she deals with adults all the time during parties and social meetings just like you do. Don't underestimate the speed of a girl's growth. Pretty soon, she'll turn into a fine young lady that can capture the heart of any male that she desires," he commented. He set his eyes on Seijuro with a sort of teasing look. "If you still see her as a little girl, it's gonna bite you later, I presume," he added in a whisper.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Seijuro said, narrowing his eyes at Mibuchi.
"Betsuni riyuu ga arimasen... (No reason in particular...)" Mibuchi replied, pretending to look nonchalant.
Seijuro looked displeased. Mibuchi's words brought back a memory from two months ago. It was after the Winter Cup and he was starting to recover from Rakuzan's loss when one afternoon, his father called him to his study.
Seijuro always bore an ominous feeling everytime his father calls him to the study. It usually means trouble for him, extra duties of some sort or matters about the family. Seijuro perfectly knew that they're his responsibilities but he couldn't help but feel annoyed at times.
"Engagement?" Akashi repeated what his father just said. "What engagement?"
"It's not something that I decided. Your grandfather is responsible for the arrangement. It was set up a decade ago," Masaomi told his son.
Seijuro sighed. "Why can't Grandfather trust me with anything? It's my own marriage. I'll take care of it in the future. Grandfather nor Father do not have to arrange anything for me," he said in an almost complaining tone. Ever since he lost to Seirin, he began to show more emotions in front of people, especially his Father.
Masaomi was a little surprised at the change but he can't say that he didn't like it. His son only opened up his heart to his mother. Masaomi had always felt a distance between him and his son, and he knew well-enough that it was because of him and his uncaring nature. Being born in a prestigious family means that one should put the family's best interest over one's self. Seijuro needed to learn how to survive in the harsh environment of the upper class. Masaomi thinks of his uncaring nature as the best way to love his son, similar to how a lion lets its cub teach itself how to survive in the jungle. Firsthand experience is always the best way to learn.
"Well, maybe you'll change your mind once you know who the other party is," Masaomi said.
Seijuro looked almost bored. "Why? Is it someone I know?" he answered, quite unenthusiastic.
"It's Ryouko-kun," his father answered.
Seijuro looked up in surprise. "Ryouko? Fujioka Ryouko?" he said incredulously.
"Yes. Well, I can't blame Father for wanting to use marriage as a way to be closer to the Fujioka clan. That family is very meticulous in business trades but even more so with the matter of merging families. In the past, they liked to keep their bloodline pure and even went to the length of marrying cousins. They halted the tradition until ten generations later but they were very selective whenever a female Fujioka member is to wed outside the family circle. That basically means that the clan has to branch out and the head of that side of the family would not be a Fujioka. But after three generations, strangely enough, the clan was unable to produce female offsprings. It was not until four generations later that they saw another female Fujioka child and that is Ryouko-kun. It won't be surprising that they regard her marriage as a very important matter for the clan. Other families who wished to share the wealth of the Fujiokas saw this as a golden opportunity to marry into the family. The baby had not even learned how to sit up but she already had tons of engagement proposals. Your Grandfather is one of those who sent a marriage proposal to the Fujiokas. Honestly speaking, we have a greater advantage than any other family who submitted a request for engagement. The Fujiokas value prestige as they are a very old family whose bloodline had survived the times. They have a vast six hundred years worth of history from the roots of their clan to the present. Our family's prestige is the closest to the Fujioka. Other high-class families have wealth but is lacking in history," Masaomi narrated. "Take the Atobes, for example. I've heard that your uncle's father also made arrangements for his son Keigo to be engaged to the Fujioka heiress," he continued.
"Keigo? That arrogant runt with a mole under his eye?" Seijuro said, suddenly feeling unpleasant. He had never liked that kid. He only met him several times during family gatherings and he's as spoiled as a rotten egg. He even had the nerve to complain in a loud voice that he wanted to go home halfway through the third day of Seijuro's mother's wake. Talk about no sense of delicacy... That child obviously lacked manners. To Seijuro, his connection to that runt is merely a formal family tie, nothing more, nothing less.
"Yes. It seemed like Keigo's father had also wormed his way to charming the Fujioka heiress. Ryouko is now in Japan for some reason and I've heard some news here and there that the Atobes are beginning to hatch their plan of marrying into the Fujioka clan," Masaomi replied.
"What does Ryouko have to say with all of these? Did she give her consent?" Seijuro asked, a heavy feeling suddenly settling on his gut.
"Her consent doesn't matter. To upperclass familes like us, the decision of the head of the family is that one that matters," Masaomi answered.
"I'm pretty sure she won't let other people control her life like that. She'll put her foot on this matter sooner or later. She's a very stubborn girl," Seijuro said.
Masaomi smiled. "I did get that impression from her. As a matter of fact, your Grandfather said that Ryouko-kun herself sent video messages to the families who submitted the engagement proposals the moment she knew of their existence. She refused each and every one of the proposals but that is just her own opinion. The final say will have to officially come from the heads of the family," he said. "Well, anyways, wouldn't it be nice to be wed to someone you knew from childhood? You and Ryouko-kun had gotten along really well during your summer visits in London," he added, bringing the topic back on track.
"Don't tell me..." Seijuro said, a thought hitting him. He threw a suspicious look at his father. "Those summer visits... Did you send me there because of this so-called engagement?"
Masaomi let out a short laugh. Seijuro was surprised to hear his father laugh but contained his bewilderment.
"Do you think that I'm THAT calculating? I'm not your grandfather, you know. I did entertain Ryouichi-sensei's request of sending you as a tutor for his daughter because I want to further our acquaintanceship with the family but that's the only reason. I did not know about this engagement until yesterday," Masaomi said. "Father must have been alarmed by the actions that the Atobes are taking and he's afraid that they might win the affection of the Fujioka heiress. He wants me to inform you about your engagement as soon as possible. Perhaps you can arrange to meet with Ryouko-kun during your free time, that's what he said," he added.
"Chotto mate kudasai, Chichiue (Wait a minute, Father)," Seijuro suddenly said. He looked thoughtful. "If I understand these things right, I'm not really engaged to Ryouko because she might be engaged to the sons of the other families who offered a marriage proposal."
"Correct. It's a matter of who will the heads of the Fujioka clan will choose," Masaomi answered. "There's still the option of marrying her off to one of her cousins to keep the Fujioka bloodline pure and avoid any unnecessary branching out of the family tree, but Father is positive that the Fujiokas are seriously considering merging with one of the families that submitted engagement offers. Among all of those families, we have the strongest chance of getting picked but still, we have to be careful."
"But I don't want an arranged marriage. I don't want to marry Ryouko even if we get selected," Seijuro suddenly said.
His Father's eyes flashed dangerously. "What is that impudence, Seijuro? Do you mean to disobey the orders of the Family Head?"
"Father, Ryouko is a child. How do you expect me to accept a child as a marriage partner? That's insane," Seijuro said.
"A child?" Masaomi repeated and couldn't help feeling amused. "What was her age when you saw her last?" he asked his son.
"Ten," Seijuro answered. "And she's twelve right now. Still a child," he added.
Masaomi smiled. "Did you know that your mother and I were wed in an arranged marriage between the Akashi and the Atobe family?"
"Yes, I've heard," Seijuro answered, wondering what connection it has to what they were talking about earlier.
"The marriage talks started from the Atobes. Shiori is selected to be the bride but she told me later that she was not forced into the marriage at all. She volunteered to be selected as the bride. If she is to wed someone, at least it had to be me whom she knew from her childhood. When we were engaged, your mother was thirteen and I was seventeen. It's about the same as your age gap with Ryouko. At that age, your mother was not a child. She was a very fine young lady and I have to admit that I was lucky to have her as my partner," Masaomi said.
Seijuro's eyes were wide. It was the first time he ever heard his Father talk about his Mother.
"Seijuro," Masaomi said, his voice a lot softer than usual. "You may think of her as a child right now but she isn't. I saw her in her birthday party last winter. She is a very fine, very beautiful young lady. Girls grow up very fast and they mature twice as quick as boys does. I can assure you that because I have watched Shiori bloom thoughout the years. Ryouko is even more unique. Being a member of the Fujioka clan made her grow up faster than other girls her age. One can tell from observing the way she walks, talks and holds conversation with grown-ups as if she is their equal. She is very special. Any boy who would be given the prestige to be her marriage partner is very lucky. I'm not saying this because of the wealth of the Fujioka clan. I'm saying this as a Father who wants his son to have a good future with a beautiful lady by his side. I know that you want to make your own decisions, but it's my duty as your only living parent to give you advices about such important things," he paused and placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "Think about it and consider the matter. I will respect your wishes once you see Ryouko-kun again. Meet her just once or twice. After that, you are free to make your final decision. Whatever the outcome may be, I will help you out with convincing Father."
Snapping back to her senses, Seijuro sighed. He looked at Ryouko once again as his teammates went ahead.
He remembered the time he spent with her on top of that white tower yesterday. It actually bothered him for the whole night. For a moment there, she thought of Ryouko as pretty. Sure, he knew from the start that she's pretty but it was not the kind of 'pretty' that he used to describe her before.
Something had changed and Akashi is feeling anxious over that change.
'Change is the only constant thing in this world,' he remembered Ryouko say before.
"Indeed," he murmured to himself. "Have you changed as well, Ryouko?" he asked. "I was hoping that you didn't," he added and clenched his fist. "Even if everything changes, I hoped that you and I would stay the same..." he whispered to the wind.
~~~
Breakfast was noisy and filled with merriment as usual. The high schoolers felt a lot more comfortable with the junior high tennis players and most of them have developed a senior-junior relationship with their teammates.
Murasakibara is always surrounded by the freshmen, getting gawked at and asked questions and tips about achieving his high stature. "Mendokusai... (Troublesome...)" he said as he tried to ignore them while eating his breakfast.
Team 5 was contributing a large part of the noise mainly because of Satsuki and Mami.
With a grin, Mami seated herself right next to Aomine while Satsuki's back was turned. "Aomine-senpai... Say 'ahh'," she said, holding out a piece of eggroll with her chopsticks.
"What the heck, Mami... Go away," Aomine said with a sigh.
"Kyaa! Aomine-senpai called me by my first name!" Mami exclaimed, squirming with delight.
Upon returning to the table with her glass refilled with iced water, Satsuki met this scene and was once again riled up. "Daiki! I told you not to go near this girl again!" she scolded.
"She's the one who came and sat there. What do you want me to do?" Aomine answered simply.
"Bleh! Aomine-senpai says that it's alright for me to come near him. No one's asking for your permission, you old hag with saggy tits," Mami said, sticking out her tongue at Satsuki. "Go away, you're an eyesore."
Satsuki snapped. It took three guys to pry her away from Mami, namely Koganei, Himuro and Moriyama. Koganei was almost crushed flat and had to be taken away. Both girls growled at each other like rambling neighborhood dogs. With no one restraining her, Mami hooked her arm around Aomine's left elbow. Aomine merely looked uninterested and continued eating his meal.
"Come on, Satsuki. Take it easy, will you? Don't make such a fuss," Aomine said as he chewed on a sausage.
Mami grinned joyously at this. "Serves you right," she mouthed at Satsuki. Satsuki struggled to get out of Moriyama and Himuro's clutches. The two struggled to keep her at bay.
"Why am I being dragged into this?" Himuro asked, quite exasperated.
"Bear with it or there'll be a bloodbath here. Girls are scary when they fight," Moriyama told him.
"Old hag! Old hag!" Mami yelled mockingly.
"Shut up, you brat! I'm only sixteen!" Satsuki yelled back. She smirked and threw Mami a look of reproach. "Heh! You're just jealous 'cause you're flat-chested, you snot-nosed brat with milk on the lips!" she taunted.
Mami smirked in confidence. "How naïve, you old hag. Don't you realize? In time, my chest will grow. On the contrary, you'll continue getting old and your breasts will sag earlier while mine is still supple. Baka, baka, baka!" she said and blew a raspberry.
"My breasts will not sag!" Satsuki shouted in rage.
"Will too!" Mami said with a teasing tone.
"Will not!"
"Will too!"
"Will not!"
The Team 5 boys continued eating their breakfast with difficulty. The freshmen's faces were completely pink.
"Can they stop saying 'breasts' and 'tits' already? I'm eating here," Jun commented, unable to drink his glass of milk.
"Shuu, do something about Ayase. She's you're childhood friend, isn't she?" Keichi said with a complaining tone.
"I don't know that girl. She's an embarrassment," Shuu answered, trying to finish his meal as soon as he could.
Meanwhile, there's also a commotion in the third team.
"Kono okashi, okashii... (These sweets are strange...)" Davide said while eating the mochi that Sakuno made. Kurobane sighed while Izuki clapped joyously.
"Subarashii, subarashii! (Wonderful, wonderful!) You're the best, Davide-kun!" Izuki said as he wiped tears of happiness from his eyes.
"Arigatougozaimasu, Izuki-senpai," Davide said seriously, bowing his head to express his utmost gratitude.
"My head hurts," Kurobane said. Hyuga was passing by and he saw the sorry state that Kurobane is in.
"Nanka sumimasen desune, uchi no baka Izuki no koto (I'm kinda apologetic about our stupid Izuki)," Hyuga told him.
"No, it's okay... Well, we always ignore Davide's puns. I guess he's overjoyed that there's someone who appreciates them," Kurobane said.
Tohru, Mikoto and Motoki joined them. "Don't they get tired of making dajare though? They've been at it for three hours straight last night. It was so noisy, we had trouble sleeping," Mikoto said.
"But Izuki's supposed to be sleeping in the main building with Mitobe," Hyuga said in confusion. "Don't tell me... Did he shack up with you guys last night? That troublesome little..."
"Oh no. He did sleep in the main building but he spent three hours in our cabin from 8 pm until 11, sharing puns with Davide-san," Motoki said with an uncomfortable laugh.
"We had to listen to 'What does a panda eat? Pan-da. (Bread)' about ten times in a row," Tohru said and sighed. "They were trying to figure out how to say it better to make it more hilarious."
"Did the mochi turn out bad?" Sakuno asked Davide and Izuki worriedly.
"Eh?" Izuki said. "No, they're fine. Very mochilicious, Sakuno-chan," he added.
"But you said that they were strange," Sakuno said, looking upset. (okashi – sweets, okashii – strange)
"She didn't get the joke," Hyuga said.
"Yep, she didn't," Kurobane said.
Izuki ignored them. "By the way, what's for lunch, Sakuno-chan?"
"E... Umm..." Sakuno said and started to think. "I'm thinking that steak will be nice. We have a lot of meat left," she answered.
"Suteiki wa suteki (Steak is lovely)," Davide told Sakuno with a poker face and a thumbs up.
"Davide-kun, bravo!" Izuki exclaimed, clapping like a seal.
"Arigatougozaimasu, senpai," Dacvide said once again complete with the bow of gratitude.
"I find it kinda awkward whenever Davide-san calls Izuki-san 'senpai'," Motoki commented.
"Yea. Davide-san is quite taller than Izuki-san after all. It's like an adult bowing down to a teenager," Tohru added.
Meanwhile, Sakuno looked quite pleased that Davide and Izuki liked her idea. "Steak it is then. I'll make it yummy," she said with a smile.
"She didn't get it again," Kurobane and Hyuga said simultaneously.
"A new discovery," Motoki said. "Ryuzaki-san is an idiot at dajare."
At the other end of the table, Kikumaru and Koganei had gotten together. To run away from the catfight in Team 5's table, Koganei squeezed himself with the Team 3 folks. During the Easter Egg game, Koganei had traded an egg with Kikumaru without any difficult negotiations. They became good friends after that.
"Koganei-san, you played tennis before, right?" Kikumaru asked.
"Yup, but it didn't settle kinda well with me. Team sports suited me better, I think," Koganei answered.
"Zannen. (What a waste.) Well, that can't be helped," Kikumaru said. "I also heard that you played baseball and soccer as well," he added.
"Yep. I'm an all-rounder when it comes to sports," Koganei said proudly.
"Ohh," Kikumaru said in amazement. "As expected of the Jack of all trades, master of none!"
"Eh?" Koganei said blankly, looking at Kikumaru. "Where'd you hear that from?"
"Riko-san," Kikumaru answered.
"Coach, you're so mean!" Koganei said, shedding tears. "Does she really have to ruin my reputation even here?" he complained.
At the left side of the hall, the table of the second team was perhaps the most orderly among all the teams except for the fact that Kise is always trying to encourage conversation.
"Hey, let's talk about something... It's such a rare opportunity to spend meals like this together. Say something, darekaaaaaa (anyoneeeee)..." He whined.
Irritated, Kasamatsu and Ryouko launched themselves towards him. Kasamatsu landed a kick on his right shin and Ryouko made contact with the left shin.
"Urusai, baka Kise! (Shut up, stupid Kise!)" They shouted at the same time. Kise fell on the floor, writhing.
Startled at the sudden synchronization, they looked at each other.
"Domo. (Hello.) I've been seeing you a lot but I believe I haven't asked for your name yet," Ryouko said, bowing politely to Kasamatsu.
Despite himself, Kasamatsu felt sheepish. "I'm Kasamatsu Yukio from Kaijou High. I already graduated though," he said and reached a hand for a handshake.
Ryouko took it. "Hajimemashite, Kasamatsu-senpai (Nice to meet you, Kasamatsu-senpai)," she greeted.
"Same here, Fujioka Ryouko. I think we'll get along well," Kasamatsu said, shaking her hand.
"Indeed," Ryouko answered.
"Wow. Zey reasht newtyal hantershtanding fom feashing hup Shise (They reached mutual understanding from beating up Kise)," Kagami commented with his mouth full.
"Kagami-kun, I can't understand a thing you're saying. Please don't talk with your mouth full. Your spit is flying to my plate," Kuroko said, rescuing the said plate and holding it far from Kagami.
Ryouko settled down on her seat again and continued with her meal. She was suddenly distracted as Kagami reached over to the center of the table to grab a burgersteak.
Ryouko watched Kagami as he devoured another serving. "Chipmunk," she thought as Kagami stuffed his cheeks and ate with gusto.
Kagami felt her gaze on him and he looked down at her. "Whasshup?" he asked, his mouth stuffed with omellette.
Ryouko looked up at him, blinking her large, limpid eyes. Her gaze fell upon Kagami's pair of eyebrows. "Waa... Amazing eyebrows. What's with that shape? They got two ends?" she thought randomly. "I kinda..." she reached her hands upwards at Kagami's face. "...wanna touch 'em."
And indeed, she touched them. "Ohh. I thought they're gonna be prickly like an old man's newly grown beard but they're really smooth and silky," she said, tracing Kagami's eyebrows multiple times with her forefingers.
The members of the Generation of Miracles watched with dumbfounded expressions as Ryouko continued smoothing out Kagami's eyebrows. Kagami was all stiff from shock.
"Waa... This feels kinda nice. It's like I'm rubbing a talisman," she said.
Kuroko stood up and reached a hand to Kagami's eyebrows. "Let me try," he said and copied what Ryouko was doing.
"Oh? You're right. I feel quite light-hearted all of a sudden," Kuroko said.
Suddenly, Midorima rose from his seat. "That—that shape..." he said, pointing at Kagami's eyebrows. "Two splitting ends like the end of a snake's tongue. Oha-asa said that it is a lucky shape for all kinds of zodiacs today!" He hurried to Kuroko and Ryouko's side. "Let me touch them too."
"Oi, can you stop treating my eyebrows like some kind of spectacle at a zoo?" Kagami said.
Kise laughed out loud. "They're freaking out over Kagami's eyebrows! So lame!"
Ryouko gave him the evil eye. He immediately shut up. She narrowed her eyes at him. "Seriously... Why is a thing like Kise popular with girls anyway? Are they blind or something?" she said.
"A 'thing' like Kise. Wow. He's been demoted to an inanimate being. Way to go, Ryou-chin," Murasakibara commented.
"Ryou-chin?" Ryouko repeated cluelessly.
"Ryoukocchi, so mean..." Kise cried.
"Ryouko, stop badmouthing people. It's unsightly," Akashi said as he tapped his lips lightly with a table napkin.
"It's true though. Kise's not even that good-looking. Kuroko-senpai is more good-looking than him. I don't understand girls," Ryouko suddenly said.
Kuroko choked on his lemon juice.
"Kuroko is... more good-looking than Kise..." Moriyama, who, like Shinji, found some way to escape from the catfight in Team 5's table, passed by and overheard what Ryouko said. He bursted in laughter. "Man, Ryouko-chan... I'd love to see the world from your eyes. I bet it'll be interesting," he snickered.
"My, my, Mr. Good-looking," Hyuga who was on his way back to the Team 1's table also passed by and overheard. He hooked an arm over his kouhai's neck.
"Please stop making fun of me, captain," Kuroko said, his face completely red.
Suddenly, a sound reverberated all over the hall. "A, a, mic testing," Arai's voice bounced off the walls.
"Arai, you're already connected!" Hayama hissed, his voice amplified by the speakers.
"Huh? Say that sooner will you?" Arai exclaimed, sounding pissed off.
"Why are they playing around the the PA system, those dorks..." Momoshiro commented before biting off the skin off of his chicken leg.
"Ahem," Arai suddenly said. He seemed to be composing himself. "We told you that the announcement of the first event for today will be conducted after breakfast but to save more time, we'll announce it right now via the PA system. That way, you'll have more time to rest and digest the food you ate before the event starts," he cleared his throat.
"Ohh..." The campers said in anticipation.
"Unfortunately, for this event, the basketball players would not be able to join. You may join in the afternoon event," Arai said.
"Ehhhh? Nande dayooooo? (Whyyyyyy)?" Koganei said, his tone complaining.
"As everyone is aware, today is the second to the last day of our tennis camp. To commemorate it properly, we will be holding one-on-one tennis matches among the tennis players who have gathered here," Arai announced.
"Well, it can't be helped. We can't play tennis after all. Let's sit this one out," Hayama said with a shrug.
"There is a catch as always," Arai continued. "The line ups were decided via random lottery by the camp managers and the pair of opponents that will face off in the court will come from the same team!"
"From the same team?" An repeated, blinking. "You mean... a member of Team 1 against a member of Team 1?" she said incredulously.
"Yes, you heard that right! People who have survived the last five days depending on each other will face off as opponents on the court! Isn't that jolly exciting?" Arai said. "Everyone, please look at the screen in front of the hall stage."
The screen automatically rolled down and the projector flickered to life. "This is the line up between the team members!" he announced.
Everyone gaped at the line-ups. "The heck! Team 2's line ups are crazy!" Yanagisawa yelled, pointing at the second table.
"Kite versus Tachibana?" Kai read.
"Yukimura versus Sanada?" Yagyu exclaimed.
"Yuuta-kun versus Mizuki-san?" Nomura said incredulously. "Teacher and apprentice, facing off in the court?"
"Since when did I become Mizuki-san's apprentice?" Yuuta said with a sigh. Even so, he looked forward to playing against Mizuki. Thinking about it, they never fought off in a tennis match before.
"Prepare yourself for a bitter loss, Yuuta-kun," Mizuki said from his side, smiling and twirling his hair as always.
"Oteyarawakani... (Please go easy on me...)" Yuuta said with a grin.
"Oi, oi. Why is my name not there?" Ryouko suddenly complained. "Arai-senpai! You forgot to put my name on it!" she yelled, quite irked.
"Eh? But the Representatives aren't supposed to participate either," Arai said.
"Ooh, he can hear us? Amazing! How'd he do that? He's not even here! Is he a sorcerer?" Kintarou said in admiration, looking up at the ceiling.
"The room must be equipped with microphones. Quit that stupid look on your face, Kinta. It's not magic. Stop making yourself look idiotic," Koharu said in exasperation.
"Ah, his IQ suffered another landslide," Hitoji commented.
"I also want to play," Ryouko declared firmly. "I'm also a tennis player, you know!"
"But... if you play, there would be no opponent," Arai said.
"What do you mean by 'no opponent'?" She said and pointed at the screen. "I don't see Keigo's name anywhere. He's in Team 2 so he should participate. Add this under the last bracket. Fujioka Ryouko versus Atobe Keigo," she instructed.
"Ohh! Interesting!" Momoshiro commented with a laugh.
"She's really bossy..." Hayama commented, grinning.
Arai sounded quite uncomfortable with her suggestion. "But Atobe-san is... the camp—"
Suddenly, there was a great feedback from the microphone. Everyone plugged their ears. The feedback subsided in a second and a different person spoke through the speakers.
"Ohh..." Atobe's voice rang clear throughout the hall. "Is that a challenge, Ryouko?" he said cockily.
"Sure it is," Ryouko answered, folding her arms in front of her. "Let's finish that match we didn't get to finish in the Seigaku's courts when we first met, shall we?"
"Ha. Amazing confidence as always. Tadashi... (However...)" Atobe said and paused. "If you're gonna make me join in this game, I want a condition."
"What kind of condition?" Ryouko asked, quite curious.
"If I win, you will personally accept the marriage proposal from my grandfather and you will be engaged to me," he said.
Silence filled the hall as everyone processed that little piece of information. Of all the people inside the main cabin, Seijuro's red pupils were the widest, although a certain pair of bronze-gold eyes were also popping out their sockets.
"E—e—ENGAGEMENT???" Everyone chorused incredulously.
"Ke-kekkon... (Ma-marriage...)" Miyako repeated, her face burning.
"Kyaaaa!" Mami squealed. "Is he confessing his love to her indirectly? Is he? Is he?" she screamed.
Ryouko was frozen in shock for a while but she recovered her composure immediately. "Why are you asking such a preposterous—"
"Why? Are you not confident in winning?" Atobe taunted.
Ryouko gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. "Like hell I am! I accept your condition! No... I'll even get married to you tomorrow if I lose today's match!" she declared.
"EHHHHHHHH???" Everyone chorused, the volumes of their voices rising.
"Very well... See you on the court in two hours, my future bride," Atobe said.
There was another feedback then Arai's complaining voice sounded. "Hey, wait, Atobe-sa—"
The PA system was suddenly turned off and silence enveloped the hall.
"Wha..." An said, quite speechless.
"What the heck???" Kikumaru, Kawamura, Oishi and Momoshiro all raced towards Ryouko.
"Hime-chan! Why did you agree to such a ridiculous thing?" Kikumaru said.
"Oi, oi, Ryouko. This ain't funny. You better take that back," Momoshiro said.
"Betting your marriage over an unofficial game is too much!" Oishi said sternly, reprimanding her.
"That's right, Ryouko. You should break that condition and just don't participate in the game," Kawamura said.
"Is Atobe serious?" Tezuka suddenly interrupted, looking thoughtful with his knuckles under his chin.
"He sounded as if he was fooling around," Kaidoh commented.
Fuji clenched his fist. "Even so..." he said. "This isn't a funny joke." His blue eyes sparked dangerously. "Should I go to him and set him right? No matter how you think about it, Atobe's got a lose screw in that messed-up head of his."
Miyako and Mami were nearby and Miyako couldn't help whispering at her friend's ear. "Is it just me or does Fuji-senpai look more agitated compared to the other senpais?" she asked.
"He does look really angry..." Mami whispered back.
"Stay out of this, senpaitachi. This is my match," Ryouko said, passing by them and flipping her hair moodily. "Whether Keigo's just fooling around or not, it doesn't really matter 'cause I'm going to win," she said and started leaving the hall.
Everyone merely followed her with their eyes as she went out. No one noticed two individuals slip out from the crowd in silence, using another exit to go out of the hall.
"Ohh... This is so exciting," Hayama commented with a snicker.
"We get to witness such an interesting thing ei?" Mibuchi said, smirking. "What to do about your little sister, Sei-chan?" he said and looked at the side where Akashi was standing before.
"Inai... (He's gone...)" Mibuchi murmured with wide eyes.
~~~
Ryouko was marching straight to the Team 2's main cabin to fetch her tennis bag when all of a sudden, someone grabbed her wrist.
She turned her head sideways. "Sei-sama?" she said questioningly.
Seijuro had followed her out of the hall without noticing it himself. He opened his mouth to speak. "What are you doing?" he asked.
"I'm going to my team's cabin to get my racket," she answered.
"I'm not asking about that!" Seijuro exclaimed. "Just what did you do? Why did you agree to such a preposterous—"
"It's okay even if it's preposterous. It doesn't matter what condition it is 'cause I'm going to win," Ryouko told him and smiled. "I'll show you how strong I am, Sei-sama. If you conquer the basketball court, I conquer the tennis court." She placed a hand over his to take his hand off her wrist.
Seijuro tightened her grip. "Don't," he said. "Don't do anything."
"Huh?" Ryouko said questioningly. "Sei-sama? What's wrong? You're face looks weird."
At that moment, Seijuro realized what he was doing. He abruptly let go of her wrist. "Nothing," he answered. "Nothing's wrong," he added and avoided her eyes. "Go ahead." He turned around to the other direction and left in a hurry.
"Sei-sama..." Ryouko said as she looked at his retreating back. She began to feel worried. "Did he eat something weird at breakfast?" she asked herself.
Taking a mental note to take some stomach pain medicine to Seijuro later, Ryouko proceeded on her way but she was once again stopped by someone. This time, the person grabbed her upper arm.
"What is it?" she said in exasperation as she turned around. She blinked. "Ryoma? What the heck are you doing here? You should continue eating breaksfast."
"What the heck was that?" Ryoma said with an unrecognizable tone in his voice. His head was bowed slightly and his bangs covered his eyes so Ryouko couldn't see the fire burning in his bronze-gold pupils.
Ryouko sighed. "Will you stop overreacting? I'm going to win so whatever Keigo's condition is, I—"
"Don't speak his name in front of me!" Ryoma interrupted. He grabbed her other arm with his free hand and tightened his grip, squeezing both of her arms.
"Oi, that hurts, you idiot!" she exclaimed and winced as she felt his nails digging onto her skin.
Ryoma lifted his face and Ryouko looked at him. Her eyes widened at the sight of his wavering pupils.
"You..." Ryoma murmured, pulling her close by the arms and pressing his forehead onto hers. "You really want to see me go crazy, don't you?" he said as he closed his eyes.
"Ryo... ma?" Ryouko mumbled in surprise.
Hiya guys! I'm so sorry for the long delay in the update. I've been off wattpad for the past three days for personal reasons but don't worry, I'm back on track! XD
I really hope you enjoyed the update!
This is Fujioka Keima, 14 years of age. XD You'l be seeing him soon along with the other Fujioka cousins! Please look forward to it!
hehehe See you on Saturday, not next week. I'm sticking to my promise this time. LOL XD