Loud crashing sound of someone tumbling down the stairs woke everyone in the Echizen's household before the break of dawn on a Saturday morning.
"Onii-chan?" A sleepy Rika rubbed her eyes as she stood at the top of the stairs and looked down at the eldest fallen Echizen with his luggage spreaded out all over the place.
"Oww...." Ryoga rubbed the back of his head which hit the stairs before he lookes up at the sound of Rika's voice. "Did I wake you up, chibi-chan?"
"In fact you woke everyone up, nii-san. You wanted to leave without saying a thing again. Didn't you?" A very Groggy Ryoma looked at his brother with his arms crossed in frobt of his chest.
"You know I'm not good at saying goodbyes. Plus, I will be coming back! I promise!" Ryoga panicked and said, looking at Rika, worried that she would start crying knowing that he is leaving.
"Onii-chan. Can we see you off at the airport today? Rika will be good." However, to Ryoga's surprise, Rika didn't cry and was asking to see him off.
Ryoga was dumbfounded but he nodded and smiled.
Ryoga drove his personal car, that has been kept away safely in the garage, and brought his siblings along to the airport.
He gave Rika and Ryoma a tight hug once they reached the airport, whispering a soft 'I love you both' before walking through the departure gates without turning back.
"Rike wuv you too, onii-chan! Come back soon!" Rika yelled loudly, waving her arms at Ryoga's leaving silhouette.
"Rika? Ryoma too?" A very familiar husky male voice can be heard from behind the pair of sibling, making them turn to see two familiar person that they miss.
"Why are you both here? We didn't call because we wanted to give you both a surprise!" Their mother said as she pouted.
"Kaa-chan! Rika and Ryo-nii was saying bye bye to Onii-chan!" Rika jumped into her mother's arms as she pointed to the departure gates Ryoga just left by.
"So he finally came back but he left again?" Their mother said sadly.
"That must mean your tennis is still mada mada dana!" Nanjirou chuckled and ruffled Rika's hair lightening the atmosphere while making Rika puff up her cheeks.
"Nanjirou you are just like a child!" Their mother laughed while following her family and started heading home.
"Okaa-san, so how is grandpa feeling? Is he better?" Ryoma asked on their way home in Ryoga's car(nanjirou is driving).
"Ahh, things are better but we may have to go back there in the near future." Their mother replied.
"Rika wanna go too! Rika wanna meet jii-chan!" Rika jumped around in the back seat excitedly.
"Alright! Then we can relive our life back in America for a little while!" Nanjirou grinned, as he thought back of the time he looked at bikini babes at the beach near their home in America.
"As long as you don't get to go anywhere near a beach it is all good." His wife said making their children laugh in the backseat at the misfortune of their father.
Oh my goodness, I didn't realise this but this story is in ranking #2 for princeoftennis category. Its a small achievement, it is all thanks to all of you who are reading and supporting this story! I wuv you, from the author, Rika and Ryoma.