Flashback on the night after Ryoma and Ryouko went to Den's tennis dome and commemorated the fateful beginning of their 'formal dating' period, Ryuzaki Sakuno had went to her bestfriend, Osakada Tomoka's home for a sleepover. The sleepover was requested by Tomoka for she had been dying for company after spending day in and day out caring for her younger brothers, sending and picking them up from daycare and keeping watch on the house and store for three days straight.
Right after the disaster of Ryoma refusing to take Sakuno's bentou during one of the days that Fujioka Ryouko went missing, Tomoka's mother had a minor accident while working in their small grocery store and ended up hurting her back. She had to be hospitalized for several days for stabilization and better recovery. To compromise to her absence, Tomoka had to stay at home to care for her younger twin brothers and tend to the store while her father works in the office and her older cousin accompanies her mother in the hospital.
Tomoka had missed a lot of the happenings in school and she had been dying to hear what had been going on especially after she caught the news of Ryouko returning to school. Sakuno had been downright depressed after Ryoma had flatly refused to take her home-made lunch and Tomoka felt a bit responsible for encouraging her friend to make the meal. She never thought of the possibility of her Ryoma-sama rejecting a girl's good-natured act of kindness especially when it was made out of concern for him. And she certainly didn't expect a boy to refuse good food when it's being handed to him for free. She believed that the saying 'the way to a man's heart is through his stomach' is pretty foolproof...
Tomoka pondered about it but she just couldn't understand why Ryoma-sama didn't take the lunch. It wasn't as if it would hurt him to receive it... Even after she had all that free time idling away in the counter of the store and thinking about it over and over, she still couldn't think of a reason for the rejection.
But it wasn't just for Tomoka's sake that she asked for Sakuno to come over to her house. As she was away from school for three days, there was no one to give Sakuno the comfort she needed to recover from the bentou-rejection incident. Sakuno is the type of girl that always needed a push to step forward and with the kind of personality she has, she doubted that her timid friend made any other attempts to get closer to Ryoma-sama during the days of Fujioka Ryouko's absence.
"I just had to be away from school at such a bad timing..." Tomoka thought and sighed. It would have been a good opportunity to push Sakuno closer to Ryoma-sama since there's no bishoujo-best-friend hanging around him, but now, it seemed that the opportunity had completely slipped from their fingers. Fujioka Ryouko is back at school and from what she heard from the fanclub members, she and Ryoma-sama became even more inseperable compared to before she went missing. She could just imagine what Sakuno is feeling since she was present in school to witness it all.
Upon receiving a message from Sakuno that she is on her way, Tomoka did what she can to force the twins to bed before she arrived and the two of them had a few peaceful moments as Tomoka replenished her stamina. as she rested, they had tea with yokan jelly while watching a movie that Sakuno brought with her.
After the movie ended, Tomoka asked her friend about the latest happenings in school and chose the right timing to bring up the matter about Ryoma. At the mere mention of his name, Sakuno looked downright gloomy.
"Seriously Sakuno... What are you gonna do if you're always like that?" Tomoka said in exasperation.
"But it's not as if I know what to do... I keep on finding reasons to approach Ryoma-kun but I couldn't find anything..." Sakuno answered in a tiny voice.
After hearing her friend's pathetic excuses, Tomoka went straight to a scolding. "Look here, you simple-minded girl... Not everything has to have a reason... So what if you approach Ryoma-sama with no particular objective? The reason why your progress is so slow is because you always look for excuses to meet him. Why don't you just say the truth, that you want to have a conversation with him or you want to get to know him better..." she said matter-of-factly.
"I don't want to do that... What if Ryoma-kun starts to avoid me when I say such things? And I can't say such a straight-forward line even if I want to..." Sakuno replied, nibbling on a yokan jelly speared on her fork.
Tomoka sighed. "You really are hopeless without me..." she murmured. "Well, my cousin called from the hospital this afternoon and said that Mom would be discharged tomorrow morning. I can go back to school on Monday," she added.
"Really?" Sakuno said cheerfully, delighted at the prospect of her friend returning to school. It had been quite lonely without her. "I'm so glad Auntie recovered so fast," she added.
"She's not fully recovered yet. She still has to stay in bed for a few more days but since Hana-neechan can also return home, I don't have to miss school anymore. She said she'll take care of Mom and the twins and watch the store. I only have to help out at night during closing time," Tomoka answered.
"That's a relief... I'll also help out if you need-" Sakuno said but Tomoka cut her off.
"Don't be ridiculous. I won't make you help out in the store. We have more important things to do," she snapped and slammed a hand on the small tea table. "See here Sakuno... If you don't step up your game, Ryoma-sama would drift further and further away and get snatched by Ryouko-san completely. Do you want that to happen?" she added, sounding serious.
Sakuno began fidgeting with the end of her long braid. "No... I don't want that but... It's not as if we can do something about it... Ryoma-kun has the freedom to choose who to hang out with and-"
"Amai! (Naive!)" Tomoka exclaimed, startling Sakuno. "If you keep on being so naive and keep up that kind of attitude, you'd be no match to Ryouko-san or any of the other girls who admires Ryoma-sama. The boy you like is a campus heartthrob, Sakuno. Why can't you understand that? He had been famous enough because of tennis and now he's even more famous because of the festival. If someone beats you at confessing first, what would you do if Ryoma-sama starts dating that someone?"
Sakuno's face turned pink at the prospect of dating. "B-but... We're junior high freshmen... We're still too young to date and I don't think Ryoma-kun is interested in d-d-dating..." she squeaked.
Tomoka sighed. "Times had changed several generations ago, little miss... Junior high students date around much more than you think. Have you been living under a rock?"
Sakuno thought that Tomoka has a point but she still doesn't think that Ryoma is one of those who are interested in dating so early. She began stating her grounds but Tomoka cut her off again. "B-but just because most junior high students date doesn't mean that Ryoma-kun also-"
"Enough excuses," Tomoka snapped. "I'll ask you just two questions. You have to answer honestly... Do you like Ryoma-sama or not? And just how sincere are your feelings?"
"I..." Sakuno said and placed a hand at her chest. "I like him..." she murmured.
"What? I can't hear you," Tomoka said, urging her to continue.
"I like him..." Sakuno said softly.
"Still can't hear you!" Tomoka remarked, cupping a hand over one ear.
"I like Ryoma-kun!" Sakuno exclaimed, her heart thudding like a series of drumbeats. "I've fallen for him ever since we first met... And my feelings have never changed the slightest... I want him to look at me the same way... if possible... But... if it's not possible... then I'm contented just looking at him from afar..." she said as tears started to well in her brown eyes.
"Would you still be able to say that while looking at Ryoma-sama with another girl by his side?" Tomoka asked.
The statement struck Sakuno like lightning. Everytime she saw Ryoma-kun with a girl, may it be Fujioka Ryouko or one of his admirers in the same grade or the upper levels, she always felt a painful sting in her chest. And she always ended up running away so she wouldn't be able to see anymore.
She would be contented just looking at him from afar? Who is she kidding? She is overestimating herself and making excuses because she's too scared to take a step forward.
Tomoka studied Sakuno's facial expression silently and gave a small smile. It seemed like she succeeded in making her friend realize a ground-breaking fact. No girl would be contented just looking at the boy they like from afar. That would most likely end in bitter regrets afterwards. It would be less regretful to look back and see that you have done something instead of idling around and doing nothing. She at least want to spare Sakuno from such regrets.
Tomoka placed a hand on Sakuno's shoulder and said, "Don't worry... I'll be here to cheer you on and help you out...But you have to tell him how you feel, or Ryoma-sama would never know about your feelings. In my opinion, you have been closer to Ryoma-sama compared to most of the girls who like him the same way... You may have a better chance at making him like you in return. Ryouko-san is his childhood friend and best friend, both of them have always said that themselves... You don't have to be intimidated by her. You have to be braver, Sakuno... You have to step forward or nothing will start..."
Sakuno kept quiet the entire time, pondering on her thoughts and Tomoka's words. Perhaps, it is time that she makes her feelings known. Perhaps Tomo-chan is right... The school year is almost ending and many things have happened. She had watched over Ryoma-kun for the entire time since the moment they met and she had kept him special and close to her heart.
"You have plenty of chances to tell him how you feel," Tomoka suddenly said, cutting into Sakuno's thoughts. "Ryoma-sama's birthday is the same as Christmas eve and we would have the annual Christmas party celebrated separately by grade. That means that all the freshmen sections would celebrate together... It's his birthday so you have the reason to prepare something special and if it doesn't work out on Christmas eve, it would be Christmas once morning comes and you would have another chance. If you still manage to screw up for the second time, there would be the New Year's celebration and Valentine's day at the start of our second year in junior high. Just focus on those big events and do your best."
Sakuno looked at Tomoka with a hopeful look in her eyes. "You really think that I can do this, Tomo-chan?" she asked feebly.
"Sure you can! Just believe in yourself!" Tomoka told her with a smile.
With a newly-formed determination blossoming inside her chest, Sakuno clenched her small fists. She has to take a step forward and tell Ryoma-kun how she feels about him. Whatever the outcome may be, she would not overthink. She can't keep on just watching by the sidelines or she won't be any different from a stalker.
"Kami-sama, douka mikata ni shite kudasai... (God, please take my side...)" she solemnly prayed.
Meanwhile, Tomoka has other ideas in her head. The fanclub had been quiet for sometime since Seigaku's practice had been put on hold for so long but perhaps, it's time for the fanclub members to show the power of their adoration. The fanclub had grown massive after the festival and even with the absence of the president, people still approached the fellow members to express their interest of joining.
In her opinion, Sakuno doesn't quite get how popular Ryoma-sama is. Maybe she would feel threatened after seeing Ryoma-sama receive countless gifts from his admirers. For girls like Sakuno, perhaps seeing for herself just how many rivals she has would motivate her to be braver and bolder.
"If Sakuno is too scared to take a step forward, then I'll make her step out forcibly... May it be pure determination, jealousy or fear, a step is a step, regardless of whatever caused it..." Tomoka thought.
~~~
When Seigaku resumed training on Saturday, it was also announced that they would have practice on Sunday as well to make up for the days that they were idle. With the regular programs back at full force, both Ryoma and Ryouko went back to focusing on tennis as their main priority.
The days seemed to fly by and before they noticed, it was already Friday. It had already been a week since the moment that Ryoma asked Ryouko to formally date.
Unfortunately, the instant right after they dived back into tennis practice, they hardly spent time alone with each other aside from a few fleeting moments during lunch and after classes. Since Ryouko's responsibility is not with training the regulars, they hardly interact during practice.
Tennis training coupled with schoolwork and a few random interruptions ate away at their schedules and with Ryouko busy with designing new individualized programs for the junior and freshmen members, and Ryoma too tired upon returning home that he could barely stay awake during his after-school baths, it was difficult for them to converse via messages and calls at night. But even amidst their busy schedules, they never slept without bidding each other goodnight on the phone. It seemed like the sweet days of dating have to be set aside to make way for tennis.
Night just dawned on that Friday and Ryouko found herself staring at her phone after bidding Ryoma a goodnight greeting. Try as he might, Ryoma could not hide the tiredness in his voice and Ryouko herself told him to cut the call and have some rest. She knows the mountainload of exercises included in the regimen of the regulars. It would have been amazing if Ryoma remained energetic from that amount of training after a hectic day of classes and lessons. In Ryouko's opinion, the time he would spend talking to her on the phone should be spent on rest and sleep instead.
Nevertheless, having fully-packed days of activities is not a foreign thing to both of them and Ryouko actually likes it more when she spends each day productively as she work towards a specific goal in mind. However, Ryouko's current problem does not lie with them being wedged apart by hectic schedules... It is a lot different from that, and she had been pondering over the matter by herself for the past few days.
It all started on Monday when she and Ryoma had just began adjusting to their brand-new school routines. Being in the same class gave them quite an advantage for it wouldn't seem odd for them to walk through corridors and eat their meals in each other's company.
However, even those peaceful moments were not smooth-sailing for Ryoma would always be called out by random people every after each period. It wouldn't have been a bother to Ryouko, but unfortunately, those random people were all girls.
Every morning, there seemed to be a different girl approaching him for small talk. Sometimes, there would be a group of them. Ryouko asked about what they came to speak to him for and Ryoma would often answer that they merely complimented him for his performance in the festival, expressed admiration about him being Seigaku's youngest ace, asked his full name or inquired something about tennis.
Some outright gave him cards and gifts which he tried refusing at first but ended up taking because most girls leave the items near him even after he refused. Even his shoe locker is full of stuff throughout the day.
He once mentioned something about taking the items to the lost and found but Ryouko doubted that he is capable of doing that. Even though he acted cold outside, Ryouko knows just how warm-hearted Ryoma is. His conscience would not permit him to actually leave the items in the lost and found so he ended up sharing the edible ones with the members of the club.
As for the cards and letters, they remained unopened and got confiscated by Ryouko to be burned in the Fujioka kitchen later.
But it wasn't just the gifts and cards and the constant interruptions during what little time they could spend together that bothered Ryouko. Some of those girls themselves were quite problematic.
Osakada Tomoka who seemed to be absent from school because of personal matters had led the fanclub at full force and seemed to act up even more right after her return from a three-day home-stay. She doesn't have any evidence but Ryouko has a feeling that Osakada has some sort of responsibility about the gift-giving and the unusually enthusiastic advances of the girls at school. Upon observation, Ryouko noticed that most of those girls were freshmen.
But as if Osakada and her group were not enough trouble, some unknown characters even contributed to the mayhem. Ryouko recalled an especially unpleasant happening on Tuesday as she and Ryoma were attending to an errand for a teacher in the third year's floor.
They were talking intently to each other about Ryuzaki-sensei's anouncement of possibly setting up practice games with a group of professional tennis instructors, when out of the blue, their path was blocked by a senior girl.
"Konnichiwa... (Hello...)" the senior girl said as she smiled at them.
Ryoma and Ryouko stopped in their tracks, their arms full with the flyers they were supposed to take to the faculty office at the end of the third year's floor. They blinked blankly at first, both trying to remember whether they know the girl or not. Nevertheless, they bowed their head in greeting. After all, they shouldn't be dismissive towards a senpai.
"You're Echizen Ryoma-kun, right? The freshman regular in the tennis club?" the girl asked, casually tucking in her burgundy-tinted curled hair behind one ear.
Ryoma nodded in response.
The girl continued smiling and seemed to be waiting for a proper reply.
With an internal sigh, Ryoma opened his mouth and spoke. "Senpai is right but I don't think I know you..." he answered.
The senior girl giggled and placed a hand daintily over her mouth. "Oh how embarrassing... I thought I am pretty well-known in campus but it turns out you don't know me..." she said and went straight to introduction. "My name is Taniyama Miya, and I'm the current president of the school drama club..."
At the mention of the drama club, Ryouko finally remembered who the girl is. The group that won the Best Playwright and the overall winner of the festival's school play competition consisted of a collection of third years from different classes. The person who played the lead in that play is the senior in front of them, one of the graduating members of the drama club who was also said to be the 'goddess' of the third years and one of the school beauties.
Ryouko was just wondering what her business might be by calling out to Ryoma so suddenly when the senior girl averted her deep-black eyes towards Ryouko for a second and looked at her with a rather hostile air. Ryouko didn't even have the time to react when she brought her gaze back to Ryoma with a warm smile.
"Well, I won't beat around the bush, Ryoma-kun... You were magnificent during your class play and you even won the Prince position of the pageant so I'd love to invite you to join us in a production for the holiday season. It would be the last project for the graduating members of the drama club and it's open for non-members," Taniyama Miya said.
"Sorry but I am not interested. Our tennis club also has its hands full with new practrice regimens so I wouldn't have any spare time for anything else..." Ryoma replied, without 'beating around the bush' as well.
Taniyama Miya gave another giggle. "I see that the rumors about your blunt and stoic personality has some truth in it..." She took a small notebook from the pocket of her uniform jacket and scribbled something with the cute miniature pink gel pen clipped onto it. "But just in case you change your mind, please feel free to contact me..." she remarked, ripped off the page from the notebook and slipped the note on top of the flyers that Ryoma carried. "You can also stop by the clubroom any time after school hours..." she added and winked.
Both Ryoma and Ryouko raised their eyebrows at the wink.
"Well, thanks for the invitation, senpai, but we have to get going now... We're running an errand so if you'll excuse us..." Ryoma said, attempting to close off the conversation.
"Oh, go ahead... Sorry for taking up your time..." Taniyama Miya said and stepped aside for them to go through. But as Ryouko followed Ryoma's lead, the senior girl suddenly bumped onto Ryouko's shoulder. If not for her good reflexes, Ryouko would've dropped the pile of flyers she was carrying.
"Oh, so sorry..." Taniyama-senpai said and turned a fake smile at Ryouko. "I didn't know there was someone else here..."
"It's okay..." Ryouko answered, taking in the immature display of attitude with a solemn air. It's not as if it was her first time experiencing that roundabout manner of a girl saying 'I don't like you' to her face. Girls in the upper class society actually has a bit more originality at showing their hostility. Bumping and tripping are merely child's play compared to them.
"Senpai should be a bit careful though... You're wide enough to block the whole corridor," she told the senior girl with a fake smile of her own.
"W-wide? Me? Are you saying I'm fat?" the senior girl remarked in an offended tone.
However, she wasn't able to pick a fight because Ryouko had caught up with Ryoma and is already walking alongside him two doors away.
"What was that all about?" Ryouko told Ryoma as soon as they were far enough from the doors of the third year classrooms.
"I don't know..." Ryoma answered. "Just ignore it," he added.
When they went back to their classroom, Ryoma went over to Shuu and Horio and asked them whether they want to participate in the holiday production of the drama club. They mentioned right after the festival wrapped up that if given the opportunity to act onstage again, they might give it another try.
"The president of the drama club gave this to me and said to contact her if I'm interested in joining, but I'm not," Ryoma told them and showed them the piece of paper with a contact number scribbled on it.
"Th-the president, you mean... Taniyama Miya-senpai herself?" Horio stammered in surprise.
"You're saying that this is her contact number?" Shuu asked, blinking with wide eyes.
Other boys in class who have overheard their conversation went over to take a look.
"Wow... Great going Echizen... To be scouted by the 'goddess' Miya-senpai..." one of them said.
"Well, I'm not interested and even if I don't have my hands full with tennis practice, I still have no use of that contact number. Take it if you want," Ryoma said matter-of-factly.
"You mean it Echizen? But this is Goddess Miya-senpai's personal contact details!" Horio said incredulously.
"I don't even know her," Ryoma quipped, returning to his seat and fishing out the textbook for next period from the depths of his bag.
"No take backs!" Horio said and after that, the boys started arguing about that piece of paper.
Meanwhile, Mami looked over at the boys and rolled her eyes. "Seriously... Boys are such simpletons... Taniyama-senpai is not even pretty. Her curls are fake and she got make up smeared all over her face. She's just got nice body proportions..." she murmured and gestured circular motions on her chest.
"Mami-chan, your actions are vulgar..." Miyako scolded. Mami repeated the gesture in a more comical manner with bigger circles, making Miyako shake her head in helplessness.
"You know that senior girl, Mami?" Ryouko asked out of curiosity.
"Yep and she's quite overrated. She's actually..." Mami paused and looked right and left to see if anyone is listening. When she saw that no one is paying attention to them, she continued with a whisper. "... a bitch..."
Miyako gave a gasp. "Mami-chan, such language..." she said in a reprimanding manner.
"But I'm only stating a fact..." the naughty girl remarked defensively.
Ryouko gave an amused smirk and silently agreed with Mami.
Meanwhile, Mami was not quite over with roasting Taniyama-senpai and she continued. "She's full of herself and actually believes that she's fitting of the word 'goddess'. She was quite a hot topic on campus after the festival because she played the lead role of the winning performance, but that was only short-lived because after rumors of Ryouko-chan started running through people's mouths, she was eventually forgotten..." Mami told them.
"That reminds me..." she added as she realized something. "You should steer away from that senpai, Ryouko-chan... That happening probably didn't please her and whenever there are kouhais who ended up stealing the spotlight from her, she usually picks on them..."
Ryouko nodded and finally understood the meaning of that hostile look that the senior gave her earlier. "So she was just mad that I ended up stealing people's attention from her..."
Somehow, that gave her a sense of relief. Since that fox of a senpai focused on Ryoma earlier, for a moment, Ryouko was about to be annoyed that such a girl joined the ranks of Ryoma's admirers. But thinking back at the words and gestures of that senior girl earlier, she seemed eager to get under Ryouko's skin. Even as she talked with Ryoma, she kept on throwing sly glances at Ryouko so possibly, she just called out to him because she thought it would bother her.
But whatever her reason may be, if that Maya-senpai or Miya-senpai or whatever her name is continue talking to Ryoma for a childish reason like picking on a kouhai who stole her spotlight, Ryouko would have to teach her a lesson or two. Senpai or not, there's a limit to the courtesy she could provide especially towards a senior who doesn't act like one.
However, that was not the last time that they encountered Taniyama Miya because she bothered Ryoma constantly, still using the excuse of scouting him for the holiday production. Ryouko would've done something about her but Ryoma gently talked her out of it. After all, they couldn't afford standing out more than they already do.
But after that, word spread that the goddess of the third years is showing interest to a boy in the freshman year and it circulated for a couple of days before eventually dying out. Ryouko knows that it's all bullshit but she still felt irritable everytime she caught wind of that piece of gossip. Ryoma told her to just ignore it and she did but deep inside, it still irked her. It is a good thing that Ryouko can hide her emotions well or Taniyama Miya would have a field day for succeeding on trying to get under her skin.
Ryouko thought that the same as with the rumors about her, the unnatural actions of the girls would eventually quiet down but unfortunately, even as the weekend neared, Ryoma's fangirls couldn't seem to give him a break. Everywhere he went, he was bothered by them. The indoor courts utilized by the club should have been accessible to Seigaku members and faculty only but the girls have wormed their way in somehow and created unnecessary noise while trying to catch Ryoma's attention.
As she crawled on her bed to place her phone back on top of the bedside table, Ryouko wondered if she was being too sensitive about those matters. Ryoma had openly received gifts from his fans even during the time she just transferred in Seishun. However, she doesn't remember feeling particularly upset about that.
With a little sigh, Ryouko jumped off the bed and groomed herself for bedtime. As she let her hair down, she continued on her thoughts.
Thinking about it logically, it's only natural that girls would flock to Ryoma because he's handsome, smart, athletic, charming and has the tendency to stand out even if he doesn't want to.
"I have the same set of problems for being too beautiful for my own good..." she told herself as she stared at her reflection while brushing her long hair. Certainly, those girls were not to blame for adoring Ryoma just as much as she couldn't blame any member of the opposite gender who ended up falling for her looks. Ryoma is also not at fault as much as she is faultless since having a pretty face is not a sin but... still...
"It's irritating..." Ryouko mumbled under her breath.
Suddenly, she realized that there's quite a disadvantage to dating in secret, one that she did not anticipate beforehand. She did receive a subtle warning about it from Jessica's words from when she first consulted her... It was a pity that Ryouko didn't quite understand it back then. Jessica's words came back to her as she pondered over the memory.
'You have to draw a proper line on that or you won't be able to progress on the relationship. And not labelling him as yours won't be a good thing since other girls would think that he's still 'available'.'
"So this is what Jess was talking about..." Ryouko told herself with a sigh. Indeed, being unable to publicize their relationship meant that other girls could assume that they can like Ryoma freely because he doesn't have a girlfriend... That is certainly not a good thing; and it is unpleasant and annoying...
However, it's not as if she can do something about it. She interfered from time to time especially when the girls cause such a ruckus inside the indoor courts. That action could be justified because she is the manager of the club but beyond that, she wouldn't be able to put her oar in. She couldn't order those girls to get away from Ryoma as people might talk if she does. It would be both petty and controlling if she tells him to stop receiving gifts from admirers. Ryouko would never permit herself to become such an uncool and immature girlfriend.
However, if such things keep on happening in front of her very eyes, Ryouko is not too confident that she could tolerate it and deal with the situation in a calm and reasonable manner. She could only hope that perhaps, once talk about the holidays and the Christmas party kicks in, things around her and Ryoma would finally settle down.
As she touched up on the topic of Christmas, Ryouko remembered that she and Ryoma would soon celebrate their thirteenth birthday. It had been such a long time since they spent their birthdays together. A smile crept on her lips and she began to look forward to the event. This Christmas would surely be more special for it will be the first birthday and first Christmas that they would celebrate together as a couple.
She began to set her worries and problems aside and thought of that instead. However, little did she think that something would happen to dampen her spirits just before the fated event... Something that would eventually cause her to behave in a not-so-calm and not-so-reasonable manner, but that is a story for the later chapters to come.
Meanwhile, we zoom out and focus on the corridor outside Ryouko's room and find someone standing there with his ear on the thick mahogany doors.
Ho and behold, the loyal Licht Roth, Ryouko's beloved butler is behaving quite uncharacteristicaly and trying to spy on his young lady.
However, Licht has a perfectly valid reason as to why he is trying to eavesdrop. Lately, he had observed that his Oujo-sama had been recently spending a lot of time on her phone every night and this struck him as odd. Although he told himself several days before that he would have a serious talk with his Oujo-sama, she seemed so busy with school and work in the tennis club that he couldn't bring himself to add up to her troubles.
And so Licht had made a decision. If she's not willing to share her troubles with him, then he must figure them out by himself. Surely, he would be able to hear a few useful hints... If it is for his Oujo-sama, he would certainly give his best.
~~~
Flashback on breaktime during Wednesday afternoon, it was Seigaku's after-school training and Ryoma laid out the food and refreshments he got from his admirers on a bench, asking the members to help deal with them.
"Wow, our Ochibi is all grown up now and charming ladies here and there..."
Kikumaru commented as he unwrapped a pack of home-made cookies.
"I have to say this is impressive..." Inui remarked and scribbled something on his blue notebook before helping himself to a box of pretzels.
"I thought Ryoma-kun had always been famous among girls but this is a whole different level..." Mizuno added, drooling over the large collection of snacks and trying to decide which one to take.
"I heard that even third years are now signing up to be a part of his fanclub..." Momoshiro said teasingly and whistled before taking a can of soda.
"He even got into a rumor with the third year goddess Taniyama Miya-senpai..." a junior followed.
"He's so young, what do they see in him exactly?" Arai said, a bit bitter.
"You say he's young but you and Echizen are only one year apart, Arai..." Kawamura commented with a good-natured laugh.
On the other hand, Ryoma didn't bother with the comments and teasing from his fellow club members and merely ate a pack of melon bread that he bought himself. After thinking about it, he decided not to touch any of the presents given by the girls because it might displease Ryouko.
These days, he noticed that Ryouko had not been looking happy about other girls showing too much attention on him and he had been worried about her. However, he knows that she wouldn't get mad over such trivial things. After all, it wasn't just him who is guilty of having admirers.
Ryouko practically has the whole freshman year on the tips of her fingers, a mix of both genders with a majority of male fans. If one counts the scattered fanboys among the upper levels, she might actually have more fans than the whole Seigaku regulars combined. But Ryouko's fans are a careful lot and worries more about not upsetting her than having to showcase their emotions through cards, letters and gifts. How he wished that those kinds of quiet people would cheer him on instead. It wasn't as if he nor Ryouko asked to be popular, but popularity seemed to chase those who are doing well with sports and academics. Ahh, it sure is hard to be too talented on top of having a good-looking face...
But Ryoma's problems doesn't just stop there. In addition to his troubles with his unwanted popularity, something had also been bothering Ryoma...
He did not tell Ryouko about it but the truth is, during the duration of their training sessions so far, it wasn't just once or twice that he felt upset during the times he caught something unpleasant by the corner of his eyes.
Because of the large gap in the level of skills between the regular and non-regular members of the club, the practice regimens of the regulars and non-regulars were operated separately. Ryouko actively coached the latter category consisted of freshmen and most of the juniors at the other side of the court away from where the regulars were practicing.
He never said a word of complaint about it since he didn't want to come off as a petty boyfriend but he wished that Ryouko would place more distance between her and the other Seigaku members. The club members may be their fellow tennis comrades and school friends but it still bothered Ryoma when Ryouko acted too friendly towards them.
Most of the time she personally hands their towels to them and even refills their water bottles herself. There was one time when he saw Kobayashi Senri offer Ryouko the 'extra' cider bottle he obviously bought to give to her and Ryouko received it with a warm smile. After that, they stood by the bench, talking as they uncapped the bottles.
Ryoma found himself wishing for the cider's contents to somehow blow up on Senri's face as he turned around feeling bitter. He couldn't even exchange a proper conversation with Ryouko during practice and yet, her 'trainees' can talk to her as much as they wanted. "This arrangement is unfair..." he thought to himself, taking out his frustration on a serve.
In addition to that, skinship between Ryouko and the other club members could not be avoided especially whenever she assists with exercises, correcting postures and providing first aid to cramps and minor injuries. Ryouko also seemed to think a lot about the welfare of the people entrusted to her much more than a normal assistant coach and manager should do. She goes out of her way to prepare all sorts of things for them like honey lemon and other nutritious snacks. Ryoma asked himself whether he is being overly-sensitive for it was not the first time she did such a thing but he doesn't remember being upset about it before.
The problem with Ryouko is that she's too pretty, too oblivious and too hard-working. It's nice that she's taking her work in the club seriously but why does she have to be that responsible? Does she really not know that half the club has a crush on her or is she just pretending not to know?
It wasn't as if he could ask her such a straight-forward question and if he plucks up enough courage to actually ask, there are two possible after-effects. One, Ryouko would feel upset that he thought of her that way and two, in the event that she really doesn't know about it, then she would finally be aware about the fact that half the club has a crush on her. Either way, it would be problematic for Ryoma so he'd rather stay quiet.
All of a sudden, he recalled the incident that happened last Friday night when Nanako-san showed up unannounced and ended up knowing about his and Ryouko's secret. Because Nanako-san went to the trouble of buying two portions of dinner meal set from a Chinese restaurant, Ryoma endured having to sit across from her in the dining table, swallowing each bite with difficulty as he refrained from squirming under her good-natured and amused stare.
He was halfway through the meal when he finally snapped. If he continued eating under such pressure, he would have a stomachache later. It would be better to have the matter dealt with as soon as possible.
"Pardon me Nanako-san but can you at least tell me... how much you've seen..." he asked, having difficulty constructing his statement, his pink cheeks giving away the fact that he is utterly embarrassed.
Nanako continued smiling as she answered, "I'm so sorry but I saw everything..."
"Everything?" Ryoma repeated skeptically.
"Everything..." Nanako repeated with conviction. Then she started looking at Ryoma with eyes practically shining with curiosity. It was clear that she has a lot she wants to ask.
Ryoma sighed and put down his chopsticks. "Okay then... Fire away..." he said in surrender.
Nanako's eyes shone even brighter as she leaned forward and started on her questioning. "That girl... She's your childhood friend, isn't she? The one from the pictures?"
"Yes she is... Her name is Ryouko," he answered.
Nanako swooned in delight. "Oh, it is so romantic... To think that actual childhood friends can actually get together, it doesn't happen too often... How long has it been since you started dating?"
"Well..." Ryoma said, trying to look poker-faced despite his warm cheeks. "Just... yesterday, I guess..." He picked up his glass of water and took a long sip.
"What do you mean by 'I guess'?" Nanako said, obviously enjoying herself for seeing a side of her cousin that she never imagined she would be able to see.
Ryoma looked extremely uncomfortable as he answered. "It was just the other day when she and I found out about-" he cleared his throat, omitting his next words which would have been 'our feelings'. "... and we just decided to formally date yesterday..." he continued, his words so fast that you'd think he's reciting a tonguetwister.
Nanako pursed her lips to contain an amused simper. "She seems to be a very lovely girl..." she commented.
"She is..." Ryoma replied, unable to hide a small smile. "And she's not just lovely in outer appearance, she has a very strong and very beautiful personality... Our interests are the same so we never run out of things to talk about and she understands me the most..."
When he saw Nanako-san looking at him with a kind of proud and amused sisterly gaze, he ironed his face, cleared his throat and took the glass of water again for another long sip.
At his obviously embarrassed reaction, Nanako gave an internal giggle. Of all the people around her, she never expected for her little cousin who had been cold and indifferent since childhood to look so abashed and red-faced while talking about the girl he likes. It seemed that he matured without the knowledge of anyone in his family.
An idea hit Nanako and she wondered whether she should go on with it. After all, it's not everyday that she would be able to get a chance to tease the indifferent Ryoma. With a probing tone, she started to comment. "I have to say... I was pretty surprised... To actually be sharing a kiss only a day after the first date, your progress is shocking..."
Ryoma was still drinking water and upon hearing what she said, he choked and was overcome with coughs. Nanako fetched the tissue included in the meal set she bought and handed it to him. Ryoma covered his mouth with the tissue as he coughed and it took a few more seconds for the coughing to subside.
After that, Ryoma found it hard to look at his cousin in the face and even his ears had turned red. "Please, can you somehow... forget about that..." he quickly said.
Nanako openly giggled. "Please stop making fun of me..." Ryoma added in exasperation, sinking in his chair with a little sigh.
"Well, I suppose a kiss is not too much in your case since you've known each other for so many years..." Nanako commented.
"Can we not talk about that please?" Ryoma told her, covering his face with one hand, looking utterly humiliated.
Nanako gave another amused laugh. "I have to say, I haven't heard Ryoma-san saying the word 'please' so many times in one conversation..." she remarked.
Ryoma looked at her with a bit of annoyance mixed in his exasperated brow and Nanako raised both hands in the air.
"Okay, okay... I won't tease you anymore..." Nanako told him in resignation. "Just let me ask one last thing..." she added, holding up one forefinger.
Ryoma picked up the glass of water again and gave her a 'go ahead' gesture.
"Uncle and Auntie would be returning to Japan tomorrow... Do you plan on telling them about Ryouko-san any time soon?" she asked. For some reason, Nanako had an inkling about what his answer is going to be although she doesn't quite get why she thought of the possibility.
Ryoma looked a bit reluctant as he put the glass down and looked quite serious as he spoke. "The thing is... Nanako-san..." he said as if he is trying to select the right words to use. "Can you keep this a secret from Mom and Dad? I'll tell them myself, when the situation permits it..."
Nanako looked pensive as she confirmed that her guess is right. Curiosity plagued her and she couldn't help but ask. "But why would you keep it secret? I think they would be delighted to know that their only son has a girlfriend and that she is Ryouko-san whom both of them adored as a child..."
Ryoma traced the rim of the glass with his forefinger and looked thoughtful. "Ryouko's circumstances are a bit complicated..." he replied solemnly. "It's actually a terrible timing for her to be dating right now because her family does not allow it. If anyone in her family knows about this, it's possible that they'll make her study overseas and we won't be able to see each other..."
Nanako's eyes widened a bit. "Her family is strict? But I thought from the way Aunt described her parents that they are a very carefree couple..."
"Ryouko's parents are indeed carefree but they're not the problem. Ryouko's family belongs to a powerful clan with a long history and a very wealthy background. It had been decided since her birth that she would be wed to someone that the family chose so for her to be dating a boy who is not included among the fiance candidates, she'll get in trouble," Ryoma explained. Somehow, he felt that he can trust Nanako-san with this important information.
Thinking about it, he had no one whom he could talk to about his personal troubles and he had to admit it can get suffocating at times. He can usually deal with his own problems by himself but when it comes to things regarding Ryouko, he wished that he would be able to talk about it with a person he can trust. After actually telling someone, his burden seemed lighter.
On the other hand, Nanako felt rather conflicted upon hearing his answer. For a moment, she asked herself whether her cousin is joking or writing some sort of teen romance novel. "Pardon me, Ryoma-san... So to sum it up, Ryouko-san is a very rich girl and one who has no freedom to choose the person she would marry in the future?"
Ryoma nodded. "It's kind of like that..."
"Oh my... This kind of thing can actually happen in reality..." Nanako murmured blankly, still processing the surreal information.
"Ryouko is not happy about it and neither am I but we can't do anything about it. The least we can do is keep our relationship a secret so she can stay in Japan and have a peaceful school life," he remarked.
"But will you really be alright with this, Ryoma-san?" Nanako suddenly asked.
"What do you mean?" he asked back.
"Well, in my opinion... One of the reasons why a girl and a guy who likes each other becomes a couple is to inform the rest of the people around them that they're dating and unavailable to anyone's advances... I haven't had many dating experience but that is one of the things I learned from my previous relationships. I dated a boy during the freshman year of junior high and we only told a few close friends so a fellow club member of his asked me out while we're still dating and they ended up fighting..." Nanako said, looking thoughtful as she dug up her past memories.
Ryoma raised an eyebrow at the unprecedented reveal of his cousin's past. Meino Nanako is quite a pretty lady with a nice personality and girlish charm so he's not surprised that boys have asked her out but for her to actually be dating since her first year of junior high, he didn't expect that.
"You're one to talk, Class 1-A Seishun Academy Junior High student, Echizen Ryoma-kun..." his subconscious said sarcastically to remind him that he is currently in the same year.
"Ahh... right..." he answered it, nodding his head a bit.
"You mean you're alright with that?" Nanako suddenly said, making him snap back into reality.
"Alright with what?" he asked, a bit startled.
"I just asked you, whether you would be fine even if other boys approach Ryouko-san because they have no idea that she's dating someone..." she told him.
"Ohh, that..." Ryoma said, catching up to the conversation. "Well, it can't be helped. The thing with dating secretly is that no one should know about it. We're not doing very well with it since Nanako-san already found us out. We can't keep on letting it slip and having others know about it. If that happens, it would only be a matter of time before the rumor about us dating would reach the ears of the Fujioka clan..."
Nanako studied Ryoma's expression and looked skeptical. "You're really sure, that you'll be fine with it?" she asked again, seemingly not believing Ryoma's earlier reply.
"I'm fine with it. It's for Ryouko's sake and mine as well... That's the only way we can continue seeing each other so it's a minor sacrifice to make..." he told her.
"'A minor sacrifice to make', huh?" Ryoma thought as he sat on the bench by the side of the net, the memory from several nights before fading out in his mind.
He didn't know that he would regret what he said to Nanako-san just a few days later. He really overestimated himself because after experiencing the real deal, he is clearly not 'fine' with other boys getting close to his Ryouko because they have no idea that she's taken.
But what could he possibly do about it? They can't announce to everyone that they're dating... That would give the Fujioka clan elders a valid reason to make Ryouko go back to England.
"By the way, did you grow a bit taller, Echizen?" a junior suddenly asked, interrupting his thoughts.
"I think I did... I just reached 162 centimeters..." Ryoma answered.
"You'd be surprised once the next year comes... According to my calculations, your growth spurt might just be around the corner," Inui told him.
Momoshiro gave a hearty laugh. "Won't he be even more popular once he does hit his growth spurt? In that case, perhaps we can save more on the club's budget on snacks since Echizen's fans would be providing them for free!"
The club members continued bickering about free snacks and Ryoma's popularity whilst he merely let their words bounce off the top of his head. He has more important things to think about like how to make other guys back off from his girlfriend without telling them that she's his girlfriend.
He gave an internal groan. He might as well be asking himself to play tennis without a racket... Secret dating is a lot more troublesome than he thought.
~~~
Back to Friday night as Fujioka Ryouko struggled with her own thoughts, on the same floor a couple of doors away from her room door, somebody has also been constantly spending time on the phone every night.
Inside the wide intricately-decorated room, Fujioka Ichidou is lying on the king-sized bed with his erphones plugged on his phone, inspecting a handful of aquamarine stones he bought from a jeweller as raw materials for a necklace he is designing for Ryouko's upcoming birthday and talking at the same time.
"So you're saying that there were no rumors of Ryouko-chan and Ryoma around campus but there was a recent rumor about Ryoma and a senior girl?" Ichidou said, repeating the information that he just heard.
"Yep, that's what happened though I'm not entirely sure how it happened... I do know that Echizen-kun was scouted by that senior girl to join the holiday theatrical production. She's the current president of the drama club," Kurihara Miyako said, sitting crosslegged on a cushion on her room's carpeted floor. Her left hand is pressing her phone to her ear and the right one is crossing out the notes she made on a pad of paper as she finish relaying the written phrases to her 'employer'.
"Just what the heck is his deal? He's dating my cousin and yet he's getting into scandals on campus with other girls?" Ichidou said in a fit of rage, making a teardrop-shaped aquamarine crystal roll off from the cloth on his chest.
"Damn," he said, crawling off the bed to retrieve it.
"Can you please not curse aloud? I'm very sensitive at hearing bad words," Miyako complained as she overheard the muffled 'Damn'.
"Geez, I'm not even cursing at you, why would you get bothered about my choice of words?" Ichidou said as he dropped the jewel back on the cloth.
"Just be careful with bad words when you speak to me. Just hearing them taints my soul," Miyako told him in an obstinate tone.
Ichidou rolled his eyes. "Do you plan to be a nun in the future because you certainly sound like one... Should I start calling you 'Sister'?" he said with a honeyed sarcastic tone complete with a fake smile.
"Ha ha, very funny..." Miyako retorted. "Can you just shut up and let me finish my report? This is taking a whole lot more time because you keep on interrupting," she told him, sounding half-annoyed.
"Excuse me but is that the kind of tone you should use on someone who's paying you good money?" Ichidou snapped.
"By all means, take your money. If not for that stupid written contract, I wouldn't spend a minute of my time talking to you," Miyako replied.
Ichidou scoffed. "Excuse me but do you know how much of an honor it is to be talking to the Great Fujioka Ichidou? In our company, people admire me as a business genius," he retorted.
"Well, I don't care whatever genius you may be, just let me finish my report so I can hang up and get my well-deserved sleep. And for the hundredth time, can you please refrain from texting me during schooltime? I don't have the luxury to reply to you all the time. I even got my phone confiscated yesterday just because I was replying to your useless messages. I told you I'll tell you every happening around school after dismissal. Just what part of that could you not understand?" Miyako scolded nonstop.
"Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah..." Ichidou said as he listened to her rapping. Miyako overheard him and placed the phone down for a second to strangle the stuffed ostrich beside her, pretending that it's Fujioka Ichidou's neck.
Ichidou listened to the muffled screeches she made, smirking in amusement. Kurihara Miyako is very easy to annoy and lately, messing with her had been one of his pasttimes.
However, he figured that she's about to reach the end of her wits so he began to get serious.
"Okay, okay, I get it. I would not curse in your presence, Mother Theresa," he said as soon as he made sure that she's back on the line. "So what else is there for you to report?"
Inside her room, Miyako made a gesture of stabbing the end of her hairbrush on her phone before regaining her composure and speaking in a levelled tone. "Echizen-kun, well... he seems to be extremely popular nowadays. He always received gifts and letters from his fans. I'm not sure about Ryouko-chan but if I were his girlfriend, I would've lashed out at him."
Ichidou jumped to bed, lying on his back again with the handful of aquamarine jewels. "Well, it's inevitable that he has a lot of fans... A tennis prodigy, one of the top in his batch, a cold domineering aura and a pretty face... It would be more surprising if he doesn't have any fans. Well, as for Ryouko-chan, I don't think she would get mad at Ryoma, it's not as if it's his fault that girls flock to him... Ryouko-chan also makes it a habit to always be level-headed at dealing with any kind of circumstance. Her patience is longer than you think. But you say that Ryoma receives letters?"
"Yes... Letters and cards that usually comes with a pack of cookies and other sweets..." Miyako said. "I've eaten a few of them actually..."
"Well, that explains why Ryouko-chan spends an extra hour in the back kitchen with the stone furnace roaring. I thought she was smoking some fish but I guess she's burning all those letters and cards..." Ichidou said.
At this piece of information, Miyako couldn't help but laugh out loud. "Oh my, Ryouko-chan is sooo cute!" she commented.
"I doubt those girls who wrote those letters and cards would find her actions cute though..." Ichidou remarked.
"Well, I don't blame Ryouko-chan at all. I would do the same if placed in her situation..." Miyako told him.
"Girls sure are scary..." Ichidou said.
"Girls are complicated, smart creatures... If a boy wants to please a girl, he would have to notice even the littlest details... Ryouko-chan may be calm on the outside but who knows? Maybe she's just restraining herself..." Miyako replied.
"I hope she isn't. That kind of stress would only tire her out and it's bad for her health..." Ichidou murmured, sounding a bit worried. "Do you think that all of these matters are bothering her?"
At the sound of Ichidou's voice, a small smile crept on Miyako's lips. Ichidou may be a rude jerk but when it comes to his cousin, his concern and affection are genuine. "Ryouko-chan sure is loved by so many people..." she thought and felt a bit jealous. She wondered when she would be able to find a person who would worry about her the same way...
"Well, Ryouko-chan is different from most girls... I'm sure she'll manage..." she answered. "By the way, I heard that Ryouko-chan and Echizen-kun's birthdays are the same. They're both born on December 24 right? The class was talking about incorporating a small birthday celebration with the Christmas party..."
"Yep, they're both born on Christmas eve..." Ichidou answered.
"Then that makes me a day older than them then... How delightful," Miyako said.
"Your birthday is on December 23?" Ichidou asked.
"Uh-huh, and Mami-chan's birthday is on December 25, Christmas day itself. It's quite a coincidence isn't it?" Miyako replied, sounding amused.
"I say it is..." Ichidou said, looking thoughtful. "Well, shall we hang up? I'm sure you're eager to get your 'well-deserved sleep'," he added dismissively with a hint of sarcasm.
"You bet I am," Miyako answered, a bit anoyed. Just when she thought that they're actualy having a good conversation for once, he ruins it with that rude tone of his.
"Then good night, Maria Theresa," Ichidou said teasingly.
"Stop calling me that!" Miyako exclaimed. She heard him laugh from the other line before the call hung up.
With a sigh, Miyako placed the notepad back to her bag and proceeded to connect her phone on the charger. Lately, she had been exhausted dealing with Fujioka Ichidou's demands. Her phone bill might come out a lot more expensive than usual because of the long phone calls each night. If it does, make no mistake that she would have Ichidou pay it off.
She washed up and went to bed peacefully without knowing that every night as she spoke to Ichidou, Mami had been trying to call her as well.
In the upper level of the Ayase's residence, Mami stared at her phone and wondered what is the deal with Miyako. For some reason, she felt as if her friend is keeping something from her. She had noticed Miyako's strange behavior days ago... Going to the toilet ten times a day, excusing herself in the middle of a meal to type out something in her phone, going straight home at a certain time when she doesn't even have a curfew... The times that they hang out together after school have also decreased for the past week.
Mami had actually been waiting for Miyako to say something and share whatever her problem is with her like she always did but a week had already passed with Miyako showing no signs of wanting to talk. Miyako had always been a bad liar and it is also hard for her to hide secrets but this time, Mami is positive that Miyako had been keeping secrets. Mami could've let it slide but Miyako looked quite troubled by it.
In addition to that, Miyako's phone is always busy at a certain time of the night which means that she's actively talking to someone each night. That in itself is odd for Miyako rarely spends time on mobile phone calls in fear of her phone bill increasing.
So what exactly is bothering her friend? Is she being black-mailed? Is some weird guy stalking her? Mami shook her head to keep her imagination from running wild.
Tomorrow for sure... She would ask Miyako about everything... Hopefully, it wouldn't be a big deal.
Meanwhile, back in the Fujioka manor, Ichidou sneezed. "Excuse me," he said and sniffed.
"Are you alright sir?" the young man from the other side of the phone asked.
"I'm okay..." Ichidou answered. "What were we talking about again?" he added.
"Well, you were asking how many aquamarine jewels would be needed to construct the necklace design that you sent..." the man answered.
"Oh right... So how many would you need?" Ichidou asked.
"Looking at the design and since you sent us small diamonds to be embedded on the sides, just seven aquamarine jewels would suffice..." the man replied.
"That's excellent," Ichidou remarked and smiled at the glittering stones on a velvet cloth on top of his bedside table. There were eight pieces of the clear, tear-drop shaped blue stones.
"By the way," Ichidou added. "I actually have eight jewels with me. I'd like the last jewel to be made into a necklace as well... I'll come up with a design by tomorrow and send it to you. Can this one arrive on the twenty-second of December?"
"If we prioritize the more simple necklace, we would make it in time..." the young man told him.
"Alright then. I'll send the second design and the eight aquamarine stones tomorrow by the same courier," Ichidou said before hanging up. He went to sit by the edge of his bed and looked at the glittering jewels once again.
Aquamarine... According to Romans, when blessed and worn, the aquamarine jewel joins love and does great things. To his beloved cousin whom he wishes to be the happiest girl in the world, he wanted her birthday gift to be more meaningful than the last one he gave. The aquamarine does not only symbolise joining love but it also serves as an amulet to guide sailors at sea. In Ichidou's opinion, Ryouko is sailing out to a foreign world called 'romance' and he wanted her to have a safe journey and to not be hurt in any shape or form, no matter how smooth or rough the waves she would encounter may be.
The other meanings of it is for Ichidou's own benefit. 'Water of the sea', 'Trust' and 'Letting go'...
He spent much time pondering over it and he had made a difficult decision. Perhaps, he had clung onto Ryouko long enough and it is time for him to let go. Ever since Ichidou could remember, even the vaguest and earliest memory he could recall, Ryouko had been by his side and him by her side. But right now, she is stepping into a whole new world at which he could not follow. Should he persevere and try following her, he's afraid that it would just cause her trouble. Thus, the only thing for him to do is to trust her, watch over her and let her go... freely... like water flowing into the sea...
He took a single jewel and held it against the light, admiring the blue lustre. When he was doing his research on the aquamarine stone, he was able to know its many meanings and symbolisms that fit the messages he wanted to relay to Ryouko but it has so many alternate meanings that seemed to fit another person among his acquaintances.
A few of the other meanings of aquamarine are 'purity', 'soothing', 'calming', 'cleansing' and 'inspires truth'... Lately, he had been teasing a girl who is neat as a pin, who hates bad words, annoyingly honest, innocently foolish, easy to trick and bad at lying. It hasn't been long since he had known the real her apart from what she shows superficially to strangers. Life would have been boring if she wasn't there to provide a good source of entertainment. Since her birthday comes before Ryouko's and he is having a gift customized, it wouldn't hurt to prepare another gift.
He smiled to himself as he wrapped the jewels carefully.
Ryouko-nya and Ryoma-nya are troubled-nya for being too popular! 🙀😹
Tasukete-nya! Could there be a crisis dawning on our OTP?
I'll give you a hint.
It starts with the letter S.
Anyway, who among here is approving the IchiMiya ship? Speak now or forever hold your peace! 😹