The Rikkai regulars arrived at Yukimura's house after school, not bothering to go home to change because it was already late after practice. They went in after Yukimura opened the door.
He knew they were curious for this sudden meeting but since they were all hungry, he decided to order their food first. Miyu already had the phone ready; she knew these boys well.
As usual when they congregated at Yukimura's house, though they had not done it in a while, they would get two types of food: pizza and traditional Japanese ramen.
The ramen was for Yukimura and Yanagi who preferred to have something that was not made of grease. The pizza was for everyone else.
They all wanted to ask about this meeting, excluding Niou and Sanada who knew a bit about it already. Yukimura had told Sanada and Niou had 'asked' Yanagi to explain on the phone yesterday night.
The others knew better than to rush Yukimura when he was not ready to say anything, so they forced themselves to be patient and waited until they finished eating.
The food arrived very quickly and they sat down at the dining table. Bunta ate like there was no tomorrow; he was not only hungry but also wary that others would take his portion of the pizza.
Only Akaya was eating somewhat like him, but he was naturally a fast-eater. The others would have taken their time except their minds were not on the food but about the meeting.
Very soon, everyone finished and Miyu, being a good host, made green tea to help their digestion.
Yukimura waited until everyone had a cup of tea and spoke up, "I wanted everyone here today because yesterday, Miyu and Renji met with Inui and Fuji from Seigaku and they have something very interesting to tell us."
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Yanagi started to explain about Miyu's request to know more about her friend. He went on to talk about calling Inui and finding out that Sakuno was Ryuzaki-sensei's granddaughter.
He said that Inui told him when they met up that she was Echizen's girlfriend before she came here. Then before some of them could erupt, he quickly described Inui's most probable scenario and the accident.
The others were now silent, successfully distracted for the time being from the shock of 'Echizen's girlfriend'. He nodded at Miyu to take up the story because she was the first one to know about Sakuno's selective amnesia.
Miyu told them about Sakuno's first day at school and their conversation about tennis.
She then explained her wanting to know more about Sakuno from her old school, not letting on to anyone that her real reason in the beginning had been matchmaking. She thought that they would not be too pleased to find out that she had been, to some extent, manipulating them.
She described Fuji's unexpected appearance and his understanding about their reasons.
She glanced at Niou before talking about meeting Sakuno and Niou at the café and how she collapsed because of Fuji and Inui's presence. Miyu was glad that nobody reacted to the 'Niou and Sakuno' together bit.
She said that Sakuno revived after a while because Niou and Miyu had been there. She did not want to say that it was mainly Niou who had done caring. Niou did not correct her and Yanagi was never gossipy.
She went on with Sakuno and Niou's departure and then, Fuji and her planning on what to do next. That was how they came up with this meeting and she said that if she was right, the Seigaku regulars sans 'stupid' Echizen would be meeting this week about this situation.
The 'stupid' was her own added comment but no one corrected her, not after what they had heard.
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The regulars looked thoughtful after she finished.
They did not expect that Sakuno actually had amnesia but in reality they were more surprised and annoyed by the fact that she had been Echizen's girlfriend.
None of them was willing to say that technically speaking she was still his girlfriend because they had not broken up yet.
They did not really care anyway; if they had been the sort to dwell on the past too much, they would have lost their places in the team ages ago.
Looking forward was what they were good at and they basically kicked the 'Echizen's girlfriend' bit out of their heads, simultaneously thinking that it was in past now because Sakuno was a Rikkai member and not a Seigaku member.
However, more than one of them really wanted to give those annoying Seigaku regulars a good thrashing, especially paying attention to Echizen who had been mildly annoying before but now was definitely an official enemy.
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Yanagi, like Inui had been doing, was making notes of the regulars interesting expressions. They were nothing if not opportunists in these occasions.
Yukimura had heard it all before but he still felt angry that Sakuno was not valued when she should have been treasured. He hid it well but Miyu and Yanagi could tell he was not happy.
Sanada was his usual stoic self except for the fact that he was clenching and unclenching his fists as if he was feeling the urge to hit someone. Only he knew how protective he had gotten over the little girl who showed him no fear except in the beginning and had overcome that fear to befriend him like any normal person.
He did not care either way but he had to admit that it was pleasing to have someone other than his team-mates and Miyu to want to befriend him for himself and not the Emperor.
Yagyuu also was expressionless, his glasses hiding whatever emotion that was churning inside him.
He liked the attentiveness that Sakuno showed but to be attentive all the time and never have someone show that same attentiveness towards you must be painful. He made up his mind that next time it would be him who paid attention to her.
Akaya was visibly angry though he did not say anything. His fury that someone would hurt his bunny was too strong to put into words.
It did not matter to him that it happened before he claimed her as his bunny and that she did not think of herself as his bunny.
What matters was what he thought of the situation and mostly, of Echizen. He was rarely that worked up about anything other than losing to others when playing tennis but this time, he was truly angry.
How dare his Saku-no-bunny have been mistreated and bullied? His imagination was not helping because, as we can see, he was starting to think of worst case scenarios that never happened.
She was not really mistreated or bullied but Akaya now firmly believed that Sakuno had been the Cinderella in a school full of wicked stepmothers and stepsisters and cold, uncaring princes.
Bunta was vaguely glad that Yukimura had made them eat before having the meeting because he now felt he did not want to eat anymore. It had nothing to do with the fact that he was full because he always had room for more food.
He knew how difficult it was to be ignored and not valued because before he made his place among the regulars, he was just one player in the huge Rikkai tennis club in the junior section.
He was just one out of so many others and he hated that feeling.
He was sad and angry for his sweet friend who was kind enough to share her cakes even when she did not know him and had given him cakes and a bento today because she had been so pleased to be able to stand in the kitchen that she made food for everyone to thank them.
It had been a heavy load but she was so happy when she gave the bento to the regulars that it seemed to him that it was her who was doing the receiving instead of giving.
Both Miyu and he had almost wept for joy.
Bunta was because he naturally loved food and Miyu was because she had been living off instant food and takeaways since her parents and grandmother were away on vacation. Both Yukimura and Miyu did not cook well, although they were a genius when it came to other subjects.
Jackal was extremely uncomfortable about the fact that the Seigaku people had actually managed to overlook such an amusing girl. He had always had a pretty good impression of them but now, he felt a slight resentment towards them for letting this situation happen to a girl he called friend.
He had many friends but he had never had one that was as defenseless as Sakuno so he was feeling that she was like a little sister who needed to be protected and not ignored.
Niou was absolutely furious after hearing the whole story, more so than any of them because he had actually been there when Sakuno knelt down in public because her head was hurting so much that she was not aware of anything else.
He had never been so angry in his life and it was only the control he had learnt under Sanada that he did not burst out of the door and rush to Tokyo and do something extremely nasty to the now-hated Echizen.
He did not really feel anything for the young tennis player before because he never had the chance to play against him, being a doubles' player but now he felt plenty.
He hated the fact that he had been her boyfriend, not that he wanted the honor, not yet anyway.
He hated it that he had betrayed her with her best friend and while she was ill too. Even he was not that unscrupulous… he guessed.
He had never had a steady girlfriend for long so he had not the chance to try cheating on her but somehow he could not imagine himself doing anything that would hurt Sakuno.
It was strange but even he could not deny that she was a very sweet and friendly girl, a bit shy but very relaxing to be with. Moreover, he actually found her very amusing because like Yukimura, he thought that her artlessness had a certain charm to it.
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Miyu, having finished telling her tale, looked around and observed her 'brothers'.
She was secretly pleased, part of her anyway, that they genuinely cared about Sakuno. She looked at Yanagi who had finally put down his pen and she cleared her throat to get everyone's attention.
They looked at her, waiting silently, still caught in the aftermath of her account. She said, "I guess that I can count on everyone to be with Sakuno when we set up the meeting with the Seigaku people. I'll leave Renji-niisan to make contact and when we have a date, we'll tell everyone. Is that alright?"
They were still silent and she did not like it. It was intimidating and the boys had been so familiar to her that they should be past intimidating.
Yukimura took charge, "That would be fine. Moreover, I want to add that when we have the meeting, it will not be for our sake but Sakuno's and I don't want anyone being violent or provocative. It will only scare Sakuno and no one wants that, right?"
His voice was deceptively calm and gentle but the warning did not go unnoticed.
Yukimura looked at Sanada, counting on him to keep the discipline when the time came. Sanada nodded, having understood the request.
They had been working together for a long time after all. Sanada was the one who disciplined while Yukimura made the decisions and commanded. Yanagi was the brains and the information and the three were well aware of what the other thought most of the time.
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After Yukimura's little warning, everyone knew the meeting was over.
Yagyuu and Jackal, being naturally polite, started to wash dishes in the kitchen. The dining table had been cleaned before they had their tea so Bunta only needed to collect the cups and tea-pot and take them to the kitchen.
Akaya was still too angry to notice that this time he was not ordered to do the clearing up and the washing up.
He just wanted to leave and fume in private, probably take his frustration out on video games because it was too dark outside to play tennis and there were no courts nearby that had lights. He took his leave and was the first one to go.
Niou followed him soon after, wanting to calm himself a bit or maybe, like Akaya, take his frustration out somewhere. I pity the person who would become his target that night, whoever that may be.
Sanada, Yanagi and Yukimura went to his room where they planned the next week's practice timetables to get their minds off the situation for the time being because until the meeting with Seigaku, it was no use dwelling on it.
Besides they also had the whole tennis club to run and not only the regulars who had a separate practice plan.
Yanagi was not stingy about the practices for the regulars and if anyone wanted a similar menu, they were welcome to it. The problem was always whether they could follow it until they improved enough to challenge the regulars for a place on the team.
Miyu stretched and waited for the others to leave so she could go and relax in her room. She wanted to call Sakuno but decided that she would not in case she renewed her anger at the injustice of it all.
She knew that she biased about the situation; all of them were but they did not care because what they cared about was only the fact that one of them, Sakuno, had been hurt and was still hurting inside.
Yagyuu and Jackal finished the dishes and she thanked them. They told her that Bunta was still in the kitchen and she rushed in.
She was surprised to find him just staring at the open fridge.
He was not looking for food. She tapped him on the shoulder and he said without turning, "I'm not hungry." With that he said that he might as well go home.
Miyu did not say anything. She just saw Yagyuu, Bunta and Jackal out the door and went upstairs. She knew that Sanada and Yanagi would leave when they were ready and her brother would lock up.
She popped her head in her brother's room to say goodnight to the three and they vaguely murmured goodnights to her before turning back to their topic.
Miyu then had a bath, relaxing herself and called it a night.
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Yukimura, on the other hand, stayed up after he saw his friends out and locked the door and the windows downstairs.
He sat at his desk and remembered saying to Renji yesterday that he had his reasons for asking him what he already thought about.
It sounded very cool and mysterious when he said that but only he knew how much of a façade that was.
He simply wanted confirmation of his speculations because he did not want Sakuno to go back to Seigaku or even Tokyo.
He was not as stupid as the Seigaku regulars were to let such a treasure go.
He had only started to get to know the girl and suddenly this 'Echizen's girlfriend' sprang up.
He was definitely unhappy about it and although he told his regulars to keep their tempers under control, he wondered if he could really follow his own advice. He thought he could but still he wondered.
Finally he stretched, had a quick shower to help him sleep and settled down for the night.