Tennis no Ojou-sama: A Prince of Tennis Fan Fiction

CHAPTER 62: Perpetrator

The hall was almost full when Ryoma entered the double doors. Six long tables were arranged to accommodate the eighteen members of each team. They were decorated simply with a single white table cloth and four small vases of lilies placed at intervals on the surface.

Ryoma looked around, went towards the third team and pulled the backrest of the chair nearest to the table of the second team. "Chiz." He greeted.

"Ochibi! Sit over here." Kikumaru greeted back.

"I'm contented with this seat, senpai." Ryoma answered.

"Cheh. So unfriendly." Kikumaru said, sticking his bottom lip out.

"Oi, Echizen... Help us next time, okay? No one bothered to nag at you at playing hooky but there won't be a second time." Tohru told him, frowning a bit. "Isn't that right, Rep?" He added, turning to Sakuno.

Sakuno was surprised and almost dropped the cup she was drinking from. Ryoma looked at her. "I... uhm..." She said.

"I'll help out next time then. To make it up, I'll even throw in extra effort." Ryoma told her, reaching out his hand for the pitcher of water. Sakuno shook her head violently, silently implying that he did not need to do so.

"Is that fine with you?" He added towards Tohru as he poured himself a glassful. Tohru merely shrugged.

As he drank, he scanned the second table, looking for one particular person. Ryouko was seated on the far left, freely chatting with her team members. She suddenly shifted her eyes towards the third table. They locked eyes for a second. She smiled and waved her hand in a way that it won't be obvious that she was signaling to him.

Ryoma smiled back. Sakuno caught that simple smile and looked around to see whom it was directed to. She wasn't able to know as he already shifted his eyes to the glass of water on his hand.

"Well... At least he's in good spirits now." She thought. She was really worried about him, but it wasn't her place to ask what's wrong.

Lunch proceeded with smooth procession as the campers were too hungry to make a fuss. They chatted merrily as usual, clapping the backs of the third team members to congratulate them.

"Man... I really thought that the second team would be the one to win." Yanagisawa commented.

"Well, they were in lead. And Yukimura-san was the first one to reach the finish line." Shudo replied.

"Yeah..." Hitoji said thoughtfully. "I wonder what made them lose... They were so close at winning, and I'm sure that the last two people, Rikkaidai's Yukimura and Seigaku's Ryouko-chan could not have caused a delay in their own obstacles..."

"But they were delayed there, I heard..." Koharu told him, munching on a shrimp.

"I asked Shinji what happened but he didn't answer." Uchimura said, taking another serving of pork and beans.

"Dan wouldn't say either. I asked him but he said that he's not allowed to say. Then he mumbled something about protecting a girl's dignity." Kita answered, twirling his spoon on his fingers.

"Protecting a girl's dignity?" Oishi repeated.

"That sounds worrying... Did something happen to Ryouko-san?" Mizuno said, his face concerned.

"We were too caught up in our own teams that we weren't able to observe the others..." Jun added.

"I'm sure she's fine. Look over there." Inui said, pointing at the table on the table at the corner of the room.