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

CHAPTER 106: Anyone but Ryoma

Right after Ryoma and Ryouko's phone call

Ryouko placed her phone down and looked at the screen for a few seconds before heaving a huge sigh. To be honest, Ryouko just made up the thing about earning the prize money to buy something for Ryoma on their trip tomorrow morning.

First of all, she has enough money on her. When Licht heard about her broken phone and the fact that it was sent for fixing, he gave back the amount she sent out for the repair fee. She didn't need the prize money at all. Ryouko's reason for kicking Ryoma was purely out of competitive spirit and the desire for her team to win the last event.

"I can't help it if I'm born competitive..." she thought, reasoning with her conscience.

"Even so... I shouldn't have kicked him..." she told herself aloud. She even made a huge fuss with Ryuzaki Sakuno about 'protecting' Ryoma. You wouldn't kick a person you're supposed to protect, right? She felt sorry towards Ryoma and wanted to make it up to him. Ryoma is such a nice best friend... "Uhm, most of the time," she added. Her conscience knows that she shouldn't treat him that way.

"Poor baby..." she said as she looked at Ryoma's name on her phone's screen. "Sorry that I'm such a terrible best friend. Let's have some fun tomorrow ei?" she added and smiled before placing her cellphone inside her pocket and getting ready for the dinner party.

During the festivity, Ryouko tried to scrape some time to at least have a small conversation with Ryoma but the Team 2 members and Keima kept on distracting her. As she watched her team members fool around, she gave tentative glances around the room, searching for the familiar green-tinted dark hair. She should at least exchange glances with him and assure herself that he's not too upset.

As she looked around, she noticed another person's absence. "How come I can't see Sei-sama anywhere?" she asked herself. She then asked Kise for Seijuro's whereabouts.

"Akashicchi?" Kise said, chewing on a piece of beef. "Haven't seen him," he added. "Come to think of it, I haven't seen him since the party started."

Ryouko quietly nodded in response.

"Why? Do you need something from him?" Kise asked back, prodding his pork on the beef steak.

"Not really..." Ryouko answered.

"Ryoukocchi..." Kise suddenly said and leaned closer to her. "I'm just asking 'cause I'm curious, but how come you and Akashichi are so close to each other? I've heard some rumors but of course, it's always the best to ask the person directly concerned with the matter..."

Ryouko flicked Kise's chin with a single upward gesture using her forefinger. "Just eat your beef please, and let's not be too nosy..." she told him before leaving.

"Ah, really... That girl still hasn't developed some manners in respecting people older than her..." Kise made a face and rubbed his chin.

Ryouko met up with Keima first and informed him about her temporary absence before going out to look for Seijuro.

The reason why Ryoma couldn't be seen was because he's been buried between the bulkier members of Team 3. He was quietly dining with them and slightly hoping that a certain person would approach him. If he said that he wasn't waiting, that would be a lie.

Out of the corner of his eye, Ryoma saw Ryouko leave. He gave a huff. "See? She's all talk, really..." he thought, rolled his eyes and took out his frustration on the steak piece on his plate.

~~~

Upon going out of the main cabin, it didn't take long for Ryouko to find the person she was looking for. She just looked down the grass slope and saw the familiar red head of Akashi Seijuro.