Hye! I am back. Thank you very much for staying until this chapter. I won't say anything anymore.Just one thing, you don't know how much your words mean to me. Thank you once again. :) *bows head*

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Prince of Tennis and never ever will.

Chapter 22: What the skin feels is what the emotion denies.

Chapter Summary: She kept thinking things over and over and finally, she finally knew the answer.

Tezuka, Oishi and Sumire were inside the club room when she entered. She bowed to them before she walked closer to her grandmother's table.

"How are you, Ryuzaki-san?" Oishi asked her.

Sakuno looked at the Vice Captain and smiled at him, "I am fine, senpai. What about you? How's the team?"

"We are still warming up actually," Oishi showed her some book, "We are preparing for the line up."

"Sou ka, Good luck to that."

"What are you doing here, Sakuno?" Sumire said catching everyone's attention.

"Anou..." She started not really knowing how to say her words, "It's about the painting..."

Sumire stared at her and then to the both tennis players, "Tezuka, you can go now. Tell the others about the line up and do a massive training to the regulars."

"Hai." Tezuka nodded as a sign of approval and then looked at Oishi. Sakuno sweat dropped a little. No one knew how massive the training it would be but she knew when she saw one.

They would be experiencing hard work on that day as well.

Tezuka nodded at her as well when she returned the gesture. When they were the only two left in the room, Sakuno sat on a chair in front of Sumire and looked at her.

"What about your painting?" Her grandmother asked her.

"I passed it yesterday, Obaa-chan," She answered as she blushed a little, "Sorry, I wasn't able to tell you last night. You were pretty tired and I didn't want to disturb you."

"No need to worry about that," She answered and then smiled at her, "Glad you passed it within the deadline."

"I am too," She agreed and then looked down, "I am also worried though... What if... I fail?"

"Sakuno, that's okay," Sumire said catching her attention, "I know you did your best. I am glad that you went all the way. I am saying this now but I am so proud of you."

The braided-pigtailed girl beamed when she received praise from her grandmother. She knew that she could take whatever result her painting would be.

At least she tried her best to finish her painting.

xxx

She thought of practicing her tennis for a while since she was done with her painting. A training with Fuji would suit her best but she remembered what happened to them the last time. Fuji confessed his love for her and he was just waiting for her answer. The tensai gave her some time to think about her own feelings although, she couldn't guarantee until when. She knew that she couldn't make him wait for long, let alone forever.

What were her feelings for the tensai? She liked Fuji. He was sweet, kind, worried about the others. He was the type of guy who wouldn't lay a single hand to hurt the person he loved. If someone dared to hurt that person, no one knew what he would do.

Thinking about the tensai made her more nervous and panicky all over. She didn't expect that after breaking up with Ryoma, she would feel the same uneasiness towards the tensai.

She didn't know what to do and how to deal with the problem.

Just as she turned to a corner, she heard some tennis ball being hit repeatedly on the wall. Her heart skipped a beat as she tried to walk closer to the sound. It was obviously in the tennis court hoping that she would witness neither Ryoma nor Fuji practicing there.

Sighing with relief, she spotted the powerhouse player, Kawamura rallying massively on the wall. He was totally amazing and powerful with the stance he was performing. No wonder that he was the powerhouse player of the team. Seeing him alone, she wondered why he was rallying there by himself, knowing that the rest would be having their training with Tezuka and Oishi at the other side of the court. Sensing that someone was watching him, Kawamura turned around and gave her a slight shock before stopping from rallying;

"Ryuzaki-chan," Kawamura said giving her a tiny smile, "It's good to see you well."

"H-hai, konnichiwa, Kawamura-san," She bowed as she timidly walked towards him, "G-gomene, for disturbing you."

"Iie," The powerhouse player said scratching his head in the process, "I was rallying here for quite a while now."

"Sou ka," She said as she smiled at him, "Senpai really trains so hard. It is amazing."

Being praised like that gave Kawamura a blush on his face. She couldn't help a smile and a slight chuckle after she said that to him.

"I, uh, thank you, I guess," Kawamura said, "You are the same Ryuzaki-chan. You never give up on things that you really desire to do. That's what makes you unique."

"Unique?"

Kawamura nodded at her, "No matter how complicated things are, you simply face them with enough courage. You solve them as possible as you can. No wonder they like you a lot. Well, I like you too because of that." Kawamura blushed deeper than before and that made her two.

"S-senpai, mou..." She was able to smile nonetheless.

"Well, it's kind of true," Kawamura persisted on sharing his thoughts, "You face everything in front of you. Just like how you face your opponent in the court."

That made her think, "I... I never played since then..."

"But you did before," He walked closer to where his racket was, "You may never noticed but we were watching you before. That's why we felt sad when you stopped playing," Kawamura looked at her and seriously stared at her, "Ryuzaki-chan, don't give up on your goal. I am just glad that you play tennis again... even it isn't officially in the court."

She watched the powerhouse player as she was observing what he had just said to her. Never give up on her goal. That was what he said. He was right. It was something that she should do and there was no way she could give everything up for her goal.

"BURNING! HORA! HORA!" Kawamura shouted brandishing his racket in the air. Sakuno flinched when she saw him transform into his other self. She wasn't even aware that Kawamura reached for his racket and began swinging it, "GO BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE! REACH FOR YOUR GOAL!"

"H-hai!" She immediately bowed and turned around from him.

"ONE MORE THING!" Kawamura said making her stop in the process, "DON'T JUST FOLLOW YOUR HEART, FOLLOW BOTH!"

Her eyes widened after she heard that. A smile was brought to her lips and gave her senpai one last nod, "Arigatou senpai." And she went.

Later on:

It was lunch break and she decided to have lunch with her best friend in the cafeteria. The place was crowded but luckily, they found a place to sit.

"Say Sakuno," Tomoka started leaning closer to her ear, "What is your chance about going to Europe?"

Sakuno became alert and looked around first before she replied, "There's no update yet. I think my art teacher will bring the painting to the sponsors. She said I'd know this week or so."

"I see," Tomoka nodded realizing something, "If your painting gets accepted, you'll leave Japan to study. You'll be far from me."

The braided-pigtailed girl thought about that some time ago. She would be far from the others. It was her decision to go anyway and she even remembered Ryoma supported her for that.

That was when they were still a couple.

Everything was different now. She wanted to go and she knew she did, "I can contact you when I get there. We will get in touch."

"Seeing your presence is different from hearing your voice," Tomoka scuffed as she leaned back to her own seat, "Anyway, I am still glad if you reach that goal of yours. I'll be supporting you still."

She smiled instead, "Arigatou Tomoka-chan."

xxx

One thing that she was shocked at that moment when Honoka was actually sitting in front of her chair and was currently staring at her arts. The girl was actually in her club room. It was almost time for the students to go home or do their club activities, the reason why she was there at that moment. The only question, what was Honoka doing in the club room? The atmosphere seemed to narrow between them. They never had another encounter since the last time she slapped her.

It was getting awkward for them.

"I envy your paintings."

Her thoughts were cut when the pigtailed girl suddenly spoke without tearing her gaze from her painting. She saw her touching the canvass as she continued to speak;

"You could bring the beauty in it," She said for a few seconds and then stood up. Walking to another canvass, she started touching the others, "You have the power to animate them."

"Honoka-san," She said following her from her eyes and smiled without her knowing it, "Painting is my life, you see. I can actually forget everything when I started painting."

She saw her sigh first before she continued speaking, "I wish that you could have forgotten everything completely... between you and him."

"E?" She blinked as she said something meaningful to her, "What do you mean?"

Honoka stared at her painting for a few seconds still touching her art, "I ruined your first try."

Another blink from her.

"I did that so that you wouldn't be able to reach your deadline. I heard one of the teachers talking about it so I knew that you wanted to go," She said before she could ask, "but you were so dedicated that you were able to finish it at all, then I said to myself that it was fine," She looked at her and stared seriously, "...because you are going away."

Her eyes widened as she realized what she was talking about. Having the opportunity to study abroad meant leaving everything and everyone behind. Honoka was implying that Ryoma would be alone so that she could get the chance. Sakuno closed her eyes as she walked to one of her canvass as well. Like what Honoka was doing, she touched her canvass and spoke;

"I knew it was you all along," Sakuno stared softly at her canvass, "but I could understand you back then. You wanted to express your anger and you blamed it on my painting."

"Yet, you didn't turn me in." It was actually a statement rather a question. She was not looking at her.

She shook her head and looked back at her, "I just couldn't do it. I knew you were hurt and you wanted to feel it too."

"Hell, I do," Honoka scoffed as she walked past her and stopped at her level, "but I guess I am tired of hurting you."

That surprised her, she didn't expect that Honoka would say that to her, "What do you mean?"

Instead of answering her question, she walked towards the door and reached for the doorknob but before she opened it, she looked at her and said, "Do not screw up this time or I'll steal him away from you."

She faced the door after she said that. Screw up? Steal him away? What was she talking about? She wanted to ask her questions but it was useless. Honoka was already on the other side of the door leaving her alone in the club room.

Night, Echizen Residence:

"You are boring." Nanjiroh said yawning while returning Ryoma's tennis ball without moving from his location, "Is that all you've got?"

"Urusai," He snorted as he kept hitting the ball back, "Play seriously, oyaji."

"I am playing seriously," His father said returning every hit he made, "You are not giving your all in this game."

"I am." He hit the ball back.

"Really," Nanjiroh hit the ball once again but Ryoma seemed to miscalculate it. The samurai junior looked at the ball and stared at it, "Why didn't you manage to return that ball. It was just a simple hit."

"I said stop lagging around and play me seriously," Ryoma said facing his father once again and glared at him, "Serve again."

Nanjiroh sighed but he didn't make any serve. Instead, he placed his racket to his shoulder and lied down on the ground.

"Oi! Oyaji!" He reacted and looked surprisingly at his father, "What are you doing? Get up and serve."

"You are boring to play today," Nanjiroh said yawning once again, "Your eyes are not in the game."

"What—"

"You are simply distracted."

"I am not. I am not the one who's not doing anything here!" Ryoma said swinging his racket, "Get up there and be useful."

Nanjiroh looked at his son incredibly, "Why don't you say that to yourself."

"What?"

"You should do something for a change. Be useful for once."

Ryoma gritted his teeth and turned around, "I'll go back inside." He said losing his interest to play against with his father.

"Am I right? You are not actually giving your everything seriously," Nanjiroh said catching his attention, "No wonder you cannot win your girl back."

His words were taken his aback, "What did you say?"He turned around and frowned at his father.

"I don't believe that you are deaf, pretending not really hearing what I just said."

Pissed, Ryoma walked near the end and glared at his father who was just idling on the ground, "What are you trying to imply, baka oyaji?"

"You know what I am talking about boy," Nanjiroh said still not moving from his location, "I'd stop feigning if I were you."

"Talking to you is useless. I'll go inside." He turned around and walked back inside.

"It's in our genes, seishounen, it's in our genes." Nanjiroh said but he never turned around this time and continued walking. He hated to admit but his stupid father was right all along.

Meanwhile:

She was holding her racket for a long time and thought nothing of it. Her mind was actually elsewhere, reflecting what she should do. She thought of everyone, everything that happened. Her encountered with Honoka today was a bonus for her.

What the girl said made her think of what to do. Looking around, she had the time to stare at her paintings from the bottom part of her bed. A smile was created from her lips as she stared at each of them. Her heart beat for them. Her eyes were staring fondly of them.

She really loved painting a lot, the same with her cooking... and the same with her tennis. Speaking of tennis, she walked to the window and closed her eyes. Using her hearing sense, she could hear the sound of a tennis ball near her. The ball was being hit to and fro from a wall. She liked the sound of that. The night was really dark but the people wouldn't let them stop from playing, whether it was raining or shining. It wasn't raining but it was already cold that night.

Opening her eyes, she realized what she had to do. It would be a tough decision but she knew she could do it. Finally making a decision, she decided that she would tell Fuji tomorrow morning.

The Next Day:

The rooftop wasn't really her ideal place to talk but it was the safest way to tell him her thoughts. She texted Fuji early that morning and she wasn't that surprised to see him already waiting at the rooftop. The tensai was just standing near the fence and was probably looking at the court at that very moment. Sensing that she was approaching him, Fuji turned around and gave her his signature smile.

"Ryuzaki-san," He started as she approached him, "This is so rare for you to have called in this early morning."

"Hai..." Sakuno stopping just a few inches away from him, "I know you'll come early as this."

"Making come here early means that you meant something," He said that as a statement. When she didn't answer, he continued speaking, "Have you thought everything yet?"

Instead of answering, Sakuno just nodded.

"Then..."

She took a deep breath to muster enough courage to tell him, "I've been thinking and realizing things these days. People keep telling that I should reach for my purpose and should have one line to follow to. That I shouldn't give up my dreams. I've been motivated with their words... for several times."

"They are telling you the right thing."

"Which is I should follow," She mustered enough courage to stare at his eyes which were now opened, "Fuji-senpai, I want to go to London and to fulfill my studies there."

Fuji smiled at her, "That's good news."

Sakuno blinked and looked down, "Also... I don't think... I can return your feelings."

The tensai became serious after that but he didn't say anything urging her to continue which she did;

"I tried senpai, but," She started to blush as she was thinking of another, "I just couldn't bring myself to do it."

"..."

"Gomenasai."

"..."

"..."

"Is it about Echizen?"

Hearing the boy's name made her head jerk up, "It's always about him!" She said before she could stop herself. Her heart began to beat the moment she explained things to him, "His moves, his reminder about tennis, his presence, everything... even my painting reminds me of him!" She looked up at him and continued speaking, "It's totally unfair if I accept your feelings while thinking of another guy. We will only hurt ourselves in the end."

"..."

"Gomenasai... honto ni gomenasai..." She looked down as she gripped her hands tight.

The area filled with silence after that. It took seconds before Fuji broke it afterwards, shocking her in the process.

"Do you still love him?"

She was rendered speechless for a few seconds whether to answer that or not. The question made her think twice like it was the hardest one to answer. After a few seconds of debating, she finally answered him;

"No matter how much I tried," She bit her lower lip because she continued speaking, "I... just couldn't bring myself to hate him."

"..."

"..."

Time seemed to stop after that before she could say or anything, she added more things about that fact, "That doesn't mean I could return to him or anything. I will pursue my dreams and leave this country. You of all people would understand me, right? I... I am leaving everyone behind," She looked down once again trying to be reasonable as possible as she could, "S-so it is going to be useless."

Fuji sighed as she heard him do so. That made her looked up seeing his eyes closed once again. She thought that he wasn't going to support her or anything. Instead, he started to speak, unexpected of what she was waiting.

"You heard her!"

She noticed that he was not talking to her at that time. Seeing that his eyes were aiming behind her, she looked at that direction only to be more speechless. Her eyes widened and her heart beat really fast.

Standing near the entrance door of the rooftop, Echizen Ryoma was looking straight at them, eyes widened a bit and seemed to surprise what he had just heard... and that didn't help her a bit when he only replied with a few words;

"Is that true?" He said stating the obvious, "Ryuzaki?"

Done! How was this chapter? This is getting—I don't know—intense? It's all up to you. Anyone wondering what will happen next chapter? You'll find out soon. Domo.

Reviews please... share me your thoughts. I really want to know. Domo...

Next Chapter: Deuce