Hye! I am back with another one-shot. This was inspired by another fic. I asked to use the idea for this one. Thank you very much.

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

Ryoma 101: Ways to Proposal

Summary: Ryoma was having a hard time on how to propose to the girl that he loved. And he was yet to receive an epic answer to her. Find that out.

He never had that kind of problem before, not in his whole life. At the age of twenty-five, he never had that sort of problem. If it was tennis, he would easily solve it in just a nick of time.

His problem wasn't like tennis and he couldn't believe that he was having a hard time dealing with it. He didn't know how to say it to his girlfriend of ten years. All of the possible things that he could think of were already past his mind, but not even one would fit to his plan. He didn't want to seek for their advice but he didn't have the choice. They were his last tramp card, his last straw. He would ask his former senpai on how to do it.

He wanted to propose to Ryuzaki Sakuno for a hand in marriage.

Sighing to himself, he called Momoshiro on the phone and told him to meet up at the park. He readied himself before he too went to the park. He decided to do it and it was now or never.

At the park:

Momoshiro was already there but he wasn't alone, much to his dismay. He regretted about telling his plans on the phone to him before he decided to meet up, now him, Fuji and Eiji were 'willing' to help him as well.

"I can't believe that Echizen is having this problem." Fuji said looking at him, smiling in the process.

Ryoma looked at him before he decided to sit on a bench, "I am dealing with a non-tennis related anyway," The still tensai was standing in front of him, Momo and Eiji were standing each side of him. Fuji became a professional photographer and a botanist as a part-timer. Momo was training some kids tennis in his own gym. Eiji was having his doubles career along with his partner Oishi.

They had their own lives and were contented about that. The others were married as well and had families of their own. It was only Eiji, Kaidoh and Inui were the only ones who were single, although Momo was engaged to Ann.

"So any ideas?" He started to talk before they did. He didn't want to ask that question but he didn't have the choice.

"Now that you mentioned it," Momo said standing in front of him cupping his chin in the process, "It is hard how to say the proper words."

Eiji plopped down beside Ryoma and looked at Momo, "Well, Momo-chin, how did you propose to your fiancée, huh?"

Momo blushed when Eiji said that, "N-no, no! That's not a good idea."

Ryoma being curious asked him, "Why not?"

"I know why?" Fuji interrupted and before Momo could stop him, the tensai had already divulged his secret, "He panicked in front of Ann-chan as he presented his engagement ring to her while kneeling, but the problem was the ring dropped from his trembling hands."

"What?" Ryoma and Eiji both reacted. They certainly didn't know about that.

"Senpai!" Momo said trying to stop him but no to avail.

"The ring dropped from his hands for several times. Ann almost snapped and threatened him that she would say no within five seconds if he wouldn't be able to give the ring to her."

Ryoma and Eiji were stunned a little when he said that. Momo was blushing to the fullest.

"I can't believe that senpai was clumsy at proposal." Ryoma almost snickered at the thought.

"Shut up, Echizen!" Momo glared at him, "Why don't you try it yourself?"

The three of them thought and imagined how Ryoma would propose that way.

Scenario 1:

He was waiting for Sakuno to arrive in the restaurant that night. The blue velvet box was sitting on the table and was waiting for its owner for it to wear. He was wearing a decent blue tux and a clean cut hair. He was elegantly sitting on the chair while he was waiting for his lovely girlfriend. Not a minute passed as he looked at his watch, the apple of his eye appeared from the entrance of the cozy restaurant he was in.

Sakuno clad in a red cocktail dress. Her hair was in a messy bun and it was tied with a Sakura clip. There were some strands of her hair that fell from her face. Her smile would make his heart leap a bit. He stood up and kissed her on the cheek as she approached the table;

"Gomen, Ryoma-kun," She said as she blushed. Her old nature didn't disappear as ever, "D-did you wait long?"

And she stuttered a little, the things that he loved about her, "No." He answered shortly as he pulled a chair for her. Sakuno muttered 'thanks' to him before he settled himself to his own chair. The place was quiet for quite a while. As the minute passed, music from the violin welcomed the cozy atmosphere. Sakuno blushed even more… and he could see how her face flushed to the fullest as she spotted the box in the middle of the table. He looked at her and then to the box. He gave the both of them a smile before he stood up.

The girl followed his gaze as he grabbed the box. He walked beside her chair and stared at her for a while. He could hear the other people whispering because they were anticipating what he was about to do.

He could also see how Sakuno held her breath as she stared back at him. Some were uncharacteristically shrieked as he bent on one knee and presented the velvet box in front of her;

"Ryuzaki Sakuno," He said staring straight to her hazel eyes. A genuine smile was crept to his face as he continued saying his words, opening the velvet box in the process. It was presented a silver diamond ring that reflected from the place's light, "Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

Sakuno blushed to the fullest and remained silent. Well, he expected that and he wouldn't mind waiting for her… even it would take forever.

"NO!" Ryoma said destroying their bubbling imagination crossing his arms in from of him, "Definitely not!"

"I agree with Echizen," Fuji commented looking at each of them, "It wasn't Echizen's style at all."

"What will you suggest then Fuji-senpai?" Momo said as he shifted his gaze to his senpai. Eiji looked at him as well. He didn't hide the curiosity on his face.

Ryoma raised an eyebrow at his senpai. He was actually thinking of a way on how to propose to a girl. Fuji was the tensai in the group. Maybe his suggestion might work. They didn't wait long before he answered Momo's question;

"Why don't you just do your style?"

Three sets of eyes blinked at him. It took seconds before they were able to understand what he was talking about.

"Ochibi's… style?" Eiji said looking at Ryoma, "What's your style, Ochibi?"

"How would I know?" He replied placing his hands at the back of his head and leaned on the chair.

"Just act the way you act," Fuji looked at him, "You have the attitude when it comes to tennis. Just do your style."

Ryoma looked at him as well and tried to picture what he was talking about.

Scenario 2:

He was walking on his way to her house. From his left hand, a fruit was firmly gripping in it. His mind was occupied with his plans for today. He was confident about his plan. Sakuno would never decline it. Thinking about it would only increase the urge to see her and gave it to her. Not long before he had reached his former sensei's residence.

And Sakuno was outside watering the flowers and plants of her grandmother. It was perfect for his plan. He didn't walk closer as he decided to observe her for a while.

She was wearing a yellow sundress and a hat that would suit for the season. Her hair was still braided into two pigtails. Her expression was clear and was filled with happiness. He knew that she was smiling without a reason; it was one of the things that he loved about her.

Satisfied at the view, he slowly walked closer to her, not really catching her attention. When he was close to her, he stared at her for a couple of seconds before he called out;

"Oi!"

Sakuno looked at him as she lowered the hose that she was using. As long as she looked at his direction, he tossed the fruit that he was holding to his hand. Having enough trust that she could catch and she did… although she did it clumsily. Seeing the scene, he couldn't stop smirking at her;

"You accepted me."

"E-e?"

He pointed the fruit to her hands. Sakuno looked at her hands for she caught it with her both hands. She caught a red apple in her hands. She dropped the hose as she caught it in the process.

"You said yes to me."

His girlfriend looked at her with bewilderment, "W-what are you talking about, Ryoma-kun?"

He couldn't contain his smirk at that moment. He inserted his hands in his pocket as casually said his next words to her… like it was the most casual thing to say to a girl;

"Let us wed."

"NOOOOOO!" Momo and Eiji both said at the same time looming over at Ryoma in the process, "That was totally rude!"

Ryoma raised his eyebrow once again and he was almost making a weird face, "You're too close." He only said as he tried to distance himself from them.

Fuji chuckled as he witnessed that, "I love seeing you suffer." He sat next to him.

"Senpai!" Momo looked at Fuji, "I thought we are helping Echizen here? Can't you see that he's love struck?"

"I am not love struck," Ryoma reacted lowly as he narrowed his eyes at Momo, "Stupid senpai."

"Hai, hai!" Momo said nodding in the process, "So what is your next suggestion?"

Ryoma looked at them. They seemed to be in thought. Seriously, was that really hard to think? It was hard for him but that didn't mean that it would be hard for them as well.

"Let the whole world see it!"

Ryoma, Fuji and Momo looked at Eiji. He had just suggested something… something weird.

"What do you mean senpai?" He asked him.

Eiji leaned closer to him once again, "Tell the whole world how much you love Ryuzaki-chii, Ochibi."

He raised his eyebrow despite the weirdness his senpai was showing, "What are you trying to imply?"

"Listen to my suggestion," He said as he turned around and he spread his one hand above them, "This should be the scenario!"

Scenario 3:

He could see below him how shocked his girlfriend was. Everything was planned by him. He couldn't contain all the blushes that Sakuno was giving him that moment. Satisfaction was filled in his eyes as he stared at the bunch of rose petals slowly falling down from where he was standing. The petals fell like snow and now she was covered by them around her. Those petals came from a helicopter that his 'sponsors' did for him. Not only that, some jet planes flew and made some aerial exhibitions in the sky forming colorful smoke to impress her.

The people around her were also amazed at the view they were seeing. He could also see her best friend elbowing her to her waist and teased her to no end.

He saw Sakuno looked at his direction… looking up of course. He was on top of a school building while she was in the oval. That was where he performed his plan. The whole oval was now covered with petals. It would do a hard cleaning up later but he couldn't care less.

Smirking in the process, he let her see that he was looking up to the jet performers. The smoke was forming letters at that moment. The people's gasped could be heard from his sensitive ears as he smirked at the letters above… especially when they were finally formed. He knew that Sakuno was also looking at it as well… and it would leave her speechless when she read it clearly.

'MARRY ME, SAKUNO…'

Sakuno looked at him with teary eyes and blushed really hard. He looked back at her before he dropped a white rose to her location… just below her.

"I am going home." Ryoma said standing up in the process. Before he could walk a step forward, Eiji grabbed his collar and forced him to sit down once again.

"You don't like my suggestion?" Eiji said eyeing him, "How rude!"

"Not my style, senpai," He said as he was starting to get pissed. He was also beginning to regret that he asked their advice. Their suggestions were not really helping him. Who would've thought that proposing to the girl he loved would be this hard, "I'll figure something out."

"What are you going to do, Echizen?" Fuji asked him looking at his direction, "How are you going to propose?"

His original problem came back to him. How was he going to do that? …As if it was as easy as handing the ring and saying the right words to her.

But he was not the type of guy who would do such things… not that he would plan it.

"You know, it would be better if you just tell her straight," Fuji said, "She knows how you behave and she would understand how you say it."

He looked at the tensai once again. He was still in the middle of catching it up when Momo summed up his suggestions;

"Senpai's right," Momo said, "Do it but not in the rude way."

"Just be yourself, nya!" Eiji agreed fisting his hand in front of him.

"Have self-confidence, well, I know that you have besides," Fuji smiled as if he was saying that to himself, "Ryuzaki-chan loves you enough just to decline your proposal."

The tensai's words made his eyes dilate for a few seconds. Fuji was right. Sakuno loved him that much and it would be stupid if she declined his proposal. What was he so worried about when there was no such thing to worry about?

Fixing his hat on his head, a smirk was formed to his lips as he nodded to them, "Arigatou senpai-tachi."

Momo walked closer to him and tapped him hard on his back, "Sure thing lover boy! Do not forget us on your wedding day."

"I can hear the bells ringing." Eiji almost sang the song while Fuji gave him an endless smile.

Ryoma ignored the pain Momo was giving to his back. He refrained himself from pouting. He hadn't proposed to her yet and they were all thinking about the wedding. His senpais were totally weird.

They were really weird.

Several Days Later:

He did plan everything that night and he knew that he was really going to tell her. He took Sakuno on a date that day. They went on their typical routine when dating. There were times that he took a glance at her. Sakuno would blush genuinely especially when she saw something interesting or when she was staring at him… even without a reason.

Now, he was in the park, together with her. Sakuno was looking around so he did as well. The park was large. As they entered the park, he could see big, green trees around. There was a green house to his left and a playground to his right. Ahead of them was a big stage that could be used for entertainments and events. They walked to that path and went to the stoned-like stage. There was a large rock in the middle and at the back of it was a large water fall.

Everything was large and big, and it was large enough to accommodate a number of people who would like to stay there.

"This place is really nice," Sakuno commented cutting him from his reverie, "I bet people really like going to this place."

"Un."

"Do you think we can celebrate our birthdays here, Ryoma-kun?" She asked him.

"We can." Our wedding as well. He thought the last but didn't voice it out. He looked around. He could see some stoned-like of chairs in front of the stage. It was pretty obvious that people would sit there and watch whatever show was displaying on that very stage they were standing.

"Arigatou, Ryoma-kun," Sakuno looked at him smiling and blushing in the process, "for today."

"You don't have to say that." He reminded her. Sakuno always thanked him for everything that they did. No matter how many times he told her, she would always do that.

"I still want to thank you."

He sighed as she insisted. It was her anyway. Sakuno was still smiling at him… and blushing. They were combined together, the expression that he would get used to. For the first time in his life, he felt his heart pounding really hard. It was different when he was playing tennis. It was different when he was facing his opponent.

This was different.

Just be yourself.

He remembered what his senpais told him. He would hold on to it as he stared at her, "Ne…"

"Hm?" She opened her eyes and looked at him.

Just be yourself.

She wouldn't mind it. No matter how he would say it, he knew that she would agree. He was the person that she admired ever since. He knew that she would give him the right answer. He was confident about that.

"Be an Echizen."

"E?" Sakuno clearly didn't expect that.

"You bastard—"

From the corner of his eyes, he knew he spotted Momo behind the large rock and Oishi and Eiji blocked the former's mouth to mute him. He was a little shock when he saw them but he didn't bother show it. They were spying on them and he didn't know when. He ignored them still. He was currently focusing what was in front of him.

Sakuno was still stunned at his declaration. She was blushing as she fidgeted and he couldn't help but smirk at her behavior.

"Y-you want me to…"

"Hai…" He answered nodding in the process.

"You want to adopt me."

"Hai…" he continued answering not aware of her words.

"You want me to be your sister?"

"Hai—what?!" That got his attention. He eyed the still blushing girl in front of him. What was she saying now? He could also hear the snickers of his senpais behind the rock but he ignored them. It was still a wonder that Sakuno wasn't hearing them at all.

"W-will Obaa-chan agree to it?" She looked down as she continued fidgeting with her fingers.

"O-oi!" He said walking a step closer to her. That wasn't the answer that he expected from her. The girl was something.

"I'll be your sister but I think you will be my older brother when that happens."

"That's not—"

"It will be fun to have a sibling, I guess." Sakuno interrupted not really listening to him.

He closed his eyes to calm himself. Well, his senpais were not helping him for they were snickering behind the rock. Sakuno kept thinking about his 'proposal' to her which she misunderstood. Not really taking it anymore, he opened his eyes and walked closer to her;

"Sakuno!" He called with enough loud voice that he could muster. He was not the nosy type and Sakuno wouldn't be taken aback by it. What he wasn't expecting was when she began shaking. He thought that there was something wrong about her but he was wrong.

…Totally wrong about it.

Sakuno began giggling until she laughed. Her voice sounded nice but he still couldn't get her reaction. What was she doing? He blinked for several times as he continued watching her.

"G-gomen Ryoma-kun," She said wiping the tears that fell from her eyes. She was still blushing and smiling at the same time, "It's just that you surprised me."

"…"

"Of course," Sakuno bit her lower lip, fidgeting with her fingers once again, "I will."

He blinked his eyes once again. She would. She would what? She would become his sister? That would be awkward.

"I will be an Echizen." She gave him the smile genuinely.

His eyes widened when he realized what she meant, "Really?"

"H-hai…" She nodded.

He continued staring at her before he walked closer to her, feeling relief of her real answer. He yanked something from his pocket and showed it to her. Sakuno couldn't help but cry at the opened box and displayed a diamond ring from it. Ryoma smiled a little as he removed the ring from the box and inserted it to her ring finger.

"No taking back of answers." He smirked as he looked at her.

She laughed despite the blush and tears that she was showing, "I will be the stupidest girl in the world to do that."

He gave her a firm kiss for a few seconds before he hugged her tightly. He could still hear his senpais cheering for them behind the large rock. It was still amazing that Sakuno wasn't hearing them from that moment. Not that he minded them or anything.

They helped him and it turned out fine.

Yep, all was well that ended well.

~ Owari ~

How was this one-shot? I tried making this a humorous one but I didn't know if I succeeded about it. They were just random thoughts except of the apple thingy. Tell me your thoughts please… Domo… ^^

Notes:

The throwing of apple is not really rude. Since Ryoma is cocky and kinda rude, his action towards that seems like it is. In Ancient Greece, a man throwing an apple to a woman was a proposal of marriage. Catching it meant she accepted. I would like to thank 'Muddy Writer' (a fanfiction author) for allowing me to use the idea for this.

The park was real. It was our park near my place and we called it Park 6 (Tourists call it 'Paradise')The background was this park that I am talking about. Domo… I don't own anything, Zero-related.

Thank you once again. I hope you like it.