Catch Me (2/?)
Title: Catch Me (2/?)
Summary: Sakuno doesn't understand love, but she wants to.
Category: Prince of Tennis
Pairing: SakunoOC
Rated: K+
Genre: Romance
Disclaimer: I only own my OC. Title goes to "Catch Me" by Demi Lovato.
Sakuno stands next to Tomoka at her friend's locker, clutching her books to her chest. Hidden in her messenger bag is a black jacket, which she has yet to return. After the party two days ago, she hasn't seen Keisuke anywhere. She doesn't know if she should feel disappointed or relieved that she more than likely won't see him again.
"You ready for class Sakuno?" Tomoka asks, poking her friend. Sakuno nods and the two head towards class 1-1, dodging students on their way. They stop outside the classroom and Tomoka turns towards her, blocking the doorway.
"Oh I almost forgot! Did you ever return that jacket?" she asks, grinning.
Sakuno blushes and looks down. "I-It's in my bag."
"Let me see it!" Tomoka says, jumping up and down, grabbing her friend's arm. Sakuno pulls out the jacket and carefully hands it to her friend. Tomoka holds it out in front of her, trying to figure if it's a special kind of jacket. "Do you know where to find him?"
"No," Sakuno replies, shaking her head. Tomoka frowns and turns around, looking for someone, hand above her eyes like a scout.
"Is Osakada looking for someone?" Horio asks, approaching the duo along with Katsuo and Kachiro, all three dressed in their school uniforms. He puffs up his chest. "I bet I can find them first."
Tomoka whirls around. "No you can't," she snaps, hands on her hips. "I'm looking for Inui-senpai."
"I saw Inui-senpai heading towards the chemistry lab," Katsuo says. He shivers. "I don't want to know what he's doing in there."
"I bet he's creating a new juice!" Kachiro exclaims in horror. "I don't want to go to practice anymore!"
"Oh suck it up," Tomoka scoffs. She turns towards Horio. "Help me find someone who would know what sport this jacket belongs to."
Sakuno blinks. It's a sports jacket? She remembers him saying he plays soccer. Could he be on the soccer team? Maybe if she goes there after school, she can return it. Will he be happy to see her? Does she ask for him? What will his teammates say? More importantly, what will she say?
"Obviously that's the soccer team's jacket," Horio states in a matter-of-fact way, sticking his nose in the air.
"Well, Mr. Smarty Pants, thanks for the information," Tomoka says. She rolls her eyes and turns to Sakuno. "You go return it after school. I have tennis so I can't come with you."
Sakuno gulps and nods, taking back the jacket and stuffing it in her messenger bag as the bell rings. She bids her goodbye to the trio as Horio and Kachiro enter the classroom next door while Katsuo heads down to class 1-5. Sakuno enters the classroom and takes a seat in the back, next to Tomoka. With a sigh, she gets out her books and prepares for the lesson.
She isn't looking forward to this afternoon.
-x-
The bell ring and Sakuno gathers her stuff, saying goodbye to Tomoka before heading to change into her outdoor shoes. She slowly makes her way through the crowd, ignoring the gossip and rumors that are always spreading. She changes her shoes and slips on her winter jacket because the wind is picking up; she can hear it. The temperature has risen a tiny amount, from thirty-five to thirty-eight degrees.
Bracing herself, she leaves the warm school building and makes her way towards the soccer fields on the other side of the school. She isn't sure what to do when she gets there, isn't sure what to say or how to act. Winging it is the best way to go, but that's never been her forte.
She comes upon a few boys gathered on the end of the field closest to the clubhouse. They stand in a line, taking turns shooting the ball at someone standing in front of the goal. Her hands shake as she takes a few steps forward, stopping when she is near the bleachers. It's cold and she wants to turn around, but her grandmother raised her to follow through with her choices, so she sits on the lowest bleacher.
Her eye are drawn to the goalkeeper, the way his brown hair sticks up in multiple directions and his bangs are plastered to his forehead. He dives after every ball, blocking all of them. That must take a lot of skill, she thinks, awed. His face is full of concentration, but she can see the underlying enjoyment.
"Excuse me, do you need something?"
Sakuno turns to her left to see a boy standing there, wearing the boys' soccer warm-up suit and cleats. He has short black hair and around his arm is a red band that reads Captain,printed in blue.
"U-Um, yes," she answers, standing up. His charismatic presence is overwhelming and she can't concentrate with his piercing gaze on her. "I-I um... uh, r-return t-this?"
He looks at her silently, as if he is confused, and she prays he thinks the cold is making her stutter. She doubts it, considering she just said a sentence that makes no sense. The heavy silence is suffocating, more so than the wind, and before the boy can reply, she takes out the jacket and holds it out.
"Oh, one of my players' jacket," he says, grabbing the jacket and looking at the sleeve. "Of course it's Keisuke's, why am I not surprised?" He sighs and hands it back to her. "They're about to get a water break, I'll send him over."
She watches him walk away, unable to say anything. His personality seemed to change in a matter of minutes, or is it he's just making sure she wasn't causing trouble? She inwardly shakes her head; it doesn't matter. What matters is the fact that Keisuke is walking towards her, smiling brightly as he takes off his goalie shirt.
"Hey Ryuzaki-san, how are you?" Keisuke asks, setting his gloves on the bench.
"H-Hi Minami-san," Sakuno bows. She holds out his jacket. "T-Thank you for l-letting me use your j-jacket."
He grabs the jacket from her and she bets he is still smiling. Straightening herself, she turns to leave before the conversation continues and she embarrasses herself, especially in front of his friends who seem to have taken an interest in their conversation.
"Oh, who is this cutie?"
Sakuno freezes in her spot and her eyes widen, an uneasy feeling settling in the pit of her stomach. The owner of the voice is a guy, no doubt, but not Keisuke. She doesn't dare turn around, but can't bring herself to keep going.
"Just a friend of mine," Keisuke replies. She smiles - he thinks of her as his friend.
The guy laughs. "Just a friend huh?"
Keisuke laughs and the sound is like music to her ears. It's a mix between a deep and low laugh and a high-pitched one. She inwardly berates herself; he should not be on her mind because she is probably not on his.
"Hey I'm not like that," Keisuke replies, and she agrees. He isn't some guy who would go around breaking girls' hearts, or that's what she assumes. Assumes or wants? she wonders.
"Come on, Keisuke, we all know that isn't true," the guy continues. Her heart stops and disappointment fills every inch of her body; she wants that to be false. She doesn't like where this is going.
"Okay, you got me," Keisuke says, laughing, and the tone is cocky, almost arrogant.
Tears well up in her eyes and Sakuno convinces her body to move, breaking into a sprint. The wind whips by her ears, blocking out all sound, including the voice of the older boy calling her name from the soccer field.
Summary: Sakuno doesn't understand love, but she wants to.
Category: Prince of Tennis
Pairing: SakunoOC
Rated: K+
Genre: Romance
Disclaimer: I only own my OC. Title goes to "Catch Me" by Demi Lovato.
Sakuno stands next to Tomoka at her friend's locker, clutching her books to her chest. Hidden in her messenger bag is a black jacket, which she has yet to return. After the party two days ago, she hasn't seen Keisuke anywhere. She doesn't know if she should feel disappointed or relieved that she more than likely won't see him again.
"You ready for class Sakuno?" Tomoka asks, poking her friend. Sakuno nods and the two head towards class 1-1, dodging students on their way. They stop outside the classroom and Tomoka turns towards her, blocking the doorway.
"Oh I almost forgot! Did you ever return that jacket?" she asks, grinning.
Sakuno blushes and looks down. "I-It's in my bag."
"Let me see it!" Tomoka says, jumping up and down, grabbing her friend's arm. Sakuno pulls out the jacket and carefully hands it to her friend. Tomoka holds it out in front of her, trying to figure if it's a special kind of jacket. "Do you know where to find him?"
"No," Sakuno replies, shaking her head. Tomoka frowns and turns around, looking for someone, hand above her eyes like a scout.
"Is Osakada looking for someone?" Horio asks, approaching the duo along with Katsuo and Kachiro, all three dressed in their school uniforms. He puffs up his chest. "I bet I can find them first."
Tomoka whirls around. "No you can't," she snaps, hands on her hips. "I'm looking for Inui-senpai."
"I saw Inui-senpai heading towards the chemistry lab," Katsuo says. He shivers. "I don't want to know what he's doing in there."
"I bet he's creating a new juice!" Kachiro exclaims in horror. "I don't want to go to practice anymore!"
"Oh suck it up," Tomoka scoffs. She turns towards Horio. "Help me find someone who would know what sport this jacket belongs to."
Sakuno blinks. It's a sports jacket? She remembers him saying he plays soccer. Could he be on the soccer team? Maybe if she goes there after school, she can return it. Will he be happy to see her? Does she ask for him? What will his teammates say? More importantly, what will she say?
"Obviously that's the soccer team's jacket," Horio states in a matter-of-fact way, sticking his nose in the air.
"Well, Mr. Smarty Pants, thanks for the information," Tomoka says. She rolls her eyes and turns to Sakuno. "You go return it after school. I have tennis so I can't come with you."
Sakuno gulps and nods, taking back the jacket and stuffing it in her messenger bag as the bell rings. She bids her goodbye to the trio as Horio and Kachiro enter the classroom next door while Katsuo heads down to class 1-5. Sakuno enters the classroom and takes a seat in the back, next to Tomoka. With a sigh, she gets out her books and prepares for the lesson.
She isn't looking forward to this afternoon.
-x-
The bell ring and Sakuno gathers her stuff, saying goodbye to Tomoka before heading to change into her outdoor shoes. She slowly makes her way through the crowd, ignoring the gossip and rumors that are always spreading. She changes her shoes and slips on her winter jacket because the wind is picking up; she can hear it. The temperature has risen a tiny amount, from thirty-five to thirty-eight degrees.
Bracing herself, she leaves the warm school building and makes her way towards the soccer fields on the other side of the school. She isn't sure what to do when she gets there, isn't sure what to say or how to act. Winging it is the best way to go, but that's never been her forte.
She comes upon a few boys gathered on the end of the field closest to the clubhouse. They stand in a line, taking turns shooting the ball at someone standing in front of the goal. Her hands shake as she takes a few steps forward, stopping when she is near the bleachers. It's cold and she wants to turn around, but her grandmother raised her to follow through with her choices, so she sits on the lowest bleacher.
Her eye are drawn to the goalkeeper, the way his brown hair sticks up in multiple directions and his bangs are plastered to his forehead. He dives after every ball, blocking all of them. That must take a lot of skill, she thinks, awed. His face is full of concentration, but she can see the underlying enjoyment.
"Excuse me, do you need something?"
Sakuno turns to her left to see a boy standing there, wearing the boys' soccer warm-up suit and cleats. He has short black hair and around his arm is a red band that reads Captain,printed in blue.
"U-Um, yes," she answers, standing up. His charismatic presence is overwhelming and she can't concentrate with his piercing gaze on her. "I-I um... uh, r-return t-this?"
He looks at her silently, as if he is confused, and she prays he thinks the cold is making her stutter. She doubts it, considering she just said a sentence that makes no sense. The heavy silence is suffocating, more so than the wind, and before the boy can reply, she takes out the jacket and holds it out.
"Oh, one of my players' jacket," he says, grabbing the jacket and looking at the sleeve. "Of course it's Keisuke's, why am I not surprised?" He sighs and hands it back to her. "They're about to get a water break, I'll send him over."
She watches him walk away, unable to say anything. His personality seemed to change in a matter of minutes, or is it he's just making sure she wasn't causing trouble? She inwardly shakes her head; it doesn't matter. What matters is the fact that Keisuke is walking towards her, smiling brightly as he takes off his goalie shirt.
"Hey Ryuzaki-san, how are you?" Keisuke asks, setting his gloves on the bench.
"H-Hi Minami-san," Sakuno bows. She holds out his jacket. "T-Thank you for l-letting me use your j-jacket."
He grabs the jacket from her and she bets he is still smiling. Straightening herself, she turns to leave before the conversation continues and she embarrasses herself, especially in front of his friends who seem to have taken an interest in their conversation.
"Oh, who is this cutie?"
Sakuno freezes in her spot and her eyes widen, an uneasy feeling settling in the pit of her stomach. The owner of the voice is a guy, no doubt, but not Keisuke. She doesn't dare turn around, but can't bring herself to keep going.
"Just a friend of mine," Keisuke replies. She smiles - he thinks of her as his friend.
The guy laughs. "Just a friend huh?"
Keisuke laughs and the sound is like music to her ears. It's a mix between a deep and low laugh and a high-pitched one. She inwardly berates herself; he should not be on her mind because she is probably not on his.
"Hey I'm not like that," Keisuke replies, and she agrees. He isn't some guy who would go around breaking girls' hearts, or that's what she assumes. Assumes or wants? she wonders.
"Come on, Keisuke, we all know that isn't true," the guy continues. Her heart stops and disappointment fills every inch of her body; she wants that to be false. She doesn't like where this is going.
"Okay, you got me," Keisuke says, laughing, and the tone is cocky, almost arrogant.
Tears well up in her eyes and Sakuno convinces her body to move, breaking into a sprint. The wind whips by her ears, blocking out all sound, including the voice of the older boy calling her name from the soccer field.