Waiting for that Promise

21st Chapter: Hello Alone

And as Ryuzaki Sakuno returned the ball he just hit, for the first time she stopped moving. Only staring at his graceful form in admiration as he hit the ball back, she didn't budge from her place.

"Game Set, Ryoma-kun."

She's finally giving up, for real.

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Ryoma's amber eyes looked confused as he watched her not trying to return the ball. He would've teased her about it, if not for the sad smile she let surface for a brief second.

"You won, Ryoma-kun." the sad smile was replaced with a genuinely happy one that he almost doubted if his eyes were playing tricks on him.

He tipped his hat before he approached the net, holding out his hand for a handshake.

The boy felt her soft, warm hands against his calloused ones. It confused him how he felt a strange churn in his stomach with their contact. The girl handed him her racket back, as they both made their way back to the bench to sit out their exhaustion.

He pulled on his spare towel from his tennis bag and handed it to Ryuzaki. She gratefully accepted and used the object to dry up the sweat in her face. As he used his own towel, he can hear her slightly ragged breathing. And for a moment, he stared at her flushed face. The continuous heaving of her body as she tiredly sat. He was a bit tempted to remove the stray strands of her hair that clung on her face, but decided not to as she noticed it herself too. She removed them herself.

"Ryoma-kun?" he heard her ask, "Do I have something on my face?"

"Nothing." feigning nonchalance, he looked away and covered his face with the towel. Hiding the small blush that made their way on his cheeks when he realized that she saw him staring.

All he could hear with his closed, covered eyes were a zip and a rustle of plastic that seemed to be the doing of the twin braided girl. Feeling more calmed, he removed the towel from his face. It was a good thing that he brought few Pontas to last him by his long intended practice. He pulled two grape cans from a compartment in his tennis bag.

"Ryoma-kun..." he heard her soft voice call. He turned to look at her, amber orbs appearing curious.

She pulled out a small plastic pouch in a fancy wrap.

"I also made these cookies," she handed him the container, "I thought you would like them, they aren't as sweet."

"Doumo." he accepted the cookies, quite glad that the girl seemed to not feel awkward anymore. He silently praised his idea of playing tennis, earlier.

"Let's exchange." On his side, he gave her his spare grape ponta, "It isn't that chilled anymore, but I hope it will do."

"N-No worries," the girl received his offer, "Ponta is ponta."

At her last sentence, he couldn't quite stifle the small chuckle he had. The girl blushed, unsure as to what was wrong with what she said.

"I didn't know that you like Ponta this much too, Ryuzaki." he grinned.

"Mou..." she pouted, looking shy, "I guess we're slightly the same, Ryoma-kun."

He didn't reply anymore as he took a swig off his own Ponta, relishing the flavor in his mouth and the small victory that somehow happened that day.

It seemed like the girl is acting normal now. He wasn't sure whether he still needed to clarify the kiss to her. Still, at that moment, he appreciated the fact that the both of them seemed to cease worrying on what happened in the past.

He gingerly unwrapped the fancy package of cookies in his lap, revealing chocolate chip cookies. He took a bite on one cookie. It tasted like her usual cooking-- preparing food that would most definitely suit the palates of her intended person. Instead of the sweeter milk-chocolate chips, he tasted dark chocolate which complemented the flavor of the cookie dough she used.