214Chapter 3: School?
Echizen Ryoma lay in his bed fast asleep. Karupin was nestled close against him, bathing in the warmth. He had gone to bed at a little past eleven and he was beat. His boss had let him off early yesterday and he took full advantage of it…..to the very last second.
Time had escaped him as he had spent three hours hitting a tennis ball back and forth against the wall. Ever since that day when he had recovered, he had been enjoying tennis more than he ever had before. He reveled in the thrill and the magnificent feeling he achieved whenever he returned a ball.
He noticed that he was glowing faintly and that the ball was gaining speed ever so slightly. To him, anyway. To any observer it would be impossible to follow, but he didn't know that. He didn't even know what the feeling was, but he didn't care. He enjoyed its presence; to him that was all that mattered.
But he began to realize he missed playing against a challenging opponent. So he had stopped for the night. He was taking his time in getting ready for bed until he saw the time. Then he really rushed and accomplished his chores in under a minute. Breathing rather heavily, he had immediately fallen asleep, not noticing Karupin jump in the bed with him.
Ryoma didn't even notice when the alarm clock sounded. So when he woke up thirty minutes later, he took one look at the clock and, realizing he would be late for work, sighed unhappily. He rose out of bed and called his boss, notifying him that he was going to take the late shift.
Before the guy could so much as argue, Ryoma hung up and put on some clothes. He put on a white t-shirt and black shorts. He gazed around the room feeling there was something he was forgetting. Then it hit him. His hat!
He groped around for the white Fila cap and finally found it in the kitchen. Looks like he left it there in his hurry last night. He peeked around the corner and noticed that Nanako had already taken off. She must have morning classes this week. He groaned.
He was a terrible cook. The last thing he needed today was a kitchen on fire all because he tried to make himself breakfast. Annoyed, he resigned to going to pick up breakfast on his way out. He gathered his things and set them by the door while he brushed his teeth.
After he was finished he fed Karupin and headed out. He caught the train and blew a sigh of relief as he sat down on the cushioned seats. It was too early in the morning for this. His stomach started to rumble and the swaying movements of the train did not help.
He leaned back and closed his eyes, hoping it would subside a little. When it did not, he began to get irritated.
That's it! I'm getting off at the next stop! He thought as his stomach rumbled for the umpteenth time.
He opened his eyes and saw a tennis racket flying at him. He instinctively jumped back against his seat and closed his eyes. He waited for the pain…but none came. He opened one eye and saw that the guy was farther back than he thought. In fact, he was standing on the other side of the train where the poles were.
He relaxed his muscles but couldn't help but feel annoyed with himself. He heaved a sigh that might have been closer to a yawn. Oh well. Why should he get all mad about it, anyway? As he decided before, it was too early in the morning for this. He tried to sit there in peace but a loud, obnoxious voice kept interrupting him.
He opened his eyes and glared openly at the other boy. It was a teenager older than Ryoma. He had shoulder length brown hair and an ill mannered atmosphere about him.
He was swinging the racket and talking loudly to two other people, supposedly his friends.
The shorter blue haired companion said, "I'd expect nothing less from Akita's number one player."
The brown haired guy smirked and replied, "You got it."
He swung the tennis racket repeatedly, making a rather loud swishing sound. The guy kept bragging about himself as he swung his blue racket. Ryoma had about had it. How could he get some peace if this guy wouldn't shut up?
Or quiet down at the least, Ryoma thought.
Ryoma looked at them and declared lazily, "Hey, morons, you're too loud. Shut up, will ya?"
He looked them full in the face as their attentions swiveled to him. They glared at him but Ryoma didn't care. At least they were quiet now.
"What did you say punk?" The brown haired boy hissed threateningly.
He blinked. Were they deaf? Didn't they hear him the first time? He shrugged it off and didn't care to answer the guy again. He heard the teen draw in breath probably to tell him off but he felt the train come to a stop. As it slowed down, he stood abruptly up and waited for the doors to open. He slid out, ignoring the angry yells of the boys behind him.
"Hey kid! Get back here!" The brown haired guy yelled menacingly.
But Ryoma kept on walking, unfazed.
His friend looked at him and commented, "Wow, he made you look dumb."
The teen glared at him and snarled, "Shut up!"
Ryuuzaki Sakuno was a shy girl. She didn't have a lot of self confidence in herself, so when a boy started swinging a tennis racket centimeters from her face, she couldn't gather up the courage to ask him to stop.
If only Tomo or Grandma were here. They'd be able to stand up for themselves, unlike me. She thought feeling sorry for herself.
Every time the tennis racket was swung, she recoiled back instinctively, closing her eyes. She squeezed them shut; terrified that she would be hit. She decided to wait until her stop came up.
She thought the boy would perhaps get tired and stop, but she was wrong. The guy kept at it, bragging loudly to his friends.
She eyed the racket fearfully as it headed towards her once more. Like all the other ones, it looked like it would hit her face. She jumped back as it whooshed by. Sakuno prepared for the worse and waited….and waited some more. But it never came.
She opened her eyes and peeked at her surroundings. The boy had dropped his racket; that was all. She squirmed in her seat as the guy readied himself to swing again. He paused, talking loudly to his friends about something.
Sakuno let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding. Maybe it would continue like this. She could tolerate the talking as long as he didn't swing his racket, but she had to admit that she wished he would be quieter.
"Hey, morons, you're too loud. Shut up, will ya?"
A silky voiced drawled. The boys quieted down in surprise and Sakuno was grateful. She looked for her rescuer and saw a boy around her age. He was dazzling to look at. Sakuno blushed as she looked at the handsome boy.
She had never seen a boy quite as good looking as this. She couldn't see much of his hair as it was covered by a white cap but what she could see made up for that.
He had the most beautiful eyes. They were an unusual golden color and as she examined them, she saw a fire burning in them. A fierce determination, something she could never have. She sighed woefully.
That boy was perfect whereas she was only average. Mediocre and invisible; she was a nobody. She moped for a few seconds until she heard the teenage boy reply.
"What did you say, punk?" She gasped silently.
It sounded so threatening. What if the bigger boy was going to beat up the other one? She watched with worried eyes. She knew if things got out of hand there was nothing she could do.
She couldn't even stand up for herself, let alone another boy! For the first time, there was complete silence on the trip.
Sakuno snuck a peek at the boy and saw that he was ignoring the older teen!
Wow, he is so brave! I wish I could be more like him! Sakuno thought wistfully.
But she was still anxious. She could feel the angry waves radiating off that high school boy. She shivered. She hoped nothing would happen. Thankfully, the train came to a stop and the boy stood up and walked out the door.
He moved gracefully, reminding Sakuno of a swan.
I wonder if he plays a sport.
The bigger boy moved towards the other one and Sakuno closed her eyes at what she knew was sure to come. But she had assumed wrongly. All the high school teen did was yell at the brave boy who just ignored him. Sakuno was relieved.
She didn't want anyone getting hurt. She looked around at the stop number and jumped, surprised. This was her stop! She gasped and raced to the door that was beginning to close.
She had to get out here!
She dashed in the direction the younger boy went and stood catching her breath as she watched the train roll by. She exhaled in relief.
She was already late as it was. If she had missed this stop, who knows how much trouble she would have been in! She sat down on the bench, panting softly. She glanced at her watch. It was five minutes to ten.
Her grandma should have already been here. Wasn't she the one who was late? She began to get apprehensive. What if her grandma had cancelled and she just forgot?
She panicked and repeatedly checked the time. Five mintues past ten. Ten minutes. Twenty minutes. Thirty minutes….
"Grandma, where are you?" She whispered, staring at her watch again.
"Looking for me?"
Ryoma sighed in content. That had been one delicious breakfast. He left a tip on the table and walked out. After he had gotten off the train, he found a food diner that was still serving breakfast.
It was rather nice looking, too. Everything looked new and…joyful. Though it might have just been the bright colors of the place.
He had chosen a secluded table in the corner of the room, because he wanted to have at least a little peace before he went to work. He had chosen soup off the menu and was not disappointed. It almost tasted as good as Nanako's.
He paid for his meal and strode slowly out; just now realizing he didn't even know the name of the place.
Whatever, he decided as he continued forward.
He checked the time and found out he had finished just in time. He had five minutes to get to the restaurant that was three blocks away.
Perfect.
He grimaced and swung his bag higher over his shoulders. He began to run as fast as he could to make it in time. He paced his breathing as he dashed by colorful signs. He made it just in time as he hurriedly slid his card in the silverAttendance box.
He mentally thanked his tennis stamina; it was the only reason he was not collapsed on the floor. He walked to the back, panting faintly and changed into his uniform. He wiped the sweat off his brow and dried his hair which just had to be drenched in sweat.
He put his cap back on his head and stepped back out into the main room. He pushed back his sleeves as he felt the sun's hot touch.
He looked over the room and wasn't surprised to find that few people were here. They all had taken the booths, next to the windows. Ryoma squinted as the sun's glare reflected on the yellow walls.
He looked away and walked into the kitchen, knowing that he was about to get a lecture for "cutting it close." He sighed. He was just not in the mood for this right now.
Sakuno heaved a sigh of relief as she heard her grandmother. She looked up to her the woman dressed in a pink jogging suit. Her graying hair was pulled back in a ponytail and her bright black eyes twinkled as she looked at a disheveled Sakuno.
"You're half an hour late, Grandma! What took you so long?" Sakuno yelled, extremely upset.
'Grandma' crossed her legs and swayed back and forth as she urged, "Yeah, yeah, I know I'm a little late, but let's go."
Sakuno obliged, still upset. She followed her grandma along the sidewalk to some very bright tennis courts. She shielded her eyes as she was momentarily blinded.
The sun is really bright today. She concluded.
She squinted as she dropped her hand. She saw loads of high school boys playing tennis, rallying with their rackets. She listened to the sound that was made whenever the ball was hit back. It was rather soothing.
In all of her time attending tennis matches with her grandma, she had never noticed it. She closed her eyes and stood still, letting the sound calm her. It was like a melody; a forgotten song that just came to light. But she was interrupted.
"Sakuno? Sakuno! Let's go!"
Something tugged at her arm and her eyes snapped open. Her legs walked without her telling them to as her grandma pulled her along. She let herself be dragged as she stole one final glance at the courts behind the fence.
She sighed. I wonder if I'll ever be that good at tennis.
She bumped lightly into something. Whatever it was it smelled horribly of sweat. She wrinkled her nose. Sakuno backed away immediately and bowed, apologizing profusely. Something caught her chin and pulled her up. It was her grandma.
Ah so that was who I bumped into.
She blushed as her grandma laughed at her.
When her grandma had wiped the last tear from her eye, Sakuno asked, "What was the whole point of going to the tennis tournament if we weren't going to watch it?"
She was really curious. Usually, her grandma had a reason. She watched as he grandma smiled mischievously, like she was trapped.
"I was checking to see if he was here, but I guess not."
Ryoma sneezed as he walked out the restaurant's back door. He blamed it on the cobwebs that seemed to proliferate everywhere he went.
He knew he should have just gone out the front door but he was closer to the back door….that hadn't been used or cleaned in who knows how long. He sighed. At this rate he was going to be stuck in here all night.
There was no light whatsoever and he bumped into either cobwebs or old pieces of machinery some idiot had left lying around. He flinched as his leg hit yet another useless piece. He had to try really hard to keep his anger under control and this was just not helping.
Another fifteen minutes flew by as he stumbled around the place. He was about to give up when he finally saw a crack of sunlight shining through.
Relieved, he rushed to the place jumping over any obstacles until he was finally at the door. He groped around for the handle and twisted it. …But it wouldn't budge.
Miffed, he pushed harder but it still wouldn't move. Another wasted fifteen minutes later; he was still trying, yanking lifelessly on the handle. At last the turning point hit and he kicked down the door, putting his full weight behind it.
Suprisingly it worked and Ryoma cursed himself for not thinking of that earlier.
He raced out and ran the rest of the way home, not dropping his pace once. Nanako had asked him to be home at least half an hour earlier than this.
"Stupid door…." He muttered as he rounded the last corner.
He saw his house in sight. The bright rainbow colors pretty much blinded his eyes. He panted as he rushed through the metal gate and into the front yard. He slowed down to a slow jog and collapsed onto the comfy couches as soon as he got inside.
He breathed heavily as he lifted his legs off the top of the couch and shifted so that his back was leaning against the cushion. He sighed blissfully. Finally some rest. He was so tired; so many people had come to the place today and he was absolutely exhausted.
He couldn't wait to take a nice relaxing shower and then curl up in his nice and cozy bed…..
"Ryoma-san! You're home!" A high pitched voice announced excited.
Ryoma opened one eye and saw Nanako standing in all her glory at the entrance of the room. She smiled cheerfully at him and sat down across from him in the fuchsia chair. Ryoma had never liked that chair. Whenever he saw it, it looked like it was giving him the evil eye. So he stayed away from it.
Ryoma blinked and said dully, "Konichiwa."
He yawned and closed his eyes again.
He rested his arms behind his head and slowly began drifting off to sleep until he heard, "-signed you up-"
Hmmmm….
Signed him up for what? He gulped. This couldn't be good. He snapped to attention and Nanako smiled, knowing she had successfully caught his interest. She turned solemn and glanced at him.
"Ryoma-san," she said slowly, "I think you should go to school-"
"NANI?"
"-at Seishun Gakuen. It's where Uncle went…"
Ryoma was silent. He didn't even hear the last part.
School…
His oyaji and kaa-san (mostly kaa-san) had already taught Ryoma all he needed to know! He was already learned! He was finished with school! That was the whole point of his homeschooling, so that he would be free to play as the Prince…But wait, he wasn't the Prince right now. Ryoma's face dawned a sour understanding.
"Nanako-san, do I have to? I've already learned what the school would teach me! There's no point!" He argued, agitated.
School wasn't the solution to his problems! No, it was just another problem! How was he supposed to work when he had to deal with school and homework? He went to a public school before but it hadn't worked out. The homework had interfered with his tennis career.
So he had gone back to homeschooling where he learned middle through high school subjects in the time it took the school to teach one grade level! Ryoma's eye twitched. He'd just be learning the same thing over again only in a different language. But Nanako stood firm.
"I know that you may know this stuff already but please, Ryoma-san, just go for one year. Try it out. It may be more fun than you think."
And that was the end of that. Ryoma grumbled as he stomped up the stairs. Nanako gave him a brochure on 'Seishun Gakuen' the school he was supposed to attend. Supposed being the key word. Ryoma grinned mischievously.
That was until he heard, "Oh and Ryoma-san? I already called your boss and sorted it out with him. He said that he would call you when he came up with a good schedule. So you can go to school tomorrow without any worries!"
His grin faltered. So much for that plan. He sighed.
He should have known it wasn't going to be that easy. He grudgingly gave in. There was nothing he could do to change the preparations anyway. Nanako had told him that he would start tomorrow. It was so soon!
She told him that his uniform and information was all set, too. She had done it without him knowing which was probably smart since he would have refused.
"Nani?"
He stopped in his tracks as he saw what was lying innocently on his bed. It was a uniform. Ryoma glanced at it with distaste. He walked forward and examined it.
It was simple; just a black dress coat and pants and a white undershirt. He moved it into the chair next to his bed on the left. It was right next to his dresser.
He plopped on his bed and closed his eyes. He didn't even bother to change into his pajamas; he was simply too tired emotionally and physically. His motor was jammed for the moment. But it would be up and at them tomorrow, wouldn't it?
Ryoma winced as he looked at the test. It had at least fifty questions! He was about ready to bang his head on the desk repeatedly. This was why he hated school. It was such a waste of time…..
He glared at the placement test then at the teacher's retreating back. He watched enviously as the man left hurriedly through the door. How he would love to follow him out of here and avoid taking this test but there was no point.
If he did get out of it Nanako would just arrange for him to take it again anyway. He sighed. Yes, it was pointless. He flipped through the test. It was about four pages long with ten questions on each page.
Ryoma saw that he knew most of the material; heck he might even score a one hundred on this test if he wanted to. But that was it, did he really want to?
If he scored a high grade they would no doubt place him with the seniors' class. He knew that that would take a lot of time and devotion; something he just didn't have.
He propped his head on his elbow. What should he do? High grade would equal seniors', average grade would most likely equal juniors' and low grade would equal freshman.
Hmmmmm…
If I went for freshman, I would most likely have more time for work and everything else, but the other two would be more interesting….
But if he was a freshman he could sleep in class, right? He might not know some details but overall he knew most of the seventh grade curriculum. Also, he was supposed to be a freshman at his age anyway.
People might pester him about skipping a grade or whatnot. He didn't exactly crave that kind of attention. He smirked.
Freshman it is. He decided.
He hurried through the test answering the questions for freshman somewhat correct and vaguely doing the others. Once he finished he looked it over satisfied. That should determine him as a freshman.
He checked the time; it was only 8:00 A.M. He had about thirty minutes until school actually started. He stood up and pushed the wooden chair under its matching wooden table.
It was time to give the teachers his test to grade. He had already been given a tour around the school so at least he knew his way. He turned left at the fork in the hallway moving in the direction of the teacher's lounge.
He grabbed the metal doorknob and quietly entered. Two people were in the room chatting animatedly about something. One of them was the teacher that had assigned the test to him.
He had short black hair and gray eyes that seemed to know everything. He dressed in western style clothing like everyone else in this school. The other person was a woman with shiny brown hair that fell in silky waves. Her blue eyes gleamed with excitement as she replied to the older man's question.
Ryoma didn't listen and he just dropped the test in the man's lap and calmly walked away. The man looked down surprised and as he turned towards the door, he only caught a glimpse of green tinted hair.
Ah, it must be the new student's test. He thought as he examined the item in his hands.
Ryoma wandered aimlessly around the campus, waiting for the day to start. He was eager for it to end but it couldn't do that if it never began. He sighed as he shoved his hands in his pockets.
He really didn't like the uniform so he had left the jacket unbuttoned near the top. He preferred loose more casual clothing.
Yet another reason to hate school, he thought.
He knew he should probably go back to the office but he just didn't feel like it. He'd rather be outside enjoying the fresh morning air. He used to wake up early just for this but that was in the good old days…..
"Um, excuse me? Why is a freshman like you wandering around the campus at such an early hour?"
Ryoma was jolted out of his thoughts by a feminine voice. He sharply looked up to see the same women from before looking down at him. There was something in her eyes…..surprise, was it?
He shortly responded, "I'm new," and turned around to walk away.
The woman didn't stop him but he didn't care. He now had a valid reason to go to the office.Great, he thought bitterly. He maneuvered around the campus rather skillfully, almost like he had been there for years.
He turned down the hallways and occasionally gazed out the windows. If anything, the school had a great view. He could see the forest clearly from the window. It was a beautiful sight. He glanced longingly at it one last time and then proceeded to the office.
He would have to come back sometime, he decided as he pushed open the mahogany door. He saw a flash of the principals graying hair as he turned around. His face looked stressed with old age and his wrinkled hands were shaking.
His brown eyes were narrowed in worry but they loosened up as he saw Ryoma.
"Ah, Echizen-san! We've been looking all over for you. Now here's your schedule….."
Sakuno Ryuuzaki followed her best friend Tomoka Osakada to class. It was two weeks into the school year and they were just stepping out of review mode. Sakuno panted as she had to run to keep up with Tomo.
Brown hair flew behind her as she tried to keep up. She and Tomo may look alike on the outside but they were completely different on the inside. Tomo was vivacious and assertive. She wasn't shy at all like Sakuno.
Sakuno was quiet and nice. Sakuno wished she could be more like Tomo. She wished she had the courage when she needed it, like that time on the train. She never forgot about that boy. He had become one of her heroes like Tomo and her Grandma.
She didn't know his name but she knew his person. She always kept reminding herself of those brilliant burning golden eyes whenever something bad happened.
She stepped through the doorway into class and found her seat next to Tomo on the far side of the room. It was right next to the window. She bathed in the sunlight that shone through, illuminating her in a golden light.
Some of the boys silently watched her, marveling at her beauty from afar.
They didn't know how insecure she was as she hardly spoke up in class. She gazed out the window, watching the birds fly from tree to tree. They chirped loudly as they flew by, earning Sakuno's smile. Something shook her arm and she turned around.
Tomo let go and whispered, "Hey Sakuno! I heard we're getting a transfer student!"
She grinned widely and her brown eyes shown with confidence.
Sakuno smiled back at her and was about to reply when she heard, "Listen up! We have a new student joining us today. He will be here in about a minute or so." Takahata-sensei announced.
Excited whispers broke out as Sakuno looked towards the door along with Tomo.
Tomo glanced back at her and said, "Isn't this exciting! I wonder if it's a boy or a girl! It would be awesome if…."
She continued rambling to Sakuno who was transfixed on the door. She jumped in surprise as it began to open and in stepped a very familiar boy.
Sakuno gasped as she looked into the dazzling molten gold eyes. The boy looked sleepy and his hair was tossed in a just out of bed manner. His build had gotten no less lean from the last time Sakuno had seen him.
The class was silent as they stared at the beautiful boy. Then elated whispers broke out.
"He's so hot!"
"I wonder if he'll go out with me?"
"Aww! He's so gorgeous! I bet the other girls will steal him away first!"
He didn't seem to hear them and if he did, he obviously didn't care.
He walked up next to Sensei and said, "I'm Echizen Ryoma. Yoroshiku."
The class listened to his voice mesmerized. Sakuno could hear some of the girls planning how to ask him out already. Sakuno kind of felt sorry for the boy who stood up for her.
"-right over there. Sakuno, can you raise your hand?"
She snapped out of her daydream and raised her hand. The boy nodded and walked towards her. He stopped in front of her and sat down in the empty desk.
She heard Tomo say, "Oh, Sakuno! You are solucky!"
The rest of the class echoed her words. Sakuno blushed as the center of attention turned to her and the boy. She shifted her gaze forward and stared transfixed at the sight before her.
His green tinted locks sparkled in the sunlight. It looked like an artists' masterpiece.
She shook out of her reverie as Sensei called class to attention.
She tried to concentrate, but her thoughts kept straying to the new boy- No, Ryoma. His name is Ryoma.
She reprimanded herself. She snuck another look at him and almost gasped. He was sleeping in English class! Sakuno glanced worriedly at the teacher. He seemed to have noticed, too, because he was heading over in their direction. He grinned evilly.
Sakuno watched silently, hoping the boy wouldn't be humiliated on his first day. His grin still plastered on his face, Takahata- Sensei prodded Ryoma awake. His eyes opened sharply into a glare causing Sensei to stumble back in surprise.
Quickly regaining his composure, Sensei asked, "Echizen-san, if you think you are smarter than all the rest of us, then please read this paragraph of English out loud."
He handed Ryoma a green English textbook and waited in anticipation for the boy's mortification. Sakuno saw the boy blink sleepily. She hoped that he might be able to read at least some of it, so he wouldn't be totally abashed.
Ryoma examined the text keeping his poker face on. If Sakuno didn't know any better, she'd say he looked bored. He opened his mouth and….recited it perfectly in flawless English! The class stared open mouthed at him as he read through it with accuracy.
It had taken some of them months to learn that passage! For some of them, their summers had been solely wasted! Amazed whispers echoed through the room as he sat back down.
He handed the book to a stunned Sensei, who seemed to gather his senses at that particular moment.
His eyes reduced back to their normal size and he said, "G..Great job!"
It was voiced in English and most of them couldn't understand it. Sakuno was one of those people. It was like when people muttered something incoherent under their breaths.
Sakuno tried to recognize the word but gave up. It just wasn't in her dictionary. She sighed sadly. How was she ever going to pass the English exam? She was snapped out of her stupor when she heard Ryoma's voice slide across the room.
"Your pronunciation was good, Sensei."
Snickers were heard around the room, even some laughter. Takahata- Sensei blushed in anger at first but then shrugged it off with a laugh. Instead of humiliating the new student, he got humiliated himself.
Humor spawned in his chocolate brown eyes and he presumed with the lesson, letting Ryoma sleep in peace.
Sakuno watched him in awe. Not only was he brave and handsome, he was smart! Was he perfect or something? Sakuno blushed as she observed him.
If he was, he most certainly wouldn't want Sakuno as a friend.
No, perfect people don't like to hang around imperfect, useless people.
She thought, looking down on herself. She heaved a morose sigh. She would never be good enough for anyone, would she?
Ryoma dozed off peacefully in English class. He was just catching up on the sleep he never received that morning but that spoke nothing of the sleep that was to come.
He had apparently already persuaded Sensei in English class to let him do this, but he couldn't say the same for the other teachers. But that was okay; that was what first days were for.
He sighed contently as his head snuggled deeper into his arms. Finally, he would get some rest after all that work!
Maybe school was good for something after all.
He yawned as class ended. He stood up to stretch, oblivious to his giggling classmates who were trying to see under his shirt. He sat back down and waited for the next class to begin.
He would probably end up being called out for sleeping in all his classes so he had to make a plan.
Hmmmmm…Eh, why don't I just repeat what happened in the last class?
Satisfied, he stretched his upper body and spread his arms out on the desk. His dropped his head into the opening and closed his catlike eyes. Darkness filled the void and sounds began to fade into the background as he fell into a deep slumber.
It was perhaps ten to fifteen minutes later when the teacher noticed him. He was woken up once again. He quickly found that all the teachers had similar thought processes because every class ended the same way.
Teachers being the ones that were utterly embarrassed and he being the one happily sleeping. He smirked as he receded back to his sleeping position. He hadn't had to do anything in any classes.
Though he knew he couldn't keep that up when gym class came, he still didn't care. Gym wasn't as boring as the other classes anyway. Several periods and lunch later, he followed his classmates to the gym. It was rather big.
The ceiling hung low and the building was longer than it was wider. Blue and white lines covered the otherwise pale floor, forming basketball courts and guidelines. He grabbed his bag and walked to change into his clothes.
Ryoma entered the locker room and was met with stares.
One guy with blonde hair sneered at him.
"Who are you? I don't think I've seen you around."
He had an angular face and even from several feet away, Ryoma could tell the other was much taller than him. Ryoma didn't answer and casually opened his bag. He took out the white tee and green shorts.
Pulling off his clothes, he replaced them with the others and began to walk out. But someone grabbed his wrist.
He whirled around and glared at the assailant.
The blonde was unfazed and snarled, "Don't ignore me! I asked you a question. I said, what's your name?"
He was about a head taller than Ryoma. Even so, he still glowered at the other boy. Soon, he grew bored and decided it just wasn't worth it.
He sighed inaudibly and muttered, "Echizen Ryoma."
He shook the hand off and was out of the room before anyone could say "huh". He stepped into the gym surprised to find that the locker room was hotter than the actual gym.
But then again, he shouldn't be as a lot of warm bodies were pressed into one room. Pretty soon, it'd be hot in here, too. He found a corner at the other side of the room and began to stretch. None of the other boys were out yet, leaving Ryoma plenty of privacy.
The Sensei for this class wasn't even here so he could probably pull down his pants and get away with it. He lazily examined the gym. It could probably fit a basketball game, a volleyball game and badminton game all at once.
Ryoma was impressed; Seigaku really did live up to its expectations.
He started to jog around the room, forgetting how many laps he did. He stopped when the boys started to pile out onto the floor. No matter how big the room was, it couldn't support unorganized boys for long.
As more gathered, Ryoma found it increasingly hard to jog. He stopped when a large group, including the blonde from earlier, emerged. He didn't want to have to work hard to weave his way through the crowds before the class even began.
He sat down and leaned against the cool wall. He ruffled his damp hair and closed his eyes. There was nothing better to do after all. His ears twitched when he heard a loud creaking noise.
His eyes snapped open and he saw the women from this morning. The women surveyed them looking so much fiercer than she was in the teachers' lounge.
"Line up!" She barked.
"Yes, Sensei!" The boys replied.
Oh, so that's the Sensei.
Ryoma tilted his head and stood up. He mimicked his classmates and lined up on the black line.
"Twenty suicides, now! You have five minutes." She yelled.
She jumped out of the way as the boys dashed past her. Ryoma kept pace easily with everyone else since he has already warmed up. He finished along with the majority of his class.
They all stood, catching their breath, waiting for the stragglers who were lagging behind.
"Your time's up! Back onto the black line!"
Everyone hurriedly assembled into a straight line with fear on their faces. Ryoma raised an eyebrow. They're scared of their gym coach?
Pathetic, Ryoma thought.
"Okay, today we will have a volleyball tournament. I will number you off. Odd numbers go to the left, evens to the right."
She ran down the line numbering people off.
She stopped when she saw Ryoma.
"Ah, you're the new student correct? Okay, I want you to observe today."
If she recognized him, she didn't show it. He nodded and plopped onto the bleachers. Strangely enough, he didn't want to go back to sleep. So he settled against the wall and watched the boys make fools of themselves.
It was obvious that none of them favored volleyball as a sport. Ryoma didn't either though he had an excuse.
He was the Prince of Tennis after all.
"Mina, go get dressed!"
Ryoma darted into the locker room and changed fast. The boys were just starting to come in when they saw a green blur fly by them. Ryoma had just realized that Gym was his last period. He was free to go now! He went to his locker and packed his bags.
Just as he was about to go out the door he heard, "Hey! School isn't over yet! Where do you think you're going?"
He turned around. It was his English Sensei. He was confused. How could school not be over? Gym was his last class, right? He stepped into the boys' bathroom to avoid his Sensei. He made his way into a stall and dropped his black bag on the ground.
He shuffled through, looking for his schedule. Aha! There! He pulled it out of the front pocket and unfolded it.
He eyed it and saw "Period 7: Gym".
His last class was gym, so why couldn't he leave? He glared at the schedule and crumbled it up into a ball. He threw it at the nearest trashcan but it missed. It hit the metal rim and flattened out a bit. He grumbled and picked it up.
That was when he saw "Period 8: -" Next to the "8" was a dash. What did that mean?
He studied it some more. Then it hit him.
It's blank so that must mean a free period. Hn…I suppose I could go outside as long as I don't leave the campus.
He sighed. He wanted to leave more than anything. This day was exhausting whether he liked to admit it or not. He shoved the piece of paper into his bag and shouldered it.
He slowly strode outside. He closed his eyes as he felt the cool air crash into him. It cooled off his skin and tousled his hair. The sunlight beat down on his black hair, causing it to take on a greenish tint. He opened his eyes and scanned the area for a shady tree.
He found one near the dirt sidewalk just in front of a locker room. He crashed there and flexed his arms. He placed them behind his head and leaned against them.
He closed his eyes and enjoyed the fresh air blowing his sweat away. The silence began to lull him to sleep. He yawned and turned sideways against the tree. His hands moved with him, connecting with his head.
He heard a bell ring in the distance, but he ignored it.
He was in such bliss…..
He heaved a sigh of content and bathed in the warmth the sun had to offer.
This was the life…
But a noise interrupted him. He heard grass being trampled upon and obnoxious laughter.
He narrowed his closed eyes. Just when he was about to fall into a peaceful sleep, too…..
The noise became louder and he knew it was coming towards him. He shifted back to his beginning position and tried to ignore the noise. He thought that he had achieved that when all noise halted but he was wrong, dead wrong.
"OCHIBI!"