Mixes of Heartbreaks and Hopes and the Rise of New Beginnings (Valentine Part 2)

(This story takes place before Valentine's Day; it is the continuation of what happened after Yuuki sprained her foot.)

"Aoi, where is Yuuki?" asked by Riku who just came in the court

"Uh? I'm also looking for her" Aoi replied, then the screaming of the sophomores and freshmen got their attention, they see who are the reasons of the screams

"Hi Hinamori-san, Harada-san, have you seen Tezuka around?" it was Fuji with Oishi who blushed his face when he saw Aoi

"Uh no, we weren't looking for Yuuki… Tss, where are those captains anyways?" she looked at Aoi who was also blushing when she saw the presence of her boyfriend, Riku narrowed her eyes and turned to look at Oishi who is also quiet and shy…

*awkward silence*

"Hello Aoi, Riku! Oh, hi there too, Oishi and Fuji…" it was Megumi who broke the silence between the four "hey, what's with the silence??" she asked frantically

"Oh nothing, we were looking for our buchous" said Fuji with his so famous smiling face

"Say, Megu, do you know where is Yuuki? You two seems too close since last week's practice" asked by Riku

"Uh yeah… she came home early because she got her foot sprained" she answered absentmindedly

"SPRAINED!?" the four screamed, and Megu covered her mouth, she forgot her promise to keep it a secret that Yuuki was attacked by crazy Tezuka fan girls earlier

"Uh ahm…" she's not looking at the four pair of eyes waiting for some explanation

"Say, Megu-tan, what happened to Yamada? Why did she get her foot sprained?" asked by Oishi

"Yeah, tell us something Megu we are worried about her" it was Aoi, the two were bugging her

"Hey… hey… easy guys, nothing to worry about she's at home now and safe, she just said that she got sprained and won't be able to attend the practice that's all" she lied a bit, her fingers are crossed at her back hoping that the two would believe her

"Oh, Yuuki is sometimes too clumsy, I wonder how she got hurt…" said Aoi who is somehow relieved

"Maybe we should visit her, I can also refer her to my uncle who is a doctor so that she will get better" Oishi suggests which Aoi approves automatically

"Yeah! That's right! Let's visit her"

"The problem is, do we know where Yuuki lives?" It was Riku who interfere with the two

"Eh, yeah right… I haven't been in their residence before…" Aoi said in disappointment

"Hey, Fuji, do you know where she lives? You're in the same block, maybe you have an idea or at least knew her address" Oishi asked Fuji but he was staring blankly at them, he seemed like he was thinking of something "Fuji?" Riku called to him when he was not answering Oishi's question

"Oh? What was it?" back to his smiling face

"Are you alright? You look so damn serious, do you have any problem?" Riku

"Maybe he's also worried about Yuuki, the two of them are close so maybe you are just worried right Fuji?" Megu comments

"Ah yeah, that's it… it's good to pay her a visit but I don't know where is her place" Fuji replied trying to look calm, but the truth is he can't something is bothering him

"Oh, now that we knew where is Yuuki, now let's go find Tezuka now… where is he?" said Riku

"Yeah where is that guy?" Oishi

"Maybe he did something important, let's just go talk to him tomorrow Oishi" said Fuji, he already has a hint where did Tezuka went

"Oh okay…" Oishi

"You know what…" Megu called Oishi and Aoi's attention same as Fuji and Riku "Oishi-kun and Aoi were very alike (^_^)V" that makes the two blushed

"Hey yeah, so you couples do have plans for tomorrow?" asked by Riku

"Plans?" the two asked

"Hey it's valentine's day tomorrow and the two of you don't have any plans?" Megu

......…..

She dressed up pretty this afternoon, since there are no classes she accepted his invitation, but, did he even invite her? No he just asked her if they will meet again today, she sighed at the thought, she was hoping for something, but is there something she is hoping for? Or she's just the only one hoping?

"It's been months since we get to know each other but he hasn't said any hint to me… " she said to herself

"Hi there! Have I kept you waiting that long?" he asked as he wave his hand to her, he just came wearing a cream colored sweatshirt and a black and white checkered scarf around his neck and a pair of dark blue jeans that made him look even taller and slimmer

"Oh no, I just here came too" she replied hiding her amusement from the way he looks, he only wears simple attire but he looks so damn hot and attractive, while she is wearing one of her newly bought pink tube cut dress, a canary yellow cotton cardigan with a plain flower embroidered white scarf and a pair of 2 inches red shoes.

"You look kawaii with your dress" he compliments her as they walk that makes her blush

"Ah, t-thanks… y-you look good too" she replied but she just heard him chuckle

"Eh? Why are you laughing?" she asked and pouts

"I'm not laughing, it's chuckles, and it's just you don't have to reply to everything I said to you…" he said and a sudden seriousness shows from his expressions she looks up at him…

"Say, where you want to go?" he changes the topic together by changing his expression

*Fast forward*

It is nearly dawn and the two were at a café; they have visited shops, watched a movie, and went to an arcade almost everything that couples do on a date.

"Say, Oshitari-kun, did you have fun today? I have a lot, especially at the arcade it's been too long since I have so much enjoyment playing" Risa said trying to make the atmosphere lighter, she knows that there is something wrong with what they are doing since yesterday, Oshitari haven't talked that much and earlier she found herself talking to herself coz she often see him daydreaming or just looking at somewhere blankly. Same as what happened earlier, he is absentmindedly looking at his cup of coffee

She hit her palm at the table making the coffee shake the same as getting his attention back at her

"Finally…" she said, her head bowed down that her bangs hides her eyes from him "You already got back from whatever space you've been"

"I… I'm sorry, Harada, I've been spacing out again…" he makes a forced smile while he apologizes at her

"You may tell me now if you don't like hanging around with me…" she said her merry face changed into a serious one, it's like she is not the same Risa before

"What? I mean… it's not like what you think, it's just…"

"It's just what? That you can't make a clean breast that you were just forcing yourself? Damn!" she cuts him off,

"Harada…" his eyes softened to see her hurting

"I don't know if I really like you too…" she said "I'm sorry too… I shouldn't act like this in the first place…"

"No, I make you hope either, I should have made it clear too… I shouldn't ask you to go out with me at that time… It's not that I don't like you Harada, it's just that, I think my heart is quite confused right now…"

"Do you love her?" Risa

"Huh?"

"Do you love my sister?" She looks at him straight at his eyes, it's like a magnet that he can't resist the connection between their stares. It really looks like the same eyes when he first fell in love, yes, it looks just like the pair of eyes he fell in love with. It's been two years since then, when he and Riku encountered each other at the very first tennis competition. And now he's with the younger sister of the person he loved for two years…

"How did you?" he is surprised

"I just found it out, and realized that it was you Riku-nee-chan is talking about…"

"She's talking about me?"

"Sort of, I was in elementary when she talked about a boy she met when she was in her first year…"

"I thought… it was him…" he replied in disappointment

"Yeah, everyone adores Tezuka- buchou even me, I adore him but he is so reserved that no one could even enter his so-called-Tezuka-zone-attitude" this time she smile, it was a real one, same as Oshitari

"Riku nee-chan does have a crush on him but she said it's over, and he's not the guy who got her heart…"

"Who's that lucky bastard anyways, I better gonna give him a knock once he hurt her…" he said pissed

"Tss… Bakamero Oshitari-kun… or I must call you Yuushi-nii, it's just the two of you didn't make any move… tss… I should have stayed loyal over being Fuji-kun's fan girl so I won't be hurting like this…" a bitter smile forms her lips

"I'm sorry Harada, it's my fault, and I should have been honest before… I'm sorry for hurt---"

"Stop, you'll just make me feel like more of a loser… please don't feel sorry for what happened… I just want you and nee-chan to talk about it… I do want my sister's happiness too… this time; I should be the one to give way for her…"

"Risa…"

"Now you already called my name… Thank you… " she smiles and tries to stop the tears that are about to fall anytime "You can still catch her, the club has just finished, go and tell her already…"

"Thank you…" he smiles at her he is quite relieved to see her smile "I'll make sure that I will take care of her… thank you Risa" and he embraces her and gives a pat on her head before leaving

*** The night after she met Oshitari at the bookstore and she saw her sister on the balcony of their house.

"Nee-chan! I'm home! What are you doing there? Are you daydreaming of Tezuka buchou again? Hehe"

*glare*

*pout* "I'm just kidding, hehe (^_^)lll

*sigh* "Risa, do you still remember the boy I met when I was in first year?"

"Oh yeah, he also wears glasses just like Tezuka buchou right?"

"Tss… will you leave Tezuka's name out? Please?"

"Hai!" (-_-)V

"I met him again…"

"Oh really!? Where?"

"Remember when I called you earlier, that I had something to tell you? I just saw him… I lied that I was at home… and I think he also saw me, but I walked fast and tried to escape away from him…"

"Where are you at that time anyway?

"At the pavilion, I'm at the other side of the road when I saw him about to enter a book shop I guess…" Risa kept silent, and didn't wait for what her sister would say next since she kept silent too, she's at the pavilion at the same time and in the same bookstore, is it just a coincidence or it was the same guy she was talking about? "***

END OF FLASHBACK

Now she's walking in the middle of nowhere, it's nearly dawn and the sunset seems so sad. She found herself sitting at the swing, the ambiance of the park is so quiet there are some kids playing but they are not that loud. She even saw a little girl who slipped and cried, and then her older sister came and made her stand and gave her a handkerchief and gave a pat on her younger sister's head. The smaller girl stops crying and hugs the bigger girl and they both smile and walk their way home while holding each other's hand.

She didn't know that her tears started to fall already, she remembers how her sister protects her and gives way to almost everything they have. This time she did what her sister always does for her, she sacrificed one thing just for her, oh no.. It's not hers anyways in the first place. Maybe the right thing to say is that she gave what belongs to her sister, that should have been her for a long time ago. The thought makes her smile, though she was hurt, there is this feeling that she wants to cry, her sight is blurry with her tears when…

"Here" She looks at the hand with a chocolate cupcake in front of her

"Take it, whenever I'm sad, nervous, or just want to relax I eat sweets… maybe it could help you make me feel better, since girls do love sweets too… give it a try." the person sits at the empty swing at her right, the cupcake is already in her hands. She takes a bite at the cupcake and chews it. She could feel the soft dough of the cake and the indulgence of the chocolate flavor, it's not like other cupcakes, and it melts in her mouth…

"See? I told you, it could" that makes her look at her right side to see this red hair guy who is now biting at his cupcake, and on his lap is a box of different variety of cupcakes about of six pieces

"I am usually selfish when it comes to my sweets, but I can't resist seeing a cute girl crying… You're lucky that I have a discount for being the first customer to buy these cupcakes…" and he starts chewing again

"T-thank you…" she replied shyly

"Did you see your boyfriend dating another girl this Valentine's that's why you are crying?"

"Uh no… I don't have a boyfriend…"

"So why are you crying?"

"It's just, hmmm… I just realized how good my sister is, and I am happy to see her happy because I give way of something just for her… it's like it feels better to see the important people for you happy…" she smiled

"Hmmm… well good for you, so cheer up now, your pretty face doesn't suite crying" when she look at the guy at the other swing, he was smiling at her

"I'm Harada Risa, how about you? What is your name?"

"Marui Bunta, here have some more cupcakes"

"Marui… Thank you"

........

He was running trying to take a chance if he would be able to catch her up, it's been too long being a coward, he didn't make a move to ask her. Time is running, clock's ticking, his sweats drops, his heart beats fast, he reached the top of the ladder he's been running and saw the same figure of a woman he's been always dreaming of. This is his last chance,

"Riku…" he called

"Yushi?"

"I thought I'm all so late…"

"What are you doing here?"

"I know that... here we go again… I don't want to be a lost boy again…"

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"Can we start again?"

"HUH?

"This is the better reality Riku, I must face it, I've been lost for so long… and I don't want to lose it again… I want you to know how much I love you… I know that you still feel the same way too…"

She smiles and looks at him "She really is matured now… I never thought she would do this…"

"Me either," and he walk slowly near her and held her hand

"So?"

"So?" she replied back

"What is your answer?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Then she tipped her toe and reached for his lips, and he also did the same as he moved his head down to kiss her too.