Setting: After episode 20 of Shugo Chara! Doki
Characters: Kairi Sanjo
Buono!Buono!: You're My Friend
Kairi Sanjo had returned home for the day, and was working at the computer in his room, typing something up for the Summit Committee. Musashi was inside his egg on the desk, gone to sleep for the day.
It'd been only a few hours since Amu Hinamori and Tadase Hotori had left to return to Seiyo Academy, and, despite it being evening already, Kairi found himself doing work at his home in the Aomori Prefecture where his parents lived.
He'd learned a lot from seeing them again.
The King and Joker had come from Seiyo to the Summit for an event that his school had hosted, and Kairi certainly hadn't expected to meet up with them again. Especially after he confessed his feelings to Amu. It'd been extremely awkward at first, Musashi even had to team up with the other guardian characters just to break the ice. The reason being Kairi's own insecurities regarding his inability to be good enough for Amu.
He'd even resolved to not see her again, after seeing her getting comfy with Tadase, for the reason of not being a perfect man.
Amu had helped him realize something, however.
Yes, it is good to want to improve yourself… But, that does not mean that your current self is scum.
And so, Kairi vowed to become better, but also vowed to see Amu again, even if he would never be completely satisfied with himself. In other words, he vowed to follow his heart.
That was what it meant to be friends.
Kairi's hands stopped typing however, and clenched into fists as he thought of just one little problem regarding his affections for Amu…
Tadase also has feelings for Amu, but the difference was that it was reciprocated.
It was actually rather obvious. Amu was flustered around him, yes, but she was smitten with Tadase. There was a difference, and, despite challenging Tadase for Amu's affections, deep down inside, he knew that he would never win.
Because Amu would always see him as her friend.
Kairi closed his eyes and let out a sigh, relaxing himself before leaning back in his chair, staring at the ceiling as he whispered under his breath, "I wish I hadn't known how I felt…"
Since he met Amu in Tokyo, and spent all this time with her as Guardians, her natural charisma had been pulling him in… It was Amu who worried over him more kindly than anyone else after they'd found out he was in Easter, it was Amu who'd come to mean the most to him during his time at Seiyo.
But, now that she and Tadase visited him after he had spent time away from her to reflect, he knew that he would never get closer to her like Tadase did, because they were just friends.
It was okay, though. Because as long as he followed his heart, he could at least remain friends with Amu and achieve his dreams as well. Just because his feelings might never be reciprocated, doesn't mean he couldn't still be friends.
He could let go, for her sake. Because he knew that his feelings had at least reached her, and she at least she knew how he felt, and that was enough. As long as he had his memories of their times together, he knew he would at least be okay.
Kairi's cellphone buzzed on the desk with a notification, and Kairi moved to pick it up. As he opened it up, he saw that he'd received a text from Yaya Yuiki. A tender smile blossomed on Kairi's face, and he leaned back in the chair again to look up at the ceiling.
Yes, they were just friends, but things were still okay.
Beyond the roof of his home, the sky was shining even brighter with stars.