"So... this is your first real date?"
"Right… that's why I need your help."
"Well... I don't-"
"Please Mitsuru?"
The classy leader of the student council went from looking quizzical, to amused, "Hm. To be completely honest with you, Sakura… I've never been out on a date myself."
"...Really?" the other blinked in shock.
Mitsuru was the most popular girl in the school; what's more, she was her best friend. Sakura had assumed that she - of all people - may be able to give her some advice, but…
"Sorry…" she smiled slightly, "I have no experience in that field; so I doubt anything I could say would be of help to you."
Sakura frowned, now feeling restless. It was true she kept composed in most situations, but she hadn't been counting on such a disappointing answer. Mitsuru saw her waver.
"Don't worry… I'm sure it'll all go smoothly." she crossed her arms, "You and Amada already get along very well."
"Yes, but…" Sakura trailed off; doubt surfacing, in her dusky sapphire eyes.
Ever since meeting Ken Amada, she'd held a fond attachment.
That adorable face of his, that lit up every time their eyes met, had sparked an instant appeal… and his eyes, too, were so endearing yet strong with feeling. She'd always seen a small part of herself being cast back from him - an empathy, and understanding of something that they both shared.
Prior to Shinjiro's death, Ken's mind had been clouded with thoughts of only hate, and vengeance. It was only afterwards, that he realised just how much he loved Sakura Ayasawa, too...
She'd always been there for him – always treated him like her equal, unlike anyone else in his life. She never made fun of him; only ever appreciated his maturity, and their friendship. With Sakura, he felt accepted.
While shy at first, Ken had slowly developed more confidence in his feelings, enough to ask Sakura out on their first date. She, of course, had been both surprised and delighted: she'd never been on a "date" before (news that Ken was secretly glad to hear).
While she'd thought for a long time that she may be in love with Akihiko, growing closer to Ken had made her realise that she loved her fellow senior in a different sort of way.
Akihiko was one of her closest friends, even dearer than Mitsuru; thus, he could see plainly how much this date meant to her. Surely he could offer her some words of wisdom...
"Hm… have you thought about where you're going?" he asked.
"No." Sakura replied bluntly, shaking her head, "Well, I have but... that's why I need some pointers. I'm not sure where…"
Akihiko furrowed his brow. He peered at Mitsuru from the corner of his eye, who gave him a fleeting look.
"Um, well…" he frowned, before his face brightened with a thought, "How about taking him for a beef bowl?"
"That hardly sounds very romantic." Mitsuru remarked, to which he pulled a face.
"Oh? Like you had any bright ideas!"
Sakura couldn't help a wry chuckle, and Akihiko looked pensive.
"Well… have you thought about seeing a movie or something?"
"Hmm…"
"Or... you like shopping, right? You could go down to Paulownia mall?"
"Uh... yeah. Maybe we could do that..."
"I guess…" he smiled a little, "Just take the day as it comes."
"Yeah…" Sakura smiled back, but still wasn't really convinced.
"You'll be fine!"
Some love guru Akihiko turned out to be.
...
"What? Pfff… I dunno!"
"C'mon, Junpei-san…" Ken frowned, while Junpei shrugged.
"Jeez… I really don't know." He huffed; and continued flipping through the pages of his magazine.
Ken sighed silently, petting Koromaru by his feet. Yukari was eating at the table, not far away from where they were sat on the sofas.
"I thought you'd be the expert on such things, Stupei." She murmured.
"What do I look like? A genius?"
"Clearly not."
He grumbled, closing the magazine quite dramatically.
"Alright then, Yuka-tan… what advice would you give him?"
"Don't drag me into this!"
Ken looked at her, "Yukari-san… you're good friends with Sakura too, right?"
"Umm, well… yeah." She gazed off to the side, seeming to ponder.
Junpei urged her, "Well?"
"I'm thinking!" she snapped back, making the dog whimper.
"It's just… I want to make a good impression, you know?"
Ken spoke softly, making both Yukari and Junpei look over. The latter raised an eyebrow.
"Sheesh… you're really serious about her, huh?"
"Of course I am!" he piped up, his face reddening slightly with irritation; mostly everyone in the dorm knew about their relationship by now, and he couldn't care less anymore what they thought.
He couldn't trust someone like Junpei not to poke fun at him, but he was the only other guy he felt that he could turn to. Unfortunately, he hadn't been of any help… at all.
"This... sort of thing isn't my speciality…" Yukari eventually mumbled.
"Ha! See! Not so easy, is it?"
Ken frowned as the two of them continued to argue; he settled for petting Koromaru behind the ears again.
...
Neither of them felt any better prepared.
Seeking helpful advice had only ended in failure, and somehow made them unsettled.
Not even the sun's promise of a gorgeous afternoon helped Sakura to relax, as she left her dorm room, glancing back before closing the door. She'd opted in the end for a pretty white dress shirt, with a black buttoned skirt. No thanks to the other seniors, she'd spent a while choosing her outfit: she hadn't been sure whether to dress up - since it was meant to be a date, after all - or whether to stick with something more casual...
While she had made an effort, she'd ultimately made sure not to overdo it: a good balance.
"H-Hello..."
Ken stammered slightly, when she met with him at the bottom of the stairs; the bright blush on his cheeks made her smile.
"Hey, Ken."
She did look lovely; and Ken had been thrown off for a moment, on top of his initial shyness. Seeing her smile at him, however, instantly quelled his nerves.
"You look really great, Sakura..." he beamed, with a huge smile of his own.
The girl's eyes twinkled as she felt the small knot in her chest unwind. She was hardly nervous; in fact, it was only around him that she could free her true self, and in turn, her brimming confidence helped Ken to feel assured too.
"Thanks!" she grinned a little playfully, "You don't look too bad yourself."
This made him grin too, seeming eager, "Shall we head out now?"
"Hey... do you think she'll be okay?"
Mitsuru appeared concerned; standing back, as practically everyone in the dorm was peeking out of the window, watching them go off in the direction of the station.
"Sure she will." Akihiko muttered.
Yukari mused at the sunny looks on their faces, "They both look really happy together... I guess it's kinda sweet."
"I say good for him." Junpei shrugged, "He's lucky. I mean, who doesn't dig older chicks?"
Everyone turned to look at him.
"W-Wha? What'd I say?!"
...
The afternoon began a little awkwardly.
After finally deciding on a movie to watch, they ended up having a good time at the theatre.
It was actually Ken's suggestion that afterwards they head down to the harbour.
They were just in time: the sunset was painting the sky in hues of orange and pink while the last of the boats were pulling in to the wharf. The ocean surrounding Tatsumi Port Island was indeed spectacular, and brought a cool breeze over the docks. The two sat side by side on a small pier, with their legs dangling over the water; the clear blue reflected the evening's light, bringing out sparkles on the waves.
Sakura took a deep breath, idly kicking her feet. It was rare that they got such a peaceful break, from all the fighting and training they had to keep on top of...
Moments like this could be so easily missed, and yet... seemed to last an eternity. There was no-one else she would have rather been beside, right there and then.
"Ken..."
"Y-Yes?"
"Thanks for coming today. I had a really great time."
"Oh... same here, Sakura." his face shone.
There wasn't a single word for how grateful he was to be there with her: just the two of them. As they watched the sun going down, he kept stealing glances at her from the corner of his eye, and blushed. If possible, she looked even more beautiful in that brief moment. She turned to look at him, capturing his eyes and smiling sincerely.
"Actually..." he gazed down, towards the water; even then he found himself staring at her mirror image, "There's... something I wanted to ask you?"
"Hm?" Sakura hummed, still looking at him.
The boy let out a slightly nervous chuckle, "Well... it's more something that I want to try out. If that's okay?"
"What is it?"
He lifted his head, getting lost once again as she looked him in the eye. Her stare seemed to dissolve him; and somehow empower him at the same time. His cheeks dusted pink, to match the sky.
"Um... could you... close your eyes for one minute?"
The girl's orbs held a curious glimmer, as she raised an eyebrow; nonetheless she did what she was asked.
"What is it?" she repeated, almost teasingly.
When he didn't respond she grew impatient. She squinted one eye open; and found that his face was just inches away from hers...
"...H-Hey!" his heightened breathing drew into a gasp, "No fair! You can't peek!"
He recoiled a little, frowning with embarrassment. Sakura couldn't help but laugh.
"What's funny?"
He screwed up his face, tilting his head only to find her lips pressing onto his cheek: in a small, soft kiss. Her mouth brushed against his warm skin, and when she pulled away she realised how red he'd gotten.
For a second, he was staring wide-eyed; and then he leaned up and quickly pecked her straight on the lips.
It was Sakura's turn to be surprised.
"Heh..." Ken beamed, before laughing, "I... I always wondered what it would be like to kiss you..."
Sakura's expression soon melted into a smile, and she ended up giggling too. She shifted her eyes back to the horizon, which was now washing a deep purple.
"Sakura... Thank you..."
"Hm? What for?"
"Just... for being you."