Blind Raimundo
I just don't understand it Keiko." Kimiko Tohomiko sighed. She was talking on the phone with her best friend Keiko.
"I hug him everyday now, and flirt with him all the time, but Raimundo still doesn't notice me."
"That is a problem." Keiko said sympathetically but then excitedly she said.
"But I have an idea."
What?" Kimiko asked.
"I'll visit you guys for the summer and after I get to know him I'll ask how he feels about you." Keiko said and then Kimiko squealed at the idea.
"I would love for you to come here!" Both of the girls began to giggle.
"I'll go ask Master Fung." Kimiko said.
"And I'll go ask my mom" Keiko said. Kimiko put the phone down and ran to find Master Fung.
"Master Fung, Master Fung!" She called when she found him.
"Yes Kimiko?" He asked her.
"Can my friend Keiko come to visit for the summer?" Kimiko asked.
"I do not see why not." Master Fung answered. Kimiko squealed and hugged him and then she ran back to her 'room'. She picked up the phone and said.
"He said yes!" At the same time that Keiko said.
"She said yes!"
They both squealed for a long moment and then Keiko said.
"I have to go bye."
"Bye." Kimiko said and then she hung up.
"What's all the noise about?" Raimundo Pedrosa, whom was standing in Kimiko's doorway, asked.
"Keiko's coming!" Kimiko hugged him and then she left.
RaiKim
The next day the four monks and Dojo Konojo Cho were at the airport waiting for Keiko. Kimiko stood on her tiptoes to look over the crowd.
"Ooh, I see her!" Kimiko exclaimed when she saw a Japanese girl with short black hair and red highlights.
"Keiko!" She yelled. Keiko spotted her and ran right to them. She dropped her luggage and they hugged, squealing. They pulled away and examined each other.
"Wow, you really did let your hair grow out!" Keiko exclaimed. "It's beautiful." Kimiko was about to say thanks but then noticed the red stud in Keiko's nose.
"You got your nose pierced!?"
"Uh-huh," Keiko nodded. "It's a lot more rocker chick then earrings, so I'm letting the skin grow back." She showed Kimiko the half healed holes in her ears.
"Well, it looks great!" Kimiko squealed. Keiko was about to thank her when Raimundo cleared his throat.
"Oh, I'm sorry." Kimiko giggled. "Keiko this is-"
"No wait," Keiko interrupted her. "Let me guess." She walked up to them. "The little one is Omi, the cowboy is Clay, and you're Raimundo."
"Good job." Kimiko said. "Now are you ready to really fly?"
RaiKim
When they arrived at the temple Keiko climbed off of Dojo laughing.
"That was so great!"
"Wasn't it though?" Kimiko asked. Keiko grabbed Raimundo's arm, but it was all part of the plan.
"Let's go get to know each other." She said.
RaiKim
A week later the kids went to the park as an off day, and Keiko and Raimundo were both swinging.
"So," Keiko looked at Raimundo. "How do you feel about Kimiko?" Raimundo raised an eyebrow at her.
"You expect me to tell you?"
"Why not?" She asked. When she was ignored she continued.
"Oh come on, she's my best friend, I deserve to know!"
"Exactly," Raimundo nodded. "You're her best friend, you'll tell her." Keiko batted her eyes at him.
"No I won't."
"Yes you will." And with that he walked away. Kimiko rushed to her.
"How'd it go?"
"It didn't." Keiko sighed. "He doesn't trust me."
RaiKim
That night Kimiko and Keiko were brainstorming in Kimiko's 'room'.
"What do we do now?" Kimiko was close to tears.
"I could go on a "date" with him and see if he's involved with anyone." Keiko used air quotations.
"No, that wouldn't work," Kimiko said. "He doesn't trust you, remember?"
"Well, does he even date?" Keiko asked.
"Yeah," Kimiko said. "Clay sets him up with blind dates all the time." Keiko started to suggest another idea but stopped.
"Did you say blind date?" She asked. Kimiko nodded.
"Yeah, Clay uses one of those stupid websites."
"I have an idea that's guaranteed to work!" Keiko exclaimed. Kimiko perked up.
"What is it?"
"We'll have Clay help set it up," Keiko started to explain. "He'll tell Raimundo that he has a new blind date for him, but it's really gonna be you in disguise. We'll buy you new clothes, get you hair done, and buy one of those face thingies." Kimiko was starting to like this idea as Keiko continued.
"Then you'll slowly get the information out of him!" Kimiko squealed.
"That's a great idea! Let's go tell Clay!" The two girls ran into Clay Bailey's cubicle.
"Clay we have job for you." Kimiko said and then the girls took turns explaining their plan to him.
"That's a mighty fine idea." Clay said. "I would love to help you two little ladies." The girls squealed and Clay went to Raimundo's cubicle.
"Howdy pardner." He said entering the small room. "I found you a new date. "She'll be here tomorrow night."
"Is she hot?" Raimundo said.
"She's Japanese."
RaiKim
The next day Kimiko and Keiko went to the Mall of the World as soon as it had opened.
"We've got to find the perfect outfit." Kimiko said as they walked through the large mall crowd.
"And make you look as different as possible." Keiko agreed.
"Ooh, I can get brown contacts." Kimiko suggested.
"Perfect!" Keiko exclaimed. The first store they went to was an eye doctor's office where they bought the contacts.
"Those will look great." Keiko said. Then they went to Sears but the only thing they bought there was a green and blue No Boundaries v-neck shirt with butterflies and flowers. It also had a blue ribbon that tied in the back, outlined the neck, and went up as the straps. The bottom was frilly and went out longer on the sides than it did on the front and back.
"That's so cute!" Keiko squealed. They went to many other stores but after an hour had bought nothing else so they went to the Cinnabon for breakfast.
"We've been to like a million stores but I can't find anything else!" Kimiko was starting to get frustrated.
"We'll find something." Keiko dipped a cinnamon stick in her icing.
"We'd better." Kimiko said. After they finished eating went to a disguise store and found a device that goes beside your teeth to change the shape of your face.
"That's really cool." Keiko said as they went across the hall to the Limited Too.
"Yeah." Kimiko said as she looked at the skirts. She found a white full skirt and bought a white tank top with it.
"See I told you we'd find something." Keiko said. A few stores later they went to an earring store but it was nose studs that caught Kimiko's eye.
"Maybe I should get my nose pierced." Kimiko said to her friend.
"That would be awesome!" Keiko said and a little while later they walked out both wearing teal studs.
"One more thing…" Keiko said.
"Hair dye." Kimiko finished her sentence. They went to a hair salon and picked four bottles of temporary hair dye: two shades of blue, a teal, and a lime green.
"Now we have everything." Kimiko said.
RaiKim
Back at the temple the girls were getting Kimiko ready for her big date. Kimiko was sitting in a lilac bathrobe while Keiko bleached strands on one side of her hair. She had already put in the tooth devices and contacts, now she couldn't even recognize herself. Neither could Keiko.
"Who are you?" She asked and as if to answer Keiko said.
"Not Kimiko Tohomiko." Kimiko shook her head.
"Yeah," Keiko agreed. "Now you're Setsuka." Kimiko smiled at her friend through the mirror she was looking at.
"This is so exciting."
RaiKim
Three hours later Kimiko was dressed and had four streaks in her hair, one of each color. Kimiko slipped on her white flip-flops just as Clay entered the room.
"Kimiko, is that you?"
"It sure is?" Kimiko smiled.
"You look mighty purty." Clay said. Kimiko smiled at him, she was hoping Raimundo would say something like that even though it wasn't really her.
"I was going for different." She said.
"Yeah, well that too." Clay said. "Now are you ready?"
"I was born ready!" Kimiko grinned and followed him to the meditation hall where a dinner for two was set up.
"Raimundo meet Setsuka." Clay said and Raimundo pulled him aside.
"Why didn't you tell me how hot she was?" Kimiko heard him say and blushed deeply. Raimundo joined Kimiko again and pulled out Kimiko's chair and she sat down.
"Kanichiwa." She said and started to speak Japanese.
"Do you speak English?" Raimundo asked.
"Little bit." Kimiko lied with a heavy accent. "How you?"
"I'm fine." Raimundo answered. "And you."
"Good." They started to eat and after a while Kimiko said.
"You distracted?"
"I was just thinking about something." Raimundo said.
"Other girl?" Kimiko asked. Raimundo nodded.
"You involved?" He shook his head.
"I
wish I were, in fact you remind me a lot of her."
"I do?"
Kimiko asked and Raimundo nodded.
"What she like?" Kimiko asked.
"She's the best friend anyone could ever have." He sighed. "She has a temper, but once you get past that she's a very loving girl." Kimiko started to cry tears of joy and Raimundo continued.
"She's hugs me every day, but I think that's just because she's excited that I became leader. But every time she does I just wish I could hold her longer and tell her how much I love her."
"You love her?" Kimiko almost couldn't keep the excitement from her voice.
"More than anything in the world."
"If you say one thing to her what it be?" Kimiko asked.
"That I love her, and even if she weren't to love me, I would love her forever just the same." He looked down and Kimiko took out her contacts and her tooth devices and then she said.
"And what if I told you that I'll always love you?" Raimundo looked up.
"Kimiko?" At first he seemed excited but then it was clear that he had become angry.
"I can't believe you!" He yelled. "How dare you betray me like that? Having Keiko ask me how I felt about you was bad enough, but how could you stoop so low?" Kimiko started to cry, this time the tears were of sorrow.
"What happened to you loving me?" She cried.
"I don't!" Raimundo snapped. "You're a compete waste of my time and I wish I never met you." Kimiko started to sob and she turned away and ran to her cubicle.
"Kimiko?
Keiko asked as Kimiko ran in and fell face first on her mat,
sobbing.
"What happened?"
"He hates me!" Kimiko sobbed. "Raimundo hates me!" Keiko rubbed her back and sympathetically said.
"Tell me what happened."
RaiKim
The next day Keiko stormed into Raimundo's cubicle. Her hair was a mess and she had black streaks all the way down her cheeks.
"I can't believe you!" She exclaimed.
"What?" Raimundo looked up at her.
"I stayed up all night crying with Kimiko!" Raimundo raised an eyebrow.
"Why?" He asked.
"Because when one of us hurts so does the other. And, you know what? Kimiko really hurts!" She said with an attitude. He ignored her so she continued..
"She loves you and last night her worst dream came to life."
"What?' Raimundo asked.
"You hate her."
"I don't hate her!"
"She spent four years chasing after you and you had the nerve to tell her that she was a waste of your time." Raimundo said nothing Keiko angrily shook her head and turned away. Then just before she left she said.
"And you know what, I hate you too."
RaiKim
Later that night Raimundo entered Kimiko's cubicle.
"Leave me alone." She told him but Raimundo ignored her and sat down."
"Last night I didn't go on that blind date to meet someone new, I went because I am blind. And I'm stupid." Kimiko smiled at him.
"Yeah, you are." Raimundo smiled back.
"And I'm very, very sorry." Kimiko looked at him.
"Really?" She asked. He nodded.
"You're not a waste of my time; you're the best ting that's ever happened to me. And I love you." Kimiko's smile turned into a grin.
"I love you back."
"Can we start over?" Raimundo asked. Kimiko nodded.
"Starting with a kiss?" Kimiko nodded again. Raimundo leaned in and kissed her.
"I really do love you." He said when he pulled away.
"And I really do love you back."