A/N: A special 'Thank You' to: Bond Of Flame08, MonMonCandie, Anonymous, and M. L. Ayala, my beta reader.
2. Envy
Once upon a time, there was this handsome male teen with aquamarine eyes and long, silver hair. His name was Riku and he was, what other people called, the happiest boy in Destiny Islands. After all, he was smart, athletic, handsome, popular… what else would you want?
However, Riku had a dark secret. No matter how 'perfect' he was in other people's eyes, there was always one person that was more perfect than him and he hated him for it. Riku always felt envy towards Sora. The fact that he was his best friend didn't make things easier for him.
His envy (almost turned into hate at one point in his life) started when he became fifteen years old. It was the night of his birthday and his mother had thrown a huge party for him, inviting half of Destiny Islands's inhabitants. After a while, he had gone outside, wanting to clear his mind. Little had he known that Kairi, his childhood friend and his first big crush, had followed him, too. It was when she sat down next to him on the sandy ground that he noticed her.
"Hey, I didn't hear you coming," he admitted, scratching the back of his head.
She had just smiled at him, reverting her gaze and looking to the horizon instead. After a while, Riku had gathered his courage and told her how much she meant to him. He had practiced it for weeks, and yet he still had some difficulty with forming coherent sentences.
She had been quiet for a long time, looking at her shoes all the time. Riku had waited for her answer, impatiently, but he knew that she needed some time to get used to it. Truth was, he had set eyes on her in the very beginning, from their first meeting on.
"I-I can't. I do love you. I really, really do. After all, you and Sora…" (Riku had gritted his teeth when she mentioned his name) "You two are my best friends. But… I don't think I feel the same and that wouldn't be fair to you, right? You deserve someone who loves you just as much as you do her," had been her final answer.
She had given him a look from which he could tell that she really was sorry. But that was of no use for him, was it?
"Alright, I understand," he had said. Hesitating slightly, he continued, "It's Sora, isn't it? You do love him…"
He had watched her expression closely. Her eyes had widened in surprise and he knew that she was probably wondering how he had guessed that. Kairi never answered his question, though.
"Let's go back to the party, before people notice we're gone," Riku had suggested.
Kairi had nodded, silently following him back to his house.
After this incident, his envy to the spiky-haired boy only grew. What did he have that Riku didn't? He had given his life for her, and yet, Kairi always chose Sora instead…