Author's Note: I am considering deleting some of my stories off of this site, including this one. However, since I already had this chapter written I figured I would post it for a short time. More details are available on my profile page.
Summary: It was easy to see that Ryusei was someone special. But that wasn't what drew her to him.
Prompt: Nine in the Afternoon
Someone Special
It was their third date. On their first date, they went to a movie. The second took place during Akari's class trip to Kyoto.
Akari twirled in front of her mirror in her new green pleated skirt. The skirt cost more than she would normally would spend but Ryusei hardly ever took her out and she wanted to make sure she looked her best. She gave her reflection one last parting look before she grabbed her purse and headed out. The bright sun overhead made her wince and wish for her sunglasses but she was running late and didn't have time to spare to go back for them.
Not to mention, she was too eager to see Ryusei. He had been putting in long hours in practice recently. He had always been a hard worker but even since he announced their engagement much to his father's displeasure, he had been working harder to prove himself. Although the gesture was noble, it meant they hardly had time to spend together. Most days they were lucky to get a few minutes to themselves backstage before one of the assistants started pounding on the door asking for Ryusei.
But today was going to be different. Ryusei had noticed a break in his hectic schedule and proposed the two of them going out. Akari eagerly agreed. When she arrived at the designated meeting place, she began to search for Ryusei. The train station was fairly crowded but Ryusei was easy to spot. Like every other time he ventured out in public, he was in disguise. A pair of dark sunglasses hid his warm brown eyes and a gray hood covered his dark brown hair. However, it didn't manage to stop him from gaining an audience. Two high school girls stood close to him, trying to chat him up.
Rather than feeling annoyed, Akari just smiled and shook his head. No matter where he went or what he did, Ryusei would always garner attention. It only took one look to see that he was special. When Ryusei spotted her, he left the shocked girls behind and abruptly made his way towards her.
"Akari," he said, the rough timbre of his voice caused her smile to grow.
"Ryusei," she said, taking his hand. The best part of Ryusei wasn't his good looks or his dedication to Kabuki, it was the fact that for whatever reason, he saw something special in her too.
