Disclaimer: All characters © to Square-Enix, Squaresoft, and Disney.
Warning: Very strong language and OOC-ness. Don't like, don't read.
.1.
So Long, Halcyon Days
"Another red tag?" said Selphie, her emerald green eyes widening. "So what'd the poor guy do to F4?"
Kairi sighed, idly tracing a figure 8 on the smooth counter top with her finger.
"He talked back to them when they started picking on his friend, Olette."
School had already ended, and the redhead was working her part-time job at the bakery store. Selphie paused, wiping off the already gleaming tables, her expression dismayed.
"He gets tagged just because of that?"
Kairi rolled her eyes. "Well, you know those idiots. They'll beat anyone up who annoys them the slightest, just because they can."
"So much drama," said Selphie, sighing. "Going to a normal school makes you miss out on a lot, huh?"
"Are you insane?! The worst years of my life started right when I started going!" said the redhead, looking taken aback, but Selphie was laughing.
"I was only joking," said the brunette, smiling mischievously. Then her expression changed again. "But you know, Kairi...I'm surprised with how you can put up with all that."
Kairi blinked. "Huh?"
"How can you stand letting them walk over people like that?" said Selphie, looking as serious as Kairi had never seen her before.
"You used to never let anyone get away with anything," the brunette continued. "Remember in middle school, all those times you went on my side whenever anyone made fun of my yellow dress or my hair?"
Kairi looked away, looking remotely abashed.
"Well..."
"Those guys at Shukumei don't know that, do they?" Selphie said quietly, looking very serious now.
They looked at each other for a moment.
"No," Kairi said finally, lowering her blue eyes again. "No, they don't..."
--
Same crap...different day...
Kairi gave an exasperated sigh, throwing herself in an empty chair at an unvacated table. Her empty stomach growled as she pulled out an ordinary lunch sack her grandmother had packed for her, trying to ignore the smell of expensive cuisine that was wafting in the air around her.
Lifting the lid off the top of her box, she peered inside hopefully. A small smile appeared on her lips; it was her Grandmother's special rice balls.
"Hey, aren't the new transfer student here? What's your name?"
Kairi looked up interestedly, and spotted the blond girl she had spoken to the previous day. The girl's back was against the wall, cornered by a couple of guys; her expression seemed uncomfortable.
"N-Naminé Desaki..." she mumbled to her shoe, avoiding the glued stares of the boys.
"Naminé? That's a pretty name."
"You hungry? Why don't you come sit with us?"
"Um, I—"
"Come on, don't be shy."
Kairi arched an eyebrow as she watched one of the teenagers take hold of the blond's wrist, ready to drag her off towards their own table.
"Naminé!" the redhead called out hurriedly. The boys looked around and the blond girl glanced up in surprise. Kairi smiled at her. "Come sit here!" she said, pointing at the empty seat across from her own.
Naminé cast a terrified look at the boy grasping her arm and pulled away, hurrying over to where Kairi was seated. She lowered herself into the empty chair and placed her tray of food onto the table, giving the redhead a nervous smile.
"Thank you for saving me," she said softly, timidly tucking a strand of golden hair behind her ear.
"It's nothing," Kairi told her cheerfully.
"I'm sorry...I'm not very used to boys," the blond admitted, lowering her eyes onto the table. "It feels like I can't keep up with everyone else around here..."
Kairi widened her eyes, her heart beginning to beat rather fast.
"You mean...you're not from a wealthy family like everyone else around here?" she asked in a hushed voice, looking hopeful.
Naminé's head shot up, her eyes looking fearful again.
"No no! I mean—" she stopped herself, unsure whether to continue or not.
Kairi looked intently at the other girl, never taking her eyes off of her.
"Oh...I see," she said, feeling a bit disappointed. For a moment, she had felt so sure that someone at the school would understand how she felt...
"I—I'm sorry," mumbled Naminé. She suddenly stood up, grabbing her tray of untouched food and making Kairi start. "Sorry to bother you. I think I'll go—"
Crash!
Naminé stumbled backwards, gasping out loud as the fancy porcelain and fragile glasses crashed onto the ground, shattering into a million pieces and sending chunks of food everywhere. All around people gasped, then grew dead quiet. Kairi looked helplessly from the broken silverware to Naminé, who was standing in horror at the sight in front of her. As the redhead looked up, her heart missed a beat as she realized who exactly Naminé had crashed into.
Sora Kumasaki scrutinized the orange stain on his expensive looking button up shirt, his expression unfathomable.
"I'm—I'm so sorry—" Naminé began, looking positively terrified. "I'm so sorry, I promise I'll buy you a new shirt, please—"
Sora let out a humorless laugh.
"A new shirt?" he asked mockingly, while Naminé shrank back, petrified. He began unbuttoning the now stained shirt, suppressed anger ringing in every word he spoke. "What kind of joke is that?"
He tore the shirt off and flung it violently at the terror-stricken girl, who bit back a whimper. She slumped back into her chair, looking like a helpless puppy about to be beaten by its master. Kairi's throat felt constricted; she bit hard on her bottom lip as she watched the scenario in front of her, her heart beating fast.
Just let it alone...it'll all turn out okay...nothing's gonna happen—
"It's cold," Sora remarked casually, but Kairi could see a sneer coming on. "What if I caught pneumonia and died? I'm the heir to the Kumasaki Zaibatsu family. The one that keeps this whole god damn island running the way it is."
Kairi looked away, tasting iron before she realized how hard she had been biting on her lip to keep herself from bursting out loud.
He leaned in closer towards the petrified blond.
"What were you thinking, running into me like that?" he asked, his voice rising uncontrollably. Naminé said nothing, but tears had sprung into her blue eyes and threatening to fall.
"I asked, what you were THINK—"
"STOP—"
Kairi's voice burst out loud and clear before she could stop herself, but halted in mid-sentence. It was now so quiet that she was sure everyone could hear her heart pounding against her ribs.
"—it..." she finished quietly, but the damage was done.
"Please..."
The spiky-haired brunet slowly turned towards her, his expression murderous. She felt dizzy, feeling as though it was all a dream, but at the same time becoming aware that everyone was staring at her. She noticed that the three girls from earlier were looking scandalized.
"Please," said Kairi, her voice barely above a whisper. "Just...forgive her."
She avoided his gaze, but she could feel his eyes were burning into her. No one said anything, but she took a breath, and broke the silence once again.
"It—it wasn't on purpose," she addressed to her shoes, ending her sentence in a whisper.
For a few seconds, though it seemed like ages to Kairi, no one did anything. Then slowly, Sora stood back, never taking his eyes off of the redhead. He walked slowly towards her, his footsteps echoing ominously; Kairi began to tremble, avoiding anybody's look, her heart now pounding so fast she feared it would burst out of her ribcage. What if he started beating her up?
She waited for the blow to fall, but none came. Sora came and walked slowly around her, then quickened his pace as he headed for the exit. The rests of the gang followed in his haste, and students scurried out of the way to let them pass.
Kairi finally allowed herself to look up, but as she did, she caught his piercing blue gaze a second before he turned away. It was a look she was not likely to forget soon.
Oh gods...what have I done...?
--
The next day, Kairi stood in front of her locker, her feeling of dread intensifying as she reached to open the metal door with trembling hands.
All I wanted...was a normal life...
A small click sounded and the small door swung open. Her heart seemed to be beating ten times faster than normal and her stomach lurched as she stared at the small, bright red tag that hung in her locker.
...But now, I've been forced into their little game...
"It's a red tag! Kairi Akutsu from 2-C got a red tag!"
The ringing words sounded strangely distant to her, as if reality had come and gone. But she couldn't have pretended that she wasn't expecting it...she had, after all, talked back to the F4...
She slowly traipsed to her classroom, feeling numb from head to toe as she pushed open the door.
"What the—"
The first thing she noticed besides her smirking classmates was the empty space where her desk used to be—her desk was gone.
All around, people began to snigger loudly, looking triumphant for the fact that they were once again terrorizing the F4's newest victim. Kairi bit hard down on her lip, blood pounding in her ears.
The door opened a second time and Naminé walked inside, looking around.
"What happened?" she asked confusedly, but Kairi pushed past her and sprinted away, looking around in vain for her desk.
Those idiotic, good-for-nothing, low-life bastards!
She ran down the stairway, and immediately spotted her desk balancing on top of a dumpster.
Bursting outside, she tried moving the heavy piece of furniture, but it was no use. A second later, she let out a shriek as mounds of trash came toppling on her head.
Furiously, she looked up and spotted Seifer Almasy and his gang, Fujin and Raijin laughing openly, while an empty trash can hung precariously from Seifer's hand. He let it go and Kairi run backwards to avoid being hit again.
It's no use, she thought as the second bell rang. She couldn't miss third period, or else she'd be suspended from school...then again, it may be better than enduring this kind of crap.
Pushing open the door, she let out a sigh of relief when she saw that this desk hadn't been stolen—yet. Avoiding the looks from the other students, she collapsed in her seat, but was bombarded by dozens of crumpled up paper balls immediately.
Her temper reached the surface and she shot up, completely forgetting that she was still in class.
"STOP IT!"
"Akutsu!" reprimanded the teacher, a balding man with a bushy mustache. "We're in the middle of class! Now sit down, or I will have to put you in detention."
Kairi looked down, but her blood was still boiling as her classmates didn't even try hiding their laughter.
"I'm sorry," she muttered, lowering herself in her chair.
For ever coming to this school...
--
She knew sitting in the cafeteria to eat lunch would mean pure torture, so she settled herself at a distant corner outside the E building instead. Having no appetite to eat, she leaned her head against the cold stone wall, left to ponder miserably how she had ever gotten herself into this kind of situation.
She looked up and she heard soft footsteps nearby, and managed a small smile when she realized who it was.
"Naminé!"
The blond froze in her tracks, taking one frightened glance at the redhead, then walked quickly in the opposite direction. Kairi watched her go, feeling more hurt than she ever had before.
Before she could even let out a gasp, a wave of sudden coldness engulfed her and sent goosebumps running down her spine. Her auburn hair was drenched and stuck to her face, as were the rest of her suddenly sopping wet uniform. She stood quite in shock and cold, blinking water out of her eyes.
She heard a familiar girlish laughter, and the same three girls came into view; Yuna, who had light brown hair that reached her chin, and for some strange reason, two different colored eyes; one was green, the other was blue; her cousin Rikku, a cocky looking blond with bottle green eyes and bright yellow hair ended in crazy braids; and Paine, the most intimidating looking girl out of the three with smoke colored hair and matching eyes with a tint of red.
"How sad. Looks like her only friend has abandoned her too," said Rikku, waving around an empty bucket while Yuna smirked. Paine let out a sarcastic laugh.
"You were just a nuisance from the beginning."
"How could you ever even think of coming to Shukumei High! You're just some commoner on the streets!"
"Just pack up your crap and leave already."
Anger and resentment rose within her as their mocking laughter rang in her ears. She clenched her knuckles until her nails dug into her palms, but the pain could never compare to that which she felt inside.
The trio laughed even louder as they watched Kairi snatch up her messenger bag, sprinting away towards her only refuge in the school.
Bursting through the emergency exit, she felt as though she would explode from all the pent-up emotions that welled up inside of her. Her breath came in gasps and a stitch jabbed at her side, but she ignored it.
"Dammit. Dammit."
She stumbled clumsily down the stairs, leaning against the railing for support, and sank onto the last step. She breathed hard, feeling her heart beat fast with adrenaline.
"God DAMMIT!"
"STOP—"
Kairi suddenly gave a start, her heart beating, if possible, even faster.
"—it. Would you?"
She stood up warily, looking around towards the second flight of stairs. Her cerulean eyes widened as Riku Takahashi's handsome face looked up at her through long, silver bangs.
"Making a ruckus here," he said, indicating the book he had been reading.
Kairi said nothing but blinked stupidly at the F4 member. His aquamarine eyes peered at her, but they were not unkind.
"Yeah...knew it was you," he said, standing up. He slowly climbed up the few steps, leaning against the railing of the balcony. Kairi only stared dumbly at the spot he had been sitting.
"Would you mind not taking out your stress here anymore?" he asked casually, as a soft breeze blew his feathery hair around.
The redhead looked up in shock, blinking her wet bangs out of her eyes.
"Were you...always listening?" she asked in constrained voice.
Riku looked at her with a slightly amused expression.
"Sorry," he said, after a long pause. "But...this staircase is my spot."
"H-Huh?"
"I like it here," the silver-headed teenager replied smoothly, looking out at the school grounds, then back at Kairi. "I don't want to be...disturbed."
He took up his book and began reading again, leaving Kairi to stare blankly at him. He glanced back with a ghost of a smirk on his lips, and Kairi hastily took it as the hint to leave.
"S-Sorry," she mumbled, looking away in embarrassment. She slowly began climbing the stairway.
"But—" she froze, wondering wildly for a moment what he would do to her.
"—it seems like you might need it more than me."
Her eyes widened, and she turned her neck slowly to watch him climb the stairs before her, disappearing through the doorway.
She blinked again, unsure whether that was real or not.
What that...really Riku Takahashi?
She followed him out of the emergency staircase, her heart suddenly feeling lighter than it had all week.
And a certain someone had noticed, too, his ocean-blue eyes narrowing as he watched the redhead head home with a bounce in her steps.
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