The Illusion of Choice

Multiple endings are the same as no ending.

How many harem stories have I read that ended in stupidly inconclusive fashion? Too many. They all end the same: on an ambiguous note that leaves everything up to your imagination. How does that help me at all? I mean, no offense, but leaving the ending up to you is like playing with fire. I feel like I'm gonna get burned hardcore if I do something like that. I gotta keep a tight ship. I can't go off the beaten path into unexplored territory. There are probably man-eating lions waiting for me in the bushes.

In a situation like this, I think my course of action is clear:

Go for all of them.

I'm sure it's suicide to go for a simultaneous pursuit, but this is the quickest way to the end.

It's established that one of them is my best friend, so I'm not too worried about Yuffie. I can put her in the category of "already likes me." I'm making a big assumption here, but come on, she's my childhood friend. It automatically means she digs me. Let's also toss Xion in there too. She's my "sister," so it might be a little weird, but sister-complexes are popular, aren't they?

The real obstacles are Kairi and Naminé. Naminé is the resident beauty, and going after her is sure to incur the wrath of the resident fanboys. Kairi's the wild card transfer student, but her predilection for violence might get me beaten to death before I get anywhere.

Fortunately, we're all in the same class.

One childhood friend, one sister, and two classmates. I have to pat myself on the back. I've created a nice little prison for myself. No matter what, I will be forced to spend time with all of them.

So here I am, sitting in class, trying to figure out my next move. I recall Leon's instruction to give Kairi a tour of the school. Okay, so that's obviously the next scene, but we have a problem. I'm not qualified to give a tour since I have no clue how this place is laid out.

I look at the clock. I have to wait forty more minutes until class ends. What a pain in the ass. Can't I just skip all this and get to the good parts already? Now I have to come up with all sorts of filler to pass the time. If you haven't already noticed, time operates a little differently in this world.

Just between us, how long has it been since you last heard from me? Weeks? Months? Years? Yet, in all that time, not a single second has budged over here. It drives me nuts. With something like the God Quill, shouldn't I be able to make time fly with a single sentence?

First period finally ends.

Yeah, that's not gonna work. That's the difference between writing a story and living in one. You can't sweep years under the rug. I have to live every moment of this story, including all the parts you never have to read about. I can't skip the fluff to the truly juicy bits. Can't I just go to sleep and have somebody wake me up when the next chapter starts? It's like a video game. You get to see all the cutscenes while I have to deal with all the grinding. You lucky bastard.

In the meantime, I should dig up some more details about myself. I don't know if I'm supposed to be cocky, dumb, or scared. With the class engaged in free study, I approach Leon at his desk. He looks up from his paper and quirks a brow.

"Can I help you, Sora?" Is that derision in his voice? Don't tell me my teacher already hates me; I didn't even do anything!

"How am I doing in class?" I ask.

He bursts out laughing. That's not a good sign. I should get my mom to write a firm letter of reprimand for this insult. This is no way for a teacher to treat his student.

"Really, Sora? Heh, then again, that's what makes you my favorite student." He shuffles his papers and pulls out what I assume to be the grade book. "You're a C plus student through and through. The very definition of average."

"And that makes me your favorite student?" Excuse me, but that doesn't compute. Can you troubleshoot this gap in logic for me?

He smirks. "Of course. You're consistent in your mediocrity. You're the last guy I have to worry about. Students on the high end, on the other hand, are high maintenance. I have to make sure they perform at their peak. If their scores dip for whatever reason, I get parents screaming about how 'unfair' I'm being. And for kids on the low end, same deal. Parents are complaining that I'm not doing 'enough' for their kid. Between over and underachievers, an average guy like you is the best thing for my class. Keep up the good work."

Wow. I never thought I'd see the day a teacher celebrate the averages, but this only confirms my suspicion about the Sora in this world. I'm just your average shounen lead.

What is it about the average that attracts the exceptional? The protagonist is always some generic down-to-earth semi-loser whose life gets altered purely by chance. Isn't that a dangerous way of thinking? It's unrealistic to expect others to rescue us from our misery. If everybody waited for some fantastic and fabulous character to bail them out of their dull lives, then we'd all be wasting away in our dreams.

It's a shame reality doesn't funnel us towards convenient situations. If only life gave us ample opportunity to dive headfirst into danger, like pushing a girl away from incoming traffic, then we'd all have girlfriends and be perfectly happy about it.

But I have the luxury of being in a story where that stuff happens without even having to lift a single finger.

As easy as it is to sit back and let things happen naturally, I find this to be an entirely unacceptable situation. I refuse to be average. Surely I can speed up the process with a little eccentricity?

"Thanks for the encouragement. I'll be sure to try harder," I deadpan.

"If only everybody was as easy to handle as you, then my job would be so much easier. Don't forget to show Kairi around when class ends," he finishes.

Duly noted, jerk.

I back off and turn around. I spare Kairi a glance and she instantly looks up and shoots me a death glare. That was quick, does she have sensors in her head or something? I swing my eyes across the room and everything slows down as soon as they hit Naminé. The effect she has on me in this world is insane. My chest audibly thumps. It beats so loud I'm surprised nobody else hears it. My head gets light and my knees begin to buckle. Is this...what it feels like to swoon? My goodness, am I actually swooning? It feels disorienting and unexpectedly pleasant.

Shake it off, man! Keep your head in the game, now is NOT the time to faint.

She notices my intense gaze. "How can I help you?" she says to me. How sweet the sound of her voice, like an angel whispering divine words of revival to my lifeless corpse. How have I not felt the joy of living before this moment?

I slap myself on the cheek. Don't get carried away, fool! This is just part of the story. I don't actually like her, it's just Sora who does, the Sora whose body I'm borrowing at the moment.

I pin a smile to my face. "Naminé, you're the class rep, aren't you?" She nods. "Do you think you can help me out? I'd like you to accompany me when I show Kairi around the school."

Kairi perks up when she hears me mention her name. "What are you thinking?" she grumbles. She sure likes to jump the gun. It's not like I threw her under the bus. I'm just trying to get her a little help.

I cram my hands into my pockets and approach her. "I think we got off on the wrong foot. Isn't it better to make friends than enemies on the first day of school? Let's forget about this morning and let bygones be bygones." I don't know if I am supposed to act like a dick and create constant friction, but the reasonable side of me wants to believe that a little diplomacy can go a long way.

She eyes me suspiciously and turns her nose up. "Just don't get in my way." I guess that's what I get for being the bigger man.

"Fine." I turn to Naminé for an answer.

She smiles pleasantly. "Of course. Anything to help."

Her words send a shockwave of whispers through the classroom. It seems like I touched a raw nerve. All the boys are giving me dirty looks. I bask in their ill will. What can these bit players do to me? If I don't know your name, you're not important, period. Freakin' ambient background characters getting all uppity. Know your place; you're all totally worthless apart from setting up the atmosphere.

A hand grips my arm and I'm pulled aside.

"Dude, what are you doing?" Roxas whispers to me.

I shake his hand off and give him an annoyed look. "Asking the class rep for help on class-related matters?" I answer sarcastically.

This story barely got started. I'm not gonna have pages of me and Naminé exchanging coquettish glances like little kids before I make a move. The audiences demand action!

"Kairi must've given you a hard hit cause your head is not screwed on right. Nobody just asks the class rep for help, or accepts it whenever she offers."

"That sounds rude. Why not?" That's counterintuitive as hell. Class reps are supposed to rep.

His face has disbelief written all over it. "Because she's off-limits! Every guy in this school has agreed that Naminé is outside the hands of any one person, and it's an unspoken and unwritten rule that you do not engage with her unless you want to suffer the collective wrath of every guy here!"

"What's the worst that can happen?" I'm the main character, I'm untouchable, bitch!

He grabs me by the shirt and gives me a quiet smoldering gaze. "Everything." He lets go and turns around. "It's nice knowing you."

Sheesh, talk about dramatic. What can the faceless nameless masses do to me?

I think I spoke too soon.

As soon as Roxas leaves, the air around me becomes supercharged with bad mojo, the cumulative effect of dozens of dirty stares. It's like somebody cranked up the gravity slider to 200%. I can hardly move with such a heavy atmosphere. I will endure—I have to, for the sake of my ending.

Break finally arrives and I corral my two love interests for an informative tour of the school grounds.

"Lead the way, Naminé," I order.

The blonde looks to me with surprise. "You want me to handle everything?"

I nod, and why not? She's the class rep. She should know this place like the back of her hand—which is quite small and dainty. I just want to kiss it. Whoa, my mind temporarily flew off the rails there. Sorry about that.

"How lazy can you get?" Kairi remarks. Hey, let's call people lazy just because they don't know everything. Gimme a break, I'm in the same boat as you!

"Trust me; Naminé knows this school better than I do." At least I hope so.

"But Sora, you've been here for just as long as I have."

I shudder. No girl should have that much power over me, but I can't help it, her presence is intoxicating. "But you're the class rep," I eek out.

"I guess you're right," she says, smiling softly.

Be still my beating heart. It's just a smile…that also happens to be the brightest light in the darkest of days. "Let's get going," I urge. I don't wanna collapse in front of her.

Our party of three leaves the classroom and I'm all too aware of the eyes that follow me out. I'll be glad to escape their beams of pure hatred. These guys are taking things way too seriously. The animal aggression they're exuding is palpable.

We enter the hallways and Naminé starts by pointing out the features of the school. She shows us the club rooms, the science and music rooms, the gym, the restrooms, and where the main offices are.

Kairi and Naminé hit it off immediately. They're exchanging conversation like old boxing rivals. It's quite sickening to watch. Kairi's putting on curious airs for the sake of keeping company. Isn't this the same girl who clotheslined me this morning? Act more like the uncouth, barbaric, chick you really are! This little saccharine play of hers is making my stomach churn.

"Really? That's really interesting!" she cries in amazement.

"I don't see what's so amazing about a building that was built decades ago," I comment idly.

"The school has introduced several renovations since that time..." Naminé continues.

Great. What the hell am I supposed to do here? I'm a third wheel now. How can I steer this scene towards a more interesting development?

"What about you Naminé? It seems like you're pretty popular around here," Kairi comments.

"I'm not that popular," Naminé answers modestly. Yeah, I don't believe that. You'd have to be a special kind of dense to not notice.

"Isn't there a fan club dedicated to you?" I joke. It's more like a conglomeration of white knights and stalkers, but why bother getting into specifics? They're all the same in the end anyways.

"Uh...that's..." She laughs nervously. "They don't exist." Wow, such a flat denial. "I mean, they do, but I like to pretend they don't. Can you not bring up something so embarrassing?" She giggles nervously.

So…

CUTE!

She just brings out that feeling in me... It's like I have to protect her or something. Wait; is this what they call moe? Shit. This is not normal. Why am I such a lovesick moron? The worst part? I have no control over it.

"Excuse me," I say quietly. I don't want start rolling on the floor with uncontrollable spasms from the sheer glee of being in her divine presence. I am not worthy! So I walk to a faraway place where I can think straight.

I stumble around in a daze until I find myself outside. That was one serious funk. I can't even recall the moment I left the building. I'm sure I can just retrace my steps from this morning and get myself back into class.

"Hold it right there," a voice warns.

I turn around to see a line of male students in front of me. There are five of them, but there is a clear leader in front. "Are you talking to me?"

"Get this straight; nobody, not even you, gets close to Naminé without our permission." What the? Did I just cross a genre line? Please don't turn into a battle story; I'm not prepared to fight!

The leader, a shining silver-head, glares at me with harsh blue. He has a very punchable face, with a smug and cocksure smirk. Wait a minute, I recognize this guy! His name is… "Riku?"

"That's right. Have you forgotten who I am?" He crosses his arms in an expectant manner.

"What are you, head of the Naminé Defense Force?"

"Damn straight!" he growls. I flinch from the blunt admission. "I'm surprised though, I never thought that you, an honorary member of our corps, would betray us like this. We had an agreement, dammit!"

Play it cool. Don't escalate the situation. I have no idea what this guy is talking about, but let's just pretend I do. "It's not what you think. I just thought that Naminé would make the best guide for a new student—"

"Don't bullshit me, Sora. I know you got your eyes on her, hell, we ALL do, but none of us are stupid enough to actually go for it."

That is some screwed up reasoning. I don't think normal logic works against this kind of monstrous mind. I'll have to be as clear as possible. "Listen carefully, despite what you may think of my intentions, in the end, nothing happened. She was too much for me, so I ran away. That's it, end of story."

Oh, how I wish it was.

"Good. Let's keep it that way. This is your only warning. If I see any funny business between you two, you'll know what's coming." The mini gang skedaddles out of my hair.

Seriously, a Naminé Defense Force? You can't make this stuff up—except I actually did. Ugh, if Naminé is truly my ending, I've put one hell of an obstacle in the way. Riku towers over me easily and his muscles don't look like they're just for show either. Maybe I should lay off the class rep because that road is not looking very appealing right now.

"Excuse me, kid."

What now? I turn around again to see a middle aged man wearing a black suit. He has graying hair, stubble, and dark sunglasses. Who is this, some kind of secret agent?

"How can I help you?"

"Kid, I'm only going to say this once: stay away from Kairi."

Forget Riku, whoever the hell this badass is, he is one hundred times scarier. He's definitely a gangster—why is he reaching into his shirt pocket, don't tell me it's a gun?

Nope, it's just a flask. Thank goodness, I was about to have a heart attack. He takes a swig of the bottle and stuffs it back into his pocket. He grabs my shoulder in a vice grip. No need to squeeze that hard! "Don't forget what I said, kid."

"Understood!" He lets go and slinks back into the shadows from whence he came from.

The hits never stop coming do they? Why are all the crazies coming out of the woodwork now? I can't tell if this is a comedy or a tragedy in the making. Like seriously, what the hell? Does everybody have a bodyguard in this story? Where's my guardian angel?

"Sora!"

I turn around again to see Yuffie. I let out a sigh of relief. Finally, a friendly face.

SMACK!

"Ow! What the hell, Yuffie?" I take that back, the whole world is against me.

"Where the hell have you been? Break is over; get your ass back into class already!"

I can't take this. The level of nonsense here has shot over nine thousand!

"Hey, are you okay?" she asks worriedly. Now she notices my pain?

"I sincerely apologize. I won't do it again."

"Hey, I didn't hit you THAT hard, did I?"

That's not the point, but I've learned my lesson. I won't pursue everybody. I'll just pick a single girl. And really, at this point, there's only one choice that isn't liable to get me killed, and that is—

You got it:

Xion.

It should be okay. It's not like we're related or anything. Even if it's not by blood, I'm still planning on picking the forbidden fruit, to cross that illicit familial boundary into a world of no return. I know she's my "sister" but…

I ain't got a choice.

From now on, just call me the Sister Complex Kingpin of Steel.