Hikari and Luke had been spending a great deal of time together. In the month that she had been there, Dale's health condition had improved immensely, and so had the shops business. More people came by since Hikari started advertising on how outstanding their products were to the entire island. The two had become best friends, spending every waking moment together, working, cooking, eating, or sitting out on a hill in the summer afternoon, like they were now.
Hikari rested her back against a tree in Flute fields and Luke had his head in her lap while staring up at Hikari dreamily. She was playing with his blue hair absent mindedly while chattering.
"Hey, Hikari, can I ask you something"? Luke asked from nowhere.
"Yeah, sure what is it"?
"If you were to have kids… What would you name them"?
"Hmmm I never thought it about it, why do you ask Luke"?
"No reason, I was really only just curious".
"Well now that I think about it I guess that I would name my daughter Lunar and my son Zero"…
"Huh, I've never heard those names before, but I like them".
"What about you Luke? What would you name your kids"?
"I don't know, I'd probably let my wife name them, or they'd grow up being taunted on their names being axe or timber". Hikari's response was a soft chuckle.
"Is that so? Well Luke, who are you aiming to marry? Kathy, Luna, Candace, Maya, Phoebe, Anissa, Renee, or even Selena"? Luke sat up from his close friends lap and stared at Hikari, whose cheeks warmed slightly at his intense gaze.
"None of those girls interest me Hikari"…. A silence settled in between the two. Luke slowly extended his arm, aching to caress her face. Was it so wrong to be in love with his best friend? Not only had she brought back life to the island and its members, but she had also begun to patch up the empty hole in his chest that his mom left.
"Excuse me, but here's your special lunch that you ordered and requested delivery for". A snobby sounding voice said. Hikari was broken from Luke's stare glanced up and blinked from the sun streaming in her eyes. An orange haired boy dressed in purple and black holding a wicker picnic basket glared down on the two.
Hikari stood up, taking the basket from the delivery boy and fished in her back pockets. He had a real sour look on his face as she placed the correct sum in the palm of his hands. Rolling his eyes and muttering beneath his breath the soured face boy walked away. Hikari shrugging it off opened the basket and smiled.
"Excellent, just what I ordered! I'd expect nothing less from Yolanda". She said while taking out a heaping plate of Seafood curry, followed by a Coconut Cocktail, and two slices of Spinach Cake.
"WOW! Hikari these are all my favorite foods"! Luke said while clapping and smiling big.
"I know, Luke I cook for you all the time, you call in advance with requests". Luke beamed and took a fork that Hikari was holding out for him. She turned back to the wicker basket, further searching the deeper parts of its contents, when suddenly she yelped.
"Ouch, oh that hurt"! She removed her hand from the basket and shook it repeatedly.
"Hikari, what happened"? Luke asked in a frantic worried tone.
"I cut my finger on the basket by accident". Luke watched red blood bead of from the cut rather quickly. Hikari bit her lip.
"I bet that hurts, doesn't it"? He asked, Hikari nodded, continuing to chew her lip.
"Here, give me your finger". Hikari did so, and Luke stuck her finger in his mouth. Hikari's cheeks darkened as Luke's tongue slid over her wound. He then removed it from his mouth and pulled a bandage from his pocket, wrapping it slowly around her fingertip.
"There you go! You're all patched up and good to go"! Luke said cheerfully and he began shoveling in his portion of the Seafood curry. Hikari stared down at her finger her face still warm. She remembered she was supposed to be eating and began to fork her lunch into her mouth.
"Hey Hikari, I wouldn't worry about Chase okay? He can be rude and sarcastic, but he's really a nice guy. Way down deep"…. Luke said downing the last of his coconut cocktail and wiping his mouth. Hikari nodded and thought to herself
'Chase, so that was his name… Well I'm going to have to have a word with him on his poor attitude'.
Hikari and Luke spent the rest of the afternoon lazing around and finishing their lunch. Hikari continued to feel even more conflicted as the sun began to set and the two packed up the dishes into the picnic basket.
"What's wrong Hikari? You've been quiet all afternoon. Did I do something to upset you? Are you feeling alright"? Luke pressed the back of his hand to Hikari's forehead and waited a moment.
"Hmm… You do feel warm. Here, climb on back and I'll carry you home"…
"Luke, you don't have to do that, besides I'm too heavy".
"Hikari, please spare me the argument, and besides I spend all down chopping trees with a thirty pound axe, I'm pretty strong". Luke said while flexing his very visible and defined muscles. Hikari sighed.
"Alright, carry me home please. I don't feel well anyways". She climbed up on Luke's back and he hooked his hands beneath her and she rested his head on his shoulder, the picnic basket was being toted on Hikari's shoulder, not forgotten.
"Alright, drink this slowly". Luke tilted the cup to Hikari's lips as she lay weakly in her blankets. She parted her lips and drank the warm bitter liquid as it trailed down her throat. When the last of the drink was gone, Luke took the china cup and set it into the sink. He had already phoned Pops explaining that he would be late getting home, or wouldn't be back till tomorrow. When Dale asked why he simply explained
"Hikari isn't feeling well and is running a fever. I didn't want to leave her alone, so I'm going to help her out till her fever breaks".
"In that case give Kari our best! Be sure to make her feel much better, after all she's your future wife"!
"Wait, Pops what did you say"!
"Nothing son, you'll figure it out on your own. See you soon, and remember wish Kari our love"! Then the other line had gone dead and Luke stood holding the receiver and blushing like mad. Now Hikari slept fitfully, and he was puzzled. He didn't think it was the food that made her sick, maybe she was just low on stamina and had developed a cold? Luke decided that was most likely, and rested a cool wet rag on Hikari's forehead. He hoped what his dad had said was true. The girl Luke wanted to marry was none other than Hikari Makuda. She was just extreme.