A.N.: What's up everybody..? I know, long time no see. First off, I apologize for taking so long to update. For one, it took a little while for ideas to seep into my mind since the last chapter took a lot of my creativity. That, and I had college to work through. But now that I'm on Summer Break, it's time to get back to work, so hopefully you'll enjoy this latest installment.
I'm currently trying to get a part-time job right now for the summer, but am having no luck. It sucks, but that's just a part of life. Also, to make you readers happy, I will try to get back to updating on a weekly basis as long as I can manage it. Note I said try.
Have any of you seen Fate of the Unknown (Extended version of Sunset Horizons), the secret movie after Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix? I have it on both my laptop and PS3…and it's AWESOME!! If you'd ever been to GameSpot (gaming website) and gone to the FM+ forum, you should see all of the buzz the movie is generating. Lots of theories are generating, like when Another Side, Another Story (Deep Dive) came with KH I and KH FM. It's crazy…
And, I have another fun fact!! Another Japanese V.A. from D.N. Angel makes an appearance as a KH character! Although, not as prominent as Sora. This time, Akira Ishida, the Japanese V.A. of Satoshi Hiwatori (Hikari), is the voice of Zexion in Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories. Just like to relate that little bit of information to you…
And now, it's time for the premiere of the seventh chapter…allons-y!!
Italics: Thoughts, flashbacks…
3/10/08- Edited for spelling, grammar, and storyline consistency.
Terms you should know:
French:
Ecole- School.
Chambre- Bedroom.
"Portrait of a Young Woman"
By
Malcolm Yuy
Chapter 7: Dreadful Admittance
So many things have happened lately…
The school year began…
I met Kairi…
My twin brother and his friends came to Kouhai…
And now, Roxas and his friends live together with me…I wonder what else life will bring me..?
Well, I have only one way to find that out.
And that's to live life…
Oi…
Yeah, I know...not the best choice of words. But I feel exhausted after that weekend in Twilight Town. But now…
A loud beep emits from a nearby alarm clock, causing the light-haired brunet to jump in his bed. He groaned as his eyes remained closed.
School calls.
Sora sat up in bed, yawning as he opened his blue eyes to the world. He stretched his limbs tiredly as the remains of sleep slowly began to leave his body. He scratched his hair before he looked at the clock. The neon green print read Six o'one a.m. The young Akari sighed irritably as he sat in his pajamas.
Man, I hate Mondays…
Minutes later, the boy emerged into the cuisine, adorned for school. A small smile adorned his face as he saw his twin sitting there, eating breakfast, adorned in different clothes. The blond turned to offer a small wave before going back to eat his food.
"Howdy," he said, as Sora made his way over to the refrigerator. The spiky-haired lad turned to his brother for a moment before turning back to face the freezer.
"Howdy…I'm surprised you're awake," he mentioned as he took out a frozen box of pancakes from the cold portion of the preservative machine. He then closed the door as he walked over to the cabinet, pulling out a plate and some utensils while doing so. While he focusing on making his breakfast, Roxas smirked as he took a gulp of his orange juice.
"Yeah, me too…I tried getting Hayner and Pence to get up, but you know how they are…they like to sleep 'till the last minute," the dirty blond replied, taking another gulp before placing his glass down upon the table. Sora leaned against the counter as his frozen pancakes was now in the nearby microwave, heating up. He tapped his fingers as he did so.
"Well, I don't blame them. After all, I imagined that they probably went through a rough day yesterday," the elder twin stated. He closed his eyes as he imagined the two boys approaching him and his brother with bruises upon their cheeks. He shook his head as he opened his orbs.
"You're probably right…" Roxas trailed off as he sat there. Sora softly nodded as he stood. The microwave then rang, signaling that it was done warming his breakfast. Sora quickly turned to it, opened it, carefully removed the pancakes, and then took butter and syrup from the fridge as he decorated his petit déjeuner, before placing them back inside. He then walked over and took a seat, cutting up his food as he began ingesting it. Roxas turned up from his food to look at his brother.
"Sora..?" The brunet gulped a piece of food down as he gazed at his companion.
"Yes Roxas..?" he trailed off. The blond exhaled a breath of air, glancing away for a moment speaking.
"I just want to say…thanks…" he said. Sora just raised an eyebrow at the statement.
Thanks..?
"For what..?" the marron-haired boy questioned. Roxas exhaled another portion of air as he closed his eyes.
"For taking me and my friends in…you didn't have to," the blond Akari stated. A small smile came to Sora's face at the mention.
"I know, but I would've felt bad for doing so. Besides, I already stated that I want to rebuild what he had," the other Akari replied, as he looked at his brother from the corner of his eyes. Roxas revealed his steely blue orbs as he looked straight at his brother's visage, before an upside-down frown formed upon the twin's face.
"I'm glad. And if it's any consolation, I'm sorry for how I acted…you know, way back when," Roxas said, slowly pronouncing the last three words of his sentence, as his eyes looked away. Sora's eyes widened.
Way back when..?
The blond glanced back to his brother, and at noticing the brunet's expression, slightly frowned at the reaction. "Do you even know what I'm talking about?" he asked.
"No, not really…" Sora responded, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. Roxas sighed as he closed his eyes again.
"I'm sorry about the way I acted at the funeral…" Sora nodded his head as he acknowledged his brother's statement.
"I see…well, that's all water under the bridge now, so don't worry," the marron-haired youth said, offering his brother a smile. The blond slightly smiled at the response.
"Great." The two boys remained gazing at the other for a few moments, before a resounding yawn caused them to look towards the stairs. Hayner covered his mouth as he and Pence made their way into the kitchen.
"Yeesh…mornings," Hayner mumbled as tiredness strained from his mouth. Roxas just smirked as he and his brother examined his two companions before him.
"Morning to you too," the dirty blond remarked. Sora smiled at his twin's statement.
"Ready for school..?" he asked. Hayner sighed as he closed his chocolate orbs.
"Not really." The brunet then turned to face the noir-haired boy. The huskily built young man just shrugged his shoulders.
"As ready as I'll ever be," he replied. Sora simply nodded his head at the lad's response.
"Then let's go then…"
"..And where are we going again?"
Sora irritably sighed as he and the boys were advancing on the sidewalk. He closed his blue orbs as he thought to himself.
Sometimes…He opened his eyes again as he regarded the slick blond nearby. "We're going to Riku's house," Sora plainly stated as the four made their way into another subdivision. Pence looked at the light-haired brunet from behind as the continued to march.
"So…Riku's your best friend, right?" he asked. Sora turned from ahead to nod to him.
"Yeah. We've been best friends since…"
Well, almost forever. Riku and I have known each other since I was five, and he was six, meaning our friendship has lasted for ten years thus far. And so far, so good.
"Since kindergarten," the older Akari responded. Pence slightly jutted his head in agreement as the four came to a nearby driveway. Before them was a splendid house, a considerable size mansion made of brick and stone. Hayner and Pence took a moment to marvel at it as Sora and Roxas approached the front door. A minute later, the four made their way to the front entrance. Sora turned to look to his companions.
"Well, here we are." He turned back towards the door as he gave it a sharp knock. A voice issued "Just a minute!" from the other side of the door, before the porte opened to reveal a plump, elderly woman with an apron. She smiled as she greeted the quartet.
"Ah, Sora dear. How was your weekend? I'm sure you're here to pick up Master Riku, yes?" she asked. Sora offered a smile as he nodded his head.
"My weekend was great Nan-san….and what about yours..?"
Nan-san was the Hakumei's resident housekeeper, and has retained her job over a number of years. She is always very kind, though she doesn't like smart-alecks or rude people. And it's easy to see why.
"Oh, a trifle as always. Just give me a minute to inform the master of your arrival." She then turned to look at the other three boys. "Oh, and who are these young lads?" she asked. Her grey eyes then caught onto Roxas' as grey eyes gazed into blue. "Aren't you Roxas..?" she asked.
"Yes ma'am," Roxas hitched, as he quickly nodded in affirmation.
Ms. Nan smiled as he continued to look upon the spiky blond. "I believe it's been a while since I've seen you Roxas. How have the years been treating you?" she questioned.
"Good, good." Roxas then turned to glance at his two friends for a moment, before looking back to the maid. "Oh, and these two are my friends Hayner,"
"Hi," the slick blond waved.
"-and Pence."
"Hello," the sweatband headed boy replied, offering a smile to the elderly woman. Ms. Nan smiled as she greeted the two.
"It's nice to meet you two as well. I'm Elizabeth Nan, the Hakumei's housekeeper….well, now that the pleasantries are out of the way, I guess I'll inform Master Riku of your arrival. Wait here please." She then went to the stairs as she looked up towards the second floor. "Oh Master Riku, Sora is here to see you!" she exclaimed. The brunet Akari tilted his head as he waited for a response.
Usually, when I come here to pick up Riku, Nan-san usually informs him that I'm here. He then responds, and a few moments later, descends down the steps, ready to go. However, this morning was a bit different.
There was no response. Ms. Nan looked worried as her eyes narrowed. "Now that's odd. Usually he would respond by now. I wonder if there's something wrong," she said to herself.
"Can I go check and see if he's okay?" Sora asked. The maid turned to observe the brunet lad. She sighed as she closed her eyes.
"If you think it'll help dear." Sora offered a smile as she revealed her orbs.
"Arigato." The marron-haired Akari turned to his companions. "I'll be right back guys." The three boys nodded in understanding. Sora then turned to ascend the stairway, until he came to the second floor. He advanced to his friend's doorway and gave it a soft knock.
"Riku..?" The door slowly creaked slightly open as the blue-eyed boy peered inside. Sora's mouth gawked as he fully opened the door, revealing his companion's chambre.
Man, it looks like a hurricane happened here.
Remember how Nan-san is the housekeeper here? Well, from all the times I've seen Riku's room, it's usually very tidy. And Riku usually likes to keep his room clean anyway. But this…
It looks so disheveled. Clothes laying everywhere, books strewn here and there, just anything and everything laid around. And when I took a glance at the bed…
The comforter of the bed was arched as the brunet could see an outline of a person underneath. Sora smirked to himself as he made his way over to it. As he crept closer, he noticed that a hand was clutching the blanket as it covered their body. He grinned as he took a hold of it.
"Wake up!" Sora pulled the covers back to reveal a silver-haired young man in a grey tee and black pajama pants, who, at the moment seemed very preoccupied with sleep. As Sora took a closer look at his meilleur ami, he frowned as he noticed Riku's expression.
He didn't look very happy.
Sora sighed as he shook his friend's side. "Come on Riku…" he prodded. A few seconds later, aquamarine eyes fluttered open as he saw blue ones through his bangs. They took focus as azure irises gazed back at him.
"Sora..? What are you doing here?" Riku mumbled, as he sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Sora placed his hands on his hips as he continued viewing his companion.
"It's seven-forty. We have twenty minutes 'till school starts Riku," Sora muttered, slightly glaring. Riku widened his eyes in response to his friend's comment.
"Twenty minutes..? Just give me ten then. I'll be ready to go," the silver-haired Hakumei stated. The brunet Akari just set his lips into a thin line.
"Okay. I'll be downstairs." Riku curtly nodded as the spiky-haired boy left the room, closing the door behind him as he descended to the first floor, joining the others. Ms. Nan turned to face him as he made his way back into the entryway.
"Did you have any luck dear?" she asked. Sora grinned as he nodded his head.
"He'll be down in ten minutes," he replied. The housekeeper issued a sigh of relief as she clutched a fist near her heart.
"That's a relief. For a moment I thought something was wrong with the boy," the elderly woman explained. Sora just nodded his head.
"Me too." Silence then enveloped the room. Minutes later, rapid, medium-footed steps could be heard as the tall platinum-haired youth made his way into the entryway, dressed in uniform and carrying his satchel. He then raised an eyebrow as he glanced over the other three boys standing before him.
"I didn't know you had others with you Sor," Riku commented. Sora just shrugged his shoulders.
"Sorry." Riku then smirked as he glanced over at the brunet's twin, giving him the once-over.
"It's been a while, hasn't it Roxas..?" The blond sharply nodded.
"That it has Riku, that it has," he plainly responded. Riku slightly grinned as he joined Sora's side, turning to look over at the marron-haired boy.
"Well, if you're ready, let's go."
"So, when were you going to tell me that your brother was back in town?" Aqua eyes regarded blue through silver bangs as the five young men made their way towards the front entrance of the ecole. Sora glanced at his twin for a moment before turning his attention back upon his oldest friend.
"Soon. He hasn't been here for that long," the brown-haired Akari commented. Riku just nodded as they examined the blond Akari and his friends, who seemed to be in a world of their own as they chatted away. The young Hakumei offered a glimpse of a smile.
"His friends seem like a nice bunch."
"They are," Sora replied, as he placed his hands behind his head, his eyes darting from his brother's friends back to his own. "Do you think they'll be able to get in..?" he asked. Riku glanced back to Roxas, Hayner and Pence as Hayner seemed to be enthralled in some kind of storytelling that he was discoursing.
"Roxas and his friends..?" The platinum-haired youth cocked his head to the side. "Hmm, I don't know…maybe," Riku stated. Sora simply nodded his head as he began to look downwards towards the sidewalk. His mouth was then set into a thin line as a thought came to him.
Maybe this would be a good time to ask him…
"Hey Riku..?" Azure orbs viewed sea green ones as their owner looked up to observe his companion's face. Riku just quirked an eyebrow in interest.
"Yeah Sor..?" The young lad sighed as he slightly bared his teeth.
"I uh…I just want to know…is everything okay?" Sora asked awkwardly. His eyes then took in as Riku hitched for a moment, before furrowing his eyebrows in confusion as he narrowed his sea-colored orbs, before his expression calmed into a tranquil one.
You'd think I notice something right then and there, but…
"Of course everything's fine. Why do you ask?" the silver-haired boy questioned. Sora sighed, closing his eyes as he thought about his response.
Oh, I don't know…you not being punctual like you usually are, and that your chambre was in a complete mess when I looked inside..?
Seriously though, how would he react if I said to him the things I just described? He'd probably just write it off as nothing too peculiar. Maybe…
Maybe I was over-analyzing things. Or so I thought at the time.
"Never mind. It's not important," the marron-haired Akari plainly stated as his companion raised another eyebrow in reply.
"..If you say so," the shaggy-haired young man said. He then stopped as the five approached the school entrance. "Well Sor, I just want to say thanks for getting my butt out of bed this morning," Riku grinned. Sora just smirked.
"Well someone had to."
"Yeah yeah, I know," the Hakumei lad stated, waving off the last statement He then looked down to his wristwatch. "I better get going. I'll see you in World Lit." The tall youth was about to turn his back on Sora and his comrades when he remembered something. Riku turned to look back at the brunet's brother and his friends. "Oh. Before I go, I just wanted to say- good luck you three." He offered the three boys a smile, and they responded by returning it.
"Thanks," Roxas stated, his blue eyes showing gratitude. Riku just grinned in response.
"Welcome." He then turned his attention towards the blond's twin. "Ja," he said, before walking away.
"Ja." Sora stood there as he watched his best friend leave him and the others behind. Once Riku blended into the schoolscape, the brunet faced his other companions, placing his hands in his blazer pockets as he did so. "Are you three ready to go?" he asked. Roxas glanced to his friends' faces quickly as they nodded their heads in affirmation.
"Yeah I guess," the golden-haired Akari replied.
"Good. Well then, let's go." The three followed Sora as they maneuvered through the school gates and into the main hall, passing students who were just chatting it up like normal teenagers as the four made their way to the main office. The spiky-haired brunet rapped on the door as he and the others stood there, awaiting entrance into the prestigious room. A moment later, the porte unlocked as it swayed open, the four entering the doorway.
Once the four were safely inside, Sora softly closed the door behind them, and made his way to a nearby desk. A smile graced his features as he noticed who was seated at the fixture. "Ohayo Doru-san," he said, slightly bowing his head. A young, pale woman with dark red hair smiled back at him through the female version of the school uniform.
"Morning Akari-san," Ms. Doru replied.
Sally Doru was a student secretary for the Academy. Since she was a top student in academics, she had progressed through most of her classes early, so she offered her services as such during the second half of the day. Since meeting her, we have established a rapport between one another. She's a very nice young woman.
"So how has your weekend?" The brunet asked, beginning to make conversation. Sally just tilted her head from side-to-side for a moment.
"Oh, you know, nothing special…just a visit from my father," she responded.
Doru wasn't Sally-san's original surname. Her parents had divorced when she was younger, and her mother soon remarried, taking the new last name as such. Doru-san's father, Dr. Finkelstein, was a world renowned scientist…although, from what Doru-san tells me, he's also a little…mad.
Sora just nodded his head in understanding. "I see." Silence followed for a few moments, until Sally began to speak again.
"What about the Estival Hei Akari-san? Will you be going?" she asked. The spiky brunet just closed his eyes as he shook his head.
"Nah, not me. What about you?" he questioned. Sally lowered her orbs as she looked down towards her desk.
"I would but I…want to go with a certain someone," a blush appeared on her pale cheeks as she admitted her desires. Sora just smirked.
"Let me guess…a tall, lanky young man with black hair?" Sally just looked up at him, her eyes widened in shock.
"How do you know?" she inquired. Sora softly chuckled.
"It's not hard to put two-and-two together. Remember that one time I was here to talk with the Headmaster when Jack-kun came in..?" Sally blushed again as he tilted her head downwards.
"Oh yes, I remember…you have a sharp memory Akari-san," she commented. The brunet smirked.
"Thanks." The redhead then glanced to his friends, and then back to him.
"So, what did you come in here for?" she asked, finally getting to the main topic at hand. Sora grinned as he looked to his other three companions.
"Well, I was wondering if you set an appointment for these three to meet with the Assistant Headmaster. They would like to take the placement test so they can be admitted," he answered. Sally just nodded her head as he examined the three.
"Uh huh. Well, do they have the necessary paperwork filled?" she questioned.
"Right here," Roxas finally stated, as he and his friends brandished the necessary information the brunet Akari had given them earlier. Sally took a minute to skim the pages, before glancing back to the other three young men. After reading the three sets of paper, she set it down as she closed her eyes.
"Hmm, everything looks to be in order. Please wait a minute." On her right side lied a phone cradle, and Sally looked over to it as she pressed a button upon it. A moment later, a voice emerged from the cradle speakers.
"Hai Sally?"
"Assistant Headmaster, Sora Akari requests your presence," the redhead stated.
"What for..?"
"He would like to have three of his friends take the placement test so they could be admitted here," Sally answered.
"Does the paperwork check out?" the voice asked.
"That it does ma'am," the student secretary smiled.
"Then please have them wait here. I'm about to have a conference call with the superintendent. I will then speak with them shortly," the Assistant Headmaster replied on the other line. Sally nodded her head in accordance.
"Yes ma'am. Arigato," she said.
"You're welcome."
The other line then shut-off. Sally placed her elbows on the desk as she cupped her chin. "Well, please take a seat." The four looked around, and then took seats at nearby furniture. She offered a glimpse of a smile as she looked towards Sora's other three companions. "So, what interested you three in the Academy..?" The three examined each other awkwardly before turning back to look at the student secretary.
"Well, we want to go someplace where the school's a challenge," Hayner stated, his chocolate eyes focused on the redhead before him. Pence and Roxas just nodded their heads in agreement.
"Well, the Academy certainly offers that, if you want it in academics. And if you are interested in extra-curricular activities, we have plenty of those as well," Sally said. Pence arched his eyebrows in interest as he caught upon this particular piece of information. Sora just smiled as he sat back and watched his friends go at it.
"Like what exactly..?" the noir-haired boy asked. The dark-haired girl turned to face the huskily-built young man.
"Well, some of the activities we offer are Chorus, Orchestra, as well as Art," Sally indicated as she turned to meet Sora's blue orbs. He smirked as she moved to look back to his brother.
"Is there anything else? Like sports..?" the blond Akari asked. Sally shook her head.
"I'm sorry, but we don't really concentrate on sports too much. We have a few, but about the only one we're focusing on right now is water polo," she responded. Hayner just sighed at that.
"Water polo…" he added silently. Silence then enveloped the room as the four boys concentrated their attention before other furniture and other numerous objects contained within, as Sally turned her attention before the LCD monitor before her, as she began typing something in. As she was doing that, Sora directed his orbs toward the school clock on the wall behind his acquaintance.
Nine-thirty…hmm, it looks like I'll miss Music Class, which isn't bad. I wasn't in quite the mood to deal with Kani-san today anyway.
Moments continued to pass as seconds transformed into minutes. Roxas fumbled with his fingers as Pence looked to the assorted photos that covered one of the walls, while Hayner continued having his eyes closed, his head leaning towards the back of the chair. A light sound emitted from Sally's computer, startling the slick-blond as he suddenly rocked forward in his seat. The other three young lads silently chuckled to themselves in reaction. A giggle escaped from Sally's lips as she joined in on the light laughter.
"Well, it looks like the Assistant Headmaster is ready to see you now. Good luck you three. It was nice meeting you," the redhead stated as she offered them a smile. Roxas and his companions returned her expression with a copy of their own.
"You too…"
"Sally. Sally Doru."
"Sally." Roxas trailed off as Sora placed a hand upon his twin's shoulder, causing him to turn to his brunet brethren.
"Let's go." Sora turned to offer a smile to the student secretary. "Arigato, Doru-san," he stated. Sally just simply nodded her head.
"You're welcome, Akari-san."
"She's nice," Pence commented as the four entered a little hallway, with two doors facing each other. His other two companions nodded their heads as Sora led to them to the portal on the right.
"That she is." The four took a moment to survey the hall, before they stopped walking as Sora read the font on the glass door, grasping the knob as Assistant Headmaster was displayedin bold print, before turning to face the other three young fellows that were with him.
"Well, this is it. Are you guys ready?" The three boys nodded in silence. The brunet sighed as he closed his azure orbs. "Well, here we go. I wish you all luck."
"Thanks," the three stated in unison. Sora inclined his head, before softly knocking upon the door. After hearing someone say "come in", he pulled the portal back so the four could step through. After walking through, the marron-haired young man slowly shut the door behind him, before shifting his body to glance at the authority figure sitting before him. He gave a slight bow towards her.
"Assistant Headmaster Mausu."
"Sora. Please, sit down." The brunet and the others followed her instruction as they sat in neatly oriented chairs that encircled her desk. The spiky-haired young lad sat on the outermost left, with his brother on the right, followed by the other blond in the group, with the noir-haired boy sitting on the outermost right. At the desk situated a petite, but humble woman with dark hair and round cheeks. Today, she was wearing a dark red business suit. She offered the four a smile as she greeted them.
"So Sora, how can I help you today..?" Mrs. Mausu asked, as she planted her chin upon her hands. The leftmost boy sighed as he made eye contact with her dark irises.
"Well Mausu-san, I was hoping you could help me with my friends here. My brother," he answered, tilting his head to acknowledge the boy to his right, "-and his friends have joined me in my house. And well, they were wondering…"
"If we could attend this school ma'am," Roxas stated, finishing his twin's sentence for him. The spiky blond glanced to his sibling for a moment, before focusing his attention upon the young woman sitting before them. Mrs. Mausu glanced from Roxas to Sora for a moment, before letting out a "hn" in understanding. She then turned to the slick blond as he opened his mouth to speak.
"We would like to go somewhere where we can reach our full potential ma'am. And we think this is the place," Hayner said. Pence and Roxas nodded in agreement as the Assistant Headmaster reflected his statement. She let out another "hn" as she thought about it. She then closed her eyes.
"Well, I'm flattered you three think that this institution will be able to magnify your talents. And if I had to admit prospective students in based on merit, I'd let you three in," she admitted, with the three smiling at the comment, "-but sadly," Mrs. Mausu added, "this is not how the admittance process works. Provided that you have already filled out the necessary paperwork, you three will have to take a placement exam. And your scores will basically determine if you can attend here or not," the dark-haired young woman stated.
"We know," Pence said. Mrs. Mausu gripped the back of her desk with her hands as she leaned back in her seat.
"Well then, if you have already presented the paperwork to Sally, then I'll hand you the placement exams. I will take you to the testing area shortly." The young woman then took out a yellow slip of paper as she removed a pen from her blazer pocket, before scribbling something upon it. The bell rang as she handed it to the brunet boy sitting before her.
"Well Sora, now that this discussion is over, you can head to your next class. I'll have Sally inform you when your friends are done testing," Mrs. Mausu instructed. The brunet Akari nodded as he got up from his chair.
"Thank you ma'am," he said, his blue eyes gazing her dark-colored ones. The young woman simply smiled back.
"Anytime." The marron-haired young man then turned to look at his companions.
"Well, I just wanted to say this for one last time. Good luck," he said. His twin and his comrades gave Sora a smile as he stood before them.
"Thanks Sora," Hayner said. Sora inclined his head.
"Welcome." The spiky-haired lad then turned to walk towards the door, but as he grabbed the doorknob, Mrs. Mausu caught his attention.
"Oh! Sora…" she trailed off. The young man turned to regard the Assistant Headmaster.
"Hai Mausu-san..?"
"Could you tell me if you're participating in the next art exhibition? The Headmaster was meaning to see your paintings during the last one held at the Cultural Arts Center, but unfortunately, he had other things to attend to," Mrs. Mausu stated. Sora relaxed as a smile graced his lips.
"Of course. You can tell him I'll be there," he responded. The noir-haired woman smiled again.
"Great. Then have a good day Sora. We'll see you later," Mrs. Mausu said. Sora returned her smile.
"Bye then." He then turned to observe the three young men still seated in front of him. "Later guys," the brunet said.
"Later," the three chirped in unison. The boy sharply nodded his head, before exiting the room altogether, leaving the four individuals behind as he shut the door behind him. He sighed as he closed his eyes, leaning against the door's frame.
Phew, glad that's over.
As you could see, Mausu-san is the Assistant Headmaster for the Destiny Islands Academy for the Arts. She generally deals with admissions and disciplinary actions. The Headmaster basically makes all the major decisions that the school has to deal with, as well as administrating with the teachers to make sure they are teaching quality classes.
Because after all, the Headmasters have a lot to live up to. They are both tightly scrutinized for being younger than the average administrator, for they were prodigies in their own time. And…
The Headmaster and the Assistant Headmaster are married to one another. So you can only see how this can affect things. They have to be able to keep their personal relationship at home and be able to conduct a professional one here. I just don't see how they do it most of the time.
Sora shook his head as he straightened his posture, before moving back into the other pièce of the office, where Sally remained. She grinned as he came back through.
"How was it?" she questioned. He quickly turned to view the student secretary.
"I don't know. Mausu-san's about to prepare them for testing, so who knows? I think they'll do fine."
I hope.
"Me too." The redhead offered him a smile. The brunet offered one of his own.
"Well, it's been nice talking to you Doru-san, but I need to be heading to class. I'll talk to you later," he said.
"Of course. Later Akari-san," she stated.
"Later Doru-san."
All I gotta say is…thank Kami for Art.
Sora moved out of the office and into the main hall as he sighed again. He adjusted his backpack strap as he began walking towards his next class. He closed his eyes for a moment as he placed his hands in his jacket pockets.
"Sora!" a voice exclaimed. Blue ovals opened as he looked up to where the source of the voice. Pink tinted his cheeks as sky-hued eyes made contact with violet.
Kairi…
The brunet grinned as the auburn-haired beauty joined his side, donned in the white and light blue of the school colors. A smile adorned her face as she walked side-by-side with him. "Long time no see," she greeted.
"Long time no see indeed," Sora replied, slightly chuckling at the end of his sentence. Kairi giggled at the statement, before a short pause of silence followed them as they moved toward their classroom.
"So, how was your weekend?" the redhead questioned, clasping her hands behind her back. The spiky-headed lad placed his hands behind his head as they continued to promenade.
"Well, it was different, to say the least," he managed to get out. Kairi grinned.
"How so?"
"To put it into words…it's a recent development of unsuspecting events. And I'm not done dealing with them yet," the marron-haired young man cryptically answered. Kairi raised her eyebrows as Sora's comments piqued her interest.
"And what kind of events are these exactly..?" she asked.
"Nothing you should know about," Sora smartly remarked, smirking at his reply. Kairi just narrowed her eyes in mock anger as she elbowed him in the side.
"Hey!"
"That's for the smart remark you just made," she replied sharply. Sora slightly laughed as at her response.
"That's fair. To tell you the truth Kairi, it's just that I don't know what to make of these events right now. All I can tell you is that either way, they could end up good or bad."
"And when that happens, you'll let me know, right..? We are friends…at least I hope we think of each other as such," Kairi said, whispering the last part. Sora's ears perked up at the latter bit.
"Why do you say that? Of course I think we're friends…why wouldn't I?" the brunet Akari asked. The auburn Herutsu just shrugged her shoulders as she closed her purple-colored orbs.
"I don't know." She then looked away from him as they drew ever closer to the art room. Sora took this time to glance at the redhead's visage.
Kairi…I do want to tell you the truth eventually…just not right now. Besides…
What am I feeling anyway? Kairi is just a friend, right..? That's all I feel for her, right..?
That's what I kept on telling myself anyway.
So, to change the subject…
"So…how was your weekend? What did you and your sister do?" Sora asked. Kairi refocused her attention on him as they now stood near the classroom doorway.
"Oh, nothing much, just visited my cousins, aunt and uncle. I have to admit, it was a nice change of pace though. Staying at the house was getting dismally boring," the girl replied, rolling her eyes at the last utterance. Sora just grinned.
"I can imagine," he said. Kairi returned his grin with one of her own.
"I bet you can," she remarked. He lightly punched her on her arm. "Hey!" she exclaimed.
"That was one for one," he simply stated, as the two made their way into the classroom. The redhead sighed.
"Fine." Sora inwardly smiled as the duo reached their table, with Naminé already seated at their table. The blonde Herutsu greeted them with a smile as they joined her, with Kairi taking her seat beside her twin.
"I see you two are getting along nicely," she commented. Sora smirked as he got out his drawing supplies.
"You know it Herutsu-chan," he said. The bell then rang as they got situated within their positions, and with that, the spiky-brunet got to work with what he did best.
Art.
Sora stared at a blank white piece of paper for a moment, before an idea came to mind. He took out some grey and black colored pencils, before he began drawing on the paperscape. His eyes narrowed in concentration as he began drawling lines, scribbling here and there as the image in his mind came together on paper. Both of the Herutsu twins gazed at him as he seemed focused on what he was drawing. Sora was oblivious as he continued working though.
Most of the time when I draw art, I stop here and there, reflecting on the image that's within my head. However, this time the image was clearer than it had ever been. I don't know, but maybe it was because I had a certain emotion tied in with this picture.
But whatever it was, I couldn't figure it out. And so I continued drawing…until I finally completed it.
Sora viewed his finished piece of art, perplexed as his eyebrows were raised in confusion. The two Herutsu sisters noticed his expression, and Kairi was the one who decided to speak up. "What is it Sora..?" she asked, concerned with the emotion that was currently displayed upon his face. The brunet turned to look up at the auburn and the female blonde.
"Huh?" He muttered. Naminé decided to question him this time around.
"What's wrong Akari-kun? You looked…alarmed when you were examining your drawing," Naminé commented.
"You two want to know why?" The two young women both nodded their heads in reply. Sora mumbled a "hn" in response as he took a look at it, before glancing back to the two girls sitting before him. "Then take a look at this." He then slid the piece of paper into their view. Their eyes both widened as they took a look at it.
"It's very…"
"Unique," the female blonde stated as she and her sister continued examining the drawing. Sora nodded his head.
"I thought so," he commented.
The image has been in my head the entire morning, beginning after that meeting in the office.
"Here you go Akari-kun," Naminé said as she and Kairi slid the piece of paper back into Sora's hands. The marron-haired young man took another moment to examine it.
It was different, like the blonde Herutsu mentioned. What the image detailed was of a black landscape, with a grey desk etched diagonally towards the center of the picture. Enclosed around it was a white circle, like lamplight exposing book pages in the night. And lying upon the desk haphazardly were three sets of paper, somewhat withered as scraggly lines defined each set in its own unique way. What even defined the drawing more though were grey, wooden pencils that were etched into the piece of dark artwork.
One pencil had no eraser on its top, with its clearing companion beside it…or, what looked like remains of it anyway.
Another pencil, grey, though a little darker than the first, had apparently snapped in two as laid next to its written-upon-companion. And the last pencil…
The last pencil was black. It was fine, except where the lead was exposed.
Or supposed to be. The lead-point was severed, as the lead was less than a few centimeters away in the image.
And indented upon the center of all of the writing utensils were two words, with white lettering for the black edition, stating Placement Test. Sora frowned once he noticed that upon his drawing.
Once I took a closer look at it, I began to find what I was feeling…
I felt a sense of dread.
Maybe it was because I thought my brother and his friends wouldn't pass the placement exam…I didn't want to think like that, but I guess I already thought that way subconsciously.
What did this mean? Did this mean I had doubts to whether they were worthy of attending this school? I didn't want to be judgmental. But it's hard when you see where they came from.
Silently, I just hope I'm wrong.
"You know what girls? I don't feel so well. I think I'm going to go use the restroom," Sora announced. The two twins looked at him in concern.
"Will you be okay..?" Kairi asked. The brunet turned to have his sky blue eyes meet her sea violet ones.
"I'll be okay Kairi. Promise…"
I just needed to get away. Oh, I don't feel so good…
Sora clutched his stomach as he hovered over a sink in the lavatory. He inhaled and exhaled several breaths as his orbs examined the silver drain that led to pipe below the bathroom fixture. He then turned the knobs as he splashed some water onto his face. After washing his face and hands a few times, the brunet dried himself with a paper towel, before dispensing of it in the nearby trash can. He sighed as he exited the boys' water closet.
That help made me feel better. I need to remember just to breathe…
As Sora emerged into the hallway, he placed his hands in his pockets as he was about to make his way back towards the Art Room.
That was, until I heard something. It sounded like somebody crying. And it was coming from the girls' restroom.
The girls' bathroom lied right across from the boys', and Sora glanced left and right slowly, before edging his way into the entrance of the girls' restroom.
Now normally, I wouldn't be doing this. I am NOT a pervert. But, for some reason or other, I felt compelled to see what was going on.
He drew closer to the source of the crying. Sora then poked his head around the corner to see what was amiss, his eyes widening at what he saw.
Umi-chan…
His irises held concern as he frowned at the situation that unfolding before him. Huddled up upon the tiled floor across from him, where she couldn't see him, was a mess of dark blue hair, her legs folded up against her chest. Her face emerged as she looked to the wall across from her, tears shedding from her emerald colored eyes.
"Riku…" she muttered. She then lowered her head back from sight. Sora only tilted his head in sadness.
"Umi-chan…" he whispered. Her eyes widened as she suddenly looked up.
"Who's there?" she asked. Sora quickly backed out of the restroom in physical response. He pressed himself against a wall outside the restroom. A few moments later, after drying her tears and rising up from where she lay, a solemn Umi emerged from the ladies' lavatory as she walked back to her class. The brunet sighed in relief as he centered himself in the middle of the hallway, looking to Umi's retreating back.
After seeing her condition, I started to put two-and-two together.
She said Riku's name. And that made me wonder…
Did they have some kind of argument that made Riku react the way he did today when I went to see him at his house? That would explain a lot.
But wondering was all I could do. The only way I could find out was if…
I got the answer straight from the horse's mouth.
Sora stirred from his thoughts as the intercom buzzed through the school speakers. "Will Sora Akari please report to the Main Office…I repeat, will Sora Akari please report to the Main Office. Arigato." Sally's voice shut-off as the spiky-haired brunet came back to the present.
But for right now, I have other things to deal with.
Like the results of the placement exam.
"So, how did these three do?" Sora asked, offering the three companions he left earlier a reassuring smile as he placed his hands upon his brother's shoulders. The blond Akari examined him for a moment before the light-haired young lad sat in the chair he occupied earlier in the Assistant Headmaster's office. He glanced to the other three, as they seemed to be jumping with anxiety as they sat there, before turning his eyes onto Mrs. Mausu.
"Well, after an hour of testing, they…" Mrs. Mausu paused for effect as she glanced to the other three young men who were sitting in their seats. She then grinned coyly as she knew what she was going to say next. "-passed. Congratulations gentlemen. You've been accepted as students of the Destiny Islands Academy for the Arts," she happily chirped. The three boys echoed a deep sigh of relief as Sora just chuckled at their expense, looking to each one of them.
"Congrats," he said. Pence sighed again.
"Yeah. Thanks. You have no idea how hard that test was," Pence was. Sora chuckled again as he looked at the noir-haired boy.
"Oh, I could imagine," he stated. Hayner just closed his chocolate eyes in response.
"Yeah right." Silence then followed, before the four boys erupted in laughter. Mrs. Mausu couldn't help but join in on the fun either. After a few moments, the enjoyment quieted down as Mrs. Mausu sharpened her voice.
"Well, since you three have made it in, here is the Student Handbook," she said, giving each of the new students a copy of a white book with the school emblem in the center. "Make sure to follow the dress code and rules," she instructed as the three took a moment to skim through the pages. Roxas looked up to gaze at the Assistant Headmaster.
"Anything else we need to know about..?" he questioned. Mrs. Mausu just shook her head.
"I don't think so. And if you do, just ask Sora about it. He'll help you out with anything you need to know, right Sora?" the dark-haired woman raised an eyebrow as she gazed at other Akari twin. He just curtly nodded his head. "Well then, if that answers all of your questions, I will take you to get your uniform measured and picked out so you can start school tomorrow." Mrs. Mausu rose from her chair and slid it into her desk. The four young men followed as they got up from their seats, and together they followed her out of her office.
"I can't believe we made it," Hayner whispered. Roxas could only grin at his friend's statement.
"I know," the male blond silently replied. Sora could only smile at his companions' words.
"You three deserved it. I hope you like it here," he said. Roxas grinned at his twin.
"Me too."
And as I followed my brother and his friends to get themselves fitted for their school attire, I smiled to myself. I'm glad I was proven wrong. After all, it is bad to misjudge people just because of their appearance. That was something I was never going to do again…
And then, as I kept on walking, my thoughts trailed back to Umi. Why was she crying? And how was Riku involved in all of this? I got the feeling that something happened over the weekend…something that Riku didn't tell me.
And I'm going to find out what it is.
All I hope is that whatever it is, that Riku and Umi can fix it.
Because to me, they're role models for something I want to have someday, when I'm ready for it.
Because I don't think I'm ready for it now.
Or at least that's what I think.
And though I may be wrong, to me that's all that matters.
That is all that matters…
And that's the end of the seventh installment. This only leaves more questions to be asked. What will Sora do now that Roxas and the others have been accepted into the Academy? How will this affect his perception? And does he feel only friendship for Kairi? And what was with Umi in the girls' lavatory? Something is totally amiss, but you readers will have to wait until the next chapter to find out…
At least Kairi finally returned. We got to see a little bit more of her character…a little. I don't know whether or not she'll be in the next chapter (she probably will)…you know what…she probably will. I have had for sometime had a scene for her and Sora in my head…which will now go in the next chapter…so just watch out.
And it's time for another guessing game. Who do you think Ms. Nan and Mrs. Mausu was? Mrs. Mausu will be easier to figure out than Mrs. Nan, I'll tell you right there. Nan is a derivative from another Disney character. And that's all I'll say about that.
And, as I was writing this week, I began to thinking of the readers who really love this fic, as they'd probably like to know "Where in the heck is he? How far has he progressed on the next chapter? I WANT TO KNOW!!" And for you readers, I've decided that starting next Wednesday, I'm going to start implementing a new "feature" in my FFN profile. I call it Story Progress. Think of it as a mini-blog, where I tell you each Wednesday how each new chapter is progressing…problems I may be having with it…interesting things I'm thinking of…stuff like that. And if I get the idea to write more than one story, I'll talk about those too. If you want to talk more about my stories, or of anything, feel free to leave me a PM.
Oh yeah, that reminds me. I have finally begun offering my services as a beta reader, and for anyone who needs help, whether it be in content, spelling, or grammar department, I'm your man. I'm willing to accept up to…three requests. Then I'll probably close my services.
And to Darc Oblivion, or to any Linkin Park fan for that matter who's reading this, have you heard anything from their new album, Minutes to Midnight? I like the new album, though it took me a few times to digest it. Some of the songs I like A LOT more than others, as this album is different from their previous ones. So different, but good-however, not AS good as Hybrid Theory and Meteora were in my opinion.
And now, I present to you Recommended Read #6, "Who Needs Love?" by otoru-onii, a great Sokai by a fellow reader and friend. It is personally one of my favorite Sokais that I've ever read so far, and it's still in-progress. Let's just say…Sora is hiding something from the redhead, all-the-while being as sarcastic and stubborn as he can be to her, as they moved back to their former home, and ironically, live next door each other. Can the chaos they ensue upon each other become something more? Only one can wonder. I hope my summary really does this fic justice, because it's really THAT good. It really is.
Well my readers, until next time, please read and review, enjoy your week, and I'll talk to you all later. Au revoir!- Malcolm Yuy
