Fun fact: This is the longest chapter of Runaway love! :D

Chapter 10: Sora's Magic

She thought of many places she could go. She visited all the local hotels and motels in Odaiba but realized she couldn't afford to stay at any of them. Sitting on a park bench, Sora took note of her surroundings. On her left side lay her tote bag crammed to capacity with all the things Sora grabbed before fleeing from her home. To her right, Sora noticed a walking trail that wrapped around the entire park. On its path, a small boy wearing goofy overalls jumped up and down, pointing to a small cart selling sweets and ice cream. His mother, a short middle-aged woman with long brunette hair, smiled sweetly at her son. He pouted his lips and clutched onto her leg, pleading with her in his cute little kid voice. Sora knew the little boy was about to get his way, and a small, tired smile crept upon her face. The moment reminded Sora of happy memories her own small family used to share in the park. Her mother used to fall for her big pouty eyes whenever Sora wanted anything at all. Now, Sora can't even talk to her mother without getting thrown out of the house. The reality of the moment wiped away her fleeting smile, and Sora was left with bitterness as she continued to watch the mother and child.

The woman and her child left with their ice cream soon after. Sora sighed and looked down at her watch.

"It's almost 7 o'clock. I've got to find somewhere to sleep tonight."

Sora sighed again and began to sort through other ideas in her head. Her friends were out of the question. Sora didn't want to be a burden to anyone, let alone her friends' families. She couldn't rent her own place without having a parent sign off and a steady job to pay the monthly bill. She closed her eyes and concentrated.

"I've got to figure this out. It's too early in the semester to get behind in schoo-"

An idea quickly popped into her head.

"The semester just started! There should be a few dorms left at the school dormitory!"

Hope filled her body as she yanked the tote bag off the bench and raced towards her university. As Sora ran, she felt the breeze wiping away her stress, her hair flowing gracefully down the curves of her back. As she approached the campus, her pace slowed to accommodate for the growing pain of her tote strap. Sora turned corner after corner and ran through two intersections before she finally arrived at the front entrance of Odaiba University. Her breath caught in her throat as she stopped to wait for her breathing to return to normal. Sora reached into her tote bag and pulled out a wide-tooth brush to free her hair of the tangles that occurred during her run. Her soft auburn hair returned to its usual texture as Sora made note of the rest of her appearance. Her university shirt was wrinkled and smelled of fresh sweat while her khaki shorts looked like they hadn't seen a washing machine in days. Sora ran her hands over her clothes to smooth the distasteful lines, and she sprayed her perfume underneath her arms to rid herself of the unpleasant odor. Sora took a quick glance at her compact mirror before she deemed herself presentable, and she gathered her wits as she slowly ascended the steps to the front doors.

With her chin up and a confident nod to herself, Sora entered the main building of Odaiba University. She felt the cool breeze leave her side as the doors swung shut behind her. Sora's eyes adjusted to the dimly lit area as she searched for the directory. She walked forward cautiously as she spotted it on the far right side of the interior. As she approached it, Sora took note of its vast knowledge of all the college courses offered as well as where and when services were offered. Sora's eyes travelled down to the bottom. She almost pinched herself at her luck. Housing was located in the main building on the second floor. As Sora made her leave, her heart soared and a small bit of happiness flooded her system.

However, Sora realized her luck had ended when she reached the second floor. Her tote bag slipped off her shoulder when she glanced at the "CLOSED" sign hanging on the window of the housing desk.

"What am I going to do now? Live in the streets? Under the bridge? This is hopeless!"

"Hey Sora!"

The familiar voice caught Sora off-guard. She didn't realize anyone else was up on the second floor with her. As she turned around, Sora came face-to-face with Tai, who was clad in an awfully good-looking janitorial wardrobe.

"Tai," she breathed quietly.

His faced broke out into a grin that was like magic to her tired eyes. Despite her rough day, Sora found new energy as he spoke.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were finished with classes for today?"

Her eyes shifted to the ground. Sora couldn't face Tai again, much less even begin to explain her situation. His advice earlier helped for the most part, but she doubted he could do that again.

"I was hoping to get a dorm today, but..."

She glanced at the sign behind her, knowing it was all it took to finish her sentence.

"That's a bummer," Tai said, shaking his head. "But why would you want a dorm if your home is so close by? Are you really willing to spend thousands of yen just to live two blocks closer to campus?"

Sora flinched as she realized he was right. The living cost of the dorms was far more expensive than any of the motels she looked at earlier. Financial aid wouldn't even make a dent in the total cost per semester at the university.

"My mom wants me to experience having to take care of myself," Sora stated, grimacing at the irony of her lie.

"Hm," Tai snorted, crossing his arms on his chest. For a moment, Sora saw an uncanny resemblance in the way Tai pouted his lips. The soft curve of his lips, exaggerated as he squeezed them together, were almost as adorable as the pouting face the little boy in overalls gave his mother earlier.

"My mom never encouraged me to do that...in fact, she never encouraged me to do anything but study."

"I'm sure your mother support what you do, Tai." Sora said sincerely, a smile widening across the front of her face. Tai matched her smile as a light bulb flashed inside his brain.

"Hey, come with me!" He reached down, grabbing Sora's forgotten tote bag. Tai used his free hand to grab onto Sora's, causing the faintest of blushes to appear on Sora's face.

"Where are we going?" Sora gasped as they ran loudly up the university stairs, ignoring all the glares and demands to be quiet. Tai led them through the bridge that connected one building to the other. Sora stopped in her tracks as she gazed down at the scenery. Down below, she watched the many city dwellers crowd the streets, waiting to go to the ends of the Earth. Cars zoomed by each other, riding smoothly down the pavement roads. Large screens advertised drinks, clothing, cars, and the current celebrities of Japan. Students were entering and exiting the campus, walking near each other, deep in conversation. Various study groups were scattered underneath the canopy of trees on campus, chatting away quietly with their members. This was her dreamland. This is where she wanted to be.

"Great, isn't it?" Tai leaned over the bridge, waving goofily down at a few students studying. Sora recognized them to be his soccer club friends.

"Yeah, it is." Sora worded noiselessly, entranced by the beauty of the college world.

"Let's keep going." Tai led Sora away from the balcony. He pulled the doors of the other building open, glancing back at his companion.

"Ladies first." He playfully took a bow, hiding his arm behind his back. Sora blushed ever so slightly.

"What a gentlemen," Sora replied with a pretend curtsy. Walking inside, Sora stopped with a confused look on her face. Tai motioned her in front of a door directly to the left, its contents unknown to Sora.

"Ta-da! Your own dorm room, Sora!" He reached deep inside his janitor's jumpsuit pocket and pulled out a small key. Sora blinked, not understanding what was happening.

"Since you wanted one, I'll just give you my dorm!"

"You can't do that!" Of course she was going to reject his offer. She could manage herself and didn't need his charity. Plus, this was TAI's dorm room.

"This is your dorm. I can't just take it away from you!"

"Yes, you can. If you noticed, this is actually the woman's dormitory anyway." Sora looked around at her surroundings. The walls were a calm maroon color decorated with pearl satin curtains. The lamp tables in each corner supported large crystal glass vases that protected the bouquets of bright flowers. Whiteboards hung on almost every dorm door with colorful messages written on each one. Girls entered and exited the dorms frequently, chatting with their neighbors about the latest gossip. Some glanced over at the two friends and waved, causing Sora to fidget slightly.

"Why is your dorm in the women's dormitory?"

"Simple. The last janitor was an older woman, and she never returned her key to the university. Instead, she left the key in this uniform, thus accidentally awarding me both her job and her dorm. However, I never use the dorm. I live with my mom and sister, so I really have no use for it. You should take it instead. You need it more than I do." Sora's gratitude was bottomless as she made eye contact with the sweet boy that stood next to her. Still, Sora hesitated to take the key he held out for her. Sensing her hesitation, Tai grabbed her hand and placed the key in her palm.

"There, the dorm is yours. Go unpack, and I'll meet you on the bridge when you're done."

"I don't understand. Don't you have to work?" Sora questioned.

"Actually...no. I just came to try on my uniform today. Silly, right?" Tai glanced at his uniform, feeling slightly embarrassed as he observed his appearance.

"Since we're both here, why not have our date now instead of Friday?" Tai said. Sora was taken aback at his boldness and quickly nodded in response. She swiftly unlocked her door and threw her tote bag inside.

"There'll be time later for unpacking," Sora thought. She closed the door behind her. Mimicking Tai's earlier movements, Sora gripped Tai's hand and ran, once more, through the university, causing loud noises to echo through the halls. It was their laughter, laughter Sora hadn't known in quite awhile. Her heart beat steadily in her chest as she glanced at Tai.

"This feels so good."

So here is the beginning of Sora's happiness, what do you think of it? Will sadness intervene in her happy life now?And I would love to give a HUGE THANKS TO DRUMMERDANCER FOR HER HELP ON FIXING AND EDITING MY CHAPTER. HER CREDIT IS WELL DESERVED ON THIS CHAPTER. :) THANK YOU EVER SO MUCH! :) Thanks for reading! Until next chapter!

-DinoRaws