Dedication: To Kanata as his belated birthday present and to you all as my New Year's gift!!!

Happy Advance New Year 2010 all!

Destiny

"She'll sell your kisses for the money you owe her—for all the things you broke!"

"NO!"

Chapter 9

"Lizzie, please…" begged the eighteen-year-old blonde as she had her back to a line of half-drunken guys with nasty looks about them, "I'll pay you back… I'll do anything… anything but this… please, Lizzie…"

"Look here, Miyu…" said Elizabeth lightly with a smile, "it's not that unusual a punishment at the restaurant…"

Lil snorted and said chuckling, "I remember when that Indian waitress of yours was put through the same thing…"

Lizzie turned to Lil at the statement and her smile turned to her a smirk as she said, "yeah… she almost fainted, didn't she…?"

"I'm right here, you know…" pointed out Anjali, who was holding back the pack of drunken men trying to buy poor Miyu's kisses for dollars held in their hands.

"Lizzie… Lizzie… Please… Don't do this…" Miyu whined, "Just… just look at those guys…"

"My customers…" said Lil proudly.

"Miyu… you were horrible on your first week at the restaurant…" said Lizzie lightly.

"I know," said Miyu, dejectedly.

"Yes," said Lizzie as she put a comforting hand on Miyu's shoulder, "this would be like a motivation… Now, you wouldn't do it again…"

"But…" started Miyu, trying to explain but Lizzie turned Miyu to face Lil's customers.

Miyu looked at the lot and felt her heart drop. She didn't want to lose her first kiss to a drunken guy for his money. That would be the last thing she'd ever want to do in her entire life. She had dreamed of her first kiss with the guy of her dreams… with the guy she loves… with the guy who'll love her forever…

"Jeff is going to be so mad," muttered Drake in Lizzie's ear. He had finally come back from wherever he had gone off to, "I was half-way through telling him what you were doing…"

"I don't tell him how to fly his plane," hissed Lizzie, glaring at her head-chef, "he cannot tell me how to run my restaurant…"

"But Lizzie…" started Drake, "this is the girl that he…"

"How is she going to learn?" snapped Lizzie.

"How is this learning?"

"It straightened up Anjali at the start, didn't it?" reasoned Lizzie.

"Are you sure you sold her kisses to many or just one guy?" asked Drake coldly.

Lizzie, choosing to ignore his apparent query turned towards the guys lined up for the sale and shouted, "Come on up guys!"

Miyu closed her eyes tight shut. She didn't want to do this. Tears threatened to flow down but she controlled them from flowing. She wanted to be strong. She was the one who wanted to live in the real world and not under the shadow of her parents. She has to face this herself. It's her life.

"Hold this!" said Lil as she handed Anjali a bowl, disrupting her from holding back the guys.

"Put your change in here and give the blonde a kiss folks!" shouted Lil, above her voice.

"What the—?" exclaimed Anjali as she tried ducking away from the guys who tried to put money into the bowl and move forward.

But someone finally got their way through and dropped two notes into the bowl. She looked at the notes and was surprised to see that each had the value of a hundred dollars. She frowned and looked up.

She gasped.

~Destiny~

"Hey there…" said the most annoying woman I've ever laid my eyes on.

I was already very much busy trying to get a signal in this damn room to have to listen to her most irritating voice droning on about matters of no concern to me.

This was certainly not my day.

Of all places, she had to bring us all here… in a noisy club. I couldn't help but wish that I was back at the apartment and in my bed.

As the girl before me, behind the counter, suddenly let out a shrill laughter, I was only vaguely aware that she had been telling what was supposed to be a joke. Trying to be mature, I gave her a small smile.

Suddenly I felt something prickling at the back of my neck as if someone was watching me. It felt oddly familiar. I turned lightly and caught sight of those emerald orbs that has been giving me nightmares for the past few weeks.

I saw her getting nervous again at my gaze. She is a very weird girl. But her emerald orbs were certainly…

I sighed inwardly.

I turned back again to the woman who had been irritating me for the past few minutes.

She gave me a smile which I was not very comfortable with.

"Do you need a refill?" she asked, giving me what could only be termed as a "bizarre" look.

I indicated at my already full glass of pure water and she giggled making me shiver inside in disgust.

I couldn't help but thinking, 'what is she trying to do?'

"So… are you free tonight?" she asked.

I raised an eyebrow.

She questioned with her eyebrows as she leaned across the bar, trying to get close.

Just then—

"Yo! Listen up everybody!"

I flinched lightly.

That's it.

I'm getting the hell outta here.

I ignored the girl and stood up. Taking a deep breath, I readied myself to barricade past the crowd and find my way out of this damn place.

"We have a special someone with us today—"

I touched my forehead as the woman's irritating voice was getting to my head. I was sure I was going to go to bed with a throbbing head.

"Excuse me…" I said as I weaved past people who had turned their attention to the announcement.

"—my neighbor and the proud owner of that posh restaurant at the end of the street—Lizzie!"

"Great," I couldn't help but think, "it's my boss who's behind all this…"

"Now, The reason she's here… well, no boss is a fan of a clumsy waitress…! I know what it feels like…"

I could almost see the red sign: "EXIT".

I was just a few feet away. I felt my phone vibrating in my hand and was pretty sure it was Dylan calling to check up on me. I guessed it wouldn't hurt asking him for a lift tonight. It was getting late and the first sign of my headache was starting to surface.

"So… she's here to carry out an old punishment of hers on her clumsy waitress—put your hands together for—Miyu!"

By some kind of a reflex, I felt my feet freeze and halt.

"Come on over Miyu!"

'It's none of my business,' I told myself and was about to take a step when I felt her.

I could swear that my heart almost stopped. I turned in a swift motion. It felt exactly as if she was in the room. But how could she…?

And there, by Lizzie, stood the blonde, seemingly begging.

It was her.

She was emitting her aura. How could it possibly happen…?

Having been born to a Buddhist Monk, I cannot deny that I don't have some things that I inherited from the old man. And sensing auras is one of the few things that I was really good at.

There was a time, right after the… the accident… that I actually strayed through the streets of Heiomachi, trying to sense her presence somewhere… anywhere… but only in vain… even her soul had apparently vanished from the face of this Earth.

I remember barricading myself in my room for days, wishing away those weird powers… powers which had no use to feel her again was no use for me… and I hadn't felt anything till now.

Now… after months, I feel again… and her aura.

And it was coming from… her.

I felt my legs lead the way towards the blonde, almost blindly. As I got closer and closer, I felt the aura get stronger. It was as though she was back. It was as though she had come back for me.

"Put your change in here and give the blonde a kiss folks!"

The blonde shouting brought me back to Earth. I was but a few feet away from the blonde and one of my other colleagues.

I felt my heart beat painfully against my chest. The aura suddenly disappeared. I looked at the blonde who had her eyes tightly shut and her face contorted in fear. I could see the first inclinations of tears forming at the edges of her eyes.

I sighed and even though I might regret this later, I pushed my hand into my pockets and grabbed my first week of work's pay.

I sighed yet again.

~Destiny~

Miyu opened her eyes at the sound of Anjali's gasp. And she realized why, the said raven-haired had gasped and was not at all surprised for she would've done the same.

It was him.

Her heart suddenly started to race as she saw him, standing a few feet away, just crossing Anjali who was holding a bowl.

Miyu couldn't help but wonder why he was here… of all people, him…?

Miyu was only vaguely aware that even Lizzie who was standing behind her was a little surprised at the sudden act of the brunet. None could blame her seeing as he had been the major victim in all of Miyu's "little" accidents.

"Kanata…?" gasped Lizzie as the brunet stopped before the blonde.

"K-Kanata?" stuttered Miyu, hardly recognizing her own voice at the sudden appearance of the brunet before her.

He sighed lightly and addressed his brunette boss somberly, "how much does she need to make?"

Lizzie looked surprised at the sudden query and then after a quick calculation in her head said, "about a hundred and seventy dollars at the max I think…"

Miyu faced the floor in guilt. She hadn't expected the bill to be that high.

"…which is after I had deducted her pay as well…" finished Lizzie lightly.

"Great," sighed Miyu, inwardly.

"She's owes a hundred-and-seventy?" asked Kanata and there was no sign of amusement or any emotion of that sort in his calm and composed voice.

"Ya…" said Lizzie, "now, if you'd please… she has to make that much, right now…"

"She already made that much," he said lightly and then addressing the blonde, without giving her so much of a glance, "let's go…"

Miyu looked up at the brunet surprised.

"What?" gasped Lizzie, "how's that possible…?"

"You paid two-hundred-dollars!" accused Anjali, springing before the brunet, and brandishing the two hundred-dollars before him.

"What?"

Miyu had finally found her voice.

The brunet cleared his throat and then asked, "Are you coming?"

A comfortable feeling started to spread through her body as she saw the brunet calling her to leave this scary place. Her heart began to slow down and the warmth was spreading even wider, making blood rush to her face.

But she hadn't taken one step when Lizzie interrupted the two.

"Hold on!" she said.

The two stopped.

Lil dropped from the bar and between the two and said, "you can't just give the money and not buy a kiss dude…"

"Yeah…" said Lizzie icily.

Kanata gave the two women a piercing stare as Miyu began to turn crimson by the passing second at the thought of kissing the brunet.

"Fine," said the brunet making the blonde go to the peak of her embarrassment, "I'll take my money back..!"

"Huh?" gasped Miyu.

Lil sniggered.

Lizzie smirked but before she could offer the money back to the brunet, Drake suddenly cropped from behind her and said, "Don't you know the rules…? Once you drop the papers, you don't take it back!"

"Drake?" gasped Lizzie.

"Kiss her," said Drake smiling, "and then leave with her…"

"Drake what are you doing?" whispered Lizzie angrily.

Drake merely smirked.

"Ya…" Anjali suddenly added with a smile, "You can't leave without buying…"

Lizzie and Lil looked at each other surprised. The latter's face broke into a smirk and she turned to the brunet and said, "ya handsome… you can't leave this club without getting what you paid for…" and she added with an even wider smirk, "…and it looks like you've paid a hell a lot to leave with nothing…"

Miyu turned an even darker shade of crimson at the thought of what they were forcing the brunet to do. She forced herself to look down and waited for them to finish. She was sure that he'd never do it and would have his way out of this mess in no time.

Kanata looked at the blonde. She had her head bowed a little and the little face that was visible beyond her blonde locks, it was bright crimson. He stared at her, his auburn orbs blank.

"Fine"

Miyu looked up, shocked at the brunet's sudden statement.

As the entire group stared in amazement, the brunet made his way closer to the blonde. Miyu looked at him, her emerald orbs wide with surprise. His auburn locks were almost covering his eyes so it was hard for her to even try to decipher what he was thinking.

He came closer and took his stand inches away from her. He started to bend towards her, his lips getting closer towards hers. The entire group held their breath as the blonde started to close her eyes as the brunet's lips got even closer to hers.

"Kanata," she whispered lightly.

The brunet stopped and then with an afterthought, he pecked her lightly on the cheeks, grabbed her wrist and started to pull her towards the exit going, "We're leaving…"

"Hey! That's not fair!" exclaimed Anjali.

"You said "kiss"," pointed out the brunet as he continued to pull the blonde towards the exit, "you didn't say where…"

~Destiny~

As Miyu climbed the stairs to their apartment, she saw her watch and sighed as it beeped midnight. She looked up and saw the brunet taking the stairs before her in a composed pace.

She sighed inaudibly.

He had actually kissed her... although it was only on the cheek, he still had kissed her. And now, he was acting as though nothing had happened.

It would be long before she forgets how he had made the impression of kissing her straight before placing his lips on her cheeks. And not only did he drag her out of the club, they had spent the entire cab drive to the apartment in silence.

She wished that she would stop thinking about the idea of him kissing her but it was very difficult. He had come so close and now that he had done nothing, her mind couldn't stop wondering off to an alternate as to if he had not withdrew.

He stopped suddenly.

She looked up surprised.

"You're apartment's here…" he said lightly.

Miyu looked to her right and was surprised to see that they had indeed come to her apartment already.

"'Night," he said and was about to make his way towards the next floor to his apartment when Miyu suddenly found her voice and held him back.

"Wait!" she said.

He stopped in his tracks but refused to turn.

"Thank you," she said and decided to thank him Japanese-style by bending forward.

He turned slowly and then breathing out lightly said, "you still owe me two-hundred-dollars…"

She straightened up, her lips agape.

He raised his eyebrows and turned to leave.

"Wait!"

"Now what?" he asked, irritated.

She fidgeted lightly and then asked blushing, "have you—err… have you kissed Maya before…?"

Kanata looked at her astonished.

She gazed into his eyes expectantly.

He avoided her eyes and asked, "And what makes you think I'm gonna answer?"

She waited longer.

"Good night," he said firmly.

Miyu was surprised at his sudden gesture and said in haste, "Before you go…"

He glared icily.

"Err…" she started, taking a step towards him.

He raised his eyebrows.

"Have you…?" she asked, her emerald orbs filled with an unusual emotion, stopping at a foot away from him.

He couldn't avoid her eyes any longer.

He closed his eyes and said lightly, "we were best friends…"

"Oh," said Miyu as she sensed an emotion she was unfamiliar with tainted in his somber voice.

"Can I go now?" he asked, coldly.

"Err…" she started again.

"What now?" he asked, icily.

She took a deep breath and before he could move but an inch, grabbed his left hand with hers and standing on her toes, got closer to his lips.

"I don't intend to give you two-hundred-dollars," she whispered on his lips and before he could so much as respond, she closed his lips with hers, her eyes closed, making his auburn orbs open wide.

At the feel of her lips against his, Kanata felt everything around him slow down. His eyelids began to droop as he felt his fingers close around the hand she was holding his with.

'I hope the ride finishes soon…'

Kanata's eyes opened in shock at the sound of her voice in his head.

The blonde broke away from him and completely crimson, darted past him and into her apartment with a hurried "good night", leaving the brunet outside in the corridor, fall apart by his own thoughts.

"What was I thinking?" Miyu asked herself as she hit the back of her head against her bedroom door, on which she was leaning on.

Meanwhile, the brunet upstairs dropped on his bed and closed his eyes frowning.

"Maya…" he muttered as images of the said raven-haired flashed through his head, "Maya…" he continued to chant.

'Kanata, you are such a book-worm! Can't you just stop reading them… at least for once… and listen to me?'

'I'm so sorry Kanata!'

'Let me hear it too!'

'Kanata!'

"Maya…" he said again, his face finally relaxing.

'I'm Miyu… Miyu Kouzuki...'

"K-K-Kanata?"

"I'm so sorry,"

"Is it her?"

"Kanata!"

"Kanata…?"

"Kanata…?"

"Kanata"

Kanata opened his eyes and got to a sitting position in seconds. His breathing was a little uneven and images of her started to fill his head even as he tried and tried to push them away. He closed his eyes again.

"Thank you"

"What is she doing Maya…?" he asked, his forehead screwed up in confusion.

~End Chapter 09~

Youth is when you're allowed to stay up late on New Year's Eve. Middle age is when you're forced to. ~Bill Vaughn

An optimist stays up until midnight to see the New Year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves. ~Bill Vaughan