City Centre was quickly becoming a success. The class was actually getting a lot of work done (bar a certain group of ten who continued to fudge their survey results) and the group activities were going down a treat. They had already been to the radio station, where each group got to record a mini-segment, and the sports centre where the boys stood proudly in front of a statue of a great struggle tournament winner. It was already Wednesday, and the gang were still hanging out in the meeting place, waiting for Tidus' group - they had forced Olette to make a call to organise another interview because their first one flopped. The poor girl was sweating as she dialed the number with four stressed students hovering over her.
Sora and Hayner were chuckling at the display, but Roxas easily wished he could trade lives with the brunette. He still hadn't talked to Namine and he only had two days left, but he was struggling for find a private moment with her. Every spare moment of the day, she was trying to spend time with Sora. Kairi had tried to separate the pair too, but to no avail. Roxas was avoiding the whole situation like the plague.
The boys laughed, bringing Roxas back to focus; Selphie was now recording Olette taking the call on her phone. Olette swatted her hand near the phone, pulling faces while politely booking the interview. Tidus and Wakka were holding back their chuckles.
"Say guys, since we're all hanging out today, why don't we check out Radiant Garden? I'd love to see it," Kairi suggested to her group.
Roxas saw Sora's face fall; that was their date destination for Friday. He still gave a good-natured smile and nodded. "Sure we can. And if we really like it, we should visit it again before the week ends."
"Ooh, that'd be great!" Kairi gushed, smiling up at the brunette boy.
Roxas had to give him credit - he could really be smooth when he wanted to be.
x-x-x
"Nooo, my slurpie!" Tidus wailed, his combination of chocolate, sea salt and lime flavoured drink sitting in a mush on the grass.
"Got too excited, buddy?" Wakka teased, slurping up his own concoction of paopu and strawberry flavoured smoothie. Tidus gave an exaggerated cry.
The gang were currently traversing the beautiful pathways of Radiant Garden. The trees supplied a barrier against the harsh wind, and the flowers were blooming despite the gloomy weather. The pathways were clean but bustling with people; mothers with their prams, children running about, teenagers on skateboards and adult joggers running by. Roxas looked forlornly at one boy on his skateboard, wishing he could have brought his own.
Selphie was busy taking photos of everyone, and her enthusiasm was so infectious the park visit turned into an all-out photoshoot. Everyone was more than happy to oblige with funny poses, except Hayner, until Olette dragged him into view and contorted his face with her hands. He batted her hand away, but he was laughing along with the rest. Tidus made sad faces at his slurpie while Wakka laughed, and Namine pulled Kairi into a hug. Selphie was getting so many great snaps she couldn't stop smiling. Even Roxas almost forgot his troubles, laughing as Sora draped an arm over his shoulder - until Kairi gave him a suggestive look, urging him to take the chance to pull Namine from the group. But as he watched everyone laughing and smiling, making fond memories together, he just couldn't take away from the mood. He shook his head, and Kairi nodded sympathetically.
Soon, Selphie propped her camera on a tree branch and ushered everyone into a group pose. They hurried into position and the camera clicked, and they rushed to view the photo. They promptly fell into loud, uncontrollable, from-the-gut laughter. Selphie was running into position and looked like she was tripping, Wakka was mock-choking Tidus, Sora had closed his eyes, Hayner was mid-sentence, and Kairi was mid-laughter. The photo was an utter failure, but that also made it all the more special. "We'll remember the laughs forever this way!" Olette smiled, and everyone agreed.
Basking in the aftermath of their laughter, everyone made their way back to the meeting point. Hayner was taking the lead this time - the next activity was the scavenger hunt, and he was going to win.
x-x-x
"Alright guys, listen up!" Mr. Caelum called out over the class. They were sitting cross-legged on the floor of the large room, and it strongly reminded Namine of primary school. Everyone was chatting excitedly like they were little kids again, eager to win the scavenger hunt. Hayner's expression was hard with concentration. Roxas heard Seifer sniggering behind them, claiming he would 'beat those boneheads', which made the blonde huff with frustration. Hayner loved the competition, but Roxas wished he'd just leave them alone.
Mr. Caelum continued, a bit of excitement in his voice. "In a moment we're going to hand out the clues for the scavenger hunt, then each group will be sent out of the meeting point according to how many surveys they've filled out so far. Miss Gainsborough and I will be waiting at the final location of the hunt. Whoever arrives first will win the prize."
"I bet the final location is a cute cafe or something so they can spend time together," Kairi whispered with a sly smile.
Selphie quickly chimed in, "But I thought Mr. Strife totally had a thing for her?"
Hayner shushed them both. "Guys, you're gonna miss the rules! Girls and their gossip..."
When the scavenger hunt booklets made their way around the room, Hayner positively lunged for a copy, quickly perusing the list and coming up with a game plan.
"This'll be a cinch, I grew up in this city," Hayner quipped, "though now I'm wishing Pence and Olette were on our team..."
Olette turned a light shade of pink beside him, but the boy didn't notice. Pence piped up then, leaning forward so the group could hear him. "Why don't we all work together and let the teachers call it a tie? We'll just pretend we're racing each other towards the last location."
"Pence, you're a genius!" Hayner leaned around to thump his friend's back. He quickly pointed to Tidus and Wakka. "You two better not slow me down!"
Wakka scoffed and whacked Tidus on the shoulder. "We're blitzball players, ya? Way faster than struggle champions," He teased, copping a play-punch from Hayner.
"We're definitely gonna win!" Sora smiled, and everyone seemed pretty confident, even with Seifer, Fuu and Rai against them.
Thanks to their rather unsportsmanlike display of survey-filling, Sora and Tidus' group were the first two teams to leave. They quickly rounded the corner of the meeting point and waded through the bustling shopping centre. Hayner had formed a game plan in his head and wanted to leave before any other teams could catch up to them.
"Okay guys, here's the first clue," He announced while they walked, clearly knowing where he was going. "Make your way to Uncle Scrooge's IceCreamery in Twilight Central. What flavour are they serving today? We're not far!"
"I love that ice cream place!" Namine gushed. The popular chain shop also had a location on Destiny Islands, right along the boardwalk.
They quickly rushed into the store and saw an employee handing out mini-cups of free ice cream samples. Sora knew the flavour immediately.
"Passionfruit!" He shouted, startling the poor girl handing them out.
"E-Er, yes, would you like one, sir...?"
Olette and Namine quickly scribbled down the flavour, being the scribes for their groups. Everyone quickly grabbed a sample before Hayner ushered them out.
"This'll keep our sugar levels up!" Selphie teased, scooping a mouthful of the tasty ice cream as she ran. "Mmm!"
"Next clue: what is the cheapest waffle on Donald Street?"
The scavenger hunt clues took them all over Twilight City, including the city library, the marketplace, and the famous Sunset Hill. They swiftly walked through the vibrant city, the sounds of trams chiming their bells and shop merchants shouting out sales giving an air of urgency. Hayner was pink with barely-concealed glee. Namine and Olette were efficient scribes and quickly filled in their list. Every now and then they would spot another team in the distance, but Hayner would always laugh and say, "they're clearly on the clue behind us! We're gonna win!"
They had just arrived at the IMAX theatre, where the tenth clue was, when they saw some unwanted faces.
Seifer, Fuu and Rai were loitering around in the lobby of the cinema. They didn't seem particularly rushed or worried, and chatted amongst themselves.
"How is Seifer here first!?" Hayner gritted his teeth, but Roxas quickly patted him on the shoulder.
"Ignore him, Hayner. Come on - we need to find out what movie is playing for the hunt."
They quickly scuffled over to the cinema schedule and found out what was playing in the largest theatre - "Tron". As Namine and Olette quickly wrote it down, Pence spotted something out of the corner of his eye -
"Hey - you're copying us!"
The girls looked behind them to find Fuu, trying to conceal herself by a movie poster but clearly copying their answers onto her scavenger hunt sheet. She smirked as she ran back towards the boys and they quickly exited the cinema.
"Those cheaters! They waited at the easiest clue and stole our answers!" Hayner was fuming with anger, and almost went after them to beat some sense into Seifer, but Roxas held him back.
"Come on - there are only three clues left. We can still beat them!" The blonde assured. "See the next one? 'How many dressing rooms does Final Mix in Twilight Mall have?' We can get there faster-"
"SEVEN!" All four girls quickly shouted out. The six boys turned their heads slowly, in utter shock.
"H-How do you all know, exactly?" Roxas asked, and the girls giggled amongst themselves.
"It's a long story, but let's just say there was a wardrobe malfunction during year 7 camp." Selphie explained, and before any of the boys could ask questions, Hayner hi-fived the brunette.
"You guys are brilliant! What's clue twelve!?"
The second last clue lead the gang to the Block Arcade, where they'd ventured on Monday, but the final clue had stumped them all, even the former residents of Twilight City.
"Find the restaurant filled with magic and flowers? Only Miss Gainsborough could have come up with that crock," Hayner sighed, bouncing on the balls of his feet restlessly.
"I bet she and Mr. Caelum are having the cutest date right now!" Kairi giggled. Hayner cringed.
"Any of you guys have any clue?" He sighed, turning to his childhood friends.
Pence and Olette shook their heads, Olette twirling her hair nervously. "I can't think of anything like that around here... Most cafes are quaint and quirky."
"You mean hipster," Selphie pointed out.
"What are we gonna do? We have to beat Seifer," Roxas sighed. Seifer's cheating antics had brought out the competitiveness in him.
"Psh, like he's smart enough to work this out if we can't," Hayner half-laughed, but his brow was still furrowed in confusion.
Sora had a glazed expression as he rubbed his chin, then snapped his fingers. "I know! I'll call Riku!"
Everyone looked confused at the boy, and he quickly explained as he dialled his number, "He did this last year! I'm sure they recycled the hunt!"
"Um, Sora... This is the first year of the new program." Namine reminded, but Sora was already listening for Riku to pick up.
"Oh yeah... Well, maybe he'll know anyway!"
He had put him on speaker and the gang could do nothing else but wait for him to pick up.
"... Sora? What are you calling for, man? I'm in sport right now!"
"Riku! You gotta help us! What's a place in the city that's magical and flowery!? It's for a scavenger hunt!"
"Are you serious, Sora? You guys must be desperate... Let me think... Er... Hey!"
There was a scuffle and then Axel's voice boomed over the city noise.
"You kids are hopeless! You need to get out more too, Riku. It's totally Wonderland!"
"Oh, I've heard of that place!" Namine chimed in, but Roxas was sniggering.
"You go to cute flowery cafes often, Ax?"
"I have plenty more embarrassing childhood stories to share, Roxie."
"Guys, let's go for it!" Hayner urged before there could be any more blackmailing. Sora quickly thanked the two as they ran down the streets. This was it - the final sprint!
"Wait, we need to come from different sides of the street so it doesn't look like we worked together," Pence reminded, and the group split up. They could see the restaurant in the distance, themed around a fairy-tale story with flowers galore. Both teachers were sitting at a table out the front of the cafe, and the teams sprinted for their final destination.
"My, my, we have two winning teams!" Miss Gainsborough clapped as they approached. Both Hayner and Tidus slapped down their sheets on the table. "Congratulations! Lucky we have enough prizes for you all."
"That'll show Seifer and his band of dweebs," Hayner fist-pumped the air. The groups came together in a hug and cheered loudly.
"Yeah, team Tidus!"
"Go team Hayner!"
"It should be team Selphie and Namine!"
"Sora saved the day, guys."
"Let's just go with team Destiny High?"
x-x-x
After lunch at Wonderland, the groups had to split off to do some interviewing. Sora's troupe had a successful interview with a court judge about crime in the city, and soon it was time to meet back for the last activity of the day: a theatre showing of the Lion King. Namine was beside herself with excitement as the class entered the auditorium and found their seats.
"I'm so excited! I've heard such good things about this performance!" She gushed, bringing her hands to her cheeks. "This will be great for you to see some live dancing, Roxas. And acting for you two!" She looked pointedly at Sora and Kairi.
"I can't believe we'll be on stage by the end of the year," Kairi said, voice tinged with both worry and excitement.
"These two will be fine," Sora pointed to the two blondes behind him. "They're gonna steal our show!"
Namine managed to wedge herself between Roxas and Sora, but Kairi was happy to be sitting on the other side of Sora. Roxas was worried that Namine would try some classic movie-style flirting devices (the yawn and reach move, anyone?), but as the curtains rose and the theatre was encased in darkness, Roxas realised he didn't need to worry.
The show began and Namine's eyes were positively glued to the stage. He didn't think he'd seen her blink once as she took in the movements of the dancing. He could hear Kairi and Sora whispering, and smiled to himself. Sora must've been so excited about Friday. And Namine...
Roxas suddenly became enthralled by her. The way she gazed upon the actors with such admiration, how her lips quirked upwards into an unconscious smile, how her eyes darted from dancer to dancer, studying their movements... He could stare at her enjoying the show all day. Seeing her so happy... That's all he ever wanted.
Which was why he couldn't stand to see her sad. He couldn't stand it if Sora rejected her and she became distraught and heartbroken. She was so kind and gentle, and maybe a little oblivious... But she didn't deserve to be hurt. He would do anything to stop that, even if he ruined his chances of being with her. If he confessed to her... Maybe it would cushion the blow. And maybe... Just maybe...
He watched as her eyes lit up at a spectacular part of the show, but he missed it all, because he was too busy smiling at her.
x-x-x
The train ride home was quiet that day - the scavenger hunt had worn out most of the students, and they chatted quietly as the train took them home to Destiny Islands. As the train crossed over the bridge, Kairi turned to Namine and tapped on her shoulder.
"You okay? You've been pretty quiet," She asked, concerned for her best friend.
"I'm fine, it's just..." She turned back to where Roxas and Sora were sitting together with the other boys, out of earshot. "I don't think I'm getting anywhere with Sora. I can spend heaps of time with him and he still doesn't like me back."
Kairi pursed her lips, deliberating. "Well, you can never tell what a person is thinking... You never know."
Namine sighed. "It's just so hard to read himself because he's nice to everyone. He'll always talk to me because we're friends... But I never know if the way he's looking at me will mean anything more..."
"Namine..." Kairi searched for the right words, torn between wanting to be a good friend and stopping a potential relationship. "I think you should just do what feels right. If you really like him, I mean really like him..." She pressed, hoping to challenge Namine, "... You'll know whether to go for it or not."
Namine nodded slowly, taking in her words. "I guess... We'll see how it goes. Thanks for being so much help, Kairi." She smiled at her.
Kairi was right... If Namine wanted to know if Sora liked her, she couldn't beat around the bush anymore. Just flirting wasn't working. It scared Namine to death, but maybe telling him was the only way after all. She thought about it well into the night when she got home, listening to Roxas' drumming as she wondered what Sora might say when she confessed her feelings...
x-x-x
Thursday morning arrived in the blink of any eye. It was now or never - Roxas had to confess to Namine.
The day was packed with activities today, with guest speakers at the meeting place, visits to historical Twilight City buildings, and one last slot for survey taking after lunch. It was during this slot that Roxas decided to take his chance, but it was getting increasingly difficult, as the ten-strong team were hanging out once again, this time back at the arcade. Tidus, Wakka and Sora were watching Hayner and Pence verse in a virtual car race, Olette and Namine were window shopping nearby, and Kairi was helping wingman Selphie after she spotted a particularly cute city boy.
Roxas edged closer to the two girls, watching Selphie look disappointed as the boy politely excused himself.
"He was too old for me anyway," She quipped, though clearly disappointed. While she was huffing, Roxas tapped on Kairi's shoulder and she walked with him to a noisy part of the arcade. Selphie watched on with a mischievous grin.
"I'm gonna do it now." Roxas said, his voice quivering against his better wishes. Kairi clapped her hands to her mouth.
"Oh, Roxas, I was going to say to you, you shouldn't force yourself to do this... It's clearly not how you want to confess." She looked guilty. Roxas knew she felt bad about getting out of her dilemma scott-free.
He shook his head. "It's the only way without hurting her feelings. Besides, I need to get it out... I can't stop thinking about her."
Kairi looked solemn, but nodded. "If you're sure, Roxas... I'll be thinking of you. Go get the girl."
He smiled despite himself. His insides were churning, his heart was beating out of his chest, and his brain was thinking in scrambles... He wasn't ready. But the pressure of Sora's confession was too much to bear, after all they'd put in to stop Namine.
He sucked in a deep breath and turned to look for the blonde girl. Everyone had moved places by now; Olette and Hayner were facing off in a round of air hockey, Selphie was trying to talk to Tidus but he was ignoring her while trying to win at the claw machine, and Pence and Wakka were playing a shooting game. Where did Namine and Sora go?
Roxas had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.
Kairi tried to follow Roxas as he searched, but she was stopped by Selphie.
"Kai, are you sure there's nothing going on with you and Roxas? Cause just between you and me, you two would make a cute couple. And cute babies."
Kairi spluttered at the brunette's antics. "S-Selphie! Roxas and I are not together and never will be, trust me. He's like an annoying big brother."
Selphie looked dubious. "Then why are you spending so much time together? This group could use some romance, you know."
Kairi grinned. "Then maybe you should go out with Wakka."
Selphie turned a great shade of red. "W-Who told you?"
"Told me what? Are you hiding something Selphie?" Kairi winked, loving the upper hand for once.
Selphie was busted. "K-Kairi! Nothing happened, I swear!"
Selphie's cries were lost on Roxas as he rounded the corner of the arcade and into the annex, where he finally found his two missing compatriots. He stayed hidden behind a pillar, noting the serious air between them. What was going on...?
Namine was blushing fiercely. "Um... Sora, there's something I've been wanting to tell you for a long time..."
Oh. No.
Just then, Kairi came bursting out of the arcade and Roxas had to quickly hold her back and shush her. They both looked on in horror.
"I've been thinking about this for a long time, and now I know I just have to tell you..."
"Tell me what, Namine?" Sora asked, genuinely concerned at her redness.
Kairi slapped Roxas hard on the shoulder. He shook his head slowly.
"I... Okay, I'm just gonna say it," She laughed nervously, looking him in the eyes.
Kairi had to bite her lip to stop from saying something. Roxas wanted to close his eyes, but he couldn't stop looking. He couldn't believe Namine was actually confessing.
He was too late.
"...I like you, Sora."
x-x-x
I hope you enjoyed this chapter! The scavenger hunt was lots of fun to write and was really only there to show the friendship between the whole gang. A nice break from the drama ;) What do you think is going to happen!? Find out in the next chapter, coming soon!