-Thank you for all the wonderful reviews ^_^;; I have a real bad habit of getting distracted from my writing but please don't get mad o_o I'm trying, really!-
Hikari threw the lopsided end of the banner and stepped up another step of the ladder, reaching her arms up to argue on just how crooked the banner looks from below.
"A little to the left, then up," Kira waved from below then quickly ran and assumed her position from beneath the ladder. "Yeah, you got it, Kari!"
"Alright, thanks," Hikari's muffled voice said, battling for the nail gun to work. She finally got it pinned and leaned back far enough to admire her work and hover, she smiled triumphantly as she read the banner but unrewardingly appreciated what it said. She doesn't know why she can't appreciate the Sadie Hawkins and every dance the school sponsors, their just not her 'thing-to-do'.
Her thoughts were suddenly disrupted when a rather booming clamor was heard not too far beneath her. Hikari closed her eyes, please don't let that be him again when I turn around, she hoped as she averted her head towards the concession table. Alas, it was indeed Takeru—again gotten himself in a mess with the decoration, Hikari sighed and counted just how many times she's had to move Takeru to another part of the arrangement committee so he couldn't kill himself or bother her.
"Takeru!" she said and smacked her head as Takeru tried to get himself free from the tissue paper. She heard the others snicker. "Don't fight the decorations!"
"They started it!" Takeru whined and plopped down onto the ground. Hikari mustered a small smile and shook her head, the poor boy is trying, at least, she could soften up and cut him some slack. Though it wasn't like Takeru was at all bothered by how inhospitable Hikari was being to him. Did he not notice or did he just not care?
She slowly made her way down and Hikari and Kira walked over Takeru before helping him up and starting to carefully get him out. Hikari felt a bit uncomfortable by how Takeru's hands kept landing either on her shoulders or sides to help steady himself, was he flirting like he always does? She couldn't tell but felt even more uncomfortable when out of the blue, Takeru's torso and arms finally broke loose but lost him balance when his feet were still tied and fell onto Hikari, toppling them onto the ground.
"Ah—Arrgh, what is the matter with you?!" Hikari scolded and scrambled up. Takeru laid on the ground grinning rather awkwardly and wincing from her small punch. Of all people she had to be stuck with! Hikari's disturbed face glowered at him.
Takeru laughed nervously, seeming to sense the anger in her, "Sorry—again. Maybe I should just stick with nodding my head to everything you say and act like I know the stuff."
Hikari crossed her arms and nodded, "Yeah, maybe you should," she muttered then suddenly relaxed, seeing that there was no point in getting worked up over Takeru like this. "Look, TK—" she stopped for a mid-second when their eyes met at the name. "Takeru, maybe you should just stick with Kira so she can keep an eye on you."
"Why not with you?" he asked.
Hikari raised her finger to point something out but was cut off by Miyako who jumped in rather bouncily, "A great idea! I need both of you guys to do something for me anyways!" Feeling her friend eyeing her suspiciously, Miyako hurriedly talked. "I need you two to run some shopping errands since we've run out with a couple of stuff and need food, too!"
"Errands?" Takeru got up and stood a good distance from Hikari. "You actually trust me for that, Inoue-san?" He smiled appreciatively and made Miyako blush a bit.
"Yes, er, errands."
Still not satisfied, Hikari urged on, "Why can't you go, Miyako?" she asked as she gathered the decorations from the ground. "Or why not send Kira or someone else, you know I have a lot of stuff to do around here—"
"Kira can't do it, either! Right? She's the one who's helping me."
Kira opened and closed her mouth, "—Oh! Yes, I have to help with—you know, that stuff. I can't really go anywhere right now so it'd be best if you and Takeru go! I'll take care of your job, Kari-chan…Although," she grinned widely, "I won't really mind going with Takeru to help at all—"
Takeru smiled back and Hikari opened her mouth to protest but Kira and Miyako both began talking at once and handing them bags and lists of things to get, seeming to go on forever. Hikari just knew they were up to something as her and Takeru were being pushed out of the rooftop and away. When they both got into the staircase going down, Miyako shut the door.
What was she suppose to do now? Hikari glanced over at Takeru who seemed unabashed by all this, he hasn't got any clue! Though, neither did Hikari…
"So, I guess it's off to the grocery store, first," his voice cut into her zoning out. Hikari picked up her head and nodded.
"Okay, let's get going, then."
She loved being in the mall and all, but Hikari felt like she was about to hurl after inhaling the mixed smells of the food court several times already! She checked her watch, it's almost four. Takeru, that jerk! She grumbled as she glanced over from her bench to the store in front of her. She loathe the sight of Takeru flirting with the cashier girl—please, that was the fourth girl he's flirted with for the past half hour—and not including the girls he 'bumped' into! Doesn't he ever stop?! Hikari glared and grinded her teeth as she clutched tightly onto the shopping bag and glared at her feet.
Takeru finally returned, holding a parchment in his hand and waving it to Hikari's face, "Look, she gave me her number, too! Am I on a roll or what?" Hikari watched his hand flicker the seven-digits.
"Yeah, yeah, are you done yet?" She asked and stood up, moving the bags she held away from Takeru's offering hands. She was glad he got the point that she was upset with him. "Come on, already! We've only got a couple hours left and we still have half the things to get!"
"Sorry, Kari," he trailed off guiltily. Hikari sighed and slowed down her pace for him to keep up. "Are you sure you don't want any help?"
"I'm fine, thank you."
Takeru frowned and dug his hands in his pockets, following her as if she were his over-powered mother, "Alright, then…Sorry for making you wait so long because of me."
"Mmhmm," she kept on going. For a long while, they walked in awkward silence, Hikari sliding across the floors and only letting Takeru's melodic whistling ring in her ears. Surprisingly enough, she found herself bobbing her head from side to side and almost humming along with Takeru as quietly as she can without his noticing…and what's even more surprising is that she started to think that he did listen to her, the past three stores they've gone into he hasn't stopped to talk with a single girl. Hikari smiled as Takeru offered and took some of her bags.
Trying to conjure an idea of something to liven up the dreary mood she's created, Hikari felt the need of a light-bulb when she caught sight of something, "Hey, Takeru."
"Huh—what?" she must've caught him by surprise or something by his sudden jolt. Hikari threw her head towards the ice cream cart and smiled.
"How about a break? I think we've both had enough of these errands for a while," she said. She was rather satisfied with his reaction and besides, she hasn't stopped to eat ice cream like that in—ages!
Takeru gleamed and happily threw his stuff down onto a mall table as the same with hers before hurriedly dragging her to claim their snacks. As they were ordering Hikari almost regretted taking him seeing how embarrassing Takeru was being.
"And," he raised his finger again while the ice cream man was already running back and forth to get what he asked for. "I'd also like some nuts on top of that and then—wait, I'm not done! Put another scoop of vanilla after that then double of rocky road then top if off with chocolate syrup. Yeah…" He watched in a dream-like state.
"Do you really need that much? Dinner is in about an hour," Hikari giggled and Takeru gave her a look as if she were crazy.
"Of course I need all this—I'm a growing boy!" Takeru exclaimed then quickly turned his head around. "And don't forget the cherry on top, too!!" he yelled and slightly jumped up the counter and waved his hand. "You know, Kari, it isn't that much of a sin to let lose and be yourself once and a while—especially if that's your inner-inner kid who happens to lloovvee ice cream," he smiled widely.
Hikari pulled her head back and pried, "What's that suppose to mean?"
Takeru grinned and thanked the ice cream man when handed his cone, hungrily looking at it. The man glanced tiredly and grumpily at Hikari seeing she was with Takeru, "What'll you have? And could you please limit it to four scoops?"
"Eh, I'll just take a scoop of chocolate, thank you," she smiled nervously and quickly got hers before walking back to Takeru at their table. Still discontent with his last remark to her, she sat down giving him a strange enough look that Takeru stopped in the middle of his cone and shrank back a bit by her eerie look.
"What'd I do now? I mean—I did at least do something, right…?" he arched a brow.
Hikari gave him a slight punch, "I'm not that scary…I was wondering what you meant a while ago."
"Oh, you mean about, letting yourself lose?" Hikari nodded and Takeru loosened up and sat back. "Well, picture it this way—if you're like, into this girl, alright."
Hikari scrunched her face, "—What?!"
Takeru chuckled, "No, no I didn't mean it like that. Okay, um, if I like this girl, and I mean really like her and deep down I think she likes me, too, but then she never shows it. That just kills, doesn't it?" Hikari nodded and showed a small smile to show that she understood when she really didn't. "Alright, well if I know that she's really this nice and, amazing girl but she's—SO uptight and isn't letting herself be the girl that I know she can be. Isn't that just wrong."
"But it won't really be a friendship if one of you isn't honest about being yourself around the other," Hikari put in. "And what does this have to do with your previous statement?"
Hikari noted the small change in Takeru's face, he must've suddenly forgotten his own remark, "Oh, yeah. Um, well let me ask you this; would you really wanna be with someone who isn't being completely honest with you, just because they're scared of rejection?"
Wasn't he just talking about friendship, or, relationships? A tingle came from the soles of her shoes to her expressionless face, Hikari looked pass the boy's innocent face and peered into what he was implying to. Had…had he been accusing her of something? Or was he trying to point out something from their childhood? Or, was Hikari the one putting in something relevant from what he said?
"Kari?" Takeru asked timidly and licked his cone to excuse his previous ranting. "Um, I didn't do something again now, did I…? Cause if I did I'm really and sincerely apologizing for it and—"
"My ice cream's melted," Hikari croaked and quickly picked up a handful of napkins which she hardly rubbed on her sticky hands. "Great, now you've got your klutziness onto me!…"
Takeru frowned and tried offering help, "Oh, sorry, I-I wasn't trying to upset you by my talking like that. I was just, well, you did ask and…"
Hikari slightly put off a chuckle, "Forget it, alright? I barely even understood what you said so how can I be upset about it?" she said and threw her cone to a nearby bin before getting up. "Come on, we better be heading back before sunset."
Takeru watched her take her leave, afraid he had said the wrong words to intimidate her. Looking around, Hikari glanced back at the still sitting boy and shot him a tiny glare.
"Are you coming or not?"
"Oh, yes, sorry!" Takeru gulped and stumbled up to pick up their things as Hikari was already a good distance away. "Hey—Kari, wait!"
She could feel Takeru constantly looking aside to check on her mood, but Hikari set herself to look ahead to the crowded streets. She could kill Miyako and Kira for doing this. How Hikari wished hard that it was her Davis who was walking beside her as the sun set, that instead it was Davis' voice she heard humming that Takeru's, that it was Davis who fell in love with Kazumi when they were little…Hikari sighed and somberly looked to the stores on her side.
Maybe it was Kazumi he was talking about, he really seemed to like her back then, Hikari contemplated, and maybe he still does. But Kazumi never acted anything like Takeru said, Kazumi was the perfect one out of the three of us.
//: Flashback :\\
The girl of five stood up from the sandbox, dusting herself, you can she her bright smile as the wind whistled her blue hair across her face, "Alright, then! It's settled. Tomorrow for Valentine's Day we each make a special honmei-choco* to the person we like!" she exclaimed.
Takeru smiled widely and dusted the sand off his face, "Yeah! It's a promise, Kazumi!"
"Homie-choco?" Four-year-old Hikari Kamiya sat clueless on the sand, getting her best Sunday dress messy. "So we don't give chocolate anymore?"
Kazumi shook her head, "Of course we do, Kari-girl! But honmei-choco is a special kind of chocolate that you only give to the person you love."
"She's right," Takeru nodded and offered his hand up to Hikari. "My Mom says it's the best thing you can get on Valentine's Day, so we should make them real nice and special."
Her face a look of innocence, Hikari saw Kazumi and Takeru exchange smiles, "TK, you got one yet?" Takeru laughed and answered in his high-tone voice.
"Nope, but I hope so tomorrow! My brother makes one for Mimi all the time and it makes her really happy to get them. So I'm hoping to get a lot," Takeru grinned gloatingly.
"Well don't expect to get so many from girls, TK, it's selfish," Kazumi waved her finger to his face and the two started arguing about who's going to get more candy. Hikari squatted and picked up a handful of sand, sifting it through her fingers she glanced up to Takeru.
He's really nice to me, so Ima gonna give him his ever first homie-choco ever to make him happy! Hikari smiled to herself as she patted the mound of sand they made with their spits, humming a soft and happy tune to match her hopeful mood. It's a promise!
-Flashback's not done, yet. ^^; Hehe, I really liked this chappie so Ima try and finish other ones so I can continue on this as soon as possible! Oh, review!-