Chapter Three – The Decision Maker

Dearest Kimiko,

Have you decided yet? I need to get back to Shiro about that date. His friend's friend's… well, you know, they're getting anxious to know if you're willing. It's so that, you know, they could already plan a thing for their friend and for you. How exciting, right? Get back to me soon, please!-with an answer!

Hurry, hurry, hurry!

Keiko

When Kimiko finished reading Keiko's e-mail, she immediately sighed. Today was the day; the day of reckoning, if you will. If nothing happens with Raimundo by today, she'll go on that blind date. Today's the day, Tohomiko!, she said to herself.

She closed her laptop and went outside. She settled herself near the waterfall and was just sitting there when Clay walked up to her.

"Hey there, Kimiko," he said, tipping his hat towards her in greeting. Kimiko replied with a hello and asked him what was up. "Well," he continued, "Rai was lookin' for you; he said he needed to ask you something."

"Really?" Kimiko exclaimed, her eyes lighting up. Catching herself, she coughed a little and quickly added with less excitement, "What did he want?"

"I don't really know," Clay said with a sly grin, "but I got the feeling it was really important. Maybe you should go look for him."

"Yeah, alright, I'll try to look for him," Kimiko replied coolly. With that, Clay tipped his hat towards her once again before walking away, his sly grin becoming a knowing, unbeknownst to her.

Kimiko turned away from where Clay was walking, and started to smile giddily again. I wonder what Rai would want to talk to me about? Maybe I won't have to go on that blind date after all…

Clay walked up to Raimundo, who was pacing back and forth nervously in the meditation room. Obviously, meditating wasn't working for him that day. He stopped pacing when he heard someone enter the room, but started again when he realized it was Clay.

"I told her you were looking for her, Rai," Clay said, still wearing the same grin that he had on since he left Kimiko outside.

"I'm having second thoughts about this…" Raimundo started.

"No, you can't have second thoughts," Clay said, matter-of-factly. Raimundo stopped pacing to face his friend.

"And why is that? I'll have second thoughts if I want to have second thoughts."

"Well, then, I guess I should tell my cousin to tell that guy…"

"No, no blind date. Definitely not," Raimundo said, using hand gestures and the shaking of his head to prove just how adamant he was.

"Alright then, good luck, par'ner. Kimiko's looking for you, by the way. She wants to know what you want to ask her." Clay winked and left the meditation room, leaving a distraught Raimundo, who had resumed pacing, behind him.

It had been a couple hours and Raimundo was still deciding whether he should be avoiding Kimiko, or looking for her to face her head on. Right now he was doing a little avoiding in the kitchen, where he was fixing himself up a little snack. He grabbed a box of cereal with one hand while grabbing a bowl in the other, and was pouring said cereal into said bowl which he grabbed. He started pouring in the milk when…

"Hey, Rai, Clay said you wanted to ask me something." Kimiko appeared out of nowhere, which caught the startled Raimundo off-guard, causing him to drop the carton of milk, spilling half of its contents on the floor.

"Sorry," Kimiko said, as Raimundo started wiping the floor with a bunch of paper towels.

"It's alright," Raimundo said quietly, adding a little "thanks" when he noticed that she grabbed a few as well to help wipe up the milk-drenched floor.

"So anyways," Kimiko started, wiping the floor. "You wanted to ask me something?" Raimundo, nervous as ever, stood up to put the half-empty-or-half-full carton of milk in the fridge. He coughed a little before talking.

"Yeah, um… cough, I wanted to know…" Raimundo paused to quickly debate in his head, whether or not to go for it.

"Yes…?" Kimiko said, trying to lead him back to his question.

"I wanted to know if, um, you've seen the mop. This is the fifth time I spilled something but I've been using up all the paper towels." He gestured to the roll of paper towels on the counter, but realized that its diameter was still thick with towels, so he grabbed it and hid it behind his back. Kimiko simply looked at him, feeling disappointed, though her face showing obvious infuriation.

"That's it?" Kimiko asked, annoyed. "I ran all the way around the temple for that?" She pointed to the corner of the kitchen. "There's your stupid mop!"

And with that, she stormed to her room, leaving a depressed Raimundo sitting on the floor, a bunch of milk-soaked paper towels at his side. He sighed and tried to comprehend what just happened.

"…'I wanted to know if you've seen the mop'?" he replayed. He hit his forehead with the palm of his hand and mumbled "stupid" to himself.

Meanwhile, Kimiko was typing away furiously on her laptop. Clackity-clack-clack!

Keiko,

I've finally decided. YES! I will go on the blind date. Give me the details for our date later.

The Decision Maker,

Kimiko

A/N: End of chapter three! Thanks for all the reviews, guys! I love all of you, seriously. Anyways, I've already PMed and or review-replied some of you asking for ideas for what should happen on the dates, and since the blind dates start next chapter, I want to ask you guys if you have any ideas. If you do, PM me & we'll talk about it. It could be with real characters, OC's, about what happens on the date, whatever. Anyways, be a doll (or not :P) and review, please :D Thanksss!