Chapter 13: Realization
Kimi and Dark geared up so they would travel to the outskirts of the city's wall. As they left Sukimaru and Resha said goodbye to them and told them that if they ever need help call them on the cell phone she gave Kimi. As they walked through the soft grass Kimi waved back and eyed them slightly before turning her direction back forward.
"They make a great couple, don't they?"
"Who?"
"Resha and Sukimaru."
"Hmm…I don't see anything happening between them," Dark told her after a long thought.
"Well, Sukimaru's name means 'perfect love' so I'm wishing that they have a long and happy relationship," Kimi said cheerfully, closing her eyes. 'A long happy relationship…' Dark thought, looking at her. Kimi then opened her eyes and looked at the ground. "Hey, this Riku girl…did you love her?"
"Huh? N-No, not really…," Dark lied.
"Then is Risa the one you love?"
"Um, that…still not sure about that." A long moment of silence descended upon them, and they were both secluded to their thoughts for the rest of their trip until a break in the noontime.
"If we keep traveling like this then we'll reach the wall by dusk."
"Yeah…," Dark said absentmindedly, sitting on a chair as a waiter set their drinks on the table. A few moments passed by before anybody said anything again.
"Dark, I'm gonna go around time window-shopping for a bit, okay?"
"Whatever…"
xxx
Dark watched as Kimi left him alone at the café. He then averted his glance towards some women in the café who were giving him seducing glances to come with them, but Dark ignored it. For a while; eventually, he started flirting with some of the girls. Soon he got up and left the café and started heading around town with his hands in his pockets of his new clothes. The outfit was a black no-sleeve shirt and black khaki pants. His knapsack hung by one yellow handle on his right shoulder.
"My, my, what a strong looking fellow," commented one of the city folk looking at him. A young girl about the age of ten ducked behind a middle-aged woman and watched him pass with pools of light blue, blushing red at his presence. The woman patted her black haired head with her right hand as she waved at Dark with the other. Dark waved back and continued passing through the city; it was then, out of the corner of his eye what he saw that caught his attention, actually, they were two things. The first was a beautiful sculpture of a young man resting against the side of a very large tiger, and the artwork was a big as half Dark's shin and was carved from what looked like blush pink marble. The second, well, was a horde of girls running straight at him.
"It's Dark, you guys, it really is Dark!" one girl screamed.
"Hey, what's going--?" In an instant he was in the thick of it. 'Wow, my reputation reaches even here.' Dark congratulated himself.
"Dark, can we have your autograph?"
"Can I go on a date with you?" one asked, starry-eyed.
"Hey, I'm going on a date with him!" another protested, pushing her out of Dark's view. 'This is certainly going to be interesting…' Dark told himself, his eyes gleaming mischievously.
xxx
Kimi held the strap of her knapsack tightly as she approached a corner. She remembered what Resha said the day before about her being in love with Dark. 'You've got to be kidding me, right?' Yet her puzzlement turned to shock as she turned the corner; there, in front of her, was Dark covered in about thirty girls. And he was smirking evilly. Before she knew it she had wheeled around and started to run in the opposite direction, away from the group and Dark. Something kept pounding in her chest, but Kimi was sure it was just her heart pounding because of the energy she was using.
"Dark…," she managed to utter through gasps of breaths. Down the alley and out into an open countryside she ran until she could run no more. Stopping under a small bridge to rest she let her knapsack fall heavily onto the ground and then sat down herself. In the shade she watched as the cool water of a river pass by her, the sun sharing the surface with the sky. The clear water glistened from the rays as it hit upon them, showing the many riverbed rocks lying under its waves. Kimi stared at the drifting currents of the waves for a moment, and then held both hands and inspected them as if hoping her hands weren't dirty. Noticing them trembling she took in a sharp breath and then exhaled slowly, trying to calm herself.
After a few minutes she pulled her knees to her chest and sat, wondering why she had run instead of facing him. And why was her heat pounding even more than usual? She had felt the same feeling when she saw Dark with the possessed Resha; was it the feeling of jealousy? Kimi shook her head a little, pushing the thought away towards the edges of her mind, but like a rebellious battalion it kept coming back. Then, she realized it.
'I'm too overprotective of him, that's why. I'm protective because I'm sorta like a mom for him…' Kimi then shook her head again, knowing that that thought was foolish. She thought of the things that they had encountered for the last two weeks, and why she trusted him so easily. And why did she feel and intense sadness when she felt he was going to die…?
"Huh? What's going…?" She raised her left hand and felt her left cheek, feeling moisture from tears. She had been crying just because she thought of his death? Kimi then figured out the real reason. "I…do love him. I've just denied it all this time…"
"Hey, Kimi, love who?" Dark asked, jumping down onto the grassy spot next to her.
"Huh?! No, I don't love anybody!"
"Uh…okay…," Dark answered, uneasily. 'Darn my mouth!' Kimi thought angrily.
"I-It's nothing to worry about, okay?" Kimi now noticed that she was blushing around him.
"You sure nothing's wrong?" Kimi shook her head yes, Dark discarded the thought from his mind. "Hey, walking's too long, do you wanna fly?"
"Wouldn't you get tired?"
"Nah, and besides…you're there."
"Huh?"
"Nothing," Dark replied, turning as a motion for her to follow. His purple hair glinted the sunlight off of it, and that was when Kimi noticed how pretty his hair was. And his deep purple eyes that was clouded in mystery. 'Wait, what am I thinking?! I just have a crush on him, that's all! You can't even call this love!' Yet, she knew she was denying that too.
Okay, interesting or not, you tell me. It was okay in my standards, not my best, I know. Oh! And I'll be updating this more because of its anniversary, which is in…7 days?!