If I Win
Based on The Mercer Sister's Your Most Prized Possession
Chapter Nine: Autumn Festival
Akira had a sleepless night yesterday, still puzzled by that mysterious voice in his head, who tried to persuade him that he liked Akari. They just went on one date, and besides, Akari was Hikaru's girlfriend. Still, that didn't help much to sway his feelings.
'Ha! I told you so! You do like her…' the voice teased, coming into his thoughts.
tolddothe voice teased, coming into his thoughts.'I-Iie. She's just a friend…' Akira argued.
'Sure…most relationships start out by being friends…you just have to work at it…' the voice continued.
'Don't be silly, she's Shindo's girlfriend!' Akira snapped.
'So that makes her inaccessible? She lives her own lives and choices. Maybe she might break up with him.' the voice reasoned.
'That's nonsense, they've known each other for more than 10 years!' Akira informed.
'People do tend to change. You've been trying to decide what's best in this situation for her, but have you ever thought about what you wanted?' the voice asked.
youthe voice asked.'That's irrelevant. Who are you to tell me what to do?' Akira shot back.
'I am your conscience, the driving force in your morals.' the voice replied.
'Well my morals go against stealing someone's girlfriend.' Akira replied.
'Don't say I didn't warn you…Seize the moment while you can…Touya….' the voiced echoed.
"Tou-ya…" Hikaru dragged out. Akira blinked. Then he remembered that he was still at the Institute, after winning his game.
"Huh?" he said, not sure if he was in reality or fantasy.
"Man, you have been out of it lately." Hikaru said in astonishment.
"No, I haven't." Touya denied.
"Whatever. Anyways, I was asking you if you wanted to go with a bunch of us to the Autumn Festival." Hikaru continued.
"The…Autumn Festival?" he asked a little unconcernedly.
"Yeah, don't tell me you've never been to the Autumn Festival…" Hikaru started. Akira lowered his head a little. Hikaru gasped.
"Oh my god! So it's true! Well that settles it, you're coming with us! It's tonight at 6:30! It's also traditional wear too! Gotta go now, Akari's got a photo shoot to do, ja ne!" Hikaru concluded, leaving Akira even more in a daze that he already was. 'What just happened?' he thought.
Meanwhile…
"Hai, Myuki, we're going to the Autumn Festival tonight at 6:30..." Akari confirmed. Akari had just finished her photo shoot with Myuki for the Rê ve.
"What kind of clothing?" Myuki asked while she was putting away her equipment.
"What's that? Oh, I think it's traditional clothing…" Akari replied.
"Ok, then I'm going to get the kimonos…" Myuki decided.
"Nani! It's just an Autumn Festival…" Akari protested.
"I insist…" Myuki argued.
"Fine, but no pictures…" Akari agreed.
"Fine fine…it's a waste of a precious chance though…" Myuki said, sighing.
Back to Hikaru…
"Yo, Waya, where were you?" Hikaru asked.
"Hey, Shindo, I didn't have a match today…" Waya replied.
"Oh, that's cool. Anyways, a bunch of us are going to the Autumn Festival tonight, you game?" Hikaru asked.
"Sure," Waya answered.
"Alright, then, it's 6:30 tonight, and it's traditional wear." Hikaru informed and was about to walk away, but stopped.
"Oh yeah…is that make-up you're wearing, Waya?" Hikaru asked in disbelief.
"N-No it isn't!" Waya said quickly. Hikaru gave him a weird look, shrugged, and turned away. Once Hikaru was out of sight, Waya began rubbing his face furiously.
At the Rê ve…
Myuki had drove them back to the Rê ve, where she led Akari to the back to choose her kimono. Myuki would have done more, but then she heard the tinkle of the doorbell, which meant customers were in.
"You go ahead and choose, I'll go see who it is." she told Akari, and made her way to the front counter.
"Ohayo, and welcome to the Rê ve, how may I help you today, Touya-kun." she said, smiling to the green-haired Go player.
"Ohayo, Kyshima-san, I would like a kimono please." Akira replied.
"Ah, well, we have the latest selections here…but you know what, I think I have the perfect kimono for you…just hold on a sec." Myuki said, pawing through the hangers until she found the one she was looking for.
"Here it is!" she cried, handing a kimono for Akira to see. It was a deep bottle green kimono with silver edges and a silvery green obi. The kimono was embroidered with silver dragons all around.
"Arigatou, Kyshima-san." Akira said, as he paid up for his kimono, and left the Rê ve. Akari came out from the back, holding her kimono.
"You're done, Akari?" Myuki asked. Akari nodded.
"I'll take this one…" she replied, holding a kimono that was exactly the opposite of Akira's kimono.
It was a silver kimono with bottle green edges and a silvery green obi. In addition to that, the silver kimono was embroidered with emerald green phoenixes. Myuki bit back a laugh at the irony of the situation. She had designed the two kimonos with a yin yang type of idea, and now they were chosen by Akira and Akari.
"It's going to look beautiful on you, Akari." she said sincerely. Akari blushed.
"Arigatou, but what about you, Myuki?" she asked.
"I have already thought about this," Myuki answered, pulling out her kimono.
It was a light lavender colored kimono with white edges. The kimono was embroidered with golden butterflies. Her obi was a darker lavender color. The two then proceeded to dress themselves and help each other with the makeup. Then they made their way to the Festival.
At the Festival…
"Ohayo, Shindo-kun!" Myuki cried, waving frantically to Hikaru who had arrived. His kimono was a dark navy blue with a regular silvery blue edges and a royal blue obi. His kimono was embroidered with silver tigers onto it.
"Ohayo, Kyshima-san…" Hikaru greeted, then he saw Akari.
"Oh…w-wow Akari, you look fabulous!" he managed to say. Akari smiled.
"Thanks." she replied. Then the trio walked until Hikaru spotted someone else.
"Oy! Waya! Over here!" he shouted. Waya, wearing a dark purple kimono with white edges and gold embroidered dragonflies turned his head and walked over.
"Hey Shindo. Fujisaki-san. Kyshima-san." he greeted.
"Hello, Waya-kun." Akari replied.
"Ohayo, Yoshi-kun! I didn't know you were going to be here!" Myuki cried.
"Yeah, I didn't know either…" Waya muttered under his breath as Myuki circled around Waya.
"Hm…I really like your kimono…it looks like a darker version of my kimono…who did the embroidery, Yoshi-kun?" she asked.
"Yoshi-kun?" Akari asked, perplexed.
"That's a derivative of his first name…" Hikaru explained.
"Well?" Myuki asked.
"Oka-san made it for me…" Waya muttered.
"I see…well the embroidery is really the work of a true master…" Myuki continued dreamily. Waya sighed and gave a look to Hikaru and Akari that said 'Is she always like this?' Hikaru and Akari laughed and they continued to walk. Then Hikaru spotted the last member of the group.
"Touya! Over here!" he shouted. Akira, hearing his name, turned and headed towards the group.
"Shindo. Hey, Waya. Ohayo, Kyshima-san." he paused. Then he noticed Akari.
"Ohayo, Fujisaki-san…you look very beautiful in that kimono." he finally managed to say. Akari blushed.
"Arigatou, Touya-kun." she replied as the group continued to walk.
Then Akari noticed a stand that had 3 bottles stacked like a triangle. You were given 3 small bean bags and attempt to knock all of the bottles down. The prizes were assorted stuffed animals. She walked over to the stand.
"Excuse me, how much for one game?" she asked.
"130 Yen, miss." the attendant replied. Akari fumbled for her wallet and pulled out the desired amount of money.
"Do you need me to help you, Akari?" teased Hikaru.
Ever since they were children, Hikaru had always been the better player when it comes to carnival games. They would always compete with each other, and most of the times, Hikaru would win, but by a small margin. Akari shook her head, smiling.
"Iie, but if you want a stuffed animal, Hikaru, you can tell me!" Akari replied, grinning.
"Good luck, Akari!" Myuki cried out. Then Akari threw her bags.
Thump! Crash!
Akari squealed, she had made it in the first shot. Now, what to choose. She stared at the stuffed animals, until she chose a traditional Japanese doll. The doll was female, and it wore a white kimono with black edges and a black obi.
"Ooh…how kawaii, Akari! I want one too! Yoshi-kun, could you win one for me, please?" Myuki cried, turning over to Waya.
"M-me? Why me?" he cried, pointing to himself.
"Because I'm bad at carnival games. Please, Yoshi-kun?" she said, giving him puppy eyes. Waya sighed, paid up and won the stuffed animal for Myuki.
"Arigatou, Yoshi-kun." she said, beaming at him and half hugging him. Waya looked a bit flustered. Akari watched the two, and hid a smile.
Then the group continued to walk for a while, stopping occasionally to play a carnival game. They were chatting lightly when Waya noticed something.
"Ohayo, Isumi and Nase!" he cried, waving to the couple who were currently engaged in a carnival game. They turned their heads.
"Ohayo, Waya, Shindo, Touya, and…" Isumi greeted, pausing at Akari and Myuki.
"Fujisaki-san, Hikaru's girlfriend, and this here, is Kyshima Myuki." Akari offered.
"I see, well, Ohayo, Fujisaki-san, Kyshima-san." he greeted and everyone greeted him back.
"I didn't know you two were going out…" Hikaru trailed off. Isumi and Nase blushed.
"Because they were afraid that you'd be blabbing it out to the whole world." Waya put in for Isumi and Nase.
"Hey, I don't blab!" Hikaru cried out. Waya rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, sure you don't…" Waya replied sarcastically.
"Oh yeah? Well you…" Hikaru began.
Thus, the duo began to bicker about this and that, while Isumi, Nase, and Myuki attempted to calm them down. But at the moment, our attention is focused onto Akari and Akira. Akari, who had walked away to play yet another carnival game. Akira, who had enough of Hikaru's rantings against Waya, walked over to join Akari.
"Don't you think you have had enough of those stuffed animals, Fujisaki-san?" Akira commented behind her, causing her to slip her basketball, and lose.
"Aiiyi!" she wailed at the loss of her game. She turned to Akira.
"You made me lose, Touya-kun." she cried, advancing to him dangerously.
"Gomenasai, Fujisaki-san." Akira replied nervously.
"H-How about this: I'll pay you for another game?" he squeaked out. Akari stopped, and he breathed a sigh of relief. She appeared to be taking his suggestion seriously.
"Hmm…how about this…you'll pay for another game, but this time, you have to play, not me." she concluded.
"W-What? But I'm terrible at those games!" Akira protested.
"You're the one who made me lose my game, and it was the last bit of money I had left too!" she accused.
"Fine, you win. I'll play the game…" Akira sighed.
So, he walked over to the stall, and paid for a ball. Then he held the ball up, and concentrated hard. Then he let go.
Swish!
The ball slid from the basketball net smoothly. Akira gaped at the fact that he had made the ball through the net. Behind him, Akari squealed in delight.
"Ano, congratulations, Touya-kun!" she cried, snapping him out of his shock.
"Arigatou, Fujisaki-san. I didn't think I'd be able to make it in…" he trailed off.
"But you did anyways, so go and claim your prize!" she replied.
Akira stood, studying the stuffed animals, not really having a preference, since he grew up with the goban being his toy. Then he pointed to a traditional Japanese doll that was a male version of Akari's doll that she had won previously. The doll was male, but it wore a black kimono with white edges and white obi.
"Oh! How kawaii!" Akari squealed. Then holding Akira's prize, she studied it.
"Hmm…I think I like this better than mines…it's so cute!" she said.
"Here, you can have it." Akira offered. Akari stared at him in surprise.
"Ano, it's your prize, Touya-kun." she protested.
"But the only reason I played was in place of your game that I caused you to lose." Akira replied. Akari hesitated.
"Fine, but I want you to take my doll in return." she agreed.
"But I have no use for dolls like these anyways." he argued.
"I insist, that way, I won't feel guilty for taking something of yours." she argued back.
"Alright then." Akira replied, giving in to her demand. Then they exchanged their dolls, and started to walk back to the group.
"I think I'll name my doll Touya, as a memento of the doll that you gave me." Akari said thoughtfully, while they were walking towards the group.
"What about you, Touya-kun. What are you going to name your doll?" she asked.
"Um…I don't know…" he trailed off, but secretly, he was already planning to name his doll, Akari. Then, they finally reached Hikaru and the others.
"Hey guys, I thought we lost you there in the crowds." Hikaru joked.
"Mou, you're the one who is more likely to get lost, Hikaru!" Akari shot back. Hikaru laughed, and they continued walking through the night.
A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in a while, but here it is! If you have time, why not check out my other fanfic, Upside Down, told in a journal format by Waya. Thanks again for reading If I Win, and please review!