However, before I present this to you, a little episode of my life:
"Somebody, somebody
Can anybody find me somebody to love?"
I pressed my ear closer to the side of the seat. My skin was clammy and crimson as I pressed my sweaty knees together. I wrapped my head in a beach towel decorated with purple palm trees and golden suns.
'Floriculture asked me who my favorite character in TeniPuri was, hm... undisputably Kirihara Akaya, then Yukimura Seiichi. Shiraishi and Chitose are all right, but I don't know enough about them. I used to love Kikumaru Eiji and then I kind of grew out of it... Oshitari's cute too.'
"You shouldn't be too devoted to these things. The creator of Taoism is simply brainwashing you," my father half-screamed frustratedly. My grandmother chattered something back (she's a zealot, you see) but I just pressed the cloth harder around my ears to drone out the chaotic cacophony.
"AAHHHAAA! BARRHEEYY!"
"Shhh! No screaming, 乖乖," my mother fervently tried to hush my spazzing baby sister. I swear- I am not kidding- that she is the neediest, most active toddler in the frickin' universe.
"Lord - somebody - somebody
Can anybody find mmeeee - somebody to loooove?"
'I mean seriously, I love Kirihara so much that I saw him in two dreams so far. One was when Buggers were coming to take over Earth (Ender's Game) and for some reason Akaya was Jin (Samurai Champloo) and he saved Ann (forever AnnxKiri) from her mother who was attempting to kill Ann, cutting his forehead and revealing that he was a machine (Terminator.) My second dream was a crossover about Harry Potter and Naruto and Kirihara just happened to be there for the sole reason of my love interest. J.K. Rowling became Lord Voldemort and she had some mystical ability to control animals. I could also communicate telepathically to an enormous guinea pig through a sidewalk. That's when my sister screamed "姐姐" and woke me up.'
Childrens' Chinese songs blared through the stereo as the most annoying, high-pitched, pestering little voices. For a moment, a wave of nausea passed through me as the vehicle jolted to a stop, sending suitcases and coolers crashing in the trunk.
"Find me somebody to love
Can anybody find me somebody to love?"
Somehow I could already tell surviving this 'vacation' was going to be quite a feat indeed...
Now that the District Prefectural Tournament is over in ways that no one would ever suspect (not even myself, until I wrote that chapter HAHAHA) I'm so sad to tell you that the series is about 40 percent done. The entire storyline ends at the end of the National finals... LONG way to go...
Personally, I quite like this chapter (probably second to chapter 16) because it shows the complexity of Kin's character because I do not want to make the same mistake as Paolini... This chapter also serves a far greater purpose... MWHAHAHA! I present you...
Pairings: TaroxKin... 'now and forever'... (supposedly, of course...)
Chapter 19: Battle of Will
Aoki Taro was torn by indecision. It was Kin's 13th birthday today, the first day of a four-day break. He considered telling the tennis team, but he how could he without Kin realizing?
The worst part, however, was the fact that he had been searching for her the entire day and not found a trace of her.
Tennis courts? Nope.
Her family? Nope. Even her older brother had no idea where she was.
Her despicable boyfriend? Or St. Rudolph? Nope, Yuuta hadn't seen her all day.
Where was that capricious girl? Seriously, he had peeked in every corner of every alley. It's like she had vanished for a day, but it was her birthday, the one special day for a person in a single year.
He was on the verge of desperation when it was seven in the evening, and he had spent an entire day running around.
'You didn't get kidnapped, did you?'
Collapsing on the sidewalk in fatigue, he sank to his knees. Maybe he should just give up and go home. She'd definitely go home at night, at least.
"Taro-chan?" He lifted his head from his knees.
"Kin-chan?" He spent hours upon hours of searching aimlessly and here she was, standing right in front of him carrying an overload of... books? "Where have you been?"
"Why, at the library. I finished all my homework today, even math. There was a cute guy there who agreed to be my tutor. What was his name again? Akaya? At first he was being a jerk but then I swiped his homework and he finally agreed. Aren't you proud of me?"
The blue-eyed kid could not stop staring at her in shock. It was easier for him to believe that the world would die tomorrow. At least he would get to spend the night with Kin, which was enough for him. But this...
"You... finished... your homework... on your birthday? What happened to the world's biggest procrastinator?"
She blinked, letting his words sink in. "You're right. It's my birthday, isn't it?"
Both Inner Kin and Inner Taro officially committed suicide.
"You seriously forgot that it was your birthday?"
"The thought... never occurred to me. So that was why my family was acting so strange yesterday."
"They're all waiting for you back home."
"Well, they're going to have to wait a little longer," she smiled crookedly. "Come on, Taro-chan, follow me." Swinging her bag to her other shoulder, she pulled Taro's wrist.
"Where're we going?"
"You'll see." To Taro's astonishment, Kin was unbelievably fast, as swift as the wind. Her chocolate-brown hair almost choked him as it swayed in his face. Frankly, the reason he didn't tell her was because he was enjoying it, much to his chagrin.
"S-slow down, Kin-chan," he gasped.
"Oh, gomenasai, at least the training's paid off, neh?"
'How can she run like that with weights and that bag of books? On her last birthday, she hated running. In fact, she hated everything that Kunimitsu was good at.'
"Isn't running wonderful?"
'She did not just say she liked running. I'm hearing things.'
"I don't know, it makes me feel free, somehow. It wouldn't be so bad if I could just run forever. Run beyond Mount Fuji, beyond the cheese-crusted moon and into the crevasses of the universe. I heard that there was a solar system with four suns. Isn't that amazing? Four orbs glowing in the sunset? It's 150 light-years away, but if I kept running, I'd make it someday, wouldn't I?"
"..."
Inner Taro: Are you sure she isn't on crack?
"Hey, if I don't make it in tennis, I can always aim for the Olympic track team. Hm," she joked. "Oh, come on, don't give me that face! You're too serious, Taro-chan. Well, we're here."
She settled her bag on the swishing blades of grass and propped on the ground, her hands under her head. Kicking off her flip-flops, she closed her eyes.
Inner Taro: I guess this is what you call basking in the ambience, huh?
He settled down on the ground, craning his neck upwards.
Sunsets were never like how they described it in books. Foggy, fiery, flamboyant... The distant teals and tangerines meshed in the crowded horizon as the hazy orb fought the skyscrapers for a fat place to squat... Gack. Alliteration always killed Taro's brain. He tried to think of other things.
For instance, how had the engineers in Japan managed to construct modern skyscrapers these days with all these earthquakes? What about that new super building that's supposedly miles high? He didn't care about all the new technology that made it possible, but wouldn't that heavy of a building, like, sink through the ground? Wouldn't it get knocked over by a typhoon? At the very least, the people on it must get seasick from the swaying in the wind. Maybe he could become an architect or a writer when he grew up.
'Perhaps, when I grow up, I could write a biography about Kin or... us.' He immediately flushed at the idea. It would be light-years of effort before any of his dreams were ready for the plucking.
It was a nice little sight really. The water rippled contently, reflecting the amber clouds in a double image. The light tides swept in and out, grabbing pebbles in each wave. The rest of the world seemed as distant as the stars. The chiming of bicycles, the roar of engines, the chatter of college students... the cacophony of the city melted into the scenery just like the waves of heat blurred the wisps of pollution like a mirage.
"You know what, Taro-chan? I bet that one day, Ryoma-kun is going to make his father look like an amateur at tennis. It's hard to explain, but the more I played him, the more there seemed to be an aura coming out of him, an absolute determination to rule the court like an emperor... or a prince, I suppose, for now.
"He taught me something that I won't ever forget. Tennis isn't about your serve rate or your sprint speed. It's not about what flashy techniques you can concoct or how to wow the audience into seeing the most magnificent match of your lifetime.
"Tennis is a battle of will.
"I lost to Echizen because he wanted to win more than me. It's as simple as that. I can't beat onii-chan right now because I'm not motivated enough."
"But Kin-chan! You've worked so hard!"
"No," she shook her head, "I haven't worked hard enough. There is no excuse for losing. None. The losers give excuses like, 'oh, my leg got a cramp' or 'oh, that guy's serve is too good and I just can't compare'. You know what I say to those people? Why didn't you prevent your leg from cramping up? I guarantee you, if they had done the proper exercises and training, their leg would not have cramped up. If that guy's serve is so amazing, why don't you get an even better serve? 'Oh, I'm just a girl and he's a tensai.' Well, you know what? Get some gender-changing surgery or something. Get the best coach in the world, train ten times harder, and I guarantee that the results will change.
"Of course, in this unfair polarized world, there are always two ends of the spectrum: the gifted geniuses and the not-so-perfect losers. Guess what? History only praises one. But you know what? That's okay, because us losers want it way more than the smart people and eventually our ambition will prevail at the top."
'...She's just blowing off her frustration from losing to that kid, isn't she?'
Inner Taro: Yup.
"Before I fought Echizen, beating onii-chan was just a goal, just like acing every math quiz, and you know how well that ended up. It's one of those damned psychological twists in the world. Deep down, I didn't truly believe that I could beat him either. Now I can actually see it. If I keep on running on beyond infinity, I'll get there. One day.
"Plus, algebra is actually pretty much the same as tennis."
'I can't believe she just said the Forbidden Word.'
"Instead of working out the body, it's a challenge for the brain. I believed I was absolutely hopeless at math, so I became hopeless at math. Before I'd even open my textbook, a subconscious part of my brain automatically switched off because I thought it was a lost cause. However, when I actually believed in myself and tried, I ended up getting more right answers than wrong, which is definitely an improvement, considering I usually end up with nothing."
Taro couldn't believe what he was hearing: Kin's true confessions from her heart.
"I'm sorry that you have to listen to my rant."
"I-I don't mind at all. Really." Flushing, he thought, 'Actually, I'm enjoying this far more than you'd ever suspect.'
"Well, Taro-chan, that's why I love you."
'She said it... the L word...'
Yup, that's it. All of this was way too good to be real. It was a dream... all of it... but at least he could enjoy it while it lasted.
"I can be myself when I'm with you. I am myself when I'm with you. It's a relief, really, from all that bossing around at the club. I can tell you things I can't say to anyone else, not even onii-chan because he'd end up silent or asleep and then we'd fight. Trust me, it's happened before. Onii-chan is definitely not the best counselor out there. But as for you, I can let my guard down and let my words stay when they fly out of my mouth."
He was in heaven.
"So basically, what I mean to ask you is: will you join me? Like Echizen said, only one person can stand at the top and I swear that as long as this sun rises and sets, I will become number one."
Taro gratefully wrapped his pinky around hers and alleged, "Standing witness to this cornerstone of history, I promise that I will become your pillar of support, now and forever."
'Please don't let this be a dream. Please...' Blinking back tears, he stared at the girl- no, woman who claimed his heart from the first time they met.
Inner Taro: You're pathetic. Seriously, you're 12, for goodness' sakes...
Ignoring the pestering little voice in his head, he exclaimed, "Oh, I forgot!" He pulled out a package from his pocket. "Otanjou-bi omedetou gozaimasu!" Blinking, she snatched the trinket and inspected it in the amber background.
After blinking for a few moments, she snapped, "What is it?"
"It's a good-luck cat, a maneki neko. My grandmother gave it to me, telling me to give it to the person who means the most to me. To see that?" He shifted the talisman to the side. "Ao-ki. It's our family emblem."
Gaping openly, she bit it.
He snatched it back protectively, hugging it to his chest. "Gaahh! What are you doing?"
"Huh, it's pure gold," she commented. "So your family heirloom, huh? I don't want it. I could use the luck, but I haven't done anything to deserve it."
"But Kin-chan, you've done more than enough! To me, you're the most beautiful woman who ever lived!"
He immediately cupped his hands over his mouth. He did not just say that.
She cocked a twitching eyebrow and got a better look at his boiling face. "I never knew you were quite the sycophant, Taro-chan." Pinching his cheek teasingly, she added, "You're pretty cute yourself."
Taro could have died right there as the happiest man who ever lived.
Inner Taro: Look, if you don't tell her you love her now, you'll never get another perfect opportunity like this. The birthday, the sunset, the present. I'm not a superstitious person, but really, it's like this spot was made for this moment, you know?
'Yeah, you're right. Aishiteru, aishiteru, aishiteru... Just get it over with in one breath.'
"A-a-a-" Still, no matter how hard he worked his jaw, the word never came out.
"Taro-chan, I never knew you were so fond of tongue twisters," she joked, cocking an eyebrow.
Inner Taro: Just tell her, kid! It's not that hard. Do you want me to do it for you?
'IIE! Don't you dare.' His hand shaking harder than a leaf in a typhoon, he put the talisman back into her hand and rolled up her fingers.
"Keep it, Kin-chan. For my sake." Mustering the biggest smile he could manage, he took a deep breath.
"Kin-chan, I have to tell you something. You have to promise me that you won't laugh afterwards."
"Taro-chan, you're emitting heat rays greater than the sun. If I laugh at you, I'm seriously concerned that you'll explode, go nova and drag me into a black hole."
"Hehe..." Scratching his head, he relaxed his body, embarrassed that his uneven breathing was so easily distracted this serene moment.
"Kin-chan, a-"
Rumble.
"Ash-"
Groan.
"Sorry, Taro-chan, that was my stomach. Come to think of it, I haven't had any dinner yet," she frowned, putting a finger to her lips. "What were you talking about?"
Now he couldn't say it.
'It's okay. She's had way too much on her mind recently. I don't want to add to her burdens. Yes, I'll tell her after the Kanto Tournament.' His decision made, he took one last peek at the afterglows of dusk and the faint crescent of white.
"Let's go. I know a new buffet that just opened and it'll be my treat," he offered her a hand.
Her brilliant smile nearly made Taro melt. Their fingers clasped together. "This is why you're my best friend."
In the end, it was Taro who received a gift, not Kin. Oh, the irony.
---A/N---
Hope you enjoyed it, neh? I swear, my stupid computer hates me. It seriously has a personality of its own. See, there is a one half chance of my computer having working sound (probably because of a virus) when the sound device isn't disabled. However, when we were on vacation, it had sound all three times my mom turned it on and I was like: 'WTF? Maybe the virus went away.' Then I come home and turn it on and wala, there's no sound.
Maybe I should name the computer. What do y'all suggest?