Chapter 11: Sora's First Date
June 30, 2015
Time of Day: Noon
Weather: Sunny
Place: Paopu Pastries
I never would have thought that me, of all people, would be on a date with Kairi Kujikawa.
It baffles me, quite honestly. I never pictured myself in the same frame, or even the same stratosphere with someone on her level. I'm going out with a mainstream pop star, leader of a popular band. I'd almost call it blasphemy to say the very least. My time here in Destiny Islands has been a turbulent ride, so I think it's about damn time I get to leisure around for once.
Good god, I have no idea what the hell I'm doing. It's funny, I've had to endure the heavy ordeals of bizarre dilemmas. Heartless, strippers, and a god damn naked Riku, but this of all things is getting my pulse racing?
I stopped by the floral stand and got Kairi some flowers. It's pretty old fashioned, but you know what? I don't care. I have no fucking clue what I'm doing. I mean, look at me, I'm wearing a white v-neck overlapped with a blue button down and some jeans. Is this even date appropriate attire? Should I be dressed up? Should be in a tuxedo? Should I have rented a limo? Should I have combed these outrageous fibers of mass wreckage that I poorly perceive as hair? I don't know!
Calm down, Sora. Breathe in, breathe out. This is just a casual date. Not senior prom. You got this.
Although when my sights set on the Paopu Pastries bakery, my sweaty palms and thumping heart say otherwise. I freeze in place, getting a good feel for the ground. Maybe I should stay here? I find comfort in complacency. It means I don't have to waste my energy on insignificant boundaries. Maybe this was a bad idea. Who am I to just accept an invitation with the hottest specimen of female in the whole town? Can you say, public enemy number one? I think I ought to just turn around.
"Are you Sora?"
Fuck me.
I turn around, nice and slow, until I lock gazes with two deep, experienced eyes. This has to be her grandmother. She's short, her posture is bent, she has grey hair in a tight bun, and her wardrobe consists of an old purple dress and a white apron over it. She's waving at me excitedly.
"YOO HOO!"
Just perfect. There's no turning back now. I make my way up to her.
"How'd you know it was me?" I ask. It's not like we've ever met face to face.
"Oh, don't be silly," her frail voice says, "you're all Kairi's been able to talk about lately."
She's been talking about me? "What has she been saying?"
"Oh, I'm sure you'll find out." Her innocent giggles are actually kind of annoying. Just say it! "Come inside."
The bakery is all too familiar. Grandma Kujikawa steps over to the staircase and cups her hands over her mouth as a makeshift megaphone.
"Kairi! Your boyfriend's here!"
I tense up to that statement. Madame, I resent that!
"Okay!" Kairi calls from upstairs. Wow, she didn't even bother to correct her.
Grandma Kujikawa gives me a smile as she walks past into the backroom. These stupid flowers are practically melting thanks to my sweaty hands. I wasted fifteen bucks on these bitches. I might as well throw them away before she sees these travesties.
"Hiya!"
Life. I hate it.
"Aw, are those for me?" She takes the depressed herbs away from my possession and gives them a passionate sniff as if they were worth shit. "Lovely, but I think you should go die in a fucking fire until your corpse is nothing but a spit of ash in the burning depths of hell before you ever buy me flowers again, piece of shit!"
Did I just hear right? "E-E-Excuse me?"
She tilts her head in confusion. "What's with that stupid face? I only said that I think you should probably water them first."
Am I hearing things? Oh man, this is bad.
"Oh, right."
"You nervous?"
"Nervous? Me? No!"
She gives me a skeptical gaze while she places the flowers in a nearby vase. I can't believe she's actually keeping those nightmares. They look like they came right out of a graveyard on a rainy day. "If you say so."
"Okay, let's uh… um… get out of here, or something. I dunno. Depends, whatever you want to do."
She raises an eyebrow. "Okay…?" A curious look washes over her features. But it quickly gets dismantled by a cheeky grin. "Let's go!"
Go where? And why is she so eager? I'm not used to having a girl fawn over me like this. Especially not someone of her status.
"Let's hit it," I say, walking towards the exit. Crisp fingers clutch my arm.
"Hold your horses." She pulls out her cell phone and dials a number. I just look at her dumbly. "Reel 'er in, Hank." She hangs up. That was frighteningly fast.
"What was that all about?"
"Personal transportation. You think you can just stroll around town willy nilly with someone like me?"
I believe that every celebrity harbors some kind of sense of pride prodded by praise. It makes sense, people forget that those who have accumulated fame are still regular people. Treat someone like a god for too long and their head starts to get a little bloated. Kairi's just a teenager. As cool as she is, I can't say that her lack of modesty strikes me as a surprise.
I cross my arms. "What was that? Sorry, I can't hear you when your ego is at maximum volume."
She rolls her eyes while walking over to the window in the front of the bakery and pulls the sheet down. The light of day pierces my vision before I find a crowd of screaming teenage girls and guys. Some of Kairi T-Shirts and crudely crafted posters that say "i luv u kairi! 3". When the hell did these people get here? The street was empty when I arrived!
Yep, this must be a surefire ingredient to a slightly bubbled ego trip. Appreciation like this could make anyone poke their chest up high to the sky. It's a miracle that Kairi can still maintain some self respect.
"My case is closed," Kairi says, with a victory smile tugging her lips.
My eyes won't detach from the crowd. "Okay, I gotcha."
A limo pulls up behind the large crowd, which turns heads immediately. Two beefy bodyguards with shades exit the vehicle and enter the bakery. I must look like a fool, with my mouth ajar. These guys are towers in comparison to me and Kairi. It's a good thing I'm on her side.
"Miss Kujikawa, you and your date must stay close."
"Of course, Keeno, I know the drill."
The other bodyguard bends over and levels with me. I cringe and shrivel slightly from the intense stare. "Um… yeah?"
He lowers his sunglasses, and I'm introduced to two of the most scary blue eyes I've ever seen in my entire life. I hope that's just sweat down in my pants.
"I got my eye on you."
Kairi slaps him on the wrist. "Penny, be nice."
Penny? Of all the names for this brute with muscles of mass destruction, his name is Penny?
"Quit laughing," Penny says, directed to me.
I stop my laughter immediately. "Sorry, your highness."
"Don't be scared of him, Sora. He's under my control." She grips him by the ear. "And I won't let him do anything to you. Is that clear?"
Penny groans. "We're clear, Miss."
No lie, that's kinda hot.
Kairi groans. "Okay, enough with the filler. Can we get this over with, fellas?"
"Stay close," says Keeno. He marches out the premises. Kairi snatches me by the arm and keeps me close as Penny follows behind, barricading us from the desperate fans who try to grab a feel on Ms. Talk of the Town. And judging by the angry looks of the male portion of the crowd, I'm gonna be Mr. Talk of the Town soon. I don't think that's a good thing.
After making it through the crowd, we shiftly enter the back of the limousine. Keeno and Penny get in the driver and passenger seats. Our seats are padded with a leathery cushion. The armrests have cup holders and other kinds of perks.
"You like?" she asks.
To be honest, I don't know. I'm just an islander boy, I'm not used to this kind of fancy. Do I really deserve this?
"Uh, yeah. It's comfy." Well, I'm not lying.
"Ready?" Keeno asks, driving away from the scene.
"Well, you started driving anyway," Kairi says, folding her arms and crossing her legs. "The usual spot, Keeno."
"Have any idea where we're going?" She did say the "usual" spot, after all.
She takes my hand with both of hers and smiles excitedly. "Yeah, there's this place I wanna show you!"
When she lets go, I use my hands to grip the leather cushioning. This is definitely a whole new experience for me. I've never had such comfy transportation before, it's kind of overwhelming.
I look out the window and find our Islands atmosphere more vibrant than usual. Might just be the inner twinges of excitement, I can't really tell.
Kairi looks at me with some knowing smirk.
"Food on my face?" I ask to break the odd stare fest.
Her response is a giggle. How cliche. "You're just really cute. I mean, can you make it any more obvious that you're a total noob at this?"
"Excuse me for not being born with these kind of ideal perks." I find myself rubbing on the cushions once again. "Must be nice to have always had these kinds of privileges."
I don't hear a response. I turn over to her and notice her nearly void eyes staring into space. Did I press a wrong button?
"You okay?"
She snaps out of her gaze and gives me two wide and innocent blue eyes. "Hm?"
She fascinates me. Her shifty transitions in demeanor can probably rival the speed of sound. "You just looked kinda out of it."
"Sorry." She leans against the car door. "But it just had me thinking, a life like mine-it really isn't all it's pent up to be." She stares out the window. "I wouldn't wish this on anybody."
Before I can ask what she means-
Time of Day: Afternoon
Weather: Sunny
Place: Destiny Islands- Beach
"Oh! We're here!" she squeals. Kairi waits for Penny to open the door for her. Keeno does the same for me. I look out into the distance and see a wide ocean in the background of a flat plain of grass. A tree stands as the heart of the scenery. It feels like it's been snatched right out of a portrait. A house hangs on the branch.
Kairi yanks my arm to pull my awareness back to surface. "Come on, come on! We gotta hurry before any paparazzi notices us."
I nod and let her lead the way as she drags me over to the treehouse. She climbs a ladder almost as quickly as I'd expect from an adventurous child. Her spirit seems to come alive whenever we're together. Makes me wonder why. Maybe I'm just dodging obvious answers. Or maybe discrete ones… I can't tell.
She's up at the top and into the little fort in no time. Her head pokes out from the entry. "Come on! You're wasting time!"
I'm lost into my thoughts as I climb up the ladder. What is it about me that Kairi sees? I don't get what she sees in me. I've always figured my personality was about on par with cardboard.
As I reach the top, my sight is petrified by Kairi's butt. She's perched over in the window, looking out at the sea in a telescope. Not a bad sight, mind you. She turns around with her hair swiveling into place, framing her face perfectly.
"Get nice and snuggly!"
For a treehouse, it's pretty basic. It's what you'd expect, solid wooden walls with some posters of some old pop groups spread around and what I'm assuming to be some of her old toys. There's a shelf on the far right with a Moogle doll sitting upright. There's a little mini closet on the left. Kairi digs in the closet until she tosses out two large bean bags.
She leaps onto her pink bean bag and sinks into it along with her resonating laugh. I caution myself a little, taking another glimpse of the area before sitting down in the other bean bag provided for me.
"Whad'ya think?" she asks.
"It's nice-for a five year old."
She punches me on the shoulder. "That's when my father built this for me, dick."
I rub the spot but decide to let it go. "Your father, huh? How's it with him?"
She shrugs. "Meh."
"Meh?"
"Hard for me to say. We're not as close as we used to be. Once I got into showbiz, the family fun time kinda just gradually vanished."
This sob story is nothing new. I could say the same for most people my age. I've just fortunately always had a pretty good relationship with my own.
"Am I the first one to be up here?"
"Don't flatter yourself. I used to come up here with my cousins sometimes. It's just a great place to get away, you know?"
Not my first choice for a date, especially a first one, but I suppose it'll do. "Why did you bring me here?" It's a question that should be handled with care. I'm walking on thin ice here, I don't want to overdo anything.
Kairi's lips form a straight line. Let's pray I didn't push the red button. "I figured I needed a break." My puzzled expression tells her to keep talking. "Honestly, were you expecting much? We can't go out anywhere public, remember? No movies, no shopping malls, no walks in the park. We'd get caught in a crossfire of flashing cameras and unapologetic hassling. You'd be all over the headlines and you'd probably never have a normal life again, unless I cut you off."
My words seem to stop processing. Her story is more of a tragic tale than I've given her credit for. She's been sheltered into the shadows all her life without much room to protest. It's quite accurate to this shack-we're closed off in a space where no one can harm us. The watchful eyes of the daylight can't penetrate our conscious.
"As a kid, I'd usually come here at night and stargaze."
Makes sense. Talented minds usually feel protected from society under the nonjudgmental eyes of the stars.
"I… kinda don't know what to say," I choke.
"Sorry. I know, I'm dropping heavy bombs but it is what it is. This is the only place where I feel… free, you know?"
"Ever think about getting a disguise?"
"Believe me, I've tried. But you'd be surprised how rigorous of a process that really is. It'd take a couple hours just to get everything set up. By the time I was done, it'd be too late for me to go where I wanted, anyway."
"Oh." What a weak response. I feel ashamed for not having better words to offer, but how can I when I can't relate?
"Besides, what good is going out in public if I have to hide behind a mask? Kinda takes away from the experience." She sighs. "But it's not normal. I know this isn't normal. I'm not normal."
"If you're hurting that bad, maybe taking a break from showbiz should be taken into serious consideration?"
She scoffs as she turns onto her belly on the floor and stuffs her mouth into her folded arms. "Not really my choice."
A sweep of silence ensues the atmosphere. I hate this. I hate when people hand me their sob stories. I feel obligated to say some type of motivational speech but I suppose God just didn't enter that into my genetic code. Now I feel completely useless. I wouldn't surprised if the only reason she brought me here was to be a cheap counselor. It doesn't seem like she has anyone else.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm being kind of inconsiderate right now," she peeps. "Trust me, I didn't bring you up here just to rant about my life."
Mind reader much?
"You hungry?" she asks, pulling out her phone.
After ordering food from the Secret Place, she got Penny and Keeno to go get it for us. I tried lightening up the tone a bit and she seemed to reciprocate well. I guess my first notion about her only using me for counseling is a miss, not that I'm complaining.
"So, then one of my fans tried to sneak into my hotel room," she says, kicking her legs up on the wall eating some chicken fried rice, "and he started sniffing my clothes after I hopped out of the shower. I don't know what would have happened if Keeno weren't there to protect me."
"Sounds like a bittersweet experience."
"It was hilarious, actually." She rolls back and up onto her feet, tossing her empty carton into the trash can.
"Sounds like a wild lifestyle," I say, slurping some lo mein.
"No kidding. It has its moments."
This has dragged on long enough. I think it's about time I get some answers. "Kairi, why did you bring me here? And I want a serious answer this time."
I can only see her back, still and motionless. She slowly turns around and her eyes bear little expression.
"I haven't had a real friend in a very long time, Sora." Emphasis on real. "I guess I just wanted you to have a chance to get inside the real me."
That's what she said, but I feel as though that'd be inappropriate.
"I've always had friends with motives totally two-sided. You're one of the firsts who really seem to care about me as a person. I know this isn't what you pictured our date to be like, but I wanted to let you into my heart. And this dusty old place really is all I remember of my childhood."
She's letting me into her heart, huh? She really does trust me with something as important as that. This isn't just some "it's okay" moment Sora, so don't screw yourself over by saying something stupid! "If it makes you feel better, I'm happy you brought me to your special place. I've never really had any experience with dates, so I had no idea what to expect. I can't say it's been a bad time, though. I can appreciate some soul searching every now and then."
"That's my life story. Been looking for a soul to cling to for a while now." She takes a seat in front of me and takes my hands. "But I'm glad you came with me. I really hope none of this has turned you off."
"Nah, it's all okay. Being tossed into the same category as your friend and psychiatrist doesn't bother me. At least your stories are funny." I smile at her.
"Is that all that's redeeming about me?"
If only I had the pair to tell her how gorgeous I think she is. I think I'll go with the coward response. "No, of course not." Smooth, Sora. Smooth.
Her eyes probe me to elaborate, but I don't budge. "And…?"
I'm new to these kinds of things. This school year has been a total 180 for me. Like a caterpillar, I've been institutionalized in a cocoon to barricade myself from my peers. Being social wasn't exactly my thing. And these past few months I've slowly broken these anti-social barriers. I've made a bunch of awesome friends, Roxas, Yuffie, Namine…
But never have I been so nervous. Why can't I just relax? How come I look down at my palms and find them drenched? Why can't I communicate properly? I should be over first date jitters by now. I have no idea what I'm doing. I have no fucking clue what I'm doing.
"Sora?" Her voice is distorted.
The hell is happening to me? My senses are starting to shrivel, my pulse won't stop this overwhelming duet with my heartbeat and I can't tell if my muscles are getting heavier or weaker.
"Sora, you don't look so good! Should I call someone?"
I reach out.
But all I meet is a bold black.
Time of Day: ?
Weather: Foggy
Place: Velvet Room
A thumping headache, that odd scent that can barely pinpoint, the weight of the environment… this is all too familiar.
How can forget that snide smirk? "Welcome back," Igor says.
My head won't stop throbbing. This room seems to have a lot more leverage to it than usual. "What do you guys want now? This isn't really a good time."
"As if we were on your time," Igor says.
Before my eyes, a bedazzling blue hued shine frames an Arcana card above Margaret. It slowly descends onto her open book. The card bursts into a small light and a picture of Kairi next to an Arcana with what seems to be a heart on it appears on 2 of its pages.
"Ah, I see you've made a bond with someone of the Lovers Arcana," Margaret tells me.
Those words probably could give me a heart attack. "L-Lovers?" I stammer.
Margaret chuckles. "Relax, for the Lovers represents a person at a crossroad. One could say its modern meaning came from the idea of choosing someone to cherish and love, or having them just remain close to you."
"So putting someone in the friendzone, or getting into a relationship?"
"In layman's terms, yes. That is what the Lovers Arcana represents," Igor assures me
"Just remember, Sora, a girl's heart is not to be taken lightly," Margaret warns me. "Make a poor decision and you could the bond could be shattered into pieces, engraining your mind with regretful memories."
What a bitch.
"Thanks for taking it easy on me, Margaret," I say sarcastically. "That definitely didn't make me even more scared." Honestly, I can squash a bunch of Heartless and not bat an eyelash, but a date? I'm nearly pissing my boxers just thinking about it. My balls are seriously overdue for a dropzone.
"We are done here for today," Igor pipes up. "We'll be sending you off. Good luck on the rest of your date."
Sora, wake up!
Before I'm able to say anything else, darkness begins to shroud my vision…
Time of Day: Afternoon
Weather: Sunny
Place: Destiny Islands- Beach
The stabs my eyesight relentlessly as I reopen my eyes. I'm back in the treehouse with my head resting in Kairi's lap. She's patting my face with a panicked expression gracing her features.
"Oh, thank God," she breathes. "What the hell was that all about? Are you okay?"
I sit up and rub my head. "Dandy as a flower."
I twist my upper body to find myself entranced in her curious, deep blue eyes. She's panting slightly; my attention ends up being drawn to those pink lips. The hell is wrong with me? My mind refuses to erase what Margaret and Igor told me. To think, so much falls on the shoulders of me, myself, and I, whether I friendzone her or not.
Am I really in the position to handle any type of relationship? With all of this Persona crap, I think it would just be a distraction. Of course, it wouldn't be a distraction I'd particularly dislike. I can't risk it sabotaging my focus. Am I even in her league? It might be best if I kept myself out of such a big ballpark.
"Sora," she says in a sultry voice. Before I can react, she places a hand on my cheek. "I think… this could work out, don't you think?"
"W-What?" Great comeback, dude. Really.
I'm paralyzed as she leans her head towards mine and our lips connect. I'm pretty sure fireworks are bursting in my stomach right now.
"Sora!"
I open my eyes. She's looking at me with a puzzled face.
"You just completely turned your zone out mode on," she says, a tad irritated.
I think I should seriously see a doctor about this daydreaming shit. I swear I'm narcoleptic. But I guess it's good that I did have that little hallucination… now I have a taste of what it might be like to be in a relationship with her, a glimpse towards a hopeful future. I have to say, it's certainly a delicious feeling (note to self: change this line during editing).
But to maintain focus, I can't succumb to these implications. Who knows? Kairi might view it as wantoning. I don't think it's a risk that'd be worth it. This can really just go one way or the other. My overthinking is gonna be the death of me.
I guess there's only one thing to do.
"Sorry, I'm just really tired," I excuse lamely. "I was up all night trying to practice being smooth for today, but as you can see, it didn't work out too well."
She giggles. "It's okay, don't be nervous. That's the mistake people make for a first date, don't get so caught up in your coolness. What matters is just having fun!"
She's too good for me. "And… did you have a good time?"
She wraps her arms around my neck with a teasing smirk. "Well… it was interesting, nonetheless."
What does that mean? "Nice, dodging the question."
"Aww, but it's more fun if I leave you in the dark about it."
"Fun for you, agonizing for me."
"But that's what makes it fun." She flicks me on the nose.
To think, this could be a regular thing someday. She could be mine one day. But sadly, the logical thing to do would be to hold off any of my desires until I'm in a comfortable enough position to settle down. It wouldn't make sense right now.
"Kairi, I'm really glad we could do this today. I'm glad you were able to open up and that you trusted me enough to bring me here. I know it hasn't been an ideal date or anything, but it's been fun. I'm glad we could do this."
She smiles brightly. "Yeah, it's been fun!"
This is gonna be tougher than I thought. "You're an awesome friend." I put my hand out and she stares at it as if it were chopped up and bloodied. I'm sure this wasn't what she was expecting, but I can't do this right now. I hate this feeling… having to give up happiness for the sake of an ongoing battle that still hardly makes sense to me.
Sacrifices… I never understood the pain of it until now. That look in her eyes as she contemplates my indirect proposition makes me feel like my whole world's about to end. I'm just a dorky islander boy who's found himself in an incredible circumstance and along the way I've become friends with a hot, talented lead singer. Let's face it, I don't belong here. I don't deserve this. She'd probably be better off with some other guy that could actually keep up with her. I'd just be holding her back.
She takes my hand with a light squeeze and sits back, looking at the floor in confusion. "Yeah… friends."
"What is it?"
She shakes it off. "Nothing. I gotta go."
Well, that was abrupt. "Go? Where?"
"I dunno, I thought maybe my friend would be able to figure it out." She scowls at me before standing up and making her way down the treehouse.
I guess it's not that surprising. If someone proposes a date, I'm sure they're expecting more than a simple affirmation of friendship. Sorry Kairi, but for now, this is the best I can do. It just wouldn't be right to be in a relationship while trying to balance everything else that's been shoved onto my plate.
I suppose it's kind of flattering that she got so mad, it means that she really was expecting more than what I had to give. It would have been worse if she accepted my handshake without a sign of remorse. I guess that means there's still a speck of hope left between us.
Maybe one day once things settle down, I'll be able to take it to the next step. Someday soon… it's just a matter of confidence. I got this.
Alright, enough rambling, I should start heading out too. I pick myself off the floor and walk to the window. The limo is gone and Kairi's gone with it. Wait a second…
Kairi was supposed to be my ride back home.
Fuck.
As you guys can see, Palette and I have completely different writing styles. She also has more experience than me in so many ways. I find it really helpful and nice of her that she decided to help me with this story. Especially since she's working on a Short Story contest submission with SoraxKairi7.
Thanks for reading this chapter, and sorry it took a while. Trust me, we stayed up until 2AM sometimes just to work on this chapter together! I'll work on Chapter 12 soon, so just be patient like you have for this chapter.
I hope you liked this chapter. Leave a review, so I can tell her how well she did ;)
P.S. It was Palette's idea to make Kairi angry at Sora. So yeah. Don't hate her all you Sokai fans. She loves that pairing as much as you guys do. I probably love it even more =)