Aww... wasn't that last chapter so sweet? Doesn't it make you wanna give someone a hug too? Well, onto business!!! Here's a new flavor that you simply MUST have to try. It's called... CHAPTER 9!!! I haven't been able to put up more chapters than last time because today's Thanksgiving and all my family members have come to visit, especially blackwolf39!!! My other cousins thought that I spend too much time at the computer and dragged me to the living room to play DDR and Guitar Hero. Blackwolf39 helped me make this chapter. Even though he's a comedic genius, he DOES have his soft side. I showed all my other cousins this fanfic. Most of them thought it was really good, including blackwolf39, and only two of them thought that it was too mushy and gave me suggestions to add some stupid crap in like Koji gets magical robot skills and goes on a killing spree while Karen gets a pet monkey. I beat them up for that because they killed the mood! And now, they'll never bother me with my fanfics again! Those two just never seem to see anime drama like me and blackwolf does. Hope you enjoy!!! Send me bad reviews, and I'll send out my ninja monkeys to destroy you!!!

Talking
Thinking/Memories
Important words/Emphasis

Chapter 9: Falling Leaves

The next morning, Koji found out that it has been a little chilly outside. He checked his calendar and found out that fall has arrived, which means, the harvest begins. He went outside and worked throughout half the day. He then took a small stroll to the inn for rest and relaxation. Upon arrival, he met Ann outside with Karen talking with each other.

"I'm telling you Karen, you should!"

"I don't know… I'm not sure if- Oh! Um… hey Koji!"

"Uh, hey! What's up? What are you two talking about?"

"Oh it's nothing! Just some girl stuff!"

"Well… Alright then, I'm gonna go in and grab a drink. I'll meet up with you later!"

"Alright! See you in a bit."

As Koji walked in, Karen blushed with excitement and Ann squealed at the top of her lungs.

"So Karen, what do you think now?"

"I'm still not sure… he's cute and all, but I'm still not sure if that's a great idea."

"Well, just give some time to think about it. Later."

She went into the inn and Karen was sitting on a bench alone. She still couldn't forget about last night. Koji held her so close that she could even hear his heartbeat. She thought whether she should go out with him or not, but she didn't want it to ruin their friendship. She likes him, but she's still not sure if she REALLY likes him. After a moment, she went inside and found Koji sitting at his usual place at the bar. She sat next to him and ordered a bottle of wine.

"Hey Koji."

"Hey! The wine tastes really good at this time of year."

"Well, since it's the harvest time, the grapes are really ripe and it makes the wine taste even better. Listen Koji, I wanna ask you something…"

"Okay, shoot."

"How did you feel about… last night?"

"Last night? Wow, you just jump the gun when it comes to things like this."

"Well, what do you think?"

"Well, you were pretty emotional lately…"

"No! Not that! I meant after… the fireworks?"

"Oh that! Well…"

He stared at his wine bottle for a minute or two and then smiled.

"Well, I thought it was pretty fun! And plus… you were holding me a lot so that made me felt even better…"

Karen blushed.

"Oh… really?"

Koji nodded and Karen blushed even more. She quickly ran to the bathroom to wash her face on account of the redness. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and sighed.

"Get it together Karen… You've dealt with boys before… you can do this…"

She walked outside of the bathroom and saw Koji waving at her. Then, she ran into the bathroom again.

"Just calm yourself down… I mean, after all, he is pretty much the cutest and nicest boy that I've met in Mineral Town…"

She finally got the nerves to talk to Koji and went outside to meet him again. Koji got off his stool and walked over to Karen to see if anything was wrong. Suddenly, Karen tripped on a crooked wooden board that was sticking out of the floor and landed on Koji. The two landed on the floor with Karen on top and Koji on the bottom. Their faces were so close to each other and they could hear each other's heartbeat in syncopation with one another. Karen blushed so much her face turned red and Koji's as well. Koji stared into Karen's beautiful, sparkling, emerald eyes and Karen stared back into Koji's dark, glowing, brown eyes. Then, Karen's face turned red and fainted onto the floor. She woke up inside Ann's bedroom with Ann sitting next to her.

"Ugh… Ann? What… just happened?"

"Well, let's just say that you fainted on your 'boyfriend'."

She laughed and smiled.

"Ann… he's not my boyfriend… he's just… you know… one of my best guy friends."

"Are you sure? Koji said that your face was pretty red and thought that you liked him."

She jumped out of bed in terror.

"Koji said that??!!!"

Ann laughed and Karen made a face at her joke.

"No… I'm just making that up… But seriously, Koji was worried about you…"

"He was?"

Ann explained everything to Karen and the more she explained it, the redder Karen's face has gotten.

"Face it Karen, you're his princess and he's your knight in shining armor…"

She laughed.

"Well, maybe not a knight. A Romeo maybe, but not a knight…"

They both laughed and Karen left for home. She laid out on her bed and stared at the ceiling. She took out one of the Moondrops that Koji had given her during the spring and took a big whiff out of it. She went to sleep and dreamt of how Koji would come by to her house and sweep her off her feet with wine and a bunch of other gifts. Then she woke up just when Koji was about to plant one on her. She checked her calendar and saw that the Music Festival was today. She went down to the kitchen, grabbed her breakfast and headed outside. Meanwhile, Koji has just finished his work and was met up with Pastor Carter.

"Koji, I have an offer to make."

"Well, what is it?"

"How would you like to play the ocarina at the Music Festival tonight?"

"Ocarina? I don't know, I haven't played those in ages ever since I started guitar."

"Well, how about just giving it another shot?"

"Um… alright sure…"

He took the small instrument and played a bit of a tune he learned after Carter left. The sound of the ocarina sounded like a bird singing a song in the early morning during the morning dew. Karen heard the sound and followed it to the person who was playing it. She kept on following it until she got to Koji's farm. The ocarina was in his hand and Karen smiled.

"I didn't know you play…"

"Ah! Karen, (phew) you scared me…"

She giggled and glomped him.

"Since when did you play ocarina?"

"Since I was just 8 years old. Then I stopped after learning how to play the guitar at age 10. I thought I forgot how to play at first, but when I held the ocarina in my hand, it was like meeting an old friend…"

"Wow… he's so deep…"

"So why do you ask Karen?"

"Oh! Because, the Music Festival's today and I was thinking if you were gonna be in it."

"I am. Carter gave me a last minute offer and gave me the ocarina to play. Are you gonna be in it?"

She blushed and smiled while looking at her feet.

"Yeah… I'm… well… singing."

"Heh… who would've thought? First you're a dancer, and now you're a singer. I suppose the next thing that you can do is shoot laser beams out of your eyes."

She laughed and hit him gently on the arm.

"Well that's what I'll do if you make a smartass comment like that again!"

They both laughed and hung out with each other by the river. They kept telling each other stories about their childhood until it was dark. Koji looked at his watch and grabbed Karen by the arm and dragged her over to the church.

"Koji, what's the rush? You're hurting my arm!"

"Heh… sorry, I guess that's what I get for trying to get you there on time!"

They arrived at church and joined up with Ann, Elli, and Mary. Ann and Elli on flutes, while Mary was on piano. Once they opened the church doors, so many people came in. Karen saw how much people were coming in and was scared.

"Karen, what's wrong?"

"…I can't… I just can't do this… I never had to perform in front of this much people before… I quit…"

"What? But Karen, you can't quit! You're like the backbone of the whole festival! Everyone's dying to come and see you perform! Without you, the whole thing is gonna fall apart!"

"I'm sorry Ann… but…"

She felt a warm and gentle embrace from Koji. She blushed and held onto Koji for comfort.

"It's okay Karen… you can do this… I know you can…"

She smiled and held Koji for one more time.

"Thank you… Koji…"

All five of them got out onto the stage and started performing. Ann and Elli's flutes sounded beautiful and Koji's ocarina and Mary's piano made it sound even more prettier. Then, as Karen was about to sing, she looked at Koji and smiled. Then she let out a beautiful voice that rung throughout the whole church. Her voice sounded like chimes being blown against the wind. Koji stared at Karen and listened to her singing while playing the ocarina in synch with her voice. Then Koji let out all his feelings out into the ocarina and Karen's voice and his playing were intact and sounded like two birds. After the performance, Koji met up with Karen outside who congratulated him on his playing.

"You were awesome Koji!"

"Heh… thanks… I really loved the sound of your voice Karen…"

She smiled and her face turned redder than a tomato.

"Oh… thanks…"

"Since when did you sing like that?"

"Ever since I was a little girl… I got so much into singing and dancing that… it just became a part of me ever since… One time, when I was 10, a talent scout came to me and offered me a record deal…"

"What'd you do?"

"I turned him down…"

Koji's expression on his face went from happy to shocked. Singing and dancing was a part of her life and she just threw away a record deal. Was that the right thing to do?

"Turned it down? But why?"

She stopped walking and looked at her feet. Her face grew more and more redder and her emerald eyes sparkled. Koji placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Because… of something important… I didn't wanna go off on a record deal because I had something more important to do than go around the world… I didn't understand why I turned it down either, but it felt like I had something more meaningful to me than receiving money and recognition… I can't tell you why because it's too personal to tell…"

Karen turned around and gave Koji a warm embrace. He remembered that he had to give up something too for something important. He remembers the first time he came to Mineral Town. He left the lush and opulent lifestyle of the city for something important. To make up a promise that he has broken several years ago. To see the smiling face of that wonderful little girl that he met 10 years ago before his grandfather died. He returned Karen's hug with an even warmer and tender one. He realizes that the only thing that you can do to get something very important to you, is to give up the riches and treasures that has been offered to you. That was the real way to be truly happy.