Disclaimer: Doesn't own anyone of them. You already know that, of course. haha!

A/N: Yeah, I know. It took another forever for me to post. It's just... COLLEGE. *sigh*

So! I'm really trying my best to post something during the break. I really hope you like how this story is going and, well, this story. It's been a long time since I wrote something. *sigh* I really don't handle my time now.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy reading this!

Sorry for anything wrong in here. You know, grammar and stuff. :P

Oh, by the way, thanks for reading the previous chapters. It means a lot to me. :)

Their Eyes that Couldn't See

III. Whispers of the Heart

Kairi stared at the piece of paper until Selphie and Olette stood in front of her and called her name.

"Kairi," the both of them said at the same time. They looked at each other unsure who should continue and how.

"Do you… do you want to walk home with us?"Selphie said in an almost whisper. She's afraid that if she makes a wrong move, Kairi would just burst into tears then and there.

"We could have ice cream along the way… if you want to," Olette followed with a hopeful smile.

"I, um, sorry girls," Kairi said as she arranged her things and stood from her seat. She stuffed the letter hastily inside her pocket. "Riku wants to talk to me. Maybe next time I'll have ice cream with you guys." She gave them a tired smile and walked to the door.

"Oh, and by the way," Kairi said looking back at them "Thanks for worrying about me. I really appreciate it." She smiled at them again and was gone.

She walked with quick strides. She was quiet as she thought of the things Riku might want to talk about.

Maybe he wants to talk about 'him'. What now, Riku?

She met up with Riku in front of the gate of their school. When he saw her, he didn't say anything and just walked on. Kairi followed him in silence.

When they were walking for almost ten minutes and Riku still hasn't spoken a word, Kairi called him out, "Riku!"

Riku stopped and looked slightly back at her. "What?"

His stare was so cold that she almost regretted calling him. "I-I just, um, I mean," Kairi stuttered "I thought…" Kairi bit her lower lip. She was quiet for a couple of seconds then she finally said, "Where are we going?"

"Just follow me." Riku continued to move forward. Kairi didn't question him again until they reached their destination. She just bowed her head and followed Riku's footsteps.

"Here we are," Riku finally said.

Kairi's mind was drifting somewhere else that Riku's voice made her jump.

Even before she saw where they are, she already felt it in the breeze. The salty smell of the sea is prominent in the air that she could almost taste it. They were standing at the end of the road where the sand of the beach met the asphalt.

The beach seems a little bit agitated; waves keep on hitting the sand. Cool breeze swept by.

The mere sight of the sea made her sad in the verge of crying. A lot of memories came flooding in her. She used to have a lot of good memories there. She used to play there with Riku and the other kids when they were young. Sometimes she just sits there, watching the sunset. And, when Sora was still there, they used to walk by the edge of the beach, letting the waves wash and wet their feet as they talked.

All of those were nothing but memories now. She hasn't gone to the beach for a long time. This place held a lot of beautiful memories for her, but one event destroyed them all and made her not want to go back anymore.

By the beach, as the sun was setting, is where Sora and Kairi last saw each other. This is where he said good bye.

No one knew about this so she can't blame Riku for bringing her here. But still, she can't help but want to burst into tears.

"Kairi…" Riku said calmly. He moved forward and walked towards the dock, Kairi following him. He stopped when he was at the edge and he could see his reflection on the water.

"Why did you bring me here?" Kairi said firmly as she stopped behind Riku.

"This is where he said goodbye to you, right?"

Kairi's eyes went wide. "How…" she whispered, her voice came out as a small squeak.

"I saw you," Riku said facing her. "I was passing by and then I saw you two, standing here at the beach, facing each other. I didn't saw the two of you talking and I don't have the time to watch you guys so I just passed by and left. The next day, I heard that Hearts left for good. And that's when I knew," Riku took a step towards her "that when I saw the both of you, he was saying goodbye."

"I-I… then… then why did you bring me here? If you knew about that, why bring me here?" Kairi shot back, her voice quivering.

"It's because of Roxas Oblivion."

"What about him?" Kairi said turning her back at him.

Riku narrowed his eyes at her. "You think it's him, right? You think he is Sora, coming back from wherever he went."

Kairi was silent. Her whole body is shaking with anger. Riku said the words as if mocking her.

How could Riku do this?! The nerve of him!

"Kairi!"

Kairi growled. She wants to shout at him. Scream at his face that she doesn't just suspect that Roxas is Sora because Roxas really is Sora. But, if she does that, she would start crying uncontrollably.

"Kairi…" Riku said as if pleading her to listen to him. She placed his hand on her shoulder. "Kairi, listen to me. Do you really –"

"No!" Kairi shouted, turning around and slapping Riku's hand off her shoulder. "Why are you doing this, Riku?" Kairi gritted her teeth to stop herself from crying.

"I'm doing this to make you see! Open your eyes Kairi! Roxas is not Sora!"

"No, Riku, you listen to me!" Kairi closed her eyes and tried to focus not to cry. "He is Sora! I know! He's back!"

"Kairi, listen to yourself!" Riku walked towards her and shook her by the shoulder. She opened her eyes and returned Riku's stern look. She will fight back.

"You don't even know him! No one knows who Sora is so no one has the right to prove that Roxas is not Sora!"

"And how could you say that he is Sora?" Riku hissed at her, not breaking their gaze, his face inches apart from Kairi.

"Because I know who Sora is," Kairi answered, gripping both of Riku's wrists. "And I know because I can feel it."

They stared at each other for a long while, Kairi's last words seems to be hanging in the air.

And then Riku snorted a laugh.

This broke Kairi's concentration and her eyes shook from shock. Riku let go of her and he took a couple of steps back without breaking their gaze.

Something's odd about how he's staring at Kairi…

Kairi furrowed her brow as she noticed the smirk on Riku's face.

Why is he smirking? What, he thinks what I just said is some kind of a joke?

"Really? Is it what your feelings say to you? Ha! Kairi, you're making me laugh."

"What are you talking about?" Kairi said, confused on why Riku was acting like this.

"I said," Riku shot back, emphasizing on every word, "is that what your feelings are telling you? That Roxas oblivion is Sora Hearts?"

"Yes. I-I know –"

"You said you know Sora," Riku said, turning around, "But you are claiming that he came back as Roxas." He turned his head towards her and gave her a disappointed smile. "Oh Kairi, you could do better than that!"

"What the hell are you talking about, Riku?!" Kairi said, her voice rising from anger, irritation and confusion.

"I'm just saying," Riku said, turning back at her "that if you're claiming that you know Sora – and, oh wait, I also think you want to tell us all that you love him – then why does your idiotic feelings tell you he is Roxas?" He frowned at her and shrugged his shoulders.

Kairi's throat felt dry. She furrowed her brow and just stared at Riku.

"Well, maybe it's just because you're delusional that you claim he came back as –"

"I AM NOT DELUSIONAL!"

"Oh really?!" Riku shouted back and stopping her from saying more. "Then that makes you an idiot! ROXAS AND SORA ARE TWO VERY DIFFERENT PRESONS! You of all people must know that!"

"How could you –"

"How could I tell?" Riku replied mockingly. He took another step toward her and inched his face towards her for their eyes to lock gazes.

"For a day that we are with him, everyone could tell that he is not Sora."

"First of all," Riku said raising his finger at Kairi to shut her up, "He's as lively as a little girl, not like Sora who just sulks all the time. Roxas smiles at everyone, talks to everyone even though he knows everyone's talking about him!"

"He just might've changed!" Kairi shouted as if to also make herself believe because now, she's also somehow starting to doubt. "Can't people change?!"

"Oh yeah? Do you believe it is Sora who just came back with changed personality? Doesn't that make him another person?! Doesn't?!""

"NO! Whatever his personality might be, he's still Sora! He's still the boy that I fell in love with!" Kairi shouted out in dire desperation to make Riku finally listen to her.

Riku's eyes narrowed.

"If that's the case, if your heart really just beats for that idiot, then tell me – tell me after talking with that stupid heart of yours – that Roxas is Sora. That your heart beats the same way with Roxas as it did with Sora. Didn't that stupid heart just beats the same because Roxas looks a lot like Sora?"

Riku stepped forward and Kairi instinctively took a step back but Riku grabbed her by the wrist and looked straight into her eyes, into her soul.

"If that stupid heart really does love Sora, it could distinguish Sora from Roxas. Because how much you want to make your fantasy to be true, Roxas is not Sora. And you know what evidence you need? It's that love you're claiming you have for him. It's that stupid beating heart that you claim that fell in love with him."

"Riku… stop –"

"No, Kairi, you're the one who needs to stop. Look at Roxas, look into his eyes and feel – no, listen, listen to that damn heart and tell me, is he the boy you 'fell in love' with?"

Riku released her and held her gaze for a long time. Kairi realized she was holding her breath. That every word Riku uttered was like a slap to her face. She can't move, she can say anything, she can't even think straight!

"Riku… I –"

"I don't need to listen to your answer or even your explanations. Just tell what your answer is to yourself. Maybe your sane self could knock some sense into your head, Kairi."

He started to walk back, leaving her standing in the middle of the beach, alone and dumbfounded. A few drops of rain were starting to pour.

Yes. She is stupid and a big idiot. If she just listened to her heart and her brain, if she didn't let her emotions catch up on her, this wouldn't have happened. She wouldn't have acted like that. Heck, Roxas won't even suspect anything!

Yes! In her heart, now that she finally listened to it, she knows he is not Sora. Because only Sora could make it jump with something she couldn't explain.

How stupid she is. How a big stupid she is. Sora is gone and she can never change that. Making herself believe that he came back as Roxas won't make him to really come back. No, that could never happen. And she would just hurt herself even more.

These realizations made her to feel a lot worse. The rain started to pour hard already. A loud thunder ripped through the sky together with a great flash of lightning. The rain hits her hard and in a few minutes, she's soaked.

But it was just fine, she tells herself, as some drops crashes with the tears that went rolling down her cheeks. At least, because of the rain, she could mask her tears.

But, whatever she does and how much harder the rain pours, the pain and emptiness in her heart could never be healed or filled as of the moment.

How was it? I hope you enjoyed it!

A/N: I know, Riku is a bit OOC here. I'm sorry. haha! But I really did try my best. I hope you still liked it.

Reviews if you want! I badly need them. But please, no flames, 'kay?