Yay! I'm getting faster at writing my stories. :3 Hopefully, I've planned to write three or four chapters a month so that I could finish this write away and focus on my other stories! I just hoped school lofe won't be hectic. ^^; so yeah, I hope you enjoy chapter 9!

~CLAIRE'S POINT OF VIEW~

"Jack, I'll call you later, okay? Bye." I hung up and kept the little phone inside my backpack. Ann again, was still sleeping on the other bed, so I decided to go in the bathroom first for a shower.

Today was spring the eighteenth, another festival day. Kai had mentioned that he wanted us to go together to the Spring Horse Race, and so I agreed. I've never really attended in horse races, even when I was still in the city. Now I'm fairly curious and excited to what I'll be seeing.

Expect that I felt butterflies fluttering in my stomach when he asked me out yesterday.

It's finally confirmed that I have romantic feelings for him since the fourteenth. Although I'll admit I still sort of love Skye, Kai's presence averts me from recalling those feelings. And about the days after our first date, I've been helping him around his seaside lodge around afternoon and we talk about mushy stuff, like what he's gonna do when we become an official couple or where's he going to take me on our first "official" date. He's so sweet, caring and such a gentleman. He always makes me laugh, and makes me feel safe. Every night, I prattle all about him over the phone to Jack and he'd only laugh as a response.

"Claire? You done yet?" Ann's voice from the other side of the door interrupted my thoughts. I realized I was staring blankly and smiling at the same time at the wall as the cool water gushed from the shower.

"N-no. I'm just starting." I quickly took the soap and added, "Are you going to the festival with Cliff?"

"With Cliff and Dad." She corrected me. "There's no way Dad'll miss the horse races."

"What about Gray?"

"With Mary and Saibara. Like Dad, the blacksmith would do anything to watch the races!"

"Is it really fun at the races? Even though we'll just be betting or so?"

"It is! You'll see for yourself when it begins."

"Done." Opening the door, I flashed a grin at her as I was dripping wet.

"Okay, I'm next." She smiled and entered the bathroom.

As I was heading for the guest room's door to lock it, it abruptly swung open. My face flushed as I saw who barged in.

"Hey Claire you awa—" Kai's eyes flitted all over the room and turned bright red when he spotted me.

"EEEEEEEEK!" I shrieked and tossed something I grabbed from whatever part of the room I was.

"Claire I'm sorry!" Kai ran away as soon as my shoe landed on his face.

"W-w-what happened?" Ann huffed as she peeked.

"Kai barged in here and I got so shocked and so I threw a shoe at him…" I explained; my face still red.

"He did what?" Ann's voice turned furious. "That son of a b—"

I was locking the door when I cut her mid-sentence. "I-It's okay. Go on, continue with your shower."

Eight thirty in the morning. Ann and I were in the kitchen, making breakfast for everybody in the inn.

"Okay, let me repeat. Today's orders are baked corn for Gray, curry rice for my Cliff, cheese fondue for Dad, sushi for Kai, apple pie for the two of us. I'll make the pie, the cheese fondue and curry rice. You go work on the sushi, baked corn and six cups of hot milk." Ann instructed me as she started cooking for the curry.

"Got it." I smiled at her, and proceeded.

While working, we had a conversation about Popuri, Kai… and Skye.

"Ann, Popuri… um, does she really like Kai?" I murmured while placing the corn in the oven.

"She does." Ann nodded. "Maybe Kai likes her, but it's nothing compared to what he feels for you. Are you jealous?"

"N-No… It's just that, I'm more concerned about what Popuri feels." I set six cups on the table while I waited for the corn.

"You're too nice Claire. Sometimes, you've got to be selfish." She placed two tin containers in the other oven.

"But that will hurt Popuri. I feel like I stole Kai from her, since they've been friends for a long time and I suddenly show up and we fall in love together… without even minding what others would feel." I bit my lip and shook my head.

"They never were a couple, so basically you never stole him. Besides, Kai fell for you first right?"

"I guess so…" I sighed, taking out the corn and heating up the milk. "Is it possible for us to be… um, friends?"

"Oh, that's kinda impossible." She smiled sheepishly. "Popuri's jealousy is very… y'know."

"I understand." I smiled weakly and started making the sushi.

A few minutes passed when Ann broke the ice.

"So, can I ask you a question, Claire?"

"Sure." I smiled back at her. "What is it?"

"Do you still love your ex?" Her voice was concerned.

"I… I think I still do." I admitted and heaved a sigh. "It's never that easy to forget someone…"

"I know. I asked you that because Kai's my friend. I don't want you guys to become an official couple if one of you loves someone else." She patted my head as I continued working on the sushi.

"I won't hurt him, I promise." I hugged her back. "I promise… I'll tell him when I'm ready to love him utterly."

"You're nice, Claire. I trust you." She giggled. "But what if Skye goes to this town to look for you? Would you go with him?"

"I-I don't know…" I mumbled. "Maybe not… Because honestly, I admit that I still do love him, but I want to give Kai a chance… I'm starting to like Kai. Maybe it's not great as what I feel for Skye, but… I couldn't explain! It's so confusing."

"Ha ha ha, don't worry. It's understandable that you're choosing Kai now right?"

"I guess so." I smack my own head lightly and sighed again. "Let's finish the food. The festival starts around ten, right?"

"Yeppers!" She grinned at me. "Remember just to have fun today!"

"I will." I beamed at her as I poured hot milk into each of the cups.

"The sushi was nice." Kai complimented me as we walked together to the square.

It was around nine forty-five in the morning and we had just finished breakfast. Doug, Ann and Cliff stayed behind since they needed to wash the dishes before leaving. I offered to give them a hand, but they said they'll be okay and I should be with Kai now. Gray, on the other hand, had already left as soon as he finished eating.

"Thank you." I smiled. "So, it's also your first time to see the races?"

"Yeah. The races are always held in spring and fall, that's why." He nodded, and then blushed. "C-Can I hold your hand?"

I reddened, and felt all shy yet giddy. "I, um… S-sure." I stretched out my hand and he gently took it.

He smiled shyly at me and we finally reached the plaza.

"There are sure lots of people." He remarked. "This one's a big event!"

"You're right. Oh hey… There's Gray." I pointed out.

"Oh wait; you haven't met Saibara and Mary personally right? Let's go introduce you."

"Okay!" I flashed a warm smile at him and went towards them.

"Hey, 'morning everyone." Kai greeted them. "Saibara, Mary, you haven't met Claire right?"

"Oh, is she the new girl in town?" The white-bearded man's gruff voice chuckled. He was wearing a kimono and wooden slippers—like a traditional Japanese man would. "Nice to meet you, Miss Claire. I'm Saibara, the blacksmith."

I bowed slightly to Saibara to show respect. "Pleased to meet you too, Saibara. Please call me Claire instead."

"Umm, h-hello." The bespectacled woman greeted me with a small voice. Her ebony hair was loosely tied in a braid; her face looked very gentle and her cheeks were rosy and a little plump. And I recognized her clothes…

Oh now I remember. Kai and I saw their clothes scattered around the flower garden during the fourteenth. Now that I think of it, is this girl, sweet and innocent like an angel as she stands in front of me right now, the one who just made out with his fiancé last Monday? Realizing this, I felt a bit awkward around her and I knew my cheeks would show that emotion.

I plastered a friendly smile on my face, "Hello. You must be Mary… I heard about the wedding. Congratulations!"

"Thank you…" Her shy voice chimed with delight, and then she gave me a hug. "Please do attend, Claire..."

"I will, I will." I assured her and held her hand. I felt the ring that wrapped her finger, and took a good look at it.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" She giggled. "Saibara made that, and Gray used that to propose along with the blue feather."

"It's perfect!" I squealed. And I admit that it's better than any designs I've made. "And what's a blue feather?"

"Oh yeah, you're not a local here." Kai scratched his head and grinned.

"I'll explain." Gray offered. "Here in this town, the blue feather is used for proposing to someone you like. The feather is said to come from the blue bird, which also known as the bird of happiness… Uh… You get the point."

"You're not good at explaining things." Saibara and Kai shook their head at the same time.

"Ah, but I understand…" I laughed and skidded to Kai's side again.

"So, we'll go to the Mayor to bet. See you guys!" Kai said as we bid the three of them goodbye.

Kai was still holding my hand as we walked past the busy and feisty people.

"So, it's nice to see you again Claire." The mayor chuckled as we approached.

"Ahh, good morning Mayor." I replied with a smile.

"Good morning, Mayor Thomas." Kai bowed slightly to him. "We're here to bet on the horses."

"You two lovebirds are first timers here, aren't you?" The mayor smiled.

The two of us were flushed when he called us lovebirds. In response, we nodded awkwardly. And so the mayor explained to us about the festival.

I held Kai's hand tighter and looked at his face. Hope it's another fun day for us.

"So, out of the six horses, which do you think will win for the first race?" The mayor asked us gleefully.

"Hmm. I think I'll bet #5 Nazer for nineteen medals… then seventeen medals for #6 Argo." I pointed out and paid the Mayor.

"H-Hey, that's a lot of money!" Kai's eyes widened when I opened my wallet.

"Oh… I, um, have lots of savings." I grinned at him nervously, since I did bring a lot of money with me. I tried to avert his attention. "Anyways, are you going to bet or what?"

"Oh yeah, yeah… Hmm." He examined the sheet and raised a brow. "Claire, you do realize that you chose two horses… that have only one bet and three bets respectively?"

"Yes. What's wrong with my choices?" I tilted my head.

"I think when more people bet on a horse, it's fast. They won't bet on a slow horse." He scratched the back of his head.

"Is that so?" I tapped my chin with a finger, and answered confidently. "I'm still determined with my choices. You'll never know."

Oh, a challenge, is it? That's what I read on his face. He smirked and faced the mayor. "Five medals for #1 Quasar and #3 Pacheco."

"My, my, so you two have different perspectives, eh?" He chuckled. "Very well, the race will start in a few minutes. Come back to bet again before the second race, okay?"

"Well, Mayor," I laughed. "You did say I had luck with me since I got here, right?"

"Certainly! Now go along now, youngsters." The mayor chuckled.

We nodded then headed for the heart of the square. I spotted Ann, Cliff and Doug by the side, and I nodded to Kai to watch with them. Ann greeted us with her typical cheery voice.

"Hey guys? Y'all up for some horse action?" She winked at us. "So, which numbers did you guys bet on?"

"One and three," Kai answered coolly.

"Ooooh, we have the same bets! How 'bout you Claire?" She grinned at me.

"Five and six." I answered back and arched an eyebrow playfully at him. "I know I'm one of the few people who placed a bet on those two horses, but we'll never know."

"Oh, hey! I heard you betted on five and six?" Karen waved to us as she approached.

"Yeah. You too?" I looked at her expectantly. Karen's beauty is undeniable, I feel like I'm standing in front of a goddess. I heard Kai grumble something about her, but Karen and I ignored him.

"Yup! I thought I was the only who opted for Nazer and Argo." She cuddled me and winked at Kai, Ann and Cliff. Doug had already joined in the other village men on the other side. "I'm pretty confident in my choices. Oh… hey! Let's gather up now, the race is starting!"

~KAI'S POINT OF VIEW~

"I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS!" I roared in disappointment and frustration. In the three races, none of my bets won. Claire and Karen hauled a hundred of medals for their wining horses! I lost almost 3000g for betting. "Stupid, stupid, stupid!"

Ann and I had the same bets throughout, and so did Karen and Claire. They always chose the horses with less bets, while we chose otherwise. Everyone was bewildered by their continuous winnings.

We're currently lining up to exchange Claire's medals for prizes. My thick eyebrows were still furrowed and I was grunting to myself about the whole thing. She remained quiet beside me, but I didn't mind.

We were up next. The mayor asked her. "Quite luck, eh? What would you like for those medals?"

Claire looked at the sheet of prizes quietly. "Umm. Three necklaces, three pairs of earrings, and three bracelets…"

"That's about three hundred medals, dear."

"H-here…" She handed him all her medals. "I've counted them earlier, and its three hundred."

"Why three of each, Claire?" Mayor Thomas mused.

"I, um, I'm planning to give the other two of each jewelry to Ann and Karen." A small smile formed on her face.

After taking the prizes, Claire whispered that she wanted to see the sunset since it was late afternoon. I nodded stiffly.

While strolling quietly and awkwardly by the shore, my eyes widened when I noticed the corners of her soft, blue eyes had tears welling up.

"Claire? Claire?" I held her shoulders. "Is something wrong? Oh my goddess, did I do something?"

She slowly faced me. Darn it. I swear I almost crumbled when she said, "You're mad with me, aren't you?"

"N-No!" I waved my hands frantically and hugged her. "I'm sorry… I'm sorry for being so immature. I'm such a jerk. Losing… Losing doesn't matter to me! You're far more important than anything else… Sorry."

Yeah… Why was I grumbling and upset over my loss? I'm not a little kid… I've been acting so childish and irrelevant. If I had just shrugged this idiocy of mine off, I wouldn't have hurt her. She thinks that because I'm frustrated right now is that I'm angry with her… I'm an insensitive monster.

I carefully faced her, and she was blushing while wiping her tears away. "I'm such a c-crybaby…" She mumbled.

"Shh now," I crooned her as we faced the sunset. "It's my fault for being such a little kid."

"Kai… I'm really sorry!" Claire hugged me back abruptly, and buried her face in my chest.

My face flushed as I gently embraced her back. "Naaaaw, it's my fault… Look Claire, the sun's setting. Wanna sit down?"

"S-sure."

We held hands while sitting idly by the shore, watching the sunset. Claire softly laid her head on my shoulder, which made me feel a bit uneasy, but I liked it. I patted her head and whispered, "It sure is beautiful."

"I know." She muttered quietly. "Another day has ended."

We stayed in that position for a few more minutes, all quiet but romantic. The sun had set already, but none of us wanted to break away. It felt like eternity for us. I don't know how long we've been in this state, but it didn't matter.

I'm officially converted into a good boy now. No toying with girls, no playing with feelings.

Just then, someone tapped my shoulder from behind. It was Gotz.

"Hey, Kai, Claire," He scratched his head and apologized. "Sorry to disturb the two of you, but I need Claire's opinions about the farm house. So she needs to come with me for a while."

"I'll go." Claire smiled and rose to her feet. "Kai, you can go back to the inn, if you want."

"N-no, I'll go with you guys too." I stood up and grinned at them.

As we headed towards the rundown farm near the mountains, Claire questioned Gotz about everything she needs to know about her house and farming.

"You're going to be a farmer but you don't know anything about farming?" Gotz chuckled.

"Um, yes…" Claire blushed and smiled shamefacedly. "I grew up in the city, so I don't have a single clue about this."

"Well, neither do I!" Gotz admitted and laughed. "I'm a carpenter, so I don't know much about farming either. Lilia's kids and Barley should have an idea, though. Ellen and her grandchildren may know something as well since they own a hothouse. Or you can read about farming in Mary's library."

"Well, I guess I'll consult those people tomorrow." She replied happily. "I don't know why, but I feel so excited!"

I laughed. "Farming seems fun."

"Anyways," Gotz cleared his throat. "I've fixed the barn and the henhouse the way it originally was. The former owner had asked me to expand it years ago, but since you're a new owner, you'll have to gain experience with your farm animals before I expand them again."

"It seems fair for me," She replied. "I'll do my very best!"

"Oh and yeah, I fixed the fish pond. The storms had destroyed it completely including the fish feed container. It's all okay now, but it has no fish. Then there's an apple tree near the pond." He added.

"So… I have to fish?" She tilted her head, and then murmured, "But I don't know how to fish…"

"I'll teach you." I volunteered gleefully.

"You will?" She chirped. "Thank you!"

"Anything for you, Claire."

"One more thing…" Gotz looked at Claire from head to toe. "Change your outfit when you move here. Those clothes won't survive farm life."

I examined her. Claire was wearing a pink sweater, cuffed denim shorts and beige flats. And since she's a city girl, I think all her clothes are similar with her outfit now.

"Hmmm. You could ask Ann for some clothes you know." I suggested. "Shorts, skirts and dresses won't do. Thick sweaters and sleeveless shirts are bad also. Don't wear those in farming."

"How'd you know those are my only garments?" She sharpened her eyes at me.

"I-It's not what you think!" I defended. "Y-You're a city g-girl… So, I think those are y-your clothes…"

"Are you sure you didn't peek in my bag? Or stalked Ann while she was washing my clothes?" She arched a brow at me.

"I didn't do any of that… Swear!" I swallowed hard.

Gotz chuckled. "You two are sure sweet, y'know. Weird, but still sweet."

Our faces reddened. I just laughed and scratched the back of my head while she held her face with her hands as we walked. Then finally, we reached the old farm. Claire and Gotz trudged to the cluttered field—it was full of stones, boulders, branches and stumps. I looked around more and found a puppy under the apple tree. I took it gently, brushed the dirt from its head and called out to the carpenter.

"Gotz, is this little critter yours?" I said as I approach them.

"Huh? No. Must've wandered around here." He shook his head.

"Let me have it!" Claire exclaimed and held it in her arms. "Aww, it's so cute. I'm going to call you Rain! Cute girl."

"C-Claire…" I stifled my laughter. "That puppy's a boy."

"It is?" She tilted her head.

"Yeah." Gotz and I answered in unison.

"Well, I'll call you Ace instead!" She laughed. The brown puppy licked her face. It seems to like her a lot.

"But does the inn accept pets?" Gotz asked.

"They don't. Ann's cat is the only pet Doug allowed there." I replied with a sigh.

"But I don't want to leave Ace alone." Claire hugged the puppy as she pouted and Ace also looked that it doesn't want to separate from its new master.

"I got an idea." Gotz smiled. "Ace can stay in my house while the house is still under renovation. I can take care of your little baby for a while. "

"Splendid." She squealed and talked to the puppy. "You'll like Gotz, Ace! He's very nice!"

We all laughed. Claire's attention was averted when she saw the only building that wasn't completely renovated yet—the house. She released the puppy and quietly walked towards her soon to be home. I tried to read her face—excitement, anxiety, fear, uncertainty.

"Gotz… When will the renovation be finished?" Claire turned to Gotz.

"This Monday actually. Three days to go!" He gave her thumbs up and smirked.

"Okay… Um, did you expand the house already?" She asked her eagerly.

"Actually, yes, I've given it a kitchen. But again, you'll have to work hard for the large bedroom with fireplace and a larger dining place. The house I've planned for this has a small bedroom, a kitchen and a bathroom. The mayor also instructed me to request a television for you from Forget-Me-Not Valley, since it's the nearest place where we could buy one. And it looks like I have to build a dog house for little Ace." He chuckled casually. "Anyways, the payment is settled already, right?"

"How much did everything cost?" I asked curiously. Man, Claire sure has a lot of money.

"Oh, you don't need to know." Claire smiled. Her face was very easy to read this time, she was nervous. I decided to drop the subject and respect her decision.

"Anyhow, that's all. The renovation will be done on Monday. The farming tools will be provided as soon as possible, don't worry. Just make sure you have some cash to buy seeds and animals… And I'm sure you won't have a problem with that." He eyed her and shrugged. "So, 'night to the two of you. I'll be on my way now."

"Bye and take care Gotz. Thanks for everything!" Claire waved good bye as he started for the mountains.

"Bye, Gotz! See ya!" I exclaimed. Gotz had disappeared into the mountains already.

"My, it's evening already." She commented. We both looked around and it was dark, but the sky was mesmerizing. The moon illuminated the place and the stars looked like they were winking at us. Everything seemed so… romantic and perfect…

Wait a minute. When did I get all so perceptive and prosaic? I thought to myself and grinned.

"I think we've spent atleast an hour or two by the beach." I laughed and sighed. "So if that was about five in afternoon, it's almost seven. We got a bit carried away, eh?"

She nodded. "We got carried away just by watching the sunset and admiring the sea."

"Well, it's time to go home then. Shall we, m'lady?" I bowed to her and offered her a hand.

"Certainly, Mister Romantic." She giggled. "But I don't want to hold your hand."

"W-what?"

"Turn around." She said impishly with a smirk.

I unwillingly turned back at her, thinking, what is she planning? "Oof!"

"Piggyback ride me to the inn, Mister Romantic." She dangled her legs by my sides and crossed her arms over my neck. I blushed and smiled.

"Your wish is my command, Princess Shorty." I teased her as I started for the inn.

"Sh-shorty?" Claire playfully retorted.

A grin stretched across my face. "Well, you are short. Remember when you tried to reach the air conditioner in the inn?"

"Yeah, well… Still, I'm not short! I'm five foot three inches."

"You're pretty short for me." I snickered. "I'm five foot seven."

"Fine. You're taller than me then, but that doesn't make me short to anybody else."

"By the way, you're heavy."

"I am?" Her voice sounded panicky.

"Kidding." With that, she hit my head teasingly.

"Ha ha ha. Don't worry Princess Shorty…" I trailed off, my cheeks warming up again. "You're still the most beautiful girl I've known… even if you're five foot three and heavy."

"From now on, I will call you jester." She laughed lightly and leaned her head on mine softly.

"And why would you that?"

"Because you love to make me laugh, calling me beautiful and such."

"Ah, but it's true!" I defended.

"Smooth talker."

"Sigh. Anyway, why'd you want a piggyback ride home?" I changed the subject.

"I… I've never experienced it." She confessed. "Even with Skye, he didn't want me to ride on his back. He said it would be so childish of me to do so."

"So the real Claire is like this huh? Besides being a very adorable pig, of course. You love these kinds of stuff, piggyback rides and puppies."

"I guess s-so… There's more of me that I don't really know yet… But my childlike side is showing now."

"Nothing's wrong with it. We all have childish personalities, like me, I'm not good at handling loss... Y'know, like my attitude earlier for losing all my money on bets. I hated losing…" I shook my head. "You can ask me for piggyback rides when you feel like it. Your jester is always here."

"You're the finest jester a princess would have." She murmured.

"And you're the most excellent and most beautiful princess a jester would gladly serve."

We've reached the front of the inn and Claire carefully stepped down from my back. We faced each other, holding each other's hand, and smiled.

"Shall we enter, Princess Shorty?" I offered her my hand again and smiled sweetly. She didn't decline this time, and gently held it.

"Gladly." She beamed and we went in.

Apparently everyone was waiting for us, and we quickly withdrew our hands. They were all gathered around the table, their mouth almost drooling because of the food in front of them.

"Welcome back, you two." Doug waved to us.

"We've been waiting for ages!" Ann complained and ran to hug Claire. "We couldn't start dinner without you guys!"

"But why wait for us?" Claire asked meekly as she hugged Ann back.

"Because my dad and I believe that during a special occasion or festival, like today, we should eat together." Ann dragged Claire to the table while I followed.

"Why?" I asked as we sat on our respective seats.

"Because we're a family." Ann and Doug answered cheerfully.

"Family, huh…" That sounded good. Family. The one thing I never had ever since mom was gone.

"It would be nice if we would eat altogether once in a while… And even though we're not actually blood-related, we can still call this a family." Doug nodded. "So, c'mon kids, eat up!"

And I know, I'm not the only one who wanted a family to belong. Everyone in the inn wanted a family.

Ann misses her mother like I do even though she doesn't remember her clearly. She died a long time ago, about when Doug still worked in the city and Ann was just three. Ann grew up to be a little tomboyish because her mom's not here to guide her. She always wanted a motherly-figure, just like Mary, her best friend. Of course, despite their cheery exterior, they still miss her.

Gray… my best friend. He moved in here because he can't stand his parents. His mom and dad are divorced for about ten years now and even after a long time, they are still not in good terms with each other. He got tired of moving back and forth every year to each of his parent's hometowns, so he decided to settle here instead with his grandfather. No doubt he's pretty happy with marrying the girl he likes; he told me that they'll never end up like his parents. He vowed to make a happy family, something he didn't experience.

Cliff had left his mother and his sister in their hometown for a long while, to see if he could strike on his own. Apparently he didn't become successful in the city so he went back. Unfortunately his mother died and his sister had gone off somewhere without any notice. That crushed his life and he wandered here in Mineral Town. He confessed to Gray and I that Ann reminded him of his sister and Doug was like the father he never had.

And Claire… She told me that her family died in the city while she was out. That was all I know, since she always drops the subject. I think she doesn't want to talk about it. But I could see it in her eyes that she wants to see her family again.

I smiled to myself, happy that I'm with my family now. And pretty elated that Claire and I had a fun day.

Confession: I enjoyed a lot while writing this. xD And see? It's not as long as chapters 7 & 8 anymore! :D