The Oracle

Chapter 69: Under the Stars

SORA

Later in the afternoon, I stop by the library to check out more books for my studies whenever I happen to spot Layla browsing the shelves. I make my way over to her, watching curiously as she attempts to reach the top shelf by jumping and failing. Deciding to lend her a hand, I walk over and grab the book for her, pulling it out and handing it to her.

"Thanks..." she trails off hesitantly, her eyes scanning me down.

"No problem," I say. "So...how's it been going? Your research, I mean. If you don't mind me asking."

"Fine," Layla shrugs. "I've found a few leads but nothing serious yet. I'm hoping to make a breakthrough, but I doubt that'll happen anytime soon."

"Do you think Evory could do a scan on you?" I ask. "Maybe she could help you figure out some things about yourself that you don't already know."

"No," Layla shakes her head. "Evory has far more important matters to attend to, like finding a cure for Reverence. I don't want to bother her."

"I see..." I frown. "Well, just know that if you ever need anything, you can ask me."

"Yeah..." Layla trails off in thought before she frowns as I start to walk away, reaching for my wrist to stop me. "Hey, Sora. Wait."

"Huh?" I glance back at her and furrow my eyebrows.

"Do you think that you could help me with something?" Layla asks quietly.

"What is it?" I ask, frowning worriedly.

"I can't explain why, but...something feels wrong," Layla says.

"What do you mean?" I ask warily.

"I don't know," Layla crosses her arms against her chest, closing in on herself. "Maybe it's nothing, but...something just...I don't know."

"Hey," I say softly, placing a hand on her shoulder. "If it keeps bothering you, let me know. Okay? I'm here to help."

"Yeah," Layla nods, offering a forced smile. "Okay. I will. You should go head back to Merrick, now. I'm sure he wants to spend as much time as possible with you now that things have settled down."

"Yeah," I rub the back of my neck sheepishly. "I just came to check out some books but I was planning on watching a movie with him later."

"I'll see you around, Wrath," Layla smiles tiredly and heads out to check out her book, her book clutched to her chest.

"See you..." I breathe out as I watch her leave, feeling like maybe she's right, that maybe something terrible is bound to happen soon.

***

AKARI

"Hair bow? Check," I say as I adjust the white hair bow that I put in my hair with my ponytail, the long ribbons trailing in the back, looking at my reflection in the mirror. "Black cold-shoulder top? Check. White ruffled skirt? Check. Short black boots that zip up the sides? Check. Silver necklace with a blue gemstone in a diamond cut? Check. Okay...I think I'm ready."

A knock at my room door alerts me that Kaito is here, and I make my way over to open it. Upon opening the door, I see Kaito standing on the other side in a black button up shirt, grey ripped jeans, and black converse, a black rope bracelet and a black watch around his right wrist.

"Hey," I smile, my eyes flickering across his figure.

"Hey yourself," Kaito smiles in return. "You look beautiful."

"Thanks," I blush lightly. "You look nice as well."

"Thanks," Kaito chuckles. "So, are you ready?"

"Yeah," I nod, stepping out and closing my door. "So, where are we going, exactly?"

"Come on, there's something I want to show you," Kaito says and grabs my hand to lead me through the academy.

Kaito leads me through the academy until we reach the stairwell that leads to the roof and I raise a brow in curiosity as he leads me up it. Kaito then gently pushes open the door and moves aside so that I can go before him, my eyes widening when I notice the sky full of stars and a crescent moon, a picnic set up on the roof with a giant maroon blanket and candles with cherry blossom flowers.

"Kaito? You did this?" I ask as I glance back at him and he smiles, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Yeah," Kaito shrugs. "Do you like it? I tried to make it romantic, but I don't know if I—"

I cut Kaito off by jumping at him and pulling him into a hug, wrapping my arms around his neck as his hands go to rest at my waist, stepping backwards slightly in surprise.

"I love it," I smile, and he smiles in return.

"Good," Kaito sighs in relief. "I'm not really good at romance and all that shit, but I tried my best for you. You deserve it."

"Come on," I smile, pulling back and grabbing his hand. "Let's go have our picnic."

The two of us move to sit on the blanket and I start to unpack the basket Kaito prepared, which has a box of strawberry shortcake, a box of chocolates, and carefully wrapped sandwiches. Meanwhile, Kaito reaches into the cooler he also prepared and pulls out two bottles of cola, making me smile.

"It's beautiful," I breathe out as I look up at the sky, unwrapping one of the sandwiches.

"Yeah," Kaito breathes out, looking over at me, "it is."

I blush, thinking he's probably not talking about the sky as I begin to eat my sandwich. The two of us eat our sandwiches before we eat the box of strawberry shortcake together. I then go to unwrap the box of chocolates and I pull one out that has a cherry inside, eating it as Kaito reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small black box.

"Kaito?" I furrow my eyebrows, swallowing my chocolate. "What's that?"

Kaito grins sheepishly as he opens the box towards me to reveal a silver heart locket that has a blue gemstone in the center. I gasp as Kaito reaches into the box and opens the locket, revealing a picture of the two of us from just a few months ago.

"I went and got this made earlier today," Kaito says. "I hope you like it."

I gently pick the locket up and close it, turning it around in my hands to see an engraving scrawled on the back.

"'A picture speaks a thousand words, and each word speaks a thousand of its own,'" I say aloud, reading the engraving. "Kaito...thank you. I love it."

I gently place the necklace back in the box before I place the box aside and grab another chocolate, making Kaito furrow his eyebrows in confusion.

"Akari?" Kaito asks and I simply grin at him before I lean forwards and use my one arm to keep myself propped up, my free hand resting against the side of his face as I kiss him deeply, a muffled noise of surprise escaping his lips as I shove the chocolate into his mouth with mine.

Kaito leans forwards and rests his hand against the side of my face, and I move to loop my arms around his neck as I fall backwards and he falls with me.

"I love you," Kaito breathes out when he pulls back, and I smile up at him.

"I love you too," I grin and giggle as I roll us around so that his back is on the blanket and I'm straddling him, making him grin as well.

I laugh out in surprise whenever he throws me onto my back and climbs back on top of me, grinning down at me as he pins my wrists down.

"Got you now," he says, his eyes searching mine.

"You got me long ago," I smile softly up at him and he smiles in return.

Kaito pulls me into a hug before he stands up with me and twirls me around, making me laugh, and the two of us spend our night together beneath the stars, full of love and laughter.