After Story: Compassion

Chapter Twenty-Five: Amuse-ment Park

I idly tapped the ground with my shoe as I waited outside the train station for the others. I knew I was early, but with nothing else to do I had decided to come early.

"Okazaki-kun!" I looked up from my tapping to see Ryou...and my eyes widened.

She had on a dress similar to the one that she wore on our last 'date', only this one was white instead of black, and she had her usual white ribbon instead of the dark blue. A white hat with a large brim sat atop her head, and white slipper-like shoes protected her feet from the pavement.

"Wow..." I breathed.

She stopped before me with a worried look. "Is something wrong?"

I shook my head. "You...look beautiful," I replied with a voice filled with awe.

Her face immediately turned scarlet as she looked toward the ground. "I-I'm not-"

I quickly but gently captured her chin and tilted her face back up to look directly into her uneasy eyes. "Yes. You are."

Her blink pushed the tears from her eyes to trickle down her cheeks. "Th-Thank you."

She hurriedly dried her eyes as her sister approached with Pastor Ashton; she didn't want me to get in trouble, and I appreciated that.

"Are we late?" he asked as he checked his watch.

"No, they're just early," Kyou replied. She exchanged kisses on the cheek with her sister before addressing me. "Good morning, Tomoya."

"'Morning," I greeted. "Are we all ready, then?"

"Yup!" she chirped as she held up a bag. "I brought lunch again!"

"We could have bought something at the...oh, right," I said, then lightly bopped myself in the head; of course she'd want to make a lunch.

The train arrived and we piled in; it was busy, but not so busy that we couldn't sit together...or stand, as Jeff and I took hold of the handles as the girls sat. I smirked as I watched Kyou, who was busy admiring Jeff, who was busy admiring the scenery outside the train. Poor girl.

As expected, the ride was a short one and soon we found ourselves in front of the entrance to the amusement park.

"When was the last time we came here, Onee-chan?" Ryou asked.

"Hmm..." Kyou sidled up to Jeff and took one of his arms in hers. "About two years ago?" She then had to jump back as he flinched quite...strongly.

"S-Sorry about that," he said when he had recovered. "I wasn't expecting that at all. I didn't hit you, did I?"

"N-No," she replied. "I-I-I'm sorry; I didn't mean to startle you."

"Why were you grabbing my arm in the first place?" he asked while rubbing at the affected limb.

Kyou's mouth opened and closed several times, but no sound came out.

"I think she wanted to make sure that we didn't become separated," Ryou explained, which wasn't too far from the truth.

"I see," he said, apparently accepting the explanation. "I'm sorry, but I'm not comfortable being touched like that. Maybe your sister or Tomoya would be a better choice."

For a moment Kyou looked like she was going to cry, but she was a tough girl. "N-No, I-I'm fine. I'm sorry for forcing myself on you like that; I d-didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

"Forgiven and eventually forgotten," he said with his trademark kind smile. "Let's move on, okay?"

After that rocky start we worked on having a good time.