~*Well, here it is! At long last, the sequel of "Moonlight Pagoda"! I
suggest you read "Moonlight Pagoda" before reading this so you'd further
understand the story!*~
-=*Love That'll Last a Lifetime*=-
A tall blonde man stood in front of a glass container of jewelry, staring at a sign that said 'Engagement Rings'. He pointed out the pair of rings he wanted to purchase and wrote a check to finalize the deal.
"May I see your ID Card?" The cashier asked, studying the check. The man pulled out his wallet and flashed his ID, allowing the cashier to compare the name and to make sure the male was of legal age to be holding personal checks.
"Would that be all?" The man asked, tucking his wallet back into his pocket.
"So, you're 21." The cashier said, "Who's the lucky gal?"
"Her name is Kari Kamiya." The man said, "We've known each other for so long, but we've only been going out for six years."
"Well then, good luck with the proposal, TK was it?" The cashier asked and tore the receipt from the register.
"Yes, it's TK, and thanks!" The blonde said and walked out of the shop.
Across the street from the jewelry store, a tall male with baggy blue jeans and a black shirt accompanied a red-haired female to do her grocery shopping. For every item the woman pulled from the shelf, he punched button in his new pineapple V5 laptop.
"Oh, would you quit tapping on that laptop and help me with the groceries?" The red head growled. She took the laptop away from the man and handed him the basket filled with fruits and vegetables.
"I was just calculating the amount of money you would have to spend for this purchase!" The man whined, trying to reclaim his laptop.
"That's what cashiers are for, Izzy." The female said and returned the laptop. "Now keep that thing closed or you won't have a ride back home!"
"Sora, for being a kind girl, you sure are tough on your boyfriend." Izzy winced at the girl's threat. Izzy and Sora have been dating for 5 years now. He stared out the store window and saw a familiar figure. "Hey Sor, isn't that TK?"
Sora looked up from punching in a few buttons on the Debit/Credit machine at the register. "It looks like him." She took a closer glance. "What was he doing at the jewelry store?"
"You don't think he's going to -" He paused and watched as TK disappeared into his forest green minivan and drove off.
"Propose to Kari?" Sora finished his statement. "It could be possible, but I doubt it."
"Well, anything is possible with those two." Izzy said and carried the bags of purchased items out to the car.
At the Kamiya residence, Kari was preparing for a couple's night out with TK to a magnificent restaurant. She stared at herself in the mirror, watching as her carnation colored dress sparkled in the light radiating from her small lampshade. She watched the clock as the minutes flew by, but she never received a single signal of TK's arrival; no phone call, no ringing doorbell, nothing.
"It's not like TK to be late like this." Kari wondered to herself. She stared at the clock again, which read 7:30PM. "He's never half an hour late, let alone late at all." As if on cue, the phone rang.
"Kamiya residence, this is Kari speaking." Kari said through the receiver.
"Hi sweetie, guess who?" A male voice asked the girl on the other line.
"It's a stalker!" Kari squealed playfully, receiving chuckles from the other side.
"Yes, and I'm coming over to pick you up." The male said and started the engine to his car.
"Okay, TK." Kari said, "I'll see you in a few minutes!"
"See ya!" TK said and both hung up.
Ten minutes later, a forest green minivan arrived at the driveway of the Kamiya residence. A blonde stepped out of the car and took slow strides to the doorway.
"I can do this." He said to himself, fiddling with a small package in his jacket pocket. He took his final steps to the doorway and noticed it was already wide open.
"You're 40 minutes late." Kari said in a playfully annoyed tone.
"I'm sorry." TK sighed, "I'll make it up to you, I promise."
"Then let's get going!" Kari cheered, "I can't wait to see what you have planned for tonight!"
"Oh, you'll be surprised." TK grinned, "I'm going to make tonight the best night of your life!"
"TK, you're scaring me." Kari said, scooting away from him in the car.
"Not like that silly!" TK said, "I'd never do anything like THAT to you until you were ready."
"I know. I was just playing around." She said, giving him a little peck on the cheek.
The drive to the restaurant was quick, due to the fact that it was night and not many were on the streets.
"There's a spot right there!" Kari said, pointing to a parking spot in front of them. TK smiled and turned into the empty space and turned the engine off once the car came to a complete stop.
TK stepped out and walked around the car. Before Kari could even reach for the door handle, the door swung open. She looked up and saw TK holding the door open for her. She smiled and stepped out of the car and slid aside for TK to close the door.
"All locked up?" Kari asked and checked if all the doors were locked.
TK stood there and watched as his soon-to-be fiancée pulled on all the door handles, checking if a door would swing open. After testing the last door, she gave TK a small nod and walked up to him.
"All secured." She said and linked arms with him.
"Great, let's get going!" TK said with a smile and led her to the restaurant.
At the door, a waiter behind a fancy oak podium held out his hand, causing TK and Kari to stop. The waiter straightened his black vest and pulled out a black pen from his shirt pocket.
"I'm sorry, but the restaurant is currently filled for the night. If you have reservations, please state your name and how many people there are in your party." The waiter said and prepared to search through a list that sat in front of him.
"My name is TK Takaishi, and it's only me and my girlfriend in this party." TK said and waited while the waiter flipped through multiple pages of his list.
"I'm sorry sir, but I do not have your name here on the reservation list." The waiter said and called for the next group to move up.
"I'm sure there's a mistake." TK said, holding in the temper that started to build up. "I know I made reservations." He looked at the waiter's nametag. "A person named Manuel, you, took my reservation and said to come at eight in the evening!"
"Sir, you walked in five minutes later than your reservation time. With all these reservations, your table was probably given away. Now, I suggest you leave the premises or I will summon security." The waiter said and helped the other guests.
"TK, it's okay." Kari said, leading TK out of the restaurant before anymore trouble could brew up. "We could go somewhere else to eat." She straightened TK black bow tie and kissed him. "The night is still young. We have a lot of time to do what you planned."
"Where else can we eat?" TK asked, taking deep breaths to ease his temper. "I don't want to take you to a fast food chain tonight, that's what I'm trying to avoid." He sighed. "I just wanted to make you happy today."
Kari led him to the car and kissed him again. "Let's go home and change into clothes that are comfortable for a nice stroll in the park." Kari suggested. "That way, we can still have a great time together regardless of what happened here today."
"Okay." TK said and opened the door for Kari. Once Kari was in, he shut her door and went in through his side of the car.
The drive to Kari's house was quiet. The only noises that were heard were the whistle of the wind and the chirping of the birds through the open window. TK had somewhat settled down since the event at the restaurant, but a few mumbled phrases were barely heard coming from him.
"TK, we're here." Kari said, waving a hand in front of the boy's face.
TK blinked a few times turned the car into the driveway of Kari's home. "Sorry 'bout that." TK said softly and unlocked the door.
"It's alright." Kari said, smiling. "I'll meet you back here in about ten minutes?"
"Sure." TK nodded and watched as Kari disappeared into the house. He pulled out of the driveway and headed home.
Kari walked into her room, thinking about the incident at the restaurant. She dressed out of the formal clothing she had on and went to her dresser to pull out a pair of pink sweats and a matching shirt. She walked over to her closet and gazed left and right, trying to find the perfect sweater or jacket that'll match her current wardrobe and that'll keep her warm in the night breeze. It took her about five minutes until she decided on a carnation pink coat with fur at the end of the sleeves. She walked out to the front door and slipped on a pair of pink tennis shoes and was about to walk back to her room when she heard a car horn from outside.
"Could that be TK already?" She asked herself and glanced at her watch. She had taken so much time picking a perfect outfit to wear that she was completely oblivious about the time. "It's been ten minutes already?" She screamed and bolted out the door.
TK stood waiting with the door wide open on the passenger side of the car. He wore a green sweater with a pair of white sweats. Beneath his sweater was a white shirt with the crests of hope and light embroidered on in pink and green threads interlacing each other. On his feet were white and green tennis shoes and white socks, folded at the shin. He also had on his old fisherman hat that he had tossed aside since he started paying more attention to his hair.
"I'm sorry it took me a while," Kari said and stepped into the car. She gave TK a smile which gave him the message, 'Thank You.'
"No rush." TK smiled and shut the door. He walked around and sat himself down behind the wheel. "It's not like the park will give away our bench once we're late."
"You're still mad about losing your seat at the restaurant?" Kari asked, "You didn't pay for it so you don't have to be mad about it."
TK sighed. She was right. He looked at her and smiled. He backed out of the driveway and headed toward the park. The drive was fast and filled with conversations about the past. Kari brought up the fact that it had been six years since she saw that hat atop his head.
"May I?" Kari asked, staring at the hat.
"Sure, why not?" TK said. He laughed as Kari plucked his hat off his head and rested it on hers.
"How do I look?" She asked, adjusting the hat.
TK turned into the parking lot of the city park and turned into an open space. He turned to look at Kari and smiled. "You look adorable." He said, adjusting the hat so that there wasn't a slight tilt to the side.
"How sweet," She giggled and kissed him. She exited the car, leaving TK inside, still glancing over toward where she had been moments earlier. He heard his door open and snapped out of his stare. He turned and saw Kari waiting outside with her hand on the door handle.
"Hey, that's my job!" TK teased and stepped out of the car.
"Well then, you're fired." She grinned and shut the door behind him. "Let's take a walk around the lake and enjoy the rest of the night."
"Okay." TK said and took Kari's hands into his.
After a couple laps around the lake, TK and Kari took a seat on a lakeside bench and stared out toward the lake.
"Looking out toward that pagoda brings back excellent memories, doesn't it?" TK said, staring at the white marble structure on an island in the center of the lake.
"Yes, it does." Kari said and rested her head on TK's shoulder. She stared out at the reflection of the moon. "It looks so much like it did six years ago."
-*FLASHBACK*-
"It's so beautiful, isn't it TK?" She said, looking at the reflection of the moonlight in the lake.
"Yes it is." TK said, "As beautiful as you." He blushed. He turned away to hide his face.
Kari blushed as well. "You really mean it?" She asked, facing TK.
TK turned to look at her. "Yes, I do mean it!" TK said, causing him to blush a deep cherry red.
Kari smiled. "Boy, you sure can blush!" She giggled and went back to admiring the moon's reflection.
-*END FLASHBACK*-
"That day was the best day of my life!" Kari said, raising her head up from TK's shoulder and kissing him.
TK smiled then averted his gaze back to the grass. He sighed. "I had this day planned out perfectly, but ever since we lost our table at the restaurant, I got so worked up on not getting that table that everything else I planned slipped my mind. I thought I'd never find the time to ask you." He had originally planned to take Kari out to watch a movie after the dinner. After that, he planned to rent a boat and bring her to the pagoda, the same one from six years ago where Kari had a secret 15th birthday dinner, and where he and Kari confessed their love for each other.
"Ask me what?" Kari asked, giving TK and confused stare.
"Well, after the dinner and a movie, I planned to take you back to that pagoda." TK said.
"That doesn't answer my question." Kari said.
TK went down on one knee and pulled out a small velvet box he had purchased from the jewelry store earlier in the day. He opened the box and a small diamond ring glimmered brightly as the light from the moon reflected off of the gem. Kari stared at TK with wide eyes. She knew what TK was about to do.
"Kari, will you marry me?" He asked, staring into her beautiful crimson eyes as they shone in the moonlight. "I understand if you say no because--"
Kari cut him off by placing a finger on his lips. She helped TK up and gave him a long, soothing kiss. "TK, of course I'll marry you. There is no one on this planet I want to spend my life with, but you." She said and hugged him close to her.
TK slipped the ring onto her ring finger and smiled.
"I love you, Kari." He said, pulling her into a hug.
"I love you too." She replied and both shared a long and romantic kiss, similar to the one they had on the ferry six years ago.
-*FLASHBACK*-
On the boat ride home, Izzy put on disco music for everyone to dance to. Kari pulled TK out to where their table and they shared another romantic kiss under the moon.
"This is the best day of my life!" Kari whispered, hugging TK and cuddling up to him.
"Mine too." TK said, kissing Kari on her forehead. "I'm glad I have you in my arms right now." Kari smiled, and they spent the rest of the boat ride home in each other's arms.
-*END FLASHBACK*-
~*It took a while to plan everything out, but writing it was a piece of cake. The flashbacks are NOT exact copies from "Moonlight Pagoda", I tweaked some of the flashbacks so they would make sense. Please read and review! Flames are accepted, I could use a nice warm fire here at home in California!*~
-=*Love That'll Last a Lifetime*=-
A tall blonde man stood in front of a glass container of jewelry, staring at a sign that said 'Engagement Rings'. He pointed out the pair of rings he wanted to purchase and wrote a check to finalize the deal.
"May I see your ID Card?" The cashier asked, studying the check. The man pulled out his wallet and flashed his ID, allowing the cashier to compare the name and to make sure the male was of legal age to be holding personal checks.
"Would that be all?" The man asked, tucking his wallet back into his pocket.
"So, you're 21." The cashier said, "Who's the lucky gal?"
"Her name is Kari Kamiya." The man said, "We've known each other for so long, but we've only been going out for six years."
"Well then, good luck with the proposal, TK was it?" The cashier asked and tore the receipt from the register.
"Yes, it's TK, and thanks!" The blonde said and walked out of the shop.
Across the street from the jewelry store, a tall male with baggy blue jeans and a black shirt accompanied a red-haired female to do her grocery shopping. For every item the woman pulled from the shelf, he punched button in his new pineapple V5 laptop.
"Oh, would you quit tapping on that laptop and help me with the groceries?" The red head growled. She took the laptop away from the man and handed him the basket filled with fruits and vegetables.
"I was just calculating the amount of money you would have to spend for this purchase!" The man whined, trying to reclaim his laptop.
"That's what cashiers are for, Izzy." The female said and returned the laptop. "Now keep that thing closed or you won't have a ride back home!"
"Sora, for being a kind girl, you sure are tough on your boyfriend." Izzy winced at the girl's threat. Izzy and Sora have been dating for 5 years now. He stared out the store window and saw a familiar figure. "Hey Sor, isn't that TK?"
Sora looked up from punching in a few buttons on the Debit/Credit machine at the register. "It looks like him." She took a closer glance. "What was he doing at the jewelry store?"
"You don't think he's going to -" He paused and watched as TK disappeared into his forest green minivan and drove off.
"Propose to Kari?" Sora finished his statement. "It could be possible, but I doubt it."
"Well, anything is possible with those two." Izzy said and carried the bags of purchased items out to the car.
At the Kamiya residence, Kari was preparing for a couple's night out with TK to a magnificent restaurant. She stared at herself in the mirror, watching as her carnation colored dress sparkled in the light radiating from her small lampshade. She watched the clock as the minutes flew by, but she never received a single signal of TK's arrival; no phone call, no ringing doorbell, nothing.
"It's not like TK to be late like this." Kari wondered to herself. She stared at the clock again, which read 7:30PM. "He's never half an hour late, let alone late at all." As if on cue, the phone rang.
"Kamiya residence, this is Kari speaking." Kari said through the receiver.
"Hi sweetie, guess who?" A male voice asked the girl on the other line.
"It's a stalker!" Kari squealed playfully, receiving chuckles from the other side.
"Yes, and I'm coming over to pick you up." The male said and started the engine to his car.
"Okay, TK." Kari said, "I'll see you in a few minutes!"
"See ya!" TK said and both hung up.
Ten minutes later, a forest green minivan arrived at the driveway of the Kamiya residence. A blonde stepped out of the car and took slow strides to the doorway.
"I can do this." He said to himself, fiddling with a small package in his jacket pocket. He took his final steps to the doorway and noticed it was already wide open.
"You're 40 minutes late." Kari said in a playfully annoyed tone.
"I'm sorry." TK sighed, "I'll make it up to you, I promise."
"Then let's get going!" Kari cheered, "I can't wait to see what you have planned for tonight!"
"Oh, you'll be surprised." TK grinned, "I'm going to make tonight the best night of your life!"
"TK, you're scaring me." Kari said, scooting away from him in the car.
"Not like that silly!" TK said, "I'd never do anything like THAT to you until you were ready."
"I know. I was just playing around." She said, giving him a little peck on the cheek.
The drive to the restaurant was quick, due to the fact that it was night and not many were on the streets.
"There's a spot right there!" Kari said, pointing to a parking spot in front of them. TK smiled and turned into the empty space and turned the engine off once the car came to a complete stop.
TK stepped out and walked around the car. Before Kari could even reach for the door handle, the door swung open. She looked up and saw TK holding the door open for her. She smiled and stepped out of the car and slid aside for TK to close the door.
"All locked up?" Kari asked and checked if all the doors were locked.
TK stood there and watched as his soon-to-be fiancée pulled on all the door handles, checking if a door would swing open. After testing the last door, she gave TK a small nod and walked up to him.
"All secured." She said and linked arms with him.
"Great, let's get going!" TK said with a smile and led her to the restaurant.
At the door, a waiter behind a fancy oak podium held out his hand, causing TK and Kari to stop. The waiter straightened his black vest and pulled out a black pen from his shirt pocket.
"I'm sorry, but the restaurant is currently filled for the night. If you have reservations, please state your name and how many people there are in your party." The waiter said and prepared to search through a list that sat in front of him.
"My name is TK Takaishi, and it's only me and my girlfriend in this party." TK said and waited while the waiter flipped through multiple pages of his list.
"I'm sorry sir, but I do not have your name here on the reservation list." The waiter said and called for the next group to move up.
"I'm sure there's a mistake." TK said, holding in the temper that started to build up. "I know I made reservations." He looked at the waiter's nametag. "A person named Manuel, you, took my reservation and said to come at eight in the evening!"
"Sir, you walked in five minutes later than your reservation time. With all these reservations, your table was probably given away. Now, I suggest you leave the premises or I will summon security." The waiter said and helped the other guests.
"TK, it's okay." Kari said, leading TK out of the restaurant before anymore trouble could brew up. "We could go somewhere else to eat." She straightened TK black bow tie and kissed him. "The night is still young. We have a lot of time to do what you planned."
"Where else can we eat?" TK asked, taking deep breaths to ease his temper. "I don't want to take you to a fast food chain tonight, that's what I'm trying to avoid." He sighed. "I just wanted to make you happy today."
Kari led him to the car and kissed him again. "Let's go home and change into clothes that are comfortable for a nice stroll in the park." Kari suggested. "That way, we can still have a great time together regardless of what happened here today."
"Okay." TK said and opened the door for Kari. Once Kari was in, he shut her door and went in through his side of the car.
The drive to Kari's house was quiet. The only noises that were heard were the whistle of the wind and the chirping of the birds through the open window. TK had somewhat settled down since the event at the restaurant, but a few mumbled phrases were barely heard coming from him.
"TK, we're here." Kari said, waving a hand in front of the boy's face.
TK blinked a few times turned the car into the driveway of Kari's home. "Sorry 'bout that." TK said softly and unlocked the door.
"It's alright." Kari said, smiling. "I'll meet you back here in about ten minutes?"
"Sure." TK nodded and watched as Kari disappeared into the house. He pulled out of the driveway and headed home.
Kari walked into her room, thinking about the incident at the restaurant. She dressed out of the formal clothing she had on and went to her dresser to pull out a pair of pink sweats and a matching shirt. She walked over to her closet and gazed left and right, trying to find the perfect sweater or jacket that'll match her current wardrobe and that'll keep her warm in the night breeze. It took her about five minutes until she decided on a carnation pink coat with fur at the end of the sleeves. She walked out to the front door and slipped on a pair of pink tennis shoes and was about to walk back to her room when she heard a car horn from outside.
"Could that be TK already?" She asked herself and glanced at her watch. She had taken so much time picking a perfect outfit to wear that she was completely oblivious about the time. "It's been ten minutes already?" She screamed and bolted out the door.
TK stood waiting with the door wide open on the passenger side of the car. He wore a green sweater with a pair of white sweats. Beneath his sweater was a white shirt with the crests of hope and light embroidered on in pink and green threads interlacing each other. On his feet were white and green tennis shoes and white socks, folded at the shin. He also had on his old fisherman hat that he had tossed aside since he started paying more attention to his hair.
"I'm sorry it took me a while," Kari said and stepped into the car. She gave TK a smile which gave him the message, 'Thank You.'
"No rush." TK smiled and shut the door. He walked around and sat himself down behind the wheel. "It's not like the park will give away our bench once we're late."
"You're still mad about losing your seat at the restaurant?" Kari asked, "You didn't pay for it so you don't have to be mad about it."
TK sighed. She was right. He looked at her and smiled. He backed out of the driveway and headed toward the park. The drive was fast and filled with conversations about the past. Kari brought up the fact that it had been six years since she saw that hat atop his head.
"May I?" Kari asked, staring at the hat.
"Sure, why not?" TK said. He laughed as Kari plucked his hat off his head and rested it on hers.
"How do I look?" She asked, adjusting the hat.
TK turned into the parking lot of the city park and turned into an open space. He turned to look at Kari and smiled. "You look adorable." He said, adjusting the hat so that there wasn't a slight tilt to the side.
"How sweet," She giggled and kissed him. She exited the car, leaving TK inside, still glancing over toward where she had been moments earlier. He heard his door open and snapped out of his stare. He turned and saw Kari waiting outside with her hand on the door handle.
"Hey, that's my job!" TK teased and stepped out of the car.
"Well then, you're fired." She grinned and shut the door behind him. "Let's take a walk around the lake and enjoy the rest of the night."
"Okay." TK said and took Kari's hands into his.
After a couple laps around the lake, TK and Kari took a seat on a lakeside bench and stared out toward the lake.
"Looking out toward that pagoda brings back excellent memories, doesn't it?" TK said, staring at the white marble structure on an island in the center of the lake.
"Yes, it does." Kari said and rested her head on TK's shoulder. She stared out at the reflection of the moon. "It looks so much like it did six years ago."
-*FLASHBACK*-
"It's so beautiful, isn't it TK?" She said, looking at the reflection of the moonlight in the lake.
"Yes it is." TK said, "As beautiful as you." He blushed. He turned away to hide his face.
Kari blushed as well. "You really mean it?" She asked, facing TK.
TK turned to look at her. "Yes, I do mean it!" TK said, causing him to blush a deep cherry red.
Kari smiled. "Boy, you sure can blush!" She giggled and went back to admiring the moon's reflection.
-*END FLASHBACK*-
"That day was the best day of my life!" Kari said, raising her head up from TK's shoulder and kissing him.
TK smiled then averted his gaze back to the grass. He sighed. "I had this day planned out perfectly, but ever since we lost our table at the restaurant, I got so worked up on not getting that table that everything else I planned slipped my mind. I thought I'd never find the time to ask you." He had originally planned to take Kari out to watch a movie after the dinner. After that, he planned to rent a boat and bring her to the pagoda, the same one from six years ago where Kari had a secret 15th birthday dinner, and where he and Kari confessed their love for each other.
"Ask me what?" Kari asked, giving TK and confused stare.
"Well, after the dinner and a movie, I planned to take you back to that pagoda." TK said.
"That doesn't answer my question." Kari said.
TK went down on one knee and pulled out a small velvet box he had purchased from the jewelry store earlier in the day. He opened the box and a small diamond ring glimmered brightly as the light from the moon reflected off of the gem. Kari stared at TK with wide eyes. She knew what TK was about to do.
"Kari, will you marry me?" He asked, staring into her beautiful crimson eyes as they shone in the moonlight. "I understand if you say no because--"
Kari cut him off by placing a finger on his lips. She helped TK up and gave him a long, soothing kiss. "TK, of course I'll marry you. There is no one on this planet I want to spend my life with, but you." She said and hugged him close to her.
TK slipped the ring onto her ring finger and smiled.
"I love you, Kari." He said, pulling her into a hug.
"I love you too." She replied and both shared a long and romantic kiss, similar to the one they had on the ferry six years ago.
-*FLASHBACK*-
On the boat ride home, Izzy put on disco music for everyone to dance to. Kari pulled TK out to where their table and they shared another romantic kiss under the moon.
"This is the best day of my life!" Kari whispered, hugging TK and cuddling up to him.
"Mine too." TK said, kissing Kari on her forehead. "I'm glad I have you in my arms right now." Kari smiled, and they spent the rest of the boat ride home in each other's arms.
-*END FLASHBACK*-
~*It took a while to plan everything out, but writing it was a piece of cake. The flashbacks are NOT exact copies from "Moonlight Pagoda", I tweaked some of the flashbacks so they would make sense. Please read and review! Flames are accepted, I could use a nice warm fire here at home in California!*~