The Moon and Polaris

Chapter 17: Birthday Buddies

"Did I ever tell you my birthday is next week?" Kiki asked as she and Iori walked back to his apartment from the supermarket.

The man glanced down at her for a moment, then turned his attention back to the road ahead, "No."

Kiki grinned, "Well, it is. December seventh. Mark it down!" She punctuated her last sentence with a wink and a finger gun. With no reaction from Iori, she shrugged and continued, "Anyway, I'm saying this now because I've got a favor to ask, Mr. Yagami."

"Go on."

"Mind if we skip out on training that day?" She hung her head sheepishly, "I understand if that's out of line to ask, considering that we've been following a strict schedule this entire time, and--"

"It's fine."

Kiki blinked, "Wait, for real? Are you sure?" Iori nodded, and the girl's expression brightened. "Awesome! Thank you so so so much, Mr. Yagami! I didn't expect you to say 'yes' at all, so I didn't have any huge plans or anything, but now that I do have the day off I have so many things I wanna do, and--"

Iori placed a hand over her mouth, "Calm down."

She pried his hand away and stuck her tongue out at him, "Anyway, there's another reason I want the day off."

He cocked an eyebrow at her, "And that would be?"

"Well, uh," Kiki hesitated for a moment, "it's just that Kyo's birthday is coming up too--"

Iori glared down at her, "Kyo?"

"Don't." She sighed and gave him a stern look, "I was planning on buying a present for him once I'm done celebrating my own birthday. So, don't kill him before he turns another year older, or else I'll be sad." Putting on puppy-dog eyes and a pout, Kiki teased, "And you wouldn't want to make your poor, little disciple sad, right, Iorin?"

"What did I say about you calling me that?" Iori asked as he pinched Kiki's cheek with his free hand. "What you've told me is not going to sway my actions. You do as you please, and I'll do the same."

Kiki's brow furrowed as she tried to interpret his words, "So, does that mean you're still gonna try to kill him, or...?"

"I will if I feel like it."

"... 'Yes' is a shorter answer, Mr. Yagami."

Kiki knelt down and laced up her sneakers at the front entrance, "Are you sure you don't wanna tag along, Mr. Yagami? I think it would be fun."

"Do you really expect me to accompany you in buying Kyo a birthday present?," Iori asked as he sat on the couch and strummed his bass.

"Yes...?"

He rolled his eyes at her.

"Suit yourself," Kiki said with a shrug. She rose to her feet and finger-gunned Iori, "Catch you later, Mr. Yagami! I'll try to get home before midnight."

He waved goodbye but didn't even bother to look up from his bass. Once Kiki left the apartment and shut the door behind her, Iori waited for a few moments and put his bass away. He entered the kitchen, picked up the phone, and dialed a number. "Mizushima? It's me. I need you for something."

Hopping off the train, Kiki weaved her way through the large wave of pedestrians and emerged from the station. Tall skyscrapers surrounded her and bright, colorful lights flashed on billboards. Roars of car engines and chatter from the sea of people filled the air. "Aw, yeah! Dotonbori, here I am!" Kiki cheered. "Man, I don't know where to start," she thought aloud as she wandered the lively streets, "Maybe Kiryu Ramen? Nah, I always get ramen with Iori. Maybe Hariju...? Not sure if I'm in the mood for beef, though."

She walked alongside the Dotonbori Canal, hoping to find a place to satisfy her hunger. It was then she caught a glimpse of a giant crab on one of the buildings on the other side of the canal. "Kani Doraku!" she squealed. "Man, crab sure does sound good right now." She dashed over to the bridge ahead of her but stopped short when she saw a familiar face leaning against the bridge's railing. "Kyo!" She ran over to him, waved her arms, and continually called his name.

Finally catching his attention, Kyo met her at the foot of the bridge, "Hey, Kiki. What are you up to?"

"Heh, that's my line," she remarked. "It's my birthday today, so I was gonna treat myself to some crab at Kani Doraku."

Kyo surveyed the area with slight concern, "Yagami's not with you, is he?"

Kiki giggled and shook her head, "Nah. After I mentioned I'd also be out buying you a birthday gift, he--" She slapped both hands over her mouth, "I mean...! Uh, forget you heard that last thing! I wasn't gonna surprise you with a birthday gift! Nope, not at all!"

"Whatever you say, Kiki," he said with a smirk.

"So," she cocked her head at him, "what're you up to?"

"Meeting up with my girlfriend for a date," Kyo replied.

"Girlfriend?!" Kiki cried. "Well, I shouldn't be too surprised. I'd be more shocked if you didn't have one. With how handsome you are and all."

"Flattering me now, are you?" Kyo chuckled, "Please, Kiki, I just said I'm taken."

"Dude, stop~!" Kiki playfully shoved him.

As the pair continued to joke around, a voice called out to Kyo in the distance, "Kyo! Over here!" The two of them looked over and saw a young woman with short brown hair heading towards them.

Kyo smiled brightly and zoomed right to her; Kiki tailed behind him. "Yuki!" he greeted, "You ready to go?"

The woman, Yuki, nodded "Yeah, but," she stared at Kiki and placed her hands on her hips, and got up in Kyo's face, "Are you going to introduce me or what?"

Kyo rolled his eyes, "Jeez, calm down, will ya?" He nodded to Kiki, "That's Kiki. Kiki, this is Yuki, my girlfriend."

Kiki bowed slightly, "Nice to meet you, Yuki."

"No need to be so formal!" Yuki grinned, "It's nice to meet you too."

"She's Yagami's disciple," said Kyo, "and this is gonna be a shock to the both of you, but we've actually known each other for about ten years or so."

The two girls looked at each other, then back at Kyo, wide-eyed. "What?!" they exclaimed in unison.

"What do you mean?" Kiki asked. "Sure, I've lived in Japan for a bit, but it's not like we were going to the same school or anything."

"That's because we didn't," clarified Kyo. "You were in middle school and I was in elementary, after all. We met at the arcade."

"The arcade...?" Kiki tapped her chin as she tried to remember. When realization struck her, she shook her head in disbelief, "No way. No no no way! You were that Kyo?!"