Destiny's Design

 “So you’re Kanna today, eh?” the grinning young woman said while crossing her arms.

She sat on the ledge of a short brick wall that surrounded a second story balcony. It was windy today, the breeze fluttered her and Kanna’s hair wildly as the setting sun painted the two in dreamy hues of vibrant pastels. The woman’s name was Fuyusaka, but during school hours she was better known to the other students as ‘Professor Fu’.

“Oh! Um. Yes. I’m Kanna Minami, one of your new first years,” Kanna said with a slight stammer. She quickly bowed. “Thank you for inviting me here to meet you, Professor.”

“Eh, Don’t sweat it kid,” Fu said coolly. She picked up a steaming mug of black coffee and kicked it back as her long white hair scattered wildly in the breeze.

Fu had dark black skin, and a disheveled head of bushy white hair. During school hours she dressed in more professional attire, but still left her hair a fluffy mess. Right now though, it was after school, and she wore a tight fitting string tank top with baggy sweatpants. For being the professor, Fu was quite youthful, and would pass perfectly as just another student. She had quite a nice figure, and was fairly busty. To Kanna, Fu was the picture of witty confidence; A fox of a woman who rarely wore anything other than an aloof grin.

Kanna brushed her windswept hair to the side and looked off to the distance, letting her eyes take a small break from Fu’s curvaceous silhouette.

“Right. Um. So then.” Kanna put her hands together and bowed once more. “Thank you for supporting my education. My attendance wouldn’t be possible without your support.”

“Heh, didn’t I say to not sweat it?” Fu sat her half empty mug on the ledge of the balcony next to her. She leaned back and gazed somewhere beyond the clouds, just a hair’s breath from free falling to the roaring traffic below. “I take it you’re the talker of your little group, huh?”

“Um…What do you mean exactly?” Kanna said as her face glowed red. Her eyes darted to the side and she twirled a loose strand of hair around her finger.

“My lips are sealed,” Fu smiled. The setting sun reflected off her red eyes, and they glowed fiercely with the intensity of a person that had lived many lives.

“How did you know?” Kanna smiled wryly.

“I’ve been around, girl. Don’t get me wrong, you’re plenty special, but you ain’t the first. There’s other folks’ like you,” Fu said. She leaned forward and looked Kanna in the eyes, her face forming into an inviting smile. “When you’ve been hustling for as long as I have, you’ve seen it all and half. So. Third time. Don’t sweat it, kid.”

“Hehe. Right. Well, thank you profe-erm…Fu. Thanks Fu.”

“Thank me once the school year’s up and you’ve finished your project. Which, by the way…” Fu held up her finger for a moment and reached down to grab her phone. The screen glowed to life and she tapped on it a few times as she downed the last half of her black coffee.

“I’ve got your project pulled up here and I’m gonna send you the rubric early. I wanna give you a head start on scoping out a partner.” Fu said. She tapped the send button on an email with the attachment, and put back down her phone.

“This project’s basically half your grade. You feel me? Take it seriously, kid. I mean it. You’re not the first bright-eyed n’ bushy tailed student I’ve thrown my hard earned side gig stacks at. Some of 'em’ I’ve delivered F’s to with a smile.”

“I…see. If I’m being honest, that’s quite terrifying.” Kanna shifted uncomfortably. “Do you really think I…we…have what it takes?”
“Well I put my dollars down on ya’ll.” Fu grinned, kicking her foot childishly against the wall beneath her. “I see a bit of myself in each of ya…’specially Aya. Lookin’ at her makes me feel like a lost girl all over again.”

“Oh really? Hehe. Um. Do you have any advice for us? I want more than anything to succeed in your class, and as a student.”

“Mmm…” Fu nodded and crossed her arms. “You see kid, there are two wolves inside me. My inner slam poet says to enjoy the moment to the fullest. You only get one shot, right? So live it as best you can.”

“Okay, hehe. And how about the other, um, wolf. What does she say?” Kanna asked

“Heh, well…stay a little hungry. Keep your eyes on the chase. Know that, until the day you breathe your last breath, bein’ human means you’re always a hunter.”

“That seems, well, rather bleak.” Kanna tilted her head and frowned.

“Yep. But that’s why there’s two wolves. Make friends with em’ both and you’ll pass my class, no sweat. Got it?”

“We’ll give it our very best,” Kanna said. Her eyes sparkled with determination as she clenched both of her fists.

“Good. Good. Now in the meantime, if you ever wanna come by and blow off some steam, swing by and grab some java.” Fu motioned playfully at Kanna with a pair of finger guns. “Who knows? Maybe you’ll find a good partner for your project? Lot’s my my students decide to hang at this joint…for whatever reason. Not like they’re gonna get any bonus points outta me.” Fu chuckled lightly and shrugged. “Guess it’s my girlish charm; Who knows? Maybe my coffee’s not half bad!”

“I’m sure it’s delicious.” Kanna chuckled.

Shortly after, Kanna waved and thanked Fu for her time. She opened the door and left Fu’s scenic city view balcony behind. Kanna stepped into the cozy 2nd floor cafe, which was tucked just out of sight, and was visible to only those in the know. Kanna looked around for her bubbly friend, and eventually spotted her sitting at a small table across from a friendly looking person with pink hair, wearing feminine school attire. The two were chatting for a moment, before Ivy noticed Kanna and came trotting up to her.

“There you are! Is the meeting with your sponsor over already?” Ivy asked.
“Yeah, it was…quite the experience,” Kanna said with a wry smile. “I do like her, but she can be a little intense.”

“Fu? Nah! Don’t worry, she’s a sweetheart. You’re super lucky to have her personally sponsor you.” Ivy smiled. “She’ll take good care of you…in her own sort of way.”

“If you say so, Ives.” Kanna forced a smile.

“You’ll be fine, my love! Trust me. It’s all written in destiny’s design.” Ivy grinned.

“Destiny’s design huh?”

“Yep! Everything happens for a reason, I think. We’re all meant to go somewhere in life, and when we follow the river of fate, stuff just happens and life is a breeze!”

“If you say so. Maybe I’ll have to take you up on one of your readings sometime.”

“You should! But only if you get my ramen. That’s my fee. One bowl! With extra chashu of course.”

Kanna chuckled and rolled her eyes. “Sure, let’s get going then. Before the dinner rush starts. Consider it payback as well for the extra help you’ve given me these past few days.”

The two girls left holding each other's hands, and turned to descend the rickety wooden stairs of Fu’s Cafe. Before descending the stairs, Kanna got one last look at the cozy hangout spot. Fu smiled and waved, and Kanna waved back. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the shy person with pink hair look up at her, but quickly turn their attention back to their computer, their fingers rapidly moving over the keys. Kanna went to wave to them, but stopped short as she realized that she might be bothering them.

“Chippy! Quit stalling would ya? I’m getting old down here.”

“Okay okay, sorry!” Kanna called back down and rolled her eyes. She turned and headed down the stairs, descending as the shy admirer silently felt their heart sink for having missed one of life’s opportunities. The person sipped their drink and stared blankly out the window, and quietly cast their wish upon destiny’s design, hoping their chance would come again.

—

“Why am I not surprised to see you without a partner?” Fu plopped herself down onto the corner of the desk in front of Aya, who currently had her head down.

Aya let out a pained sigh and turned away from Fu, making extra sure to avoid her piercing gaze.

A month or so had passed since Kanna and Fu had spoken. Fu had revealed the project 4 weeks ahead of time to give Aya, Kanna, and Saffron extra time to find a partner. Unfortunately, while Kanna had taken Fu’s words to heart, Aya struggled badly in this area.

Kanna spent a great deal of her free time trying to make friends and promote her creative talent as a potential asset to her classmates. While she had found several willing group members, every time she got close to sealing the deal, Aya would shy away from whomever Kanna had worked so hard to make friends with. This unfortunate cycle repeated itself several times, leaving the three girls in a state of frustration with each other. By the end, Kanna had thrown up her hands and decided to leave the project entirely up to Aya. Unfortunately, by the time Aya realized that it was time to start making compromises, she found that every single person in the class already had someone to work with except for her, so there was no one left, and she was out of time.

“Aya, Aya, Aya. You can’t hide. I know that’s you in there,” Fu tapped the desk in front of Aya.

“Just give me my ‘F’,” Aya sulked. “I fumbled the bag and blew it for everyone. We’re gonna be homeless again and it’s all my fault.”

“Girl, get up and quit sulking!” Fu snapped at Aya. “Honest to goodness! It’s like I’m talking to my teenage self again. This is exactly why I swore to never have kids.” Fu put her fingers to her temple.

“Then you should understand how I don’t fit in, and how I’ll never belong here,” Aya said, talking straight into her desk in a muffled tone.

“Girl. Sit up and look at me.”

“No.”

“Aya Minami. Look at me.”

Aya remained silent. The other students had stopped talking amongst themselves and all eyes were on Fu and Aya.

“Class dismissed. Everyone except for Aya get out and start planning your projects. I expect proposals and outlines on my desk by Friday.”

The class erupted with a collective shuffling of bags, scooting of chairs, and hushed murmuring. After a few moments the room was empty, leaving only Aya and Fu. A silence fell between the two and remained for a few long minutes. Before long, Fu let out a long sigh.

“Listen. Wanna know someone that’s been sleepin’ on bricks since before you were born? This girl.” Fu pointed to herself. “Look, kid. I get it. You probably feel like you’ve been at it alone for so long, that nobody deserves to just show up now. You don’t wear a mask for no one. Right?”

Aya silently peeked up her head and stared at Fu from her folded arms, not budging an inch. She remained silent like a turtle peeking out of its shell.

“Aya, I know you better than you think. If you’re anything like I was, you like to pull it out at the last possible second. So here’s what I’m gonna do”

Aya slowly sat up. She faced Fu, but had her head hung slightly. She looked up at Fu shamefully as she lectured her.

“Come by my shop after class. I’ve got another stray lamb from a different period that’s in the same boat as you. Shy kid with their pretty head in the clouds. The two of you’ll hit it off good…probably too good, if I’m being real.”

Aya quietly nodded, picked up her bag, and pushed in her chair. She started out the door, but stopped short. She tried to say something, but no words came out. Aya closed the door behind her and left for her dorm, ready to get in an extra long nap before her meeting later that day.

—

“So, you must be Aya. Aya Minami?”

“Um…Yeah. Sorry. What’s yours again? I probably forgot.” Aya plopped herself down in an empty seat across from a cute person with shoulder length pink hair, blonde braids, and sparkling purple eyes. They wore the feminine school uniform that included a tan colored skirt and white dress shirt. They had the top few buttons undone, exposing their collarbone and a pretty metal feather necklace.

“Ah-Apologies. My name is Yae. Yae Sakuraba. And please don’t worry. We’ve never met before. Though I believe I have seen you here a few times with Miss Haruki?”

“Ah. Yeah, Ivy? She’s pretty great,” Aya said, as she felt herself ease into a smile.

It was after class. Golden hues from the late afternoon sun were sparkling through the window. The beams of light illuminated Yae’s pretty pink hair and framed their figure nicely. Their cheeks were ever so lightly blushed, and Aya could tell they were putting on their best face for her. Aya felt her heart skip a beat at how hard this person was working to get on her good side. Normally, this sort of behavior would cause her to feel uneasy or even put off. But something about this person seemed different. Aya couldn’t quite put her finger on what it was.

“Would you like some coffee, Miss Minami? I can treat you to some if you’d like?” Yae smiled shyly.

“Ah-Nah uh. It’s fine. Thanks though,” Aya said, fidgeting with her hair. “So what’s your focus? Might be helpful to know, since we’re both kinda screwed…”

“Yes, of course. I’m studying creative writing. I typically write fantasy and romantic fiction.” Yae paused and took their drink with both hands, sipping shyly from it and staring over their glass like a nervous rabbit. “So how about you? What’s your focus, Miss Minami?”

“Uh, Aya’s fine.”

“Oh, you sure? That’s okay right?” Yae’s eyes lit up and they leaned forward a bit.

“Yeah dude, it’s cool,” Aya said with a soft smile.
As Yae leaned forward, Aya caught a small hint of their sakura perfume. Aya fixed her gaze on Yae’s neck, and noticed a cute mole that sat just above the black choker they wore.

“That..Uh, smells really nice…” Aya blurted out. She looked to the side and felt her cheeks begin to turn red.

“Oh? You mean my coffee? It is quite good. Would you like to try a sip at least?” Yae held up their drink with a soft smile.
“Um. Sure, thanks dude.” Aya took the drink and took a half sip. She actually didn’t like coffee much at all, but found herself not hating the taste of Yae’s drink. “It’s pretty good. Kinda sweet.”

“You like it? I’ll go buy you one then. It’s the least I can do since we’ll be partners now.” Yae clapped their hands together.
“But-I never told you my focus. How do you know you wanna be partners with-”

“You’re an artist, right?” Yae smiled warmly “My guess was that you were in the illustration program. Which is perfect, because every light novel author needs a good cover artist. It’s quite possibly more important than the writing itself.”

“Woah. Bullseye! H-how did you?”

“So you wanted what I’m having right?” Yae said as they excitedly pushed in their chair and began walking over to the counter. “I know you aren’t much of a coffee drinker, but I think you’ll quite like this.”

“Oh yeah?” Aya tilted her head. “What is it?”

“A strawberry milk latte. It’s this place’s specialty. Hehe.” Yae had taken out their phone and had already pulled up their wallet app. “Be right back, okay? We can talk shop after we’ve had a chance to sip on our drinks a little.”

“Y-yeah sure,” Aya said as she fidgeted in her seat uncomfortably.

As Yae ordered their drinks, Aya’s gaze wandered around the room. Despite her rocky start, things had undoubtedly worked themselves out. Yae seemed like a partner she’d click well with. Even if they did fail, Aya somehow felt at ease knowing they’d be together in it.

They’re so cute and talented. How the heck did they end up alone and stuck with me? Aya thought to herself.

As she waited for Yae to return with her drink, she gazed out the window for a few moments, losing herself in the mesmerizing nostalgia of the afternoon light. Suddenly, Aya felt a flash in her mind, and she caught the glimmer of a memory that belonged to Kanna. In that memory, she saw a shy person peeking up at her longingly, trying to say something, but missing their chance.

Did…did they not choose a partner on purpose? Aya put a finger to her lip and thought for a moment. No, that can’t be right. They wouldn’t do that just for me. Or…would they…?

Aya looked back over at Yae, who was approaching with Aya’s drink. They set it down and the two chatted the afternoon away until the shop closed. Then the two walked around campus for hours together, talking about everything from their school project, to their passions, past struggles, and life experiences. Just as Fu had predicted, the two really hit it off. In spite of being in different classes, and living in different dorms, and having missed their first random opportunity to speak to each other, somehow the two ended up together in the end anyway. In that moment, Aya came to the conclusion that this was an unavoidable outcome, and an integral part of destiny’s design.