It wasn't the thoughts of reliving the tumultuous day that kept her awake.
No, it was something ever more sinister...
"Please compose the subtle differences in how nations celebrate the holidays to be presented to the class, in lieu of a final exam…even though this could have been done within the past few weeks. Not a total waste of time at all."
Kari muttered harshly and shook her head at her teacher – such audacity to assign his students this small project right before winter break.
Nonetheless, she pushed on, anything to keep her mind off of the destruction that BlackWarGreymon almost caused…along with Azulongmon's statement.
'The crests of Hope and Light are the strongest among all others within the battle against darkness…'
The preteen flicked her pen on top of her desk, taken back by this simple quote.
"It's so cliché – yes, there's darkness to light, but what does hope come into the equation?"
Quickly turning her attention towards her bed, she breathed a sigh of relief as she spotted Salamon still in slumber.
"Oh, thank goodness," Kari whispered.
Picking up her pen, she concluded her assignment within the next fifteen minutes. As the digital clock close to her nightstand read close to eleven, she followed her nighttime routine in a swifter manner before retiring to some much-needed sleep.
Needless to say, school was nothing more than a snooze fest – not for the fact that Kari was still exhausted from last night, but the underwhelming notion that it was the last day before winter break.
Her presentation, one of the first things she accomplished, went off without a hitch. With the rest of the school day to sit back and relax, Kari found herself answering the question she brought to her attention last night.
'Without hope, you don't feel confident to fight the powers that darkness presents…but couldn't any other crest work in this scenario…say, courage?'
Kari's eyes widened for a split-second before relaxing once more, but she couldn't stop herself from bringing up her two closest friends – Davis and TK.
It was clear as the sunlight peeking through her window in the mornings at how obvious Davis was crushing on her. The subtle jabs never bothered her as much as she let on, but it was the amount he did it that got on her nerves.
Davis and she both met around the same time that Kari completed her first go-around in the Digital World. Upon thinking about the past four years she has known Davis, she couldn't help but to feel bad for him. Ever since TK moved back to Odaiba, she has been hanging out with him more, but that's only because they were catching up.
'I think a good heart-to-heart with Davis will surely bring out the best for both of us…' Kari pondered, hoping that this little quarrel with TK and Davis over her can cease, only if it's for a little while.
The rest of the day went by too slowly for Kari, as she was anxious to have her talk with Davis. The group decided to meet in the Digital World to destroy some more control spires. After succeeding in their task, Ken decided to bring up the fact that he would be hosting a Christmas party at his place in Tamachi. The group was ecstatic about the get-together.
"Umm, Ken, are we allowed to come?"
The boy thought of the perfect answer for Veemon.
"Sure, you guys are allowed to come. Hey, you might even get lucky and snag Gatomon under the mistletoe."
The whole group laughed at this statement…except for Gatomon, who shook her head and wandered away from the group. Seeing her react to the joke, Kari decided to chat and make things a bit better.
"What's the matter?"
"What do you think?" the feline bitterly responded.
"You know it was a joke —"
"I know, but its run its course, and besides, I'm not ready to find love yet; I'd rather wait for this whole fiasco of a mess in the Digital World to be done with then to see who is more compatible for me."
Kari didn't reply to Gatomon's little statement; she knows how hard of a life Gatomon had had in the past and, not wanting to upset her partner, decided to go have that conversation with Davis, who was standing alone with Veemon.
"Hey Davis," Kari said cheerfully, "Do you mind if we talk for a bit?"
"Umm, sure," Davis replied, holding back his gleeful attitude as much as possible – him being stoked to have an actual conversation with Kari is a total understatement.
"Hey Vee, why don't you try to spruce things up with Gatomon, if you catch my drift…" Davis nudged the little dragon forward.
"Boy, do I ever…" Veemon stated, just as gleeful as he could be, but before he could make his move, Kari stopped him in his tracks.
"Wait, Veemon," Kari turned and tugged at Veemon's arm, turning his attention towards her, "Gatomon kind of wants a little alone time to herself; do you mind talking to the group or something?"
"…Not a problem." The cheerfulness in Veemon's voice was still intact as he wondered over to converse with the group.
"So," Davis asked with the two of them alone, "what do you want to talk to me about?"
"Well, I kind of want to know how you and TK stand with each other…you know, as far as being friends and all."
"Well, I guess we are alright with each other…I mean, as long as he is cool with the fact that I like you."
Kari let out a sigh before continuing. "I see…Davis, do you really like me or is this some sort of crush that will eventually go away?"
"Nope; this little love factory is here to stay baby," Davis excitedly stated while presenting two thumbs-up to her.
"So, you like me…more than a friend, without knowing anything about me?"
"What do you mean, I know a lot of things about you like…well, wait a minute here, I know that you are interested in…no, that's not it. Wait, the one thing you can't live without is…ugh, that's not it either!"
It only took this little exercise for Davis to notice that, since he was too over-the-top with his crush, he missed out on getting to actually know her.
"I can see why you like TK more…" The wretched response from the boy made Kari feel a little bit upset.
"Davis, me and TK are friends…I mean, I've been hanging with him more to catch up with him because I haven't seen him in a long time…though I have to admit, it was wrong on my part to stop hanging with you; I think that's the reason you can't remember anything important about me."
"…So, I have an idea; sometime before Ken's party, we hang with each other, wherever you want to go."
Kari though about this for a moment, as this could very well please Davis, "Alright, I'm in for that plan; how about tomorrow, the day before Christmas Eve when we aren't too busy."
"Sounds alright with me…I'll let you know when I'm available." Davis returned with his signature grin painted on his face. Deciding to give the boy a little bit of celebration room, Kari ventured back over to see Gatomon still standing there.
"You've watched the whole conversation, didn't you?"
"Well, judging by what Davis is doing, I think it's safe to say that you are a true idiot." Gatomon replied drearily as she continued to watch Davis dance around elatedly as he celebrated his date with Kari.
"Well, what could I do…leave him in the dust while me and TK hung out some more? I needed to give him something to look forward to with just us and nobody else."
"Say what you want, but you and I both know that this won't end well."
Kari took a minute to ponder all the possibilities that could occur with this little hangout tomorrow. Each scenario gave a different outcome that Kari would either like Davis or completely hate him, but one certain snippet gave her chills.
'I hope it's not that one…please let it not be…'
"Oh boy, Davis, I knew you had it in you, I knew that you would one day go on that date with Kari and it's happening; I can't believe it, I'm so happy for you buddy."
Veemon was in a real cheerful mood after Davis broke the news to him, so cheerful that he decided to straight out hug him around his waist.
Davis gave the rookie a quizzical look as he saw his partner hanging from his waist
"Umm, Veemon, thanks for the support and all, but this is going a bit overboard; can you please let go of me?"
"No, I can't, I'm still too happy for you."
Feeling his waist being gripped a bit too hard by his partner, the teen decided that enough was enough and forcefully removed Veemon off of him.
"I think I know why you're so happy for me – you might think I can talk to Kari about you and Gatomon, right?"
Veemon bobbed his head rapidly up and down. "Yes, yes, can ya, can ya, please, please?!"
Davis couldn't take anymore of Veemon's little charade and plopped him down on the bed.
"I might, but don't be mopey if the answer is no."
Veemon returned his partner's response with a smile, "Why would I be upset? I mean, it's not like I love Gatomon or anything—"
"C'mon, Vee, you talk about her in your sleep almost every night – believe me, you're head over heels for her."
"Hey, I have a clear shot of getting her as much as you did with Kari, and looked what happened."
"There is a difference here; I haven't won Kari over…yet…but I sure will during our date."
Seeing that it was pretty late in the night, Davis decided to get ready for bed.
'I wonder what she'll think of me if I go all goo-goo over her…maybe I should lay off just a bit for our get-together…'
"I still can't believe you are going along with this plan."
"Look Gatomon, for the hundredth time, it's only a get-together and nothing more – one day spent with Davis doing whatever we want. No romance, no kissing, no nothing!"
Kari has been trying her best to reassure her partner that tomorrow wasn't going to be a big deal, but clearly to no avail. Both of them spent the next few minutes in silence as Kari finished up her nighttime routine. Coming out of the bathroom, Gatomon decided to ask, "So how do you think TK will feel about this?"
"Honestly, I don't think he'll mind; he should understand that this is a little hangout with Davis and nothing more, unlike you…"
"Hey, I'm only making sure that Davis isn't going to bring up anything about Veemon, that's all."
Kari sighed at her partner's response. "Okay Gatomon, if it makes you feel any better, I'll tell Davis the truth about why you don't want to hang with Veemon anytime soon. Would that make you feel better?"
"Yes, it would," Gatomon stated in a matter-of-fact tone.
"You know, I'm starting to have some second doubts about tomorrow," Kari couldn't help but to tell Gatomon about her one big issue, "Well, one doubt above everything else – what if this doesn't work out and Davis ends up hating me?"
The feline shrugged her shoulders at Kari's question, to which the teen let out an annoyingly sigh, mostly miffed that her partner wouldn't help with the situation. Deciding to get a good night sleep tonight in comparison as to what she had the night prior, Kari lied on her bed and surrendered into a deep slumber.
The next morning came for both Davis and Kari, as they decided to meet up at the mall around 3:30, where they would plan their day out over some late lunch, where they officially planned their get-together. First, they decided to stroll downtown to see the exquisite lighting that Odaiba fixes up every year around the Christmastime season, followed by a movie and a walk across the pier that would conclude their hangout.
"So, are you ready to go?" Kari asked, patiently waiting for Davis to finish up his food.
"Yeah, I'm pretty good, let's get going."
As both preteens ventured through downtown, they were taken back by the beautiful display that captured the heart of the city year after year. Red and green fluorescent blinking lights were woven around thick, green reefs that were then placed spiraling around the city's medieval lantern light fixtures. On top of the posts, switching from side to side in a diagonal manner, was a star that would give off an incredible white light.
"It is such a shame that its midday and we can't see this in all its glory," Davis commented, seeing the small stores along the strip decked out in its own holiday gear.
"Let's come back later tonight – I think that'll be a better conclusion to our day, don't you think?"
The boy turned towards his friend and gave her a solid nod and a smile. Continuing on, they headed over to the theatre and both selected a love/action genre type movie, where the main character is fighting in a war and is secretly in love with the general's daughter.
"This plot seems like an American, Oscar awarding winning caliber movie, wouldn't you agree?"
"…Yes, I think this movie will be great; where…where did you hear that?"
"Saw it on the early news, read about it in the paper – the next big blockbuster that will sweep people off of their feet…or something like that."
Kari silently nodded at the statement, still a bit bewildered at his sudden flash of knowledge.
'How did he say something intelligent…that made sense? I mean, this is Davis, the funny, not-so-serious kid…maybe I haven't been paying much attention to him as I thought…'
Kari continued to ponder on this lone thought as the duo made their way to their seats to watch the cinema. The plot was something that was never really seen by either teenager. Sure, the protagonist loves the general's daughter, but in the beginning, he actually spites her! It's only up until the combat leaves for war that the main character starts second-guessing himself about the girl and decided to give her a chance. Unfortunately, he dies during the war and the girl is left heartbroken, as her first true love is now gone.
Davis will never admit this to anyone else for as long as he lives, but he found himself in tears during the movie. Kari was too, but once again, she was taken back by the boy's attitude.
'I knew that Davis can show affection, but not like this, and especially watching a romantic flick…oh wow, what a friend I must be…' she bitterly thought.
After the conclusion of the movie, the duo spent a good chunk of time walked along the pier, reflecting on what they had seen. However, Kari found herself thinking more about Davis, than the actual movie.
'I was hoping that this scenario wouldn't play out…maybe I could double check…'
As Kari pondered, she noticed her hand slowly reached towards Davis' own, to which the boy seemed baffled.
'No way this could be happening right now…okay, Davis, just play it cool like you've been doing all day…'
Davis' mind continued to be at ease when Kari grabbed his hand and intertwined her fingers with his.
'This isn't that bad, his hand feels really smooth…wait, what is this that I'm hearing…is it my heart or is it Davis's heart…'
Both continued to walk down the pier in silence, still hand in hand, until Davis asked, "Kari, remember that talk we had yesterday about you asking me if I liked you?"
"Yeah…what about it?"
"…How much do you like me?"
Kari was now in a real deep situation. 'My feelings are now playing mind games with me and it's only now that Davis decides to bring this up…'
Kari let out a sigh before she began to speak. "Well, you see, I always thought of you as a good friend. I never really took your crush seriously since I never really knew you that well as a person. Whenever we were together, you would always show the funny guy in you because you thought that would charm me over, and when that didn't work, you simply tried to charm me over with whatever you had.
When TK moved back, I knew that you would be jealous of him because he wanted to hang with me. You thought that he was taking me away from you, when all he wanted to do was to simply get reacquainted. It was then that I realized that your crush was too over-bearing, and a real nuisance. Do you realize how many times you crushed on me over these past few months?"
"Well, yeah, I knew that I was crushing on you hard because I was scared that TK was going to take you away from me, but I never knew that it bothered you. You could have told me to back off and I would have. Besides, the more serious I became with the Digital World, the more I forgot about this crush."
As they continued on their walk, taking some time to reflect on their small conversation, Kari decided to open up once more.
"Davis, to tell you the truth, I don't know what I feel around you. Since the beginning of our day, you've been showing me a side that I've rarely seen in you before – a side of compassion and feeling. I've been the bad friend here, huh?"
"No, you haven't been a bad friend to me; I've been the bad friend since I never gave any consideration on what you might be feeling about me crushing on you all times of the day. I should have realized that you needed space, but again, I was scared to lose you. Maybe if I would have befriended TK sooner than I did, then we wouldn't be talking about this now."
As Davis let out a wearily sigh, Kari waited a minute before gripping his hand to get his attention.
"Hey, want to go check out those lights again – it's getting close to nighttime, after all?"
Davis eagerly nodded at Kari and the duo walked towards the display. Once they arrived, they were more taken back then earlier by the luxurious colors that were on display. Red, green, and white luminous lights shone from all different angles, giving the people something to be pleased about as they ran about doing their last-minute shopping. As the duo still held hands, they gazed upon the beauty of this fine display in sure awestruck.
'I really can't believe it…these lights look stunning; I wonder what Davis is thinking…'
As Kari turned to look, she couldn't help but to notice his face, also portrayed as showing awestruck. She noticed his breathing, which had slowed down tremendously, and hearing his heart beat a little slower, as he looked on in amazement.
Kari couldn't for some reason keep her eyes off of Davis. The moonlight above simply gave off some radiance towards Davis, as Kari saw someone she has never noticed before.
"Hey, Davis?"
"Yeah?"
"Don't be alarmed at what I'm going to do right now…" and with that, Kari gave a little peck on Davis' cheek. Kari's heart beat skyrocketed, her adrenaline was flowing rapidly all over her body – all of this with just one little peck.
Davis just turned and smiled at Kari, "I was waiting for this moment for a long time and that's all you have to show for it?"
"…Well, for now. You have shown another side that I never got to know before, and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing it out today. But before we can make it more official, I want to make sure that all of this – our feelings, the aura around our time together – wasn't a mere fluke."
Still smiling, Davis nodded, "I can't agree more," and as he wrapped his arms around her in a surprised hug, he added, "Thanks for today – it's been an absolute blast."
Kari returned the hug as the duo remained in silence for some time, taking everything in.
After their little scene, Davis walked Kari back to her place, and after exchanging another hug, they parted ways, but not before the boy overhearing Gatomon's complaints as he left her apartment door.
'Oh, she'll get over it…'
Davis needed to make sure that a certain somebody was truly fine with his and Kari's day, and with that, he made his way towards TK's complex and rang the doorbell, and was excited to see the preteen answering the door.
"Hey, mind if we talk?"
TK looked at Davis curiously before allowing him into his apartment; once in, the two settled onto the couch before Davis told his friend all about the day that occurred.
"I see…and you want me to know if I'm mad at you?"
Davis shook his head in response to TK's question. "Yeah, I want to know if you hate me for…well, doing this?"
TK sighed, "Davis, first off I am not mad at you; in fact I'm very happy for you and Kari. I mean, I never really thought of a relationship with Kari – I was focusing on catching up with her."
Davis let out a sigh of relief, glad beyond belief that TK didn't want to kill him.
"Hey, maybe when this whole 'saving the Digital World' stuff is done with, you want to hang out sometime, just the two of us?"
"Well I can't say no to that, but what about Kari? Are you going to leave her out like that?" TK asked.
"Well, no, I meant that our first hangout will be only the two of us…I kind of want to see if our little 'rivalry' can be squashed once and for all," Davis stated with an eager grin on his face.
"I see what you mean, Davis. As long as she's fine with it, then I'm fine with it."
At that, Davis thanked him for the little chat and left for home.
As Davis walked back to his complex, he couldn't help but to notice the nighttime sky, giving off such bright light due to the full moon that was overhead. Looking down at the ground to see some snow, he noticed that the light gave the snow a hint of bright white color.
'I'm guessing that something as beautiful as this can't be compared in any other way…'
It was the perfect day, the perfect night, and the perfect little memory of Kari that Davis will save up as he found himself pondering again.
'You remind me of snow, lingering in the moonlight sky, giving off such radiant beauty…hey, that line sounds nice.'
And wearing his signature grin at the thought, he trenched on home.