~ My goodness, it's been a long time since I've done this. Felt a bit of inspiration from some current life events so I thought I'd give this a shot again, let's see how it goes! ~
The Note
Not a lot could be heard around the park at this time of night. It was quiet and peaceful in Shinjuku, the only noise being the occasional car rolling down the narrow streets. This peace was quickly disturbed, however, by a shadowy presence leaping swiftly between trees. Renamon was dashing as quickly as she could without causing a disturbance, save for a bird's nest disrupted as she leapt by. As Renamon approached her target she thought about what the problem could be. She didn't know exactly what had happened, but she was certain she felt Rika call out to her. She rounded the corner and approached the Matsuki Bakery, a familiar sight as of late, and jumped to the ground with a silent thump. Dusting herself off, she opened the door and stepped inside once she knew the coast was clear.
"Is Rika here?" she asked a bemused Takehiro, Takato's father.
"No, I haven't seen her for a few hours," he replied softly, "but Takato said he was heading to the old hideout, maybe she's with him?"
"Almost certainly," Renamon replied, before thanking him and turning to leave.
Unsurprisingly, Renamon was correct, as she spotted Rika through the doorway to the hideout as she approached. She slowed down and stopped once she heard yelling. Rika was clearly very angry and struggling to keep calm, although it was too faint to make out any words. A more meek-sounding voice that Renamon presumed to be Takato was also heard, but its source was obscured from view. Renamon was unable to discern what the two were arguing about, but whatever it was, it was obviously quite serious. Renamon kept to the treeline as she approached, making sure not to alert the arguing Tamers, and listened intently…
A FEW HOURS EARLIER
The warm glow of the sun through his window kept Takato just a little bit too warm for his comfort as he sat at his desk, writing and writing, followed by crumpling and sighing in frustration. Takato had spent the better part of the last three hours at his desk, furiously scribbling notes and crumpling them soon afterwards, none up to satisfaction.
"How is this so difficult?" he thought to himself, "I see her practically every day, how do I not know how to say this properly? Or at all for that matter?"
Takato was penning a note to Rika, one that he'd never needed to write before. He was confessing to having feelings for her, as he had for some time, but Takato has always had trouble converting the concepts in his head to concrete ideas on paper, and today was no exception. He had decided it was finally time to tell her how he felt, but he knew he would screw it up and say something terrible if he didn't prepare accordingly. Unfortunately, nothing he wrote came out right. Everything was either too long and weird, too short and cold, or just plain nonsensical.
Takato sighed, exasperated, as he leaned back in his chair. "I just don't know! This is too difficult!" Takato crumpled the last note and threw it to the overflowing bin, bouncing off and landing beside it. As it settled into its resting position on the floor, Takato was broken out of his funk by a familiar noise.
He turned and reached for the source, his blinking D-Arc. "A Digimon!" Takato said excitedly. He quickly grabbed his deck and coat and ran out the door, waking up a sleeping Guilmon along the way.
The streets near Shinjuku Station had been cleared of people as the Digital Field set in, indicating the imminent arrival of a Wild Digimon. Shortly after, three lone Tamers and their Digimon came running in from different directions to face the impending challenge head-on.
"How's it going, you guys?" Henry waved to the others as they approached, Terriermon hanging onto his backpack, also waving hello.
"Not too bad," Takato replied, as Rika nodded in agreement. Guilmon's eyes narrowed as he caught the scent of the emerging Digimon, and Renamon readied herself for battle. A mass of energy started growing near the centre, and the six all stood nearby, waiting for the imminent emergence of the enemy.
The world began to rumble as bolts of energy flew out in all directions from the centre, as a gargantuan Digimon emerged from the energy field. Henry pulled his D-Arc and looked at the holographic display.
"WaruSeadramon, Virus Type, Ultimate Level!" He shouted over the deafening noise. The beast let out a loud roar and prepared to attack. The Tamers and their Digimon, ready to fight, took the lead.
"Pyro Sphere!" Guilmon loosed a large ball of fire, blasting WaruSeadramon's side.
"Bunny Blast!" Terriermon sent a concentrated ball of energy towards the foe, hitting the same spot.
"Diamond Storm!" Renamon unleashed hundreds of razor-sharp leaves at the opponent, barraging it completely.
As the dust settled, WaruSeadramon still stood, preparing its own attack. "Thunder Javelin!" The horn on its head began electrifying intensely, before shooting a gigantic lightning bolt towards the Digimon. The three leapt out of the way, narrowly dodging the attack. The Tamers' Digimon had grown immensely powerful over the many battles they had faced, and it wasn't uncommon for them, despite only being Rookie level normally, to be strong enough to easily defeat Champion or even Ultimate Level Digimon without Digivolving, however this did not appear to be such a case. Guilmon and Terriermon charged from the left side, while Renamon took the right flank and attacked again.
Rika watched as the attacks landed successfully, but WaruSeadramon was unfazed as it prepared another attack. Takato and Henry reached for their decks in unison, set to swipe some Modify Cards to help even the score, and Rika did the same. As the battle carried on, neither team seemingly doing any damage to the other, Rika searched her deck for a Digivolution card.
Her eyes were only off the battle for an instant before she heard her friend cry out in pain. As her eyes darted upwards, she saw Takato failing to get out of the way of an attack in time, and a large, dark icicle had blasted him in his side. "Takato!" Rika yelled, losing focus of the battle for a moment.
"Rika, watch out!" she heard Renamon yell from the other side of the beast. Rika looked up to see WaruSeadramon swinging widely with its tail, directly towards Rika. She only had a moment to brace herself as the tail hit her full force, knocking her unconscious.
Light slowly filtered into view as Rika came to a few minutes later, Renamon kneeling over her prone body. She looked around, squinting to see through her bleary eyes. Takato and Henry still stood facing the enemy, although Takato a little more slumped than normal and clutching his right side. Guilmon and Terriermon were no more, their Digivolved forms Growlmon and Gargomon had taken their place in battle. Slowly, the ringing in Rika's ears died down and she was able to make out what Renamon was saying.
"Rika! Are you alright?" Renamon said calmly, albeit with a tinge of concern.
Rika blinked a few times and looked up at her. "Yeah, I'll be alright," she grunted, moving to stand herself up. As she rose, she looked on at the two Tamers before her, facing the battle, occasionally swiping a Modify card or two as the battle raged on.
Eventually, WaruSeadramon began to weaken, and a Pyro Blaster from Growlmon finally brought it down for good, its data floating away and dissipating. Rika cracked a small smile and watched as Growlmon and Gargomon De-Digivolved before reuniting with their Tamers in celebration, but her smile quickly fell as Takato immediately collapsed onto Guilmon, his partner supporting his weight.
"Takato!" Guilmon exclaimed frantically, "what's the matter?"
Takato only managed a small grunt in reply, clutching at his now red-stained side. Evidently, his wound was taking a larger toll than expected. "I-I'll be alright," he let out weakly, "just a little battle scar, that's all."
Henry and Guilmon laid down Takato on the ground as Rika and Renamon ran over. Henry peeled his shirt up, revealing a severe-looking gash along his right side.
"Fortunately, it's just a graze," Henry said coolly, opening his backpack and grabbing some supplies, "this could've been much more serious."
Takato noticeably winced as Henry dabbed the wound with a cloth damp with antiseptic, trying not to let out any noise. Henry deftly bandaged up the area and replaced Takato's now-bloodied shirt. "Let's get you back home," he spoke softly as he worked, "a little rest and you'll be just fine."
"That's…a good idea," Takato strained as Henry helped him to his feet, supporting him with his shoulder. "I'll talk to you guys later," he waved in Rika and Renamon's direction as the two walked away, Digimon in tow.
"Yeah, see ya," Rika returned, a hint of concern in her voice, as she and Renamon walked off in the opposite direction towards home.
After a few hours' rest and a hot meal, Takato was feeling much better as he lay down on his bed. But after only a few minutes, he grew restless. As his mind wandered, he thought about the day's battle, and the hit that he took, and Rika, among thousands of other miscellaneous thoughts running rampant through his head. Suddenly, Takato's eyes shot open and he got up from his bed, sat down at his desk, grabbing a new sheet of paper and pen, and began writing. This time however, rather than being confused and frustrated, everything seemed clear to him, for the first time in a long time, as he wrote. Finally, he finished, read it once over, and sealed it in an envelope and put it into his jacket pocket before returning to his bunk, falling asleep almost instantly. Calm swept over him as he drifted off, oblivious to his cell phone vibrating quietly on the floor next to his desk.
Rika returned her phone to her pocket, a little frustrated, but she didn't stop walking towards the bakery. Soon, she was within sight, and finally she arrived at the front door of the now-closed bakery. She knocked three times, and waited.
Soon, the door's latch clicked open, and Mie Matsuki, Takato's mother, peered through the crack as she opened the door, smiling once she realized who it was.
"Nice to see you again," she said with a warm smile.
"Likewise," Rika smiled back, "I'm here to check up on Takato, how's he doing?"
Mie furrowed her brown a bit with concern, "Well, he gave us a good scare when he came in, but he's doing well now, he just needs some rest. Would you like to come in?" she asked.
Rika nodded quickly. "Yeah, that'd be great." She said, stepping inside the warm bakery.
Rika walked up the stairs quietly to Takato's room, before knocking and waiting. After no response, she turned the knob slowly and peered into the room. Hearing Takato snore softly, she opened the door and stepped inside. It was just as she remembered it, a messy room, with a bunk bed and a small desk littered with rubbish and an overflowing bin below it. Rika took a few more steps into the room and turned to the bed, eyeing Takato hesitantly. He was fast asleep, snoring away without a care in the world, and Rika took a moment to look at him. He had grown a lot in the time since they had met; once a quiet and awkward boy, too timid to fend for himself, now a strong young man, stronger than the rest of them put together. Rika let a warm smile creep over her mouth as she reminisced about their past adventures together, and how it was always Takato that ensured they would be alright in the end. Rika continued looking around the small room, her eyes fixing on the desk. She traced the edge of the desk with her fingertips as she looked at the collection of pens and pencils for drawing, but her eye was drawn to the corner of one of the crumpled up papers:
Rika,
Intrigued, Rika picked up the discarded piece of paper, unfurled it and read it. Furrowing her brow as she went, Rika was confused by the note; it didn't really make any sense. It mentioned Rika, and Takato, and their adventures in the Digital World, but there wasn't really any kind of cohesion to it. Perplexed, she grabbed another crumpled piece of paper and read it, and another, and another. They were all fairly similar in that they were addressed to Rika, they mentioned the two of them, sometimes others, sometimes not, and none of them really made any sense or had any kind of point to them. As Rika grabbed from the rubbish bin on the floor, she noticed a folded piece of paper tucked inside a small, black notebook. Rika recognized this book as a sketchbook Takato would often bring with him for when he was feeling 'inspired,' but Rika grabbed the extra paper, curious. As she unfolded it, her eyes widened as she was greeted with a drawing of herself.
Rika stared at the drawing as if her eyes would burn a hole straight through the page. It wasn't a particularly interesting image, it was just Rika, standing tall and staring off into the distance; what really surprised Rika was the intricate level of detail in this picture: Immaculate shading, excellent sense of realism; at first glance one could assume it was a black and white photograph, particularly the facial detail around the eyes. It was one of the most detailed drawings of Takato's that Rika had seen.
"…nng…"
Before she had time to process this new development, Rika snapped back to reality as she heard Takato stir behind her. Pocketing the drawing, she quickly and silently retreated a few paces and looked at Takato one more time before leaving his room, and returning to her home.
Takato woke up about two hours later, much more rested and recovering well. He slowly got up from his bed, rubbed his eyes, and walked over to his desk. He searched around for his phone, before noticing it on the floor, the indicator light flashing. After picking it up and switching it on, he read the message.
when youre up for it come to the hideout. theres something i want to ask you about.
"I wonder what she wants," Takato thought to himself, as he tapped a reply, before grabbing his coat.
Sure thing, Ill head over now
Rika read the message as soon as it arrived and began getting ready to go. The time spent waiting for Takato had allowed Rika to work herself into a bit of a state wondering about the notes and drawing she found.
"What could it be, exactly?" she asked as she pulled her coat on, "It's just weird, isn't it? Why would he draw a picture of me? It wasn't a bad picture, it was beautiful, but it was just, me, no theme, no reason, I was just standing there. And the sheer detail he put into it…"
Renamon replied coolly, "I'm sure there is an explanation for this. Takato is not one to keep secrets, you know that."
Rika shrugged, "Well, whatever it is, I'm not sure I wanna find out." Rika turned and walked to the door, and Renamon moved to follow.
Rika stopped at the doorway. "Actually," Rika said, "I think I'd rather be alone for this, Renamon." Renamon nodded and disappeared back into the shadows. Rika headed out and started walking towards the hideout.
Unfortunately, Rika's mind did not relent on the walk over either, and Rika really didn't know what to expect when she arrived at the hideout, but soon enough, she was there. She had arrived first, and was left alone with her thoughts.
"Now I kinda wish I let Renamon come with me," Rika thought as she waited, closing her eyes and leaning back against the wall. The cold concrete was soothing on her warm neck and helped to calm her down a little.
"...Hey."
Rika opened her eyes and looked at the Goggle-clad boy before her, looking far more nervous than usual. Evidently, he had been worried about the meeting as well. Rika pushed off from the wall and took a step toward him.
"How are you feeling?" she asked, breaking the ice.
Takato rested a hand on his injured side with a grimace. "It still hurts, but I'll survive."
"That's good."
"Hm."
An awkward silence filled the air, neither wanting to go first.
"So," Takato finally broke the silence, "what's going on?"
Rika rolled her shoulders and sighed. "Earlier today, I came to see how you were doing, but you were asleep when I came up to your room. I noticed a bunch of crumpled up papers all around your desk, and I saw my name on one of them, so I opened it."
Takato noticeably stiffened up as she said this, and Rika continued. "I couldn't really understand it though," she said carefully, "it didn't really make any sense to me, so I grabbed another one, and it was the same. Only, it wasn't. They were kinda the same idea, but totally different at the same time. And then," Rika reached into her pocket, "I found this sticking out of your sketchbook," Rika pulled out the folded piece of paper, Takato's eyes widening as he recognized it, "and now, I really don't know what to think." Rika could feel herself getting more anxious as she spoke, slowly raising her voice out of discomfort. "What is this, Takato? Seriously, what is this?" she shook the paper poignantly as she questioned him.
Takato had turned beet red by this point, and was desperate to form a coherent thought in reply. "I…It…I'm sorry, it's just…well…I mean…" Takato stammered, serving only to concern Rika even more as he babbled.
"Gogglehead, I'm being serious," Rika said, switching from anxiety to anger in one swift move. "I don't know what the hell this is, but it really bothers me that you won't just tell me!"
Takato desperately searched for the right words, "I'm really sorry, I just wanted to make sure it came out right! Well, I mean, not the picture, the picture is more of a—"
"Renamon!" Rika called out to her partner Digimon, hoping she was nearby regardless of what she had said earlier. Takato slumped down a bit, staring at the floor beneath his shoes as Rika continued laying into him. Once she realized he wasn't engaging, however, she relented. "…Takato?" she asked, confused.
Takato continued to stare down for a little bit, before taking a step towards Rika, and reaching into his pocket. As he approached her, his arm stretched forward with a blank, sealed envelope from his jacket pocket in his hand. "I'm really sorry," he said, avoiding eye contact, "I just wanted to find the right words."
Rika took the envelope, now more confused than ever, and turned the envelope over in her hands. There was no writing on the outside, it was plain, white envelope, although Rika could tell there was something inside. Quickly tearing it open, Rika pulled out the contents: a single sheet of white paper, adorned with Takato's handwriting. Slowly and tentatively, she began reading.
Rika,
I've never been good with words. Since you and I and Henry all met, we've been closer than anyone I've ever known, and I couldn't be happier about that. I've never really felt the need to try and put into words how I feel about you guys, it's just been so easy, you know? We have been so close for so long that words aren't needed between us, we can connect with each other without them. But now, I don't know. We've saved the world more than once, and we've been on enough adventures to last a lifetime, so why is it that writing this has been so difficult for me? You, Henry and me, we've faced every challenge head on and we've never failed in the end, so this should be the same, right? But, Henry and I and you and I are close in different ways, I think. Henry and I are great friends and we'll always have each other's backs, and I know it's the same with you, but it just feels different somehow. I've never been able to really explain it until now, today's battle kinda made it clear to me, so here goes nothing. Sorry if this doesn't really make any sense, I'm trying my best here.
When I took that hit earlier today during the fight, it hurt worse than any injury I've gotten so far. Normally we fight connected to our Digimon, so the pain is shared, but that attack REALLY hurt. I thought I was going to pass out from the pain, but when I turned around and saw you knocked out by WaruSeadramon, suddenly all the pain was gone. All that mattered at that moment was making sure you were safe, that you were okay, and I could only do that by winning the fight with Guilmon. Henry of course was able to help too, but it just wasn't the same feeling. After the fight, and once everything settled down, the pain hit me again. It was like my own body had paused itself to help you. It was like nothing at all mattered but you. It made me think about it in a new way, an interesting way, and the more I thought about it, the clearer it became. Rika, you're an incredible person who will stop at nothing to protect the people you care about. You are kind, you are strong, smart, you name it. And in that moment during the fight, I realized that I care more about you than anything in the world, and that when I'm with you, pain doesn't matter. Fear doesn't matter. You make me a stronger person, and as long as I'm with you, I know that I can accomplish anything I want. You make anything possible, and I love you for that.
- Takato
A deafening silence fell over the two as Rika finished reading. The quiet void lasted several minutes, as if the two had entered their own little realm, where time stood still. Slowly, Rika looked up from the page.
"You….love me?" she asked, her voice cracking slightly.
Takato's only acknowledgement was slumping down into the corner and grunting a muffled 'yeah' into his crossed arms.
Rika stood frozen in time, trying to process that statement, but repeatedly failing. Eventually, Rika cleared her throat, and spoke up.
"How long have you…you know?" she asked awkwardly.
Takato shuffled a bit, giving his mouth some space. "I don't really know exactly, but it's been a while I think,"
"Oh," was all Rika could think to say in response, before silence fell over the pair again.
Takato's mind was a maelstrom of thoughts, none of them particularly positive, as he silently stewed in the corner of the hideout. Rika didn't move a muscle as she thought of the right thing to say in a situation like this. Eventually, she gave up trying to say the right thing, and simply said what she was thinking.
"You know, I've always been really jealous of you Takato."
Takato looked up at Rika, perplexed by the statement. Taking his eye contact as a cue, Rika continued.
"You are, and always have been, everything that I have strived to be as a Tamer. You are headstrong, stubborn to a fault, and you refuse to give up, even when all hope is gone. That is what I wanted to be, what I tried to be, when we were all starting out. You were able to pull it off without even trying, because it's who you are, but me? I ended up cold and self-serving. I did what I had to do to win, at all costs, whereas you would win without sacrificing anything. You are able to lead, to fight, and to keep fighting for yourself and those around you without a second thought to your own safety. Your personality gets us into trouble sometimes, but I've never doubted you, not one second, in all the time I've known you. I'm jealous of how you have always been able to stay warm-hearted under intense pressure, when leading the Tamers, when rescuing Calumon, even when saving the entire world! Me? I turned ice-cold the moment it got remotely difficult to stay warm. I've never been able to be that person, no matter how hard I tried. You said you were never able to find words to explain how you felt about me or Henry, but that's not because you don't understand it, it's because you don't need words to explain the bonds you form naturally with everyone around you. You're uncomplicated Takato, and it's why people gravitate to you. You're everything I've never been able to be, don't you see that?"
Takato paused for a moment, before replying, "I've never thought of myself as someone others might want to be like."
Rika stood her ground though. "But it's true! When Vikaralamon was destroying the city, you were the only one who kept going, despite all we had lost, and you won. You were able to stop Beelzemon when he threatened to destroy us, our Digimon, and the entire Digital World! You were able to rescue Jeri from a monster more powerful than any we've ever faced. You made those things happen, not me, not Henry, you." Rika started fidgeting a bit as she spoke, and Takato finally stood up again.
"It's not like I didn't have a lot of help, I mean none of that—"
"That's not the point though, Gogglehead!" Rika cut Takato off, her voice shaking at this point, "The point is that you have always been able to keep us going, even when there seemed to be absolutely no hope of succeeding, or even surviving!" Rika took a deep breath before continuing. "I…I used to be closed off from the rest of the world in a very significant way. I couldn't connect to other people, or Renamon, or even myself, for the longest time. Even now, I don't understand a lot of the things that I feel, and that terrifies me Takato. I'm afraid of my own emotions, because I don't understand them, I can't control them. But you… From the day I met you, I've never been able to understand how you can have so much control over yourself in that way, how when every fibre of your being is telling you to quit, to give up, you stand up and fight it! And youwin, every time! And when I'm around you, I'm not afraid of my feelings. I'm not afraid of myself when I'm with you, Takato. Your strength inspires everyone around you to be stronger, to be better, and…" Rika hesitated for a moment, "and that's why I love you too."
"W-what did you say?" Takato froze up, stammering.
Neither had realized it, but the two had been slowly inching towards each other through the entire conversation, and they were now only a few inches apart as they talked. Rika quickly leaned in and kissed Takato, before retreating to her stance in front of him. Takato blinked twice in shock, before the two enveloped each other in a warm embrace. After a moment, the two separated, and Takato started stammering.
"You…but I…and…but you…" he spoke softly, only fragments of sentences reaching his lips before he cut them off, a very confused look on his face.
Rika shut down all confusion by kissing him a second time, this time deeply and passionately.
Time passed very slowly for the next hour, as the two sat on the floor of the hideout next to each other. Neither wanted anything more than to stay there for the foreseeable future in warm silence, when Takato finally broke the silence.
"Rika," he asked nervously, "a-are you sure… I mean, after all—"
Rika pulled Takato into a quick kiss, cutting him off completely. "I'm sure. You really don't know when to shut up, do you?"
Takato smiled tentatively, "And look where it's gotten me," he said cheekily, earning himself an elbow in the ribs, courtesy of his new girlfriend. The two sat together under the stars for what seemed like ages, hands entwined, as Renamon looked on from outside and smiled.
~FIN~