Stupid disclaimers, I don't own Digimon, which applies to the rest of the chapters hereafter. This takes place... um, after the movie where Takeru & Hikari are in NYC. (It's been a while since I've seen any Digimon episodes/movies.) x

PICTURESQUE SUMMER written by K-chan

Chapter One: Just a Boy and a Girl

"... It's like choosing between an apple and an orange. That's how we are. And it's obvious to anyone that we're rivals. Destined to be? I don't know. I'm beginning to doubt it all, you know." He paused and took a lazy sip of his soda. He was definitely in a bad mood. He wasn't taking it out on her, but his feelings were coming out that very moment.

"I don't want to be pulled along anymore. I'm tired of this supposed competition," he sighed.

"You still like her, right?" she slowly wiped the plate dry, making circular motions with the cloth. She studied his face carefully from her spot by the sink, while he sat on a bar stool across the high counter top. A slight sorrow glimmered in his eyes, staring at the glass of soda. He appeared to be thinking about her question.

"Of course I like her," was his reply, a few seconds after she spoke, which was stirring more uncertainty than ever. "She's... likable. I mean..." A hint of frustration rose in his voice as he tried to find the right words. "I mean, she's the type that you cannot just... not like, you know. She's probably an angel. A perfect angel."

He looked up at her, making direct eye contact. Blue on brown, brown on blue. A sudden silence tlingered between them, like a spell had been casted, and neither could pull away. His eyes were such a deep blue that she could almost drown in them. And her eyes of caramel warmth expressed such beautiful emotions, so much that he could read her like a book.

They smiled, and the trance broke. He brushed his hand through his blonde hair, chuckling, "When I was young, I used to think that. I used to think that she was that angel. My very own angel."

She listened and continued to smile, drying the rest of the dishware. She'd always been a good listener, unlike most people's perception, and that was why the young man was confiding his thoughts and feelings to her. Their friends would probably find it strange that either had been so close, despite the worldly distance between them, but they were that deeply bonded. They understood each other by just a glance. Not even words needed to be spoken.

"You're still young, Takeru," she reminded him, "Don't talk as if it's already been 10 years thrown away."

"It sure seems like it," he said with a heavy sigh. He propped his elbows on the counter, tucking his hands underneath his chin to look at her. "What do you think I should do, Mimi?"

She finished drying the last dish and stacked it on the others. Wiping her hands dry, she walked over to the counter and leaned on it, mirroring his position. She stared into his blue eyes again -- who knew how many times they've done that -- but this time, she felt something different. She was nervous.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I'll ask you this once, and I only want 'yes' or 'no'. No hesitations, and no iffy answers. Just a 'yes' or a 'no'. Got it?" He nodded, and when she opened her eyes to him, she questioned his true feelings, "Do you love Hikari?"

"No," came his curt reply.