Preface

The Digi-destined are all young adults now. The first generation is facing new challenges with post-secondary education. The second generation is busy with their final year of high school before looking onward to the future.

Tai, Mimi, Sora, and Matt are attending the same college in Odaiba. Joe managed to get into a medical school a few towns over, and Izzy was offered a job straight out of high school by some huge computer company in America.

Tai and Matt decided to get an apartment together, as did Sora and Mimi. They were growing up. They were all more mature in both their bodies and minds. The world was their oyster so they tried their best to get ahead while also enjoying the view as they passed by.

April 22, 2007

Tai heard disgruntled words that he couldn't pick out through his exhausted stupor. As he slowly began to come to his senses, something was thrown at him, crashing into his face.

"Hey, what's the big idea?!" Tai yelled at the perpetrator holding his nose.

"You're going to be late for school dumbass!" Matt retorted.

Tai looked over at the time, running his hands through his messy brown locks. "7:56?! Shit, shit, shit! I'm gonna be late!"

"That's what I've been telling you!"

Tai didn't have time to take a shower; he hauled out a bottle of cologne and a stick of deodorant, applying it like he was trying to rub his own musk off of his body.

"You never cease to disgust me, Tai."

"Yeah, so, what time did you get up this morning to do your hair, Matt? 5:30?" Tai quipped while Matt's face contorted.

They fought like this a lot; sometimes they even wondered why they ever thought it was a good idea to be roommates. They were best friends sure but they were polar opposites and constantly butted heads because of it. Nevertheless, they always managed to make it to class on time while bickering like this every morning.

Tai had gotten a full scholarship to attend this college. His academics were definitely lacking but the combination of his leadership skills and his soccer prowess impressed the staff at the college. They offered him a seat of his choosing under the condition he plays for their soccer team. He had chosen to study the Political Sciences much to his friends' shock. They never took him for the diplomatic type and laughed heartily when he brought it up only to be brought back to Earth by his serious expression. He didn't appreciate that his friends acted so condescendingly towards his dream. He was going to be the ambassador between the human world and the digital world. He made that promise to Agumon years ago in secret.

Matt was still working on his band. Not all the members were in post-secondary but they still practiced and stayed as a group in Odaiba. They were gaining steam but Matt felt like he needed a backup plan and decided to study a degree in music: specializing in vocals and guitar. He was an immediate hit with the college girls as everyone expected; to Sora's dismay but he never let that distract him from the important things in his life or the important people.

Sora began studying fashion and design at the college, despite her tomboyish nature. As she aged her femininity blossomed and it caught many of her friends off guard. She wasn't as rough as she used to be; although she still loved a pickup game of soccer here and there. She was also totally devoted to Matt and his band. She wanted to see him through his successes, as she had planned ever since they started going out in junior high.

Mimi was studying acting with a minor in nutrition. Her ambitions would lead her to the limelight she was sure of it. She also relished in the fact that as her body matured, the more attention she received from the boys at the college. She was extremely popular and as a result was pampered as much as she was always used to.

Matt and Tai walked their separate ways as their classes were in different buildings.

"I'll catch ya later dirtbag!" Matt called.

"Yeah, yeah, go fix your makeup pretty boy."

Tai began running towards his class trying not to be late when he ran into Mimi; he quite literally ran into her and made her drop her books everywhere.

"O-ouch! Watch where you're going you ape!" She stopped. "Oh, it's you, Tai. Late for class again?" She scolded him with her icy stare.

Tai couldn't help but nervously laugh. Mimi was so scary when she was mad. "Yeah, I guess I slept in again" he began scratching an imaginary itch at the back of his neck.

She was going to encourage him to hurry on and go to class but he gathered up her books for her without another word and extended his hand to take hers, picking her up off of the sidewalk.

She huffed at him and puffed out her cheeks which caused Tai to chortle. "See ya later Mimi, I gotta run!" He waved as he ran down the sidewalk.

"He's such a clumsy idiot."

Mimi began to walk towards the art building where she had class in an hour. Her mind was plagued with thoughts about the huge assignment that was due at the end of the term. It was her duty to put together some form of entertainment in front of the whole auditorium. It could be anything from musicals, dances, plays, or anything that could come to mind. She knew that if she really wanted to impress anybody in this course that she would have to begin preparations immediately. Everybody in her class was so competitive which made it hard for her to stand out like she always did in grade school. She was still really popular, mind you, but not amongst her snobby classmates.

Tai burst through the door hoping that the professor hadn't shown up yet only to be met with a classroom full of students that gazed upon him with fiery judgment.

"Taichi Kamiya. You're ten minutes late; you best have a good excuse this time."

"Well, I um…"

"I understand that you are our leading scorer on the soccer team. I love soccer but there comes a time where you need to understand where your duties lie and behave like a mature adult. Now take your seat."

The class scoffed at him for being scolded so frequently and so ruthlessly by Mr. Kizawa. Even though Tai did well in his class, the professor seemed to hate his guts. Tai couldn't quite put a finger on why but he decided not to press the issue and tried to continue focusing on his studies.

As always, Sora did well in her classes. She was charismatic and people just seemed to flock to her with admiration. Her professors loved her and the designs she came up with were constantly admired by fellow students. Last semester she designed a dress that took everyone's breath away. This year's valedictorian from the fashion department wore the dress and looked amazing. Sora was glad her work was being admired but Matt still wouldn't let her design his band outfits which she found disappointing.

It was near noon and Tai was walking around the campus looking for something to do. He spotted Mimi and Sora sitting on a bench soaking in the sun on a beautiful spring day.

"Hey, girls! Wanna go and grab some food at the food court with me?" He asked with a goofy grin plastered across his face that they had seen a million times.

"Sorry Tai, I'm meeting with Matt now in a minute. I gotta run!"

"That just leaves you and me, Mimi, what do you say?"

"Sure, why not? But I pick the place!"

"I swear if you take me somewhere vegan you're eating alone."

"I mean it's not that bad Taichi, it's good for your health, and no animals are harmed in the making of their food."

He wasn't buying her attempts at persuasion but they made him laugh nonetheless. She began to pout and kick her feet dramatically as they walked until he finally gave in.

"Fiiiiine! We'll eat there but I'll pick the place next time!"

"Yay! But who says there will be a next time? I mean, you're pretty gross and I was just doing you a favor by eating lunch with you."

"Oh, is that right? Princess Mimi, you got it all wrong. I'm popular around here; the ladies love me!"

Mimi knew it was true that Tai turned into the real manslut as he matured into well-built, handsome young man. He was also the leading scorer and captain of the soccer team, girls loved that kind of shit.

"Yeah okay, so you can walk up to any girl in here and pick them up huh? Looking like that!?" Referring to his five o'clock shadow, his messy mop of hair, and his musk; despite his best efforts, escaping from his body.

"Probably." He sounded so sure of himself that Mimi almost cringed at his conceit.

"Could you be any cockier?"

"Absolutely! You're one to talk though. I mean, you made us refer to you as princess Mimi for years!"

They always playfully bantered wherever they were. They would call each other names, laugh at each other's grievances, and embarrass the other any chance they got. They didn't really get along the best sometimes but neither could deny that they couldn't help but laugh when they were around the one another.

They finally walked up to the vegan restaurant in the food court. With the vegan lifestyle trending the line was fairly long. Tai couldn't help but sigh in exasperation because all he wanted to do was satiate his hunger and vegan food wasn't about to cut it.

"Problem Tai?" She asked. She knew she was cute and she tried to flaunt it every chance she got. As flirty as Tai was with girls, he was sure that Mimi had him beat in that regard.

Tai bit his tongue to avoid offending Mimi. That was never a pretty sight. She'd get huffy and pout her lips out until she got her way and maybe shed a fake tear or two. Tai, being the gentleman he was, couldn't allow himself to watch as Mimi craftily played him like a sucker.

They waited in line for 25 minutes. Tai wouldn't dare complain as he allowed her to choose the food. His stomach grumbled 90 per cent of the time they were in line. Now that he was staring down at his plate full of vegetables he couldn't help but feel hungrier than ever. He ate it anyway to appease the feisty little tyrant.

"Thanks for paying for the food Tai!" She winked and stuck her tongue out at him and he sighed defeatedly.

"No problem Mimi, now eat up before I'm late for my next class!"

They had a lovely lunch and talked about all sorts of things. How their classes were going, the new friends they made, their plans over the next couple of weeks, and what they had planned to do for the summer holidays.

Mimi was telling him about her huge assignment and how she thinks she's decided on what she's going to do. She wanted to do a kitchen layout, to show off her exemplary cooking skills in a TV format. It was perfect for her: she was enthusiastic, focused, and an excellent cook.

"My only problem is that I don't have a co-host and I just can't seem to find one anywhere. I've advertised on social media and posted signs everywhere but nobody seems to be interested."

"Why do you need a co-host anyway?"

"Silly Tai, it's always good to have someone else there with you. It makes it easier to converse instead of simply being up there talking to yourself like a lunatic."

"Wait." He paused. "You aren't a lunatic?"

She messed up his already catastrophic hair.

"How rude Tai KamiyaI" She couldn't stop her lips from turning up into a smirk.

"But I honestly don't think I've met anybody as psycho as you, Mimi." He laughed, prompting her to hit him in the shoulder playfully.

Tai checked his watch and bolted straight up. "I gotta go, I'm gonna be late for class again!"

He took off and as she watched him fade off into the distance she couldn't help but wish they could have hung out a little longer.

April 29, 2007

Tai and Mimi haven't seen each other much. They texted occasionally but between Mimi preparing her show and Tai studying hard for exams and practicing for the playoffs, they just didn't have time for idle chit chat.

They ran into each other before heading back to their apartments for the day.

"Hey, Mimi, what's happening?"

"Not much, class is out for the day so I'm planning on going to the spa for some R&R. You?"

"Oh my god me too!" He mocked her, snickering at his own sarcasm.

"Laughing at yourself is really lame you know."

"Well, then how the hell are you popular around here when you do it all the time?!"

"Ugh! You should know better than that. People love Mimi Tachikawa."

"Referring to yourself in the third person? Wow, you're cool!"

"God, I hate you sometimes."

They both burst into laughter at each other. It started to pour outside and they were standing in the middle of the parking lot. Mimi was a thirty-minute walk from the train station so Tai offered her his jacket and a ride home in his sedan.

Her hair was hard pressed to her skin, saturated with the rain. "It wasn't calling for rain and now my makeup and hair are ruined" she whined diligently until Tai paid her attention.

"Mimi, you still look –" he looked over at her and paused. "Okay…" he trailed off making her furrow her brow.

To be frank, she looked like a cat that just jumped out of a bathtub and it was taking every ounce of willpower that Tai had not to keel over in laughter and lose control of the car.

"You're so fucking sweet Tai."

He wasn't sure if he actually upset her or not so he just took a shot in the dark.

"You know it, baby!"

So, they got back to her apartment soaked with their clothes practically welded to their skin by the water.

"Tai you can come in and dry off if you want. You're drenched."

"Sure, why not, it'll be nice to warm up in the house."

They went up the stairs of Mimi's apartment complex and she unlocked the door and turned the knob. The apartment was open concept; you could see the majority of the apartment (minus the two bedrooms and the bathroom) as soon as you walk in through the front door. Mimi loved this aspect. However, neither Mimi or Tai loved that when she opened the door they were greeted with the sight of a barely clothed Sora straddling a barely clothed Matt on the couch.

Mimi immediately slammed the door in embarrassment and grabbed Tai by the hand.

"C'mon let's go to your place to dry off!"

"Agreed!"

They had taken off to Tai's and Matt's apartment about a twenty-minute drive away. Along the way, they were discussing the events that just transpired.

"God, I hate when she does that! Sora could at least tell me when Matt is coming over so I don't need to walk in on them every time!"

"Wait, wait, how many times exactly have you walked in on them?"

"Three times now, Tai, THREE TIMES!" she shrieked.

"Like it wouldn't kill them to go into the bedroom I'm sure. That's pretty fucking rude if you ask me." Tai deadpanned.

Mimi felt a heat flush along her face when she witnessed it but she didn't stop to think of the effect it had on Tai. He said he was over Sora ever since she rejected him in favor of Matt back in Junior High but she wasn't so sure. Mimi was the one to comfort him when he wanted to be alone. She convinced him he was a great guy with a good spirit and he'd find her one day. Afterward, he had flings like it was nobody's business. He never had a single committed relationship or love interest ever since then which concerned his friends.

"We're young, we gotta have fun!" He'd always say but Mimi knew he was just trying to shelter his broken heart.

But now he has to deal with the awkward image of his crush and one of his best friends that she chose over him getting busy on the couch like a couple of animals. 'It must suck' Mimi thought.

Mimi noticed her phone light up. Sora was being apologetic about the whole thing but Mimi didn't bother to answer. I mean, it was only fair considering Sora didn't even have the decency to tell her that she was going to get laid so her roommate shouldn't come back to the apartment.

They got back to Tai's place and as Tai hung up his coat he had lent to Mimi, Mimi asked if she could use his shower and borrow some clothes.

Tai started sneezing and she held her hand against his forehead.

"You have a fever, you were in the rain too long, and you shouldn't have given me your jacket dummy."

"I can't help that I'm a gentleman! And besides, then you would've been the one with the fever!" He exclaimed with a nasal twang attached to his voice.

"Perhaps you should get a hot shower and a change of clothes first" Mimi insisted.

"No, no, no! You're my guest, now go get naked, and get in my shower!"

She couldn't stop snickering at how silly he sounded stuffed up like that. After what he had said she decided it would be fun to tease him a little bit. She started slowly taking off articles of clothing.

"W-w-what are you doing?!" Tai gulped at the sight.

"You told me to go get naked and get in your shower?"

"In the bathroom! Go get naked in the bathroom!"

She grinned mischievously at his flustered face.

"Don't do that to me anymore, I might just go into cardiac arrest!" he joked.

"That wouldn't be such a bad thing…" she trailed off as she walked towards the bathroom.

Tai couldn't help but be mesmerized at how her hips would sashay as she walked away. He never really paid attention to her in that way before and he couldn't understand why he was doing it now. It must have been the fever. That had to have been it.

After getting out of the shower she picked through Tai's dresser but was disappointed at her selection. Most of his clothes seemed to be in the hamper after all. "At least they made it that far" she muttered under her breath.

She hauled on a plaid button-up shirt that was way too big for her and eliminated the need for any pants; not that he had any that'd fit her anyway.

Tai kind of just gawked, mouth agape, at her when she walked out like that.

"You'll catch flies if you leave your mouth open like that" she giggled.

He quickly had a rebuttal to cover up his expression "I just, can't breathe through my nose! That's all."

He wouldn't make eye contact with her honey color eyes and he made his way to the bathroom to clean himself up.

He came out, clean shaven, which piqued Mimi's curiosity. "Why shave? Are you expecting somebody tonight Tai?"

"N-no, my face just felt kind of stubbly and I didn't like it."

She didn't buy it but she tried not to think much of it. They playfully flirted back and forth all the time and this time was no different. They're still friends, nothing ever happened between them, they were as platonic as they can be. Mimi couldn't help but wonder if that was okay though.

He hauled on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt but quickly took the t-shirt off because his fever was making him far too hot.

Mimi suggested that he lay down.

"But I have to bring you home at some point Mimi." He said between sniffles.

"I'd say Matt is spending the night anyway so it's just best if I stay here and not interrupt their personal time."

"It's your apartment too but you can crash here if you want. I'll sleep on the couch so you're comfortable."

"I couldn't possibly take your bed from you Tai. This is your apartment and your bed. I'll take the couch!"

Tai was taken back. He never expected that the selfish, pampered, prissy Mimi would refuse to take a bed that has been so graciously offered to her.

"Besides" she added "when was the last time you washed your sheets? I wouldn't want to touch any of your…DNA."

"Oh, come on Mimi! Don't be so weird!" He tried being very animated but his illness prevented him from doing much without feeling woozy.

After watching him drunkenly stagger about the living room, she wrapped his arm around her shoulder and practically carried him to his room. Tai was quite impressed with the feat given that he had nearly a foot on her in height and weighed at least 60lbs more.

She laid him down in his bed and covered him up. She fetched him a cold cloth for his head and placed a glass of ice water on his nightstand. He fell asleep half way through thanking her; causing her face to light up.

She knew she was smiling from ear to ear and couldn't help but feel the heat behind her cheeks as she watched him sleep. It was the only time she thought he looked graceful. Moments after he drifted off he pulled the covers down to his waist; indicating just how warm he was. She was still sat there on the edge of the bed and she couldn't help herself but steal a glance at his toned upper body while he lay there, unconscious.

Her mind began to wander to some naughty places, with him in mind. Those thoughts made her uncomfortable and she snapped out of it.

'Me and Tai? Never.' she thought. She was quite astute in the field of love and she was sure they'd never happen. They weren't the right type for each other. He was a jock and she was a drama queen, I mean geek, I mean student. As far as Mimi was concerned, they had no reason to have feelings for each other. She convinced herself of that fact and made herself comfortable on the couch.

She fell asleep on the couch, for how long, she was unsure. She heard moans and groans coming from Tai's bedroom. She got up lazily to check on him and he was stirring. He was probably having fever dreams.

She walked over by his side and she did not know what possessed her to do it but she lay down alongside him and reached for his hand.

After his fingers interlocked with hers, Tai's nightmares had settled. She blushed lovingly as she stared at Tai for an indeterminate amount of time before drifting off into her own slumber.

"I'm just trying to take care of my friend. My friend. My fr – "