Chapter One:
Coincidence, Part One: Human
-1-
There are some who would say that a force known as "fate" governs the world and those in it. This force, if one were to believe all that is said, merely places the pawns known as humans into their designated places at the designated times, in the designated context.
Going further up, there are those who say that a higher being is the one who controls this fate, using it as a sort of tool on the humans below for some reason or another.
Regardless of the existence of such things, there is another force that is always at work in the world: that of coincidence. To have run out of bread at the same time as an ex, leading to a chance encounter at the bakery. To trip and fall, giving someone else the extra ten seconds they needed to buy the last copy of a desired novel. To decide to go over to a friend's house the one night thieves decide to peek around the neighborhood.
The above situations could, of course, also be defined as the aforementioned fate. In addition, one could refer to them as "bad luck". But, in the end, they are nothing more than coincidence- a phenomena that revolves around nothing but the fact that something has happenedto occur in a notable way.
Coincidences are powerful. They can add to one's tastes, expand one's circle of relationships, solve a crime…And even open the curtains to a story.
-2-
Run away.
Masako Hojo was not a particularly tall girl. In fact, you could say that her 4'10" height defined her as short. That, however, was her only significant feature. Everything else- weight, looks, the famous "three sizes"- were simply average.
Run away…
But that is not to say that she did not stand out in any way. Aside from the previously-mentioned short stature, she had two other notable features- that is, her high intelligence and cowardice.
Run away!
That's right, Masako was a coward among cowards. She never raised her hand in class, despite knowing every answer. She never asked a boy out, despite having a good chance at getting one. And she never tried to stop a bully from picking on someone, despite her astounding sense of justice.
Just run away, Reina!
Masako was hiding in a bathroom stall, doing nothing but listening as her only friend, Reina Mori, was confronted by the three meanest girls in their class. She managed to get a peek through the crack of the door, and noticed that Reina was glaring at the three, showing no signs of backing down. Tears welled in her eyes as she prayed for Reina to come to her senses.
"What's the look for, huh?" demanded one of the girls, the leader of the pack, as it were. She walked closer and grabbed Reina's collar.
"You won't get away with bullying, you know," Reina stated calmly, "Once you're done picking on me, I will report to the principal, letting him know about what you did to me. And when that happens, even something as heavy as expulsion with be the least of your punishments."
Stop goading them! Run away!
One of the other girls walked up to Reina and, without any hesitation, punched her in the face. Upon impact, Reina's teeth made contact with her inner cheek, creating a steady drip of blood falling out of her mouth.
"You're so goddamn cocky," said the girl, cracking the knuckles of the first she had thrown, "Maybe if your yap wasn't flappin' all the time, you could have been somewhere else right now."
Tears dropped from Masako's face one by one, somehow synchronizing with the dripping of Reina's blood. The resisted to sniffle had to be resisted, though, lest giving away her hiding spot.
Somehow- perhaps a glimmer of light shining on the tears- Reina noticed Masako hiding out in the bathroom stall, her eyes widening. Masako read more than just realization from this look, though. She realized just then that Reina's calm exterior was nothing more than an act. Her eyes called for Masako's help, seeing her friend as the glimmer of hope to perhaps make the bullies leave her alone.
But Masako did not move. In her heart, she knew that the right thing to do, to have done, would be to jump out towards her friend's defense. And yet, the fear that welled inside of her heart overpowered the sense of justice she could have otherwise been proud of.
Seconds passed without movement, and Reina realized that the glimmer of hope she had viewed did not mean anything. Unfortunately, those few seconds of hope and the despair that followed were enough to break the feigned calmness. Now the other girls could sense her fear, and that made them all the more brutal.
Masako could watch no longer. She closed her eyes and covered her ears, waiting until the piercing end-of-lunch bell sounded, reaching even her covered ears. A quick peek through the door's crack let her know that nobody else was in the restroom anymore, so she quickly left the stall and ran out the door.
Upon returning to her classroom, however, she noticed that Reina was not in her seat. She waited and waited, but even three hours after lunch, at the end of the school day, Reina had yet to return to class.
-3-
The second she arrived home, Masako frantically dialed Reina's phone number over and over again, without any answer. After her tenth attempt, she sighed and hung up her phone. What would she say, anyway? Would she apologize for sitting by and watching as her best friend was bullied? Would she beg for forgiveness?
…what's the point? Nobody would forgive such a horrible friend.
She sluggishly walked over to her room and fell face-forward on her bed. A sound from her left and a pain on her stomach told her that she had fallen on the television remote.
"I will never turn my back on someone in trouble! That's the kind of person I am!"
…Digimon is on. She thought, It would be nice if I could be a bit more like Taiki Kudo. He doesn't care how much trouble he's in, as long as it means helping someone else. But me…I'm just a coward. I want to help people, but…I'm also too afraid that something will go wrong. That I'll make things worse…
No, that's not true. I'm just a stupid and selfish person who is afraid to get hurt.
The girl bit her lip and peeked at the clock. There were still a few hours until dark. Maybe Reina would listen if she went directly to her house to get down on her knees and beg for forgiveness.
-4-
From an outside perspective, one would say that Keiji and Akio Muto were as close as siblings could be. Despite the three-year age difference, they always walked to school together, met up for lunch together, and walked home together. And all the while, Akio Muto, the younger brother, was smiling at Keiji, showing nothing but unconditional love.
The difference in perceptions is more noticeable when the two arrive at home, though. Now, Akio really does love his brother with all of his heart- this part is true. However, this is a one-way love. Despite their appearance while in the outside world, any love Akio feels toward Keiji is not returned with love, but with hate.
Although his younger brother did not know this fact, Keiji despised him. He resented everything his little brother was and, one day, would be. In the end, his feelings could be summed up with the word "jealousy".
The two had just returned home from school- the entire walk home consisted of Akio recounting the events of his day, hoping that his brother would compliment him in some way. Unfortunately, this meant bragging, which only made Keiji less likely to offer any form of praise.
"Oh, boys! Come on in- there's a little snack waiting on the table."
Keiji put on a fake smile. Sitting and eating a snack with Akio would only mean having to listen to him more and more, only with their mother's praise added into the mix. There was no way he could handle any of that.
"Sorry, mom," he said, smiling wide, "I have a lot of things to take care of. Maybe I could grab it later or something?"
His brother was visibly disappointed, though this went unnoticed by everyone else.
"Oh…um, well," Akio looked at their mother, "Now that he mentions it, I have a lot of work, too."
Their mother blinked, as if unable to comprehend why two young boys would refuse snack food.
"Well…I suppose that's fine; after dinner, I guess," she smiled at her youngest child, "Make sure to study hard, alright, dear?"
Though Keiji was already halfway up the stairs leading away from the hallway where his brother and mother were standing, he still heard those words. He clenched his fists, digging his fingernails into his palms.
Only to Akio, is it? he thought, Fine.
-5-
After trying for less than five minutes, Keiji gave up on any hopes of finishing his homework before dinner. Instead, he reached into his desk and grabbed his gameboy, deciding to fool around until dinner.
Not two minutes after he turned it on, however, his mom entered the room, a book in hand.
"Keiji, dear, you dropped this downstairs…"
Upon seeing the gameboy in his hand, she paused. After taking in the situation, her unblinking stare quickly changed into a glare.
"Keiji!" she yelled, "What are you doing? You're sixteen, for God's sake- how can you be wasting your time fooling around with stupid little games instead of studying? Honestly…can't you be more like your brother?"
Time seemed to stop. The older brother, who was just about to raise an objection, instead just stared at his mother. His furious mother who knew nothing about how he felt, proven by the fact that she said the words he hated more than anything in the world.
In a blind fury, he threw his gameboy to the ground, breaking it in half. He then stood up and briskly walked past his surprised mother, who had lost her words.
He quickly grabbed his shoes and put them on, ignoring his recovered mother's objections. Running as fast as he could, he left that house, and the people in it, behind.
…or so he thought. What he did not know is that Akio had stepped out for the moment and, upon seeing his beloved older brother run away from home, decided to follow him.
-6-
The girl stared down a long, dark hallway. She paused, staying as quiet as possible. No movement, quiet breathing…only listening and praying- praying that she was alone in the hallway.
Seconds passed and she did not hear a single sound. She sighed with relief, deciding that she had no reason to panic. But then her fears were met.
"I found you," whispered a voice in her ear.
She screamed, frantically trying to get away from the voice, but two strong hands were now tightly gripping her waist, preventing her from running. They slowly crept up her body; they slowly crept up to her chest.
"Help me!" she tried to call, but her voice no longer seemed to work. Tears fell down her face as she tried to escape from this man.
"I love you," he was muttering, his hands peeling off her blouse, "And you love me, too. Now it's time to show it…"
-7-
"Get off of me!"
Machiko Ichikawa was no longer in a dark hallway, but in her bedroom. Her normally gorgeous face was covered in various clumps of hair attached by sticky sweat. She wiped her brow, trying to get the sweat off.
She looked at the clock- it was several hours past noon.
I'm hungry, she thought, I wonder if mom remembered to do the shopping yesterday…
This girl was supposed to be a high school student but, due to various family circumstances, now lived exclusively at her mother's house- "exclusively" meaning that the only time she ever left the house was in the dead of the night, once or twice a month. She no longer went to school, staying home all day and playing games, instead. "A waste of her beauty," is what her mother called it when she assumed Machiko couldn't hear.
"Nothing," said Machiko, sighing as she closed the fridge door, "Really, that worthless bitch can't do a thing."
That's right, I hate everybody, she thought, Everyone in the whole world.
She glanced at the door, considering the pros and cons of leaving the house in the daytime. It was not as if she would burn in the sunlight, after all- her curtains were usually open during the day, in fact. Still, having to leave the house…
A sigh. If she wanted to eat, there wasn't really much of a choice. She retreated to the shower, stripping off her sticky clothing and running the cold water. Pausing, she looked into the mirror and scowled.
I even hate you.
-8-
"Say, Makoto…which country is the one that's directly north of the US?"
"Don't you know? It's New Zealand, of course." A laugh.
"Oh, thank you! Say, while I have you here…er, who was the first president of the US? I'm pretty sure that'll come up on the test later, and I can't seem to find it in my notes…"
"Why, John F. Kennedy, of course." A cheerful and friendly smile, unmatched by any others in the class.
"Thanks so much! I knew I could count on you!"
Makoto Akasaka waved as the underclassman left the room. Once the boy left, he dropped his smile and glared at the dozens of classmates who were giving him dirty looks.
You see, Makoto was not a bad student. In fact, he had more general knowledge than anyone else in the classroom, including enough to know that the answers he gave to the underclassman were wrong.
But why are you guys judging me so much? he thought, You knew that I'd lie to him- knew that I DID lie to him- and yet you decided to give me dirty looks instead of telling him what I did. You're all just as bad as me.
He rested his face on his hand and stared out the window. Humanity is just full of liars and cheaters, so why shouldn't I be allowed to play along? Why should I let myself be the only one sitting around and being lied to?
…that boy will come back soon enough. He'll be crying, asking me why I lied to him. And I'll tell him, "that's just the way the world is, kid. People lie and cheat and steal and if you don't want to stand out and be their next victim, you'll join them."
"…you can't trust anybody." he muttered under his breath.
-9-
It was a warm day in the early summer. Not warm enough where one must wear rain boots as a preemptive measure against the flood of sweat in any hallway, but certainly warm enough where one would have to wipe their brow several times if outside for too long.
As Makoto exited the grounds of the school and began walking out into the street, he heard a small voice call out his name. Turning around, he saw the underclassman from before running toward him. Now, this underclassman was more than just another younger student- he was, in fact, Makoto Akasaka's cousin, with whom he lived.
"Oh…sorry, Kazuki," he said, "I thought you were staying after class today."
That's a lie.
"Don't worry about it!" Kazuki's smile shined brightly in Makoto's face, nearly blinding him, "Everyone makes mistakes, right?"
You're too trusting, thought Makoto. Out loud, he smiled and said, "Yeah. Well, don't worry, it won't happen again."
That's a lie.
Most of their walk home was spent in silence. From what Makoto could tell, his cousin was doing some form of studying, mumbling the things he remembered, or making note to check things later. Incidentally, Makoto could also tell that pretty much everything he mumbled was wrong.
He tries really hard, but he just can't seem to retain any information, thought the older boy, a quiet sigh escaping his mouth.
After about twenty minutes of walking, they reached their home, owned by Kazuki's father. As they entered, the same man grunted a greeting to them from his desk, which had the front door in sight.
"We're home," said the two boys simultaneously, removing their shoes. Makoto immediately started walking toward his room to start on his homework, while his cousin make his way to the kitchen in order to grab a small snack before working.
Once Makoto opened his books, however, he remembered that he left his water bottle in the fridge, waiting for him once he got home. He walked over to his door and turned the knob, but stopped when he heard his uncle's voice.
"…and then Makoto helped you?" asked his uncle, a clear tone of disapproval in his voice.
"Of course! He's so smart!"
"Now listen here, Kazuki. You can't trust anything that boy says. Liars only breed more liars, and his father was the worst scum to ever exist. So from now on, if you don't understand or don't know something, make sure to ask someone else in your class, alright? Not that leech back there."
Makoto closed the door quietly, taking extra care not to be heard. He then opened it back up, only much louder than before this time, so his uncle would hear. And, just as expected, the man stopped mid-sentence, quickly telling Kazuki to run off and finish his homework.
"Mm? I thought you went to do some work or something," said Makoto's uncle.
"Oh, I just realized that I forgot something at school (that's a lie.)," said Makoto, a bright smile on his face, "I'm going to head back and grab it now, alright? (That's a lie.)"
"I'll be back later!"
That's a lie, too.
-10-
As Masako walked down the streets, she noticed that she was passing a local swimming goods store. Upon closer inspection, she realized that they were selling various swimming goggles.
Goggles… she thought, In Digimon, all of the main characters wear them. Those courageous characters that I admire so much…
Within the next five minutes, she had bought a pair of black goggles to go with the long black skirt and black blouse she was wearing.
The goggles kind of blend into my hair, though. she thought, frowning, Maybe I shouldn't wear them yet…
As she struggled to take them off, she lost focus for a moment, bumping into another distracted girl, causing them both to fall to the ground. She shut her eyes instinctively, sputtering apologies and preparing for the other girl to hit her. But when seconds passed and she didn't feel any pain, she slowly opened her eyes.
A blinding golden light was the only thing she saw before blacking out.
-11-
Machiko dressed in a long pair of jeans and an oversized sweater, donning a beanie and a large pair of frameless glasses as well, in order to hide her identity. The last thing she wanted was to accidentally run into someone from school and be barraged with questions about why she stopped coming to school and cut off her cell phone line…
"The DDAC is working hard to ensure that our phones will be available to even the poorest of families…"
If you have that much time and money, why not use some of it to feed or shelter those who need it? This is why people are so disgusting…they think that all the less fortunate need are little trinkets that make them feel rich…
Suddenly, she noticed a familiar face off in the distance- a boy she knew from her old school. She pulled the beanie down, almost over her glasses, and walked with her head down.
Just a few seconds and he'll pass me. She thought, I only need to keep my head down until-
Her thoughts were interrupted as she bumped into another girl, one clad all in black, even to the point where she was wearing black swimming goggles. The girl quickly closed her eyes and covered her head with both hands, bracing herself for some form of attack.
Machiko took a breath, ready to speak, but she never did. A golden light covered her entire field of vision, taking away any desire to speak. She did, however, manage half of the word "what" before falling unconscious.
-12-
Kenji ran and ran, though he had no destination in mind. He quickly found himself in the shopping district, which was surprisingly empty.
Well, I guess school only let out recently.
He stopped running, tired out from both heat and stress.
What am I going to do? I guess I don't really have a choice but to go back home…not yet, though. I need to cool my head down a bit. Maybe karaoke? The arcade? I just need some way to calm down…
Looking around, he noticed an open bench. As he saw it, he realized just how desperate he was for a rest. But only for a minute, he told himself.
As soon as he sat down, he saw two girls heading straight for each other. But before he could raise his voice and warn them, he also noticed Akio in the corner of his eye, confusing him. Why was his brother here?
Before he could say or do anything, Kenji noticed that his brother was glowing gold! No, it wasn't just Akio- everything in his sight was now coated with this golden light, one glowing so bright that he was forced to shut his eyes.
"What's going on…?" he forced out, before falling to the ground.
-13-
"You can't trust anything that boy says. Liars only breed more liars, and his father was the worst scum to ever exist. So from now on, if you don't understand or don't know something, make sure to ask someone else in your class, alright? Not that leech back there."
What am I doing? thought Makoto, I mean, nothing he said was wrong- I'm a liar, my father's a liar, and all I'm doing with my life is leeching off of my uncle and cousin. I have no right to get upset over anything he said, and yet…
He bit his lip. And yet, something about his words really hurts.
Suddenly, a familiar face entered his field of vision. Or so he thought, anyway- she was wearing a large beanie and a giant pair of glasses, making it difficult to see her face. And as if to make it even more difficult, she was looking down, almost like she was trying to avoid Makoto's gaze.
Though that would make sense, if she's who I think she is… he thought, quickly walking toward her.
The next minute or so passed by in a flash- the girl he saw bumped into another girl, sending them both to the ground. A boy sitting on a nearby bench rose to his feet in shock, staring at a young child walking toward him. And Makoto, undistracted by any other human being, heard the voice that none of the others had a chance to listen for.
"Please…save this world," it said.
Makoto looked around, trying to locate the source of the voice. While he was looking, he could have sworn that he saw a mechanical dragon, colored gold and covered in various cannons and claws. But surely that was just a figment of his imagination…
Without any more time for thoughts, he blacked out.
-14-
If Masako had not stopped to buy goggles…
If Kenji had been able to focus on his homework…
If Akio had not stepped outside…
If Machiko skipped her shower…
If Makoto had not forgotten his water bottle…
The power of coincidences is unfathomable, leading all human beings down paths that would otherwise be blocked off to them.
These five children are now faced with an adventure that gives them a chance for much personal growth, but at what risk? What price will they have to pay, and what challenges will they be required to overcome? For them, only time will tell…
-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-
Next Chapter's Working Title:
Coincidence, Part Two: Digimon