Wake up, Princess
Prologue
Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon or any of its characters. I do not own Love Rerun. I own nothing.
Author's Note: Digimon TRI inspired me to get back into the fandom. This story is inspired by the manga Love Rerun by Amazawa Aki.
However, I'm only using the basic premise and the rest of the story will be very different, and based on Digimon canon (except for the epilogue). Multiple couples, but mostly focused on Mimi, Taichi and Yamato's changing dynamics. Side character couples too.
Mostly relationship focused and will build up to real romance slowly, as I am more interested in character development and realistic explanations of how the Digidestined got closer or drifted apart over time.
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'…..' = thoughts
"..." = speech
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[Imagine a 10 year old Mimi wearing her pink dress and playing with dolls in her childhood bedroom.]
'I close my eyes and wait for Prince Charming to appear and rescue me from this ordinary life.'
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[12 years later]
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"Tachikawa-san! Sorry, but there are still some errors in the group report. Can you edit the section on terminology and email the rest of us a copy when you're done?" A young man smiled apologetically, bowing his head slightly as he spoke.
The campus was bustling and it was a warm spring day in April, but the icy look that the brunette he addressed gave him sent a shiver down his spine as he shrunk into himself.
Eyeing the boy coldly with a mixed expression of wariness and irritation, Mimi ran a trained hand through her thick and glossy locks before answering in a clipped tone, "That's not even my section of the report. I'm really busy with my part-time job. I know it's senior year, but this isn't the time to slack off. This report is important for our grade." She sniffed at him disapprovingly and sighed in annoyance.
"I'm so sorry, Tachikawa-san, but you're the only one of us who is fluent in English. Sato-san tried her best, but the terminology section really needs more work. Can you please help us out? The nutrition books in English are so difficult to understand!" The student begged, clumsily pushing up his glasses at the bridge of his nose.
"I know you are super busy working, but none of us can get through the dense English text as quickly as you can. Please, please save us! We will all treat you after the presentation."
Mimi drew out another sigh, slowly closing her eyes and massaging her temples. She wished she was wearing one of her large floppy hats, because her exasperated expression was surely intimidating some of the underclassmen who were quickly shuffling past them.
"Fine," she ground out, turning around to end their conversation. "I'll try to get it done this weekend. You owe me some grilled meat afterward!"
"Thank you, Tachikawa-san!" her classmate exclaimed, watching her retreating form. A big smile plastered on his face, he continued, "We'll buy you all the meat you can eat! Thanks again!" Heading to his next class, the boy chuckled.
Even though Tachikawa acted tough and grumpy sometimes, he knew she would eventually agree. After all, the girl was known throughout campus not only for her beauty, but more importantly, her kindness and compassion for others. She was the school's madonna.
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Mimi Tachikawa was a senior at Odaiba University. She had returned from America for high school and decided to stay in Japan for college, even though her parents had returned to New York for work.
As much as she had enjoyed her life in the U.S., she still considered Tokyo to be her one true home. It was the place where her closest friends lived and she chose her college after several of her friends had attended. To the surprise of everyone, Mimi decided to double major in communications and nutrition.
Looking at her, most people wouldn't assume she was made for island living. While technically still a part of Tokyo, Odaiba was much quieter and low key compared to the districts across the water. Her friends were overjoyed when she decided on Odaiba University rather than a far-away school in a more exciting location.
Mimi liked small town living; it was familiar and safe. Even if she seemed a bit too posh, with her pretty looks and stylish clothing, Mimi's outer appearance hid a pure and simple girl at heart.
'Maybe too pure,' she absently thought, turning away from her reflection on a storefront mirror as she walked down the street. Mimi was on her way to her part-time job, a cute half bakery, half cafe where she worked as a waitress. Her parents had agreed to pay for her school fees, but she was on her own when it came to rent and living expenses.
Although Japanese parents usually supported their kids financially until marriage, Mimi's parents had picked up some frustrating American customs while abroad and told their daughter to pay for her college lifestyle by experiencing the value of earning money.
Mimi was proud to be taking care of herself, but she was often annoyed when she saw how carefree some of her classmates were, not having to juggle work and school at the same time. 'So much for being a pampered Princess,' she thought sourly, walking into the cafe to start another long afternoon shift.
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Waiting behind the counter, her bubbly friend Miyako Inoue perked up when she saw Mimi and gave a big smile. The purple-haired girl's family had bought the establishment while they were in high school, and she was one friend who really understood the burden of working for your bread and butter.
"Mimi-chan! I'm so glad you're here. I'm so bored!" Miyako complained, following Mimi into the backroom. While Mimi changed into her uniform, the younger girl secretly admired her friend's figure, somewhat envious due to her own lack of curves.
Of course, she was a pretty girl in her own right, but Mimi had always been someone who stood out both in looks and personality. Miyako still idolized her a little, although their relationship was much calmer now and she didn't gush as much as she did in junior high.
After Mimi was done changing, both girls returned to the front and chatted idly, waiting for a customer to come in. "So, what are you wearing to the Digidestined dinner? Tomorrow is finally the night you'll confess to Jyou-senpai, right? I'm so proud of you, Mimi-chan! Three years is too long for unrequited love."
Mimi smiled at Miyako's enthusiasm, but deep down she felt apprehensive and unsure of herself.
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Five years ago, when Mimi was still a junior in high school, the group had their last digital adventure. It was a trip that none of them had expected, and it ended in heartbreak. As a last resort, the children had to bid farewell to their digimon, as the gateway between reality and the digital land had to be permanently shut for the safety of both worlds.
Their digimon partners had been chosen as the new guardians of the digital world and the children had to choose whether to stay or return to their homes. Full of sadness, all of them chose to return. Everyone had been crushed and drifted apart as a result.
The Digidestined had started a tradition three years ago of meeting on the first Friday of every month. Now that all of them were adults, and lived very separate lives, it was hard to stay as close as they once were.
It was Taichi's idea to organize a mandatory group dinner and everyone was silently grateful that he had been so insistent. It was easy to lose touch with old friends, but everyone still cared deeply for one another.
Although they had all moved on with their lives they were still connected by a shared past.
Mimi's crush on Jyou had started after the first Digidestined reunion. The older kids had all graduated from high school and started attending university. While Jyou went to a medical school in Tokyo proper, and Koushiro had decided to enroll in a technical college close by, the rest had chosen to attend Odaiba University.
It was through Sora's encouragement that Mimi had also decided to enroll in the school, although none of the old gang had hung out at first. It wasn't until Taichi brought them together again that the old friends started rebuilding bridges and began creating new happy memories as a team.
When Mimi had seen Jyou again, he looked like a stranger. The once lanky and awkward boy had grown into a handsome and confident young man with a shy smile. When they were children, Mimi had always seen the blue haired boy as an older brother-type who was too serious and paranoid for his own good.
Although she appreciated his care and protection, it could be stifling at times, and he had always treated her like she was helpless. As a result, she had never felt any butterflies when she interacted with him before, but time had changed all that. Jyou was becoming an amazing adult, and Mimi was captivated by this man who seemed to have his whole life figured out. She admired him.
Over the last three years, the crush had grown into what Mimi assumed was love, and she had been pining over the man for the last several months. Miyako was the only one who knew, but the younger girl constantly nagged at her to tell him.
After ignoring her friend for the past six months, Mimi finally collected enough courage to confess. However, she couldn't quell the uncomfortable feeling in her gut.
Everyone assumed that Mimi was an experienced woman. With her looks, attitude and upbringing most people thought that she had a long list of ex-boyfriends. After bringing Michael along to a few activities during junior high, even the Digidestined believed that she had dated while living in America.
None of it was true.
Maybe it was because she possessed the Crest of Purity, but Mimi had never even kissed a boy. She was saving her kisses and body for true love, and denied the advances of the numerous boys who chased after her. She was often surrounded by men and classmates would ask her out regularly, but she always turned them down.
Mimi believed in Prince Charming and soulmates.
It wasn't all because of her crest. Honestly, she had always fantasized about being a princess with a knight in shining armor to save her from the bad things in life. Mimi knew it was ridiculous to think this way, and she was a proud, independent woman, but her childhood dreams had left some lingering feelings.
Even her closest girlfriends had no idea that she was still a virgin who had never been kissed. Mimi wasn't necessarily ashamed, she believed in her values, but it wasn't something she shared either.
Having no experience confessing to a boy before, Mimi was a ball of nervous energy whenever she thought about telling Jyou her feelings. They had known each other for a long time. What if he just saw her as a friend, or worse, a little sister?
Mimi recognized how ironic it was for her to worry about such a thing. She had been the one to feel that way about him for the longest time, but the tables had turned. Now, she was the tense and awkward one, with no idea of how things would play out the following evening.
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Shaking her head to dismiss the dark thoughts, Mimi turned to answer her curious friend. "I haven't decided on what to wear yet. But I'm definitely going to confess after the dinner. I can't wait anymore."
Miyako squealed in excitement and wanted to chat more about unrequited love, but several customers entered the cafe signaling the dinner rush. The rest of the shift was busy with taking and serving orders, eventually forgetting about the possibly life-changing event that was going to take place the next day.
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"Hahaha! Daisuke-kun, I told you that was too hot!" Taichi laughed loudly, slapping the younger man on the back. The maroon-haired boy had bitten into a scorching piece of meat, spitting it out and onto the floor.
The whole Digidestined team was together, laughing and goofing off with each other, and sitting around two huge tables that had been pushed together for the large group.
The restaurant was a popular hang out for local college students and the owners were used to the rambunctious group of friends that were noisy, but good kids, with healthy appetites. They always bought a lot of drinks and food, so the middle-aged couple who owned the establishment welcomed them every month with big smiles and cold beer.
The tables were low to the ground, so everyone was sitting on the floor, chattering happily and updating one another about the previous month's happenings.
Uncharacteristically quiet, Mimi nibbled on a piece of dried seaweed, only sipping her drink occasionally, wanting to stay sober for her talk with Jyou. Normally, she loved to flit about the room and talk to everyone at least once during the night, even if it was only to check in on them.
There were a few that she didn't have as much to say to, like Iori Hida. He was the youngest in the group and often silent as he drank his barley tea and just nodded along as he listened to the older adult's conversations.
He was the complete opposite to extroverted fools like Taichi and Daisuke who would both drink copious amounts of beer and often got into playful fights or broke out into song in their drunken states.
Takeru, who had grown up to become a tall and charmingly handsome young man, usually sat beside Hikari and Ken. They would talk amicably amongst themselves, until Miyako or Daisuke would demand to be included in the conversation, as the others laughed at their antics.
Koushiro, who was always with some sort of electronic device, was showing Yamato a newly released high-tech mobile phone that his company had developed. The blonde listened carefully and nodded at his friend's words.
Mimi eyed the two boys curiously, their attention firmly on the small device on the table, ignoring the noisiness of the rest of the crowd.
Koushiro had grown a lot since their childhood years. He was much more open and made an effort to interact with people, even though electronics still distracted him quite a bit. Then there was Yamato.
Mimi pursed her lips thinking about him, taking a drink as she observed him from across the table. He was, without a doubt, devastatingly handsome. He had always been a cute, albeit moody, kid, but adulthood had chiseled his features into those of a man. His dark blue eyes were as haunting as ever, but time had also healed many of his wounds. He smiled with his eyes more often.
Yamato was another one of the Digidestined that she did not have much of a relationship with. They just didn't interact often, always distracted or more keen to talk to someone else. At one point, at the beginning of their first adventure, Mimi had thought that he might become special to her.
She liked how much he cared about Takeru and wanted him to look at her with the same protective gaze. Mimi had made an effort to stay near him, choosing to walk with him or stay in his group whenever they split up.
However, danger, fights, survival and their own personal baggage had led them on different paths to maturation. She needed to wake up from her princess syndrome and he needed to open up his heart.
Mimi had gotten over the fact that she wasn't the one to help him overcome his demons a long time ago. She then glanced at the one who had. Sora was happily talking to Jyou, her face bright and happy. Of course, Sora wasn't the only one who had helped Yamato find himself.
Taichi had played a big role, as well as Jyou and the rest of them to a lesser extent. But somehow Sora had been the one to get him to fall in love for the first time, which is something that none of the other Digidestined had expected.
Truth be told, Mimi still wasn't sure how she felt about it. She had always assumed that her close friend loved Taichi, but they never got together, even after Yamato and Sora broke up in senior year of high school.
Their last digital adventure and the loss of their digimons had been too much for the couple. Mimi wasn't privy to all of the details, but Takeru once mentioned that there had been some tension between the couple long before the trip back. But Sora and Yamato never talked about it, so nobody asked.
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Mimi ran a tired hand through her silky hair, finishing her first glass of the night. It had been a long day at school, but she knew she had to wait for a chance to get Jyou alone before she could confess.
Hoping that the older boy would take a bathroom break or make a phone call soon, Mimi continued to watch her friends have fun, while her insides twisted and turned from her nervousness.
Suddenly, Mimi heard someone take a seat beside her and set a glass down. "Hey, Mi-chan! Why so gloomy? It's not like you." Taichi said, grinning at his friend.
Even though he acted like a jokester, Taichi was actually very observant and was always watching his friends. Mimi hadn't seemed like herself all night and he was concerned. Even though he was smiling, his eyes betrayed his worry and Mimi gave a small smile in return. She felt bad for making her anxiousness so obvious, and tried to lessen the boy's concern for her.
Although neither of them had ever addressed it, Mimi knew that Taichi had begun to like her romantically about a year ago.
She didn't know how or when, but one day things were just different between them. They had always been friendly with each other and Mimi was very sweet to Taichi, but she had also assumed his feelings for Sora would prevent him from ever falling for her. She never imagined he'd eventually get over the red head and develop a crush on her.
It had been a serious curve ball for their friendship since Mimi already liked Jyou. Glancing over at the blue-haired boy briefly, she turned to Taichi and replied, "Nothing much. I'm just tired from school and work. It's hard to do both, you know. You're lucky your parents still pay for all your living expenses!"
Placing a sympathetic hand on Mimi's shoulder, Taichi gave it a slight squeeze, unaware of her discomfort. "I know, Mi-chan. You've really matured since we were kids. Working so hard... I wish I could help you more."
His earnestness made Mimi's heart ache, because she thought Taichi was a great guy. If only she hadn't fallen in love with Jyou first, then maybe she could have returned his feelings, but right now they only made her feel apologetic and awkward around him. "Thanks, Tai-kun."
Noticing Jyou stand up and move toward the exit, Mimi quickly scrambled to her feet and excused herself. "Sorry, I need to make a phone call." Hurrying out to follow Jyou, she didn't notice a pair of blue and brown eyes simultaneously watch her leave.
'That was strange,' Yamato thought, blinking before returning his attention to Koushiro. 'The Princess sure seemed out of it tonight.'
Just like Taichi, Yamato had a habit of carefully observing all of his friends. Even the ones he didn't know very well, like Mimi. They didn't have much in common; at least that's what he had always assumed.
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Outside the restaurant, a warm breeze ruffled Jyou's short hair as he smoked a cigarette. He knew it was bad for him, he was training to become a doctor after all, but he had picked up the habit due to stress and it was hard to quit.
Medical school was tough and the pressure he felt everyday drove him to sneak a smoke now and then. Today had been particularly taxing due to a difficult patient he had to deal with earlier in the day. He was doing his residency at a hospital in Tokyo and sometimes a smoke was what he needed to calm his anxious nature.
The evening was turning out to be a pleasant time though. He was happy to see his old friends and catch up on their lives.
He was also glad to spend more time with Sora. They had been keeping it a secret, but the two had officially gotten together about three months prior. Jyou had been helping Sora prepare for her social work exams.
After graduating, the red head had decided to prepare for the national exam to get certified. She wanted to become a social worker to help those in need. It was a difficult exam, so Jyou had offered to help. Over the course of a year, they had fallen for each other.
Jyou blew out a puff of smoke and looked up into the night sky. He wasn't really sure where their relationship was heading, but they enjoyed each other's company and wanted to be together. For him, that was enough. Jyou wasn't sure if he loved her yet, but Sora made him happy. 'I hope I can make her happy too,' he thought.
As he was about to put out his cigarette, he heard a soft gasp from behind. Mimi was gaping at him with an open mouth, pointing at the cigarette like it was a snake. "Y-You smoke? Since when?!" she demanded to know, glaring at the disgusting cancer stick with narrowed eyes. "Jyou-senpai, you're a doctor!"
"I'm still doing my residency, Mimi-chan." Jyou chuckled, dropping the bud and stepping on it. "I know you must be disappointed, but even I have my vices," he said, moving forward and patting her head affectionately. "What are you doing out here anyway? Feeling okay? Should I call you a taxi?"
Listening to his questions of concern, Mimi glanced down at the dead cigarette he had extinguished. How many things did she not know about him? Deciding that she could think about it later, Mimi cleared her dry throat with a cough.
Looking up, she smiled when she saw his concerned expression; his worry for her clearly written across his frowning face. 'What am I worried about? This is Jyou.'
Taking a deep breathe, Mimi took a step toward him and took one of the tall boy's hands in hers. Jyou was surprised and stumbled backward, a small blush on his pale face. Using his free hand to adjust his glasses, he tried to extract his hand from her grasp, but she would not let go.
He was utterly confused. "Mimi-chan is something wrong? Did someone say anything to you inside that I should know about?"
"Jyou-senpai," she started, hoping to confess before he could start another barrage of worried questions. Tilting her head upward, she looked him directly in his wide and startled eyes. "Senpai, I love you. Not as a friend, but as a man. I want us to be a couple."
Mimi admitted, cheeks flushed with emotion. She had done it. Closing her eyes, Mimi breathed in deeply, waiting for his positive response.
Except it didn't come. Instead of the kiss or sweeping admission of mutual love that she was expecting, all Mimi heard was Jyou's broken voice as he stuttered, "I-I'm s-sorry, Mimi-chan. I'm going out with someone. I'm serious about her. And..."
He pulled his hand away, taking a step back from Mimi as she stared at him with a shocked expression on her crumbling face. "I'm sorry. I see you as a little sister."
He then turned away from her and quickly went inside. Mimi stood rooted to the spot, tears streaming down her face as she used her balled up fists to hastily wipe her tears.
Taking out her mobile phone, she typed a quick message to Sora writing that she didn't feel well and was heading home. Devastated and feeling miserable, Mimi started walking with no destination in mind.
'This wasn't supposed to happen. He was supposed to say yes! I've been waiting for love my entire life. I can't believe I was rejected...'
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'Man, I'm exhausted.' Yamato zipped up his leather jacket, walking briskly through the park. He had a good time with his friends, but couldn't wait to get home and into his warm bed. Things had gotten a bit weird at the end of the party.
Jyou and Mimi had left for awhile, but only one had returned. Sora told them all that Mimi had gone home, and Taichi started drinking way too much after that announcement. Jyou had looked ashen-faced and started downing drinks as well.
It wasn't like him to drink so much and Yamato could tell that even Sora had noticed the unusual behavior of their two closest friends. It was all very strange and he was eager for everything to go back to normal after a good nights sleep.
"That jerk! Who does he think he is? Reject me? Going out with someone? Since when?!"
Yamato halted in his tracks. That voice sounded unsettlingly familiar. But he didn't want to stop, so he was about to ignore the shouts and continue on his way when he heard, "Stupid, Jyou! Stupid! Stupid!"
The blonde groaned, rubbing a hand over his face. Of course he recognized that voice. It was none other than the pink princess that had left the reunion early and made the situation weird afterward.
Truly tired, but knowing that he couldn't leave the young woman alone in a dark park, while she was obviously making a racket while drunk, Yamato begrudgingly made his way toward the loud yelling.
Sitting on the kids swing set, her arm raised into the air while holding a can of beer, Mimi continued to shout, "I'm too good for you! To think that I was going to give you my virginity! You don't deserve it!"
As he got closer, Yamato shook his head, half embarrassed by what he was hearing and half exasperated by her drunken actions. Walking into her line of sight, he frowned when he noticed the six pack by her feet; all but the one in her hand were empty.
Lowering her arm and swiping the last can from her, he tried to pull Mimi to her unsteady feet. "Mimi-chan, you're drunk. You need to go home."
"Who—Yamato-kun?" she slurred, stumbling a bit as he pulled her up and onto her feet. Unable to keep herself standing, Mimi fell forward, draping her arms around the blonde's shoulders to stay upright. "What are you doing here? Did you know that Jyou-senpai is a jerk? Haha, he's a big, big jerk!"
Mimi giggled after the last word, her lips brushing against Yamato's ear. His skin burned from the touch and he jumped back, almost dropping the girl, but recovered fast enough to hold up her arms.
"What the hell are you doing? Why did you drink so much? This isn't like you." He said, glaring at the woman sternly. She was a mess and he had an inkling that it had to do with whatever made her leave the party early. "Did something happen with Jyou-senpai and you? Why are you calling him a jerk?"
At the sound of Jyou's name coming out of someone's mouth other than her own, Mimi raised her hands to her eyes as the tears began to fall again. Startling Yamato, she buried her face into his neck and sobbed. "W-What? Mimi-chan?"
Unsure of what to do, he awkwardly patted her on the back, wanting for nothing else but to be home and away from this mess of a situation. 'Damn it, why me?'
Mimi continued to cry for a few more minutes before she went quiet. Hoping that the waterworks were finally over, Yamato hesitantly said, "Mimi-chan?" He waited her to respond but got nothing.
Shifting backwards to push her off of him enough to get a look at her face, he saw that she had fallen asleep standing up. All of the crying, combined with booze, and being exhausted from a long day had knocked her out.
Yamato groaned again and felt like screaming. What the heck was going on with this night?!
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"Wake up, Princess."
Mimi's head throbbed. "Ugh..." she muttered, hand automatically rising to clutch her aching head.
Her brain was fuzzy and she felt like she had just been hit by a truck. Trying to sit up, but failing miserably, she felt a strong pair of arms help her into a seated position. Massaging her temples a few moments before opening her eyes, Mimi felt her vision begin to clear. She was finally waking up.
Searching for the person who had helped her, Mimi realized that she was now alone. She looked around the room and noticed framed photos of her friends on the shelves. Her clothes were neatly hanging in the walk-in closet to her side and she smiled softly at all of her childhood stuffed animals decorating one of the chairs in the corner.
This was obviously her room, but not at the same time. For instance, she definitely didn't wear half of the dark colored clothes in the closet. She didn't read the psychology textbooks littering the desk across from her, and she certainly didn't own an electric guitar.
A minute later, she heard a familiar voice from the doorway of the room. Turning to look at the speaker, Mimi was surprised to find Yamato gazing at her with worried eyes, a glass of water in his hand. He took a step toward her, handing her the glass and said, "Drink all of it. You've been out for at least an hour. I was about to call Jyou-senpai to check up on you."
Mimi almost choked on the water. She didn't want to see Jyou right now. Definitely not. She was so embarrassed and didn't know how she would face him after he rejected her so explicitly.
"I don't need to see Jyou-senpai," Mimi murmured, not meeting the blonde's stare as she handed him back the glass.
Yamato arched an eyebrow, but didn't say anything else. Placing the glass on the ground, he raised a hand to Mimi's forehead to check her temperature. "W-What are you doing?" Mimi stuttered from the contact.
She wasn't used to Yamato being so concerned for her well-being and it was unnerving. Where was she anyway? This seemed like her room, but it was clearly not the room she had left that morning.
"Yamato-kun," Mimi started, taking another look around the familiar bedroom. "Where are we?"
Eyes widening, Yamato looked at her like she had grown a second head. "What do you mean, where are we?" he said, standing up to return the glass to the kitchen.
Heading toward the door, he turned to glance back at the brunette sitting on his bed. "This is our apartment," he answered before walking out.
Staring at his back, Mimi's hands curled the sheets in her fists, his words slowly registering in her cloudy mind. "Our apartment..." she repeated slowly, staring at the photos of Yamato and her next to the bed.
"WHAT?!"
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Notes:
April: The Japanese school year usually starts in April and ends in March of next year. The story begins around the last week of April, the beginning of Mimi's senior year of undergraduate school.
English text: Many Asian universities require students to read English textbooks for certain majors.
Mimi's major: In the Japanese version of the show Mimi grew up to be a TV host and nutritionist.
Meat: Grilled meat in Japan is really expensive, so students rarely get to eat such a treat.
Madonna: Is often used to describe a really popular and beautiful woman/idol on campus.
5 years ago: The reference of their last adventure was to acknowledge TRI's time frame. This story is canon up until parts of TRI but will disregard the TV epilogue. The epilogue was shit, anyway.
Crest of Purity: It was purity in the Japanese version, not sincerity. By purity, I think they meant innocence.
Drinks: The drinking age in Japan is 20 years old. In this story, all of the Digidestined can legally drink in Japan except for Iori who just drinks tea/water.
Please review if you liked the story. Feedback is much appreciated. Thanks!