The Hellos of a Completely Awkward Friendship

Kenta had always known that Kazu thought too much of himself. He always had. It's a wonder Kenta had even stuck with him in the first place. More so, how Takato was able to put up with both of them.

But it had always been that way, and Kenta doubted it would ever change.

At the moment, Kenta watched as Kazu stuffed everything from food, to clothes, to... some things that he couldn't even start to describe, into his poor, overused backpack.

"Do you really need so much? We're just going to the Digital World to get Calumon, and I don't think you'll necessarily use all of that..." Kenta objected, pointing to the huge pile on Kazu's bed that was still to be added to the sack.

It had been only a couple of days since Makuramon, the monkey deva, had taken Calumon away for the Sovereign's needs, and now, the tamers were setting off to get the little digimon back.

And they'd be stupid to think that Kazu would stay behind. They'd be double the stupid, if they thought that Kazu would let Kenta stay behind either.

Kazu puffed out his chest as he used his hand to wipe the sweat away from his forehead. He had just finished stuffing an extra four bags of junk food into his backpack, and it had taken a lot of effort to get it there.

"Of course I'll use it!" he retorted, staring over at his friend. "We're going to the Digital World! If it's anything like the TV show, we're gonna need plenty of supplies. I'm just being extra precocious."

"Do you really think so?" Kenta asked, deep in thought.

Sometimes, he couldn't help but admire Kazu and his brash attitude. It allowed him to do whatever he liked, whereas, Kenta couldn't survive a few days without his mom.

Kazu threw himself onto his overcrowded bed and sighed. "Absolutely."

Kenta understood the look in Kazu's eyes. His childhood friend was thinking about something. Something that involved an excuse to be admiring himself.

"You know what, Kenta? I'm glad I let Takato into our little group," Kazu explained out of nowhere.

Kenta choked on the air. Kazu often made remarks like those, but that had been ridiculous.

"What do you mean? It's more like we're on his team. Not the other way around."

Kazu laughed, one hand on his stomach while the other one was raising a finger to his eye to throw a tear away.

"Oh, Kenta," he chuckled. "You don't remember how it went at all!"

Kenta rolled his eyes. He remembered perfectly well how it all started.

***Three Years Earlier***

Kenta looked up at his new school. It was much smaller than his old one, but that was comforting in a way.

Once successful business people, Kenta's parents had decided to exchange their stressful lifestyle to one that was much simpler. The answer had been moving to West Shinjuku.

And Kenta couldn't have been any happier.

At his old school, he had been tormented by the rest of the children for being a complete and utter Mamma's Boy. This year, he was hoping to join the kids in the background, the ones who didn't have any real friends, but weren't picked on either.

But to Kenta's dismay, the world really hated him, because he never expected that some kid would stick his face in his.

"Hi!"

Kenta screamed and fell down on his butt. He had not noticed the tall and goofy boy approaching him. He had a few teeth missing, and a visor that was still way too big for him slipped down on his head. He had big spiky hair, and baggy clothes.

Kenta wasn't too sure the boy knew what he was doing. And that was what scared him most. He wouldn't have agreed to move if he had known that the town was filled with creeps like him.

However, the boy took no notice of Kenta's quizzical expression.

"I'm Kazu Shioda, you must be the new kid!"

Kenta chuckled nervously, eager to get away from Kazu as quickly as possible. "But, um, it's only the first day! How are you supposed to know that I was coming?"

Kazu adjusted his visor and said, "I know everything around here. I heard a family moved nearby and I was expecting you to arrive any moment. I've been waiting behind that bush."

Kenta looked over Kazu's shoulder once he had gotten back on his feet and furrowed his eyebrows. It was more like a tumbleweed than a bush, but he was too afraid to point that out.

"In other words, you were stalking me?"

"Yeah, pretty much. But whatever. C'mon, if we don't hurry, we'll be late on the first day!" Kazu snatched Kenta's hand and pulled him through the building's doors.

It was lucky that Kenta happened to be in Kazu's class. Otherwise, he would have been dragged into someplace that he wasn't suppose to be in.

Kenta gingerly sat down in a desk, and as presumed, Kazu chose to sit right next to him.

"Good morning children," the teacher began. "My name is Miss Hiroko and I'll be your second grade teacher this year!"

Kenta listened intently as the teacher started teaching, despite having Kazu constantly be motioning for something. He was sure that he just wanted to talk, but Kenta was certainly not in the mood. After all, if he didn't pass second grade, no way he was getting into college!

However, Kazu was insistant and after a whole hour of torment, Kenta had had enough.

"Will you shut up?!" he yelled, his glasses almost completely off his nose.

"Mr. Kitagawa! No rude loanguage in this class! Stand out of the classroom and think about what you've done!" Miss Hiroko instructed.

Kenta felt tears in his eyes, but brushed them away. At least he would get some time away from that annoying Shioda kid.

"Mr. Shioda, you too! It's not nice to provoke students!"

Spoke too soon.

At that point, Kenta wanted to bawl his eyes out. He was better off in Tokyo after all.

But he had no choice, so he lead the way out the door, closely followed by his tormentor. He leaned his back against the wall and sat down, trying to block out Kazu's chatter as best he could. Tired from all that had happened that day, he reached into his pocket and took out a pack of Digimon cards.

Digimon was something he had enjoyed ever since it first appeared on TV. Occasionally, his cousin would go over to his house and play with him. He always won, and it gave him a sense of self-accomplishment. But his cousin was in Tokyo, too far away for him to visit as often.

"Hey, are those Digimon cards?" Kazu interrupted his thoughts, a wide smile plastered onto his face.

"Yeah, so?" Kenta answered, his voice a bit accusatory.

Kazu stuffed his hands into his own pockets and took out an even bigger deck. "I've got some too! Are you up for a game?"

Kenta was relieved, at long last, he could get revenge on the boy who had kept him miserable that day.

And then he lost.

"What? No way!" Kenta exclaimed in irritation.

Kazu laughed as he picked up his cards. "Guess I'm the better player!"

"Nuh-uh! I demand a re-match!" Kenta would not admit defeat.

"Neither of you will do anything of the sort!"

Kenta turned to see Miss Hiroko glaring down at them.

"I really hate you."

"Is it okay if I don't believe you, Chumley?"

***A Month Later***

Kenta was still having trouble accepting the fact that he and Kazu were now friends. What was once a rivalry was now a friendly competition. Or as close as it got, anyway.

It was on a Monday that Kazu had introduced him to Takato, a boy who had transferred schools due to his old one being too far away from his family's bakery.

He was socially awkward, was embarrased easily, and had a knack for Digimon too. The trio was now complete: the Dork, the Momma's Boy, and the Awkward One.

Kenta was glad he hadn't been in the background.

***Present***

"I remember just fine. You didn't let him into our ´group´, you practically dragged him into it!" Kenta argued.

Kazu snorted. "Either way, we're about to go to the Digital World because of him! Think of all the digimon that'll want to be my partner!"

Kenta grinned. Typical Kazu.

"Just one question."

Kazu looked up. "What?"

"Once we have real digimon, I'll give you a real re-match!"