It was a day like any other. Yamato left his house early, in accord with his responsible personality. He had stayed up late, writing a song he had struggle a lot with.

For a long time he had thought about playing in a band, and it wasn't until a month ago or so on of his best friends had actually talked to a boy she knew and gladly give it a push. That had been Sora, who in a dinner at Tai's had brought it up casually and asked if he was intested.

This thoughts occured while he waited for her to come down. Because Yamato had always appreciated the way his friend cared and gently put things easy for him, asking him first before she put her ideas in practise. Since the last time on the digi world, Yamato had let Sora in unconsciently. She had proved herself a person genuinely interested in his well being. And he wasn't used to being cared for like that. Sure, he was loved by his friends, but his harsh outside, despite everyone knowing how a good and loyal friend he was, wasn't interested on the personal side of him. With Sora, that came very naturally. She was used to reading people and protecting their interests, knowing instinctly their emotions. This probably followed the fact that Sora was a deeply emotional person, a fact that once or twice had transpired, like that time when Sora didn't think she deserved the crest of love and the episode of the dark cave. Too caught in his own problems and in protecting his baby brother, he failed to even try to know his fellow partners and it had hit him just how much she felt, how behing that mask of temperance and warmth, was a person who couldn't see in herself neither as half of the good the others saw in her. If in the first occasion he had just given her space to cry out her fears, in the second one he had managed to calm her down and lift her up from the same dark cave he had been into. That similiarity, along with the trial they had experience the last time, had provoked him to try to know her better, to genuinely be the best friend his crest stated he could be.

He found no resistence in her. Sora was as always eager to make new friends, and Yamato now saw how easily she surounded herself with both male friends who treated like equal, and girls who looked up to her independence, responsabilily and loveliness.

Part of their time together originated by their living in almost neighbour buildings. When they noticed this, after their staying in the digi world, they had both given a laugh about how close they lived, and with Taichi in the next street too! So, they would meet in the crossing and go to school together, in spite Yamato being in a different class.

First Yamato would meet Sora and they would talk about trivial stuff from school, soccer or Yamato's music; and here Yamato had found an interested listener, since Sora was a creative person herself, and after a few months he was borrowing her CDs. After even more months, she was talking about how better she was with her mother, and how she had started to draw. This came out rather shyly, but with gentle encoragement Sora had shown him some drabbles. And this was Yamato's turn to tell her how good she was at something.

To his surprise, none of this art side of Sora was known to Taichi. Their encounter tete-a-tete came from the fact from Taichi being almost, if not always, late to school. They would wait for him, and not rarely there were some pranks involved to try and wake Taichi Yagami the hell up! Then, talks about trivial stuff would follow, between Tai and Sora, mostly about anything or absolutely everything, envolving different point of views most of the time. It wasinteresting how the subjects between those two were often so different from his and Sora. And he was glad he could see some personal traits of her other than her tomboy traits shown to Taichi. Yamato would join and discover Tai's theories about stuff he knew perfectly well were wrong, fight with him over it with Sora trying then not to take sides, or taking Sora's side on some amicable discussion, or in making fun of Taichi.

However, lately something had changed. He knew Sora well enough now to know one of his best friends was moodier than usual. It all had become clear on her approaching bIrthday. Sora and Tai were fighting a lot more than usual. And sometimes Yamato had to admit Sora caused the fights. Something clearly was wrong with her, and even more, just to annoy her Taichi would arrive on time and Yamato had no longer solo time with her, except at few occasions when he could tell she was being too polite to him, and holding back. Yamato felt this hard, since although he had now some friends he could talk to, none of them understood him better than Sora.

All this had become evident to him precisely when this irritable phase of Sora begun. Not that Sora was rude to him, or even hurt him purposely, because that she would never do. But sometimes when he didn't say anything during Sora and Taichi growing disagreements, he noticed she would become quiet and evasive.

Frequently, she was near to tears when some sarcastic or playful comment came out of Taichi's mouth, mostly innocent and unthinked. He liked to tease her because she teased him often too, and there would be nothing wrong with it as usual if now Sora would become hurt more easily.

At first he thought of his mother. Things could be worse? Or even her father, which was a subject that he was glad he could make her talk once, when Yamato was rambling about his dad.

But on this particular day, Sora came out in the cold air of the morning with a tiring face. She clearly had not slept well.

'Good morning.'
'Hey Yamato.'
A faint smile appeared in her face, readily washed away. Her eyes showed the usual simpathy though.
'Bad night?'
'Yeah.'
'Is...something troubling you?'
Sora hesitated. 'It's... Something stupid. Never mind.'
Her arms crossed.
'Taichi will go alone today.'
Yamato startled.
'What has he done this time?' His voice gained that caracteristic hardness, because he knew it had been something bad.
Sora swallowed, and her eyes filled with tears. She was going to talk, but stopped. It was something that was choking her, he could tell.
'Sora...you know, you can tell me whatever... Whatever it is.' He tried to sound as calm as possible.
They walked alone in silence.
'I...I can't.'
Yamato looked at her in surprise. What could be so serious, so disturbing, he could not understand?
'Just try me. Tell me. You have been going on like that for a while. That's enough.'
Here Sora bursted into tears.
'I have haven't I? Been unsuporable. My mother calls it childish. Well, maybe that's just the way I am.' Her voice came out harsh, agressive, like when she was giving her final word in arguments with Taichi.
'No, you are not like that. You are one of the most mature girls of your age I know. You know it's not your personality, it's not a phase even, it's something upsetting you, IT's some stupid stuff Taichi said, I know it! Just WHY do you even pay attention to what he says! It's just rubbish to annoy you! But if he was mean to you, I'll punch him for you!'
This had not the desired effect. Sora started to cry harder. People on the street stared at him angrily.
'Sora what the hell has he done?! Tell me!'
Between sobs she managed to say:
'Yamato, I don't want to talk, specially not with you. Please, drop it!'
Now he was at a loss. It had to do with him and Taichi? He could not remeber what it could be.
'I'm sorry. Whatever it is...'
'No, it's not something you done. It's just, you would not understand... You'll think bad of me, you'll think I am stupid, just like any other girl, like the one from the other day that talks to you just because of your good looks. I'm...ashamed of it.'
Now the anteciption was worse than ever.
'Okay, spill it! What do you care what I think, I am thirteen, what do I know? If something upsets you, I wanna know, okay? We talk about anything, so just, tell me... Please.'
He had pushed her against a wall. She took a deep breath and pursued:
'I just, I thought...I've been thinking...about Taichi. You know, we're groing up. And I want...to change.' She took another breath. 'The other day he was with a girl...in the intermission. The new one. He was flirting with her and I...just felt this feeling that I have changed. Oh, Yamato, I think I like him, really like him, in a stronger way. But, everytime I bring up boyfriend talk, he just laughs at me, he says who would want me with my temper, he is just so...I don't know why I feel this way, I hate myself for it. Because he's my friend, and after all I have no right...'

Her voice broke. She hid her face with her hands. Yamato had expected plenty, but not that.
He was so shocked at it that he didn't know what to say. But he discovered this also upsetted him. How could she be this devastated about someone as dumb, clueless as Taichi? She deserved someone better, someone who didn't make fun of her. After all, he was just too young, they were all too young.

'Oh say something please. Say I am an idiot and you think I'm ridiculous but just...'
'Sora.'
'I know. How can I like someone so stupid and...and...that makes me so furious...That can only make me another stupid shallow girl.'
'No. No, it's just...how you feel. I don't think you chose to. It's just you know him for so long, and you thought it could evolve from that...right?'
He spoke very slowly like he had thought every word particularly. Sora stopped sobbing and looked down to the floor.
'Oh if I could choose..'
'You would never chosen someone that is so different and has different opinions on everything.'
Sora slowly looked up.
'Yamato I didn't want to burden you with this stupid thing. It makes me feel so...'
'Girly?'
'Silly. Everything I hate. I don't even know what I want to do, if I do. It' a stupid crush.'
'What if you tried to tell him?'
'Oh God...'
'Yeah, it's a bad idea.' Yamato instantly retracted. 'He's...still too much of a kid Sora. He didn't want serious stuff with that girl, I promise you. Maybe you saw it and that what cause this...rush.'
'Maybe.'
'But there is really nothing to be ashamed of.'
'Have you felt it?'
'A crush? No. I don't think that's going to happen anytime soon.'
'Well, when you least expect it, you'll be a complete hysterical piece of mess.'
He smiled, and she smiled back, suddenly, with a sob.
'I'm so sorry Yamato, for you putting up with this. You have to stand between the two, hear this rubbish.'
'It's not rubbish. It's what friends are for, I'm your friend.'
She looked him the eyes and smiled. Really smiled.
'I'm so glad you're my friend, then.'
Those auburn eyes, the matching hair glowed to the cheeks, covered with fresh tears made him feel so eager to lift her up and hold her close... But he couldn't.
'We're late. Very late.'
'Apparently your crush is later. He hasn't passed by us.'
'And...I have to see his face in class, and he will confront me.' She sighed. 'This is not his fault, is mine, that is why...'
'Just tell him some excuse, he's dumb anyway,'
They both laughed at this and hurriedly went to school.

Between classes, he saw Sora and Tai come towards him. They seemed fine and Sora was a lot calmer and smiled quietly at him.
Taichi then stepped away to talked to some fellow soccer players.
'Thanks again Yamato.'
'Don't mention it.'
After classes were over, he waited for them, and Sora came out alone in the street.
'I don't know why Tai left in a hurry, but he looked up to something.'
They were walking when something caught their attention. People were gaddering around a corner.
And there it was. Taichi and the perky girl from the park, kissing. Actually, it was more her than him, he just lay there curiously and happily still while she kissed him. Everyone whistled.

And all Yamato could look at was Sora's face, the shock, and heartbreaking eyes closing in disbelief. It was agonizing to look at.
Never in his life Yamato felt so powerless. He slowly did the only thing he could think of: he put an arm around her, and with the other held her hand, while driving her away.
But suddenly she let go of his embrace and started running. He chased her to two streets away, were she stopped under a tree. He could barely stand to look at her. He held her shoulders in front of him.
And as she left herself drop on the floor, he catched her. Her head felt on his shoulder, and it was hard for him not to cry with her too. He put an arm around her and she hold on thight to his shirt.
This wouldn't be easy to overcome. But it had been the shock of seeing her boggest fear that had caused the reaction.
After three hours, they remained still, the wond starting to blow strongly, the sun beggining to set.
'Yamato you probably have somewhere to be.' Her voice was faint.
'No.'
'I'm sorry once again for all of this.'
'Don't.' His tone was harsher than he intended. 'I'm the one who's sorry. I thought he wouldn't go for it.'
'Well, at least now I know. It's me.'
He sighed revoltingly.
'Sora...'
'No. It was for the best.'
'He doesn't know what he's missing, that's all.'
'Why do this things happen to good people? I was so happy with my little life...'
He smiled. 'Well, you were fighting agreabbly with him and me, while being happy. And then boom, Tai becomes Brad Pitt.'
And there it was. A laugh.
'Now, WHY couldn't my crush be on Brad Pitt? I could have cried for him.'
'Yeah, would have hasted those tears a lot better on Angelina.'
More laughs followed. She wasn't radiant but he could tell she was... Lighter.
'Perhaps now that you know he's a hopeless dick, you can look for lesser next time hum?'
'Yeah. I can't go worse than this can't I?'
And their laughs hightenned. 'I think I should tell Tai.'
Here she patted him on the other shoulder, the one she wasn't holding her head on, and giggled.
'Please kill me first'
'Now you know what to expect in blackmail.'
'God, you make me sound so idiot. I am such an idiot. What was I thinking anyway, right?'
The laughs stopped again.
'Now Yamato Ishida...you know all that is embarassing about me.'
She looked at him with an eyebrow up, tears still at the corner of her eyes. There, in the sunset, she never looked so vulnerable, so feminine, so human.
'You want to know...an embarassing thing about me?'
Her eyebrows raised and a smile appeared on her cherry coloured lips.
'Shoot please.'
'My moom used to make me dumplings when I was a child. And I still wear it when I cook.'
Sora giggled with pleasure. Was that really Yamato, the cold, distant, sometimes rude stranger she met on summer camp? His icy blue eyes seemes radiant water now, in the sunset light. And his smile was beautiful.
'Thank you, Yamato.'
Sora saw him blush a bit. But then he said:
'So now we know what to expect from each other in blackmail: a photo of a naked Taichi and a photo with me with dumplings.'
And the sound of laughter eccoed through the park.