Pink Summer
"Taichi, this isn't anyway to spend your summer vacation, you know," Hikari advised her brother as she pulled on her sneakers.
"What? I don't see anything wrong with it," Taichi turned his gaze to his sister who was checking her camera for film.
She turned to him and gave him a blank stare. Walking behind the couch, she rested on the back. "Sitting at home all day watching TV with a remote in one hand and popcorn in the other is no way to spend vacation unless you plan on marrying the sofa."
"It's Movie Saturday though, what else do you expect?" Taichi sighed and changed the channel.
Hikari rolled her eyes and walked to the door. She was pulling on her jacket as piano music came from the TV. She peeked around the corner as a soap opera came on; her jaw dropped and she went over to the TV and shut it off. "Hey, what are you doing? Yonosuke was going to marry Atsuko today, but I heard there was a new plot twist. Come on Kari!" Taichi furiously pushed the on button on his remote to no avail, "Kari!"
"You're coming with me today Taichi, no soap operas for you at all. I'm getting you a life," Hikari grabbed Taichi's arm and dragged him out the door briefly stopping to grab his shoes.
"What's taking Hikari so long?" Miyako looked down the street again for some sign of Hikari.
"There she is," Takeru pointed in the other direction.
"Who's she with?" Iori wondered aloud.
"Looks like Tai," Daisuke squinted for a better look.
"Hikari, what is the fascination of getting me out of the house?" Taichi was now willingly walking next to Hikari.
"You've been sitting around the house all week Taichi, and it's only been three days since school got out," Hikari held up three fingers in Taichi's face, "Besides don't you have any friends to hang out with? Yamato? Koushiro? Jyou?"
"Here we go again. Ok, Yamato is taking two straight weeks to practice with his band before their big summer shows, Koushiro went to teach a week long computer class somewhere, and Jyou is taking summer classes again. Don't say it, you're going to ask what about Sora. She's working in her mom's flower shop as a summer job and doesn't have a day off until Saturday, which is five days away," Taichi held five finger to Hikari mocking her earlier gesture.
"Well, what about Mimi? She's coming to stay for a month tomorrow. I heard she's staying with Sora like usual, but you just said she's working. Go pick her up tomorrow at the airport. Surprise her," Hikari stood in front of Taichi as if it would help him decide, he just stared at her.
Taichi sighed, "Okay, I'll pick Mimi up at the airport tomorrow."
Hikari lit up, "Alright! Hey, we're here. Come on, you're spending a day with us!" she pulled him toward the bench of people.
Takeru, Miyako, Daisuke, Iori, and Ken were all sitting there already waiting for Hikari. The group was going to take a bus to downtown and see a movie than hang out at the mall because Miyako and Hikari wanted to. Taichi reluctantly decided to go along and joined them.
"WAKE UP!" Taichi fell out of his bed from the volume of the scream that woke him up.
"What is it? Fire? Break in? Tsunami?" Taichi jumped up and tried to catch his breath.
"Calm down, Taichi! You promised to go get Mimi. You've got a half hour to get to the airport," Hikari sat down in the chair across from the bed.
"What? You woke me up this early to go to the airport?" Taichi made a motion to get back in bed, but Hikari jumped up and held him back, "Fine, I'll go."
Taichi ambled out to the bathroom and Hikari muttered something about having forty minutes to get there and left for the kitchen.
"No way, the plane doesn't land for another twenty minutes?" Taichi stood in the airport looking at the schedule for Mimi's plane, "Oh well, I guess this beats pigging out on popcorn all week. Mimi's okay I guess."
Taichi yawned and sat down in chair near Mimi's arrival gate nodding off in the process.
"Hello?" something stirred Taichi a little, he heard a girl's voice, "Are you awake? Hello?"
He opened his eyes to reveal a little blonde no older than six poking his shoulder. "Hi."
"Hello," the girl replied.
"So, what are you doing here?" Taichi asked the girl.
"I'm waiting for my mommy, and that girl over there said to sit here and wait and while I did I could wake you up," the girl replied enthusiastically pointing towards a smiling brunette girl.
Taichi turned red recognizing the girl as Mimi and turned back to the kid, "She had a good idea. You sit still here and wait for your mom okay?"
"Okay!" the girl replied and waved as Taichi walked over to Mimi, he looked back to see the girl's mom arrive.
"Sleeping on the job huh?" Mimi greeted her friend as they walked to the parking lot. She handed Taichi two large suitcases and carried only a backpack and a small carpetbag herself.
"It's not a job. I offered to come down here. It's not my fault Hikari thinks she can make me stay out until twelve by taking my wallet. I could've used more sleep," Taichi defended himself, recalling last night's events in his head.
"You always think you could use more sleep," Mimi giggled at him.
Taichi yawned, "Yeah, but I won't get any at my house. Hikari is taking over! Yesterday she made me hang out with her and her friends until something like midnight and then this morning she wakes me up like there's a fire. Then, she says she's having Miyako over for a few days. It all adds up to no sleep for me," he yawned again.
Mimi looked sympathetically at him then laughed.
"Hey, what's so funny?" Taichi looked surprised.
"Oh, nothing, it's just that you think a normal nights sleep is about twelve hours long," Taichi looked slightly confused.
"It is in the summer though. You do more during the day so you need more sleep. It makes perfect sense, Mimi," Taichi stared at her waiting for her answer. They reached the car before she could reply.
Taichi took her bags and put them in the car. He ran over and opened the door for her and shut it behind her. As he walked around to the drivers side he wondered why he was being so nice all of a sudden, "She could've opened that door. Whatever, she just had to deal with a plane ride. I hate planes."
"So, you're staying with Sora right?" Taichi asked as he buckled his seatbelt.
"Yeah, but I think she told me last night that she won't be there until late," Mimi looked towards the back of the car. Taichi noticed.
"Don't worry about your stuff. I have a key to Sora's place. We'll leave it there with a note. You probably want to go somewhere and see people now right?" Taichi smiled at her somewhat shocked reaction to his knowing about her worries.
Mimi grinned back, "Of course I want to visit people now Taichi. Will you take me?" Taichi started the car and headed toward the airport exit and nodded, "Oh thanks, but, um, can we get some food first? I'm starving!"
"That's the best idea I've heard all day!" as soon as the last word escaped his mouth his stomach growled as if in response. The two laughed and started deciding where to go for lunch.
"The food was great Taichi, thanks bunches for taking me!" Mimi said as the two walked out of a small restaurant.
"I thought you'd like that place. It's new, but they have the best desert menu I've seen in a long time," Taichi mentioned, referring to Mimi's love of chocolate rice balls, she picked up on this.
"Come on, I know where we're going now!" Mimi grabbed his arm and led him down the street.
"Hey, isn't that Mimi with Taichi?" Takeru wondered.
"Hey, it is! I didn't expect Tai to stay with her all day though," Hikari replied as looked in the direction of the two.
"No one told me Mimi was coming," Daisuke mumbled.
"Taichi finally took my advice and got out of the house. He should listen to me more often," Hikari smiled at her accomplishment.
Takeru and Daisuke stared at her not understanding the whole situation. Hikari had left bits out when relaying the tale the day before. Daisuke spoke up, "Are we going to say hi to Mimi or what?"
"No, let Taichi hang out with her for now. We can visit her later," Hikari answered and led the two boys in the opposite direction.
"So, what's this place? I never saw it in here before," Taichi looked around at the crowded mall they were in. The store in front of them seemed too new to Taichi for Mimi to know about it.
"Taichi, this store has been here forever. I came here when I was little and bought chocolate rice balls all the time! The owner even knows me by name and used to save the last one for me if they were about to sell out," Mimi explained as she led him inside.
"Well, how are you today? What can I do for you?" the shopkeeper said as they entered the small candy store. Mimi recognized him and went to start a conversation. Taichi noticed that the owner remembeedr her and left them alone to talk; he wandered around the store, exploring for a bit.
"Oh thank you so much!" came Mimi's voice from the front of the store, Taichi turned around and saw Mimi gesturing to him, a large box in her hand, "Come on Taichi!"
Taichi walked over to her, nodded thanks to the shopkeeper, and held the door opened for Mimi so she could hold the box in her hands steady. "So, what did you get that took up a box like that?"
Mimi grinned and stopped walking for a moment, she lifted the lid to reveal a full box of twenty fresh rice balls, "He gave them to me for free as a gift!"
"Wow, that's a lot of rice balls," Taichi looked up at Mimi who seemed ecstatic to have this many sweets.
Mimi looked up and met his glance. She took a rice ball out of her box and held it out for Taichi, "Here."
Taichi seemed hesitant to Mimi, but in reality, he wasn't used to getting presents from girls, except Hikari on random occasions and holidays. Mimi took his hand, opened it and placed the rice ball in it, "There you go, a gift from me to you. Now try it, they're really good!"
Taichi blushed a bit, "Uh, thanks Mimi."
She smiled, "Your welcome! Now come on! I know where we're going now!"
"Uh, okay, lead the way Mimi! You've got the run of the city today," Mimi smiled at Taichi's comment.
"Oh, Taichi look!" Mimi pointed to a poster hanging on a phone pole, "The summer fun carnival! We should go; it'll be loads of fun!"
"Sure, let's go, but, uh, can we drop my car off at home? It's on the way," Taichi turned to his car parked on the street with various fliers on it that he threw out.
"Yeah, no problem. We can walk the rest of the way though right? I'm kind of used to walking everywhere now, living in the city and all," Mimi giggled and got in the car as Taichi yet again opened the door for her.
"We'll walk. I just don't plan on using this car until later and I don't feel like getting parking tickets while I'm gone," Taichi started the car and pulled out of his spot smiling at Mimi and set off down the road.
"So, where do you want to go first Mimi?" Taichi asked handing Mimi the stub to the tickets he bought for them.
Mimi surveyed the carnival. Rides, games, and food stands were as far as the eye could see. There were so many places and so little time, but she would make the best of it. Her study ended on a small roller coaster like ride, "Over there Taichi! Come on!"
"Okay, let's go for it!" Taichi tagged her and ran. Mimi caught on the idea of a race and ran to catch up with him.
Taichi was sitting on the bench in front of the ride when Mimi came walking up, "Hi."
"I could've won if you had warned me more," Mimi faked a pout and sat down next to Taichi.
"Aww, cheer up Mimi," he stood up and held his hand out to her, "Are we going on the ride or what?"
"Of course we are!" Mimi grabbed his hand and pulled him down on the bench, tagged him, and set off for the back of the line. Taichi ran after her.
"Hey, what happened to warnings?" Taichi jokingly complained.
"We're even now," she replied simply.
Taichi laughed and the two joked until it was their turn on the ride. They went on more rides and split some cotton candy. It was dusk by now and they were strolling by some small stands run by local stores. They came across a stand with a Takenouchi Flowers sign on it and stopped.
"Wow, Sora's mom is really good at what she does isn't she Taichi," Mimi commented on the arrangements as she smelled one of the many roses there.
"Actually, I think Sora did these. She's probably here too," Taichi snuck a glance at Mimi and saw her light up at the idea of seeing her friend.
"I don't think anyone is here though," Mimi leaned over the counter to look inside, "Taichi, look the carousel! Come on!"
"Uh, you go on and save a spot. I'll catch up real quick," Taichi motioned for her to go on when she stayed standing there.
"Okay, but the line's short. This better be fast," then she ran off in the direction of the ride.
Taichi sighed as she left and watched her until Sora tapped him on the shoulder, scaring him. "You shouldn't do that to people, Sora!"
"Sorry, Taichi, but what are you doing here? I see you're with Mimi," Sora looked in the direction Taichi was before.
Taichi turned her head quickly, "Does that make a difference? Get me one of these red roses. Just one, not one dozen. Short-stemmed. I'll pay you tomorrow; I kind of spent my money on cotton candy and tickets."
"A rose? Who's it for?" Sora turned in the direction of the carousel.
"Sora, please? I got to go," Taichi gave her sad looking eyes.
She sighed, wondering why he was so impatient, "Okay, here. Now have fun with Mimi okay?"
Taichi had already been walking, but turned around to yell out to Sora that he would.
"Good timing, we're next in line," Mimi smiled and Taichi noticed how the lights of the ride lit up her face. He nearly blushed, but turned to the side as if he was people watching.
"Yeah," it was all he could manage to get out.
The ride in front of them stopped and the people got off. The gate opened and Mimi grabbed Taichi's hand leading him to the two horses she wanted. They got on and the ride started.
They rode there in silence. Mimi watched the lights and enjoyed the ride with a childlike fancy while all Taichi did was watch her. Mimi noticed, but decided to lead him on a bit. This was the quietest she had been all day, and Taichi just couldn't get the courage up to say anything now so he settled to enjoying the ride himself.
The ride stopped and they got off. The two got off hand-in-hand, but Taichi was too preoccupied to notice. They stopped in a little open area and Mimi asked what was wrong, "Taichi? Are you okay? You're being really quiet."
"Uh, well, uh, heh," Taichi stumbled over his words, then he blurted the next sentence out, "Here, this for you!" Taichi handed her the rose.
Mimi smiled and took it, "Thanks Taichi, but," she was cut off.
"I really liked spending today with you. It was more fun than I've had in a long time. I want you to have it," Taichi grinned shyly.
Mimi lit up and thrust her arms around his neck in a hug, "Thanks Taichi! I had the best time with you too! We could do it again, but maybe like a date?" she hoped her hint wasn't as subtle as she thought she made it sound.
"Yeah sure! I was, uh, getting to that," they laughed as the nighttime fireworks lit up the sky. Mimi and Taichi looked at each other and then were drawn into a kiss. They stood there in each other's arms watching the fireworks until they were over. Taichi put his arm around Mimi and he started to walk her home.
A/N: Yay! I found Michi surprisingly easy to write. I think I might write a multichapter based on this someday… Watch for it Michi fans!
Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon, I never did, I never will. Toei Animation and other companies and people do. I wish I did though, but then again every Digimon fan wishes they did… If I owned Digimon they would have kept Butter-fly as the opening song for 01 in the dub, and all the other opening, closing, and digivolve songs in there too for all the seasons.