Disclaimer-I don't own Digimon.
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From a Different Perspective...
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Lunch was when Kouji had told Takuya and the others that Kouichi was taking Kako out on a date. And lunch was when they had decided to follow the older twin.
"I mean," Takuya declared with a cough, "Can't have them doing something they shouldn't be doing, right?"
That was his excuse, as well as Izumi's, Junpei's, Tomoki's, Katsuharu's and Teppei's. Kouji, however, had a different excuse altogether. He wanted to see Kouichi fail. And if it was up to him to make it happen, he would be the cause.
Of course, there was the other side of Kouji that told him, Stay out of their way. But jealousy consumed and got the better of him. Freed from the chains of Takuya's bet, it was easy to make it seem like an innocent gesture, volunteering information out like that.
They quietly followed Kouichi with the guidance of Agunimon and Blitzmon. It was only then that they discovered that Kazemon had joined them, even to Izumi's surprise. Kouji planned their sneak into the restaurant in order to make it seem as inconspicuous as possible. However, him having to share a table with Junpei seemed to ruin it all.
...And that was why he was stuck in the restaurant, asking Junpei which he should choose: French or Spanish.
"...And of course, French you have all those annoying nasal sounds and stuff," Junpei continued, taking a bite out of the burger. "Mm..." He swallowed and declared, "So I'd say, choose Spanish! Mainly because Mr. L doesn't teach it. That guy's majorly multilingual..."
While Junpei continued his babble, Kouji allowed his gaze to wander around the room. Quite obviously, it fell upon Kako and Kouichi. What are they doing...? Kouji frowned, narrowing his eyes on the two as Kako began to poke Kouichi's finger with one of her own, quite viciously, one might add.
Then it happened; Kako's chair flew back, sending her tumbling out. A bright light flew out from the contact between the two a second before she did, and Kouichi was left unharmed.
Kouji immediately rose to his feet, seeing the two dash out of the restaurant. That light, he thought with a frown. It's...familiar...
He didn't bother to wait for the others. Dashing out of the restaurant, Kouji left Junpei to pay for the food.
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Takuya let out an exasperated sigh. Of all the independent, jealous, serious, killjoys in the world, Kouji, by far, was whom he considered the worst. He stood up and motioned to Tomoki and Junpei, thankful that neither he nor Izumi had ordered anything to eat.
It couldn't be said that he himself had seen what had happened, but he hadn't missed the fireworks. Even Izumi had seen the flash of light, yet the rest of the customers seemed to have only noticed Kako falling. Only Tomoki, Kouji and Junpei had followed the trail of the light, which seemed to have vanished once it hovered in front of Kouichi.
Is that supposed to mean something? wondered the boy, rising out of his seat and chasing after Kouji. He only hoped Izumi would understand. "Kouji!" Takuya called out, running over to the bandana boy, who had stopped outside the restaurant. Eventually, the rest of the group came out, all crowding the entrance.
Kouji stood unmoving, eyes closed. "That light..."
"Yeah."
"It stopped by Kouichi. And then it just vanished. You think..." Kouji opened his eyes and turned to Takuya. "You think it has something to do with Duskmon and Lowemon?"
Who knows? Takuya shrugged. "It's a possibility, I guess."
"Then it's because of Duskmon, isn't it?"
Surprised, Takuya took a step back. A frown appeared as he realized what was happening. Holding up his hands, he murmured, "Hold it, Kouji. Clear your head. I know you still like Kako-"
"I don't!"
"Uh, w-well, anyway, even so-"
"I DON'T!" Kouji yelled again, sending a furious glare in the direction of the goggle boy. "Don't you dare assume that. I don't like her, okay?"
How alike they are, Takuya realized, shaking his head. "Okay. You don't like her," he said in hopes to mollify Kouji. He inhaled and turned to Izumi for help.
Izumi bit her lower lip. "So...Kouji...why don't we go to a movie or something? I mean, Katsuharu and Teppei are rarely in town-"
"I don't care," Kouji returned rudely.
Katsuharu snorted, "If I remember, you were yelling at us to get out of the Digital World, am I right? 'Oh, it's so dangerous!' Blah, blah, blah. Well guess what? We care enough for Tomoki to say he really shouldn't hang out with you of all people. How pathetic can you get? Jealous just because your brother has a girl you want? Here's a little message. Get out of your jealousy. It's dangerous."
"Katsuharu," Tomoki sighed, sulking a bit. He was about to say more when he found the goggle boy's hand in front of him.
"No, Tomoki, Katsuharu has a point," Takuya declared. "Kouji, I think we need to talk." Kouji's glare intensified, but he nodded. Takuya turned to the rest. "We'll meet up at my house?"
"Yes!" Izumi replied, shooting him a smile.
Takuya nodded, and the two groups separated. Letting out an angry sigh, Takuya immediately turned to Kouji. "What the hell is your problem, Kouji? Did you let the bet get to your head? Obviously, you did. There was a point to prove, sure, but you actually went through it for this long. This isn't baseball. It's not 'three strikes, you're out!' in this game. There's a lot more to be lost!" the goggle boy snapped as they began walking.
Remaining quiet, Kouji kicked a nearby rock. "What are we really talking about?" he suddenly asked.
"I'm talking about that light. You know what that light was, right?" Kouji nodded and Takuya continued, "So then one can assume Kouichi will know soon or already does know. Obviously, there are things that need to be taken into account here. Do you not remember what Hideki told us?"
"I remember-"
Takuya cut him off smoothly, "Then you'll do exactly as I say. No more bothering Kouichi and Kako, understood?"
"Takuya-"
"GOT IT?"
Defeated, Kouji nodded and looked away. "Got it..."
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Kako drew a deep breath before settling against the wall to catch her breath. "Th-that was weird..."
Looking at his hands, Kouichi wondered exactly what that light had been. It seemed to have stop just short of him. Is it because Lowemon and Duskmon are the warriors of darkness? He sighed and turned to Kako. "Well, Hideki did say your place. Let's go."
The girl shifted uneasily and murmured, "I don't want to."
"Why?"
"He's there today," she muttered.
A frown appeared on Kouichi's features. "Don't tell me you're afraid of your stepfather," he groaned, shutting his eyes.
"But he's mean!" she insisted. "I don't like him! And I don't know if Hideki's home..."
With a snort, Kouichi reminded her, "He should be. He practically bit my head off when he told me to come over today." Opening his eyes, the boy smiled. "Come on. Don't let the guy get to you."
"You're right!" Kako decided, suddenly filled with determination. "After all," she declared, "if anything goes wrong, you can beat him up!"
The smile faded. "Kako..." Kouichi groaned, walking away.
"Stop slouching!" she replied, skipping along beside him. "Come on, Kouichi! If anyone can knock some sense into the guy, you can, right?" Kako let out a laugh as he slouched even more.
Kouichi made sure his face was hidden from her as he straightened up. If the light was what he thought it was, then his hypothesis was correct. I have to do something, he realized, and soon. But what can I do about this? I'd rather it was Lucemon...
One thing he was sure of was that he needed to get rid of it, and soon.
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"Hideki!" Kako called out, opening the door. "I'm home!" Silence met her. Intimidated, Kako stepped back, bumping into Kouichi. "Sorry," murmured the girl, unconsciously moving back even further.
Impatiently, Kouichi pushed her forward. In an attempt to quiet her fears, he took his hat off his head, placed it on hers and whispered, "It's okay. It's your house after all, right?" When she turned around, he gave her an encouraging smile.
Feeling even worse, Kako turned back around. The sound of footsteps brought her back to her senses. Slowly, her eyes widened. She swallowed. Kako was on her toes, ready for anything.
The girl let out a scream and flung herself at Kouichi as the figure stepped out of the kitchen. Surprised, Kouichi barely caught her and was thrown off balance. He managed to lean against the door, which he had closed (much to his relief), thereby lessening the impact as he slid to the floor. "Kako..." he grumbled, staring at the girl in his hands. She whimpered and shook uncontrollably. "Kako! It's just Hideki."
Kako was still trembling as she turned her head around to find her brother covering his mouth in an attempt not to laugh. A choked sob suddenly escaped her lips and Kako ended up bursting into tears, burying her face in Kouichi's jacket.
There was an irritable look on Kouichi's face. Clearing his throat, he pushed her off slightly and uttered, "At least let me get up." In response, Kako wailed louder, clutching to him tighter.
"Kako, get off the guy!" Hideki eventually snapped once he decided he was thoroughly amused. Slowly realizing his mistake, he corrected himself: "Twerp, not guy."
Seconds later, Kako quieted down and tried to regain her normal breathing pattern. Her eyes fluttered shut, and she was thankful that neither boy could see. Although she didn't really want to admit it much to even herself, Kako was enjoying the position she was in. There was a warmth that emanated from Kouichi, one that was all too inviting. Coming back to her senses, Kako pushed away and stood up, glaring at her brother. "You jerk, what's your problem?" she snapped, wiping her eyes.
Hideki chuckled darkly and pushed her aside. "You," he said to Kouichi. "Get up."
Eying Hideki warily, Kouichi stood up. The two quietly exchanged their expressions; Kouichi's a blank look, Hideki's a glare. Hideki finally motioned for Kouichi to follow him and headed to the backyard.
Kouichi was only half surprised to find it filled with weapons, a mat, and four posts which held up the makeshift canopy. For some reason, he held his breath. It's like Mr. Saito's practice room, only...outside, he thought, exhaling. Why are we here again? He voiced his thoughts aloud.
However, he noticed the smirk too late.
"Think fast," Hideki replied, tossing him a sword. "We'll see how much you actually learned."
The boy barely had any time to react as Hideki stepped towards him, ready to strike with his own sword. Frantically, Kouichi fumbled around with the sword in his hand before he got a proper grip and blocked the blow. From that very first hit, Kouichi knew he would be on the defensive.
"There's a lot-"
Kouichi barely dodged the slash.
"-you need-"
He fell back, scrambling back to his feet quickly as Hideki brought his sword down.
"-to learn still!"
Two swings later, Kouichi was on the floor, eyes shut. The point of the blade was barely an inch away from his neck.
Hideki withdrew the sword, heaving it over his shoulder. "So," he murmured, "have you learned anything?"
Those techniques, Kouichi realized, letting out a dry cough. Swallowing, he whispered in a barely audible voice, "You get your techniques from videogames..."
"Anything else?"
"If I...hope to beat you...I need to examine..."
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"...videogames," Kouichi muttered. "Videogames and pointless TV. Give me a break..."
Kako refrained from harming him. "Shh," she hissed, "it's the best part!"
Much to his relief, Kouichi was granted a break from playing videogames, but instead was stuck watching Rurouni Kenshin. The only thing keeping him from crying was Kenshin's sword. If it isn't meant to hurt anyone...how does he do it? I have to know...I want that sword...it's so cool...
"Kouichi...KOUICHI. You're drooling!" Kako snapped.
Kouichi snapped out of his reverie and blushed furiously as he wiped his mouth. "Uh...hi."
She sent him a glare. "Why were you drooling?" the girl inquired, eyes narrowing on him.
Nervously, Kouichi looked around. Where's Hideki when you need him? "Umm..."
"Well?"
Is it just me or is she out to murder me? Kouichi swallowed and leaned away from Kako, eventually falling back in his seat on the couch. "Uh, Kako? Can you stop leaning towards me?" he asked. As she helped him up, he muttered, "And I wasn't drooling. I was just thinking of Kenshin's sword."
"AND DROOLING," she added furiously. "So for all I know, thinking about Kenshin's sword could be a lie!"
Irritated, he snapped, "A lie to cover up what?" Seeing Kako raise an eyebrow, he became even more puzzled. "No, really," he asked, "What?"
Slowly, Kako broke out giggling, looking away from him.
"What?" he whined, returning his attention to the TV. "Hey, Kako, why does your brother use videogame and anime moves?"
"Because he's a loser like that," she answered sweetly.
He gave her a skeptical look in turn, but Kako didn't respond. Instead, she leaned back in her seat and shut her eyes. After a long silence, the two locked gazes. "I was going to practically interrogate you back at the restaurant," Kouichi admitted.
Smiling softly, Kako murmured, "I know. You forgot all the questions, huh?" When he nodded, she laughed. "I really don't know why Hideki does that. I think...the styles appeal to him because they're...they're real, but they aren't, I guess. I mean, not many people expect anyone to learn how to use a sword from a videogame. He must've spent hours just on one technique. It's probably because videogame characters have their flaws when they use their attacks. He uses this to his advantage," she muttered.
"Not following, but sure!" the boy laughed.
Kako laughed as well, "I can't explain it, either."
"Kako...?"
"Yeah?"
Kouichi looked down at his feet. "Ah...about Duskmon," he started.
"Slave, put the volume up," Duskmon interrupted, appearing behind the couch.
Letting out a yell, Kako jumped in her seat, coincidentally pressing the button to put the volume up. Immediately, Kouichi grabbed the remote and lowered the volume considerably before turning to Duskmon. "What?" he snapped angrily.
The digimon smirked and replied, "You called, and I got bored."
"I didn't call you!" Duskmon's eyes narrowed on Kouichi. Immediately, Kouichi realized the message. Letting out a sigh, he nodded and muttered, "Fine. Just...leave. I wanna beat Hideki."
"You could always let me possess you..."
"No thanks." Kouichi turned back to the TV as Duskmon slid back into the shadows. Ignoring Kako's confused gaze, he put up the volume ever so slightly.
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"There is something I really want to ask you," Kouichi realized before he stepped outside of the house. Turning back around to face Kako, he held his breath. Dare I?
Kako stood a foot in front of him. "What is it?" she asked, tilting her head to the side.
"So...your stepfather isn't home?" Nervously, Kouichi swallowed and looked away.
The girl shrugged and replied, "I guess not. Or not yet, anyway. Don't tell me that was what you were going to ask."
He shook his head, smiling slightly. "No...I...never mind," he murmured. "Later."
"See you tomorrow," whispered Kako, shutting the door as soon as he left. A cold gust blew in from the open balcony. "Hideki!"
Hideki walked inside, shutting the balcony door. "What?"
Nervously not meeting her brother's eyes, Kako murmured, "I want to know...who is...our real dad?" She let out a shaky breath, trying to keep calm.
As if she never asked, Hideki walked into the kitchen. Kako heard him open the fridge. "Am I supposed to make dinner today?" he asked.
"Hideki, just answer my question!"
"I'll make it anyway. Oh, and Dad's business trip got extended."
"Hideki!" Kako cried desperately. "Why won't you tell me?"
Hideki walked out of the kitchen after shutting the fridge. He walked up to his little sister and shook his head. "Not now," he murmured, "because he made me promise. Now be a good little girl and do me a favor."
Furiously, Kako kicked her brother's shin, receiving no reaction. "What?" she snapped, ignoring her burning eyes.
Hideki handed her a small box. "Give that to Saito, will you? Not today, mind you, it's too dark for you to go out now. Later," he told her hastily just as she made her way to the door.
Kako stopped and nodded, instead heading to her room. Why can't I know...?
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The days passed slower than Kouichi wished them to. Thousands of thoughts filled his head. They never left. All those possibilities to end the troubles that he had, and he didn't want any of them to take place.
But he needed to make a choice, and soon. It was when he returned home from practice at Hideki's house later that week that he found his opportunity to get rid of one of his troubles.
"Kouichi!"
Earlier that day, Hideki had forced him into another match. Needless to say, Kouichi had lost once more, only Hideki had made sure to bruise him up a lot. Letting out a sigh, he turned his head and found Takuya and Kouji sitting on the couch, only Kouji interested in the videogame they were playing. The goggle boy stood up and marched towards him, dragging him outside again, despite Kouichi's protests.
"I want you to do me a favor," Takuya murmured, shutting the front door.
Kouichi looked at Takuya with tired eyes. "It's a Saturday, right?"
"Yeah."
He sighed, "I've been up since five playing videogames and watching Rurouni Kenshin so I could try to beat Hideki. I haven't even learned half of the techniques he uses, I still don't know what happened back at the restaurant, I owe Kako another date, I haven't done my homework that was supposed to be due on Friday, Hideki told me Ogata's coming back on Monday, I nearly got my arm chopped off today, and Kako wouldn't talk to me, but I don't know why. Then there's a whole bunch of other things I can't talk about that I'm worried about. But anyway, what's the favor?" At once, Kouichi felt guilty, complaining to Takuya like that. How spoiled do I sound? the boy wondered, his eyes slowly sliding shut.
They opened immediately as Takuya named his favor. "I want you to give that ticket to Hawaii to Kako," the boy murmured.
"T-to Kako?"
"Yes."
Kouichi felt rejuvenated. Slowly, he laughed, "That works, doesn't it? I'll give it to Kako! One trouble down!" A grin appeared as he thanked Takuya. "That's a great idea. I never think of these things..."
"Stop acting like that. What, did Kouji's false idiocy flow into you?" the other boy snapped. Kouichi fell silent. Feeling the confusion that emanated from him, Takuya explained, "Kouji...he's jealous, you know that, right? I think this is the only way he'll get better. And don't ask why. You ought to know the answer. But if he sees that you trust him with your own girlfriend that much, maybe he'll stop bugging you two."
Oh...that's why. Here I thought it would make Kako start talking to me, he thought, feeling the newfound energy slowly seep away. "Okay," he muttered. "I never really thought of it that way. Are you sure he's jealous and you're not thinking things up?" Kouichi suddenly asked. Jealous Kouji didn't seem to fit his brother.
Takuya let out a breath, muttering, "Idiot," as he did. Aloud, he said, "Listen, just do it, okay? It'll help Kouji a lot. Oh, and Kazemon came, you know."
"Did she, now?" Kouichi frowned. Duskmon didn't tell me this.
"Yeah. Say...how'd you get your D-Tector and mine?" Takuya suddenly inquired.
Falling silent, Kouichi shrugged. Not sure of what to say, he murmured, "I just...did." It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the truth, either.
"Oh." Hiding his disappointment, Takuya walked back inside, leaving Kouichi to ponder what the goggle boy had just asked of him.
Give Kako the ticket. Kouji...yeah, that'll work. Oh, hey, there's the paper! Kouichi sighed as he bent down to pick up the newspaper. The zoo? Wait! That's brilliant! A smile appeared on his face. "I'll ask her to come to the zoo with me! ...stupid idea for a date, but in case I get bored, I can just read all those information signs! It's brilliant!" Kouichi whispered to himself, running in and plopping down on the couch on the other side of his brother.
Kouji, distracted, turned to his brother. "Where'd you come from?" he yelled, dropping his controller out of his hand.
"Yes! I win!" Takuya cheered.
"Shut up!" the bandana boy snapped, picking up his controller. "Eh...what's that?"
Kouichi showed him the front page of the newspaper. "The zoo."
The younger twin snorted. In a voice heavy with sarcasm, he said, "Lions and tigers and bears, oh, my. What will we ever do?"
A disappointed look overcame Kouichi's face. "You think it's a bad idea?" he asked, suddenly feeling miserable.
"What is?"
"Taking Kako out to the zoo?" There was a hint of hope in his voice, but not too much.
Kouji snatched the paper away from his brother. The zoo...? The zoo...for a date? Yeah, why not! The younger boy nodded slowly, "Yeah, it'll work. Just ask-and don't sound stupid when you do-if she wants to check out the new exhibit. Considering it's a lion, you have a sold deal."
Takuya and Kouichi turned to Kouji, both having an eyebrow raised. "Exactly how do you know?" the two boys questioned.
A smirk played on Kouji's lips. Standing up, he murmured, "I'm just a psychic like that."
"As psychic as Shinya is mature," countered Takuya. "Come on, spill!"
"TV is very powerful," Kouji replied.
Kouichi eyed the TV, which showed a pink Kirby and a Pikachu, both facing each other on a street. Seconds later, a car came, knocking them both in the air. Hiding a laugh, the older boy coughed, "Right...powerful..."
"TV, not videogames," Kouji snapped.
This prompted Kouichi to think. "Hey...Kouji?"
"Yeah?"
How do I phrase this? "If...well," the boy murmured. He tried to think of a proper way to phrase his question. Finally he asked, "Do you find...videogames any help when it comes to kendo?"
"Me? Uh...I guess, sometimes. Like...if I want to remember a move, I use an awesome cool name they use in videogames. Why?" Kouji asked, staring at his older brother.
I'm so confused. Why did I slack off that one day? WHY? Kouichi shrugged innocently. "Just wondering," he replied evasively. "I...ought to go to the bookstore! Need a new book. Bye!"
Takuya and Kouji exchanged glances. Shaking his head, Kouji disappeared into the kitchen. "Hey, Takuya, do you want anything to eat?" he called out.
Letting out a sigh, Takuya answered, "Sure, why not?" Will he do it? The goggle head could only hope...
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Kako stared at the package in her hand. Hideki had asked her to give it to Saito quite a few days ago, but she had been caught up in other matters, the girl had forgotten about it. Guiltily, she entered the bookstore and placed the box on the counter. "Hi, Mr. Saito. Um, see, Hideki asked me to-" she started.
A smiling face greeted her. "Hello, Kako," the man interrupted, taking the box. "Thank you. Now, will you do me a favor?"
"Shut up?" guessed Kako.
He laughed and shook his head. Instead, he took out another box and handed it to her, saying, "Open this when you get home. Make sure no one sees it, not even Hideki. Alright? Open it in your room, if you must."
The girl nodded. "Ookies!" she replied, about to head outside when she walked straight into Kouichi. Kako fell to the floor, tightening her grip on the box.
"Ah-uh..." Kouichi stuttered, reddening. Way to go, Kouichi. Expect her to say 'yes' now? He sighed and helped her up, mumbling an apology as he did. "Um, hey," he murmured awkwardly, "I wanted to talk to you..."
Kako kept both hands on the box, staring at Kouichi quietly.
The blush on Kouichi's face deepened past crimson. "See, er, that is to say, um, they have that new exhibit at the zoo, so I was wondering, if you weren't busy...do you wanna check it out?" he asked in a desperate voice.
Kako opened her mouth. A second later, she shut it, unsure of what to say. Is he asking me out again? she wondered. Aloud, she replied, "Sure. Are you okay? You're...all...red."
If it was possible, Kouichi would have died on the spot. Instead, he shook his head and shut his eyes. "Um, one more thing..."
"Yeah?"
"Never mind," he said quickly. Yeah, what do I say? 'Hey, Kako, I'm not going to Hawaii, right? Well, the extra ticket's just sitting there, so do you want to go for me?' Hah, no, Kouichi, you'll plan this, and you'll plan it well! I'll just...ask her when we're in the zoo, the boy decided, opening his eyes and smiling. "So what's the box?"
It was Kako's turn to redden. "Nothing!" she snapped. Noticing Kouichi's blank stare, she turned away. Why do I get jumpy when it comes to personal questions...? Clearing her throat and hoping to distract him, Kako asked, "Uh...so, when should we go to the zoo?"
"W-well...next week? I find...Saturday practices with Hideki to be deadly. Plus, they're closed Sunday and we have homework every other day," Kouichi replied.
"Right! Wait...how about Friday? Hideki said I can't steal you away from Saturday practices."
"Darn. Uh, sure, Friday's great!" laughed Kouichi, wishing he hadn't slept when he should have been meditating. If only it wasn't so hard to meditate.
"Okay!"
"Okay!"
Kako looked away and murmured, "So...see you Monday? Hideki decided he doesn't want to bother with Sunday practices."
Smiling slightly, Kouichi nodded in affirmation. "Yeah," he murmured. "Monday."
He turned to Mr. Saito as soon as Kako ran out the door. "Hi, Mr. Saito. What's a good book to read when you have ten billion things on your mind?" the boy asked, slouching over.
Mr. Saito smiled. "I have just the book..."
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A/N-
Remember that fourth party? That will be later on. Sorry for taking so long to update. I've also been working on Cursed Gifts a lot (On binder paper, as my dad refuses to let me type for a long period of time), and the twins are a bit OOC. For Kouji, it's just the first one or two chapters. But Kouichi…well, he's got his excuse, I suppose. Hm.
Kouji, at the beginning of this chapter, seemed icky to me. But he was better in the end, thank whatever (I think). Oh, next chapter will have a very interesting...interesting (and confusing) encounter! Now to find a great title for that...
Thank you for the reviews-
GemmaniGirl, PrincessYami, WithBrokenWings, Winter's LightReview or Flame.