Chapter 09: Soar With Sora
Face planted firmly against the dining room table, Hikari groaned and not because her mother had made breakfast before work.
"Miss Yagami, I want you to spend this suspension considering the ramifications of your actions."
And Hikari knew she would, whether she wanted to or not.
"Hika, there's something I've been meaning to say for awhile."
"I need to say something too, 'Keru."
"I'm in lo—"
"We can't keep doing this."
"—ve with. . . ."
Takeru's voice sputtered out. His mouth had suddenly become very dry. Fortunately for his pride, his best friend seemed to have missed his confession, as her attention was instead devoted entirely to saying her piece.
"I-I've been really happy these last few weeks," she stammered, her cheeks flushing, "and I want more than anything for it continue. Our 'relationship'. Our k-kiss. They're things I'll treasure forever." With a shake of her head, she continued, "But things are getting out of hand, Takeru. I don't regret what we've done but I will if more and more people get hurt." She placed a hand to his cheek, gently stroking where Noriko had smacked him earlier. "If you kept getting hurt."
"We'll still be best friends, right?" she offered with a weak smile.
Takeru refused to meet her eyes, instead focusing his attention on his shoes. He simply nodded to confirm he understood.
"Hey, Takeru, what were you trying to say earlier?"
He smiled. A fake, strained smile Hikari had never seen before that cut her deeply.
"Nothing important."
"Sorry, guys, but I'm going to take a detour before heading back to Yamato's," Takeru announced over his shoulder before leaving his fellow Chosen on their way home from school.
"What, no goodbye kiss?" Miyako nudged Hikari, eyebrows waggling.
"No. . ." the brunette muttered bashfully. "We actually 'broke up' between classes today."
"WHAAAT?" her friend raged. "Damn it, Yagami Hikari! I told you to forget those losers who opposed your relationship!"
"But what about people like Daisuke?" Hikari fretted. "He's our friend Miyako! I can't hurt my friends just to get what I want!"
"Daisuke was there when Takeru told us he planned to confess to you today," Ken rebuked. "He's been handling the news since the lunch period."
Miyako and her best friend whirled on him. "WAIT. WHAT?"
"T-Takeru did confess today right?" Ken knew he could be terrified of his girlfriend, but of Hikari?
"THAT'S WHAT HE WAS TRYING TO TELL ME EARLIER?" Hikari blurted, her internal screaming somehow progressing to vocal.
"YOU DIDN'T LET TAKERU CONFESS TO YOU?" Miyako screeched. "AFTER YOU TWO KISSED TODAY?"
"It's ok, Hikari," Ken reassured her. "Takeru might be taking it hard now but I'm sure he'll still be eager and waiting if you ever change your mind."
Hikari banged her head against the table, her brother spitting up green eggs from being startled.
She may have just saved his life.
"Hey, are you ok?" Taichi implored when he finally stopped coughing up disaster.
"I'm perfect," was the response, although with his sister's lips against the cherrywood table, all Taichi heard was a garbled "Abrahblah."
"O. . . kaaay. . . ." he drawled.
"Sorry, jailbird, but I have to get going," Taichi declared as he rose from the table. "My soccer squad won't survive without me. Also, Yamato asked me to join him for some lunch-meeting-thing afterwards so I'll be home late. Try to prepare something for yourself so Mom's cooking doesn't do another whammy on your digestive track."
As he motioned for the door, however, the goggle-head heard some mild shifting behind him and felt a small tug on his windbreaker sleeve. He stared curiously at his little sister, who was now staring intently at her lap.
"Taichi, you confessed to Sora, right?"
Her brother flinched at the memory but quickly recomposed himself. "Yeah, but I may not be the best person to ask for tips since my record is 0-1."
"How did she know it wouldn't have work out between you two?"
Taichi Yagami did not like where this conversation was heading.
Just a week ago, he could have sworn Hikari was head-over-heels for his best friend's brother after their first date. Hell, their first kiss was less than twenty-four hours ago! However, the afterglow seemed to be fading alarmingly fast.
The Child of Courage resumed sitting and lifted his sister's chin to look at him. Soccer drills could wait.
"What's this about, Hika? I thought you were happy with Takeru?"
"I am, or. . . was. . ." Hikari admitted. Tears began to pool at the corners of her eyes and she sniffled before continuing, "But I'm worried what'll happen if we continue like this. Even if we became a real couple, how many people are we going to step on because we want something for ourselves?"
Taichi's heart was breaking as fast as his little sister's.
Hikari Yagami, Child of Light.
Always putting the needs of others before her own.
Wiping the tears away with her hands, Hikari blinked when she noticed her brother was actually beaming at her.
"Remember how you said Daisuke reminded you a lot of me?"
The youngest Yagami silently nodded her head.
"That's because he's basically me from five years ago," Taichi chuckled. "He's another arrogant soccer fanatic who confessed to his best friend, only to be turned down because she was already in love with a pretty-boy blonde although she could never admit it before."
His little sister looked like he had just jammed a knife in her stomach.
"And you know what? Being shot down like that hurt more than I could've ever imagined." Knife in the back.
"And internally, I blamed them for being selfish and not considering the feelings of the people around them." Hikari was quickly devolving into a pincushion at this rate.
"BUT," Taichi finally interjected before Hikari keeled over, "I was wrong. I was the one being selfish."
Hikari stopped clutching her twisting gut and stared at him in wonder. "But your heart was broken. I remember you and Agumon silently coming home that night."
"Yeah, but I wasn't the one she was in love with, Hikari," he explained with a smirk. "And I realized how important being with Yamato was to her. So I pushed her to pursue it, literally. And you know what?"
"What?" Hikari asked, stuck between hesitant and hopeful.
"I couldn't be happier with the outcome." Taichi sported a grin that could put Cheshire cats to shame. "They're getting married, Hikari, and I'm ecstatic! Yeah, it was awkward the first few weeks but I moved on. Daisuke, and anyone else at school hurt because you two chose love, will too."
"Be like Sora, Hika," Taichi encouraged as he stood up to leave once more. "Be 'selfish' because the people who truly care about you will come to support your decision if they don't already. You won't end the world by dating Takeru Takaishi."
As the door closed behind her brother, Hikari felt a smile spread across her lips.
Maybe she could be selfish just this once.
Hikari awoke from her nap to the sound of her phone ringing. She had set her alarm for 3:00PM so that would have time to prepare before trying to meet Takeru after school. To her surprise, however, she realized the ringtone was actually an incoming call.
"Daisuke?" she inquired groggily.
"Hey, Hikari," her leader confirmed.
"Daisuke, I've been meaning to talk to y—"
"It's ok, Hikari," he reassured her. "I saw it in Takeru's eyes too."
"I'm sorry," she said meekly.
"I saw that in Takeru's eyes too," he chuckled. His toned spontaneously became serious when he asked, "Speaking of, you haven't seen Takeru today have you?"
"No, I was actually about to head out to see him after class," Hikari replied. "How come?"
"Takeru wasn't at school today."
A/N: Cliche cliffhanger is cliche.
