Author's note: This chapter is kind of like another sequel to chapter three but it doesn't work with chapter two. Does that make sense? I mean both chapter two and this chapter are sequels to chapter three but they are two separate story lines.

Theme: #11 Gardenia
Disclaimer in Czech: I nejsou vlastní digitální výroba

"You seem really down Kouichi, what's up?" J.P. asked as he and Tommy filed into the booth where Takuya and the twins were already sitting.

"Nothing." Kouichi murmured without taking his eyes off the menu. The others exchanged glances, they knew what was wrong. It was the same thing that had been bothering him for months now: Zoe. She had moved to Italy two years ago and she hadn't made contact with any of them in nearly a year. The separation was taking its toll on every member of the group but Kouichi seemed to be taking it the hardest.

"We've known you too long to believe that," Takuya laughed, trying to get him to open up to them.

"Speaking of that," J.P. began after Kouichi refused to respond, "Saturday's the five year anniversary of-"

"No way!" Tommy interrupted, pulling out his phone to check the date.

"It's been five years?" Takuya mused with a far off look in his eye, "it seems like just yesterday."

"Really?" Kouji asked, astonished. "A lifetime ago is more like it."

"Has anyone heard from Zoe?" Kouichi interrupted, finally looking up from his menu.

"Sorry buddy," J.P. sighed, "Her mom did answer once but she said Zoe was 'out.'"

"So she's missing it?" Tommy sighed, referring to their annual picnic in the subway basement. Granted it wasn't the most sanitary place it was a close as they could get to the Digital World.

"'Fraid so," Takuya muttered sadly. "Don't worry, we'll call her when we're there, maybe we can get her on speaker phone."

-

"You're not going to skip out on us now are you?" Kouji asked, cocking an eyebrow at his brother when Kouichi told him he was just going to meet him at the subway instead of going together.

"I just need to clear my head," Kouichi mumbled as he left Kouji's house.

He continued to walk until he found himself on the bank of the lake that he and his friends would waste away their summers. "I can't go down there without you Zoe," Kouichi mumbled to himself as he sat down on a fallen tree.

"I need you to reassure me, as you do every year, that I'm not evil, that the darkness in my heart is gone. I need your constant bickering with Takuya. I need to hear you hum softly whenever we would go on walks. I need you to know how important you are to me."

"I need to know why you left," he whispered, tears streaking his cheeks. "Stupid gardenia," he muttered plucking the small flower that caught his eye. "You were always Zoe's favorite, god knows why."

"Because they had to be someone's," he heard a voice from behind him. It took him only a split-second to register who it was and when he did he stood up so suddenly he almost lost his balance.

"Zoe!" he whispered breathlessly taking a few step towards her only to have her take a step back.

"Hey," she muttered with a small, slightly forced smile.

"You're here," Kouichi said breathlessly not even noticing her demeanor. "You're actually here," he said running up and wrapping his arms around her.

"Yeah," she muttered, stiffening when he came in contact with her.

"I just can't believe you're actually here, it's been forever."

"A year to the day," she whispered, pushing him gently off her.

"What's wrong?" he asked once he realized she was looking everywhere but at him. "Are you ok?"

"Of course," she said with another forced smile.

"Zoe…I've known you too long to believe that," he chuckled slightly.

"Why aren't you at the picnic?" she quickly asked, ignoring his previous statement.

When she said that he immediately remembered why he was at the lake and all the negative emotions came flooding back to him like a tsunami. "I couldn't go there without you," he mumbled, a slight blush creeping over his face.

"Kouichi," she sighed, hanging her head a little.

"You heard what I said didn't you?" he muttered as he lowered himself onto the fallen tree again.

"Kinda," she said, sitting on the other end of the log.

"Well?" he asked, fiddling with his hands.

"Well what?"

"Why did you leave?" he said, a tear falling down his face when he looked at her.

Instead of reaching out to grab his hand or to hug him like Kouichi was accustomed to her doing she simply stared at his hands for a moment before answering, "because of my dad's job."

"No, why didn't you call or answer our calls or e-mails or anything? It's like you dropped off the face of the earth."

"I've been busy," she said as she began to play with her hair.

"Don't give me that bull Zoe. Why were you avoiding us?" he asked, glaring slightly at his blond friend.

"I wasn't avoiding you," she said in a small voice.

"Bullshit!" he said in a louder-than-necessary voice as he stood up so quickly that Zoe jumped slightly. "Why were you avoiding us?"

"I didn't mean to," she said, shrinking a little under his gaze.

"But you did, why?"

"I really was busy at first," she mumbled after a drawn out sigh. "I took up drawing, I know it sounds weird but I needed something to pass the time without you guys. So I'd go and draw the architecture. So I really was out a lot."

"Then what?" he asked gently, sitting beside her and for the first time she didn't move away.

"Well, I was home one night and I got a call from Kouji. He said that everyone was worried," she paused for a second, looking ashamed of what she was saying. "He also said that you missed me a lot and you were really, really down. And I felt so bad. I guess I thought if I ignored you enough eventually you'd start to hate me and it wouldn't hurt you anymore."

"You wanted me to hate you?" Kouichi asked, astonished. "Sure not hearing from you was frustrating but I could never hate you."

"I guess I always knew that," she laughed softly. "But I still tried."

"Why would you ever want me to hate you though?"

"Because I'd rather hurt myself than hurt you," she answered with a small, genuine smile.

"I still don't understand."

"Because I'm not coming back," she whimpered as tears began pouring down her face. "I just don't think Japan's right for me anymore. I found a great college in Italy and I think this might be my last time in Japan. And I didn't want to hurt you."

Kouichi opened his mouth to say something but quickly stopped. He shrugged and smiled, it was the strangest smile she had ever seen: it held secret amusement and heartbreak and an infinite bitterness. "I think I've always known that," he said quietly. "Since that night when you showed up on my doorstep I knew it was going to be a permanent thing."

"I'm so sorry Kouichi," she mumbled, tears still streaking her face as she stood up.

"Have you told the others?" he asked, standing up also and shoving his hands into his pockets.

"I went to the subway first, I thought you were all going to be there and when Kouji said you needed to clear your head I took a guess and well, here we are."

"So this is really it?" Kouichi muttered. She simply nodded before she fell into his arms and began sobbing.

"It'll be ok," he whispered as he placed his chin on her head, thanking adolescence for finally giving him a height advantage over Zoe. "You were meant for Italy," he whispered, stroking her hair.

"I always thought I was meant for you," she whispered into his t-shirt in a voice so low Kouichi didn't hear.

And the two just stood there until Zoe's sobs finally died down. "I have a plane to catch," she finally said, pulling out her phone to check the time. "You should probably head to the picnic. Goodbye Kouichi," she said as she wiped her eyes and smoothed out her hair. "I'll keep in touch this time," and with that she turned and began to walk away.

For a moment Kouichi just stared in shock at her retreating form, thinking about how he could still feel her warmth and smell her citrus body spray before he took off in a sprint after her.

"Zoe," he called breathlessly when he caught up to her. Before he could respond he firmly grabbed her shoulders and kissed her. When they broke apart they both just stared at each other for a moment. "Don't leave me."