Don't forget where you come from, because it shapes who you become…

Epilogue: Summer Break 1999 - Day One

Instructions: Keep a daily journal of your activities and thoughts this summer. The entries can be however long or short you want, as long as it is clear you put effort into it. Some entries will be shared in class, others will be used for future projects. Do your best and have a safe and enjoyable summer!

What can I say… I don't know what to say. I don't even know what to think! One minute, he hates me for not doing anything, the next, he's inviting me to join his posse of a club, before blowing up in my face in front of the whole team. And then, the next thing I know, we're getting into a fistfight, only for him to call me by my given name later that same day. Smiling no less. Inconsistent much? Does he have multiple personality disorder?

I'm so confused…

But then, I guess it makes sense in a weird sort of way. A nice girl like Sora is his best friend, after all, and I've seen how acts with his teammates. As much as we've fought, as much as we've clashed in these past four months, I can't help but feel that there's more to Yagami Taichi than I initially thought. Like an iceberg. And I think I scraped against the part just beneath the surface.

I think you and Yagami-kun could teach each other a thing or two about people.

I still don't know what you were talking about back then, Dad, but maybe - just maybe - I'll find out in these next two weeks. It's not a lot of time, but a lot can still happen. How much can two eleven-year-olds learn from each other in just two weeks?

I guess I don't have a choice except to find out.

"Could you help us out in the soccer club over the summer? I, uh… we, could really use your help."

I should've expected that. He never thinks ahead unless it involves soccer. I almost feel stupid for thinking he would ask…. something of me. Right there. While we were alone. In the classroom…

But I know Taichi the best out of everyone. I'm his best friend after all! … Right?

Seeing him like that, hearing him talk like that this morning… I didn't know what to think. Where were you coming from, Taichi? Why did you say those things to Yamato? Why did you say those things to me? I'm your best friend, and you mine.

Did you want to see me cry…?

I'm calling your name for the thousandth time now, and you still won't answer. It's not just from today, though; I've been calling to you ever since your first match last May. When Yamato transferred to our class, you started acting differently around me. I thought I figured out the reason at the soccer field, but nothing's happened to suggest that it's true. So here I am, still waiting for an answer.

For better or for worse, you're changing, Taichi, and I know that. Just please, don't leave me behind.

I celebrated my tenth birthday last week, the second one for which I received a laptop. In the process of downloading an analysis program, my PDQ completely crashed and was rendered irrecoverable, I suppose because it didn't have enough memory space for it. Opening the box and pulling out a brand-new PiBook meant two things to me. Firstly, I could expand my operations by downloading that program; secondly, my parents trusted me immensely to buy such an expensive gift for me. I should've been thankful - and I was - but I could only feel guilty. Why would they endow such a lavish gift on a boy who wasn't even-?

No, I've got to stop thinking that way. Even if I'm not their… they still love me, and I love them. Nothing's changed between us. We're a family, ever since I was a baby, and we'll always be a family. I am Izumi Koushiro, and I carry their family name.

If it were that easy, though, I probably wouldn't have come to camp. I wouldn't have stayed those long hours after school, surfing the Internet and downloading complex programs. I wouldn't have joined the soccer club, which practices almost every day and has a game on the days when there isn't practice. I wouldn't have tried to escape for nearly a year to the day…

I have some sort of reprieve for the next two weeks at least. During this time, I hope I can learn to be a stronger person, like Taichi-san and Sora-san. Maybe by being with them during group activities, I can learn to confront my problems and face them head-on. That way, when I do return to Odaiba, I can face my parents, and we can return to the way things were.

And maybe, we can be happy again.

"Hikari, why don't you go to bed so I can tuck you in before we go?"

"It's okay, Mommy, I'll be fine."

"All right… would you like me to change the channel?"

"No, I want to watch the news right now."

"Not your Sunday morning cartoons?"

"No, thank you."

"… All right then, behave yourself."

"We'll call when we get to Grandma's!"

"… Mommy? Daddy?"

"Yes?"

"What is it, honey? … Hikari, what's wrong? You look pale. Are you sure you're all right?"

"… Yeah, just… be careful, okay?"

"Don't worry about a thing, we'll be back later this evening."

"Take care!"

The front door closed behind them, while the news anchor continued the headline report on the strange weather phenomena occurring all over the world. Footage from every corner of the globe flashed across the screen, depicting flash floods, subzero temperatures, droughts, blizzards, and tornados, all in places they weren't supposed to be scientifically. Hikari could only watch in horror as every region shown was steadily devastated by bigger, scarier, more terrifying monsters.

I knew there was something different about Onii-chan when he picked me up at the train station yesterday. He didn't smile when I ran to hug him, and he didn't even ask if I had been all right since the last time we saw each other. I thought he was just too glad to see me, so happy that he couldn't say or do anything.

But after the fight this morning, when we got to his new school, I was shocked. Onii-chan had always taught me to ignore bullies and avoid fights, no matter what. That wasn't the only thing that surprised me, though. When I saw his eyes, I couldn't recognize him. Onii-chan was always kind and gentle, and he was always friendly with everyone. Those eyes held nothing but rage in them, and they burned more fiercely as the fight went on.

I wondered if that's how my eyes looked when I fought Yuuto-san.

When I was in the heat of the fight, I couldn't understand that I was doing anything wrong, but seeing it from an outsider's view, I suddenly realize why fighting's bad. People get hurt, whether they're involved or not, and nothing gets solved in the end. It just makes things worse. That's why I've decided to never fight again; I already promised Mama, but now I'm promising myself. There's always another way, a way that's much better than physically hurting each other.

And I choose that way.

I tried to tell myself that I'd at least be with Mii-chan and Taako-chan and Ai-chan when I got to camp, but no! I can't even be with my best friends in this forsaken wasteland far from civilization! I want a real bed! I want a real roof! I want real food that's cooked on an electric stove! This isn't fun at all! As if it wasn't enough that Mii-chan teased me about not getting to go to the Bahamas. Now I'm stuck with some weirdos for the next two weeks! I'm stuck with the soccer freaks! Just when I thought it couldn't be any more uncomfortable, Sora-san suspects me now. I can't believe she remembers something as ridiculous as a pink teddy bear falling into a water fountain. I wouldn't!

My whole life is a mess. I just wish I could be whisked away to an island paradise far from this stuffy campground at the base of a frigid mountain… For goodness sake, it's August and I'm freezing to death!

Dear Shin-nii-san and Shuu-nii-san,

I hope this letter finds you well. Today started off rather interestingly as I found myself once again in the center of a physical confrontation. To make things even more interesting, the persons involved in said confrontation both happen to be in my activity group! But do not worry, I have everything under control.

Speaking of, the members of my activity group are quite energetic. They run pretty efficiently for youngsters, and all have an excellent pair of lungs. I hope they are looking forward to these next two weeks as much as I am.

Well, I am afraid that this is all for now. As it is almost lunchtime, I must go round up my group members, whom I allowed to do some exploring before the appointed time. I promise to write often on our daily activities and will see you both upon my return in two weeks' time.

Your brother,

Jou

Somehow, I don't think thanking someone for a birthday present qualifies as an apology, but it's a start. But then, I don't even know how to apologize for everything. I don't even know why I started disliking Yamato in the first place. He must be a good guy; I've seen him around other people in these past few months, and someone as nice as Sora is friends with him. Why can't I just treat him the way I treat everyone else?

Maybe it's those things that Sora told me about, but didn't tell me about. Do they have something to do with why he moved to Odaiba in the first place? And that little blonde, too? Has something tragic happened in his life that made him who he is today? Although, like she said, if he ever chose to tell me these things, I'd think differently about him.

I'm already thinking differently about Yamato. I treated him so badly, yet he went out of his way to get me something for my birthday. I don't know if that's what you would call a friend, but that's certainly not an enemy!

So, we have two weeks until we return to the city. It's not a whole lot of time if you think about it, but a lot can happen between now and then. You never know really. It could go by quickly, or it could go by slowly. Whichever it is, I've made up my mind on what I'm going to do this summer.

I'm going to make amends, and maybe even a friend, so that when we do go back home, I'll be a better person.

And with that, we have come to the end! ^_^ This is actually a milestone achievement for me, because this is the first multiple-chapter story I have finished. Ever! I'm so happy! XD

I do want to thank everyone who reviewed "Snapshots" while it was still incomplete. BookwormGal, PinkCherry12, Anarchaic, crestoflight3, venus9814, Ember Mage, digiwriter1392, fireangel08, and Carochinha, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR FEEDBACK! I appreciated every word! ^_^ Also, thank you to everyone who has kept returning, even if you didn't leave a review. Just knowing that people keep coming back is so encouraging, so thanks! :)

And now, I would like to give special thanks to someone who has been with me since beginning "Snapshots." Even when I knew he was really busy and had more important things to do, he still took the time to sit down and work with me, giving me suggestions and helping me brainstorm when I was too tired to think. I'm talking about my chief editor: my brother. After Hikari's chapter, he challenged me to do better, to make the story more intense with each installment. I never published a chapter without his stamp of approval, and I couldn't feel good about an idea unless he said it himself. So thank you, Onii-chan! Thank you so much! ^_^

Again, please leave a final review! It would be most appreciated :) thanks again for taking this journey with me, and please look forward to my future works!