Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon. The very idea is ridiculous. Don't bother me with legal stuff.
GARDENS OF BABYLON
Chapter Minus 01
White Day Chapter – The Girl's Bluebell, For That Boy
It was not very often that Akiyama Ryo visited his fellow Tamers. His father expected him to devote himself full-time to his studies, now that the threat of Digimon was done and over with.
Ryo had a few things to say about that, but he decided it was wiser to keep them to himself.
As usual, the lack of strong (or weak, or anything) opponents to fight soured the mood of the Legendary Tamer's partner.
Since the defeat of D-Reaper, the boundary between the worlds was tightly shut. It was thought to be impossible to travel between worlds until Matsuda Takato achieved it almost a year ago. While the details of this trip had never been revealed beyond occasional glimpses, the core of the issue was that Matsuda Takato somehow breached through the boundary and reunited himself with the Digimon Tamers' partners before bringing them back with him.
Ryo was ecstatic to have his partner back, of course—and it was good for them to be reunited for more than one reason—, but his Digimon companion's thirst for strife as he evolved was an inevitable issue. The last time he visited the capital, about one month ago, Yamaki had not been able to come up with a suitable solution. Ryo was thus obligated to insist a month later; he was not sure how much longer Cyberdramon would be able to hold on without an outlet for his natural combative instinct.
This time, he had not called any of the Tamers beforehand. He would check whether they were in the usual meeting spot. If they were not, he would visit Hypnos on his own. It was not like their presence was really needed, as least not yet.
In that Saturday afternoon Cyberdramon, as usual, landed at the base of stairs leading to Guilmon's former base, the usual meeting spot for the Tamers. Once again, as usual, the sudden arrival of the large and imposing Digimon drew more than a few gasps from the people in the vicinity, mostly young children and exercising adults.
Thanking the dragon after his feet touched solid ground, Ryo made his way upstairs.
He was greeted by a most striking—and strangely familiar—of sentences.
"Wha-wha-wha…why-why should I give you White Day's chocolate, stupid Gogglehead!"
Whaa…serious déjà vu.
Déjà vu indeed.
"Wha—not to me, that's stupid!" Takato clarified. "If you want to give me chocolate so badly, please wait until next year's Valentine."
"Wha—as if! Stupid, insolent Gogglehead!"
Takato acted as if the girl had not said a thing.
"On the other side, you cannot deny the fact that you got Valentine's chocolate from someone," the former Tamer continued, skillfully ignoring his best friend's irate expression.
"You got chocolates from the Mysterious Child Idol, Matsushita Suzuka-chan. It was all over the yellow press the day after."
"I'll kill you. I'll kill you dead. You cannot be possibly saying what I think you're saying."
"I haven't said anything," Takato retorted innocently. "I'm just reminding you of the facts—oh, Ryo-san!"
The hands about to close around Takato's neck were reluctantly pulled away.
"Tch," Ruki clicked her tongue. "You really have terrible timing, Akiyama."
"I strongly disagree," Takato flatly stated, and then paused. "Whoa, déjà vu."
The Legendary Tamer grinned. "That makes two of us, Gogglehead. What's up?"
Ruki frowned at the older boy's use of her pet name for the short pre-teen she called best friend. Then again, that was probably the very reason Ryo used it.
"Yet another weekend ruined by uninvited guests."
"Oh, you hurt me so, Wildcat."
"Now, now, Ruki…" Takato tried to act conciliating. "It's always us two hanging out around this time; it's nice to have more friends join us from time to time, and Ryo-san doesn't come very often. By the way, hello there, Cyberdramon."
The tall Cyborg Digimon grunted in response.
Ryo had to admit, he liked Takato: the boy actually respected him and was friendly to him, without being too friendly like Hirokazu and Kenta, too distant like Jenrya, or just plain confrontational like Ruki. Furthermore, he even tried to bond with his gruff Digimon partner.
What a nice guy, Matsuda Takato.
"Well, Gogglehead, I happen to enjoy us two hanging out by ourselves: it's peaceful, quiet and appropriately entertaining."
"Really~" a suddenly grinning Ryo inquired. Could this wild girl really mean…?
"Now don't get stupid ideas, Akiyama."
The Digimon Card Game champion sighed dejectedly. He guessed he was expecting a little too much from the ice cold Digimon Queen.
"Haa, Ruki…you really don't know how good you have it, do you…?"
Ruki immediately planted her hands on her hips.
"Now what is that supposed to mean?"
Ryo ignored her and turned his grinning face to Takato.
"Right, Takato?" he said before winking.
"…huh?" Takato's response, showing he was about as lost as the redhead.
Ryo's grin fell flat.
"…you two guys are hopeless."
"Why do you sound so much like Ruki's mother when you said that?"
Ruki nodded her agreement. She found it creepy.
"…beyond hopeless," Ryo quickly corrected himself.
In his mind, Matsuda Takato grinned to himself.
The cool thing about being a stupid Gogglehead was that it made it so much easier to conceal the times when he was actually not being a stupid Gogglehead.
Soon enough, the other Tamers showed up, and Ryo presented his dilemma…again.
"Didn't we go through this before?" Hirokazu commented.
"We went through this before, you were just playing cards with Kenta," Ruki was swift to scold.
It just so happened that there was an additional member in the non-Tamers corner this afternoon. A boy and a girl sat under the shade of a large tree, silently watched by a fierce-looking Perfect.
"Have you done your homework, Takato-kun?"
"Ugh…Katou-saaaan~" the boy whined pitifully. "School's almost over, who cares about homework?"
"Takato-kun!" the ponytailed girl insisted with a surprisingly motherly tone. "I won't have you of all people sporting that kind of attitude!"
Juri shifted closer to Takato, and the growing boy felt his blood being pumped faster. It was probably all the leg being displayed past her white one-piece dress, but she had always preferred those kinds of simple dresses and he had never paid that much attention to her thighs before.
Puberty is tough.
"Ne, if we work now I can help you," she kindly offered, but Takato still had some resistance left.
"I…I didn't bring my notebooks…"
"We can work on a piece of paper and then you can rewrite it on your notebooks," Juri suggested while reaching for her schoolbag.
"But that's twice the work!"
For that, he got The Pout; a terrifying womanly weapon.
"Takato-kun…"
Takato's nostrils dilated a bit when the girl drew her upper body even closer to him. Were he really paying proper attention he would have noticed she too was blushing at her sudden boldness. But his brain could only recognize how close she was and how pretty her lips looked and how great she smelled and holy crap was that cleavage!
There was a line; there was definitely the beginning of a line poking out of the top of her dress!
Good gods, Katou-san has breasts.
Of course, he had been aware of those already—puberty does that to women—, but it was probably the fact that Ruki never showed any skin which put such things in the back of his mind. He did hang out with the Digimon Queen more than with any other of his friends, after all.
That was when Takato reminded himself than glancing at the beginning of the valley of Juri's developing bust was not very proper.
When he looked at her face this time, he did notice the considerable red on her cheeks.
After all, unlike the wandering eyes of Matsuda Takato, Juri was attentively keeping her own on his face, and was well aware of what he had been looking at.
She was extremely embarrassed, but, in a way, also kinda happy…
"Ah…uhh…ah!"
The boy hastily turned around, a gesture Juri found a little infuriating.
"Cyberdramon! So, I hear it's been hard for you."
Takato knew his life was a mess the moment he realized he was using Cyberdramon to avoid a girl and her currently very angry pout.
"…yes," was the Perfect Digimon's extremely concise response.
In spite of the metal which covered the top part of his face, Takato found Cyberdramon's stare suddenly as intense as Juri's behind him.
"Uhh…Cyberdramon, the same as before: I still don't want to fight you, and we still can't wreck the city in a fight."
"Wha—no!" Juri, ever concerned for her friends' safety, immediately jumped into this "argument". "Cyberdramon!"
The Digimon's head twitched strangely.
Takato could not believe it: did Juri just startle Ryo's partner?
Then again, she had really, really sounded like somebody's mom just now.
While certainly a plus to her prospects for future marriage and child-raising, it was still scary.
"I understand you like fighting a lot, but you cannot ask Takato to fight you!" she paused. "Nor any other human!"
"Bu-But…"
Oh gods he just stammered!
A mother's tone is truly universally effective.
"Matsuda Takato is…"
The boy's head jerked upwards. He wouldn't…!
"Cyberdramon!" Juri repeated, in that tone.
"Gods, Katou-san, you're amazing."
"Huh?" The girl immediately turned to Takato, eyes wide open and cheeks deeply red. "Ta-Takato-kun…?"
Realizing he had spoken his thoughts, Takato found himself in one of his usual Juri-triggered nervous fits. He really needed to grow out of those.
"Uh, well, I mean…Cyber…uh—ugubh."
"Ta-Takato-kun!" Juri shrieked at the sight of a tennis shoe's sole smashing Takato's face on the nearest tree trunk. "Ru-Ruki!"
"You know, if you're gonna hit on Katou, please do it out of my sight, Gogglehead. I'm not sure what's worse: how pathetic or how disgusting it is."
Takato blurted out something that sounded kinda like "that's not very nice, Ruki".
"You know what's not nice, Gogglehead? Your stupid lovestruck face," Ruki retorted, apparently able to translate the boy's strange sounds.
"Guh, I'm not…"
"Ta-Takato-kun…!" Juri cried out a bit anguished, inching closer and resting her hands on his chest.
Waah! Too close, too close!
Ever perceptive—when it comes to Takato, at least—Ruki narrowed her gaze at the boy's just-a-bit-subtle reaction to the other girl's proximity. The discussion on Ryo's and Cyberdramon's problem had long been interrupted, and the male Tamers were watching the scene from a (safe?) distance.
Ruki grinned.
"Didn't know you could be this bold, Katou."
Made aware of her closeness to the boy (well, not really), Juri hurriedly pushed herself away, pushing Takato in the opposite direction and breaking his heart just a little in the process. Ruki nodded at this as if approving of the action while Takato pouted quietly on the grass.
"You're mean, Ruki," he finally said.
"Just protecting my friend," she declared.
"Katou-san's a nice person; what could she possible do to me?"
"I meant her, stupid Gogglehead!" Ruki spat back, crossing her arms stubbornly. "She can do way better than you."
"That's not your choice to make you know…" the boy muttered bitterly while looking away.
"Said something, Goglehead?"
"No! Absolutely not!" Takato exclaimed, jumping to a seiza position and making a zipping motion across his lips. "This mouth is shut."
The tallest of the Tamers (after Ryo) rolled her eyes and grabbed Takato by the neck of his t-shirt.
"Whatever. We're done here, so let's go. I could use some quiet."
"Then why are you taking Takato with you, hmm?" Ryo asked in a loud and obviously teasing voice.
"Damn, Gogglehead, I swear, hanging out with you is making me hear idiotic voices in the air. Let's get out of here."
"Yeah, yeah, I'm going, just stop pulling! Sheesh, Ruki, if you're jealous just say—OW! Ow, ow, Ruki, stop it! You're hurting me!"
"Waaah…" Ryo winced at the distant sight of Takato getting his ass kicked. "I don't know whether to salute him or pity him."
"It's not hard to do both," Kenta suggested.
"Muuu…" the moody Katou Juri muttered as she watched the backs of the departing couple. "I wanted to hang out with Takato-kun today…"
"There, there."
The usually sweet girl glared at her consoler.
"It doesn't really help when it comes from you, Terriermon," she flatly declared.
"Hey, hey…" the grinning green Child offered. "If it helps, he was definitely staring at your boobs."
"Yeah, he was, wasn't he…?" the suddenly giggling girl agreed…and then caught herself. "I mean—Terriermon!"
Looming over the two, Cyberdramon snarled.
He had no time for stupid human mating rituals! He wanted a fight, damn it!
That evening, surprisingly, he got a call from Akiyama Ryo, who had once more returned home without a solution to Cyberdramon's "problem".
"Umm, not that I'm not glad you called me, but…why ask me for ideas of all people?"
"Ah, well…" Ryo actually sounded a bit embarrassed. "I'm really on the edge with this issue…and Monodramon kind of has a high opinion of you."
"Hmm…"
That was actually nice to know. In a way, as the Player, it was more important for him to have the support of the Digimon than the Tamers themselves. After all, they did most of the fighting and would be more of a threat to him than the Tamers should they turn against him.
"Well, I don't know…" Takato offered his honest opinion. "I think everything's been said already…even if I haven't been paying attention to your discussions, hehehe…"
"Yeah, yeah, busy making your moves on Juri-chan, huh."
"Please stay on topic, Ryo-san," Takato deadpanned. "The core of the issue is that, if we ask Cyberdramon to hold back, he won't be satisfied and, if he goes all out, there will be lots of collateral damage. I don't think there's a place in Japan where we can let your partner unwind."
"I know, I know…sheesh…"
"What did Yamaki said about the idea of fighting in open sea or the sky?"
"He said we might disrupt sea travel or flight routes."
"That's just ridiculous…" Takato complained, utterly exasperated by the answer. "Look, can you put your partner on the phone for a moment?"
"…you want Monodramon?"
"Um. Just for a minute."
Ryo delayed the maddening effect of Cyberdramon's battle lust by keeping his partner in his Child form. That, and Monodramon was much smaller and easier to handle. However, that would not last forever; in due time, Monodramon would spontaneously evolve and go on a rampage.
"…Takato?"
"Hey there. Sorry about everything; it must be hard on you."
"Hnn, no problem."
"Look," Takato began, and then lowered his voice and tried to cover the handset; his parents really should not hear this. "Give me…" He thought for a moment. "Give me two months. Seriously. Two more months, and I'll fight you."
"…really? Is it…is it okay…?"
"Sure thing. Screw Yamaki; we'll find some place and go crazy like last time."
"No. Not like that…that time wasn't…"
Takato's eyes widened when he realized what the little dragon meant.
Back then in the Digital World, he was just getting accustomed to the self-enhancement. He had quickly learned that using too many cards and pushing their effects took a heavy toll on his body. While he also realized that his body gained endurance to the cards with repeated use, at the beginning he consciously held back in fear of hurting himself too much.
It was the battle against the Royal Knight, Omegamon, which taught him that he would never be able to defeat the Demon Lords if he did not push himself beyond the human limit, regardless of the consequences to his body.
Not that he actually won, but anyway…
"…fine, then. I didn't mean to insult you or look down on you back then. Let us fight one more time, and this time neither of us will hold back."
"…um."
There was a strange…vibration in Monodramon's tone.
Takato understood that, while the Child Digimon did not share his Perfect form's lust for combat, he also looked forward to the possibility of a big fight. They were the same Digimon after all; Monodramon carried the dream of a battle to end all battles.
"Don't tell Ryo I said that, okay?"
"Um!" The little dragon sounded ecstatic. "Sure thing!"
He could trust the little guy.
A minute or so later, Takato ended the call and left Ryo to futilely try to draw the exchange out of his partner's mouth. After looking at the phone for a few seconds, Takato reached for the handset one more time and dialed another number. Three rings later, a lively female voice answered on the other side.
"Good evening, this is Makino."
"Rumiko-san, this is Matsuda Takato."
He paused. It was hard to say it.
But, apparently, the pause was all Rumiko needed.
"I'll prepare a photo shoot~"
Takato's expression flattened.
"…you were expecting this, weren't you?"
"Yup~"
Women are scary.
"I invited Takato-kun for dinner~"
Those were the words Ruki heard from her mother that morning. On her way back home, she wondered if Takato was already at her place. She also wondered what her mother was up to.
It was not the first time Takato would visit her home invited by somebody other than her, though. It had happened a few times after D-Reaper, but back then all the Tamers were usually invited as well. Ruki suspected that, at some point, her mother and grandmother figured out Ruki did not really enjoy having the whole gang over at her home and main bastion of peace and quiet. Their numbers eventually dwindled until it became just Takato and Juri going over. Juri actually got quite well with Ruki's grandmother, Hata Seiko, and Takato appeared to be unable to decline an invitation, no matter how many subtle and not-so-subtle hints Ruki threw at him.
Then Takato pulled his greatest stunt and, as she had once said, "goggle-headed his way to the Digital World."
Whatever that means.
After Takato returned with their partners on tow, the frequency of the invitations increased and, Ruki realized, was still increasing. Rumiko invited him over at least once every month, but currently it was more like three times as often. That, plus all the times Ruki personally had him go over to her place, meant Takato was already quite acquainted with the Makino household.
"…how the hell did that happen?"
"Ruki?"
"Ah? Ah, no…it's nothing, Renamon."
It was a question she could ponder as she opened the large wooden gate into her house. She knew they were best friends, but that was a realization she came to just last Christmas.
Just when and how did they really become "best friends"?
Did she really want to think about this?
The moment she stepped into the house proper, a familiar yet unusual scent filled her nostrils. Was it…?
The suspicion was confirmed the moment she stepped into the kitchen. That was no dinner being made; that was for sure.
"What. The hell?"
A smiling Matsuda Takato wearing a white apron greeted her warmly.
"Hey, Ruki. I'm making chocolate!"
"I…can see that." She paused. "I know it's a stupid question, but…why?"
"Well…" Takato began while blushing a little. "I have to give something back on White Day, but I don't really have the money for expensive gifts, so I thought I could give some homemade chocolate as well."
"…alright. Less stupid question: why at my place?"
"Wha—I can't do this at home; that would be embarrassing!"
"How is my house any better!"
"Oooh…" Renamon uttered admiringly from her hiding spot. Her Tamer's tsukkomi was only getting better!
She is a very traditional Japanese Digimon. It makes sense for her to admire traditional Japanese humor (not really).
"You know what? Forget it," Ruki surrendered, instead choosing to step into the narrow kitchen to look at the proceedings over Takato's shoulder. "Where's grandma?"
"In…her bedroom, I guess?" Takato suggested, turning his face to look at the girl directly as he spoke.
Renamon tilted her head. She was not an expert on boy-girl interactions, but this was especially confusing to her.
Should not this closeness elicit Takato's usual nervous, stammering and overall slow-witted reaction? What made her Tamer different from Katou Juri and pretty much every other girl in the planet?
"And what about dinner, then?" Ruki continued, glancing at the mess Takato was making on her family's kitchen. "I can see this will take a while."
"Ah, right, I'll take care of it, so don't worry."
That surprised Ruki. "Wait, you're cooking?"
"Umu," Takato responded and assented. "That was the condition to use the kitchen today."
"I thought Mom had invited you over for dinner."
"That's what she said?" Takato seemed amused by that. "Well, why don't you ask her when she comes back? She said she would "definitely" be on time to join us this evening."
Ruki, unlike Takato, looked a little pissed.
"That woman only wants to try your cooking, doesn't she?"
The smiling Takato only shrugged. Ruki sighed and face-palmed.
"What a shameless mother I have. I'll…go get changed."
"Please," Takato pleaded. "I cannot insist enough on how short that skirt of yours is."
The girl's cheeks became like her hair, and she tried to pull the infamous skirt down.
"It's, it's not that short!"
"It is," Takato and, surprisingly enough, Renamon, retorted flatly.
"Ah…aaa, aa-do-don't look at me!"
The unusually embarrassed girl cried out before dashing away from the room, followed by her vulpine companion at a far more sedate pace.
"That's why I hate skirts!" he could hear Ruki shouting in the distance, and he could not stop himself.
"I didn't say it looks bad on you!" he exclaimed. It was followed by curious stumbling sounds somewhere in the residence.
"Shu-Shut up, Gogglehead!"
The so-called Gogglehead chuckled before turning his full attention to the chocolate mix.
"Never change, Ruki."
His expression softened somewhat. In his troubled mind, memories and feelings clashed torturously.
"…please."
Takato raised an eyebrow when Ruki reappeared.
"…I know I suggested changing out of your uniform, but…" His gaze dropped to her midsection. "That t-shirt is not really much better."
He meant, of course, Ruki's trademark heart mark t-shirt, now a few sizes too short for her.
"Do-Don't stare at my bellybutton!"
"Then don't put it on display."
"Don't talk back to me, either!" Ruki demanded; the color on her cheeks spreading down her neck to her body.
"Oh, come on, Ruki, you have nothing to be ashamed of," Takato offered encouragingly. "Your bellybutton's actually very pretty…and surprisingly clean, if I may—put down that knife!" It ended in an exclamation; his pupils quickly dilating as his brain pumped adrenaline in his system in response to the fearsome sight.
Ruki did as told, but she certainly looked reluctant when doing so.
"…you really enjoy pushing my buttons, stupid shameless Gogglehead."
"It's the spice that flavors my life, Ruki."
The girl wisely decided to shove those words aside and turn her attention to the boy's work.
"Have you even done this before?"
"Nope, first time" He shrugged. "It shouldn't be that hard."
"Famous last words, Gogglehead."
"I always appreciate your confidence in me, Ruki," Takato responded with his best sarcastic voice. "Now, since you're completely useless in a kitchen…"
"That's what I have you for, Gogglehead."
"I'm not your wife!" Takato quickly spat back, and Renamon felt like clapping.
Takato's comebacks were excellent as well! She had not really noticed, but these two were almost as good as what she had seen on TV!
"So, what do you want me to do?"
Takato cleared his throat while he sharply glanced at the girl.
"Just get the beef and vegetables I put in the refrigerator; it's about time I get started on dinner."
Ruki made for the appliance. "Wait, we have beef?"
"Um, bought it on the way," Takato idly replied, more interested in gathering cooking tools and ingredients.
Ruki stopped her hand halfway to the door handle.
"You bought beef."
"Maa…" Takato shrugged as if it were not really that significant. "You're a growing girl, Ruki; you need your proteins."
The redhead raised an eyebrow, sharply glancing at Takato while she opened the refrigerator.
"So, you don't have money to buy White Day presents but you have to buy me beef."
"Shows how much I care about you," Takato idly responded while he put some water to boil.
Ruki froze for an instant, but quickly went for turning away and frowning.
"Stupid Gogglehead," she muttered.
"What was that?"
"Nothing."
"Takatoooooo! I'm hungwyyyyyyy!" a very loud female voice echoed throughout the house.
"Don't whine like a brat, you shameless mother!"
"Eh?" Rumiko exclaimed loudly just before opening stepping into the dining room. "Ruki? You helped in the kitchen?"
"And don't make that face like you've just received a death sentence, either!"
Renamon was a having a blast as the lone audience of this tsukkomi show.
"Ruki, you yell too much," Takato calmly stated. "That can't be good for anybody's health."
"Oh, be quiet, Gogglehead."
"Haaaaai."
"Gods, it's like the roles are completely wrong…" Rumiko muttered to herself. "Anyway, I demand to be fed!"
"Sometimes I can't believe I was born from this woman…" Ruki's turn for muttering.
"That's an awfully rude thing to say, Ruki."
"What? What did she say, Takato-kun?"
"What did I say about being quiet, Takato?"
The boy blinked and looked at Ruki with confusion.
"Nothing; you just said 'be quiet, Goggle—"
"Oh, shut up, already!"
Eventually, Renamon appeared from nowhere to help Ruki set up the table. Rumiko meanwhile exchanged pleasantries with the cook.
"So, how many lovely girls are you making chocolate for, Takato-kun?"
"Katou-san, Ayaka-san and Miki-san."
And Takako, but he would not say that.
"I have to make something special for Katou-san, though. It's the least I can do for her efforts."
Rumiko glanced at her daughter, hoping for a reaction, anything.
"…just don't screw up, Gogglehead. Seriously, Katou deserves better."
Takato looked a bit tense all of sudden.
"Do-Don't put it like that, Ruki; it's kinda…"
His expression darkened, but from his position in front of the stove nobody could see his face.
"Besides, it's not like I…can…"
Ruki managed to catch some of that muttering.
"Gogglehead…?"
After closing his eyes for a second, everything was like nothing had happened.
"Anyway, it's just those three…wait, I shouldn't say just, it sounds kinda cocky." He chuckled. "I was actually really happy to get chocolate last month."
His pouting face fell on Ruki.
"If only I had gotten something from Ruki-tan, it would have been the perfect day~"
"Don't go there, Gogglehead—and who the hell is Ruki-tan?"
"Can I have whatever's left?" Rumiko hungrily requested.
"Ah, maybe, but I'd like to save an extra portion for Suzuka-chan."
"You're gonna get fat, Gogglehead."
"Iyaaan~" Takato squealed, switching to his Suzuka voice. "What're you saying, Ruki-chan~?"
"Don't use that annoying voice!"
"Ah!" Rumiko perked. "Speaking of Suzuka-chan, we're getting things ready for the first shooting of the summer collection! How about you—"
"No," Takato and, curiously enough, Ruki as well, strongly refused.
"Mugyuu…"
Some time later, Seiko joined them by the dining table.
"Well…" Takato spoke, sounding just a bit nervous. "It's not much, but I hope it will be of your liking…"
"Don't be silly, Takato-kun, it looks great," Rumiko warmly complimented the evening's young chef.
"That it does," Seiko agreed, appreciatively looking at the three side dishes Takato had prepared.
"I…hope I didn't go overboard with the miso…" Takato pondered between nervous chuckles. Seiko smiled at the boy's thoughtfulness. She had noticed as well.
"Steamed salmon steaks seasoned with miso…"
"And beef teriyaki!" a giddy blonde mother added.
"…stir-fried eggplant with miso…"
"And beef teriyaki!" the gleeful blonde repeated.
"And miso soup," Seiko finished before chuckling. "I'm sure Ruki won't mind."
"Hmm-hmm!" The grinning girl agreed with a firm nod. "Before I was the Digimon Queen, I was the Princess of Miso."
"Beef teriyaki!"
"You know just what I like, Gogglehead; that's why I keep you around."
"That's so rude!"
"Anyway, let us begin," Seiko declared. "Itadakimasu."
Everybody repeated the standard gesture of gratitude. Ruki immediately attacked the soup, filling her mouth with the warm liquid…
She slowly and carefully placed the bowl back on the table, to make sure it would not slip off her hands or something.
The others had already noticed there was something odd about the youngest female in the room, and they had quickly swallowed their first mouthful of whatever.
"Ruki…?" Seiko was the first to call for the girl.
Takato was already trying to figure out what he did wrong with the miso soup.
The redhead swallowed.
"…Takato."
"Yes?" The nervous-looking boy returned the girl's stare.
"…you have to make this soup for me every single day from today onwards. Understood?"
Three humans and a Digimon blinked as one.
"Oh my," Seiko muttered while blushing, before covering her mouth with a single hand. Rumiko was struggling not to burst into laughter.
Takato's eyes widened for a moment, until his brain processed the words and his mind did him a favor and metaphorically kicked him.
His head and shoulders slumped down, in an attempt to hide the emotions swirling across his pupils.
"I'm sorry, Ruki."
The two adult women tensed and frowned, very subtly exchanging glances. What Ruki in her inexperience did not notice, these two certainly did.
What the hell was that depressing tone about?
"Hmm…" Ruki did as if she were mulling the answer. "…alright."
Rumiko and Seiko turned to the girl, surprised to find a wicked smirk on her face.
"You get Sundays off."
It was fortunate there was nothing in Takato's mouth.
One more time, the two women's heads jerked to the side, this time to gape at the boy suddenly immersed in laughter.
"Ahahaha, hahah…oh…oh, sheesh…Ruki…"
"What?" the girl replied, raising an eyebrow at the unusual outburst.
"Heh…Ruki, really…never change. Stay like this forever."
The girl frowned, and then shrugged.
"Perhaps."
Takato's smile softened, becoming a beacon of tenderness.
"I can't ask for anything more."
Rumiko and Seiko looked at the boy, then at the girl, and then at each other.
Then they sighed and spoke in unison.
"You're doing it all wrong…"
Renamon subtly and steadily ravaged the dining table.
The location this time was a fancy-looking restaurant; the kind that made him uncomfortable to enter in his ordinary clothes. His little sister, clinging to his right arm like, well, a clingy girlfriend, was of course in her element even if her clothes, elegant as they were, were also a little too frilly to be considered the standard wear for such a place.
Yes, Takato definitely felt awkward, especially because he was pretty damn sure everyone and their mother was staring at them. He could not blame them, though: he would have stared as well. He could have sworn there was a round of 'awww's when he pulled the chair for Takako and she rewarded him with a lovely smile and a kiss on his cheek. It was extremely embarrassing.
The boy decided in that very moment that high society was not for him.
Takako had made the reservation—he did not really know a thing about fancy restaurants—but he would take care of the check. Takako had protested, but he had reassured her it was not a problem.
He did have the money he earned as Matsushita Suzuka, after all, and he had not spent a single yen.
They were currently making their orders: Takato requested the first thing that sounded remotely tasty, while Takako abused his good nature by ordering far more than would be expected from a girl so tiny.
I thought she was the Avatar of Lust…
"And what would you like to drink?" the smiling waitress inquired, looking down at him like he was the most adorable thing in the world.
"Uhh…I…think I'll just have cola," an uneasy Takato responded, turning his attention to the girl seated in front of him. "What do you want to drink, Takako?"
"Onii-sama's sem—"
"She'll have a cola as well!"
"Uhh…two colas, got it…?" The startled waitress wrote before taking the menus, glancing at the smiling little girl one last time before walking away. Did she just say…nah, it couldn't be.
"Stop that," Takato sharply scolded his sister.
"But you asked!"
A strange silence fell upon the two. In spite of having met only three and a half months ago—or maybe because of it—, there were not that many topics for them to talk about. They came from really different worlds, and the things Takako usually wanted to talk about—namely, Digimon and incest—Takato would rather avoid.
Thus, the next minutes proceeded with the rather stiff Takato nervously looking around the fancy décor, while Takako wore a pleasant smile and stared at him, something he quickly noticed.
"…something on my face?"
Takako's eyes sparkled.
"The most beautiful eyes."
"They're exactly the same as yours."
"I know."
Well…good to know my sister doesn't have confidence issues.
"Also, those lips I want to taste more than anything in this world."
Takato grimaced. "You could at least keep it down, you know."
"Nobody can hear me; the other tables are far enough." She giggled. "But, seriously, I'm trying to find something."
"Something?"
The girl shrugged. "I want to check whether onii-sama is really onii-sama."
Takato frowned for an instant before getting it.
"Oh." He smiled mischievously, like the child he was supposed to be. "Good luck with that."
"Hmm…" A subtle flame flickered in Takako's pupils, and her smile became nothing but salacious. "Are you teasing me, onii-sama?"
The boy jolted for a moment there, his face quickly shifting back to 'creeped out'; the standard expression on his face whenever he hung out with his little sister.
"…what are you doing?"
"Stroking your inner thigh with my foot," Takako bluntly answered, licking her lips as if to make a point.
"Didn't really want an answer, Takako…"
"Sorry~" Takako giddily replied, not sounding in the least apologetic.
There was another short lapse of silence, in which Takato's expression gradually darkened, while Takako placidly watched his face like it was the only thing worth looking at in the world.
"…Takako."
"What is it, onii-sama?" the girl responded with the adorable tone expected from a lovely little sister character.
"You're supposed to stop doing that."
"Is that so~"
The food eventually arrived, and Takato was pleased to see his mostly random picks were not half bad, and he ate his fancy meal most eagerly. Takako was a lot more sedate despite her larger amount of food, mostly because she was taking her time playing with her meal, using her lips and her tongue in ways Takato did his very best to pretend not to notice.
"Takako, are you gonna stop doing that thing with your foot any time soon?"
"Not really."
"Okay. Just thought of asking."
"That's very thoughtful of you, onii-sama."
"Thank you. Now, seriously, stop it."
They did converse on all sorts of inane things: Takako would ramble on all the things she disliked of the rich and easy life, while Takato would share anecdotes of his school life and all the clumsy moments that usually led to being hit by Ruki.
Takako didn't really like those stories.
Impressively enough, she did eat everything she ordered, with only minimal help from her brother. That's why Takato did not hesitate to take out a certain flat box from his schoolbag after she was done.
"Here."
The little girl did not need to open it to understand what it was.
"You bought me a present! Is it underwear?"
"It's chocolate," Takato flatly stated.
Takako's eyes gleamed. "Chocolate panties?"
"I'm not giving you panties, Takako!" the boy sharply remarked. "It's just homemade chocolate."
Seemingly unfazed by the rebuke, the little sister squealed happily. "Chocolate! Onii-sama, love you lots!"
Takato could not stop himself from smiling a little at the adorable sight of the slim girl eagerly unwrapping the box of chocolates. For a moment there, she truly looked like the pampered little girl she should have been.
The girl gasped when the box finally unveiled its contents…and then her expression dropped into a pout.
"Muu, onii-sama!"
Takato blinked, looking confused and a little hurt by his sister's apparent disappointment.
"Wha…what's wrong?"
The girl's lips puckered out adorably while she showed her brother one of the plain, rectangular pieces of dark chocolate he had made for her.
"Why aren't they shaped like your co—"
"I like rectangles, okay!"
"But I wanna lick and suck your—"
"No more will be said on this issue!"
"And I wanted to melt them and pretend it was your cu—"
"Don't make me use the Absolute Truth for this, Takako."
"The what?"
Takato face palmed.
That year, March the 14th fell on a Saturday. It was, in fact, Ruki's last Saturday as a grade-schooler. After the two-week-long Spring Break, she would begin her first year of Middle School, in a different institution.
…where exactly was she going again? Her mother was taking care of that…
That morning, however, she was hoping she could fast-forward to the next month. There was a strange…buzzing in the air, and she could swear people were looking at her a little too much. In fact, the fact they were looking at her at all was by itself worrisome.
All the glancing and whispering around her was really pissing her off.
Thinking back, she really should have seen it coming.
"Ruuuuuuuuuki-chaaaaaaaaaan! I've come to plaaaaaaaaa-bugh!"
The Mysterious Child Idol, Matsushita Suzuka, hit the ground upon taking a pencil case right on her forehead.
"Stop bothering at school, stupid idol!" the female Tamer angrily shouted from the window of her classroom three levels high.
"Ow…" the blonde model groaned as she stood back up, rubbing her forehead. "That hurt! Ruki-chaaaaan, you're so meaaaaaa-guagh!"
The idol act faltered just a little.
"Ruki!" Suzuka yelled before looking at the object on the ground, which had joined the mess made by the open pencil case. "The D-Arc! You hit me with your D-Arc! What the hell!"
"Go away, you nutcase!"
Later that day, Suzuka walked the narrow corridors of a certain studio in the company of a certain photographer. The queer man waved at her as she opened the door to her dressing room.
"Thank you for your hard work, Suzuka-chan. It was lovely having you again~"
"Thank you very much, Coco-san. Have a nice day!"
After closing the door behind her, the young model released a long and loud sigh. Taking off the lustrous blonde wig, Suzuka disappeared and became Matsuda Takato in girl's clothes.
"Haa…why am I doing this, again?"
He would never again look down on the fashion business. Those beautiful, ever-smiling women he saw in ads everywhere certainly did not have it easy. So, why was he doing this, really?
"…ah, right: to annoy Ruki."
The money he made was a really nice bonus, though.
"Where's Rumiko-san, anyway?"
The older model had received a phone call in the middle of the photo session and had thus left the room to not disturb the photographer. Takato had not seen her since then.
"I don't even know if there's a proper way to get rid of all this makeup…"
Also, he could not just change back to his clothes while in the studio, where everybody still believed Matsushita Suzuka was a real girl.
He did not find Rumiko anywhere in the room—there was not really anywhere the woman could hide, anyway—, but he found a note on the makeup table.
"Dear Takato-kun,
I went home first, and I just happen to have your clothes with me. Sorry~(heart)"
"You aren't sorry at all!" Takato cried out; as if yelling at the piece of paper could make his words reach the bubbly woman.
"Hugs, Rumiko (kiss mark)
P.S. Ruki made me do it."
The small piece of paper crumpled in Takato's left fist.
"Damn that Ruki…wait."
He sniffed the now-wrinkled letter.
"…did she sprinkle perfume on this?"
After staring at the damning letter for several seconds, Takato carefully folded it and put it in the tiny purse Rumiko had provided with the dress.
"A fashionable lady like you cannot be seen without a purse!" she had said.
"How can women store anything in these things?" Takato complained. "They're so goddamn tiny!"
Katou Juri did not go straight home after school that day. A shopping trip was due.
One of the problems that come with puberty is that clothes no longer last what they used to. Growth implies that clothes you bought half a year ago will no longer fit you and thus have to be replaced. It was a hard issue to deal with, for several reasons.
It was especially bothersome when it came to underwear.
Normally her stepmother would accompany her, but something came up and Juri was left to shop on her own. She would have preferred the company, but in a way it was nice to know she was trusted with her parents' money.
She very subtly took a hand to her chest and squeezed a little.
"I'll have to measure myself again…"
However, Katou Juri had other plans before buying new underwear. Because, actually, Katou Juri was not in the best of moods.
It was White Day…and Matsuda Takato never showed up at school.
What was the point of getting off her bed that morning if she would not get Takato-kun's love-love chocolate, damn it!
And thus she decided: it would be a girl's day out. She would wipe away her disappointment by having an entire afternoon to herself; a pleasure she could not afford very often, what with helping at the family business and looking after her little brother.
Of course, the issue with that was that, not being used to going out on her own, she was not really sure what she could do. Her parents' money was for underwear, and she did not have much money of her own.
Busy as she was counting her personal funds to check if she had enough to at least buy a movie ticket, she could not have possibly noticed the figure hurriedly rushing out of the door to the building just to her left.
"Kyah!"
It was a rather clichéd collision.
"Ow, ow, ow…" Juri moaned, wincing at her suddenly sore side as much as at the sound of fallen coins dancing all around her on the asphalt.
"Uhh…sorry about tha—ah!"
Juri blinked. What was it with that exclamation at the end?
Her eyes quickly caught sight of her unintentional assailant, and her heart beat just a little harder for a moment there.
Cu-Cute…
With the most beautiful, shining golden hair, and such warm amber eyes like a deer before headlights…
…wait, had she not seen this girl somewhere before? And why was she so awfully…stiff?
It quickly clicked in her head. Miki's fashion magazines, and that newspaper, the day after Valentine's…
"You…you are…"
Needless to say, Takato was scared shitless.
Ohshit-ohshit-ohshit-ohshit-ohshit!
Yes, like that.
Why did it have to be Katou-san of all people? Why was she even in that part of the city!
What kind of ridiculous, shoujo manga-like coincidence was this!
"Mysterious Child Idol…Matsushita Suzuka…"
It's actually become her title of sorts.
Takato wanted to run. Fast.
But he was a gentleman: there was a girl on the ground and she had dropped her money; it was his moral obligation to help her! Furthermore, it was his precious Katou-san!
Sure, he was not a gentleman at the moment; in fact, he could not be further from the concept of a "gentleman": he was wearing girl's clothes, after all. But it was the principle of the thing!
Hence, he would help his friend, and then he would run. Very fast.
"Uh, umm…" he had to remind himself to use his Suzuka voice. "I'm terribly sorry!"
Juri found it within herself to move when the fancily dressed young girl crouched to pick up the coins she had dropped.
"Ah, no! No, it wasn't…"
The two worked in silence, their faces kept low, both of them nervous for different reasons. Takato's reasons were obvious; as for Juri's well…
Matsushita Suzuka was a child model; a surprisingly popular figure she had seen in magazine covers. According to Miki, despite the girl's few appearances, she was highly praised in the Internet, and people were wondering why she was not seen more often.
And then, there was that article…
Matsushita Suzuka had "some kind of relationship" with Makino Ruki.
Of course, after seeing that photo in the sensationalist press, Juri had been curious. However, if Ruki did not want to introduce her to her friends outside the Digimon Tamers, she would not insist.
And then Hirokazu teased Ruki about it. The boy wouldn't know tact if it punched him in the face.
The girl Tamer had utterly and thoroughly expressed her disgust at his cocky attitude in the most violent manner. She did not say anything about the child idol, but Juri had noticed, being a girl and all that entails.
Ruki had blushed, and she had quietly called the fashion model a pervert.
Could it be…that this girl, Matsushita Suzuka, was…like that?
And then…with Ruki…?
Katou Juri's face felt like it would ignite any second then.
"Ah, um…Katou-san…?"
Juri's face jerked up, to come face to face with the mysterious child idol just a mere two inches away.
"Wah!" the suddenly beet red Takato immediately jumped back, and the coins in his hand shot up and rained upon the two before striking the asphalt one more time. The people passing by around them chuckled at the scene, but nobody bothered stop to help them—two people could handle it, no problem.
"Uuh…sorry…" Takato moaned, as his efforts were rendered moot. Sighing dejectedly, he began to pick up the coins again.
Juri stared at the girl who gloomily repeated the tedious task, looking all the while like a kicked puppy.
This girl…could it be…could she be…?
Takato had obviously noticed the intense gaze the other (real) girl had fixed on him, and his heart rate quickly went way up. This time it had nothing to do with the fact that the prettiest girl he knew—Rumiko-san was a woman, Lilithmon was a monster, and Takako was his sister—was staring at him.
"Could it be…that you are…?"
Oh gods she found out! Somebody kill me…!
"…a klutz?"
Takato's face hit the ground, hard.
It had been quite a while since the last time he face-faulted like that.
"Katou-san!" the faux-girl whined and pouted, and Juri had to restrain the urge to squeal.
This girl…she was too adorable!
"Ah, sorry, I'm really sorry, Matsushita-san…"
Wait, wasn't she older?
Juri reached over to help Suzuka picked the last coins.
"How do you know my name, Matsushita-san?"
"Ah!" the model gasped, blushed and looked away guiltily. It was incredibly cute. "Ruki…I mean, Ruki-chan's talked about you, and…umm…you…you were one, right? Digimon Tamer…"
"I see," Juri calmly replied. She was not one to openly display her feelings concerning her status as former Digimon Tamer. She was not the only one with that brand anymore.
And then Takato remembered he was supposed to be running away.
"Ah, well, umm…anyway, sorry to bump into you, so…" Takato hurriedly got back on his feet, absentmindedly wiping inexistent dirt off his long dress. "Um, it was…nice…to meet you, so…"
A hand latched itself to his right wrist, and Takato felt an uncomfortable chill traveling up his arm and down his chest before settling at the pit of his stomach.
He did not like where this was going.
"Ano…so-sorry to bother you, and I know we don't really know each other, but…"
Takato looked down, Juri looked up, and the cross-dressing boy was struck by an arrow of moé.
"…if you're not too busy…could you help me with something, Matsushita-san?"
Matsuda Takato was in hell.
It was prettier and cleaner than he imagined.
This is a nightmare. It has to be. This…
Two giggling girls waked in front of him, stopping before a certain shelf.
…Lucemon has to be behind this. He has somehow made Katou-san his piece and used her to drag me into this madness.
The girls picked two certain objects from the shelf and darted into a curtained cubicle next to the one he was standing across from.
No, Takato, that's just stupid. This is…this is just…
"Such misfortune…" the boy in girl's clothes concluded, sighing to portray his mental exhaustion.
Katou-san wanted his—well, her—help picking new underwear.
"Umm…well, Matsushita-san…is really famous…and you know lots about pretty clothes…so…umm…"
Juri's explanation.
What kind of ridiculous logic is that! Takato's mind exploded. I just put on what they tell me to wear and pose for the camera! I don't know a thing about girl's clothes!
He paused.
Well, even I've learned a thing or two; it's hard not to when listening to Rumiko-san…but that's not the point! And she's asking about underwear! I'm not a lingerie model! Isn't that a crime, anyway!
He looked down at his chest.
I mean, it's not like I need to wear bras, I'm completely flat—I mean, I'm a boy!
"Umm, Matsushita-san…?" Juri's head poked out from the deep red curtain.
"Ye-Yes!" Takato squeaked, a lot more high-pitched than Suzuka's usual.
She's…only her head…she's…behind that curtain, Katou-san is…
Only from the waist upwards, Gogglehead.
"Well…" Juri looked nervous as well for some reason. "I thought I could do it by myself, but it's kinda…so…"
While bombarded by the merciless attack that was Katou Juri's adorable face, Takato processed this latest input of data, and then remembered just why she was inside that dressing room in the first place.
She…she cannot possibly want me to…
Juri tilted her head in a wordless plea.
Oh gods, she wants me to measure her bust.
"Ah-I-I…I'll go fetch a lady from the store!" Takato hurriedly shrieked. "Wait a sec!"
"Ah, wait!"
But the fake girl was gone, dashing out of this troublesome situation with commendable speed.
That was a success: Takato found a store attendant, who took care of Juri's measurements. That only meant, however, that the road was paved for Matsushita Suzuka's next mission.
Juri did not want to put on her clothes only to take them off again later, so she would rely on Matsushita-san to pick some nice brassieres for her!
I hate my life.
Takato's thoughts were very straightforward at the moment.
That's it. Matsushita Suzuka dies today. She must disappear from this world…from history itself. No records of her must remain.
He was still pondering how to find and collect every single printed issue of Monthly Fashion from last December and February, as well as how to make the Makino family…disappear, when Juri's voice loudly called out from beyond the curtain.
"Matsushita-saaaaaan? Aren't you done yet?"
"Ah-ah-ah! In a minute!" he squeaked, before turning his attention to his current and most unwanted task. The only plus coming out of this was that he now knew Katou Juri's bust size…which he did not see as a plus at all.
Anyway, Takato, just…pick…anything. Anything that would look good on Katou-san…
His eyes fell on a blue lace demi-cup bra, and his treacherous mind immediately conjured the image of Katou Juri wearing it and matching panties. And nothing else.
Waa-wah-bad Takato! Bad, bad Takato!
After a few seconds of panicking all by himself, the boy in a dress took a deep breath and urged himself to find his center. Then he remembered he still had to pick a bra for Juri.
Damn it, Lucemon! Do something evil! Anything to get me out of here!
He went for something completely and utterly white and ordinary; it was the only thing which did not trigger a nosebleed-inducing mental image.
"Umm, Katou-san…?"
"Ah!" An exclamation from the other side of the curtain. "Come in."
Takato's brain shut down. Anyone standing close enough could have heard the rebooting sounds faintly echoing out of his ears.
"Umm…excuse me?"
"What is it?" Juri responded from beyond the red curtain, sounding confused.
"…I believe I heard wrong, but…did you just ask me to go in there?"
"Um," Juri replied. "Matsushita-san has to tell me how I look, of course!"
Suddenly the red curtains seemed the gates of hell, especially when a hand of damnation reached from the other side and somehow managed to find his right wrist.
"Wha—wait!" Takato cried desperately but futilely as he found himself pulled against the curtain, past it and into the tiny cubicle beyond.
Because Matsuda Takato is, if anything, extremely consistent, this event was the cue for his genetically encoded clumsiness to kick in, making him trip on the very slight increase of elevation between the dressing cubicle and the rest of the store.
"Whoa!"
"Gyah!"
The word of the day is "cliché".
The cubicle was, as all of their kind, awfully small, and Takato instinctively reached for the back of Juri's head, covering it with his left hand to protect it from the wall behind her. They fell hard on the floor, his knees cried in completing, his right hand held to something strangely soft and something Takato truly hoped was not a bra flew over their heads and fell somewhere to his left.
"Ouch!" Juri complained, her eyes tightly shut. "Ow, ow, oww…my bum…"
Takato blushed a little bit at that. It was just weird, hearing that word out of Katou Juri's mouth. Then again, he probably put her in a pedestal of exaggerated purity.
"You okay…?" Takato muttered weakly, wincing at the itty bit of pain in his left hand.
"Ah, umm…" the real girl smiled tenderly. "Thank you for covering my…head…"
The two had opened their eyes and came to fully realize just how close they were to each other.
"Ah…" Juri uttered quietly, and the simply sound rooted Takato to the spot.
Juri's pretty face…he could not pull his eyes away, to say nothing of the rest of his body!
And the girl on the bottom was, strangely enough, in a similar conundrum. She had noted it before, but she could not stop admiring Matsushita Suzuka's eyes. As close and widely open as they currently were, Juri was struck at point-blank with their vitality, their brimming energy and their comforting warmth.
They're…just like…
"Matsushita…san…" she uttered in a throaty voice that made Takato's body tremble.
Pheromones; it had to be pheromones—he had never felt like this with Katou-san…or any other girl, for that matter!
"Ple-Please…ca-call me Suzuka…"
Juri blinked, and then blushed adorably. A shy smile adorned her round face.
"Su-Suzuka…chan."
Takato felt butterflies in his stomach. It was not even his real name, for the gods' sake!
"The-then…" Juri continued. "Suzuka-chan can also call me…by my name…?"
If he weren't so…stimulated at the moment, Takato probably would have felt his blood being drained out of his face.
"Ju-Ju—Ju…Ju, Ju, Ju-Ju…"
He couldn't! Not even as Matsushita Suzuka! It simply did not feel right!
To Takato, calling Katou Juri by her first name was crossing a dangerous boundary that could bring disastrous consequences. Or something like that.
Juri's blush only grew in intensity and the model's sad attempts. She made the most adorable, desperate face as she stammered…it was really the cutest thing she had ever seen, and she lived with Calumon!
She giggled.
"You're just like Takato-kun!"
Of course, the damning sentence rendered Takato a stiff statue, but his direst mistake was clenching his right hand.
"Ahn!"
Some broke deep inside Matsuda Takato upon hearing that.
Had Juri just moaned?
"Tha…Suzuka-chan, that hurts a little bit…"
That would be the moment when Takato realized just what his right hand was grasping rather strongly.
Juri found herself blushing even more at the intensity of Suzuka's eyes on her left boob.
"Umm…Suzuka-chan…if, if you stare so much…it's kinda embarrassi—gyah!"
What followed was a mildly terrifying scene, as a spray of warm blood splashed her naked torso at the same time Matsushita Suzuka's head was shot backwards by its impressive propulsion power.
"Waaah! Suzuka-chan! Suzuka-chan, hang in there! Suzuka-chaaaaaaaaaan!"
There was an extremely uncomfortable silence around that particular table in a certain fast food joint of worldwide renown. It was a two-story building, and the couple had taken an empty seat on the top floor. Just outside the ample windows, they could see the relatively calm scenery of the gigantic and familiar Shinjuku Park. But the girl and the fake girl were not really looking at the cityscape beyond the window.
Their eyes remained fixated on their respective laps, and the only sound coming out of their mouths were the mild suction noises as they drank sodas (diet, of course) with straws.
It had been an embarrassing scene back there at the lingerie shop: waking Suzuka up, hurriedly putting her clothes back on and helping the weak-in-the-knees young model out of the store without buying anything in the end. Juri's steps guided her to this restaurant, and it was she who ordered for the two, as the short child model would not utter a world; obviously wracked by the embarrassment.
Still, Juri had to ask. She guessed she already knew the answer, but she needed to ask.
But…but, it was just so embarrassing!
Meanwhile, Takato was seriously considering just stepping into the game room, give up on the Game and die.
A nosebleed.
He had released a nosebleed in front of Katou-san, because he…he…good gods, he could still feel the softness under his hand! He could still remember…every single detail…
Juri looked up at the child idol when she desperately shook her head and buried her face in her open hands. Takato was just struggling to keep a second blood spray contained within and the shame away from Juri's sight.
"Umm…Suzuka…chan…?"
The fashion idol barely opened gaps between her fingers, from which her amber eyes could be seen.
"…what?" she said, her voiced muffled by the hands which covered her mouth.
Juri felt her chest tickle. She was too cute!
"Uh, umm…" Juri's right hand began to trace circles on her thigh. "I-I know this is…this is an awkward question, and….we-well…I…umm…"
"By-by any…chance…does…does Suzuka-chan…like…girls…?"
Juri could have cooked eggs on Suzuka's head. Steam might or might not have been blown out of the child model's ears, depending on how attached to common sense witnesses may have been.
The gaps that revealed Suzuka's eyes were closed shut once more, and the young idol's shoulders slumped down as a sorrowful moan escaped her throat.
Juri took that as a "yes".
"O-Oh…" she muttered, suddenly finding very hard to look at the younger (according to her bio) girl.
She-She likes…then, back then in the shop, she was…oh…oh my…
There was a lot of red on Katou Juri's face as well.
Takato came to the conclusion that he was paying for sins he had committed in countless previous lives of sin. He did not really care that much about Matsushita Suzuka, but there was something awfully awkward about his female alter ego being labeled a lesbian…even if it was technically the truth.
"S-Sorry…"
Why did he even say that!
"Ah-no!" Juri exclaimed, waving her hands in front of her rather pathetically. "No! No! It's, it's perfectly…fine…umm…hau."
If it were "perfectly fine" then she would not be blushing like mad, would she?
A sudden, shocking idea struck the former girl Tamer's head in that moment.
"The-then, Suzuka-chan…with Ruki…?"
It was a very good think Takato was already done with his soda.
"Wha-NO!" the boy was quick to deny. "No! No! No, no, no...no! No-not at all! I-I can't…there's no way…!"
He needed to organize his thoughts; as this rate his true identity would be revealed, and that would probably result in a heart attack.
"I mean…Ruki…Ruki-chan's a good friend, and I like her a lot, but…not…like that…" Suzuka shook her head very emphatically. "Besides, Ruki-chan doesn't, doesn't like girls…"
Gods, I hope so.
"I-I would never…react to her…like that…"
Juri's body jerked at that, struck by a jolt of electricity traveling down her spine. Did she mean…?
"The-then…Suzuka-chan, you do-don't mean…a-about…me…?"
It had somehow become a competition of who could become the reddest.
A really strange, pitiful moan escaped Takato's throat and the boy in girl's clothes tried and failed to make himself invisible.
"I…I'm terribly sorry…"
Whether as Matsuda Takato or as Matsushita Suzuka, the fact remained that Katou Juri was the cutest girl he/she knew…cute little sisters notwithstanding.
It was Juri's turn to try to outblush Matsushita Suzuka, as she was faced with the realization that a girl had just pretty much admitted to liking her. In that way.
"Oh…oooh…oh, oh dear…"
What was she supposed to say? What was the proper protocol when dealing with this kind of situations? Was there even a protocol? She, she had to properly reject the girl, that was a given, but…but…
Noting the pained expression on Juri's face, Takato knew this farce had gone too far. On the other side, revealing Suzuka's identity to Juri was not only risky, but very, very embarrassing as well.
Therefore, only one option remained; the one he had been vouching for since the very moment they crashed into each other.
"I-I…I have…I'm sorry, but…I really…"
Unfortunately, finding the proper words to say was much harder than standing up. Standing up was a breeze.
"I really should…I-I'm really sorry about everything! Goo-Good bye!"
Thus, in the end, he just ran.
Juri watched the elegantly-dressed girl hurriedly depart down the stairs, until her brain actually processed things properly and her body mustered a response.
"Wa-Wait! Suzuka-chan!"
Takato's mind moaned.
Oh gods, she's coming after me; why the hell is she coming after me?
He ran faster…but not by much—long dresses and heels did horrendous things to his running speed.
Unfortunately, fast food joints demand payment upon ordering, and thus Takato could not hope for Juri to be stopped by angry managers. Dashing (well, not really) into the park, he could hear the girl's voice calling out to "her" as she got closer and closer.
"Suzuka-chan, please, stop!"
Takato only shook his head and kept running. Gods, this was like a really bad shoujo manga…not that he read that stuff or anything!
However, it was a losing battle against heels and Juri caught up to Suzuka, seizing her by her left hand. Unfortunately, while Juri was faster on heels, Takato was still stronger and heavier.
Katou Juri, meet inertia.
"Gyah!"
"Whoa!"
It was getting really repetitive by this point. At least this time Juri fell on top of Takato.
"Ow…ow…oww…" these were pretty much sounds common to the two as they moved to a sitting position, Takato rubbing the back of his head beyond the strongly attached wig.
"Suzuka-chan…"
Takato noticed Juri had not let go of the hand she had seized.
It needs not to be repeated, but, well, they were blushing. A lot.
"Suzuka-chan, I…"
She…had not really planned this through.
"I…don't carry ill feelings…and I…don't think poorly of Suzuka-chan…"
Well, it was a start.
"Aah…haa…" What could Takato say in response to that? Think about it: Juri was trying to comfort him as she thought he was in fact a girl with an unnatural attraction to other girls.
Talk about awkward.
"I…I guess I'm kinda…honored?" Juri hesitatingly and clumsily continued. "I mean, Suzuka-chan is cute, and famous, so…to think…Suzuka-chan could find the likes of me…umm…"
"Wha—no!" Takato suddenly reacted, reaching for the real girl's shoulders and eliciting a cute squeak. "Katou-san should think better of herself! Who-Who cares if I'm famous; I'm no good at all!"
Well, for starters, he's a boy.
"Katou-san is really, really, really pretty! When I'm with Katou-san; when Katou-san smiles at me, every single time, I…I…it's like…I forget…how to think…"
He knew he had said too much when Juri's eyes appear to go for a spin.
"Ka-Katou-san!" Takato cried as he did his best to hold Juri by her shoulders, for the girl appeared suddenly unable to handle her own weight.
Juri was this close to crying, but there was also a strange smile on her pretty face.
If only…Takato-kun said something like that to me, I…I'd completely lose it…!
"Katou-san! Are you alright, Katou-san…?"
"It's, it's alright…" the dark-haired girl responded quietly, reaching for Suzuka's left cheek with her right hand. "It's just…heh…you…"
Takato trembled when Juri gently stroke his cheek.
"Suzuka-chan is too cute… and really, really sweet."
"Aaa-ah, no, I'm…not…really…" the child idol muttered as "she" shyly looked away.
Juri's lips trembled. She's adorable when she's embarrassed.
That's when she caught herself and the strange direction her thoughts were taking.
Wa-Wait, do I…could I possibly…?
"Katou…san…?"
"Suzuka…chan…"
Why, Juri wondered, couldn't she take her eyes off those pools of amber?
Well, then, if she could not do it, her good friend would take care of it for her.
"DYNAMIC ENTRY!"
A flying kick to the head knocked Matsushita Suzuka to the ground to Juri's left.
"I always wanted to do that," the impromptu martial artist confessed in a quiet tone.
"Ah!" Juri gasped, and it took her all of two seconds to figure out what happened. "What…aaah!"
A moaning Takato shook his head to dismiss the stars revolving around him. "What the…oh."
When he opened his eyes, he came face to face with a beautiful pair of violet eyes.
Beautiful, and very, very angry.
"Youuuuuuuu…" Makino Ruki's voice was like the howl of Cerberus, the guardian of the Gates of Hades. "You little…"
"Umm…" Takato knows when he is screwed. That does not mean he knows when to stop. "Hey, Ruki. Fancy meeting you her—ack!"
That last thing was the sound of Takato's lungs being emptied when Ruki sat on his diaphragm.
"Suzuka-chan!" a worried Juri cried out.
"The nerve of you!" Ruki howled, grabbing Takato by his dress and repeatedly slamming him against the grass under his back. Katou Juri might as well not exist. "I was actually getting worried 'cause you never made it home, and just look how I found you!"
Slam!
"Flirting!"
Slam!
"Flirting!"
Slam, slam, slam!
"With KATOU!"
"We-We were not…not really…" That was the best the embarrassed Katou Juri could come up with.
Slam!
"What the hell…" Slam. "Are you thinking!" Slam. "How could you possibly—what made you think of—are you out of your FUCKING MIND!" Slam. "I'll kill you!"
Takato really wanted to inch away from Ruki's looming face, but planet Earth under him made for a fearsome obstacle.
"Any last words, 'Suzuka-chan'?"
The cross-dressing boy nodded calmly. Might as well put an end to this charade.
"…you're making a scene, Ruki-chan."
It was just a matter of looking up and around to notice the substantially large crowd their loud antics had summoned. They approached the scene for the cute girls, and they stayed for the celebrity drama.
The shutter of a camera closed somewhere.
And, because it gets tiring if Takato and Juri hog all the blushing, it became Ruki's turn to flare a deep tone of red.
"Aa, aah, buh, bwe…waah…ah, ah, haaaa…"
Because blushing always comes with incoherent stammering.
Just for the record, "Suzuka" got "her" ass kicked after that.
"Haa…getting all the makeup off is such a hassle…"
Matsuda Takato, wiping water off his face with a white towel, let the words wander off as he came into the presence of a still-fairly-pissed-off Makino Ruki.
They were in the girl's residence, where Takato had reclaimed his normal—as in, boyish—clothes. Ruki had almost ripped the dress off his body the moment they stepped inside her bedroom.
"Sit."
Takato obeyed like a good puppy.
The two friends refreshed themselves in late winter breeze. It was already getting warmer, so it was not really uncomfortable, not even in the evening. Of course, they were properly dressed for the cold.
"Takato."
"Hmm?"
"If you cross-dress one more time, I swear to all eight million gods I'll kill you with these hands."
The boy sighed.
"Every time I make that promise to myself I ended up in a dress again." He came to a decision. "If you ever notice me doing anything remotely close to even thinking of dressing as Suzuka again, I give you permission to hit me."
"I don't need permission to hit you, Gogglehead."
"That's horrible!"
"Nooooooooooooo!"
Both youngsters turned their heads to the right, making odd faces at one Makino Rumiko, howling to the heavens like in the climax of a really bad movie.
"Suzuka-chaaaaaaan!"
Takato squeaked when Rumiko captured his head and mashed it against her bosom. Ruki glared murder.
No, not "murderously". Her glare was the very concept of murder shaped into glare form.
"You can't leave me now, Suzuka-chan; I need you!"
"I'm Takato, you know," the more-than-a-little-embarrassed Takato mumbled on Rumiko's breasts.
"The Spring Collection is almost ready! The colors for the season will be blue and white! Have I told you how great you look in blue and white?"
"Really."
"Ruki!" Rumiko turned her attention to her daughter, while refusing to let go of her Golden Goose. "You can't make him stop now! I want to buy a car, you know!"
"Oi," Takato uttered.
"Mom, let go of Takato. This is embarrassing."
"Noooo~" Rumiko whined pathetically, shaking her entire body to make her point and dragging Takato along with her. "My money-making Suzuka-chaaaaaaan~"
"I'm so definitely stopping now," Takato declared, much to the blonde woman's disappointment.
"Hawaaaaaan~"
"Stop that!" both children demanded rather heatedly.
"Mind if I join you?" Rumiko's mother, Seiko, inquired while she approached with a small round tray. "I have tea and cookies."
"See?" Takato commented, finally pulling himself off Rumiko's chest. "Now that's how you convince someone. Please, Hata-san…where's Renamon?"
"I am here, Matsuda Takato."
Ruki experienced a vindictive kind of pleasure at the sight of Takato shuddering upon her partner's sudden appearance.
"Just…Just sit down with us, Renamon."
After glancing at her Tamer and getting a nod in response, Renamon did as suggested. Thus, the Makino family and their most frequent guest sat by the inner courtyard for tea and biscuits.
"But, seriously, Gogglehead," Ruki continued her verbal assault from earlier. "What were you thinking, hitting on Katou while in drag?"
"I-I was not!" Takato quickly denied. "We met completely by accident, and then she asked me to help her buy underwear, and I just said something I really should have kept to myself!"
Indeed, he should have, if the awkward silence that followed meant anything.
"Goooooo-gleeeeeee-heaaaaaaaad…"
"Oh, don't give me that clichéd reaction, Ruki; you're way better than that."
The two older females giggled at the girl's stunned silence. It didn't last long, but Ruki apparently found satisfaction solely on smacking his head with her knuckles just once.
"Ow."
"Stupid Gogglehead," the redhead mumbled if only for the heck of it. "What do you know about girls' underwear, anyway?"
"Before today, absolutely nothing."
"Well, I'm sure the knowledge will be of use to you one day, Takato-kun," Rumiko suggested.
"I certainly hope so; I have to get something out of today's trauma."
He would take the incident with Juri's left boob to his grave.
"But, look at it on the bright side!" Ruki's mother began to point out. "You were able to walk the streets of Shinjuku as Suzuka-chan and nobody even began to suspect you were a boy!"
"I'm…not sure how that's a good thing…" Takato muttered bitterly. Was he really that girly?
"It means you're a natural! Think of all the things you could achieve, the fans, the glory, the money!"
"Stop trying to turn my friend into a full-time cross-dresser!" Ruki heatedly demanded.
"What she said," Takato curtly said.
"Muuuu…" Rumiko pouted cutely. "I'm getting old, you know…"
"I don't see it," Ruki retorted.
"At all," Takato added.
"…I won't be able to model forever…"
"I'm not becoming your successor, Rumiko-san," Takato firmly stated.
"Then, my lovely daughter, Ruki-cha—"
"Ahahahahahahahaha—no."
"Mom, they're making fun of me!" Rumiko turned to the eldest in the group, who calmly enjoyed her green tea.
"You deserve it."
"I get no love in this place!"
While Seiko and Takato laughed merrily, Ruki shot her Digimon partner a subtle hand sign. The vulpine Digimon immediately disappeared, claiming the others' attention.
"Now where did she go—?"
"I have returned."
Ruki smirked evilly at Takato's second round of shuddering. There was suddenly an object on her lap, dropped there by Renamon on her way back.
"Gogglehead."
The moment he turned to look at her, Ruki dropped the object on his lap instead.
"Huh?"
"It's chocolate," the girl explained, and the other women raised their eyebrows in surprise. "You know, for the ones you gave me a month ago. Now we're even."
"It's not about 'being even', Ruki…" Takato muttered, right before displaying a disturbing smirk. "Besides, you're being silly, Ruki-chan! You're supposed to give these chocolates to Suzuka-ch—OW!"
Rumiko and Seiko gasped when Ruki, in the most merciless manner, punched Takato's face without a hint of a warning.
"He said I was allowed to do that," the girl justified herself before any of her relatives could complain.
"Aaargh!" Takato growled. "And what's with that lame gift-giving?" He continued, seemingly uncaring of the harm done to his nose. "Just dropping it on my lap and 'here you go'? Seriously, Ruki?"
"Wha-what?" the suddenly and unusually subdued girl spat in response. "Got a problem with that?"
"Well of course I've got a problem!" Takato, on the other side, had fire in his eyes. "Look at the time! Look at the date! We should be having a Special Moment!"
"Wha…?"
"Oooh…" the two older women hummed in awed unison.
"Yeah, a Special Moment! You know, a significant event in which you expose your countless insecurities—"
"WHAT!"
"—I relief you of your sadness with a few well-placed sentences and we further forge our valuable, special friendship—OW!"
It should not be hard to infer that Ruki just punched Takato in the face again.
"Do-Don't say ridiculous things, stupid shameless Gogglehead!"
Takato shook his head to end the blurriness, but nevertheless charged forward.
"See? This!" he continued, pointing at himself and his best friend in succession. "Not special at all!"
The other two women unconsciously flinched a little when Takato's mock-glare fell on them.
"I bet it's because you two are here; Ruki can't open up to me with you two around. Go away!"
"This is our house, Takato-kun," Rumiko deadpanned.
Takato clicked his tongue in derision.
"Tch, way to get in the way, Rumiko-san."
With that, the boy jumped on his feet.
"That's it; I'm staying until I get my Special Moment with Ruki-tan."
"Stop saying that!" a thoroughly embarrassed Makino Ruki exclaimed. "And who the hell is Ruki-tan!"
Overwhelmed by the sudden outburst, the female Tamer conceded defeat and just face palmed.
"Fine, fine, do what you want; your change of clothes and your pajamas are in the usual place."
"Bottom drawer, got it."
"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait….wait!" Rumiko exclaimed all of a sudden, startling her daughter. Takato, however, did not wait, and thus the blonde woman's inquiry fell upon Ruki's shoulders to answer.
"You emptied a drawer for Takato-kun in your bedroom, Ruki?"
The girl shrugged boringly. "He stays over pretty often; I thought it was more convenient."
Rumiko stared at her daughter at length, desperately trying to find something in her tranquil violet pupils. Not finding whatever it was she was looking for, the young mother sought succor in her own mother, but Seiko could only shake her head with pity in her eyes.
Mother and grandmother sighed as one.
"You're doing it all wrong…" they concluded as their dropped their heads in abject defeat.
Ruki frowned and looked at her partner for a hint.
"…what the hell?"
Renamon could only shrug and shake her head.
Two days later, it was Monday; the beginning of their last week as grade schoolers. Takato's bag carried three boxes of chocolates for his three school Valentines.
Takato was in a fairly good mood—he did not get his Special Moment and Ruki thoroughly humiliated him throughout twelve Digimon card battles, but he had enjoyed a generally pleasant Sunday at the Makino residence.
Attracted as he may be to one Katou Juri, Takato could not even think of denying that those peaceful, engaging and amusing times he spent with his best friend, Makino Ruki, were the times he enjoyed the most.
"Good morning, every…one?"
There was some sort of scene going on in the classroom. Whatever it was, it seemed to be centered on one Katou Juri's desk.
"I'm telling you, it's not like that!" the former sock-puppet girl cried out loudly and desperately, her face a blushing mess.
"What's not like that?" Takato inquired as he approached the group of young students, and Juri immediately gasped.
"Ta-Ta, Ta…Takato-kun!"
"I thought I was the stammering one," the boy joked, chuckling to himself until a pair of hands fell on his shoulders. He noted the hands belong to different people.
"Takato, my friend," Hirokazu began. "I know it must be tough, man, but know that, as your buddy, I'm right behind you. Seriously, man."
Kenta nodded firmly.
"…what the hell?"
It was Miki who responded to Takato's question by shoving the first page of an already familiar sensationalist newspaper on his face.
He read.
"The Youngest Celebrity Love Triangle!"
The Biggest Dreamer examined the rather telling picture of a desperate, nervous and a little miffed Katou Juri standing over one Makino Ruki on all fours, the taller redhead busy manhandling the Mysterious Child Idol, Matsushita Suzuka.
"…huh."
When Miki pulled the newspaper away, Takato's eyes caught sight of Juri like the allegorical deer on headlights. It appeared everyone was expected some kind of reaction from him.
Oh well, might as well please the crowd. I'm very sorry, Katou-san.
Nah, he really wasn't.
Taking a deep breath, he stared down his old crush with a flat gaze.
"…Katou-san. How could you," he said in monotone.
While the public roared in laughter, poor Juri fell for it hook, line and sinker.
"N-No! Takato-kun! I don't—! I'd never…!"
The poor girl desperately reached for Takato's clothes, gripping them like a lifeline.
"I don't like girls!"
Their classmates laughed even louder, like the children they were, but Takato decided enough was enough and clumsily comforted his head with some mild strokes of her hair while she buried her face in his chest.
So I actually pulled a prank on Katou-san. Who would have thought?
He chuckled to himself.
Man, it's gonna be tough to top this next year.
If he made it alive to the next year, that is.
White Day Chapter – End