YAY! I updated! I'm such a good girl… Thanks for reviewing last chapter. Oh and I replied to your reviews!
In this chapter, some clues about why Izumi doesn't like to show her true feelings are revealed!
Disclaimer: Like what I've said in the past chapters, I do not own any of the digi-destined.
In the previous chapter: Suspicions and Haircut
Sakura waved good bye. "It was nice meeting you Kouichi, Mizui."
Kouichi and Izumi nodded. "You too, Sakura."
Sakura walked over to Kiara. "C'mon. Let's go Kiara." She said as she pulled her away.
"But-but." Kiara said as she was dragged away by Sakura.
"They were just going to buy some things for school work." Sakura said. "It's time to go back, Kiara."
After Sakura left Izumi looked at Kouichi, "Why did you say that?" she asked.
"We can't tell her that you're going to have a haircut." Kouichi said.
"Why is that?" Umi asked.
"If we told her that Izumi was going to have her hair cut then she would definitely take notice of her hair."
Izumi nodded. "I understand! She might find out that I'm really a girl."
Kouichi nodded. "Exactly!"
"Anyway, it's time for your haircut." Umi said
Izumi sighed heavily. "On no."
Kouichi laughed at Izumi's silliness. "Oh yes, Izumi."
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A Private School
Chapter 11 My Mask Will Never Break
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16 year old Izumi looked at herself in the mirror. She was admiring her uncut long hair.
Kouichi looked at his roommate with amusement. "Izumi, you've been staring at your reflection for exactly 40 minutes now."
"I can't help it, Kouichi." Izumi said as she sat down beside him. "I'm so glad we found my wig."
"Yeah, but I wonder what it's doing there lying on the ground." Kouichi said.
-Kiara and Sakura-
"ARGH! This is your entire fault, Sakura!" Kiara said.
"I'm sorry." Sakura said.
Kiara crossed her arms. "Sorry wouldn't bring the wig back! I left it there when we were following them."
"I'm really, really sorry!"
"Hmph."
-Kouichi and Izumi-
"I'm so glad!" Izumi said as she went to her bed and prepared for sleeping.
Kouichi smiled. "I can see that. You know what you'll say when Takuya asks you about your hair, right?"
Izumi nodded. "Yup! I'll tell him I had a haircut."
"That's correct." Kouichi said as he lied down in his bed.
Izumi closed her eyes. "Good night, Kouichi."
"Night."
Hours later, Izumi stood up.
She looked over the sleeping Kouichi then the clock hanging on top of Kouichi's bed. "12:15 am." She said then sat up.
"I can't sleep. Maybe it's because, that day is nearing… the day that changed everything." She said.
She smiled. "Whenever it would be the week that it all happened, I'd wake up at exactly 12:15."
"12:15, the day he died; the day he made me like this."
She stood up and sighed. "I think I need fresh air."
She walked along the deserted halls of their dorm with a smile.
Deep inside, she knew she felt pain; she felt like crying but refused to.
She let her feet carry her to the dorm's garden. "Beautiful. I've never seen the garden in a night like this. It's breathtaking."
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Kouji yawned and opened his eyes. "It's hot in here."
He stood up and took of his shirt. "Stupid aircon… broke down just when it's really hot."
"Mmmm…" Takuya moaned as he continued on to sleeping.
Kouji looked at Takuya in amazement. "How could he sleep when it's too hot?" he asked himself. "No aircon. No Fan. And it's only 12:15."
"Hnnngggkkkkkkkhngggkkkkhnggggkkkkkkkkk……" Takuya snored.
"What the..." Kouji said as he stared at the sleeping figure of Takuya.
He rolled his eyes. "Now I know he's really a heavy sleeper."
He sighed. "Darn. It's really burning in here. I took of my shirt but it's still hot. I'm going out."
He then walked out of the room, not even bothering to wear a shirt. "It doesn't matter; no one would be awake this late anyway."
Kouji was walking when he saw Izumi alone in the garden. She was just sitting in a bench with the wind blowing her boy-cut hair.
Kouji admired her from top to bottom. "She looks cute even dressed as a guy." Kouji said quietly.
'Her eyes are sparkling.' a little voice in his head said.
'Yeah, sparkling beautifully…' Kouji said.
'Her features are so distinct.' The voice said.
'Distnct, yeah. She looks heavenly.'
'Like an angel disguised as a girl who is disguised as a guy…'
'Definitely. Although it sounded weird, it is true. I wonder how she looks like when she stops the guy act. I bet she'd look gor- Oh, crud, I didn't just think of that!'
'You know, I wanted to roll my eyes but I couldn't because I'm just a fragment from you mind.'
'You're here again?'
'For quite a long time too, Kouji. And you were agreeing to everything I said.'
'Whatever.'
'Don't 'whatever' me. You were agreeing with me while you looked at her. No, STARED at her. Hell, she could've melted.'
Kouji blushed. 'SHUT UP!'
'Hey, calm down dude.'
'I AM CALM!' He erm… answered back. 'Ehem. I am calm.'
'Right. Anyway, you did say all those mushy things about her. AND you were about to say that she would look gorgeous when she stops the guy act.'
'Yeah, yeah. So I did. Why do you care?'
'WOAH! You just admitted it. That's a first.'
'There's always a first for everything. Now leave me alone.'
'No way! I had a hard time getting your attention! You were so distracted with how she looked and everything.'
'I said leave me alone.'
'Maybe later.'
'What do you mean by maybe later?'
'Hey, look at her. Don't you think something is wrong?'
Kouji looked at Izumi's smiling face. 'I know. I've already noticed that from the start.'
'You have?'
'Yes, the moment I saw her smile. I knew something was wrong.'
'Then, I'll be going now.'
Kouji sighed heavily and LOUDLY. "Finally."
Izumi looked back when she heard a sigh and a 'finally'. "Kouji?"
Kouji saw Izumi look back at him. "Uhm. Did I just say that out loud?"
Izumi smiled at him. "Yes."
"Sorry." He said.
"No problem." Izumi said.
Kouji gave her a rarely seen smile.
She blushed. "What are you doing here, anyway?"
"Me?" Kouji said pointing at himself.
Izumi laughed. 'He looks so cute!' "Yes you, Mr. Kouji Minamoto. You are the only one here besides me."
"Right." Kouji said. "Our aircon broke down. I felt like I was burning so I decided I needed to cool myself."
Izumi blushed looking at Kouji's shirtless chest. "I-I can see that."
Kouji, of course noticed the redness of his companion.
Realizing the reason, he blushed as well. "Erm. Sorry. I wasn't expecting anyone to be awake at this time."
Izumi shook his. "No, no. It's not your fault."
"Why are you still up? I don't think your aircon broke down as well. That would be too much of a coincidence."
Izumi smiled. "Nope. I just couldn't sleep"
She sighed, still has a smile plastered in her face.
"Mind if I sat here with you?" he said.
"No, of course not." Izumi said.
Kouji sat down beside Izumi. "So, why can't you sleep?"
She looked down.
Kouji looked at her.
She gave a sigh then faced Kouji with a smile. "I was just thinking about something from the past."
"Oh, really." Kouji said. He hated that smile. It was full of lies. Her eyes were shows everything. She was in pain. "Must be a painful one…"
Izumi was surprised but didn't want to show her feelings. "Yeah. It was. But I can handle it. I've been handling it for 9 years now. It's going to be 10 the day after tomorrow. I know I'd be able to hold on until the day I die."
Kouji didn't want to say anything. He just sat there quietly looking at the sky.
There was silence. No one talked. Both were silent but comfortable with each other's presence.
"It's beautiful." Kouji suddenly said.
"What?" Izumi said looking at Kouji whose attention was in the sky.
"The sky, it's beautiful…"
Izumi looked at the sky as well. "Yeah."
She yawned. He smiled.
"Sleepy?" He asked.
"Yeah."
"I am, too." He stood up. "I'll get going now."
Izumi nodded. "I think I'll stay here a bit longer."
"Ok." Kouji said.
"Good night, Kouji."
"G'night." He replied then started walking.
He stopped half way. "Mizui." He said.
Izumi looked at him. His back faced Izumi.
"You don't need to handle the pain, you know. You don't need to handle it until the day your life ends. You need to face it and let go of the pain. You need to move on… WITHOUT the pain…"
Then he left, leaving the blonde stunned and speechless.
After a few minutes, Izumi started to let all what Kouji said sink in.
"NO… NO… I REFUSE to break my mask. NEVER. I have no right. I'll never let go of the pain… I can't… Not when I know he suffered until the end."
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END OF CHAPTER!
Okay, that's the end of that chapter… I know that it didn't have enough fluff in it. I'm working on it. Thanks for reading! I hope you leave a review…
In the next chapter something is revealed and Kouji does a lot of thinking.
Next chapter: A lot of flashbacks
Immensely grateful,
imuzuok
