Disclaimer:"I do NOT own any of Digimon characters.

A/N: I have no knowledge of how things go in courts so I'm sorry if this chapter seems unreal.

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The sky was clear. A gentle, cool breeze was roaming around caressing whatever it found on its way to give a different sensation to the world, a sensation of beauty and ease. The weather said it is a beautiful day. However, the atmosphere within certain walls had something else to say; the walls of the court.

It's the trial day, the day that would decide everything, the day when all of this will end. Would it be a good, or a bad ending, no one could tell. Whispers were the only voice that was heard in that big hall. The trial didn't start yet, but that didn't mean that the situation didn't start to strain the patience of whose life would change by the result of this trial. Some of them didn't want the trial to start; the judgment would be too scary, but they still wanted it all to end. They couldn't bear the stress the waiting laid on them.

Hashirou was there, with his mother, and his mother's lawyer. The lawyer was a woman, wearing a neat suit. Kouichi looked over at their side. The lawyer seemed to arrange her papers, taking a look at them for the last time as a preparation for what she was going to say. She seemed confident, which worried Kouichi more than he already was.

Hashirou's mother's face was filled with determination, and she seemed on the verge of tears, as if she finally found what she was looking for after a long search, as if she finally could do something for her husband. Hashirou had an unreadable expression on his face. He seemed sad. Kouichi couldn't exactly tell if he was remembering his father, or something else, but he could tell that it wasn't only sadness that was on his face. As soon as Kouichi's eyes met Hashirou's, Kouichi instantly lowered his gaze, breaking off the eye contact.

Kouichi looked at the seats on his left, and felt anger boil within him. Where in the world are his parents?! Are they really not coming? 'If they abandon him now, I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive them' He thought. , the fact that his parents weren't there was just… Wrong!

Sensing a gaze on him, he looked at Kouji, and the angered look instantly turned into a smile. He smiled at him, in a try to reassure him, even if for a bit. Kouji, being bewildered by the kindness and trust that never stopped coming towards him from Kouichi, lowered his gaze in shame.

Kouichi talked to Kouji's lawyer, who was sitting on his right side at the moment, and told him the whole story. He prayed with all of his heart that he'd be able to do something, but things weren't so cheerful. The lawyer said they had no proof of whatever happened. They could only use the fact that he was 'underage' to their benefit, but there was nothing else to help. The lawyer said he'd try his best though, and Kouichi truly wanted to believe that.

The day before, Kouichi talked to Kouji, asking him not to hide anything; if he did, he knew things will not go fair to him since half of the story might be left out. If Kouji wanted to atone for what happened, Kouichi respected that. It was a life that was taking away after all. But if it was going to happen, it must be done in a fair way, or it'll be Kouichi who'd regret it.

Ten minutes, only ten minutes are left. Kouichi was there for a half hour now. Why does the time pass so slowly? He was on his nerves to the extent he felt his mind would blow up any moment.

The judge arrived; it was the moment that'd determine everything. Kouji looked around the hall for the… he didn't know how many times he looked around. He had a slight hope that his parents would show up. Although it was hard to fully believe to him, but he felt like a family with them for a moment. The moment they hugged together that day. Yet, again, he thought they're disgusted with him. Even if he considered them a family, even for a bit, maybe it wasn't the same for them. He couldn't blame them though. He thought his selfish desires shouldn't be answered. They were no where around. The doors were being closed, indicating the start of the trial. He looked at ground; his tiny hope vanished. They'll never be there.

"No, you can't close the door! Let us in, we're his parents!"

'Were his ears fooling him? Was that his father's voice?' he questioned as he hesitantly rose his sight and caught a glimpse of him at the door. It was really him, and if his mind wasn't playing tricks on him, his mother was right behind his father. They got in, and his eyes chased them 'till they reached their seats

'We're his parents!'

What his father said echoed in the back of his mind. 'They weren't disgusted to be my parents?'He thought as he watched them sit right next to Kouichi whose face has lightened up a bit. He felt bad for being a reason for him to look pale all the time. He felt bad for how tired his parents looked, yet, he couldn't deny the joy he felt; it meant they cared about him, right?

The judge's voice was heard, announcing the start of the trial. The judge asked the lawyer to say what she has to say about the case. She stood up and started reading what she had prepared.

"At 1999 the husband of my client, Mister Meguri was shot by a gun from the type Glock 17. It was one bullet that went right through his heart which caused his death, and the shooter was no other than who is called Minamoto Kouji. I'm not saying that without prove. I managed to get the finger scans from that incident. In the crime scene there were three finger prints; the worker who cleaned and tidied the room, the victim's finger prints, and another one that wasn't recognized. It's all in this CD" she paused for a second, glanced over at Kouji, and then completed:"I accuse Minamoto Kouji because the unrecognized finger prints that were found that day, and his fingerprints were a match"

"You may ask him questions" The judge gave the permission for the lawyer to approach the bench and question Kouji.

"Were you there in the hotel at 5/8/1999 in England?" She asked, trying to finish this case fast. Things were obviously on her side.

"Yes, I was" Kouji answered shortly.

"Why were you there?"

"He took me there to spend the night since he couldn't find my parents" Kouji answered as he was trying to voice out the events of the night that never left his mind.

"Did you carry any weapon with you?"

"Yes, I did"

"What was it?"

"A gun" He felt his stomach get upset. As much as he felt sick for what happened that night, confessing this in front of everyone was making him feel enough disgust and humiliation to the extent he wished if he died long ago, but it was something he deserved after all, so he couldn't pity himself.

"What was the type of gun?"

"I don't know" He was only taught how to use it, it wasn't possible for him to know.

"Did you shoot my client's husband?"

"I..."He took a pause, the question took him off guard and it wasn't easy to answer.

"Did you or didn't you?" she asked firmly interrupting him

"I did" He answered. She smiled in victory. No matter how this may end, he wanted it to end fast. He couldn't dare lift his gaze off the ground. He didn't dare look at his parents, nor Kouichi. At that exact moment, he wished if they didn't come. He wished if they didn't see him this way. He wished if they didn't cause them this disgrace, but they were the type of wished that wouldn't be fulfilled. It was ironic how much he hoped they'd be by his side, and now hoping if they weren't there.

"Objection, she's pressuring my client" The representation lawyer of Kouji said.

"Objection accepted, step back Miss Fuwa" The judge ordered her.

"He… He was just a child!" Kouji's mother stuttered, her legs were shaking slightly as she stood and talked to the judge. It was the first time she actually tried to help Kouji, and although she was sure it was the right thing, her heart was racing in fear; she tried to break the shell she was hiding in. the shell that stopped her from facing the truth of how helpless she was, how coward. She needed to prove herself wrong. Her son needed her now, just like he needed her all the time, but she wasn't going to give him a cold back anymore. He suffered enough, and she wasn't going to forgive herself if she stood still. She just hoped it wasn't too late.

"I didn't allow you to talk, sit back in your seat" The judge ordered her while Kouji was bewildered by her words that forced his gaze to be fixed on her. What was she doing? Was she defending him? Was she on his side even after he admitted his crime? Didn't she hate him? Countless questions rushed to his mind in less than a half minute..

She looked at his bewildered look. At first, she thought his shocked expression was due to her sudden interruption, but soon, she realized it was bigger than that. A twinge of pain and regret went through her chest. It was something strange, being by his side and helping him was something strange to him. That was the only explanation for his dazed expression. How can being by his side be something strange although she's his mother? Why couldn't she be besides him before so it'd be something normal as every mother- son relation? How low did she reach as a mother?

All the painful thought urged her to keep standing, with bigger determination to the extent there was no trace of her fear from before. She knew her words would probably change nothing, but what else could she do? She hated how helpless she was even at this critical situation. She was in no position to talk since she had no right to have a saying except through the lawyer, but she couldn't discuss anything with the lawyer now. It was too late. She hoped she'd reach a spot in the judge's heart, even if it was a tiny one. He was a human, right?

"Get back to your seat" The judge ordered more firmly, slightly angered.

"If you want to punish me, do so" She said, declaring that she didn't mind whatever may happen to her. She continued, looking into the eyes of the judge in determination:" Even if he admitted he did it, there must be something else that happened. Where would an eight year old get the motivation to kill a man? Where would he get a gun from?" She asked, and then looked at the still dazed Kouji, and said while her eyes were tearing:"Kouji… Kouji is a pure child! It just can't be!" Her voice turned into a shout that expressed years of pain.

The judge nodded for the security to take her out since she refused to keep order.

"Evident are not everything. Please look into the truth "She pleaded the judge while being dragged out, and glanced over at Kouji one last time before the gate was closed at her face.

Kouji kept staring at the door, dump founded. 'My mother? She believes in me?' He questioned himself. Shocked wasn't the word to describe his state. Memories kept rushing to his mind to the extent he didn't feel his surroundings anymore. memories of the nights he cried on his own, the times he woke up in panic and found no one to calm his fear, the times he wished for her to give him her love, the times he thought she deeply hated him, the times he thought he's too much of a burden to her, the times he wanted her to help him, the times he needed to feel her presence,. Those memories filled his chest with an unnamed emotion, but now, times like this, when she'd stand for him, when he'd feel her love, those times that he always wanted could easily form a knot in his throat that urged him to cry as he mumbled: "Thank you… Mother" Feeling the sweetness which the word 'mother' left within him as he closed his eye with a shivering smile.

"Mister Nakashima, what do you have to defend your client?" The judge asked Kouji's lawyer.

"I may not have any evident but the logical thinking. He was a child, where will he get a gun from at that age? Besides, Kouji lived in Japan all of his childhood and his parents have never been to London, how did he get there? I tell you that he was kidnapped and the kidnapper tortured him and forced to do the crime. And I think the scars in his body prove the fact that he was tortured. I think the kidnapper had a motivation to kill the victim, but I suppose he couldn't reach the victim because of the body guards that were surrounding him, so he used a child that wouldn't seem like a danger threat. I could reach one of the guards; he told me that the day the victim was murdered, the victim called them few minutes before the murder time asking them to leave. How do you explain that? Maybe he didn't want the child to get caught. That's what I have as a defense."

"Am I allowed to speak?" Miss Fuwa said, seeking for permission, and the Judge answered in confirmation.

"Are you saying that the victim wanted to die by allowing a child to kill him? It doesn't make sense. Besides, I want to see them, the scars" She asked, making Kouji feel anxious, he didn't want it to reach that point, but the judge agreed, much to his mischief.

Kouji, with trembling hands, took off his shirt slowly. For how much longer would this humiliation keep going? How much longer will he have the eyes pity him or feel disgusted by him? When will all of this end? He closed his eyes, wishing for all of that to end soon. He didn't dare look what sort of reactions people may have. Even if those scars would make them pity him, he didn't pity himself. He thought he deserved them. Although they were done to him before he killed the man, it only meant that he wasn't good from the very start. It was the only explanation for the pain he went through from the very start.

People in the hall gasped, some of them gave him pity looks, others just ignored it not believing him, and some of them didn't know what to think. However, gossips filled the place. He wished if he could block the noise just as he could block the sight, and he never felt more grateful to that hammer of the judge more than now. 'Order' the judge kept saying 'till the voices went dead. He placed his shirt back on.

"Those scars…" Miss Fuwa started, a bit bewildered, and then decided to focus more on her case as she said:" Those scars show no prove. As far as I know, he lived in an orphanage. We can't know if those scars were caused by a kidnapper as they said, or were caused by someone where he lived, or it may even be a family assault, such a thing is unpredictable, plus, there's no prove he was kidnapped at the first place" She ended.

Kouji found himself filled with wrath by the end of her words. Most of her words didn't affect him, except for one. One pulled a painful string within him, and he couldn't accept it. 'Family assault' his family would never do such an inhuman thing to him! Not a chance! How could she say such a cruel thing?! He wasn't in a position to do anything so he just bit on his lower lip in a try to calm his wrath, and soon, he could taste the metallic flavored liquid that just leaked into his mouth..

"Mister Nakashima, do you have anything to say against that?" The judge asked Kouji's lawyer.

"Take a deep look with your heart" The lawyer said. He knew it wasn't the time for such an inappropriate line to be said, but he believed in kouji, and things weren't going right.

Hashirou was observing everything, not really knowing what to think or what he wants, but he knew a part of him believed kouji. More than Kouichi, he wanted to know who was behind all of this. Who was behind His father's murder. How ever this trial may end, he didn't want to think he was wrong about anything, because even if he believed Kouji, what happened has happened, his mother just wanted for everything to end fair and square, she wanted whoever did 'that' to the love of her life to get punished, she didn't know what was right or wrong, she only knew what her heart told her, and her heart was blinded by her long lost love.

Kouji's father was drowning in guilt; he was never there for his own son. Only if he prevented his wife from that loan sharks, it wouldn't get to this, only if he noticed his wife's actions when she decided to go to them behind his back, only if… but what does 'if' do? As painful as it can be, 'if' do nothing...it`s the few words that`ll be said next that`ll decide what happens, and God! How scary they seemed! he just wanted for kouji`s suffering to end..

Kouichi was terrified, his heart wouldn't stop racing. He watched as the lawyer took his seat back, but he couldn't blame him for having nothing to say in defense; things really weren't on their side. It seemed like the fairytales of 'truth always wins' weren't so much of a reality, and he hated it. He hated how much things were unfair, he wanted for Kouji's suffering to end. He looked back at Kouji, trying to smile to cheer him up, but he failed miserably. His smile was so forced and fake. He was so scared himself.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o.

"So you get to visit him once a week" Hashirou said after listening to Kouichi.

Kouichi nodded in confirmation. "Can I come with you next time?" Hashirou said, hesitating about his own words.

Kouichi frowned in response, a bit confused:"Do you want to?" He asked.

"He's… he's already paying for it. I don't think there's a reason to avoid him" Hashirou said, still the uncertainness didn't leave him.

"Alright" Kouichi smiled. He was relieved for two reasons; the first is that Hashirou and he are still friends after all that happened. The second was the judgment on Kouji. It was two years of jail. It wasn't something usual. Even with the minors' protection system, five years were the least as a judgment, which meant the judge must have believed him. Although it seemed unfair, the mere fact that Kouji wasn't going to spend most of his life in jail was great.

"She's coming towards us" Hashirou informed, looking at the brown haired girl that was approaching them.

"Eh?" Kouichi followed Hashirou's gaze and said:" ah… Hikari"

"I don't understand; she already has tons of friends around her in school, why does she stick to us like glue?" Hashirou asked, trying to indicate something.

"I don't know..." Kouichi answered, not giving it much of thought.

"I think she likes you" Hashirou stated with a devilish smile. Kouichi was caught off guard and blushed slightly. He was so easy to be teased.

"There you are!" Hikari said right at the moment when Kouichi was planning to protest on Hashiro's words. She silenced him. "Oh, Kouichi, are you sick? Your face is all red" She asked innocently.

"I'm fine" He answered, glaring death at Hashirou.

"Okay then, where are you going now?" She asked, planning to follow them wherever they are going. She was so excited to spend some good time after the long boring school day.

"Home" Hashirou replied shortly, crashing her hopes down.

"Home?!" She asked, looking at them as if they were aliens. "You two are no fun, come with me! "She said and walked ahead. The two friends looked at each other, wondering what to do. They shrugged their shoulders and then they just followed her

"What are we doing here?" Kouichi asked, looking at the building in front of him.

"Geez! I can't believe you!" She exclaimed, and then hung her hand up in the air, pointing at the signboard, saying:"It's a Kareoke! Ka Re O Ke" She spelled then added cheerfully:"You come here to sing your heart out!"

"Sing...heart… out…?" Hashirou repeated her words as if he was asking for conformation.

"Yes, if you are upset, you come here" She said, making her point obvious.

"Are you upset?" Hashirou asked her, trying to clarify more why they were there.

"And you call yourself his friend, he's the one who looks down" She pointed at Kouichi, who was taken aback for a second. Before he could tell why she was saying he looks down, both of them were pushed into the building. "Get in!" she said.

Hashirou, while being pushed along with Kouichi, gave Kouichi the look of: 'I told you she likes you' and he had a big smirk on his face. Kouichi just ignored him.

The two sat, frozen at their seats; dazed at her singing. Well, she sang so well she could be a real singer, but that wasn't all; she acted as if they were never there. She was getting so into the song, jumping everywhere and clapping as if she was singing live on stage.

Suddenly, she grabbed Kouichi's arm and pulled him to his feat, pulling him out of his daze into another one. She gave him the mike, and he knew she wanted him to sing. He hesitated at first, but changed his mind when he noticed a song he knew in the list. It was a song that Kouji likes although it had a sad lyric. He chose it and started singing with it while looking at the space and smiling sadly.

Hashirou observed his friend and then looked over at Hikari. If his eyes didn't fool him, Hikari was on the verge of tears. Her eyes were watery although she didn't cry. He couldn't help but wonder what her story was.

The song ended, and she snapped out of her frozen state, and then she choose a happy song after it, but Hashirou felt that she was forcing herself into a happy mood. He was always good at catching a glimpse of people's real emotions. Well, he didn't think it was proper to ask her anything personal since they weren't exactly friends, so he brushed it off.

"You are so not fun! Get up and sing!" she ordered Hashirou, slightly scolding him. He grinned in excitement; it was the time to show them his skills. He got up, chose a rock song, and started singing, making her regret ever asking. He was just a little bit more than horrible; he was so unbearable to the extent she had to snatch the mike away, which Kouichi was thankful for. Hashirou got angry at the sudden unwelcomed interruption. That was cruel.

"What are you doing?" Hashirou asked, trying to keep his anger in.

"I'm saving this building from collapsing to shreds!" she said firmly, not backing off.

"Are you saying my voice is horrible?" He asked with increasing anger.

"Good you know it, but I can't really say horrible. It's a disaster!" She retorted. Kouichi laughed at them, loud enough for Hashirou to hear, which made him snap, giving Kouichi a glare that could strike him dead any moment.

Kouichi froze, and lift his arms up slightly, saying:"W… what? I haven't done anything!" but Hashirou didn't have the time to kill him; he was too busy arguing with Hikari for a long time after that.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

"It's strange, your lover didn't show up today" Hashirou said simply to Kouichi who walked besides him.

"Stop calling her that. She's nice and all, but just today, I guess its good she's not around" Kouichi replied, wishing if Hashirou would stop teasing him.

"You're right. We can't be here if she came to meet us after school" Hashirou said as he stopped walking; they reached their destination.

"Yes, let's get in" Kouichi didn't want to wait any longer. It's been a long week since he last saw Kouji, and he wanted to check on him so badly. It'd be the first time he sees him after the trial.

"Wait for me!" They both froze when they heard her voice. Was it for real? "H… Hikari?" They stuttered as they turned around to check.

"What? You're not happy to see me?" she said, frowning. Kouichi unconsciously looked at the gate, the gate of prison. He didn't exactly want her to be there.

"What are you doing here?" Hashirou asked, bewildered at her presence. Did she follow them?

"I'm going in with you" She simply said, making them gasp in unison "Eh?"

She smiled in a slight embarrassment, saying: "It's okay, I know, I was there in the trial"

"Eh?!" they gasped in unison again, so dumbfounded

She pushed them, saying:"Geez! you really like to waste so much time!"

As soon as they were in, she went to the officer, saying:"we're here to see Minamoto Kouji"

Kouichi and Hashirou just blinked at each other, the daze never left them for a split second. If anything, their daze was only growing with time. They walked to visitors' room, not uttering a word, and then Kouji walked into the room, wondering who his visitors are; the officer told him they were three, so he thought it would be his mother, father and Kouichi, but he was a bit confused; his mother and father already came to see him earlier, why would they come again?

.. Kouichi looked at Kouji and smiled. Kouji lifted his gaze off the ground to see his family, only to find someone jumping at him and hugging him so tight all of sudden. He focused on keeping his balance at that moment, and then he realized it was a girl who was hugging him.

"I miss youuu!" She squealed.

Hashirou and Kouichi watched the scene in front of them, blinking few couples of times.

That girl is so… unpredictable!