I do not own Digimon.

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"Sincerity & Courage" – Speech
Sincerity & Courage – Thoughts
Sincerity & Courage – Narration by the character

Steps to Romance – Chapter 25

Taichi's POVI saw Mimi standing there in her school uniform, looking at the cars. I hugged her from behind. "Why aren't you getting into the car?"

"With my status now, I can't ride the same car as you. I'll just take the bus." She walked off, but I grabbed her wrist.

"You want to ride the bus, right? I'll accompany you."

"Why? I'm not throwing a tantrum."

"I know. I want to accompany you."

"Aren't you both going to get into the car?" Sora called. "I don't mind us sitting together. Or… do you guys not like me? Then I won't force you guys."

Mimi and I exchanged looks, then got into the car. Mimi sat in the front.

"Why aren't you guys talking?" Sora asked.

We didn't reply.

The car stopped. We got out of the car, and Sora was greeted by the Headmaster. Bootlicker."Let's go." I told Mimi. She didn't seem like she was brave enough to go in, so I put my arm around her and guided her in.

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Mimi's POVI walked into the classroom. They were offering Sora the same things they had offered me on the first day of school. Bootlickers.

"May I ask-"

"Student, your seat has been moved to the back. This is Miss Takuya's seat now. Anyway, you have never seriously studied before. Does a change in seating position really affect anything? Go."

"Teacher, please don't be so rude to Mimi."

"Oh. Sorry. Student, may I trouble you to take the seat at the back?"

Sometimes, it seems as if Sora has a split personality.Everyone was sucking up to Sora during lunch break. These people are so fake. Sucking up to whoever has money and power. Good thing I didn't stay friends with them. They left the room. I'm so hungry, and my paycheck hasn't come yet. What to do? Eating here costs 1,234 yen. How can I afford that? I should just wait till I get back to the Takuya family mansion to eat. Hikari came in, put down a lunch box in-front of me, saying that she bought it earlier, but didn't feel like eating it now, so it's for me, and then said that she had to leave.

"Bye Hikari. Thank you." I smiled at her.

I dug in. Then, Takeru came in, holding two plastic bags filled with food.

"Mimi, the girls in my class just finished their cooking lesson, so there's a lot of food in here. Anyway Mimi, I have to go and find Hikari. Bye!"

"Bye Takeru. Thank you." I smiled at him. Those two had the same idea. Cute. They both obviously bought all these for me. Lovebirds and liars.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yamato's POVI was going to give Mimi some meal tickets to use for her meal, but then I saw her with a whole pile of food in-front of her. I walked out, running into Tai. I passed him the meal tickets. "These meal tickets expire today. Go and eat with Mimi, okay?" I walked away, then said loudly. "I'll give you two some space. I won't interrupt."

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Taichi's POVI had brought two lunchboxes, one for Mimi, one for me. I walked into the classroom, and saw a huge pile of food in-front of her. "Mimi, I was afraid that you wouldn't have anything to eat. However, now I see that you have more food then me. Did Santa Claus arrive early?"

"Unless you mean Santa Claus as in Hikari and Takeru, no. They're so sweet." She ran towards me, then stopped in-front of me. "They pretended that they couldn't eat it, so they gave it to me."

"Yamato passed me these meal tickets just now. I think they didn't want you to feel embarrassed and they didn't want you to starve, so they did that."

"I really thank you guys a lot."

"Princess Mimi, what's there to thank us for?"

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Mimi's POV"It's rare for Taichi to be here for dinner. Let us three take this chance to better understand each other." Emp. said.

Taichi, grandpa and Sora were sitting around the dining table, while the maids and I stood on the side, watching.

"Yes, grandpa."

"Mizuki, how was school today?"

"It was fine, I guess." I replied.

Everyone turned to look at me. Then, Sora turned back to grandpa, then she said, "Grandpa, I think it's better if you call me Sora. If you call me Mizuki, me and someone else won't know who you're talking to."

"Anything you choose. I'll call you Sora from now on."

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Sora's POVI dropped my butter knife on purpose. "Oh no, I dropped my butter knife. Could you help me pick it up?"

Taichi picked it up, then put it on the table without looking at me. "Go get her a new butter knife."

Mimi got nudged by the other maid to do it. She took the butter knife from beside Taichi, then left to get a new butter knife.

"Taichi. I heard that you're good in history. Can I ask you a few questions about it later?" Mimi was still in hearing range.

"Taichi, Sora is having troubles with schoolwork. Eat your meal then help her with it."

Mimi came back with the new butter knife, then threw it on the table.

"Grandpa, since even this maid doesn't welcome me, I might as well leave! Even though the Takenouchi family doesn't compare to the Takuya family, at least the maids wouldn't dare to disrespect me."

"Then leave."

"Gennai."

"Yes. Maid Mimi, Emp. does not want you to disrupt our meals. Please leave." He started dragging Mimi away. Taichi stood up.

"Sit down!" Emp. shouted. "Don't make me say it twice."

Taichi glared at Emp. but refused to sit down. Then, Emp. said, "Gennai, book Mimi a plane ticket to Brazil tomorrow."

"Yes." Head Manager Gennai replied, pushing Mimi out of the room.

"Why do you think that you can threaten me by controlling Mimi's life?"

"Did I threaten you? That's weird. I thought you didn't like Mimi. You two often fight. How is sending her away a threat to you? I thought you would be the first person to be happy about this."

"Emp., you have always taken Mimi to be your granddaughter, and just because she's not your granddaughter anymore you treat her like this."

"Don't worry. Mimi is a sweet girl. I'll take good care of her."

"Listen carefully. Mimi isn't my granddaughter, and so she won't be marrying you. You better have feelings for Sora instead."

It was silent. Then, Yamato walked in, and I couldn't help but smile at him. He put a hand behind my chair. "Today's dinner looks good, and it just happens that I haven't eaten yet." He looked at me. "Do you mind me eating with you?"

"No."

"Sit down, eat and don't talk, lest I vent my anger on you." Emp. told Yamato.

Yamato sat down opposite me.

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Taichi's POVI looked at Yamato, then at Sora, and then I sat down, stunned. There's something going on between them. I smiled. Ah, Yamato, my best friend, a chance to tease you, and this is a possible way to escape from becoming the successor and to be with Mimi freely. Do you want to be the successor though? Sigh.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mimi's POVI lied down on my mattress, not even changing out of the maid uniform, thinking about what happened. Grandpa's too cruel, treating me like that. Then again, I'm not his granddaughter anymore. Treating me like that is understandable, I guess. The question is, why am I staying here and enduring this? Sigh. It's for Taichi's sake. Sigh. I'll just go to sleep now.I dreamt of Taichi teaching Sora about History. "Teacher, history is so boring. I don't want to learn it."

"If you don't want to learn about History, then what do you want to learn?"

She walked over to Taichi, and then started to try to seduce him. "Teacher, I just don't want to learn about history, okay?"

"Mimi, I'm sorry. I know that you're suffering for me, but…" He looked at Sora, "I can't resist! I know that you'll be my princess forever, but… I can't take it anymore!"

Then, it switched through many different ways of how Sora could seduce Taichi by getting him to teach her history.

I woke up. No. Sora wouldn't do something like that. It's not part of her personality. Then again, it does seem like she's a completely different person at times… No. I have to trust Taichi, but still…I ran to Taichi's door, and then knocked on it. "Taichi, it's me." No one answered. I pressed my ear to his door. "It's still early, he can't be asleep. Does this mean that Sora and him have…" I imagined Sora drugging his drink, wearing a revealing nightgown. "Oh my gosh, don't tell me that really happened." I turned behind, and saw Taichi and Sora standing there. "Oh, so there you both are!"

"Mimi, what are you doing?" Sora asked. "What 'really happened'?"

"I… I was just talking to myself. You wouldn't understand."

"Oh. I think so too. Why should I try to understand a maid who's talking to herself?"

"You…"

"Sora, go and rest." Taichi said.

"Taichi, I still have a few questions regarding History… could you teach me again tomorrow?"

"Sora, if there's so many questions regarding History, just go to Emp. instead. He can get some famous historian to teach you. If you want, he can even get Einstein to teach you." Then, he walked towards me. "Mimi, it's late. Get some rest, okay?"

Then, he whispered into my ear, "Trust me."

He went into my room. Sora walked off. Then, she accidentally tripped over my foot. I looked at her. Then, I looked at the back of the top of her thigh. Her shorts had ridden up a bit. And then, I realised something. "You don't have a birthmark!" She ran into her room, with me following her. Then, she ran into the bathroom, closing the door.

"You don't have a birthmark. You're a fake. You're not grandpa's granddaughter."

"Fine. Since you already know, I'll tell you. I'm not Emp.'s granddaughter."

"I'm going to tell grandpa!"

"Don't get too excited. Don't you want to know why I'm doing this?"

"Don't make me laugh. I don't want money. If I wanted money, the Takenouchi family has money too. Why should I eye the Takuya family's money? What I want is Taichi."

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Sora's POVActually, no. However, if this helps with the plan then… sigh. I really want to tell Mimi that I was just pretending, the real reason why, and that I want us to start over and try to be good friends."Then you… if you're me…"

"That's right. If I pretend to be you, then grandpa will want me to marry Taichi."

"Fine! I'm going to tell grandpa, and expose you!"

"Okay, I'm fine with it. However, you should think through it carefully. If grandpa is angered… the person who gets chased out might be you." She walked away angrily. I came out of the bathroom. "Hey, is my birthmark stuck on correctly?"

She ran towards me, but I ran back inside the bathroom before she could get close to me.

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Mimi's POVI marched into Emp.'s room, despite Head Manager Gennai's protests.

"Grandpa! Grandpa! Did you hear me? I said that Sora's not your real granddaughter. She's a fake!" Grandpa looked at Gennai.

"Maid Mimi, what evidence do you base your claim on?" Gennai asked.

"I saw it! She has no birthmark. Plus, she admitted it to me herself. She's not Mizuki. Grandpa, we've been tricked by her! That 'birthmark' of hers is just a tattoo! If you don't believe me, I'll show you."

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Emp.'s POVGennai looked at me. "Maid Mimi! Let me tell you, Miss Takuya is from a rich family, so there is no reason why she would fake this."

She pushed Gennai away."Takenouchi Sora is pretending to be your granddaughter to get close to Taichi, that's what she said."

"Oh." Gennai said.

"What do you mean by 'oh'? If you don't believe me, you can follow me, and we'll go and confirm it with her." I shot Gennai a look.

"Maid Mimi, I understand how you're feeling, but you have to consider how your master is feeling. If you find the work too hard, don't worry about that. I can help you to arrange for another job, one that is more relaxed. I can understand how it feels to suddenly fall so low, but to want to try and ruin Master Yagami and Miss Takuya's relationship, isn't that a bit…"

"A bit what?"

"Just that… that…"

"That? That what?"

"That… forget it! You wouldn't understand it anyway."

"What are you trying to imply? Do you guys really think that I'm jealous of Sora, so I'm trying to slander her? Is that it?"

"Gennai." I pointed to my wrist, then pretended to yawn.

"Maid Mimi, if you have nothing else to say, would you please get out?"

"Fine. If you guys don't believe me, it's alright. However, I will find a way to prove that Takenouchi Sora is not the real Mizuki Takuya!" Gennai and I pretended to look disgusted, and looked away from her. "And, you guys' expressions are really disgusting!" She stormed out.

"Gennai, was that expression really very disgusting?"

"Yes."

"That's great!" I chuckled.

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For those wondering why I edited it, it's because I found a *drum roll* a typo! *dramatic music plays*

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