A/N: I'll spare you the details but I'm happy to say that I now have a job! It's been a big stress factor over the last year and a half so I'm glad something's on the horizon. Hopefully I get adjusted to my new routine and feel more motivated to write again.

Thanks again for waiting and thank you so much for your reviews and for your support! I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Love, Noct

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Chapter 7

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Yamato had lost track of Mimi, but he was able to get help from the students he passed by to point him to where they had seen her run off to. He had even crossed paths with Taichi, who said she didn't stop running even as he called her name.

"I saw her go that way," Taichi said, pointing his finger in the direction that was all too familiar - a place that should have been Yamato's first guess.

Mimi sat at their lunch spot in the quiet courtyard. She stared down at her lap, but Yamato could see the troubled look on her face.

He thought about asking if she was okay, but that had never given him any answers. He didn't want to see her brush off the subject, nor did he want her to find a convenient opportunity to step away when he put her on the spot.

As Yamato stopped in front of where she sat, he decided to start with a different approach.

"Do you wanna tell me what's going on?" he asked.

"The same thing that happens no matter where I go," Mimi replied softly. "I know I've been avoiding talking about it, but I'm sure you could already tell."

Yamato took a seat next to her while he thought back to all of the moments he noticed her troubled mood.. In addition to the atmosphere in the hallways during that week alone, he thought back to the moment when he and Sora ran into Mimi before PE, and the day that Mimi had lunch with him instead of with the girls in her class. He also could not forget the night he walked Mimi home after his gig, when she ranted about those same girls.

"It shouldn't be that big of a deal," she continued with a small quaver in her voice. "I am who I am. Not everyone is going to like me. The girls in my class clearly don't want anything to do with me. The guys don't even want to talk to me anymore. But as long as I do the things I want to and do them with the people I care about, nothing else is supposed to matter. I'm sure you understand that, Yamato."

Yamato nodded, although he anticipated what she was going to say next as he noticed a glint of tears on the curls of her lashes.

"But, it's just like it was in New York. I was excited, and I wanted to make friends. But all I was to everyone was the pretty transfer student. I thought it was going to be better when I moved back here, but it's not all that different in the end."

Although, when it came to "here," Yamato knew that some of the girls in her year were big fans of his band. The feeling of guilt was inescapable.

"I feel like this is my fault…" Yamato said suddenly.

"Your fault?"

"Some of those girls have been trying to get close to me, and they don't play nice to anyone associated with me…"

Mimi scoffed and threw her arms up, holding them across her chest. "There's always some silly little reason, isn't there? Any reason to avoid being friends with Mimi Tachikawa."

And then, she groaned in frustration.

"I just want to fit in!" she cried. "I want people to get to know me! And not judge me because I'm pretty!"

As worried as Yamato was for her, he could not stop himself from smiling. It didn't take very long for Mimi to notice, and she gave him a scowl.

"Stop looking at me like that, Yamato! That's exactly what's happening, and we both know it! I'm not being conceited! " But, after a few seconds' pause, her face fell and she closed her arms a little more. "Well, maybe I'm a little bit conceited…Please say something. Tell me what you're thinking."

"Well…" said Yamato. "I don't think it's so important to fit in. As long as you are your own person, what does it matter what other people think?"

"It matters, Yamato!" she yelled. "It matters because everybody hates me like that, it makes me feel alone! That's why! I'm sure it doesn't bother you so much because that's what you'd rather I… I don't know how else to explain it to you…"

Tears were now streaming down her cheeks, and she continued to sob in front of him.

But he understood. Feeling alone was something that Yamato knew all too well. To him, sometimes, it was a blessing, to be away from everyone else, and to sit in peace with his own thoughts. Other times, it was also a curse, to reach out his hand for something or someone, only to be met with darkness.

He figured that Mimi couldn't see it as a blessing.

Listening to her cry was agonizing, and there was nothing he wanted to do more than to hold her in his arms to comfort her. So he did. Mimi let out a soft gasp between sobs, but Yamato could tell she was caught by surprise.

"I don't hate you," said Yamato. "You don't need to explain anymore, but if I know you, you could be screaming and crying about not fitting in, but would you really end up changing yourself so that people change their opinion about you? That's not the Mimi I know."

"Mm-mm…" he heard her say.

"And, If there's anything I learned from our adventures, it's that we don't always have to feel alone. You don't have to, either, even right now. You still have Sora and Taichi, Hikari, Takeru… Jou's been busy, but he's still around. And, we can't forget Koushiro."

"One day I'll get him to help me with my Youtube channel," Mimi said quietly, sounding muffled through Yamato's shirt.

Yamato laughed. "He's too busy for everyone, but you've got him. And, more importantly, you still have me, too."

"Good. That makes me happy."

He heard Mimi sniffle, although he could tell that she was no longer crying. During the next few moments, they sat together quietly with his arms around her while she leaned against his chest. Yamato felt relieved as the silence went on, and sitting how they were with no one else around made him feel at peace.

With his head up, Yamato noticed movement at the corner of his eye and he noticed two people peeking from behind the corner of the school building from afar. He realized quickly that it was Taichi and Sora, and he recognized that they stayed far enough so that they wouldn't disturb him and Mimi at that moment.

Then, Mimi sat up, wiping the tears from her cheeks and her eyes. "Geez, I'm a mess," she said. "I'm sorry you had to see me like this."

Yamato took out a handkerchief from his pocket and held it out to her.

"I don't mind at all," he replied.

Mimi smiled at his gesture, then she took his handkerchief to wipe off the rest.

"Mimi!" Sora called out.

Sora and Taichi left the corner and walked towards Yamato and Mimi, both of them standing up from the bench.

"Sora! Taichi!" Mimi called back. When Sora stopped in front of Mimi, she greeted her with a hug, then she cupped Mimi's cheek with her hand, giving her a look of concern.

"You had us worried there," Taichi said.

"I'm fine now, guys, thanks."

"Sora told me that she was about to throw her fists up with that girl."

"What?!"

"I gave her as much as a good talking-to," said Sora, looking annoyed. "But someone else got in front of me before anything else could happen."

"Really? Who was it?"

"She had long, black hair with glasses. I didn't catch her name, but she shouted at that girl and the other girl must have been so surprised that she had no choice but to stand down."

"See that, Mimi?" Yamato asked. "You have a friend in your class, after all."

"I sure do," Mimi answered with a smile.

"Do you still want to hang out, Meems?" Sora asked. "I was thinking of scrapping our plans and getting our nails done, or something."

Suddenly, Mimi squealed with excitement. "Let's go!"

"That's my cue to head home, then," said Yamato.

"And I should head back to soccer practice," Taichi said. "I just wanted to make sure you girls were okay."

Sora moved from Mimi to give Taichi a hug.

"You can be really sweet sometimes, you know?"

"Only sometimes? I'll take it."

Before everyone parted ways, Mimi took Yamato's hand to stop him from walking.

"Yamato, wait," she said.

By the time he turned his head to face Mimi, her lips had already met his. His breath caught as he stood still in his surprise. When she pulled apart, he could see the warmth in her teary eyes as she smiled at him.

"Thank you, Yamato," she said, then she joined Sora in walking out of the courtyard. Taichi turned to follow them, but not before wriggling his brows at Yamato.

Even as he walked home on his own, Yamato was left speechless.

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The rest of the week seemed to improve for Mimi, as Yamato saw whenever he waited for her outside of her classroom. The black-haired girl seemed to be joined at Mimi's hip every time Yamato saw her in and around that area.

"This is Meiko," Mimi said as she introduced the girl to Yamato, Taichi, and Sora.

Meiko had stepped away from behind Mimi and appeared to hesitate for a few seconds.

"It's nice to meet you," she said meekly.

"Meiko's a little shy," Mimi explained, smiling as she held Meiko's elbow. "But, she's also really sweet. Isn't she cute?"

"Mimi…" Meiko blushed furiously.

"It's great to meet you, too, Meiko," said Sora cheerfully. "I never got to thank you properly for the other day. I really admire you for standing up for Mimi like that."

"Oh, it was nothing…"

"No, it was everything!" Mimi said.

"Mimi's a wonderful person, inside and out. I wish the others in our class could see that."

Tears began to form in Mimi's eyes. "Stop flattering me, Meiko!"

"She's totally enjoying this," Taichi mumbled for only Yamato to hear.

"No kidding," Yamato muttered back.

Still, Yamato found comfort in seeing Mimi in good spirits at school, and even connecting with someone in her class who thought highly of her, much like he did.

Mimi ended up having lunch with Meiko on Wednesday, but Yamato made sure that she joined him for lunch on Thursday, when he surprised her with a bento box.

"Oh, Yamato!" she exclaimed when she opened it. "All of my favorites… I thought you were really busy yesterday."

"Rehearsal went really well, and we ended earlier than planned so I had some free time," he told her.

Mimi turned to him in awe. "You're the best, Yamato."

Yamato's face began to feel warm. "It was nothing, Mimi."

With a giggle, Mimi lifted her hand to place on his shoulder. "You're a little bit like Meiko. Downplaying her actions that mean a lot to me. You mean a lot to me, after all."

You mean the world to me, he thought as he met her gaze.

"Sometimes, I wish I knew what you were thinking," Mimi added. Her eyes glistened even under the shade from the tree above them.

"Most words don't come out as freely as others," replied Yamato, with that being the most he was able to admit. But at that moment, he found himself leaning in.

"With you, I can see that happening. As long as the words you can't say are good."

"Trust me, Mimi. They are."

Yamato realized he wasn't the only one leaning in.

"Then, for now, that's enough for me."

Yamato caught a smile on Mimi's lips before he met them with his. He took in her soft lips that had the sweet taste of peaches, which tempted him to kiss her longer each time he pulled away. All he knew in that moment was him and Mimi, floating high up in the clouds and never wanting to be pulled down.

A loud clearing of a throat was a rude awakening that caused him to break off the kiss. Both he and Mimi turned to see a teacher stand a few feet away, his arms crossed with disapproval. As if on cue, the two of them slid away from each other, smiling nervously at the teacher.

The teacher didn't leave, even as Mimi opened her bento box and Yamato unwrapped his pork bun.

"Is he going to keep watching us?" Mimi asked Yamato quietly. "This is so awkward…"

"He'll leave eventually," Yamato whispered back. Then, while he held his pork bun with one hand, he made eye contact with the teacher and lifted his free arm, slowly moving it to fall around Mimi's shoulders.

"Yamato, what are you doing?"

Moments later, the teacher turned around and walked away, grumbling to himself.

"Told you he'd leave."

Mimi's shoulders relaxed soon after. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you could be a little bold.

"I did it because I wanted you to feel comfortable. I don't care about anything else."

"Really?"

Yamato turned to face her. "Really."

Mimi kept her eyes on him. "You don't think he'll come back, will he?"

"Let's hope not."

Yamato craned his neck, allowing Mimi to pull forward and kiss him once again, this time, longer and deeper than the last.

After that, Mimi returned to her bento box, and based on her sounds of delight with each bite, Yamato could tell that she enjoyed her lunch.

"This goes to show you that I can surprise you with a good lunch," Yamato said after Mimi set aside the empty box and leaned against him.

"You totally can, my rockstar chef," Mimi replied, letting out a sigh of happiness.

Yamato felt satisfied with himself until Mimi added, "I can still come over this Sunday though, right. So I can pick what I want for my bento next week?"

"You're too much," Yamato said with a smile. "Of course, you can."

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"Look at you and Mimi, getting more cozy with each other," Taichi said while he, Yamato, and Sora walked their way home together. "It's about damn time."

"What he means is, 'We're happy for you, Yamato,'" Sora added.

Taichi grimaced. "I meant what I said! And I said what you didn't want to."

"Don't put words in my mouth again."

"It's not that hard to admit, isn't it, Sora?"

"Seriously, Taichi-"

At the street light that signalled them to walk, Yamato waited until they walked across the street, listening to Taichi and Sora bicker the whole way, until he decided to clear his throat.

As if on command, the two of them stopped and turned to Yamato.

"She's going to my gig tomorrow with you guys," Yamato said. "And I invited her over to my house on Sunday."

"That's exciting!" Sora said, clapping her hands together. "I knew she was just as into you as you were with her! I'm sure she'll say yes anytime you ask her to hang out."

"Hmm. Not every time."

"What?" Sora and Taichi looked at him.

Yamato only had to say one name, and he knew his two friends would understand:

"Touma."

"Ohh," they both said in unison.

Earlier that week when he asked Mimi if she wanted to go to his band rehearsal, her reaction was not as enthusiastic as he imagined it would be.

"She has been nice to him ever since she first arrived here," said Sora. "But the more he kept asking her out, the more frustrated she got with him."

"That's what she told me," said Yamato.

"She's probably even more annoyed now that he's got his eyes on Meiko."

"Wait, what?"

"What?" Taichi added.

"I thought it was obvious that Touma had his eyes set on her now," Sora explained. "I'm surprised that you didn't know, Yamato. I figured Touma never shuts up whenever he's around you."

Thinking back to the last few times the band rehearsed that week, Yamato remembered Touma talking about a girl without mentioning her name. "Long, dark hair; wears glasses…"

"Ohhh," Yamato said as it finally clicked.

"And Taichi, didn't you notice him when he was right in front of us in the hallway yesterday? He kept glancing her way every other second."

"Really? I didn't notice," said Taichi.

"Oh, of course you didn't. Everything gets past you, just like when it comes to Hikari and Takeru-"

Sora gasped and immediately stopped in her tracks. Taichi stopped walking, and Yamato followed suit.

"Sora, what did you mean by that?" Taichi asked.

Yamato watched Sora turn to see the sign for the subway station and wondered what excuse she would make up next.

"Oh! I've just remembered!" Sora said with her voice suddenly unnaturally higher. "Mom wanted me to pick up vegetables for dinner, so I have to head to the store."

"There's a store a block away from here," Taichi said.

"She wants me to stop by the flower shop, too. I'll be in so much trouble if I went home empty-handed! I'll see you guys later!"

"Wait, Sora-"

"Bye, Yamato!"

And then, she was gone. A few moments passed in silence as Taichi stared in the direction that Sora had run off in. Then, he turned to Yamato.

"Did you know that something was going on between my sister and your brother?" he asked.

Yamato stared at Taichi's utterly confused expression. He was tempted to laugh, but he kept a straight face.

Then, he turned toward the opposite direction.

"I forgot my guitar at school," said Yamato nonchalantly.

"What-? Hey! You didn't even bring it today!"

After taking a few moments of amusement in Taichi's surprised rambling, Yamato turned around again and faced Taichi. Then, they continued their walk home.

"Everyone knows how protective you can be over Hikari," Yamato explained. "What about the other guys you've seen Hikari with in the past? Didn't Hikari complain that you scared them off sometimes?"

"Some guys can be hard to trust around girls."

"Look who's talking. Sora turned you down the first time you asked her out."

"Okay. Fair point. I guess I also understand why Hikari's been hiding from me."

"Takeru told me that she thought you didn't like any guy she dated."

"Well, I do like Takeru."

Yamato turned to face Taichi as they walked. "Can I tell him that?"

Taichi looked as though he blurted his thoughts out without thinking first. "Please don't."

They walked in silence the rest of the way until they reached the Yagami residence. When they turned the corner, right in front of the gate a few yards away, their eyes fell upon Hikari and Takeru standing by the wall. Neither of them noticed the respective older brothers, however, since their focus appeared to be their lips pressed against each other.

"Now this wasn't really what I was expecting to see so soon," Taichi said aloud.

Hikari broke the kiss from Takeru, and turned to look at Taichi with surprise. Takeru pressed his lips together.

"H-Hey, Taichi!" Hikari said. "I, um - well…"

"Just don't stay out too late, or whatever," Taichi said, patting Hikari on the head as he passed by. "Hey, Takeru."

"H-Hey…" Takeru said, and he, Hikari watched as Taichi disappeared behind the front gate.

Immediately, Takeru and Hikari shot glances toward Yamato.

"Did that just happen?" Hikari asked Yamato.

"I did not think that would be his reaction at all," Takeru added. "I'm guessing he's okay with us?"

Taking a note from Taichi, Yamato passed by Takeru and ruffled the top of his hair.

"Just don't stay out too late," Yamato repeated, leaving the two younger siblings confused, and Yamato himself being amused for the second time that day.