A quick reminder if you haven't read the first chapter. All stories will be told in first person, from both Takeru's and Hikari's POVs in the same story. It will be separated to make it easier, though.

I hope you enjoy! Check back the next days for other stories.

Day 5: The Surprise Letter
"Tailmon, let's go."
I called my partner from the living room and looked over the table. There were a few letters piled at the center of it, and I casually went through them just in case I saw something for me. There was nothing until I saw the last letter in the pile. It had my name on it, so I looked at the back of it and was shocked to see it was from Takeru. He didn't tell me anything about writing me a letter last time we talked. I was dying from curiosity to read it, but Tailmon was coming in my direction, so I put it in my bag to read during our stroll.
"I'm ready, Hikari."
"Great, so let's go." I put on my hat and then my shoes next to the door.

The temperature outside was still cool, but not as hot anymore with winter getting closer. I was sitting against a tree in a park while Tailmon chased a dog that was barking at her and laughed at that. And then I remembered the letter in my bag. Now that she was somewhat distracted, it was the perfect time to read it. So I went through my bag and picked it up.

I tore the envelope open and pulled the letter out. As I was opening it, I couldn't help but think how much I already missed him. He had gone back to Kyoto a week before college returned and that was over a month. We still didn't know when we'd be seeing each other again before Christmas or if that was going to happen. I sighed, but was thankful for also being in college. Otherwise it would be way harder for me.

My eyes fell on the paper in my hands and I began to read his letter. By the time I finished the first paragraph I had already smiled and blushed quite heavily. Then I moved to the second one. He was telling me about some places he's been in Kyoto and how pretty his college is. He also wants to take me there before he finishes it, which will be very soon. And then it hits me: we managed to survive four years having a long-distance relationship and only seeing each other a few times a year. We actually did it.

I continued reading the letter, which caused me to laugh and blush again. I found it amazing how he managed to alternate two completely different subjects and I couldn't help wondering if it was a writing technique. And right after he revealed he was planning to write a book about our adventures in the Digital World, which surprised me a lot. My first reaction was to think it would be really cool and then I felt nervous thinking there's a possibility people all over Japan - and maybe the world - get to read it. I kind of like the fact only the twelve of us are the ones who actually got to experience it. I shook my head, folding the letter again and realize there's a picture inside the envelope. I picked it up and looked at it with a smile. It's a picture of one of Kyoto's parks on spring, with fully blossomed Sakura trees. I put everything back in the envelope and on my bag and stood up, feeling inspired to replying to his letter.
"Tailmon, let's go home."
"Already?" She approached me and I picked her up in my arms. "But the weather is so nice today."
"I know, but there's something I need to do and I can't postpone it. We can come back here tomorrow and spend more time."
"Is it about Takeru?" She looked up at me with curiosity.
"Maybe." It was all said, but I was sure she understood it because of the smile on my face.

.

I was making my way inside my apartment when I looked down and noticed there was a letter for me. I bent down and picked it up with a smile. It was from Hikari, so I dropped my bag on the couch and sat down to read it.
"Patamon, where are you?" I said loudly over my shoulder towards the hall not too far from me.
"I'm here, Takeru." He came flying from my bedroom and landed beside me. "What is this?"
"It's a letter from Hikari. She replied to me."
"Oh." Patamon looked at it. "Aren't you going to read it?"
"I am." I nodded, looking at it as well before opening it.
"What did she write?"
"I can't say at the moment. I'm sorry, buddy." I had a faint notion of what I said because I couldn't take my eyes away from the paper in my hands.
"Can't I know?"
"Only the parts that aren't private." I couldn't hide hold my grin while reading the first paragraph. I had no idea Hikari could be so blatantly straight when it came to making out and things like that. And honestly, I enjoyed it.
Though I was focused on reading the letter, I could still feel Patamon's eyes intently on me. I felt bad for not telling him what was on it, but I just couldn't share that kind of content with him.
"Here's something you can know. She's telling me that she really wants to visit my campus and more about Kyoto when she comes back, because she barely got to see it. And then she said Odaiba still feels different without me, but that will change very soon so she's hanging in there."
"That's sweet." Patamon looked at me. "Do you miss her?"
"Yes." I finally took my eyes away from the letter and looked into his big blue eyes. "I do. I It hasn't been easy for us, but we did it."
"It won't be too long until you two reunite again."
"That's true." I returned my focus to the reading. "And then she complimented the picture I sent and she said there's one photograph inside the envelope."
I reached for the envelope again and took it off. It was a picture of her in a beautiful pink dress. She was standing by a plantation of lilies, smelling one of them. Her eyes were closed and I had no doubt it was one of the best pictures of her I've ever seen.
"Is that her?" Patamon looked over my shoulder. He was now on my right shoulder.
"It is." I confirmed. "She said Mimi took this picture and insisted she's send it to me because Mimi said she was stunning. And that's it."
I folded the paper again and put it back on the envelope. Then I stood up and headed to my bedroom; Patamon closely behind me. He watched me place the photo over a couple of small drawers I had on my desk to put random things.
"She looks pretty." He remarked, still over my shoulder, and looked at the left. "Oh. You didn't place it there by accident, did you?"
"No." I shook my head. "It was on purpose. It's a way to remember what to do when I go back to Odaiba."
"Are you sure about this? You don't think it's a little early?"
"Not really." I grabbed the small square black box. "Do you?"
"Does it make you feel good when you think about it?"
"It does." I looked at him with a small smile.
"Then you should do it." He told me reassuringly.
I simply placed the box there where it was, silently wondering if Hikari was ready for it too.

.

I was so used to sending and receiving letters from Takeru that I was confused and disappointed with not getting any of them lately. I tried convincing myself that maybe he was studying for his tests and didn't have time to reply to me, so I shook my head and tried to take it off my mind. Still, I had a small hope I might have missed it. So I went to the kitchen to find out.
"Mom, is there any letter for me that got lost, by any chance?"
"No, darling, I'm sorry." She turned around to look at me. "Why? Are you expecting for one?"
"No." I shook my head and smiled at her. "Do you need help cooking?"

I returned to my bedroom after lunch and grabbed the book I was currently reading before sitting on my bed. When I opened it in the page I had stopped, I came across Takeru's last letter, which I was temporarily using as a bookmark. I picked it up and began reading it again.
"Hasn't Takeru sent you another one yet?" Tailmon asked from the opposite side of my bed and I looked up at her.
"Not yet." I confirmed. "It's been a few weeks since the last one arrived, but… I think he's probably busy with exams and stuff."
"You haven't talked to him about it?"
"No." I shook my head. "I thought it would be delivered soon, so I didn't bother asking him."
"Well, it hasn't. So why don't you talk to him about it and say that's been worrying you?"
"I think he will do it when he has winter break from college."
"Are you sure about this?"
"I…" I was cut off when my mother called my name and both me and Tailmon looked towards the door.

"What is it, mom?" I asked as I walked down the hall towards the kitchen. My heart immediately started racing when I saw what looked like a letter in her hands.
"Is that what you've been waiting for?" She looked at me. "It just got pushed inside under the door."
"Someone pushed it under the door?" I asked confused while grabbing the letter from her hand. "That's so weird."
"Yes, and I heard footsteps running away."
"Footsteps?" I opened the door, hoping to see someone in the hall, but there was no one around.
"No luck?"
"No. And it doesn't say who sent it." I flipped the letter to see its back, though I didn't need it to know it was from Takeru. I open it and all I could find inside was a small note. So I picked it up and unfolded it; an expression of confusion in my face as I read it.
"What is written on it?" My mother asked with a tone of alarm in her voice. "Is someone threatening you?"
"No, mom." I put the note back in the envelope and looked at her with a smile. "I have a date tomorrow."
"But you just said you don't know who sent it. How can you be so sure it's really for you?"
"I just know it." My smile turned into a grin. "Come on, Tailmon. We need to choose something for me to wear."

.

"You're stomping your foot again."
I heard Yamato's voice echoing beside me and looked at him briefly before glancing at my feet. "I'm sorry. I'm feeling a little nervous and this helps me calm down."
"Takeru." He put his hand on my shoulder and I looked at him again. "You don't have to do this right now if you don't feel ready or because you're pressured by yourself or someone else."
"I know, I know." I sighed and rubbed my face. "I want to do this, but it's still a big step."
"Yes, it is." He squeezed my shoulder a little. "But if you're sure of how you feel about this and about her too, you should do it."
"Were you this nervous when you proposed to Sora?"
"Honestly?" He laughed awkwardly. "I was more nervous than you were."
"Really?"
"You said it perfectly, it's a big step. But I told myself what I just told you: if you're sue sure of how you feel about this and about her too, you should do it. Besides, we had been talking about it for a while before I proposed. I wanted to make sure it was something we both wanted first."
"I should have done it too." Suddenly panic was taking over me and I grew desperate.
"You haven't talked to her about it?"
"No. I wanted to make a surprise proposal." I turned to him, freaking out. "Yamato, what if she says no?"
"Calm down, Takeru." His soothing voice only made me more nervous. "I don't think Hikari is the type of person to decline a marriage proposal, but I would have talked to her first. Not directly, but subtly try to find out how she felt about it."
"I can't do this. I just can't."
"Sure you can." Patamon landed on my legs and I stared at him. "You love Hikari, don't you?"
"Of course I do."
"And I know she loves you too. I also know she won't turn you down. Besides, you don't need to get married right away."
"Patamon has a really good point here."
"But if you feel in your heart that it's still too rushed to propose, you can change your mind. Like Yamato said, you shouldn't do it because of pressure."
"I'm ready." I said after thinking for some minutes. Things seemed so much easier once I confirmed it out loud. "I want to do it."
"My little brother is about to get engaged." He pretended to be emotional and pulled me into a hug. Then he fixed my bow tie. "Alright, I'll be just one phone call away if you need. Good luck."
"Thank you, brother."
"Oh and also…" He looked over his shoulder with a smirk. "That tie is so overrated and cheesy. Don't wear it again."
I couldn't help but laugh. "I'll keep that in mind for my wedding day."

I was feeling much calmer when Yamato left, but that didn't mean I wasn't nervous anymore.
"I'll be waiting outside."
"No, stay." I picked Patamon up in my arms. "I want you to witness this. I want my partner to be by my side.
"Alright." He smiled at me.
And right after that, the door opened again. That was it.

.

"Takeru?" I peeked around, looking for him. "There you are. Your note got me worried, is everything okay?"
"Everything is fine." He grabbed my hands and we looked into each other's eyes. "I'm sorry I didn't reply to your last letter."
"It's okay. I assumed you were busy with your exams or things like that. In fact, I wasn't expecting to see you in Odaiba so soon."
"I wasn't planning on coming, but there was something I needed to do and couldn't wait anymore."
"Okay." Suddenly I felt a lump on my throat and began to get nervous. "Must be something really important. Can I help you with something?"
"No, I'm afraid not." He shook his head and smiled at me, but I could only pay attention to his hands. Why were they sweating?
"You can do this." Patamon encouraged him and Takeru took a deep breath.
"Here it goes."
Everything happened so fast I felt the whole place we were at was spinning. He was still holding one of my hands, but was now on his knees. My heart started beating faster when I watched him pull a small box from his jacket.
"Oh God." I covered my mouth in shock. I wasn't expecting for this.
"Hikari." He looked right into my eyes and I began to tremble. "I've been thinking about this for a while now and it all came down to this. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you give me the honor of being my wife? Will you marry me?"
"Takeru…" I was too shocked and astonished to even formulate a proper thought, let alone voice it aloud.
"You don't want it?"
"Say yes, Hikari." Tailmon spoke behind me and I looked at her briefly before turning my attention back to Takeru, who was very hopeful for a positive answer.
So I knelt down in front of him, so we could be in the same eye level.
"This is a huge step."
"I know. It may seem a little rushed, but we don't have to get married right away." He assured me and I slowly nodded. "But I love you and want to be with you."
"I love you too." I smiled and touched his right cheek softly. "I want to be with you too."
"Is that a yes?" His voice was full of hope again.
"Ask me again."
"Hikari, will you marry me and make me the happiest man on Earth?"
"Yes, yes, yes!" I shouted and threw my arms around his neck, almost making him fall to the ground. "I will marry you."
Behind us, both Patamon and Tailmon cheered excitedly and approached us while I helped Takeru return to his previous position. I intently watched him take one of the rings out of the box and put it on my ring finger with a grin. Then I did the same with him and slid my hand to the back of his head, pulling him down in my direction for a passionate kiss. His arms wrapped tight around my body as we embraced each other again.
"So that's why you didn't reply to my letter."
"That's right." He helped me stand up. "I wanted to make a surprise. I hope you didn't feel pressured because of the situation."
"No." I shook my head and then stared at my beautiful ring with a smile. "Not at all."