...::looks around for the Abuse Minami Inc.:: Ok! I don't own Digimon but I do own Yamato....::beaten to a pulp::
Broken Angels
Part 4
"Ok, ready?" Yamato asked as he looked over his shoulder to the other members of the group.
They all nodded, ready to start the song. "Then let's hit it!"
As Yamato listened to the drums start the song, he began to remember what had just occurred earlier, about half an hour ago. Takeru, you lied! You brought Hikari over, after I told you to quit talking to her!
Trying not to sound irritated and angry, he began to start strumming on his guitar, and cleared his voice away from the microphone. Then, leaning up to it, he let his voice out strongly and carefully, being this a slow song.
"From the look in your eyes I can tell, that the trust you and I once had isn't there anymore..."
***
"Sora, what are you doing?" Taichi asked as he walked up to her after soccer practice ended.
Sitting on the sidelines, she scribbled down a few more problems. "Just a little homework...you know how nervous I am about getting into a good high school."
"I understand that, but you'll do just fine!"
"You haven't even touched anything to prepare for it. It's at the end of the month...we won't be in junior high anymore. We need to start thinking about the future," she said, looking up at him. Wiping his brow, he smirked. "I know...you always say that! But I'm totally ready! Just wait, you'll see! We'll be in high school together!"
She smiled nervously. "Only if you study..."
"Why must you make me feel 3 feet tall next to you?"
Standing up, she picked her textbooks up and her notes, shoving them inside the books and closing them, and brushed the seat of her skirt. "Oh, come on, I'll help you study. Maybe we'll get Jou to help us out. That is, if you lay back on soccer some, ok?"
"Nani?! Why should I? This is my life here!"
"Your life depends on if we go to high school together!" she said, grabbing him by the ear and pulling him off the field.
"Owowowow!!! Sora-chan!! Take it easy!"
***
"Are you serious? Is he that stupid?" Koushiro mumbled.
Jou shrugged, who stood next to him, Miyako behind the counter grinning. "Daisuke's an idiot."
"We already knew that," Jou said, looking at her. "What I want to know is, what's going on between Ishida and Yagami."
"Big time conflict, and we must settle it," Miyako responded. "This is getting ridiculous, and it's not right to get their own siblings caught up in this rivalry. What do they have to fight about?"
"Hey, Jou! Look at the variety in the ice creams!" Mimi shrieked with joy from the back of the store.
They all grinned and saw her come back up front, holding a pint size carton. "Mint Chocolate Chip!" she cried happily. "This stuff is so good! You know, in America, they have something called Dip N' Dots! They're awesome! They're shaped like lil' small balls…K-A-W-A-I-I!!!"
"I'll pay," Jou said, handing Miyako money.
"But, Jooooooou!!! This isn't a date! I can pay!" Mimi wailed.
"Save it for later, like when we go to a movie. You can pay then," he said, smiling.
Shrugging, she looked at the other two. "So, it turns out Jou and I set up dinner for us all to go to on Saturday. You know, a get together because it's what we need! We'll all have a lot of fun!"
"And maybe, we'll be able to patch up any problems between Yamato and Taichi. It couldn't hurt, and I hope they don't kill each other before then…," Koushiro said.
"Hey, didn't that look like Takeru?" Jou asked, pointing to the store's glass doors.
Three heads turned all at once. "I didn't see anything," Miyako said, leaning over the counter.
"That's because you weren't even looking," Mimi pointed out, shoving more ice cream into her mouth.
Jou looked at her. "You weren't either…so you're no help."
She turned red as she looked at him and Koushiro looked at her. "Well, I wasn't looking either, so apparently no one saw Jou's ghost."
"IT WASN'T A GHOST!!"
"You're the only one who saw it."
"That's because you ninnies weren't even looking! Pay attention to your surroundings for crying out loud!"
"But, Jou, we're inside a small convenient store…why must we?"
"Ugh….LOOK!!!!" he cried, pointing and dancing.
Looking back, they saw Hikari run by, with Daisuke following not far behind. "Hey…there goes Hikari and Daisuke!" Mimi shouted.
"I thought they were supposed to be at Takeru's though…," Miyako said, twirling a strand of hair around her right index finger.
"They could've left, you know."
"Right…"
"But I saw Takeru run by first! Isn't it obvious it's a chase!?" Jou yelled.
Koushiro nodded. "I guess we should follow, don't you?"
"This is beginning to look like a soap opera!!" Mimi declared, stars forming in her eyes.
Jou and Koushiro looked dully at her. "Those are the stupidest things ever invented on this planet," they said in unison.
***
Panting, Takeru collapsed in an alley, hoping to rest here for a while and not been seen by anyone or Hikari and Daisuke. "Hikari....how could you do this to me?! And with...HIM!!"
Rolling over on his back, he thought about how nice the shade felt and the cool cement under him. Feeling sick all over again, he closed his eyes, feeling incredibly sleepy. "Man...can't keep my eyes open..."
Yawning, he decided to drift into a nice rest...dreaming sweet dreams, when he was jolted awake. "Nani?!"
Seeing Hikari linger over him sent chills all down his back. "Go away!" he shouted.
"Takeru...I won't! I won't until I tell you how I really feel," she said, sitting down on the ground next to him.
Truly feel...? he thought. Sitting up, he looked at her. This might be interesting...prepare for the worst Daisuke! he cackled inside his head.
"Takeru...I know from what's happened, you probably hate me."
"Well, duh. You treated me like true crap," he muttered.
"I'm really sorry...I don't know what came over me..."
"I don't either. But thanks for apologizing...now, skipping all this, let's get to the good part...how do you really feel?"
"UM...," she said nervously.
"Dakara....?" he asked impatiently. For Daisuke to hear this, it would really make his day.
"Takeru, I can't hide it anymore...the truth is, I don't love you! I love Daisuke, with all my heart!!"
Staring at her blankly, he felt the whole world freeze. Then, as if some stupid fool was holding it, suddenly dropped the crystal ball, shattering it to a million pieces. His heart felt like it had just been frozen over, then dropped without a care in the world. "IIE!!!!!!"
***
Jumping up, Takeru stared wide-eyed around the place. Then, gasping for air, he leaned over, grabbing his head with his hands. "Was that...a dream...?"
Feeling something touch his shoulder, he jumped again, screaming. Mimi shrieked as Takeru flew back in the bed. She smacked into a wall as she herself flew back, then gasped for air, watching Takeru try to keep himself from falling off the edge of the bed.
"Oh, I'm sorry!" she said as she rushed over and grabbed him, easing him back up to safety. "I guess I really startled you."
"It's ok...just a little jumpy lately," he replied, smiling reassuringly.
She checked his forehead and nodded. "Looks like your fever has gone down."
"Wait a sec...I thought I was in an alley! How'd I end up back home?"
"Oh, we found you! We saw Hikari and Daisuke run after you, so we followed them, therefore discovering you in an alley, knocked out completely."
"I see..."
"Having a bad dream?" she asked, looking at him. "You were pretty rowdy while you were sleeping, and sweating up a storm."
"You could say that...," he said quietly.
Not wanting to upset him by asking him what it was that he dreamed of, she just nodded. Approaching footsteps came, and Yamato popped in, looking worried as heck.
"Takeru! Are you ok!?" he asked in a very rushed tone, something he did quite often when he was about to go ballistic from being a nervous wreck.
"Yeah, I'm just fine. I guess I just passed out from loss of fatigue," he responded, trying not to worry his brother.
Yamato quickly took a seat on the edge of the bed, looking at him. "You look pretty tired to me. Why don't you get some rest, and I'll fix you something."
"Ok. Hikari left a couple extra packs of Ramen in the kitchen...er..I mean...!" He realized he had just mentioned Hikari's name to him, and it wasn't bad enough he was pretty steamed earlier that he had discovered the two in the same house after forbidding any contact.
He watched as Yamato's brows furrowed, and he became slightly red. "I told you...!"
"But, Yamato, she was just coming to check on me!!" Takeru wailed.
"I don't care! When I tell you something that is meant to not be broken, I mean it! What do I have to do around here to get someone to actually LISTEN to me for once?!"
"Yamato, I didn't mean for it to happen..."
"Why didn't you just tell her you couldn't talk to her? After all, she quit communicating with you first, right? So why waste the effort to continue being friends with her if she won't put forth any?"
Takeru fell silent at that. It was true. She had been the one to break the ties left holding the two sides together, and he tried to retie it, but it failed. But he realized that if she had come over like that, it had to be on her own free will, meaning she was willing to bond the rivaling sides back together as well. "Brother, she checked on me though! No one told her to! She did it herself! Isn't it obvious enough to you that she still wants to be friends, but she's just confused?"
"You're the one confused!!!" Yamato screamed.
"Yamato, calm down! Give the poor kid a break!" Mimi shouted.
"You stay out of this!"
"Why must I? Why must I stand by as you and Taichi, my two friends, bicker and fight, tearing not only you two apart, but your own brother away from his friend! Not to mention, you're making it very uncomfortable for the rest of us who are stuck in the middle as well!"
"Did I ask you or anyone else to pick sides? Did Taichi? Apparently not, so you may as well just stay out of our business!"
"But I hate being stuck in the middle of stupid fights!"
"You think this is stupid?"
"IT IS!! Fighting over what?! Who consumes more time from the other? How stupid is that? It's so stupid, I wonder what the hell is wrong with you!"
"Damn, Mimi, shut up!! I never asked you to make a damn analysis on ME!"
Both of them glared at each other, not noticing the attention they drew during their verbal fight. Hikari and Daisuke stood beside each other, watching the two. Jou was basically speechless, as was Koushiro, who stood there between Jou and Miyako, rubbing the back of his head. Miyako looked down at Iori, and he looked up at her, his eyes as wide as saucers. The only two not there were Taichi and Sora, but that didn't seem to matter to anyone at the moment.
"Yamato, this is so stupid! I don't know why I bother!" Mimi yelled.
"Then keep your mouth shut if you have nothing better to say!" he yelled back.
"You don't have anything better to say either! Quit bossing your little brother around!"
"I'm not! I'm just doing what I think is best for him!"
"Apparently, it's not working! It only made him as sick as a dog, passing out in public, and if it wasn't for Hikari and Daisuke following, we wouldn't have gone to look for him!"
"Oh, am I supposed to be thankful to the enemy?!"
"She's not the enemy! You're the enemy to your own brother, because you're bringing the sorrow upon his shoulders, not yours!"
"You think I don't have anything weighing me down!?"
"Oh, is it your band that's weighing you down?"
"I have MANY reasons, and the smallest is the band, but your life is so perfect, you wouldn't know diddly squat!"
"How dare you think I know nothing about life!"
"You're proving it right now!"
"Dammit, shut the hell up!" Koushiro suddenly shrieked, causing the two to stop, and causing everyone to stare wide eyed at him.
He glared angrily at the ground as everyone continued to stare with wide eyes and open jaws. "This is getting us nowhere, and we don't need you two making things worse!"
"How are we making it worse!?" Mimi roared.
"You two are gonna cause a rivalry and end up just like Taichi and him! No better! This is getting ridiculous, and it's about time you grew up and apologized like NORMAL human beings!"
"I'm always the one to apologize! I think he should! It's his fault that this is all happening anyway!" Mimi shouted, pointing at Yamato.
"Don't point fingers! This was as much as Taichi's doing, and this was as much as yours!" Yamato retorted.
"I SAID SHUT UP!" Koushiro yelled over the two.
Becoming silent, the room felt thick with nothing but pure anger. Koushiro knew everything was falling apart, and somehow, they had to save their friendship, or else everyone would collapse, one after the other, until they all became to resent one another.
"Yamato, just apologize and take it like a man," Takeru said.
"You don't know anything about being a man!" Yamato shouted. "So don't go telling me what to do!"
"Someone has to! You won't even listen to yourself!"
Yamato looked at him over his shoulder, then sighed loudly. "I'm outta here! I can't take anymore."
They all watched him shove his way through the crowded doorway, and Mimi called after him. "I'm sorry, you whiny bastard!"
"MIMI!!" Jou shouted.
Koushiro gave her a deadly glare and she looked at the ground. "Ok, so that was unladylike and not very nice, but who can help not avoid the truth?"
"Avoiding it would be best so that way you don't kill anymore relationships," Miyako said.
"Exactly," Iori said. "Whatever's going on isn't pretty, and I'd like to be let in on it."
They all looked at him, and Daisuke them stepped forward. "I agree! Iori and I are clueless! What is this, little kids aren't gonna be let in? I'm a big boy! I can handle it!"
"A big boy on diapers," Miyako muttered.
"And a big boy who chokes on stupid stuff, like erasers," Iori blurted, trying to restrain his laughter.
Everyone burst out laughing, and Daisuke turned bright red. "Pipsqueak! Look what you've done!! I'm so embarrassed!!"
Takeru was the only one not laughing. While he sat there in bed, he realized that he himself was making things somewhat worse. It's my fault as well...maybe I should've listened to Yamato in the first place. If I had, none of this would've happened!
Standing up quietly, he put his slippers on and slipped out of the room. Then, making an attempt, he went for the front door, and crept out.
Hikari noticed his disappearance, and followed after him, leaving the others unnoticeably. Takeru, I must talk to you! I've got to settle this...because it's not getting any better at all! And I'm making you terribly ill....all because of stupid me and my stupidity to actually ditch you like that.
She felt herself run out of breath, when she finally saw him up ahead, heading to the park, and then collapsing into the bench they had sat in almost a week ago. She then slowed down, then walked slowly over to him. She heard him wheezing as he tried to catch his breath. "You ok?"
Not taking interest in her sudden appearance, he nodded slowly, hiding his face from her. He heard her then take a seat next to him, and an uncomfortable silence lingered in the air. "What brings you here?"
"I...Takeru, I can't hide it anymore. I must tell you....exactly what's on my mind."
Broken Angels
Part 4
"Ok, ready?" Yamato asked as he looked over his shoulder to the other members of the group.
They all nodded, ready to start the song. "Then let's hit it!"
As Yamato listened to the drums start the song, he began to remember what had just occurred earlier, about half an hour ago. Takeru, you lied! You brought Hikari over, after I told you to quit talking to her!
Trying not to sound irritated and angry, he began to start strumming on his guitar, and cleared his voice away from the microphone. Then, leaning up to it, he let his voice out strongly and carefully, being this a slow song.
"From the look in your eyes I can tell, that the trust you and I once had isn't there anymore..."
***
"Sora, what are you doing?" Taichi asked as he walked up to her after soccer practice ended.
Sitting on the sidelines, she scribbled down a few more problems. "Just a little homework...you know how nervous I am about getting into a good high school."
"I understand that, but you'll do just fine!"
"You haven't even touched anything to prepare for it. It's at the end of the month...we won't be in junior high anymore. We need to start thinking about the future," she said, looking up at him. Wiping his brow, he smirked. "I know...you always say that! But I'm totally ready! Just wait, you'll see! We'll be in high school together!"
She smiled nervously. "Only if you study..."
"Why must you make me feel 3 feet tall next to you?"
Standing up, she picked her textbooks up and her notes, shoving them inside the books and closing them, and brushed the seat of her skirt. "Oh, come on, I'll help you study. Maybe we'll get Jou to help us out. That is, if you lay back on soccer some, ok?"
"Nani?! Why should I? This is my life here!"
"Your life depends on if we go to high school together!" she said, grabbing him by the ear and pulling him off the field.
"Owowowow!!! Sora-chan!! Take it easy!"
***
"Are you serious? Is he that stupid?" Koushiro mumbled.
Jou shrugged, who stood next to him, Miyako behind the counter grinning. "Daisuke's an idiot."
"We already knew that," Jou said, looking at her. "What I want to know is, what's going on between Ishida and Yagami."
"Big time conflict, and we must settle it," Miyako responded. "This is getting ridiculous, and it's not right to get their own siblings caught up in this rivalry. What do they have to fight about?"
"Hey, Jou! Look at the variety in the ice creams!" Mimi shrieked with joy from the back of the store.
They all grinned and saw her come back up front, holding a pint size carton. "Mint Chocolate Chip!" she cried happily. "This stuff is so good! You know, in America, they have something called Dip N' Dots! They're awesome! They're shaped like lil' small balls…K-A-W-A-I-I!!!"
"I'll pay," Jou said, handing Miyako money.
"But, Jooooooou!!! This isn't a date! I can pay!" Mimi wailed.
"Save it for later, like when we go to a movie. You can pay then," he said, smiling.
Shrugging, she looked at the other two. "So, it turns out Jou and I set up dinner for us all to go to on Saturday. You know, a get together because it's what we need! We'll all have a lot of fun!"
"And maybe, we'll be able to patch up any problems between Yamato and Taichi. It couldn't hurt, and I hope they don't kill each other before then…," Koushiro said.
"Hey, didn't that look like Takeru?" Jou asked, pointing to the store's glass doors.
Three heads turned all at once. "I didn't see anything," Miyako said, leaning over the counter.
"That's because you weren't even looking," Mimi pointed out, shoving more ice cream into her mouth.
Jou looked at her. "You weren't either…so you're no help."
She turned red as she looked at him and Koushiro looked at her. "Well, I wasn't looking either, so apparently no one saw Jou's ghost."
"IT WASN'T A GHOST!!"
"You're the only one who saw it."
"That's because you ninnies weren't even looking! Pay attention to your surroundings for crying out loud!"
"But, Jou, we're inside a small convenient store…why must we?"
"Ugh….LOOK!!!!" he cried, pointing and dancing.
Looking back, they saw Hikari run by, with Daisuke following not far behind. "Hey…there goes Hikari and Daisuke!" Mimi shouted.
"I thought they were supposed to be at Takeru's though…," Miyako said, twirling a strand of hair around her right index finger.
"They could've left, you know."
"Right…"
"But I saw Takeru run by first! Isn't it obvious it's a chase!?" Jou yelled.
Koushiro nodded. "I guess we should follow, don't you?"
"This is beginning to look like a soap opera!!" Mimi declared, stars forming in her eyes.
Jou and Koushiro looked dully at her. "Those are the stupidest things ever invented on this planet," they said in unison.
***
Panting, Takeru collapsed in an alley, hoping to rest here for a while and not been seen by anyone or Hikari and Daisuke. "Hikari....how could you do this to me?! And with...HIM!!"
Rolling over on his back, he thought about how nice the shade felt and the cool cement under him. Feeling sick all over again, he closed his eyes, feeling incredibly sleepy. "Man...can't keep my eyes open..."
Yawning, he decided to drift into a nice rest...dreaming sweet dreams, when he was jolted awake. "Nani?!"
Seeing Hikari linger over him sent chills all down his back. "Go away!" he shouted.
"Takeru...I won't! I won't until I tell you how I really feel," she said, sitting down on the ground next to him.
Truly feel...? he thought. Sitting up, he looked at her. This might be interesting...prepare for the worst Daisuke! he cackled inside his head.
"Takeru...I know from what's happened, you probably hate me."
"Well, duh. You treated me like true crap," he muttered.
"I'm really sorry...I don't know what came over me..."
"I don't either. But thanks for apologizing...now, skipping all this, let's get to the good part...how do you really feel?"
"UM...," she said nervously.
"Dakara....?" he asked impatiently. For Daisuke to hear this, it would really make his day.
"Takeru, I can't hide it anymore...the truth is, I don't love you! I love Daisuke, with all my heart!!"
Staring at her blankly, he felt the whole world freeze. Then, as if some stupid fool was holding it, suddenly dropped the crystal ball, shattering it to a million pieces. His heart felt like it had just been frozen over, then dropped without a care in the world. "IIE!!!!!!"
***
Jumping up, Takeru stared wide-eyed around the place. Then, gasping for air, he leaned over, grabbing his head with his hands. "Was that...a dream...?"
Feeling something touch his shoulder, he jumped again, screaming. Mimi shrieked as Takeru flew back in the bed. She smacked into a wall as she herself flew back, then gasped for air, watching Takeru try to keep himself from falling off the edge of the bed.
"Oh, I'm sorry!" she said as she rushed over and grabbed him, easing him back up to safety. "I guess I really startled you."
"It's ok...just a little jumpy lately," he replied, smiling reassuringly.
She checked his forehead and nodded. "Looks like your fever has gone down."
"Wait a sec...I thought I was in an alley! How'd I end up back home?"
"Oh, we found you! We saw Hikari and Daisuke run after you, so we followed them, therefore discovering you in an alley, knocked out completely."
"I see..."
"Having a bad dream?" she asked, looking at him. "You were pretty rowdy while you were sleeping, and sweating up a storm."
"You could say that...," he said quietly.
Not wanting to upset him by asking him what it was that he dreamed of, she just nodded. Approaching footsteps came, and Yamato popped in, looking worried as heck.
"Takeru! Are you ok!?" he asked in a very rushed tone, something he did quite often when he was about to go ballistic from being a nervous wreck.
"Yeah, I'm just fine. I guess I just passed out from loss of fatigue," he responded, trying not to worry his brother.
Yamato quickly took a seat on the edge of the bed, looking at him. "You look pretty tired to me. Why don't you get some rest, and I'll fix you something."
"Ok. Hikari left a couple extra packs of Ramen in the kitchen...er..I mean...!" He realized he had just mentioned Hikari's name to him, and it wasn't bad enough he was pretty steamed earlier that he had discovered the two in the same house after forbidding any contact.
He watched as Yamato's brows furrowed, and he became slightly red. "I told you...!"
"But, Yamato, she was just coming to check on me!!" Takeru wailed.
"I don't care! When I tell you something that is meant to not be broken, I mean it! What do I have to do around here to get someone to actually LISTEN to me for once?!"
"Yamato, I didn't mean for it to happen..."
"Why didn't you just tell her you couldn't talk to her? After all, she quit communicating with you first, right? So why waste the effort to continue being friends with her if she won't put forth any?"
Takeru fell silent at that. It was true. She had been the one to break the ties left holding the two sides together, and he tried to retie it, but it failed. But he realized that if she had come over like that, it had to be on her own free will, meaning she was willing to bond the rivaling sides back together as well. "Brother, she checked on me though! No one told her to! She did it herself! Isn't it obvious enough to you that she still wants to be friends, but she's just confused?"
"You're the one confused!!!" Yamato screamed.
"Yamato, calm down! Give the poor kid a break!" Mimi shouted.
"You stay out of this!"
"Why must I? Why must I stand by as you and Taichi, my two friends, bicker and fight, tearing not only you two apart, but your own brother away from his friend! Not to mention, you're making it very uncomfortable for the rest of us who are stuck in the middle as well!"
"Did I ask you or anyone else to pick sides? Did Taichi? Apparently not, so you may as well just stay out of our business!"
"But I hate being stuck in the middle of stupid fights!"
"You think this is stupid?"
"IT IS!! Fighting over what?! Who consumes more time from the other? How stupid is that? It's so stupid, I wonder what the hell is wrong with you!"
"Damn, Mimi, shut up!! I never asked you to make a damn analysis on ME!"
Both of them glared at each other, not noticing the attention they drew during their verbal fight. Hikari and Daisuke stood beside each other, watching the two. Jou was basically speechless, as was Koushiro, who stood there between Jou and Miyako, rubbing the back of his head. Miyako looked down at Iori, and he looked up at her, his eyes as wide as saucers. The only two not there were Taichi and Sora, but that didn't seem to matter to anyone at the moment.
"Yamato, this is so stupid! I don't know why I bother!" Mimi yelled.
"Then keep your mouth shut if you have nothing better to say!" he yelled back.
"You don't have anything better to say either! Quit bossing your little brother around!"
"I'm not! I'm just doing what I think is best for him!"
"Apparently, it's not working! It only made him as sick as a dog, passing out in public, and if it wasn't for Hikari and Daisuke following, we wouldn't have gone to look for him!"
"Oh, am I supposed to be thankful to the enemy?!"
"She's not the enemy! You're the enemy to your own brother, because you're bringing the sorrow upon his shoulders, not yours!"
"You think I don't have anything weighing me down!?"
"Oh, is it your band that's weighing you down?"
"I have MANY reasons, and the smallest is the band, but your life is so perfect, you wouldn't know diddly squat!"
"How dare you think I know nothing about life!"
"You're proving it right now!"
"Dammit, shut the hell up!" Koushiro suddenly shrieked, causing the two to stop, and causing everyone to stare wide eyed at him.
He glared angrily at the ground as everyone continued to stare with wide eyes and open jaws. "This is getting us nowhere, and we don't need you two making things worse!"
"How are we making it worse!?" Mimi roared.
"You two are gonna cause a rivalry and end up just like Taichi and him! No better! This is getting ridiculous, and it's about time you grew up and apologized like NORMAL human beings!"
"I'm always the one to apologize! I think he should! It's his fault that this is all happening anyway!" Mimi shouted, pointing at Yamato.
"Don't point fingers! This was as much as Taichi's doing, and this was as much as yours!" Yamato retorted.
"I SAID SHUT UP!" Koushiro yelled over the two.
Becoming silent, the room felt thick with nothing but pure anger. Koushiro knew everything was falling apart, and somehow, they had to save their friendship, or else everyone would collapse, one after the other, until they all became to resent one another.
"Yamato, just apologize and take it like a man," Takeru said.
"You don't know anything about being a man!" Yamato shouted. "So don't go telling me what to do!"
"Someone has to! You won't even listen to yourself!"
Yamato looked at him over his shoulder, then sighed loudly. "I'm outta here! I can't take anymore."
They all watched him shove his way through the crowded doorway, and Mimi called after him. "I'm sorry, you whiny bastard!"
"MIMI!!" Jou shouted.
Koushiro gave her a deadly glare and she looked at the ground. "Ok, so that was unladylike and not very nice, but who can help not avoid the truth?"
"Avoiding it would be best so that way you don't kill anymore relationships," Miyako said.
"Exactly," Iori said. "Whatever's going on isn't pretty, and I'd like to be let in on it."
They all looked at him, and Daisuke them stepped forward. "I agree! Iori and I are clueless! What is this, little kids aren't gonna be let in? I'm a big boy! I can handle it!"
"A big boy on diapers," Miyako muttered.
"And a big boy who chokes on stupid stuff, like erasers," Iori blurted, trying to restrain his laughter.
Everyone burst out laughing, and Daisuke turned bright red. "Pipsqueak! Look what you've done!! I'm so embarrassed!!"
Takeru was the only one not laughing. While he sat there in bed, he realized that he himself was making things somewhat worse. It's my fault as well...maybe I should've listened to Yamato in the first place. If I had, none of this would've happened!
Standing up quietly, he put his slippers on and slipped out of the room. Then, making an attempt, he went for the front door, and crept out.
Hikari noticed his disappearance, and followed after him, leaving the others unnoticeably. Takeru, I must talk to you! I've got to settle this...because it's not getting any better at all! And I'm making you terribly ill....all because of stupid me and my stupidity to actually ditch you like that.
She felt herself run out of breath, when she finally saw him up ahead, heading to the park, and then collapsing into the bench they had sat in almost a week ago. She then slowed down, then walked slowly over to him. She heard him wheezing as he tried to catch his breath. "You ok?"
Not taking interest in her sudden appearance, he nodded slowly, hiding his face from her. He heard her then take a seat next to him, and an uncomfortable silence lingered in the air. "What brings you here?"
"I...Takeru, I can't hide it anymore. I must tell you....exactly what's on my mind."