A/N: We don't own Digimon. We just… like it very much. ^. ^; Gorsh… We can be scary together… Oh, and, this is AU. So don't expect this following through with the series in any way.
—rukimakino and GataFairy, the dangerous duet!
Chapter 2: Interference of a Good Night
On Sunday afternoon, Rumiko was just about to ask Ruki if she'd like to go to the mall with her, but remembered the girl's "date." Instead, she walked to Ruki's bedroom and opened the door. She saw Ruki looking through her closet and picking out various clothes. Rumiko cleared her throat, and Ruki jerked her head in surprise.
The blonde was smiling as she said, "I thought this wasn't a date, Ruki."
Ruki pouted and replied, "It's not."
Rumiko tried to suppress a giggle, but couldn't help it.
"Then why are you looking through your closet for the perfect outfit?" she challenged.
Ruki sighed and said, "Okay. I give up. You win. What should I wear, dear model-for-a-mother?"
Rumiko walked to the closet and looked inside to see what would look nice for her daughter. After a while (which was a pretty long while), she found the perfect clothes fit for the occasion. Ruki tried on (after many other try-outs) a white (with pastel green swirls spread about it) tank top and a knee-length pastel green skirt with emerald green swirls spread about it also. Ruki's hair was down and she had a white hair band holding her long, red hair back. Finally, she wore white sneakers for the finishing touches. Rumiko stared with awe at her beautiful daughter, head to toe.
Ruki wasn't really used to wearing skirts or dresses, but she was glad that her mother was smiling, and not sad like a few days ago.
***
It was now six fifty PM, and Ruki was getting the jitters. Butterflies grew in her stomach and she started feeling sick. Suddenly, she remembered that she forgot to call Lee! She ran to get the phone, dialed his number, and waited for someone to pick up. After three rings, someone picked up. But it wasn't Jianliang.
"Moshi moshi, Lee residence," said the voice.
Ruki's heart sank. It was Jian's older sister. She asked, "Is Jianliang there?"
The voice demanded, "Who is this?"
"Ruki, his friend."
"Oh…Jianliang went over some friends' house. I think he mentioned something about seeing a play with some friends."
Ruki started to think positively and said, "Okay. Sayonara!"
She hung up, spirits lifting by the minute. Ruki walked outside and waited by the outer gate. After a few minutes, she started to grow bored. She sat down and looked at the floor, thinking intently. Just when she had lost all hope, someone tapped her shoulder. Ruki looked up to see Lee smiling.
"I see you're ready."
Ruki stood up quickly, ignoring his outstretched hand. She wiped her skirt; Lee gawked at her. He complimented, "You look…kawaii?"
Ruki furrowed her brows and snapped back, "And you look…" Ruki noticed the dark-haired boy was wearing teal blue shorts and a white tank top over a lime green shirt. He also wore brown sandals.
"Okay. When are we leaving? Doesn't the show start at seven thirty?" she continued.
Lee smiled. "Don't we look like we're going to the beach?"
Ruki wasn't all that happy. After waiting all that afternoon for Jian, all he said was, "Don't we look like we're going to the beach?" instead of "Let's go, we're going to be late!"
He seemed happier, even though there was a chance they might not get seats. Finally, they set out to Downtown West Shinjuku.
***
By the time Ruki and Lee arrived at the theater, it was almost seven fifty PM, just in time to get last-minute tickets (because Lee hadn't bought them ahead of time). They were lucky that they had gotten some seats, even though they were sort of far away from the play. As the lights went out, butterflies started to form in Ruki's stomach again. She began to feel light-headed, but still she watched. By the time it was intermission (the play was two hours long), Ruki felt very sick.
At intermission, Ruki ran to the lady's washroom. As soon as she closed the stall door, she puked in the toilet. She haddn't known that she would actually be sick— she'd only expected being a little nervous. Apparently she wasn't well. And when she finally walked out of the washroom, Lee was standing outside, looking worried.
"Are you okay, Ruki?" he asked.
Ruki swayed a little and held her head. She replied, "Iie, Jian."
The boy wrapped a comforting around Ruki, so she wouldn't fall. Unfortunately, she took the gesture as offensive, and pushed his arm away.
"I don't need help, Lee Jianliang. Just go back and watch the play. I'm going home."
Ruki started to walk towards the exit (which was near the washrooms), but was intercepted by a concerned Lee.
"Ruki, I think it'll be better if I go along with you, so you don't end up stumbling somewhere and getting hurt," he said with concern.
Ruki ignored him and said a little more politely, "That's okay, Jian. I can manage getting home. I'll call you later. Ja ne."
With that, Ruki walked, or rather, stumbled towards the exit. Lee tried not to punish himself for not walking her home, and it passed. The intermission was almost over; Lee hurried back towards the auditorium.
Meanwhile, Ruki was still stumbling while holding her head because of a headache that started to form, right after she had thrown up. What was supposed to be the best day of her entire life now turned miserable. For some unknown reason, she passed a bakery that seemed to look familiar, but she had such a painful headache, she couldn't recognize anything more. After a long walk going nowhere, Ruki collapsed on the ground with a thud. Little did she know that she was in the park near Guilmon's shack.
Lots of couples were outside on that beautiful summer night. One couple was Yamaki Mitsuo and Ootori Reika. After going to see a play called Death Penalty, the same one Ruki and Jianliang had gone to, Reika and Yamaki were walking down the path, hand in hand, when they saw a figure lying on the ground. At first, Yamaki joked about the girl being dead because a vampire had sucked her neck for blood (which wasn't a very good joke). But Reika was more serious. She checked the girl's pulse on her neck, and sighed, relieved that she felt a beat.
"I'll go get help," Reika said, already at quite some distance from the blonde. "You stay with her in case something happens!"
Yamaki waved to indicate that he understood. Having received his signal, Reika broke into a run and almost instantly disappeared.
He whirled his head back to the fallen Ruki. The girl was starting to move, groaning with pain. He knelt by her.
"Are you all right?" he asked.
Ruki supported herself with her elbows and forearms as she tried to get up. She didn't bother to answer the man's question. She moved back, pulling her knees under herself, and tried to stand. The pressure on her left ankle made pain swell and course through that leg, and she successfully managed to fall once more.
She frowned.
"I'm not," she coldly stated.
Yamaki was about to speak, but his cel phone rang. It was Reika, telling him where to take the hurt child. He grabbed Ruki's arm after standing and pocketing the portable phone.
Ruki looked up at him with a scowl.
"Come on," Yamaki instructed.
Though not entirely wanting to, Ruki stood with his help; she was, however, unable to walk. And, again, though she hadn't wanted to or expected it, she allowed him to carry her on his back. She was tired and her head throbbed, so she leaned her head on his and sighed.
"What's your name?" she spontaneously asked.
"What's yours?"
"I asked first."
He barely laughed and answered, "Yamaki Mitsuo."
"Makino Ruki," was her quick, unthought reply.
He stopped at the same time she opened her eyes wide. She shook it off quickly.
"Why are you stopping?"
"You think it's easy carrying a ten-year-old on your back?" he asked, resuming his pace.
"How did you know how old I am?" Ruki demanded forcefully.
"Lucky guess," came the dry reply.
They walked in silence the rest of the way.
'Does he know my mother? He has to be the same Yamaki Mitsuo. He looks just like him, too! It's not some stupid coincidence. And I know that's why he stopped. Because he knows my mother. But how does he know my age…?' She involuntarily tightened her hold on the blonde's neck. 'No. Stupid Ruki, what are you thinking. I really am sick.'