A/N: I made up that the children know where the others live and made up Kouji's apartment design, if he lives in an apartment.
Chapter Three: Confrontation
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Kouichi ran from his brother, Kouji after he broke the news to him. He stopped midway, surrounded by darkness and shadows. He felt an urge to spirit evolve to Duskmon but of course; he can't since he's in the Real World, not the Digital World. Kouichi gawked at the cemented ground, his hands on his calves and kneeling a little. Sweat dripped from the sides of his head and down on the ground.
I should've killed Izumi when I had the chance to. Why was I so stupid to let her go? Why didn't I let Ranamon destroy Fairymon? Kouichi thought, looking back into his past, of the events in the Digital World.
He rose up and stared ahead. He clenched his fists tighter and kicked the ground, ignoring the pain his foot just took in. The agony wasn't as excruciating as the mixed feelings he had inside and the memories of the past. He looked ahead to the nothingness around him. But why is Kouji so depressed? She's just leaving to America and she'd come back. So what the…? Kouichi thought. Oh my… Kouji must like Izumi! Kouichi figured out and was wide-eyed.
Kouichi ran from the place he stopped and through the streets, shoving people away as before, to Izumi's home. He needed to tell Izumi that Kouji likes her and that…that… Great! Kouichi stopped again. I don't even know if he likes her or not! I'm just being presumptuous from his actions. And what if she likes someone else? And what if she does like him? What next? Kouichi dropped his head and stared at the cemented dark-grey ground.
People pushed by him but he didn't move, unable to move because he didn't know what to do now. Should I tell Izumi how Kouji feels or not? Why am I worrying about this? Why did I run out from Kouji? Thoughts whirled around in his head and mixed feelings whirled together into one. He was beginning to have a severe headache from all these thoughts.
That was when Izumi walked up to Kouichi and put a hand on his shoulder. Kouichi turned toward Izumi and saw her wearing a different outfit. She wore a purple sleeveless shirt with the bottom folded in a bow-like shape that revealed her stomach, lilac skirt that went down to her knees, and her purple sneakers.
"Hi, Kouichi-san," Izumi greeted.
"Hi," Kouichi muttered under his breath.
"You don't look good," Izumi cocked her head.
"Nothing," Kouichi muttered.
"Tell me. I am your friend too," Izumi smiled slightly.
Kouichi sighed. He looked up, at Izumi and then gazed out at the blue sky. He breathed in the fresh air and then turned to Izumi slowly. He didn't know how to tell her but he has to, if Kouji really like her. He has to do this for his brother and he has to do it now or it'd be too late. He gulped and began.
"Izumi… I think Kouji likes you. He was like, so depressed when he found out you were leaving," Kouichi said ineptly.
"…Really?" Izumi blushed.
"Most likely."
"Wow… I never knew… I must see Kouji now!" Izumi exclaimed. Izumi ran from where Kouichi stood baffled as the wind blew through her skirt. She ran through the crowd, pushed her way through and even ran on the streets bordering the sidewalk. She stopped in front of Kouji's door and stopped to catch her breath. Her right hand was on the building as her left hand was on her torso.
"Kouji-kun…" Izumi whispered softly and raised her right arm to the door. She hesitated, paralyzed for a second when Kouichi came and took the key out.
"You can't get Kouji just by knocking," Kouichi laughed. He put the key in the knob, turned it and opened the door for Izumi and then followed her inside. He walked to the staircase, ascended with Izumi, and stopped in front of a red door. He turned the key again and opened the door.
Izumi smelled the same smell that foreign apartments smelled. But this was different, a little sweet and pleasant. She followed Kouichi in the apartment and looked around the white walled place, her left hand on her torso as she toured around the complex.
"Kouji! Kouji, are you home yet?" Kouichi shouted through the apartment.
Kouji stepped from his bedroom and to the living room, where Kouichi and Izumi stood. Kouji stared at Izumi and then at Kouichi. He walked to Kouichi and pulled him by the sleeve. "What the heck are you doing?" Kouji whispered.
"You like her, don't you?" Kouichi smiled.
"…Why should I tell you?" Kouji asked, paranoid.
"I know you do. Just tell her, for Pete's sake."
Kouji looked at Kouichi, who had walked to the kitchen and then looked over at Izumi. He turned away, his face red with embarrassment and hands twiddling in front of him. He was incapable of looking at Izumi, especially after Kouichi told Izumi that he liked her.
"Izumi-chan…" Kouji began.
"…Yes? Do you have something to tell me?"
"I…I…I…" Kouji felt more and more isolated. He lost his words, incapable to tell Izumi his exact feelings. "Uh…Never mind, Izumi-chan."
Izumi looked at Kouji and then looked down at the white linoleum floor in disappointment. "Oh," Izumi said, nearly inaudible. Izumi sighed and dragged her feet to the door; opening the door and descending to the ground floor, the same way when Kouichi bought her after he told her Kouji liked her.