Karen: For the final disclaimer, I managed to secure special guests. May I introduce to you . . . the gang from Digimon Frontier!

Gang from Digimon Frontier: Hey.

Karen: So, what do you think of the gang from Digimon Adventure 02?

Takuya: The what from the where?

Kouji: Hmmp. I despise all strangers.

Tomoki: None of them are as cool as Takuya onii-chan. He's my hero. *.*

Junpei: Hikari is cuter than Izumi. *.*

Izumi: Hey! Everyone is meant to have a crush on me, because I'm so cute and adorable.

Karen (aside): And the only girl in the series, unless you're a yaoi fan . . . .

Takuya: Speak for yourself . . . .

Izumi: Shut up. Everyone knows our bickering covers up our real feelings for each other. We'll get married and I'll wear a pretty, white dress . . .

Junpei: Hey, that was my fantasy!

Takuya: You wanted to wear a pretty, white dress?

Junpei: Shut up, Takuya!

Karen: Actually . . . the goggle boy never gets the girl.

::Junpei looks happy::

Junpei: Tell me more . . . .

Taichi: I didn't get Sora. She rejected me by giving a box of cookies to Yamato.

Junpei: Rejection through the medium of food? Harsh. 

Daisuke: And I didn't get Hikari, even though everyone knew her flirting with Takeru the entire time really covered up her feelings for me.

Junpei: So her flirting with Kouji is really a cover-up for her feelings for me. Good to know!

Izumi: Mama mia.

Sora:  Yama mia.

Hikari: Tama mia.

Takeru: Tama mia?

Hikari: Heh heh . . . Wrong show. ^.^;;; 

Takeru: $#$%^$@ing %&#@$. -.-#

Hikari: $#$%^$@ ing %&#@$? O.o

Takeru: Heh heh . . . Wrong show. ^.^;;;

Karen: Time to get on with this show, methinks.

Takeru: About &*%$ing time.

Takuya: And I thought I could swear!

****

EDUCATING MR MOTOMIYA

PART 15

"At least I didn't screw it up for you, Hikari-chan," Daisuke said happily, as the three members of Odaiba's team walked down the hallway towards their respective dressing-rooms. Behind them, the studio was a buzz of a noise and confusion. He could hear the excited cheers and chanting of the crowd, and the stage-manager yelling above everything that they needed to get the stage cleared in ten minutes max, because they were shooting another show on it the next morning.

"You did great, Daisuke," Takeru replied with a smile, but it was not his approval in which Daisuke was interested. He had not entered this competition to impress the other boy, but the girl walking next to him. Hidden by the taller and slightly bulkier Takeru, all that was visible of Hikari were the pigtails sticking out at odd angles on either side of her head and the edges of her green skirt . He couldn't see her face to judge her reaction. He was about to ask her what she had thought of his performance, but a man's deep voice prevented him from saying anything.

"All of you did great. I'm proud of all of you."

Daisuke turned to see Mr Ishida standing behind them, his jacket slung over his shoulder and an undisguised grin on his face. Takeru ran up to hug his father, and he took the opportunity to sneak a look at Hikari. She had a smile on her face, making her look even cuter than usual, but he wasn't sure if it was directed at him or at the father-son reunion.

"This'll cause a scandal if it's on the front page of tomorrow's newspapers," Mr Ishida laughed, as he wrapped his own arms around his son, "But who cares? I had to be the impartial host all night, so I guess they'll just have to put up with me being a proud dad now."

"Thanks, dad. I'm glad you all were there," Takeru whispered, as Mr Ishida gave him a final squeeze and ruffled his hair. At least, he tried to ruffle his hair, because it had set into little spikes as hard and immovable as steel. Daisuke lifted a tentative hand to his own hair and winced. He suspected his goggles were now permanently bonded to his head.

"Cheap gel," the man commented.

Although his eyes were suspiciously bright, Takeru managed a grin, "Don't tell Yamato. He'll have a fit."

"I promise," he winked, "Anyway, I have to find your mom and brother. We're all going out to dinner to celebrate tonight. Sounds okay, kid?"

"Sounds great."

As his father went back into the fray that was the studio, Takeru slowly turned and rejoined his friends. His eyes were wet, and he lifted a hand to rub them dry. Daisuke gave him a tight smile, feeling slightly awkward. As much as he hated how close Takeru was with Hikari, he felt sorry for him too. He and Jun fought a lot and he didn't always get on that well with his dad, but he didn't want to imagine what it would be like to live in a different house to them. It was too big and frightening and painful.

"So, let's get out of these ugly clothes as quickly as possible," Takeru said in a show of cheerfulness.

"Yes," Hikari added, scratching her shoulder, "I think I'm allergic to this shirt, let alone how it makes me look."

"Yeah," Takeru laughed, "You look terrible. Even Jyou has better taste than the costume-department here."

"I think you look totally cute," Daisuke said, leaping to her defense. Hikari could have been wearing a brown, paper packet and he would have thought she looked cute. There was something about her that shone through whatever clothes she was wearing.

"Thanks, but Takeru's right," Hikari said with a philosophical shrug, "I feel stupid."

"After beating us at the Brainbuster Challenge?" a familiar voice said, and Ken appeared around the corner. He had already changed back into his ordinary clothes, although in his case it wasn't much of an improvement. There wasn't much to choose between his normal, grey suit and the blazer and trousers he had worn for the competition. Ken was the only person Daisuke knew who wore his school uniform almost the entire year around. Still, he was his best friend, and that excused a lot.

"Ken!" he said happily, "We kicked your ass big time! Tamachi went down like the Titanic."

"Oh, you got lucky this time," Ken shrugged, "But well done to all of you. I was impressed."

"Please. Luck had zero to do with it," Daisuke replied, "You were up against a brilliant team, especially Hikari-chan."

 "You were smart too, Daisuke," Hikari said, "You got that last question right, remember?"

A sweet smile on her face, she stepped forward and pecked him on the cheek. He stared at her in amazement, his hand going to cup his cheek as if to keep a hold of her kiss. He felt a warm, almost painful sweetness rise within him. She loves me. She loves me. She loves me. She loves me. The words thudded through his head in time to his racing pulse.

Standing behind her, Takeru looked as if he had been shot straight through the heart.

"And you were very smart too, Takeru," Hikari turned to him and her smile faded slightly. A strange look came into her eyes, a look that made Daisuke doubt the love about which he had been so sure seconds ago. She leaned forward to brush her lips against his cheek, but he started slightly at the contact and her mouth ended up meeting his. After what seemed like hours to the agonised Daisuke but was only split seconds in reality, they broke apart. Takeru was pink to the tips of his ears; Hikari giggled nervously, her own cheeks flushed.

"Excuse me. I'd better go and change . . . ." she muttered, hurrying down the hallway to her dressing room.

"Me too . . . ." he mumbled, following her.

"How does that guy get all the lucky breaks?" Daisuke sighed, as he slumped against the wall.

Ken laughed and patted him consolingly on the shoulder, "I don't know, Dai. You're the smart one here;  you tell me."

*

OWARI!! 

*

Mimi: What a cliched ending . . . .

Takeru: I liked it. Ha ha. 

Hikari: Me too. Hee hee.

Daisuke: At least I got one kiss out of it. 

Karen: So, everyone's happy?

Takeru: Only if they review.

Karen: True, true. Review or his hat burns.

Hikari: You do know that's not going to work. . . .

Mimi: The hat is evil.

Karen: We'll see.