Author's Notes: Not much to say except for Love Hina and Digimon belong to their respective owners. Please review when you're done! Thanks!
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"Neh, Motoko-sempai..." Iori began as they walked towards the gym.
"H-Hai?" Motoko asked him, breaking out of her distracted state.
"You've seemed kind of... distracted lately."
"H-Hontou? I-It's nothing, I assure you, Iori-kun..."
"Hai, if you say so, sempai. If there's anything at all, you know that you can tell me."
"Hai. I'm full aware of that. Arigatou, Iori-kun, you've been a great help to me so far."
"D-Don't mention it, Motoko-sempai."
"Okay... this will be easy... just slip the letter under the doorstep, and then run away... perfect." Yamato hid behind a bush outside Motoko's home, peering down at the small letter in his hands.
'Part of me wonders if it was worth all of this trouble... but... I'm glad I got to know something about her. I kind of understand why she is the way she is...' Yamato took a deep breath and looked back from behind the bush, towards the house. 'She does have a pretty house though... so traditional looking. A lot nicer than the cruddy apartment Dad and I live in...' Yamato thought. He took another deep breath and then took off, his shoes hitting the paved path to the door louder than he intended. Quickly, he slipped the note under the door and whipped around to run back... to be face to face with someone else.
"Why hello there."
"AH!" Yamato fell backward in surprise, embarrassment showing on his face. The woman there had her black hair tied up in a traditional bun, and her gray eyes shinned brilliantly.
"Delivering a love letter for Motoko?"
"I-I-Iie!!" Yamato exclaimed, shaking his head wildly. The woman reached towards the door and grabbed the loose end of the letter that was hanging out. She scanned the front of the letter and raised an eyebrow.
"I thought I gave this letter to Motoko this morning..."
"H-Hai... I ran into it on the way to school this morning... literally... so I thought I'd return it. My name is Ishida Yamato, ma'am."
"I'm Motoko's mother, Mrs. Aoyama is fine with me, Ishida-kun. Are you a good friend of Motoko's?" she asked, tucking the letter into her obi.
"Hai, Aoyama-san is my lab partner in chemistry and sits behind me in-"
"So you're only friends?" Mrs. Aoyama asked, a hint of disappointment on her face.
"Well, yes, ma'am."
"Well, a friend of Motoko's is always welcome here. Ishida-kun, would you care to come in for tea?"
"No, ma'am, I was just here to return the letter..."
"Hai, hai, I see... but promise you'll return later, alright?"
"I-I-"
"I'll make a feast! Tempura, sushi, ramen, zarusoba, sukiyaki... I'll make everything just for you, Ishida-kun!!"
"A-Arigatou, but I really need to get home... I'll be sure to come by and visit again, Mrs. Aoyama! Ja ne!"
"Ja, Ishida-kun!!" As Yamato ran off back down the street, Mrs. Aoyama sighed heavily and held her head against her hand. "Motoko certainly knows how to pick them... such a handsome boy can't be good for her hormones." Meanwhile, Yamato continued to dash away from the house, relieved that Mrs. Aoyama hadn't noticed that the letter had been opened.
'That wasn't too bad after all... Thank the Lord I didn't run into-' WHAM!! The impact upon hitting the person in front of him was so great that Yamato fell flat on his back, as did the other person. His head felt incredibly sore as he picked himself off the pavement and his blurry eyes slowly began to focus.
"Gomen nasai, I wasn't--Ishida-san?" Yamato silently cursed his bad luck when his eyes focused and he found Motoko Aoyama herself sitting in front of him on the pavement. The papers in her book bag were scattered everywhere, and her Kendo sword lay behind her.
"Geeze, what a mess... gomen nasai. I was in a rush to get home" Yamato explained as he moved towards the papers to help her pick them up.
"Iie, it's no problem. I was a bit distracted myself" Motoko insisted as she too began to pick up papers. She made sure to watch Yamato's hands carefully, because heaven forbid she accidentally touch his hand--a classic romance instigator.
'This is so embarrassing... it'd be my luck that I'd run into her like this...'
'I hope he doesn't notice I'm nervous... wait... I'm nervous? DAMN IT!'
'Good thing she looks calm... It'd be even worse if I got her flustered...'
'I wonder if I should say something...'
'I should probably apologize again...'
"Ishida-"
"Aoyama-" Both were caught off guard when they spoke at the same time and they chuckled nervously.
"You first, Ishida-san."
"You know, Aoyama-san, Yamato-kun is fine with me..."
"Very well, then I suppose it's only fair that you call me Motoko-chan..."
"Listen, I just wanted to apologize again for the other day in chemistry... I just-"
"Iie, it's fine, Yamato-kun" she told him with a simple smile. He handed her the rest of her papers and she stuffed them into her book bag. "I should be heading back home, take care, Yamato-kun."
"Hai, same to you, Motoko-chan." The two departed towards their houses and the smile on Motoko's face faded as a thought suddenly crossed her mind.
'I wonder why he was over in this part of town...'
"Motoko! You just missed your friend!" her mother told her as Motoko came inside.
"Huh? What are you talking about? Did Sora-chan come by?"
"Iie, it was... oh let's see... he was kind of tall... blonde hair.. VERY handsome..."
"Y-Yamato-kun?" Motoko asked, very surprised.
"Hai, he returned your letter to you. I see you already opened it this morning, what did Tsuruko have to say?" her mother asked as she handed it back to her.
"Huh? But I didn't open this letter..." Motoko told her as she looked at the envelope in surprise.
"Well... if you didn't open the envelope... then..." The first look the appeared on Motoko's face was shock, maybe even a little bit of hurt but then her face slowly developed into a growing anger. No, she was absolutely furious. Not even close. She was livid.
"That Ishida...." she muttered, crumpling the letter in her fist.
"Now, now Motoko... Such a face isn't very becoming of a young lady-"
"That contemptible, treacherous, egotistical pretty boy played me for a fool... to ever THINK that I though he was dignified or honorable is a joke! He's almost in the category of those dishonorable Motomiyas!!!" Mrs. Aoyama sighed as she placed a hand on her daughter's fist.
"Motoko, maybe the letter your sister sent you is something he maybe SHOULD have read."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Well, if he's your boyfriend-"
"HE IS NOT!!!!!"
"I'm speaking hypothetically! If he were to ever become your boyfriend, then maybe the letter she sent you explained things better than you could."
"That's ridiculous!!"
"Think so? Why not read it?" Motoko grumbled angrily as she unfolded the letter and read carefully.
Motoko,
It seems like it's been longer since we've seen each other, doesn't it? Slowly but surely here in Kyoto the leaves are changing into their brilliant autumn colors and drifting off of the trees. Little Kenshin seems to be quite taken with the fall, as he is always attempting to crawl outside and likes to look out from his crib. Having a child has been such a joy, Motoko. I'm grateful for the time you spent here in Kyoto over the summer. You really are a good sister to me, and I thank you. Motoko, there's something else that I haven't thanked you for yet, however. I've never formally told you thank you for giving me this opportunity. Motoko, you were the one who really gave me the chance to be a wife and a mother. The decision I made those many years ago was one of the best things I ever decided.... but I can't help feeling like I've condemned you. You are now the Shinmei school heir, and the one who must carry on the dignity and pride of our family. At such a young age, your life was already planned out for you. And it was my fault. I ran from my responsibilities and instead threw them at you. Motoko, gomen nasai. I never realized how badly that affected you. I didn't realize that my marriage made you honestly believe that love made others weak. Your beliefs, morals, skills and dignity define who the woman you are right now, Motoko. But when other people see that your heart is your true purity and that it is the thing that makes you most beautiful, then you've truly completed your training. No matter what the ancient scrolls tell us, the ability to love and to be loved in return is the greatest joy of our lives. Although the scrolls tell us that women of the Shinmei School cannot marry or fall in love if they are to become the heir, we are no longer in that dull past! This is our future Motoko. You can carve the way for our entire clan. You can set yourself and our future children free! You are bound by no one, Motoko. The only person that rules us is God, and He wants you to embrace your feelings more than anyone. Motoko... you alone can make this decision. You can change everything for our family, because someday it will be your clan, and you will be the one everyone looks up to. I'm positive that you will make the best decision, Motoko, and I have no doubts or concerns about your future. You're much stronger than I was, so I know you'll make the decision that you see best fit.
Best of luck
Tsuruko
P.S. - Find a boyfriend soon or I'll come home and beat you up
"Oi! Yamato! Dinner is almost ready!" his father called from the kitchen. Yamato sat on his bed, his arms folded over his stomach as he looked up to the ceiling.
"I should have never opened the letter..." Yamato whispered to himself. "Now it makes me realize something about her... why she's always so cold and locked up. She doesn't trust many people because her sister betrayed her. Man, I had no idea how weird Motoko's family was." He closed his eyes and imagined the dark haired girl and how she had smiled that past afternoon. "She's intriguing though... she's not like any other girl I've ever met. I..."
"Oi! Yamato! Dinner!"
"... I want to know more and more about her..."
Sora wiped her nose as she handed Motoko's letter back to her. "Your sister is a very eloquent writer *sniffle* I've never read anything so *sniffle* touching" Sora sighed as she blew her nose on another tissue.
"I'm absolutely furious with him, Sora! I can't believe he violated my sanctity and read my letter!!! This is one of the most personal things I own! And he just read it like he was reading one of his juvenile love letters" Motoko spat angrily. Sora popped another piece of sushi into her mouth and smiled.
"Wow! You're Mom is a great cook, Motoko!" Sora exclaimed, relaxing in Motoko's bamboo chair. "But I seriously doubt Yamato meant to on purpose. Maybe he found it and thought someone had 'conveniently' placed it... you know, girls always do that when they leave a love letter."
"I doubt it! And now he knows basically my whole life's story! It's so... embarrassing!" Motoko proclaimed, as she relaxed on the floor of her room.
"Out of every boy in the school, wouldn't you rather it be Yamato?" Sora asked her.
"Good point... it's better than it being Daisuke, right?"
"Exactly! Yamato isn't the type of person to go off telling others. The only other person he might tell is his brother. But TK is pretty safe too, so don't worry so much, alright?" Motoko looked up towards her ceiling and smiled softly.
"You always seem to know how to change a bad situation into a positive one, Sora."
"It's one of my better qualities."
"Yamato..." Frantically, Yamato scanned the thick mist around him as he continued to run through it, the familiar voice calling to him. "Yamato!"
"TK! TK I hear you! I'm coming!" Yamato called out as he continued to run. Finally, he noticed someone up ahead... his mother. In her hand was little TK's hand, who appeared to be as he was when their parents separated.
"Yamato! I want you to come too!"
"TK! TK!" Yamato attempted to run towards him, but it was as if his feet were running through cement. As TK was slowly pulled further and further into the mist, the more desperation Yamato had in his running. "I'm coming!!" Once TK was completely out of sight, the sound of crying could be heard and he looked over to see a very familiar little boy sitting on the ground, sobbing into his hands.
"... Daddy's working all the time, and I'm all alone... I have no one..." the little boy whimpered.
"It can't be... T-That's me..."
"*sob* Why should I have to depend on others? It's useless! Forget it! Just forget them! I can live all alone, all by myself! I don't need anyone at all!"
"How can he say something so selfish? But... I guess there's some truth to that... because back then... I really didn't need anyone..."
"Yamato... stop running..." He turned around and saw a young woman hidden in the mist, the only visible thing was her familiar green school uniform and her long raven black hair.
"Motoko? Motoko is that you?"
"Don't run away, Yamato."
"Run away? Run away from what?" Motoko walked forward and knelt in front of the young boy, she placed a hand on his head and he looked at her with his small blue eyes. "Your past."
Yamato slung forward out of bed, sweat dripping down his face as he finally gained a handle on everything.
"It was only a dream..." he whispered, wiping his forehead. He glanced over towards the clock and sighed heavily, collapsing back onto his pillow. He looked up at the ceiling and his mind began to wander. "It must be conscious telling me that I did the wrong thing... darn it. I shouldn't have opened that letter... and now she probably knows I was the one who opened it. *sigh* Why do I have to be such an idiot sometimes?"
"Motoko! Motoko!" As Motoko pulled her shirt over her head, her mother rushed into the room, her excitement bubbling.
"What is it, Okaa-san?" Motoko asked her, raising an eyebrow.
"Ishida-kun is waiting for you outside!!"
"Wh-What?!" Motoko exclaimed, a blush rising to her cheeks.
"I wonder if he's sorry about opening the letter... or maybe... maybe he's going to ask you out on a date!" her mother exclaimed excitedly.
"I-Iie!! That can't be it!" Motoko exclaimed as her voice rose into her girlish scream.
"Well hurry up and get ready! Don't keep him waiting!" Motoko rushed around until she had gathered up all of her things and she rushed towards the kitchen.
"Motoko, who is that boy-"
"I think he's the paperboy, Otou-san, I'll see what he wants. I'll see you after school!" Motoko called out as she closed the door behind her. She rushed outside and Yamato noticed her immediately.
"Listen, Aoyama... I need to apologize-"
"I know what you did and I think it's very dishonorable. Looking into my mail like that, especially something so personal was cruel and ignorant. But..."
"B-But what?"
"You were at least honest about it... and I admire the fact that you came over here to tell me." Motoko decided against resorting to her anger and she forced a smile, trying to gather up everyone's advice. "So, I'm willing to call a truce. You saved me in chemistry-"
"And you forgave me for opening the letter. So we're on the right foot now?"
"Hai, most definitely."
A/N: Not one of my better chapters... I was kind of rushed to get it out, but oh well. I'm proud of the Tsuruko letter though, so all in all it was a good chapter ^_^ Review please!