The Inevitable Fate

Chapter 2

"Ryo??!!"

"Rika?!!"

"SHHHHHHH!!!" the librarian snapped and shot a disapproving look at them from a distant range.

Ryo grinned apologetically while Rika nodded ruefully in acknowledgement. That was a bit TOO loud. The librarian peered through her glasses with pure hatred before returning back to her previous work, eyeing them occasionally as if daring them to turn a deaf ear on and start yelling at each other again.

Students nowadays…. can't get into the library without making a hell loud of noise.

When she was finally convinced that both had certainly learned their lessons *her treacherous glare had deliberately worked*, she scooped an armful of books and disappeared into a small room behind the check-in counter. The only ones left in the library were Ryo and Rika.

Making sure that the librarian was out of sight; Rika retracted her attention back to the young lad.

Ryo on the contrary, was studying Rika with keen interest. There wasn't much alteration in her appearance and behavior; she still has that belligerent and conceited look upon her face, but with a more womanly feature. She had certainly grown taller since the last time they met. Her auburn hair was surprisingly straight and she had attempted to braid a small portion of her hair. And her eyes, those beautiful yet mysterious amethyst coloured pair, reflected a person of great desolation. Yet he believed there is much more to it than a naked eye can see… warmth perhaps?

He was momentarily mesmerized as her slender figure stood there, bathed by the wintry streams of sunlight, he concluded for the first time that when time seemed to pass by unnoticed, she had indeed maturated into a fair, beauteous young maiden.

Rika blinked. Once. Twice. The image of Ryo stayed. Kami-sama…this can't be true…it must be a dream…it must be!  She blinked harder this time in hope he would just evaporate from the spot but he stayed. Her face faltered as the colours slowly drained from her face. The person she had least expected to meet in this very day, this very time, this very spot itself…It can't be him! It couldn't be him!!!

"Ryo…" she whispered the all-too familiar name that was implanted in her brains since the first day she met him and then stopped herself almost immediately.

Ryo continued to stare blankly at her, totally oblivious to his surrounding. And so does Rika. She had forgotten she had Chemistry to attend and that was her first lesson. Under those immense stares, she could feel herself being absorbed into an endless void of blue.

She was falling….falling into a bottomless pit…and then…

THUD.

Both of them were jolted back to reality by the sounds of fallen books. Rika quickly cast her eyes away when she found that she was actually staring at him.

"Fancy meeting you here." Ryo started.

"I see you're still alive after all these years," she replied dryly.

"Gees….you haven't change a bit, do you? Still so cold-hearted …."

"Still as irremediable as ever. You're a spoil child, Ryo."

A smirk flickered at the corner of his lips and Rika winced as he did so. His smile had always irritates her. Clutching his chest in a sophomoric way, he replied with heavy sarcasm. "Ouch….Rika, that hurts."

She frowned. "Are you mocking me?"

"Me? Mocking you? Oh, I wouldn't. Not in a million years. I've got no such guts."

"Stop being so pathetic!!" she retorted for she could no longer tolerate with his jokes.

"Am I?" he cast his winning smile once again. "You're being ironic too, you know."

She cursed silently and disregarded his smile with pure aloofness.

When realization finally hit her; great, she just missed the first ten minutes of Chemistry, she scooped her books so fast he could have sworn she did it by magic. Without muttering any goodbyes, she proceeded to pace out from the library and headed straight for the lab. Ryo pondered for a while and then he too, sauntered out the library and back to his class.

It is indeed an ironic twist of fate….

The random thought popped out in both minds but none paid further heed to it as their sensei each gave them a long lecture for being late to class.

*~*~*~*~*~*

"Where have you been the entire break?" Jeri asked as they walked side by side beneath the cherry blossom tress lining the walkway.

"The library." She grunted a reply. She was certainly not responsive when it comes to personal matters she wished not to share especially…such as this.

"Aaah…I see…"

A brief silence followed by, as both had nothing more to spare for a conversation.

The air was billowed with rich fragrant smell of cherry blossoms, in which both found quite sweet and appealing. The sky was a glorious blue and the weather couldn't be more perfect. And as they sauntered silently alongside the endless tree-lined path, the leaves rustled and shook as they passed, humming a particular soft melody, barely audible yet all the while enchanting. However elusive it might be to the others' aural senses, it was a definite wonderful piece of music to the ears of Rika Nonaka.

Just when she was about to drift off into another reverie of hers, Jeri spoke up all of a sudden.

"What's so interesting in there until it manage to catch the Ice Queen's attention?" Jeri jested, casting her a sideway glance as she toyed with her luck once more on the unsolved mystery.

Rika's face contorted into a deep frown and shot her It-is-not-funny look. "Why are you asking this much?"

"Why are you evading my question then?"

She was quite taken aback by her unexpected question and was trying her best to keep a straight face before sighing for the umpteenth time of the day. Jeri can be very pertinacious at times. You can never keep anything from her, let alone evading her; she would haunt you for the rest of your life! She secretly empathized Takato who had been dating her for about a year already.

"Something must have happen while you are there. Am I right to say this?" Jeri was still adamant to get an answer from her.

"I –"

"There they are!!"

Sounds of scuttling feet reached them before they could budge off from the spot.

"Hey, Jeri!" Takato greeted. "Oh, hello Rika."

"Takato been missing you ever since you left five minutes ago, Jeri. " Henry joked.

"Yeah, he was frantic when he saw your empty seat. Reckon you have been kidnapped or something." Kazu joined in the fun.

"Guys!! Please!! Stop the craps!!" Takato yelled, his face was blushing with such extreme; one could actually call him a tomato-man. "Don't listen to them Jeri!!"

Jeri merely chuckled while Rika frowned at the sight of them. She wasn't entirely angry or mad at them…it's just that she couldn't tolerate cheeky jokes.

"Stop bullying him guys."

Henry's eyes widened. "Look guys, Jeri is standing up for her dear Takato."

"Aww…what a loving couple…"

It was Jeri's turn to blush. They certainly make a great couple, Rika conceded and instantly her thoughts went flying back to a certain lad with gravity-defying hair…

"By the way," Kenta cocked his head slightly, "why you people left so early, huh?"

"We girls wanted to have a one-on-one discussion." Jeri replied, her cheeks were still red after all that blushing. "And we didn't want you boys to disturb. That's why we left early."

"One-on-one discussion? Ah…I wonder…" Henry's voice trailed off to induce Jeri to spill the beans but it did not seem to work. Jeri had had enough experience with it.

"It's a girl talk, Henry." She cast him a scornful look. "You wouldn't want to know."

"Well, if you don't want to tell us, fine then. One can play the same game. We boys too are having a one-on – hold on, I mean three-on-one discussion in Takato's house. How's it boys?"

"Sounds good to me, Hen," Kazu nodded his head, indicating his affirmation.

"I second the motion," Kenta too agreed with his friend's sudden decision.

"But, but –" Takato was looking from Jeri to Henry with puppy eyes but before he could kick up a fuss, Henry and Kazu, accompanied by Kento dragged him off to a far away corner to shut him up.

"Catch you girls later then. Ja mata!!" They chorused their goodbyes except for the poor old Takato who was pulled away like a ragged doll by his friends.

Focusing back their attention from the departing figures, Rika and Jeri proceeded to pace forward, heading back home.

"Oh yeah, where were we just now?"

"There's nothing to be discussed, Jeri. I'm totally fine." Rika lied between her teeth.

"Don't be silly. I know there's something troubling you. You know full well what I am talking about."

"It's all right, Jeri. I can handle it myself, whatever the matter is."

"Are you sure?"

"100 percent."

Jeri could only sigh and concede defeat. "Very well then…"

*~*~*~*~*~*

He sat on the bench; his gaze was transfixed upon the cold-cemented floor. He hadn't budged from the spot ever since the training session ended. He had a stumpy towel hung over his neck and he seemed oblivious to his surrounding. He didn't notice when the juniors greeted him. He didn't notice when his teammates play pranks on him. He didn't notice when his best friend, Keiji entered the locker room and was practically yelling at him.

After a few more desperate attempts, another idea sprang up out of the blue. He took the Pocari Sweat can that he had just bought not long ago and languidly pressed it upon Ryo's cheek. Seconds passed before –

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Ryo stumbled back and fell off the bench while Keiji chuckled mercilessly. Regaining his composure once more, he glared daggers at him, but Keiji smirk coolly and addressed him in a rather annoying way.

"Welcome back, buddy. Say… how's Pluto?"

Ryo frowned. Giving him a don't-you-ever-dare look, he slumped back onto the bench, thoroughly enervated and that little prank played by his best friend had made the matter worse.

When Ryo made no attempt to move nor talk, Keiji offered him the can of Pocari Sweat which he accepted it gratefully. He sipped the content ever so slowly, enjoying the coolness it brought to his throat.

"Is it just me or is something bothering you, Ryo?"

Ryo lifted the can from his mouth and fixated his eyes upon the floor once more. Without any acknowledgement to his friend's unexpected question, an agonizing sigh escaped from his mouth. There is something that has been bothering him but he just couldn't find the right words to put them into.

"Let me guess…is it concerning a girl?"

Ryo looked up and gaze into the pair of hazel eyes before nodding his head fervently.

"Hmm…" Keiji rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Tell me about her."

Feeling rather reluctant, Ryo spilled out his first encounter with the certain auburn-haired girl. Keiji was a good listener for he did not interrupt his friend halfway and sometimes gave a 'ah' and 'oh' exclamation in the rightful place. After listening to him for half a day, he rubbed his chin again as if thinking hard. Ryo waited patiently for his answer to his discomfort and when his friend finally came out from his trance, he clung to every word spoken by his friend like a child learning how to differentiate A, B and C.

"So…after that first encounter you can't get her out of your mind, right?"

"Yeah…sort of…"

"She's been bugging your mind ever since, right?"

Ryo nodded.

"You can't forget her, right?"

"Are you mocking me, Keiji?!! Why are you repeating the same questions over and over again??!!"

"Okay, okay….geesh…the conclusion is…"

Ryo leaned forward.

"The conclusion is…."

"So what is it, damn It??!!"

"Patience, my dear, patience…"

"Just spit it out, would ya??!!"

"All right, all right…I reckon you like her, Ryo."

Fuh, done with the second chapter. I know it's bad so please bear with me. Like I said before, critics and flames are always welcome. Tell me if this chap is really that bad. I might consider replacing with another. But at the mean time, I'm going out on a holiday. Ja mata minna-san!!

Updated

Dear Anjel bluez,

Look, this isn't some mushy mushy fic and I'm afraid that none of the reader *I think* would want Rika to beat the crap out Ryo for no good reason. If there's anyone out there who wants it, tell me. Mail me if you found this offending, anjel bluez. Like I mention above, critics and flames ARE always welcome. Digimon is currently been dominated by small kids and I don't want one to come across some crappy fic and get influenced by it. And I think I had a plot going in my mind and wish not to spoil it. If you find this fic unenjoyable, then please don't read it. I don't mind at all.

I'm sorry if this note offended any readers out there.

Signing out,

Psycho_kyugurl