Chapter Ten: Dark Half

Kouji heard someone from behind him, but he didn't really care. He moved his eyes to the side for a second. Although Kouji didn't like expressing his feelings, but he couldn't suppress it any longer. "Orimoto…"

But, before he could open his mouth and say two more words, the person he heard from behind him was a rude, reckless skateboarder who skidded by and accidentally knocked into Kouji's back. Kouji was forcefully pushed onto Izumi, and she fell into the street. Izumi would have been lucky if ongoing traffic was on the other side. Sadly, where she fell was where traffic was going on, her body banged against the side of an incoming car, and she collapsed on the side of the street. Kouji stared in horror. His eyes had seen everything in a slow motion manner with his own blue eyes.

"Kouji!" Izumi yelped. Kouji's eyes widened as he tried to grab Izumi's hand before she was to fall onto the gravel pavement. But he was too late. He had just missed her fingers by an inch. Izumi was lying already on the street. This was the worst timing ever, and he was more concerned than ever. Was Orimoto all right? Kouji ran to Izumi, she was lying in the side of the street, looking expired. The car that Izumi was hit against pulled over

"Oh my god! Are you okay?" the driver asked, but Kouji didn't bother to look up at all. His attention was all focused on Izumi.

"Orimoto! Orimoto!" he kept yelling and yelling gently to her. She didn't wake up. It wasn't like the time he was hit by that car, and could still see Izumi, then blacked out.

"That damn punk!" Kouji yelled and looked around to see if the skateboarder was honest enough to stick around. Unfortunately the person riding the skateboard was not and was gone. He was sitting in the side of the street, with Izumi lying on the street. Kouji didn't know what to do. He started to panic, he still didn't know what to do. He put his hand on his head.

"It's my entire fault, it should have been me. Not her. Not Orimoto," a tear fell out of his eye. It splashed against Izumi's cheek. He held Izumi in his one free arm. He realized the driver was watching, rubbed his eye, then he grabbed Izumi's handbag and opened it. He frantically looked for her phone in her purse and called the paramedics since he could not reach into his own pockets for his phone. Then he called his parents and Orimoto's parents from her phone, and told them quickly about what happened to Izumi. Within two minutes they ran out the banquet hall and found where Kouji was. The paramedics came and Kouji thought it was appropriate for her parents to come, not him. He just watched as they put Izumi on a stretcher, attached her to respirator, and her sorrowful parents went with her to be rushed to the hospital. The authorities talked to Kouji and the driver who accidentally hit Orimoto. The driver was not pressed with any charges, and they questioned Kouji about what happened. All that was left that nobody paid attention to was the bag Orimoto had. Kouji still held it in his right hand. Kouji watched Izumi as she was pushed into the ambulance. All he could do was stare, with his hand on his cast. His parents stood next to him, watching, a bit worried of how this happened. Kouji tightened his grip to Orimoto's bag. The ambulance left for Jiyuugaoka Hospital. Now Orimoto was out of his reach and there wasn't anything he could do. Mr. Minamoto put his hand on Kouji's unharmed shoulder. His parents walked back into the banquet hall where all the people were attentive to the accident and were no longer paying attention to the emcee's presentation. Kouji sat back down. He turned around. Orimoto and her parents were not there, obviously. Kouji turned around, staring at the tablecloth. Mrs. Minamoto watched Kouji's facial expression and put the pieces together. Her stepson liked the girl. She didn't know the girl, but the girl showed more concerned feelings than she did when they were in the hospital. The parents left since there was no point in staying anymore. They left for home. Kouji still had the bag in his possession. While on the way driving, his stepmother questioned him.

"How did this happen?" Mrs. Minamoto asked.

"I didn't do anything, it was an accident," Kouji said, looking out the window, the bag still in his hand.

"I mean, how did she end up in the street?"

"An ignorant skateboarding person who was not nice enough to go around us pushed me into her, and she fell into the street. I tried to prevent her from falling, but it was too late, her body collided with the side of a car with ongoing traffic. At least I called the paramedics," Kouji said, just so his mother would stop drilling him with questions.

His mother paused for a second. "Why do you have her bag?"

Kouji didn't know what to answer with. "…She—she forgot it."

Kouji remained quiet the rest of the way home. When they reached the household, Kouji walked up to his room, his dog following behind him. He placed Orimoto's bag on his desk. He forgot he put her phone in his pocket. He turned it off and put it on his nightstand. He sat on his bed. He really felt that it was his fault. If he were just smart enough to sidestep, then she wouldn't have fallen. She wouldn't be in the hospital. And now, Orimoto's parents thought otherwise of Kouji, probably that he was careless. No, her parents might be angry that he hurt their daughter. What if they could legally sue him? What if they never let her go near him anymore? Kouji knew he was contemplating too much again, and went to sleep.

Meanwhile, Izumi was taken into the Emergency Room. The doctors looked at her. Her left cheek was bleeding because of the impact from the car. The doctors examined, and there were a lot of bruises forming on her side. She was very lucky her rib cage didn't slam into the car, or else she'd have to be checked for internal bleeding. She was put into a room, a nurse treating and tending to all her wounds. Her parents sat with her, full of worry. "Izumi…" her mother sobbed, sitting next to her. It was very late at night, so the doctor informed them of her medical status, which was not entirely bad, but her wounds would take awhile to disappear. Then her parents left.

The next morning, Kouji sat at the breakfast table, just sitting there. He needed to know if she was all right. He knew waiting wasn't going to do much and keeping it inside would just drive him to insanity. He walked upstairs. He stared at Orimoto's bag sitting on his desk. He opened his nightstand drawer, Izumi's phone sitting in there. Mrs. Minamoto walked by his room, seeing Kouji just eyeing the girl's things. Kouji grabbed his school bag, threw some items in it, flung it on his unharmed shoulder, and walked downstairs and headed for the door.

"Where are you going so early, son?" Mr. Minamoto asked, sipping his coffee at the breakfast table.

"To school," Kouji said, walking out the door hastily.

"Since when does that boy go to school early?" Mrs. Minamoto asked.

Kouji walked down the street sidewalk. He didn't know where he was going, or his destination. It was too early to be at school. No one would be there on campus. He saw his liking for Orimoto as both a feeling of good and bad. Orimoto was the most understanding girl he'd met. But at the same time, he didn't feel good enough for her. She was very kind and caring, and he felt he'd probably appear boring to her. Plus, Kouji didn't like receiving affection or hugs. It made him uncomfortable. He could barely even look at her in eye half the time. He walked down the sidewalk, just thinking hard. A vision of him finally admitting his feelings to her entered his head. She looked really happy and accepted, then hugged Kouji. Kouji looked flustered for a second but hugged her back. Kouji shook his head, "What the heck am I thinking?" and turned his head to the left. It was the exact street he had been hit by a car and Orimoto was there to aid him. He looked down at his cast, supported with a sling. He sighed, and looked up at the morning sky. He turned his indigo eyes to the right and saw the subway.

He walked there, paid for his fare, and held to a bar with his right hand. He stood in silence, then finally got off. He still didn't know where he was going. It was still way too early to just go to school and sit down somewhere. Not even Takuya would wake up this early. Then a familiar building caught his eye. He didn't want to go in, but at the same time, he urged to just walk in. And he did. He was in the hospital. It was too early for visiting hours. So instead, he looked it up in the hospital index computer instead of asking the front desk, they might have just escorted him outside and tell him to go to school if he asked to visit someone. He took the elevator, walked up, and saw the correct room number. He slowly opened the door. And there she was. Orimoto. She looked like she was in pain, but still peaceful. Kouji quietly pulled up a chair to her and said nothing. He opened his backpack and took out familiar items. It was her bag and her phone from yesterday night. He set it next to her, and put the phone inside the bag. He then took out a piece of paper and started writing on it.

"Orimoto, just dropped by to see how you were. I'm really sorry I was clumsy enough to let you get hit by a car. It's really my fault. I'm sorry. Please tell your parents that too. -Minamoto Kouji"

and stuffed it in her bag. He just sat there, staring at her. She was asleep. His hand slowly came to her unwounded cheek. The other side had a big piece of gauze on it because of cuts. His hand was trembling, he formed a fist, as it was 2 inches away from her face, then he slowly unclenched his hang and moved the golden hair out of her face, and stroked it. "I'm sorry Orimoto," Kouji said, then put the back of his cold hand on her warm cheek. He withdrew his hand, he shouldn't do this. It was disrespectful. He sat back on his chair. His feelings just dying to come out. He knew he didn't want to say anything, nor was it the time to since she wouldn't even hear him.

"Orimoto…" he said quietly as ever. "I wish I had the courage to tell you when you're actually awake… I hate this. Bearing out my feelings is so awkward. I'm glad I was able to meet you. I was able to have a good outlook on life because of you and everyone else. If I were never called to the Digital World, I'd probably be an angry person desiring to be alone all the time. I have grown to like and feel for you more than just a good friend. I don't even know why I feel this way about a certain person. Probably fate, I don't know." Kouji sighed. "I can't believe I'm saying this but it's driving me to insanity if I don't. Orimoto, I just want to be with you. I don't even look like I do, but I really do."

Izumi's eyelids flinched. Kouji's eyes widened.

Did Izumi hear what he said?

End Chapter 10: Dark Half.

Onto Chapter 11.