Da Capo (From the Beginning)
-by Meeko Melodie
Meeko: Hey hey! Nothing much to say except, yes, here we go again: Digimon does not belong to me although I wish I do. But then again, who wouldn't?
Chapter 7: Vengeance
"Can anyone tell me about the symbol of the Museum of Natural History in the story?" a grey-haired women asked, standing in front of a huge classroom with the morning lights leaking in from the windows.
The class was silent; it seemed that none of them knew the answer, or they just didn't want to answer, or they weren't even listening. Sitting right at the back of the room was Kouji, who was playing around with his mechanical pencil on his desk and obviously not paying attention to the whole lecture on Catcher in the Rye, a novel they had start reading a few days ago.
"Ms. Orimoto," the teacher called out, startling a spaced out Izumi, who was, at the moment, staring out at the window with a dreamy look on her face. Kouji turned at the call of Izumi's name. "Would you be so kindly as to answer my question?"
The whole class, as if on cue, stifled on giggles. There had been rumors on the grade twelve English literature teacher, Mrs. Pettigrew, always start her question with "would you be so kindly" whenever a student was not paying attention in class and the next thing the student know, he or she would get kicked out of class for that lesson.
"Excuse me, Mrs. Pettigrew," Izumi smiled weakly, "do you mind repeating the question again?" But that was not a good question to ask, especially with someone like Mrs. Pettigrew, who looked like she might breathe fire if her students weren't paying attention in class.
"Actually, Ms. Orimoto," Mrs. Pettigrew started, her lips thinned," I do mind repeating the question. So would you please kindly step out of my classroom, since you're not listening to me anyway?" Shrugging, Izumi walked out the door slowly, with pairs of eyes following her, including Kouji's.
"I wonder what she was thinking about," Kouji was worried about her, "it's not like her to not pay attention in a class, especially English."
Kouji smiled at the last comment as he remembered his life back in Tokyo, when Izumi tried to explain some poetry by a guy called Alfred Lord Tennyson. He could still recall Izumi's desperate, yet strong voice as she recited The Lady of Shalott for him.
Kouji was surprised that he could still remember the poem because most of the times, he would not pay attention to things like that. He got other things to worry about. But the thought of A.L. Tennyson brought his thoughts back to Izumi; his heart throbbed with the painful memories of their break up and their union in this school, when Izumi's usual trustful eyes turned to fear, like a scared kitten, mistrustful to anyone who tried to come near.
"Mr. Minamoto, please answer the question," a voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Huh?" Kouji looked around and saw people around him looking straight at him. He had no idea what the heck the teacher just said; he looked around uneasily, then back on his desk. This was the last straw for Mrs. Pettigrew.
"That's it!" Mrs. Pettigrew threw down her novel in frustration, staggering a few students at the front. "Since no one wants to discuss, then why don't you all just do a composition discussing the symbols of the novel to be handed in by the day after tomorrow!" Students started to protest but the teacher raise up her hand to silence them.
"One more thing," Mrs. Pettigrew said, "you-" She pointed at Kouji, "get out of my classroom before I go crazy." She slumped down on her chair.
"What the hell is her problem anyway?" Kouji thought as he walked out the door as well, leaving the class blabbering with complaints. Kouji closed the door behind him and found himself looking straight into a certain person's emerald eyes.
"Izumi," Kouji whispered, almost afraid that the others would hear him. Izumi turned away, but she stayed at the same spot. She wanted to hear Kouji out before she blurted out what she wanted to say.
"Izumi, I-" Kouji stopped dead. He suddenly could not find any words. No words could describe his feeling of wanting Izumi back in his life; or maybe it was just he couldn't think of any words to describe his desire. Which ever the reason was, Kouji stopped at where he was and sighed.
Before she lost her guts, Izumi turned around and looked at Kouji coldly, "Kouji Minamoto-"
"Oh God," Kouji whimpered, "her voice, so cold." Definitely not a good sign and he was right. What Izumi said in the next few seconds didn't seem real to Kouji's ears.
"You and I-" Izumi swallowed hard," we are officially over!"
"What, what do you mean?" Kouji managed to say, though rather difficult.
"What I mean," Izumi replied, trying to stop tears forming around her eye brims, "is that I stopped thinking about you a long time ago and I want to keep it that way."
"She lied," Kouji's first thought flashed in his brain, "she must be lying."
"And no," Izumi said, as if she was reading through Kouji's mind, "I'm not lying."
"She must be lying!" Kouji's brain yelled. "You're lying, Izumi!" Shaking her head slowly from side to side, Izumi turned away again, this time her fist was held hard at her sides. It was too painful to see this, to see Kouji's hurt expression as he tried to digest the reality.
"I know this is hard for you," Izumi thought as she sniffed back the tears, "this is hard for me as well, and I hope you know that." She didn't say anything to Kouji after that; Izumi turned and left without a word into the empty corridor.
Just then, the bell rang for the lesson to end. Doors were opened and students from different classes rushed out to their next lessons. Kouji stared at the direction that Izumi had gone with helplessness filled his whole body. He returned to the classroom, collected his bag and books and ignoring Mrs. Pettigrew ungrateful glare, he followed his fellow classmates out of the classroom.
Skimming his schedule, Kouji saw with relief that he had music for next class. He hurried his pace up the stairs and fleet into the classroom just as the bell rang off.
"Just in time, my friend," Ryo muttered as Kouji sat down beside him. Mr. Sawyer, their music teacher, stepped into the classroom with a kind of mysterious smile on his young face.
"I wonder what Sawyer is thinking," Ryo said quietly as the teacher took his stand in front of the class. Inside the music room, a gleaming, black grand piano stood in a corner with a huge book case locating on the opposite side of the room where hundreds of music history books and sheet music neatly stacked. At the back of the room were posters of famous composers and musicians, where as at the front of the room was a white board with words like: Theory Grade 2 page 12 - 15 due Monday.
Kouji glimpsed around and saw that they were not the only ones that notice something was different about Mr. Sawyer.
"All right class," Mr. Sawyer's energetic voice rang out and everyone instantly fell quiet, "first of all, I would like to present a new student who transferred just today because he's really interested in music so please welcome Kouichi Kimura to this class." At the call of his name, Kouichi stepped in and the first person he saw was- Kouji! What is he doing here? Before Kouichi got over the shock, Mr. Sawyer started again.
"Starting from today till the date of the Battle of the Bands, which by the way is December 24th, participating bands can use this time to practice their songs in the small gym." Many people whooped in excitement; many of them had been worrying about not having enough time to practice because of the upcoming homework and exams.
Kouji stared in disbelieve at his twin brother and a question sparked in his mind, "what is he doing here?"
"People, keep it down," Mr. Sawyer raise up his hands to silent the animated students, "as for people who are not in bands, I'll lead you in choir for singing at the Christmas assembly."
"Now," Mr. Sawyer tried to get the attention back, "I'll give you fifteen minutes to go to your dorm and get your instruments. Meet me in the small gym after you gather your things." Students rushed out into the street to get their equipments, including Kouji, Ryo and Ryuko, who fortunately was also in the same class.
"So," Ryo said, as he and Kouji ran up the stairs to their room, "how's your first lesson of the day?"
"Next question," Kouji panted as he tore the door open. He did not want to drive his mind back to the conversation he had with Izumi just a few minutes ago and the swift reunion with his brother.
"What's wrong with you, man?" Ryo asked, picking up some wires and his keyboard, but he abandoned his question when he noticed something.
"Oh shit," Ryo swore, putting down his stuff.
"What is it now?" Kouji asked, turning around and saw what the problem was. There were three speakers waiting to be picked up, but since Ryo had to take his keyboard in two hands with the wires on top, and Kouji only had one hand to pick one up because he still had his guitar in the other hand, that left two speakers left and there was no way they could pick anymore up.
"Now what?" Ryo asked, frowning as if trying to think of a way, "there are only ten minutes left and you know Sawyer, he doesn't like people coming in late." He selected a few sheets of music from songs he wanted to try out during practice.
"You're asking me?" Kouji said, fumbling with one speaker at the moment.
"Need help?" a voice popped in from behind. They turned around and to their relief they saw Ryuko standing at the doorway with her drumsticks in one hand. But one second later, Ryo asked, eyeing Ryuko, "you're not supposed to be here, this is a boy's dorm!"
"Damn right this is a boy's dorm," Ryuko looked around the messy room with repulsion, "and I'll take it that's your bed." She pointed at the extra messy one with clothes flung on it unfolded and bed sheet unmade.
"Yup," Ryo nodded cheerfully, as in Ryuko was complimenting him, "so, you wanna give it a try." Ryo smirked and Kouji sighed.
"Get your filthy mind out of the gutter, Ryo Akiyama," Ryuko said disgustedly as she stuck her drumsticks at the back of her skirt and heaved up the two speakers on the ground.
"Come on," Ryuko walked out the door with Kouji behind her, "stop day dreaming and get going or we'll be late and it'll be your entire fault, Akiyama." She rushed down the stairs leaving the two boys walking just as quickly behind.
"I'm telling you," Ryo now said, following at a quick pace, "Ryuko is so in love with me."
"What makes you think that?" Kouji asked, glad that the conversation had turned to Ryo instead of himself.
"Can't you just feel the heat she's giving me?" Ryo asked, disbelieved.
"Yea, sure," Kouji replied, rolling his eyes as he strolled down the hallway, "angry heat."
"And the way she pronounced my whole name," Ryo added dreamily. Kouji never saw this side of Ryo before; the side of Ryo being so interested in just this one girl. He guessed there was always a first time for everything. They reached the small gym with one minute to spare and they spread their things on the floor.
Other groups had already begun to plug up the wires to their instruments and speakers and Kouji and Ryo hurried to plug up theirs as well. Ryuko, on the other hand, was looking over the sheets that Ryo had taken with him.
"So, which songs do you guys want to play for the competition?" Ryuko asked as she continued to study the sheets.
"You know what," Kouji thought of something, "let's just choose a song so that we can practice together to match each other. Then we can start on a song for the Battle."
"Good idea," Ryuko agreed, then looked over at Ryo, "because I don't think I can match his pace." She jabbed her finger at Ryo distastefully. Kouji laughed silently, feeling a little sorry for his friend.
The three went through all the songs that Ryo had and they had come up with one song they all agreed on trying first: Lonely Again.
"How ironic," Kouji thought bitterly, as he stood in his position, getting ready to hit it. But Kouji couldn't help but start thinking about Izumi again, how she coldly talk to him in the deserted hallway.
"Kouji, hello? Anyone home?" Ryo waved his hand in front of Kouji's face.
"Sorry, just zoomed out for a second," Kouji grinned sheepishly and he paced himself again. But something interrupted them just as Ryuko started to beat the drums.
"What do you want?" Ryuko snapped as she saw who was approaching.
"Stay out of this, you little bitch," Jocelyn Clarkson said with her smooth voice.
"Look who's talking here," Ryuko walked up to Jocelyn, her fists clenched at the sides. Her stormy eyes burned with the desire to hit her. Ryo pulled back Ryuko before she did something that would get her kicked out of school.
"How may I help you?" Kouji asked, stepping in front of Ryuko to face Jocelyn calmly.
"Oh, you're going to help me alright," Jocelyn said, smiling. Her smile made Kouji thought of a grin from a wolf ready to attack. "I just want to join your band, that's all."
"I thought you were with Joshua Li," Ryo said, still restraining Ryuko.
"Puh-lease," Jocelyn closed her eyes, revealing dark eye shadow covering her eyelids. Kouji wondered if girls were allowed to put on cosmetics in school hours, "do not mention that piece of useless shit in front of me."
Ryo glanced at Kouji's direction quizzically and Kouji just shrugged.
"So how about it?" Jocelyn got back to the topic, looking at Kouji right at the eye, and giving him these famous seducing looks of hers that would work great on any guys. "There's still one space left."
"I'm sorry, miss," a voice interrupted from behind, "but the bass is mine."
"Huh?" Jocelyn turned around and saw, who else? But Kouichi standing there, expressionless. Jocelyn said nothing but gave him a death glare, and walked away.
"Kouichi, thanks," Kouji said in relief.
"Don't sweat it," Kouichi smiled and looked at them all, "well, I better leave you guys alone to practice." Kouichi started to walk away but Ryo called him back.
"Yo, you want to join our band?" Ryo held out a bass, grinning.
"No thanks, appreciate it, but I don't know how to play," with that, he walked out swiftly back to the music classroom.
"Hmm..."Ryo stared at the bass, "your brother is a weird one, Kouji."
Kouji said nothing, just standing there.
"Can we start playing or are we going to stand here all class?" Ryuko was starting to get annoyed and she was still pissed at Jocelyn. Kouji didn't want to, however; the lyrics in the song, he just couldn't stand it.
But they had to practice so they all got into their positions and Ryuko started by playing off the first beat. In a few seconds, they were in full swing.
(Italics stand for lyrics)
You're supposed to give more than you take
You had my heart on your plate
You stopped loving me so fast
There are stories left untold
But you act like they're all old
But then you and I we belong together again and I said
"Why are you so cruel, Izumi?" Kouji thought bitterly as he strummed his guitar hard.
Whoaooh sha nah nah
Whoaooh sha nah nah
Whoaooh
I think I'm feeling lonely again
Kouji sang, holding his microphone with one hand and the other still strumming hard. Ryo, who was playing the keyboard, glanced over at Kouji worriedly, and then looked over at Ryuko who gave him the same worried look. They both knew something was wrong.
Whoaooh sha nah nah
Whoaooh sha nah nah
Whoaooh
I think I'm feeling lonely
Kouji's eyes felt hot, as if they were on fire and tears stung his eyes but he tried to blink them away.
You're supposed to look into my eyes
Forever and all time
You stopped loving me that way
And I never thought that I
I would ever have to cry out
That you and I we belong together again and I said
"You can't do this to me," Kouji thought, his mind clouded from different thoughts mixing together, "you just can't!"
Whoaooh sha nah nah
Whoaooh sha nah nah
Whoaooh
I think I'm feeling lonely again
Whoaooh sha nah nah
Whoaooh sha nah nah
Whoaooh
I think I'm feeling lonely
I feel you tossing and turning
I know there are walls we have to climb
I sit here waiting and yearning
Cause I know we can get by
You're supposed to look into my eyes
Forever and all time
You stopped loving me that way
And I never thought that I
I would ever have to cry out
That you and I we belong together again
"NO..." Kouji deemed, "I can't take this...I need revenge." (Meeko: Whoa! Kouji is turning crazy!)
Whoaooh sha nah nah
Whoaooh sha nah nah
Whoaooh
I think I'm feeling lonely again
Whoaooh sha nah nah
Whoaooh sha nah nah
Whoaooh
I think I'm feeling lonely
And it was settle that Kouji needed vengeance. Why? He was depressed and needed to try to cause pain to Izumi's life or at the least, make her jealous.
"Yes," Kouji thought again as they finished and were packing stuff away for the next class, "that's what I'm going to do."
Meeko: See? Longer chapter! Happy?