Ch.9
"Akira, Katsuro, come sit down. T.K. and I have something wonderful to tell you." Kari smiled down at the ring on her left hand, barely able to contain herself.
The two boys tumbled over the back of the couch and faced their parents, perhaps expecting a trip to Disneyland or somewhere of the sort. "Yeah?" they replied at the same time, and started giggling.
"Quiet down please, this is very important," T.K. chided. He and Kari looked at each other, then announced in unison, "We're getting married!"
At this, Akira's smile slipped almost imperceptibly, but he hiked it back up again. "Cool! We'll be, like, brothers!" They high-fived and scampered off, chattering excitedly, although Akira's laughter seemed a little forced.
T.K. leaned back, grinning at the boys' antics, but Kari shuddered and tears slipped down her cheeks. T.K. frowned. Leaning down, he put an arm around her shoulders. "It'll be worth it, you'll see."
"Yes," Kari said softly, "I'm sure of that. I just wish Gatomon were here to share this with me. Stupid Gennai..."
"Don't say things like that, Hikari. You know Gennai didn't want to take our digimon away," T.K. reminded her.
"I know that!" Kari clenched her fists and beat them against her knees. "But why?! When Oikawa sacrificed himself for the digital world, couldn't he have made it so this would never happen?!"
"I'm sure Oikawa would have tried to make it so our digimon would never be taken if he had known they could be, but the thing is, he didn't. You can't change the past Hikari, but you can do something about the future. Gatomon wouldn't have wanted you to waste your life crying about her, and neither do I. You have a pretty face, and I don't like to see it looking sad. Alright?" T.K. squeezed her shoulders comfortingly.
Kari smiled weakly at T.K. "Yeah, alright." She curled up beside him on the couch and sighed happily.
The door of Akira's bedroom creaked open and Katsuro and Akira appeared. The two boys caught sight of T.K. and Kari, and Akira opened his mouth to say something. T.K. winked and put a finger to his lips.
"Sh..."
---
"Bye T.K.! Bye Katsuro! I'll see you soon!" Kari called as T.K. and Katsuro disappeared into the elevator. "Bye-" Akira began, but the elevator doors closed, cutting him off. "...Katsuro..." he finished weakly. Kari just smiled at the ring glittering on her finger and went back inside the apartment. Akira sighed and followed. He knew his mother was happier than she had been in years, but he felt like he was being replaced.
Kari flopped down on the couch, still smiled, and Akira started to fill the sink to wash the dishes. "So aren't you going to tell me all about how he proposed?" he questioned, somewhat rudely, but that was what he was intending in a way.
Kari looked up, a little surprised. "Um, okay! Well..." She leaned back, clearly enjoying herself already. "T.K. came up to me as I was leaving the school. At first I didn't want to talk to him because of what had happened the day before, but he took me for a walk and we ended up sitting on top of the school wall."
Akira raised his eyebrows. "I was under the impression that was strictly prohibited. Shouldn't you be setting an example?" He deposited a plate into the rinse sink and picked up another to wash.
Kari blushed sheepishly. "Yeah, that's what I thought at first... But he told me the cutest story about a prince and a princess, and nothing but him seemed to matter after that.
Akira dropped another plate rather roughly into the sink, splashing soapy water onto the counter. "And then he proposed."
"Yes."
"And you said yes."
"Yes." A big smile spread across Kari's face, and she looked down at her ring again.
"But why?"
Kari looked up in confusion. "Why? Why what?"
"Why would you say yes to him if he made you so sad yesterday?" Akira spoke so softly that his words were almost covered by the water draining from the sink. He looked away so Kari wouldn't see his tears.
"Why wouldn't I say yes, Akira? What happened yesterday doesn't matter anymore. What matters is that T.K. and I are finally going to be together for the rest of our lives. My life is finally complete."
Another blow to Akira's already damaged psyche. "But you don't understand, Mom! I don't want you to be with someone who can do that to you! When I came home and found you lying on your bed like that, I was so scared! I thought you had d-died!" The tears were streaming openly down Akira's face now. "It's always been just the two of us for as long as I can remember. I didn't want it to be just me, and I want it to be the four of us even less! Why am I not good enough for you anymore?!"
When Kari replied, the coldness of her voice surprised her. "I think you're the one who doesn't understand, Akira. It was foolish of you to think that I would ever be satisfied with "just the two of us". I don't have to be loyal to you. I don't have to be loyal to anyone except for myself!"
Akira stared disbelievingly at his mother, tears still running down his cheeks. "Fine!" he shouted, breaking a long, stifling silence. "Be like that! I can play that game too! You should be very surprised if you see me at your wedding!" He ran down the hall into his room, slamming the door so hard that one of the pictures fell off the floor.
Kari sank to her knees in the middle of the living room as the enormity of what she had just said began to sink in. How could I have been so selfish? Why did I say that? She wanted to blame it on the creatures from the Dark Ocean, but she knew that they weren't what had brought those words out of her mouth. No, it was entirely her fault. Blinded by her joy, she refused to believe that Akira would feel anything but happiness at the news. She should have known better. Kari twisted her ring on her finger, trying to conjure up some of the ecstasy it had brought her only moments before. It was hopeless, and she knew it. Her ring could only make her happy if it made Akira feel the same way.
---
"Akira?" Kari knocked softly on her son's door, "Akira, can I come in?"
"No," he replied flatly.
Disregarding Akira's response, Kari slowly opened the door and entered, sitting down on the edge of the bed. Akira rolled away from her, turning so her faced the wall. "Baby, I'm so sorry. I really am," Kari said softly. She rubbed her son's back, feeling him tense and try to pull away as she did so.
"Maybe you should have thought of how sorry you were going to be before you said those things." Even though his voice was muffled by the blankets over his head, there was no mistaking the acid in his tone.
Kari sighed. "I wish you wouldn't do that..." she said softly.
"I wish you hadn't done that," Akira retorted.
"Please just let me explain, Akira," Kari pleaded. The lump under the covers laughed mirthlessly. "I don't know why you bother asking. You're just going to explain anyways.
Shaken by Akira's display of open hostility, Kari rested her head in her hands, trying to compose herself. "Akira, I know you're surprised at how fast all of this has happened, and believe me, so am I. What I think happened is that, in your surprise, you lost sight of what I have always told you is the most important thing in my life. You. I love Takeru very much, and I'm sure I will come to love Katsuro the same way, but you come, and will always come, first. You will always be my main man. Always. I hope you realize that."
Kari slowly pulled the covers off of Akira. He lay very still, and in the quiet of the apartment Kari could hear him crying softly. Suddenly, he sat up and threw his arms around his mother's neck. "Oh Mom, I'm sorry!" Akira sobbed, practically bawling his eyes out. "You're right... I did forget that... I'm sorry I was so selfish..."
Kari held him tightly, tears running down her face too. "I'm sorry too, Akira..."
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Neko: Hello chapter nine! So, how long did that take? A year? I'm sorry... No one's going to read this now... --;;
Enko-chan: Well, it says the last time this story was updated was July 23, 2003. Way to go.
Neko: Oops... Well, I almost kept my promise of one chapter over the summer. .; I think this one's the longest at any rate...