Disclaimer: I do not own DIgimon.

Chapter One: Preamble

Takeru walked blissfully onward, savoring each and every moment he could spend with her. Hikari Yagami, the angel of his heart, and his childhood friend...he had a crush on her more than anything. And yet, for all his efforts to make her jealous, to see if she cared for him, she seemed separated from him as far as the heavens were from the earth. He yearned to reach out to her, but, since he had fallen for her so hard, he wondered, if she rejected him would he ever be able to recover?

He closed his eyes closing out that unpleasant thought, only to be reminded by Hikari of another one.

"So, how did your date go?" Hikari asked. "Are you going to keep going out with her? She's really nice, and pretty, and she's smart," Hikari said her amber eyes staring down as she walked as if she was talking with her own shadow.

"Oh, it went about the same as always," Takeru snickered. "Me and Reina went to the arcade, played some games, and I walked out while she was having the time of her life and headed back home."

"What?" You left her there?" Hikari said starting to chuckle. "Why would you do a thing like that? I thought you liked her."

Mmm," Takeru said scratching the side of his cheek. "In truth I like all girls and give them all a chance," he smiled, "But I date them to find out if I want them as friends. I haven't seen anyone I've dated more than that though," he smiled.

Hikari stared at him a bit oddly. "Sounds like you could really lead a girl on," she said warily.

"Yamato says it's because I have a terrible personality," he said unable to stop smiling. "He might be right." He kept smiling, walking and talking with her from school.

"People like what they see, but a lot of them don't look more than that," he said. "People try to fit themselves with another person almost forcefully even giving up the things they enjoy to do it," he said shaking his head. "It's best if I just let them go before they ruin their lives because of me."

Hikari stopped, holding her bag with both of her hands and staring at him questionably. "I can't tell if you're trying to be considerate or narcissistic," she marveled.

Takeru glanced at her with a confident grin. "I always leave you guessing don't I?"

"You're only 'guessing' how long you can keep it up," she replied solemnly. "I know you don't like to feel pinned down, but, eventually you have to stop somewhere," she said staring at him. "And when you do," she said, a wry grin on her face, "I'll be able to nail you to my dartboard," she said pretending to throw one over at his heart, Takeru's face brightening up and turning red.

He seemed at a loss for words and wouldn't look at her directly.

She tried to walk with him, but he just kept looking down.

The last thing she wanted to do was offend him. She only wanted to tease him a little.

"You know," Hikari said walking forward, a smile plastered on her face. "You said you would give any girl a chance," she said, noticing Takeru particularly swallow.

"So if I asked Miyako to ask you on a date would you go?"

Takeru's eyes lit open and then scrunched his teeth, tension on his face, but quickly covering it up with a smile. Takeru zeroed in, daring to walk forward closer to her. "Hikari," he said, Hikari able to see coldness in his eyes, melting, and then freezing all over again. "Any girl," he said staring at her warmly as if he had pinpointed her directly.

She felt heat rush to her face, but closed her eyes and snapped out of his spell. There was no way he was talking about her right? The boy crush of every girl's dreams actually dating her? No, that was impossible. Takeru would never see her more than that.

Hikari sighed out clutching her bag. "Takeru," she swallowed. "I think you're just scared to trust people."

"I trust you though."

Hikari turned her back to him. "I want...to believe that," she said, her voice a bit shaky. "But as your friend Takeru, I've noticed a change in you. It's like you're afraid to let go of something, but I don't know what," she mused. "I won't press any more than that, but, I am worried about you."

Takeru stopped walking with her and pushed his hat over his eyes covering his head. "So you think...I should stop?" he asked.

"No," Hikari sighed. "It's not...that. It's your life Takeru. You have to decide what to do with it. But if you'll let me, I want to help you," she smiled. "Maybe I can help you find the right one," she said, her eyes starting to tear up unexpectedly.

"Is everything ok?" Takeru asked a bit taken aback with no warning.

"Everything's fine," Hikari smiled wiping her eyes. "I think my allergies just kicked in. I'm no good like that," she chuckled lightly.

"Just remember," she said wiping her eyes, "Whoever you choose to date Takeru make sure they are the right one for you," she said as if unable to get a bad taste out of her mouth. "Because if you keep treating girls like that you'll be sad and lonely. And...I couldn't bear to see that."

With that Hikari walked away heavy-hearted, but also a bit whimsical even running to the doors of the school. Perhaps Takeru would change his ways. Maybe he would be more willing to be open up with other girls. Maybe even...with her? Hikari stopped at the revelation wondering why she would think that.

"My forehead is warm and I feel like I'm burning up," she said feeling it. "Why is it whenever it comes to him I feel like I'm coming down with something?

That evening Takeru could not get Hikari's worried look off of his face. He tried to concentrate writing; Patamon munching on some potato chips in the background making large crunching noises.

"She cares about me so much," he said regretting his carefree attitude earlier that day. He covered his hands on his head wanting to bang his head against his desk.

"It's always...the same result," he said, depression hanging in the air, "No matter what I do."

That night he decided to put on his kicks and go visit his brother. Yes, he lived about an hour away from him by walking, but even still he couldn't just stay still feeling sorry for himself like this. Yamato taught him better than that.

He showed up at his door; Yamato just putting the final touches on his dinner. Takeru felt his stomach groan having caught a whiff of some meaty dish. It really looked like Yamato had practiced his cooking.

"Takeru, you're here awfully late," he said. "Mom is going to be angry with you if you don't go home."

"Sorry bro," he smiled taking off his hat. "I was having trouble again trying to talk with the girl I like."

"You mean you still like this one?" Yamato said a bit incredulous. "For all your smiling you sure are cold-hearted letting other girls hang like that."

Takeru grinned walking over to him.

I'm going to stop that...hopefully soon," he said, Yamato's sardonic stare not at all convinced. "But for now I need the favor of all favors."

"The biggest favor?" he wondered. "What for?"

"...To create the biggest stage...for the girl I adore more than anything. And to finally show her I care for her."

Yamato stared at him incredulously. "You know, you could just, I don't know TELL her. Why do you have to create some huge charade to get your point across?"

"Because I have a way of manipulating others," he replied cheerfully. "And if I don't do it this way I'm worried even if somehow in the one in one thousandth chance we do end up dating it would not last us and break off or collapse in a million pieces."

"You should know her better than that," he scolded.

"Maybe," Takeru agreed, "But, I want to have some kind evidence she does like me. Because nothing else has been working. And if I don't play my cards right, I'm going to lose her eventually to some other guy."

"But what if you're right?" Yamato asked, "And all of your fears are realized? Would you be able to let go of her with that closure?"

"I will have to," he admitted. "If it's what she wants then I have to respect it."

Yamato walked forward and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You do realize once you start doing whatever it is you're doing their will be no going back, right? You'll have to commit to your choices of action."

Takeru didn't want to admit it, but Yamato was right. This is not something he could just joke about or make. He would need to have...the others to assist him.