Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon as always.

I must say Takeru really does seem full of himself, doesn't he? If he likes Hikari so much it seems cowardly what he is doing to force Hikari's hand, but that's no good. No matter what I can't see this going down with a positive result for either of them. Ah well, when it comes to those you care about sometimes you make stupid choices being inconsiderate and we can justify ourselves all we want believing it would be ok. Speaking from experience here. My now wife still married me anyway. Enjoy the chaos.

Chapter Three: Improvocation

Something seemed different about Takeru this morning. Something, how could Hikari put it? Ominous? He walked with more confidence, almost as if he had been proud of himself over something. That glint in his eye suggested he held some sort of secret within, Hikari's heart kindled to figure it out whatever it was.

"You seem to be in better spirits," she said with both hands behind her back walking forward. "Did something happen? Were you able to confess to her? You never texted me back last night Takeru," she said, her hand resting on her cheek, "so you had me worried."

"Well, let's just say everything will play out the way I want it to," he smirked.

Something about his attitude put Hikari on edge, but strangely drew her closer to him wanting to know more. The depth of what colors were in his eyes, the touch of his hand on her locks, their faces closing in together in harmony and-

-She had to shake her head nearly slapping herself. She had to regain her composure. This Takeru was much more dangerous than he let on. And she nearly had forgotten about their status before she almost did something foolish.

"By the way," he said winking, "I have a surprise for you today Hikari-chan. Something might happen today, so be on the lookout for it."

She placed one hand over her heart, not at all liking the sound of it, and it made her slightly queasy.

"Shall we go?" he smiled brightly, the two of them maintaining their distance walking towards the school.

During class as she sat down for second period, she glanced to the left of her wondering about Takeru. He never missed his seat and rarely arrived late unless he became overly social. No, this certainly seemed odd.

"You keep glancing at Takeru's seat," one of the girls next to her said in her ear. "Did something happen? Did the two of you have a fight?"

"A fight?" Hikari said, her lips twitching.

"Yeah. You didn't break up did you?"

"What made you think we were in a relationship in the first place?" she said a bit incredulous. "We haven't-"

Just then blaring speakers from the intercom blared out, Hikari immediately covering her ears.

"Attention!" a familiar voice called out. "This is your student body president Arisa Kuramitsu speaking. In celebration of the yearly festivities coming out, a student within the school has graciously stepped forward to liven up the holidays."

Hikari closed her eyes, swallowing heavily. It couldn't be…

"So, tell me, you said you wanted to 'liven' things up for white day," she said. "What did you mean by that? And how can the whole school become involved?"

"Thanks Arisa. Your hair is very curly today by the way. Did you switch your shampoo? You did, didn't you?"

Hikari gritted her teeth. Their he goes again. Picking up on those little things other girls would just blush like crazy for the opposite gender noticing.

"Oh, my," she said giggling. "Takeru, you should pay attention," she said clearing her throat, Hikari looking at the other students having a small chuckle at their expense.

"So as I was saying," she said, "What is it that you plan to do?"

"Well," he snickered, "Call me crazy, but, somewhere out there there is this girl I have always liked. I plan this week starting today to confess my feelings for her, but before I do..." he chuckled, the chuckle putting Hikari on edge, "...I want to give her the chance to come to me first."

"Really? But Takeru you've been on countless dates!" she exclaimed. "I mean, not with me personally, but with a lot of other girls that attend high school here."

"Oh, but I give every girl a chance..to be my friend," he smiled greatly, a lot of other girls in the room Hikari was in kind of frustrated with him.

This put Hikari in a more jovial spirit as she tried to hide her smile. That Takeru always did have a way with treating other girls this way as well.

The Student Counsel President seemed to press a bit. "So, Takeru Takaishi, I understand you want to liven things up. Just how do you plan to do that?"

"By process of elimination!" he exclaimed, Hikari hearing the cunning tone of his voice. "See, it works like this. I will be available all this week waiting for a love letter from the girl I like. If the girl I like confesses to me and gives me the letter then if she is the lucky girl she will win a whole year of concert tickets with my brothers' band the World on the Knife!" he exclaimed jovially.

"Wow, so you're saying all the girls that like you need to must their courage, confess, and hope one of them won't get shot down?"

"That's the idea. And, for every girl that does confess I'll give them a ticket and I'll put in a good word for them to my brother Yamato Ishida to see if he can get them backstage passes."

Just then, behind her, a couple of girl's hands slammed on the desks. "Takeru Takaishi," one said nearly in a zombified state. "Just what are you doing to us?"

The student counsel president started to snicker a bit laughing. "Then, as the first girl here," she said, Hikari hearing what sounded like a letter being taken out of her pocket be presented to him, "Do you accept?" she asked.

Takeru paused a bit, but then she heard him as plain as day.

"Sorry. But my heart belongs elsewhere."

The student counsel president sighed. "A shame," she said.

"But here," he said placing a ticket in her hand, "This is a backstage pass just like I promised."

"You're really just giving it to me like that?" she wondered.

"Of course," Takeru said. "I've invited lots of girls to my brother's concerts."

Hikari sighed, a bit concerned about that. He had given so many girls concert tickets, but, not once did he ever give her one. He must not have thought of her as a romantic interest.

"Well," The student counsel president said, "Before you go liven up the week is their anything at all you can tell us about this special girl of yours? Anything at all?"

Hikari found her hearing immediately intensify.

"I will tell you this," she could literally hear him smugly say through the intercoms, "this girl...goes to this school."

With that the intercom hung up, Takeru probably having severed the connection.

Back in the intercom room Takeru chuckled to himself having already laid out the bait. Itr was only a matter of time before the confessions started to roll in.

Back at the classroom Takeru waited for each of the other newer Digidestined to register his challenge. What they said was important, but he would not be swayed not matter what they told him.

"I must say," Miyako said, "This plan of yours is really putting all the pressure on her. Do you really think she will fall for it?"

Takeru smiled back having no idea. "Who can say?"

"Do you really think a lot of girls like you as much as they think you think they do?" Daisuke questioned.

"It's not about me per se' though for a lot of them," Takeru twitched. "A lot of them just found out I am the little brother of Yamato the Band Leader of World on the Knife, and I have tickets for each of them that try. I think I will be getting a lot of confessions soon."

"Takeru, a moment of your time," Iori said grabbing him by the forearm and walking out with him. He sat down with Iori right across from a table, Iori bowing his head.

"You're supposed to bow yours in return," he said, Takeru bowing back though unsure why.

"Now," Iori said, "I want to talk to you about this plan of yours."

"What about it?" Takeru wondered.

"You plan to force Hikari's hand into admitting her feelings for you, but, I don't think it's going to play out quite the way you think it will."

"I know," Takeru said knowing it already.

"There is a strong possibility she will never come forward."

"I know that," he said swallowing.

"Then how can you be so sure of yourself this will work?!"

"Because!" he shouted. "You can call it masochistic of me if you want, but I just want to see how far she would go for someone like me," he admitted.

"I'm not the nicest person, though I am nice. And even I know I toy with other people in my own messed up way. But I can't imagine doing this any other way. If I'm not like this, being my very worst self, there's no way she would accept that if she only saw the nice things about me."

Iori said nothing, him scanning him as if thinking about his words.

"Just don't back out even after it ends," Iori said. "You have our support, well at least my support DNA digivolving partner. I look up to you and respect you, but this, this is pushing me to my limit," he said grabbing his hand, shaking it, and squeezing it. "Do not betray my trust," he warned sternly making his exit.

Hikari found herself walking home that afternoon, still a bit in shock about today's events. Miyako, Daisuke, Iori, and Ken all seemed shocked by it to. And normally, when she would walk home with Takeru she would find herself smiling and enjoying today's events, but Takeru was off on his own adventure now, leaving her behind.

She felt tears welling up in her eyes, but shook her head so they fell around her. "This shouldn't be upsetting me so much," she said.

"In that case," a familiar voice said, "How about walking home with me?"

She turned to see Daisuke rushing forward.

"We used to walk to school and back a lot together," he said, "back when we were in middle school."

Hikari nodded her head.

"But, with things as they are now, I gotta ask Hikari, if you're lonely why not spend time with me? You know I'm not a bad guy, I just get full of myself sometimes," he grinned.

"Mhm," she curtly said nodding her head. She could not help, but feel on edge around Daisuke, but maybe he had a point.

"What do you think about it though?" he asked stopping, putting his arms around his head. "I mean, Takeru basically inviting all the girls to see if one of them is the girl he likes?"

"He's been out on so many dates," Hikari sighed. "But, if he just wants to see them as friends, I wonder, are we not enough for him?"

"What do you mean Hikari-chan?"

"I don't have that many friends myself," she said. "Sure, I could call them acquaintances, but those who I consider friends are actually kind of few. And, I prefer it that way," she acknowledged.

"I gotcha," Daisuke said closing his eyes. "But let me ask you this. Hikari-chan, I've been rejected by you so many times I lost count," he said. "I haven't given up on you either. But you, you're eyes just keep turning back to him you know?"

"What?"

"It's weird," he scoffed. "I thought it was just because you both grew up together, but lately, it's been like a mosquito buzzing by the way you two just...I don't know how to describe it. Telepathically communicate I guess?" he said as if not quite sure of his word choice.

"I don't quit get it," she chuckled. "Yes, me and Takeru-kun have our own way of communicating, but that doesn't mean-"

"-What if I told you right now," he said, "He found the girl he likes?"

At that moment Hikari felt her heart stop, tears starting to leak from her eyes.

"I'm...happy for him," she smiled.

"Liar."

"No," she sniffed. "I truly am."

"I don't buy it," he said. "I know you Hikari. You don't really cry tears of happiness like this."

She said nothing, wiped her eyes and took a breath. It was no good. She couldn't hide how upset she felt.

"If you like," he swallowed, "I'll go out with you. You know, so you won't feel lonely? What do you say?" he asked seriously.

"I…" she could only imagine Takeru having fun with someone else, but couldn't imagine this bond of theirs breaking. "...Until I hear it from him….directly," she said, "I can't see any way forward."

"Maybe you just don't want to see it," he countered.

"Maybe," she smiled. "But I don't care if it sounds like I'm delusional. I'll believe he found the right girl after I meet her," she said seriously. "Daisuke," she turned around smiling, "I hope you find someone for yourself one of these days to, ok?"

With that, she curtly continued forward determined to have a negotiation for information extraction that night with her good friend Miyako. At least, until a certain blond hair blue eyed guy of her dreams messaged her.

That evening Takeru wondered about that day and what Iori had said. "So far today, if I've counted right, I've turned down seventy-three girls," he said laying down with his arms folded behind his head.

Patamon flew over next to him eating some more of his snacks. "That's a lot of girls Takeru," he noticed. "Don't you feel bad for them?"

"I would be lying if I said I didn't," he grimaced. "But, I can't lie to them and give them false hope. Just like how I can't lie to myself and give myself false hope."

Just then his phone informed him he had a text from Daisuke.

"Hey, be there." he said. "We're meeting near the school tonight in an hour."

"Does he have any idea what time it is?" Patamon yawned. Takeru pocketed his phone and opened up his closet for a sweater.

"It's about her," he said. "I wonder, what's going on?"

Hikari that evening could not stop texting Miyako back and forth, the lights of their phones blazing. She had been subtle at first, acknowledging surprise about Takeru's sudden announcement, but then slowly but surely she became upset until at last she couldn't take it anymore and called her.

"I had a feeling you'd be reaching out to me," Miyako sighed on the other end. "It will be ok Hikari."

"No, it won't," she sniffled burying her face in her hand. "Have you met her yet?" she asked, Hikari shivering slightly. Maybe she had to turn the fan off in her room, or maybe even shut the window. "Is she at least, nice to him?"

"Who?" Miyako wondered.

"The girl," Hikari winced. "Is she everything Takeru's dreamed of?"

"Who are you talking about? I don't recall their being any announcement this early."

Hikari wiped her eyes. "But, Daisuke, he told me Takeru found her already."

"He did huh?" her voice sounded skeptical. "What else did he tell you?"

"That if I felt lonely that I could always date him."

"Oh, huh," she said, Hikari recognizing Miyako's subtle 'I'm angrier than a mother bear moment'. "I'm sure it was all just a misunderstanding," she said trying to be sweet, but Hikari knew she was anything but calm at this point. "Don't you think that though if Takeru found the girl of his dreams, he would have told you? You're his best friend Hikari."

She found herself wiping her tears. "Yeah."

They said nothing for a minute, Miyako humming a little.

'Hey, Hikari," she said. "Can I ask you something?"

'"Sure, Miya," she said calming down. "Anything."

"When will you admit it?"

"Admit what?" she said nervously.

"Come on, you know. It's just us girls here after all."

Hikari said nothing for a moment, and then sighed heavily.

"It's like I don't even exist anymore to him."

"To Takeru-kun?"

"Yeah. When he did not walk home with me like he usually does it hit me pretty hard. I couldn't imagine a day of my life without him walking home with me like that."

"So, what do you think that means?" she asked.

"It means he's irreplaceable?" she questioned.

"Why is that a question?" Miyako asked a bit baffled.

"I don't know," Hikari said staring down, Tailmon stretching out to go to sleep. She put her hand on her sleek fur and stroked it.

"Admitting you have feelings for someone," she said, "Is the hardest thing in the world. Because, if you don't really know yourself that person could really end up hurt you know?" she smiled.

"Are you afraid you will hurt him?"

"No," Hikari replied. "It's just the opposite. Takeru says he knows what he's doing, but I think he's pretty unstable right now," she said. "And, don't get me wrong, I've been unstable myself plenty of times in my life and he's always been there, but-"

"-Say no more," Miyako said sweetly. "I understand. If you feel like you can't be there for him the way he has been there for you I can see why you would be uneasy. But," she said swallowing, "Hikari just what is he to you?"

"He's Takeru," she replied.

"No, I mean what's your...how can I put this? Relationship?

"Takeru is just Takeru," Hikari said a bit upset.

But Miyako would not back down. "Listen," she said. "We're DNA digivolving partners. I know you. I'm not going to force you to just flat out say you like him, because it's more complicated than that. But, if you'll be honest with me, I just want to know. Do you have feelings for him?"

"Feelings?" Hikari questioned. "Yes, but, when I think about them, they all combine together, all of my doubts and fears threatening to swallow me whole. To be...rejected by him, I think, it would end me," she sighed. "But I don't see any way out of it. I'm scared of losing him Miyako. But I want him to be happy to," she said the tears starting to form again in her eyes.

Miyako started humming again a little, the melody relaxing Hikari a bit.

"I want you to do something for me Hikari," she said. "Tonight, when the lights are out, and before you drift off into slumber, think about him. Write it down what you feel, and, if, and I will say this lightly, if you decide to come forward to him during this time of his desperation do it on your terms, not his."

Hikari felt her nerves quicken the pace of her heart. "Why?"

"Because, I'm supporting him on this, but I have to tell you with him like this I don't know what he is capable of. He's shattering hearts left and right, and, I don't want you to be one of them. Don't let him shatter your heart if he denies you."

Hikari closed her eyes thinking about it. "If he does…" she said, "...then I don't blame him," she said suddenly hanging up the phone and throwing the covers over her face.

Tailmon purred in her sleep. The clock ticked softly. And yet, even the gentle night couldn't persuade Hikari to fall asleep. She just stared inside her blanket looking through it, the future unclear, scary, and having no idea what was in store for her.

She wondered about Takeru then. He was probably thinking about the special girl that had confessed to him. That is, if she got it right. There was a chance Daisuke pulled one of his childish pranks on him. She closed her eyes yearning for such a possibility. But it was no good.

She could not sleep.

The cold air nipped at his knuckles as Takeru trekked across the cityscape frozen in night and shadow. Flickers of light glistened the periphery of his vision, but he kept to himself, the flapping of wings his only companion as him and Patamon made their way to the school.

He noticed the familiar outline of a friend under a lamp pole leaning against a fence kicking a couple of rocks, Daisuke typing into his cell phone. Veemon climbed up on the fence as if reading the message, Daisuke the only serious one, Veemon not quite sure how to handle it.

"Hey," he said not looking up.

"It's pretty late," Takeru said turning his head. "Did you have something to say?"

"Yeah," Daisuke said not looking up. "I wanted to tell you to your face that I'm going after Hikari with all I've got. And you're not going to stop me."

"Really now," Takeru smirked.

"I know I don't have whatever it is you do, but you haven't been direct with her about your feelings either. I know you like her, and it drives me crazy you still haven't told her. But you are you, and I am me," he said gripping his phone and clutching his teeth. "So if I end up stealing her from under you, no hard feelings," he grinned. "It just means the best man won."

Patamon's fluttering ears helped Takeru remained calm as he forced a smile on his face. "You've got me there about being direct. But, once this is all over she should know."

"But what if she rejects you? What if she still doesn't get it?" he said jamming his phone in his pocket.

Takeru looked at him a bit stunned, but smiled. "She will."

"Oh yeah?!" Daisuke said, blazing fury in his eyes as he pinned him against the fence.

"You don't get it! You've been so close to her you don't see what we are all seeing!" he snarled. "Are you just going to waste Hikari's life playing this little game hoping she will catch on or are you actually going to do something about it?!"

"I am doing something!" Takeru retaliated pushing him away. "What do you think all this is for?! Do you think I like breaking the hearts and seeing the tears of all the girls I've hurt? Do you think I'm some kind of masochist?!"

"You better believe I do!" he yelled now grabbing him by his collar and lifting him up surprising him.

"Daisuke come on, put him down. You're friends," Veemon said as if trying to relieve the tension. "What do you say? Huh?"

"Takeru, don't push Daisuke like that," Patamon cautioned. "You could really hurt him you know?"

Takeru hesitated from striking him although he himself had a hard time breathing at the moment.

"If Hikari breaks from all this stress you're putting on her then I won't forgive you!" he snapped dropping him, Takeru holding onto the fence.

"Oh, and until this is over, this is mine," he said snatching the hat off of his head. "If it goes your way you can have it back. But if not, I'll pretend I bought it, give it to Hikari and have her wear it on her first date. You may think I am underneath you, but let me tell you something, if you think I don't know what you're capable of, then you have no idea what I can do!"

With that he whipped around, scrunching Takeru's hat in his hand and walked away.

Takeru wanted to run and chase him to get it back, but he lost the willpower, standing in the cold, a dampness in the air soaking his spirit.

"Takeru, are you ok?" Patamon called out, his words barely reaching him. "Takeru!"

"It's all right Patamon," he hesitated making a fist. "I'm...fine," he said still unable to stop from shaking it. "Let's go back."

As he walked back absorbed in his own thoughts he thought he could see a huff of air along a wall opposite him as if someone was there. It was probably Miyako, but he kept to himself and went home.

Hikari still could not believe how restless she felt. She wanted to get up, and walk out expanding into the night sky absorbing herself into city lights, but, she refrained. It was a school night after all and her mom would more than likely freak out. She might even run into the wrong crowd.

At that moment she started thinking of Takeru, and how he would guide her by the hand keeping her away from trouble; just as he always had done since they were kids. The dopey smile on his face never comprehended the magnitude of his choices, but still, even if It was a lie, she felt safe in it. In his gaze. In his eyes. In his vanishing smile that only seemed to show concern for her. And how did she respond?

"I...pushed him away," she swallowed, a single tear sliding down his cheek. "I keep him at an arm's length, and I hold him back, even though I don't want him to go. She kept thinking about the distance between them realizing it would not take much effort to show she cared. An accidental caress on the shoulder. A gentle blush. Laughing at his corny jokes when she really just wanted to look away in disgust.

She smiled staring out at the clouded future staring through the blanket. "Insecure, unstable, needy. I'm all of these things," she swallowed, the taste of the words bitter on her lips. "But when I think of you they either melt away in your eyes or they threaten to consume me whole. Takeru," she winced, her hand over her heart, "I wonder what you really think of me? How do you see me?" she questioned. "Do you see me the way I see you?" she smiled covering her face with her hands again.

She imagined the shy Takeru. The laughing Takeru. The confident Takeru. The annoyed Takeru. The cunning jokester Takeru. All of them. One by one, like counting sheep her heart settled and fatigue overcame her until she could keep her eyes open no more.

The air felt fuzzy and the heat was sweltering, choking her sinuses as she navigated through the school hall ways. For some reason people seemed incredibly distant from her, Hikari not able to look into their eyes. She trudged along, holding her bag, the hem of her skirt slightly bobbing with her gait brushing against her bag.

Everything seemed monotonous and lifeless, until in the distance she saw the young man that brought color and life into her world.

Her heart leaped for joy as she saw him. Her feet started moving before she knew it, Takeru seeming joyful and waving as he approached her. "Takeru!" she wanted to say, but the words were literally stolen away from her as another girl ran up to him, blonde hair and blue eyes joyful and giddy, Takeru smiling and laughing with her.

Hikari stood there paralyzed watching them. This was the girl. The one whom he had affection for. It wasn't her. She wasn't the one he wanted. She was just there. A friend to lean on in hard times and lightly played with in lighter times, but, all of that felt like it was walking away from her.

From behind her one by one, shadowy figures emerged from anything that created a shadow, even the outlines of students. Some even transformed into familiar unpleasant beings, the likes which had haunted her all these years and traumatized her nearly becoming a play thing for those creatures to satisfy their lusts. And she more than anything had to escape that. She sensed their sinister intentions and broke off running away as if her life depended on it. That's how it felt anyway.

With them now amassing more and more, their voice droned calling out for her. "We told you one day we would come back for you. Now is the time. You have no hope of ever escaping us. Come with us," the voices called out, the creatures starting to chase after her.

It all happened so quickly, but so slowly. One reached out for her, Takeru barely in sight anymore. She found her feet pick up pace as she chased after him. "Takeru!" she cried breathlessly trying to reach him, avoiding the snares of her pursuers. "Please!" she cried, Takeru suddenly stopping and looking towards her.

She reached out to him, but the creatures had gotten to her first. One by one they grabbed her starting to pull her into the darker depths of their origins. "Takeru!" she screeched till she was hoarse, desperately needing him. "Please! Takeru! Don't go! Takeru!"

With one final surge of effort she reached out one hand grasped firmly onto his shoulder. He then looked directly at her, snickered, and gave her the cold shoulder jabbing his shoulder upward breaking her hold until it was in freefall.

"Sorry Hikari-chan. I've got to go now. You don't need me anymore."

His words echoed into her heart screaming through her mind as he walked away with the girl of his dreams from her view, Hikari swallowed by the embrace of the creatures into the darkness.

Her soul screamed out 'No!' every fiber of her felt as if she was being torn apart.