Chapter 27

Nervous fingers numbly tied the tie around Ken's collar. Standing in front of a large mirror, Ken checked to make sure the tie was unwrinkled and straight. It looked perfect. Brushing off his black suit, he checked himself one last time, ran a comb through his indigo hair once more and sighed, knowing that was as good as it was going to get.

"Ken! Honey! Come on! It's getting late! You wouldn't want to be late would you?" came his mother's voice. Just the thought of being late made Ken nervous. So without further ado, he ran out of his room and out the door with his mother to go pick up Yolei for Homecoming.

Yolei's POV

Perfume? No, no. You don't want to choke the poor guy. But what if I he thinks I smell bad? No. He wouldn't do that. Ken just isn't the kind of guy who would think that...Maybe just a little perfume. Yeah.

Eye shadow...check. Did I put enough on? I think so. Blush...yeah. My dress...is it smooth. No wrinkles? Nope. Aw...I love the color red. Ken says all the time that he loves the color on me. That's why I'm wearing a red dress!

Third Person

Yolei looked into the mirror one last time and when the doorbell rang, she rushed into the family room and over to the door, already knowing who it was.

'Stand up straight, smile sweetly, and hand her the roses' Ken told himself.

The door opened. The two of them smiled happily. Ken, doing what he told himself to do, handed Yolei the flowers.

"Oh ken!" cried Yolei, gushing with joy. "They're lovely! Thank you!" She gave him a peck on the cheek, and ushered him inside.

"Um...Yolei...you don't have to rush...our dinner reservations were canceled. Micelle's is too overly packed due to Homecoming and so they had to call us and say it was canceled. I'm sorry" Ken whispered as the two stood in the kitchen. Yolei was putting the roses in water.

"Oh...Well that's okay...I'm not all that hungry anyways" replied Yolei.

Ken nodded. "We can still go to the dance though." Hawkmon appeared out of nowhere at their feet.

"Hello Hawkmon" greeted Ken, smiling down at the bird digimon.

"Greetings ken. Yolei, you almost forgot your purse" said Hawkmon. Yolei blushed and sweat dropped.

"Whoops!"

"Ready?" asked Ken. Yolei nodded and away they went.

Music boomed throughout the school gymnasium. The theme for the homecoming dance was Las Vegas Poker. Giant cardboard dice where at every entrance to the gymnasium. Giant paper playing cards hung from the ceiling, each and every one of them being either a king or a queen.

Ken and Yolei walked into the school, showed the lady their tickets and walked in from the cold.

"Brrr..." Yolei shivered. Her dress was spaghetti strapped and the temperature outside was about 45 degrees. Ken grabbed her around the shoulders and held her close, hoping to warm her.

"Better?" asked Ken, giving her a peck on the cheek.

"Yeah" Yolei smiled.

As they continued to walk inside, they came upon TK and Kari.

"Ken! Yolei!" cried Kari, waving them a hello. Kari was wearing a bright pink dress with no sleeves and a pretty gold necklace. TK wore a black suit and green tie.

"Wow Kari, I love your necklace!" Yolei gushed as she looked at Kari's necklace.

"Thanks! I got it from TK" replied Kari. As the two girls complemented each other, Ken and TK turned their backs on them to talk privately.

"You haven't given Yolei the necklace yet?" demanded TK. Ken blushed and sweat dropped.

"No...I was kinda waiting for the right moment. Are you sure she'll like it?" asked Ken, nervous.

"Yes, she will. Look, I've known Yolei for a long time, I know what she likes" answered TK. "Now go and give it to her! We'll leave the two of you alone!"

"Okay" Ken nodded. TK nodded, patted Ken on the back and went to go and get Kari. Yolei and ken were soon alone again, the whole gymnasium filled with students and their dates.

"Umm...Yolei...I have something to show you..." started Ken nervously. Yolei nodded. "I got-"

"Ken Ichijouji!" came the cry of a high pitched girl. She wore a large blue dress and had over accessorized with matching jewelry.

Ken turned around only to have himself being kissed straight on the mouth unexpectedly. His eyes wide, Ken was able to pull the girl off him.

Yolei fumed with anger. "Hey! Just who do you think you are?" she demanded. "ken's my boyfriend! So you just keep your filthy paws off him!"

"That's not what he said last night" purred the girl. Yolei turned to glare at ken.

"Wha- No! No! Yolei...I have no idea what she's talking about! Really! I was at my grandmother's last night! You know that! Remember? You called me while I was there and we talked for like three hours instead of helping my grandma bake cookies! Come on!" Ken defended himself.

"Then why would she come up and kiss you?" asked Yolei heatedly.

Ken shrugged, suddenly feeling deflated.

"Oh...Looks like I came at a bad time" commented the girl.

"Oh, you think?" snapped Ken. "Just who the hell are you? I've never even met you before!"

"I don't know who you are either. But my boyfriend told me to come over here and kiss you" explained the girl.

Yolei and Ken glared at her intently. "Who's your boyfriend?" they asked together.

The girl pointed to a group of guys near the corner of the room. "Andrew Moskiwitz."

Ken growled under his breath, but instead he only sighed and looked to Yolei. "See. I told you. I wouldn't do that to you. It was only a trick."

Yolei nodded. "I trust you Ken. I knew something had to been fishy. You're not the type to do that" said Yolei. They hugged. Just then, one of their favorite slow songs went on. They smiled at each and took each other by the hands.

They slowly danced. Blushing, Ken slowly moved his hands down to Yolei's waist and as soon as he did that, Yolei leaned closer to his chest and laid her on his shoulder. Closing his eyes, Ken took a moment to think back on old forgotten times.

Flashback

Typing away at his laptop, Ken groaned with anticipation. He was trying to figure out the ways of the digital world. Figure out how everything worked in this weird place.

"Ken..." came a small meek voice.

"What?" demanded the younger ken. Ken was not yet the digimon emperor, but he was well on his way. His once large curious sweet eyes had become narrow, sneaky, and furious. His eyes no longer held that happy childish shine, but instead devoured all the light, showing nothing but darkness.

"You never play with me anymore...Are you angry at me? Did I do something wrong?" asked Wormmon.

Ken growled in a way no child his age should growl. "Yes. Your bothering me. Keeping me from my work. But don't worry, if you do as I say...I'll play with you" replied Ken slyly.

Wormmon smiled the best way he could for a worm. "I'll do whatever you say ken...cause that's what partners are for. Right?"

"Partners? You and me? Yeah...whatever...now stop bothering me!" hissed little Ken. Wormmon flinched a bit, but smiled afterwards. His sweet little ken was having a bad day was all. That's why he was being so mean. He'll be back to his cute self tomorrow.

After about another hour of fiddling with his computer, ken snorted angrily at his computer and hissed, "I'm going home. I've got homework. I'll be back tomorrow afternoon." And with that he grabbed his black digivice and held it up to his laptop screen. "Digiport Open!"

Wormmon watched as Ken disappeared into the Real World.

Falling onto his carpeted floor in his room, Ken stood up and walked out his bedroom door and out into the kitchen.

"Oh! Ken dear! I made you some apple muffins! Would you like one?' asked his mother sweetly. Ken made a disgusted face at the sheet of muffins his mother held out for him.

"No mother."

"Hey tiger! How'd you do on that science test toady?" his father asked.

"It was relatively easy to say the least father. I know I got a perfect score" replied Ken with such intelligence his father couldn't help but blink several times before he understood what his son said.

"Ken, we're going to the park later, would you like to come along. I'll bring these apple muffins" said his mother.

Ken silently growled to himself as he grabbed a pear from the kitchen's fruit basket and started eating it. He sat down at the table and glared at his parents, who were completely oblivious to his glaring.

He silently ate his pear, hating his parents and the world for being so stupid.

End Flashback

Holding Yolei closer, ken shivered a bit at the memory. Three months ago he wouldn't have been able to remember something like that. but lately it seemed that he was slowly getting his lost memory back.

he was never going to become him again. Never.

Yolei looked up at ken and smiled.

"Ken..." she whispered. Ken smiled and gave a small nod. Wrapping their arms around each other...they kissed.