Disclaimer-...can you believe it! KAEA STUCK ME WITH KOUJI! Oh, this is Junpei.
.:Kouji:. Junpei can't play video games! He's so stupid! You have to go right, not left!
.:Junpei:. Even Kaea said it was left!
.:Kouji:. BUT SHE DOESN'T OWN DIGIMON!
I Know Your Secret (A Week Before Holiday Break)
"Kouji, stop acting stupid," Kouichi snapped, watching his brother throw a snowball at Takuya.
"Aw, lighten up, bro! You can't always study!" Kouji laughed as he blocked an incoming snowball.
"Even if we have Finals this week?" Kako asked with a grin.
Kouji laughed as he confirmed, "Even if we ha-WHAT?"
Takuya and Junpei dropped the snowballs (made from ice off of random cars and the frozen dew off grass) in their hands.
"I knew they weren't paying attention in class!" Kako squealed gleefully.
"Fine. I'll get you a birthday present and a Christmas present," Kouichi grumbled as he headed for his locker.
Kako skipped beside him. "What are you going to give me? Huh? Huh? Huh!"
He rolled his eyes. "You'll see...on Christmas day, when you were born."
"But-"
"Stop bugging me!"
"WHAT FINALS?" Kouji and Takuya screamed, racing towards Kouichi.
Izumi walked up to them and asked, "What finals are we taking today and what did I miss?"
Kouichi sighed. "One, we're taking Lit, Math and Gym finals today. Two, I owe Kako a birthday and a Christmas present because Kouji wasn't paying attention in class and thus doesn't know the existence of semester finals. Apparently, Takuya either forgot, or he's in the same boat as my twin who can be so stupid sometimes that I question his relation to me."
"OH...those finals," Takuya commented before turned stark white. "I...I FORGOT TO STUDY!"
As Takuya ran to his locker, Kako burst out laughing. "How can you still date him, Izumi!" she laughed.
Her cousin smiled. "Well, like I said before. We can't all have what we want. It's not my fault your crush is-"
"Now this I can stop studying for!" Kouichi exclaimed, cackling as he took out a pretzel. "Who's her crush?"
Kako was utterly confused. "I have a crush?" she asked doubtfully.
"Well, of course! Kouichi!" Izumi exclaimed in return, laughing as she walked after Takuya.
"EWWWW!" Kako squealed, edging away from Kouichi. "YUCK!"
Kouichi, who was currently choking on the pretzel he had accidentally popped into his mouth, was, of course, speechless. And not just because he was choking.
Seconds later, Kako noticed his hands were around his throat. "Uh...OH," she said, noticing the bag of pretzels in his locker. Glaring, she whacked Kouichi across the head. "YOU STUPID IDIOT!" Why would I like someone who choked on a bag of pretzels!
After coughing up the pretzel and throwing it away, Kouichi headed straight to class, not in the mood to talk to Kako or anyone else. It's a good thing I knew Izumi was kidding! What was she thinking! She knows I'm afraid of girls! ARRGH! She and Kouji are the same. Only, Kouji is...dumber, he thought grumpily, cracking open the classroom door and stopping when he heard Mr. Ogata's voice.
"No, dammit! You two were supposed to stop them! He's with them, too! You realize how much strength I wasted on him last time, remember? You're both useless!" his teacher yelled, slamming down the phone.
What the...? Blinking, Kouichi turned around, registering all he had heard into his head. "He sounds like a crook," the boy muttered, about to head back to his locker when he realized something. "Crook equals plotting..." he murmured, "And plots need to be foiled. Then with that comes...money..."
Kouichi broke off into a grin. Wasn't he lucky today. "Debts paid, Debt account and...extra money. Oh well, I can give it to some charity place. This is too perfect," cackled the twin, yanking out a notebook and wondering what steps to take. Finally, he had a chance to pay all of is brothers debts...
-FLASHBACK-
It had been a normal day off of school. Only problem was Kouji was playing baseball...
Inside the house.
"BOMBS AWAY!" Kouji had yelled, throwing the ball at Takuya.
Takuya swung the bat...
And missed. A crash sounded throughout the entire house.
"KOUJI!" Kouichi had screamed, racing into the living room in horror. Not only was a living room window broken, but his neighbor's window was broken as well. And to top it all of, the neighbors were at the door, angrily waiting for an explanation.
-END FLASHBACK-
It had ended with their mother paying for it, but warning the twins they needed to pay up. And so, yet again, Kouichi needed to get money. If only his mother allowed him to get a job...
But that was why Kouichi needed the money if there was a reward. Grinning, he murmured to himself, "They better pay a good price."
"Price?" someone asked.
Kouichi shut his notebook, turned red, and froze in his spot. "Wha..." he turned around to find Ai behind him, smiling. "Er...er...er..." he stuttered.
"Ooh! You write? Mind if I read!" she asked, snatching the notebook away from his hands.
"NOOOOOOOO!" Kouichi yelled, grabbing his notebook back and hugging it. "E-er...I mean, no. I...er...have to...uh...edit it!" lied the still red-faced boy. He turned around, trying to calm down. Before Kouichi could so much as run away, Ai tugged on the collar of his jacket. Wincing, he turned around. "Yes?"
She just smiled. "I know your secret."
"Uh...right," Kouichi said, rolling his eyes and walking off. Why was I afraid of her? She's not that bad at all, he wondered.
Ai ran after him. "But I do! And I'm going to tell they entire school if you don't go out with me!" she sang.
Laughing, Kouichi turned around to face her. "You sound so sure! So then, what's my secret?" he asked, still laughing.
She smirked and leaned up to his ear, whispering something.
Kouichi turned white.
Just as the bell rang, a loud scream sounded throughout the halls.
Kouichi walked into the classroom, incredibly pale.
"I've never seen this before! This is awesome!" Kouji exclaimed immediately, watching his brother trip over a backpack but still say nothing.
"Kouichi?" Kako called out, waving a hand in front of his face. The morning's events were obviously erased from her brain.
Ai giggled and followed closely behind Kouichi. "So, at five, right, Kouichi?"
Still pale, Kouichi nodded.
Kako's jaw dropped and Takuya and Izumi gasped. Kouji could only stare in confusion, wondering what had happened to his brother.
"Wh...wh...wh-wh-...WHAT!" Kako yelled, jumping out of her seat furiously. "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!"
"She...knows...my...secret," Kouichi mumbled as he sat down and saw Mr. Ogata walk into the classroom. "I'm doomed..."
"What secret?"
The younger twin was equally pale. "The one even I don't know about!"
"OH! I know that one!" Izumi gasped, snapping her fingers in remembrance.
Takuya flashed her a confused look. "Which one?"
Izumi leaned over and whispered in his ear so Kako or Kouji couldn't hear, then pulled away. A satisfied smirk decorated her face.
"OH! That one. Yeah, you're right. That'll do them some good," commented Takuya with a grin.
"Yup!" Izumi giggled.
"TELL ME!" Kako cried desperately, slamming her hands on Takuya's desk.
"But-" Takuya started.
Kouichi covered the goggle head's mouth furiously. "NO."
Kako glared at him for a solid minute before stomping back to her seat, repeatedly kicking Kouichi's chair.
Mr. Ogata waited as the second bell rang, then announced, "Exam time. You know the drill-er...Kako, are you okay?"
"I'm FINE," Kako snapped, kicking Kouichi's seat harder than before.
The teacher stared. "Very well. Clear your desks and get out a number two pencil..."
After school ended for the day, Kouichi lagged behind the rest, wishing he had someone to talk to. Ever since the first day, the entire class deemed the digi-destined a bunch of 'weirdos' and ignored all their random babbling about Digimon and pretty much ignored them in general. So, when Takuya muttered about how hard the test was compared to Lucemon, no one cared.
Then there was Ai. How had she known his secret? He could understand how Izumi or Takuya knew, but Ai...
How could she figure out whom he liked?
It was strange to be afraid of girls and yet be in love with one, but Kouichi figured that was the way life worked. But he had never been so scared as he was when Kako kept kicking his chair. He had sworn he heard her crying. And he learned never to make Kako cry. It resulted in pain worse than death.
Staring ahead at his friends, Kouichi decided to visit the bookstore. He did so, most often when he was bored, and right now, he really needed some good books or manga. "'Lo, Mr. Saito," he mumbled, walking past the friendly bookstore clerk.
"Bad day?" Mr. Saito guessed. He was in his mid-twenties, much like Kako's brother.
The reminder of Kako was enough to make Kouichi want to cry.
"Heeeeeello, Mr. Saito-head," a deep voice greeted the clerk. Kouichi looked up to see a raven-haired man walk in, stopping as soon as he saw Kouichi. "YOU! Kako came home crying! What'd you do?" he yelled furiously, pointing at Kouichi.
Kouichi winced visibly. "Uh...hi, Hideki," he muttered, picking up a volume 10 Zoids: Chaotic Century book off the shelf and hiding his face behind it. Maybe he won't hurt me if he sees how cowardly I am...
"No, seriously, what'd you do? I've never been able to make her cry! I wanna learn!" Hideki said in awe.
Startled, Kouichi threw the book at Hideki. "DON'T BE STUPID! You're her brother. You're supposed to make her feel better!" he screamed, picking up the fallen book and putting it back on the shelf. "You people are so stupid!" Saying so, Kouichi ran out after saying a quick goodbye to Mr. Saito.
Mr. Saito chuckled as Hideki stood at the doorway, blinking, baffled. "Kids nowadays."
Five o' clock came way too soon, Kouichi gulped and looked away as he rang the doorbell to Ai's house.
Ai answered the door with a smile. "Hey Kouichi!" she giggled, leaning forward as if to kiss him.
Kouichi stepped back. "Er, right. Can we get this over with?" The air was cold and dry, and it was almost sunset. "Where do you want to go?"
"A fancy restaurant?"
He twitched. "Do I look like I'm rich?"
"A...regular restaurant?"
"Look, I don't have that much money on me right now..." Mostly Kouji's fault.
"Fine! Where do you want to go?" Ai snapped angrily.
Home. "Uh...uh...the...uh, the park?"
"OOH! Yeah! Let's go!"
Practically seething, Kouichi allowed her to hug onto his arm.
PUSH HER OFF! a voice screamed.
Yet another voice answered, That's not nice, though.
But it's not her spot! It's our arm!
Don't you belong to Kouji?
Ew, no! I'm the side of you that's rebellious! PUSH HER IN THE MUD! YOU MISSED THE MUD!
Kouichi cringed as he passed a mud puddle. At this rate, he'd die from an overload of thoughts from each side of the argument rattling in his brain.
"Ew. Isn't that Kako?" Ai asked disgustedly.
Kouichi looked up from his shoes to find Kako on the swing, talking to a few children animatedly. Before he could step toward her, Ai held him back. "ACk! Wha-?" he yelped as he nearly fell face flat on the side walk, but luckily caught himself.
"So you want the entire school to know?" she asked venomously.
"...well...no," Kouichi answered truthfully. After a moment's thought, he snapped, "But they'd find out eventually." Sheesh, Ai's even more annoying than Crusadermon was...
Ai huffed, "Fine! I'll make sure to include it in the announcements, then!"
Kouichi watched as she walked away. I'm free today. Tomorrow, I'm dead, he thought with a sigh. A drop of water fell onto his nose. "What-" Looking up, he saw a few more drops fall to the ground. Little children ran around, giggling madly as they jumped through the soon made puddles, eventually searching for cover as it began to pour harder. Kouichi watched Kako swing through the rain for a while before walking over, taking off his jacket and throwing it over her head.
Kako nearly fell out of the swing in surprise, only saved by swinging into Kouichi, who caught either of the swing's chains. "AHHH! Oh...you," she murmured, turning around and seeing Kouichi. Quietly, she looked up and removed the jacket from her head, throwing it back at him.
He just smiled and yanked her hand with one of his own, putting his jacket over her head with the other. "Come on. Let's get you home before you get sick."
"What? But your date-" Kako started, shocked.
He laughed. "Everyone'll know by tomorrow. It doesn't matter."
Kako fell silent. "So will you tell me now?"
"Nope."
"Hey!"
"You'll find out soon. First, tell me why you were crying," Kouichi ordered in a grave tone, ruffling her hair under the jacket.
She threw him a glare as she asked, "Who told you?"
"Hideki. He sounded happy about it."
"WHAT!" she yelled angrily. "What do you mean, happy?"
"Said I was the only person who made you cry or something."
"ARGh! That jerk..." she growled. After a second of silence, she murmured, "That's not completely true."
Without warning, Kouichi wrapped his hands around Kako from behind.
Kako looked back at him. "K-...Kouichi?"
In turn, he smiled back apologetically. "I'm a bit cold."
"Idiot."
"Hey..."
As the two kept walking, they continued poking fun at each other, laughing despite the rain.
Tomorrow would come, Kouichi was certain, but it didn't matter anymore. As long as she didn't know.
And he was fairly certain she wouldn't.
A/N-
Awww...how cute. That must be really awkward to walk like that. .:snickers:. I'm a bit depressed, I hate homework, and I LOVED writing this chapter. It was so freaking awesome. Review, please, and...er...I'm getting to the main plot. The side plots were important, though! I'm sorry! Sheesh, don't kill me! XP Actually, no one killed me for the side plots. But they are important-
.:Kouji:. WEREN'T WE SUPPOSED TO DO THIS A/N?
.:Junpei:. Kaea says review. Tell us if you want more Kouji torture, less Kouji torture, more romance, less romance, or yada yada...and Kouichi's going through looking for mistakes again...:sweatdrops:.
.:Kaea:. .:grumbles:. Stupid Kouichi. Just because I made you be nice to Kako...well, review!
.:Kouichi:. Kaea! I found 12 errors! WITHOUT spell check! Review and tell us if you think Kaea's stupid or not!
.:Kaea:. REVIEW AND TELL US IF YOU WANT KOUICHI TORTURED! Because I'm gonna do a LOT more Kouichi torture…
.:Kouichi:. Spell check found at least two more errors! AND YOU SPELLED MY NAME WRONG!
.:Kaea:. .:grins:. Review, please!