Disclaimer-I do not own Digimon (For the thirty-first time in this story).
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Things Change Faster Than We See Them Changing
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"Uh..." Kouichi looked around the empty hallways. I should have asked exactly where Ms. Kawai would be teaching me. For this second, I regret not being in Ogata's class. Actually...nah! What am I talking about? This is great! Freedom! Free from people poking me to death! Free from idiot teachers! Free from idiot classmates! Free from stuck-ups! Free from tests! Free fro-
"Kouichi, nice to see you not in class."
Kouichi froze from his silent cheering. He looked up and emitted a nervous laugh. "Ms. Kawai...nice to see you today."
She frowned. "You're quite the trouble maker, you know. But I must say, I'd do the same thing if I were in your shoes."
His jaw dropped. "Huh?"
"Well, hurry up, now! You aren't going to stand there staring all day, are you?" she asked impatiently tapping her foot. "Move it, Kimura. You've got an actual educational class."
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She's nice...but she's an evil teacher. Way harder than Ogata. THIS is the kind of teaching I like! Kouichi grinned silently to himself as he pored over the textbook. Ms. Kawai had gone for coffee, leaving him alone in the room, stuck among dozens of books.
"I could get used to this,"he said aloud, shutting the book and picking up another. "History. Huh. How interesting."
"It looks boringTake out the sword! Can we practice?" Duskmon pleaded.
Kouichi resisted the urge to whack his head against the book. Lately it seemed Duskmon was one side of him, Lowemon the other, and Agunimon was Takuya's replacement.
Itwas driving him nuts.
NO, Kouichi's mind shouted. He knew right away from the grumbles that Duskmon had heard him. "I'm busy, besides, she could come back any second now," he murmured quietly.
Ms. Kawai walked in, a cup of coffee in one hand. "Ooh, has Kako been sneaking in? I thought she'd try it someday. But then again, not many people know this room..."
The boy looked up and shook his head. "Uh...no, I was reciting the lines from a book I remembered reading about the...uh..." he stuttered, taking a quick glance at the history book. "About the Industrial Revolution! Y-yeah..."
Lame cover, Kouichi heard Duskmon's thoughts.
I'd like to see you do better.
Duskmon snorted. Well...I would. If she weren't such a-
Duskmon, if you don't stop insulting the ladies, Lowemon growled.
Kouichi choked on his laughter. "So...when can I go back to the classroom?" he asked Ms. Kawai, hoping the two Digimon would stop their telepathic argument.
Rai shrugged. In reply, she murmured, "Soon. Maybe after the first break. You'll have to sneak in. Ogata won't be all that happy to see you..."
Sneak in? She's...a good teacher, but definitely weird, Kouichi thought with a frown. It soon was replaced by a look of surprise as she looked over at him with a smile.
"So...you think I'm weird, huh? I don't blame you. But...you ought to remember this one fact, because it'll help you a lot through life; Girls are girls, despite form. An alien girl will still be a girl. A fish girl will still be a girl. A...a blob girl will still be a girl. So treat them like they want to be treated, despite how weird you think it is. Because one wrong move, and your relation with them is at jeopardy."
The boy blinked. Is...that supposed to help me? It might help Kouji...but...me?
"Yes, it will help you."
IS SHE READING MY THOUGHTS? Kouichi was on the verge of panicking.
"No, I'm not reading your thoughts. But I must be, seeing as how you're all tensed up!" the teacher laughed, placing her coffee on the table. "Kouichi..." she murmured, taking a seat, "do you like to draw?"
"W-well..." Kouichi stuttered, surprised by the sudden change of topic. "A little, I guess."
"You don't like school very much, either, do you?" Kouichi flushed at this question and remained silent. Ms. Kawai leaned back in her chair with a sigh. "I thought so. You know...I think that's why Hideki actually likes you, compared to Kouji. Hideki was smart...just...he slacked off a lot, especially when his mother died...are...you okay?"
"Wait...w-one second, their mom died...but...Mr. Aizawa...the first day or something...he asked Kako how her mom was," Kouichi muttered, suddenly surprised.
Ms. Kawai frowned. "Well, he's an old guy. His brain must be rotting."
Well...it's an explanation, Kouichi thought, eyebrow raised. He fell silent as Ms. Kawai continued with her story:
"Anyway, Hideki was smart. He slacked off a lot, eventually dropped out of school, was a total idiot. He doesn't want to see that happen to anyone else, and it's because he sees a lot of that in Kouji that he refuses to let Kako see the poor kid. Although...Kako doesn't really talk to him. Wonder why that is..." mused Rai, suddenly smirking.
Kouichi's heart beat faster, as to why, he didn't know. "Kako...doesn't really talk to him, because..."
He was jealous.
"Hm?"
"B-because...uh...I forget. Must be from getting knocked out by Kouji," he muttered, mainly to himself.
He didn't want to remember.
Ms. Kawai laughed, "Must be another reason Hideki doesn't approve."
"Actually..."
Kouji could be with Kako, and Kouichi could not.
"Well, it doesn't matter," she said dismissively. Shutting her eyes, Ms. Kawai asked, "So which do you prefer...sunrises or sunsets?"
"I do sunsets."
"You do sunsets?" Ms. Kawai opened one eye.
"I paint sunsets."
"Ooh, really? Show me some copies sometime. Does Kako have any?"
It never ends, does it? Mr. Saito, and now her, Kouichi thought glumly and he grumbled, "Kako has some. They're just the color pencil versions, though."
She laughed again, opening both eyes. "You don't like anyone seeing your art, do you?" He shook his head. "But from the samples I stole from Ogata, you're a pretty good writer, too."
"Uh...Mom made me practice a lot when I was in kindergarten from what I remember."
Silence befell them and Kouichi turned back to the book. Just as he opened it, however, the bell rang. He winced. "I don't...have to go, do I?" It was strange of him to ask such a question, but he didn't feel like leaving the safety of the room.
Besides, he enjoyed the silence.
Ms. Kawai rose an eyebrow, and Kouichi knew her answer right away. "Well...do you want me to bring everyone in here?"
Letting out a sigh, Kouichi picked up his bag and slumped his shoulders as he walked out of the room. So much...for fun.
A figure stepped out from behind the bookshelves. "He's pretty smart."
Ms. Kawai smiled. "You have no idea, believe me. No idea."
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"Kouichi! What the hell did you do while we were in class?" Kouji yelled as Kouichi made his way to his locker.
Kouichi remained silent, keeping his face straight.
"Answer me, dammit!"
Nothing.
"Fine! Wait till I tell Mom you're skipping class!"
"Go ahead and lie, then."
"I won't be lying!"
"You should really see your face," the older twin commented, snickering slightly. "It's very...well, to say the least...interesting."
Kouji shot a final glare at his twin before turning around and attempting to stomp off. Kako ran straight into him, grabbed his arm, then turned to Kouichi. "Okay, okay, that's not fair!" she snapped. "Is Rai a good teacher? Well? TELL ME ALREADY!"
And Kouichi's face fell. "Uh...one thing first..."
Kako shot him a confused look and questioned, "What? What is there to know before you tell me if she's good at anything other than bio, which she happens to be wonderful at?"
She knows how to praise, Kouichi thought with a smile. "Why on earth would you tell her I draw?" he demanded quietly, shutting his locker.
"Wait, this is new! And what is this about Ms. Kawai teaching?" Kouji suddenly asked, glancing down at Kako.
"HE GETS TO BE TAUGHT BY RAI! A ONE STUDENT CLASS! IT ISN'T FAIR!" Kako squealed, pointing at Kouichi.
Kouichi shifted uncomfortably before walking off. "Go away, both of you."
"NO!" the two chorused, running after him.
"I demand details!" Kako yelled, grabbing a hold of his shoulder and spinning him around. Then, smiling as innocently as possible, she let him go and stood on her tiptoes as she asked politely, "Please?"
This...isn't...fair, Kouichi thought weakly, looking around for support from Izumi or Junpei. Yes...Junpei...he had helped the older boy, but got none in return. Typical, but whatever...
"Fine," sighed Kouichi looking to the side. "Ms. Kawai's a great teacher, but I haven't gotten a real assignment yet. All it is so far is reading textbooks. I read about three so far..." Seeing Kouji's jaw drop, he snapped irritably, "It's not all that hard, you know. It's called skimming."
"Shut up," Kouji scowled in annoyance. Then, out of nowhere, he wrapped his hands around Kako's waist from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder. "So...you aren't skipping class, and I can't complain to Mom about having to get stuck with a mean old teacher?"
Kouichi shut his eyes and exhaled sharply. "No, I guess you don't."
While his eyes were shut, Kako wriggled under Kouji's embrace, shooting the younger twin an angry look. "Let...me..."
"GAH!"
Kouichi opened his eyes to find Kouji hopping on one foot, the other in his hands. Kako smirked victoriously and Izumi gazed at the three with a small smile.
"Well, I was right, then," Kouichi muttered, leaning against the wall behind him. "Kouji does need more girl advice than I do..."
"What makes you say that?" Izumi asked, biting back laughter as Kako chased after Kouji, threatening to step on his other foot.
"Well...Ms. Kawai gave me some advice on girls. And...wow, Kouji changed his bandana. Just noticed that. It doesn't look all that different."
Izumi leaned beside him, emitting a sigh. "Kouichi..."
"Yeah?" he asked, glancing at her.
She moaned quietly before looking up at him, her face betraying her devastation. Izumi murmured, "Isn't there some way you could get Takuya back?"
"Yeah, it's kind of disgusting for a creep like Kanaye to go with my girl!" Agunimon snapped, appearing beside Izumi, nodding.
Duskmon appeared beside him. "Idiot, she's not your girl. She's Takuya's."
"But Takuya's my human!"
"How...does that work?" Kouichi asked, an eyebrow raised in question. "He can't just...be your human."
Agunimon flashed him a grin. "Well," started the spirit, "it's a complicated matter that even your advanced human brain can't understand right now!"
Izumi stared at Agunimon, then Duskmon. She turned to Kouichi and questioned, "Agunimon-when...?"
"Sometime over the weekend, I think. Anyway, about getting T-" Kouichi froze. "Uh...I forgot."
"What?" Izumi asked, looking at where the older boy's eyes were glued on. "Oh...Ta...Takuya..." she whispered quietly.
Takuya blinked, staring at the two. "My locker...you're blocking it," he stated quietly.
Kouichi inclined his head and moved, yanking Izumi to the side as he murmured so even Takuya couldn't hear, "About getting the Takster back, I think I know a way...but...it won't work until the dance. You'll have to be patient, okay? And...would you sing for us?"
"W-what? I can't-don't..."
"Well...announce for us, then."
"That'll work better," she replied with a nervous laugh. Before Kouichi could dash off, she grabbed him back and gave him a hug. "I really wish you were my brother. Kouji has no idea how lucky he is to have you," Izumi told him earnestly with a small smile. Quietly, she walked off.
Kouichi returned the smile, then glanced at Takuya, who gazed quietly at the two. Kouichi cleared his throat, awakening Takuya from his trance-like state. The two boys locked gazes, and with a small discreet nod, Takuya went back to his locker.
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"Alright, quiet down, already!" Ms. Kawai shouted above the buzzing of the class. As she walked past Kouichi to head to the front of the room, she muttered, "I prefer one person classes, but this'll have to do for now..."
Kouichi snickered a little and then gazed out the window. Although he hated to admit it, he did miss his seat. It had the best view of the trees. "So, Kako," he suddenly asked, looking over his shoulder. "Who won? You or Kouji?"
"Me, obviously," Kako returned haughtily, throwing a glare at Kouji, who was now nursing both feet.
"Yeah? Well sorry if you don't like me showing how much I love you!" Kouji returned in a harsh whisper.
Kako turned red and Kouichi returned his gaze to the trees. Some things...are better left untold, the older twin thought, ignoring the throbbing headache he had just developed.
"Hey...Kouichi?" Kako whispered, placing a hand on his shoulder lightly. Kouichi shrugged it off and didn't turn around. Swallowing, Kako withdrew her hand and returned her attention to Rai.
"Okay, well, guess what I'm going to do? Yes, once more, I'm splitting you into pairs!" Ms. Kawai announced when the conversations died down. Then, as an afternote, she added, "Again. So...we're changing the pairs! Kind of. Well, they're done by random. Anyway! Kouji and Naoko, Kanaye and Fujitaka, Ai and Eijo, Takuya and Izumi, Kako and Kouichi, Miyo and Suzu..."
Kouichi wanted to bang his head against the wall. Shakily, he rose a hand. "Uh...Ms. Kawai..."
"Yes, some of you may have the same partners. Live with it. It's random," she replied airily.
Not so random, he thought, not wanting to look behind him. No one else got the same partner. "So...then what's the project?"
Rai smirked. "Oh, I'm very glad you asked. You'll be constructing a model of DNA."
DNA, yes, model, no. Kouichi looked back at Kako and murmured, "Do you have pipe cleaners?"
"And it's an afterschool project," Ms. Kawai continued.
"Are you free after school?" Kouichi asked, twitching.
Kako let out a whimper and murmured, "I'm...busy, actually..."
Snapping her fingers, Rai added, "Oh, and it's due tomorrow."
The class fell silent.
Kouichi rose a hand. "CAN WE PLEASE, PLEASE MEET FOR FIVE MINUTES?" he yelled frantically.
"Of course," she replied smugly. "Hurry up, though. I'm timing."
"I'm not busy anymore," Kako snapped, glaring at Kouji. Kouichi breathed a sigh of relief. The girl behind him poked his shoulder hard. "Achem, Mr. Moody," she muttered, now glaring at him, "what's your problem?"
"OY, NAOKO! YOU CAN COME OVER, RIGHT? GREAT!" Kouji yelled before going back to nursing his feet.
"Sure," Naoko called back.
Twitching, Kako glared at the younger twin, annoyed at the interruption. "Do you want to shut up?"
"Eh...do you want to come over or do I have to suffer Hideki's wrath?" Kouichi asked timidly.
"I'm coming over. Hideki's a loser, and he's throwing some random party. I needed to get out anyway."
Great. Ms. Kawai is truly evil, Kouichi thought with a sigh. "Okay...pipe cleaner hats, here I come."
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Izumi's throat went dry as soon as she heard her name called out after Takuya's. She wanted to scream, wanted to hide. She wanted to cry, long and hard, alone in a room.
As soon as Ms. Kawai gave the class five minutes to meet with their partners, Izumi froze. Shakily, she stood up and shuffled over to Takuya. "Umm..."
"If it isn't too much trouble, you can come over, and we'll work on it. Otherwise, I'll work on it alone," Takuya immediately said, his eyes not meeting Izumi's.
Izumi let out a small sigh and nodded. "Okay," she whispered in turn, looking at her shoes.
"And...Izumi..."
She looked up at him.
"I'm sorry it has to be this way."
Izumi forced a small smile. "I-It's okay. Anyway..." Biting her lip, Izumi walked back to her seat.
It took all his self restraint just so he wouldn't grab Izumi and kiss her. Takuya swallowed and sighed deeply, shutting his eyes and leaning back in his chair. He could hear the faint chattering of the twins and Kako.
But most importantly, Izumi's fading footsteps.
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"Yey! Have you finished?" Kako asked, skipping beside a brooding Kouichi.
He shot her a confused stare. "What?"
"Final Fantasy..."
"...Actually..." I've been so sidetracked from the real world... "No."
"Aww..."
"Well, maybe if you finish- early enough, you can play," offered Naoko quietly.
Kouji grumbled, "But I have to be done, too!"
Wearily looking over his shoulder, he older twin declared, "If you...or anyone else...watches, I'm not playing."
Kako began to whine.
Oh, how my life is so peaceful, Kouichi thought, sarcasm heavy in his head. "Three...two...one, I'm running!" he yelled, racing home.
Surprised, Naoko and Kako yelled, "Wait up!"
Kouji was about to yell at them to stop when they raced off, leaving him alone. Irritated, he yelled, "WHAT IS IT WITH THE WORLD TODAY?"
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A/N-
I know, not much yet. There's a bit. But...not much. It's a short chapter, what can I say? More info will apparently be next chapter, because I can't make this one too long. More Tomoki next chapter, too! It makes me happy. More Takuya and Izumi, too. And more Kako. She's been ignored.
Hm...the italics are getting messed up. .:not happy:.
Thank you-
Winter's Light, WithBrokenWings, PrincessKaze, Konfused Kitty, Snowy Leopardess, GemmaniGirl
I love your reviews, your support, everything. You're the best. Can't wait to hear from you all again!
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