Disclaimer-For the second to last time (hopefully) in this story, I don't own Digimon.

A/N-...Dedicated to Jason. Sadly. Just kidding, hopefully he never reads this. But only because the last chapter's title was made up because of all of his, "Oh noes! OH NOES! MY HISTORY HOMEWORK! GONE! Missing! Gah...Oh noes. Oh well."

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Paradise Packs A Punch

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"Weeeh! Let's go on it again!" Kako laughed.

Kouichi did his best to stay awake. Shaking his head, he mumbled, "I'll sit out. It's too...too boring."

Eyes wide, Kouji blurted, "Boring?" After a slight pause, he realized Kouichi had no intention of confirming the statement. Again, he repeated, "Boring? What land do you live in? That was the awesomest roller coaster in...in the universe and beyond!"

The older boy sighed. Snatching his bag from the ground, he explained in a sarcastic tone, "When you've gone on the same ride there times over early in the morning, which isn't so early because you wake up earlier, the ride is beyond boring. It's absolutely stupid." There wasn't even the slightest hint of mercy in his voice. "I'm going to sit out and remain sane, thank you."

Kako and Kouji exchanged glances before shaking their heads.

"You know," the girl commented, "I'm a little hungry myself."

"Considering it's past twelve?" The sarcasm failed to leave Kouichi's voice.

Kouji turned pale. "Y-you mean..."

"He can last that long without food?" Kako asked skeptically. Although she sounded shocked, her face clearly showed every ounce of her amusement. "That's definitely news that everyone should know."

Kouji went from pale to pink in a matter of seconds. "Sh-shut up," he sputtered, hands outstretched as he stormed towards Kako.

"Okay, so who wants food?" Kouichi rolled his eyes as Kako hid behind him to avoid Kouji. When no one answered, he let out a sigh and said stoically, "No one? Fine with me."

"Hey! I do!" Kako exclaimed. She yanked on the back of his jacket and furiously demanded, "Food!"

A smirk appeared on Kouji's face. He snickered, "I lasted? What about you?"

"Oh hush! I need chocolate!"

Horrified, the boys chorused, "NO, you don't!"

A shiver ran down Kouichi's spine. He took out the park map from his backpack, pushing aside thoughts of a chocolate-high Kako. Scanning it, he murmured aloud, "We can go through one or two more rides on the way to the food court."

"Cool!" Kako tapped Kouji's shoulder and smiled innocently. "Thanks for volunteering to buy the food!"

Kouji frowned. "Uh...a-about that..." He turned to his twin. "Hello, best biggest brother in the history of Earth and beyond! Surely you-" The younger boy laughed nervously when Kouichi pulled out his wallet. "W-well, that's cool-"

Idiot. Kouichi winced and looked around, trying to locate Duskmon's voice. Why do you let them do that?

Duskmon...where are you? Kouichi frowned. He looked up at the clouds and averted his gaze to a nearby roller coaster. Nothing. There was no sign of any digimon anywhere. Lowemon isn't here too, right? Again, no answer. Kouichi sighed impatiently. He turned back to Kouji and ignored the looks he received from his brother and Kako.

"Uh...are you okay?" Kouji asked. An eyebrow was raised.

Kouichi nodded. "Well? Let's go."

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"I'm hungry. Can we please get food now?" Kako whined, a hand at her stomach.

Kouji shot his brother a glare, and the older twin sighed, digging out his wallet. "What do you want?"

Kako sat down on a bench and shrugged, scanning the area. Finally, she decided, "Lemonade ICEE. Please?"

"Kouji?"

"Nah, I'm good."

Kouichi nodded and walked off to buy the lemonade. It then occurred to Kouji what a mistake that was. Nervously, he looked at Kako, stiffly turning to her. "Uh...uhm..."

"Hm?" Kako looked up and frowned. "Are you okay, Kouji? You seem kinda...nervous."

"I'm fine," he assured her, taking a seat on the bench as well. "Monday's coming up..."

"Yeah...Monday..."

Kouji looked at her from the corner of his eye. His spirits seemed to lift. She wasn't looking forward to Monday any more than he was...or so it looked like. "So, having fun?" he asked, relaxing a bit.

She nodded and turned her head to him. "Hey, you said you were acting like a dork because of that bet with Takuya, right?" He nodded, surprised she still remembered. "Well," Kako continued, "Will you still get your money? I mean, after all that's taken place..."

"Here you go." Kouichi shoved the lemonade in front of Kako, silencing her.

Kako stared a while before accepting it. "Thank you," she yelled, jumping up and taking a sip.

Kouichi nodded absentmindedly and stared at his own lemonade. "Anyway...another ride, I presume?" He looked to Kouji for an answer.

But the younger twin was staring intently at Kako. "You know, the saddest part about this is," Kouji muttered, "now that you guys have food...I'm hungry."

Muffled laughter escaped Kako's mouth. She covered her mouth with a hand and looked at Kouji with a smirk plastered on her face. He shivered as she walked up to him and stuck the lemonade out. "Well...all the better for me," she said slowly, withdrawing the lemonade before he took it.

Kouji stared in shock before his eyes narrowed. Growling, he stuck out a hand, trying to get the lemonade from Kako. "Come on," he whined. "Just give me a sip!"

The older twin sat down on the bench, watching with mild interest. You know, he told himself, he could always steal mine...but I suppose love does that to you...?

"No way! Yum, food," Kako teased, taking a long drink, all the while smirking.

Irritated, Kouji managed to catch her. "Hah, what do you say now?" he muttered, pressing his lips against hers.

Kouichi nearly spit out his lemonade. Choking, he made his way to a garbage can, spitting out the lemonade and taking several deep breaths. Count on Kouji to do the unexpectedly obvious, he thought, wiping his mouth. And why do I always have to be drinking something when something like this happens? It isn't fair.

Kako began to cough as Kouji pulled away, now smirking. "HAH, take that!" he declared, pointing at her in triumph.

"Kouji, put down your hand, it's rude to point," Kouichi scowled, staring at his lemonade in disgust. "And take my lemonade...I don't want it."

"SWEET!"

Twitching, Kako turned to Kouichi angrily. "Why didn't you just do that before?" she snapped.

"Because...it was only when he decided to be a really big idiot and kiss you that I choked on it. And now, I'll never be able to drink lemonade without choking," Kouichi concluded on a down note.

Kouji snatched his brother's lemonade and frowned at Kako. "Oh, come on, it wasn't that bad."

"IT WAS. YOU NEARLY CHOKED ME, IDIOT!" she snapped, shoving the lemonade in his face. "Here, you can have it! I don't want it."

The younger twin took the lemonade with wide eyes. "G-Give me a break! You don't expect me to finish them both, do you?" he asked, near hysterics.

Shooting him a cold glare, Kako snapped, "Of course we do."

Kouji turned to his brother for help, but Kouichi merely shrugged. "Don't look to me for help," he simply replied. "So I guess we all aren't hungry anymore. Good."

Before he could even protest, Kouji found his brother and Kako walk to the nearest ride, discussing the possibilities of how exciting it might be. Grumbling, he dumped one cup of lemonade into his mouth, praying he wouldn't get a brain freeze.

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"G-Gah...head...hurts," Kouji stuttered. He was shivering still. The second cup of lemonade ICEE lay melted in his hand. "M-Must...fin-ish...th-...this one, tooooo..."

"He's not okay," Kako declared. "Why did he just stuff the entire cup into his mouth? That's like...stuffing an entire pizza into your mouth!" she shrieked as they continued to walk around aimlessly.

Kouichi shrugged, sending his brother a worried look. "I wonder if he's okay now, too. I mean...shouting at seagulls?"

A feather had fallen into Kouji's cup, and he was now on a long rant, blaming the seagulls for a waste of food. As Kouji continued, Kouichi turned pale. "I..." he shivered, "wonder if he's really my brother, too. Since when did Kouji rant about wasting food?"

Kako shrugged, equally confused. Her eyes swept the ground in a bored manner until they found another feather. "Huh. The seagulls seem to be shedding a lot of feathers," she observed. She looked at Kouichi, who struggled to get Kouji to be quiet. "Wonder why...?"

"Um, Kako, why are they all hovering over you?"

Looking at the ground, and then the sky, Kako's eyes widened. "U-Uh...I...I have to go to the bathroom, I'll be back really quick!" she blurted, racing off.

Kouji frowned in confusion, his head now clear. "Wait! I'LL GO WITH YOU!"

"PERVERT!" came the yell.

Kouji covered his mouth at realization of what he had said. "Kouichi, go follow her!" he hissed.

A baffled look appeared on the older twins face. "Into the bathroom?"

"NO! Follow her to make sure some creep doesn't...do something!"

Kouichi sighed, but complied. He noticed, as he did, that the birds seemed to follow Kako as well, along with a trail of feathers.

Feathers.

Feathers...kinda like the one's in my dream, he realized, picking one up. A frown replaced his confusion, but he just shook his head and pushed the thought aside. "Kako's way too much trouble," he muttered, waiting outside the bathroom.

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Several minutes later, Kako stumbled out, rubbing her eyes. "Sh-...shoot...I knew I sh-AH, KOUICHI, WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?"

Kouichi opened his eyes, letting out a yawn as he stretched. "Kouji wanted me to follow you."

Her eyes widened as she asked, "INTO THE BATHROOM?"

"No, thank whatever. He could have done it himself," the boy muttered, feeling a bit stiff. "I knew I shouldn't have fallen asleep..."

"You were asleep?"

He shrugged. "I guess. Well, we might as well go find Kouji and his panicking brain."

Kako's eyes searched his before she shut them and nodded quietly. "Y-yeah...I guess we should," she murmured softly, looking at her shoes.

"Kako..."

She smiled. Turning to him, she punched a hand into the air and declared, "Anyway, I'm actually hungry now! Can we get some food before meeting up with Kouji? I kinda wanna finish it before he does something."

Kouichi chuckled and nodded. "And I'll make sure I don't buy any food this time, either," he added.

The two exchanged glances before bursting into laughter.

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"You're positive they're here?" Kanaye looked around the park. A look of disgust appeared on his face. The children, the smiles, the laughs, he hated them all.

He was a very cynical boy.

The other boy nodded. "They should come back soon. In fact...they should have been back sooner," he murmured, annoyance plain in his tone. Kanaye laughed and pulled out his sword. The boy stepped back. "How did you get that in here?"

"Let's just say, I don't go through the front entrance." He paused, then drew the blade, pointing it at the second boy. A smirk donned his face. Seconds later, the boy was on the floor, clutching his side. Kanaye chuckled, "A lucky dodge. I must say, though, I don't reward traitors greatly. You may regret this, you realize. He may not live."

A dull thud answered him.

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"I wonder...where he is," Kouichi muttered, starting to get worried. The two had returned to the exact spot where they had left Kouji. The now dirty feathers on the ground were more than enough to show that it was the correct spot. But Kouji remained lost to them.

Kako clung onto Kouichi's arm, shivering slightly as a cool breeze blew. Her eyes darted around nervously. The feeling in her stomach didn't make her worry any less. Trembling, she whispered, "Something's wrong...the air doesn't feel right."

Kouichi frowned and scanned the area a third time. Nothing, still. Lowemon...? Duskmon...? Agunimon or Blitzmon? Anyone? Can't you please find Kouji? Despite his begs and pleas, no one answered.

Several yells and screams startled the two from their search. Kako's grip tightened on Kouichi's arm. Biting back a yell, Kouichi whirled around, only to find Kanaye in front of them, sword drawn out.

His mind froze.

Duskmon...where are you when I need you? Kouichi wriggled his arm out of Kako's grasp and handed her his backpack. "Hold this..." He took off his jacket and pulled out his D-Tector. "And this," he added, tossing her his jacket.

Kako stumbled back, falling down onto the bench, eyes wide with fright. Kouichi, however, kept his eyes glued onto Kanaye, not even daring to blink.

Where are any of the digimon when I need them? And where's Kouji?

Indeed, where was Kouji?

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Lowemon looked up at the cloudy sky. "An ominous look," he declared, looking around the busy streets.

With a snort, Duskmon reminded him, "Kouichi's at the amusement park, remember?"

There was silence.

A loud thud sounded. Duskmon winced as Lowemon's shield met his head. "That...hurt," he muttered.

"You. Didn't. GO WITH HIM?"

"I thought you would."

"THEN HURRY UP! BECAUSE WE CAN'T TRUST HIM ALONE!"

Sulking, Duskmon went into the shadows, grumpy at Lowemon's attitude. And I thought I was paranoid...

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"What are you doing here?" Kouichi snapped, wondering exactly how to get the sword out of the D-Tector.

Kanaye let out a laugh. "Simple, isn't it? I'm here to destroy you."

Typical evil guy, only my age. Only, it doesn't make sense. Shaking his head, Kouichi asked, "And...why is that?"

"BECAUSE HE'S A JEALOUS LOSER!" Kako yelled, holding up the backpack to hide her face.

"Kako..."

Kanaye snorted and Kako shrunk behind the backpack even more. "Hardly the case. You're like the rest of them."

"'The rest of them?'" Kouichi repeated. "And that means?"

"The stupid vermin...heh...they don't have a right to live."

Kouichi's eyes narrowed into a glare. Come on, sword...how do I get you out?

A laugh pierced the air. "Stuck, Kouichi? Let me help you out!"

His mind was sent reeling as Kanaye charged towards him. Passer-by stared, he heard Kako yell. Kouji wasn't there. Duskmon and Lowemon were gone. The sword...

How do I get out the sword? Kouichi shut his eyes, his fists clenching. Come on...sword. D-Tector, don't fail me now!

"Ready?"

NO! Kouichi opened his eyes, widening them at the sight of his sword. A small yelp escaped his mouth as he barely parried the attack. "Y-you...you're risking the lives of all the people in the park, you know," he breathed, grip tightening on the hilt.

A smirk. Kanaye sneered, "Do they really matter that much? In fact, does everyone matter that much to you? I'm amazed."

"How did you know we were here?" Kouichi snapped, swinging the blade forward to give himself some space. As he expected, Kanaye stepped back. "It's called vacation time, and frankly, I like mine without wierdos like you."

Kanaye's eyes glittered dangerously. Before he knew what was happening, Kouichi found himself on the defensive, barely blocking each attack Kanaye threw at him. "How did I know you were here? Good question," Kanaye hissed, nearly managing to trip Kouichi. As he stumbled back, Kanaye lunged forward, "Why don't you think about the person closest to you!"

"J-Junpei wouldn't," Kouichi muttered weakly. He rolled out of the way and stood up, sword pointed at Kanaye. "And put that thing away! You're going to hurt someone!"

"Yes...you!" Kanaye launched another attack. "Of course not Junpei. Ever thought of someone closer? But they must not be that close, to give away your position like that."

Concentrate, Kouichi begged his mind. He's trying to throw you off! Don't let him! "No one would do that!"

He laughed, "Not everyone finds you the innocent little boy you are, Kouichi. That innocence is the very reason you are so hated."

"I never said everyone liked me," Kouichi snapped, countering the attack. He's trying to lower my defenses. And it's working. Attempting an attack, he demanded, "Who told you?"

Kako's eyes widened from behind the backpack as she continued to listen in on their fight. A crowd was gathering.

There was no sign of Kouji.

Don't tell me, Kako thought miserably, taking the items Kouichi had entrusted her with and racing off. Kouji, where the hell are you?

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He was close. Kouji sucked in some air and pulled himself onto a nearby bench. His vision was blurry. Everything was out of place...distant.

"Kouji!"

He couldn't even recognize that voice.

"Kouji Minamoto, you idiot!"

"K...who..." he whispered, his eyes slowly sliding shut.

"No! Don't! I can't carry you, you know!"

Despite the pain, he managed to sit up and gaze at the person. The picture wasn't clear. Blurry edges...but...the voice...

"Kouji?" Kako stepped back, chewing her bottom lip nervously. "Are you...you did, didn't you?"

He wanted to fall asleep. "I...what?"

Kako's voice rose, "What happened?"

Kouji screamed weakly and doubled over, clutching his side. He ignored Kako's worried questions and stared at the ground.

He remembered now.

What kind of idiot am I? He wanted to throw up. It was disgusting...he had betrayed his own brother. All because he couldn't be the best. "Kako," he whispered weakly. "Kouichi...he..."

"He's fighting Kanaye, thanks to you," she told him in a grave voice. "Kouji, why did you-"

"Be quiet...someone's going to call the cops, and then...it should stop, soon. Not everyday you see two kids carrying swords around and fighting in an amusement park." He laughed weakly, cringing as he stood up. "Wh...where is he?"

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DUSKMON WHERE ARE YOU? Kouichi winced as he fell onto a bench. "Shoot," he muttered, jumping out in time just as Kanaye brought his blade down to slice it in half. Don't tell me that was metal. LOWEMON!

Kouichi! Kouichi looked to his right and found a furious Duskmon and Lowemon. Why didn't you take us?

I thought you- Kouichi barely dodged as Kanaye continued attacking, each one more furious than the other. I thought you would just follow!

Lowemon scowled, We aren't trained puppy dogs! At least, I'm not.

I'd possess you, but, Duskmon started.

"GAH!" Kouichi let out a yell as the blade sliced into his left shoulder.

Again. Another shirt ruined.

Mom's really going to throw a fit...Duskmon, Lowemon, just leave me for now. I can't get much help from you anyway. And Takuya can't help me, either...neither can Kou-

Kouichi stopped, barely parrying another of Kanaye's attacks. His eyes widened. No...it can't be. Kanaye sent him back flying. Weakly, Kouichi tried to get to his feet, succeeding. "K-...you...won't," he stuttered a while, unable to get out the sentence. Kouichi fell forward, and the sword disappeared, returning to the D-Tector.

Kanaye smirked, walking over and pointing his sword in front of Kouichi. As Kouichi looked up at the sword, he sneered, "Now, I'll get rid of you. Any last words? No? Good..."

Shutting his eyes, Kouichi braced himself to meet cold metal.

It never came.

"Kid, you okay?"

Kouichi opened an eye, slowly opening the other. A man was standing in front of him, a worried look on his face. "Uh...y-yeah..." he mumbled, sitting up and clutching his D-Tector tightly.

"Kouichi!"

He looked up in surprise. Kako...? And...Ko...Kouji, he thought, his mouth running dry. For some reason, he couldn't stand it. Kouichi drew a breath. "Kouji..."

Kouji looked at his feet quietly.

That was confession enough to Kouichi. Confused and hurt, he murmured, "Why...did you...?"

He didn't remember anything but darkness after.

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"Is he okay?"

"He should be."

"You, girl! Do you know what happened?"

Eyes wide with worry, Kako shook her head immediately. If I tell them, it's not like they'd be able to do anything about it, she decided.

She wanted to go home.

But she needed to make sure they were safe.

God, twins are such...troublemakers.

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Kouji sat on the couch quietly. His mother let out a sigh as she lay her eyes on him, then returned to the kitchen.

The twins were allowed to go home, much to their amazement. Kouji's wound wasn't too deep, and Kouichi was merely drained of energy. Kouji had been bandaged up. Kouichi was still unconscious.

He felt like a failure. He was a failure.

His eyes turned to Kako, who sat beside him, staring at her shoes. A small debate went on in his head. Break the silence? No. What could I possibly say? 'Yeah, I hate my brother, because he can best me in everything.' Sure. That'll stop her from crying. The thought shocked him. Is she crying? Worried, he glanced at her face.

No tearstains were evident on her face. In fact, her face was void of any emotion.

He didn't think that was such a good sign.

"Kouji..."

Kouji tore his eyes away from Kako and turned to his mother. "Y-yes?"

Ms. Kimura smiled a little. Drawing a breath, she suggested, "Why don't you go see if Kouichi's awake? They said he was only physically drained. It's been about an hour, now."

An hour's enough? Okay, he thought glumly. "Kako...? You wa-"

Wordlessly, Kako stood up and nodded, heading to Kouichi's room before him.

Guilt bubbled in Kouji's stomach. He felt as if he had the wind knocked out of him.

Again.

She hates me. She probably does, he thought, sulking after her.

The door was open, and the two made their way in. Kouichi lay on the bed, eyes shut, asleep. Kouji could see Lowemon and Duskmon furiously glaring at each other, then turning their attention to Kouichi every few seconds.

It was his fault.

"Kouichi," he whispered to himself, "you hate me, huh?"

Kako turned to him. "Kouji," she muttered, tears now falling, "if you want to know..."

Kouji winced, stepping away from her. She was angry with him. It was only right. Is this...how Takuya felt after I took the hit for him when we fought Duskmon? Then again, that isn't the best comparison. He didn't give away our position. "So...he hates me," he said aloud. Because...I'm an idiot. Kouji Minamoto, the boy who's supposed to be the guy with great skill and intelligence, has reduced himself to an idiot who doesn't even deserve the spirit of the warrior of light.

"Don't be stupid," came a soft voice. Kouji averted his gaze to the bed. Wincing, Kouichi sat up and opened his eyes. "I can't hate you."

"YOU don't be stupid!" Kouji suddenly snapped. "I nearly got you killed. Hate me!"

A small smile appeared on Kouichi's face as he explained, "But I can't. You're my brother."

The younger twin was furious. "All the more reason you should!"

His brother sighed. Rubbing his tired eyes, Kouichi laughed. An apologetic smile formed as he whispered, "But you're my brother. We're family. We're twins. We're friends."

Tears silently flowed out of Kouji's eyes as he gazed at his brother. "Y-you're...too damn nice," he hissed. A choked sob followed. "Just...stop it!"

"Stop crying, you look stupid," the older twin retorted. "And you're making me feel uncomfortable."

Kako burst out laughing, sniffing every once in a while. Despite his anger, Kouji couldn't help but join her. Kouichi smiled at the two before turning to the digimon and mouthing a thank you. After the laughter died down, Kouichi asked, "Hey...Kako, do you have to go now?"

She nodded. "If I know the press, they'll probably have it on the news by now. And...then, Hideki'll get worried. And Dad's coming back tomorrow," finished the girl, suddenly turning stiff. Noticing his questioning look, she just smiled.

"Are you going to walk home?"

"Uh...yeah."

"Then do you mind if I come? I feel kind of stiff."

Kouji sent a glowering look in his brother's direction. "How many times do we have to say this? DON'T BE STUPID. You need rest more than anything."

"No," whined Kouichi. "I can get rest later. I need a walk. And fresh air. And..." He paused and thought, More lessons from Saito, for one.

"And?"

"And a walk," he concluded firmly. "So there."

Kako let out a nervous laugh. "Uh, are you sure-"

"Yes."

"But Kouichi-"

"Yes."

"No, I don't think-"

"Yes, it's a great idea, I know," he commented, picking up his jacket, which rested beside his bed. Turning to Kako, he added, "Thank you for saving my jacket and backpack."

She didn't know what to say. "Anytime...?" replied Kako.

Kouichi stood up and put his jacket on. Just as he was about to walk out of the room, he fell forward.

Kako and Kouji winced at the impact, then helped him up.

Withholding a laugh, Kouji asked, "You were saying? Your legs don't feel up to supporting you, in my opinion. Get some more rest."

Kouichi was adamant. "No," he snapped, getting up and managing to walk to the couch before falling.

"At least he fell on the couch," Kako murmured. Kouji nodded.

"MOM," Kouichi shouted, "Can I go for a walk?"

Ms. Kimura practically raced out of the kitchen to see him. "No," she replied.

His face fell. "B-but..."

"No."

"Mom!"

"No."

"...Kouji..."

"No," Kouji sang.

"Oh come on!"

"NO!" his family and Kako chorused angrily.

He slumped back in his seat. In a grumpy voice, he asked, "If Kouji goes with me, can I?"

His mother paused. "W-well..."

"Well?" he pressed.

"Oh, fine. As long as Kouji goes."

"That way you don't collapse halfway," Kouji muttered.

Kouichi shot him a glare, but remained silent. "WELL, KOUJI? HURRY UP AND HELP ME UP."

...not back to this again. Kouji made a face and stormed over to his brother. Exactly like the time he broke his arm. EXACTLY. Only...

As soon as they made it outside, Kouichi whacked his brother away. "No, let me go," he snapped, attempting to make it down the stairs himself.

Kouichi fell forward.

Again.

Kako slapped her forehead in exasperation as Kouichi let out a groan. Stifling his laughter, Kouji helped his brother up. "You idiot," Kako growled, turning to Kouichi. "STOP refusing his stupid help and just shut up and walk." She added, "With his help, of course."

"This is ridiculous," Kouichi grumbled, folding his arms and shooting a glare at Kouji or Kako anytime they tried to help.

Kako sighed. It would be one long walk...

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"Wooh! We made it!" Kouji yelled happily. And we're all alive

Kako rolled her eyes. "Are you sure you aren't tired, Kouichi?" she asked the older boy.

Kouichi nodded. Why am I tired? I've only been out for an hour or so. Even if I am still physically drained...

He was confused. Was it supposed to be this bad?

With a frown, Kako declared, "Liar." She opened the door and turned to the twins. "Come in if you want. I'll go see where Hideki is. I'm pretty sure he knows some medical junk..."

Kouji pushed his wide-eyed twin inside. When he came to his senses, Kouichi headed for the door. "I'm...going to wait outside," he muttered.

Suspicion was aroused. "Why?" Kouji questioned grabbing Kouichi's arm.

"B-because."

"You've never been to her house before, have you?" Kouji asked. He didn't have to. He knew.

Kouichi slumped his shoulders. With a sigh, he confessed, "I...never really made it past the front door."

"Huh."

Kako's shrill voice pierced the silence, "HIDEKI STOP TRYING TO MAKE OUT WITH HER!"

A thud. "OW!"

"STOP IT!"

Another thud. "OWWW!"

"That should teach him," Kako muttered, walking up to the two. "Hey...you aren't going anywhere."

Kouichi shook his head. "I have to go."

"No you don't. Shut up and stay. Rai's here, so that's even better. Because I actually know she won't end up murdering you by accident."

"Eh...gee, thanks for the heads up about Hideki," Kouji muttered.

Kako shrugged. "It's like your hair cut, right?"

At the mention of his hair, Kouichi's face burned. He turned away from the two, releasing his hand from Kouji's grip.

"Okay, okay, what's up?" Ms. Kawai looked at Kako with amusement.

Kako pointed to Kouichi. "Him. Kanaye. Attack. Can't walk," she summarized.

"I see..." Ms. Sakai frowned and turned around the red-faced Kouichi, scrutinizing him for several minutes before declaring, "All he needs to do is get some rest."

"HAH! I WAS RIGHT!" Kouji snapped.

Hideki appeared behind Rai, hands slipping around her waist. "I hear a twerp," he growled. His glare disappeared as he gazed at Kouichi. Doing his best not to laugh, Hideki asked, "What's with him?"

Rai's face held a sour look. "Hideki?" she asked sweetly.

"Yes, dear?"

"Mind moving your hands, idiot?"

Grumbling, Hideki let her go and turned around to mutter to himself.

"Can I go now?" Kouichi asked, his face still red.

Kako looked away and nodded. "Uh...sorry about that."

"Uh-no! I didn't mean like-ACK!" Not trusting himself to speak, Kouichi bit his tongue. Turning away from everyone, he began to hit his head on the wall, eyes shut.

"K-Kouichi..." Kako winced at every hit. She turned helplessly to Rai, but her teacher merely shrugged.

Kouji attempted prying his brother away, which resulted in Kouichi nearly falling over. However, Kouji fell over instead, nose almost hitting the floor.

With a sigh, Hideki snapped, "Stop making a dent in the wall."

Kouichi rested his head on the wall, quiet. His eyes flickered open. Finally, he pushed off and bowed to Kako. "Sorry to impose," he murmured quietly, heading out the door. "Kouji, let's go."

"'Kouji let's go?' That's all I get after I nearly break my nose?" Kouji cried hysterically, hands covering his nose. "I'll have you know, I could have died!"

"Sorry," the older twin murmured with a sigh, ignoring his brother as Kouji began to rant.

Kako shifted uncomfortably as they walked off, then sighed. "Tomorrow's another day..."

A smirk appeared on Hideki's face. He had nearly forgotten. "Oh, yeah," he said casually, "A great day, tomorrow is."

Kako made a face and stormed to her room.

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A/N-

I really liked this chapter. Kind of. Better than a few. Anyway, next chapter'll be interesting (maybe). Because...well, it should be the last one! (Will it?) Ahahah, ah...hem, well anyway...

I'm sorry. I really am. If ever the story was confusing, if ever you felt like making me die because I'm a horrible writer, I'm sorry. Because, I'm only human. So, before the last chapter, I'd like to apologize for all I've done to you!

Thank You for the reviews-

GemmaniGirl, PrincessKaze, Catwarrior, Winter's Light, Snowy Leopardess

Happier Holidays I wish you, now!

Review or Flame.