a/n: Not quite to the onsen scene yet... I wanted to do a bit more development of the Takari relationship (sorry). And I had an absolute blast (i.e., it's long).

This chapter doesn't contain a scene from the movie. Reminder that all chapters without movie scenes will be marked with (ns) in the title.

"Takaishi, otsukare."

Takeru glanced up as a towel fell over his line of sight. "Otsukare."

"Man, is it hot…" Yamanaka plopped down beside Takeru, his hair dripping water and leaving dark spots in the dirt. He whipped out a second towel and began drying his hair vigorously. "I don't know how we're going to make it through the summer."

June had arrived, and with it, muggy heat, summer uniforms, and extended practice. The sports clubs were all bracing themselves for a long and grueling season. The basketball team would (thankfully) escape to the gym at some point, but they were still doing warm-ups and cardio outside. Lap after lap had them heaving and searching for a place to cool down, and the dappled shade by the fence happened to be the best place to escape the sun at that hour.

"It's not even really summer yet," Takeru said drowsily, leaning against the chain-links. "Where are Suzuki and Fujioka?"

"Fujioka's still by the fountain cooling down with the others. Suzuki's… eh, probably goofing off with the cheerleaders."

There was a raucous burst of laughter and squealing from the edge of the field. Suzuki came into view, surrounded by a group of girls in short skirts.

"What'd I say…"

"Oiiii! Yamanaka, Takaishi~!" Suzuki called from across the field. "Some of the first year girls are talking about going to karaoke after school, and I've gotten their permission, so I say we crash!"

"Suzu-kun, you leave our underclassmen members alone!" They heard another familiar voice, most likely Ogawa's, though it was hard to tell from that distance.

Takeru raised a hand in acknowledgement while Yamanaka just watched, unamused.

"He's going to get in trouble again…"

Sure enough, one of their upperclassmen from the basketball team came scolding, sending the gaggle of cheerleaders scattering and Suzuki running back towards them, looking not even the slightest bit remorseful.

He arrived with a sunny grin and wiped the sweat off his forehead with his forearm. "Apparently Captain says to join up in the gym."

"Since when have you been interested in listening to what Captain says?" Yamanaka asked dryly, but the two of them stood up, dutifully emerging back into the summer sun.

"At least we get to go inside," Takeru pointed out.

"Hey you, you've barely broken a sweat." Suzuki eyed him suspiciously. "What are you, some sort of superhuman? A robot?"

"Senpai, I think Suzuki needs some more cardio!" Takeru called in the general direction of the upperclassmen, sending Suzuki into a panic as the teammates around them sniggered.

It was true that Takeru had more stamina than a lot of the other boys on the team. He was on the tall side, quick on his feet and with a reputation for putting up a never-tiring defense. But in this weather, even he was exhausted.

"Here comes robot #2," Yamanaka said as Fujioka joined them, polishing his glasses on his shirt front.

Fujioka stared at them blankly. "Out of context that makes me wonder what sort of stupid conversation I just walked into."

They followed the rest of the basketball team into the gym, stopping to encourage some of the exhausted first years. To Suzuki's delight, the cheerleaders had also gathered in the gym to run through routines. He winked openly at the first years from earlier, and they giggled, but he didn't have their attention for long. Takeru strode in behind him.

"Eh, Takaishi-senpai!" A few of them shrieked.

Takeru gave them a brief wave.

"Senpaaaai!" They all swooned, much to Suzuki's annoyance.

Kikuchi brightened as she caught sight of the boys. She was flushed and tired, but in the zone, as she always was during cheer practice. With her sturdy build, she was a strong athlete; she was confident and beautiful when she was doing floor work.

"Hey~!" Andou, who was a couple positions away, gave a whistle, and the two of them waved at the boys.

Ogawa, on the smaller side, was a flyer. She waited until she was safely on the ground, then flashed them a smile.

"Okay, boys, eyes over here," the captain of the basketball team sighed. "I get it. It's hot, skirts are shorter, and you're losing your focus. But we've got the fall tournament coming up, not to mention the exhibition game at the cultural festival scheduled for the end of this month, so I expect you to give your all during practice. Especially you, Suzuki."

He glared at the jokester, and Suzuki gave him a cheeky two-thumbs up. They were close friends despite Suzuki's tendency to get on the captain's nerves.

"Let's start drills then. The usual."

Kikuchi was on fire as they ran through the first routine. It was always exhilarating knowing that Takeru was only a small distance away, working hard at his own sport just like she was. She tried to resist temptation, but ended up peeking over at the other side of the gym. Takeru made a clean shot, his lean arm muscles flexing, and she bit back a fangirl squeal. Suzuki was next, and as he took his shot he flashed funny faces that had the tired first years on the team howling in laughter.

She found herself smiling fondly at the memory of how he had cheered her up last week when she was upset about Takeru going to see Hikari at lunch. Suzuki was a goof and got into trouble often, but he had a way of making others smile.

Ogawa, landing a jump, caught Kikuchi's eye and paused to take a look at the boys as well. At Suzuki's antics, she giggled and made a face.

"Okay, three minute break, then next position!" Their captain called.

As they broke formation, Andou passed by the two of them and whispered harshly. "Look!" She pointed at the entrance on their side of the gym.

Kikuchi's eyes widened. Two really good-looking girls still in their school uniforms had just come in through the double doors. And one of them was none other than Yagami Hikari, silky brown locks curling prettily around her face, a camera looped about her slender neck.

Arisa Smith, who was with her, gestured towards the other side of the gym where the basketball team was practicing. With her long legs, deep-set eyes, and sharp, chiseled features, she looked every bit the part-time model that she was. Standing beside someone so beautiful was no easy feat, but Hikari did it with ease.

They passed by the cheerleaders with smiles and brief greetings, which were returned in kind. The two members of the school publication club were in a completely different social circle and had little in common with the cheerleaders, but there was a mutual sort of respect and general amity. If there was any animosity at all, it was usually due to jealousy (from the cheerleader side), and they felt themselves above that most of the time. So, the two groups usually kept to their own territory, but were friendly enough when they crossed paths.

To their surprise, the two girls approached their captain, a third year, and seemed to be asking her questions. Their captain said something in return, then after a moment of thinking, shook her head apologetically. Hikari nodded and bowed her thanks.

"Wonder what that's about…" one of the first years near Kikuchi murmured.

"Who knows. That one's the model, right? Wow. I've never seen her up close before."

"Yagami-senpai is a total doll..." another breathed.

"You know Yusuke, from 1-B? Apparently he confessed to her at the beginning of the year."

The two girls were approaching them now, which seemed to shush the chattering first years. Kikuchi straightened, a steely sort of look in her eyes. They had to pass by her to get to the boys' side of the gym. Those pretty preps have to get through me to get to Takaishi-kun, she thought, then was mildly embarrassed at her own dramatics.

Nonetheless, she found herself addressing them. "Yagami-chan, Arisa-san! Hii!"

If Hikari was surprised at the sudden approach, it wasn't apparent. "Kikuchi-chan! How are you? Sorry for jumping in on your practice."

They had never been super close, but they had been in the same class multiple times since the first grade and had often been in the same field trip group or assigned the same class duties.

As crazy as her relationship with Takeru made Kikuchi lately, it was hard to dislike Hikari. "I'm okay! It's hot, so practice has been absolute hell," she confessed.

"You guys work harder than anyone," Hikari said admiringly, and Arisa nodded her agreement.

Kikuchi smiled. "If it's Takaishi-kun you're looking for, he's over there."

It was a somewhat pointed statement, but Hikari took it in stride. "Mhm, thanks!"

"By the way, Yagami-chan. I wanted to ask you something," Kikuchi continued.

Andou and Ogawa had come to stand beside her, so she felt a lot stronger. Because in all honesty, facing Hikari was like squaring off against some sort of celestial being. Kikuchi was bigger than her physically, but her aura—this serene, seemingly all-knowing benevolence—was overwhelming.

"Sure," she answered.

"Takaishi-kun's been acting a little strange," Kikuchi started. "Well, not strange…"

She thought back to how Yamato's concert had been suddenly called off and to Takeru's recent inability to hang out with their friend group due to "family-related plans."

"He seems distracted," she finally said. "And like, we're kind of worried about him and what's going on. You seem to be spending time with him, and you're close with his family... soooo what's up?"

Andou and Ogawa crossed their arms to punctuate the question.

Of course, Hikari felt far from threatened, though this conversation was clearly some sort of posturing on their part. She was aware now that Kikuchi viewed her as a rival, but she wasn't interested in becoming part of some trivial battle for her childhood friend's romantic interest. There were far more important things at stake. That, and all she could think about was how she would definitely tease Takeru about this later.

"Some old friends of ours are here to visit, and we're helping them out," she explained. She wasn't lying.

Andou raised her eyebrows. "Takaishi-kun said it was about family."

Hikari nodded. Takeru hadn't lied either. "They're just like family to us."

"And you?" Kikuchi cut in. "You're all like family?"

Arisa coughed slightly. About a million different comebacks ran through her head, the first of which was: Why is it any of your business what her relationship with Takaishi is? But she remained silent. Hikari was managing the situation in her own way.

"We are," she said gently, realizing that that would make Kikuchi feel better.

And it did. Kikuchi wasn't fully satisfied yet, but she let herself smile again, and it was mostly genuine. "Uhuh, okay! Yeah, we were just a little worried about him. Our Takaishi-kun… he really hasn't been himself." She pouted and glanced over at where he was practicing.

Hikari was gracious and perhaps even indifferent to the territorial comment. But Kikuchi's words did remind her of the coming danger, and she saw his sea green eyes reflected in her mind. The way they had trailed on her in the ferris wheel carriage when they were at the highest point, almost kissing the sky.

She gazed straight at Kikuchi in a way the other girl found haunting. "Takeru-kun is kind... and he's fair. Things can be a little hard on him sometimes. So please, be there for him."

Hikari was completely serious. She knew Takeru from the inside out, so she knew his kind, steadfast heart. She knew about his dedication to the good and true. But she also knew personally how immense of a burden this could be, and the devotion of his school friends was both touching and reassuring. As much as possible, she wished that they would be there for him, to support him from a place completely free of the burden of being a chosen.

Kikuchi was somewhat disturbed by what Hikari said. But before she could go on, the two murmured their good-byes and headed towards the far side of the gym. The cheerleaders could already hear the gasps and hoots of the basketball team as they caught sight of the two beauties.

"What was that last bit about? Was she serious? Is she just that nice?" Ogawa was perplexed.

Kikuchi frowned. "You tell me. I don't know if I should feel relieved, or…"

"Next position!" Their captain cried.

"Oh, Yagami-san," Fujioka said.

Takeru actually didn't notice her presence until he heard Fujioka say her name. He had his back to the sidelines, in the middle of an intense three-on-three. His head snapped around instantly, luckily during a brief lull in the match as Captain yelled some advice to one of the other players.

There she was. His other teammates who were unoccupied or in the middle of taking a break flocked eagerly around her and her friend. It was like two goddesses had descended upon them. She held a delicate hand in front of her mouth as she laughed at something Fujioka was saying, and he immediately felt a sharp pang of jealousy. Had they always been that close? Was that a recent development? Or maybe it was just friendly banter?

Fujioka looked genuinely happy. It was hard for most people to tell the difference, but Takeru could.

To make matters worse (or better?), Suzuki and Yamanaka had joined them, fresh out of their own game. Yamanaka was in awe as she introduced herself, while Suzuki was casually spinning a basketball on his finger, probably to impress her and her model friend.

He cursed inwardly and tried to focus back on the game at hand. Clear your head, Takeru. Calm down. Here it comes.

He pivoted on his foot as the offense came swerving. He snatched the ball deftly from his opponent, dribbled rapidly up the court, and made a quick pass to his teammate.

For goodness sake, now even their captain was a blushing mess, grinning like he had won the championship as Hikari and her friend spoke to him. He was completely ignoring the on-going three-on-three matches. So much for his speech from earlier about not getting distracted during practice.

Well, might as well give it my all like he said, Takeru thought ironically. I'm probably the only one at this point. Even his opponents seemed distracted by the two delicate girls who had shown up in their rough, sweaty world.

"Huh, Takaishi's really good," Arisa commented.

They had settled in the third row of the bleachers after the kind captain finally managed to call his flock of awestruck boys back to complete their drills.

Hikari just nodded, focused on Takeru's fluid movements around the court. She had seen him play a number of times, but he had gotten even better than before. And in such a short period of time. The determination in his eyes as he followed the ball was strikingly similar to the intense, protective look her brother always had. Mimi's comment about Takeru being grown up suddenly seemed less far-fetched.

"Ah, woah! They're really into it!" Arisa said.

The three-on-three was getting intense. The players had been matched based on skill level, so they were essentially the six strongest team members—and perhaps Takeru's intensity had rubbed off on the rest of them, because they were suddenly all intent on winning. And their plays were getting more daring by the second.

Most of the basketball team and even some of the cheerleaders on the other side had stopped to watch the mini-match unfold.

Hikari was riveted. Takeru was beautiful. Physically, yes. He had grown into a handsome young man, that seemed to be the consensus of every female in town. But it was more than that. It was seeing those hands, that back, that face that she had always known, and realizing their strength. And also realizing that they were hers.

Not that she was trying to claim him, as Kikuchi had just moments ago. They were hers in the sense that they were always oriented towards her, as if they were there just for her. Always. Those hands, which used to be small in hers as they ran away from Piedmon together, were now sturdy ones that shielded her from falling. Those eyes, sometimes calm and bright, other times stormy like they were now, had always been watching over her.

She stood.

The point count was close; Takeru's side needed only one more basket to win.

Takeru was grappling for the ball with an opponent, chasing him around the court. There was a glimpse of an opening, and he nabbed it, but his opponent was close on his heels.

Just when it seemed like the opponent would get the upper hand, Hikari let out a cry, her voice pealing through the gym like a bell.

"Go, Takeru-kun!"

"Hikari-chan?" Arisa jolted at her friend's sudden outburst.

Likewise, members of the basketball team and cheerleading squad turned toward the bleachers in surprise.

Takeru, however, knew who that voice belonged to without needing to look, and he smiled fiercely, feeling all of his gears kick in. As if on wings, he wrested control of the ball from his persistent foe and dodged past the defense in front of him. The hoop loomed before him, but it didn't seem so far. It was easy.

He jumped up, and as the ball soared through the air straight toward its mark, a single thought rose up in his mind.

He would make Hikari his. He was no longer okay with sharing.

"Lucky bastard." Suzuki clicked his tongue. He could see the way Hikari was captivated by Takeru, her eyes shining. He could see the way Takeru responded instantaneously to her cry, pushing himself past the limit. Sorry, Kikuchi, he thought. Like brother and sister, my ass. Those two are most definitely...

The net swished, and the gym broke out into applause and whistling as the game ended.

Sweat. It was creeping down his neck and making him extremely self-conscious as she stood before him, fresh and pink-cheeked in her school uniform.

"Some practice game," Yamanaka had huffed, while Captain had gone wild praising them for a game well played.

Fujioka said nothing, just pushed his glasses up methodically.

And then Hikari had come running down the bleachers to him, beaming like his own personal star, saying she had something important to tell him. And so, Takeru found himself in a secluded side section of the gym with this bright, rosy creature who took his breath away.

"I was going to wait until we walked home today, but I didn't know if I would finish my article in time to leave with you," she was saying. "It's important."

Takeru had trouble focusing. He didn't know if it was because of the decision he had made to himself earlier, but he couldn't seem to meet eyes with her. He gulped silently, braced himself, then looked up.

Big mistake.

"That was an amazing game, Takeru-kun. You're amazing," she murmured, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear in a way that was so endearing, he feared his heart would stop.

He would not last very long if he didn't re-learn how to think like a normal person around her. What was happening to him? It was Hikari, just Hikari. It was to his good fortune that his personal skill set included the ability to conceal his emotions behind a neutral smile at will. He now utilized that skill at full power.

"Hikari-chan, are you saying you fell for me just a bit back there?"

Good, good. Joking is good. Just the typical Takeru.

It was working. She was none the wiser about his nervousness.

"Completely," she laughed back at him, at ease as usual.

Couldn't you be just a little bit more conscious of me? He lamented silently. Really? Not even a little blushing? It would be an uphill battle from here on out.

"Anyway, Takeru-kun, " Hikari continued. "Mimi-san asked me to tell you to keep this Saturday open. She said it's absolutely necessary and that I should tell you 'as soon as possible without fail.' In her words."

"Mimi-san did?"

"She's making plans for us to get together as a kind of welcoming for Meiko-san, and also…" she let out a little sigh. "For oniichan and Yamato-san. They're not fighting anymore, but…"

"Things are still a little tense, yeah," he finished, and she smiled up at him. "Okay. I don't have any plans for Saturday yet, so that should be fine."

She sidled up to him suddenly, and he had to fight extra hard to keep his nonchalant expression in place. "You don't have plans with your friends who are girls this Saturday?"

He leaned in towards her. No way he would lose. "Jealousy strikes again?"

She giggled coyly. "Never even struck in the first place. Although…" she looked thoughtful. "Kikuchi-chan and a couple of your friends asked me about you earlier. They seemed pretty worried about how busy you've been."

"Hm, I see." That wasn't news to him. He was used to them fussing over him. "It's reassuring that they're there for me, but there's really only so much I can say without completely scaring them. I mean, they're just regular girls."

"You're a gentleman," she told him sincerely. She did appreciate how considerate he was of the opposite gender.

They were quiet for a moment.

"Did they give you a hard time?" Takeru asked. "Kikuchi and the others."

"Hmm, no. They were sweet." Hikari toed one of the taped lines on the floor absentmindedly.

He secretly doubted that they were, but gave a nod of acceptance. "That's a relief."

"It's me you're worried for?" There was an amused smile on her face. Before he could continue their playful back-and-forth, she glanced at the clock on the wall opposite them and went on. "Takeru-kun… actually, there's a lot that I want to talk to you about. But Arisa-chan is waiting, and I need to get back to the publication room. Deadlines are soon."

"Is everything okay?" Concern creased his usually relaxed brow.

"Mm." She stared down at her hands, then slowly shuffled closer to him until the tip of her right loafer touched his left sneaker.

At that distance, he could have easily kissed her, but he didn't dare. He knew that her comfort at their current proximity was a sign of trust; at this point it was trust in a childhood friend and brother. Nothing more.

"We can talk. Tonight?" It didn't matter, though. He wanted her to know he was there for her.

"Okay," she murmured.

"Okay," he repeated, stepping away to give her space. "I'll call you then."

Funnily enough, they had never really spoken on the phone before. Usually it was in person, or through text and instant messaging. Phone calls seemed to trespass into some forbidden territory meant strictly for people who were dating.

She gazed at him, doe-eyed. "Okay."

So it was okay then, to call her. Now all that was left was figuring out how to talk to her without his mom butting in or eavesdropping. He was backing away now, letting his nerves get the better of him. He no longer trusted himself to maintain a brotherly distance from the increasingly alluring girl. Besides that, he could see Yamanaka and Suzuki craning their necks around the corner to listen in on their conversation, signaling that their time was just about up.

"Hika-chan, ready to go back?" Arisa showed up with impeccable timing. Suzuki's invitations to the mall had been getting out of hand, so she was eager to leave.

They walked out of the gym together, chatting animatedly about something, and the entire basketball team watched as they left.

"Damn," Yamanaka said.

"Tadaima!" Hikari dropped her keys in the dish by the door and slipped out of her school loafers, peering into the living room/kitchen. "Oniichan?"

"Yeah," he called back. "In here."

She followed his voice to his room.

"Oniichan."

"Yo, okaeri," he said, pausing in cleaning his soccer cleats to glance up at her. He was cross-legged on the bare floor. "You're late today."

"We've been busy lately, so I had some extra work to finish up before the publication deadline." She set her bag down on the floor by his desk and sat on his bed.

It was the room they used to share when they were younger, so in a lot of ways it was more comforting than her current room. He was still using the bunk bed they had shared, except now that it was just him, he used the bottom and the top was just occasional lounging space.

"Hmmm," he answered, holding one of his cleats up at eye level to inspect it. "Otsukare."

"What about you, oniichan?"

"Same old."

They had this time to just sit together and talk every once in a while. It was always when Taichi was cleaning his soccer cleats. Hikari couldn't remember when it started, but she did recall how, as an elementary student full of pride and wonder at her amazing older brother, she would beg to watch him clean his cleats. And he, ever the obliging brother, let her sit down on his wheelie chair and watch as he brushed away. After that, he would call for her every time he needed to clean them, and she would come running, feet pattering on the floor. At some point as they grew older, it stopped being childish curiosity and turned into habit. On some evenings, she would find him in his room cleaning his cleats, and it became a sort of ritual for her to sit in his room until he finished, sometimes talking and other times just thumbing through a novel in comfortable silence.

She pulled her cell phone out of her skirt pocket and fell back onto the bed. "Hmm…" she sighed. She held the phone out at arms length as if it would explode at any moment, then clutched it to herself and rolled onto her side. She lay there, curled up, face buried in the sheets.

"What is it?" Taichi was still focused on his cleats, but he could hear her fidgeting.

She peeked an eye out at him. "Oniichan, what do you do if someone's going to call you?"

"Um… you answer it? Unless you don't want to, in which case, you don't?"

"Yes, but not that…" she frowned and burrowed deeper, letting the blankets muffle her voice.

"Then what?"

For some reason, she had a hard time forming the words to explain her situation. It wasn't exactly the type of topic she would jump through hoops to talk to her brother about, though she didn't quite understand why. She wondered for a moment if it would be better to ask Mimi or Sora, but—well, there he was, her somewhat gruff but sweet older brother, who was only pretending to focus on his cleats while actually listening patiently to what she had to say.

She rolled onto her back, feeling distinctly like a seven year old again. "What if… you had a good friend," she started slowly.

Silence, except for the faint rustling of a brush against cleats.

"...And you had something you wanted to talk about with that friend, but didn't have the time to in person."

More brushing. Hikari stared up at the wooden slats overhead.

"...and, if that friend was, in your case, a girl…"

The brushing suddenly stopped. Alarmed, Hikari sat up and stared right at him. He had put both the brush and his cleats down in the middle of working. That had never happened before.

"A guy?"

For once, Hikari wasn't sure how to read the sort of hard look on her brother's face. "Is that bad?"

"From school?" he asked again.

She nodded quietly, and any other words she had been planning on saying disappeared down her throat. He sat still for a moment, staring at a spot on the floor but not really seeing anything. Determination, confusion, and a fleeting loneliness seemed to appear all at once before disappearing again.

"Is it Takeru?"

She nodded again. She could tell he was trying to keep his voice light, like it wasn't that big of a deal.

He took a deep breath and stood up. He wasn't really sure what to think either, nor did he know what sort of answer his precious sister was looking for. His initial reaction was to be relieved, to say something like, "Oh, it's just Takeru? Wow you had me all anxious for nothing." After all, the two were as close as could be and hung out quite often, and—dare he say it? A part of him was sort of pushing for them to spend more time together. If anyone were to take his sister away, he would want it to be the earnest, kind-hearted little boy—now a young man—who swore his life to protect her.

But now he concluded that perhaps he was only okay with them spending more time together because deep inside he thought that they would never progress beyond just childhood friends. Was a part of him really hoping for this? That in all of the complexities of their memories and their time growing up together, the possibility of a romance would have just slipped away? Or that Takeru would always be unable to make a move towards something more, afraid of somehow betraying his trust as her older brother and the chosens' leader?

And it was just a phone call. One tiny, harmless phone call. It didn't have to mean anything, but it could also mean a lot. So then what did this phone call even mean? Taichi knew from the way that Hikari felt the need to ask him about it that she didn't know either.

He gathered his thoughts, cleared his throat. When he spoke again, he had the usual brash grin, but his eyes were tender. "Well, I think the answer's the same. If you don't want to answer it, you don't."

Her phone lit up, doing its little dance on his bed, and their eyes both shot to it.

"And if you want to answer it, you do," he finished, picking up the ringing phone and placing it firmly into her hands. He jerked his head towards the door, silent permission for her to go off and have her own privacy.

She smiled, feeling a lot better. He returned it. Simply put, her brother, despite everything, was truly the best of brothers.

The phone still ringing in her hands, she bolted to her room. She shrugged quickly into a light cardigan and slipped on a pair of white sneakers before snapping open her phone and running out the front door into the cool night.

"Hello?"

Takeru was sitting at his desk, his stomach doing fervent somersaults as the line rang. It kept ringing, and for a moment, he felt an acute panic. What if she didn't pick up? Would it be okay to call her again, or was he supposed to assume she didn't feel like talking after all? Was it creepy to call twice?

No, most girls would be delighted. He was rather well-versed in the female gender, and he was used to how most females regarded him as a suave, attractive, can-do-no-wrong sort of guy. He was never one to take advantage of that, but it did mean that he knew how to stay in the good graces of any particular girl. It also meant that he never really had to worry much about how to talk to a girl or understand a girl.

But Hikari was not most girls. She was in a class of her own, and he watched himself turn to pathetic mush at her mere smile.

"Hello?"

He regained composure. "Hello yourself."

She laughed her soft, airy laugh, and over the phone, it was like she was whispering right into his ear. It sent tingles racing down his spine to join his acrobatically-inclined stomach.

Takeru thought he could hear a slight breeze in the background. "Hikari-chan, are you outside?"

"You can tell? I'm walking around the ocean front near Decks Beach. Mmm… it's so nice."

He was tempted to go to her. It wasn't far—Odaiba was small, and on his bike he could be right beside her in less than ten minutes. Five if he booked it. Woah there. Slow down, he told himself. "Can I ask you why you're outside?"

"...Oniichan's at home."

"You didn't want him to listen?" he asked dryly.

"...he was a little troubled, to be honest. I think he wanted me to go out."

Now this was news to Takeru. "Troubled? Why? Did you tell him I was going to call?"

"..."

"Hikari-chan?"

"Yes."

"And why do you think he was… troubled?"

Taichi's fear of losing Hikari was something Takeru had mentioned jokingly many times before. It was something the two of them could laugh about because it simply wasn't true. Now, neither of them were so sure. But to say so would be to admit that the phone call was romantically charged, so they both hesitated, playing dumb.

"I… I'm not sure. Would there be a reason for him to be?"

Takeru fumbled his phone between his fingers, torn on how to respond. And with the worst possible timing in the world, a key clicked into the front lock.

"Tadaima! Takeru?"

Drat. "Uh, Hikari-chan, can you wait a moment? It's my mom, she's—"

"Takeru, are you on the phone?"

Hikari stifled a giggle as she heard a door slamming open and his mother's incredulous voice on the other end.

"Okaerinasai. Mom, can you knock please?"

More rustling. "How rare, for you to be on the phone at this hour."

"Mom, it's just a phone call."

There was a sharp intake of breath. "Is it… Hikari-chan?"

"Mom—"

Mrs. Takaishi could tell by the absolutely mortified look on her son's face that it was indeed his not-so-secret crush on the other end.

"Oh," she mouthed, nodding apologetically. "Take your time." She tiptoed exaggeratedly out of the room and into the kitchen, but the damage was already done.

He coughed. "Uh… Hikari-chan? Sorry about that…"

"Hehe. Your mom hasn't changed. I miss her!" She was a literal angel. "Maybe I'll stop by your place to say hello one of these days, if she's there… I don't think I've been to your place since elementary school."

"Since fifth grade, right? I think she would like that." And so would I.

"Takeru-kun?"

"Mm?"

"You know how I said I wanted to talk about something?"

"About Mochizuki-san?"

Hikari was surprised. "Mhmm. There's a feeling that I got when we were with her, the other day…"

"What sort of feeling?"

"Despair. Anger. Fear."

Takeru laughed. "She sure didn't seem that dark to me. She seems like a nice, normal girl."

"Hmmm," there was a sardonic tinge to her sweet voice. "Interest you?"

He decided to take a chance. Breaking down the wall of friendship and letting his feelings loose, if only a tiny bit at a time. "I'm interested in someone else."

To his surprise, she was silent for a bit, like she had been caught off guard. "Really?"

"I'm not going to tell you though, Hikari-chan," he said. "I think you can figure it out."

"Takeru-kun, I don't know. You seem to have a way with the opposite gender."

He sighed dramatically. "There's just one girl that I can never seem to figure out."

"R-really? That's not like you."

Did she just stutter? Takeru felt his heart skip a beat. Was he somehow having an effect on her as well? "Anyway, you were saying? Despair, anger, fear?"

Hikari laughed out loud. "That all does sound very dark and menacing doesn't it? For the record, I think Meiko-san is very kind and sweet. I'm not saying that she's the one with despair or anger, but…"

"You get that feeling."

"There's something that's scared. It's crying. And the feeling got stronger when we were with Meiko-san. Whatever it is, I want to help it."

He nodded seriously in agreement. "She's one of us now. Whatever it is, we'll do what we can to help."

"Takeru-kun…"

Her adoring voice made him melt a bit, and he flopped onto his bed. "Anything else you wanted to talk about?"

"If I say no, does that mean you're going to hang up?" That easy playfulness was back in her voice.

"I'll be here as long as you need me." He hadn't meant to counter her light-hearted jab with seriousness, but that was how he felt.

She sniffled. Was she crying? Probably just the cold. Nights were still a bit chilly, especially near the bay. "Thanks."

"Of course. So, is there anything?"

"Earlier today, when I came to talk to you during your practice, I stopped by and talked to Ibara-senpai."

"The captain of the cheer squad?"

"Mm. She's in the same class as Miyako-san."

That's right, he thought. Daisuke and the others. "And?"

"I've been looking for Miyako-san during lunch these past few days, but I couldn't find her no matter where I went. Someone told me that Ibara-senpai is in the same class as Miyako-san and that they're good friends."

"Is Miyako-san…?"

"It's weird, Takeru-kun. Ibara-senpai said that Miyako-san just stopped showing up to school one day. And then later, they found out that she had submitted a leave notice."

Takeru frowned. "As in, leaving the school? Permanently?"

"I… I'm not sure. Ibara-senpai didn't know… and she didn't know where Miyako-san could be. Apparently, senpai has been to Miyako-san's house multiple times, but it's like no one's there anymore."

"Miyako-san… still lives in my old apartment complex, right?"

"I think so."

Takeru used to live in the same complex as Miyako and Iori, but he and his mom had moved to a different apartment last year. "Do you think her family just moved?"

"So suddenly?"

He shrugged. "Maybe something happened." He knew all too well how abruptly family problems could surface and tear entire livelihoods apart.

"I want to find out. And I want to find out where everyone else is, too," she stated. "Miyako-san, Iori-kun, Ichijouji-kun, and Daisuke-kun too. We need them!"

"You're right," Takeru said. "And I think that's our job. Let's do what we can to find them."

"Okay." She was walking back up towards her apartment building now, taking the stairs two at a time in light jumps.

"Where are you now?" He asked suddenly, wanting to get a visual.

"I'm walking under the striped frames in front of my building," she clued him in.

"I haven't been there in a while. Maybe I'll stop by one of these days." He echoed her earlier sentiment.

She smiled, looking up at the indigo night sky. "I think I'd like that."

"You would?"

"Did I say me? I thought I said oniichan…"

"Hmm, I must be going hard of hearing."

They talked all the way up to her front door, and she surprised herself by how unwilling she was to hang up. She greeted her parents, peeked in at her already snoring brother, and slipped into her nightdress with only the thought of how much she wanted to see Takeru. It was already midnight and there were eight hours until the school bell rang, but tonight, it seemed far too long. And she wondered if her brother been right to be troubled after all.

Digiegg 8: Facts, Odaiba

Decks Beach is the name of a shopping mall right beside the apartment complex where Taichi and Hikari live (it's where the chosen meet when they first look for distortions and show Meiko around). You can look it up on Google Maps by searching DECKS Tokyo Beach. I was just there visiting the other day, and I can confirm that Tri replicates it almost to the T (including the escalator they go up in one scene). From Taichi and Hikari's house, it would literally be less than a five minute walk.

Unfortunately, the movie never shows us where Takeru lives on Odaiba, but I'd like to think it's not too far, especially since Takeru and Hikari walk part of the way home from school together.