Dear readers, I...may have gone a little overboard this time.
Yes, yes, I know I've said that before. But I think this one really takes the cake, even for me. How do I know this? Well, let me put it this way: this will be the first story I've ever written where the outlines and notes needed diagrams drawn to keep it all straight.
See, after the first couple of chapters went up, I deliberately took a pause. (Okay, there were a number of factors in my latest hiatus, but that was the biggest one.) Started expanding more on what I had. Did some research. Then some more research. WAY more than I did for Pandora's Box. New ideas started to form. New scenes. Twists on ones I had already written. Building on more than vague notions of ideas I'd originally started with.
I still meant what I said last chapter about TRI being too all over the place, and wanting to avoid that...but now I think I can actually make all this fit together.
Probably.
I guess we'll find out together, won't we?
(*But, no, it's still not going to have Sorato. Sorry, Sorato fans. If it's any consolation, though, I can assure you that I don't do bashing in my stories. In fact. I do love the Yama-Tai-Sora brot3, so you'll still get little in-jokes and moments of them together. Like in this chapter. And while I never intend for them to indicate anything more...well...in the end, interpretation can often be left up to reader preference. can't it?)
o
DIGIMON TRI: BALANCE
o
Warm sunlight caressed the young man's already bronzed skin as he lay atop the grassy hill. A cool breeze carried with it the scent of nearby flora. Several meters below his feet, at the base, he could hear the steady flow of river water rushing by and no other sounds. It was peaceful. Serene. A virtual paradise.
Or, to be more precise, a Digital one.
The hour was early still and, combined with the near-hypnotic aesthetic of the moment, he allowed himself a little longer. Eyes closed. Breathing deep before exhaling in a slow, whimsical sigh. How long had it been since he'd felt so relaxed? Weeks? Months?
Blades of soft grass brushed against the comm bud still tucked in one ear. A constant reminder. He'd had his reasons for cutting the signal when he had, yes, but more than once, he'd wallowed in the notion of reconnecting. He was already in deep and he knew it. A few more hours wouldn't make things any worse for him. In theory, he could even just take out the bud until the screaming stopped. He'd done it before. Unless, of course, he somehow figured out a way to sweet-talk—
The ground beneath him shook. An inhumane roar echoed into the air, its source so close, he could feel the reverberations in his chest.
Unflinching, he peeked one eye open. "What, run out of prey already?"
A second roar. Louder than the first. Only shorter. More curt. Then a sound only he could interpret as a low snort.
Chuckling softly, the young man finally sat up. It took more effort than he'd figured. His muscles had relaxed enough that he could actually feel the persistent knots in his neck and shoulder. A yawn rose to the surface, and he lifted his arms up and over his head to stretch, hearing the satisfying pops when cranking his head to one side.
In the distance, a flock of Piyomon took flight, leaves rustling in their wake.
A deep growl—no, two growls. One coming from his stomach. The other, emitted from the throat of his increasingly anxious partner.
"You can't be that desperate for a fight. They're Child level at best." He rose to his feet, brushing the dirt and grass from his robe. Giving his partner a quick once-over-(as suspected, not only was there no signs of injury, but the creature practically shook from excess energy still in need of expelling)-he started for the bank below. "Give me a few to properly wake up and we can go hunt down some breakfast together."
The water was cool and refreshing and it tingled the skin of his hand when he cupped it beneath the surface. It tasted as pure as anything he'd ever drank. Three times, he drew from the natural source before a fourth cup was used to splash his whole face, washing away the last remnants of sleep.
He then paused long enough in his morning routine to catch a glimpse of his reflection. Bold, blue eyes stared back. Ready and alert.
"You should not be here."
He tensed at the sudden voice, eerily serene as it was. There was a presence behind him now, and in that same reflection he saw a second pair of blue eyes. Or, rather, eyes that were supposed to be blue.
"Yeah, you said that the last time." Feigning composure, he took his time in standing, all the while keeping the Tapirmon's reflection in his peripheral line of sight. And those eyes that should have been blue but were not. "You look different. Did you change your hair or something?"
If the entity within were capable of conveying disdain towards his attempt at humor, it would have done so. As it was, all he received was the usual grayish, hazy-eyed stare that send a chill down his spine.
Suppressing a shiver, the young man abruptly pivoted to his right and reached up to place both hands behind his head. He gave no indication of acknowledging the entity directly, though when he started down the river bank in a leisure stroll, it floated along right behind him. Keeping pace with ease.
Behind them both, the heavy footsteps of his partner followed.
"So." Thirty seconds of silence passed before he tried speaking again. In that time, reverting back to an air of passive casualty. "I assume you're not here to bring us breakfast."
"Your assumption is correct."
Well, that got him absolutely nowhere. "And if I were to ask why you are here?"
"You would be asking a question to which you already know the answer."
He risked a downward glance at that, following the rippling image of them both. The Tapirmon gave no indication of any facial expression of any kind. Neither annoyed nor relieved. Angry nor pleased. It was one of the entity's most infuriating aspects—the sheer lack of emotion. How was he supposed to know where he stood in a conversation like that?
"You want me to leave." A guess.
"It is not about want."
"Alright. You're here to tell me to leave."
"Merely warn. Advice it would be wise to heed."
"And if we don't?"
Silence.
It took him several steps before he realized he was suddenly walking alone; the Tapirmon had ceased all movement, and was resigned to simply stare after his back. Stare, but not really. As if it were in an even deeper trance than one already possessed could possibly be. Seeing something beyond what was physically there.
This time, he did shiver.
"If my analysis of your being is accurate, then you already know this as well."
He knew he would regret asking. "What analysis?"
"That your abstruse insistence upon a facade of casualty and ignorance is merely to conceal from those closest to you the true depths of your actual intelligence."
He was right.
He supposed he shouldn't have been that surprised. The entity was, as far as he had ever known, as close to omnipotent as any being in the Digital World. Everywhere and nowhere at once. And while he was still fairly certain it couldn't actually read his mind, there had been too many instances in the past where he'd allowed himself to be Seen. Back when he was too young and too naive to know better.
"Why does it feel like you just complimented and insulted me in the same breath?"
On some level, that much was kind of impressive. There were very few who could accomplish such a feat. One other than came to mind.
"I assure you, my words carry no bias. There are strictly empirical." Tapirmon hovered closer, closing most of the remaining gap between them. He had to crank his neck downward to meet its piercing gaze, yet there was something about the entity that made him feel like the small one. "Perhaps you have grown since we last spoke. Perhaps my current host does not resemble the form of your memories. Such things are immaterial. You can no more change your true nature than I...and it is that very nature that leads you to conceal not only your possession of such knowledge, but to deceive even those you deliberately ceased contact with prior to your reentry into this World."
If was as if the wind had been knocked from his lungs in a single, forceful blow. "You...know about that?"
"I know many things."
Panic swelled from within. His eyes widened at first. Then darkened. All signs of his previous demeanor had vanished. Only the hardened warrior remained.
"You can't tell h—them. Not yet. Not until I can be sure this is what I think it is."
"I have no more intention of relaying excessive information to them as I do to yourself." Tapirmon stated. In no uncertain terms. However, before he could begin to formulate a counter argument in his mind, it added: "There are only two things I will tell you now. You are free to accept them, or reject what I have to say. I cannot force you to do either."
A small part of him wondered if this was some sort of trap. But then...that had never really been the entity's method of operation, had it?
He folded his arms across his chest. A glance was sent back towards his partner, who had remained uncharacteristically still in the preceding moments. "We're listening."
"The first thing I will tell you is that your theories are, indeed, correct. Most of them, anyways. Nearly everything you hypothesized about the Anomaly is true with regards to its origin and projected course."
There was a lump forming in his throat. He tried to wallow, but it didn't budge. It only grew tighter. True, the entity was simply telling him what he already knew...well, long suspected...but there was something incredibly powerful about hearing such validation. Particularly when he'd spent all that time wishing so desperately to have been wrong.
"And the second?"
"That such a threat is not even the greatest at hand."
His partner let out another roar then, feet shuffling back and forth as it sensed his unease. If that was even the right word to describe just how he felt. He raised one hand in signal, but it was enough to hold the creature at bay. Barely.
"How many?" He finally asked. His voice grim. Shadows darkening his once bright eyes. "You're telling me that the greatest threat my World has ever seen doesn't compare to what you say is coming. Which means it's more than my World in danger. More than yours. So I'm going to ask just one last time: How. Many?"
Tapirmon's head bowed before tilting its neck to look at him directly. Rays of sunlight bounced off the holy ring banded around one arm, a symbol of its blessed status among digimon. And a reminder of what was perpetually at stake.
"All of them."
o
o
The train car lurched forward, accompanied by muted rattling sounds of metal grinding against metal on the tracks below. Above the far exit, voiceless announcements indicated current and upcoming stations. An otherwise quiet, peaceful beginning to the journey ahead.
Until…
"I can't believe we missed it!"
Daisuke's cries of protest echoed through the compartment, only to be ignored by all but the three sitting closest to him. Two bore gracefully sheepish expressions. The third remained undecided in his reaction.
"We really are sorry, Daisuke-kun." To his immediate right, Hikari attempted an apology.
"Can you ever forgive us?" Takeru's response, on the other hand, carried far less sincerity behind it.
Muttering a few choice words under his breath, Daisuke slumped further back into his chair. He folded his arms across his chest, blew a few wisps of hair from his eyes, and proceeded to focus the remainder of his energy in sending a heated glare Takeru's way. Clearly identifying the blonde as the guiltier of the two by process of being unable to stay mad at Hikari for long.
The sole female of the quartet let out an audible sigh before exchanging a discreet Look with Takeru.
Daisuke saw.
Just like he saw the small bag on the ground by Takeru's feet. The very same bag Hikari had been carrying earlier that day, when they'd all met up at the station. He'd caught her pulling Takeru aside at one point to give it to him, but when he'd asked, neither were willing to offer any explanation. A subsequent peek inside revealed it was just some rolled up fabric, but to him, it was one more thing they were keeping secret.
Not the fun kind of secret, either. The kind that made him feel irrationally left out of whatever world the two seemed to share since the day Takeru strolled into their classroom at Odaiba Elementary. Was he being childish? Probably. But in his mind, he was completely justified.
After all, friends don't let friends find out about surprise digimon attacks in the Real World from Channel 4 News.
"We know. We really should have called you." Meanwhile, Hikari was still trying to offer an olive branch. He could tell because she was smiling at him in that very particular way. She'd used that same smile on nearly every other Chosen at some point during their many years of friendship. It worked every time. "It's just...well...it was over so quickly. Almost nothing actually happened."
"Almost," he echoed bitterly, though concern crept its way into his tone as his eyes fell upon the thick bandage wrapped around her ankle.
She'd gotten hurt. Taichi and Takeru had both been right there—so far as Daisuke knew, anyhow—and she'd still been injured. The only one. Regardless of whatever feelings he'd let go of in the past, Hikari was still one of his most precious friends. She always would be. And the thought of her getting hurt when he hadn't been given a chance to protect her…
As if sensing his thoughts, Hikari quickly crossed her legs, tucking the injured ankle behind the other. The fact that she wouldn't even look at Takeru right then told Daisuke just how bad she felt about worrying them, and the thought was enough to sober him.
A little.
"We still don't have anymore answers now than we did when it happened, do we?" Iori chose that moment to speak up, having remained silent through most of Daisuke's outburst. His face was even more serious than usual; Takeru couldn't help note that the rims of his eyes looked red.
The blonde shook his head. "Koushiro-san's been at it for days."
He indicated towards the older boy, sitting across the aisle from them. PineApple book in lap, he remained as lost to the world as ever as he continued typing away. Every so often, the clacking of keys would cease just long enough for him make an adjustment to the portable satellite receiver plugged into one side. Three separate windows were open on the screen at any given time, and two of the shelved icons were constantly blinking with the receiving of messages.
"He mentioned something about analyzing the code of the digimon identification program. I think that unidentified digimon bothers him even more than the portals."
Koushiro abruptly froze in place. Just long enough to let out a single sneeze. After that, he was right back to work as if nothing happened. Beside him, a sleeping Jou muttered something unintelligible before settling back down with his head resting against the window pane.
"Did he mention how many portals were spotted in all?" Iori continued his questions.
"That's just it." Takeru's brows furrowed in lingering confusion. He leaned forward enough to rest his elbows against his knees. Even though the only current occupants of the compartment were all Chosen, he still sought to keep his voice low. "We're not sure. There's been some talk of others around the city, but the only confirmed sightings were the ones in that area. And even then, reports are mixed. Some say there were only two in all. Some say as many as four."
"But what do—"
He was cut off as simultaneous groans emitted from the back of the car, drawing everyone's attention.
Yamato, Taichi, and Sora were all sitting cross-legged on the ground, and judging from all three of their expressions, the latter had just won whatever latest exchange passed between them. Taichi, in particular, was leaning so far back on his hands that his head was tilted directly towards the ceiling.
"I thought you said you taught her this game."
Yamato's head, on the other hand, was bowed. "I did."
"I'm a quick study." Sora grinned at them both as she leaned forward to gather up the pile of cards and begin reshuffling. "Another round?"
Yamato lifted his head just long enough to send her a defeated, puppy-eyed stare. "Why do you hate us?"
Takeru had to bite back a laugh as he watched the scene unfold. Though, more than once, he found his gaze shifting to the girl sitting directly across from him. Hikari was also watching their brothers get destroyed, and there was a certain glint in her eye that made Takeru wonder if she was seeing the same things he saw.
At one point, she caught him staring and turned back in silent question.
Visibly unfazed, he gave his usual smile. Warm and bright and instantly suspicious, judging from the way her eyes narrowed.
"It really is like nothing happened," Iori stated softly. When the three younger Chosen turned back, they saw his head bowed as well, though for reasons far beyond that of a lost card game. "Almost as if..."
He trailed off, unable to finish his sentence.
Daisuke straightened his his seat, prior grievances forgotten at the sight of the forlorn boy. He opened his mouth to say something, but when the right words never came, closed it and remained silent. Frowning deeply.
"We'll find them." Takeru placed a hand on Iori's shoulder. Having lived in the same complex the last few years, he understood how strong their bond was. Even before they were Chosen together, Miyako had been like an older sister to him. And Ken… "It's only been a few days. There are any number of places they could have gone."
"Or Worlds," Daisuke added, hoping the allusion would bring Iori some peace of mind.
It didn't.
"Do you really think they're back in the Digital World?"
"Sure!" The declaration came out a bit more jovially than originally intended. To further his point, he reclined into his seat while resting both hands behind his head. "Process of elimination. Portals appearing with digimon in them, plus that weird static-y noise Hikari-chan heard over the phone."
"I don't think..." Iori began.
Daisuke was quick to cut him off. "On top of that, Ken's still not answering his phone. There's only one thing that would keep him from returning any of my calls. They finally found a working portal and went for it. I'd have done the same thing if I were them. Although..." He paused in his theory just long enough to rub at his nose with one finger. "I mean, I know she's cute and all, but you'd think the least he could've done was give his best friend a heads up he was going on an inter-dimensional date."
"...you think Miyako-san's cute?" Ever observant, Takeru honed in on the particular choice of phrasing at once. He could already feel Hikari's chastising gaze on him before he finished speaking and was happy to feign obliviousness for her sake.
Daisuke only realized his gaffe when it was too late. Mouth left agape for several seconds, he finally resigned himself to a shrug: "Only when she's not around."
A piercing screech came from outside as the train came to a sudden, abrupt stop.
Inertia took over, sending nearly everyone forward. In the back, cards and limbs went flying. Closer to the front, Koushiro and a semi-conscious Jou found themselves in an undignified heap. Daisuke managed to reflexively hold out one arm to keep Hikari safe, only to lose his own balance and topple over, face-first. Only Takeru and Iori were spared, having been sitting in backwards seats during the trip.
"What the-" they heard Taichi exclaim.
"What's happened?" Sora rose to her knees, habitually doing a head count. "Is everyone alright?"
"Are we there yet?" Jou called out weakly.
The speakers chimed in, an automated woman's voice cheerfully announcing that there would be a "slight" delay due to "unforeseen events", and requesting all passengers remain in their seats.
"...great." Daisuke moaned as he pulled himself up. He made it as far as his chin in the seat before giving up. "Maybe Ken had the right idea after all. If we end up late in picking Mimi-san up, I might want to run and hide in the Digital World too."
o
o
A flash of light brown hair was the last thing Sora saw before abruptly being swept up in a crushing embrace.
"Sora-san! I've missed you so much!"
Laughter rang out between the two teen girls as Sora returned the hug, a scene that drew more than a few looks from passer-by's. The rest of the group, meanwhile, stood off to one side with expressions ranging from amused to embarrassed to borderline indifferent. None dare intrude upon the moment.
Though at one point, Daisuke did lean slightly to one side, placing a hand over his mouth as he whispered to Iori: "Maybe she wouldn't have noticed us staying home after all."
"That's what you think, Daisuke-kun!"
The boy let out a faint yelp at having been heard, body straightening fully as his eyes went wide.
Grinning like a Cheshire cat, Mimi was the first to pull away, but only so she could reach for Sora's hands. Holding them both tightly in hers. "Ugh, it's so good to see you again! I don't even care that you're all a half hour late."
"Twenty minutes," Daisuke murmured under his breath.
"You have no idea how good it feels to be back in Tokyo. There are a few places in New York that are kinda similar, but it's just not the same." Fourteen hours on a plane later, Mimi's eyes still sparkled behind fresh makeup as she continued on in an increasingly rapid-fire pace. "There's about a thousand things I have to tell you that happened to me this week alone and I want to hear all about our school and the clubs and oh my gosh, you changed your hair!"
Taichi and Yamato blinked in unison: "You did?"
Takeru shook his head in disappointment.
"M...Mimi-chan..." Feeling out of breath from only listening, Sora gave a weak laugh at her best friend's...enthusiasm. "How much caffine did you drink on the plane?"
"Not much. Only about a dozen cups. Fifteen, at the most."
"Ah! Look who is is, honey!" A chipper voice rang out, and the group turned to see a lovely woman waving with all the enthusiasm of someone who had definitely given birth to Mimi Tachikawa. "I see you finally found your friends, Mimi-chan. How wonderful! Your father and I were just on our way to load up the luggage now."
Smilingly brightly, she gestured towards the extra large trolley her husband was just barely able to peek his head out from. Despite the beads of sweat pooling around his brow, he too was nothing but cheer as he took in the sight of his precious only daughter's happiness.
"Remember to call us if you all plan on staying out late tonight. Alright, sweetie?"
"Yes, Papa."
"Oh, my!" Mimi's mother exclaimed, startling everyone within a three meter radius. She rushed forward, and this time. It was Hikari who found her hands abruptly held captive. "Hikari-chan! And Takeru-kun! You've both grown up so much since your last visit."
"It's a pleasure to see you again, Tachikawa-san." Takeru offered a polite bow in greeting to the woman who had hosted him and Hikari during their summer in America. Somehow maintaining his full composure all the while.
"And you, young lady! Almost as lovely as my Mimi-chan. I can just imagine what the boys must think. You don't have a boyfriend yet, do you?"
Rather than blush at the boldness of such a question...Hikari actually grinned, eyes sparkling with the threat of mischief: "Oniichan wishes."
Everyone froze.
Taichi could literally feel the pairs of eyes on him even before his brain had time to fully process what his little sister had just said. And done. When it finally did catch up, he was left with no other choice but to heave an audible sigh. Shoulders slumped in preemptive defeat.
"Don't ask."
He already knew this wouldn't be the last he'd hear of it.
Mimi, in particular, continued to linger her gaze suspiciously on Taichi for several seconds longer. The scent of delicious gossip was in the air. More delicious than those complimentary cup noodles Cathay Pacific kept in stock on every flight.
At one point, her suspicions switched their attention to Takeru, hoping the younger boy might offer a hint. Or a different flavor of gossip. Much to her dismay, even he seemed as out of the loop as everyone else.
But out of the corner of her eye, she did catch Jou coming up on her father's left, courteously bowing his head before aiding in the removal of one of the several duffle bags hanging around the man's neck. This was tossed over his own shoulder with surprising ease as a few subsequent words were exchanged between them. Most too soft for her to make out. Once her father pointed in a particular direction, they started for the exit together, each bearing half the weight of the trolley.
It was a sight that entertained Mimi far more than it probably should have. So much so that it nearly didn't dawn on her until they were halfway down the corridor, her mother trailing behind with the last of her pleasantry exchanges in her wake:
"Jou-senpai!"
Fortunately, her lungs were powerful enough to reach him at that distance. The trolley came to a stop, and the boy in question glanced back over his shoulder.
"Okonomiyaki! Same place as last time!"
The oldest of the Chosen and bearer of the Crest of Sincerity gave a single hand raised in acknowledgment before turning back.
"I didn't know Jou-senpai knew your parents so well," Sora commented.
"Oh, that?" Mimi readjusted the strap of her purse. "Papa's been helping him out with some big, secret project for most of this past year. I just figured it had something to do with his school exams, since that's all he ever seems to talk about anymore."
Her arm slid into Sora's, and with a single tug, began leading her through the airport towards the other exit. The rest of the group followed close behind.
Except one.
While most were caught up in listening to Mimi, it was Iori who realized there was a Chosen among them who had not only not spoken once the entire time they'd been at the airport...but that he technically was no longer among them. Concerned, he looked back.
"...Koushiro-senpai?"
The boy in question had been staring off to one side for some time now, looking like he were lost in a fog. At the sound of his name, he immediately snapped back to the present. Offering a weak laugh at having been caught daydreaming.
"Sorry. I'm coming."
Concern was still evident in his eyes, but Iori said nothing further. He simply nodded before turning back around, rushing to catch up with the others.
Only when Koushiro was certain he wasn't looking did the smile fade. His eyes narrowed as he risked one last glance to the far corner of the terminal lobby to confirm his suspicions.
Those same two men were still standing against the same pillar. Together, they alternated between glancing around and speaking in hushed tones into some sort of handheld device. More than once, Koushiro had seen them looking in the direction of the Chosen group.
Airport Security? Maybe. Except…
He was fairly certain their uniforms didn't include upscale, black business suits.
o
o
Batter sizzled on the hot grill in front of them as it was poured, a sound all but completely drowned out by the frivolity of laughter among childhood friends.
Mimi remained at the center of it all, positioning herself right in the middle of the long table. At her insistence, she was flanked on either side by Hikari and Sora. The three were presently exchanging cell phone images and bouts of giggles at a rate that made more than a few of their male companions uneasy.
On the other side, Takeru and Yamato were deeply engaged in discussion over okonomiyaki batter. What had begun as a casually back and forth of favorite mixes soon evolved into a high-stakes battle in which the topic of hot sauce wove its way in and out of conversation at random intervals. Yamato was clearly working his way up to either another prank or an outright dare. Takeru, fully aware of what he brother was up to, went along with it anyway.
Taichi and Daisuke talked soccer, as they tended to at every given opportunity. Between Taichi's position as captain of his team and Daisuke's ongoing bid for captain of his, there was no shortage of advice and strategies being offered. It was one of the few times someone had Daisuke's full and undivided attention.
Koushiro and Iori took up two of the remaining seats, at either end of the table. The youngest of the group seemed content with sipping his tea as he watched the Great Hot Sauce Debate unfold before his very eyes. Koushiro, meanwhile, remained occupied with ruffling through his backpack.
When the PineApple book made its appearance once more, Mimi cut herself off mid-sentence to send him a disapproving look.
"Seriously? You brought your laptop to lunch?"
"I don't understand the question."
"Let it go, Mimi-chan." Sora managed though a wave of giggles. She leaned forward to flip her latest order. As always, her timing was perfect, leaving her with a beautiful, golden brown crust. "Some things will never change."
"Well, that's just not true!"
Sora had known from the moment she spoke that she might regret her words at some future point in time. But what she hadn't figured was that, for Mimi, that Future was Now. And looking directly at an unsuspecting Koushiro.
"You see..." Careful not to touch the hot parts of the table, Mimi rested her elbow along the wooden surface, using the leverage to prop her chin in one hand. "Mama said the paperwork's already gone through. Starting Monday, we'll be going to the same school together."
"Most of us," Sora amended, sending an apologetic look Hikari's way, even though she had no reason to be sorry.
"We knew that would be the case already, Mimi-san." Koushiro peered at her over the top of his laptop. "I'm not sure what point you're trying to make." He paused in his typing long enough to reach for his teacup, taking a sip of the steaming drink.
"Well, this also means there's a chance you and I are going to end up as classmates. Which means I'll be counting on your to take care of me...Koushiro-sen-pa-i~" She over- each syllable of the honorific in a deliberately singsong manner. Complete with a playful wink at the end.
Koushiro's eyes widened, face turning beet-red as he instinctively gasped, only to choke on the tea he was still trying to swallow. Hot liquid immediately trickled down the wrong pipe, leaving him coughing and sputtering as he struggled to regain both oxygen and what was now left of his dignity.
"Koushiro-kun!" Sora cried out.
But it was too late. He coughed so hard, he fell right out of his seat, crash-landing on the floor with an unceremonious thud.
Just in time for Jou to walk in.
"Hey, everybody. Sorry I'm..." his voice trailed off as he caught sight of a red-faced Koushiro still sprawled out on the ground. "...late?"
"Did she kill him?" Yamato calmly leaned back in his seat, trying to get a better view beneath the table.
"Only on purpose." Mimi grinned, looking the exact opposite of remorseful.
With a faint smile of his own, Jou shook his head as he came around the table—incidentally, a path which involved having to awkwardly step over his fallen comrade—to take up the vacant spot between Hikari and Iori. Even before he settled in, Iori took it upon himself to grab the remaining clean cup and fill it with tea, presenting it to his senior out of respect.
Nodding in thanks to the young boy, Jou accepted the cup with both hands and gave himself a moment to blow some of the steam from its surface. Just long enough for Mimi to reach over and clink her cup with his.
"Cheers, Jou-senpai." she saluted him before holding it up in gesture to the rest of the group. "Cheers, everyone. It's good to finally all be together again!"
Those who were currently sitting held up their cups.
"Well, almost." Mimi then added as an afterthought. She took a healthy sip of tea before continuing. "As soon as Miyako-chan and Ken-kun get here, then the party can really begin."
The change in the air was instantaneous.
Sora shifted uneasy in her seat. Hikari and Takeru were exchanging glances with their brothers. Jou looked like he wanted to say something but couldn't bring himself to do so. Iori looked...actually, she couldn't even see what he looked like right then, because his bangs were hiding his eyes.
But it wasn't until Koushiro finally hoisted himself back into his seat, prior embarrassment overshadowed by a far more solemn expression, that Mimi knew something was wrong.
Her eyes closed. Just for a moment. When they opened again, she calmly placed the teacup back on the table.
The celebration was over.
"Tell me everything."