Digimon Adventure TRI: Balance Chapter 15: FIFTEEN, a digimon fanfic

((To answer a reviewer's latest question: I am very much loving the 2020 Adventure lore and enjoying every episode...but, no, I don't believe the Holy Digimon are indicative of any appearances from the 02 crew/Meiko/Wallace. The reason for this is because there has been no foreshadowing or hinting at anybody aside from "Light" and "Hope" playing a role later on. I would not hate to be proven wrong, though.))

Ugh, I just love writing for Tamers. In fact, I'd even written a few extra scenes that never made it into the final draft. Some were originally intended to be included, but were cut for detracting too much from the main plot. Others were meant as an exercise to help me establish characterizations and relationships in the time between the end of season 03 and now. I don't know. Maybe I'll toss them into a side-story at some point in the future, or something like that.

But for now, we're back in the Chosen's Dimension for...admittedly, one of the more challenging chapters I've had to write in a while. Not only was it difficult to maintain a reasonable word count while including all necessary scenes, but it can be a struggle to find a narrative balance between describing what is such a clear picture in my head with not wanting to overload the reader on descriptive imagery.

At the same time, 15, 16, &17 are probably my favorites in the entire story because of ambiguous reasons I won't get into here and now due to spoilers.

DIGIMON TRI: BALANCE

A gentle breeze blew in from the edge of the river bank, carrying with it an aromatic blend of fresh water, recently cut grass, and pollen.

Jou closed his eyes and inhaled. Normally, the mere threat of allergens would have been enough to aggravate his sensitive nose. For once, they didn't bother him. Nor did the fact that he had almost certainly neglected to reapply protective lotion despite having sat out until the hot sun for more than two hours.

He was at peace. Calm. Relaxed. Enough to return to the notebook in his lap with renewed focus.

"So if 'p' is assumed to represent a real number..."

Letters and representative symbols which once seemed to dance on the page sat in patient wait for his validation. He checked with the packet of sample questions to his right as he copied the equation stroke for stroke. At times, he would start to subconsciously mouth along with his thought process. When he wasn't voicing them aloud.

"Then calculating the discriminant to equal..." he trailed off, doing the last part in his head with confidence. "...then, with 'n' equaling zero, that would net me negative one quarter."

Grinning, he made a show of underlining his solution with confidence.

Only to frown a second later.

"Wait."

He replayed the conversation he'd just had with himself in his mind's ear. Something didn't seem right.

"Didn't I...no, 'p' was supposed to represent a real number. Not imaginary. Which means it can't be negative...no, I have to..." His back straightened, then hunched over that much more as his furrowed brow took in each line. His concentration was so intense, he didn't realize how deeply he was frowning until he'd finished the second equation. Which gave him the 'real' solution of one half.

He double checked. Triple checked. When it finally sunk in, both his brows rose. As did his spirits.

"I can't believe I almost missed that." He turned towards his study partner. "You were right, Mimi-kun. I just needed to hear..."

But Mimi couldn't hear him either. Because she was fast asleep.

Her hair had been pulled back into a messy bun, leaving most of her face uncovered. There was a serene smile on her lips. The corners twitched upward ever so slightly. One hand was tucked beneath her head, the other resting on the soft grass beneath her as she lay on her side. She looked as sweet an innocent as Jou knew she had the potential to be. When she wanted to.

Still...for a moment, he contemplated worrying. Even on the hill's incline, the grass couldn't have been that comfortable. And it had been a week since her return to Japan time. America might have been a good 12 hours behind, essentially reversing her night and day, but she should have adjusted by then. She hadn't seemed bothered at all during the school festival. So why today? Was she getting sick? Should he do the responsible thing and check her forehead for signs of fever?

She stirred. Not enough to awaken. Just a soft sigh and slight shift in positioning. Her other hand came up to join the first. She was still smiling. Like she was dreaming about something pleasant.

Jou found himself wondering if she was dreaming about—

He abruptly shook his head.

"No. Definitely not. Don't be ridiculous," he muttered to himself, then made a point of trying to return to his work instead.

He was all too aware he was developing a crush. When it had started, he couldn't say. When they were still kids? Maybe. Even as preteens, it was obvious how cute she was. Brave. Kind. Bratty in her early days, yes, but even then there had been a pureness to her heart that reflected in her Crest. It had drawn him to her then, volunteering to stay behind when that pure heart of hers couldn't take the pain of loss any more. Wanting to keep her safe. The years since had done very little to assuage those feelings.

To a degree, he was even willing to admit it. To himself. Not anybody else. Not Gomamon, the little gossip; he could have sworn he'd heard his partner chatting away with Palmon the other night and was left wonder who taught him how to use the phone. Certainly not Mimi. There was no conceivable way that could end well for either of them. She would either tease him into a state of embarrassed unconsciousness, or...worse...feel overcome with guilt at not returning his feelings.

Because Jou was aware, but he wasn't naive. Others might let themselves be fooled. Those that didn't know her the way he did. Mimi could smile and flirt and charm her way through life because that was just her personality. There was nothing she had ever said or done for him she wouldn't gladly do for the rest of the Chosen. Whether it involve dedicating a Friday afternoon to studying for a test she wouldn't have to take for another couple of years, or casually kidnap a semi-willing volunteer and drag them into having fun at a mutual friend's school.

Was the latter a bit extreme? Sure. But so was Mimi.

And he was okay with that. Really. All he had to do was ride these feelings of his out. Wait for them to pass. Make sure no one else was any the wiser.

Mimi stirred again. This time, her eyes squinted tight before fluttering open. She moved to sit up, one hand coming up to rub at them, oddly uncaring if she risked smudging her mascara.

"Mmm...sorry, Jou-senpai. I didn't mean to...how long was I asleep?"

He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, and allowed a small smile at the sight. "Not long."

"Shouldn't've stayed up so late last night." She briefly switched to English as she reached up with both hands to stretch her arms over her head. Not that it mattered. Jou knew enough to understand her, and she was back to Japanese with her next question. "I don't have any grass in my hair do I?"

"A little," he admitted. He could see the bits of green sticking out.

"No. Wrong answer." She giggled softly, showing no signs of actually being offended as she starting weaving her fingers through her hair in search of the offending blades. "The correct thing to say was 'you look absolutely perfect, as always.'"

Jou bit back a laugh. He should have guessed. "I'll remember that for next time."

"Good. Considering it your main lesson for today." Still working on her hair, she leaned forward enough to invade his personal space. Her eyes fell down to his notes, and she tilted her head to get a better view. His handwriting was nice. Easy to read. "How's the other lesson going?"

"Really well, actually."

Giving her intelligence credit, he pointed to his latest series of equations and waited patiently for those warm, brown eyes to take it all in. There was a chance she would only understand half of it—she was still in her first year of High School, after all—but she'd already surprised him early in the day by solving two others on her own. She was smart. She had to be, to speak in two languages so fluently. Not as smart as Koushiro, nor as studious as he, but her grades had always been high enough. She just didn't care as much about the academic part of school as they did.

Or, rather, she didn't care as much about her own academics.

"I still feel a little ridiculous, but talking to myself has helped a lot," he told her. "I'm remembering more and catching trivial mistakes. This last one? I would have definitely gotten it wrong on a test before. Although..." his tone took on a hint of humor to it, and he waited for her to look at up him before continuing. "I'm still not sure why I had to...how did you say it...'explain it to you like you're twelve', specifically."

She sat back, laughing. "It's just an expression, silly. One of my teachers used to say it whenever he wanted us to..." but she cut herself off when she noticed the watch on Jou's wrist. "...ah! Is that the time? I have to be in Harajuku in an hour!"

He looked down. The digital numbers reflected 12:52 back at him. "What's in Harajuku in an hour?"

"I'm getting my hair done for tonight."

"Is that necessary?" He genuinely asked, only to back down when she shot him a dull look. "...right. Forget I said anything."

She darted her head about, looking for her belongings. "Sara-chan's older sister made a point to squeeze me in as a favor, so I really can't be late."

Her bag sat a meter from her feet. So did the books she had brought along. None of them academic, unless one counted the fact that they were all in English. Jou hadn't recognized any of the titles. Mimi was quick to shove them all back into her pack, along with her cell. As she stood, she held it open to do a quick inventory before turning back to Jou with an apologetic look.

"I know I had to cut today short, but I promise I'll make it up to you, Jou-senpai." She turned to leave. "See you later!"

"Actually..."

She turned back.

Jou nearly didn't register calling to her until she tilted her head inquisitively. It was like his own vocal chords were rebelling against him, turning a simple farewell into something so much more complicated. All because of a stray thought he'd allowed himself in the moment.

He tried to play it off. Gathering his own things, replacing pen caps and notebooks into his own bag. Making it seem as if he were simply leaving along with her. It gave him a little extra time to process his thoughts.

And summon a bit of Taichi's courage.

"You...don't really have to keep calling me senpai. I mean, if you don't want to." He didn't look at her as he stood up, pulling the pack over one shoulder. His inner voice was already chastising him. His heart beat a little faster. "It's just...I know I'm older, but it's only by two years, and we've been friends for nearly six, and...you know..."

The more he spoke, the more ridiculous he was sounding. A hand reached up to scratch at his neck. He was seconds away from telling her to just forget the whole idea.

Mimi shifted until she was fully facing him. And smiled.

"How about a trade?" Tucking both hands behind her back, she leaned forward. An endearing posture, and she knew it. "From now on, I'll call you Jou-san if you call me Mimi-chan. Deal?"

He blinked twice. That was...not how he expected things to go.

His mind immediately whirred with attempted justifications. Did any of the others call her Mimi-chan? There was Sora, but she was a girl, so that didn't count. Taichi and Yamato rarely used honorifics with anybody. The younger chosen...well...were younger. None of them were the type to use -chan with any of their seniors (except for that one time Daisuke tried it with Miyako...and...that was why it had been the one time). Koushiro didn't even use -chan with Hikari.

Then again, he remembered how often her father would refer to her as his darling little Mimi-chan. Both her parents were rather fond of overt displays of affection, so maybe she was just used to that sort of attention. It could be she wanted as many of her friends as possible to call her that, and Jou was simply the first one to have brought it up.

His shoulders relaxed. He nodded.

"Deal."

Funny how the sun chose that moment to come from behind a cloud, coinciding precisely with the way her face seemed to brighten.

"Great!" She turned back around, waving at him over her shoulder. "Then I'll see you at the concert tonight, Jou-san."

"Are you sure you'll be ready in time?" he lightly teased, knowing her penchant for extravagant hair styles.

She took it in stride, laughing.

"Of course! I wouldn't miss tonight for anything!"

o o o

"You're awfully quiet this evening, Takeru-kun."

Sora looked to the younger boy curiously. In the ten minutes since she'd stopped at his apartment on the way to Hikari's, she could have counted the number of words he'd spoken aloud on one hand. That was unusual. Idle chatter was a specialty of his, and though it was rare to catch him without any of the other Chosen nearby, Sora had always cherished the conversations they shared in the past.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, deliberately invoking a more sisterly tone. "I'm here to listen, if you need me."

Pensiveness read all over his young features. Considering where they were heading...and who they were meeting up with that night...she could wager a guess as to what was on his mind.

"Hmm?" Whatever trance he'd been under until then broke, and in the next moment, he flashed her a smile. "It's nothing, Sora-san. I was just thinking about how lucky I am to go for a walk with such a cute high school girl."

A tease. One that earned him a flat look.

"Nice try." She held back a smile as she shook her head, not falling for the obvious ploy. "That might work with middle school girls, but it's not going to work on me."

"It works on Mimi-san," he unabashedly pointed out.

"That's because any kind of flattery will work with her."

It was impossible to stay mad at him for long, though. Takaishi Takeru's ultimate saving grace had always been the fact that, each time he looked at her like that, she saw the little boy who once told her he never wanted to see her sad because he liked her. So when he said he was happy about getting to go for a walk together, she believed him. And when he called her cute, she knew he meant it, albeit in a more familiar than flirtatious manner.

The streetlights flickered on just as they reached the next crosswalk. Sora looked up to see the first signs of stars peppering a deep lavender sky. She'd hoped to make it to the Yagami residence before it got too dark.

"Actually," Takeru spoke again, drawing her attention back to him. He adjusted the strap of his pack over one shoulder. The bag itself seemed to squirm for a moment before falling still. "I've been meaning to ask you the same thing. I've heard you haven't been quite yourself this week."

This took Sora by surprise. If it was another distraction on Takeru's part to avoid talking about what was bothering him, it was a conveniently honest one. She could tell.

And, after a moment's consideration, she realized why.

"Yamato told you to ask, didn't he?"

"He told me he was worried," Takeru obfuscated to cover for the fact that his big brother had done precisely that. The constant disappointment he felt at such a lack of ability to talk to his best female friend would be a conversation for another day. "Of course, if it's something personal, you don't have to tell me. I'll understand. I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

As Takeru spoke, his eyes flickered up to the crosswalk light. The tell-tale clicking sounds increased in frequency just as it turned green.

He took a single step out onto the street before realizing Sora wasn't following him.

Her lips pressed tightly together. Deep in thought. She wanted to be annoyed at Yamato for saying something, but it really wasn't his fault. It was hers. For perpetually wearing her heart on her sleeve, where even the subtlest changes in emotion would give her away.

At the same time...she supposed, if there were any of her friends who might understand, it would be Takeru.

"It's...my dad." Shoulders slumping in resignation, she reached into her bag and pulled out her phone. She flipped it open, pressing a few buttons to pull up her most recent messages. The one she was looking for was five from the top. "He sent me this."

Takeru was solemn as he accepted the phone, understanding the degree of trust Sora was placing in him. He looked at the screen carefully, reading each word twice to make sure he'd interpreted correctly. There were only four lines in total. The last one consisting of a single word: sorry.

His brows furrowed, recognizing the tone.

"How many times?"

"This was the fourth in three months." She took the phone back. Glancing briefly at her father's cancellation message one last time before slamming the phone shut. "It's a different excuse every time. I'm not saying they're not real, but...I haven't seen him since before summer." She closed her eyes, taking a long, steady breath. Her voice threatened to tremble. She willed it steady. "I tried asking mom about it the last time, but she got really quiet. She would barely talk about anything to do with him, and I know it could mean nothing, but at the same time..."

Takeru waited patiently for her to continue.

She lifted her head. Twice, she opened her mouth to ask him something. Twice, she chickened out.

"Do you..." It scared her to ask. Not just because of what it could mean for her family, but because she knew how painful the subject potentially was for him too. "...do you remember how your parents acted before they...got divorced?"

It was like a weight had been lifted from her chest, to say the word aloud. Only for it to be replaced by an even heavier one.

Above them, the clicking slowed. The light turned red again.

"You think it's going to come to that?" he asked her, his voice soft.

She could see the pain in his eyes, and hated herself for causing it. Takeru was much better at hiding his emotions than she ever would be, but there were some things too strong not to be felt. At the same time, however, he seemed equally concerned for her. No doubt channeling all the sadness of childhood memories into empathy. Hoping that she wouldn't have to suffer the way he and his brother did.

And if there's one thing Takeru was better at than distractions, it was Hope.

"I...don't know." She shook her head. "I just haven't been able to stop thinking about it all week." Her head tilted down just enough to shield her eyes from view. Until the corners of her lips dared twitch upward. It was an ironic smile, but it was the best she could muster for him right then. "You see now why I didn't want to say anything to Yamato. He has enough going on."

Takeru nodded. Some of the tension left him. "Unfortunately, he can be more observant than we give him credit for. Sometimes." His was a slightly more genuine smile, fueled by a perpetual urge to tease his sibling regardless of whether or not he was present to hear it. "And with him and Taichi-san still barely speaking, I guess he needs someone else to worry over all the more."

It was the way he said it that caught her notice. So casually, like they were talking about an everyday occurrence. Which, admittedly, it often felt like.

Sora lifted her head in time to catch the light turn green once more. This time, she stepped out onto the street with Takeru. Watching his expression closely. Unlike before, there were no signs of him holding back a hurt. A hint of resignation, perhaps...maybe even exasperation...but no different from the sentiment behind Hikari's sighs whenever they had to witness the two older boys going at it.

"I suppose if you and Hikari-chan aren't worried, the rest of us shouldn't be, either," she stated as they reached the other side.

Takeru shrugged. "Why would we be worried?"

"Because you hate it when the people close to you fight." She knew he wouldn't be able to argue. And she was right. "The two of you are so close to the both of them, as well as each other. In a way, it's pretty amazing that they've never sank to dragging the two of you into their stupid arguments."

She'd meant to gauge Takeru's reaction to the notion more than anything, but hearing herself say it aloud, Sora realized just how true this actually was. Given Taichi and Yamato's maturity levels, how often they fought, and the degree of protectiveness they felt over their respective siblings, there had been every chance of them turning the whole thing into some Romeo and Juliet-level family feud. Why it never did was a borderline mystery.

Either Takeru had been following a similar train of thought, or recognized hers for what it was, because he promptly shook his head.

"We're not our brothers. Hikari-chan knows that. I think they know that too. Taichi-san's never treated me any differently, and no matter how mad he's gotten at Taichi-san, I've never once seen Nii-san take it out on Hikari-chan. He even brought Hikari-chan her ticket for tonight himself."

They rounded the corner. The gate to the apartment complex came into view. Sora noticed his eyes drift upward towards where they both knew the Yagami's apartment to be. A place they had both visited enough times to recognize the path in their sleep. And she also noticed his eye soften, no doubt as he thought of the girl waiting for them inside.

"Besides...in the end, our friendship means too much to let anybody else take it away. No matter what happens."

An oddly ambiguous statement; Sora knew at once he wasn't just talking about their brothers.

"Well," she chimed in as they crossed the main courtyard, towards the building entrance. "I suppose it's always easier when you know you have the older brother's approval."

Takeru smiled at her just brightly enough that it was impossible to gauge his true reaction.

The nearest elevator was free. It took almost no time to rise up to their intended floor, and even less to find the Yagami door...in no small part due to the excessive shouting coming from inside. Followed by a loud crash.

Sora and Takeru look to one another in concern.

Tentatively, they knocked.

After a tense pause, the door cracked open. When Hikari saw it was them, she heaved a sigh of relief as she opened it fully, allowing them both a glimpse into the living room. And the source of the commotion. Both of them.

"I see they're getting along," Sora commented, a large bead of sweat forming on her brow.

"Ah..." Hikari gave a slight wince at Tsukaimon's shouting. "I think they're still in negotiation stages."

Tailmon's ears twitched as she shot her nemesis a quick side-glance. Fortunately, Tsukaimon was too busy trying to bounce back and forth on the GameCube controller, his little paws not quite able to reach the bumper to use his latest items and the one to help him drift around the corner. It was a hotly contested source of animosity between them: the degree of fairness, considering her claws had a much wider reach than his.

"I thought you said you set the computer characters to easy!"

"I did." She smirked back, "It's not my fault you can't keep up."

"I could if they made the controller a proper size!"

Agumon sat not far behind them on the couch, quietly munching on some popcorn. From the sounds of rustling in the kitchen area, more was cooking on the stove, courtesy of his favorite Chosen mother.

Patamon chose that exact moment to stick his nose out the top of Takeru's bag. His eyes widened with excitement.

"Is that Mario Kart: Double Dash?!" Not bothering to wait for validation, he darted inside, wings flapping happily towards his best (nonhuman) friend. "I want in next game, guys!"

Hikari watched the orange digimon fly right over her head into the living room. Then turned back to Takeru. As did Sora.

The boy scratched at his cheek. "Nii-san bought the game the same day Taichi-san did."

Out of the corner of her eye, Sora noticed Hikari smile. Whether it was Takeru's sheepish explanation, or the promise of reprieve from what was essentially a domestic war zone, she seemed to relax. Stepping back inside just long enough to grab her shoulder bag and key, she entered the outdoor walkway with a soft click of the door behind her.

"You remembered your ticket?" Takeru asked her with a hint of playfulness.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Of course I did."

"Are you sure the four of them are going to be okay with your mom tonight?" Sora asked, not quite stepping between the two. At least when they argued, it was only because Takeru purposely said something to antagonize her. And it was over as soon as it began. The (questionably) platonic version of a typical Lovers' Spat.

"I—" Hikari began, only to be cut off by a muted shriek.

"STOP THROWING BLUE SHELLS AT ME YOU STUPID CAT!"

"IT WASN'T ME THIS TIME!"

"Wow, how'd you get a star in fourth place?"

"...probably," she weakly chuckled.

o o o

"I'll come to see you wherever you are
Carrying usefully vague words
I'll shout them out as I listen to the song"

Yamato was like a completely different person onstage. Confident to the point of perceived arrogance, and very conscious of the influence he held over his audience. Particularly the female members. It was all deliberate. Every sly grin in between riffs. Every flick of his blonde hair. The subtle variations in tone and inflection as he sang, particularly when improvising against the expected studio recorded melody.

Lights flashed in sync to the beat as his distinct guitar sounds blared through the speakers.

"What do you mean, whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa
I wonder if it will echo through this town
But, whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa
There's no use anticipating…"

Down in the front row, where the VIP tickets got to stand, Hikari was mouthing the lyrics along as she danced. She alternated between staring up at the band, eyes sparkling in delight, and closing her eyes as she moved to the occasion, Daisuke would join her, even going so far as to hold her arm up for a playful twirl. Each time, she came away grinning all the brighter. Even laughing mid-lyric.

Wallace and Takeru were slightly more reserved in their enjoyment. Watching their friends dance and the band in equals shares.

"Even with these awkward wings, dyed with images that tend to stay
I'm sure we can fly…"

"Ooooooon myyyyyyyyy loooooooooove!" A group of high school girls not far behind the VIP area shrieked in partial unison, then—in their very next breath—exclaimed: "WE LOVE YOU, YAMA-SAMA!"

Sora snorted in amusement, wondering if Yamato could hear them.

Daisuke definitely could.

"Gah!" He made a show of covering his ears with both hands. "It's like an Army of Juns."

"Does she know you're here?" Takeru wondered.

"Are you kidding?" Though the pain, a wicked smile twisted his features. "I waved my ticket in her face the day I got it. Last I checked, she's still not speaking to me."

The band's bassist stepped forward, echoing Yamato's rhythms with an even deeper, richer timbre. Together, their fingers flew up and down the frets as a dizzying rates until the instrumental bridge came to a climax. Yamato made dramatically tossed his guitar back over his shoulders as he returned to the microphone stand, signaling for the secondary guitarist to take over as he leaned in.

"After an endless dream…"

Hikari wasn't the only one singing along; most of the theater recognized the hit song. Word for word. Yamato was nearly drowned out in a sea of voices. The excitement in the theater was palpable.

"I'm sure we can fly
Oh, yeah"

"After an endless dream in this miserable world
That's right, maybe not using common sense isn't so bad after all
Even with these awkward wings, dyed with images that tend to stay
I'm sure we can fly
On my love"

The last nose drifted into the air, lost in the thunderous applause that followed. Much to Daisuke's chagrin, the shrieking girls made themselves known once more.

Sora placed both pinkies in her mouth and let out a sharp whistle. Yamato recognized its source instantly. Even blinded by the stage lights, he managed to spot her familiar silhouette just beyond the edge of the stage long enough to offer a subtle two-finger salute in appreciation.

To her right, the self-appointed tech crew were hard at work. With Koushiro manning the hand-held video camera, Jou monitoring the audio input via Koushiro's laptop, and Iori brandishing Hikari's digital camera around his neck, Sora had joked they should have been given press badges instead. It was fortunate their area was large enough to allow them the necessary space. Not that a lack of space would have stopped Koushiro.

"How's it looking, Jou-senpai?" she heard him ask the older boy in the lull between numbers.

"Good so far. Wavelengths seem even, and I don't see any signs of distortion."

Iori was stoically flipping through his latest shots.

She shook her head. The contrast between the three of them, with their business-like expression, and the four middle school Chosen was stark, leaving her feeling oddly stuck in between.

Alone.

She risked a glance at the time on her cell. Then frowned.

"I can't believe Mimi-chan's missing this."

With Yamato busy onstage, and Taichi out celebrating with his soccer teammates, she had been relying on her best friend to keep her company that evening. Yet Mimi was already more than a half hour late

The last time a Chosen was late...

An uneasy feeling began to well up in her stomach. She quickly suppressed it, tucking her phone all the way to the bottom of her bag. That would quell any compulsion to keep checking. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Takeru looking to her in mild concern. No doubt having caught her looking at her phone again.

She smiled at him, lightly shaking her head to let him know it was nothing.

At least, nothing they had already talked about.

The crowd perked up. Sora looked up in time to see Yamato return to the spotlight. His guitar had been set aside on the storage rack. So had the microphone stand. She recognized this as something he did whenever he intended to address the audience directly. It gave the band members a bit more time to set up for the next number.

Sure enough, she noticed the drummer emerge from behind his set to help the secondary guitarist with his synthesizer. Strange. Not many of their songs featured anything more than multi-guitar accompaniment, and the ones that did usually played later in the show.

"Is everybody having fun tonight?" The blonde asked into the microphone, then pulled back to await the inevitable response.

His audience screamed in affirmation. More than a few senpais were tossed out.

He openly smirked. "That's what I figured." Chuckling, he clutched the microphone right at its head and held it closer to his mouth as he began strolling along the edge of the stage. "I have to say, you guys are probably the best audience we've ever had."

More cheers.

Several hands extended towards him. Girls desperate for a single graze of fingertips. He ignored them all in favor of crouching directly in front of the area where the Chosen were standing. Locating his brother in the shadows, he extended a fist for Takeru alone to bump. His little brother was more than happy to oblige.

"Actually," Yamato continued, straightening. "I have a bit of a confession to make tonight." Once again, he paused to allow for the usual screams of audience approval. The word confession was always enough to entice them into wistful daydreams of what he could possibly mean. He grinned, visibly milking the moment for all it was worth. "You see, we've been keeping a secret. A brand new song we'd be honored to play for you now...if that's alright."

It was very alright.

Sora was even able to momentarily forget about that pit in her stomach. Surprise took over, and she raised both eyebrows. When did Yamato have time to write a new song? And, perhaps the bigger question, why didn't he mention it to any of them?

"This song is very special to me." He continued, "And what's funny is that...I didn't even write it."

Murmurs broke out through the audience.

On a hunch, Sora looked to Takeru...but he seemed just as perplexed as everyone else.

"A friend of mine did. Someone who's here tonight to help me sing it."

"A...collaboration?" Sora blinked, lips twisting into a small frown. Yamato hated collaborations. He'd told her as much the last time he'd been contacted by Avex Management. One of their emerging girl group members had asked for a duet in hopes of gaining public attention. He'd turned them down, flat. "Since when does he..."

Realization struck.

Her eyes widened as she gasped, hands flying to her mouth in shock.

"So I'd like you to all help me in welcoming the very talented Tachikawa Mimi!"

"...MIMI?!"

Chosen jaws dropped as the girl in question appeared from backstage.

Whoever Sara-chan's sister was, she had outdone herself. Mimi's hair bounced around her in soft, loose beach curls. Every few steps, the spotlights would catch hints of shimmering rose gold highlights woven into her honey blonde tresses. Peachy pinks colored her eyes and cheeks, emphasizing her feminine features and perfectly complimenting the cute punk outfit she'd donned—a compromise between her personal style and the band's.

Sora had always known Mimi was pretty. But right then, she truly looked like an idol. Right down to the pearly smile she flashed as she waved to a receptive audience.

"I can't believe it..." she heard Hikari whisper in delight. The younger girl turned back to Takeru. "Did you know about this?"

Takeru was speechless. Slowly shaking his head as he stared incredulously at his brother and friend onstage. He looked seconds away from laughing.

To reach her mark, Mimi had to walk right by their group. As she did so, she sent a wink towards the tech crew; at first, Sora thought she was simply playing to the camera, but when she looked over, she saw Jou's cheeks turning a very visible pink. Beside him, Koushiro seemed to have forgotten how to hold said camera. Iori had to reach out and slowly guide it back up for him. Twice.

The lights dimmed.

The first notes of the synthesizer echoed into the air from somewhere beyond their separated spotlights. Frozen in place with more than half a stage between them, Mimi and Yamato tilted their heads downward in wait as the background vocals from the rest of the band faded in.

The drum started on the pickup. Then the bass. Not quite a ballad, the tempo was notably slower than any of the songs that had preceded it. Meant for swaying rather than dancing.

Just before the start of the first verse, they spun sharply on their heels in practiced sync until Yamato had his back to her. She stared after him. From her first notes sung, Mimi had the audience left in a hushed silence. Wary curiosity gave way to awe. Her voice was strong and alluring as she sang of a longing with great emotional intensity.

"A relationship that's given up filling in the gaps
I never thought we'd be strangers when tomorrow comes
Everything else can just disappear"

She nearly started to reach out to him, only to sharply pull back. Holding the closed fist tightly to her chest. Her voice swelled. Powerful, while only just hinting at an ability to further project. Deliberately holding back so early in the performance.

At the first refrain, Yamato lifted his microphone to join her.

"The pendulum still sways
The thread following a final hope
Why does it snap off?
This is making my heart feel like it will burst"

Their voices combined to produce a pleasant blend. Her rich soprano with his deep baritone.

Behind her, Sora noticed lights appearing. A scatter of tiny, twinkle stars throughout the theater. They started to move back and forth, swaying to the beat.

Mimi retreated backwards just as Yamato stepped forward. Suddenly, the roles of their characters were reversed. She turned away from him, head hanging low, a split second before he finally looked her way. Though he appeared notably more reserved in expressing his feelings.

"Extending a helping hand, I touched your cheek
And then my temperature was 40 degrees Celsius"

His fans cheered him on at the first line, though at a more subdued volume. Not wanting to miss a second of hearing his smooth vocals. This was a Yamato they had never seen before. Love songs had always been a part of the band's repertoire, but always from a cool distance. Here, he was open. Vulnerable.

Though she never once turned back, Mimi's character gradually began reacting to his lyrics. Holding up two fingers when he sang about the two of them meeting for the first time. Holding both hands to her chest when he mentioned a metaphorical poison in their hearts.

"And even if we put on a filter of memories
It's hazy in the distance and I can't find you."

His voice drifted upward into a soft falsetto.

Several girls in the audience screamed.

Sora was utterly delighted by it all. At the same time, however, there was something about the lyrics that rang oddly familiar to her.

She looked to her left. Daisuke was standing with his arms folded across his chest, weight shifted into a more relaxed position. His head bobbed along with the music. Hikari was fixated on the performance, hands clasped tightly in front of her as she watched a choreographed dance play out between two distant hearts.

Takeru wasn't watching the stage at all. He was watching Hikari.

"Dangerous signs—if we could've explained carefully
Then we could have avoided misunderstandings and this ending
A murky attitude is fatal"

Yamato sang for the first part of the bridge, only for Mimi to take over halfway through.

"I want to leave this behind as a beautiful memory
So I only had this choice"

As the song reached its climax, Sora noticed something else: Wallace was watching Takeru watch Hikari.

"Let me think that strongly about it…"

The height of the crescendo resounded in a powerful joint belt, Mimi's voice barely rising over Yamato's as the whole of her vocal strength was put on full display.

In the next moment, for the first time since the start of the song, Mimi and Yamato turned to face one another. Less than two meters separated them. Their eyes met, and they slowly lowered their microphones. It was as if a spell had been cast over their respective characters, leaving them in an instant of wonder.

She took a step forward. So did he.

For those who knew the pair well enough, it would be the one and only time they came closer to breaking character: a mutually resisted urge to laugh as Mimi tilted her head up to compensate for the height difference.

"If I told you that I'm nothing without your love
It's meaningless unless it's you..."

The rest of the band chimed in on the final refrain, vocals soft and deliberately distant as the auditory focus was drawn to their improvisations. Mimi, in particular, showed off a series of expertly controlled melismas. Beads of sweat were appearing on Yamato's forehead after more than half an hour straight beneath the hot lights, but she only continued to glow.

"Was it really okay?
We might have had the possibility."

At the start of the outtro, they turned back towards one another and slowly began to close the remaining gap between them, step by step...

"I dreamed we were always together
Having many birthdays"

...until they met in the center, only to cross paths and continue walking away.

"It won't come true anymore
But it's never gonna change my love"

Only when they were at complete opposite ends of the stage did they come to a stop. Then, on the exact same beat, they sharply spun around to face one another for the last time.

Their microphones gradually lowered all the way to their sides.

The lights faded.

The last notes of the synthesizer echoed into the air, barely faded before the audience erupted into the most thunderous applause of the night.

o o o

Mimi held the bottle with both hands, using her thumbs to push at the cork until it released with a satisfying pop.

Fog emerged from the chilled bottle. She grinned at the sight, hints of glitter on her eyelids sparkling under the dressing room lights as she reached for one of the several glasses on the table. She made sure to tilt it, pouring the drink at an angle so as to not risk an overflow spill from the carbonation.

Beside her, Sora was suspicious.

"That's not champagne, is it?" She accepted the glass warily, holding it up to the light. It certainly looked like champagne.

Mimi rolled her eyes. "Oh, relax, Sora-san. It's sparkling grape juice." The second glass she poured went to Yamato, while the next two were passed to his drummer and synth player, who had mysteriously appeared in the room the moment they heard a cork pop. "Papa brought a case back from New York for special occasions."

The drummer, a high school senior named Ito Hatsuharu, took a healthy swig.

"Hey. Not bad." Hatsuharu grinned. "Yamato here never treats us to the good stuff. Any chance we can trade him in for you as our new lead singer?"

"Oi!" Yamato huffed, much to the room's collective amusement.

Hikari was the first to react. Having previously been sharing a seat with Takeru, she got up and navigated her way through the crowded room until she reached the vacant spot beside him. As she sat, she turned to him with a bright, warm smile.

"For what it's worth, Yamato-san, I thought you were really cool tonight."

Still sulking, he initially shot her a dull look out of the corner of his eye. That didn't last. The longer he stared at her, the more his expression melted into a genuine fondness. Hikari was one of the few girls who could get away with saying things like that to him.

He even smiled back, however muted, and reached out to ruffle her hair in a show of brother-like affection.

Sora met Takeru's gaze from across the room, and had to hide a knowing smile of her own behind her glass.

With Iori's politely offered help, and another two bottles' worth of juice, Mimi was able to make quick work of providing the rest of the room their celebratory drink. Thanks to Hatsuharu and their drummer, they would have been left one glass shy. Takeru solved the issue by conceding his glass to Hikari, a gesture she was visibly grateful for.

The last two glasses, Mimi poured herself. She held one in each hand as she moved to the far corner of the room, where Jou was sitting with Iori and Daisuke on the sofa. There wasn't any room left for her to join them, not even to jokingly squeeze in the middle, so she opted for sitting on the armrest beside him.

"What did you think?" she asked Jou, passing him the last glass.

For the second time that night, Jou had to tilt his head upward to look at her. She was looking back expectantly. He opened his mouth to say something, but his mind went blank. Desperate, he could only utter the first and only thought that made it through the haze:

"You were perfect, Mimi-chan."

It was the right answer; her smile widened that much more, and she clinked glasses with him.

Hikari''s eyes searched for Takeru's, finding him looking back with mirrored amusement. He'd heard it too

Mimi-chan? They mouthed silently.

"Not just perfect," Koushiro chimed in. "You two were a certified hit." He continued scrolling through one of several bookmarked sites on his phone, making a mental note of both the quality and quantity of comments. "Talk about the new song is flooding the chat. A lot of them seem to already be looking for recordings. And..."

He froze. Biting his lower lip as he weighed the pros and cons.

The pros won out.

"...some of them want to know how long you two have been dating."

Yamato spit out a mouth full of sparkling grape juice.

Additional Notes I could not include up top because Spoilers:

1. Yes, the quoted lyrics of Yamato's initial song are part of a (rough) translation of the late, great Wada Kouji's Butterfly. It was too good an Easter Egg to pass up.

2. The quoted lyrics Yamato and Mimi sang as a duet come from part of a (rough) translation of BoA and Miura Daichi's Possibility. If you have never heard them perform this song on YouTube before, I cannot recommend it enough. I have literally had it on deck for YEARS waiting to finally use it in this chapter because it was too perfect. (fun fact: Daichi actually signed a record contract with Avex, the entertainment referenced by Sora.)

3. I still cannot believe that after so many seasons and movies, Digimon has still not canonly given us an on-screen Mimi and Yamato duet despite clearly establishing them both as singers. Come on, Adventure 2020 writers, do it you cowards give the people what they want.