Hey, there, I'm back! Sorry it took so long to get this chapter up; I was writing it on my aunt's computer and it got lost when I brought it back home. Stupid technology.
Lots of angst in this chapter, just so's ya know…
--
In the Rough
Chapter Four: Motivational Stickers
--
A little-known fact: Ishida Yamato has seven different locks on his door, to keep out paparazzi, as well as rabid fangirls.
Another fact: I happen to have all seven keys.
I walked into the living room, expecting to find Matt preparing for dinner, only to see him emerge from his room in only a pair of boxers, the phone lodged against his ear as he hastily pulled on some jeans and fought to stop giggling.
"I have to go now," he hissed into the telephone. "Your sister's here for… Hang up, your sister's here! Would you just--"
I felt my face flushing, and I think I must've exclaimed something stupid like "Ohthatsokay, Illjustbeinthekitchen, youguyscan… finishupokaybye."
I fled to the kitchen, plopping down on one of the barstools and spinning the little revolving spice rack around with my finger.
Seven years, and yet I was still uncomfortable with anything remotely sexual having to do with my brother.
Yamato entered a few minutes later, buttoning up a white shirt and not embarrassed in the least.
"Okay, cool, let's get started… Do you know when the others are supposed to be here?"
Right on cue, the doorbell rang, and Takeru came in watching me twirl the spice rack around with an amused expression.
"Is oregano really all that entertaining, Kari?"
I smirked. "Yes, actually, though only slightly more so than what was going on when I first got here."
Yamato scowled. "Hey, it's not my fault you just barged in unannounced! Geez, you Yagamis are all the same, breaking-and-entering without a second thought…"
"I didn't break in; I have the keys to your front door!" I retorted.
"All seven of them?"
"As a matter of fact, yes."
Takeru rolled his eyes, removed his bucket hat, and sat down on the barstool next to mine, twisting the cap around in his hands.
"You sure do like dinner parties, don't you, Matt?" he asked after some time of watching the older blonde rummaging about in his refrigerator.
"'Mato's a people-person," I said primly, now removing a few of the jars of spices from the rack and setting them up in pairs. "He withers and dies if he's on his own for more than an hour or two."
"Ha! As if," scoffed Yamato, turning around with eggs and butter in his arms. "I was the ultra-cool lone wolf in my younger days."
"Yeah, because you were wallowing in depression," Takeru muttered, snickering.
The younger brother then took the jar of saffron and began dancing it around the counter, talking in a bad impression of Yamato's deep, I'm-too-sexy-for-my-shirt voice:
"Gooood, I'm soooo pissed off at Tai… stupid Tai, I'm gonna go play my harmonica and carve our initials into a tree now…"
I giggled uncontrollably, grabbing the jar of nutmeg (now that I can recognize it) and joining him.
"Soccer, soccer, soccer…" I chanted, "Hey, I bet I could fit a soccer ball into my hair!"
Yamato was not amused. He huffed, going to answer the door and letting in Daisuke, Ken, and Iori.
Of course, they found it great fun…
"Prodigious!" cried Daisuke, as Koushiro the Cayenne Pepper. "If only I could get a date to save my life!"
Ken watched, chuckling occasionally, with Iori.
Yamato surprised us all by taking the cinnamon, glaring at it for a moment, and then announcing in falsetto:
"Oh, I'm Takenouchi Sora, and I'm sooo great, 'cuz I'm a tomboy, and I play soccer, just like my darling Tai-Tai, so we're just MEANT TO BE TOGETHER, and we'll have lots of loud, annoying, soccer-playing kids while Yamato goes off to rot in his forbidden, homosexual loneliness!"
A very prominent silence followed this, apart from Matt's angry, heavy breathing.
"Dude," Daisuke said quietly.
The doorbell rang, and all turned towards the door at the familiar monophonic tune.
"Come in; it's unlocked," Yamato called.
Hoshi entered, blinking at finding the six of us all gathered around the bar, four of us with a different bottle of seasoning in hand.
"… Did I come at a bad time?" she questioned nervously.
Yamato abandoned the cinnamon and rushed over to shake her hand, remembering his manners.
"No, not at all. Sorry about that. I'm Ishida Yamato, and welcome to my home."
Hoshi was taken aback at the sudden introduction to a celebrity. I really don't know why; pretty much everyone knows that he's my sort-of brother-in-law.
"Oh! Um… h-hello! I'm Shimane Hoshi… Kari's friend. Wow, it's really cool to meet you, Ishida-sama…"
"Call me Matt," he said charmingly.
Damn that man and his ability to make estrogen levels skyrocket.
"O-okay…" She seemed to snap back to reality when she noticed me. "Hi, Kari!"
"Hi, Hoshi-chan!" I replied, grinning. She had dressed up for the evening, in a very pretty skirt and blouse, her hair down and curly.
"Thank you for inviting me over for dinner," she said politely, sitting on my other side and staring curiously at the container of nutmeg I held. "I you don't mind me asking, what exactly are you guys doing?"
"Oh… just goofing off," I said lightly, grabbing the other spices and cramming them back into the rack.
"Watch it! That was a birthday present from Mimi!" Yamato cried, making sure it didn't tumble over.
--
While Matt prepared the crepes he had been bragging about, the six of us younger kids sat in the living room, watching television.
It was currently a commercial break, and Daisuke was suddenly stricken with the desire to speak up.
"Hey, Hoshi." She turned at the sound of her name. "Why aren't you and Sayae friends anymore?"
Hoshi looked down at her feet, very uncomfortable.
"I don't like to talk about it," she mumbled.
Daisuke held his hands up in an unusually apologetic manner.
"That's cool. Just wondering."
We were quiet as we continued to watch whatever depressing war documentary Iori had chosen.
--
Dinner was relatively uneventful. The crepes were, naturally, delicious. Daisuke ate seven. Three of them were originally Takeru's.
When it was time for us to leave (Yamato claimed to be tired, but Takeru and I could both see him repeatedly glance longingly at the phone.), Hoshi turned to me before her mother arrived.
"Thank you again for including me… Kari-chan," she said softly, then pulled me into a tight hug.
I froze for a moment, as that had been rather unexpected, but then hugged Hoshi back.
"No problem," I said lightly. "Any time."
Hoshi smiled at us once more, than left, leaving me to watch her warily.
"She seems rather affectionate," Daisuke noted. "Sure you don't swing the other way, Kars?"
I smacked him on the arm. One stupid person down, a few billion to go.
--
As I entered the kitchen the following morning, my mother was once again trying out her non-existent flair in the kitchen.
"Hikari-chan, would you be a dear and go get the mail for me?" she asked, trying to beat the eggs with a hair comb.
I naturally obliged (If there was another fire, I didn't want to be in the building when it happened.) and pulled my clogs and jacket on.
The weather is so nice in Odaiba in early autumn. I never really mind getting the mail; it's a short walk from the apartment complex to the mail room.
It's my neighbors that I worry about- especially the couple who live directly below us, the Tochigis. The husband is a big, bulky man with a thick handlebar mustache who always carries a newspaper around with him. I don't even know if it's a different newspaper for each day, or if he's been reading the same one forever.
His wife (I believe her name is Nami) is pleasant enough. She wears too much makeup, though. I wonder if she's familiar with Akemi's cousin…
Nami hated my brother when he lived with us. Every morning when I pass by their open door, Nami smiles fondly at me and greets me, then usually follows with some sort of wistful longing for Taichi to have been as well-mannered as I am.
(She's still sore about the time Tai "borrowed" her cat and dressed it up as Superman, then took it trick-or-treating around the neighborhood. Miko was sick that night, you see, and Taichi has this strange anxiety problem where he can't celebrate Halloween without a cat.)
I tapped in the combination to our mailbox and pulled out a few bills, some sort of legal notice (phhf, unimportant), and a letter addressed to me, from New York. Excited, I ripped it open immediately to find two different handwriting styles, one in tiny, neat cursive, the other in large block-letters.
Hikari-chan,
Hi, sweetie! I know we just talked the other day, but I have this darling new pink daisy-print stationary I wanted to try out, and besides, I love talking with you!
I bought you a present while I was shopping a few hours ago. I'll give it to you when you get here for the big game. Start saving up to buy souvenirs! I heard a rumor that they'll be selling all sorts of merchandise devoted to each of the players. I'm sure we'll all just look so cute in our matching "Yagami is King" tee shirts! I figured Matty would want a few extras, so I picked out twelve in the exclusive catalogue. Hee, I love being a somebody!
Oh, and by the way, enclosed are the super-neat new motivational stickers we got at the studios! I know they'll brighten your day!
See you soon, hon!
Tachikawa Mimi
I stopped reading the two-part letter for a moment to pull out the folded sheets of stickers I had received. Each was a brightly-colored rectangle with a smiley-face border and a saying printed in bubbly script. Just a few were "I HAVE A UNIQUE SENSE OF DIRECTION IN MY JOY-FILLED EXISTENCE," "I WEAR A SMILE EVEN IN THE SADDEST TIMES," and my favorite, "HUGS AND LAUGHTER CURE ANY DISEASE!"
I doubted that last one, but it was somehow darkly humorous.
The second part went like this:
Hika-pika:
I haven't spoken to you in a while, sis! Meems tells me that letters are the new emails, and I have never gone against her almighty wisdom before.
I'm so excited that you guys can make it for the match! I was worried for a while that Sora-chan couldn't come, but everything is cleared up now. Still can't believe her ticket got lost. Yeah, Yama-chan explained the whole situation to me.
Guess what! I have my face on a limited-edition tee shirt! I saw this chick the other day wearing one, and I'll admit, I looked a little odd stretched out across the largest lumps of silicon I have ever seen. But that's not important, because I signed the shirt for her! Pika-pie, I SIGNED MY FIRST AUTOGRAPH!
Yama-chan tells me I'm being a nerd, but that's only because he signs a gajillion every day. And he has no right to call me a nerd, considering I'm not the one with a floral tea set.
Well, enough about me. I want to hear everything I've missed when you guys get here on the twentieth! It's not that far away, you know!
Your fantasmical Oniichan,
Taichi
I showed the letter to Mom. Her smile must've lit up the whole kitchen… even through all the smoke coming from the oven.
Thank heavens I know how to turn the fire alarm off.
--
Apparently, I wasn't the only one to have received Mimi's stickers.
"Check it out!" cried Daisuke, pointing to the cheery label on his forehead. "Mimi says that 'I am a very special human being, with many friends who both accept and support my differences'!"
"Mimi-san didn't say that", Iori said slowly, desperately trying to remove the sticker someone (presumably Dai) had slapped on that unreachable spot between his shoulder blades. "The motivational logo did. Mimi-san probably doesn't even really remember you."
Daisuke simpered, his bottom lip jutting out. "But I got her that lovely Valentine's Day present…"
"The hairpin?" laughed Takeru, his own sticker on his binder ("I ACCEPT LIFE'S CHALLENGES WITH A SONG IN MY HEART"). "You didn't buy that! You dug it out of Sora's garbage!"
"It was a nice hairpin," I assured my saddened friend.
"Yeah, it was," Daisuke sighed, poking at his forehead-label. "Too bad it was the reason Sora dumped Taichi-senpai in the first place."
Takeru raised an eyebrow. "Actually, isn't that a good thing?"
"Yeah," I agreed readily. "If it hadn't been for Tai's inability to purchase gifts, he would probably still be with Sora right now."
"Wait… so I got Mimi-chan a Valentine's present that tampered with destiny?" Daisuke's dark eyes grew wide. "Oh no! What if she never finds a steady boyfriend now, because of me?!"
I sighed. "Mimi's never had guy-trouble before, Dai. She practically has suitors lined up outside her house."
"It's because she's a supermodel now," Takeru sighed. "How is it that we have links to all these famous people?"
"I know," I chuckled. "Supermodel, college athlete, glam-rock star, computer genius, doctor…"
"Eventually, one of us is going to end up in prostitution," Takeru laughed loudly, "and I hate to say it, but it's probably going to be Daisuke."
"Hey! Watch that mouth of yours, KB, unless you can use it!" Daisuke snapped. Takeru blushed at the implications behind this, and Ken scowled. "Just wait and see! Someday, when you're living in a cardboard box, I'll be ruling the country with my amazing chain of noodle-carts! Muahahaha!"
Takeru looked fearful for Daisuke's sanity. This, of course, was assuming he had any.
"Dai, you know we all support your lifelong ambition… even though it changes every week… but don't you think you should learn how to cook ramen without damaging to ozone layer, before you open up a noodle-cart…?"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever, TL…"
Takeru sighed, "Listen, Daisuke… the whole "messing up TK on purpose" thing was cute for a while, but now it's just a substitute for lack of a better insult."
Daisuke floundered about for a response. "Yeah, well… you're smelly and gangly and mean. I don't like you at all… TMI."
"Those aren't even initials!"
"STD."
"Shut up."
"RSVP."
"No, seriously… shut up, Daisuke."
--
Daisuke didn't shut up; not for a while, anyways.
And it got him detention during Phys Ed.
"He really crossed the line this time," sighed Takeru, hands behind his neck as we went to pick meet him as he left the principal's office. "Calling the coach a 'fat blubbery mass'."
"That wasn't even clever," I muttered, but none of us three could keep a smirk off our faces.
"Are any of-- hold on," Takeru narrowed his eyes as we passed an empty classroom, then he backtracked, peered in the small window, and threw the door open.
My heart stopped. On top of a desk was Daisuke, his hands tightly gripping the small waist of Oita Sayae. Her hands were tangled in his spiky hair as she kissed him passionately.
As soon as we all heard Ken's sharp gasp, Daisuke practically threw the girl off of him, sputtering. "G-guys! It… this isn't…"
"Daisuke!" I wailed. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"
Sayae got off the floor and grinned, brushing her skirt off brusquely.
"Isn't it obvious? Dai-chan here's just been denying what he really wanted, so… I gave him a nudge in the right direction."
"Ken!" Daisuke cried, pushing Sayae out of the way and rushing to grab the bluenette's thin shoulders. "Ken… please listen! This isn't what it looks like! I… I was trying to--"
Ken was completely still, but I could see emotions in his eyes, spilling together like different kinds of oil.
"Ken," Daisuke pleaded, "I don't like Sayae! I don't like her at all, not as a friend, not as anything!"
Sayae scoffed haughtily, and brushed past us, muttering furiously. "It didn't feel that way to me…"
I think I might have growled at her as she left.
"Davis… Daisuke," Ken corrected himself angrily, and I could see the hurt flash across Dai's face like a slap. "I don't know why I even bothered trying to help you. Maybe it was because… because the world would be seeing us as I always did. Maybe I thought you would change. But, as usual, I was incorrect." The venom in his voice was nothing compared to that of his violet eyes, filling with tears of pure hatred. "You were always there for me as a brother, Daisuke. When I was sad, you always made me a little bit happier—no, as happy as I could possibly be. But, can't you see, Dai? I can't live with that anymore. I can't survive, watching you give your heart and body to everyone but me…"
Ken inhaled a sharp breath, and let out his final words. "I can't see you anymore, Daisuke- not in a false relationship or a real one… I… I love you too much."
Silence reigned, and Ken pushed away the hands on his shoulders, turning to walk away with his head down.
Daisuke didn't make any attempt to follow him. He went to a seat at one of the empty desks and pulled it out, sinking into a hunched-over position. He then looked up at Takeru and me, tears brimming in the chocolate eyes I had once said were very pretty.
"I guess this means I lose the bet," he choked, before dissolving into sobs.
--
Thursday was quiet.
Ken didn't show up for school that day. Nobody had really expected him to.
"I don't know what to say," Hoshi mumbled quietly after I relayed the information to her during PE. "I'm sorry for your friends. Sayae is such a… a…"
I nodded. "No need to continue. There really aren't any words to describe what's she's done. She's completely shredded Ken's heart, and I'm pretty sure she did a good job of fracturing Dai's, too."
Hoshi held the soccer ball we had been tossing back and forth in her hands, biting her lip. She looked up at me with curiosity.
"They were really in love, weren't they?"
"Ken's always loved Daisuke… and now I think that the dimwit has had some sense knocked into him. Don't worry; this will all work out in the end…"
God, I hoped.
--
"Miyako-san still doesn't know anything about Ken and Daisuke," Iori told me in our last period together. "Do you want me to tell her? If not, she's just going to find out eventually…"
"No," I replied immediately. "Please don't. She'll only make things worse."
Iori nodded in understanding. "If that's what you want. You know, Miyako-san is really sad lately. She feels sorry for what she said to you."
"Yeah, well, she should," I muttered. "She knew exactly what she was saying, and how I'd feel about it, yet she didn't stop."
"Could you just talk to her?" he tried weakly.
"I'm not making the first move. If Miyako wants to be friends again, she needs to apologize."
I knew she never would. It was just a nice fantasy, seeing my bossiest and most conniving friend sinking down to beg for forgiveness, just so she could once again be friends with the coolest girl in school.
Ha! Wow, maybe too many nights of reading Tai's journal is having an effect on me.
--
Daisuke grabbed me after school, and dragged me to a spot behind the old willow tree. Getting my first good look at his face all day, I noticed that his eyes were hollow and bloodshot, like he hadn't gotten any sleep.
"Hikari, I need Ken," he blurted out, tears forming yet again. "I never realized it before now, but I need Ken. I love him, Kari, and now I think I know why Takeru calls me an idiot: because I AM an idiot! I'm a stupid, fucking idiot, and now I've blown any chance I had with the person I know I'm meant to be with!"
I grabbed his arm before he collapsed again, and then roughly sat him down, sitting across from him with a frown.
"It's about time," I snapped.
"Wh-what?"
"Dai, you jerk, Ken's had a thing for you since the first time he ever saw you, but did you ever think twice about his own feelings when there was a prettier face nearby? No! Ken was always second-best to your current lay!"
Daisuke let out another sob, burying his face in his hands.
"I realize that now, Kari; that's why I need help!" He said shrilly.
"Darn right, you need help," I muttered, but reached over to pet his spiky hair fondly. "You need help more than anyone else I know right now. But maybe, for the moment, we should just let nature run its course…"
"I KNEW IT!"
We both snapped up to see a sneering Miyako, with Iori jogging towards us as fast as his short legs could carry him.
"I knew you couldn't do it!" she howled in triumph. "I knew that you and Ken could never work out! Do you have your g-string picked out for tomorrow, Dai-chan, or do you need my assistance?"
"Leave him alone!" I shouted, rising to my feet and crossing over to my former best friend. "Can't you see he's already hurt enough?"
"Still stuck in Rainbow Land, Hikari?" Miyako snapped. "Why don't you just give up your sick, fangirl fantasies and do what's right for Ken?"
"I AM DOING WHAT'S RIGHT FOR KEN!"
I don't think I've ever screamed so loudly in my life. I could feel my nails dig into my palms, and nothing else really mattered at the time, other than the fact that I hated Inoue Miyako.
"You're so selfish, Miyako!" I ranted. "All you care about is attaching yourself to the best-looking guy available and clinging on for your life, regardless of whether or not they want you! You resort to threats, a-and blackmail, and I am SICK of being around you!"
My words barely seemed to faze her.
"Fuck you, Hikari," she snarled. She then turned back to Daisuke. "You still lost the bet. If you don't hold up your end of the deal, you'll regret it."
And then she left, and I walked home with Daisuke without another word between us.
--
After dinner that night (burned casserole, but I ate every bite because I love my mother and wanted to hold on to every speck of goodness left in my heart), I found the envelope on the coffee table, addressed to "Aoi and Hikari Yagami" from New York.
I reached inside to pull out the nine airplane tickets. One of them read Yolei Inoue, Miyako's more Americanized name. I gritted my teeth, crumpled the stub, and shoved it in my pocket to throw away later.
My next action was to call Ken.
"Please come back to school," I begged as soon as he picked up. "Dai has finally been woken up, Ken, and he knows what he feels for you! Please hear him out."
"I… I don't know," my friend stumbled. "I just don't know if I can do this anymore, Hikari-chan; never knowing if I can trust Daisuke, or if he really cares about me…"
"He does!" I persisted. "I just talked with him earlier! He's a wreck without you, Ken! I know in my heart that you two are meant for each other!"
Ken hung up on me. I dropped the phone in shock, and for a moment my feelings were hurt… before I realized that Ken's must have been hurting a hundred times more.
--
The Friday Morning Announcements are always aired live in the library, with Daisuke and his co-anchor, Akemi.
"Good morning, Odaiba High," Daisuke said in a softer voice than was normal for him. "I'm Motomiya Daisuke."
"And I'm Kanagawa Akemi," said the girl with a confused expression on her face at Daisuke's flattened demeanor.
"Today, guys, before we begin, I have something I need to get off my chest," Daisuke announced, voice suddenly rising. "I need absolutely everyone to know this, because I know I can't keep it to myself. Ken…" He stood up, throwing his chair back, "I'm an asshole! I am a stupid, heartless jerk, and I don't deserve you! But I still need to tell you… I LOVE YOU, ICHIJOUJI KEN!"
The entire school silenced, disbelieving. Motomiya Daisuke wasn't finished by a long shot.
"And to Miyako- PUCKER UP AND KISS IT, YOU BITCH!"
With those eloquent words, he leapt up onto the table, and Akemi fell back in shock as Daisuke turned towards the unsteady camera (teachers were moving to restrain him, but it was too late) and dropped his shorts, revealing a skimpy, lace thong. The words "FOREVER PROPERTY OF KEN" were stamped right across his butt in bright, red letters.
No sooner had this atrocity occurred, than the cameras blacked out and the silent seconds dragged on like an eternity.
--
"I don't believe it," Takeru muttered when I found him in the chattering flood of students. "I just don't believe it…"
"Believe it," I replied quietly, seeing a thin, long-haired figure leaning against the wall with his books clutched to his chest. He was attracting quite a few questioning looks from girls (and some guys) around him.
All at once, the hall quieted as a solitary redhead made his way to Ken and stood in front of him, just a little bit shorter.
They looked at each other. And looked. And looked.
And then, nobody was quite sure who moved first, but the two boys were suddenly in a tight embrace, tears running free, and people started cheering wildly.
I was one of them, and after I elbowed him sharply, so was Takeru.
But someone wasn't clapping. Miyako gritted her teeth and fled with a swish of her hair, leaving me with a certain feeling of guilt and pity inside of me.
Yet it vanished as Daisuke's lips met Ken's gently, and they tuned out the rest of the world.
--
"I'm so proud of you," I laughed after school, as the four of us met at the ice-cream parlor. Daisuke was holding Ken's hand for real this time.
"Thanks," mumbled Dai, ordering a sundae to share with Ken. Ken ended up paying.
"Hey, Kari," Takeru prompted hesitantly, "would you like to share an ice cream?"
I blinked in surprise. "Um… sure, TK."
And so we bought a banana split and finished it off together, my heart melting as I watched Daisuke feed Ken a bite of ice cream, while Ken glared and told him to stop being a dork.
I noticed that Takeru was acting shyly as he offered me the last bite. My face flushed and I agreed.
What was there between us? Had I been so busy lately with the love lives of others… that I had been neglecting my own?
--
My head spun as I watched one of my favorite movies that night.
Did I have a crush on Takeru?
It seemed so cliché to me. We had been friends since… um, forever. But as I conjured up an image of his nervous laugh, his windblown hair, those round, innocent blue eyes…
Yes. Perhaps I did.
The thought made my stomach clench. Great, Kari, just great. What a terrific time for self-analysis.
What now?
What now, indeed. There was really only one suitable option.
--
"Helloooo…?"
"Hi, Mimi," I murmured. "Can you talk for a minute?"
"Oh, hi, Kari! Of course I can! Did you like the stickers?"
"Yeah," I smiled, looking over at the one I had stuck on my mirror. "But… I'm sort of in a fix right now… You see…" I took a deep breath. "IjustrealizedafewminutesagothatImightverywellhaveatinylittlecrushonTakeruandIknowit'sstupidbutnowI'mnervousandIreallyneedyouradvice."
Mimi was unnaturally quiet for a few seconds. Then, her shrill squeal might have blown out the systems.
"EEEEE! Oh, my God, you DO? That's so CUTE! This is almost as cute as the time Tai asked me to approve of the promise ring… Oops, probably shouldn't have brought that up…! So… when's the wedding set for?" I could almost hear her wink.
"Mimi!" I gasped, eyes widening. "I haven't even told him yet, and who knows if I even will?! It could screw up our friendship, and I don't know if I could--"
Mimi sighed despairingly. "Oh, Hikari, you silly, silly girl. There are a million excuses not to do something."
"Mimi, it isn't all that simple!"
"Sure it is! Now, listen up: if you two aren't an item by the time you get to America, I'll tan your hide, Hikari. That poor boy has been longing for you since Lord knows how long! Talk to you later!"
"Wait, Mimi, I--"
Beep.
I was really starting to get angry with Mimi's bad habit of hanging up on people.
--
Whoo, drama, drama, drama! And Takari, too! Hope that'll please some of the more Takari-centered fans. (And two 'F'-words in one chapter? Oh my, I'm feeling quite rebellious!)
Replies to Reviewers:
Puffgirl117: Lol, penguin bitch-fight… that's a distinct possibility, as we found out in MotP…
cAnDi-SwEet aS: Yeah, Miyako's getting quite bashed, isn't she? Sorry… s'for the plot. I really do like Miyako… but not Yolei. Her dubbed character was mind-numbingly annoying, in my opinion. Thank you so much for the lovely review! Put a smile on my face, it did!
Adel: WWTD? Indeed. I need to start printing that on bracelets… Naw, there's happiness for Ken-chan. :-3
Miss Takin: Thank you, though my "hyeneeghs" seemed to have confused a few people before they read the chapter, lol. And Hoshi will become a key player soon. I don't really prefer OC's as important characters, but there aren't enough females in the show, so I had to add one to cover the role in my plot...
ccc: Heehee, thank you bunches:blush: Such nice reviews.
Angel of the Night 213: Wow, thanks for the fave! That really brightened my day.
JyouraKoumi: "06 is the start for Koumi Fans to get on da Grind'"? I'm sorry, but what the hell? You say I'm not a true Taito fan because I don't know which pairings the Japanese prefer? Good Lord, please chill out for a second and type like a civilized person. I have this wonky image of you in my brain as a short guy in too much jewelry attempting to flash gang signs… but at the same time, that picture if thrown off by the fact that you're trying to act street while overshipping a DIGIMON PAIRING. Koumi is very nice, but I hate to break it to you, it is only the best pairing as a matter of opinion. Everyone is entitled to their own favorite ship. That's the beauty of being a fan.
They-Call-Me-Orange: I just love your reviews. And the "It would be better…" thing was just Hikari thinking. Sorry, I'll go back and fix that later. Thank you!
The Digital Gate: Thank you for the review! (Sorry I can't come up with anything more creative…)
Sutzina Zion: I can't bear to write a sad Ken… he's too cute. So I made it all better in this update! Yay! (And I love the word "awesomeness", lol.)
truely a lost-kitten: Thank you so much for adding the whole "when you can" thing when you said to update. I can't tell you how irritating it gets sometimes when people are like "UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE!" You made me smile.
And to anyone I might have missed, a big hug and a THANK-YOU!
Please, PLEASE review! Free cookies to those who leave nice comments, or advice on how I can improve!
TTFN,
Beezlee
