CHAPTER 2

/Seven years ago/

The D-Reaper was defeated, their Digimon gone and summer just around the corner. Takato and Jeri were occupied with their families' business, Henry spent all his time in front of the computer searching for a way to open the door to the DigiWorld, and Kazu and Kenta .. well, Rika didn't really feel like hanging out with them. Staying at home and dealing with her grief wasn't an option either because she wasn't ready to reconcile with losing Renamon. Instead, she spent all her time with someone who knew how to distract her from her pain and whose company she - surprisingly - enjoyed a lot: Ryo. He didn't really know what to do with himself after Cyberdramon left for the DigiWorld and he decided to stay in Tokyo during the summer and return home before the new school year started. But to Rika that felt like something far far away in the future and Ryo leaving at some point didn't feel like something she'd have to worry about. Not until that day finally came.

She knew from the beginning that this was a goodbye party. He had told her that before. She came to the Katou restaurant to say goodbye to him. She walked there that time, thinking about the party and how it was going to be. But then they sat down around a table full of food and drinks and he told the rest of the Tamers that he had to go home. And hearing it again in front of all her friends made Rika feel like this was the first time she actually fully understood what it meant for her. Leaving ..

Her friends were wishing him luck, the room was suddenly full of sad faces, someone even said they'll have to visit him in Kyushu soon .. but Rika could hear all these voices from far far away; their friends continued talking but a trace of Kazu's crying somewhere in the background was the last thing she could recognize before the growing anxiety in her drowned out the whole room and all she could hear was her heart pounding like crazy and all she could feel was angst.

Air, I need air ..!

Clinging to this thought she stood up so suddenly that she spilled a full glass of coke all over the table. If noone noticed her suffering before, she undoubtedly had everyone's full attention now. But Rika didn't see or hear anyone and she didn't care, all that mattered to her was air. She went straight to the door (and hit something on the way - from the scream in the distance it must had been Kenta's head), slammed the door twice before realizing she wasn't supposed to pull but push and then started running, leaving everyone behind her.

Renamon ...

Renamon left me.

Her inner chaos didn't get ahold of her body yet and while she felt like she's seconds away from suffocating, her legs knew where to go and her hands pushed the door on the second floor next to the guests' toilet that lead to freedom.

'Air ...!' she cried when she stumbled on a small terrace. Her breathing was fast and her body in pain.

And now he's leaving me too.

She kneeled, pulled on her hair and let the pain out of her body in an almost silent scream. Tears were running down her cheeks when she was gasping for more air and she hit the handrail a few times with all her strength. Her lungs were greedily absorbing the fresh air and after what seemed like an eternity she felt she could breath again.

The initial shock was finally over and she could see and smell and touch again. She stood up sobbing. Tears were still running down her cheeks and she felt the second wave of pain coming- when someone opened the door to the terrace. She automatically wiped her face with her hand. Her mind didn't care if anyone saw her like this but her body was still doing things automatically. Whoever it was that joined her didn't say a word, which is how she knew it was Ryo. She wiped her face again. He went past her to the handrail to see the view underneath. He sighed. Rika was looking at him from behind, sniffling quietly. They stood in silence like that for a few minutes.

'Thank you,' he finally said and made her heart skip a beat in confusion. He turned around and his eyes were watery as well. 'I don't know how I'd survive these couple of months if it wasn't for you.' He looked really sad and she actually felt bad for him too.

Even now that he was about to leave he managed to distract her from herself. She knew deep down that she will have to deal with the grief of losing Renamon sooner or later but she could postpone the process for months because of him. The two of them were the only two Tamers that had nothing else to do that summer but to hang out and wander the streets of Tokyo day after day ever since they .. had to say goodbye to their partners. Rika didn't want to talk about the loss and after a while Ryo stopped pushing. And it felt good. For both of them. Not just the distraction but their relationship evolving. If it wasn't for their mutual pain, they'd never become such good friends - mainly because he still had the power to annoy her deeply.

'At least one good thing came out of these .. shit months.' Ryo turned towards her and leaned his back on the handrail.

'What's that,' she asked sniffling, even though she knew what he meant because she felt their bond too.

'Turns out I really am better at Digimon cards than you,' he smirked and wiped a tear that went down his cheek after he mentioned Digimon. They only played one card game during these past months and it ended with Rika throwing her deck at Ryo's face after pulling a Taomon card.

'You're a jerk,' she said and hit his chest with her fist but she managed to give him a half smile. Before she could move her hand though, she felt his heartbeat underneath her fingers and it surprised her how fast it was. She looked up at him and their eyes met. He seemed different. There was no sign of the refreshing personality she was always so annoyed with, no teasing her and no jockingly flirting with her. He was just Ryo, a friend, a really nervous friend for some reason ... with a slight blush on his dark skinned face ... he was her best friend .. a really good looking best friend ...

Without thinking she leaned closer to him and his heart started beating furiously under her hand. He put his hand onto hers and pulled her closer. She closed her eyes instinctively and so did he just before their lips met in a kiss.

The kiss was very gentle and uncertain, a bit salty even. It was the first kiss for the both of them and even though they felt the salty tears going down their faces onto eachother's lips, this was the greatest first kiss they would ever experience.

And the only one they forever wished would last longer.

The door to the terrace opened again and a red headed girl stuck her head outside.

"Rika-?"

- a loud gasp followed her one word and Juri clumsily slammed the door behind her before vanishing back inside. That was it. But it was too late, their kiss was interrupted and Rika and Ryo were now looking at the door, feeling slightly embarassed but also amused.

'We should go after her,' Rika sighed and shrugged her shoulders. Her face was wet and red but she was smiling.

'Yeah .. we'll probably have to calm her down,' Ryo smirked. He was still holding Rika's hand on his chest and didn't let go. He used his other hand to wipe his face and then he pulled Rika towards the door. She let him hold her. She knew he would eventually let go of her and she just wanted to feel his skin underneath her fingers for a while longer.

'You know,' he said when he opened the door, turned around to look her in the eyes again and blushed some more. 'Kyushu is really nice during winter.'

She smiled and nodded to his invitation. She was happy in that moment to have something to look forward to. Visiting him in a couple of months was the only thing she wanted to care about .. but in the end she never went.


The door behind Rika opened again like so many years ago and this time she turned around, even though she knew it was him.

'Oh, I didn't think I'd find someone here,' he said and stepped next to her.

'Right,' she pulled a face jockingly, 'you sure know to disturb me, Akiyama.'

He smirked and gently nudged her with his shoulder. He then leaned on the handrail but didn't say a word. Rika looked at him secretively, wondering what he was thinking about. She noticed with surprise that she's not at all nervous to be standing here again with him.

'Do you ever wonder what would happen if I came to Kyushu .. that time?' she suddenly blurted out. They were both surprised by this unexpected question. It's been seven years, they had seen eachother before in these past years, talked to eachother pretty regularily but they never ever mentioned the moment they shared on this very terrace. Why? Why really?

He took time before answering: 'I used to .. all the time.' He looked at her through his shoulders. 'I just figured the timing was bad.'

'The worst,' she agreed.

'Do you ...' he said quietly and looked in the distance, '.. ever think about it?'

'Yeah,' she admitted, still surprised how she can talk so normally about it with him. ... 'I have to, Juri sure likes to remind me of it.'

They both laughed. Then they stood there in silence for a while. They heard people talking downstairs and then one of them started waving at them. It was Yuki, gesturing Ryo to join her there. Rika watched Ryo waving back, his face genuinely happy to see his girlfriend. He looked at Rika and tried to say something.

'You go,' she said instead of him and smiled.

'You sure?'

'Yeah, I'll just enjoy the silence here for a while longer before going back to that madhouse.'

He nudged her again and went. She felt sad when she heard him open the door. Being here with him again reminded her of how much he actually meant to her .. as a friend I guess .. and how she should never let them grow apart. She knew it was mostly her fault if they ever did grow apart, because she was the one lazily replying to his messages and she was the one who didn't follow when he made that first step seven years ago.

'Yo, Rika?'

She turned surprised. She thought he'd left by then.

'Kyushu or no Kyushu,' he said, 'you'll always mean everything to me.' Ryo smiled showing all of his (stupid perfect) teeth, turned around and now left for real.

'Ditto ...' she whispered when he was long gone, feeling sad and happy at the same time. She now looked up in the sky, waiting for a comment from the creature sitting on the roof behind her.

'Are you okay?' Renamon finally asked.

'Yeah,' she smiled happily and looked at her partner. 'I will be. As long as I have you.'


That's it! Let me know what you think of it. :)