A.N: Hello everyone! I hope you enjoyed the prologue of this fic, as hopefully it was a good enough introduction to help get you hooked into this story. Now it's time for the real fun to begin.
I hope you enjoy this fic, and as always, please review at the end of the chapter. I always love reviews!!
1/08/07- Slightly edited for consistency.
And now, it's time for the debut of Chapter 01. Enjoy…
"Derailed"
By
Malcolm Yuy
Chapter 01: Happy Anniversary…
The apartment hallway was dark, and so was he. He was the current inhabitant of the rent space. He was a young man, a young man tired from the stresses of the day. He was exhausted after signing books, and after putting on smiles for all of his loyal fans as the day dredged on at the local bookstore. Who was he, one may ask?
His name was Takaishi Takeru. Already twenty-five, and he was one of the most popular authors in the world, if at least not in his home country of Japan.
And he was alone.
Now, why would a young, talented and successful author be alone, one may ask? The man had nothing that deterred him from seeing female members of his species. He had long, shaggy blond hair that was kept neat, combed over to his left side. He had striking blue eyes, eyes that could mesmerize hundreds with their brilliance. And a smile that could make any young female swoon at the sight of him. Not to mention the fact that he had a charismatic personality to boot.
So, what was the defect in this young man? What was his underlying fault?
His underlying fault was that he closed himself up to, one would say, "opportunities" that were presented to him. There were several occasions where the young man could have made a successful pass at members in his species that were deemed "attractive", or just plain "hot," as his friend Daisuke would say. But, when the situation did come, the young man would not move an itch. He would not take what life "tried" to offer him.
And why? Why would this young man skip out on opportunities that other young men his age would die to jump at? Why would he miss out on being able to be with the opposite sex, one may ask?
Because his heart already belonged to another. And today would be their thirteenth anniversary, if she were there to celebrate it with him.
And who was she?
She was Yagami Hikari. And she wasthe love of Takeru's life.
And today, Takeru would be spending their "thirteenth anniversary" alone.
Takeru sighed as he turned on his lights in the apartment hallway. He had just gotten home from having dinner with his publisher. He of course had to dress formally for the meal, so he wore a white suit, with a light blue dress shirt and gold tie to match. Formal dinners were all right in his book, but having to wear a tie just drove him to no end sometimes. He hated how that after an hour or two of wearing the fashion accessory, he would begin to feel a strangling sensation around his neck. That was why as soon as he arrived home, he removed the tie from his body as fast as he could.
"Damn neck tie, I hate thee," Takeru said, as he struggled to remove the tie from his neck as fast as humanly possible. As soon as the material was loosened from his neck, he dropped it onto the floor, and then unbuttoned the top two buttons of his dress shirt. He breathed in relaxation as he made his way over to one of his cabinets, opening it to remove two wine glasses. He placed them on the counter as he then made his way over to his refrigerator, opening the door so he could look at its contents. When he found what he was looking for, he grabbed the object before closing the door altogether. He then took the two glass cups from the counter, and sauntered over to the kitchen table, playing the two wine glasses down along with the object from the refrigerator.
Takeru paused as he wiggled his finger, thinking that he was forgetting something. What else is missing from this picture again?...Oh yeah, the scrapbook. Takeru sighed as he made his way over to his office, looking at the bookshelf that was located behind his computer desk.
"Where is it?.." His eyes roamed over his selection of books, including his own as he was able to keep his own personalized copy of each novel he had written. A grim smile came upon his face as he finally located the binder and plucked it from its resting place. He then walked back to the kitchen, and sat down at the table with scrapbook in hand, while one wine glasses was sitting beside it. Across from him was an empty chair, along with an empty wine glass. And, situated in the center of the table, was a bottle of 1969 White Zinfandel, chilled to perfection. He had bought the wine bottle specifically for this night.
He smiled as the cork remover was already in place, clenching the wine cork in its grasp. He moved his hands over to the remover, before grasping it, and with a careful precision, yanked it, along with the wine cork from the bottle. The cork came out, and Takeru then placed away from the other materials on the table. He then poured himself, and the empty seat across from him a glass of wine, before raising the glass to his lips, sipping a good bit of the liquid, before placing it back down upon the table. He then opened his scrapbook, and flipped it to the section he really wanted to observe.
Moving to Odaiba, the section was entitled. Takeru's mother loved snapping photos, so as soon as the two moved to Odiaba, she took the opportunity to snap photos whenever the time seemed appropriate. Takeru smiled as he fingered through the local landmarks, until he stopped when he came by a familiar one.
Heighton View Terrace, he thought, as he fingered the picture of the apartment complex. This was where everything began. This was the place where the event occurred, the one that changed his life forever.
It was the night he first saw a digimon.
Now, the digimon was not the only thing that changed his life forever, but it was also who the digimon, or digital monster, was with that changed his life as well. The digimon was a dinosaur type, a Greymon, and was with two young children, close to his age. One was a few years older than him. His name was Yagami Taichi, and he would later become the leader of the first generation of the Chosen Children.
So, one could only guess who the other person was.
Hikari was with Greymon as well. And at one time, Takeru, and the friends that were the most important to him, all lived at Heighton View Terrace, all witnessed the event as well. It was this event that would change their lives forever. Because, a few years later after the event occurred, Takeru, and his friends went to the Digital World, and had his first set of Digital adventures, where they all received digimon as well. It would be these events that would help shape his destiny, and help shape him into the man that he is now.
And his digimon was one of the most special. His digimon was named Patamon, and was a bat-pig type digimon, a "Rookie" level as his teammates would later classify it. As a twist of fate, Taichi, Hikari's brother, had a digimon that evolved into Greymon. His digimon's name was Agumon, and he was also a Rookie level.
Not only was Hikari's brother involved in the first set of Digital adventures, but Takeru's brother was involved as well. Ishida Yamato, who was the same age as Taichi, received Gabumon, who evolved into Garurumon. Through these adventures, the two brothers would grow closer, as well as the rest of the group. Takeru smiled as he recalled his Digital adventures. They were so nostalgic.
But they were also painful as well. Because the children were stuck on an island, later named File Island, where they had to battle a sinister digimon, named Devimon. Up to that point in their adventures Devimon was unlike anything the children had ever seen when it came to power. He could manipulate the Black Gears so well, and control powerful digimon like Leomon and Ogremon that the children cowered at his feet. Even when all the older children's digimon evolved to a higher state, called "Champion" mode, they still could not defeat the dark archlord.
It was up to Takeru and Patamon to make the darkness go away. It was then that Patamon finally evolved for the first time into his Champion mode, Angemon. Being appropriate that Angemon was a digimon of Light, and that Devimon was a digimon of Darkness, the two raged in an ongoing battle that shook the island. As the battle raged on, Angemon realized that he and Devimon were equal in power, that no matter how long the two fought, neither one of them would be defeated. It was then that Angemon decided the only he could defeat Devimon was to sacrifice himself, so he channeled all of his energy into one attack. It was that one attack that defeated Devimon, but it was also that same attack that destroyed Angemon as well. Takeru cried as he saw his digimon transforming into data, and thought that it would be the last time he ever saw his digital partner. But Angemon just smiled, saying that it would be okay. Fortunately, Angemon's data was reformatted, and he was reborn as a digiegg. It would take some time before the egg would hatch, and Patamon would be alive and well again.
After the defeat of Devimon, the children encountered the hologram of an old man congratulating them. They were shocked, to say the least, that another human was in the Digital World like them. He told them how they were connected to a legend, a legend where a certain group of humans, called the Chosen Children would come to save the Digital World from evil. He also told them of a gateway to the Real World through another continent called Server, which an even more powerful digimon awaited them. In able to combat this menace, the group would have to obtain objects enabling their digimon to evolve even further. These objects were called crests, and each crest signified each person's strongest trait within the group. After migrating to Server and discovering the crests, the Chosen Children discovered that their quest would not end once they reached the Real World.
Not only would they have to battle the new menace, who was also making preparations to travel to the Real World, but once the Chosen Children were back home, they would have to search for the Eighth Child. And it was this search for the Eighth Child that Takeru had met her.
Hikari.
And it was since this revelation that Hikari was the Eighth Child that her and Takeru's friendship began. Not only did they become fast friends, but they developed a strong bond for each other that helped conquer the menace that was trying to take over the Real World, Vamdemon. Through the two's love for their brothers, and the power they held within them, their brother's digimon were able to evolve to one of the highest levels in a Digimon's history and defeat Vamdemon. They then had to return to the Digital World to destroy a powerful group of "Mega" level digimon known as the Dark Masters. It was during this time that Hikari and Takeru's friendship developed even further, and their growing ever stronger. During their fight with the last Dark Master, Piedmon, all of the other Chosen Children and their digimon were transformed into keychains. Before one of the group, Takenouchi Sora, was turned into a keychain, she told Takeru to protect Hikari.
And he promised he would.
Piedmon chased Takeru and Hikari, until they ended up hanging by a thread on a rope. Patamon evolved to Angemon to fight Piedmon, but the Mega level jester was too powerful for the angel. Piedmon cripped Angemon, and then went after Takeru and Hikari. Takeru hoped to Kami (God) that somehow, someway, the two could be saved and that this nightmare would be over.
And his prayer was answered.
After Piedmon severed the rope Takeru and Hikari were on, Takeru called out to Angemon. Takeru's crest finally activated, and Angemon was finally able to evolve to his "Ultimate" form, MagnaAngemon. MagnaAngemon was able to save the two and defeat the Dark Master, returning the other Chosen Children and their digimon back to normal. After one last fight with Apocalymon, a digimon more powerful than the Dark Masters, the children finally parted with their digimon, returning to the Real World since the Digital World had now become synchronized with its counterpart. Takeru was sad as he had to part from his digital partner, but, he told Patamon that he would see him again. Maybe, that would also hold true for his friends.
And, he did see them again. For three years later, at the age of eleven, Takeru moved to Odaiba. It was there that he had reunited with his friends, and made new ones, ones that would coincidentally end up becoming a new generation of Chosen Children. He met Iori, Miyako, Daisuke, and..
Her.
It just so happened that Takeru's first class of the day would be with Hikari. This moment also helped change his life, because it was this moment that would start a chain of events that would help him become the man he was today. It was then when he began realizing the depths of his feelings for the Child of Light.
But why?
Hikari and Takeru were best friends, and that was all. At least, that's what Takeru wanted to believe. He knew that Motomiya Daisuke, who later became the leader of the second generation of Chosen Children, had feelings of affection for the girl. He didn't want to get in the way. Looking back on it now, Takeru thought it was funny how Daisuke had misinterpreted the situation.
At first…
At the first part of the new school year, it seemed like there was nothing going on between Takeru and Hikari. However, as time progressed, and as they witnessed new events in the Digital World, Takeru and Hikari began growing closer. Their bond grew by a tiny fraction each day, and Takeru was happy that he was able to spend as much time as possible around his best friend. However, he kept denying his affection for her, feelings that have been rooted in him, ever since the two had become friends in the first place. But Takeru kept on denying these feelings.
Why?
Because he was afraid. He was afraid that if he told Hikari that he was falling in love with her, then he was afraid of the inevitable; she might not return his feelings, and it would end their friendship. And Takeru did not want that to happen at all. He would do anything to keep the bond that they had, so the young blond kept on hiding his feelings locked up.
But locked up feelings never stay harbored for long.
For one day, his feelings came out. It was near the end of the first part of the school year, and Hikari began feeling depressed. The reason why was because digimon were calling for her help. These digimon's power was so great that they pulled her into their world. Before doing so, Hikari told Takeru why she didn't feel good. Takeru wanted to do all he could to protect the Light Child. And in a moment of weakness, he confessed to her his feelings. To say that the two of them were shocked would be an understatement. Amazed would be the more appropriate word. Takeru's confession suddenly made him frightened, so, he did what most people did when they confessed something of great magnitude.
He ran.
And he running away only made matters worse. The digimon after Hikari were able to send her to their dark world. These digimon came from the dark realm of the Digital World known as the Dark Ocean. And they wanted Hikari for a specific purpose.
They wanted Hikari to breed with their master.
Of course, Hikari wanted no part of it. She tried all she could to escape, but it was no use. She tried calling out to her digimon, Tailmon, and her brother, Taichi, but to no avail.
But when she called out for Takeru, he answered. It was through their bond that he was able to reach her, and it was through their bond that he saved her, with the help of his digimon, who armor evolved into Pegasusmon, and Hikari's, who evolved into Angewomon. After being relieved that she was safe, and momentarily forgetting about what he said to her earlier that day, Hikari asked him a question.
"What did you mean by saying what you said earlier today?"
Takeru blushed. She just had to recall what he said to her earlier that day. So, being in an awkward situation, again he did what most people would do. He tried to save face.
"Oh, you know, it was just..stuff…"
Hikari smiled at him as they continued riding on Pegasusmon in the sky. Her smiling at Takeru made the boy feel weak in the knees. It wasn't fair that he was in this situation. What was going to happen now? How would their friendship progress after this event? Would they even remain friends? He didn't even want to think about it. But, what Takeru didn't know, was that their friendship was about to change. And it was about to become something more. Hikari continued smiling at him, before opening her mouth to speak, and it was with her words that their relationship would change, forever.
"Well, what you said earlier..I care about you too…"
A sad smile came on Takeru's face as he remembered her saying that, coming back to reality. He glanced that the pictures a little longer before turning the page. His eyes fell upon a picture, a picture that he and Hikari took while they were in New York together. He fingered it, and a small smile graced his lips as he looked upon it. It was when they were going to visit Mimi, one of the other Chosen Children, and they ran into another Chosen Child, Wallace. They, along with the other Chosen Children, had to help him defeat one of his digimon, who had been infected with a virus. He couldn't help but chuckle when he recounted how Hikari told Inoue Miyako that she was only going just to make Daisuke jealous. The lavender haired girl couldn't help but laugh because she knew it wasn't true.
The truth was…she went so she could spend more time with Takeru. Because, after the Dark Ocean incident, the two became even more inseparable then they already were. During the next year, after they saved the Digital World again…
They began dating.
Takeru then looked over to the next page. On it were pictures of the sights during his first date with Hikari. Takeru took another swig of wine as he remembered that day…
"Crap, I only got five minutes!" Takeru exclaimed as he was examining himself in the bathroom mirror. He frowned as he noticed that he had a spot of acne on his face. "Why did this have to happen?!"
"Why did what have to happen?" Patamon asked, as he flew into the bathroom, landing on the right side of Takeru's sink. He stood up and looked at his human partner. Takeru just continued gazing at the mirror before him.
"Pata, you're not exactly helping me right now…" Takeru said, as he rubbed the pimple upon his face. He scrunched up his nose in disgust.
"Well what you're doing isn't helping either. Can I have a look at it?" Natsuko asked, as she stood in the doorway. Takeru turned around to look at his mother.
"Okasan (Mother), it's sort of embarrassing…" Takeru looked down at the bathroom floor. Natsuko could only grin as she walked over to her son. When she approached him, she tilted his face up so that he could look at her in the eye.
"You know Takeru, for being twelve, you still act immature at times," Natsuko replied. Takeru just sighed.
"I would be acting more mature Okasan if I was going to some normal thing. But what I'm going to is special. It's my first date, and it's with Hikari! I never thought that I'd date her," Takeru said wistfully.
"Well you are, and you only have three minutes before you have to go pick Hikari up. Now, just let me look at it, onegai (please)," Natsuko responded, gripping her son's shoulders so she could get a look at his face. Once she found out what was "wrong" with him, she laughed hysterically. This only made the preteen pout.
"Okasan, you're not helping!" Takeru screamed. Natusko quieted down as she grinned at the other blond.
"I'm sorry honey; it's just funny that you're overreacting over a small pimple. It's normal at your age," she replied.
"So, what if Hikari notices? What then?!" Takeru shouted. Natsuko just smiled.
"Just stand still, and I'll take care of it, okay?" Natsuko pulled out a small, black case from her pocket, and opened it up. Inside it were various creams. Takeru blushed at seeing it.
"Oh no, not that. Anything BUT that," Takeru said. Natsuko just giggled.
"Come on Takeru, do you want to look acne-free or not?" Natsuko asked, placing her hands on her hips. Takeru sighed heavily.
"Fine, fine. I still can't believe that I have to wear make-up though." Takeru stood there as his mother applied a little touch of make-up to his visage. She then smiled as she marveled at her work.
"Well, that's about it. Take a look." Takeru turned to look back at the mirror. He smiled as he noticed that his pimple was "gone." He then turned back to face his mother.
"Thank you Okasan," Takeru said, hugging his mother. Natsuko just returned the embrace.
"You're welcome. But you need to go. It's not nice to keep a lady waiting," Natsuko said. Takeru smiled.
"Hai (yes)." Takeru then ran to his closet to grab his jacket, before putting it on. Patamon sat on the bed as he watched his human partner.
"T.K., are you sure you'll be fine without me?" Patamon asked. Takeru just smiled.
"Don't worry Patamon, I'll be fine." Takeru patted his digimon's head before heading towards the door. "Well, I'll be seeing you two later. Bye!"
"Bye, and have a good time!" Natsuko exclaimed.
Takeru breathed in heavily as he approached the Yagami residence. He slowly reached a hand out toward the doorbell, but then pulled it back. He examined it as he exhaled ashaky breath.
"Just calm down, and be yourself, and everything will be all right." Takeru sighed before he finally rung the doorbell. A moment later, he heard a muffled voice from the other side, before the door opened to reveal Yagami Taichi, standing there. The older boy smiled at the blond.
"Oh , hey T.K., you're right on time. Come on in," Taichi said, standing to the side to allow the blond room to enter. After Takeru entered, Taichi closed the door behind him. "Why don't you take a seat over on the couch? Hikari should be ready any minute by now," Taichi replied, examining his watch. Takeru just plopped down on the couch, while Taichi took his seat in a chair nearby. The two then looked at each other.
"So, are you excited?" Taichi asked, grinning. Takeru nodded, as he began to feel nervous.
"Y..yeah, I am," Takeru replied.
"Will you make sure that she has a good time?"
"Taichi, this is Hikari we're talking about. Of course I'm going to try to have a good time with her, I do want to date her after all…"
"Will you protect her?" Taichi asked. Silence filled the room as Takeru chose words for his response.
"Y-yes. Yes I will," Takeru stuttered. A few moments went by, as tension was being built in the air. This moment of silence only made Takeru feel even more uneasy than he already was. Taichi could only smile before he decided to ease the tension.
"Good, because, since I'm her big brother, I have to honor the code. And you know what that means. If you hurt her, I hurt you. Are you okay with that?" Takeru could only nod. "Great. I hope you two have a good time," Taichi said, his tone relaxing back to his usual self. Takeru just sighed.
"Thanks. Me too. I just hope I don't screw things up," Takeru said. Taichi just chuckled.
"Don't worry T.K., I don't think you have to worry too much. My sister's crazy about you," Taichi replied, trying to make the boy feel more comfortable. Takeru lightened up at Taichi's response.
"I hope so Tai, 'cause I'm crazy about her as well."
"I know." Silence then filled the air as Takeru looked around, his eyes darting toward Hikari and Taichi's room and the room they were currently in before resting back on Taichi.
"Hey Tai, where's your parents?" Takeru asked. Taichi sighed as he looked at the blond.
"It just so happened that my parents went out because my dad's receiving an award," Taichi said, having Takeru raise an eyebrow. He smiled in curiosity.
"Really? Tell your father I said congratulations," Takeru said. Taichi grinned.
"You got it." Right as Taichi finished his sentence, a door opened, which caused the two boys to look in it's direction. Walking out of the door, with her digimon in tow, was none other than Yagami Hikari, walking towards Takeru in all her glory.
"Wow..." Takeru could only blush as he thought how beautiful the brunette was as she approached him. The two could only smile at each other as they looked in each other's eyes. Takeru could feel his face flush and his heart beat as he looked into her crimson eyes, and her at his azure eyes. Taichi then coughed, and the two looked at him.
"Nani (what)?" Taichi said. Takeru just shrugged it off.
"Nothing, nothing.." he then turned to look at Hikari. He smiled at her, and she smiled at him in return. "You look.." Takeru wiggled his finger as he tried to find the word. "..you look beautiful tonight Hikari," Takeru said, keeping his smile in place, feeling his cheeks burn up at what he said.
"Thanks. You don't look too bad yourself, Takeru-kun," Hikari replied, as her cheeks begin to redden. Takeru smiled as he got up from his seat, as he extended a hand towards her.
"Shall we go?" he asked, looking down at the girl of his desires. Hikari smiled back at him.
"Hai. I'm ready whenever you are," Hikari responded, placing her hand in his. Takeru could only felt himself flush more as their hands interlinked. He then turned to look at Taichi.
"Don't worry Taichi, I'll take good care of her," Takeru replied, grinning at the older boy. Taichi smiled.
"You better. Now you two go have a good time," Taichi instructed. Hikari looked at her brother.
"What are you going to do while we're gone, Onii-chan (older brother)?" Hikari asked. Taichi just looked down upon his younger sister.
"Me? I'm just going to be lazy Hika. Now, you two go before I keep you here any longer," Taichi said, shooing the two away. The two laughed as they made their way out of the apartment.
"Fine, we'll go, we'll go. Later Tai," Takeru said.
"Later T.K. You two have fun!" Taichi exclaimed.
"Don't worry, we will," Takeru responded, before the two finally left the apartment…
"You know, I didn't think they'd actually kick us out of the restaurant," Hikari replied as the two were walking in the park. Takeru just scoffed as he looked at his date.
"Well, the waiter was looking at you funny. Didn't you see the glare he was giving me?" Takeru asked. Hikari giggled.
"Yes, I did. I'm also surprised that you had the gall to assault him," Hikari replied. The two stopped under a cherry blossom tree, both facing each other. The moon, resting in the night sky illuminated Hikari's face, making her especially beautiful. Takeru couldn't help but blush as he looked at her.
"Well, what was I supposed to do? It is sexual harassment. Well, that, and, I felt.." Takeru trailed off as he suddenly looked down at the ground. Hikari couldn't help but grin as she heard the blond's statement. She took her left hand and placed it upon his right cheek, caressing it. This made Takeru's face tinge as his eyes pulled back up to look in her eyes.
"..jealous?" Hikari asked, finishing the sentence for him. If Takeru could blush anymore, he felt that his face might pop. His Adam's apple bobbed nervously as he was entranced by her crimson orbs. A hint of a smile formed upon his face as he answered her question.
"H-hai…" Hikari couldn't help but smile at his answer. Her fingers tickled his face as she brushed them across his cheeks, with her fingers slowly cupping as she made her way towards his nose. Takeru couldn't help but watch her hand as it made its way toward the tip of his nose. If she brushed her fingers across it, then..
"No!" Takeru suddenly exclaimed, as he placed his hand over his mouth. Hikari recoiled her fingers as she gave him a look of concern. Takeru dropped his hands as he slightly bowed towards her.
"Um, gomen (sorry) Hikari, I didn't mean to.." Takeru trailed off. Hikari couldn't help but smirk at his response.
"Then why did you yell at me in the first place?" Hikari asked. Takeru looked away from her and looked down towards the path of the park.
"Well, um, because.." Takeru blushed as he looked back up at her. Hikari placed her fingers on her nose, rubbing them against its tip. She withdrew them, and then looked at them, feeling a substance against her fingers. After closer examination, she looked back at Takeru. Takeru examined her nervously, as silence filled the air. And then..
She laughed. Takeru's eyes widened in disbelief as he saw the girl in front of him laugh at his current predicament.
Great, now she thinks I'm an idiot for trying to hide my acne, Takeru thought. Hikari stopped laughing as she saw the look upon his face.
"Now I see why you didn't want me to touch your nose," Hikari said. Takeru looked away, trying to shift his attention to something else within the park, whether it be a bush or shrubbery. Currently, his eyes were focused on the tree that they were under.
"Well, I didn't want you to know..I wanted this date to be perfect, and I ruined it. I'm sorry Hikar-" Takeru was silenced as he felt her fingers touch his lips, closing them and stopping him from finishing his sentence. He then looked up at her, and saw something in her eyes. Was it..love?
"Don't worry about it Takeru-kun. Despite what happened, I still enjoyed our date," Hikari smiled. This astonished the young blond.
"But why? First, I contracted acne earlier today. Then, when we actually go out, I can't help but be nervous towards you. Then, if not to make things worse, I overreact with the waiter and it gets us thrown out of a nice restaurant. And last but not least, you then discover that I have been wearing make-up to cover my acne. Why would you enjoy all of that?!" Takeru just couldn't understand why the girl before him enjoyed their "ruined" travesty. She couldn't help but smile at him. She then leaned in, and grabbed both sides of his face, pulling him closer to her.
"I enjoyed it because…" Hikari trailed off as her mouth touched his, her lips moving softly against his. To Takeru, this was a very pleasant sensation, as he responded to it. Hikari tasted like everything he dreamed of and then some. After a few minutes, the two parted, with the two of them staring into each other's eyes.
"Because I enjoy being with you, Takeru-kun. I love you, Takeru," Hikari responded, finishing her sentence. Takeru couldn't help but smile as he suddenly embraced her, catching the young brunette off-guard. He then bent his head a little so he could whisper in her ear.
"I love you too, Hikari.." He then loosened his hold a little, but kept his hold on her as he stepped back to look into her eyes. He smiled, and she returned it. The two then leaned it, and their lips met each other once again. Takeru felt Hikari's hands wrap around his neck, brush the back of his hair. And he couldn't help but smile as he thought how their night turned out, a night that had transformed from what could have been a horrible one to one of the best in his young life…
Takeru frowned at the memory, as he took another swig of his wine. He then turned the book a few pages, before finally finding what he was looking for. He tilted the book to get a closer look as he examined the picture. It was a picture of his high school graduation. In the photo it showed him, along with Hikari, Motomiya Daisuke, and Ichijouji Ken in their Graduation robes. Ken was on the left side, with pale skin, definitive blue eyes, with long, straight hair as dark as his eyes. Daisuke was to his right, with tan skin, and dark, spiky hair as his arm wrapped around Ken's shoulders.. Takeru was to Daisuke's right, and to his right was love, Hikari. He had an arm snaked around her as she winked at the photo. Takeru smiled at the photo for a moment. That was the summer before their lives began to change.
This was the moment in their lives when they began to transition from teenagers into adults.
Ken wanted to pursue a degree in psychology, while Daisuke really didn't know what he wanted to do. Meanwhile, Hikari wanted to pursue two of her loves: photography and children. She wanted to become a teacher. And Takeru…
He wanted to become a novelist.
Needless to say, it shocked most of his friends once he announced what he wanted to be. Everyone else thought that he wanted to become a famous basketball player, since he was really good at the game. But when they asked why he chose to become a writer instead, he just chuckled as he smiled at them.
"Because, writing's my true passion. Nothing else exhilarates me more than being able to create my own reality."
And he didn't know how true those words rung, for the blond knew that he had no control over the reality that he was in. With the beginning of college, and with him and his friends having to suddenly become more mature, he knew something was going to change between him and Hikari. But he didn't know what exactly.
However, he didn't know that the thing that would change their relationship would change him, forever. Takeru frowned as he turned the pages, finding what he was looking for.
"Me and Hikari's college apartment…we had such good times." Takeru took a moment to glance at the photos, his eyes glancing over a picture of his bedroom. A slight tinge of pink graced his features as he looked upon it.
Those were such good times. I remember being so excited when both our parents consented to letting us little together. We had so much fun together. But, along with the fun, we also had our bad times, like every couple. However, little did I know that the two of us moving in together, living together, would alter both our lives, forever…
"You know Takeru-kun, you can be romantic when you try," Hikari smiled as the two made their way in their dorm. They both had come back from a fancy restaurant, dressed in formal wear. And they didn't go there just to eat. They went to celebrate a special occasion.
It was their fifth anniversary.
Hikari was wearing a black dress, with a skirt that ended right above her knees, and spaghetti straps lining her shoulders. Takeru wore a dark blazer with matching pants, and a dark red dress shirt with a dark tie to match. Hikari was leaning back against the kitchen countertop, grinning as Takeru closed the door behind them, inching his way over to the brunette beauty. He could only grin in return as he draped his arms around her, and as his eyes caught a sight of hers.
"So what are you saying Hikari-chan, that I'm usually not romantic?" Takeru asked, smirking as he began closing the gap between them. Hikari only smiled at his response.
"Maybe." As soon as she finished uttering that word, their lips collided as they began moving against one another. Hikari's arms snaked around Takeru's neck, her hands brushing madly through the back of Takeru's hair as his hands rubbed against her waist. His hands soon decided to go into new territory, as they slithered under the top and onto Hikari's slim chest. The two parted as they both looked each other in the eye. Takeru began to withdraw his hands from her chest, but Hikari shook her head.
"Don't stop Takeru. Let's keep moving," Hikari replied, as she wrapped her legs around Takeru's mid-section. Takeru could only smirk as the two leaned in closer, and their lips met again, their tongues meeting in a dance of mixed love and desire. Takeru moved his hands from her chest to her back, messaging it. Hikari suddenly parted from him as she moaned in pleasure.
"Mmm, that feels so good Takeru-kun," Hikari smiled. Takeru smiled back.
"Shouldn't we continue this somewhere else? In the bedroom perhaps?" Takeru asked.
"Did you just read my mind? You're a little devil Kibou (Hope)," Hikari smiled deviously. Takeru's hands made their way to her rear, and cupped her butt, messaging it. This only caused Hikari to moan more.
"Only because of how you make me feel Aura (another term for light, since Hikari in Japanese means "light")," Takeru answered. Takeru then lifted the brunette into his arms, and carried her into his bedroom, kicking his door open as the two made their way inside. He then softly dropped Hikari on top of the bed, and the two grinned as he bared his weight on her as the two continued to kiss, their hands moving to different regions of each other's body. Clothes began coming off as the evening passed, as burning touches and kisses graced their bodies.
Soon, the only thing covering Hikari was Takeru, and his comforter. Takeru trailed kisses down Hikari's neck as Hikari leaned back, her eyes closed as she moaned in pleasure, her arms wrapped around Takeru's back, trailing along it as she was pressing him as close to her as humanly possible. Takeru then stopped as he leaned back, causing Hikari to open her eyes. Takeru gazed into them.
"Hikari, are you sure you want this? Are you sure you want this with..me?" Takeru asked, feeling a little uncertain. Even after all the joy and pain the two had gone through together during the past five years, he still wanted to be sure that she loved him, that she wanted to be with him. Hikari could only smile as she took one of her hands, and cupped his cheek, having his face move closer to hers.
"Of course I want this with you. I want this only with you. I want to be with you, only you, and no one else Takeru." This calmed Takeru as he smiled at her response. "Now, are you sure you want this with me?" Hikari asked in return.
"Hikari, you should know by now I feel about you. I want nothing more to share this with you, and you alone. I want to be with no one else but you, Hikari. I want to be with you for all of eternity." Hikari was brought to tears of joy as she smiled at Takeru.
"Oh, Takeru, I love you so much," Hikari said. Takeru smiled as he wiped her tears.
"And I you, Hikari." He then bent down to kiss her once more. After a few moments, the two began moving in motion together.
And in that night, Takeru and Hikari became one for the first time…
Takeru grimly smiled as the sipped more of his wine. That memory had been one of the more memorable to him, if not the most. As he placed the glass back onto the table, he had pondered what had gone wrong.
What did I do wrong, Hikari? I wish I knew… Takeru balked as he vaguely imagined Hikari in his mind. Her image was faint, slowly fading as the years had progressed. After all, it had been seven years since it happened.
Look at me now. Look at what I've become, Takeru thought, spreading his arms as if addressing himself to some unknown presence within his residence. After it happened, the blond had begun regressing. He began refusing the comfort of his friends, and began indulging himself into his work. Nightmares and bad dreams plagued the young man's mind as the years went by, as he tried everything he could to forget the young woman that had become known as his other half.
Takeru frowned as he began turning the pages again, until he landed onto the last few pages of his scrapbook. Above his last little collage of photos, read the last headline.
"Zahn Jewelers…" It was this memory that had hurt him the most. And it was this memory that would haunt him forever…
It was a cloudy day as the young blond entered the store, the bell ringing as he and four others made their entrance. An elderly man with long, grey-white hair, wearing spectacles smiled as they made their entrance, with Takeru approaching him.
"Ah, why hello there young man, and welcome to Zahn's Jewelers. My name is Zahn Rai. How may I be of service to you today?" the man asked, a smile in his eyes as he looked at the young man standing before him. Takeru smiled nervously as he prepared a response.
"Um, I..I was won-wondering if..you had any..engagement rings?" Takeru asked nervously, gulping as he waited for the other man to respond. The other four in his group just laughed at Takeru's nervousness. This didn't help the young lad as he turned his head to glare at them. He then turned to look back at Zahn.
"Yes, as a matter-of-fact, I do young sir. If you come follow me, I will show you to where they are located," Zahn answered. Takeru could only nod as he and his companions followed the elderly man to the back of the store, where the engagement rings were. Takeru looked down as he approached a long, glass case that extended from almost one side of the store to the other, save for a little space between the case and the wall, where the merchants would use to approach the back of the case. Zahn examined the young man as he glanced at the rings, with the other four individuals following his gaze.
"Anything catch your eye?" Zahn asked. Takeru just shook his head.
"No, not yet." He then turned his head to the others. "Well, are you guys just going to stand there, or are you going to help me?" The others sighed as they approached the case, their eyes examining several rings.
"Dude, it's so hard to choose..I'm glad I'm not you Takeru," Daisuke chuckled as he shook his head. Takeru just glared at his friend. One of the others saw his look.
"Um Daisuke, you may want to take that back," Ken muttered, his hand brushing the back of his long, royal blue hair. Daisuke just sighed.
"Fine, fine. Whatever makes you feel better Ken," Daisuke said. Takeru's face softened as he smiled at Ken.
"Arigato (thank you)," Takeru stated. Ken smiled.
"You're welcome." The two then went back to glancing at the rings. A few moments later, two other voices piped up.
"Hey, I think we found something!" The owners of the two voices growled as they looked at each other. Takeru walked over the owners of the two voices. Both of them were about the same height as he was, but one had a much closer resemblance to him than the other. One had longer, straighter blond locks then Takeru had, but the two both had the same azure, blue eyes, and was clearly older than the other blond.
Meanwhile, the other standing next to the older blond looked almost completely different. He looked somewhat similar to Daisuke; tan skin, brown eyes. But he was just as old as the other blond, and with a more tamed, but nonetheless slightly spiky brown hair. Takeru sighed as he looked at his peers. "What's up with you two?"
"Well Takeru, I think that I-"
"Oh come on Matt, you know I found it first!" Taichi exclaimed, clearly getting angry at the other boy's comments. The other boy, Yamato, just scoffed.
"Oh come on Taichi, you know I found it way before-"
"Can you two just stop arguing? At the rate you two argue, if Hikari and I do get married, I won't involve either of you in the wedding. You got it?" Takeru asked. The two suddenly stopped arguing as they nodded at the younger blond. Takeru then sighed in relief. "Thank you. Now, before you two started babbling, what was it you wanted to show me?"
"This." Yamato pointed to what he and Taichi were examining earlier, and Takeru's eyes widened at what he saw. There, lying amongst other engagement rings, was a beautiful, twenty-four karat gold ring, with white embroidery along the band, a white diamond sitting atop the band's center, with a pink jewel encrusted into the center of the diamond. Takeru could only smile.
"I think you two helped me pick out the perfect ring for Hikari," Takeru grinned, as he turned to look up at the store owner. "May I have that ring, please?" He pointed to the ring that Taichi and Yamato had found.
"Why certainly. What size is the finger of the young lady's?" Zahn asked.
"Well, I don't know exactly, but I have it written here," Takeru answered, as he handed the merchant a little piece of paper. Zahn tweaked his glasses as he examined it.
"Ah yes, now I see." Zahn walked to the wall adjacent to the glass case. There was a black drawer set, and Zahn opened one of the drawers. After looking for a few minutes, he pulled out the appropriate copy of the ring that Takeru had chosen. "Now, if you follow me, I'll get you checked out." The five young men followed the elderly man back towards the front of the store as they reached the cashier. Takeru pulled out his wallet as Zahn entered the price of the ring.
"That'll be sixty-eight thousand, eight-hundred and fifty-six yen (roughly six-hundred U.S. dollars)," Zahn answered. Takeru and the others gasped at the price. Daisuke turned to look at him.
"Takeru, are you sure you want to buy that ring? I don't think you have enough money," Daisuke said. Takeru turned to look at his maroon-haired friend.
"And how would you know, Dai? After all, I have credit." Takeru turned back to the store-clerk. "Do you accept credit cards?"
"Fortunately, I do." Zahn smiled.
"Here then." Takeru handed Zahn the card as he swiped it through the card scanner. After typing in a few keys, he handed the card back to Takeru. "So, what is the name of the young lady you plan on giving this do?" Zahn asked.
"Hikari." Takeru smiled as he received his card. "Thank you."
"Beautiful name. Must be a beautiful young woman, am I right?" Zahn smirked as Takeru nodded at his question. "Good. Well, good luck. I think you'll need it."
"Thanks Zahn-san, me too." Takeru flashed the old man a smile as the five headed out of the store. Takeru turned to Daisuke. "Daisuke, next time you say something like that, remind me to give you a good beating," Takeru said. Daisuke scoffed.
"Now why would I want to do something like that?" Everyone else laughed, and Daisuke soon joined in their laughter as the sun shown some of its rays. For a little. The clouds then hid the light, as the quintet suddenly felt darkness envelop them as they reached an intersection. The five then stopped and looked at one another.
"Well guys, it's been fun, but I have to get back to work. I'll see you all later," Daisuke said, smiling at the other four. They returned his smile. He then turned to face Takeru. "And good luck with Hika man. I think you'll need all the luck you can get." Takeru nodded.
"For once Daisuke, I think we can both agree on that one. Later man," Takeru said as the two gave each other a high five. They then chuckled as Daisuke began to leave. "Later!" he then waved as he left. Ken then glanced down at his watch.
"Damn, I forgot! I'm supposed to be at Miyako's in five minutes! I'll see you guys later!" Ken exclaimed, as he ran after Daisuke. He then turned his head back. "Oh, and good luck Takeru!" he yelled.
"Thanks Ken!" Takeru then turned to look at his two "brothers." Well, one was his actual brother, but..the other one may become one soon, if things went as planned. However, Takeru already considered Taichi a brother as long as he was concerned.
"Well Squirt, I'd love to stay and joke around, but I have a concert rehearsal to get to, and classes to study for. Call me tonight and tell me the results, got it?" Yamato asked, smirking. Takeru could only grin in response.
"You know I will Onii-chan," Takeru replied, as the two hugged one another briefly. They then released, and Yamato then turned to face Taichi. "Uh, sorry about the argument earlier man. I'm cool about it if you are," Yamato said, extending a hand. Taichi looked at it for a moment, and then smiled at Yamato.
"Cool." The two then shook hands, doing their "friend handshake," before laughing it off. Yamato then turned back to look at his brother.
"Well, bye Takeru." Yamato smiled as he ruffled Takeru's hair, before leaving Takeru and Taichi to themselves. Takeru smiled as he saw Yamato's retreating back.
"Bye Yama," Takeru said. He then turned to face Taichi. "Let me guess, you have to go too?" Takeru asked.
"Sorry T.K., but you know I have to. It's been great seeing you man," Taichi replied. Takeru extended his hand, with Taichi taking it. Taichi then caught the younger man off-guard by suddenly pulling him in a hug. "Don't worry about it Takeru, I'm sure you'll make Hikari happy. You sure have my blessing," Taichi whispered, grinning from ear-to-ear. Takeru smiled as the two backed away from one another.
"Thanks Taichi. This really means a lot to me, you know?" Taichi nodded.
"I know. Good luck tonight. And could you call me as well afterwards? I want to know all the details," Taichi said. Takeru just shook his head.
"Now you're beginning to sound just like Miyako, and trust me, that's not good," Takeru replied. Taichi just chuckled.
"So, this is my little sister we're talking about here…Anyway, it's been nice talking to you. Later Takeru," Taichi simply waved.
"Bye Taichi.." Taichi walked off, leaving Takeru to himself. The blond grinned as he pulled his new purchase out of his pocket, examining the velvet box with delight, opening it to reveal the ring.
"Just wait 'till Hikari sees this. Man, I hope she accepts my proposal. Oh well, you go back in my pocket, for now anyways," Takeru said to the ring, before clasping the box shut and placing it back in his jacket pocket. He gripped his umbrella as he looked up at the sky.
"Man, it looks like it's going to rain today," Takeru said to himself, as he watched the cars pass in the intersection. Soon, the cars came to a halt as the "WALK" sign. Takeru glanced at his watch.
"Man, it's beginning to get late. I better get home and change before Hikari does," Takeru said to himself. Takeru had to change clothes because today wasn't just another ordinary day for him and Hikari. Today would be the celebration of their sixth year together as a couple. And tonight, the young eighteen year old planned to further change his and Hikari's life.
He planned to propose to her. To have her become his wife.
Takeru began finally smiled as he began crossing the intersection, along with people who were going in the opposite direction he was. The sky began to darken as night began to fell upon the city. Takeru felt his left side collide with something, or rather, someone as he was crossing the intersection. He turned to his left as he looked at who hit him.
"Sorry, I.." the person stopped talking as they stood there, looking at Takeru in the eyes. Rain began to fall upon them as the two looked at one another. Takeru smiled as he saw the person that he had bumped into.
"Oh hey Hikar-" Takeru was cutoff as Hikari, the person in question, began running in the opposite direction. Takeru raised his umbrella to shield him from the rain as he began chasing after the girl.
"Hikari, wait!" Takeru exclaimed as he followed her back towards where he came. Hikari zigzagged through the people as she tried getting away from the young man, as the rain poured down upon them. Lightening struck abruptly before Takeru as his eyes followed her, before thunder soon followed after. He just had to catch up to her.
"Why are you running away from me, Hikari?" Takeru asked himself as he continued chasing after her. He shouted her name again as he was about to reach her, as she was waiting at another intersection. He smiled as he made his way towards her.
"What's wrong with-" Takeru was cutoff again as Hikari suddenly began running across the crosswalk without warning. Cars suddenly halted their brakes as their tires screeched, allowing the brunette to make her way over to the other side. Takeru continued watching her as much as he could, his eyes seeing her run into a dark alley. He then waited until it was safe to cross, and when it was so, he ran as fast as he could across the crosswalk and onto the other side of the street.
"Hikari!" Takeru exclaimed as he made his way into the alleyway. He stopped as he caught his breath, slowly making way to the back. There, in a narrow crook, was a dumpster. Takeru looked to his left and right for any sign of where Hikari may be, but to no avail. He began calling out her name, again and again, until he couldn't yell anymore. He then looked down at his shoes depressingly.
"Where are you?! Why are you running away from me?! Don't you know I would do anything…" Takeru paused as he looked back up to the path to his right, before looking back up towards the dumpster.
"Anything..for you?" He sighed as he began looking around again. "Where are you?" he asked. He then looked around for a few more moments, before sighing again as he looked down at his feet. He then began turning around, as tears began to form in his eyes.
"Hikari…" Takeru sniffled as tears slowly made their way down his face. Then, slowly but surely, he began making his way back towards the street, keeping his head down all the way…
And after that night, Takeru hasn't seen Hikari ever since…
Takeru sobbed a little as he finally closed his scrapbook. He then took a napkin and dried his eyes off, before placing it back down upon the table. After sipping the last of his wine, he took his wine bottle and refilled his glass, shaking his glass his little as he examined it. A sad smile appeared on his face as he then extended the glass forward, having it softly clink with the wine glass sitting across from him. And before he finally devoured his glass of wine in one gulp, Takeru solemnly extended the glass to the air, as a grim smile made its way upon his face.
"Happy Thirteenth Anniversary Hikari, wherever you are…"
And that's a wrap for the first chapter of Derailed, people. I surely hoped you read that chapter as much I had writing it. Just wait until the next chapter comes, for the plot will thicken…
As always, read and review, and until the next chapter, ja ne!!- Malcolm Yuy