I know it has been a really long time. Sorry.
Chapter 2: The voice in the woods.
"I can't believe you couldn't get anyone to come." Koushiro sighed, disappointed, when he met Taichi and Agumon at the train station. Both boys had dressed their partners with long jackets and hats.
"I-it's not my fault that everybody had plans… besides we don't even know if it's a Digimon yet." Taichi sounded offended.
"I wasn't blaming you, Taichi-san, I'm sorry if it sounded like that." Koushiro apologized.
"That's fine. We should get moving." Taichi accepted his friend's apology. During the whole trip, he heard Koushiro talking about a conversation he just had with Gennai about a digital abnormality that appeared in the site of the attack. The truth was that Taichi wasn't really listening to the explanation, but just admiring Koushiro's face with amazed eyes. There had been a while since he noticed that he felt something different in him when he was close to Koushiro. Taichi's heart beat faster and warmth spread through his cheeks. He had felt something similar for Sora for a long time, which made him especially nervous. Could it be possible that he was developing feelings for his best friend? Would that make him a bisexual? And how would Koushiro respond to his feelings. Not that Taichi thought that the redheaded would despise him or anything, but their friendship would be awkward if he confessed to the smaller boy. Despite that, the fear to be rejected again by someone he loved was far too great. Maybe it would be best to hide those feelings and stay as Koushiro's friend.
When they arrived in Tottori, they went to the hospital and the police station to make questions, but nobody was willing to talk about such subject with them. Later, they visited the shrine to try to find out something, however, they weren't welcomed there.
"I have nothing else to say. My granddaughter is sorry for disrespecting the spirits; leave us alone!" The old bearded priest said at the place's entrance, glancing at Koushiro with curiosity. This child looks like that woman who died… could he be…?
"Let's go, Koushiro. We can at least investigate the forest." Taichi said.
"Boy with the red hair!" The priest called Koushiro suddenly. "By any chance… did you grow up without parents?"
Koushiro froze when he heard that. What?
Tentomon looked anxiously at his partner, who didn't know that the insect Digimon knew his secret. Taichi (who didn't know about Koushiro's adoption) got mad at the priest.
"What kind of ridiculous question is this? If you don't want to give us information, then don't give it! But don't say mean things to my friend!"
"I'm not saying any mean thing-" The priest tried to explain himself, but Taichi pulled Koushiro by the arm and they, along with their partners, descended the stairs.
"Taichi-san, you don't need to be mad at him, actually…" Koushiro wondered if it was finally the time to tell his secret. For years he had struggled with that idea and felt terrible for hiding that from everyone. But he wasn't able to find the courage to share the truth. The idea of telling Taichi his secret made him afraid that their friendship could change or that his best friend would look at him differently, somehow.
"Of course I need to get mad!" Taichi protested. "You don't defend yourself when someone offends you, so I have to do it!"
"We don't even know why he asked me that." Koushiro replied.
"What, you want to go back there? Is that it? After I stood up for you?" Taichi asked, bitterly. "Fine! Go! I'll set camp at the forest!"
"Why are you angry, Taichi-san?" Koushiro was confused. He watched as Taichi and Agumon kept walking away, helplessly. Tentomon had stayed with him.
"Koushiro-han, are you okay?" The insect asked, worried.
"I'm fine; you don't need to worry about me." The boy replied kindly, so he wouldn't make his friend concerned. "Would you mind if I asked you to go after Taichi-san? I need to ask something to the priest."
"I don't mind, but don't you want me to accompany you?" Tentomon questioned.
"I'm more worried about Taichi-san. Even though he's with Agumon, he's too impulsive and might do something irresponsible. Could you please keep an eye on him?"
"Sure, I can. But if you need to talk to someone, you can count on me, okay?"
"Thank you, Tentomon."
Meanwhile, Taichi and Agumon had stopped.
"Stupid Koushiro, why is he so ungrateful?" Taichi was asking himself.
"Taichi, why are you so nervous?" Agumon questioned.
"I'm not nervous, it's just that… I don't even know."
The brunette sat on the ground and sighed in frustration. Whenever I think about Koushiro, my emotions become so confused.
"We should camp here; we're not far from the shrine. Let's prepare everything before Koushiro and Tentomon arrive." Agumon made a suggestion; his partner smiled.
"I bet Koushiro would be happy if he saw everything organized when he gets here."
Right after that, Tentomon found them.
"What are you doing here? Why aren't you with Koushiro?" Taichi was almost yelling.
"Koushiro-han asked me to keep an eye on you while he visited the priest. He was worried about Taichi-han."
"He… was…" The former leader of the chosen children blushed when he heard that, but soon regained his senses. "But why did he go to see that guy again? I don't get it!"
By that time, Koushiro had finished his conversation with the old man.
"Then you don't know those people's names… or the name of the baby you saved…" The boy said with sadness.
"I gave the baby to the police and told what had occurred. I don't know anything that happened later. Every night I remember that woman's face… I remember her begging to someone save her child. You look just like her, then I thought-"
"I have parents." Koushiro stated suddenly, without thinking. "But thank you for telling me all this. I should get going now."
"Be careful, boy. If what my granddaughter invoked was a spirit of a person who died in the accident, even if you're not that baby, it might target you."
"I appreciate your concern, but I don't believe in ghosts." Koushiro replied with a small smile. When he left the place and pulled his digivice out of his pocket to locate Taichi, it was already getting dark. As he walked alone in the forest, he heard a voice. It was coming from every direction.
"Hana?"
