Chapter Eight
Home
Everyone woke sluggishly, besides for Yuuta, who was chatting with the Digimon and frying eggs.
"They told me what you all like." Yuuta assured them quickly seeing their stupefied expressions.
"She's really nice." Tokomon told Takeru.
"Yeah, and her cooking smells delicious!" Upamon added. Yuuta blushed happily.
"I was here for two years. I had to learn how to cook." Yuuta mumbled.
"Two years? Alone?" Daisuke gaped. Yuuta nodded, staring pointedly at the eggs.
"I cut up some apples. I found the bacon you wanted, Tachikawa-sama." Yuuta mumbled.
"You're just like Iori. Shyer than a hedgehog." Miyako stretched.
"Eri always said I was shy. I never really spoke up for myself either... I miss her." Yuuta plucked the bread off the sticks they were stuck on and placed the eggs on them. She stabbed slices of roasted apple out of the fire and piled them on, too. The sandwiches were topped with another slice of thick bread.
"Breakfast anyone?" Yuuta asked turning. She blinked seeing the salivating Chosen Children. "Ne?"
"HAI!" They all cried diving forward.
"Watch out! You'll drop the food!" warned Nekomon loudly.
"You will burn yourselves, too."
"YOUCH!" Daisuke yelped, burning his lip.
"I said you would. Here." Yuuta pulled out some ointment from her bag. "Eat slower and smaller." She rubbed some on his bottom lip and then stopped realizing she was touching his lip. Her eyes crossed and her nose slowly bled as she pitched backwards.
"I got her." Yamato said, reaching out.
"She's going to be anemic by the time we get back to the Human World!" Jyou cried scrambling forward.
"Yomoki was a lot easier to be around." Yuuta muttered dazedly. Nekomon laughed.
"I can't believe you remember him. I mean, you ditched him for your hero, didn't you?"
"I did not ditch him!" Yuuta cried, blushing hotly. "Dozo, Nekomon!"
"Right. That's why you're here and he's not?"
"NEKOMON!" Yuuta cried. She ran after her partner as Nekomon ran around the cave laughing wickedly. "Dozo, do not say anything more!"
"You can't make me!" Nekomon danced just out of Yuuta's reach.
"OOH!" Yuuta tripped over her duffel bag landed on a guffawing Taichi.
"Wait, no nosebleed." Taichi pinched the bridge of her nose quickly. Her whole body turned tomato red.
"Stop teasing her and let her go." Sora sniggered.
"No way. She'll bleed all over me." He pinched her nose harder making her laugh breathlessly and try to wriggle away. "She needs to get used to me and Daisuke or she'll bleed herself out. You know what this means right?" His laughing brown eyes met Daisuke's.
"Maybe...are you ticklish, Yuuta?" Daisuke asked innocently, his eyes gleaming.
"Ii-iie." Yuuta protested in a nasal voice, her eyes widening in panic.
"I think she lied." Yamato smirked joining them. She shook her head vehemently, still lying belly-down on Taichi's lap.
"Yes, she sure did. Look at her, she's twitching." Mimi poked Yuuta experimentally. Yuuta jumped.
"Definitely ticklish." Taichi nodded.
"N-no, onegai!" She cried nasally.
They ignored her and started tickling her sides, making her shriek and kick helplessly, Taichi still holding her nose.
"D-d-dame! P-please! O-onegai!" She gasped through her laughter.
The others only laughed, still eating breakfast.
"I am going to wet myself!" She shrilled desperately.
"Okay, stop! I don't want my new clothes peed all over!" Taichi laughed. The others pulled away, leaving her gasping like a fish out of water, still in Taichi's lap.
"Look, she's not bleeding." Daisuke pointed. Sure enough, Yuuta's nose was quite normal.
"Awesome." Taichi grinned and gave her a noogie. Blood slowly dripped out of her nose, her brown eyes glowing.
"You are more amazing than I thought!" She sighed like a fangirl. Taichi raised an eyebrow.
"You are so weird." He sighed, defeated, leaning back.
"Gomen nasai. I cannot help it." She blushed and gripped her fingers together.
"No problem. At least you're not crazy like Jun, and you're cute, for a girl." Taichi ran a hand through his hair. Blood dropped onto his orange pants. "CRAP!"
"Oh no! Your new clothes!" Panicking, Yuuta tried to smear it away and wiped more on from her hand. "ACK! Eh?" She pulled away and stared. Taichi stared at his pants, too.
"What the hell?" Daisuke leaned over and blinked confuddled. "Is that supposed to happen?"
"NO!" Taichi snapped.
"What are you three staring-Oh...weird." Yamato narrowed his eyes.
"That looks so wrong, you know." Mimi said calmly. Yuuta, Yamato, and Daisuke jumped away.
"But look!" Daisuke pointed.
"Don't point there-" Sora stopped abruptly.
"Oh." said the other Chosen Children, finally enlightened.
"STOP STARING THERE!" Taichi shouted. Everyone looked away.
"I didn't know clothes did that. Is that a new fashion?" Mimi asked. Yuuta shook her head.
"Gennai must have modified our clothing. It must absorb blood, maybe dirt, too." Koushirou grabbed a handful of dirt and rubbed it into the knee of his pants. After few seconds, the stain slowly evaporated. "It cleans itself. I'll email Gennai to make sure."
"Hey, tear it to see if it'll fix itself." Sora said.
"Okay." Koushirou gripped his shirt with his teeth and then grabbed just below the shoulder seam. He pulled and the seam split. They all watched...nothing happened.
"That wasn't very smart, Koushirou, now you have a ripped shirt." Iori pointed out.
"I'm well aware of that now." Koushirou muttered.
"All for the sake of science." Ken smiled. Koushirou smiled back.
"Bonding moment." Miyako said wryly.
"Miyako." Ken sighed exasperated.
"I'll fix it for you." Yuuta muttered. Koushirou blushed.
"I can't just take it off."
"Oh, gomen nasi!" Yuuta bowed quickly. "I have shirt you can borrow."
"All right." The other Chosen Children continued their breakfast as she mended his shirt happily.
"Um...should not we go now?" Yuuta said hesitantly after Koushirou returned his shirt to his person.
"Isn't it still raining?" Sora asked.
"No. Actually, there is a rainbow."
"REALLY?" Daisuke jumped up and ran towards the outside, clocking his head on a protruding rock. "Itai."
"Daijoubou desu ka?" Yuuta asked worriedly.
"Yep. Look, rainbow!" Daisuke pointed. She moved his hand and stood on tiptoe to check out the bump on his forehead.
"I know there is a rainbow, Motomiya-sama. I think you need a Band-Aid." She ducked back inside. "I will clean up. Go on ahead and stretch out. Onegai, this is for Motomiya-sama." She handed Taichi a Band-Aid.
"Are you sure?" Iori asked.
"Hai." Yuuta nodded. She turned and started clearing away ashes and re-packing food.
"Need a hand with all of those?" Koushirou asked kneeling beside her.
"I-Iie. I thought everybody was outside? You stayed up longer than me." Yuuta reminded him. "You should be relaxing."
"How did you know-?"
"Nekomon told me."
"Come on, Izzy!" Motimon called from the entrance.
"It's weird seeing it so empty." Sora rubbed her arms.
"Yeah. Weird." Jyou muttered, wiping his glasses.
"It reminds me of the Dark Ocean. Do...Do you think after the Digimon left the Dark Ocean took over?" Hikari looked over at Ken.
"No. There's color. And everyone's with us." Ken squeezed her hand briefly. "We would know."
"Yeah." Hikari smiled without happiness, just relief. Takeru grabbed her shoulders and pulled her away from Ken with a frown. Hikari looked at him startled and Daisuke bit his lip.
"Ano...it is not totally empty." Yuuta said to break the silence.
"What do you mean?" Koushirou asked, grateful. That was a little weird.
"I met someone, a boy about my age. His name was Takaki, Momiji." Yuuta explained.
"What did he look like?" Mimi inquired.
"Hm… He had purple eyes...and white hair. He seemed really frail...breakable...but I did not trust him. I was here for a year before I met him and had not seen a living soul. I have not seen him since." She looked up at the other Chosen Children and frowned. "Why are you all so serious?"
"That sounds a lot like Lowvell." Taichi told her.
"But he shouldn't have been born until we were awakened. He can't have been Yuuta's age." Yamato disagreed half-heartedly.
"Maybe Gennai misinterpreted his prophecy. It could have meant he was to be born when the Key was born. It would make sense. Good and evil need to be kept in balanced. Even if Kokubunji didn't get to us in time, she'd still have enough goodness as a Chosen Child to balance out Lowvell."
"But he had a Digimon, Koushirou." Nekomon said. She had no qualms about saying their first names.
"Nani?"
"I fought with him. Me 'n' Yuuta were separated and she met Momiji and I met another Digimon. He said his partner was with Yuuta, so I figured he meant Momiji after Yuuta told me about him."
"This doesn't bode well. What Digimon was he?"
"I didn't recognize him. But I can give you a description." Nekomon described the Digimon and the Chosen Children got paler as she continued. "Do you know who he was?"
"Yes...but I wish I didn't. This really doesn't bode well." Koushirou met Taichi's eyes. Taichi gripped Daisuke around the waist protectively.
"I'm not a doll, Tai." Daisuke said, annoyed.
"I know." Taichi let go and ran a hand through his hair. "It's bad enough having to watch my sister fight evil, now I have to go through my boyfriend fighting evil."
"We can take care of ourselves. We have Digivices and Digimon partners. Fighting evil is what we do, onii-san." Hikari said soothingly.
"When do we get to go home?" Mimi asked suddenly to change the topic. Yuuta 'urk'ed.
"It is seventy years after your home, Tachikawa-sama. Your homes are museums or hospitals. Maybe the Digital World is best." I AM BETTER THAN ALL OF YOU! Yuuta grinned weakly, thinking about it.
"Are you kidding?" Mimi choked.
"Ii-Iie?"
"I WANNA GO SHOPPING!" Mimi wailed. Yuuta sweatdropped.
I want to stay here. I do not want to go back.
"Why aren't you evolving, Koromon?"
"It's because I haven't regained my strength. I need someone to spar with."
Yuuta's eyes gleamed.
"Oh no." Nekomon groaned.
"Did you say spar?"
"Yes."
Yuuta stood and clenched her fists.
"Welcome to your first day of training. Let's get in position." All the Digimon got in a line. "What are you doing, Chosen Children? You have to do it, too."
"Wha?" Jyou stared up at her. She blushed, but frowned sternly.
"Your Digimon is your partner. You share souls, and therefore should share workloads. Everyone trains. Stand up, dozo." All of them stood. "We will start with basic stretches. Turn to your left first, humans."
"I feel like I'm on a fitness training tape." Sora muttered.
"Isn't great? I haven't been to the gym in...over seventy years!" Mimi stretched her nose against her knee.
"Wow, you're flexible." Miyako gasped.
"I have to look good to wear what I do." Mimi winked. Miyako grinned and started actually trying.
"Great job! Nekomon, are you finished with your stretching over there?"
"Yup."
"Good, now teach them how I taught you."
"Gotcha, Digipartner."
"Now, time for basic steps of judo." All the Chosen Children sweated, besides Iori.
& & &
"It's been forever." Mimi whined.
"It has only been a month." Yuuta corrected her softly. She wrung out her wet hair.
"How do you know? I can't keep track." Sora sank below the cool water.
"I counted the days until my birthday every year. Now, it is like I have an internal clock."
"Your birthday was that important?" Taichi asked from the other side of the curtain of clothes.
"Yes. It was the day you all supposedly died."
"What?" Hikari yelped. "Died?"
"Yes. The story told after the Great Battle was that your Digimon were so wounded, they were deleted, unable to regenerate themselves. You were given the choice of dying with them, or living without them. You died with them. That day, all of the Digimon you call partners disappeared. There was never another Yokomon, Tanemon, or Nyaromon, etc.
"Then, people declared you Deities and made the day of the Great Battle a Festival to celebrate Lowvell's defeat. Surprisingly, no one has been born on that day in the past seventy years but me, no one in the world. That is why I was called a freak when I was a kid…maa…also I was called a freak because other people's Digimon would listen to me, not their owners."
"Oh. How sad." Miyako kicked the water lightly, making large ripples float over the surface.
"But then she got me. I made her really happy, didn't I?" Nekomon said smugly.
"Hai."
"And Yomoki-"
"Stop bringing him up! He called me a liar. All of them did!" Yuuta yelled. She tugged her hair hard to keep from crying.
"Oh, that's right, you had your heeerrooo." Nekomon taunted. Yuuta's eyes glittered dangerously.
"Nekomon, dozo."
"Don't you have his picture in your backpack?"
"NEKOMON!" Yuuta dived at Nekomon, causing the clothesline, made by a newly evolved Wormmon, to snap.
"AAAHHH!" screamed the girls.
"AAHH!" The boys screamed back.
"You blabbermouth cat-rabbit!" Yuuta shrieked holding Nekomon's mouth shut with her hands.
"Arggghh."
Yuuta stopped, looked over her shoulder, squealed, and dropped below the surface. The water boiled over her head.
"Yuuta's so funny!" Hikari began to snicker. Soon, everyone was laughing as Yuuta came up for air, carefully hidden under the water's surface.
"I'll fix it." Wormmon got out of the water. He redid the clothesline and Biyomon flew the clothes back up.
"Gomen nasai." Yuuta mumbled.
"Well, they didn't really see anything. At least, I hope not." Sora emphasized.
"Like I really care. I'm gay." Taichi said on the other side of the border. A rock hurtled towards him through the opening made by Biyomon. Taichi sunk.
"I see everyone's enjoying their rest. I thought young Yuuta would be working you as hard as she worked Usamon in the desert." Gennai said appearing at the riverside. Luckily, on the boys' side.
"She does. She just doesn't like the smell of sweat." Yamato explained wryly. Yuuta blushed.
"I never said that." Yuuta protested.
"The real reason I came was to tell you that you can go home at anytime now. Your Digimon are in their Rookie level and will develop much faster in the human world. Plus, you're running low on supplies, as I've gathered from Koushirou."
"Hai. Arigatu gozaimasu for the new clothes." Yuuta said.
"No problem. Now, hurry up. Yuuta, you have people waiting for you on the other side."
"Nani?" Yuuta looked down at the water's surface. "Demo I said such horrible things to my friends...why would they be waiting?" The green in her eyes snapped. "And they thought I was a liar. I do not want to go back. The others can leave. If have to eat purple grass, I will, but I am not leaving." Yuuta climbed out of the river and grabbed her towel. She pulled out some clothes she rarely wore and dressed.
"Where are you going?" Sora asked.
"Away from 'home'." She said. She rubbed her eyes hurriedly.
"But, Yuuta-" Nekomon started. She heard splashing on the boys' side.
"I am not going back. They thought I was weak. They thought you were weak, Neko. They called me a liar and said my love for Digimon was juvenile. My...my best friend did not even believe me. She laughed at me." Yuuta glared at the water. "I am staying here, where nobody will hurt me." Yuuta turned and ran.
Purple clothes were torn off the clothesline.
Yuuta tripped and stayed on the ground, bawling like a baby.
"I do not want to go back. I am special here. I am...somebody." Yuuta whispered. Her shoulders tightened in surprise and she flipped over as someone stepped on a twig.
"Y-you?" Yuuta gasped.
"Yes. Here, let me help you."
"Stay away from me." Yuuta hissed, slapping away the hand. Purple eyes narrowed.
"But Kokubunji, I'll help you. You want to stay here right? I can make your wish come true."
"The others said you are Lowvell."
"No. I'm Momiji, remember? And this...this is my partner, Keramon."
"Kokubunji!" Yuuta turned towards her name.
"He'll only take you back. Back to those idiots who called you a liar and weak. Back to those who couldn't even imagine you were special enough to be great. Do you want to go back?"
"Iie."
"Then take my hand."
"Kokubunji!"
"Take my hand!"
Yuuta reached out and took his hand. She gasped as he pulled her roughly to her feet and placed an army knife to her throat.
"Take another step, Knowledge, and I'll kill her. Of course, I may just kill her anyway. Without her, your Digimon can't evolve."
"You're wrong. You kill her and you'll be helping us out." Koushirou said calmly.
"Nani...?" Yuuta's eyes filled with tears. She inhaled sharply as the tip dug into her throat. Black eyes darted to the blade and then met Momiji's purple ones.
"'The Key will awaken the Destined. White will give powers to the weak. When Life sheds its mortality, Death will awaken the Colors.'" Koushirou quoted apathetically. Momiji's eyes widened.
Yuuta let out a gasp as she hit the grass with a thud. Koushirou rushed to her and glared up at Momiji.
"Don't mess with Knowledge." Koushirou whispered dangerously.
Momiji disappeared in a swirl of fractal code.
"Daijoubu desu ka?"
"Daijoubu desu." Yuuta looked up at him. "That...that was the prophecy?" Koushirou looked away.
"Come on." Koushirou helped her up. "Are you sure you don't want to go back?" He stared really hard at a cut on her wrist.
"Nani?"
"I saw a picture; Mimi pulled it out when you were unconscious once. A...boy was in the picture, holding your hand." Koushirou blushed looking at his feet.
"That...was Yomoki." Yuuta said.
"Oh..."
"I do not love him...I love my hero..."
"It's Taichi, right?" Koushirou sighed.
"He is…a homosexual." Yuuta replied, confused.
"Yeah, but you didn't know that-" he stopped as her hand touched the yellowing bruise on his face. One of the side effects of the freezing was the slow healing.
"I love my hero... I have since I saw his picture years ago online." Careful of his broken arm she rose on her tiptoe to meet his astonished gaze. "Daisuki."
Her face was a bright red as he stared at her. His other hand met the back of her skull and she felt a slight push which she readily followed. As her hero finally kissed her, her heart pounded so hard her toes were thrumming.
"Let us go home." she sighed dreamily.
& & &
Yomoki had his tennis racket over one shoulder, talking animatedly. Shinichiro stood next to him laughing, his own racket leaning against the fence. Tsumi tossed her long hair over her shoulder, her black eyes shining. Chidori rolled her grey eyes, returning to her book. Her hair was shoulder length hair and up in a plastic claw.
Eri looked up to the grey sky, green eyes distant. Her hair was uneven and dyed, badly, black, her red hair still seen in patches. Her clothes were loose and wrinkled. Her green eyes were lined with thick black eyeliner and her lips were glittery purple. Her wrists were covered in every color and shade rubber bracelets and her tennis racket case was covered in black marker doodles. Their Digimon (even Tyrannomon) were sitting around, bored.
She gasped seeing a light flare in the temple just a block away.
"Did you guys see that?" Eri demanded. Chidori nodded silently, stuffing her book in her large canvas bag. "Hurry! Maybe Yuuta is back!" Eri took off, burgundy ballet slippers slapping the ground.
"Slow down!" Tsumi yelled up the stairs as Eri, Chidori, and Yomoki raced up them.
"Yuuta!" Eri shouted breathlessly, nearing the top.
Yuuta's eyes widened as she had a brief tug-o-war with Iori for her duffel bag. She turned just as the first three tumbled inside.
"Yuu-yuu-chan!" Yomoki gasped, overwhelmed.
"Y-Yomoki-kun? Eri-chan? Chidori-chan?"
"Yuuta!" Gotsumon cried. Yuuta bent down automatically and was enveloped in a bone-crunching hug.
"Ow...that hurts, Gotsumon." Yuuta winced.
"Gomen nasai."
"Remember me? I'm Nekomon. I used to be Pauftymon." Nekomon spoke up, shyly.
"You're a Rookie like me now!" Gotsumon clapped.
"Don't forget me."
"Gazimon! You, too, Mushroomon! I missed you all! Where iss Gizamon or Tyrannomon?"
"We're here now. But I don't think I can fit." Tyrannomon grinned, sticking his snout through the door. Everyone laughed. Yuuta ran over and hugged his red nose.
"I have missed you all." Yuuta repeated softly.
"What about us humans, Yuuta?" Eri asked lowly.
"You called me a liar." Yuuta looked away. She walked towards the Chosen Children. "Do you still think so?" Yuuta glared them, green flashing in her eyes.
"I...I'm sorry, Yuuta." Yomoki stepped forward. "I didn't want to believe it. If it was true...then you really would fly away."
The Chosen Children saw that not one of them looked up from the ground.
"Why should she believe you're sorry when you can't meet her eyes?" Yamato demanded.
"Are you kidding? She's a Chosen Child! We're not worthy of a Chosen Child...nor are we worthy of her. She handed us the test...and we failed...twice!" Eri shouted at them angrily.
Yuuta bit her lip and raced forward. She barreled into Eri's chest.
"IIE! You are my best friend! It was not your fault! I said such horrible, nasty things! I was never worthy of your friendship. Forgive me." Yuuta sobbed. "I missed you, too, Eri-chan. You should have been the Chosen Child, not me."
"No...you're the perfect Chosen Child. Shy, sweet, and kind to everyone. You deserve your Title. You loved the Chosen Children. You wanted nothing more than to be one. I never had your devotion." Eri demurred, returned her smaller friend's hug. "I missed you so much!" Eri's shoulders shook.
"I should've believed you. You never lied about anything important. You were never making yourself better than others and were never sure of yourself. Why would you turn yourself into a hero?" Chidori wrapped her arms around Eri and Yuuta.
"I can't believe you got so angry! And you're so tan! What happened to my pale, mute, little Life-size Barbie?" Tsumi scolded tearfully, joining them. They laughed, crying.
"Little Life-size Barbie? That seems redundant." Chidori pointed out wetly.
"Wait, you have to meet my new friends." Yuuta pulled away, sparing Yomoki a shy glance before returning once more to her fellow Chosen Children. "This is Rokunda, Eri and her Digipartner Gotsumon. This is Hiroki, Chidori and Mushroomon. She's Matsuura, Tsumi and he's Gizamon. Those two boys are Fujima, Yomoki and Johnson, Shinichiro, he's half-American, and Gazimon is Yomoki's partner. Tyrannomon is Shinichiro's."
"Konnichiwa." Her old friends bowed.
"Um...well, I'm Yagami, Taichi. And this is Agumon."
"I'm Daisuke. Motomiya, Daisuke."
"My name's Veemon!"
"I'm Ishiida, Yamato."
"Hi, I'm Gabumon."
"Inoue, Miyako. Konnichiwa! This is Hawkmon."
"I'm Takenouchi, Sora. Nice to meet you."
"I'm Biyomon."
"I'm Mimi, Tachikawa! It's great to be back in the Human World!"
"I'm Tanemon, her partner."
"I'm Bukamon, and this is my partner, Jyou Kido."
"Konnichiwa." Jyou bowed.
"I'm Takeru and this is Patamon."
"I'm Hikari, Tai's little sister."
"I'm Salamon."
"I'm Ichijouji, Ken. This is my partner, Wormmon. "
"Hullo."
"And I'm Izumi, Koushirou." He took a step nearer Yuuta.
"I'm Tentomon.
"Wow...the real Chosen Children." Eri whistled wide-eyed.
"I thought you all died seventy years ago?" Chidori queried.
"Gennai made it up to disguise our disappearance." Koushirou explained.
"Gennai?" Yomoki asked.
"The Digi-Deity." Yuuta intercepted.
"Oh. I remember now." Yomoki trailed off.
"Ano, I am not sure where you will be staying now that we are here..." Yuuta confessed weakly.
"Our homes aren't ours anymore." Hikari said sadly.
"We don't have any money either." Ken added.
"Chidori has a huge frickin' house. You can hang out there." Eri thumbed at Chidori, setting her tennis racket on her shoulder.
"Eri." Chidori hissed. "If you would honor my family, we would love to take you in." Chidori bowed quickly. "It's not far. We can start out now if you wish."
"Um, sure." Taichi blinked.
"Don't be so formal, onegai. It's uncomfortable. We're only a couple years older than you." Sora beseeched.
"I-I'll try Takenouchi-Deity."
"Oi." Yamato slapped his forehead.
"Try -sama instead, all right? Imagine waking up and being called a 'god'. It is very strange." Yuuta said.
"Okay."
They started out, Yuuta's old friends, besides Yomoki, talking fast and excitedly. Koushirou kept close to Yuuta, so close their hips sometimes bumped making Yuuta blush. She adjusted her duffel strap uneasily. Yomoki kept on trying to catch her eye.
He cannot seriously still lo-like me. I mean, it has been two years. Wind rushed past them making her hair whirl around her. She tried to tuck it behind her ear with her free hand, but her waist-length, brown hair escaped her small hand and flew around her, obscuring her vision. She tripped and stumbled with a squeak. Koushirou quickly caught her with his unbroken right arm.
"Are you okay?"
"H-hai. I just could not see where I was going with all this hair." Yuuta blushed. "I think I am going to go straight to a salon tomorrow."
"Um...I haven't seen you with anything but long hair." Koushirou said lamely. Taichi and Daisuke shared an eye roll.
"We need to teach him how to be comfortable around girls. Yuuta's way too cute to not try and steal. Poor Koushirou going to have to deal with fanboys soon." Yamato grinned.
Yuuta blinked. Her mouth tightened, her cheeks puffed out. Her face slowly turned red. Finally, she couldn't hold it in.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Yuuta doubled up, clutching her ribs. "F-fanboys? Hahahaha! I am the size of a grasshopper and have no breasts. I am shy and get nosebleeds around really cute soccer players. Every guy likes that." Yuuta wiped tears away from her eyes, brushing away stray hairs.
"I-I do..." Koushirou stuttered. Yuuta looked up at him with wide eyes.
"Oh um..." They both looked at the ground embarrassed.
"You realize you never broke up with me." Yomoki snapped.
"Nani?"
"We were dating. You never broke up with me." Yomoki's foot tapped angrily.
"B-but...y-you...-I left. I ran away." Yuuta sputtered.
"He's right though. You never did." Yuuta's eyes met Tsumi's.
"Ts-Tsumi-chan..." Yuuta's eyes pleaded. Tsumi rolled her eyes.
"It's not that difficult. You obviously liked someone else during your date-thing. You said you had some hero or another. You dated Yomoki because you liked him, not worshipped the ground he walked on."
"You don't have to say it like that." Hikari said angrily.
"I'm saying like it is. Yuuta has to learn to break things clean. You're a Chosen Child. Your team could depend on your decision. You already chose. If you don't make it clear, you're technically cheating on your boyfriend." Tsumi explained.
"She's totally right." Mimi agreed.
Yuuta's mouth worked uselessly.
"D-demo... Yomoki, you must like someone else. It has been two years. You are seventeen. Obviously, you like someone by now."
"Actually, no. One: We never broke up. I couldn't very well date someone while still dating you. Two: No one really caught my interest. Three: I love you, I don't care who the competition is." He glared at Koushirou. Koushirou glared back. Yuuta looked back and forth between them.
"Well?" Eri prodded. Chidori and Ken looked on sympathetic to her plight, relating with her.
"Choose, Yuu-yuu." Yomoki demanded. He grabbed her arm.
"Let her go. Manhandling her is not going to help solve this problem." Koushirou snapped.
"She was mine first, Deity."
"She isn't property, Fujima."
"Chose before a battle breaks out." Miyako urged, pulling her away.
"B-but...do I have t-" Her hands slapped over her mouth. Everyone stared at her.
"Are you enjoying this or something?" Tsumi spat. Yuuta shook her head, tears forming. "Look, she's going to cry again." Tsumi sighed.
"Shut up, Tsumi. You have no idea what's wrong." Eri snapped.
"She's just sucking it up. She has two older guys, one an athlete and one a Deity, fighting over her. What's she crying about?"
"You know how shy she is-" Daisuke started.
"Is that any excuse?" Tsumi shouted. "Excuse me if I think a hero should have a damn backbone. All she has to do is say 'Izumi-sama'."
"I will hurt Yomoki, though." Yuuta whispered. "I-I do not want to hurt anybody."
"Then choose one. You're only hurting them more." Tsumi ordered.
"I am just me! What is so great about that? Stop fighting over me! I am not worth it!" Yuuta shouted. "Please, do not yell at me!" Yuuta turned and ran.
Why? Why? Why do I always run? Tsumi-chan is right! Why did I come back? Doushite? She cried in her head as tears fell from her eyes.
They watched as Yuuta and Nekomon disappeared from sight. Yomoki glared at Koushirou. Koushirou just stared after Yuuta, his eyes sad.
Yuuta opened the door and slipped inside. Numemon and Gekomon looked up surprised.
"Yuuta?" They gasped. Suki ran out of the kitchen and Hiro jumped off the couch.
"Konnichiwa Okaasan, Otousan." Yuuta gasped.
"Yu-yuuta?" Suki choked.
"Hai."
Suki walked up and smacked Yuuta hard across the face. Yuuta faced the ground, her hair covered the large red mark and tear tracks.
"Don't...Don't ever do that to me again." Suki gulped. Yuuta looked up confused. Suki wrapped her arms around Yuuta. "You didn't say anything; you left without a word or note. Don't we mean anything to you? You're my only baby." Suki sobbed.
"Yuuta." Hiro breathed, his arms going around his wife and daughter. "You gave me gray hairs. You could've thought of that before you left." Hiro joked poorly.
"I am so sorry. I am so, so sorry." Yuuta wailed. "I am sorry everybody."