I'm continuing on with my revising/rewriting of this story, and this chapter felt a lot more depressing than it was originally. The first time around I had it end on a rather happy note, happy being relative, but I decided to add a little twist this go around.

Disclaimer: Don't own Digimon, but Bob Dylan might in another universe

Edit: 7/23/12 Came and revised a bit. Will continue to do so for later chapters. Cleaning up grammar mistakes, and certain wording or phrasing that I've come to not really like all that much. Just minor changes, nothing too serious. Just trying to improve the writing style, and experience for the reader.


Takeru had a hard time concentrating on the day that lay ahead of him, instead giving too much thought to the presents that he was still carrying around with him. One of them, the extremely expensive tiny package, was for a girl that he honestly did not want to see on White Day of all days, and the other was an envelope containing something that was meant for his possible future girlfriend. He was a bit excited and more than a bit nervous to give the latter gift, to be honest that experience was going to be so much easier than the situation with his old friend that he was going to have to go through, and Takeru just wanted to get rid of the gift that was meant for Hikari as soon as possible. It was a reminder of bad things, of thoughts that he didn't want in his head, but the worst part about it was that it was a way to pathetically cling onto the past. If he wanted any chance to move on from Yagami Hikari, this being something that Takeru honestly wasn't so sure about, then he would have to get rid of the little box that had become lost in his closet.

Most days, with the exception of this one, Takeru always looked forward to seeing Hikari. Lately though, they seemed to be more and more distant from one another, almost like strangers even, and Takeru wasn't sure what to make of it. On one hand it made the problems they were going through all the more awkward, but on the other hand, it made the two of them engage in those awkward interactions far less than they would have otherwise.

White Day was supposed to be a day of love, of sappy romance and star-crossed lovers as cheesy as it sounded, and that was exactly the reason that he didn't want to see Hikari. He didn't want to associate things like love with her anymore, and having to give her this gift that had cost him so much, not only in terms of money, but emotion as well, was actually starting to become somewhat painful. Valentine's Day had already been ruined for him; he didn't want the same to happen to White Day.

"Takeru, what's up? You walked right passed me."

He stopped to turn around and grinned when he saw his friend Daisuke standing at the gates of their school, apparently waiting for him, and he wondered if his old war buddy could give him any advice. This whole Hikari business was something that Daisuke himself had had past experience with, ugly and awkward experience with, and there was a bit of knowledge that Takeru wanted to know.

"Sorry man, there's something on my mind. Think you can help me with it?"

Daisuke eyed the blonde for a moment, all the while also eyeing the envelope and the package that was in his friend's hands, and he sighed since he had a feeling about what this was probably going to deal with. Even on White Day she had to fuck up Takeru's day.

"Is this about Hikari-chan?"

Takeru gave a forced laugh, wondering how he had been that transparent, and he hoped that what he was going to ask wouldn't bother Daisuke in any way. It had been a long time, but deep wounds always found a way of leaving scars.

"How did you get over her?"

Daisuke muttered a curse while he shook his head, feeling that Takeru didn't need to be bogged down by difficulties brought on by a girl who didn't even respect him. She didn't respect him enough to give Takeru a definite answer on his advances, she didn't respect him enough to not mock him behind his back, she didn't respect him enough to be mature enough about Takeru's possible new relationship with a girl, and she didn't respect him enough to let him go once he finally got the hint. Respect, like pride and honor, were one of the few things that made a man who he was.

"Can we have one day where we don't talk about her, man?"

Takeru didn't need charm or words to convince Daisuke to answer his question; all he needed was to look at him, and he knew that his friend would comply. Whether someone thought that Daisuke was an ass or a hero, and at times he could be both, he was always good friend, no matter what. Takeru only hoped that he could be as good a friend in return.

"Please, Dai."

Dai. It was strange hearing Takeru say his name like that, and seeing Takeru's embarrassed looking face, he knew it was strange for him to say it. The lack of honorifics between them was one thing, but a name like Dai was usually something Daisuke would expect a girl to say to him. He sounded desperate. Damn it, Takeru always knew how to get to him.

"Shit."

Takeru smiled.

"So how did you get over her?"

Daisuke was about to say something, but his attention, as well as Takeru's, drifted to a happy looking brunette that was now walking toward them. Rebound or not, and in Daisuke's opinion it definitely was a rebound, he was glad that Takeru had something to distract him from the more sensitive happenings that were going on. He was quiet when he answered his pal, this was business between them that nobody else needed to know, and he put an arm around Takeru as he whispered something in his ear.

"I gave myself a chance to be happy. I'm glad you're doing the same, Takeru."

Takeru felt his old friend pat him on the back and walk away, and he made sure to remind himself later to thank him for the simple yet helpful advice. Daisuke left without saying goodbye, probably out of some misplaced sense of honor concerning an unwritten rule in a nonexistent bro code, but he was glad to have the privacy at least. Ayano's hair was longer than Hikari's, about the same shade of brown, and he liked the fact that the two girls were about the same height. He didn't want to, he felt guilty doing so, but he couldn't help but compare Ayano and Hikari to each other. They had plenty of differences between them, but they also had their fair share of similarities as well. The most prominent and guilt-ridden one probably being that when he looked at either of the girls, it was Hikari that was the one that he thought about.

"Good morning, Takeru."

Takeru didn't respond but just kissed Ayano, wishing to get his thoughts about Hikari out of his head already. It worked for a moment, but the boy was dismayed when he began to wonder what it would feel like being kissed by his old comrade-in-arms. He had kissed Hikari before, but she had backed off, not kissing him in return. Unlike the girl in front of him she didn't want to kiss him, and Takeru felt guilty thinking about his friend while kissing a girl who was enamored with him. He stopped what he was doing and brushed some of Ayano's long hair out of her face; feeling terrible that he would rather be doing that to a different girl instead.

"I got you something."

He smiled as Ayano bit her lip nervously while looking at him, and he noticed that the girl's eyes moved to the envelope and then the package that he was holding. There was something in her eyes that made him feel like she was wondering which gift was meant for Hikari. He wondered if he had been that transparent, just as he had been with Daisuke earlier, and he breathed softly as he noted that Ayano's eyes were the same color as Hikari's. He forgot for a moment whose eyes they were.

"Which one is mine, Takeru-kun?"

He had to admit that he hated Ayano addressing him so formally, no matter how formal he already knew her to be, and he was curious if Hikari felt the same way when he had addressed her in such a manner. Was she angry? Was Yagami Hikari pining for him to be say her name more sweetly?

"Here."

It was easy enough for him to see the disappointed look on Ayano's face when he handed her the envelope instead of the prettily wrapped package. In hindsight it would have been better had he hidden Hikari's gift instead of carrying it around, and Takeru felt stupid for not putting it in his pocket. On top of that, he felt like an asshole as well for possibly hurting Ayano's feelings, among other things.

"Thank you, Takeru-kun."

He didn't like the way that Ayano looked away from him as she accepted the envelope that he was giving her, and Takeru pondered whether or not she knew the significance of the small box he was holding. Even though she was unaware of what was in the box, Takeru knew that she knew that it was important; she seemed to be at least a bit smart in the same way that his mother had always been.

"Please don't call me that."

Takeru felt that guilt once again when he saw Ayano look up at him with a forced smile that was not like any of the smiles that she had given him when they were alone. It reminded him about all the smiles that she gave to people who didn't like her, out of politeness; it reminded him of the smiles she gave to Miyako or Hikari whenever they were in the same room together. It was a smile, not of sincerity, but of passive aggression.

"I'm sorry, Takeru."

Addressing him in such a way had been forced, and Takeru didn't know if he hated that more, or if her addressing him with honorifics was more of a finger in the wound. Things had moved fast between the two of them, for obvious reasons that neither of the pair were too keen on focusing on, but Takeru didn't want things to end fast as well. If they did, he didn't want to blame Hikari either, but somehow deep down, he knew that he would.

"Is something wrong, Ayano?"

He made sure to coo her name in the way that he knew girls liked it, but he was disappointed when he saw that she didn't react in a smile. Instead she gave him a glare, an accusing eye.

"Why does everything have to be about her?"

Takeru tried to grab Ayano's hand that wasn't holding the envelope that he had given her, but she didn't let him, pulling her hand away when he touched her. She was now holding onto the envelope wondering what was inside of it; wondering why Takeru had even bothered to give it to her.

"It's not."

She kept glaring at him for a second, before she began to walk away from him heading towards the front door of the school's building. In any case, she didn't travel that far before Takeru grabbed onto her arm and stopped her.

"Where are you going?"

Her glare was just as sharp as ever, before roughly pulling away. She wondered what Goro would would have done, had he seen what Takeru just did. Probably try to kick Takeru's ass, if he could, but it wasn't something that Ayano was in any hurry to see.

"I'm going to class, Takeru."

The boy winced when he heard the harsh way that she had said his name.

"We have the same class, Ayano."

He returned the harshness.

"I don't want to walk with you."

Takeru felt bad when he saw her wince in the same manner that he did.

"Why not?"

The girl looked irritated with him, but Takeru didn't care. He wanted an answer. He was already too sick of bullshit.

"I want a little space for right now. You're being a bad boyfriend."

At first Takeru felt nothing, but then he felt hurt and angry. Space was what Hikari had asked for after she rejected him, and hearing Ayano say she wanted space as well, it was just another reminder of bad things, just like the package in his hand.

"Then maybe it's a good thing that your dad never said that you could date me."

Takeru yet again felt guilt when he saw the hurt look on Ayano's face, but the guilt was replaced with regret when he saw the way that she wasn't even looking at him anymore.

"If that's the way you feel, Takeru, then maybe we should stop," the girl paused for a moment not knowing what say, and she put a little bit of physical distance between them, before she motioned to the empty space separating them, "whatever the hell this is."

She turned away with the intent of walking away from Takeru, but stopped when she felt him grab her again. Knowing that he couldn't see her face she smiled for a moment, because the way he had grabbed her was gentle unlike before. She felt both of his hands on her, and knew that he had pocketed the gift that was without a doubt meant for Hikari. The Yagami girl had broken Takeru's heart, and now Ayano felt that she was playing a role in Takeru breaking hers.

"I'm sorry. I'm so damn sorry."

He repeated himself a number of times, and he whispered sweetly in her ears. He had let the hurt that he felt, hurt that Ayano wasn't even responsible for, get the better of him, and Takeru immediately regretted it. She was already just his distraction, he didn't want her to be a catalyst of bad thoughts as well.

"How do you think it makes me feel seeing you give another girl jewelry on White Day? Seeing you give her," here Ayano paused for a moment as she hoped that Takeru did not miss the way she had said the word 'her'. She felt his hands tense for a moment, and she knew that he got the hint, "jewelry on White Day?"

"I promise I'll get you some later."

Ayano turned to face Takeru again, and looked up at him with a face that he couldn't tell the meaning of. She couldn't believe that Takeru didn't understand what the problem was. She wasn't some shallow girl that cared about pretty trinkets; she was just a girl that cared about him.

"I don't care about jewelry, Takeru, but why are you giving it to her on White Day? It hurts and makes me feel like you value her more than you do me."

He would have grabbed her hands had she not been holding the envelope, and Takeru just stared at her, unsure of what to do. There were so many different directions that he could go, so many things that he could say, and as he saw the almost expectant way that she was looking at him, Takeru decided what he was going to do. He decided to lie to her.

"It's not like that Ayano, not at all. I got this for her a long time ago, and I just don't want to be around it anymore."

It was true, he didn't want to be around it, but there were other things at play as well. She looked away from him, as if she was unsure about whether or not to trust him, and Takeru found himself hating the sight.

"Really?"

Takeru lifted her head up to kiss her, and when their kiss finished he was glad that he saw her trying to hold back a smile. She had such a pretty smile, and he was glad that his most recent lie hadn't been as transparent as the other things that he had been trying to hide.

"Open what I got you."

Ayano had almost forgotten about the envelope, and she carefully opened it, curious to what was inside. She laughed and rolled her eyes when she saw that they were tickets to go watch a Bunraku show at the National Theater in Tokyo. She remembered telling Takeru that when she was a little girl, that she was scared of the puppets when her parents had taken her to a show, and that she had regretted being so frightened since they never took her to another one. Takeru was a sweetheart; Takeru was her sweetheart. She kissed him again, and smiled when he grabbed her hand.

Takeru smiled back, and noted how her hand felt just like Hikari's.


In another reality, I could have called you, friend.

Whatever the case may be, I'm enjoying the improvements that I'm making to the story. Changed the parts that I really didn't like in hindsight.