Author's Note: I don't own digimon. But only the storyline, of course. Please read and review. Thank you so much! :D
Chapter 6: Happy Birthday
A few days later, Rika woke up and realized that today was her twenty-fifth birthday. She recalled that she should have been dead six years ago just because of her illness. But now, she was given another chance to live and to see what was in store for her right now.
However, she was interrupted by the ringing of her phone. when Rika looked at it, she saw that it was her mother calling her.
"Hello, Mom?" Rika acknowledged as soon as she got hold of her phone.
"Hi, sweetie! Happy twenty-fifth birthday! I love you!" Mrs. Nonaka greeted from the other line. "And so does your grandmother!"
Rika felt teary-eyed as she thought of the fact that her mother greeted her again on her birthday. She wiped her tears as she tried to continue the call.
"Thanks, Mom!" Rika answered casually. I guess I'm lucky to have Mom here. She always thinks of me even if I didn't think much of her in the past.
"No problem! Oh, your grandmother's gonna greet you too!" Mrs. Nonaka replied. "Mom! Rika's on the other line!"
A pause followed as Rika waited for her grandmother.
"Hello, dear!" Grandma Seiko greeted as well. "Happy birthday! Your mother and I love you so much!"
"Thanks, Mom and Grandma! I love you so much as well," Rika answered back.
"You'll get your gift right now. We had mailed it to you several days ago so we presumed that it'll be yours on your day!" Grandma Seiko said.
"Okay, Mom and Grandma. Thank you so much!" Rika answered. "Bye!"
"Bye and don't forget to smile! It's your birthday!" Grandma Seiko replied jokingly.
When Rika had hung up the phone, she saw her clock. It read 7:10 A.M. her eyes went wide as she remembered that her work always start at eight.
"FUUUUUUUUUUCK!" Rika cursed loudly as she realized that she might get late because of her actions. "I'm gonna be late!"
Rika ran towards the bathroom so she could take a bath.
What a nice birthday gift ever! Rika thought with sarcasm.
At that moment, inside Henry's car, the blue-haired young man was holding his present for his girl. He smiled at the thought of her wearing it.
Happy birthday, Rika… Henry thought as he began to drive towards his office with a smile on his face.
Suddenly, his phone rang. It was Jeri's number flashing on the screen.
"Hello, Jeri?" Henry asked as soon as he placed the phone beside his ear.
"We're all set in surprising Rika!" Jeri smiled. "I'll take care of her while you guys and Alice go to her house."
"Good job," Henry remarked with the effort that Takato's crush had made. "Thanks for it, Jeri."
"No problem, Henry," Jeri answered brightly. "We all know that you still love Rika and will do anything to make her happy."
"I know," Henry answered with a blush on his face. "Anyway, I have to go. I'm driving now."
"Alright! See you!" Jeri exclaimed.
Henry let out a victorious smile. The surprise was going to happen in the Nonaka residence. He got a key to the house because he used to have replica of it when he and Rika were still dating before. It may be sneaky but it was worth everything.
At that moment, Rika was in front of their house and her hair was still dripping wet. She wore a red short-sleeved blouse along with a black skirt along with black wedged shoes. She was already lucky that a cab just pulled in front of her.
7:30… Rika thought as she saw her watch ticking. Just great! What a great way to start my birthday!
She hopped inside the car and closed the door. She had spent her time there fixing her hair as well as her face. When she felt that everything was fine, Rika had sat down and enjoyed the ride towards her office, even if she felt that it was not enjoyable because of the fact that she might be late.
Not long after, she arrived at her office ten minutes before eight. Fortunately, there was minimal traffic since it was only morning and cars would only dominate the main road during peak hours. When she hopped down, she saw her officemate Zoe Orimoto who was apparently standing in front of the bundy clock and punching in.
"Oh my gosh, Rika!" Zoe exclaimed since she only saw Rika at this time of day and apparently late. "Why are you late?"
Rika snorted since her officemate even demanded an explanation to why she was late.
"Long story, Zoe," Rika answered and huffed. "Can I punch in?"
Zoe moved away from the bundy clock and let Rika stand in front of it and punch herself in.
"Yeah, sure!" Zoe agreed and Rika had punched her ID so she could have a record on what time she had got in.
When she was done, Zoe offered to go with Rika. Rika only consented since she did not want to show up being late alone. But deep inside, Rika wished that no one would greet her on her birthday because she did not want to treat them to lunch. It was bad enough that she had not yet gotten her salary for this month.
"Hey, Rika…" Zoe answered.
"What?" Rika asked and turned to face Zoe.
"Is it your birthday today?" Zoe asked, out of the blue.
Rika immediately clamped her hand on Zoe's mouth in surprise. She did not want to be revealed as the birthday celebrant for today.
"Mmpph!" Zoe mumbled.
Rika eventually took her hand away and whispered. "Yes. It is. But don't tell anybody about it."
Zoe seemed oblivious to Rika's reason. "Why?" she asked.
"I don't want anybody to know," Rika answered. "I'm penniless today."
Zoe eventually laughed as she and Rika reached their cubicles already. "Oh, don't worry! Your secret is safe with me!" she assured.
"Thanks a lot, Zoe." Rika snorted, feeling embarrassed because of the fact that she might get exposed as today's birthday girl.
The auburn-haired young woman sat down on her cubicle and started to work once again. it felt good to have her birthday full of works because she wanted to get them accomplished as soon as possible so if she had the plan to have a vacation, at least she would not get loaded too much.
That morning, she was too busy proofreading other people's works that she did not even hear the voice calling out her name already. When she turned around, she saw Mimi Tachikawa this time.
"Rika! I've been calling you several times already!" Mimi said to her.
"Sorry. I'm just loaded today. What's up?" Rika asked sheepishly because of being ignorant to her friend's request.
"Happy…" Mimi started.
Rika eventually stood up from her seat and clamped her friend's mouth just like what she did to Zoe. But this time, Mimi's mouth is louder than Zoe's.
"Uhmpphh!" Mimi's voice became muffled at this point.
The auburn-haired woman removed her hand from her officemate's mouth. Now able to talk, Mimi raised an eyebrow.
"What's with you?" Mimi asked, somehow startled with what Rika just did.
"If you're greeting me a happy birthday, then thank you," Rika answered with a snort.
Mimi's face brightened up. "You're welcome!"
"Good." Rika flashed a devious grin.
"Why did you just shut me up?" Mimi asked her friend, curious to why she became silent in just a span of seconds.
"Because I don't want other people to know, remember?" Rika pointed out. "I've got no money to spare for my own birthday."
Mimi only smiled at her friend. "We know that, silly. We know you're broke."
Rika was startled because of Mimi understanding her. "Really? You understand me?"
"Of course we do! Not everybody's rich on their own birthday, you know?" Mimi chuckled. "Anyway, happy birthday!"
"Thank you," Rika answered and returned to proofreading her papers.
That afternoon, Rika was ready to go home when she saw a blonde walking towards her. When she squinted, she saw that it was Alice McCoy approaching her.
"Hey, Rika!" Alice greeted.
"Oh, hey, Alice!" Rika returned the greeting. "What brings you here?"
Alice only laughed. "Duh! I came here to see you!" she added.
"Okay…" Rika answered and Alice stood beside her.
Eventually, a taxi pulled up in front of the two. Alice opened the door for her and Rika to get inside. Once they were already there in the taxi, the two found themselves comfortable with the seats.
"So, how's life?" Alice asked Rika, who was looking at the window as the yellow taxi was making its way downtown. "I've never spoke to you that much since Jeri's so busy with you."
Rika turned to face Alice and gave a warm smile. "Oh… I'm fine… Sorry about that. That little brunette's mouth can be compared to a machine gun sometimes!" she added.
"I'm not surprised," Alice answered with a snicker.
"Well… I'm working as an editor in Shinjuku Publishing," Rika spoke up. "And that went around for two years already."
"That's good," Alice answered.
"How about you? What happened to you in America anyway?" Rika asked, curious of her friend's latest adventures since six years ago.
"Oh, me? well, I'm still single and ready to mingle!" Alice answered with a grin. "Just kidding. I studied and worked in America. I just got home four days prior to our high school reunion."
"Single?" Rika raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
Alice let out an amused glance. "Let's just say that I'm reserving myself for someone else. My V-card for that matter!"
"What?" Rika could not believe what she heard. "V-card?"
"Aha!" Alice smirked with her American accent.
"Boy, I think America poisoned your mind or something!" Rika remarked sarcastically, noticing how her friend changed. "You never speak like that before."
"Well… It did…" Alice agreed to what her friend said. "And I'm single because… I'm… waiting for… someone… else."
Rika instantly became interested in Alice's words. "Someone else? Who?"
Alice gave her an odd look. "Come on, Rika! I think you know who I'm talking about!"
Rika only nodded. She knew that the guy Alice was talking about was no other than the blue-eyed and spiky-haired Ryo Akiyama. Well, as far as she could remember, Ryo had given up on her because she was already in a relationship with Henry. But fortunately, when she saw Ryo during the reunion, it seemed that he had the hots for someone else.
"Oh… Ryo…" Rika whispered. "Come on, Alice! It'll be a lot easier for you…"
"You don't know the rest of it, girl." Alice sighed. "It seemed that he preferred someone else after he knew you were taken already."
Rika raised an eyebrow. "What?"
"I think he really thinks of me as his Baby Girl and nothing else," Alice concluded.
Rika laughed ridiculously. She had known about the endearment Alice and Ryo used for each other.
"Don't worry, Alice!" Rika assured. "Maybe he just doesn't realize how lucky he is because of you."
"Thanks, Rika," Alice said in appreciation.
The auburn-haired young woman nodded as they resumed their normal conversation. Not long after, Alice's phone beeped.
"Hey, Alice! Are you with Rika already?" the message was from Henry.
"Yes, I am. Are you guys there already?" Alice replied.
"Yes. We're waiting for you!" Henry replied again.
"Okay."
Alice was glad that she had to communicate with Henry through text messaging. After what she heard from Henry, Takato and Jeri, Rika was the person who never liked being surprised.
I wonder if she's gonna like it this time, Alice thought.
Not long after, the taxi pulled to a stop at the Nonaka residence. When they got down, Alice paid the fare while Rika wore a curious look as she saw the street sign. They were already standing in front of her house.
Why did we stop in my house? Rika thought.
Alice became speechless and returned to texting Henry.
"Henry! We're here already! Can we go inside now?"
Fortunately, Henry was holding his phone at this moment so it was easy for him to reply to Alice's texts.
"Okay! You can come in now!"
Then, Alice prodded Rika to open the gate. Fortunately, Rika opened the gate but the main door was the harder part since she left no light open there.
"Oh! Where did I put those keys?!" Rika grumbled.
"You need help?" Alice offered.
"A good lighting, I guess…" Rika said as she continued searching for her house keys.
Alice opened her phone so its light would be used to find Rika's keys. When Rika finally found them, she used it to open the door and turned the light on. When the light opened, there was a…
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, RIKA!"
Rika was amazed since she did not think that her friends and family would surprise her on her twenty-fifth birthday. She saw Henry, Takato, Jeri, Kazu, Kenta, Ryo, and Alice who had just joined them.
"Guys, you shouldn't have!" Rika commented.
"It's our pleasure, Rika! It's your birthday!" Jeri assured. "Happy twenty-fifth birthday!"
"Happy birthday, Rika!" Alice greeted. "Sorry if I just told you now!"
"You're an idiot! We've rode the same taxi yet you didn't even greet me!" Rika snorted. "But anyway, thank you!"
"We cooked everything for you, Rika!" Takato said cheerfully.
"Yeah, Wildcat! Happy birthday!" Ryo chuckled while being beside Alice. "From me and Alice! Let's eat!"
Little did Ryo know is that Alice blushed at the phrase "From me and Alice".
Really? Alice thought. That's sweet of him!
"Uhm… Thanks, guys!" Rika said, still awestruck with the fact that she got surprised on her own birthday and she did not expect it at least but eventually smiled as well.
"You're welcome, Rika!" they chorused.
Noticing that she had not been eating yet, Rika's stomach began to grumble.
"Now let's go eat!" Rika answered as she saw the food and the aroma of them filled the air with a smile on her face.
"FOOOOD!" Kazu and Kenta exclaimed at the same time.
Henry followed Rika after and smiled. He could not believe that he made Rika happy again. The entire gang fell in line as they gathered the food that was on the table. There was sushi, sashimi, yakitori and yakiniku in the table. They had been prepared by Jeri, Henry, Takato and Alice as well. Takato, Kazu and Kenta sat on one table while Ryo joined them. Henry went somewhere because he was supposed to answer a call.
While they were eating, Rika joined Jeri in one part of the living room.
"Say, Jeri… Thanks for the surprise!" Rika said as she ate her sushi. "I owe you one."
Jeri chuckled. "Uh… Rika, I think you shouldn't thank me!" she added.
Rika raised an eyebrow. "Why not? It's you who surprised me!" she said in reply.
"No, I'm not…" Jeri denied with a laugh. "Seriously, I'm not the one!"
That very moment, Jeri saw Henry walking towards them and returned her gaze to Rika.
"It's him you should thank," Jeri said pouting her lips eastward.
Rika looked to the direction where Jeri's lips pouted. She saw Henry and the thought of him throwing her a surprise party made her blush.
"Henry? He's the one behind this?" Rika asked consequently.
"Why don't you try asking him, Rika?" Jeri chuckled. "Silly Rika!"
Henry eventually arrived to where Rika was. Jeri stood up in order to leave the couple alone.
"I'd better go and rejoin Alice!" Jeri said, bringing her plate of food with her.
Now alone and seated on the couch, Rika took the opportunity to ask Henry who was bringing a plate full of sushi, sashimi, yakiniku and yakitori.
"Henry?" Rika asked, looking at his calm and grey eyes.
"Yes, Rika?" Henry asked with a smile.
"Did you plan this surprise party for me?" Rika asked, wanting to know the truth.
Henry took a deep breath. I just hope she says she likes this.
"Yes," Henry's answer came.
Rika felt her cheeks turn hot. First, they met and danced during their high school reunion and now, he even surprised her on her twenty-fifth birthday.
"I… I… Thank you…" Rika managed to say. "I'm really touched with what you did."
Henry held Rika's chin through his first two fingers and smiled. "You're welcome!" he added.
Rika's face slowly formed a smile.
"Are you enjoying?" Henry asked.
"Of course!" Rika said with giggles and smiled at him.
Then they heard Alice speak up. Henry and Rika looked in front.
"Paging, Henry and Rika! You better go here so you can see what our next surprise is!" she said.
Henry and Rika looked at each other and smiled. Henry brought Rika's plate since the latter was not yet finished eating. They saw two vacant seats with Henry letting Rika sit first then him.
"However, the next surprise will be the singing of Rika Nonaka with a song!" Alice declared.
Rika became aghast. She was going to sing a song?!
Ridiculous! Rika thought. I thought my thirteenth birthday was the last time!
"Rika! Rika! Rika! Rika!" they cheered in order for her to sing a song.
Noticing that Rika was feeling embarrassed, Henry stood up.
"I'm going to sing with her," Henry answered. "Duet."
Rika's eyes widened as this point and her heart raced. Why would Henry sing with her?
Gosh… Rika thought.
The thought of Henry singing made Rika blush. Yes, he has a beautiful voice whenever he speaks but with him singing was something that she would see for the first time.
"Uh… Okay…" Rika said sheepishly.
With this, Jeri took the microphone from the television set and handed it over to the couple. Henry took the other and gave the other to Rika.
"Alright…" Jeri chose a song that was on the television screen. "Karaoke here we go!"
Eventually, Jeri played the song. It was entitled "Way Back Into Love". At this time, Rika was sounding nervous because the song somehow relates to her problem right now. She was still in love with Henry and was still trying to find her way back.
Henry looked at Rika as his heart raced in anticipation. For him, Rika had a beautiful singing voice during the time she sang on her thirteenth birthday after the Parasimon fiasco.
With this, the auburn-haired young woman started the song.
Rika:
I've been living with a shadow overhead,
I've been sleeping with a cloud above my bed,
I've been lonely for so long,
Trapped in the past,
I just can't seem to move on!
Henry:
I've been hiding all my hopes and dreams away,
Just in case I ever need 'em again someday,
I've been setting aside time,
To clear a little space in the corners of my mind!
Henry and Rika:
All I wanna do is find a way back into love.
I can't make it through without a way back into love.
Ooo hooow
Henry looked at Rika as they finished the chorus. That was it. He was definitely and very much in love with her. Maybe a second chance awaited the two.
Rika:
I've been watching but the stars refuse to shine,
I've been searching but I just don't see the signs,
I know that it's out there,
There's gotta be something for my soul somewhere!
Henry:
I've been looking for someone to she'd some light,
Not somebody just to get me through the night,
I could use some direction,
And I'm open to your suggestions.
Henry and Rika:
All I wanna do is find a way back into love.
I can't make it through without a way back into love.
And if I open my heart again,
I guess I'm hoping you'll be there for me in the end!
Rika:
There are moments when I don't know if it's real
Or if anybody feels the way I feel
I need inspiration
Not just another negotiation
Henry and Rika:
All I wanna do is find a way back into love,
I can't make it through without a way back into love,
And if I open my heart to you,
I'm hoping you'll show me what to do,
And if you help me to start again,
You know that I'll be there for you in the end!
After the song, Rika looked at Henry oddly. Both of them suddenly felt the spark that was inside their bodies during the time they were singing.
However, their friends noticed that the couple froze on the spot. Jeri and Takato now had a hunch that the two were still in love with each other but were afraid to pursue another relationship. Ryo and Alice were whispering while Kazu and Kenta only cheered for the couple.
I know that they're still into each other, Takato thought. I just wish the best for them.
Eventually, the two returned to their seats with smiles on their faces. They watched the diminutive duo of Kazu and Kenta singing Aerosmith's "I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing."
"I think it's fun to sing!" Rika remarked as she sat down on the couch once again.
"I agree, Rika," Henry answered with a smile and suddenly, he remembered what he got for her. "Anyway, I have something for you."
Henry pulled out something from his back a box that was as big as a notebook. It was wrapped in a red gift wrapper.
"Anyway, here's for you," Henry said as he gave it to Rika.
Rika was surprised with Henry's chivalry. "Henry… You shouldn't have… You gave me a party and this…"
"It's okay," Henry answered with a smile.
"Thanks… anyway…" Rika mumbled.
"No problem! Open it!" Henry assured her.
Rika was holding Henry's gift. She tore the wrapper so she could fully open it. She lifted the top of the box until she saw a notebook and a paper with a drawing inside. She was surprised with the drawing and as she took a closer look, she realized that it was a drawing of her.
"Wow!" Rika could only say. "How did you have a picture of me?"
Henry laughed at Rika's cluelessness.
"I still have a picture of you," Henry answered simply. "And the notebook is actually a journal… I know you love to draw and write so I combined them into one."
Rika removed the journal from the box and smiled at Henry because of his efforts for her.
"Thanks, Henry, for everything… I never had a memorable birthday after my death and the years that followed," Rika explained as she pinched Henry's cheek affectionately.
"You're welcome, Jill… I want you to know that I'll be always here for you…" Henry assured her.
The two eventually saw Takato and Jeri together. They were laughing at the brown-haired couple because of their subtle feelings for each other.
"Rika!" Jeri called out and gave her a bag. "Happy Birthday! Here's my gift!"
Rika took the paper bag and smiled at Jeri. "Thanks, Jeri!" she said.
"You're welcome, Rika!" Jeri answered with a smile.
Rika realized that she was truly lucky because of her friends and her ex-boyfriend. Henry still cared for her and even surprised her with a party. But she was still in a quandary if she would want to start a relationship with him once again. She was afraid that they would not work out because of the things that happened during the course of her absence.
Maybe I shouldn't think of it right now, Rika thought as she saw her friends with her. I'm happy that I'm with these kinds of friends that treasure me despite all the things I did.
At that very moment, Takato sensed the tension in the air and wanted to break the silence. Alice, Ryo, Kazu and Kenta went towards them at the same time.
"So, guys! What do you think of spending a vacation?" Takato asked his friends.
"Where?" Jeri, Alice and Rika asked in unison.
"Well, Kai's been really dragging me to Okinawa so I already agreed. By the way, it's gonna be on Friday next week," Takato answered.
Rika seemed fond of the idea regarding a vacation since she had not gone out since five months ago wherein they covered an event that was located in Kyushu. She was ready to say yes until she heard Henry spoke up.
"Uh… I'm in!" Henry said while raising his hand.
"Me too!" Jeri said excitedly and turned to Rika. "What about you, Rika?"
"Count us in!" Ryo exclaimed and winked at Alice. "Right, Alice?"
"Uh… Sure! It's the only way to maximize my stay here in America!" Alice smiled.
"Vacation?! Count us in!" Kazu replied proudly.
Rika was the only one who was not yet answering and the group was already staring at her.
"What?" Rika asked, feeling uncomfortable with the stares she got from her friends.
"You're not saying anything, Rika," Jeri spoke up.
"Oh that?" Rika answered as she recovered. "Well, I'm in! I really wanted to go out of Shinjuku for a while."
Takato clapped his hands proudly as everyone was amiable to the plan. "Then it's settled! We'll be going to Okinawa from Friday next week until the Tuesday!"
Eventually a loud cheer filled the Nonaka residence.