--
She could not have been happier. She was sure, oh so sure, that it was time. Tonight was the night. The night she had been waiting for for quite a while now. The night she would always dream about, playing out the conversation in her head. What she would say, what he would say, what she'd be wearing, what he'd be wearing...
Tonight was the night Matt would turn into her Prince Charming, and she his Cinderella. Although much more better looking and richer, of course. God forbid Mimi ever had to clean floors and wash clothes by hand.
Yes, Mimi was quite certain that tonight would be the night that Yamato Ishida would find out what it was exactly that Mimi felt for him. And, if she dared dream, he would return those feelings. Everything was going to go perfectly.
With a little happy sigh, she waited nervously for her drink. Lost in her own little world, she didn't realise that someone was talking to her.
"Huh?" she said lost, not knowing what the girl in front of her was saying, and to be completely honest, not really caring either.
The girl with the spiky red hair just offered her a goofy smile.
"I said that's a nice dress Mimi," she repeated excitedly, clearly not noticing the other girl's disinterest.
Mimi didn't even bother to ask how on earth this stranger knew her name. It was common knowledge that everybody who was anybody in Odaiba High knew who Mimi Tachikawa was. As she constantly received flattering comments and compliments about her style of hair, choice of clothing (funny, since they all wore the same uniform to school), some even going so far as to admire her socks, she smiled quickly at the girl, saying a brief thanks and turning her head the other way, silently hoping the girl would stop talking so she could plan ahead her difficult and nerve-wrecking task. To Mimi's dismay however, the girl insisted on talking to her.
"I'm Jun, Jun Motomiya," she introduced herself with a happy grin.
Mimi, her interest sparked for a few seconds, wondered how she could not have seen the resemblance to Davis sooner. Of course, her mind was on other, more important things right now, so it was understandable she hadn't realised. As she looked Jun Motomiya up and down, taking in her exuberant outfit of a neon pink t-shirt that clashed horribly with her hair, and black pants that were a few seasons too old, she thought back to Davis, and determined that bad fashion sense was a genetic defect.
Finishing her analysis of the bubbly and blessfully ignorant girl in front of her, Mimi decided she would be nice. She was feeling happy, there was no need to ruin it just because someone looked like they'd just chucked on the first thing they had seen when they'd opened their wardrobe. She smiled at the girl, who Mimi was sure wouldn't care either way whether Mimi insulted her or not, and politely introduced herself. Unfortunately, that just served to enhance Jun's excitement, and cause her to start blabbering on about the concert, and how much fun it had been, and 'Oh, didn't Matt look gorgeous in that outfit?'.
Mimi found herself nodding distractedly to everything Jun said. She might as well have said that ruffles were in this season, and Mimi would have agreed with her.
"Too bad he's taken though," Jun said with a resigned sigh.
Too right he's taken, Mimi thought smugly. After tonight, all those fan girls of his better watch out because Matt was hers and hers alone, and she wasn't going to tolerate any--
Wait a minute. How on earth did Jun know she and Matt were going to be together, when Matt himself didn't know what she felt?
Unless... Unless... No.
"What did you say?" she snapped at the girl harshly, terror and panic taking over her.
Jun, raised her eyebrows, oblivious to Mimi's harsh tones, but surprised at the girls lack of knowledge. Wasn't she meant to be Matt's friend? How was it possible she didn't know that a close friend of hers was going out with someone?
"You don't know?" she asked surprised.
"Know what?" Mimi asked in a fearful voice.
Of course, Jun realised. Matt and his girlfriend- what was her name, Sara, Suri?- probably didn't want a lot of people knowing. It would make their life impossible, especially Sara's, when she had to avoid attacks from screaming and envious fan girls. It warmed her heart a little to know that they had been eager enough to tell her, Jun, and not even confess their secret relationship to their friends.
"Jun!" she was snapped back to the topic at hand when Mimi violently grabbed with both hands the girl's shoulders and started shaking her roughly.
"Will you tell me what I need to know already!" she exclaimed, her chocolate eyes practically burning into Jun's, filled with... was that panic?
"OK, OK!" Jun said quickly, trying to fight Mimi's death grip, "My goodness woman, calm yourself down!"
Mimi quickly realised that if she didn't let go of Jun, she would most likely end up shaking the life out of her.
"Oh, right," she said flustered, quickly letting go and patting Jun's shoulders as if to clear any wrinkles she may have made. She smiled sheepishly, "Sorry about that."
Jun just nodded, now aware as to why so many of her fellow classmates considered the brunette as sometimes completely and utterly terrifying.
"What was I saying?" Jun asked, regaining her posture. She took a look at Mimi's glaring face. "Oh right," she added quickly.
"Well," she started, relishing on the fact that Mimi was hooked on to her every word, "Matt's already got a girlfriend. I witnessed it myself, and, I'm disappointed to say that they look very happy and very in love."
For the first time in her life, Mimi was speechless. Taking on the well known goldfish look, opening and closing her mouth with no audible words coming out, she tried to control the rush of emotions that had taken control of her. Matt had a girlfriend, she found herself thinking numbly. And here I was, all this time, thinking I had a chance. She closed her eyes, willing the tears go back to where they came from. The last thing she needed now was to start bawling her eyes out like an idiot, only to have Matt and Sora rush over and ask her what was wrong. She had thought he was her Prince Charming. She had thought that they would end up together, living happily ever after. Oh god, how it hurt to know that he was living his happily ever after with someone else.
She had always been able to tell what people's feelings toward others were, like how Tai was completely enamored with Sora. And how T.K and Kari seemed to be a match made in heaven. Oh god. How on earth was she ever going to face him again? She felt so, so stupid. The painful realisation that she hadn't won Matt's heart was too much to bear, let alone the fact that she had actually considered him liking her back.
Dreading the answer, but curious to know it, she asked Jun who it was that Matt was so in love with. She opened her eyes to see her looking over at Matt and Sora.
"There they are," she told Mimi, nodding with her head in their direction, "They do make a good couple don't they? She's very pretty too."
Mimi's shock was momentarily replaced with confusion. With a heavy frown marring her features, she turned to look at Sora and Matt. Matt appeared to be blushing, but both were sporting a smile.
"I don't understand..." she trailed off, looking perplexed at Jun.
"Yes, look, right over there. He's with her right now," she said, moving to take Mimi by her shoulders, and turning her whole body to face them. "Sera or Sora I think her name is."
Mimi's eyes were wide as saucers. Matt and Sora? No way. It had to be a joke. Sora had never ever shown an interest in him. On the contrary, she sometimes grumbled about his obsession with his need to have his hair perfect at all times, and how his somber mood sometimes made her want to hit him so she could get at least somesort of reaction. What Sora liked in a guy was the complete opposite of what Matt was. It was silly. It was ridiculous. It was like combining green with red. Separately, they were two great colours, but together, they just clashed. It was absurd. But when she turned to look at Jun and saw no trace of amusement in her facial features, she realised, with a sharp intake of breath, that it was true. She turned back to face the couple just as they shared an intimate hug. They separated and both started grinning. The dreamy smile on Matt's face wasn't lost on her, and to know that his smile was meant for her best friend, and not for her, made her heart break in two. There was nothing she could do to stop the tears now. She let out a sob, earning a worried glance from Jun, and turned away quickly.
"Mimi, are you okay..?" but Jun's question wasn't answered nor heard, since Mimi had sprinted off toward the exit doors, leaving Jun standing in line, completely baffled.
The poor dear, she thought to herself, stepping up to the counter, I'm amazed at how obsessed some girls are with famous boys... Good thing you're not like that, Jun.
--
"Did you see how everyone loved Matt? It was incredible!" Kari laughed, as she and T.K walked down the street. T.K had offered to walk Kari home after the concert, and the latter had blushingly accepted, secretly overjoyed that she wouldn't head home alone, and had none other than T.K to accompany her. A little stroll with a slight spring breeze that carried the scent of freshly bloomed flowers, in Kari's opinion, could always help grow two people's relationship couldn't it?
"He's gotten so popular, I was actually scared for him when that mob of girls tried to get on the stage," he told her with a smile.
Kari hit his arm playfully and smiled up at him.
"Well, I'm sure being Matt Ishida's brother must have its perks too," she teased him.
T.K laughed and grinned confidently.
"Yeah, all girls love a mini Matt," he said cheekily, "I even had someone ask for my autograph before. I should start a fan club."
"Well, well, you might just take after your brother after all," she told him laughing.
"Not a chance," he shook his head and flashed her a smile, "Just the thought of standing in front of hundreds of people makes me nervous."
"Funny, Matt doesn't seem to have that problem," she mused, "He's pretty confident isn't he?"
"Only when he's on a stage," T.K smiled wickedly, suddenly remembering Matt talking to himself in the mirror, trying to tell Mimi what he felt. Laughing out loud at the memory, he recounted the anecdote to Kari, who was clutching her sides from giggling so much when he finished.
"Oh, dear, poor Matt," she giggled, "But that wasn't completely unexpected. I always thought he and Mimi would make a nice couple."
"Yeah, well," T.K offered, "I'm afraid by the time he gets around to telling her, I'll have invented a time travelling machine."
"And here I was thinking you weren't a science kind of guy," she smiled.
"I'm just full of surprises, aren't I?" he said.
Kari smiled and they walked in a comfortable silence. They had almost reached her building when T.K remembered something he had wanted to ask her.
"Kari, where's Tai? I haven't seen him lately," he frowned, looking up at the building in front of him as though it held some sort of clue, "He wasn't at the concert either."
"He's at home," Kari sighed, "This is only a feeling, but I think something's up."
"What do you mean?"
"He's just... not himself. He sulks around the house, locks himself in his room and won't come out. We had to literally drag him out for lunch!"
"He doesn't want to eat?" T.K asked, shocked. It wasn't like Tai to give up food. "Something must really be bothering him then."
"Yeah," Kari nodded worriedly, "But he won't tell me. It's like he's shut himself away. I'm going to try talking to him though, I can't stand seeing him like this."
T.K nodded, "Best way to solve the problem is to find the cause."
Kari smiled up at him, and he felt his cheeks grow warm.
They had reached Kari's apartment building, and were standing outside the main door. Turning around to face her with a cheeky smile, intending to tell her that he should go, since all those fangirls would be missing him, all traces of it disappeared when his eyes locked with hers. Instead, his palms got all sweaty, and keeping his eyes locked with Kari's was the only thing he could do to keep himself from running away. Now was the time, T.K thought. Go for it, you've nothing to lose. But telling Kari how he felt wasn't as easy as he thought it would have been. He suddenly felt bad for laughing at Matt, as T.K thought his own attempts wouldn't be much better.
Deciding he should probably say something before Kari left to go inside, he willed himself to open his mouth and say something. Anything.
"I really like your hair," he blurted out without thinking, and mentally kicked himself as soon as the words were out. What on earth was that! That was pathetic! Oh god, he really was starting to resemble Matt. Kari frowned in confusion and an amused smile appeared on her face, while T.K, wide-eyed, tried frantically to think of something else, anything else to say.
"I mean," he started nervously, rubbing his palms against his sides to free them of sweat, "I... I..."
"What is it T.K?" Kari asked gently, placing a hand on his arm.
Now or never.
"I really like you Kari. As something a lot more than a friend," he finally sighed, eyes glancing briefly down, a faint pink colouring his cheeks. At least he hadn't stuttered. He was sure Matt would have stuttered.
With all the will power he had, he bravely lifted his eyes to meet hers. His eyebrows shot up when, for an instant, he saw Kari grinning, right before she had placed her lips on his and the two met in a gentle kiss.
--
Kari didn't know how she had made it all the way to her front door. She didn't even remember how she had gotten in the elevator, or pressed the button that took her to her floor. But there she was, standing in front of the Kamiya household. She was in a daze. She couldn't believe it. She had just kissed T.K, her best friend since their experience together as DigiDestined. And he had kissed her back! Did this make them boyfriend and girlfriend? Kari wasn't sure what to do now. All she knew was that she had enjoyed kissing T.K. A lot. And she hoped she'd get to do it more often.
Walking into her home, lost in her own little world, she didn't notice anything around her. Tai was sitting on the couch, lazily surfing through the channels. He looked up when he saw Kari enter, and followed her with his gaze until she quietly sat down on the free couch, eyes never getting rid of that far-away look. Tai, eyebrows raised at his sister's quiet demeanour, never took his eyes off her, contemplating her and trying to put his finger on what was different about her, apart from the obvious fact that she was silent as a tomb and she kept her gaze forward, never even blinking.
And then, suddenly, with no explicable reason nor warning, Kari grabbed a pillow from her side, stuffed her face in it and let out a high pitched shriek.
Tai, startled to death by his sister's sudden act, acted on instinct. He jumped up on the couch, grabbing a pillow and placing it in front of himself as a shield and he too, screamed.
"HOLY MOTHER OF-"
He didn't finish the sentence, however, because just as quickly as his sister had started shrieking, she had now taken the pillow from her face, only to reveal a humongous grin. She was giggling hysterically, her eyes twinkling, and she got up on the couch and started jumping happily up and down, punching the air with glee.
Tai was astonished. Keeping his shield-pillow firmly in front of him, he swivelled his head around it to take a look at Kari. His mouth fell open at the sight of her, and he just stood there, wondering what the hellwas wrong with his sister. Both siblings stood like that for a while, Tai too scared to do anything, and Kari too lost in celebration to notice Tai.
Panting, Kari finally stopped jumping up and down on the couch, and took deep breaths to calm herself, the large grin never leaving her face. Once her breathing was back to normal she looked around and finally saw Tai. This one, scared for his safety, quickly hid his head behind the pillow once more, hoping with every bone in his body that Kari hadn't seen him.
"Oh," was all that Kari said after realising her brother was standing a meter away fom her with a pillow covering his face, "Hi Tai."
Warily, he cautiously stuck his head out once more from behind the pillow.
"Um," he wasn't quite sure what to say, "Hi Kari?"
Kari just offered him a larger grin, and Tai feared her mouth would take over her whole face. Placing the pillow next to her and sitting down as though nothing had happened, Kari placed her hands in her lap and fixed her gaze on the TV. Slowly and oh so carefully, Tai grudgingly put the pillow down and imitated his sisters action by sitting down on the couch and placing both hands in his lap. The two siblings stayed like that, with twin postures, their attention fixed solely on the television, Kari once again in her own little world, and Tai too fearful to say anything.
They were still like that when Mrs. Kamiya opened the door to their home, shouted a nice and loud, 'I'm home!' and stood stock still when she reached the living room carrying a grocery bag. Kari and Tai didn't budge though, although Tai's eyes shot nervous glances toward his mum. Trying to explain with only his eyes that Kari had had a completely mental moment not too long ago, widening his eyes when he was describing her jumping up and down, and closing them for effect to represent him hiding behind the pillow, he thought he had done a pretty good job at an explanation. His mother however, merely raised an eyebrow and worried slightly about his son's mental health. Now that she thought about it, he hadn't been eating as much as he used to... Maybe the lack of food his body was accustomed to was making him delirious.
Deciding to put a silence to this eerie quite that had invaded the normally raucous Kamiya home, she carefully placed the grocery bag on the coffee table and looked at her children.
"Kids?" she asked carefully, the word seemingly echoing in the silence.
"KARI JUST ACTED ALL WEIRD!" Tai shouted, jumping up on the couch and pointing a blaming finger at his sister, who too could not keep her mouth closed any second longer.
"T.K AND I KISSED!" she blurted out, then turning a fairly pink-ish shade as she realised what she had just exclaimed.
Once more another silence ensued, this time rewarding Tai and his mother with jawlines that reached the floor.
They stood like that until Tai finally reacted.
"I'll kill him!" he shouted angrily, jumping off the couch and rushing toward the door, only to realise that his arms and legs were moving, but he wasn't getting any closer to it. Turning his head around, he saw his mother had gotten a grip on his t-shirt and was preventing him from making any process on his Must-Kill-T.K mission.
"You aren't going to kill anyone Tai," Kari told him dryly.
"Wanna bet," he grumbled under his breath, doubling his efforts on getting to the door. He grew tired quickly though, and with a resigned sigh stopped trying. "Fine," he huffed, "I'll let him live. For now." He turned back around to face his sister and mother, crossing his arms in front of his chest, with every intention of appearing dangerous. Much to his dismay, his mother and sister weren't fooled by his actions, and knew he was trying hard not to pout like a 5 year old who had been denied his favourite toy.
Her mother, her reaction the exact opposite to Tai's, was smiling warmly at her daughter. Ever since she was little, they had always shared everything. Kari had always told her secrets to her mother, and had always looked for her mother's approval. Now, seeing her mum with a smile on her face, and right after confessing that she had kissed her first boy no less, conjured up a small smile on her features and made her feel giddy with happiness.
"Well," her mother said, "I've always thought T.K was a very nice young man. Very handsome too," she added with a wink that made Kari blush red and Tai groan, "Please, save me the torture and kill me now."
Grabbing the grocery bag and sharing a secret smile with her daughter and a look that said We'll-talk-about-details-later, she left her son and daughter in the living room so she could go make dinner. Kari looked over at Tai, who had sat down on the couch and was looking grumpily anywhere but at his sister.
"Oh, come on Tai," Kari sighed, going over to sit next to her brother. She tucked one leg underneath her and let the other hang over the side of the couch, "Can't you be at least a little bit happy for me?"
Tai looked at her suspiciously, before turning his attention somewhere else. He decided glaring at the man on the television would do. He had never really liked that anchor-man anyway. Did he really think nobody knew that that small quantity of hair on top of his head was a wig?
"Tai," Kari prodded his side gently, "Come on. You can't stay mad forever."
"Yes, I can," he said stubbornly.
"I really like him Tai," she confessed gently, blushing slightly once more, "And I have for a while now. And I'm happy, really happy, because he likes me too." And he likes my hair, she thought with a smile.
Tai let out a sigh and looked over at his sister. Her warm eyes were glowing, alight with happiness and she looked as though the smile on her face would never leave.
"Well, at least it wasn't Davis," he muttered, "There's only room for one goggle-head in this family."
Kari threw her head back and laughed, emitting a soft happy noise as she reached forward to hug her brother. Her smile was infectious and Tai found himself smiling into her hair. If Kari was happy, he'd be happy. And, if he was completely honest with himself, he liked T.K. He would make Kari happy and treat her right. It would have been a pity to have to kill him.
When they let go, Tai rearranged his features quickly, making sure Kari didn't see even the ghost of a smile on his face. They both turned back to the TV. The disliked anchor-man was know organizing his notes, which he had just dropped all over the floor in an act of clumsiness.
"I still think you're not old enough to have a boyfriend," he muttered after a few seconds of silence.
Kari let out a derisive snort of laughter. "Oh please," she said with a roll of her eyes, "When you were my age you had already had at least 3 girlfriends. And you didn't even like them!"
"I did too like them!"
"No you didn't Tai," she shook her head, "You wanted Sora but were too chicken to do anything, so you said yes to all the pretty girls that asked you out. You liked Sora- You still do like Sora." She placed a hand over her heart and one over her forehead, and with a dramatic voice said, "Face it Tai. She's the love of your life."
Grinning as she turned to look at him, it soon faded when she noticed her brother's stony expression on his face. The sudden change of attitude had her raising her eyebrows in surprise, and then frowning in worry.
Tai's whole body was tensed, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles were turning white, and his eyes, now cool instead of teasing, were determined to stare straight ahead.
Had Kari crossed some sort of invisible line she didn't know about?
"Are- Are you okay Tai?" Kari asked, looking nervously at her brother.
"Fine," he answered coldly.
Not believing him for a second, and knowing a good reason as to why Tai would be this cold, she placed a warm hand on his chin and gently turned his face to look at her. Once their eyes were locked, she raised her eyebrows and asked carefully, "Has something happened with Sora?"
Tai looked like he wanted to shout at her angrily, push her away and tell her to mind her own business. But Kari's warm eyes reminded him so much of Sora's that he found it impossible to even raise his voice in the slightest. Instead, he just hung his head in defeat, and slumped his shoulders, all pretense of coldness gone. There, now standing in front of her was a vulnerable Tai she had only seen a unique number of times her whole life. She gently grabbed both of his larger hands in her smaller ones and talked in a gentle voice.
"Hey... What's wrong?"
Tai raised his eyes to hers and she saw the devastating sadness that filled them.
"Sora...," he started, trying hard not to let his voice catch, "She... She..."
"Yes?" Kari asked carefully, having a slight idea as to what had happened. Sora had rejected her brother. He had finally had the courage to tell her how he felt, and she had rejected him. Oh, poor Tai, how much pain he must be in right now...
"She..." he took a deep breath, "She's going out with Matt."
Kari was unable to hide her surprise, therefore was unable to stop herself from exclaiming, "What?"
Tai just nodded sadly. "I saw them together, and they were holding each other, and Matt said he, he said how much he loved her, and Sora, she... she..." he just trailed off, the words too painful to be said out loud.
Kari just opened her mouth, forming a perfect 'O'.
"But," she said with a heavy frown, "That's impossible. T.K. just told me earlier that Matt was planning on telling Mimi that he liked her!"
"What?" Tai said forcefully, spinning around to face his sister, "No way."
"I swear," she promised, "Matt was practising in front of a mirror how he was going to tell Mimi he liked her. He was fully serious too."
Were it not such a delicate subject and a serious conversation, Tai would have been howling with laughter at the idea of Matt using his reflection to practice his romance. But this wasn't the time for a stupidity like that.
"So he's going out with Sora but plans on telling Mimi he wants her, as well?" Kari said, not quite believing it herself. She was shocked. She never would have expected Matt, such a loyal friend, to act like this.
"That two-timing bas-"
"Poor Sora," she interrupted him, eyes wide with shock, "She's going to be cheated on with her best friend!"
Kari started imagining the different scenarios in her head. Sora walking in on Mimi and Matt kissing. Sora finding a letter addressed to Mimi from Matt, saying how much he loved her. But wait- Mimi was Sora's best friend. She had to know about Sora and Matt. If she knew, would she willingly let Matt cheat on her, just like that? No, Kari shook her head forcefully, Mimi wasn't like that. But then a fearful thought struck her... What if Mimi had no idea, and she and Matt got together.. at the same time that Sora and Matt were together. Oh god...
She looked up to express her worries with Tai, but closed her mouth when she saw him. He was visibly shaking with anger. Kari saw it in his eyes, and his fists were once more clenched so tightly, Kari winced, knowing it must hurt. Tai, though, was oblivious to the pain.
How could Matt be so utterly selfish? Not only did he ask Sora out knowing that he, Tai, his best friend was completely and utterly in love with her, and had been for a while, but he also wanted Mimi? How could he just hurt Sora like that? She didn't deserve it. And Tai would be damned if he let Matt get away with hurting Sora.
Getting up glaring, with only one thing in mind, he left the living room, leaving Kari mid-sentence as she asked him where he was going. He passed the kitchen and heard his mother turn around at the sound of footsteps.
"I'm going out for a bit Mum, I won't be gone too long," he told her calmly and made his way to the front door.
"Honey, you're not going to kill T.K. are you?" his mother shouted over the whistling of the steaming pot that was cooking the vegetables.
"No," he shouted back and opened the door to step outside. The cool air was refreshing against his hot skin, but so full of anger, he didn't even notice. "I'm going to kill his brother," he said coldly.
--
Author's Notes:
Er, Hi. Remember me? : )
I should probably be bowing down to all of you reading this out there, apologising profusely for taking such a long long time to update. In my defense, it's been a crazy couple of months, but I'm sure you don't want to hear it. So really, I am sorry. I hope you can all find it in your hearts to forgive me : ) I made this chapter a bit longer too, as another way to apologise.
This chapter had a lot of Takari, so I hope all you Takari fans enjoyed it : ) I tried my hardest!
On a final note, I promise, officially promise, that I won't take another couple of months to write the next chapter.
To everyone reading this, although I'm sure most of you might have abandoned it as a lost cause, I hope you're enjoying it! A review on your opinion would be highly appreciated : )
Thanks for reading everyone : )