CHAPTER 2: I can See Through Your Mask

(Matt's POV)

"Again!? Why have you done this?" I asked Kari, my voice almost nearing the shout I never wanted to repeat. Kari looked down, and I waited for her to answer.

"I'm sick and tired of this, Nii-chan." Kari told me as she started to cry. I began thinking of things on what could've triggered her self-harm again. But the real thought in my mind was how could she have betrayed her promise to me. I believed in her.

There was a time, right after Tai had left, Kari became somehow so much sensitive in a bad way with her parents. They kept on fighting over the silliest things, even though they're the only ones left, since Tai had left. I wondered at that time if Tai was the glue that held the home together.

Usually, it was me that Kari and her mom fought about. She told me about those fights, where here mom would tell her that no matter how close Tai and I were, no matter how close we were, I was still a man, and men were somehow looking at women as potential addition to their girlfriends. I couldn't quite give a say in that. In my high school days, I had my own fair share of girlfriends myself...

"What happened?" I asked Kari as she started crying. I thought about the next right thing to say that won't damage the picture even more.

"We fought again. I can't believe it. Every time I go home, we fight." Kari said. She didn't sound like the Kari I knew back then. I felt like I was with a new person.

I knew Kari wasn't perfect. For the first four weeks of her stay in Tokyo, she'd been bugging me since she couldn't call Tai. Sometimes, she called Sora.

Sora and Kari were like the best of sisters. There were always with each other when we got together and Kari talked to he more often than other women.

A few years ago, I considered falling in love with Sora, but then again, I've fallen in love so many times that I got tired already and I decided not to entertain the feelings if they won't last. Eventually, the feelings went away and I've come to accept that there would be a right time for me to get a girlfriend that would last through marriage.

Well, back to Kari, as I said, she wasn't the same. She'd been showing more and more weaknesses than ever since Tai left. I wondered if Kari was always like this; since Tai was gone, and I was her Nii-chan I guess Tai must've seen this part of her already.

"I can't believe it. Whenever I try to do something right, it goes wrong." Kari said, and I felt as if it was a repeat of her tantrums. I felt a bit frustrated, since the dawn of her cutting came through me: Kari broke her promise.

I began to feel a bit uneasy with her. Was she always this frail? I didn't think she'd degrade, but here she was, crying. Suddenly, my urge as a brother came over.

"It's alright, just let it out," I told her, but after a few moments, I took it back. "Stop crying. The problem is not worth it. I don't even think it's a problem anyway."

Kari looked at me and her eyes pierced my own, as if asking me to go on.

"Look, once, I lost two million yen. Obviously I got in trouble, but I didn't slit my wrists." I told her, hoping she would come to her senses that she wasn't as unfortunate as she thought. "Your life isn't as melodramatic as you tell it to be. C'mon, Kari. I know you."

'You're stronger than this,' I thought inwardly, though I didn't say it.

"But we're not the same," Kari told me. I felt insulted. I looked back on my own life and I saw all the pain me and TK had to go through. And there Kari was, crying over a small fight with her mom. Lucky her, she had a mom to fight with. Where was mine? I decided not to let it out like that, since I know that Kari would have probably cried more. I didn't know why she turned out like that, but she did. The Digidestined of Light was being a piece of Darkness.

"Kari, I've been through so much more that you have. You're right; we're not the same. You don't know me too much yet, Kari." I told her bitterly. Kari was quiet for some time. I guess she was contemplating on what I said and I hoped that she understood what I've been saying.

A few moments of silence, and Kari spoke.

"When will you introduce yourself to me, then?" She asked. I gave her a weird look, sending the message that I didn't get her, though I knew perfectly well what she meant. I guess I just didn't want to tell her.

"Why?" I asked. Kari seemed to have given up so easily and looked away. What made me even more frustrated was when Kari flashed me her fake smile, telling me that she'd understand me. Telling me that she'd matured in two minutes. I knew she was faking. I knew it. Kari was not alright. She needed help, but at that time, I didn't have any kind of help to give. Besides, I was still a bit mad with her for not keeper her vow.

Throughout the trip, Kari and I didn't speak. She was as if, mute, and I as if I didn't know her. It was humiliating and silly, and I felt that I didn't want to be with her for a while since my fuse was about to break and I didn't want her crying again.

Kari was smiling her hypocritical smile.

I couldn't believe she had such.

***

Well that's my first two chapters on this Digimon thing. So tell me what you think!

Rants are welcome, ^_^