I know I haven't been posting lately, and I apologize for that but fear not. Alongside this story, I'm also working on a side project that I think you would all enjoy immensely. So for right now, I'll be periodically alternating between the two in order to keep my mind fresh without losing interest in either story (Which I have for like the past year and a half).

Anyways I hope you all are staying safe and sound, and let us jump right into this awesome chapter!

:D

New Girl In Town

"A pleasure to meet you Nakajima."

"Likewise Yagami."

Raising up from the bow, Taichi couldn't help but catch himself staring at the girl in front of him. Even though she was dressed so plainly, she was still one of the most beautiful girls he'd ever seen. The sun setting wasn't helping either, since the light was radiating directly onto her, making her features more prominent.

"What a big cute... dog you have?" Mitsuko exclaimed hesitantly, her green eyes looking directly at the aloof Agumon. A panic expression quickly filled Taichi's face, although he was able to mask it almost instantaneously.

He had totally forgotten that Agumon was with him. He hated to say it, but the moment he had seen Mitsuko, his entire mind had blanked out. There was something so... mysterious, yet alluring, about her. He couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. At least she thinks he's a dog! As long as Agumon doesn't talk, I can still find a way to get out of this.

"You hear that Tai, she thinks I'm a cute dog, whatever that is!" Agumon beamed brightly. In that moment, Taichi's inner soul screamed as it shattered into a thousand pieces. He just had to think of the one think that would get them caught. Him and his big inner mouth.

"Did that dog just... talk?!" She asked, her eyes being covered in shadows from her bangs.

It was all over! Mitsuko would snitch to the local authorities, who in turn would end up catching them. After interrogating them, they would capture everyone else, then their families would be arrested for harboring digimon. They would be detained in high security detention center, while the digimon would be experimented on gruesomely. He could see the future now, but that wasn't what terrified him the most.

What struck fear in his heart the most was Koushiro.

Koushiro may be your average, typical nerd, but when he was pissed off, even Taichi knew to steer clear far away from him. He remember one time he did something to upset the young genius, and to this day he'll never let him live it down.

Focusing back into reality, He decided to try to sweet talk his way outta here. It was partially his fault for the situation anyways. If he had been more careful walking around, this would've never happened. "No, you're just hearing my act! You see, I'm an outstanding ventriloquist! Check it out!"

Putting his hand over his lips, the young man began imitating the genius actors, hoping that would at least draw the suspicion directly towards him. To his utter shock and horror though, Agumon wasn't saying nothing.

Crap, Agumon didn't get the message! We're so screwed! Taichi thought, his future already in shambles. Making her way towards the digimon, she instinctively took a knee, until both their green eyes were in line of each other.

"What's your name big guy?"

"Agumon! You smell really nice by the way!"

This caused her to subconsciously chuckle to herself, before putting a warm hand on his snout. "It's a pleasure to meet you Agumon!" Mitsuko smiled lightly.

"Wait a minute! You're not afraid of him?!" A shocked expression appearing on his face. They may have not experienced it directly, but he had never seen such an interaction. There was no trace of hesitation nor fear in her eyes.

"Why would I be scared? I'd never got to meet a digimon up close before! Its kinda always been my dream!" Mitsuko beamed, flashing a bright smile.

"I never said he was a digimon!" Taichi exclaimed surprised, causing the young girl to raise an devious eyebrow. The goggle-headed boy couldn't help but smack himself in the head. Damn reverse psychology!

Getting up off her knees, Mitsuko lightly patted herself off, before turning to the dumbfounded youth. Just her eyes alone were able to make Taichi gulp deeply, worried about what would happen from here on out.

"Here's how this is gonna go! If you don't want me to spill that you're concealing a digimon, then you're gonna do something for me!" Mitsuko smirked, her green eyes piercing deeply into brown chocolate ones.

Sweat began dripping down his forehead. "W-w-what is i-it?!" Taichi exclaim nervously as he tugged at his collar lightly. Great, now she was blackmailing him. From snooping around Mr. Nishijima's office to his and Yamato's big fight to blackmailing.

Today just wasn't his day.

Mitsuko stared at him for a while, before her devious grin returned. Closing his eyes in anticipation at what was about to be said, Taichi suddenly opened them back up as he felt a soft hand latch onto his. Looking at the mysterious girl, his face suddenly turned to one of confusion as he gazed upon her face.

She had a genuine, beaming majestic smile on her, while a small pink streak covered her cheeks. "I want you to have ramen with me!"

Sora puckered her lips and gently blew onto the hot utensil in front of her, before stuffing the scraper into her mouth. Once the food made contact with her tongue, she let out a hearty sigh, the different flavors bring joy to her. Opening her eyes, she was delighted when she seen the same expressions on Hikari and Miyako. To the left of her, their digimon were also enjoying the meal.

After Koushiro had dismissed everyone for the day, The auburn-haired girl wanted nothing more than to find her idiotic best friend. She had called him about twenty times, but all her calls went straight to voicemail. This of course infuriated her, making sure she would rip the athlete a new one once they came in contact again. Sora wanted to tell him off for just leaving, but she knew that she would just be in the wrong.

She didn't want to admit, but he did have a point.

Sora was just on her way out the door before Hikari grabbed her wrist. She was worried about her brother as well, but she knew right now the one thing he needed the most was to be alone. He would open up eventually, but right now he just needed time to himself.

To take their mind off the sowing discord that had radiated off those two, Miyako had decided that the girls go to a hibachi spot to lighten the mood. Which was in fact working. Before they had left though, Koushiro had made it a point to dress their partners in clothes that wouldn't make them stick out to much amongst the outside world. To be caught harboring digimon after the events the other day would not bode well for them.

"Hey, you guys!" Miyako broke the silence, popping the food covered utensil right out of her mouth. The tone of her voice immediately caught the two girls off guard. The could both tell what she was thinking though, because they themselves had the exact same thoughts when they were younger. "Do you think Tai and Yamato are gonna be alright?"

"Don't worry Miyako! If it anything those two know how to do, its fighting! Their love language is literally harsh words and fist!" Hikari chuckled, their bickering and fighting in the Digital World flooding back into her brain. Every time those two idiots would engage in a battle of words, it was always Sora who would step in and de-escalate the situation.

"That situation could've been avoided if Yamato wasn't such a jerk!" Sora scowled, violently shoving the food down her throat. Hikari couldn't help chuckle at the comical way she was guzzling down the food.

She knew that deep down, Sora didn't mean any harm. She had strong relations with both boys, its just that she didn't know how to manage them properly. Its not like she didn't have a valid reason for disliking Yamato: They had broken up out of nowhere. Sure their relationship was going through a rocky period, but at least SHE had tried to keep hanging on.

And when all else failed, when she had nowhere to go, Taichi was there for her at her darkest moment.

She had found their relationship pretty sweet and adorable. The way they looked out for each other. She could remember all the time they got into fights with other kids because one just so happened to make fun of the other. To her, those two were the definition of what a perfect, healthy relationship should be.

"Yeah, what was up with him!? I've never heard him get that confrontational before! He was practically egging Tai on!" Miyako exclaimed, hesitantly plopping another spoonful of food into her jaw.

"Maybe he was just too hungry to stay calm. I know I would!" Gatomon clueless joked, causing the trio of girls to let out a small chuckle at the naivety of their partners.

"You could be right Gatomon!" Hikari picked up and ran her delicate fingers through her partner's head, causing the little kitty to let a mean purr. "Speaking of which, who wants seconds!"

Without hesitation, the three digimon instantly raised their hands, causing Sora to get the attention of their waiter.

It was times like this on the balcony where Yamato could really feel at peace. Away from the band. From his family. From... Taichi. All he needed was the calm breeze flowing through his hair, and the pack of cigarettes in his jacket pocket. He hated to admit it, but he wasn't too much of a fan of those things. It was an unhealthy addiction that he had gotten from his father, but for some reason, they somehow soothed him.

Speaking of which, it was actually time for a smoke break. Gently taking one out of the box, he held his hand up to it as he grabbed the lighter and lit it, before taking a succulent puff.

Holding the black smoke in for five seconds, which he had counted, he let out a cough. To think after a year of smoking, he still wasn't used to this. Looking at the stick in his mouth, his mid began to wander.

He doesn't know when or why he started smoking, although he did know all his friends disapproved of it. It was actually one of the major reasons as to why him and Sora had separated. Her constant nagging always left him in a sour mood, which in turn would force him to smoke to help relieve his anger. So what, they all had their vices! Just his in particular was leading him onto a thorny path of raspy voice.

In fact, she was actually the reason that Taichi had found out. She had gotten so upset with him that she had actually blurted by mistake to the goggle-head boy. Let's just say that when he found out, he wasted no time in marching straight to Yamato's house.

They had argued for ten minutes about the properties and nicotine of cigarettes, Taichi doing most of the arguing, Yamato with the occasional shrugging. That had all came to an end though when the first punch was thrown. No one remembers who threw the punch, but to say Yamato's house looked like Odaiba after Myotismon's attack was no short of an understatement. They both had welches and bruises that lasted for days. In fact, Yamato ended up having to cancel two shows because of that incident, although he wasn't too mad about it.

Not even Sora had known about the altercation between the two. The only ones who knew were, Koushiro, Takeru and Hikari. The former because he was Taichi's confidant, and the latters because they were related to the two.

They had both come to the conclusion that the blond-haired rock star would stop killing his lungs, or so Taichi had thought. Although he had made a promise to his friend, and he had tried his hardest, practically going months without the drug, he ended up rebounding. He certainly knew that Taichi would rip him a new one if he found out he was smoking again, but right now, he couldn't help himself.

He just needed a detachment from it all.

Yamato himself couldn't understand the fact that he was so angry with Taichi. It's not like he said anything that was foolish or ignorant. In fact, deep down he knew that Taichi was right. He had a right to be so concerned about the people and the environment. The Digi-Destined's main priority is protecting and defending the dimension, and he's the leader of Japan's section.

He could tell there was immense pressure on Taichi's shoulders. He wanted to help him, but for some reason, every time it came to his rival, he was at a lost for words.

Before Yamato could ponder on the situation more, he felt the touch of cold wet metal make contact with his hand. Looking to his right, he was surprised to see his partner's hand outstretched with a Pepsi can, his red eyes matching his blue one's. "You looked lost in thought, so I figured something to drink could help!" Gabumon beamed.

Yamato couldn't help but let out a small smile. His only other outlet besides the cigarettes that he could rely on the most was his partner. Taking a long gulp of the drink, Yamato sat the drink on the table, before grabbing a chair and pulling out something he thought he had long discarded: His old harmonica.

He remembered all the time he played it when they were first trapped in the Digital World. He would always play it to calm his nerves or during the campfire when everyone was asleep. It had gotten to a point when he had found himself the center of attention with his harmonica. Things were so much easier back then for them. All they had to do was to find a way to save both worlds, while trying not to die in the process. Now, things were too complicated and grey. Juggling saving both worlds, high school and responsibilities was too much.

"Can I ask you something Gabumon?" Yamato broke the silence. His partner's ears perked up at the question. Silence was a thing the two partners were used to in their relationship, so this was something Gabumon was used to by now. More than often, they didn't need to communicate with each other, they could just slightly feel what the other was thinking about. The fur covered digimon nodded readily, always willing to lend his support. "Have I changed? Like at all from when we first met?"

"I mean of course you have! You're taller, leaner than you were before. Plus you're facial features are sharper!" Gabumon explained thoroughly, causing the blonde teen to sweat drop a little, although he couldn't help but smile. Looks like he misunderstood what I asked.

No, not like that!" Yamato stated firmly. "I meant like personality wise! I still feel like the same kid from six years ago!"

The little mammal lifted his hand up to his chin, closing his eyes softly. "Well, you're a lot more broodier and silent than you were back then. You're always doing something that relates to music, so I guess your love for that haven't changed. Also you trust people as far as you can throw them still, and you're always moping around unhappy!"

"Gabumon -"

"Let me finish! While all that about you are true, you also worry more about your friends than before! Even if you don't show it, there's this spark in your eyes that only a few can see. This spark that shows when you're at your most vulnerable, when someone you care about is in trouble. This is especially true when it comes down to Taichi!" This statement made Yamato blue eyes widen.

"He's right y'know!" A familiar voice caught both of their attention. Turning over to see where the voice had come from, Yamato and Gabumon was shocked to see Takeru in the doorway to the apartment, leaning casually on frame of it. On top of his head was his orange, pig-like digimon Patamon.

"What're you doing here?! More importantly, how'd you get in?!" Yamato asked impatiently. His younger brother in turn couldn't help but smirk in response, which only resulted in infuriating him more. Having his alone time with his digimon rudely interrupted was one of the things he hated the most.

Takeru on his part just stared at him blankly, his lopsided smirk never leaving his face. It was always nice to see his older brother's soft and tender side. Helped reassure him that Yamato wasn't just a robot. A theory that he was 57% sure wasn't true. Like Gabumon had said, that soft spark only appeared when he was most vulnerable had shown itself. Even though by the time he had announced his presence, that light had faded, he could see the remains clearly.

"Well for starters, I was worried about you after that argument, so I decided to check on you. Secondly, you left the door unlocked!" Takeru pointed at the door handle. To Yamato's annoyance, he had indeed left it unlocked. "Not very smart, especially for a celebrity of such high caliber like yourself!"

The older blonde could only give off a grunt as a response, before receding back onto the balcony, puffing the remains of his dimming cigarette. "I'm fine! I don't need you to babysit me! Besides, shouldn't you be hanging out with Hikari or something?!"

"I didn't know checking up on my older brother would be considered as babysitting." Takeru exclaimed sarcastically, joining his sibling on the balcony. "For the record also, after you and Tai split, the girls had decided to hang out by themselves. I was offered the gracious invite of hanging out with the rest of the guys, but I declined in order to spend time with my beloved brother."

"Gee, aren't I the lucky one." Yamato stated equally sarcastically, his eyes fixated on the beautiful sunset taking place.

Takeru for his part was casually leaning over the railing, his eyes glued to Yamato. Occasionally they would leave in order to observe the two digimon in the room, laughing and goofing around with each other, but soon enough, they would always return to his brother. Even though he was staring at him for so long, he couldn't figure out what the was thinking at the moment.

He hated to admit it, but his and Yamato's relationship was the exact opposite of Taichi and Hikari. While those two could just feel when something was up with each other, Takeru couldn't get a read at all on his brother. Yamato was always the type of person who hid his feelings extremely well. You wouldn't even know if something was wrong with him if u didn't get a handle on his body language.

"I thought you said you was gonna quit smoking! Y'know if Tai finds out, you're a dead man!"

"That only applies if someone decides to go ahead and snitch on me!" Yamato turned towards the young man, his cigarette teetering on the edge of his lips. "Last time I checked, my brother didn't partake in those kinds of activities."

This response caused the young blonde to chuckle, before turning to look at the sky. What proceeded next was a long silence between the two. Like Gabumon, he was used to the brooding, but he still wanted to find a way to help. They were brothers after all, so if he couldn't be the emotional support he needed, then who could be.

"Y'know I'm here for you bro! If you ever wanna talk about anything, and I mean anything at all, I'm right here!" Takeru words pierced through the silence, his eyes not straying away from the orange horizon.

The older youth mouth curled into a smile. Putting out the stubby remains of his cigarette on the railway, Yamato also decided to observe the horizon. He had to admit, even though he was annoyed by his younger brother popping up randomly, in a way he felt relieved. Even if he didn't wanna talk about his feelings right now, it was always nice to at least keep his options open.

"So... you hungry? Wanna grab a bite to eat?"

"You cooking? Man, now I'm really glad I decided to stop by!" Takeru sheepishly replied.

"As if! There's a Chinese takeout menu pinned onto the fridge. Ask Patamon and Gabumon if they want anything, after all its on me." Yamato huffed annoyed, knowing that his bank account was about to take a dip downwards.

"How generous of you!" The younger blonde patted him on the back, before opening the sliding door that led back into the apartment. "Hey guys, Yamato said he's paying to get us something to eat, so y'know what that mean... ALL YOU CAN EAT CHINESE BUFFET!"

Throughout the eruption of cheers emanating from the room, the shadow blue eyes of a certain teen peered down towards the street, a mixture of annoyance and happiness etched directly onto his face. "I'm so gonna kill him."

The echoes of laughter danced through painted wall of the restaurant. To the chefs who worked there, the three teens who ordered were just casually laughing about some kookily topic they had seen on the internet, but there were more to their laughter that meet the eye.

Even though Taichi, Agumon and Mitsuko had been there for more that an hour already, only Agumon had devoured the majority of all three of their food. Mitsuko and Taichi on the other hand, were too busy bellowed over in laughter to even notice. "Wait, so you're telling me you and your friends got tricked and mind-controlled into getting chased by toys? That is beyond funny!" Mitsuko exclaimed, wiping away the tears that had rolled down her cheek.

"Yeah... now that I think about it, we have seen some funny things on our adventures." Taichi nervously chuckled, taking a big sip of his soda in response. To say the least, he felt very conflicted about all this.

He had known this girl for no more than two hours, but here he was blabbing his mouth off about sensitive information. In the brief time they had known each other, Taichi had already told her all about the Digital World, their adventures, and the fact that all his friends were partnered with digimon. Luckily, the restaurant they had went to was empty, so he didn't have to worry about unwanted ears listening in on their conversation. The boy knew full well that if any of his friends found out, specifically Sora and Koushiro, he wouldn't hear the end of it until they were old and grey.

But for some reason, he couldn't stop himself from talking about it. There was something... alluring about this girl. Something that attracted him to her. Every now and then, he would catch himself staring at her for so long, that he would have to mentally yell at himself to stop.

Crap, I'm doing it again! Stop it brain! Stop it!

"See something you like?" Mitsuko voice pierced through his raging thoughts, a devious smile plastered on her face. This instantly caught Taichi off guard, causing the rest of the fluid that occupied his mouth present itself all over the counter. As Taichi went to go grab a rag to clean up the mess, Mitsuko couldn't help but stare at him with such wonder. "Y'know, you're very cute when your flustered!"

"Flustered? Who said I'm flustered?!" Taichi countered, a pink streak making its way onto his nose.

"Oh I see, so this must be part of your charm? I must say, you're not looking too hot right now." Mitsuko blew a few strands of her hair from her face, their eyes matching for what seemed like the sixth time today.

"Oh yeah? Well you'll be surprised! My charm happens to come in more ways than one!" Taichi smacked his own hand onto his lips, embarrassment washing over him like a river bath. He can't believe he had just said that. The soccer star wasn't usually this awkward with girls, but this one was completely different. She brung up feelings of superiority over him, but for some reason, he didn't seem to mind.

He watched her mumble something under her breath, before also deciding to hydrate her body with her water that she had ordered. There was something gnawing at the back of his mind though, and it was no doubt his fault. Throughout their talk, he realized that he had fed her even more dirt on him and his friends by speaking about their past experience. The thought of jail frightened him immensely. That and a world where soccer didn't exist.

"Relax! I'm not gonna rat you out to the police or something. That's not my style!" Mitsuko suddenly exclaimed, her fingers tracing the rim of her glass cup. Shocked wasn't even the word Taichi could use right now. It was like she had read his mind and reassured him almost immediately.

Either that, or it was written plainly obvious on his face. Kind of like a big neon sign that stands out amongst the buildings. Taichi didn't want to admit it, but more than enough people accused him of having this problem.

"You're not?" Taichi asked confused. If she had no intention of doing that, then why would she invite a random stranger out to eat? Something's up! "So why'd you wanted to grab food with me? I'm not complaining or anything, just curious!"

Mitsuko couldn't help but began fidgeting with the cup, her shoulders shaking. To Taichi perspective, it seemed like she was about to throw up, but a quick glance at her face showed otherwise. An enormous pink streak had made its way onto her face, and her green eyes seemed to sparkle intensely.

"Isn't it obvious?! I seen a cute guy and wanted to hang out with him! Is that wrong?" It was now Mitsuko's turn to react nervously. Using the hoodie of her sweater to cover her mouth, the silver-haired girl turned her gaze away from the young man.

Taichi, for his part, was at a loss for words. He could feel his heart rate increasing, almost as if it was ready to burst straight out of his chest. Only one other girl had ever made him feel this type of way. Not even Myotismon or Piedmon, for that matter, could make these feelings show on his face, but she somehow had done it.

Feeling the awkward silence washing over them, Taichi swallowed the lump clogging his throat and turned away from her. "So what's your story? I told you a little bit of mine, care to tell me your tale?!"

This question in turned stunned Mitsuko, but not in the way one would assume. It wasn't that she was secretive or anything, she just didn't really know how to respond to that question.

"Well... what do you wanna know?" Mitsuko twiddled her thumbs.

"Well, the obvious one for starters... why aren't you afraid of digimon? Anybody I know who sees a digimon would immediately run, so why don't you?" Taichi asked, his heart set on getting some answers.

Mitsuko couldn't help but give him a confused look. "Six years ago, my father took a business trip to Odaiba and ended up taking me with him. During our last day, a mysterious fog rolled in, disrupting communication and transportation."

Taichi eyes couldn't help but widen at this revelation. He knew exactly what incident she was talking about. In fact, the whole world knew. The "Fog Incident of 99" was all over the world's news. A terrorist attack that utilized fog and unidentified creatures to lock a down an entire city for 36 hours. An attack from one of the Digi-Destined most dangerous enemies.

"Skipping over to the most important part, somehow someway, I ended up getting separated from my father. I don't know what they were, but I think they were ghosts? Getting back on track, just when they were about to capture me-" Time seemed to abruptly stopped for the young lady. Taichi wanted to ask if she was alright, but one look at her face was all that needed to be said. She was blushing madly, like a pink rose. "Before they could capture me... this incredible boy saved my life! Before I knew it, all the ghosts were gone. I couldn't get a good look at his face, but there was one thing I was able to remember clearly about him. He had such a nice smile!"

Taichi couldn't help but silently grin at this revelation. He had remembered him and his friends putting their lives on the line in order to hold the digimon and Myotismon back. Even the grown-ups did all they could to hold back the rebellious digimon. It was nice to know that even kids were helping each other during that time.

"Wow! That's such a cool story!" Taichi exclaimed.

"Yep! After that incident, I started looking more into these creatures, which I found out were later called digimon. Ever since then, I guess you can say I've kinda become a nerd." Mitsuko stuck her tongue out humorously, embarrassed that she was willingly telling one of her secrets. Taking a look at her phone, her eyes widened at the time it shown. "Woah, look at the time. It's already almost ten!"

Whipping out his own phone, his eyes proceeded to do the same thing. Not at the time, but the amount of notifications on his phone screen. Sure, they had let time get ahead of them tremendously, but this was way much worse. He had 36 missed calls from Sora, 7 missed calls from Hikari, and an extraordinary amount of text messages from Sora.

He could handle his little sister, somewhat. His best friend, on the other hand, was a complete firecracker.

"Shall we get going?" Mitsuko politely asked.

"Sure, and don't worry about the food. I don't mid paying." Taichi smiled. Turning towards his silent partner, his smile quickly turned into a horrified look. In the time that those two had been talking, Agumon had helped himself to five more bowls. Taichi himself knew that his wallet couldn't handle this. "Seriously Agumon?! I thought we had agreed to a budget!"

"Sorry Tai. I didn't wanna interrupt you guys talking, but my stomach started rumbling again." Agumon exclaimed apologetically. Even when he wanted to, Taichi knew he couldn't stay mad at the little dinosaur for long. He knew what such a ravenous appetite the carnivore had.

"It's okay Agu! Now we just gotta find a way to pay these bowls off!"

"I don't mid paying for them!" Mitsuko's voice pierced through his ears. Turning to face her, he found a small grin taped to her face. It was like she got satisfaction from his reactions.

"Oh no! I couldn't leave you to pick up a bill this big!"

"Don't worry, I have more than enough in stock. Besides, it's the least I can do to repay you. After all, I'm the one who blackmailed you into coming out to eat with me!"

"You know you didn't have to do this! I'm fully capable of taking care of myself!" Mitsuko somewhat pouted, her eyes focused on the glaring lights of the buildings.

"I'm sure you are, but I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I didn't do this and you happen to appear on the news the next day!" Taichi casually joked. Although he may have meant it as that, he really didn't wanna see anything happen to her.

The three were currently waiting for the train, which in turn would send Mitsuko off to her destination. She didn't mean to sound so angry towards him. His company was greatly appreciated, but she just didn't want to waste anymore of his time. Taichi in turn knew that didn't mean any harm with her words. In fact, he was the exact same way.

They weren't able to thank people properly.

"Can I ask you something Yagami?" Mitsuko suddenly asked, moving closer until the two teens shoulders were touching. This sudden contact caused Taichi to lightly grip at his collar, the feelings of heat escalating through his body rapidly. He didn't really know if he wanted to answer or not. Not because she was annoying him, but because their whole time together was filled with nothing but questions.

"I guess one more couldn't hurt, but after this, you're done for the night!" Taichi's mouth tipped. Although he didn't feel like answering her question, he'd be lying if he said he didn't enjoy the spark that had flashed through her eyes. Almost like a child who was able to get her way after being denied for so long.

"That giant incident that occurred yesterday... was you by any chance apart of it?" Mitsuko question caused his ears to perk up instantly. Turning to look at her, he was equally surprised to see her playing with her index fingers. "Sorry if that seemed kind of personal, but once they classified it as a monster attack, and the stories you've told me, I was able to put two and two together."

If you already figured it out, then why would you ask me? Taichi knew the incident had spread worldwide by now. No matter how much the government tried to put a lid on things, the media had already spread the word about what happened in Odaiba. Not too mention with the other digimon incidents over the years, the world was rapidly starting to pick up on the fact that digimon were able to continuously appear in the real world.

Before he could give an appropriate response to that answer, the sound of a loud engine interrupted them. Mitsuko expression soon faded, replace with one of disappointment and annoyance. "Out of all the time! Guess that concludes the end of our little excursion for the day!" Mitsuko exclaimed sadly, a bit of venom sticking to those last words.

Taichi couldn't help but feel a little bit bad. He knew she desperately wanted an answer, but he had taken so long to answer. As the two exchanged pleasant goodbyes to each other, something was gnawing at the back of Taichi's mind.

He didn't want this moment to end. He wanted her to stay with him. Even though they had only met a couple hours ago, he couldn't resist being near her. Taichi knew it sounded pretty pathetic, but he was drawn to her. Like a moth drawn to a raging flame. Dammit, say something to her! Don't let her slip through your fingers! Don't let it be like last time!

As Mitsuko proceeded to wait for the arriving train, she gasped a little when she felt a hand grab her own. Turning her head, she was surprised to see Taichi. Not because of his hand, she already knew what it felt like from their earlier interaction. What was really throwing her off was his expression. His eyes were shrouded by shadows emanating from his hair, and it looked like he was mumbling something to himself.

"Are you okay Yagami?" Mitsuko politely asked, but received no answer. Oh no! Please don't tell me he's secretly one of those pervs who get off on violence in front of an audience!

I... I." Taichi continued mumbling, his grip not loosening in the slightest. It wasn't like she was overreacting or struggling against him. She was just genuinely confused at what was going on right now. Taichi's inner turmoil was reaching its boiling point. He himself didn't know why he was acting like this. It was like he felt... powerless at his own emotions. "I... I... I WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN!"

Mitsuko was taken aback by his sudden outburst, to the point where he cheeks had turned a bright pinkish color, all the blood rushing straight to her head. She could also feel the stares of the other people on the platform directly towards the three. She didn't know what was going on with him. He was fine a few minutes ago. What had brought on this change.

Mitsuko had gotten her answer once she had seen his eyes. She knew that look quite well, it was one she had been accustomed to since her childhood. It was loneliness. Within those hollow chocolate orbs of his, she could see that he was longing for someone.

Someone who could fill the empty void in him right now. Realizing what had just occurred, the young man instantly pulled his hand away. To her, he must've looked like a total idiot right about now.

Mouthing a quiet sorry, he began walking towards the stairs with Agumon in tow, but ended up being stopped in his tracks. He felt an enormous amount of heat rising up from the middle of his back. Turning to see what it was, a faint blush began to spread its way onto his face. Mitsuko's slender arms were wrapped around his waist, and her forehead was gently leaning in his school's uniform jacket. He could feel her soft breathing, her steady heartbeat.

"To me, I feel like we were destined to meet each other! Even if was only briefly, I truly enjoyed spending today with you! There's not a doubt in my mind that I'm sure we'll see each other again!" Mitsuko exclaimed happily. She wasn't just saying that to spare his feelings. She really did enjoy his company.

The two proceeded to wave wistfully at each other, before soon enough, Mitsuko and the train was far out of sight.

"She was really nice!" Agumon said joyfully, his appetite satisfied.

"Yeah, she definitely is great!" Taichi thoughtlessly said, his eyes fixated upon the sky. The young teen didn't know how he should be feeling at the moment. She hadn't shared a phone number or nothing with him, but for some reason, her words resonated deeply with him. She was right. He didn't know why, but he had a gut feeling that they would run into each other again. As a Yagami, it was only right that he followed that gut feeling. "Let's go home Agumon!"

Agumon smiled immediately, before jumping on top of his partner's back. The two ran down the platform steps at full speed, eagerly ready to enjoy the comfort of home.

Unaware to the three though, they were being watched from afar by a mysterious stranger. The darkness of the night had concealed them well throughout their whole interaction, but pools of moonlight started seeping through the clouds. They were watching them from some steel beams not far away, listening intently on what was going on. The figure was wrapped heavily in bandages from head to toe, while a black hoodie was draped around them.

"So... it begins." The mysterious figure ominously giggled to themselves.

"I'm home!" Taichi shouted out, blatantly kicking off his shoes to the side of his house entrance. A habit that his sister and parents constantly reprimanded him for. Although it was quite late in the night, he was pretty sure he wouldn't receive too much backlash from his parents.

They knew about the digimon, so they were aware that their kids could get called out in the middle of the night if need be. As long as they weren't partaking in drugs and street fights, they could care less.

"Tai? Is that you?" Susumu voice radiated from the kitchen. Seeing as how he could only here him in the kitchen, Taichi assumed that his mother and sister were already knocked out in bed. Casually greeting his father, the two proceeded to take a seat at the family counter, the events of the day finally catching up to the two. Before they could even ponder their next move, two cups of milk was passed their way. "You both look thirsty! Figured a quick pick me up was necessary."

"Thanks dad!" Taichi happily exclaimed, taking a swift chug of the white beverage. Agumon chug, on the other hand, was even more swifter, to the point where only the glass cup remained.

"You know, you can at least call somebody to let them know where you're at! I never seen your sister so distressed!" Susumu half-jokingly exclaimed, his voice being a tad bit buried from deep inside the fridge. Quickly finding what he was looking for, the older man quickly popped a plate of food in the microwave.

Taichi couldn't help but smirk a little bit. There was a running secret in the family that Susumu would hide himself plates of food whenever he didn't want to eat bs wife's cooking. Although he loved his wife immensely, his stomach just couldn't handle the burden of her experimental concoctions. Yuuko always assumed he loved her cooking, but in actuality, it was always Agumon who ended up getting the plates.

Even though he had gotten a quick laugh out of his dad, his final words popped back up into his head. Poor Kari. I know that she was worried sick about me. I'm such a terrible brother! "Is Kari asleep dad? If she isn't, I don't wanna wake her up!"

"I don't really know? She went to her room a while ago, so there's a possibility. Anyways, where were you today? Kari told me you had some kind of argument with Yamato?!" Susumu took a bite of his chicken, his teeth chomping a bit more harder than usual.

Of course Hikari had told their parents what happened. That was one of the good and bad parts about their family. They were so close with the parents, that they could tell them anything that was going on in their lives, even if they didn't want too.

"Yeah. We ended up arguing, but that's pretty normal for us wouldn't you say?" Taichi half-heartedly joked, making sure to pick his words wisely so he wouldn't upset his father. Everyone knew of the overwhelming dislike that Susumu Yagami had for the Child of Friendship. At first glance, it was easy to see that father of two was a well-rounded guy. One look and you could tell where Taichi had gotten his famous smile from.

Unfortunately though, he had caught the growing teen in a few... compromising positions before in the past. Passing out on his friend's couch, in clothes that reeked of cigarettes and alcohol in the dead of night wasn't one of his best moments. Ever since then, Yamato was recognized as a bad influence, and he had tried to make it a point to avoid the older Yagami at all cost.

"Honestly, sometimes I think you're a glutton for punishment! People like that will only drag you down in life Taichi. You need more friends who are like Sora, or Koushiro for that matter!" Susumu began to lecture, his favoritism all but blatantly obvious.

Before Susumu could finish chewing on his chicken bone, Taichi felt something moderately heavy and fuzzy make its way on his head. He at first thought it was just the family cat Miko in need of some attention, but this one in particular felt a little bit more heavier. "Look who decided to finally come home. Like a lost stray cat who remembered her kitty litter"! Gatomom purred, a slight wisp of venom clicking off her tongue.

"Nice to see you too Gatomon!" Taichi nervously chuckled, earning him scary glare from the cat digimon. The DigiDestined knew that when she would give out that look, you most likely had gotten on her bad side.

It was only two things that were able to make Gatomon act cold towards someone: If they had somehow hurt Gatomon herself or... if they had caused her partner any form of distressed. It didn't take a rocket scientist to tell which category Taichi was in right now. "Why didn't you tell Tai to let Kari know where you guys were at!" Gatomon demanded, her claws instinctively coming out. She didn't know who she should be angry at, all she knew was that she needed to punch someone. "I'm waiting for an answer Agumon!"

Agumon could only cower at the sight of her. The little orange dinosaur knew how shoe could get once she was angry. To say she packed one mean hell of a punch was an understatement. Before she could get any closer, Agumon decided to let his feet do the talking. Good... I love me a chase!

Diverting his attention back to his father, he noticed that he was motioning him towards the direction of his sister's room. Taichi silently got the message and proceeded to Hikari's room. How was he gonna smooth talk his way out of this situation? If it was one thing he could always rely on, it was the love Hikari had for him.

She probably thought he was a jerk! A super, massive, idiotic jerk!

Stopping directly at Hikari's door, He pondered on his thoughts for a few moments. No problem Tai, this should be easy for a man of you're talents! Just throw on that famous Yagami charisma of yours, apologize and all will be forgiven! What are you thinking Tai? That's such a dumbass idea! Taking a deep sigh, he gave the door a soft knock at first, before putting a little bit , more force behind his second one. "Kari?"

No answer.

"Kari, can I come in?"

No answer again.

"C'mon Hikari, I can see your shadow underneath the door!"

Once again, no answer.

Taichi rubbed his hands through his hair in frustration. He was getting no where with this. He hated to admit it, but Yagami's were quite stubborn when they were angry. The concept went double for the females of the family. Hikari could only hold her head to the knees, the small spots of moonlight shining through her windows.

"Look Kari, I know you're beyond pissed at me, and I get it!" Taichi started to explain, resting his head against the door frame. "I should've let you known where I was today. The reason why I didn't... well I can't say I have a valid reason actually. I thought I needed sometime to myself, but after today, I'm just not sure anymore. All I can say is, I'm sorry that I'm always making you worrying about me! Always wondering what's wrong with me! I care about you too much to see you sad or angry, especially if its directed towards me! I'm sorry, I know I'm just rambling at this point!"

Taking his head off the door, Taichi decided it was best to walk to his room and just let his little sister cool off for a while. Great! I tried to apologize and ended up choking on my own words! Now I look like a total idiot!

"Tai?" A whisper came from behind his back. Before he could fully turn around to see where it came from, he felt a substantial amount of weight push its way onto his chest. This was one of the times where he was actually glad he had built up and develop his muscles over the years. If he didn't, he were sure the two would've ended up on the floor.

That wasn't where his attention was lying at though. He felt his shirt getting wet, along with the soft sniffling of a girl. Instinctively wrapping his arms around his sister, he gently and lovingly nuzzled his chin against her head, letting her get all the negative emotions out.

"Y'know, you're apologies really do suck! You might need to take some lessons!" Hikari silently chuckled, her salty tears still coming down heavy. She wanted to be mad at him, but knew she couldn't. That apology may have been half-baked at best, but she knew her older brother was being genuine.

"I know." Taichi exclaimed, his grip on her not letting up for a second.

Susumu couldn't help but smile lightly at the interaction with his kids. He was glad he had such a loving, tight-knit family.

"I'm home!" Mitsuko called out to the dark section of her hallway. Setting her shoes lightly on the floor, the green-eyed girl quickly made a beeline for the fridge, rummaging through it until she found what she was looking for.

"How was your day? Meet anybody knew?" A voice called out from a green chair. A man who looked to appear at least in his late sixties was busy scrolling through the recent newspaper that had arrived at their house, the television in front of him being the only source of light.

Mitsuko seemed to somewhat ignore his question, letting the vapor from the water bottle trickle on her nails. Uncapping it and taking a huge gulp of it, she calmly wiped her lips free of any fluid, a small smirk forming on her face.

"Actually... yeah! I met a really nice boy today! He was a bit off, but there's something about him that I like. I'm hoping that I get to see him again!" Mitsuko's body shivered intensely. She didn't know what she was more excited about: The thought of seeing him again, or the thought of what was yet to come.

"That's nice to hear. It's getting pretty late though. Don't you think its time to turn in for the night?" The old man asked, setting his newspaper on the table and turning the tv off.

"Sounds like a great idea... grandfather."

With that, I can finally say this chapter is officially done. Sorry for the lazy writing towards the end. My original version didn't save properly so I kind of got upset and said screw it. None the less, still a W chapter if I do say so myself.

I'll try not to go on hiatus, but its really hard keeping your brain fresh most of the time and having the energy to write. Honestly, Idk how these mangaka's does it, but major respect to them. Anyways I'm going to get out of here, hope you all like the chapter and I'll try to put out more chapters without taking yearly breaks.

Leave a review :)

DB