Well, at last we finally meet again. I know this is way overdue, but luckily I was able to get it out in time for Christmas. Merry Christmas to all of you. You've waited long enough for this chapter, so let's get to it.
Naomi had never felt so exhausted in her entire life as she struggled to keep up with the boys in front of her. Yuki, no surprise, led the way with Masato hanging right behind him. Shun ran beside her, giving encouragement as they went along but it was getting harder by the second.
Her normally well kept brown hair was now all frizzy and plastered against her cheeks as sweat dripped down her entire face. She took big gulps of air to supplement the strain that her muscles and diaphragm were under. The only thing she could see in front of her was Masato's tall form as the forest rushed by her.
Master Gennai had taken the group on a long, early run to, as he said, "build up their stamina" after two days of meditation training. The air had been relatively cool at the start, but now the sun beat down mercilessly on the group and the humidity was draining every bit of energy Naomi had left. She lost track of how far they had gone so far, but it was possibly around two miles. After the pain set in, she focused merely on surviving.
"Come on, you lazy humans!" Master Gennai barked from the front. "Keep up. You don't want to fall off the pace and become some Digimon's breakfast."
"Can…we…slow…down…a little?" Naomi gasped.
Master Gennai scoffed, keeping his eyes forward and pace steady. "Do you think an evil Digimon is going to slow down during a battle? No. The only way you'll succeed is if your stamina is built to the point where you outlast them. The legs feed the Wolfmon, my dear humans."
"But I'm tired," Ichigo whined from behind Naomi.
"Me too!" Keiko and Kenya pleaded.
Naomi couldn't believe Master Gennai didn't acknowledge them and instead picked up the pace. For crying out loud, they were kids - not trainees in the Self-Defense Force!
Before she could chew her master out, Miya collapsed to the ground in a crying fit. Ryuji collapsed next to her. The entire group came to a halt as they watched the scene with compassion. Ryuji tried patting his sister's back while trying to catch his breath, but Miya jerked from his touch and screamed out to Master Gennai the best she could while gasping for air.
"We're kids! Where's your humanity? I can't do this!" She shook her head while gripping her hair at her scalp. To Naomi, it looked like she was having a mental breakdown. "I-I have to leave!" Miya sobbed. "I want my mom! I want water!"
Master Gennai stopped. There still was no reaction from their master as he stared at Naomi's friend with a blank expression. His lack of reaction infuriated her.
"Asshole," Naomi spewed at the humanoid Digimon as she rushed over to Miya and hugged her. "How can you be so cruel?"
Naomi could hear Ryuji hum the tune "You Are My Sunshine" and pat his sister's back once more while Miya bawled, gripping Naomi tight in the hug. That song was always Ryuji's comfort, but she knew Miya needed more than a song to get through this exercise. Miya was already on pins and needles after how Master Gennai continued to wake them in the morning, among other little things throughout the day that would cause Miya to be on edge - to the point that her nail beds were red, inflamed and constantly bleeding.
The group huddled around them concerned while they all wheezed for air. The next thing Master Gennai said made Naomi's blood boil.
"Then go home," he said with no remorse. "A chain is only as strong as its weakest link and you, my dear, are the weakest link in this group. Your enemy isn't going to patiently wait while you search for a book about Digimon battle tactics and study it thoroughly before applying it. Honestly, I expected more from the Chosen One's child."
That only caused Miya to cry harder.
Before Naomi could snap a retort, Yuki and Masato stepped in front of her in a protective manner, blocking her view of the tall humanoid.
"She gets that," Yuki was the first to speak, glaring at their master. He wiped his brow. "But she's asking what we're all wanting to ask, and that's for a break."
"Think about it," Masato added. "The kids here are of different mental capabilities. Yuki and I aren't asking to go easy. We're saying a master would analyze where everyone's starting points are, and then use that to figure out how to get everyone close to the same level as possible. A nine-year-old's body," Masato pointed to Ryuji and Kenya, "usually isn't able to match an eleven-year-old," to Keiko. Then he pointed to himself, "or a sixteen-year-old."
There was a slight pause from Yuki before Naomi heard him agreeing with Masato. "Yeah! What he said!"
When Naomi looked past her boyfriend's side to see Master Gennai's reaction, she watched him look them over with a silent, stone gaze. Naomi swore that if he ordered them to keep running, that would be the final straw - She'd walk out right then and there with Miya in tow. Who cared if the Digital World was in trouble? She was not going to let her friends be treated this way. Most of the others would probably leave with her as well.
"Good grief," Master Gennai said with a heavy sigh. He seemed to recognize that. "You're all really that lame. No wonder I'm having such a hard time with you guys – you all love to complain about everything." He bit his lip contemplating his next statement. "All right. Fine. We're done."
Naomi dropped to the ground like a sack of potatoes in exhaustion. "Hallelujah!" she cried.
Her declaration caused the remaining younger kids to celebrate as they dropped to the ground. Shiro and Kenya helped each other get their breathing back to normal. Ichigo bent over his knees to catch his breath. Naomi knew he was in good enough shape as a soccer player, but he was still young and couldn't take that kind of strain for much longer.
"Despite everyone portraying me as the bad guy here, I do understand human children's limitations," Master Gennai continued after a quick glare at Naomi. "Take your ten-minute break. Regroup. There's a stream west of here in another five-minute walk's time. Meet back at the dojo for lunch in an hour."
"Not good enough," Masato stated calmly, yet firmly, and wiped the sweat from his brow with his forearm. "They all need more time."
"Two hours," Yuki countered.
Naomi could hear Yuki's patience running thin.
"And no more two-mile runs for the younger ones," she added, choosing to imitate Masato's manner. "Not until we're all taught to use the Force to aid us."
Master Gennai groaned in defeat. He leisurely headed home. "I'll meditate on your request. But mark my words, any later than two hours and I'll make sure we make up for the lost time today." His eyes narrowed. "I promise it will not be pleasant."
Naomi gave one final glare as she helped Miya up and walked her to the stream.
Everyone piled into the dojo within exactly two hours. No one wanted to take the chance that Master Gennai would follow through on his threat nor did they want to imagine what the punishment would be.
Naomi stuck close to the other two girls and made sure that they were okay. Miya told her she was fine, but one look at the young Ichijouji girl showed her that she was struggling.
Who was Naomi kidding? Everyone was struggling with the exercise part. Even Yuki and Masato, who were both extremely fit athletes, were having trouble with it.
By this time, Master Gennai had informed everyone that he would show the group which fighting form they would use. That humanoid Digimon was a nut, but somehow a genius. It didn't take long to see why their master was pushing them hard with the exercises. It wasn't just to build speed and endurance. It was to see each other's strengths and weaknesses.
In addition to the two-mile run he had them do, the group also had to run down a mountain from the highest point and dodge all the booby traps that Master Gennai had set up. Naomi and the rest of the group thought he was either insane or trying to get them killed already. Luckily, they managed to get back down in one piece, but not without some bruises and scratches. Naomi hated him for it at first, but now she realized exactly just what he was going for.
She actually appreciated him for it.
After lunch, Master Gennai assigned Form I: Shii-Cho to Shiro, Kenya and Ryuji. Their Master explained it was the simplest form, easy enough for young boys such as themselves to start at so they can grow their skillset as they grew older. He assured them that they would be able to learn more advanced forms in time. Naomi carefully watched how the boys took to the form fast, most likely because they had each other to help. She was most surprised how focused Ryuji was with the form.
While her brother and Kenya took to it with a lot of enthusiasm, Ryuji was more hesitant to start on it. He had always been a quiet, kind boy and didn't like any form of violence that much so Naomi wasn't shocked about that. However, after a few words from Master Gennai – thankfully not as harsh as he had been with Miya – the boy buckled down and joined in with Shiro and Kenya. His movements were much sharper and swifter than theirs, which made Naomi happy. Hopefully her brother and Kenya could get him to open up more.
For Form II: Makashi, only Keiko was assigned this. Master Gennai explained that since she did better in focusing on one target at a time, she would excel at the form. Naomi swore for a second that he had a lecherous look on his face as he watched the Takaishi girl, but then Yuki and Ichigo stepped up and told him to knock it off. Master Gennai glitched out before returning to normal. Luckily, that marked the end of that.
Form III: Soresu was given to Shun. True to Shun's defense power, he constantly defended himself and others from the booby traps during their runs instead of attacking back. Naomi could see how that would help them during this mission. From reading Keiko's dad's manga, it was also the form his father used early on.
Form IV: Ataru was given to only Yuki, explaining it would help since he had an aggressive attack. Everyone was confused at first, even Naomi. Yuki may be persistent, but not aggressive. It wasn't until Yuki followed the form that Master Gennai showed that his gift activated, showing it was the same as his dad's - powerful attacks. Of course, their master left Yuki to practice on his own, wearing a snarky smirk as the orange-haired boy practiced in his element as if to give the impression that he was all-knowing.
Kazuma and Ichigo were assigned Form V: Shien/Djem So. It was the style that both of their fathers mastered and required a strong base of offense sprinkled in with enough defense. Djem So focused on a strong attack while Shien formed more of a counter attacking style. The two of them were a little unsure, but chose to trust their master and take up the form. From what Naomi saw of them, they were taking to it fairly quickly. Their dads had practiced the form as well, so that could have been the reason why.
And finally, Masato, Miya and Naomi were given Form VI: Niman. It was a form of balance; offense and defense were practiced together. Naomi was fairly certain he gave her this form because she did whatever the situation called for while they were going through their trial. She could strike back when she needed to, but was also on top of defending herself well. The same went for Masato and Miya, despite the Ichijouji girl's hesitance. She figured Master Gennai gave Miya the form as a way to allow her to learn everything there was to know about saber combat.
This felt like a dream. Naomi never thought she would be in the same position as her parents of discovering the Digital World and being trained in the ways of the Force. Quite honestly, it damn well scared her. Naomi was the one who loved romantic movies and songs. She always joked that she was a lover, not a fighter - yet here she was alongside her friends, forced into this situation. Reading Mr. Takaishi's manga felt like a fantasy, despite hearing the countless tales from her and her friends' parents of their struggles and near-death experiences. The one about her father almost dying in Mr. Kamiya's arms because of Mrs. Ishida still gave her nightmares. Now that she was here, it was a never ending nightmare.
Would she ever admit that?
No.
Despite inheriting her mother's gift of being able to sense the truth or a lie, admitting it to herself was too scary to do. It was easier to stay strong for everyone else and especially focus on keeping Miya sane.
The poor girl really needed it.
Miya had calmed down a little since her meltdown earlier, but Naomi could see that she was still troubled. Regardless that Masato and herself would stop to show Miya how to position her feet or arms in a particular stance, Miya would overthink and freeze.
"Bend your knees," Masato instructed. "You're too stiff. It'll tire you out too quickly."
"But that doesn't make sense," Miya frowned, refusing to do as he asked.
"It will once you lower your arms too," Naomi added a few moments later. "Any higher and you're opening yourself to an attack. It's the next stance that your arms raise to -"
"I can't do this!" Miya shouted. Her arms shook from the anger that rose with each word. That seemed to be the straw that broke the camel's back. "Why can't you explain the science of why I have to be exact!"
Master Gennai calmly walked over to the three of them and answered, "I would applaud your thirst for knowledge, but if I were to explain the Force, the Force would be insulted. Some knowledge is not learned by reading as I said earlier. Some can only be learned by experiencing it." He frowned and kneeled down in front of her. "This is what you'll need to adjust to quickly in battle. You have to learn when to attack and when to defend by letting the Force guide your movements. But that can't happen if you refuse to learn the basics of this form."
Miya closed her eyes and shouted with all her might. "You should've gotten my dad! I can't do this!"
"Yet you managed to slow down time when Vilemon and Numemon attacked the group," Master Gennai was quick to point out. "Quit acting like a brat and listen to your teammates. They're picking up the form better than -"
Masato stepped in front of Miya to defend her again. "Don't call her a brat. What happened to analyzing earlier?"
Naomi hugged Miya while Masato and Master Gennai argued. She was sort of envious of Miya. At least her friend wasn't afraid to speak her mind. Raising her head, Naomi saw the rest of the group huddle over to defend Miya. Even if what Master Gennai said was true, everyone deserved some sort of compassion. Before Naomi could chime in to Miya's defense, with Masato in the lead, Miya ran off into the woods crying.
Naomi stood stunned. Why would she do that? She heard Ryuji gasp. He then darted after his sister. Some of the group called out to her and Ryuji while others groaned.
Master Gennai threw his arms in the air frustrated and stomped off to his home. "This is all your fault, humans! Someone bring that Destined Jedi of Hope back or this team will fall apart before it even begins! The Digital World is doomed! Doomed, I tell you!"
The Izumi girl glared at her boyfriend. Wasn't he wanting to be the leader of their group? Why wasn't he going after Miya? She hoped he'd get the message she was sending with that glare, even with that thick skull of his. He was a complete pushover when it came to her.
Luckily, he seemed to as he nodded.
"Cool it, dude. We'll bring her back," Yuki said before taking Naomi by the hand and running in the direction Miya and Ryuji went.
As they ran by Masato, the eldest of the group handed Naomi some bandages that he had in the fanny pack he had on him. He shouted they were to wrap up Miya's fingernails so she couldn't chew on them anymore. The Izumi girl had seen her nail beds a few moments ago and they looked bad.
The two quickly thanked him and went off to find the siblings.
"I can't do this anymore!" Miya sobbed as she rested against the trunk of a tree.
Her hands were pressed against her eyes to block her tears - though unsuccessfully. Ryuji wrapped his arms around his sister, trying to calm her down but it wasn't working. Not even him humming their special song to her was helping.
"I want to go home!"
It didn't take Naomi and Yuki long to find their friend. After finding Miya in her state, Naomi kneeled down in front of the distraught girl, Yuki to Miya's left, and stroked her hands to comfort. Ryuji moved aside only enough to make room, but still kept an arm around his sister's waist.
"Miya, just take a deep breath. It's okay," she said softly. "It's just us here. Master Gennai is not behind us nor is he coming over here. Just take deep breaths."
Miya tried to take deep breaths, but Naomi saw that they were shallow and filled with the girl's obvious emotional instability. She guided Miya's hands away from her eyes and squeezed them while resting them on Miya's lap, and helped guide her through several deep breaths. The Ichijouji girl slowly, but surely, followed Naomi's breathing pattern.
"Repeat after me," Naomi reassured. "'It's okay that I learn at my own pace'."
Miya hesitated. Naomi watched as tears brimmed in her eyes and her lower lip quivered. In an instant, Miya's right swollen index finger, or what was left of the nail that is, flew in her mouth. Before Naomi could react Yuki gently pulled Miya's finger from her mouth.
"Stop that. The four of us are a safe space. Did you hear what Nomi wanted you to say?"
A few tears fell down her cheeks as she locked eyes with Yuki. She nodded.
"It's okay that I learn at my own pace," Miya repeated.
"Because it is," Naomi assured. "Master Gennai is trying to prepare us of the fight we have to -"
"Do you hear yourself?" Miya bitterly bit back. "I'm not smart. I never was!"
Yuki's head jerked back in surprise. "Don't say that."
Miya remained adamant. "It is true," she said. "I'm not as naturally smart as my parents are. I have to study twice as hard. Memorize twice as hard. Go over formulas and steps a million times in my head. Find patterns where there aren't. Books give that nonjudgmental support so the lesson can sink in."
"Miya," Naomi insisted. "It's. Okay. That. You. Learn. At. Your. Own. Pace!"
"Not when kids are forced to save the world!" Miya screamed to the top of her lungs.
For nearly ten seconds, the world stood still. As much as Naomi wanted to reiterate her point, in her soul she agreed with Miya. Naomi wasn't one to be someone she wasn't. Being true to herself was important, and to be honest she also wanted no part of this. What could she say to soothe her friend, but not feel like a hypocrite?
Ryuji softly swayed back and forth humming his favorite song to soothe his sister. Perhaps using her brother could be the angle needed to come to perspective.
"Ryuji?" Naomi asked. "Yes or no - you'd rather read the manga about what our parents went through than go through this training."
She watched as Ryuji paused his humming. His eyes grew big as saucers as she watched him think about the statement. He then settled with a nod.
"See?" Naomi said. "Yuki? What about you?"
Yuki winced as he relayed his answer. "A part of me thinks it's cool. I'm the Destined Jedi of Courage, just like my dad. But then I keep thinking of all the stuff he went through – particularly when he had to save my mom and your parents from Neverland and Menoa almost killed him – and I'd much rather take a math test than do this."
Miya's forehead wrinkled with confusion. "But you hate math."
Naomi nodded with a knowing grin. "He does."
Yuki nodded as well with that same knowing grin. "I do. Exactly my point."
"See? You're not alone, Miya," Naomi said while taking out the bandages that Masato gave her to bandage Miya's fingers. After tearing a small package of antibiotic ointment and applying it on Miya's right thumb nail, she wrapped a bandage on it.
"Master Gennai admitted he wanted our parents. Not us. He's doing the best he can to train us, despite having a glitch. I think he's being extra hard on you because he doesn't want you to get hurt."
Naomi switched to the index finger and repeated the routine. "There is no book for him to follow because technically it's his first time training anyone; let alone us. The only way I see us all going home is to prove we can do the basics. So let's make a deal. As soon as we learn how to create a portal," she looked at her boyfriend nervously. She thought her words out carefully before following through, "we head straight to our parents and get them to take over."
Eyes flickered between the four of them, contemplating the idea. It seemed like the best outcome. They could probably do it one night when Master Gennai was sleeping. What could he do once they returned to their parents? Not a whole lot, she hoped.
But Miya appeared to buckle again.
"Master Gennai is going to yell at me for running away."
Naomi shook her head, applying ointment on Miya's middle finger. "Show him a backbone. Yell right back at him that you're no coward and you're gonna prove him wrong."
Miya smiled down at her brother and stroked his head with her free hand, seeming to assure him that she was okay now. Ryuji smiled back, but still clung to her.
"Okay," Miya agreed. "I'll do my best, and only because we're all going to leave as soon as we're taught."
Naomi discreetly released a small sigh seeing she somehow soothed her friend. She switched to the pinky repeating the process. Now all that was left to do was guide Miya and Ryuji back to the group.
"That's my girl!" Yuki laughed with a pat on Naomi's back. "Just what I would expect from my second-in-command."
Naomi immediately stopped bandaging the pinky and turned to him with disbelief in her face. "Say what?"
Yuki faltered with his speech. "My…second-in-command? You know. For when everyone picks me as the leader? It's bound to happen. I mean, it's only right. It's destiny that I follow in my dad's footsteps" He wrapped his arm around her waist. "And it's only right that my girlfriend is right next to me."
Naomi could feel the color drain from her face. Her? A leader? She didn't want any part of that. Didn't he get the hint after making that deal with Miya?
"Excuse us," Naomi said, blushing from nerves while she took Yuki for a private chat away from the Ichijouji siblings.
"What are you doing?" she harshly whispered. "Did nothing I say click in that brain of yours?"
Yuki eyed Miya and then Naomi with a confused expression. He then leaned into Naomi and whispered back. "I thought you were just saying that to calm her down. There's no way we're getting home until this is done. I thought you knew that."
Naomi slapped his closest arm in frustration. She kept her voice low as she growled, "Of all the years we've been best friends, have I ever been comfortable lying? Did you honestly think I want to be a Destined Jedi? The second I'm able to get out, I'm leaving with Miya and Ryuji."
"Nomi," he chastised.
"Don't you 'Nomi' me, mister," she shot back, pointing a finger in his face. "Master Gennai wants our parents. Someone needs to bring him our parents and -"
"How, Nomi?" Yuki folded his arms over his chest. "Please tell us how and I will gladly do it."
She sulked after not being able to come up with a reasonable answer.
"I'm waiting," Yuki urged.
"I get it!" Naomi snapped. "I don't want to be your second-in-command. I don't want to be here. Everyone may think I'm okay with it, but I'm only trying to be strong for everyone. I'm not my mom, and I'm not my dad."
Her breathing sped up as her vision danced side to side scanning the ground. The urge to pull the sides of her hair grew as the weight of saving both worlds began to sink in. She had been trying to ignore it this whole time, but now that was impossible. Next thing Naomi knew, she spewed her thoughts while crying.
"All I want to do is watch movies about the bad guys being defeated. I don't want to be the good guy -"
"Naomi."
"Shut up! I can't! I won't! This isn't me!"
Before she continued panicking, Naomi felt herself pulled into a hug. Her body trembled as she rattled off more excuses until Yuki cut her off in a soft tone.
"You're not alone. I was your best friend first. We've been through everything together since we were in diapers," he said. "Just like I was there for you when Kazu broke your heart, I will be here for you now. You can count on me."
Somehow those words calmed her. Even when he rubbed her back, she could feel him smiling when he lowered his face into the crook of her neck. Despite Yuki knowing her feelings didn't run as deep for him as his did for her, he sure did have a way with words.
"You'll be there for me until I beat you at Donkey Madness 10?"
Naomi had to admit that the more Yuki kept repeating the same message to her, the more she wanted to let go of Kazu and give him a shot. At the same time, if she didn't guard her heart, something told her she'd find herself being swept away with whatever idea he had next. Who knew what that would eventually elevate to. Using humor to deflect usually helped.
Yuki laughed and kissed her cheek. "I would never forgive anyone who beat me at that, but for you, I would make an exception."
She cracked a small smile. Somehow she believed that. After glancing behind her to check on Miya and Ryuji, she saw they were calm and chatting now. Naomi's smile widened. At last, Miya was calm.
She then turned back to her boyfriend to see him smiling at her lovestruck. It was the same expression he had when he gave her that rose and the same one after he convinced her to go out with him. Would it be selfish to admit to herself it was nice for the other person to constantly express their feelings?
Without giving it much thought, Naomi found herself hugging his waist and giving a shy smile. "I like when you're silly."
Yuki leaned in, his lips dangerously close to hers. "I like that you're mine." A beat went by before he spoke again. "It's going to be okay. Trust me and do what I say. We'll all get through this."
She scrunched her eyebrows. Yeah. It was going to be okay. It had to be. She closed her eyes and leaned in to the kiss. Laughter spilled when he unexpectedly gave multiple quick, playful kisses in a row. Naomi jumped up and wrapped her legs around his waist. Yuki instinctively caught her and held her weight with a twinkle in his eyes.
"You're sneaky," Naomi laughed. "I think you're trying to butter me up."
"Maybe I am." He gave her a sly wink. "It worked though."
A beat passed as they both hugged each other staying in the same stance. It was a gift that Yuki had. One minute she wanted to escape with Miya, and now she felt calm. It was a similar calmness to Kazu. Perhaps it would be okay to fully give Yuki a chance and put Kazu behind her? He really was sweet with her and it made her, dare she say, love him even more.
"Thanks," she said, planting another kiss on his lips. She then nuzzled her nose with his. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach as she stared into his crimson eyes. "I'll get through this because I know you'll be with me. And thanks for understanding that I can't be your number two. There's no way -"
"Of course you can be my second-in-command," Yuki playfully dismissed her statement. "Give it some time to sink in."
Naomi's face fell. The romantic atmosphere was instantly ruined. She unwrapped her legs from around his waist, planted her feet on the ground, and stepped back from him.
"Wait a minute," she said flatly. "Are you serious?"
He flashed his goofy grin. "You'll pick up how to lead fast," he replied, making up that step she took away. "Follow what I say and do and you'll be great in no time. You're my girlfriend, and the right place for you to stay is by my side."
Naomi pushed him away, upset with what she heard. "Unbelievable! Did everything just go completely over your head?" she shouted. "Let me make this clear to you, Yuki Kamiya, I'm not going to be your second-in-command. I'm not saying no because I don't have confidence in myself. I'm saying it because -"
"Yeah, yeah," Yuki said with a wave of his hand, dismissing her statement once more. He pulled her in to rest an arm over her shoulders. "That's fear talking. You can do it. We have to get back to Miya. Sweet talk her a little bit more and we should be able to -"
He was met with another slap on his arm as Naomi stomped off into the woods.
"I've had it!" she shrieked.
Naomi heard him chase after her.
"Hey! Get back here!" He then grabbed her arm and yanked her back. "It's too dangerous to be out by yourself. You don't have to accept my proposal right away, but I'm not letting you storm off in a hissy fit only to potentially get hurt."
She yanked her arm away and turned to him with fury. "Then I'll go back to camp, but let me tell you something, Yuki Kamiya. You may be able to convince other people to do things that you want to do, but you've met your match. You will never convince me to do something that I am dead set against."
She was shocked to see him smirk. Why wasn't he taking her seriously? They had known each other long enough for him to know that when she set her mind on something, there was no stopping her.
"That's what you said to me when I kept asking you out," he said. "Now look at us. You'll eventually say yes about becoming my second-in-command. It's what's best for you."
Naomi stood her ground. "For me or for you?" she shot back.
"For my girlfriend," he said, sounding fully confident with a wide smile.
Naomi let out a frustrated scream and stomped towards camp. "Don't follow me, jerk! It's not happening!"
Hearing her boyfriend laugh in response only fueled her anger.
"It'll be okay. You'll eventually say yes."
"Like hell!"
It was later that evening, after everyone finished dinner, that Naomi was able to find time by herself to breathe. As soon as she had joined everyone again after the argument with Yuki, it was back to pretending that everything was okay. Miya had returned with Ryuji and Yuki moments after and was diligent in doing her best to focus while learning her form.
Dinner was a pretty quiet affair with everyone wanting to stuff their faces after a hard day. Master Gennai made them tempura with a big bowl of rice. Ryuji at first wrinkled his nose at the meal, saying he didn't like tempura, but Master Gennai was not putting up with it. He said that either the boy ate what was in front of him or he would starve. Ryuji instantly changed his tune and ate. Naomi was about to snap at him for being harsh, but she knew their master was right. Now was not the time to be a picky eater. Outside of that, nothing really happened.
Pretending was the only thing Naomi had left with keeping it together. For the rest of the day, Yuki kept telling everyone that if they voted to make him leader, they all would be in good hands with Naomi as his right hand. She laughed it off, telling the group she wasn't up for it, but Yuki stayed persistent. It was really testing her patience.
Naomi sunk her head against her folded knees while sitting on the outside porch steps of Master Gennai's home. She pulled her chest inward until it was almost touching them and heaved. She had to stay strong for the younger ones, but putting on a facade was tiresome. There was far less energy used being herself, which was mentally tiring.
"I could really go for extra salty fries," she mumbled.
A light scraping of a footstep told her someone joined her outside. Something smelled like mint and sweat. Her heart beat fast, betraying her feelings. There was no need to turn and find out who it was.
"Go away," Naomi's lips betrayed her hopeful heart. "I can't deal with you too."
A wood panel behind her shifted, then paused. Would they actually leave? Figures. That's what they did best. Wait a minute. The light scraping came closer. Her heart was nearly beating out of her chest as whoever it was sat beside her. There was silence until she gathered the courage to peek his way. Naomi found herself staring into a familiar pair of light brown eyes that emitted a soft kindness in them most of the time.
Kazuma spoke.
"I'm sorry."
Naomi scoffed.
"I mean it," he calmly insisted.
She looked up to the night sky while resting her chin on her hands, which served as a barrier between her chin and knees. Somehow it felt eerily calm.
"Did you really have to use Yuki?" Kazu asked with a sad frown. "You got back at me by hurting me, but he's going to be the real victim after you're done using him."
Her eyebrows scrunched again. That really hurt.
"Rethink everything you just said, Kazuma," she snapped. "I may have said that I would use him to get back at you, but you were once my best friend. Am I really the type of vengeful person that would go ahead and do that?"
"No," said Kazu. He lowered his eyes with shame before looking her in the eyes again. His eyes glowed with hurt. "But you do have to admit, after that confident confession to me only to find out the next day that you're going out with him, it can't be a coincidence. It was a dumb thing to do."
It was Naomi's turn to avert her eyes with shame. She lowered her legs and criss crossed them instead. It was a struggle trying to figure out how to explain herself as she twisted her fingers. She couldn't lie not only due to her distaste for it, but because she was a terrible liar.
"The truth is…well, he sort of sweet talked me into going out with him." She winced, already knowing he rolled his eyes without having to check. "Look. I don't have to explain myself, but I'm trying to talk it out. So either hear me out or leave."
She motioned to Master Gennai's home as her frustration grew. "I'm dealing with that jerk telling people I want to be his stupid sidekick when I don't. And I have to pretend that everything is okay so Miya keeps it together because if not, she'll fall apart, which means Ryuji will fall apart. And if I'm a mess, then Shiro goes on a rampage, so shut up and listen."
He sighed, but to her surprise, Kazu scooted closer to her while also crisscrossing his legs.
"All right. Try me. I'm listening."
Kazuma chuckled with disbelief after hearing Naomi out. "I didn't think he was that good, but, man, he really is that good." He chuckled. "The classic 'knight in shiny armor swoops in and saves the girl in distress' trope."
Naomi groaned in agreement while lowering her head. When she looked up, she saw Kazu had turned and looked into Master Gennai's home, watching Yuki joke with his little brother. A smile formed on the blonde's face.
"What?" she asked, glancing between both scenes. It clicked with her. "Thinking about Hiro?"
Kazu sucked in his lip. He then nodded. "Yes. I hope he's okay."
Naomi smiled sympathetically and placed a hand on his arm. "He is, I'm sure."
A heavy silence blanketed the two pre-teens for what felt like forever. Naomi smiled. It felt like how things were before all this drama began in their lives. Sitting in silence with Kazu without having the need to say anything; just enjoying each other's company.
The blonde boy finally spoke.
"Nomi, do you really want the responsibility of being second-in-command?"
She frowned. "What do you think?" she replied, shaking her head.
Kazuma turned back around to face the night sky and playfully nudged her arm. "Then say no and mean it in front of them all or he'll keep doing it."
"Beat him at his own game," Naomi thought it over. That was a good idea. Maybe she should try it. "I think that'll work."
She looked over to find his soft gaze staring back. Her heart ached being separated from Kazu. Now that she divulged what happened with Yuki to Kazu, could she still say she could forget about Kazu and move on with Yuki?
Not a chance.
Right as she spoke, Kazuma did as well. They both halted only to start again at the same time, which made them both laugh. They were indeed on the same frequency.
"You first," Kazu said.
Naomi took a moment to gather her thoughts, then nodded before speaking.
"I think the fake dating thing caused me to start liking him a little bit," she said. "He did catch me off guard that day after I was upset and his offer to help me forget about you, promising that I would eventually fall for him sounded so good. I shouldn't have given in and seen Yuki that day. I should've seen through his persistence."
Kazu shook his head. "Nomi, none of this is your fault," he said. "The fake dating didn't help, but if I would've gotten over my jealousy that day, none of this would've happened and we would've started dating."
Nomi could feel her cheeks burn. He said it. He said dating. Everything in her knew it was true.
"What was it that you were going to say earlier?" she asked.
Kazu nervously wiped his hands on his pants. "Nothing really," he said softly.
"That's not true."
He chuckled nervously. "Maybe I'm too scared to hear your answer."
His hand went back to pick at the seat of his pants. She kept herself from giggling. The fundoshi must have still been giving him trouble.
"Kazu, now's your chance," she insisted. "Say it."
He hesitated, then looked back at what only Naomi could assume to be Yuki again.
"Kazu?"
"Yeah. Okay." He turned back to her, this time with determination in his eyes. "Then since it sounds like you like me more, are you going to break up with him?"
Nomi couldn't tear her eyes away. Was he trying to ask her out? A smile spread as hope filled her heart. This nightmare was finally going to be coming to an end.
"Do you want me to?"
It felt like an eternity waiting for his answer. Finally, when he gave it, it felt strong and urgent while he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her to his side.
"Yes."
She closed her eyes with joy and hugged him. That faint smell of his mint and rose body spray lingered even after today's harsh workout. It was the best smell in the world to her.
"Then I'll do it tonight before bed."
The way he caressed her left cheek, how he held her gently, her heart felt whole again - it had returned home.
"You still owe me those fries for making me wait all this time," Kazuma teased.
"Making you wait?" Naomi couldn't help but to laugh remembering the first time he said that. "You're the one making me wait."
"Then how about when we get back home we'll buy each other fries to call it even?" He cut her off, laughing while rolling his eyes. "Yeah, I know. I'll make sure yours has extra salt from all the drama between us."
"Extremely dramatic," she added, also laughing.
Naomi quieted. Looking out into the eerie starry night, there was one word that was mentioned all day that made her homesick: Home. She missed her parents more and more the longer the group was there. It helped that she had Shiro with her, but there was only so much of her brother she could take and they were placed in separate rooms. She wanted her mom and dad.
"Kazu? I have a plan, but I need your help."
He tilted her chin up with a finger. "No plans for tonight. For once, can we enjoy being together like this before Yuki has a meltdown when you break up with him?"
Naomi shivered. That was not going to be pleasant.
"It's something simple," she insisted. "As soon as you and I master how to open a portal, we take Miya and Ryuji and run back home. We're not supposed to be here. Our parents are, and they must be worried about us."
She watched Kazuma's eyes widen as he contemplated her proposal. It looked as if he was going to agree…until the finger that held her chin slipped away. His response was just one word.
"No."
Her heart dropped.
"No?"
He shook his head and repeated the word. "No."
"What do you mean no?" Naomi asked in disbelief. "Miya isn't cut out for this, Kazuma. I'm the one who bandaged her fingers; her nails are halfway gone. Ryuji is more or less autistic - he can't handle this."
"Actually, Ryuji did great learning his form today," Kazu countered. "He may have Aspergers, Nomi, but he's not paralyzed or stupid. Plus, the guys and I are looking after him as well. He's doing fine."
"He's autistic and shouldn't be here," she insisted, her tone becoming more and more upset. "As soon as we end up in a real fight, we're going to have to watch our backs and his. Can you imagine it? A Digimon touches him and he has a fit. That puts the whole team in danger. He could die!"
Kazu stayed firm. "Naomi, are you trying to use Ryuji as an excuse to go home?"
She froze. Her eyes darted to the side. "N-No."
He smirked. "Liar."
"Is it not true?"
He tilted his head to the side, wearing a soft smile. A hand slid down her side and held her waist.
"I don't want to be here any more than you do," said Kazu. "From all the stories that my dad told me, no matter what we think, the Force is always in control. If we fight it, we'll somehow end up back here."
Worried lines traced her forehead. She slid away from Kazu's hold, ignoring his protest to return to his side. No one wanted to help. Everyone was getting sucked into a war they didn't belong in. Of all the people who she thought would see her way, she felt alone in this mission. What happened to make everyone else change these last couple of days?
"Look at me," Kazu urged her. "Naomi, don't act like I'm rejecting you. Look at me."
"You practically are," she huffed.
"How the hell is that? Because I disagreed with one thing?"
"This is serious." She stood and stomped her foot indignantly. "I'm trying to save your life."
The blonde boy stood as well, but remained calm. "You know what I think it is? Being in a war scares the crud out of you," he said.
"Darn right it does!"
"Well, guess what? We're all scared and want our parents here." He swallowed with a sniffle. "I miss my mom," he said in a choked voice, "and I miss my dad, but I'm sure they'll figure out how to get here. They're not the kind of people to let something like this happen without somehow getting involved."
"I'm not sure about that. We need to –"
"This is the Force we're talking about. It has guided us here for a reason, and we have to figure out that reason on our own."
Naomi could not believe what she just heard. He wasn't listening to her! He really was giving in to this crazy goose chase. She thought he would think the same as her, that they should leave when they could, but she could not have been more wrong. What happened to the Kazuma Ishida she knew her whole life?
Her frustration boiled over.
"Forget it. You don't care about me or anybody else!"
The air became still once more. One look at the blonde's face told her that she had wounded him deeply with those words.
"I can't believe you just said that," Kazu said.
She stomped her foot again. "It's true!"
Who cares if that was a lie. It felt good to hurt him. Maybe it would make him listen.
"Hey!" he cried.
Naomi sucked in her breath. A few seconds of silence passed before he took a step forward and rested a finger on her chest.
"I pick you."
That was a low ball shot. She told him that a few times before their argument, what was five days ago in the human world, but five days had also passed here in the Digital World. There was an internal battle between knowing she was being unreasonable and not caring that she was being unreasonable so that results were in her favor. Not caring felt good in this emotional moment.
Naomi pushed his finger away. "No you don't."
She then turned to walk away. A surprised grunt erupted through her diaphragm as she was yanked back and felt Kazu's finger rest on her chest again. His statement was firm.
"I will always pick you. Remember that? The feeling is mutual."
Naomi tried pushing him off, but he was too sturdy to be so easily pushed. "I don't want to talk to you. It can't be that mutual if you don't want to run away with me."
"Don't do this," he growled.
"It's not! If you cared, you would've helped me by pretending to be my boyfriend when I asked!"
"I did help!" Kazu shouted back. She felt his frustration boiling over. "I told you to do the right thing and tell your parents. Not to fake a relationship!"
"If you cared, you wouldn't have kicked me out after I confessed!"
Naomi knew she was grasping for straws, but as far as she was concerned, she was too deep into this argument to back off. It was easier to believe that Kazuma never truly cared for her. It was going to be up to only her to save anyone that wanted to leave.
"And you know what?" she added to the closing statement. "The person who I'm really in love with is -"
It was the second time she found herself sucking in a breath of air from being surprised. Kazu had immediately pressed a hand against her mouth, stopping her from finishing the statement.
"Take some time to calm down, but whatever you do, don't you dare finish that sentence," he hissed angrily.
She glared at him after pushing his hand away. "Or what?" she shot. "You'll push me away? You're good at that."
"This is stupid!" Kazu roared. "You know what, Nomi? Go ahead. Run away. Then stay with Yuki and keep lying to yourself that you want to be with him." He leaned in and harshly whispered in her ear, "That's what you want to hear, right? It's better to make me the bad guy. That way you'll give yourself permission to do whatever you need to do to get out of here."
Kazu shoved her away. His brown eyes sparked with fire as he delivered the final nail in the coffin.
"I'll make it easy for you. I don't pick you. I'm not in love with you; I never was. I want nothing to do with you. Suck face with every cute guy you find. Peace out, former best friend."
Tears dripped down Naomi's cheeks as she watched the only boy she ever liked storm off rightfully upset. Why did she sabotage herself?
Her shoulders shook as she sobbed. Even if she chased after him while swallowing her pride, there was no way she deserved him. Her knees buckled and she dropped to the porch floor on her hands and knees.
A second later, she felt someone else pick her up and hold her close. The side of a pair of glasses pressed against the side of her head, accompanied by the smell of pine and peaches. Naomi's cries intensified when she realized who it was.
"I messed up," she wailed, tightening her grip on Shun's tunic. "I said things I didn't -"
Shun gave a comforting shush. "I heard the last half of your argument," he said softly. "I love you, but sometimes you're dumb."
Being the emotional mess that she was, Naomi couldn't help but switch between chuckling and crying. She shook her head, agreeing with him wholeheartedly. There was a reason he was the one she could always rely on to be there for her, no matter what.
"Shun," she gasped after a thought occurred to her. "Please tell me that no one else heard."
"Only my brother. He's the one that caught my attention and is distracting everyone right now."
She sighed in relief. Masato was the best.
"What am I going to do?" Naomi pleaded. "He's never going to forgive me."
Shun wiped her cheeks with the hem of his tunic and smiled. "Hey. Take in a deep breath. Find your inner peace. Do exactly what Kazu said and announce to everyone in the room that you don't want any kind of leadership role when people vote. Then you're going to take your bath and go straight to bed."
Naomi bit her lip. The blonde boy still refused to leave her mind. She couldn't leave him to go to bed mad at her. "But what about Kazu?"
"He's hurt, Naomi. Let me talk to him because if you go to him right now, this whole thing is going to drag out and get worse. I agree with him about taking the night to sleep on it. Cool down and then tomorrow, go talk it over with him again with a clear head."
Did that sound right? No. She ached to apologize right away.
"It's not wise," Shun warned as if reading her thoughts. "I do think what would help him calm down faster is hearing that you broke up with Yuki."
Naomi hesitated. "Does he really need proof like that?"
He tilted his head to the side out of curiosity. She chuckled. It was one thing she noticed his father did a lot, and he seemed to inherit it. It was cute.
"I thought you didn't really like Yuki," he said. "Shouldn't it be easy to do?"
Sure, it was easy to do. It would be like ripping off a Band Aid, but necessary. She nodded, then wiped her eyes.
"Yeah. I'll do that tomorrow. Thanks."
Shun hugged her tight. "No problem. That's why I'm here. Go have a bath and then go to bed."
Naomi bowed her head. "Okay."
Tomorrow was going to be hard.
So there is some dissension in the ranks as the group begins saber training. What will happen next for our young heroes? Find out next time on Destined Jedi: Next Generations.
Hope you guys enjoyed this long-overdue chapter. Life has a way of knocking you flat on your butt and taking up all your time. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this little holiday gift from me and that you have a great holiday. If I don't see you before the end of the year, have a happy new year as well.
Tootles.