Author's Note: I'd like to thank Scripturiens for sharing bountiful insight about this story. I really do think Yamato and Mimi are not as incompatible as what most people say - and it infuriates me when people say that (lol). Yamato and Mimi would have had the chance to be together if they were given the chance to interact. An honest and firm person like Mimi is exactly what Yamato needs - not the sort of indecisive and uncertain person that Sora is, because Yamato has those tendencies as well.

I have to dedicate this Mimato-only chapter to my very thorough reviewers. I'm really grateful of my reviewers, especially those who spend their time to help and improve my writing. Because damn, this fandom needs more high-quality stories and I'm trying to make my writing better. I sadly don't have much enough time to recheck them thoroughly, but oh well. I hope it remains enjoyable DDD:

Anyway, here's chapter twelve!

Salad Days

Chapter Twelve
Restless

Nighttime had befallen Tokyo, and the air turned strangely humid. Mimi found it hard to believe that everything was still in place, especially after Koushiro's self-admitted rejection. What bothered her was that he did not even give out a proper confession, like most guys would.

"I like you, and I know you don't feel the same.", he says, thought Mimi.

Although it was true, she wished he didn't feel so defeated. He wasn't hoping for her. If he told her otherwise, if he told her he was going to try – maybe.. just maybe..

She decided to go to the pier, hoping to clear off her mind before her parents smother their love on her. It turned out that she wasn't alone, as she caught a silhouette of a man leaning over the fence. She walked closer, trying to paint a face of the figure. It was pitched dark in the area, and only got to recognize him as she caught a hint of yellow on his hair.

Yamato heard her footsteps, and turned his head to see her.

"Mimi," he greeted, not really surprised to see her. He felt quite grateful that he wasn't going to be alone tonight.

"Yamato-kun," she sighed out of relief, and approached him. He was looking straight at the ocean, as the color of the bridge had just turned purple. She leaned in, trying to study his face in the dark.

"I'm sorry about earlier."

"Mhmm.. what was that all about anyway?"

"I was supposed to talk to Sora."

"I see.. you were going to try to make up with her?"

"Yeah.."

"What held you back?"

"A gut feeling."

"Tch. You're such a coward," said Mimi. She had heard him say the same excuse before. "You should have fought for her,"

"Initially that was the plan," groaned Yamato as he leaned against the rail. He became aware that this certain spot had become his and Mimi's spot. "But when I saw her, it just didn't feel right."

The brunette snorted, not liking what she was hearing, and much more confident that he deserved what Sora did to him. "You know, hearing you say that tells me that you didn't really love her as you say,"

He was suddenly taken aback, checking if she really told him that. Huh? What just happened? Did Mimi just really say that to him? How dare she? How can she know anything about him and Sora? Or how much he had loved her? What the hell is with this brat! He was realizing that it was a mistake to even assume she could help him.

He shot her a look, with danger in his eyes. "Okay Tachikawa, you're way out of line,"

"And you aren't?" she scoffed, tilting her head away from his direction. "Seriously, you've made us under everyone's impression that I'm your new lover. Me, Sora's best friend,"

"How did you even manage to jump into that kind of conclusion?" he retorted, astonished at her vanity. Seriously.. why did I even think..

"A lot of people saw," she explained, becoming more frustrated. If there was anything she feared more, it was endangering her friendship with Sora. "But I don't care what they think. I care what Sora-chan would think after you pulled off that stunt,"

"Not everything has to be about you, Tachikawa," he snapped. "Why did I even bother talking to you, you only care about what you feel,"

Before he could turn his head away, her palm already met his cheek.

"How dare you say that.." she started to sob. Yamato groaned out of frustration as he rubbed his reddening cheek. He checked the area and hoped for no sight of a passerby.

Even Mimi will not understand, he thought. He remembered Sora again, wondering if he could have done something else to not end up like this. He now had no one else, assured no one could ever love him the way she did. If Sora couldn't, then no one else can. He suddenly found himself amused of the waves, ebbing and flowing against the stoned shore.

For five minutes they did not talk, until Mimi was silenced from her crying. In a turn of surprise, she felt shameful.

"I'm sorry, Yamato-kun," she apologized as she took him by his arm. What he said earlier did hold truth. She was more worried about her status than his feelings.

"I'm sorry for slapping you," she added. He stiffened from the hug, thinking if he should pull away.

"Ahh. I'm sorry too," he apologized, and patted her head. "An apology won't work for that slap though. You owe me ice cream."

"Okay." She immediately agreed.

He chuckled. "I'm just joking."

"I know you love Sora-chan," she muffled. "I'm sorry for saying such things. I don't know how much pain you're feeling right now, but I know it's a lot."

"Ahhh.." he then pulled away from her, becoming uneasy of the growing romantic atmosphere between them. Mimi kept talking, apologizing for what she did, and not noticing he was already stripping down to his underclothes until he jumped over the bar.

"What are you trying to do?!" she said, pulling his arm to get him back to the other side.

"Mimi, let me go, it's not what you think it is,"

"What the hell are you trying to do, Ishida? Are you already committing your death wish or what?!" she kept her grip tighter around his arm.

"You idiot, I'm not, I just want to take a swim,"

"In your clothes? In this filthy body of water? Are you joking?! You think I'm a fool?!"

He did not like how loud she was. "I'm not joking. And yes, I think you are a fool."

"You're insane! Come on, just get back here, will you," but before she could convince him, he had already strained away from her and went in to the water.

"Oh my God! Yamato!" Only leaving his school bag and coat, she picked them up and panicked even more, wondering if she should get some help from nearby vessel or yacht owners. Should I call the police?! The navy?!

"Yamato! Oh my – oh what should I do, should I go in?!"

A few seconds without any sign of a breathing Yamato, Mimi started to cry. Oh my God, it's no good! She then frantically opened her coat, until she was only wearing her undershirt and boyshorts.

"Gah! Ishida! If I find you alive, I will kill you myself!" she yelled to the waters, and then went in. Just as she was already in the air, Yamato had risen with a heavy breath.

"Don't panic, you—what are you doing?!" Mimi had already dipped in the water, much to his surprise. He grumbled, as he saw her school uniform hang on the fence. He felt guilty.

"Ishida!" exclaimed Mimi, as she animatedly got up to the surface. "What is the matter with you?!"

She started to chase him, grabbing for his head, hoping to drown him herself. He felt her grab his hair and he instantly swam away.

"I told you not to worry!" he shouted. He swam back for land, and Mimi followed. He sat on the short stairway that connected to the pier.

"How would I know," she panted, taking his hands as he helped her get out of the sea. "Whom in their right minds would take a swim here?!"

As soon as her feet touched the ground, he threw her clothes to her, as well as his coat. She air-dried herself for a while before putting her clothes back on, and then she put on Yamato's coat over her shoulders to keep herself from shivering. She turned around to look at him, his undershirt, boxers, and hair still damped. But there were more important things than him being slightly see-through.

"Yamato-kun,"

"Mimi,"

Silence fell between them again. He started to take his clothes and put them on piece by piece.

"You really weren't going for a swim, weren't you?" she muttered, but audible enough for him to hear. He did his trousers, and just stared at her. She was right.

"I wanted to know if I will resurface or not."

She took a deep breath, looked away from him, hoping he wouldn't see her tears. "Took you a long time to come out.."

"Yeah.." he would have apologized, but he knew it wouldn't mean anything.

You idiot. She scolded in her mind. She walked towards him, slowly. Fear started to grow inside her, having been reminded of those lost friends she had, all those Digimon friends whom had died before her, had scarred her for life. They stared at each other for a while. She studied his eyes, looking for answers to questions she couldn't ask out loud. Oh Sora.. she thought. Sora, oh dear Sora, had no idea.

He was still the same lonely boy she knew back then, and what could have happened tonight, if she weren't here with him now – no.. no. Not Yamato.. no.. please, no.

Whatever it was that was going inside Yamato's mind and heart, she was glad she found him tonight. Her eyes then caught a silvery piece that marked beneath his white polo shirt. She saw a familiar trinket that she remembered giving it to him.

What did he mean he wanted to know he will resurface.. thought Mimi. She took him by his shirt, her palms balling into fists. Mimi wanted to be angry, but couldn't. She embraced him, forcing her tears back as she hid her face on his damp shirt. "But at least you did.."

This time, he returned her gesture, and without her noticing, he silently wept on her shoulder.

Author's Note: Oh yeah, anyone interested in a Sorato break-up fanmix? I made one and it's posted on my profile. Hahaha. I know things just got a bit darker but I wanted to keep them in character. I'm not heading off to a tragic/angsty road, but I really think this felt natural, especially among emotional teens like Yamato.

I do think, despite a much happier and active Yamato in post-Digiworld adventure, Yamato still has some of his extremes especially when he's under stress or when he's emotionally weak. Since chapter one Yamato has been burdened by his rocky relationship with Sora, and I think what he did in this chapter is when he reaches his own limit. I'd like to think that despite the unnatural togetherness of Sora and Yamato - they really did love each other, and did think of each other as their "only one". Digimon canon forced that in my face anyway X(

I hope the transition from a 'broken' Yamato to a 'healing' Yamato will be as natural as it goes.

As for Mimi's character development in the story, her issues do not make her entirely weak, unlike Yamato. Mimi's the kind who will go head-on and immediately resort to a fix, whether it's a good or bad one; still, that doesn't mean her own issues did not leave a lingering impact on her.

Anyway, the next chapter(s) will hopefully explain more of this. To be honest, I don't really have much of a fully-detailed plan for this story and I have to say, writing everyone in their teens (especially those in their late ones) are quite challenging.