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Notes: This happens 6 years after the original Digimon and 2 years after Digimon 02. Jyou (17) is about to graduate from highschool, his brother Shin (about 25) is in medical practice (he still doesn't have the title); Taichi, Yamato and Sora (16) are in their sophomore HS year, and Koushirou and Mimi (15) are freshmen. Miyako (14) is in her third year of middle school; Hikari, Daisuke and Takeru (13) are in second year. Iori (11) is still in elementary.
Content listing: some yaoi/Jyoushiro.
*...*: denote thoughts.
*****************
Two days after the Mogi tests...
"Okay class", Koushirou told his classmates as the class president he was. "Stand up and salute!".
"Good day class", the homeroom teacher for his class, Saizuki Shinobu (a quite young woman with short brown hair, that eerily reminded Koushirou of a grown-up Hikari) said as she entered the classroom to meet her students.
"Good day Saizuki-sensei!", they replied. Some did it not so enthusiastically, but at least they did.
"Today's a special day, ladies and gentlemen...", Saizuki-sensei started.
"You're gonna let us out? Pleeez, Saizuki-sensei!?", a boy asked from the last row. Koushirou rolled his eyes in disgust.
"Nope", Saizuki-sensei said tilting her head, letting her hair sway a little. "It's because there's a new student in this school and she has been transferred to this class. So I'm gonna present her to you now...".
She turned to the door. "Tachikawa, don't be so shy, you can come in. Meet your new classmates", she said gently.
As he heard the surname of the new girl, Koushirou jumped in his place. There was only ONE Tachikawa girl that he knew. But that one was supposedly in USA!!! True, she came once in a year puntually to spend summer vacations with her Digidestined friends -- but having her as a classmate? That was another story...
The door opened, and a pink-haired head popped in. The girl who owned it stared here and there, then smiled sweetly, and stepped into the classroom. The males in the class whistled their appreciation soundly; the girl blushed as she walked towards the teacher and the class president. This one was about to burst and cook himself in the huge warmth covering his flushed face.
Mimi..., in school uniform and IN the school building, she looked completely like a Ko-gal (1)... With her pink hair, a mid-thigh lenght skirt, loose socks... Fortunately she wasn't using make-up or cologne, unlike other girls he had seen, specially in between Yamato's "fangirls" and Jun-san's friends *shudder*. A brand purse was hanging from her waistband completing the outlook of the 15-year-old girl named Mimi, his Digidestined peer and friend, now his classmate and the object of desire of all the males in the room.
"This girl is Tachikawa Mimi", Saizuki-sensei talked, her voice nearly unheard in between cheers and whistles. "She has lived in the USA for a while and her dad was transferred back to Japan recently. Please, be nice to her...".
"Yeah!!!", the boys chorused. "We're not worthy, we're not worthy!!!".
Koushirou's jaw touched the floor.
"Sit here, please!!", one boy offered, pointing at the empty seat besides him.
"No, Mimi-san, sit here!!", another one said signaling another desk by his side.
"No way, Tachikawa-san will sit here!", the first guy protested.
"Nope, she'll be here!".
"Here!!".
"HERE!!!".
"I'll sit..., here!".
Mimi walked at another empty desk. This was placed at Kouichirou's left flank. If Koushirou could blush any deeper, he'd catch fire by then!!
"It's better to be with somebody that you know!", Mimi ended sagely as she sat down on the chair, winking with mischief at her friend.
"WHAAAAAT?!"
"YOU KNEW CLASS PRESIDENT IZUMI FROM BEFORE?!".
"NO WAY!!!".
"THAT'S SOOOOOOOO CUTE!!!", a girl squealed starry-eyed from the last seat.
Defeated, Koushirou surrendered, as he was bombarded with questions from the others about him and Mimi. How did he know her, if they came from the same elementary or middle school, what was the way he had with cute girls like her and Takenouchi-sempai, etc., etc.
"Class, class, please come back to your seats!!", Saizuki-sensei claimed. But no one payed attention to her as they all, girls and boys, surrounded Koushirou and Mimi...
**********
"Mimi-san!!! Sora-san!!".
Sora and Mimi were having lunch in the garden, sitting by the enormous cherry tree next to a tiny pool. That was one of the most popular lunch spots in their institute and no matter what, it'd be usually packed with girls and boys. Today was no exception, so Hikari and Miyako found it hard to reach the place where Mimi and Sora were, after sneaking into the older girls' highschool (they had to jump over the separating fence to get their purpose) and bearing some teases from older schoolers (one of them even lifted up Hikari's skirt, receiving a kick right in the face for it).
The Digidestined were currently attending school in Odaiba. While Taichi, Yamato, Sora, Koushirou and Mimi were in Jyou's same highschool, Hikari and Miyako attended a nearby middle school along with Daisuke and Takeru. Iori would leave next year his elementary school to join Hikari & Cia, while Miyako would enter highschool, Jyou would go to a first class university - possibly Keio, Kyoto or Waseda (2) - and Sora, Taichi and Yamato would prepare for their own college admision tests.
In the while, all the Digidestined were much having normal lives, with their teenage and childhood dreams blossoming and coming true in the Circle of Life...
"Oi, Hikari-chan, Miyako-chan! Come here, no ecchi will *dare* to touch you!", Sora waved at the younger girls while shooting *killing* glances to the boys close. Sora was still known as a tomboy, and while now she was acting much more like a female and barely got angry, when she did think someone was mistreating her friends...! Let's just say that you wouldn't like to be her rival.
Hikari and Miyako reached the place and sat down (Hikari was *very* careful with her skirt this time), proceeding to get their lunch boxes out of their schoolbags. Few later, they were eating with their seniors under the cherry, laughing hard and very happily.
"Ah, before I forget!", Hikari said. "I came here to give you all a great, TRULY great notice!".
"So ka (Yeah)?", Sora said while taking a munch of her sushi. "What's the deal? You didn't even tell Miyako-chan before us?".
"But I wanted all of us gals to be here so that I told you all in the same moment!".
"Okay, okay, we get it!", Mimi told Hikari amber eyes glittering in curiosity. "Then, what's up?".
The brunette took a great gulp of air, before telling them very excitedly... "Someone known to us gets married in 3 weeks!!".
"Nani?!", her friends all said, unable to believe their ears.
"It's Shin-san's wedding!!", Hikari added.
"Shin-san? As in Kidou Shin?", Miyako interrupted wide-eyed, tossing a purple bang over her shoulder. "Sempai's brother?".
"Yup, yup!".
"So soon?!", Sora broke in, blinking in astonishment as she realized it all. "And wasn't he supposed to first go abroads?".
"Things have changed", Hikari said with a smile. She waited until her friends were all gathered closer to her, lightly enjoying to be the center of attention (who wouldn't, mah?! Bear with it! ^^), then started.
"Oniichan was talking to Jyou-san days ago and I overheard it by accident. It seems that both Shin-san and his fiancée, Kikuko-san, were offered good places in Okinawa, where they specially needed young doctors in practice like them both. Shin-san can't go to work abroads until he completes his practice, and the offer was too good to be rejected. So that hurried the thing: Shin-san and Kikuko-san wanna get married before going to Okinawa. It was on hell of a maneouvre to get everyhting in time, but it's okay now...".
"Sounds wonderful!", Miyako squealed. "I've never attended a wedding, I wanna go!".
"I think we may have a chance...", Hikari added very happily. "As we know the groom and his younger brother from more than a while, we possibly will be invited! If not, Jyou-san wouldn't have talked to Oniichan about it".
"Aw, that's superb!!", Mimi spoke now. She was practically bouncing with her excitement. "Cross fingers, let's cross fingers girls (3), wish it upon our luck so that we get invited!".
"Whoa, Mimi-chan was the last to come here, and she's the most eager to go...", Sora remarked with light sarcasm.
"Of course I'd die to go! So let's make a promise, and cross your fingers with me!!".
The three girls smiled at Mimi who was already crossing her slender fingers. Then they did the same and, eyes closed, wished to be invited to the marriage.
* RIIIIING! *
"Uh-oh, class starts!", Sora said. They cleaned up and went back to their classrooms, Hikari and Miyako dodging seniors who yelled at then some tease words, but froze as Sora glared at them. Mimi just stared, laughing, and still crossing two of her fingers as she ferviently wished to be there in the wedding.
* Please, please... let me be there with sempai...*.
**********
"Okay, this is it!", Yagami (4) Taichi said as he, Hikari and Sora jumped out of the bus. "Here we split apart. Sora, ja ne ('til tomorrow)".
"Ja ne, Sora-san", Hikari chorused.
"Uhm, okay. Ja ne Taichi, Hikari-chan!".
Sora smiled at her classmate and his sister, waving at them goodbye and later running down the street. She was in a cheerful mood those days, after seeing Mimi so decided to have the guy that she liked. And *what* a guy: the council president himself.
Some girls had gotten crushes on Jyou in those two last years ("must be the council thing -- it always work in shoujo manga, but I never thought it'd happen in RL", Sora giggled), and he turned them all down gently, but firmly. But it seemed that this one wouldn't give up so easily, and it was good. Jyou was always so serious, sometimes to the point of overworrying though not so much as when he was 11 -- with a glimmering ray of sunshine like Mimi around him, he wouldn't die of an hernia at the age of 30.
"Jyou-sempai need a stress reliever now that he's stuck with the future college entrance exams. Who else than Mimi-chan can take such a task? Ano... talking about sempai... isn't it Shin-san's car that's parked there?".
Sora had spotted a blue car (one of those small cars usually associated to college students) parked by her mother's flower shop. By the Waseda sticker on the windshield's corner, the girl recognized it. She walked to the door of the shop and saw her mother talk to a young man in his 20's with short green-blue hair, who had a striking resemblance to her sempai.
"Well, Takenouchi-san, then I'll go to the shop you've told me. Thanks for the info and tell her that we came... Hey, ain't that Sora-chan?", the man said upon seeing the highchooler come in. She greeted him happily.
"Shin-san, what a surprise!", Sora said as she stepped closer to him and to her mother. She saw then a girl about her visitor's age, with wavy black hair reaching her chin, and gray eyes planted in a sweet, though not overly beautiful face.
"Kikuko-san!", Sora called. Kikuko turned and smiled at her. "Omedetou (congrats), I've just know all!".
"Kimi wa... (you...)", Shin said as he felt a sweatdrop going down his neck.
"Hikari-chan told me", Sora explained quickly. "She overheard a conversation between Tai and Jyou-sempai and later spilled out the beans. So we know all".
"Ooops, it's all spoiled then... so I think you'll be happy to know *why* they exactly came here...".
At Sora's mother's words, Kikuko smiled again as she got an ivory envelope out of her purse. Sora's eyes went wide as she saw her own name on it.
"We dropped by to ask your mom for info... and to give you what baka Hikari-chan has spoiled you for. But again...", she grinned slyly, "if you don't want such thing...".
"Nobody said so!", Sora retorted vividly. Her eyes gleamed when finally Kikuko handed her the envelope containing her ticket to happiness...
*Her* invitation to the wedding.
"You're not the only one, you see...", Shin said, showing her some more envelopes, which had her friend's names on them. Yagami Taichi, Yagami Hikari, Ishida Yamato...
* Our wish... it came true... Wah!! *, Sora thought feeling in the Seventh and Final Heaven (even angels danced in her imagination but she turned them down quickly). However, instead of showing it, she just shook her head (caring that her short hair hid the blush on her cheeks), and told the blue-haired man:
"So, Shin-san, thank you a lot. And are you pretty much ready for the ceremony?".
"80% of it. In fact, we came here to talk to your Okaasan (5) and ask her about good flower shops specialized in Occidental wedding flower arrangement (6). She gave us the info, so it makes for 10% plus -- 90% ready...".
"And the other 10%? What's up with it?", Sora asked, piqued wirth curiosity.
"We haven't find somebody known to sing at the reception... (7)", Kikuko concluded. "We both want to have on-stage music instead of back-up tapes, and a college friend was going to make us the favor but she has told us that she really can't, and we're now stuck".
* Orooooo... No song, no music, someone who can sing... 1+2+3... *
It took Sora 2/3 seconds to realize what *did* it meant. Once she did... her lips opened automatically. Her emotions tricked her, however.
"YAMATOANDMIMICHANCANDOTHATFORYOU".
"What?".
"ISAIDTHATYAMATOANDMIMICHANCANDOTHATFORYOU!!".
"Take it slow and nice, onegai...".
Sora HAD to sweat it to regain control, and then she talked.
"I said... Yamato and Mimi can do that for you".
"Yamato-kun and Mimi-chan?", Shin said, raising an eyebrow.
"Yamato has formed a band recently and he's the school circle's sensation. Mimi-chan also sings well and she's pretty. So I think it may work....".
The two youth looked at each other and thought of it for a second. Well..., more than a second. They turned to face Sora and...
"We're counting on you for it!", Kikuko told the younger girl. "I'll still search on my own, but could you do us the favor and ask them?
"Count me in".
"And as you're more in contact with them, could you give their cards to the girls? Jyou-kun will do it with the guys".
"Okay!", Sora said as she received the cards destined to Mimi, Miyako and Hikari. Shin and Kikuko talked some more to Sora's mom, then said goodbye to them. Sora waved at the couple and hurried to her bedroom...
"Maaaa... She's really bubbly about it, isn't she?", Shin mused, tilting his head playfully, as they got out of the Takenouchi shop. "I couldn't imagine that a tomboy would react like that...".
Kikuko pressed his hand while giggling. "She reminds me of how I acted when my Oneesan got married... One of the dreams of girls is having a beautiful wedding...", she stopped dead in her tracks, blushing like mad.
"Whoopsie, I shouldn't be talking about that. Not in public... Call it bridal nervousness!!".
Shin sweatdropped as he lead Kikuko to the car. Mrs Takenouchi, who had seen the whole scene from the door, couldn't help but laughing.
-- end part 2 --
-- TSUZUKU (TO BE CONTINUED) --
MINAMI & NATSUMI SAY:
(1): Ko-gal: the closest translation is "bimbo", and talks about the 90's Japanese young girls who basically talk, act, and look like college students, using makeup in school, bleaching/dying their hair, using VERY short uniform skirts or show-off clothes, intrested in fads/fashion but nothing else, etc. Objectively seen, Digimon 02's Mimi quite belongs to that type of girls (like Jinny Golding from Marmalade Boy, or Minako Aino from Sailor Moon's anime version -- or simply put, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and the like).
(2): Keio, Kyoto University, Waseda: three of the most famous Japanese colleges/universities, even internationally. Waseda was also mentioned in the VERY famous manga by Izumui Matsumoto, Kimagure Orange Road (Kyosuke and Madoka study there in the Shin KOR movie).
(3): It's an old Spanish/Latinamerican superstition, to believe that if you cross your index and medium fingers while making a VERY fervient wish, your wish will come true. Kinda like praying for it to Jesus and his Cross.
(4): We forgot to say this in the first part. Hikari and Taichi's surname IS "Yagami", NOT "Kamiya" like the American dub says. It was a mispelling. I (Natsumi) saw the Japanese version in a friend's house and saw the kanjis of Tai's full name. And the ideograms for the brunette sibling's surname read "Yagami", meaning "Eight Gods" (Ya=eight, Kami/Gami=God). Damn dubs!!! -_-
(5): Okaa-san: Japanese word for "mother". Coloquially, the "san" can be replaced by "chan": 'Okaa-chan' (mommy). For 'father' the word is "Otousan" (or also Otou-chan - 'daddy', but ONLY for girls).
(6): Are we right about this? The Takenouchi's flower shop apparently specializes in 'ikebana' (Japanese traditional flower arranging) and not in Occidental-style flower handle. None of us clearly remember the chapter where it was explained by Sora herself...
(7): In the reception parties of Occidental weddings (NOT only in Japan), the background music may be played by on-stage groups instead of using a back-up tape with suiting songs or orchestral tunes. Singers/bands are specially hired for it; but if you're a close friend of a band, you can ask them to sing there too.
***
Jikai (next)! Suki nan desu, part 3!!
"...".
"So you mean it?".
"...".
"You think I can do it?".
"...".
"So, it's a deal. Him and me there onstage?".
"...".
"I accept, then. Tell Kikuko-san that she can count me in".
"...".
"Okay. I'll talk to you at school, Sora-san. Remember to give me my card".
"..".
"Um, yep. Ja ne!".
"...".
* tut-tut-tut...*
Mimi hung up the phone. She let out a long, heavy sigh.
"YES!!!!".
******
Jyou held the paper mask in his hands, thinking about the things that Kaoru-san and Ishimaru-kun mentioned when he stopped by the drama club room.
"A mask is what we all use to cover our feelings. We actors, symbolically, wear a mask of glass so that our worries don't interfere with our performance, which nature is so delicate.
"Others literally mask themselves to avoid being hurt or hide their secrets...".
* Kamen (mask). I and Koushirou. We have our masks too. One is to hide our love from others..., but I put other one when I'm with him. A mask hiding what Mimi-chan has made me feel... since she kissed me... *
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Notes: Phew! Minami took her time to edit this one. She polished the draft very carefully. Actually, this has less Yaoi... but it'll come back *evil Tomo cackle*. It's just that I relegated it to the next chapter, you see...
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