Stay Tuned As Life Continues

“So that’s your new apartment building?” asked Hikari leaning over row of people to look out the window.

“I wish I could afford an apartment.” Said Sora.

“You’re not far from campus, you guys really lucked out.” Koushiro said.

“What a quaint little place.” Said Miyako.

“This place looks like shit.” Said Daisuke. There were gasps from all around the van, Yamato rearranged the review mirror onto Daisuke. Daisuke tried to cover his bad joke, he horsed out,“I got you guys good didn’t I? It was a joke. Ha ha he he.” There were only groans and slight coughs in response.

The van pulled into the parking lot, parking as close to the elevator as possible But still winding up parking a fair distance away. Just as soon as the van came to a complete stop, the doors were flung open and bodies started jumping out. Not long after, a small moving truck came pulling up behind the van. The digidestined ran to the back of the truck and opened the back. They quickly started to unload the truck. Over an hour of heavy lifting went by, Yamato’s bed, dresser and desk were now safely put in Yamato’s new room, along with countless boxes. The crew loaded up and set off to fetch Taichi’s things. After several breaks, many reminders to lift with your knees, and a handful bruised knuckles, all of Yamato’s and Taichi’s things were in their new apartment.

Yamato collapsed onto his bed, laying his face into the bare mattress, his body sore and tired, but a sense of achievement and freedom flowed over it. Yamato laid there, take deep breaths until he felt a body flop onto his bed, bouncing him slightly. A voice came from the new body, “Think you could have any heavier shit?”

“I could have brought the couch too, my dad said he wants a new one.” Yamato said, but having not turned his head, the mattress muffled it.

“No way Yamato, I remember having to help your dad move that thing in, I thought we all agreed that it would stay there, that it would just stay in the apartment, even if your Dad moved out.” Taichi said gazing up at the ceiling.

Yamato laughed into his mattress as the memories returned to him. Taichi, Jyou, Takeru, Daisuke, his
father and him, spent the better half of an afternoon five years earlier, picking the couch up from another apartment building, moving it, and then hauling it up to the Ishida Apartment. Poor Jyou looked like he was going to die by the time they got it in the apartment. There were numerous arguments that day about which way to turn it, who was turning it which way, and slightly bruised egos. Yamato’s trip down memory lane was cut short, as he heard a knocking sound.

“Taichi, Everybody wants to know what’s for dinner.” Hikari said from the door.

Yamato could feel the stare from his roommate. “Don’t look at me like that Taichi, I made breakfast.”

“Fine, we’ll all go back to Odiba and eat at that Italian restaurant, we used to meet at sometimes. My treat.” Taichi announced loudly. Cheers could be heard from around the small apartment.

After making sure that their new apartment was secured, Yamato and Taichi herded everyone to the vehicles. Once again Yamato drove the van and his father drove the moving truck. After a slightly stressful drive everyone arrived safely at the destination. The destination of course was a little Italian restaurant, with its entrance tucked away in an alley, it was constantly over looked. So it made a great place for a large group of kids to meet, and discuss matters of importance or just to relax.

Yamato and Taichi were glad, the day went as planned. Everyone arrived in time for breakfast, then everyone did their part to help causing the move to go smoothly, and now they were all going to spend the rest of the night having fun as a group. Mr. Ishida on the other hand, had no plans for staying for dinner.Mr. Ishida dropped off the few people he was carrying in the moving truck. He was going to return the truck and then retire for the evening. Yamato knew however, that he was actually going to return the truck and then delve back into the work that he was skipping.

Yamato felt sorry for his Dad, he was so devoted to his work, that he never had time for a life. He knew that he would rather spend his time with his kids, but he seemed addicted to working, and working at the tv station required nothing less. It didn’t help that the pay was good, and the cost of supporting his family was high. His father was hardly at home while Yamato grew up, often coming home after Yamato had tucked himself in for the evening, and leaving before Yamato put himself on the bus in the morning. But whenever Yamato truly needed his father he remembered him being there. He would drop whatever he was doing to help his son in any way he could. Yamato saw just how loving his father truly was, he just hoped that Takeru saw the same loving man he did. After all Takeru only lived with his father a few years before the divorce happened, ever since then Takeru had lived with their mom. Only having the occasional contact with their father. It wasn’t until five years before, that Takeru was allowed to spend sometime over at their fathers, and that was just so Yamato and him could spend more time together.

Yamato’s mind drifted again as he now looked around the large table at all of his friends. He knew he was truly blessed that he had so many good friends. Friends that he had been through thick and thin with, and still came out friends. Yamato looked at each one of his friends, smiling, laughing, some even dancing to the Italian music blasting over the tiny speakers in the wall.

He looked at Daisuke, his face tucked away behind a menu, the only part of him Yamato could see was the hair sticking up over the menu. Daisuke’s hair just as wild as his mentor’s. In fact he still had his mentor’s goggles tangled in his mess of hair, although it had been over five years since he had gotten them. Although Yamato didn’t trust Daisuke when they had first met, he soon recognized Daisuke’s strong leadership skills in the younger group of digidestined. Although his lame, and sometimes harsh jokes upset Yamato from time to time, he respected Daisuke’s determination and loyalty to his friends.

The next person he saw was Iori, who had all the menu’s gathered up ready to hand to the waiter. Iori had grown a lot since the fight with MaloMyotismon. Alongside his body, Iori’s mind grew too. The youngest of them all had possibly the strongest sense of right and wrong, justice and injustice. Yamato enjoyed this Iori, he seemed wise beyond his years, and had a strong moral compass. No one in the group, would be surprised if Iori would make it into a top high school, come the start of the new school year.

Miyako was the next person that caught Yamato’s eyes. She was busy passing around plates for everyone to put their appetizers on. Miyako was part of the glue that held the younger group together. Yamato knew that Miyako shared Mimi’s sincerity, however Miyako could take it to extremes, being to sincere when lies would be better served. But perhaps that was a flaw that everyone enjoyed in her. Her high school experience was spectacular, following in the footsteps of one of her mentor’s, Miyako, became the new president of the computer club, once
Koushiro graduated. Her mom was also a great cook, and anyone who brought tasty food, was always a hit with the digidestined.

Yamato next saw Ken, who just had a large plate of meatballs put in front of him. Yamato had kept his distance from the ex-Digimon Emperor. It wasn’t until the two of them had traveled to Mexico City that Yamato truly forgave and befriended Ken. And later the connection between the two grew stronger. Both of them had been manipulated by evil earlier in their lives, but now both were stronger, and better people because of it. Yamato could see some of himself in Ken, because of this, and their friendship and only been growing stronger.

Yamato saw Sora twirling the pasta around on her plate. Sora and him had dated for a while, a few years ago. Everyone was so happy for them, however after a few dates they both knew they weren’t meant to be together. Both of them felt that there just wasn’t the spark between them like there should have been. But instead of letting a failed relationship split them apart, it in fact brought the two closer together. They were now more open with each other, about life, money, sex, everything.
Jyou was still chewing his food, Yamato could almost see Jyou counting with each bite he took. At one point in time Yamato was once at Jyou’s throat, but now Yamato still felt like he was indebted to Jyou, he had saved Takeru’s life so many times. Once was beyond words, twice was beyond deeds. But yet it always felt that it was the other way around. It was no coincidence that Jyou had the crest of Reliability, he could be counted on in a pinch, always willing to lend a helping hand, even if it meant studying twice as much the next day.

As Yamato looked at Koushiro, Koushiro looked back, and put a large smile on his face, one that Yamato gladly returned. Koushiro could have picked any university in all of Japan, in fact he could have picked from almost any in the world. But instead Koushiro picked one in Tokyo. Koushiro wanted to stay close to his friends and family. He had become closer to the outside world, learning to love all it had to offer. Yamato always respected Koushiro’s near infinite knowledge, but now he also saw him a loving caring human being instead of some emotionless walking encyclopedia.

Yamato looked at the empty seat. The empty seat that was always kept empty when they met in large groups. The chair was reserved for the missing digidistened. Mimi was still living in America, although she tried to visit every year, things just weren’t the same with out the pink loving girl around. However gossip had been swirling around the small group of friends that Mimi was going to attend a the rest of her college life in Japan. Then they would all be swimming/ or drowning in all the love that Mimi had to share with the world.

Yamato saw Taichi and Hikari laughing as Taichi kept trying to get the spoon to stick to the end of his nose. Taichi and Yamato had been through a lot, but it only forced the two to form a tight friendship that had seen so many ups and downs it was impossible to count them all. However through them all they two remained best friends. They attended the same college, and as of that evening were now renting an apartment together. There bond was so strong, that if people see only their interactions and connection, they would swear they were brothers. Hikari, Yamato now saw as a younger sister. Her light had guided both groups of digidestined through the darkest of times. Yamato respected how brave she was, and how loving and forgiving she was. He saw many years ago how close his brother and her were, and decided that if there was one woman out of all of them, that this would be the one that Takeru would be with. They seemingly completed each other.

Yamato then turned to his brother who was sitting right next to him. Takeru turned towards his brother and the two just stared into each other’s eyes, both lost in thought. Yamato would do anything for his little brother. Yamato had always protected his little brother from as many of the dangers of this world and digital world as he could. Yamato realized that sometimes he was overprotective, but in worlds filled with so much pain, it almost felt right. However Takeru no longer needed his brother’s protection, Yamato found this out while Takeru went on his own adventures, far from his big brother’s protective reach, and returned safely. Yamato felt guilty as he recalled Takeru’s recent behavior however. Takeru seemed withdrawn from him, like he was holding something back. They had grown apart over the past few years, but Yamato never realized how much. Was it really to the point where Takeru felt he could no longer trust his older brother enough to tell him what was bothering him? Yamato had been trying his hardest that weekend to patch things up with his brother. He thought he was doing a good job. There was still a gap between Yamato felt, But there was also something growing between them now that Yamato couldn’t identify. Something that he hadn’t felt before, but he didn’t know what it was. Yamato’s thoughts drifted to his brother, “I’m sorry Takeru, how can I make up for leaving your life, Takeru, will you ever forgive me?”

Takeru stared into his brother’s loving cool blue eyes. Takeru had always looked up to his older brother. The two were close, he thought he was closer to Yamato, than Hikari and Taichi were. However a few years before, Takeru began seeing the world in a new light. It wasn’t long after that, that Yamato and him had started to grow apart. But now here was his older brother, his Onii-chan, coming back into his life. But Takeru was still shutting him out of his life, but for new reasons. Takeru had already lost someone he loved by sharing his feelings, and he wasn’t going to lose another one. So Takeru’s mind drifted to, “I’m sorry Yamato. I can’t tell you anything. Will you ever forgive me?”

Takeru turned away from his brother, feeling his eyes starting to water. He quickly excused himself and rushed to the bathroom. Takaru locked the door and stood above the sink, looking into the mirror. With his hands clenched onto the counter, he continued his thoughts, “But if I did tell you, would you still love me?” Tears rolled down Takeru’s face as he remembered the all too fresh, and all too painful memory of the first telling his of secret, and the negative reaction that followed.