#minor kenyako

[earlgreymon]

hot summer night

🍶 miyako + iori // [day 6] exam (challenge) - for @digiweek 2022 for this day, i'm trying to write about that one dynamic (and perhaps two characters) i rarely wrote about. this fic was tricky to write and i even finished this the last one among all the digiweek contents i created. but that's what this day is about, right? and frankly i'm happy with the result! this fic was inspired by this fanart. the first time i saw it, i knew i had to write about iori accompanying drunk miyako someday. this fic sets before kizuna and before miyako left for spain. idk why i remembered miyako having an exchange program instead of being a full-time student in barcelona. let's just assume it that way in this case, and sorry if i was wrong. at least i correctly implied miyako as a gemini (this is canon fyi). also, no, this is not a romance fic between those two, even though it has hot in the title (sorry i'm on title block so i only snatched one of the script's song titles). there's a minor kenyako, though. happy reading!

___

Iori found Miyako in front of his cram school that night in June, looking very standout with her purple strands and cherry-tinted lips. It was easy to be in the limelight when you wore makeup and shirts with striking colours among students with crumpled uniforms and weary faces after studying for the whole day.

“Iori-kuuun!”

Her high-pitched voice didn’t sound like a mature college woman, however.

Iori sighed, getting a second-hand embarrassment because everyone’s attention diverted to him after she echoed his name. He proceeded to walk out and approached her, asking the obvious, “Miyako-san, what are you doing here?”

“Meanie. Is that something appropriate to greet to your senpai?” Miyako pouted for a second before returning to her jolly mood. “I happen to be around so I figure I can ask you to accompany me for a dinner.”

He glanced at her feet and atop of her head, only to find something was missing. “Where is Hawkmon?”

“Oh, I told Hawkmon to fly to your house with some food from my konbini. Armadimon is home, ne?” she responded. “Come on, Iori-kun. It’s been a long time since we had fun just the two of us. Isn’t this a perfect time now that I’m going to leave next week and the others are too busy with their freshmen stuff?”

It was not a bad idea at all. He initially planned to grab a takeaway because his mother and grandfather were out of town, but now with Armadimon’s dinner settled, he didn’t have to worry about his partner starving alone.

He just didn’t know that Miyako also had her own plan of ordering a bottle of sake right when they just stepped inside the yatai tent.

Iori took a seat beside her, eyeing her ever so cautiously. He remembered the day Miyako turned twenty last May, and she decided to celebrate it by secretly grabbing a can of beer from her store. She posted its photo in their group chat, prompting joyous reactions from Mimi and Taichi, in addition to a jealous wail from Daisuke. Miyako then seemed to embark on her personal adulthood venture, trying different types of liquor ever since.

 “…you do understand that I am still a minor, don’t you?” he said as he watched her pouring the sake into a cup.

“And why do you think that will stop me? It’s not like I’m asking you to drink along.”

“Just because I’m younger than you, that doesn’t mean I cannot tell you off.”

“Well, can you?”

He could, for real. He just chose not to.

Miyako then chuckled. “Don’t worry. It’s because you’re with me that I have to drink more responsibly. What will people say if they see a high schooler carrying a drunk woman home?” She took her first shot and whooped right after her cup was empty. “Ahh, this is sooo good! You’re going to love this once you turn legal.”

“To be honest, I cannot see myself drinking even when I reach the right age.”

“Aw, what a shame. I look forward to coming back here and sharing sake with you.”

He pondered, sipping his ice tea. “Well, perhaps I can make an exception for you.”

“Right? I don’t think lawyers can survive without attending nomikai,” Miyako instigated as she snatched the first fresh-grilled yakitori from their plate. “Speaking of which, is that what you really want to aim for? Go to law school and become an attorney?”

“That’s the plan for now,” Iori also grabbed a negima but did not bite into it before he finished with his answer. “I know it’s hard to enter a law school, so that’s why I sign up for cram school as early as possible.”

“Yeah, but I just—” Miyako sighed. “I don’t want you to keep studying and let your youth pass without having fun. You’re only in high school once, so do something crazy. Skip a class, have some dates, go on a summer vacation with your friends….”

Iori paused, looking at his faint reflection on the glass.

“I am having fun,” he continued. “I have a great time battling monsters and saving the world. It makes me realise that I want to fight for the right thing and help people to get out of iniquity. And I believe becoming a lawyer is a good way to accomplish that.”

He was aware of how idealistic he sounded just then. If he was with other people, they would certainly be laughing at his words, telling him that the world was too cruel of a place for justice to prevail and he should just stick to a dream that was more within his proximity.

But he wasn’t with other people right now. He was with Miyako, who cracked a smile while looking at him with proud glimmering behind her spectacles.

“That’s just really you,” she said. “I know you’re a good kid the moment I laid my eyes on you. And I hope you know that I’m always rooting for you, no matter what. After all, I’m the big sis who just loves my reliable Iori-kun a bit too much!”

And that was when Iori couldn’t help but giggle. He was used to people calling him mature even when he was a little boy, but once he wore the high school uniform and felt a lump growing in his throat, it was still surreal for him how he really reached the age of adolescence. That was why he was glad to have Miyako around because she was a constant reminder of how he would still be someone’s little brother.

Her phone suddenly vibrated above the table, and as she picked up to see what was on the screen, Iori noticed her face getting a bit red. Somehow, he reckoned it wasn’t because of the sake, yet he didn’t want to pry further so he chose another topic. “How’s your departure preparation?”

“No hay problema! I’m leaving on Wednesday’s noon, though, so I guess you can’t set me off to the airport.”

“Ne, sorry for that.” It was rather unfortunate for him that Miyako chose to fly to Barcelona instead of using the Digital Gate for the sake of enjoying that wanderlust feeling. Iori started to consider whether this would be the right time to skip a class just like she advised just now. “Is there anything I can help with?”

“Hmm. Just promise me to pick up when I video-call you,” she said before quickly adding, “oh, oh, I know! You can visit me during your summer break. Ask Ken and the others to join too!”

Just like that, he easily solved the puzzle. “Ichijouji-san?”

“Ah, yes! He’s helping me learn Spanish even though he’s busy with college,” Miyako responded, and Iori could hear her voice turn jovial at once. “He even texted me just now to check my progress. I think I should go meet him tomorrow.”

There was something stirring inside him that he tried to brush off by picking up another skewer. However, it was obvious he didn’t sound so thrilled when he blurted out, “Oh.”

And Miyako caught his reaction with pleasure. “I thought you no longer hate him.”

“I don’t hate him.”

“Are you jealous, then?”

“No.”

But boy, did he never stray too far from the truth.

After all, he was a little brother who just cared about his big sis a bit too much.

#digimon #digiweek2022 #by me #fic #ioyako #is that the name of this dynamic?? #or is it miyaori?? #iori hida #miyako inoue #constructive criticism is welcome since this is the first time i'm writing them #also i know that's a beer image not sake lmao #couldn't find a better pic #digimon adventure 02

[noctisfishing]

The Last One Wins | 01

01 | 02 | 03 | 04

Rated: M

Summary: The Digidestined have grown into adults and are ready to embark on family life. Matt wonders if he and Sora are going to be the last ones to have a kid.

Between him and Tai, he wants to make sure that it happens that way.

Pairings: Sorato, minor Kenyako; Takari friendship shenanigans

Tags: Humor, some Romance and Fluff

Notes: The timeframe is Post-Kizuna, Pre-02 Epilogue. Born ahaha from a silly Discord conversation so please accept this silly little story.

M rating is for at least one light romance scene in later chapters. There will also be a scene with minor Kizuna spoilers along the way.

Shoutout to @leo112358 @blondeandconfused & @sakurarebin .. This conversation happened last December so sorry this took so long :3 <3

You can also find this and other updates on AO3 and FFN.

Chapter 1: The Bet

For once, all that Matt wanted was a quiet evening.

It was what he casually explained to Tai over the phone when he called to ask what Matt was up to. Sora was visiting her mother to prepare for another ikebana exhibition, so he had planned to relax on his own until she arrived home.

He didn’t expect to have to make more for dinner than for two, given that Taichi invited himself over. Once Taichi made his way over,  Matt sent a text to TK with the intention of venting, only to receive this reply.

"Kari’s been wanting to see him. We’ll stop by.”

Before Matt knew it, the seats at his dinner table were full with even Davis, Yolei, and Ken somehow tagging along from his younger brother’s invitation. Kari brought an extra dish and dessert, most likely out of sympathy, but Matt knew the situation couldn’t have been helped, and Sora wouldn’t have minded the unexpected guests regardless.

“You know you’ll miss me by the time you’re up in space,” Tai said while Matt cooked over the stove. “Are you nervous?”

“A little, to be honest,” Matt replied. After completing his master’s degree in aerospace engineering, he was selected for the JAXA astronaut training program, which had also been around the time he asked for Sora’s hand in marriage. He had never been happier the moment she said yes. They were married a year into his training, and fast forward another year to the present where he was on the verge of becoming a certified astronaut.

Excited as he was, he still had worries and doubts that he didn’t want to delve deeper to Tai, so he opened the conversation to Tai’s current job in international relations, which Tai had no problem rambling about as long as Matt continued to cook.

By the time they served dinner, the younger Digidestined took the reins of the conversation at the table. Yolei chatted happily about starting a family with Ken smiling warmly at her side.

Naturally, the conversation steered into the topic of children. Kari, Davis, and TK were also already married to their own significant others by then, and they all began an open discussion about how many children they wanted.

“Ken and I were talking about it and I’d love to have a big family,” Yolei said at one point. “I think you'd make a great dad, Ken!”

“That’s exciting!” said Kari, clapping her hands together. “I can’t wait to see mini Yolei’s and mini Ken’s running around!”

“It’ll be something, wouldn’t it?” Ken said, sharing a smile with Yolei. “Having the first child out of all of us - Well, unless…”

“It’s possible,” Matt interjected, knowing that Ken was about to refer to him and Sora. He sensed a few pairs of eyes shifting toward him. TK was about to open his mouth when Davis began to speak.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. You can’t take everyone out of the running so fast, Ken!” Davis said. “Your child won’t be the first - not if I have anything to say about it.”

TK laughed. “You're really going to make this a competition?”

“Butt out, TP. This is between me and Ken.”

"He goes by ‘Tee-Kay’, and you're an idiot to think you'd have the first child!"

"Wanna say that again, 'maestro'?"

“You’re bonkers if you really believe that!” Yolei added.

Matt had been used to the back and forth banter between the younger Digidestined by now, but he never thought the competitive behavior would fall on a subject like this. He looked over to Tai who was just as surprised as he was.

As the conversation went on, Kari whispered to Matt that she would try to silence them with dessert. Matt watched TK follow her into the kitchen, and then return with a pie in his hands along with him and Kari giggling between each other.

The pie ended up being a good distraction, and Kari began to grill her brother on when he was going to visit home again. Matt sat and listened along with everyone else, but he could only feel relieved knowing that he didn’t have to answer the question he knew that Ken was about to ask him.

~*~*~*~*~*~

“Man, they were at each other’s throats,” said Tai after Matt walked Yolei, Ken, and Davis out of his house.

“No kidding,” Matt replied. “It’s hard to believe that the younger ones are talking about kids.”

“I think Davis is going to beat Ken,” Kari added, and Tai and Matt turned to stare at her.

“You think so?” Tai asked.

“Yup. His girl can be just as fiery as he can be. They’ll have the first kid.”

“No, no.” TK shook his head. “I’m all for Ken and Yolei being the first ones.”

Kari crossed her arms. “Hmm. I can’t wait for the 5,000 yen you’ll be giving me when you lose.”

“I think I’ll be the one being 5,000 yen richer-”

Tai laughed. “You guys made a bet?”

Things began to click in Matt’s head.

“So that’s what you two were giggling about earlier.”

“Come on!” said TK. “It makes this whole thing much more fun. You guys wanna join in?”

“Nope,” he said immediately.

“No way,” added Tai.

“Aww, Onii-chan,” they whined in unison.

“Leave me out of this,” said Matt, waving his hand with a sense of finality. “Besides, I’d rather not think about kids right now. In fact, I bet I’d be the one to have a kid last.”

Silence fell, and suddenly, all eyes seemed to be on Matt.

“Are you serious, Matt?” Tai asked. “You and Sora are already married. What else is going to happen next? Don't tell me you haven't been trying for one.”

“I mean… It's not like we haven't, you know…” Matt felt his cheeks warm, feeling as though he was tricked into answering an intimate question he didn’t want to answer, especially not in front of TK. “But we're not trying. You, however!” he added quickly, hoping to push the attention towards Tai. “I wouldn't be surprised if you have one first, since you like to do it like you mean to.”

There was a long pause as Tai stared him down.

“...You're definitely going to have one before I do.”

“I definitely will not.”

“Not if I have anything to say about it.”

Matt couldn’t believe what Tai was saying. Did Tai really think that he was going to win this argument? Was Matt going to let him?

“Seriously, Matt," Tai continued. "Sora's practically a mother already.”

“Which is exactly why she doesn't need children yet. She already has to take care of you and me. Why add to the list?”

“That doesn't mean we can't be crossed off. Hey, we've gotta grow up sometime.”

Matt was too focused on staring down Tai to notice that Kari and TK were exchanging mischievous smiles, followed by raising their hands to shake for a second bet - this time, between their own brothers.

#digimon fanfiction #sorato #ishida yamato #matt ishida #takenouchi sora #sora takenouchi #minor kenyako #noctiswriting #rated m #last one wins #sorato fanfiction

[ahiddenpath]

Fic Recs

I came across your DigiFic recommendations list. Could I add a few of my favorites too? I’m a huge fan of Taiora, and these three have been my favorites for years:

Paradigm Shift by Squit Ayumin Link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8695427/1/Paradigm-Shift Couples: Taiora, Mimato, minor Takari

A Losing Game by Squit Ayumin Link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/4628775/1/A-Losing-Game Couples: Taiora/Sorato

I’ll Be There For You by Amethyst-Love Link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/5044123/1/I-ll-Be-There-For-You Couples: Taiora, Koumi, Takari/Daikari, Kenyako (This one features all 12 characters from the first two seasons!)

None of them are mine, but LMK if you want any additional information for the list.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Submitted by @nanake, thanks so much!  I added your recs to the Digific list here!

Everyone, please keep the fic recs coming!  And don’t forget to add yourself if you are an author, or add a profile for yourself if you’re already on the list!  And if you have your own post of digific recs, LINK ME TO ADD IT!  It’s getting colder, the perfect time for readers and writers to unite and share stories!  

#digimon fanfiction #digific #submission

[skittymon]

1, 19, and 29

1. What crest do you think that suits you better?

I think this is suppose to mean “the best” and I cheated and asked my twin which one suits me and she said Mimi’s of sincerity / purity.

19. OTP(s)?

I’ve been in this fandom for so long and seen so much shit that I literally don’t ship anymore. The only pairings I care about now are Kenyako (Ken / Miyako) and Takumi (Takuya / Izumi). But I also have a soft spot for Zenjirou / Nene, Daisuke / Takeru and Ikuto / Chika. Tamers has some cute ships but they’re ten sooooo.

29. Favorite Minor Character?

THE MOM’S IN DIGIMON ARE HELLA AWESOME. Sora’s, Takato’s, Masaru’s, Ruki’s, etc.

I love Miki and Megumi from Savers. Hirokazu and Kenta from Tamers grew on me. I’m liking Ai right now in Universe but I think she gets main character status later? DIAGO AND MAKI ARE LITERALLY SAVING TRI FOR ME.

Thanks for the ask!!

#skitty answers

[noctisfishing]

A Night at the Summer Festival

Day 2 - First Date

#noct writes taiora week 2020 [ 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 ]

@taioraweek for more Taiora love! @noctisfishing for Taiora/Digimon writings and more. :)

Setting: Digimon Adventure tri. timeframe / AU

Tags: Fluff, Romance

Minor pairings: Takari, Joumi, minor Kenyako

Notes: Their first date is at a summer festival because I was inspired by this beautiful fanart. There will be no goldfish or candy apple, but I promise it’ll be equally as sweet.

This may not show up in the tags because of the links but I’d like to add them for context. Here is more on the yukata (even the drawing in the link could be of Sora, lol!) and info on some of the mini-games and food stalls at a Japanese summer festival. More references at the end of the fic!

Also... Koushiro couldn’t make it to this event... (My deepest apologies to my Koushiro fans. I hope we can still be friends)

~*~*~*~*~

"So, you've finally asked her out, huh?"

“Let’s not talk about this, Hikari.”

Hikari grinned upon entering her and Taichi’s bedroom, catching sight of Taichi who was draped in blue. His brows were furrowed as he lifted his arms, looking down at the yukata he had focused on putting on properly.

“I think we should, given the occasion,” Hikari said, stopping in front of Taichi to help wrap the robe and obi around his waist. She had already put on her own lavender-colored yukata with the help of her mother, including the flower clips in her hair to match.

Taichi lowered his arms, entrusting his younger sister to help him look like less of a fool in his yukata. “You’d think that a first date would be small and simple, like catching a movie, or a walk in the park.”

“A summer festival is just as fun, Taichi. An amazing event with an amazing girl like her. Right?”

“R-right…” Taichi stared to the side, feeling the burn on his cheeks from Hikari’s widened grin. He knew that she was highly amused by his reaction. “I guess I’m lucky that Dad had his old yukata for me to borrow.”

“I’m sure Sora appreciates it! Wait until she sees you in this - Taichi, stop fidgeting.”

“Sorry,” he muttered. 

He had only turned his head to try to look down at what the yukata looked like on him, but he lifted his head up and faced forward to let Hikari continue her magic.

“Okay! All done.” Hikari patted either of his shoulders. “It’ll be fine.”

“I hope so. Thanks, Hikari.”

After what seemed like forever while their mom convinced them to pose for pictures, Taichi walked with Hikari to the front of the shrine where they planned to meet Sora and Takeru. The two were already waiting in their own yukatas, with Takeru donned in green and staring in amazement as Sora did a casual turn with the geta on her feet to show off hers.

At the turn of her head, her eyes lit up when she realized that Taichi and Hikari had arrived.

Taichi was suddenly speechless. 

“Hikari! Taichi!” Takeru called with a wave. He joined Sora walking over to them.

Hikari kept walking, but Taichi stopped, at a loss for words. Sora’s red hair was styled in a bun with a lock of her hair coiling down the frame of her face. Her yukata was patterned with florals in different shades of ruby, with a crimson obi tied in a tachiya-style knot at the back . 

“Come on, you slowpoke!” Hikari yelled. 

The other three laughed, but hearing that brought Taichi back down to Earth. As he caught up to them, he remembered that he didn’t want to embarrass himself or mess this up. He had even agreed with Sora beforehand that they didn’t have to treat this like a date to keep the pressure off between them.

“You look amazing, Sora,” Taichi blurted.

“Well, thank you,” Sora said, taking her hand to tuck her hair behind her ear. Her face began to match the color of her yukata. “You look nice, too.”

Taichi wondered if that was too cheesy to say. So much for embarrassing himself.

“Tell me I look amazing, too, Taichi,” added Takeru with a grin. Hikari giggled as she attached herself linking her arm through the hook of his elbow.

Taichi grinned. “You clean up nicely, Takeru,” he said, suddenly recognizing how close Takeru and Hikari were to each other.

“We’ll be heading off,” Hikari said with a wink. “We don’t want to intrude. Maybe we can meet up around here when the night is over?”

“Sounds good,” said Sora. “You two have fun!”

“Don’t worry,” Takeru added as he looked to Taichi. “I’ll keep an eye on Hikari.”

Takeru stole a kiss from Hikari before putting his arm around her waist as they walked away. Taichi couldn’t help but watch, and he wondered if it was actually Takeru that he needed to keep an eye on.

“Taichi.” Sora gently took hold of his forearm. “They’ll be fine. Don’t worry about them. We’re here to enjoy ourselves, right?”

Realizing this, Taichi let out a sigh and relaxed his shoulders. “You’re right.” he said, and his worries seemed to disappear when his eyes met hers and they exchanged a smile.

The two then entered the festival side-by-side observing the rows of stands on either side that sold food and various items, and some that hosted mini-games. 

“Let’s get some takoyaki at the first stand we see,” Sora said as they walked through.

“Heck yeah!” Taichi replied just as his eyes landed on a mini-game stand a few yards in front of them. “...I have an idea.”

Sora stopped and looked at the stand he was looking toward, reading the sign, “Kingyo!” She looked to Taichi with a knowing stare. “Loser pays for the takoyaki?”

Taichi grinned. “Let’s do it.”

However, both of them ended up being the loser. They each made two attempts at scooping for a goldfish, all attempts which ended with broken pois and fish squiggling back into the mini pool. Taichi noticed a few other people playing, however, and noticed how easily the paper poi ripped no matter how delicate they tried to be.

“Hey-!” Taichi began with annoyance, but Sora immediately grabbed him and walked him away from the stand.

“It’s not worth it, Taichi,” she said with her expression just as irritated. “Either way, that was a waste of yen, wasn’t it?” 

Taichi knew he didn’t want this to sour the rest of their night, so he figured he would try to lighten the mood.

“Yeah… and here I was thinking that you were a master of fishing, Sora.”

She smacked his shoulder as he laughed. “Meanie.”

“Anyway, where to next?”

Suddenly, a loud gasp was heard nearby, followed by a familiar voice.

“Hey! It’s Taichi!”

As both Taichi and Sora turned their heads, they saw Daisuke quickly approaching, with Miyako, Iori, and Ken following behind. Miyako gasped as well, and both Daisuke and Miyako walked around them, staring at their yukatas in adoration.

Taichi should’ve expected an interruption like this given the popularity of end-of-summer festivals like this one.

“Wow, Taichi!” Daisuke exclaimed. “You look really cool in that-”

“Sora!” Miyako chimed in. “You look like a goddess! Oh my gosh, I can’t believe-”

“Calm down, you two!” Sora said, laughing nervously and waving her hands in front of her. “There are other people wearing these, too!”

Miyako pouted. “I should’ve worn one! I would’ve looked way nicer on this date with Ken.”

“Speaking of,” Iori added with a tempered reaction. “I think we should leave these two alone. Pardon the intrusion, Sora, Taichi.”

“Wha-?”

Daisuke was cut off by Ken pushing him in the other direction as his cheeks flushed, most likely from hearing Miyako’s comment. His other hand grabbed hold of Miyako’s elbow, pulling her away with a look on her face that was as confused as Daisuke’s. Iori was the last to follow behind them, but not before bowing politely at Sora and Taichi.

“I’ve always liked Iori,” Taichi said with relief. 

“It was nice to see them, though,” Sora replied. “Come on - let’s find another game I can beat you in.”

“You’re on, Takenouchi.”

They found a stand with a ring toss game which both of them were eager to play. Tossing a ring at the same time, Sora and Taichi watched their own rings land around its own toy, making their game a tie.

“I got you a present,” Sora said with a smile and holding up a mini cartoon-ish dinosaur, orange in color.

“No way. I got this for you!” Taichi raised his palm to show the toy of a bright pink bird sitting on top of it.

The two of them laughed as they swapped their presents to oogle at for a few moments; then, Sora put them in her small bag. Taichi was happy to see Sora smile. He knew that she was having a good time, and he hoped that it would continue as the night went on.

As they continued to walk, Taichi noticed more people walking alongside them. The festival was getting busier, and he sensed that even Sora knew it when he felt her hand touch his forearm once again.

“Don’t worry!” Taichi said with a smile. “I’ll make sure we don’t lose each other!”

“Maybe I’m more worried about you losing me,” she teased.

He laughed to himself, not mentioning his heart beating as she held onto him.

However, he nearly jumped in fright as he felt a hand touch his other forearm.

“Hey there, handsome!” Mimi said with a wink and a grin.

“Ah! Hey Mimi!” Sora said cheerfully. 

“I wanted to see what you guys were up to, and I figured that Jou and I would join you!”

Oh no, Taichi thought.

“Well, Mimi…” Sora began. Taichi could tell that she didn’t have the heart to tell Mimi otherwise.

“It’ll only be for a little bit!” added Jou who peered over from Mimi’s side with a sheepish smile. “Right, Meems?”

Taichi’s eyes darted over to Jou who mouthed a ‘Sorry!’ to him.

“Well, we were thinking about getting takoyaki,” said Sora. “Why don’t we all get some together?”

“Let’s do that!” Jou chimed in “My treat?”

“Oh, isn’t Jou such a sweetheart?” Mimi said cheerfully.

“He’s quite the charmer!” said Taichi, knowing that Jou was doing this out of pity, especially after being on the receiving end of Taichi’s death stare.

But Mimi had already let go of Taichi’s arm and stopped walking, making the rest of them stop with her.

“I see cotton candy! I totally want some!”

“Then, I’ll go buy some for you,” Jou said, gently pulling Mimi towards the stall and away from Taichi and Sora.

Mimi cupped her hand on Jou’s cheek. “You’re such a sweetheart…”

“Wouldn’t you know it,” Sora said just as Jou and Mimi left. “A takoyaki stall.”

“Ah…” Taichi turned to look and saw that there was no line in front of it. He realized at that point that the competition between him and Sora was at a draw, so he decided to change the rule of the game. “How about some takoyaki on me?”

“But, Taichi, neither of us are winning,” Sora said, which Taichi knew that she would point out.

“Then, we’ll just say that you’re the winner here.”

“Aww…” Sora began in a playful tone, mimicking Mimi as she held her palm to Taichi’s cheek. “...you’re such a sweetheart…”

The amusement and laughter only lasted a few moments, as Sora’s face turned into a shade of pink; and she must have removed her hand when she felt Taichi’s face warming up in turn.

“I’ll- be right back!” Taichi said, knowing that him being flustered was obvious. 

There had already been one person ahead of Taichi when he approached the food stall. Taichi stood behind him and noticed he was wearing a green yukata, although it might have fit loosely for someone his size. The guy’s hair was short, spiky and blond under the straw hat that he wore, and Taichi wondered why he looked so familiar. 

“One takoyaki, please,” the guy said in an apparently hushed voice, but Taichi was able to recognize that voice from anywhere.

“Yamato?!” Taichi said, making the guy jump in his spot.

He turned to Taichi, staring daggers and holding a finger to his lips. “Not so loud!” he hissed.

“What’s the-?!” Taichi caught himself nearly yelling, then he lowered his voice. “What’s the deal?!”

“Next, please!” yelled the stall attendant, and Yamato stood to the side with Sora while Taichi put in two orders. When he met with the two of them, Yamato hunched over as though he was hiding himself with Taichi and Sora.

“I just wanted to check out the festival on my own without getting noticed, you know?” Yamato explained. “Some people have already been staring at me longer than they should but I don’t think they recognize me.”

“People are going to stare at you if you’re wearing that hat after the sun goes down, anyway,” Taichi said, feeling the need to point that out.

“Right now, I’d rather be the weird kid with the hat than be Yamato of ‘Knife of Day’.”

The takoyaki orders were called, and Yamato and Taichi got theirs, with Taichi handing one to Sora. But just as that happened, a loud scream nearby reached their ears.

“Aahh!! You were right! That is Yamato! The lead singer of ‘Knife of Day’!”

As more heads turned and the squeals of excitement grew louder, Taichi’s eyes widened and he turned his head to Yamato.

“You probably should not have said that so loud…” Sora added.

“Gotta run,” Yamato said, just as he darted in the direction in which the majority of the crowd was travelling.

It amazed Taichi how many people recognized Yamato. Many of the girls in yukatas began to run in Yamato’s direction, some of them running in their geta and tripping over themselves.

Sora gasped as a few girls ran past. As she turned to dodge out of their way, she had slipped on her own geta and started to tumble backward.

“Sora, look out-!”

Taichi caught Sora just before she toppled to the ground, his back against the crowd while he felt more people whiz by. The moment he felt it was safe, he helped Sora stand.

“You alright?” he asked, searching her face for any sign of trouble.

“Well, our friends didn’t make it…” Sora frowned at the dinosaur and bird toys that she took out of her bag; they were now in pieces of pink and orange. She also looked down at the ground where her takoyaki had fallen. “I really wanted that.”

Taichi held his up and smiled. “Here, we can share mine-”

Startled by the sudden push at his back as one more crazed fan zoomed past, his hand was forced open, letting his takoyaki drop right next to Sora’s.

“Oy.”

Turning to the stall, Taichi saw the attendant hold up a pair of takoyaki orders and gestured to him to take them.

“Oh, no, sir- that’s okay! You don’t have to do that-”

The attendant pointed into the crowd, where Taichi and Sora found Mimi happily strolling with her cotton candy, and Jou giving them a thumbs up, quickly followed by the gesture to zip their mouths shut.

“Good ol’ reliable Jou,” said Sora, who grabbed the orders and handed one to Taichi.

He couldn’t help but laugh along with her. 

As the night went on, they continued their walk down the festival rows. But Taichi noticed that Sora declined to do anything else. She didn’t want to get any more food, nor did she want to play any game, or even to try their hand at another fish scooping game. He was wondering if she was no longer having fun, if she even had any from the start.

“Can we get out of this crowd?” she asked.

“Okay.” Taichi looked around, realizing that they were both in the middle of a sea of people going in every direction. Looking ahead, he found a clearing where they could make their escape. “Hold onto me.”

Taichi led the way, holding her hand tightly as they weaved through the crowd together. They passed by people cheering as a young boy caught three goldfish at one stall; a couple winning a ticket for two free bowls of ramen from pulling a string from a senbonhiki stall; and a group of friends decided to pop confetti into the crowd, showering bits of colorful paper all over.

Soon, the lively noises were far away, and Taichi and Sora found themselves on a grassy hillside where the moon slowly rose over a large lake. Right behind them was a bridge where people were already lining up against the guardrails.

“I guess we found a great spot,” Sora said. “Let’s find a place to sit.”

She chose the spot to lay her blanket for the two of them to sit, and she set her geta off to the side. 

“Sorry about that back there. I just couldn’t hear myself think.”

“Oh, was that what it was?” Taichi asked. “I was wondering if you were getting bored.”

Sora giggled. “I’m having a lot of fun with you, Taichi. Despite all the mishaps.”

Taichi turned to her, watching her laugh as her eyes glistened under the glow of the festival lights. There was a pause in her laughter, which confused him, even as she took her hand to his hair.

“Looks like confetti is your consolation prize for the night, Yagami” she said, gently picking out the colorful pieces. “At least you got something.”

Taichi caught sight of a brightly colored piece in a lock of her hair.

“Hey, looks like you win, too,” he said, reaching for it.

Just then, the sky lit up with a flash and a pop. The fireworks show had begun, but neither of them took their eyes from one another.

“What did I win?” she asked.

“If I said it was a kiss from me… would you call that a consolation?”

It was a bold question that even he didn’t think he had the courage to say.

But in response, she brought his palm against her cheek. The flashes of light above them only made her eyes sparkle as she smiled with radiance.

“I’d say that it’s the best prize of all.”

With his heart pounding in his ears, Taichi leaned forward until his lips met hers. His emotions were as bright and colorful as the skies above when she kissed him back. 

Taichi almost felt silly to worry about their first date, but even after things didn’t go as expected, he couldn’t think of anything better than experiencing it all with her.

.

.

.

.

~*~*~*~*~

Terms mentioned:

yukata (summer kimono); obi - sash that wraps around the yukata and can be tied in a knot, including tachiya-style; geta - traditional sandals worn with yukata... Poor Sora’s feet.

takoyaki - appetizer made with octopus. I really want some right now..

Kingyo [sukui] - fish-scooping game, using poi (a tool with thin washi paper) to catch the fish. There are other sukui-type games at festivals, too!

Senbonhiki - a lottery type game where you pull a string that guarantees you a prize (and the prizes vary)

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