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digitalworldbound · 2 years

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takari week, day three

this doesn’t quite fit the theme of today, my apologies!

cold shoulder

characters: takeru x hikari

summary: "Yamato says that everyone has their first kiss before high school."

"I don't think it's really that big of a deal."

// or the one where takeru complains about never being kissed and hikari sets out to fix that

also on AO3 and FFN

“Yamato says that everyone has their first kiss before high school.”

Leaning against the railing outside of Odaiba Middle School, Takaishi Takeru ruffled his blond fringe. Despite the chilly breeze of March, his smile remained effortlessly warm and bright.

Yagami Hikari wished she could appear as comfortable in the bone-chilling cold as Takeru seemed to be.

“I don’t think it’s really that big of a deal.”

Hikari bent down to unchain her bicycle, pausing briefly to breathe warmth into her numb fingers. She had woken up late that morning, her gloves forgotten beside the front door.

Beside her, Takeru scoffed. “That’s easy for you to say. You’ve had boys falling at your feet since we were, like, ten.”

With her back turned to him, Hikari allowed herself to roll her eyes. Takeru had always been a bit of a drama queen, but as high school entrance exams drew near, his attitude had taken a turn for the worse.

Without a word, the wheels of the bicycle ticked forwards, her stride short to give Takeru time to catch up.

A breeze whistled through the mostly barren trees, a trail of goosebumps decorating her thighs. Hikari shivered slightly, absent-mindedly wishing the hem of her uniform skirt was longer.

“Ah, I see. You’re giving me the cold shoulder.” Takeru bumped his shoulder against hers, a smirk stretched across his lips. “Your cheeks are also pink. Tell me: Is the mysterious and aloof Yagami Hikari embarrassed?”

“Embarrassed?” The ticking of the bicycle stopped, Hikari facing Takeru head-on. “What do I have to be embarrassed about?”

His cerulean eyes bore into hers, unflinching. “Boys.”

Hikari could feel her eyebrows scrunch together, the back of her hand pressing against her cheek. Like the weather around her, Hikari’s skin was cold.

“Boys? Are you talking about Daisuke, or something? I can’t really think of anyone else that has thrown themselves at my feet besides him.”

Another gust of wind coaxed them further down the street, the warmth of their apartments like a beacon in the storm.

They walked alongside each other in silence for a moment. Remnants of the last snowfall adorned the street corners in piles of graying mush.

“Well?” Takeru broke the silence. The tip of his nose was bright pink, hands shoved deep in the pockets of his trousers. Hikari still marveled at how her neck had to crane upwards to meet his gaze, his height surpassing hers long ago.

“Well, what?”

“How was it?” Takeru kept his focus on the path in front of him. Confusion bubbled in Hikari’s stomach, a strange curiosity pulling at the edge of her lips.

“Takeru, it’s too cold to play twenty questions. If you have something to ask, come out with it.”

She tore her focus from him. Even through her two pairs of socks, her toes had frozen, the journey home more arduous now that Takeru was being obnoxious.

Running his fingers through his hair, a puff of air ghosted in the afternoon sun. As he stalled, Hikari allowed herself to glance over his features. The best time to watch Takeru, she had decided, was when he was distracted.

His cheerful mask had slipped around the edges, the corners of his mouth downturned.

Dark circles crowded underneath his usually bright eyes, an uncharacteristic anxiety gnawing at his bottom lip. ‘Whatever Yamato had said must have really messed with him,’ Hikari thought.

Looking away, she gave him a moment of privacy to gather his thoughts.

“How was kissing Daisuke?”

“Daisuke?” The bicycle screeched to a halt. Hikari couldn’t - wouldn’t - process Takeru’s implication, shock leaving her mouth open. “Where on Earth would you get the idea that I’ve kissed Daisuke of all people?”

Takeru merely shrugged as if he hadn’t suggested that Hikari spent her spare time shoving her tongue down Daisuke’s throat. “It just made sense, you know? He obviously has the hots for you, and he told me and Ken you both would be official by April. I guess my next question is why haven’t you kissed him?”

Hikari could feel the warm flush of indignation crawl up her neck, effectively shielding her from the cold. “You’re my best friend. If I was dating anyone, Daisuke or otherwise, don’t you think I would have told you?” She paused, knuckles turning white around the handlebars of her bicycle. As she opened her mouth to continue, the wave of Takeru’s hand cut her off.

“I didn’t mean to upset you. It’s just…” His voice pittered out. “I’m nervous. What if I get into high school, ready to finally kiss someone, and I’m horrible at it? Like, where do your teeth even go?” With a frustrated sigh, the pair resumed walking, albeit at a slower pace than before.

A small giggle slipped past Hikari, the tension in her shoulders slowly melted. “Your teeth? How am I supposed to know?” Takeru glanced at her through his peripherals, but Hikari pretended not to notice.

He awkwardly cleared his throat, his hand poorly hiding his smirk. “I know you haven’t kissed Daisuke, but surely you’ve kissed somebody.”

Warmth seeped into her cheeks, Takeru’s observant eyes searching her face. Hikari averted her gaze, pushing forward. If she squinted, the corner of her apartment building would be barely visible through the weaving streets.

Peeking up at him from the corner of her eye, Hikari balked as a look of realization settled on Takeru’s features.

“You’ve never kissed anyone.”

The statement, simple and true, hung between them. Takeru’s energy had somehow been restored, a mischievous grin simultaneously infuriating and flustering her.

“So?” Hikari managed, doing her best to sound indifferent. Her cheeks were aflame with embarrassment. The brunette uselessly hoped that Takeru wouldn’t notice.

A single syllable laugh jolted Hikari from her momentary reprieve.

“I don’t know what your brother said to get you all like,” she gestured vaguely with a free hand, “this, but I’m positive that kissing someone isn’t the end-all, be-all of high school. I’m sure that everyone else is too busy studying or juggling after school clubs to care about who's kissed who.”

“That’s what someone who’s never been kissed would say.” Takeru coughed into his fist, his chuckles reverberating in his chest.

She swatted his arm with her free hand, fighting back a grin. “You,” she smacked him, “are one to talk. Now, I want you to tell me something: Why hasn’t the basketball captain and self-proclaimed heartthrob of Odaiba Middle School gotten a kiss from one of his admirers? My theory is stage fright, or a gnarly snaggle tooth.”

Takeru’s smile faded in the weak ray of sunshine that peeked through the clouds. Hikari could see him retreat back into himself, his cerulean eyes void of their usual glimmer.

Regret cinched around her heart for the briefest moment, her gait faltering. Their corner approached much too quickly, their time together growing short.

Words filled her mouth to the brim, balancing on the tip of her tongue. She had to make this right before they went their separate ways. “Takeru, wait, I-”

“No, it’s okay.” He waved her off, lips pulled upwards in an ingenious way, “You’re right.”

As he turned to go down his street, his sneaker collided with the wheel of Hikari’s bicycle tire. His hair fluttered in the chilly breeze as he shot her a look over his shoulder, eyebrows gathered in confusion.

“Wait,” she breathed, a half-baked idea at the forefront of her mind.

Takeru paused and turned around. His mouth formed a straight line, blond fringe obscuring his features.

“Why don’t we…try it?” Hikari could feel her heart pounding in her chest, The words seem to thicken the air around them, the chilly weather long forgotten. Takeru’s head snapped to attention, his eyes searching hers.

“What?” His voice was no louder than a whisper, his uniform jacket waving in the wind.

Hikari swallowed the doubt that had risen to her chest. Taking a page from her brother’s book, she charged forward. “Well, now I’m scared. I don’t want to go to high school without having kissed anyone either. As Koushrio would say, we have to think logically about this. Why don’t…” With his gaze on her, Hikari could feel her palms grow sweaty, a fluttering of something mixing with the anxiety in her stomach. Her tongue felt too thick in her mouth to speak.

Takeru took a tentative step forward, pulling his hands from the pockets of his slacks. “Hikari?”

Together they teetered on the precipice, neither willing to disturb the delicate tension that encased them. Hikari’s fingers trembled around the handlebars of her bicycle.

“Could we?” she whispered.

Takeru stepped even closer, the tips of his shoes grazing her own. From this distance, the light smell of his cologne engulfed her, easing the tension in her shoulder.

She had to look upwards to meet his eyes.

“Could we what?”

In the midst of her inner turmoil, Hikari almost rejoiced at the shimmer of mirth in his eyes; she almost found joy in the way the corners of his mouth twitched as he teased her.

“Actually,” Hikari straightened herself, gracefully hopping onto the seat of the bicycle, “I’ve got to run. Mom needs my help cooking dinner tonight.”

#takari #takari week #yay

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perhaps-sunlight · 2 years

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Resolution

Thank you for organizing Takari Week for the third year! I can’t wait to catch up on everyone’s creations over the weekend.

This story was born from a few unpublished snippets I wrote after finishing Tri, which gave me a ton of feels. Please enjoy!

Prompt: First date

Summary: Takeru is going on his first date, but not with Hikari. Hikari is definitely not jealous. Not at all.

Link: AO3

Miyako leaned in, even though Hikari doubted anyone could eavesdrop in this racket. “You know Keiko? From the cooking club?”

Mid-bite into her sandwich, Hikari nodded. Almost everyone knew Keiko, who was one of the most outgoing and popular girls in middle school.

“Is it okay if she asks Takeru out?”

“You mean...like on a date?”

#takari #takariweek #resolution #digimon #sl writes #takari week

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uniarycode · 8 months

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Is Takari week this week? I don’t want to miss it. But I don’t recall seeing this anywhere.

I haven't seen anything on @takariweek yet this year. The last couple years it ran about this time.

#digimon #takari week #takari

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bokura-no-digital-world · 2 years

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Takari Week 2022 - Day 6: Shopping Date

Days: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] Title: Baby Bottles, Pacifiers and Everything in Between Characters: Takeru Takaishi, Hikari Yagami, Patamon, Tailmon, Taichi Yagami, Yamato Ishida, Sora Takenouchi, Yuuko Yagami, Susumu Yagami and Natsuko Takaishi. Summary: Hikari and Takeru go buy things for their unborn baby for the first time and reveal they're expecting to their families. Note: For Takari week, I decided to do something different. All stories will be told in first person, from both Takeru and Hikari's POVs in the same story. It will be separated to make it easier, though. The cool wind breeze messed my hair as I leaned against the balcony, but I didn't mind at all. Grateful was all that I was feeling at that moment. I had my own apartment, the most amazing wife ever and a great job. I would say my life was perfect, but I'd be lying. It would be in a few months, though. "There you are." Hikari's voice echoed around me and I couldn't help but smile at the sound of it as I lowered my head a little. Then I turned around and found her standing by the door that separates our living room from our balcony. "What are you doing here?" "I was waiting for you, actually." I approached her and kissed her in the cheek, while resting my hand on her belly. "Well, I'm ready to go now." "Great." I reached for her hand and then we walked out of our apartment, with Patamon in his usual spot over my head and Tailmon right beside Hikari.

Hikari and I have been married for about two years now. We were engaged for only one year, since we didn't want to spend a long time like that. After the wedding ceremony, she decided she would grow her hair and it was already a little below her shoulders. I think she looks stunning, though I love her short hair too. She said it was the beginning of a new phase of her life and I couldn't agree more with her.

About two months ago, she told me she had something to say to me. Looking back now, I find it hard to believe she managed to stay so serious at that moment, especially because it was a moment of happiness. At first, I was alarmed because that was a side of Hikari that hardly ever comes to the surface, but then she gave me the brightest smile and I knew it was just a façade. She sat down beside me on the bed and handed me a pregnancy test. Our initial reaction was to be shocked and a little nervous and worried. Not because we didn't want to have children at some point, but it wasn't something that we were planning to so soon. But the happiness and excitement quickly replaced it and we assured each other we could do it together. And here we are now. "You seem quiet today." Her voice brought me back from my trance. "Are you sure everything is fine?" "Yes, I'm sure." I reassured her with a grin. "I was just thinking about the day you told me you were pregnant." "Oh." She looked down to her stomach, which was starting to show. "I felt so many things that day. Now I just feel… whole, complete. I don't know if it makes sense or if you feel the same, but…" "I do." I interrupted her, still smiling. "It makes total sense to me." "I'm sure you two will be great parents." Patamon spoke above me and I looked up at him. "I hope so." Hikari's tone was a little worried, so I squeezed her hand a little, in a comforting way. "I know it's scary because we don't know how to take care of a child, but we can do this." "You know what?" She smiled at me. "You're right. We will learn how to be parents together. I wouldn't want to go through this with anyone else." "Me either." I put my arm around her shoulders as we walked out of the elevator.

Keep reading it on FFN or AO3

#Takari Week 2022 #Takari Week #takariweek2022 #takariweek #Takeru Takaishi #Hikari Yagami #Patamon #Tailmon #Taichi Yagami #Yuuko Yagami #Susumu Yagami #Yamato Ishida #Sora Takenouchi #Natsuko Takaishi #Digimon #Digimon fanfic #Digimon fanfiction #fanfic

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polite-pandemonium · 6 months

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Me to me: don't get your hopes up don't get your hopes up don't get your hopes up don't get your hopes up don't get your hopes up don't get your hopes up don't get your hopes up don't get your hopes up don't get your hopes up don't get your hopes up don't get your hopes you toei has burned you so many times before you know better than this don't get your hopes up don't get your hopes DON'T GET YOUR HOPES UP

Also me: Hopes? High. Delusions? Strong. Theories? Brewing.

#what I want this to mean: you see the movie in a new light cause the audio reveals they are SECRETLY DATING the whole movie #what it probably means: idk something I probably don't care about at all #BUT WHAT DOES IT MEAN?#Toei you are the villain in the narrative of my life constantly dangling this carrot in front of my face for 20 years!#i'm gonna lose it!#let me be free!#(one could argue that they already let me be free with that 02 epilogue but NO I SAY NO - they have been reigniting hope since 2015!)#ughhhh please I just want some small 100% romantic canon interaction between them please #pleaseeeeee #these dramas are being released in stickers at the theatres #and I think I am going to miss the week this one is being given away by a HAIR #which is so annoying #also last thought but when was the last time we got PURELY takeru and hikari content?#like episode 13 of 02???#goodness #anyway #watch me be crushingly disappointed #digimon #takari

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ri-ships-takari · 2 years

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a hint of lavender rose (one-shot)

pairing: takeru-hikari summary: There was no doubt about it. Takeru Takaishi was in love with someone. And Hikari was going to find out who. [ao3, ffnet] note: this was supposed to be for the takari week prompts letters and first date, but i finished late. anyway here's some fluff with barely any plot for you ^__^ it's lowkey a prequel for shimane in spring too for how they get together genre: fluff words: 3667

There was no doubt about it. Takeru Takaishi was in love with someone. And Hikari was going to find out who.

Until last week, she had never really thought about Takeru being interested in anyone. He just couldn’t have had the time. Since middle school they’d been almost inseparable — in every possible world — and even when they were apart, each knew precisely where the other was and why.

Rain or shine, Takeru’s day would begin with a good morning from Hikari. Though they both knew these functioned more as wake-up calls than actual well-wishing.

Both could identify the precise day this habit started. It was that day in high school when Takeru slept through all his alarms and missed first period. This would not have been an issue if he hadn’t borrowed Hikari’s notebook the night before to study for their math test set for second period. (Not that Hikari needed the notes to cram any studying that morning — she knew every equation by heart from having tried to tutor Takeru on the subject the weekend prior — but it was the principle of it.)

Since then, she never let him hear the end of it, but this censure ended better than either of them could have expected. A conversation opened that day and never closed.

Simple ‘good mornings’ led to ‘see you soons’, that eventually evolved to the more provocative ‘race you to class’ (which Hikari, as a Yagami, took so seriously that she tripped enough times running across the school yard for Takeru to add the obligatory ‘Take care,’ or more jeering, ‘Don’t hurt yourself’ to their daily ritual. When the competition was close enough, Takeru also made the additional habit of reaching for Hikari’s hand as she rushed to beat him. She always accused him of playing dirty for these, but he’d saved her from face planting across the school steps enough times — pulling her up just in time — so she never passionately pressed the argument.)

Class would put a pause to this daily banter but they would pick up right back where they left off during breaks and at dismissal. Hikari might come over to Takeru to share some of her bento, from a recipe he had shared with her last night, while Takeru would walk her home as she briefed him on any homework he missed out on while daydreaming during class.

That’s where it started, those carefree days in middle school when the setting sun painted their youth in its golden glow. They found themselves caught in a conversation with no conclusion. Even on their busier days — buried in books as they struggled to get to university — they somehow found the time to stay connected, studying together, or calling the other for a break in between more stressful study sessions.

Going to different universities did pull their academic lives a few wards apart, but though they spent school days away from each other, their routine remained, albeit adjusted slightly.

They endured as each other’s first greeting in the morning, though the frequency of banter did die down as the two tried to manage the additional academic load of being university students.

Besides academics, Hikari got a bit busier than Takeru when she started taking part-time jobs to support herself, as her brother had previously.

First she tried working at the local pachinko parlor her brother part-timed when he was a student, against Taichi’s own advice. He had warned her about all the sleazy creeps she’d encounter if she dared to work at that place, but if anything she took this more as a challenge than as a deterrent (the only thing keeping Taichi from arguing about this was the acknowledgement that she probably got this adamancy from him.)

The older Yagami then tried to ask his former workmates to watch out his sister for him, but the night she got wind of this, he found his sister at his doorstep, brimming with irritation (I am not a baby and I don’t need a babysitter, nii-san!) She then let herself in and served the home-cooked meal she prepared for him that night (which both made no sense, and absolute sense to Taichi.)

Hikari constantly reassured her brother that she was perfectly fine at work. In fact, she was enjoying the unique new characters and challenges she faced at the job. To prove a point, she even sent him selfies daily of how happy she and her co-workers were in the staff room, which concerned him only more, firstly, because he knew of her tendency to mask her struggles with a smile, and secondly, because he himself had had more than a few burnt out breakdowns in that same room.

Taichi just couldn't shake his worry for his sister, but he had to be less conspicuous. So he sought a more subtle accomplice: Takeru. This made more sense anyway as they already spent most of their off hours together anyway. It felt only natural that he might check up on her at work too.

That’s what Takeru was doing at the pachinko the day Hikari got fired.

It wasn’t that she had done anything wrong. Takeru even could see that she was one of the most attentive staff at the parlor, kindness shining through over the cold incandescent lights. If anything, the problem was that she was too kind, and too attentive.

Hikari had somehow befriended a few of the regulars and gotten them to open up about their home and personal lives. She even took to counseling some of the more aloof customers, convincing them to try and get out and reconnect with their friends and families. That touch of care and random kindness was precisely the push they needed to lead them to seeking their dopamine fix elsewhere, in the comfort of real connections, rather than in synthetic wins at the pachinko parlor.

Needless to say this was not good for business, and her manager was obliged to fire her (though not without contention from the rest of the staff and some of the regulars who were still in the process of kicking the habit. Takeru had never seen so many grown Japanese men cry, and he found himself needing more to comfort them than Hikari herself.)

Though slightly saddened at the loss, Hikari was generally unfazed. A job was a job, and she could keep the friends she made along the way anyway. (“Don’t worry, Ojii-san! I’ll still help you win back your wife!”)

More pressing for her was that she had to find another part-time job.

She was hoping to apply for teaching aide positions at a nearby preschool, but it was early summer, and those wouldn’t start hiring until the next month. The school year was fast approaching and she had tuition and school fees that needed saving up for.

It was Takeru who found her next job, at a flower shop near her university (he internally debated whether to finally admit the source of the flowers he had been getting for her regularly since they started uni — daisies for winning scholarships, sunflowers for surviving sad days — but the owner was kind and he knew she’d be in good hands.)

Once she started working at the shop, Takeru continued his commitment to Taichi to check on his sister at work, perhaps with some added accountability, as it was the younger boy who had recommended the place to her in the first place.

This was their second summer at university: ‘Good mornings’ turned to ‘see you laters’, and spending days together at the boutique, perhaps the most time they’d spent together in person since starting university. (Takeru had his own summer job at the time, editing papers for STEM graduate students, but whether he worked cloistered by dusty old books at the library or surrounded by sage buds with Hikari, the grad students were none the wiser.)

It helped that the Takeru and the shop owner seemed to already be good friends by the time Hikari started at the shop, so him hanging around all day did not face much administrative objection. He’d sit next to her by the counter working on his laptop, sometimes helping her clean up or keep stock, and often chatting with the shop owner. If anything, Hikari felt she was the one who was tagging along, when the two would whisper in the back room, thinking she was out of earshot.

That was how Hikari figured out something was up with Takeru.

“So when are you going to ‘fess up?” her boss whispered.

‘fess up? Had Takeru done something wrong? But what was with the whispering?

“Eh,” Takeru sighed. “I’m not sure I can right now.”

Her boss stifled a chuckle. “You’re young. You might feel like you’ve got all the time in the world, but if you truly love this woman you’ve got to tell her. Tell her with your whole heart.”

“I’m just not sure how. I can’t seem to find the words.”

“Don’t need no words. Tell her with flowers.”

“I’m not sure if she understands flowers.”

“Guess you gotta give her better hints then.” her boss said, before returning from the back room with the bouquet he had just finished arranging for the customer Hikari had been attending to.

That’s how she knew. Takeru was in love.

Now that she thought about it, she noticed the obvious symptoms, the tell-tale signs they show in all the rom-com montages. There was a sparkle in his eyes, the skip in his step, and if she truly listened she could hear the song in his voice when he talked to her.

But wasn’t he always this way? When could he have fallen in love?

He wasn't the type to get flirty with schoolmates. She knew this from having been in his class all the way up to senior high, where she watched countless classmates confess their affections for the boy, consistently to no avail. She always thought he was too serious about his studies — as she was — to entertain such a silly thing, and she respected him for that.

Outside school, they still spent most of their available time together — him cramming papers, and her poring over course material. When they weren’t studying they were both working, and when they weren’t working they were catching a quick bite to eat, at either of their homes, or at a local convenience store if they were really busy.

Sure they had other friends, but she also knew all his social groups, and was certain all of these were platonic. (She’d actually even helped some of his friends courting the objects of their affection by providing them with the nicest, freshest flowers from the shop.)

Hikari had absolutely no idea who Takeru could have been interested in, but she was going to find out. What were friends for if you couldn’t tell them things? What kind of friend was she if she couldn’t even help her best friend with something so dear to him? And why was he keeping these from her?

She couldn't keep ruminating about it though. She had to act. She spent most of last week waiting for her chance to bring it up.

This afternoon she finally got the chance. Her boss was out of town for the week, so it was only the two of them at the shop. Takeru had uncharacteristically stood from his laptop to inspect the carnations display.

“Looking for something?” she asks, disguising her personal curiosity as professional duty.

He nods casually, not even meeting her eyes.

This was her chance.

“Is it for someone special?”

Another nonchalant nod, as he checks every color of carnation.

“A girl?”

“Well, aren’t you interested?” he chuckles, finally meeting her eyes.

“Am not!” she huffs. “It’s literally my job.”

“Alright, then I could use some of your professional advice,” he teases.

“At your service,” she bows with mock professionalism. “What do you need?”

“Some flowers, for tonight.”

“Got a date?” Hikari tries to hide her eagerness.

Takeru laughs. “Today? Don't you remember?”

Remember what? She tries to recall if he’s told her of any date he was planning, or if he’d mentioned asking anyone out. Unless he was the one asked out?

“What’s up with today?” she asks, at a complete loss.

He clicks his tongue, annoying her only more. “What kind of best friend forgets such an important day?”

“What kind of best friend keeps secrets about their dates!”

“Who told you I had a date tonight?” he asks.

“Not you! I had to figure it out from all your whispering in the backroom!” she counters, crossing her arms.

Takeru’s instant blush is all the confirmation she needs. Caught red handed.

“I know you’re keeping secrets, Takeru Takaishi. How could you keep something so important from your best friend?” she pouts, sincerely hurt.

At this he walks over to her at the counter to hold both her hands in his. “I’m sorry, Hikari,” he says, caressing her hands with his thumb. “I’m sorry I’ve been keeping things from you.”

Her eyes light up. “So you’ll tell me who you like now?”

She feels the pulse in his palms speed up, all color abandoning his face.

“Eh— um—”

Beads of sweat build up on his forehead.

“Takeru?”

“Um—” He clears his throat. “I’ll tell you in a bit. Could you help me pick out flowers first?”

“Fine, but—” she says, pulling her hands from his hold and lifting her pinky at him. “Promise?”

Hikari could see the boy stop breathing for a second, like his soul left his body as they spoke.

“Promise?” she repeats, soft eyes piercing his soul like hooks, reeling it back into the conversation.

A minute passes. Hikari could imagine the internal debate playing out in his mind, as she had helped him process countless times for other concerns great and small before.

Finally, he takes a breath and sighs, lifting his own pinky with hesitation. As he brings his pinky to lock with hers, he pauses to say, “As long as you promise it won’t change anything between us.”

Why would anything change? she wonders. She thinks about this herself a moment, then finally resolves, “As long as you do too.”

The caveat surprises Takeru for a second, but he soon nods once in solemn agreement.

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

They lock pinkies, press hands, then perform an intricate seven step secret handshake that involves complex hand signs, knuckle bumping, and some spit-infused, slapping conclusion.

“We really should update that handshake,” Takeru comments.

"Hey, 'if it aint broke, don’t fix it,'" Hikari replies, Yagami ease shining through.

Takeru nods.

“Okay, so what do we need?” Hikari asks, with newfound focus.

“Flowers.”

“Guessed so far.”

“—for tonight.”

“For your date?”

“I guess you could say so,” Takeru laughs lightly.

“Okay, what do you want to say?”

“Um, ‘I got you some flowers’?”

Hikari fights the urge to smack the boy, but the future educator in her overpowers this. “No, no. I mean, what do you want the flowers to say?”

Takeru stares at her in surprise.

“Like, ‘I appreciate you’, ‘I’m grateful’, or if you’re a bit bolder, even ‘I love you’.”

The boy blushes.

“Something like that.”

From under the front desk, she pulls out a thick catalogue filled with photos of flowers in every color, each annotated with various symbolisms and implications. Hikari herself wasn’t yet so well-versed in flower language, but she imagined Takeru should have at least encountered this reference in the store before (though perhaps he never truly needed its insights until this moment.)

Opening the compendium to its table of contents, she asks, “So what do you want to say?”

He settles next to her, huddling shoulder to shoulder over the large book. He ponders this question for a bit. “I guess something along the lines of, ‘I’m thankful for you and all that you do.’”

How cute. how coy, Hikari thinks as she flips through the pages to find the section on gratitude. “Hydrangeas are in season, I think. We got some fresh ones this morning.”

“Those feel a bit too apologetic. I was thinking of more carnations or something. I think she’d like pink.”

Aha! So it was a she, Hikari notes. Carnations though. “What is she, your mom? If we’re going for pink anyway, I’d recommend pink roses.”

“So you like pink roses?”

“That’s my professional opinion, based on the official guidelines, of course,” she says, pointing out a section of text on every color of rose. “Our display is over there by the window.”

He knew every inch of the store just as well as she did though, and he had already stood to inspect the selection of roses before she even finished directing him to it.

After some deliberation, he chooses a humble bundle of pink roses, precisely as she had advised. As he turns to ask her to check them out, he pauses at the roses section once again.

“What do you think of lavender roses?” he asks, toying with the tempting purple petals of a single rose on display.

“Hmm,” she sounds, looking for that item in the catalogue. Not finding it in the ‘Rose’ section, she flips through both the table of contents and the index, but fails to find any notes on that specific color of rose. “I guess they’re kind of pretty.”

“So you don’t know what they mean?”

“Well it’s not in the catalogue,” she concedes.

“Tsk, tsk. I should bring this up with your manager,” he jests.

“Fine. If you’re so smart what do they mean then?” Honestly, this was more frustrating than the pachinko clients, she decides as she gives up on the catalogue. When she looks up from the text though, he surprises her by having already made his way to the counter, a bouquet of pink roses in one hand, and a single lavender rose in the other.

“Could you ring these up for me, please?”

She nods, remembering she was on the clock. “Do you want me to arrange the lavender one in the bouquet for you?”

“No need, I’ll be giving them separately,” he smiles.

He then picks two gift cards from the display by the counter. Could it be Takeru had not one but two dates tonight? This boy had some explaining to do.

She sets aside her suspicions just long enough to account for the sales and wrap the two purchases separately. By the time she’s finished, Takeru has already written on both cards, folded them tight, and was prepared to promptly secure them into their respective bundles, before Hikari could even take a peek at who they were addressed to.

“Thanks for all your help today,” he says, as he picks up the pink bouquet and casually makes his way out the store.

“Hey! ” Hikari calls out. ”Aren’t you forgetting something!”

“Yeah, look at the time! Got to go or I’ll be late for dinner.”

“You promised!”

“I’ll talk to you later then,” he bids with a salute. She meant to push the argument, but a couple of customers entered exactly as he was leaving, so she had to set aside her annoyance for the meantime.

The rest of the afternoon is so unusually busy — with more customers filing in today than the entire week prior — that it isn’t until the end of the day, as she was cleaning up to close shop, that she finds the single stem Takeru had purchased earlier, on the counter precisely where she had left it.

Or at least she suspects it’s his. With the traffic they got today she can’t be sure, or this is how she justifies peeking into its gift card, folded tight and snug its crisp paper wrapping.

To her surprise, it was addressed to her. It reads:

Dearest Hikari-chan, Thanks for all your help today ♡ about the bouquet, you were right. They’re for mom. It’s her birthday (You greeted her this morning, remember? ;) ) This one’s for you. Would you know what it means? If you don’t, you could google it haha or would you be up for dinner tomorrow? My treat. Sorry I was so wishy washy. I’ll explain everything tomorrow, for real, promise. (Here was a rough doodle of what Hikari could only guess were two locked pinkies, with sausage fingers so chunky that she had to laugh. Takeru was a writer after all, not an artist.) Sorry I couldn’t commute with you home today too, but please let me know when you head out so I could tell you to take care. And don’t hurt yourself ;p Talk to you later! See you tomorrow (?) — takeru

Hikari sighs. Help a boy out and he gives you homework. Somehow she isn't even annoyed though. For some reason she couldn’t identify, she is even relieved to learn the only object of his affections today was his mother. Maybe he and her boss were talking about his mom all along. It didn’t make as much sense, but it was definitely a possibility.

In any case, she would appreciate the free meal. They’d been surviving on home cooking and convenience stores for a while, so this occasional treat would be nice.

She thought of googling ‘lavender rose’ on the train home, but decided against it on principle. He’d already made her think too much today. She’d let him walk her through this one tomorrow. She had no idea what Takeru had to explain, but she could at least rest in the assurance that whatever it was, nothing would change. All that they had cultivated since childhood would remain. At least in that much, she could trust.

In the meantime, the flower was a pleasant companion on her commute home. She was surprised to find that it smelled ever so slightly like the flower of whose namesake it got its color, as the hint of lavender rose to envelope her in its soothing scent, enkindling in her a sense of excitement for what was to come.

______________________________________________________________

a/n: if hikari did google what the flower meant, she might have found this:

as usual this came about cause I needed to get this out of my brain to function T_____T its also midkey 'Fluff without plot' (no plot in this house we go on vibes)

this was also lowkey takari week 2022 for the prompts 'first date' and 'letters' but I'm not gonna push it because it so lowkey and also so late oops it's also remotely monster at the end of this book, if any of you grew up with that

#digimon #digimon adventure #takari #takeru takaishi #hikari yagami #not takari week but #this is your sign to checkout the takari week content this year tho!!!!

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xnicowritesx · 2 years

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Sweet Love Chapter 7

Fandom(s): Digimon - All Media Types, Digimon Adventure, Digimon Adventure Zero Two | Digimon Adventure 02, Digimon Adventure tri.

Relationship(s): Takaishi Takeru | T.K. Takaishi/Yagami Hikari | Kari Kamiya

Archive Warning(s): No Archive Warnings Apply

Series: Nico's Digimon Events

Summary: Takeru and Hikari realize their feelings for each other, but both are hesitant to tell the other just how strong those feelings are. Written for Takari Week 2022.

#takari week 2022 #my fics #takari #digimon #digimon adventure #digimon adventure 02 #digimon adventure tri #takaishi takeru #takeru takaishi #tk takaishi #yagami hikari #hikari yagami #kari kamiya

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atsoraasayoma · 8 months

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Preparing for Takari Week and all of the shipping posts

Shipping versus canon.

Two thought processes battling it out and not mutually exclusive.

But inbetween impossible and plausible…nay, there I thrive…

I’ll order takeout for the canon shipping possibility.

If it’s not on the menu takeout me instead…

#takari #hikari yagami #takeru takaishi #digimon #takari week

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takariweek · 2 years

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Hi, everyone! Thanks for your patience!

After compiling the results of the survey, I'm happy to announce that this week's Takari Week will take place from August 28th to September 3rd! It was a close race, but in the end, that week had the most votes! (So no Digiterror like last year, hopefully!)

The prompts will be:

August 28th: Focus & Reflection

August 29th: First Date

August 30th: Reunion

August 31st: Sick Day

September 1st: Letters

September 2nd: Shopping Date

September 3rd: Post-Series

Thank you to everyone who participated in the survey! Please let me know if you have any questions about the prompts or anything else regarding Takari Week. Looking forward to lucky year three!

#takari week #takari week 2022 #announcement #digievents

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digimon-adventure-nightmare · 2 years

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@takariweek

Day 7: Post-Series

#takari week #takari #Digimon #Hikari Yagami #Takeru Takaishi #takari babies #wings au #Survival of the Fittest #day seven #post-series #The Romulus Complex is already set post-series #but this is post-Romulus #fanart #illustration

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digitalworldbound · 2 years

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takari week, day one

it’s my favorite week of the year! this story was inspired by @dnofsunshine ‘s headcanons! (specifically, the ones where takeru and hikari steal borrow their brother’s sweatshirts)

sharing sweatshirts

characters: takeru x hikari

summary: hikari covets takeru’s ratty sweatshirt, and will do anything to ensure that she is the one that wears it next.

also on AO3 and FFN

It had been a chilly Wednesday when Takeru swiped his older brother’s sweatshirt. The sleeves were slightly too long, the image too faded to make out. As Takeru slipped it over his head, the familiar scent of his brother’s cologne washed over him.

That particular Wednesday, he had forgotten his jacket at home. His alarm clock had snoozed itself, he insisted. The wind of bitter January cocooned him inside until the last possible second. Takeru had no choice but to brave the trek to school with his uniform shirt half-buttoned, shivering from the left-over snow that muddled the sidewalks.

Coincidentally - fatefully, perhaps? - Yamato had also been running late, a cigarette dangling from his lips as he walked leisurely onto the school ground. Just as Takeru turned the corner towards Odaiba Middle School, Yamato snatched him by the scruff of his collar, ignoring the younger boy’s surprised yelp.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

Takeru didn’t even bother to turn around, the look of disdain on his brother’s had been ingrained in his memory long ago. “I think that I’m doing a good job at not telling mom about how you suck down a pack a day.”

Yamato mumbled a curse underneath his breath, releasing Takeru from his grip. A snicker fell from Takeru’s lips before an involuntary shiver crawled down his back.

“You’re going to freeze without a jacket, Takeru.” Yamato sighed as he slung his backpack from his shoulder, his breath erupting in a small cloud against the chilly air. Homework assignments were shoved to the side as he rummaged around, a small sound of victory erupting into the cold air as the sweatshirt crumpled in his grasp.

With a parting hug, Takeru was off, sweatshirt in clutch.

Now, months later, the sweatshirt had been made a staple of Takaishi Takeru’s wardrobe. A hole had been worn into one of the elbows, a sauce stain decorated the collar. It was as if the sweatshirt had always been a part of him; a piece of cotton had never been more comforting.

As always, Yagami Hikari was on the same wavelength.

The sakura petals had been replaced by the budding greens of spring, Hikari’s wispy brown hair fluttering around her face.

"You know," she began on their walk home, "I thought the weather would have warmed up by now."

With his brother's sweatshirt tugged over a starched uniform shirt, Takeru merely shrugged. He was far too engrossed in the dappling sunshine that decorated their path to notice Hikari's well-placed shiver. She eyed his outwear with intent, determined to coax it from Takeru's shoulders and onto her own. Briefly, she wondered what it smelled like. Would it smell like the clean linen her own mother was obsessed with? Or would it remind her of the oceanside, with a hint of sea salt and fresh air? Perhaps it would smell like something else altogether. Regardless, Hikari upped the theatrics in hopes of being rewarded.

Even as her teeth chattered, Takeru seemed none the wiser, content with the light breeze that ruffled through the trees. Hikari gave up, turning the conversation towards an upcoming basketball game, thoroughly capturing Takeru's attention.

Afterwards, as she sat alone in her bedroom, Hikari devised a plan. Through careful deliberation and subtle distraction, Takeru would be more than willing to share his warmth with her. Within the month, the sweatshirt was bound to be in her possession.

She reviewed her thoughts with Miyako, heads huddled close together over the kitchen table. With their combined intelligence, Hikari was confident that they could crack the code of understanding the things that made Takaishi Takeru tick.

Once he caught wind of boy troubles, Taichi had tried to pry into their whispered conversations, but to no avail. If his sister had learned anything from him, it was the ability to keep all personal matters under wraps until it was absolutely necessary to share.

Spring was in full bloom the day Hikari approached Takeru's homeroom class. It was lunch period, the hallway bustling with students visiting their friends or gossiping in the small nooks and crannies they managed to find.

Typically, Hikari would sit with other girls in her own homeroom class, swapping bits of lunch for sweets or finishing up last minute homework assignments.

Budding leaves scraped at the windows, fluffy clouds adorning the effervescent sky. Clear weather was a good omen, Hikari decided.

She offered her friends a flimsy excuse before darting out of the room, bento in clutch. The world was still dark when she had woken up that morning to prepare her meal, going as far to cut the sausage into the shape of an octopus, an effort Takeru was sure to appreciate.

The moment Hikari stood in the threshold of another classroom, nearly every pair of eyes gazed at her in curiosity.

She had known most of these people since she had been in elementary school, but this was the first time she had brought lunch to a classroom that wasn't her own.

Takeru's blond head was settled towards the back, his attention too focused on the book in his lap to notice her arrival.

"Yagami-san!" A boy cried. With brown hair that flopped in his face and wide, excited eyes, he reminded Hikari of a puppy. His name was just on the tip of her tongue, a half-hearted smile twisting at her lips just as Takeru glanced up.

Hikari pretended that his shocked expression didn't sting.

The boy in front of her didn't seem to notice Hikari's divided attention, touching her shoulder lightly until she pulled away.

"Nice talking with you," she managed, stepping out from his grip as he was mid-sentence. A part of her wanted to feel guilty for cutting him off, but the way Takeru shut his book, made the effort to turn his desk around to make room for her, was worth a little heartache.

Fingers shaking around the strap of her lunch bag, Hikari plastered on a pleasing smile.

"What brings you here during lunch? Is something wrong with the Digital World?" Takeru's eyebrows had bunched together, voice low. Hikari sat delicately in the desk Takeru maneuvered in front of his own, her jaw tense. His cerulean eyes bore into her own, straight forward and determined.

"Does something have to be wrong for me to sit here?"

His eyebrows relaxed, confusion tilting them upwards. "It's just… why else would you sit here?"

All boys are the same, Hikari thought ruefully. A singular eyelid twitched in annoyance.

Instead of replying, she unpacked her bento, ignoring Takeru's questioning stare.

"The weather is lovely today," she commented, spearing her rice forcefully with chopsticks. If he noticed the little grains that flew free, Takeru was too kind to comment, picking at his own meager meal with disinterest.

Silence stretched between them, the hushed conversations of the other students washing over their awkward glances. An octopus sausage smiled up at Hikari. “Here,” Hikari thrust the sausage onto Takeru’s rice, her chopsticks nearly shaking.

“Cool.” He smiled. In one bite, the octopus sausage disappeared. Hikari fought the urge to roll her eyes, breathing out her nose. The silence grew uncomfortable, the sounds of them chewing overcoming any attempt at conversation.

“So,” Takeru managed between bites, “Are you sure there wasn’t a reason you wanted to eat lunch with me?”

With his blue eyes focused intensely on her face, Hikari found it hard to breathe. It wasn’t fair, she thought. It wasn’t fair that while Takeru took her breath away with a single glance, he sat unaffected a mere arm’s length away.

A sigh escaped Hikari’s pink lips, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she packed up the remainder of her lunch, wiping any remaining rice from her borrowed desk with the sweep of an arm. “Yeah, I just wanted to chat with a friend.”

Her teeth clenched to the inside of her cheek, disappointment bubbling in the pit of her stomach.

Takeru’s chopsticks stopped midair. “Oh, okay. Do you still want to walk home together?”

A curt nod was his only response before Hikari took off, weaving through the bodies of incoming students, anxious to get away.

The sting of rejection settled in the pit of her stomach, though Hikari wasn’t sure why. It wasn’t as if she had asked for the sweatshirt outright; Takeru had never denied her anything. If she asked him, he would be sure to hand it over.

Realization washed over Hikari, taking the embarrassment and shame with it. She didn’t want Takeru to give the sweatshirt to her out of obligation; she wanted him to offer it because he wanted her to have it.

By the end of the week, Hikari had nearly given up hope. Takeru - intuitive, charming Takeru - was more dense than the basketball he carried around with him most days. After the failed lunch approach, an air of restless tension had settled between them.

Despite Hikari's desire to have something of Takeru’s - to be the one he chose to share his sweatshirt with - she wasn’t willing to risk their friendship.

They continued to walk home together, though their conversations had no longer flowed freely. The hairs on Hikari’s neck stood on end constantly. It was almost as if she could feel Takeru looking at her out of the corner of his eyes. A few times, she attempted to catch him in the act, if only to provide her with something to tease him about.

As always, he was too quick, eyes darting away at the last possible second.

Miyako had assured Hikari that it was normal for boys to be stupid. “Plus,” the older girl added, tucking a stray piece of lavender hair behind her ear, “It’s not like it’s possible for him to have feelings for someone else. I mean, you both have known each other since forever.”

She lounged across Hikari’s comforter, a reassuring smile doing little to ease any anxiety.

Hikari folded her clean laundry on the floor, organizing the clothes by type. Her hands ran on autopilot, mind focused elsewhere. The tension between her and Takeru’s friendship had nearly reached a boiling point. Outside, the sun shone mockingly through spring’s first leaves.

Miyako rambled on about other things, talking herself in circles until her voice faded to a dull buzz into the background. Hikari’s eyes glazed over as her attention swayed.

Visions of her and Takeru, chubby-cheeked and toothless, playing hide-and-seek against their brothers flitted in her mind’s eye. They had begged their brothers all day to play with them. Taichi and Yamato had grumbled over their video game controllers, waving them away between levels. They had yet to understand how persistent their siblings could be; Takeru and Hikari had learned early on to never give up without a fight. Eventually, Taichi turned around, his grin mischievous and wide.

“I’ll give you ten seconds to hide until Yamato and I hunt you down.”

Takeru gasped, eyes shining with excitement. Before Taichi could start counting, Takeru’s little hand slipped into her own, pulling her across the apartment.

Hikari allowed herself to be tugged along, enjoying the prospect of a game. Takeru maneuvered himself into her cramped closet, shoving aside stuffed animals and shiny dress shoes that pinched Hikari’s toes before he patted the miniscule space beside him with a toothy grin.

“We can hide together,” he whispered.

Squished side by side, the pair waited for their brothers to find them, stifling giggles behind grubby hands.

Taichi and Yamato had found them curled up together, light snores giving them away as soon as their brothers remembered to look for their siblings hours later.

Hikari smiled softly to herself, fingers curling around whichever article of clothing was in her grasp.

“What’s gotten into you? D’you finally realize that I’m right?” Miyako’s haughty grin snapped Hikari from her reprieve.

Wispy baby hairs flung free as Hikari vehemently shook her head. “I was just thinking, that's all.”

It was a weak excuse. The heat that rose to Hikari’s cheeks was a dead giveaway, the bed groaning as Miyako sat up straight.

The lenses of the older girl’s glasses glinted deviously in the light. “Oh? Is that why you’re gripping that sweatshirt as if your life depends on it? A sweatshirt that belongs to your brother, none-the-less? I was under the assumption that a gift from Onii-chan was a gift to be cherished.”

Hikari blinked dumbly, finally registering the item in her white-knuckled grip. Though weathered at the seams, the sweatshirt had belonged to her brother when he was in middle school. Even now, the Odaiba Middle School Soccer Club emblem was easy to make out, despite the faded coloring. He had given it to her once his broad shoulders grew out of it.

An idea sparked in Hikari's mind, her eyes glittering with confidence. "Miyako," she began, hastily putting away the rest of the laundry, "I think you're right. You always seem to know exactly what to say."

Miyako merely shrugged before continuing her thoughts . “So, as I was saying…”

Hikari decided to give Takeru some time to himself. Her new - and greatly improved - plan was dependent on a little bit of distance. After all, wasn't that what made the heart grow fonder?

As summer break approached with a startling intensity, Hikari had busied herself with after school club duties. In the midst of her photography club requirements, walking home with Takeru was no longer an option.

At first, his evident hurt had been difficult to manage.

"Are you mad at me, or something?" He questioned once Hikari had stopped meeting him at the school gate. While she did her best to comfort him, his eyes had refused to meet hers for the rest of the conversation.

"It's just a boy thing. He'll get over it," Miyako assured.

With Taichi's sweatshirt balled up at the bottom of her bookbag, it wouldn't take much longer for her plan to come to fruition.

Before summertime could fully unfurl its wings, a cold front rolled in, bringing dark, gray clouds along. The pitter-patter of rain had done away with most of the club meetings, students buzzing with excitement about the prospect of going home early.

After the final bell rang, Hikari hastily gathered her things, pulling her brother’s sweatshirt from its depths, shrugging it on over her uniform.

Aside from a few questioning glances, her classmates didn’t comment on her attire as she hurriedly made her escape.

She glanced out the windows as her pace quickened, heart palpitating once Takeru’s blond hair came into view. With basketball season nearing a close, Takeru’s afternoons were free from obligation.

A blue umbrella shielded him from the onslaught of rain, reminding Hikari to coincidentally forget hers in the hopes that they could share. Hikari wasted no time in toeing off her school shoes, cramming her feet into her sneakers haphazardly so that she could catch up with her friend.

“Hey,” she breathed, embarrassingly out of breath from minimal physical exertion.

Takeru glanced up, surprise etched into his brow. “Has the Yagami Hikari chosen to grace me with her presence today?”

Though his cerulean eyes glittered with mischievousness, a flicker of doubt cinched the corners of his mouth - a flicker of doubt that Hikari was responsible for. His knuckles tightened around the pole of his umbrella.

Her heart sank for a moment before she plastered a grin across her face. “Photography club has kept me so busy, I’m sorry. How has the basketball season been so far?”

“Good, I guess. I scored the winning basket the other night, actually.” For a moment, Takeru’s smile brightened, but as he met Hikari’s gaze, the light in his eyes dimmed. “I looked for you in the crowd, but I take it that you weren’t able to come.”

Truthfully, in the midst of her busy schedule and efforts to give Takeru space, Hikari had completely forgotten about any basketball games. Instead of offering him a weak excuse that he would immediately see through, Hikari remained silent. Around them, the rain continued to fall, puddles forming in their path.

Water dripped down the sides of Hikari’s face, her hair hanging limply, sweatshirt stained a dark gray. Wordlessly, Takeru held out his umbrella, offering her the spot next to him, their shoulders touching. Heat seemed to radiate from the parts of his arm the Hikari was pressed against, the chill of rain held at bay.

“How is the soccer team doing this year?”

Takeru kept his eyes downcast, feigning interest in the mud that flaked on his shoes. Their pace slowed, Takeru’s knuckles white.

“I haven’t been to one of Onii-chan’s games in a while; school has kept me busy.”

Without preamble, Takeru stopped, an incredulous look painted across his features. “What are you talking about?”

They had stopped in the middle of a puddle, water seeping through the soles of Hikari’s shoes. Her socks were damp, the look in Takeru’s eyes making her uncomfortable. “What are you talking about?”

He gestured vaguely in her direction, the umbrella teetering in his grasp, a stream of rain seeping into the fabric over her arm. “Well, unless you’ve joined the soccer team, the only way you could have that sweatshirt is if you had a reason to go to the games.”

“A reason?” Hikari questioned, confusion mounting. It wasn’t like Takeru to press her so directly, for his cheeks to darken while talking about mundane activities.

He regained control of the umbrella, running his free hand through his damped hair. The clouds clung together as if they were scared of what Takeru had to say next.

After a beat of silence, he squared his shoulders, cerulean eyes boring into Hikari’s brown ones.

“Is it Daisuke?”

His free hand balled itself into a fist, mouth set in a straight line. Hikari almost reached out to sooth the crease in his brow, but his agitation had her on edge. When it became clear that Hikari wouldn’t - couldn’t - respond, Takeru tried again.

“Are you wearing Daisuke’s sweatshirt?”

Hikari wanted to laugh. Takeru had gotten himself upset over the thought of her wearing Daisuke’s clothes. The vision of Takeru working himself up over her was flattering, but the accusation was so absurd that it coaxed a flush to her cheeks.

Takeru had grown frustrated in Hikari’s silence, his teeth digging into the flesh of his bottom lip. Before he could turn away, Hikari’s hand latched onto his shoulder, marveling briefly at how sturdy he felt beneath her touch.

“It’s not Daisuke’s.” Underneath her grasp, Takeru relaxed. “It’s not anyone’s, really. I just…”

Her voice trailed off , the sound of falling rain obscuring her shaky exhale.

Takeru uncurled his free hand, cautiously placing it over where Hikari’s still rested. He eyed her gently, a quick squeeze of her fingers urging her to explain further.

“I just wanted to make you jealous.” Her admission fell between them haphazardly, threatening to take Hikari down with it. Reflexively, she closed her eyes before mustering up any ounce of courage she had left. “I wanted to wear your sweatshirt. This,” she motioned towards her attire, “Was my last effort. If I hurt you at all, I’m so, so sorry.”

Despite Hikari’s heart pounding in her ears, the rainfall had yet to cease. The rumbling of thunder was hardly discernible above the sound of her breathing, her eyelids still squeezed shut.

Takeru’s hand still held hers tenderly above his shoulder. A breathy laugh hardly registered in her ears before he intertwined their fingers.

“Hikari, look at me.”

Without question, her eyes fluttered open. The heat had yet to reside from Hikari’s cheeks, her gaze set firmly on the way Takeru’s fingers encased her own.

He took a tentative step forward, carefully maneuvering the umbrella over their heads. “You know,” Takeru chuckled, “You could have just asked for it.”

Exasperation tensed in Hikari’s shoulder, forgetting her earlier anxieties. “That wasn’t the point, Takeru. The point was for you to offer it to me, like a gentleman should.”

“Me? A gentleman? I better get you home; the cold weather has gone to your head. With your cheeks that pink, you’re probably coming down with a fever.”

Hikari could only gape at him, annoyance twinging as she curled her toes in her damp socks. Takeru laughed, his eyes bright and shining. He gave her hand another squeeze before he continued walking, tugging her along.

“I’ll make you a deal,” he offered. The brunette merely raised a brow, not trusting her voice to be steady enough to speak. His hand was warm against her numb fingertips. Their palms slotted together in a way that felt so natural that any residual tension melted away from Hikari’s frame.

“Your sweatshirt is soaked. How about I give you mine when I walk you home so that you have something warm to change into?”

Hikari tightened her grip on his hand, a smile tugging at her cheeks.

“Besides,” Takeru continued, “Soccer is dumb sport to support, anyways.”

“Well, at least my sweatshirt doesn’t have a spaghetti stain on the front.”

Takeru feigned hurt, eyes wide with mischief. “And here I was thinking that you actually knew me. I will have you know, Hikari , that I am a man of culture. The little dab of red you so affectionately pointed out is the remnants of Yamato’s first successful curry attempt. I wear it with pride.”

Hikari rolled her eyes as soon as Takeru’s back was turned, eager to finally claim her prize.

#takari #takari week #i finished this last night and havent had time to fully edit it #i apologize in advance

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patamon · 2 years

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Hikari Yagami week: [Day 3 Prompt: Career and/or Hobbies]

Admittedly, I am not familiar with Japanese schools and their structures, so I borrowed liberally from what I know of the Canadian education system.

Also, inspired by true events :) because I have a bone to pick with the education system

Title: Miss Yagami Characters: Hikari Yagami Word Count: 7824 (😦😦😦) Summary: They warned her the first year of teaching would not be easy, but they did not warn her about the politics and the paperwork of it all, that behavioural management and lesson planning would be the least of her problems, that every night before bed, she would lay awake wide-eyed, questioning if she, one small teacher, would be big enough to make a difference in the world

Cross-posted on AO3

Read below the cut 👇🏻

Miss Yagami

Tomorrow, my school is having a bake sale.

That’s what I learned today at show-and-tell. In my first-grade homeroom, we have show-and-tell every day after lunch. That’s when Miss Yagami picks a student, sometimes two or three students, to come up to the front of the classroom. Then, they share something cool they have, like a toy or a book, or they talk about something interesting, like their trip to Kyoto with their family during new year.

I never have anything cool or interesting enough to share, but I like sitting and listening to my friends talk about their toys, because then I can close my eyes and imagine myself playing with Hiro’s Batman toys or Higashi’s Transformer robots after dinner, instead of my sister’s old dolls with the missing arms.

Today, Miss Yagami picked Mika and Sachie for show-and-tell. I was surprised because two people don’t usually show-and-tell together, but Mika and Sachie did. They walked up side-by-side holding a large picture they drew together.

“Tomorrow, the Gymnastics Club is holding a bake sale,” Mika proudly touted.

“Yes, so bring your money to buy lots of stuff,” Sachie declared.

They stood quietly for a moment, Mika twirling in her position, Sachie picking at the picture, while the rest of us watched and waited. Finally, Miss Yagami cleared her throat and stood up beside them.

“Thank you, Mika and Sachie. Can you tell us what we can buy tomorrow at the bake sale?”

Mika and Sachie looked up at Miss Yagami while she continued smiling her warm Miss Yagami smile. After a while, she pointed to the picture they held in their hand and asked.

“Perhaps it’s in the picture you drew.”

Mika and Sachie broke into matching grins. Mika spoke first, pointing to the brown circles in the picture.

“Cookies, you can buy cookies”

My stomach rumbled at the word, saliva poured into my mouth when I remembered the taste of the chocolate chip cookies Hiro shared with me last week.

“What else?” Miss Yagami asked. She kneeled down until she was on her knees, so that she didn’t look so tall.

“Umm…there’s cupcakes too,” Sachie commented, pointing to some fluffy, cloud-looking drawings on the paper.

Cup…cakes.

I have never heard of cupcakes. I have heard of cups, and cakes. Perhaps cupcakes were cakes made of cups, the idea doesn’t sound very delicious to me. I stuck my tongue out, thinking the class would comment on how strange it was. But instead, everyone around me clapped and smiled. Hiro’s hand shot up into the air, his fingers dancing and wavering to catch Miss Yagami’s attention.

“Oh oh oh, Miss Yagami, Miss Yagami,” he called out

Miss Yagami stood to face the class once again. He put her hands behind both Mika and Sachie’s back and motioned to Hiro’s seat.

“Mika and Sachie, I think someone has a question for you”

Mika made a face, while Sachie snickered. Our entire class knew of Mika’s disdain for Hiro. Nevertheless, she fixed her posture, standing up tall and pointing to him the way Miss Yagami would when she calls on one of us.

“Yes, Hiro?”

“Will there be chocolate cupcakes?”

Chocolate cupcakes?

How would that work? My mind went into overdrive, imagining cakes of cups with chocolates inside each cup, or perhaps the cups were coated in chocolate?

Mika turned to Sachie, who turned to Miss Yagami. Miss Yagami kept her smile on and waited, until Sachie turned back to the class and nodded

“Yes”

“What about peanut butter cupcakes?”

“Yes”

“And red velvet cupcakes?”

“Yes”

“And cupcakes with cream cheese frosting”

“Yes”

My head churned. I was getting dizzy, imagining how cakes of cups could have so many flavours. Perhaps Hiro likes collecting cups, that’s why he knew of so many types of cup cakes.

“Alright now,” Miss Yagami spoke over the delighted murmurs of the class, “Mika and Sachie, what will your friends need to buy the cookies and cupcakes at the bake sale tomorrow?”

Mika and Sachie turned to one another, then responded in unison.

“Money!”

The class laughed, even Miss Yagami held back a giggle before asking again.

“How much money?”

Mika and Sachie held up their index finger before responding together.

“100 yen. Only 100 yen.”

“Yes,” Mika nodded, “All you need is one 100 yen coin, or, like Miss Yagami taught us, two 50 yen coins, or ten 10 yen coins,” she glanced at Miss Yagami, waiting for her nod of approval before continuing, “or one hundred 1 yen coins.”

The class erupted in laughter. Beside me, Hiro slapped his table and rocked on his chair while he laughed. But I didn’t find anything funny. Instead, my stomach did a weird flip, the way it did when I’m hiding my lunchbox from my friends, so they don’t see the half-sandwich my dad packed for me before he goes to work every morning. I never want anyone to know about my lunch, because somehow, it felt little and sad next to Hiro’s bento box with the fresh-cooked rice, crispy radish, and deep fried tempura that still looked so crispy and delicious by lunch time.

“So, don’t forget to bring the 100 yen coin,” Mika proclaimed.

“Yes, your parents probably have hundreds of 100 yen coins in their purse. I know my mother has tons of 100 yen coins, and 500 yen coins, too,” Sachie commented

“Yes, remember what Miss Yagami said? One 500 yen coin is the same as five 100 yen coins, so that means you can buy 5 cookies, or 5 cupcakes if you bring a 500 yen coin.”

“My father has more 500 yen coins than everyone else,” Hiro called out.

“My mother has a big jar of yen coins,” Higashi responded.

Hiro snickered, “Yea, but they’re probably all small yen coins, like 1 yen and 5 yens.”

“That’s not true! They’re all 500 yen coins…”

Higashi might have said something else, but I didn’t hear it, because everyone began speaking over one another, some people were laughing and giggling. Here and there, I caught small bits of things people said, about where their parents kept their coins, and how many coins were in their house. But I kept silent, because I was busy imagining where my dad would keep his coins. I couldn’t remember the last time I found a yen coin in our small apartment.

From the front of the class, Miss Yagami stood up. I saw her face change suddenly, from happy to serious, the smile transformed to a stern frown. I gulped. I knew we were in trouble.

“Now class, please settle down” she commanded in her loud voice.

Half the class became quiet, but there were some people, like Hiro and Higashi, who continued to talk and argue, despite Miss Yagami standing tall with her arms crossed. Finally, she picked up the special bell at her desk and rang it three times. Our hands shot up in front of us in response, fingers dancing and wiggling as we listened hard for the echo, like Miss Yagami taught us. In truth, I never know what it is we’re listening for, just that it’s fun to dance our fingers all together. Jazz hands, that’s what Miss Yagami called it. Sometimes while I’m waiting for dad to come home at night, I practice my jazz hands to forget the rumbling in my belly.

Miss Yagami waited until we stopped wiggling our fingers, then placed the special bell down and stepped back to her place between Mika and Sachie.

“Thank you for sharing with us today, Mika and Sachie.”

Mika and Sachie beamed, but while Sachie understood to return to her desk, Mika stayed beside Miss Yagami at the front of the class, the poster still in her hand.

“One more thing, Miss Yagami. Can I tell the class one more thing?”

Miss Yagami nodded with her Miss Yagami smile, her eyes softening once again as Mika turned her attention back to the rest of us.

“Please everyone, remember it’s very important you ask your parents before bringing the 100 yen coin.”

Miss Yagami nodded, “Yes Mika is right, we have to ask our parents for permission to bring 100 yen to school.”

Mika nodded, she seemed to grow taller the happier Miss Yagami became.

“It’s not hard to ask our parents, right?” Mika continued, “They have lots of yen coins, they can give us one.”

The class nodded and said yes and yeah and that’s right. But I remained quiet, because I remembered the last time I asked my dad for a yen coin to buy ice cream at the convenience store. And I remembered how quiet he got, and even though he didn’t say anything, I knew I was in trouble for asking.

I sank down in my seat, my tummy turned again, and the urge I had to hide underneath my desk returned. I wished and wished with all my heart that I could disappear through a gate and go somewhere else, but instead, I stayed in the classroom with that horrible feeling in my stomach, remembering my dad shaking his head quietly after I asked him for a yen coin to buy ice cream.

I looked up to see Mika finally returning to her desk. All around me, the other kids were busy whispering to one another. At the front of the class, Miss Yagami stood with her eyes on us, scanning the class with her hands together. But then, her shiny eyes flicked at my face, and I saw something changed in the way she looked at me. I don’t know what it was. I only know it felt like magic, that maybe she could read my mind, that she could tell my stomach was flipping and turning, and that I wanted to disappear and never come back to school. I thought maybe, just maybe, she could hear my dad talking to me in my memory, when he finally answered my question about the 100 yen coin for convenience store ice cream. I thought for sure she could hear him say those words now echoing in my brain…

I’m sorry Kota, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.

—

The school day was over.

One-by-one, my classmates tucked their chairs into their desk, placing books and pencil cases into their shiny backpacks. Miss Yagami is at the door, saying goodbyes and reminding people about their lunchboxes. I took my time like I always do, packing away my books into my sister’s old backpack, then rearranging it and rearranging it, waiting for everyone else to leave. I’m glad my backpack is old enough that my friends can’t tell it used to be pink, even the pictures of butterflies and kittens decorating the front were too faded to make out what it was. But still, it would be nice to have a shiny backpack like my friends, maybe one with Spiderman on it like Hiro’s.

Before I knew it, the classroom was empty, all except for Miss Yagami, of course. She stood by the door with her Miss Yagami smile, her brown hair tied into a ponytail. I say ponytail because that’s how Onee-chan calls it when people tie their hair back. But I think it’s kind of silly that it’s still called a ponytail when the hair is as short as Miss Yagami’s hair. I once tried calling it a rabbittail, because it was short like the tail on the school rabbit. But Onee-chan laughed and said they were all called ponytail regardless of how short Miss Yagami’s hair was.

Miss Yagami walked towards me until she was close enough that I could see the yellow flowers on her sweater, then she kneeled down like she always does, resting on one knee and leaning forward. I don’t know any other teachers or adults that do this, but I kind of like that Miss Yagami isn’t afraid to shrink herself so she’s as short as us. It doesn’t hurt my neck to look at her, and I can see the light in her eyes and study her Miss Yagami smile. It always made me feel warm, like everything was going to be okay. She reminded me of mom, back when mom was still home to cook me dinner.

“Hello Kota, how was your day?” she asked me.

“Good,” I responded.

“I’m glad to hear. Is your sister coming to walk you home today?”

I nodded. Onee-chan goes to the big kid school, and they finish later than our school. Even though I never told her, somehow, Miss Yagami knew I sat in the courtyard every day after everyone had left, waiting for Onee-chan to come by to walk me home. Sometimes I walk home on my own, but since Onee-chan was the one with the key, that would mean waiting in front of our small apartment for a long time for her to come home.

Miss Yagami had no more questions, but she stayed where she was and kept her gaze on me. I was worried she could see the rip on my shirt, or that I wore the same pants to school for three days now, so I pulled the zipper up on my jacket and shouldered my bag, then smiled at her.

“Thank you for the lessons today, Miss Yagami,” I bowed, the way Onee-chan taught me when we’re speaking to someone older, then made a move to leave. But just as I got to the door, I remembered one more question, and I knew Miss Yagami was nice enough to answer me without laughing or getting angry.

“Miss Yagami?” I called back.

Miss Yagami stood up and tilted her head, “What is it, Kota?”

“What’s a cake cup?”

Miss Yagami scrunched her eyebrows together, but then the light hit her face again, and her eyes opened wide.

“You mean a cupcake?”

I blushed, “Yes, sorry, cupcake. I wanted to know what cupcakes are. Is it like a cake made out of cups?”

Miss Yagami smiled. It was a nice and soft smile, one that made my inside calm

“No, Kota, a cupcake is a cake the size of a cup,” she put her hands side-by-side, and curved it up like she was holding something inside.

My mouth watered again, thinking of the cake Sachie brought in for everyone to celebrate her birthday last month. She said it was a strawberry cake, Hiro had made a face and said he’d rather have a chocolate cake, but I think it was the sweetest and most delicious thing I ever ate. It tasted better than all the convenience store ice creams put together.

“Wow,” I whispered, “That must taste good”

I sighed, wishing I had a 100 yen coin, because then I could buy a cupcake tomorrow, and I could taste for myself how good it must be.

Just then, my stomach grumbled, loud enough for both me and Miss Yagami to hear. My cheeks felt hot as I clutched my stomach, my eyes were now studying the stains on my shoes, not daring to look up at Miss Yagami.

“Sorry, Miss Yagami,” I mumbled, then turned to leave, but then I heard her voice calling me back.

“Wait, Kota.”

I wanted to pretend I didn’t hear her, but that might get me in trouble, so I stood still and waited for her with my head still bent low. I heard her steps click closer and closer, until I could see the clasps on her pink shoes. When I looked up, I was surprised to find her holding something round in her hand, angled in my direction as if she was offering it to me.

“This is for you, Kota.”

I looked closer, and saw the thing in Miss Yagami’s hand was a small orange. It was the smallest orange I have ever seen. I giggled.

“That’s a really small orange.”

“It’s a clementine,” Miss Yagami explained, “It’s not an orange, but it’s like an orange.”

I giggled again, but accepted the small-orange-clementine from her all the same.

“Thank you, Miss Yagami.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Goodbye, Miss Yagami, I’m leaving now.”

“Goodbye, Kota, have a good night.”

We waved at one another, then I turned to leave. But I couldn’t go very far, because right by the door, wearing her brown suits that always seem too tight, and holding a matching brown envelope in her hand, was Principal Ao.

She looked down at me through her thick glasses, a tight smile on her lip. I shivered without knowing why, and pulled my jacket tighter around me.

“Why, hello Kota,” she greeted me in her deep voice, “Did we have a good day today?”

I nodded quickly, then took one big step to the side, attempting to escape Principal Ao. But then, her cold bony hand hit my shoulder. I couldn’t help it, I cried out in surprise and clawed at her hand, but she kept her grip on my shoulder, digging her fingers in until it started to hurt.

“Kota, when an adult is speaking to you, it’s a sign of disrespect if you walk away from them.”

My stomach dropped at the word disrespect, and I hung my head low, avoiding her eyes as hard as I could.

“I think you owe me an apology,” Principal Ao declared.

“I’m sorry, Principal Ao,” I mumbled with my eyes still low

“I forgive you, but don’t do it again. Now what are you still doing here? The school day is over, Kota. Is Miss Yagami keeping you back for detention?”

I shook my head without responding, which earned a sharp click of the tongue from Principal Ao.

“It’s disrespectful to not answer with your words when you’ve been asked a question.”

“No, Principal Ao, I was just leaving.”

“Very good, and what do you have in your hand there?”

I looked at the small orange-clementine in my hand, the memory of Miss Yagami’s warm smile as she placed it on my palm was enough to lift my chin up again.

“It’s a clementine, it’s like a small orange, Miss Yagami gave it to me”

“Oh? Did she now?”

Even though the question was for me, Principal Ao had her eyes on Miss Yagami as she asked the words. I did not like the way she sounded. Her voice was low and dangerous, like I was in trouble. Like we were all in trouble.

“Very well, run along now, and don’t let me catch you at the courtyard again. Unless you have student clubs or classroom cleanup duties, once the bell has rang, you must leave at once.”

I nodded quickly, then remembered last minute to use my words.

“Yes, Principal Ao,” and without waiting for a response, I dashed out of the classroom and down the school stairs, running like I was in gym class.

Despite Principal Ao’s warning, I still sat in the courtyard to wait for Onee-chan. But I made sure to hide behind the large cherry trees so she wouldn’t catch me. While waiting, I peeled the clementine slowly and split each wedge. It was delicate and soft, the taste was sweet and comforting, enough to wash away the bitterness of Principal Ao’s words.

It reminded me of Miss Yagami’s smile.

—

Despite the dread brewing in the pit of her stomach, Hikari stood tall with her hands folded neatly before her, her racing mind keenly aware of every tiny detail on her person as Principal Ao’s eyes burned holes into her very existence.

After nearly six months teaching at this school, she can safely say no digital monsters or caped enemies were quite as imposing as Principal Ao.

“Hikari,” she began, “We spoke about this”

A sigh of frustration threatened to seep out of her, but fear and unease held it all back. Instead, Hikari widened her forced smile and evened her breathing. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Principal Ao pinched the top of the brown envelope in her hand. She recognized it as her proposal on how to spend the extra funding the school received last quarter. She had spent all weekend writing it up, running it by her helpful writer fiance again-and-again until it sounded justified.

“Um, we spoke about many things. Could you remind me what you’re referring to?” Hikari asked innocently, although she suspected she knew where the Principal was heading

Principal Ao rolled her eyes, “The clementine, Hikari. I have spoken to you numerous times about this: We are a school responsible for teaching children. We are not a charity”

Her neck felt oddly stiff, but somehow, she located the muscles to nod in response. She kept her lips sealed, because beneath the forced smile, she could sense her words spilling into one another, the resentment rising within her as she continued her staring match with Principal Ao.

“I know, Hikari. I know Kota’s home situation. I know his mother is back in rehab. I know his father is working two jobs and taking care of both kids on his own. It’s unfortunate, I know, but regardless, you must think about everyone. How is it fair to give gifts to only one student? What about the rest of the class? What about the rest of the school?”

Hikari knew the answers. She knew what to say because she spent many dinners ranting to her fiance as they ate, his blue eyes sparkled with mirth as he listened to her speech about the injustices of it all, about equity and not equality. But in front of Principal Ao, she was a new teacher at the district’s most highly accomplished school. So in front of Principal Ao, she kept silent through clenched teeth.

“I have no problems with you bringing in gifts and favours for your students, Hikari. But, like we discussed before, it has to be for everyone. It can’t be offered to one student, because that could show favouritism, and trust me Hikari, many parents are not happy about that f word”

“Yes, Principal Ao. I understand”

“Anyways, never mind that. I’m here because I wanted to discuss with you the proposal you submitted”

Hikari stiffened. Her attention honed in on the typed report Principal Ao was now retrieving from the envelope.

“I see you put in a suggestion for…a breakfast club?”

Hikari nodded fervently, “Yes, one of the schools I was placed in during college practicum had one. It was very helpful for our students.”

“I have no doubt it was helpful for that school, but a breakfast club wouldn’t be needed at our institution, Hikari. Our students don’t need free breakfast in the morning because unlike those parents, our parents can actually afford to feed their kids.”

Hikari’s mouth dried up. A chill gripped the base of her spine as she struggled to keep her breathing calm. Principal Ao folded up Hikari’s report, the one she spent hours typing and drafting, then dropped it into the garbage can with a shake of her head.

“I understand this is your first year as a teacher, so these are lessons I want to give you, Hikari. You have to understand the dynamic of the school you’re working at. Not all schools are the same, and it’s up to you as the teacher to learn about their priorities and goals. That’s part of fulfilling your duties to your students, too. Our goals here at this school are all about academic achievements, providing students with extracurricular opportunities so they may flourish in life. For the proposal, it would have been appropriate if you suggested something like a French club, or new technology for the library. But I’m afraid a breakfast club will be a waste of the extra funding. Do you understand, Hikari?”

For a split moment, Hikari thought she would nod in blind agreement, shrinking back to the obedient, dutiful girl she was raised to be. But then, her eyes strayed over to Kota’s desk, and something within her snapped. She found herself standing taller, her hands clenched into fists as she dropped them to her sides.

“With all due respect, Principal Ao, I don’t understand”

A gasp escaped Principal Ao’s wide mouth, she took a step back and clutched her pearl necklace, a look of horror on her face as she seized Hikari up

“I beg your pardon?”

“I see them, Principal Ao. I see the students that are being left out of the school curriculum. The ones that come in hungry every day and wear the same jacket from Fall to Spring because their parents can’t afford anything else. I see them, and they struggle to keep up in school because they can’t focus in class. I really mean every word on that proposal, we need a breakfast club. It would help everyone, not just the students that need it.”

In spite of Hikari’s passion, Principal Ao seemed unconvinced. She fixed her posture and squeezed her eyes shut, inhaling audibly before donning her strained smile.

“I suppose you are referring to Kota.”

“Yes, Kota, but not just Kota. There are other students, too. But it really shouldn’t matter, Principal Ao, because all it takes is one student. One student is enough reason for us to do something about it. And another thing, we need to reconsider holding school fundraisers, it’s unethical to assume that all families can afford…”

“Miss Yagami,” Principal Ao snapped.

The sharpness of her tone was enough to dampen Hikari’s spirit. She took a step backward in fear, waiting for the inevitable repercussion of her borrowed courage.

“I know they tend to romanticize things at teacher’s college. They preach the importance of making a difference and inspiring social change and all that stuff. But give it a few years, Miss Yagami, you’ll understand the reality of it all.”

Without another word, Principal Ao turned and marched down the linoleum hallway with purposeful steps, the clicks of her high heels diminishing off in the distance until eventually, Hikari could only hear her rapid pulse in her ears.

By the time Hikari donned up her spring jacket, the sun had set low beyond her classroom window. She eyed the dying light of another weary day, mentally cataloguing her growing to-do list amidst daunting report cards and upcoming parent-teacher interviews.

They warned her the first year of teaching would not be easy, but they did not warn her about the politics and the paperwork of it all, that behavioural management and lesson planning would be the least of her problems, that every night before bed, she would lay awake wide-eyed, questioning if she, one small teacher, would be big enough to make a difference in the world.

—

Today was the day of the bake sale.

I could smell something delicious as soon as I entered the school courtyard. It made my mouth water, remembering Hiro’s cookie and Sachie’s strawberry cake. But I reminded myself that today, the cookies and the cupcakes had to be bought with a 100 yen coin. Today, I can’t wait and hope that someone would offer them to me if they were nice enough. So I stuffed my fist inside my empty pocket, and walked deeper into the school yard.

I tried to not wonder about what a cupcake looks like. But it was hard because I dreamt about it all last night: little cakes shaped in cups, the inside hollow so I can fill it with chocolate milk. Maybe that’s what a chocolate cupcake is, and if I fill it with strawberry milk, it would be a strawberry cupcake.

It became harder to not think about the cookies and the cupcakes when I neared the front of the school building. There was a pink banner hanging above the entrance, and three long tables set up with boxes and boxes of food. Principal Ao was there, talking to some adults I didn’t recognize, and behind the tables, I could see Sachie and Mika amongst some other girls.

Despite a little voice telling me I shouldn’t, I walked closer to the table. It was as if something or someone was pulling me closer. Maybe it was the delicious smell. Maybe it was the idea that I will finally know what cupcakes look like.

In one box, I could see the cookies. Round and brown with little bits of chocolate on top. I imagined biting into one of the cookies and my inside squeezed tight. I shook my head hard, then looked to the other table, and at long last, I finally understood what cupcakes were.

Just like Miss Yagami said, they weren’t cakes of cups. They were cakes, they looked soft and spongy, the colour dark brown like chocolate, others were white like ice cream. But they weren’t shaped like cups with a hollow centre. They were whole and round, filled in like puffs of clouds in the sky. I imagined putting one in my mouth, maybe two, or three. The thought made me shiver with excitement.

Beside me, I heard a familiar laugh, and turned to see Hiro at the table counting out his yen coins.

“I have five 100 yen coins,” Hiro announced to the tall lady behind the table.

“Excellent, then you can pick five items from the table”

Hiro clapped his hands, and I retreated away, because my stomach was doing its weird flip again, and my body wanted to fall down a hole and disappear.

“Oy, Kota!”

I turned at the call of my name and saw Higashi coming at me with a bag of cookies, a half-eaten cupcake in his hand.

“Did you buy a cupcake?”

I froze on the spot, not knowing how to answer. I could lie and say I bought lots of cupcakes, and ate it all already before he came. Or I could tell the truth and say I haven’t bought any cupcakes. But would he laugh at me? Would he ask why I haven’t bought cupcakes? Would he find out my dad doesn’t have any spare yen coins for me to bring to school today?

“Kota! Higashi!”

Relieved, I turned to find Hiro walking towards us with his new purchases, five cupcakes balanced in both his hands.

“I had five 100 yen coins, so I bought five cupcakes,” Hiro announced, “One, two, three, four, and five”

“You only had five 100 yen coins? My dad gave me five coins, and my grandma gave me another five, so I bought five cupcakes and five cookies”

“Whatever, my mommy said she’ll come by at lunch and give me more coins if I need it”

Higashi stuck out his tongue, then turned to me again with the cookie bag still in his hand, “What about you, Kota?”

“Umm…”

“Oh don’t bother asking him,” Hiro laughed, “My daddy said his family is poor, that his mother had to be go to…to an in-tu-ti-tion because she’s a bad woman that drinks too much sake”

“Liar, women don’t drink sake,” Higashi piped up. He turned to look at me, expecting me to agree and declare Hiro a liar. But before I could respond, he spoke again.

“Well, his mother does, and his father doesn’t have enough money for him to buy even half a cupcake,” he pointed his cupcake-smeared fingers at me, and for some reason, that flick of his finger got me so mad.

I started seeing red everywhere, all I could think about was how stupid Hiro was. Stupid Hiro. Stupid Hiro with his shiny Spiderman backpack. Stupid Hiro with his Batman toys. Stupid Hiro with his five cupcakes.

Next thing I knew, I was stomping hard on the ground. My breathing and my words began acting on their own, it felt too heavy and too quick. Then my body started running away from me, and before I could stop myself, I pushed stupid Hiro. Hard. So hard he fell to the ground and dropped all the cupcakes in his hands

“SHUT UP! SHUT UP!” I screamed, “I already bought 20 cupcakes and ate it all this morning so SHUT UP!”

“KOTA”

I gasped, turning in time to see Principal Ao coming our way, her movements oddly stiff in her too-tight brown suit. In a blink of an eye, she had her hand on my ears and was pinching it hard, so hard I yelped. Behind me, I could hear Hiro crying. But when I turned to look at him, I didn’t see tears, just him pressing his fingers against his eyes.

“My daddy was right. He told me not to play with you because your family is bad. I’m never talking to you or playing with you again”

“Kota, what do you have to say for yourself?” Principal Ao demanded

“But Principal Ao, Hiro said bad things about my mother and my family”

“Oh really? What did he say?”

My throat went dry all of a sudden, the words all lost on my tongue. Everyone, all the girls behind the table, all the adults I didn’t know, were now staring at me while Principal Ao twisted and twisted my ears.

“Did Hiro lie?” Principal Ao continued, “Because Hiro, you know that lying is a bad thing”

My heart plunged into my stomach. Even though I was angry, I knew in my soul that Hiro didn’t lie. I haven’t seen my mom in a long time, no one spoke of her in my family, and my dad didn’t have any spare yen coins, so that must mean we’re poor. And it must mean Hiro’s dad is right, that because my mom went away and my dad is poor, we must be a bad family.

“I did not lie,” Hiro declared. He stood up, his face remarkably dry for someone that had just cried his eyes out. But before more can be said, I heard the steady steps of someone else entering the scene.

“Principal Ao? Is everything okay?”

I looked up to see Miss Yagami walking in with a serious expression on her face. Miss Yagami always brought happiness and sunshine with her, but right now, with Principal Ao pinching my ears and Hiro’s cupcakes smashed on the ground, Miss Yagami’s warmth warped into hot spears slicing my inside, and I felt like I was bleeding lava all over the ground. I couldn’t look at Miss Yagami. Even after Principal Ao released my ear and pushed me towards her, I kept my face down and bit my lips.

“Ah, Miss Yagami, good that you came by just now. I just witnessed Kota pushing poor Hiro to the ground. I expect that he will be punished appropriately for his behaviour.”

With my head down, I couldn’t see Miss Yagami’s reaction, but it hurts my chest imagining what it could be. I counted ten seconds of silence in my head, then Miss Yagami cleared her throat and finally spoke.

“I’m sure there must be a misunderstanding.”

“Miss Yagami, I was there, and I can assure you there was no misunderstanding. As his teacher, I expect you to fulfil your duty and punish him as you see fit. I suggest a week’s worth of detention, perhaps a reflection essay on the impact of his bad behaviours.”

Principal Ao turned to leave, but not before bowing to the mystery adults standing by the table. I finally found courage to look up at Miss Yagami, and saw she had a sad look on her face, the same look I saw on my dad’s face last night when I asked him if he had a 100-yen coin for the bake sale today.

I don’t know why, but of all the expressions I could name on an adult’s face: happiness, anger, surprise, the one expression that always made me feel sick and scared was the one I seemed to see most on my family’s face, from my father to my auntie to my sister, that scrunch of the eyebrows and the shadow in their eyes, the lips weighed down by something too heavy for words.

It was sadness

—

Today was the first day of my week-long detention.

It wasn’t bad, I guess. At least now, I have an excuse to sit and wait for Onee-chan to come by after her school is done. And even though Miss Yagami didn’t mention it, I decided to listen to Principal Ao and write a reflection essay. But it was hard because I didn’t know all the kanjis yet to describe my feelings, so I drew a picture instead.

“Kota?”

I lifted my head to see Miss Yagami looking down at me with her soft Miss Yagami smile on her lips

“What are you doing?” Miss Yagami asked

“I’m drawing a picture about what happened this morning.”

Miss Yagami pulled out a chair, then sat beside me and looked at my drawing.

“What’s in the picture?”

I sighed, “This is Principal Ao, and this is me. On the ground is Hiro, and these are all the cupcakes that fell to the ground when I pushed him.”

“Oh, I see.”

Miss Yagami was quiet for a moment, while I continued colouring in the broken cupcakes on the ground.

“Kota, can you tell me what happened this morning?” Miss Yagami spoke again.

Miss Yagami’s question took me back to that morning, and I felt like I was there again, with Principal Ao pulling my ears and Hiro crying with his cupcakes on the ground. I felt itchy all over, like my skin was trying to run away from my body. I shook my head and shrugged, then realized I forgot to use my words to answer Miss Yagami.

“I’m sorry, Miss Yagami.”

“Why are you sorry?”

“I forgot to use my words. Principal Ao said it was disrespectful to not use my words to answer a question an adult asked me”

To my surprise, Miss Yagami chuckled. I looked at her and was shocked to see her still with her Miss Yagami smile, instead of a disapproving frown like I thought she would have.

“You know, Kota, there are times when everyone loses their words. Even me, I lose my words sometimes too.”

I scrunch my face in confusion, trying hard to imagine how words can be lost inside our body. Maybe because I was so hungry today, my stomach ate them out of desperation.

“Really?”

“Yes, and I think it’s a normal part of dealing with our emotions and feelings. Sometimes, we get so sad we lose our words. There are also times we get so angry, we not only lose our words, but we might lose control of our body as well.”

I immediately hung my head, remembering how angry I got this morning, how I lost control of my arms when I pushed Hiro to the ground.

“Do you get so angry that you do things you can’t control?” I asked Miss Yagami

“Oh of course, Kota, but it’s because I’m human. Living with our emotions and feelings is a part of being alive, but so is learning how to process them. As I grew older, I learned to recognize anger when it comes, and that has helped me control myself better so I’m not doing things I regret later. And one day, I think you’ll learn to get better at controlling yourself, too. Just like I did”

“Really?”

“Yes. But I’ll tell you a secret. Sometimes, I still get so angry that I might do or say things I feel I have no control over, usually at my fiance,” she giggled. The sound of her laugh was so infectious, I giggled with her, even though I didn’t fully understand what a fiance was.

“But I always apologize to him afterward,” she continued, “And I try my best to learn from what happened so I don’t hurt him again with my anger. But anger is normal, because anger is part of being human. So you see, Kota, even though what happened today was bad, it’s a perfectly normal part of growing up, because then you can learn from what happened and be a better person tomorrow. You’re allowed to be angry, Kota. Trust me, you are.”

I nodded. I still didn’t really understand, but somehow, I felt better knowing that Miss Yagami gets angry sometimes, too. But like Miss Yagami said, I had to be careful not to hurt people when I’m angry.

“Miss Yagami?” I called out

“Yes, Kota.”

“Am I…am I a bad person?”

Miss Yagami chuckled, “Of course not, why would you think you’re a bad person, Kota?”

“Hiro said today that I came from a bad family, because my mom is away and my dad is poor. Does that mean I am bad if I come from a bad family?”

“Oh…” Miss Yagami got quiet then. I could see her biting the corner of her lips, her fingers picking at the sleeve of her pink sweater as she looked out the window.

She wasn’t using her words to answer my question. Maybe that meant her stomach was turning and flipping like mine does when my words get lost, or that she wanted to disappear, too.

“It’s okay, Miss Yagami, you don’t have to answer. I understand”

Miss Yagami’s eyes widened. Then, she placed her warm hand on my shoulder and put on her Miss Yagami smile. All of a sudden, I wanted to cry.

“Kota, I don’t know much about your family, but from what I have seen, I can see that your father and your Onee-chan loves you so very much, and they try their best to give you a happy life, and that alone means they are a good family.”

I nodded and returned to my picture, blinking hard so my tears don’t fall in front of Miss Yagami,

“But Kota,” she continued, “I hope you understand too that there are things in your life that you have no control over, and I don’t want you to feel bad about these things, because they are not your fault.”

“What things?” I pressed

Miss Yagami sighed and shook her head, “You’ll know what they are one day, when you’re older.”

“Oh,” I uttered quietly. I don’t like it when adults say when I’m older. Sometimes, I want to hear things now, but because it’s Miss Yagami, I swallowed the disappointment and flashed a smile, which seemed to make Miss Yagami happy.

“Now, I have something for you,” Miss Yagami announced.

I sat up straight in my chair, the picture before me forgotten as Miss Yagami walked to her desk. She pulled something out of her drawer, then returned and placed the item before me. It was wrapped in tissue paper, so I couldn’t tell what it was.

“What is it?” I blurted out

“Why don’t you open it and see”

I followed Miss Yagami’s direction, pulling aside the tissue then…gasped in delight. Perched at the centre of the white tissue paper was a small round object, fluffy and spongy like clouds on a spring day, the colour chocolate brown, enough to coat my tongue in saliva.

It was a cake…the size of a cup.

A cupcake, right before my eyes.

I didn’t understand how something as small as this cupcake could feel so big in my heart. But this moment with Miss Yagami before me, this moment meant everything to me, and I’ll remember it for as long as I live.

“Go on,” Miss Yagami prodded

I hurriedly wiped away tears in my eyes, then moved to pick it up. It felt so light and airy, nothing like how I imagined it to be.

“Now you’ll know what a cupcake tastes like,” Miss Yagami said with a twinkle to her eyes

My mouth watered, and I considered popping the entire cupcake in my mouth. But then I looked up at Miss Yagami, and I realized something didn’t feel right yet.

I felt so…overwhelmed with good feelings, so full of warmth and joy, and I wished Miss Yagami could feel it too. Suddenly, I had an idea. I pinched the middle of the cupcake, splitting it in halves as best as I could before offering it to Miss Yagami.

“This is for you, Miss Yagami” I declared. Miss Yagami stared back at me in shock.

“Oh no, Kota, the entire cupcake is for you”

“No, Miss Yagami, you told us once that sharing shows how important someone is to us, so I want to share this cupcake with you”

Miss Yagami’s eyes became shiny, like she was about to cry. But then the smile on her face widened, and she accepted the half-cupcake in my hand. Together, we ate our share.

“Mmmm….” the sound escaped before I could stop it. It tasted like a chocolate explosion in my mouth. I chewed slowly, holding the taste on my tongue for as long as I could before swallowing it.

“I think I know what I want to be when I grow up now, Miss Yagami”

“Oh? What is it?”

“I want to be a cupcake maker. I’ll make as many cupcakes as I can, millions and billions and gazillions of cupcakes so I can give one to every kid on this planet, so that no one needs to spend 100 yen on a cupcake, so everyone will know how delicious it is and that it’s not a cake made of cups”

Miss Yagami laughed, “That sounds like a good plan”

“Is there a name for a cupcake maker?”

“Yes, they’re bakers. Although bakers bake all sorts of things, like cookies and birthday cakes and bread, but you can be a cupcake baker if that’s what you’d like to do”

“Okay, I’ll be a cupcake baker”

Miss Yagami beamed, her warm eyes shining down on me as I swung my legs happily on the chair. It was like magic, the way Miss Yagami made me feel like she could see me. Like really see me, not the way Principal Ao or Hiro or Higashi sees me. It made me feel whole, it made me feel complete.

It made me feel like I’m me.

“Thank you, Miss Yagami”

“You’re welcome, Kota.”

She returned to the front of the class, busying herself with tidying our classroom. I think maybe Miss Yagami thought I thanked her for giving me the cupcake, but that wasn’t the reason why I thanked her. Truth be told, I didn’t have the right words to explain why I wanted to thank her, I only know that school was the best part of my day, that Miss Yagami made me forget about my rumbling tummy and my dad’s sad faces when he comes home from work, that when I see Miss Yagami smiled, I know everything was going to be okay, and that I will see my mom again soon.

Even if I am one student, I hope one day, Miss Yagami knew the difference she made, and how important it was for me that Miss Yagami was my teacher.

#Digimon #Digimon Adventure #Hikari Yagami #hikariyagamiweek2022 #Breewrites #this got weirdly political LOL #also did you catch the takari hint #just gearing my brain up for takari week #hope im not too exhausted to write for takari week by then LOL

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