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Chapter Text

Pain wasn’t something foreign to Taichi “Tai “ Yagami , as the fastest rising star of the soccer team at Odaiba Elementary, physicality was a constant acquaintance to the eight year old, and within the half year since he had joined the team, he had amassed for himself a hefty collection of bruises ,scrapes and cuts which would ever so often drive his mother to the point of near hysteria. This day however, wasn’t something he had prepared for , and as he lay there in the middle of the field, his ankle twisted, swelling and reddening by the second, he gave in and did what he swore he would never do outside of the confines of his mother’s watch…… he cried out from the pain ,and the floodgates opened ! As if in response to his submission to its taunt, the pain in his ankle seemed to double in intensity , shooting up his entire leg and leaving the boy to cry out in wordless screams. Tears streaming down his face at this point , Tai found himself tracing back the moments which had led to his current predicament, he had decided to stay back after soccer practice that day, waiting until everyone had left and he had the field all to himself, then he had began his own practice , dribbling the ball in formations around the field, attempting goals from different positions and angles around the field, soccer was life at this point in his life, and he had better be good, no, “very good” at it if he were to have a chance at making anything of his life . Of course there was something else on his mind that day, something which took him out of his usual focus , his mind fought through the pain as he tried to recall what exactly it was that occupied his mind . Slowly, like fog clearing after an evening downpour, it came back to him. It was her ! Yes , the new girl on the team.
Tai had seen her before, she was in the same year as him, a few classes down from himself, with her head of auburn red hair she stood out clearly from the rest her classmates and Tai himself often wondered if that was her natural hair color, not that he himself had bothered to ask, aside from his little sister, he’d prefer not to associate himself with girls and their affairs. The afternoon when was announced that she would be joining the team he was more than a little caught off guard , there was the fact that she was well, a girl , not that he had any problems with girls playing soccer, not that the thought had even occurred to him before .
Boys , I’d like you all to meet our newest team member , Sora Takenouchi !,” Coach introduced , . The announcement was met with a chorus of mixed reactions, more than one voice of dissentment rang out from among the team, “
But she’s a girl, how would she know anything about soccer ? “
Great ! now she’s gonna slow us all down ,
Tai remained silent as his team mates voiced their concerns, his mind was set more on curiosity than anything else, he observed the new arrival , as she herself took in the less than warm welcome from her soon to be teammates , an oddly calm expression on her face in the midst of the slowly forming tempest of opinions centered around her, however Tai could see a steely determination burning within her eyes.
Now now, Coach began, I understand that you all have your doubts, but I’ve personally assessed the skills of Ms Takenouchi myself and I assure you that she can hang in there with the best of you , he shot a look at Tai as he said this, you will all see soon enough how much of a valuable addition she’ll be to us .

Coach wasn’t wrong in his statement, within the first two weeks of her coming onto the team, Sora had been able to outplay pretty much every member of the team, wih the only one she was unable to surpass being Tai himself . Goal ! “that’s the third straight score she’s managed in a row”, Coach proclaimed as the team went through their practice round that afternoon. Tai observed the match from the bench, his eyes followed the new girl as she made her way around the field . She was fast! a lot faster than most of her male teammates, perhaps it was all physical , her smaller, somewhat lither and more agile build which enabled her , perhaps it was her determination, a desire to prove herself that pushed her beyond her physical limits, perhaps it was the boys themselves, somehow allowing themselves to take it easy seeing as they were playing with a girl amongst them, Tai figured it was a combination of all three . Goal ! And Takenouchi scored her fourth goal of the match . Her technique still needed honing though , Tai thought to himself, some further training to polish her skills and she’d be all set , Odaiba Elementary was on the verge of having two star players, and one of them was a girl !

Tai wasn’t one to be outdone, he couldn’t afford to , and so he pushed himself to train even harder but there was something else that drove him on that day, and she had a head full of red hair . no it wasn’t that he was afraid of being surpassed by a girl , as long as one brought talent to the field , he was more than ready to welcome them, guy or girl, it was more that he was impressed by her , the fact that a girl had come almost out of the blue and could nearly match him, it was an impetus for him to bring out his own potential . But perhaps there was something, something more to that. She was rather cute ,Tai thought , and her capabilities on the field notwithstanding, she was polite, respectful and carried an air of warmness to her , Tai had not yet have the chance to speak to her personally, but, he figured that she’d be the kind of person who’d make a good friend, and he’d really like to get to know her . Trailing away in his thoughts, Tai failed to notice the piece of litter on the ground before him, a discarded candy wrapper left there by a less than responsible teammate team mate . Tai realized too late as he felt his leg slipping out from under him, he attempted to correct himself, only to end up twisting his ankle and collapsing on the ground . Lying helplessly in pain, Tai managed to fight through and mustered the strength to finally cry for help. He attempted to get up by himself even as he cried out, only to fall face first onto the grass , help ! he cried out again , and this time he got an answer.

Oh my , are you alright ? came a voice from behind him, Tai froze , could it be her ? he hesitated, but as the sound of approaching foot steps got closer , he forced himself to turn around, and came face to face with amber eyes.
Wow ! curtains match the windows, Tai thought to himself, chuckling lightly in his mind., before the pain kicked in again, and he grimaced from it,Owww, oh oh, it’s bad I think, I think I twisted my ankle, Tai explained .
Hmm , let me have a look at it, Sora began , she looked over at his ankle, “well wow, you sure did quite a number there on that one”.
Hmph ! Tai snorted in response, it’s not like I went out of my way to get myself hurt .
Ohh no ? Sora replied ,a teasing half smile on her face, anyways we need you get you up off the ground and to a clinic , hmmm well, lets see ….. she reached for the towel she had hanging around her neck , first we need to get your ankle wrapped up, she tore the towel up and took up his foot in her hand, this still has my sweat on it, so it’s kinda icky , but I don’t see any open wounds so, it should be ok, she said , I hope you don’t mind .
Nah I’m fine with it, Tai replied, go ahead.
Good then , Sora answered as she slowly began to wrap the piece of towel around his ankle, Tai watched with a slight fascination as she worked her way around his foot , her actions quick but she also treated his foot with a degree of tenderness he usually only got from his mother.
This isn’t the first time you’ve done this for someone, is it ? Tai asked .
Hm ? Sora answered , ohh no I mean yes err no I mean, this is the first time , its my mom who taught me some basic first aid , stuff like how to wrap injuries and dress wounds and stuff like that, I actually carry a little first aid kit with me in my bag , well usually I do, I forgot today, so you’ll have to make do with a sweaty towel .
Finishing up with her wrapping, , Sora then motioned for him to grab ahold of her shoulder .come on now, she called , lets get you up on your feet, err I mean your foot , she giggled .
Hey you teasing me or something ? Tai feigned annoyance though he was quite enjoying their interaction.
No not at all, um uhh I think I’ve forgotten your name ,uhh
It’s Taichi ! Taichi Kamiya Yagami ! Tai shouted , a little genuinely annoyed now, how could she not know who he was after nearly a month of playing together.
Yes of course Mr Yagami, how could I forget the name of none other than Odaiba Elementary’s Star Player , Sora replied , barely holding in another fit of giggles.
Hey , you didn’t forget, Tai grumbled , you really are teasing me aren’t you ?
Maybe I am ,Sora replied.
Well you’re lucky my foot is hurt right now, otherwise I’m gonna make you taste the mud yourself Tai threatened mockingly.
Ohh that’’s so mean of you Tai, I think I don’t wanna help you anymore .Sora started to turn away , burying her face in between her arms.
Wait ! Wait ! Tai pleaded I was just kidding there Sora, I didn’t mean to , I never did , I never will, I’m not the kind to hit girls anyway, please don’t leave me here like this.
Sora lifted her head out of her hands and turned back to him, the teasing look she had given him earlier now a full blown smile , now now that’s more like it isn’t it ?
Holding onto Sora’s shoulder, Tai pulled himself off the ground and hobbled along his one good foot as she led him along the way . As they made their way out of the field , Tai decided to ask the question which had been at the back of his mind before he got hurt.
Sora ? Tai began, can I ask you something ?
Hm ? she replied
It’s a little silly but I hope you’re not embarrassed by it …
What is it Tai ?
Can we be friends Sora ?
Tai stumbled a little as they both drew to a sudden stop, he looked over at Sora and saw that her eyes had widened and a slight tinge of red had formed on her cheeks.
Um , Sora ? , are you alright? I’m sorry if my question …
You know Tai, Sora cut him off, she turned to face him slowly, the red tinge on her cheeks growing as she did so , I was gonna ask you that question myself .
At this, Tai burst out laughing , now it was Sora ‘s turned to be surprised , what’s so funny Tai ? she asked, a mild tinge of annoyance starting to build up in her .
Nothing, nothing , Tai replied, hmmm, so I guess that means yes then ?
Hmm what do you think ?
So we’re friends then ?
Guess we are
Friends ? friends to the end ?
Yes, friends to the end .
Pinky promise ? Tai held out his pinky finger.
Do we really have to ?
Come on , do it , Tai egged.
Sigh , OK, Sora held out her pinky finger and hooked it to his, smiling at each other , they then continued on their journey,and it was, as they made their way to the school’s medical room that Tai found himself asking another question that had been at the back of his mind.
Umm Sora ? Can I ask another question ?
What is it, this time, Tai ?
Your hair , is that your natural hair color ?
Hmph ! Sora looked away as she replied, “Stupid Tai “!

Chapter Text

“Hey Tai, wake up”! Tai, wake up!
“Umm just another 5 minutes mom” .
“Mom ? Tai this isn’t mom, it’s me, Koromon” !
“Koromon ‘? Tai began to stir.
“Yep” the tiny pink Digimon beamed, “and Happy New Year to you too Tai .” .
“Ugghh”, Tai clutched at his forehead, Happy New Year ? Ohh what time is it now ? how long have I been asleep ?
Well it’s a quarter to twelve and counting from when you came back at 5 am this morning, I’d estimate you had a good six hours of sleep at least””, replied Koromon , which is waaaaaay past breakfast time Tai”” .
Tai peered over at the Digimon with his right eye, “since when did you become such a smart mouth Koromon “ ?
“Meh, we’ve known each other for 14 years, Tai’, Koromon snickered, you think I wouldn’t pick up on something” ?
“Well you somehow manage to sound a lot more intelligent than when you’re Agumon”, Tai smirked, maybe you should stay like this all of the time .
Well, my appetites the same as when I’m Agumon Tai , so …. What’s for breakfast, what’s for breakfast ?” Koromon bounced up and down as he whined.
“Hold on there”, Tai rubbed his eyes ,” just a moment there, lemme get the cogs running first”.
“Tai, I’m hungry Tai” Koromon complained,” I haven’t eaten since before you left for your party last night”.
The party huh “” ? , Tai tried his best to block out Koromon’s incessant whining as he attempted to recall the going ons of the previous night.

Life was full of hard decisions and for Tai , one such decision came his way came during the middle of the past year, as a final year Political Science student at Tokyo University, the future looked set, unfortunately, due to his failure the secure the required CGPA over the prior two semesters, he had lost the backing of his Soccer Scholarship and found himself in a fi over the continued financing of his studies. In the end he had decided to put University on hold and go full time into his job in the hopes of securing enough cash by a year in order to continue.
“Togoro Brothers “ was a hardware retail chain which Tai worked at during his semester breaks and also on a part time basis whenever he was in need of some extra cash , owned by a Ryosuke Togoro , the man towered over his employees at 6 ‘8, sporting a military style crewcut, he was almost never seen without a large grey trench coat which he draped over his more casual dress shirt and completed the look with black dress slacks fastened with a leather belt and matching black dress shoes. As befitting the company name, Ryosuke also had an elder brother, a mysterious figure who was occasionally mentioned but never seen in spite of being a co owner of the company, as far as things were concerned, Ryosuke was the public face of the company and oversaw all of its main operations, said man’s absence was a point of curiosity for Tai and he often wondered why the man was pretty much a non entity in the running of things. In spite of his imposing appearance, Tai quickly found out that Ryosuke was a lot nicer and approachable than first impressions would let on, he was all too willing to comply when Tai let on his desire to avail himself fulltime to the company.
As he transitioned from part time to full time worker Tai now had the opportunity to get to know his co workers a little better , before he would just come in , do his shift and leave, his interactions with his colleagues was minimal, his boss being the only one he was able to forge somewhat of a relationship with . Tai was assigned to marketing where he was partnered with Ryo Hagewashi , an eccentric, flamboyant individual with a flair for the dramatic, his long black hair reached below his shoulders and he complemented his office attire with a long black dinner jacket which parted in the middle towards the bottom, the man spoke with a calm , clear voice in a rather straight to the point , matter of fact manner which belied his flashy appearance, he was helpful to a fault but Tai couldn’t quite shake off the feeling of creepiness which seemed to emanate off him. Rinko Shirota manned the reception desk , a short bubbly personality sporting a boyish haircut and rectangular glasses, she came to work in a turtleneck and knee length skirt occasionally complemented with a pink cardigan, Tai figured that she and Mimi would get along if they ever met each other ….. “Mimi” , Tai wondered what she was doing now, the last time he’d seen her, shortly after graduation had her proudly declaring to him and the other Digidestined that she was going to become a successful entrepreneur and become world famous so they could all be proud of her, Tai chuckled as he remembered his friend’s cheerful and somewhat hammy confidence. Down at Inventory Control lurked the likes of Sho Kurata and Kuroi Sanada, the former a slim weasel like character with a sinister air about him, the latter a tall, lanky individual with a condescending attitude towards those around him , overseeing the department was Yoshida Bui , a middle aged graying haired giant of a man not unlike Ryosuke himself, unlike his boss however, Bui was fairly unpleasant to deal with, responding to most of Tai’s queries with simple , one word answers and mostly shooting him dismissive angry glares whenever they happened to pass each other , he worked dressed in jeans and a short sleeved work shirt which showed off his tattoos, Tai figured that the guy probably was heavily involved with the Yakuza in his youth and perhaps still is , and decided that the best course of action was to steer clear of him outside of formal business.
In the final two weeks leading up to the New Year, it was announced that there would be a New Year’s Eve get together at the bar, Tai figured it was just a formal way of saying “New Year Countdown Drinking Party “ and felt that he should probably stay away, he didn’t have a very good record when it came to consuming large amounts of alcohol in public places, his mind flashed back to the incident before his high school graduation whereby he had ended up embarrassing himself in front of Matt and Mimi , Tai thanked his lucky stars and whatever deity who happened to look over him that Sora wasn’t there to see him in that state as well. After some nonstop pestering however, the major part of it coming from Hagewashi , Tai eventually gave in , half convincing himself that he was going on his own volition, the purpose of which was the elusive chance that the elder Togoro brother would show up as well and thus satisfy Tai’s curiosity pangs.
That evening, after Tai had finished preparing dinner for Koromon , he proceeded to pick out something to wear for the evening’s festivities, as he scanned the ‘messily laid contents of his closet, his eyes came upon a sky blue cardigan half folded and lying towards the inner right hand corner, he reached in to pick it up , unfolding it as he did so, the cardigan had a star decorating the tip of each sleeve colored the same shade of orange as his crest, while nestled proudly on it’s left breast and clad in the same shade of orange was the number “10”, his old number back when he played on the school soccer team, he turned the cardigan around and was met with the sight of his crest in all of it’s blazing glory . “Courage “, Tai thought to himself, “the Crest of Courage “.

So, how do you like it’’ ? Sora asked excitedly ,
Hmm, well you’ve obviously put a lot of work into this””, Tai replied as he turned the cardigan around in his hands , and it shows , obviously, but I can’t help but feel that the colors you picked are a little too bright’’ .
“Ohhh”, Sora looked down , her voice rife with disappointment.
“And by that I mean it’s perfect” , Tai beamed as he winked at the red head .
Tai”” ! Sora nudged the boy with her elbow, you know how much I pride myself on my work “” ,she grumbled.
“And that’s why it’s so fun to tease you on it”, Tai smirked .
“You’re horrible”, Sora complained, shooting him a glare .
“Have been and probably always will be”, Tai replied proudly,
“Hmmph”, Sora turned away, then turned her head back slightly to look at Tai, “so, you really like it” ?
Tai responded with a smile and thumbs up and this time Sora returned the favor with a smile of her own .
“You know I really struggled to find the material of the right color” , Sora began, it’s hard for me to properly remember the exact color of your crest given that I’ve only seen it a handful of times myself .
“You did it just right Sora” Tai assured her.
“But I thought you said the colors were too bright”, Sora eyed him suspiciously. ’
“Ánd I thought you realized I was kidding “. Tai smirked again.
“Mmmph , Stupid Tai” ! Sora huffed
The two teens then began walking side by side for a while .
“You know,” Sora began, “in just a weeks time ,” the three of us will be graduating, You Me and Matt “ .
“I’m well aware “ Tai answered.
I mean, it’s probably from a sense of perspective but, I find it hard to believe that for the first time in our lives, we’re all going to be apart from one another, I mean not just within the three of us, but also with Mimi, Izzy, TK and the rest, I mean Jyou left last year and we bare ly hear from him anymore’ Sora remarked,”” I mean ever since our first adventure in the Digital World, the eight of us have been practically inseparable , I mean , we all had our own periods of separation, but somehow, someway, we all always came back together in the end , and for the first time in our lives, in my life, we’re all separating and… I seriously don’t know if we’ll ever see each other again “ .
“You know i’m kinda impressed with how you managed to fit so many “ I means” into a single breath”, Tai teased.
Tai !
“Sorry Sora, I couldn’t resist “, Tai replied sheepishly .
“You always had a knack for getting under my skin “
“I was hoping I had a knack for getting under more than that “
WHAT ?
“Ohhh Nothing , “I mean” ,Tai frantically put a hand over his mouth , realizing that he had gone too far.
Hmmph, now it’s your turn to “Ï mean “. Sora smirked.
“Hey, that was only once “ ! Tai protested .
“Still counts” Sora remarked somewhat proudly.
“Sigh Okay, I’ll give you that one” Tai conceded.
The two of them walked on a little further before Tai found it in himself to ask a question he had been meaning to ask since the time of the incident with the infected Digimon.
Sora ?
Hmm ?
How’s things going between you and Matt ?
Sigh, you had to go and bring that up Tai ?
Uh Huh,
Sora looked at him disprovingly for a few seconds before answering him
“We’ve put things on hold Tai, you know,what with our busy schedules , Matt”s band and then the whole deal with Meiko and Meicoomon and the turmoil in the Digital World, we haven’t had the chance to sit down and properly contemplate where we want to go with our relationship, you do realize I said that the three of us were going to be apart from one another earlier right” ?
I see , Tai replied.
Uhm , why the sudden curiosity on our relationship Tai ?
Uhh well, uhm just curious I guess ?
Is there something you wish to tell me Tai ? she narrowed her eyes at him
There was a few minutes of uncomfortable silence between the two as Tai contemplated his answer before replying with a straight “Nahh, I’m just curious that all, really I mean you guys are my closest friends after all, I me…. Tai stopped, “not wrong for a friend to be concerned with how his frinds are doing there now is it “ ?
“No it isn’t, and did I just hear you about to” I mean” there ? Sora raised an eyebrow while a half smile formed on her face .
“Umm yeah you just did” Tai chuckled rubbing the back of his head as he did so.
The two of them continued a little further before coming to a stop nce they reached the apartment complex where Sora and her Mom were staying at.
“So I guess well be parting ways here then” ? Tai asked.
“Quite so, unless you plan on making yourself at home on our sofa”, Sora giggled.
“ So it’s adios amigos then , I’ll see you at the graduation ceremony next week”, Tai winked at her and followed it with a wave.
“See ya “ ! Sora waved back
Ohh , Sora ?
Hmm ?
“Thanks for the Jacket , its awesome !
“ Hmm, it’s a cardigan Tai, Sora smiled as she closed her eyes in acknowledgement, “but I’m glad you like it “.

The New Year’s Eve party was every bit the disaster that Tai thought it would be, the elusive elder Togoro Brother never showed up and after spending the majority of the evening keeping to himself and limiting his alcohol intake to two beers, he was eventually goaded , within the twilight minutes of the eleventh hour into downing an entire pint , following which the rest of the festivities , from the countdown onwards became nothing more than a blur of light, colors , sounds and the laughing faces of his colleagues.

Hmmm, we’re out of eggs here, Tai noted as he scanned the old fridge he shared with his housemates , guess I’ll have to pop to the shops for more , he closed the fridge and went back to his room
“So is breakfast ready Tai ? “Koromon bounced excitedly on the bed as he inquired.
“It’ll be brunch now, technically”, Tai smiled ,” but you’ll have to wait just a while longer as we’re out of eggs”.
“Ahhh I’m hungry Tai “ the Digimon compained.
“I know, I know “, Tai replied, “this won’t take long”, his eyes fell upon the blue cardigan which he had worn to the party the night before, the one gifted to him by Sora on the eve of their graduation, the one she made for him, specially for him .
I’ll make some special ones for you “.
Draping the cardigan over himself , Tai opened his front door and stepped out into the light of the noon day sun.
Hmm, New Day, New Year, New Beginnings huh ?

Chapter Text

The streaks of sunlight peeked out from behind their cloud cover , starting out as thin sticks, they grew as the moments passed, expanding into thick rods as they blended into and eventually replaced the night sky . Observing the scene unfold from her bedroom window, 23 year old Sora Takenouchi smiled to herself ,proudly satisfied at having witnessed the first sunrise of the year as she took a sip from her still steaming cup of ginger tea, back in her teen years she would have sworn by the benefits of coffee, but as she began to immerse herself in the flower arts and the cultures which formed it’s backbone, she found her taste buds drifting towards something a little more traditional. With Pyokomon still fast asleep in her basket by the corner Sora looked back upon her copy of “Hard Times”, she wondered if she would be able to finish another chapter, casting a side glimpse at her bedside clock , she decided she could still sneak in a couple of pages before the needs of the day would demand her attention again, however as she flipped the pages , it was not the streets and struggles of 19th century London which occupied her mind but something a little more recent, a little more closer to home .

6 Months Ago

You wished to see me Sora ?

Ye-Yes, Yes Mom.

Toshiko Takenouchi wasn’t one who cut an imposing figure, but what she lacked in stature she more than made up for in air and presence, the head of one of the foremost schools of Ikebana in Tokyo, Toshiko commanded respect, a respect she had grittily and meticulously earned over many years, she was not one to suffer fools and her reputation preceded her as a stern but fair teacher, with an emphasis upon stern. It was for this reason that her daughter, despite having a good two inches on her stood upon the brink of cowering before her that morning.

Sora had known fear, the many battles which she had participated in the Digital World, most of which had seen her hold her life in her hands had seen to it that she was well acquainted with the emotion, yet this morning was something different , a whole new flavor of anxiety had swelled up within her, one which she had no remedy to, no method of calming herself in spite of her minds repeated assurance that it would all turn out well, she hadn’t been this nerve wracked since the incident with Datamon and that was well over a decade ago, she entered slowly, struggling to keep herself from shaking as she approached her mother’s table situated right smack in the middle of her office , , anything which might betray the truth of her inner turmoil .

Well of what would like to inform me of today ? We- Well MMom, I’ve been thinking, no I mean I’ve …. I’ve been , ohhh sorry mom, i… I forgot to wish you mom, Good Good Morning.

Sora, what have I told you about stuttering?

I’m , I’m Sorry Mom, her words had betrayed her and Sora now found herself gradually losing all sense of composure as her shaking grew uncontrollable.

Calm down Sora, there’s no need to break down , I am your mother.

Yes , Yes, mom, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to, it’s just that …

Here , drink this , Toshiko poured a cup of jasmine tea and handed it to her daughter.

Thanks, Thanks mom, Sora received the cup and took a sip .Feeling the hot tea have the desired effect, she looked up and managed a faint smile to which Toshiko closed her eyes and nodded in approval. You have something you wish to tell me ?

This was it, the moment she had been contemplating, the sleepless nights playing the scenario in her mind, the countless times sher mind had drifted off in the middle of conducting a class and the resulting lectures from her mother, it had all led to this moment, how would it go ?

Mom….Sora steadied herself, Mom, I don’t know how to say this but, but I can’t , I can’t , she swallowed , mentally cursing at her inability to suppress her stuttering, I can’t follow you mom!

Toshiko’s eyes widened slightly but her expression remained stoic .

It’s , It’s not that I don’t appreciate and respect the art of Ikebana, mom, I do, I do,

it’s just that just that, feeling a sudden burning tinge of boldness well up in her chest , she pushed through with the rest of her message, it’s not who I am Mom !

Toshiko kept her gaze focused, her expression unchanging.

Please don’t misunderstand me mom, I , I appreciate and value everything you’ve taught and done for me these past few years, but the more I’ve dug my hand in, the more I realized, this, this isn’t my path mom , this is you, this is who you are mom, and , and, I need, I need to carve out my own path in life mom, I , I, I’m sorry mom, I’m sorry that I turned out to be such a disappointment mom, she hung her head as she finished.

Time seemed to stand still as Sora awaited her mother’s response, she could hear her mother’s footsteps make their way towards her, smelled the fragrance of plum blossoms growing stronger with each step, right until a pair of Tabi clad feet appeared before her eyes. Her heart pounding furiously, Sora ran through the various scenarios she had mentally prepared for in her mind, she won’t understand, she’ll try to talk me out of it, perhaps reprimand me for daring to speak out, she’ll put me up to some chores, and send me out to handle a new batch of classes as punishment, her thoughts halted as she saw her mother’s right hand begin to rise , instinctively she braced herself for the slap she knew was coming, instead she felt her mother’s hand fall upon her shoulder , grasping it in a gentle but firm grip.

You know Haru used to have trouble expressing his true feelings back in the day ,Toshiko began, it was one of the things which irked me to no end but yet for some reason, I found him so endearing in spite of it, or perhaps …because of it.

Sora opened her mouth in surprise, it had been years since her mother had used a term of endearment on her father much less speak of him in a manner outside of the professional , she allowed herself to look up and saw that a slight smile had formed upon her mother’s face , however she didn’t let it distract her from the gradual glistening in her eyes. Mom I, Sora began, but found herself at a loss for words.

You are your father’s daughter ! Toshiko exclaimed , that you are indeed! I could never get him to go along with me , and I could never with you either, you two, you embody the kind of passion that I was too afraid to pursue on my own, and I resented it to some extent.

Sora watched as her mother lifted her other hand and brushed her sleeve across her face to wipe away the tears which had begun to flow.

I knew this day would come eventually, Toshiko continued , the time for you to spread your wings, I could never contain it , she placed her other hand upon her daughter’s shoulder . Disappointed ? she asked ,Maybe, ..…. Maybe a little, still I’m elated all the same. This , she motioned to the flower arrangements lining the room corner , this was never meant to be the be all end all for you, it may have been , should you have decided, but ultimately, it was the journey , the journey through which you found yourself, your true path in life. Pulling her daughter into an embrace, Toshiko allowed her tears to flow freely, You go take your journey my girl, she compelled, perhaps it takes you back here to my side, perhaps it brings you somewhere far out in the world, whatever it is, you pursue it and you pursue it to the end! Make me proud girl !

I , I Will Mom ! Sora promised as she embraced her mother in return her own tears beginning to flow as well I  Will !

The feel of hot shower water upon her skin shook her back into the present as Sora realized that she had drifted off in her thoughts once again, during which she tended to do things on autopilot, she vividly recalled seeing the words in her book slowly meld into a blur at which point she decided trying to continue was pointless , so was any attempt to recall everything which happened in between that and the start of her shower , she wondered if it was something she might need some form of medical help with. A month after she made her confession to her mother, Sora was able to work out an arrangement with Kyoko ,one of her friends down in Keisen University and the two agreed to share the rental for an apartment located near the edge of Tokyo, a small , slightly cramped 7th Floor unit which did however offer a wide encompassing view of the city below , almost as a compensation for the uncomfortable living conditions, however putting their heads together, the girls were able to refurbish the place into a cosy little nest with just enough space to for two girls and a little pink bird to rest comfortably in. Finding a job proved to be a bit more of a challenge, anything to do with Ikebana was out of the question seeing as how she had wanted to distance herself from the line in the first place, not to mention it would be a blatant slap in the face to her mother, she spent another month sending out one application after another , most of which were not replied to, eventually she was able to land a position as a Lunch Lady for a small private school ,the pay was surprisingly decent, providing enough to pay her part of the rent and see her through her University expenses , but what she relished about the job was the opportunity to put her culinary capabilities into practice, perhaps there a future career awaited her down this road ? Finishing her shower , she grabbed her towel off its hook and dabbed herself with it. School was off on New year’s Day so she got the day off too, however with the supplies fridge at the school running empty she had a whole list of purchases to make , along with a few other chores to run before she could proceed to catch up with some studies, wrapping her towel around herself, she stepped out from behind the shower curtain and prepared to face the day.