Archive of Our Own ^beta

   The boys quickly shook their heads though they were not sure what to make of a girl on their team. They had heard of all girl teams but didn’t really give them credit to keep up with their level. And they expected the same from the red haired, scrawny girl standing beside their coach.

    None of them moved until their captain suddenly got up, drawing all their attention to him, and extended his hand. “Hi, I’m Taichi Yagami, the captain. I’m happy to have you on my team.”

  Sora looked up, a little confused, but her tense shoulders started to loosen a little. After a split-second of consideration, she shook it firmly and smiled.

  “Is she going to change with us?”, one of them asked peeved, pulling a towel over his boxer shorts.

  Immediately, Sora took a step back, her face having the same guarded expression as when she had come in.

   Coach Douglas sternly eyed the player in question. “Yes, she will. You’re five, she’s not going to steal your abs by just looking at them.” With a firm “Training starts in ten” he left the kids to change.

   “Don’t worry about Yusei, he’s usually a bit cagey at the beginning but when you get to know him better he’s a great friend” Taichi, who was still standing in front of Sora, said. Then he turned to his teammates “You heard the coach! She’s our new player so we’re gonna help her and not ride roughshod over her.” Then he showed Sora a free locker where she could change in front of.

   The sun was hidden behind fuzzy clouds when they entered the field. Coach Douglas had prepared a set of tasks that they had to tackle in groups and then rotate around on clockwise. Sora was in Taichi’s group. Quickly, she had earned the respect of the other boys in that group. She could keep up easily at the tasks whether they regarded speed, skill, or accuracy.

   The second part of the training consisted of dribbling exercises where they were told to pair up. Taichi immediately came over to Sora. “So you’re new here” he said, hoping to get a bit more information out of her.

   “Yeah, my Mom wanted to open her own flower shop and she found that empty retail unit just a couple of blocks away from the stadium. It was too far to travel there every day and back home so we moved.”

   “And what does your Dad do?”

   “He’s an anthropology professor in Kyoto.”

   Taichi eyes went wide. “He doesn’t live with you?”

   Sora shook her head while she passed the ball back to him. “No, but that’s okay. I don’t know it any other way. I think Mom tries to be both parents for me. But she doesn’t like that I play football. I had to beg her to let me go here. She thinks I’m too fragile or whatever. Just because I’m a girl.”

  “I don’t think that that’s the reason. She’s got only you so of course she’s worried.”

   Sora looked doubtingly at him but before she could reply their coach blew his whistle. “Everybody gather!” he called. They assembled around him, hands poised on their hips, feet balanced on the balls. “Time for your favourite part of the training: the game!” The boys cheered, and Sora cheered the loudest. It was finally time to show them all what she was capable of. Counting alternately between one and two, he divided the children into two groups. This time, Sora and Taichi were on opposite teams but she was supposed to play with Yusei.

   He eyed her with suspicion. “You can go to the left defender position” he ordered her and positioned himself as striker.

   Coach Douglas looked around the kids. They shuffled their feet in anticipation. He inhaled deeply and blew his whistle with puffed cheeks.

   Taichi was the first at the ball, manoeuvring it through his fellow teammates that were now his opponents. But not for long.

   Sora did her best on the defender position and that was a lot. She easily separated Taichi from the ball, leaving him awestruck behind. Her dribbling was smooth, rounding the boys just like Taichi had done seconds earlier though in the opposite direction. She lifted her head, quickly assessed the situation and passed the ball to Yusei who had offered himself on the right-hand side. He accepted the pass with an appreciative nod -  his first reluctant reaction towards her had faded fast as he knew how to recognize a skilled player. Two more long strides, a powerful kick, and the first goal of the match was scored.

   His team mates cheered while he approached Sora. “Well played” he said and offered his hand.

   Sora shook it without hesitation. “Nice effort” she replied equally esteeming.

   Suddenly Taichi appeared beside Sora to put a hand on her shoulder. “Hey Sora, that was great! Welcome to the team!”

   Then suddenly, exactly that had happened.  

   For quite a while, she had debated with herself whether she should tell him. She didn’t want to risk their friendship by telling him in the case that he didn’t feel the same and then might treat her with wariness, or worse, pity.

    But at some point Taichi had noticed that something was off. A couple of days ago, he had cornered her to inquire about it. She had tried to hem and haw but Taichi had never been a fan of drivel and had insisted that she told him straight away what was on her mind.

   Nervously fidgeting, barely looking at him and voice hardly audible, she had confessed to him.

    For a second there was just silence.

    Finally, Sora dared to look up. And discovered a sheepishly grinning Taichi. He scratched the back of his neck and abashment had tinted his face red. Now it had been Sora’s turn to coax his thoughts out of him with a quizzical look. Then he had dropped the bombshell.

   And now here she was, thirty minutes away from their first date. She nervously combed her hair and then asked herself why she was nervous. She’d known Taichi since she was five years old, had seen him sweaty after countless football matches just as he’d seen her. She knew what got him excited and what made him cry. How he hated injustice and boring, self-absorbed people. He had listened when she had ranted about her mom’s choking rules and held her hand when she had realized that it was just motherly love and concern about her well-being. So maybe falling in love was just a natural progression.

   She put the comb down and looked into the mirror again. Until now, falling in love had meant what she’d seen on the screen, a world-rocking, almost fright-inducing feeling. But for her it hadn’t felt that way, it still didn’t. It was much more subtle and soft, like the warm glow she felt inside when she looked out the window on a train ride, the sun shining, green fields flying by, and knowing that there was a purpose to her ride as much as the time on the train was just hers. Maybe “love” was just a different word for “friendship”, a different form of it.

   Smilingly, she reached for the butterfly hairclip Taichi had gotten her for a birthday that felt like it was both yesterday and an eternity ago. Why she had started a quarrel about it she didn’t know anymore but maybe back then she had known, deep in her heart, that Taichi might one day mean more to her than just a friend and that she had been simply embarrassed about this, at that point in her life, thoughtful present.

   But dwelling too long in the past wouldn’t work if she wanted to make this last, to make it more than a fling between friends which than frazzled into fewer and fewer contact or even ended in an ugly break-up leading to never speaking to each other again.

   Baby steps, she told herself. What mattered at the moment was the date he was going to pick her up for in a couple of minutes and everything was still up in the air. And she was fine with that.

   “No way! I saw you drawing that joker from your sleeve.”

   With an eyebrow raised, Sora replied “You’re going with the oldest accuse in history? Well, you wish it was that simple. Face it, Taichi, you just don’t have a knack for card games.” She tapped his still nearly full hand while she had just won the fifth time in a row. 

   “I want revenge!”

    “Again?” Sora chuckled. “My, why not. Though maybe we should spice things up a bit – maybe with a bet?” She winked suggestively.

   The idea lit up Taichi’s face. “That’s brilliant. But we can make it even better!”

   Seeing Taichi’s mischievous grin, Sora nearly regretted her impulsive proposition. He could be nothing but trouble sometimes.

   “We play strip rummy! For a first meld the opposite party has to discard a piece of clothing. Same goes for swapping cards with a joker and completing a meld of similar cards on the table. And the loser has to strip in full.” He was wiggling his eyebrows, beaming.

   Sora looked at him for a moment, confused and rapidly blinking. The she burst into vigorous laughter.

   Taichi made a sour face. “So you think you know who’ll sit here naked soon? Well, you better be careful with your assumptions!”

   Sora tried hard to get herself under control again. She breathed deeply and waved her hand at the same time to shoo off Taichi’s wrong thoughts. “It’s not that” she finally managed to say between hiccups. “When you’re determined on something anything can happen. So I know better than to bet on my lucky streak to continue. Admit it, Taichi! You just want this card game to end in bed!”

   At least Taichi had the decency to turn red. “How do you know?” he sputtered.

   Sora leaned back, arms crossed and smirking knowingly. “Taichi, we’ve been together for six years so by now I should know your favourite thing. And to calm your nerves: I’m in.”

   Taichi raised his fist. “I knew you wanted this just as much as I do. Oh, and before we start: Jewellery doesn’t count and socks are one piece of clothing. The belt belongs to the pants – not that you think you could cheat.”

   Sora rolled her eyes. “We both know that I don’t cheat. Ever.” After a heartbeat she said “It’s your turn to shuffle and deal. So make sure to give me an extra difficult hand if you want to see me naked.”

   The electrical razor buzzed. Bssr, it went, and another bit of chestnut hair fell into the newspaper covered sink.

   “Taichi, we’re gonna be late! What are you doing there in the bathroom anyway?”

   Bssr. Another strand of hair sailed downwards. 

   “No, we won’t. There’s still plenty o’ time.”

   Taichi looked into the mirror, determined but also a fraction frightened about what he was doing.

   “Taichi! I know it’s just a thirty-fourth birthday but it’s Kou’s thirty-fourth birthday. I can’t believe you want to keep your best friend waiting. And embarrass me like that.” Sora hammered against the bathroom door. If there was anything she disliked the most it was being unpunctual. But as she was none to back down from a challenge she had married Taichi.

   “Like what?”

   In her anger she hadn’t, for a split second, noticed how the bathroom door had finally opened. Her mouth stood agape. “Tai...chi?” was all she managed to say, her hand instinctively raised in the air to touch his now short hair.

   Gone was the bushy mane Taichi had been sporting since she knew him. In the past years, he had to be positively dragged to a barber’s for a trimming of his hair tips to avoid split ends. Scissors he had regarded with as much disdain as he had regarded Devimon.

   And now this. Barely an inch of hair was left, surely more than Iori had, but in comparison to the mass of hair she’d still seen on him at the breakfast table hardly an hour ago it was as if he’d gone completely bald.

   “Why?” she asked, not judgingly, just curious, after she had simply stared at him for a full minute.

   “I thought it was time to be brave again” he said laconically though there was a tiny edge of insecurity in his voice.

   Which was blown away by Sora’s boisterous laugh and the encouraging kiss she gave him. “And I love you for that! Oh, can’t wait for the others to see you!”

   When the Tokaido Shinkansen stopped in Nagoya, Sora stirred to life. She’d been listening to an audiobook, gazing out into the rushing-by landscape on a sunny Friday. But now she was alert. She pressed her nose to the window, craning her neck to the left and to the right and scanning the platform for a certain wild-maned person. He’d been in Kaga for a soccer match the previous day, and now they wanted to meet for a shared vacation weekend in Osaka.

   At least that’d been the plan.

   The car filled with boarding passengers, silent and polite, until most of the seats were taken. Except the one beside her. Sora wasn’t too worried at first, she had texted Taichi her seat number just before they had departed Tokyo even though they had initially booked seats beside each other.

    When the train began to move again and gained more and more speed, her restlessness grew. Granted, Taichi could sometimes be a little off the charts, bewildered even, but could he really be this confused as if to not find the right car? She straightened herself to look over the rows of seats, hoping to see a panting, slightly dishevelled looking Taichi finally entering the car because he had just made it in time.

   But no such luck. The only one that came through the door was the conductor.

  Sora huffed and checked her phone again. No message. She opened the messenger app and noticed that her message hadn’t actually been read. She wrote him another text, just to give him an impulse to check his phone. Then, with the uneasiness not quite vanished, she resumed her audiobook.

   But she couldn’t really enjoy it.

   When the train stopped in Kyoto, she was again on the look-out for Taichi but there was no familiar face among the new passengers. Her stomach lurched. Still no notice, either. That was rather unusual. Even if he messaged belayed, he messaged in the end. But not today. She pressed play on the audiobook but she couldn’t follow it. Her thoughts drifted away time and time again; the more miles the train made the more she worried. That he had simply stood her up seemed out of question. Why would he? So the only possible conclusion, the longer she thought about it, was that something had happened to him.  

   She texted him again. Calling was not an option as it was not welcome on Japanese trains.

   The remaining half-hour of her train ride she fretted more and more about his well-being.

   “Next stop: Osaka. Last stop, please exit the train” a female AI voice announced when the train pulled smoothly into the station.

   Sora sighed, slightly shaking from trying not to cry, and gathered her belongings. She queued up behind an old, wizened man, itching to get out on the platform to finally try and call Taichi. She pushed her way through the crowd to a pillar where she unloaded her bag and dialled his number. It went straight to voicemail. She tried again, about seven times, always with the same result.

   When the voicemail picked up the final time, she simply burst into tears. She didn’t know what might have happened but it must have been bad when it rendered Taichi unable to call. She had no idea whom to call now, she didn’t have his coach’s number or those of his teammates.

   As she stood there weeping, a middle-aged lady came up to her. “Is everything alright?”

   “I, hhh, I don’t know” she sobbed, hardly intelligible. “I can’t get through to my boyfriend. We were to meet in Nagoya but he wasn’t on the train and I can’t reach him on his phone.”

   “My, my. I’m sure there’s a simple reason for this. Maybe his phone just died?” She tentatively reached for Sora’s trembling shoulders because Sora gave so little about Japanese social conventions that she aroused the woman’s compassion.

   For a couple more minutes they just stood there, Sora trying to get herself under control again and the woman just standing beside her, keeping her company.

   Suddenly, something came barrelling towards them, the only premonition being a surprised yelp, and then someone crashed into Sora, nearly toppling over both.

   The friendly woman stood there bewildered, staring at a tall young man with hair as wild as a lion’s.

   “Sor, I’m so sorry” he mumbled into Sora’s hair, hugging her tightly.

   Sora was too stunned to say anything for quite some time. Then she turned her head to gaze at Taichi, still puffy-eyed and with red-patched cheeks. “Taichi? Where do you come from?”

   “Man, I’m so sorry! It’s a wild story. I got to the station in Kaga in time but just a few minutes before our planned departure there was the announcement that the train had engine failure and that they couldn’t bring in a replacement in time. So I asked my coach to take me to the next town to catch another train but he wanted to take me straight to Osaka because that’s easier to reach than Nagoya. I really wanted to call you but my phone had died and I had forgotten my charger. I don’t know your number by heart so I couldn’t use my coach’s phone. And he also doesn’t have any social media so I couldn’t text you, either. I had hoped to get here before your train pulls in but the traffic kept us up. I’m so, so sorry how all this went down.” He kissed her on the cheek, it was a long kiss, before he pulled back and looked into her eyes.

   Sora was too overwhelmed at first to respond to his hearty verbiage. Then she started laughing. When her laughs subsided, she first looked to the woman. “Thank you very much for your sympathy but I think it’s all resolved now.”

   The stranger nodded. “I can see that. All the best to you two.” With that she took her own bag and moved on.

   Sora shook her head. “This can really only happen with you, Taichi. Life with you is never boring but I could have given that a miss.” Then she kissed him on the lips.

(ID: Four pictures of an open white-paged journal. The text on the first page reads: “ It’s early in the morning and you’re still sound asleep. Last night was a long one, I don’t even know when you came to bed. But I can tell that it was worth it. That wedding gown for Mimi looks gorgeous. Jou will be the proudest groom the world has ever seen – so far. When we’re going to marry, of, course, that will be me. I made you scrambled eggs. I know they taste better when they’re fresh but I wanted to leave something for you when you wake up. Today will be busy, I can sense that, so I don’t know when I’ll be back. I love you Sor.“ The page is adorned by a doodle of a sleepy bird in the lower right-hand corner.

The second page, adorned by a hand-drawn flower, reads: “ And I earned that sleep! But you’re right. The gown is one of my masterpieces. You know how self-critical I am and how hard it is for me to accept compliments but looking at that dress even I can’t find a fly in the ointment. You should be careful what you wish for, Taichi! I might or might not have already a sketch of my own wedding gown in the drawer. That can happen quicker than you think. Don’t worry about coming late: I’ve got another order, this time for business suit so I’ll be probably still awake when you get home. Love you too, Chi.“

The third page, illustrated by a doodle of a sparkling diamond ring, reads: “ I know we’ve just spoken in the kitchen but I can’t repeat it often enough – I’d love to see you in a wedding gown. Something flowing would suit you, or a mix of a traditional kimono and something more Western. I’m sorry but I don’t think such a frilly monster like you made for  Mimi would be the thing for you. (I said it looks gorgeous and I mean that. For someone like Mimi). So we’re now actually talking about marriage? Does this count as a proposal or do you still want me to get a proper engagement ring?“

The remaining page, accentuated by the imprint of red lips, reads: “ You started this whole marriage talk! But I do think we’re at a point were we can seriously consider it. I wouldn’t mind a ring, but you don’t have two spend two months’ worth salary on it (Heavens forbid!) and don’t you dare stage a “romantic” proposal where you put the letters for “Will you marry me?” on the N700 and then drag me to Tokyo Station to watch it pull in. A simple question at the breakfast table suffices. Because you already know the answer...“ End ID)

   “OMG Taichi! You look sooo good!” Mimi exclaimed and tore him into a manic embrace you wouldn’t expect from such a petite person.

   His remaining friends’ reactions though were a little less ecstatic. “Mate, what’s gotten into you?” Yamato asked in disbelief and with a furrowed brow.

   “Taichi, what have you done to your beautiful hair?” Miyako’s face alternated between shock and surprise.

   All Koushirou and Jou managed to do was blink when confronted with Taichi’s new coiffure.

   Daisuke, who’d been rummaging around in the kitchen and who’d been deaf to the commotion Taichi and Sora’s arrival had caused, sauntered into the living room but stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the news. His eyes went wide, for a moment unable to comprehend what was before his eyes. Then he found his voice again. “Sora!” he shouted. “How could you let this happen?”

   “Excuse me? Taichi can do what he pleases with his hair” Mimi got all worked up about his reaction but Sora just laughed.

   Loud.

   “I appreciate your concern, Daisuke. I was quite flabbergasted myself when I first saw Taichi’s act of bravery. But as Mimi said: He’s a free elf and I do like it. Even though I miss ruffling his mane every now and then.” To Taichi she cooed “Right?” and did just that though it was less fun than before.

   Taichi rolled his eyes but secretly he loved it. “But I’m not the main person today!” he then proclaimed. “Kou, happy birthday to you!” He found his way to his best friend to hug him and give him their gift. It was neither romantic nor very creative but it was what Kou had wished for and Kou’s wish had been their command. Kou had asked for something as simple and easily acquired as a crockpot. But Sora had added a personal touch by creating a durable ikebana that captured his curiosity and loyalty.

   “Thank...you”, Kou stammered, hardly looking at his present. Instead his gaze was fixed on Taichi’s new hair. “May I, uh, may I touch it?”, he finally whispered.

   “Oh yeah sure, go ahead.” Taichi bent down for Kou to touch his head.

   Tentatively, Kou stroked Taichi’s hair, not sure what to think about it.

   They were snapped out of whatever they were in when Mimi clapped her hands. “Time for cake!” she called and, when everybody looked at her, revealed a giant self-baked Black Forest gateau. Sora fetched a knife from the kitchen. Crockery was already out on the table.

   Jou adjusted his glasses and patted Taichi’s shoulder while Mimi heaved generous wedges onto plates. “What led you to this decision?” Jou asked and pointed at Taichi’s hair.

   Taichi shrugged. “It was more an impulse than a sensible decision, really. But hair sports the thankful feature to grow back. So it’s just a temporary experiment.” He grinned.

   Jou nodded solemnly. Then looked out of the window, suddenly reminiscing about something. “Do you remember the shoulder-length hair I had when I was fifteen?” He involuntarily shuddered.

   Taichi laughed. “A sin of your youth! But I remember Mimi saying on more than a couple occasions that she liked your hair then. Found it dashing, she said.” He bumped his shoulder.

   “She did?” Jou stole a glance towards Mimi who laughed about a joke Daisuke had made and threw her lavender-coloured hair back. A curious sparkle appeared in Jou’s eyes.

   “You should ask her out sometime” Taichi said after a second.

   “Yeah?”

   “Yeah.”