yamaboshi | ♡ kiss kiss fall in love

[FOOT MASSAGE FOR HIYONO LET'S GO]

You're really going to give me a foot massage, Forrest-san?

[ Ever so polite, Hiyono manages to toss him a rather eager smile, looking rather pleased that someone would do this for her. It's so gentlemanly! ]

For the hardest working reporter in the school? Of course!

[And besides that, she's a good friend. Forrest never minds doing favors for people he's close to.]

Just slip off your shoes and stockings and I'll take care of the rest.

Alright.

[ And in fact, she'll do just that, removing her shoes and stockings slowly, but not in a way that's meant to show off her legs. ]

This should be fine, right?

[Forrest smiles as he watches Hiyono daintily removing her socks, nodding afterward. He's not the type to ogle anyway, but he thinks her reaction is cute.]

Yes, that's perfect.

[He pauses for a moment to reach into his bag, drawing out a small bottle of rose scented skin cream. Squirting a little into his hand, he rubs them together.]

I hope you're not ticklish. This will feel a little cold at first.

[Ticklish or no, though, he gets started right away, focusing on the middle of her soles.]

Oh, they're very soft already! You might not even need the cream.

I'm not, but--

[ A small surprised squeak can be heard when she feels the cream meets the skin on her feet. ]

Ahaha, you think so? I don't really do anything with them, actually.

Naturally soft, then. Not everyone is that lucky.

[And as long as she's not ticklish, he'll move to gently part her toes one by one to make sure to rub some of the skin cream between them as well.]

How does it feel?

I suppose you're right.

[ She laughs a little lightly this time, not out of any scorn, but rather, playfulness. She isn't ticklish, but she does allow her toes to wiggle a bit. ]

It's a bit cold... but you aren't bad at this.

[The sight of her toes wiggling elicits a soft laugh from Forrest as well, his smile quirking up just that much more.]

I'm glad you're enjoying it. I'd be happy to do this for you anytime.

[ Forrest is a nice guy, so she makes the decision to warn him, even if her voice continues to stay playful. ]

You shouldn't promise something like that, you know. Because if you do, I might just call you at the odd hours in the night... unless you really want that.

[ Well, she'd probably still do it, even with the warning. ]

O-oh...!

[If she was trying to get a rise out of him or make him blush, she's succeeded at both.]

Well, ah, if you wanted me to, I mean...

[Is he affectionately squeezing her toes? Why yes he is.]

[ Oh, that was a rather interesting reaction to what she said. In fact, it just makes her laugh. ]

Really? You'd do that for me, Forrest-san?

Well, I did promise.

[Yup, just... rubbing her toes now. Trying not to make eye contact.]

[ She's looking rather pleased with herself at the fact that he really is a good and honest boy. ]

And I'm really glad that you did.

Mm... me too.

[His cheeks are really heating up now, and he's just about done with the massage.]

All done. Call me anytime at all, Hiyono. Night or day, I'll be sure to give you the princess treatment.

[Is he thinking of kissing those toes? Maybe.]

Really...? Does that mean other things besides the foot massages?

[Busted.]

L-like what? Did you have something in mind?

I certainly didn't... but I thought that maybe you would?

[ That's a lie; Hiyono has plenty of ideas. But she wants to hear his thoughts on the matter. She's a reporter, after all. ]

So, how about it: tell me your thoughts.

[Forrest was raised to be a gentleman, but right now Hiyono is making that pretty hard. At the very least, it's definitely showing on his now bright red face just how flustered she's gotten him. And perhaps even more telling is the way he's still shyly fiddling with her toes.]

Ah, well... I mentioned this before, but I can't help but admire how soft and cute your toes are.

[Two errors in that statement that her journalistic ear should pick up immediately: he didn't say 'cute' before, and he wasn't talking about her toes.]

Cute, huh? Is it just my toes that you think are cute, Forrest-san?

No, of course not!

[asjahdhkf]

They're very cute, but you're cute all over, Hiyono!

[He said it.]

I... I actually like you a lot.

I knew that already.

[ After all, she's a reporter. There's no way that she didn't see it. After all, that's why she was teasing him to begin with. ]

Sometimes, I have dreams.

I don't remember what they're about. Only that there's someone important to me in them.

Sometimes, I wake up reaching for the ceiling, trying to reach somebody that isn't there.

Sometimes, I wake up with tears rolling down my face.

❖

[One day, there is just something different, and Taiki doesn't quite know what it is.

But the strange dreams start, and something inside him feels different. A similar different to how it was when he first returned from the Digital World, but... But not.

While he misses Shoutmon, Taiki knows he will see him again.

But this, this thing... It's just left him feeling bereft. A deep ache that he can't fix or heal no matter how deep he digs.

Time passes. Kotone gets bigger. His fifteenth birthday arrives and departs. Starts the new year of school. He and Tatsuya become the best in their year at track, and Taiki picks up basketball in a way that's more serious than before but still just to have fun. Meets Tagiru and tries to do right by him as a senpai.

Akari asks him out. Nene does, too. The playful edge of somebody else's smile dances at the edge of his remembrance, and Taiki turns both of them down.

Nene says she's leaving to go to China a little while after that. He doesn't think the rejection is what prompted it, but it's a way to take solace from it. If his heart hurts, he tells himself he can ignore it and carry on, because even with all of his other talent, that's always been his very best skill.

It hurts, no matter what he does to ease it, and Taiki still carries on. But one day, it changes.

He dreams, and in the dream he falls.

But when he lands, it hurts.]

Owowowow... [Taiki rubs at his head, then notices he is not in the clothes he want to sleep in. These are the clothes he wore in Tow-

T... A

....

His head hurts. He doesn't know what's happening here, but he can't stick around in this place. He has to go, so he picks a direction and runs.

Things are blurred like they are in sleep at times, so it's hard to figure out where he is... But he can feel this place physically, so why...? It's not the Digital World, is it?

He rounds a corner, and- someone is there suddenly, and he's bumping into their shoulder.]

S-sorry! [He breathes it out in a gasp, reeling back from the person he's bumped into and- and his eyes go wide as he sees hair that he's seen in his dreams, the strands that he can never ever reach.] You're... Za-

[The first syllable leaves his mouth, and he can't remember what he just said. It's frustrating enough that Taiki wants to scream.]

...Please. Please tell me. Who are you?

[ The girl notices that he seems to nearly call her name but it soon disappears, as if it were never meant to be. When he seems to nearly beg, saying please twice and asks who exactly who she is as she brings a finger to her lips, smiling in a way that's rather mysterious. ]

I can't tell you. You were the one who chose to forget, after all.

You knew?

[Oh god, he's so embarrassed. Forrest dips his head, pulling his hat down a little to hide his eyes. Which of course just leaves him staring at her toes again, so it's not making him any less embarrassed.]

Does... that mean you're okay with it? With... this?

[Slowly, shyly, he reaches out to tenderly brush his fingers across the tops of her toes. It's all he can really manage right now, without looking her in the eye. He hasn't quite built up to that yet.]

You wouldn't call me a good reporter if I didn't figure out something as easy as that!

[ She sounds so enthusiastic as she answers him but she does hum a little when he asks if she's okay with it. ]

Hmm, I wonder if I am...

No, I suppose not.

[He does laugh a little, trying to latch onto the attempt to lighten the mood. His hand simply comes to rest atop her foot.]

It's all right if your answer is no. I'll respect your wishes.

Don't just assume things, Forrest-san. I never said my answer was 'no', after all.

[ Take that as you will. ] I really don't mind.

Well, in that case...

[He brightens right up, smiling back at her as he gently lifts her foot. Dipping his head down, he presses a tender little kiss to the tips of her toes.]

...It's been a pleasure, princess.

[ That's... actually a little surprising, but it's not unwarranted, either. ]

Why are you saying that, Forrest-san? It's like you're already done.

Oh, you're right! I haven't even done your other foot yet.

[Although this time instead of starting with the cream, he'll be going straight for a series of little toe kisses.]

Wha- No! That has to be wrong!

[Taiki shakes his head, hard. There's an awful feeling swelling up in his chest, and he feels like he's going to cry. His eyes burn but he blinks fast to try and ward it off, even though the sensation of it only grows worse.]

Just looking at you... Seeing you and feeling this awful ache in my chest... Why would I ever choose something like this?!

[His voice rings out, pent up desperation echoing in both his tone and his words.

But Taiki lowers his head, takes a breath. Tries to calm himself, or at least keep his voice at something level.]

I keep having dreams... I know they're about you, even if I don’t know who you are or remember what they're about... And I go through my days carrying this longing in my heart, like a wound that won't heal.

[He lifts his gaze to hers.]

I can't go on like this anymore. What do I have to do to remember you?

I asked for it.

[ She says it rather simply; even if Taiki may be bothered by it, Zange herself doesn't seem to show it in her expression in the slightest bit. Instead, what traces her features seems to be literally nothing.

It's as if she scooped out her own heart and placed it under lock and key somewhere else. ]

Even if you earned those memories back... what are you going to do? This is simply a borrowed body.

[His hands clench tightly at his sides.] You... asked for this? Why would you... [He trails off. Swallows, then tries again.] Why would you want that? Did I... do something to you?

[If he hurt someone by being careless... If he hurt somebody he cares about again...]

I don't know what you mean by "a borrowed body", but that doesn't matter! [Taiki cuts through the air with his hand, face set in determination.] You're you, and that's what does matter.

[He doesn't know why he feels the need to say that so strongly. But those words feel vital.]

I want to be with you... However things were before I forgot, I want that again! I don't want to wake up every morning missing you so much that I can hardly stand it! I-

[He breaks off. Taiki is an emotional person, but he's a thoughtful one too. And right now, he's not using his head at all. Just his heart.

What will he do, though? He isn't sure. Taiki knows he wants this to stop, but what comes after that? And how does it even happen in the first place?]

...I don't know what the best thing to do is. I really don't know. But if I can find out who you are, and why I wanted to see you again so badly, then... Maybe then I can figure out what to do from there.

No.

[ She closes her eyes and shakes her head, wearing a rather tired, yet sad smile that speaks so much, yet she says so little aloud. There's so much pain that's shows in her expression; with the way her eyes seem to look clouded with an emotion that matches the way her lips tug upwards. ]

You didn't do anything wrong. Not to me... or her, either.

[ He says it doesn't matter and honestly? Zange can't help but laugh a little bit, in the way that sounds a little bitter; in the way that makes it feel like broken piano pieces playing quickly, one by one, out of key.

Should she really tell the truth? There's a voice niggling in the back of her head that says that she should, but she quietly hushes it aloud as the fingers by her sides clench into tight fists. ]

I don't know why you wanted to see me so badly. [ Those words are sincere, in a way that seems almost self deprecating. ] But if you want to know who I am. For now, you can call me 'Zange'. That's the name you wanted to hear, wasn't it?

[ It's not her real name, of course. Just a name she's decided to use to differentiate herself from her sister. ]

[He sees that pain on her face, and it cuts like Taiki at a knife. His fingers flinch at his side, then curl like they want to move and do something to wipe that pain away. But it feels like invisible strings are holding his hands away.

But it's more than just Taiki's hands flinching at what she says - he jerks slightly. Who...?]

Her? Who else... is there...?

[As certain as he'd felt of the rightness of his words before, this feels very wrong to say, and Taiki recoils from the words that leave his own mouth. And still, he doesn't understand why, but then-

...Her name.

That's her name-!]

Zange.

[He says it like he's breaking through the surface of water, coming up for air. It pulls a smile out of him, even though it's one he doesn't really have control over. But he can't help it, not when the relief is so potent. Just from knowing her name. Zange...

He doesn't remember. But it's almost enough to ease that unfaltering ache in his chest.]

If it's your name... Then that's the name I wanted to hear. I wanted to know it so badly... And I wanted to see you for the same reason.

[The muscles in his body are more relaxed, his posture becoming one that's more at ease. It hurts for some reason, still, maybe because he doesn't remember everything yet, but it seems so much easier to bear.]

I missed you. I missed you so much that even without remembering everything about you, I still knew I needed to see you.

It's a secret.

[ She puts a finger to her lips in a way that's a little mischievous. It seems that she's not going to be the one to tell him if the person in question seems to not want to say anything. Well, that's fine by then. ]

I already said it, didn't I? This isn't exactly my real name. But if that's the name you wanted to hear, then I suppose I should be happy.

[ Lips curl upwards into a smile that doesn't meet her eyes, looking almost sad as she laughs, a light kind of laughter that barely fills the air. ]

Thank you.

Zange... [He wants to be annoyed, but this is the most at ease he's felt in... a really long time, he thinks.] You really like keeping secrets, don't you.

[He doesn’t mean for the words to sound so fond, but he does nothing to correct it either.]

The name you want to be called by is the name I want to know. Zange... feels right, even if that’s hard to explain... But I only want to call you that if it feels right to you, too.

[Whatever had held him back before finally seems to have lost its hold on him, because Taiki reaches out and lays a hand on her arm, fingers light.]

You're welcome, for what it's worth. But you don't seem very happy about it.

[He could see that sadness in her eyes from a mile away. He's too observant to miss it.

Taiki just wishes he could stop it.]

It's not that I like keeping secrets. I have my reasons for them though, you know.

[ She taps her chin a little playfully, laughing in a way that's not exactly teasing him, but she's almost not telling him the entire truth, either. ]

And why would I be unhappy?

[It should probably bother him, but Taiki can't help chuckling himself. He lets his eyes linger closed when he blinks, and for a second it feels like before- whatever before really means. But then he opens his eyes again, and the moment passes even if the smile remains.]

You seem like you're enjoying yourself for the moment, at least. [He loosens his hold but doesn't release her.] I'd really like to know those reasons, though.

[Taiki furrows his eyebrows in thought. There's an answer here, he knows that there is. But he can feel it still alluding him no matter how hard he thinks about it...]

There... is something bothering you, though. You said that I didn't do anything wrong, but... I can't escape that feeling, that the reason you're unhappy is because of me.

Would it be right for me to tell a secret that isn't just mine alone?

[ It's a hypothetical question, really, but she'll allow him to answer it as looks at him with rather serious eyes. Although she could most likely wrangle herself out of his grip rather easily, she just simply... doesn't. ]

You're wrong, though, [ She comments it like it were fact, her voice even and calm. It's so easy to say those words. ] because you really didn't do anything wrong. I promise. She would agree with that, too. The one who made a mistake was me. You really shouldn't worry for someone like me, child.

[ In fact, she'll pat his head to reassure him. ]

So please, do not worry about me or her. I will live long past your years. And she can move on. She has to.

[The question stops him for a moment. And then, softly, Taiki speaks.]

It depends. On whether or not it will help someone or hurt them. Sometimes you have to tell a lie for someone else's sake. And the truth can be wielded the same way.

That said... [He squeezes his hands shut.] Bottling up the truth and hiding it away in your heart for too long can end up just hurting you in the end.

[He should know, after all.]

Ah, a-are you trying to tease me right now or something... [He blushes furiously at the head patting. Geez.] I can't be that much younger than you for you to be calling me a child...

[But he shakes his head.]

You can't say all that about her and expect me to be okay with not knowing. About her, or about you. If it's affecting the both of you... If it's something that makes you unhappy or hurt... I can't just ignore that.

[And something firm and unwavering stiffens his expression.]

I won't.

[ She can't help but laugh a little bit, although the blushing is what really amuses her the most. ]

I've lived for a long time, Taiki. Even if she's just a little older than you are, I'm definitely older than you by quite a bit. But don't call me an old lady otherwise I won't be very happy. ☆

[ Zange is at least 1000+ years old, if not older. ]

But what can you do? There's nothing that can be done.

Edited (let me like... address things) 2017-10-27 15:44 (UTC)

I wouldn't call you an old lady! That's rude... [He scratches at the side of his face for a moment. Focusing on the wrong part, Taiki.] Are you really, though...?

[He sobers, though, letting his hand fall to the side and clenching it into a fist.]

I still don't know, but... I'll definitely find a way! It isn't the first time I've had to make something out of nothing. So no matter how long it takes... I won't give up until I find a solution for whatever is wrong.

[ She doesn't know if she honestly should pinch him or slap him... even though he wouldn't call her that, he could still definitely think it! And she's no mind reader, even if she is a goddess! ]

I've lived over a thousand years, so yes. But I look young for my age, right?

[ You are literally in the body of a sixteen year old. This doesn't count. ]

But you can't find a solution for all my problems, you know. After all, humans don't live very long.

Over a thousand years?

[Because what.]

If you hadn't told me, I wouldn't even be able to tell... It's hard to believe, but I'll trust your word.

[He wants to protest at that, though - even opens his mouth to do so, but then Taiki pulls himself to a stop.

He was the person that pushed himself to help everyone, regardless of his own well being. And honestly, he still is that person. But now he's also trying to care about himself a little more.

Taiki can't help but wonder, if Tatsuya hadn't helped him to move on back then, would there be anything left of himself now...?

But it isn't the time to dwell on that.]

...Maybe. Maybe you're right. [His voice is downturned as he says it, and his eyes are sad.] I know there's... only so much I can do. That I should do. [A small, humorless laugh escapes him.] I mean, if you've lived so much longer than I have, what would I even know, right?

[The pause is brief, and then...]

And I know there's only so much or I can do. Or I'm trying to remind myself of that, at least. But... Because it's you, I want to try. [Taiki gives a shake of his head.] I don't even fully know what that means - "because it's you". But because of those words... Even if I can't fix everything, I want to find ways for the things I can fix.

Please... If nothing else, give me a chance to understand so I can try.

♡ kiss kiss fall in love

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you know why- I mean who

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I'm a loser

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paid died so dwtools is over here savin' my butt

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