Just dropping in...
Who: Sam, Hikari
Where: Sam's House
When: Monday, July 12
What: Hikari visits Sam's home to check on his ankle
After promising to be back in time to take Tailmon to their movie, Hikari had zipped up her backpack and flipped it over her shoulder. She didn't often go solo, but with so much heat, she hadn't wanted to force Tailmon to come along. Besides, this wasn't going to be a long visit, so she didn't feel too bad about leaving her alone for a little bit.
"I'll be home in a while, Tailmon. Be ready to go to the theater when I get back, okay?"
With that, Hikari made her way into the Digital World and pulled out her D3. Luckily, it seemed Sam had his portal open and ready and a smile came to her face as she followed the mapping system on her Digivice. She was looking forward to seeing him again, it'd been a while. Besides, she had some Japanese tea for him to try. Hopefully it'd help him relax, so he wasn't too antsy about getting back on the basketball courts. She imagined it must be killer for poor Sam, who was such an athlete. Maybe her visit would take his mind off of it a bit. Hopefully.
"No, no, no, no, no...ugh..."
Having cleaned and organized his room (along with much of the rest of the house), Sam found it satisfying enough to finally open the portal for Hikari. Of course, as soon as he opened the portal, he realized that he missed something. With Hikari coming any second, Sam couldn't fit his new psychology textbook into the small bookcase in his room. "This is a tragedy..." Sam lamented, giving up on the bookcase.
Sam began to think aloud: "Stupid book...I'm sure Hikari wouldn't have cared if I hadn't cleaned everything. What is it with me and girls? As soon as I become friends with one, I start to act ridiculous. Sure, I'm glad to actually see her after so long; she's really nice and kind and awesome and just about every other positive descriptive word humankind could muster. But...there's much less pressure when it's just Livejournal..."
Sam was much too focused on the book and his rant. At some point, Hikari managed to make it through the portal, and she now stood in the same room with Sam. Expecting some kind of flashy, grandiose entrance, Sam was caught off-guard by Hikari's sudden presence. Not knowing how long she had been in the room, and whether she picked up any of Sam's words, he blushed, tossing the book over his shoulder and onto his bed.
"Hikari! Hi! Heh..."
Hikari was honestly so relieved she hadn't fallen through on her head that she didn't even notice Sam's initial awkwardness - or the throwing of his book over his shoulder.
Having fallen on her knees, she laughed lightly as she smiled up at her fellow Chosen, cheeks lightly flushed at her still quite awkward arrival. Luckily, she didn't think she'd gotten rug burn at least. "Good afternoon!" she said from her spot on the floor, slipping her arms out of her backpack before shakily pulling herself back to her feet.
After the incident with Iori the previous night, Hikari was really glad to have someone else to talk to - it helped keep her mind off of that... Train wreck...
"I brought some tea for you! Japanese tea is great, so I thought you might like it." she said, smile flawless, not giving away anything from the previous day. Taking the time to brush off her skirt, she then unzipped her bag and retrieved the small gift before moving closer to Sam so she could pass it over. "It's good to see you! How's your leg feeling today?"
Sam couldn't decide if Hikari was ignoring his awkwardness, or if she had missed it completely. Either way, he was satisfied with her reaction.
Sam noticed that Hikari herself was looking slightly awkward. He decided to throw a small joke into the conversation: "Be careful, Hikari! I thought you were a professional when it came to this mode of transportation..."
Eyeing the gift, Sam responded, "Japanese tea, huh? Well...I can't say I've ever had any, but I'm definitely willing to give it a try." Sam welcomed the gift somewhat uncomfortably, as he always felt uncomfortable when gift-giving was a one-sided affair. Without a gift, the best he could do in return was entertain her during the visit.
Well aware that Hikari would almost immediately inquire about his ankle, Sam had chosen to wear ankle socks under his house slippers, so that he could display his injury without having to do much work. Lifting and placing his right foot on his computer chair, he let her inspect its condition.
"Umm....it's fine, really. You can see where it has been a little bruised, but right now, it only hurts when I extend my foot...like this...ahhhow..."
Slightly grimacing from the sharp pain, Sam immediately realized that what he had done probably wasn't the best idea. He let off a bit of a guilty smile, hoping Hikari would brush off his dumb decision to agitate the ankle. Hoping to change the subject, Sam continued: "Sooo...how are you? Have an activity in mind?"
Hikari couldn't help but laugh at his joke, although she blushed all the more. So he HAD seen how ungraceful she was! "I'm starting to think I'll never get used to the landing part." she replied with a sheepish grin. It was true, though. Far too often she ended up landing on her butt or her face. It was so embarrassing!
"You haven't? Then I guess it'll be a good gift. I hope you'll enjoy it. I brought tea bags, since I didn't know if you had a tea ball or not... I'll bring you one of those next time, if you don't. The actual tea leaves are a lot better tasting, in my opinion." Maybe she was just old fashioned that way, but she was a fan of loose leaf teas. They always tasted... Fresher was it? Oh well.
She couldn't help but get a closer look when Sam offered it to her, of his bruised leg. She frowned worriedly and glanced at it thoughtfully. It wasn't as bad as she had thought it would be, but it definitely didn't look good. Glancing back at him, she couldn't help but shake her head. "If it hurts, don't do it, silly!" she took his arm and put it around her shoulder, in an effort to help him take the pressure off. "Ne, where did you want to sit? I'll help you."
On what to do next, she chuckled lightly and replied, "Something that involved you sitting down."
Sam blushed when Hikari grabbed his arm. Knowing that the injury wasn't deserving of such assistance, Sam removed his arms from around her.
"I appreciate it...really...but I think I can handle this..." Feeling rather uncomfortable, Sam quickly made a suggestion for their activity. "First thing's first; let's get out of my room and into another. Let's say we go down to the living room and we can continue there."
Not giving Hikari much time to respond, Sam escorted Hikari down the stairs and into the living room area. Sam still was not sure as to what they should do, but he knew that the living room provided the most options. The room hosted a number of attractive options, including a big screen TV, a fish tank, the family's piano, some board games, and a variety or magazines. With the kitchen adjacent, food was nearby, as well. Sam took notice of Hikari's glances around the room. Sam decided to finally heed Hikari's words, as he sat on the piano bench.
"So? What do you think? See anything you like?"
"Are you sure?" Hikari released him as soon as he made a move to do so, but didn't argue when he insisted upon it. She knew how stubborn guys could be and figured arguing wasn't going to get her anywhere anyways. "Well okay. Lead the way."
She hadn't actually been inside Sam's house, so this was actually kind of cool to her. As she followed him into the living room, she glanced around with obvious curiosity before motioning towards the couch, "Can I sit?" she asked, awaiting permission before taking a seat and smoothing her skirt. It was hard to know where to start, but she was glad to be here. She didn't want to think about Iori anymore, although that was easier said than done.
"Your place is great." she complimented with a nod of approval, her eyes turning to his piano curiously before she added, "Do you still play? I've always wanted to learn music, but I've never had the chance. Karaoke with Maria and Tatum is about as musical as I've ever gotten." she admitted with a chuckle. "Ah - where's Solarmon anyways? He isn't in the Digital World, is he?"
Sam stared at the piano for a few moments before responding to her question. "I stopped for a while...but then I met Lou, and I became interested in playing again. I've learned a song or two from my favorite band, but not much else." Sam finally took his eyes away from the piano when he heard Hikari's question concerning Solarmon. "Heh...he's actually with Kevin right now. He couldn't stand being in the house any longer with me; I tried to tell him about your visit, but he...well...he has a short attention span...And don't worry about either of them. Kevin is playing basketball on a private court by himself. He practices even more than I do...I'm sure Solarmon is just fetching loose balls for him..."
Sam's voice drifted off, as he fell into a semi-daydream, picturing himself shooting around with his brother. Of course, that was the situation that got him in the position he's in now. Injured ankle. Sitting around the house with little to do. Having Hikari come and spend time with him...
"I guess I can live with this." Sam thought to himself, still in a trance. "No one here, definitely no girl, would be visiting me otherwise..."
Hikari clasped her hands together happily. It was good to hear that he was playing again! It was such a wonderful talent to have. "It's great that he did! Ne, what is your favorite band anyways? Anyone I might know?" She doubted it, since she knew far more Japanese music than she did American, but it was good to find new bands to try out.
She smiled at the idea of Solarmon off playing basketball and chuckled thoughtfully. Sounded like fun to her, no wonder he had taken off. Being cooped up never seemed to be something Digimon liked either, no matter which one it was. Even Tailmon got restless if she was stuck inside too much. "It makes sense he'd get antsy. I'm sure we can set it up so he and Tailmon can visit each other sometime soon. Even if I have to sneak her over here while your family is out."
After all, she didn't think it would be good for them to realize the Chosen could hop into other people's homes. Even if they could keep the secret, it might freak them out a bit and she didn't want that. The less publicity they had, the better.
Shifting so she could see him better, she rested her arm on the arm of the couch and rested her chin in her hand as she peered over at him curiously, "Would you mind playing a bit for me? I love music, but... Rockband is as close to playing music as I get." she joked, flushing lightly as she did so. Sadly, it was true and she wasn't even great at the game.
Sam was beyond positive that Hikari did not know his favorite band. To Sam's knowledge, the only other person that knew the band was Lou.
"I'm sure you won't know them. They're not big in America, much less anywhere else. The band is The Avett Brothers. It's an acoustic southern-style band that was formed by two brothers. Guitar, bass, piano, vocals....stuff like that. Some of their music is sad, some is upbeat. But there's definitely a lot of energy to everything they play. I think that's why I like them so much. Of course, I can't play an entire song alone. Just the parts by piano."
Sam paused for a moment to think about the lyrics to most of the songs he's heard by the band. "But...I don't think you want me playing songs by those guys. They usually sing love-related songs. Though I guess most songs in existence are somewhat love-related. It's the most consistent, energetic, stubborn human emotion."
Before he allowed himself to enter "psychology mode", he continued: "But you're the guest! The choice is yours! Sorry, but it's all I really know, and the songs sound odd - well, to me at least - if I don't sing along..."
Sam was right, of course. Hikari didn't have the first clue who his favorite band was, but that just made her all the more curious about it. Smaller bands were often interesting, as she well knew. After all, Yamato's band had been small for a while and she'd heard a bunch of other smaller bands in Japan because of going to see his concerts.
"Siblings?" Hikari inquired, interest perked all the more. As someone with a sibling complex, such as herself, it wasn't a surprise that this made things more interesting for the Yagami girl. "Sounds interesting. I'd be interested to listen sometime. Yamato-san's band started out small, so I know how good little-known bands can be."
She tilted her head to the side in inquiry when she heard him mention his reasoning for thinking she wouldn't be interested in hearing the songs. Why would she mind love songs? It was funny how he described it, though. It reminded her of Momoe talking about the subject. She knew about love all too well. It was bittersweet. As much as she'd enjoyed being in love before, she knew how much it hurt.
"I don't mind love songs at all. I do listen to pop songs, you know." she admitted with a light laugh. All pop songs were about love, weren't they? She was getting more into rock because of Yamato, but she still liked her light-hearted pop songs. "And I don't mind listening to you sing. I'd sing along, but if it isn't on Rock Band or Band Hero, I definitely don’t know it."
Sam smiled for a few moments. He already knew what song he would play. And while he found the music to be pleasing, the lyrics definitely were not going to fit the mood. But that fact didn't bother him too much. Despite the somewhat melancholy lyrics, Sam would play the song when he was down, and it would always manage to make him feel better. A odd case in psychology he didn't care to crack, at least not yet.
"Well...the song I have in mind isn't very...light-hearted. But feel free to ignore the lyrics...I just feel awkward if I'm not singing. Well...here it goes..."
Sam took a few deep breaths, and closed his eyes. He'd never intentionally played in front of anyone. For anyone. He initially wondered why he wasn't nervous about that fact. Soon enough, those thoughts faded away, and the music started to play:
"I am sick with wanting, and it's evil and it's daunting
how I let everything I cherish lay to waste
I am lost in greed, this time it's definitely me
I point fingers but there's no one there to blame
A need for something, not let me break it down again
A need for something, but not more medicine
I am sick of wanting, and it's evil how it's got me
And every day is worse than the one before
The more I have, the more I think I'm almost where I need to be
If only I could get a little more
A need for something, now let me break it down again
A need for something, but not more medicine
Something has me, oh something has me
Acting like someone I don't wanna be
Something has me, oh something has me
Acting like someone I know isn't me
Ill with want and poisoned by this ugly greed
Temporary is my time
Ain't nothing on this world that's mine
Except the will I found to carry on
Free is not your right to choose
It's answering what's asked of you
To give the love you find until it's gone
A need for something, now let me break it down again
A need for something, but not more medicine
Something has me, oh something has me
Acting like someone I don't wanna be
Something has me, oh something has me
Acting like someone I know isn't me
Ill with want and poisoned by this ugly greed
Ill with want and poisoned by this ugly greed"
Satisfied enough with his performance, Sam looked down at the piano for a few moments, waiting for some kind of response.
Hikari found herself closing her eyes as he started to play, letting herself become immersed in the song as her friend both played and sung the song out loud. It was not what she'd call uplifting, as he'd said, but it was lovely no less. Not what she was used to either, it was quite unique and she didn't even know what genre she'd have called it if someone had asked, but that was something she found she liked. Not everything needed to be categorized and some things were perhaps better off not stuck with a label.
Maybe she really had been hanging out with Momoe too much lately...
Nonetheless, she found the sound of his voice and the sound of the piano to be strangely soothing and a smile curved her lips as she reopened her eyes, studying him thoughtfully. It was interesting to see a different side of Sam. She tended to think of him as the athletic friend, not the artistic or musical friend, but this really opened her eyes to a more complex person. Oddly enough, she wondered if she and Maria should have dragged him to karaoke more often. Then again - normally she was the one being dragged, not anyone else.
"You play beautifully." she replied, a look of admiration on her face as she straightened up in her seat, a thoughtful look to her face. "The song is really beautiful, too. Sad, but beautiful. I didn't realize how musical you were, Sam."
Then again, she had only had so much time to get to know all of the American Chosen, so perhaps that shouldn't have come as such a surprise. This just made her realize how much she still had to learn about them.
Feeling a little better about everything, Sam took in the compliments and comments Hikari had to offer.
"My brain has managed to put a twist on the meaning and feeling of this song. I kind of feel like it's a generalization of a common human emotional occurrence. It's great to feel one-of-a-kind sometimes, but in this case, it's almost comforting to know that just about everyone feels feelings like the ones expressed in that song. Yeah, bad feelings are bad, but it's good to know that there are people than can sympathize with you..."
Choosing not to continue his mini-rant on such a negative topic, fearing he may hit a nerve and create an awkward moment, Sam focused on Hikari's compliments. "Eh...I'm not really that musical. I'm kind of restricted to what you've heard. And my voice definitely isn't perfect. It's like any other hobby. From an emotional and mental standpoint, what I accomplish through basketball or playing the piano is likely the same as what you accomplish through photography."
Briefly forgetting about his ankle, Sam gleefully jumped from the bench to his feet. Feeling a little pain, Sam fell back down to the chair.
"Yes, Hikari. I forgot. And before you ask, I'm fine. No worries!" Sam gave Hikari a nice, wide, fake smile to "prove" that everything was okay.
Hikari listened to his opinion quietly, letting his words sink in without interruption. She knew what he meant and although she wasn't quite so good with anlayzing people as he and Momoe obviously were, she did find she agreed. Events from the previous night had been at the back of her mind since they had happened and the song lyrics really did make it feel as if she weren't alone in this. She didn't want to bother Sam with this, though, as it was really only her problem and she intended to deal with it at least mostly on her own. Even if she had been starting to think that keeping such things to herself was a bad idea.
"Mm, I agree. Just knowing that you aren't alone can be a great comfort. Especially with things that are hard to talk to others about."
Would he notice that there was a hidden meaning to this? She had a feeling he might, but she didn't let anything show on her face, so perhaps she'd be safe for now.
"You don't have to be perfect to be good at something." Hikari said softly, understanding what he meant, but thinking he was selling himself short. She wasn't perfect at photogpraphy either, after all. "It's good to have a hobby that you care about so much. Photography is like that for me, for sure. I find it relaxing to take the time to find the beauty in simplicity and find interesting ways to show people what it is that I see."
The look on her face was soft and gentle as she thought about her work, although she obviously was only talking about nature photography. Portraits were a bit different, of course, but she still enjoyed them - just in a different sort of way.
"Ah -" Noticing the way her friend jumped up, she was already half out of her seat and on her way to help him when he told her he was okay and not to worry. He knew her too well, it seemed and she flushed lightly at this realization. "Sorry, it's a reflex reaction." she explained, laughing lightly as she forced herself to sit back down, knowing that he would probably prefer her not to baby him. She was scolded all the time lately for acting like her mother after all. "We should find something to do that won't make you want to get up, though. Any sugestions? I'd share some of my photography stuff with you, but I didn't bring it." she flushed lightly as she nervously added, "I thought it might be boring for you, so..."
Hearing Hikari's response to his opinion, Sam - being the great listener and even-keeled advice giver that he sometimes thought himself to be - wanted to know what she alluding to when she mentioned things that were hard to talk about. Sam came to understand that statements like that don't come without a specific thought process. Thoughts of things that, of course, were hard to talk about. Realizing that he probably was not the ideal person to talk to anyway, Sam countered her statement by peering directly into her eyes; straight and focused, yet soft and comforting.
"The harder something is to talk about, the more important it is that you actually talk about it. We've all got a situation like that. I won't prod you or anything. Mainly because I trust you. And I trust your friends. "
Sam loved hearing others talk about the activities they were passionate about. He always thought it easiest to identify another's personality when they were engaged in such an activity. He was actually quite disappointed that Hikari had not brought her photography things, but he knew they could do something else. "You'll have to show me some photos some time. You'd be surprised at the things that don't bore me..."
Sam carefully made his way to a chest in the living room. "Let's seeee....." Rummaging through the items, he listed some of the games and other items he thought might interest Hikari. "Well, as for board games, we have everything from Backgammon to Stratego. We've got at least 4 decks of cards, and, of course, a number of video games under the television." Just as he was about to pull his head out of the chest, he noticed a black, unlabeled DVD case. He opened it, read the label on the the disc, and smiled. "Kevin/Sam's Senior/Freshman Year Highlights. Man. Those were the days. The only season we happened to play on the same team..." Pleased with the options he had provided, Sam dropped the case back into the chest and turned his body to face Hikari.
Hikari couldn't help but waver when she noticed the look she was getting from Sam. He seemed so serious and yet so gentle when he looked at her and she felt herself flush just a bit. It was tempting to talk to him, it really was, but it was so embarrassing...
And yet his confidence in her making the right decision made her waver all the more and she couldn't help but cast him a shy smile before diverting her eyes and running a hand through her hair. "Thank you, Sam..." she said gently, the look on her face all the more embarrassed as she simply told him, "It's not a big deal.. I just... Realized I might... Sort of.. Have a crush on someone... The same day I found out he's in love with someone else..."
It hurt to say it, as if giving voice to it made it more true. Yet at the same time, it did actually feel better to get it off her chest.
She laughed right afterward though, trying to laugh it off, as they said. She generally didn't lose face in front of people and in this case, she was even trying to convince herself that it wasn't a big deal. Even if this was the first time she'd had a crush since she and Alan had broken up.
Sam getting up gave her a moment to regain composure, however and as he rummaged through his box of activities, she forced herself to take a breath and relax. There was no point in letting this get her down, right? "Ah, next time I'll bring my photography stuff with me then. You should take photos with me sometime, I mean, if you're interested. We could even take photos in the Digital World." she offered, seeming to cheer up at the thought. Hikari really was passionate about her photography, sometimes she felt even more so than she was about teaching, but she was too practical to pursue it.
"Ah - is that a DVD of you guys from high school?" Hikari quite obviously perked up, eyes widening with curiosity as she headed over to his side to take a peek at the DVD case he'd found. "Can I see? I never got to watch you play before, since we were in different schools! I bet you're both great when you play together!"
Sam closed his eyes and shrugged upon hearing Hikari's...confession. Sam had been in a similar situation before. Unfortunately, he had never seen the situation resolve itself, except through time and numbness. Having never been in anything worthy of being called a "relationship" himself, this was an area in which he had very little expertise. "That's definitely a tough thing to talk about. And it is a big deal. If it's something that keeps you from being happy, if only for a little while, I would say it's pretty important. But to be honest, I can't say I've had any success in situations like that. I guess this falls under the category of things that are usually resolved with time. I'm sorry about that. I'm here if you think I can ever help you, though."
Sam felt a wave of relief pass through him when he heard Hikari's voice cheer up upon mentioning the idea of going to the Digital World to take photos. Yet another reason such hobbies are so valuable. "That sounds great, Hikari! It has been a long time since I've been there, and taking photos might give me the time and focus need to appreciate such a fantastic place." Sam was always intimidated by the Digital World. His travels there with Lou never lasted very long, as he felt uncomfortable being there, and he was positive his family, had they found out about his journeys, would disapprove of the many hazards there.
"I have no problem showing this to you, I suppose." Sam replied, fishing the case out the chest. "Though, to be honest, you'll see my brother much more than you'll see myself. Not only was he a Senior, he was the best player on the team." Sam popped the DVD from the case and crawled in the direction of the television. After inserting the disc into the DVD player, he motioned Hikari to sit on the couch. After acquiring the remote, he joined her on the couch and pressed play.
Sam was feeling quite nostalgic as they looked over the video taken by his father at each of their homes games. Play after play, Kevin would make some sort of heroic, athletic play to score for the team. And play after play, Sam would be the one to pass him the ball. Sam, being the shortest person on the team, never could score a lot, but he was capable of doing just about everything else that was asked of him. Unfortunately, those things aren't exciting enough to warrant a place on a video of highlights. Several minutes in, Sam broke his silence: "Kevin really was, and still is, quite an amazing person. I could never deal with such pressure. Everyone at school expected him to be his best at every game. And, somehow, he was. If my school plays his school this season, we won't stand a chance."
Hikari gave a gentle shrug at his insistance that this was a big deal before finally nodding in agreement. She knew he was right, but she was trying so hard to keep herself from being upset over it. After all, it wasn't as if she had any right to be sad about this, right? At least, she felt she didn't. "Mm, I'm afraid so. I'm just trying to keep my mind off of it. I can't change his feelings and I was just starting to.. Feel something... So, I'm sure I'll get over it soon, ne?" she tried to be positive, but there was a sadness in her eyes when she smiled at him then. "I appreciate you listening, in any case. Being here in itself is helpful. I don't want to sit around at home and be sad, that won't solve anything, right?"
Hearing that he was actually interested in her idea made her finally smile for real again. That was exactly what she needed right now, something to look forward to with her friends! "You really want to? As soon as you're feeling up to it, we should go then! I know my way around really well, so we shouldn't have any trouble finding neat places to explore." And she loved the Digital World. Sam may feel intimidated, but not this girl. Hikari was always up for Digital World trips, but then again, spending so much time there as a child explained that. She knew how ugly it could be - but also how beautiful and fun.
"Wow, Sam. Your brother is that good, is he?" Hikari asked, flopping back down onto the couch with him and arranging her skirt around her gently before turning her attention to the t.v. She'd never met Sam's brother in person, but of course, had heard much about him. It made her curious to know what their relationship was like. She and Taichi were so close, but then there was Daisuke and Jun, who seemed to fight all the time. Was Sam jealous of Kevin, or did he not mind that his brother was the star? She glanced at him curious, as if waiting for any evidence to answer this question, but then returned her attention to the screen.
It was true, Kevin seemed to be on the school quite a bit, which Hikari found impressive. She knew enough about the game from watching Takeru to know that he was obviously a strong player, but Sam seemed to be good at helping support him in his plays, which in itself was very important on a team as well. "Mm.. Must be hard to be under that much pressure... I'm not sure I could handle it myself." She admitted, glancing over at Sam curiously before asking, "You guys are going to be in competing schools?" she frowned at the thought, her heart going out to him. "That must be tough... I'd have a hard time competing against oni---err... Taichi."
ntently focused on the action displayed on the television, Sam could do nothing but grin every time he saw himself pass the ball to a scoring teammate. Sam didn't play a large role on the team during his first year, so he didn't have the opportunity to play the way Kevin did that year. Had he thought about it sooner, he would have looked for the video from his later years, where he scored more often. But the team didn't have Kevin, and, by default, the team was not as good. "Kevin lives for the pressure. He knows that he's really good, and his teammates trust in his abilities. And vice versa. It makes for great team chemistry. And while he knows he's good, he's never had a big ego about it. He knows it would hurt his team. He may not be the best student in the classroom, but he's quite an excellent student on the basketball court."
At the thought of playing Kevin's university, Sam smiled. With the exception of one season, Sam has always competed against Kevin, albeit not competitively. "I know that my school played his school last season. The schedules haven't been made yet, so I'm not sure if the same will happen this year. But I'm not too worried if we do have to play each other. We're brothers, after all. Sibling rivalry will exist until until we die. I've competed against him thousands of times. I can probably handle one more competition."
The video concluded with the team winning the state championship. Kevin and Sam were both shown celebrating with the team, as well as the rest of the family. "Good times...though I hate that Solarmon couldn't see that in person. He's always there helping me out, and, in the end, no one sees him or gives him any credit. Kevin and I do our best to make it up to him, though. Though he's a bit mischievous at times, he's the best friend I could ever have."
Hikari couldn't help but admire Sam for being so mature in terms of the way he viewed his brother. A lot of siblings would have been ridiculously jealous, had they been in his shoes, but Sam seemed to really admire him. As a person who admired her own brother so much, Hikari couldn't help but like this trait in her friend and she found she really did admire Sam for that. "It's great that he's that sort of person. Most people who are so naturally talented seem to let it go to their head, which is really a shame." She was grateful her brother never got too big-headed about his skills in soccer, he and Daisuke joked around a lot, but they were both quite down to Earth, which she appreciated. Nobody likes a braggart.
"I imagine it must be tough to play against him, but it seems you have a very mature perspective about it." she complimented him honestly, smiling at the idea of the brothers competing against each other. In a way, she imagined it was probably fun. At least no matter who won, they could be somewhat happy, right? Even if their team lost, their brother's had succeeded and that was good, right? Perhaps she'd understand more if she were more athletic, but alas, she was far more likely to be the one in the stands cheering. Not everyone could be an athlete. "I bet the two of you play even harder against each other, too. I'd like to see that one day, it sounds exciting! Like watching Daisuke and Ken play soccer against each other, for example."
Hikari couldn't help but give an appreciative clap as the video came to a close. She was so pleased to see that Sam and Kevin had helped lead their team to a victory, they really seemed to be very good at their sport of choice. A sympathetic smile came to her face as she heard Sam tell her about Solarmon being unable to go to Sam's games. She knew it must be hard having a Digimon that wasn't as... Portable? Tailmon was easier to take places because she passed as a cat or a stuffed animal really easily, but she knew not all Digimon were the same. "It's tough when you can't share everything with them, isn't it? I really wish I could take Tailmon with me everywhere, too. I feel the same way about her... She was the first to come and give me a hug when I got home yesterday." she said with a thoughtful smile, remembering how Tailmon had been there to listen to her through her tears and try to comfort her over the incident with Iori the previous day. Tailmon really was the best thing to ever happen to her. "We really are so lucky to have them. I hope someday everyone will understand how great Digimon are. Then we won't have to hide them and leave them at home anymore!"
At the moment, Sam didn't think that playing Kevin would be a big deal. But nothing basketball-related was never a big deal until the game actually started. Kevin or not, the game had to be played. "I would be lying if I said that I didn't play harder against Kevin. He knows me more than anyone else. I have to play harder. HE has to play harder. Sometimes we play too hard..." Hearing Hikari's comparison to Daisuke and Ken, Sam couldn't help but joke: "I feel sorry for anyone playing Daisuke...I'm sure his energy is...scary, to say the least."
As he retrieved the DVD and put it away in its case, Sam listened to Hikari's commentary on Tailmon and Digimon in general. Sam completely agreed: he knew he was very lucky to have Solarmon by his side. If only everyone accepted Digimon the same way Kevin had...
"I bet Tailmon is an awesome companion to have around all the time...Oh...umm...I don't know how long you planned on staying, but I don't want to hold you back from your movie trip with Tailmon."
Putting everything back in the chest, Sam motioned toward the staircase. "It might be a good time to part ways. The house is usually empty, but I'm sure someone will be getting home soon. We should at least move back into my room..."
"Just be careful not to hurt yourself again." Hikari added, chuckling lightly at the idea of them playing too hard. She could see Daisuke or her brother passing out from exertion without thinking anything of it. Sometimes being the worrying type was a bad thing, she realized. "Ah - he is definitely an energetic player! Daisuke-kun definitely has some skills with soccer, although he seems to be more serious about his cooking lately. Oddly enough."
After all, Daisuke being a chef was something Hikari had never taken totally seriously until the last little while. He seemed so serious about it now, it was actually really nice to see him so passionate about something.
Hikari blinked in surprise when Same mentioned the time and she found herself flushing just a bit. She'd almost forgotten her other plans for the day and she pulled out her cellphone to check the time. Thankfully, she still had time to get home before Tailmon started to worry and she let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks for the reminder, it would have been bad if I'd forgotten. She wouldn't have been happy at all."
Getting back to her feet, Hikari gave a slight bow of her head before beaming over at him. "I'm glad I came over, though. It's been really fun getting to spend time with you again. I probably should take my leave, though, for both of our sakes." After all, she didn't want Sam to have to try to explain her popping in out of nowhere and she also didn't want to break her promise with Tailmon. "We'll have to start meeting more often, Sam. Since we can meet in the Digital World, we have no excuse really."
Sam couldn't help but chuckle at the thought of Daisuke being serious about cooking. Then again, focus and charisma were two very valuable traits for a good cook to possess, and Daisuke was short on neither. Sam also hadn't seen Daisuke in years, so he had probably matured to the point where cooking wouldn't be an issue. "Maybe I can try something of his someday" Sam responded.
As he led Hikari back to his room, Sam expressed his thanks to Hikari. "It really was great seeing you again. I'm sure we'll meet again in the Digital World soon enough." Sam watched as Hikari prepared for her departure. He hated to bring up the somewhat melacholy conversation from before, but he wanted to make sure that he wished her luck on her...emotional endeavors. "Hey...I hope that...things...you know, what you were telling me about earlier...I hope that works out. Keep your head up! If you stay positive about everything, I'm sure that you'll be satisfied with whatever result comes your way."
Sam was unsure as to what he meant by that. He was never very good at saying thigns like that in...doubtful situations. But he smiled nonetheless. He was pretty sure that Hikari knew that he at least meant well when he said that.
"I hope you have fun with Tailmon! Tell everyone I said hello!"
"Let's make sure that we do." Hikari agreed, beaming over at him happily. It was nice seeing old friends again, she was happy she'd done this, even if she knew it was dangerous to sneak into other countries via Digiport. Oh well, she hadn't been caught, so it was all good. Besides, she'd gotten to spend time with Sam and that made it all worth it.
Noticing the somber tone of voice in her friend, she frowned herself as he mentioned her situation. It was kind of him to worry, although she still felt a bit bad to unload on him like that. Still, she was happy to have such a caring friend there for her. "Thanks, Sam. And for listening, too." she blushed lightly and ran a hand through her hair in her usual nervous gesture. "I'm sure it'll all work out, somehow. Even if he doesn't return my feelings, I just want to be able to be there for him."
Strangely, she knew it was true. It would be hard if Iori and Miyako got together, but she also knew that she'd do anything to help Iori get together with Miyako, if that was what he really wanted. She had always been that way.
Striding over to her friend then, she gently put her hand on his shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze, a gesture that was still a bit strange to her, although she'd gotten more used to such things while in America. "Again, thank you. I'm glad we got to hang out today. Let me know when you have some free time, once you're all healed up. We'll go take pictures together in the Digital World."
She released him then and retrieved her bag from where she'd left it earlier, slinging it over her shoulder and then headed for his computer, where the open Digiport still was displayed. "Take care of yourself, until then. I'll see you soon."
She gave a wave of her hand and one last smile before pulling out her D3 and materializing herself through the screen in the usual flash of light.
Where: Sam's House
When: Monday, July 12
What: Hikari visits Sam's home to check on his ankle
After promising to be back in time to take Tailmon to their movie, Hikari had zipped up her backpack and flipped it over her shoulder. She didn't often go solo, but with so much heat, she hadn't wanted to force Tailmon to come along. Besides, this wasn't going to be a long visit, so she didn't feel too bad about leaving her alone for a little bit.
"I'll be home in a while, Tailmon. Be ready to go to the theater when I get back, okay?"
With that, Hikari made her way into the Digital World and pulled out her D3. Luckily, it seemed Sam had his portal open and ready and a smile came to her face as she followed the mapping system on her Digivice. She was looking forward to seeing him again, it'd been a while. Besides, she had some Japanese tea for him to try. Hopefully it'd help him relax, so he wasn't too antsy about getting back on the basketball courts. She imagined it must be killer for poor Sam, who was such an athlete. Maybe her visit would take his mind off of it a bit. Hopefully.
"No, no, no, no, no...ugh..."
Having cleaned and organized his room (along with much of the rest of the house), Sam found it satisfying enough to finally open the portal for Hikari. Of course, as soon as he opened the portal, he realized that he missed something. With Hikari coming any second, Sam couldn't fit his new psychology textbook into the small bookcase in his room. "This is a tragedy..." Sam lamented, giving up on the bookcase.
Sam began to think aloud: "Stupid book...I'm sure Hikari wouldn't have cared if I hadn't cleaned everything. What is it with me and girls? As soon as I become friends with one, I start to act ridiculous. Sure, I'm glad to actually see her after so long; she's really nice and kind and awesome and just about every other positive descriptive word humankind could muster. But...there's much less pressure when it's just Livejournal..."
Sam was much too focused on the book and his rant. At some point, Hikari managed to make it through the portal, and she now stood in the same room with Sam. Expecting some kind of flashy, grandiose entrance, Sam was caught off-guard by Hikari's sudden presence. Not knowing how long she had been in the room, and whether she picked up any of Sam's words, he blushed, tossing the book over his shoulder and onto his bed.
"Hikari! Hi! Heh..."
Hikari was honestly so relieved she hadn't fallen through on her head that she didn't even notice Sam's initial awkwardness - or the throwing of his book over his shoulder.
Having fallen on her knees, she laughed lightly as she smiled up at her fellow Chosen, cheeks lightly flushed at her still quite awkward arrival. Luckily, she didn't think she'd gotten rug burn at least. "Good afternoon!" she said from her spot on the floor, slipping her arms out of her backpack before shakily pulling herself back to her feet.
After the incident with Iori the previous night, Hikari was really glad to have someone else to talk to - it helped keep her mind off of that... Train wreck...
"I brought some tea for you! Japanese tea is great, so I thought you might like it." she said, smile flawless, not giving away anything from the previous day. Taking the time to brush off her skirt, she then unzipped her bag and retrieved the small gift before moving closer to Sam so she could pass it over. "It's good to see you! How's your leg feeling today?"
Sam couldn't decide if Hikari was ignoring his awkwardness, or if she had missed it completely. Either way, he was satisfied with her reaction.
Sam noticed that Hikari herself was looking slightly awkward. He decided to throw a small joke into the conversation: "Be careful, Hikari! I thought you were a professional when it came to this mode of transportation..."
Eyeing the gift, Sam responded, "Japanese tea, huh? Well...I can't say I've ever had any, but I'm definitely willing to give it a try." Sam welcomed the gift somewhat uncomfortably, as he always felt uncomfortable when gift-giving was a one-sided affair. Without a gift, the best he could do in return was entertain her during the visit.
Well aware that Hikari would almost immediately inquire about his ankle, Sam had chosen to wear ankle socks under his house slippers, so that he could display his injury without having to do much work. Lifting and placing his right foot on his computer chair, he let her inspect its condition.
"Umm....it's fine, really. You can see where it has been a little bruised, but right now, it only hurts when I extend my foot...like this...ahhhow..."
Slightly grimacing from the sharp pain, Sam immediately realized that what he had done probably wasn't the best idea. He let off a bit of a guilty smile, hoping Hikari would brush off his dumb decision to agitate the ankle. Hoping to change the subject, Sam continued: "Sooo...how are you? Have an activity in mind?"
Hikari couldn't help but laugh at his joke, although she blushed all the more. So he HAD seen how ungraceful she was! "I'm starting to think I'll never get used to the landing part." she replied with a sheepish grin. It was true, though. Far too often she ended up landing on her butt or her face. It was so embarrassing!
"You haven't? Then I guess it'll be a good gift. I hope you'll enjoy it. I brought tea bags, since I didn't know if you had a tea ball or not... I'll bring you one of those next time, if you don't. The actual tea leaves are a lot better tasting, in my opinion." Maybe she was just old fashioned that way, but she was a fan of loose leaf teas. They always tasted... Fresher was it? Oh well.
She couldn't help but get a closer look when Sam offered it to her, of his bruised leg. She frowned worriedly and glanced at it thoughtfully. It wasn't as bad as she had thought it would be, but it definitely didn't look good. Glancing back at him, she couldn't help but shake her head. "If it hurts, don't do it, silly!" she took his arm and put it around her shoulder, in an effort to help him take the pressure off. "Ne, where did you want to sit? I'll help you."
On what to do next, she chuckled lightly and replied, "Something that involved you sitting down."
Sam blushed when Hikari grabbed his arm. Knowing that the injury wasn't deserving of such assistance, Sam removed his arms from around her.
"I appreciate it...really...but I think I can handle this..." Feeling rather uncomfortable, Sam quickly made a suggestion for their activity. "First thing's first; let's get out of my room and into another. Let's say we go down to the living room and we can continue there."
Not giving Hikari much time to respond, Sam escorted Hikari down the stairs and into the living room area. Sam still was not sure as to what they should do, but he knew that the living room provided the most options. The room hosted a number of attractive options, including a big screen TV, a fish tank, the family's piano, some board games, and a variety or magazines. With the kitchen adjacent, food was nearby, as well. Sam took notice of Hikari's glances around the room. Sam decided to finally heed Hikari's words, as he sat on the piano bench.
"So? What do you think? See anything you like?"
"Are you sure?" Hikari released him as soon as he made a move to do so, but didn't argue when he insisted upon it. She knew how stubborn guys could be and figured arguing wasn't going to get her anywhere anyways. "Well okay. Lead the way."
She hadn't actually been inside Sam's house, so this was actually kind of cool to her. As she followed him into the living room, she glanced around with obvious curiosity before motioning towards the couch, "Can I sit?" she asked, awaiting permission before taking a seat and smoothing her skirt. It was hard to know where to start, but she was glad to be here. She didn't want to think about Iori anymore, although that was easier said than done.
"Your place is great." she complimented with a nod of approval, her eyes turning to his piano curiously before she added, "Do you still play? I've always wanted to learn music, but I've never had the chance. Karaoke with Maria and Tatum is about as musical as I've ever gotten." she admitted with a chuckle. "Ah - where's Solarmon anyways? He isn't in the Digital World, is he?"
Sam stared at the piano for a few moments before responding to her question. "I stopped for a while...but then I met Lou, and I became interested in playing again. I've learned a song or two from my favorite band, but not much else." Sam finally took his eyes away from the piano when he heard Hikari's question concerning Solarmon. "Heh...he's actually with Kevin right now. He couldn't stand being in the house any longer with me; I tried to tell him about your visit, but he...well...he has a short attention span...And don't worry about either of them. Kevin is playing basketball on a private court by himself. He practices even more than I do...I'm sure Solarmon is just fetching loose balls for him..."
Sam's voice drifted off, as he fell into a semi-daydream, picturing himself shooting around with his brother. Of course, that was the situation that got him in the position he's in now. Injured ankle. Sitting around the house with little to do. Having Hikari come and spend time with him...
"I guess I can live with this." Sam thought to himself, still in a trance. "No one here, definitely no girl, would be visiting me otherwise..."
Hikari clasped her hands together happily. It was good to hear that he was playing again! It was such a wonderful talent to have. "It's great that he did! Ne, what is your favorite band anyways? Anyone I might know?" She doubted it, since she knew far more Japanese music than she did American, but it was good to find new bands to try out.
She smiled at the idea of Solarmon off playing basketball and chuckled thoughtfully. Sounded like fun to her, no wonder he had taken off. Being cooped up never seemed to be something Digimon liked either, no matter which one it was. Even Tailmon got restless if she was stuck inside too much. "It makes sense he'd get antsy. I'm sure we can set it up so he and Tailmon can visit each other sometime soon. Even if I have to sneak her over here while your family is out."
After all, she didn't think it would be good for them to realize the Chosen could hop into other people's homes. Even if they could keep the secret, it might freak them out a bit and she didn't want that. The less publicity they had, the better.
Shifting so she could see him better, she rested her arm on the arm of the couch and rested her chin in her hand as she peered over at him curiously, "Would you mind playing a bit for me? I love music, but... Rockband is as close to playing music as I get." she joked, flushing lightly as she did so. Sadly, it was true and she wasn't even great at the game.
Sam was beyond positive that Hikari did not know his favorite band. To Sam's knowledge, the only other person that knew the band was Lou.
"I'm sure you won't know them. They're not big in America, much less anywhere else. The band is The Avett Brothers. It's an acoustic southern-style band that was formed by two brothers. Guitar, bass, piano, vocals....stuff like that. Some of their music is sad, some is upbeat. But there's definitely a lot of energy to everything they play. I think that's why I like them so much. Of course, I can't play an entire song alone. Just the parts by piano."
Sam paused for a moment to think about the lyrics to most of the songs he's heard by the band. "But...I don't think you want me playing songs by those guys. They usually sing love-related songs. Though I guess most songs in existence are somewhat love-related. It's the most consistent, energetic, stubborn human emotion."
Before he allowed himself to enter "psychology mode", he continued: "But you're the guest! The choice is yours! Sorry, but it's all I really know, and the songs sound odd - well, to me at least - if I don't sing along..."
Sam was right, of course. Hikari didn't have the first clue who his favorite band was, but that just made her all the more curious about it. Smaller bands were often interesting, as she well knew. After all, Yamato's band had been small for a while and she'd heard a bunch of other smaller bands in Japan because of going to see his concerts.
"Siblings?" Hikari inquired, interest perked all the more. As someone with a sibling complex, such as herself, it wasn't a surprise that this made things more interesting for the Yagami girl. "Sounds interesting. I'd be interested to listen sometime. Yamato-san's band started out small, so I know how good little-known bands can be."
She tilted her head to the side in inquiry when she heard him mention his reasoning for thinking she wouldn't be interested in hearing the songs. Why would she mind love songs? It was funny how he described it, though. It reminded her of Momoe talking about the subject. She knew about love all too well. It was bittersweet. As much as she'd enjoyed being in love before, she knew how much it hurt.
"I don't mind love songs at all. I do listen to pop songs, you know." she admitted with a light laugh. All pop songs were about love, weren't they? She was getting more into rock because of Yamato, but she still liked her light-hearted pop songs. "And I don't mind listening to you sing. I'd sing along, but if it isn't on Rock Band or Band Hero, I definitely don’t know it."
Sam smiled for a few moments. He already knew what song he would play. And while he found the music to be pleasing, the lyrics definitely were not going to fit the mood. But that fact didn't bother him too much. Despite the somewhat melancholy lyrics, Sam would play the song when he was down, and it would always manage to make him feel better. A odd case in psychology he didn't care to crack, at least not yet.
"Well...the song I have in mind isn't very...light-hearted. But feel free to ignore the lyrics...I just feel awkward if I'm not singing. Well...here it goes..."
Sam took a few deep breaths, and closed his eyes. He'd never intentionally played in front of anyone. For anyone. He initially wondered why he wasn't nervous about that fact. Soon enough, those thoughts faded away, and the music started to play:
"I am sick with wanting, and it's evil and it's daunting
how I let everything I cherish lay to waste
I am lost in greed, this time it's definitely me
I point fingers but there's no one there to blame
A need for something, not let me break it down again
A need for something, but not more medicine
I am sick of wanting, and it's evil how it's got me
And every day is worse than the one before
The more I have, the more I think I'm almost where I need to be
If only I could get a little more
A need for something, now let me break it down again
A need for something, but not more medicine
Something has me, oh something has me
Acting like someone I don't wanna be
Something has me, oh something has me
Acting like someone I know isn't me
Ill with want and poisoned by this ugly greed
Temporary is my time
Ain't nothing on this world that's mine
Except the will I found to carry on
Free is not your right to choose
It's answering what's asked of you
To give the love you find until it's gone
A need for something, now let me break it down again
A need for something, but not more medicine
Something has me, oh something has me
Acting like someone I don't wanna be
Something has me, oh something has me
Acting like someone I know isn't me
Ill with want and poisoned by this ugly greed
Ill with want and poisoned by this ugly greed"
Satisfied enough with his performance, Sam looked down at the piano for a few moments, waiting for some kind of response.
Hikari found herself closing her eyes as he started to play, letting herself become immersed in the song as her friend both played and sung the song out loud. It was not what she'd call uplifting, as he'd said, but it was lovely no less. Not what she was used to either, it was quite unique and she didn't even know what genre she'd have called it if someone had asked, but that was something she found she liked. Not everything needed to be categorized and some things were perhaps better off not stuck with a label.
Maybe she really had been hanging out with Momoe too much lately...
Nonetheless, she found the sound of his voice and the sound of the piano to be strangely soothing and a smile curved her lips as she reopened her eyes, studying him thoughtfully. It was interesting to see a different side of Sam. She tended to think of him as the athletic friend, not the artistic or musical friend, but this really opened her eyes to a more complex person. Oddly enough, she wondered if she and Maria should have dragged him to karaoke more often. Then again - normally she was the one being dragged, not anyone else.
"You play beautifully." she replied, a look of admiration on her face as she straightened up in her seat, a thoughtful look to her face. "The song is really beautiful, too. Sad, but beautiful. I didn't realize how musical you were, Sam."
Then again, she had only had so much time to get to know all of the American Chosen, so perhaps that shouldn't have come as such a surprise. This just made her realize how much she still had to learn about them.
Feeling a little better about everything, Sam took in the compliments and comments Hikari had to offer.
"My brain has managed to put a twist on the meaning and feeling of this song. I kind of feel like it's a generalization of a common human emotional occurrence. It's great to feel one-of-a-kind sometimes, but in this case, it's almost comforting to know that just about everyone feels feelings like the ones expressed in that song. Yeah, bad feelings are bad, but it's good to know that there are people than can sympathize with you..."
Choosing not to continue his mini-rant on such a negative topic, fearing he may hit a nerve and create an awkward moment, Sam focused on Hikari's compliments. "Eh...I'm not really that musical. I'm kind of restricted to what you've heard. And my voice definitely isn't perfect. It's like any other hobby. From an emotional and mental standpoint, what I accomplish through basketball or playing the piano is likely the same as what you accomplish through photography."
Briefly forgetting about his ankle, Sam gleefully jumped from the bench to his feet. Feeling a little pain, Sam fell back down to the chair.
"Yes, Hikari. I forgot. And before you ask, I'm fine. No worries!" Sam gave Hikari a nice, wide, fake smile to "prove" that everything was okay.
Hikari listened to his opinion quietly, letting his words sink in without interruption. She knew what he meant and although she wasn't quite so good with anlayzing people as he and Momoe obviously were, she did find she agreed. Events from the previous night had been at the back of her mind since they had happened and the song lyrics really did make it feel as if she weren't alone in this. She didn't want to bother Sam with this, though, as it was really only her problem and she intended to deal with it at least mostly on her own. Even if she had been starting to think that keeping such things to herself was a bad idea.
"Mm, I agree. Just knowing that you aren't alone can be a great comfort. Especially with things that are hard to talk to others about."
Would he notice that there was a hidden meaning to this? She had a feeling he might, but she didn't let anything show on her face, so perhaps she'd be safe for now.
"You don't have to be perfect to be good at something." Hikari said softly, understanding what he meant, but thinking he was selling himself short. She wasn't perfect at photogpraphy either, after all. "It's good to have a hobby that you care about so much. Photography is like that for me, for sure. I find it relaxing to take the time to find the beauty in simplicity and find interesting ways to show people what it is that I see."
The look on her face was soft and gentle as she thought about her work, although she obviously was only talking about nature photography. Portraits were a bit different, of course, but she still enjoyed them - just in a different sort of way.
"Ah -" Noticing the way her friend jumped up, she was already half out of her seat and on her way to help him when he told her he was okay and not to worry. He knew her too well, it seemed and she flushed lightly at this realization. "Sorry, it's a reflex reaction." she explained, laughing lightly as she forced herself to sit back down, knowing that he would probably prefer her not to baby him. She was scolded all the time lately for acting like her mother after all. "We should find something to do that won't make you want to get up, though. Any sugestions? I'd share some of my photography stuff with you, but I didn't bring it." she flushed lightly as she nervously added, "I thought it might be boring for you, so..."
Hearing Hikari's response to his opinion, Sam - being the great listener and even-keeled advice giver that he sometimes thought himself to be - wanted to know what she alluding to when she mentioned things that were hard to talk about. Sam came to understand that statements like that don't come without a specific thought process. Thoughts of things that, of course, were hard to talk about. Realizing that he probably was not the ideal person to talk to anyway, Sam countered her statement by peering directly into her eyes; straight and focused, yet soft and comforting.
"The harder something is to talk about, the more important it is that you actually talk about it. We've all got a situation like that. I won't prod you or anything. Mainly because I trust you. And I trust your friends. "
Sam loved hearing others talk about the activities they were passionate about. He always thought it easiest to identify another's personality when they were engaged in such an activity. He was actually quite disappointed that Hikari had not brought her photography things, but he knew they could do something else. "You'll have to show me some photos some time. You'd be surprised at the things that don't bore me..."
Sam carefully made his way to a chest in the living room. "Let's seeee....." Rummaging through the items, he listed some of the games and other items he thought might interest Hikari. "Well, as for board games, we have everything from Backgammon to Stratego. We've got at least 4 decks of cards, and, of course, a number of video games under the television." Just as he was about to pull his head out of the chest, he noticed a black, unlabeled DVD case. He opened it, read the label on the the disc, and smiled. "Kevin/Sam's Senior/Freshman Year Highlights. Man. Those were the days. The only season we happened to play on the same team..." Pleased with the options he had provided, Sam dropped the case back into the chest and turned his body to face Hikari.
Hikari couldn't help but waver when she noticed the look she was getting from Sam. He seemed so serious and yet so gentle when he looked at her and she felt herself flush just a bit. It was tempting to talk to him, it really was, but it was so embarrassing...
And yet his confidence in her making the right decision made her waver all the more and she couldn't help but cast him a shy smile before diverting her eyes and running a hand through her hair. "Thank you, Sam..." she said gently, the look on her face all the more embarrassed as she simply told him, "It's not a big deal.. I just... Realized I might... Sort of.. Have a crush on someone... The same day I found out he's in love with someone else..."
It hurt to say it, as if giving voice to it made it more true. Yet at the same time, it did actually feel better to get it off her chest.
She laughed right afterward though, trying to laugh it off, as they said. She generally didn't lose face in front of people and in this case, she was even trying to convince herself that it wasn't a big deal. Even if this was the first time she'd had a crush since she and Alan had broken up.
Sam getting up gave her a moment to regain composure, however and as he rummaged through his box of activities, she forced herself to take a breath and relax. There was no point in letting this get her down, right? "Ah, next time I'll bring my photography stuff with me then. You should take photos with me sometime, I mean, if you're interested. We could even take photos in the Digital World." she offered, seeming to cheer up at the thought. Hikari really was passionate about her photography, sometimes she felt even more so than she was about teaching, but she was too practical to pursue it.
"Ah - is that a DVD of you guys from high school?" Hikari quite obviously perked up, eyes widening with curiosity as she headed over to his side to take a peek at the DVD case he'd found. "Can I see? I never got to watch you play before, since we were in different schools! I bet you're both great when you play together!"
Sam closed his eyes and shrugged upon hearing Hikari's...confession. Sam had been in a similar situation before. Unfortunately, he had never seen the situation resolve itself, except through time and numbness. Having never been in anything worthy of being called a "relationship" himself, this was an area in which he had very little expertise. "That's definitely a tough thing to talk about. And it is a big deal. If it's something that keeps you from being happy, if only for a little while, I would say it's pretty important. But to be honest, I can't say I've had any success in situations like that. I guess this falls under the category of things that are usually resolved with time. I'm sorry about that. I'm here if you think I can ever help you, though."
Sam felt a wave of relief pass through him when he heard Hikari's voice cheer up upon mentioning the idea of going to the Digital World to take photos. Yet another reason such hobbies are so valuable. "That sounds great, Hikari! It has been a long time since I've been there, and taking photos might give me the time and focus need to appreciate such a fantastic place." Sam was always intimidated by the Digital World. His travels there with Lou never lasted very long, as he felt uncomfortable being there, and he was positive his family, had they found out about his journeys, would disapprove of the many hazards there.
"I have no problem showing this to you, I suppose." Sam replied, fishing the case out the chest. "Though, to be honest, you'll see my brother much more than you'll see myself. Not only was he a Senior, he was the best player on the team." Sam popped the DVD from the case and crawled in the direction of the television. After inserting the disc into the DVD player, he motioned Hikari to sit on the couch. After acquiring the remote, he joined her on the couch and pressed play.
Sam was feeling quite nostalgic as they looked over the video taken by his father at each of their homes games. Play after play, Kevin would make some sort of heroic, athletic play to score for the team. And play after play, Sam would be the one to pass him the ball. Sam, being the shortest person on the team, never could score a lot, but he was capable of doing just about everything else that was asked of him. Unfortunately, those things aren't exciting enough to warrant a place on a video of highlights. Several minutes in, Sam broke his silence: "Kevin really was, and still is, quite an amazing person. I could never deal with such pressure. Everyone at school expected him to be his best at every game. And, somehow, he was. If my school plays his school this season, we won't stand a chance."
Hikari gave a gentle shrug at his insistance that this was a big deal before finally nodding in agreement. She knew he was right, but she was trying so hard to keep herself from being upset over it. After all, it wasn't as if she had any right to be sad about this, right? At least, she felt she didn't. "Mm, I'm afraid so. I'm just trying to keep my mind off of it. I can't change his feelings and I was just starting to.. Feel something... So, I'm sure I'll get over it soon, ne?" she tried to be positive, but there was a sadness in her eyes when she smiled at him then. "I appreciate you listening, in any case. Being here in itself is helpful. I don't want to sit around at home and be sad, that won't solve anything, right?"
Hearing that he was actually interested in her idea made her finally smile for real again. That was exactly what she needed right now, something to look forward to with her friends! "You really want to? As soon as you're feeling up to it, we should go then! I know my way around really well, so we shouldn't have any trouble finding neat places to explore." And she loved the Digital World. Sam may feel intimidated, but not this girl. Hikari was always up for Digital World trips, but then again, spending so much time there as a child explained that. She knew how ugly it could be - but also how beautiful and fun.
"Wow, Sam. Your brother is that good, is he?" Hikari asked, flopping back down onto the couch with him and arranging her skirt around her gently before turning her attention to the t.v. She'd never met Sam's brother in person, but of course, had heard much about him. It made her curious to know what their relationship was like. She and Taichi were so close, but then there was Daisuke and Jun, who seemed to fight all the time. Was Sam jealous of Kevin, or did he not mind that his brother was the star? She glanced at him curious, as if waiting for any evidence to answer this question, but then returned her attention to the screen.
It was true, Kevin seemed to be on the school quite a bit, which Hikari found impressive. She knew enough about the game from watching Takeru to know that he was obviously a strong player, but Sam seemed to be good at helping support him in his plays, which in itself was very important on a team as well. "Mm.. Must be hard to be under that much pressure... I'm not sure I could handle it myself." She admitted, glancing over at Sam curiously before asking, "You guys are going to be in competing schools?" she frowned at the thought, her heart going out to him. "That must be tough... I'd have a hard time competing against oni---err... Taichi."
ntently focused on the action displayed on the television, Sam could do nothing but grin every time he saw himself pass the ball to a scoring teammate. Sam didn't play a large role on the team during his first year, so he didn't have the opportunity to play the way Kevin did that year. Had he thought about it sooner, he would have looked for the video from his later years, where he scored more often. But the team didn't have Kevin, and, by default, the team was not as good. "Kevin lives for the pressure. He knows that he's really good, and his teammates trust in his abilities. And vice versa. It makes for great team chemistry. And while he knows he's good, he's never had a big ego about it. He knows it would hurt his team. He may not be the best student in the classroom, but he's quite an excellent student on the basketball court."
At the thought of playing Kevin's university, Sam smiled. With the exception of one season, Sam has always competed against Kevin, albeit not competitively. "I know that my school played his school last season. The schedules haven't been made yet, so I'm not sure if the same will happen this year. But I'm not too worried if we do have to play each other. We're brothers, after all. Sibling rivalry will exist until until we die. I've competed against him thousands of times. I can probably handle one more competition."
The video concluded with the team winning the state championship. Kevin and Sam were both shown celebrating with the team, as well as the rest of the family. "Good times...though I hate that Solarmon couldn't see that in person. He's always there helping me out, and, in the end, no one sees him or gives him any credit. Kevin and I do our best to make it up to him, though. Though he's a bit mischievous at times, he's the best friend I could ever have."
Hikari couldn't help but admire Sam for being so mature in terms of the way he viewed his brother. A lot of siblings would have been ridiculously jealous, had they been in his shoes, but Sam seemed to really admire him. As a person who admired her own brother so much, Hikari couldn't help but like this trait in her friend and she found she really did admire Sam for that. "It's great that he's that sort of person. Most people who are so naturally talented seem to let it go to their head, which is really a shame." She was grateful her brother never got too big-headed about his skills in soccer, he and Daisuke joked around a lot, but they were both quite down to Earth, which she appreciated. Nobody likes a braggart.
"I imagine it must be tough to play against him, but it seems you have a very mature perspective about it." she complimented him honestly, smiling at the idea of the brothers competing against each other. In a way, she imagined it was probably fun. At least no matter who won, they could be somewhat happy, right? Even if their team lost, their brother's had succeeded and that was good, right? Perhaps she'd understand more if she were more athletic, but alas, she was far more likely to be the one in the stands cheering. Not everyone could be an athlete. "I bet the two of you play even harder against each other, too. I'd like to see that one day, it sounds exciting! Like watching Daisuke and Ken play soccer against each other, for example."
Hikari couldn't help but give an appreciative clap as the video came to a close. She was so pleased to see that Sam and Kevin had helped lead their team to a victory, they really seemed to be very good at their sport of choice. A sympathetic smile came to her face as she heard Sam tell her about Solarmon being unable to go to Sam's games. She knew it must be hard having a Digimon that wasn't as... Portable? Tailmon was easier to take places because she passed as a cat or a stuffed animal really easily, but she knew not all Digimon were the same. "It's tough when you can't share everything with them, isn't it? I really wish I could take Tailmon with me everywhere, too. I feel the same way about her... She was the first to come and give me a hug when I got home yesterday." she said with a thoughtful smile, remembering how Tailmon had been there to listen to her through her tears and try to comfort her over the incident with Iori the previous day. Tailmon really was the best thing to ever happen to her. "We really are so lucky to have them. I hope someday everyone will understand how great Digimon are. Then we won't have to hide them and leave them at home anymore!"
At the moment, Sam didn't think that playing Kevin would be a big deal. But nothing basketball-related was never a big deal until the game actually started. Kevin or not, the game had to be played. "I would be lying if I said that I didn't play harder against Kevin. He knows me more than anyone else. I have to play harder. HE has to play harder. Sometimes we play too hard..." Hearing Hikari's comparison to Daisuke and Ken, Sam couldn't help but joke: "I feel sorry for anyone playing Daisuke...I'm sure his energy is...scary, to say the least."
As he retrieved the DVD and put it away in its case, Sam listened to Hikari's commentary on Tailmon and Digimon in general. Sam completely agreed: he knew he was very lucky to have Solarmon by his side. If only everyone accepted Digimon the same way Kevin had...
"I bet Tailmon is an awesome companion to have around all the time...Oh...umm...I don't know how long you planned on staying, but I don't want to hold you back from your movie trip with Tailmon."
Putting everything back in the chest, Sam motioned toward the staircase. "It might be a good time to part ways. The house is usually empty, but I'm sure someone will be getting home soon. We should at least move back into my room..."
"Just be careful not to hurt yourself again." Hikari added, chuckling lightly at the idea of them playing too hard. She could see Daisuke or her brother passing out from exertion without thinking anything of it. Sometimes being the worrying type was a bad thing, she realized. "Ah - he is definitely an energetic player! Daisuke-kun definitely has some skills with soccer, although he seems to be more serious about his cooking lately. Oddly enough."
After all, Daisuke being a chef was something Hikari had never taken totally seriously until the last little while. He seemed so serious about it now, it was actually really nice to see him so passionate about something.
Hikari blinked in surprise when Same mentioned the time and she found herself flushing just a bit. She'd almost forgotten her other plans for the day and she pulled out her cellphone to check the time. Thankfully, she still had time to get home before Tailmon started to worry and she let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks for the reminder, it would have been bad if I'd forgotten. She wouldn't have been happy at all."
Getting back to her feet, Hikari gave a slight bow of her head before beaming over at him. "I'm glad I came over, though. It's been really fun getting to spend time with you again. I probably should take my leave, though, for both of our sakes." After all, she didn't want Sam to have to try to explain her popping in out of nowhere and she also didn't want to break her promise with Tailmon. "We'll have to start meeting more often, Sam. Since we can meet in the Digital World, we have no excuse really."
Sam couldn't help but chuckle at the thought of Daisuke being serious about cooking. Then again, focus and charisma were two very valuable traits for a good cook to possess, and Daisuke was short on neither. Sam also hadn't seen Daisuke in years, so he had probably matured to the point where cooking wouldn't be an issue. "Maybe I can try something of his someday" Sam responded.
As he led Hikari back to his room, Sam expressed his thanks to Hikari. "It really was great seeing you again. I'm sure we'll meet again in the Digital World soon enough." Sam watched as Hikari prepared for her departure. He hated to bring up the somewhat melacholy conversation from before, but he wanted to make sure that he wished her luck on her...emotional endeavors. "Hey...I hope that...things...you know, what you were telling me about earlier...I hope that works out. Keep your head up! If you stay positive about everything, I'm sure that you'll be satisfied with whatever result comes your way."
Sam was unsure as to what he meant by that. He was never very good at saying thigns like that in...doubtful situations. But he smiled nonetheless. He was pretty sure that Hikari knew that he at least meant well when he said that.
"I hope you have fun with Tailmon! Tell everyone I said hello!"
"Let's make sure that we do." Hikari agreed, beaming over at him happily. It was nice seeing old friends again, she was happy she'd done this, even if she knew it was dangerous to sneak into other countries via Digiport. Oh well, she hadn't been caught, so it was all good. Besides, she'd gotten to spend time with Sam and that made it all worth it.
Noticing the somber tone of voice in her friend, she frowned herself as he mentioned her situation. It was kind of him to worry, although she still felt a bit bad to unload on him like that. Still, she was happy to have such a caring friend there for her. "Thanks, Sam. And for listening, too." she blushed lightly and ran a hand through her hair in her usual nervous gesture. "I'm sure it'll all work out, somehow. Even if he doesn't return my feelings, I just want to be able to be there for him."
Strangely, she knew it was true. It would be hard if Iori and Miyako got together, but she also knew that she'd do anything to help Iori get together with Miyako, if that was what he really wanted. She had always been that way.
Striding over to her friend then, she gently put her hand on his shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze, a gesture that was still a bit strange to her, although she'd gotten more used to such things while in America. "Again, thank you. I'm glad we got to hang out today. Let me know when you have some free time, once you're all healed up. We'll go take pictures together in the Digital World."
She released him then and retrieved her bag from where she'd left it earlier, slinging it over her shoulder and then headed for his computer, where the open Digiport still was displayed. "Take care of yourself, until then. I'll see you soon."
She gave a wave of her hand and one last smile before pulling out her D3 and materializing herself through the screen in the usual flash of light.