Odaiba Memorial Day- 20 Years Later
Chapter Five- Davis
"Am am I dying?" Davis asked, although at this point he didnt know which response he desired.
"No!" The voice was almost angelic, although a combination of sadness and sternness reigned in her inflections as she continued, "Dont say that Davis, its going to be okay. Just hang on. Were going to get through this together, got that?
"K Kari "
Sometimes putting it out of your head is the only way to handle problems. And as hard as it was for Davis, he was finally starting to do that. The woman he loved, Kari Kamiya, was out of his life, and she was slowly starting to fade out of his head as well. After years of going to school together, Davis will admit to anyone that he longed for Kari, something more than a mere crush could represent. Unrequited infatuation, maybe, but Daviss feelings for her went beyond anything he could describe.
But those days were over now. Upon graduation, Davis decided that the best medicine would be to simply leave and forget about her. And as sad as it seems, it worked. Deep down, he knew he would never have those feelings reciprocated, and simply having her as a friend was only hurting him more. Finally, the years he wasted pining over Kari could be forgotten, and he could get on with his life without having to worry about impressing her. He also didnt have to worry about TK. Despite their best efforts to shrug off any relationship they were having, TK and Kari were in love, and Davis knew it. When Davis left, he also decided to assume that TK and Kari realized that they werent cut out for each other, and decided to break up. He had no evidence to support that, but since it happened to Matt and Sora, he found it realistic, and the only way he could continue to forget about her. He didnt want to think that TK beat him in the race for Karis heart.
Was it denial? Certainly. But it was the best medicine for him, and Davis was growing stronger because of it. He was freed up to pursue other social encounters, and he concentrated on his daily life, and was being rewarded for it. He had a bounty of friends, many of which female, as well as a steady job. He also was on a minor league soccer team, and although he didnt have a hefty salary, it was a good compliment to his day job, and Davis made a modest wage while still being able to enjoy life to the fullest. All in all, Davis was getting the crazy notion that he was actually making it in life, even without Kari.
The tenth reunion scared Davis. A lot. After becoming very secure in his life, Davis didnt want the risk of seeing Kari and losing it again. He also had to somehow keep up his belief that Kari and TK had broken up. Seeing them together would damper things quite a bit. But Davis decided to bite the bullet and go. He would make a solid attempt to shrug off any feelings for Kari and behave like a complete gentleman. And for the most part, it paid dividends. Kari was just as friendly as he remembered, and although he had to concentrate on not thinking about her, he pulled it off. He also saw no evidence proving that TK and Kari were still involved. It went very well until he got food poisoning.
Why me? Why the hell is it always me?
Of course, although he didnt leave the way he wanted to, he did leave in good standing. His flame for Kari hadnt sparked one bit, and he could continue his prospering life. It was good. Until he showed up at work to discover something in his life that he never dreamed possible
"A promotion??!!"
"Mr. Motomiya, youve earned it. Youve had a fantastic work ethic, havent called in sick once, except for that food poisoning thing, and we think you will make an excellent manager."
"A manager? Are you retiring? I didnt know there were any positions open."
"Thats the thing. Its not here. The Nerima plant is going to be in need of a couple low-end managers and asked us to find someone to fill the job. We all thought youre the perfect man for it."
"Wow." Davis was in shock, he really was going places. Literally. "Obviously Ill have to think it over. Id probably have to move, and you know how hard it is to "
"I understand completely. This is well in advance, so youll have at least six months to make plans, if you decide to accept."
"Thank you, sir." Davis bowed to the manager, and went back to work.
Me, a manager in Nerima? Thats a good ways away, and a pretty swanky town if I remember. But I would be stupid not to take this. And I am not stupid! Those days are over, Im moving on with life. I dont know how Im going to do it, but Davis Motomiya- you are going to Nerima!
His friends were extremely supportive. All understood that Davis had to move on with life, and since Davis and his friends very rarely met under sober conditions, it wasnt a huge deal. In fact, Davis got extremely lucky in terms of a house. One of his friends said that he knew somebody in the area that had to go overseas and was looking to sublet his apartment. He was getting a bit desperate, and Davis got a good deal on it. And although he was signed to play for the local soccer team, they agreed to have Davis play out the rest of the season before negotiating a trade with a club closer to Nerima in the off-season.
Despite the many breaks he got, the first few months, quite frankly, were hell. The apartment wasnt just cheap because the tenant had to move out in haste. The apartment was cheap because it was a dump as well. It was the fixer-upper to end all fixer-uppers, and the last thing Davis had was time to fix it up. His new job carried many new responsibilities, and demanded longer hours, and work at home. This, naturally, conflicted with his duties as a semi-pro soccer player, and trips from his home to the practice field were long and time-enduring. The lack of time also prevented him from being extremely active socially.
It was starting to get to Davis. He wasnt enjoying life, and it was starting to take its toll. Did he make a mistake somewhere? Is he going backwards now?
This is too much for me to take. I cant do this alone I need help I need I just need to see her face.
Davis frantically searched drawers, dressers, books anything that would carry the likeness of the child of light. After about ten minutes, he stopped. There was no image of Kari in the apartment. Davis simply sighed, sat down on his trusty bean bag chair (a must for any singles pad), and pondered the situation. Of course there werent any pictures of Kari in the apartment. Davis saw to that ahead of time. He refused to give in to her temptation. Davis saw Kari as a harmful drug, and himself as a recovering addict. He had to make sure he didnt have access to the drug when he had a craving.
Shes not here, Davis. So what do you do about it? Youre on your own, and youll have to deal with it. Youve been through worse. Youve been to hell and back, and you lived to tell the tale. So bite the bullet, go out, and conquer your challenges!!
Davis quickly stood up. "Youre right! Thanks!" He said to himself.
Anytime, buddy.
Sure enough, things improved. His team managed to get him a spot playing for the hometown team, and after complaining to the boss about a work overload, his division was split into two, and a new manager was hired to help out. She was definitely new, and Davis could tell by the look of her eyes that he was going to have to show her the ropes.
"Hello, Mr. Motomiya. My names Mitsune Bekomi, but all my friends call me Mitzy." Davis promptly smiled.
"Hi Mitzy, you can call me Davis."
Life was pretty stable for the next few years. Mitzy looked up to Davis, and although they never were involved romantically (company policy discouraged it), they had a very strong friendship, with Mitzy looking up to Davis quite often. Mitzy had friends, which she introduced to Davis. In time, they became Daviss friends as well. Said friends also were willing and able to help Davis fix up the apartment. By the time they were done with it, it was actually livable, and even comfortable. Although the bean bag chair was still there, of course. Davis never received invitations for future digi-destined reunions, and Davis didnt care. He was happy, and didnt have to worry about Kari, TK, or anybody else for that matter. He was a changed man.
"Hey, Davis, you used to live in Odaiba, right?" Mitzy was pleasant around Davis, although she maintained a firm attitude with people lower than her.
"Yeah, why?" Davis was not expecting anything out of the ordinary, and Mitzy didnt deliver anything out of the ordinary.
"I think I just hired somebody that moved from Odaiba. Maybe you can show him the ropes a bit." Davis smiled.
"Well, Mitz, although I was the most popular guy in Odaiba, I dont know everybody, if thats what youre thinking." Daviss mock-cocky attitude made Mitzy laugh, as Davis put aside memories of times when he said that as if he was serious.
"No, no I mean Id rather you show him around. Personally I dont know. Hes not my type. Hes the most qualified but I dont know."
"You must not know very much!" Davis quipped. Again, Mitzy laughed.
At home, Davis had completely forgotten about the incident, since it was nothing out of the ordinary between the two. Davis was just settling down to some financial statements, paying bills that he could easily afford, when he heard a knock at the door. Davis wasnt expecting anybody, but approached the door to greet whoever it was. He also heard some murmuring from the other side, one man, and one woman. Again, nothing out of the ordinary. Until he opened the door and saw TK and Kari Takaishi stealing a quick kiss.
And then Davis fainted. That was out of the ordinary.
His eyes opened. He saw the concerned face of Kari staring back at him. He blinked a few times, at which point she said, "Davis? Are you okay? Im not sure what happened."
"Am am I dreaming?"
"Whatd he say?" He couldnt see the origin of that voice, but it sounded like an older TK.
"I dont know." Kari replied to TK, then turned back to Davis. "Um do you need some water or something? This isnt quite how we expected to greet the neighbors."
"Yeah, if this is how everybody in the buildings going to greet us, were moving."
"N neighbors?" Davis slowly sat up and looked over at TK. TK looked at Davis, and cracked a half-smile.
"Yeah, we just moved in upstairs and were going around to meet the other tenants here. We didnt expect to run into you. What have you been doing all this time?"
"Um nothing. Did you say we?" Davis looked at Kari strangely. Kari returned that strange look.
"You didnt know?"
"Know what?"
"Kari and I got married ten years ago." TK walked over and put an arm around Karis shoulder as if to accentuate the point, "Didnt you get an invitation to the wedding?"
Davis felt extremely uneasy about everything. In fact, he was starting to feel nauseous, and a strong headache was coming on. He bent over again, and held his head, forcing Kari to look concerned again.
"Davis you dont look too good." Daviss headache was growing stronger, and his mood suddenly shifted and he turned to TK and snapped.
"Look, if I got an invitation I wouldve known- Im not stupid TP!" TK and Kari were immediately taken aback.
What the? Why did I say that? Ow my head.
"Davis are you okay?" Kari put a hand on Daviss shoulder. Daviss migraine continued to rack his brain, perhaps even worse than before. TK looked at his watch.
"Um Davis, why dont we do this another time? You should probably lie down. Were upstairs in 6-4. We should get going anyway, uh its almost time for uh Doraemon Tamers and we never miss an episode. Ready Kari?" TK looked anxious. Kari looked up at him and sighed.
"Yeah you should probably just get a good nights sleep. Im sure youll be fine in the morning."
"Yeah, well stop by tomorrow night if you feel better. How does that sound?"
"Uh " was all Davis was able to splurt out as TK and Kari slowly walked out and shut the door. The headache didnt go away, however, and Davis decided to take Karis advice and went to bed immediately, although it took him longer than usual for him to fall asleep.
By the next day, Davis had improved slightly, at least enough to go to work. Keeping Kari out of his head, he continued his daily routine as normal. Unfortunately, fate felt like playing with Daviss mind, and a tenant stepping out of an elevator was all it took.
"Hey, hold that open!" Daviss apartment was on the fifth floor, and he had almost been late for work a few times due to bad timing in the elevator department. Fortunately, one other person was in the elevator, and Kari poked her head out, smiled at Davis, and held the door open, allowing him to board.
"Hi, Davis! Looks like youre feeling better today. Thats good." Davis just stared at Kari and his addiction was making a speedy return. Nonetheless, Davis tried to calm down, taking a few breaths. It was working to a point. A smile like Karis is hard to resist, and Daviss head was starting to throb.
"So um, Kari going to work?" Davis nodded.
Thats safe to say. I can get through this. Start a conversation, just dont act stupid!
Safe perhaps, but Kari looked down and sighed. Before Davis could react, she immediately smiled at him again.
"Well, we just moved here because TK managed to find a job here. I should be able to find one in no time, right?"
"Of course, why would anybody not want you working " Davis stopped.
Stop now. Im getting caught up in the moment. Its too late to try anything. Shes married, shes off the market, shes gone, out of here, forget it, TK won, you lost. ITS OVER!
"Ow " That headache was getting steadily worse. Davis bent down, glancing once at Kari, who now looked concerned. This only made it worse. The feel of Karis hand on his shoulder seemed to ignite his senses, but the pain continued regardless.
"Davis are you sure youre okay?"
Shes concerned about me. Shes truly, honestly worried about me. NO! Get it out of your head! Whats wrong with me? Im acting like a twelve year old, I need to grow up and take it like a man. But God its good to feel her touch again
His thoughts were interrupted by the ding from the elevator, indicating that it had reached its destination- the ground floor. Davis tried to stand up, but Kari immediately pressed two buttons on the controls- "5" and "Close Door."
"Kari, I need to go to work." Davis was still in pain, but he wasnt one to call in sick because of a headache.
"Im sorry, Davis, but Im too nice to let you go to work in this state." Kari was stern, but her comforting touch continued to work its power. The pain continued, and Kari continued to comfort Davis. Davis, meanwhile, was having trouble deciding whether this was a good thing or a bad thing.
Help me Kari, Im in pain, I need you right now. No! I refuse to let this vile temptress ruin my life again! Not after Ive come so far. Leave me be, go off and enjoy life with your precious little TA and leave me alone but could you at least kiss me goodbye?
These splitting emotions were serving to increase his splitting headache. Kari almost dragged Davis back to his apartment. Davis took a seat on the couch, as Kari went into Daviss kitchen and returned with a cordless phone.
"Whats this for?"
"Youre calling in sick today." Kari didnt want to let somebody in Daviss condition go out on his own, and her concern for him only made Daviss illness worsen. Still, Davis managed to call up Mitzy.
"Hello?" Mitzy sounded a little down, but considering the condition Davis was in, he didnt notice.
"Mitzy? I know I promised you Id show that new guy from Odaiba around, but I feel like shit today. I wont be able to come in "
"Youve got to be kidding me! You havent called in sick in eight years and now you do it on the worst day possible!"
"Look Mitz, I have a splitting headache, and I think Im about ready to die. And besides, even if I wanted to, Kari wont let me." Kari smiled at Davis. The headache got worse.
"Kari? Whos Kari?" Mitzy seemed concerned.
"Uh never mind. Look, is the new guy that bad?"
"Who, Takaishi? Ive seen his type before. Overly polite, goofy smile, no balls at all." Mitzy scoffed.
"Wait Takaishi? TK Takaishi?" Davis looked up at Kari, who returned the look, interested.
"Oh, you know him?"
"Yeah, hes an old friend of mine. Moved in upstairs." The headache was continually throbbing, but Davis tried ignoring it. Mitzy was particularly moody, and he had to maintain his normal attitude to keep her friendship.
"Ah. That must be why you have the headache. Well, Ill let you go. Hope you get better Davis."
"Yeah see ya." Davis turned the phone off, handed it to Kari, felt the intense pain and intense pleasure of feeling their hands coming into contact, and moved his hands to his temples.
"Looks like TMs working at the same place I am." Kari smiled.
"Oh, thats a little strange. Although I wish youd remember his name more often."
"Hey, I got it right when Mitzy asked." Davis almost snapped again, but Kari smiled slyly.
"Oh, Mitzy, huh? Somebody special at work, Davis?" Kari was intrigued, almost as if she was rooting him on.
"Uh no! Were only friends, nothing else!" Kari lost her smile and stared at him oddly.
"O kay. I was just wondering. I um, I believe you." Kari was visibly hesitant, and unsure of what to say.
"Good. You know that youre " Davis almost spit it out. He managed to catch himself. Kari just looked concerned as the migraine continued to flare.
"Davis " Kari seemed to be concerned about something else, however, "please dont be offended, but I just want to make sure. You have gotten over that little crush you had on me havent you?" Again, the pain flared up, worse than before, and not allowing Davis to answer. Kari immediately dropped the issue, and attempted to tend to her friend in pain.
A few hours passed, and with the help of some heavy-duty aspirin, Davis had improved somewhat. He was still lying down. Kari could never leave somebody in that condition, and stayed with him, only leaving to run upstairs every so often. She returned from this particular errand, and sat down in a nearby chair.
"I wrote TK a note telling him Id be down here." Davis nodded quietly, and Kari continued, "Its a shame youre sick, because you never got to show us around. I love what youve done to this place. Its a lot nicer that the rats nest we have."
"Well, some of Mitzys friends helped redecorate. It used to be a rats nest." Davis tried to remain composed. It was a little easier when a normal conversation was being held.
"Well its nice. Very nice. And youve gotten a good job "
"Im on a soccer team too."
"Wow. Thats just great " Kari was smiling but a look in her eyes suggested that it was just for show. Davis remained silent, fighting off his headache, as Kari continued, "Im glad one of us is making it."
"What, you and TK arent?" Davis was concerned, but also a bit relieved that he actually said TKs name right.
"Well " Kari obviously didnt want to talk about it, but managed to continue, "were getting by. Its been rough, but we are managing. Its just that after the fire "
"Fire?" Davis lifted his head in surprise, then quickly discovered that its inadvisable to lift your head in surprise when suffering from a massive migraine. He sat back down on the pillow.
"We lost everything. We obviously had insurance, but not everythings replaceable. TK wasnt sure where he wanted to go in life, and he was in kind of on a creative kick. Wrote a few stories, even tried his hand at art. It was really good work too but we lost it."
"Im sorry."
"Its okay." The look on Karis face suggested it was not okay, "Were managing. TKs old work had some cutbacks and he was laid off. But he managed to get a job here, and I know I can too. Were going to be fine I hope." Kari looked down and sighed. It was clear that life as a grown-up wasnt all it was cracked up to be, and was starting to take its toll. Davis couldnt help but feel sorry.
"Kari " Kari looked up at Davis.
"Im sorry, Davis. I shouldnt be troubling you with my problems. Especially not in your condition. Im probably only making your headache worse. Do you need anything?"
"Um. No Im fine." Daviss headache was getting worse after that story, but he didnt feel compelled to ask for anything.
"Okay. TK should be coming home pretty soon. I should go." Kari stood up and slowly walked out.
Davis was alone again, and he still wasnt sure how to react to Karis story. Part of him was thankful for what he had. Part of him felt sorry for Kari. Part of him felt happy since he was beating TK in something. But part of him knew that that wasnt the case, as TK still had the one thing he wanted. And Davis had another moment of weakness.
Kari doesnt deserve that life. She deserves better. Shes obviously not happy and if she deserves anything in life, its to be happy. Shes not getting it with TK and
Davis was almost used to the pain, but it continued to persist, and it was somehow continuing to become increasingly unbearable. Davis was no doctor, but he was starting to develop a hunch as to why he was getting this headache. After years of depriving himself of any thoughts of Kari, the issue was suddenly being forced on him. And it was too much for him to take. He let out a agonizing moan, but this time there was nobody to tend to him.
The pain was continuing, and Kari returned about five minutes later.
"TK will be down in a minute oh my God, are you okay?" Seeing that Davis had gotten worse, Kari rushed to him. She hated seeing a friend in this kind of pain. She was a bit hesitant, but with lack of any better way to comfort him, she held him, simply to let him know he wasnt alone in fighting this.
"Am am I dying?" Davis asked, although at this point he didnt know which response he desired.
"No! Dont say that Davis, its going to be okay. Just hang on. Were going to get through this together, got that?"
"K Kari " This was tearing Davis further and further away. What didnt improve the situation was TK, who happened to conclude his trip downstairs and walked in at that moment. He was having a bad day, and the sight of his wife holding another man wasnt improving things much. He wasnt sure how to react, and simply stood there.
--
Fate works in mysterious ways. And for the next year, the situation didnt improve. As bad as it seemed at the time, things would only get worse, as other factors would enter into the equation. But the story is far too complex to explain through the eyes of only Davis Motomiya, and the remainder of the tale can only be told fairly if looked upon through Kari and TK Takaishi.
Authors Notes
That was certainly
different, wasnt it? If you
find this whole scenario a little hard to swallow, I understand
completely. In fact, I even did a little research to see if this
concept was really possible. I didnt get a clear yes or no
(and modified the original concept slightly since it was even
more far-fetched), but I did come across an interesting thing. I
found a test which determined whether somebodys
relationship was built on love or infatuation, and ran it through
based on Daviss persona and feelings for Kari. Out of a
possible 130 (130 being pure love, 0 being pure infatuation),
Davis scored right smack dab in the middle with a 65. So
therefore- anything goes!!
This is a bit of a different style from previous chapters since Davis, Kari, and TK have pretty much the same plot, unlike the others (i.e. Matt was a major part of Mimis plot, but he had his own plot when we got to him). Kari and TKs chapters will continue the story through their eyes, and believe me, I have enough twists and turns to cover it. Another big difference is that the reunion wasnt mentioned here, since this chapter ends about a year before the reunion is to take place. The actual invitation probably wont arrive until TKs chapter, which is all the way up at chapter eleven.
Im sure that die-hard Takari fans are extremely nervous right now. I cant possibly be a Dakari fan, right? I wont answer that, but merely say what I always do when introducing controversial material to my stories- I know what Im doing. Just keep reading.
Mitsune Bekomis namesake is the character Mitsune Konno from the anime Love Hina. Shes a cool character, and theres an interesting parallel if you feel like looking up who her Japanese voice actor is, and her other roles. Shell be a contestant in my upcoming fic "The Mole 2: Anime Edition," along with the three Tamer kids. The older versions of the Adventure kids will be making regular cameos, however.
Speaking of Tamers, Doraemon Tamers is a reference to both the upcoming Digimon Tamers and Doraemon, an anime in Japan (which is definitely not a ripoff of Digimon). When making up a name for a TV show, being referential is just plain cool. Also, the city of Nerima is the setting for the anime Ranma ½, although that is done simply as a reference, not as a crossover invitation.
I know youre are probably looking forward to Karis
chapter the most, but next up is the other Kamiya!
Chapter Six- Tai
Sora Takenouchi found her man, and is living happily with
him. Tai isnt that man, but he doesnt really care.
Theyve been through everything together, and continue their
friendship as if nothings happened. Because why would
Soras husband be an interference? Hes nice, hes
smart, he treats Sora well, and he likes Tai. But at this stage
in their lives, the bond between two friends like Tai and Sora
can only grow so close without a little romantic attraction. And
even the slightest romantic attraction has the potential to lead
to big problems.