Nene placed one arm above the other while a deep frown set on her face. She let is pass, for now.The forever mysterious smirk Nene portrayed later rested well upon her features as he questioned her. She only shrugged it off, deciding to answer his previous question instead. “I don’t know, did you want me to be jealous?” Without much effort she turned the question back at him, looking at him mockingly.
He then looked at her, then not, making it seem like he rejected a thought he had just had. Nene remained quiet, waiting for whatever sort of response he would give her.
“If I don’t recall wrong, you once said you were captivated by my charms.” With her own tongue faltering she stopped, glanced at him and then shook her head lightly. Why was even that brought up? She didn’t even know that herself. “You know, just to be more accurate, you have said that before, so again, thanks for that comment.” She looked away, feeling like she made a complete fool of herself while babbling all that. It made no sense.
Collecting herself she sighed and closed her eyes before returning back. “Can I share something?” Her face was expressionless as she wanted to share something she hadn’t told anyone else. “I miss the old days.” Another pause was made before she resumed, straightening her back. “I can’t even shop for groceries without someone recognizing me. You could say I sometimes wish I wasn’t famous, because then, I could hang out with whoever I wanted to, do whatever I felt like…”
It wasn’t necessary for Kiriha to know this, but he was the only one Nene felt confident enough to share such information with. “A-anyway.. that wasn’t relevant at all, I just needed to get it off my chest,” she hurriedly added and her face regained her normal expression.
All the while, his visage still held the slight vexation he felt. Kiriha didn’t even bother masking his displeasure as he kept silent at her remark. Because when it boiled down to it, what was the point of doing so? Poker faces may be within his line of expertise, but he shouldn’t dismiss the fact that Nene still had a finesse for sensing fraudulence when it counted, and no doubt did she have a sharp eye for it.
At least, that was the Nene he remembered her to be. Although things may have changed over time, be it within themselves or their ties, Kiriha still stuck firm to the belief that her more engaging qualities remained the same – if not progressed into something more reputable than they already were.
And he had to wonder. If she knew how high of an opinion he held for her… How would she react? What sort of face would she make if she realized that?
Kiriha could only guess.
”… And I still am. That’s another thing that hasn’t changed about me.“
Curiosity piqued, a lift of his eyebrow was all that was needed to urge the other to continue after her inquiry. He’d rather not dwell too much about the way her expressions seemed to change prior, lest he’d take her next words for granted.
And listen attentively he did. He made no comment throughout her humbled admittance and simply let her speak out her mind. And through it all, somehow… he felt just a little bit relieved, perhaps even glad. That Nene was willing enough to disclose this sort of thing to him, among other things. But then again, it was a given. She had his respect, and he had hers.
At least, he believed so.
Her words finally concluded, Kiriha took it as his turn to speak. Parted lips let out a quiet exhale of breath; a calm sigh.
"So tell me, Nene. With all that said and done… Do you regret it?”
It was a simple question. How she might perceive that question to mean, however, was up to her; whether he referred to her choice to become an idol, or if it was about sharing her thoughts with him. It didn’t matter which or what.
What did matter to him was if she was satisfied – as long as she hasn’t made any choices so far worth regretting, no matter how little or big they are, then that was more than enough for him.
(Source: kruisvuur)
“I don’t know what to think really.” She glanced his way. “You seem confusing all of a sudden,“ she said afterwards and looked away at nothing. And still not fond of the idea to share anymore information, Nene shrugged at him. Why so secretive. He must know that she would just continue nagging him on about it sooner or later.
Just half ignoring to answer her returning question, Kiriha had decided to turn the questions on her now. She tilted her head a little bit downwards, at the same time giggling slightly.
"Would you be jealous if I said ‘yes’?” She placed a teasing stare at him and leaned in as if she wanted to take a closer look at him, while again crossing her arms. Why he would be interested in her private life seemed like something he usually wouldn’t care much about, and Nene thought it was because he wanted to lead the attention away from him for a little while.
“My charms are very popular among the boys as a matter of fact.” Her expression almost showing bragging, but she decided not to and only smiled mysteriously.
She hesitated to continue for a second, taking a step back from Kiriha. “But you know what? None.“ She shook her head lightly and let the words sink in for the other one. “No guys have been able to captivate my heart. I haven’t had time as you would probably understand given my circumstances this previous year.” She gazed at him, awaiting another one of his sneaky comments.
“Oh?” The corner of his lips seemed to tug into a slight frown at that. “How so?” It was a rhetorical question; of course he knew why she told him so. He wasn’t about to admit it, however. Not so soon, at the very least. Because knowing Nene, he had a feeling she might bring up the subject again sooner or later. He just hoped it was more later than sooner – if not, well, diversion tactics were still right up his alley.
His lips tugged themselves back into a faint smirk, however. “Jealous? …I’m sorry, were you hoping I was?” It was almost laughable to him. If it weren’t for the way Nene peered up at him scrutinizingly. His smirk faded, and the discontented frown returned as he looked back at her. “…What?”
He wasn’t about to let himself get thrown off his pace by this girl. There was no way she’d be serious about that inquiry – her expression gave it away. Yet, he couldn’t think of another thing to say without it possibly backfiring later on. And so he kept silent as he listened to her, feeling more than a little miffed.
He’d caught his full attention with her admittance, however. Briefly, his eyes seemed to concentrate on her, contemplating as he tuned in her words. That was… unexpected, to summarize his thoughts in a word. Nene, the rising idol, still single? Another thought crossed his mind that almost made him smirk. He had to wonder how her fans think of that.
…Which brought up another thought.
She was an idol. Of course she’d be single, if her agency was one of those groups that didn’t allow their hired agents to have relationships outside of work. He was familiar with some stories about idols being forbidden from dating by the companies they work for; for the sake of keeping fans deluded into the idols’ appeals. Single idols were easier to market to the public. And that was just one of the heavy stigmas an idol would face… or so he’d heard.
He felt his lips part ever so slightly to speak, but his tongue faltered. Expression allayed into a mask of disdain, Kiriha let his eyes trail away from her.
“I see,” was all he could say to that. “That’s a shame for someone with your charms. Even I can say that.” Though he felt like saying much more. But honestly, what else was there for him to say? It wasn’t even his place to say them.
(Source: kruisvuur)
Nene knew that her sudden change of behavior would make Kiriha unsure of her motives behind everything. It was just what she wanted. He couldn’t possibly have foreseen this change at least, and by the looks of it he hadn’t. She didn’t plan on going on with it for long though, as she would soon enough fall back to her first ‘digging’ of why he was back. Nene giggled when he turned his head around and looked at her with a full view. He didn’t speak at first, which made Nene even more amused.
“Geez Kiriha.. you are so easy to throw off guard. You should really work on that.” She crossed her arms in sheer amusement. Loving the expression his face made.
“A special someone… like a girl..” she stared at him dumbfound. “Don’t tell me you haven’t had at least a fling while traveling the world?” Nene wasn’t sure if she was supposed to feel disappointed or not. Had he really been alone this past year? That thought actually made Nene somewhat sad. She knew being alone wasn’t fun, but then again Kiriha had never been the type of guy to spend his time in larger groups. Tossing that thought aside she went back to being curious. She expected an answer, raising her eyebrow at him in the process.
He simply grunted at her teasing tone, still frowning. “I wouldn’t say that if I were you… If anything I’d say I’m a lot better off than most people can handle. I’m sure you’d know.”
Blue eyes darted back to glance at the other, showing just the slightest hint of surprise. Although he had already guessed as to what Nene meant by a ‘special someone’ before he even voiced out his question, he still felt skeptical about the credibility of her inquiry. It made him wonder what her reasoning could be for asking him that. But then again, this was the ever-curious and mysterious Nene he was talking about, so perhaps he shouldn’t be surprised by her prodding at all.
Noticing her expression, his frown deepened – even more so as he listened to her words. So all this time she assumed he might’ve been playing around during his stay abroad? The mere thought of that actually made him feel somewhat offended.
“No… not at all,” Kiriha murmured, scowl softening somewhat with discontent, but it was still there. “Is that strange? …Do I really look like the type who’d just waste his time fooling around with girls?”
Earlier skepticism forgotten for the moment, he slowly stepped up to her, the deep frown still etched on his features that masked the faint traces of disappointment he felt on the inside. “Don’t underestimate me, Nene. You of all people should know that I have more self-respect than that. Or am I wrong?”
(Source: kruisvuur)
“And it looks like you’re just dyingto change the subject.” Nene rolled her eyes at Kiriha’s overused sarcasm. She would normally get really annoyed at that, but now his secrecy intrigued her of wanting to know more which then again made her look past his sarcasm filled uttering. She wouldn’t back down, but neither would he. At the looks of it they could stand like this for the rest of the day. At least Nene was persistent to do so.Maybe she should just let him think he had won this battle for then to bring it up again later? It sure was tempting. “Fine, fine…” she made a brushing movement with her right hand as she glanced to her side. “I’ll stop snooping around.. it really isn’t my business either way,” she said and still looked to her side, looking uninterested all of a sudden.
Folding her hands behind her back she rocked back and forth slowly using her lower body and standing on her toes. She remained silent for a few minutes, creating a somewhat awkward silence between the two. She had to break the ice somehow, and she knew just how to do it. “I think it’s time you tell me more about yourself.” She moved her eyes back at him and wouldn’t take them off of his, creating a serious tension. “Got a special someone in your life?” Narrowing her brows into an amused frown she could hardly stop herself from giggling, even before she had seen his reaction. She just had an idea of how it would look like.
He had to stop himself from scoffing at Nene’s response, and instead brushed it off. It really didn’t take a genius to figure out that he was dodging her questions, he knew that much. And it especially didn’t take much guessing on Nene’s part to interpret his motives with his actions. How she chooses to interpret them though was up to her, but he could take a good guess. It seemed that he was somewhat in the clear though; he could still keep her guessing. She doesn’t have to know… But at this rate, if Nene was going to keep probing him about it, he didn’t think he’d be able to hold for as long as he’d expect to.
Though her next statement caught him off-guard for a moment. What? She was backing down already? That… wasn’t really like her at all. He expected her to stay firm like the stubborn woman he knew she was. But then again, wasn’t this exactly what he wanted? Kiriha scowled a little at himself. That might be so, but still. The way she looked just as indifferent as she was curious prior a few moments ago was rather dubious to him.
And just when he thought she couldn’t get any more puzzling. What did she mean ‘to tell her more about himself’? Didn’t she already know enough about him? He was about to voice out his question when her question stopped him short.
“…Specia– what?” He turned his head and fully faced her, confounded by her words. A moment’s pause, and his lips shaped themselves into a dissatisfied scowl. Why would she ask him that of all things? “Nene, what are you talking about?”
(Source: kruisvuur)
Noticing how he changed at her words she covered her mouth and started giggling. “Caught you off guard there didn’t I?” She asked and she calmed down the laughing while her expression went back to normal. ”But thanks.. it means a lot when you to say that. Really,” she said with a smile in the corner of her mouth.While he spoke about it being someone from his family Nene only had her hands folded behind her back, tilting her head to the side while looking at him. “If it’s family business then I can understand.” She looked bluntly to her right, making sure he didn’t see her frowning. All she wanted to was to dig further into the matter, but it really looked like he didn’t want to share such delicate information.
“I won’t settle with a nutshell.” She gazed at nothing in particular and then back at him with a smirk. “I’ve got all day.. now spill it.” She had that satisfied/ mischievous type of smirk. He probably wanted her to drop it, but she rarely let unknown info that sparked her mind go.
He still didn’t dare look her way, and a small grunt was the only sign that he acknowledged her expression of gratitude. The passive, indifferent look on his face clearly showed he had no intention of saying any more of what was on his mind, yet she still didn’t seem to falter at all. Couldn’t she tell when not to press an issue any further? Didn’t she get the message?
No, he was pretty sure she got his message alright. She just chose to disregard it. And then again, perhaps he couldn’t blame her for her curiosity. After all, it had been a while since he’d suddenly returned to Japan, and surely this time Nene thought it was her chance to speak up, unlike the last time he pulled off his disappearing act during the battle against Quartzmon where they had barely enough time for chit-chat, let alone arriving at the fight scene. That was what he assumed of her, at least.
Ultimately, he closed his eyes and let out a sigh through his nose, then chanced a glance at her. It was clear she wasn’t gonna buy any sort of excuses. But he was just as stubborn as she was, if not more. “Listen, I’d love to talk to you about those matters, since you look like you’re just dying to know about them,” sarcastic tone still intact, he glanced away from her, “But trust me, there isn’t a lot to say about them. It’s not like someone who’s not even related to that issue would care anyway.” Although that wasn’t the real issue that plagued his mind, actually. But he’d rather keep this conversation in this direction rather than that.
(Source: kruisvuur)
“Brilliant huh? If I’m not mistaken you like my music,” Nene said crossing her arms, with a satisfied smirk plastered on her face. “And you do care about me after all!” She continued with her same pose, only throwing in a small, teasing laugh.Nene had always wanted to travel to as many different countries as possible, so when she heard he had been in America she couldn’t help but get curious about how it was there. However, that would have to wait for another time. “I’m curious to know who these people are. Do I know them?” When he turned around though Nene got a feeling there was more behind his reasons for coming back. “So… are you going to tell me?” She walked in front of him and stared at him. “I can tell there’s more behind your words…” she pointed out.
“I will tell you when I got here and if I’ve met the others right after you tell me everything behind your return.” She started tapping her foot against the ground, not budging from her case while her arms formed into yet another crossing.
“Frankly, who wouldn’t love your music,” Kiriha responded without hesitation, still smirking. But as her laugh and remark reached his ears, he seemed to stiffen briefly, and his expression turned unreadable before he simply glanced away from her, vaguely scowling to himself. How she was able to throw him off his own game with one simple statement was beyond him…
Her sudden curiosity was something he expected, however; he had a feeling she was going to prod him about it, whether he liked it or not. After all, who wouldn’t want to know more about the whereabouts of the Blue Flare General who just seemed to have vanished into the world? Unfortunately for Nene, he still wasn’t too keen on sharing much of his thought process.
“They’re just people from my family, don’t bother with that,” he muttered huskily, a bit harder than he intended to. He caught himself, then murmured out, “…Sorry. No, you don’t know them… really. It’s better if you don’t ask.”
He sighed. This girl sure can be one stubborn lady when she wants to. “Fine. I wasn’t having a lot of luck with studying abroad; I couldn’t to get into this school my father had wanted to enroll me in. It’s a lot more complicated than that, but that’s it in a nutshell. Happy?” Although it was the truth, it wasn’t the whole truth. But, giving her his serious, yet sincere expression, he only hoped she would take his explanation without questioning him any further. He really didn’t want her to get involved…
(Source: kruisvuur)
“I wouldn’t really say a lot.. but thanks.” Nene placed her hands behind her back as she had a locked gaze at him. It was good that at least someone noticed how hard she had worked this past year. “I’m still at it, it’s just that Hong Kong wasn’t where I wanted to be. I’ve missed this place, more than I initially though. My friends… and my family,” she pointed out as she replied to his question. “I’ve actually decided to move back to Japan, so I guess you won’t get rid off me that easily.” She smiled a little, a light giggle following.He didn’t seem too keen on answering questions though, rather asking them himself. “You seem a bit secretive.. but aren’t you supposed to be out exploring the world?” She looked away for a second. “I didn’t really expect you to be back either.”
“I wouldn’t say that if I were you,” Kiriha shook his head and looked back at her with a faint smile. “You did a brilliant job; I’ll bet your fans couldn’t agree more.”
He kept silent as he listened to her answer. “…I never expected you to be back this soon, but I see where you’re getting at.” He then chuckled a little. “Heh, guess so. Glad to know you’re back either way.”
“Secretive?” He lifted an eyebrow, lips growing into a smirk. “Maybe. I just came back from America really. Moving in ‘cause I’ve got a score to settle with some people… and family matters.”
He turned away for a moment. He wasn’t too sure on whether to tell her his other reasoning for returning to Japan; that he was investigating the whereabouts of the remainder Digimon in the human world. He didn’t know if she was aware of it yet, and if she wasn’t, he thought it’d be best to keep her out of it. She needn’t get herself involved.
“So? When did you get arrive?” He glanced back at her. “Have you met up with everyone else yet?”
(Source: kruisvuur)
“Kiriha…” Nene gazed over at her friend, whom she hadn’t seen for over a year. He seemed to be very much shocked that he had found her here, in Japan.. considering that the last time they met were in Hong Kong.She didn’t move either, but she started to smile faintly as the seconds went by. It was good to see her friends again. “How are you?” She asked and her smile grew bigger. He looked like himself. That distinguished hair and clothing style were still there.
Kiriha were probably wondering why she was back in Japan, but she was sort of wondering the same. Didn’t he continue on his journey around the world? She couldn’t really remember after all this time. And when it seemed like none of them were taking the first step she decided to it, walking and stopping in front of the boy. “You definitely haven’t changed much,” she pointed out as she analyzed his both his wardrobe and his behavior.
He watched from his stance as the girl began to approach him, unmoving and still bearing a half surprised, half questioning look on his face. But as she came up to him, his perplexed expression ebbed away, slowly replaced with a slight trace of a smile on his lips.
“…I’ve been doing okay, thanks,” he responded simply. Simple and brief – that was all he’d want to say to her question, really. Because he had questions himself. After all, she was among the people he’d least expect to run into – and not in a bad way, rather he thought she was still on the go with pursuing her career as an idol, and he definitely didn’t expect to meet her here of all places. A pure coincidence. And looking at her right now, he could see how far her efforts have gotten her. She’s changed a lot from the last time he’d seen her, since the battle against Quartzmon.
She’s grown since then.
Kiriha just smirked at her remark. “Heh, glad to know then. And you,” he then folded his arms, still smirking, but with a more lighthearted feel to it, “You’ve changed a lot.” He shook his head slightly, then added, “And that’s a good thing; I can tell you’ve been working hard.”
“So? What brings you here?” He continued, lifting a curious eyebrow as he went straight for his question. “Didn’t think you’d be back already. Weren’t you still at it at Hong Kong?”
(Source: kruisvuur)
Finally, a chance to settle down for a while. What with all the fuss his aunt made over the moving arrangements and the things needed to be unpacked, he was fairly relieved that it was over for now. Being cooped up in his new but small apartment certainly wasn’t something he’d planned on spending the rest of his day for.
…But then again, he didn’t have anything particular to do in mind once he got out of there, either. He wasn’t too keen about seeing his other relatives today – or anytime soon really – and neither was standing by idly among his top choices. So he supposed he might as well explore the neighborhood and get familiar. Kiriha glanced down at his cellphone for a moment, before quietly sighing through his nose and pocketing it. He’d also need to buy a new SIM card. Probably dinner too.
Raising his head, he let his eyes trail over the greenery belonging to the wide recreational park that he’d chanced upon, before taking a step and moving on. Although he preferred having a more active life, taking a break and indulging himself with some peace and quiet wasn’t too bad at all. Especially after some hard, busy days.
His feet slowly forced themselves to a halt, however, as his eyes picked up the sight of a familiar face, just a distance away. Skeptical at first, he did a double take to make sure he wasn’t mistaken, but his doubts were quickly replaced by pure surprise, eyebrows raised.
“…Nene?”
But… Why is she here in Japan? Wasn’t she busy at Hong Kong these days?
