A/n: Konichiwa minna-san! Arigato so very much for reading and review my fic! ^^ Now here is chapter three, hope you like it. And please review tell me how you think of it…^^… the couple is not decided yet, -__-... I already have an ending in mind, but which couple to end up with is not decided yet, so please keep up on voting! ^^ Arigato again!



Chapter Three



Rika untied her hair for the night, her orange hair fall down smoothly on her shoulder. Soon she changed into her pyjamas, she looked at herself in the mirror, then took the comb on the table and starting brushing her hair smoothly in order. After she finished with the combing, she turned off the light in her room, ready to sleep. Rika looked at the ceiling as she lay on the bed flatly. Staring at the ceiling thinking of what had happened that day; she recalled the conversation between her and Henry and how he cared for her very small injury on the hand. The scene where Henry tried to put the bandage for her, and how he asked her if she’s okay played in Rika’s head. She turned her body to the left side, still thinking, her eyes were puzzled.

‘Why…? Why did he even care? No one ever cared about me before, they only fear me…but he’s different…he doesn’t fear me at all…why?’ Confusions grew more in her violet eyes. ‘ And…why do I care if he cares or not…?’ That was the question made her puzzled the most, she never cared about any other things in life except herself and her digimon. She kept on thinking about it that night until she couldn’t open her eyes anymore, for the first time Rika fall asleep with someone on her mind.

***

The next morning Rika went to school extremely early, earlier than anyone else in the class. She walked into the classroom and walked to where Henry’s spot, then she slowly took out a small note from her pocket and put it on the desk. As soon as she put the note down she walked out from the classroom, class wasn’t going to start until 8:20, and she still has about an hour before that, so Rika decided to have a cup of coffee at the coffee shop right beside the school. As Rika walked towards the coffee shop, she saw Ryo walk towards her. Ryo soon saw Rika too, and he smiled at her as he walked closer.

“Good Morning Rika!” Ryo greeted cheerfully. Rika just nodded and kept on walking; Ryo followed her as they walked side by side.

“Um… school is over there, why are you walking this way?” Ryo asked. Rika frowned a little, getting a little annoyed.

“I’m going to the coffee shop to get some coffee, it’s too early to go to school right now.” Rika said in her usual tone.

“Oh…”Ryo looked down his watch on his wrist, 7:45 it showed, then looked at Rika again. “Um…do you mind if I come with you?”

“Whatever you want.” That was all Rika’s reply; a small smile appeared on Ryo’s face. They kept on walking and soon they reached the coffee shop. Ryo being a gentleman opened the door for Rika, Rika said nothing as she stepped in, and Ryo followed her closed the door behind. After they’ve entered, they picked a nice spot near the window and sat down across each other. The shop isn’t very fancy and formal, it was just a normal and small coffee shop, and there weren’t much people because it was early in the morning. Ryo and Rika both ordered hot chocolate, they waited patiently in their seat and soon the waitress brought up two hot chocolate and placed them on the table. They both started drinking in silence, but not soon enough Ryo broke the silence.

“ Why are you this early today?” he asked, knowing that fact that Rika usually don’t come to school until 8:15 or later.

“No reason, just feel like it.” Rika simply replied. Ryo nodded, he knew Rika was lying to him, but he didn’t want to ask more ‘cause he knew Rika wouldn’t tell him anyway. They both went silence again, looking outside the window as they drank their hot chocolate. It was in the middle of October, leaves started falling off from the trees that planted along the sidewalk, and the weather is getting cold. They could see some students walking pass by the coffee shop towards school, soon there were more students walking pass by. Ryo looked at his watch, 8:10, they should get back to school now.

“Rika, I think we should get back to school now.” Ryo suggested, Rika finished up her hot chocolate, and then they paid for the bill before they left. Meanwhile, Henry walked into the classroom, there were already some students in the room. He walked to his seat; the first thing he noticed was the small note laying on the surface of his desk. Curiously he took the note in his hand and unfolded it, there was only one line on the note and it says:

‘Meet me in front of the school entrance after school, we are going to the library. Rika” Henry blinked, read it over again making sure it was Rika’s handwriting, then a smile appeared on his face. Soon the rest of the students were there, and their math teacher Ms Yoshikawa entered the classroom to begin the first listen of the day.

***

Henry leaned against the wall of the school entrance with his bag pack, students were walking out from the school and separated into two ways. Henry soon saw whom he was waiting for, he smiled as she came up to him and stopped in front of him.

“So, are you ready to go?” Henry asked. Rika just turned and started walking to the direction where the library was located. Henry shrugged, ‘guess I’ll take that as a yes’ he thought then followed her behind.

When they arrived the library, they picked the same spot where they sat yesterday and they took the seat across each other. Henry took out some papers from his bag there were diagrams on each paper.

“Here are some diagrams I drew yesterday, after you left. They are only side view and front view of the bird house.” Explained Henry. Rika took the papers in her hand, and looked at them carefully, the drawings are very technical and accurate. Rika nodded and then looked at Henry.

“They are okay, that’s how I wanted to design the bird house. I’ll finish up the top view and side views. Why don’t you work on the description?” Rika ordered, Henry didn’t like how Rika ordered him but he didn’t say anything anyway. They soon began to work in silence. Henry and Rika were very quick workers; they finished what they had to do in a short time. Henry looked at his watch; it was time for them to leave, so they started packing their bag.

“Thanks for coming today, we finished all the diagrams today. Now all we have to do is to start building the model.” Henry said as he put his notebooks in his bag.

“Actually I didn’t expect you to wait for me today.” Rika said softly, she usually doesn’t talk to anyone that soft, but she doesn’t know why whenever she looked into those grey eyes of his, she couldn’t seem to get angry or being so cold to him.

“Oh? Why not?” Henry looked at her curiously.

“Well, why could you? It’s just a small note, and besides how can you be sure it was me who wrote it.” Rika explained putting her pencil case inside.

“ Why wouldn’t I?” Henry asked back with a smile on his face. Rika blinked, and then lowered her head.

“Oh well, I have to go now.” With that Rika zipped her bag and started walking towards the elevator.

***

Days and days flow by, as time passed Henry and Rika’s project was coming to the end as well. Rika couldn’t help but feeling a little disappointed inside. She knew once the project is end, they won’t have any chance to be alone again, and Rika enjoyed being together with Henry. Somehow she felt that Henry could understand her, and when she’s around him she felt happy. But Rika never showed this feeling, she didn’t tell she had this feeling inside; she wasn’t sure what it was. Sometimes she got mad at herself for having such feelings towards someone, she always believed hat feelings are weak and useless, and she wouldn’t allow herself to be a weak useless person. But Rika felt happy when she knew that someone understood her in this world, it made her feel she’s not alone anymore.

It was the last day of their project; tomorrow they’ll have to hand in the project to the teacher. Henry and Rika were sitting on the spot they’ve always sat every time they came to library. Their model is almost done, the only work left for them to do is the painting part, which they already have all the tools they needed. While they were working, Rika didn’t speak a single word, which got Henry’s attention, even though Henry knew Rika doesn’t like to talk, but still it made him worried.

“What’s wrong Rika? You look…depressed”

“Nothing, I’m fine” She lied.

“No, you are not. You are obviously worried about something.” Henry protested. Rika went silence, Henry looked into her eyes, those cold violet eyes somehow held a little emotions, just a little but he could see it.

“It’s okay Rika, just tell me.” He said softly. Rika looked into his sincere eyes, and then sighed.

“I was just thinking…it’s stupid though…actually I don’t know why I would think this way…but I did… it’s so stupid!” Henry laughed slightly then he looked at Rika.

“It’s okay, just say it, I won’t laugh at you.” Henry assured her, Rika sighed again.

“I was just wondering if we…we could have another chance to be…like this after this project…” Rika said quietly, but loud enough for Henry to hear. Henry first blinked, and then smiled right after.

“Of course, we are friends now, we can hangout anytime you want.” Henry said, Rika looked at him, then smiled, not just a small smile, but a true, warm smile that anyone had never seen it from Rika. For some reason, Rika felt a lot better, she felt released and content; it was the first time she felt that way since her mom and dad got divorced. She sure is glad she could feel that feeling again.

***

Several weeks passed by; the weather’s getting colder as the time passed. Rika zipped the zipper of her jacket as she walked on the street. It was Saturday; she just went to the library to get some books for her research project, and now she’s on her way to home. There weren’t so many people walking on the street because of the bad weather. Rika looked up to the cloudy sky, the wind was strong, and soon there would be a very heavy rain.

‘Oh, that’s just great! It wasn’t suppose to rain today, if I don’t walk faster I’ll get all soaked.’ Thought Rika, fasting her pace a little. Soon, the rain began, and got heavier and heavier, thankfully Rika wore a waterproofed jacket, but her hair got all wet. Suddenly she felt something above her head had covered the rain for her, she looked up and saw a black umbrella, and then she turned to her left side and saw Ryo was walking besides her holding the umbrella over their head. Ryo smiled at her, she just turned her head back and kept on walking.

“Why are you following me?” Rika asked coldly.

“You need an umbrella.” Ryo simply said.

“Isn’t your home the opposite way?”

“Well yes, but I want to walk you home first then I’ll go home.”

“Why would you do that?” Rika’s getting annoyed, she stopped her pace, so did Ryo. They stood there side by side in the rain with Ryo’s umbrella over their head.

“Um…I don’t want you to get all wet.”

“Why do you care?”

“I just do…” Rika finally looked up to see him then lowered her head again.

“Look, whatever it is, the answer is no. So stop wasting your time trying to be nice to me, I won’t buy it!” with that she continued on walking, Ryo soon followed behind her.

“I’m not trying to be nice to you, I really don’t want you to get all wet and couldn’t finish your project for next Monday because you were sick all weekend.” Ryo explained. Rika didn’t say anything; she kept on walking in silence.

“Actually I have something I meant to tell you long time ago…Rika…” Ryo said softly.

“Then say it.”

“Um…I…you see…I…” Ryo tried to say it, but he couldn’t bring the words together. Rika got annoyed again.

“Just say it already!”

“Okay, here goes nothing. I really like you Rika!”

***

End of Chapter three.

A/n: that was chapter three, it took me two days to get it done!^^ Sorry for not getting it done sooner, this chapter seemed to be harder than I thought it would be. But anyways, I’m finished^^ I tried really really hard to keep them in character, especially Rika; they were really hard to write… for me at least…so sorry if they are OOC and sorry if they are...crappy…-__- And the couple is not decided yet… but the ending is… so keep on voting^^ Thanks and please review^^.