Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ hollow ❯ From where ( Chapter 3 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

______From where_____________


"Hey, you don't have to walk. I told you I could give you a ride on my bike." Ryo said
trying desperately to get Ruki's attention. "Ruki? Hello? Ruki, I said I'd give you a ride-"

"No, that's all right Ryo. I'm perfectly capable of walking home on my own. Besides,
what would my mother think if she saw me out with a guy, this late." Ruki said, eyes
fixed ahead. It wasn't very late. The sun was close to setting, but not quite. There was
still enough daylight out that coming home this late wouldn't raise too many alarms.

They walked in silence all the way to her house. She made her way through the gate
and Ryo followed her.

"Ruki..." Ryo called as Ruki reached the door. "Ruki, you know, if you really don't
like me, than maybe you shouldn't join up with us. I don't want any internal conflicts
affecting anything out in the field. And with me being the manager, if you can't stand
to see me than it's probably better if you stay out of it. Look, I'm really sorry I
brought this in on you. If you don't want to do this, I understand, I-"

"Shut up." Ruki said, suddenly, cutting him off. Ryo looked a bit stunned for a moment,
sporting a look of uncertainty. "Who said that...that...I, I mean. I don't hate you. I don't
like you...but I definately don't hate you either." Ruki said, fumbling with the lock.

Ryo beamed at her. "Thanks Ruki. It's nice to hear that."

Ruki waited outside, still pretending to be messing with the door. She waited until she
couldn't hear his footsteps clacking against the stone walk way and the sidewalk.

Once inside, she went to her room, cheeks still burning.

_______________

"Ryo? You're back late. How'd everything go with the new recruit?" Jenrya asked,
snacking on a granola bar.

"Hmm, better than I thought. Ruki's not as difficult as you would think." Ryo said,
in a dreamlike daze.

"So I heard. You had her from the start you manipulative bastard. Do you really care
for her, at all?" Jenrya asked, rummaging through the fridge for something to drink.

"Yeah, of course. Too tell you the truth, I feel a little weaker when she's not around. I'm
completely infatuated with her, it's sad. I thought I had outgrown this years ago..."

"That much? You're really twisted, you know that right?"

Ryo laughed. "Hmm, maybe...but with a girl like that you have to be a little sneaky or she'll
catch on to you and block you off completely. Believe me I know. Personal experience."

"I don't care to hear it. You're really sharing tonight. Does she really make you that bubbly?
If she does I'll have to kill her before you get any more annoying..."

"Haha, sure. Whatever. I'm just in a good mood tonight, don't spoil it."

"Sure. Okay." Jenrya said, food in hand, he headed towards his room. "Oh, Ryo."
he said, halfway up the stairs, "This tourney thing, it's not about trying to get Ruki is
it? I don't care what you do on your own time, but don't drag me and Takato into
your little ploys."

"That hurts Jen." Ryo said, looking up from the couch. "I just thought this would be a
really good opportunity for a couple of bums. There's not much out there for a nerd who was
kicked out of his prestigious whatsit highschool for excessive agression. I understand
you mangled that guy's arm and crippled him for life. People don't like time bombs like that
working for them."

"Ryo?"

"Yeah?"

"You're a bastard."

"So I've been told." Ryo laughed. Jen shook his head and left for his room.

'Maybe he's right', Ryo thought, pulling out Ruki's file again. 'I've blackmailed and
manipulated nearly everyone into this thing...but,' he looked at Ruki's picture. A
windy-day-short-skirt shot. He smiled. 'It's for a good cause.'


___a/n_________________

o.O Ryo's a stalker!!! I know he's not, but it's hard to write for a charcter like him
without giving him some sort of "fatal flaw"...I really made him out to be a pervert,
huh? -.-;;; I apologize.