"That's great, Hikari! I can't believe you actually won!"

Miyako's congratulations was heard throughout the school halls, echoing along the walls and passageways, informing everyone who could hear her voice that Yagami Hikari was the winner of the Foreign Exchange Student Program contest, or FESP as the students began referring it to as. Hikari, extremely embarrassed simply responded, "Well, Miyako, Taichi says I have a talent for writing, and besides, the essay's prompt wasn't that hard. I could easily find reasons as to why I should be chosen to go to America."

Motomiya Daisuke jogged over to his two friends and said, "I bet your reason for going was all of the cute American guys, Miyako."

Behind the brunette was another very good friend of theirs, Takaishi Takeru. He simply smiled at the ensuing argument between Miyako and Daisuke and turned to Hikari. "So, Hikari, when are you leaving for America?"

"Well," she said, her ruby eyes reverting to the official-looking envelope in her hands, "I think I'm supposed to be leaving in three days, which gives me plenty of time, ne?"

When Takeru nodded, she continued. "Mom also got my passport out from wherever she hid it, and Dad's said that he'd give me nearly three hundred American dollars if I actually won! Taichi said he's bought me a present to cheer me up when I find out I've lost, but wait until he sees this!" She held up the letter as if it was a priceless mink vase and Takeru could almost imagine her worshipping it.

This entire ordeal had become very very important to Hikari when she first heard of it. Ever since the two had visited their good friend Tachikawa Mimi in New York last summer, Hikari had been pleading with her parents to let her go back. Something about America really excited the Yagami, and she practically dreamed of going there again. For what, Takeru never really knew, but she had even resorted to scrimping and saving every ounce of Yen she had, taking her parents' loose pocket change when they offered without a second thought. Bit by bit, five piece by five piece, Hikari had raised 8600 Yen, an accomplishment that Takeru could never have dreamed of doing. The sad part of it was that her small treasured camera that rested around her neck had cost more than that, and she was tens of thousands away from the final cost.

Ah, but when FESP from America had arranged their program, Hikari jumped on it, doing everything she possibly could to try to win. She studied former essays from students, wrote nearly thirty different ones herself before finally choosing the best out of all of them, and even resorted to having his mother read her work, to see if it was any good.

"I'm glad you won, Hikari," Takeru said, smiling, "you worked really hard for it, and you deserved to win."

Little Hida Iori ran up to them alongside Ichijouji Ken, completing their little group. After catching his breath, he too congratulated Hikari. "Oh, Hikari," he said beaming with happiness, "I'm so glad you won!"

"Yes," agreed Ken as he pushed a stray lock of blue hair behind one ear, "you truly deserved it." Ken frowned. "Don't automatically assume that I passed just because of my former status, Daisuke. The test was actually hard for me, and I'm worried that I didn't pass it."

"Aii, don't worry Ken," Iori spoke, "you probably did very well on it. Spanish is your best subject." In the past year after defeating Archnemon and BelialVamdemon, Iori had really opened up to people, talking more frequently and confidently then he ever had before. Everyone liked this new, more outspoken Hida child, except for the times that one was opposite him in an argument. Although Daisuke often fought with Miyako and Takeru, he usually never got into fights with Iori, for fear of a demeaning defeat to the little boy. Iori could put up the strongest and most stable arguments you ever heard with no effort at all, a trait that took the death of Oikawa and the intense battling and strategical thinking that his adventures Digiworld gave him to activate.

Miyako's cheery face was a bit downcast at this and she walked a bit slower with each step. "What? Anything wrong, Miyako?" Daisuke asked, seeing this.

"You reminded me about my test, Daisuke. I got the first really horrible grade I ever got in a very very long time."

Scoffing, Daisuke said, "What, you got one problem wrong?"

"Iie, more like I got over half wrong. I completely failed my science test."

At this Hikari was shocked, but not enough to put her letter away. "But, Miyako! Science is your best subject! You know more about science than I know about cameras and photography!"

"I just don't know what went wrong, though. I studied chapter ten-"

Ken made a small 'Oh-I-get-it' noise and said, "The test was on chapter sixteen, Miyako. Kobayashi-sensei skipped around to that chapter instead of going in order this time, weren't you paying attention?"

"God, Miyako!" she chided herself, hitting her forhead with each 'stupid'. "Stupid Miyako! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!"

"I read somewhere that hitting your head causes brain damage and kills brain cells, Miyako. You should stop," Daisuke said grabbing her wrist.

Hikari looked at the brunette strangely. "But, Daisuke, you play football just like Taichi, and you head the ball all the time, ne? What about your brain cells?"

Turning to her, Daisuke said, "Well, that can be added to my long list of reasons why cooking is a better pasttime than football. Jun's getting sick of my ramen, I make it almost every single night."

"Yeah," Takeru said as they split up to go to their different apartments, "when Yamato visits, he always makes spicy food, and Mom and I can't feel our tongues by the time he's done. Pretty soon we're all sick of wasabi. Bye!" Miyako, Iori and Takeru headed off towards their apartment building, with Ken in tow to help Miyako on the project they had been assigned to do together for science. Even though Ken was Daisuke's age, and a year younger than Miyako, he was in her science class, and the both of them had an equal amount of hatred for Kobayashi-sensei that ran quite deep.

Daisuke kept walking with Hikari; Taichi had invited the brunette to stay over for the night because lately the girl had been driving him nuts. "So, is Taichi still crazy?"

Giggling, Hikari answered, "No, it's gotten to be slight spazes every now and then, one minute he'll be fine, the next he'll be so irritated that he's climbing up the wall." She paused to think for a moment and then continued saying, "I think it has something to do with his ex-girlfriend, Kiyomi. I think that Taichi has completely given up on women."

Dark brown eyes widened slightly at the comment. "Really? Why?"

"She was a witch," Hikari said half-shuddering. "Taichi could never do anything he wanted, he couldn't play football, he couldn't hang out with his friends, he couldn't even talk to Yamato, his best friend! He finally couldn't take it anymore and broke up with her...she's been stalking him ever since!"

"Aii," Daisuke said, grimacing, "I never knew." He started up the cement stairs to the Yagami apartment. Daisuke was priviledged to know where it was. Thinking back to a few months ago, he would have been completely thrilled at the prospect of going up to Hikari's home, but now he didn't even feel the slightest inkling of excitement. Hanging out at Taichi and Hikari's place was becoming more normal every day, and it was a good feeling to have friends like the Yagamis. Even though Daisuke still had a little crush on her he now kept it to himself; Hikari was a better friend to him since he stopped openly chasing after her.

Hikari followed her friend saying, "I didn't either. To think that he kept her a secret from the family until the day that hate mail arrived tacked to our door! I don't know how Taichi could have kept a secret, it's usually so hard for him to do something like that that it's not even funny..." She turned the knob on the front door and slipped off her shoes. "Mom! I'm home, and Daisuke's here too."

Now it was Daisuke's turn to follow Hikari into the kitchen where her mother was cooking. Eyeing the meal that she was preparing-sushi, wasabi and white steamed rice-he noticed that a key ingredient was missing, ramen! After Hikari had told her family about winning FESP's comtest, Daisuke would be sure to ask if he could prepare some. "Mom, look!"

The Yagami mother took the crisp white envelope from Hikari's outstretched hand and carefully opened it. After reading the first few lines of the letter inside, he smile was almost as big as Hikari's. "AII! Hikari, I'm so proud of you! TAICHI!"

"What, mom?" Taichi asked, peeking out from behind a corner, holding his treasured black and white football. "Hey, Daisuke." The older boy walked to the embracing females and gave another questioning look.

Hikari was nearly bursting inside to keep from blurting it all out. She handed Taichi the letter, and he too only read the first few sentences before tossing aside the football and bringing his little sister into a spinning hug. Laughing he said, "HA-HA! Congratulations, sis!" Taichi put her down and nuzzled her face. "I knew you could do it, which is why I bought you something."

The look on her face was priceless, Daisuke considered, torn between happiness, pride and utter confusion. "But...but, it was a 'feel better' present before."

Taichi opened his mouth to say something, but Daisuke had guessed it before he could. "It's a big sibling thing, I think. Jun said she'd buy me ice-cream once when my team lost the championship two years ago, and she was telling me how horrible I'd do the entire time before it. But during the game she was rooting for us louder than all of the other people, and when we won, she bought my whole team the ice cream."

"He's right," Taichi said leading the two younger students to their shared bedroom, "it is a big sibling thing." The rather large-haired brunette lifted his blue pillow to reveal a long, yet small, golden box.

Hikari let out a little gasp as Taichi opened it. The sunlight caught a small, pink amethyst flower-like charm on a silver chain, sending little rose-tinted rainbows all over the room. "I remember that necklace," Daisuke said, "You were oogling over that thing for weeks, and when it disappeared, you were sad the entire day! I bet you never thought Taichi'd got it for you...I know I never did.

"I wanted you to have something pretty to wear as soon as you step off of that plane in America, sis," Taichi said as he closed the little clasp behind her neck.

"Oh, Taichi," Hikari cried jumping into Taichi's arms, "thanks so much!" Tears of happiness washed over her face and Daisuke wished that he had her camera right then, the moment was just too precious.

After a few minutes, Hikari broke the hug, and turned to Daisuke, who was feeling pretty much like a third wheel right about then. "Sorry, Daisuke. You know how much I wanted this," she fingered the pendant.

"Do I ever," he groaned. "Do you think that I could make some ramen to help out?"

The door to the apartment opened, signaling that their father was home. "Why not. It would make a good impression on Dad."

"Speaking of whom..." Hikari said, once again her spunky self, bounding off to the door before her mother could break the news before her. Taichi smiled and rolled his eyes to Daisuke who in turn shrugged smiling just as wide. They were equally as happy for Hikari, who was pratically ecstatic about the whole thing. In different ways, Hikari was a sister to both of them and anything that made her happy immediatley brought smiles to their faces. The football stars walked to the kitchen to see how Hikari had acted this time.

"Moooom," a feminine voiced whined, "just five more minutes? Witchblade is almost over! Please? Come on, please?"

Mrs. Tachikawa sighed at the pathetic look on her daughter's face and then firmly responded, "No," before turning the TV off. "You have your group thing tomorrow remember? You guys were going to go out to Long Island to swim before you go off to Japan again!"

"Now, momma, don't even start with that again!" Mimi responded hotly, still mad that she wouldn't get to see the end of the show. "I know you didn't want me to sign up with the FESP program, but I really want to go back there. I miss Japan.... I miss my friends...."

The older woman pulled our sincere Tachikawa into a hug before saying, "I know. Now, go off to bed, your friends here in New York wouldn't want you falling asleep in the water, eh?"

Mimi trudged up to her room, severely feeling the wrath of homesickness creeping up and down her mind. Japan had been on her mind since Daisuke had come over to gather up her new friends, the American Digidestined. Secretly, she had been hoping he would bring some more of Miyako's chocolate-covered rice balls, but it didn't happen and it wasn't going to. When that Japanese family took her in, the first thing she was going to do was dig her teeth into one of those, Inoue or not.

Collapsing onto her pink-sheeted bed, Mimi stared up at her ceiling, decorated with little glowing stars. She had formed them into the katakana symbols for each of their crests: Courage, Reliability, Friendship, Love, Hope, Sincerity, Light and Knowledge. So, each night when she looked up, a part of her friends would be staring down at her.

However, there weren't only the crests of her Japanese friends watching over the girl, Michael's Crest of Patience, Mandy's Crest of Effort, Francie's Crest of Wit, Alex's Crest of Graciousness and Amanda's Crest of Hindsight also decorated the white ceiling. Only last summer, she discovered that an actual relative of hers was a Digidestined, and his Crest of Opinion, which he just recently had found, had been added to the group.

Sometimes Mimi had wondered if, now that everyone had a digimon partner, some people shared her crest like Miyako, but, after the final battle with BelialVamdemon, Gennai had spoken with the original Digidestined. Even though everyone has a partner now, he had said, not everyone is a true Digidestined. Only you priviledged humans, few though you are, are the only ones with Crests, therefore only you and your descendants will be able to use the power of them to digivolve to the Ultimate level.

While this had cleared those thoughts up, Mimi still had wished that she was in Japan. "And now," she whispered, cuddling her fluffy feather pillow, "I'm going to be..." After all, why should she worry about petty little things like such when in only three days, she'd be ordering wasabi from McDonalds instead of a rubbery bratwurst? And, with that seemingly pleasant thought in her head, she drifted off to sleep.

"Oh come on Dad! You can't do this to Hikari after all the hard work she's done!" Silently cooking his ramen in the kitchen, Daisuke agreed. Apparently, Hikari's father had a strong objection for her to go to America. Taichi was busy trying to think of come backs and reasons to use against everything that his father pitched at him. Then, Daisuke thought about how he would feel if a friend was listening in on a conversation he was having with his parents, and allowed his brain to wander off with the fact that a tree could lead to pitch which led to baseball, which led to Suzuki Ichiro, who was playing for the Mariners who were a team in some place in America, which led back to the conversation happening in the living room.

'Idiot...God, why can't I just stay out of their business?'

This time, Daisuke heard Hikari talking, no, pleading with her father. "But, Dad, you know all of the things I did! I researched and planned and wrote and sacrificed. I even saved my money for a long time, I've got nearly 8000 Yen in my special box!"

"Hikari, it doesn't matter to me! I just want to know that you'll be safe!"

The eldest Yagami child took the chance to speak again. "Aii, you know, Dad, who lives in America! Mimi! And, the letter says that Hikari's going to New York, she'll be nearby!"

"Yusaku," their mother said, "we have a guest, why don't we talk about this later, eh? Maybe when Daisuke has left would be a better time. For now, someone should go and help him in the kitchen, ne Hikari?"

He heard a little sigh from her and soon she was standing right behind him. "I doubt you didn't listen in."

"You'd be right. I honestly tried not to, but, curiosity got the better of me. So, he doesn't want you to go?"

Angrily she nodded, heading over to the vegetables that needed chopping. "Yes. Dad is so stubborn and pigheaded sometimes, just like Taichi! I don't know one person who..." she made a short little growling noise before picking up the large knife and reaching for a vegetable.

Seeing this, Daisuke immediately said, "NO, no, no, Hikari! You should let your mom do that! We wouldn't want you chopping off a finger before you go to America, would we?"

"But, what if Dad won't let me go?"

"You said yourself that Taichi is pigheaded, ne? If he's on your side, along with your mom, then you should have your trip in the bag!" Daisuke sent her a big, confident smile and the turned back to his ramen, which looked just about ready to eat.

Hikari smiled back. "You know, Daisuke, you've really changed...I kind of like it."

"What was wrong with the 'me' before?" The Motomiya prayed he sounded casual as he asked this, but the question had been killing him ever since Hikari started accepting him. What had everyone despised about the first Daisuke?

"That's just it," she replied, and with the confused look on his face she continued, "you weren't being you. You were pretending to be the superficial athlete who got along with everyone, yet, was fake. No one could be that perky all the time without being crazy, and eventually the whole act got annoying. Personally, Daisuke, now that I know the real you, I think you should be yourself around everyone else. Sure a few people might be surprised, but they'll get to know you all over again!"

'Well,' Daisuke thought to himself, 'that was...blunt...'

"Daisuke! Hikari!" Taichi yelled, "Is dinner ready?"

Daisuke brought out the ramen, saying, "Yep! But...the rest of the vegetables aren't cut yet, so the stir fry isn't made."

"Why?" the elder teen asked, bouncing his football on his forehead again.

"I...I-I didn't want Hikari to chop her finger off." The ball came crashing down and bounced on the ash tray on the counter.

"HUH?!"

"WHAT?!"

"Look, lady, termites can't be helped, all right? You gotta find some other place to live while we tent this place, and it looks like it'll take a while..." Mrs. Tachikawa was horrified. Not only was their big beautiful house deterioating from termites of all things, but their student from Japan was coming the very next day, and their only other alternative living spots were: one, a hotel; or two...

"Mimi!" she yelled up the stairs. A few seconds later, dressed in a green t-shirt and capris, our favorite Tachikawa camed bounding down them.

Brightly she said, "Yeah, Mom?"

"Get another bag of clothes for just the rest of today and tonight, we're going to have to leave a bit sooner than we thought to go see Aunt Stacie."

"Why?"

She sighed. "Well, honey, we've apparently got termites, but, this means that you can hang out with your cousin."

Stomping back up the big stairs agan, Mimi yelled back, "Well at least that's ONE consolation!"

'Just keep reminding yourself, you'll be in Japan in one day. Just one day left...just one...and besides, Willis is pretty cool for a cousin.'

"See, I told you that you'd win, Hikari!" Daisuke said, once again back in the Yagami residence. He was helping Hikari pack her things for the big trip along with Taichi.

"You have to bring your D-3 and your D-Terminal," Taichi said handing them to her, "because there'll be no other way that doesn't involve money."

Hikari sighed, saying, "I'm sure that these people will have some knowledge of the Internet, Taichi. Besides, I'll keep in touch even if it means going into Digiworld to see you guys! It's not like I'm disappearing forever though, I'll be back in about three months."

"Do you know how long that's going to feel?" Daisuke asked her.

"You'd never know, but I'm sure I'll be-"

Taichi smirked. "I think he was talking about himself, sis." The teenager turned to Daisuke, who was busy hiding his blushing face by turning around to their small closet. He picked out a pair of jeans, some shorts, a pretty blue dress, a green top and a pink t-shirt.

"How many pink things do you have, Hikari?" he asked, handing her the clothes. Daisuke hoped that the blush was gone.

"She's a regular Mimi," Taichi responded, tucking in two notepads and a few pens. "Pink's her favorite color aside from yellow. Ne, Hikari?"

"Yes. Pink and yellow, with green a close third and blue right after that. I wonder what the exchange student's favorite colors will be..."

"As long as its not pink, I'm sure Taichi wouldn't mind," Daisuke said, grabbing another three shirts from her closet. "I like blue and brown, I don't know why."

"Interesting," Taichi mused, "brown's my favorite color and blue's Yamato's. Well, aside from the fact that he says he's grown quite partial to 'wine red'. If you ask me, it's Sora that he's gotten quite partial to, that's what."

Daisuke reached down to pet Tailmon, who had been quite quiet the entire time. "You going to be okay with this, Tailmon?"

She purred a little as the Motomiya started to scratch behind her ears, but said nothing in response. A little tear went down her furry cheek, and Daisuke wiped it away. "Oh, feel better, Tailmon," Hikari said kneeling down to her partner's level, "I'll smuggle you into the country a little bit later. I just don't want you to be choking from lack of air in a suitcase of mine on the plane seeing as they don't allow Digimon in the passenger section. Tailmon received a big hug right then and she returned it as well.

"I'm really going to miss you, Hikari," she said, crying even more fervently. "I missed you for so long last time, I don't want to miss you again!"

"Last time?"

"When we were Digidestined," Taichi answered, "we didn't have unlimited access to Digiports; we never even heard of the word. We were stuck in Digiworld, but, when we left, we were shut out too. It was a long time before Tailmon saw Hikari again, nearly three years."

"Oh. I don't think I'd be able to live without Chibimon for so long," Daisuke said in response.

Hikari broke her hug. "I have to finish packing, Tailmon, but, don't worry, we'll hang out before I leave early tomorrow."

"So, how exactly is this going to work again?" Mimi asked.

Michael sighed. "Remember in Around the World in Eighty Days how they went a certain direction and arrived back home in England a day earlier? Well, you'll kind of be doing the same thing, only it works out that you'll arrive in Japan at about three o'clock, their time. Get it?"

"Yes," she said nodding, "now I do."

"So, Mimi," Willis said, carrying a bag for her, "what's Japan like? When your friends were here last time, they told me it was a blast."

Nodding again she said, "It sure is! I mean, it's great there! Japan is even better when you have old friends to look forward to seeing, you know. I think you'd like it there. Take care of the exchange student that comes for me, okay Willis? They're going to need help going around New York and the school. If they're our age, Michael, could you give them a hand?"

"Sure, Mimi. Your friends are my friends. Mi casa es su casa."

Willis groaned. "I'm the one taking Spanish here, remember?"

Michael sighed again and patted him on the head, saying, "Sure we do, Juan, now what do we have left to do before you leave, Mimi?"

"Well," she said thinking, "make sure that you feed Tye-Dye her cat food every day while I'm gone, and write me every single week, okay? I can't stand not being up to date on what's going on! Tell me if you ever get a girlfriend, Michael!" A flight attendant's voice sounded over the system, announcing that Mimi's flight was going to depart in twenty minutes.

Willis waved to her as she left their sight yelling, "Write to us when you get there...and send it Priority Mail!"

Taichi lay on his back, staring up at the ceiling, catching and throwing his football to himself. Just that morning, Hikari had boarded the plane for America, and everyone was there. Sora and Yamato were hanging all over each other as usual, and Jou and Koushirou were there to offer their support. Takeru and Daisuke were competing for attention, but strangely the offense was coming more from Takeru than from Daisuke. Yet, the actual points scored when tallied up seemed to favor Daisuke, who had been around Hikari more and more ever since they both had a strange change of heart. Miyako was crying, just like Sora was and Ken and Iori were more silent than usual.

His parents were off getting their exchange student, whose name Taichi didn't even know, and he just hadn't felt like going with them. Hikari really was the light of his life at the moment, and now she was gone to America for three entire months. Daisuke was right about it being too long to bear, why was Daisuke always right about some things? Things were going to be quiet without the three working together to foil things up around here, ever since Hikari's first day of school after Digiworld, it was always 'Hikari and Taichi, the Dynamic Duo and Daisuke!' going around making trouble. Things changed when Takeru moved back to Odiaba, Taichi thought that the 'Dynamic Duo and Daisuke!' would never rise again, but, like when Takeru moved back, things can change.

"I wonder what they'll be like..." Taichi thought aloud. "I hope they like sports, I hope they like making mischief, too..." He caught the black and white checkered ball and turned onto his stomach.

'That was really stupid of Daisuke to vow not to cry, I know he really likes Hikari still. I hope she doesn't forget him while in America.'

Tailmon walked into the room on all fours and curled up by Taichi, purring as his hands caressed her aching ears. "You've mellowed out, eh?" Taichi said with a laugh, still scratching.

"I miss Hikari," came her quiet answer. "She said a month ago that she was going to take me to the park today. It was on her calendar, she promised."

Taichi smiled and sat up, picking Tailmon off of the floor and putting her into his lap. "Do you think that since one of the Yagamis is unavailable, you'd settle for me getting you some of haha's sushini? I know it won't be the same as going to the park or the beach with Hikari, but if I put it in a basket, and we have an old blanket on the ground..."

Pretty soon, both Tailmon and Taichi were enjoying sushini while sitting on a flowered sheet that was used now as a rather large rag. The teenager's old school backpack served as a makeshift basket while small paper cups held freshly brewed green tea. Taichi had taken the liberty of opening the small sliding door to the porch outside so a nice breeze could blow through.

Tailmon licked her lips after her third piece of sushini and auddenly stopped in mid-grab for her fourth. She put her white paw down and once again, quietly said, "Ta-Taichi?"

"Hmm?"

"Thanks, for-for everything," and with that she started crying again.

Taichi scooped up the white kitty into his lap and began petting her. "I know its going to be hard without her around, but just think, if my luck's as bad as it usually is, the exchange student will be a girl, and you two can talk and make friends while I go and sulk with Jou." Tailmon giggled a little at that, but her crying didn't cease. "Shh, feel better Tailmon. We're in the same situation, you know?"

"I know," the fat cat said, "but I'm going to miss her so."

"We all will," Taichi said, tears threatening to fall from his chocolate-brown eyes. A sudden noise outside of the door startled Hikari's digimon, and she went scampering out of Taichi's grasp into their bedroom. He quickly got everything together and put the sushini along with the cloth underneath the couch for the time being.

"TAICHI!" his mother yelled, "Open the door, your father's misplaced the key!"

Taichi rolled his eyes and made his way to the apartment door, which he opened and stood in front of. Both his parents walked in and surveyed the place, as if they expected him of throwing some wild party. "Everything looks in place," his father said.

"Dad, nothing is gone or missing! Eveything's here and its fine!" Then the brunette looked around. "Hey...where's our student?"

"Oh, come in," his mother called, motioning to the door. Taichi turned around and was shocked to see the last person on earth he'd expected to see.

'Mimi? Just when I thought my luck with women couldn't get worse...'