Holding Pattern
Jun sat on a lone tree stump in the park, his laptop open. He was focused and deep in thought, but not on the data in front of him. Instead, he stared out across the grassy field at Mana, who was standing with Salamon and talking with Yuu. He watched as Yuu said something that made Mana laugh, and a strange ache developed in his heart.
Was he… jealous?
Jun wasn’t sure why he was feeling this way. He and Mana were friends, but it was only natural that they’d have other friends to talk to besides each other. It didn’t bother him that Mana often hung out with other friends besides him – he wasn’t obsessive like that.
But then Akira and Seita had started dating not long after their victory over Kagulumon, with Tian and Ryou following soon after. He was happy for them, of course. But it had also made him think. How did he truly feel about Mana? To be honest, he couldn’t imagine a time when Mana wasn’t in his life. They were always together, and thinking about it now, Jun was surprised at how much he depended on Mana, and how much she likely depended on him.
Jun first met Mana when he was five years old, visiting the home of a family friend. Both his dad and Mana’s dad were old school friends, and the moment they found out they would be stationed in the same area, the two decided to have their children meet. The family friend was also offering music lessons, and Jun’s parents, being the intellectuals they were, jumped at the chance to have Jun develop a musical talent.
“Hi.”
Jun looked up to see a pretty girl with long brown hair and blue eyes. “I’m Mana,” she said, smiling.
“...Jun.” he mumbled shyly.
“What are you here for?” Mana asked, with all the enthusiasm of exchanging prison stories.
“Piano lessons,” Jun answered. “What about you?”
“Voice lessons,” Mana said.
“You can sing?” Jun asked, staring at her in surprise.
“...Just on the karaoke machine,” Mana said sheepishly. “But my mom wants me to learn how to sing right!”
“My mom and dad want me to have a hobby that isn’t playing video games on the computer all the time,” Jun said, looking sour. “But I don’t play video games!”
Mana tilted her head questioningly. “What do you do?”
“I read a lot. I look things up. I do all my homework early so I can read about the things I want to.”
Mana raised her eyebrows. “Oh. You’re one of the smart people, then.”
Jun frowned. “Everyone says that. But I just want to do the things I like!” His frown grew deeper. “And I don’t know if I’m going to like piano lessons!”
“You won’t know until you try it!” Mana said cheerfully.
Jun continued to mope. “I guess so.”
Years passed, and though the piano lessons didn’t last, Jun’s friendship with Mana only grew. Their bond was strong enough that no matter what happened or how much time had passed, they’d always come back to each other.
It wasn’t until he and Mana were transported to the Digital World, and were put in danger all the time, that Jun thought a little deeper about what they had together. This, compounded by Akira and Seita dating, made Jun do more than a little soul-searching. And the result?
All evidence considered, he probably was very much in love with Mana.
Now that he had admitted it to himself, he thought about the next step. Could he tell Mana? Should he tell Mana?
Did she even feel the same way?
“You won’t know until you try it!”
Jun sighed and closed his laptop. He didn’t need to decide on everything today.
“Jun!” Mana sang out.
Jun’s heart immediately jumped into his throat. “Y-yeah?” he stammered.
“Done with your researching?” Mana asked. “Good!” She took his hand and pulled him away. “It’s lunchtime!” she said cheerfully, “Let’s eat!”
“Uh… sure,” Jun mumbled, overly aware of Mana’s hand gripping his. He glanced over at the excited smile on her face, and gradually smiled back.
Maybe he wouldn’t tell her just yet. If only to enjoy these times just a little longer.
Notes:
Another opportunity to explore another pair’s relationship! Yay! Jun, as always, overthinks things a bit too much, but he eventually reaches a simple conclusion!