I actually never thought about writing such a story until I noticed a recent trend in the fandom: stories containing Daisuke overhearing his friends badmouthing him, resulting in him turning 'evil' or beating the crap out of his 'so-called friends'. Amused by how people seem to enjoy using such a plot, I decide to go with my own.

However, if you're looking for character-bashing in this story, then my apology that you won't find any here. People who've talked to me know that while I don't like Daisuke in 02 very much, I do like the portrayal of him in many good fanfics here. To me, he still has a big mouth and can be impulsive most of the time, but the bottom line is that he cares a lot for his friends and vice versa. At the same time, I believe the characters that we've grown to love – all twelve of the digidestined – are not heartless creatures who will stab each other in the back for no particular reason. I think it's hurtful to the fandom when we bash characters for the sake of bashing them.

Plot: People say things behind Daisuke's back all the time, but his true friends will stand by him nonetheless.

Genres: Friendship

Characters: Daisuke, Ken, Takeru, Hikari; mention of the rest of digidestined

As always, I recommend reading in ½ page size to get the feeling of reading a book.

Motomiya Daisuke was about to turn a corner on the corridor when he heard his name being brought up.

'I really can't stand that Motomiya.'

Daisuke inhaled deeply. He took a step back and hid himself from the view of others.

'I mean, com'on, he always flirts around with all the girls just because he's the star player of the football team. He brags about his skills all the time. Does he even know that he's not that good when compared to Ichijouji?'

'That's not all,' another voice joined in. 'In terms of looks, he can't compete with Takaishi as well, but he always acts like he's the best of the three and brags a lot in front of the girls. Does he have no shame at all?'

'Do you know that he used to have a crush on Takaishi's girlfriend, Yagami Hikari? I heard that he used to chase after her like a horny dog all the time. It's only when Takaishi and Yagami started dating that he stopped doing so, but I think he still has a thing for her, and just wants to steal her from Takaishi when he has the chance.'

The bearer of the Crests of Courage and Friendship clenched his fists, his body shaking in anger. It's not the first time that he had heard people saying such things about him, but it didn't mean he would not get frustrated by such comments.

He knew these people who're talking about him. They were from his class, and he had never been on good terms with them since elementary school. Daisuke reckoned that they were just jealous because they were just ordinary students, but he didn't realize they hated him like that.

'No kidding!' this time, it was a third person. 'Man, I don't get why many girls like him. He sounds like a total douchebag. The kind of guy who wants to steal his friend's girlfriend is the worst! Why are Takaishi and Yagami still friends with him?'

'Girls like the "bad boys" type of guys, you know,' the first voice chipped in, 'especially since both Ichijouji and Takaishi are taken now. Consider this: he's mediocre at academics, comes to class late often, never wears his uniform properly, and gets detention for playing pranks on the teachers. Girls like this type of bad boys, for some reason. Takaishi is just too blind to know that if this goes on, one day Motomiya might take Yagami away from him.'

'Please take that back.'

The three boys were startled when a new voice entered the scene. Even Daisuke was surprised, for he knew that voice well.

'Those are very horrible things that you guys are saying,' the owner of the soft yet firm voice continued. 'Please take those words back.'

Daisuke peeked from his position, and found Yagami Hikari standing in front of the three boys from their class. Her eyes showed strong determination and even a sense of distaste that one seldom spotted from the kind-hearted, soft-spoken girl.

The boys were not entertained, however. They paused for a second, then they started laughing.

'Why are you defending that good-for-nothing, Yagami?' one of the boy grinned. 'He's just a troublemaker that people despise. Many find him annoying since elementary school, and he hasn't changed a bit since entering junior high.'

'Many stay quiet just because he's good friends with the popular bunch, like yourself, Yagami,' another added, 'but that doesn't mean we can't have our opinions about him, right?'

'Daisuke-kun is not a bad person,' Hikari rebuked. 'True, he's not a model student, but he's a kind person who cares a lot about others. He will do anything to help you when you need help. He values friendship a lot and won't hesitate to offer a helping hand when you're in trouble.'

'Sounds like somebody has a crush on Motomiya,' the third boy raised his voice. 'Don't you already have Takaishi to play with, Yagami? Or is it that you just want your loyal pet back?'

That did it. Daisuke could stand any insult directed at him, but he could never stand someone trying to humiliate his friends, people he considered his family. Hikari's face was burning with anger, and she clenched the edge of her school skirt at such lowly comment. Daisuke felt that it was his responsibility, and he did not want Hikari to be humiliated like that. He was about to introduce himself and give the guys a good lesson when a scream of pain reached his ears. The fourteen-year-old looked up, and found the arms of the boy who just made that remark about him and Hikari being twisted by another person.

'Takeru…?' he muttered, surprised that the blond was standing right over there.

'It's one thing to have your opinion on my friend, however irrational it is, but it's another thing to insult both my good friend and my girlfriend in a row,' Takaishi Takeru, his tone cold and steady, left go of the boy's arm and threw him towards the wall, startling the students walking by. They stopped and watched, wondering what caused the normally calm boy to react that way.

'What's your problem, Takaishi?' boy number two yelled after seeing his friend being treated that way. 'We're not even talking about you!'

'You guys are my problem,' Takeru answered nonchalantly and stood protectively in front of Hikari. 'The moment you decide to insult my friends, you cross my line.'

'And mine as well.'

Everyone looked to find Ichijouji Ken arriving at the scene calmly. He stood beside Takeru with hands in his pocket, eyeing the trio somewhat superciliously. The three boys looked terrified now, not expecting the two most popular guys at Odaiba Junior High to overhear their conversation. 'It's hard to miss your comments about Daisuke-kun and Hikari-san when you are talking so loud. Everyone in the corridor can basically hear you.'

The three boys took a step back, not sure what to do next.

'Apologize to Daisuke and Hikari-chan now,' Takeru ordered. 'We can forgive you and pretend this hasn't happened if you apologize to them.'

The boys sneered. 'And if we don't want to? You should apologize to us for hurting Tairo's arm too, Takaishi.'

'Well, then,' Takeru rubbed his chin, pretending to be seriously thinking over the proposal as he took a quick glimpse of Tairo's bruised arm, 'in that case, Tairo-kun doesn't have to apologize, but you two have to.'

The three glared at him as if he had lost his mind. 'Very funny, Takaishi.'

'I'd just do so if I were you,' Ken offered. 'Or do you think you can win against me, who has obtained black belt in judo at the age of eleven? Not to mention, both Takeru and I are sports players. I think our reflexes are quite good that I doubted you three would stand a chance against us,' he added, and Takeru nodded in response.

The three boys looked at each other nervously, pondering on the options, or lack thereof, they had. Resigned, they timidly turned towards Hikari, who looked at them unemotionally. 'We're sorry, Yagami.'

'And what about Daisuke?' Takeru said. The boys stared.

'He's not even here, though,' Tairo, holding his wrist, added weakly.

'Quite to the contrary,' Ken replied, his eyes landing on the corner of the corridor. 'Come out now, Daisuke-kun. They're waiting for you.'

Daisuke wasn't sure what to make of the situation.

'How did you guys know I was there?' he asked, eyeing his companions carefully. After the three boys apologized to him, much to the mahogany-haired boy's surprise, he was led to the rooftop to spend the rest of the lunchtime with his friends. Takeru and Hikari were leaning on the fence and watching the clear blue sky. Ken was standing a few feet from him, drinking the can of soda that he just bought.

'I actually didn't know you were there at first, until the moment Takeru-kun went and grabbed that guy's arm,' Ken replied truthfully, putting down his drinks. 'You retreated so quickly that I almost missed you, but your spiky hair was hard to miss.'

Usually, Daisuke would pretend to be mad when others made fun of his hair, a trait that he shared with Taichi, but he let it go this time. Takeru pointed at the sky and made a comment about a cloud looking as round as Patamon, earning a laugh from Hikari.

'I…' Daisuke opened his mouth, but swallowed his words down his throat. He wasn't sure what he should say. Thank you? That sounded too simple. Tell them not to meddle in his business to avoid trouble? That didn't sound nice at all, considering that his friends just defended him against their classmates, though it wasn't like he cared a lot about how other people thought of him. He cared, though, about what his friends, his true friends, thought.

'Why did you do that?'

His friends looked at him, seemingly surprised by his question, and waited for him to elaborate on that.

'I mean…' Daisuke suddenly grew nervous of such attention he was getting, his mind full of images of how he had mistreated each of the three in the past, 'I…they have a point, you know? I have never been the best student around, and I'm always so full of myself that I…argh,' he gulped, took a deep breath, and carried on, 'why do you guys defend me even though I am indeed a horrible person?'

The three shared a look, and much to Daisuke's dismay, they started laughing.

'Seriously, you're the one who inherits the Crest of Friendship? Aniki will be so mad when he hears you say that,' Takeru wiped away the tears near his eyes, holding his stomach in the process.

'What?' Daisuke almost yelled, but he refrained himself from doing so. He had long learnt that raising his voice would not resolve anything at all.

'Let's see…' Ken scratched his chin, rubbing his cheek with his thumb, 'you have a big ego. All digidestined agree on that.'

'You were indeed quite annoying when you were trying to get my attention back then,' Hikari added. 'Onii-chan thought about placing a restriction order on you at times.'

'Iori-kun finds your inability to be punctual frustrating,' Takeru pointed out.

'Miyako wants to strangle you most of the time. You two never see each other eye to eye, anyway.'

'Koushiro-san suggests you should think more before you do anything.'

'Even Mimi-san thinks you're too loud, when she's one of the loudest people I know.'

'Jou-san does not approve of you playing pranks on the teachers.'

'Sora-san says you could be less flirty with the female population and just be yourself.'

'You really pissed me off back then, when you treated me like some rival after I just transferred back to Odaiba. Oh, and did I already mention that aniki will laugh at you for inheriting his Crest of Friendship?'

'Guys!' Daisuke finally blurted out when his friends were done alternating the viewpoints of each digidestined, 'you're not helping at all! Are you trying to make me feel better or not?'

'Make you feel better? That's not our job,' Takeru scoffed good-naturedly. 'We're here to let you know that you have flaws, just like we all do.'

'We may not agree with everything you do or say, but that doesn't mean we don't think of you as a real friend, Daisuke-kun,' Hikari smiled.

'We've fought against then with each other in the Digital World. I find no reason to think that you're not my friend at all when you saved all of us,' Ken concluded, finishing the last sip of his soda and threw it in the bin. He turned to look at Daisuke, giving him a reassuring smile. 'Unless you really think you're better than me at football, then in that aspect, you're absolutely wrong.'

'Aren't you our fearless leader who will guide us to victory no matter what?' Takeru joked with an unfeigned tone, putting an arm around Hikari's waist to pull her closer to his body. 'Don't tell me a few negative remarks from our classmates are enough to make you doubt yourself, captain.'

Daisuke bit his lips and tried his best to suppress the tears from leaving his eyes. He knew these people well. He knew that he could trust them with his life, as he had done so in the past. However, hearing those words from them was another matter. He looked down to think about their words carefully. Sniffing a few times as soundlessly as possible, he raised his head to face them with a cheeky grin.

'Admit it, Ken, I am better that you at football. I did score more goals that you in the National Tournament.' He then pointed a finger at Takeru, who looked amused. 'And don't push it, Takaishi. Show some respect to your almighty leader, or you'll be kicked out of the team and I'll make Hikari-chan my vice-captain.'

The four friends shared a collective laugh until they were interrupted by the school bell, signalling the end of lunchtime. Daisuke followed his friends, and watched their backs as they retreated from the rooftop.

'Thank you, guys' was something that Daisuke had wanted to say, but after giving some thoughts, he held the words back. Sometimes, words could not describe how much he appreciated them for just being there for him. Even if others did not think highly of him, he knew that these people, friends as close as his kin, would stand by his side. The bond he shared with them was too strong for any outsider to break.

He looked at the sky one last time before closing the door to the rooftop, a smile hanging on his face. A sincere, grateful smile.

The End

I won't say this story is glamorous, since it did not turn out the way as I initially wanted, but I hope we can have less bashing fics, whether about characters, such as Daisuke or Takeru, or pairings, such as Takari, Daikari, Sorato, Taiora etc.. I think we can be civil enough to respect each other without making a fuss out of the characters.

With this one-shot, I conclude my 2013 writing journey. Happy New Year, everyone. Hope 2014 will be a good year for all of you.