Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon!

Sheer Embarrassment

I screw up a lot. I know that, and I have friends who remind me everyday in the oh-but-we-still-love-you way. They tell me that I am too outspoken for my own good and too klutzy at times. Well, it's not like I can help those flaws. Maybe imperfection is written in my genes, so any chance of being graceful, mellow and demure is waaay beyond my reach. My mother insists that I am a wonderful girl and that I probably have a secret admirer... "You just don't realize it," she said. Oh, how wrong she is! I don't know how any boy in his right mind could possibly be interested in me. I am neither pretty nor popular, and let's face it: I'm not really smart if my grades are only average, right? So essentially, my attractiveness is totally out of the question.

Okay, I'll let my stream of consciousness get to the point now. Just earlier, outside, bright and sunny with fluffy clouds and a soft breeze and-

Urgh. I really can't bring myself to relive what happened. Sigh... Alright, I'll try again.

Earlier as I was dashing madly down the streets after school to catch the train home, I ran into my beloved blue-haired crush. Literally. But it was a total accident, I swear! I didn't know he was going to be just around the corner. Let me tell you it was a really ugly crash because not only did I mortally injure the guy, I also caused him to spill his soft drink all over himself.

So what did I do in this fiasco? I apologized repeatedly as I helped him get back up on his feet.

"My new clothes are all stained," he murmured sadly.

I puffed out my cheeks when I heard this. "I'm so sorry," I said once more. Then, I took off my bandana and began to wipe him dry. It was the least I could do. Don't get me wrong though! I felt terribly awkward, especially since he just stood there as rigid as a block of wood.

As I wiped, strands of my hair fell into my face, but I didn't bother to brush them aside. Heck, I didn't even care that my glasses were starting to slip off my nose. I was so focused on wiping that I failed to notice his movements.

My blue-haired crush reached out both hands to gently push my glasses back into place and tuck my hair behind my ears. His movements were totally unexpected. I trembled as one of his hands ever so softly grazed the side of my face. My hands paused their wiping. I glanced up at his face and found myself staring straight into the wondrous beauty of his eyes.

A long silence filled the air until he stammered that he had to get going. He shyly thanked me for my "cleaning efforts" and then promptly dashed away. I watched him go, feeling utterly embarrassed and flustered. What just happened, anyway? Was he blushing or did I totally imagine it?

When I finally got home and sauntered into the kitchen, the first thing my mother asked was, "Are you feeling alright?"

I guess my face looked miserable to her. "I don't know..." I sighed.

She paused the dinner preparations and studied me thoughtfully. I admit feeling insecure as her eyes tried to bore into mine. About an eternity later, she asked in a near whisper, "Is there a boy on your mind?"

I sputtered in surprise. Either it really was obviously written all over my face or my mother was mind-reading again. Hey, wait a minute. ESP doesn't exist in real life! But I digress...

I took a long moment to stare ruefully at her before meekly nodding my head. In response, she laughed light-heartedly and told me that everything will turn out just fine and that someday he will reciprocate my feelings. "All you have to do is keep on being yourself," she said so confidently.

I was about to retort by naming all of my hopeless flaws, but then my father suddenly spoke up from behind me.

"Yolei, do you remember where I left the car keys?" He stood in the kitchen entrance looking somewhat distracted. Must have been a long day at work for him. I don't know how he puts up with crime-fighting on a daily basis.

"You left it on the chair in the baby's room," my mother answered him with a giggle. "Ken, you can be more absent-minded than me sometimes."

"Maybe it's because you rub off on me," my father teased as he stepped into the kitchen to embrace her.

I watched bemused as my mother whacked him playfully upside his head before letting him wrap his arms around her. For a married couple their age, they still manage to act like young teenagers in love. Or rookie-level Digimon. All a matter of perspective, I guess.

Deciding to give my parents some lovey-dovey alone time, I announced that I was going to start on my homework, and then I quietly left the kitchen. I was in the hallway and about to step into my room when I heard my name. So I took a couple of quiet steps backward to be within earshot.

Pausing to listen further, I heard my father quietly ask my mother, "How come Miya looks so sad today?"

Oh great. Even he noticed the miserable expression on my face.

"I think she embarrassed herself in front of a boy today," my mother whispered, yet I heard each word clearly. "You know, Joe Kido's son."

My eyebrows shot up in surprise when she correctly identified my crush. I suddenly felt my cheeks burn hotly... She knew all along about my crush?! So ESP is a real ability after all!

"Ah, that boy. Sweet kid." My father sounded amused.

"He'll make a great son-in-law in the future, don't you think?" My mother piped cheerfully.

"Yep, I think he'll make an excellent son-in-law and treat our precious Miya like a queen!"

As my parents broke into a hearty laughter, I stood firmly rooted to that spot in the hallway, wishing for the ground to open up and swallow me whole before I would die of sheer embarrassment.

The End.

A/N: The name of Ken and Yolei's eldest daughter is derived from Yolei's Japanese canon name of Miyako. I actually have no idea what the daughter's real name is, but I think Miya suits her. As for Joe's son, I snuck him into this one-shot because he's also got blue hair like Ken!

So whatcha think of the twist? ^_^