Do you know what it's like...to be despised for being yourself?

I keep asking myself this as I stare down at my math homework, blue biro hanging loosely between my fingers.

Ken. My best friend.

I didn't hate him when he was the Kaiser. I hated what he did. Oh yes, I did. More than anything. Not because I hated who he was, but because of the way he treated those Digimon. Because he hit Takeru. Abused Wormmon. Hurt my friends. But I didn't hate him...I knew he was a good person. So when he was healed, I could see that he was a different person. So I wanted to be friends with him. To help him. But...what if he was just like her?

Hikari. Beautiful. Sweet. A shining light. Someone I admired and adored. She...hates me. Because I'm me. Just Daisuke. Just impulsive. Just a loud-mouth. Just a jerk.

Heh, there goes one tear...and there's another. Smearing the ink of my math homework. Damn. Maybe Takeru will give me the answers tomorrow. Or Ken. Does Takeru hate me? No. I don't think Takeru can hate.

Just Hikari...of course. Only the one I love would hate me.

And I loved her. Oh God, I loved her. I wanted to be the prince on the white horse, sweep her off her feet and ride her off into the sunset. I wanted to see that sunshine smile of hers for the rest of my life.

What a joke! She told me that she just couldn't love me...

"In fact...Daisuke, I hate you, okay?! I can't stand you!"

And then she ran, in tears, into Takeru's arms. What'd I do? Stood in front of my locker, struck dumb, watching as the two angels walked away, aching. Yes, that was the beginning of this perpetual internal aching. This slow, painful knowledge that I was Not Like Them.

They're all so beautiful. All of the DigiDestined. Even when they're crying, they're like...gods and goddesses. Touch them and they'll break. They glimmer in the starlight. But what about me? What about stupid Daisuke? I couldn't shine if I spent the next million years trying. I'll always be an impulsive jerk.

Damn these stupid tears. Damn them. Where the hell is Ken when I need him?! I reach over for my phone and pick it up. I place it back into the cradle bitterly. Somebody's using the line already. Probably Jun, talking to Yamato. Yeah, did you know she and him actually managed to hook up? They've been dating for ages.

I throw the biro down onto my unfinished homework and throw myself onto my bed, staring up at the ceiling. No comfort up there. No comfort anywhere. Not here -- Mom and Dad, busy. Jun, talking with Yamato at all hours of the day and night. Not at school. Takeru and Hikari, walking arm in arm. Angels were meant to be together, and they go together so well. Miyako, Iori, they don't really understand it.

They're angels, all right. One of them, an angel that tore out my heart, spat on it, and then laughed as she ran off to her co-angel. He doesn't know what she can do.

I hope he never does.