Digimon Evolution Adventure

Episode Eight: Unnecessary Attention

Hinoka had learned many things about herself over the course of her lifetime. For one, she absolutely despised her former husband for everything he stood for. Second, she was impatient. Very impatient.

She still had to wait another six days before she would be able to go forward with her plan and advance on her target. She didn't want to break the rules that the boss had set for her since she knew that it wouldn't end very well. Hinoka had enough sense to at least know that much. She wished that it wasn't the case, but she didn't have many options. She would have to be patient and have her revenge or have it be denied forever.

Hinoka's main purpose as one of the Eight Shadows working underneath the man in black was to get revenge on the people she had once called her family. Things had changed since the days where she could go at home with her husband and spend time with their child. She wasn't at all satisfied with the way things had turned out, but now, things were finally working in her favor, as revenge was finally upon her within the span of a week.

She was ready.

"You weren't at the meeting yesterday."

The man was caught off guard by a voice from behind him. He closed his front door behind him and turned to face the woman that had been standing behind it. She had her arms crossed, but not in a defiant fashion. Instead, her eyes were filled with concern that she simply couldn't find the ability to hide.

"Sorry. Isara wanted me to stay at home with her. She wasn't feeling very well. I figure that it's just because she's due in six weeks," the man apologized. The gentle September wind blew around him, ruffling his light hair ever so slightly.

"You told us that you would be there," the woman frowned. "You promised me that you would come. And you didn't even call or text to say that you weren't going to make it. Are you sure that you didn't come just because she wasn't feeling well? It's not like you to not tell us about this sort of thing."

"I told you, she wasn't feeling well. I didn't know that it was going to happen. I really didn't. I'm sorry that I wasn't there. Things just... Things just keep popping up that keep me from seeing you and the others. Unfortunate as it may be, there's not much of anything we can do to stop it."

"I want you to tell me the truth," the woman blurted out. She took a step forwards and took the man's wrist in her fingers, her eyes meeting his. "Please. I only ever wanted the best for you and you know that. I've lost count of how many years we've known each other at this point. You know full well that I just want you to be happy."

"And I'm happy with Isara as I've told you many times before," the man said, looking down. He couldn't bear to meet her gaze when she stared at him that way. Pleading, begging him to tell her something, anything to assure her that he was truly okay.

"No, you're not! I can see that you've been holding your arm this entire conversation, and I think I know why! She's hurt you! My guess is that you were kept from coming to the meeting because of that," the woman said. She looked at the man's upper arm. He had been gripping his right shoulder with his left hand tightly during the entire conversation. "I... I want you to move your hand. Let me see your arm."

"No, I'm telling you that it isn't like tha-"

"Please!" the woman cried sharply, her voice cracking. "Please... I just want you to be happy. I know that you're not happy with her."

"I have to go," the man suddenly said, tearing his arm from the woman's grasp. She watched as he hurried out to the car. He was still holding his shoulder as he went, but she saw him remove his fingers briefly. The black and blue skin beneath his shirt's short sleeve. She could only watch in sadness as he clambered into the vehicle and drove away, leaving her standing alone on the front porch of his house.