Disclaimer: Digimon Tamers is the property of Toei and Bandai.
Trinity of Loss
by
The Analyzer
Chapter 1: Katou to Uehara
Juri sat on the bench, gazing at the waterfall. It was an interesting waterfall. The people who designed sections of Shinjuku Central Park obviously put a lot of thought into it, and Juri approved. She thought it looked pretty and the sound of small waterfalls trickling into the pond was soothing. It was one of the reasons Juri liked coming here alone, one her friends sometimes had trouble comprehending.
*I understood why my friends try to make each day a cheerful one for me.* Juri thought. *I appreciate their kindness. But there are times I need to sit back and think about Leomon's passing.*
Not all of them had trouble understanding though, and Juri's thoughts turned fondly to another friend.
*At least Ruki understands why I do this. She knows what it is like to need to be alone and think over things. I just hope I could get the rest of my friends to understand why it's sometimes okay to be sad.*
That was what she learned after one of her therapy sessions. Juri smiled as her memories turned back to last year.
A couple weeks after the Digimon returned to the Digital World, her parents sought to have a therapist help her sort through her traumatic ordeal. The first one was too distant from home and didn't really understand how to deal with someone like Juri. The second had been easier to get to, but used his anti-Digimon sentiment to attack her. This made Mr. Katou furious. She heard her father bellowing into the telephone that afternoon before slamming it into the receiver. The one benefit to the unpleasant ordeal was that demonstration of her father's love. The relationship between Mr. Katou and Juri warmed considerably after that day.
The trouble thereafter was to find a therapist who would be sympathetic to Juri's position. The search for such an individual was difficult. Many offices were inaccessible by public transport and some therapists held problematic biases. Hope was falling until Juri's stepmother got a call from an old friend of hers in the therapy field who wanted to catch up on old times. After learning of what Juri had gone through and the lack of therapists that fit their requirements, the friend offered to take Mrs. Katou's daughter under her wing. After filling out some paperwork and easing government red tape, Juri found herself going on weekly visits to Hirata Yoko.
Juri liked Hirata. She often lent a sympathetic ear whenever Juri had something to say. Even when Hirata had trouble comprehending Juri's experience, she at least tried. The therapist also gave out great advice. For example, she was the one who suggested for Juri to have a quiet place to gather her thoughts. The place Juri had chosen was the place where she first met Leomon and she found musing there helped settle some disturbing matters.
In the hours before her latest appointment, Juri presently focused her mind on the happy surprise on New Year's Day. With the return of the Digimon, the past couple of days have seen much laughs and tears. Juri had been particularly delighted to reunite with Culumon and Impmon, the former who was with her in her worst moments and the latter who went all the way to repent for his mistakes. She felt warmth as the Digimon settled into the families of their respective partners. Culumon's frequent visits brought a smile to her face. She couldn't help, though, but feel lonely.
*Sometimes I wish there was someone who understood my experience.* Juri thought.
No one should go through what she had gone through, and she would rather be the only person in existence to have lost a partner than have it happen again. Still, if there was someone who could connect with Juri on a personal level…
Juri left the thought unfinished. She checked her watch; Juri would be a bit early for her appointment but there was nothing wrong with punctuality. Making sure her handbag was wrapped around the right part of her body (The memory of nearly strangling herself with the strap embarrassed her to no end), Juri removed herself from the bench and made a beeline for the shortest way out of the park.
Juri made her dreamy course across the path. She noted fondly the places she chased Leomon or walked with him on their first trip to the Digital World. Those memories were treasures to her and she took every opportunity to relive them. She had enough awareness not to bump into the visitors to the park and, if not, they were gracious enough to walk around her. There must have been two distracted people walking the same trail, however. The next thing Juri knew, she had bumped into someone and their belongings were scattered around them.
"Oh, I'm so sorry." Juri said. "I must've been daydreaming."
"No, it was my fault. I was in such a rush and I wasn't looking."
Apologies were exchanged frequently as Juri and the stranger kneeled down pick up belongings. Juri only got a glimpse of a yellow dress and pale skin as they crawled around, almost crashing into each other with added exclamations for forgiveness. Juri faintly noted the stranger was a girl around her age but she was too focused on getting everything in her handbag to pay attention to detail.
"I'm just visiting Tokyo, you see." The other girl was babbling. "And I was told Shinjuku Central Park would be a good place to relax and I really wanted to get far from the city noise, so I apologize for not seeing you."
"That's alright. Don't let me ruin your first visit. Let's just make sure we haven't mixed up our belongings and everything will be fine."
Just as the pavement was covered with only a half dozen odds and ends, Juri noticed a colorful looking wallet. She picked the wallet up and studied it. She gazed at the name imprinted upon it and felt a tingle of familiarity. She recognized that name…
"Where is it?" the other girl fretted. "Ooh, Father wouldn't be happy if I misplaced my…hey, you have my wallet."
"Oh." Juri came out of a trance with a shake of the head. "Sorry. I'm still out of it. Here."
The wallet was placed in the other girl's grateful hand. At that point, Juri raised her head and made eye contact with her for the first time.
Juri noticed the eyes first. They were sea-green and filled with an anxiety Juri recognized in shy girls. But there was something familiar in those eyes, something Juri had often seen when she looked at herself in the mirror. When she noted the brown hair tied in short pigtails, Juri's tingle of familiarity increased as she tasted the girl's name.
"Uehara…Minami."
There was a responding blink of confusion. "Yes, that is my name."
Juri shook her head again with a sheepish smile. "Oh, sorry about that. It's just…I swear I've heard that name before."
"You might have heard it from my father…Uehara Takehito – the creator of the V-Pet? If you weren't into things like that, you might have heard about the incident two years back that had the V-Pets discontinued."
Then it all came to Juri. Takato hadn't gone into great detail about that summer adventure, but she did remember him mentioning the girl who found herself in the middle of a complex plot. Takato even described her as having sea-green eyes. Suddenly, Juri found herself smiling.
"Ah, now I remember. My friend told me about you."
"Your friend?" Minami must have picked up the odd tone in her voice.
"Yes. He and his friends saved you. Does the name Matsuda Takato ring a bell?"
"You're friends with Takato? Wait…then you must be Katou Juri!"
"Takato-kun mentioned me?" Juri asked, surprised.
"Yes, he talked about you before we parted. This is amazing." Minami smiled and the expression was radiant. "I never expected I would bump into one of Takato's friends in this big city."
"Me neither. Maybe we could hang out and talk a bit." Juri replied happily. Talking with someone about their shared experiences with Digimon was usually a pleasant experience.
Minami nodded eagerly. "Yes, that sounds fun! Just show me a good place to hang out in the park and you could tell me how Takato and his friends are doing."
Juri made a noise of affirmation and was in the process of standing up after getting all her things. Then the glint of her watch caught her eyes. She winced guiltily.
"I'm sorry. I wish I could do that but I have a therapy appointment."
"Oh. Right. I understand." Minami tried to hide her disappointment. "Well, I hope it goes well. My traumas were a bit too weird for my therapist to understand, so-"
Minami's eyes widened and she abruptly fell silent. Juri felt guilty and confused by Minami's reaction. In spite of herself, Juri became curious. What experiences did Minami have that were too odd to comprehend? Juri could feel her compassion begin to stir. She turned over the time left until her appointment, and nodded to herself.
"Uehara-san, would you like to accompany me to my appointment?"
Minami looked up, surprised. "Pardon?"
"I wouldn't mind if you keep me company on the way." Juri said gently. "It's not too much of a journey and I could give you directions if you ever want to return to wherever you're staying."
For a moment, Juri thought she was going to be turned down. Minami had her gaze to Juri's feet and she bit her mouth like a taste-tester too polite to give a critical opinion. Worried, Juri was about to assure Minami this was her choice when the latter spoke up first.
"Okay, Katou-san. I hope I won't make you late."
"Not at all. In fact, I'm going a bit early so I could beat some of the rush hour."
With that, Juri took Minami's hand and they made the rest of their way out of the park. Juri noted Minami seemed a bit overwhelmed by the city activity. She must live in a more rural area of Okinawa. But there was something else bothering Minami. It looked like the discussion of therapy was triggering for her, and Juri winced internally. Her therapist taught her all about triggers and she wished she kept her investigation vague. Minami seemed the type to stew over these events and Juri determined it was time to steer Minami's thoughts toward more cheerful ground.
"So, what are your hobbies?"
Minami looked caught off guard by the question. Juri was wondering if Minami wanted to make the journey in silence when her expression turned thoughtful.
"My hobbies…well, I do enjoy boogieboarding. Ever since I was little, I've enjoyed being pushed along by the waves. So my mom taught me how to boogieboard and I've learned enough that I've won a few competitions."
"That's wonderful! I'm not very into sports, so I'm afraid I wouldn't be any good at it."
"That's not true! It takes a lot of practice, but anyone could do it if they put their mind to it. In fact, I've read about Phyllis Dameron and she became so good that –"
And the next thing Juri knew, Minami was regaling her with all her knowledge of boogieboarding, from the first woman accomplishments in the field to the various boogieboard models. Juri nodded and smiled, feeling completely lost in the over wash of information, but Minami's passion was infectious. This was the first time Juri saw the girl with such a glow in her eyes. Juri wasn't inclined to see that glow go out, so she encouraged further discussion on the subject.
"These people must be so brave." Juri said once Minami finished talking about the more daring feats of boogieboarding. "I can't imagine doing any of the stunts you mentioned."
"Well, they are professionals. They have the experience and knowledge to do those things, so they usually know what they're doing."
"Wow." Juri said, taking a moment to let it sink in. "You seem pretty experienced and knowledgeable, Uehara-san. Have you ever done daring stuff like boogieboarding in a storm?"
The enthusiasm seemed to drain out of Minami. She lowered her gaze and her formally expressive arms fell to the side.
"Yeah, I have." she said quietly.
Minami didn't say any more. Juri stared as they walked along, wondering what she said. Did Juri unwittingly trip another of her triggers? A flash of guilt went through her. In her attempt to steer Minami's mind in happier directions, Juri only made matters worse.
For a few minutes, Juri's mind was a jumble of thoughts, thinking of what she should say or do to make up with Minami. Unconsciously, her eyes wandered on the signs on the buildings and along the street. This ward of Tokyo was no different in being awash with various businesses and firms, from a very dull but surely important establishment offering its own set of lawyers to a modest building advertising its wonderful pool facilities.
Wait, pool facilities? Juri stared to make sure she was reading the ocean blue sign correctly. An idea slowly began to form…
"Uehara-san, I'm thinking we should take a short detour." Juri said, taking Minami's hand.
Minami seemed reluctant to lift herself from her thoughts. When her eyes finally focused, though, they widened as she took in what Juri had implied.
"Short detour? Wait." Minami's eyes snapped to the sidewalk sign they passed as they entered the building. "You mean you want us to take a swim?"
"Yes. And if you're up to it, I want to learn how to boogieboard."
"But wouldn't you be late for your appointment? And I don't think the average pool might be the most optimum place to learn how to boogieboard."
"As I said, I was going a bit early. Spending a little time having fun won't delay me too much. And even with those limitations, I'm sure your teachings will still be informative and fun. C'mon. I know it's been a while since you've been in contact with any body of water."
Minami didn't argue with that, so she and Juri signed in and went to the locker rooms to change. Minami shyly complimented the golden one-piece she selected and a flattered Juri pointed out the positives of the sea green swimsuit Minami chose. After making sure their belongings were locked up safely, they made a beeline toward the room with the selection of boogieboards.
"I'd recommend you select that one over there." Minami said, nodding toward the violet boogieboard a half a meter to Juri's left. "I think it would match your height and weight perfectly. Not that I think you're overweight or anything but…"
"That's alright. Your advice is sound, so I would have listened to you even if I was considered overweight. Plus, it matches my swimsuit."
With both boogieboards tucked properly under their arms (Minami had selected a scarlet model. "That's just Guilmon's color." Juri commented.), they made their way toward the pool. It was shaped like an oddly stylized C, with a bored bodyguard lazily watching from a high vantage point. Children and parents splashed at one end of the pool and adults adeptly swam around on the other. Minami and Juri slowly slid into the cool water of the pool's large middle. Teenagers and swimmers of varying skill were floating around the girls as they adapted to the temperature change. Minami thoughtfully swam back and forth. Juri interrupted this as she splashed toward her.
"So, how do you ride this thing?" Juri asked, nodding to the boogieboard keeping her afloat.
"Well…first, you get yourself up on the boogieboard. Not like that," Minami said, bopping forward, "you'll just send yourself into the water again. That's right, do it that way. Now position yourself like this…"
"Okay." Juri said eagerly once Minami corrected her grip. "How do I ride the waves?"
"Well, if we had some machine to create waves here, then I could probably teach you better." Minami replied, a hint of a laugh in her voice. "But we'll have to make do, so…"
For the next half hour, Minami taught Juri how to boogieboard. It was a challenge kicking her legs and moving the boogieboard in the slight manners required riding even a small wave. But Juri didn't surrender. She was having fun and Minami was too engrossed in examining her performance to brood over whatever was bothering her. Even if Juri was a little late for her therapy, it would be worth it. Even for a day, Juri would like her new friend to have something to smile about.
There was a gathering at the shallow end of the pool. Friends and relatives of those swimming, Juri had presumed, probably watching to make sure nothing went amiss. Shouts of encouragement and good natured insults were sent from this crowd, most notably from a woman with sunglasses. Juri wouldn't have noticed her if it weren't for the golden retriever sitting tamely by her side. She was shouting teasing warnings every now and then to a boy who shared her auburn hair. They made amusing background noise for Juri as the lesson started to concluded, Juri having said apologetically to Minami that she would have to leave soon.
"Don't be sorry." Minami had replied, smiling. "We could do this some other time. After all, I don't want to make you late."
Minami was in such good spirits that the mention of Juri's therapy appointment didn't appear to bother her. This made Juri happy. As the lifeguard climbed down from his post, the girls paddled to the edge discussing various books and websites about boogieboarding.
"There's a website for everything these days." Juri commented, placing the boogieboard on the tiled floor beside the pool.
"Yeah, it's amazing." Minami replied, using the small ladder to scale out. "Ooh, it's cold! I never enjoy the temperature shift when you get back to the surface."
Juri felt cold air leave goose pimples as her wet feet stepped back onto dry land. "Let me fetch the towels."
"I'll handle the boogieboards; don't want anyone to trip over them."
Juri turned away from Minami retrieving the boogieboards and walked carefully around the pool. She apologized to the woman after she nearly tripped over the latter's dog as she and her son walked past her. Juri made a beeline for the towel rack in the corner, wondering how she was going to tell her therapist why she arrived late.
She was so preoccupied with these thoughts as she paced back with the towels she almost missed what transpired in front of her.
"Ako-chan! Someone help Ako-chan!" a woman's voice exclaimed.
Her experience as a Tamer made her immediately aware of her surroundings. She tensed, almost expecting a menacing Digimon to bear up from the churning waters. Then she saw an odd flash of gold in the water and realized it was something just as bad.
The golden retriever she saw in the company of the woman was swimming desperately a meter into the pool. Juri thought all dogs instinctively knew how to swim but even as she thought this, Ako's head fell under. The cord of the red leash sunk under the water and constricted Ako's limbs, making surfacing all but impossible and drowning a likely conclusion…
A young girl dove into the water like a porpoise. As Juri hurried to the edge, all she saw was a pale form next to the gold. Thin arms worked around the chord calmly and masterfully. Soon enough, red lines circled the bottom like a devilish whirlpool and two heads broke the surface, gasping in biting air. Juri joined the throng of people as they helped Minami and Ako out of the pool.
"Oh Ako-chan, thank goodness!" the boy cried, hugging the wet and shaky dog. "I thought we lost you."
"Let's not be so quick to call this safe, dear." The woman with sunglasses said. "We need to have Ako-chan checked."
"I'll do it. I'm a veterinarian." volunteered an elderly gentleman.
"Thank you, sir." The woman said, bowing in his direction. "And thank you, kind girl, for rescuing my Ako-chan!"
Minami, startled by the thanks, lowered her head humbly. "Thank you, lady. I couldn't stand by while that happens."
"Nevertheless, that was a risky action you took." The veterinarian said, checking the dog's vitals. "You could have been tangled along with Ako-chan and drowned."
"Where was the lifeguard during this?" The boy wondered.
"He was the one who nearly got Ako-chan drowned." His mother replied.
"Hey, isn't that him over there?" someone shouted, pointing.
Juri turned to find the lifeguard walking toward the most inconspicuous exit in the room, his back to everyone. He fiddled with the lock, apparently more irritated by his incapability to open the door than the death that almost happened behind him. Seized with an almost mighty fury, Juri made a quick interception. Just as the lifeguard carelessly flung the door open, Juri shut it firmly.
"What the- ? Get out of my way, girl! I'm on break!"
The lifeguard's careless tone didn't improve Juri's mood. "Why didn't you help save the dog, Ako-chan?"
"Again, I'm on break. It's someone else's problem."
Juri stared. "But you nearly had the dog drowned. You're a lifeguard. It's your responsibility to make sure everyone is safe even if you're on break or if you accidentally did it."
"It's the owner's fault for bringing her useless dog here in the first place." The lifeguard snapped. "She risked its life, she knew the risks! I'm just here to look good!"
"You're…you're a horrible human being!" Juri shouted. "I hope this makes you look good!"
With that, Juri kicked the lifeguard in the shin. The lifeguard gave a yell of pain. He hopped on one foot, slipping and dragging a bunch of towels down with him. Juri only saw this in the corner of her eye as she stalked off. As she focused on the crowd beside the pool, Juri noticed Minami staring at her and the lifeguard. Minami's otherwise pale complexion had whitened and her sea-green eyes were widened in fear. This only happened in a second before Minami turned and disappeared.
"Uehara-san?" Juri whispered, taking a careful fast walk around the pool.
At first, Juri had trouble finding Minami, checking the bathrooms and closets. She felt like kicking herself when she found her in the locker room they had changed in. There were no sobs but Minami's shoulders rocked and her soft breath shook. Concerned, Juri went to sit by Minami.
"Uehara-san, what's wrong?" Juri asked as she laid a tentative hand on the other's shoulder. "Why are you upset?"
"Nothing you need to worry about. Just shaken by what the lifeguard said."
Juri frowned. "Well that lifeguard was a jerk. I wouldn't trust him to even watch a bunch of kittens."
"That's not what I meant." Minami shook her head. "What he had said was horrible because it was true."
"What do you mean, Uehara-san? You don't have to listen to what he said-"
"I can. I can because it was my fault that my Mei is gone!"
There was silence. Juri rubbed Minami's back, feeling stunned. Who was Mei and what did he have to do with the lifeguard's upsetting words? Unless Minami wasn't referencing a human...
"Uehara-san," Juri said softly, "I hope I'm not intruding. But was Mei the name of your-"
Minami nodded, sniffling. "He was my dog. He was very sweet. If only I hadn't decided to go out that day, Mei would still be alive."
"Do you want to talk about it?" Juri asked gently.
Silence was Minami's reply. This wasn't a rude or dismissive silence, though. Juri wouldn't have blamed her for not answering such an intrusive question. But Juri could tell by Minami's sad gaze and bitten lip that she was thinking carefully. Minami was choosing her words slowly, so that when she finally spoke, none would be wasted.
"Alright. It was dark and cloudy that day. I heard Mom worrying about the weather to come but I was only interested in the waves that the weather would bring. There had been reports I read of people surfing in such weather and I wanted to try it. I called to my mom that I would be out and left. Mei followed. He always liked to see me swim and even joined me on a few occasions, though he wasn't good at it. I got to the beach and took my boogieboard to the ocean."
Minami paused, obviously thinking over how to say the next part of the story. Juri was patient and waited until Minami was ready to speak again.
"Before I knew it, the waves were rough and the downpour was intense. I had the sense to swim to shore but the ocean was too chaotic for me to even stay on my boogieboard. I was plunged into the water and it took all I got to stay above the surface. I could see Mei running back and forth on the pier. As I was trying to swim toward shore, I could see him crouching and I suddenly realized he was going to try and rescue me. I don't think he heard my scream to stay on shore over the storm but he was in the water before I could yell again.
"Rescuing Mei became my first priority. I knew he wouldn't stand a chance in this weather and I tried to swim toward him. But I couldn't reach him and neither could he reach me. The waves were too strong for both of us and Mei was swept out to sea. I – I never saw him again!"
At that moment, Minami had her head on Juri's shoulder and was crying openly. Juri embraced her, whispering comforting things into her ear. After a minute of gently being rocked, Minami disengaged from the embrace. Her tear-stained face twitched as she composed herself.
"Somehow, I was able to swim to shore and tell my parents what happened. They rounded up everyone and led a search party. I wasn't allowed to go, just in case…well, after a few days, no one found him. They called off the search and Father apologized to me by giving me the first V-Pet. I wasn't happy with this attempt to replace Mei and only gave him cursory attention. That was a mistake." Minami paused before asking. "Do you know anything about the V-Pet incident?"
"Yes." Juri nodded. "I learned about some of it from general news reports and what Takato-kun told me. The Digimon named Shiisamon sacrificed himself to rid the world of all the evil V-Pet Digimon. Wait…was Shiisamon-"
"The first V-Pet. I was surprised as well, in more ways than one. Not only did the V-Pet I neglected had the vaccine program and became a Digimon, but he was actually Mei."
Juri gaped. "What? How is that possible?"
"I don't know how myself but I only realized it after…after he was mortally wounded saving me and his name activated the vaccine program. So in the end, he was still dead. And it's all because of me. Don't you see? If I hadn't been so stupid as to go boogieboarding in a storm, then Mei would still be alive. If I hadn't been in danger and needed to be protected, Mei would be with me right now as a Digimon. The lifeguard was really horrible for blaming pet owners like that, especially for that lady…but I can't help thinking he's right about me."
Juri didn't reply. She was too busy digesting the information that Minami had given her, because she couldn't believe what she was hearing.
So Juri wasn't the only one who had lost a Digimon friend. Minami had also gone through the experience. Sure, Minami hadn't technically been partnered with Shiisamon and the Digimon had the soul of a lost pet, but in the end they were similar. Juri felt both relieved and sad upon this revelation. She was sad that the world was filled with so much sorrow it struck more than once at the limited number of people who have befriended Digimon. At the same time, though, Juri had someone who would understand her experience.
"I know how you feel." Juri said softly.
Minami looked up incredulously. "That's rude, you know? How could you know how I feel? What I went through wasn't exactly normal, after all!"
Juri flinched, and took a calming breath. She understood why Minami lashed out. Juri had done a good amount of that herself and she knew it was better not respond in kind.
"That wasn't what I meant. What I meant was I know how you feel, because I went through something similar."
"You went through something similar? How could that be, only people in contact with Digimon could have gone through what I've gone through."
"I'm friends with Takato-kun and the others. I've been in frequent contact with their Digimon. And for a time…I was once like them."
Minami's eyes slowly widened. "Oh Juri, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to be rude."
"I understand. I've been in the same position more than once."
Minami hesitated. "So…who was your partner?"
"Leomon." Juri's eyes turned dreamy. "Our first meeting was funny. He rescued me from one of the Devas and I immediately expressed the wish of having him as his partner. He wasn't so keen, which was probably magnified when I chased him all over the park."
Minami put a hand over her mouth to suppress a giggle. "That would probably dissuade me, too. But you did become partners?"
"Yes, after Culumon was kidnapped. Leomon got injured and a D-Arc appeared, so I healed him. Despite our awkward meeting, we were able to get along. He wasn't talkative, but he didn't waste words. He had a kind heart, though. A kind heart that couldn't stand to see brutality from an old friend."
Minami remained quiet as Juri recalled the fear and abject despair of that moment.
"Leomon tried to dissuade a friend of ours, Beelzebumon, from seeking strength by killing us. Unfortunately, Beelzebumon was far too power hungry to listen and drove his claws through Leomon. Leomon just accepted his death, and his data was absorbed by Beelzebumon. I, on the other hand, sank into despair. My mother passed away when I was young, so it didn't help me cope at all. And then the D-Reaper kidnapped me to power itself up with my despair."
"The D-Reaper?" Minami's eyes widened. "You mean you were in that blob a year back? Oh Katou-san, how did you survive?"
"With the help of my friends. Culumon was by my side in the last weeks of that experience. He gave me hope when I just wanted it all to end. Believe it or not, another person who tried to save me was Beelzebumon."
"What?"
"Yeah. Beelzebumon was actually remorseful for his actions, so he wanted to help me not to just seek forgiveness, but because he actually cared for my wellbeing. He nearly killed himself trying and I remembered that after Takato-kun and the others saved me. So I forgave him and we're still friends to this day."
"Wow. I mean, wow. I don't think I'd be able to forgive the Digimon who took Mei away from me again. After everything you went through, I'm surprised you're still sane."
"Again, I have my friends to help me. Not to mention…well, I don't think Leomon would want me to be broken and sad for the rest of my life. I still think about him and cry sometimes, but that doesn't mean I could never be happy again. I would honor his memory by having as many happy moments as I can."
"I never thought about it that way." Minami said. "But maybe you're right. I never thought how Mei would feel on how I coped with his passing. Now that I think about it, though, I think he would wish the best for me like Leomon would wish the best for you."
"That's right." Juri smiled. "Leomon and Mei might be gone, but they are still watching us."
"Yeah, in a sense." Minami gave a returning smile. "Thank you, Katou-san."
"No problem, Uehara-san. I hope you don't mind me being familiar with you now. I thank you too. I wouldn't have wanted to have my experienced be shared by anyone. But sadly, the world doesn't work like that. At least we got to know each other through our shared experience. I wouldn't mind calling you my friend, Minami-chan."
"Thanks. I wouldn't mind doing the same, Juri-chan."
They sat there in the silence, not needing to talk. Juri's thoughts were warm and musings about what she and Minami could do together. There was also a thoughtful gleam in Minami's eyes, though Juri had no way of knowing what she was thinking. It had to be something positive, judging from her smile. At any rate, the silence was broken by the ringing of a pair of cell phones. Jumping, the two hastily dug through their lockers.
"Hello?"
"Juri, is that you?"
"Mother?"
"Where are you? The therapist's office called and said you weren't present for your appointment."
Juri covered her mouth. "I forgot! I'm sorry. I met with a friend on the way and we lost track of time."
"Oh thank goodness. I thought you could have been kidnapped or something. I know you are considerate to your friends, but please get there soon."
"I will. This was a new friend actually and we were helping each other in…the reason I go to therapy for."
"Oh." The concerned voice softened. "I'll let them know you'll be a bit late. See you at dinner."
Juri bid goodbye to her stepmother and pocketed her phone. In the silence, she heard Minami concluding her own conversation.
"I'll be back soon, Father. Yes, I know how to navigate the city. You don't need to drive to me. I'm able to cope. Let me say goodbye to my new friend. I love you."
Minami shut her phone and turned toward Juri with a sad smile.
"I have to go." she said. "My father wants me back at the hotel. I guess we have to part."
"And I have to make it to my therapist." Juri answered. "It was nice meeting you, Minami-chan."
"Likewise. It's great to know someone who shares my experiences. It'd be a pity if we can't get in contact again."
"I wouldn't want that to happen either." Juri looked thoughtful. "Let's fix that. Do you have a piece of paper?"
Puzzled, Minami nodded. She took out her purse and sifted through it until she produced a piece of stationary the size of a cup holder. Juri bent the paper and ripped it in two, handing a piece to Minami. Once Juri finished, she handed the pen over to Minami.
"Write down your contact information." Juri said. "You know, so we could still talk to each other after you go home."
"Oh, right!" Face brightening, Minami began writing, albeit more slowly than Juri had. "Then we switch papers?"
Juri made a noise of assent, and they carefully switched papers and put them in their purses.
"There." Juri said. "Now if you want to contact me at any time, Minami-chan, you can leave me an e-mail."
"Okay." Minami answered. "Juri-chan, thank you for everything you've done for me. You helped me understand my pain a little better. You're a good friend."
"Thank you too. You let me know I'm not alone in my experience. I know we will be very good friends."
Juri and Minami quickly dried themselves off and dressed themselves back into their original clothes. They stepped outside the building's entrance, smiling at each other for a moment, before going their separate ways.
Juri would have to apologize to the therapist for being late. Juri was one who apologized for her mistakes, after all. But she would be honest with her therapist. Juri didn't regret being late. Juri would talk about a girl called Minami, someone unique who nevertheless made Juri less lonely in the universe.
Next time…
Uehara to McCoy!