Note 1: Digimon belong to Akiyoshi Hongo.
Note 2 Some characters, like Makoto, belong to The Nomad, a great writer.
xxx
[•7 In which we turn back the clock and come to those days when the Tear Jumpers were just two, while Yang was just a boy who kept on living quietly. However, the skydriver is lying in wait and she will drag him with her and her grumpy friend to the Tear Jumpers' unpredictable world.]
Itsuki hopped up and down as she was getting dressed in front of the tall mirror of her bedroom. She couldn't stay still: she was so happy. She didn't even care it was a bit complex buttoning her shirt in movement: she kept on jumping and humming the tune of a song she had been hearing on the radio for days. Then, after having put her beloved striped cardigan on, she headed for the living room, where she started combing her hair, still hopping.
"Why do you always do that here? We bought that mirror in your room for a reason," Her mother spontaneously underlined, when she saw the girl pulling her cobalt hair back into a little ponytail there, in their living room.
"This mirror is better," She merely answered, smiling.
Ruki sighed, finishing sipping her coffee. She raised her auburn eyebrows, wondering why her daughter was so joyful that morning.
"Couldn't you stop trotting like a horse? What is it? Why are you so pumped?"
"No reason!" She shouted, startling Lunamon, which was admiring how beautiful her Tamer's locks looked.
"C'mon, It. You are acting like those stupid dolls kids love nowadays."
Itsuki smiled brightly when she checked if her hair was perfect like she wanted it to be.
"I've already told you," She began saying, sitting on the genkan to put her rollers on. "I'm just happy, that's all."
"Oh, It!" She laid her hands on her hips, looking at her daugher. "You know I don't like it whenever I feel like I'm missing something!"
The girl grinned, mischievously, "Still my same anxious mum: always thinking I'm up to something. Moumantai, Mommy, Moumantai." She turned to wink to her, "Try to be like Daddy: he trusts me and knows I'm an angel."
Ruki huffed, trying to hide the fact she detested sounding like Itsuki's classmates' nosey mothers .
"Ok, fine," She crossed her arms. "I hope you'll have a good day."
Itsuki grinned again, this time genuinely.
"I hope you'll have a good day at work too, Mommy!"
She crouched and opened her violet backpack, "Come here, Lunamon. Let's go to school."
After having left their apartment, the girl started skating across the crowded roads of Shinjuku, excited to go to school. No, she hadn't suddenly become a geek like her father, when he was younger. She still couldn't bring herself to appreciate staying sat at her desk for hours, waiting for lessons to finish: actually, she couldn't do without running and moving at least an arm or a leg. There was only a reason that could explain that strange behaviour, which even Lunamon had noticed; indeed, a person, a child: a black-haired boy, whose extremely dark eyes were able to make Itsuki's heart beat faster than jets. She didn't know why it throbbed whenever he looked at her; why her cheeks became red just like the cherries she loved eating; why a wave of shyness hit her, if he raised his head and realised she was next to him. Itsuki didn't know anything about what was happening to her; she didn't try speculating about the possible causes either. She was just sure about the fact she really wanted to see him and chat during recess until the bell rang.
Therefore, when finally that moment arrived, Itsuki didn't hesitate to stand up and take her backpack, after having managed to be careful the whole lesson. She walked to the door of the classroom with a smile on her face but, before going out, she let herself lay her gaze on her best friend's desk: she stared at the blonde girl with a bit of sadness in her soul, and every memory about her came back in her mind.
"At-Chan..." She whispered, touching the colourful wall with her slightly tanned hand.
She couldn't believe her best friend had decided not to talk to her anymore only because of a doll. Moreover, she hadn't ripped it on purpose: that apparently far afternoon, she was fighting against Makoto to give the Leomon doll back to her. Her violet orbs narrowed, when Atsuko started laughing with her other ex-friends. They all had left her and it was the fault of that toy. That stupid toy, she shouted in her mind: they had been friends for years.
Who cares! Now I'm a Tear Jumper and I can stay with Mako-Chan!, she cheered herself up. It was true, after all. It was true she had a new life now; after their "trip" to DigiWorld nothing could ever be the same. Furthermore, the cobalt-haired girl was certain she was going to get a new, cute friend soon.
Since she felt the unbearable burden of her heart disappearing, at least for that moment, she began dashing through the corridor of the school (even though she wasn't allowed to do that) and headed for the back of the gym, the place in which Itsuki knew she would find him. Actually, he didn't look like a very sociable boy, she assumed, as she had never seen him playing with some other kid. She couldn't deny that fact was stange enough, because every boy in her class always enjoyed themselves playing videogames or football together. She ended up wondering why he was always alone.
Still running, she entered the wide gym and, without being afraid, she threw herself against the heavy door. At once the bright light of the Sun engulfed her, and she looked up at the clear sky while her little ponytail was moved by the spring breeze. It was April, so school had just begun: nevertheless, lots of things had already happened to her, and it felt like if many months had passed, instead.
"Luna-Chan," She hushed. "Please, be quiet."
"Y-yes," The timid digital bunny said, struggling to hold in a sneeze: the gym was full of dust.
"You're a good girl!" She complimented her partner and closed the backpack again.
Itsuki began looking around, turning her head from the right to the left, looking for that boy.
"Where is he?" She whispered, a bit upset, but then her amethyst-coloured eyes lit up ,when she saw him sat on a sort of curb.
Itsuki waited before approaching him, and used those minutes to admire his features and attitude; he was playing some kind of videogame, but seeing him all alone made her heart ache: she couldn't resist anymore.
The girl got closer to the boy and greeted him with her usual bubbly tone.
"Good morning, Yang-Chan!"
The Chinese child slowly raised a very dark eyebrow, and stared at her, blankly: the girl couldn't understand whether he was irritated as she had interrupted him.
Nevertheless, she didn't let his impassivity discourage her. She kept on waving and her too long striped sleeve flipped in the wind.
"Were the lessons boring like always, Yang-Chan?" She chirped.
The boy merely shrugged, still observing that Japanese girl, who always wanted to talk to him. He couldn't state neither he detested staying with her nor he liked listening to her endless rambling; she was indifferent to him. However, it's true she looked like a pretty strange type, since she had been following him at school for days: through the corridors, in the garden, near the school gate...Nothing like that had ever happened to him in China: Japanese people are really weird, he ended up thinking again.
"H-hi, Lee-Kun," He brought himself to stutter in an incorrect pronounce. He didn't intend to seem rude: after all, she was only trying to chat with him.
He winced and got a little scared, when she abruptly tapped her foot, her hands were closed into a fist.
"How many times do I have to tell you I don't want to be called like that!"
Was she joking?, he asked himself, and proceeded to scan her gestures. It wasn't his fault if in China he was used to calling people by their last names.
"S-sorry, but I can't help-"
"It doesn't matter now!" She loudly said, cutting him short. "You'll learn to call me It-Chan in no time, Yang-Chan!" She sat next to him and playfully gave a punch on his shoulder. He avoided her touch, skilled, and returned to his beloved game: he needed to win. He couldn't waste time. He cracked a smile, when she stood up: he thought she was leaving.
However, it had been decided that one wasn't a day he could enjoy himself with his console. He frowned, after having noticed something was tickling his neck, but managed not to be distracted by that annoying feeling. He stayed focussed on piloting the virtual plane and shooting his enemies, but, despite his effort, his neck started tickling again.
"But what...?" He touched it, hoping it would stop, but it continued.
Then, he turned his head and started wondering how it was possible that videogame was able to make him forget about his surroundings: she was still there.
"Hm, could I ask what are you doing?" He questioned, embarassed because the girl had laid her chin on his shoulder: her ponytail felt like a duster on his skin.
"What game is it?" She pointed to the display.
He was so startled he accidentally turned it off.
"Oh, what a pity! You were about to win, weren't you?"
"Yeah...I was..." He answered, keeping the desparation into his heart, staring at the menu of the console, deadpan.
"I'm sorry. That's why you should save your datas very often," She solemnly announced, remembering when she lost very important datas of a Digimon game her father had bought for her eighth birthday.
The Chinese boy raised his eyebrows, after getting a bit far from her.
"Do y'play Digimon Cards too?" She looked excited.
"This one?" He muttered, while despair was gradually taking over him.
He didn't even have the time to completely turn the technological device off, since she quickly clicked on the icon, grinning. He could hear a familiar catchy tune, and then the famous logo appeared on the screen, the logo of the brand that had been entertaining children from around the world for ages.
"Neh, let me see your cards!" She approached him again and smiled at him. The boy bended his head, puzzled: he had never seen a girl so interested in Digimon. He stared at the girl as she nimbly moved her fingers on the display of the console she now had in her hands.
"Hm, you have got a Pumpkinmon, a Numamon..." She kept on scrolling: something caught her attention. "Wow, Yang-Chan, this Skullmammothmon is so cool! Wah! What about this Seadramon! You must be very lucky!"
Yang stood still, thinking about the many plausible reasons why Lee-Kun was so into Digimon and Digimon cards. Did she have a brother?, he hypothesized. Did she spend her time with boys more than with girls?
"So many powerful cards," She commented.
Yang ended up believing she knew Digimon because some of her classmates liked it. She was just curious about learning more about them, and finally she had had the chance to do that. However, his certainty collapsed, when she stood up and smirked.
"Your cards are extremely powerful, Yang-Chan!"
"Ehm, thanks, I suppose."
"Now I know what I want: a battle against you!"
A surprised expression appeared on the Chinese boy's face; he opened his mouth in disbelief.
"W-what?!"
The smirk disappeared for a moment.
"What's the problem?"
"You-you really know how to play the Digimon Card Battle Game?"
"Sure," She still couldn't understand why he was so dazed. "Well? What are we waiting for?" She took her console and turned it on.
Yang did feel lost: neither his older sister, Shaoyu, could play that game. Indeed, she had never tried playing it.
"C'mon!"
"Ehm," He started, putting the digital device on the curb. "I think there isn't enough time to-"
"That's all talk. We'll make it in time."
"No, we won't. Moreover, what's the point in doing this, if you already know my cards?"
Itsuki had to admit she liked how stubborn he sounded when it came about personal matters.
"Please, Yang-Chan," She got closer and closer, until their faces were a millimeter away from each other. He had never been in that situation, so near to a girl; never, even to his sister. He stared at her too weird violet orbs, a colour he wouldn't find too strange on the eyes of a cat, and, suddenly, he felt rather intimidated. Nevertheless, he couldn't hide he was amazed by the fact she wasn't afraid of his eyes like every children of his class.
"Then?" She sat down.
"Hm, I could accept a little bat-"
"Yeah!" She shouted and raised her arms. "I'm sure this will be extra-amazing!" She began humming a song, while in the background Yang sighed.
Both activated the wirless connection, and Itsuki felt the adrenaline running down her the other hand, Yang stayed composed. She was looking forward to discovering what kind of player he was: Careful? Logical? Cautious?
They swiftly placed the cards on both the Duel zone and the Online zone.
"Ok, Yang-Chan, let's decide who'll open the battle first. I'm heads, while you're tails," Generally, doing that mainly served to decide who could digivolve first, but that videogame had some different rules. He merely nodded, as a coin was flipped on the display. Heads.
The battle had started well, he sarcasticaly told himself. Furthermore, that was a battle against a girl, a Japanese girl; a girl, he soon learned, he shouldn't understimate. How fiery she can be?!, he blinked, flabbergasted because of the tenacity she showed during the battle.
"What do you think about my Kyubymon?" She crossed her arms, proud of herself and her cards.
"It's a quite rare card, isn't it?" He struggled to convince himself about her great abilities.
"It is. It's my most precious card."
He blankly looked at his Seadramon, the only Digimon that still was alive. The technology of that game was so advanced the player couldn't only see his Digimon like if it was real, but it was also possible to notice how tired and exhausted a Digimon was: Seadramon's movements were heavier, slower, and it was out of breath too.
"Yang-Chan, look at this!"
She drew a card from the deck and shouted "Card slash!", laughing.
Yang's eyes seemed to become bigger, as the Taomon appeared on the display.
"Oh well, I have got a very fast Seadramon!" He responded, realising the challenge had pumped him up.
However, despite that unusual confidence, Itsuki already knew her win was guaranteed.
She didn't hesitate: she drew another card from the deck and incremented Taomon's speed.
Yang understood he was in a dead end. The girl had kept her promise, at least: the battle had been a rapid one.
"Let's finish with grace. Y'arent't bad tho, Yang-Chan!"
At a certain point, Yang could swear Lee-Kun reminded him of someone. He ignored Seadramon was slowly "dying": he was too focussed on clearing his mind. There was something in her gestures, in the way she placed the cards, in her attitude that was familiar, too familiar. The realization hit his mind, when she drew another card from the deck before giving the final blow: she increased the Digimon's attack.
Yang found that choose nonsense. It was useless wasting time to strengthen your cards: the enemy could catch the chance and turn the whole game around. Unfortunately, but luckily for her, he couldn't do anything more, as he had used every card he had; he didn't have an ace in the hole either. When the decisive moment came, Yang could swear he saw an ingenious and sly boy instead of the girl; a boy who was wearing a baggy hoody, which totally covered his hair and eyebrows.
Game over Yang read: they had finished a minute before the end of recess.
"Y'know, when I play Digimon cards battle game, I always increase the attack at the end of the match, not because I want to be sure to win, but because I care about my Digimon. Sometimes, they become weaker after very powerful attacks," Itsuki got rid of the dust, which engulfed her surroundings, and cracked a smile. "Y're not bad, Yang-Chan. You're much better than that dork of Mako-Chan. Cat-boy, piano-boy, card-boy..."
On the other hand, despite the compliments, the guy was stockstill and looked stunned.
"What is it? If y're sad because you've lost, we can-"
"You-you are the King, aren't you?" He turned his head slowly, gradually returning to be the composed and shy boy he was.
"What are you talkin' about?" She asked, but it was clear she was pretending to be unaware.
"Y-you are the King, the one who won the tournament last year. I can't be wrong!"
A scared expression appeared on Yang's face, when the girl abruptly put a hand on his mouth.
"Shut up! What are you thinking to do?!"
The boy wiggled, realizing she was quite strong to be a girl.
"How do you know?!" She continued her questioning, while his face became more and more red.
She let him go, reluctant, forced by the fact her hand was blocking his breathing.
"I watched..." He tried calming his wheezing. "I watched it on TV, I swear! The boy did the same silly thing you did before!"
"Silly thing? It's called, ehm, strategy of course!" She was quite angry at the boy now, even though she didn't want to.
"Sorry for the silly, but no professional player would choose to lengthen the battle for the Digimon's sake."
She pouted, but, at the same time, she couldn't help but realising he wasn't so timid after all. He wasn't just used to being with other people, she assumed.
"There's no doubt, you're the Digimon King...Even though you're a girl..."
Itsuki crossed her arms, and listened to the noise made by the children, who were running to their classes.
"I'm not the K-I-N-G! I'm a girl! Can't you see that?"
He stared at her, seriously, and she couldn't resist to the instinct to blush visibly.
"There-There aren't many people who have got violet eyes," He argued. "Moreover, the King hasn't showed up anymore after that tournament."
Now the girl couldn't fight against her patience anymore.
"All right, I'm the Digimon King! I'm him, but nodoby can't know that! I just wanted to imitate Mommy!"
Her cheeks had become flushed and she clamped her jaws.
"E-ehy, Lee-Kun, I-I didn't mean to-" He stuttered: his shyness had come back.
"Excuse me, who are you?"
Both the children turned their heads at the sound of that third unexpected voice. A pair of fiery red eyes stared at the couple with anger and suspicion. His dark brown hair was messy and abuzz like a field hit by a tornado.
"Mako-Chan?" Itsuki was surprised. "What are y'doing here?"
"I was checking on you, maybe? You haven't come back to our class yet, but, as I can see, you're hanging out with this weirdo!" He pointed to the boy, who grew terrorized.
When he stepped forward, Yang thought he looked like a raging bull or a frightening stray dog..
She giggled, a bit embarassed, "Sorry, Mako-Chan. I was playing with Yang-Chan!"
"Yang who?"
Itsuki smiled in a very pleasant way to the petrified boy, reaching out and instilling courage.
"Moumantai, he's a friend of mine," She said, but Yang kept on shaking. Itsuki wondered what he would look like, if he was a black cat: his fur would be rippled because of the fear. "Yang-Chan, he's scary only apparently, right, Mako-Chan?"
He wasn't swayed by her cheerful attitude: he hadn't come there to play.
"Itsuki, what are you hiding from me? You were having an argument with this weirdo!" He glanced at the unknown boy. "What were you talking about? What's a King?"
Now it would have been the turn of Itsuki's fur to ripple, if she had been a cat.
"Uhm, it's a game. We were playing a game!"
Usually she was good at lying, but that day her greatness had disappeared: her hands were trembling as well as her legs.
"Don't lie to me! I've had enough!"
He threw himself against that stranger, and grabbed him by the collar.
"What do you want from her? Are you a cheap young abductor?"
Yang didn't hesitate to try punching him in defense.
She understood she was in a dead end, just like Yang during the challenge. She couldn't stand to see Yang in that situation; she didn't want to think it was her fault.
She sighed and opened her mouth to speak, but suddenly a ring echoed in the back of the gym. It was like if the time was standing still; the boys had stopped quarreling and the ring became more intense.
"What is happening?" Yang inquired, when also his pocket began vibrating.
Makoto got off of him and looked at his Digivice.
"There's a Digimon nearby!" Itsuki answered, as she looked at the Digivice display. "But..." She stared at Yang, who was examining his own digital device, kneeled.
"It had never happened before," He. "I had shut it off!"
He retreated, after seeing four eyes curiously observing him. He winced, his jaw was shaking.
"Don't tell me,Yang Chan, you're a Digimon Tamer too!" Itsuki came quickly to the conclusion, while Makoto had his mouth opened, in disbelief.
"This weirdo is a Tamer?! I mean, have you looked at him?! Does he look like someone who could go and fight without pissing himself? He must have an idiot Digimon."
The girl didn't yell at him because of how rude he had been. She stood still, elaborating the realization, while Yang was trying to find out what was happening.
"A Digimon." She blinked. "Yang-Chan, where is your Digimon?"
The boy felt lost, "Coronamon... is in my backpack."
"Then, let it go out!"
He opened his deep eyes in a comic way, "What? He would burn everything!"
Itsuki put her hands on the hips, "If you don't do this, I'll do it myself."
Still competely unaware of the whole matter, Yang did how it was told, even though he knew Coronamon was sleeping at that time.
"Hi, Yaaang! What have I done to deserve this pleasure?" The Digimon happily greeted his impassive Tamer, but it immediately stopped talking when Lunamon and Spadamon appeared before its eyes.
"Have you brought me some friends?" He innocently asked.
"I-I," He stammered, surprised because of the sight of the other two digital cretaures. All at once two hands made him stand up and someone firmly held his hand.
"We have to hurry. Hold your Coronamon tight," Itsuki ordered, sounding kind as usual. "We're leaving."
"Can I ask you what we are doing?! We have got lessons!"
The grumpy boy and Lee-Kun looked at him without transmiting any feeling.
"It-Chan! We aren't obliged to take him with us!" Makoto complained, wondering what that boy had to do with that situation.
"The more we are, the better it is, right? However, it's true it never happened during school time. We shouldn't-"
"Who cares! We can't stay here!" Makoto replied, irritated.
Yang failed at following their talking: it was like if they were speaking Arabian.
"Could anyone explain me what we are doing!" He shouted out of exasperation.
"We are going to push a Digimon back to Digi-World," She merely said and they started running as fast as they could, escaping from the football field, which was the only zone in which there weren't sensors.
Yang whined, "Please, anyone help me!"
"Don't worry, Yang-Chan! I'm here with you," Itsuki winked, still holding his hand to make his fear go away.
"Somehow," He whispered to himself. "I'm not feeling better either."
"This ride is so exciting! Yang, I'm feeling like if we are riding your bycicle!" Coronamon stated, happy. It felt like a merry-go-round, in its opinion.
They managed to get out of their school and raced through a route full of flowered trees. Blossoms gently fell on their heads, as they dashed as fast as they could: the ring of their digivices had become intolerable.
Makoto, who didn't even decelerate for a second, grunted, when he discovered the wild Digimon was in the Shinjuku Park.
"How is that every annoying Digimon comes in the park?"
He let himself cease running to update Itsuki on the news: he didn't intend to consider Yang at all.
"It's in the park."
"Again?" She commented, breathing heavily.
The girl looked at the other boy with a reassuring smile.
"Yang-Chan, everything will be ok, I promise."
Although he blinked and stayed mute, his mood was blatant, at least in Itsuki's opinion: his deep orbs were screaming in that endless silence of his quiet mind. She put a hand on his shoulder and he sat on a tiny wall. He touched his temples.
I'm-I'm not sure about what I should think now, he said in his mind.
"Yang-Chan, Moumantai. Sometimes Digimon are cute. Who knows? Maybe, this one is a little Agumon! Agumon are so adorable!" Itsuki giggled, trying to be a comfort for the boy.
Makoto looked at them, at a certain distance, despising everything that was happening around him.
"Tell me," He started, arrogance in his childish voice. "Have you ever fought against a Digimon?"
Yang shook his head, slowly petting Coronamon's fur. He couldn't figure out how he was feeling: bothered? Frightened? Embarassed? Who were they?, he asked himself. Why was he there? What were those children going to do? He felt ashamed and knew his ears had got a red shade.
"Of course not, Mako-Chan! You idiot!" The cobalt-haired girl shouted, defending that boy she really liked staying with.
"Then why did we have to take him with us? What does he have to do with us?! Look at him! He looks like an android!"
Itsuki refused to answer to her childhood friend and frowned.
"Makoto!" The boy looked down and stared at his Spadamon. "While you are talking here about this human matters, the Digimon is going to find a way to get out of the park!"
Spadamon was right, Makoto admitted, but he just couldn't stand the new presence. He wanted to get rid of him as soon as he could. The boy shrugged: after the battle, he wouldn't meet him anymore, will he? He was sure about the fact Yang was comparable to a mere passer-boy.
"Let's go, It-Chan."
"Let's go, Yang-Chan."
The chestnut-couloured-haired child groaned, after hearing Itsuki calling his name and holding his hand, again.
"Hm, Lee-Kun...The hand..." The Chinese boy asked, but she pretended not to hear him and began running again, with that silent bunny hanging onto her backpack. He didn't remember that Digimon's name: he was too bewildered.
Meanwhile, a young man was eating a tasty sandwich sat on a chair, which was in a very tidy kitchen.
"Could you help me, please?" A soft voice said and he nodded, even though he was a bit listless.
The woman smiled back at her step brother, who meekly cleaned a table.
"I'm still struggling to understand how you can cope with this mess of bakery and with those demanding children of the kindergarten," He stated, without caring about his sister's reaction.
"Don't worry. We are doing well," She assured him.
Bored, Masahiko Katou looked at Takato, while he was talking to his customers, polite as usual.
"I guess..." He wanted his computer so he could get out of the boredom.
The young man stood up and lazily ventured among the many workers who were having lunch there. There was a huge number of people and he could easily blend in and act as one of them.
"This is a bit dull. I wonder when Senpai
will come back," He complained and sat down again, this time near to the entrance of the bakery.
That nice and sunny day couldn't shine, if Jenrya Lee wasn't there. This attachment to the man obviously seemed and sounded strange, but, after all, he had made him understood what he really wanted to do in his life. If fate had never made them meet each other frequently, he would have been a waiter in the family inn. Nobody could imagine he was one of the best technicians at Hypnos; one of the youngest too. He was proud of what he had achieved.
Suddenly, he saw three children running with haste, and almost choked. The stool noisely fell on the floor because of his abrupt reaction.
"Makoto!" He shouted, going out. What was his nephew doing there? Wasn't he supposed to be at school at that time? He gulped, when he noticed his Senpai's daughter was there too.
Takato and Juri followed him, after having kindly excused with the customers.
"What is happening? I've heard you shouting!"
"Ehm, I might have seen Makoto," He was scared to look them in the eye.
"What are you talking about? Makoto is-"
"At school? Yeah, but he is there," The young man pointed at where the children were, and both Juri and Takato felt rage growing in their heart.
"What is he thinking to do?! He has come to play hooky now?!" The woman was perplexed.
Takato couldn't believe what he had seen: they were hallucinating for sure. However, he realised something was off, when Guilmon began fierely growing.
"A Digimon?" He muttered. Unfortunately, he had left the Digivice upstairs. Despite that, he couldn't stand there, hand in hand.
"I will bring him back," He told Juri and ordered Masahiko to stay with his wife, even though he wanted to go along with him: it was a problem concerning digital creatures!
"I'll come with you!"
"No, don't worry. I'll get him in no time."
Unfortunately for him, the trio had finally entered the park. Makoto and Spadamon rapidly ran to the zone dedicated to children, a lovely playground. Itsuki let a sigh of relief, since there weren't children at that moment.
"It would have been a problem, if there had been children there," She told Yang, who hadn't left his frightened expression yet.
The girl grabbed his hand again, ignoring his silent disappointment, and he led him near to a slide.
"Look, that one is a Digi-Tear."
The boy felt a shiver running down his spine at the sight of that big white hole, which was so bright it could make him blind.
Makoto joined their rusty conversation.
"The Digimon has already got out of the Digi-Tear and maybe he's already out of here too! Damnit! It's all the android's fault!"
"S-sorry," Yang lowered his head, and felt blood raising in his ears.
"Sorry?! This isn't enough!" The chestnut-coloured-haired boy shouted. "You jerk! We would have already sealed the Digi-Tear!"
Itsuki approached him with decision.
"Stop insulting him, you dork! Stop it!"
Yang couldn't believe she had effectively sedated him. Coronamon let himself add an embarassing whistle to the atmosphere.
"Let's find the Digimon together," She smiled, but suddenly something came from up above and hit her.
"Itsuki!" Makoto shouted and kneeled to ensure that she was fine. He noticed she was covered in a viscose substance.
"This filth is drool!" He winced.
"Eh?! Get if off me! Get it off me!" The girl whined.
Yang could only stare, confused, how Makoto stood up and snarled like an enraged tiger. He put his Digivice in front of his face.
"Where are you!? Where are you, putrid Digimon?!"
Itsuki and Yang saw a shadow moving on the trees and that substance appeared again. It was destroyed by Spadamon's sword.
"Good job!" Makoto grinned, and Spadamon came closer to him.
The strange material kept on trying to catch them, but Spadamon always managed to cut it.
"I'm the strongest Digimon Tamer here! You'd better come up, or I'm going to find you anyway!"
A quite big spider appeared before their eyes: it was an Arukenimon. It kept on throwing its spider webs.
Makoto's eyes grew angrier and more terrifying, while the two other Tamers stayed behind, observing the spectral scene: the Digimon didn't move from its position, just like a spider at the center of its web. Itsuki was giving her best to look as a courageous girl next to Yang. Therefore, even with her eyes closed, she pushed Lunamon to do something, but it was too scared.
"Please, Lunamon! Please!" However, it was hugging her, extremely scared.
Spadamon was getting tired and weak. It couldn't concentrate on the fight anymore. Even though Makoto was using his most powerful cards, he couldn't resist anymore.
"Card-Slash!" He shouted. "Card-Slash!"
Finally, the effort had reached its limit and it fell on the ground.
"Mako-Chan!" Itsuki called, when she saw the substance attaching to Makoto's body.
Yang observed how the girl ran to her friend, while he was standing still with Coronamon in his arms. He looked at Lee-Kun, as she helped the grumpy boy get rid of the spider web, and unconsciously admired her persistence, even though soon the web caught her too.
The digital spider, which had been stockstill since the fight started, pointed his sight on him. Yang felt his heart skip a beat.
"Oh no," He said, shaking. He felt Lee Kun's rabbit hanging onto his black jeans.
"I'm-I'm..."
Coronamon knew Yang didn't want it to use its moves, as it couldn't use them well, but it didn't intend to let Yang exposed to that danger. It took a deep breath and spitted fire. Yang fell on the ground and a lot of smoke raised in the air.
"I did it, Yang! I did it!" The digital lion hopped up and down, joyful because he had mastered his power, but soon a veil of disappointment grew on its face.
He could see a sort of big dinosaur, a red dragon, standing among the smoke next to another human he had never seen.
"Dad?!" Makoto stared in disbelief at his father, but he was too focussed on pushing the spider towards the Digi-Tear.
Growlmon was extremely strong, Makoto admired. In ten seconds, the Digimon had already fallen in the tear.
The man crouched down and freed the two children with a bit of disgust. Makoto and Itsuki were covered in that sort of saliva.
"Makoto...Itsuki..." He shook his head, sighing. "At least, I've come in time," It was what he said. He wasn't good at being the strict father, since he was the first one who used to play hooky when he was a child.
"Dad, it's not how you think. We were-"
"We have come here for a biology homework," Itsuki grinned, petting Lunamon, which was afraid it could have lost her partner.
"Yeah, sure, It-Chan, sure," He sighed once more, but couldn't help but smile at the child's attempt to defend his son.
Before letting the two children, Yang turned his head to look at them.
"Don't be sad, Coronamon. At least, you have just burnt a bush."
"Yeah..."
They quietly headed home, without being noticed.
It was true Takato wasn't a strict parent at all, but we can't say the same about Juri, who immediately slapped her son, when he came back home.
"Are you crazy? Your teacher has called me!"
"Sorry, Mum, but," He looked away for a second. "I didn't have choice! I'm a future Hypnos agent after all!"
"I know who you are! The future baker, if you keep on like this!"
Masahiko, instead, decided to take Itsuki home and ensured that she arrived in her mother's arms safe and sound.
He smiled, when his Senpai's wife thanked him for the favour. He did know she would scold Itsuki too, but he was relieved she was there with the woman now.
"You're an angel then, aren't you?" She said, sarcastically.
The girl shrugged, trying to smile, "Even angels can make mistakes, can't they?"
"We'll see...Come here now."
Masahiko had heard from Takato the Digimon was an Arukenimon. Fortunately, it didn't manage to engulf the children in its web and take them with itself in Digiworld.
"Why can't they stay away from this situation? Senpai's daughter could avoid risking her life in these battles..."
He told himself he should call Jenrya Lee soon, but he wasn't sure about what his reaction would be. She was his daughter after all, he highlighted in his mind, and this wasn't going to please him, absolutely not.
