The Dog In Her (4)

In line with her own advice she had given to Saki, Aoi spent the rest of the weekend studying and reading ahead before school started. She wished she had Labramon in the bedroom with her, stroking the top of her head to pass the time. Instead she had only her earbuds and music from her phone to keep her company.

Compared to the journey she had endured in Labramon's world, school felt almost unreal, even boring. As Aoi sat in class, listening to the lectures, she found herself waiting for something exciting to happen, some calamitous event that'd shake up the school at its foundations. Then she felt a stab of guilt for even wishing such a thing. Hearing information she had already studied, Aoi had her attention wander to the nearest window. Just outside it, a pair of squirrels chased each other on a branch.

"Shibuya? Shibuya."

Aoi snapped her gaze away from the squirrels, flushing red hot under the eyes of her biology teacher, whose stare seemed to penetrate right between her eyes like an arrow hitting home. Stares from her classmates converged on Aoi, making her feel even more like the bullseye on a target. She rose and managed a small, sheepish bow. "I'm very sorry, sir. Could you please repeat the question?"

He cleared his throat, looking more amused than stern and offended. "Could you tell us what is the function of mitochondria in eukaryotic cells?"

The lightbulb flickered back on in her head and she replied without hesitation: "It's the site of aerobic respiration and provides energy for the cell."

"Correct. Bonus question: what's special about mitochondrial DNA?"

She did not skip a beat. "The DNA is passed down to the child through the mother only, not from the father."

"Correct again, Shibuya. Bonus points for you today to make up for spacing out."

The teacher returned to writing on the blackboard and continued his lecture. Aoi sank back into her seat with relief. The perks of reading ahead. Then the embarrassment from his last comment crept into her body as prickling heat. She was not the kind of student who spaced out. She forced herself to give her undivided attention through the rest of the lesson she had already read about.

Then the bell rang for lunch. She picked a small table for herself as usual, with bento box lunch she had made and packed from home. As she ate, her free thumb scrolled through the Survivor group chat on her phone angled off to the side. Still no word from Shuuji, and everyone was asking what could have happened. All questions and no answers. Her heartbeat picked up as worry for Shuuji brewed inside her.

"Um, Shibuya?"

A familiar voice in front of Aoi made her gaze jerk up. It was a boy from her class, the one with an impressive cowlick. The same boy who had dumped his class chores on her the same day she got the camp flyer.

"Can I help you?" she asked, and she hated the very next moment how so easily those words flew out of her mouth.

"Actually, yes." Cowlick cracked a smile, as if encouraged by her reception. "I have class duty this Friday, but something came up at home and I can't do it. I was wondering if you'd be so kind to pick it up for me."

This wasn't the first time Cowlick gave her this pitch. Aoi may not mingle much with her classmates, but she wasn't stupid. She had picked up snatches of gossip and small talk down the locker hall. From what she had heard, this guy liked to take off early at the end of the week for video game tournaments. He was also the kind of guy who thought he could use his charm and heavily gelled hair to get away with anything. Knowing that now sent a twinge through Aoi that made her fight back a snide remark.

Instead she shook her head and said smoothly, "I've already requested the teachers for that day off. I've got a friend to see in the hospital. She's having surgery and she needs me there, so I won't be available. Please find someone else if you really can't do class duty yourself."

That took him aback. "Oh, okay. Sorry I asked." Cowlick slunk away, leaving Aoi alone again. Once he was out of earshot she blew a sigh of relief. It took a lot out of her just chalking up courage to ask her teachers for a day off. Even with a legitimate reason to back her up, it was still difficult to speak up for herself and tell someone no. But not impossible. Surviving and nearly dying in another world had taught her a lot about the strength she didn't know she had.

Aoi finished lunch early and still had some time to kill before her first afternoon class. She packed away her lunch box and left the hubbub of the cafeteria to stroll down the halls, looking for the student bulletin board. She figured she should check it out to get up to speed with what was going on at school.

A flyer caught her eye, proclaiming to her in bold dark text: "Pre-high school track and field tryouts!" And underneath: "Get a 'running' headstart this spring and summer! Accelerated entry into high school varsity teams if you train early! Contact the coach to sign up for time trials." The bottom of the flyer was frilly with strips of cut paper, each containing dates and times of the upcoming tryouts. The drawing of a chibi cheetah said, "Please take one!"

Aoi bit down on her bottom lip. Looked left and right. And when she was sure no one was around to watch, she reached out with a shaky hand and pulled off a strip.

"Track and field, huh? That's great, kiddo."

"This is a first. You've never had interest in sports before."

Aoi had expected as much to get opposite reactions from her parents over the dinner table.

"I have for a while, since I started junior high," she admitted to her mother. "I was too shy to do anything about it."

"What made you decide now?" Tatsuo asked.

"I...I don't know." It wasn't easy for Aoi to put it into words. "I guess I feel up to the challenge this time." Team sports, the idea of constantly coordinating and playing with a big group, would always somewhat terrify her. With running, though, it would be just her and the track, just one lane she would take to push herself and do better than the day before.

"I think it'll be good for you, kiddo," Tatsuo said. "It's good to try something new, especially something that'll keep you healthy and in shape. Give it a shot, and if you end up liking it, then go for it."

Hana frowned. "Wouldn't picking that up make it harder to focus on entrance exams? You can always wait until you get into high school to start."

Aoi almost caved in, but she held her ground. "You always say it's good to be prepared, Mom. If I start now, getting into a high school team will be easier. I've been keeping up with my schoolwork, and I don't think track is going to slow me down if I manage my time."

Hana looked halfway convinced. "You'll be staying in school and coming home later..."

"There will always be other girls around during practice. I can find one or two who live nearby and I can walk home with them."

"Let Aoi give it a try, honey," her dad said to her mom. "This is a great opportunity for her to grow and have a good time outside of school."

This time Hana smiled, just a little. "You're only saying that because you were a football star back in the day."

Tatsuo laughed. "That's not the only reason, but yes, that's part of it."

He had played American football throughout high school, and had the framed photos to prove it.

"Your mom's exaggerating," he said to Aoi. "I was no star, just a guy who had a ton of fun playing with his friends. That made it some of the best years of my life. That's the most important thing: having fun. Don't forget that, okay, kiddo?"

Aoi nodded, thrilled to have his support.

Hana rose to clear the dinner table, but not before saying, "I'll send you money to buy new running shoes. And a gym bag. You'll need something for your sweaty clothes."

"Thanks, Mom." Aoi was happy to have her mom's support too, in whatever shape and form that suited her comfort level.

Hana wasn't the kind of woman brave enough to go out and about very much and for very long, so the money was appreciated.

After dinner, she retreated upstairs to her bedroom and got on video chat with Saki and Labramon. She told them about her big decision to try out for track and field.

"Ooh, I'm so excited for you, Aoi," Saki said.

"What's track and field?" Labramon asked.

"Have you ever raced with your friends to see who runs the fastest?" Aoi asked back.

"Oh yes, plenty of times!" Labramon puffed out her cream-colored chest. "I win a lot of those races."

"That's basically what it is."

"That is exciting."

Saki giggled. "You're gonna be like Labramon, winning all those races!"

"Oh, I don't know about that," Aoi said with an uneasy laugh.

Saki's face went from bright to stern in a blink of an eye. "Don't you get started with that kind of talk. The moment you see yourself losing in your head, you've already lost." Her expression loosened up to one with a lopsided grin. "My dad's a high school PE coach. He says stuff like that a lot."

Saki looked up and away, turning to what seemed like someone calling her offscreen. She turned back and said, "Mom's calling me. I gotta go." She rose from her seat, her waist briefly taking up the screen. "Here, Labramon, you can chat more with Aoi if you want."

"Thanks, Saki." Labramon hopped onto the desk chair and sat on her haunches to take her place. When Saki disappeared through her bedroom door to head downs Labramon sighed.

"Everyone at Saki's place has been so nice, but I really miss being around you."

"Same here. You have enough to eat and get a good night's rest?"

"Oh yes, plenty of both." Labramon glanced down at her belly. "Actually, I might gain more weight than I should if I'm not careful!"

Aoi laughed. "Too much of a good thing is too much to be good, my dad likes to say."

The mirth died in her voice as a somber air settled over her. "You know, Labramon, signing up for track and field tryouts may be kind of scary, but I bet it's nowhere near as scary as the thought of getting surgery." She wanted to say this with Saki out of earshot, so she wouldn't scare the younger girl even more. "If she's going through something that big, my own fears are nothing. I want to step up and be brave like Saki."

Labramon opened her mouth to reply, but three knocks on the bedroom door sent a jolt through Aoi and she shoved her phone under her blankets.

Hana stole into the bedroom, her eyes alight with curiosity. "Who were you talking to?"

"Oh, just Saki," Aoi blurted out. It was the first thing she thought of, which she almost hit her head over. Labramon sounded nothing like Saki. Fortunately her mom didn't know any better. She hadn't met any of the Survivors yet.

"Your close friend from camp, right? Can I say hello?"

"She just hung up," Aoi replied, again too quickly than she would have liked.

"You better go to bed too. Don't stay up late. You have school tomorrow."

"Yes, Mom, I know."

"I just wanted to say good night."

Aoi returned the hug and kiss. Once her mom shut the bedroom door behind her, she released the tension coiling up inside her body. She waited a few seconds, as if her bed had converted into a sarcophagus, then carefully, slowly pulled out her phone from its burial place beneath the blankets. Labramon was still on the screen, plus Saki and Floramon who had apparently come back from downstairs.

One of them had muted their end of the chat. Smart move. And one of them unmuted it now so Saki could lean in and say in a confidential whisper, "That was a close one."

"Yeah, no kidding," Aoi whispered back.

"I figured that was your mom coming in, so I stayed quiet and muted the mic," Labramon said.

Aoi felt a swell of pride for her partner. Clearly Saki had taught her how to navigate video chats.

"I don't want to get in trouble with my mom, so I better hang up and call it a day."

Saki waved. "Okay, talk to you later. Good night, Aoi!" Floramon and Labramon also waved before the chat ended.

Aoi hooked up her phone to the charger on her nightstand and curled up in bed to sleep. She tried, but the tryouts occupied much of her head like bees in a nest, and the space between her ears buzzed too much for her to get any peace.

Another kind of buzz sounded much louder and closer, making Aoi jolt in her bed again. A small groan escaped her as she blinked. "01:32" from her desk clock came to focus. Her phone kept buzzing on the nightstand. Who was calling her this late? She reached out to reject the incoming call. When she read the name, her bleary eyes flew wide open and she seized the phone to her ear.

"Hello? Shuuji, is that really you?"

"Aoi, thanks a lot for picking up."

She resisted the urge to raise her voice and sit up to literally hang at the edge of her bed. "I-I haven't heard from you since camp. None of us have. What's going on?"

"Sorry to worry you. It's a long story." He sighed. "I shouldn't call you this late."

"No, you don't have to apologize." Aoi didn't worry about their conversation waking up her parents from their bedroom nearby. Shuuji's voice didn't carry far. He sounded so small, so defeated. Concern gnawed at her insides. "Shuuji, are you okay? Please, tell me everything."

"I guess I'll have to start from the beginning, but it's not easy since so much happened lately." Shuuji drew in a deep breath before going on. "As you know, I was the last one to leave camp. My older brother had come to pick me up. Seeing Lopmon startled him, but he didn't object to bringing him along for the ride home. He's a very rational person, so he was expecting a good explanation from me in return. It was a long drive and we had a lot of time to talk things out. By the end of it my brother actually came to like Lopmon. 'He reminds me of you when you were a kid,' he said. 'So sweet and shy.' I guess he meant that in a good way. When we got home I hoped that with my brother backing me up, our father would react well to Lopmon." He paused, then what came out next was through a tightened throat. "I couldn't be more wrong. He took one look at Lopmon by my side and went through the roof. He said I brought filthy vermin into the house. He didn't even ask me why. At least if he asked, I'd have a chance to explain. After everything we went through, I wasn't going to abandon my partner. I stopped my father from kicking at Lopmon. My shins are still bruised from all that. He told me to get out of the way. I didn't budge. I'd rather take the beating, so I did. Then he kicked me out of the house."

Aoi's heart dropped. "No way..."

"Yeah, he said not to come back as long as the monster was still with me. Leaving Lopmon behind was out of the question, so we decided to stick together, no matter what. I ran out of the house with only Lopmon, the stuff I packed for camp, my wallet, and my phone on half battery. That's why I went radio silent for a while. My phone died. This kind old lady at a 24/7 computer cafe gave me her extra charger. I couldn't thank her enough."

Worry sunk its claws into Aoi's chest. "Where are you now? Are you back home?"

Shuuji barked out a bitter laugh. "No way. My father will give me more than kicks to the shins if I showed my face again. I'm in the subway. I've been there for the past three days."

She blinked several times. "The past three days? You mean-"

"Yeah. Slept there, too. On a bench, in a train, wherever we can."

"Shuuji, that's horrible. What your father did to you, I mean. You're not 18 yet! He can't do this!"

"Actually, he can."

"What do you mean? Go to the police station, they can do something about-"

"That's the problem." She heard his voice shake from the other end. "He's the CEO of a private security conglomerate, but he's got ties with the government, too. I'm sure he's disinherited me from the business and wrote me out of his will already. He's got sway over local security here. I can't go to the police for help. That'll just make things worse. They'll probably separate me and Lopmon, send him away to God knows where. I'd rather die than let that happen."

Aoi was speechless for a few seconds, then she managed out, "Oh, Shuuji, I'm so sorry you have to go through all this. I can't even imagine. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Just talking to you makes me feel more at ease."

"You can't stay in the subway forever. Is there any other family you can contact?"

"No...My parents divorced a long time ago and my mother's side wants nothing to do with my father, and by extension, me and my brother. I have no idea where they are now or how to contact them."

"Get in touch with the professor," Aoi said. "I'm sure he'd be more than willing to help." She was surprised he hadn't contacted the professor yet, considering how close the two had grown during their time in the other world.

"I almost did, actually, but..."

"But what?"

"I don't want to be any trouble..."

Her voice grew firm. "Shuuji, your own safety is a top priority right now. The subway's not safe. You need to get out of there and get a real roof over your head. Worry about everything else later."

He surprised her with laughter. "I knew it'd be a good idea to call you first. You're always looking out for us, making sure we're safe. That didn't stop even now. Thank you, Aoi."

"The professor will be more help to you than I ever could."

"No, you don't know how much it helps to hear your thoughts. I'd been so hung up on not inconveniencing the professor. My priorities are all scrambled up. Thanks a lot for helping me sort them out."

Even over the phone Aoi wasn't good at taking compliments. She tried to clear her tightened throat. "Let the professor know and wait for him in a well-lit public area, a landmark that's easy to find and drive to. That way he'll know where to pick you up."

"Will do. I'll call him next. Thanks again, Aoi. Really, from the bottom of my heart."

"No problem, Shuuji. Please take care." She hung up and sank back into her bed, staring past the ceiling fan. Her heart ached for him. She wished she could do more than just nag at him like a mother hen. Now she'll never get any sleep tonight. She barely closed her eyes when she sat up ramrod straight to shoot Shuuji a text: "Please let me know when you're with the professor." Then she settled back into bed with a bit more peace of mind.

Aoi counted her blessings for not having parents like Shuuji's. Though she could see her mom having a similar reaction to Labramon, even at her angriest her mom would never kick her own daughter out of the house. That woman wouldn't even let Aoi beyond school distance without a call or text demanding her location. Aoi couldn't fathom being so callous and cruel to her own child. No wonder Shuuji came to camp with that kind of baggage, having a father like that.

Aoi was nowhere near as religious as some of her uncles, who lived in monasteries as Buddhist monks, but she finally went to sleep praying that Shuuji would be safe the next morning.