Digimon World Tour Chapter 5: Friend Zone, a digimon fanfic

Digimon World Tour

Digimon Adventure 02, Digimon Adventure, Digimon Data Squad, etc. 1999-2014 Toei Animation, Akiyoshi Hongo, Studiopolis, Saban Brands, etc.

Chapter 5: Friend Zone

Greg

Our album made its big debut on all the charts on September 17th, 2012. At home in Japan, we came in 31st on Oricon and 10th on Music Station. The single "I Turn Around" made it to #4 its first week on the MS CD Single Weekly Hit Ranking, which was not too surprising since we'd just been there. What we were really concerned about was the Billboard charts in the States. Surprisingly, "I Turn Around" entered at #51 on the Billboard Hot 100 and had really high numbers on the Airplay charts. Also, someone had created a remix of "Time After Time" and had posted it on YouTube, where it had gotten a lot of hits. Kazuki automatically authorized it. We were doing moderately well in Europe, hitting in the top 40 in most of the mainland. Australia adored us, because our album was high in the charts on its debut.

We continued developing new material to work on, but also started developing a fanbase. One of Kazuki's supposedly bright ideas was to anticipate a list of frequently asked questions. He brought this up at a meeting in DATS HQ. We invited Matt and T.K.'s dad Hiroaki to join us. "Let's think about this, crazy cats. Once our fans get to know us, they're, like, gonna have a lot of questions. Dig? Like 'What do the initials T.K. mean?', and 'Are Matt and T.K. related?,' and all these questions about who's zooming who in the band." Marcus slammed his fist in his palm. "Aww why would they care about that? Our music's supposed to be doin' all the talkin'," he said. Thomas added, "For once, Marcus, I agree. Let's not forget what our main mission is. We're supposed to be guarding the world, doing international reconnaissance. Right now, the dark forces that want to take over this world are plotting and planning. We've yet to see them, and it concerns me, a little." "Huh? You, Mr. Smooth Operator, a little concerned?" I asked. "Idiot," he muttered. Matt reeled us back in. "Guys, we have to get our music out there if we want to get a concert tour. Now direct chart manipulation is illegal." "And unethical," Thomas added. Hiroaki raised his hand. "Fuji TV is running a new drama this October. I could try to get this CD in to them so they can use it for promos," he suggested. Matt shook his head. "Dad, you know how I feel about you doing favors for me at the station," he started. "I know, I know, it's nepotism. But you keep forgetting, I'm just a reporter. It's worth a shot. And I don't think I've brought this up, but if it hadn't been for me keeping the cameras off of you, this whole Digimon thing would've been exposed." Commander Sampson put in his own two cents. "Mr. Ishida brings up a good point. Yamato, this is no time to be complaining about nepotism. Just do the sensible thing and allow your father to help you." "But Commander-" Matt started. "That's my final word," Sampson finished with authority. I tell you, when Sampson laid down the law, he laid down the law.

Matt

I don't get it. If there's one thing I don't like, it's people making decisions for me. I know what's at stake here, but this is my band. First it was Music Station falling for T.K., and now this. I thought I was still the leader. Apparently that doesn't mean much anymore.

Greg

After about a week, we finally had a hit. Fuji TV wanted to use "I Turn Around" for its promos for their new drama Priceless. It's sort of a "riches to rags" story about this salaryman who gets fired from his company after he was accused of being involved in commercial espionage. This makes him humble and more appreciative of the value of money. We shot a video featuring the characters from the show and put it up on the show's website.

Speaking of money, it was starting to add up. I remember getting one of my first checks in the mail from Sony. I was so excited, I showed it to everyone at dinner that night. "Get a load of this. My first check, and it looks like a lot!" I exclaimed. Mom looked absolutely pleased, but Dad on the other hand... "Now, Greg, I don't want you to go wasting that on wine, women, and song. You're going to take that money and put it in the bank," he sternly suggested. "Aww come on, Dad, a guy's got to live a little. First off, you know I don't drink. Second, I've only got eyes on one woman, and third, I've seen enough Behind the Music to know what sex, drugs, and rock n' roll will do," I reminded him. "Oooooh, inter-band romance. Who's the lucky girl?" Gary teased. "Well, actually, it's two, but I know I don't have a chance with one of them. The one I have no prayer with is Kari Kamiya. She's always hanging out with Matt's little brother, T.K. I swear, the two must be soulmates or something. The one I'm pinning my hopes on is Rika Nonaka." Mom looked surprised. "Do you know anything about this girl?" she asked. "Yeah. She's from Shinjuku, she's not a girly girl, knows how to play the keyboards. Got a bit of an attitude, but I like that. A real diamond in the rough. You'd probably like her, Mom." "How old is she?" Dad interrogated. "Thirteen," I said with a smile on my face. Dad had the opposite reaction and made up his mind. "Thirteen!? She's way too young. Way too young for you. You never date someone who is less than half your age plus seven years," he decided. Dad has this way of deciding things. "Dad, I'm probably the oldest person in the band. Besides, Mom's six years younger than you are." "He's got a point," Mom chuckled. Dad snorted and went back to his shabu-shabu. It sure beat the macaroni and cheese I usually made.

As the weeks went by, our album kept climbing and climbing. By the time late November rolled around, "I Turn Around" had hit number one for the second week in a row on the Japan Hot 100 and number one on MS' singles chart for the third week in a row. We made a repeat appearance on Music Station, and two appearances on Music Fair, which is the longest running music show in Japan.

As our fame grew, it became harder and harder to go out in public without wearing sunglasses. That was kind of a problem for me because I wear glasses, so I had to get one of those clip-on attachments. I did my very best not to let all this fame go to my head.

One of the more special moments we had was when we sang the Japanese National Anthem at a Yomiuri Giants game.

["Kimigayo"

Lyrics: waka poem, Heian period (794–1185)

Music: Yoshiisa Oku, Akimori Hayashi and Franz Eckert

Performed by The Teenage Wolves (Youto Kazama [Matt], Taisuke Yamamoto [T.K.], Kae Araki [Kari], Fumiko Orikasa [Rika], Junichi Suwabe [Greg], Sōichirō Hoshi [Marcus], Hirofumi Nojima [Thomas])]

This is strictly an a capella performance. Matt leads off, and soon the others join in.

Matt:

Kimigayo wa

Matt/T.K.:

Chiyo ni yachiyo ni

Matt/T.K./Marcus/Thomas:

Sazare-ishi no

Band:

Iwao to narite

Koke no musu made

This is met, as expected, with thunderous cheers and applause.

A few days after the game, back at the cave in the Digital World, Lord Bagra is plotting and planning. The samurai, Tactimon, bows before him. "My Lord. Forgive me for saying so, but aren't we wasting our time by not attacking immediately?" he asks. Lord Bagra stares into the distance, using his ruby eye. He has perfected it so he can not only observe any location he wishes within the Digital World, but the Human World as well. "Yes, I agree. We must send these... children, a warning," the supreme emperor observes. He snaps his fingers. "MadLeomon! Come forth!" Suddenly, a figure comes from the shadows, one that looks like a ravenous purple lion on two feet, with arms wrapped in bands and bones coming out of his shoulders. He wears a skull as his belt buckle and metal guards on his hands. "Yes, my Lord," he growls. Lord Bagra gives his instructions. "MadLeomon, I want you to travel to a new place and send a message out to those humans. Cause as much chaos as you possibly can and draw them out. Do what you must." "Yes, my Lord," MadLeomon replies. He starts to leave when Lord Bagra remembers one more thing. "Oh yes, one more thing. There is a human girl out there with a pure heart filled with light. If you find her... capture her if you can, kill her if you must." "What does this human look like?" Lord Bagra looks out again into the Human World, where he finds Kari, dutifully completing her homework. "Brown hair, brown eyes. White and pink turtlenecked shirt, yellow shorts, held by a brown belt with a metallic buckle, white stockings, and pink and gray boots, plus... a box around her neck." "Perhaps the source of her power," MadLeomon wildly speculates. "No... her power lies deep within. I can sense it. It disturbs me, greatly," Lord Bagra comments. MadLeomon departs and runs towards a portal.

Greg

It was a week after our appearance at the game, and I had the date planned out perfectly. First, dinner at McDonald's. I'd go for the Shrimp Fillet-O, and I'd probably expect Rika to get the cheeseburger or something. That would be followed by a tour of Toyota MEGA WEB, then going to the observation room at Fuji TV. Rika sent me the directions to her house, including which stop to make on the subway. In Japan, you find yourself taking a lot of trains. I managed to find a private spot where I could talk with Veemon in peace. "So, you're finally going on that date, even though your parents think you're crazy," Veemon said through the Digivice. "Oh come on, you knew it was gonna eventually happen. I can just sense it, the chemistry between us," I thought out loud. "Chemistry? Isn't dat one of your worst subjects? ….Nah, it's not. Math is. Hopefully this is gonna add up in your favor." "Ha ha. Very funny." "Yeah, yeah. So, if you and Rika end up... well, ya know, does this mean Renamon and I are gonna have to get into a relationship?" "Veemon, think about it.. She's like a big, long fuzzy blanket. Oh, I'm just imagining it now..." "Uh, Greg, you're kinda freaking me out." "Oh, sorry."

We finally made it out onto the street as I read the directions."Hmm... now if Rika's directions are right... we turn right here... and... whoa..." I looked at my final destination. It was a traditional Japanese mansion, the kind you see in some of those samurai movies. Here it was, right smack dab in the middle of Shinjuku. I approached the gate and rang the doorbell, then checked my Digivice. Five minutes to six, I was five minutes early. Rika's voice came over the security system. "Who is it, and what do you want?" she asked in her usual grouchy tone. "It's me. Prince Charming," I answered, turning up the charm. The gate unlocked and I walked through. I took some time out to admire the garden. "Wow... this is nice," I said to myself. I held up the Digivice so Veemon could get a good look. "You know, it's not polite to keep a girl waiting," Rika's voice grumbled. I looked up, and standing in the doorway was my date, wearing a pink and white frilly dress with buttons in the chest and multiple white ribbons on it, white socks, and blue and gray sneakers. I gasped. "Rika... you look absolutely stunning! What have they done to you?" "Oh great, you like it. Just perfect. Rrrgh!" She kicked the dirt by her feet and looked away, then looked back to me. "Look, you're gonna have to forgive the look. My mom thinks I'm meant to be a model like her. I just finished a camera test, and the photographer actually called me beautiful. Ugh! Can you believe that?" Yep, take away the dress, and you still had Rika. "Well, you are. And to think, I thought you did all that just for me." I answered. She stared at me in shock, then clenched her fist and shook it. "Now you're making me feel stupid wearing this bowtie," I said, quickly taking it off and unbuttoning my collar button. She looked at me again "...Well, at least you put in some effort." "Thanks. Tell you what, I'll wait for you to change your clothes." Ten minutes later, Rika came out in her usual outfit.

It started off at McDonald's. I got the Shrimp Fillet-O combo, Rika chose the Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese combo. We found a booth and started talking. "So your mom's a model, huh?" I asked. "Yeah. She started off pretty young too. She got pregnant with me, married my dad after that, and then he left when I was five." "That sucks." "Yeah, it does. But, what can you do? At least we've been able to make a decent living off Mom's work." "Decent? That's more than decent, Rika. I'd say you were in the money." "It's not a big deal, really. The private school, the mansion, my collection of Yu-Gi-Oh cards, it doesn't mean anything. Heh, you're probably thinking my mom drags me out to the opera or something just to keep up appearances. She's not that kind of girl, and neither am I." "I'm glad you haven't let the money get to your head." "Heh, thanks," Rika said with appreciation as she tore into her burger. "Anyway, I've got the night planned out. I'll give you a tour of Toyota Mega Web, then we can look at the view from Fuji TV's observation window. It's an awesome view, and it's all on me." "How original," my date responded with more than just a twinge of sarcasm. "OK, what would you rather do?" I asked, trying to keep it together. "A movie at the Shinjuku Piccadilly, I heard Skyfall's pretty good." "...OK, we'll do that."

Rika

The movie was all right, I guess, but I had other ideas on my mind. Only problem was, Greg was too involved in watching the movie. Oh yeah, he did all the "right" things, held the door open for me, chose the best spots to sit at, bought sodas, the works. But the one thing everybody knows is that no couple actually watches the movie at a movie theater. Felt like I was going out with my dad.

We decided to go to a Karaokekan and rent a private room. There, things got slightly better. We ended up snuggling on a couch. I had him in full liplock until I tried unfastening his belt. The moment I had a firm grip on his belt buckle, he broke out of the lock and forced me onto the floor. Greg became defensive on me. "Whoa whoa whoa! Wait just a minute here. I'm starting to see where this is going. The private room, my foot. I mean, I was OK with the cuddling and the couch, but when you try going for the belt buckle, you start crossing the line." "I thought that was what you wanted. Why else would you go on a date with me?" I shot back. "Because I thought you were an interesting girl, and Kari's taken!" I gasped at that, got up, and cocked my hips. "So... you have your eyes on Kari, huh? What does that make me? How do you think that makes me feel? Huh? Huh?" I got in his face, but he pushed me away. "I thought you and I had chemistry, but apparently, it's only going to cause an explosion both of us are going to regret. My parents were right, you are too young for me." "And you only realize that now!?" "Yeah!" "That does it!" Using my mind, I converted my Digivice into its regular mode, then pressed the button on the side. "Renamon, realize!" Greg did the same. "Veemon, realize!"

Greg

Both of our Digimon came out at the same time, and Renamon checked the windows to make sure we had complete privacy. "OK, what's going on, Greg?" Veemon asked me. "Apparently, these two 'lovers' want us to settle their fight for them. No problem," Renamon coolly said. "That's not it at all. Renamon, Veemon, I don't want you two to fight. I just need two backup singers." Renamon looked at me strangely. "Backup singers? For what?" she inquired. Rika didn't pay that any mind. "Ignore the blabbering idiot. Greg! They say hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, and I'm scorned! Renamon, attack!" "Right! Diamond Storm!" Renamon jumped up and summoned a cloud of razor-sharp shards that she fired at Veemon. "Vee Punch!" Veemon jumped up on his own and swung both of his arms in circles, striking Renamon down to the ground. I had to get between the two and break up the fight, holding my arms out to the side. "Enough! We're not going to settle it like this. We're at a karaoke shop, so we're gonna do a little karaoke. It's times like these I wish I had my guitar," I grumbled. "What good will that do?" Rika snarled.

I explained the situation to the two Digimon, and they seemed to understand. "Rika, we're going to have a lot to talk about when we get home," Renamon stated. Her partner shrugged it off. I selected the song on the console, and it loaded up. I made my introduction. "Well, Little Miss Jailbait, I had a huge lapse in judgment. It's not going to happen again. Welcome to my friendzone. Population: you."

["Does Your Mother Know?"

Written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus

Performed by Greg Logan (Doug Erholtz)
Backup: Veemon (Derek Stephen Prince) and Renamon (Mari Devon)]

This particular instrumentation and backing track of the song is more reminiscent of Bowling for Soup or Good Charlotte than ABBA, although the characteristic synthesizer introduction remains. Veemon plays air guitar and Renamon sidesteps back and forth while Greg grabs the mic.

Greg:

You're so hot, teasing me
So you're blue

Greg/Veemon/Renamon:

but I can't take a chance on a chick like you

Greg:

It's something I couldn't do

There's that look in your eyes

Greg/Veemon/Renamon:

I can read in your face that your feelings are driving you wild

Greg:

Ah, but girl you're only a child

Greg/Veemon/Renamon:

Well I can dance with you, honey
If you think it's funny
Does your mother know that you're out?
And I can chat with you, baby
Flirt a little maybe
Does your mother know that you're out?

Greg:

Take it easy (Veemon/Renamon: take it easy)
Better slow down, girl
That's no way to go
(Veemon/Renamon: Does your mother know?)
Take it easy (Veemon/Renamon: take it easy)
Try to cool it, girl
Take it nice and slow
(Veemon/Renamon: Does your mother know?)

During the instrumental break leading to the second verse, MadLeomon comes out of hiding and starts causing havoc in Shibuya, and quickly moving through the various wards of Tokyo towards Shinjuku and then onto Minato. We move back to the karaoke parlor. Overall, his performance is assertive, yet friendly, almost flirtatious.

Greg:

I can see what you want
But you seem

Greg/Veemon/Renamon:

pretty young to be searching for that kind of fun

Greg:

So, maybe I'm not the one
Now you're so cute, I like your style
And I

Greg/Veemon/Renamon:

know what you mean when you give me a flash of that smile (Greg: smile)

Greg:

But girl, you're only a child

Greg/Veemon/Renamon:

Well, I can dance with you, honey
If you think it's funny
Does your mother know that you're out?
And I can chat with you, baby
Flirt a little maybe
Does your mother know that you're out?

Greg:

Outside, MadLeomon tears his way down Kabukicho, the entertainment district. He's on the run from the police, but proceeds to tear through the police cars before going on his way.

Greg/Veemon/Renamon: (VO)

Well I can dance with you, honey
If you think it's funny
Does your mother know that you're out?
And I can chat with you, baby
Flirt a little maybe
Does your mother know that you're out?

(repeat until fade)

Greg

After Rika sat through that whole thing, even tapping her feet a little bit, she finally gave a response. "OK, OK. I get it. I guess I made a mistake with you. I didn't know you were so... moral and upright. I'm perfectly willing to stay in your friend zone." Then she folded her arms and sharply turned. "But it goes both ways. I don't want you changing your mind." "Believe me, I won't change my mind," I assured her. We bumped fists on it, sealing the promise. Just then, we heard screams outside. We brought our Digimon back into our Digivices and went out to see what all the commotion was.

Outside, people were panicking. "A purple monster just sped past here! Fast as a lion, and with sharp claws!" one woman reported. We looked to each other and decided to move into an alley, where we could hide out until we were ready. We switched our Digivices to their normal mode, and then I checked the options. "OK, Izzy said he just upgraded our Digivices so our DATS uniforms would digitally appear on our bodies from the device," I explained to Rika, still searching. "Wait, you mean like a henshin sequence?" "Yeah. Just one sec... I found it! It's under the Tamer menu and is marked 'Suit Up'." I selected the option, pressed the button, and then posed. Within seconds, my uniform just layered itself onto my body in bits and pieces. Rika did the same thing, then looked at herself. "Amazing," she exclaimed. We summoned our Digimon from the Digivices and then searched for suitable forms of transportation. "Let's see... Davis said Raidramon was a good choice for a street chase. You have something, Rika?" "Yeah." "All right. Then I'll let you go first." Renamon nodded, indicating she was ready.

Rika flipped open the sensor, then closed her eyes and fired a punch straight forward. As she opened her eyes, yellow DigiSoul covered her fist. "DigiSoul... Charge!" She scanned her hand along the outside of the Digivice, then posed again as the energy went to Renamon as her sequence began.

"Renamon Digivolve to..." Renamon ignited as her tail split into nine tails. Her gloves tore away, along with the rest of her body as it transformed. She gained a white mane and mystical blue flames flaring around her paws and tail tips. In the end, she looked almost like a mythical Japanese beast, the kitsune. "Kyubimon!"

Then, it was my turn. I selected the DigiEgg of Friendship from the option menu, then pressed "OK". "DigiEgg of Friendship!" After that, I struck a pose. "DigiArmor Energize!" The energy transferred to Veemon as his sequence began. "Veemon Armor Digivolve to..." My partner's body and tail became longer as part of it became black and he became quadrupedal. Armor with lights attached to his front and sides, and he sprouted a blade from his forehead. "Raidramon, the Storm of Friendship!"

We mounted our Digimon as Rika put on a pair of sunglasses and I converted my glasses into shades. "Let's go!" I cheered as we rode off. One of the secrets to riding Raidramon is to hold on tight to the grips on his sides. Those allow for greater control and grip, almost like reins in a way.

Pretty soon, we saw this monster for ourselves. I let go of one of the grips to use the Analyzer. "'MadLeomon, level unknown. He is a berserker who lost his intelligence and enhanced his combat instinct. His sharp claws bear a deadly poison which can cause anything to rot away.' An unknown level..." "We can take him!" Rika said encouragingly. That boosted my confidence a bit. "Yeah! Come on, Raidramon!" "You got it! Thunder Blast!" He fired an electric blade from the lightning-bearing blade on his head. It missed the Digimon, but ended up slicing a car in two. "Sorry!" I called out from behind me. Kyubimon was a bit more precise. "Fox Tail Inferno!" The blue flames on Kyubimon's tails became brighter, and ghostly faces appeared on them. The faces then became small fireballs which Kyubimon launched at MadLeomon in an explosion of energy as well as trap him in a cage of blue flames which singed him. Oddly enough, the cage moved with the enemy Digimon. "Necrotoxin Claw!" Even in his rapid speed, he managed to maul one poor, unsuspecting bystander with his claw. Probably killed the poor guy.

Matt

I was at home, working on another song. I nearly had the melody written down when Gabumon ran into the room. "Matt! Quick, you've got to take a look at what's on TV!" he urged. So, I rushed into the living room and turned on the TV. "Oh no! A Digimon attack in Shinjuku. But what is that Digimon?" I wondered. I converted the Digivice into its normal mode and then pointed at the screen. "Hmm... 'MadLeomon'." Then, I looked through another menu and found out Rika and Greg were on it. "Rika and Greg are already out there. We should go help them out," I suggested. "I agree. Let's go!" So, we sneaked outside and I decided to test out Izzy's new upgrade. "Suit Up!" I called as I posed. My DATS uniform equipped itself on my body almost instantly. "Awesome. Time to send a shock to that Digimon's system. Are ya with me, Gabumon?" I asked, looking to my partner. "Of course I am, but let's go out there and do something instead of just-!" "Way ahead of you."

I flipped open the sensor on my Digivice, then played a short riff on my air guitar as my DigiSoul ignited. "DigiSoul... charge!" After scanning my hand, I posed as the energy went to Gabumon. "Gabumon Digivolve to... Garurumon!" My Digimon now became a blue, white, and silver-colored wolf. I mounted him, and we rode off.

Rika

By now, we were moving into Shibuya, which is right next to Shinjuku. We chased him off near Hachikō and into the station. "Everybody out of the way!" I shouted as we cleared the crowd. "Fox Tail Inferno!" "Thunder Blast!" The attacks hit, but MadLeomon went on. He stopped to look at the map, when we caught up with him, and so had someone else. "Howling Blaster!" High-temperature blue flames hit MadLeomon, and I looked to see where they'd come from. It was Matt, aboard Garurumon! The wolf slammed into the lion, and the lion fought back, only to have Garurumon bite down with his fangs, freezing the lion up. That was enough to subdue him, at least for now. He didn't leave quietly, though. "I have a message from Lord Bagra. What you saw tonight was only a taste of what you can expect from the Bagra Army. Now, where is the girl with the heart of light?" "Why should we tell you?" Matt growled. "Fine. Be that way. We'll find her soon enough, and when we do... this world will be covered in darkness! Ahahahahaha!" With that, he created a digital portal behind him and faded into it, taking the portal with him.

Greg breathed a sigh of relief. "Whew... glad you made it when you did, Matt. We spent a long time chasing that guy," he said. Matt nodded. "Gabumon pointed it out on TV, so I came as soon as I could. You guys OK?" "Yeah," I answered. Kyubimon had something on her mind. "'The girl with the heart of light'... you don't suppose that means..." she supposed. "It means Kari's in danger," Matt concluded. "But why?" Greg asked, "Why would they want to take her?" "It must have something to do with the Crest of Light. But that's not possible. We gave up our Crest powers years ago, unless..." "Unless what?" I cut in. "I don't know, but if we can't figure it out, Kari's in trouble."

Greg

Suit Up had a reverse option, which stripped away the uniform, replacing it with the clothes we were wearing before. I took Rika home on the train, and we soon arrived back at her traditional Japanese house. "That was one of the best first dates I've ever had," I said. "I thought you said I was in your friend zone. It doesn't count as a date now, you moron," Rika shot back. She chuckled. I looked right into her eyes with a serious look. "I guess not, and I'm sorry things weren't able to work out between us. You just take my advice to heart, Rika Nonaka. Remember, nobody plans on going all the way to home plate on a first date. That creeps guys like me out, alright?" She reluctantly nodded. "All right. I'll see you at the recording studio." "All right. Good night, Rika." "Good night, Greg. And thanks." We left on good terms as I headed for the train station.

Rika

When I got to the privacy of my own room, Renamon decided to lecture me while I was brushing my hair. "You were really going to go that far on a first date? That was how your mother became pregnant with you!" "Renamon, I don't need a lecture on sex education from you. I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself," I reminded her. "I may not be able to reproduce, but I certainly know the difference between true love and satisfying lust. You were determined to get it from someone, and that's wrong! That's just plain wrong!" I turned around. "This doesn't involve you, Renamon. If I wanted to get a lecture, I'd have gotten it from my grandmother. You are my Digimon partner, not my conscience. If I want to ruin my own life, that's my business. All right?!" Renamon stared at me, then walked away towards the door. But then, she stopped. "Rika... I was sent here to protect you. I just hope, I don't have to protect you from yourself."

Author's Notes:

Yes, I did make Rika the promiscuous one and Greg the moral one. I'm just making Rika's "tough girl" status more legit. The girl wants to grow up too fast, I'm guessing.

In Japan, the federal age of consent is 13, although almost all localities have local laws making it 16 or 18. But Greg was always planning on being celibate until after marriage. If put in Greg's situation, the author would more than likely react the same way.

I realize this chapter alone will probably boost the rating up to T, although I will keep it as close to K+ as possible. (Heads up: You're not going to believe what happens to WereGarurumon when an angry Matt has one too many.)

Do not fear, Greg is going to get some love this fanfic. So will Rika.

The TV shows mentioned on Fuji TV are real, although none of them used any of Matt's music.

Rika's DigiSoul ignition pose is borrowed from Powered Buttercup's transformation sequence on Demashita! Powerpuff Girls Z.

I switched her collection of Digimon cards with Yu-Gi-Oh cards because this is following the Adventure continuity, and the Digimon TCG wouldn't exist. But then, you already knew that.