Act 2: Secrets of the Skies

Segment 1: Frosh Days

Chapter 1-2: Sunnier Skies

Satsuki watched her roommates with a careful eye. They were friends out of high school from Seattle. They had tried chatting her up earlier, but she didn't quite feel like talking so soon. It was just the first day. She had landed literally a few hours ago. She wasn't even quite sure she wanted to converse with these girls.

"Dunno 'bout you, Lindsay, but ugh, I am already soaked in sweat just sitting here," one of the girls complained. She had introduced herself as Alexandra.

Lindsay looked down from her bunk at her friend, who was sitting in a desk chair. "Let's go to the common hall. I bet they have AC over there."

"Yass, let's! Hey, Sats, you in?"

Satsuki grimaced. Even without getting to know her, the two of them had started calling her Sats. It was awkward, she felt. "I'm fine." She wasn't lying – temperatures like this happened all the time in Japan during summer, and her family's apartment was easy on the air conditioning often.

"Ah, so strong. I wish I had that! Well, later!" The brunettes walked out of the dorm room. Satsuki sighed and slumped against the wall. This was going to be a long year, wasn't it?

Gabumon emerged from her phone. "Those two…"

"Loud."

"Very." Satsuki brushed her hair aside. "I'm regretting this already." She shook her head. "Ten million yen a year. And where are you going to sleep?"

Gabumon looked around. The only available space would have to be right next to her, and the bed wasn't very large. It would work. "I guess… I guess right here," it said, sitting on the mattress.

Satsuki choked on a laugh. "I should drop out, shouldn't I?"

"So soon?"

"It would save my parents money."

Gabumon rested its hands on its knees. "But you just got here. Maybe you'll be fine with it."

"I'm not even sure I want to do what I wanted to do months ago. Now… now I feel like I have to switch. Why bother staying in chemistry if I hate it?"

"Do you hate it?"

Satsuki paused, appearing as though in mild discomfort. "I don't know if I hate it exactly, but it doesn't excite me anymore." She slipped off her mattress and grabbed her journal from her bag. "Kazuhiko told me to keep a little book on me like this in case I ever got ideas that needed recording, and… on the flight, I started getting things in my head."

"Oh?"

"So Gaku and Etsuko said, before I left, that they wanted to pursue something a little quieter, since it seems they have subordinates who can take care of themselves." She flipped to a few pages in. "And they said they also wanted to not have to travel into Ginza and work such ridiculous hours. I thought, on the flight, why can't I do that with them?"

Gabumon tilted its head. "I thought you didn't want to do what they did."

"Not exactly what they do. I look at their hours of work and I don't want to live that lifestyle."

Gabumon blinked, then straightened up. "Oh, then why not start something with them?"

She nodded. "That's what I thought of, on the flight. Something small-scale and cozy, with the family name and reputation."

"Hey, didn't they also say they wanted someone with American experience? That could be you!"

Satsuki closed her journal and put it away. "It could be, but the business end of restaurant management doesn't interest me at all, and neither of my parents have that skill."

"Even after all this time?"

"Never interested them either."

Gabumon hopped off the mattress and paced around. Eventually it stopped and said, "Maybe we should ask Yuuka and Falcomon about that."

"Falcomon?" Satsuki glanced at her bag again, then pulled the journal back out. "Why Falcomon?"

"Yuuka said it was deeply involved in her family's business. It could help there too. She also said she wanted to run a bakery, so…"

Satsuki tapped a pen against the open page. "I think I get it." She started writing. "What if… what if we just put them together? Kind of like how Yuuka's family just put two businesses together. She could operate the morning and afternoon, and we would be coordinating midday and then close out in the evening." She stared at her journal. She trusted Yuuka enough to develop her own professional skills.

"Ah, what time is it over there? Early. She won't see this for a while. No matter," Satsuki muttered, "she can reply when she wakes up."

• • • • • • •

Yuuka

Let me know when you land
07:21

I've landed safely
Body is very stiff though ha
11:01

[photo: Los Angeles Int'l]
LAX is bustling!
11:56

Are you still going to start a patisserie?
I have some ideas. Let me run them by you when you're awake
14:11

• • • • • • •

Satsuki set her phone down. If it was fourteen hours into the day today, the 16th of September, then it would be something like six in the morning over there. Not too early, but Yuuka normally got up at seven anyway.

Her phone immediately buzzed. Satsuki blinked. Never mind. Yuuka was awake. She tapped to pick up the video call. "Hey!"

"Hey!" Yuuka appeared a bit dishevelled.

"You're awake early."

"I couldn't sleep. It's very… strange around here."

Satsuki sighed and laughed. "If you think it's weird over there, you should try here."

"That bad?"

"I, uh, I'm not entirely comfortable with my roommates," she admitted. Kazuhiko had the benefit of living in a single room, so he was probably getting on better. She hoped Ryuta didn't have the same problem. Knowing him, either he was used to such nosy and loud people, or he hated it. She hoped it was the former.

"I see. I guess it can't be helped. How is Gabumon?"

Satsuki handed her phone to Gabumon. "I'm fine," it replied. "It's as hot here as it is in Tokyo, so it's normal."

"That's good to hear," Yuuka replied. Falcomon popped into frame. "Oh, it's just Satsuki and Gabumon."

"Gabumon! Hi!" Falcomon yelled. "How was the flight?"

It shrugged. "It was okay, I guess. Not that special."

Falcomon seemed a bit disappointed. "Oh."

"What did you expect?"

"Monodramon made it seem so interesting before you flew, so I thought it was going to be more noteworthy."

"Nah, we just sat around and watched some stuff."

"Did you have a chance to come out, at least?"

Gabumon nodded. "For a while. Nobody noticed anything." Satsuki stifled a laugh. Technically, they did almost have a situation with a nine-year-old that walked by, but it was a non-issue in the end. Travelling around with one of the most popular Digimon known to humankind was getting a bit bothersome, though.

"That's good to hear," Falcomon replied.

"So, Satsuki, what was your idea?" asked Yuuka.

Satsuki pulled herself to the edge of the bed. "I was thinking of switching to culinary school."

"I thought you didn't want to!" came the surprised response.

She nodded. "For a while, but that wasn't because I didn't like it as much as it was because I wanted to do something different. But… I enjoyed it. You remember, I worked in my parents' restaurants briefly over the last few months, right?"

"Yeah, you said it was a just-in-case thing."

"The general managers they hired to do their back-end management graduated from an institute near here, I found out. Maybe they can be a reference."

Yuuka seemed alert now. "Oh, then you should totally do this! But you already paid for a term…"

"I did. I was thinking maybe I can finish my term here and then apply to transfer my visa."

"That sounds doable. And then after you finish that?"

"Well, that will take me three years, I think, so I'll still be able to come back on time." It was too late for her application to let her in for April now, but if all went well, she could get in for September next year. Her program would take her to April 2025 just like her bachelors would have, still several months after Kazuhiko wrapped up his three-year program. There was also the distinct possibility Kazuhiko never left the UK at all. He might love it enough to stay, or work might tie him down. If he did stay… she was sure he would understand why they couldn't continue pursuing a relationship.

"I was thinking, Yuuka, of starting something small-scale with the parents, since they want to do that next."

"Small-scale?"

"Their current operations are full hotel floors."

"But a small restaurant sounds like that would be more difficult to sustain," Yuuka pointed out.

"It would be, yeah, so I thought – you are planning on opening a café or patisserie of your own, right?"

"Of course."

"Put the two together."

Yuuka thought about it for a while. "Falcomon?"

"It seems like a sensible idea, Yuuka," it replied.

"The two are completely unrelated, though."

"There's plenty of overlap. If you want to run a proper café instead of just a patisserie, you might need some hot plates, and then you'll need someone to run a kitchen," it reminded her. "Then Satsuki can continue selling your product at night as a dessert."

"Oh… right." Yuuka rolled out of bed. They'd been talking for a while, and she had classes. "Satsuki, I have to get ready for today, but you should tell your parents about this as soon as you can."

"What about you and Mariko? She said she wanted to retire after you start, right?"

"Well… I think I've inspired her to keep going," Yuuka laughed. "She keeps trying to learn to do all the things I'm practicing now. She might just hand off the konbini to someone else."

"Mm. That makes sense."

"Anyway, I have to go. Call you soon!" Yuuka waved at her phone. Falcomon waved in the background as well.

• • • • • • •

Sumida Tamers

Shimizu Kazuhiko
Asuka How are you feeling?
09:23

Nagatomo Asuka
bleh
put me in coach
09:34

Ishida Yuuka
Isn't it just the second week tomorrow?
09:36

Nagatomo Asuka
yeah but pls
just the bench🙏
09:34

Segawa Takaharu
Soon enough, I'm sure
09:36

• • • • • • •

"Takaharu! We're going to miss the best waves if you don't hurry up!"

"Coming! Just give me two minutes!"

"Ah," returned an exasperated voice, "you said that ten minutes ago." Eiji was clearly not impressed.

In truth, Takaharu had woken up a bit late. The train ride from Tokyo was incredibly late at night. They had stayed for as long as they could, after all. Izumi had asked for it, and her older brother was loathe to say no to that request. He was also loathe to leave Tailmon behind. She was a strong cat, but they were almost sure now that she was double-digit years old, for the age was starting to show around her eyes and muzzle.

"Takaharu," quipped Lomamon, "you sure you're going to fit in that? Seems tiny."

"Hey! I tried this on already, I'll be fine." Eiji had told him and Yoshiki that they lived close enough to not have to worry about changing clothes, so they might as well just wear the wetsuit underneath their normal street clothes. He struggled into the lined neoprene as he grumbled, "Aish… what do I do if you need to hide? I guess I could just leave my stuff on the beach, but…" He scratched his messy hair as he got the suit halfway up his body. The dilemma hadn't presented a solution to itself.

"What's wrong with me just sitting there?"

"Mm, people will just think you're an animal. They won't know the difference."

"Then I'll fight them off!"

"No! Not with that tail, you're not. Do you realize how pokey those red quills can be?" Takaharu grunted as he tugged his arms into the sleeves. The wax really did make life easier. "Ah, you know what, forget it. Whatever happens, happens." He zipped up the suit and slipped into a set of regular shorts and a tee-shirt, then picked up his backpack. "Let's go!"

"Alright!" Lomamon disappeared from the bedroom just in time for Eiji to bang on the door.

"Oi, slowpoke, we're gonna miss the train down at this rate!"

"Hey, I said I was just about ready!" Takaharu burst out of his room. Yoshiki was already wearing his shoes in the foyer, one hand on the doorknob.

"Took you long enough," Yoshiki remarked. "You brought towels and soap, right?"

"Of course!" The three roommates stepped out into the mid-September sun. Despite the approaching autumnal equinox and the cloudy sky, the air was still uncomfortably hot and humid. The walk to the nearby Odakyu line station was muggy and moist, and the only saving grace was the wind. Even then, they were so far inland that it barely helped.

"Yoshiki, you got the tent, right?"

"Yep! Might not have been cleaned from the last time my family used it, though."

"Meh, whatever. It'll get sandy instantly anyway. Eiji, you said Shou would meet us there?"

"He said he'd get the boards for us, yeah." Eiji was carrying his own board, as he lived near a beach himself, just not around Fujisawa. The boards he and Shou were retrieving were rentals for the newbies, Takaharu and Yoshiki.

Mutsuainichidai-mae station was busy with students making their way back in last-minute. The three of them were headed the other way, which was still busy with people travelling into the main city. A few of them were carrying beach equipment of their own; nets, volleyballs, beach bags, and the like. The smell of sunscreen wafted through the train carriage.

"Hey, by the way Takaharu, who was that you were talking to earlier?"

Takaharu gulped. Right. Eiji had been standing right there the whole time. "Uh, just was on a video call with a friend!"

Eiji rolled his eyes. "Right. Video call." The questioning ended. At least Eiji seemed fine with the answer.

Takaharu looked around to try to find something else to talk about. "Is the beach going to be crowded?"

"Not on a Monday, even if it is the day before university starts. I bet most students will just be settling in. We should be undisturbed."

"Ah, what a relief."

Eiji looked Takaharu up and down. "Are you concerned about how you'd look in a wetsuit? We'd all be doing it. Nobody's going to care."

"I was wondering if we should leave our stuff in the tent or not."

"Oh, I see. We could have just put our stuff in the Surf Village lockers." They walked out at Fujisawa Station to transfer to the other side for the Enoshima-bound trains. "Actually, never mind." Eiji winced. The heat was only getting worse. "We should leave some water and such in the tent. This heat is gnarly. Yoshiki, how's your swimming?"

"I can get by."

"Takaharu?"

"I did it in high school."

"Oh, good. No wasted time then." The southbound trains toward Enoshima were a bit busy still. Kugenuma-Kaigan-mae wasn't far off, though, and they stepped back out into the heat. As they got to street level, Shou met them, clutching three surfboards, somehow, and already wearing a wetsuit under his street clothes, just like Eiji.

"Hey, you guys!" he yelled and waved. Takaharu blinked with surprise. Shou was much older than any of the university students.

"Uh, Eiji…"

"Shou's my uncle. Hey!" Eiji waved back and approached.

"Takaharu and Yoshiki, was it?" Shou asked. They nodded. "Yoshiki, this red one is for you, Takaharu, this white and green board is yours."

Takaharu hefted it. It was a bit heavier than he expected. "This the ankle strap?"

"Yes indeed. No need to put it on until you get in the water, though." The four men made their way towards the beach. Takaharu looked around. Eiji and Shou had trod this path before.

As they wound their way through the narrow streets of Kugenumakaigan, Yoshiki asked, "By the way, Takaharu, my sister in Chiba said she came across a player who said she came from your high school."

"Oh! Yeah, that would be Asuka."

"You know her?"

"Heh, we were friends then and now. We keep in touch. I might try to sneak out for a game some time this year, though I'm not sure she'll take to the field any time soon."

Yoshiki nodded. "Yeah, she said Asuka seemed young."

Takaharu shifted his grip on the surfboard as they made their way up a bridge over a boulevard. "Uh, Mr. Nakazawa –"

Shou waved it off. "Hey, no need to be so polite!"

"O-oh. Shou, are these your boards?"

"They are indeed, ha! The shop is actually not too far from here. I haven't given up on surfing at all, so don't worry about paying me back or anything. This is basically my day off!" Shou had a wide grin on his face.

Takaharu returned it and relaxed his shoulders. Surfers were just built a little different. They picked their way down the stairs and onto the beach boardwalk as runners jogged by. Two dogs sniffed each other as their owners chatted. Eiji was right; the beach was much less crowded than it would have been on the weekend, although the ocean still had plenty of surfers in it.

"Eiji… these people look like pros," Yoshiki commented. At least Takaharu wasn't the only one thinking that.

"You'll be fine," Eiji reassured them. "Everyone looks dumb on a board their first time. It's really not that hard." He stabbed the board into the sand while he closed the strap around his ankle.

Yoshiki unfurled the tent. It wasn't very large, and clearly wasn't for sleeping in, just for sitting in. It was good enough. They pinned it down with their bags so it couldn't be blown away, along with their pocket contents. While Eiji, Yoshiki, and Shou were distracted, Takaharu pulled his phone out and whispered, "Hey, Lomamon, keep watch, okay? If someone surprises you, just stay calm and stay still."

It nodded, waiting for an opportune time to pop out. It wasn't a fan of getting wet, though it wasn't like it could participate today anyway. It hardly mattered. Just being outside was better than nothing.

"Takaharu, let's go!" Yoshiki had already gotten himself into the water and was paddling away into the waves, along with the other two.

"Right!" He set his phone down and charged into the cold spray. "Ahh, that's so much better than the humidity!"

"I know, right?" Eiji paddled into the current with his hands. "Looks like we're about far enough out. You don't have to go straight to standing up, just kneeling on your board is fine for practice, just to get a sense of balancing on the waves." Eiji pushed himself up onto his knees. "Normally I'd chase the top of a wave, but you guys can just turn around and let it push you back onto the beach."

"Got it!" Yoshiki tried to get up, but promptly wobbled on one knee and flailed. "O-okay, so that was harder than I thought."

Takaharu pushed himself up onto his knees. "Not too bad, just gotta go for it."

"Dude-"

"No hesitation!"

Yoshiki tried again, but hesitated, and once again flailed, only this time he slipped off his board and yelped as he re-entered the water. "Aw man…"

"Hah! Takaharu's right, by the way, you can't hesitate. If you have one knee down and one up, you push weirdly on the board, and it'll always be unbalanced."

Shou sailed past them as a sizable wave came from behind. "Here it comes, boys!"

Takaharu made a face of concern. So that was a bit bigger than he anticipated. He steeled himself. The back end of his board went up first, far enough that his stiff legs didn't have enough give to steady himself. He tilted forward. "Ahh!" He leaned back to compensate. "I think I'm good!" He wobbled a bit as the wave passed by and shoved him along.

"Not bad, Takaharu," Eiji called out as he sailed past with practiced grace.

"That wasn't so har – wuhhh!" The next crest caught him by surprise because he wasn't looking at it. This one managed to upset his balance, and he slipped off and crashed into the water. Lomamon snorted and held in a belly laugh as it poked open a juice box from inside the tent.