Jenrya Lee had a most pleasant rest. Strange dark images, the face and voice of his new love would offer him a beacon of hope in his strange, pitch-black dream realm.
That's when reality finally took him away pulling him away from his dream. It was time for his day to begin
It was a plain time for him. He would go to school and work he basic labour job at a local restaurant.
The image of Renamon in his head and the feelings he felt proved most effective in getting him through the day. It had been nearly a week since their first date but already it felt like an eternity. He needed her and frankly needed anyone friend or girlfriend to think about for a more positive state of mind than what he had that day. While the day was normal part of the normality was the stress of becoming a responsible adult piling on him and choking him often.
He never said this to others, even to her despite explaining almost all of the causes of his stress to her, but it often affected his mood for the worse. It was not a recurring depression that was common to people his age group, just miserable over the constant stress and fear of the future.. The latter at the very least he had gained the ability to fight off to a degree. The former not so much and if anything felt worse every day he gave to throw away his free time to studies.
His partner knew even while rarely bringing it up. Terriermon cared for him dearly and knew him better than anyone else. He could see the boy he once knew become a man and all the pains and hardships that came with it. Jenrya was physical quite strong, in shape and a highly efficient user of Tai Chi, but mentally was another story. Terriermon cared for him but didn't really know who to talk to about it. Whenever he spoke to Jenrya on his mental state, which he did often, his partner would always say not to worry. Of course he did anyway.
While in class his mind had been so lost in thoughts of the future he neglected to take all the notes he should have. Upon realising this he started to panic. His hands shook and his breathing grew rapid. His nails dug into his notebook and he started to grind his teeth.
At the peak of his distress a friendly voice takes his attention.
"Hey, Jenrya!"
He snaps out of his haze of anxiety to see the face of Takato.
"Ta..kato.."
"Hey Jenrya are you okay!? You look awful."
While the other students left with the class having just ended Takato stayed sitting by his friend's side trying his best to do whatever he could.
"Oh..uh yeah. I am okay."
"No you are not. You were breathing weird and it took several tries to get your attention!"
"Wait, what?"
Jenrya came to understand that Takato had called his name several times even only having heard the most recent.
Sighing and bringing his palm to his head he took a slow, deep breath and spoke to his friend.
"Fine. I'm just losing my mind. Finals are like two months away, well, actually March is about to leave so really a month and some days. I got lost in thought and didn't take even a third of the notes I should have and, well, kinda had a panic attack."
Jenrya was a hard sight for Takato's eyes. His best friend and bro for life was on a verge of something terrible. Without even being asked Takato re-opened his bag to put his notebook before Jenrya conveniently already turned on the section his friend would need because Takato always did tend to be messy with packing his things. He put his arm around his friend.
"There. Take it home if you need to! But please don't let stuff like this get to you, man. You are one of the smartest people I know and if anyone can ace finals its you!"
Jenrya laughed.
"I mean, if you say so. Thank you. I'll snap a few pics of your notes on my phone and copy them when I get home. Right now I need a break from it all or I am going to really nut up."
Gathering their things the two young men soon left their school together.
There chatting was initially typical and normal of both them and of young people in general and Jenrya welcomed the change. Having a long walk home with a friend definitely gave him some kind of relief, not to mention fresh air.
Jenrya was stopped by Takato as they were about to turn toward the street not far from where the half-Chinese one of the two of them lived.
"Hey Jenrya hold up. I wanted to talk to you about something important but don't really know where, so I thought maybe here since there's a bench and drink machine a over there to the left."
"Oh yeah that, wait, something important?"
Curious. Jenrya pondered over what his friend had to say. Aside from Jenrya's confession over his mental state the two had not discussed any sort of serious manners in some time.
He could only wonder what he could want, or at least until a moment later.
"Oh come on."
The particular combination of drink and snack Jenrya wanted was sadly just out of his price range by a few measly yen. He really didn't want to break bigger money for this but he didn't have a choice, or so he thought.
While looking at the yen in his hand with disappointment he missed Takato rushing right next to him. When noticing he was gently pushed aside so that his best friend could push money in faster than Jenrya could react to.
Pulling them out and giving them to his friend Takato gave that sweet, goofy smile he was not for.
"Here. Have one from me! Well, two."
"Oh, thanks Takato."
"What are friends for?"
Sitting down Jenrya looked at Takato with eager curiosity.
"So, Takato. What did you need to talk to me about?"
It was Takato's turn to take a deep breath and with it came blushing.
"Well.."
A few seconds of silence proceeded prompting Jenrya to push his friend to continue.
"Well?"
"Ah. Um, well. I have a new girlfriend."
"Wha? Really? Wow. That IS big news. Congrats man!"
"Hehe... thanks. I've had a thing for her for a pretty long time. Almost as long as Jur, eeeeh, you know. I thought I should tell you. She's cool and interesting, and uh, very pretty and also..."
"Its Ruki isn't it?"
Takato's face went from a small blush to a face as red as a cherry.
"H-how did you?"
"It's obvious, man."
"I-is it?"
Jenrya laughed for the first time in a long time or what felt like a long time.
It was a pleasant sight to his friend seeing a man who moments ago was on the verge of a breakdown laugh a genuine laugh.
"Yeah of course. You mentioned being into a girl for a pretty long time and you two always gave the vibe of having a thing for each other. I'd say its like adding 2 + 2 but really its like and equation that was already there and done, or should have been done. It really is obvious though. Renamon and I talked about that not too long ago each wondering who would make the first move."
The mention of the Digimon's name put Jenrya at ease. So much ease that it further distanced him from his horrible stressed state of being than the time with his friend had already done well to do on its own.
"Renamon..."
He spoke her name with a slow-paced and soft voice.
Takato remained blissful to think while thinking of Ruki, their relationship and if there feelings for each other were really as obvious as Jenrya and Renamon saw it as.
"Wait, Renamon said that?"
"Rena..ah! Uh yeah! She can be talkative if she wants to. She usually doesn't but can be a good conversation partner when she's in the mood, y-yeah!".
Jenrya spoke initially with the same uneasiness as before.
However this time he noticed and tried to damage control things only to make his first few words of his prior statement even more awkward that he wanted them to be.
This struck Takato as. Thankfully still thick-headed like Jenrya recalled him always being. "Huh, wow. I never knew. Then again we don't talk much but I do know she has been changing a bit lately." "Changing?"
Jenrya didn't know what to think about what Takato said. So he approached his words and thoughts with caution.
"Well yeah Ruki said so. In the last week or two she's been weird. Ruki said she's been working harder around the house and does not seem to mind at all. She's also been more upbeat as of lately."
As Takato spoke Jenrya grew more tense yet also intrigued.
"Has she now?"
Takato gave Jenrya a another big and goofy smile but this time Jenrya was not as positive to it as he always was.
"Yeah! Its almost like she's in love or something. After what Ruki said to me I thought about what it was like to fall in love for the first time and now that ya mention it how I feel again now. Its weird. Maybe its not the case since digimon are different and all but if she has, its great! Though I have no idea who could have wooed someone like her, but man, they must be good at it!"
Jenrya remained somewhat tense. Had his new relationship already been discovered in its earliest moments? It was already kind of strange to say the least but only a few weeks in and to already possibly be discovered? Not good.
Even so Takato's choice words, especially, closing words, made Jenrya feel more proud of the romantic relationship he had established than he would have thought.
He went in to a bizarre new world of a relationship following his gut and understanding the risk but never had it occurred to him how much he had really accomplished pulling someone like Renamon. He felt sort of proud even while understanding he was acting on his feelings alone. He spoke again trying to damage control but in truth his next words are partially true.
"I don't know. Is romance even her thing? Still if Ruki was right you have a point. It might not be what's changed her lately, but maybe. He must be pretty smooth gu..erm I mean digimon to win her over."
Takato laughed more.
"Yeah I bet his name is Suavemon!"
Jenrya firmly brought his palm to his head. 'Suavemon...god that's cheesy.' Still he couldn't help but laugh.
The two young man laughed for several seconds and longer than either had laughed in a long time.
For Jenrya it was this laughter and thoughts of his new girlfriend that would prove to be the medicine he most desperately needed.
The rest of Jenrya's day was uneventful, but less stress-inducing. He made the decision to cut his study session today short only giving it some time after copying the notes on his phone.
It was not something he usually did and he didn't care. He needed room to breathe and time to relax and relax he did. Nothing like a lazy day of longing around in one's bed with a good video game. That was an ideal day for them at that point.

Author's note: 2 faves and 2 follows? Thank you!