Hello everyone! Welcome to the end-of-month chapter release.
Guest IG: I've been through college. Exams are not fun, but you got this! As for packing necessities to go to the Digital World, they don't need it. The Digi-Destined didn't bring much with them the first time. They don't need to bring much with them this time.
When we left off the last chapter, Kouji, Koichi, Tomoki, and Junpei were chatting with their friends and families about their Golden Week trip. Now we have to finish off the last two calls. This one took me some time to write. Mostly because I was laughing at some of the parts. Sorry for the small bit of spoilers.
Without further ado, here's the latest chapter: Phone Calls and Departures
"Mom," Takuya said over the phone. "I'm going on a trip with my friends today and won't be home for a few days?"
"Right now?" Mrs. Kanbara asked. "Isn't this a little sudden?"
"It is," Takuya answered. "But one of my old friends called, and I need to go."
"Takuya," Mrs. Kanbara put on her authoritative motherly tone. "You better not be galavanting and goofing off somewhere. You're leaving for Italy soon and still need to learn about the country. Izumi is taking a lot of time off her hands to teach you as well."
"I know, but it's Golden Week. I want to relax a bit and spend some time with my old friends." Takuya explained, not telling the whole story. "Besides, Izumi's going too, so she won't be able to tutor me."
"Really?" Mrs. Kanbara replied skeptically. She didn't believe her son at all. "Why don't you put her on the phone right now? I'd like to speak to her."
'Mom…' Takuya silently groaned inside.
…
"Dad, it's just going to be for a few days," Izumi said to her father on the phone. "I'll be back before you know it."
"I don't know, sweetheart," Mr. Orimoto said. "Going off by yourself to another part of the country isn't very safe."
"I won't be alone," Izumi reassured. "The guys will be with me."
"Them," Mr. Orimoto's voice turned an octave lower. "You're going with them!"
"Daddy, we've been through this many times?" Izumi asked. "I already told you that nothing is going to happen. We're all good friends. I honestly just think of them as siblings."
"Put that boy on the phone right now," Mr. Orimoto ordered. "You know who I'm talking about."
"Daddy…" Izumi tried to say more but her dad stopped her.
"Phone. Boy. Now."
Izumi sighed and walked to where Takuya was talking to his mom. When she was in front of him, he lifted his head and made eye contact. Just by looking at each other, both got the gist of what the other's conversation to their parent was like.
Without a second thought, both exchanged cell phones and talked with the other parent.
"Mrs. Kanbara," Izumi greeted through the phone. "Hi."
"Izumi!" Mrs. Kanbara squealed. "It's so good to hear from you. So… Is it true that you and Takuya both need to go on a trip?"
"Yes, it's like this-" Izumi then explained in more detail while omitting parts like Digimon or the Digital World.
…
"Hello?" Takuya said through Izumi's cellphone.
"Boy," Mr. Orimoto answered like he was silently reprimanding him.
"It's nice to hear from you too, Mr. Orimoto," Takuya ignored the nickname. He was already used to the man's attitude.
"My little girl is going on a trip with you guys," Mr. Orimoto said. "If I find out anything bad happening to her from you boys, you all better learn to sleep with one eye open."
"Come on, Mr. Orimoto. You've known us for years. Nothing's going to happen," Takuya said. "Besides, all of us are just friends."
'Yeah right,' Mr. Orimoto wanted to say but held his tongue. "I still want you to promise me that you and your friends will watch over her."
"I promise, but you know your daughter is pretty tough right? She can take care of herself."
"I know she is. I raised her," Mr. Orimoto said. "But it doesn't hurt to have more people looking out for her even if it's from you 'boys'. Now tell me, how are your studies for Italy going? Have you learned most of it, so I can have my daughter back?"
"Well…" Takuya paused for a moment then told him the truth. Mr. Orimoto put his foot down and lectured the boy about the importance of diligence and learning. Even if it took years, the man was going to drill the Italian language and culture into him.
Since the gang knew each other for years, their parents more or less met them as well. Some had more interesting relationships than others. Two of them were the interactions between Takuya and Izumi's parents.
When it was around the time of Takuya's 12th birthday party, he wanted to invite the other Digi-Destined to celebrate with him. Mr. and Mrs. Kanbara agreed and were happy to meet his new friends. What they didn't know and what Takuya failed to mention was that one of them was a girl.
Izumi, being an early bird, showed up early, and it all started when she rang the doorbell.
…
Ding-Dong!
"That must be one of Takuya's friends." Mrs. Kanbara said, putting frosting on a cake. She was in the kitchen putting the finishing touches on her son's cake. "Could one of you get the door?"
"I'll get it," Shinya said, getting up from the couch. He and Mr. Kanbara were watching a soccer match. Slowly, the young boy dragged his feet to the door.
To be honest, Shinya wasn't looking forward to meeting his older brother's friends. It would mean less time to spend with him, but Takuya assured him that he would always have time for his little brother. Whether it was his birthday or not. Besides, Takuya wanted to introduce him to a boy his age with as much interest in video games as him, so it made the younger brother a little curious.
When Shinya opened the door, he expected a tall boy or even a little boy. He didn't expect a girl.
"Hi," Izumi greeted. "You must be Shinya. I'm here for Takuya's birthday party."
"Uhhhh," Shinya was tongue-tied. He couldn't stop staring at the girl.
"Shinya, sweetheart," Mrs. Kanbara stopped her work for a moment to look at her son. "Who's at the door?"
Mr. Kanbara also looked in his son's direction, and both parents' eyes went wide. In their sight was a girl with long blond hair and a pretty one at that. They did not expect their older son to invite a girl to his party and could only stare at her in shock.
"Is this the Kanbara's residence?" Izumi asked, cautiously. "I'm not in the wrong house, am I?"
Then the pandemonium started.
"Hi!" Mrs. Kanbara dropped everything and walked to the door. She greeted the girl with a smile on her face. "I'm Yurito. Takuya's mother. Please come in and who do I have the pleasure of speaking to?"
"Izumi Orimoto," Izumi introduced herself and walked inside. "Thank you for inviting me to your home."
"The pleasure is ours," Mrs. Kanbara said, walking their guest to the couch and sitting her down. "Izumi, would it be alright to answer some questions from me?"
"Um, sure."
Mrs. Kanbara then politely grilled the girl with questions like her birthday, life, dislikes, and where she met her son. The mother wanted to know more about this girl but was subtle about it. Izumi, although confused, answered her questions without hesitation leaving some details out like the Digital World. This continued for 10 good minutes.
Even though Mrs. Kanbara only met Izumi a few minutes ago, she could tell that the girl was a great person. Her motherly instincts were screaming to bond with this girl.
Mr. Kanbara observed the conversation between his wife and Izumi nodding his head. Just by looking at Izumi's appearance, he could tell this girl was going to grow up to be a beauty. There was only one thought in the man's mind: His son had good taste!
Shinya couldn't stop staring at the girl. His eyes never blinked. He felt like he was looking at an angel. The lights in the living room bounced off Izumi's hair making her even more radiant.
"Hey! I heard the doorbell ring a while ago," Takuya said, coming out of his room. "Who was at–" The boy stopped mid-sentence when he found his family surrounding and bombarding Izumi in different ways. "Mom! Dad! Shinya! What are you all doing?!"
"I'm just getting to know your friend," Mrs. Kanbara answered, smiling. "Son, why didn't you tell me you were inviting a girl to your party?"
"I thought it wouldn't have mattered," Takuya looked at his family strangely. "Until now."
Well, it does," Mrs. Kanbara's face was beaming. "We were just talking about her life in Italy when she was younger. We should go there on vacation when we have the chance. It seems like such a fun place, and Izumi can come with us to show us around. Would that be alright, dear?"
"If you and my parents are okay with it, sure," Izumi smiled but her eyes were telling Takuya something else: Help Me!
"Izumi, why don't we wait outside for the others?" Takuya said, offering her a lifeline. "They might have trouble finding my house and will need help."
"That's a great idea!" Izumi replied, getting up quickly. "We wouldn't want them to get lost now would we?"
"But we haven't finished our conversation," Mrs. Kanbara didn't want the girl to leave yet. "I still want to show you my son's baby photos."
"Nope, not happening," Takuya grabbed Izumi's wrist and practically dragged her out the door. "We'll come back in when all my other friends are here."
Before Mrs. Kanbara could say anything else, Takuya rushed out of his house with Izumi and closed the door behind him. He couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. He just avoided an embarrassing disaster.
"Your family's interesting," Izumi said, giggling. "I've never been weirded out and entertained at the same time before."
"They usually aren't like that," Takuya commented, scratching his head. "You must've made some impression. Hopefully, they won't act like that after the others arrive."
…
Takuya didn't know how wrong he was. The birthday party went well, and his parents acted normally when the rest of his friends came over. It was after the party that the weirdness began again.
Somehow, Mrs. Kanbara got Izumi to give out her number, so she could call her 'in case anything happened to her son'. They kept in touch ever since, especially when Izumi was tutoring him in Italian.
Mr. Kanbara went up to his older son, lightly grabbed his shoulder, and said "Good work." He also told him to restrain himself but treat Izumi well. Takuya had no idea what that meant or what to say.
Shinya made a new friend in Tomoki with their shared love for video games, but he also liked Izumi too. Not only was she pretty, she was so nice. The little brother adored her feeling that this was what having a big sister was like. He asked Takuya from time to time when they were going to see Izumi again.
In summary, the Kanbaras loved Izumi. Even though she doesn't visit often, they already considered her part of the family, Takuya was speechless. Even on the rare occasion when he introduced his past girlfriends to them, they were never as warm to them compared to Izumi.
Takuya felt stumped. How highly did they think of this girl? In some ways, his family loved Izumi more than their own son. When he bought it up, they just said it was to prepare for the future. What did that mean?!
While the Kanbaras' first impressions were loving, the Orimotos had a completely different reaction. When Mr. Orimoto found out that his little girl was best friends with 5 boys, let's just say it's not something a father likes to hear.
Whenever the group came over near Izumi's to hang out, Mr. Orimoto would muscle the boys out from his daughter in any way he could. Whenever one of the guys got too close to his little girl, the man would give the boy a stern glare and tell him to keep a 3-foot distance. He was especially hard on Takuya.
Every time the two met, Mr. Orimoto always had something to say to him. It also didn't help that they were both soccer fans with different views. He was a fan who favored Italian-style moves, while Takuya's go-to strategies were Japanese.
When things got too fiery, they would go outside to the makeshift soccer field in the backyard and have one-on-one matches. Mr. Orimoto and Takuya were relentless with each other. It would have stayed that way until one specific match a few years ago.
…
"You're going down, boy!" Mr. Orimoto said, blocking Takuya's path. They were both having their usual one-on-one soccer match. Takuya had the ball and was trying to get past the goal but the man was not having it. Mr. Orimoto kept blocking the boy trying to steal the ball from him.
"Never!" Takuya replied fiercely. He maneuvered the ball from foot to foot to avoid his opponent's attempts to steal. "I won't lose! Japan for the win!"
Could you guys please stop?" Near the entrance of the house was Izumi. She looked at her father and Takuya in frustration. "You've been playing for hours, and everyone else has gone home! Mom's already finished making dinner 15 minutes ago."
"Not until I beat this boy to submission!" Mr. Orimoto answered. "I'm not stopping until I win!"
"Ditto!" Takuya agreed and they continued their battle for the ball.
"Oh for the love of-" Izumi leaned against a wooden pillar and closed her eyes trying to calm down. Why were these two always like this? Her father was hard on all her guy friends, but he targeted Takuya the most. She never understood that.
"Gotcha!" Mr. Orimoto found an opening and plowed right through Takuya causing him to fall on his butt. With nothing obstructing him, the man lifted his leg and gave the soccer ball a mighty kick. The rubber ball shot out like a shooting star straight toward the goal.
"No!" Takuya saw the speeding soccer ball, got up from the ground, and ran.
Mr. Orimoto smiled. No matter what Takuya did. There was no stopping the ball from heading to the goal. It looks like this match was going to him for the win!
But the ball didn't hit the goal. Instead, it hit the metal pole of the goal and changed trajectory heading toward a specific girl.
"Izumi!" Mr. Orimoto's eyes went wide. The ball was heading straight at his little girl's head. Normally being hit by a speeding soccer ball would make a loud sound and make a person move back a few feet. It wouldn't hurt much, but Izumi leaned against a wooden pillar. If the ball hit, her head would slam straight into the hardwood. "Look out!"
"Huh?" Izumi opened her eyes and looked up only to see the soccer ball heading straight at her. There was no time to dodge it.
Just as the ball was about to connect, Takuya came and pushed her out of the way to safety. Unfortunately in doing so, the soccer ball hit the boy causing his head to slam against the hardwood. 'Whack'
"Takuya!" Izumi screeched and ran toward her friend to check on him. His head hitting wood sounded like it hurt. "Are you okay?"
"What is going on out here?" Mrs. Orimoto said, coming out of the house. Unlike her husband, she was more open-minded and didn't mind her daughter having many guy best friends. They didn't meet them as often compared to Izumi's school friends, so she was okay with it. She saw the soccer ball, Takuya holding his head, and her daughter's anxious expression, and got the gist of the situation. "What happened?" The woman glared at her husband.
Mr. Orimoto was tongue-tied. He didn't know what to say to his wife. 'Sorry, I accidentally kicked a ball almost injuring our daughter?' He couldn't say that.
"I accidentally tripped and hit my head when trying to receive the ball," Takuya explained saving Mr. Orimoto from answering. He stopped touching his head. "It's just a little bump. It's nothing."
"Nothing?" Izumi said agast. "Takuya, it sounded really loud. Are you sure you're okay?"
Mrs. Orimoto came and examined the boy's injury. "It doesn't look serious, but it'll leave a big bump. Izumi, let's go inside and see if we can find something to stop the swelling."
While Mrs. Orimoto and Izumi went to get an ice pack, Mr. Orimoto walked up to Takaya. The father had something on his mind.
"Why did you cover for me?" He asked. If Takuya hadn't said anything, Mr. Orimoto would've to confess and be in serious trouble with his wife. With how much trouble he gave to Takuya and his friends, the man thought the boy would use this chance for payback.
"Because we would've to stop playing soccer," Takuya answered. "And the fun with it."
"Fun?" Mr. Orimoto looked at the boy in surprise. "You think this is fun?"
"Maybe not to you, but it is for me," Takuya said, smiling. "It's good practice and I feel like I know you through our plays."
"You know me?" Mr. Orimoto gave him a look. "Ok, I'm curious. What've you figured out about me from our games?"
"You're aggressive but not to chance of injuring someone," Takuya analyzed. "You also played soccer in high school, but stopped somewhere around the middle of college."
"How?" Mr. Orimoto asked, surprised. What Takuya just said was close to the truth. He did quit soccer around his senior year of college but still loved the game.
"The way you played in our last few matches showed me you played soccer for a while. Your skills are similar to the cautious control plays in Italy, and Izumi told me you met your wife in college. Since you haven't used any different tactics currently, it led me to my current speculation."
"Impressive," Mr. Orimoto said, sincerely. "You know about the tactics used in Italy?"
"Yes, ever since you creamed me in the first few games, I researched like crazy and learned about their styles like the catenaccio*."
"You know about the catenaccio? I thought you were only proficient in the strategies used here."
"Just because I support Japanese tactics doesn't mean I don't reject other teams," Takuya said. "Seeing all the diverse styles each team uses to score a goal is so exciting. It's one of the main things I love about soccer!"
Mr. Orimoto looked at Takuya's excited expression and laughed. "You know. You remind me of a certain soccer player. Have you heard of Sukehiro Tomita?"
"Who's that?" Takuya asked. "A fellow soccer player from Japan?"
"He was," Mr. Orimoto answered. "But he then studied abroad in Italy to play there. The man was an amazing midfielder and forward. He had so many diverse maneuvers that left his opponents helpless from scoring goals. His leadership and strategies brought out the best in his team and made a name for himself in the Series A Professional Football League."
Mr. Orimoto closed his eyes, reminiscing about the man. "But what really stood out to me was his expression. He always had an eager look on his face. Every new skill he experienced, he wanted to learn and do. With every loss and setback he had, he got back up and pushed through. The man had an indomitable will, but his expression never swayed."
He always had that excited look to him when playing and talking about soccer." Mr. Orimoto opened his eyes to look at Takuya again. "Sorta like you right now."
"He sounds awesome!" Takuya said, enthusiastically.
"He is," Mr. Orimoto smiled looking at the boy, but then looked sad. "I'm sorry."
"For the head injury," Takuya asked. "Like I said, it's not a big deal and will heal in no time."
"Not that," Mr. Orimoto pointed out. "I'm sorry for how I've been treating you and your friends lately. It was just when I saw you all with my little girl, that something just went off inside me."
"I never understood that," Takuya said. "Why would you be angry about all of us hanging out with Izumi?"
"Because one of you might-," Mr. Orimoto chose his next words carefully. "-Take and hurt my little girl."
Takuya tilted his head at the words. No one could tell what he was thinking. Mr. Orimoto stayed silent. The man wanted to know what this boy's next words were.
"Mr. Orimoto," Takuya finally said. "No matter what happens now or in the future, My friends and I would never want to hurt Izumi. She's our nakama** and very precious to us. The bonds we forged together are unbreakable, and I treasure it every day."
"What happens if something breaks apart your bonds?" Mr. Orimoto asked. "And my daughter is hurt and in pain?"
Takuya's eyes sharpened. His fists clenched, and he gritted his teeth. His body radiated restless anger.
"Then I'll use my own two fists to beat them down," Takuya answered fiercely. "I will never forgive anyone who hurts my friends at the cost of another!"
Mr. Orimoto unconsciously took a step back. The man knew this kid had a fiery spirit but never to this degree. It felt like he was looking at a fire-breathing dragon.
"Then promise me," Mr. Orimoto said, reassessing Takuya. There was more to this boy than meets the eye. "That you'll always look out and be there for my little girl. If I'm not here, I want you to watch over her"
"I will," Takuya answered without a second thought. "She's one of my closest friends. I won't let anything happen to her."
"Takuya! We have an ice pack and bandages ready," Izumi yelled from inside the house. "Can you come to the kitchen so my mom and I can apply it?"
"I'll be right there!" Takuya replied then turned his attention back to Mr. Orimoto. "I'll be back in 15 minutes. Don't think that we're done with our match. I'm not stopping till I beat you!"
As the boy went inside the house to get treated, Mr. Orimoto just stared at him and let out a rare smile. In some sense today, he did lose to Takuya at something, but the man didn't mind it. He was curious to see if this boy would keep his promise and said to himself.
"You better make my little girl happy."
…
Ever since that day, Mr. Orimoto let go of his prejudice and got to know the other Digi-Destined, really know them. He learned that even though they were all young boys, and some were infatuated with his daughter, they weren't bad people. They cared about Izumi and never treated her badly.
Mr. Orimoto still gave them a hard time if they got too close to his daughter, but he wasn't as aggressive as before and welcomed them as guests now. The man was still stern with Takuya the most. The two played soccer from time to time when meeting and Mr. Orimoto would find ways to lecture the boy about something–soccer and daily life. The man actually lectured Takuya more than the boy's father.
The main reason for the lectures was Takuya. Mr. Orimoto knew the boy had talent. Back then when he kicked the ball to the goal, Takuya didn't run after it but instead toward Izumi. The boy knew the ball would hit the goal's pole and the trajectory of where it was heading next all in a short period. His sense of awareness was unparalleled.
Not only that, but the boy had a lot of heart. When he pushed Izumi out of the way and got hit himself, there was no hesitation in his eyes, only seeing his friend safe. It shook Mr. Orimoto. There weren't a lot of people with a lot of bravery like him and his friends. The man wanted to see what kind of amazing person Takuya would grow into and gave him a helping hand through stern communication.
At first, Takuya didn't know what to say about Mr. Orimoto's lectures, but as years went by, he got used to them. First off, he liked playing soccer and executing all kinds of tactics with him. Ever since learning about Sukehiro Tomita, he became a big fan and wanted to be just like the soccer star. Secondly, Takuya felt Mr. Orimoto was just looking out for him. There was no aggression in the man's relentless words and harsh wisdom. At least he now knew where Izumi got her nagging from.
Izumi didn't know what to make of the relationship between the two. They fought fiercely playing soccer one moment and then talking like best buddies the next. It was confusing. She would never understand these boys and their friendship in sports.
If Izumi was being honest, she had this sinking suspicion that Takuya going to Italy to play soccer had something to do with her father. She could never prove it though, and Takuya was okay with it. He still liked the Japanese team but supported other teams' styles as well and wanted to learn more from them. Since it was helpful for her friend, Izumi didn't question any further.
Once Takuya and Izumi talked with the other parent, things were smooth sailing. They got both Mrs. Kanbara and Mr. Orimoto's approvals after some small talk and exchanged back their cellphones.
"Why does this always happen?" Izumi asked Takuya, shaking her head. This was not the first time they exchanged phones. For some reason, it was easier to get their parents' approval from the other rather than their own child.
"I don't know," Takuya shrugged. "Parents are weird. Don't think too much into it. It's about time we meet with the others anyway."
…
Everyone finally finished notifying their parents and met up again. They stood outside the soba noodle shop finishing up the last minute details.
"Alright, we're about to separate and depart," Takuya said to everyone. "Remember, if anything happens, contact each other. We don't know what the Demon Lords will throw at us so be prepared."
Takuya put his hand out and the others followed suit putting their hands all together. "No matter what, we'll never give up. The Real and Digital World needs us, and we can't let the Demon Lords get their way. Let's show them what the Legendary Warriors can really do!"
"OOOHHHHHH!" Everyone cheered and broke off. They separated into their pairs and traveled to catch the train or airplane.
It was time to find their beast spirits.
Phone calls are done, and the gang is off. What will they encounter on their trips? Who will get their beast spirit first? Tune in next on Digimon Frontier 2: Fractal Fusion. Bring a jacket. It might be Spring right now, but things can still get chilly.
*Catenaccio- Italian for 'door bolt'. It's a strategy in soccer that implies a highly organized and effective backline defense focused on nullifying opponents' attacks and preventing goal-scoring opportunities.
**Nakama- It means comrades or friends. It emphasizes the importance of strong bonds among teammates or close friends. The concept is really important in Japanese culture. Its main focus is fostering unity, trust, and mutual support between people.