"And if Taomon's squad are keeping up with Barbamon's trail, Takato and the others will have a chance to relax a bit from their last adventure," Kei explained to Eiko.
The little ghost girl hovered next to Kei's chair and watched the screen. Since she was the only one next to Kei that could see the images of the RPG Maker, she already had been introduced to HolyCalumon.
"Great idea, Kei!" Eiko said. "And of course you'll give them lots of candy, right?"
HolyCalumon chuckled. "Eiko, I don't think that too much candy is healthy. Besides, there are many other things Takato, Rika and the others could use right now. Such as better equipment..."
"Yeah, or other things that make their task easier," Kei nodded. "I'm not sure where Bio is, though, and I only want to use him for mini-games if I have to... That leaves Calumon, the other remaining mini-game host."
"A mini-game?" Eiko asked. "Great! I'm good in those. How about a game of tag?"
"Girls, remember that they have school right now," Lillymon frowned as she entered the room with a plate of sandwiches. "They don't have the time to play. I agree that you have to do something against that awful Calumon double, but please keep in mind that Takato, Jeri and their friends are still pupils and must go to school."
"Can't we make an exception?" Kei pleaded. "I mean, you have decided to stay home, haven't you, Mom?"
"That is only because I have decided to keep my eyes on you, young lady!" she said sternly. "Besides, this laptop belongs to my colleague and is only borrowed... I need to make sure that I can give it back to him in one piece. And don't worry about Takato and Co., I made sure that there will be a substitute teacher in my place."
"Well, they can always play that mini-game during recess, I think..." HolyCalumon spoke up. "By the way, Kei, what kind of game where you thinking about?"
Kei grinned. "Something most of them are skilled in: A nice game of soccer!"
"Oh, cool!" Eiko shouted in excitement. "Who do you think is better, Takato or his brother?"
"Speaking of brother... here's a letter for you from your brother, Kei."
Kei's eyes lit up immediately. "From Stingmon? Great!" She took the letter from her foster mother and started reading. When she was finished, a big smile was on her face. "He's planning on visiting us next weekend... And Mom... I mean, my other mother..." She shook her head and grinned. "Boy, this is so confusing. Anyways, Mom said that she decided to come along."
"That's great news!" HolyCalumon smiled. "I'm so happy for you!"
"I can't wait to hear how they have been," Kei sighed. "I wonder what life in an insect colony is like..."
Lillymon frowned when she saw how Kei was talking to the computer screen. She couldn't get used to the fact that there was now an additional household member, so to speak, one she could not even see or hear.
She also worried that her students might not be properly cared for if she stayed at home. But after what happened when Kei had been on her own, she didn't dare to let her little girl by herself, not counting a kindergartener ghost girl and an invisible computer Digimon.
Oh well, at least she had been told that the substitute teacher was a professional, so maybe she was worrying too much.
"Okay, class!" the young, female teacher said from behind her desk. "Miss Asaji told me to collect your homework, so please pass them up to the front."
The feline Digimon-woman took the papers the students passed up and shook her head with a sigh when she noticed that not everyone had done the homework. Oh well, it was just her job to collect it...
"Well, and now that this is taken care of... you can go out and play!"
The students gasped at their substitute teacher. They didn't want to believe their ears.
"I mean it, go ahead!" Nalamon smiled. "I have no idea what Miss Asaji wanted to start with today, so there's nothing I can do. But please, try not to cause any trouble, okay?"
The boys and girls, humans and Digimon cheered as they got up from their desks and ran outside. Only a few stayed behind.
Takato, Guilmon, Kazu and Kenta walked up to the desk. Takato grinned. "Nice job, Jeri!"
The not-quite adult Champion giggled. "Thanks! I didn't really believe it would work. But according to the principal, Miss Asaji called them and said that a substitute teacher was coming in her place, so they never doubted my story."
"It's a good thing that the RPG Maker works for us now," Kenta grinned. "Takato, when you see your little cousin the next time, tell her that her ideas are the best."
"Still... you do know that we can't do this too often, right?" a reproachful voice came from the window.
Takato looked outside. "Hey, Harmony! Terriermon! Don't you have class now, too?"
"Well, we were writing a test, and I finished mine early, so I was allowed to leave before the others," Harmony shrugged. "Terriermon's just a slacker."
"Maybe I just don't care about stupid tests," Terriermon frowned. He flapped his ears and flew inside. "Hey guys! You wanna have some fun? Calumon's out in the schoolyard, and he has a soccer ball. How about a little match?"
"Oh yeah, and we're gonna win!" Guilmon shouted as they ran outside.
"You wish!" Kenta laughed.
Harmony and Jeri stayed behind. They sighed. "Boys..." Harmony muttered.
'Hey!' came an annoyed voice from the inside of her mind.
She smirked. 'You know I didn't mean you, Henry!' She turned to Jeri. "Say, you look good in these clothes. Very mature!"
Nalamon looked down at her jacket and skirt and grinned. "Yeah, I took it from my Mom's wardrobe. I kinda like it, it makes me feel so... so much like an adult." She giggled. "But, to be honest, I'm glad I don't have to take over this job regularly."
Harmony frowned. "I'm still not too happy with this. Is it right to misuse the RPG Maker's powers just like that? We could help our parents with finding Barbamon instead of playing around like that..."
"Give us a break!" Jeri said. "I mean, we just returned from Okinawa and I think we deserved a little break. And it's not like we do this every day. It's only once, to try out what that program can do. I think it's good to see that we can use it to our own advantage as well."
"Maybe you're right," Harmony sighed. "Still, I feel a little bad because Rika and Renamon still have regular school today..."
"Renamon?" the teacher asked. "Renamon, did you hear my question?"
"Huh?" The yellow-furred vixen looked up at the teacher. "Excuse me... I guess I did not pay attention..."
Her English teacher sighed. What was wrong with Renamon today? She was normally one of her model students, but today, she acted like she didn't care about anything.
"Are you feeling fine, Renamon?" she asked. "Do you want to see the nurse?"
"I'm not sick..." Renamon muttered. "But I think I have to go to the bathroom... please excuse me..."
She stood up and left the classroom. Her bewildered classmates and the shocked teacher looked after her.
"Hey, was it just me, or did she cry?" Elecmon asked.
Renamon sniffled as she entered the bathroom. She had tried to forget yesterday's events, but every time she let her mind wander, her thoughts returned back to Reppamon. She just could not concentrate.
She washed her tears away, but she knew they would return. Maybe she should tell her mother... but she didn't want her father to find out about what happened.
She blinked when she heard some sobbing in one of the toilet cabins. "Hello?" she asked.
The sobbing stopped. Then one of the doors opened, and Yui came out. Renamon was surprised, she hadn't even realized that her classmate wasn't in class.
"R-renamon..." Yui stuttered. "D-did you hear me? I thought I was alone... I'm sorry... I think I should leave..."
Renamon took her arm just as she was going to leave. "Say... do you want to talk about it? I think we both could need somebody to talk to."
Yui sniffed. "Y-yeah, I guess so... okay!"
Later, they were sitting on the stairs in front of the school building. Renamon offered Yui one of her tissues.
"Thanks..." Yui said as she cleaned her nose. She was feeling a bit uncomfortable. Normally, Renamon always tried to avoid her... today, she was willing to talk to her.
"Now, do you want to start, or shall I tell you about my problems first?" Renamon asked.
Yui looked at the ground. "It's okay, I'll start..." she sighed. "It's really, really embarrassing, though, that's why I didn't want anyone to know that..."
Renamon smiled and put a hand on the human girl's shoulder. "It's okay, I won't tell. Now, what seems to be the problem?"
Yui sobbed as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a tiny object. "Th-this thing..." she muttered.
Renamon blinked as she took a look at the item. "Yui, that's... that's a pacifier."
"I know!" Yui cried. "And I can't go anywhere without that stupid thing! As soon as I leave it behind a couple of steps, I'm getting scared, and I run to get it back. And every time I..." She sobbed again. "Every time I feel sad, or upset, I... See? It's happening again!"
And she put the pacifier into her mouth and started sucking on it.
Renamon stared at the weird behavior of her classmate in bewilderment. Y-yui?" she wondered.
The other girl looked at her. "Mmmm-hmmm?" she mumbled through her pacifier.
Renamon pointed at the small object in her mouth. "Are you saying... you have the urge to put that... into your mouth?"
Yui nodded, and tears were flowing down her cheeks. She sucked even more urgently on the pacifier.
"But... but that's not normal, isn't it?" Renamon wondered. "When did this start?"
Yui mumbled something, but Renamon could not understand her. "Oh, come on, I don't understand you with that thing in your mouth..." And she took the pacifier out of Yui's mouth.
"Noooooo!" Yui wailed pitifully. "Give that back! It's mine! Minemineminemine!"
"Yui!" Renamon gasped. "What's gotten into you?"
"I want it back! I WANNA! I WANNAAAAAA WHAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!" By now, the schoolgirl was wailing like a little baby and flailed around with her arms and legs.
Renamon quickly put the pacifier back into her mouth, and Yui calmed down instantly.
"Mmmmmm..." she mumbled as she peacefully sucked on her comforter. She closed her eyes and leaned against Renamon's soft shoulder.
Renamon sweatdropped. "This behavior... CAN'T be natural."
Yui didn't reply. She had fallen asleep and continued to suckle on the enchanted item that BioCalumon had left behind after having turned her into a Mokumon...
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(Posted Tue, 26 Feb 2008 18:45)
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