Chapter 50: Just Everyday Life
"Come, come, come! Step right up! Today's Digimon Idol is officially starting!"
A cheerful voice echoed across the vibrant clearing.
"First up on the stage, we have the Three Bakemon Brothers! Their debut performance is titled... Three Bakemon!"
"Oh oh oh oh!" A chorus of cheers erupted from the crowd of baby Digimon gathered around the makeshift stage.
Nearly a week had passed since Devimon unleashed his terrifying assault on the Village of Beginnings. Over the course of these past seven days, the injured Digimon had fully recovered under the diligent care of the DigiDestined. The lingering shadows of fear had slowly begun to dissipate, replaced once again by the gentle, peaceful atmosphere native to the village.
Perhaps to completely wash away the residual panic caused by Devimon, an enthusiastic, unknown Digimon had proposed hosting a grand talent show right in the center of the Village of Beginnings. The idea was met with overwhelming approval from the local residents. Thus, an extravagant event scheduled to last for several days kicked off with massive fanfare, colorful decorations, and an abundance of food.
Today, Kari decided to take a rare break from her usual routines and attend the festivities.
Sitting on a small wooden log near the front, she watched the three white, sheet-like Bakemon float around the stage. The somewhat conflicted, heavy expression that had been resting on her face for days finally began to soften.
To understand the source of Kari's inner turmoil, one had to look directly at her older brother, Tai.
Ever since the harrowing battle with Devimon, Kari had noticed a distinct shift in Tai's behavior. Her brother, who usually wore his heart on his sleeve and confided everything in her, suddenly seemed to be harboring a secret. Whenever he thought she was distracted, he would quietly slip away from the group.
And every single time, he left with Mizuki.
The two boys acted so incredibly mysterious about their little excursions that even when Izzy directly questioned them, he was met with nothing but vague, deflective answers and quick changes of subject.
As for Kari? She desperately wanted to know what Tai was up to.
However, being the understanding and gentle sister she was, she refused to pry. If Tai did not want to tell her, she would not force the issue. She never wanted to make her brother feel pressured or uncomfortable.
Yet, the burning curiosity in her heart simply refused to be extinguished.
Trapped in this frustrating situation, Kari could only try to relieve her pent-up emotions by focusing on the Digimon performances.
Up on the wooden stage, a melodious, albeit slightly out-of-tune, guitar accompaniment began to play. The Three Bakemon Brothers swayed back and forth, slowly beginning their vocal routine.
Big White, the name Kari had mentally assigned to the tallest ghost, started the verse. "A long, long time ago!"
Second White chimed in. "There were three!"
Little White spun in a circle. "Famous Bakemon!"
"Who shared a long, long journey!" the three ghosts sang in unison, their voices echoing over the crowd.
Big White puffed out his chest. "One Bakemon was very strong!"
Second White tapped his head. "One Bakemon was very smart!"
Little White struck a dramatic pose. "And another one had blindingly white teeth!"
How best to describe the performance? The Bakemon's song was certainly not a masterpiece of musical genius, nor was it particularly soothing to the ears, but it possessed a bizarre, infectious charm that made it incredibly entertaining.
Listening to their goofy lyrics and watching their clumsy choreography, Kari felt the corners of her mouth twitch upward. Without her even realizing it, her sour mood began to lift.
But her moment of peace was short-lived. Out of the corner of her eye, her peripheral vision caught a flash of familiar movement near the edge of the clearing.
Kari blinked, her smile fading.
'Brother left with Mizuki again...'
She watched the two boys walk shoulder to shoulder, disappearing into the dense foliage of the forest. Agumon and BeelStarmon trailed closely behind them, acting as lookouts. Kari looked down at her lap, her small hands unconsciously clenching into tight fists.
Was her brother being stolen away by Mizuki?
Logically, Kari knew such a thought was utterly ridiculous. Tai was just hanging out with a friend. But logic did little to stop the irrational, slightly jealous thoughts from bubbling up in her mind.
Finally, fueled by the accumulation of frustration and curiosity over the past week, Kari made a firm decision.
'I am going to follow them and see exactly what they are doing!'
With a determined glint flashing in her brown eyes, Kari quietly slipped off her wooden seat, ducked her head, and began trailing after the two distant figures.
At that exact moment, the Three Bakemon Brothers finished their musical set. Taking a bow, they immediately noticed Kari's small figure sneaking away from the festival grounds.
In truth, the three ghosts had been keeping a very close eye on Kari from the start. She was the very first human child who had ever looked at them with gentle eyes. For the Bakemon, who had spent their entire lives being feared, misunderstood, and ostracized by other Digimon due to their ghostly appearance, Kari's kindness was nothing short of a radiant light piercing through their dark world.
Because of that single act of warmth, the Bakemon had silently sworn to protect her. During Devimon's attack, they had stayed true to that vow, throwing themselves into the line of fire and nearly sacrificing their own lives to keep her safe.
Seeing their precious light walking alone toward the dense, unpredictable forest, the three ghosts exchanged a worried glance. Without a second thought, they floated off the stage and began tailing her, determined to ensure her safety.
Interestingly enough, the Bakemon were not as stealthy as they believed. Just as they drifted into the tree line, Izzy happened to be walking past with Tentomon. The red-haired boy paused, adjusting his laptop bag as he spotted the three white sheets bobbing through the bushes.
'Bakemon? What are they doing sneaking after Kari?' Izzy thought, his brow furrowing.
Driven by a sudden surge of analytical curiosity, Izzy blinked, signaled for Tentomon to keep quiet, and quietly followed the path the ghosts had taken.
What Izzy completely failed to realize was that his own secretive, tip-toeing movements had just caught the attention of Mimi.
Mimi had been standing near the registration desk, fully intending to sign up for the next talent show slot. She loved the spotlight and thrived in festival environments. However, seeing the usually logical and straightforward Izzy acting like a sneaking spy was simply too intriguing to ignore.
Instantly abandoning her plans for stardom, Mimi scooped up a very confused Palmon and darted behind a nearby tree, tracking Izzy's retreating back.
"Mimi?!" Palmon whispered, her leaves fluttering in surprise.
"Shh!" Mimi pressed a finger to her lips, winking playfully at her partner. "Palmon, aren't you dying to know what Izzy and Tentomon are sneaking around for?"
Palmon tilted her head, a question mark practically hovering over her flower. But being just as simple-minded and easily amused as her partner, Palmon's eyes soon lit up with shared mischief. The two girls were instantly on the same page.
Just as Mimi began her pursuit of Izzy, her bright pink hat caught the eye of Joe Kido.
Joe and Gomamon had just finished their shift organizing medical supplies for the recovering Digimon. Joe had been looking forward to sitting down and enjoying the show to relieve his stress. But seeing Mimi sneaking off into the dangerous, unmapped sections of the forest alone triggered his deeply ingrained upperclassman instincts.
'I cannot just let my junior run around unsupervised in a place like this! What if a wild Digimon attacks?' Joe thought, panic rising in his chest.
He quickly scooped Gomamon into his arms and scrambled after her, trying his best to keep his footsteps light.
"Joe, sneaking after a girl like this... you are such a creep," Gomamon teased, a wide, cheeky grin spreading across his face.
"Gomamon! Not every thought in your head needs to be spoken out loud!" Joe hissed through his teeth, his face flushing bright red.
"Oh, look, he is getting angry!"
"Go-ma-mon! Keep your voice down!"
Joe's frantic, noisy whispering was anything but stealthy. It easily caught the attention of Takeru, who was playing nearby with Patamon.
Takeru stopped tossing a small ball and pointed toward the bushes. "Patamon, aren't you curious about what Big Brother Joe is trying to do?"
"Let's follow him and find out, Takeru!" Patamon chirped, flapping his bat-like wings.
Sharing a bright, conspiratorial smile, the youngest boy and his partner quietly fell into step behind the flustered Joe.
Naturally, Takeru's sudden departure did not escape Matt's watchful eyes. Ever since Takeru had shown such fierce determination during the battle with Devimon, Matt had found himself constantly keeping tabs on his little brother, whether consciously or unconsciously.
Seeing Takeru sneaking into the woods, Matt's protective instincts flared. He immediately abandoned his spot against a tree trunk.
"Gabumon, let's go!" Matt commanded in a low voice.
"Right behind you!" Gabumon replied, jogging to keep up.
And just like that, through a series of bizarre coincidences and shared curiosity, the children and their Digimon unknowingly formed a massive, ridiculous conga line of stalkers winding through the forest.
Standing near the edge of the festival grounds, Sora witnessed the entire, absurd process unfold from start to finish.
At first, she completely understood why Kari was following Tai. Kari just wanted to see what her older brother was hiding. That made perfect sense.
But then the Bakemon followed Kari.
Then Izzy followed the Bakemon.
Then Mimi followed Izzy.
Then Joe followed Mimi.
Then Takeru followed Joe.
And finally, Matt followed Takeru.
Watching the long chain of her friends sneaking through the bushes like a parade of amateur spies, Sora felt a headache building behind her eyes. She slowly realized that she truly did not understand her companions'thought processes anymore.'What in the world are these guys up to?' Sora thought, letting out a long, exhausted sigh.
Knowing the personalities of the people involved, Sora knew she could not just leave them be. If someone got caught, the situation would devolve into absolute chaos. Making up her mind, she reached down, picked up Biyomon, and marched toward the tree line.
"Huh? Sora! Wait, I haven't finished eating my snacks yet!" Biyomon protested, clutching a half-eaten piece of fruit in her claws.
"You can finish eating when we get back," Sora said firmly, her eyes locked on Matt's retreating back. "What is important right now is making sure we see what those guys are planning to do before they cause a disaster."
"Okay..." Biyomon mumbled, taking a tiny bite of her fruit.
Looking up at Sora's serious, focused, yet undeniably gentle profile, Biyomon fell silent for a moment. Then, a soft, amused chuckle escaped the pink bird's beak.
"Hehe. Sora looks just like a mom."
Sora froze mid-step. Her boots planted firmly into the dirt. "Mom?!"
Hearing Biyomon say that out loud caused a massive wave of heat to rush to Sora's face. Her cheeks turned a vibrant shade of crimson.
"Biyomon, what kind of nonsense are you talking about?!" Sora stammered, her cool composure shattering instantly. "I am just simply concerned about the well-being of my companions!"
She adjusted her grip on Biyomon, marching forward with renewed, flustered vigor.
"I just feel like those guys might be misunderstanding something, and I cannot just ignore it! That is all!"
'That is right!'Sora mentally cheered herself on.'I must supervise them! We have to prevent this from developing into some messy, dramatic circle of misunderstandings!'
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