Narumi Akira knew there was a very high chance he wouldn't be chosen by Homeostasis.
After all, with an adult soul stuffed into a child's body, he had neither a child's purity nor the saintly "free labor, full dedication" workhorse spirit. One glance and you'd know he wasn't exactly prime material for a DigiDestined candidate.
And that was before you even counted the biggest red flag of all: Negamon at his side.
He was practically a walking minefield—one of those "yes, he can save the Digital World, but don't ask where the fire came from" types.
Honestly, if Akira were a company boss, he wouldn't hire someone this unstable either.
But none of that made Akira give up hope.
Because… Homeostasis isn't human.
Not biologically, and not in the way it chooses "Chosen Children," either.
Forget the distant generations—just look at the first two teams. Aside from Jou Kido, Mimi Tachikawa, Daisuke Motomiya, and Miyako Inoue (who were relatively normal), most of the DigiDestined had one kind of family issue or another.
Some parents were too busy and neglected their kids. Some were feudal "my-way-or-else" patriarchs who demanded their children walk a path chosen for them. Some parents were genuinely kind, but because the child was adopted they became trapped in fear—afraid the truth would shatter the child—until distance grew between them. Some families fractured into divorce, leaving the child split between homes, fragile and sensitive, forced to pretend they were mature. Some parents were obsessed with grades—"as long as you score well, you can do anything"—and when the child spiraled, they couldn't stop it…
To put it bluntly, with Homeostasis' recruiting standards, Akira genuinely couldn't tell whether it was summoning reinforcements…
…or collecting disposable front-line babies.
But precisely because Homeostasis' selection style was so bizarre, Akira felt he still had a shot—
his biological parents were also a pair of transcendently reckless lunatics. They weren't any "better" than Taichi's parents.
Of course, Akira had never actually come into contact with Homeostasis, so everything above was just a theory—a comforting placebo he fed himself.
The real reason he still insisted on going to summer camp was much simpler:
Even if the odds of being chosen were low, they were still greater than zero.
If he didn't go, the odds became exactly zero.
Now, please—hold your applause.
"A-Xiao, are you awake? Today's the day summer camp starts!"
"You didn't sleep well because you were too excited, did you?"
You're not wrong. I really did get too excited to sleep.
"Coming, coming." Akira exhaled, forced his thoughts back into order, and strode to the door—complaining as he opened it, "The door isn't even locked. You could've just walked in."
Standing outside was a neatly dressed, pretty girl.
A light red shawl and long dress. A pale pink crescent-brimmed hat. Flax-colored hair split cleanly to either side, showing off a lovely forehead. Big light-brown eyes that held a hint of dissatisfaction—yet somehow only made her feel more human, more lively, more adorable.
Her name was Mimi Tachikawa—the queen of "hat-based emotional damage" who'd stolen countless tears from Akira in his previous life.
And in this life, she was his childhood friend.
[Image: Mimi]
Their "childhood friends" relationship started because their parents were friends, but it wasn't stiff or awkward.
To be precise: Mimi could be a bit spoiled, but at her core she had a clear sense of right and wrong and could listen to advice. With just a little guidance from Akira, they'd started getting along much better—close enough to genuinely call each other good friends.
The moment Akira opened the door, Mimi thrust a bento box at him and said seriously, "This is your home, A-Xiao. How could I just walk in whenever I feel like it?"
But despite what she said, she immediately took off her shoes, found her own slippers in the shoe cabinet like she owned the place, and marched into the dining room—nothing like a "guest" at all.
Akira wasn't an idiot. He could tell she was in a mood, and he had no interest in stepping on a landmine.
He closed the door carefully, carried the bento to the living room, and opened it.
The instant he saw what was inside, he understood why Mimi had been sulking.
"Tamago rolls, croquettes, and tempura?" Akira stared at the perfectly normal food, genuinely shocked. "Th-This… this isn't right."
It wasn't that Akira was being dramatic.
It was because Mrs. Rie Tachikawa was famously a dark-cuisine master, while Mr. Keisuke Tachikawa was, conveniently, a proud taste-blind man. A true couple made in heaven.
And Mimi, as fate would have it, had inherited the full genetic package: she was a girl who could sincerely think natto omelets were delicious, and still cook and eat normal meals.
In other words—this perfectly normal bento clearly wasn't made by Aunt Rie.
"This isn't what you like?" Mimi asked, trying to stay calm even as most of her earlier annoyance faded. "What's 'not right' about it?"
"Nothing. I'm overthinking." Akira shook his head, picked up his chopsticks, and said, "Itadakimasu."
Then he devoured breakfast at a speed like a storm—fast, but still polite.
"Gochisousama!"
The moment he finished, Akira rushed to wash and dry the bento box, then returned it with both hands and a bright smile.
"Thanks, Mimi."
Mimi's mood evaporated on the spot. "So? How did it taste?"
"Of course it was good," Akira said bluntly. "If it wasn't, would I have finished it that fast?"
"…That's more like it~" Mimi finally dropped her act and smiled sweetly.
"There's still a bit of time before the school bus arrives. Let's rest a little before we go." She leaned in, curious. "So, A-Xiao—what are you bringing to camp this time?"
"I prepared a bunch of stuff and had Uncle Oikawa bring it to the campsite already." Akira smiled. "So all I need to carry is my phone."
"You can have someone bring stuff for summer camp?" Mimi sighed with envy. "Must be nice…"
"I didn't plan to bring much either," Mimi complained, "but my dad said the camp is up in the mountains and we might have to hike, so he stuffed all his mountaineering gear into my bag."
She lifted a heavy shoulder bag and groaned, "Look! How would I ever need this much?"
Don't slander it—once we hit the Digital World, this stuff is absolutely useful.
Akira kept that thought to himself and comforted her instead. "Uncle Keisuke is just being anxious. I'll help you carry it later."
"Just having the intention is enough." Mimi smiled brightly. "We're friends. How could I dump all the heavy stuff on you?"
"Then let's split it," Akira said. "I'm not carrying much anyway. Helping out is no big deal."
"Splitting it is great!" Mimi dug around in her stuffed bag, pulled out an empty one, and flashed a mischievous grin. "I've been waiting for you to say that!"
"So that's why you suddenly got so 'spirited,' Miss Mimi." Akira laughed helplessly as he took some of the gear. "You're evil."
"How is this evil? Didn't you tell me friends should share burdens~?" Mimi stuck out her tongue, smiling like a fox. "You're not going back on your word, are you?"
"Fine, fine." Akira hoisted the bag and checked the clock. "The bus is coming soon. Let's go."
"Mm!"
Mimi nodded obediently, picked up her bag, and walked out first. After Akira locked the door, the two chatted and laughed all the way to the platform.
As soon as they arrived, they ran into someone they knew.
"Morning!" A glasses-wearing boy lugging a mountain of bags waved at them cheerfully. "Mimi, A-Xiao—you're early~"
"Morning," both of them replied.
After greeting him, Akira asked politely, "Jou, what did you bring? That's a lot."
"My whole family are doctors," Jou said, starting to ramble like he always did. "Since we're going up the mountain, someone might trip or get scraped, so I asked my parents for some emergency supplies just in case. Hopefully we won't need any of it."
"Future doctor energy," Akira said with admiration. "And I also hope we never have to use it."
"Doctor is still far away…" Jou said anxiously. "I might not even get into med school."
The moment the future came up, Jou pulled out a textbook and started studying on the spot.
Watching him, Akira and Mimi felt both impressed—and vaguely pained.
Because as admirable as Jou's "I can study anywhere" spirit was, he completely forgot he was standing on a station platform…
…and failed to notice the school bus had already arrived on the road in the distance.
"Narumi and Tachikawa, get on the bus," the teacher called.
"Yes, teacher," they answered together.
After they climbed aboard, the teacher looked at Jou—still reading with total focus—and pressed a hand to their forehead.
"Kido!" the teacher raised their voice. "The bus is here! Get on!"
"Sorry, teacher! I didn't notice you!" Jou jolted upright. Seeing the teacher's helpless expression, he blushed crimson, scrambled onto the bus, and grabbed a seat.
Once Jou clicked his seatbelt in place, the teacher let out a long sigh and lectured him, "Studying is good, but you also need to pay attention to where you are, okay?"
"Yes, teacher!" Jou nodded repeatedly, shoved all his textbooks back into his bag, and sat bolt upright like he was in an exam.
Akira and Mimi exchanged a glance and quietly smiled.
The bus pulled out amid laughter, heading toward the next stop.
As it passed station after station, more and more students boarded…
…and more and more future DigiDestined appeared.
First came Taichi and Sora, teammates from the soccer club.
Then Koushiro, carrying a laptop like it was an extra limb.
Last were the brothers: the lively Takeru and the silent Yamato.
Not long after, when they reached the campgrounds, the teacher started dividing students into groups—and placed Akira with the DigiDestined kids.
The moment groups formed, the kids naturally split into a boys' cluster and a girls' cluster.
Mimi and Sora hit it off instantly. The boys' side was a little different.
In simple terms: Taichi and Yamato only developed their messy "fated rivalry" after being chosen. Akira had integrated into Taichi's circle early, so he wasn't familiar with Yamato and Takeru.
Akira could have tried to befriend them in advance, but while Takeru was easy to get along with, getting close to Takeru would inevitably make Yamato bristle—high effort, low payoff.
So Akira simply didn't bother.
Sometimes, when Akira thought about Yamato, one question would pop up:
This guy loves splitting the team, and he has a habit of snapping at the people he cares about… is he secretly a band kid or something?
But more often, Akira thought something else:
With Yamato's sensitive, insecure temperament—and Taichi's "I can't abandon a problem child" personality… if either of them were a girl, would Sora even have had a chance?
Of course, Akira only thought it. He wasn't so perverse as to go stirring up "tragic lovers" shipping drama.
Still—
If Yamato ever snapped at him, Akira was fully prepared to let Negamon "broaden his horizons."
"A-Xiao, morning!" Taichi dragged Koushiro over and sat beside Akira, then asked curiously, "Did something happen to Jou? Why does he look so down?"
"Him?" Akira chuckled. "He was reading at the platform earlier and didn't even notice the teacher arrived, so he got scolded."
"Whoa, that's rough." Taichi laughed, then asked, "But why didn't you remind him?"
"I wanted to," Akira said smoothly, "but he started reading and the bus arrived immediately after. What could I do?"
After tossing the blame without hesitation, Akira grinned. "Come on—tell me that doesn't feel exactly like Jou."
"If you put it that way… yeah, that's incredibly Jou," Taichi said, then turned to the quiet Koushiro. "Koushiro, what do you think?"
"Taichi, A-Xiao…" Koushiro didn't answer. Instead, he pushed his laptop screen toward them. "Look at this weather forecast. Something feels… wrong."
"What's wrong?" Taichi leaned in and read aloud. "According to satellite data, it's going to snow today… sounds kind of nice—"
"How is that nice?!" Koushiro blurted out, unable to hold it in.
Then he looked to Akira, seeking confirmation. "A-Xiao, we're not hallucinating, right?"
"No need to trust the internet right now." Akira pointed upward, face serious.
Snowflakes were drifting down from the sky.
"Snow in August," he said quietly. "That's… rare."
"It's snowing! Everyone, go to the snow shelter for safety!" someone shouted.
Before the kids could even finish processing it, the teacher was already issuing orders.
"Kido, you're the oldest student!" the teacher said quickly. "I'm going to notify the other groups. While I'm gone, you're in charge of everyone's safety. If anything happens, wait for me to return!"
"Yes, teacher!" Jou responded at once.
He immediately started herding the others. "Everyone, follow me!"
Under Jou's guidance, the children filed into the shelter in order.
Once inside, Akira took out the Darkness Xros Loader. Sensing that Negamon had already entered it, he lowered his voice and asked:
"Has the gate to the Digital World opened?"
The gate is opening, Negamon replied in his mind. Do you want me to capture the Digivices that enter this world?
"No need," Akira said calmly.
"Just follow the plan—memorize the gate's coordinates and the activation code."
Then, with a grin that was half stubbornness and half defiance, he declared:
"If Homeostasis won't choose me… I'll go to the Digital World myself!"
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