Mother liked to bring me along to gatherings with her friends.

　You are a good boy, Kyoji. Honestly, my child’s such a handful—.

　Upon hearing such a compliment, mother laughed happily. Mother didn’t laugh often. Swallowing my urge to avoid such gatherings and play games instead, I bowed profusely and said, "Thank you.”

　Toward the end, mother and her friends’ conversation would turn to the topic of complaining about their husbands and families. Mother didn't seem to doubt that I was also fed up with my father when I heard that.

　All I could do was stay quiet and avoid being brought up in conversation. When mother asked if I agreed, I nodded vaguely. I felt badly, like I’d betrayed my father.

　On his rare day off, father would always take me out just the two of us.

　Where would you like to go? Anywhere is fine with me. Father would ask me. I didn't want them to find out about the arcade I frequented, so I just mumbled something and we usually ended up at the local shopping mall.

　Father bought me all kinds of things. He seemed desperate to buy me things, which made me feel sorry for him.

　Is something troubling you? There must be things you can’t discuss with your mother.

　Father often asked me. He spoke as if he believed there were secrets only men could share. Each time he said I could tell him anything, I’d shut up.

　I wanted to include mother, the three of us. If I’d told him, might my wish have come true?

　Winr awakens as a soft breeze caresses his cheek. The electronic sky visible from the window was dyed orange, and he remembered he was inside a game called Cross Connectia.

“...Just a dream, huh?”

　He sat up and slapped his cheeks to shake off the sleepiness. He’d only intended to have a brief rest, but he ended up losing consciousness.

　It was a high mountain area located in a straight line southeast from the grassland area where they’d first spawned. With a cold, strong wind blowing, it wouldn’t have been a suitable place to nap, but Winr was currently inside a small, primitive stone house, which made him feel comfortable.

“Ahh, Winnie, you’re awake?”

“...QueenBeemon.”

　Then, a female Digimon dressed like a bee—QueenBeemon—entered through the cloth hanging at the entrance of the house. It was Winr’s partner, FunBeemon’s mega form.

“Are you alright? Are you sure nothing’s wrong?”

“I’m OK.”

　Winr smirked, a bit embarrassed that even in a humanoid form, FunBeemon was as meddlesome as ever.

“More importantly, were you able to talk to the Digimon in the village?”

“Yes! They understand our situation.”

　After escaping from a group of Digimon led by Mistymon calling themselves "Guardians", Winr and FunBeemon arrived at a Digimon village. The only Digimon present were youngsters, and they were frightened by the unfamiliar sight of humans. So FunBeemon took on the role of explaining the situation, and during that time, Winr rested at a house on the outskirts of the village.

　The negotiations seemed to have gone well, and Winr breathed a sigh of relief. However, QueenBeemon’s expression showed something completely different from its usual calm demeanor: the expression of a child whose mischief has come to light.

“But, there’s a slight problem...”

“Problem?”

　Winr tilted his head inquisitively.

“Excuse me! May I have a word?!”

　At the sound of that voice, Floramon, a youthful Vegetation Type Digimon, suddenly appeared.

“Thank you so much! QueenBeemon, I mean, Lady Queen, the benefactor of our village!”

　On Floramon’s heels, Vegetation Type Digimon such as Palmon, Aruraumon, and Tanemon suddenly appeared and rushed into the house.

“Amazing! Lady Queen is amaaazing!”

“Excuse me Lady Queen, there’s something I’d like to ask you...”

“Today we’ll have a festival to celebrate Lady Queen’s arrival! So please relax!”

　Stunned, Winr glanced at the face of his partner next to him. QueenBeemon noticed this and looked away, genuinely embarrassed.

“So, during the 20 or 30 minutes that I was asleep...”

　As Winr turned his attention to the Digimon rushing into the house, they raised their hands as if they’d been waiting for this moment.

“Lady Queen repaired my broken house!" said Floramon.

“Lady Queen whipped up some medicine that cured Tanemon, who’d been sick for a long time!" said Palmon.

“Amazing! Lady Queen is amaaazing!” said Tanemon.

　Hearing what the Digimon were saying, Winr turned towards QueenBeemon. With the powers of ForgeBeemon, who specializes in construction, and QueenBeemon, who has great scientific abilities, it would be easy to provide the help the Digimon had asked for.

　And so, the dignity of the mega form gone, QueenBeemon now huddled in embarrassment next to Winr, hugging its knees.

“...QueenBeemon.”

“There was no choice! I couldn’t just leave these youngsters alone in their time of need...”

“Well, I was welcomed thanks to you.”

　Seeing his partner’s kindness even in this new setting, Winr couldn't help but grin as he turned towards Floramon and the others.

“Is it really OK? Including me...?”

“Of course you’re welcome! We've heard a lot about Winnie from Lady Queen!”

“Lady Queen spoke of Sir Winr the whole time.”

“Lady Queen said you’re a clever, cool strategist!”

　Winr turned towards QueenBeemon once more, but before he knew it, it had already devolved into FunBeemon and was covering its face with all its legs stretched out as far as possible so no one could see it was blushing bright red.

“Sir Winr may be a ‘card holder’, but he's a good guy!”

“Card holder?”

　Winr raised an eyebrow at Palmon's words. He remembered that during the Mistymon attack, the Magic Knight had called them by the same name. At that moment, Mistymon's gaze was fixed on Winr and the others' waists.

“Does a 'card holder' refer to someone in possession of this?”

　He lifted the D-STORAGE and the Digimon took a step back in fear. Floramon said to Winr, who hastily lowered his hands,

“Y-yes, that’s right. For a little while now, beings in possession of those have wandered the land.”

“They’re so scary. They summon Digimon from their cards and fight according to their own arbitrary rules!”

“Once a young one is caught, they can’t escape...”

　FunBeemon patted the heads of the Digimon, whose eyes were downcast.

“Are those beings like Winnie?”

“No. They look humanoid, but spikier!”

“They also glow red!”

　Upon hearing this, Winr and his partner exchanged looks. If they weren’t Digimon, the description of the red glowing humanoids matched the characteristics of the rampaging NPCs they’d fought in Lacuna. Perhaps they’re forcing Cross Connectia's Digimon into card battles, rendering them powerless? But even tinkering with their own D-STORAGE, that doesn’t seem possible. They’re probably forcing it through a loophole in the system.

“...It must be the work of the Unchained.”

“That’s a possibility. You wanna tell everyone?”

“I haven’t been able to connect for a little while.”

　Winr said as he activated the D-STORAGE communications. Since escaping from Mistymon and the others, the screen that normally showed the person on the other end was just showing static.

“Did everyone manage to escape? And then there’s Yuuki’s situation too...”

“T-they are okay! Everyone should be fine, take it easy!”

“Hey, stop hugging me!”

　FunBeemon hurriedly hugged Winr, who was looking at the ground. Floramon and the others who’d been watching looked at each other, then looked at Winr and the others.

“Excuse me, Lady Queen and Winnie! There’s a lot going on, but surely you’ll feel better after filling your bellies! Please stay in our village tonight!”

　For dinner, a Vegetation Digimon served Winr a soup that was a bit bland compared to what he normally eats.

　FunBeemon looked at its partner anxiously, but Winr still ate the meal with great gusto.

　Then, at the request of Floramon and the others, Winr joined them at the campfire and told them of his adventures and the outside world. He spoke at length of the heroic deeds of his comrades and was rather reserved about himself, so FunBeemon had to intervene every now and then to highlight Winr’s gallantries.

　Late that night, in the room they’d been assigned in the vacant house, FunBeemon spoke to Winr, who was lying on the bed.

“Now that I think about it, Winnie, you were speaking openly. Even though it was your first time meeting those kids.”

“...It's nothing out of the ordinary.”

　"Well, that may be true," FunBeemon said with a smile. Usually shy around new people, perhaps the reason he’d been able to speak openly was because this was a new world where nobody knew them.

“Still, they’re amazing. Floramon and the others.”

“Hmm? What do you mean?”

“Though they’re still in the in-Training form, they’re living on their own. Plus, it looks like a lot of fun.”

“...That's true.”

　FunBeemon and the Lacuna Digimon could digivolve however they like with the help of their Tamers, unlike Floramon and the others. The weak Digimon survive by supporting each other.

“I just asked Floramon. How it can keep smiling despite all these challenges.”

“Did it answer?”

“Yeah. It laughed in a funny way.”

　—Hmm, I wonder why. Ahh, maybe it’s thanks to our freedom! Sure each day is tough, but nobody’s telling us what to do!

“Hmph, freedom, huh?”

　FunBeemon gave a cheerful laugh, but Winr's face remained serious as he gazed at the ceiling.

“Hey FunBeemon, do you think Cool Boy really can’t return from this world to reality?”

“That's the story.”

“...If it were me, I wouldn't mind things staying like this forever.”

　FunBeemon's eyes suddenly widened as they looked at Winr.

“Winnie, what do you mean...?”

“Ahh, it's okay. I’ll carry out my duties.”

“No, I mean about staying here forever...”

“Don’t you think so? I mean, we're free here, and—”

　As he said this, Winr reached his hand into the moonlight streaming in through the window.

“—Even at night, I can spend time with you, FunBeemon.”

　FunBeemon couldn't help but stutter at those words.

　FunBeemon knows he’s real, and bound by a complicated family situation. Digimon Liberator, Lacuna, and FunBeemon had always been his refuge.

　Of course, staying with him forever would be ideal, FunBeemon thinks.

　But, Winr said those kind words with such a sad face, so FunBeemon didn’t feel happy at all.

　—FunBeemon wondered if Impmon would have said not to use itself as an excuse or to run away from reality.

　However, FunBeemon knew all too well that Winr was only able to speak those words because they were there together, that those were his true feelings.

　All FunBeemon could do was embrace the night the two of them shared.