"Boss? What's my reward?"
Venti walked up to the counter after placing Digimon Adventure back on the shelf.
Barbara had gotten a fluffy, adorable creature.
What would he get?
If he had a choice,
he hoped it'd be some kind of Digital World alcohol.
Exotic booze from another world had to be something special, right?
Lumine and Paimon came over too, curious to see what he'd get.
This mystery-box mechanic was oddly addictive.
"It's… a pretty strong reward."
Han Feng's expression turned a little strange.
"A strong one? Great!
Must be the blessing of the Anemo Archon!"
Venti beamed.
Whooom—
A dazzling beam of light appeared midair and slowly descended.
Venti frowned slightly.
He hadn't even noticed how it appeared.
As expected, Boss Han was as mysterious as ever.
The light quickly faded,
and a half-meter-tall, yellow-furred, cat-like Digimon appeared before them—
sporting big ears and a long tail.
"You're… my tamer?"
"…A cat? Achoo!"
The smile froze on Venti's face the moment he saw Meicoomon.
He sneezed reflexively and immediately backed away several steps.
Aside from cheese and slimy things,
cats were his greatest fear.
The moment a feline got near, he just couldn't stop sneezing.
"Boss… this is the 'amazing reward' you mentioned?"
Venti looked at Han Feng with a slightly bitter expression.
He could feel the malice radiating from this man.
"This is Meicoomon, a mature-stage Digimon.
Just like Barbara's Yukimi Botamon, it can be raised with elemental energy.
Once it grows, it'll be a powerful partner.
Isn't that an amazing reward?"
Han Feng spread his hands.
It was a good reward.
But hey, not his fault Venti happened to be afraid of cats.
"Hehe, I'm dying—the Busker's afraid of cats!"
Paimon burst into laughter, nearly gasping for air.
"Some 'divine blessing' that turned out to be—
looks more like a cosmic prank to me!"
Seeing Venti huddled in the corner,
Paimon laughed so hard her face nearly turned purple.
She had never met anyone afraid of cats before.
What next? Someone scared of fish?
Her frustration over Venti getting free manga suddenly vanished.
"Venti, the boss said Meicoomon could be your assistant someday—
but I don't think that's quite right,"
Lumine said with a straight face.
Venti's eyes lit up with gratitude.
Ah, truly the Honorary Knight!
So kind, so thoughtful!
"I think it could help you with your busking.
You tell stories on stage, and Meicoomon can do dramatic performances below.
Trust me—you two will be a hit!"
Lumine stood with hands on hips, looking completely serious.
Venti facepalmed and sighed.
I was too naïve…
The world is cruel, and people even crueler…
"Hahaha! That was perfect! Lumine, how did you say that with a straight face?"
Paimon was laughing so hard she collapsed on the table.
No wonder people call her "Gremlin Lumine"—absolutely ruthless!
Han Feng silently gave her a thumbs-up.
Well played.
"Do you… not like me?"
Meicoomon noticed Venti's obvious fear and looked up at him with sad eyes.
It hadn't done anything wrong.
It was soft, fluffy, and adorable.
So why did its new tamer hate it?
Feeling confused and a little hurt,
Meicoomon decided to ask directly.
"D-Don't come any closer!!"
Venti panicked instantly.
Seeing it wasn't stopping,
he turned on his heel and bolted from the store without even saying goodbye.
"Master…"
Meicoomon drooped its ears in disappointment.
"Don't worry," Paimon said, walking up to comfort it.
"If you stick with him—eat together, live together, bond a bit—
he'll warm up to you in no time!"
"Really?"
Hope returned to Meicoomon's eyes.
"O-of course! Trust me!"
Paimon puffed out her chest confidently.
"Then I won't give up!
I'll make sure my tamer accepts me!"
Fired up with renewed determination,
Meicoomon ran out the door in hot pursuit.
"Lumine, let's follow them!"
Paimon urged excitedly.
She forgot to film that last scene—
but there was still time!
She had to record this for blackmail—
er, archival purposes later.
Maybe she could even squeeze a free meal out of it.
If Han Feng knew what she was thinking,
he'd probably applaud her creativity.
Classic Paimon.
"Yeah!"
Lumine nodded.
They couldn't read any more manga today anyway,
so they might as well watch the chaos unfold.
Besides, they still had that "borrow-the-Sky Lyre" mission to do tonight.
"Boss, we'll be back tomorrow!"
Paimon waved as they ran out.
Han Feng nodded.
As he watched them leave, he silently offered a moment of silence for Venti.
The guy barely had enough Mora to get by alone…
Now he had a Digimon to take care of.
And a cat-type Digimon, no less.
Rough life, Venti. Real rough.
~~--------------------------------------
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