Chapter Three: The Great Snow

“My name is Qin Fei, little one! No, I mean Blacktooth Beast.”

“...Black~tooth Beast?”

Inside Qin Fei’s backpack, a Digimon that looked like a chubby little black fox tilted its head, responding.

“Yes, yes, you—Blacktooth Beast! And I’m Qin Fei, your partner and your tamer.”

“You... Qin Fei?”

The small dark figure seemed a bit confused, but its learning ability was remarkable. In just ten minutes, it had gone from babbling incoherently to holding a simple conversation.

It was as if it had acquired a year’s worth of language skills in the blink of an eye.

“That’s right, I’m Qin Fei. I designed and created you, so let’s get along from now on.”

On the sidewalk, a scruffy little boy with a backpack seemed to be talking to himself, unaware of the strange glances from passersby.

“I~ like~ Qin Fei~”

“Haha, I like Blacktooth Beast too.”

The innocent, childish words from Blacktooth Beast were irresistibly adorable.

For Qin Fei, it felt like everything today was worth it.

...

“Screech—”

“You little rascal! So here you are!”

With the sound of a bicycle braking, an anxious and angry voice rang out behind him.

The joy on Qin Fei’s face froze instantly. He shuddered, his neck turning stiffly as if rusted.

A stern and beautiful face appeared before him—it was his aunt, Qin Lulu.

This wasn’t right. She should be at work at this hour. Why was she here?

“You little rascal, feeling bold, aren’t you? If your teacher hadn’t called home, I wouldn’t have known you skipped the summer camp. Luckily, I came home.”

Angry, she parked her bike and strode over, rolling up her sleeves.

“Wait, wait, I have a reason... I, I fell into a puddle, got all dirty, and was too embarrassed to join the others, so I…”

Qin Fei’s mind raced. Before his rebirth, he’d been older than his aunt. How could he possibly endure a public scolding from her? That would be mortifying.

So he put on a pitiful, helpless face, tears brimming in his eyes, hoping to soften her up.

“Sigh, you child…”

She sighed, eyeing his filthy appearance and mostly believing his story.

“Afraid~ of being laughed at~”

A childish voice piped up from the backpack.

Qin Fei: “...”

Qin Lulu: “...”

“What was that sound just now?”

She crouched down, eyeing Qin Fei suspiciously.

“Ah, cough, cough, that was me. My throat’s a bit sore.”

Qin Fei coughed, pretending to clear his throat.

...

“Well, never mind. Good thing I came prepared. I brought you a clean set of clothes—hurry and change, then get on the bus. The camp won’t wait for you.”

Qin Fei was surprised. He hadn’t expected his aunt to send him to camp instead of dragging him home.

“I’ve been busy with work and can’t look after you. I’d rather leave you at camp where the teachers can keep an eye on you,” she explained, seeing his confusion.

“Can you help me prepare a few more things?” Qin Fei hesitated, then pleaded.

“Sure, what do you want? Comic books? Snacks? But nothing too expensive,” she replied, not turning around.

Qin Fei quickly said, “Emergency rations, compressed biscuits, a lighter, a survival knife, a sleeping bag, and a hammock.”

Screeech—

She braked hard, nearly tossing him off the bike.

“Are you out of your mind? It’s just a little trip to the woods. Why do you need all that?”

...

In the end, after much pleading, he managed to get a big box of compressed biscuits and a sleeping bag. The knife and lighter were out of the question.

Ever since realizing this was the world of the first Digimon series, Qin Fei had been wondering whether to go with the main group to the Digimon world.

After much thought, he decided to go.

After all, to be reborn in the world of his beloved Digimon and not see that wondrous realm with his own eyes—he’d regret it forever.

...

“Safe travels.”

Boarding the pink bus adorned with butterflies, Qin Fei waved to his aunt as she rode away.

“Qin~ Fei, can I talk now?”

Blacktooth Beast whispered from the backpack.

“Not yet. There are too many people here. Once we reach camp, I’ll let you out to play.”

Qin Fei pressed his backpack against his chest, speaking in a soft, gentle voice. To avoid discovery, he had already instructed Blacktooth Beast to pretend to be a plush toy.

...

“So you’re the late kid who made us wait so long.”

Suddenly, a chubby boy complained to Qin Fei, clearly annoyed.

“Yeah, yeah, the earlier buses left ages ago. We had to delay for over half an hour. The good camping spots must be gone by now.”

“Should’ve told the teachers not to wait for him.”

Soon, several other children chimed in.

“It wasn’t on purpose. Don’t bully him,” a familiar voice called out.

Qin Fei, who hadn’t cared for the commotion, looked up at the sound. It was Suna.

That meant Taichi, Yamato, Koushiro, and the others must be on this bus too.

“Come on, let’s not argue. We’re all classmates—let’s get along. Maybe he really had an emergency, right, Suna?”

Another child interjected. Seeing his distinctive blue shirt, blue goggles, and thick, energetic hair, Qin Fei instantly recognized the protagonist.

“Hi, I’m Taichi. Nice to meet you. Suna said you’re a transfer student?”

“Yes, hello, I’m Qin Fei.”

Looking at Taichi’s friendly attempt to help, Qin Fei smiled. No wonder he was the protagonist—his warmth and energy were infectious.

“Quiet, everyone. I’m sure there’s a good reason. Let’s get along and don’t bully the new student. Otherwise, double homework after camp,” the teacher finally arrived, patting Qin Fei’s shoulder and loudly reminding the class.

Glancing at the kindly teacher, Qin Fei turned his gaze to the window, ignoring the chatter. He knew the story of Digimon Adventure was about to begin.

...

“Taichi, stop climbing trees and help set up the tent!”

“It’s fine, I just want to see if there’s anything fun around here.”

On the campsite, watching the two main characters fool around, Qin Fei shook his head with a sigh and went over to help secure the tent stakes.

Soon, the tents were pitched and free time arrived. The other children scattered, but Qin Fei remained in place, gazing up at the clear sky.

As if separated by an invisible wall, no one approached him, and he enjoyed the peace.

After all, with the mind of an adult, it was hard to fit in among a group of children.

Besides, compared to the world-changing events about to unfold, everything else seemed trivial.

No one knew he was waiting for a snowstorm—a miraculous summer blizzard.

“Qin~ Fei~ can we play now?”

Blacktooth Beast’s childish voice came from the backpack.

“Soon! Just wait a little longer.”

“If Qin Fei says so, Blacktooth Beast will wait.”

The voice from the bag was earnest.

...

The sky seemed to darken.

“Huh? It’s getting chilly.”

Suna, packing her things nearby, suddenly looked up at the sky in confusion.

A white snowflake landed on her face.

Then another, and another... The sky changed, and the wind rose.

“Emergency! Everyone, gather here! This way!”

The teacher’s shout echoed from not far away.

“But Taichi and the others aren’t back yet. I’ll go find them.”

Scanning the area and finding Taichi and his friends missing, Suna reported to the teacher and hurried off in their direction.

“It’s starting…”

The blizzard swept in, engulfing everything.

Watching Suna’s anxious figure, Qin Fei took a deep breath, slung his backpack full of compressed biscuits and emergency food over his shoulder, and followed.

At the very least, these supplies would make the children’s adventure a little more comfortable.