Chapter 123: What Exactly Is Your Relationship With Him?
Night descended over the Digital World, painting the sky in deep strokes of indigo and violet. Thick, white mist curled off the surface of the natural hot spring, blurring the edges of the rocky enclosure until the entire space felt like a dream. The calm water acted as a perfect mirror, catching the silver light of the moon and the scattered diamonds of the starry sky above.
Submerged up to their collarbones in the soothing, mineral-rich water, the girls let the healing warmth seep deep into their exhausted muscles. The gentle bubbling of the spring and the ambient hum of nocturnal insects created a rhythm of absolute peace. For a fleeting, hazy moment, it felt as though they had all been transported back to the quiet comforts of their home world. The relentless battles, the desperate struggles for survival, and the sheer cruelty of their journey melted away into the rising steam.
"Ahhh..." Mimi let out a long, dramatic sigh, sinking a little lower until bubbles popped against her chin. "This is absolute heaven."
"If only we could stay like this forever," she murmured, her eyes fluttering shut as a blissful smile spread across her flushed face.
Beside her, Palmon looked even more deeply affected by the heat. The plant Digimon's head drooped lazily to the side, her eyes half-closed and completely glazed over, looking entirely ready to slip into a deep slumber at any given second.
Hovering just above the water's surface, Piximon watched the melting duo. She shook her head, letting out a long, drawn-out sigh. "What a bunch of hopelessly carefree children, pi..."
Mimi cracked one eye open, a mischievous glint cutting through her relaxed state. "Oh, come on, Piximon. Don't be such a strict disciplinarian right now, pi."
She splashed a little water playfully. "It's a rare and perfect hot spring, so just turn your brain off and enjoy the vacation, pi!"
Piximon's expression instantly flatlined.
Hearing her own verbal tic mocked so casually, a visible tick formed on Piximon's forehead. In a flash of pink, she darted across the pool, snatching hold of Mimi's ear and giving it a sharp tug.
"Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Okay, I yield!" Mimi yelped, thrashing her hands in the water.
"I've told you a hundred times not to mock the way I speak, pi!" Piximon scolded, though she released the girl's ear quickly. "This is entirely that boy Mizuki's fault. His terrible habits are corrupting all of you... Just wait until tomorrow. I'm going to give him some very special, very painful training, pi!"
While Piximon continued to lecture a pouting Mimi, Sora sat a short distance away, resting her arms on the smooth stones lining the pool. She cast a sideways glance at Kari.
"Are you really that worried about Taichi?" Sora asked, a knowing smile playing on her lips.
She had noticed Kari's gaze drifting repeatedly toward the tall bamboo fence that separated the women's bath from the men's. Sora shook her head, splashing a handful of warm water over her shoulders. "Honestly, Kari, half the time I can't figure out if you're the younger sister, or if Taichi is the younger brother who needs constant supervision."
Kari turned away from the fence, her cheeks slightly pink from the steam. She offered Sora a soft, gentle smile. "Big Brother Taichi is the best brother I could ask for. When things get serious, he's incredibly reliable."
She paused, her smile turning a little wry. "But the moment the danger passes and he finally relaxes, he turns completely scatterbrained. He loses all his common sense. That's exactly why I have to keep a close eye on him during times like this."
Sora chuckled softly. There it was again. That quiet, unwavering maturity that seemed far too old for a girl her age.
"You really do love Taichi, don't you?" Sora teased gently, deciding to drop the subject before she embarrassed the younger girl any further.
A sudden splash drew their attention. Mimi, having finally escaped Piximon's scolding, waded through the waist-deep water with Palmon trailing lazily behind her.
"Hehe," Mimi giggled, pointing a wet finger toward the far corner of the pool. "Actually, Sora, we've got another little sister right here who's suffering from the exact same problem."
Following Mimi's gesture, Sora and Kari looked over. Sitting quietly near the edge of the bamboo divider was Belle.
If Kari's glances toward the men's side had been subtle and disguised, Belle's attention was entirely unfiltered. The blonde girl sat perfectly still, her eyes locked onto the wooden slats of the fence with an intensity of absolute, unwavering focus.
Seeing her stare so fiercely, a ridiculous thought briefly crossed Sora's mind. 'Wait... can she actually see through the wood?'
Sora quickly shook her head, splashing cold water on her own face to banish the thought. No, no. That was impossible. Even for a Digimon, that was ridiculous.
Meanwhile, Mimi crept up behind Belle, moving silently through the water.
"Boo!" Mimi cheered, lightly slapping her hands down on Belle's bare shoulders.
Belle jumped, a tiny gasp escaping her lips as she spun around. Her eyes were wide, blinking rapidly in pure bewilderment.
Seeing her target so thoroughly startled, Mimi flashed a triumphant, teasing grin. "You two have only been separated for twenty minutes. There's no need to stare at the wall like a tragic heroine waiting for her husband to return from war."
Mimi leaned in closer, poking Belle's cheek. "Anyone who didn't know better would think you two had been forced apart for decades. Do you really like Mizuki that much?"
Belle's startled expression melted away instantly. Her gentle, inherently sweet nature meant she took absolutely no offense to Mimi's sudden prank.
Instead, she looked Mimi dead in the eye and answered with zero hesitation. "Mhm. I love Mizu the absolute most, desu!"
Mimi blinked, momentarily taken aback by the sheer, unfiltered honesty. Looking at Belle's bright, innocent face, a new idea sparked in Mimi's mind. She leaned her elbows on the water's surface, resting her chin in her hands.
"Oh? Is that so?" Mimi pressed, her tone dripping with playful curiosity. "Exactly how much do you like him, then?"
Even though she had already achieved her Ultimate Level digivolution, taking on this beautiful, humanoid form, Belle's core personality remained entirely unchanged. Deep down, she was still that pure, innocent Nyaromon who viewed the world through a lens of simple affection.
Completely missing the teasing undertone in Mimi's voice, Belle took the question incredibly seriously. She furrowed her brow in deep thought, raising her hands out of the water to gesture wildly as she tried to quantify her feelings.
"It's like... super, super, super, super, super, super, super..."
Belle kept going, her voice rising in pitch and speed as she stacked the word over and over again. She refused to take a breath, her face turning redder and redder until her lungs completely gave out.
"...Super love! Desu!" she finally gasped out, her chest heaving as she concluded her grand explanation.
By this time, Sora, Kari, and Biyomon had waded over to join the group.
"Alright, Mimi, that's enough," Sora scolded mildly, though she was smiling. "You shouldn't bully Belle like that."
"Ehehe," Mimi rubbed the back of her head, sticking her tongue out playfully. "I'm sorry. She's just so incredibly cute, I couldn't resist teasing her a little bit."
Mimi turned to the blonde girl and offered a bright wink. "Sorry about that, Belle. I didn't mean to make fun of you."
Belle caught her breath, offering a warm, forgiving smile. "It's... it's completely fine, desu."
Even though they had all traveled together for quite some time and shared a deep bond, Belle's naturally shy disposition still made it slightly overwhelming to deal with Mimi's high-energy antics. She knew Mimi had a good heart, but the sheer enthusiasm was a lot to process.
Noticing Belle's slight awkwardness, Mimi's eyes darted around. She decided to pivot the conversation to a topic she knew Belle would gladly engage in.
"Speaking of which, I'm actually really curious about something," Mimi said, lowering her voice conspiratorially. "What exactly is your relationship with Mizuki?"
Belle tilted her head, her wet blonde hair sticking to her neck. "Relationship?" she repeated, the word sounding foreign on her tongue.
Mimi leaned in, her eyes sparkling with intense, gossipy excitement. "To be highly specific... exactly how far have things progressed between the two of you?"
Belle stared blankly. "Um... I don't really understand what you mean, desu."
Her brow furrowed deeper, her large eyes filled with such pure, unadulterated confusion that it gave everyone present an overwhelming urge to wrap her in a blanket and protect her from the world.
"Mimi, honestly, you're taking this too far..." Sora sighed, stepping forward to physically place herself between the overly eager girl and the bewildered Digimon.
Before Sora could shut the conversation down completely, Kari reached out and gently caught Sora's wrist.
"It's alright, Sora," Kari said softly. "For Belle, hearing Mimi ask these kinds of questions might actually be very helpful for her to figure things out."
Sora looked down at the younger girl. Despite her small stature and young age, Kari radiated the calm, grounded presence of a seasoned older sister. Her clear, jewel-like eyes reflected the moonlight, holding a depth of understanding that seemed to see straight through the surface of the situation.
'Kari...' Sora thought, slightly awestruck.
There was an old saying that girls matured much faster than boys of the exact same age. Looking at the situation right now, Sora knew it was an absolute truth.
Right next door, separated only by a thin wall of bamboo, Mizuki, Taichi, and the other boys were currently screaming at each other in a ridiculous competition to see who could survive sitting in the boiling hot spring the longest while fully clothed. Meanwhile, the girls were sitting under the moonlight, quietly discussing the complex nuances of romance, identity, and the future.
Sora was not entirely surprised that Kari had instantly read the room and understood Mimi's underlying intentions. However, Sora's own perspective on the matter was vastly different.
"Is this really okay to encourage?" Sora asked, keeping her voice low so only Kari could hear. "I mean... think about it. Mizuki is a human boy. Belle is... she's a Digimon."
Kari slowly shook her head, the water rippling around her shoulders. "That detail isn't important."
She looked toward the bamboo fence, her voice carrying a quiet, unshakable conviction. "I believe that as long as two people truly care for each other, any obstacle in their path can be overcome."
Sora watched Kari's profile. Whether it was just her imagination or not, Sora got the distinct feeling that Kari was not merely talking about Belle and Mizuki right now.
"Besides," Kari added, turning her gaze back to Sora. "Look closely, Sora. Do you honestly think Belle, exactly as she is right now, is any different from us?"
Prompted by Kari's words, Sora turned her full attention back to the blonde girl sitting a few feet away.
Because they were bathing, Belle had naturally stripped off her usual combat attire. Submerged in the clear, steaming water, her physical form was entirely exposed. Her facial features were breathtakingly delicate. Her skin was smooth and pristine, glowing under the moonlight like polished mutton-fat jade. Her slender, graceful body possessed a flawless, natural beauty that looked like a masterfully sculpted work of art.
Sora stared, her mind processing the image. 'Is she any different from us?'
Sora's eyes drifted up to Belle's forehead. There, resting quietly above her brow, was a third eye. It was the singular, obvious mark of her digital origins.
But as Sora watched, Belle blinked, and the third eye remained peacefully shut, blending smoothly into her skin.
When that eye was closed, looking at her bright smile and listening to her soft voice... Sora realized the truth. There was absolutely no difference between them at all.
[Akarin's Note:
Enjoying the story? Dropping a quick review, comment, or Power Stone means the world to me and keeps these daily updates flowing!
Want to read 50 chapters ahead or just want to help keep a shameless translator alive? (My livelihood actually depends on this, haha 😭). You can support me directly here:
(P.S. Just remove the brackets and replace the [.] with a regular dot . to use the links!)
✨ Patreon (50 Advanced Chapters): patreon[.]com/AkarinTL
☕ Ko-fi (Support / Sponsor): ko-fi[.]com/AkarinTL
🔗 All My Links: linktr[.]ee/AkarinTL
Thank you so much for reading and keeping this project alive!]