Bai Yu did not wait long.
A slightly immature yet somewhat steady voice sounded from behind him.
"Excuse me, are you the one who called about renting a room earlier?"
Bai Yu turned around at the sound.
What greeted his eyes was the face of a young boy, still a bit childish, wearing thin-rimmed glasses, looking refined and scholarly.
That iconic orange spiky hair, and that steady expression that didn't quite match his age.
Bai Yu's pupils contracted almost imperceptibly.
This familiar face, this unique hairstyle.
He almost instantly matched the person in front of him with a figure from his memories.
A ripple stirred in Bai Yu's heart, and he thought to himself, 'What a coincidence.'
The newcomer also seemed to notice something from Bai Yu's subtle change in expression.
He tilted his head slightly, and with a probing gaze, asked, "You seem to know me?"
Bai Yu offered a friendly smile, extended his hand, and said, "Izumi Kōshirō, hello, my name is Bai Yu, and we are... from the same circle."
That's right, this young boy, who looked no older than twelve or thirteen, was none other than Izumi Kōshirō, the embodiment of wisdom and technology among the first generation of Chosen Children, the owner of the Crest of Knowledge.
Hearing Bai Yu call out his name and mention "the same circle," a flicker of understanding passed through Koushiro's eyes behind his glasses.
He extended his hand and shook Bai Yu's lightly.
"Hello, Bai Yu-kun."
Then, he tentatively asked, "Are you also a Chosen Child?"
Although only the eight of them with Crests were truly Chosen Children.
In their own understanding, they categorized anyone with a digivice and a Digimon partner as a "Chosen Child."
Bai Yu gently shook his head, his smile unwavering as he replied, "Not exactly, I'm a bit special. You can think of me as a Digimon mercenary."
"You can save my number. If you ever have any trouble with Digimon, you can find me. My fees aren't high."
"Digimon mercenary?" Koushiro's expression clearly froze for a moment upon hearing this novel term.
Does that mean a hired fighter?
It sounds a bit...
Never mind.
Koushiro did not dwell on this question but brought the conversation back on track.
"I'll take you to see the house first."
Bai Yu naturally had no objection; his main purpose for this trip was to rent a place to stay.
"Thank you for your trouble."
The house was not far from the billboard's location.
Koushiro led Bai Yu across a street, walking for about five or six minutes, and then stopped in front of an old-looking two-story building.
Koushiro took out a key, opened the door, and led Bai Yu inside.
The furnishings inside the house were extremely simple; apart from the most basic fixtures, there was almost no extra furniture.
The simple arrangement made this already not-too-large house feel a bit empty.
Koushiro, with a hint of embarrassment, explained, "I originally rented this place to use as a studio, but later, due to some other circumstances, I haven't used it yet."
"Although it's a bit empty inside, the water and electricity are fine. You just need to add some furniture yourself."
Bai Yu didn't particularly care about the lack of furniture.
Given his current solitary situation, a bed and a roof to shelter him from the wind and rain were enough.
He was more concerned about the rent itself.
It was a slight surprise to Bai Yu that Koushiro was a sub-landlord.
Of course, that was also not a big problem.
He could accept the condition of the house, but as for the price, he still had to try and negotiate.
Bai Yu looked around, then turned to Koushiro and said, "The house is indeed a bit too empty, with almost no furniture. Koushiro, regarding the rent, could it be a little cheaper?"
Koushiro heard this, gently rested his index finger on his chin, and pondered for a moment.
A few seconds later, he looked up at Bai Yu and said with a serious expression, "How about this, Bai Yu-kun, I won't make any money off you. I'll rent this house to you at the same price I originally rented it for."
Upon hearing this, Bai Yu's eyes lit up.
Renting it out at the original price was already a very sincere offer.
He couldn't possibly make the other party lose money by renting the house to him.
"Okay, it's settled then," Bai Yu immediately agreed readily.
The two quickly signed the lease agreement.
Then they exchanged phone numbers and some common instant messaging methods.
After all this was done, Koushiro bid farewell and left.
Koushiro was so willing to rent the house to Bai Yu at the original price entirely because of Bai Yu's "insider" status, considering it a way to build good karma.
On the other hand, Koushiro truly didn't expect to make money from this rent, and the house wasn't that great anyway; successfully subletting it was already fortunate.
After Koushiro left, Bai Yu stayed in the empty house for a while alone. From now on, he finally had a temporary place to stay in this unfamiliar world. Although simple, it brought him peace of mind.
After a while, Bai Yu went out to a nearby store to buy some bedding, toiletries, and other daily necessities.
Time passed quickly, and it was already evening. The afterglow of the sunset dyed the sky a warm orange-red.
Bai Yu cooked a simple dinner in his newly rented small home using the newly bought kitchenware.
After filling his stomach, Bai Yu did not choose to rest. His current strength was still too weak, and he had to hunt Digimon as soon as possible to create more Knight Tools.
Bai Yu did not want to become an insignificant spectator in the great battle that would happen in the future.
Walking down the street, his gaze sweeping over the streetscape, Bai Yu's steps seemed a bit aimless.
Although he wanted to hunt Digimon, Bai Yu had no idea when or where those Digimon would materialize.
While the Digital Field was noticeable, encountering it in this city was purely a matter of luck.
A faint curiosity also stirred in Bai Yu's heart: how did Ruki and the others always manage to arrive at the Digital Field in time?
Did their Tamers' D-Arcs have some kind of sensing ability for this?
Bai Yu's steps continued forward, and he unknowingly arrived at a park.
The environment here was unexpectedly pleasant, and it felt especially quiet.
Bai Yu mused to himself, 'This would be a good place for a date.'
This wasn't Bai Yu just imagining things; at that moment, several couples were nestled on benches, sweetly affectionate and oblivious to their surroundings.
Bai Yu merely glanced at them casually, then quickly shifted his attention away.
Why should he, a single person, look at such things? Wasn't that just asking for unhappiness?
Just as Bai Yu was about to leave this place that was "not suitable for him," his peripheral vision suddenly caught sight of a special little fellow.
"It's this little guy."
Bai Yu didn't hesitate for a moment and immediately walked towards that small figure.
The little fellow was small in stature, extremely cute, innocent and pure.
At this moment, the little fellow was curiously staring at a couple, its tiny head seeming not to quite understand what the humans in front of it were doing.
The next second, the little fellow suddenly felt its feet leave the ground, gently picked up by a warm embrace.
A mix of panic and confusion flooded its heart. The little fellow clumsily turned its head, and what met its eyes was Bai Yu's face with a gentle smile.
Bai Yu, with a kind smile on his face, softly said to the little fellow in his arms, "Hello there, Calumon."