Red's eyes forced themselves open on a muggy Saturday morning in Osaka. He sat up in his futon rubbed his eyes, looking around. Green, Gold, and Silver were still asleep, and he quickly turned towards the clock, which read five-thirty.
"Yeesh, we don't have to get up until eight." He chuckled to himself.
The memories of last night rushed upon him. The wall between the baths crashing down, and their shame was on full display. Red had been so angry and embarrassed, he stayed in his room for the rest of the night. He assumed Yellow had done the same.
"Why her? Why did it have to happen to her?" He felt his emotions rising to a fever pitch again. Red was a relatively easy-going person, but it was stuff like this that made him angry. In fact, he couldn't remember the last time he'd been so cross, just in general. It would have been one thing if she merely saw him. He would've laughed off something like that, but no girl of high school age should have to be vulnerable in that way.
"Definitely not going towards the bath again." Red knew that if he stayed away from it, nothing bad would happen. Even though Gold and the others involved were banned from the baths, he just decided not to tempt fate.
Red yawned. It was still early in the morning, and he figured he would feel better if he slept the most he could. Maybe if he slept enough, he would forget about last night's events.
"I'll make it up to her somehow." He murmured before finally going back to sleep.
Sapphire slowly sat up in her futon, groaning softly. The stupid thing was hard as a rock, and the floor had caused her back to tighten again.
"Guess I'll have to get in the spring again…or maybe a shower…" she mumbled to herself. The muscular girl's muscles were never calm, and always seemed to be sore, no matter what she did to soothe the pain.
She turned to the clock on the microwave, which read seven forty-five. Shrugging, she got up out of the bed and stepped into the bathroom to freshen up.
The sound of running water and shower hinges squeaking forced Crys out of a deep sleep. She rubbed her eyes as the sun began to peek through the barely-open blinds. "Looks like Sapph got an early start." She said to herself. It was about eight, which was when they were asked to wake up by Tsuwabuki.
Crys remembered what happened the night before as she peeled the wrapper of an energy bar away. How embarrassed Yellow was, and how she had run back into the room, still damp, sobbing.
She turned towards where said girl was sleeping, and Crys was unable to even see her face, between the blanket and the huge sheaf of blonde hair on Yellow's head.
Crys sighed. It was all Gold's fault, and one way or another, she would make him pay. Not only did Gold's actions humiliate Yellow and Red, but she herself had failed in her duties as class president by letting something like that happen. Crys mentally kicked herself as she ripped a piece of the bar off, chewing angrily. Her blood sugar may have been low, but every thought of Gold made her blood pressure seethe.
As Crys finished her paltry breakfast, she heard the water turn off. Suddenly, the door flew open, and a white object was flung from inside the room and onto Blue's sleeping form.
"Wha?" Blue mumbled as she sat up. "Really, Sapph?" She finally caught a sight of the culprit, who was standing at the doorway with another towel wrapped around herself.
"It's almost eight, we need to get up. Somebody wake Yellow, too." With that said, Sapphire closed the bathroom door.
"Did somebody say my name?" Yellow murmured as she sat up. The white spaghetti strap on her tank top was hanging below her shoulder limply, and her hair appeared as though it had just come into contact with an electrical outlet.
"Morning! We need to get up, apparently." Blue laughed as she leapt up, seeming unfazed from waking up. "Breakfast is at eight-thirty."
Yellow nodded. "Go on ahead of me, then. I'm getting up." The blonde girl promptly laid back down.
Blue shrugged and entered the bathroom, where Sapphire had just exited. Blue turned on the shower and stepped in, shedding her clothing. Meanwhile, Sapphire was busy putting on her jeans and a loose black t-shirt.
"Sapph? Are those boxers?" Yellow asked as Sapphire zipped her jeans.
"Yeah? I think they're comfy." She gave Yellow a mischievous, toothy grin.
"Interesting. Ruby claimed you were very much a tomboy, but now I can say for sure that I believe him." Yellow giggled.
Sapphire rolled her eyes. "For once, that sissy-boy is right."
Yellow finally decided to get out of the futon, and allowed herself to stretch. After making the futon, she decided to brush her teeth and splash some water on her face, at least before she got into the shower. By the time Yellow put her toothbrush away, Blue stepped out of the bathroom, clean and towel-clad.
"Who's next?" Blue asked.
Yellow and Crys looked at each other indifferently. "Go ahead, Yellow. I need to check a few things on my phone."
Yellow nodded, smiling. "Thanks, Crys."
Yellow entered the small, cramped bathroom, where a squat toilet and shower were present. Yellow tossed aside her clothing and turned the water on, which became the perfect temperature almost immediately. Feeling the morning fatigue wash away, Yellow let her entire being become enveloped in steam and heat. Several minutes alter, and after some strawberry shampoo had done its work, Yellow stepped out, clean, awake, and her out-of-control hair tamed.
Yellow wrapped herself up in a baby blue towel, which had been resting on the shelf near the toilet. She stepped out of the restroom to find Blue and Sapphire completely dressed and ready, and Crys waiting for her.
"Thanks." She smiled. "You guys go on ahead, I don't want to hold you up."
"Suit yourself." Blue replied, opening the room door. She and Sapphire stepped out, while Yellow brushed her hair and put some clothes on. She remembered picking out the clothes with Blue a few days before the trip. A light green tank top with a grey and black floral pattern, jean capris, and white tennis shoes. For the sake of convenience, Yellow tied her hair in a neat, tight ponytail.
Yellow heard the shower turn on for the fourth time. Crys probably wouldn't be long, but she decided to head out anyway, for the sake of catching up with Blue.
"I'm heading out, Crys! Don't be too long!" Yellow yelled as she left. She didn't even hear a reply as she walked down the hall towards the dining hall.
Sure enough, breakfast was being served, and everyone was seated. Red, Green, and Blue were all seated at one table, and she figured they wouldn't mind if she joined them.
"Red…" Yellow whimpered. The events from the night before came flying back, along with Yellow's shame. "He probably hates me now…"
"Yellow!"
She looked up to see Green and Blue waving her to sit down with them. Red, on the other hand, was trying real hard to appear as though he was oblivious to his surroundings.
Yellow sat down next to her brunette friend, and before she could even speak, a plate of food was set before her by a sharply-dressed waitress.
"I'll be back with some water. Holler if you need anything!" She chirped, dashing off.
Yellow's eyes widened at the little feast set before her. A bowl of rice, a filet of grilled fish, and two eggs sunny-side up, just how she liked them.
"This is amazing." She murmured in awe.
Blue rolled her eyes. "Don't stare, just eat, kiddo."
Yellow sampled the rice, which was soft and warm. The fish was tender, flaky, and had an unknown seasoning that brought it incredible flavor. Finally, the eggs were hot and fresh, and just slightly browned on the bottom.
"It's so good!" Yellow was on the brink of tears as she at her meal.
"So," Blue swallowed a morsel. "what's the plan for today?"
"We'll be visiting the castle today, according to Tsuwabuki." Green replied, wiping his mouth with a napkin. "And…" He paused to think. "I think we'll hit the beach after that."
"The beach?!" Red and Yellow both spat simultaneously. Any thoughts of large bodies of water brought back bad memories of the previous night.
"Calm down, you guys will be fine. Just stay away from Gold." Blue recommended with a sly wink.
Green chuckled at the mention of their troublesome friend. "You guys may not have to worry about him, actually. He got an earful from Tsuwabuki, the owner, and right now Crys is giving him what for."
They paused to listen, and sure enough, you could hear Crys berating Gold all the way across the dining hall.
"…you're so irresponsible sometimes! Not only is this a hit on your reputation, but a hit on mine, too! Hopefully, you've learned something from this experience."
"I get it, I get it!" Gold barked back, an annoyed scowl on his face. "I didn't intend for that to happen, especially not to the new girl. I'll make it up to her somehow."
Yellow tensed at the thought of Gold 'making it up' to her, but at least he looked about as embarrassed as she did last night, being yelled at endlessly.
"I can't wait for the beach!" Blue cheered, pumping her fist in the air. "I get to try on my new swimsuit, and all the Osaka boys will get an eyeful of the great me!"
Green rolled his eyes. "Don't get too crazy, pesky. Besides, we have to go to the castle first."
Red and Blue groaned. "Booooring."
"Come on, it'll be interesting." Yellow pushed her finished plate away as she tried to defend a historical site she'd never been to. "It's a part of our history."
"Whatever. Hopefully they'll have cute souvenirs or something." Blue muttered.
The rest of the meal continued without consequence, that is, until a great cataclysm came in the form of Red dropping his phone on the ground, mid-sip in his water.
"Crap." He complained as he stooped below to grab it. He had set his water down right next to Yellow's.
Yellow, who had been checking her phone, looked up. Feeling the urge to drink, she reached forward and took a drink out of what she thought was her water. Red bobbed back up to see Yellow holding his water glass.
"Uh, Yellow?" He questioned nervously.
"Yeah?"
"I think that's mine." He let out an uneasy chuckle.
Yellow's eyes widened as she almost shoved the drink back at Red, a flare of crimson forming on her face.
Blue's grin grew so wide it almost split her face in half. Feeling particularly mean this morning, she leaned over to Yellow. "I think there's a name for what you guys just did."
Yellow's face darkened even more. "Nonononononono! No, Blue, please!"
Poor Red could only sit there, dumbfounded. Green decided to rescue Yellow. "Blue, don't."
"Fine, fine." Blue muttered indignantly. "You guys are no fun."
"Wait, what was it?" Red asked, desperation in his voice. "Blue, tell me! Please!"
"Nope!" Blue brushed him off, getting up from her chair. "Don't worry about it, Red. It's not a huge deal, just an inside joke."
Red took the bait, but poor Yellow was forced to stew in her own accumulated body heat for the rest of the meal.
The bus ride was short and without consequence, and after about a half hour, the class reached their destination of Osaka Castle, and all it's refurbished, yet obviously-built-in-1583 glory.
"It's huge!" There were murmurs of fascination in the ranks of the students. "It's even bigger than the school."
Tsuwabuki led everyone to the entrance, where a young woman dressed in clothes that screamed 'tour guide': A grey pencil skirt, dress shirt, black vest, and red neck scarf.
"Good afternoon, everyone!" Interestingly, she didn't speak with a harsh Kansai accent, like most of the population of Osaka. "My name is Natsu, and I'm going to show you around Osaka Castle, which is a very important part of our history as Japanese people."
Tsuwabuki turned to the class. "I want everyone to give Natsu here your undivided attention. I hope you guys learn something today!"
"Great! Follow me~!" Natsu skipped ahead as the students began to pile in.
Blue began to take inventory of the interior. "Wow, this is pretty neat, I have to admit." She chuckled. "I didn't think it be this grand."
"Yeah…" Red whispered in awe. "I didn't think they were capable of building something this big way back then."
"Alright, here we go!" Natsu unclipped a velvet rope, which was blocking a large steel door. "The tour begins here!"
"…the final restoration of the main building was completed by the Osakan government in 1997, and since then the castle's aesthetic appearance and health have been a top priority. It truly is the pinnacle of the history of Osaka."
Two hours, and a lot of walking later, the tour finally ended. Thankfully, there had been breaks in between, because Natsu had regurgitated a lot of information in a relatively short time. Red's brain was fried, Blue could barely walk, but Green, Yellow, and Crys seemed like they wanted the tour to keep going.
"That ends our tour! You guys were just super, one of the best groups I've had!" Natsu chirped, a genuine smile on her face. "Now, before you go, there's your gift shop at the front lobby, and also a snack vendor across from it. I'm sure you guys are starving!"
That was an understatement. Silver had felt his breakfast seep away a long time ago, and nothing sounded better than something to eat. Gold, too, was famished, but he was much more vocal about it.
"Finally, we can get some frikkin' food." Gold groaned.
"You guys have forty-five minutes to roam the food court and gift shop, then please meet back at the entrance after that! We will be heading back to the hotel to pack for the beach!"
The class whooped and cheered before stampeding off towards the fight shop. On the other hand, one studious young lady stayed behind to ask Natsu some questions.
"Miss Natsu, if you don't mind, I have some questions!" Crys fought her way to the woman through the crowd, finally stopping in front of her, pen and paper in hand.
"Sure!" Natsu replied.
"Is it really true that Hideyoshi considering mirroring Oda's castle in its design?" Crys asked.
"Yep." Natsu took a sip out of her water bottle. "He later changed his mind, and as such added more underground floors. He continued to expand on it over the years to intimidate his enemies."
"Wow!" Crys scribbled something down on her notepad. "One more question: Did lightning really strike the castle twice in five years?"
Natsu nodded as she downed the rest of her water. "Pretty much. In 1660, a lightning bolt struck the gunpowder reserve and set the entire castle on fire, and in 1665, the main tower was struck and destroyed. These things weren't repaired until 1843, after decades of neglect."
"Excellent." Crys frantically scribbled on her notepad. "This will be great for my report. Thanks again!"
Natsu nodded. "No trouble! It's good to see someone so interested. What's your name, dear?"
"Crystal Kobayashi, ma'am." Crys replied. "I'm actually the class president."
"Wow, good for you!" Natsu placed her hand on Crys' shoulder. It was soft and youthful, but Crys could feel a sense of force and wisdom behind the grip. "You're really setting an example. You remind me a little bit of myself in high school. I always had my nose in a book or was working on an assignment."
"Thanks a lot!" Crys may have been used to praise, but not by people she didn't know.
"Hey, I gotta get to my next tour, sorry." Natsu stretched her arms above her head. "Keep up the good work, Crystal."
"I will!" Crys called back as Natsu walked away.
"Oh, one more thing." Natsu turned her head back. "I saw you stealing glances at that golden-eyed boy. Don't be single at twenty-eight, dear, go ahead and live a little!" Natsu gave a rather mischievous wink. It was almost as if she and Blue were long-lost sisters.
"Wait, what?" Crys felt her face heat up, but then sighed at the thought of Gold. "I'm gonna beat the snot out of that kid."
Gold chewed his takoyaki in melancholy. This was supposed to a be a fun, relaxing trip, and all about being with friends and having a blast, but all it turned out to be so far was one big kick in the teeth, at least for him. Not even the tangy, chewy dough-balls on a stick he loved so much could pull him out of such a mire.
Gold sighed as he stared towards where Red and his friends were sitting three tables down. For the first time in his life, Gold felt really guilty about messing with someone. Sure, the wall falling was an accident, and not intended, but it happened nonetheless, and Gold had to pay for it one way or another.
"Still feeling guilty?" Silver spoke up between sips of soda. "I'm glad your conscience suddenly revitalized itself. You should just go apologize, and it'll be all better."
Gold shook his head. "No, that won't cut it. Even if she forgives me, I need to have some sort of closure, man. I need to feel the pain she felt."
Silver rolled his eyes. "You're weird. Just don't do anything stupid."
"I won't, I won't." Gold waved his hand in a nonchalant way. "You got any ideas?"
"Actually, yes." Silver smiled. "Why don't you let her inflict some kind of physical pain on you? Like, let her punch you in the face?"
Silver threw that out in jest, but Gold's eyes widening in realization. "Silver, you're a genius! I would hug you, but you'd probably kill me, so I won't. I'll be right back!"
Before Silver could protest, Gold dashed off. Silver couldn't help but smile at Gold's blazing enthusiasm. While Gold did stupid things and blamed others for his problems, he wasn't a bad person whatsoever. He truly had a heart for others.
"Kill him?" Silver amused. "That would mean I couldn't mess with him anymore."
"Aww!" Yellow gushed at the baby picture Blue handed her. "That's you, Red, and Green? Precious!"
Red and Green groaned in agony at the picture. It was of them and Blue, around age three, posing for a picture at the park. Red and Blue were giving big smiles, and Green gave off a really indifferent expression. Apparently, Red's mom and Green's grandpa had got them all out on a playdate together, and felt it necessary to mark the occasion.
"You guys have definitely changed." Yellow switched her gaze between them and the picture a few times, just to get a good comparison. "Green, why the angry face?"
Green sighed. "I don't really remember, but I think Blue pushed me off the swing that day or something."
"What?!" Blue cried foul play. "That never happened! You were mad because you fell off the jungle gym!"
Red shook his head. "I remember him being angry just because he had to be there. Apparently he just wanted to stay at home and read?"
Green nodded. "It's either that or how I remember it. I've always been an avid reader, even at a young age. Playing outside wasn't terribly appealing."
Yellow was about to ask a question when Gold dashed over, silencing the conversation. Green's expression narrowed, Blue gasped quietly, Red crossed his arms, and Yellow tried to look away.
"Sorry to interrupt, but can I have a minute?" He asked.
"What do you want, Gold?" Red asked, a bit of snark in his tone.
"I mainly want to talk to Yellow, but I guess you need to be here too." Gold inhaled sharply, and exhaled. "Yellow, Red, I want to apologize for last night."
Now that was a surprise. "You? Apologize? Do I need to call a priest?" Green joked.
"I'm serious!" Gold pleaded. "Especially in Yellow's respect. I've known Red forever, so I can make it up to him later, but I felt really compelled to offer this apology."
Yellow suddenly giggled.
"What's so funny?" Blue asked, a bit worried.
"Don't worry, Gold." She laughed. "I forgive you, so you can relax."
Gold sighed. "I saw this coming. Don't worry, I don't take anything personally…wait, what?!"
"I said I forgive you, Gold." Yellow repeated. "What you did was dumb and immature, but it wasn't your intention. I've done a lot of thinking, and holding a grudge would end up hurting me more than you, and it would take away a valuable friend I just made. Besides, apologizing like this shows you have courage, so chin up."
Red nodded. "I forgive you too, Gold. I just hoped you learned from all this."
Gold nodded furiously, his demeanor suddenly perking up. "Oh, absolutely! No more shenanigans in the hot springs for me anymore! No, sirree!"
"I'm almost too convinced…" Green thought to himself, his eye twitching.
"Oh, I almost forgot." Green suddenly stood to attention. "I know you forgave me, but just do something for me. It'll help this all sit right."
"What do you want me to do?" Yellow asked. "It better not being something dirty!"
Gold almost lost his balance from the comment. "No, not at all!" Gold exhaled. "I want you to punch me in the face."
There was an awkward silence.
"I'm sorry, what?" Yellow begged the question.
"You heard me, blondie. Give me a nasty one, right in the face."
"If you won't do it, Yellow, I will." Blue chuckled.
"No, this offer is only for Yellow." Gold stuck his tongue out at the brunette. "Please?"
Yellow sighed, trying not to laugh at how serious he was. "Fine, Gold. Just this once."
"Whenever you're ready." Gold stiffened his body and closed his eyes, ready for impact.
Yellow turned back to the others and winked, putting a finger to her mouth. Red and Blue nodded in affirmation, and Green merely smiled. They knew a little show was coming with their dinner.
"Come on!" Gold urged her. "I'm gonna give myself a hemorrhoid!"
Yellow didn't prepare a fist, but instead, moved her finger over to Gold's cheek, and gave him a hard flick. The black-haired boy flew backwards a little, expecting a more powerful blow, but was disappointed by the lack of force.
"Did you flick me?" Gold asked, suspicious of the attack. "I told you to punch me! Come on, I'll give you-"
Without warning, Yellow pulled her leg back, and with much force drove her foot, which was wearing a nice, hard tennis shoe, right between Gold's legs. There was a high pitched squeal as he fell to the floor, clutching his manhood in agony.
Laughter began to rise in amongst the tables. Yellow's spirits soared as she claimed her victory. "That's what you get, peeper."
Gold gave a wheezy laugh. "Alright, I'll take t-this one. Just this…once…"
A few tables down, Tsuwabuki stood up to address the situation, but Shirona touched his hand. "It's okay, Daigo. Just let them be. After all, it's just karma."
Daigo sighed. "All right. Besides, Gold had a coming, anyway."
A/N: Sorry about the delay, guys! College and work really beat you up! I have the next few chapters written already, and will be updating them as I see fit. Don't worry though, it'll only get better from here ;D