Yumi and her friends take a trip to the beach, with Sakuya getting some hard advice from an unlikely ally. Will she finally have the courage to confess her feelings? Given that it's only 14 chapters in, what do you expect?
It had been some time since Yumi had ridden in a car. Despite being relegated to the middle seat, it was hard for her to resist the urge to stick her head out the window like a dog and enjoy the breeze. Unfortunately, neither Sakuya nor Kazuhiko would allow her to indulge, keeping her confined to her space between them. Hideo was the lucky one of the group, riding in the middle row with Kazuhiko's little sister, Sachiko. She was a wiry, excitable child with a short mess of curly, chestnut brown hair the same shade as her mother.
From the moment the two sat next to each other, Sachiko had talked non-stop to her new friend, seemingly because they were such a good listener. Willingness to speak or not, they had no problem listening to a kid talk about her life for the hour they'd spent in the car. It certainly seemed more fun than the back seat, at least. They were getting into some hot grade school drama, too.
Kazuhiko, of course, was doing his best to stay as angry as possible over not being allowed to ride shotgun. Safety first, his mother would remind him, but he was fifteen goddamn years old; he should be riding up there instead of being crammed in the backseat with two other people.
Sakuya, for her part, was endeavoring to match his attitude blow for blow. She wasn't much of a fan of the seating arrangement, either, though she found some solace in being crammed nearly on top of Yumi. All in all, though, she was no fan of swimming to the extent she didn't even own a bathing suit, evident by her brown shorts and blue and white striped tank top (her lack of hat was commented on almost immediately by everyone involved).
Yumi, of course, was nothing but ecstatic. She loved swimming, the ocean, and her friends, so putting all of those things together was sure to be great. She'd alternated between bouncing in her seat from the excitement and sticking her head out the window like a dog the whole ride over, the latter being fairly awkward for the other two in the backseat given she was in the middle.
"You seem really excited about the beach," Kazuhiko said after another round of bouncing gave way to her sprawled across him to reach the window.
"Yeah!" She'd pulled herself back into the car and resumed bouncing. "It's been a really long time since I got to go, and now I get to go with all of you!" She turned around as best she could while restricted by a seat belt. "Did we bring a watermelon to break open? Excuse me, did we bring a watermelon?"
From the driver's seat, Kazuhiko's mother gasped. "I completely forgot to look for one before we left! I'll just turn around up at this next spot and-"
"No!" Sakuya and Kazuhiko shouted in unison, preparing a tandem bailout if they had to sit in this car for much longer.
"Are you sure?" she asked. "I think there was a small market not far back. It would only take twenty minutes or so."
Yumi sighed, already moving on. "It's fine. We're almost there, anyway." She turned back to Kazuhiko, eyeing his open shirt suspiciously. "More importantly, when did all that happen? I've been thinking about asking the entire ride."
"Oh, you mean this?" he said with a satisfied smile, casually flexing for no one in particular. For someone who played far too many card games, he was in surprisingly good shape. "You know, just working out sometimes. No big deal." Truthfully, it wasn't as if he sprouted a set of toned abs and pectorals overnight. He just simply wore enough layers of clothing during the normal day that they were usually hidden. Finally, after years of preparing, he had an excuse to rock the open white shirt and black trunks look. If he thought it was hot when guys did this, imagine the responses when he was the one wearing it? Probably get, like, all the numbers.
He proceeded to continue flexing to himself and making self-satisfied faces into his reflection in the window. Leaving him to his...hobby, she turned to Sakuya. "When's the last time you went to the beach?" She asked excitedly.
"Um..." Sakuya had to think for a moment before confirming, "Never, probably. At least not since I was old enough to remember."
The only thing that kept Yumi from literally flooring herself in shock was the seat belt, causing her to be whipped backwards after it caught from the sudden movement. "You've really never been to the beach? Why not?"
She shrugged. "Never been something I thought of doing. I don't really like the water, either. It feels all gross. Like it sticks to my skin." She shuddered a bit, her skin prickling at the thought of being submerged in the ocean. Her sensory issues were great enough that she could only take quick showers and nothing else, never even dreaming of trying a bath.
Yumi placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. "I'm sorry you've missed out on so much in life," she said tearfully, ignoring the comment about this being an overreaction. Before any more unwanted pity could be expressed, however, the car pulled into a parking lot and came to a stop. "We're here!" she shouted, unbuckling and climbing over Sakuya's lap to open the door and jump out.
"We're here!" the driver repeated cheerily. "Mitsuru, honey, stop flexing. It's getting awkward now." Snapping back to reality, he complied with a grumpy frown. She was right, though. You had to temper your showboating, not simply flash your guns like some insecure fool. It was one of the earliest lessons she'd taught him.
As exciting as it was to be at the beach, Sachi was also a bit frustrated at the prospect of leaving the car. She'd just made it to the end of describing her first grade class' plans for the summer break. "Okay. I'm getting out. I'll talk more when we're on the beach." Hideo gave an affirming thumbs up, leaving their seat to help unpack the trunk. Evident by their complete lack of clothing change for the occasion, it wasn't as if they were going to swim. Playing with a little kid wouldn't be a bad way to pass the time.
The group filtered out of the vehicle just in time for a bubblegum pink motorcycle to pull up beside them. As soon as the rider stood up, Yumi nearly tackled her with a hug. "Kyoko!" she screamed.
With a laugh, she returned the hug with one arm, pulling off her helmet with the other. "Should have told me it was going to be an hour of driving. Would have caught a ride with you all if I'd known." Notably, her hair was dyed a dark purple since the last time she'd seen Yumi, now styled into a pixie cut specifically to ensure that everyone on this beach knew the score before approaching her.
"What are you doing here?" Sakuya asked, making an expression like someone had just shot her dog, then her cat, then her goldfish in front of her face. Truce or not, she was still generally disapproving of her
"Yumi called me," she answered, stretching her back and shoulders now that she was able to walk around again.
"It's true, I did!" Yumi confirmed, pulling Kyoko into a side hug in the hopes of getting a head pat. She was not disappointed.
"Hope you all don't mind me crashing the party today. Figured I'd come out here since I haven't been to the beach in forever."
Kazuhiko laughed haughtily upon seeing her, marching over for their now-customary titanic hand clasp. "Something in the pit of my soul told me I'd see you here today!" He was lying, of course, but was still glad to see her.
"I'd recognize a hairstyle like that anywhere!" She returned his greeting, gripping his hand as tightly as she could to initiate an impromptu arm wrestle. "Nice work on those abs, by the way. Almost makes me wish you were a girl."
"Almost sounds like that was a compliment, but what good is that from someone as ugly as you?" Their arms shook as they tried to overtake each other, refusing to budge even a centimeter. After only a few encounters, they'd already formed an unshakable bond with each other based around their mutual thick headedness.
"Mama, why is brother fighting with that purple lady?" Sachi asked innocently, running over to Hideo to hold their hand.
"We're not-"
Kazuhiko was interrupted by a surprise headlock from Kyoko. "Your brother and I are just playing a game," she explained as he struggled to free himself, intending on putting her into a full nelson as payback. Turning her gaze upwards, she flashed a smile at the older woman. "Hello. Name's Kyoko. Friend of Yumi's and...I'm guessing he's yours?"
She laughed at their antics, thinking back to her own youth as one of the most dangerous bikers in all of Kyoto. "That's my Mitsuru. Don't be too hard on him. He's a delicate boy on the inside." Seemingly without concern for the fact her oldest child was being choked out by a girl she met seconds ago. Grabbing a stack of towels from the passenger seat, she called behind, "Mitsuru, when you're done playing, grab the umbrellas from trunk and meet us on the beach," leading Hideo and Sachi to find a place to sit.
Kyoko released him after that, patting his back and saying, "Dude, your mom is really hot."
"What?" he coughed, immediately squaring up to start yelling.
"Yeah, man. She's got that hardworking mom bun and a really nice figure for someone who's had two kids. Got that sexy t-shirt and dress tied off at the hip look going on. Meets all my standards." She nudged her friend. "Yumi, back me up on this. You've got taste."
She considered it for a moment. "She is pretty," Yumi declared with a nod.
"Don't try to date my mom!" he screamed, Kyoko's face getting smugger the angrier he got.
"I'll hold off on becoming your step-mother for today. Just came to jump in the ocean and hang out with my favorite kid." She extended her fist to Yumi which she happily bumped, hopping up and down afterward.
Sakuya cleared her throat, already sick of their antics. "Maybe we could actually go to the beach while we're at the beach instead of standing in a parking lot rating how attractive your mother is." Kyoko agreed, still unable to resisting declaring her a solid 8 to anger Kazuhiko even more before she started undressing. All three of them were stunned. "Wait, what are you doing?" Sakuya asked, not sure whether to stand her ground or hide in the car.
"You expect me to swim in jeans and a leather jacket?" she asked sarcastically, folding her clothes into a neat pile on her seat to shove into a saddlebag. It wasn't long before she had both Kazuhiko and Yumi gawking at her in a golden bikini.
Rolling her eyes, Sakuya sighed in exasperation with all of them. You certainly wouldn't catch her ogling some girl taking her clothes off. "Oh, right. Good idea." Yumi had managed to break away from checking out the sights to remember she still needed to get changed, too. As if on a swivel, Sakuya's head turned towards her as she unbuttoned her overalls.
Irony taking its toll, she couldn't help but stare as Yumi tossed her clothes haphazardly into the backseat. She wore a pink one piece swimsuit, a white ruffle going around her hips like a tiny, translucent skirt. "Like it?" she asked Sakuya with a smile as she undid her hair ties.
"I...Dit's...I g..." She'd utterly forgotten how to make words.
Yumi laughed at the reaction, smoothing her hair before placing her goggles back on her head. They'd be utterly useless at keeping water out of her eyes given they weren't watertight, but she had a look and she'd be damned if she gave it up. "I got it a few years ago, so it's a little tight." She tugged at her chest for emphasis, turning Sakuya's face a dark red. "What do you think? Does it still look good?"
"It's...very good!" she declared a bit too loudly, looking every direction but towards Yumi.
"You think so?" she asked excitedly. Pulling Sakuya into a tight hug, she ran off to cannonball into the ocean. Kazuhiko sneered at the sight of her nearly malfunctioning from all the repressed feelings trapped inside her fighting to escape, grabbing two umbrellas and walking off to find his mother.
Regaining her senses enough to be snarky, she turned to Kyoko who'd been sitting comfortably on her motorcycle with a satisfied grin the entire time. "W-what are you looking at?" she asked weakly.
"All that blood running out of your nose," she answered sarcastically, chuckling to herself as Sakuya fell for the trick and actually checked her face. She waved her hand to dismiss the scowl she was getting, saying, "Just change into yours and get back at her. Bet she'll start falling all over herself the second you get in the water."
Obviously, neither of those things were going to happen. "I don't swim," she said bluntly, her crossed arms and frown indicating she had no intention or ability of changing into anything else.
Kyoko let out a deep sigh, placing her hands together as if in deep contemplation. "Okay, we can still fix this." She tapped her lip as Sakuya grew ever more impatient. With a snap of her fingers, she declared, "Got it! When she gets out of the water, help her get dry and use it as an excuse to make her sit in your lap. She'll love it!"
Sakuya's face turned red again. "What are you even talking about? What do you think I'm trying to do here?"
"I would assume working up your confidence to ask Yumi out," she said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"I don't like girls!" she insisted. Sakuya winced at the lie even without seeing the incredibly skeptical expression on Kyoko's face. "I mean...well...it's complicated, okay? I don't know what's going on with me right now. And anyway, why are you trying to tell me what to do?"
She shrugged. "Yumi's my friend and she seems to really want a girlfriend and really like you, and if you really like her I figure I could hook you up with some insider knowledge you're too terrified and grumpy to ask about yourself." Standing up, Kyoko placed a hand on her hip impatiently. "You in or not?"
Sakuya swallowed hard, taking a glance towards the beach to see Yumi having the time of her life splashing around in the shallows with Sachi. "Hypothetically," she began, trying to seem as serious as she could with a flushed face and wobbly knees. "If I was interested in whatever you had to offer, how would I know you're not just trying to sabotage me for your own amusement?"
"You think I'd risk hurting a friend like that? I'm not going to mess her up just to be petty. You're not worth it."
With a grumble, Sakuya finally exclaimed, "Fine, so what do I do?" It came off much closer to a plea for help than she'd intended.
Kyoko began to walk towards the beach, Sakuya following closely behind. "Alright, so we've had a couple talks about stuff like this before, because girl gossip is fun and I want to try and help her out since there's not that many queer girls in your age group." If she'd had the foresight to bring a pen and paper, Sakuya would be ready to start taking notes right now. "So, you know how she's always being super affectionate with people? Do some of that back to her. That's probably all you need to do, honestly, since that's kind of all she wants."
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"Like, she didn't say it say it, but her relationship goals seem to mostly involve cuddling. You start reciprocating that and you're in. She always gets super flustered when I do it." Sakuya glared at her. "Platonically," she emphasized. "Just trust me on this one, it'll work."
"Is that true?" Sakuya said, feeling somewhat relieved at the idea any expectations for her would be relatively simple to meet.
"Basically," she shrugged. "I think they actually have a word for that in America, or somewhere. I read it once." She tapped a finger to her chin, stopping abruptly in the middle of the beach. "Bambi! That's it!"
Sakuya had already tuned out, not interested in the history lesson. Her sights were firmly set on the girl in the water. Determination rising, she took a deep breath and walked forward a few steps, stopping abruptly and pondering what she was going to do. "What are you waiting for?" Kyoko asked. "Jump in and attack!"
"I don't swim," she answered plainly.
"What, you don't know how?"
"I know how, I just can't do it." She felt her skin crawl imagining the feeling of the salt water sticking to her body. "Think of something else."
Kyoko sighed and brushed her hair back in frustration. "Okay, so I guess you could- wait a minute." She marched over to their spot, Sakuya following close behind with raised eyebrow, standing before Hideo and Kazuhiko lounging under an umbrella. "What the hell? Do you not swim either?"
"And mess up my hair?" he said, whipping out his comb and running through it for emphasis. "Not likely." Hideo crossed their arms into an X shape.
"Why did half of you even go to the beach?" The three of them shrugged in unison. She sat down next to the two of them and cupped her chin in her hand. "At least it means I can still stare at your mom. Damn can she rock a one piece." Evading Kazuhiko's overly dramatic anger, Kyoko took off for the water, not wanting to squander her beach day on land.
After he finished his fuming, Kazuhiko turned to Sakuya. "What's wrong with you?" he asked.
She'd landed herself into a bit of a predicament here. She wasn't about to tell him about her troubles, of course, but she also wanted to talk out her frustration, and the person supposedly helping her had just run off to splash in some water. The question became: How vague did she have to be to keep either of them from catching on?
"Just trying to decide something," she answered, vagueness levels at maximum for the time being.
"Decide what?"
"Private."
Scoffing, he leaned back on a couple of folded towels to use as a pillow. "Whatever."
"There's a few decisions I could be making, but I don't know if any of them are actually correct. And if I don't make one soon, I might not get the chance to at all. But sometimes it seems like not making a choice is the best option in the long run. The least consequences, anyway." She continued talking to no one in particular, mostly to herself to try and work out her feelings. Hideo was listening, though. Hideo always listened.
"So you're trying to buy something from a sale that's ending soon, but there's some weird rule about only one deal per customer and you can't pick what you should spend your money on, or if you want to spend it at all and try to save it for something else later. Like that, right?" Kazuhiko dropped his seeming disinterest to listen, as well.
"I guess that works," she said, getting a chuckle out of a cat picture Hideo showed her to lighten the mood. It was quite rotund. They then said to make an actual, physical list of pros and cons to different options to help decide, a strategy they'd employ quite often based on the scribbles inside a tiny black notebook in their pocket. "Maybe that would work." She wasn't sure whether she wanted to try that, but it was an idea.
"Oh, hang on. Got to get something." Kazuhiko got up and sprinted towards the parking lot, evidently needing something from the car. The two sat in silence, Hideo taking two squares of blue and whitepaper from their front pocket and folding them. In no time at all, they'd made a star, alternative the colors so the blue interior was surrounded by ten white points. They handed it to Sakuya with a nod.
She turned it over in her hand and smiled. "Thank you." She tucked it into a breast pocket for safety. "You're very nice," she said. "I didn't really think we'd get along at first, honestly. I don't really get along with anyone, though, so I guess that's not news." She sighed. "Here I am, though, spending a day in a place I hate with everyone. Doesn't make a lot of sense."
Hideo nodded, similarly sharing her distaste for the beach. It was hot, wet, highly populated, and – worst of all – full of sand. Rough, coarse, and it gets everywhere; like a reference to an awful movie. They nodded again as Sakuya began to mention Yumi. "She kind of holds this whole thing together, doesn't she? I bet none of us would even speak if it weren't for her." She chuckled at the observation, though felt a bit sad after a few moments of analysis. It was a bit of a revelation for her, but she actually would miss this group of theirs, not simply Yumi, when she had to leave this year.
"For what it's worth, I'm glad I got to know you. And Kazuhiko, I suppose. Might know a little itoo/i about him at this point." They gave a thumbs up, thinking back to their ruminations of the day before regarding the drastic change to their lifestyle ever since the start of the summer.
The moment was interrupted by a volleyball spiked into the ground behind them. "Remembered we brought this thing in case we saw a net," Kazuhiko said, pointing a short ways off to an unoccupied volleyball court. "Figured if we don't swim and can't bash open a watermelon, we might as well do at least one traditional beach activity while we're here. You in?" Hideo whistled twice, making a T shape with their hands. "Got it. Referee. Guess I'll just defeat you one on one, Ishikawa."
She scoffed. "Who said I agreed to play a game with you?" Despite her initial tone, she internally decided not to be so standoffish as normal, at least for today, and cracked a small grin. "But, if you insist, I can defeat you in volleyball the same as I do every other time we compete."
He laughed boisterously, pointing a finger at her and proclaiming, "We'll see how long that confidence lasts before my Super Death Spike crashes right through your soul!" He was just at bad at naming things in volleyball as he was in Duel Monsters.
"Volleyball sounds fun," Kyoko said as she walked up, Yumi in tow. They'd decided to leave the water for now with the rest of Kazuhiko's family electing to stay behind.
"Two on two, then. A tag duel!" Kazuhiko began to laugh devilishly.
"I call Kyoko!" Yumi shouted, hugging her friend's arm. Kyoko looked to Sakuya with a small shrug, not sure how to suggest they swap teams without it sounding weird.
Kazuhiko grumbled, though relented quickly. "I guess it's only fair if one of us teams up with one of the kids. Fine. Ishikawa, we'll put aside our differences for now to crush those two!" She nodded, resigning to go along with it even if she couldn't be on Yumi's team for now.
They assembled on the court, Yumi getting the first serve. "Here I come!" she shouted, tossing the ball a short distance upwards before punching the ball as hard as she could straight into the net. It rebounded immediately and smashed her in the face, dropping her like a sack of potatoes.
Everything was dark for a solid eight seconds. Strangely, it almost sounded like someone was laughing at her. An unfamiliar voice, at that. It was quickly forgotten, though, as she regained consciousness. Her vision came back into focus slowly, her head spinning. She could hear Sakuya calling her name, realizing her head was now in her friend's lap. "Am I dead?" she asked, still unsure of which day of the week it was.
"Of course not," Sakuya answered with a smile.
"But I see an angel," she said, a wide grin on her potentially-concussed face.
"She's fine," Sakuya announced drolly. Helping Yumi to her feet, she steadied her as she first got up. "Are you going to be okay? Do you want to sit out for a little bit?"
She blinked a few times, answering, "Nah, I'm okay. Just warming up."
"You hit yourself in the face to warm up?" Kazuhiko asked with a laugh.
"Definitely! If I didn't give you guys some handicap, we'd beat you too easily." She smiled confidently, matching his arrogance.
"Now you've done it! Ishikawa, hit me in the face with the ball!"
"As much fun as that would be, it's her serve," she said as they took their places on the other side of the net.
Yumi took a breath, preparing to try serving again. "Remember to aim this time," Kyoko told. She nodded in response, tossing the ball up and punching it into the net once again. It bounced off harmlessly this time, though her reflexes were significantly better based on her guard.
Hideo scratched their head, whistling and pointing to Kazuhiko. They'd earned a point now, but it was still no less awkward. "You get that one for free!" Yumi declared with a laugh. Tossing the ball again, the same scene repeated. It was starting to get embarrassing.
As she prepared to try again, Kyoko held out a hand to stop her. "Yumi, hold on." She looked up at Kyoko hopefully. "You know you don't have to hit the ball like that every time, right?"
This genuinely seemed to puzzle her. "I don't?" she asked.
With a weak laugh, she said, "No, you don't, actually. Think of it like...Duel Monsters. Attack and defense, you know? What you're doing now is playing everything in Attack Mode and charging in without thinking. Play more cautious and control your serves so they go over the net. Sound good?"
"That makes a lot more sense," Yumi said with a nod. She'd never actually played volleyball before, so she genuinely assumed smacking the crap out of the ball was the objective of the game. With another breath, she tossed the ball and, using her new found strategy, punched it with much less force. It grazed the top of the net, but it went over.
"Alright!" Kazuhiko shouted, intercepting it close to the net and passing it back to Sakuya. She, in turn, setting it high enough for Kazuhiko to follow through, jumping and spiking straight to the sand before Kyoko or Yumi could react. The whistle was blown as the two looked at each other in shock. "Are we actually working together?" he asked.
"I...guess?" she answered, catching the ball to serve as Kyoko tossed it across the net. Sakuya served in a much more traditional sense, easily clearing the net and sending it straight to Yumi. Maybe she could, just by accident, toss a few easy shots her way to help her out. Forces beyond her control decided to intervene, though, namely Yumi's predisposition to punching the ball as hard as she could. She hit it; aiming was no longer the issue here, but the fact that it landed several feet from the edge of the court.
"Yes!" she celebrated, pumping her arms. "We scored, right?"
"Yumi, you're supposed to keep the ball inside the lines," Kyoko explained, patting her head.
She narrowed her eyes, looking under the net to see that, yes, there were clearly defined lines drawn in the sand. "This game has so many rules," she complained with a pout.
"Just remember to aim and don't hit so hard and you'll be okay," Sakuya said to try and reassure her. Kazuhiko came back with the ball, serving it like a pro. Kyoko took the lead this time, setting it close to the net to try and make it fall to the ground before they could reach it. Sakuya slid under the ball, hitting it upwards for Kazuhiko to spike to the other side.
Yumi was ready this time, though. Employing her usual punching skill, she whacked the ball into the air, intentionally pulling back the angle and causing it to fly high into the air. They looked to the sky only to be momentarily blinded by the sun. "Supernova Ball!" Kazuhiko cried in despair, deciding that was the name for this technique.
Though she'd have happily let Yumi get the point, Sakuya's instincts overpowered her in the moment, tracking the ball as it came down close to the line, she turned back and dove to the ground, bouncing it forward in time for Kazuhiko to send it over. Teamwork or not, though, Kyoko rushed the net and spiked it hard into the ground to earn her team their first point.
"Finally!" Yumi cheered, the two of them high fiving. "I told you we'd come back! We were just making it interesting!"
"You'll regret underestimating us! When the two of us work together, not even you can defeat us!" Kazuhiko took his position, Sakuya spacing out near the back thinking about how she was totally blowing it right now. What 'it' was wasn't too clear at the moment, but she was blowing it for sure. Like a bowl of soup you've been working on for ten full minutes after you took one taste right after it came off the heat and now you're scared you're going to burn yourself again unless it's really cooled.
"Want to try serving again?" Kyoko asked, holding the ball out to Yumi.
"Definitely!" she answered. "I'm taking you down myself this time!" She tossed the ball up and, predictably, punched it. She'd gotten used to the heft and physics of it now, though, able to control herself and keep it within the court. So well, in fact, that it landed directly at Sakuya's feet. Though confusing, it was a point as indicated by the all-mighty whistle.
All four of them were confused, staring at Sakuya until she finally snapped out of her introspective worry. "Get your head in the game, Ishikawa!" Kazuhiko yelled, taking this game too seriously for different reasons than her.
"Oh, uh, sorry," she said, trying to return to focusing on the game.
"Yumi, do whatever you did just now again! You found some kind of magic serve!" Kyoko's direction only served to light an even greater fire inside Kazuhiko rather than inspire Yumi. Instead, she could only see a clearly disturbed Sakuya not enjoying herself. It was distressing, and the only conclusion she could draw is that she was feeling that sense of inadequacy about not being immediately the best at things again.
Her goal was clear – lose as hard as possible to make her friend feel better. "Here I go!" she announced, punching the ball directly into the net again. "Oh, no!" she said, her acting taking a major hit. "Sorry, I guess I messed up again."
"It's cool," Kyoko said, tossing the ball to Kazuhiko. "Not like we're going to lose this in the end."
"We'll see if you still think that after my next serve!" He tossed the ball high into the air, smacking it over the net.
"Yumi, go!" Kyoko shouted as the ball traveled towards her. She took this opportunity to entirely miss, the ball rolling through the sand a good distance away from her.
"Sorry!" she said again, going to retrieve the ball. It was at that moment Sakuya began to realize that Yumi was trying to lose on purpose. Her heart practically skipped a beat as it finally sank in that someone really cared about her. Even so, she couldn't let herself be defeat – or, in this case, win – that easily. "Got it!" Yumi said as she returned, tossing it over to Sakuya.
Sakuya took a deep breath, trying to fight off a smile and the ensuing giddiness. She served, the ball tapping the top edge of the net and landing back over to her side. "What did you do that for?" Kazuhiko asked, reluctantly kicking the ball under the net.
"Guess it's just not my day," she said with a shrug. Yumi grabbed the ball before Kyoko, insisting on serving again. As expected, she flubbed it once more. "Mine!" Sakuya yelled, taking the ball back before Kazuhiko could lay a hand on it.
He and Kyoko quickly began to realize what was happening, stepping to the side as both of them began hyperfocusing on the other and nothing else. After several more serves, some of which involved the two actively spiking the ball onto their own side were it to actually clear the net, they simply left the court altogether and began to watch from the sidelines.
"Guess we won't get to finish this today," he said, still a bit grumpy he wasn't able to win despite how little it actually mattered.
"Yeah," Kyoko agreed. "But...I think they're pretty cute, so it's fine."
He scoffed, turning up his nose. "Speak for yourself. I was going to kick your ass."
Immediately, she grabbed him in a headlock. "Sorry, didn't hear you there. What were you going to do?" She dragged him off to do something else as the girls went about their business. They each tried as hard as they possibly could to fail in a convincing way, running themselves ragged chasing balls and hitting them as hard as possible out of bounds and into the sand.
"You..." Sakuya had to stop to catch her breath. "You...won't win this time." She tossed the ball up, spiking it into the net and kicking it under.
"We'll see about that!" Yumi trudged over to the ball, then walked back to the spot at the end of the court to serve. "Woops," she said, not even pretending to be shocked anymore as her attempt at serving missed entirely. "What's the score? I think I just lost!" They stood in silence before finally looking around and realizing everyone had left. Even Hideo became bored of their singles match and went off to play with Sachi, dragging her giggling through the sand by her feet.
"We'll say the next point wins," Sakuya decided.
Yumi nodded. "And it has to go over or else you get to retry. It wouldn't be any fun if I won from a bad serve." Begrudgingly, Sakuya agreed, knowing that rule was exclusively to keep her from botching the serve right now. "Let's finish this!"
"Try and hit this if you can!" She tossed the ball into the air, smacking it as hard as she could to send it out of bounds. Yumi sprinted off to chase after, Sakuya content in knowing that no one could bring that thing back into bounds. But, as so often happened when Yumi was around, her plan went awry. Diving for the ball, she managed to punch it with all her might just as it was about to hit the ground. While this only served to send it further out of bounds on her side, she was still the last person to touch it, meaning it would now be her loss once it touched the ground.
"You win!" she cheered while running back to Sakuya.
"How did you managed to catch up to that?" she asked, entirely dumbfounded at the unusual speed she showed for those few critical seconds.
She laughed. "Sometimes when I get really serious I just start moving on instinct. I guess my instincts told me to go faster, and now I'm tired and hungry." Making a small whimper, Yumi leaned into Sakuya. Her stomach grumbled in time with her mouth.
Sakuya had to resist her initial urge to jump back. It was more of a reflex at this point than an actual desire, since she'd gotten fairly acclimated to being touched by Yumi. She kept Kyoko's advice in mind, her fingers twitching as she forced her arms to move. Shyness wouldn't beat her this time, she resolved, swiftly wrapping her arms around her friend with the biggest blush of her life spreading across her face.
It took a few seconds before Yumi actually registered what just happened. She looked up slowly, starting to blush and laugh nervously. "Give me a warning before you do something drastic like hug me next time," she said, laughing harder as she returned the hug. It was as Kyoko said; she was just as susceptible to affection as Sakuya. "You're acting all silly."
Whatever moves she might try to make next would need to wait, though, as three angry men approached them. "Is this your ball?" the shortest, most brick-shaped one asked.
"Yeah!" Yumi said happily. "We were doing...actually, I'm not really sure what we were doing, but it got kind of out of hand and we lost it. Thanks for finding it!"
With a sneer, he hurled the ball in Yumi's face, knocking her into the sand. "Don't mention it." He and his friends laughed as they walked off. Sakuya helped her to her feet, fury boiling up inside her. Her teeth clenched and cheeks flushed, she stepped forward.
Sensing a confrontation, Yumi instinctively grabbed her friend's wrist. "Hey, it's okay! I'm not mad!" It was useless, though, as she began following the three brutes. Panicking, Yumi looked around for help. "K-Kazuhiko!" she shouted, interrupting his bizarre corn dog deepthroating he was demonstrating for Kyoko.
"You owe my friend an apology," she said as the other two joined Yumi.
The thugs turned around, the smallest cupping a hand to his ear. "What was that? It sounds like someone was talking to me."
"Apologize for what you did and that will be the end of it," she continued, not in the mood for playing games. Her eyes narrowed as they began to laugh at her. "Is that how this is going to be?"
"Go home, kid," he said with a laugh. "What do you think you can do? Call your mommy on us?"
"I could," Kazuhiko said before Sakuya could respond. "She'd kick your ass harder than I ever could. What's going on here?"
Yumi began to panic again, realizing bringing in more people had had the opposite intended effect. "It's fine, it's fine," she said. "Nothing's happening. We can just forget about it."
Intent on not doing that, Sakuya took her deck from her pocket. "Hideo, give me your duel disk," she shouted without breaking eye contact with the leader of the three. Hearing the call, they ceased braiding Sachi's hair for the time being to reach into their back and walk it over. It would be a pain for Sakuya to use a right handed duel disk, but it shouldn't be for long. Kazuhiko's mother, none the wiser to what was happening, assumed it was just a fun game with new friends. If there was any problem, they'd tell her, of course.
The man started laughing, the other two following suit soon after. "Duel Monsters? You think all of you can take us on?"
"No, I'm the only one who's challenging you." Her confidence was on full display in her expert shuffle and activation of the device on her arm.
Scratching his flattop haircut, the man scoffed. "Even better. What do you guys think?"
"Definitely, bro. My cards are hungry!" The tallest and lankiest one chuckled, taking a backpack from his shoulder and tossing duel disks out to the other two.
"Don't you even know who we are?" the final one asked, his averageness in height, weight, and demeanor completing their trio's odd look. "Where we're from, they call of us the Three Terrors for our incredible dueling skills!"
"I thought they called us that because of the time we drove through that bus stop," the tallest corrected.
"Both of you shut up!" their leader demanded. They complied immediately, shuffling their decks and preparing themselves. "If you want to get beaten that badly, we're happy to oblige, little girl!"
Yumi groaned and covered her face, blaming herself for all this trouble. She could have just let Sakuya lose the game like she wanted or tried harder to stop her from starting this fight, or even just not called over backup so it looked like they were ready to fight as a group. "It's alright," Kyoko told her, patting her head. "It's just a card game. Nothing to worry about." As reassuring as she hoped those words were, there was no doubt in her mind that she'd happily knock all three of them into the pavement the first chance she got.
"Duel!" the four shouted in unison. Their screens displayed the indicator for a battle royale, all four having separate Life Points and fields. "You can go first," the shortest told her. "We're gentlemen, you see." His condescending laugh did little to convince her of that.
"No, I'll go last," she said. "I plan to beat you in one turn, and I can't do that without an attack."
"Assuming you even get a turn!" the tallest interrupted. "Fine, I'll take the first move! I activate the Ritual Magic, Hamburger Recipe!" A large frying pan appeared on his field, a demonic chef clad in blue angrily bashing a spatula into it. "I release my Level 3 Bio Plant and my Level 3 Tomabo to Ritual Summon Hungry Burger!"
His two tributes appeared inside the skillet, engulfed in a fire as the chef prepared its newest creation. From the flames appeared an enormous hamburger, its buns opening like jaws to reveal two sets of spikes resembling teeth. "Nice one, Koji!" the most average one congratulated with a fist pump. "You got your ace monster out on the first turn!"
Looking pleased with himself, he nodded, placing a card face-down card before ending his turn. "Your turn, Chojiro!"
"I won't let you down! Draw!" As the most average man in the world, his deck wouldn't disappoint in being suitably predictable for the situation. "Field Magic, Legendary Capital Atlantis, activate!" From the ocean rose a Solid Vision replica of the city depicted on the card, several children marveling at its scope and scale. "As long as this card is on the field, every WATER monster in our hands and on the field has its Level reduced by 1, and gains 200 ATK and DEF. I'll follow it up by playing Water Hazard!"
The Magic Card appeared on his field, shining to indicate its effect was currently activate. "Once per turn while I've got no monsters on the field, I can summon a Level 4 or lower WATER monster from my hand. I'll pick Torpedo Fish." A small mechanized fish appeared on his field in Attack Position, boasting a rather measly 1200 after the field boost.
"I'm not done!" he continued. "Now I summon my Orca Mega-Fortress of Darkness!" From out of the depths emerged the hulking whale, bursting forth from the ocean to float behind its master. "Because of Atlantis, it becomes a Level 4 monster that I can Normal Summon without release. And since this is a battle royale, I can attack after the first player's turn. Go, Orca! Killer Whale Cannon!" The monster let out a deep moan, a cannon emerging from its mouth and blasting a yellow beam of energy at the dragon.
Sakuya was unfazed, though. "When I'm attacked directly, I can summon Rottwyvern from my hand in Defense Mode." A large, friendly black dragon appeared on her wings, its comically undersized wings barely wrapping around its shoulders as it cowered from the attack. The missiles hit their mark, though her monster remained there after the fact. "If Rottwyvern would be destroyed, it loses 500 ATK and DEF, instead." As she explained this, its ATK dropped to 500 and DEF to 1500.
"That won't help! I'll release Torpedo Fish to activate Orca's effect! Destroy Rottwyvern!" The monster loaded itself into a port on the underside of the whale, being blasted out at the dragon. It withstood the assault, its ATK now 0 to prevent it from using its effect a third time. "It's all clear, bro! Take it down!"
Their leader chuckled. "Good going, you two! This is too easy!" Evidently pleased by the cards he'd drawn, he slapped a monster down. "I summon Mingei Dragon in Attack Mode!" The colorful beast appeared on his field, stretching its neck as it howled into the air. "Mingei Dragon counts as two releases for a Dragon-Type monster's Advance Summon."
He placed a Magic Card onto the field. "Activate, Dual Summon! This card lets me make two Normal Summons this turn instead of one!" As if preempting what was to come, Mingei Dragon began to shout. "I release Mingei Dragon to Advance Summon my best monster, Tri-Horn Dragon!" A blue-scaled dragon materialized on his field, a three-horned crest atop its head shining in the sun as it leaned back to roar. Thumping its tail on the ground, it prepared to charge.
"Battle! Attack Rottwyvern! Triple Vice Death Jaws!" The dragon lunged forward, gripping the opponent in its mouth and crunching down hard until it was destroyed. Sakuya's Life Points remained untouched despite her clear disadvantage when it came to fields. "I'll set three cards and end my turn. Now's your last chance to surrender quietly."
She ignored him, beginning her turn. "I activate Heavy Storm from my hand, destroying all Magic and Trap Cards on the field." Clearly shocked by the appearance of such a powerful card, the three grumbled as a whirlwind swept up their fields, destroying the likes of Mirror Force, Dimensional Prison, Magic Cylinder, and Book of Moon, as well as Water Hazard and Legendary Capital Atlantis (much to the dismay of the children from before).
"Wouldn't expect less from Ishikawa," Kazuhiko said with a chuckle. "Bet she really can beat them all in one turn now." The ease with which Sakuya was controlling the duel put Yumi's mind at rest for the time being. She'd been afraid this would ruin their day together, but it was quickly becoming clear it would be little more than bump on the road.
"I summon Wiener Dragon from my hand and activate its effect, letting me add another copy from my deck to my hand." Her standard opening played out, allowing her to hand while summoning a strong monster all at once. She wasn't close to finished, though. "Now, I'll use the Magic Card, Fusion, to combine the Beast-Type Wiener Dragon on my field with the Dragon-Type Terrier Dragon in my hand."
She clasped her hands together, bringing them together with an intense expression as the monsters swirled above her head. "Fusion Summon! Sad-Eyes Hound Dragon!" Her mastery of Fusion Summoning never ceased to amaze her friends. On her first turn she'd managed to summon a 3000 ATK monster with a clean backrow ripe for attacking. Her expression said she wasn't close to finished.
"I activate Pot of Greed, allowing me to draw two cards. Then, I activate Fire Dragon's Blazing Bullet, choosing to inflict 800 damage to you." She pointed to the middle player Chojiro, who initially acted shocked before being knocked off his feat from the fireball. "I use the Magic Card, Pet Cemetery, to banish Wiener Dragon, Terrier Dragon, and Rottwyvern from my Graveyard, as well as send Sharpei Wyvern, Boxer Lizard, and Pointer from my deck to the Graveyard, allowing me to Fusion Summon again!"
"Another Fusion Summon?" Koji exclaimed in disbelief. This was a higher level of play than any of them had ever seen before in person. Their thoughts began to consider the things they'd done wrong in life, first and foremost being picking this fight.
"Eyes weary from the brutality of nature, let loose and tear my enemies to pieces! Fusion Summon, Level 10! Feral-Eyes Wolf Dragon!" From the sky, a beam of light pierced the beach. A pair of giant wings spread from the column as it began to dissipate, revealing a rugged, furry gray dragon larger in size than Sad-Eyes, sporting deep crimson eyes and gnarled fangs. "Feral-Eyes can attack every monster my opponent controls once per turn, and when it destroys them, they take damage equal to that monster's original ATK." It was at that moment all three of them truly understood the depths of their mistake.
"Sad-Eyes' effect activates, reducing Hungry Burger's ATK by 1000 until the end of this turn. Now, Feral-Eyes, attack all of their monsters at once! Primal Inferno!" A torrent of purple and white flames escape the dragon's mouth, striking Hungry Burger, then Orca Mega-Fortress of Darkness, then Tri-Horn Dragon. Koji was dealt 2500 damage through battle, with another 2000 from the effect to finish him. Orca resisted with only 1400 damage, though it was futile given the extra 2100 damage was enough to deplete its owner's previously lowered 3200 Life Points.
Out of all three, their leader was the only one to survive the initial strike with a mere 500 Life Points. He knees began to shake, seeing his two friends tossed into the sand with their monsters burnt to cinders. "Wait, no! I give up!"
"Sad-Eyes Hound Dragon, finish it! Beam Eyes of Destruction!" He screamed in fear as the last of his Life dwindled to nothing, joining the others on the ground. Sakuya took a deep breath to decompress from the magnitude of her one-turn-three-overkill strategy, collecting her cards quietly. The three scampered away after a hasty apology.
Yumi couldn't care less for their words, though, jumping to her friend to embrace her in a tight hug. "I can't believe you did that!" she yelled directly into her face with a wide smile.
"Guess that's what you're like when you don't hold back," Kyoko added, almost relieved she didn't have to face that version of the girl during their match, though the prospect still excited her and gave her a dose of bitterness thinking about the missed opportunity.
"Admirable performance, as usual, Ishikawa." Kazuhiko turned up his chin, framing it with his hand. "You're lucky your skills keep improving, otherwise I'd overtake you at the rate I'm growing."
Her first instinct was, as usual, to deflect the praise and squirm away from the hug, but she resisted. Despite her embarrassment and general uncomfortable feeling these things gave her, there was a place deep inside her that longed for them. She'd ignored it for a while, but with everything that had happened this summer, she'd decided to try and indulged it, if only a bit.
"I only did it to protect you," she said to Yumi, showing a small smile and hugging her back loosely. Every past experience of her life told her she should be trying to escape, that her skin would crawl from being so close to someone, but it wasn't happening. That was almost scarier than if it did.
Immediately, Yumi started to blush once again. She laughed obnoxiously, trying to break eye contact while tightening her hug. "I-I don't need anyone to protect me," she stuttered with a giggle. "You're being silly again, Sakuya."
Sakuya pulled off the duel disk and handed it to Kazuhiko. "Give this back to Hideo for me." He nodded and walked off with Kyoko, the latter giving her a knowing look as they exited. "What should we do now?" she asked Yumi now that they were finally alone and not trying to outdo each other in losing volleyball.
"I'm still pretty hungry," Yumi said. "We could go to the beach house and see what they have. Grandma gave some extra money today, so you won't even have to pay for me this time."
"Too bad," Sakuya said, casually taking Yumi's hand to fluster her even more. "I like buying you things." They walked together to join the moderate line leading to the small establishment, Yumi completely unable to handle all the attention she was getting that day. She was so used to being the one to act forward that she didn't know how to handle someone else making advances on her.
Thankfully, it wasn't too long a wait before they could make it to the front. Predictably, Yumi ordered some takoyaki, Sakuya having a yakisoba bun. They ate as they walked back towards their group's spot on the beach, Yumi quickly devouring her food in less than a minute and dropping her trash in a bin. As she finished, Sakuya had an idea. "Want some of mine?" she asked.
"Sure!" Yumi answered. She reached out to take it but was almost startled by having it held towards her. "W-wait," she said, trying not to have another laughing fit.
"Go on," Sakuya said with a satisfied smile. "It's big, so I don't mind." With a short laugh, she leaned forward and took as small a bite as she could, trying not to blush too hard while she chewed. "See? No problem."
Yumi swallowed as they continued walking across the beach, asking, "Why are you being so nice to me today?"
"Am I not usually nice?" Sakuya said, starting to become concerned she was doing something wrong.
"No, you are. It's just...you're not..." She pursed her lips and tried to think of what to say. "It's just that you're never...you don't..." She sighed. "It's just that I like to hug you and hold your hand and stuff, but you usually seem really embarrassed and upset when I do. And now you're doing it to me and it's just...different."
"Is different bad?" she asked.
Yumi thought for a moment, considering how she felt about it. She started smiling. "No, I think I like different." Sakuya couldn't help but blush, having a single, fleeting moment of appreciation for Kyoko since this plan worked so well. Being honest about her feelings and desires was actually surprisingly okay, despite every instinct telling her not to be.
She felt Yumi take her hand. This was her chance. She cleared her throat to get her friend's attention. "Yumi," she began, immediately getting cold feet and starting to stutter. "I-I just w-wanted to know i-if you...you w-w-wanted..." She paused to compose herself.
"I don't know what it is, but probably. If you're there, it'll probably be fun." Unfortunately, Yumi's attempt to make her friend feel more secure in asking her something backfired, finally turning the tables and embarrassing Sakuya further. It was as if every feeling she'd had that day and even the tiniest bit of determination she had left balled themselves up and locked themselves away to be repressed once again.
Her breathing quickened as she tried to find her words. "I-I-I-I-I-" she repeated.
"It's okay," Yumi told her, squeezing her hand. "Just calm down and tell me what you want to ask me."
Sakuya took a deep breath and held it for several seconds before releasing it. She couldn't believe she was nearly having a panic attack over something so ridiculous. She took a look down at the half-eaten yakisoba. "Do you want the rest of this?" she asked, holding it out to Yumi who gratefully swallowed it nearly whole.
Summoning up every ounce of her willpower, she finally said, "You know a few days from now is fireworks festival at Makuhari beach, right?" Yumi nodded. "I don't know if you usually go out, or if you even care about any of that, but I've always been sort of curious. I've never gone before since I didn't really have anyone to go with, but...if it's not too much trouble..."
She swallowed hard and closed her eyes. "Would you like to go with me this weekend?" Things were silent for several seconds. Every passing moment was torture for her, convincing her more and more that she'd made a mistake. It felt like she was about to pass out or throw up or both at the same time and die.
"Sure, yeah! I'd love to go with you!" Sakuya blinked, unsure of how to respond to such a casual acceptance. "It's something grandma and I try to see every year if we can. We could definitely meet you there!" Sakuya almost started screaming. After all of that trouble, Yumi really thought she was just asking to hang out. The thought of it being a date didn't even seem to register in her brain.
Yumi took her hand once more and led her along the beach, Sakuya remaining dazed and embarrassed the whole way there. Date or not, though, she couldn't say she was upset. Whether or not Yumi felt anything but friendship for her (and whether she felt anything but friendship for Yumi, since she was still confused as to what to label all of this for the time being), she was just happy to be able to spend time with her. For the time being, she was content just to let things play out as they were doing.
The rest of the day seemed to fly by, in no small part due to Sakuya's dual feelings of rejection and contentment. It was anything but an awful time, though. She and Yumi were able to talk and mess around with their friends for hours, no Duel Monsters assassins or general drama to speak of. Kazuhiko was perpetually beaten around, first by Sakuya in a duel and then by Kyoko in a wrestling match (which was more just her pulling him into a headlock and shoving a damp finger in his ear until he gave up). They built sandcastles for Sachi to run through pretending to be a monster and even managed to have a real game of volleyball.
Eventually, though, the group packed up and headed off. They hadn't brought fireworks, either, so there was no point sticking around after dark. Yumi had to be home before sunset, anyway, so it was a good idea to get on the road quickly. She dressed herself in a flash, hopping in the middle seat next to Kazuhiko. "I can't believe how tan I got!" she said while rubbing her arms.
"You're always kind of tan," Kazuhiko told her, admiring his own bronzed reflection in the window.
"Yeah, I'm Mexican. But now I'm even more tan!"
"I think we all-" He stopped mid-sentence after shifting in his seat, his shirt opening up more to reveal entire sections of his body had avoided the sun the entire day, making for some ridiculous tan lines.
Yumi laughed. "Don't feel too bad. Hideo didn't tan, either." As if to confirm, Hideo pushed up a sleeve to reveal a deathly pail forearm to the group. Somehow, it didn't make him feel any better.
Kyoko was about to take off, having already said goodbye to Yumi before she made it inside the car. As she donned her helmet, Sakuya walked up beside her. With a heavy sigh and an eye roll, she finally said, "Thanks," before hopping in beside Yumi. It made her chuckle, waving at her friends before starting her bike and driving out onto the highway.
The car left shortly after, everyone strapped in for another hour on the road. Unlike before, Sachi had gone to sleep as soon as she was buckled into her seat. Her older brother would fill the void left by her usual talking, though, discussing plans for how to spend the last few weeks of summer to no one in particular. Yumi took Sakuya's hand and smiled at her, eliciting a small blush from her friend before she returned the gesture. A fine end to a fine day.
Cards Used in Order of Appearance
Hamburger Recipe
Ritual Spell Card
This card is used to Ritual Summon "Hungry Burger". You must also Tribute monsters whose total Level Stars equal 6 or more from the field or your hand.
Bio Plant
DARK
Level 3
Plant
600 ATK/1300 DEF
Tomabo (Inmato)
DARK
Level 3
Plant/Effect
1400 ATK/800 DEF
When 1 other face-up Plant-Type monster is targeted by the effect of a Spell or Trap Card your opponent controls, you can Tribute this card to draw 2 cards.
Hungry Burger
DARK
Level 6
Warrior/Effect
2000 ATK/1850 DEF
This monster can only be Ritual Summoned with the Ritual Spell Card, "Hamburger Recipe". You must also Tribute monsters whose total Level Stars equal 6 or more from the field or your hand.
Legendary Capital Atlantis (A Legendary Ocean)
Field Spell Card
This card's name is treated as "Umi". Reduce the Level of all WATER monsters in both players' hands and on the field by 1. All WATER monsters gain 200 ATK and DEF.
Water Hazard
Continuous Spell Card
Once per turn: You can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower WATER monster from your hand. You must control no monsters to activate and to resolve this effect.
Torpedo Fish
WATER
Level 3
Fish/Effect
1000 ATK/1000 DEF
While "Umi" is face-up on the field, this card is unaffected by any Spell Cards.
Orca Mega-Fortress of Darkness
WATER
Level 5
Sea Serpent/Effect
2100 ATK/1200 DEF
By Tributing 1 "Torpedo Fish" on your side of the field, destroy 1 monster on the field. By Tributing 1 "Cannonball Spear Shellfish" on your side of the field, destroy 1 Spell or Trap Card on the field.
Rottwyvern
EARTH
Level 5
Dragon/Effect
1000 ATK/2000 DEF
This card is also treated as Beast-Type while on the field or in the Graveyard. When an opponent's monster declares a direct attack: You can Special Summon this card from your hand. If this card would be destroyed: This card loses 500 ATK and DEF instead.
Mingei Dragon (Totem Dragon)
EARTH
Level 2
Dragon/Effect
400 ATK/200 DEF
This card can be treated as 2 Tributes for the Tribute Summon of a Dragon-Type monster. If this card is in your Graveyard during your Standby Phase and you control no monsters, you can Special Summon this card in Attack Position. You cannot activate this effect if there are any monsters in your Graveyard that are not Dragon-Type. If this card is Special Summoned with this effect, remove it from play when it is removed from the field.
Dual Summon (Double Summon)
Normal Spell Card
You can conduct 2 Normal Summons/Sets this turn, not just 1.
Tri-Horn Dragon (Tri-Horned Dragon)
DARK
Level 8
Dragon
2850 ATK/2350 DEF
Heavy Storm
Normal Spell Card
Destroy all Spell and Trap Cards on the field.
Holy Barrier – Mirror Force (Mirror Force)
Normal Trap
When an opponent's monster declares an attack: Destroy all Attack Position monsters your opponent controls.
Dimensional Prison
Normal Trap Card
When an opponent's monster declares an attack: Target that attacking monster; banish that target.
Magic Cylinder
Normal Trap Card
When an opponent's monster declares an attack: Target the attacking monster; negate the attack, and if you do, inflict damage to your opponent equal to its ATK.
Book of Moon
Quick-Play Spell Card
Target 1 face-up monster on the field; change that target to face-down Defense Position.
Wiener Dragon
FIRE
Level 4
Dragon/Effect
1700 ATK/1200 DEF
This card is also treated as Beast-Type while on the field or in the Graveyard. When this card is Normal Summoned: You can add 1 "Wiener Dragon" from your Deck to your hand. While attacking, this card gains 100 ATK for each Dragon-Type monster in your Graveyard.
Fusion (Polymerization)
Normal Spell Card
Fusion Summon 1 Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck, using monsters from your hand or side of the field as Fusion Materials.
Terrier Dragon
EARTH
Level 6
Dragon/Effect
2200 ATK/1200 DEF
This card is also treated as Beast-Type while on the field or in the Graveyard. You can Special Summon this card from your hand in Attack Position by discarding 1 Level 5 or lower Dragon-Type monster. If this card is Special Summoned by its own effect: Its original ATK and DEF are halved.
Sad-Eyes Hound Dragon
EARTH
Level 8
Dragon/Fusion/Effect
3000 ATK/2500 DEF
1 Level 6 or higher Dragon-Type monster + 1 Level 5 or lower Beast-Type monster
This card is also treated as Beast-Type while on the field or in the Graveyard. Once per turn: You can target 1 face-up monster on the field; it loses 1000 ATK until the End Phase. If this Fusion Summoned card is sent to the Graveyard: You can add both cards used as Fusion Material to your hand.
Pot of Greed
Normal Spell Card
Draw 2 cards.
Fire Dragon's Blazing Bullet (Dragon's Gunfire)
Normal Spell Card
If you control a Dragon-Type monster: Activate 1 of these effects.
● Inflict 800 damage to your opponent.
● Target 1 monster with 800 or less DEF; destroy that target.
Pet Cemetery
Normal Spell Card
Target 1 Fusion Monster in your Extra Deck; Banish any number of Beast-Type monsters from your Graveyard equal to the number of monsters required to Fusion Summon that card, then send the same number of monsters from your Deck to the Graveyard to Special Summon that monster (this Special Summon is treated as a Fusion Summon). You can only activate 1 "Pet Cemetery" per turn.
Sharpei Wyvern
WIND
Level 4
Dragon/Effect
1500 ATK/1000 DEF
This card is also treated as Beast-Type while on the field or in the Graveyard. When this card is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard: Target 1 Dragon-Type monster in your Graveyard besides "Sharpei Wyvern"; add it to your hand.
Boxer Lizard
EARTH
Level 4
Dragon/Effect
2100 ATK/100 DEF
This card is also treated as Beast-Type while on the field or in the Graveyard. If this card attacks: Change it to Defense Position at the end of the Battle Phase.
Pointer
FIRE
Level 2
Dragon/Effect
800 ATK/500 DEF
This card is also treated as Beast-Type while on the field or in the Graveyard. When this card is Normal Summoned: Choose 1 Level 6 or higher Dragon-Type monster from your Deck, and place it on top of your Deck.
Feral-Eyes Wolf Dragon
DARK
Level 10
Dragon/Fusion/Effect
3500 ATK/3000 DEF
3 monsters that are both Dragon-Type and Beast-Type
This card is also treated as Beast-Type while on the field or in the Graveyard. This card can attack all monsters your opponent controls once each. When this card destroys a monster by battle: Inflict damage to your opponent equal to the original ATK of the destroyed monster.
New chapter is a little long and a little early, though those aren't normally things people complain about. I never intended to write this one when I was first planning everything out, but then I had the idea of Yumi getting hit in the face by her own serve and realized I had to do it. Decided it could be a fun intermission chapter with the gang bonding at the beach before the bloodbath happens next time.
Sakuya and Kyoko always bring out the best in each other. And by that I mean they always bring out the gay in each other. They're kind of growing a begrudging acceptance of each other over their affection for Yumi.
I actually just happened to watch the episode of GX with the guy who uses the Orca combo right after finishing this, forgetting what he actually had in his deck other than it being WATER themed to promote the new cards that came out around that time. You can pretend it's a reference if you want. Honestly, I just clicked the random page button on the wiki until something interesting came up for each of them and used it. That Hungry Burger play actually is a reference, though.
A favorite of mine is making super overpowered cards with extremely specific summoning conditions, especially when the conditions actually matter even in the decks where they're meant to be played. Feral-Eyes, for example. It's impossible to summon it from the hand given the nature of the dog dragons needing to be on the field or in Graveyard to be counted as two types. That's always been an annoyance to me in the game, how some cards are built with a theoretical balance to them, like, "You can't have an Extra Deck if you want to use this," while it intentionally works in a Monarch deck which doesn't use an Extra Deck to begin with, meaning there's no actual cost to using it.
Kind of the same with Pet Cemetery when I first came up with it, thinking back. It specifically summons out Sad-Eyes, yet removes its materials from the game to keep its secondary effect from activating when it leaves the field. Mostly just my roundabout justification for why Feral-Eyes is so broken and fun to watch.
That's about all I've got for this. Next one is a major tone shift where the plot comes back with a vengeance. I'm not actually saying that to be all clickbaity, but as a real warning to people that there's going to be some darker themes creeping into this story following that, though nothing all that worse than the original manga now that I think about it. Either way, thanks for reading this one. Always remember to wait 1 hour after eating before you get in the water or you'll die.