A/N: Last chapter, I realized that Manjoume's name is more commonly spelt in romanji with a "u", not like the way I previously written it. I've gone back and edited all the chapters, not only for Manjoume but also for small errors. :P
I also want to say thank you for all the reviews and follows. They're motivating me to continue writing this fic! :D
Winged Kuriboh had flown to the sandy shores of the island, far from the school's main building. In trying to help Judai, his partner tried to grab the attention of his friends for a moment. However, Manjoume chased after Winged Kuriboh. Spooked, the spirit flew for much longer than intended and was now starting to lose energy.
"Kuri Kuri..." Winged Kuriboh huffed.
"I've got ya!" Manjoume jumped into the air to grab the duel spirit, but Winged Kuriboh disappeared in a small cloud. "Dammit..." Manjoume said.
"Hey~! Manjoume-kun! Hold on!" Fubuki yelled from a distance.
Manjoume internally cursed. While he was chasing after Judai's duel spirit, Manjoume forgot about the group.
"Manjoume-kun, what happened?"
"I saw his furball." Manjoume curtly replied.
"I see. Well, it's a good thing that his friend led us to where we were supposed to be."
They had stopped talking, and listened to their surroundings. There were the squawks of birds flying ahead and leaves on palm trees rustling in the wind, but no singing. Manjoume and Fubuki looked around them. The sun shone high in the sky, the sand held no unusual prints, and the waves moved up and down the shoreline.
"No sign of a siren. What a shame." Fubuki said. They sat down on the beach. It was a low tide and the two Blue students didn't have to worry about getting wet.
"How come?"
"I really wanted to see who here on the island can sing better than me. I can't be the number one singing duelist if I am not the best singer."
"That's fine, but why did it seem like you're only halfheartedly playing your ukulele? If you want to be the best, shouldn't you give it your all, Master?"
"Well, there was nobody willing to challenge me there, and—" Fubuki trailed off.
"Were you trying to draw attention away from me?" Manjoume asked.
Fubuki didn't answer, and the two remained silent for some time. As they sat there, the waves begun to rise higher, but they didn't move from their spot.
"You still seemed pretty gloomy, and knowing the others, they would try to ask how you're feeling. You aren't the kind of person who's open all the time."
Manjoume didn't reply.
"I thought that would have helped. Sorry."
"No. It did. I just..." Manjoume sighed. "I'm not sure how to deal with everything. Everyone's growing older, and I see that some of us are growing apart. He already has."
Fubuki let out a gentle hum and nodded in understanding.
"I feel shitty for not being able to help him out in that other world. Fuck, I feel inadequate for not helping out with all the things that happened at the school. I am partly responsible for most of the fuck ups."
Manjoume sighed again.
"I want to be a mature and responsible student at this school before I graduate."
Fubuki replied, "I get it. I did mess up too, but it looks like to me that you've matured over the years."
"Huh?"
"It's true. My sister even said that you used to be a stuck up loner, but now you've got stadiums chanting your name and you're working to help the school. You're not afraid of being in the limelight or taking on responsibility. To me, that's maturity."
The two stayed in silence as the tides rose even higher. By the time it reached their feet, Manjoume stood up.
"Thanks, Master."
"Oh? Manjoume is showing appreciation? I should have brought a video recorder~!"
Manjoume knelt down and grabbed a handful of moist sand, tossing it at Fubuki. The two students began to laugh and fool around on the beach, enjoying the youth they still had.
"You wanna hear more life lessons? I've still got love advice!"
"No. I think we should go look for that siren now. Other students are ditching too and it isn't good for their studies."
"Ah, now, you're sounding like an old man." Fubuki ran into the ocean until the water reached just above his knees and yelled, "Siren-chan! Where are you? I still wanna have a singing contest with you!"
"Still?"
Fubuki turned back to Manjoume on land. "Well, yeah. The beach is a perfect spot for a singing contest anyway~! Why do you think I asked to come here when we were talking with the group?"
Manjoume replied with a shrug, and Fubuki walked back onto dry land. "Still, it's weird how it all turned out."
"What do you mean?"
"I wanted to talk about all this heavy stuff while we were in the forest, but we got on the beach before I caught up with you."
"That's because I was chasing Judai's duel spirit."
"Yeah. Well, it all turned out fine in the end!"
"But how did Winged Kuriboh know where we were supposed to go? It couldn't be a coincidence…" Manjoume trailed off and then he had an epiphany. "It can't be?"
"What can't be?"
"Judai was there." Manjoume began to run towards the Red Dorms. He slowed his pace and turned to yell, "Master, are you coming?!"
"Alright, alright, I'm going with you." Fubuki said with a smile.
The two ran together.
Judai got to the Red dorms without being spotted, and so Yubel left the room to see where the closest student was. Curtains blocked the light in Judai's room, and Pharaoh was napping on the room's ceiling frame.
"Yeah! I've got it!" Judai exclaimed while holding a card in his hand.
"Kuri, kuri!" Winged Kuriboh floated down next to Judai.
"Thanks for earlier, partner. If it wasn't for you I think I wouldn't have gotten this card." Judai said.
The duel spirit puffed with pride, and Judai got up and picked up his shoes for the next part of his plan. Yubel floated into the room.
"We've got a problem. Your friends are coming over here."
"Crap! How far are they?"
"They are-"
Three small knocks came from the door.
"Aniki, are you in there?"
"Shou?!" Judai thought.
"I don't think he would answer. Here let me try."
"Asuka?!" Judai thought.
"Judai. I am going to give you on the count of three to open this door."
Judai opened the curtains.
"One!"
Pharaoh woke up.
"Two!"
Judai's leg was out the window.
"Three!"
Asuka kicked down the door.
"Pardon the intrusion."
The two didn't see Judai in the room. Pharaoh jumped down and stretched in front of them.
"Pharaoh! I'm sorry, did we interrupt your nap?" Shou said as he petted the cat. Pharaoh meowed in response. "Asuka-san, I don't think he's here..."
"I'm pretty sure he was." Asuka walked over to the open windows. She saw a clean mark across the dust by the window, and she ran towards the door. "He's over there!" Asuka yelled, pointing towards the red blur going towards the forest.
"Oh, more running. Great." Shou said as he put Pharaoh aside. He closed the door and ran with Asuka.
Judai needed to think fast. He thought that the two would eventually get him, whether it would be in the forest or at the dorm when he goes back. Judai needed something to distract them. He kept running until he saw two students dueling.
"Perfect!" Judai thought.
He ran around the field, hiding in the bushes. Judai kneeled behind a bush across where he previously was, keeping an eye on where Shou and Asuka could pop out from. He realized that he was hiding right behind Rei, but it was fine. She didn't know he was there and she was occupied with the duel.
Judai was shocked when he saw who was dueling. He saw Kenzan and the blue student that he told that the mystery singer was the rumored siren; albeit he was more disheveled than when he last saw him.
"Why are they dueling?" Judai wondered.