After sleeping and taking rest for few hours the gang decide to go and chill at the beach for afternoon. They got dressed in their casual clothes and took their swim suit, swim gears, and other beach essentials with them. When they were leaving the farmhouse, they learn from their driver that the bus which they came earlier, the tyre got punctured and they will have to travel in a van. Harrington also decide to join the gang for beach much to Judai and Asuka's annoyance.
"You have gotta be kidding me".
Asuka grinned awkwardly at the short boy. "Hey, sorry Sho but it's the law. Your medical record say you're 4'9 and you have to sit in a booster seat if you're any shorter than 4'10."
"Well-"
"Judai and everyone else would be soo upset!"
"Mmmmmmmmfff-"
"This is your chance to prove you have dignity like Ryo!"
That did it. Sho's head snapped up proudly.
This is my chance! If I can prove to Ni-san that I can endure this without being a wimp, maybe he will respect me more! Besides Rei is shorter than me.
"All right fine. Where's this stupid van we're going in?"
"PINK!?"
Fubuki scratched the back of his head sheepisly. "Well, it was the only color we could find. Unless you wanted the purple one that says 'Mamma's Boy' on it?"
Sho groaned. "Fine I am only sitting in it twice anyway."
Sho could hear Chazz rolling his eyes and sighing in exasperation as Judai howled that the booster seat had given him a boo-boo when he strapped it in, and couldn't someone kiss it and make it all better?
Ryo looked over Sho with his arms crossed and his usual stoic expression dissapeared for one second as his eyes twinkled with laughter.
Sho groaned. He was going to be sitting in a booster seat and looking like a kid, the booster seat was pink and Ryo probably thought he was a baby.
"Can I just sit in your lap or something instead of the booster seat?" Sho whined softly as Ryo walked by to help Jim load the umbrella into the car.
Ryo grinned ruefully. "Law's the Law, in Mexico a parent can't carry a child on their lap, and if the police caught them, they would be charged fine".
"That would probably be smart if we all want to survive", Edo pointed, "because Harrington is coming for the sea air and the ones who have driving license are Fubuki and Ryo. And their will be 15 people in the van".
"Wait a sec, 15?"
Edo took a deep breath. "Judai, Asuka, you, Ryo, Fujiwara Yusuke, Chazz, Kenzen, Johan, Jim, O'Brien, Fubuki, Junko, Momoe, Rei, Harrington, our driver and me, so that means 17 people are going together.
"o-kayyyyy"
"Oh Sho-kun! We're getting on the van!" Momeo reminded him,
Sho groaned.
Fubuki and Asuka who had planned the entire trip, forgot to calcute the van was only designed for 13 people. In the end Jim, O'Brien, Johan, Rei and Chazz sat in the trunk along with the stuff they packed and Fubuki heroically strapped himself to the top of the van and offered to bawl out Hawaiian ballads for entertainment during the trip. Thus any hope Sho had for escaping booster seat was quickly ruined.
He'd hoped that everyone wouldn't know how to steal him into the booster seat and thus abandon the next plan. However it turned out both Junko and Momoe had taken babysitting classes and despite his angry squirming, they eventually managed to get him securely bound with Judai and Ryo on either side of him. Well Chazz and Kenzen would've been worse at least Judai and his brother Ryo were all right.
Luckily for him, after about 2 min of cooing over how cute he was from the girls, Judai and Fubuki somehow managing to sing Hawaiian songs within 45 miles per hour some air in his face distracted them. Especially when Fubuki got bored and decide to switch to South Park songs .
However Edo was getting annoyed with their singing voice and constantly yelling them to shut up.
Meanwhile Sho was trying to get out of his booster seat. Luckily Judai who would have made him stay in his seat like a good little boy had drunk too much lemonade with sugar was now bawling that he needed to go toilet in a disgruntled Harrington's ear. They were now engaging in a fight with Mac Donald's toys.
Ryo looked over at his pouting brother with quite amusement. "You want some help getting out of that?" He asked softly. "Everyone else is distracted".
Ryo felt bad that he didn't let Sho sit in his lap due to law and Sho blinked in surprise. One he was glad his brother decide to help him get out of that damm booster seat. Two he hadn't been paying attention to all chaos in the car...
Judai was grabbing his crotch and fighting Harrington. Johan and Jim had teamed up in a game of bridge against Chazz and O'Brien while Rei was filming. The driver's eyebrows were twitching dangerously, but he was still driving safetly. Fubuki was singing Taylor Swift's Love Story song at the top of his lungs while Edo was attempting to hit him with the beach volleyball net sticks. Yusuke was trying to figure out how to turn on the Gameboy of Kenzen, who was snoring and drooling on the polished window of the Tenjoins. Asuka was eating her burger next to Junko and Momoe who were applying nail polish on their nails and apparently talking about how to cross-dress Sho. The poor boy shuddered as creepy images pops into his mind.
He turned back to Ryo. "Yeah, but do we have a plan? With 15 other people in the car, it will be impossible for us to get out unnoticed".
"Simple". Ryo kept his voice low. "I will unbuckle you, and since we're almost at the beach, we'll just wait until it's in sight. Then you jump on my lap, and I will yell in suprise for Driver to stop. You''ll hop out the window when he stops and runs away. That''ll take care of this time. I will puncture a tire or something so we'll have to take the bus back. Afterwards I will admit for the enitre thing and pay for the tire".
Sho blinked in amazement at his brother, "You thought that entire thing up just now and you'd actually be willing to do it?".
Ryo nodd with a chuckle.
Sho nearly hugged Ryo, but refrain from doing so to avoid attention.
Soon the beach came in sight. Ryo pretend to be suprise and yelled, DRIVER! STOP THE CAR! MY BROTHER IS LOOSE!"
"Whaaa?" The Driver slammed the brakes rapidly, looking back to see what Sho was doing.
Sho hoped out the window and began running towards the beach happily screaming "FREEDOM".
The quick braking was causing a havoc back in the van though.
Judai screamed like a little girl and slammed into startled Harrington. Asuka choked on the burger and spat it between Junko and Momoe who both sprang back. Junko cursed softly while Momoe shriek. The other two girls began to complain about the spilled nail polish. Kenzen woke up, wiped the drool off the window and started blustering orders to no one in particular. Yusuke has figured out which button to push to turn the machine on, but the impact slammed the power switch into the seat and his hard work was rendered useless. Johan's hand jerked across the scoring paper for bridge and the cards flew everywhere so that effort was wasted too. Rei fell on Chazz and she dropped her video camera and her hard work also went wasted. Fubuki begain to wail for his mommy, then began singing a song that he dedicated to Asuka while Edo clutched the window to stay in the van and dropped the volleyball net outside with a loud clutter.
Just then Rei jump from the trunk. "Hey guys!" She called. "Are you all all right?".
Sho also came up, concerned as to why the van was so slient. "You all okay?" He added.
Both short teens peered inside, open-mouthed at the destruction. The eerie silence was quickly shattered by Judai's muffled whine in the backseat.
"I did it in my pants".
Afterwards the chaos in the van got resolved Judai hurriedly ran to toilet and the gang left the vehichle and took their belongings with them and head straight to beach.
The beach was quite local as many people were enjoying themselves. Most people were surfing, sunbathing, making sand castles, playing volleyball or just playing around the water. There was also a shack where it was like a mini-restaurant and a rental place for surfboards and underwater swimming.
First, the gang decide to go to the changing room and got dressed in their swimsuit or beach wear.
Judai was waiting outside the changing room in a pair of blue trunks. He then heard soft footsteps come up to him and stop, which made him look that way. His brown eyes widen at the sight of the Cyber Girl Duelist, clad in a yellow swimsuit and keeping her sunglasses for the extra appeal, which Judai notes in his mind.
"Hi there, Judai", Asuka said cheerfully, giving him a quick pose of her tiny body. "Wait long?".
"Not at all". Judai replied chuckling "Ready to have some fun?".
"Off course",
Both of them along with Chazz, Sho, Kenzen, Rei, Johan, Junko, and Momoe were literally jumping into the water after throwing all their stuffs in sand and they were playing and passing balls with each other.
Fubuki was the only one who was surfing clad in his wet suit.
Ryo and Yusuke were playing beach volleyball with Jim and O'Brein.
Edo and Harrington were playing tennis.
After done playing the gang decide to do some BBQ.
O"Brien is walking to the beach while carrying his backpack, a cardboard box that says BBQ Grill" and a bag of various foods, He is currently wearing a black trunks. He stopped when he heard a familiar voice.
"Hey O'Brien over a here!" Directed Yusuke. O'Brien walked to the direction and set his stuff on the sand. He took a towel from his backpack and set it on the sand. He looked up to see Rei, Junko, Asuka and Momoe dressed in their swimsuit. Rei dressed in purple, Junko red, Momoe blue, and Asuka yellow. Fubuki still dressed in his wet suit, Jim, Johan and Edo dressed in green, aqua blue and black trunks. Ryo and Yusuke dressed in black and green t-shirt and trunks, Kenzen dressed in his dinosaur's yellow shirt and Kahki shorts and harrington dressed in purple shorts.
"I can't believe you're here for food Kenzen-kun. No one ever goes to the beach for food!" Sho argued.
"Says the fry shrimp whose only here for the view of girl's in bikinis". Kenzen argued as Sho turned red from embarrassment. O'Brien and everyone else except Kenzen sweat dropped and turned to see Sho in aqua blue shorts and Chazz in grey trunks walking towards them and carrying various bags.
"I don't understand why you made me carry and do so much of hardwork". Chazz scoffed and complained in frustration to O'Brien and groaned while he simply ignores him.
Judai's stomach grumble
"Well, we have been playing for a while, so let's go eat". Johan smiled as the girls went to get the drinks. O'Brien went to unbox the BBQ grill and set up the meat. The girls returned with Junko carrying the plastic plates, forks, knives, napkins and spoons, Asuka and Rei bringing the cooler with drinks in it, and Momoe with a picinic sheet. Momoe set the picnic sheet on the ground for everyone to sit in. Junko passed the untensils and plates to everyone. Asuka and Rei passed everyone a drink.
Jim was cooking the meat while O'Brien was frying french fries.
"Get your meat, guys". Jim announced, meaning that the meat is cooked. Everyone formed a line and got a rib and steak from Jim and french fries from O'Brien. Everyone sat down and ate their food. Every now and then Judai and Asuka would accidentally touch each other's hand and blushed after they pulled back. When everyone finished their food, they packed up and decide to go for l hour walk before returning to farmhouse.
"Jim, you are an awesome cook". Judai complimented.
"Yeah, that was the best meat I ever had". Sho complimented
"Yeah, who taught you how to cook?" Yusuke asked
"My grandpa. Me and my cousin's started learning how to cook from him during our summer vacation at Australia".
"You have a good family, Jim".Rei complimented
"Maybe you could teach is how to cook during our next vacation.". Junko suggested
"No problem. If we can do another BBQ at the farmhouse then I can teach you". Jim said with a confident smile.
"This is the best vacation I ever had". Junko said.
"Yeah". Momoe agreed.
"I hope we can have another sweet vacation". Judai said
"Maybe". O'Brien agreed
"I hope so". Yusuke agreed.
Judai and Asuka then retreated from the gang and decide to spend some quality time together alone at the shack, while their friends go for a walk.
At the shack Asuka and Judai were watching the sun setting.
"Apart from the embrassing chaos in the van, this has been a good day". Judai noted.
"Yeah! Judai you said you have something important to tell me? What is it? Asuka asked nervously with a blush.
"Yeah I did. By the way you also wanted to tell me something as well Asuka?" He added.
"All right! I will decide to tell you first because I regret not telling you that day, Judai I wanted to tell you this after our tag duel with Rei and Kenzen last year and I regret not telling you this but now it's time I decide to tell you how I feel about you". Asuka said to him while giving a nervous smile.
"Tell me"? Judai asked eagerly.
"Judai I have come to realize I think of you more than a friend. When I first came to Duel Academy it was only to find my brother. But then I met you and your charisma and passion for Dueling has really attracted me. You inspired me to enjoy dueling and by the end of our 3rd year I came to realize I have fall-".
However Asuka's confession was interrupted when they heard a familiar voice
"Aniki! Asuka-san!" both of them turned to see Sho calling for them
"We have good news the bus tyre has already been fixed so we will be leaving the beach after 45 min." Sho said to them cheerfully.
"Before we leave we need to take shower and get dressed". He reminded them.
Afterwards the trio are reuninted with the gang and they all decide to take a quick shower and remove all the salt water in their bodies except Ryo, Jim, Yusuke, O'Brien, Edo and Harrington since they didn't get themselves wet in the beach and only put their legs in the sea water, but everyone including them have decided they will take a heavy exfoliating head to toe shower again at their bathrooms in farmhouse because they can't shower nude in public.
The gang then went back to changing room and got dressed in their casual outfits and they were relived to travel by bus again, rather than a cramped van. Ryo was lucky he forgot to puncture the van tyre or else he would have to spend more than $500.
When the gang returned to their farmhouse at beach it was almost 6 PM and everyone decide to take a fresh exfoliating shower before getting ready to go out and eat dinner at Al Andalus a Lebanese restaurant.
After finish taking a exfoliating shower for 30 min, the boys took 20 min to get dressed in fresh casual clothes, while the girls took one hour to get dressed since they were taking too long to apply their makeup and style their hair. The boys became too impatient to wait for them and they decide to leave without waiting for them much to the girls dismay and Fubuki hired a different driver for them, but the boys decide they won't order anything until the girls arrive.
When girls arrived at the restaurant they were 20 min late. Harrington and the driver didn't join the group for dinner so their were 15 of them. Everyone gathered and decide to sit together and eat as a group in a large table.
"You girls kept The Chazz and us waiting for so long". Chazz complained angrily while sitting on his chair with arms crossed.
"I am sorry Chazzy, you see Junko was taking too long to do her makeup". Momoe apologized to him.
"Hey, even you also took some time to get ready and you were busy pampering yourself for Chazz".Jnunko argued.
"That's enough you two, why don't you forget about what happen and let's order our dinner". Asuka scold them sternly since she was getting annoyed with their argument and this made her friends to calm down a bit.
Since their were 15 of them, the gang decide to order 15 different Lebanese cuisine so that they can share and eat.
They ordered two types of salad Tabbouleh and Fattoush, Hummus, Muhammara, Lebanese Meat Pizza, Shawarma, falafel, kaak, Rice Pilaf, Sfeeha, kebab, Labneh and some roti's.
As for desserts they ordered Baklawa, Kanafeh, sweet cheese rolls and Booza a Lebanese ice cream.
There was also some traditional Mexican dance taking place at the restaurant with Arabic music. Even though they couldn't understand Arabic they still like the song.
Since the gang couldn't finish the entire meal, Judai asked the waiter to pack their left-over meal so that they can eat it for tomorrow.
Before heading to farmhouse for bed, everyone decide to visit the baklawa shop which is near to the restaurant in order to buy some sweets for their families and loved ones at home, because Baklawa has became their favorite dessert and most of them are confident their families would also love it.
Notes
I couldn't explain how the gang resolved their chaos in van and most of that happen off-screen. I went to a Labense restaurant and I am a fan of their food, so I wanted to relate in this story what eating at a Lebanese restaurant in Mexico feels like.