Chapter 17: Speeding Like a Meteor.
Yasui was sitting in his usual spot near the corner of the cafeteria for breakfast on Sunday. He was doing his best to be quiet and avoid detection, wishing he could be invisible. As he chewed his food, he kept his eyes glued to his plate. In some corner of his mind he was afraid that anybody who saw him would somehow know about the rather… awkward circumstances he had awoken to. Yasui shuddered.
I refuse to even think of the term for… it. Oh gosh, I feel so dirty. Am I going to turn into one of those guys who's just obsessed with girls? Like, always talking about them and looking at them? Is there a way to make sure that… it never happens again?
Yasui shook his head and dug into his meal like a starving animal.
The only thing for it is to just not think about it! If I don't let myself entertain… those kinds of thoughts or feelings, they won't be able to bother me. Just gotta, like, push it down. Way down.
Yasui finished his meal and put his tray back. There weren't very many students up and about given it was eight o'clock on a Sunday morning. Most were sleeping in, but years of living on a farming schedule had made Yasui an early riser. For him, this had been an excessively late start. He had already gotten a head start on the coming week's homework, so he headed to the library to see what he could find to read.
The library was unsurprisingly just as quiet and empty as the cafeteria compared to its usual occupancy. While never crowded, it was usually where a good many students would do homework or research for papers. As Yasui began to meander through the shelves looking for something interesting, he had an interesting thought.
It's weird, I used to go to the library as often as I could because it was so far away from home. Now that there's one in walking distance, I barely can make it here. Funny.
He stopped when he saw a book entitled Cuisines of Europe. Before he had taken over managing the Cherryton Cooking Club, he had never really thought of himself as being particularly interested in cooking. He liked food and all, but the most he did was make breakfast for everyone and help his mother with the cooking while he watched his two youngest sisters. Now, however, he was finding himself becoming more and more curious about different types of food and ways to make it. He had never really even considered how many unusual foods there were until he left home.
Yasui took the book off the shelf and walked over to one of the chairs that dotted the reading areas of the library. He opened the book and began reading about some of the unique regional specialties of places like France, Spain, Germany, and many others he had only ever seen the names of in passing on a geography test. He was reading about a particular type of dumpling popular in the Czech Republic when a female voice came from in front of him.
"Excuse me, do you mind if I sit here?"
Yasui looked up and saw the wolf girl he had met a few times before holding a book and gesturing to one of the other chairs clustered in the area. If his memory served him correctly her name was… Juno. Yasui smiled.
"Go for it. It's… Juno, right?"
She tilted her head a bit as if confused before she recognized him.
"Oh! You're that fox from the cooking club! Yasui."
"Yup, that's me."
"I didn't recognize you because of the glasses at first. Are they new?"
"Yeah, I just got them. Turns out I'm nearsighted. What are you up to? Reading for fun or school?"
Juno sighed.
"School. And honestly I've never been a huge reader when it comes to my free time, so it usually is just for school."
"Ah, what class?"
"Chemistry. It's just a short report we have to do on a famous chemist from history. It's only two hundred words so not too bad. I just decided to put it off until today because the weather was so nice yesterday."
"Yeah it really was. Ah, whoops, I'm distracting you. Sorry, I'll shut my yap so you can focus."
She smiled at his clearly facetious self put-down and began flipping through the table of contents of her book. She considered the names before her for a moment before breaking the silence.
"Hey, do you have any suggestions? None of these people really stick out to me."
Yasui thought for a bit before shrugging.
"How about Marie Curie? She discovered Radium."
Juno smiled.
"Oh! A female chemist! Perfect! Let's see… ah, here she is. Let's see… mhm, that'll work. Thanks, Yasui!"
He nodded and left her to her book. After a bit of reading, she started writing her report. In a few minutes she was done and stood from her chair.
"Well that went quicker than I thought. Thanks for the suggestion."
"You're welcome. See you next time, I guess."
She smiled and nodded before walking away, tail swaying slightly as she did. And… not just her tail itself swaying.
She seems nice. Maybe I should ask her if she wants to hang out sometime? Especially given she's really pretty.
Yasui blinked and slapped his cheeks a few times to refocus.
No! Bad Yasui! Stop being creepy about girls! Bad!
With a sigh he returned to his book. It had only been ten minutes when he was interrupted halfway through a paragraph about Scottish shortbread cookies by a text message.
Shinrai: yo
S: what r you up to
Yasui: Reading right now. What about you?
S: bro you dont need punctuation in a text
S: just fyi
S: anyway I wanted to see if you wanted to hang
S: was planning on going to the mall with the boys
Yasui thought about it. He really didn't have anything he needed to do today, so why not? These were the kind of things he could only do while he was here for school, so he needed to make the most of it.
Y: When are we leaving?
S: after lunch so like 1 or something
Y: That sounds good, I'll meet you at the front gate.
Yasui spent the rest of his morning doing some small odds and ends he had been meaning to do to occupy himself until lunch. It was still such a strange feeling having this much free time. Back home he felt like he never had ten more minutes to himself in a row. Now he had a whole day.
Once he had eaten and gotten everything he thought he might need to go into town, Yasui sat in the shade by the front gates and waited for Shinrai to show up. It was one twenty before the squirrel came traipsing up the path… accompanied by the alpaca and rabbit from before. Yasui cringed.
Well… that answers the question of who "the boys" were.
Shinrai saw him and waved. Yasui watched as the other two boys' expressions turned from surprise to being a little upset. Yasui stood and joined them. He waved.
"Hey, Shin. I'm here."
Shinrai gave him a thumbs up.
"Yeah you are! Ready?"
Yasui nodded and walked beside Shinrai as far away from the other two as possible. He was well aware that as uncomfortable as he was around them, there was no love lost from them to him either. The rabbit spoke to Shinrai.
"I didn't know you were inviting your… friend. A heads up would have been nice."
Shinrai shrugged.
"It was pretty spur of the moment. Just popped into my head."
The alpaca leaned forward a bit and caught Yasui's eye. He gave him a polite smile.
"Hello again. I see you've got some new clothes since the last time we met."
Yasui nodded and mumbled his agreement. The conversation was a little tense as they walked to the station, and Yasui was by himself in the carnivore car as the three other boys sat in the herbivore car. Meanwhile in the herbivore car, Shinrai was talking to his other friends when Don groaned.
"Did you seriously have to invite that guy? I know he's your friend but he gives me the creeps."
Kashikoi crossed his arms.
"Don, every carnivore gives you the creeps. It's a little problematic actually."
Shinrai nodded and pointed at Don.
"See! Even Kashi is with me! You're the only one who has a problem with him being around."
Kashikoi raised a finger.
"Actually, I'm not. While I don't actively dislike Yasui like Don does—"
"Hey! He gives me the creeps! I don't hate him!" Interjected Don.
"—As I was saying, While I don't dislike him, I still think that inviting him was the wrong decision."
Shinrai scowled.
"What's that mean?"
Kashikoi sighed.
"Well for starters, if you hadn't noticed there clearly is no love lost between Yasui and the two of us. He's visibly uncomfortable around us."
Shinrai nodded sarcastically.
"Gee, I wonder why? It's almost like he snuck out to help us, risking getting expelled by the way, and you two muzzled him, insulted him, and generally treated him like crap."
Kashikoi winced.
"While I agree our behavior that night was… problematic. And I will be sure to personally apologize to him. He still doesn't feel comfortable around us. And on top of that, you said it yourself that he doesn't really have any money. So he can't even buy anything. That's like taking a kid to an ice cream shop and having him watch you eat ice cream without giving him any."
Shinrai opened his mouth before closing it again. He huffed.
"Okay, you have a point. But I still think he'll have fun if you two don't treat him like some sort of criminal."
Shinrai made sure to glare especially hard at Don. Don then sighed and clasped his hands in his lap, bouncing his leg nervously. He finally spoke.
"Listen, like I said, it's not that I hate the guy. I just… I've had bad experiences with foxes before, okay?"
Kashikoi smirked and elbowed him.
"What? Did one beat you at Yugomons or get dirt on your favorite shoes?"
"No, it's… well… nevermind. Forget I said anything. I promise to try to be nice to him, okay?"
Shinrai smiled and bumped Don's fist with his own.
"Thanks. I'm not asking you to be his friend, just be a bit… well… friendlier is all."
From the station to the mall was only a short walk, so the four boys found themselves through the front doors in a matter of minutes. At first they wandered aimlessly, stopping in some of the stores that looked interesting and then into some of the specific stores that each boy wanted to visit. Don stopped by a game store to buy some sort of game, and Kashikoi wanted to get a new pair of shoes for the summer. For the most part Yasui just tagged along behind them keeping Shinrai company. However, as they were leaving the food court where everyone but Yasui had gotten sodas, they walked by a massive storefront that was decorated like some sort of desert palace. It's ornate sign read "The Oasis" and had a picture of a water lily on it. Yasui tapped Shinrai and pointed to it.
"Hey, Shin. What's that place?"
Shinrai stopped to look at and both the other boys did the same. Shinrai shrugged.
"Dunno, never really paid it much attention before."
Don took a long drink from his beverage before speaking.
"I think it's like some sort of fancy spa. There used to be a large department store here that took up this end of the mall, but then it closed and the spa opened here instead. I've never been inside though."
They all voiced that they hadn't been in either. Don grinned and pushed Yasui forward a bit.
"Dude, sneak in. I dare you."
Yasui hunched his shoulders defensively and gulped.
"M-me? Why!"
"Because! It'll be awesome! See how long it takes for them to kick you out."
Kashikoi clapped Don's shoulder.
"Oh yeah? Then why don't you do it?"
Don grinned.
"We should all do it! Last person to get caught wins. The losers all have to buy them something. What do you say?"
Yasui was still apprehensive but the other guys were all down for it. Shinrai noticed and jostled his elbow.
"Relax dude! They're not going to do anything to you when they catch you! They'll just make you leave."
"Are you sure?"
"Duh, we're just kids! They won't hurt us, otherwise they'd have a huge PR fiasco on their paws."
Yasui begrudgingly nodded his agreement. He didn't want to be a buzzkill. Don rubbed his hands together like a scheming supervillain.
"Alright, we set the timer on out phones as soon as we go through the doors. And we'll need to stagger our entering so they don't catch on. I'll go first."
Don gave them a thumbs up and casually walked towards the luxurious… building? Yasui realized he didn't exactly know what to call the spa inside the mall. It was huge, but it was still technically part of the mall. As he pondered this, Shinrai clapped his hands and said,
"Wish me luck! I'm going in!"
He scampered inside. It was then just Yasui and Kashikoi. Yasui coughed awkwardly as they stood a few paces away from each other. Finally, Kashikoi broke the silence.
"Hey, Yasui."
"Hm? Yeah?"
"While I have you to myself, I want to say something. I'm sorry for how that Friday night went down. It was a really scummy thing to do, muzzling you and all. Will you forgive me?"
Yasui blinked and smiled at the alpaca.
"Y-yeah! Don't worry about it! I understand why you guys had me do it. You didn't know me and that was probably a little nerve wracking. So, I say we're even."
Kashikoi nodded and walked casually towards the spa.
"I appreciate that. See you on the other side."
Yasui stood waiting for a bit. He was trying to decide how he should go about doing this. He'd played hide and seek with his sisters before, but this was a lot different. He knew nothing about this place, so where should he hide? Maybe just the bathroom? In a closet?
"Yasui? Is that you?"
Yasui looked up as a familiar voice came from in front of him. Before him was Miss Diana dressed in her disguise of raggedy jeans and a band shirt with round purple-lensed glasses. She smiled.
"It is you! What are you doing here?"
"Oh, hi Miss Diana. I was just… waiting."
"Oh? For anything in particular?"
"Uh…."
Yasui squirmed. He didn't know if he should tell her about the game he was playing. But he was a terrible liar so she would probably figure out he wasn't being honest if he said something else. Yasui picked at his claws nervously.
"Well… you see… I, uh…."
Diana's face grew concerned.
"You're not in trouble are you? Do you need help?"
"Well no, I'm just… I'm waiting to…. I came here with my friend Shinrai and his two other friends and they decided to play a game to see if we could get into that spa without getting kicked out and whoever lasts the longest wins but I'm too nervous to go in so I'm going to lose because I've never trespassed before!"
Yasui gasped a bit after he blurted that out. Diana mouthed the word "wow" and kept silent for a bit. Then she smiled a mischievous smile.
"Hmm… how about I give you a little… help."
"Really? How?"
She pulled out her phone and typed something before putting it back in her purse. She looked at her claws and smiled.
"I think I need a day at the spa with my dear friend Yasui."
The inside of The Oasis was just as splendid as the outside with soft music playing a small incense burner hanging by the front desk. Diana confidently strutted up to the counter and addressed the cat manning the front of the house.
"Excuse me, what are your pricings?"
The cat looked up and smiled.
"Welcome to The Oasis. We have a wide variety of pricing options available for our various relaxation packages. They range from the base mani/pedi to our full service, all inclusive Lotus package which costs—"
"Oh, that one sounds fun. Two Lotus packages."
He hesitated as he looked down at Yasui. He looked like he was about to say something but seemed to think better of it. He nodded and typed something into his computer.
"Very well, that will be—"
Diana handed him her credit card and said,
"No receipt please."
"I… very well. Somebody will come fetch you momentarily. Please wait here."
"Thank you so much, you were very helpful."
The cat smiled and disappeared into a back room. Diana looked around.
"Nice place. It's been so long since I had a spa day. Now I'm doubly glad I bumped into you."
Yasui asked,
"What were you doing here before we met up?"
"I was buying a slightly more… plain outfit for the Festival this Friday. As well as a little something else. I figured I'd dress the part of a high school club sponsor."
The cat returned and motioned towards the door where a female parrot was standing. She bowed to them.
"Please follow me."
They were each led to an individual small room where they could get changed and store their clothes in a locker. Yasui was provided with a pair of white shorts, flip flops, and a fluffy bathrobe to wear. Upon exiting the room he saw that Miss Diana was dressed similarly. She was standing with her back to him, but she turned her head and smirked as he approached.
"You look confused."
Yasui tugged at his bathrobe a bit, revealing his bare torso a bit.
"They didn't give me a shirt. Just shorts."
"I guess for this spa that's pretty typical. I'm only wearing a two-piece under here."
She turned to reveal that she was still putting on her robe. Beneath the long gown, which was not yet cinched with the belt part, she was wearing what could be simply described as a white bikini. Yasui felt his face heat up and he really tried not to stare. She laughed and finished adjusting the robe.
"I guess it makes sense though. Hard to get a massage or a mineral bath in your full clothes. Anyway, let's get this started. I'm ready to be pampered."
Yasui nodded. He returned her smile and followed the parrot from before.
Get a hold of yourself! Quit… giving her the creeper stare! She's definitely not interested in me, and she's an undisclosed amount of years older than me! So stop! Being! A! Pervert! Gaaah! Why am I so horny all of the sudden!
After his mental beration, Yasui found himself in a room with comfortable chairs along the wall with basins in front of each one. They took two right beside each other and waited as two of the spa staff approached them. Miss Diana got a female sheep and Yasui got an older female red panda assigned to him. She looked around his mother's age as she smiled at him and began taking out some various files. Soon she filled the basin with warm water and had him stick his now bare feet in it. She took one of his hands in hers and began to inspect it. Almost immediately she clicked her tongue and shook her head before tapping his claws.
"You bite them, don't you."
"Uh… yeah. I know, it's a bad habit. I just do it subconsciously when I get nervous. Are they that bad?"
"Hmm… they're just… they look like you use them to dig in the dirt and open tin cans."
Yasui pursed his lips and winced a bit. That was exactly what he used his claws for. She began by soaking his fingers in a little dish until the claws were softened. She began to use a pair of trimmers to shape the claws into perfect little ovids at the tip.
"I'm assuming you don't want any polish on them?"
"Yeah, I'm not a nail polish sort of guy."
She moved on to trimming his cuticles and then filing and buffing his claws. Once she was satisfied, she began to work on his feet. Yasui looked at how smooth and shiny his claws were and whistled.
"Wow, you're good."
"Mhm, practically a miracle worker with a file."
She was giving his feet a once over like she had his hands as she said this. Yasui felt a little uncomfortable having some woman staring at his feet but he sucked it up. She wrinkled her face as she poked his paw pads and muttered an expletive. She looked up at him in disbelief.
"How."
"Uhh…."
"Your dang feet are like shoes! How do you have such huge calluses!"
"I walk barefoot a lot!"
"On gravel!?"
"Yeah."
She shook her head.
"Oh honey, it's a good thing you came here. Alright, let's get this sorted."
"Can you not scrub off my calluses? I kind of need them."
She looked down at his paws and then back up at him with a look of disbelief.
"You're serious?"
"Yeah."
She sighed.
"Fine. But don't be surprised if people think it's gross."
Yasui tilted his head.
"Why would calluses be gross? They're natural. I have a ton on my hands."
He showed her the inside of his hands. Sure enough, almost directly on the opposite side of each knuckle was a callus at the base of each finger. The spa attendant frowned.
"Have you ever heard of lotion?"
"Never used it."
"Dang kid, take better care of your body."
The rest of the manicure was occupied with idle chit chat on Miss Diana's part while Yasui listened. He had to admit, his claws did look great. Maybe he should get a file later. From there the same spa attendants began to work on their fur. The red panda started combing through Yasui's fur to inspect it and sighed.
"I'm guessing you don't use conditioner either?"
"Uuh… What exactly is conditioner?"
"What do you use to clean your fur?"
"A bar of soap."
"….That's it? No shampoo?"
"Just soap and water."
"That explains a lot. No offense, but you've got more split ends than I've ever seen before, and your fur itself is pretty dull. I think we're going to be here for a while."
She started by trimming some of the uneven bits while muttering about whoever cut his fur last being clueless until his fur was nice and even. Then she took a weird pair of scissors that had a blade that looked like a comb and began to "texturize" and "blend" his fur as she explained. Once she was satisfied, she explained that while their next treatment was being prepared, they could use the sauna down the hall. Yasui gave her a thumbs up and followed the signs to the sauna… whatever that was. He saw that there were hooks for his bathrobe so he removed it and entered the room in just the shorts he had been provided. As soon as he did, a wave of humidity and heat smacked him across the face.
"What the…."
His words died in his throat as his glasses immediately fogged up. He heard Miss Diana's voice call,
"Yasui! All done getting trimmed?"
Yasui nodded. There was an appraising hum before she continued.
"It looks good! Very fitting for you."
Yasui fumbled his way to a bench along the wall and waved some of the steam out of his face.
"It's really hot in here!"
"Well it is a sauna. It's supposed to make you sweat. Open the pores and all that."
Yasui grimaced and held his arms away from his body.
"Mission accomplished. The air feels like pea soup!"
"Hmm… I have to admit, I've never really enjoyed saunas, but I'm giving it another go. Would you mind ladling more water onto the coals?"
"Okay."
Yasui fumbled around a bit through his foggy glasses that had little droplets running down the lenses. Maybe he should have taken them off before he came in. Through one of the clear spots left by a droplet that had run down the glass, Yasui picked up the ladle and poured some water out of the bucket and onto the hot coals. Immediately a huge puff of steam plumed up in his face completely obscuring his sight. Yasui grimaced and tried to feel his way to the bench. However, his hand hit something that was not wood and there was a muffled "hrmph!" sound. Yasui pulled his hand away.
"Gah! Sorry!"
"Careful! You almost poked me in the eye."
"Sorry, I just can't see a thing in here!"
"Then take the glasses off. You're only slightly nearsighted, aren't you?"
"Oh… I guess that would work."
Yasui removed his glasses. Even still, the thick steam in the small room left Miss Diana as little more than a silhouette across from him. Which given the circumstances he had been dealing with today, maybe that was for the best. They didn't speak for the rest of the time in the sauna, and Yasui was starting to really get sick of the whole sauna experience when there was a knock on the door.
"Your baths are ready." A voice from outside called. Yasui hurried out the door and followed the spa attendant down the hall, pausing long enough to retrieve his robe to escape the unpleasantness of the sauna.
He was led to a room where a large bathtub was waiting on either side of a diving wall. Yasui was directed to the one farthest from the door and the attendant began to browse a cabinet along one wall.
"Let's see… Do you like the smell of bergamot and sage?"
Yasui shrugged.
"Probably. I trust your judgment."
She nodded and began adding something to the bath before leaving. She assured that she'd be back when it was time for his massage before leaving him to disrobe. He slipped into the warm, opaque water and splashed some of the warm warm bubbles away from his nose. He sniffed.
"Ooh, that smells good."
From the wall, he heard Miss Diana's voice.
"Well, Yasui. Are you enjoying yourself?"
Yasui jumped and looked around. The wall that the voice had come from was actually a screen that had been set up to separate his part of the room from the rest. Yasui raised his voice a bit.
"Are you taking a bath too?"
"Yes, but I think the term is actually a mineral bath. It's supposed to do wonders for the complexion."
"Cool. Yeah, this has been nice so far. My claws have never looked this good before."
"I know, this place is good. I'll have to come back in the future. I can't wait for the massage. I've had a knot in my back for a month now that I can't seem to work out."
The door opened and two spa attendants returned holding a tray apiece. The same red panda from before approached Yasui and gave him a glass of something red. Yasui let out a little "oooh" and accepted it. He was about to take a drink when he asked,
"What is this?"
"A strawberry, kiwi, and açaí smoothie."
"Wow… I only know what one of those things are. Fancy."
He took a sip and smiled, nodding happily at the attendant.
"Wow, that's good. You're the best."
She returned his smile before revealing a bottle of something.
"I brought some shampoo for you. Wanna give it a try?"
"Heck yeah! I'm gonna be so freaking fluffy after this."
She squeezed some of the light blue gel into her palms and rubbed her hands together. She then told Yasui the correct way to use the product.
"So, I need you to dampen your fur with some water."
Yasui dunked his head and wiped his eyes clear. She continued.
"And now you lather it until you have a thick layer of bubbles in your fur. And you have to be sure to get it down to the roots, like this."
She began to rub the shampoo into his fur and massaged his scalp with the tips of her fingers. As she did, Yasui's eyes crossed in pleasure. He laughed.
"Oooh, that feels relaxing."
"I have a lot of practice. Now, let that sit for a few minutes before you rinse it out. We'll bring you some towels when it's time for your massage."
"Thank you!"
Yasui leaned back in the warm water. This was actually pretty nice. He'd been a bit skeptical at first, but he was enjoying this spa treatment stuff more than he had expected. Yasui raised his voice so Diana could hear him.
"I feel like some sort of prince or something, having people bring me juice and wash my fur. This is so weird."
"I know. I love it! There's something sort of absurd about having people do stuff for you that you can do for yourself. Like if you were such a snob you hired someone to brush your teeth for you."
"Yeah, or do your laundry!"
There was a pause and Diana replied,
"Yasui, I pay someone to do my laundry."
"Oh… uh… I meant like… paying someone to do your gardening!"
"I do that as well."
"Uh… I'm going to shut up now."
"Oh relax Yasui, I'm teasing."
Yasui let out a sigh of relief. He then laughed.
"Thank goodness, I was afraid I'd just made you hate me!"
"Oh please, you thinking I'm a bit of a snob wouldn't make me dislike you. We're friends. At least… I think of you as my friend. One of the few I've ever had."
"Aw, thanks. To be honest, I kinda think of you like some sort of wacky, cool aunt or something. Probably because my own aunt hates my guts. Like, you're an adult authority figure but you don't tell me what to do and we always do weird, fun stuff together."
There was silence broken by a few sniffing sounds from the other side of the partition. Yasui waited for a moment before asking,
"Miss Diana? Are you okay? Was that too much or—"
"Doooooh! Yasuiiiiiii! You're making me cry!"
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!"
"That's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me! I'd give you a hug if I wasn't naked in the bath right now!"
Yasui blushed and glanced at the thin divider. This was the closest he had ever been to an undressed woman before. She was right over there.
Yeah no crap, dingus! It's almost like people don't strip in public! Pull yourself together!
Yasui took a deep breath and slid down a bit further into his bath. He closed his eyes and focused. All these weird, confusing thoughts. All the awkward, unwelcome feelings. He needed to just… bury them deep inside. Just push them all back out of his mind and never let them back in. He took another breath and sighed.
Much better.
Yasui sunk deeper into the mineral bath and sighed again… and immediately got a mouthful of water.
"Hrughk!"
Diana's voice rose from across the room.
"Are you okay? What was that noise?"
"Don't drink the water!"
The water was beginning to lose its warmth when Yasui and Diana were escorted to the massage parlor. They each laid down face first onto padded tables with holes cut for their faces. Then the masseuses entered the room. Diana's masseuse was a male tiger who looked to be in his thirties… and was really handsome. Yasui looked with some envy at his perfect face and muscular arms.
Lucky. Some people really do get hit with the handsome stick when they're born, huh.
A female rabbit with jet black fur came strutting in and stopped in front of Yasui.
"What's happening, little dude? I'm Miranda. You ready to get massaged?"
Yasui shrugged, his head still in the hole.
"I guess. Never done this before."
"Oooooh! That's my favorite type of client! I get to go really freaking deep! Hold onto your tail, baby. You're about to get relaxed the crap out of!"
She stepped up onto a step-stool so she could reach him and took a small bottle of warm oil and rubbed it on her hands. She then cracked her knuckles and her neck.
"Alright! Let's get cracking!"
She started by pressing her fingers into the muscles along the small of Yasui's back.
"Daaaaaang! You're tense. Let's fix that."
She switched from using her fingers to kneading his muscles with the heels of her palms with quite a healthy amount of elbow grease. Yasui grunted and clutched the table as she very forcefully "relaxed" him. She then moved to his shoulders. She tried to get them unbunched for a few minutes before she huffed.
"Need more leverage. Hang tight, babycakes!"
Yasui was about to speak when he felt a weight settle on his back and she began again on his shoulders with redoubled force. Glancing back he saw that the rabbit was straddling his torso and practically leaning directly over his head to get the appropriate leverage. Yasui then glanced over to where Diana was. She appeared to be having a great time, and her masseuse was gently rubbing her back with smooth fluid motions. The rabbit whistled to herself and muttered so that Yasui could hear,
"Boy do I looove watching him work. Look at those arms, and those pecs. Mmmm, scrumptious."
She raised her voice.
"Looking good, Sami!"
The tiger glanced up and gave her a little smirk. Yasui immediately felt a little inadequate.
Oh gosh, he's so cool. He even smiles better than I do. Is there some way to learn how to do that?
He was interrupted by a loud *POP* from his neck as she pressed down a bit on the base of it. She clicked her tongue.
"My guy, do you ever unclench your jaw and relax your shoulders? Work with me a bit."
She then started rubbing her fingers into the sides of his neck just a bit before slowly tilting his head to the side. She then pushed his opposite shoulder down which resulted in another sharp *POP* before repeating on the other side. This was remarkably less relaxing than Yasui had been led to believe it should be, and it wasn't even close to done. Next was his upper back, which she got so frustrated with that she went from his palms to her knuckles to finally using her elbow to try to unclench. Once she was satisfied she moved to his legs.
"When's the last time you stretched?!"
"I don't knooOOOW!"
She was pulling his leg straight back until his hamstrings felt like they were going to snap. She repeated this with each leg before having him flip onto his back so she could do the same thing again, this time it was his butt that felt like it was falling apart. Once that was done, she flipped him back over so he was once again face down on the table. He felt like cloth that had been wrung out too much, limp and floppy. She rolled her shoulders and put more oil on her hands.
"Alright, I think we're ready."
"For wha-ha-ha-at?"
"To start the massage, goofus. Had to get you untensed enough for me to actually be able to massage you."
Yasui groaned in despair. His masseuse rested a hand on his shoulder.
"D'ya need a little break? I know I can get a little… intense."
"No… just get it over with."
"This part is much better, you'll see. Just relax."
Yasui braced himself mentally for more uncomfortable stretching, but instead she started gently rubbing her palms against his back, applying just enough pressure to relax his muscles. Immediately Yasui untensed as he felt confident more pain wasn't coming. Miranda laughed.
"See, now that I have something to work with, I can actually get to the massaging part."
From there the rest of the massage was very pleasant. Yasui had never felt so loose and relaxed. But all good things must come to an end, and soon Yasui was dressed in his normal clothes once more standing in the hallway outside the changing rooms waiting for Miss Diana. Eventually she emerged with her original outfit back on and with a fresh application of makeup. She took a moment to look him over and laughed.
"Why Yasui, I think you're a good three centimeters taller now that your shoulders aren't so slouched over."
"Really!?"
"Mhm, and your fur is definitely much improved over what it was before."
Yasui ran his fingers through the fur around his cheeks. Even after just one application, the shampoo and mineral bath has really made it soft and fluffy. And he smelled really good.
"Wow… I'm really fluffy now."
Diana grinned and felt his fur too.
"You really are fluffy! Careful, I might not be able to resist the temptation."
Yasui snickered and lashed his tail back and forth. It was also smooth and soft, and had been trimmed into a more even shape and thickness.
"I'll have to pick up some shampoo then. Don't want to rob you of all this. Otherwise you might not keep me around."
Diana shook her head and gave him a cheerful smile.
"Go on and meet back up with your friends. I won't keep you any longer."
"Oh shoot! I completely forgot about that!"
"You might need a cover story though. I guess you can always just tell them that you sweet talked some random person into letting you join them? It's up to you, really."
"I dunno, I guess I'll think of something. See you later, Miss Diana. Thanks so much for this! You're the best!"
Upon instinct, Yasui gave her a quick hug and hurried out of the spa. Miss Diana stood there with her arms crossed before sniffing and wiping something out of her eye.
"Dang it, Yasui. And just after I got my makeup fixed."
Upon exiting the spa, Yasui saw that neither Shinrai nor his friends were around. He pulled out his phone and checked the time. He'd been in there for over an hour and a half. Yasui grimaced as he saw multiple missed texts from Shinrai asking where he was and if he was okay. The last one said that they were going to the arcade for a bit and to look for him there. Yasui looked around for the arcade but didn't see it. He looked at one of the map kiosks that dotted the mall and traced a path from his location to the label for the arcade. It was on the second floor just a short walk away.
Yasui hurried to the escalator and scanned the second floor for the arcade. And there it was, across the walkway and down the right side just a bit. Yasui jogged over to it and stepped inside. Immediately, he felt like his eyes were going to burst and his ears might pop. There were more flashing colors, loud noises, and mixed smells than he had ever experienced before all slamming into him at once. Near the far wall, he spotted Shinrai and the others. Shinrai was watching while his two friends played some sort of game with toy guns they were pointing at the screen. Yasui made his way there as quickly as he could, weaving around the various beasts of all shapes and sizes that were playing the different games available in the arcade. Yasui waved and called out,
"Hey, Shinrai! Hey!"
The squirrel looked over in his direction and immediately gave Yasui a look of surprise.
"Dude! Where have you been! It's been ages!"
"Sorry, I was still in the spa. I didn't have my phone on me. So who won?"
"Take a wild guess! We were starting to think you had gotten either lost or arrested!"
"Oh… sorry to worry you."
Shinrai then looked more closely at him.
"Hey, Yasui? Did you… get your fur trimmed?"
"Yeah. Do you think it looks good?"
Don glanced back and asked,
"What the heck did you do?"
"I got a spa treatment."
The rabbit scoffed.
"You can't just buy a spa treatment! That's cheating!"
"I didn't buy it."
Kashikoi burst out laughing.
"Seriously?!"
Shinrai crossed his arms.
"It checks out, Yasui is flat broke."
"Hey! I have some money now! I have a job, you know."
"But not enough for a spa day."
Don huffed while Kashikoi shrugged.
"That's good enough for me. I guess Yasui won fair and square."
Yasui barely heard it due to the noise of the arcade, but he caught Don's disparaging grumble he muttered under his breath.
"Of course he's good at sneaking around. He's a fox after all."
Yasui frowned but didn't comment because nobody else seemed to have caught it. Shinrai sighed and pulled out his wallet.
"Alright, what do you want? We agreed that all the losers would chip in to buy something for the winner. Just, be reasonable."
I kinda forgot about that. Guess it's a good thing I didn't lose then. I probably couldn't have afforded that.
Yasui thought for a bit as the two other boys finished their game. As they put the toy guns back in their holsters, they looked at him with expectancy and just a hint of disappointment. Yasui gulped.
"I really don't think we have to do that. I don't really need anything, you know?"
Kashikoi waved his hand dismissively.
"It doesn't have to be something major. Just something that caught your eye in one of the stores today."
"I really can't think of anything though! And it just feels too much like cheating, you know?"
The other boys all shrugged with Kashikoi adding a quick "suite yourself" as he and Don headed for a different game. Yasui didn't even attempt to play any of the games the other three played, with how bad he had been when he had tried that game with Jack and his roommates, he would only end up wasting money. It was approaching evening when they began to head back to the train station. As they walked Don said,
"You guys want to grab dinner off campus? There's a really good curry place a block away."
Yasui perked his ear up.
"Curry? I love curry!"
Kashikoi shrugged and Shinrai gave a thumbs up.
"I could go for that. Lead the way!"
The shop in question was a small establishment that smelled strongly of curry and spices. Along one wall were several pictures of different beasts who had eaten there. They got a booth so Yasui and Shinrai sat together across from Kashikoi and Don as the waiter gave them menus. He began by telling them about some specials while Yasui browsed the menu. He wanted something hot. As hot as the curry his mother made. And that's when he saw it.
Take the Devil's Gate Curry challenge. Eat the entire portion of Devil's Gate Curry in less than thirty minutes to receive your meal free as well as a t-shirt. See if you are brave enough to challenge the Devil and join the wall of fame!
Yasui pursed his lips and thought it over. This had to be some seriously hot curry, but so was his mother's special birthday curry. It had driven his dad to tears the one time he ate it. What was the worst that could happen?
Once the other three boys had ordered. Yasui looked at the waiter and said,
"Can I do that Devil's Gate Curry thing?"
The waiter hesitated before replying.
"Sorry, you have to be at least sixteen to try."
"I am sixteen! And I have the ID to prove it!"
Yasui whipped out his school ID as the others looked on in shock. The waiter shrugged and gave him a serious look.
"Are you sure you want to do this?"
"Of course! I love spicy food!"
"Okay, give me just a second."
He left and the three other boys turned to Yasui with looks ranging from concern to anticipation. Shinrai spoke first.
"Yasui, are you sure you want to do this? This isn't your normal spicy food."
Yasui shrugged.
"I told you, I love spicy food. I have a pretty high tolerance for it."
Don was grinning and had his phone ready to record the whole ordeal.
"Dude, I can't wait. This is gonna be so good. Apparently somebody got hospitalized because of this curry once."
That made Yasui a little less confident, especially because the waiter returned with a form to sign waiving his right to press charges against the restaurant if he was permanently injured. By this point Yasui was starting to sweat a little. Had he made a horrible mistake? Kashikoi looked him up and down before saying,
"It's not too late to back out."
Yasui shook himself.
"No way, Mama didn't raise a quitter!"
The atmosphere in the restaurant was beginning to grow excited. Word was spreading that someone was taking the challenge. More and more people were standing around their table, not even pretending to give them some privacy. He heard general murmuring from the crowd that was not exactly soothing his nerves.
"That little fox?! Oh, he's going to die."
"I wonder how hard he'll cry?"
"Somebody's taste buds got melted one time, no joke."
Finally, when Yasui was afraid he was about to jump out of his skin with nerves, there was a commotion as the head chef left the kitchen to deliver the curry, and he was followed by all the other staff. The chef, a large crocodile, set a plate of curry down in front of him that was the color of fresh blood. It was so red it was almost like it was glowing. He then set a pitcher of water in front of Yasui and a glass. He pulled out a stopwatch.
"You have forty-five minutes to clean your plate. Only that pitcher of water is allowed until you're done. When you pick up your spoon I'll start the clock. Are you ready?"
Yasui gulped.
"Can I go pee first?"
There was silence before the chef sighed.
"Yes."
Yasui slipped out of the booth and hurried to the bathroom. He closed the door behind him and looked at his reflection in the mirror.
What did I just get myself into! Ooooh! This was a mistake! But I can't quit now! I'd look like such a loser! Oh please… please please please let me be okay!
Yasui took a deep breath to steady his nerves and put his hand back on the door handle… before realizing he really did need to pee.
One bathroom trip later and Yasui was back in front of the curry. The crowd was watching with anticipation as Yasui was about to pick up his spoon before hesitating. He pressed his hands together and bowed towards the chef.
"Thank you for the food."
He then squeezed his eyes shut and kept his hands pressed together.
And thank you to whatever peppers from hell went into this curry. Please don't melt my tongue.
One person in the crowd muttered, "Is he praying?"
"Probably. I would."
Yasui picked up the spoon and dug it into the curry. For a moment, he wondered why exactly he was doing this. Then he decided to just stop thinking. As soon as the curry hit his tongue, it was like someone had doused his mouth in gasoline before feeding him a lighter. Immediately his eyes welled with tears. There were some snickers from the crowd as Yasui blinked his eyes and sat frozen.
"He's gone into shock!"
"Oh crap! That's so hilarious!"
"Do we need to call an ambulance?"
Yasui sniffled and chewed his bite before taking another, and another, and another. As he picked up speed, he gave the chef a drippy grin.
"It's just like the curry *sniff* my mom makes! It's *snort* delicious!"
The mocking tone of the audience shifted to awe as Yasui shoveled the curry into his mouth, occasionally pausing to blow his nose or wipe the tears out of his eyes. Soon enough one of the bystanders began clapping and chanting.
"Eat it! Eat it! Eat it!"
Shinrai drummed the table and whooped,
"You got this, Yasui! Keep going!"
And then more people got in on the brewing excitement.
"Ya-su-i! Ya-su-i! Ya-su-i!"
Yasui couldn't even believe it. They were all cheering him on. He'd never had something like this happen before. Usually he got laughed at or occasionally a pity clap when he tried to compete at something, but these people were actually rooting for him. Yasui felt a little feeling stir in his chest, something new. He felt… pride? Confidence? Something like that. He sped up and absolutely demolished the rest of the spicy curry, tears and snot pouring from his facial orifices. His entire mouth felt like it was melting and he was pretty sure his tongue might be bleeding, but he finally finished the curry. Everyone cheered and began high-fiving as Shinrai grabbed his shoulders and practically tackled him. Yasui decided to showboat a bit, so he picked up the empty plate and licked it clean.
"No! Freaking! Way!"
Laughter and cheers came from the surrounding crowd as the chef grabbed Yasui's wrist and held his hand aloft.
"We have a new winner!"
Yasui was really feeling the burn now as sweat poured down his face. He immediately grabbed the glass of water and started chugging it before Shinrai pulled it away.
"Slow down, dude! You'll make yourself sick!"
Yasui nodded, tongue still burning, but he did manage to slow down drinking the water. He had just refilled his glass when the chef returned carrying a t-shirt. He handed it to Yasui and posed with him as one of the waitresses took a picture. Yasui looked at the shirt once everything had quieted down a bit. It was black with red lettering that stated "I Conquered the Demon's Gate Curry Challenge" in fiery font. As the other boys finished their normal curry, Yasui soaked his tongue in a glass of water. As they were all walking back to the train station, Shinrai rushed ahead of Yasui and turned so he could walk backwards and talk to him.
"What was that about your Mom's curry?"
Yasui adjusted the shirt he had draped over his arm and shrugged.
"Oh yeah, I forgot I mentioned that. So, basically, it all goes back to this one time a few years ago—"
[Six years ago.]
[Ino, Yasui's mother, was in the final stages of preparing the evening meal for everyone as her husband, Ibiki, came trudging through the door. He paused to give her a kiss.
"Have a good birthday so far?"
She smiled as she hefted a then three year old Lily so she could give her father a kiss on the cheek.
"Well, so far it's been a bit busy. Yone won't stop teasing Yasui about how he fell in the creek earlier; Yasui is, well, still Yasui so a bit… needy; Kime is distraught because one of the other girls at school said she wasn't her friend anymore; Mina tried to eat a tree branch; and Lily has insisted on following me around all day today. So nothing too unusual."
Ibiki gave her a sympathetic smile and took their youngest daughter out of her arms. He shook his head.
"Shouldn't have to work so hard on your birthday. After dinner, relax for a bit. I'll take care of the kids."
"Are you sure? You've been up since dawn in the fields today. You look dead on your paws."
"I'll be fine. I've been trying to find time to be around the kids more, given how busy the farm has been keeping me lately."
"Well… if you insist. Can you get the rest of the kids from outside? Dinner's ready."
Once they were all gathered around the table, Ino carried a large pot of steaming red curry over and set it on the table. Ibiki smiled at her.
"Looks great like al—"
His words died in his throat as a piercing, burning scent filled his nostrils. He gulped as he appraised the fiery color of the curry.
"So, uh, what did you put in it?"
"You know how much I love peppers, so I decided to kick it up a notch."
Apprehensively, the other members of the family took their plates of curry and began to eat, only for there to be immediate and violent reactions as they realized that it was as hot as a blazing coal. Ibiki gasped and drank some water, his spoon lying on the table where he dropped it.
"Holy! Ha-ha-HaaaaaaAH! Hot! Too hot!"
Ino had tears in her eyes as the curry scorched her mouth.
"Th-the peppers must have infused more than I thought they would! It's… actually pretty good!"
Ibiki fanned his tongue as he poured milk for himself and the children as they desperately tried to extinguish their tongues.
"Honey, you are crazy! That's borderline, no, completely inedible!"
Ino sniffed her now very cleared out nose and continued eating.
"Fine, more for me!"
She looked over and saw a very watery eyed Yasui still slowly eating his serving of curry beside her. He swallowed his bite and gasped.
"It's good, M-Mom! Even i-if it burns my face!"
"Ooh! That's my boy!"]
"—And now it's tradition for Mom to make a small batch of her inedible curry for the two of us on her birthday."
Don made a face.
"I don't get people who want their food to hurt them."
Yasui shrugged.
"I can't explain it, but I just like that burning feeling you get on your tongue. And I seem to have a pretty high tolerance for spice anyway."
The rest of the day went by quietly, and soon the school week began once again. However, the atmosphere around school had grown anxious and excited. The big festival was this week, and after that was one more week of classes until summer break. Yasui was so caught up in trying to prepare for the festival that he didn't even realize that summer break was coming up until Shinrai mentioned it over lunch on Wednesday.
"So, Yasui, I'm assuming you're going home over the break."
"Huh? Break? What break?"
Shinrai raised his eyebrow and deadpanned,
"Summer break?"
Yasui froze, mind reeling as he thought about what he had just heard. His eyes widened and he gasped,
"Oh no! I forgot about the break! I… I'll need to find out when a bus leaves and how much it will cost."
Shinrai already had his phone out.
"What's the name of that town where you left home from?"
"Uh… Aka-Shukusha."
"Oooookay… aaaaand… looks like a bus leaves for there the Monday of the first week of the break at nine in the morning. It only costs a few hundred yen."
Yasui sighed.
"Oh good. Thanks, Shin."
"No worries. I'll text you a link to the website."
"Nice. So I guess I'll have to stay in my dorm that weekend after classes get out. Hopefully that bus station isn't too far from here."
Shinrai slapped the table and pointed at Yasui excitedly.
"Dude! You should come stay at my house! It's just a block or two away from the station! And it would be so fun to hang out that weekend!"
"Really!? You'd let me stay with you?"
"So long as my mom is fine with it. I'll text here right now."
He typed something into his phone and then put it away. He then grinned at Yasui.
"Even if you can't stay there overnight, you could probably still come over those days. My family doesn't usually do anything much over summer break because we're not exactly rich. Both Don and Kashi go on vacation somewhere nice, so I'm usually all by myself. We could watch movies or something!"
Yasui returned his friend's smile.
"That sounds awesome! If you're ever in the mountains for some reason, I'm sure you could stay at my family's home. We'd probably just have to share a bed though. It's pretty small."
Shinrai laughed at that and shook his head. As they ate, Shinrai surreptitiously snuck his fork over towards Yasui's and stole a small bite of bean steak. Yasui frowned and looked at the squirrel who only put his finger up to his lips and went "shhhh" before picking up some of his sliced vegetables and putting them on Yasui's plate.
"There, all better."
"Couldn't you just ask for the carnivore option?"
"I just got a random craving for bean steak, can't help it."
Yasui rolled his eyes and crunched on one of the carrots he had just received. Shinrai tapped his finger on the table and asked,
"So, are you busy setting up for the festival this week?"
"Yeah. I'm meeting with my club sponsor today after school to set up the actual booth itself and any decorations we're doing. Then on Friday we're going to make sure everything is working properly and get as much of the ingredients as we can early."
"Nice. We're just setting up a little photo booth area with some props and whatever. We're not even manning it, so I'll swing by your stand and grab some food."
Yasui laughed.
"Well at least we'll have one customer!"
By the time Yasui's last class had ended, the sun was starting to creep past its zenith and the air was getting hot. Yasui wiped the back of his neck as sweat began to bead along his body. A strong wind was just beginning to pick up, so some of the heat was abating. However, as Yasui sniffed the wind and squinted at the sky he frowned.
Uh-oh, that's an ominous wind. I think a storm might be brewing out at sea. Hopefully it comes sooner rather than later so the festival isn't a total wash.
At the festival grounds, he saw Miss Diana checking the supplies while Charles began setting up the tent they were going to use. She spotted him and waved. Yasui almost laughed when he saw what she was wearing. She had on a faded pair of jeans with sneakers, a red tank top, and a black baseball cap that read "Cherryton Cooking Club" in white lettering. She was also wearing the same pair of round, purple sunglasses he'd seen her wear before. Yasui laughed as he got closer.
"Miss Diana! I almost didn't recognize you in those work clothes!"
"I know, it's a bit of a step down from my usual attire, but I still like to think I make it look travailler-chic."
"If anyone can, it's you. Hi, Mr. Charles."
The large gorilla nodded at him. He was wearing black jeans and a camo shirt. Yasui rubbed his hands together.
"So what needs doing first?"
Miss Diana held up a whiteboard and a marker.
"First, you have to write the name of your club as well as what you're selling. I'll help you calculate the prices on Friday after we buy everything we can get in advance ingredient-wise."
Yasui nodded and accepted the board. As careful and neatly as he could, he wrote out "Cherryton Cooking Club" in bold characters. Below it he wrote "Crepes, Hot Corn, Sweet Potato Fritters." He had gone as slowly as he could so it would look tidy, so it took him the better part of thirty minutes before he was satisfied. It was then that Chaussette joined them. She slithered over to Yasui.
"Sssorry I'm late. There wassss a bit of a hold up."
Yasui smiled at her.
"No worries. Unlike some of the other clubs, there's only so much we can really do in advance because we're selling food. I think we're mainly decorating and setting up today."
"Sssounds good. What can I do to help?"
"Well, let's go talk to our new official club sponsor and see."
Yausi walked with the snake over to where Miss Diana was directing Charles.
"It's a tiny bit crooked I think. Can you adjust that leg a bit to the left?"
"Here?"
"Little more."
"Now?"
"Back a bit."
"Do you want to do this instead?"
Yasui cleared his throat.
"Miss Diana, meet Chaussette. Chaussette, Miss Diana."
The older female turned and smiled at the two of them. She extended her hand to Chaussette low enough so she could easily loop her tail around it.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Chaussette. And I'm sure you remember Charles."
Chaussette inclined her head to them both.
"I'm glad of the opportunity to be a part of thissss club. I'm willing to help however I can."
Miss Diana rested her hands on her hips and hummed thoughtfully.
"Honestly, I think we should have the boys do the heavy lifting while we design the overall appearance of the booth. Guys tend to be hopeless in that area."
Chaussette flicked her tongue excitedly.
"That sssoundsss like a great idea. Now, what exactly did you have in mind for the booth?"
That left Yasui to help Charles assemble the tent, the table for them to set plates and such on at the front, as well as the grill and another table for the gas cooktop they had. As they worked, Yasui asked,
"Where did all this stuff come from?"
"Miss Diana called in a few favors. She knows more than a few people who sell or rent this sort of stuff."
"Wow, that's so cool. I wish I was business smart like she is. I'm still pretty bad with money."
"You don't naturally start out knowing all the ins and outs of the business world. Everyone starts somewhere."
"So what about you? What did you do before you worked for Miss Diana?"
"Me? Well, I was in the military for years. Unfortunately I was injured to an extent where I was honorably discharged. Diana was looking for someone to act as her driver as well as a general deterrent, and my old CO recommended me."
"Wow, that's so cool. No wonder you're so strong."
"That comes from regular exercise and a healthy diet."
"Maybe you could give me some tips on how to not be so tiny. You know, not be so tiny?"
"For now, just be patient. Eat a lot, sleep enough, drink water, and get some sunlight. Once you've finished growing, if you're still interested, I'm more than happy to help you start an exercise regimen."
"Sounds like a plan!"
It was pretty tedious work to assemble everything and get it secured and in place, and by the time they were finished it was getting close to sunset. Yasui hoped he would make it back in time for dinner at school. Chaussette had finished up earlier than he did so he'd told her to go back rather than waste her time watching him. He said his goodbyes to Miss Diana and Charles and got ready to head back to school when he realized he needed to take a brief pitstop to the bathrooms. Inside, as he was washing his hands, he heard the door open and watched as Legoshi came stalking in with green paint all over his face. Yasui perked up his ears.
"Huh? Legoshi, what happened? Why do you have paint all over you?"
The wolf sighed as he turned on a sink and began scrubbing at his face.
"One of my club mates was holding a paintbrush when a bee flew at his face. He accidentally threw the brush at me."
"Oh no! Did it get in your eye?"
"No. I'm fine. Just need to clean it before it dries."
Yasui looked him over and saw that some had splattered on the collar of his shirt.
"Hey Legoshi, give me your shirt and I'll try to scrub it out for you. Otherwise it might stain."
"Hm? Oh, I didn't even notice. You don't have to do that, I can get it."
"Nah, this way I can do that while you clean your face. Then we can walk back to school together!"
"Okay… thanks, Yasui."
It took a decent bit of scrubbing, but eventually most of the green paint had come out of Legoshi's shirt. Once Yasui was satisfied with his work and Legoshi had cleaned himself up, they stepped outside to a now empty festival ground. Yasui looked around and crossed his arms.
"Looks like everyone left without us."
"Mhm."
The wind was starting to pick up, and Yasui smelled the familiar scent of rain on the wind. The storm was blowing in. He could tell.
"We need to get a move on, Legoshi. It's going to start raining pretty soon. I give it like an hour or less."
"Huh? But the weather report said it wasn't supposed to rain until tomorrow night."
"The nose knows, Legoshi. I can sense the rain. I smell it and I feel the pressure in my sinuses."
"Well if that's the case, I have to go cover the dinosaur statue with some tarps! We haven't put the top coat on yet, so if it gets wet the statue will be ruined!"
Legoshi ran towards the large statue the Drama Club had been working on all week and began grabbing some tarps they had stashed with the paint and brushes. As he began to try to throw the first tarp over the statue, Yasui caught up.
"Hey, Legoshi! Give me a boost, and I'll spread the tarp on the statue! Together we should be tall enough to make it!"
Legoshi nodded and knelt down so Yasui could climb onto his back. Once Yasui was secure, Legoshi stood and boosted him on his shoulders so that Yasui could spread the tarp over the tail of the dinosaur. Things were going smoothly until they reached the back of the dinosaur, which was much higher than the tail. Yasui couldn't reach over the statue now. He called down,
"Hey Legoshi! I can't reach over its back! It's too tall!"
"Yeah, unfortunately we already took the ladders and scaffolding down and locked them in the tool shed. I don't have a key."
"Well… I think I'll need to climb onto the statue to get the rest of the tarps on."
"But how will you get down?"
"I'll jump and you'll catch me. Obviously I'm not too heavy for you."
"You sure?"
"Oh please, the first time we met I fell out of a tree and knocked myself out. What could go wrong?"
"Okay… if you think you can. I'll boost you up some more, try to keep your balance!"
Legoshi grasped Yasui's shoes and slowly pushed him up the side of the statue. Fortunately Yasui was light enough that he wasn't worried about breaking part of the art piece as he shimmied his way along the back of the dinosaur. From that point, Legoshi could throw him the tarps and he could cover the statue with them. They were almost done with the back when the clouds started rolling in, and by the time they were halfway up the neck fat raindrops were sporadically dripping from the heavens. Yasui looked up as a low rumble filled the sky.
"Hurry! We're almost there!"
It was a mad dash to cover the last bit of the statue, and Yasui was afraid there was a tiny bit of water damage to the head of the statue as the sky opened up as he adjusted the last tarp. He called down through the pouring rain,
"We're good! Let's get out of here!"
"Okay! I'm ready! Jump!"
Yasui wiped some water off his glasses and said a silent prayer.
Please let him catch me so I don't break my skull on the ground!
And Yasui slid off the back of the statue. There was a gut wrenching few seconds as gravity took over and he fell towards the ground where Yasui was worried he had made a huge mistake, but Legoshi managed to grab him by the waist and set him to the ground before they ran for the closest bit of cover they could, the first aid tent that had been set up at one corner of the grounds. As the rain drummed on the tent overhead, Legoshi let out a long sigh.
"Good thing you have some sort of weather powers. That could have been really bad."
"Well, I'm a farmer. Rain is a pretty big deal for us. You kinda learn how to predict it."
"Oh yeah, that makes sense."
A low rumble of thunder came rolling in after a brief flash of lightning. Yasui gulped.
"Uh… that lightning is getting closer."
"Yeah…."
"I think we should make a break for school. Otherwise we could get stuck here for a really long time."
"I had a feeling that was the case."
Yasui sighed and put his glasses in his pocket. He didn't want to risk them slipping off. He tied his shoes a bit tighter and looked up at Legoshi.
"Run on three?"
"Sounds good to me."
"Okay. One… two… three!"
Together, the two ran off into the rain. Almost immediately Yasui was completely soaked by the chilly water absolutely pouring from the clouds. With his longer legs, Legoshi was leading by a clear margin, but Yasui was quick for his size, as foxes tend to be. By the time they reached the school gates, they both were completely saturated and panting for breath. They made one final dash for the dorms and came to a halt under the cover of the front door's archway. Yasui was doubled over gasping for air as rainwater streamed off him and onto the ground. He looked over and saw that Legoshi was leaning against the wall with his tongue lolled out. Somehow, even despite the fact that he was completely soaked, his fur was still all stuck up on the back of his head. Almost simultaneously they shook themselves, sending droplets spraying in all directions. Almost immediately Yasui felt the sudden chill caused by the rain and began to shiver in his sopping wet clothes.
"Oh g-geez! I'm f-freezing!"
"Y-yeah! S-same! Let's g-go to my room. Ask J-Jack to make us some tea while w-we dry off."
"T-that sounds great!"
As they walked through the doors, Yasui paused as he realized his shoes were sending spurts of water shooting out with each step. Hesitantly he pulled them off and removed his socks before dumping the excess water outside and carrying them with him while barefoot. He felt pretty miserable as they approached room 701 and Legoshi opened the door. The other boys were gathered around the small tv they had and were watching something as Yasui and Legoshi walked in. Jack looked up and exclaimed,
"Legoshi! Where have you been?! And why are you so wet!?"
"S-sorry. Had to cover the d-dinosaur statue!"
The wolf punctuated this by sneezing loudly and bleakly wiping his nose. Jack jumped to his feet and rushed over.
"Oh no! You're going to catch a cold! Go dry off, I'll make you something hot to drink."
Legoshi jerked his thumb behind him.
"Would you mind making two of those 'something hot to drink'?"
Jack looked behind Legoshi to the miserable looking vulpine behind him.
"Yasui!? What on earth happened!"
Immediately the four other boys all piped up with a call of "Ay yo, Frizbeeeeee!" Before returning to their tv. Jack rolled his eyes as Yasui shrugged.
"He needed help."
"Doesn't he always. C'mon, I have a spare towel you can use. And I'll lend you some dry clothes."
Durham snickered.
"He could probably just wear one of Legoshi's shirts as a dress."
Yasui laughed.
"It might actually be too long on me."
Miguno looked over and whistled.
"Wow, with all your fur matted down like that you somehow look even smaller. Not to be rude or anything!"
Yasui huffed and shuffled towards the small bathroom that was in the room.
"Don't remind me."
Once both boys had toweled off and were in some nice, dry clothes, they joined the other boys around the tv as the storm continued to rage outside. Legoshi had gotten changed first and was practically inhaling a bag of chips as he sat on his bed. Yasui hung his wet clothes up to dry before accepting the cup of tea that Jack handed to him. The Labrador shook his head as he went back to his original seat.
"You two will be lucky if you don't get sick from this."
Yasui took a drink of his tea and stretched his neck.
"I'll probably be fine. I have a pretty strong constitution."
Legoshi shoveled another handful of chips into his mouth and grunted.
"I'll drink some orange juice."
As Yasui sat down on the floor a bit between Legoshi and Jack, a crinkling sound notified him that Legoshi was holding the bag towards him. Yasui looked from the bag to the wolf who only shook it enticingly. Yasui's stomach growled.
"Well… maybe a few."
They ate the whole bag between the two of them, and then an entire bag of cheese straws followed by one anpan each (although Yasui tapped out halfway through his and gave the rest to Legoshi.)
I feel like Mom wouldn't approve of that as being a meal. It's not exactly nutritious.
Yasui couldn't remember a better evening. He felt right at home with the other guys of room 701, and grew a bit less quiet around them as the night grew older. During one commercial break, Legoshi started telling them all about a dream he had the other night.
"So I had a really weird dream a while ago. In this dream, I suddenly grew to be absolutely gigantic. Like, Mothzilla size. Bigger than a skyscraper!"
Collot laughed.
"And you went on a rampage and destroyed the whole town?"
"No, actually. I just went about my life like usual. Except I realized that being a giant would be such a pain! I couldn't actually go to classes anymore unless I knelt down and stuck my eye up to a window! And then the teacher was so small I couldn't hear them! And don't get me started on how many times I had to go through the line for food before I was full."
Jack snorted in laughter.
"How'd you even go through the line?!"
"I stuck my hand through the door and walked my fingers along. I kept knocking tables over."
Yasui lifted his finger and added.
"Imagine how expensive it would be to buy clothes if you were a giant! 'Excuse me, do you have any size three-million XL pants in stock?' Like, I don't know if there's enough fabric on the planet for that!"
Durham started cackling.
"Were you wearing clothes in your dream or were you butt naked the whole time!?"
Legoshi blushed and looked away.
"Gee, I don't really remember. But logically my clothes would have been too small."
Miguno elbowed Durham.
"Now that's a scary thought, you're just trying to go about your day and you have to deal with Legoshi being naked and the size of a mountain! Traumatizing!"
Voss piped in,
"They'd probably arrest him for public nudity if they had a jail big enough."
Yasui shrugged.
"I don't know, if you're so big you have to try not to squish people underfoot, I think you can do just about whatever you want without fear of being arrested."
The other boys nodded and Jack laughed.
"Fair enough."
Legoshi just groaned.
"Oh great! Another reason why being a giant would suck! You'd be naked all the time!"
It felt nice to just spend time with some other guys his age. He wasn't really used to it, because back home he had always been a bit of a shut in. He felt truly relaxed by the end of the evening, and even felt much less nervous as Wednesday gave way to Thursday, and Thursday gave way to Friday. Friday after class was consumed with buying ingredients and finishing the plans that were being established for how he and Chaussette would run the stand during the festival. However, as he was lying down to sleep that Friday night, Yasui felt a pit growing in his stomach. Tomorrow was the big day. It was do or die. With a sigh, Yasui settled into his pillow.
How'd this week fly by so fast!?