the dragon club

DISCLAIMER: this chapter is inspired by Victorious "The Gorilla Club" episode.

In an effort to take more risks, Koichi goes to an underground spot called 'The Dragon Club'.


In acting class, Koichi is rehearsing a role for an upcoming school play with Ms. Kuki.

"YOU WANNA KNOW WHAT MAKES ME SICK?!?"

Okuyasu walks in the classroom, "Is it eating bad pudding on a roller coaster? 'Cause I did that once and threw up."

"Shh. he's rehearsing a scene."

"Answer me!"

"You ask me one more question and I'll take that pencil and stick it RIGHT IN YOUR NECK!"

(laughing)

Koichi raised an eyebrow, "What?"

"Koichi, you're playing a character that's pushy and aggressive. You need to unleash your inner dragon that's inside of you and learn how to be a risk taker. You can't be your…scaredy-cat self." said Ms. Kuki

"Scaredy-cat?"

"Yeah. you are a bit of a scaredy-cat, Koichi." Okuyasu laughs

Koichi crossed his arms, "I am not a scaredy-cat and I'm a risk taker. I can show you guys that I can be pushy and aggressive."

"Okay then. show it. Let's rehearse this scene. make us believe that you're dangerous." Ms. Kuki said picking up the script booklet

"Answer me!"

"You ask me one more question and I'll take that pencil and stick it RIGHT IN YOUR NECK!"

(laughing)

"okay Koichi. you seriously need to work on your aggressiveness otherwise, you won't be in the leading role for the play next week."

"How?" Koichi raised an eyebrow

"I don't know, ask your friends to help you learn how to be more of a risk taker. I'm pretty sure they know something."

"Okay."

Ms. Kuki paused in the doorway, "Remember, less priss and more risks."

Later that evening at the Higashikata's residence, the group are sitting at the gambling table playing cards.

Josuke puts his cards in the betting deck, "I've got five clovers and bet five reds."

"I called your five reds and raise you two yellows." Zari eats the candy

"You gotta put them in the pile, Zari."

"Kay." Zari spits out the candy and puts it in the pile.

"so, are you ready for the play Next Friday?" said Kiwi

"kinda. Ms. Kuki says that I'm not that much of a risk taker. She said I'm a scaredy-cat. Do you guys think I'm a scaredy-cat?"

"Yes, you're afraid of everything."

"absolutely."

"100%"

"yep."

Koichi raised an eyebrow, "what's wrong with you guys?"

"we're playing cards. Are you in or out?" said Tobias

"uh…"

Josuke finished his sentence, "he's in."

Tobias looks at his cards, "Alright, I bet 5 reds, 2 yellows and I raise 14 blues."

"I'm out." said Koichi putting his cards in the deck

"me too." Kiwi said

"too much candy." Zari said

"Same here." Josuke added

Tobias smirks and crosses his arms, "14 blues, Hazamada, you in?"

"I have good cards, just don't have the 14 blues."

"Me either." Okuyasu added

"Then let's make this interesting. If one of you guys win, you get the pile. But if I win, you get hammer time."

"Hammer time?" Hazamada raised an eyebrow

"what's that?" Okuyasu asked

"for one week, anytime I see you and say Hammer time, you have to do the hammer dance."

Okuyasu peaked at his cards, "okay. It's a bet."

"And I'm betting too." Hazamada smirks

"good. I got three queens." Tobias puts his cards in the deck

"aw man, I got three nines." said Hazamada

"Canasta!" Okuyasu rejoiced

Josuke crossed his arms, "we're not playing Canasta."

"Ooh, then I lost bad." Okuyasu downcasts

"Woo-hoo! better get your dancing shoes ready boys!" Tobias smirks

"Anyway, why do you have to take risks to be a good actor?" asked Koichi

"because acting is about stepping outside of your comfort zones. Pushing your emotions to new places." said Josuke

"okay, so I need to learn to take risks. What do I do?"

"Well–"

Tobias smirks, "why don't you take him to The Dragon Club?"

"Uh-uh." "No way." "Koichi Hirose is not ready for the Dragon Club."

"I'm not? yes, I am. Dragon Club? what's that?"

"It's just a fun place, with lots of cool things to do." Tobias smirks, crossing his arms

"Yeah. cool things that'll fuck you up." said Okuyasu

"Pfft,I'm not afraid of that."

"Koichi, trust me, the Dragon Club is a dangerous place." said Josuke

Koichi downcasts, "Okay."

The next day at school, Hazamada is putting books inside his locker. Tobias sees him and yells Hammer Time as he plays MC-Hammer styled music on his boombox. Hazamada starts dancing.

Later that night, the group heads downstairs in the Dragon Club with rigorous and dangerous physical challenges like fighting a guy in a dragon costume, riding a mechanical dragon and wall of pain.

Koichi sees the underground club, "Okay. not so bad. this looks kinda fun."

a guy who's going through the wall of pain falls and lands in front of the group.

(buzzer sound)

voice over the speaker: "Loser!"

(cheering, laughing)

"People leave here all in one piece, right?" asked Koichi

"Sometimes." Josuke responded

Okuyasu looks underneath his sneakers, "I think I just stepped in some blood."

A tall manager carrying clipboards approaches the group and hands it to them, "Here. Sign 'em!"

Koichi takes the clipboard reluctantly, "why do we have to sign these?"

"It just says that if you try any of the challenges here, you won't sue the place if you get hurt." Josuke signs the paper

"Well, do people get hurt here a lot?" asked Koichi

the manager raised an eyebrow, "A lot?"

"yeah?"

"Yeah."

Koichi signs the paper and hands it back to the manager. A guy flies off from the mechanical dragon and lands onto a pit.

"Ooh, the dragon's available!" Zari rejoiced

"I don't know if you want to–"

"Yay!" Zari grabs Okuyasu's arm running towards the mechanical dragon

"So, which one of these games should I try first?" asked Koichi

"Yeah. I don't think you wanna try any of these games, Ko."

"but I wanna take a risk, Josuke."

"Just being here is a risk."

"But…"

"trust me, Koichi. games like this are not for nice, sweet kids."

Zari on the dragon, excited and laughing happily, "I'm riding a dragon!"

Josuke waved his hand, "I stand corrected."

Koichi looks over and sees the Wall of Pain, "I'm gonna try the Wall of Pain!"

Josuke grabs his arm, "Nah. no way. If you get hit by that wall, it'll hurt…Bad."

"I'm not afraid. I'm…a risk taker." Koichi almost trips over one of the heavy bean sacks in the pit as a result of catching his balance.

"Risk taker? Really?"

Meanwhile on the mechanical dragon, Zari continues laughing excitedly.

manager (talking about Zari) "She's not supposed to be laughing on the dragon!"

"Well, what the hell do you want me to do about it?!" shouted Okuyasu

"All right. when you hear the buzzer, you run to this side, grab the rings, run back over there. Your goal is to get all three rings on the peg in 30 seconds."

"sounds easy. Let's go!" said Koichi

"You do realize that a 400 pound brick wall is gonna be pushing in and out the whole time right?" said Josuke

"Risk. It's all about risk!"

"Five seconds!"

"4, 3, 2, 1."

(buzzer)

Koichi takes the first step as the wall pushes in and out.

"Okay. I got this. I got this! no I don't–whoa, that was close! All right, here I go. here I–"

the wall pushes Koichi off the pathway and lands inside of the pit.

(buzzer sound)

"LOSER!"

voice over the speaker: "Loser!"

(crowd jeering)

Josuke helps him up, "Are you all right?"

"yes. that game is impossible!"

(laughter) "ooh, rings."

Zari enters the game as she avoids the large wall running to the side grabbing the rings avoiding the wall again running back to the starting point of the game as she cheers happily.

"I'm going again!" said Koichi standing up wiping dust off him.

The next day at school, Ms. Kuki tells Koichi that he's doing a great job in the acting role than he did before.

"You ask me one more question and I'll take that pencil and stick it RIGHT IN YOUR NECK!"

"Good job, Koichi."

"yeah? You liked it?"

"Not quite, but you are improving."

"Thanks."

"you're still playing the role too safely. You have to take risks."

"But I am so risky now. Last night I went to a crazy Dragon Club and this morning, I ate yogurt that was two days past the expired date. I am like a maniac!"

"good. you're learning to be a risk taker, that's why you're getting better."

Tobias walks inside the classroom with his large boombox.

"Hammer time."

(Can't touch this by Mc Hammer plays)

Okuyasu and Hazamada start dancing surprising both Koichi and Ms. Kuki.

Later that night back at the Dragon Club, the others watched Koichi trying the Wall of Pain again.

Koichi who's wearing a light green pullover hoodie with gray sweatpants and white sneakers and Josuke wearing a royal blue pullover hoodie with the sweatpants to match and white sneakers with blue and purple designs on them.

He gives Koichi some pep talk before starting the game again.

"Alright, you ready?"

Koichi who's all pumped up, "Hell yeah I am! I wanna do it, cause ain't scared of nothin'!"

"All right. when you hear the buzzer, you run to this side, grab the rings, run back–"

"yeah yeah, I know. Come on, let's do this thang! Woo!"

"Five seconds!"

"4, 3, 2, 1."

(ringing) (cheering)

"Go! Go!"

Koichi runs out avoiding the wall as runs over to the other side and grabs two of the three rings and puts them on the peg, then running back over to grab the last ring. The wall hits Koichi unsuccessfully as he races back to the starting point.

(cheering) (ringing)

"WINNER!"

"yeah, I did it!"

"you did it!" Josuke cheered

"shoosh yeah I did!"

"Who's a rockstar?!"

"me!"

they high-fived each other. "You are definitely a real risk taker."

"I know and to prove it even more, you know what I'm gonna do right now?"

"what?"

"I'm gonna use the bathroom here!"

Josuke raised an eyebrow, "sitting?"

"sitting."

Back at the Higashikata's house. Josuke and Kyoko help Koichi rehearse his lines.

"Answer me."

"You ask me one more question and I'll take that pencil and stick it RIGHT IN YOUR NECK!"

"Wow." they applauded him

Ms. Kuki on video call, "very good. If you keep that up, I guarantee you'll get the part. I'll see you on Monday, Koichi."

the video call ends. The doorbell rings as Josuke answers it. It was Tobias at the door.

"So what's going on, Hirose? have you proven yourself that you're able to take risks?"

"actually yes, Tobias. Tonight, we went to the Dragon Club and I beat the Wall of Pain because I'm a supreme risk taker."

Tobias crossed his arms, "so you got past the dragon?"

"well…no, I didn't do the dragon thing but I used the bathroom there."

Tobias raised his eyebrow, "sitting down?"

"I might've hovered."

"Ha! I knew it."

"I am a risk taker!"

"Don't tell me, tell the dragon that you're a risk taker."

Back at the Dragon Club. (crowd cheering)

"All right, settle down! The next victim to take on the dragon is Koichi Hirose."

(bell ringing)

"go, Koichi!"

"Okay, the rules are simple. you get past the dragon, climb the net, rescue the princess doll, you win!"

"no problem. Let's go!"

(growled, roaring)

"hey! move." said Tobias

"Why should we move?" said Hazamada

"Yeah. we were here first." Okuyasu added

"Okay. HAMMER TIME! (to DJ)"

the DJ plays the song. Reluctantly, the boys begin to dance in the middle of the floor. Tobias watches them happily for a moment before taking their spot.

"10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1–"

(horn) (cheering)

Koichi tries to climb up to the top but the dragon grabs him by the leg, picks him up and tosses him out of the dragon pit as he roars. Koichi landed on top of the crowd.

(screaming) (buzzer)

voice over the speaker: "Loser!"

"can we stop Hammer dancing now?!" said Okuyasu

"no."

Josuke and Kyoko both helped Koichi up.

"Are you okay?" asked Kyoko

"yeah."

Josuke wipes the dust off of Koichi, "You are not going back in there."

(dragon roaring)

"okay." Koichi sees Okuyasu and Hazamada dancing then gets an idea

Koichi fakes gasps and points in a direction.

Josuke looks in that direction, "what?!"

Koichi runs back into the dragon cage (roaring)

"Come on, dragon!" Tobias shouts

He does the hammer dance confusing the dragon, knocking the dragon over as he climbs up the net and grabbing the doll, upsetting Tobias.

(crowd cheering)

"that's right, Koichi Hirose took out the big bad–AAH!"

When the dragon strikes back, both of Koichi's arms get broken, much to Tobias's amusement.

The next day at the audition studios, Koichi is auditioning for his upcoming role.

"Tell me why you try to push your uncle off that cliff?"

Koichi is wearing a shoulder spica brace that supports both of his arms "I'm done talking to you!"

"Answer me."

"You ask me one more question and I'll take that pencil and stick it RIGHT IN YOUR NECK!"

(applauding)

"Fantastic! That was one of the best auditions I've ever seen."

Koichi's eyes welled with tears, "Really?"

"Yes, and I would totally give you the part if it wasn't for your…um…Dragon Club injury."

"Well, I still appreciate you having me here." Koichi smiles

"get well soon."

"Thank you." Koichi walks to the door realizing that he can't open it because of his broken arms

"Um…Can you open the door for me?"

"sure." The director opens the door as Koichi gets stuck inside the doorway and struggles a bit. He then eventually manages to get out.