Spoiler: Episode 6: Summer memories
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After an enjoyable couple of days at the beach house, the gang returns home. Yuki, to avoid a power struggle of who gets to sit next to Keitaro on the way home, gets two cars - one for the two of them, one for the rest of the gang.
With only a week left before the summer festival and desiring to make as many memories as possible, the gang decide to go to an amusement park. Amusement parks are not something Yuki has had much experience with, since the Sairenji family felt they were a bit common. Once inside the gate she immediately grabs Keitaro and drags him to the bumper cars and into one of the cars. Naru and Yoshiko quickly snag another car leaving Ayano and Shuu to share one. The idol and the best friend get continually rammed by the others, knocking the two into each other. Between, Yoshiko's continual snapping of pictures, Yuki's haugty laugh, Naru's giggling and Shuu's overly accommodating reactions to Ayano being knocked into him, it is all that she can do to keep her face straight and not scream in frustration.
After the bumper cars Naru suggests taking the Log Ride. The Log Ride is mostly wasted as an attempt to get attention from Keitaro . Even Naru's white shirt getting a big splash of water strategically placed on her bosom is ignored since she is sitting behind Keitaro and covers up before he can see anything. Yuki spends most of the ride glaring at the other girls and interrupting any time someone tries to make conversation.
While Naru keeps her arms crossed hoping for her shirt to dry soon, the gang debates their next move
"I know, let's go to the Haunted House!" Yoshiko says. "It is recently refurbished and I have made an exhaustive study of all the details online so we can maximize the experience." She pulls out a sheaf of notes.
"Doesn't knowing everything in advance kind of defeat the purpose of an attraction built primarily on jump scares?" Keitaro asks.
"No."
"...how?"
"Stop asking silly questions."
Yuki, predictably, tries to ruin the experience by pointing out how silly and fake everything is. Ayano, never good with scares or startling experiences, squeaks, yelps and screams her way through, somehow always managing to find Shuu when she leaps towards Keitaro. Our dense protagonist is fascinated by Yoshiko's combination of enjoying stuff she already appears to know a lot about and her running commentary about the type of monster, their history and various snippets of folk lore (half of which she makes up on the spot) regarding them. Never particularly inclined towards the supernatural, Keitaro realizes this is the best way to enjoy a haunted house.
"I guess you were right, Yoshiko, that really was the best way to enjoy the haunted house."
"Of course I'm right. No one knows you better than me."
"....right."
Keitaro suggests the recently openeing Dragon's Tail roller coaster as their next stop. "It's the biggest one in Japan." It truly is an intimidating construction of loops, hills, curves and spirals, designed to upset even the most steady of stomachs.
"It has a long line," Ayano comments, looking at the hundreds of people waiting for it and silently praying Keitaro will reconsider. Unfortunately for her, everyone else wants to ride it. After waiting in like for more than an hour, taking the opportunity for an early lunch break, the gang get to the front of the line. In the heat, the crowd and the boring tedium of basically standing still for a long while everybody is looking a bit worse for wear and feeling a bit green around the gills. Some of this has to do with Yuki's long running commentary about the exact physiological details of the body under the sort of stresses produced by a roller coaster, the origins and experience of motion sickness and the rather graphic descriptions of unfortunate incidents involving such things on a roller coaster.
"Oh, and I brought some sick bags. Just in case," she finishes, smiling sweetly.
Naru and Yuki manage to get Keitaro between them, with Ayano again being stuck with Shuu. Yoshiko and Naru scream with unbridled delight throughout the experience, with Yuki enjoying it more for the novelty than any great love for roller coasters in themselves. The ride is thrill packed with g-forces and the very violence of it ensures Ayano is unable to throw up until they have finished. With her disheveled clothing, mussed up hair and haggard face, Ayano looks very little like the popular idol she is. Yoshiko snaps a few pictures for the paper, and Ayano is so poorly she does not even notice. The next issue of the school paper is set to be very interesting.
"How about the Tunnel of Love?" Yoshiko suggests. Partly out of sympathy for Ayano who looks like she could use something slow, the rest agree. Ayano, still feeling bad from the roller coaster sits down in a swan boat as soon as one pulls up and reaches out a hand to grab Keitaro, only to find Shuu sitting down next to her. She looks around desperately as the boat departs seeing Keitaro get in the next boat. Yuki decides that for all her attempts to keep the other girls away, it would be weird to be on a love boat trip with her brother and turns to ask Naru (who seems to be the least objectionable of the hussies) if she would like to have this trip. Yoshiko seeing the two other rivals distracted, takes the opportunity to slip in next to Keitaro.
The Tunnel of Love is a slow-moving thing with pleasant music and cutesy sights with plenty of curves and bends to hide the boats from each other, perfect for relaxing with someone you love. It is exactly what Ayano needed, with the glaring exception that she was once again paired with Shuu. He seems to take her complete lack of interest in him as playing hard to get and tries to be a bit more aggressive in his suit. A few loud slaps are heard by Keitaro and Yoshiko as their boat meanders down the 'river'.
Keitaro, if were to be honest when asked, would have to admit to some jealousy of Shuu getting to spend most time with Ayano. She is very attractive and he has a hard time not thinking about her, especially while . To make things worse (or better, depending on how you look at it) he is slowly beginning to suspect her closeness to him and the way she tries to spend time with him and her constantly showing off is indicative of more intimate feelings than pure friendship. Still, she is not rebuffing Shuu's advances and fearing he may be reading too much into her actions, Keitaro will not pursue her. After all, if she really does like Shuu and is just flirty, it would make everything awkward if Keitaro were to confess to her.
"This is so nice and peaceful, Keitaro," Yoshiko says with contented sigh. "Just the thing after the roller coaster."
"It seemed like you enjoyed it."
"Oh I did. It was almost like riding a real dragon again, but this is nice too. A true Galactic Sun Lord knows how to enjoy all aspects of life and appreciate peace and quiet and romance whenever the opportunity presents itself. I'm sure you remember."
"I see..." Keitaro says, not seeing at all.
"This reminds of our last time before the culmination of the Dark War of Fury. Just the two of us, resting and knowing that we would not survive saving the world."
"Haaaa?"
"You were so romantic."
"I was?"
Thoughts of Ayano are blown away as Yoshiko's weird thoughts bombard him. It's always this way around her, he realizes. On the surface she seems mostly normal but when she goes off on these weird rantings she becomes intense and captivating. He cannot help but sit there fascinated and feel an odd urge to hear more.
"Yes." The two sit in silence for a while. Near the end of the ride Yoshiko leans over and gives him a peck on the cheek. "Thanks for being you," she mumbles, blushing furiously.
Keitaro is left speechless and quite pink himself. On the platform at the end of the ride Shuu is also somewhat red, though only on one cheek, and is standing there looking rather downcast with a sullen Ayano waiting impatiently for the others to arrive. Looking at the two pink-faced people getting out of the boat, obviously embarrassed by each other's presence. Ayano flushes with anger.
"What have you two been doing?" she demands.
"Nothing!" Keitaro says loudly. "Just, in the boat, you know. It....it's kind strange to be in the boat with her. Not that there's anything wrong with Yoshiko. She's nice. Great. A friend. That's all."
Ayano looks unconvinced and Naru and Yuki get out of their boat as it docks, looking at the suspicious scene unfolding.
"Anything wrong?" Naru asks giving Keitaro a stern look.
"No. Why would you ask that?" Keitaro is visibly flustered and the others begin to suspect the worst.
"Pardon me," the attendant at the exit interrupts as they make their way out, Yoshiko and Keitaro being interrogated by the other girls, "would you like prints of these pictures?"
Naru and Yuki give shocked gasps, and in dawning horror Keitaro slowly turns to see a close up of Yoshiko kissing him.
"I'll have a full set," the offending girl says unashamedly.
"AhahahahahahowabouttheMirrorHouseIhearthat'sfunle t'sgo!" Keitaro quickly flees the scene with everyone else following with howls of protests (and a thumbs-up from Shuu).
After the Haunted House Yuki steps up her game and keeps a running monologue that prevents the other girls from butting in and taking his attention away from her. They end up, near closing time, at the various stands with shooting games.
"Onii-chan, win that teddy bear for me," Yuki demands, pointing at the biggest, fluffiest bear there.
"And one for me," Ayano chimes in.
"Um, OK." Keitaro takes the air gun, lines up the shot and fires.
"OW!" The attendant rubs his smarting thigh.
"I'msorryI'msorryI'msorry!" Keitaro bows and apologizes to such a degree everybody finds it embarrassing. Mortified, he refuses to make another attempt.
"My turn!" the ever cheerful Yoshiko says, grabbing the gun.
"OW!" The attendant rubs his other thigh.
"Oopsie. I'm more used to swords than guns."
"Let me show you how it's done," Naru says, grabbing the gun. She expertly bull's eyes the smallest target and wins the teddy for Yuki.
"Thank you," Yuki says. She had hoped that her brother could do it but she cannot very well seem ungrateful now.
"Thank you, Naru. You really are good at all sorts of things, aren't you?" Keitaro says admiringly.
Naru blushes and says "I didn't do it for you." while inwardly jumping with joy at the praise.
"Allow me, ladies," Shuu says, grabbing the gun and getting a teddy bear for Ayano. Like Yuki, she cannot very well refuse the gift and smiles, thanking Shuu prettily. While Naru, Yoshiko and Yuki are well pleased with how the attempt to use Shuu to block Ayano's advances is working, Ayano, Naru and Yuki are getting worried about Yoshiko's sudden advances that day. The rest of the girls are annoyed at how well Yuki managed to stymie them that day. Sending dirty looks at each other, they head out towards the exit.
Sensing something off but unsure exactly what, Keitaro keeps his voice and countenance bright. "See you all at the summer festival day after tomorrow. I can't wait."
The summer festival occurs on a lovely warm, cloudless evening. The boys are immensely grateful for the existence of Japanese clothing when they see all the girls in their yukata but manage to restrain their enthusiasm to a simple "Wow, you girls look great."
They all blush prettily, making them look even cuter.
"Let's get started! I want to try the goldfish scoop!" As usual, Yoshiko takes the lead.
"I was never very good at this," Keitaro says, eyeing the tub of fish swimming about. He proceeds to break his poi. Yuki and Ayano each get a couple of fish while Naru and Shuu manage to snag five.
"I used to catch mako with my hands - this is nothing," Yoshiko proclaims proudly.
By this point the gang is getting used to her oddities and ignore her extraordinary claims not out of politeness or bafflement but habit.
"Does that mean I can catch mako with my bare hands?" Shuu asks.
"I wish you'd try," Ayano mutters.
Shuu just laughs, taking it as another sign that she is playing hard to get.
After the scooping, Yuki buys a mask and takoyaki. Though she is looking most forward to the cotton candy and shaved ice, one must eat dinner before dessert and she is determined to try all the food here. Up next, fried noodles. How she manages to keep her figure with the amount of food and sweets she consumes is a mystery.
The next event is a sack race. Yuki, never one for exaggerated physical activity, decides to try to sabotage the other girls. At the start of the race Naru rushes ahead, with Ayano in hot pursuit. Yuki 'stumbles' into Yoshiko, sending her crashing on top of Keitaro.
"Keitaro, you saved me again, just like in the Battle of the Thunder Plains!"
"Are you all right?"
"Of course."
"Good."
"Yes."
"..."
"..."
"Um, Yoshiko?"
"Yes?"
"Could you get off me?"
*sigh* "Yes."
Ayano, try though she might, could not arrange her yukata to have a precise suggestive yet tasteful wardrobe semi-malfunction on command and so opts to avoid any overtly perverted behavior in such a public place. Naru wins the race handily and her enthusiasm and pleasure at winning is infectious.
"Well done, Naru," Keitaro says, beaming.
"Thank you. I would have thought you'd have done a lot better.
"I got held up."
"Oh well, we shall have to have a rematch soon."
Keitaro is briefly distracted with visions of Naru - the most well-endowed of the girls - bouncing along in a thin T-shirt.
"Yes, please."
Yuki buys a couple of lollipops and enjoys them greatly as she watches everyone take part in the next event: dunk the mayor. Yoshiko winds up, takes aim, and faceplants in the dirt as she forgets she's wearing a yukata and tries to take big step in her throw.
Keitaro is not much better and hits a bystander ("I'msorryI'msorryI'msorry!")
Ayano almost manages to do it while Naru dunks him handily.
After this they get shaved ice and get ready to go see the fireworks. In the dark and the conversation, Yoshiko expertly spirits Keitaro away from under the noses of everyone else and, most impresively, without Keitaro quite realizing what she was doing until they were alone. Naru and Yuki rush off to find them. Considering what they have been up to alone recently, there is no telling what might happen now. Shuu, predictably, teams up with Ayano and tries to keep her from rushing off, reading the opposite into Yuki's statement that she was going to find her brother.
Keitaro realizes they are alone just as the fireworks start and despite the agreement that everyone would watch them together, finds himself reluctant to rejoin the group right now.
Yoshiko, unlike her normal chatty self, is content to watch the display in silence. Her hand finds Keitaro's and they stand in silence the entire duration.
Keitaro, dense though he is, finally starts realizing something: he really likes the girls. He thinks it is more than just appreciation of beauty and liking them as friends. This leads to him wondering how to choose.
School starts again in the fall and soon it is time for the cultural festival. Keitaro's class discuss what they want to do in the weeks leading up to it. The old favorites of maid cafes, haunted houses, food stalls and more are suggested.
"A supernatural maid café?" Keitaro suggests.
This wins overwhelmingly as all the boys vote for it. When the cultural festival rolls around, the gang works for their class in the morning before rushing over to the musical in the afternoon.
Yoshiko's catgirl maid is popular, as is Naru's succubus maid, but nothing beats Ayano's sexy angel maid. Boys from all over the school line up to be served. Keitaro is exiled from the kitchenette after burning the water and must wash the dishes. He keeps looking over his shoulders to catch glimpses of the girls. Who would have thought that the normally vivacious Ayano could pull off demure-yet-overtly-sexy to such a tantalizing degree?
He soon remembers that he promised to drop by his sister's class to see what they were doing, excuses himself and rushes over.
It turns out to be a geisha house, and is rather popular. Yuki shows off her entertaining skills by giving a little one on one time for her brother. If this does not convince him of the appeal of a proper yamato nadeshiko, nothing will! Keitaro is duly impressed once he can get over the weird experience of his bossy little sister suddenly being practically submissive.
Sadly, there is no time to linger and enjoy the attention since the musical is coming up. Regretfully excusing himself after a too short time, Keitaro heads towards the stage.
Re: Pervy guys playing innocent (?) girls
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