Chapter 126: Yakyuken. Wanna Play?
Twelve o'clock noon.
The hot sun beat down on the fine white sand, and the waves lapped gently against the shore in a soothing rhythm. The sea breeze rustled by, carrying the scent of salt and a faint fragrance of seaweed, making everyone relax.
"Itadakimasu!"
Ryohei Tanaka and the group sat happily under the canopy tent, enjoying their lunch.
The food included:
Various sandwiches and onigiri that they had prepared this morning.
The assorted fruits they bought at the market yesterday.
Potato chips, chocolate, mixed nuts, cream puffs, Calpis, and barley tea that Yusa and Koji-kun had bought at the supermarket.
In addition to all that, Ryohei Tanaka had also prepared two large 5-liter drink dispensers. They were transparent glass jars with spigots, showing off the alluring colors of the cocktails within.
Placed near Ryohei, Yurine, and Lucoa was a bright pink Cosmopolitan—sweet and tart, with a rich fruit flavor, a citrusy aroma, and a low alcohol content for a refreshing taste.
Near Minos, Jashin-chan, and Yusa was a Long Island Iced Tea. It looked just like black tea but was a complex and layered mix of "Demon World Spirit of Life," rum, tequila, gin, orange liqueur, lemon juice, cola, and a bit of syrup. It had a strong taste and a serious kick.
"Hoooah—! This stuff is so refreshing!"
Minos, with her stunning figure barely contained by her swimsuit and her pale, full legs crossed as she sat, grabbed a glass of the Long Island. She tilted her head back and chugged the entire cup—glug, glug, glug—like a true Minotaur. She slammed the cup down and let out a satisfied sigh.
"If you drink it that fast, be careful you don't get drunk," Ryohei said with a laugh, glancing at her. He reached over to the bento box in front of Yurine and grabbed a bacon-and-vegetable grilled onigiri.
After being grilled, the surface of the rice ball had a faint golden-brown color. He brought it to his mouth and took a bite, hearing a soft crunch. The outer layer of rice had formed a thin, crispy shell from the grilling, but the inside remained soft, sticky, and moist. The salty fragrance and fat from the bacon had seeped into the rice during cooking, giving it a rich, smoky flavor. The shredded cheese had melted from the heat, becoming soft and stretchy, its rich, milky taste blending perfectly with the sweet rice. The addition of the vegetables provided a fresh, crisp texture that balanced the heaviness of the bacon and cheese, adding a refreshing layer.
Ryohei thought it was fantastic. A perfect score.
"I won't get drunk!" Minos retorted. She also picked up an onigiri, took a bite, and her cow tail swished gently. She then picked up her empty glass, still chewing, and stood up. She strode past the others on her long, pale legs, came around to Ryohei's side, and held out her glass. "Tanaka-kun, let me try yours."
"Sure," Ryohei replied, taking her glass and filling it up. Jashin-chan also had Yurine help her get a glass of the Cosmo. Aside from Koji-kun, who was a child and drinking juice, everyone else was drinking alcohol.
Lucoa, who was eating a sandwich, suddenly held up one pale finger as if she'd just remembered something. "Speaking of which," she said with a grin, "this country has a game that's perfect for playing while eating. It's called 'Yakyuken.' Does everyone want to play?"
Σ(°Д°;
Yurine instantly stared at Lucoa in complete shock. 'Are you serious?!'
Ryohei Tanaka's expression also turned strange as he looked over. When he heard "Yakyuken," the first thing that popped into his head was an anime he'd seen a long time ago... Imae Bimae... wait, no! It was Grand Blue!
"Yakyuken? How do you play?" Minos, having returned to her spot and finding the Cosmopolitan to have its own unique, delicious flavor, looked at Lucoa curiously. She blinked her dot-like eyes, a question mark appearing above her head. The other angels and demons also looked curious.
"It's a rock-paper-scissors game," Lucoa explained with a cheerful smile, dropping an incredible bombshell. "The rules are simple: the person who loses the rock-paper-scissors toss has to take off one article of clothing."
The "yakyu" in Yakyuken originally referred to baseball. It started as a song and dance to boost morale, where the coach would have the players sing and dance to psych themselves up. But somewhere down the line, some genius invented this version where you play rock-paper-scissors, and the loser strips.
"Eeh?"
Σ(°Д°;
"T-Take off... clothes?!" Medusa, who was kneeling gracefully on the mat, instinctively glanced at Ryohei, then quickly looked away. Her delicate, pretty face flushed a faint pink, like a sunset. She stammered, "Th-That's not appropriate, is it?!"
"Not playing!"
( ﹁ ﹁ )
Poporon looked at Lucoa with narrowed eyes, her expression a mix of speechlessness and disgust.
'You are so...!'
'You're the only lewd one here!'
Poporon felt that Lucoa was completely out of place. 'Speaking of which... this country actually has indecent games like this?' On her tenth day in the human world, Poporon had her horizons broadened once again.
"Mmph—!" Pekola, who was eating a cheese-and-corn sandwich, was so shocked by Lucoa's words that she choked, the food getting stuck in her throat. Her eyes went wide in a panic as she tilted her head back, frantically pounding her chest with her little fists, trying to swallow.
"Pathetic as always, Lady Pekola."
(´ ∀ ` *)
Noticing the commotion next to her, Poporon turned, gave Pekola a mocking look, and then handed her her own glass of alcohol (the Long Island). "Here, drink this!"
Pekola instinctively grabbed the glass and chugged it—glug, glug, glug.
"Losing rock-paper-scissors means you strip..." Yusa's face also turned slightly pink. She protested, "That game is way too indecent! Don't corrupt my little sister!"
Koji-kun: (°ー°〃)
"I don't mind," Jashin-chan said, trying to show off how tough she was now that everyone else was backing down. She spoke in a casual, slightly smug tone.
"Well..." Minos glanced instinctively at Ryohei, then back at Lucoa. Even for someone as carefree, rowdy, and informal as her, this felt wrong.
"We are not playing such an indecent game!" Yurine declared, her voice sharp. Her gaze swept the group, lingered on Jashin-chan for a moment, and then locked onto Ryohei.
Stare—!
"Ahem. It really does sound inappropriate," Ryohei quickly announced, coughing into his fist.
Yurine looked satisfied with his answer.
"Aww, what a shame!" Lucoa pouted, drawing out the words. When everyone looked at her, she added with a cheerful smile, "I'm just saying that on behalf of Tanaka-kun. I'm his mouthpiece."
"Oh, thank you so much!" Ryohei replied, "deeply moved." He looked Lucoa up and down, feeling his hands start to twitch. He really wanted to "reward" her for that.
Lucoa just sat up straight, a few strands of her golden-highlighted hair falling across her chest. She continued to smile, not the least bit embarrassed.
In any case... Ryohei just mentally added this to her tab.
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