The next morning began the same way every disastrous mission of ours did:
with Shin screaming.
"WHO STOLE MY DIVING SUIT?!"
The entire inn jolted awake.
Issac rubbed his eyes, bedhead exploding in all directions. "Bro… it's 6 AM… can't you lose things quieter?"
Shin barged into his room, face red.
"A diving suit doesn't just walk out, Issac! Someone took it!"
From the corner of the room, Cupp whistled suspiciously, wrapped in what was very obviously Shin's missing diving suit — but the sleeves were tied around his waist like a robe.
Aiko stared.
"…Why are you wearing it like a kimono?"
Cupp proudly puffed his chest.
"It enhances my divine aura, duh."
"It makes you look like a drowned worm," Shin snapped.
The Great Gear Hunt (a.k.a. The Idiot Parade)
They all headed to the back of the inn where the rental diving gear was kept.
Elena clung to Issac's arm like a koala, floating and phasing through tools while humming ominously.
"Be careful, Issac! If you drown too, I'm haunting you forever~"
"That's… not comforting," he muttered.
While Shin took inventory seriously, Issac pretended to, Elena sabotaged equipment by floating through it, and Cupp…
…Cupp tried to flirt with Aiko.
Emphasis on tried.
He leaned on a crate, attempting to look cool and godly.
Except the crate broke.
Cupp crashed straight through it with a very undignified "OOF!"
Aiko burst out laughing. "Smooth."
Cupp shot up instantly, dusting himself off with whatever dignity he had left.
"Haha… that was a test. Yes. A divine crate durability test."
Shin rolled his eyes so hard they nearly fell out.
Where Things Got… Unexpected
While the group checked oxygen tanks, Aiko bent down to lift a smaller tank. Cupp bent down at the exact same time to "help."
(Translation: to impress her by lifting something heavier than his ego.)
Their heads collided HARD.
Aiko flinched forward.
Cupp flinched backward.
And somehow—
Their lips collided.
Not a gentle kiss.
Not a romantic moment.
There was a loud clonk as the tank rolled away.
The world froze.
Shin's jaw dropped.
Issac made the sound of a dying seal.
Elena screamed, "NYYYAAAAH?!?!" so loud the inn's dog howled back.
Cupp and Aiko froze in shock, still staring at each other, faces inches apart.
Aiko recoiled first, cheeks flaming.
"WH— WHAT WAS THAT?!"
Cupp's soul visibly left his body for a moment before returning with a panicked squeak.
"I—I—I WAS JUST— I MEAN— YOU— GRAVITY— AND— THE CRATE— AND—"
Shin clapped slowly.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the God of Poverty has finally kissed someone. The end times are near."
Issac patted Cupp's shoulder like he was consoling a fallen soldier.
"Accident or not… bro, you leveled up."
Aiko covered her face with both hands.
"I DIDN'T EVEN PUT ON LIP BALM TODAY—"
Cupp, redder than a stoplight, whispered,
"D-does this mean we're… married in some cultures?"
Aiko threw a tank at him.
Elena dramatically clung to Issac.
"If Cupp's getting romance before me, I'm gonna riot!"
Issac sighed, "How is any of this helping us recover a body from a cursed container?"
Shin snapped his clipboard shut.
"Because, my dude… nothing motivates a dysfunctional team like emotional chaos."
Cupp swayed back and forth, delirious.
"I kissed a mortal… and I liked it…"
Aiko kicked him again.
By noon…
They had:
– Two working oxygen tanks
– One missing flipper (Elena: "It looked cute so I wore it like a hat")
– A cracked mask (Cupp: "It attacked me first")
– And Shin threatening to leave the party 12 times
But somehow… somehow…
They were ready.
The container awaited.
And so did the truth.
"Thanks for reading chapter 13"