Paint & Treble: Reverse Side Canvas
	Chapter 4 - Chef Boy's Barbeque
	Written by: CS-Masyet
	Previous version: January 23, 2011 Uploaded on: January 28, 2017

Ail

The day after we defeated the food monster, Ms. Reachet called us to the weird blue room after school.

Ail   "So, what'd you call us all here for? Is it about yesterday?"

Ms. Reachet   "That is correct."

Chef Boy   "Did you call the Master Chef and his comrades here to thank us for a job well done? You don't need to worry; it was no trouble at all."

Ail   No trouble!? You're kidding, right?! Also, I don't recall you doing much of anything, Chef Boy!

Ms. Reachet   "Yes, that's one of the reasons. Well done with your first fight, all of you. You have my thanks."

Ail   She actually thanked us? I honestly wasn't expecting that...

Chef Boy   "'One of the reasons'... The Master Chef supposes that there is more that you wish to speak with us about, then?"

Ms. Reachet   "Indeed. I am assuming that the first monster was troublesome to deal with, which, due to your lack of experience, is understandable. But keep in mind that there are many more that you must face, many that will most likely be much stronger than the last one."

Tear   "O-oh no..."

Ail   "Well, that stinks... It's not really that surprising, though."

Ms. Reachet   "This should go without saying, but it is necessary for you to do your best to get stronger, and to work together better as a team. Neturus won't be safe from their chaos until every last one of them is annihilated for good."

Ail   Work as a team, huh? It's not unexpected to hear that or anything, but that sounds like kind of a pain...

Ms. Reachet   "By the way Barry, about the girl that got involved in the matter with the monster yesterday... Do you know how she's currently doing?"

Chef Boy   "Oh, she's doing fine! Betty was even well enough to attend classes today!"

Ms. Reachet   "That's not what I meant... Does she have any memory of what happened yesterday?"

Chef Boy   "She does... But she thinks it was all a bad dream..."

Ms. Reachet   "I see... That's good to hear."

Tear   "W-we aren't supposed to let anyone else know about what's going on, right? W-what'll we do if a monster tries to eat another person again?"

Ms. Reachet   "Unfortunately... that is unavoidable."

Ail   "Huh? What do you mean?"

Ms. Reachet   "The monsters are actually harmless shadows at first, but they can take over the body of a living being; like a person for example. They then will use that being's energy to surround themselves with non-living things to create a solid body to use."

Ail   "So our job is to defeat them once they become solid? Why not just stop them before that happens?"

Ms. Reachet   "Because there is no known way to do so. Defeating it when it's solid is the only option. Fortunately, that is enough to vanquish it, at least."

Ail   "Figures... Oh well."

Chef Boy   "While it wasn't as detailed as this time, I believe Ms. Reachet already mentioned this on the day she first brought you here. You really should be paying more attention, comrades."

Ail   Well sooorry, Chef Boy; it's not like we had other things to worry about at the time or anything...

Tear   "B-but wait... The monsters are all over Neturus right now, aren't they? What if they appear somewhere far away from the school?"

Ail   "To be honest, I've been wondering about that myself... Do you have a secret teleporting machine somewhere in here or something?"

Ms. Reachet   "The monsters are all guaranteed to appear nearby, as they'll be attracted to the power your emblems produce. Be careful though, as this will increase the chance of a monster going after someone close to the three of you."

Chef Boy   "That's why Betty got involved yesterday... Poor Betty..."

Ms. Reachet   "They may also try to go after the three of you as well, so it's best you all stay together just in case that happens, as it may give the monster more power than normal."

Ail   "Wait, does this mean we have to be together all the time!?"

Ms. Reachet   "... As much as possible."

Ail   Tear I can handle, but do I really have to deal with Chef Boy every day?!

Chef Boy   "Hm..."

Ms. Reachet   "The monsters may even go after one of you even when they're already solid, so be on high alert."

Tear   "I-it almost happened to me yesterday... J-just thinking about it terrifies me..."

Ms. Reachet   "Alright, I believe that is all I wished to speak with you all about. I'd like you all to keep something in mind though; just because a monster appeared during classes yesterday, doesn't mean another will appear at the same time again. One may even appear tonight, so remain ever vigilant."

Ail Tear Chef Boy   "Got it..." "O-okay..." "The Master Chef understands."

Ail   I sure hope another one doesn't appear today... I'm still kinda pooped from the last one...

Ms. Reachet   "You may go now. You are all dismissed."

--

Tear   "M-more monsters... I don't know if I can handle any that are even worse than the last one..."

Tear said as we began to walk down the long, blue corridor back to our classroom.

Ail   "It'll be fine. That last one was a piece of cake for me, so I'm sure I'll be able to handle the rest, too."

Tear   "R-really? Wow, you're amazing, Ail..."

Ail   "Y-you think so? Uh, thanks..."

Ail   Well, that was actually a lie... But I think it's best that I don't discourage him any further...

Chef Boy   "There's no need to feel forlorn, comrade! With the Master Chef as your ally, there's no monster that you need fear!"

Ail   "Oh, gee. I'm sooo glad I've got you on our side, man..."

Chef Boy   "By the way, did you know tomorrow is Saturday? Do you two happen to have any plans?"

Tear   "U-um, no, not really..."

Ail   "I don't either. Why do you care, though?"

Chef Boy   "Well, you see, since the weather has been surprisingly warm as of late, the Master Chef thought it would be nice to have a barbeque at Star Beach. He has been making preparations for it for a while now, and the ladies have been looking forward to it, so the Master Chef does not want to cancel it, no matter what."

Ail   "And...? What's that got to do with us?"

Chef Boy   "You heard what Ms. Reachet told us, right? We must stay together as much as possible. The Master Chef is planning on being away for the whole weekend, so if a monster were to appear while you two are still here..."

Ail   "You'd be all alone to take care of the monster. Gotcha..."

Chef Boy   "So, while it is not what the Master Chef originally planned, he will allow you to join his barbeque. Or rather, please come. The Master Chef would really appreciate it, comrades."

Ail   "Even though I know you aren't asking us for any selfless reason, I'll go, I guess. It's not like I have anything better to do, anyways..."

Chef Boy   "Wonderful! Will you be joining us as well, Tear?"

Tear   "... D-do I have to...?"

Ail Chef Boy   "Huh?" "W-wha?!"

Chef Boy   "Y-you do not want to come to the Master Chef's barbeque...?"

Tear   "N-no thanks... I-I'd rather stay here. You two have fun without me..."

Ail   That's strange... I figured Tear was the sort of person who was too shy to refuse anyone, unless he had a good reason to...

Chef Boy   "A-are you sure? The Master Chef assures you that you'll have a lot of fun, comrade! There will be a vast array of cuisine, games like volleyball to play, and the Master Chef even prepared a tour of Grit Cave!"

Ail   A cave tour...? Maybe Tear has the right idea after all...

Tear   "W-we won't have to do anything like... s-s-swim, will we...?"

Chef Boy   "Oh, goodness no! Even though we have been blessed with nice weather, it's not wise to swim at this time of the year!"

Ail   "You not a fan of the ocean, Tear? Even if we do end up swimming, you could just stay behind and do something else, y'know."

Ail   Come to think of it, what are Tear's hobbies, anyways? All I know is that he likes painting...

Tear   "A-alright, I'll go. I-I'm not much of an active person though, so I'll just spend most of the time sitting and drawing... U-Um, if that's okay..."

Ail   "Yeah, that should be fine. Right, Chef Boy?"

Chef Boy   "Of course! Fantastic! We will be spending both Saturday and Sunday there. To be honest, the Master Chef had to postpone it a day because of what happened in the cooking room yesterday, but things should still go as the Master Chef planned."

Ail   "How are we going to get there?"

Chef Boy   "A bus will arrive to pick us up tomorrow at noon. Try not to oversleep!"

Ail   "Don't worry, I'll make sure Tear wakes up early enough."

Tear   "W-wait, what's that supposed to mean?"

--

Once we were done talking to Chef Boy, Tear and I returned to our dorm room.

Ail   "A barbeque, huh? We kind of got roped into it against our will, but let's try to make the most of it, I guess."

Tear   "Y-yeah..."

Ail   "By the way, do you even have any proper clothes to go to the beach? If not, I can let you borrow something..."

Tear   "It's fine. I'll just wear what I always do..."

Ail   "What you always do? Including your sweatshirt?"

Tear   "U-um, yes? Is that a problem...?"

Ail   "Of course it is. While it's not exactly going to be hot there, I'm sure it'll still be warm enough that wearing too much might not be a good idea. You might even get heatstroke!"

Tear   "I-it'll be fine! I won't really be doing anything, anyways..."

Ail   "Okay, seriously, what is with you and that sweatshirt of yours?! Why are you so attached to that thing!?"

Tear   "W-what? I'm not! I-it's just..."

Ail   "Just what? Y'know, I've never actually seen you without that on. Would it kill you to take it off for even a little while?!"

Tear   "I-it's just... Y-y'know... M-maybe it'll get chillier later in the day...?"

Ail   "... That's it. I've had enough."

Tear   "U-um, what?"

Ail   "If you're not going to take it off, I'll just do it myself!"

Tear   "E-eh?"

I began to move slowly toward Tear, who responded by backing up against the wall.

Tear   "Y-you're not serious, are you...?"

I grabbed him by his shoulders...

Tear   "D-DON'T!!!"

... causing him to scream, probably louder than I had ever heard him scream before.

Ail   "W-wha? Hey...!"

Tear   "..."

I realized my hands off of him, and patted his head gently.

Ail   "I-I'm sorry, okay? I wasn't being serious. You don't have to cry..."

Tear   "R-really...?"

Ail   "Yeah, really. Do you have that little faith in me? Didn't you say you wanted to trust me more?"

Tear   "Y-you're right... S-sorry..."

Ail   "... No. It's my fault. I'm sorry..."

I walked away from him, finally leaving him alone.

Ail   "Y'know, you act pretty effeminate sometimes, especially at times like this. It's almost like you really are a girl..."

Tear   "W-WHAT?!"

Ail   "Chill out, would you? I was only kidding."

Tear   "Uh, r-right... I-I knew that..."

Ail   "In all seriousness though, you really should consider dressing lighter tomorrow. I don't want you to get sick or anything."

Tear   "..."

Ail   Did he even listen to what I just said? Well, whatever; I shouldn't involve myself with his business. But still, I can't help worrying about him...

--

The next day, we prepared ourselves for the beach barbeque (well, as much as we could, anyway), and headed for the bus stop in front of the school. It was still a few minutes before noon, but there were already some people there waiting for us. One of them was (unsurprisingly) Chef Boy, and with him were three girls who were talking amongst themselves.

Chef Boy   "Oh, you're both here! You've kept the Master Chef waiting!"

Ail   "What are you talking about? Aren't we technically early?"

???   "Master Chef? Who're they?"

Chef Boy   "These two fine fellows are my comrades, Ail and Tear! The Master Chef thought it would be more fun if some more people joined our barbeque, so the Master Chef invited them as well!"

???   "Oh, I see! I'm Betty, nice to meet you!"

Ail   Wait, isn't that the girl we saved from the monster we fought two days ago? She doesn't remember us? Oh whatever; she seems nice enough, I guess...

Betty   "Those two over there are my besties, Ally and Relly. Say hi, girls!"

The two girls waved at us without even turning their heads, still continuing with their conversation.

Ail   ... Those two, on the other hand...

Chef Boy   "Now that you all have become acquainted, we shall patiently wait for the others and the bus to arrive!"

Ail   "Others? You mean these aren't all the girls you invited, Chef Boy?"

Chef Boy   "Indeed! Well, sort of..."

Ail   "'Sort of'...? What the heck does that mean?"

Chef Boy   "Let's just say, it'll be a nice surprise..."

Ail   Oh boy... I can't wait to see what you've got in store for m-...

???   "Aileeey~!"

Tear   "AHHH!!!"

Ail   "Oh, heck no."

Chelsea, Mac, and even Tech came walking toward us from the school's entrance, carrying bags of their own with them.

Chelsea   "Surprise, surprise! We're all going on this beach trip thingy with you too, Ailey~! Aren't you just thrilled!?"

Chef Boy   "While the Master Chef was finishing preparations last night, he ran into this beautiful lilac once again. When the Master Chef told her about the trip and that he was inviting you, she asked if she could come along as well. Of course, as the proper gentleman that the Master Chef is, he could not turn down a lady's request!"

Ail   "What."

Chelsea   "The chef guy was even nice enough to let Mac and Tech tag along, too!"

Chef Boy   "The Master Chef thought it would be more fun for you if he let your friends join us. No thanks are necessary!"

Ail   "They aren't my fri-..."

Before I could finish, Mac placed one his arms over my shoulder, laughing cheerfully.

Mac   "Wow, a beach trip, bud! Sounds like fun, huh Ail? I didn't think I'd get to go on another one 'til next year, bud!"

Tech   "There'd better be somewhere to charge my laptop at the place we're staying, or I'm not going."

Ail   Oh, whatever. Never mind...

Tear   "..."

Just then, as soon as noon hit, the bus arrived and stopped near where we were, waiting for us to get on.

Ail   "Oh, thank goodness... It's finally here..."

Chef Boy   "The bus has arrived! Let us go, everyone! All of you, follow the Master Chef!"

--

One by one, everyone had gotten on the bus, already sitting in the seats they picked. As I was probably the least enthusiastic about the trip, I ended up being the last person to enter the bus, so when I got on I was the only one who hadn't decided where to sit yet. Chef Boy sat in one of the front seats (probably so he was more easily able to talk to the bus driver), while the others chose to sit farther back.

Ail   This bus is pretty small, and more people decided to sit by themselves that I thought, so my choices are pretty limited...

Chelsea   "Hey, Ailey~! Wanna sit with me?"

Chelsea suddenly popped out from another one on the front seats.

Chelsea   "I'll even let you have the window side! The seats are pretty small, but I'm sure if we squeeze together enough, we'll have plenty of room~♡!"

Ail   "Wait, why can't I just sit in the seat facing you instead?"

Chelsea   "Because my way is more fun, obviously!"

Ail   "Whatever. I don't want to sit with you, anyway."

Chelsea   "Why not?! It's not like you've already decided to sit somewhere else, have you?"

Trying to ignore Chelsea's bickering, I decided to turn my attention to the seats farther back in the bus. And that's when I saw, sitting in a seat alone all the way in the back, Tear, calmly staring out the window.

Ail   "Sorry, but there actually is somewhere I want to sit."

Chelsea   "Wha-! Hey!"

I ignored Chelsea's whining as I made my way to the back of the bus, where Tear was sitting.

Ail   "Can I sit here?"

Tear   "Huh...? Uh, yeah..."

Tear moved his bag off of the seat facing him onto the floor, making room for me to sit down.

Tear   "T-there you go."

Ail   "Thanks."

Once I had sat down, Tear continued to silently stare out the window like he had been before.

Chef Boy   "Has everyone found a place to sit? We'll be leaving shortly!"

Just as Chef Boy had said, we left the school soon after. I heard a few people talking to each other, but for the most part, most of us were silent. For a while, I had done nothing but watch Tear stare out the window. Eventually I became fed up with it, and decided to finally break the silence.

Ail   "... So, you like buses?"

Tear   "Huh...?"

Tear turned away from the window at me, looking at me in confusion.

Tear   "What do you mean?"

Ail   "I've noticed you haven't been feeling very happy about this trip. But you got a lot calmer as soon as we got on the bus."

Tear   "Oh, uh... I guess it's because it's been a while since I've ridden one, so it felt kind of nostalgic."

Ail   "Nostalgic?"

Tear   "I mean, being here reminds me of a fond memory of the past..."

Ail   "I know what 'nostalgic' means; that's not what I meant... What fond memory of the past does it remind you of?"

Tear   "Before I came to Neturus High I never rode the bus to school, because my dad always drove me there. But there was this one time that I got a chance to ride one; to go to the aquarium..."

Ail   "The aquarium?"

Tear   "Yeah, it was for a school field trip. It was my first one, actually. And because it was my first time going somewhere other than school without my family, I was scared at first. But..."

Tear   "... as soon as we entered the aquarium, I saw... water. Water everywhere. The walls, ceiling, and even the floor... There was water all around us. It was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. It was almost like we were inside of the ocean..."

Ail   Wow...

Tear   "There were so many fish and other sea creatures swimming around. They were all so cute! And then..."

Tear   "..."

Ail   "Huh? What's wrong?"

Tear   "O-oh, sorry... I just remembered something that made me sad..."

Ail   "My bad. I didn't know you had some bad memories of the aquarium..."

Tear   "O-oh no! That's not it! I-it's just..."

Ail   "Just what?"

Tear   "... I-it's nothing. Don't worry about it..."

Ail   "Uh, okay..."

Tear   "... Anyway, I really liked the aquarium. And being in this bus reminded me of that."

Ail   "So, you like fish?"

Tear   "Um, y-yes."

Ail   "Well, y'know, even though it's still September, it might be warm enough to swim for a little while in the ocean. You might be able to see some fish there."

Tear   "U-uh, that's okay! I-I mean, I can't even..."

Ail   "... You can't swim?"

Tear   "Y-yeah, that's right..."

Ail   "That's okay. I can teach you if you want. I don't mean to brag, but I'm actually a really good swimmer..."

Tear   "N-no, thank you. I-I really don't want to swim today. Sorry, Ail..."

Ail   "Uh, alright then..."

Ail   He likes fish and the water, but he doesn't like swimming? Why's that? Is it because he doesn't trust me? Or does it have to do with him not wanting to take off his sweatshirt before...?

Ail   ... Actually, come to think of it, he's still wearing it right now, isn't he? I hope he'll be okay today...

--

Chef Boy   "Welcome everyone... to the Master Chef's barbeque!"

Chef Boy declared as soon as we all got off the bus.

Ail   "What're you talking about, you haven't even set up anythi-..."

Before I finished, I looked around and noticed that there had already been an area set up with a grill and a few tables to place the food.

Ail   "Wait... what?"

Chef Boy   "Ha ha! Surprised, comrade? The Master Chef of course thought ahead and had all this set up beforehand!"

Betty   "It was really nice of the beach house owners to do this for us!"

Chef Boy   "Indeed! Now the Master Chef simply needs to concentrate all his efforts on preparing food for you all! He will make haste to please all of your patient stomachs!"

Ail   Wow, I guess Chef Boy has his head more together than I thought... I'm actually kind of impressed...

Tear   "... Beach house?"

Chef Boy   "Do you see that large hut over there?"

Chef Boy pointed at a large, wooden building quite aways away from us.

Chef Boy   "That's where we will be staying overnight. And do not worry; the Master Chef has already called the owners of the beach house to let them know that they will be having extra guests. The rooms are for two people each, just like the school dorm rooms. It has plenty of space for all of us, so you will need not worry about finding a comfortable place to sleep tonight!"

Chelsea   "Wow! That chef guy talks kind of weird, but he sure made a lot of preparations for us to enjoy ourselves as much as possible, huh? This is gonna be a blast!"

Mac   "Woohoo! I can't wait until the grub is ready!"

Chelsea   "Heh, that's so like you to get excited to get over the food, Mac!"

Mac   "What? Aren't you looking forward to what food this guy has prepared for us, Chels?"

Tech   "That beach house better have electricity..."

Chef Boy   "While the Master Chef begins grilling the food, the rest of you may pick out your rooms and place your belongings there."

Betty   "U-um, I'll stay here and help you, Master Chef! I'll pick out my room later!"

Chef Boy   "Very well; the Master Chef will gladly accept your help, my sweet Betty! The Master Chef shall take about an hour to finish his beach cuisine; you all may do whatever you like until then!"

Ail   "Alright. Later then."

While Chef Boy and one of his groupies stayed behind to prepare the food, the remaining seven of us headed for the beach house.

--

Ally   "Oh, sahweeeet! This place even has, like, air conditioning and stuff~!"

Relly   "Yeaaah! Like, I hope that, like, our rooms have, like, air conditioning too and stuff~!<3"

They then immediately ran off to pick out their own room.

Chelsea   "Hey Aileeey~... Wanna share a room with me?"

Ail   "Don't even make a stupid joke like that, Chelsea. As if I'd actually be okay with sharing a room with a girl... I'll just room with Tear, like back at the school dorms."

Tear   "..."

Chelsea   "Are you suuure? Do you really want to pass up this chance~? Unless..."

Chelsea   "... you're into that kind of thing?! Ohmigosh, i-if you really are, then I wouldn't know what to do with myself! I-I'd be... uh... Actually, maybe I'd be okay with that..."

Ail   "I have no idea what you're talking about, but I'm pretty sure what you're thinking about me is wrong..."

Mac   "Tech, you okay rooming with me, bud?"

Tech   "Sure. Let's hurry up and pick out a room; I need to plug in my laptop. I haven't charged it since we left the school building..."

Chelsea   "Heeey, what about me? I'm all alone now!"

Mac   "Since those two other girls went off to look for a room together, then that might mean the girl helping out with the food might be able to room with you."

Ail   "And Chef Boy already chose his, so... I guess that's everyone, then. All we need to do is pick our rooms now."

Tear   "Wait, how do you know that Barry already picked out a room?"

I pointed to the room door with a "1" on it. There was a paper tapped to it that said: "Reserved by the Master Chef".

Tear   "O-oh... That's how..."

None of us really cared about which numbered room we got, so we chose them randomly. Tear and I picked room 2, Tech and Mac chose room 3, and Chelsea picked room 4. As for the girls who had run off earlier, I had no idea which room they had picked as I didn't care enough to bother checking. We set everything up the way we wanted once we entered our room (well, all I did was put my bag down).

Tear   "U-um, Ail?"

Ail   "What? Did you forget something back at school?"

Tear   "N-no, it's not that... It's just... A-are you really okay with picking me to be your roommate?"

Ail   "What do you mean? I'm already used to sharing a room with you in the dorms, so why would I have any issue with it here?"

Tear   "B-but back at school you didn't have a choice... U-unlike now, when you could've chosen anyone else..."

Ail   "Hm, good point. I mean, among my plethora of friends, why did I pick you of all people?"

Tear   "U-uh, what? But I thought you didn't have any oth-..."

Ail   "It was sarcasm, Tear. I told you before, you're my friend. My only friend. There's no one else I would pick besides you."

Tear   "O-okay. I-I was just wondering, because of what you said before..."

Ail   "What I said before...?"

Tear   "U-uh, nothing! Never mind..."

Ail   "If it's about you being a weirdo, I'm already well aware of that. You don't need to worry."

Tear   "W-wha...! Hey! I'm not...!"

Ail   "Heheh. We've already done what we've needed to do here, so let's go. I'm not spending a whole hour in this room."

We left the room and went back to the lobby. Before I decided to leave the beach house, I overheard Mac and Tech talking to each other.

Mac   "Tech, let's go see how that guy is doing with the food. He might let us taste test some of it, bud!"

Tech   "Mac, that guy is just grilling food; there's no point in taste testing it. Plus, I still have a lot of work I have to take care of, so I don't time to waste doing things like that."

Mac   "B-but after coming all the way out here, don't you at least want to do something fun, bud?"

Tech   "No thanks. I'll wait here until the food's done being prepared."

Mac   "Alright... I'll come by later to come get you, bud."

After listening to their conversation, I turned my attention back to Tear.

Ail   "So Tear, is there anything in particular you want to do until the food's done?"

Tear   "Not really... What about you, Ail?"

Ail   "I was just going to walk along the water's edge for a bit... Want to come?"

Tear   "U-um, okay. As long as we don't have to swim..."

--

We left the beach house and went down to the water. We didn't say or do much though; we pretty much just stared at the water the entire time.

Ail   I don't know why, but staring at the water like this... It feels kind of nostalgic. I can almost remember coming to a place like this wi-...

Chef Boy   "Alright everyone, the Master Chef's divine beach cuisine has finally finished in its preparation! All of you, feel free to eat to your heart's content!"

Chef Boy called out to everyone outside from where he was grilling his food.

Ail   "Wow, already?! That hour sure flew by..."

Tear   "U-uh, yeah..."

Ail   "Um, you okay?"

Tear   "Y-yes, I'm fine..."

Ail   "..."

All of us went over to where Chef Boy was to eat the food he'd prepared. We got there at different times, but everyone had eventually regrouped after only a few minutes. What he ended up grilling looked a bit simpler than I'd expected; there were just hot dogs, hamburgers, and some grilled chicken on the grill and on some plates. There were some unfamiliar spices on them, though.

Chelsea   "I'm glad I made it here before Mac did. I might've not gotten a chance to try any of this food!"

Mac   "W-what are you saying, Chels?! I definitely would've saved some for you!"

Chelsea   "Heh, you sure about that?"

Chef Boy   "Hello, Ail! The Master Chef is hoping you are having a good time so far! How was the beach house? The Master Chef hopes the room you chose was to your liking."

Ail   "Actually, speaking of which, I was just wondering... Where were the owners of the beach house? We didn't see them went we went there earlier..."

Chef Boy   "Oh, did the Master Chef forget to mention? They wanted to take a short vacation over the weekend, so they have left the Master Chef in charge of it until they get back!"

Ail   Jeez, what did you do to let them trust you with something like that?! Did you bribe them with food or something?

Chef Boy   "If that is all you wished to ask the Master Chef, comrade, then feel free to begin eating! The Master Chef and his lovely assistant made more than enough to go around!"

Ail   "Hm, but do I dare risk eating something you made...? You act like you're some professional chef, but are you really as good as you say?"

Betty   "He sure is! Of all the people I've seen try the Master Chef's food, no one has ever rejected his food! Not even once!"

Betty rejoined Chef Boy's side, just to tell me how great he was.

Chef Boy   "Indeed! It's just as Betty says!"

Ail   "Hmph... Alright fine, I'll try some, I guess..."

With a sigh, I grabbed a hot dog off one of the plates, and took a bite out of it.

Ail   This is...!

Chef Boy   "Well? Is it to your liking, comrade?"

Ail   "It's actually pretty good. It's a bit spicy for my liking, but..."

Chef Boy   "You are not a fan of spicy food, Ail? Duty noted. The Master Chef will keep that in mind the next time he prepares some food for you, comrade."

Ail   "Oh boy, I can't wait..."

Chef Boy   "Is there any other food you'd like to try?"

Ail   "Nah, I'm good for now. I could use a bottle of water though, it you've got any... Actually, make that two bottles of water."

Chelsea   "Ail, dis foob's betty goob, huh?"

Chelsea asked me while happily stuffing a hamburger in her mouth.

Ail   "Talk or eat; pick one and one only, please."

Chelsea   "You not going to eat anymore, Ail? You'd better take some more before Mac and I eat it all!"

Ail   "Are you two seriously planning on eating it all by yourselves...?"

Chelsea   "It's no big deal for me! No matter how much I eat, I never end up getting fat!"

Ail   "Oh, really? Good for you..."

Chef Boy   "Oh Chelsea, are you enjoying the food that the Master Chef has made? If you like, you are welcome to join the Master Chef's after school cooking classes to try out his many other types of cuisine."

Betty   "..."

Chelsea   "What, are you trying to ask me out or something, chef guy? I'm kind of flattered, but..."

Chelsea latched onto one of my arms without warning.

Chelsea   "... so sorry, but right now my heart only belongs to Ailey~!"

Ail   "H-hey, what're you doing?! Quit it!"

Chef Boy   "I see... The Master Chef understands. What a waste..."

Ail   "And just what that supposed to mean, Chef Boy?!"

Ail   Jeez, I'm getting so sick of this... I just want to get out of here already...

I looked a bit off in the distance, and saw a towel laid out on the sand, with a parasol over it to make some shade. Sitting under it were Tear and Tech, doing who knows what.

Ail   Tear and Tech? That's a weird combination... What're they doing over there? Maybe I should go over there and check; it's a good excuse to leave this place...

Ail   "I'm going to see what Tear's up to. Later."

Chef Boy   "Alright, comrade. The Master Chef does not believe he has eaten anything yet, so feel free to bring something over for him."

Chelsea   "Wha?! You're leaving? But we were having so much fun~..."

I ignored Chelsea and went over to where Tear was sitting, bringing a hot dog and some water with me. When I was close enough, I noticed that Tear was drawing something on a drawing pad he'd brought with him.

Ail   "Hey Tear, what're you drawing?"

Tear   "..."

Tear was apparently so focused on the drawing that he didn't even realize I was there.

Ail   "... Poke."

I poked his forehead.

Tear   "W-wha!?"

Ail   "Yo."

Tear   "O-oh, Ail. You surprised me... D-did you need something?"

Ail   "I just wanted to know what you were doing here. Also, I brought you some food."

Tear   "Oh, thanks..."

Tear accepted the hot dog and took a bite out of it.

Tear   "Mmgh... It's spicy..."

Ail   "I know, right? Here, I got you some water, too."

Tear placed down his drawing pad, taking one of my water bottles as well. While he was eating the hot dog (as slowly as ever), I sat down next to Tear and took a look at what he had been drawing.

Tear   "Thanks for the food, Ail."

Ail   "Thank Chef Boy, he's the one that made it. Oh, and that drawing..."

Tear   "It's the aquarium; the one I told you about before. After talking about it with you, it made me want to draw it again..."

Ail   "I see... It's coming along great, huh?"

Tear   "I don't know... It's not really turning out the way I'd envisioned..."

Ail   "Really?! But it looks so nice! You're a really talented artist, Tear!"

Tear   "Y-you really think so...!?"

Ail   "Of course! I don't think I've ever seen anyone draw as well as you. I'd really like to watch you finish it, if that's alright with you."

Tear   "S-sure, that's fine by me..."

I watched Tear continue drawing the picture of the aquarium. He seemed to be nervous about having me watch him at first, but he became more relaxed over time. Tear was so good at drawing; it was almost like I was able to see a clear image of his past memory. It was kind of amazing.

Tech   "... You sure get along surprisingly well."

Ail Tear   "Huh?" "E-eh?!"

Tech, who had unsurprisingly been there on his laptop the whole time, decided to comment on what we were doing.

Ail   "Jeez, I almost forgot you were sitting there..."

Tech   "I thought you weren't interested in making any friends, Ail, but you seem to have taken a shine to Tear there."

Ail   "So? What's it to you?"

Tech   "Are the quiet ones more your type?"

Ail   "Tear's a guy, you dunce."

Tech   "I don't recall saying he wasn't."

Ail   I don't know why, but this guy is really irritating me...

Ail   "By the way, why'd you even bother coming over here if you're just going to be on your laptop anyways?"

Tech   "Mac kept on insisting I come here with him, but I still have a lot of work I've got to do still. This was the compromise."

Ail   "Can't you take a break for even one day? Just what is it you want to buy that's so important?"

Tech   "It's none of your business. You can ask all you want; I won't tell you."

Ail   "So it's fine for you to pry into my business, but it's not okay for me to pry into yours? Hypocrite."

Tech   "..."

Tech suddenly closed his laptop, then got up while still holding it.

Tech   "... I'm hungry."

Tech walked away from us, toward where everyone else was (still) eating.

Ail   Fine. Be that way, you coward...

Tear   "..."

--

After watching Tear finish his drawing, I spent the rest of the day playing volleyball with the others. I ended up getting my butt kicked by everyone, but I didn't really care, since I wasn't taking it seriously anyways. Once it was starting to get dark out, everyone began to head for the beach house to rest. I went back over to where Tear had been sitting to go get him.

Ail   "Let's go, Tear. I bet even you're sick of sitting here drawing this whole time, aren't you?"

Tear   "Uugh..."

Ail   "W-what's wrong?! Are you okay, Tear?"

Tear   "E-everything's all blurry... A-and I have a headache..."

Ail   His face is getting flushed. Is he getting heatstroke? It must be because...

Ail   "... Yeah, you're feeling hot because of that sweatshirt, aren't you?! I told you not to wear it to the beach, didn't I?"

Tear   "Y-yeah... but..."

Ail   "We can't let you get worse! Take off that sweatshirt, right now!"

Tear   "N-no! I can't...!"

Ail   Seriously?! Even now you're being this stubborn about it? Jeez, there's no time to argue about this right now...

Ail   "Let's go to the beach house, then. There should be a shower there that you can use to cool yourself off."

Tear   "O-okay..."

--

I brought Tear to the beach house. His heatstroke made him dizzy and sluggish, so I had to help guide him there. As soon as we entered, I immediately knocked on Chef Boy's room door, as I figured he'd be in there by now. And I guessed right, as he opened the door soon after.

Chef Boy   "What can the Master Chef do for y-..."

Chef Boy   "... Oh! What's wrong with him, comrade?!"

Ail   "I think he has heatstroke. Can you show us where the shower room is?"

Chef Boy   "Absolutely! Right this way!"

Chef Boy brought me down the hall, toward the area where those two ditzy girls had ran off to a few hours ago. Soon enough, we were at the shower room, which was at an easier to find location then I had thought.

Ail   "Thanks. I'll take care of the rest."

Chef Boy   "You are most welcome. The Master Chef hopes he feels better!"

Chef Boy headed back to his room, and I brought Tear with me to the shower room.

Ail   "We're here. I'm sure you can at least go inside one of the stalls yourself, right?"

Tear   "Y-yeah... Sorry about this..."

Ail   "I believe the proper response to this situation would be 'thank you'."

Tear   "O-oh, right... T-thank y-..."

Ail   "I was joking. Hurry up and get in there, okay?"

Tear   "O-okay..."

Ail   Since I'm here, I might as well take a shower, too... I'm all sweaty from that stupid volleyball game...

As Tear slowly headed for a stall, I began to take my shirt off.

Tear   "W-what are you doing!?"

Ail   "Getting undressed... What's it look like I'm doi-..."

Before I could finish, Tear ran into a stall in a hurry.

Ail   Jeez, what's with him? Weirdo...

I went into the stall next to Tear, and finished changing in there. There were actually two separate sections; one for changing and one for actually showering (probably to prevent your clothes from getting wet). There was also a stool in there with a towel placed on it. I hung my clothes on the first door and went into the shower section and turned on the water.

Ail   Aaah... I needed this sooo bad...

Oddly enough, Tear didn't turn on the water on his side until I'd already done it. From my side, I obviously couldn't see what he was doing, but I could at least see his sweatshirt hanging on the other door.

Ail   So it does come off... It's the first time I've seen it not on him. But why is he so attached to it, anyways? This wouldn't have happened if he wasn't so stubborn about it...

After I was done, I turned off the water, put my clothes back on, and left the stall. But even though I took a fairly long time in there, Tear hadn't finished showering yet.

Ail   "Hey, you doing okay? You still not done in there?"

 Tear   "U-um, not yet... B-but I'm feeling a bit better now, so you can go back without me."

Ail   "You sure? This is kind of a big place, so you might get lost. Especially in your condition."

 Tear   "I-I'll be fine. D-don't worry about me..."

Ail   "Alright, if you insist... See you back at the room, then."

I decided to head back to our room, leaving Tear behind.

Ail   He said he was okay, but... Maybe I should wait for him anyways, just in case?

Ail   "..."

Ail   Nah, I'm sure it'll be fine. If he takes too long, I can just go back later...

Once I made it to my room, as soon as I opened the door to get inside, I saw Tech leave his room.

Ail   "You heading to the shower room?"

Tech   "Yeah, why?"

Ail   "... It's nothing. Never mind..."

Tech   "Okay then. Later."

Ail   "..."

Tech turned around and walked to the shower room. I entered my room and immediately decided to crash onto my bed.

Ail   Tear, just what is with you and that sweatshirt? If you're trying to hide something... just what is it?

End of Chapter 4

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Writer's Comments:

Wow, I actually did it! I got this done in the same month as the last one! After having some trouble with it at first, I managed to finally get the proper motivation to get this done. I kind of wanted to get this done on January 23, as that day in 2011 was when I wrote the (2nd) original version of this chapter. Unfortunately I didn't manage to reach the "deadline", but at least I managed to finish it close to it.

Contrary to the previous chapter, I was in a weird rut when writing this one, which is why it took a bit more time to finish then I would've liked. Which is kind of ironic, considering what happened while writing the previous 3rd & 4th chapters before. You can easily tell my attitude towards them by reading the "Writer's Comments" sections of the old ones.

By the way, I realize this chapter might've ended kind of strangely, but it'll make sense once you read the next one. If you read the previous versions of this chapter and the next one however, you might be surprised by how things turn out...

- CS-Masyet