Returning from the campsite, the four friends rode the bus and took seats in the back. Vincy was grumpy the whole trip.
"Taro, my pal, when I said let's go to the campsite... I DIDN'T MEAN BRINGING THESE TWO!" Vincy complained. "THIS TRIP SHOULD'VE BEEN ONLY FOR US!"
"Damare, aho! People are staring!" Yukiko warned.
"Why are you so greedy, Vincy?" Ema asked, teasing. "Don't you want to hang around with your lovely–"
"Keep your mouth shut!" Vincy interrupted. "You don't know how much I was waiting for this trip. THAT UNTIL YOU RUINED EVERYTHING, ESPECIALLY YOU... PINK ONE!"
"Relax, Vincy, it wasn't that bad," Taro replied.
"Bud... you should be complaining too," Vincy added. "You didn't even sit for a whole minute. Cooking, getting wood, more cooking, tent sitting, MORE COOKING!"
"S-Sorry, didn't want to–" Taro began.
"I'm not mad at you, I'M MAD AT THESE TWO USELESS GIRLS!" Vincy responded.
Vincy remained silent for a few minutes, then he smirked horrifyingly.
"Oh no... that smile," Ema muttered, worried.
"Oh yeah, you're done for," Vincy replied.
"Nani nani? What's happening?" Yukiko asked, curious.
"I know exactly who my victim will be," Vincy said, staring at Yukiko.
The moment they returned home, Vincy grabbed a pen... treating it like a microphone probably.
"Ladies and gentlemen... we got a participant for our VCD!" He shouted, staring away.
"Who's he talking to?" Yukiko asked.
"No idea... just play along," Ema responded.
"What is VCD?" Taro whispered, confused.
"It stands for Vincy's Competitive Dare," Ema answered.
Then, Vincy pointed toward Yukiko and said:
"Say hello to our annoying participant, YukikoHiroshi!"
"Hmph. You think you can beat me? Misete miro! Baka!" She replied, equipping her katana.
Vincy smirked and began laughing hysterically.
"YOU FOOL! YOU THOUGHT I'D LET YOU CHALLENGE ME? I'LL MAKE YOU SUFFER SLOWLY!" He shouted.
"What do you mean, Vincy?" Ema asked.
"The one who will challenge her is her fiancé... TaroAbodo!" He responded.
"N-Nani?!" Yukiko shouted in shock.
"M-Me?" Taro asked, surprised.
"Of course, you're our superstar!" Vincy answered.
Then, Ema asked:
"What are the consequences for the loser?"
Vincy thought for a while, then answered with a deadly glare:
"If she lost... she will do whatever I say for a whole day!"
"HEEEH?! BAKANA!" Yukiko refused.
"Do I raise it for a whole week?" Vincy asked, teasing.
"Kisama..." Yukiko muttered angrily.
"What about Abodo?" Ema asked.
"Hmm... what about a date with her?" Vincy asked.
"A date? That's it?" Taro asked, surprised.
Yukiko and Ema were shocked by Taro's reaction.
Whoa! He's bold! Ema thought.
N-Nani?! A d-d-d-d-date?! Yukiko thought, blushing intensely.
"What's the matter, Yukiko? Are you feeling well?" Taro asked, worried.
"N-Nani mo nai!" Yukiko responded.
"Sou ka! Best of luck then," he replied, smiling innocently.
"H-How isn't he nervous?" Yukiko asked.
"So, Vincy, what are the challenges?" Taro asked.
Vincy threw small cards on the table, then said, continuing to act like there's a show:
"Ema will pick a card to declare the challenge. The participants will compete for five challenges. The one who wins three challenges is declared as the winner!"
Ema picked a random card, and it was chess.
"Hoho! Ladies and gentlemen, the first challenge is–" He began.
"Stop being corny and go get the stupid chess board!" Ema said aggressively, breaking the pen in half.
"Okay okay... chill," he replied, sweating.
Vincy went to get the chess board from his house. A few minutes later, he returned with it. Taro and Yukiko sat at the table, facing each other.
"Do you know how to play?" Taro asked.
"Mochiron, I have been playing it since I was ten," Yukiko responded confidently.
"Great, so we are ready," Taro replied.
"You better not hold back... darling," Yukiko said, teasing.
After a few seconds, Yukiko got checkmated in four moves.
"T-That ended quickly," Yukiko whispered, shocked with a faint smile.
"Whoa! He pulled the Napoleon Mate," Ema said, surprised.
"The what?" Vincy asked.
"The Napoleon Mate. It's a four-move checkmate technique," she answered.
"No worries, Yukiko," Taro comforted. "Let's not count this round. Ready for a rematch?"
"H-Hai," she accepted, ashamed.
Roughly thirty minutes later, Taro managed to checkmate with a rook and a queen.
"Checkmate!" He declared.
"Sugoi! You won again!" Yukiko replied.
"You should be aware of the en passant move and the bishops, Yukiko," he advised. "Yet, you still did great."
"Arigato," she thanked.
"What's en passant now?" Vincy asked.
"A rare move lets a pawn capture another one that jumped two squares past it," Ema answered. "That's a French phrase that means in passing."
"Why am I even bothering... TARO WINS!" Vincy said.
Ema pulled another card... and it was drawing.
Oh no, Taro thought.
"What do we draw?" Yukiko asked.
"I don't know... you can pick, Ema," Vincy responded.
"What about a golden moon in a black sky?" Ema suggested.
"Pffft. Chucky," Vincy whispered, teasing.
She heard him and punched him in the forehead instantly... ouch!
"Now, you have twenty minutes to draw it," she said.
Taro grabbed two big notebooks and a bunch of coloring crayons.
"Ready... DRAW!" Vincy shouted.
Later, they showed their drawings. Yukiko's drawing was beautiful.
"Wonderful, Yukiko, nine out of ten," Ema said.
Taro showed his drawing, and it was... awful.
"Umm...uhh...erm..." Ema hesitated.
"Just say it, Ema," Taro replied, ashamed.
"Sorry, Abodo, two out of ten," she responded.
"Fair enough, I'm terrible at drawing," Taro admitted.
"Sigh... Yukiko wins," Vincy whispered, annoyed.
Ema drew the third card, and it was riddles.
"Whoa! That one looks fun," Ema said.
"It's not!" The trio disagreed.
"Let me go search for them on a website," Vincy added, went upstairs, and opened the computer.
Later he returned with five riddles.
"Again number five?" Ema asked.
"Yeah, because it's my favorite number obviously," he responded.
He gave the paper to Ema, then she began:
"I'm tall when I'm young and short when I'm old. What am I?"
"That's simple, a candle!" Taro answered.
"Correct, a point for Abodo," Ema replied. "Next... I'm full of holes but water remains. What am I?"
"A sponge," Yukiko answered.
"Good, a point for Yukiko," she said. "Third one... I'm always in front of you, but can't be seen."
"The air?" Yukiko answered.
"No, the future!" Taro corrected.
"Abodo is correct, air isn't always in front of you," Ema replied.
"Yeah, like in space or under the water," Vincy added.
"Number four... hold on, what type of difficulty are these riddles?" Ema asked.
"I don't know, I picked randomly famous ones," he responded.
"This is so stupid... screw this," she muttered, crumpling and throwing the paper toward Vincy. "Here's my riddle... I wear a crown... yet rule no land, and my steps are counted by the stars. What am I?"
They thought for minutes and answered several wrong answers... until Taro understood it, answering confidently:
"I'm one of the slowest living beings... the snail!"
"You are?!" Vincy asked.
"What? No, that's the answer!" Taro responded, confused.
"Vincy, how stupid can you be?" Ema wondered. "Abodo won, no need for the fifth riddle."
For the fourth card, it was cosplaying.
"Cosplaying I see... I'll tell you the characters and you will–" Vincy began.
"Hold it, I won't do that one," Taro interrupted, raising his hand.
"Eh? Why?" Vincy asked.
Taro glanced at Yukiko, then whispered to Vincy with a firm tone:
"You know why, Vincy..."
Vincy blinked for seconds, until he realized.
"Ohhh... right," Vincy muttered.
"Yeah, that's embarrassing and feels... undignified," he added.
"So... should I?" Vincy asked.
"Yeah, Yukiko is the winner for this one," Taro responded.
"What are you two whispering about?" Ema asked.
"Nothing, Taro surrendered," Vincy answered.
"Is there something wrong?" Yukiko asked.
"Who knows," Ema replied. "Oh well... it's a tie now."
Ema picked the final card, and unfortunately for Yukiko... it was cooking.
"NANI?!" She shouted.
"Why are you so panicked? Didn't I teach you how to cook before?" Ema asked.
"Demo... that's Taro," Yukiko replied.
"Yeah... he's not easy to take, but I know you can do this," Ema cheered.
"Yeah, Yukiko," Taro agreed. "In fact, you can use Ema's help."
"HEY! That's unfair!" Vincy shouted.
"No worries, Vincy, I'll allow it," he replied. "So, what do we cook?"
"I don't know... maybe something sweet?" Vincy recommended.
"We have all the ingredients for the apple pie, good?" Taro asked.
"Indeed! Apple pie then," he decided.
Later, they prepared the ingredients: apples, sugar, cinnamon, lemon, flour, butter, and more. Taro's process went all good with no mistakes. Yukiko, meanwhile, had trouble with the ingredients. She spilled sugar over the counter, struggled while cutting the apples, and more bad moments.
Taro went to help her, asking:
"Yukiko... do I–"
"NO HELPING!" Vincy and Ema shouted, blocking the way.
"Guys, this isn't funny anymore, she needs help," Taro replied, worried.
"Daijoubu, Taro, I can do this," she comforted.
This is getting out of hand... I don't like how it will end, he thought.
Then, he thought of something... hilarious!
The end... that's it! He thought, smiling with a hand on his chin.
After both of them finished, Ema went to the living room with both pies. Taro's pie was clean and looked delicious, while Yukiko's pie was... a little chaotic.
"Umm... I think we already know the winner," Vincy commented.
"Don't judge a book by its cover, Vincy," Taro replied coldly. "Try my pie first."
Vincy grabbed a fork and began tasting it. Ema tried too, but Taro stopped her secretly midway.
"Don't!" He whispered, shaking his head.
Vincy took a bite, and instantly... his face turned red.
"So, Vincy, what do you think?" Taro asked, acting innocent.
"IT'S BURNING!" He shouted, acting like flames were coming out of his mouth.
"Ah, I see, drink that then," he replied, giving him a glass of milk.
After Vincy cooled down, he asked:
"Dude... what was that?"
"Sorry, maybe I 'accidentally' put around a cup of hot sauce," He responded, acting innocently.
"Yeah... totally by accident," Ema said, being sarcastic.
"A WHOLE CUP?! ARE YOU SERIOUS?!" He shouted.
"Yeah, just to show you... how underestimating people can flip the table," Taro answered seriously. "I didn't want to involve Ema since she is allergic to hot stuff. Now, try Yukiko's pie."
"Aw man, should I?" Vincy asked.
"Yeah, you should," Taro answered with a cold smile. "Ema can join you this time."
"Taro... there's no need to–" Yukiko began.
"Daijoubu, Yukiko-hime, everything is as smooth as honey," he said with a playful tone.
H-Hime? She thought, blushing intensely.
Vincy and Ema tried it, and they were shocked by the result.
"W-WHOA! IT'S AWESOME!" Vincy exclaimed.
"Yeah, I feel like it's as sweet as honey," Ema replied. "Yukiko, did you use honey?"
"No, I–" She tried answering.
"Seems like my words turn into reality," he said sarcastically.
Then, his tone switched seriously with a cold smile, continuing:
"...or maybe... the honey 'magically' entered the pie."
(Flashback)
After Yukiko finished her pie, Taro noticed how she ended up being messy.
"You can go wash yourself, Yukiko," he suggested. "I'll let Ema serve them."
"Hai," she accepted, removing her apron.
The moment she left the kitchen, Taro tasted her pie.
Perfect, only sugar is the problem, he thought. In that case...
Then, he went to the cabinet, searching for a jar of honey. He found it and noticed an unopened bottle of sauce beside it.
A hot sauce... this brings me an idea! He thought, smiling.
After he put the honey in the pie, he opened the fridge, grabbing a used hot sauce bottle and a milk carton. He filled two glasses with hot sauce and milk. Then, he poured the hot sauce into his pie, making sure it was not visible.
Now that will end well, he thought, arms crossed.
Returning to Vincy and Ema, they both said at once:
"He fooled us!"
"Anyone can master cooking, even Yukiko," Taro replied, smiling. "And I can't wait to eat her next meal."
Yukiko stared at him for a few seconds, then smiled and said:
"Arigato... I'll never forget this!"
"How cute, but too bad, Abodo... you lost," Ema interrupted, being sarcastic.
"Umm... aw no... how could this happen," Taro acted.
"Nice acting, buddy," Vincy replied. "Now do your thing."
"Ah, right," he remembered.
Then, he said to Yukiko:
"So, Yukiko, you won. Congratulations. Now, as we agreed..."
Taro approached her slowly. With each step, Yukiko's heartbeat increased, and she blushed more.
Nani nani?! What's he going to do?! She thought, panicked.
Then, he raised his hand toward her, holding her clenched fist. Slowly, he opened her hand, giving her... a bunch of dates.
"Ano... Taro, what is this?" Yukiko asked, shocked and confused.
"Dates! Did you forget our palm in the garden?" Taro responded.
"Etto... that's not what I mean," she whispered.
"Huh? What do you mean then?" He asked, confused.
At this moment, Vincy burst into laughter. Then, Yukiko and Ema shouted at the same time:
"Hontōni baka!"
Then, both of them began laughing too.
"What do you mean, guys? Am I missing something?" He kept asking.
"N-Not at all, pal, let me clarify for you," Vincy responded, still laughing.
Then, he whispered in Taro's ear.
"Oh... so that's what dating means," he said.
Taro blinked for a few seconds, then his face turned completely red, exclaiming in shyness:
"W-WE CAN'T DO THAT, VINCY! WE'RE NOT MARRIED YET!"
"Calm down, man," Vincy replied. "A lot of couples go on a date, it's not that hard."
"Y-Yeah, but that doesn't feel... right... at least for me," he disagreed, blushing.
"He's too innocent... and stupid," Ema whispered, unimpressed.
"Yeah, indeed," Vincy agreed, sharing the same expression.
"Daijoubu, Taro," Yukiko said calmly. "You already gave me what's better than a date... true respect and care. I don't want anything... rather than staying with you, along with Ema-chan and that baka."
"T-Thanks, Yukiko... me too," Taro replied, smiling and blushing.
"Hey, why am I the only one who got insulted here?" Vincy whispered, unimpressed.
Then, Ema said suddenly:
"Alright, now that you guys are done... it's our turn to–"
"I won't accept it!" Vincy interrupted, raising his arms.
"H-HEEEH?! WHAT DID YOU SAY?! Vincy, stop acting selfish!" She replied, shocked.
"Nope... I won't accept it!" He repeated, keeping the same pose.
"Isn't that relationship is so... Azur-able?" Taro said with a playful tone.
Then, everyone burst into laughter!