We Find Comfort In The Apricity

Measure 58: Making Connections

"Ow! I stabbed myself again!?" -Yo

"Geez Yo-Yo, maybe if you took off that weird eye-stone-mask thing you'd be able to see properly." I stood up from my spot and went over to a bag I brought with me, I pulled out a thimble I had made beforehand and handed it to him.

"Hmph thanks." -Yo

"What's that Anzu?" -Suika

"A thimble, it's so you don't prick your finger when sewing. I made it before but I ended up not using it so."

After making some calculations, today we started sewing up together the entire top of the hot air balloon. It was super big but we finished pretty fast since we had a lot of people helping out.

"So who are the three lucky people going on the first ride? I'll pass myself." -Gen

"I'm not interested in it either, it doesn't seem safe."

"Obviously Senku right?! He's the one that knows how to operate it!" -Taiju

"I can't do it by myself, I need someone to read the patterns of the wind so the pilot has gotta know how to do that before anything."

"Ohh okay! So Ryusui—" Taiju was cut off by Gen's loud shushing.

"Shhh! You two are horrible at negotiations! If we tell him straight up he'll definitely charge us a 100,000 Dragos!" -Gen

"Eh? So that's the worry, then I'll leave all the underhanded negotiations to you."

I was peacefully observing the scene play out in front of me while eating my lunch. Gen came up with a plan to trick Ryusui into being our pilot. So after lunch we gathered everyone again at the middle of the base and carried out the plan.

"Alrighty everyone gather 'round, gather 'round! We need two more people to ride the balloon so we're going to decide by drawing cards~ Whoever gets the two jokers in the deck is the winner~!" -Gen

Yo picked out his first and he pulled out a spade, Ginro pulled out a heart, I stood behind Ryusui but he let me go first.

"Ladies first Miss Anzu." -Ryusui

I drew the card but I was startled by Ryusui's yelling.

"Ha! If you people really wanted me to go you could've just asked! But since you got Gen to pull these parlor tricks I'll charge you 1 million Dragos!" Ryusui picked out the card that was slightly sticking out of the deck, "HAHA! The winning joker is— mine?" He turned around his card and it revealed a three of hearts.

I burst out laughing and patted his back comfortingly, "Awe it's okay Ryusui, maybe the ocean is more of your turf!"

I stepped back with Gen and we cackled like hyenas.

"Pfttt humans are such fragile creatures. Specially when they lose something they thought they would win for sure~ that's when they feel the most loss." -Gen

"Hehehe, many psychological experiments have been conducted on this actually~ it's such a priceless reaction!" I turned over my card only to reveal the joker, my smile dropped. I looked over at Gen with a blank expression and he looked at me questioningly.

I nodded my head no furiously and he got the hint, so when no one was looking I flicked the card towards his sleeve which he had lowered to the side. He caught it and then turned it over as if he had picked it out of the deck.

"Hm? Anzu what did you get?" Yuzuriha asked innocently.

"Ah just spades, bummer right?" I chuckled slightly and crouched down on the floor beside her.