Summer Fling
While talking to a woman on the beach, Tomoi suddenly runs off to mess around with his two friends. When he comes back, he is devastated to find that she is no longer around.
Since the outset of the journey, each crewmate has met with various difficulties along the way.Katalina was no exception. Although among her experiences, her meeting with Lowain in particular was to have a lasting impression.
It all began when the crew chose to stay at a certain restaurant...
Katalina: Humph! The quality of the cuisine isn't in question, but can't anybody do something about that loudmouth?
Lowain: Oh? Your first time here by any chance?
The youth, whose name was Lowain, had not made a favorable impression on the elite skyfarer Katalina.
In the end, pushed to her limits, Katalina snapped at him.
Lowain: My darling Katalina... Kat, may I call you Kat? I do believe I've just fallen head-over-heels for you. Would you care to go out with me?
Kat: What? Don't jest with me! What are you up to?
Katalina appeared flustered by the confession. Despite having been clearly rejected, Lowain refused to give up.
All Three: Waheyyy!
The next day, Lowain quit his job out of love for his darling Kat and intruded on (Captain)'s crew as the cook, along with his two friends.
Thus, (Captain)'s crew saw the addition of the cook, Lowain, and his two buddies, Elsam and Tomoi.
Always coursing with energy, the three seemed to cause trouble wherever they went. Things would be no different at the resort.
???: Waheyyy!
Venera Beach in Auguste. The sound of the waves lapping quietly along the shore of the high-class resort is drowned out by a blaring voice.
Lowain: Aw yeah! Here we go, dudes!
All Three: Wahooo!
Lowain's friends catapult him toward the sea.
Though more or less the leader, he is subject to varying treatment from his friends. Despite this, they have a good relationship.
Lowain: Man, I just can't get this killer technique down. I'm losing the will here.
The three of them are in the middle of developing a new killer move, modeled after the human pyramid.
Elsam: Let's call it quits today. You can't keep up with the pace. We can't be savin' you every time you go down.
Tomoi: Gahaha, true that! Without Lowain, we woulda been kicked off that ship by now.
Lowain: Hate to break it to ya, but I'm pretty serious about this. My romance with Kat is resting on it, y'know?
Elsam: Well, to be honest with ya, the human pyramid thing was quite a classic. Ya sayin' we gotta go beyond that masterpiece?
Lowain: C'mon boys. We gotta be an eager beaver! We're pullin' an all nighter for this, I tell ya!
Tomoi: Ugh! Something tells me I'm gonna, like, have my whole body achin' in the mornin'...
That night, two women are wandering listlessly down the beautiful shoreline.
Woman 1: Sigh... Men just can't be trusted.
Woman 2: Come on now, I'm sure someone else will come along.
Thug 1: Sure will. Like me, for example.
Thug 2: Hehehe, I'm not half bad myself.
Woman 1: Huh? Wh-what?
Woman 2: Stop it! Who are you guys?
Accosted by the two scoundrels who suddenly appear, the women let out a collective scream.
Many onlookers, wondering why no one bothers to call the guards, neglect to act themselves.
Except for...
All Three: Wahoo!
Woman 1: Eek? Wh-what's that voice?
A mysterious human-shaped projectile comes to the aid of the women.
Woman 1: Huh? What was that just now?
Elsam: Oh. Oops. Did either of ya catch which way Lowain flew past just now?
Tomoi: Rocketed past, you mean. That guy had a turbo charge just now!
Woman 2: Huh, turbo charge?
Lowain: Ouch. Dang. Guess it's no good. Have to polish it a lil' more...
Elsam: Yo! You all right, dude? Hahaha!
Tomoi: Sorry 'bout that, I'll clean up here.
Woman 1: Oh my!
Tomoi: Huh, whassup? Somethin' on my face?
Woman 1: Um, what's your name?
Tomoi: Eh? You want to know my name? Uh, I'm Tomoi.
Woman 1: Hey... Could we chat a little? Afterward is fine.
Tomoi: Eh? Uh, yeah, sure.
Woman 2: Hey, what's hit you all of a sudden?
Woman 1: Well... I don't really know, but I'd kind of like to have a talk with him.
Lowain: (Maaan! I don't really get it, but it looks like the technique has a useful side effect!)
Elsam: (Oh yeeaaah! Bar's just been raised, dude!)
Lowain: That girl's got some nice, refreshing vibes, don'cha think? Not bad!
Elsam: Bwahaha! This is, like, a miracle development!
Lowain: Awright! We're clearin' out, dude. You give us the lowdown after, yeah?
Tomoi: Whoa! Uh, like, what am I supposed to say? Hey, Lowain? Sammy?
Lowain and Elsam depart, leaving Tomoi, the sudden object of affection, to fend for himself.
After leaving Tomoi, the two settle themselves on a perfect spot to get a peek of the beachside affair.
Tomoi: Ahaha... The sea's, like, beautiful, huh?
Woman 1: It is...
Tomoi: ...
Woman 1: ...
Elsam: Uhh... I'm getting kinda restless here!
Lowain: Tommy's acting too low-key. What's up with him?
Elsam: I guess you could say the Lowain hitting on Kat phenomenon is, like, in effect.
Lowain: Ah, shut it. So full of yourself, ain'tcha? Well, I'm goin' back to practice.
Elsam: Bwahaha! You mad, bro? Hey, hold on!
Tomoi: (Oh man! I've, like, no idea what to talk about here!)
Woman 1: Um... Tomoi? You guys came to save us earlier, right?
Tomoi: Hm?
Woman 1: Oh? That's not it? I thought Lowain and you guys took down those scoundrels for us.
Tomoi: Yeah, I was kinda wondering who they were and all. But scoundrels, huh? No one was interfering, so I thought it might be a mistake.
Woman 1: Hehe, you're feeling sorry for those guys? You're really sweet, aren't you?
Tomoi: Uh, well... Not really, like...
Both: Off we go!
Tomoi: Tsk, those guys are so loud.
Woman 1: Um, so are you always with them?
Tomoi: Ah... Yeah, like, we're pretty much always together.
Elsam: Ugh! We can't do the human pyramid properly without Tommy. You're not exactly light either, dude!
Tomoi: Oh man, what're they up to now? Idiots... Such a pair of kids, don'cha think?
Woman 1: It seems fun though.
Tomoi: I dunno... It's, like, really tough work, y'know?
Lowain: Hey, hey, hey! Watch yourself, yeah? Your balance is all over the place!
Both: Oof!
Tomoi: ...
Woman 1: Hey, aren't you concerned about them? Wouldn't you be having more fun over there?
Tomoi: Uh, well...
Woman 1: Teehee. It's okay, you can go check on them.
Tomoi: O-okay...
Lowain: Awright! One more time, yeah?
Both: Yeah!
Woman 1: Hehe... They're just like children.
Tomoi rejoins his companions, and the trio resumes their human pyramid training.
While the three are refining their technique, the woman disappears quietly.
Lowain: And that's how Tommy here got himself a girlfriend this summer.
Katalina: Er... That's what you claim, but it seems he was rejected pretty much straight away.
Lowain: Naw! It wasn't like that now, was it?
- We learn from our experiences.
- He clearly got dumped, idiot.
Choose: We learn from our experiences.Elsam: You said it, man! We're, like, constantly improving and stuff. Experience points all around, right?
Lowain: Improving, huh? That's exactly why we gotta perfect the technique, then!
All Three: Totally!
Vyrn: Sigh... Guess you still haven't figured out why he was dumped, then?
Lowain: Oh? What do you mean, Vyrn?
Choose: He clearly got dumped, idiot.Lowain: Hey, hey, what's with the harsh words, (Captain)? Drop the negative vibes here!
Elsam: Like, just watch us, dude. We're going straight to the top!
Lowain: Naw! It wasn't like that now, was it?
- We learn from our experiences.
- He clearly got dumped, idiot.
Choose: We learn from our experiences.Elsam: You said it, man! We're, like, constantly improving and stuff. Experience points all around, right?
Lowain: Improving, huh? That's exactly why we gotta perfect the technique, then!
All Three: Totally!
Vyrn: Sigh... Guess you still haven't figured out why he was dumped, then?
Lowain: Oh? What do you mean, Vyrn?
Choose: He clearly got dumped, idiot.Lowain: Hey, hey, what's with the harsh words, (Captain)? Drop the negative vibes here!
Elsam: Like, just watch us, dude. We're going straight to the top!
Continue 1Vyrn: I mean, if you go off and leave a girl like that in the middle of a date, of course she's gonna do that.
All Three: That's what it was?
All Three: Hmmm... hmmm... oh! Yeah, yeah, yeah!
Lowain: That's gotta be it! Vyrn, ya little genius. You got the moves down, bro!
All Three: Gnarly!
Elsam: Hold on, you mean when we get a girlfriend, we gotta act, like, independently and stuff?
Lowain: H-hold on a minute here, dudes. This whole independence thing ain't us. We're bros. Y'hear me?
Lowain: Ain't that right?
Lowain: Ain't that right?
Lowain: Totally!
Lowain: Waheey!
All Three: No can do, dudes!
Elsam: The mental pressure would be, like, overwhelming!
Lowain: That was close, dudes. We barely got out of that one.
And there lies Lowain's problem in a nutshell. The reason behind Katalina's repeated rejections now seems painfully obvious.
Still, since the matching personalities of the three bros make for such a beautiful bromance, perhaps it is for the best.
Full of charm and excitement in equal measure, the trio's adventures at the resort come to a close.
Incidentally...
What happened to the woman Tomoi was speaking to on the beach?
Woman 2: Sigh, you really do have no luck with guys. Well, there are still plenty around.
Woman 1: Yeah. And plenty of oddballs like Tomoi, I bet.
Woman 2: Ahaha... I don't think you'll find many more as strange as that guy.
Woman 1: Heehee. Yeah, I know.
The love story, precipitated by the odd incident at the beach, ends in disappointment. Still, things are looking up again.
The Never-Ending Vacation
Lowain and the guys are surprised to see an imperial soldier come up to the beach house stall for food. Things quickly become heated when all parties recall their previous hostile encounter.
All Three: Here we go!
(Captain) and the crew are enjoying a vacation at Venera Beach of the Auguste Isles.
While everyone else is whiling the time away, Lowain and bros are working happily at the beach house's food stall.
All Three: We're working in the kitchen, we're working everyday. Making all the yummy-yummies, just don't forget to pay!
All Three: Fried squid! Corn on a cob! Grilled fish and steak! Straight from the grill at our legendary stall! Get it before it's all gone!
Lowain: Food's ready! Thanks for waiting! Make sure to gobble it down while it's still rad hot!
Child: Wow! It looks fantastic!
Lowain: How does it taste, little dudette? C'mon, don't hold back now! Three, two, one!
Child: Hmm, well...
It's delicious!
Lowain: Say what now! Such lovely words of praise from such a lovely, little broette. Thank you!
All Three: Awesome!
Sierokarte: Heehee. Well, you can't say they aren't lively.
Lowain and bros accept a job at the Knickknack Shack, and are quickly known for their lively energy.
Lowain: Heeey, Sierokarte! Business is booming thanks to all your tubular produce, dude!
Sierokarte: Not at all. It's all down to your hard work!
Elsam: If we keep raking in the cash like this, maybe we can join the ranks of the boudoirsie!
Tomoi: Pfft! Hahahaha! It's bourgeoisie, you doofus! Hahahaha!
Sierokarte: Heehee, you should be looking forward to payout later.
Drawn to Lowain's curious methods, Sierokarte had entrusted the stall to them, and is enraptured by how well it had gone to plan.
Sierokarte: Seeing as everything is shipshape here, I'm going to see how the other shops are getting on.
All Three: Ciao!
Lowain: Sierokarte is totally awesome. She's, like, legendary genius level awesome.
Elsam: I know! With her influence, you could see her ruling an entire skydom before long.
Tomoi: She's totally mysterious though! She's got the air of someone who takes charge!
Lowain: Sammy, Tommy, get with it! If Sierokarte so much as blows a fuse, the depths of the sky would explode!
Both: Totally!
Man's Voice: Excuse me, can I make an order?
The three are chatting behind the stall when the voice reaches them.
Lowain turns to greet the customer in his usual pleasant way.
Lowain: Whoa, another lovely customer! Welcome to the gnarly stall! Pull up a chair and relax, bro!
All Three: Woah!
Imperial Soldier: ...
All Three: (Guys! It's an imperial soldier!)
Lowain: Welcome to the stall! Are you ready to order, br—I mean, sir?
Imperial Soldier: Humph... Any recommendations?
Elsam: Ah, can we interest you in our daily specials?
Tomoi: Er, indeed, sir. We have all these great dishes to choose from.
Imperial Soldier: Humph, I'll have that then.
All Three: Get to work, guys! We have an order!
The man didn't seem to recognize them, but they were on tenterhooks nonetheless.
Forcing a smile on their pallid faces, the three of them manage to keep calm while rushing to prepare the food.
All Three: There you go!
Imperial Soldier: Thanks.
All Three: Please come again!
Lowain: That was close! I've never heard of imperial soldiers, or should I say imps, turning up around here!
Elsam: Yowzers! If we got into a fight like last time, it could've been the end of the line for us!
Lowain: It's, like, the first time I've seen imps at the resort. You'd think they'd ease up on the armor a little though.
Tomoi: Seeing him munching on fried squid in that getup was surreal, dudes. Totally surreal!
Lowain: Bwahaha! We totally dodged a bullet there, dudes!
All Three: Awesomeness!
Lowain: Well, well, well. When it boils down to it, we are pretty awesome!
All Three: Yeah, aweso—
Imperial Soldier: Huh? Hang on, it's you guys from before! I knew it!
All Three: Duuude!
Katalina was once nearly captured by imperial soldiers.
All Three: Human pyramid!
Lowain: Gnarly dude! Who's next? Let's give these imps a beating!
Imperial Soldier: What's with these guys! They're a lot stronger than they look!
When Katalina was caught in a tight spot, it was Lowain and the guys who pulled her out and gave her the chance to fight back.
While Katalina escaped unscathed, the incident left an insatiable hatred in one of the soldiers.
Imperial Soldier: Mwahaha! What luck that I should find you here! Now I shall have my revenge! Prepare yourselves!
The Never-Ending Vacation: Scene 2
Learning that the imperial soldier was only trying to regain lost respect from his son, Lowain and bros agree to play along in a farce.
Hearing the commotion, (Captain) and the crew rush over and tie up the imperial soldier.
Imperial Soldier: Tch! Release me at once!
Vyrn: Man, who'd have thought we'd be attacked by an imperial soldier here... Guess it's not our lucky day.
Lowain: Time to take out this imp with the rest of the trash!
Vyrn: Yeah, but we should totally get outta here before any more soldiers turn up.
Elsam: It's no problemo, dude! Anyways, doesn't seem like any more of 'em are around.
Tomoi: So, like, hold the fort for us, Vyrn! Ciao!
Vyrn: Huh? W-wait!
They're gone...
With no sign of other imperial soldiers nearby, it appears that the soldier had came at them alone.
Suspicious that there was more to this attack than meets the eye, Lowain cross-examines him.
Lowain: Dude, so you're telling us you decided to take us all on by yourself? Doesn't sound like regular imp behavior.
Elsam: Yeah, dude. Like, what are you really doin' here?
Imperial Soldier: Hah! Like I would talk!
Lowain: Jeez, guess it can't be helped... Sammy! Fetch the hot sauce!
Imperial Soldier: H-hot sauce? Don't tell me you're actually gonna torture me!
Elsam: Bros, I don't think I've got it in me... This goes totally against my flow.
Tomoi: Me too!
Lowain: Dang, me three!
All Three: Awww...
All Three: Dang!
Imperial Soldier: ...
Disturbed by their suggested torture, the soldier reveals the reason he came at them alone.
Lowain: Wut? Duuude, you picked a fight with us just to impress your kid?
Imperial Soldier: Blast it! He said he didn't want to be the son of someone who would lose to some thugs!
Unable to repair his relationship with his son, the soldier went on extended leave, when he encountered his old enemy, Lowain.
The soldier thought that if he could defeat Lowain in front of his son, he could earn back his son's respect.
Elsam: Dude! Don't be such a doofus!
Tomoi: Like, bro, you think it's cool to pick a fight to impress your kid? You're just wasting his vacation! Not cool!
Imperial Soldier: Gah! But I have my reasons...
All Three: Like, you could have just said, dude!
Imperial Soldier: Huh?
Lowain: Like, you see, bro, the thing is, I used to hang out with my shop manager's son.
Lowain: If he ever said something like he hated his old man, the manager would get crazy mad.
Lowain: So the way you're feeling, dude... It's not like we don't understand...
Both: Yeah, dude.
Lowain: So, what we're saying is...
Both: What we're saying is?
Lowain: Dudes, it's time! Time for Operation Take Back Respect!
All Three: Duuude!
Imperial Soldier: Wh-what are you guys planning?
Vyrn: Phew! Customers seem to be coming quite frequently now. Where in the skies did those guys go?
Vyrn: Eh? Oh, they've just come back?
Imperial Soldier: Pah! You've found me!
Lurking Youth: (Huh? It's Dad!)
Vyrn: Watch out, it's the soldier from before! Hey, what have you done with the others?
Imperial Soldier: I... I won't give up! I will return to my son's side no matter what!
All Three: Wait!
Vyrn: Hey, are you guys okay? Are you hurt?
Lowain: Hey, dude! Don't think you can outrun us!
Elsam: You're making a big mistake! Running from us is totally not rad!
Tomoi: You're not getting away! You're gonna be our new yes-man, grilling squid till you cry of boredom! Bwahaha!
Vyrn: Huh? What's going on, you guys?
Imperial Soldier: Ugh! If you think I'll lose, then you are sorely mistaken! I promised that I would come back alive, and I will!
Lurking Youth: (Dad! Let 'em have it!)
Vyrn: I'm so confused I can't tell my tail from my wings anymore!
Thus begins Operation Take Back Respect.
The Never-Ending Vacation: Scene 3
Thankfully for the imperial soldier, Operation Take Back Respect is a success. Lowain and bros look forward to the rest of the summer vacation.
All Three: Whoa!
Lowain: This soldier dude is mondo strong! (Captain), Kat, I think we've lost this time!
Elsam: Ugh, so this is his true strength.
Tomoi: It's a miracle we were able to beat him before.
All Three: Bummer!
Lurking Youth: (Wow! Dad's actually kinda cool!)
Vyrn: Hey! Where are you guys running off to! What are we supposed to do about this soldier!
Vyrn: Aw, shucks! I'd better get out of here too before he calls for reinforcements!
Imperial Soldier: As much as I'd like to call for help, I'm actually on leave currently, and am not here with the imperial army!
Imperial Soldier: Nor do I have any way of contacting them! I guess I have no choice but to pretend I saw nothing and let them escape!
Imperial Soldier: You cowards! You got away this time, but you better hope you don't bump into me again!
Vyrn: Hold it! What in the skies is going on here?
All Three: Awesomeness!
Elsam: Bahaha! That was primo, bros! Mondo primo! Pulled it off without a hitch!
Tomoi: Yeah! The imp's son was totally amped!
Lowain: Did you see the look on the little guy's face! I'm beat now though...
Lowain: Well, dudes, shall we go back? Things have calmed down a bit by now.
Lowain: We'd better get back to work before Siero gets back. Things'll get disasteriffic if she knows we were slacking!
Imp: ...
All Three: Duuude!
Lowain: You doofus! We told you that you can't be seen around us anymore!
Imp: I had to come and say thank you. It's thanks to you that my relationship with my son has been fixed.
Elsam: Doofus! If your kid saw you here, the operation would be a total failure!
Tomoi: Yeah, you doofus! If Kat sees us talking to you, she'll hang us out to dry!
Lowain: Never mind her! If we get caught slacking off...
Sierokarte: ...
All Three: Mega bummer!
Sierokarte: Huh? So this is where you were!
Elsam: (Psst! What are we gonna do, Lowain?)
Tomoi: (This is the worst person in all the skies to find us like this!)
Lowain: (Hide the imp and we'll be safe!)
Elsam: (W-we haven't been seen, right?)
Lowain: (Like I know! Let's cover him up in seaweed too!)
Sierokarte: Huh? What was that just now?
All Three: Safe!
Sierokarte: Oh yeah, I heard there was some trouble at the shop earlier...
All Three: Totally, safe!
Sierokarte: Well, I'm glad you're all safe...
All Three: Totally, totally, safe!
Sierokarte: ...
All Three: Safe! Safe! Safe! Safe!
Sierokarte: Urm, I'm glad you're okay and all... I hope I can rely on you again tomorrow.
Sierokarte departs with a smile on her face as if nothing had happened.
Elsam: So she didn't realize we hid the imp?
Tomoi: Dunno, she's kinda hard to read.
Lowain: Siero can be totally fierce... Let's bring the imp back out before anyone notices.
Sierokarte: Tee hee hee! Well, I didn't see a thing!
All Three: Not cool!
Sierokarte really leaves this time, while the three stay on the beach.
Lowain: Bummer! I can't help but get the feeling our reward for helping out is gonna decrease somehow...
Elsam: What did she mean when she said she didn't see a thing though?
Tomoi: Bros, there's no way she'll make us work for free or something as punishment for helping the imp out, right?
All Three: Nah!
Lowain: Probably.
Elsam: She wouldn't do something that uncool!
Tomoi: Right!
All Three: Totally!
All Three: Cowabunga!
Several hours pass by without much happening. The three chill out, watching the waves roll in until the sun sets.
Tomoi: Huh?
Elsam: Wassup, Tommy?
Tomoi: It's just, the beach over there looks darker than normal.
Glancing across the shore, they notice the number of lit torches to be down from previous nights.
Lowain: Like, dudes, I guess the vacation season is over soon...
Elsam: Seems the number of visitors staying over is decreasing...
With the vacation season coming to a close, everyone would soon be returning to their daily lives.
Sensing this, Lowain feels a glimmer of sadness in his heart.
Lowain: We've been through a lot on this island.
Elsam: Tommy managed to find himself a broette that time.
Tomoi: I didn't think I was gonna meet anyone new at my part-time job.
Imp: ...
Lowain: C'mon, bros. Let's not get bummed out over this!
The overcast expressions on their faces are soon dispelled.
Solely because...
Lowain: Our...
Elsam: ...summer...
Tomoi: ...is only just...
All Three: ...beginning!
Though dismayed at the thought of the ending summer, the sea breeze and light of the sun is all it takes to perk them up.
Summer vacation for the three high-spirited youths is still far from over.