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081314 · 1 year

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Sam’s New Year Sale 2023 – Part 1

Following is my translation of Part 1 of the Sam's New Year Sale 2023 event. This part contains the introduction and Day 1 of the event.

Spoilers after the cut!

Sam: Whatever you want, whatever it is, we got it in stock now! This is a special invitation from Mr. S’s Mystery Shop to all you little imps out there. For the first seven days of the new year, I’m slashing the prices on all my products! From hard-to-get, high-cost sweets, to any luxury magical item you can dream of, everything in store is on sale! And I’m bringing back the star of the show: the mystery bags! It’s Sam’s New Year Sale! You little imps can’t afford to miss out, so stop on by and check it out!

(A couple of hours ago)

Sam: Let’s see here. I’ve finished checking the inventory and all the shelves and displays… It’s been a lot of work preparing for everything, but Sam’s New Year Sale is ready to start! The finishing touch is to let my little crew in on this year’s concept. And that concept is…. “Giving our customers their first good luck of the year.” This was a really popular campaign we held at our branch stores out east, but I want to make sure even more little imps can join in on the fun. So this year, we’re holding this campaign at all our locations! And that’s why, all throughout the sale, the store is going to be stock full with all sorts of fantastic decorations and goods from our eastern branch locations. For example, that decorative bamboo piece you see over there is a famous good luck charm called a “Kadomatsu”.

Sam: Other than that, we’ll be gifting customers who stop by with fortune cookies and our featured product: mystery bags! Check it out! …What’s this? Judging by your faces, could it be you’ve never heard of mystery bags before? All right, let me break it down for you then. These bags here are packed full of our most popular items — a special set you can’t get anywhere else. We only hand out a limited number of bags per day, and customers are recommended to come by and pick one up as soon as they can. What’s inside, you ask? ….You won’t know until you open it up! It’s just the right thing to test out your luck in the new year, don’t you think? Eh heh heh. More little imps then you can count will be stopping by just to get their hands on one of these bags. No doubt about that.

Sam: My little crew, you certainly are fortunate. Not only did you get permission to work here at the school, but the hourly wage here is top notch! Fascinating jobs like these are hard to come by, you know. Just think, you boys got chosen out of a sea of eager applicants to become a part of my crew. You lucky boys are perfect for delivering good luck to our customers! Hey! As new employees of the Mystery Shop, why don’t you all introduce yourselves really quick and let us hear why you applied?

Ruggie: Guess I’ll start. Name’s Ruggie Bucchi! Workin’ at school mean’s my commute is nixed, and I’ll be able to set aside as much time as I want to earn some extra cash. The pay rate here’s crazy good, and there wasn’t any reason for me not to apply. I’ll be workin’ my tail off, for sure!

Sebek: I suppose I’ll go next. I am Sebek Zigvolt of Diasomnia. I am a student of Class 1-D, student number 33. I applied here per Sir Lilia’s counsel. I must admit, I still cannot fathom how pursuing a part-time job will provide me any meaningful experience as our young Lord’s guard… But knowing Sir Lilia, he undoubtedly must have put great consideration into this recommendation!!

Cater: Okay, my turn! I’m Cater Diamond. I splurged a bit too much during the holidays and decided to go ahead and apply here, thinking I could save up some cash. Didn’t think I’d actually get picked! I heard competition’s always fierce for these jobs, so it looks like I’m starting out this year with some good luck already.

Vil: Looks like I’m last, then. I’m Vil Schoenheit of Class 3-C. My schedule’s normally packed this time of year, but I decided to take just a few days off for a change. It’s not often I get this time for myself, and I wanted to see if there was anything I could do that I normally don’t get the opportunity to experience. Besides, working here might help out with my acting career down the line.

Sam: Thank you, everyone! I’m so glad we’re all able to work together. And those New Year’s Outfits I provided look great on you all! Don’t you think?

Ruggie: Really? These getups and all the doodads they got on ‘em look super high quality, so I’m kinda freakin’ out about accidentally gettin’ them messed up while I’m working. Ah, but this lil’ fish shaped coin purse is sweet! I love hearin’ all the change jingling around in it. …When this job’s over, you think you could give me these duds?

Sebek: I am not at all accustomed to such a garment, and I cannot say whether it suits me or not. I’ve my trepidations about it inhibiting my movement, but it’s a very refined costume ― one I’d have no shame in wearing while standing at the side of our Lord. And this piece here is a… neck warmer, yes? It does indeed keep the base of my neck pleasantly warm. I quite like it.

Cater: Mine’s a loose and stylish fit paired off with a set of rugged boots. I think it’s dope! I love flashy designs like this. I’m kinda getting pumped up about working here now, since we get to wear these cool clothes and all.

Vil: I’ve worn more outfits than I can count as part of my job, but I’ve certainly never donned one quite like this one before. There’s layers and layers of fabric, and this beautiful embroidery here done with golden thread is definitely the highlight of the piece. And these accessories – the hat and gloves made of tulle – really bring the outfit together and complete the look. It’s classic, yet chic.

Sam: These clothes came all the way over from our eastern branch stores and I had them arranged extra special just for you little imps. You lucky boys will be delivering good luck to our customers, and these flashy designs are just the right thing for the job. I want you all to go out there and get people excited for Sam’s New Year Sale for me, alright?

Ruggie: You ain’t even gotta ask! This time of year is when customers crack open their wallets and start spendin’ money left and right. I’m gonna be rakin’ in more dough than I know what to do with.

Sebek: I’m reluctant to offer my services to human patrons, but this is simply yet another form of my training. Behold, I shall become the most splendid of lucky boys!

Cater: Let’s all work together and make this sale one for the history books!

Vil: I know you’re counting on us, and I’ll be tackling this job as professionally as I would any other. Even if the contents of the gig change, my policies do not.

Sam: My, what a bunch of reliable little imps you are. ….You boys make sure to be extra careful and don’t get hurt on the job, you hear? Eh heh heh heh.

Sebek: Alright.

Ruggie: No worries!

Vil: Got it noted.

Cater: Okay～

Sam: Good. And now I’m gonna have you little imps split into two teams and work part time for me.

Everyone: Teams?

Sam: That’s right. It wouldn’t be very efficient if I had you four working all on your own, now would it? I took my time carefully considering how to best balance these teams, and here’s what I came up with. Check it out! Ruggie-kun and Cater-kun on one team, and Sebek-kun and Vil-kun on the other. Until Sam’s New Year’s Sale ends, you all are gonna need to respect each other and give this job your 100%. And I’ve got some big news! So clean that lint outta your ears and listen up.

Sebek: Big news?

Ruggie: Wonder what it is.

Sam: Whichever team contributes the most to the shop will be getting a special bonus at the end!! Consider it a gift from me.

Everyone: S-special bonus!??

Ruggie: T-that’s somethin’ separate from our regular pay, right!?

Sebek: As he called it a “bonus”, it appears so…! What a lovely show of generosity!

Sam: Of course, I’m only going to be giving this bonus to just one team. You can consider the boys on your fellow team as both your comrades and your rivals.

Ruggie: Cater-san! We gotta win this thing no matter what! I ain’t gonna let it slide if you drag us down!

Cater: No prob, Ruggie-kun! I’m def not gonna let this chance slip by.

Sebek: Should I fail, ‘twould bring great shame upon the young Lord. Vil Senpai, ready thyself!

Vil: Just whom do you think you’re talking to, Sebek? Any team that I’m on is guaranteed to win.

Sam: Eh heh heh. I’m glad you all are so excited. I want you boys to work together for the store’s sake. You all gotta get this party poppin’ for me!

Sam: It’s just about time to open the store, but there’s one more thing I need to tell my little crew before we begin.

Ruggie: What’s up? Somethin’ even more important than our special bonus?

Sam: Eh heh heh… It indeed is very important. We’re talking about something that’s gonna drive up our sales like you wouldn’t believe it! You little imps will be using a very special item I got here to hype up the New Year Sale.

Sebek: I wonder what he is referring to…

Sam: Let’s see… here they are. This is a Hagoita!

Everyone: Hagoita…??

Vil: It’s shaped like a hand mirror, but it just looks like a simple piece of wood otherwise. What on earth is it?

Sebek: Look yonder, there’s also a sphere with some feathers affixed to it. I’ve never seen such a thing before… Is it used for recreation, perhaps?

Ruggie: Man, that thing looks cheap as hell. We ain’t gonna make any money off that…

Cater: Aww, but look! It’s totally decked out. I think it looks cute～ Lemme take a pic!

Sam: A very curious item, isn’t it? This is a traditional toy from the eastern hemisphere. Folks there use it as part of their New Years celebrations. The rules are easy-peasy! A group of players use these boards to hit this shuttlecock here, and if you let it fall to the ground, you’re out. I’m gonna have you all challenge our customers to Hagoita battles during the sale.

Vil: Battles….?

Cater: I think that might be crossing the line as far as our job requirements go… Anyways, I don’t think anyone would come to the sale just to go and pick fights with people?

Sam: Don’t you worry about a thing! I’ve got something up my sleeve that will guarantee our customers will want to join in on the fun. And of course, it’s something that will boost our sales, as well. A really cool policy, if you will. Only those little imps who spend over 5000 madol during the sale will earn the right to participate in a Hagoita battle with you all. And should someone succeed in defeating any of the members of my crew, they will earn…. Sam’s Golden Ticket!

Ruggie: Hold it, hold it! The heck is that!?? Sounds like somethin’ expensive!!

Sam: It’s a ticket you can trade in at the store, and you can use it to get any item you want. With one of these babies, even our priciest wares can be yours.

Sebek: A-and you really intend to offer such a valuable item in exchange for proving victorious in a mere game!?

Sam: For only 5000 madol, someone might be able to get their hands on one of these spectacular tickets. Not a bad deal, right? Even if the minimum spend is a little out of budget for them, I have no doubt people are gonna be rushing to try and get their chance at a battle. …Looking at it another way, if you boys lose these Hagoita battles and we start handing out golden tickets left and right, that’ll put us in the red for sure. And if that happens, you can kiss your special bonus goodbye.

Sebek / Ruggie: *Gulp*

Sam: The key to winning here will be your teamwork. Make sure you don’t forget that. Ah, I can see little imps are starting to line up outside the store. I’m counting on you, my lucky boys!

(Sam departs)

Cater: Ahh…. This is a bit more weight on my shoulders than I was expecting.

Sebek: I’ve no experience with such eastern forms of recreation, but still, I haven’t even the slightest doubt that we shall win. However, I am not so certain his policy is the most prudent plan of action…

Vil: But there might be some value in him taking the risk. Customers have to spend at least 5000 madol to be able to try out a Hagoita battle, and a lot of people will be coming here for the mystery bags, which already cost 4000 madol alone. It’s not a very big difference, is it?

Sebek: Hmm, that is true. With only a 1000 madol difference, doubtless many customers will go ahead and purchase some additional wares so they can participate in the challenge.

Vil: So he’s willing to take the risk in order to make a profit. That man’s got moxie.

Ruggie: Earlier, Sam-san was saying that whichever team contributes the most is gonna get that special bonus. When he said, “contributes the most”, I bet what he really meant was, “wins the most Hagoita battles”. Don’t ya guys think so?

Cater: Yeah, he was saying if we lose a bunch then we’ll have to kiss our bonus goodbye, so…

Vil: I think you’re right, Ruggie. Trying to get us fired up for work like this definitely sounds like something Sam would do.

Sebek: As we’ve no experience with these Hagoita, I propose we take the take the time to practice in advance. Whosoever seeks to challenge us, we shall overwhelm them with our awesome might!

Ruggie: Cater-san! You and me oughta get lotsa practice in during our breaks, too! I’ll do whatever it takes to get my hands on that special bonus…. Let’s show these customers what we got!

Cater / Ruggie: Welcome!!

Cater: Man, the store’s packed!

Ruggie: Yup, business is boomin’. All our hard work dealing with the customers is sure payin’ off.

Scarabia Student: Hmm, I want a shawl, but I like both this red one and the blue one. Augh, I can’t choose…

Cater: Howdy! I think either would look great on you, sir. It’s hard to pick just one when there’s so many colors to choose from, huh.

Scarabia Student: Huh? Ah, yeah… It’s something I plan to wear regularly, so I really want to choose the one that’s right for me, but I just can’t make up my mind…

Cater: I see, so you’ll be wearing it a lot. People usually say you should keep your closet limited to three hues so you can coordinate your outfits better. I see you’re a Scarabia student, and your dorm’s aesthetic is all warm colors, right? If you get the red one, I bet that’ll look great with your uniform.

Scarabia Student: Now that you mention it, something about the red one is calling out to me. Okay, I’ll go with red!

Cater: Perfect, then let me show you over to the register…

Ruggie: The register is right this way, sir. I’ll ring him up, Cater. You can take the floor.

Cater: Ok! I’ll go ahead and pop in the back real quick to restock our inventory, then.

(Cater leaves)

Ruggie: Man, I sure am glad Cater-san is one of them social butterfly types. He’s been schmoozin’ with customers and making sales like it’s nobody’s business. Long as nothing crazy happens during the sale and we win those Hagoita battles, we got that bonus in the bag. Shi shi shi.

???: Aren’t you supposed to be on the job? Why are you standing around with that devious smirk on your face?

Ruggie: Ah, Riddle-kun! Welcome, welcome. Ain’t nothing devious here, ‘sjust my businessman smile is all.

Ace: As if! You look like one of those slimy used car salesmen ready to nab his next sucker.

Cater: Ruggie-kun, I finished restocking everything～ …Oh! It’s Riddle-kun and Trey-kun! And Ace-chan and Deuce-chan came, too.

Deuce: Diamond Senpai, Bucchi Senpai, happy New Year!

Ruggie: Happy new year!

Trey: Cater, this is your first day on the job, isn’t it? It looks like you already know your way around the place. When I saw you and Ruggie working together just now, it looked like you guys were perfectly in sync.

Cater: Ahaha. Well, I’m used to organizing groups and doing other stuff when we setup our tea parties, so I guess what we're doing here really isn't all that different? Anyways, me and Ruggie promised we’d try our best to get that special bonus, so we’re in the same boat and all.

Deuce / Ace: Special bonus??

Ruggie: Ah- It’s nothing, it’s nothing!! Don’t worry about it!

Ruggie (whispering to himself): If word gets out about the special bonus, no doubt everyone and their grandma will apply to work here next year. And then it’ll be even harder for me to get this job again. We gotta keep our mouths shut about it.

Ruggie: Anyways, you guys musta come here to buy something, yeah? Browsing’s a no go!!

Riddle: Good grief. I highly doubt that’s the proper way to address your customers.

Deuce: We came here to buy some mystery bags. There’s still some left, right? Since it’s only the first day of the sale.

Cater: For sure! You can buy one bag at a time, and they cost 4000 madol each.

Ace: 4000 madol each, huh. It ain’t cheap, but there’s a chance we’ll get some expensive stuff if we buy one... Okay, I’m in!

Trey: I came all this way, so I might as well buy one, too. Other than that, there really isn’t anything in particular I was planning to get. Can we go ahead and checkout now?

Ruggie: Shishishi…. Are ya really sure that’s all you want? Dunno if that’s such a good idea…

Riddle: ….? What are you getting at? We specifically came here to purchase those mystery bags, so I don’t see the problem here.

Ruggie: Truth is, any customers who spend over 5000 madol get to take part in this real special contest, ya see.

Deuce: A special contest? What, like challenging someone to a duel?

Ace: What? That’s ridiculous. Why do you always jump to the weirdest conclusions…

Cater: Basically, it’s a competition between us part-timers and the customers. We’ll be playing a game with these Hagoita here, which are, like, toys from out east. If the customers win, they’ll get this really rad thing called Sam’s Golden Ticket which you can trade in for any of the items we have in store.

Deuce / Ace: A-anything in the store!??

Ruggie: Even if ya lose, there ain’t no penalty for ya or nothin’. It’s totally low risk and high return. And I mean, you guys are already spending 4000 madol on those mystery bags. Just buy another lil’ somethin’ for 1000 more and then you can challenge us to a Hagoita battle! It ain’t everyday ya get a chance like this.

Trey: 1000 madol, huh… That’s not really money I’d like to waste, but maybe I can go ahead and buy some ingredients that have a long shelf life or something.

Deuce: I’m in, too! Even though it’s honestly over my budget… I’ll give your Hagoita challenge a shot!

Trey: Alright, then. Can Deuce and I team up and do a doubles match with you guys?

Ruggie: Hang on, lemme think… Nah, I got a better idea! We’ll change up the rules extra special for our dear customers. Me and Cater will take on all four of ya at once! No doubt it’ll be an awfully hard fight for us, but… If each of ya spends over 5000 madol, then we'll do it!

Riddle: What’s this? You really intend to compete against all four of us at once? My, how confident you are. Well then, I will accept your challenge. I spotted a reference book here that I’ve been wanting, so I’ll go ahead and purchase it. I’ve never used these Hagoita implements before…. But with the four of us working together, we should be able to overcome our deficits in skill and experience.

Cater: Fufufu, you really wanna do this, Riddle? I can’t lose for the store’s sake, either. I’ll be giving it my all here.

Riddle: No hard feelings even if we win, Cater. We’ll show you both just how strong Heartslabyul is.

Cater: We aren’t gonna go easy on you, Riddle-kun. I hope you’re ready ♪

Ruggie: Ain’t no way we can afford to lose!! Cater-san, let’s show ‘em just how hard we been training!

Ruggie: We did it!! We won!

Cater: Phew, I was so nervous going against all four of them at once. I kept freaking out thinking we were about to drop the shuttlecock.

Trey: I was hoping we’d have strength in numbers, but our lack of experience really bit us in the butt there.

Ace: Deuce, what’s wrong with you, dude! We decided beforehand what spots on the field we’d each be covering, but you kept diving for the shuttlecock every time it came near me. It’s no wonder I couldn’t focus, with you wandering around in front of me the whole time.

Deuce: Wha- The only reason I kept doing that is because it looked like you were about to miss! I was trying to cover for you!

Cater: Ah, I noticed you two kept running towards the same spots and bumping into each other. You guys really think alike, huh.

Deuce / Ace: NO WE DO NOT!!

Trey: The year’s hardly begun and they’re already at each other’s throats. Kind of makes me worried how the rest of the year will turn out.

Riddle: Cut it out, you two. Your behavior is unbecoming. We all accepted this challenge together and we lost together, so now we need to admit our defeat gracefully.

Deuce: Ah, I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to lose my temper like that.

Ace: Hmph… Okay, fine. I guess it was good to get in some exercise since we’ve been sitting on our butts for most of the holidays.

Riddle: Since the match is over and we’ve finished making our purchases, let us return to our dorm now. Cater, I do hope you continue to prove successful with these challenges, for our sake. I’ll be rooting for you.

Cater: No worries! And thanks for stopping by. We hope to see you guys again real soon. ♪

(Riddle and co. leave)

Ruggie: Not a bad start at all. C'mon, let's keep up the momentum and keep on winning these Hagoita battles!

Part 2 (Day 2, Day 3, and Day 4)

Part 3 (Day 5, Day 6, and Day 7)

Part 4 (Day 8, Day 9, and the Ending)

#ruggie bucchi #cater diamond #sebek zigvolt #vil schoenheit #deuce spade #riddle rosehearts #ace trappola #trey clover #twst sam #twisted wonderland #twst #sam's new year sale 2023 #my tl #heartslabyul

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leaderpinhead · 3 months

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Sebek - A Game of Hanetsuki

“Your right side is completely open!”

With a mighty battlecry, Sebek swung his hagoita with all his strength. The hane hit with a solid thwack! and went sailing through the air. It hit the ground just to the right of the prefect’s foot, sending a small chunk of snow powder flying. Sebek smirked widely at the prefect’s slow blink. “Hah! Victory is mine once more!”

A short sigh sounded behind him. “Sebek. We are practicing extending the game longer than three minutes. You are shortening it now by two full minutes.”

His sense of victory quelled a bit in the wake of Vil’s admonishment. He turned to give the housewarden a stilted bow. “My apologies! I allowed myself to be carried away.”

Vil sighed and adjusted the veil across his face. Behind him, a line of students continued to trail in and out of the Mystery Shop, though their numbers noticeably paled in comparison to their first few days on the job. Asher, Porfirio, and Merle stood off to the side of the shop, the three of them unabashedly watching as they enjoyed the candy they had purchased.

“It isn’t an issue to be so dramatically remorseful over,” Vil said. His tired tone matched the intense frown he gave Sebek. “However, you are continuously making the same mistake. Are you even attempting to adjust your strategy?”

The accusation felt like a direct insult to his character. “Of course, I am adjusting my strategy!”

A muffled snort sounded from the other side of their makeshift hanetsuki court. “Yeah right! You and Yuu are acting like this is some kinda deathmatch! I haven’t even gotten to hit the little ball once!”

Sebek turned again to aim his protest at the little monster. His eyes caught the prefect’s gaze. Her fierce glower immediately stoked the flames of his competitive spirit. His smirk returned without hesitation. “You should direct your ire towards your teammate. Even I know better than to not utilize my partner.”

Yuu’s glowering eyes narrowed into an even fiercer glare. Sebek didn’t bother to stifle his hearty laugh. He barely heard the next sigh that escaped Vil. “You have very little room to brag on that topic...”

Yuu swung her hagoita to aim at Sebek. “I’m sending the next hane straight between your eyes.”

Sebek’s hearty laugh diminished into an amused chuckle. “I would like to see you try! There is nothing you could send my way that I couldn’t deflect!”

Grim waved his hagoita, which was nearly the same size as him, in the air before throwing it to the ground. He kicked up the snow as he made a little path back to the Mystery Shop. “You two have at it! I’m gonna go see if Ace and Deuce are done shopping yet.”

Yuu huffed and crouched to dig the hane out of the snow. Sebek caught the sound of the additional crunch of snow beneath several feet. “Excuse me. Are we able to play the game without making a purchase at the shop now?”

Sebek turned to answer Asher’s hesitant question, but Vil was already answering for him. “My apologies. We are off the clock at the moment. Camryn is very adamant we take the allotted thirty minutes Sam gives us for a break. We are just practicing.”

Porfirio snorted around the candy stick jutting from his mouth. “Practicing? From what I hear, Sebek doesn’t need any extra practice.”

Sebek proudly puffed out his chest. “I see my reputation has spread across the campus. Malleus will be especially impressed when he hears of my accolades!”

Merle popped his bird-shaped green candy out of his mouth long enough to add, “The other students are saying they’re gonna boycott the rest of the New Year sale because they’re fed up with losing so much.”

The admission made Sebek balk. Vil shot him a stern glance. “We have noticed the decline in our sales.”

“It’s not just because of you!” Asher quickly assured. He nudged the bottom edge of his glasses with his mittened hands, his already pink cheeks reddening more. “We’ve heard Ruggie and Cater make a pretty solid team too. That’s why...uhm...”

“Asher and Merle wanna play against each other,” Porfirio blurted with obvious boredom. He picked at his cuticles for added disinterest. “They don’t care about winning the golden ticket or whatever it is. Sam didn’t have a hanetsuki set for sell either. Apparently, it’s just an exclusive event for the New Year sale.”

“You two want to play against one another?” Vil repeated. Asher ducked his head in obvious embarrassment, but Merle met Vil’s gaze with a challenging one. Vil merely chuckled. “Interesting. I don’t believe we’ve had a pair approach us with that type of request.” Vil hummed and tapped the edge of his hagoita lightly against the ground. His grin widened. “We still have a few minutes left in our break, and I wouldn’t mind the extra time to straighten up a bit. Sebek? Do you mind a switch in partners?”

Vil turned his full attention to Sebek, which made Sebek straighten his shoulders. “Of course not!” Sebek smirked. “I have learned to quickly adapt to any situation!”

For some reason, Vil’s smile widened, causing noticeable wrinkles at the corners of his eyes. “I surely hope you have.” He handed his hagoita to Asher. When the boy hesitated, Vil gave Asher a light push in Yuu’s direction. “Why don’t you team up with Yuu? I’m sure you saw his partner abandon him.”

Yuu lost her fierce expression long enough to give Asher a reassuring smile. The boy responded in kind before joining her. Merle grabbed the hagoita Grim had abandoned and stood sternly beside Sebek. Sebek nodded, finding the other boy’s grave demeanor a positive sign. He understood the importance of approaching any challenge with his full potential!

Vil chuckled lightly, but Sebek had already refocused his attention on the prefect. “Good luck. You will need it now that Yuu has a better incentive."

The only signal of Vil’s departure was his light step across the snow. Porfirio moved into a better position to observe their match. His teeth noisily clicked against his candy. “So is there some kind of countdown or something? Or do you just hit the ball back and forth like a group of grade-schoolers?”

Sebek pointed his hagoita at the prefect, who now held the hane. “I will allow the opposing team the honor of serving!”

Yuu’s narrowed stare had returned. Vil couldn’t understand why Sebek refused to hold back in their practice matches against the prefect. Her fierce expression only made Sebek’s anticipation rise. It almost felt like the unbridled energy of a lightning storm sizzled beneath his skin.

The prefect had the unmistakable air of a warrior, and Sebek refused to dishonor her (or himself) with anything less than his full potential!

Yuu lightly tossed the hane into the air. The hagoita emitted a hollow thud, and the hane flew in a spiraling arc towards Sebek. With a smirk, Sebek easily returned the serve with an effortless grunt. The hane twirled through the air towards Asher. Asher made a tiny sound—like he hadn’t been prepared for the hane to fly in his direction—but he was able to lunge forward just in time to keep the small ball in the air.

Sebek’s smirk widened. The hane’s wobbly trajectory made it easy for him to predict its destination and compensate for his next swing. He targeted the prefect’s weak side and put all his strength behind his swing. Like previous strikes, it would land—.

Yuu switched the hagoita from her left hand to the right without hesitation. The hane hit the hagoita, but instead of lobbing it back in Sebek’s direction, she bounced the hane on the end of her hagoita. Sebek gapped at the ridiculous way she juggled the hane in the air, lurching from side-to-side when the feathered ball nearly flew out of her reach. She lightly hit it towards Asher. “Catch it, Asher!”

Asher gasped, but he managed to catch the hane on the edge of his hagoita. It veered in the opposite direction of Sebek and Merle, but Yuu caught it before it hit the ground. She hit it towards Asher again with ample warning. Anticipating her move this time, Asher caught the hane and fell into an easy rhythm of bouncing it in the air above him like Yuu had.

With a small laugh, Asher carefully turned towards Merle. “It’s coming your way!”

Merle maintained a focused demeanor when he lunged forward to hit the hane back to their opponents. Yuu caught the ball once more and bounced it between her and Asher for a bit, allowing her partner to become more relaxed. Sebek grunted when the hane went sailing back to Merle, who awkwardly bounced it in the air like they had before sending it back. “That’s not how you play hanetsuki!”

Yuu aimed her hagoita at him while Asher focused on the hane. Her fierce glare, which had softened as she played with Asher, returned. “The rules are the hane can’t touch the ground! It’s not touching the ground. Ergo, we’re playing the game just fine.”

Sebek stepped to the side as if to intersect the hane when Asher hit it back to Merle. Only the reminder of his and Vil’s strategic teamwork kept him on his side of the court. He watched the hane spiral through the air between the other three. When Yuu sent the hane flying in Merle’s direction again with a precise hit, Sebek shouted, “You’re purposefully hitting the hane away from me!”

Yuu glowered at him, standing off to the side to allow Asher and Merle to hit the hane back-and-forth between them. “Aren’t you supposed to be training to have fun?”

Sebek would deny it later when Porfirio joked at his expense, but he couldn’t hold back the angry little stomp that sent his foot several centimeters into the snow. “This is not fun!”

Yuu barely reacted to his shout. “It’s plenty fun to me. A lot more than you just hitting the hane in the same spot every time. I thought you weren’t supposed to be predictable as a royal guard or whatever.”

“Predictable!” Sebek sputtered. He aimed his hagoita at the prefect like an actual weapon. “I will show you predictable! I will gain my victory without aiming for your weak spot.”

“You’re still missing the point,” Yuu said. She paused long enough to catch the hane that sailed out of Asher’s range. She juggled it in front of her. “Until you stop aiming for my right side, you’re not getting the hane back.”

Sebek sputtered. “You can’t just hog the hane from me!”

His protest did nothing to alter the hane’s path in Merle’s direction. Merle hit it back to Asher without pause. When Sebek directed his protests at Merle, the other boy just glowered back at him. “I’m only doing this because Asher wanted to. I could care less about whatever rivalry you two have right now.”

When Vil returned fifteen minutes later, the game was still in progress, and Sebek hadn’t found an opportunity to hit the hane once. Vil only smirked when Sebek shared his protest. “Oh? You mean to say the prefect became more focused on allowing Asher and Merle to have an enjoyable experience rather than butting heads with you? It’s almost as if Yuu is finally helping your training to reinvigorate our customer’s interest in hanetsuki instead of the two of you focusing on your hotheaded rivalry.”

The hane bouncing off the side of Sebek’s head followed by Yuu and Asher’s cheers for winning the game prevented Sebek from responding.

#twisted wonderland #sebek zigvolt #original characters #sam's new year sale 2024 event #idk why but I love the art for this card

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