20TH GEAR - PUKES AND PINKY PROMISES

Because of the sudden throw-up, we immediately had Prez resting on the bench. Flu started fanning the exhausted Ericka with her wind magic, while Cruzo immediately used his super speed to buy health, mana, and stamina potions from the local apothecary.

I used my Mystic Glasses and monitored Prez’s mana veins and realized that it was kind of short-circuiting, but still normal. What I’m seeing abnormal was the mana circulating on her chest seemed to be suppressed, and her breathing is labored.

“S-Sorry. I’m fine now.” Prez said weakly as soon as she emptied the stamina potion.

“What was that? Are you ill?” I asked.

“It’s nothing,” Ericka said.

“I need to know, Prez! I’m your coach! I can’t have my players dying on me!” I said.

“I’m not gonna die, stupid! This happens very often so you have nothing to worry about!” Prez sermoned.

“You vomited out of nowhere! Don’t tell me you are pregna- Gah!”

I was immediately chopped on the neck by the President’s heel. It was not strong, but I still got hurt!

“I’m not pregnant, you numbskull! I never even had a boyfriend!” Ericka cried.

I think she’s now more mentally hurt than physically hurt. I find it hard to believe that with our Prez’s beauty, she never had any romantic relationships with anyone. Wait, why am I thinking like this? I have to go back and figure out the main reason why she vomited!

“Actually…” Cruzo finally spoke. “Prez has this mental condition where if she gets too nervous, she would puke a lot.”

“I-Is that correct?” I asked.

Prez shyly covered her embarrassed face with her towel, but she nodded in confirmation.

“I feel you, Prez! Sometimes, I get too nervous that I feel like there are gigantic butterflies in my stomach forcing me to throw up!” Flu said, trying to cheer our president up.

“The same goes for anyone, except we don’t actually throw up,” I said. I turned to Cruzo and asked. “Is this the reason why she can’t win a battle in Speedmage Tournament?”

“Yes. She would get sick the first minutes of the Speed Battle, often calling off the match.” Cruzo said. “Today was a miracle too as she managed to hold it off until our duel ended.”

“But you played perfectly fine back when you fought Flu! Why is it?” I asked our president.

“W-Well, I definitely felt the rumbling of my stomach during my duel with Flu. I just played it cool and swallowed it.” Ericka said with bravado.

“S-Swallowed it!?” Flu’s eyes went wide in shock.

“Ack! I know something was weird that day!” Cruzo coughed.

“Swallowed what!?” I cried. “Wait, don’t answer. It’s a rhetorical question.”

Good thing we already had lunch, or else this whole club is done for.

“I did it just to look cool, okay!? Say, coach, If I puked during my match with Flu, you would be turned off and never join Merry Knights! Is that correct!?”

“Fair point.” I nodded.

“That is why I did it! I saved this club even if it ruins my reputation and health! I sacrificed too much just to keep this guild alive, so don’t you three dare to avoid me like plague!” Ericka cried.

“Hey, nobody here is avoiding you. You know I will never leave the club.” Cruzo said.

“D-Don’t worry, Prez! You still look cool and awesome when you participate in Speed Battles!” Fluonessia pumped her fists.

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“I already made a promise. I will stay as a coach of this goddamned cursed guild.” I said.

“You three better keep your word! Merry Knights is my entire purpose in life, so I will die if any of you three leave! And if I die, I will haunt you for the rest of your lives!”

“Yes, Prez.” Cruzo, Flu, and I answered.

If Prez has this condition of throwing up whenever she’s under pressure, it will take time to train her mind. It might take months or years, or maybe she might not recover at all. This is a great dilemma for the Merry Knights.

And it’s such a turn-off. A perfectly beautiful, smart, and athletic girl like her would be perfect if only she does not have that condition.

I looked at my pocket watch and then looked at the afternoon skies to double confirm the time. It’s already late, so we should stop the practice for this day. But before that, I need to make sure to inform the Merry Knights are informed about what Professor Azure said earlier.

“Anyway, Miss Terror- I mean Professor Azure talked to Flu and me earlier. She asked if we would want a joint training camp with all the Speedmage guilds in Saint Crusade Academy.” I said.

“My sister did?” Prez asked in astonishment. Her crimson-purple eyes are giving a sign of energy.

“Wait, are you going to puke again?” I did a few steps back.

“I won’t get nervous over a simple announcement, stupid!” Prez raged again.

“Oh, okay.” I gulped in relief. “Yes, your sister said it. Right, Flu?”

“Right!” Flu nodded vigorously.

“It was a shock. Professor Azure never recommended Merry Knights to join the school training camp. Only Eaglecrest and Cool Escape are usually invited to participate.” Cruzo said.

“It’s been four years since Merry Knights joined the last school training camp. Even our graduated seniors never got to experience it. We got rejected last year by Eaglecrest because of the lack of talent in our Speedmages. Maybe because this time... we have a promising rookie this year.” Ericka muttered as she looked at Flu.

“Eh?” Flu tilted her head in curiosity.

“Yeah, that’s right. Flu beating Captain Tezza was the greatest news in our school paper. We are in luck that you joined us instead of Cool Escape!” Cruzo gave a thumbs-up!

“Eeeh?” Flu groaned in more confusion.

“Actually, I heard around that Cool Escape does not want to recruit Flu because she destroyed their guild tent on their very first day. Members would not want to deal with her, even approach her.” I said.

“Eeeeeh!?” Flu cried as she got this roller coaster of emotions.

“Anyway, the fact remains that we, the Merry Knights, are invited to participate in a joint training camp with Eaglecrest and Cool Escape. What do you guys suggest?” Ericka finally stood up, seemingly recovered all her lost energy after that gruesome vomit incident.

“I-I want to join!” Flu excitedly pumped her fists. “This training camp sounds so much fun! And we will be able to meet awesome Speedmages! It makes my heart race!”

“That’s right! It’s been years since our guild got an invitation, and we will never let it slip by!” Cruzo beamed with a thumbs up.

“I may hate interacting with mages, but as your coach, we will need to learn more from the experts,” I said.

“Since it’s a majority vote, then we will join the Saint Crusade Academy’s Joint Speedmage Training Camp!” Ericka smiled.

There’s a hint of excitement in Prez’s eyes. We immediately heard her stomach roar, and then that was our cue to leave.

“Blaaaaargh!”

<>

The practice was over, and I find myself walking with Flu on the beachside. This is the very first time we walked home together because oftentimes than not, Flu has some medical magic class late in the afternoon on Mondays and Fridays while I have operational accounting subject on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

It’s all thanks to the club activities that we will be going home together from now on. And it’s kind of a plus for me because walking with a cute girl is always good for my system. At least she’s not energetic enough in the afternoon to dash recklessly like a drunk driver.

Flu was walking on top of the seawall, balancing like a circus performer while she bathe in the orange afternoon sunlight. A strong gust of wind made her waist-long pink hair sway.

“Prez is really awesome, right?” Flu talked all of a sudden.

“If you’re talking about the way she pukes, yeah.”

“I’m talking about how she performed during Speed Battles, jeez!” Flu pouted. “I mean, she’s still nervous, but her movements in the Triangle are awesome. She’s so beautiful and elegant. I aspire to be like her once we become sophomores.”

“What about Cruzo?” I teased.

“W-Well, Sir Cruzo is awesome too. He’s fast and way more experienced than I am. But I want a sexy body build and engaging charisma that is similar to Prez, or maybe like Professor Azure.” Flu said.

“You better cut out sweets in your diet then.” I chuckled.

“Will do, coach!” Flu saluted with a smile. “I will sacrifice everything just to be like them! I especially want to become like Professor Azure, since she was once a Speedmage Champion!”

Professor Cometh Azure got her legendary mage title when she became the national champion of the Speedmage Tournament. Five years ago, her name was all over magical billboards and TV shows. She was once the face of the Merry Knights, dubbed as the Smiling Knight. She often intimidates her opponents with that malefic smile of hers. I just learned about it when I surfed the magicnet last night.

“Coach!” Flu shouted all of a sudden.

“W-What!?” I answered while startled.

Flu immediately bowed down.

“I want to get good! I want to be better! Give me a spartan treatment and never let me laze about! I may be a dimwit and a complete failure, but I will do my best! Please do whatever you can to shape me into a Speedmage Champion!”

“Got it.” I smiled as I offered my pinky finger. “It’s a promise.”

Flu happily tied our pinkies, reforging our promise to attain our dreams.