Chapter 28: Back To The Restricted Area
As soon as Yuka stepped out of the underground arena, she felt a noticeable improvement in the air quality around her.
Standing at the curb waiting for her ride, she noticed two guys exiting a nearby mall. One of them, spotting Yuka, was about to whistle at her when his buddy punched him on the shoulder, immediately put out his enthusiasm.
Overhearing the boys behind her, Yuka caught one saying, "Shawn, chill out, man. Don’t get all worked up for nothing."
Shawn grumbled back, "I’m not angry!"
His friend stumbled over his words a bit before pressing on, "Okay, okay, you’re not angry. But dude, seriously, have you thought about joining us for the team battles? With you on board, we’d be unstoppable, totally crushing it!"
Shawn paused before responding, "Fine."
"If you don’t want to, it’s cool... Wait, what? You agreed?"
He glanced skyward, "What happened to you today?"
Shawn took a moment before adding, "Just so we’re clear, I’ll join you guys for a few rounds to see how it goes. If our teamwork clicks, we’ll continue; if not, I’m out. Plus, I’ll still be competing in solo matches."
The other guy was ecstatic, slinging an arm around Shawn’s shoulder. "Awesome! With you, we, the Gaia Institute’s Three Musketeers, are definitely going to snag first place!"
Shawn didn’t respond, his eyes downcast. He agreed to join the team, mostly because he didn’t want to encounter that pink mecha or its pilot for a while.