Story (continuing from previous chapter)
"Right. But today was a wild ride. Nonetheless, I'm just glad we got a little closer after all that chaos."
"Yea..." Masaru trailed off, before Reiko heard a thud sound, throwing her into instantaneous panic.
"Hello Masaru? Are you ok?" She asked frantically as she went to his side, shaking him up and down. All of a sudden, while shaking him up and down, she realised Masaru was shivering. This caused suspicion and she gingerly placed her hand on his neck. His neck was hot to the touch.
"He's got a serious fever!" Reiko screamed. As if the soccer team picked up her cries, they all gathered around her and stared at their teammate in worry, frantically thinking about what to do next.
Thankfully, the coach was back from his break when he noticed the scene. He rushed to the scene, breaking up the group that had gathered around him. After checking for his vitals, he carried Masaru on his shoulders as he assisted him to the sick Bay. Reiko accompanied the duo since she knew Masaru personally.
(Cut to sick Bay)
After settling some admin matters, Masaru was left to rest on the bed. As Reiko sat by his bedside, she looked at him forlornly, wondering what she could do to make him feel better. Maybe Masaru was right; she never really understood him.
Rushing back to her classroom to get the Jewel Album, Reiko went up to get it, went back to the sick Bay and removed the face towel Jewel from the Jewel Album. She inserted it into her InfiniMo and it echoed, "Let's go! Face Towel!"
A light blue face towel fell from the sky and landed in Reiko's hands. She went to a nearby sink to wet the towel and gently placed it on Masaru's forehead, before adjusting the sick Bay blanket. Just then, their home room teacher Izanagi-sensei came to the room to confirm she would bring Masaru home and then picked Masaru picked up. Masaru got up, got his glasses and then wrapped the wet towel around his neck, following Izanagi-sensei home. Reiko resumed her club activity after that.
(Cut to evening time at Hase residence)
The doorbell rang, and Masaru's mother came to answer it. When she opened the door, she realised Reiko was standing there.
"Reiko, is anything the matter?" She asked curiously.
"Mrs, has Masaru eaten yet?" Reiko replied out of concern.
As if she knew what had happened, Mrs Hase looked down and admitted the truth. Turns out, Masaru had been resting in his room ever since Izanagi-sensei dropped him off at his house. After checking with her about some matters regarding medicine and treatment, Reiko went into his house.
"Let's go! Magical Cooker!" The InfiniMo echoed and landed on the dining table. Reiko turned it up and used whatever Masaru's fridge had to cook something up for him. When Mrs Hase asked if his little sister could eat the soup, Reiko reassured that she could but it had to be served separately if she wanted to eat it since it was mainly for Masaru. When the soup boiled, she got her to call her brother for dinner.
Masaru weakly came out after that, his pale figure being just a shadow of himself. Nonetheless, Reiko smiled and invited him to his seat warmly. He blushed even harder and admitted, "Reiko, y-you didn't have to."
"What do you mean I didn't have to?" Reiko scolded. "I'm worried about you!" She then blushed harder and mumbled, "S-Sorry if that scared you. Tell me more about your problems if you want to."
"It's about this school's soccer team. They are being super hard on us. I was expecting it since our school wins first every year for this sport but not to the point where we have to attend practice even when we're sick. Crazy, right?"
"That's insane! Thanks for telling me and sorry if I couldn't understand you earlier."
"No worries! Better late than never!"
"Is there anything I can do to help?"
"All I think of is bring this up to the school authorities and see what they will do about it."
Narrator
So it seems like Reiko and Masaru are finding a solution to their problem. What will Reiko do?
Story
After talking to some of her classmates about what to do, Reiko decided to book a session with the student council president to bring up this issue. That day during morning break, Reiko went to the student council room and looked at the calendar of available days. When she realised the following day was an available day for "student council feedback sessions," she took the form and a pen to indicate her interest. When the form asked for the issue she wishes to raise up, she wrote: I need to raise up how badly the soccer team wants to keep up their winning streak for the annual student tournaments. It's so bad my childhood friend collapsed from fever.
After leaving, the student council president went outside to check the number of forms for her "student council feedback sessions". She noticed one sheet and decided to read it anyway. When she realised the sheet was about the soccer team, she freaked out. What was she even doing about it? This was her 30th time reading it!
That was when the student council president realised something had to be done about it.
Narrator
Well done, Reiko! Can't believe you have found yet another opportunity to become more confident!
However, it looks like someone is all ready to smash Reiko's plans on sharing her heartfelt feelings to the student council president for the greater good. I hope the heroes can stop them before it's too late!
Story
As usual, on this thundercloud palace, Hitoshu-oni and Ijime-O were spying on the heroes and seeing what part of the heroes' everyday lives could they destroy. Just then, they saw archived footage of Reiko putting in the form to talk to the student council president.
"Sigh..." Ijime-O admitted. "She has surpassed me. Slowly dropping her weak image. But don't worry, Embrace, I'll make sure you put on that weak mask again."
Cut to Student Council Room - Waiting Area
"Hanadera Reiko, Class 1-3. Soccer club issues," the student council president announced. Reiko picked up her school bag and went inside the room.
Cut to Student Council Room
"Good afternoon Hanadera. I am your student council, Kirigaya Madoka. What are your issues with the soccer club?" Madoka asked in a deadpan tone, scaring Reiko off.
"I-I think the soccer club really needs to adjust their training style such that not only are the athletes' performance is kept in check, but also their physical and mental health," Reiko stuttered. She was daunted, but she didn't want her friend to keep on collapsing from exhaustion. At that thought, her stutter gradually disappeared as she continued talking.
"My childhood friend is in the soccer team. And two days ago, he collapsed because of fever. His fever worsened, so he couldn't come to school for a day. If this happens many more times, it is going to affect his learning both academically and for soccer. How can we let this go on if we keep up like this, encouraging our athletes to train for first place while trying to break their bodies?!"
To her horror, all the student council president did was gasp and say in a dead manner, "Seems legit. I will do something about this."
Reiko picked her bag up and left, but not before bumping into Masaru. (After a day of rest, he managed to recover and return to school, albeit not being able to attend club activities yet) Masaru asked, "So was the confrontation successful?"
"Yes," Reiko replied. "She said she'll do something about it."
To her surprise, Masaru just pulled her into a tight embrace. "Thank you so much, Reiko! You're such a lifesaver!"
"W-What do you mean? It's just for you..."
"Just for me? What do you mean?! You've just saved the entire soccer club!" All of a sudden, heavy stomping could be heard and felt, interrupting the duo's friendly bickering.
Ijime-O pointed to a girl sitting in her classroom solemnly looking at a friendship bracelet. "I think your differences suck! Go, Sabetsuta!" Ijime-O echoed.
"Sabestsuta!" The monster echoed.
Reiko and Masaru stepped back and fished out their InfiniMos.
Transformation
Locking the InfiniJewels into the InfiniMo, Masaru removed his glasses while Reiko took off her headband. Tapping their shoulders next to each other, they chorused, "Precure, accept my difference!"
The duo then bounced off each other. Reiko gained her warrior dress while Masaru gained his warrior suit. They then went back to each other and held each other's hand, tapping their feet for shoes and bumping each other's heads for their new style. The duo's InfiniMos went to the side of their outfit, their weapons were summoned and landed on their hands and the duo jumped down to pose.
"Embracing everyone for their true selves, I'm Cure Embrace!"
"Respecting others for their strengths, I'm Cure Respect!"
"One plus one is more than two! That's what differences do! Go, Accepting Diversity Precure!"
Story
"So. I heard you two just finished your argument!" Ijime-O screamed. "Want me to start another for you?"
Reiko immediately ran to the Sabetsuta. She dealt many punches on it with all her strength until her arms couldn't take it. When she was done, only a cloud of smoke was being cleared. Masaru stared at her in amaze. "So you're getting stronger, huh?" He remarked.
"I'm not even that strong..." Reiko replied, blushing furiously. This motivated Masaru to fight again. He summoned his dagger and ran to attempt to attack the villains. Focusing his attention on Ijime-O, he focused on Ijime-O's stomach and prepared to stab it. However, he missed the stabbing by an inch.
Unable to understand Masaru, Reiko continued their conversation. "Masaru, why did you use the dagger in an attempt to kill our enemy?"
"If I don't, then Can-do supplied these tools for nothing."
"Y'know, we can use weapons in different ways. We both use blades as our weapons, so rather than stabbing people in their stomachs, how about waiting for an opportunity when our villian has a weapons too, like another dagger or a sword!"
At that moment, the duo felt something different in them. A moment of understanding. The willingness to communicate with each other. The fact they were real partners and not mere childhood friends anymore.
When they looked at each other, they realised each other's eyes were sparkling. Then they realised their bodies were glowing. All of a sudden, Reiko's body sprung Can-Do out of her and the duo stared at Can-do dumbly. "So, what brings you here?" Reiko asks suspiciously.
"You two have unlocked Inclusive Feelings!" Can-do replied enthusiastically.
"Inclusive feelings? Isn't inclusivity a concept and not a feeling?" Reiko and Masaru asked together in confusion.
"Let me explain. Inclusive Feelings is when you can understand your differences or someone else's differences better. It's like... a "spark", like the designer Mio always says in her interviews. A coming of age moment. A sense of realisation. Feelings only the Precure can feel."
More items fell from the sky. A weird looking board and a new jewel.
"Now what am I supposed to do with this jewel and the board?"
"Just insert these two together and you can perform your upgraded attack."
"Right!"
Attack
Inserting the Double Power Jewel into the InfiniBoard, Reiko and Masaru held their hands together and raised the other hand, screaming, "Dress up! Accept Me Spell!" The duo transformed into their Accepting Forms and stood together while posing, chorusing, "Accepting Forms!"
Holding the board, Reiko commanded, "InfiniBoard, lend us your power!"
"Power lent," the InfiniBoard echoed and in the air, two special wands sprouted out, landing in Reiko and Masaru's hands. They gazed at their wands in doubt at first but eventually looked at each other in determination and pressed the button to the wand anyway and stood back to back.
"Charging our differences up! Precure, Double Electrifying Zap!" The duo chorused. Pink and red lightning shot out from their respective wands and electrocuted Ijime-O and Sabetsuta concurrently.
Story
Looking at the hard work they put in, Reiko turned to Masaru and told him, "Masa-kun, call me Rei."
"H-Huh?" Masaru asked in confusion. "What's up with this pet name thing? Didn't we promise to get rid of this after we got to elementary school?"
"We should get back into it. It makes us more like real teammates."
"Alright...Rei."
(Cut to the following week, football field)
Just as the soccer club were doing warmups, the student council president went to the soccer field and talked to the supervising teacher-in-charge. After the warm-ups, the coach, supervising teacher in charge and the student council president gathered the club.
At first, the soccer team looked at another in confusion and tension, unsure what they did wrong. However, when the supervising teacher-in-charge broke into a smile, everyone heaved a sigh of relief. As it turned out, their long days at the field were finally being cut. Back then, they would have to spend lots of time on the field, from 6.00 am to 8.00 am, then 4pm to 8pm. At long last, their evening training session would be cut into half. The student council has also come to a decision that all soccer club members were allowed to take leave if they were actually sick, injured or had another reason. Realising that they didn't have to train for 6 hours a day with fevers, the boys cheered.
(Cut to that same evening, after club)
Reiko was walking out of school when Masaru rushed up to her. "Rei! Rei! You wouldn't believe this! My evening trainings have been cut by two hours so I have more time for homework and rest! YAY! Then no more fevers due to overwork!" Masaru cheered.
Reiko chuckled and poked Masaru's cheek. "Thank me," Reiko remarked in a somewhat sly way. "I suggested that on your behalf so I couldn't have to carry you to the sick Bay again."
As if Masaru actually understood her sly jokes, he continued the conversation, grabbing her hand. "It's not just me, it's all my friends in the soccer team! Got to tell them who had saved us from another collapse soon! Come, what are you waiting for? Let's have dinner at your house to celebrate my first weekday ending soccer practice early!"
"M-Masa-kun! Not so fast!"
(2456 words)