The next day, I went to the Gunpla shop again. As soon as I entered, I saw Yuma and his friends chatting excitedly near the display cases. When Yuma saw me, he waved me over.
"Hey Mikazuki, we were just talking about you. We're planning to enter the upcoming Gunpla Battle tournament as a team," he said.
I was surprised. "Me? But I don't have a Gunpla yet."
"That's okay. We can help you build one," he said.
I nodded slowly. It was tempting, but I didn't want to burden them with my lack of experience. "Thanks, but I don't want to hold you guys back. I'll sit this one out."
Yuma frowned. "Come on, Mikazuki. We're a team. We're stronger together."
I hesitated. Yuma was right. If I wanted to improve my Gunpla skills, I needed to be a part of a team. And it would be a great opportunity to spend time with him and his friends.
"Okay, I'll do it," I said finally.
Yuma grinned. "Awesome! We'll start working on your Gunpla right away."
As we walked to the back of the shop, I noticed someone familiar at one of the workstations. It was Riku, the boy I had seen at the tournament. He was working on a Gunpla with a serious expression on his face.
"Hey, Riku," Yuma called out. "What brings you here?"
Riku looked up and his eyes widened in surprise. "Mikazuki? What are you doing here?"
"I'm joining Yuma's team for the tournament. We're building my Gunpla," I explained.
"That's great. I'm also entering the tournament with my team," Riku said.
I smiled. "I'm looking forward to battling you again."
Riku nodded. "Me too."
As Yuma and his friends started discussing my Gunpla, I couldn't help but feel grateful for this chance encounter. It was as if fate had brought us together. I was excited to see where this journey would take me, and I couldn't wait to see what the future held.