As far as she was concerned, Yukino had a lot worth taking pride in.
She hadn't even set out to apply herself for Apex - that was a decision forced on her when
Kira Kusangi wanted to punish her for interfering in a match with Mizuki Sakura. Nor was it her idea to face off against Nashi Dragneel, her own best friend and bandmate, when she finally made it to Apex; she knew that to do so would be to deprive Nashi of her aspirations to have a shot at the World Openweight Championship herself, and it would put her in the position of having to harm someone she cared about more than anyone else in the world. She wasn't even convinced that she was
capable of standing up to Nashi - after all, it was Nashi who had inspired her to take up wrestling in the first place; surely the Fiery Idol would have the edge when it came to experience and know-how in the ring. But not only had Yukino taken on every challenge in her way, fighting her way through her Apex qualifier matches, she had done so in style - fueled by her desire to prove she was worthy of her place on the card, Yukino was all the more motivated to show off her best efforts. It had all culminated in
a Two out of Three Falls, Falls Count Anywhere match against Nashi herself. It was a long and grueling match, one that had pushed both idols to their limits and spurred them on to show off new moves and adapt on the fly to stay ahead of the competition. It had taken them out of the ring and through the building, tearing through everything in their way. But, at the end of it all, the unthinkable had happened - Yukino had won.
She didn't quite know what to think of it at first. Even when she had trained, when she had fought her hardest as soon as the bell rang, and when she had spent so much time psyching herself up in preparation for the big night, Yukino never really imagined she ever
could win that match. Now, she had - and, if she was chosen for the Openweight Championship, it would only be the beginning. The last few days, there had been a lot on Yukino's mind, both before the match and after. She was worried about how it would go, if she'd be good enough, and then she didn't know where she would go next. What she did know for sure, though, was that the hardest part was over with - now, she could move on.
And move on she would. Yusuke had decided to celebrate the occasion by meeting Yukino on the beach, and now, she found herself sprawled out on her blanket, watching the waves roll in and out as she felt the warmth of the sun against her skin. It was a perfect day - not a cloud in the sky, and with the bustle and commotion of the world far behind her. She couldn't have picked a better occasion. She breathed out a long, slow sigh, letting the tension out of her body on the exhale as she sank back into the sand. After so much stress and so many worries, now she could forget about all of that, and just enjoy a little time to herself, where she wouldn't have to think about anything.
Well,
almost to herself.
When she heard Yusuke's voice call out to her from down the beach, Yukino looked up, turning to face him - and as soon as her eyes caught sight of him, her face lit up with a grin.
"Yusuke! Over here!" she called, waving her hand to try and get his attention as she pat the blanket at her side, shifting over to give him room.
"Me? I'm doing good! I'm trying not to think too hard about what comes next, but...I think I really made something great happen," she added with a nod.