Izumi recovers over the night. When he wakes up the next morning, he feels much more fresh and energetic. The nurse who was treating him there smiled at him warmly and said,
"Well, looks like you just needed a good night's rest."
Izumi changes into his kimono uniform and thanks the nurse for aiding him. He then leaves the Colosseum. Izumi rushes past a busy street in Cloud City, everyone seems to know the news of what happened in the recruitment ceremony, so when people glance at Izumi's white belt, they flash him a look of pity. Izumi didn't like pity.
He reaches the end of the street and enters Evan's inn, where he spots Ren trying to eat peas with a fork.
"Struggling? Why not use a spoon."
A struggling Ren's face looks at Izumi and then says,
"We ran out.. Evan's cleaning the dishes right now, so I have to use a fork."
Ren then tries to poke the peas with his fork, he manages to stab the peas. Looking delighted, with a bright shine in his eyes, he proceeds to open his mouth for a bite, but the peas fall off the fork and fall on the floor.
"AGH Damn it!"
Izumi grabs a napkin from the table and hands it over to Ren who is still fuming over his spilled peas.
"Here, clean the floor the with this."
"Thanks, Izumi."
After cleaning up Ren continues to try to eat the peas with his fork when Izumi hears a familiar voice.
"Izumi? Ren?"
It was Akane, she wasn't in her kimono uniform, but even in her regular kimono she looked as pretty as the moon. Her beautiful and elegant black, curly hair made Izumi's heart do a backflip.
"Hey Akane, come sit with us."
Izumi manages, with barely avoiding a heart palpitation.
Akane sits down with the two boys clears her throat, and then says,
"We need to discuss with the offer that Mr. Jin gave us."
Ren, while munching on his peas said,
"I think we should take that offer, joining the Kage Sentai will be a dream come true!"
Izumi said,
"Yeah but he also said something about clearing the 'Forest Trials', it sounds pretty dangerous, and we are inexperienced in actual combat."
Akane said,
"I agree with Izumi."
Was it Izumi's imagination or did Akane indirectly shoot a concerned glance at Izumi?
Ren then looked at Izumi in the eyes, fully serious, well, as serious as Ren could look, and then said,
"Izumi, we'll ask Jin for some training first, he's never denied us the right to train has he? Once we think we're ready, we'll participate in the Forest Trials, ok?"
Ren's words seemed pretty reasonable to Izumi now, but Akane still looked unconvinced.
"We'll hold a vote."
Izumi said.
"Those who will undergo training through Jin's guidance and then do the Forest Trials?"
Ren raised his hand.
Akane looked at Izumi, her eyes looked somewhat pained like she had tiny stomach ache.
Izumi raised his hand as well.
Akane closed her eyes and sighed.
"Well, I can't really argue since it two against one, lets go meet Jin Serugu."