Allergic Reaction

It was a peaceful evening in the Boukenger base. The Rangers were enjoying a relaxing dinner, the main course of which was, as usual, tuna pea salad. Everyone was eating, except Masumi, who would not eat his food until he had picked all of the peas out. Eiji was sitting opposite Masumi, watching him carry out his pea-picking ritual. The very sight of it was appalling to him.

Look at him over there, Eiji thought. It's disgusting. How could anyone not like peas, or any other vegetable? He shook his head.

At that moment, by chance, Masumi happened to look up from his food, only to see Eiji staring at him and looking disgusted.

"What are you looking at?" Masumi asked.

Eiji shook his head again. "You're too picky, Masumi. Everyone needs vegetables, including you. You should eat your peas."

"How is that any of your business?" Masumi scoffed. " Do I tell you what to eat?"

"Of course not. You have no room to criticize me on what I should and shouldn't eat, my eating habits are immaculate. You, on the other hand, you don't eat right."

Masumi's expression darkened. "Who are you to tell me I'm right or wrong? Why do you care what I eat? Just mind your own business!"

Eiji said, "Maybe if you ate right you wouldn't be this cranky."

Masumi stood up. "I'm cranky?! You're the one getting pissed off at me just because I don't eat what you think I should!"

Eiji stood up as well. "Who's pissed off?!" He shouted.

Finally Akashi stood up and said, "Enough. Masumi, you need to calm down. Eiji, Masumi is right. You shouldn't tell him what to eat."

Masumi gave Eiji a dirty look, then sat back down and went back to picking the peas out of his food.

Eiji glared at Akashi. "It's true! If he doesn't eat right, it's us who has to deal with his poor performance in battle."

"What?" Masumi asked sharply.

"Eiji, sit down." Akashi said.

"No! If he had any sense, he'd listen to me. Why is it that nobody heeds my wisdom?" And with that, Eiji stalked off.

Masumi scoffed. "Eiji, that punk. And he says I'm cranky."

Akashi sighed. "Masumi, I think that you should go talk to Eiji."

"Why?" Masumi asked, disgusted. "He doesn't care for anything I have to say."

"You two need to work this out between yourselves."

Masumi rolled his eyes.

"Go talk to Eiji! Attack!" Akashi snapped his fingers.

"I guess I don't have a choice." Masumi said in a resigned voice. He got up and headed in the direction where Eiji had gone.

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Meanwhile, Eiji was grumbling to himself. "Stupid Masumi." He muttered. "Who is he to criticize me criticizing him? After all, nobody knows more about nutrition than me. I wonder what my action figures will have to say about this one!" Eiji walked into his room and got four small boxes from the top of his closet. He went out into the hall and parked himself. Then he opened them up, one by one, and extracted their contents. In each box was a Boukenger action figure, one black, one yellow, one pink and one silver. He picked up the black one and started acting out a scene.

"Look at me! I'm Masumi and I don't eat right!" He made the action figure say in a mocking voice. "And I don't take criticism well!"

He picked up the yellow one. "Hey, Natsuki, will you go out with me?" Black asked.

"Hmmmmm." Yellow said. "I don't think so. I'd rather go out with . . ." He quickly picked up the silver one. "Ei-chan!"

Meanwhile, the real Masumi was walking down the hall, ready to talk to Eiji. Then he saw him, camped out in the middle of the hall, playing with action figures.

What the hell is he doing? Masumi wondered. He snuck up behind him and looked over his shoulder, only to discover that the action figures Eiji was playing with were Boukengers. He waited, wondering to see how this would play out.

Eiji made the yellow and pink action figures walk over to the silver one. "Oh, Eiji, you're sooo manly and good-looking, nothing like Masumi." Said the pink one.

"And a much better example." Yellow said.

"That's right, ladies." The silver one said in an exaggeratedly manly voice. "That's because I eat all of my vegetables. Because if you don't eat right, you could end up like this!" He held up the black one. "Scrawny body, noodle arms, and crooked teeth! This is the living epidemy of zinc deficiency!"

Masumi could take no more. He sucked in a gallon of air. "EIJI!" He exploded.

Eiji jumped to his feet and spun around to face Masumi. "Masumi! What the hell are you doing here?"

"You silver bastard!" Masumi grabbed Eiji by the collar of his SGS jacket. "I don't have crooked teeth! Who has crooked teeth?!"

Eiji grabbed Masumi by the collar in return. "Why don't you go look in the mirror and tell me, you black asshole!"

Back at the table, the other Boukengers were finishing their dinner.

"Well, it sounds quiet back there. I guess Black and Silver really did work this one out." Sakura said.

Souta smiled. "I guess you never know with those guys."

"It looks like Mission Complete." Akashi said happily.

At that moment, the Boukengers heard someone scream, loud enough for the whole SGS Museum to hear:

"DON'T YOU EVER CALL ME BY A COLOR!!"

The four Boukengers ran to the scene, only to find Eiji and Masumi, both latched on to the other one's collar, and showing no signs of letting go.

"Some man you are!" Masumi growled. "What kind of a man play with dolls?"

"They're action figures, you scrawny, malnourished, ignorant, insolent . . .!"

"ENOUGH!" Akashi thundered.

Masumi and Eiji looked up, still holding on to each other's collars.

"Stop fighting. We will go back to the table, and I don't want to hear another word about this."

Masumi and Eiji still didn't move.

"Attack!" Akashi said with a snap on his fingers. Instantly, all of the Boukengers followed him back to the dining area. After that, Eiji and Masumi avoided each other for the remainder of the evening.

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