A glistening beam of energy shot across the Elf and his plane with concentrated power. When the beam hit its target, pink cherry blossoms dashed off like a shower of stars in all directions. The plane disintegrated into ashes. At first the Elf squeaked in surprise, but then fell silent and rubbed his eyes in confusion, as if the attack had lifted a veil before his eyes. Without his vehicle he fell to the ground and lay there, dazed.

Sakura floated down like an angel in a whirl of cherry blossoms and smiled at the little Elf with kindness. “Tell me, why are you so mean, and why did you remove all the screws and nails? Isn’t there another way to vent your anger?”

The Elf shook off the confusion and knocked the dust off his silver-grey pilot’s uniform.

He then pursed his lips and snapped at him angrily. “You have no idea! Do you know what it feels like to build up a BOLLY shelf? The stress of setting up an inferior piece of furniture with stupid instructions, which came to you in a damaged package?!”

He sniffed softly. “And when you’re almost finished, you’re three screws short. Three screws! That is,” he gasped, “that is so unfair! If I don’t deserve to have beautiful functional furniture, then no one should have it!”

Big tears were rolling down his cheeks.

“Shh!” Sakura grabbed the Elf and squeezed him like an infant. “Relax. Everything’s okay now.”

In his mind’s eye he could see the stressed boy who had stormed into the classroom at noon. His name was Salter Brookhouse and he was in class 11-B. And except for the misfortune that he had run out of screws, he was actually a very relaxed and cheerful comrade.

“Salter,” he began, “you don’t have to feel so stressed.”

The Elf sniffed louder and louder.

“Next time you run out of screws, you should just call the customer service and ask them to send you a replacement.”

The Elf became rattled.

“And if you think that the waiting and shipping is taking too long, you can just go to the hardware store instead and get the right replacement at the best price.”

Sakura carefully put the Elf down in front of him, who now seriously doubted the reasons for his anger and acts of infuriation.

“You’re right! Why didn’t I think of that before?” He wiped away his tears. “Thank you, Sakura Infuser!”

Sakura took a step back and raised his Fantastic Sakurastick to the sky. The next moment, it turned into a sauna bucket with a ladle.

“And now, my poor stressed soul, you deserve a cool down! Rainbow Relax Resurrection!”

An ice-cold gush of sauna essence hit the Elf and enveloped him in a hissing cloud of steam. When the steam cleared, only a relaxed smiling and visibly cooled down boy remained.

Sakura wanted to say a few final words, but he quickly got dizzy as it normally happens after spending more than fifteen minutes in the hot and humid sauna. The next moment, he threw up and fainted.

***

The smell of freshly baked apple pie with cinnamon filled the air. A contemplative open fire crackled in the fireplace.

Taro awoke from his comfortable slumber and had a good yawn, before he threw back the wool blanket and sat up.

“What a weird dream.”

He was sure he must have collapsed when he entered the sauna of the Spa Club, because everything that happened afterwards could only be the result of his fantasy, unhealthily influenced by strange TV series.

He searched for his glasses and found them on a small side table next to the sofa. He noticed that the frames had turned magenta.

Immediately he became wide awake. He jumped up and looked around, puzzled.

He saw John, wearing a yellow apron with frills, Anders, who was absorbed in his embroidery frame, Tauno, who was wearing headphones and rocking out to infernal strumming and screaming, and Ivan, who was staring at him intently through his tinted glasses. The sight of Ivan especially made Taro’s heart skip a beat.

“Rise and shine, little pooper!”

Taro blushed. “C… Could you please keep this to yourself?”

Ivan looked different with his thick tinted glasses, but his crooked grin was still just as scary.

Taro blew his cheeks. “I’m not a little pooper. My name is Taro Yamada. Ya-ma-da Ta-ro.” He bowed down almost automatically. “And from today, please make me a member of the Super Club!” He paused with his head bowed and clenched his trembling hands into fists. His heart was beating wildly. He was afraid. He was totally sure they wouldn’t accept him.

Tauno lifted his finger to say something, but then looked at his new black wristwatch, which included an hourglass with a low black color level. “Spa Club. Super Club. Whatever.” He shrugged. “We have a place on the bench for anyone interested. Don’t we?”

Anders and John nodded in agreement.

Taro cautiously raised his eyes. Had he understood it the right way? Were they going to accept him into their club, despite his involuntary heroic action?

John patted him on the shoulder lightly. “Don’t be so nervous. Our club is all about relaxing.”

Anders took his hand and squeezed it lightly. “Each one of us was new, just like you right now, and we didn’t know our way around. So don’t be afraid.”

Tauno agreed with the other two. “There’s always a first time. What do you guys think? Should we make another infusion to celebrate this special day?”

Ivan nodded, retrieved a magenta-coloured sauna towel from one of the closets, and tossed it to Taro. “Hell yeah! But this time in the right order! Take off your clothes first, then shower properly and then dry off!”

Blob floated out from behind the sofa and circled the boys several times. “And remember, no slippers in the sauna cabin.”