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Daytime had arrived on the island of Paradise. MePhone4 could be found walking down the beach that encircled the island, contemplating the challenge he would be assigning his contestants later that day.

As he made his way along the shore, something small and pink visible in the sand up ahead caught MePhone4’s attention.

Bow was sitting on the beach, seemingly alone, playing in the sand. MePhone4 glanced around and confirmed that it was just the two of them in the area.

Memories of the night prior suddenly filled the phone’s head, when Bow, along with Goo, had launched a joint tickle attack against him. Eyeing the pink object, MePhone4 figured this may be his only opportunity to seek out his revenge.

Smirking to himself, MePhone4 sauntered over to Bow’s current position, stopping just behind her.

“Hey Bow.” He greeted her calmly.

Bow turned around, grinning as she spotted the phone.

“Hey MePhone! What do you think of my sandcastle?” She chirped, turning back.

“Looks pretty good.” He took a subtle step closer.

“I’m not sure what to name it yet, but you better believe it’ll be something amazing.”

“I’m sure.” He replied, taking another step forward. “Say, Bow, do you remember last night?”

Bow froze for a moment, silent, before continuing to sculpt with the sand.

“Uh, yeah, ha ha. You were all depressed so Goo and I distracted you to make you feel better.” She recounted, nervousness clear in her tone.

MePhone4 folded his arms behind his back. “Must’ve been one heck of a distraction, huh?”

“Yep, it sure was. Ha ha…”

Bow halted her work once more, a beat of silence passing as she remained motionless on the ground. Then, without warning, she started scrambling to her feet, intent on fleeing the scene.

Once she was standing, however, Bow felt herself further lifted into the air, as MePhone4 quickly scooped her into his arms.

“Oh no you don’t.”

He then gently yet firmly pressed Bow up against his screen to prevent her from wriggling away.

Bow struggled momentarily before realizing she was trapped.

“... shoot. Is it too late to say sorry?”

“Yes.”

Bow then felt a single finger make contact with each of her sides. They started slowly dragging up and down in unison.

Bow burst out into giggles. “Wahait! Wahait! Cahan we tahalk ahabout thihis?!”

“Oh, I think that time has passed.”

MePhone4 then fully wiggled his fingers into Bow’s sides, her legs starting to kick as her giggles became more frantic.

“Nohoho! Stahahap ihit!”

“What’s that? Sorry, it’s hard to understand you through the giggling.”

“I sahahaid stahahap!”

“Huh, funny, I remember making a similar request last night, which was ignored.” He recalled. “But, I’ll be fair.”

MePhone4 slowed his fingers to a stop, giving Bow a chance to recover. The reprieve was short-lived, however, as Bow soon felt small circles being traced along the underside of her two pink, triangular loops, which were attached to either side of her torso.

Her giggles resuming, Bow slightly curled in on herself. She heard MePhone4 chuckle at her reaction.

“We juhust wahanted to cheheer yohou up!” Bow attempted to reason with him once more.

No response came from the host. Instead, the light tracing switched to skittering. Bow’s giggles became full-fledged laughter as she started to squirm.

“NAHAHA-! NAHAHAT THAHAHAT!”

“Not this?” MePhone4 teased, speeding up his fingers. He smiled as Bow’s squirming increased in intensity, quickly slowing the skittering back to the original pace. He didn’t want to overdo things.

“PLEHE-AHAHAHA!” Bow laughed out, unable to properly form words.

“Alright, alright.” MePhone4 conceded, slowing his fingers to a stop.

Bow gasped in air as residual giggles continued to spill from her.

“Lehet mehe goho!” She weakly pushed at MePhone4’s screen.

“Not until I’ve settled the score.” He asserted, tentatively poking at the two spots where Bow’s loops met her torso. She flinched in response.

MePhone4 then shaped his hands into claws, hovering them in the air momentarily, before bringing them down and scrunching his fingers up against the two areas.

Bow thrashed, her arms waving wildly. “AHAHAHA!”

After a few minutes of the action, MePhone4 let up, slowing his hands to a stop.

“Alright, I think you’ve suffered enough.” He teased, carefully setting Bow down on the sand. “You okay?”

Bow spun around for a moment, dizzy, before shaking her head clear. She turned to face him.

“Yeah, I’m good.” She dusted herself off. “I see why you enjoyed our distraction last night, though. That was actually kinda fun!”

MePhone4 blinked.

“Wh- … I-I didn’t-”

“Okay bye~!” Bow cut him off, waving as she made her way across the beach and onto the grass, her figure eventually being obscured from view by the island’s foliage.

MePhone4 grumbled, crossing his arms.

What does she know?

Just then, rustling could be heard from a nearby bush, followed shortly by the emergence of a small, blue blob from within the dense leaves.

“Bow?” Goo called out, stopping in his tracks as he noticed the host standing alone on the beach. “Oh, hey MePhone. Have you seen Bow? I thought I heard her over here.”

MePhone4’s smug expression quickly returned.

“Goo! Just the guy I’m looking for.” He approached the small blob.

“H-huh?” Goo stuttered, suddenly being lifted up.

MePhone4 placed Goo into a single hand, the other being used to start poking at him.

“Hehey!” Goo giggled out in response.

He then felt a sharp squeeze from the hand supporting him as the poking continued.

“Eheek-!” Goo squealed, squishing his body down. “MehePhone!”

“What’s up?” He responded casually.

“Ihihit tihihickles!”

“That’s kind of the point, Goo.” MePhone4 halted the poking, instead opting to flutter his fingers up against the squishy, blue surface. “This better?”

“Ehehahah!” Goo laughed as the fingers danced across his blue figure.

“This is your comeuppance for last night, by the way.” MePhone4 noted, continuing the action.

“Buhut yohou fehelt behetter ahafter!”

“Yeah, well, I’ll feel even better once I’ve returned the favour.”

MePhone4 then slowed his fingers to a stop, clasping Goo with both of his hands. Taking a breath, he drew Goo in close, planting a raspberry on his side.

“HA-! Ahahaha!” Goo’s laugh boomed as the electric-like sensation rippled through his semi-solid body.

Goo appeared to slightly melt in MePhone4’s hands, indicating to the phone that he couldn’t handle much when it came to tickles.

“Alright, I’ll let you off the hook this time.” MePhone4 leaned down, carefully placing Goo onto the sand, where he further puddled.

A wide, wobby smile was present on Goo’s face. “Thanks…”

“Don’t mention it.” MePhone4 examined his hands, which were now lightly coated in blue residue. He shook the substance off. “See you at today’s challenge.”

He then strolled off, quick to act as if nothing had happened.

Walking along the beach once more, MePhone4 felt a sense of satisfaction from his revenge against the Cheer Factory. Hopefully, the two had learned not to mess with him, as they had done the night prior. However, a second hope, one who’s presence MePhone4 refused to acknowledge, longed for the pair’s ‘playful techniques’ when the host felt down.

Maybe he should give them the opportunity to cheer him up again.

Just once.