Under the Rain [Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS]

S1-6✩ The Winds of Change that Start Everything

On the next day, Yusaku went to school like usual with Ai around his left wrist. The eyeball AI didn't stop chattering about Yusaku's little 'date' with Tsubaki yesterday as Yusaku kept on walking. Though, he was completely ignored by Yusaku since the boy was busy thinking about something else. They still hadn't gotten any information about SOL Technologies from Zaizen Aoi and now Yusaku was wondering how he should approach her the next time they met. If only she were Tsubaki, who would readily start a conversation with him...

Eventually Yusaku got tired of Ai's babble and told him to shut up, but instead of obeying, the little guy only changed the topic. "By the way, I've got bad news for you, Playmaker-sama. Since yesterday night, people on the internet have been mocking Playmaker for ignoring Blue Angel's challenge, calling him a chicken and all."

"Shut up; she's here." Yusaku quickly hushed Ai again as Zaizen Aoi stopped near him. He stopped walking as well and lowered his left arm, allowing Ai to talk with Aoi's duel disk AI while he exchanged stiff greetings with her. He did wish for a way to talk with her, but he certainly wasn't expecting the girl in question would really approach him like this.

"Why did you join the Duel Club?" Aoi didn't waste her time and asked him straight to the point as they made their way towards the school gate. Before Yusaku could give her a proper reply though, the girl had already added, "Don't say it's because you like Duel Monsters. It's clearly written all over your face that's not the case."

Yusaku glanced at her, finally deciding this was his chance to ask about SOL Technologies. "What Shima said about your brother yesterday..."

"So you too, huh?" Aoi smiled bitterly the moment Yusaku started. The boy was quite surprised by her reply, it made him turn to her. "'Can I get the new model duel disk?' or 'Can I get a job at SOL Technologies after I graduate?'... People who approach me always ask these mundane things."

"But I--"

"Just give it up," Aoi cut in as she stopped walking. "...my big brother... doesn't trust me."

After saying that, Aoi dashed, leaving Yusaku behind in astonishment. She passed by Tsubaki, who happily called out to her, but Aoi just kept on running without paying heed to her greeting. Tsubaki then just stared at Aoi's leaving figure, sighing in disappointment.

"Tsubaki." Yusaku called her, making her turn to him and smile. Though, her smile looked a bit forced. "Oh, good morning, Fujiki-kun!"

Yusaku nodded again before looking at the direction Aoi ran off to. She was no longer in sight now. "Come to think of it, you and Zaizen Aoi are in the same class, right? President Hosoda told me."

"Yes. But we're no more than classmates," Tsubaki again sighed thinly as she shook her head. "How I wish we could become friends... but for some reason, she keeps ignoring me."

Yusaku stared at the silver-haired girl for a moment. "Why do you want to become her friend?" He asked.

In response to his question, Tsubaki blinked her ruby-like eyes and tilted her head to the side. "Just because?"

Yusaku's expression didn't change but he actually felt relieved to hear that. "I see," he nodded to himself. "Actually, she... Zaizen thinks everyone that gets close to her only wants to take advantage of her. You know, since she's the sister of SOL Technologies security manager... people tend to ask her for getting them a job in there."

"So that's what's been bothering her..." Tsubaki frowned. "I would never ask Aoi-chan for a job in SOL Technologies... after all, I already have my own future career in mind."

"You do?"

Tsubaki widened her smile as she gave him a nod. "I do. It's--"

Just then, the school bell rang, stopping Tsubaki from finishing her line. "Oh no, that's the bell! We need to hurry to our classrooms, Fujiki-kun!" she stuttered before storming off on her own in panic.