﹥FANFICTION PLOT WRITTEN BY
﹥THE SONG "SCALE BLASTER" IS WRITTEN
BY YUNOSUKE AND GYUUNIKU.
THE COVER OF THE SONG IS SUNG BY HATSUNE MIKU.
﹥THE SONG "ACTOR REACTOR"
IS WRITTEN BY HEAVENZ.
THE COVER OF THE SONG IS SUNG BY MEGATERA ZERO.
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♫ OPENING SONG ♫
(1.15 speed recommended)
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In the present, the sun rose from its slumber at 5:55 in the morning. A new day came.
At the Tops, Utage woke up in his bedroom at his apartment. He went to the bathroom to take a shower and get ready for the day.
After he left the bathroom, Utage, had showered and his hair and his teeth brushed, entered back inside his bedroom. Next, he changed into a new set of clothes. He wore an indigo henley shirt, a pair of black sweatpants, and a pair of lavender socks. The male, then, tied his hair into a low ponytail. Finally, he took his phone from his dresser and put the phone inside the front right pocket of his sweatpants.
Once he was ready for the day, Utage began to slowly walk to the kitchen, cautious of his bruised left knee.
The silver-haired man started cooking eggs and bacon for breakfast. Throughout the time, he watched his step to ensure the safety of his left knee. Later, he finished cooking and took his plate of his breakfast to the dining room to eat.
As he ate, he glanced down at his left knee from under the table. He next averted his glance to the window wall. He recalled a certain event from three nights ago.
◈
It was four minutes before Lua and Luca found Yusei. Utage, an azure white helmet on his head, was riding an ice blue sports bike after he was done with grocery shopping. Once the lavender-eyed man arrived at the Tops, he showed the guard the former's ID. The guard nodded and let Utage inside.
When Utage arrived, he parked his bike in a parking spot before he turned off the vehicle. He started to walk toward entrance until he heard something fell. Rather, someone. He stopped his in his tracks to look over his shoulder to see that a green helmet rolled out of the alleyway.
Utage moved toward the helmet and picked it up. He thought, 'This clearly isn't my spare helmet.'
The man glanced at the alleyway. Curiosity killed the cat, he entered the alleyway to find the helmet's owner. He maintained a calm demeanor as he went deeper into the area. He took six more steps further until he stopped in his tracks. In front of him was (Reader)'s unconscious body. The green helmet held under his left arm, his right arm reached for her. His right hand cautiously and gently moved her shoulder to see her unconscious face.
He silently gasped, "She's unconscious."
He recognized her criminal mark, "And she's a criminal...!"
Utage quickly reached his right hand into his right pocket to find his phone. He took out his phone and turned it on. Whilst he dialed the number, he noticed (Reader)'s wounds had worsened after the shocks and the crash from earlier before the landing. Her arms and waist had burn marks from the shocks. Her shirt and pants became more dirtier. Her hair was a mess. Not only that, her silver, heart-shaped locket necklace had fallen out of the front left pocket of her pants again.
His curiosity peaked toward the necklace, he took the jewelry out of her pocket. He pressed the side button to open the charm. Inside revealed a picture of the young (Reader) and her beloved caregiver Riyuka Domen holding purple and blue iris flowers. The two females wore bright smiles on their faces.
"This is her necklace. She has a family. A mom...," Utage's soft eyes gazed at the photo, "She's very happy with her."
The man realized that he had dialed the number to call police. All there was left to do was press the call icon. On the other hand was a necklace that showed that (Reader) had a family she deeply cherished.
It was clear what he had to do.
Utage pressed the delete button to erase the number that would call the police. He turned off his phone. He closed the charm shut and carefully inserted the necklace back inside (Reader)'s front left pocket. He picked up (Reader) like a bride and placed her helmet on top of her stomach. He carried her inside the Tops and to his apartment to attend to her wounds and keep her safe.
◈
In the present, Utage had finished his breakfast. He entered the kitchen to wash the dishes. Two minutes later, he put the clean dishes inside the upper cabinets. He slowly walked toward the living room and sat down on the couch.
Before Utage could reach for the TV remote from the coffee table, his phone rang from his front right pocket. He took the phone out of his pocket. His face soured to find the contact of his wife Riona.
"I can't with her right now...," he groaned.
Utage looked down at his left knee. His eyes narrowed, "If I only was faster..."
"If only I... I...," he soon gave up. He was out of words to say. Not wanting to answer Riona's call, the frustrated Utage tossed his ringing phone toward the far right of the couch. He placed his right hand on his face as he closed his eyes.
It took nine minutes for Utage to calm down. The man grabbed his phone. Mustered enough courage, he pressed the end call icon. He then pressed the speech bubble icon to text her, "I don't want to give you any money. If you have a job to afford money for yourself, good. Whatever excuse you have about your cheating, I don't want to hear it. Please give me space. I mean no ill will toward you, but you've made me uncomfortable long enough."
"We'll talk more once you come back to the apartment," he finished. When he pressed the paper airplane icon to send the text, he stood up and inserted his phone back inside his front right pocket. He left the living room to get to the door. He grabbed his indigo slip-on shoes. Once he put on the slip-ons, he opened the door and left his apartment. In the hallway, he found the elevator five rooms away and entered inside. He pressed the button that led to the main lobby.
During the elevator ride, he thought, 'I did it again. And... it felt good.'
◈
Later, outside Saiga's apartment, (Reader), dressed in her casual clothes, sat on the ground with her knees close to her chest. She gazed at the sky with a bored expression on her face, "Yusei is still asleep and Saiga is busy."
"What you got for me, world? I'm bored. Give me a distraction!" whined the outlander.
Just then, she heard footsteps. (Reader) searched around to find Utage taking a stroll by himself.
The outlander stood up from the ground. She took three steps forward and called to him, "Utage! Hey!"
Utage heard (Reader)'s voice. He halted in his tracks and waved. The woman jogged toward him and walked beside him.
Utage questioned, "Are you sure to go by yourself? You'll worry Yusei-kun."
"Don't worry. I'll go back to them when it's time," (Reader) innocently smiled.
"Time for what exactly?"
(Reader) answered, "The Duel of the Fortune Cup. My friend has entered the tournament."
"Is he a good duelist?" Utage inquired. His female friend grinned confidently, "The greatest."
"You must look up to him," he commented.
(Reader) confirmed, "I do. He's a loyal friend. He cares a lot about the people around him, including me. He always asked if I'm okay since I told him about my immense bad luck."
"You have immense bad luck?!" Utage became frightened.
"I do have that, but I'm okay. I survived many accidents and assaults from stop signs that I'm lucky to be alive."
"Would it explain why you were arrested?"
The woman shook her head, "Nah. My bad luck doesn't go as far as to get me involved with political institutions or the police."
"Gotcha," her male friend understood. He reverted back to the discussion about Yusei, "So, about Yusei-kun, what else he does for you?"
(Reader) recalled, "He helped me get released from the Detention Center. During the escape from the warehouse, he saved my butt. He even wanted Saiga to find me when the guy himself couldn't."
"Yusei-kun must care a lot about you," commented Utage.
(Reader) replied, "He does. He's like a little brother to me."
"And I'm like an older brother?" the man jokingly smirked.
The woman chuckled, "Nah, you'd be a terrible older brother. Instead, you'd be an uncle."
Utage smirked, "Well then, you'd be an aunt."
"Who are you calling an aunt?"
"Who are you calling an uncle?"
"...Pfft! Haha!", he and (Reader) laughed out loud. As the woman continued to chuckle, Utage stopped and glanced at her. He smiled at her, happy to have her company.
Twenty minutes later, the two strolled back to Saiga's apartment building. When they took one step closer to the garage door, the door opened, alerting the two friends. The opened garage door revealed Saiga and Yusei.
(Reader) greeted Saiga, "Hi."
"So this is where you were," Saiga put his hands on his hips. He then turned his gaze toward Utage, "How's your left knee?"
The latter answered, "Good. Thanks, Saiga-san."
Yusei spoke to (Reader), "You didn't wander off alone, right?"
"Nope! I was taking a little stroll with my great friend Utage!" she turned toward her lavender-eyed friend, smiling at him.
Utage added, "I was getting some fresh air, and she happened to noticed me. We strolled for a bit and cracked a few jokes here and there."
"She's a good friend," he lightly patted her head, which (Reader)'s smile brightened in response.
Saiga was content to see the two get along.
As for Yusei, he stood frozen as he witnessed the interaction between Utage and (Reader). His silent glare watched the silver-haired man pat the woman's head. His hands clenched into fists at his sides as he watched Utage look at (Reader) warmly. Reminded of how the two cared for each other, the protagonist's heart stirred.
'...She is only friends with him. She's simply being a friend to him. She smiles at Himuro, the old man, Saiga, and me too. She's just being herself,' however, no matter how much Yusei convinced himself, his own thoughts did not ease his heart.
Utage took out his phone to check the time. His eyes widen in surprise. He told them, "Well, I ought to head back to the Tops. I need to focus on healing my left knee."
"Get well soon, Utage!" (Reader) waved goodbye to him.
"Don't exert yourself," Saiga added.
The silver-haired man waved goodbye whilst he left the building.
"All right. Time for you and Yusei to get going," Saiga's voice snapped Yusei out from his trance, "I've already contacted Himuro and Yanagi to pick up the kids from the Tops. As for you two, you need to get to the Stadium early."
"Got it!" (Reader) nodded in agreement. She turned toward Yusei. It was her turn to be concerned of his odd behavior, "Yusei, are you okay?"
Hearing (Reader)'s voice had Yusei immediately look at her. He assured her, "Yes. I'm fine. Let's get ready."
When Yusei entered the garage first, (Reader) followed. She tied her hair into a ponytail. After she did that, she glanced up to see a spare red helmet being thrown toward her. She jumped up to catch it. However, her hands missed due to her bad luck. She wore an empty smile, "I don't got it."
Yet, Yusei did. He caught the spare helmet for (Reader) with his right hand. He held it out to her, "Here. I'm sorry, (Reader)."
"No, it's okay. It was bound to happen anyway," the woman took the helmet and put it on.
The two approached the D-Wheel. Yusei sat in front while (Reader) sat behind him. The hero started the engine of his vehicle. He began to ride out of the garage and the apartment building altogether. Not used to riding on Yusei's D-Wheel, (Reader) instinctively grabbed his waist and held him tightly, not wanting to fall like the time in their escape from the Security Warehouse. Yusei flinched from her touch.
"I won't fall, right?" the slightly scared (Reader) queried.
Yusei softly assured her, "You won't. I promise you won't fall. Hold on to me, okay?"
"Okay," (Reader) tighten more of her grip of the protagonist's waist. The latter's face hued pink as he attempted to focus on the road.
While the two continue to ride their way to the tournament, the criminal duo recognized the Duel Stadium from afar. The screen from the building displayed the upcoming tournament event.
(Reader)'s eyes widen at the sight of the Duel Stadium. She gasped, "Woah..."
"Is this your first time seeing the stadium?" questioned Yusei.
His female companion nodded, "Yeah, especially up close."
Seeing the stadium reminded the uneasy Yusei of the day he was arrested. Everything he was put through, it was for him to be back in that location. At that point he had a quarter of his answers: what the mark was on his arm, parts of the history of his precious card Stardust Dragon, and the fact that he was a Signer. The questions that were left unanswered were: how much Jack knew about the Crimson Dragon, why did the Black Rose Witch called the protagonist's Mark of the Crimson Dragon detestable, what kind of being the Crimson Dragon was, and why the Public Maintenance Department would care about the mysterious creature. And the only way to get all of his questions answered was to enter the Fortune Cup.
(Reader) recognized Yusei's distant look again. Though, she chose to not bother, for she didn't desire to meddle with his situation or pry into his thoughts, despite the fact she knew what was on his mind.
◈
At the Duel Stadium, in the box, Rex Godwin watched the people come in the arena.
Yeager entered the room. He informed the director, "Last night, the witch appeared in the Daimon Area again. Since the witch also received an invitation, we'll get to see what she looks like soon."
It was rest assured for Rex that his plan would come to fruition. He quietly muttered, "The Signers will gather under the protection of the dragon star."
Behind the director was Jack, and the latter became suspicious toward the former.
◈
░▒▓█ INTERMISSION █▓▒░
(This is an intermission. If you would like to take a break from this chapter, feel free to do so. Otherwise, enjoy this random short skit.)
Utage: Do you have any other friends besides Yusei-kun?
(Reader): There's Jin. He's as reliable as Yusei-kun, and he's sharp. He used to be a pro duelist.
Utage: A former pro, huh? *smiles* Awesome.
(Reader): Also, there is Yanagi. The old man is cheerful and loves his Treasure Deck.
Utage: *nods* Hm.
(Reader): And then there's Saiga. He's very serious in his work, and he can get you like anything if you pay him in advance.
Utage: Like divorce papers?
(Reader): *is unsure* I don't know why you ask that, but I don't think Saiga can do that.
Utage: *frowns* Darn.
░▒▓█ UNLIKELY HEROINE █▓▒░
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Yusei and (Reader) entered in the Duel Stadium's corridor. The two stopped in their tracks and stood beside the wall, waiting for the others to arrive.
(Reader) took off her ponytail, letting her long hair down. She brushed a strand of her hair, putting her hair behind her ear. The woman pulled out her necklace from her front left pocket. Seeing its mint condition had the female young adult breathe a sigh in relief before she quickly stuffed it inside her pocket.
"Hey, you two," Yusei and (Reader) faced toward Jin, who arrived with Yanagi, Luca (whom had been wearing a hat and a different set of clothes than her usual ones), and Tenpei.
(Reader) greeted back, "Yo."
"Where's Lua?" the protagonist questioned. His question had (Reader) look around, only to find no sign of Lua. That was when she realized, 'Oh.... right. He's definitely going to do that.'
"Okay!" everyone turned toward Lua, who wore Luca's clothes, has his Duel Disk on his wrist, and his hair tied into two ponytails like his twin sister. What stood out from his disguise was he wore makeup. He faced Yusei, "How do I look, Yusei? Spitting image of Luca, am I right?"
Yanagi spoke, "No less from twins. I can't tell a bit of difference."
'I can,' thought an unamused (Reader).
"I am right! I am right! I am right!" the disguised Lua beamed.
The annoyed Luca kicked her twin brother, much to his chagrin. She retorted, "I do not act like that."
Tenpei smiled nervously toward the bothered Luca.
Lua told his twin sister, "Oh, come on, lighten up. I'll get it right, so don't worry about it!"
The disguised young boy turned toward Yusei. The former, going through his role as his sister, asked, "Now then, Yusei, shall we depart?"
"Sure...," Yusei responded, masking his awkwardness with his usual calm demeanor.
The two began to walk away from the group. He told Lua, "Lua, it's better if you drop the makeup."
"Oh? Is that right?" Lua replied.
"It is right!" the boy was caught off guard that he didn't sense (Reader) speed-walking toward them with a small white cloth in her dominant hand. She grabbed his shoulder and held it, so she wipe his face to rid of the makeup.
After that, (Reader) let go of Lua. She turned the surprised pre-teen, so he'd face her. She told him, "One, you're not at the age of wearing makeup. Two, despite me being completely disappointed in you of going against your sister's wishes (yet again), I wish nothing but for you to give it your all in the tournament."
The woman let go of Lua and encouraged him and Yusei, "Now go. Have fun and kick some butt."
Lua waved to her whilst he walked with Yusei, "Okay! We will, Sekiguchi-san!"
The boy whispered, "Sekiguchi-san is a scary lady."
"She isn't once you get to know her," his tall friend responded, "(Reader) is a thoughtful person."
"How do you know?"
"I don't need to," Lua didn't understand what Yusei meant by that phrase.
Their friends watched them leave, including Jin and (Reader). The woman noticed the watchful look on Jin's face. She moved next to him. Next, she intentionally thought out loud, "The Public Maintenance Department wouldn't host a competition for fun. They would immediately cancel it if they invited anyone who loved dueling, regardless of reason."
Jin jolted from the woman's words. The moment his eyes landed on her knowing ones, he realized that the outlander herself is just as aware as he was about the tournament.
"Anyway, let's find our seats, friend. Yanagi and the kids are waiting for us," (Reader) pointed her thumb. She began to walk her way toward the stadium arena.
While Jin followed her there, he wondered, '...What do you know, (Reader) Sekiguchi?'
◈
In the stadium, everyone gathered in the stands of the arena. (Reader) was unable to sit next to her friends, so she went to sit in a seat three rows behind Jin and the others. The people in the same row as her stole a questionable glance at the woman, mainly at her criminal mark.
"Daddy, look! That lady over there has a yellow mark on her face," a little boy pointed at (Reader)'s mark.
His father told the child, "Look away, son. You shouldn't look at people like her. Or associate yourself with her."
"Dang. She's kinda hot. If she didn't have that marker on her face, I would've asked for her number," one guy whispered to his friend.
The latter whispered back, "Nah. You should be lucky to not be anywhere near her. She's definitely a dangerous criminal."
"They seriously let uggos like her in the arena? To think that the City have standards," a teeange girl gossiped to her two friends.
One of the two replied, "You should be quiet. What if she hears us?"
The other shrugged, "So what? It's not like she can."
Realized that she was being the subject of gossip, (Reader) quietly sighed in annoyance. She mentally deadpanned, 'Looks like they found something to look at before the show.'
Even then, (Reader) chose to pay no mind to the gossips. She paid attention to the center of the arena. She heard the announcer exclaim, "Everybody, listen! The Duel of Fortune Cup is finally getting started!"
Somewhere at the center stage, Rex took a seat that was inches away from the podium.
Amongst the roaring sidelines were the cheerleaders. Right as the cheerleaders were about to continue their cheer routine, they became startled from a huge gust of wind. Above them was a red and black, demonic dragon monster.
The announcer introduced, "Making its appearance is Red Dragon Archfiend!"
"Nice to meet you again, the King's favorite," spoke (Reader).
The next thing that occurred was the sound of a D-Wheel's engine, coming from one entrance. The announcer recognized the sound, "And are those noises from a Wheel I hear?"
Everyone watched as Jack Atlas drove out of the entrance to make his grand appearance with Red Dragon Archfiend. The two moved toward the middle of the center stage and landed there. The blond man parked his D-Wheel and got off his vehicle. He took off his helmet and stared at the crowd.
Excluding the indifferent (Reader), many people within the crowd, especially the females, shouted his name, "Atlas-sama!"
Jack pointed his index finger above him as he did his signature catchphrase, "There's only one King! That being me! Who dares to duel against me!?"
"Duelists with the golden tickets, vieing for their dream match with the King! Front and center!" the announcer pointed at the center of the stage below Jack.
"Front and center!" a door was open from the ground. The elevator went up, revealing Yusei, Lua, and other duelists who would be competing in the tournament. One duelist was dressed as a knight in gold armor. Another seemed to be a hypnotist. The other duelist had a green cloak, concealing their overall appearance. One other duelist was a tall, bulky man with black hair and dark eyes.
(Reader) recognized a teenage girl with brown eyes, fair skin, and dark burgundy hair. The teenager had a metal item that acted as a hair curler on top of her head whilst a bit of her hair hangs down on each side of her hair. Her outfit had a Victorian-like theme. The outfit was of a high-collared, low-cut red corset with short, light green puffy sleeves worn underneath a sleeveless, magenta trenchcoat, making it shorter and pleated in the front. Her fingerless black, elbow-length gloves had gold bracelets above them. She wore a pair of red high-heeled pumps and black thigh-high stockings, which connected to a skirt by suspenders. Around her neck were a red neck choker and an emerald crested, golden cross-shaped medallion.
(Reader) thought, 'We have a new face, and she definitely ain't here to make friends.'
At the center stage, Jack glanced down at Yusei, who returned the gesture by glaring back at him.
Just then, the hero discovered that the noises within the crown became silent.
One person from the stands shouted, "Hey, there's someone with a Marker there!"
"You're right!" agreed another person.
"I'd rather pick me than that guy!"
"Maybe he stole someone's invitation?"
"He isn't the only one. That girl with the long, (h/c) hair has one too."
"Really? I didn't see her."
"She probably helped him steal that invite."
Jin, Luca, and Tenpei ignored the floating rumors. On the other hand, Yanagi became uneasy from the murmurs flooding within the stands.
The worried Lua felt sympathy for his friend, "Yusei..."
Even when people held prejudice against the hero, Yusei told Lua, "Pay it no mind."
The indifferent (Reader) crossed her arms and looked up at the sky, ignoring the prejudice held against her and Yusei. She thought, 'They never know when to shut up.'
During the commotion, the cloaked person clicked his tongue. The knight duelist side-glanced at Rex, who simply sat in chair and did nothing.
The announcer was panicked toward the commotion from the crowd. He was unable to find a way to change the situation.
Suddenly, the announcer's microphone was taken away by the muscular duelist. The man silenced the audience by calling, "Ladies and gentlemen in attendance!"
"My name is Bommer. As a duelist up here, I would like to ask exactly what is it you all see," Bommer, the muscular duelist, introduced himself. He next pointed at the unfazed Yusei, "This man is undoubtedly a duelist, selected under the same condition as we were! If one has cards, marker or no marker, they are the same as everyone else!"
"The people standing here now should be ashamed of nothing! Rather, it is all of you, looking at him through your trivial rose-colored glasses, who are no short of vicious!" he finished his speech and turned away.
Lua felt inspired from Bommer's speech. As for Jack, his eyes never left his rival.
Rex was the first to clap his hands. Everyone in the crowd also applaused, including (Reader). The woman wore a genuine smile as she clapped her hands.
Bommer bows to the announcer and gave the microphone back to the latter before the duelist returned to his designated spot. The stunned announcer timidly thanked, "Oh, thanks."
Rex finally stood up from his chair. He walked toward the podium. He first spoke, "Thank you for those empowering words, Bommer-kun."
The director faced the audience when he went on, "The reason I provided an opportunity such was indeed for all the reasons you have spoken. I am Rex Godwin, the man in charge of the Neo Domino City Public Maintenance Department. And, I am the man who planned this grand dueling festivial in appreciation for the maintenance of daily public security."
"To duelists, neither social status nor the gap between the rich and the poor matter. True equality rests here," the massive crowd within the stands cheered after the director's speech.
Afterwards, the announcer revealed, "Now, here are your matchups for the first round!"
On the screen, the matchups were displayed. Lua pointed at the screen, "I'm in the first match! All right!"
The young boy in disguise glanced at Bommer, who glanced back at the former.
The pre-teen boy was determined to win in the first match, "Let's do this!"
In the stands, (Reader) thought, 'To be honest, I only remembered some parts of Lua's duel against Bommer. I didn't pay attention much to the duel, since one thing was made clear...'
◈
'Well, one thing is clear. That big guy is gonna win,' Utage sat on the couch at the living room in his apartment within the Tops. He drank a bottle of water as he was observing the duel.
Throughout the duel, the card effects from Bommer's field dealt a lot of damage to the disguised Lua, putting the latter at the disadvantage. Despite that, the pre-teen was able to pull off a combo to attack him.
"I have to admire the kid's tenacity. He was able to land a hit, but it's gonna take more than just tenacity to win," he commented.
The silver-haired man took another sip of water from his water bottle. He held the bottle with his left hand while he resumed to watch the match for three more minutes. By then, he grew bored from watching the TV.
Utage looked down at his left knee. He mumbled, "I wish to go in person, but I can't hurt my knee. (Reader) helped me treated it, and I need to wait for my knee to recover."
"...This sucks," he frowned.
His frown deepened when he heard his phone ring again. He growled, "So a text isn't enough for her, huh?!"
Utage took out the phone from the front right pocket of his pants. He pressed the call icon and angerily shouted, "What?!"
"Hey. Take it easy. It's Keito. I'm not here to annoy you. I want to talk to you. Have a decent conversation as civilized people. I swear," Utage's anger faded a little when he heard Keito's voice. The former wanted nothing to do with Riona's side-guy, yet it didn't mean that he didn't want to hear of what the man had to say.
Utage used the TV remote to turn down the volume of the TV. He asked, "What is it?"
"Is it true that you'll be divorcing Riona?" inquired Keito.
Utage confirmed, "Yes. I'm going to divorce her, and she'll be all yours."
"But why? Why divorce Riona if you knew the infidelity for years?"
The silver-haired man answered honestly, "You're not wrong to question that. However, before I answer that, you ought to know something. I would've divorced her on the spot when our marriage soured. However, I couldn't. I was scared to do it. Because, the person who suggested this marriage... Actually, suggest is not the right word. More like forced. I was forced into the marriage by this person, and that, if I went against their wishes, they would cut me off."
He continued, "During those times, I have to admit. I did enjoy the peace and quiet from Riona being gone from the apartment or anywhere near me, for she was mostly with her friends. She didn't want to spend much time with me, and I didn't want anything to do with her. Even then, that enjoyment would always be short-lived. She'd find me in no time and wouldn't hesitate to demand for money or force me to cook meals for her, regardless that she was capable of cooking for herself. She would force me to do things against my will, and I had no choice but to oblige."
"One time, I forced myself to give Riona my debit card, for she told me that she would buy materials to fix her bed. I didn't believe her but I gave her the card anyway. Instead of getting materials, she bought drinks for her friends from an expensive bar. She didn't tell me that she would use my card for that. In the end, I had to use half of my savings to get materials, so I'd fix her bed," he recalled one memory.
Utage recollected another memory, "There was the time that she told me that she couldn't cook dinner. The reason was she was in a middle of texting her friends. I told her that it can wait, but she refused to listen. I asked for her help, but she didn't help me one bit with dinner. I had no choice but to make dinner by myself. She didn't even touch her dinner and wasted it. She blamed me for no reason."
"And it was nothing. There was this one time, and it took the cake. The both of us were on a date. We were eating at this one restaurant she liked. I tried to make conversation with her, but she brushed me off, saying that she was on the phone with someone," the mere mention of the word 'someone' caused Keito to flinch. Utage went on, "When we got our meals, she didn't touch her food. She assumed that it was mine and shoved her food onto my plate. I paid the bill for our meal. After we left, Riona blamed me for eating her food, despite the fact that the food was hers and that she didn't give a fuck about her meal. She accused me of 'ruining' our date."
There was a long silence. A shadow casted over Utage's frustrated eyes. Keito was speechless about the things Riona had done to her own husband.
Utage regained his composure when he began, "Since that date, she started coming home less often. One night, she accidentally left her phone behind. When I looked for her in her room, it was when I found your text message to her. It was how I found out about the infidelity. I was mad, but... I was also relieved."
"Relieved...?" Keito became bewildered.
The husband took a sip of water from his water bottle before he spoke again, "Yeah. I was relieved that Riona wouldn't bother me as much as she would anymore. In the moments she was with you were the moments I had some freedom. I used the times she went to see you, so I can have all the freedom to myself."
"However, a couple weeks ago, I had noticed that the food I made for my meals were eaten, and the dishes were dirty. I figured out that you and Riona had been in the apartment, and that she ate my meals. So, of course, you should be able to figure out the rest," the man pointed out.
Keito didn't respond.
Utage added, "Oh yeah. I forgot to answer your question. Why I didn't divorce Riona when I already knew the things she did behind my back, was it? Similar to the answer why I didn't divorce her on the spot. The difference was myself. I didn't have the guts to act on such a thing."
The memory of a certain female criminal and her hope for Utage's happiness made the male's face soften. He told Keito in a firm tone, "Now, I do. I'm going to divorce Riona, and you can have her all you want."
"But...! But I don't want to marry her! I only wanted her because she looked hot!" Riona's side-guy panicked.
"Good to know. I'll remind her if she asks about having a serious relationship with you," Utage smirked.
"Can you at least give us money, so her and I can head back to the City?!"
Utage hummed in thought before he proposed an idea, "I'll give you money. In exchange, you record of the exact words you told me throughout the call. Not only that, if Riona were to try anything with the money, you'll tell her that I won't be giving her any more money unless she gets a job. Got it?"
Keito agreed, "...Deal! Thank you!"
"And one more thing, you don't get involved with crap like this again. A mere mention of you, and I'll press charges," Utage threatened.
"Got it!"
Utage ended the call. His head fell back onto the couch as he let out a sigh of relief. His eyes gazed at the ceiling, "My shoulders feel lighter now..."
◈
At the Duel Stadium, the duel between Lua and Bommer ended with Bommer's win, advancing him to the next round.
(Reader) and Tenpei were waiting in the hallways in front of the bathroom doors. They waited for Lua and Luca to change back into their usual clothes.
The glasses pre-teen gazed up, "Sekiguchi-san, I forgot to thank you for saving us back in the Daimon Area."
"No problem," the woman responded.
Tenpei gazed at (Reader)'s appearance from top to bottom in awe. Irregardless of having a criminal mark on her face, her aura was similar to Yusei's. That aura complemented her confident form. He thought, 'She looks very cool.'
"What?" the boy became startled from (Reader) staring back at the former.
Tenpei timidly questioned, "Uh... I was wondering... Do you duel?"
"Nah. I suck at it. I only dueled once because I wanted to try it," she answered, "I had a hard time patting down the basics. I managed to at least land an attack, but I lost the next turn."
"I see," Tenpei awkwardly nodded.
(Reader) thought out loud, "But, if I was really interested in dueling, I'd ask for Jin to give me some pointers. The guy with teal hair, I mean."
"Why not Yusei?" the glasses boy inquired.
"I'd rather not. If I did, it'd be awkward for me...," she nervously responded. She mentally added, 'Moreover, he'll fall in love with me and won't leave me alone.'
"I'm sure he'll understand," Tenpei tried to reassure the outlander.
(Reader) shook her head, "It's a no, kid."
"Why? You and Yusei are friends, right? Don't you trust him?" he pressed.
(Reader) awkwardly responded, "...Well, here's the thing. He and I are friends, and I do trust him. However, I prefer to not rely too much on him all the time."
"Oh. I see," Tenpei understood.
"What's going on?" Luca came out of the women's restroom, back in her usual clothes.
(Reader) was quick to notice the female pre-teen. The former told the latter, "It's nothing."
Tenpei raised his eyebrow, wondering why (Reader) dismissed the subject of her and Yusei.
The defeated Lua came out of the men's bathroom, back in his usual clothes. He walked around his friends and (Reader) and went ahead. His sister and his glasses friend caught up to him.
(Reader) caught up to the three children and walked behind them.
Luca told her brother, "Oh, come on... You can't stay mopey forever just because you lost."
"She's right. You tried your hardest!" Tenpei attempted to reassure Lua.
The latter mumbled, "Yeah, but..."
"All you need to do is win your duels later on. The experience you get from losing will always prove useful," Yusei stood against the wall.
"He's right. Also...," (Reader) knelt down and put a hand on Lua's shoulder. She wore a fake smile, "Please don't go against your sister's wishes again. Do that, and I will be forever disappointed in you."
Lua hung his head low, afraid to meet (Reader)'s face, "Right. Sorry..."
"Take it easy on him, (Reader)," Yusei told his female companion.
The woman, had figured Yusei was next to her, sighed. She stood up and patted Lua's head, "Still, you did good. I'm proud that you were able to land a punch on that Bommer guy. You were brave until the end. You did good, but I believe you can do better. Remember Yusei-kun's words of wisdom, and you'll become the King. Or rather, you can become better than him."
The pre-teen boy was awe-struck by (Reader). Luca was also surprised, "She's very kind..."
Yusei smiled gently toward (Reader). He thought, '(Reader) is kind in her own way. Her kindness never ceases to reach others. It is one of the reasons why I believe in our bond. Believe in her...'
"Besides all that, we need to head back to the arena. Don't want to keep Jin and Yanagi waiting," (Reader) told Lua, Luca, and Tenpei, who agreed with her.
Lua told Yusei, "Just make sure that you don't lose, Yusei! We'll all be cheering you on from the stands!"
Out of nowhere, Yusei recognized the teenage, brown-eyed girl, who glared at him in return.
(Reader) pulled the children out of the teenager's way. Tenpei stood behind the young adult as Lua held (Reader)'s left hand. Luca stood beside her twin brother as she glanced up at the female teenager. The female teen looked away whilst she walked away from Yusei and the others.
(Reader) inquired, "You three okay?"
Tenpei and Luca nodded.
Lua let go of (Reader)'s left hand. He frowned, "What's the deal with her?"
Yusei and (Reader) stared at the spot the teenage girl used to be, wondering the same question.
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♫ ENDING SONG ♫
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END "act 1 - adventitious".
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BEGIN "act 2 - prepossessing"!