-Recap-
Carl's POV
"Chairman Fava's flavor factory?" Yuya read the sign before realizing something "this is the address where the duel's supposed to be" he said as he pulls out his duel disk and looks up at the address that I'm for sure Nico gave him.
"Oh, your first duel is today? lucky me, I'll be able to see you duel" I said "Looks like Mr. Smiley is doing a great job" I added.
"You've come to the right place Yuya" Nico appeared out of nowhere making Yuya jump as I catch him carrying him bride style. Nico makes a "after you" gesture "step right in" he said as I put Yuya back down.
"it's in here" Yuya questioned pointing at the factory as Nico nodded and pushes Yuya inside "Hey you sure about this?" he asked.
"In you go!" Nico stated ignoring Yuya's questions before looking back at me "you're welcome to join us, Mr. Carmine" he said.
I nodded "I was gonna follow you guys anyway, thanks" I said as I catch up to them and with that the three of us went inside the factory.
-up to the chapter-
Carl's POV
We walked in and we didn't see nothing but a kitchen with a few people Yuya seems to be falling in a trance I then reminded something I pull out a turkey sandwich and shove it in his mouth his eyes widen while taking a bite.
"S-So good!~" he moans at the taste which made me a bit embarrassed but laugh nervously as Yuya finished eating the sandwich in an instant.
"Allow me to introduce you to your celebrity opponent, the king of the kitchen, Reed Pepper!" We hear Nico from the monitors of the room some chefs cheered as the mentioned male bowed.
'Who?' Me and the fortune Ladies questioned as I sweat drop.
Reed is a young man with orange hair, featuring a pinkish red bang that hangs down at the front. He also has pale skin and freckles. His main feature is that his eyes are shown as being shut or squinting, only opening them when being dramatic or in shock. Reed's outfit consists of a white undershirt covered by a light pink shirt with the sleeves rolled up and dark blue waistcoat and red tie. He also wears cream pants with a yellow pattern going round each leg alongside brown shoes.
"So, You're Yuya Sakaki, Nice to meet you" Reed said as he walks up to us, I jumped back once I see Nico appearing in front of us.
"Could you give us a warning next time!?" I asked.
"S-Sorry force of habit" Nico apologized before looking back at Yuya "Reed Pepper is a very famous celebrity chef who has a huge following among those who wish to introduce a dash of delish into their drearily flavorful free lives" He explained before my stomach growls making them look at me.
I look "d-don't mind me!" I said laughing nervously.
"Sound like somebody's a little hungry" Reed said.
"Well, I did give Yuya a sandwich so that he could have something to energize himself before his duel plus who can resist the delicious smells in here" I said.
Reed chuckled before looking at Yuya "well if you got a taste for competition, I have to whip up a cooking duel using my fans all-time favorite recipes" he said.
but before we could get the duel set up, we were interrupted by a woman talking to an older man who happened to be the chairman himself. Reed walks up to the woman who happens to be his mother and he's reassuring her that is nothing to make a big deal of and that he would have Yuya for breakfast in which Yuya and I find it odd/annoying with it. On the bright side his mom then agrees to let Reed duel Yuya
I go to Yuya and whispered "Yuya, I recommend you not to underestimate this guy he may be a celebrity chef, but I can tell he's strong" I warned him.
He looks at me and nodded "I won't...thanks, Carl" he replied with a small smile. I nodded back and I stared at Yuya for a moment as he tilted his head at me "Carl?" he questioned.
'Carl give the readers what they want' Dark said.
I didn't get what she means by that, but I lean towards Yuya and give him a peck on the cheek "Good luck Yuya..." I said before taking a step back leaving a shocked Yuya as I smile, it feels nice in a way.
"So that's what they meant..." I heard Nico smiley muttering.
I look at him "what do you mean by that Mr. Smiley?" I asked him.
"Oh! don't mind me just thinking out loud!" he said laughing nervously as I shrug.
"Yuya!" I look over and I see Tate, Allie and Frederick standing in front of Yuya...still don't get where did they come from
Yuya looks at them "What are you guys doing here?" he asked.
"we're here to cheer you on!" Allie said.
"This duel is your first step to becoming a pro! we wouldn't miss that for anything!" Tate added.
Frederick does a weird dance "Just thinking about it gives me shivers!" he then said.
I smiled and walked up to them "come on, guys let's go to where we can be comfortable and watch the duel" I said in which they look at each other and nodded before giggling.
-a little time skip-
Third Person's POV
Yuya and Reed are getting ready to set the duel
"Ladies and Gentlemen get ready for the main course!" Nico said from a golden microphone in which Carl still don't know where the hell he has that Microphone from "Now it's time to feast your eyes on the challengers. The Sultan of Pendulum summoning Yuya Sakaki vs the hot shot of cooking duels kitchen king Reed Pepper!" Nico announced.
And from the stands you could see a lot of women cheering...and they all housewives which Carl respect that they admire Reed's recipes but at the same time a bit uncomfortable seeing them cheering for someone way younger than them.
'This gives me Gary from Pokemon vibes... but less arrogant' he thought.
"Now, may I present you Chairman Fava!" Nico said as the chairman rise up from his seat and the crowd cheered while everyone looks at him.
"Cooking is a quest a journey to discover the ultimate, same with dueling" he said. Yuya was looking at him very unsure with what does he mean "these two opponents are on a quest for this reason is fitting they battle on a field designed for a phenomenal food fight. I activate the action field spell chaos Kitchen!" he stated as the stage changes.
Carl sees the field changed and become a giant kitchen 'Okay what skills you have in stores for us, Reed Pepper?' he questions in his mind.
"This is a bit freaky" Yuya said looking around.
"This is perfect! because this is where you're gonna get served" Reed said as Yuya frowns a bit
"I couldn't care less about where we battle 'cause you winning isn't on the menu" Yuya said as he activates his duel disk "So now I'm gonna whip you like a bowl of heavy cream!" he stated.
"it's a battle of delicious delights and mouth-watering monsters!" Reed chanted.
'Okay you know when I said about Pokemon now his voice is giving me Cilan's dub voice if I found out if they're played by the same voice actor, I don't know what I'll do' Carl thought.
"Then let's take our card out and see who takes cake!" Yuya stated.
"Action..." Everyone in the crowd chanted.
"DUEL!" Yuya and Reed finished, and the duel officially started.
Yuya: 4000
Reed: 4000
"Freshness always rules the kitchen and in duels!" Reed stated before clapping his hands together "and that is why I only go with the very freshest ingredients available, and the first thing I'm serving up is one of my very tastiest hand-picked recipe cards Cookpal Cluckwheat!" he yelled as he places a card to his duel disk and a little chick wearing a bag of seeds appeared in front of Reed.
Cookpal Cluckwheat: Atk/100
"Let's get cooking!" Reed stated as he hops on his cookpal's back and they run off towards a trash can they jump but it not high enough, so Reed jumps off his monster which he successfully landed on the cap that it opens making him fly off as a action card flies out of the trash can from the and Reed catches it as he falls. "I'll be taking this Action Card" Reed said as he lands perfectly in the trash can again which is surprising for Carl even; he couldn't even do a perfect landing more than once.
"Oh, is a hot one" Reed commented looking at the Action Card and then looks back at Yuya "Maybe too hot for you to handle Yuya. I activate the action spell Monster Microwave! with Monster Microwave I get to send one monster on my field to my hand so I can summon one level four or below monster from my hand. So, I'm sending Cluckwheat packing so I can summon Cookpal Eggong" Reed said as his Cluckwheat gets surrounded by light and flies in the microwaves and closes as then it opens again and a egg with eyes appears on the field.
Cookpal Eggong: Atk/0
"Now Cluckwheat's special ability activates letting me hatch it again!" Reed stated as Cookpal Cluckwheat reappears in the field.
Cookpal Cluckwheat: Atk/100
"And whenever I have at least two Cookpals on my field I can whip up a pretty wicked Cookpal Pumapotato!" Reed said as he places another card to his duel disk and a floating brown potato appeared in the field.
Cookpal Pumapotato: Atk/600
Meanwhile in the stands he looks at Reed with a serious expression as he sees him gliding down to a giant blender and another Action cad flew out of a tornado coming out of the blender when Reed tackled the button.
'I have a Feeling that this Reed is keeping the secret recipe for later' Carl thought before his stomach growl 'Damn I should've made two sandwiches instead of one' he thought.
"Whoa, Reed already got three monsters out" Tate stated.
"Oh, don't forget his action card" Frederick added.
Allie looks at her friends with concern "I hate to say this, but I have a feeling Yuya's duel is about to get cooked" she said.
"You know how Yuya is...he doesn't back down from a challenge" Carl said as the three kids looks at Carl which they noticed the hope and believe in his eyes "No matter what strategies he's facing against Yuya always finds a way to turn things around" he added.
"You sound confident about Yuya, huh?" Allie said.
Carl looks at her "of course I do, I believe that he can grow to be a great duelist, and I want to be there to help him grow...but" he said but his face turns sad as he spoke.
"But what?" Frederick asked as he, Allie, and Tate look at him concern.
"Is just...at the same time I don't want to feel like I'll be one who would probably be holding him back from accomplishing his dream to be a pro like how he wanted to be" he sadly said as he grabs his own biceps.
Allie walks up to Carl and places a hand on his arm "You really care about Yuya, do you" she asked.
Which Carl looks at her and nodded before looking back at Yuya as he just drew a card "I do... He's been through a lot... If I only wish I met him sooner" he said before pushing up his glasses.
"Carl..." Tate said not knowing what else to say to the taller teen with glasses.
Carl shakes his head "enough about me, is Yuya's turn now"
"r-right..." the three of them said before looking back at the duel not without looking at the raven male.
Then suddenly he feels his head pounding but is not hurting him much more like it bothers him.
'Carl are you okay?' he hears the voice of Fortune Lady light asking him with concern in her tone of voice.
'I am just a little headache, nothing to worry too much' he response before seeing Yuya pulling out a card from his hand.
"I summon Performapal Whip Snake!" Yuya Stated as a purple snake appears in the field.
Performapal Whip Snake: Atk/1700
"Let's swing into action!" Yuya stated as he grabs his monster by the tail and whips it over a sink which Whip Snake wraps itself around the sink pulling Yuya up making him land on the sink specifically where you turn the water but slipped.
"That's not good" Tate said as Allie closes her eyes
Carl decides to sit down, and his eyebrows furrowed and shuts his eyes and feel the headache getting a bit worse "Guys I'm going get something for myself, can you guys give me some updates while I'm gone?" He asked the children.
"Are you sure?" Frederick asked as he Allie and Tate looked at the tall teen who nodded.
"I'm sure, can you?" Carl asked back which they nodded as Carl nods and then leaves the room.
"Leaving so soon Carmine?" He hears a voice as he turns and see Reed's mother standing there with her camera still pointing at the duel "you're surly embarrassed that Reed could beat your boyfriend in this action duel, are you?" she asked which Tate Allie and Frederick were about to protest but they were stopped when they see Carl raising a hand for them not to intervene as he walks up to the mother
"Listen, I don't normally get called out by an elder specially those who favors their child thinking that they're better than everyone else. What you're doing is making Reed to become a spoil brat in the future, plus he's a kid around the same age as me; when it comes to Yuya I can feel a lot of things for him, and embarrassment is not one of them. Plus, I'm having a headache for not eating anything the entire morning do yourself and me a favor and turn your ass back around and go to your seat because I'm not in a mood for a conversation mid-duel, and one more thing he's not my boyfriend don't assume things you don't know" he said shutting the woman up as he walks out leaving everyone but Yuya and Reed speechless.
As he walks out of the factory, he walks to a nearby Karaoke Cafe and walks in and goes to the cashier and makes his order which the cashier tells him to wait on a table which he nodded and went to a table Carl couldn't stand the pain that he's having in his head right now.
"Is this seat take?" Carl looks up and see David standing next to him.
"David? What are you doing here?" Carl asked.
"I came here often, and I saw you here, and here we are" he said happily before sitting down in the chair in front of him "so what brings you here?" he asked.
"Well, I was in the area with my friend Yuya because he was having a duel and I was hungry and got me a headache out of hunger and some lady called me out for assuming that I was abandoning Yuya which I clap back at her and shut her up and I walked out and as I walk out I came here because I couldn't handle my hunger any longer" Carl explained.
"Man, that's sounds awful... sorry it happened to you" Dive apologized.
"Is okay I wasn't in the great mindset of focusing on the duel either" Carl replied.
then a waiter walks up to them as he hands Carl a plate of curry and a soda "your order sir" he said which Carl thank him and thanked for the food and starts eating it.
"This is delicious!" Carl stated happily.
"I know right they make the best curries here in the city, plus it has Karaoke and everything this is where I meet Deedee" Dive said.
"Deedee?" Carl repeated.
"My boyfriend Declan!" he stated happily.
Carl's eyes widen hearing this "Oh, so you and Declan are dating?" Carl asked.
David nodded "Over a year now!" he replied.
"I see..." Carl said before taking another bite of the curry.
David noticed the bothered expression of Carl's face "Okay there's something bothering you... what is it?" he asked.
Carl sighed "listen...Yuya wants to be a professional duelist just like his father I want to support and be there for him in a time of need...but at the same time I don't want to be a bother or making him feel like I'm holding him back from accomplishing his goals" he said.
David hummed before looking at the empty stage and then a idea came in David's mind "hey come with me" David said dragging Carl with him.
"W-W-Wait where you're taking me!?" Carl asked before noticing the stage "Dive I-I can't I have stage fright-" Carl tried to speak but gets cut off by David
"Hey Evan!" David yelled looking at the cashier who flinched as he sees David making "I'm watching you" gestures "B-19" he said the cashier nervously grabs a remote and presses a button.
"David stop, I can't do this!" Carl tries to reason David not to do this.
"Yes you can you have to get out of your own comfort zone for once" David said as he takes a microphone from one of the stands "Okay look... just read the screen... and look good, like in You show" David added before he hands Carl the microphone "you got this" he said as the music starts and Carl takes the mic as David picks up the other mic little did they know a certain white and orange individual was watching them.
David begins to sing as he looks at Carl who seems unsure whether he should do this.
I can feel you comin' from a mile away
My pulse stops racin' from the words that you say
David nodded at Carl who then looks at the lyrics at the tablet's screen and starts singing along.
And you say so many of them like you don't have a clue
That I'm signed, sealed, delivered with a stamp on
Meanwhile Melo watching Carl and David from the window singing making him smile 'Their friendship reminded me of my friendship Jaime' he thought.
You don't have to try too hard
You already have my heart
You don't gotta thing to prove
I'm already into you
David starts to vibing with the song as he noticed Carl getting comfortable "at it boy!" he cheered.
So...
Both Carl and David begin to sing together little did they know that were people beginning to enter the cafe as they see them perform
Hold, hold, hold, hold me tight now
Cause I'm so, so good to go
Don't say, don't say good night you know
You had me at hello
You had me at hello
You had me at hello
Don't say, don't say good night you know
You had me at hello
They finish as Carl laughs can't believe he sang on stage he finally faced his stage fright as they high five each other "Yes!" David cheered as they hugged each other before they hear applause from the people who walked it Carl looked shocked at the people were applauding.
"What just happened?" he questioned.
David rested an arm around the younger male "they enjoyed our performance Carl, isn't this what you guys in you show do, entertain those people who can put a smile on their faces, and as for Yuya he seems like the type of guy who doesn't see you as a bother or anything on the contrary...I'm sure that he's lucky to have someone as caring as you around" he said.
Melo watches as he pulls out his pendant that shows his Family his Older brother and his cousins 'I miss you guys so much' he thought before he leaves.
"Wow..." Carl said before pulling out his duel disk showing a message from Allie saying that Yuya won his duel "Oh God Yuya, hey um... David as much as I like to stay and chat, but I have to go back before Yuya realizes that I'm not in the factory" he said before running out of the cafe.
David Looks at the Cashier "Evan!" the cashier flinched "I'll be paying for what he ordered" he said which he nodded nervously.
Carl runs back to the factory only to see Yuya's Mom cheering that Reed's recreating something about Pancake sandwiches he didn't know but he doesn't care Yuya sees Carl and runs up to him.
"Carl where you went, Tate said that you had a headache and you had tension with Reed's mom" Yuya said worried as Reed walks up to them.
"I want to apologize for my mother's words whatever she said, she didn't mean it with offensive intentions" Reed apologized.
Carl waves him off "is fine, I wasn't at my best anyway, I shouldn't have talked back" he said.
"Still are you okay, now?" still concerned Yuya asked in which Carl nodded.
"I am now! I can't cheer you on with a empty stomach if I keep it up, I might faint" he jokingly said, "not that it will actually happen" Carl assures the tomato boy who sighed with relief.
"Yuya you better make the first move because my money is on the line right now" Yoko muttered.
"What do you mean Mrs. Sakaki?" Allie asked.
Yoko petted Allie's head "nothing for your little head to worry about...yet" she said before muttering that last word.