﹥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.
▬
♫ OPENING SONG ♫
(1.15 speed recommended)
▬
It was morning of the second day of the Fortune Cup.
At the Tops, Yusei left Lua's and Luca's apartment via elevator. He arrived at the main lobby and took a turn to the parking lot. When he entered the parking lot, he found that somebody was inspecting an ice blue sports bike. He walked closer to discover that mentioned somebody was none other than Utage.
Yusei started, "Utage-san? What are you doing here?"
"Checking on my ride," the silver-haired male answered.
The royal blue-eyed duelist took a gander at Utage's vehicle. The design of the sports bike was more advanced than an average sports bike. The surface was polished, and the tires had sufficient amount of air. He commented, "It looks like a D-Wheel."
"Which is not, genius," noted Utage.
Yusei glanced down at the silver-haired man's knee, "How is your knee?"
The latter smiled as he lightly moved his knee, "It's recovered. If it hadn't been handled properly, it would've taken a little longer to heal."
"That's nice. Just be careful, next time," the former reminded.
"I will," Utage nodded.
The tall man noticed that there was an odd glint within Yusei's eyes. Utage questioned, "Hey. Are you okay? It seems like something is on your mind."
The hero tried to assure, "I'm fine."
The lavender-eyed man wasn't convinced, "Liar. If you were okay, you wouldn't be on edge right now."
Yusei became confused, "I was on edge?"
Utage was surprised, "Hold it. Have you ever felt on edge before?"
The protagonist rubbed the back of his own neck, "Not really."
"Well, is there one moment you don't feel that way, or at least, you think you don't?"
"I have my friends."
"You mean Saiga-san and those other older men?" the hero nodded toward Utage's question.
The male Inouye commented, "Well, if you have them as your friends, you shouldn't be feeling that way right now."
'I do have those guys as my friends. Not only that, Lua and Luca are my friends. Even Rally, Blitz, Nerve, Taka are my friends too,' thought Yusei.
Suddenly, there was a pang of uneasiness in his heart. He frowned as he recognized the strange feeling, 'Huh?'
His right hand placed his hand over his chest, specifically where his heart was. He wondered, 'That feeling... It came from here...? But why?'
Utage noticed Yusei's conflicted expression. However, he chose to not pry. The silver-haired man told Yusei, "Anyway, I got to go. I ought to make breakfast for me and my wife."
"Good luck at the Fortune Cup, and take care," the taller male waved goodbye to the duelist before he left back inside the Tops building.
Yusei went toward his D-Wheel and sat on the driver's seat. He grabbed his helmet and glanced down at it. He thought, 'Maybe... I should drive for a bit. To clear my head.'
The protagonist put the helmet on. He started the engine of his vehicle and began to drive out of the parking lot.
◈
At Sundown Apartments, in the guest room of Ryo's apartment, (Reader) woke up in her sleepwear.
She stretched her arms before she climbed off the bed. She went toward her backpack to grab a couple of items, so she would go to the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face. Afterward, (Reader) returned to the guest room to dress up into her suit and tie.
Her eyes brightened a little of how soft and clean her outfit was, compared how it was back at the escape from the Security Warehouse.
Once she rolled up her sleeves up to her elbows, the woman left the guest room to go to the kitchen. There, she tied her hair into her usual ponytail. She thought, 'It's been a while since I cooked something for myself and for someone. Hope I don't break anything.'
Throughout eighteen minutes, (Reader) cooked eggs and bacon for herself and Ryo. She was cautious of using the cooking utensils and tried to not accidentally burn her hands in the process. She almost tripped on the one egg she unintentionally smashed three minutes ago, yet she maintained her balance as she made breakfast.
'I can do this... I can do this...' she chanted to herself to ease herself.
Later, (Reader) finished cooking. She served the breakfast on the table and set the table. She wiped the sweat from her forehead with her dominant arm as she breathed, "Finished."
She glanced down at the prepared breakfast that sat on the dining table. The eggs were not burnt and the bacon was not too crispy. She wore a prideful look on her face, "I did it! And no burns this time!"
"On the breakfast, at least," she gazed down to find a couple of burn marks on her hands.
She told herself, "I should patch those up."
(Reader) knelt down to a drawer below the sink and searched, "There should be a first-aid kit somewhere."
While she was preoccupied, Ryo entered the kitchen. The man with the red earring noticed that there were cooking utensils on the stove and the countertop. he glanced down to find two plates of eggs and bacon. He commented, "She really did not wish to be a freeloader."
"There it is!" (Reader)'s voice caught his attention. He saw her hold a first-aid kit in her hands. He also noticed that she had burn marks on her hands.
The male approached her. He took the first-aid kit from her. He told her, "I will treat your wounds."
"I can do it myself, Ryo-san," she responded.
He insisted, "I insist. You are my guest, and a host must treat their guest with respect and care."
"Um... okay," the woman nervously nodded. She sat on a chair and held out her hands. Ryo went down on one knee and opened the kit. He started to treat her wounds by putting rubbing alcohol on them.
Ryo asked, "Did you sleep well?"
(Reader) nodded, "Yeah."
"Good," the slender man replied.
"Did you sleep well too?" the woman questioned.
The hazel-eyed male answered, "I did. I was able to finish some leftover work before heading to bed."
"Where do you work at? What kind of job do you have?"
"I am a receptionist. As for where I work at, I work at a bank."
(Reader) commented, "A bank? That's kinda cool."
"Yet, it gets dull if you were to be in my shoes," Ryo remarked, "Answering numerous calls a day and providing administrative support carries a lot of weight than an average office worker would do."
The outlander hummed, understanding the gist of the businessman's job.
Ryo finished putting band-aids on (Reader)'s burnt marks, "There. All better."
"Thanks," (Reader) thanked.
The man stood up and put the first-aid kit back. After, he took a chair and sat down on it. He told her, "Now, let us eat."
The woman scooted her chair close to the table but not too close to hit her abdomen.
The two spoke in unison, "Thank you for the meal."
Using his fork, Ryo started to eat his eggs. When he took a bite, he faintly smiled. He praised, "My compliments to the chef."
When (Reader) took a bite of her food with her fork, she smiled, "Not bad if I say so myself."
Whilst the two ate their meal in peace, (Reader) recalled, 'Today is the second day of the Fortune Cup. Yusei will face Bommer. They already had their conversation which resulted in them not agreeing to a compromise. As Bommer will abide to Godwin's orders, Yusei will duel for his friends. How their duel will go... I can't say. It's a duel between two people who have a home to protect.'
An image of Riyuka's face flashed into (Reader)'s mind. Next that flashed was (Reader)'s rage in the day of her arrest. The image that flashed in her mind was her homesickness and her loss of hope toward getting back to her homeworld.
Her eyes became downcast. Her grip on her fork loosened as she was reminded of Riyuka and her home. She mentally mumbled, 'Home...'
"Sekiguchi-san, is something wrong with your breakfast?" Ryo's voice flinched (Reader). The latter glanced up to meet his confused face. She answered, "No. It tastes good. I just thought too much about random stuff, is all."
"I see. Still, eat your food. You would not want it to grow cold," he responded.
(Reader) gripped onto her fork and continued to eat her meal. She told herself in her mind, 'He's right. I should spend this time without the anime's story or the characters. Also, I accepted of living as a background character once the Fortune Cup is over. I might as well get an early start while I have the chance.'
After (Reader) and Ryo finished their breakfast, the two placed the dirty dishes into the left bowl of the kitchen sink. The slender man decided to clean the dishes whilst the outlander went to the rooftop.
At the rooftop, (Reader), in her tanktop and dress pants, set aside her dress shirt and necktie to perform Pilates exercises in her free time. In the first three, she hesitated. Later on, she was able to maintain her breathing and perform the moves properly.
The outlander began to perform the swan dive exercise. In the midst of the fourth rep, she heard a faint sound of a running engine. That caused her to abruptly fall down on her face.
(Reader) stood up from the floor and stared down to discover Yusei driving down the street on his D-Wheel. She watched him drive past the buildings. The second he drove in front the apartment building, she gave a hesitant wave.
As for the duelist himself, he sensed someone staring at him. He looked over his shoulder to find that no one was there.
He looked ahead and continued to drive.
When she could no longer hear the running engine of Yusei's D-Wheel, (Reader) fell back onto the ground of the rooftop. She gazed up at the bright, blue sky. She uttered, "...Once everything is over, I'll create a better life for myself. I'll find a job and a place to live that's far from the main cast. I won't meddle with the anime's story again or hurt its characters anymore. It'd be my way of saying sorry for everything I've done."
(Reader) turned her body, facing the front of her body to the ground. She encouraged herself, "All right. Less brooding, more exercising."
Thus, she resumed her Pilates exercises to ease her mind.
◈
A taxi drove down the street until it stopped at an intersection that was four more streets closer to the Duel Stadium.
Inside the taxi, Jin stared at the other cars from the window, "I've forgotten how busy the City usually is."
Yanagi looked down at his feet. Instead of his usual cheerful smile, he wore a frown.
The teal-haired man stated, "The second day of the Fortune Cup is here. The semifinals is where things get serious."
"Yeah," the elder in kimono nodded with a sad tone in his voice.
Jin noticed and turned toward his friend, "Something wrong, grandpa?"
Yanagi glanced up and answered, "It's just... I'm worried for Seki-chan! I can't get over that she acted weird when she left early yesterday! It isn't like her to nod something and then leave as if there's no problem!"
Jin tried to reassure, "Look. I'm worried for Sekiguchi too. But, if I know her, she'll bounce back up as she always does. I believe in her. Don't you?"
The concerned Yanagi looked away. His eyes shifted toward his feet, "I do believe in Seki-chan, but... the face she made when she simply nodded... She looked very sad. Like she saw something that hurt her. Whatever it was, it made her leave early."
"I don't know if she'll be back to her happy self when we see her today, but I want to believe that she'll be alright. If she isn't...," Yanagi put his hands on his lap. He asked, "...We are her friends, right? But then, how is that she doesn't tell us much about herself?"
The sympathetic Jin was quiet for a short minute until he answered, "You're not the only one who thinks that. I don't get Sekiguchi either. I don't understand her motives or intentions. When I met her, she was... odd. She wore a suit and tie. Nothing is much to say other than the fact that she used to have a job in the City until she was arrested. Other than that, anything else about her is shrouded in mystery."
He went on, "She's a woman who doesn't open herself much unless she wanted to. You could say she has a lot of personal business to deal with besides the Public Maintenance Department. Though, she doesn't drag others to that said business."
Jin frowned, "Sekiguchi was willing to tell us the truth behind what's happening in the tournament, but she didn't want anyone to be worried about her. She's damn selfish to do that. If she really was thinking of us, she would've let us know that something's wrong. Unfortunately, knowing the person she is, she'll lie about it."
"Himuro-chan...," Yanagi gasped.
"However, she is our friend. Whatever she's going through, I'm gonna help her. Plus, I owe it to her for what she did back in the Detention Center. Since she saved my butt, I'm gonna save hers, whether she wants me to or not," the teal-haired man smiled, "And no matter what happens, I'm gonna believe in her."
Inspired by Jin's words, Yanagi wore a bright grin, "I'll believe in her too! We're going to help her, no matter what!"
"Also, Yusei would be very worried," the muscular male added.
The excited Yanagi stood on his seat and exclaimed, "You're right! The ship must be saved!"
Jin deadpanned, "Ship? Really?"
"Obviously!" Yanagi used his two hands to grab Jin by the collar of his shirt, surprsing the latter. The elder shouted, "When we help Seki-chan, we also need to protect the ship! If it fails, the world will collapse, I tell ya!"
"First of all, no, it won't. Second of all, can you sit back down? We're making the taxi driver uncomfortable now," as Jin pointed out, the taxi driver was uneasy by the commotion behind the driver.
The awkward Yanagi blinked, "Oh. Sorry."
The elder let go of Jin's shirt and sat back down on his seat. The former whispered, "So, once we see her, we make sure she's okay, right?"
Jin nodded.
Yanagi wondered, "Speaking of Bro, I wonder if he's doing all right."
"I think he's doing just fine," the teal-haired male assured.
◈
░▒▓█ 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.)
Saiga: Are there any other guys (Reader) is friends with who aren't husband-material?
Jin: Sadly, no.
Yusei: What are you talking about?
Utage: Yeah, what is it?
Saiga: *whispers to Utage*
Utage: *surprised*
Yusei: What is it, Utage-san?
Utage: Hey, Yusei-kun, let's check on your D-Wheel! There's probably some parts that need fixing! *shoves Yusei*
Yusei: H-Hey! *was shoved*
Saiga and Jin: *thinks: Safe.*
░▒▓█ UNLIKELY HEROINE █▓▒░
◈
Back at Sundown Apartments, (Reader) returned from the rooftop to Ryo's apartment. She entered the guest room to find her backpack. She opened the main compartment to grab her dress shoes before closing the backpack and setting it on the bed.
(Reader) went toward the door. She put on her dress shoes and straightened her tie. Before she could reach the doorknob, she flinched when she heard the hazel-eyed man ask, "Where are you going?"
The woman answered, "I told you yesterday. My friend is competing in the second round of the Fortune Cup today. I'm going to watch him duel."
"I see. Though, the streets of the City are very busy. You will not make it in time for the event if you take the main streets," he pointed out. He next offered, "I happen to know a easy, unoccupied route. I can guide you there."
(Reader) hummed in thought before she accepted his offer, "Sure."
Ryo told her, "Then, please wait outside. I need to take care of a few things.
The outlander did as she was told and went outside the apartment building. She waited next to the staircase for Ryo.
Three minutes passed. Ryo came out of the apartment building and approached (Reader). He initiated, "Let us depart."
(Reader) nodded. She and Ryo began to walk away from the area to take a less busy path to the Duel Stadium.
◈
In front of the salon (Reader) and Ryo visited last night, the mentioned duo stopped by the building. The woman noticed, "The salon from yesterday? Why are we here?"
"This spot is a convinent place for unoccupied roads," Ryo stated as he looked around.
"Really?"
"Yes."
The slender man stopped looking when he spotted a less occupied road to his left. He beckoned, "That way."
The woman followed his lead toward the mentioned path.
The duo walked within the less occupied road. There, there were fewer people crossing the street. The street was very quiet that it could be mistaken for an abandoned street. The slightly unnerved (Reader) attempted to not be spooked by the silent area whilst she stayed close to Ryo.
Once they left the street, the duo walked into three more streets. Those streets gradually became more busier as the two went and left.
When the duo arrived at the intersection Jin and Yanagi took earlier, they stared at the heavy traffic.
(Reader) muttered, "Shit..."
"Do not fret. We are almost close to the Stadium," Ryo assured. He told her, "We can take the crossroad on your right."
"Okay," she replied.
The two went toward the crossroad and walked there.
Before (Reader) and Ryo knew it, a crowd of people were behind them and moved toward their way. As they moved past the duo, they pushed and shoved the two people, mainly (Reader). She yelped, "Crap!"
(Reader) was being pushed further and further away that she was about to be back where she started. A person behind her unconsciously kicked her ankle from behind, causing her to almost fall on her face.
In that brief moment, a memory flashed before her eyes. Of course, that memory was the one from two years ago, before she left her homeworld. In that moment, (Reader)'s eyes were about to close in the midst of her collapse. The last thing she saw was a crowd of people walking away from her.
'What was...?' before she could process of what she recalled, a fair-skinned hand grabbed her left wrist and pulled her through the crowd.
(Reader) was dragged out of the crowd and into the other side of the street. She looked up to find Ryo holding her wrist firmly yet gently.
He inquired, "Are you all right?"
His hazel eyes stared at her directly, catching (Reader) off-guard. She nodded, "Uh.. yeah."
"If you do not mind, I'll take your hand, so you will not be pushed away or get lost," he stated.
(Reader) responded, "I don't mind. It's better to stick together."
"Indeed," he agreed.
Ryo and (Reader) resumed their way toward the streets that led to the Duel Stadium.
◈
At the Tops, in Utage's apartment, the owner himself entered into the living room. He was greeted with Riona running toward him with a home phone in her hand.
She called, "Utage, someone wants to talk to you!"
"No need to shout. I'm here, you know," the silver-haired man noted. He took the phone from her. The second his eyes found the name of the caller, his eyes narrowed and his eyebrows furrowed.
"I'm gonna take this to my room. You can help yourself with something in the kitchen," he told his wife.
Utage moved toward his room and closed the door behind him. He locked it before he stood next to his bed. He pressed the call button from the home phone to answer.
He held up the phone to his ear and answered, "This is Utage Inouye. Who am I talking to right now?"
During the call, Utage attempted to keep a calm disposition. He didn't utter a word as he listened to the person from the other end. The hand that held the phone was gradually shaking. He was close to losing his patience.
Once the person from the other end of the phone stopped talking, Utage put a hand over the end and breathed in before letting out a sigh. He uncovered the end and answered, "I know. But still, I'm gonna do it anyway."
"Bye, mother," he ended the call.
Utage sat on his bed with his head hung low from exhaustion. He looked down at his phone. He thought, '...I thought I was your son. I thought you were my mom. You knew what I had to go through, but you didn't care. Like back then, with Dad."
'...Are we family at all? Or is it one big, fat lie?' he wondered.
◈
At a street close to the Duel Stadium area, (Reader) and Ryo walked within the crowded line. The duo stayed close whilst the hazel-eyed man continued to hold the outlander's wrist to ensure her safety.
(Reader) sensed something off. She looked down to find her necklace about to fall out of her front left pocket. With her right hand, she stuffed the necklace back inside the pocket.
Ryo nudged the woman and pointed to his left, "This way."
(Reader) followed the slender man toward the left path whilst they passed through the crowd. The duo escaped the crowded line and immediately headed toward the entrance. They stopped in front of the entrance to catch their breath.
Ryo panted, "Never... again..."
"Yeah... Never again...," agreed (Reader).
Once they were done, the two entered the main lobby of the stadium. Ryo glanced at the other people in front of him and (Reader). Most of the people were young adults and several were children. The people were excited for the upcoming duel of the second round.
He commented, "That would explain the crowded lines. The stadium will be packed with abundance of dueling fans and duelists alike."
"Even more packed, if you ask me," remarked (Reader).
Ryo noticed two chairs that are next to each other, in front of the window wall. He told her, "We can sit over there."
"Yeah. I'm getting tired of walking," she agreed, "Though, can you let go of my wrist first?"
"My apologies," Ryo let go of (Reader)'s wrist.
The two went toward the bench and sat on it.
(Reader) took out the necklace from her pocket and examined it. There were no scratches or dirt. It stayed in mint condition as always. She smiled at the jewelry. She thought, 'Thank goodness.'
"A locket necklace? Where did you get it?" the outlander flinched from Ryo's voice. She internally panicked when she found that Ryo was staring at the jewelry in her hands. She stuttered, "W-Well, uh... I... um..."
Her face became pink in embarrassment. She attempted to come up with a lie; sadly, she had no excuse to evade the subject. Her necklace fell and landed on her lap when she covered her face. She mouthed, "...Kill me now."
'She is rather shy about it,' Ryo mentally observed.
He apologized, "Forgive me for prying. I was curious of what was you were holding, and... what was the saying...? Ah, yes. Curiosity killed the cat."
"I-It's fine. It's... I hadn't shown anyone about it, and I didn't want anyone to know about it," the shy (Reader) uncovered her face. Her gaze returned to her necklace. She continued, "This is the first time someone sees my necklace. It's my precious treasure."
Ryo remarked, "I suppose you had a reason to hide it. It does hold a lot of value."
"Well, what's inside holds a lot more value than the necklace itself," she corrected.
The slender man raised his eyebrow, "What's inside?"
"Hm... I guess you have the right to know," (Reader) stated. She pressed the button with her thumb to open the charm. Inside the charm was the photo of the smiling young (Reader) and Riyuka holding blue and purple iris flowers in their hands.
Ryo's eyes widened a little. He questioned, "Who are those people?"
"Me and my favorite person in the world," she answered, "This photo was taken when I was an orphan and when she was my caregiver."
She recalled, "Ten years ago, the two of us went to a flower field full of irises. They were covered in many different colors. We found blue and purple irises. Those flowers were beautiful that I wanted to keep them. Thus, my caregiver decided to help me take them home to put the flowers in a vase."
"Before we left the fields, we took a picture together with the flowers in our hands," (Reader)'s eyes were of nostalgia, "Simple as that moment was, it was the greatest moment with my caregiver. My home."
The hazel-eyed man repeated, "Your home?"
(Reader) closed the charm and held her necklace close to her. She mumbled, "To me, she is my home. She's the most irreplaceable home I have. She means everything to me."
"But... she's gone. I'm not with her. She's not with me. Without her, I don't feel safe. I'm not... happy," the emotion from her eyes showed sadness.
"What about your friend? Are you happy with him?" Ryo questioned.
(Reader) put the necklace on her lap. She admitted, "I am happy. He's a good friend to have around, but I don't mean that much to him. He does worry about me and helps me from time to time, and I don't mind that. I do trust him; however, I trust him as friends of circumstances. I am trying to trust him as more than just that. An actual friend. Even so, I don't believe myself as his true friend."
"Why do you believe that?"
"When being a true friend, you need to be honest. I'm not an honest person. I have lied to him before, and I still am. I lied to him because I don't fully trust him. I don't fully trust him, for we have different goals," she honestly answered to the slender man, "Since we have different goals, we are different people, despite us being criminals. He is a guy who wants to stop the Public Maintenance Department from wronging any more people. I am a woman who wishes to get back her home and return to her home. He's a selfless person. I'm a selfish person."
"Nevertheless, I do appreciate the times I spent with him. I am happy that I've met the guy. If he feels the same away, I would be happy. Though, if he doesn't, I'm cool with that. Besides, I won't be around for too long," she added.
Ryo guessed, "You will eventually leave him, right?"
(Reader) confirmed, "Yes. I will. Still, I will always root for him to achieve his goals. I believe that he will find better friends than me. They will look out for him better than I have."
He inquired, "What if he still desires your company?"
She shook her head, "Nah. That won't happen. He has other friends. That's enough for me to know that he'll be all right without me."
"Then, what will you do before you leave him?"
She answered, "What I've done since the day we met. I will watch him duel."
"Does he know that you're going to leave him?"
She shook her head again, "He doesn't. At least, not yet, nor he has to. I'm only a friend, not his true friend."
"It would not matter if he found out. After all, I have nothing to lose," she finished.
(Reader) and Ryo were silent. The outlander played with the charm of her locket necklace. The hazel-eyed man fixed his tie a little.
The silence lasted for a minute. (Reader) put her necklace back inside the front left pocket of her pants. Ryo broke the ice by starting, "I have a confession to make as well. It's minor, yet like me, you deserve to hear the truth."
The hazel-eyed man confessed, "I am not a new resident of New Domino City. I lived in the City as long as I can remember. When I first resided here, I was amazed that the people were lively and cheerful. They lived exciting and luxurious lives to their heart's content."
He resumed to remember, "I believed that everyone in the City lived in peace. However, I was fooled. In the second week of the City, I stumbled upon a district that lacked polished buildings and a gloomy atmosphere that paled in contrast to the cheerful air. None of the people in that district were content. They lived in smaller houses and would come home with little to provide for their families."
"The ones in charge were the people themselves. They wanted nothing to do with those above them; at the same time, they wished to welcome those who have fallen for the friendly masks," he slightly narrowed his eyes.
"Friendly masks?" (Reader) cocked her head to the right.
Ryo looked up at the other people in front of him and (Reader), "Indeed. The masses within the wealthy streets of the City wore friendly masks, extending their hand for those in need. However, when one in need would reach for it, they would miss it, for the same hand that was extended to the needy pulled back and laughed. Laughed like it was a joke. That the needy are a joke."
"I had not fallen for that joke, nor I wished to be that subject of mockery. Thus, I wore the same mask as them, but it'd be toward those who abuse their status to harm those who seek aid," the man frowned, "As I continued to that mask, I witness the society's true colors, watched them take disgusting pleasure of using the needy for their own selfish desires and be dishonest of their nature."
"Their displeasing nature did not stop at the adults. The youth also bear the appalling colors. Whilst they are dishonest, they are also ignorant of it," he added.
He remembered, "Yesterday, I have witnessed a trio of hooligans being unbearably loud in a subway train. They did not give up their seat to an innocent elder. They also shoved him. When I confronted those misbehaved teenagers, the tall one threatened to have his father arrest me, only because I was helping the elder."
"How did you react?" (Reader) queried.
"I was a little angry. I told him to apologize and he did. After, he left with his friends," he casually answered.
'Ryo-san isn't the type to be angry. Even so, it would make sense for him to feel that way. However...,' she wore a slightly troubled look on her face when she wondered, 'why do I get the feeling that 'a little' is just an exaggeration in his terms?'
She winced a little when Ryo commented, "I pity the society of today. It is, without a doubt, that their narrow-mindedness and ignorance will be its downfall. No matter how many times they use their friendly masks, their joke will be dull, and not even a fool will fall for it."
He next spoke, "When it comes to this world, I vision that we are in a ballroom. All of the people are wearing masks. We hide our faces with masks until midnight strikes. Once midnight arrives, we take off our masks, revealing our faces."
"A face embodies a person as a whole. With a face, a person can make emotions and sounds. How we use a face encompasses a person's individuality. When someone's face is revealed, their partner is surprised. How they go about the surprise is what nobody is prepared for. The result would vary, depending on how well they remember them," he pointed out.
The female outlander asked, "But, what if two dance partners don't remember each other?"
"That is for fate to tell," Ryo's answer confused (Reader) further. She pressed, "What does fate have to do with it?"
"Everything has to do with fate. It all boils down to belief," he responded.
Ryo stood up from his chair. He told (Reader), "I must go now. Take care of yourself. I will see you back in my apartment."
He started to walk away from the chair. Before he could reach the entrance, he heard (Reader) call to him, "Wait!"
Ryo stopped in his tracks. He looked over his shoulder to see (Reader) run toward him.
The outlander spoke, "Ryo-san, there's something I want to know before you go back."
"What is it?" he was curious of what she was going to say.
"Have we... met before?" her question had him puzzled.
She elaborated, "When we first met, I felt like I've known you before. We did meet somewhere, but I don't know when. I have no memory of when, yet my gut is telling me that we did."
"Ryo-san, did we meet before?" she repeated her question.
Ryo pondered for twenty-five seconds until he responded, "No. We have not, yet the feeling is mutual. My sixth sense kept telling me that I have met you a long time ago; sadly, I am unable to recollect exactly when we did."
"I see...," the disappointed (Reader) frowned.
"I will see you later, Sekiguchi-san," he bid farewell.
She responded, "Yeah. See ya."
(Reader) watched Ryo exit the lobby and disappear in the crowd outside the building.
When his figure disappeared within the crowded line, the female outlander turned away. She thought, '...I should head to the stands.'
She took five steps forward until she heard a familiar voice call, "(Reader)? Is that you?"
(Reader) lazily looked over her shoulder to meet Yusei. She greeted, "The one and only. Don't wear it out."
She asked, "Anyway, how are you? Are Jin, Yanagi, and the kids all right?"
"I'm good. And yes, the others are all right. They're at the arena, in the stands," answered Yusei.
The outlander responded, "Good to know."
She started walking. At the same time, Yusei copied her until he was stopped by her. (Reader) denied, "Dude, no. You got a duel to compete. Plus, I am capable of going to the arena by myself."
"I want to make sure you're safe," replied Yusei.
"Yusei. Seriously, I--."
"Please," he emphasized.
In the inside, (Reader) was a little surprised by his worried face. Nevertheless, she beckoned, "...Okay. Come on. Let's go."
The outlander put her hands in the front pockets of her pants. She started walking away, which signaled the duelist to follow her.
Whilst they walked together, Yusei asked, "Why did you leave early?"
"I left because I wasn't feeling well. I wasn't ill, but I wasn't in the best mood to stick around for too long; so, I left the stadium early to take a walk. I wanted to clear my head," she answered.
"Were you okay? No one hurt you?"
(Reader) assured, "I'm not covered in bruises. I'm clean."
"Were you able to head back to the Tops?"
The outlander explained, "About that, I didn't. Since Utage had his own personal problems at home, I decided not to. And it's obvious what's going on with Saiga. So, I'm staying in an apartment in a different apartment building. The place is not too far from the Tops, and the neighborhood is less cramped than the others. Overall, it's a good place for me to stay for a while."
Yusei was content to hear that, "Sounds good."
"And, uh... about leaving early without a word, it was stupid of me to do that," the awkward (Reader) apologized, "I was just reminded of something I was robbed of. Because of that, I didn't feel well. When I left, I didn't tell you that I would be leaving. I'm sorry, Yusei."
"I'm glad that you weren't hurt," the duelist smiled a little, "Still, if you have something on your mind, you can tell me. I care about you. Don't forget that."
"My own words are used against me," the woman deadpanned, "I'll never get past you, will I?"
"Huh?" the puzzled Yusei cocked his head.
"It's something random. Don't think too much on it," she responded.
(Reader) changed the subject, "Hey, did you get plenty of rest?"
"Sort of...," the male protagonist frowned.
"Sort of?" she raised her eyebrow.
Yusei elaborated, "I had this strange feeling. It happened last night and this morning. I felt like there was something missing."
"Like there's supposed to be something there?" she guessed.
"Yes. Like that," he confirmed.
(Reader) thought out loud, "I don't what is it that you're missing, but I hope you found what you're looking for."
"Have you?" asked Yusei.
The outlander looked down at her feet, melancholy in her eyes. She answered honestly, "It's far away from me... Far, far away... I just hope to find it somewhere, even if it's in my dreams."
The duelist became confused, "(Reader)...?"
She looked at the entrance ahead, "Anywho, I'm fine. Don't mind me."
Yusei didn't buy her words; however, he chose to not pry.
When the criminal duo arrived at the corridors, the two stopped nearby the entrance to the stands of the arena. (Reader) spoke, "This is my stop."
"Wait," the male duelist halted the female outlander.
She turned her head toward him, "What is it?"
(Reader)'s jaded eyes met Yusei's surprised eyes, caused him to slightly flinch. He maintained his cool and cautioned, "...Be careful out there."
"You too. Good luck on your duel," she lazily waved her friend farewell. (Reader) entered into the stands of the arena through the entrance.
Yusei became concerned for his female companion. He wondered, '(Reader), what happened to you?'
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♫ ENDING SONG ♫
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END "act 7 - cognizance".
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PROCEED TO THE CONCLUSION OF VOLUME 3!