He stood there, holding his plush bear close to his body as he waited.

As soon as his school ended Reira Akaba changed his routine.

Instead of waiting for his driver he decided to walk through a path that leaded to a small school, way smaller than LDS but that was receiving equal if not more attention than it.

You Show Duel School.

It was the school Sakaki Yuya went, the only person he ever saw his older brother respect.

… It wasn't like his brother didn't recognize his efforts. On the contrary, he was the only one that was supportive and didn't pressure him, so he was very attached to him.

He wished he could make him proud, but he didn't know how.

Maybe the key lied in Sakaki Yuya?

"Ah~ It took so long to end school!", Reira heard a voice, "Now the fun begins!"

"Geez Yuya, you should pay more attention to class", a feminine voice joined him, "If you did that you would get the teacher out of your back"

"Can't help it", he grinned.

He was the one that his brother was talked about.

He stood in front of him and they stopped. He tried to lift his gaze, but as soon as he saw a dark fuchsia color he dropped his gaze immediately.

It reminded him of his mother's favorite color.

"Eh? Reira?", he heard Yuya Sakaki speaking, "What is he doing here?"

"What are you doing here?", his female companion crouched down, asking him, but he felt too nervous to reply, so he dropped his gaze to the floor.

"…"

"Did you get lost?", Yuya asked.

He shook his head.

"Hum… So why are you here?", he asked again.

"…"

"Hum… He doesn't seem comfortable to speak with us", Yuzu sweatdropped, but smiled kindly at him, "Let's go inside, at least you won't be standing here alone"

The girl offered her hand, but he didn't move a muscle.

There was awkwardness in the air, but she didn't seem mad or anything by his lack of reaction, she just withdrew her arm looking unsure.

"Hum… Well", Yuya scratched his head, "I will go inside"

Ah! He couldn't lose him from his sight!

He followed Yuya inside the building, passing the girl that stood there dumbly, before sighing and walking inside the building.

-00-

He was having a feeling of Deja Vu.

He was being followed everywhere by the small child, and when he inquired why, Reira only stood there, in total silence.

It was like with Sora, the only difference is that it's more unsettling… Well, at least he doesn't follow me to the bathroom.

But he waited outside.

"Gahhh!", Yuya let a scream, startling the boy who followed him.

He was getting mad!

"Could you at least tell why are you following me ev-", he turned, before receiving a hit of a fan on his head, "Ouch!"

"Yuya, you're scaring him", Yuzu placed her hands on her hips, "chill down"

"But…!", he tried to complain, but one look from the pink haired girl silenced him.

"We got later from school today, so I prepared something for us to eat", she said, before she turned to him, "I don't know if already ate Reira, but if you want you can join us"

His stomach growled in response, which made him blush, but the girl didn't laugh at him for it, she smiled again and offered her hand.

This time he accepted it.

"Yuya, eat slower or you're going to choke", Yuzu scolded.

"Can't help it, the food is delicious!"

"Geez, I'm glad you like my food, but it's not going anywhere", she shook her head, "There's plenty of food left"

"Ok!", he agreed, chewing slower.

She sighed again, and then turned to him.

"Did you like it? The food I mean", she inquired.

He blinked several times, looking at the food on his plate and taking a spoonful of it, chewing slowly.

It was good. Nothing fancy, but tasty nevertheless.

"Yes", he nodded, "It's good"

"Thank you", she smiled, "Glad you enjoyed it"

The atmosphere felt nice and relaxed, it was loud and filled with laughs, which greatly contrasted to how meals went at home, very quiet and tense.

He kind of enjoyed it.

Trimmm~

There was a sound of a telephone ringing, stopping the conversation.

Yuya got up and took the phone, blinking several times when he heard the voice from the other side.

"Reiji?", he made a confused face, "Huh? Reira? Yes, he is here, how do you… You want to talk with him? Ok"

He took the phone and gave it to him, curiosity written on his face.

"Hello?", he hesitantly asked.

"Reira", Reiji's spoke softly, "Why didn't you wait for Nakajima today?"

"… Sorry", he gripped the phone.

"It's alright", Reiji breathed, "Just make sure to warn us or at least ask Nakajima to drive you around, it's dangerous to walk alone"

"Yes, I will do that", he nodded.

"… Do you want to go home?"

"W-Well, hum…", he fidgeted.

"You can tell me"

"I want to stay a little longer…", he whispered.

"… I will make sure to pick you at night", Reiji answered, "Let me talk with Sakaki Yuya for a bit"

"Ok", he nodded again, giving the phone back to Yuya.

"…Yes?", Yuya asked.

"I count on you to take care of my brother Sakaki Yuya, I wil pick him at night", Reiji spoke, ending the call.

"What?", Yuya said with a flat tone.

"What's wrong?", Yuzu asked.

"Reiji asked us to take care of Reira", he answered, "At least, until we hit night"

"Hum? Why?"

"He said something about he being his brother"

"I didn't know Reiji had a brother"

"Neither did I", Yuya blinked.

"Huh…", Reira stuttered.

"Well, it seems you're stuck with us until the end of the day!", Yuya grinned, "Say, want to do something?"

"… I don't know"

"What about buying popsicles?", suggested Yuzu.

"Yes!", Yuya energetically nodded, "Let's take the opportunity and buy that popsicles with condensed milk inside, it's delicious!"

"Wait a moment", Yuzu put a hand in front of Yuya, stopping him on his tracks, "Father will be livid if there's no one to take care of the school today, and remember that Tatsuya, Ayu and Futoshi won't come today because they are on a trip"

"What? No fair!", Yuya pouted, "Then why don't you stay?"

"I'm taking Reira with me", she crossed her arms, amused by her friend's reaction, "And because you're bundle of energy you're probably going to leave him behind"

"… No fair", he pouted in a tiny voice.

"… Besides, we need someone to clean the kitchen", she muffled a laugh.

"What?", he deadpanned.

"I cooked, so it's only fair right?"

"But…!"

"To the kitchen, now", she pointed, chuckling.

"…Fine, but I want two popscicles!", he nodded, picking the plates.

"Ok, I will be sure to buy two you overgrown child", she shook her head, clearly amused, switching her attention to him, "Reira, never turns like him ok?"

"…Ok?", he nodded, a bit confused.

"What's wrong with turning into me?!"

They continued their batter for a bit, like a comedic show, Reira watched the back and forward, tilting his head as they seemed to be clearly enjoying it.

"Hum…", Reira tugged the girl's skirt.

"Oh?", she blinked, before opening a smile, "Sorry, we're are arguing while you're waiting for us, let's go now"

She offered her hand again and he hesitantly reached it. The pink haired girl closed her hand on his, and he closed it back, enjoying the comfort it brought.

Because the school was relatively close to the shore they didn't have to go through crowded streets(something he was glad to, crowds made him nervous), the girl hummed time from time a song, that he found himself also humming.

"We arrived", she stopped as they entered the chilly place, which greatly contrasted with outside.

"Yuzu!", greeted the clerk, "Good to see you, where's Yuya?"

Oh, so her name is Yuzu. He didn't know if he heard her name before or not, as he didn't care before, but now it seemed important for him to remember it.

"He's at school", she grinned.

"I see…", the clerk nodded, before noticing him, "Oh? And who's this little child? New student?"

"No", she shook her head, "A brother from a… Friend"

"I see…", the clerk nodded, "Well, what would you like to have?"

The man seemed like a nice person, but he still felt a bit nervous and he hid behind Yuzu.

"He's a bit shy", she explained, crouching down and looking warmly at him, "Do you have a specific flavor you like?"

"… I don't known", he looked down.

"Hum…", she hummed again, "Do you prefer a sour flavor or a sweeter flavor?"

He looked up and blinked, thinking hard as Yuzu patiently waited for his answer.

"Sour", he concluded, "I don't like when it's too sweet"

"Ok", she nodded, "I want the ones Yuya and I always pick… Ah! In the case of Yuya I want two!"

"Sure", the man nodded, "And the little lad?"

"Flavors that are sour so it won't be too sweet"

"Fruits then?"

"Yes"

"Ok, I will bring it in a second", the man nodded.

-00-

"Here", she took one of the popscicles from the plastic bag and opened the wrap, "Take a bite and see if you like it"

He nodded, and took a small bite, the flavor of strawberry mixing with the sweetness of the condensed milk, that was stuffed inside the popsicle.

It wasn't bad, he rather liked it.

"It's good"

"You can have it", she smiled, "If you want to try another flavor I brought more"

She hummed in approval as she stopped to take another pink popsicle, taking a bite like him.

Oh, so it was her favorite flavor.

When they arrived they were greeted by Yuya who looked at them expectant. Yuzu shook her head again and gave the boy the plastic bag as he happily sprinted inside with a popsicle in his mouth.

"Geez, Yuya…", she shook her head, "Well? There's anything you want to do today? We have time until night"

"Hum…"

"How about dueling?", Yuya appeared a second later, startling both of them.

"Yuya! Don't appear out of nowhere!", Yuzu shouted, hand's on her heart.

"Sorry, sorry…", he apologized, "But being serious, what about dueling?"

"Sounds good", she nodded, "Do you want to duel us Reira?"

"…Not now", he shook his head.

"Well, then let's duel Yuzu!", Yuya grinned, "Let's show him our entertainment dueling!"

"Yes", Yuzu nodded picking her duel disk.

"Say Reira, who do you think will win?", Yuya asked him, with a big grin on his face.

… His brother seemed to really respect the Pendulum user, something that was pretty rare, s the obvious choice would be him, but…

"Yuzu onee-chan", he replied, which made Yuya draw a blank face while Yuzu laughed loudly.

"Ok, I will try to answer your expectations", she nodded, placing a hand on his shoulder with a reassuring grip before she took her duel disk, looking determined, "Let's Duel!"

In the end they choose to spend their day dueling, somehow getting even him roped as they switched to tag duel time from time.

"Wow! That was fun!", Yuya dropped on the couch.

"Yes, I'm exhausted", Yuzu nodded, sitting next Yuya, "Did you have fun Reira?"

"Yes", he nodded, sitting next to her, "It was fun"

He lost a few times, but for the first time he didn't seem bothered by it, there was no stakes nor expectations. when he lost there was no disappointment, just laughters and a promise of payback.

There was a knock on the door.

Yuzu and Yuya looked at each other and went to answer the door.

When they opened the door the LDS President in person was waiting for them.

"Reiji?", Yuya blinked.

"Sakaki Yuya", he nodded in acknowledgment, "Hiragi Yuzu"

"Brother…"

"Reira", Reiji crouched down, "I came to pick you"

"Ok", he nodded, following his brother, before turning breifly, "Thank You"

-00-

"Did you have fun?", Reiji asked as they drove back to LDS.

"Yes", Reira nodded.

"Good", he smiled.

"…"

"Do you want to say anything?"

"Can I come again?", he asked.

"…As long as you ask Nakajima to drive you I wouldn't mind", the CEO nodded, "… When I get more time I will come with you too"

"Thanks brother", he smiled.

He couldn't wait until next time.