Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh 5d's but hopefully you will enjoy so sit back and relax…
Chapter 1 : Reminiscing the Past
It has been four years since the rest of the gang left Neo Domino City to pursue their own dreams, leaving Yusei also chasing his own. Having lot of expectations bestowed upon him in understanding and solving the mystery and real worth of the Inner-D, pressure seemed building up for the raven-haired ex-Signer, but he knew he must give his all knowing that the others were also exerting their best efforts.
But worry nothing, for answers were already near in his grasp, a matter of time before he could unlock and finally get to the bottom of the secrets of the project developed by his father.
It has been ten minutes passed midnight and he decided to take a quick break from work. He was in the cafeteria and after buying a descent hot coffee, he decided to go outside to get some fresh air once in a while.
The wind touching his cheek was just warm indicating that summer will soon arrive as he let his hair being swayed sideways back and forth by the airstream, much like a pendulum. He missed doing this, being stoic, ignoring everything and letting days passed as if nothing particularly happened but now in his situation, he couldn't do it, could he?
He recalled his early days in Satellite and wondered maybe he could pay a visit to Martha and the orphans in his next day-off. Also, the first time he, alongside Jack, Crow and Kyosuke formed THE ENFORCERS and the heartbreaking disbandment of the said strongest duel gang in the Satellite.
The first time he step foot on the city, being branded as a trespasser, and forced to participate in the FORTUNE CUP his friends being hostages while settling his business with Jack whose the current King of Riding Duels at that time.
Along the way he met the twins, Ruka and Rua, who look up to him as their big brother and the first time he learned about the Crimson Dragon and his fate as a Signer.
But all of it didn't matter to him for his quest was worth taking and most importantly, he met her.
Aki Izayoi. The Unrequited Love of his life.
Though mysterious, aloof and somewhat quite intimidating at first, he found himself being extremely attached to this burgundy-haired psychic. His concern to others was in no comparison when it comes to her.
She has the ability to unchain the real him which has been caged by sorrow and guilt concerning the incident of Zero Reverse. He had formed a solid bond with her with the latter started being friendly and caring towards others from being the feared BLACK ROSE WITCH.
Just thinking about the times he spent with her during the WRGP and the Ark Cradle made him crack a smile even in the gloomy and sad moments in his life.
But fate seems to be toying them and the call of separation is inevitable. If it was him to decide, he wouldn't let Aki go to abroad and preferred that she just stay in his side. Being with her just make his days complete and that's when he's completely being himself. But he didn't want to become a hindrance to her dreams, since her happiness was his top and foremost priority.
He sighed heavily while taking another sip of his coffee.
"What are you doin' right now, Aki?" he muttered under his breath.
He looked up in the sky, the bright cold silver moon illuminating proudly at the sky and the stars twinkling in alternate patterns.
He wondered if Aki was also doing the same and if at the very least, if she was as well thinking about him. He mentally slapped himself to get out of his own fantasy. Who was he fooling? There was no way that Aki would feel the same way as him. Bit by bit, he understood that they have different aspects of view in life, though they have a common goal, to help others in their best efforts, with him in the field of science and her in the field of medicine.
With that in the meantime he has to move on to the new chapters of his life waiting to be told but still hoping that at the middle or in the near end of his story, he would still met her. AGAIN.
"Prof. Fudo, there you are! I've been looking for you!" Kanna, his assistant said as she approaches while Yusei still glancing expressionlessly at the sky.
When she heard no response at all, she pouted slightly and decided to slowly make way to him until she was standing beside him and noticed that he locked his gaze in the deep sky with a trivial melancholy present in his sapphire orbs.
He seems to be thinking about that Aki again, huh? She said to herself.
It's not a skeleton in the cupboard to almost all of them that he liked the burgundy-haired psychic. When she left the city, even if he wanted to hide the despondency and said that he's fine with that, still his action were telling that there's something along his facade.
Even she could deduce that despite the latter heavily denying after being asked about his relation to her, extremely emphasizing that they were just only mere friends and quickly dismissing the subject by giving a 'We're-done-talking' glare. Better let go of it or they would lose a genius team leader like him in which they couldn't afford.
She waved her hand in front of Yusei's face and still caught no reaction from him. Out of irritation of being snubbed, she pinched his ear and Yusei let out a cry of pain and noticed that she indeed was beside him giving him a scary look saying she wanted an explanation.
"Oh Kanna! How long have you been here?" he said defensively. A vein popped in her head. Yusei could feel her annoyance and nervously gulped. Ironically, despite in their situations, they have a good relationship.
"Wwwhhhaaattt? So you finally noticed that I'm here. I tried to find you everywhere and here you are in your own world watching those twinkle twinkle little stars as if trying to guess where the next flicker would be. And finally I called to you only to find out that you didn't even listening because you're too much absorbed by your emo thing! Heck now tell me the person who'll not be pissed after being ignored like that." She furiously exclaimed.
Yusei sighed. He didn't mean to take no notice of her and she was right. He was just engrossed by his flight of imagination. It's not the first time he was like this. Even in the office hours while working he'll suddenly became silent then the next moment one could see him daydreaming and Kanna just have to save the day to snap him back to reality by like this time, pinching his ear.
"I'm sorry Kanna, I guess I need to take a break for a while to, you know, to ponder on things. I'm really a pain in the ass, am I not?" he said while returning his gaze back to the night sky.
"Yeah! You are really a pain in the ass! Good to hear that you know and admitted it!" then she tapped his shoulder and smiled.
"But there is no other like you that is capable of pulling this off. That's why we entrusted all of our trust to you knowing that you will never fail us. So pull yourself together. You can fool around, having fun and ignore everything sometimes because you also need it. But don't forget that you also shoulder the hope and success of our dreams. It's not only you who wanted to build a better Neo Domino. If ever you have uncertainties and problems, you could share it with us, you know? After all we're friends, right?"
Friends. Yeah he had friends all along. He was not really alone right at this moment.
"Of course! You are right! So I bet you are one of my friends?" he teased earning another pinch in the ear by Kanna.
"Hey I'm just joking you know! And Oh Kanna, again I'm counting on you, tovarish!"
Kanna blushed. She quickly tried to recover and crossed her arms in her chest and averted her gaze completely avoiding Yusei's orbs. It would be too much for her if she would look at it. She might be sucked by it.
"Good! I guess you understood. Well then there's no problem right so off we go now!" a slight blush still existing in her cheeks.
"YEP! Again sorry for the trouble."
"It's nothing really. I'm used to it."
Yusei laughed at her remark. She heavily sighed and gestured to go back inside.
"Kung hindi ka lang gwapo matagal na kitang isinubsob sa estero, kaya pasalamat kang aso ka![1]" she mumbled but unfortunately Yusei heard her.
"What? Did you just said something?" he asked
She jerked up. That's one of the reasons why she hated about him. He had a good sense of hearing and occasionally heard what was not needed to be heard.
"Huh? What are you talking about?" she lied trying to play along with him.
"Right now! You just said something that I don't quietly understand." He elaborated.
Shit! I need to find an excuse! Curse those ears of yours Yusei! She said to herself.
"Ahh that? I said come on the others are waiting. You shouldn't let them being preoccupied you know! It's a bad habit for the leader of the project, if you knew what I mean!" she explained while nervously smiling. Lucky to her, Yusei buy that excuse.
"Okay let's go then!" the raven-haired ex-signer said enthusiastically.
He knew they had a lot more things to do from now on and the days up ahead. He just wished that week end would come soon. After all, he too was excited to see his friends in Satellite after a month of absence because of his hectic schedule. But for now he must give his all in his work.
At the other side of the world, in a hotel there was Aki Izayoi busily packing his things off, with three medium-sized traveler's bags all just for her clothes and some minor things. She graduated with top honors in her course in medicine a week ago.
Unfortunately, her parents couldn't attend because of their work especially her father in which she understood. Her flight to Neo Domino City will be a week from now. It has been four years since she left and she admitted, the atmosphere of being home was quietly getting on her, more like a home sickness. In the city was the ambiance like no other.
She missed her loved ones, her mother and father, her friends in the Duel Academy as well as the teachers, and all of the ones she met at Neo Domino. Luckily for her, she had constant contact with her fellow ex-signers (with the exception of Yusei because of work), though Jack was still egoistical as ever.
They talked almost three hours at the phone specially with the twins or sometimes online via internet, mostly in the evening. Sometimes she even visited them despite the distance and bond together from teaching them the lessons they don't quietly understand to giving tips on how to improve their deck for better combos. They even said that they also wanted to go back to Neo Domino this coming summer vacation much to her delight that she decided to book their flight together on Friday. As she was about finished packing everything, she stumbled onto something in her bed.
The picture of Team 5D at their victory against the Ylliasters taken a month before they left the city.
"How can I forget this?" she said while caressing the frame.
In the picture there was Crow and his carrot-like-coloured hair stood the most in the picture. He was grinning like a madman while beside him was a Jack scowling at him for ruining his signature king pose and Carly gripping his shirt telling him to behave.
At the other side was Ushio and Mikage who were in one way or another became one of their closest friends.
In between sitting were the teal-haired twins, wearing their signature short shorts. Rua was making a peace sign with his two hands while grinning and Ruka still in her pigtails decided to lean back in Aki's opinion, in her knees which she didn't mind while maintaining her smile, typically of Ruka.
And there she was at the center just wearing a normal and plain white dress, her newly cut bangs not visible just living the two long burgundy streaks hanging like the usual and the hair clip replaced by a cute hair band.
Her smile was really genuine and she stated, that she never thought that she could pull off a smile like that.
And speaking of the one who made her for what she was now, her savior was beside her with his signature blue coat and gloves as their hands intertwining with one another.
She couldn't help but blushed slightly while looking at the portrait. Suddenly, a single tear dropped as it traced from her cheek to the frame she was holding. It really hurts; she admitted leaving Yusei behind and chose to pursue her dreams. And the only regret she had was the fact that she couldn't tell it to him, the real feelings she had before she could even depart in a distant land, and away from the man she loved the most.
It's not that there were no guys somewhat hitting on her but there was no one like Yusei that treated her with great and outmost respect. Some guys would want to hit on her for one purpose, to get a taste of her 'you know what in the world I mean'.
"Yusei I can finally see you again!" she said while kissing the portion of the frame where Yusei was.
This time she was determined to tell him. It doesn't matter if he didn't reciprocate, as long as she finally confessed everything to him. But one thing was bugging her the entire time about this confession.
What if Yusei already had a girlfriend before she could even confessed? The thought of it was really disturbing to Aki. As far as she wouldn't admit, it would be a huge blow to her seeing Yusei with another woman. It would be too much to bear, and she might not be able to even look at that.
The sight of Yusei caring and hugging the woman, saying lines of love, and the worst part and the sight she didn't wanted to witness, kissing her.
The thought was like a blade piercing in her heart. Those soft, thin lips that should have been reserved for her will be wasted to another lady. Leaving no argument, she had to face it as a consequence for her actions and decisions.
The choice to pursue a dream or to pursue love, she already made up her mind a long time ago. This was her choice so she had to take responsibility for it, even if the price to pay might be her greatest happiness with the precious man she loved.
She put her duel disk and deck of cards inside her traveler's bag while wiping the remaining tears and decided to call it a night. She wrapped herself with the futon and slowly she had drifted and gone to sleep.
(A/N) : So how was the opening chapter? Hopefully I somewhat satisfied your taste and you can count that I will really do my best to give you an interesting story with quality. If I had my lapses, I sincerely apologize and I know that this being my first fanfic is of no excuse. So reviews, suggestions and comments will be highly appreciated. Thank you!
[1]It's a comic expression by anyone of us. It translates as "If only you're not good looking I'll definitely
(well you could add anything you like to do to that person)…." Something like that! But the real meaning in that expression would mean that even if there are lapses by the person we like, we still love them because somewhat it's part of them right?