Me: *twitches uncontrollably*
Kotori: *whispers* What happened to him?
Yuma: *also whispers* He just saw the episode 83 dubbed in italian. And they really made him mad with the cards' name translations...
Me: H-how can they call it Chaos Number 107: Tachyonic Eyes Galactic Dragon?! They even ate the NEO!
Yuma:*steps back in fear along with Kotori* Maybe we should read this by ourselves...
«GALAXY-EYES PHOTON DRAGON, DIRECT ATTACK!» The teen and the alien could only stare in horror as the light dragon gathered sparkling azure energy in its mouth. Yuma slowly turned his head to Astral, a look of utter fear on his face. «Astral! What can we do?» Astral looked at him, fear on his face too. «Nothing... Yuma. This is the end for us...» Yuma's eyes widened. «HAMETSU NO PHOTON STREAM!»
. . .
«DYAAAH!» Yuma gasped as he bolted up from his desk, panting heavily. Ignoring the stares from his classmates and teacher, he closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. When he opened them, he noted that his hand were covered by sweat. Shaking his head, he leaned back on his desk. «Again that nightmare... just like this night...» Yuma was not fully over the bad experience of yesterday. He then looked at the empty seat next to him. «Hum? I didn't realize today Kotori was absent... I must have been really engrossed...» His eyes fell down. «What a pity... maybe her cheerfulness would have cheered me up...»
Then, the bell rang, and all the others began packing their things. Cathy, Tetsuo, Takashi and Tokunosuke set around him. «Yuma, are you alright, nya?» asked Cathy worried. «Today you're unusually quiet.» pointed Takashi. Yuma waved his hand. «Don't worry. I just had a... little misadventure yesterday.» he said, keeping his eyes down. «Do you know where's Kotori today?» he then asked. «I was wondering that as well, ura. She never misses school.» commented Tokunosuke. «Maybe she's sick.» reasoned Tetsuo. Yuma's eyes widened. He then stood up, «Uh... sorry, I must leave...» and walked away.
When he was outside the school, he pulled out he D-Gazer from his pocket, and dialed Kotori's number. After a bit, the face of Kotori's mother appeared on the screen, but Yuma didn't notice. «Hey Koto... Oh, excuse me Mrs. Mizuki, I thought you was your daughter.» The woman giggled a bit. «Don't worry Yuma.»
«Ehn, why Kotori didn't answer?»
«She has a bit of fever. You know, yesterday you two were very soaked.»
Yuma felt his heart fell a bit. After all, he was the one who made her come with him, he was the one who caused her to be caught by a rainstorm. «I understand. May I... come to check her?» The woman looked surprised, but then she made a smile. «Sure!»
. . .
The door of Kotori's room opened, revealing her mother and her best friend. «Honey, you have a visitor!» Kotori opened her eyes, and she was surprised to see Yuma. «Hi Kotori!» She blinked, but then coughed. «Yuma? What are doing here?» she asked. Yuma sat on the chair of her desk, and dragged it near her bed. «I just came to check you. How do you feel?» Kotori blushed very lightly, and coughed again. «Well... not so good...» Yuma pouted. «Oh... sorry that I asked that.» The boy and the girl stared at each other for some seconds, before the woman smiled. «You don't mind if leave you two alone, right? Don't make troubles!» The two teens blushed as the mother left the room.
For some minutes, neither of the two said nothing, their eyes wandering for the room. However, he noted that she was tossing in the bed. Without words, he leaned on her bed, rearranging her pillow and bed sheets. «Better?» he then asked. Kotori relaxed in her bed. «Yes. Thank you.» Yuma smiled slightly, before leaning back on the chair.
Seeing him stare down at the floor, Kotori frowned. «Yuma, there's something wrong?» she asked, after which she coughed again. Yuma cocked his head, but he was still looking down. «Don't worry... it isn't anything important...» he lied. He really didn't want her to know about Kaito. It would only make her deadly worried. However, he knew he couldn't fully convince Kotori with that tone. Indeed, she was looking at him with a concerned face. But she guessed it was something he didn't want to reveal her. And he was really stubborn at keeping to himself his secrets, so she decided to change subject.
«Why you're here?» Yuma widened his eyes slightly, and looked at her, then he leaned back against the chair. «Uhm... yesterday you came with me at that mini-tournament at the new plaza, so I was responsible of you. And you got sick with the rain... it's my fault.» He then leaned forward, and gently stroked her face. «It's my duty to make sure you heal as soon as possible.» he whispered softly, making her blush furiously. Yuma cocked his head again at this. «Kotori, you're turning all red. Do you have a hot flash?» Kotori's face jerked away from his touch. «You idiot! It's nothing!» she said loudly, pouting angrily. «Uff, the women... I wonder who can understand them...» he sighed, sweatdropping. «WHAT DID YOU SAY!?» «NOTHING!»
Unbeknownst to them, Mrs. Mizuki was watching the scene from the entrance. Her head was tilted to the side, her eyes dreamy and her mouth forming a smile. «My dear little girl...»
. . .
«Ahhhgg! My head hurts!» cried Yuma, slamming his forehead against Kotori's desk. A vein-mark was twitching in the forehead of the bedridden girl. «What I'm supposed to say, since I am the sick one!?» she yelled. Her head was throbbing, and hear Yuma ranting about doing their homework for the following day wasn't really helping. «I really don't understand *COUGH COUGH* why it is so difficult to you! Just multiply that damn number by itself for a number of times equal to that damn exponent!» Yuma slowly craned towards her. «So... that's what's the exponentiation?» Kotori sweatdropped. «YES!» she shouted exasperated. Yuma stared silently at her for some seconds, before turning down at the book app of the pad, and swiftly completed the exercises assigned for tomorrow, occasionally switching to the calc app. «Done. It's all correct.» he said after a bit. Kotori stared at him. «Really? Finally!» she said, raising her arms to the sky. Yuma dragged again the chair near the bed.
«I'm sorry that I'm such a moron.» he whispered, looking at her with a guilt expression. Kotori smiled. «Nah, after all these years, I'm used to it.» Yuma smiled shyly too. «Hey, do you want a head rub?» He stared at her weirdly. She blushed and looked away. «U-uhm, sorry... I just blurted out the first ridiculous thing I thought...» Yuma then smiled. «Oh, no, don't get it wrong! I was just surprised you asked something like that. I'd like it!» he said, laying belly down on her bed. She gently rubbed his head, surprised by the softness of his hair, given those sharp-looking spikes. His entire body relaxed, and he hummed pleasantly at her touch. «Do you like it, Yuma? This is my thank for keeping me company today.» she whispered softly. He nodded lightly, humming a bit more.
After a bit, he started snoring, a sign he was so relaxed that he fell asleep. Feeling a little tired, she laid down on the pillow, and fell asleep too. Just at that moment, Mrs. Mizuki peered in the room, and smiled widely. «Ooohh! This is just too cute! I absolutely must take a picture of this!» she whispered, searching for her camera.
Meanwhile, the boy and girl were dreaming together, and the boy was finally dreaming something other than Kaito.
. . .
Kotori was laying in a hospital bed, with a thermometer in her mouth. Then, Yuma, who was dressed like a male nurse, took the thermometer, and checked it. «Do you feel better, Ms. Mizuki?» he asked softly. «Yes... but with a male nurse like you, Mr. Tsukumo, I'd never want to feel better.» she said lovingly. Yuma smiled, both poignantly staring in each other's eyes, just like in those pitiful Latin-American soap operas.
. . .
Yuma woke up, yawning. «Woah... that dream really resembled a soap opera... yuck... why in the earth I'd dream myself being in love with Kotori?! She's only my friend. It's normal between friends helping each other when one is sick... I think... she rubbed my head... but it doesn't means nothing!» Because he was delirious by the sleep, he didn't notice the girl's mother, who was giggling quietly at hearing his jabber.
Yuma slowly turned his head at the woman. «Please, don't say anything to Kotori...» he pleaded. Mrs. Mizuki grinned. «Deal, young man.» she said, ruffling Yuma's hair, much to his embarrassment. He then noticed she was carrying a riceball and a bowl of chicken soup. She gave him the riceball, and used her free hand to shake Kotori. «Please, dear, wake up.» The girl rubbed her eyes. «What is it, mom?»
«Dinner is ready.» she said, showing her the broth. Yuma stood beside the woman, and took the bowl from the her hands. «I'll do it.» Kotori looked at him weirdly. « I can easily eat the chicken soup by myself.» she said, slightly annoyed. Yuma turned around and blushed slightly. « I know... I just want you... to not tire yourself...» Kotori looked at him speechless. A slight blush appeared again on her cheeks, and she placed her hands on them. «If you really want to...» Yuma sat on the bed, took a spoonful of the soup, and gently feed her with it. He repeated this some other times, between the giggles of the mother. Which was replied by the glares of the two teens.
. . .
Astral, who was sitting on the Different Dimension Airship, sorrowfully watched the scene, projected in the skies of the Key's world. «Although he's deeply troubled like me, Yuma still has the strength to care for a sick friend...» he quietly observed, forcing himself to don't think of Kaito for at least a bit.
. . .
«Yuma, it's late, you must leave. Akari just called me, and she's very worried.» explained Mrs. Mizuki. Yuma grimaced, looking at Kotori. The girl who was innocently looking back at him with her sparkling hazel eyes, before coughing again. «Okay... goodnight, Kotori...» he said darkly, looking down, and slowly walking away. Kotori closed her eyes. «Goodnight, Yuma... I promise I'll be at school with you tomorrow...»
. . . the following morning . . .
Yuma was strolling towards the school alone. After the (nice) distraction of yesterday, Yuma started again having nightmares about Kaito, and his thoughtful expression had returned again. Then, a hand softly touched his back. Startled, he jumped around himself, only to come face-to-face with Kotori. «Hi Yuma!» she said happily. Yuma smiled slightly. «Uhm, hi Kotori. I see you feel well today.» he mumbled softly.
She looked at him with a sweet face. «Yeah, and thank you for helping me.» She then hugged him, causing him to blush slightly, speechless. However, he felt his body suddenly limp, and he couldn't move. «Hey, right now you're such a sack of potatoes!» she joked, pulling out from the hug. Yuma quickly cancelled his flushing and looked away. «Is it the same thing that bothered you yesterday?» Yuma nodded. «Do you want to talk about it?» Yuma shook his head, and Kotori glared at him, but playfully. «Fine then, I'll find out by myself!» she said, walking away and pretending to be offended. Until when she turned again at him and stuck her tongue out.
Yuma chuckled and smiled. He was right. She managed to cheer him up. He was so lucky to have her as best friend.
But he couldn't suspect how much would have been fantastic his future luck.
Me: *breaths deeply* Sorry folks, but our country's translators are really bad.
Yuma: Phew. At least you didn't broke nothing. I thought you would explode.
Me: A thing of the previous episode: I didn't remember that scene with Kotori asking him why they take the long way, and if he wanted to ask her something, and he replies no, blushing. Uh, I think this is an addition of the dub. Anyway, I hope you liked this!
Speaker: Next time, on XBrain130's Fanfiction...!
Kotori: Really? A speaker?!
Me: Shut up!
Kotori: Yuma... so you're here again...
Yuma: Please, don't call me that... it only hurts me more...
Yuma:*stares at Number 39 and Numbers 13* The Legendary Numbers revealed us our sealed fate.
Kotori: No, I understand you. You're only confused and upset by everything that happened lately.
Yuma: I can't do this without you... you was... and you are... my fiancé...
*the two passionately looks in each other's eyes, him holding her*
Speaker: Don't miss next story!
