Day 2: Yesterday

the day immediately preceding today

(often plural) the recent past

It felt like it was just yesterday that he had first met Yuya Sakaki.

Admittedly part of it was because it was precisely yesterday that he had formally introduced himself to the boy.

No, the time he's thinking about is much farther away, during a time of his life that in three whole years he has not allowed himself to dwell in. A time he would carefully label as happiness - blissful ignorance was far more fitting, he realized that now - where his only real worries had been his studies and fulfilling his parent's expectations.

A time where he still dueled for fun.

He still remembered the first time he had seen Yusho Sakaki in an Action Duel, with his wide smiles, his dashing movements and shining performance, 'A true Entertainer' he was the very first person in his life to make a real impression on him even if he had caught it just in a live feed, he would never forget his mother surprise when he requested to be taken to one of his live shows, Nakajima would later confess that the Madame had been concerned of his über-excitement during that one meal.

It had been then a wise decision to that she didn't have to see him in an awed state in the crowd, cheering along with them, yelling at Yusho's request and standing up to applaud him once it all ended.

It had been at his own insistence that Reiji had made Nakajima accompany him to the backstage - one of the few times he had made use of the Akaba family name for purely selfish reasons - if only to catch a glimpse of the man who made him smile.

And unsurprisingly he wasn't the only one, there was another boy, younger than him, waiting outside he eyed him curiously but looked away immediately probably taking notice of the bodyguards behind Reiji, still he moved to the side of the bench, making an unspoken invitation.

How kind of him.

As Reiji waited he stole glances at the boy next to him, he had a strange combination of red and green hair and bright red eyes to match there was a trembling uncertain quality to them that made him curious, somehow something about it seemed familiar.

Once the door finally opened that uncertain ghost fled away from the boy's eyes as he dashed to the arms of Yusho Sakaki while yelling 'daddy' over and over, as he looked at them both he realized it:

He was Yusho's son, and looking at them now together with the same features, eye shape and dashing smile, it was clear as day, once he was done processing the fact he got up from his seat and bowed to them thanking him for the great show, he almost jolted when he felt a hand on his hair.

"Thank you, for keeping company to Yuya"

Reiji felt a strange unfamiliar warmth at his chest looking again at their smiles this time directed just at him.

It was a feeling he had never quite forgotten, even if yesterday he had failed to feel the same way at seeing Yuya's current smile, a painful, forced smile that failed to reach his eyes.