Yu-Gi-Oh! - Duelists of the Rose: Rose Academy Arc Ch. 10
"Uma," Kylie called out, running to her as Uma gathered her cards and put them back in her deck box.
"I lost," Uma said softly, her hand hanging over her eyes.
"Don't beat yourself up about it," said Pen, approaching them. "You did very well, especially with such rare Watt monster cards, though you should learn how to expect the unexpected."
"Well, thank you for going easy on my granddaughter," said Nana Amy. "I didn't think that these duels were so… heavy in action and appearance."
"I always keep my levels low when dueling kids, ma'am," said Pen.
"Well, since you lost, you have to keep your end of the bet," said Gina, and then Felicia elbowed her in the stomach. "Ow, hey."
"Right," said Uma, but didn't have the strength to do so.
"His name is Cain, and he taught us all we know about Duel Monsters,," said Kylie.
"You mean Cain Sera?" Felicia asked.
"That's right," said Uma. "He even got us some of our rare cards that we use in our decks, after he helped us construct them, building a strategy."
"Then why do you have his duel disk?" Pen asked.
"We don't have a duel disk of our own, so he let us borrow his," said Uma, looking up a little. "He was supposed to get it back today, but he left our home before we even got a chance to see him so early in the morning."
"I see," said Felicia. "Well, how about you let us get it back to him? We are in the same class as Cain, and we see him practically every day."
"Oh, are you four friends?" Nana Amy asked.
"We're like this," Gina smiled, holding her right hand up with her fingers crossed. "After all, he'll need it for the upcoming tournament."
"What tournament?" Uma asked.
"Our school is hosting its own tournament for an upcoming Rose Circle Academy Tournament where all of our branch schools compete to decide which class of which school is the strongest," said Felicia.
"Can we come and watch?" Kylie asked.
"It's by invitation only, but we can see about you three about attending, if you let us return Cain's duel disk," said Pen with a wink.
Kylie and Uma shared a look and glanced at Cain's duel disk, feeling uneasy.
"Thank you for the offer, girls, but I believe it to be better that Cain returns to claim his duel disk himself," said Nana Amy.
"But we just said we're like this," said Gina, with the same hand gesture as before.
"Yes, but I've known Cain for a long time, and not once have I heard him mention any of you, at least not as you describe," said Nana Amy, as if she knew something that they didn't, though Felicia seemed to catch on.
"I'm sorry you feel that way, ma'am, but I'm afraid that I have to insist," said Felicia. "Under our school's code of conduct, no student in the Rose Circle Academy is allowed to lend out their duel disks to outside persons of our group. Any duel disk that is found and used by someone other than its owner, that duel disk is to be confiscated."
"And who are you to take it?" Uma snapped. Felicia pulled out her PDA and opened her identification page.
"I am Vice President of the Student Council at the Rose Circle Academy, and am bequeathed with the authority to confiscate any duel disk used by anyone outside of our school," said Felicia. "You may either give it voluntarily, or I will be required to alert the authorities to take it."
"That is low," Kylie snapped.
"That is the rule, and it's your choice," said Felicia, looking down hard at Kylie and Uma.
"Nana, they can't do this can they?" Uma asked. Nana Amy was still looking at Felicia's ID and let out a heavy sigh.
"I'm afraid we don't have a choice," said Nana Amy, giving Felicia her PDA back.
"But, nana…" Uma protested.
"Girls, we have to give them Cain's disk," said Nana Amy, looking at Felicia, Pen, and Gina with a strong, serious look. "If they have such an authority, then they will have to return Cain his duel disk, correct?"
"Yes, ma'am," Felicia answered, meeting Nana Amy's gaze without flinching or backing down.
Uma and Kylie's faces were masked with disappointment as Uma gathered her cards from the deck holder and Extra-Deck box, and collapsed and disassembled the duel disk, snapping the pieces onto the belt that Kylie wore, and gave it to Pen.
"You will give it back to him, right?" Uma asked.
"You got it," Gina nodded.
"Well, then, come on, girls, we have to be going," said Nana Amy. Their nodded with some reluctance as they walked alongside her towards out of the park.
"That seemed a little harsh, didn't it?" Pen asked Felicia.
"How was that harsh?" Gina asked.
"She pulled rank and threatened to call the police," Pen exasperated. "That's how it's harsh."
"I simply enforced the rules of our society," said Felicia, fastening the belt around her waist. "Cain should know better than this, even if he can't duel."
"That's all fine, and such, but how are we going to find him now?" Gina asked desperately. "The longer I'm from my future Fiend Megacyber, the longer I'm depressed."
"I think I know where he might be," Felicia smiled, palming the deck holder.
-
The café was nearly packed with students and business workers at every table, lined along the bar, and up to the counter, voices raised just a bit over the music just to order. While Merrin and a few of his friends were out front, taking orders and serving them, Cain was left by himself half the time, making the drinks and snacks to order with some help from Merrin while he wasn't giving attending to his fans; if you would consider 'make sure this… make sure that… and don't forget…' as help.
For every order finished, in efficient time, Cain rang the bell, and a server would come and take hold of the tray; when one wasn't available, Cain took the tray to the table, placing the customer's order in front of them, offering any other service without hesitation, bowing his head in response to their thanks, and then went back behind the counter; from cashier, to coffee maker, to baker and prep in the kitchen, to server, and to dishwasher, and back to cashier, from one position to another, each one feeling that lasted less than five minutes; all the while, he was wondering where Merrin's boss was. The moment he came in and Merrin tossed him his apron, Cain hadn't yet met his boss; there were no clues of any kind to indicate who it was, but he performed like they were looking over his shoulder.
With the place so crowded, leaving him busy, Cain didn't have much time for his thoughts, no sudden visage of the past or nightmares, the voices completely blocked out; here, he was secured.
"How're you holding up, Cain?" Merrin asked, coming out from the kitchen, wiping flour and icing from his hands.
"I'm still on my feet," Cain replied, handing a customer their receipt.
"Glad to hear it," Merrin smiled, taking a readied tray. "Just a little longer, Cain, and all will be over. Make sure my biscuits don't burn."
"Got it," said Cain, heading back into the kitchen as one of Merrin's friends took over the register.
Customers soon came in lesser numbers while they left en masse, making it easier on Cain, letting him catch his breath now and then. Merrin often offered Cain to sit with the customers and converse with them, but he was reluctant, polite in every way to hide it, saying that he had to get back to work without mentioning Merrin's boss. With every customer that left, he glanced at those who stayed behind, yet they left within moments or minutes if they weren't in groups; it wouldn't be that obvious, he believed; better to just wait until his shift was over.
"Cain, come over here," Merrin called out.
"Yes?" Cain answered, meeting Merrin behind the counter, where he done setting a small arrangement of decorated milkshakes and cakes.
"Hey, take this tray over to table 7 outside, all right?" Merrin asked, padding Cain behind the shoulder with a smile on his face. "And remember: treat the customer like family, okay? Good luck."
"Wait, Merrin, I…" Cain called out, but Merrin already walked away to help other bar customers without telling Cain which customer got what. This felt like a bad time to have him guess after such little practice, especially so close to the end of rush hour. Still, Merrin's boss was watching him somewhere, somehow, and he needed to make a good impression. Breathing deep, Cain picked up the tray and held it in his left hand above his head, dodging and slipping through the crowd with spin and slides, making his way to the tables outside of the café in front; there in the center of the fourteen tables sat two girls and an elderly woman talking among one another.
"Good afternoon," Cain greeted with the bow of his head. "My name is Cain, and I would very much like to welcome to the café."
"Thank you, young man," the elder woman smiled. In a second Cain deftly breathed deep and glanced at the milkshakes and back at the customers, trying to determine who ordered what, until his gut, deep and heavy as it was, took over. He lowered the tray and walked around the table as he carefully placed a strawberry-banana, and a green-apple mint, in front of the girls and the rocky road before the elderly woman, all three at the left side of the small plates already in front of them, and set the Boston cream pie in center with the cake knife.
"May I cut the pie for you?" Cain offered.
"Thank you, but we can manage," the elderly woman said politely with her grandma-smile.
"Then if there is anything else that I may do for you, please refer to me by name, and I'll do whatever I can," said Cain, bowing his head back and headed back inside at a steady pace.
"Wonder what happened to Merrin," the first girl asked.
"Who knows," said the second girl. "I'm just surprised he actually got our orders right."
"Yeah, but I was the one who ordered the rocky road."
Damn.
"He must be the new boy Merrin was talking about," the elderly woman chuckled, switching her rock road with the green-apple mint. "Given how crowded the café is, we can forgive him for one little mistake."
"You're right, grandma."
And relief was Cain's reward, from them at least; who knows how Merrin's boss would see it.
Finally the rush hour had died down with more customers leaving satisfied and less customers coming in, which gave Cain some time to catch his breath in the locker room after running around the whole place.
"Heh-heh, having second thoughts?" Merrin chuckled, coming in with a glass of cola and handed it to cain.
"Not at all," Cain answered, before taking a long sip and sighed. "Though, I admit, I didn't really expect such a large crowd during rush hour."
"Think you can handle it, though?" Merrin asked, sitting across from him on the bench.
"I can, Merrin," Cain answered, looking him in the eye. "Whenever you need me, I'll be at the best of my ability, and more, if needed."
"That's the kind of talk that I love to hear." Cain looked passed Merrin to the door, and in came the elderly woman he served not but a couple hours ago.
"Cain, this is Mrs. Helen Stahrlin, owner of this café," Merrin introduced.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am," said Cain, after rising to his feet.
"Such good manners you have on you, young man," Mrs. Stahrlin smiled. "I can see why Merrin speaks so highly of you. Do you enjoy working here?"
"Yes, ma'am, I do," Cain answered.
"Why did you want to work here in the first place?"
"For one, it is close to the Rose Circle Academy, where I attend school, but mostly because Merrin works here, and to work alongside a friend is always considered the best, especially in a place where you can meet new people."
"I see."
"My classes are required to come first, which is why I asked for a part-time job. I can work at anytime needed, even take over someone's shift, if needed, that is if you'll have me, Mrs. Stahrlin."
She seemed to be studying him with a pondering smile, and then nodded her head.
"I would be delighted to have you work here, Cain," said Mrs. Stahrlin. "If you will send me your class schedule, and your ideal form of transportation, Merrin and I will set up a work schedule for you."
"Thank you, Mrs. Stahrlin," Cain bowed his head.
"And, as a pre-review, don't forget to smile to your customers as you greet them," said Mrs. Stahrlin.
"Yes, ma'am," said Cain, and Mrs. Stahrlin left with a pleased smile on her face, and Cain uneasy.
"Don't worry, Cain," said Merrin. "Leave her to me, and you'll have nothing to worry about."
"Thanks, Merrin," said Cain, feeling a little better. "Should I come back tomorrow?"
"I don't think you'll have to," said Merrin. "Like she said, send in your schedule and we'll work something out." Then he clapped his hands like a sudden idea snapped on in his mind. "Oh, right, since you got the job, we got to go back to that club for our celebratory dinner."
"Is it all right that I meet you there?" Cain asked. "There's something I got to do first."
"Sure thing," Merrin nodded and smiled.
"See you then," said Cain.
After leaving the café, Cain headed in the direction of the park and then towards Kylie and Uma's, wanting to apologize to Nana Amy for leaving so suddenly, trying to decide how to put it in words. By the time he reached the playground area…
"And where are you going?"
He stopped with an irritation that clawed at his being and looked to the side; there they were on a park bench, Gina sitting on the arm with arms crossed, Pen leaning against the back with her ankles crossed, and Felicia sitting in the center with her right leg crossed over her left, leaning back with her arms resting her arms along the back.
"What's wrong, Cain? You're not happy to see me?" Felicia asked.
"Like a pile of roadkill," Cain answered.
"That's how you talk to a lady," Pen grinned. "We should know; you seem to be growing popular over in that café."
"Since when did you decide to stalk me?" Cain asked.
"Since I decided that I want your Fiend Megacyber in your deck," Gina chuckled, glaring at Cain from the corner of her eye.
"What?" Cain asked, glaring just a little back.
"I need another powerful warrior in my deck, and because you play so poorly, I thought it would be better that your Fiend Megacyber was in a deck of someone more worthy of it," Gina answered.
"She would have won it sooner, but in trying to track you down, we were a bit weighed down," said Felicia, getting to her feet and turn with her right hip facing Cain, showing her trophy.
"What are you doing with my duel disk, Felicia?" Cain asked, furrowing his brow a little with a hard stare.
"We found in the possession of a few kids," Felicia answered. "When we found out that they had your duel disk, we first thought that they won it off you, but then they told us that you gave it to them to use as they liked."
"What was more hilarious was that they told us they learned how to play from you," Gina laughed.
"What did you do to them?" Cain asked, feeling his blood grow warm.
"Pen simply defeated the girl with the Watt monsters," Felicia answered. "In a few turns, Pen destroyed every one of her monsters, and the girl gave up without a second thought. Too bad they didn't have a teacher to show them how one really duels against a strong opponent."
Cain clenched his right fist.
"Felicia, if any of you hurt them…" said Cain, sharpening his glare.
"We're not barbarians, Cain," said Pen. "I held back a bit, though I admit that they play far better than you. At least they seem to show some encouragement."
"And what gives you the right to take my duel disk from them?" Cain snapped.
"That you should know, Cain," said Felicia. "The rules of the Rose Circle Academy state that you are prohibited to lend your duel disk to anyone outside of our school, and as clear as day, you did just that."
"What I do with my duel disk is of no concern of yours, Felicia, nor do you have the right to take it from those I lend it to," Cain glared.
"I was well in my right, as Vice President of our Student Body Council, Cain, and no one, not even myself, are above the rules," said Felicia. "Therefore I took the liberty of confiscated your duel disk."
"Fine, then," Cain scoffed. "Just give me back my duel disk, and I won't lend it out again."
"You'll get it back, Cain, when you agree to duel me," said Gina, stepping up the challenge. "Right here, right now; your Fiend Megacyber is the prize."
"I will not duel you for a card in my deck, Gina," Cain argued. "If you want a rare Fiend Megacyber, then I'll buy you one when you beat me."
"As much I appreciate the thought, I can't stand a strong card being in your deck," said Gina.
"Besides, we're not exactly giving you a choice," said Pen. Out from hiding, the rest of Felicia's friends appeared, surrounding Cain from all around, waiting eagerly for the duel. "You know the rules, Cain: you have no choice but to duel us. If you want to leave with your card, simply beat Gina."
The girls giggled and laughed at the idea, while Cain silently winced through his teeth.
"Well, Cain?" Felicia asked, smiling down at him.
"Fine," Cain scoffed.
Felicia unlatched the belt and tossed it to Cain so hard and fast that the deck holder smacked him in the head when he tried to catch it. Though the sound was heard, he didn't show that it hurt; the girls still got a good laugh out of it. Gina went ahead and walked to the other end of Cain as he assembled and fitted his duel disk, the blade extending as he inserted his deck and fitted his D-Gazer, as did everyone else.
"Remember what we talked about, Gina," Felicia spoke into her D-Gazer.
"You sure? Seems like a complete waste of time, if you ask me," Gina replied back.
"Well, too, bad. Pen went through the effort, and we're going to use it. Just give it a shot," said Felicia.
"Ready when you two are," said Pen, seeing a line of code scroll across her screen and then went blank.
"All set, Cain?" Gina asked, both of them holding their left arms out in front that they may see their opponent's deck shuffled.
"Your move," said Cain, drawing his hand.
"Then let's duel!" Gina smiled.