A/N: In this chapter, I'm not even going to attempt to make comedy the main focus. This is straight-up romance fallout. But don't worry, jokes come back after this.

Fun Fact: The sad thing is, I don't think Yuri was messing with the other boys when he made his fanfic. He really does believe in what he's writing, and sees his story as art.

Chapter Summary: Dealing with a love triangle is never easy. And when the two girls who like you share a body, it's even less easy. Now Yuya and Yuzu must figure out if they can handle a romance when six other people are involved.

April 23rd

Yuya and Yuzu sat before Shuzo's desk. Shuzo sat on the other side of the desk, his face turning blue. And all three of them sat in uncomfortable silence for what felt like hours.

Yuya looked over to Yuzu. Her head was slightly lowered, and her eyes seemed glazed over. Yuya was sure that this was a sign that she wasn't all there; instead, she was in the mindscape and talking with her other selves, while her body was in a sort of "auto pilot" state.

Great. So she was going to leave him to deal with her father.

He thought about Serena, and how he ended up kissing her instead of Yuzu. He was robbed of his first kiss, while Yuzu never got to have one at all. What would have been a big special moment between them was ruined.

Yuya shook his head. No, he shouldn't be worrying about that. It wasn't the moment that was important. It was about his relationship with Yuzu. But would they have one now? Or did she believe that he purposely kissed Serena instead of her? And what did Serena feel? His mind was just so busy with so many thoughts and concerns now. Not for him or romance, but how the others felt. About romance? Friendship? Oh no, did he ruin things between Yuzu and Serena?

After a few more minutes, Shuzo let out a long, deep sigh.

"So, are you two dating now?" Shuzo asked them.

A question that made them jump. Yuya and Yuzu looked to each other, then back to Shuzo. They didn't really have a chance to explore the end result of what had happened on the beach. Unable to really think of a concrete answer, Yuya just shrugged.

"Well, if you two are dating..." Shuzo sighed. "Then you have my blessing!"

"Eh?" Yuya gasped. "You-you're not bad?"

"I waaaaaaaasss a... biiiiiit mad, I guess," Shuzo admitted. "But you're the boy who fought to save her. I've seen you grow up into a fine young gentlemen. I know your parents, and they're good people. As long as you keep Yuri away from my daughter and their bird, you're alright with me."

Yuya was stunned for a moment. He felt a huge wave of relief wash over him. Not just because Shuzo wasn't going to kick his ass into next Tuesday, though that was a huge part of his relief. The idea that Yuzu really could date him now seemed plausible. And what once felt like something that would never happen, could never happen, seemed to be the one thing on his mind. And he felt like he was experience feelings that he had been holding back for a long time.

"Thank you, Mr. Hiiragi, sir!" Yuya said, bowing furiously.

"May I be excused?" Yuzu asked quietly.

Without waiting for a response, Yuzu rose from her seat and walked out of the room. Shuzo and Yuya were left looking at each other, at a loss for words for her.

"What happened?" Shuzo asked Yuya.

"I don't know, honestly," Yuya replied. "I hope she's alright."

Shuzo put up an awkward egao. "I'd say to give her time, and wait for her to talk to you. Don't worry, Yuya."

"Thank you, teacher."

Awkward.

April 24th

Yuzu didn't talk to Yuya for the rest of Sunday. But the next day was a Monday, and Yuya knew he'd be able to catch her at school.

Yuya had waited by the front gates of Maiami Second Middle School for nearly an hour. And sure enough, just a few minutes before the first bell would ring, he caught Yuzu as she headed towards the school.

"Yuzu!" Yuya called out. He waved to her. "Hey! I was hoping we could talk about-"

"Sorry, Yuya," she said quietly. "I'm busy right now. Homework."

"I can help," Yuya offered. "What kind of homework?"

"I'm fine. I just need to work on this. Alone, if you don't mind."

Yuzu started to walk passed him. Several other students slowed their walks to spy on the two and their little quarrel. They would continue their conversations, or read their books, or otherwise pretend that they weren't listening to them.

"Yuzu, wait!" Yuya called out. "About me and Serena."

Yuzu stopped in her tracks. "I'd... rather not talk about that right now."

"I didn't mean to kiss her, Yuzu! I never would have if I knew she wasn't you."

Nearly every student stopped and turned to the duo. Their conversations went silent, and they dropped their books. Right now, middle school drama was the name of the game, and they loved spectating.

Yuzu could see this. It just made her feel all the more humiliated, knowing her embarrassing incident was being shared to the entire school. She knew Yuya wanted to help, but this was just embarrassing for the both of them.

"I said that I don't want to talk about that!" she scoffed. "Yuya, I need some time alone. Please respect that."

"O-okay..."

The bell rang, and Yuzu continued walking towards the school. And the rest of the students, seeing the drama end, decided to head to class before they would be late.

And Yuya stood by the gates, watching everyone leave him.

April 27th

Over the next few days, Yuzu avoided Yuya. At school, she would keep to herself, and always disappear during any free periods. Whenever Yuya tried to talk to her, she told him that she was too busy to talk at the moment.

After school wasn't any better. Yuzu wasn't showing up to any classes at You Show. And when Yuya asked her father about her, he would solemnly explain that didn't feel well enough to attend class.

And that day, just like the last few days, Yuya would leave You Show early and sit some, just waiting for Yuzu to message him. He would sit on his bed and wait for a call, or log onto his computer and search for any posts she might have made. In both cases, there was nothing.

I miss Yuzu, Yuri said. She looked so good when she was cowering in fear. I want to see that again.

This is all your fault, Yuya, Yugo grumbled. If you didn't scare off Yuzu, I could be hanging out with Rin right now.

It's not his fault! Yuto snapped. Don't be such an ass, Yugo.

You shouldn't be mad at me! It's because of him that you're not with Ruri, either.

Serena got in the way and ruined things.

I can't blame Serena, Yuri said to himself. I don't blame her for finding us so attractive. In fact, I appreciate that she could be so bold.

She ruined things for all of us, Yuto muttered.

"We can't blame Serena," Yuto said out loud. "Serena's a good friend of ours. I don't want to badmouth her."

We can badmouth YOU for not noticing she wasn't Yuzu, Yugo snapped. If you really cared about Yuzu as much as she cared about you, you would be able to tell.

Eh? Yuri gasped. And who was the one who mistook Serena for Rin? Repeatedly?

What Serena did was wrong, Yuya, Yuto insisted. She hurt you and Yuzu. She hurt al of us.

"Look, I get that," Yuya sighed. "But I know Serena. She would never hurt us on purpose."

But she still hurt us.

"... It's complicated."

Do you love her? Yugo asked.

"What? No!" Yuya snapped. "I love Yuzu."

But Serena is best girl, Yuri said.

As usual, Yuri has no taste, Yugo said.

"Yuto, Yugo, Yuri," Yuya said sternly. "I want to be alone for a bit. I need you guys to leave me alone for a bit."

Yuto, Yugo and Yuri all nodded. The three of them retreated into the mindscape, leaving Yuya to his own bitter thoughts.

Meanwhile, in Yuzu's mindscape, the four girls met to continue the same old argument they'd been having for days.

It always went the same way: Rin would initiate a fight with Serena over what happened. Yuzu would get mad and blame everyone for getting involved in her life. Serena would defend herself and lash out at them. Ruri would try to keep things calm, but would take Rin's side. And every day, absolutely no progress was made, other than the tension that rose steadily with each fight.

"You all said that when you're in love, you have to make a move!" Serena snapped back. "And that's what I did! Now you're telling me that I'm wrong?!"

"What's wrong is that you didn't respect Yuzu's feelings!" Rin barked.

"Well, what about mine?" Serena cried. "What about my feelings?"

She turned to Yuzu, glaring daggers at her. "I fought with him in the war. We were Lancers together. He taught me how about dueling to bring people smiles."

"Yuya and I grew up together!" Yuzu yelled. "We always worked together, we were always best friends!"

"And yet you didn't do anything about it!" Serena said. "And me and him fought to save you. I got captured and brainwashed because I worked for the Lancers, just to save you, while you went riding around with Yugo, or dueling with Sora."

"Don't bring Yugo into this!" Rin roared. "And at least Yuzu didn't make a move on him."

"Are you sure?" Serena said smugly. "Who knows? They spent an awful long time together."

"I didn't do anything!" Yuzu gasped. "Just- just shut up, Serena!"

"This fighting isn't getting us anywhere!" Ruri pleaded. "I think we should all take a deep breath, apologize, and try to figure things out. Right, Serena?"

Serena took a step back. "Why are you talking to me?"

"Because this is all your fault!" Rin replied.

And so, the cycle went on once more. The four girls would continue to fight, with each fight getting worse and worse.

Thursday, April 29th

I'll never forgive Serena for what happened.

- Yuto

Dear Journal

I'll never forgive Yuya for what happened.

XOXO
Yugo

Dear Twitter followers: everyone is miserable. It's a little less satisfying than I thought it would be. #YuriUpdates #YuriFacts #Fusion

April 30th

Serena sat in her own private corner of the mindscape. Rather than create a vivid landscape of whatever she could imagine, she just sat on the ground and held her knees with her hands. Her eyes were drawn to the floor.

Yuzu ran towards her. "Serena!"

Serena, hearing her footsteps, turned to look at her. It was a fierce, determined look that warned Yuzu to stay away. Yuzu slowly came to a stop before she got too close to Serena.

"Come to yell at me more?" Serena scoffed. "I don't need it. Just leave me alone."

"I wanted to talk to you," Yuzu told her. "I haven't seen or heard from you in a while."

Serena turned away. "Because I don't want to talk to you, or Rin, or Ruri."

"But we need to talk-"

"I said I don't want to!" Serena snapped. "I already know I messed things up. I don't need to keep hearing it."

"That's not what I- just listen to me!"

"Just leave me alone!"

"Can I say one thing?!" Yuzu shouted. "Then I'll leave you alone, if you want. Please, just let me talk."

Serena didn't answer. Yuzu decided to take that silence as an invitation to say her peace.

"Don't blame yourself for how you feel," Yuzu told her. "But I can blame myself for not seeing how you feel."

And with that, Yuzu turned her back to Serena. She started to walk away from her, further into the reaches of the mindscape.

"Yuzu, wait!"

Yuzu turned around to look at Serena. Serena's face was red, and the glint of tears appeared in the corners of her eyes.

"I didn't mean to ruin things with you and Yuya," she said. "I didn't want you to both be sad. I just... I was thinking of myself... as usual."

Yuzu shook her head. "Don't worry about it. I just wish you told us your feelings, so this wouldn't have happened. Me, Ruri, Rin, we all care about your happiness, too."

"But I wasn't thinking of yours."

"But you are now."

May 1st

Yuzu called Yuya to meet her at Maiami Beach that afternoon, after school. A real beach, about an hour away from You Show Duel School. Yuya was quick to accept the invite and go.

Yuya found her at the beach, leaning against a waist-high stone wall that separated the beach from the street. She was watched the sun, which was slowly starting to fall behind the water.

"Yuzu," Yuya said softly. "You wanted to talk?"

Yuzu jumped at his voice. She turned to look at Yuya with sad, blue eyes. It was a sight that made Yuya's heart drop.

"Let's walk a bit," Yuzu told him.

Yuya cautiously started to walk towards her. He took to her side, and the two started to walk down the lonely, empty beach.

"I missed talking to you," Yuya told her. "I'm sorry about what happened, I didn't mean to kiss Serena-"

"You didn't do anything wrong!" Yuzu said hastily. "I- I think- let's just put that aside from now, and not blame anyone."

"That's a relief," Yuya sighed. "I thought you were avoiding me because you were mad at me."

"Not really. I was just mad at the situation. And Serena. And myself, I guess."

"Are you still mad."

"I just needed to think," Yuzu said, rather slowly. "And I thought about what we could do, and where we go now,"

"And what did you decide?"

"That we... right now, romance is out of the picture."

"Oh..." Yuya said dejectedly.

For a moment, the brightness left his face. But for Yuzu, a fake egao quickly returned to his face.

"It would hurt Serena too much," Yuzu explained.

"I understand," Yuya replied. "Believe me, the last thing I want would be to hurt either of you two."

"I know, Yuya. That's just the kind of guy you are. And what I love about you."

Yuzu instinctively reached her hand out to Yuya's. But when the two realized what was happening, they quickly pulled their hands away.

"And, honestly, I don't see this ever working out. Even if Yuto and Ruri kept dating, and Yugo and Rin's started dating, what would we do about Yuri and Serena? And what if they wanted to date other people?"

"I guess we're not just dealing with our romantic lives," Yuya confessed. "No matter who we date, we're also dealing with 6 other people and their love lives."

The two of them stopped walking. They hopped up the stone wall and took seats at the top. And for a moment, they sat in silence, trying to think of what to say.

Ultimately, it was Yuya who spoke first.

"I really thought we could work this out," Yuya said sadly. "All the boys would date the girls, and we'd work out a schedule-"

"And we'd still deal with 6 other people, who could walk in on us at any second."

"True, haha..."

Yuya turned away from Yuzu and looked down at his skates. A long silence fell over the two as the sun set in front of them. An orange glow fell over them.

"We'll still be friends, though, right?" Yuya asked. "I couldn't stand to lose you again, Yuzu."

"Of course!" Yuzu responded. "We can't date, but we'll always be best friends. That never has to change."

The two turned to each other and wrapped their arms around the other. Instead of focusing on the sunset, or their broken hearts, they focused on being with each other.

A/N: Thank you for sticking by me during the first volume. Your comments, advice and support are what kept me going with this, and what makes me continue to write. I'd especially like to thank BlazeKnight7, Cinder Fall 39, uyigho98, nightshroud96, HunterHQ, and everyone who has continually commented, reviewed, or asked questions, which kept me motivated and focused.

The Scales have come to an end, and the story will soon go into its next phase. Get ready for new adventures in another dimension, and the continued misadventures of the Yu boys and bracelet girls.

As usual, you can check out my Twitter for notes, progress reports, and other behind-the-scenes crap for the fic. You are absolutely not required to follow me or anything; they're just there for those who want it, followers or not.