Edit: I'm stupid. I somehow skipped straight over this chapter! Well, here it is, I guess.
Disclaimer: We don't own Yugioh GX.
Natsuko's POV
Holy shit. What the fuck was I doing that night? I mean, I've had some wild nights, but that one takes the cake! To this day, I wish I could remember it. Unfortunately, for the first time in my life, I'd gotten so drunk I didn't remember a damn thing that happened. All I know is that those towels we'd had were a huge mess—and not just with sand, if you catch my drift.
Morning found us both massively hung over. But we couldn't just lounge around on the beach all day. Lisa had to get to work later, and I felt wrong just chilling at the villa while the woman I'd talked into drinking with me walked back to the resort alone. So I started walking her home. Apparently one of the perks of her job was that she got a free room at the resort's hotel.
As we were heading across the public beach, I stopped when I saw…what I could only assume were two living statues. Judai and Sho were, for some reason, just standing there on the beach. Judai's head was low, and Sho was gaping.
…What the fuck?
Well, no point in wondering. I started over, with a confused and concerned Lisa following. "Yo, dudes!" I said. "What are you doing standing around here?"
My words seemed to knock the crazy Marufuji out of his stupor. He threw his arms up in the air, bellowing, "LIES! They're all lies! There's just no way!"
Okay, if I didn't know the guy was bonkers before, that told me quite clearly. But what lies could get such a freak-out from any sane person? Granted, he wasn't sane. Maybe he was always like this?
Lisa, who had never seen this before, was still calm. She turned to be with nothing but confusion on her face and asked, "What's he talking about, Natsu?"
"Good question, bro. What's going on?" I asked.
I was hoping Judai would say something, but he didn't. From looking at him, I was starting to think he'd had enough of everything. He wasn't acknowledging anything going on.
So, unfortunately, Sho answered, "Aniki here said that Asuka's betrayed us! B-but that can't be true! Can it!?"
Whoa! Okay, a betrayal like that would cause some problems. I mean, Haruko had mentioned a "cute couple" made up of a blond and a brunette at her school, so I figured it was probably Judai and Asuka once I'd met them both. Hey, what could I say? They seemed like they'd be Haru's idea if a cute couple. So, seeing as he liked the girl, her betrayal had to sting like hell.
Meanwhile, however, Sho seemed to be in denial. And seconds away from another psycho moment, though I couldn't say what form it would take. Hey, after all these guys had apparently been through, who could blame them for losing it when somebody betrayed them? Fubuki had told me quite a bit.
"Betrayed? What?" Lisa asked, and I wondered if she was made of the same foreign substance as my little sis because she still wasn't shaken.
"Calm down, bro," I said, focusing back in on the situation at hand. "I'm sure there's a good explanation." I looked at Judai, realizing something nobody else had yet. "But, uh, is it just me, or does Judai look pale?"
He did look a little pale. Not anything to be massively worried about, but still something we should be acknowledging. Additionally, he seemed to have goosebumps, and he was shivering. Well, it had been pretty chilly and extremely windy last night. That much I'd gathered from a look around the beach when I woke up.
Sho blinked, snapping out of it. "Huh?" he asked, looking at his friend.
"Oh, the poor dear," Lisa sympathized, looking at Judai. "How long's he been like this?"
When Sho's eyes bugged out, I figured he didn't know. The way he suddenly started spazzing out, you'd think Judai had a severe case of hypothermia and was on the point of freezing to death! I mean, yeah, he had hypothermia, but it wasn't nearly as bad as Sho was making it out to be! Sho grabbed Judai and started shaking him frantically.
Okay, uh, if he did have that bad a case of hypothermia, that could kill him, Sho. Good thing he wasn't that bad off. Damn, Fubuki hadn't been kidding when he called this kid a spaz.
"Aniki, ANIKI! Wake up! Come on!"
Judai blinked and looked at him. Sho stopped shaking, letting go and pulling back some. I could tell he was holding his breath, and I couldn't blame him. The look on Judai's face… Well, let's just say, Fubuki's stories about him didn't do the guy justice. He was obviously way worse off than Fubuki had made him out to be. Weird, since he'd seemed fine earlier.
"…Aniki…? You okay?" Sho asked, voice filled with worry.
Good question, little guy.
Judai just shrugged.
Okay, yeah. I needed to get this guy inside and warm him up. After that, I'd worry about fixing the damn mess Fubuki's little sister had made. Fuck, maybe Akiko was right when she blamed these guys for Judai's weird behavior.
I gently took Judai's arm, as though I was dealing with one of Fuyuko's female clients. As if I were dealing with something fragile. "Come on, bro," I said. "Let's get you inside and get you warmed up."
"'Kay…" he said quietly.
Well, at least he was responding.
"Good idea," Lisa said. "Bring him to my room. He can warm up and rest there." Then, still just as cool as a cucumber, she led the way back to the resort.
Sho was the only one panicking, and there really wasn't any need to. In fact, I figured the most immediate threat to Judai would be that Tenjoin girl or her new best buddy.
Damn, this was a helluva mess! What could have happened to cause this, anyway? Had Asuka really switched sides? I mean, with what Fubuki had told me about her feelings after Judai left, it wouldn't surprise me. But why join Ai? What was it supposed to be, revenge?
It didn't sound right. And, whether Judai liked it or not, I was gonna get his side of the story just as soon as we got him warmed up. I mean, trying any sooner would get Sho more worked up, and I really didn't want to do that.
"Hold on, Aniki! It's gonna be okay!" Sho said, tossing his jacket over Judai's shoulders.
…Yeah, no way in hell was I gonna get this guy more worked up.
Judai's POV
I didn't say anything to Sho's concern. What was I going to say? I didn't feel like arguing with him over the fact that I was fine, especially since I knew he'd never believe me.
Yubel appeared at my side as Natsuko dragged me off to the resort. She looked sympathetic and concerned, which should tell you how big of a mess I was right then. "Judai, uh, not to sound rude, but…you've still got me." After a moment, she reluctantly added, "And all the others, too…"
I knew she was only adding that for my sake. After all, she hated me having other friends. But it didn't really help much. I was busy wondering when the next friend was going to betray me. This kept happening, after all. I lost all of my friends, one by one, when I was five and again during third year. Sure, the way I lost them kept changing, but it was the same thing in the end. All my friends left me, and I was alone. They say history repeats itself, and my life sure was proof of that one.
On my other side, Winged Kuriboh appeared, looking at me sadly. "Kuri…"
Ai's POV
Now, don't get me wrong. I knew that the things I did could mess a guy up. But I hadn't actually done anything, so I didn't expect a broken and sickly man to come into the resort.
That man Natsuko came in, pulling along the aforementioned unexpected man—Judai. I had only looked out in the hallway after hearing Sho's frantic worrying over his friend. In addition to those three, there was a woman with them.
They were far enough down the hallway that I couldn't hear what they were saying. If they hadn't walked right past my room, I probably wouldn't have known they were there at all. Natsuko was holding one of Judai's arms. His other was draped over Sho's shoulders. I imagined that wasn't really necessary, but Sho probably thought it was.
As I headed down the hallway toward them, I noticed that Sho looked downright worried (just like how he sounded) while the other two just looked a bit concerned. Judai, on the other hand, looked miserable, and I didn't think it was just because of the shivering.
The woman pointed to a door toward the end of the hallway, saying, "It's right over there."
"Alright," Natsuko said. "Come on, Judai. It's okay. Almost there."
"Aniki… He's…gonna be okay, right? Right?" Sho said, casting a worried look to Natsuko.
Well, he did look bad—mentally, especially. I couldn't help but be concerned.
I took a step closer and called, "Judai?
Aside from Judai, everyone there stopped, turning with startled expressions.
Sho didn't stay that way for more than a millisecond.
Sho's POV
I glared at the one responsible for trapping and all but torturing my Aniki. My blood boiled as I thought of everything she'd done—causing Asuka to turn against us and leaving Aniki depressed and, thanks to last night, sick! There was no way she was getting away with any of it!
"Crap!" Natsuko said. He turned to Lisa, pushing Aniki toward her as he said, "Get Judai in your room and lock the door. I'll handle this."
She looked startled as she took hold of Aniki, holding him close to protect him from that witch. At least, that was what I decided her reason was. "Why? What's wrong?"
As Natsuko tried to take a step forward, I held up a hand to block him. There was no way in hell I was letting this guy get in the way of me getting revenge on that demon! She was going to pay dearly for this!
"No!" I said, rolling up my sleeves. "I'll handle this!"
I charged, yelling a battle cry I'd gotten out of old movies, and pounced the witch! My fist connected with her face.
Ai didn't make this easy for me, though. After that first blow, she started blocking my attacks and trying to pry me off her. She seemed to have some training in dealing with attackers, but I got the feeling they had trained her to deal with people bigger than her. A lot of her techniques didn't work so well on me, so she resorted to what I imagined people would do when a small dog or an octopus latched onto them. Not that that worked, either. Faced with my rage, she had little choice but to shield as best she could and scream, both of which she did.
Natsuko's POV
…The guy was insane! What the hell was he doing!? He looked like a rabid animal, attacking her like that!
I stared for a moment before answering Lisa with, "She's a problem for Judai. Now get him inside while I…uh, stop Sho from killing her?"
Wow. Never thought I'd say those words in a sentence.
Lisa just stared, stunned into silence. Yeah, fair enough. Sho was pretty freaky.
Lisa's POV
That boy was a beast! What in the world was going on that would make him so angry at that woman? Why was Natsuko so calm about this? Why did it seem like Judai was oblivious to everything going on around him? One thing was for sure: Natsuko had some serious explaining to do later.
For the moment, though, I needed to get this poor man warmed up. So, still totally lost, I took Judai into my room, pulled back the covers on my bed, and made him lie down before throwing the covers back over him. After that, I sat down on the edge of the bed, rubbing and massaging his arms as I listened to the racket outside.
Natsuko's POV
Okay, well, Judai and Lisa were out of the way. Meanwhile, Sho had somehow managed to pin Ai to the floor underneath him. She held her arms up to shield her face from his attacks.
"Take that! And that!" Sho said, hitting her twice. Then he started punching her rapidly, getting past her defenses, as he said, "And some of these!"
…Yeah, this was too much. And he wasn't done yet. No doubt about it—I had to stop him.
I grabbed him under the arms to pull him off, quickly adjusting my grip so I held onto that damn arm he was about to hit her with. For a little guy, he was real strong!
"Sho!" I said. "You're gonna get arrested!"
"Get off me, you little—GUARDS!" Ai shrieked.
Fuck! Okay, so the girl had guards, which meant we really shouldn't have been messing with her this way!
I snatched Sho off her and dragged him, kicking and screaming, into Lisa's room, locking the door behind me.
No doubt about it: Sho was insane! Why did Judai even hang out with such a lunatic? Where did he even meet such a lunatic!?
"Let me at her! I don't care who she is! She's gonna—"
"Beating her up's not gonna help your Aniki, Sho!" I yelled.
He stopped flailing, but he was still trying to pull out of my grip. Well, it was a start, at least. "Yeah, but—"
"Just calm down, okay?"
Straining to hear what was going on, I caught Ai talking to someone. Her guards, I figured. She told them what had happened, but, much to my surprise, she said that it was more her fault than anything. She had bothered him during a moment of intense stress, so she didn't want them to arrest him.
Oh, fuck. Arrest him!? What were we dealing with here!? Stalker royalty!?
Still, I figured that leniency of hers wouldn't last if he attacked again, so I told Sho, "Getting arrested's probably gonna make him feel worse, don't you think?"
Sho stopped struggling and blinked a couple of times, as if he hadn't thought of that. What, really?
After a moment, he said, "Right. Sorry…" He lowered his head in shame.
Lunatic.
I let him go.
"Honestly," Lisa said from where she was sitting next to Judai. "What was that all about, anyway? What aren't you telling me, Natsuko?"
Damn. Well, I knew I'd have to tell her sooner or later.
"Well, Judai's got a stalker…and she may or may not be immune to the law because she may or may not be a princess. Calling for guards leads me to think she is a princess. She's found a way to keep him from leaving the island."
There. That should be good enough.
Wrong. She crossed her arms, glaring at me slightly. "Uh-huh. Go on," she said sternly. She sounded like a mother trying to find out why her kids were fighting.
Shit. I was afraid she'd want to know more. Given Sho's attitude about Ai, I didn't want to go into any more detail. Then again, Lisa had a right to know since she was caught in the middle of it.
Sho, looking very concerned, moved to the other side of Lisa's bed and started rubbing Judai's arms. Really, Sho, he wasn't that bad off. He'd be fine.
But Sho's distraction made it easier for me to speak up, at least.
"The only way she'll let him leave is if he marries her, she's been trying to rape him, and she recently found a way to keep him from getting back to where he was staying in an attempt to force him to share a room with her," I said.
Another glare from Lisa, whose arms were crossed.
"Hmph," Sho said. "Not to mention she turned one of his closest friends against us. Right, Aniki?"
A moment's silence. Then, "M-maybe…"
Just then, the worst possible thing happened: Asuka Tenjoin's voice sounded from the hallway.
"Ai! You okay!? What happened!?" she asked, sounding worried.
Oh, shit.
"Sho's gone insane," Ai answered. "Something's wrong with Judai, so he attacked me!"
"That figures. Don't hold it against him, though. Sho's crazy about Judai. Heck, if I didn't know better, I'd say he was in love with the idiot. But, fortunately, he likes girl duel monsters, so that's a no."
The idiot? Did she usually call Judai that? And why did she sound so bitter when she talked about him? Did she hate him?
Sho started, looking offended. "H-hey! She can't go around telling people about that! Who's she think she is!? And I'M NOT GAY, either!" He slammed his eyes shut, gritting his teeth and clenching his fists.
"Oh, I wasn't holding it against him," Ai said. "I know he's a bit crazy. Anyway, I'm going to take a shower and get dressed."
"Okay. See you down at the beach when you're done?" Asuka asked, sounding friendly.
"Sure! But can you check up on Judai for me, please? I want to know exactly why Sho spazzed out on me."
"Do I have to?" Asuka asked, sounding both annoyed and reluctant.
Oh, fuck. So she really had changed sides? No! That couldn't be it! I should know all about subterfuge, given that my best bud and little sis both did it for a living. And that girl was acting off.
"W-what!?" Sho cried.
"I'd appreciate it," Ai said.
I heard Asuka sigh. "Fine. I'll go see. Where's he at?"
Sho's POV
W-what!? Asuka sounded annoyed and exasperated. But...that couldn't be her! U-unless it really was because of what Aniki had done! So, she hated him!? But that wasn't fair! He'd been through enough already! Why was she so cruel!?
"Thanks, Asuka! You're a doll!" that monster Ai said. "Down the hall a couple of doors and across the hall."
As Ai headed back for her room, we heard footsteps heading away. I just sat there, trying to grasp this new information. Asuka had betrayed us. Aniki had been telling the truth.
Natsuko's POV
Sho was sitting on the bed, looking like he'd gone back into denial. Though there was a deeper horror hiding on his face, too, so I figured he was getting past the denial. Now, if I could only figure out what would come next, we'd be golden.
"I…didn't just hear that. Natsuko, tell me I didn't just hear that! Well!?" Sho demanded, leaning forward. His eyes were wide.
I couldn't think of what she would be doing acting like Ai's friend now. I mean, if it were Akiko, she'd have pulled out by now. She'd gotten what she was after, after all.
"What's she up to?" I wondered.
There was a knock on Lisa's door then, and Asuka called, "Uh, excuse me? May I come in?"
Her tone seemed normal. By that, I mean that she sounded a whole lot different from when she'd been talking to Ai earlier. Was "normal" even a thing for her anymore?
I headed over and opened the door a bit. Asuka stood there with a slightly concerned look on her face.
Thinking of her words, Judai's current state, and the psycho known as Sho, I said, "Uh, I'm not so sure if that's wise…"
"Why, what is it? Is Judai okay?" she asked, now obviously concerned.
Okay, I couldn't think of any rational reason for her behavior. I mean, if she was a traitor, she wouldn't care about Judai. On the other hand, there was no reason for her to continue this act now that she'd gotten the information she wanted. Ai wasn't after her, after all.
After a moment of puzzled debate, the best explanation I could come up with was, "Do you suffer from some strange variant of bipolar disorder?"
She blinked, looking lost and a bit surprised. As well she should have. "W-what?"
Judai's POV
I listened to the conversation at the door, really wishing she'd just go away. I closed my eyes, not sure what was going on. I mean, she seemed like she cared now, but she'd been acting like she hated me just a minute ago. I would have loved to have thought it was just a dream, but the day before was too vivid in my mind, especially after that conversation she'd just had with Ai.
Natsuko's friend Lisa stopped worrying over me then, but Sho started rubbing my arms in a more massaging way, as if he was trying to comfort me.
Great. I was worrying him.
"Uh…we heard everything you said to Ai…?" Natsuko said.
"What? How?" Asuka sounded surprised and…caught?
"Because we've been insanely quiet, waiting for the cops or something to come and take Sho away."
I peeked just in time to see Asuka sweat. "Right…" She looked around, apparently nervous and uncomfortable. "May I come in please? We need to talk."
"Sure," Natsuko said, stepping back. "Watch yourself, though. Sho bites."
"Hey!" Sho said, offended.
Natsuko was watching Asuka cautiously, so he didn't catch Sho's look.
I quickly closed my eyes again. Maybe she'd think I was sleeping and would leave me alone. Yeah, I know, that's the coward's way out. But I didn't know what to expect from her anymore.
Asuka's POV
I walked in and saw Judai lying in the room's only bed, looking sickly. That got me worried. I wanted to talk to him, apologize for yesterday and explain myself, but it looked like he was asleep.
From the looks of everyone there, something bad must have happened to Judai because of me. To top things off, they'd just overheard my conversation with that jerk Ai. That was just great. As if things could have gotten worse.
Well, first things first. I needed to find out what Ai had done to Judai. After that, I could get this huge misunderstanding under control. Just my luck, though, Sho the loudmouth had to be there when I explained. I'd have to find some way to keep his big mouth shut!
But, first, Judai.
"What happened to him?" I asked, shutting the door behind me.
Sho crossed his arms, glaring at me. "Well, gee, Miss Tenjoin, you tell me."
What was that supposed to mean? And why did he sound so bitter? He was treating me almost as badly as he did Ai! What could he possibly think I'd done to deserve that?
"What? Why? What did I do?"
"I found them both standing on the beach this morning," Natsuko answered. "Judai was totally spacing out, and Sho said something about you changing sides."
My eyes widened. Sho thought I was the enemy? And Judai was spacing out?
"What!? That's ridiculous! Why would you think—"
It hit me hard right then. I cut myself off, thinking about the day before. I'd been mean to Judai, Manjoume, and Kenzan for, apparently, no reason. Manjoume and Kenzan had taken it fine, but Judai had looked crushed.
"…Oh…"
I sweat, realizing I'd made a really bad move yesterday. I couldn't believe he'd taken it so hard! Sure, Manjoume had probably told the others, but Judai had taken it so poorly that he'd stood outside all night!? And, somewhere along the way, Sho had joined him, and both of them had just stood there the whole time!? So he hadn't even snapped out of it to deal with Sho? What was wrong with him!?
Natsuko raised an eyebrow at me. "'Oh?' Care to elaborate on this 'oh?'"
I sweat again but didn't answer Natsuko. Instead I slowly approached Judai.
I had to straighten this out before it went way too far. I was starting to think Judai wouldn't last long if I didn't. Great, so I had to tell my big-mouth friends the truth in order to keep one of them from all but killing himself! Why was this so difficult? Why had he taken this so hard? He didn't used to be this bad. He was more sensitive than a smoke detector these days! Honestly, he didn't make any sense now.
I hesitated. "Judai? Can you hear me?" I asked.
This was nerve-racking. It shouldn't have been, but it was. After hurting Judai so badly, what if he wouldn't listen to me? What if he hated me either way after this? Had that one little act ruined our strained friendship completely? Before I wouldn't have worried about something like that with him, but you never could tell these days. I mean, I wouldn't have worried about him taking this so hard before, either, and look what happened.
He opened an eye slightly, peeking at me. Well, at least he was listening.
"…Hi…" I said.
"…Hi…"
His tone wasn't reassuring. He still sounded hurt, but now he also seemed like he was on guard! As though he was expecting me to yell at him again for no reason! How had that stupid act come to this? That woman was tearing everything apart!
For a moment, I didn't know what to say. Finally I sighed, deciding that all I could do was apologize and hope for the best. With any luck, at least I could get him to stop moping, even if he didn't forgive me.
Ai was dead when this was over.
"Look, Judai, about yesterday…I'm sorry. I guess I…didn't think you'd take it so badly. I mean, the others were okay with it."
"Okay with what…?"
I hesitated, looking for the right words. "With…the things I said, okay? I mean, clearly they're okay since I haven't heard of any of them going to the hospital or something like that over what I said. And, in the hall just now, well…"
I was avoiding the point, but I didn't know how to say this. No matter how I did, it wouldn't come out right. On the one hand, I hadn't told them, so he might be mad at me for that. On the other, if I didn't get this out now, he might not believe my apology. I couldn't win no matter what!
"Is there a point here somewhere…?" Judai asked. "'Cause it feels like there should be."
I decided to just come out and say it. It would be better to be honest and accept the consequences than to lie and make things worse. My mother had been right about those so-called little white lies—they just kept growing and growing.
"Look, the point is, I came here to help you, not hurt you. But to do that, sadly, requires some sacrifices on my part, or the whole thing's a bust."
Sho raised an eyebrow, looking confused and suspicious. Well, at least he wasn't going to kill me…if I told them what those sacrifices were. Ugh, he could be such a pain.
"Sacrifices?" he asked.
"Like what?" Judai added.
Well, clearly they needed answers, so I hesitantly continued. "Like…pretending I'm Ai's new best friend? Keeping up the acts I created during our one on one talks together?"
I suddenly realized something else my act might need if it wound up dragging on for too long. Sure, Kyle and Junko knew their parts as of last night, but I'd told Ai that there was a man named Eric I liked who didn't acknowledge my feelings. If this went on for too long, she might want to meet him…and he didn't even exist.
"Speaking of, I'd better find a guy named Eric who I love but who doesn't know how I'm feeling at all, just in case." Muttering, I added, "Should be fun."
And it should be. That was like trying to find a needle in a haystack! I didn't even know anyone named Eric! Why had I picked that name!? Why, if Kyle hadn't transferred from the North Academy last year, I wouldn't even know anyone with that name! What had I been thinking!?
I didn't have to dwell on this for long because Sho rolled his eyes, glaring at me again. "Wow… That sounds familiar," he said, sounding bitter again. "So, what? Create a second version of your life story to add some pizzazz to whatever act you've created?"
Yes, he was certainly bitter.
"Uh. Well…" I sweat.
Oh, boy, he'd pinned me there. I mean, sure, I wasn't that interested in most of the guys I'd met, but there had been one back in high school. And, just my luck, he was the only one who wasn't interested in me. Why is it that all of the good guys were either taken or too dense?
"How come you need to do this?" Judai asked, sitting up. "Didn't you already figure out what you wanted to know?"
I sighed. He just had to ask, didn't he? Wasn't it enough to know it was just an act? I mean, Sho was mad enough at me as it was! This would send him off the deep end for sure.
But, given that lying hadn't done any good at all, I said, "Yes. But just barely, and, in case you forgot, Ai's dangerous. I'm not taking any chance of her finding out that I told you and either ruining all our plans or having Ai come after me again, okay? Sorry, guys, but I'm in too deep to just back out now. I have no choice but to continue at this point. Do you understand?"
There. That should answer their questions. That way, neither of them needed to hear my story about Judai being dangerous, which would keep Sho off my back.
"Depends," Judai said. "What excuse did you give her for why you're here?"
I sweat again. Geez, Judai was just too curious for his own good sometimes! He wouldn't want to hear this, either!
"Someone said the Sacred Beasts were here attacking. We've pretty much agreed that it was some Monarchs I can't see and you trying to bust out."
Sho looked lost. "…Okay…"
Oh, good! He wasn't following. Now, if Judai could just shut up and forget it, everything would be fine! …Then again, there was a small hole in my answer, wasn't there? Oh, don't ask, Judai. Just don't.
He stared at me for a moment. Finally he said, "Then, if that's why you're here, couldn't you leave whenever you wanted…?"
Damn it, Judai! Were you trying to cost me everything!? Why did he have to keep asking these questions with Sho in the room!? He'd kill me!
"Well, I could have. If I hadn't also agreed to stick around awhile to keep an eye on Ai. I…kinda convinced her that you were a super genius and would eventually find a way out on your own and go kill her for this?" I said, feeling a bit nervous.
He must have been angry at me. Why else would he set Sho up with every possible bit of information he'd need to decide to kill me?
Natsuko's girlfriend was glaring at him in a way that made it clear he had some explaining to do. Her hands were on her hips. He laughed nervously, showing exactly what I was feeling by that point.
Judai stared at me for a second, making me more nervous. Was he actually going to be okay with this?
Finally he said, "Okay…"
Good. He was okay with it. Too bad Sho didn't agree. He whirled on Judai, getting up in his face and glaring fiercely. I couldn't help but think he should watch himself. After all, Judai seemed to have become just as delicate as a flower recently.
"Okay? Okay!?" Sho demanded. "Aniki, she just made you sound no different than Haou! And you think that's 'okay'!? Are you crazy!?"
Well, at the end, he stopped glaring. Apparently he actually did think Judai might be crazy.
Judai, being used to Sho's bizarre behavior, just shrugged and said, "I am no different from Haou, Sho. He and I are the same person, just different personalities."
"Wait, now you've got that personality disorder, too!?" Natsuko said.
"Long story, Natsuko," I told him quickly. "Don't ask."
I really didn't want to think about what had happened during that time. I'd read about Haou in Sho's books and been glad that I hadn't been there, but that didn't mean I wanted to think about it!
Sho calmed down a great deal with those words. His attitude switched over to more of a guilty one. "True. But you're not him. You're the good personality, so—"
"Doesn't matter," Judai cut him off, sounding calm.
Sho stared at him for a bit, stunned, then turned back to glare at me. "And you! What other lies did you make up!?" he demanded. "Or was it half-truths and only some lies!? Like, did you tell her how you got abandoned by your first love and then made up a new guy to replace him!? Or did you tell her that your first love never noticed you, then said that Kyle was just like that!? Or did you—"
"Sho!" I cut him off, taking a step back. I didn't want him to keep guessing what I'd said to Ai.
He raised a fist into the air as he yelled, "WHAT!? Can't handle the truth!? That you're a—"
Judai's POV
Okay, yeah, time to stop him. I mean, I was glad that he cared so much to be that angry about this, but Asuka hadn't really done anything wrong. Besides, I wasn't mad at her, so why should he have been? Whatever he was about to say was more than he needed to.
"Cut it out, Sho," I said.
Startled, he turned to me, lowering his fist. His eyes were wide. "Huh!? But, Aniki, she's a—" He pointed back at her, turning back slightly.
"Cut it out, Sho," I repeated.
He started and turned all the way to face me. "B-but—"
"Sho… Cut. It. Out."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, back it up a bit. What did he just say about half-truths and lovers?" Yubel asked. "Abandoned? Replaced? Not noticed? What's going on here?" She sounded both surprised and suspicious, but I really didn't want to know. After all, I probably wouldn't like it.
I don't know, and I don't care. Sho has a wild imagination sometimes.
Yubel was quiet a moment before asking, "Yeah? Then why's she look so uncomfortable?"
Well, she had a point. Asuka was rubbing her arms and blushing. I didn't get it. What was wrong with her?
Asuka's POV
Oh, he'd gotten me again. That fake story of mine did look a lot like reality. But why did Sho have to say that in front of Judai!? He wouldn't get it, anyway! He was too dense to ever understand!
Sho just stared at Judai for a bit before he sighed and muttered, "This is why everyone calls him an idiot. He's too nice sometimes."
Judai's POV
"Does it matter?" I muttered for Yubel's sake. "She's got a boyfriend…"
"…True."
Either way, I seemed to have gotten my point through to Sho, at least. He stared at me for a bit longer before turning a glare back on Asuka.
Growling, he said, "Well, Aniki may have forgiven you for what you did, but I sure won't!" He jumped off the bed and got up in her face, jabbing a finger so close that he was almost poking her in the eye. No wonder she leaned back nervously. "Just because you're still upset about all that's no reason to go making up sob stories based on it! And especially not when you're telling them to the enemy!" He backed off, shutting his eyes as he waved his arms in front of him, adding, "So, as of right now and forever more, you can consider this friendship over! Later, Aniki." He started marching off in a huff. "Let me know when you feel better."
So he was gone.
Asuka turned, reaching a hand out to try to stop him. "Sho! Wait!"
He didn't. He slammed the door behind him. Asuka pulled back, looking upset. Guess I shouldn't have been asking all those questions with Sho around. Whoops.
Natsuko let out a whistle. "Wow. Didn't see that coming."
Asuka sighed, her shoulders slumping. She turned back to me and said, "Anyway, Judai. You feeling any better now?"
"Yeah, I guess," I said.
"Good. Now, I've gotta go, okay? But, rest assured, the things I say when Ai's around aren't true, okay?"
Asuka's POV
I didn't think about this at the time, but that wasn't really the truth. I was even lying to myself that time. But I wanted to believe that just as much as Judai did.
Honestly, he had really hurt me when he left without saying goodbye after graduation. There would never be anyone else as good as him. But he was a wanderer, risking his life to save others, and he'd clearly never have the time or desire to stick around for long.
I decided that I was a little resentful of him. He had changed completely after Dark World, and I resented him for it. I still liked him, but it wasn't the same as before. My feelings for him weren't as strong as before. I mean, obviously, or I wouldn't have been dating Kyle.
Kyle was a good duelist, handsome, a real gentleman and sometimes a dueling partner. He knew I could take care of myself, and he'd never been to Dark World. He was about as close to perfect as you could get. In fact, he reminded me a bit of Judai, except with more brains.
"Okay," Judai said, snapping me out of my thoughts.
"Okay," I echoed, relieved that he wasn't upset about this. Then I turned to Natsuko, hoping he would be as understanding. "Natsuko?"
"Hey, why are you asking me?" he asked. "I don't even know you all that well. Though, word of advice: Clue people in on your plans in the future. Then you won't have stuff like this happening."
Yeah, thanks for the advice. Too bad it wouldn't work with my friends.
"I would if there weren't so many blabbermouths in my group," I muttered. Then I sighed.
Mentally, I made a list of all those I didn't think could keep secrets: Sho, Fubuki, Manjoume, Haruko, Kenzan, Johan… Honestly, they all loved to talk! Some, like Johan, only blabbed if they thought others needed to know, but that didn't work when the others just loved to talk! Even Judai could blow a secret at times. Why would I have told them this? Seriously, Natsuko had been friends with Fubuki for three years now. He needed to get a few things straight about my brother and his friends if he was planning on hanging out with us.
Granted, he'd never met most of our friends. Fubuki had introduced him to me, which hadn't been fun. Natsuko had asked if I was single and wanted to "paint the town" with him. As an afterthought, he'd added Fubuki to that plan. In short, he was another jerk.
As if that wasn't bad enough, Natsuko then decided that I needed to meet one of his friends, no doubt hoping to hook us up. Fortunately I'd been with Kyle when I met Fuyuko, so Natsuko's plan had failed. Additionally, it was probably doomed from the start because Fuyuko wasn't interested.
I pushed those irritating thoughts away and headed for the door. "Later," I said.
Losing Sho's friendship wasn't exactly a huge blow, but it did sting a bit. Whether those stories of mine were based on reality or not, Ai already knew it, so what did it matter? It was still a good cover story. It worked and kept me out of trouble, so why should he have been so angry about it? It wasn't that big of a deal.
Judai's POV
Well, now I felt really bad. Sho was mad at her because of me. I'd have to figure out some way to fix that later.
Yubel appeared beside the bed, her arms crossed. She looked sick and tired of my behavior, but there was a hint of concern hiding underneath. "Well, that was weird. You feeling any better now?" she asked me.
Yeah, I answered silently. Of course, just then, I sneezed. Well, maybe that was why I was actually feeling so bad. Though I think I might have caught a cold…
Yubel laughed and said, "Well, what do you expect!? You were standing out there all night without any shelter whatsoever. Man, for a boy, you're awfully emotional." With that taunt, she grinned.
The implication: I acted more like a girl because I had fused with her. Not funny. Yeah, except that's all I was doing, is standing, I said.
"You were in space over this. Admit it," she teased, nudging my side.
Boy, did she know how to embarrass me. Yeah, I'd been overreacting. I hadn't even given Asuka a chance to explain what was going on before going off the deep end over that! Man, what was it with me and trust these days? It didn't used to be so hard.
Yeah, yeah…
"Are you okay?" Lisa asked, looking concerned. "You look a bit feverish."
Yeah, I did feel a bit warm, so I could believe that.
"Probably just a cold," I said. I mean, it wasn't like that was anything serious. I caught colds all the time.
Natsuko put a hand on my forehead, checking my temperature. "Yep, you've got a fever. Better get some rest, kiddo."
Kiddo? Really?
"I'm not a kid…" I said.
Natsuko pushed me back down, ignoring my complaint.
Lisa opened the door to head out. She stopped in the doorway, looking back, and said, "I'll go see about getting him some hot soup from the diner. Do you need anything else?"
Well, clearly my "mother" was talking to me there, so I said, "No, that's okay."
"Be right back, then. Keep an eye on him, Natsuko. You know, just in case."
She sounded so motherly, so you can see why I called her my mother earlier. It was like she wanted to make sure her "son" was going to be okay and was worried about leaving me alone. She'd make a good mom…that is, if she wasn't one already.
"Don't worry, Lisa," Natsuko answered. "I got this."
She nodded and headed out.
Once she was gone, Natsuko turned to me. "Judai, what were you thinking, standing around out there all night? That was totally careless!"
Yeah, yeah, I got the point. Sheesh, did he really need to start scolding me? What were he and Lisa doing, practicing being parents and using me as the dummy? Granted, given Natsuko's reputation, he probably already had a few kids, whether he knew it or not.
"I wasn't thinking, that's what I was thinking…" I said.
"Clearly." He shook his head, adding, "Honestly. And Sho wasn't much better, just standing there with you!"
"You know, he's got a point," Yubel said. "You could have at least moved for Sho's sake. You know Sho, after all."
I don't know why I didn't, Yubel. You weren't exactly trying to help last night, either.
She shrugged, her eyes closed. "How could I help? You were lost in another world. I sure as heck couldn't find you! I'm surprised Sho actually did, now that I think about it." She put a hand to her chin, looking thoughtful.
Geez, way to remind me how stupid and pathetic I'd been acting.
"Well, either way, Judai, you should get some rest," Natsuko said.
"Yeah, okay," I said, closing my eyes.
He had a point, after all. I'd been up all night, and I'd gone and gotten myself a cold, too. Getting some sleep seemed like a great idea.
I heard the door lock, then Natsuko flopped into a chair. Knowing him, he'd probably been up all night with Lisa, so we both needed some sleep.
So I drifted off.