Scene Seven: Professional

Emeralda glanced outside the car window. "Just when you think this city's traffic couldn't get any worse. How much farther is it?"

"About five minutes, ma'am," was the driver's chipper response.

"We can only hope," said Edo, sitting upright and looking straight ahead. Thank God Nina had gone to the Expo in her uncle's car. He needed to be clearheaded for the event.

"So you have no clue who's interviewing me?" he asked Emeralda.

She shook her head. "A close associate of Pegasus, that's all I could wring out of the guy." She gave him a teasing smirk. "You nervous?"

He scoffed. "Hardly. It's probably just your run-of-the-mill Q&A." He was more concerned about Pegasus hiring some clown to give Edo the third degree about his personal life.

He was a professional. He wasn't going to give them squat.

"Well our scripted answers should be fine," Emeralda said, approving of his self-confidence. "Just watch out for those curve balls journalists like to throw."

"Calling those cretins 'journalists' is a disservice to the media industry," he said. "Maybe if I'm lucky they won't ask me anything about my love life."

She chuckled. "Heh, don't count on that. Not when you're looking this good."

She eyed his outfit, a crisp white suit with a blue tie matching the shade of his eyes.

Edo figured she'd approve. There was something so regal about a blue and white ensemble. No wonder those colors were used for Duel Academia's Obelisk dorm. Asuka would probably appreciate the look. If they had a chance to meet today.

"We have arrived," the driver announced.

"Get ready," said Emeralda, looking out at the crowd forming around the car, waiting to pounce.

Edo closed his eyes for a moment, relaxing his face muscles so he would be ready to greet his fans. Now wasn't the time to be thinking about Asuka. He had a job to perform.

Asuka sat alone in one of Pegasus' cars, trying very hard not to think about the performance she was due to undertake.

Before leaving for the event with his personal entourage, Pegasus assured her that she looked "terrific" and that she was going to "knock Edo's socks off." It's almost like he knew it was more than just an interview for Asuka. She even used her internship salary to buy some new clothes. A white button-down shirt along with a light blue suit-and-skirt combo. That's how she's seen newscasters dress, anyway. Pegasus also mentioned there would be a specialist helping her with makeup.

She was going all out for a guy she was in no way ready to face.

She saw that her driver entered the convention center parking lot without any trouble. A modest, unmarked car didn't appeal much to paparazzi, unless they were expecting one. Not at the Expo, where attendees were dying to show off.

"You may exit from here," said the driver, pulling up in front of a stairwell. "I'll circle around and find myself a spot."

Asuka politely smiled. "Great, thanks." Before leaving, she checked to see if her notebook, containing her questions to Edo, was in her bag.

The flight upstairs was so solitary, she was unprepared when she met the bustling crowds of the convention center.

This was not the sterile environment of a typical business hub. Tons of young people were walking by and chattering excitedly. Like Pegasus' office, the room's ceiling was made of glass, providing ample brightness for the festivities. Banners of famous Duel Monsters, as various as world country flags, hung from the upper walls. Stands and vendors were set up every which way, selling everything from actual cards to Duel Monster-themed food.

Despite still feeling overwhelmed, Asuka marveled at the sight she beheld. There was as much frenzy as there would be for an actual tournament.

She glanced at her watch, it was just after ten o'clock. The interview was due to start at eleven sharp and she had to arrive fifteen minutes prior for preparation. Meaning additional time staring down Edo Phoenix. And that she didn't have as much time as she would like to explore the Expo sites. She decided to steer clear of the vendors explicitly selling cards. While she wouldn't mind upgrading her deck, the sellers at these types of events were probably very pushy. She didn't feel like haggling for prices.

She decided to approach one of the food stands, even though she had a quick banana and toast breakfast. This particular food stand was called "Blue-Eyed Delicacies," with its window border shaped like dragon teeth.

"Hiya!" The proprietor greeted her. Even without the stand, Asuka could have gathered he was a fan of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon card. In addition to a T-shirt of Blue-Eyes Ultimate, he also wore a plush hat of the dragon.

"How can I help ya today? 'Cause we got LOTS of options," prattled the vendor. "Blue-Eyes Cream, Blue-Eyes'd Cookies, and I bet you'll really love the Blue-Eyes-cicle…"

"Well I," Asuka started, but the man kept listing options. It proved impossible to make a choice.

"Can I get the Blue-Eyes Cream?" Someone asked behind her.

Asuka was relieved someone made the choice for her. "I'll have that too, thanks."

She turned towards the helpful customer, only to receive a pleasant surprise.

"Shou? Is that really you?"

"Wow, Asuka!" Shou Marufuji adjusted his glasses to get a better look at her. "It's so cool that you're here."

It was no more than a couple of months since she had seen Shou at graduation. He was no longer wearing the Obelisk Blue coat, instead he was sporting a conservative dark blue jacket. He also seemed to have grown an inch, or maybe that was just the hair.

"So are you here to check out the pro duelist scene?" She asked, while they stood off to the side and waited for their orders.

Shou beamed. "Heh, this time I'm actually one of them." He showed her the lanyard he was wearing. The card attached contained a photo ID with the words: Shou Marufuji, Minor League Duelist.

He gave a nervous laugh, his finger trying to cover up the word 'minor.' "Well, I'm getting there. I've still got some work cut out for me if I wanna get to the same level where my brother once was."

"To even get into the League straight out of graduation is no small feat," Asuka reassured him. Hearing Ryou mentioned made her want to learn more about what her Duel Academia friends have been up to.

After they received their Blue-Eyes Creams, cones filled with cotton candy ice cream shaped like Blue-Eyes heads, the two former classmates sat down on a nearby bench and caught each other up on their lives. Asuka recounted the events of her internship, omitting her personal moments with Edo Phoenix, as well as the impending interview.

As for Shou, he told her that Juudai pretty much disappeared after graduation, though that was hardly news to Asuka. Johan would probably know where he is, but the Crystal Beast user didn't keep much contact with the rest of their group. Manjoume had also joined the Leagues, but Shou wasn't keeping track of his whereabouts, as he was concerned with facing his own competition.

Asuka was bewildered when Shou told her his last opponent had played a stall burn deck. "I can't believe those types of duelists have a chance at the Pro League," she said.

"He was using Gravekeepers too," was Shou's sullen reply. "Nothing like getting Royal Tributed while getting hit in the face with those card effects." He clenched his trembling fist. "Ordeal of a Traveler, how did he call it right every single time? How?"

Asuka had heard of that card. She counted her blessings that she had yet to be on the receiving end of its effect. "It's unfortunate, since your own cards cause you to take damage too." She then took on a more thoughtful look. "So, how is Ryou?"

Shou smiled, with a twinge of sadness. "He's getting better, finally out of that wheelchair. But still, he's not exactly his old self."

"I don't think Ryou will ever be his old self again," she said. His character had undergone too much change. Most of it, she hoped, was for the better.

"That's probably true," Shou said, carefully licking his now-dripping ice cream. "But I know dueling's still in his heart. He said he was looking forward to challenging Edo Phoenix for a rematch. Whenever he makes a new deck."

"That would be interesting to see." Those two were long overdue for a rematch. The question was, which one would Asuka root for?

Shou noticed her far-off look. "Asuka? You okay?"

"Huh?" She blinked. "Yeah, I'm fine." She also realized she had barely taken more than a few bites of her ice cream. It had turned into a mushy Blue-Eyes head. How could the mere mention of Edo Phoenix make her enter such a dreamy state?

Speaking of Edo, Asuka yanked her wrist to look at her watch. 10:43?!

She abruptly stood, letting the ice cream cone slip out of her hand. It landed on the ground with a splat. "Gotta go!"

"Go where?" Shou called out, though he knew his voice wouldn't be heard amidst the convention buzz. He glanced at the blue gunk on the floor. She could have at least offered him the rest of her ice cream…

Hopefully she took off in the right direction. The entire Expo seemed to be planted on this circular hallway, much of it looking exactly the same.

Fortunately, or maybe not, considering the knots in her stomach, Asuka spotted a door guarded by a tall, violet-haired woman. Edo's manager; Asuka never did get her name. She was shooing away what looked like Edo fangirls from the door. The woman's stern expression rivaled that of a nightclub bouncer.

Asuka gulped. Here goes nothing.

"May I help you?" Emeralda asked once she approached. She maintained her stoic expression but her eyes brimmed with curiosity.

Asuka inclined her head to look the other woman in the eye. "Well actually, I'm here for the interview." That confident tone came out of nowhere. It'd be the perfect moment for Edo's manager to burst out laughing saying, "What interview?"

Emeralda's eyes widened by a fraction, mildly surprised, but not bewildered. She then smirked. "So you're Asuka Tenjouin." She laid out her hand. "Emeralda Klein."

Asuka accepted the handshake, feeling Emeralda's sharp nails grazing her palm. "Nice to meet you," she said, not surprised that the other woman so easily knew her identity.

Emeralda nodded, without responding in kind. She placed her hand on the door handle. "Shall we go in? I warn you, we will have a minor audience inside."

Was she offering Asuka an escape? If Asuka had a lesser will, she would have bolted there and then.

But if she did, who knows when she'd face Edo Phoenix again?

"I'm ready," she said, with the same unknown confidence as before.

They entered a conference room that had become a makeshift television studio. The table and most of the chairs had been set aside, save for a few. Two blue armchairs were set up against a green screen, with a couple studio cameras and spotlights pointing at them.

Edo sat in one of the armchairs, looking quite disaffected by Nina hanging over his shoulders. He raised both his eyebrows upon seeing Asuka's entrance.

"Asuka!" Nina approached her with arms outstretched and a smile that was too wide for her eyes. "You came to watch, that's so cute! So sweet of my uncle to invite you. I bet you're wondering what flunkie reporter got the job?"

"Why Nina, didn't I tell you?" Pegasus called out from his seat. Naturally, he was sipping a glass of wine. "Asuka volunteered to do the interview herself!"

Nina narrowed her eyes, not dropping her false smile. "What?" She turned back to Asuka. "Asuka, what is my uncle talking about?" The malice in her words grew with each syllable.

Asuka felt a vein throb at her forehead. Volunteered? She could kill Pegasus, if he weren't her boss. "It's for my job Nina," she coolly said. "Mr. Crawford suggested the idea, and I took it. That's all."

"Hmph, I bet." Nina slowly turned away from her, giving her uncle a look of distress.

"We should get ready," Edo then spoke, looking at Asuka. He appeared unperturbed by the scene that had played out.

"Agreed," said Emeralda. "Let's get this girl into makeup!" She motioned to the crew members in attendance.

Pegasus patted the chair beside him. "Nina, let's have a seat." He gave his niece his usual saccharine smile. Nina stalked away from Asuka, like a dog wagging its tail in defeat, but not without leaving Asuka another piercing look.

Thankfully the makeup artist didn't perform too much work on her face. Just some brief touch-ups to make Asuka "TV-ready." A little rouge here, some lip gloss there. Another artist was taking care of Edo, though Asuka couldn't imagine what else he would need to accentuate his features.

Meanwhile a news reporter, who was here to present the interview, reviewed Asuka's notebook of questions.

"Not bad for a newbie," she said, flipping the notebook shut. The woman was gorgeous and presented herself as a seasoned anchorwoman. "Just be prepared to deviate from your script. Last thing we need is dead air."

Judging by the reporter's condescending glare, Asuka figured the woman had wanted to conduct the interview herself. If she kept associating with Edo Phoenix, most of the world's female population would likely raise arms.

Once Asuka returned from makeup, she saw that Edo sitting back down in his armchair. Emeralda was whispering something into his ear. He merely nodded, once again looking at Asuka.

Asuka sat herself down, only now noticing that Edo's blue tie was the same hue as her skirt and blazer. Good thing her face was already painted with rouge.

Edo gave her a casual smile. "Best of luck."

It was like he recalled nothing of their last encounter. Or he was just that good at being the pinnacle of profession.

She swallowed. "Same to you." Now where did that earlier confidence disappear to?

"Alright!" Emeralda's voice sounded far away. "Let's begin."

A/N: Yep, it's a cliffhanger. But otherwise the chapter would have gone on for too long, what with all my setup. Next chapter we will finally have the fated interview, and its consequences.