I honestly struggled a little bit with this chapter and had to cut a scene that I might be able to write in the sequel of "Crimson Star Priestess (New Version)" instead.

There is a short omake at the bottom. It was an idea that came to me while I was working around the middle of the chapter. I hope you'll like it.

The chapter begins in normal point of view.

Disclaimer: I do not own any Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters! I only own my OCs!

Chapter 94: The Shooting Star's Tanabata

The boys in Team 5D's were busy having a blast in the Satellite Trio's home in the garage. Rather, they were busy playing board games for a change instead of Duel Monsters. The reason for playing a different card game was Leo had Dueled Jack and Yusei earlier and lost miserably, so Crow suggested to play something else to distract the poor boy who got upset for losing. Since the Blackwing Duelist couldn't properly hold cards with his bandaged arm, the boys chose to play a board game.

After an hour or so of playing Monopoly, the game came to an end when Leo ended up going to jail due to not being able to pay his debts. "I hate this game!" the pre-teen exclaimed as he rested his face against the table. "I always end up losing all my money!"

Jack smirked victoriously while he held a large bunch of fake bills in his hand. "That's how it goes when you play against me in a game of fame and fortune!"

"Except Monopoly isn't about fame…", Crow muttered quietly as he counted his pile of bills.

Yusei didn't have much money compared to Jack, but he didn't care about it. He felt a little guilty for seeing Leo losing in multiple games this evening. An idea struck his mind. "Bruno, do you have a Deck?" he asked.

Bruno was putting the playing pieces and bills back in the game box when he got the question. "A Deck?" he repeated confusedly. "No, I don't have one. Why are you asking?"

"Would you like to Duel Leo if you used my Deck?" Yusei asked.

Leo snapped his head up when he heard his name. "Huh? Bruno Dueling me with Yusei's Deck?"

"I… I don't know, Yusei", Bruno laughed sheepishly. "I'm not familiar with your Deck."

"Oh please, Bruno!" Leo begged excitedly. "You haven't Dueled before, so why not trying it now? I mean, Yusei had amnesia when Luna and I met him for the first time and he remembered everything after we had a Duel. It might help you recover your memories too."

"Ehh…", Bruno hesitated while cold sweating.

"C'mon, Bruno, just try it once", Crow told him. "Maybe it can help you."

"I doubt you'll do well, but I'm curious about your skills too", Jack frowned.

Bruno could sense the pressure on him, so he had no other choice but to give in. "Okay, I'll try…", he responded.

"Awesome!" Leo cheered happily. "And this time, I will win!"

XXXXXXXXXX

Leo did end up winning against Bruno. Truth to be told, the secret Iliaster agent had actually calculated a strategy to win against the pre-teen, but he didn't want to reveal his Dueling skills, so he held himself back and that resulted a victory for the young Signer.

Shortly after that, Leo started feeling drowsy, so Yusei carried him to his bedroom and placed him on the bed. The leader of 5D's tucked in the young boy before he left and walked back to the kitchen and living room where the others were waiting.

"He's asleep now?" Crow asked before he blew his cup of hot tea and took a careful sip to not burn his tongue.

"Yeah", Yusei nodded before he sat down in an armchair. "It must've been a long night for him."

"He's still young and need lots of sleep to be a healthy boy", Crow chuckled. "Just like what Martha told us when we were kids."

Yusei chuckled by the thoughts of the good old days when he was a child and lived in Martha's orphanage. "It feels weird to think we were at Leo's age not long ago."

"Please, I was already a grown-up before I hit puberty", Jack smirked proudly.

"You were already quite a stuck-up jerk before we moved out of Martha's place", Crow muttered.

"Excuse me?!" Jack growled irritably.

"I'm envious of you three", Bruno said, catching the trio's attention. "You grew up together and have so many memories. I wish I could remember my past and family."

"I'm sure you'll soon recover your memory", Yusei tried comforting the super mechanic.

"I hope so…", Bruno sighed deeply.

"You guys wonder what the girls might be doing right now?" Crow asked out of the blue.

"They're either asleep or they're still up gossiping around", Jack shrugged before he leant against the couch and rested his head against his hands. "It wouldn't surprise me if they talked about romance."

"Hey, speakin' of romance…", Crow said before smirking at Yusei. "When will you take the next step with Estelle, Yusei?"

"W-What?" Yusei blushed when he heard the question.

"Oh c'mon, don't act like that", Crow grinned. "You told us you love her a long time ago, so when will you confess to her?"

"Yeah, I think it's about time you fess up and tell her how you feel already", Jack nodded. "You two are so obvious it's ridiculous. Unless someone's blind, everyone can tell you both have feelings for each other."

"Even I can see the love between you two", Bruno chuckled.

Yusei looked down on his lap as he tried calming his hot cheeks down. He took a deep breath and looked up at his friends who waited expectantly for his answer.

"I will confess to her…after the World Racing Grand Prix", the raven-haired Signer revealed.

"You're gonna wait that long for it?" Crow's eyes widened in surprise.

"Yes", Yusei nodded. "I made a promise to myself to wait until the Grand Prix is over, so I can confess to Estelle when the city is safe again after we've defeated Iliaster and stopped their plans from bringing this Ark Cradle to our era."

"Yeah, it'd be nice to get rid of them first", Crow nodded before leaning back against the couch. "What about you and Carly, Jack?"

"What?" Jack asked in surprise, not expecting to get asked about his love life.

"When are you and Carly gonna be an item? You two are also very obvious, if not even more than Yusei and Estelle", Crow added.

Jack looked away as he collected his thoughts about the reporter who followed him around like a love struck puppy. He held back a chuckle when he thought of Carly being a little puppy. He covered the chuckle by clearing his throat before turning back to the others. "I've got a long road ahead of me to become the King of Games after the Grand Prix and I don't need a woman standing in my way."

"Are you sure about that?" Yusei wondered.

"Of course I am!" Jack replied seriously. "The path I'll take is where I must go alone to achieve my dreams and goal. I don't need any distractions!" He exhaled a sigh through his gritted teeth and drew his hand across his forehead. "Carly's got her own dreams too. I don't want to be the reason she has to abandon them."

Yusei, Crow, and Bruno blinked simultaneously in surprise when they heard that. Jack was actually being considered about the reporter's future?

Jack exhaled through his nose this time as he figured he had to elaborate his words. "Carly told me her dream is to become one of the greatest reporters and write articles of people's success and share that joy with others. That's what inspired her to become a reporter. She became an intern for Daily Duel after graduating high school, but that blonde harpy, Angela, stole her spotlight and got her fired. That's how Carly ended up in her current job with that dirty magazine. I've read her articles and they are good; she deserves much more than what she has right now. That's why…when I become the King of Games again I want her to be the first reporter to interview me!"

The others were in awe of how passionate and considered Jack was about Carly. The blonde Signer always looked so coldhearted and didn't seem to care for his friends, but his soul burned bright for the ones he deeply loved. It was clear that Carly was one of those people he wanted to protect, even if it had to come to building up a wall between them.

"So… You're willing to give up on her so she can focus on achieving her dreams while you're away?" Bruno asked.

Jack nodded in response. "It's the best for both of us."

"Well, look who's grown up now", Crow grinned happily. "I guess love can really change people. I mean, you both changed when you found your soulmates, Yusei, Jack."

"I wouldn't call it soulmate, Crow…", Yusei replied sheepishly.

"I hate saying this, but Goodwin may be right about destiny having a slight control over us", Jack frowned softly. "It may not have been a coincidence that Carly and I met, but maybe it was destiny that brought us together."

Bruno raised an eyebrow when he was struck by a thought now after hearing Yusei and Jack's love stories. "What about you, Crow?"

"What about me?" the Blackwing Duelist repeated confusedly.

"Do you have someone you like?"

"No, I don't", Crow replied before rubbing the back of his head. "I've always been busy with other stuff, even back in Satellite, like looking after the kids and providing for them. I guess I simply haven't found the one I feel attracted to yet."

"Well, you are the youngest among us, so you're technically still a kid", Jack joked.

"Hey, I'll be eighteen this year!" Crow retorted. "And then I only have to wait two years before I can drink booze!"

"Crow, didn't you drink already back in Satellite? You had all those beer bottles you shared with the others when we saw each other again after the Fortune Cup", Yusei pointed out.

"Oopsie…", Crow sweat dropped before scratching his cheek. "Well… I did a little bit every now and then, but I stopped now. I mean, there were no big laws in Satellite, so everyone could do whatever they wanted, even kids."

"You've got a point there", Yusei nodded. "But if you were looking for someone to date, what kind of person do you want them to be?"

"First of all, they have to like kids", Crow responded immediately. "That is one crucial thing on my list that I want in a partner. And I want them to be kind, loving, supportive, and loyal. I don't want someone around me who fakes themselves just to get something outta me."

"That's a good list", Bruno commented with a smile. "I'm sure you will find that special person someday."

"Yeah, we'll see 'bout that", Crow nodded. "Though, I'm not in a rush right now. I want to spread my wings and enjoy my youth before settling down."

"Don't we all…", Yusei chuckled. "And you, Bruno?"

"Me?" Bruno blinked before looking down. "I want to first recover my memory before I can even think about romance. I want to know who I really am and where my family is. Maybe after that, I can start consider dating."

"That's probably for the best", Yusei nodded.

Jack stood up from the couch before stretching his arms with a grunt. "Well, I'm hitting the sack now. It's getting late and I've got work tomorrow."

"Yeah, we should all go to bed", Yusei agreed before he stood up from the armchair. "I've also got work tomorrow."

"And I've an appointment to check my shoulder", Crow nodded as he gently moved his shoulder. "I feel less pain, so I think I can soon remove the brace- Ow!"

"Don't count your eggs before they hatch, Crow", Bruno joked.

"Now that was just a dirty joke, Bruno", Crow retorted before the group laughed quietly so they wouldn't wake Leo.

XXXXXXXXXX – Yusei's POV

Before I knew it, it was already July and my birthday. Last year I celebrated the first year of my adulthood in the Facility, so it wasn't anything fancy. Over all, I didn't like big parties, especially for my birthdays. I was just hoping for a calm day and just take it easy.

The gods must have disregarded my wish, because I was greeted by a plate of fresh breakfast that was waiting for me in the living room. Jack and Crow were nowhere to be seen, but they had left a note next to the plate.

Hey, Yusei!

Come to Martha's place after you've finished eating. She needs help with something.

Oh! And bring your Deck too! It's super important.

/Jack & Crow

Martha needed help? That was unusual, since she had always been capable of doing things on her own and now she had Dr. Schmidt, Blister, and Tetsuzo living in the house who could help her. However, if it was something serious that even Jack and Crow had to go and help her with, then I should hurry too. But why did I have to bring my Deck along?

I finished my breakfast before I rolled my Duel Runner out of the garage and drove to Satellite. I still couldn't figure out what Martha was doing that she was so desperate for so much help. I just hoped it wasn't anything dangerous.

Luckily, it wasn't anything troublesome. In fact, it was actually a big surprise for me. Almost everyone I knew had gathered outside of Martha's house; Estelle, Jack, Crow, Aki, Leo, Luna, Kalin, Carly, Bruno, Martha, Dr. Schmidt, Blister, Tetsuzo, Yanagi, Tanner, Blitz, Tank, Nervin, Rally, and the children living with Martha; Kokoro, Taiga, Ginga, Daichi, and Hikari. The front garden was set up with several tables and chairs with party decorations and there were even three sasa bamboo grass leaning against the wall of the house. There was also another chair that was extra decorated with stars to make it look like a throne. Even the Stardust Dragon statue that Tetsuzo had made a while ago was spruced up with colorful decorations, mainly silver to match my dragon's color.

"Happy birthday, Yusei!" everyone cheered as most of them popped party crackers, causing confetti to fly around me while Carly snapped a couple of pictures.

I should have suspected this from the beginning. My friends had planned a surprise birthday party for me. Their kindness brought a smile to my face as I parked my Duel Runner and removed the helmet before walking over to them.

"Did you guys plan a birthday party for me?" I asked, my smile still on my lips.

"We've planned this for a while now, Yusei", Martha told me as she gently took my right hand and cupped it. "I heard you had an unfortunate birthday last year and you couldn't celebrate it properly, so Jack, Crow, Estelle, and I came together to make this year's birthday a little more special."

I glanced at my foster brothers and my crush as they smiled at me. "It's kind of a compensation for last year", Estelle explained. "I hope you don't mind, Yusei."

"It's okay", I replied. "And it's really nice to see everyone again."

"Yeah, it's been way too long, Yusei!" Blitz nodded.

Rally ran up to me and hugged my waist. He had grown a lot since last time I saw him. "You were amazing in the Grand Prix, Yusei! It's so sad they had to postpone because of what happened in the city!" he said sadly.

I patted him on the head. "Yeah, it's unfortunate, but it is what it is. Many contestants got injured and their Duel Runners are wrecked, so it will take time before the Grand Prix resumes."

"I just hope those Riding Roids won't come back and attack the city again…", Nervin said nervously.

"Chill out, Nervin! They won't come back!" Tank assured him. "Yusei and everyone else took care of them!"

Crow walked over to me with Kokoro who held a golden paper crown in her hands. "Yusei, since you're the birthday kid, you also get to be the king for the day. It took some time to convince Jack to 'lend' his title to you, though."

"I just felt generous today", Jack snorted as he crossed his arms and turned away. "Don't think I would voluntarily hand over my title to someone who hasn't earned it."

There was a soft chorus of giggles and chuckles from the others.

"Kokoro, let's crown Yusei", Crow grinned.

"Okay!" Kokoro smiled widely.

Crow picked her up while I slightly bowed my head, allowing the little girl to place the paper crown on top of my head. I straightened up and adjusted the crown to make sure it wouldn't fly off.

"Looking good, King Yusei", Kalin winked with a thumbs up.

"Thanks", I chuckled.

Estelle walked up with slight red cheeks. "This birthday party is going to consist of two parts. The first part is the rest of us will Duel each other, but we're divided into two groups; children and adults. We're going to have a tournament and the winner from both divisions will Duel each other to earn a Duel with you."

That explained why I had to bring my Deck along.

"The second part is we're going to celebrate tanabata", Martha continued the explanation. "We were only able to celebrate tanabata by decorating trees, so Estelle provided a couple of bamboos that we're going to decorate and write our wishes in the evening. Of course, there will be snacks and cake in between, so I should start preparing them while you youngsters have fun."

I almost forgot… My birthday was on the same day as tanabata. It was true when Martha said we didn't use bamboo in the past since those were expensive and difficult to get. We often used a tree where we hung up our wishes when I was a child. This was going to be my first time celebrating tanabata with actual bamboo.

"I'll help you with the food, Martha", Tetsuzo offered his help.

"Me too", Dr. Schmidt added.

"I'll be the referee and pair the Duelists with the help of my laptop", Blister said before he walked over to an empty table and set up his laptop.

"I'll be also a judge and walk around to make sure everyone plays right", Bruno raised a hand. "I will also help the children if they are confused over something."

"I'll have the same role as Bruno and watch over the kids", Tanner insisted.

"I'll help too if my juniors are lost and don't know what to do!" Leo exclaimed before patting his chest proudly.

"We don't need help", Ginga snorted. "We know how to Duel."

"Yeah, so one of us is going to win and Duel Yusei!" Taiga added.

"No, I will Duel Yusei!" Rally intervened.

"No! I will!" Leo retorted irritably.

Luna sighed at the scene. "Here we go again…"

"We'll be using Duel Mats for the tournament and then Yusei and the winner will Duel with Duel Disks", Estelle explained. "The Duel Mats were provided by Seto and Mokuba and they are also wishing happy birthday to you, including Goodwin and Ish, Yusei."

"I appreciate it", I nodded.

"In the meantime, you get to sit on the birthday throne and watch", Aki said, nodding at the well decorated chair.

Hikari walked to me and grabbed my right hand. "Come, King Yusei."

I allowed her to escort me to the throne and I sat down, making it comfortable for me. It felt a little awkward to have so much attention on me, but it was kind of a nice feeling.

"You don't have to do anything, so just relax and enjoy the weather", Crow told me.

"I gladly keep you company, Yusei!" Yanagi smiled widely. "And the others can always gather around so I can tell you the stories of my travels all around the world!"

"You've been around the world?" Daichi asked excitedly.

"Why, yes, I sure have!" Yanagi grinned. "I'll tell you whatever you want to know when you join us, little boy!"

"I won't actually have much time to be with you guys, since my shift at Security will begin in just a few hours", Kalin confessed, which explained a lot why he was dressed in his uniform. "So Carly will replace me when it's time for me to leave."

"I'll do my best then", Carly nodded as she poked her head up from her precious camera. "But before that, I'll be taking lots of photos for the memory line!"

"Okay, everyone, gather around!" Blister called. "The pairings are ready!"

XXXXXXXXXX

It was a little boring to just sit on the birthday throne and not do anything, even though Yanagi was nice and entertained me with new untold tales of his travels. One by one, the two divisions grew smaller as more Duelists were defeated. The children were sad about their defeat, but their sorrow soon vanished as Yanagi told them his stories. Kalin made it to the semi-final in the adult division when he had to leave for work, so Carly replaced him. Martha gave him some of the homemade snacks to bring along to eat whenever he got a break.

The winners of both divisions were Jack and Luna. It was a weird pair, but something new, since they had never Dueled each other before. While the Duel was going on, Martha, Dr. Schmidt, Tetsuzo, and even Aki and Estelle brought out food and drinks and set the table.

Jack and Luna put up a good Duel by bringing out their Signer Dragons, but Jack's burning soul was too bright for Ancient Fairy Dragon to handle, so Red Dragon Archfiend brought victory for my foster brother.

The very final Duel was between me and Jack, which he had been looking very much forward to. Before we began, I told him we shouldn't use our Signer Dragons' new forms and save them for the Grand Prix. He reluctantly agreed to it, but it was clear he was frustrated for not being able to use Red Nova Dragon.

The Duel was tough, since Jack and I knew each other's Decks, so it somehow ended up in a draw, which surprised everyone, including myself.

I blew the candles on my birthday cake while everyone sang "Happy birthday" before I cut the first slice. It was a traditional chocolate and strawberry cake, but it was moist and delicious, like how Martha's cakes had always been.

Next were the few presents that my friends had gotten for me. I didn't like getting pampered and spoiled, so they had selected very carefully what to get for me. Crow's "nest" had drawn a banner of me riding my Duel Runner and Junk Warrior and Stardust Dragon. It made my heart ache warmly as I thanked them for the kind present. Estelle got me a Swiss Army knife, which I found very useful. I couldn't bring the toolbox along everywhere and if something happened to me, I could use it as a weapon.

I got one awkward gift from Dr. Schmidt when he brought me to the infirmary for a check-up while we were taking a break. My cheeks were still a little red when I walked outside after I hid the present in the pocket of my jeans. I spotted Jack and Crow looking at me with embarrassed but understanding expressions and signaled they got the same little present from the doctor too without showing it in the open.

After enjoying the snacks and drinks, Blister and Tetsuzo brought out piles of colorful paper sheets, scissors, threads, and other tools for making tanabata ornaments for the bamboos. It had been a while since I made ornaments, so it was actually fun to tinker with something else than just with Duel Runners and computers.

By the time the sun was going down and the first few stars were appearing in the night sky, we all wrote our wishes on notecards. I had a difficult time to choose which wish to write, but I settled down on one that was close to my heart. After finishing decorating the three bamboos, we raised them up and made sure they were steady in large pots with soil. The children were in awe of how beautiful the bamboos turned out with the ornaments, but then they were struck by drowsiness, so Martha led Crow's nest inside to tuck them in.

I walked away from the house and sat down on a bench as I watched the star clad sky by myself. Everyone had also scattered around in groups to watch the stars and enjoy the silent evening.

I recalled the story of Orihime and Hikoboshi that Martha used to read for me in the bed on my birthdays while I was still a child. It was a little sad that the two lovers were forced apart and only allowed to see each other once a year because of the anger of Orihime's father after she didn't weave clothes for him and Hikoboshi failed to look after his cows. Because of such a small mistake, the couple couldn't be together forever as they had promised each other when they got wed.

It briefly reminded me of Estelle. She was only here in this world temporarily. If she chose to leave after her duty as the Priestess is done… I don't know if I could ever move on and find someone else to love as much as I love her. Watching her fly away with her crimson wings would break my heart. I wasn't the selfish type, but I refused to let her go. I would grab her wrist and pull her back into my arms and just hold her close until her wings were clipped so she wouldn't leave my side ever again.

Was I being possessive? Or was it my alpha instincts that told me to never let my mate go?

Wait, what was I even thinking about? Alpha? Mate? I guess I've been reading too many fantasy books that I borrowed from Estelle from time to time when I wanted to read something else than just technology and physics.

"Yusei?"

I snapped out of my thoughts when I heard my crush's voice. I looked over my shoulder and watched her walk toward the bench with a slight tired smile.

"Long day?" I softly asked as Estelle sat down next to me.

"Yeah, but it was worth it to see you smile and relax", she replied. "Did you enjoy your birthday party?"

"I did", I nodded. "But you guys didn't have to go this far for me."

"You deserve it, Yusei", Estelle replied with a hint of seriousness in her voice. "A birthday is the day when you were born and you were a gift to your parents who looked forward to meet you. The birth of a child is a blessing of life and you should cherish it from the beginning to the end. And it's because you were born is how we all were able to meet you. You are a very precious human being."

I felt touched to hear those honest words from her. "Thank you, Estelle."

Estelle giggled softly before she leant back against the bench and stared at the sky. "I'm a little curious… What did you write for your wish?"

I had a feeling she was going to ask that. I didn't want to reveal my wish, since I wanted to hear hers first. "I'll tell you after you tell me your wish."

Estelle looked confusedly at me before she smiled and turned to the sky. "I wish that my friends will find their happiness, and that includes you too", she replied with a playful wink.

I held back the incoming blush and looked away so she wouldn't see my embarrassing face. "That's very you", I chuckled.

Estelle giggled softly at my comment. "I don't really want to be selfish and wish for things for myself when I already have them…" She suddenly looked a little sad before she shook her head and forced a smile on her lips. "What's your wish?"

"My wish…", I began as I looked at the sky. "…is to one day have my own family."

Estelle's lips turned flat in surprise when she heard my wish, but then she regained her smile and this time it was a genuine one. "I'm sure you'll be a wonderful father and partner to your child and lover", she said.

I hummed softly by the comment. "Thank you."

The two of us remained silent as a gentle summer breeze blew past us while we watched the starry sky. Feeling a little more confident, I wrapped my right arm around Estelle's waist and pulled her a little closer to me. She let out a soft chirp of surprise before her body relaxed in my gentle hold. It didn't take long before she leant her head against my shoulder and she wrapped her arm around my waist. In response on that, I leant my head against hers and closed my eyes, enjoying the brief moment we had together.

This was one of my best birthdays ever. I was going to cherish these new memories forever.

XXXXXXXXXX – Omake – Normal POV

While everyone was enjoying the freshly made snacks and drinks after the small Duel tournament, Dr. Schmidt brought Yusei to the infirmary to check the birthday child's health. He did the usual routine of checking the blood pressure, the nerves, the ears, and the throat.

"Well, you're certainly healthy, Yusei", Dr. Schmidt commented afterward as he wrote something on his clipboard. "I hope you haven't been skipping meals or sleep lately."

"I've gotten better with that", Yusei replied as he sat in front of the doctor without his jacket. "Now that Jack, Crow, and I live together, they make sure I eat well and head to bed in time."

"They're good boys", Dr. Schmidt nodded. "You three were always close even when you were small mischievous children, but you were always the peaceful one."

"Someone had to be the peacemaker whenever Crow and Jack had an argument", Yusei sweat dropped before he stood up and grabbed his jacket. "And even to this day."

"Some things never change no matter how old you get", Dr. Schmidt said before he stood up from his seat. "I have something to give to you before you go, Yusei."

The young Signer had pulled his gloves on when the doctor told him to wait. Yusei watched Dr. Schmidt open a bureau before rummaging his hands in it. The raven-haired man heard a soft ripping noise before the doctor shut the bureau and walked to him with a clenched hand.

"Here. A man your age might need it", Dr. Schmidt said.

Yusei opened his hand and allowed the doctor to place the object on his palm. When the elderly man pulled his hand back, Yusei's eyes widened almost in horror and embarrassment while a bright red blush covered his face and even reached his ears.

"D-Doctor…! What is this?!" he exclaimed in disbelief, staring at the special "gift" in his hand.

"You know very well what it is, unless you've forgotten my 'special' lessons", Dr. Schmidt replied nonchalantly before patting the Signer on his shoulder. "I gave one each to Jack, Crow, and Kalin too for just in case if you will get…intimate with someone."

Yusei could only gap in shock as sweat ran down his forehead, his eyes still staring at the item in his hand.

"Unless…you've already been with someone and popped your cherry", Dr. Schmidt commented with mirth in his voice. "Shall I tell Martha to cook red rice for you?"

The young man snapped out of it, getting even more embarrassed by the assumption that he had already been intimate with someone in bed.

"I'M STILL A VIRGIN, DOCTOR!" Yusei yelled loudly in embarrassment.

XXXXXXXXXX

Red rice or osekihan is a traditional Japanese dish of sticky rice steamed with azuki beans (small red beans) that are served on special occasions like birthdays, weddings and graduation days. Sekihan translates to "red rice"; when steamed with azuki beans, the rice turns red. Red in Japan evokes images of auspicious or happy occasions, and that's precisely why sekihan is often prepared for celebration.