There was very little to be upset about that morning in Neo Domino City. The weather was bright and sunny, and the birds could be heard chirping in the distance. People milled about the streets on their daily business, and duels of varying intensity took place all over the city. But Aki had other places to be.
Revving the new and improved Bloody Kiss's engine, she took the upcoming turn like she was gliding on air. It was like she was riding on air, it was so nice. Yusei had seriously changed the bike completely. She had to thank him again.
It didn't take long for her to pull up to Neo Domino Hospital, a rectangular building that occupied a rather open space in the tight-knit city. Taking off her helmet and letting her hair free, Aki looked up at the building with a smile on her face. She had been here many times in her youth, for both good and bad reasons. She could still remember waking up here, in a bed, after Acadia Headquarters was attacked by the Dark Signers. How her parents had been here for her against all odds.
This hospital had been where her life turned around for the better. And now she'd be working here.
Getting off of her D-Wheel and walking inside, she was hit by a wave of nostalgia. For better or worse, the hospital looked pretty much the same it did ten years ago. She was immediately familiar with the area, and it made her feel right at home. Taking in the lobby as she walked up to the receptionist, she was greeted by a brunette with her hair up in a ponytail.
"Hello, can I help you?" She asked. Aki nodded.
"You can," she said, "My name is Izayoi Aki, I've got a meeting with Administrator Reiki?" The receptionist typed on her keyboard momentarily, smiling.
"Ah, there you are," she said, "Administrator Reiki is up in his office waiting for you. That's up on the third floor, third door out of the elevator."
"Thanks," Aki said with a smile, walking to the elevator. Getting in and pressing the button for the third floor, Aki was left alone with her thoughts for a moment. After meeting with Reiki and discussing when she would start and her hours, she would have nothing to do. Her best bet was to go grocery shopping after this, seeing as her apartment was empty and she'd promised Yusei dinner for his help and work on her D-Wheel. It was during said dinner Aki planned on feeling him out to see where their relationship could head, and if there was any future with the two of them together.
It wouldn't be too far of a stretch to say one of Aki's primary motivations to moving home was seeing if Yusei was interested in her. Sure, there was the being homesick and missing her parents, but missing Yusei and wanted to be with him was a big part of it. She had been unable to replicate the feeling he gave her and the effect he had on her with any other man. And now that she was nearing her thirties, Yusei already about there. If she didn't try now, while they still had some youth to them, she may as well never try at all.
The elevator opened, snapping her out of her thoughts and back to reality. She walked to the third door from the elevator, and knocked on it.
"Come in," a mans voice said. Aki opened the door, revealing a balding, older man sitting behind his desk who smiled at her as she entered.
"As I live and breath," he said as he got to his feet and walked past his desk to greet her, "Is that you, Izayoi Aki?"
"In the flesh," Aki replied as she shook his hand. Reiki gave a heart laugh.
"You've grown so much since you were in the city last," he said, "I remember when you were here during that Dark Signer business. Nasty stuff."
"Agreed," Aki said, "but we came out of it."
"Indeed," Reiki said, "I apologise for speaking as though we are acquainted, it's just you are a well known figure in Neo Domino, what with everything that happened back then."
"No worries," Aki said with a smile," It's nice that I'm remembered in a positive light and not a negative one." Reiki gave a small chuckle at this, gesturing to the seat across from his desk. Aki sat down, and he returned to the other side of his desk to sit down.
"If I may say, Dr. Izayoi," Reiki said, "May I call you Aki?"
"You may," Aki replied.
"If I may, Aki," Reiki said, "I am most impressed by your credentials you sent from Germany. I know we spoke about it in our emails, but simple text does not do your work justice. I did myself a favour and read your dissertation on psychic powers in the medical field. Astonishing stuff." Aki felt a blush seeping onto her cheeks.
"Thank you," she said.
"I mean, the ability to mend bone and seek out infections to identify them?" He asked, "truly amazing."
"I don't do it all," Aki said, "The nurses and other doctors work hard as well."
"And modest, huh?" He asked with a laugh, "I see you know how to sweet talk an employer."
"Essential skills and all that," Aki replied. Reiki nodded with a chuckle.
"Let's get right down to business here," he said, "I'm sure you're looking when you can start. Well, I hate to be a bit of a downer, but as things stand you may need to wait a few days."
"Oh?" Aki asked, "and why is that?" Reiki rubbed at his eyes at this.
"Well, it's mostly down to scheduling," Reiki replied, "throwing you in during a work week is bound to cause more problems than it'll solve. It'd be better to wait until the end of the week to get you in. Besides, I imagine moving from Germany to Japan can cause a persons head to spin a bit." Aki shrugged at this.
"I don't know," she said, "I've been feeling okay."
"Than you can consider it time to get settled then," he said, "it'll be easier if we wait, for both of us I imagine." She knew he was right. Despite being rather resilient, Aki could still feel her internal clock ticking for Berlin rather than Neo Domino.
"If you insist," she said as she leaned back in her chair, "I haven't had more than one day in months."
"See? It'll do you good," Reiki replied as he folded his hands together. "Get settled in, see some friends and family, and rest up! I can call you in a few days to sort out your schedule, okay?"
"Sounds good to me," Aki said, "was there anything else?" Reiki nodded with a smile.
"There is, actually," he said as he stood from his desk. "If you'd be so kind as to follow me." Nodding and standing, Aki followed the Administrator out of his office and down the hall several doors before they came to a stop in front of another door. Reaching into his pocket, Reiki handed her something, a small rectangular piece of metal. Looking down at it, Aki's eyes widened.
Dr. Izayoi Aki
PhD
"Want to put that sign up for your office?" Reiki asked, gesturing to the waiting screw in the door as he dug a screwdriver out of his pocket. Smiling at him, Aki took the screwdriver and gently screwed her nameplate onto the door, tightening it ever so slowly. After she was done, Reiki opened the door and revealed her office inside.
In was a pretty generic empty office, obviously. There was a dark wooden desk sitting across from them with a computer sitting idly on it, and several cupboards around the room for anything she might want to keep inside. A clean leather couch sat against the left wall, presumably for anyone else to sit down in, and shelves lined the wall above it.
"Wow," Aki said as she admired the rooms, "You already got an office set up for me?"
"Of course," Reiki said. "Can't have such an ace Doctor writing up reports in the mess hall, can we? Feel free to put anything in the office you need or want, there's very little restrictions." Aki could already see what she wanted to put around her office. Her old picture from the W.R.G.P would go on her desk, and the trophy she got for being on the team could go on any of those shelves. Her degrees on the walls, it was all coming together.
"Thank you so much for this opportunity, sir," Aki said as she turned and bowed to him, "I'm very grateful."
No, Dr. Izayoi," Reiki replied as he did a curt bow back, Thank you for all your work. I have to go now, but we'll talk in a few days, okay?"
"Okay," Aki said, waving to the man as he turned to leave. This left her alone in her office, and she did a spin to admire it. Every day she came a step closer to her life being perfect. She was just missing that one thing.
Deciding to share her happiness, Aki went into the hall, closed the door, and snapped a quick photo of her nameplate on the door. She sent it to the team 5D's group chat, along with the message "already got a new office back home!". She had long since told she others she had moved home, and she wanted them to know how she was.
As she left the hospital and got back onto her D-Wheel, she felt her phone going off. Opening it, she read the messages the others had left.
Luna: So happy for you Aki! How's the city? Is it just like we left it?
Jack: I hope you have the biggest office around! Only the best for a member of team 5D's!
Crow: I find it funny how one of the guys who helped inspire us to chase our dreams and abandon the team is also our biggest hype man whenever one of us achieves something. Also, congrats Aki!
Jack: I'm prideful, not an asshole. Aki deserves the best office in the building.
Aki: All the offices are the same, Jack. But I appreciate your thoughts you big softie.
Jack: I hope they cover your office in dental floss.
Laughing at the expense of the blonde, Aki put her phone away and put her helmet on before revving the engine of her bike and taking off, headed in the direction of the nearest supermarket. After all, one couldn't make dinner without groceries.
Yusei bit the inside of his cheek as he stared down at the blueprints in front of him, his assistants and colleagues all sitting around him as he did so.
"So let me get this straight," he said after a moment, "these are the best we could come up with in order to reduce the cost of building new Momentum engines in vehicles?"
"Well, it's a two step process Dr. Fudo," His fellow Doctor, Fiona Wright, said from across the table. She was a blonde woman who had a Masters degree in Renewable Energy from America. "The design is intended to reduce the amount of Momentum energy required to run the vehicle at the same levels we have now."
"And what's step two?" He asked as he put the blueprints down on the table. Dr. Wright wrapped her hands together.
"After we built the prototype you see in the blueprints," she said, "I was reminded of what you told me about the current model vehicles use, which is rather outdated as I'm sure you know."
"Yes," Yusei said, "and it-"
"Doesn't actually use around thirty percent of it's intake of Momentum's energy," Dr. Wright finished for him, "exactly. And as we found out recently, the smaller engines have reduced this to about thirteen percent. But we wanted to know your thoughts on how to get that number to ten percent or below." Yusei made a face and looked down at the blueprints again, calculations and costs running through his head.
"I see the problem,"Yusei said, "you can't get that percent lower without making the engine statistically worse than it's predecessor. Any more cut costs will make it a worse engine at the expense of lowering it's Momentum waste."
"Exactly," Dr. Wright said. "We were hoping you had an idea."
"Well there's nothing we can do without a better developed Momentum chip," he said. "Without one of those, the engine can't make use of the Momentum as well. Where were we on that, Dr. Rocca?" The tan-skinned Dr. Rocca straightened his glasses at this.
"We're making good progress," he said, "Although we've been stunted by the budget cuts." Yusei frowned at this. Budget cuts were so annoying.
"I'll talk to Jaeger," he said at this, "he knows how important our work is. I can get that money."
"He's the one that cut it in the first place!" An assistant said angrily.
"Not true," Dr. Wright said, "he relocated that money last year, which was before we had these projects on the go, in order to to help the education system. But if we tell him about what we're doing, he's sure to help."
"And since the city's budget meetings are soon, he can help us out," Yusei said. "Until then, these projects are on hold, understand? Good. Now, let's get back to work." Adjourning the meeting, Yusei watched the other leave with the other Doctors.
"Think Jaeger will help us?" Dr. Wright asked. Yusei nodded.
"He's still the city's Mayor for a reason," he said, "he understand the city's needs. He relocated money to education when it was needed, he'll get us this money when we need it."
"I hope you have reason to trust him," Dr. Rocco said, rubbing his hand down his bald head, "because I sure don't."
"He'll help," Yusei replied, "Don't worry about it. I know Jaeger. He won't hang us out to dry."
"As long as you think so," Dr. Wright said as she smiled at Yusei. "I've got to get back to studying the Fortune mainframe's behaviour. Call us if he doesn't help out, okay?" Nodding and watching his colleagues leave, Yusei dialled Jaeger's number on the phone resting on the table of the meeting room. The man answered without two rings, and the video call sprung to life.
"Dr. Fudo!" The clown-like Mayor of Neo Domino said with a smile, "how can I help you?"
"Just ran into some budget trouble, Jaeger," Yusei replied, "my team and I have several important projects on the way right now, but we're running into a funding problem. Do you think you can help us out when you figure all that out?" Jaeger almost seemed annoyed by this question.
"Yusei, with all due respect, I'm under a lot of pressure right now," he mumbled as he played with his hands, "the council has been getting on my ass recently about all sorts of things..."
"You say that as if Neo Domino isn't one of the richest cities in the world," Yusei said, making Jaeger make a begrudging noise. "Jaeger, you know as well as I do how important our work is."
"I know, I know," Jaeger admitted. "I'm just being hassled from all sides. What number were you hoping for?" Yusei did a quick calculation in his head.
"In the area of 20 billion yen or more," Yusei admitted. Had Jaeger been drinking something he'd have spat it out.
"Y-Yusei!" He shouted angrily, "How am I supposed to make them give you that?!"
"Do none of your big wigs get how important Momentum and it's related infrastructure is?" He demanded curiously.
"Don't get me started on infrastructure," Jaeger growled. "As if the city needs more highways! But, I have an idea Yusei. Could you attend the committee meeting in a weeks time? If anyone could convince them to give you money, it's you."
"Have that little faith in yourself, huh?" He asked with a smile, "I'll be there, I guess. When is it exactly?"
"Next Wednesday," Jaeger answered, "at noon. Be there if you want your money!" The call was ended, and Yusei couldn't help but laugh at it's result. Now he was roped into going to the committee meeting. This was great.
"How'd it go?" He turned to see Dr. Rocco poking his head in the office.
"I've got to go to a committee meeting now," he answered as he rubbed the back of his neck and cracked it. "So about what I was expecting."
"It amazes me he is even still Mayor given how little of a spine he has," Dr. Rocco said in a deadpan voice.
"He comes through when it matters," Yusei said, thinking back to how Jaeger had nearly given his life to make sure people had evacuated before the Arc Cradle crashed. "Let's go, we've got work to do." Yusei left with the Doctor, running through his mind everything he had left to do today. Not only that, but he had to go home and make sure he had something to wear to Aki's place the next day. He didn't know if she was imposing some kind of dress code on him, but he didn't plan on showing up in shorts and a t-shirt. He wasn't that much of a thug.
Little could Yusei have known at the time that the committee meeting was not going to be what he expected.
