Ten years.
It had been ten years since they all graduated from Duel Academy. Things had changed for each of them in so many ways and in so many ways things still stayed the same.
Sho and Ryo created the new league that they talked about. It was doing well. Not only was Manjoume apart of it, but so was Asuka. They had both become pro duelists referred to by many as Manjoume Thunder and Cyber Queen. Although, Fubuki liked to call her Blizzard Queen. Speaking of Fubuki, the Blizzard Prince himself had gone down the path of becoming a model, which landed him high enough as a celebrity to star in his own movies. He often tried to get Asuka casted in them, but she preferred to stay out of the limelight.
While Kenzan loved dueling, he decided his heart belonged more with the dinosaurs, and so he became an archeologist. Once Rei graduated, she became a pro duelist adored by many and often thought of as an idol thanks to her cute outfits and performances during duels. Martin even became one of her biggest known fans. Edo was still a pro, but was now declared the new King of Games. Yugi Muto himself personally passed down the title to Edo.
O'Brien started working for the government back home, although thanks to the nature of his work he couldn't ever say much about what his job entailed. He kept in frequent contact with Jim, who became a geologist in Australia. Johan ended up becoming the greatest pro duelist in all of Europe. Even his Crystal Beasts became popular world round, which also got a toy line modeled after them. The limited edition stuffed Ruby Carbuncles with his signature on them sold for a hefty price online.
Hayato continued to design cards for Industrial Illusions. Once Kagemaru passed away, Saiou became his replacement as chairman of Duel Academy since he stopped being Edo's manager long ago. But the two friends still took time to see each other when they could. Misawa was still in the other dimension with Tania, supposedly doing well, but it wasn't like anyone really remembered about him anyway. Amon's younger brother, Shido, became head of the Garam Conglomerate, but still always wondered what the truth was about his brother's disappearance.
And as for Judai…
During his travels, Pharaoh eventually passed. The poor cat was already getting old by the time Judai graduated considering Daitokuji had him since he was a kitten. It was hard on both Judai and Daitokuji. Yubel wasn't affected by it like the two of them were, but Yubel at least acknowledged that they needed time before they could move on. After all, Pharaoh wasn't able to stay with Judai in the same way Daitokuji could. Judai briefly considered getting another pet, but nothing could replace Pharaoh and considering he never stayed in one place for very long, he decided it would be too much trouble to take care of an animal that wasn't exactly like Pharaoh.
Unlike everyone else, Judai seemed to stay the same as a person. He saw a lot of the world, good and bad, and so he gained a wide variety of cultural and historical knowledge. He even became mildly fluent in several languages. Although, he was still as laid back as ever. He was excited to see and experience new things all the time, but he also had no real drive other than to go with the flow. He never pointed out a place on the map and decided to make that his next destination, he simply hopped on a train or a boat and waited to see where he ended up. It seemed like he just let the world push him around from one place to another. Every once in awhile he ended up in a place that needed his help and every time he became a hero for saving the day. But by the very next he was gone, almost as if he was never there to begin with.
There was only one place Judai constantly returned to. For one day every year, over semester break he and all his friends came back to Duel Academy for an annual reunion. They would all arrive early in the morning, but no one ever seemed to be able to make it there before Judai. He would sit at the dock and fish while he waited for the first group to arrive. After the first three years, Sho started to theorize Judai would come to the island a day early. After all, he was always the one organizing the reunion. Judai made the calls to check that everyone would be able to make it and each year, without fail, every single one of them would show up. They would spend all day catching up with each other, exploring the school to see what had changed, and eating a big dinner together in the red dorm before leaving long after the sun had set.
It was the day Judai looked forward to every year. It was really the only thing he looked forward to actually. It was the only constant. Judai's location changed all the time, some of his friends moved around over the years, and they all aged by ten years. But Duel Academy always stayed the same. Sure the students changed every year, but the hallways still made Judai feel like he was back to being a student again. The red dorm received a few more renovations after what Manjoume did to it, but it continued to feel like home to Judai. A few of the staff changed as well, but Judai was always happy to see Chronos and Samejima every year.
Infact, it was getting close to the day he would see them for the tenth year in a row. The date was coming up in just a week and it was about time Judai started calling everyone to ensure they would show up. He couldn't believe ten years had already passed. He still had such vivid memories of his days at Duel Academy. Some he treasured closely and some he wished he could forget about. Still, they all shaped him into the person he was now and he couldn't imagine himself being any other way.
Judai was currently in a small city in Canada. He had no real reason for being there, he simply crossed the border after a quick trip to Niagara Falls, which he had seen multiple times by now. It was a nice and quaint city, but like just about everywhere else he went, it felt a bit boring. After ten years of exploring the world he saw a lot of it, so smaller places ended up feeling the same no matter where he went.
Judai stood up from the bench in the park he sat on and began walking down the cobblestone path to the lake. Now would be as good a time as any to start calling everyone. And as luck would have it, his phone started ringing. Pulling it out from his back pocket, Judai checked the caller ID to discover it was Sho. Perhaps he was getting a head start on Judai and calling to let Judai know he was going to the reunion. The brunet answered and held the phone against his ear as he continued on his way to the lakeshore.
"Hey, Sho! What's up?" Judai greeted.
"Aniki, hey. Um…" Sho let out a sigh over the line and didn't say anything further.
"Calling about the reunion?" Judai assumed, suddenly worried about why Sho didn't sound very enthusiastic.
"Yeah um, about that… I talked with a few of my event coordinators about the tournament that's starting tomorrow and uh… I couldn't get it rescheduled." Sho explained.
"Huh? You're doing a tournament?" Judai asked, not quite grasping what Sho was trying to tell him.
"Yes, it's been in the works for several months now. Just- look, uh… um… I'm sorry. I really am." Sho apologized.
Judai stopped in tracks.
"Wait, Sho… why are you sorry?" Judai questioned.
Sho sighed again.
"Ugh, Aniki… I-I forgot the exact date of the reunion and once it was too late I wasn't able to change the schedule. I can't go to the reunion because I have to be here for the tournament. And neither can Onii-san, Manjoume, or Asuka." Sho clarified.
Judai felt everything around him freeze. Everyone always came to the reunion. In all the nine years so far no one was ever absent.
"Uh, uh… o-okay… W-well, I can reschedule the reunion then. We can have it earlier than usual. I'll just have to call Samejima and-"
"Aniki, I said it starts tomorrow. It'll last for two weeks and there's a lot I have to take care of after it too. It's that big of a tournament. There's just no way we'll be able to make it." Sho interrupted Judai.
Judai's grip on his phone tightened.
"Are you sure?" He asked in a quiet voice.
"Yes, I'm sure. I'm really, truly sorry. I would love to see you again just like every year, but it just can't happen this year. Look, just don't let this ruin the reunion. There's still everyone else. It's not the end of the world if some of us don't show up for once." Sho advised.
Judai took a deep breath and let out a sigh to calm himself down.
"Right, right. No, you're right. There is everyone else. It's- it's okay, Sho. I get that you and the others have lives and jobs and all that. Stuff happens, it'll be alright. It's just… one of the many reunions we've had and we'll continue to have." Judai said, trying to sound positive.
"Exactly! Sooner or later it was bound to happen that not everyone would make it every year. And that's okay. There's always next year and the years after that." Sho reassured him.
Judai just nodded, although Sho couldn't see it.
"Huh?... Alright, alright. I'll be there." Sho seemed to speak to someone else in the room. "Hey, I gotta go now. I just wanted to call to let you know. And sorry I wanted 'til the last second to tell you. I only just now realized the mistake."
"Really Sho, it's fine." Judai muttered.
"Thanks Aniki. I'll see you next year, okay?" Sho replied.
"Yeah… okay." Judai spoke, even quieter than before.
"Alright, bye." And with that, Sho hung up without waiting for a response.
Judai kept his phone against his ear until he heard the long beep. He stared at the screen for what felt like forever. He wouldn't be seeing Sho. Or Ryo, or Manjoume, or Asuka. It was their tenth reunion and some of his closest friends wouldn't be there. He had to admit it hurt, but Sho was right. He had other friends that would be there and it wasn't the last reunion. It just still really, really hurt.
"Judai-kun, why not call someone else, nya?" Daitokuji suggested.
Judai looked over a bit to see Daitokuji floating next to him. A stranger walked by, passing right through the man as if he wasn't really there. Technically he wasn't, and yet technically he was. Being a spirit made things a bit complicated.
Judai slowly nodded his head in agreement and looked back down at his phone. He continued walking towards the lake since standing still might make him look out of place. He selected one of his contacts and put the phone against his ear again. He was certain that hearing someone was sure they would be there would cheer him up. The phone rang for a moment before the person on the other end picked up.
"Oh hey, Judai! Glad you called! I take it it's about the reunion?" Fubuki greeted.
"Fubuki-san, hey, yeah. I was just calling to see if you could make it. Sho already called and said he and the others wouldn't be able to show up." Judai replied.
"Yeah, Ryo called me earlier today about that actually." Fubuki said.
"Soooo… are you… able to come?" Judai asked.
The other end of the line was silent for a moment before Fubuki let out a comically exaggerated sigh.
"I'm so, so, so, so sorry Judai! I can't. I'm gonna start filming for a new movie in a week and they'll need me here a couple days before that. It's a doozy of a project so filming will take up a few months. Oh! Don't tell anyone though, it hasn't been officially announced yet." Fubuki revealed.
After hearing Sho and the others' were unable to come, Judai just felt numb to Fubuki saying the same thing. It was a disappointment that was hard to swallow, but he somehow managed to do it anyway.
"It's… it's fine…" Judai responded.
"It doesn't sound like it is." Fubuki noted.
"It's not." Judai muttered.
"I know, I know. I'm disappointed too, but I have a job. I got responsibilities. I'm famous so I'm literally always busy. It's just gotten to be more and more over the years. I've noticed it's the same way for Ryo and Asuka too. I assume for Sho and Manjoume as well. We all have lives that take priority and responsibilities that come with being an adult with a job." Fubuki said.
Right, responsibilities. Judai didn't have any of that. He had no job and no one that relied on him. Nothing he was obligated to do. It was just Judai and himself. If he needed money he just used what his parents gave him access to or found a free, and obviously fair, way to get what he needed at the moment. He wasn't really sure what it was like to wake up and go to work then come home to the same place and do it all over again every single day. He was so used to his life as it was now that he wondered if settling down somewhere and getting a job would drive him mad.
"Hey so, I needa go, but it was good to hear from you. Sorry I can't make it, but tell everyone else that goes that I said hi, alright?" Fubuki spoke.
"Uh, okay. Yeah uh, bye… Fubuki-san." Judai replied.
"...Bye Judai." Fubuki responded before hanging up.
Judai let out a sigh and pulled his phone away from his ear. He immediately called another friend and put his phone back against his ear.
"C'mon. Pick up, pick up, pick up." Judai muttered to himself.
"Yo, Aniki!" Kenzan greeted.
"Kenzan, hey! Uh, just wanted to call to see if you can still make it to the reunion next week." Judai told him.
Kenzan was silent for a long time and Judai wondered if the line went dead.
"Oh crap! That's next week, saurus!?" Kenzan exclaimed in surprise.
Judai yanked his phone away from his ear, but it was already too late.
"Yeah. Second Saturday of September, every year. It's never not been that." Judai reminded him.
"It's September, don!? Crap! Where's the calendar!?" Kenzan shouted.
Judai remained silent as he heard Kenzan frantically walking around and rummaging through things in his apartment. He then heard what sounded like Kenzan slap the surface of something.
"Okay, September… damn, where did the days go? Uhh, oh… Um, sorry Aniki." Kenzan suddenly apologized.
Judai stood still on the park's pathway again.
"You too?" Judai grumbled.
"Yeah, that's when me and the team go out to an excavation site, saurus. Wait, who else can't go?" Kenzan asked.
"At least Sho, Manjoume, Asuka, Kaiser, and Fubuki-san." Judai answered.
"Oh damn. That's like, just about everyone, saurus." Kenzan noted.
"Yeah, I know." Judai muttered.
"Well… sorry to be another person that's crossed off the list. Man, I feel so bad now. I mean, I have no say in when we schedule stuff, but…" Kenzan trailed off.
"No, don't beat yourself up over it. It's not your fault, Kenzan. You've got… responsibilities. That should come first." Judai said.
"Yeah, but… Ugh, I don't wanna miss the reunion, saurus! It's gonna be the tenth one! That's huge, don! Well, officially ninth for me. But still!" Kenzan responded.
"There's… there's always next year." Judai mumbled.
Kenzan groaned. "Doesn't make this suck any less."
Judai didn't know what to say back after that.
"Gaaah!" Kenzan shouted, making Judai have to pull his phone away again. "I'm sorry I can't come Aniki, seriously. I guess just… check with the rest of the group, saurus. There's gotta be someone that can still make it."
"I hope." Judai remarked.
"Oh crap! No, no, no, no! I gotta go, Aniki! Bye!" Kenzan exclaimed before immediately hanging up.
Judai just stared at his phone with wide eyes, wondering what could have happened that suddenly needed Kenzan's attention that badly. It became evident that even if they were all adults now, some of the group was better at 'adulting' than the rest. Judai started walking again and tried the next contact on his list. He needed someone to say they could make it. As long as there was one person that would be there then things would be okay. It just had to be one of them.
The line rang for quite a while and Judai was worried it would end up going to voicemail, but thankfully the other end picked up.
"Hey, Edo I-"
"Phoenix-sama is in an interview right now. Sorry, please call him back later."
Judai realized Edo's assistant answered his phone.
"Uh, w-wait! Um, will Edo be available this Saturday?" Judai quickly asked.
"No. Phoenix-sama has his week filled with interviews and commercial shoots. The latest he will be free won't be until Monday." She told him.
"Oh… alright, thanks." Judai said in disappointment.
"You can leave your name and a message for him if you like." She offered.
"No, it's fine. I don't wanna bother him if he's busy." Judai refused.
"Alright then, sir." And with that she hung up.
"Ugggh!" Judai loudly groaned. "Well… I guess I shoulda expected Edo would be busy. He's always had to rearrange his schedule for this."
"I'm sorry things aren't working out Judai-kun, nya." Daitokuji said.
Judai just shook his head. "I've got two shots left. I can't lose all hope just yet."
Judai made another call and waited for the line to stop ringing.
"Judai? Ugh, do you have any idea what time it is right now?" O'Brien grumbled.
"Well, I'm in Canada and I think the sun's about to set so… no." Judai responded.
O'Brien simply sighed. "Why are you in Canada?"
"I dunno." Judai stated.
"O...kay. Well, why are you calling?" O'Brien asked.
"The… the reunion…" Judai mumbled.
O'Brien let out a groan. "Right, I was gonna call you in the morning about that."
"So you can't make it then?" Judai assumed, bracing for the disappointment.
"No, I'm sorry. I have a… business related trip I have to take." O'Brien explained.
"Seriously?" Judai replied, unintentionally sounding annoyed.
"Yes, seriously. I can't do anything about it. I would have tried talking to my boss, but… you can't exactly reschedule with the government." O'Brien told him.
"No, no. I understand, really. It's just… so far no one else can make it either." Judai said.
"Oh…" O'Brien sighed. "Well, life gets in the way."
"Yeah, so I've discovered. Well, um… you talk to Jim often, right? Do you think-"
"I can assure you Jim cannot afford that kind of trip." O'Brien cut off Judai.
"Okay…" Judai muttered.
"Sorry, I just- I already know the answer to that and if everyone else has said they can't show then there's no need to disappoint yourself further." O'Brien apologized.
"No, that's totally fair. Just had to ask anyway… Welp, sorry for waking you. I won't keep you any longer." Judai said.
O'Brien was quiet for a moment.
"Are you doing okay?" He suddenly asked.
"Huh? Uh, yeah. I'm fine as always, just… ugh, this sucks." Judai admitted.
"Yeah. Trust me, I would love to go, but I have responsibilities. When my job needs me to do something I can't just push it aside for my own plans." O'Brien stated.
"I know. You all have jobs and adult lives and responsibilities and all that. I get it." Judai grumbled.
O'Brien was silent again.
"You think it's about time you go back home? I mean, find somewhere permanent to live and get a job like the rest of us. I know you've learned a lot about the world, so I'm sure you could find something to do. I bet the pro league would accept you just like that." O'Brien suggested.
"I… Even if I wanted to live an average life I can't imagine I would be any good at it. I've been out here for a decade. I don't even know if I would fit back in society. Or if I ever even fit in at all..." Judai replied.
"Move back in with your parents then. I still live with mine and everything's just fine. That way you can ease your way back into society. I'm sure they'll help you." O'Brien advised.
Judai knew his parents would welcome him back with open arms, but that didn't mean it wouldn't still be awkward for him. After graduating he never dropped by to visit them. They've called and texted each other before and Judai has sent them presents plenty of times, but he hadn't seen them in person in at least ten years. He hadn't even been back to his hometown at all. He wasn't sure if he even wanted to see it again.
"I-I'll think about it." Judai lied.
"Okay, good... Ugh, I can't stay awake any longer. I gotta go back to sleep. Bye, Judai." O'Brien responded.
"Bye, man." Judai said and was first to end the call.
With a sigh, the brunet looked up and realized he was at the lake. It wasn't exactly crystal clear and beautiful, it was kind of muddy looking actually. He wondered if he cast a line if he would catch any strange looking fish. If it weren't illegal he would probably actually try. Judai learned the hard way awhile back to always check the fishing laws wherever he went. He still felt bad about making his parents pay for that fine. Glancing over, Judai noticed a bench and went to sit down. Yubel and Daitokuji appeared on either side of him, sitting on the bench with him. Winged Kuriboh even appeared as well, but quickly fluttered off somewhere else. It was quiet between them all as Judai simply watched the waves of the lake.
"Don't you think you should call him? He's the last one." Yubel finally spoke up.
"I know, but… I'm worried not even he'll be able to show up." Judai said, still staring at the water.
"You'll never know unless you call, nya." Daitokuji advised.
Judai glanced down at his phone. It's true, he really wouldn't know unless he called. He was Judai's last hope at still having the reunion. Even if it ultimately was just the two of them, that would be enough for Judai. So he pressed the call button and put the phone up to his ear. Each time it rang Judai felt his pulse get faster.
"You've reached Johan Andersen."
"Johan! Hey, it's-"
"I can't answer the phone right now, but feel free to call me later or leave a message and I'll get back to you as quick as I can."
It was his voicemail. Johan didn't answer. Judai threw his phone on the ground, which startled Daitokuji, and he pulled his knees up to his chest.
"You know he might just be asleep considering time zones and all. The O'Brien one was also asleep." Yubel stated.
"That doesn't mean it doesn't hurt!" Judai exclaimed.
Daitokuji wanted to comfort his former student, but he couldn't think of anything to say. He glanced at Yubel, who simply crossed their arms and looked like they were thinking.
"I don't want things to change…" Judai muttered.
"Oh, Judai-kun… I'm sorry, nya." Daitokuji said, unable to come up with anything better.
"I'm losing everyone, I just know it. We're finally drifting apart." Judai struggled to say thanks to his voice becoming shaky.
Daitokuji nervously moved his hands around, but knowing he couldn't physically interact with Judai, he had no idea what to actually do with them. He looked at Yubel again, who hadn't even bothered to spare a glance at Judai, which was very uncharacteristic of them. Daitokuji heard Winged Kuriboh let out a few noises as the duel spirit came back over to Judai's side. The man looked over at the spirit to see a little kid come running up after it.
"Kuri, kuri." Winged Kuriboh whined.
"Hey mister, is this your Kuriboh?" The little boy asked.
Judai glanced over to see the boy looking at him and pointing towards Winged Kuriboh. The brunet wiped away the tears that had formed in his eyes.
"You… can see Winged Kuriboh?" Judai questioned.
"Huh? Yeah, 'course I can! It's real cute! I got one too, see!" The boy turned around to reveal the stuffed Kuriboh keychain hooked onto his backpack.
A small smile formed on Judai's face. "Well ain't that cute. Be sure to take care of it, okay? You don't want it getting dirty."
"I know, but my baby brother might mess it up anyway." He said and pouted.
Judai simply chuckled at him.
"Come on honey! It's getting late! We need to leave!"
"Oh that's my mom, I gotta go. Bye mister! And bye ghost man and ghost lady! And Kuriboh too!" He said before running off.
"Kurii!" Winged Kuriboh chirped.
"L-lady…?" Yubel groaned in annoyance.
"It's really nice to see the kids of the world enjoying their childhood." Judai said.
"You say that like you didn't enjoy yours, nya." Daitokuji noted.
"No, I did. I even miss it… a lot. But I gotta admit, I had too much on my shoulders too often back then for just being a kid." Judai claimed.
Daitokuji looked away and frowned, realizing at least some portion of that was his fault. Yubel didn't seem to acknowledge any of the blame that was theirs however.
"I think about wanting to go back to those days pretty often, but then I think about everything that's happened during those years… and I don't want any of that." Judai stood up from the bench. "I just want the good ol' days back. Just those days and none of the bad ones. After all, despite everything those were the greatest days of my life. No other time in my life was that fun or that interesting." Judai got down on one knee in front of his phone. "I made the closest friends I've ever had at Duel Academy. I can barely even remember the names of anyone I hung out with in junior high. And that was only like, two or three people at most."
Judai picked up his phone and flipped it over, turning on the screen. He noticed he had a text message from Johan and quickly opened it to see what it said.
'Hey sorry did you just call me?'
Judai hurried to text back in the hopes that Johan was still up.
'yea i wanted to ask if ur coming to the reunion'
Judai stood back up with his phone and walked back over to the bench. Daitokuji watched him with a confused expression while Yubel focused on the lake.
'Im sorry I cant. The season is currently ongoing and Ive got matches for weeks straight. Cant reschedule either.'
Judai turned his phone's screen off and placed it in his lap. He didn't feel anything other than a giant void forming in his entire body. Neither Daitokuji or Yubel knew what made him look even more down in the dumps. They just assumed it was disappointment over Johan not calling back. Winged Kuriboh flew over and tried to nuzzle against Judai, but the spirit just ended up phasing through him a bit.
"What am I supposed to do now…? This is the only thing I look forward to. I guess really, it's the only thing I have. Am I just supposed to show up by myself? I don't- I don't…" Judai trailed off, not sure what else to say.
"Go home." Yubel blurted out.
Judai and Daitokuji simply looked at them.
"Ugh, you heard what the O'Brien one told you. Go home to your parents. Figure out what to do from there. Maybe some time home will help you choose between continuing to travel and deciding to have a life similar to everyone else." Yubel clarified.
"It has been ten years… Well, technically thirteen since I never went home over semester break. They probably would like to see me." Judai said.
"Oh, of course! You could have a reunion with your parents, nya!" Daitokuji happily suggested.
"A reunion… with my parents…" Judai repeated as he stared at the lake.
And so, the next morning Judai immediately hopped on a bus to the nearest airport. He was headed home for the first time in thirteen years. It felt weird to know where he was headed without it being Duel Academy. He finally had some kind of agency, even if it was just for going home. He always just went wherever the world pushed him, but now he was making a decision on where to go, and of all the places to choose, it turned out to be home. To the small town right next to Domino City.
Eventually Judai found himself walking down a very familiar street. He had grown since the last time he saw his old neighborhood so everything felt a bit smaller. It was clear some families had moved out and new ones moved in in their places. He spotted some unfamiliar little kids playing in a yard and he found it so strange that the last time he was home, those kids didn't even exist yet. So much of his neighborhood had grown and changed, and yet it still felt the same. Almost like Duel Academy.
It was noon on a Wednesday so he wasn't sure if his parents were at work. They might have been, but he had no idea if they had different jobs than they used to or if their hours had changed or something. When he knocked on the door would anyone answer? Perhaps calling them in advance would have been a good idea. After all, it's not like he left for Duel Academy with a spare house key on him. Although, he could probably try getting in through a window. But if someone saw he they might not know it was his parent's house and would think he was breaking in. Either way, it was too late now so he just had to hope someone was home.
Remembering his address, Judai came up to his parent's house and stopped at the door. He was home. He was really home after thirteen years. It felt weird coming home for the first time in forever at twenty-eight. In a way, it felt like was seventeen again and coming home after graduating from Duel Academy. Almost as if the past ten years never happened. With a deep breath, Judai braced himself and knocked on the front door. It took a minute, but the door handle suddenly moved and Judai immediately felt his heart beat faster. The door opened to reveal his mom and the moment she saw her son, her eyes widened.
"Uh… I'm home." Judai awkwardly said.
"Judai!" His mom exclaimed as she quickly put her arms around her son.
It felt weird at first. It was his mom so it was nice, of course, but it was thirteen years since he last saw her in person, so it seemed almost foreign. He couldn't remember what a hug from his mom felt like. Regardless, he hugged her back. He was happy to know for certain that he was welcomed back home after he had been gone so long.
"Oh sweetie, please come in. You must've had a long trip back." She said, tugging Judai inside by his hand.
"Not really. I was only in Canada when I decided to come home." Judai said, closing the door behind him.
"Canada? Oh you really must tell us about all the places you've been. I know you send us souvenirs and postcards, but it'll be much nicer to hear about your travels straight from you." She responded.
They stepped into the dining room and Judai sat down at the table.
"Let me go get your father." His mom said before leaving the room.
Judai looked around the room. Everything looked the same. Same wall color, same plants, same dining table, same chairs. As Judai looked at the chair across from him, he felt like he could see someone sitting there. He glanced down and saw a playmat set down with cards over it. It was like he was a kid again. He spotted Yubel's card on the table and realized what he was seeing. It was the memories he supposedly forgot about. Since reuniting with Yubel all those memories had come back to him, but being back at that same table where people got hurt all the time made him uncomfortable. He couldn't do it, he had to get up. He couldn't see that any longer. As he stood up it all disappeared and he focused on staring out the window.
"Judai, son!"
Judai whirled around to see a big smile on his dad's face. The man ran up to his son and hugged Judai. Judai was a bit unprepared for it, but he was glad to see his dad again anyway.
"What made you come home?" His dad asked.
"Uh, actually… there might be a long story that goes along with that." Judai answered.
"Oh, then let me make something." His mom offered as she quickly started walking to the kitchen. "You're probably hungry, huh? I always worry if you're eating enough."
Judai chuckled slightly. "I can assure you I'm eating just fine. But having a home cooked meal would be pretty nice."
"C'mon, let's catch up." Judai's dad said, putting his arm around his son's shoulders.
They two walked into the living room and sat down on the couch. Judai took his bag off and laid it down next to him. Even the living room still looked exactly the same.
"So, why are you guys home right now? Don't you have work?" Judai wondered.
"We both retired early. KaibaCorp is very kind to its employees." His dad explained.
"Oh really. Huh." Judai responded.
"Okay, so really. Why are you home? You didn't let us know so I take it this wasn't really planned." His dad questioned.
"Nah, it really wasn't. You guys know my friends and I do a reunion at Duel Academy every year." Judai started.
"Oh yes, you send us pictures every year. You really should tell us more about each of your friends." His mom said from the kitchen.
"Yeah… well, every year all of us are always there and this year…" Judai let out a sigh. "Not a single one of 'em are able to make it. I guess it's just made me do a lot of rethinking. It's work related for all of them and it just kinda… put into perspective that I don't have a job or responsibilities or a normal life or whatever… I guess… I dunno."
"So you came home to figure out what to do?" His dad assumed.
Judai nodded his head. "I suppose. I'm still not entirely sure what I'm doing. I guess just after ten years of travelling, it's time I find something new to do."
"You know your father and I will always support you no matter what. You take as long as you need to find that something and we'll help however we can." His mom said.
"Your mother's right. We're here for you, Judai." His dad agreed.
Judai couldn't stop the smile that formed on his face. "Thanks Mom. Dad."
Judai's mom made fried shrimp, knowing it was her son's favorite. She set the dining table with some help from Judai and the three sat down at the table to have a family dinner.
"Ohhh maaan! I haven't had fried shrimp this good in years! Ah, I missed your cooking Mom!" Judai sang praises as he stuffed his mouth full.
His parents chuckled at their son.
"So how long do you think you'll be staying? Are you home for good or…?" His mom wondered.
Judai slowed down his eating as he thought.
"Well," He started before swallowing his food. "I would like to go to Duel Academy for the reunion even if it's just gonna be me. Samejima always expects us to be there every year anyway and I'm sure he would be worried if suddenly no one showed up. Other than that, I dunno. I still dunno what I'm gonna do."
"Do you want to get a job? I'm sure you've learned enough while travelling that there's plenty of things you could do." His dad questioned.
Judai scarfed down another shrimp. "Yeah, that is an option, it's just… I dunno what I wanna do. I don't really feel drawn towards anything and obviously I can't just get bored of a job. I'd have to stick with it."
"Well you've always loved dueling. That's why you wanted to go to Duel Academy." His mom stated.
Judai nodded. "I know. But you know I've never wanted to be a pro. I do really love dueling, but I want it to be something that's fun. I wanna enjoy a duel, not hinge my career on it. And according to my friends some duels are staged and I'd rather not play like that."
His parents looked at each other and tried to think. Meanwhile, Judai went back to chowing down on the shrimp in front of him.
"Why not share what you know?" His dad blurted out.
Judai stopped and looked up at his dad.
"What do ya mean?" Judai asked.
"You love dueling and you love Duel Academy. You want to enjoy dueling and you don't want to be a pro. At Duel Academy you can enjoy dueling by teaching it to the younger generation." His dad explained.
Judai's gaze dropped down to his plate, confusing his parents. Judai did truly love Duel Academy. It felt more like a home to him than his parent's place did. He loved going back every year, not only to see his friends, but to just see the school as well. It was the place where he felt most at peace. If he could, he would choose to stay at Duel Academy forever and if he became a teacher then he could get almost exactly that.
"I'll… have to think about that." Judai said, not wanting to fully commit to the idea just yet.
"You take as long as you need to think things through, sweetie. There's no pressure." His mom assured him.
It was comforting to Judai to know his parents cared so much about him. As much as he knew they loved him, even when he was younger he just felt like they weren't around enough. Granted, they had jobs back then and Judai did fine on his own, but he felt like he missed out on a few things by not having them around that often. Now that Judai was an adult and his parents didn't work anymore things already felt a lot better. He didn't feel like sticking around for too long though, so he doubted it would last long.
Judai enjoyed the rest of his meal with his parents and relaxed in the living room with them. He showed off dozens and dozens of photos he'd taken over the years. Plenty of them were from the places he visited and he had a different story to go with each one. A couple of them made his parents worried about what kind of trouble their son was getting into, but he assured them he really was fine on his own. Judai's parents then caught Judai up on what had been happening in the neighborhood. Who got married, who went to college, who moved away, and who moved in. He didn't really remember anyone in the neighborhood, but a few names did feel familiar to him. He briefly considered going around and meeting people, but since he wasn't sure if he would be coming back after visiting the academy he ultimately decided against it.
Judai let out a yawn and took a second to stretch his arms. He could see out the window that it was already night and he almost couldn't believe the time went by so fast.
"Getting tired, sport?" His dad asked.
"Huh? Oh uh, yeah I guess. I didn't sleep too well at the bus station." Judai said.
"Bus station!? Judai!" His mom exclaimed.
"Uh- uh- uh… D-don't worry! I'm f-"
"Did you really sleep at a bus station!? You could get sick, or even mugged! Are you even sleeping properly? Are you even bathing properly? Judai, when was the last time you bathed?" His mom interrogated.
"Huh!? Uh, well… U-um…" Judai trailed off.
"Judai!" His mom called his name in both a disappointed and accusatory tone.
"Oh, c'mon! I didn't even say anything!" Judai whined.
"You can't win this one, kiddo. Just do your mom a favor and go wash up." His dad advised.
"And let me wash all your clothes too. I doubt you've had clean laundry in years. And isn't that your school jacket?" His mom questioned.
Judai looked down at himself. "Uh, yeah."
"Judai!" His mom called out again. "You've been wearing that same jacket for at least ten years!?"
"Yes! There's nothing wrong with it!" Judai frantically shouted back thanks to his mom making him nervous.
"I'm washing it right now. Hand it over." She demanded.
Judai groaned and he could hear Yubel snickering in his head as he took his jacket off before handing it to his mom. He eventually gave her the other clothes in his bag as well and once he got in the bath, she also took what he was wearing earlier. Judai couldn't believe how quickly things took a turn. Apparently no matter how long a kid was away, a mom was still always a mom. But despite practically getting chewed out, Judai had to admit it had been a long while since he was able to enjoy a relaxing bath. He was so used to his new lifestyle that he forgot what it was like to live in a house all the time.
"Ah, now this is the life." Judai said to himself.
"And this is quite the sight."
Judai's eyes widened and he quickly looked over to see Yubel bent over the tub, watching Judai with a lovestruck look on their face. Even Daitokuji was in the room, but he was sitting on top of the hamper and thankfully facing away from Judai.
"Y-Y-Yubel! Look away!" Judai shouted and tried to cover Yubel's face, but his hands just phased through them.
"What's wrong? There's no need to be so modest around me." Yubel said.
"What's wrong is that I should have privacy in the bathroom! And you being here is just weird! You're my former teacher ya know!" Judai pointed at Daitokuji.
"Oh, that is a very good point, nya. Sorry, I was just following after Yubel's lead, nya." Daitokuji apologized and faded away.
"Now that we're alone Judai-"
"I'm gonna stop you right there. This is not, nor will it ever be, the time for that. Now can I please have some privacy!" Judai demanded.
"Oh, you're no fun." Yubel whined and pouted before fading away.
Judai groaned and leaned back in the tub.
"After ten years you'd think they'd learn, but nooo…" He grumbled.
After his bath, Judai's mom brought him his laundry and he changed into his other outfit. His mom wouldn't stop complaining about how old his clothes were and how little he had to begin with. She made the decision herself to take him clothes shopping tomorrow, but Judai kept protesting, insisting he was fine with what he had and needed to carry as little as possible while he travelled. They eventually came to a compromise and agreed that if Judai ultimately chose to stay home then they would go clothes shopping after he returned from visiting the academy.
Getting too sleepy, his parents showed Judai to his room, which hadn't been touched since he left for Duel Academy. It changed somewhat since he was a little kid into a room more fit for a teenager. His old game console was still sitting on the shelf under his television. Clothes that were much too small for him by now were hanging in his closet. A bunch of his old drawings were neatly stacked together on his desk with his collection of crayons and colored pencils in a box nearby. The sheets on his bed were neatly tucked in and he felt a bit embarrassed over seeing the Duel Monsters print on his blanket and pillow cases. It made his bed look like a face down card.
"We, uh, left it this way in case you came home." His dad said.
"Thanks." Judai replied as he continued to look around the room.
"We'll let you get some rest now. Come on, dear." His mom pulled his dad out of the room and closed the door, leaving Judai by himself.
The brunet sat down on his bed and dropped his bag on the floor. Yubel and Daitokuji appeared in the room and began looking around.
"I haven't seen this room in, what? At least twenty years?" Yubel noted.
"Yeah, something like that." Judai agreed.
"Your parents have a lovely home, nya." Daitokuji complimented.
Judai just nodded as he leaned back in bed. He eventually got under the sheets and Winged Kuriboh appeared to curl up beside him. Yubel and Daitokuji faded away to give him some privacy, learning from their mistake in the bathroom. It felt nice to Judai to be back in his old bed. It did feel a bit stiff though, but probably because no one had been in it for thirteen years. He let out a sigh and finally drifted off to sleep.
In the morning Judai's mom made him breakfast and the three of them worked out plans for the day as they ate. Judai decided to leave Friday afternoon so he could make it to Duel Academy by Saturday morning. His parents went ahead and made the decision to buy a plane ticket for him. The academy made the necessary renovations a couple years ago to allow small planes to land on the island since the number of students that attended each year had grown exponentially.
After breakfast, Judai spent the day out with his parents. They loaded up in the car and went into the city. There wasn't really much he actually wanted to do or see. He simply let his parents drag him around and talk about things that changed. Yubel and Daitokuji seemed to enjoy themselves as they looked around on their own.
Judai eventually sat down on the edge of a large fountain as his parents stepped away to buy some drinks from a stand. Judai looked down to check his phone just in case anyone actually managed to reschedule their previous plans. He had texts from both Sho and Johan asking if he was okay. He assumed a few of the others talked with each other and eventually everyone knew what the situation was. He didn't really feel like talking to them though and decided if he was going to say anything it would be after he got to Duel Academy.
"Yuki-san?"
Judai quickly looked up and flinched when he came face to face with a young woman staring him down. She looked more curious than anything.
"Uh… yes?" Judai responded.
"It is you, Yuki-san! Do you remember me? We went to junior high together!" She cheerfully said.
Judai stared at her for a moment. He barely remembered anyone from before Duel Academy and he was sure she wasn't one of his old friends. After taking a second to think, Judai did recall there was a girl with black hair and blue eyes that always spoke very formally. The woman in front of him looked a lot like her.
"Yeah, I think I do." Judai replied.
"Wow, it's so crazy to see you again! I heard you got into that duelist academy for high school. How have you been?" She asked.
Yubel immediately floated up and leaned in close to the woman's face with an angry glare. Judai got worried, but had to act like he couldn't see it.
"Um, well… I graduated from Duel Academy and I've just been travelling the world since then. I just got back home yesterday." Judai explained.
"Really? I never would have expected you of all people to travel the world. You were always known as the slacker back in school." She noted.
"Y-yeah…" Judai muttered and rubbed the back of his head. "So, how have you been?"
"Well, I got married after high school. My husband is a doctor and this is our little girl. Say hi sweetie." She said.
Judai looked down to finally notice the young girl partially hiding behind her mom. Judai thought she couldn't be more than five or so. She nervously waved at him so he smiled and waved back.
"Oh, she's the shy type. It was nice to see you again, Yuki-san. I was just running some errands so I need to get going." She spoke as she patted her daughter on the head.
"Yeah, you too." Judai responded.
She waved as she continued on walking with her daughter trailing behind her. Judai just watched as she disappeared into the crowd of people.
"Care to explain who that was?" Yubel asked, not bothering to hide the jealousy in their voice.
"Someone from back in junior high. I don't even remember her name. We barely spoke in the first place. Geez, relax. She's married now anyway." Judai reassured them.
Daitokuji appeared on the other side of Judai and watched the young man for a moment.
"There's already people from school with kids now…" Judai muttered.
"Well you are close to hitting your thirties, nya. Most people who want families would reasonable have them by now, nya." Daitokuji noted.
"Wouldn't kids be nice, Judai?" Yubel said, putting a hand against their own cheek.
Judai side-eyed his partner. "Don't get ahead of yourself now. And I doubt that's even possible in our situation."
Yubel groaned and Daitokuji chuckled a bit, but a death glare from Yubel made him abruptly stop.
"Still…" Judai started, making the other two turn their attention to him. "It's just weird to see people I knew as a kid get married and have families while I've done… nothing."
"Judai-kun, everyone goes about life at their own pace. Not everyone needs to settle down and get married, nya. You've accomplished plenty of things anyway, nya. How many people have seen as much as you have of the world in just ten years?" Daitokuji reassured him.
Judai looked up at his former teacher. He did understand that, but he couldn't help but feel like he was behind everyone anyway. He was only just now trying to figure out what to do with his life while others were already living theirs. It wasn't like he viewed the past ten years as a complete waste, but suddenly uproot himself from his travels and turning down a completely different road made him feel like he was starting all over again from square one.
His parents finally came back with drinks, mentioning something about a long line. Judai just put on a fake smile and went about the rest of the day as if everything was fine. He didn't really understand why he was so bothered by his interaction with the woman from junior high. None of his friends from Duel Academy had kids or got married. Everyone was just focused on their jobs, so it was like looking at a different side of life for Judai. All he considered was finding somewhere permanent to stay and possibly getting a job. He never thought about the option of having a family. Of course, considering his relationship with Yubel he felt confident that a proper family was out of the question. He wasn't even sure that he actually wanted that. He didn't feel like being a parent was something he would be good at anyway.
Judai and his parents eventually returned home. His mom made dinner and this time Judai helped out. Judai was quiet as they ate and his parents picked up on that, but they assumed he just had a lot to think about before he left. The family chatted more in the living room after dinner until it got late. Once again, Judai took a bath and headed off to bed.
He couldn't fall asleep as easily as last night since he had too much running through his head. He would be leaving for Duel Academy tomorrow. It almost felt like a deja vu moment to him. He could clearly remember the night thirteen years ago when he first left for Duel Academy at fifteen years old. He barely got any sleep since he was so excited. He didn't do too good on the written exam and showed up late to the practical exam, but he still passed anyway.
Judai realized that in a way, he really was starting all over. He was back in that same moment, but thirteen years older. He wondered if being a teacher was really a good idea. He thought he would need some kind of teaching degree, but considering all the good he did for Duel Academy, even if some of it started off bad because of him, he had a feeling Samejima would happily welcome him as a member of the staff. Or Saiou would. He wasn't really sure how the hiring process went and Saiou was the new chairman while Samejima was just the headmaster.
Judai would figure out the specifics later. He was just worried if he would actually do a good job teaching or not. He didn't have much experience with kids, but Duel Academy was a high school so there weren't actually toddlers running around. Remembering how he and his friends were as teenagers, they could be mature one minute and acting like complete buffoons the next. They matured more with each passing school year as well. He felt like teaching people just like that couldn't be too hard. Judai himself was rather laid back anyway and considering his past experience with teachers, the nicer they were the more relaxed he felt in their class. So as long as he was a nice teacher his students would be nice back, well for the most part. There were still people like Manjoume no matter what. But that would be part of the fun. Making friends with all his students no matter who they were.
Perhaps that's why he should be a teacher. To reach out to all the kids that were like his friends. The initially shy and insecure ones like Sho. The egotistical ones who used it as a cover up like Manjoume. The ones who seemed perfect but cracked once that image was ruined like Ryo. The ones with no drive that believed they would never graduate like Hayato. And the ones with a lot of potential that just needed help letting that potential grow like Judai himself. He wanted to make sure all the young duelists like him and his friends were able to prosper. He wanted to help the next generation do even better than the last.
And so Judai was finally positive that he really wanted to teach at Duel Academy.
He awoke in the morning to have breakfast again with his parents. He told them he was sure he wouldn't be coming back any time soon and despite it being tough to accept, they were still happy Judai found what he wanted to do next. Judai packed what little he had and his parents drove him to the airport. It was a long drive so it took a few hours. The family simply took their remaining time together to chat a bit more. It felt like they could never run out of stuff to talk about, considering there was ten years worth of things to say on both sides.
They finally arrived at the airport a bit after noon. His parents asked if he wanted them to stay while he waited for his flight. He told them they didn't have to do that. And so the family hugged and his mom nagged him about making sure he ate enough and bathed regularly. Judai groaned, but appreciated that his parents cared so much anyway. They struggled with standing by as they watched their son walk into the airport. He turned and flashed a big smile as he waved at them and they knew he would be okay. He was on his own for ten years so there was no reason he wouldn't be perfectly fine at Duel Academy. It reminded them of when he left the first time. They were so worried that he would struggle only to eventually drop out, but he persevered and made it all the way to graduation even despite everything they heard he went through. Since he never came home after that they felt like they lost their boy the day he left for the academy, but seeing him finally come home told them that he simply grew up quicker than they thought he did. As Judai disappeared inside the airport, they were confident they did a good job raising a wonderful young man.
In the airport, Judai waited for his flight by himself. It was rather uneventful since it wasn't his first ever flight. Daitokuji and Yubel did some people watching since they didn't have much to say themselves. Judai checked his phone and noticed he had even more texts from his friends. This time from Asuka, O'Brien, and Fubuki. Despite now knowing what he wanted to do, he still didn't feel like talking. He wasn't mad or upset at anyone, but just thinking about the reunion still hurt a bit. He only hoped he wasn't worrying everyone by not responding.
"So do you know what you're going to do?" Yubel inquired.
Judai looked over his shoulder to see Yubel.
"Yeah, I've decided I wanna teach at Duel Academy." Judai stated.
Yubel's eyes widened a bit and Daitokuji quickly turned to face his former student.
"Oh, so following in my footsteps, nya?" Daitokuji assumed.
Judai just chuckled. "You can think of it like that if you want. I just… I just think the best place I could ever be is at Duel Academy. And I wanna help out the kids there that're like me and my friends."
"What a noble cause, nya. You've certainly grown up since you were a student there, nya." Daitokuji commented.
"Ya think? I just hope I can do the best for them." Judai said.
"Of course you will. You've always done your best." Yubel assured him.
Judai smiled at Yubel and they smiled back.
He eventually heard his flight called and got up from his seat to board. Even if he would arrive at Duel Academy alone, it was still okay. Because Judai had a new reason for going back. A reason that pushed him in a new direction and gave him his drive back. Judai was finally going home for good. To his real home.
To Duel Academy.