"Yusei."
His name slips out of my mouth before I can stop myself. Before I realise that I said that out loud, his eyes meet mine. In that split second where we are looking right in each other's eyes, the world freezes. After four years, his eyes are still as I remember them, the same shade of perfect cobalt blue.
"Yuuka?" The shock is evident in his eyes. "You're alive?" He moves down a few steps, I walk up towards him. Oh yeah, he must have thought I was dead after I disappeared without a trace.
"W-well yeah." I manage to stutter out. I notice his eye shift to my marker. "I got arrested and sent to the City." I gesture at my marker. He looks directly at my right arm as if he's looking for something. I glance at it, thinking there was a cut, but no, nothing.
Yusei is about to open his mouth again when I feel a gaze boring into me. I look to my right and meet Kaoru's eyes. His eyes are wide, fuck, he knows. My heart begins to pound wildly, my hands start shaking again. My breath catches in my throat. He turns back to Emiko, at which Shinji signals for me to leave. Shinji and Reika get up to leave. I make eye contact with Yusei again.
"Okay, I really have to go. I'll see you around I guess." I send him a smile and a shrug of the shoulders. He nods. At that, I turn my back to him and run down the stairs.
Once I'm in the lobby, I have to slow down for Reika and Shinji's pace. We quickly walk out of the stadium in silence. I purposely lead them in the opposite direction from my old home. It would take a little longer but it would be best to clear my head. The paths are narrow so I walk in front of Reika and Shinji. They're quietly talking behind me, about me no doubt. My heart rate returns to normal, I shouldn't have panicked that much from just making eye contact with my brother. I guess I'm afraid of what he'll say or do. He could drag me 'home' and force me to lead that suffocating life I once had. Force me to go back to Duel Academy in which every teacher treated me like a criminal and an idiot, sending to detention at even the slightest diversion from normal behaviour. That thought makes my very being shiver in fear.
I can't imagine what Yusei must be thinking right now. I wonder if he feels the same as I do now. He just kind of stood there. I noticed that he's much harder to read than he once was. This nagging thought in my mind says that he had forgotten about me, I push it away. He must have looked for me; he must have thought about me. Why else would he look so shocked? A lingering doubt stays in the back of my mind. Then, I realise that I've stopped dead in my tracks. I look back at Shinji and Reika, who are now holding hands. They're staring at me, confused, then they glance at each other out of the side of their eyes. I also realise that they might have called out to me before, but I was too absorbed in my thoughts to hear them. Everything seems to have slow down.
"You know what? You two go on ahead. I need to take a walk." I wave my hand at them, in the hopes that they don't press the matter.
"Alright. We'll meet you at the stadium in the morning. See you tomorrow!" Reika smiles as they walk past. I sigh when they're out of earshot. I walk down a few side-streets that will take me into the heart of the Daimon Area. It's packed with people. A sea of endless noise. There are people all around me, but I feel alone and scared. Everything seems so far away. My world has started changing in the last few hours. Now, I'm more terrified than I ever have been. My apartment is just on the far side of this open area, but I can't stand be alone right now.
I blank out as my feet guide me. After a few minutes of walking, I end up outside of Raiden's apartment. I freeze as I go to knock with my hand. How would I tell him about what's going on? Is he even in? He did say he was busy today. I knock anyway. I'm surprised when he opens the door. Though Raiden doesn't seem to be, he merely greets me and walks back into the kitchen, while I take a seat on the sofa. He brings a plate of reheated curry from last night back with him.
"There's more there if you want any." He says before he takes a bite.
"Nah, not hungry." Between all of the anxiety and vomiting of today, my stomach isn't ready for food. I stare at my nails, dragging my fingertip over the smooth edges.
"Were the duels good?" I look up to see Raiden looking right at me.
"Yeah I suppose so. I mean the people I wanted to win did." I avoid looking him in the eye. I fear that if Raiden found out about my former crush on Yusei, it would end badly for me.
"Oh really who?" He doesn't sound all that interested, I leave that up to tiredness.
"Oh eh, Izayoi and Yusei." I know I shouldn't be panicking, but I can't help it.
"Izayoi's that chick who you think is the Black Rose Witch, right?"
"I know she is. She summoned Black Rose Dragon, who else could she be?" I furrow my brow, thinking about the insults the crowd flung at her.
"Hmm, I wonder how much Divine had a say in that." He ponders out loud.
"What do you mean?" I'm able to look him in the eye now.
"That's great advertising for the Arcadia Movement. If only you had gotten an invitation, think about what we could have done." I sigh, that's all he ever thinks about these days. Spread our influence, he says, change the world.
"It doesn't matter now really." I pinch the bridge of my nose. I'm not in the mood to deal with this right now.
"Yusei." He says as my eyes widen. "I know that name from somewhere. Isn't your old Satellite friend's name?"
"Yeah, it's him alright." I try to remain calm, my hands are starting to shake again.
"What, was he your boyfriend or something?" He looks at me out of the corner of his eye.
"Nah." I look right back at him out of the corner of my eye, praying that my answer didn't give me away.
"Oh okay." I resist the urge to sigh of relief. Silence hangs in the air as he finishes his meal. I press my fingertips against my tear ducts. I'm not going to cry, but my fingertips feel really cool against my face. I jump slightly when I hear the noise of Raiden's plate being set on the coffee table.
"Something else happened." That isn't a question. "You're being very distant today." I glance at Raiden to see that he's looking directly at me.
"My brother showed up today." I sigh and stare at the floor. "He looked straight at me. He knew it was me, and I-I just," I look Raiden in the eye, "I just panicked and ran away like a coward." My eyes squeeze shut as my hands cover my mouth. Kaoru's face has popped into my head again. That terrified expression that pains my heart every time I think about it. Raiden places a hand on my back, it's now that I realise that I've become to curl up.
"There's no need to be afraid. What happened then won't happen again because you can control your powers now." I can feel tears burning my eyes. I look up at Raiden. "You've grown so much since then. Believe me, you're stronger now than you were before."
"Yes, thank you." I try to dry my eyes before tears fall.
"I think you shouldn't go to the Fortune Cup tomorrow." My head whips around to look at him. I'm completely caught off guard by this. "Your brother knows that you'll be there, he knows where you're sitting. What if he tries to take you away from me, from us?" He gently takes my hand, which is shaking ever so slightly. I want to look at him, but all that fills my head is thoughts of my days at Duel Academy. The stares, the glares and the murmurs. It's all too much. The voice of that wretched woman is all I can hear.
"I've got to go!" I get up immediately and run straight out of Raiden's apartment. I don't stop running until I get to my apartment. I know I just arrived, but with everything that's going through my head, I don't think I can quite handle being around Raiden right now. It's quite late now so there aren't very many people around. Once I get in the door of my tiny apartment, I sit with my back against the door, resting my head on my knees. My breath catches in my throat and it's hard to breathe. Satellite scum. Those words stay in my head, the words that describe my shitty existence in this city.
I know I can't keep running from my problems, but what else can I do? I can't look my brother in the eye and tell him that guilt has plagued my existence since that day. I can't go back to that wretched woman I'm supposed to call mother and tell her that her strict ways make me feel like I'm suffocating. In that moment, with my back against my door, I felt alone in the world. No one would understand how I feel like cowardice is the only way to face the problems staring me in the face.
I lean my head back against the door. A part of me does not want to go to the Fortune Cup again tomorrow, in fear of what might happen. Though, I can't deny that Yusei and Izayoi need my support. I look around this small dingy apartment of mine for inspiration. Suddenly I remember the wig in one of the drawers in my dresser and a plan comes into my head. If I dress differently, wear the wig and apply plenty of makeup, I could go under the radar and not get noticed. I stand up and root through my limited wardrobe and try plan an outfit. Half way through, I give up and leave it for 'future-me' to deal with. I sit on my bed and just let my thoughts run wild. My mind brings me back to days of Team Satisfaction. Even though I was too sick for friends to let me join them, it was probably the most fun time of my life. I wonder are Crow and Kiryu still continuing, despite Yusei and Jack being in the city? I hope that they are, cause I'm no longer that frail little girl I once was. I could join them like I wished I could, all those years ago. My heart warms at the thought of my friends back in the Satellite. I wonder if they ever thought about me like I thought about them. Maybe they gave up on ever finding me and moved on, forgetting about me. I brush that thought away, and try to go asleep. Hoping that one day, we can all meet again.
A/N: Yuuka was arrested prior to Kiryu going crazy and getting arrested, so she still thinks that Team Satisfaction is still a thing. She's got a storm coming to put it bluntly, and does play into the events later in the story. Hope you enjoyed the chapter and see you in the next one!