Hello, welcome to my second-ever fanfiction story!

夜行 -Nightwalk- was inspired by a recent trip to East Asia, so that's where I got this idea from. This was initially intended to be a one-shot but then I think 6000+ words is a bit too long. Therefore, I have divided this story into five chapters: each respective chapter will be focused on two characters, along with an introduction chapter (this one!) and a concluding chapter. Contrary to the featured characters labelled, this fic will also include the twins, Rua and Ruka.

This fic is categorised as humour (for Jack and Crow) and romance (for Yūsei and Aki, and one-sided feelings by Ruka).
Also, whenever you see something in italics, it is either for emphasis or indicative of a character's thoughts. Just a note here.

I do not own anything about Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's and that is final.

夜行 -Nightwalk-

BAYSIDE at night

"Are we there yet? Just how far is this thing?"

"Dude, it's only been ten minutes. You need some real exercise, anyways."

"Ahh… is it me, or is it getting warmer…"

"Does my hair still look fine?"

"I wish I was back in my T-shirt and shorts instead."

"There it is, right ahead."

…

It was the perfect night to hold the annual Neo Domino Traditions Festival downtown – after a ten-minute walk along the bay that once separated the main city and Satellite, the elaborate set-up of tents and bright lights could be seen. It wasn't long before the fun began, just like it did every year. Excitement hovered in the air like tangible magic amidst the warm glow of the paper lanterns. The sky was so clear that even stars could be seen despite the bright city lights below. Over the decades, the city had become increasingly influenced by the Western world, but that didn't change the hearts of the people. Once colourful lanterns and garment designs fluttered by the eyes of each passerby, it became clear that the Eastern charms from long ago were still very much intact. No doubt these traditions would remain undying for many more years to come.

The people, most dressed in their best and impeccably-ironed yukata for the occasion, made the annual trek down the sandy pavement towards the entrance of the festival. The front gate was exquisitely adorned with lanterns and countless neon lights which formed the shape of a dragon's head.

"Let us all take a picture under the gate!" Aki exclaimed in excitement, twirling around in her bright red yukata. There were darker outlines of roses elaborately woven down the sleeves to the bottom of the dress. A light yellow obi was tied around her waist, with the fan and bow neatly propped up against her back. Ruka and her brother ran after her; the two of them wore almost matching yukata, except that Ruka's was pink and white while Rua's was blue and white. Under the lantern glow, one could see that both had intricate embroidery which was almost the same colour as the rest of their garments.

"With all these people walking around?" Crow whined as he held up the camera. He had on a solid brown yukata and a darker-coloured obi for the occasion tonight. Suddenly, a taller man donning a black yukata and white obi took the camera out of his hands.

"Jack! Give that back!" the orange-haired teen reached out to retrieve what was taken from him, but Jack was much too tall so he couldn't quite reach. "Who said you could take the photo?!"

"I said," Jack stated, like it was simply a matter of fact. Crow continued trying to get at the camera but his attempts were futile. Finally, the remaining member of their group of friends spoke up.

"Let's ask the gentleman over there to help us," Yūsei said, the long sleeve of his navy yukata gesturing to a man who was also taking pictures with his friends. "That way, we can all be in the picture."

"Wow!" exclaimed Crow."Why didn't I think of that?" Everyone else agreed that this was a good idea, so Yūsei went to ask the man and Jack finally handed over the camera. The man happily accepted the request and Team 5D's gathered together under the front gate. Jack put on his best majestic pose while Crow and Rua tried some silly poses.

Once Yūsei and his friends thanked the man for his service, they retrieved the camera and turned the corner to where it was possibly the most lively and crowded. Amidst all the push-and-shove past the crowd, someone stepped down on the hem of Rua's yukata. At this, the younger boy began to complain. "Ahh, it already has a dirt imprint on it! Look!" he gestured to the print. "How dare he! That guy, he didn't even apologise!"

"Don't worry about that, Rua," his sister told him. "Besides, you've never been the one doing the laundry."

His friends laughed at the flustered Rua as they continued to move alongside the crowd. After a few minutes had passed, the younger boy piped up again.

"This place is so big! And it's so crowded, too. We should just get a map."

"There are no maps to offer in events like this," Aki informed him. "I thought you already knew this, since this isn't the first time we've been here. Festivals are intentionally designed for wandering and seeing. But we could always ask around for directions."

"No way in Hell am I waiting for you to make a decision," Jack huffed. His arms were still crossed at his chest, but the emotion on his face exerted impatience to the highest degree. "I know where I'm going!"

As he shoved his way through the bustling crowd, Crow put his hands on his hips and sighed to himself. "Still stubborn, ain't he?"

Well, that's the end of my 'pilot' chapter. I'll have the next chapter up ASAP.
In the meantime, please leave a review and let me know what you think! ^_^