The end draws near.
No words were exchanged between Akiza and Yusei when he mentioned that he was seeing Luna. The only audible sounds were the idle chatter going on around them. After what seemed like an eternity, Akiza started to laugh.
"I'm sorry," she tried to apologize while snickering. "This just seems surreal: you and Luna? That is so rich, it's fattening." The supposed humor almost had the doctor falling backwards.
"It's the truth," Yusei breathed without fear. "She's been here for a little over a week now. Once all the paperwork is pushed through, she'll be working for me."
"Then prove it," Akiza dared him, raising her eyebrow. Not even hesitating a little bit, the scientist retrieved his Android from his blazer pocket, set it to "speaker" mode, dialed his house number, hoping the girl would answer, and held it out in front of him.
"Hello?" a timid but familiar voice answered the call. Yusei's mouth formed a content smirk to counter Akiza's expanding eyes.
"How's everything going at home?" the marked man asked her.
"It hasn't burned down yet," Luna zinged. That one-liner got the doctor laughing again.
"That's good to know," he nodded. "Listen, there's someone here who wants to speak to you." Yusei rotated his wrist so that his phone was facing Akiza.
"Luna?" the scarlet-haired woman spoke to get her attention.
"Akiza?" the college girl answered back. "I'm guessing Yusei told you everything?"
"He did," the former psychic confirmed her suspicions.
"I'm sorry for trying to take him from you," Luna quickly apologized.
"I'm not mad at you," Akiza butted in. "I'm just wondering what drove you to want to be with Yusei."
"From the time I met him, he set the standard for what I wanted to have in a boyfriend: selfless, fearless, upright, intuitive, innovative, and devoted," the young woman listed. "After we all left the city, I made it a goal to find someone who fit most, or possibly all, of those qualities."
"And what did you come up with?" the doctor asked.
"I came close twice," the girl counted off. "One of those two came right before I decided to return to New Domino."
"Go on," Akiza requested.
"When I discovered that I'd be working with Yusei on this abroad thing, I thought, 'What better person to fit the qualities I want in a boyfriend than the man who instilled them in his personality and fits them perfectly?'" Luna recalled. "Of course, I realize that I ran the risk that if I can't be the 'one' for Yusei, I'd have to settle from that point on."
"And from when we're girls discovering what love is, we're all told to never settle," the doctor philosophized. "But let me ask you this: do you honestly feel sure of yourself with Yusei at this point?"
"I...I...I don't know," the college girl stammered. "I know how much he means to you, considering all that he went through to break you out of your shell, and he means a lot to me as well from all the times he looked out for me and my brother."
"You speak the truth," Akiza agreed with her. "But for the sake of practicality and whatnot, you and I should come to an understanding face-to-face. Plus, we're running down Yusei's battery."
"I'll let you two go then," Luna answered. "Have fun on your date." The scientist clicked the phone off, pocketed it, and turned his attention back to Akiza.
"I feel like I'm caught in the middle here," he laughed nervously. "Whatever happens between you two, I will not change my opinion of you two."
"I expected something like that out of you," she hinted at him. "We'll try to resolve this where no feelings get hurt." Their meals came and they tried to refrain from any relationship topics just to ease the tension. Eventually, they finished up, Yusei paid the check, and the second part of the date was on: giving Akiza a tour of what was new and different in New Domino City.
While the tour was happening, the scientist thought he should at least turn the tables and stir up a deep memory only he and Akiza shared ages ago: returning to the Poppo Time workshop.
"It's still here," she gasped with wonder. "Can we go in?"
"Absolutely," Yusei affirmed. He wheeled to the passenger's side door and let Akiza out, as a gentleman should. They sauntered up to the door, began to turn the knob, and stepped back in time.
"Everything looks untouched," she said in wonder. "They say 'home is where the heart is.'"
"This is the first time I've been back as well," the marked duelist informed his date. "If I'm not mistaken, Zora retired a long time ago and Lyndon set out to see the world."
"You don't say," Akiza answered. "This place brings back a lot of memories."
"Same to me, but there's one that stands out to me," he hinted at her.
"I believe I know what you're referring to," the doctor winked at him. "There hasn't been a day that I haven't thought about that day." Another blob of silence floated through the air; Akiza and Yusei were looking at different parts of the building until their eyes came together. Each one felt their heart beat like a jackhammer as they leaned in towards each other and lightly conjoined their lips. For a few brief seconds, time stood still as they massaged each other's mouth. When they parted, they propped their foreheads against one another.
"Perfect," the two mouthed simultaneously.
They returned to Yusei's home shortly after finishing up the tour. Before the scientist could even open the front door, Akiza stopped him to say something.
"I had fun tonight," she simply said.
"Me too," the duelist nodded. They stepped inside and found Luna thumbing through a magazine in the living room.
"You two look awfully happy," the girl wavered at them. "I like your dress, Akiza."
"Thanks," the female doctor blushed. "It's high time we figure this love...triangle out and hopefully neither of us will be emotionally fragile after this." Yusei took this as his cue to slip away and let the women sort this out.
"Akiza, Luna, you two are hands-down my favorite women and you've been the balance to Crow, Jack, and Leo," he thought to himself. "I know you two can put this to rest."
Cliffhangers do a lot for storytelling: they keep the audience hungering for more and wondering every plausible outcome. For the life of me, please don't hate me for instituting another hanger on you folks. You will have to wait a little longer for the outcome since I start school tomorrow. All I can say now is: review if you choose and hope for the best.