Chapter 3, after a super long break. Really sorry about the huge gap of time between when this and chapter 2 came out, but I'm incredibly grateful to those who are following this story! Thank you so much, you guys are great! So without further ado, this time, Byron ends up conversing with other members of the Tsukumo family.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL.

Upon the passing of a week, a portal opened yet again in Yuma's room.

At this third visit, a habit of sorts had been formed. The usual greeting, a bit of small talk… This time, however, Byron had arrived relatively later than on previous occasions.

Smelling the scent of the food that was being prepared downstairs, Yuma broke their current topic of conversation to ask, "Byron, would you like to eat dinner with us?"

"Oh…" The blonde's face reddened slightly, surprised by the offer. "I… appreciate the thought, but it'd probably be best if I don't." He was a bit apprehensive of being around the Tsukumo family, particularly in his current form. "I'd rather not be a burden—"

"Granny loves company! It's not trouble at all."

"How would I explain my identity to her? And it would hardly be polite to wear my mask, leading to more problems…"

Yuma thought about the situation for a moment. He understood Byron's concern, yet he also knew that his family was quite accepting…

"I can't force you," he replied with a laugh, "but Granny and Nee-chan wouldn't pry." Observing the masked boy for a moment, Yuma stated, "Even if they did ask for a name and recognized 'Arclight,' they'd probably just think that you're Byron's son. Er… I mean, not your own son, but…uh…"

Seeing Yuma struggle with his words brought a smile to Byron's face, leading him to remove his mask. "You've convinced me, Yuma."

It wasn't long after that the two went downstairs.

At the sight of them, Haru gave a warm welcome to the guest she supposed to be a friend of Yuma. Her eyes lingered on the left side of his face for a second, but Haru quickly moved past that, instead wearing a genial grin as she addressed the two.

"Come on, come on, we're ready to eat!"

As they all sat down at the table, Akari's stares were cut short by a quick glance from Haru.

"So, Yuma, who is your cute friend here?" she asked.

"Oh, he's, uh…"

Noticing Yuma's difficulty at answering, Byron finished for him. "Byron Arclight. Thank you for having me over tonight."

"You're quite welcome, dear." She continued smiling, but a look of recognition donned upon her face. She'd definitely heard that name before…

Akari was quicker to catch on to the familiar name, blurting out, "Wasn't that… the name of one of those scientists Dad guided?"

Well, that didn't take long.

She stared expectantly at the guest seated before her, awaiting a response. Despite herself, Haru also couldn't hide her curiosity, anxious to hear of a possible connection to her son.

A long hush prevailed, during which Byron tried to ascertain the best course of action. Tell the truth, but leave the Tsukumos with questions he may not be able to answer? Lie, but spare them the truth of betrayal? He wrestled with both options for a while, but he knew he couldn't hold off on answering for much longer. Cautiously, he decided to go with the latter, knowing that there would be time to come clean later if need be. Yuma looked over at him, silently asking if he should interfere somehow. With a quick shake of his head, Byron finally spoke.

"Yes, my… father was one of the scientists Kazuma had guided." It was a strange feeling, to be referring to himself as instead his son, but there was no point in throwing the two listeners into the mess that was reality. Not yet.

Just as he set about continuing, he realized that he had made a slip-up in referring to Kazuma by name. He decided to move on, ignoring it. "Before he disappeared, he told me a bit about Yuma's father. Apparently, he was a fantastic explorer, but also a very personable and compassionate father and friend."

Haru beamed at the positive assessment of her son, despite her slight disappointment in a lack of information as to his whereabouts. Akari also looked satisfied with Byron's response, giving a slight grin before she returned to her meal.

Yuma watched as Byron closed his eye for several seconds before opening it again, proceeding to poke at the food before him. He noticed that the blonde wasn't eating much, but also that he looked lost in thought.

A half hour later, Byron voiced his gratitude at the Tsukumo family for having him over, and left; this time, he exited through the front door of the home.