Back to Yusei's POV.
While I slept in my bed, content that Akiza had just won her first duel with the card I gave her and with a scratch amount of life points, my mind was racing at a mile a minute. I'm proud to see her actually win, but it was against someone fueled by rage, jealousy, and anger. I'm almost positive that I could've that guy on, had he not beaten the tar out of me. Crow, I'm equally sure he could've held his own against that club owner. Jack, it would be a definite "yes," provided he hasn't been drinking. Was it luck of the draw that Akiza managed to pull off that comeback? I can't honestly say for sure. Every duel is either completely controlled from the get-go, a back-and-forth shootout, or a defensive struggle. The only way her true abilities can be measured is to put her against some opponents with power. The only reason Jack and I have such intense matches is because he and I stack up really well against each other. I really do believe Akiza can be a top-of-the-shelf duelist, but one duel isn't going to measure her worth.
My alarm clock went off at half past seven. When I stepped out into the hallway, I saw both doors were closed. Crow must be on an off-day, as he puts it. Jack was probably sleeping off another hangover or something. In an effort to keep them snoozing, I carefully tiptoed my way to the kitchen and down to the workshop floor. I peered down to see Akiza's eyes covered by one of those blindfolds designed to keep light away from someone sleeping. On the back of the couch, I noticed that she hung her hooded sweatshirt on it. I don't know what compelled me to go closer to her, but I went down there.
"Don't wake her up," I repeated in my head as I dabbled my way to the couch. I could see her chest moving up and down as she breathed in her sleep. I reached over, gingerly retrieved that sweatshirt, and looked it over. This thing felt soft, despite having been worn, probably, numerous times before. My nose picked up a faint sweet smell wafting from the sweatshirt. Akiza must wear some fruity perfume. I think it smelled like….coconut, with a hint of wild berry. Whatever it was, it sure smelled good. No time to dwell on it now. I returned it to where I found and silently dashed up to get the newspaper.
I rolled the rubber band off and opened up to a random page. Even though we live in a technologically-advanced society, I always try to find time to do some reading not based on a glaring screen. As I skimmed over the page I was on, I heard a pitter-patter of footsteps in the background. I looked up and saw a pair of green-haired twins running toward me. One was a boy, dressed in a blue uniform, and had his hair pulled back in a ponytail. The other was a girl, dressed in a magenta uniform, and had her hair styled into two large pigtails.
"Yusei!" they shouted out to me as they got closer. Thinking quickly, I ruffled the paper closed, looked inside to see Akiza still sleeping, and turned to face the twins.
"Not so loud, not so loud," I said in a hushed voice. "My friends are still sleeping."
"But I thought Jack and Crow were heavy sleepers," the boy addressed me.
"They are, but we have someone else staying with us as well," I whispered back.
"What happened to your face?" the girl asked, pointing to the bruises and scratches on my face.
"It's a long story," I told them. "And you guys have school. But I'll fill you in when you get back, all right?" They looked at each other and then back at me.
"Okay, bye Yusei!" they said simultaneously as they ran off. I stepped back inside to see Akiza just now waking up.
"Hey you," she greeted me in a flirty tone. "What were you doing out there?"
"Uh…just saying hi to a few friends who're on their way to school," I admitted. "I hope you weren't disturbed by them."
"As long as you'll introduce me to them, I'll look the other way on this," Akiza bargained. "So what did you think of my duel last night?"
"You held your own and stood up against your boss," I surmised. "That's determination."
"Determination, eh?" the former dancer pondered. "Then how would you rate my skills, based on what you saw last night?"
"Well, I would say you definitely have skills," I calculated for her. "But I think you're gonna have to duel someone with street cred."
"What do you mean by that?" Akiza wondered, standing up.
"We may have to pit you against someone notable for using a particular theme, strategy, or monster," I listed. "Not to devalue your win, but I'm sure the guys and I would've fared better against Slick."
"That's understandable," she admitted, not welling up in tears. "But who do you think I should duel next?"
"We'll figure something out," I assured her.
The day went on as well as it could have. To mark Akiza's victory against her angry owner, Crow recruited her to create another sauce with her unique touch. The sauce, dubbed "Stinging Rose," consisted of a finely puréed salsa, hot sauce, cayenne pepper, a few drops of habanero extract, and some sprays of rose water (chemical free, of course).
"That's another for my line of sauces," the Blackwing wielder announced. "With a woman's touch, of course."
"I like the name," she complimented. As I watched on, I heard the front door open and my name echo through the building.
"Up here, you two," I hollered back. "There's someone I think you guys should meet." While they stomped their way up, Akiza discarded her gloves and Crow bottled her newest creation.
"Who's this someone you want us to say hi to?" the male twin asked first. I bent down to their level and motioned for Akiza to come over.
"Leo, Luna, this is my new friend, Akiza," I introduced them to her. "Akiza, these are the twins." The boy was the first to step forward.
"You have really pretty eyes, like a cat," he told her without fear.
"I like you already," she blushed, hugging the guy. I guess she didn't have much interaction with kids before. Luna was the next to step forth.
"I hope we can be friends," the female twin requested timidly. "I don't have many female friends." Akiza's heart melted and she reeled the girl so she could squeeze both of the twins.
"You guys are adorable," the dancer told them. "We'll get along great."
The only thing I wanted to get done with this part was to add the twins to the story. Other than that, I would classify this chapter as filler. What do you think of how Akiza reacted to being introduced to the twins? Did it seem out of place for her or did I hit right? Also, who should Akiza match up with next? Put your thoughts in the reviews and we'll see what happens. Stay tuned.