Possible(?) OOC in this chapter.
Note: I do not own anything other than the world that this story takes place in. All characters belong to their rightful owners.
"After that whole incident, I fell into a depression… You loved me, and all I did was ignore you. I couldn't tell you how I really felt, we were going to be apart no matter what. I never wore my goggles more than those days after your 'death'… Everyone was worried, I stopped dueling, barely ate, barely slept… All because of my guilt… I felt your ghost stare at me with burning eyes, and I could not shake of your stare. I could not escape that feeling… The loss… The guilt… The unrequited love that you had for me…" Yuya began, pulling down his goggles. "Two months has passed but my condition hasn't improved. I still felt guilty for everything concerning you and had severe panic attacks when just your name is mentioned. The burning gaze at my back probably didn't help matters either… One day, I had enough of it… The pain was too much, I couldn't keep going on living the way I did. So found myself at my special place… The bridge that over looked the lower parts of the city with the stadium in the distance… I had weights tied to me in places that would be impossible to remove in a panic… I went over the barrier and…" Yuya continued before stopping, shaking at the recollection of this story.
From what she had read from Rose In The Hand, Yuzu remembered that Mizuki drowned herself with weights tied in impossible places. "Yuya, you didn't… Please tell me you did not do what I think you did…" Yuzu asked fearfully. "No… I couldn't… The thought of you kept me from taking that last step I wanted… When I finally got the will to get away from the edge and back over the barrier, I must have cried until I fell asleep… And when I woke up, I was in the hospital, even if wasn't physically hurt. Everyone found me and began saying every possible thing to say in this situation. I apologized, but I could feel your stare again… So this time, I took out my frustrations using dueling, something I hadn't picked up for those two months. It kind of worked, but I kept losing every match because I was lacking something…" Yuya answered before continuing the story. "What was it?" Yuzu asked. "Myself. I couldn't make people smile anymore, my Dad continued to tell me that if I could bring people happiness, that happiness would come back to me, like a pendulum. I always went with that philosophy, but that was the first time I went against it. How would my happiness come back if it is forever out of my reach? I was bitter, but I tried entertainment dueling again and I managed to make a people smile and cheer despite my more serious outlook on life." Yuya finished, taking off his goggles to dry his eyes.
"But, where does this ring come in?" Yuzu asked. "That was context, so high school and the first two years of college was pretty much me being the same. But it wasn't until my junior year things started to pick up, I fell in love with a foreign girl in my writing class. Her name was Rosa and she was everything… Smart, strong, kind, and everything in between. I pursued her with a kind of determination that you only see me with food, but she shot me down every time. But it was when I saved her being harassed by the college's football team that I earned her trust. We were first friends then things progressed steadily… We hung out more, then we dated, shared our first kiss, did some things in bed, and just… everything. We loved each other and as long as we were together, nothing could come between our happiness. We graduated, continued to date, and for once in a long time, I was happy to be alive… Then we got engaged, the ring I presented her had an engraving, 'Forever will you light my darkened sky'. I thought it was appropriate seeing that she did so much to brighten my world, and we got married complete with an over the top ceremony. After that everything was just as anyone would expect, we went on a honeymoon, had a kid, and lived in relative peace for five years… Then something happened…" Yuya continued, putting on his goggles once more.
"Your wife started to become distant… And then cheated on you…" Yuzu said, remembering the story Yuya wrote. "Exactly… I originally thought Rosa simply needed space to do her own thing… I haven't found out when I returned one night from my duels when my last opponent of the day failed to show up due to family issues. In my home, I saw evidence that someone else is here and I began carefully moving around to investigate. Then I came across the bedroom… And there was Rosa… With some other man…" Yuya continued before stopping, his whole body trembling with anxiety from the memory. Yuzu didn't say anything, she only squeezed her friend's hand to offer any comfort she could from the gesture. "As much as I wanted to stab and kill them both… I couldn't as my five year old son will be left with no parents to care for him, so I ran… Away from the truth until I could accept it… I stood there back at the bridge and I began thinking what to do… I knew I couldn't commit suicide as I would leave my son in the care of Rosa… So I decided… I would let this go on until I gather enough evidence against Rosa to file a divorce that leaves me with everything, including my son in my custody. And it worked, I won the case. But as satisfying as the victory was, I felt the loneliness take over again…" Yuya continued, feeling some strength coming back to him.
"I'm sorry that happened to you… I shouldn't have been snooping around… Is there at least a happy ending to this?" Yuzu apologized. "Life is not a fairy tale Yuzu… I fell back into a depression and left dueling for a while as I began finding a way to cope with everything bad that has happened to me. Then I found solace in writing and began making stories based on the memories in my mind, both good and bad. With certain facts jumbled around just enough to prevent anyone from associating it with me but not enough for me to forget that this has happened to me, I began writing and publishing under an alias. Since these stories will contain elements of my life, each one was different, specifically about what could have happened differently in my life. What would have happened if I chose to commit suicide after Rosa cheated on me? What would have happened if I haven't met Rosa at all? What would have happened to everyone if I chose to commit suicide when I was younger? And… What would have happened if you were still with me?" Yuya answered. "Ummm… I kind of found your books in your desk…" Yuzu admitted, now understanding what those books were. "Oh… Did you read one while I was gone?" Yuya asked as he took off his goggles. "Well… Just one… Rose In The Hand…" Yuzu answered, still a bit embarrassed at the memory. "That one was the first one I published. The memory was still fresh in my head and I wanted it out. So I wrote it, got it published, and everyone enjoyed it, even if it was a mess of depressing junk…" Yuya replied. "Did you had to write your book with such suggestive scenes in it?" Yuzu asked, face red remembering what the book was at the core.
Yuya did something Yuzu least expected, he began laughing, despite having a tidal wave of depressing memories wash over him. "What!? It's an honest question! You could have written it without those scenes!" Yuzu shouted. "It must have been a subconscious thing. I only realized that it was erotica when the publisher told me that it was very, very mature work and could not publish despite it being very good. I was lucky to have disguised myself beforehand, who knows what would have happened if word got out that a legendary duelist is a writer of lewd literature! I don't think I could show my face to the public again!" Yuya laughed loudly. "Is everything you wrote dirty and perverted!?" Yuzu asked, practically shouting over his laughter. "Only four weren't like the others. But out of the ten stories I have published, Rose In The Hand was by far the most popular. When I came here on this planet and found the documents on my duel disk, I downloaded them, printed it and presented them to an appropriate publisher, this time under the alias of Lord Thomas Kaster. Then I watched as my works spread like wild fire through Sanctuary, getting reviews from even high standing literature enthusiasts who normally wouldn't, in their right mind, be near a book in the erotica genre. It earned me quite a bit of money, some of it had paid for this condo." Yuya explained.
That alias question that Yuzu had come back up, and so she asked. "Why the name Lord Thomas Kaster? Did you make that up on the spot?" Yuzu asked. "Sort of, the Lord part is to distance me, who has the regular citizen status, into someone who has lordship to a kingdom, even if it doesn't exist. As for the Thomas Kaster part, that name popped up when I learned the British slang for ketchup, Tommy K. So the deciphering process goes… Thomas Kaster becomes Tommy K, which is tomato ketchup, which is made from tomatoes, which is what my hair resembles. It kind of makes sense." Yuya explained. "No it doesn't! I swear I think I'm getting dumber from listening to you…" Yuzu replied, burying her head into her free hand. "Just like old times… Unfortunately I never had that chance. Back to that point in the world of the living. After writing, I could only go back into dueling and nothing else happened. My son grew up, went to college, got married, had kids, and for me, I just retried and lazed about. I picked up a few of my many hobbies at this time, but sometimes I wish I had someone to share it with. Then I died and appeared here." Yuya replied, finishing his where he left off.
"Yuya could I tell you something?" Yuzu asked, facing her friend. "Sure." Yuya answered, facing his friend. Yuzu gave Yuya a kiss on the cheek, only this time Yuya wasn't embarrassed, but curious. "What was that for?" Yuya asked. "I want to say sorry, for everything. I was avoiding you, stuck with my own made up problems instead of helping you with your real ones." Yuzu answered. "Problems? I wouldn't think you had any. Is that why you ran when we first met again" Yuya commented. "Yes, it was based on the fear that you have some form of hidden anger with my decisions and you would hurt me. And if I hadn't given up that fear when you told me of your issues after what happened, that would only make that fear worse. Why would I be in the same room as you if I was still afraid is another question entirely… But it was when you genuinely wanted me to remove you from my life that I realized you didn't have any underlying emotions hiding in you. Then I wanted to connect with you again… To know what great person you have become since I left." Yuzu explained.
"Yuzu, I would never be angry with you, no matter what you do. You were only trying to protect the people you love, and I would do the same if I was in your shoes. In fact, I have something I want to tell you too..." Yuya replied. "What is it?" Yuzu asked. Yuya leaned his face closer to Yuzu and pressed his lips against hers, easing one of his wants from the gentle gesture. Yuzu took this gesture by surprise, but as the long few seconds the kiss lasted, she had found herself enjoying the gesture more than she should. Yuya broke the kiss and smiled as he looked at his friend's face. "Thank you for being here to listen to my whole story, it means a lot to me." Yuya thanked. "Then could I tell you something as well?" Yuzu asked. "Sure." Yuya answered. Yuzu pulled Yuya in closer and kissed her friend, with her kiss being more passionate. Yuya was surprised, but began enjoying every moment of it, knowing that it might be over before he knew it.
It was only after good amount of time before the two broke away. "Thank you for finding me, I wanted closure for a long time." Yuzu said, feeling all of her body getting hot. It was then the two gazed deeply into each other's eyes… Where crimson and pale cerulean were not just colors, but a window that allowed two long lost souls to see and understand the feelings of the other… It was this moment that all reasoning shut down, allowing emotions and instinct to run without control, free to do what they wish. Yuya and Yuzu pulled each other into another passionate kiss, the long unanswered questions each of them have were being answered and responded to. No words were further spoken between the two that night, allowing their actions to speak their feelings. Nothing could interrupt that night, every need they could have was satiated by the other… The night was still young… And so the two made every second of it count…
Yuto looked on from outside at the scene unfold before him. He wasn't furious to see his wife cheat on him, Yuto already knew this coming when Yuya showed up. Now Yuto needed to know that Yuya is willing to follow up on the emotions he is displaying, keeping the passion he now has for Yuzu Hiragi burning. "If that is your answer, then I accept… Be with someone who you are truly happy with…" Yuto said quietly as he got up. "This world was made so that we all could find our happy ending… And I will help you both obtain it…" Yuto thought as he leapt off into the night. And he vanished into the darkness, never to be seen by the evening lights of the Capital… Dawn is still so far away and yet no one wants it to come quickly… The lights shining in the dark night sky were too beautiful to disappear into the colors of a new dawn.
The question of love can only be answered by showing love… Then receiving it back…
And that is chapter 13.
In my Intro to Creative Writing class, my professor taught us about the difference between sentiment and sentimental. Sentimental being all the over-exaggerated emotions that play out in a scene of a work. Think of the most recent romance movie you have watched, did it contain a moment where you face palm due to how cheesy or corny it was? That would be considered sentimental.
So what I'm asking is, is my work so far considered sentimental? Has there been parts where you, the readers, just want to face palm yourselves? Give me a hand and I'll do my best to adjust.
Also for those following Arc-V, a whole lot of shit is going down and I would like to see your reactions to this series. So if you decide to leave a review, please include a response to the current events going down in Arc-V, that would be much appreciated.
Anyway, I kept you here long enough. Please remember to review, it is worth all the gold, all of it. Well then...
Until next time... T1