Tik. Tok. Tik. Tok...
In a dark room, the sounds of the ticking clock reverberate through the room.
Triiiinggg!!!
The sounds of the alarm disturbed the peaceful dark atmosphere, beckoning the hand from the darkness.
CLACK...
Then the disturbing sounds died down, returning the peaceful dark atmosphere.
"Hum..." mumble Yuji, who still a bit groggy.
Yuji open the window's curtain, a strand of thin warm light greeting him while pushing back the darkness.
The tree across had his leafs is a little wet because of the morning dew, a group of bird perch together on his branch.
He close his eyes, listening to the birds who always doing their routine chorus. He didn't know what they say, but it was pleasant for his ears.
Yuji looks at the calendar beside the window. On it, the date 15 were crossed out, and Yuji grinning looking at it.
"Yosh, it's finally here!" Yuji said excitedly.
He then quickly changes his clothes and prepares for the X day, because today is the day he is waiting for.
The Duel Academy Entrance Exam.
After the preparation completed, he quickly runs down the stairs.
"Fufu, why in such a hurry?"
Yuji stops when he hears the words, he glances at the dandy bald oldman who wearing silver frame glasses and had this well trimmed goatee.
The dandy oldman were sitting at the wooden barstool, drinking a coffee.
The fragrance spread to the room, Yuji can't help sniffing the aroma that aroused his nose and gulp his own saliva.
"Owner..." say Yuji.
Just like the season, after the merciless cold of the winter then came the gentle breeze of spring, his life is changing.
After he ran away (escape) from his house, Yuji didn't have anywhere to go and the money in his hands were little.
Luckily enough, the owner or Shinjiro Wakaba were kind enough to help him.
Not only he had helped him by allowing him to live in the attic of the café he owned, he's also employing Yuji at his café for him to earn money.
Yuji not only learns about the fundamental skills of living alone, but also how to cook, and the most important thing is how to brew coffee.
"So, the time has come, huh? It'll be a little lonely without you around to help me run this place anymore" said Shinjiro nonchalantly as he takes another sip.
"Owner..."
"Come, sit with me!"
Yuji walk slowly toward Shinjiro, and he pulls the wooden barstool and sit beside him.
He also noticed that on the table there is a slice of sandwich and a cup of brown coffee.
Yuji's look at the owner, and the owner nod, gesturing to Yuji to had breakfast.
Without further ado, Yuji begin to chew the sandwich and drink the coffee slowly.
The synergy of the two is perfect, like Polymerization.
"Say, how old are you now?" Ask Shinjiro to Yuji who still eat his breakfast.
"Sixteen" tell him.
"Huh... time ran so fast, isn't it?" say Shinjiro. Yuji nodded at his words.
After Yuji finished his breakfast, he slowly gets up and...
"Owner..."
"Go! The early, the better. But... if you somehow didn't pass... well, you can go back to this place"
"Owner... thank you!" Said Yuji, as he then bow perfectly at 90 degrees.
Yuji felt that the word "Thank You" can't even repay his kindness. So he swears in his heart that he would repay Shinjiro's kindness 100 times more someday.
And so he leaves the café, when he leaves the café he can't help but to look back at it.
Unlike the mansion he was live before, leaving the café had placed some odd, heavy feelings in his chest.
But, sooner or later, he must leave this place.
Yuji then took a deep breath, and take a step with confidence.
...
Later,
"Crap! Crap! Crap!"
Yuji sprint hastily, sweats already formed on his forehead and his back.
"Dammit! For all the day, why must be this day?!!" Shout him panicky.
The place where the entrance exam for Duel Academy is pretty... far, and to go there, Yuji must go with a train.
But some incident occurred, and the train was halted for some hours.
"You must be kidding me?! It isn't funny to be rejected because of lateness!!" Shout Yuji as he sprints and maneuver through some obstacles.
"Yosh!! I can already see the pla-ouch!!"
Just then, somebody crash with Yuji, and both of them fall to the ground.
"Ite, te, te" say the one who crashed into Yuji, as he scratches his head and slowly standing up, "Sorry (Gomen)! Are you okay?!" say the stranger as he extends his hand to Yuji.
"Ah... no biggie" say Yuji as he takes the hand.
The stranger pull Yuji's hand, helping him to get up.
Yuji then saw the one who crashed into him.
Hair that spiked back, dual coloured hair with light brown at the top and the rest are dark brown. He also a bit shorter than him.
"Sorry!" Say the stranger as he slightly bow down and scratches his head.
Looking at him, Yuji feels a little bit awkward, "No, No, like I say it is not a big deal"
"Really? Phew..." say the stranger as he let out a deep breath, "Thus is the second time I've crashed to someone. What a bad luck" joking him.
"Well, I felt the same... but it wasn't because offfffffff I'm late!!!" Yuji whorealized it, quickly run, leaving the stranger behind.
"Ah!!!" Thanks to Yuji, the stranger also realized he was late and quickly run.
Both of them sprint at full throttle like their life depends on it.
"I'm late! I'm late! I'm late!" Mumbling Yuji.
"Please! Please! Please make it!!" Mumbling the stranger.
The stranger look at Yuji who crashed beside him also running at full sprints, "are you late for The DA entrance exam too?!"
"Yes! If it's not because of the train incident, I'm probably arrived very earlier!" answer Yuji.
"Me too!! I'm Jaden Yuki!" say Judai, as he points himself with his thumb.
"Yuji, Yuji Kusanagi!" introduced Yuji.
"Nice to meet you, Kusanagi!"
"Just Yuji is fine"
Both of them sprint like a madman, both of them arrive at outside the venue.
Both of them didn't know how much time has passed, they increase their speed further.
"Yosha! I'm going this way!" say Jaden
"Are you crazy?!" tell Yuji.
Jaden increase his speed, in front of him is a wall, then he jumps to it. His right foot touch the wall but, "Uwaa!!", he slipped the moment his feet touch it.
"Mada-mada!" Jaden shout as he starts to climb the wall
Meanwhile, Yuji stops and look around, and he found a staircase leading to the venue.
...
Outside the venue where the exam is still being held (probably), a man in black suit followed by two girls with white jacket and yellow colored collar were waiting for Duel Academy student candidate attendance.
But, the man in black suit, who already looked at the time, nodded to the girls. Commanding them to put away the attendance.
""Wait!!""
The three of them surprised hearing the words.
Luckily for Jaden and Yuji, their shout manage to stops them, and probably they can still attend the practical exam.
...right?
