happy birthday to our favorite psychic duelist, AKI!
For the longest time, Aki didn't enjoy her birthday. Too many years between childhood and adolescence spent receiving distant glances from her parents among the more heartfelt but equally as distant gifts from relatives. And the few years she spent at Arcadia, Divine lavished her with gifts that were far too rich for even her upper class tastes.
Despite this, Team 5Ds figured out her birthday somehow and made sure to give her gifts during the summer before she left for university. Poppo Time's garage was decorated in colorful banners and a simple cake decorated with strawberries that everyone had pitched in to make tasted better than any fancy meal Divine had ever bought for her.
"I decorated it!" Ruka and Rua chimed simultaneously.
"I bought the ingredients," Yusei said.
"I actually made the thing," Crow declared.
"And I gave excellent moral support," Jack boasted, earning an eye roll from Crow.
Rua and Ruka made a handmade birthday card that the entire team had signed. White construction paper with a crudely drawn Black Rose Dragon on the front, the inside covered in countless stickers. Rua beamed with pride when Aki promised to hang it up in her dorm room. True to her word, Aki pinned the birthday card to her dorm room's door and would look at it with happiness whenever she was leaving for class.
Jack and Carly's gift was a comfortable dark red sweater that Carly insisted was Jack's idea even though it was clearly bought with Carly's money. "It gets cold in the airport, you'll need it," Jack insisted. "Can't have a future doctor getting sick. And... whatever." Aki thanked him with a chuckle as Jack went beet red in embarrassment. The sweater was a favorite of hers to wear in Germany during the cold winter.
Crow's gift was quite thoughtful. A pair of noise cancelling headphones. "For when you're studying, y'know. Plus, the airplane gets pretty loud. Or uh so I hear." No doubt, this gift was one he'd thought about for a while. The ear muffs were very comfortable and it had both wired and wireless listening capabilities. Aki thanked him. Even though her dorm was quiet, Aki still wore them while studying, just to prevent any potential distractions.
Yusei gifted her, of all things, a ballpoint pen with a small red bow attached to it and a smaller box full of ink cartridges that came in black, blue, and red colors. "It was the only thing I could think of getting you," he said bashfully. "I hope you have a good time at university, Aki." In hindsight, Aki would admit it was the gift she used the most during her time in higher education besides Crow's.
Hours passed and the summer sun went down. Aki put all her gifts into the small storage space of her D-Wheel and bid her friend good-bye for one of the last times that year. With the full moon overhead, Aki decided to take the scenic shoreline route back home instead of the direct expressway.
Bloody Kiss thrummed under her, the wind throttling her body. Aki could smell the salty air of the ocean through her helmet. Across the sea, the glimmering lights of Satellite twinkled in the night.
A D-Wheel pulled up beside Aki on the road and she glanced to the side. She could recognize Sherry's long hair anywhere. "Fancy a duel, Aki?" the Frenchwoman asked.
Aki checked the time. It wasn't that late, just an hour before midnight. "Sure. But you have to give me a birthday present if you lose," Aki joked, activating Speed World 2 on her screen. The road ahead of them shifted and they turned in unison onto the duel highway.
"Is that so? What happens if you lose?" Sherry asked, activating Speed World 2.
"I won't lose on my birthday," Aki boasted. Secretly, Aki was terrified of losing to Sherry. She was the only person that had ever gotten close to truly defeating Yusei, the strongest duelist that Aki knew. But more importantly, Aki was terrified of getting flustered or fumbling in front of Sherry. The blonde was the coolest person Aki knew and by young adult logic, it was social death to look uncool in front of the coolest person you know especially if they were around the same age as you.
True to Aki's word, she wouldn't lose, even if it was her first time dueling Sherry in a Riding Duel. Their vehicles screeched to a halt when Sherry's life points hit zero. "If you weren't so intent on studying medicine, I would try and convince you to join the world of professional dueling," Sherry lamented, removing her helmet and wiping something off of the visor.
"You'd make a great rival," Aki added. She kicked the kickstand of her D-Wheel back up and readied to leave when Sherry approached her. "Ah, is this about the birthday gift? I was just joking about that."
"Nonsense. A promise is a promise." Sherry kissed the side of Aki's helmet, her musky perfume making Aki dizzier than the kiss already was. She reached over Aki's arm and placed a small box on the redhead's lap. "Happy birthday, Aki. I look forward to our next duel."
Aki became a flustered mess, unable to work up a response before Sherry sped off into the night. "She totally knew about my birthday," Aki thought, putting the box into her D-Wheel's storage compartment.
That evening, Aki opened the small box Sherry had given her. Inside, nestled in satin, sat a small bottle of perfume. She spritzed a little onto her wrist and immediately, she recognized it as the same kind Sherry wore though it was more refreshing, less musky. And she remembered the kiss Sherry gave her, butterflies flapping wildly in her stomach. Even though Aki didn't want to admit it to herself at the time, this was her favorite gift.