Noa is one of those characters who never reached his full potential in canon. I think if I'd been in any way responsible for the way the anime got written, I'd have worked him into later arcs. Let Seto and Mokuba get him back somehow. Even if he was just a hologram or a smart-watch or something.

I don't know.

I'm just saying. There was plenty more to explore with that boy.

Stuff like this.

.

"Whenever anyone talks about hope," Ryo said, "you always have this look on your face. I can't tell what it is. I wonder if you know what it is."

Noa frowned. He didn't look surprised. "I'm not sure if I have the words to describe it," he said, eventually, "but I do think I know what you're talking about." He ran his hands through his hair. "I guess it just . . . it feels trite to me. Most of the time. People will talk about how they hope the weather is nice tomorrow, or they hope the deli has their favorite cold-cuts in stock so they can make a nice sandwich. Or they hope their favorite TV show is renewed for a new season. All that kind of . . . mundane shit."

"This bothers you?" Ryo asked.

Noa shrugged; it looked like a muscle spasm. "I don't know. I don't want it to. But I think it does, yes. I just . . . I remember what I used to hope for. I would hope Chichiue would visit me. This weekend, surely. It's been so long. He'll definitely come around soon. I hope he's proud of what I made. I hope he likes what I have to show him."

Ryo hummed quietly. He didn't interrupt.

"I would hope that Chichiue would figure out a way to bring me back into the real world soon. I would hope that Hahaue would come around. Maybe she wouldn't get back together with Chichiue, but surely she'd come visit me, right? I'd hope to taste my favorite food again, or ever feel alive again. And I guess it's just . . . nobody ever answered me when I hoped for things. Who do these people expect to answer their hopes?"

Ryo looked like he was ruminating on something; like he wasn't sure if he should say what was on his mind right now.

"What is it?" Noa prompted. "It's okay. You can say I'm a jackass."

"No, no, it's just . . ." Ryo gestured randomly. "Somebody answered you."

Noa's brow furrowed. "Huh?"

"When you hoped to come back to the real world. To have your favorite food. Feel alive again. Somebody answered you. Your brothers."

Noa stared blankly for a time, but then his eyes went wide as he realized the full implications of what his boyfriend was saying. It was less that he was affronted, or even surprised; it was more like he'd never considered the possibility before. It was the look of someone who'd just had a breakthrough after years of struggling; the look of sudden freedom, of having a weight lifted.

Of understanding.

"You . . . you're right." Noa laughed, lightly, freely. "Good lord, Ryo, you're absolutely right. They did answer, didn't they? It's not that nobody was listening. It's not that I was being ignored. It was . . . the people I was waiting for, the ones who could answer me, just hadn't found me yet. They had no way of reaching me yet. Because of . . . a whole mess of things. Mostly, if we're being honest, it was because of him. Like always."

"Mm-hm," Ryo said brightly.

"You're a genius."

"I know."