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“Aki, can’t you switch with me?”
“Listen, Judai-san,” Aki says seriously. “There’s no one who suits this outfit more than you.”
Judai frowns. He isn’t too far off from Aki’s height, only slightly taller than her by two centimeters, making him believe that this outfit was originally meant for her. With Crow out of commission with his injury, Aki is dressed in her Bloody Kiss riding suit instead, the red fabric embracing the contours of her body, which Judai would much prefer to wear despite the collar exposing her chest.
If only he managed to get his license to compete as their third wheeler—not that the absence of one ever stopped him from stealing a boat from Duel Academia.
“For some reason, you’re the one who looks the most excited,” Judai says in accusation.
Aki coughs in her hand to hide her expression, which doesn’t help to conceal the incriminating blush on her cheeks and bright glint in her eyes. “Nonsense. Besides, all of this is for Yusei.”
Aki takes him by the shoulders, leading him inside the Memorial Circuit stadium where the rest of the team is waiting. The scale of this tournament is unlike anything Judai has ever seen before, with thousands of spectators cheering in the audience, their fans holding up signs with the Team 5D’s logo and their favorite members’ names. He wonders how Yusei managed to compete here before with so many people watching, even becoming the winner of the Fortune Cup.
When they arrive at Team 5D’s pit, Judai hides his face behind his pom poms, peeking out from above them. The entire team is staring at him, regarding him from head to toe.
A white visor similar to the one Ruka has is shading the upper half of Judai’s face, concealing the flush of embarrassment on his cheeks. His hair is pulled back in a small ponytail, taming the messy strands at the back of his head. His red and black top and jacket are cropped, emblazoned with the Team 5D’s logo on his chest, but the coordinate leaves his abdomen completely exposed—making him feel out of place when Aki and the rest of the team are fully dressed. The short pleated skirt is barely covering Judai’s backside, but is secured at his waist with a black belt. His legs are clad in long black boots, trimmed with red accents to complete his ensemble.
Crow whistles. “Looking good, Judai! I almost didn’t recognize you!”
“You look pretty, Judai-niisan!” Rua exclaims, coming up to him with Ruka.
“Judai-san is really cute today,” Ruka agrees, nodding her head. From the way they're looking at him in adoration, he suddenly feels like their team's mascot instead of a member of their pit crew.
“Aki,” Jack says sternly, his arms folded across his chest. Judai almost thinks that he’s going to be the voice of reason for the team, but then he secretly sends her a thumbs up in approval. “You know Yusei well.”
Aki returns the gesture, and Judai only buries his face further in embarrassment. What is wrong with everyone?!
He hears Yubel’s voice in the back of his mind, sounding amused at his predicament. You do look quite pretty today, Judai. Even that one is speechless.
Yusei is standing there with an indecipherable expression on his face, only staring at him instead of saying anything like the others. Judai feels even more exposed with Yusei’s intent gaze on him, especially when he’s baring more skin than he ever has. Before he can make sense of Yusei’s reaction, Breo and Jean from Team Unicorn are walking up to them.
“What do you want?” Crow asks in annoyance.
“Don’t misunderstand,” Jean says, holding up one hand to appease him. “We only came here to say hello. It’s too bad about your injury.”
Crow looks down at his right arm wrapped in its cast. “Yeah. But Team 5D’s is still powerful without me!”
“I know,” Jean answers easily. “We think you’re our greatest rivals in this tournament.”
“This is a new face,” Breo says, looking at Judai with a charming smile. He extends his hand out in greeting, offering him a handshake. “Who is this lovely lady we have the pleasure of meeting?”
“Uh,” Judai says, uncertain of how to respond to being mistaken as a girl. Yubel bristles behind him, but he reaches out to him regardless.
Yusei suddenly intervenes, grabbing Breo’s hand and accepting the handshake on his behalf instead. “Let’s both give it our all today.”
From the uncomfortable smile on Breo’s face, Yusei must be using more strength than usual.
“Of course,” Breo grits out, then extricates himself from Yusei’s grasp.
“The battle has already begun,” Jean says with a knowing smile, and walks away with Breo following him.
Yusei and Judai make their way back as well. Judai looks up at him curiously, wondering what that was all about, but Yusei only gives him a reassuring smile.
"The crews have returned to their pits, so the duel is about to begin!"
The announcer’s voice resounds throughout the stadium. As both wheelers from Team 5D’s and Team Unicorn take their positions in their lanes, the countdown begins.
Then, the light on the display flashes green.
“Riding Duel! Acceleration!”
Yusei is down to the last card in his deck.
The frustration of watching all of his strategies countered perfectly by Jean has understandably weakened their team’s morale, the opposing team possessing some of the strongest strategies Judai has come to witness. All they can do is watch on as Yusei contemplates his next turn, his face furrowed in deliberation.
Crow can’t believe what he’s seeing. “What’s wrong with him?”
“It can’t be helped,” Aki says. “He anticipated Yusei’s every move.”
“How can he beat him?” Rua asks worriedly, to which Aki’s expression falls. It’s a question that no one has the answer to, but Judai knows that Yusei can’t give up just yet—
“Don’t panic!”
Judai turns around at the voice. Jack is standing there in a hospital gown, supported by three women on all sides, when he should have been resting in the medical ward after his duel with Andore.
“Jack? But you’re hurt!” Crow protests.
But Jack doesn’t allow that to deter him, breaking out of their hold. “Yusei, how long are you planning to show me such pathetic dueling? Aren’t you embarrassed in front of Judai?!”
Yusei passes the pit area at that moment, his eyes widening. The world seems to slow as he meets Judai’s gaze, and Judai looks at him, calm and steadfast among their team’s restlessness.
“You all too!” Jack turns to face them, his voice ringing loud and clear. “As long as there's the slightest chance, never give up! The only thing you have to do is believe in Yusei!”
Then the rest of his friends are rallying around him, all shouting words of encouragement to Yusei. Only one thought comes to Judai’s mind—Yusei truly does have good friends.
Yusei is still looking back at them. Judai breathes in deeply and makes sure he’s the loudest among them—makes sure that Yusei knows he isn’t alone in this fight.
“YUSEI! KICK HIS ASS!”
Judai is grinning, reminding him of what’s important. That as long as he’s on the track, there’s still the possibility of winning. It brings him back to the time Yusei nearly gave up hope during their fight against Paradox, until he remembered all of his friends waiting for him and their unwavering belief in him.
Yusei hears. He raises his arm in the air, giving Judai a thumbs up as he speeds away.
“My turn!” Yusei says.
He draws his last card, and the expression in his eyes changes—his resolve hardening into fierce determination.
Good, Judai thinks. He can still turn this around!
“I summon Synchron Explorer!” Yusei says. A round red monster appears from the summoning gate, coming to the field with zero attack points. “When this card is summoned, I can Special Summon a Synchron from my graveyard by negating its effect. Return, Junk Synchron!”
From the hollow center in Synchron Explorer’s body, Junk Synchron flies out onto the field.
“Level 3 Junk Synchron tunes Level 2 Synchron Explorer!”
Junk Synchron dematerializes into three stars before transforming into green rings aligning together, which Synchron Explorer passes through and becomes a duo of stars.
“The stars come together to call forth a new power! Become the path that lights the way!” Yusei calls out, and a shiver of anticipation descends Judai’s spine. A beam of light pierces through the rings and stars, unveiling the silhouette of a mechanical monster. “Synchro Summon! Come forth, Junk Warrior!”
There are two Synchro Monsters on his side of the field now—both of his ace cards accompanying him. But Yusei isn’t finished just yet.
Quiet confidence reflects in Yusei’s eyes. “I activate the Speed Spell—Speed Fusion! I send the required cards on my field to the graveyard to Special Summon a Fusion Monster!”
Judai’s eyes widen. Fusion?
“Stardust Dragon and Junk Warrior’s powers become one!” Yusei yells out. Stardust Dragon and Junk Warrior’s forms crackle with light, before coalescing into an even greater entity. “Fusion Summon! Appear, Dragon Knight Draco-Equiste!”
In a flash of light comes forth a dragon ornamented with blue heraldry, slashing out with its javelin and carrying the strength of over three thousand attack points. Judging from everyone’s stunned reactions, Yusei has never performed a Fusion Summon before.
In Yusei’s search for new dueling possibilities, Judai recognizes that Yusei has borrowed his own strategy from their duel against Paradox—calling back to the time Judai used Yusei’s monster to Fusion Summon his Neos Knight for the first time. An unexpected thrill rushes through him at the realization.
The announcer’s voice blares through the stunned silence of the stadium. “What’s this? Fudo Yusei’s trump card wasn’t just a Synchro Summon!”
“Fusion Summon,” Judai says, nearly leaping out of the seat. “You really are amazing, Yusei!”
“Draco-Equiste attacks Lightning Tricorn! Spiral Javelin!” At Yusei’s command, Draco-Equiste launches its weapon with deadly precision, destroying Jean’s monster.
Jean reveals his face down card. “I activate my trap card Return Damage! This card stops me from taking battle damage, and the damage is dealt to you instead!”
The spiraling javelin suddenly reverses in the air, coming toward Yusei.
“I activate Dragon Knight Draco-Equiste's effect! Wave Force!” Yusei yells. His dragon extends its claws, erecting an invisible barrier before him. “When your card effect deals damage to me, that effect is negated, and you take that damage instead!”
Draco-Equiste absorbs the incoming weapon and transforms its power into an orb of light, reflecting it back at him. Jean cries out as the light impales him. His life points decrease to zero, causing his D-Wheel to spin out of focus.
On the display screen, Jean’s life points blink at zero, with Yusei having three hundred remaining. Silence falls over their team, as if they can’t believe what just happened, and then—
“We did it!”
Rua and Ruka raise their arms in the air and Crow pumps his fist in victory. Judai is standing, his chest swelling with pride at the sight of Yusei’s face and the 5D’s logo lighting up the holographic display sphere in the center of the course, affirming their win. The audience erupts in a deafening cheer throughout the stadium, chants of Yusei’s name resounding in his ears.
“Amazing! They fought incredible battles to eliminate twelve thousand life points! The survivor still driving on the course is Team 5D’s Fudo Yusei!”
“The cheerleaders are all cheering his name,” Crow tells Judai with a knowing grin, giving him an encouraging pat on the back. “You should do your job too!”
Judai looks at him in exasperation. Yusei slows to a stop in front of the pit, the spotlight following his D-Wheel. As Yusei removes his helmet, Rua and Ruka run over to him first, leaping into his arms.
“You did it, Yusei!”
“That was incredible!”
Yusei returns their embrace with an appreciative smile, while the rest of the team approaches him too.
Crow gives him a wide smile. “As expected, Yusei!”
“That was a huge comeback, Yusei,” Jack tells him, offering his own compliments. “Well done.”
“Thank you, Yusei,” Aki says, her eyes shining with tears of relief.
Yusei accepts all of their congratulations, then looks up at Judai with expectation. He disembarks from his D-Wheel, approaching where Judai is standing beside them.
Before Judai can say anything, Yusei grabs his waist, his hand radiating warmth over Judai’s bare skin, and pulls him into a deep kiss. Judai goes completely still, having not expected this, but despite their team and the thousands of people watching him, Yusei kisses him fiercely as if his world has narrowed down to no one but Judai himself.
Unsure of where to place his hands, Judai supports himself by splaying them over Yusei’s chest, and Yusei’s grasp tightens over him, the possessive intent of his touch sending a shiver down his spine. His desperation, his triumph, his affection—Judai feels all of it conveyed to him through his kiss.
When Yusei pulls away, the tender smile on his face leaves Judai breathless. Judai’s heart is pounding in his chest at the sight of Yusei’s handsome face, his face slightly flushed with heat and his hair tousled from being beneath his helmet. He looks at Judai as if he has won the whole tournament, when they have only succeeded in the preliminaries.
“Gotcha,” is all that Yusei says.
Judai sputters, “That’s—that’s my line!”
“It was a fun duel,” Yusei continues saying, a rare teasing lilt to his voice. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”
Crow and Jack are covering Rua and Ruka’s eyes, though Rua manages to peek through his fingers when Crow fails to completely shield his view with only one hand. Aki is looking on with a blush on her face, a misplaced sort of interest and thrill from seeing them being intimate with each other.
“First you borrow my Fusion Summon and now you steal my catchphrase,” Judai grumbles, his face burning with a furious heat. He averts his gaze, unable to bring himself to look Yusei in the eyes.
But Yusei doesn’t let go of his waist, suddenly holding Judai with both hands and lifting him in the air as if he’s a trophy. Judai makes a surprised sound, when his skirt is swaying in the air from the motion, only to be silenced by the press of Yusei’s lips on his again.
“And a kiss too,” Yusei tells him with an adoring smile. Judai gapes—he can’t believe the audacity of this guy. “You looked beautiful today, Judai-san. You were so distracting that I couldn’t stop looking at you every time I passed by.”
“Well, it’s a good thing you didn’t crash,” Judai says, his blush deepening, to which Yusei laughs. “I am never wearing this outfit again.”
Yusei finally lets Judai back on the ground. Pressing one hand over Yusei’s chest, Judai leans in and leaves a kiss against Yusei’s cheek, right over the golden mark beneath his left eye—catching him off-guard this time.
“Congratulations, Yusei,” Judai says with a wink. “You were amazing back there.”
But Judai immediately regrets it, when Yusei pulls him back in for another kiss.
Cheers reverberate throughout the stadium, the audience’s excitement palpable in the air. Judai is already expecting a flood of sensational newspaper articles and online community forum posts, when all of this is being broadcasted to the world.
“What an unexpected development—Fudo Yusei has a lover! Who is this beautiful cheerleader who has stolen Yusei’s heart?”
“Sheesh,” Breo says to Team 5D’s. “Are they always like that?”
“They’re unstoppable when they’re in their own world,” Crow answers, and they all laugh.