Finding the One

After I turned around and saw Yusei standing there a short distance away, I was in shock for a few moments. Clearly, I hadn’t expected him to find me and wondered how he found me. Quickly recovering from my surprise, I turned around and upon seeing my dad, I noticed this slight smile on his face. He quietly said,

“I take it that it is him. I’d like to talk to him for a few minutes and don’t worry-I won’t embarrass you or anything.”

Dad chuckled quietly and unable to speak, I nodded, letting him know that it was ok for him to talk to Yusei. Besides, I found myself unable to speak one word at the moment. Dad then got up and walked over to Yusei. I watched as they walked a little distance away from me. I wanted to know what Dad wanted to tell Yusei but as they moved off, I surmised that their conversation was meant to be private.

I looked back down at my lap and was grateful that I didn’t have to speak to Yusei right away, for I wasn’t exactly sure what to say to him. At least I had a few minutes to figure out what to tell him. While waiting, I felt my phone vibrate and looking at it, I received a text message from Natalie. It said,

Heads up. Yusei’s going to find you and I gave him a hint as to where you might be.

After reading the message, I put my phone away, sighed, and thought to myself,

It’s a little late now, isn’t it?

Then I turned my attention back to Dad and Yusei and it appeared that Dad had finished talking to him. I looked at Yusei and his cheeks were red, which made me curious as to what Dad told him exactly. Dad approached me and after giving me a warm hug, he said,

“I have to go now, Callie, but remember this. I’ll always be here for you.”

He gave me a kiss on the forehead and then walked out of the park, leaving Yusei and me alone, as there was no one else around.

After Dad left, Yusei approached me and looking into my eyes, he quietly asked, “May I sit beside you?”

I nodded although I still had trouble getting my voice to return. After Yusei had taken a seat next to me, there was silence for a few minutes. Neither of us knew what to say or who should speak first. The silence felt awkward so finally, I found the strength to regain the use of my vocal chords and asked,

“How did you find me?”

I glanced at Yusei and saw his shoulders relax slightly. I guessed that he was a little nervous about seeing me again after our last encounter. He replied,

“After you left, I returned to your house and Natalie and Jack were there. Natalie gave me a clue as to where you might be, that is, after Jack punched me.”

At the mention of Jack punching Yusei, I was very surprised and turning my full gaze on Yusei’s face, I could see the evidence of a punch on his right cheek. Feeling more anger than nerves, I replied,

“Why did he do that? I should so get him for that. Wait till I get back home and he’ll so get it.”

Yusei chuckled slightly and replied, “That’s not necessary. I deserved it.” I opened my mouth, about to reply, when Yusei shook his head and continued,

“Please let me finish.”

I nodded and stayed silent, allowing Yusei to continue. He then said,

“Natalie and Jack know what happened between us earlier, which is why I got that punch. Jack said something like how I was being an idiot and Natalie told me a little about you, the parts about you that you hardly let anyone else know. She was giving me a little insight about your character and it helped a lot.”

He took a deep breath, looked down, and was silent for a minute. Then he looked up into my eyes and gazed at me in such a way that I couldn’t look away. He then said,

“Callie, I’m sorry for the way I behaved before. I had no right to hurt you like that after all you’ve done for me. No matter my feelings, you didn’t deserve such cruelty.”

At that point, I shook my head and said, “Yusei, you weren’t cruel to me. I was hurt but I didn’t expect to be hurt so much. I thought I had better prepared myself for your reaction but I guess I didn’t. I deserved your anger. I kept certain information from you, even if I thought at the time that it was for the best.”

Yusei shook his head and kindly replied, “No, you were right in the way you acted. You considered the situation and my feelings and acted how you thought best. It’s just that we can’t always predict how people will react to every situation, right?”

I nodded, agreeing with Yusei on that point. After all, it is impossible to predict the outcome of every possible situation.

Yusei then continued, “Especially after talking to Natalie and Jack, I knew I had to come find you. It wasn’t only to give you an apology.”

I looked at Yusei curiously, wondering where he was going with this explanation. He then said,

“Even before your dad talked to me, I knew what I wanted to say to you although I am nervous about how to say this. I wanted to tell you before but we were interrupted and then things happened.”

I noticed that Yusei was suddenly getting nervous again and although I had an idea of what Yusei might tell me, I didn’t move away or interrupt. Instead, I reached out to touch Yusei’s hands and gave him a comforting smile, letting him know that I would be ok with whatever he wanted to tell me. He relaxed and then said,

“I love you, Callie. I don’t know when my feelings for you developed but I know that I have real care and love for you. I’ve never felt this way about anyone ever. When I’m with you, I’m with my equal, someone who can support me but isn’t afraid to challenge me at the same time. I know that there isn’t another woman like you in any world. I love you and I want you with me always. I’ll never be this happy again unless I know you’re by my side.”

Yusei finished and he let out a breath. It sounded like he was letting out all the nervousness he had felt on his confession. I felt my cheeks get hot even though I had somewhat expected that Yusei would make a love confession to me. I didn’t reply immediately, unsure of exactly what to say. Yusei then looked at me and seeing as how I didn’t say anything, he said,

“There’s something I want to do first before I miss the chance.”

Confused, I wondered what Yusei was going to do but before I had time to ponder, Yusei leaned in and gave me a soft kiss on the lips. It felt different from the last time we had kissed. This kiss felt tender and sweet and I felt myself melting under the moment. The walls around me began to crumble and I felt myself giving in to these feelings of love and care. I relaxed and returned the kiss just as tenderly, wishing to convey that I felt the same about Yusei.

Once the kiss was over, Yusei gazed into my eyes and looking a little sheepish, he said, “I’m sorry for being a little forward but I wanted to kiss you like that. I wanted you to know that I do love you and I’ll never doubt you again.”

I smiled shyly and after a minute of silence, I finally said,

“I guess it’s time now for me to speak.” I looked down at my lap, took a deep breath, and looking back into Yusei’s eyes, I said,

“Yusei, I never thought I would find a man like you. I hoped for so long to find someone who is as warm, brave, and caring as you. I searched for a long time in this world and had given up, thinking that such a man didn’t exist. But then you came into my life and no matter what the crazy circumstances were, I decided to live in the moment and allow myself to enjoy each moment of our time together. It hasn’t been easy for us-there have been some crazy things and what not. But I wouldn’t trade those moments for anything. And although I’ve tried to deny this to myself because I didn’t want to complicate things, I can’t do that anymore. I love you, Yusei Fudo, as I have truly fallen for you. I can’t imagine myself being with anyone else. You’re my soul mate and there’s nothing I would love more than to spend the rest of my life with you. But…”

Yusei looked confused, probably wondering why I would include a “but” in my confession. After a brief pause, I continued,

“I think you know why we can’t be together. We belong in different worlds and you should return to your world and follow the path that’s set for you. I can’t interfere with that, as much as I want to be with you. But I know you’ll be happy and eventually move on with someone else and as long as you’re happy, that’s enough to make me happy. I’ve loved every moment we’ve spent together and although it’ll hurt to be apart, I know it’s for the best in the end.”

I hung my head down, feeling saddened by the latter part of my confession. It hurt to say such words but I knew they had to be said, that I had to do what was right and not be selfish and give in to my feelings. I felt a hand on my chin and my chin was tilted upward so that I looked right into Yusei’s blue eyes. Involuntarily, I blushed and Yusei said,

“I had a feeling you would tell me this. Natalie gave me a warning that you might say this but I’m not going to let you make the choice for us because you think it’s for the best. Do you really think I would be happy if you weren’t in my life, if I moved on with someone else? I can’t do that now and there’s no way that I would ever forget you.

Callie, I know I have to return to New Domino but I want you to come with me. I want you by my side and I’ll support you as you have supported me. Natalie is going with Jack and she’s taking a risk to be with him. I hope that you’ll do the same but it’s a decision I want you to make, one that you want for yourself.”

After Yusei finished speaking, I took a minute to collect my thoughts and feelings. I wanted to follow my heart and agree to follow Yusei back to New Domino but my mind was still interfering, telling me that I had to do the right thing. Unable to resolve the conflict going on inside me, I finally replied,

“I need to think about it. I can’t make a decision right now.”

I looked in my purse and took out the bracelet that would help Yusei return to New Domino. After briefly looking at it, I handed it to him and said,

“The crimson dragon gave me this. It’ll help you return. There’s one other and I gave it to Natalie and I assume she gave it to Jack.”

Yusei took the bracelet from me and he replied, “Thanks, Callie. Jack and Natalie are returning to New Domino tomorrow morning and I’ll go with them. I hope you’ll go with me. I love you so much and it would be hard to live the rest of my life without you. But as I said, I want you to make this decision for yourself, do what’s best for you.”

He gave me one more kiss and getting up, he said, “I’ll wait for you as long as I can. I hope you’ll believe in us and take the chance to be with me.” He then walked out of the park and then I was left alone to ponder over my thoughts and feelings.

Once I was alone, the internal struggle to follow my mind or my heart started. I didn’t know what to do. I wish that I didn’t have to make the decision at all but the situation was presented to me and I knew that I needed to decide. There wasn’t much time and I couldn’t delay it.

What do I do? Do I follow my mind or my heart? My mind told me to continue doing the right thing, to let go of Yusei and allow him to return to New Domino even though it meant that I would never see him again. Then he would be able to follow his path, be the hero, and have Akiza who adores him. Even if Yusei still has feelings for me once he returns, being with Akiza would surely make him forget about me in time.

On the other hand, everyone else has told me to follow my heart and even I had to admit that I wanted to follow my heart. Although I rarely did so, I would follow my heart’s desires if I felt that they were stronger than the reasons my mind made. I closed my eyes, remembering all the times that I’ve spent with Yusei since he and Jack first arrived. Memories flashed in my head from the time that I took care of him when he was unconscious to helping him repair his duel runner to attending the party with him and dancing in his arms. They were wonderful memories that brought a smile to my face and a blush to my cheeks. Then I remembered the scarier memories but yet they didn’t make me sad or doubt myself because Yusei was there to support me. He was like my support and I realized for the first time that I needed such a support even though I denied it before.

Then I remembered the words that those dearest to me said when it came to following my heart. Natalie told me that Yusei needed a woman who was his equal and that I was his match. Next came Dad’s words, which still rang clearly in my ears as if he had spoken them to me just now:

“You deserve to be happy and finding love is a way to be happy.”

And then I remembered Yusei’s words to me:

“When I’m with you, I’m with my equal, someone who can support me but isn’t afraid to challenge me at the same time. I know that there isn’t another woman like you in any world. I love you and I want you with me always. I’ll never be this happy again unless I know you’re by my side.”

The answer was right there, wasn’t it? Despite trying to find reasons to follow my mind and do the right thing, it did appear more appealing to follow my heart. But was it selfish to follow my heart, to follow my own desires, to achieve happiness regardless of others’ well wishes? Then, there was a small thought that annoyed me in the back of my mind. If I did decide to be with Yusei, was it because it was what I wished or was it to fulfill my mom’s wishes? I remember way back when she wanted me to get married, settled down, and have kids. That is what would most likely happen if I chose to be with Yusei. There was a stubborn side of me that wanted to defy her wants because they oppressed me and to do that, I would have to give up being with Yusei.

However, I quickly shook my head and told myself that no matter what decision I’d make, it was what I wanted for myself. That was most important, right? This was one of those rare moments that I needed to make a decision for me, do what’s best for me, because I am the one who can decide my happiness. I knew what would make me happy.

I stood up with a new resolution in my heart. I knew what I had to do and looking up at the sky and then at the time, I suddenly realized that it was almost morning. I couldn’t believe that I had stayed in the park all night and hadn’t once fallen asleep or been approached. There wasn’t much time before Yusei, Natalie, and Jack would leave and I knew there was no way I would get there in time on foot. As quickly as I could, I ran until I approached the street and fortunately, I found a nearby taxi. I hailed for it and then ordered the driver to head towards my house, hoping that I would get there in time.

Meanwhile, I took out my phone and called Dad because I needed to hear his voice one last time despite the early hours. So I dialed his cell phone number and although it took a minute, he finally picked it up and in a sleepy voice, he said,

“Hi, Callie. Isn’t it a little early to be calling?”

I replied, “It is and I’m sorry about that, Dad. I don’t have much time and I needed to hear your voice.” I paused for a few moments and then continued,

“I thought about what you said and I looked into my heart. I know what I want to do but, Dad, there’s a good chance that I’ll never see you again. You see, I love him. I love Yusei and I’m going to do everything in my power to be with him and to be happy but we’re going to a place where I can’t contact you. I wish I could explain but it would be too difficult and I don’t have much time. He’s waiting for me but he’s going to leave soon. I’m hurrying as I speak to get to him and I hope I’ll be there in time and assuming that I’ll get to him, I wanted to tell you that I love you and that I thank you for being my dad, for always being there for me. I couldn’t have asked for anyone better in my life. I’ll never forget you.”

I felt myself get teary-eyed as I spoke those latter words and couldn’t continue. After a minute of silence, Dad replied,

“I love you, Callie. I always have and I always will. And I know that you’ll be with a man who can love you and look after you always so I don’t worry about you being alone. Just promise me that you’ll be happy, ok?”

I replied, “I promise, Dad. I promise that I’ll be happy.”

Dad replied, “Now you hurry and be with him. Don’t worry about the details. I’ll take care of your house and other matters, ok? The most important thing right now is that you get to him in time.”

I replied, “Thanks, Dad. I love you always. Goodbye.”

I hung up the phone and then looked out the window to see where we were. The sun was rising to greet the new morning and I could see the street where my house was. I asked the driver to stop a couple of blocks from my house and after paying him, I ran up to the front yard of the house, hoping to see signs of Natalie, Jack, or Yusei.

However, when I arrived, all was quiet. It seemed as though it were too quiet. Dread came upon me and I sank to me knees, realizing what must have happened. They must have left without me. I was too late. Although I did my best to hurry and to find Yusei and to express all that I wanted him to know, my efforts were in vain. I felt fresh tears come to my eyes and I sobbed, losing all hope of happiness and being alone again.

Suddenly, I heard a noise and the garage door opened. Looking in the direction of the garage, I was surprised to see Yusei and his duel runner since I thought that he had left as well. Yusei looked at me and ran to me, surprise at seeing me and my tears, I suppose. He gathered me in his arms and softly said,

“I believed you would come. I waited for you, even after Jack and Natalie left.”

I looked up happily into Yusei’s eyes and replied, “I thought you all left. I thought I was too late.”

Yusei replied, “Jack and Natalie did wait but when the sun started to rise, they thought you wouldn’t come. Well, Jack thought you wouldn’t. I decided to wait a little longer, though, knowing how I know you.”

I looked at Yusei and curiously replied, “What do you mean by that?”

Yusei replied, “I know you’re a person who needs to think things through, even when it comes to matters of the heart. I knew you wouldn’t make a decision quickly but in the end, I believed you would come because you want to be happy and being together like this makes us both happy. Or am I wrong?”

I shook my head and replied, “You’re exactly right about me. I want to be happy and being with you has made me happy. I’ve never been as happy as when I’ve been with you and I remembered all the times we’ve spent together, the good and bad ones. I cherish them all and I hope that we’ll have many more to come.”

Yusei smiled and replied, “I guarantee that. Now we should get going so you can pack a few things and then we can go.”

I nodded and quickly, I ran inside the house, grabbed a small backpack, put a couple of changes of clothes, a few necessities, and other items. Then I quickly sent a text message to Mac, letting him know that I had finally finished the new book I wrote and that it was saved on my computer at the house. I let him know that Dad would give him access since I wouldn’t be there to personally give him the new manuscript.

After all the preparations were done, I went out the front door and then took one last look at the house. I would miss it, as there were plenty of fond memories made there. Then I looked to Yusei and knew that there would be even more wonderful memories yet to be made. There was the bright future to look forward to and although it would be uncertain now with the choice I made, I was ready to face it head on with the man who was formerly my dream guy and now was my equal.

Happily, I approached Yusei and said, “I’m all ready to go but first, there’s something I want to do.”

Before Yusei could reply, I quickly leaned in and kissed him softly on the lips, allowing the action to speak for itself. I expressed all the love and hope in my heart and that I would now and forever be happy with the path I’ve chosen, to be with the man whom I can say I love with all of my heart.

Once the kiss was over, I said a little slyly, “And there will be plenty more where that came from.”

Yusei chuckled lightly and handing me a spare helmet, he said, “I’m looking forward to them.”

After putting on the helmet, I got on the duel runner behind Yusei and wrapped my arms around his waist. Yusei had on the bracelet and once he started up his duel runner, we headed down the street and there was a beautiful bright light ahead of us, the other side of which waited the unknown but hopeful future.

Some time had passed and a lot of events had happened after Yusei and I arrived in New Domino City. Of course, Natalie and Jack were there to greet us and Natalie especially was happy to see me. Jack even gave a slight hint of a smile and I smiled slightly back at him. It was one of the few times that we ever seemed to get along.

Although neither Natalie nor I ever figured out exactly how the dark signers had entered our world in the first place, it turned out that it didn’t matter. Yusei and Jack were able to defeat them and life moved on afterwards.

Natalie and I decided to find a small apartment in New Domino to settle down and start our new lives. Although Yusei and even Jack offered to let us stay at their place, I felt that it would have been crowded. So instead, we found a nice apartment and got jobs. Natalie was able to resume her occupation as a nurse, working at the hospital. As for me, I ended up working in a small bookstore. Although I knew that most of the people didn’t read from books but rather from small digital portable devices, I preferred to read from a book, to feel it in my hands. I suppose that feeling came from being a writer. Thus, I decided to work in a bookstore although I did continue to write when I had the chance. However, since I couldn’t bring money from my world to New Domino, I had to start all over to earn a living.

Although Natalie and I knew how events would most likely proceed now that we were in the world of YuGiOh 5D’s, we agreed that it was best not to reveal them to Yusei or Jack and they agreed as well. None of us wanted to inadvertently affect the course of events more than they already had been.

Of course, after we all got back, we had to think of a good cover story since telling the complete truth was out of the question. Although it wasn’t easy, Natalie and I were able to come up with a plausible background to tell others and Yusei and Jack helped us with that. Yusei later told me that the only person who knew what really happened was Crow and that was only because he, Jack, and Crow had been best friends since they were kids and I could certainly understand his reasoning.

Once Natalie and I had been able to establish ourselves in New Domino, we lived our lives to the fullest. Natalie and Jack continued to see one another, much to the chagrin of other ladies. I knew that Jack was very popular with a lot of young women but Natalie was able to fend them off and I’d give them looks whenever I could. After all, I wanted Natalie to be happy and I could see that she was happiest when she was with Jack. So I wanted to do everything in my power to make sure that she’d be as happy as possible.

As for me, I continued to be with Yusei, keeping the promise to my dad to be as happy as possible. Although I didn’t have as much competition with other women, I had to compete with events and disasters that were beyond my control. Any other girlfriend would have complained or left over such matters but as I knew how important Yusei was, I stayed by his side, supporting him and loving him throughout it all. I had to admit, though, that there were the occasions when my thoughts would stray to my dad or to my other friends and acquaintances I had left behind and it would sadden me a little that I couldn’t visit them or even contact them. Yusei seemed to sense this and he would be by my side during those times, holding my hands or giving me a hug, which was enough to reassure me that I had made the right decision, to follow my heart and to be with him.

Natalie and I had a chance to meet the others. I found that I got along with Crow quite well, as we bonded over feeling annoyed with Jack at times. Being with Crow felt like having a brother and it was nice, as I never had a brother before. I got along with Leo and Luna as well and we hung out when we could. It was fun seeing the two of them together, Leo getting excited over duel monsters while Luna would get exasperated over Leo’s enthusiasm.

As for Akiza, I was pleasantly surprised that I got along with her well. She was friendly to me although she seemed reserved at times. Although Yusei and I didn’t make it a point to openly say that we were in a romantic relationship, I could see at times in Akiza’s eyes that she had figured it out. I couldn’t make out her feelings on the matter, though. They seemed to conflict at times. There were times that she seemed all right with it but then other times that her expression darkened. However, when I observed Natalie and Akiza together, I could tell that those two didn’t get along. Natalie was convinced that Akiza would take Yusei away from me and so she’d be hostile around her.

Thus, life took its course and all of us weathered through its ups and downs. After the events involving Z-One were over, things seemed to settle down. Jack even found courage to propose to Natalie and of course, Natalie accepted. The two of them had a huge wedding and I was Natalie’s maid of honor while Yusei was Jack’s best man. It was a good thing that I was there since I could see by some of the wedding guests’ faces that they were not happy about Jack and Natalie getting married. Especially, I could see by the looks on Mina’s, Carly’s, and Stephanie’s faces-Mina, Carly, and Stephanie were sort of Jack’s fans girls-that they weren’t too happy at all about the union. However, one look from me and it was enough to stop them from openly protesting the marriage.

Then there was the final duel between Yusei and Jack and although Natalie and I knew how the outcome would be most likely, we each cheered for our respective guy. As we watched the duel, Natalie leaned in and whispered,

“I hope that Yusei proposes to you soon. I so want to be there at your wedding.”

I blushed and looked down, not knowing what to say. Natalie continued, “It’ll happen soon. I’m sure of it.”

I looked off to the side and noticed Akiza giving us weird looks but I shrugged them off, not knowing what to make of them.

After the duel was over and we all ran to congratulate Yusei and Jack, Akiza wished to have a private word with me. Nodding, I followed her until we were safely out of earshot of the others. She then looked at me and said,

“I know that you and Yusei are together. I’ve known for a long time now ever since I saw you two together. I didn’t say anything before because I didn’t want to think about it too much. But now that we’re about to go our separate ways, there’s something I want to ask you and I want you to be honest with me.”

I nodded but didn’t say anything. I waited for Akiza to continue and after a minute of silence, she asked,

“If Yusei found someone else he loved more, would you fight for him or let him go?”

The question took me by surprise and for a couple of minutes, I couldn’t think of anything to say. The question should have crossed my mind at some point, especially since I knew that Akiza liked Yusei and now my presence had changed the dynamics of that relationship. I knew that I should say something so, finally, I looked into Akiza’s eyes and replied,

“I hadn’t thought about it, to tell you the truth. All I want is for Yusei to be happy, whether that’s with me or someone else. I guess if it turned out that he found someone else he loved more than me and he really wanted to be with that person, I would do what’s right and-and let him go. Because I love him so much, I want him to be happy and seeing and knowing that he’s happy would be enough for me. I don’t know if that makes any sense but that’s how I feel.”

Akiza nodded and replied, “I understand. I’m sorry for asking such a question but I wanted to know your thoughts about it.”

I smiled a little and replied, “I can understand. I know that we probably won’t see each other again for some time but I wish you nothing but the best and I know you’ll make a wonderful doctor.”

Akiza gave me a smile in return and replied, “Thank you, Callie. I should get going now. I have to pack and get ready to leave.”

I nodded and after Akiza left, Natalie approached me and immediately asked, “What did she want?”

I replied, “Oh, Akiza just wanted to ask me a question and I answered it for her. That’s all.”

Natalie raised an eyebrow, suspecting that there was more but refrained from saying anything. She then said,

“Jack and I are going to leave soon. He wants to become duel king again and beat Yusei someday.”

I laughed quietly and replied, “Some things never change.”

Natalie giggled and replied, “That’s true. Well, I wanted to say goodbye although I’ll definitely keep in touch. Just because I’m married now doesn’t mean that we’ll drift apart.”

I replied, “We better not or else I’ll go after you.”

Natalie replied, “In that case, I’ll contact you often. And remember, after you accept Yusei’s marriage proposal, contact me right away. Jack and I will come back for your wedding.”

I blushed and replied, “You need to stop that, Natalie. I doubt that Yusei’s going to propose anytime soon and we have plenty of time before our relationship goes to that level.”

Natalie replied, “Oh, all right but still. You better let me know when you get engaged. See ya.” She then ran back to Jack and after getting behind him on his duel runner, the two of them left.

Before I knew it, Yusei and I were the only ones left. Yusei approached me and giving me a smile, he said,

“Do you want to hang out tonight at my place? It might be a little lonely now that Natalie’s moved out.”

I nodded and returning the smile, I replied, “Yeah, sure, and I don’t have any plans tonight so I’ll come over.”

Yusei replied, “I’ll see you later then.” He then left on his duel runner and I walked back to the apartment I had shared with Natalie, taking my time.

After a few hours had passed, it was evening and I had finished getting ready to meet Yusei. As it was going to be an ordinary night-or so I thought at the time-I wore a simple white blouse and light blue jeans and had put my hair in a ponytail. After grabbing my jacket and purse, I left my apartment and walked over to Yusei’s place.

Once I arrived, I was about to walk through the garage door when I noticed Yusei and Akiza talking to one another in the dark. Quickly, I hid myself before either of them noticed my presence. I had a feeling that I knew what they were talking about and I didn’t want to interrupt. Also, I had to admit to myself that I wanted to know for sure whether Yusei would choose to be with me. So I eavesdropped and thus heard and saw the following:

Akiza said, “Yusei, I wanted to thank you for everything you’ve done for me. I don’t know what I would have done without you.”

Yusei and Akiza continued to talk for a little while although there were parts of their conversation that I couldn’t quite make out. Then I heard Akiza take a deep breath and say,

“Yusei, there’s something I want to tell you, something I wish to confess to you before I leave. I wouldn’t feel right not telling you since you can choose now. I like you a lot and I know you’re with someone else but I’m here and I want you to know that if you can wait for me, I’ll return one day to be with you.”

I gasped but quickly covered my mouth. Akiza’s confession took me by surprise since part of me hadn’t expected that she would be open with Yusei like that. However, the other part of me wasn’t surprised since Natalie’s and my presence had clearly changed events in this world. Thankfully, neither Yusei nor Akiza heard me and then I heard Yusei reply,

“Akiza, I don’t know what to say-.”

Then suddenly, there was silence and I peeked to see what had happened. To my shock, I saw that Akiza and Yusei were kissing and it didn’t look like Yusei was going to pull away. I didn’t dare stick around any longer so I turned around and quickly ran away from the scene, wishing to be as far away as possible. I ran until my feet hurt but it didn’t feel like I was far enough away. I stopped for a few minutes and without realizing that I had done so, there were tears trickling from my eyes. However, I didn’t bother to wipe them away. All I could think of was to get as far away as possible.

I looked around and after a couple more minutes, I found a taxi and hailing the driver, I entered and asked the driver to take me to the beach. The beach was the first place that came to mind that I thought would calm me down after the scene I had witnessed. As the driver drove off, I thought I saw Crow in the rearview mirror and it looked like he had noticed me but I didn’t ask the driver to stop. I didn’t want to talk to anyone. All I knew was that I needed to calm down and be alone. Then I could organize my thoughts and feelings and deal with everything that had happened afterwards.

After about half an hour had passed, I finally arrived at the beach and after paying the driver, I left the taxi and the driver drove off, heading back to the city. Once I was there, I took off my shoes and slowly walked on the sand, allowing myself to finally calm down and have some peace and quiet. I walked along, not knowing or caring where I was headed. It felt good to be alone and to think over what I had seen, what I had heard. I wasn’t sure what to make of it but now it made sense why Akiza had asked me that question earlier. I should have picked up on the hint then but even if I had, would I have stopped her? Probably not, I told myself. I knew that if Yusei hadn’t entered my life and I had helped and gotten to know him the way I had, things would have turned out different for the two of them. They might have had a future together although even that was uncertain. However, now I didn’t know what to think, let alone what to do. But I did know one thing. No matter what would happen, I wanted Yusei to be happy and I still loved him despite everything.

I finally stopped walking and my knees sank into the sand. Thinking that no one else was there at this time of night, I said to myself,

“I’ll love you for all time and please be happy. That’ll be enough for me.”

Suddenly, I heard a cough and quickly, I turned around. There was Yusei standing before me but I couldn’t tell how he was feeling by his facial expression. Not knowing what to say, I averted my gaze and looked down at the sand, silence separating the two of us for a minute. Yusei finally spoke up and said,

“You tend to run away when something’s bothering you. It’s a bad habit, you know.”

I bit my lower lip and although I was tempted to ask him how he found me, I felt a little tired to say anything at that moment. So Yusei continued,

“Crow saw you leave and he found me a minute later and told me what he saw. He noticed that you were crying. I think I know what it’s about.”

Finally, I stood up, looked into Yusei’s eyes and put a hand up to signal him to stop talking. I then took a deep breath and said,

“You don’t have to explain anything to me. I get it. I-I just want you to be happy, ok? If you’re happy, then I’ll be happy for you so I should go now-.”

I found myself suddenly wrapped up in Yusei’s arms to prevent me from leaving and then he said,

“Don’t go. You need to know what happened after you left because you need to understand everything.”

I sighed and wearily replied, “Really, Yusei, it’s ok. I shouldn’t have eavesdropped in the first place but curiosity got the better of me and I left. I don’t need the details, please, plus I’m really tired.”

Yusei gave me a firm gaze and replied, “Not until you listen to what I have to say and then you can leave if you want. I won’t ever bother you again if that’s what you want.”

I nodded and replied, “Fine. Then tell me what you have to say.”

Yusei looked straight into my eyes and gently replied, “Yes, Akiza did confess to me tonight and she did kiss me. I was surprised and didn’t know how to react but here’s what happened after. I pulled away from her and told her that I didn’t feel the same way about her, that maybe things might have been different if I hadn’t met you, my soul mate.”

I was surprised that Yusei called me his “soul mate” but I didn’t interrupt, letting him continue.

Yusei then continued, “Then I told her that I want to see her smile always, to be happy and to have hope. I know that one day, she’ll find someone who will love her for herself and she’ll be able to return those feelings, too, but I’m not that person. Then I told her how you and I were for each other and there were some other words, too. Akiza understood although she was upset. But she’s a strong woman and I believe she will find love someday with someone else.”

I blushed after Yusei told me what had happened after I left and feeling embarrassed, I replied,

“I’m sorry, Yusei. I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions like that without hearing you out. But I don’t understand.”

Yusei looked confused but without giving him a chance to reply, I continued, “I mean, why did you refuse her? Even if I wasn’t personally involved, she’s quite extraordinary. She’s beautiful, a great duelist and well, I’m…just me. Just plain, ordinary me.”

I averted my gaze and then felt a hand touch my chin. I was forced to look into Yusei’s eyes and I could see such love and warmth in them. Ever so gently, he replied,

“That’s not how I see you. You’re special, very special. Ever since I met you and you helped me, I could see into your heart and your soul and you’re very beautiful. You are my equal in life and I want to spend all of my life with you. No one else even comes close.”

I could feel my cheeks get red and my eyes got misty upon hearing Yusei’s words. They touched my heart and there was no way I could ever feel any doubt that he loved me. He then said,

“Since we’re here, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you. I wanted to ask you this for a long time but I wanted to wait until things settled down so…”

He released me from his arms and got on one knee. I opened my eyes wide, guessing what was about to happen. Was Natalie right when she said that Yusei would propose to me? I thought that she was simply teasing me like usual but it looked like that wasn’t the case this time. I continued to look at Yusei as he put his right hand in his pocket and took out a small dark blue velvet box and opened it. Inside, there was a beautiful yet simple diamond ring and I stared at it in wonder and disbelief. Yusei then held my left hand gently and gazing lovingly into my eyes, he softly said,

“Callie, we have been through so much together, supported each other through everything, here and back in your world. I can’t imagine how I would have gone through all those years without you by my side and I can’t imagine living the rest of my life without you. So will you do me the honor of marrying me and making me the happiest man ever?”

Yusei stopped talking and looked at me, waiting for a response. I didn’t know what to say. Of course, I wanted to marry him but was this real or was this just a dream? I must have been quiet for a while because Yusei finally said,

“Please, I need an answer. Even if you say no, I’ll still be with you as you have been with me through everything.”

Finding my voice, I nodded happily and replied, “Of course I’ll marry you. There’s nothing that would make me happier than being with you for all time but will you be happy with me?”

Yusei nodded happily and replied, “There’s no one who can make me happier than you, my beautiful Callie.” He then gently placed the engagement ring on my ring finger and then we shared a sweet kiss to celebrate our love and the start of a new chapter in our lives. As we kissed, I felt that I finally found my happily ever after and I had eternal happiness at last with the man of my ideal who became my reality. After the kiss was over, I gazed lovingly into Yusei’s eyes and said,

“Thank you for being you and for giving me the happiness that I always longed for.”

I gently reached up to touch Yusei’s right cheek and as I gazed into his eyes, I could see that our future would be a happy one and although we would certainly have our share of troubles, we would have each other to hold on to and to lean for support and that was what love was. I finally found love at last and nothing could make me happier than this feeling.