(20) The day after
Date: 7/Ago/35MT
It’s 10AM, I have just woken up and am sweating profusely. No, not because I had a nightmare. In fact, that was one of the best sleeps of my multiple lifes. But more because I sleept with my uniform on and there is someone in the bed next to me. Yasuna, in fact.
I pull myself off of Yasuna and quickly leg it to the bathroom, where I throw all my clothes in the chute and step into the shower.
—
After a relaxing shower, I put on my comfortable underwear and sit at my office desk. Thinking about what I’m going to be doing today.
—
By the time Yasuna has waken up, I went over my options on what to do about yesterday, and concluded I will let the Director deal with it... I know anticlimactic right? But I think it's best... Otherwise I might just do I'll regret later, and dealing with my roommates after committing murder is not something I want to think about.
Now, would I actually do that? Killing someone, I mean…
…
…
No, I wouldn’t. It’s not like I’m some sort of psychopath with no emotions. Yesterday, in fact, I noticed something, my emotions where all over the place like I’ve never felt before, and I don't think it was just the stress, seriously I don’t know if this has to do with hormones or a fundamental difference on how the female brain handles these types of situations but it’s weirding me out. I didn’t feel like myself… So with so much confusion going around; I think it's best to distance myself from this situation or I might do something I will regret.
Yasuna is still waking up. She was wearing her sporty uniform, so she wasn’t nearly as sweaty as I was when I woke up.
I walk up to the dispenser and spend 5 DC on a new uniform because I had just put mine in for the laundry and it wouldn’t be available until nighttime. After dressing up, I tell Yasuna I’m going down to the infirmary to check up on the twins and walk out of the room.
As I reach the Infirmary, I see Mia already out of her bed and talking to a very much conscious Aiko.
“Yuumi!” Greats Mia, being the first one to notice me.
“Hey, how are you both feeling?” I ask.
“I’m fine now. Aiko, on the other hand…” Mia trails of looking worriedly at Aiko.
“Mia, there’s no need to exaggerate… Yuumi I’m feeling much better. The nurse said I’ll be out of here by the end of the week.” Tells Aiko in a pained voice.
“End of the week? Those bruises looked pretty nasty…” I ask.
“Well, nanogel works fast.” Mia tells.
‘Oh, futuristic bullshit. Got it.’
“Also, Aiko the nurse said for you not to strain your voice!” Warns Mia, much to the amusement of both me and Aiko.
“*Giggle*, so nice to see you both ok after that.” I comment.
This makes Mia flinch, and her eyes open wide. “Hey…. Yuumi? What are you planning to do?”
“*Sigh*, Nothing too drastic." I say in an muted tone, then ask. "By the way, Mia. Can you show me your duel log? I have to report their names to the Director.”
Mia hurries and gives it to me.
I note the names down on my phone.
“Thank you. Now I have a report to make.”
“G-going back already?” Asks Aiko in a pained voice.
I look back at her and tell. “Sorry, I don’t know how long this will take. But I’m pretty sure Yasuna will come by anytime now.”
After saying goodbye, I make my way back to the dorm room where I find an empty room and a closed bathroom door with some running water sounds coming from behind it.
‘Yasuna’s probably showering.’
I sit at my desk and set up my duel disk in full-screen mode with the NWDA app open. I go to the part where I can submit a complaint and start writing.
[These are the names of the four students that yesterday assaulted two defenseless red ranks (Plus four others that tried to help). I am washing my hands of this. I don’t care what appends to them, as long as they’re at least expelled. Again, I don't want to see them, and as long as that is true I won't involve myself any further.] I then wrote the names below the message and hit send.
Normally, a report this short and incomplete would just get filtered out before it could reach any human. But I bet as I’m the one sending it means that the director will read it at least.
Sure enough, not even 5 minutes after I sent the report, I receive a message from the Director himself confirming that he’s looking into it and the students will expelled, if not thrown in prison.
I’m surprised by the last part. Normally, conflicts in academies are penalized outside of the city’s legal system. I guess he’s actually taking this seriously.
Just as I’m finished with my task, Yasuna walks out of the bathroom. Naked.
“Hey Yuumi. How are they doing?” she asks, like there's nothing wrong here.
My face reddens, and I try my best to look away. “M-Mia is up and about and Aiko apparently will be up by the end of the week.”
“OH? What’s this?” She says, noticing me blushing.
I then feel something firm and soft pressing into my back, making me shiver. “Y-Yasuna please…”
“Oh, my! You’ve slept with me already… why are you being so shy now? I wonder…” she teases, then softly blows into my ear.
'That's enough.' I turn around and yell. “Yasuna!”
This makes her back off.
“*Giggle*, sorry, it’s just that your expression was so cute. I couldn’t help myself.”
“*Sigh*, I’m going out for a walk.” with that I grab my stuff and walk out.
Well, that at least confirm one thing. I’m still attracted to girls… and while the least said about how I found out, the better. I’m pleased I did. Unfortunately, this leads me to a realization. I’M IN A DORM WITH 3 CHICKS AND I STILL HAVEN’T ———— FOR AN WHOLE WEEK! That stunt that Yasuna pulled didn’t help either!
————
Date: 10/Ago/35MT
Fortunately, after a LOT of cold showers, I was able to get that urge down a little.
It’s Wednesday already. I didn’t get much done during the week and also didn’t hear anything from the director. That’s a good thing, I don’t want to hear about it.
My lecture wasn’t until late in the afternoon, so I was just getting some final touches done on the keynote when I was once again called to the director’s office. I hope this has to do with the lecture and not with the situation this weekend, because if it is, I am seriously going to find the four perpetrators and throw them out myself, then dare the director to do something about it.
I enter his office. It’s empty this time and I find the Director looking at me with a serious expression.
“Misses Yuumi, do you know why I called you this morning?” He asks in a neutral tone with his hands held on top of his desk.
‘I hope this is not the best he can do in terms of intimidation, for his own sake.’
“I have some ideas, but I hope that I’m wrong because if not…” I trail off.
“Woah, woah, woah, I’m kidding! I’m kidding…” - He assures. - “Well, it has to do with both the lecture and the events this weekend.”
I Frown.
“So it is what I’m thinking…” - I say. Then sit down in front of him. - “I won’t be asking Aiko or Mia to be subjected to questioning just because you need some extra ‘Evidence’ or something. And let me warn, for as long as those four students are at large, I won’t guarantee their saf—”
“How about you stop talking and allow me to explain before saying something you’ll regret later?” He interrupts.
…
…
…
‘WHOLY SHIT IT HAPPENED AGAIN! I can’t keep doing this!’
“S-Sorry. I don’t know what came over me.” I tell.
“*Sigh*. Yuumi I can’t say I know what you're feeling but know that for my part this whole thing has been a massive clusterfuck behind the scenes.”
“Really?”
“Really. Now, let me assure, I don’t need a direct testimony. All duels on the island are recorded, plus there were enough witnesses. No, what I wanted was a guarantee that this little stunt won’t affect the lecture you’ll give later today.”
“Oh.”
‘Now that I think about it…’
After a little deliberation, I decide to not omit anything from it I had originally planned to include. “No, I won’t make a difference.”
I could make an excuse and just be extremely vague in the presentation, but that would be rude for no reason. It's not like I'm going to straight up tell them how to counter my deck. I'll let them figure out hand traps themselves.
“Good, now…”
Our talk gets interrupted by an elevator opening. I look over at it and see four familiar blue ranked students surrounded by four guards, plus Aya and the chick from before behind them. I turn back to the director and find him holding his head with both hands.
I stand up and the four perpetrators look at me, terrified.
“I’m sorry Yuumi, but as you can see, I’m going to be busy for now.” The director breaks the tense silence, “I guess you don’t want to be here for it?”
“That’s right.” I confirm and walk over to the elevator.
“See you later, bitch!” The blue ranked girl hisses as I pass by her.
I ignore it.
————
The director goes up the massive audience hall and announces into the mic.
“Good Afternoon, NWD Academy.” He starts, “It is the duty of our academy to acknowledge skilled duelists nay it is THE DUTY of us all!”
The crowd cheers for some reason.
“As you might already know, Monday last week, there was a duel between one red ranked freshman and the honorable Professor Chamberlain Blake. Now this duel would have been nothing to note about, just a demonstration to the new students of how to apply the teachings of the honorable Professor in a real duel.” He explains to an inquisitive crowd, “But this duel didn’t end how the Professor - or any of us - expected. No, this duel ended in the Professor’s defeat!”
The audience keeps quiet.
“But how? What did the Professor miss? What sort of trickery did the freshmen use?!”
*Sigh*
“After reviewing the duel I was astonished, this freshmen did something only spoken of in bedtime stories! She ended the duel in a single turn, no, in the first turn!”
Sounds of awe can be heard from the crowd.
I guess the details of the duel hadn’t been disclosed yet.
“But as much as I wanted to deny it, it was true, there was no foul play in this duel, I had to accept this misunderstood freshmen did the impossible.”
‘Can he stop with the buildup? I’m not some sort of messiah!’
And that I wasn’t. I was waiting “Backstage” for my queue to enter and start my presentation. It was miserable.
“Now, it is my honor to call up Red Ranked Freshmen and Natural Penta-Summoner - the first one in decades! - Yuumi Matsunaga."
I walk up to the platform and after a handshake with the Director; I am left alone up there.
Now, while I would have loved to go on and on about how great it was being up there, I won’t bore you with the detail, I’ll just give a resume in a single word.
BOOOORINNGGGG!
They asked me many stupid questions, for example:
“Why do you have a Metalfoes monster on a magician deck?”
I don’t know! Maybe because it is the best pendulum support ever printed!? Just MAYBE.
Of course, as this was a formal sort of thing, I had to say it in a more “Polite” manner.
“Electromite is one of the best cards to use on decks that make use of Pendulum monsters because of the amount of card advantage it gives.”
That led to the question of why is it was a Metalfoes monster then…
I had to explain Metalfoes was also a pendulum deck…
...
This isn’t really their fault for not knowing. Everyone here normally settles down a single deck archetype.
The audience was made up of the three upper ranks of the academy, plus some others, which had uniforms with unique designs and colors than everyone else.
After an exhausting presentation, I end with.
“These were the event’s that led to the Professors’ loss.”
My words lead to an arm shooting up among the uniquely dressed “Students?”.
“Yes?”
“I would like to apologize for the probing question I am about to ask, but if you don’t mind. How was the Professor supposed to stop this first turn strategy? Personally, I don’t see how anyone can stop this other than not permitting their opponent from being the first turn player.”
“You ask a very interesting question.” I tell “To answer that, first let me remind that this was only possible as my opening hand was capable of it, if I didn’t go for the FTK I still doubt the Professor would have been able to do anything if he didn’t have a hand as capable as mine. Second, there are cards in dueling that prevent the activation of card effects. Those cards are devastating to any attempt at an FTK.”
I explained this mostly as an attempt to not get half the cards I’m playing banned. Obviously, if that happens, my next move will be to play Mystic Mine burn just to show the Director what really is the “Problem Card.”
“I understand.” the “Student?” says.
“Any other questions?” I ask the audience.
There weren’t any.
As I was wrapping up and preparing to exit, the director unexpectingly comes up to me with an…. Trophy?
I try to walk away but he tells me to stay, then grabs the mic.
What he says next shocks me.
“Excellent presentation Yuumi, a round of applause from the audience, please.”
They do as told, and I give a side glance at the director, he just keeps on smiling
"This has been an enlightening experience for us all, I would like to say. Now, as the director of the New Worlds Dueling Academy, I am proud to present the “Best upcoming duelist award” to our very own Yuumi Matsunaga!”
The crowd erupts in cheers.
‘What is this guy doing!?’ I want to scream. He didn’t tell me anything about an award.
‘Please no acceptance speech, please!’
He turns to me and passes me the award.
“A few words if you could,”
‘FUCKER!’
“just so you know I hate you,” I say in a whispered volume so the mic doesn’t pick it up.
“Now, now. Don’t worry, they’re not expecting a grand speech from you.”
Annoyed, I go up to the stand and awkwardly say the most generic speech I could think of.
I exit the Auditorium and the Director walks behind me.
“That was an unexpected combo, if I might say. Also, congratulation on your rank up.”
I whip by head around and face him.
“Rank up?! How? I didn’t even do the exam!” For a student to rank up, they need to pass a rank up exam or be 100 Elo over the minimum requirement. I was already slightly over the 800 Elo required for Yellow rank after the duel with Aya, but I didn’t plan on doing the exam yet. I was waiting for my roommates.
“It’s one of the benefits that comes with that award. Plus a DC credit…. Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Did it ever pass your head I that there was a reason I didn’t request to do the exam yet?”
He blinks rapidly.
“Don’t tell me you were waiting…”
“Yes.” I interrupt.
“Oh… Sorry.”
“That DC credit better make up for this.” I say. Honestly, while I’m bummed about it, it’s not like I won’t see them ever again. I will still be in the academy after all. Still, I would have preferred to be asked about shit like this first.
The Director must have noticed my expression getting less angry.
“You can redeem the DC credit for any one item that cost DC. This includes duel runners.”
Scratch that, that more than makes up for it. Looks like I will be starting my Turbo duel career sooner than I expected.
“Oh, are you sure? Let me warn, I’m a big spender,’ ‘My wallet already knows’
“*Sigh*, yes I’m sure.”
With that, I take my leave and start walking back to the red dorm.