Chapter 230: The Best Duel
Chapter 230: The Best Duel
"Link System, logging off."
As You Xuan removed his device back in reality, he realized it was already past ten in the evening. Weekends always seemed to fly by, especially when spent grinding for equipment online all day.
Despite the tedious grind, his efforts had paid off. He had come across several unclaimed card groups during his adventures, even a high-ranking one. It had been a fruitful trip, and he planned to sort through his findings over the next few days, selling what he didn't need and contemplating new constructions with the useful cards.
However, the hunger pangs hit him only after he had returned and rested for a while.
If he were in the Red Dormitory, the cafeteria would definitely be closed by this time, and the convenience store would be shut too. But the thoughtful Yellow Dormitory took into account the students' late-night snack needs and had a 24-hour window specifically for that purpose.
You Xuan pulled out his student-exclusive terminal and navigated to the cafeteria interface, only to browse through it and close it again.
Curry fried rice, curry beef noodles, curry mashed potatoes.
He suddenly lost his appetite.
The Yellow Dormitory was great in many ways, but their curry concentration was a bit too high, influenced by the head of Kabayama's preferences. It was true that the dormitory head had an extraordinary talent for curry cuisine, but even the best dishes could become tiresome if eaten every day.
Others might not feel the same, but You Xuan definitely didn't want to eat curry anytime soon.
Usually, the cafeteria offered a rich variety of dishes, with something for everyone except curry. But in the middle of the night, most windows were closed, and options seemed limited.
He should have stocked up on snacks for his room. That was a mistake.
As You Xuan considered just going to bed early, he noticed an unread message indicator on the terminal.
It was from Judai, sent an hour ago.
"We're having an outdoor barbecue, and it's super fragrant. Wanna come?"
There was even a hand-drawn Q version of Judai's big head, giving a V sign with a bright smile.
Although the drawing was abstract, it captured the essence of Judai—a true soul painter. Through this simple sketch, one could almost see Judai's jellyfish-like hair shining in the sun as he happily reached out with a V sign.
You Xuan smiled and replied, "Are you still there?"
Judai quickly responded, "Of course! Come quickly!"
So, You Xuan got up and made his way to the location Judai had marked outside the Red Dormitory.
The night sky hung low, speckled with stars, and moonlight filtered through the gaps in the treetops, casting a silvery glow on the winding path.
As he approached the area, even before seeing anyone, he heard the sounds of playful banter and a rich, savory aroma of grilled meat.
"Oh, You Xuan's here!"
Judai was the first to spot him and happily stood up, handing over a skewer that had been roasting over the fire.
"This is specially reserved for you."
"Thanks. I was just getting hungry and wondering what to eat," You Xuan said as he took the skewer without hesitation and sat down by the fire, joining the group.
Indeed, the early stages of GX portrayed a carefree school life. Judai, at this point, seemed carefree, spending his days skipping classes, playing cards, fishing, and enjoying the great outdoors with his friends.
When GX first aired, the audience surely couldn't have imagined the drastic shift in tone that would occur later in the series.
"Wow, a rabbit!" Maru Shou exclaimed.
"Hmm?" Hayato followed his gaze but shook his head. "I don't see it. Are you mistaken?"
"Absolutely not! I'm a thousand percent sure, and I swear on my chastity that it's there!" Maru asserted.
You Xuan silently continued eating his barbecue, thinking to himself that Maru's dignity wasn't worth much anyway, especially with a name like "Sho"
"Look, it's right there!" Maru Fujiya rolled up his sleeves. "Don't run away!"
And with that, he dragged Hayato along to chase after the rabbit.
"You two, don't wander too far and get lost!" Judai called out after them.
Faintly, they could hear Maru's indistinct response from the woods.
"Those two are hopeless," Judai chuckled, continuing to flip the skewers on the grill.
"Aren't your roommates here?" You Xuan asked.
Biting into the barbecued meat, You Xuan found that Judai had a good grasp of cooking it, achieving a perfect balance of crispy and juicy. Judai must have had plenty of practice with outdoor cooking.
"Yeah, they are," Judai replied, his eyes fixed on the dancing flames. "But, you know..."
"Do you remember?" Judai continued. "When we accidentally ended up in the spirit world, that guy, Sherit, said that I resemble him, and that I've never truly let anyone understand me."
"Oh, don't worry about that," You Xuan said.
But Judai shook his head. "I can't help but think about it. And the more I think about it, the more I feel that maybe there's some truth to it."
He paused, as if lost in his memories.
"Have I ever told you that my memories of my childhood are a bit fuzzy? Sometimes, I feel like there's something important that I should remember, and I occasionally wake up from dreams, but no matter how hard I try, I can't recall what it is."
You Xuan remained silent.
Of course, he knew what was going on. It was all because of Yubel, Judai's first duel monster. Ever since Yubel was sent into space by KaibaCorp, Judai had been plagued by terrifying nightmares.
His parents, concerned for his well-being, had used KaibaCorp technology to erase his memories related to Yubel and sever their connection. After that, he had forgotten all about it.
"Of course, I know it's normal to not remember much from when we were young," Judai said with a laugh. "But now that I think about it, there was a time when I felt truly lonely.
My parents were always busy and rarely at home. And for some reason, when I was little, I didn't have many friends. It seemed like everyone was avoiding me.
I always felt different from everyone else. No matter how hard I tried or how enthusiastic I was, it was difficult to find true friends who could understand me and whom I could confide in."
This was the first time You Xuan had heard about this, but he could guess the reason. It was all Yubel's fault again. Any child or parent who heard about Yubel punishing those who lost to Judai in a card game would surely steer clear of him.
"Later, we moved, and things got a bit better as I grew up. I always had a lot of companions and enthusiastic classmates around me. But now that I think about it, maybe just as Sherit said, I never really had anyone I could call a 'friend' after all.
Maybe it's always been like that, and I've just gradually gotten used to it."
Judai paused in his cooking and smiled.
"But it's incredible. Ever since we returned from the spirit world and especially after dueling with you, I've started to think differently.
Is this what they call 'friendship'? "
You Xuan: "..."
"I heard it from Kaiser, Sho's brother," Judai said. "This week, the duel to decide the representative for the annual match against the Northern School will begin.
Kaiser said he would nominate me. If nothing unexpected happens, it'll probably be between the two of us."
He paused, looking intently at You Xuan.
"So, when the time comes, give it your all. I really want to see what you're capable of when you're going all out."
You Xuan closed his eyes gently and smiled softly.
"I understand."
He waved the barbecue fork in his hand.
"Then let this be my treat in return for your barbecue invitation."
Judai smiled brightly and nodded vigorously.
"Let's have the best duel ever, then!"
(End of Chapter)
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