'Two meanings to 'Mate

Link Joker arc

A/N: this means a flashback.

enjoy ^^

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It has been a month since the Reverse incident ended. Takuto had disappeared along with Void. The Ultra-Rare idols were gone as well.

But other than that, everything seemed back to normal. As if Link Joker never happened.

But to some people, it happened.

Even after a month, Kai still had trouble going out of his apartment. He was so ashamed of himself for accepting Void's Reverse power and using it to reverse everyone he had fought against.

He couldn't even look at a mirror anymore for fear of seeing those red marks on his face again.

It was kind of ironic -  just a year ago (or was it two already?) it was him who told Sendou Aichi that using the Psyqualia was making him weaker and it was him who had fought to return Aichi to normal.

But a month ago he did exactly what he said he would never do - use a strange power to make him stronger. He was the one who had gotten weaker. And he actually harmed people instead of scaring them like the Psyqualia did.

If Aichi weren't there to defeat him and snap him back to reality, he would have hurt more people.

'You're not alone' Aichi had told him. But he's wrong. If it wasn't for him entering his life he would have been alone. Even Miwa's cheery personality would have eventually disappeared and he too would have left him.

What was it that made him accept Aichi's challenge for Blaster Blade, he will never know.

What was it that made him enjoy the battle even though Aichi was so weak back then, that, too, he'll never know.

But something in Aichi made him swallow back the usual 'no' and give him a try. Perhaps he remembered the hope he saw that day. Or perhaps the kid brought up the boy he used to be, before his parents' death and Ren's own Psyqualia. Made him remember the times when he cared.

It took the incident with Leon and Void back at Asia Circuit to make him realize that he actually depended on Aichi. That he needed him to feel better, whole. Maybe even happy.

Kai sighed and pushed himself from his bed, clearing his mind.

I can't let myself be depressed. Aichi is already too worried over my absence and he has his own worries...

A knock on the door made him pause. The only one who knows his address is...

"Miwa..." Knew it.

"Yo!" The blond grinned. "I thought I'd check if you're sulking again."

"I'm not," Kai deadpanned. "Is that all?"

"Can't I come see my best friend?" As expected from Miwa, he never gets deterred.

"Tch." Kai turned his back and went to the couch. Miwa flopped onto the space next to him, grinning like had won a fight. That cheeky...

They sat in silence for a while. Miwa was looking at the ceiling with a smile while Kai skimmed through his deck.

"You're thinking about Link Joker again?"

I was before you came. "I'm not going to discuss it again. Aichi gives me enough grief over it."

"Aichi, huh?" Miwa grinned sadly. Kai ignored him, glaring at his deck.

The blond sighed. "Kai... just know, I'm here for you if you need me."