Family Ties

Bet

Meanwhile, Yoko was catching up with her siblings, telling them about her husband and children. She was very proud of her boys, and her siblings could tell.

"Yuya is so much like his father," Yoko told her family. "They both love to entertain people and they're both so sweet and kind. And when they laugh, like not because they're trying to hide their sadness but really laugh, they both sometimes snort and it's so cute! And when they're embarrassed, they both get really flustered and sometimes even try to hide!"

"That is so adorable!" Ren said. "Miki's shown us videos of Yuya dueling. He's so silly, it's so cute!"

"I know, he started acting a fool after his father disappeared," Yoko explained. "People started bullying him because Yusho disappeared right before he was supposed to do a duel, and everyone thought he was a coward and started calling Yuya the coward's son. Yuya started acting a fool to hide how much it hurt him."

"Oh, poor baby," Kaede said. Haru rolled his eyes and asked, "Do they still treat him badly now that his father's back?"

"No, now everyone knows that Yusho left to help with the Dimensional War, which was more important than a duel and took more courage, so everyone considers him a hero now instead of a coward," Yoko said, glancing dismissively toward her twin. "And since Yuya was also involved in the war, they consider him a hero now too."

Haru was about to speak again, when suddenly two girls walked in. They seemed somewhat familiar to Yoko, but she couldn't quite place them. Then, Ichiro smiled. "Ah, Yoko, do you remember my twins, Kasumi and Mitsu? They were six when you last saw them."

Yoko snapped her fingers as her memory was jogged. "Ah, yes, that's why they look somewhat familiar. You two have grown so much!"

"Hi, Auntie Yoko!" Kasumi said. Mitsu waved and said, "Can you settle a bet?"

"Uhm, sure?" Yoko responded. To which her siblings groaned. Ichiro sighed, "Girls, don't. Not this time. Please?"

Kasumi and Mitsu apparently ignored their father, as Kasumi said, "So your husband. Is he a top or a bottom?"

Yoko stared at them in bewilderment. "What?"

Ichiro groaned. "You two! Stop asking everyone in the family about their love lives! It's so weird!"

"But Dad!" Mitsu protested. "Look at Uncle Yusho! He's tall and looks so strong! And he was involved in a war! He's totally a top!"

"No way!" Kasumi protested. "Auntie Yoko was the leader of a motorcycle gang back in her day, remember? There's no way she'd let anyone top her!"

"Girls!" Sakura cried from the kitchen. "Just stop! You're going to make your aunt uncomfortable!"

Yoko blinked then chuckled. "You know that Yusho's primary way of dealing with his problems is to make the cause of his problems smile, right?" she pointed out. "He couldn't top even if he tried!"

"Yoko!" Yusho yelped from the doorway, having entered just in time to hear his wife. Everyone jumped and looked up to see the very obviously flustered man standing there. His face was bright red and he quickly pulled his hat off and hid behind it.

At the same time there was a thud from the other doorway, and everyone whipped their heads around to see Yuri there, seemingly having walked in at the same time as Yusho. The cabbage-head had tried to leave immediately after hearing his mother's words, but had run right into the doorframe. "OW!" he yelped. Auntie Asuka started to get up to help him, but the boy rushed out the door exclaiming, "Did NOT need to hear that about my father!"

Everyone was quiet for a moment, then Mistu slowly handed Kasumi a 10,000 yen note. Their father looked sternly at his twins. "Stop. Making. Bets. About. Everyone's. Love. Lives. You see what happens when you do that? You get your little baby cousins to walk into doorframes! Enough is enough!"

"Yes, Father," the twins said quietly.