"I can't believe you, Crow!" Naomi screamed at him from over the phone.

Crow pulled the phone away from his ear as she ranted. He winced when she called him quite a few names that stabbed at his heart. No matter how many times he heard it, it still hurt to hear it.

"You stood me up for the fifth time! You better come up with a better excuse than saying those brats needed your help!"

He clenched his gloved hand tightly, his nails digging deep into the flesh of his palm.

"I can't just leave them alone, Naomi! They're like my own kids!" Crow yelled back.

"You can't always be there for them, Crow! They need to learn to be dependent on themselves, not you for forever!"

"You knew from the beginning that they were important to me! Why are you like this now!" Crow's voice cracked, feeling the sting in his eyes grow unbearable. How many times had this happened?

"Crow, it's either me or those orphans who won't leave you alone for a single day," Naomi became serious.

Without skipping a beat Crow responded, "Then I guess it's over."

Crow gripped the phone tightly as he heard her hang up, the beeping of the discontinued call echoing in his ear. He gritted his teeth, letting himself be swallowed in anger for a moment before sighing heavily. He turned around throwing the phone carelessly onto the small kitchen table.

The backdoor -which also served as their real home door- clicked open.

Crow opened the fridge, trying to wipe the small hints of tears in his eyes. They didn't need to see him like this. Not again. He didn't want another lecture on girls from men who didn't know girls that much better than he did.

"Hey." Crow heard keys being thrown onto the table.

"Yo. How was the search for scrap metal, Yusei?" He stared at the practically bare shelves, keeping occupied.

Yusei sat down, watching Crow skeptically. His eyes wandered to the phone on the table. Blue eyes glanced back at his roommate's backside. He quickly grabbed the phone, placing it underneath the table, checking the recent calls. The name Naomi was listed first. Yusei's face turned grim.

Suddenly, the phone was snatched from his hands. Yusei calmly looked into Crow's steel glaring eyes. Crow then lowered his gaze, sighing.

"I don't want to talk about it." Crow spoke.

Yusei's eyes followed his pacing figure. "I never said anything."

The orange haired boy flashed him a scowl.

It was then silent for a long period of time, until he spoke again.

"Women just don't make sense!" Crow threw his hands up into the air. "When I tell them I look after kids that are like my own, they like me more and don't mind it. But, when I try to be there for the kids and I can't find time to be with them, they get all mad! I don't get it!"

Crow breathed heavily, sitting down and slouching into the uncomfortable chair. "This is too hard. I don't know how some people do it. I'm working a part-time delivery job, attending New Domino Police Academy, spending time with the kids, and I'm trying to settle down with a girl. Except, the last part doesn't ever work out and is the hardest of them all..."

His best friend watched as Crow's expressions went from confused, angry, stressed, and to depressed.

"Maybe you should just take a break from looking for a girl. You're only nineteen Crow, you'll find one that can handle everything about you, including the kids."

He laughed bitterly. "It's easy for you to say that. You already have Akiza."

Yusei's eyes flickered. "What makes you say that?"

"Are you serious?" Crow stared at incredulously, "You guys are still not going out?"

"...No."

"I thought my situation was bad..." Crow muttered.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

He shook his head, You have to feel bad for Akiza.

"Never mind, I'm going to go. My shift is going to begin soon," Crow grabbed his worn out brown vest from the back of the chair. "You better not tell Jack what happened otherwise I wouldn't feel safe about falling asleep without turning on the Duel Runner's alarm."

With that, Crow slammed the door behind him.

She took off her glasses, rubbing her dry sleep-deprived eyes. Her head pounded mercilessly. She opened her phone, squinting at the blurry numbers that told the time.

3:45 PM...?

She slammed her head against the desk, mumbling about the pain.

She re-opened her light blue eyes, staring at the wall covered with pinned up pieces of papers of sketches, paintings, and inked drawings. It was dark in the room. The curtains were covering the only window. The only light source was behind her head from the desk lamp.

Her phone then vibrated, sending a motion to her head. She moaned again as the pain increased.

Grumbling, she grabbed the phone, flipping it open, squinting at the text message.

Mizuki, your deadline has been changed to 7:45 tonight. Get your fucking self together and get the final here on time or you're fired! Love, Sato.

Mizuki lifted her head, sitting up. She grabbed her glasses, re-reading the message. A grin slowly formed on her lips. She jumped out of her seat, her hands in fists pumping into the air.

"Yes!" Mizuki yelled. "I'm going to get paid big!"

There was loud pounding on the wall. She rolled her eyes. She grinned once more, staring at the text. Bringing herself back to reality, she tied her messy brown hair into a bun, sitting down properly at the desk. She smiled at the inked drawing of a cloud-winged dragon.

Mizuki cracked her knuckles. "Time to paint!"

She picked at the dried paint on her hands. Mizuki was too lazy to thoroughly wash them. Her eyes narrowed when she looked up to view the every day usual bustling Blue-Eyes Square. The setting sun was still too bright for her eyes.

I need to get out a lot more during the day, or at least not stay in the dark corner of my room for the majority of the morning, she thought as she pitied the woman in high heels who was rushing home with bags underneath her eyes and a young child in her arms who kept squirming.

Mizuki knew her from seeing the woman every evening. She would always be in high heels and in a professional business suit that seemed to be loosened by the end of the day. She would always wear heels that seemed to hurt her swollen feet, struggling to place one foot after the other, while either holding the tired child in her arms or pulling roughly at their hands when they tried to go another direction.

She knew the majority of the people who walked by in the square. Like the man who seemed to drop his keys when he reached for his phone, or the teenager that would pick up the keys every time and return it to the man who didn't recognize the teen for the umpteenth time.

Her gaze lowered to the large canvas bag that held her final wrapped in thick plastic to prevent water damage. She picked at the handle, waiting for something.

And then she heard it. The sound of a moving bike. More specifically, a Duel Runner.

Mizuki quickly raised her head up, unconsciously watching him. She frowned when she saw him.

He was dragging his feet, moving his Duel Runner as if it were a burden. He didn't have that energy that he usually did. He didn't have kids surrounding him or that accomplished grin when he was exceptionally happy. He didn't even have that girl that laughed at what he said. She guessed, from what she had seen for the past few months, that something went really bad. For some reason, she always believed it was because he got dumped, but she couldn't assume that, or if he was even dating, from just seeing him occasionally.

Or always, she laughed bitterly in her mind.

He disappeared as her went down the alleyway, most likely to his home.

I really need to stop looking at him. I already think I'm a stalker.

Mizuki jumped when she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. The phone flashed her alarm that was set for seven.

She didn't smile.

Great, now I'm in a depressed mood.

Mizuki sighed, getting up with her canvas bag protectively under her arm.

A/N: Something written in the spur of the moment. Not entirely sure I will continue this story, but we'll see. Story takes place before time-skip but after the main plot. Reviews are appreciated but not demanded.