'Yuma's sadness is very contagious,' Kotori thought, though she had come to this conclusion long ago. While a smile could hide the somber attitude he held as of late, it was quite obvious that he could only keep up that farce for so long. Kotori sees that flicker of sadness in her friend's eyes quite often. It's a mix of longing and befuddlement. Whatever was on Yuma's mind, it was a matter the boy was failing to understand. That's how much Kotori knew.

There were plenty of assumptions passed around, but none felt quite right. Kotori supposed that skipping school would sprout those rumors, seeing as Yuma not attending his classes were quite rare occurrences. The fact that he had remained at home for nearly a week was not only worrying his family, but his entire circle of friends as well. On the fifth day, Kotori suggests to the others that they pay a visit to Yuma.

[ "He said he wanted time, didn't he? We are worried about him, but it doesn't seem like our concern is reaching him. He keeps pushing us away…" ]

She's walking down the road to his house, replaying those words in her head. While she found it quite unusual for them to give up like that, Kotori had soon realized that they were experiencing that same sense of emptiness within their hearts. Whatever was missing from their lives, it was important. The abyss that bore a hole within Kotori's heart had only grown larger within the past few days. It hurt, and it scared her at times. Still, she tired to maintain that glowing smile that could brighten up one's day.

It was all for Yuma's sake, right?

She gives three raps on the door, patiently waiting for an answer. She waits for several minutes, before realizing no one's home. Well, it was quite possible for Yuma to be holed up in his room, refusing to answer the door for anyone. Regardless, would it be appropriate for her to give Akari a call on her D-Gazer? Kotori pulls out the device, clutching it tightly in her hands for a few moments, glancing around the nearby houses. 'It's quiet today…'

She sighs softly, tucking the D-Gazer back into her bag. Perhaps one more day to mull over his thoughts would be sufficient, Kotori hopes, sending a longing gaze up towards the upper part of Yuma's house- Specifically, his room. 'What are we missing, Yuma?'

Her thoughts plague her for the rest of the afternoon, causing her to toss and turn on her bed. When she's alone, the ache in her heart grows at an alarming rate. She's close to tearing up, but is startled when she hears a soft knock on the door. "Kotori, are you alright in there?"

"Ah…" Kotori sits up, her arms relaxing at her sides. The palms of her hands are sore, from the way she was clenching her fists and digging her nails into the soft skin. She ignores the pain and replies back to her mother quietly. "I'm fine!" Lying hurt her more than anything.

There was a pause, and then Kotori heard a soft sigh come from the other side of the door. "Alright… How about inviting Yuma over again soon? It's been awfully quiet without him around," She says, before falling silent again. The sounds of footsteps could be heard, a sign that she was alone again.

As she's about to fall back on her bed again, something in the corner of her room catches her eye. For a few moments, Kotori hesitates, almost intimidated about what mysteries sat in that semi-tattered box. She's still reluctant, but takes careful steps, standing in front of the rather large cardboard box sitting in the rather neat corner of her room. '

'How strange… How long has this been sitting here?' She ponders, running her fingers over the top, a light film of dust coating her fingers. Wrinkling her nose at that, she quickly lifts up the flaps of the box, and let out a small gasp at the contents inside.

Cards. Piles upon piles of cards laid inside the dusty cardboard box. While Kotori dueled on rare occasions, she never considered herself a serious duelist. She had her deck, some extra cards, and the ones given to her by her friends, mainly from Yuma. Kneeling down, she began pulling stacks of cards out, organizing them into neat piles and separating them by type. It wasn't a daunting task, as she'd done several times before.

Well, it wasn't daunting, until Kotori notices a set of unfamiliar cards. There were all of the Water attribute, but was particularly unusual was the fact that they were all Winged Beast monsters. She picked up one, causing her heart to throb a bit. Laying her other hand on her chest, she ignores that sensation, glancing back at the card. "Guard Penguin…" Her voice is above a whisper, nearly cracking. The tears still threatened to fall, but there's that sense of emptiness again.

She begs for answers, but there's no response. That's to be expected. Kotori realizes whatever she's missing, it's very, very important. After several moments, she decides to place the card she was currently holding on her desk. There was importance behind this card, Kotori realizes with strange reluctancy. However, she can't help but smile slightly at the card.

Perhaps it was because she was quite fond of the cold weather that the winter brought along, or the sight of birds that chirped outside her window every morning. Then again, her favorite animals happened to be penguins. Kotori always laughed at the sight of the flightless birds, considering them a funny bunch of animals.

As she looks out her window, there's a group of songbirds gathering on a nearby branch. She sighs softly again. If it weren't so late, she'd consider a visit to the aquarium. It's been a while since she's seen the penguins, after all. Perhaps she'd even invite Yuma. That way, she wouldn't have to shed those tears in front of only strangers.