[Link system—logout.]
Back in reality, Kira took off the gear to find it was already past ten at night. Weekend days always passed quickly.
Especially when you spent the whole day grinding dungeons and farming gears online.
But at least the grind paid off: he’d picked up a lot of unclaimed decks, even a top-tier one. Quite a haul; he’d spend the next few days sorting, selling what he didn’t need, and thinking about new builds with the rest.
He hadn’t felt hungry while grinding, but now that he was resting, the hunger hit.
If he were at Red Dorm, the cafeteria would be closed by now, and the snack shop too. But the thoughtful Yellow Dorm had a 24-hour window for students’ late-night cravings.
He pulled out his student terminal and checked the cafeteria menu.
Curry fried rice, curry beef noodles, curry mashed potatoes...
He silently closed the menu.
He suddenly lost his appetite.
Yellow Dorm had a lot going for it, but thanks to Dorm Head Sartyr, the curry concentration was a bit too high. Admittedly, the dorm head was a curry master, but even the best food gets old if you eat it every day.
Others might not notice, but Kira was just tired of curry lately.
Usually, the cafeteria had plenty of non-curry options, but most windows were closed late at night, so there wasn’t much to choose from.
Poor planning—he should’ve kept snacks in his room.
Just as Kira was thinking about going to bed early, he noticed an unread message notification on his terminal.
He opened it. It was from Jaden, sent an hour ago.
["We’re having an outdoor barbecue—smells amazing! Wanna join?"]
There was even a hand-drawn chibi of Jaden himself flashing a V sign.
Abstract as it was, it somehow captured Jaden’s cheerful, jellyfish-haired smile and peace sign.
Kira chuckled and replied, "Still there?"
Jaden quickly responded.
["Of course! Get over here!"]
So Kira got up and headed toward the spot Jaden had marked on the outskirts of Red Dorm.
The night was deep, stars scattered above, and moonlight streamed through the trees, laying a silver ribbon across the winding path.
As he neared, he heard laughter and banter, and the rich, savory scent of barbecue.
"Oh, Kira’s here!"
Jaden was the first to spot him, cheerfully standing up and handing over a skewer from the fire.
"Saved this just for you."
"Thanks. I was just getting hungry and wondering what to eat." Kira accepted the skewer without hesitation.
He sat by the fire, joining the group.
Sure enough, early GX was all about easygoing school life. Jaden looked so carefree now, spending his days skipping class, dueling, fishing, or having outdoor adventures.
Viewers back when GX first aired probably never imagined how drastically the tone would shift later on.
"Whoa—there’s a rabbit!"
Syrus exclaimed.
"Huh?" Chumley looked where Syrus pointed. "I don’t see anything? You must be seeing things."
"No way! I swear on my dignity there’s really a rabbit!"
Kira quietly chewed his barbecue, thinking that Syrus’s dignity wasn’t worth much anyway—after all, he’s Syrus.
"Look! It’s right there!" Syrus rolled up his sleeves. "Don’t run!"
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