The First Date

The morning sun cast a golden hue over the courtyard as Alexis Rhodes emerged from her dormitory, a small basket in hand. Yet, before she could set foot beyond the threshold, her path was intercepted by Jasmine and Mindy, her ever-curious best friends.

"Off somewhere early, Alexis?" Jasmine quipped, a mischievous glint in her eye.

Caught off guard, Alexis felt a blush creeping up her cheeks as she stumbled over her words. "I, uh, I'm meeting Jozuna," she admitted, her tone betraying a hint of embarrassment.

Mindy's eyebrows shot up in mock surprise. "Ah, the Queen seeks an audience with her King!" she teased, earning a playful shove from Alexis.

"Don't be ridiculous," Alexis retorted, though the faint blush on her cheeks betrayed her discomfort. "Jozuna and I are just friends."

Her friends exchanged knowing glances, their teasing smiles unyielding. "Friends, huh?" Jasmine echoed, her tone laced with amusement. "That's what they all say."

At this time, they also saw the small basket in Alexis's hand and asked:

"Alexis, what's in this basket?"

Alexis Rhodes whispered:

"cookies"

Jasmine and Mindy's eyes lit up with curiosity. "You made those yourself?" Mindy asked, impressed.

Alexis nodded, her confidence returning. "I wanted to thank him for all his help with the Cyber Angel deck," she explained, her gratitude evident in her voice.

Her friends exchanged amused glances before stepping aside to let her pass. "Well, don't keep your 'friend' waiting," Jasmine teased, a playful grin tugging at her lips.

"Indeed," Mindy added, her tone teasing. "We wouldn't want you to miss your appointment with destiny!"

"Don't skip class at 9"

Rolling her eyes at their antics, Alexis made her way out of the dormitory, the morning air crisp and invigorating. As she walked, she couldn't help but feel a flutter of excitement in her chest, eager to spend the day learning from her mentor and friend, Jozuna. Today was about more than just dueling—it was about deepening their bond and stepping into the future together, one step at a time.

As Alexis made her way out of the dormitory, she couldn't help but feel a mix of nervousness and excitement swirling within her. Her encounter with her two best friends had left her flustered, their teasing words echoing in her mind as she walked.

She clutched the small basket tightly in her hand, the weight of it a comforting reminder of the task at hand. With each step, she felt a surge of determination welling up inside her, propelling her forward towards her meeting with Jozuna.

As she stepped out into the crisp morning air, she took a deep breath, steeling herself for what lay ahead. She knew that today would be an important day, a chance for her to learn and grow alongside Jozuna, her mentor and friend.

With her heart pounding in her chest, she set off towards their agreed upon meeting spot, her mind buzzing with anticipation. Today would be the day that she would show Jozuna just how grateful she was for his guidance and support.

The two arrived almost at the same time.

"Jozuna..." Alexis Rhodes called him, not knowing what to say next.

She remembered that her best friend always called Jozuna her boyfriend when they were joking this morning.

This made her a little shy when she saw Jozuna.

Jozuna was very calm and casual.

He said:

"You are here, Alexis Rhodes."

"I just saw there are benches and tables over there, let's go sit there."

Alexis Rhodes nodded: "Okay, I will listen to you."

The two came to the table and sat down.

Jozuna said:

"Regarding the ritual version of Cyber Angel deck, I should have talked about the issue of recycling your resource just like what I said in the messages."

"We'll continue talking today."

"In the Cyber Angel deck, the monsters with stronger resource recovery capabilities are [Cyber ​​Angel Benten] and [Cyber ​​Angel Idaten]. The Core of this deck is [Cyber ​​Angel Benten]."

Jozuna spoke carefully for more than half an hour.

Alexis listened very carefully.

When Jozuna temporarily stopped teaching, Alexis Rhodes quickly took out the small basket she was carrying:

"Well, Jozuna, I brought some cookies. You can try them to see if they taste good."

Jozuna was not polite, picked up a biscuit and put it in his mouth.

Alexis looked at Jozuna with some expectation and some worry.

She had made up her mind.

If Jozuna said it was delicious, then she would tell the truth and tell Jozuna that these biscuits were made by herself. If Jozuna doesn't think it tastes good, That day Alexis Rhodes would say that these cookies were bought from a cafetaria and promised to personally make delicious cookies for him in the future!

After Jozuna swallowed the biscuit in his mouth, he said:

"Alexis Rhodes, your cooking skills are really good, and the cookies you make are delicious."

Alexis Rhodes:

"Thanks...huh? How do you know these cookies are made by me?"

Jozuna muttered in his heart

"Since the incident at the Abandoned dorm, every morning you always send me lots of messages. Because of you I wake up early every morning. Every night before going to bed you also send me lots of messages. So I sleep late. You also see all my duels every day. Even though everything you asked is about monster duels, only fools who doesn't know that this is a sign that you are interested in me"

Then Jozuna said to her :

"Because the wrapping paper used to wrap the cookies is clearly visible when you cut it yourself."

"So you must have made the cookies yourself."

Jozuna's keen observation about the wrapping paper left Alexis impressed, realizing that her attempt to keep the cookie-making a secret had been foiled. She chuckled softly, acknowledging his astuteness.

"You are so awesome, Jozuna!" she exclaimed, genuinely impressed by his perceptiveness.

Jozuna shook his head modestly. "In my opinion, people who can cook are great," he remarked, shifting the focus away from himself.

However, Alexis couldn't help but probe further upon hearing his comment. "Jozuna, do you mean you can't cook?" she asked, curiosity piqued.

Jozuna admitted with a sheepish grin, "It's not that I don't know how to cook, it's that I don't know how to cook at all."

Alexis couldn't help but tease him lightly. "So you can only tell the difference between salt and sugar... No! It's salt and vinegar," she joked, earning a chuckle from Jozuna.

"Exactly," Jozuna agreed, confirming his lack of culinary skills.

"It turns out that Jozuna, you are also not good at something," Alexis remarked playfully, enjoying this newfound revelation about her friend.

Jozuna shrugged, unfazed by his culinary shortcomings. "It doesn't matter. Everyone has shortcomings. Just a shortcoming of not being able to cook is nothing," he remarked with a smile, appreciating Alexis's acceptance.

As they continued their conversation, Alexis pushed the basket of cookies toward Jozuna, offering them to him without hesitation. "If you like them, I'll make more next time," she offered, a hint of warmth in her voice.

Jozuna nodded appreciatively, reaching for another cookie. "Then I'm welcome," he replied, enjoying the treat.

Watching him enjoy the cookies, Alexis couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction. "You are welcome," she said softly, a smile playing on her lips.

With their impromptu snack time coming to an end, Jozuna suggested they head to class together. "Let's go to class together," he proposed, extending the invitation with a warm smile.

Alexis nodded eagerly, feeling a sense of contentment as they walked side by side. "The first date was a success," she mused to herself, a blush creeping onto her cheeks as she savored the moment.