Chapter Text
When he woke up, Yusaku knew it was going to be a bad day. Ai's voice sounded more annoying than usual, and his clothes felt scratchier too. Instead of 'toughing it out' like he would have had to do during the Lost Incident, he decided to actually listen to his friend Cal’s advice and bring a pair of headphones and some fidgets with him to get him through the day. However, Ai would just Not Stop Talking . "Hey, Playmaker! Did you know that ever since you defeated him, The Gore has become even more popular than he was before? Now he can-"
"Ai. Shut up."
"Oh come on, Playmaker! I just thought you would want to know how well he’s been doing, and how much Gore has been donating to those kids!" Ai whined.
"I don't care about any of these random topics you bring up. We are not friends, and there are three reasons why we never will be.
"One: I captured you. Two: you have never done anything except cause problems for me. Three: you are as annoying as the Knights of Hanoi!" Yusaku snapped.
"Well I never wanted to be your glitching friend anyway!" Ai retorted.
Yusaku walked the rest of the way to school in semi-comfortable silence, although he did miss hearing random tidbits about how his friends were doing.
Finally, after spending what felt like years in classes full of peers tapping their pencils on the desk, clicking their pens, teachers with the most echoey rooms imaginable, and having to deal with Shima constantly trying to 'befriend' him, Yusaku was free to go to Cal's hot dog sandwich truck.
"Yusaku! Got any new data from Ai?"
"Not today. It's not the best day for me to code."
"Ah, sensory overload?" Yusaku nodded. "Don't worry! You can just hang out while I sell some dogs," Cal offered.
"Thanks." He took off his duel disk and went to his usual seat in the back of the truck, putting on his headphones and turning on some music to listen to.
Back in the front of the truck, Ai finally piped up, "Is he gone now?"
"Oh hey Ai! How've you been?"
"Yusaku was such a glitch today! He said ' there are three reasons why we'll never be friends' " Ai mimicked Yusaku's voice, “I was just telling him that The Gore was doing well!”
Cal sighed, "He... has a bad habit of pushing people away. It's because of his past I think."
"His past? I always figured he was just a spoiled brat with how often he threatens to delete me!" Ai folded his arms and turned away.
"He's almost the exact opposite. Everything he has he's had to beg, borrow and work for."
"According to my colloquialism database, the saying is actually: Beg, borrow and steal." Ai corrected.
"That's true, but Yusaku refuses to steal. He has some odd morals." Cal smiled wryly. "He'll hack into almost anywhere, capture some poor AI, be rude to almost anyone, and even call a hotdog a sandwich .” He shuddered. “But he draws the line at stealing." He shook his head. "What an odd guy. But the reason he was acting like 'such a glitch' is because of his sensory overload."
"Sensory overload?"
"Yeah, his senses are just a bit more sensitive some days. Chances are that your voice was being louder than he could handle, and instead of 'showing weakness' or whatever, he tried to power through -like an idiot- and ended up snapping because he got overwhelmed."
"That's so dumb! This is yet another reason why you humans are the third smartest creatures, right after squirrels! None of you can regulate your emotions!"
"There are three reasons why we can't 'regulate our emotions',” Yusaku interrupted, taking off his headphones. “One: humans are not designed to value logic over emotion. Two: half of us never learned how to process emotions in a healthy way due to childhood trauma. Three: the ability to hide emotions is valued more than the ability to regulate emotions."
"Oh hey buddy! You feeling better now?"
"Yeah, thanks Cal." Yusaku showed a rare smile. "Ai, I need to apologize for earlier." Ai scoffed and turned away from Yusaku. "I snapped at you when I shouldn't have. I was in the wrong."
"No glitch you were! You were so rude for such a dumb reason!"
Yusaku sighed, "I know. That's why I'm apologizing."
"Well I don't forgive you! Maybe I will if you stop overreacting to the smallest things!"
"I... Ok. I understand." Yusaku kept his face carefully neutral. "Would it be preferable for me to leave you with Cal for the night?"
"Yes. He doesn't get 'overwhelmed' from people just talking a bit too loud!" Yusaku nodded in acknowledgment, and left the hotdog stand.
"He's right. I really am a wimp. I shouldn't get so upset at such small things, especially when I don't get upset at them any other time. I should never have listened to Kotler. He's one of the few people who only gets upset at serious problems, like murder, or calling a hotdog a sandwich. Of course he wouldn't tell me how pathetic I am," Yusaku rambled under his breath as he walked home, "Why should he? He already has one messed up person to comfort. He doesn't need another one. Especially not one as overdramatic as me." Yusaku opened the door to his desolate apartment.
"Welcome home Yusaku. I trust that you had a good day. I made a lasagna dinner," Roboppi said.
"...Thanks Roboppi. I don't think I'm hungry tonight though."
"According to my database: three square meals a day are important for growing children your age. Please make sure you eat tonight."
"Okay, I will." Yusaku placated, heading up the creaky stairs to his room. On his way, he passed a garbage can, which he threw his fidgets into. "I won't learn to be better if I keep relying on crutches like these."
Back at the hotdog stand, Kotler sighed. "Ai. Yusaku wasn't being 'overdramatic' earlier when he snapped at you. The sound was literally hurting him. Can't you search your database for sensory overload?"
"Oh yeah! I forgot about that!" Ai closed his eyes. "Oh! Oh. Oh no. CAL! I MESSED UP!" Ai frantically looked side to side. "Where's Yusaku? I need to apologize to him! Right now!"
Kotler face-palmed. "He already left. Remember? That's why he asked if you would rather stay here with me."
"Well don't you know where he lives? You need to take me there!" Ai frantically yelled.
"No. I don't know where he lives. And I'm not going to try and hack into somewhere to find out either. He didn't tell me for a reason, and I will respect his privacy."
"But I called him overdramatic for something he can't help! I need to apologize! ASAP!"
"And you will. It's just that ‘ASAP’ will have to be tomorrow after school."
"Fine. But if he doesn't show up tomorrow, will you find him then? Pretty please?" Ai fluttered his non-existent eyelashes and gave Kotler his signature puppy dog eyes.
"Ugh, sure. As long as it gets you to stop bothering me," Cal agreed.