Usually he is always the superior one, who cannot upset anything and who can easily cope with any situation. And now he stands here and has not the slightest idea how to express what is currently going on in him.
Finally he swallows hard, then he says softly: "Yuki, I ... I had no idea ..." She looks away, embarrassed, then grabs her neckline with one hand and brings out a small chain. A small, red plastic ring dangles from its end. She looks shyly at the tall, young man in front of her. "I still have it. Even when it became too small for me, I couldn't part with it, because this ring should always remind me of how much I meant to you and every time I see it I realize that I have not yet given up hope that ... it could be that way again. "
Seto's hand shakes a little as he reaches for the tiny ring. When his fist closes around it, he has to screw up his eyes. Inside, an unbelievable pressure builds up, which is desperately looking for a way out. He's so torn between two conflicting feelings that he doesn't know what to do. So much anger, pain and despair tries to completely absorb him and at the same time something completely different tries to pave its way. These two feelings carry out a difficult battle for supremacy in him and he does not know which one to give priority.
When he opens his eyes again, there is a deep despair and helplessness in his gaze. He looks tormented in the face of the young woman in front of him. "Yuki, I ..." he brings out almost tonelessly. She returned her gaze with open eyes, in whose lush green a trace of moisture still shimmered. "Seto ..." she whispers and a single tear rolls down her narrow cheeks down to her chin and drips from there to the floor.
At this moment the decision is made! Without thinking about it any longer, Seto wraps his arms around Yuki's shoulders and pulls her close. Almost like a drowning man, he holds her tight and at the same time she returns his hug. Her slender arms wrap around his waist and hug him. Her cheek leans gently against his chest and she can clearly hear how fast his heart is beating. At that moment, she doesn't care about anything. This is all she ever wanted and she almost stopped believing that it would ever happen.
But she also senses something else. Seto is trembling. Not very, but clearly and apparently he is unable to suppress it. But suddenly a drop of liquid makes its way over her forehead and now she recognizes the reason for his trembling: Seto is crying! He cries softly and tonelessly, but none the less from the bottom of his heart.She can only vaguely guess what he must have been through all these years, but today he finally found the strength and courage to breathe his soul and she will give him the necessary support, that is certain for her!
How desperately she has longed for this moment and I would like it to never pass again! Her heart beats so hard that it almost tears her apart and the warmth that now floods her body exceeds anything she has ever hoped to long for. With all the love she has felt for him for so long, she presses him even tighter. And while her eyes are welling up again, she feels that he too is pulling her closer to him.
They remain so tightly embraced for a while until the flow of tears from Seto's eyes stops and she feels that his chest rises and falls evenly again. Then, after what appears to be an infinitely long moment, he takes a deep breath.
"Yuki ...", he says softly, "I really wish ...", he pauses for a moment, then starts again, "Ireally... I wish I could have these feelings reply! "The young woman stiffened a little, but he went on:" But I am no longer the boy you remembered. Seto Tejima ... does not exist anymore! "Carefully he separates from her. Now he holds her gently with both hands on his shoulders at arm's length so that she has to look him straight in the face.
There is now fear and deep sadness in her gaze, as if she did not want to admit what he has just said; as if she were afraid he might push her away and hurt her just as lastingly and painfully in this fleeting moment as she did with him back then. Her lips quiver and her face turns pale.
But their fear is unfounded. Seto looks at her with a mild look. His eyes are a little red but now clear again. "My name is Seto Kaiba!", He says quietly but firmly, "And whatever I have become, whatever, that is what I have become! Neither you nor I can turn back time.
"You hurt me badly and those wounds are still healing. But I've learned to live with them in my own way. I may not be proud of everything I've done, but I stand by it! That's how I am and I become whole Certainly not be able to become the same as before. But ... "Unable to avert his gaze, Yuki looks at him with wet eyes. She hardly dares to breathe, as if the smallest breath could burst something incredibly precious.
"But ...", Seto now says gently, "I want to try! Maybe you will never get Seto Tejima again, because the only thing I can give you is Seto Kaiba ... if you want him!" In his With her water-blue eyes she sees nothing but absolute sincerity and affection and in that moment she knows that she is forgiven. The burden that falls from her soul is indescribable and it is impossible for her to contain herself."Oh Seto!", She sobs and before he knows what is happening to him, she has already wrapped her arms around his neck and presses her lips to his.
At first surprised but then slowly accepting it, Seto puts his hands gently on her shoulders and gently returns her kiss. But then he begins to gently withdraw from her. Her big, wistful eyes give him a little pang, but then he says: "Have patience with me, Yuki! Deep injuries are slowly healing ... but they do!"
She hesitates for a moment, but then nods. "You are right! It takes time!" Seto gently catches a tear with his finger that wants to drip from her chin. "Maybe someday ..." he says. Yuki takes a deep breath. One last intimate look goes back and forth between the two, then she turns away.
"And ... what happens now?" She asks hesitantly. "We should take it slow, the rest will work out," he says, "We should also go back to the others. I don't even dare to think what they probably think we're doing here." Yuki snorts, amused on. "That's none of their business!" She smiles. Seto doesn't say anything about it. He also smiles slightly, but he is still not quite comfortable with it.
"What are you going to do about Noah?", Yuki asks carefully again. Seto hesitates for a brief moment, then says: "I'll think of something!"