I hummed and checked on the stats of the next soccer team I was facing, sipping a bit of coffee while admiring the park I was in. The taste was great! Seriously, I was so glad Gao had recommended this café to me! While it did taste pretty familiar, I couldn't help but focus on the amazing taste.

Athora soon floated in and sat in front of me, saying, "Kanata, are you okay?"

"Hm? Of course I am!" I smiled in reply. "Why would you need to ask?"

"Cause you have that look on your face again," he answered with a fond look on his face. "You're thinking of him again, aren't you?"

"You mean Gaito? Of course," I laughed. "I really enjoyed my Buddyfights with him, you know? This coffee really reminds me of him too!"

"Does it?" he blinked at me.

"Yeah! Remember when we stayed over at Gao's place in America that one time? Gaito made me coffee that time!" I admitted with a blush, but then I noticed something that made me stop, my grip on my tablet loosening. "Hold on..."

The cafe's logo... It was a purple swirl... And my name was on it, even though I remembered not telling the barista my name due to being focused on my phone. The handwriting was... Wait, this was!

Could it be... No, wait, but Gaito left without a warning, he... There was no way he could still be around...

Getting up as fast as I could, I ignored Athora's shout and ran back, retracing my footsteps to the place I had come from. If it was... If it truly was what I thought, then... I could make things right! After all this time!

My body slowed to a jog as I saw the cafe, and the name of the cafe made my eyes widen. "V-Vortex GALE Cafe..."

Gale. In other words, Abygale, Gaito's Buddy... This couldn't be a coincidence.

When I got to the door, though, my body hesitated. My mind began conjuring up various scenarios. I hadn't seen my crush... Gaito in so long. He left when we were 15. He didn't even leave a letter, just something saying that he had to fulfill his destiny. He... He didn't say anything to me... to Gao, to Tasuku-sempai, to... anyone.

This was the moment I had been waiting for. I had wanted to come face to face with Gaito for so long, but now that I was so close, why did I falter now? Why was I faltering now... Like how I had the last day we met?

"Kanata? What did you want to tell me?"

"A-Ah, it's nothing, Gaito!"

Why couldn't I tell him that I loved him? Even after all this time! I didn't want to regret it anymore!

And yet... and yet... my body was frozen. I couldn't muster the courage to even knock. Why couldn't I?

"Erm, excuse me, the cafe is closed, Si- Wait, aren't you Oozora Kanata?!" a new voice made my head snap over to see a male who looked to be around 12 with white swirly hair walking up to me.

Just like Gaito's... Did he have a kid?...

"O-Oh yeah, that's me," I nodded, too surprised to properly react.

"Oh my God oh my God!! I'm a HUGE FAN!!!!" he snapped me out of my train of thought with a huge grin that would have been uncharacteristic of Gaito, making me blink. What the...

"Wait really? I'm no one special though." I blinked while rubbing my head sheepishly. Was I really that well-known? I didn't think so... Gaito and Gao plus Tasuku-sempai definitely were very famous. I was just a humble soccer match analyst behind the scenes. Keisetsu did the real work as the coach.

"Still! You Buddyfight too, right?" he insisted. "Your playing style is awesome!Dad shows me your matches all the time! And wait, is that Athora?! Oh my BUDDY THIS IS AWESOME!!!! Geillllll!!!!!"

Wait, Gale?

"Light, I can hear you loud and clear," the door to the cafe opened, and out stepped a familiar face.

"Abygale!" I gasped. "Is that really you?"

"K-Kanata!" He smiled a bit. "It's been a while."

"A while?! You and Gaito disappear off the face of Cho-Tokyo and that's all you have to say?!" Athora hit his head with his tail. "Wait did Gao know of this!?"

"Oh yeah, he did stop by after beating his son the first time. He was pretty surprised to see me too," Abygale chuckled even as he nursed the bump on his head. "But enough about that! Gaito! Come on out!"

"Ugh, what is it, Abygale!? It's not my destiny to go out r-"

It... was him. I would recognise that purple swirly hair anywhere. Those lavender eyes of his, that sharp yet kind gaze of his.

It was Kurouzu Gaito alright. And I was downright speechless by this. He looked amazing in a barista apron...

"K-Kanata....?"

"G-Gaito...."

This was a miracle. After all this time...

Still, I couldn't speak. Frozen in place by this stunning embodiment of handsome. He looked so good. Not to mention my own nervousness.

What should I do now? Tell him? But-

"W-would you like to come in?" He asked at long last.

"Y-yeah," I nodded, and he pushed it open, allowing me to walk in and sit down on a chair while Light (I think that was his name? Huh, similar to Gaito's name.) went in and put on an apron. Gaito took the seat in front of me, and we both fell into silence again.

So many questions coursed through my mind, but the only thing I could ask was "Why?"

"Why w-... Oh, I see." Gaito exhaled. "I... suppose it's my destiny to tell you, Kanata. I owe you that at least."

I leaned in slightly. "Go on."

So he told me. About how his family was influential and worked with the Buddy Card Office to distribute cards legally. How he had been made to marry the Amanosuzu heiress, which led to Light's birth. How they ended up divorcing due to their differing opinions. And... How he came to start up this cafe.

"I hoped that somehow, I would be able to meet up with any of my friends, but... especially you, Kanata," he muttered that last bit while looking away.

"Why especially me? And did Gao... Wait, don't tell me I was tricked by GAO of all people for this!?" I was realising how desperate he had been to get me to come here for a break. My work was on the opposite side of Cho-Tokyo, after all.

He nodded. "I was... surprised when I saw you but you didn't greet me. So I just wrote your name on the cup."

"I'm so sorry," I apologised. "I should have realised ahead of time."

"Don't apologise..." he shook his head. "You're really busy, right? It's my destiny to not bump into you at a-"

"That's not true!!" I slammed my hands against the table while getting up, startling Light as he looked over. Abygale and Athora stopped talking as well and stared.

I flushed at their gazes and sat down again in front of a shocked Gaito. "S-Sorry... But I refuse to think destiny is set in stone. This meeting proves it. It's giving me a chance to make up for my mistake twenty years ago."

"Mistake?" He repeated, eyes wide.

I nodded. My throat was dry. Anxiety tied cords around my heart, locking me inside an iron tight defense.

But I wanted to make sure Gaito knew. It wasn't too late. I could make amends. I could... Tell him how I felt. I had to break through the fear, the defenders

And so, inhaling, drinking some sweet coffee to motivate myself, I spoke as if I was telling the facts to Keisetsu, "Kurouzu Gaito."

"Y-Yes?" He seemed... Nervous now. On guard as he held his hands and twiddled with them.

He definitely didn't expect my next words.

"I... I love you. These past twenty three years have been difficult because the day before you left... I had wanted to ask you out. But... I chickened out. And it was one of the biggest regrets I had ruminised over for two decades. Now... I can finally tell you. Call it weird, but perhaps it was our... Destiny to meet again," I smiled, tears falling down my cheeks. Finally, I could get this off my chest... Finally, I could let go of all the regrets I had.

"Kanata..." his eyes widened. 

"So... Yeah, sorry for dumping this on you!" I laughed as I got up, trying to hide the tears. He probably avoided me because of this right? Then I shouldn't bother him! "You don't feel the same way, right? I can see it on your face! So I'll stay out of your way! Don't worry about it Gaito! That's all I came here to say!"

I heard groans from Abygale and Athora, and it made me look at them, confused. Why did they sound so done?

But Gaito then grabbed my wrist. "No! It's not... It's not your destiny to stay out of my life! I refuse to believe it!"

"G-Gaito?!" My eyes widened. What... What was he saying? That he loved me back?... No that was impossible! There were no signs of-

Hang on... Could it be that... That everyone had known? Had I missed the signs? Was THAT why Gao set us up? That couldn't be it.... It took him two decades to realize his crush on Paruko!

As I stared at Gaito's eyes, though, I began to feel that my hunch was right. And it was proven when he spoke up again, "I suppose... it's my destiny to be reunited with you for this. Because... Oozora Kanata, I want my destiny, no, my life! I want to spend the rest of it with you! That's OUR destiny!"

My eyes widened. Gaito...

He DID reciprocate the feelings.

Huh, all this time, I had been worried, anxious for nothing. Perhaps, if I had just worked up the courage that day, we could have avoided all the pain. But now, at least we can work to fix, to make up for the twenty three years missed.
.
My body moved on its own. So did Gaito's as we hugged each other. Tears streamed down our eyes. We... We had finally found each other again. Unexpectedly through the same person who allowed us to meet in the first place.

And we were not about to let each other go. Not again. We were going to hold on and push through, no matter what.

That was the promise we made to each other, two years later, on the day of our wedding. Surrounded by the people we loved. Surrounded by Buddyfighters of all ages as we swore our undying love to each other, and sealed it off with a kiss.