"DAMN IT, YOU CHEAT!"
Yusuke, 22, was annoyed. His girlfriend, Hana, 22, had once again beaten him at Mario Kart. "It's not my fault Toad is a bad driver." she said playfully. "Yoshi just has the will to win." Yusuke just sighed and walked over to their dresser. He picked up two rolled joints and a lighter. He lit one and handed it to Hana, and then did the same for himself. "You wanna watch something?" Hana asked. He shook his head, and Hana started channel surfing while taking a drag.
If Yusuke was being honest, he didn't feel like doing much of anything. He and Hana had known each other since they were 5. There weren't many other Japanese people in town, so their two families bonded. They quickly became best friends, and then at the age of 16, it blossomed into something else. As Yusuke sat on the couch, he looked longingly at her. Hana was wearing one of his old t-shirts and a pair of sweatpants. She could wear a potato sack and look like a million bucks. Hana turned to look at him and gave him a bright beaming smile. "You okay, Yussie?" Yus put his hands through her long, jet black hair. "Yeah, Hana, everything's good."
Well, that was a lie. On the surface, everything seemed good. He had just onboarded at a major software company, and within two years, would be making serious bank. She was doing an internship at an architecture firm, which looked poised to become a full-time role. They were happy, whether it was playing video games, getting high, or having sloppy sex. Yet, something was off. Yusuke couldn't place it, but he felt like he wasn't holding up his end of the bargain. Yusuke stood about 6'0, weighing 140 pounds. He was a stereotypical nerd, and Hana was the perfect woman. Charming, intelligent, beautiful, driven. In his mind, Hana deserved someone cooler, someone witty and clever, someone who could actually lift a barbell. Maybe it was all nonsense. Yusuke took another drag and looked at the ceiling.
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After Yusuke fell asleep on their couch, Hana started to clean up. She looked at him with a smile, which quickly turned into a frown. She had been trying to put on a happy outlook these last few months, but it was beginning to wear on her. She had loved Yusuke for as long as she had known him, but that was going on 17 years. Yussie, as she affectionally liked to call him, was maybe the smartest person she had ever met. Everything he had ever put to his mind, he accomplished, and that was with the always looming gaze of his parents hovering over him. He was sweet and sensitive in a way so many other boys she had met weren't. As a plus, he was also a gorgeous, gorgeous man.
Hana felt like she was losing him. How long would he be willing to stay with his childhood sweetheart, someone 5'5, 110 pounds soaking wet, someone who didn't wear dresses or makeup, and who didn't really like to go out to clubs? Wouldn't it be selfish of her to be a burden when he could find the fun, sexy, lively woman he deserves. Sigh. She didn't want to let him go.
Hana walked outside her apartment and stared at the dark, moonlit sky. Something had to change, she thought to herself. She walked back in and closed the door.
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Unbeknownst to Hana and Yusuke, a pamphlet went under their front door, something that would alter the course of their lives forever. It's front cover read "The Magi's Gift"