Yuma Tsukumo had spent barely half a day on the island before he had already blended in with the students. People quickly started calling him brother—because the kid was genuinely easygoing.
At lunch, he had gotten incredibly excited when he tried fried shrimp, stunned by how delicious it was. This particular fondness for fried shrimp made people think even more of how similar he was to a certain Red Dorm legend.
Come to think of it, Yuma and Judai really did have quite a few things in common. Both were optimists, often a little thick-headed, passionate about food and dueling alike, and full of love for life and dueling.
But assuming their enthusiasm was equal, Yuma was definitely more likable to the people around him than Judai.
For starters, while both of them were incredibly passionate about dueling, if you so much as played a card against Judai Yuki, you would probably get beaten up. And after getting knocked flat, you would still have to endure him rubbing it in your face with, "That was a fun duel."
Yuma, on the other hand, was the exact opposite. Dueling him could quickly build up your confidence, and the more setbacks he suffered, the harder he fought. Losing could not diminish his enthusiasm for cards in the slightest.
Who would not love a good buddy who was weak but loved playing, willingly acted as your punching bag every day for practice, and gave you endless emotional validation?
So it had to be said that there was a reason the leader was so popular among his companions. Normally, he did not use cheats, power up, or even rely on Spirit Possession; he specifically took beatings to boost your confidence. But the moment some evil villain or world-ending boss appeared, he was always the