Jounouchi/Malik, Malik/Shizuka, and Isis/Mai all belong to a small group of ships I really think are interesting in of themselves, but that have been ruined by my need to maintain two degrees of separation between Mai and Malik.
My headcanon somehow set on Mai never forgiving Malik or, indeed, wanting to ever see his face again - after that whole messed with her memories, simulated her getting eaten alive by bugs, psycho-physio-logical torture fiasco. And I’ll be damned before I insinuate she should suck it up for Jou’s, Shizuka’s, or Isis’s sake.
But, yeah, I also wouldn’t want to put Jounouchi or Shizuka or Isis in a position where they felt the need to choose between Malik and Mai. bc that would be sad. And not the good kind of sad - unavoidably tragic relationship deal-breaker kind of sad.
Basically I overthought things and ruined everything for myself in the process. Why??!!??