I doubt anyone can deny how appreciated Juudai had become among every single person at Duel Academy even in the first months of his freshman year.

Defeated the head of the Obelisk Blue dorm on his entrance exam, defeated me, on a moment of weakness but he undoubtedly did.

Honestly speaking, there would be absolutely no reason even for me to be behaving on such an..illogical manner as I had already defeated him once. We had dueled together and we had won just as united.

The mere thought of memory made me move uncomfortably on my seat as I waited not to paitently for the Slifer to arrive.

I had tried. I had been defeated but in the end shown how he wasn't invincible. I had had the same part on the saving of the world and I would have willingly had accepted the honor that came with the achievement even if it was by his side.

Yet things weren't as I had envisoned because I soon as the general public found out about all the cataclismic events Juudai and I had helped avoid, I was completely forgotten..

Here he comes, hurried as usual. Probably had forgotten I invited him today to have a coffee. Although I was quite aware calling someone in the middle of the rain for them to walk whatever distance there is between our dorm is a bit inconsiderate apparently he didn't have much trouble.

He grinned at me when the dorm's servants let him inside my room. That happy and careless grin everyone loved. So bright they said.

I despised it.

In any case, I was confident on mantaining the façade as long as possible so I returned the gesture with a small smile.

"Hey Manjoume. I can say I wasn't expecting you to call yet I'm glad you did! You sure it couldn't have waited after the rain?"

My smile twitched. I found his overly friendly way of talking more and more disgusting as I knew more about him.

"Hello Juudai. I actually have some matters to set straight with you but we'll get to that eventually so have a seat."

As he sat in front of me at the small coffee table of my living room, the waiters I had..ah..borrowed for this special ocassion brought us a plate filled with pastries and two coffees.

"Wow, I could surely get used to this." His eyes shine both in glee and in badly hidden surprise that I had even called him in the first place. He took the warm cup of coffee with both hands and took a long sip. "Ahh thank you Manjoume."

As much as I tried to avoid my excessive need for proving my analysis of a person right, I couldn't help to raise an eyebrow in surprise.

"You don't like sugar on your coffee?" I took the spoon and started stirring my own which I had filled with 3 spoonfuls before.

"Not really. This keeps me awake while with sugar makes me..restless." He gave a small laugh and smiled because to everyone else that hadn't spent approximately 35 hours thinking on every possible thing Juudai might like and/or be associated with so I could have every single bit of information available, wasn't really much of a big deal.

"Interesting yet your eating habits aren't why I called you here today.." I paused stirring and for a fraction of a second the wind stopped and the rairdrops didn't reach the floor and an oppresive silence fell upon us.

"Would you say that fame has gotten to you Juudai?" I asked, making my tone sound innocent and even looking down as if afraid to ask.

He blinked in surprise and opened his eyes wide before laughing once again. All that laughing and smiling, they couldn't all be real. No one could have all that happiness inside and still be alive.

"Well not really Manjoume! I try to be nice to everyone wether they admire me or not and besides, it's not like I am even a professional duelist yet!"

I looked up, trying to contain everything I had been hiding for so long and filtering it by making it look like cold indifference and even boredom.

"Your..argument, if it can be called that way, makes perfect sense to your little brain but that was not what I meant. I'll slow this down because I can see that you can't keep up."

As he was about to angrily reply, I shut his atempt with a small hand movement and a condescending smile.

"As implied by our relationship, we both see each other as an obstacle before reaching the top. Although we both now the best true duelist is me.."

"Wait a second!"

"Yes?"

I smirked at his puzzled expression. Of course he wouldn't expect me to be nice and now he wouldn't interrupt.

"Now, where was I? Right. Your so called talent. For the longest time I have accepted you as someone worthy to be proven against me. You beat me once, I have beaten you too. We have joined against a common enemy yet.." I looked at him, staring right through him. He was oblivious as always. So caught up on his fucking little world to see how he affected others with his egoism. Pathetic. "You are alone."

He laughed. He dared to mock my perfectly backed up hypotheses by laughing? I grited my teeth yet got under control fairly quickly.

Oh? His smile cracked? Nervous laugh then? Excellent.

"What makes you said that Manjoume? If you want to hang out with us, you just have to say it y'know?"

I raised my eyebrows before sighing. "You are hopeless aren't you? Always sure you know what's best for others." I shook my head "No you little self-centered brat. I hate to break it to you but you're just a lonely star."

His whole attitude had changed. As a cornered animal, he had backed away from the table and narrowed his eyes.

"Why do you even care?"

"A bit sensitive, aren't we? I can't honestly give you an answer because I am not sure." I shrugged, making my bored and indifferent attitude to stay yet it was not quite true.

I knew. That kept me awake at night and kept me living every day. I had made that feeling a life style. It wasn't anymore just about beating him...No..That hadn't worked before. I was talented, wasn't I? I was the best! Everyone knew that yet no one believed it. You say I am priviledged but my gift is my curse. What is the point of that when the recognition is lost? Where have I gone wrong? What had Jaden done right? What was it?

I shut my eyes and frowned, the pressure was now too much. The heat had gone to my head. Suddenly the cold rainy air wasn't enough to ease the frustration..

In the middle of the wreckage my mind, in some dark and madness-filled corner, the laughter began. That maniatic laughter I had inherited from them.

"And you know the best part of all? Ha ha ha ha! No one gives a fuck! I have no one around me all the time, bugging me with questions about how I am! You are always followed around by all the people you call your friends that know less about you than me, who you consider a mere acquantance. Every day, I am supposed to watch from the sidelines when the spotlight should be mine! You stole it from me! Yet I can now sit down and watch peacefully as I know.." I raised a finger while my smirk widened. "I have tried to bring you down before. Sadly, it hasn't work as well as I would like to but that was because I had overlook an important part for it to work..You would have been nothing without me."

I finally ventured a look, madness not quite off my brain yet.

He looked terrified. Eyes wide open and mouth shut tight. Fists closed and ready to strike. More than tense or nervous, scared out of his fucking wits.

"So you are finally the one that bites his tongue no? I have bitten mine for far too long but no...not anymore..not when I realize I was the one who brought you all the glory, all the help. I have the right to be proud while, you? You are no one."

Yes.. no one.. If he hadn't beaten me for the first time, no one would have noticed. If he hadn't sold out to the attention, I brought him.

He might have yelled some kind of farewell, he might have just passed out there, the only thing I can remember saying after that was slow and soft.

"And I just can't hate you."