Jounouchi Katsuya was known for not being very smart, and he was portrayed as not being able to do anything. But oh how wrong they were, Joey had many secret talents.
And no, I'm not talking about how he can take a whole sandwich in one bite, sleeping in classrooms, or picking up fights. No, I'm talking about that he had a talent that he was born with, and that was creativity.
His creativity gave him wings, and helped him whenever it could. But what his special talent really gave him, which was the sense of music he could play.
He discovered this shortly after his sister was taken away by their mother, when he fell into a seemingly never ending depression. He locked himself in his room hours and hours, and he sometimes even refused to eat (what would have shocked his friends if he would've ever told them).
But then his father signed him up at music classes for cord instruments, the reason of why he did it was that cord instruments were known as instruments who brought calmness and happiness. And boy, did his son need that.
The first time Joey heard about this, he refused. But then a letter from his little sister said all he needed to know, it read:
Dear Joey,
Mum and I are okay, but I miss you terribly, and I'm sad that you're not here. I've been interested in music lately, especially cord music; you know what my favorite instrument is? The piano, it's so lovely; it accompanies other instruments, like helping them, you know me. I like it especially when the violin or the cello playing with it.
I hope to see you soon, what's with you? Have you found new interests? If so then tell me, I would love to know!
Your little sister: Serenity.
P.S. My eye sight has gotten worse, but I'm sure the doctors can fix it.
The words: instrument, cord music, violin, cello, piano, burned in his head, deep until the depth of it.
The next thing his father knew, was his son running, scratch that, flying down the stairs screaming he would be the best out of his music class. His father didn't know why he suddenly wanted to go, but unfortunately he dropped the subject.
And indeed, he had a really damn good hang on it.
On the harp his hands moved with an unbelievable grace and his fingers barely touched the strings but made a sound of pure beauty and elegance.
On the piano he made sounds of pure bliss to the ears; his fingers were like tipping on a computer without looking, but with more grace and coordination.
On the guitar he played lovely dancing rhythms for flamenco (1) and waltz, playing every note with such hot rhythm and elegance that you couldn't resist but dance with the others around him.
But there was this one group of chord instruments he couldn't stop to play on. And those were the violin, the bass, the viola and the cello. But from all of the instruments he loved the violin the most.
And he was damn good at it too; His fingers that pressed the chords down had a firm hold, and the hand who held the bow knew exactly where and when to glide over the chords: Bringing sometimes a fierce and demanding clang, and sometimes a sad and lonely sound, or an ever happy and carefree tone.
What was sure was that Joey had an ever so natural talent for; a damn good talent, that is.
He was a master in it, and surely Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Johann Sebastian Bach would've had a fight to make him play their music.
Truly, he was like no other, yet nobody knew of this except his friends of the music class and their teacher Mr. Lyman Banner. He was proud at being at something good at. But he didn't really want them to know, he knew they would find out eventually, since he had such good grades in music and had nearly none of his homework done day after day it was clear he did something with music.
Or they could just go in the concert he would have in two days with a whole orchestra with him as the leading violin, standing with the music director, and then having him play one of his own songs.
And that was when his hell of a life would start surely.
He was just normally sitting in his chair with his legs put on the table that was attached to the chair. He was sitting in the front, next to the window, smiling as the wind flew his bangs gently out of his face. And then, his calm and gentle moment was shattered, crashed and stomped on after he heard the voices of his friends coming in the classroom. Unfortunately for him, his best friend; Yugi, decided to call out to him.
"Joey, Joey!" he called while running towards him, like a small child he sometimes was. "Look, look, their having a concert in two days, in the Domino Concert Hall!"
Immediately Joey's eyes fluttered open. Shit, he thought, I forgot about the posters! Please don't let my name appear there; please don't let my name appear there; please don't… He chanted like that all the way until all of his friends surrounded him.
That was not good. No, that was definitely not good.
Yugi and Ryou jumped up and down, with their poor two yamis' trying to calm them. Yes, Bakura tried and failed, as did the, oh so strong pharaoh. It was actually a miracle that Bakura's temper didn't make him explode and shout at the whole class.
Tristan was grinning like mad, and Duke with him, and Joey just wanted to shrink under his desk. Seriously, he could take on a gang of five boxers alone, but he was scared of two men grinning, that was not only pathetic, but also totally unbelievable.
"They say they have a new music talent! He's just about our age, and they say he's really handsome!" Exclaimed, our smallest member of the group; Yugi.
They're not talking about him there, are they? Are they seriously talking about him, being handsome? Sure, he didn't think he was ugly, they called him many things, but never ugly, but also nobody ever said that he was handsome either.
How hard he had to fight that blush of embarrassment at that moment.
However, his little are-they-seriously-talking-about-me moment was interrupted by Yami, who spoke up: "It does sound interesting, but we don't have the money to buy tickets." And then, a light bulb switched in Joey's brain.
"I can provide them." All heads turned to him, and all of them of confusion. "What you mean by that?" said Tristan.
Joey grinned from ear to ear; it was time they knew; besides, he would just love to see their faces when he played up there. If it was possible, his grin widened, and to be honest he looked like a murderer, and it scared the hell out of the others.
"Somebody owes me something, and he's working there, so don't worry, you'll be able to see the concert" He said, still grinning.
But that scaring grin didn't falter Yugi's happiness that sparkled in his big amethyst eyes.
"You mean it?" he squealed.
"You bet that I really I mean it!" Joey exclaimed.
And later that day, he would have to somehow make his words come true, what was more difficult than expected.
"Oh, please Mr. Banner! They really want to see it, please!" He said to his music teacher, Mr. Banner.
The said teacher just sighed, for the twenties' time in those five minutes, "Joey, I told you that I can't do that. Doesn't matter what you say, I won't help you getting tickets. It would be okay if it were one or two but not… How many again?" "Um, let's see Ryou, Bakura, Yami, Yugi, Tea, hum… eight." Joey said.
Mr. Banner sighed yet again "And you expected me to give you eight tickets for the front row?"
It was Joey's turn to sigh, he had no other option now, and he would have to make him guilty, he dug his own downfall.
"You're absolutely right Mr. Banner." Mr. Banner cocked an eyebrow, how odd, Joey never gave up, so why…? "It's just a shame seeing I'm helping your daughter with violin lessons, and I'm attending in this concert for free and I'm helping you with the other students and…" Oh, that's why, this boy learned far too much on the streets.
"Alright, stop Joey! I'll give you the eight front row cards already! Here!" He pressed the eight blue tickets in Joey's hand. "But don't expect me to do that again for you!"
Joey smiled like a child in front of a candy shop, and then grinned thanking his teacher.
On the next day, Yugi was the whole day attached to Joey on his back, his arms wrapped around his neck and his legs around his waist. Joey gave up on holding him up; he was attached to him like his own head.
Tomorrow was the big day, and to be honest he was scared of playing on a stage. Not because of the many people there, but because of the people who sat in the front row, hearing for the first time him playing.
And that included his sister that he loved so very dear.
Joey is my absolute favorite character of the first Yugioh, and that's why I will probably write more of those stories. But anyway, there will be a next chapter to this. But I'm not so sure if this was really a good story… Please tell me if it was! I was deciding between; yes, put it and NO! Don't you dare! - For the last two fuckin' days!
And yes, if you haven't noticed, his sister does not know that he can even play an instrument, just making clear.
Please review if you liked this story.