"Hey Yuugi, how was your day?" Anzu smiled, almost friendly, almost sincere.
"Not bad. In fact, in Maths-" He started, almost believing.
"That's nice. You know what happened to me today…?"
His eyes saddened, but his answer was sincere, his smile a bit forced, but still true.
"No Anzu, what happened?"
Her smile turned dreamy, and almost it seemed that she heard him, almost like she was listening.
"Koiichi-kun smiled at me today in the lunchroom, and he said that I looked so good in my uniform…"
He watched her talk, slowing down, waiting to see if she noticed he wasn't beside her anymore. But no, she simply continued to talk, only stopping when she saw her friend Mikidori waving to her. Yuugi just walked home.
--
"Hey Yuugi, what's wrong little buddy?" Jonouchi slapped his shorter friend in the back and hung an arm across his shoulders.
"Well Jou, it's just that…" Yuugi trailed off as Jou's eyes stayed focused on a girl, one with big breasts and limpid eyes.
"Jou? Why don't you go say hi?" Jou beamed, almost hearing Yuugi, almost thanking him.
"You know, I think I'll go say hi to that new girl. She's in Class B…" Jou was gone before Yuugi could finish his sentence.
"See you then."
--
Grandpa and Yami, who was making a rare appearance in the flesh, were having some discussion on the art of war, and how it affected the poorer people of a country. The television was softly chanting the news to an unhearing room and Yuugi walked in, sat down on the couch, and sighed. The two looked over long enough to say hello, but were drawn again to their conversation.
"But the taxation of the populace is necessary for the gross amount to pay the army—"
"Which is formed of both trained soldiers and farmer recruits—"
"I decided I want to skip school and go straight to work."
Two heads nodded, as if they almost heard a voice saying something that almost needed reassuring.
Almost.
Yuugi sank down into the couch further, lacking the energy to get up and go make some food. He simply closed his eyes and drifted to sleep.
--
He woke up sometime in the night. The only way he knew they hadn't forgotten him completely was the blanket he was under, obviously left so he wouldn't get cold. It used to be that if he fell asleep on the couch, that Grandpa would carry him into his bed. Or, in recent years, would wake him and shove him in that direction.
Was this kindness, or a lack of care?
Yuugi pushed it from his mind. His grandfather cared. His Yami cared. No matter what.
--
"Hey Yuugi, what's the long face for?" Honda, Jou, and Anzu looked at him with eyes that almost saw him, almost cared.
"Nothing's wrong. I don't know what you're talking abou…" They smiled and continued their conversation about where to eat lunch today, it was Saturday after all.
"Why not Burger World?" His suggestion fell flat, his heart clenching. He shoved the hurt down, after all, they were just focused on more important things.
Almost, he convinced himself.
--
"Did you know that I used to keep a journal? No? Well, I did. Until I figured out that writing down what you feel might make you feel better, but when people find out what you really think, how you really feel… They ask you all sorts of questions and they watch you like you're going to suddenly combust."
Yuugi threw the duck a bit more bread. It was late afternoon in the park. It was a bit early to be called dusk, but a bit late to be actual evening.
"So instead, I write it all down in my mind. I compose novels. I simply sit in my head and write about all the things that I want to say, but can't. I write what no one wants to listen to. Because no one wants to listen to it."
He stared at the duck as it left, floating back to the group. Yuugi sighed, eyes going suspiciously glassy.
"Aibou. What troubles you?"
Of all the lousy timing… The last thing he needed was for his better half to see him cry. It would top off the perfectly awful week he was having. He let himself laugh, a bit dry and forced, but a laugh none-the-less.
"Nothing Yami."
"Why would you lie to me? I can tell you are troubled. Is it someone who hurt you?"
"No Yami. It's no one who's hurt me."
He felt arms wrap around his shoulders as his other half materialized.
"I can tell, Hikari, that you are upset. Why?"
"You don't care. I don't care, so you shouldn't either. It's nothing, really."
"You shouldn't demean yourself like that. If it is hurting you, you should figure out why. You should stop the hurt."
It was times like these that Yuugi remember that his other half wasn't just another friend, but someone who had seen much more of the world and who was just as skilled as Yuugi himself when it came to suppressing emotions.
"You don't want to hear me complain. It's nothing, and it doesn't matter. I'm not hurt, I'm just disappointed."
"Is that not just a pretty way to say 'ouch' Aibou?"
Yuugi smiled, and looked back into Yami's eyes.
"I suppose so."
"Now, young Hikari, you must tell me all about whatever it is that is hurting you."
"I'll sound stupid."
"Nothing you can say… Well, almost nothing you can say or do will make me think you are stupid. Wearing an apron and dancing with a spatula… That was stupid."
Yuugi blushed, and hit Yami lightly with his elbow.
"You said you'd never bring that up!"
"Desperate times."
Yuugi sighed, staring at the sky, slowly edging into a pink sunset.
"It's just that no one listens to me. That's all." He blushed, knowing how childish that sounded. But he found Yami's hand on his jaw, turning his head to look Yami in the eyes.
"I will always be here to listen to you, Aibou."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
Yuugi smiled, closing his eyes and enjoying being held. Sometimes, he thought, all you need is someone to listen to you.
--
Sometimes is right. If you ever think no one is listening, look around you and you just might find that more people care than you think.