Prologue

It was a pretty damn terrible day for Katsuya Jounouchi. Not that most of them weren't, this one just that much more so.

In the empty auditorium the shadows were sharp against the red setting of the sun.

"Now Katsuya," said the dreaded hard voice, "do tell me, just what did you write in the theorem's proof?"

He didn't even twitch as the tone grew colder with each word, too used to it to really feel intimidated. Annoying. The voice continued like the wrath of a vengeful god, "What exactly is "due to some mysterious reason, let us compare elements after n = 2" supposed to mean?"

Jou buried his blond head stubbornly into the crook of his elbow and leaned even farther onto the desk, "Oh, get lost Kaiba-face, I was half-asleep and you know it." He yawned pointedly, "Still am."

The voice above him growled in warning. "I can only wonder how such an imbecilic person got into To-Oh University, Katsuya." He could imagine Kaiba eyeing him depreciatively. "And don't ever call me that, or you won't live to regret it, mutt."

Jou felt his heckles rise at the humiliating nick-name, much like a real dog's might have, but he was too tired to argue his point. His point of course being that Kaiba Seto should "stuff that extra-large ego of his where the sun don't shine". But that argument lasted between them for years now and so far neither was willing to give. What would another fight change? So, instead he simply asked, "Is today the day?"

"It is," came the precise response.

"For real?" Jou lifted his head curiously, to gaze at Kaiba, who was holding Katsuya's colloquium notes in one hand and a pocket watch in the other. It was an old silver watch with a meter long chain and gilded time hands. Fancy, Jou would have teased Kaiba mercilessly for it, had there not been a reason for his owning the thing. "You ain't pulling my leg, are you?" He smiled sheepishly at the glare those words received, "Just checking… forgot you don't joke for a second there."

"I wouldn't be surprised if you forgot where your feet are in the morning," sneered Kaiba, "And before you ask, yes, Mutou knows." He scowled at the watch, "I told him and that Masaki girl."

"Mazaki," Jounouchi automatically corrected. "This means I don't get to sleep in, doesn't it? Nobody is going to fall for me with black smudges under my eyes and it's going to be your fault," he grouched, swallowing down the casual 'Kaiba-face'. Enough trouble without that…

"Oh, please, save the whining for lecturer Pegasus. Look here," Jou did, expecting to see his notes plus corrections only to get a face full of the silver pocket watch.

It began to sway curiously before his eyes and he froze uncertainly, "Oh-oh."

Blurrily, still following the watch, he saw Kaiba roll his eyes in exasperation, "Get off of it Katsuya, you aren't important enough for me to hypnotize. Just taking care of the drowsiness."

"Ah," said Jou, unable to tear his gaze away in any case, the hands and the pictures on the surface were too fascinating. Was that dragon eating another dragon? He blinked.

….

….

In what seemed like a few seconds to Jou, but must have been minutes, Kaiba moved the watch away, seemingly satisfied.

Katsuya sat up strait and looked at Kaiba with cleared up brown eyes.

"Good, now let's get moving."