Chapter 1
They say the strangest things happen in the dead of night full of rain, that's not the case here. At an Orphanage near the edge of Maimai City in the middle of the day stood a small boy no older than four with bright white hair that competed with snow itself at how white it was.
This boy's name is Kori, no last name at all, just Kori.
He had no clue where he was, what he was doing or who he knew, he only knew two things, his name was Kori and how to use the deck of duel monsters cards in his hand.
A young woman in her late twenties walked out of the Orphanage calling out to the lost boy.
"Excuse me, what are doing out by yourself and where are your parents?" the woman asked Kori.
Kori turned to the woman scared not knowing anything.
"Oh no, calm down please child. Can you talk?" Kori just broke down into tears scaring the woman as she had no clue as to what she had done.
"Hey, it's okay." the woman said leaning down and pulled Kori into a hug and trying to calm him down.
Kori didn't even know why he was crying, he just felt sad and emotionally lost. The woman looked around to see any sign of his parents but saw nothing but the grass surrounding the Orphanage. Still hugging Kori the woman picked him up and carried him into the Orphanage where she continued to him into her office.
The next hour consisted of the woman comforting Kori and trying to ask questions but that would only result in more tears but she got one answer after another hour of comforting and questioning.
"...Kori…" His voice raspy and high pitch but the response on it's own was enough to surprise the woman in front of him.
"Kori? Do you have a last name?" Kori didn't respond and only shook his head instead.
'A child with only a first name and what seems to be no parents… This is the second time this month' With a bright smile the woman looked at Kori and tried to tell him something that could make him feel better.
"Kori, there are some people downstairs I'd like you to meet, my name is Katherine but you can call me Kathy." Kori raised his head and looked at her before standing up next to Kathy ready to follow her.
Kathy walked throughout the house with Kori following behind until they reached what seemed to be a large living room type area with kids of all different ages rushing around playing with toys or playing tag.
"Children." Kathy said trying to get the other kids attention, they looked at Kathy and stopped doing what they were doing.
"I would like all to meet Kori." Kathy said with a smile.
"He will be staying with us, so be nice to him while he is here, alright." Kathy finished.
"Alright." all the kids said.
"I will be back to check on you all later." Kathy said walking to her office.
The second that Kathy left the room all of the kids turned their attention towards Kori who was started by the number of eyes on him.
"Who has white hair?" one older kid said, obviously trying to insult Kori while pulling on his hair hard causing Kori to yelp in pain and everyone else to laugh.
"Hey, that's not nice you know." a girl about the same age as Kori, with Sandy-brown hair and blue eyes yelled at the boy pulling Kori's hair.
"Why do you care Rose?" Another kid questioned Rose, also pulling on Kori's hair.
"Yeah look at him he's a freak."
"He's not a freak." Rose said, other kids started to join in bullying Kori pulling his hair, pushing him around and a few of them even punching and kicking him all the while Kori just said nothing only making little weeps of pain.
"He's not even complaining." One kid laughed out, with everyone else joining in.
"Stop it! If you don't I will deal with you myself!" Rose yelled angrily.
"Oh yeah, and do what exactly?" One of the elder kids laughed while throwing Kori down on the floor by his hair.
"What has he ever done to you!" Rose shouted running to Kori and pushing the boy who threw Kori to the ground.
All of the kids bullying Kori just looked at each other and realized that they had no reason.
"I don't know, just looking at him pisses me off." One of them said.
"Well, if he annoys you, leave him alone." Rose said helping Kori up.
"But hitting him just seemed like so much fun." A girl at the back of the group of now bullies laughed out.
"You're all bullies, which makes me sick." Rose said grabbing Kori hand and started to walk out of the room.
Kori said nothing even when they left the room and his head was down so that his hair covered his eyes.
"Hey, I'm sorry about them, they're don't usually like that but, are you okay?" Rose said turning to Kori with concerned eyes.
Kori looked up slightly and showed his left eye was bruised and his nose was bleeding slightly.
"I need to get you to Kathy quickly to treat your injuries." Rose said running with Kori behind her with their hands linked together.
Rose banged on the door that led to Kathy's office.
"Kathy, Kori's hurt!" Rose shouted now stopped banging on the door.
"Sorry dear what was- oh my god!" Kathy opened the door shocked to see Kori in such a state.
"All the other kids started to bully him, pulling his hair and started kicking and hitting him." Rose explained to Kathy.
Kathy turned to Rose in shock and asked as if she didn't just hear what she just said.
"What happened?" Before Rose could repeat what she just said Kori cut her off.
"I-I fell down the stairs…"
"Kori, you need to tell the truth." Rose looked at Kori in shock that he would even try and cover for the people that just bullied him less than a few minutes ago. Kathy just looked at Kori's scrapes and cuts before running back into her office where she came out holding a first aid kit.
"Oh you poor thing, a fall like that must have been awful."
'Are you kidding me, why would he lie like that' Rose thought to herself, looking at Kori a bit annoyed.
Kathy wrapped bandages round Kori's bruised eye and put a plaster over his nose.
"That should stop the swelling around your eye and the plaster should force your nostrils shut to stop the bleeding, come back before bed and I'll see what I can do then." Kathy smiled, as she waved Kori off with an annoyed Rose close behind him.
Kathy closed the door behind them, "Why would you lie to Kathy and not the tell the truth?" Rose asked Kori, as they walked down the corridor but Kori didn't respond or say anything.
"Kori, can you please tell me why you didn't tell Kathy the truth?" Rose asked Kori, softly.
"...I-I didn't want them to hurt you, they'd be mad at you and try to hurt you…" Kori's voice sounded scarred, as if he was afraid of saying something wrong.
"Kori, they're not going to hurt me, I'm concerned for you." Rose said looking at Kori.
"...Why? No one else is clearly." Kori still sounded scarred, but a little less and more sad.
"If you want, you and me can become friends if you want and I can protect you from them." Rose said with a small smile.
Kori smiled back.
"I'd like that."
"Awesome, my name is Rose by the way." Rose said with a big smile.
"I-I'm Kori, nice to meet you." Kori gave a bit of a nervous smile.
"Did you want a look around the orphanage?" Rose asked.
"Y-Yes please."
"Okay, let's go." Rose said, grabbing Kori hand.
*A couple hours later*
"What do you think of the orphanage?" Rose asked Kori, as they were sitting on the swings attached to a tree outside of the back of the orphanage.
"It's really nice...well except for… them."
"Don't worry, i won't let them hurt you, i promise." Rose said.
"T-Thanks…" Kori smiled at Rose.
"Your welcome, we should get inside, it's getting pretty late." Rose said looking at the sky, as it was turning dark.
"O-Okay...Wait I have to go see Kathy first."
"Actually, how is your eye and nose?" Rose asked.
"The bleeding stopped earlier and my eye isn't throbbing as much."
"Okay, cool. Let's get you to Kathy now." Rose said grabbing Kori's hand softly.
"Err… yeah sure." Kori blushed a little at the contact and became even more nervous.
"By the way, do you know how to play Duel Monsters?" Rose asked, as they were walking to Kathy's office.
"Yeah I actually have my own deck with me." Kori went into his pocket and pulled out his deck.
"What kind of deck do you use?" Rose asked Kori.
"White Phantoms, what about you?"
"Um...well, I use a lot of different cards, but I like using light monsters." Rose said, as they arrived in front of Kathy's office.
"What's your favourite monster?"
"Light Rose Magician." Rose said taking out the card out from her pocket and showed Kori.
"Wow...she's pretty."
"Yeah, my parents gave me this card... before they left." Rose said with tears in the corners of her eyes and struggled to keep them in.
Kori hugged Rose shocking her but accepting it and hugging back but Kori explained a second later.
"You looked sad...so I, ya know."
"Thanks, I needed that." Rose said a small smile.
"It was the least I could do…"
Rose knocks on the door to Kathy's office and they wait for Kathy to answer the door.
"Oh Kori, wait here I'll get the first aid kit just in case."
"Hey Kathy, could you make Kori my roommate, if it's okay?" Rose asked Kathy with pleading look in her eyes.
"Oh of course Rose, you're the only one with a decent amount of space in your room to begin with."
"Yay!" Rose said with a big smile.
"But before any of that I need to look at Kori's injuries."
"Alright. How long until they heal?" Rose asked.
"Should be healed now if we're lucky, it was only a minor bruise and nosebleed." Kathy kneeled in front of Kori and started to remove the bandages around his head. With the bandages off Kori looked completely fine with no bumps or bruises around his eye at all.
"How does it feel Kori?" Kathy asked him with Kori responding with.
"I-It's fine…"
"Well, that's good." Rose said with some relief.
"Well it's getting late, off to bed you two."
"Okay, good night Kathy." Rose said walking to Kathy and gave her a hug.
Rose lets go and goes to the door and waits for Kori.
"G-Goodnight Kathy." Kori follows Rose out of the room and waits for her to lead the way.
"Come on, my room is this way." Rose said grabbing Kori's hand and led the way to her room.
"Err...Okay." Kori replied still nervous as he always is and again blushing at her holding his hand.
After a couple minutes of walking they arrived at their now shared room, Rose opens the door to see two beds, two bedside tables and two wardrobes. One half of the room was also decorated with duel monster card posters and flower posters as well.
Kori went to the non-decorated part of the room laid his deck on the bedside table before lying down on his bed.
"So, how did you end up in the orphanage?" Rose asked with some curiosity.
"I...I don't know...I only remember being in front of here and that was it."
"Okay…" Rose said sitting down on her bed.
"What about you?"
"I don't remember much, my parents died in a plane crash when I was three and a half, my parents didn't have any siblings, so I had no other family members to go to and that's how I ended up here." Rose said looking down at her hands.
Kori hopped off his bed and hugged Rose.
"You looked sad again."
"Thanks again." Rose said still hugging Kori with a small blush on her cheeks.
Kori broke the hug and went back to lie on his back onto his bed.
Rose gives a yawn, "Well, I'm going to bed, so see you in the morning Kori." Rose said climbing under the covers and fell asleep with Kori doing the same in his bed moments later.