ONE CARD SHORT:
CHAPTER ONE - RAINSTORMS AND BUS RIDES
"Seriously, that's the funniest damn thing I've heard all day."
Written by Gregory Smith
All characters portrayed within are copyright 1996 Kazuki Takahashi,
With the exception of Gradius, who is copyright 2003 Gregory Smith.
Freshman year had been the hardest for Yugi Mutou, thanks to the introduction of the Shadow Games into his life. Kaiba, Pegasus, Malik, Yami… That particular year had been so tough on him, and the Millennium Puzzle was in a drawer in his room, now. He didn't want those memories to come back during the day; they disturbed him enough at night. Sophomore year was a breeze, though, and he only had to genuinely be concerned about playing Duel Monsters once or twice the whole year. But the trials of Yugi's junior year at Domino High School were going to put his hellish freshman year to shame, and the Shadow Games were getting ready to play a big part in his life once again. It all started on a cloudy, gray morning…
Yugi slowly stepped out the door of the Kame Game Shop, putting a hand over his mouth as he yawned. In the years since his freshman year, he'd grown almost a full two feet taller, and was thus no longer the victim of bullying at his school. "That's odd," he thought, looking up confusedly at the sky, "The news said that it was going to be sunny today… I guess you really can't trust the weatherman." He shrugged to himself and started walking to the bus stop, adjusting the straps of his backpack on his shoulders. As Yugi waited, it started to rain, which frustrated him greatly. They should build a damn canopy over at least one of the bus stops in this city, he thought, as the rain began to soak through his jacket. When the bus pulled up, Yugi was overcome with an odd sense of dread, one he hadn't felt for two years… He decided it was nothing, though, and stepped aboard the bus, which drove away into the rainy morning.
Across town, near the school, Jounouchi was running at top speed to get inside and out of the rain. "Dammit!" he shouted angrily, as his ash-blonde hair was soaked by the downpour, "There wasn't supposed to be any rain today! Stupid weatherman!" Sprinting faster, he dashed into the school building. Jeeze, I was looking good today, too, he thought, shaking water out of his hair and wondering how he was going to dry off his thoroughly soaked uniform.
Standing on the bus, Yugi sighed irately as his rain-soaked blond bangs fell into his eyes. As it always was on any rainy morning, the bus was full of people complaining about how soaking wet they were from the "damned rain." There were the same familiar faces on the bus. The same girls, the same guys; all of them were sitting or standing in their accustomed places. It would have been just like any other rainy morning, if Yugi weren't feeling that immense trepidation that had started when the bus picked him up. Something's not right today, Yugi thought, scanning the bus with his deep, amethyst eyes, and that's a feeling I really don't like.
"Hey, who's she?" a voice whispered near Yugi, who decided that he'd listen in on the newly begun conversation.
"I dunno," another voice replied, "But she's pretty cute!"
OK, Yugi thought, looking around the bus for a new, female face, that gives me a little bit more information… Cute girl, and she's new to riding this bus. Suddenly, as if his feelings had cued his realization, Yugi saw a girl he'd never seen before. She was sitting in a seat near the back of the bus, staring out the window; as if she was fascinated by the way the rain was falling. But there was something in those emerald green eyes of hers; something so sad… She flicked her lengthy, scarlet hair out of her eyes and sighed, folding her arms across her very flat chest. She was wearing a black jacket, a white t-shirt, and some torn blue jeans; she wasn't carrying anything with her. When she noticed Yugi was looking (more staring than looking, actually) at her, she glared a little bit and turned back to the window. Yugi felt an elbow nudge his side.
"Hey, you got the hots for that girl or something, Yugi?" a voice laughed in a hushed tone, "You better not let Anzu find out!"
"I'm dying laughing," Yugi answered in monotone, rolling his eyes, "Seriously, that's the funniest damn thing I've heard all day." And that sardonic quip was the last thing Yugi said to anyone on the bus that morning.