He watched helplessly, devastated, as his life points plummeted to zero. He could almost hear the "thud" of their fall in his head.

He had lost.

The monsters faded from the field in a digital whirr. Even the trump card that had promised to carry him to victory was nothing more than an empty, vanishing hologram. He felt the tears pricking at his eyes.

This is it, he thought. You lost. It was your only chance to prove to Aniki that you're good enough, and you blew it.

Johan was already making his way across the arena with an awful smile on his face. Shou couldn't begin to pin down his hatred for him at that moment. Or maybe…it was just himself that he hated. Johan extended his hand.

"You put up an incredible fight," he said earnestly, still smiling. "I had fun, Shou. You're one of the best opponents I've ever had."

To anyone else, hearing such a thing from the world's fifth-best duelist might have been an honor. Shou merely slapped his hand away.

"Go to hell," he seethed, then stormed out of the arena.

It was difficult to ignore the whispers in the hallways.

"Did you see the way he acted?"

"He's a sore loser, that's all."

"What a jerk. He needs to get over himself, you know?"

"Just last year, he was just some clingy nobody following Yuuki Juudai around everywhere. Where's he get off talking to Anderson-kun like that?"

Before the end of the day, rumors had already started spreading like wildfires. By six PM, everyone heard (though no one actually saw it) of how Marufuji Shou had, after loosing the duel to Johan, uncontrollably lost his temper and punched the North School champion in the face.

Naturally, he was avoiding his friends like the plague. Unfortunately, Juudai was not so easily lost.

"What happened out there?"

His stomach lurched. He didn't dare turn around and face Juudai. He felt a hand rest on his shoulder, making him fidget.

"I've never seen you like this before. Tell me what's going on."

His mind told him to keep his mouth shut, but his lips moved without consent.

"I didn't want his stupid handshake, is all. Just let it die already."

"Shou, come on!"

"Would you leave me alone?" he cried, wheeling around to hurl the question into Juudai's face. He hated him right now. He hated everyone and everything. He wanted everything around him to just disappear.

Juudai looked more confounded than hurt. Shou wasn't surprised. He had the brains of a can of yams.

"Shou…"

Biting back more tears, he whipped around to leave.

"Your duel today was amazing," Juudai called after him. "I've never seen you fight that hard."

He stopped and considered looking back at him, but did not.

"What do you care?" he spat. "I lost."

"So what?" said Juudai, approaching him again. "You win some, you lose some. It doesn't matter. What matters is—"

"Don't you get it?" he screamed back at him, making him jump. "Of course it matters! How else was I going to win you back from him?"

Juudai blinked stupidly. "I…what?"

Shou ran his fingers through his hair, furious and frustrated.

"That's how it works with you, isn't it?" he snapped. "Whoever's the better duelist is your favorite! If I were a better duelist than him, you'd like me better than him, wouldn't you? Wouldn't you?"

Juudai stared, dumbfounded.

"Shou…is that what this is about?"

"Do you really not get anything?" Shou cried, flabbergasted. "I can't stand it, Aniki. What do I have to do to make you like me? How can I show you that I'm better than him?" He threw his arms out dramatically. "Don't you get it? He shows up out of nowhere and just duels his way into your heart! I worked hard to earn your friendship! I did everything I could think of to make you happy. I trained for months to become a better duelist, because I wanted to impress you! I stuck by you through everything! I was there beside you when the world was ending, and he…"

He crumpled to the floor in a pitiful heap, crying.

"I was ready to die for you," he sobbed. "I loved you enough to do anything for you, and you still like him better."
Juudai watched with wide eyes, lost for words. Shou sniveled helplessly, pushing up his lenses and wiping his eyes on his sleeve.

"I was there every time you dueled, cheering the loudest," he said weakly. "I'd yell and scream until my throat started hurting and I couldn't talk anymore, because if nothing else, I wanted for you to hear me. I wanted you to know I was there. I was trying to tell you…somehow…I wanted you to know, that even if the world ended or if everyone else turned their back on you, I'd still be there."

He kept trying to wipe the tears from his face, but their flow was relentless.

"Don't you understand?" he whimpered. "I love you, Aniki."

It was a long time before either of them said anything. Finally, Juudai knelt down in front of him and wordlessly put his arms around him. Shou hesitated, then relaxed into his embrace. His hysterical sobs began to grow calmer, until he was making small hiccupping noises, muffled by Juudai's blazer.

"I'm sorry."

Shou looked up at Juudai inquisitively.

"I haven't been paying you much attention lately, have I? I'm sorry, Shou." He tightened his hold on the smaller boy. "I'm not a very good friend, am I?"

Shou shook his head, burying his face in Juudai's shoulder.

"That's not true," he mumbled.

"Why don't we go to the mainland after school tomorrow?"

Shou blinked at him, and he smiled.

"I want to hang out with you for a little while. Just us. Can we?"

It was a horribly meager attempt at making amends for hurting him, albeit the best he had. Even so, by the way Shou's face lit up at that moment, Juudai might as well have asked him to marry him.

"Really…?" Shou choked out. "You really want to?"

Juudai nodded, smiling at him. "Of course."

Shou energetically squeezed Juudai's waist, suddenly bursting with elation. Everything from before…Johan, the duel, the rumors…none of it mattered anymore.

He knew that Juudai liked Johan; maybe even better than him. He knew that he couldn't expect Juudai to swoop down and capture his lips in a tender kiss, like in his dreams. All he had right now, at this moment, was Juudai's friendship, an evenly-divided piece of the affection Juudai saved for everyone. Shou probably wasn't even his favorite. But none of it mattered; all that mattered was that right now, Juudai was there beside him.

For Shou, it was enough.