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Anzu tagged along at Kaiba's heels as Homeroom Z made its way back from the track. It was rare that Kaiba even attended P.E., and he was only doing it—as he had made very clear at the beginning of each and every class—because of the incompetent civil service that couldn't wait to meddle into unsuspecting citizens' lives. Anzu disliked the way Kaiba's lip curled when he insulted her mother, but she understood Kaiba's pain. She also understood his sudden desire to excel in all those subjects teachers had graded him poorly.

Such as P.E. Kaiba, out of pure spite, had beaten every school record today out on the track, flying past the out-of-breath jocks as if all the demons of hell were after him.

Perhaps they were.

Anzu had reached a conclusion about Kaiba: under other circumstances, he could have been the darling of Domino High. His IQ tested off the charts (she knew this from the shoptalk of her mother's friends), he was a terrific athlete, and with his looks, he could've modeled for his own company's advertisements.

She knew that if she had made that analysis, Kaiba could as well. He had always been the best in Homeroom Z at logical reasoning. She had no idea why he hadn't even attempted to win over Domino High; he could have easily done it. And it wouldn't have taken much effort: he wasn't even out of breath by the time P.E. finished.

So why did he make such an effort to be an asshole?

She had watched from across the track as Yugi said something to Kaiba and had frowned when it was obvious that Kaiba said something extremely uncomplimentary back. She hadn't been close enough to hear the words, but she had heard enough of his words in the past to imagine. Jounouchi had heard though, and Honda had had to forcibly step between Jounouchi and Kaiba to keep the two boys from coming to blows.

Now, as she followed him, she wondered if Kaiba really didn't know another way to act. And when she thought of Mokuba, by turns angry at and desperate for his adored older brother, she felt not rage at Kaiba but pity. For he really did have only himself to blame.

Another loss for Kaiba Seto.

Kaiba knew she was behind him, and she knew he knew, but she didn't expect him to acknowledge her.

"Spit it out," Kaiba growled, not bothering to turn around.

"I want to talk to you," Anzu said.

"Huh."

He didn't sound overly angry, but he didn't sound interested either. He was wary, but Kaiba was always wary. And he had to know what she was planning to discuss.

"Mokuba—" She hesitated.

Kaiba stopped suddenly, pivoting on one foot so she was suddenly face-to-face with his chest.

This close, she could smell the sweat that clung to his uniform. She knew he could similarly smell her. She couldn't afford to feel embarrassed.

"You have no right—" Kaiba began, but he cut himself off. His posture shifted; no longer was his spine as ramrod stiff as it was when he dueled. He seemed to fold in on himself, and Anzu found herself facing a fellow sixteen-year old.

"Mokuba-kun misses you," she said softly, head bowed. She stared at their sneakers, both pairs the regulation model.

"H-how is he?"

"He's still…settling in."

"Mokuba doesn't settle in."

She opened her mouth to retort to that, temper flaring unexpectedly in the midst of what had been sympathy. Kaiba never failed to do that. The minute anyone even began to see things from his side, he'd shoot off his mouth. And even though she had known that and had sworn from the onset of this conversation that she would ignore it, her eyes narrowed in anger.

"Mazaki! Kaiba! Save your dates for after school!"

Sympathy won out after all, perhaps due to the mutual embarrassment of being singled out by the P.E. coach. "Eat with us at lunch," she urged. "We can talk then."

She began to jog back towards the school. She didn't expect Kaiba to answer, and she wasn't surprised that he beat her to the locker rooms.