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The infirmary was empty when the two girls walked in. By then, Yugi had stopped sobbing, but still sniffled and wiped the corner of her eyes. Taking advantage of the fact that the nurse wasn't here, the two friends sat on one of the beds and the white haired girl waited a moment more to give Yugi a chance to settle down while gently rubbing her back.
"Yugi talk to me." Pleaded Kisa, after a few minutes. She couldn't do anything if her friend wouldn't say anything. "What happened?"
The girl with the tricolored hair opened her mouth a couple of times to speak, but nothing came out and every time she failed, she felt like crying again. Finally, she managed to push out those words. "It's... not that serious..."
"It was Joey again, wasn't it?"
Yugi nodded, but still said nothing.
"That good for nothing jerk-face!" Growled Kisa, who ordinarily was the calmest and most clement person in the world. Rising from her seat, she grabbed her friend's wrist an pulled her up. "That's it! We're going to the principal's office. Come on."
"W-wait Kisa!" Exclaimed Yugi, holding her back. "He didn't actually hurt me. Don't overreact."
"Overreact?! Yugi, for goodness sake! He's been bullying you ever since you met him! You can't keep letting him mess with you like that!"
"But he hasn't hurt me..."
"Oh really?" Skeptically said Kisa crossing her arms on her chest. "You're gonna tell me that he never got physical with you? The other day, he had you by the collar! And don't you dare lie to me about what happened this morning."
"He just... pushed me, a little. Nothing more."
"Yeah, that's why you were on your knees crying alone in the classroom."
"Kisa, please. Don't." Begged the short girl, as her hands started shaking. "I don't want to make a big deal out of this. I... I can't handle it..."
Kisa Yamato was a kind person. She cared for everyone like a real mother and always understood people very easily. Even those with iron hard shells like Kaiba or shy as hell like Yugi. Something bitter pinched her heart when she looked at her friend. There was one thing about Yugi that Kisa, Tea and unbeknownst to them, Kaiba as well, hated about her. She was a coward. They couldn't really blame her for her lack of confidence, shyness and low self-esteem. That had come naturally with her size complex and generous heart. But she always let her fear guide her to the point of sacrificing her own well-being. Although in this case, her fear was warranted. The principal would probably require proof that Joey was bullying her, and Yugi had a distinct lack of injuries. Psychological harassment was difficult to prove.
"Alright fine. But from now on, you stick with me, Tea or Kaiba when we're at school. You got it?"
"Okay. Thank you Kisa."
The white haired girl sighed again. She really didn't like the idea of letting Joey off the hook so easily, but as long as they could somehow make sure that he didn't come close to Yugi, then for the time being it would have to do. Her eyes landed on the golden box.
"What is that thing?"
"Hm? Oh, it's a gift from Grandpa." Said Yugi, her face brightening instantly. "It's a really old artifact called the Millennium Puzzle. It says that the one who can put it back together can make a wish. Grandpa said it's from ancient Egypt."
"Then you must really like it."
"Yep. It's my new treasure." She assured.
"What are you going to wish for?"
"I don't know yet. But it'll be something big."
"Well, I'm going back to class. You stay here and catch up the sleep I know you lost over that new game. At least until lunch break."
"What? But I'm fine..."
Yugi shut her mouth when she saw the clearly displeased glare her friend was throwing her. After a few long minutes of arguing, she managed to bargain to stay here only for the first two periods. It was still half the morning wasted but she couldn't deny that she needed sleep. Kisa finally left to go back to class and Yugi lied down on one of the infirmary's beds, hugging the golden box close to her heart. She would've surprised herself at how fast she fell asleep. Then again, she was rarely in a mood that made her uninterested in her games.
The negotiation with Kisa turned out to be pointless in the end. When Yugi woke up, it was the middle of lunch break. The shorty sighed thinking her friend was probably doing a victory dance somewhere. Sitting up, she placed her box on her knees. Though her eyes were on her treasure, her mind was elsewhere.
"I'm doin' you a favor, shrimp. This ain't bullyin'. The world's a pretty tough place and ya won't always have people to watch your back while ya play with your little games."
Truth be told, Joey wasn't the first one she'd had trouble with. Before meeting Kisa and Tea, Yugi's obsession with games had often made her an outcast and an easy target for bullies. But it was so different with him. Unlike the others who just liked when she took the abuse quietly, he got angry at her that she didn't fight back. Why? She couldn't understand him. Maybe he just wanted someone to fight with. But why someone like her? She was anything but a challenge. What would he get out of beating the crap out of her? She sighed. Overthinking after waking up was not good for the brain.
'I better hurry if I want to have time to eat before afternoon classes.'
After stretching, she got up and picked up her golden box. But as she was about to pull away the curtain, heavy footsteps entered the infirmary.
"Yugi!" Said a booming voice that she recognized instantly. "I know you're in here."
'Oh no.' Ushio was a senior that liked to proclaim himself protector of the weak. And by that, he meant that he made the weak looking students (like herself) pay him for his bodyguard services. To the point of being borderline harassing them himself. Though he really had nothing going for him except a massive built. Tea and Kisa were pretty good at telling him off, but the guy was persistent. She heard his footsteps head towards her, so she quickly retreated to the far end of the resting area and dived under the last bed. Which was the only place someone could actually hide under, it was ridiculous. But she still prayed that the gorilla was stupid enough to overlook it. But as she saw his feet getting closer, she realized that she was mistaken. Today was not her lucky day and she really wasn't in the mood to deal with him.
"It's no point hiding Yugi. Come on, I just want to talk."
His feet suddenly stopped and the curtain of the last bed was pulled open. "Great Gatsby, shut up! Can't you see some of us are trying to rest, you knob-head?"
The voice was coming from someone who seemed to have been resting on the bed above. It was definitely a boy with a gruff voice and a British accent. He must've come here while she was sleeping.
"Sorry, my bad. I was looking for a girl. Have you seen her?"
"Are your eyes just here for decoration? I'm the only one here, you idiot. So bugger off."
"Who'd you think you're talking to like that, you limey..."
The guy on the bed was suddenly on his feet and from the footwork she could see, he'd grabbed Ushio by the collar and was all up in his face. They weren't going to fight in here, were they?
"Trust me. You don't want to pick a fight with me." Growled the mystery guy with a deep voice that sent shivers down Yugi's spine. "I can and will break your kneecaps if you keep getting on my nerves. Get lost!"
Next thing she knew, Ushio was quickly making his way out of the infirmary. But Yugi was too surprised to even sighed in relief. That was strange. Ushio was a gorilla and a brute, there weren't many who could scare him with just a verbal threat. But there was an uncomfortable aura in the air, slowly dissipating. The mystery guy sighed before sitting back on the bed.
"You can come out now." He said, irritation still very present in his voice.
The girl with the tricolored hair crawled out of her hiding place and stood back up, facing the boy. He looked about her age and was wearing the school uniform in the same manner that Joey would. Unlike Kisa's flowing mane, his long white hair was messy and no way near as white as hers. He was frowning and rubbing his head like he was in pain.
"A-are you feeling alright? You look kind of pale..."
"I always look like that." He growled, before looking at her. "It's just that bloody headache."
"Thank you for helping me, hum... I'm sorry, I've never seen you before. What's your name?"
"Bakura. Ryo Bakura."
She smiled. "Nice to meet you, Bakura. I'm Yugi Muto. And thank you again."
"Look, if you want to thank me then get out of here." He said lying back down and turning his back to her. "I'm trying to rest."
"O-Okay. See you."
Really this guy was not in the mood for a pleasant conversation. But still grateful for his intervention, she decided to let him be. Picking up her puzzle box from the floor, she exited the infirmary and made her way to the classroom to recover her school bag. But when she arrived in the hallway leading to it, she was surprised to find a crowd of students blocking the way. Approaching, she knew that her size wouldn't allow her to see above her classmates. While making her way the best she could in the crowd, she recognized the voices.
"Don't you have better things to do with your life than to pick on a helpless girl half your size that never did anything to you?" Reproached Kisa's voice, calm yet full of anger.
"I don't see how that's any of your business, class rep."
"Of course it's my business! That's my friend we're talking about!"
"And ya think ya'll always be around to babysit her?"
"What is that suppose to mean?" Shouted Tea this time. "If you want to fight so badly, why don't you go to Hoshu? You don't need her for that!"
"Watch your mouth Gardner. It don't take long before I stop bein' nice."
'Oh no.'
Yugi made her way to the center as fast as she could, until she finally pulled through. Kisa and Tea were facing Joey who seemed just as angry at them as they were at him, filling the air with a heavy aura of negativity and tension. Tristan was here too, though it looked like he was trying to calm down his friend.
"Listen man, just let it go..."
"Shut up, Tristan. This ain't yar business either." Snapped back the blond before turning back to Kisa. "I'm sayin' this one last time, class rep. Get off my back!"
With that, he started walking away, but Kisa grabbed his arm firmly and stopped him. "We're not done here!"
Turning back to her, he threw her a death glare. "Ya really want to do this the hard way?"
"Kisa, don't!" Shouted the short girl about to spring forward.
But she froze in her track when a certain tall brunet stepped out of the classroom, a hand in his pocket. Kaiba seemed even more irritated than usual. If Yugi had to take a guess, it was because of the noise keeping him from working. Little did she know how wrong she was. Instead of telling everyone to shut up like he would've done in any other given situation, the young CEO slowly made his way to stand by Kisa's side and threw a condescending glare to the shorter blond.
"Oh good, it's the mutt. Barking uselessly as usual, I see."
"Well, if it ain't the president of Kaiba Corp?" Replied Joey grinning at him. "Not enough comfort for ya, yar highness?"
"Anyone getting a break from your yapping would experience luxury, Wheeler." Retorted the billionaire, before smirking. "Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot being quiet was beyond the capacities of your tiny brain."
Joey's grin disappeared and his angry face returned. "Yeah? At least I ain't got a stick so far up my ass that it gave me a God complex."
"You don't even know what a God complex is, you blabbering idiot. If you did, you'd know that no one needs one to feel superior to you. For your own sake, you should really stop acting like a criminal and start working for your worth. Oh wait. You don't have any."
"Oh that's rich coming from you, moneybags. Not all of us were born with a golden spoon in our mouths."
Kaiba just snickered and rolled his eyes. "And here comes the guilt card. Save it, Wheeler. I worked to get everything I have. People like you who do nothing but whine about their life conditions without doing anything about it are parasites on society. I have less than no pity to give to someone like you."
"Like I need anythin' from ya, ya jerk! Ya wouldn't catch me dead begging ya for something!"
The CEO crossed his arms on his chest. "And that's why you'll end up in jail in about five years with bills coming out of your ass because of a gambling addiction doubled with a drinking habit. Face it. That's where lowlives like you are headed. Straight. into. a. wall."
Joey paused for a second, taking in Kaiba's words. Yugi was paralyzed in shock at how cruel his words were. She knew Kaiba wasn't subtle and never sacrificed truth for delicacy. But this... he was straight up humiliating and insulting him. And provoking the already jumpy guy was the worst move possible. What was he thinking? Joey's eyes darkened with hate and rage and he grabbed the young CEO by the collar.
"Ya pickin' a fight with me, rich boy? I'm warnin' ya Kaiba, no amount of cash is gonna save yar face from my fist."
"Please, all you're good for is barking."
"Why ya son of a..."
"Woof, woof."
That was the final straw. The next thing everyone knew, Joey punched the young billionaire at full strength in the face. The hallway gasped, as Kaiba was thrown back and his back hitting the wall behind him. He held his nose and few drops of red liquid fell on the ground.
"Kaiba!" Exclaimed Yugi.
But it didn't look like Joey was done with him, as he took a step forward to beat the brunet to a bloody pulp. Thankfully, Tristan hooked his arms under his and held him back as best he could as the blond was struggling to get free and go pummel the one who'd insulted him.
"Joey, you gotta calm down, man! You'll get in serious trouble!"
"Get the hell off of me, Tristan!" Snapped the enraged teen. "I'm gonna murder that bastard!"
Quick footsteps suddenly approached and the crowd made way for Tea, who the short girl hadn't seen leave, followed by someone else. "Here, Mr Tory!"
"What in the world is going on here?" Shouted the man. The sturdy looking man eyed the scene in front of him. One student was against the wall with a bleeding nose, while another was being held back. The history teacher crossed his arms on his chest and frowned at the culprit. "Joseph Wheeler, you again? I should've known. You've gone too far this time. You're coming with me."
"What?" Protested the blond. "He was asking for it!"
"It's true Mr Tory. Kaiba provoked him." Defended Tristan, before looking around, his eyes asking for support of the witnesses. "Right?"
Yugi expected people to react, but to her shock, no one did. Not even her friends. Kisa just looked away and Tea crossed her arms on her chest and stood her ground throwing an angry look at Joey. The short girl was stunned. She half expected the people around to stay quiet because they didn't want to get involved. But Kisa and Tea? Her friends were good people. Honest, true to themselves, generous, just... So why were they keeping quiet? Getting no support from anyone in the room, Tristan looked distraught. Meanwhile, Joey only stared at the ground. The rage seemed to have vanished. His arms and head hanging low, he had the face of a prisoner on his way to be executed. Anger was still burning in his eyes though.
"Are you serious? All of you?!" Shouted the pointy haired fellow.
"Let it go, pal." Said the blond with a low, defeated voice. "It's not like it was ever going to turn out any other way."
"Even if it's true, that doesn't excuse the fact that he punched him." Said Mr Tory. "Follow me Wheeler. You too Kaiba."
This time Kisa reacted. "Hold on Sir, Kaiba needs to go to the infirmary first."
"Leave it." Said the young CEO standing back up as if nothing had happened. "This is nothing."
The teacher turned heels and Joey followed first in his zombie-like state. Yugi couldn't help but look at his eyes. They almost looked... empty, sad. When Kaiba passed by, she was surprised to see him smirk discreetly while following after the blond. After that the people in the hallway scattered. She was pulled out of her daze when Tea grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into the empty classroom.
"Come on Yugi. You have to eat before class starts again."
Afternoon classes went by pretty smoothly, but Yugi couldn't help but feel uneasy. The scene from earlier was replaying in her mind. Something wasn't right about all of this. Her friends had acted weird. Kaiba had acted weird. It preoccupied her so much that she barely paid any attention the rest of the day. When the last bell finally rang, their homeroom teacher told them to stay seated for a moment.
"Before you leave, I have an announcement to make." Said the woman, taking off her glasses. "Mr Wheeler will be absent for the next month for reasons I'm sure you're all aware of. That's all. You may leave."
Suspended for a month? Joey was known for collecting detention hours for his tardiness and even insolence with the teachers but a whole month of suspension? Something wasn't right with this story... Before he could walk out of the class, Yugi grabbed Kaiba's wrist.
"Can we talk?" She asked.
"What is it?"
"Let's wait for everyone to leave."
Once everyone gone, and only the four of them remained Yugi turned to face her rival and her best friends. The three of them were looking at her curiously. The tricolor-haired girl wasn't comfortable with having so many eyes on her but she needed some answers. Taking a deep breath she turned to the young billionaire.
"Kaiba, you're a black belt in three different martial arts disciplines. You could've avoided that punch easily, so why didn't you?"
"That's a stupid question." He replied without hesitation. "Because I was trying to get that looser to hit me."
Kisa and Tea looking away answered the rest of her questions. "Did you guys plan this from the beginning to get Joey suspended?"
"No!" Protested Kisa. "That's not what happened... I just wanted to talk to him, but he wouldn't listen..."
"I told you I'd take care of the problem if you didn't and I did." Interrupted Kaiba before grabbing his bag and making his way to the door. "Now you can stop worrying about useless things and focus on our next match. That yapping mutt should be grateful that it only got him suspended. No one screws with my rival. Be sure that if it happens again, I won't hesitate to get him expelled for good."
Without giving her the time to add another word, the CEO of Kaiba Corp stepped out and slammed the door behind him.
"I don't understand the problem Yugi." Said Tea. "That guy is finally gonna leave you alone. Aren't you happy?"
"You shouldn't have lied..."
"We didn't lie."
"Not telling is the same as lying." Said Kisa, to Tea's surprise. "But we did it for you. You weren't going to do anything about it and you know it. I'm sorry but it was only thing I could think of."
Tea sighed before throwing an annoyed glare at her short friend. "Besides who are you to judge? You were there but you didn't speak up either."
That last comment made the petite girl shut her lips tight and look down. Getting her friends mad at her hadn't been her intention and her cheeks reddened with shame. Tea walked passed her quickly and left without another word, while Kisa, ever the gentle soul, put a comforting hand on her shoulder before following Tea.
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