"Duel?" I asked. "Here? And now?"

III nodded as a reply. "I want you to Duel me. I want to test your skills."

"Hey, Momo?" Sayuki leaned over towards me. "Did you bring your Disk this time?"

"Y-Yeah. I brought it this time."

Stress started to build up inside me. My thoughts were running amok. This feels like something is at stake.

"Is this an ante Duel?" I asked. My left hand felt a little cool. I swear that it felt like sweat was sliding down the back of my hand. Was I getting nervous?

He merely shook his head. A brief wave of relief ran over me. My heart-rate slowed a bit from it's fast pace. No ante meant that it didn't matter if I had won or not.

"Quit being cynical, Momo!" I heard her whisper. "Give him your usual one two!"

"What do you want me to do? Buckle his shoe?" I hissed sarcastically. Sayuki couldn't hold back her laughter and III wasn't quite sure what to make of us. Embarrassing, much?

"Is something the matter?" he then asked towards me.

"I'm sorry, III, but I can't at the moment because sch-."

DING DING DONG

"Oh come on!" I exclaimed as I trampled away towards the entrance with Sayuki in tow.

OoooooOoooooOoooooO

"So the girl's name is Momoya, huh? She looks more like a 'Shri-." IV was cut off by III, who was setting freshly brewed tea down on a table.

"She is not a 'shrimp' or something." he said as he began to sit down in a vacant chair. "She's Momoya-san and she is just a quiet girl."

"Quiet like V, no doubt." IV smirked. He then rubbed the area where he had been punched in the chin from the evening before. There was one image in the back of his mind that kept on replaying - she looked as if she had tears in her eyes. "Though she'd be a fun 'toy' to mess around with, I guess."

Hearing the use of the word, V then stepped past IV and tapped him on the shoulder with his book. "Women are not to be taken lightly. The same is with young girls. You cannot just go around and think that a girl is a simple 'play-thing' to you." III nodded in agreement.

IV then sent a fiery glare at his older brother which was returned with an icy one. III sighed and then took a careful sip of his tea.

"Fighting is not the answer to everything." V spoke and then broke the glare off with the book in his hand and opened it. "The girl is named Momoya. Unknown surname. At an age of sixteen. Born on January 7. Height of 154.9 centimeters and weighs around 104 pounds. Eye color is a poppy red. Her hair color is a mix of three shades of violet and lives alone. Attends the public high school in Heartland and participates in many extracurricular activities."

"Holy -! How did you get that much on Shrimpy?!" IV growled slightly.

V didn't look over at him. "After III found out her current location and name, I did a data check on citizens who live in Heartland that match her description and name. She happens to be the only result of the search."

III then blinked for a second. "She is just a year older than I."

"Pfft, no wonder I had to carry her." IV scoffed and looked away.

OoooooOoooooOoooooO

"A...Achoo!" I suddenly sneezed during English class. My nose itched a bit and I rubbed it.

"God bless you, Momoya-chan." the class said in somewhat perfected English. Suoh-sensei then tapped her ruler on her desk. My attention is something she wanted.

"Now, Momoya-san, please read the two lines on the top of the next page."

Next two lines? "Umm...

"I'm sorry, Momoya-san. 'Umm' isn't in the text." Suoh-sensei then closed the textbook and dismissed class. "Momoya-san, see me after class. Everyone else may go."

...

"What am I to do with you, Momoya-san?" Suoh-sensei planted her face in her manicured hand. "You can't read a single English word and you sleep through your classes."

I managed to stutter. "Not all of my classes. I'm passing everything else."

"Those classes have nothing to do with this class. You are to read the entire story of "The Odyssey by Homer" and translate it into Japanese."

I stood there flabbergasted. "B-But I-!"

"No buts, young lady. Do as I say for the assignments or you won't catch up with everyone in the next semester." Suoh-sensei then slid one of the desk drawers open and pulled out something and held it over to me.

"This is the paper version. Your due date is November of this year." I took it with a sullen expression. I didn't want to do this. With a heavy sigh and clutching the many papers in my hands I trudged out of the room.

OoooooOoooooOoooooO

Why oh why...I was walking ever so slowly as to not topple over. My arms were not used to many papers. I sighed, this just wasn't my day. 'Closing in on home.' , I thought. Just a stairway up to the top. I decided to test my balance on the first couple of steps and so far so good.

"Momoya-san?" Hearing my name like that made me lose my footing and I started to fall backwards and the papers were scattering. I was bracing for impact, but...nothing.

My eyes noticed long wisps of very faint blue hair in the wind and my back felt like I was leaning against something slender.

"Are you all right, Momoya-san?" This voice... It was...

"Y-You're V...right?" I didn't bother to look up. My mind was now trying to piece things together. I then found myself staring at long, slender fingers on my arms. So familiar, but why...?

My feet then reached ground. The hands didn't retreat from me. Something then caught my attention and I looked up a bit.

"Momoya-san!" My eyes caught sight of a salmon pink head coming my way. And a familiar red outfit.

"III?" I blinked in surprise. What was he doing here? He then reached the wooden banister that was very near me and was taking in deep breaths.

"H-Here you are. I thought you were lingering about on your school's campus." III's face was flushed slightly. Had he been running to look for me? "Nii-sama, why are you hands on her? Did she fall?"

"Momoya-san was about to tumble down the stairway." I glanced up and noticed that distinctive face from yesterday looking over at his younger brother. Were they really brothers?

"Um, okay, enough with the formalities. I'm sick of them." I managed to mutter out. The feeling of hands slipped away, and I felt balanced on my feet once again.

III then looked over at his older brother and nodded. "I apologize, Momoya," he spoke as he was regaining breath. "I didn't know." I glanced over at him.

He was taller than me.

Well that's no surprise since many people are taller than little me.

"Is there any particular reason for you to dislike them?" Now it was V's turn to ask me.

"Hearing it over and over and over again gives me a headache." I replied. It was only partially true. Stepping away for a bit, I picked up many of the scattered papers.

"I appreciate the help of not injuring my back. I can get back up the stair without help, though." My voice was barely above a whisper and I hurried along up the stairs with my usual fast and steady pace. The sound of footsteps were following me. I sheepishly glanced back. III and V were not too far behind. They were following me.

"Could you...stop following me...?"

"We just wanted to speak with you. I know yesterday's incident was rough on you and -" I cut III off with yelling.

"Rough? ROUGH?! Listen, I've dealt with rough before but that was plain terrible! And painful things so don't tell me that was rough!" My feelings, I think, were exploding right in front of me. I felt tears stinging my eyes and sliding down my cheeks. Dropping what I carried in my arms, I tried to wipe my tears and aimlessly ran off into the direction of my house.

"M-Momoya!"