A/N: Ugh. I've been forced to go all over the frickin' state this weekend, so I'm so exhausted it's ridiculous. I feel like I'm about to drop dead. -.- At least I got to sleep in the car. But I don't have much energy because I have hardly been eating…and I've been forced to go out for four days in a row running all over town. And then I have to go out again TOMORROW and I just want to sleep…I just wanna puke actually. Well, I guess my point is, I'm going to try my best with the chapter, but if I screw up, it's because I'm three-quarters asleep.

EDIT: This is a revised chapter. I decided I didn't like some things and changed it. I would like to specifically thank Mazeru Okinata for helping me with these new changes. I consulted her about it.

Disclaimer: I do not own GX.

Chapter 4: Adjustment

Haou tossed and turned, unable to sleep. He felt too energized to sleep. Wondering if perhaps he'd slept too much while he had been sick, he rolled over on his stomach, his face buried in the pillow. No position seemed to be comfortable enough. He just wasn't satisfied. It could have had something to do with the fact that he'd gotten absolutely nothing done over the past few days. He hated being so idle. It drove him crazy. Rolling over on his back, he stared up at the ceiling, about to burst with boredom and anxiety. Finally unable to take it anymore, he jumped out of bed and paced around the moonlit room.

His eyes slid over to the bunk bed, where Juudai lay resting. He watched Juudai sleep peacefully for a moment, somewhat envious. Then, he looked up to find two other forms occupying the bunks above. His golden eyes narrowed. He hated sharing his living space with just one person, let alone three. Someone of his status deserved the imperial suite. Or at the very least a room of his own. He was disgusted with his living quarters, with his roommates, and with his roommates' slovenly habits. They were unbearably messy when it came to anything and everything. And it didn't seem like they always carried out appropriate hygiene either.

Stepping over a pair of dirty boxers in disgust, he wondered why he had to stay in the Osiris quarters. After all, he'd quickly learned that the best duelists resided in Obelisk blue. So why was he here? Well, no one had seen him duel yet. And it was customary for new students to start out in Osiris. He supposed he could take care of that little matter later.

Looking back over at Juudai, he wondered why he was still in Osiris. Remembering how he slept through all his classes, Haou grimaced. They would have to do something about that habit of his. He didn't want Juudai to fail, or reflect poorly on him. That was the last thing he wanted.

Around that time, the sun had begun to come up. Ignoring the yellow rays of light that spilt across the floor, he continued pacing and thinking. He wanted to find some way to get back to Dark World. He had to find out if it was really destroyed, or if things were back to normal. All he wanted was to continue his life, and continue his bloody ways. What he wouldn't give to feel the cool hilt of a sword in his hand again, as he swung it gracefully towards an unsuspecting victim. Shuddering in sadistic delight at the mental image, he stopped and imagined what it would be like to go back. He couldn't get anything accomplished here it seemed. After all, to do that, Juudai would have to recognize him first. He needed Juudai's cooperation on the matter.

Too bad, though, that this would be no small feat. After all, Juudai did not seem to remember anything about their shared past. He had been pushing the thought far back for some time now, but it bothered him so much, he almost could not ignore it any longer. Juudai didn't remember him any more than he remembered Yubel. And it was Haou's fault too. If only he'd been more careful with the young boy….yet he'd had no mercy and forced Juudai to make a painful decision…

At that moment, the loud, shrill ringing of the alarm clock split through the silence. Haou jumped and whirled around, completely caught off guard. Juudai slept right through the noise. Haou watched as a small, blue-haired boy leaned over the edge of the bed and turned the alarm off. Then, the boy took a pair of glasses out of its case and set them on his nose. He looked, or rather stared, at Haou.

"Juudai-kun?"

Haou clenched his teeth in annoyance. This child was too weak to be useful to him. He could tell just from observing his casual mannerisms and his countenance. "I am NOT Juudai," He hissed, turning away.

It was at that moment that another face popped over the edge of the bed. "What's going on, Sho?"

Haou grimaced. So the other one was awake too? He glanced over his shoulder to see what other sort of person Juudai kept company with. Strength practically oozed from this boy. Interested, he turned to look him up and down. Well, he seemed healthy enough, with nicely tanned complexion and bulging muscles. Haou could practically feel the strength of character oozing from him as well. Now this boy, he could possibly use. Perhaps as a duelist or a warrior.

Pulling himself from his thoughts, he looked back at Juudai, ignoring the conversation going on between Sho and the other boy. He leaned over Juudai, staring down at him. Would he not wake for anything? If he weren't snoring so loudly, Haou would've thought he was dead. Taking him firmly by the shoulders, he gave Juudai a hard shake. Juudai, however, refused to wake up. He simply brushed Haou's hands away, mumbled something, and rolled over, his back to Haou. Now this was too much. How dare he turn his back on a king! Enraged, Haou seized him by the arms and promptly flung him from the bed, introducing his head to the cold floor.

"Ouch!" Juudai groaned, opening his eyes a crack. He stared up at the irritated king, then sat up. "Good morning!"

"That's all you have to say for yourself?!" Haou seethed, narrowing his eyes, "You'd better pull yourself together. You've not been acting satisfactory in the least."

Blinking in confusion, Juudai scratched his head and asked, "What do you mean?"

"Idiot," Haou glared at him, "You won't get it. You just won't understand. It's not like you lack proper intellect, it's the fact that you simply, utterly refuse."

"Um, you're not making any sense…" Juudai laughed a little, still puzzled. "Well, I'm going to get dressed. I guess you should too…Then we can go get some breakfast and I'll introduce you to the gang." He beamed, then looked over at his roommates. "Oh! I almost forget. How rude of me. That's Marufuji Sho and Tyranno Kenzan. They're my roommates."

Haou looked them over at them momentarily. Then, just because he wasn't sure what else to say, and his upbringing demanded it, he said, "It's a pleasure to meet you…" Truth be told, he was less than pleased to meet them. He rather wished he'd never been flung so suddenly into this strange world.

In the meanwhile, Juudai had been rummaging through the drawers. Smiling, he threw an article of clothing at Haou. He caught it and unfolded it, his mouth twisting in distaste at the red Osiris jacket.

"You'll need to wear that," Juudai told him, smiling as he started to pull his nightclothes off, "It's the uniform. You'll be going to class with me today."

Haou sighed deeply. "Very well. If that's what's required. Though I truly hope people don't get us confused…"

Juudai laughed. "Nah, I don't think they will. You look a whole lot different with your eyes and your expression and your attitude and all."

Haou refused to respond to this comment, just pulled a black T-shirt and a pair of dark gray jeans that Juudai had bought for him out of the drawer. Looking back over at Juudai, he frowned. The boy had by then stripped to his boxers and was about to pull his jeans on. Shaking his head, Haou began to undress as well. He truly hated to do such a thing in front of other people, but he didn't very well have much of a choice. It really bothered him how Sho and Kenzan were watching him, too. Quickly, he finished dressing.

"Well," Juudai said, grabbing Haou's wrist and waving to Sho and Kenzan, "I'm going to take him down to breakfast and to meet everyone. I'll see you guys in a few."

"Ok, see you later--saurus," Kenzan agreed, grinning and waving back.

As soon as the door was shut, Haou shuddered. What obnoxious people Juudai lived with! How could he wallow in their shared filth and stand it? How could he even think to be half as barbaric as those buffoons? It really didn't make any sense at all to him, especially at how he was suddenly awake so fast. As of the moment, Juudai was practically skipping down the stairs, literally dragging Haou behind him. He tried to keep his footing, but Juudai was being far too rambunctious. He found himself slipping and sliding. The only thing that kept him from falling over the edge was the railing, which he had to keep clawing at in order to keep some of his balance.

"JUUDAI!!" He barked in a commanding tone, "Slow down! Walk with some DIGNITY! You're behaving like a little girl…"

Juudai slowed down and turned, casting Haou a sheepish grin, his face reddening. "Sorry. I'm just really hungry."

Haou was truly horrified. "Do you really want to act like this all the time? With no reason? Have some manners!"

In response, Juudai walked more carefully to the Osiris dorm cafeteria. He stepped inside, smiling brightly. Inside, there were wooden tables on each side of the room, with a wide aisle separating them. Most of the tables were empty, but there were a few occupied by random students. None of them stuck out to Haou; well, none of them except one. This boy had spiky raven hair and sharp features. He was dressed in a black trench coat and black pants. And he looked as though he were miserable. He glared at Juudai as he approached, his lip curled up slightly. Obviously, he was in a bad mood, and Juudai wasn't helping.

"Good morning, Manjoume!" He greeted cheerfully, "What's up?"

"Sandaa," Manjoume hissed, "And I'd rather be left alone right now…"

"What's wrong?" Juudai asked, looking concerned.

"Let's see, my stomach is killing me, I have a headache, I haven't finished studying, and Rei kept me up all night with her constant barging into my room, bothering me with her insignificant blathering about I don't even care. That's what's wrong with me."

"Oh…I'm sorry," Juudai said, looking sympathetic. Then, looking down at his food, he asked quietly, "Are you going to eat that?"

Haou was disgusted at the rude question. He glared at Juudai and opened his mouth to reprimand him. But Manjoume beat him to it.

"Of course I was going to eat it!" He snapped, "Just give me a few minutes. Get your own food." He sighed heavily, propping his chin on his hand and looking exhausted. Gazing up at Haou, his interest pricked. A small smirk came to his face, the wheels in his head obviously turning. His smirk widened and he looked sly as he asked Juudai, "Who's he? Your twin?"

"No," Juudai said, shaking his head, "His name's Haou. I don't know who he is…"

Haou whirled around to face Juudai. Now this was just ridiculous. He'd given the boy plenty of time to think about it. He'd given him a chance to remember him. And he still didn't recognize him? Seriously, how could Juudai not recognize half of his own soul? Was he really that dense? Something had to be done.

Of course, then too, Haou figured that Juudai had forgotten on purpose. He wracked his brain as he tried to recall what exactly had happened. As much as he hated to admit it, his memory was a bit blurry as well, containing thousands of years of information and all. Perhaps if he jogged Juudai's memory…

"Juudai," He hissed, grabbing his arm, "We need to have a little talk outside."

"Can it wait?" Juudai asked, eyeing his breakfast hungrily, "I'm starving…"

Haou felt himself about to explode with anger. He clenched his fists and his teeth, his face turning a dark shade of red. Finally, he took a deep breath and let it out slowly, reminding himself that he had to be gentler with Juudai than he'd like to be. "Fine." He sat down next to the other boy, seething.

Juudai took a few bites of food, then looked over at Haou. Ever so innocently, he slid a tray of food towards him. "Want some?" He blinked, his chocolate eyes shining in the sunlight.

Haou muttered a small word of gratitude and took the tray. He sat up straight and ate with impeccable table manners. Juudai, on the other hand, simply ate however he pleased. It almost seemed as though he were inhaling his meal rather than carefully chewing and swallowing it. Haou was less than impressed.

"Slow down," He reprimanded, "That looks disgusting. Make a good example of yourself. And don't you dare choke on that!"

"You don't have to act like my mother," Juudai commented, rolling his eyes. But there was the hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth.

Haou narrowed his eyes dangerously. "I suggest you watch what you say."

Glancing nervously over at him, Juudai nodded. "All right…you don't have to be so upset about it. I was just kidding."

An uncomfortable silence followed.

Haou soon became aware that the boy sitting across from him--Manjoume, he remembered--was staring ever so slightly at him. As much as he tried to ignore it, he found it difficult with those charcoal eyes looking him up and down, making judgments about him. He began to realize that Manjoume was curious about him…and somewhat awed by his presence. Perhaps he could observe this boy and maybe use him later in some matter. His thoughts were soon interrupted once again, though, by a certain Osiris student sitting next to him.

"So…you don't talk much…" Juudai finally said, desperate to start a new conversation.

Haou didn't even look over at him. "I find that too much talk is a waste of time, and an exhibit of inner weakness. Silence is golden, Juudai. I suggest you learn how to practice that discipline."

Juudai swallowed hard. "Ok…so…uh…where do you live?"

Before Haou could respond with the angry comeback he had ready, the door opened, and two figures walked in.

"Good morning," came a soft, semi-feminine voice.

Juudai turned around to greet the newcomer. "Johan! I didn't expect to see you here." He grinned up at the teal haired boy, a slight blush gracing his cheeks.

Haou grimaced at this expression. He, being part of Juudai's soul, had ample access to the boy's feelings. And he didn't like that Juudai felt so close to Johan. Not to mention he sensed a slight attraction between them. It was nothing too deep on Juudai's half, but it still disturbed him greatly. Looking over at Johan again, he observed that the teal haired boy seemed to gravitate more to Juudai than Juudai did to him. His emerald eyes sparkled as he gazed at Juudai, a soft smile on his lips. It was obvious he cared more for Juudai than anything else in the world. One might even say from a casual glance that he was in love with the other boy.

Before he could observe them any closer, a tall, blonde girl standing next to Johan spoke up. "You forgot to say hi to me," She teased, smiling at Juudai.

"Oh, sorry, Asuka." Juudai said, blushing in embarrassment, "Hi."

Haou looked the newcomer up and down. He grimaced, watching her interact with Juudai. It was obvious that she had feelings for the Osiris student as much as Johan did. Juudai, however, remained oblivious to her affections, which rather pleased the king.

What didn't please him, though, was the fact that these two newcomers joined them for breakfast and engaged Juudai in a conversation. It seemed as though Juudai had forgotten that Haou wanted to talk to him. Even after they finished eating, they continued to talk about things which held no interest or pertinence to Haou. What was worse, Kenzan and Sho joined them soon after. All their voices blending together gave him a rather splitting headache. He was certainly out of his element. There was nothing he could do to stop them. He had no means of killing them, no means of even threatening them. Finally, he stood to leave. If he couldn't get them to be quiet, at least he could remove himself from the premise.

"Hey, Haou, where are you going?" Juudai asked, looking up with innocent eyes.

Haou took a deep breath and let it out slowly, gritting his teeth. "Juudai…" He seethed, "You forgot…AGAIN."

"What do you mean?" Juudai asked, perching himself on the edge of his seat, blinking cluelessly. His hair flopped in his eyes, making him look absolutely adorable. Haou, however, ignored this.

"I said I wanted to talk to you ALONE." He snapped, glaring with dangerously slitted golden eyes. "I suggest you come at once, before I lose my temper."

Something about his commanding tone combined with this deadly look caused Juudai to move into action. Nervously, he jumped to his feet and brushed past his friends, apologizing slightly for having to leave so soon. Avoiding Haou's glower, he hurried out the door, shutting it behind him.

Haou turned to face him, his arms crossed, still scowling. After a moment, he said, "You idiot! You don't even know…" He paused momentarily, wondering if he should go about it that way. Looking down at Juudai's widened eyes and seeing him looking surprised and uncomfortable, he wondered if he should continue shouting at him or to be gentler. His anger, however, won him over. "You don't even know who I am!"

Juudai blinked and looked up at his angry face. "How could I? We've never met…"

"Juudai!" Haou snarled, shoving him against the wall, his eyes almost glowing, "Look at me. You know who I am. You just don't want to admit it. You're denying it. If you don't come out of that petty little 'innocent' act right now, I'm going to slap some sense into you. And I promise you, it won't be pleasant either." He pinned him harder against the wall, his fingers digging into the brunette's shoulders.

Juudai swallowed hard, breaking out into a nervous sweat. He could not tear his eyes from Haou's, however much he wanted to. "I d-don't know…"

"LOOK AT ME!!" Haou screamed, "Look at me then tell me who I am!!" His eyes searched Juudai's, going deeper than the surface until he was searching his mind. "You know who I am…Don't play dumb."

Wincing a little, Juudai looked up at Haou with fear in his eyes. They stared at each other for a long time, their eyes locked. Juudai finally shook his head, his breaths coming in tiny gasps. Slowly, Haou realized that Juudai wasn't trying to deny it. He couldn't remember it. And he couldn't remember it himself that well either. He wondered if perhaps he was wrong and had had a dream about them interacting when Juudai was younger…His rage cooled as he gazed down at the brunette, who was trembling slightly. Haou gradually released him and stepped back to look him up and down. At the same time, Juudai began to calm himself and regain his composure. Haou's outburst had been quite an unexpected shock, after all.

Before either of them could say anything more, the door to the cafeteria slid open and Johan stepped out. He looked from Haou to Juudai, worry creasing his brow. "Is everything all right? I thought I heard shouting."

"Everything's fine," Haou told him calmly, turning his back and beginning to walk away.

Juudai looked at Johan helplessly. Shrugging, he followed Haou, wanting to clear the matter up. On the other hand, Haou simply wanted some peace and quiet to think about what should be done. He couldn't very well do that with Juudai following at his heels like a forlorn puppy. Why did Juudai care that much anyway?

Whirling around, he glared at Juudai. "What do you want?!"

"I just don't know what you want…" Juudai told him, looking mournful, "There's something wrong and I want to fix it." Genuine concern was etched across the young boy's face as he stared up at Haou.

Haou's scowl deepened. He refused to respond, merely waved Juudai off and kept walking. Juudai would have persisted; however, Johan came up behind him and put a hand on his shoulder, stopping him.

"I think he wants to be left alone," Johan said softly.

Juudai nodded slightly, watching Haou storm off. He couldn't take his eyes off of the figure until he'd disappeared into the trees, out of sight.

Haou kept his distance from the rest of the student population until nearly eight o' clock. He was sitting by the beach, watching the waves ebb in and out. It was quite nice there, actually. Since it was early, no one was out on the shore, and he could sit quietly by himself. Most of the time, however, he spent in discomfort. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't shake his disappointment in Juudai. He could make something of himself if he really tried. But instead, he had to act all cute and clueless for everyone. Perhaps he wanted to be loved? Was he really that afraid of being lonely? Was he really so afraid to show his intelligent, serious side for fear of becoming ostracized? Well, if that were the case, then he needed to overcome that fear. Fear couldn't rule his life forever.

Part of him felt slightly guilty, however. As much as he tried to push it down, it kept raising its ugly head and taunting him mercilessly. He knew that Juudai had no idea what he was doing. He knew Juudai had good reason to act the way he did, so careless and cheerful, especially having been so lonely and isolated in the past. After all, his parents had hardly been home in the daytime and Yubel had chased all his potential friends away. Not to mention he had been harsh himself. He had to admit, if he had been in a similar situation, with an unwanted soul living off in the recesses of his mind, entwined with his own soul, he would've done the same thing and forgotten. But not out of fear. More or less out of disgust. Perhaps he could dismiss Juudai's mistake. After all, he did have a lot to learn. He was only a mere child. At least, his attitude held him back from reaching his full potential. It almost made Haou sick to think about what Juudai could accomplish if he would just try. Well, that's why he was there, he supposed. To make the most use of the talents Juudai possessed. For his own benefit of course.

At that moment, he heard a quiet voice mutter his name. Turning, he saw Johan standing behind him, looking somewhat disturbed. It was apparent that the Gem Beast duelist sensed his aura of control and darkness. "Um…it's almost time for class…"

Haou sighed heavily. "Very well."

"Um…" Johan looked uncomfortable and he rubbed the back of his head, "Juudai really wanted to talk to you, too."

"What more is there to discuss with him?" Haou asked bitterly, "I thought we'd already dropped the matter."

"Well, apparently, he doesn't think so…" Johan replied.

Haou cursed under his breath as he brushed past Johan. Their eyes locked momentarily as Haou walked past him. He sent Johan an icy glare, warning him not to get too close. For some reason, he felt especially bitter towards the teal-haired boy, though he wasn't exactly sure why. Johan looked puzzled, but didn't say anything. Haou simply ignored him and made his way back to the main building.

A few days passed uneventfully. Haou found the classes to be monotonous and completely useless. Personally, he was disgusted with the students' lack of knowledge. If they seriously needed teachers to give them this sort of information, then they must have learning disabilities. The subjects came easy to him, and he found he was more than capable of making high marks without even paying attention. Though, he did pay attention to set an example for Juudai.

As for Juudai, he hadn't been talking much to Haou. He figured it might have had something to do with his angry confrontation and the way he constantly pushed the other boy away. Or perhaps Juudai sensed his need to be left completely alone. After hours of isolation, however, he began to feel lonely again. Part of him wanted to clear things up with Juudai so they could accomplish something. Part of him wanted to steer clear of the boy, since he was so annoyingly cheerful and optimistic. Haou could not stand this part of Juudai's personality. However, the potential he possessed made him almost giddy with avarice. He would do anything to get hold of Juudai's power. If only he could find a way to manipulate him…

First, however, he would have to get Juudai talking to him again, which wouldn't be easy. He had to be careful. He had to get the Osiris student to trust him before he tried anything risky. But to win Juudai's trust, he had to be kind to him. Or at least be mellower than he wanted to be. He mustn't be cold or bitter. Perhaps he should be gentler towards him for a few days and ease into it. Perhaps it would benefit him in the end if he took the time to listen to Juudai and lay low. Once he had the opportune moment…that would be the time to strike.

Deciding that it would be a good idea for some small talk in order to make him comfortable, Haou walked off to find him. As he came close to the cliff where Juudai liked to sit, he noticed two figures, rather than one. Raising an eyebrow, he stopped to watch from the bushes. Juudai was there all right, but so was Johan, which made Haou suspicious. He narrowed his golden eyes at the transfer student. Of all the times for him to cause trouble, this was probably the worst. Haou decided that he wanted Johan out of the way. Simply because the boy was keeping him from accomplishing his main goal: to conquer Juudai's world. Nevertheless, he stood back and watched.

"Oh, Johan," Juudai sighed, propping his chin in his hands, "I feel really bad. Haou really seemed upset at me for not remembering him…but I've never met him! How could I know him? He seems to have dropped it for now but…it still bothers me. Do you think he mistakes me for someone else?"

"I don't know. But I think he understands his blunder now and won't do that again," Johan told him reassuringly, placing a hand on his shoulder, "It's all right. I think he gets it now. Maybe he's just embarrassed? But I do worry about him…he seems so…dark. I'd rather you didn't spend a lot of time around him. I worry about you a lot. I get the strange feeling that he's dangerous. Please promise me that you won't do anything rash."

Juudai sighed heavily. "Don't worry about me," He told the other boy, smiling a little, "I'll be just fine. You worry way too much. And although he does seem a little…um…dark…that doesn't mean he's exactly horrible. I mean, he does scare me a bit…and I have this feeling like I shouldn't trust him. But we don't really know anything about him."

"Exactly!" Johan argued, "You don't know anything about him so you should keep your guard up. I'd suggest not being alone with him. And don't I have reason to worry about my dearest Juudai? You do tend to have a way with finding trouble."

Blushing a little, Juudai smiled wanly. "Yeah, that is true…I do tend to attract psychos. But I'm sure he's not this type of person. I can just feel that he's more stable mentally…though something about that seems kind of…unsettling."

"That's right," Johan told him, patting him on the back as though to assure him, "Something's just not right about the guy."

Juudai looked up uncertainly. "I don't know…he just seems like he wouldn't be a crazy type. He just seems…quiet…but sort of angry too. He has a temper, yeah, but…so does Manjoume. Ah well. At least you care about me. Thanks for looking out for me, but I can handle myself."

"Well…all right," Johan smiled a little at him, though doubt lingered in his sea green eyes. He looked thoughtful, then slung an arm around his shoulders. "Well, I have to look out for you. I mean, what are friends for?"

They sat silently for a few minutes, their arms around each others' shoulders. Haou frowned deeply. Why would Johan try to talk Juudai into avoiding him? Was he really that afraid of him? Did he view Haou as much of a threat to his goal as Haou did of him? It didn't matter, really. What mattered was that he had talked behind his back. It made Haou want to leap on him right then and punish him. Not to mention the boy was now practically slobbering all over Juudai. What made him so special as to be allowed this kind of contact? What made Juudai believe that he could talk to Johan about anything anyway? He and Juudai were two halves of the same soul! How much closer could one get? So why couldn't he talk to him like that? This was what infuriated the king so much. Juudai didn't trust him like he had. He never consulted with him, never asked him for help anymore. Not like he remembered him. Rather, he relied on his own strength and ended up in all sorts of complicated messes that could be solved relatively easily. It was much more practical to simply kill the offender and never have to worry about backsliding. Juudai's method was no long term problem solver. And his "friends" couldn't very well help him either.

Wrinkling his nose in disgust, Haou thought that it would be much easier and much more practical if the boy just came to him with his concerns and fears instead of going to a third party who wasn't going to do anything about it. Well, he wouldn't have done anything except tell Juudai to get over it anyway but…he still wished that Juudai had come to him instead. Even if Juudai thought that they hadn't know each other that long. Couldn't he at least sense there was a bond there?

As much as he hated to admit it, he was somewhat hurt by Juudai's actions. He wasn't sure why it bothered him so much. Perhaps it was just because Juudai was supposed to be the one closest to him, yet he was treating him like this…so distantly and not even knowing that he should treat him any differently. The fact that Juudai had forgotten him also bothered him. Did he want nothing to do with him? Why was he so reluctant to talk to him? Perhaps it was better that Juudai didn't know who he was. He might be able to gain the boy's trust now. If only he hadn't yelled at him like that…He silently reprimanded himself for not keeping his mouth shut. Now he would not be able to use Juudai as a tool. Unless he found a way to dismiss his prior behavior and win Juudai's trust back.

Tearing himself from his thoughts, he looked back over at Johan and Juudai. At the moment, Juudai had his head on Johan's shoulder and they were watching the sunset. Haou clenched his fists. When would Johan ever leave? He had things to discuss with Juudai. And what was the meaning of this display? He sure hoped that they wouldn't start kissing or anything. He didn't want his mind to be filled with the image of such a despicable scene! Love was useless. They had better things to do, such as help him conquer the world and obey his every command. After all, everyone was entitled to be under his power.

His eyes widened as Johan leaned over, brushing some hair out of Juudai's eyes and planted a small kiss on the side of his head, then down to his cheek. Juudai leaned against Johan's chest, looking up at his face. Johan leaned closer to the other boy to kiss him on the lips, his eyes closing. This was too much. Haou would not allow Juudai to stoop down to such a pathetic level. Juudai could be doing better things than wasting his time with this, this peasant.

He stepped out from behind the bushes boldly, then said rather loudly, "Juudai! Come here."

Juudai jumped, blushing and sitting up straight. He sent Haou a sideways glare of contempt. "Would you mind?"

"Don't talk to me like that," Haou ordered, "Now come with me."

Sullenly, Juudai stood up and stretched. He murmured an apology to Johan, then followed Haou down the path. By then, it was dark outside and the first stars were peeking out. It would have been a nice night had there not been so much tension between them. In fact, the silence was suffocating. He knew that Juudai resented what he'd done and was angry with him. But he didn't care. Juudai needed to learn to behave properly, and more dignified than that. Of course, he was disgusted with the whole deal. He'd express his disapproval and command the other boy never to do such a thing again. And Juudai would be forced to heed him, or else.

Finally, Haou stopped and turned to look at Juudai, his yellow eyes glowing unnaturally in the night. His icy look caused the other boy to tremble slightly in fear, causing him to drop his contempt.

"Look," Juudai said, sighing, "I don't know who you think you are…but that was really rude. And kind of embarrassing too." His cheeks flushed with red and he avoided Haou's bitter gaze. "If it's important though…"

Haou looked down his nose at the other. "Well, for one thing, I expect you to behave. And what you did back there was completely uncalled for. You have much better things to do. You have so much potential, you just need training. And I intend to teach you whether you like it or not. So you'd better pay attention. It doesn't matter whether or not I was rude. The fact is that you don't act like that where others can see you. And you don't want to make a rash decision. That boy, Johan, he cares much more for you than you do for him. Even a fool could see that. So don't do it out of pity. That would be ridiculous."

Juudai stared up at him, looking peeved. "Who's to say that I did it out of pity?" He argued, clenching his fists, a little, "And what do you mean teach me? I'm just trying to have fun, so chill."

Haou gritted his teeth, anger flowing through his veins. "How dare you speak to me in such a disrespectful manner!" He snapped, "You'll never learn if you resist so much. I could make so much out of you if you'd only cooperate!"

"What do you mean?" Juudai asked, trying to act as though he were bored, though it was obvious his interest had been pricked.

"I could make such a strong duelist of you," Haou growled in response, choosing his words carefully, "You could duel all you wanted. Is it really that hard?!"

Juudai perked up. "Well, I don't know but…" He looked thoughtful. "I'd really like to do this on my own but…if you're good and you want to help me and I get to duel, then hey, I don't think I could turn it down….still…" He seemed hesitant.

Haou said nothing, only patted him on the head a little. If he really wanted Juudai to work under him, he'd have to be more subtle about it. He decided to gradually work his teaching and training into Juudai's everyday life without the other boy even noticing. He would get Juudai to obey him and follow his command. After a moment, he beckoned for Juudai to follow him. "You'd better get to bed. We're getting up early tomorrow. And…" He threw a glance over his shoulder, "Don't waste so much time with that boy, do you hear me?"

Juudai did not respond. He stiffened, though, at Haou's command. It was obvious that he hated being told what to do by a "peer." Haou knew, however, that Juudai would not be able to keep away from Johan for long. As much as he hated to think about it, he knew that the Osiris student could not tear away from someone he'd grown so close to. How then, had Juudai been able to tear away from him? It really bothered him. He had to get to the bottom of this, and soon. Otherwise, he might lose an important asset. Otherwise, he might lose an important part of himself.

A/N: Bleh. That was possibly the worst thing I've written in awhile. I'm sorry the ending sucked…I ran out of inspiration there at the end…but I have plenty for the next chapter. How come that ALWAYS happens? I don't understand myself. I'm sorry it's going downhill….I think I feel insecure about the character interaction and the dialogue…Well, I suppose next chapter will start on some more soul searching, more action, and more danger…yeah…