"Okay, what is it you want to talk about?"

Her voice remained as soothing and calm as ever, and Yugi felt as if though she would string up a confession of more than he was willing to reveal. He supposed it was part of her job to help coax out problems that people had issues exposing, but there were definitely some aspects of his story that no one outside of the fold needed to know about. Things that would warrant more fear than understanding.

"It's stupid," he muttered lamely, still trying to figure out how to word everything. He wasn't even sure how to begin. How do you even begin to tell a stranger your story?

"I'm all ears," she replied. "Whatever is bothering you, I'm here to listen."

"How do I even start?" Yugi asked, feeling hopeless.

"Wherever you want," she said simply. "But I can help you with this. How have you been feeling lately?"

"Miserable."

"Why? What's bothering you?"

Yugi rolled his eyes. "Too much to really say…"

"Break it down for me?" She paused for a moment, waited for Yugi to speak, but he didn't. She prompted him a little more. "How long has this feeling been going on?"

"Three years," he replied quietly.

"That's a long time," she pointed out. "Is this the first time you've really sought out help for yourself?"

Yugi nodded, then realized she couldn't hear that over the phone. "… Yes."

"Why did you wait so long?"

"Because I wasn't…" He pursed his lips, contemplating on hanging up or telling her the truth. Jounouchi and Honda weren't wrong—Yugi had become so used to his depression, so attached, that it became part of his everyday life. It was comforting and almost like another home inside his head. It was familiar. He hadn't wanted to part with it, still wasn't totally ready to separate himself from it.

"You weren't ready to get help?" she offered.

Close enough. "I guess…"

"Do you have an idea of when this started?"

Yugi hesitated for a moment, then replied. "Yeah… I know when. I um…" He faltered, losing his grip on his resolution to speak and bring his dilemma more into light. He worried that she would become cold and aloof to his problems. As much as he'd denied it in the past, Yugi was starting to realize his emotions towards the Pharaoh were much deeper than a fond respect for him. He wasn't sure how deep his feelings went, but at the moment, he was too scared to delve into it more.

Kayla was waiting patiently, only the soft sound of her breathing was heard on the phone, and Yugi wondered idly if she was sitting in a chair at a cluttered desk and rolling her eyes at his silence. The manner in which she spoke told Yugi that wasn't the case—she'd been understanding and gently prompting thus far—and he felt bad for poorly judging her character.

His hand raised up and balled into a fist as he struggled to get the words out. He was really going to admit the initial cause of his depression and he felt so childish for admitting it. I'm not a fucking teenager. "It was when he left me." He spoke the words so quietly that he was afraid she didn't hear him at first. To his chagrin and relief, she had. He hated the mixed emotions, hated that he always battled with them.

"Why did he leave?"

Yugi found it was so difficult to explain this to a stranger, and he was only glad she wasn't as persistent as Honda was about obtaining answers. He didn't know if he could deal with that right now. This whole conversation was such a struggle for him. "Because of me…" It wasn't truthful, yet it was at the same time. He left me because of me.

"Were you two arguing?"

He shook his head, then felt stupid for a moment. "No… it's not that. We just… had an issue we couldn't see eye-to-eye on…"

"It was too important an issue to you both that you couldn't find a middle ground?"

"Yeah."

"But he sounds important to you," she concluded with finality. "How long did you two know each other?"

"A couple years," he replied. "But it felt like so much longer…"

"That's a normal feeling," she assured. "Time is irrelevant when you're with the right person. It feels like he meant a lot to you, and his leaving you did more damage than you thought. Would you mind telling me more about him? It's all right if you don't."

Yugi let out a shaky sigh and rubbed his free palm against his jeans; though it felt clammy no matter how much he rubbed it. "What, um… do you want to know?"

"Anything you want," she replied. "You can tell me how he made you feel, when you last had an argument, or a time you two did something together."

"I admired him a lot," he said finally after a long several seconds of silence. "Back then, I was so meek and small… He was always there for me. Always looked after me. I don't know how I managed before I met him. I think the times I had before him just sort of became a distant memory. Or maybe I abandoned them ever happening in the first place just so I would think they were all a stream of bad dreams. Sometimes I felt like I could never catch up to him. I felt like he was out of my reach."

"Why did you think that?"

"The way he carried himself," he replied simply.

She waited patiently for him to continue. Yugi wished she wouldn't.

"He always kept his head high," he finally explained. "His back was straight and it never seemed to falter. He was always so sure of everything he did when he did it. Like… he just knew it would fall in line like he expected. I was never that confident in anything I did. Any decision I made was skeptical. I didn't think they'd work out most of the time. I felt like I burdened him more than anything."

"But that wasn't the case, was it?"

No… no, it wasn't. Atem's always been there for me when I was down. He's always helped me to believe in myself. And when his words couldn't reach me anymore, he felt like he couldn't help me anymore. He felt hopeless. What he did… it was a last-ditch effort to open my eyes, and I still wouldn't let him in. God, I'm such an idiot.

Under no control of his own, tears started pouring from his eyes. He felt stupid, selfish, and alone. Atem had stayed true to his word thus far by not appearing before him, and Yugi desperately wanted to get off the phone to beg for him to come back. He could hear himself sniffling, knew Kayla could too; but he couldn't stop the tears from coming out. Still, she didn't push him to speak.

"No," he muttered. His voice was shaky and cracked, but he'd managed at least one word. He completely acknowledged the fact that no matter how much he'd pushed the other away, he would always have his back in one way or another. He sniffled and his first thought was to apologize.

Kayla expressed a small sound of acknowledgement, but it wasn't criticizing in any means. "Honey, you have nothing to apologize for."

"I feel stupid," he admitted, offering a small smile in hopes that she'd catch what he was trying to do. It was only his first session with this woman, and it was already way more intense than he'd wanted it to be. It felt nice to know that she wasn't judging him, though; and that was just enough encouragement for Yugi to stay on the line with her.

"You shouldn't," she assured. "Do you want to end this for now? You're welcome to call back anytime."

In hindsight, Yugi was glad she'd given him that scapegoat. He was emotionally distressed from it, however brief it truly was, but emotions were exhausting when they were running on overdrive. At the same time, he didn't really want to let her off the line. He realized he wouldn't be able to tell her everything, but he could tweak the truth and still get the encouragement and understanding he was getting from her now. His only dilemma was getting someone new the next time he called.

"Will I have to speak to someone else?" he asked, his voice small and he cursed himself mentally for it. I'm so tired of being weak…

"Would you like to set up an appointment with me?" she offered. "I can certainly do that for you if you'd rather talk to me."

"Yes, please," he replied, adamant.

"Would you prefer another phone session?"

"Yeah."

"No problem," she said. There was clicking on her end, presumably from her typing on her computer in search of an opening. After a moment, she spoke. "I have an opening next Friday, around four in the afternoon that's open. Will that be okay with you?"

Yugi didn't even dispute it. He was going to take the appointment and ask Honda to work it for him, if the man wasn't already scheduled at his other job. Of course, that was dependent on Honda speaking to him at all. "Perfect."

They bid each other farewell before Yugi pressed the button to end the call. He wasn't entirely sure what he should be feeling, but he felt lighter than before. The call was brief, awkward at first, and more provoking than he'd thought it would be initially. Still, it was an accomplishment for him. Surprisingly, he felt proud of himself for doing it. It was a small first step in the right direction to getting better. He wanted to talk to Atem and apologize for his terrible behavior towards the spirit, but he willed himself against it. It wasn't that he didn't want to talk to Atem—or that he believed the Pharaoh was still in a state of ire towards him—but this would be another step towards progress. At this point, talking to Atem wouldn't do him much good, if only for the simple fact that he was seeking validity from the other. He realized that his constant need for validation from the man was unhealthy, a result of his crippling depression. Something he wanted to break free of so badly.

Atem can sit for a couple more days, he thought. Yesterday was only the first day. Maybe I'll make him wait until the final day when he faces me.

"Do ya think Yuug's gotta chance?" Jounouchi asked Ishizu.

Their conversation had continued after the blonde had initially spoke of what was happening, and had mostly moved onto what Yugi was experiencing.

Ishizu nodded. "I believe he does, but his desire to give up will be strong. He needs friends like you to keep him held upright. If he's left to slouch, he'll fall into a relapse that will most likely set him back even further than how he is now."

"Howda ya mean?"

"To take steps forward only to fall back causes more grief than a slow drift into it in the first place," she explained. "People who fall into relapse are less likely to recover their spirits because they believe that they are doomed to stay in their realm of despair. Having suffered from two major ordeals in such a short span, Yugi's depression was quick to build and fester; but to have him relapse would mean more precaution and more effort to bring him back. It's a difficult process that's often seen with people with drug addictions."

"Ohh…" Jounouchi looked down sadly, hoping that wasn't the case for Yugi. He didn't want his best friend to suffer anymore—certainly didn't want him to fall even more into despair. He strengthened his resolve, determined to help Yugi get better. He looked back up at Ishizu with intense eyes. "I'm gonna help him get betta. He's gotta. He won't be alone in dis."

Ishizu smiled fondly. "I'm glad to hear that. I also want him to heal. It's hard to believe he's the same person he was three years ago. I wish I'd kept in touch better."

The blonde merely shook his head, a smile on his face. "Nah. Don't fret about it. Life happens. I'm just glad I caught ya so I could talk ta ya."

"I am too."

Yugi grasped at his own hands, thinking hard about calling Honda back. He felt like it was too soon to call him—it'd only been a couple hours—and maybe he was busy at work. In which case, Yugi definitely didn't want to bother him. Although, if Yugi truly thought about it, it was his store. He could open it and close it as often as he liked. He tried being gracious by keeping it open seven days a week, with the exception of a couple holidays, and it felt strange to close it unexpectedly. Or, more accurately, to never bothering to open it in the first place. He hadn't posted any signs of forewarning to his customers about his absences, and for that, he felt guilty. He owed them something of an explanation without going too far into his situation. He wondered if there were any messages on the phone, suspected there were, and considered walking up there. He had an itch in the back of his mind that said it would be vendors wanting to talk to him about upcoming deliveries, but his trust with Jounouchi was fairly cracked. He didn't want to keep adding to the damages.

He sighed and forced himself to sit back down on his sofa. He supposed if he were in Honda's shoes, he'd want some time before the person he was upset with talked to him again. Then again, he wasn't in Honda's shoes and didn't want to react the same way Honda did. He couldn't understand the change of heart in the man. He'd always been so supportive during Yugi's dueling days. What changed? Their adventures that happened because of Atem and because of Duel Monsters were so much more life-threatening than anything Yugi was doing to himself now.

Maybe that's his issue, though? he thought.

Everything that had happened to them and to Yugi wasn't the direct result of Yugi unleashing it onto others—it had all happened for reasons out of their control. Yugi had control to seek help earlier, when his depression was budding. He had a choice when he thought all those times about suicide. He had the capability to prevent himself from cutting. He'd let his emotions win, let his despair take over. Honda didn't have an issue with Atem returning, but he certainly had an issue with Yugi using Atem as a scapegoat for his pain.

He does care…

He groaned in frustration with himself. He couldn't understand why he'd been so blind before, but the answer was painstakingly obvious at the same time. He'd been so wound up in himself and his own misery, that he couldn't see what everyone else was trying to tell him. Still, he'd allow Honda some time to himself—just to be safe—and then he'd call him tomorrow. For now, he had to find a way to keep himself occupied for the rest of the day.

Evening came faster than Yugi thought it would as he kept himself. He cleaned up around the house, took care of the laundry, watched a bit of television, and then finally started mulling over his old cards. He'd kept them safe inside an organizer since separating himself from the game almost entirely, and he felt oddly nostalgic. He had no desire to take the deck out and start playing again, but each card brought up a fond memory. He'd missed them so much when he had subconsciously stored them away. He heard the door opening and closing and knew Jounouchi was home from work. He closed the folder, set it back on the shelf, and made his way downstairs.

Jounouchi smiled upon seeing him. "Hey, Yuug! How did your day go?"

Yugi shrugged, a smile on his face in return. "House arrest isn't exactly what I'd call fun, but… it was okay."

For a moment, Jounouchi felt guilty, but he was self-assured that his decision wasn't bad. Especially since Yugi didn't seem to be all too upset about it. "Well, si' down. There's somethin' I wanna talk to ya about."

"Okay." Yugi made his way to the kitchen table to sit down and waited patiently for Jounouchi to join him.

"I toldja I would tell ya what I was doin' if I got an answer," the blonde explained. "I dunno if it's right, but… I believe it over anythin' I woulda thought of." He paused, wondering if Yugi would say anything, but he didn't. So he continued. "I went to that museum ta see Ishizu. I thought maybe she'd know more about it. It prolly wasn't my business ta tell her, but ya seemed so lost about everything. I hate seein' you like that, and—"

"What, uh… What'd she say?" Yugi interrupted quietly. He didn't want to listen to Jounouchi coddle him right now.

Jounouchi didn't miss the way his friend had cut him off at such a specific moment, but he decided not to press. He could ask about it later. "Well, uh… She said that Atem knew about dis and that he'd be aged up. Everythin's just lined up for him when he comes back. Has ta be. He won't have his parents, obviously, but there was no doubt in her mind that everythin' would be taken care of. Ya don't have ta worry about that part, Yuug.

"What you do need ta worry about, though," he continued, "is takin' care of yourself. I know ya don't wanna hear me lecture ya, but if I come off as a broken record? Well, so be it. I just can't help it."

Yugi smiled. It was small, tired, but appreciative. "I know."

Jounouchi offered a hesitant smile, unsure of what else he could say. His candor prevented him from keeping anything a secret from Yugi, so he had nothing else to offer. Except for a change in conversations. "So… what'd ya do today?"

Yugi shrugged. "I did housewife stuff. So if you notice the place is a little cleaner, you're welcome." He paused and smirked at Jounouchi, who returned it. "What else did you talk about with Ishizu?"

"Hm?" The blonde's expression was wide-eyed for a moment, like he'd got caught with his hand in the cookie jar, but he recovered quickly enough and shrugged. "Nothin' too important. Mostly just stuff for me. Main thing I wanted ya ta know was that stuff about Atem. Figured that's what ya needed ta hear so ya wouldn't be so focused on the bad all the time. You're Captain Pessimistic lately, and I wanted ta help ya with that. Speakin' a Atem… Have you talked ta him yet?"

Yugi shook his head. "It only just happened when he said those things to me, and I wanted to give him some time to cool off. Plus, it'd be better for me to focus on me, instead of fretting about him. I've got five days left before he comes back anyway. Not to mention, I really should call that doctor back…"

"About goin' to Egypt?"

Yugi nodded. "I know he's on a time constraint, so… I guess if I want to do this, I'll have to make a decision soon. My issue is… I doubt he's just going to hand the puzzle over to me. I'll have it temporarily in my possession, yeah—to put it together—but he's going to want it back when it's finished."

Jounouchi pursed his lips. "But that means you'll have ta make a decision to want Atem back."

"Yeah. I don't really have a whole lot of time to come up with an answer."

"Maybe that's a good thing," Jounouchi offered.

Yugi looked at him, waited for an explanation.

"Ya overthink shit all the time, Yuug," the blonde started. "I know this for a fact. Ya psyche yourself out and then ya bail out before ya even do it. I think this is a perfect scenario where ya have ta make a decision without much thought. Do ya want 'im back or not? An' don't take longer than five seconds to do it either," he added quickly.

Yugi opened his mouth to speak, but it took longer than five seconds before an answer left his mouth.