Last night was far worse than any night Daichi had been through. He was up late, trying to exhaust his mind. Exercise, math problems, arithmetic, and so many other things but they never worked. If he tried to sleep, Daichi knew ideas of what Manjoume was going through would fill his dreams.

By 3 AM, Daichi thought he had succeeded, but he was wrong. One nightmare was all he needed to stay awake until tomorrow night. Once he knew that Manjoume was fine, he knew he would be able to sleep. That wouldn't be tonight and Daichi was going to suffer through the night until he saw Manjoume.

Because of that, Daichi made sure he was at school early. He was relieved to see Manjoume's limo already there. His feet slid on the slushy ground as he hurried to the car. He could barely see through the tinted window. Daichi knocked on it until it rolled down.

Manjoume didn't seem any different. Then again, he knew how to apply makeup well. For all Daichi knew, he could be hiding his bruises. The idea had his heart clenching painfully.

"Good morning," Daichi muttered.

"Morning. I see you're here early." Jun looked down at some papers in his lap.

"I came to check up on you…" Daichi responded, looking down at his feet.

After a few moments, Manjoume rolled up the window and opened the door. "Come in. No sense getting myself cold just by talking to you. I'm not getting sick on your account."

Daichi climbed in and sat across from Manjoume. Maybe he was hiding his bruises beneath his uniform. Didn't Daichi have this thought before? He leaned back in his seat and let out a sigh.

He was exhausted from thinking about all this.

"My brothers didn't do anything," Manjoume commented. He looked up from his papers. "Well, nothing that left a mark. They just grabbed me and stuff—no punches or kicks. Just the usual stuff."

That wasn't what Daichi wanted to hear. It was better than the alternative, but it was hardly enough.

"I'm glad to hear that…" Daichi muttered.

Manjoume shrugged. "It's whatever."

A sound from the school brought their attention to the window. The gates were slowly opening, the groundskeeper standing near them.

"School won't start for another forty-five minutes. You can stay in here if you want to."

"Will you be staying here as well?"

"Of course. There's some paperwork I have to finish before I head back inside."

"Then I'll stay, too."

Manjoume didn't look up at him, but Daichi could see his smile. He couldn't stop himself from smiling back. He knew that Manjoume could see him doing so.

"What's your work about?" Daichi questioned.

"Just some things my brothers wanted me to finish for them." Manjoume tossed the papers aside and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I usually end up finishing a few things for them. It's their way of telling the public that I have a hand in what they do—kinda like how they have a hand in all my dueling matches."

This was news to Daichi. "They do?"

"Well, yeah." He leaned back in his seat and stared at Daichi. "Every duelist I've faced? They've picked them out—always. Sometimes they aren't even difficult to face. I think they send me the kids of their employers. Maybe someone who irritated them, so they use me to teach them a lesson through their children.

"I feel like an attach dog sometimes. … I hate it…"

Daichi felt a painful tug to his heart again. It was always obvious that they were using Manjoume in more ways than one. "I suppose that's often when they're in better moods?"

"Usually," Manjoume muttered. He stared down at his lap. "An actual peaceful dinner happens…"

This was not a topic Daichi wanted to continue. Whenever the topic of his brothers came up, he could feel the anger boiling in him.

Anger was not something that Daichi touched often. In fact, he did his best to stay away from it. He had seen what anger could do to people and it wasn't his thing. In his lifestyle, within his home, anger was never a thing. To feel it at such an intense volume scared Daichi. He felt the need to change the topic quickly.

Daichi grabbed his bag and rummaged through it until he found the silver ticket. He held it out to Manjoume, smiling. "Here."

Manjoume stared at the slip of paper before taking it. His eyes went over the words, his brow furrowing. "She invited me? I've been trying to get an invite from her for a few years."

He smiled. "Well, I convinced her to do it. She wasn't happy about it at first, but she's my best friend. I think she'd do anything for me if I asked her."

Manjoume snorted and looked out the window. By now, other students were filing into the school. Daichi hadn't realized how much time had passed them. "You've only been here for a couple of months. I guess that's impressive that you found Asuka to be your best friend. I expected you to find someone in the math club to befriend or something."

"She could be yours, too, y'know…" Daichi was sure that they could be friends. If he talked to Asuka—really talked to her then maybe she would be able to put their differences aside. Maybe she would try hard for Daichi's sake.

"I doubt it. Asuka and I don't get along." Manjoume looked at her from the corner of his eye. "You saw how she treated me yesterday."

Only because of your attitude…

Daichi still smiled at him, despite his thought. "Maybe that can change. You never know, Manjoume." He leaned closer and reached a hand out. He touched Manjoume's knee and gave it a squeeze. "If you want, you could spend some more time with us. I know Shou and Judai enjoyed your company."

Manjoume brushed Daichi's hand away. He opened the door and stepped out. "We'll see. Get to class or you'll be late. Like hell am I letting Asuka blame me for making you late."

He didn't feel bothered by how Manjoume brushed him off. By now, Daichi was used to how he was being treated by him. Others may see it as mean, but he didn't. He knew that it was Manjoume's way of keeping his reputation. He was fine with that.

Daichi stepped out of the car and closed the door. The driver sped away before it clicked shut. Manjoume was already halfway to the school among the other students. What more could Daichi say to him? Manjoume was just being himself—there was nothing that Daichi could say to make him change his mind.

That's what partially hurt him.

"I'm ready to skip school," Asuka muttered. She leaned against Daichi as they walked out of the school together. "Between this and Swan Lake, I'd rather sleep than even hang out with anyone."

"You do look pretty tired," Daichi commented. Asuka had bags under her eyes and walked slower than usual. He figured it was from a result of her working hard. He was grateful, for her sake, that the performance started next week. "Would you get a pardon from school the day of the performance?"

"Even if they don't let me, I'm not coming in when the day arrives." Asuka stood straight and stretched her arms above her head. "They can try to comment about it to my parents, but there's no way they'll take that sitting down. My parents want me to focus on ballet. Anyway," she smiled at Daichi, "I don't suppose you'll be with us without Manjoume today?"

"I'm not sure," Daichi answered. "Yesterday he told me that we would go back to our regular schedules and I saw him earlier today. I'm not sure if he has any other plans for today."

Asuka frowned, looking off to the gates. "It wouldn't surprise me if he had other plans. He cancelled all his appointments yesterday, right?" Daichi nodded. "Then he'll have to go back and take care of them all. That means… we won't be seeing you."

He frowned. She was right. If Manjoume had nothing to do, he would have said something to Daichi.

As they reached the curb, Manjoume's limo rolled up. The driver hopped out and opened the door for him. It surprised both Daichi and Asuka. Manjoume's driver had never been so nice to him before. Usually, Daichi had to open the door himself.

"I'll see you around, Asuka," Daichi said after her.

"Later, Daichi. Be sure to call me later!"

Daichi climbed into the car. Manjoume was already there, going through his deck. He was examining each card, frowning or nodded at some of them. It seemed the duels would be on Manjoume's agenda today.

Putting his deck away, Manjoume acknowledged Daichi. "Had a good day today?"

The day continued to become stranger by the second. Daichi was never asked that before. "It was fine. And yours?"

Manjoume shrugged and turned his gaze to the window. "It was fine. I have some duels that need to be handled. Not surprisingly, they're the kids of some of my brother's employees. It shouldn't take me long—but I'll be stuck all day doing it."

"It seems that you predicted it, huh?" Daichi asked.

"I suppose so. I'm not happy about it, though."

The drive continued in silence. Daichi had a feeling that Manjoume would have preferred it that way. Perhaps he was thinking about what strategies he would use or how quickly he should dispose of them—maybe he was thinking about how much he didn't want to go through with it. Daichi thought it was better to not break his concentration.

They reached the Kaiba Dome and Daichi's jaw dropped. Since the building's construction, official duels of any sort happened within its walls. With its various seats, it was the best place to hold them. Before being Manjoume's "lackey", he had never been to the Kaiba Dome. He had only been inside a few times since then, but it always amazed him by the sight of it.

Manjoume climbed out of the car and Daichi followed.

They walked inside, and someone directed them to the arena. No one was there to view the duel, but a line of kids waited on the side. Some look terrified while others were excited to be there. They couldn't be that much older than Manjoume. In fact, some of them were younger. Was this how cruel Manjoume's brothers were?

"Every one of them?" Daichi asked quietly.

"Every one of them…" Manjoume answered just as quietly. "I don't want to, but it wouldn't surprise me if my brothers were watching me…" He wrapped his arms around himself and looked around. "Actually, they probably are…"

It wouldn't surprise Daichi, either. After all, they knew that he was Daichi's house those past few days. Perhaps they always knew about Manjoume and where he was at.

Maybe they were even aware of where he was yesterday.

Now that Daichi thought about it some more, this could be Manjoume's punishment, as well. He told him his theory and Manjoume laughed.

"It's possible," he muttered. "'Jun missed his meeting with us and all his other important shit—time to teach him a lesson by forcing him to torture kids'." Manjoume laughed. "Yeah, that sounds like a sadistic thing they would do."

The older Manjoume boys were evil. That was Daichi's conclusion.

After all, who else would make their brother duel young kids? Their brother who was a champion at playing Duel Monsters—it was a terrible idea.

"How long will it take?" Daichi questioned.

"Not long. I've gone against some of them before and they know what's up." Manjoume sighed. "Do me a favor?" Daichi nodded his head and Manjoume pulled his phone out of his pocket. There's a mass email I have prepared in my inbox drafts. It's… an apology email. Send it to the name 'Yukiko' in my contacts. She'll know what to do with it."

Daichi cradled Manjoume's phone in his hands. The only conclusion he could come up with was that Manjoume would be apologizing to the kids and their parents. It was nice of him to do so. Even if it wasn't his fault, even if his hands were as tied as theirs, he knew when to be kind and when to say sorry. Daichi admired that about him. Manjoume knew when to do it when it mattered most.

It was painful for Daichi to know that Manjoume had to hide it.

He sat down in the stands as Manjoume dueled the others. One by one, he battled them all. No matter how old they were, no matter how talented they were, it ended with them in tears or on the verge of crying. When the last one finally finished, it was already eight at night. The children had gone home, escorted by some man in a black suit. It was a terrifying sight.

Slowly, he left the stands and walked up to Manjoume. He still stood on his side of the Duel Ring. His fists were clenched together tightly, his lip cradled between his teeth. Daichi had never seen him like this—he didn't know what to say to try and comfort him. Manjoume didn't seem like himself right now.

"Don't say anything," Manjoume said.

Daichi pouted. "I wasn't—"

"You were going to." Manjoume took a deep breath and let it out in a slow pace. "Okay, it's late. Do you… do you want some dinner? We don't have to go to my house. I'll treat you to whatever you'd like—fast food, French, Italian, whatever."

Nothing came to mind about what to eat. After what Daichi had seen, viewing what Manjoume had no choice to do, he lost his appetite. "Let's just go for a walk. Is that alright?"

Manjoume raised an eyebrow at him. "A walk? That's what you want to do now?" Daichi shrugged and Manjoume knew he lost. He rubbed his face then headed for the exit. "I don't understand you at all, you know?"

"I believe you've told me this before," Daichi answered as he followed. He smiled at him. "There's nothing wrong with walking or running around. It helps to clear your mind. You might find it interesting or even helpful with your situations."

"I'm not much of an exercise person." Manjoume rolled up his sleeve and pinched his arm, showing little to no muscle mass through his uniform. "See? I'm lucky enough I can lift ten pounds."

Daichi smiled. "That's still an impressive feat. With some time and effort, you can lift even more."

Manjoume gave him a look. It told him enough that he wouldn't exercise unless it was necessary. "I'd rather not."

"Suit yourself."

They left the Kaiba Dome and his driver was waiting for him. The door was open, inviting them inside. Manjoume shook his head. He quickly explained that they would be walking around for a while. Even the driver looked at them with an odd look. Regardless, he told Manjoume to call when he was ready.

Manjoume motioned for Daichi to follow him and he did, staying as close to him as he possibly could.

They were in a good area to take a walk. There were a few stores to shop around in along with other eateries. It was a shame it was far away from their usual spot. Daichi could imagine Judai spending most of his time dueling within the dome if he could. It would be an experience to view more duels that were different. Manjoume was a good teacher, but he could always learn new strategies from someone else.

As they passed a computer shop, Daichi lingered. He stared at all the various parts, pouting as he stared at the prices.

"Don't you already have a computer?" Manjoume asked from behind him.

"I do, but I've been thinking about building my own," Daichi explained. "A lot of programs that allow you to duel online are too powerful for my dinosaur. And I don't have many people I can play with in person."

Manjoume tilted his head. "It doesn't look that old…"

"Oh, but it is." Daichi walked over to the door. "Do you mind if we step in for a bit?"

Manjoume shrugged and followed Daichi inside. Daichi wandered through the aisles, making notes and calculations of the prices. It would be a lot of money, but he had dreams of having the best computer one day. His possibilities would be endless if he had the right equipment for things. Even if it took him forever, he would achieve that goal.

"I don't care how long it'll take me, I'm going to get something like this," Daichi said, pressing his cheek to a tower frame. "If I'm ever allowed a part time job, I don't think it'll take me long to build one."

"Are you kidding me?" Manjoume questioned. He picked up the price tag to a computer part and showed it to Daichi. "There's no way you can afford even half of these pats on a part time salary. You'll be old and gray by the time you do!"

Daichi chuckled. "I didn't say it would be easy. I don't mind all the work I'd have to put into it. Besides, it'll be fun."

"For who?"

Daichi rolled his eyes, but he was smiling. "I'm sure it'll be fun. Maybe you can come and see me doing it. For now, come on. Let's keep walking."

Manjoume was next to roll his eyes. He still followed Daichi back out of the store.

They continued walking. One by one, more people were coming in and out of stores. It was a late-night rush of activity and they came out in droves. Every so often, someone would cut between them, separating them for a moment. It made Daichi nervous to lose sight of Manjoume. He feared that he would lose him in the crowd and his brothers would pick him up.

Daichi reached for Manjoume's arm and pulled him in close. "Sorry. It's less crowded on this side and it'll be safer if we stick together."

Manjoume pulled his arm back. His cheeks were a light pink, but it was hard to see under the light of the streetlamps. "R… right, thanks." He shoved his hands back into his pockets, continuing to walk. "It's getting more crowded. Do you want to head home yet or what?"

Daichi shook his head. He didn't want to leave Manjoume's side yet. Right now, he wanted to delay whatever punishment his brothers would have for him. "We can keep going on to somewhere less crowded. Are you up for it?"

When Manjoume shrugged his shoulders, Daichi motioned for him to follow. They walked through the crowd. Daichi took Manjoume's arm so that he could direct him. Breaking through, he finally let go. Manjoume tucked his arms further into his own side. Daichi didn't make a comment about it.

By now, they could hardly see the roof of the Kaiba Dome. Reaching a bridge, Manjoume looked over at the water for a moment. Daichi waited until he was ready to start moving again. He tried not to think about what Manjoume was thinking about. It could only be one of two things—or perhaps it was both.

"How is your little aquarium, by the way?" Daichi asked as they began to walk again.

"They're fine. I've been thinking about adding more to it," Manjoume answered. "I'll need a bigger tank for it. I haven't found the time to head to the pet store yet."

He could see that Manjoume was becoming more relaxed as they spoke. Daichi continued the conversation, "Why don't we head to one tomorrow? Maybe you won't have much to do then. It would be the best time for it, y'know."

Manjoume shrugged. "Maybe. We'll see. … Besides, it's a lot of work. I'd have to drain the other tank, make sure the fish are safe while I'm setting up the other tank. It's a really long process."

"I don't mind helping. However, I've been wondering, why do you have it in your closet? Would they look better and be happier in your room or entertainment room?"

Manjoume glanced at him. "I feel like they're… safer for them there. You know…?"

Daichi grimaced. Now he had to fear that Manjoume's brothers would throw him into the tank. It would hard Manjoume in more ways than one. Not only would he be severely injured, but he would lose something that gave him peace and made him happy. Daichi didn't know if Manjoume would survive that.

"I understand," Daichi said. "Perhaps I can help you. Many hands make light work, after all."

"I'll think about it." Manjoume stopped at a corner and pulled out his phone. He stared at his phone for some time then sighed. "I need to go. It's been… nice, I guess."

He smiled. "I'm glad you enjoyed it. Maybe next time we can go to another movie—just me and you. I'm sure there's something interesting to watch going on this month."

Manjoume nodded then started to call for his driver. "I'll think about it. Just don't get your hopes up too high, okay?"

"For you? I always will."

Manjoume stared at him, a weird look on his face. Daichi didn't know what to think about it. "You're so weird."

Daichi smiled. "I suppose I am."

The limo pulled up in a matter of minutes, its shiny sleek surface glowing in the streetlamps. It wouldn't have surprised Daichi if it was following them around the entire time. The door was opened and Manjoume motioned for Daichi to get in.

"I'm not taking a no for an answer this time," Manjoume said. "Get in and get a ride home."

Daichi climbed in after Manjoume. "Thank you. I appreciate it."

"It's not a big deal. Sometimes I feel like your father would scold me if I never gave you a ride. … Or at least offered you one," Manjoume explained, messing around with his phone already.

"Oh?" Daichi laughed. "Somehow, I feel like that's something he would do, my mother included. Of course, that would only happen if you gave them the chance to do so."

"Yeah, and I'm not giving it to them!"

They shared a laugh together. The ride to his home was a pleasant, a few jokes and conversations passed between them. Pulling up to Daichi's home, he knew he had to leave the car. Daichi knew that he had to. The driver opened the door for him, surprising him once again. Usually, he would need to open the door for himself.

"Have a good night," Daichi said, leaning his head into the car. "Will I… see you tomorrow?"

Manjoume hesitated for a moment, staring down at his lap. He looked back up at Daichi, a forced smile on his face. "Yeah. Night."

The driver tapped Daichi away and closed the door, separating them. He tipped his hat to him and moved back to the driver's side. As usual, Daichi waited for the car to disappear in the distance before heading inside. The snowy slush clung to his boots as he walked up the stairs to enter the warm house.

"I'm home," he announced. He kicked off his boots then peeled off his scarf and coat.

Mrs. Misawa walked into the hallway, a smile on her ace. She looked to be doing better than ever today. "Hello, sweetie. Are you hungry?"

"Starving, actually."

"Then come. Dinner's ready."

"Daichi, I need you to wake up."

A full stomach and an adventurous day had put him into a deep sleep. Daichi had to be shaken roughly before he finally woke up. He rubbed his eyes until his father's face came into focus.

"Dad? What's… what's wrong…?"

"You need to come to the hospital with me," Mr. Misawa answered as he turned on the lamp on Daichi's desk.

"The hospital?" Daichi muttered. It was a strange request. He had no business in the hospital. Then he thought of Manjoume. He tossed the covers aside and sat up. "Is he okay?"

"We're about to see," Mr. Misawa answered. "Get dressed—or don't. I don't think Manjoume would care how you're dressed. I was told that he wanted to see you with me when I go."

He had a point. Before his father could leave, Daichi scrambled after him. If something was wrong with Manjoume, he wanted to know what it was. He didn't care about his looks or how improper he would look in the hospital. They had all seen him when he was a naked boy just born. His pajamas would be fine.

Mr. Misawa was already halfway to the garage by the time Daichi had his coat and boots on. He climbed into the passenger seat, hurriedly buckling himself in. They may be in a rush, but that didn't mean he couldn't be safe.

The drive seemed to take longer than they wanted it to. They could only drive as fast as the speed limit would allow them. While there was no traffic after 2:30 in the morning, that didn't mean they wanted to risk a ticket. Daichi could see the hospital in the distance and his heart hammered painfully in his chest the closer they got to it. He hoped that Manjoume was okay.

Mr. Misawa pared in the employee's section when they arrived. Daichi was the first one in the building, allowing the hospitals chemical smell to fill his lungs. It made him nauseous. Perhaps it wasn't the smell that was bothering him, but the idea that something terrible had happened to Manjoume.

All he could do was hope that he was okay.

His father led him into an elevator and onto the third floor. Once there, Mr. Misawa talked to a nurse, giving Daichi a chance to look for Manjoume. It was easy—all he had to do was find the room with an open door. Most of the hospital's patients liked to keep their doors closed during the night. Unless they needed special care, it was fine.

Inside the room, Daichi's heat nearly broke and he felt himself on the verge of fainting. Manjoume was on the bed, holding on to his wrapped hand. There was blood on the bandage. Daichi hadn't expected this at all.

Manjoume grinned at him. "Thanks for coming."

He couldn't understand how Manjoume could be so calm about all this. Daichi stumbled forward and sat next to him on the bed. "Does it… hurt? Like, at all?"

"Oh, it does. I'm jut doing some mind over matter nonsense to survive," Manjoume answered.

Daichi knew he was too calm for this situation. He ran a hand down his face. "How—"

"Did it happen?" Manjoume shrugged. "It was a trophy case. I… kinda put my hand through it."

He chewed on his lip. "Was it—"

"It was my own fault," Manjoume admitted. He raised an eyebrow at Daichi, who gave him a confused look. "I got angry at them, so I punched one of my trophy cases. I didn't expect it to break that easily, especially with my small hands." Manjoume laughed. "I guess I'm stronger than I look."

Mr. Misawa walked into the room, dressed in a white coat. "Anger is a powerful thing." He pulled a wheeled chair over and sat in front of Manjoume, holding out his hand. "Let's see it."

Manjoume unwrapped his hand and Daichi had to look away. He couldn't bear to see what it looked like. There were a few hissing sounds coming from Manjoume as Mr. Misawa inspected his injury. Daichi spared a look but looked away immediately once he saw the sight of blood again. Blood never bothered him, but it seemed to do so when it involved Manjoume.

"You're going to need a few stitches, obviously," Mr. Misawa announced.

"Aaaaaaaaaand that's why I called you," Manjoume stated.

Mr. Misawa sighed and walked over to the door. "Manjoume, one of the other doctors could have taken care of this."

"I'd rather you take care of it. I don't trust any of the other doctors to do this. … Or keep quiet."

He left the room, leaving Daichi and Manjoume alone. They didn't talk much, but Manjoume was respectful and covered his wound back up. Daichi appreciated it. He didn't want to continue seeing his blood and thinking about how much his brothers had angered him.

It wasn't long before his father returned with a nurse and all they would need. Mr. Misawa slipped on some gloves and sat back in the chair he had previously occupied. Daichi looked away so that he didn't have to see it happening.

"I truly don't see a difference between me and the other doctors," Mr. Misawa muttered.

"Here's one: I wouldn't get to see Daichi if you didn't come to take care of me," Manjoume stated.

"Hm. I feel like that's the only reason you did it."

Daichi dared to look between his father and Manjoume. It felt like some unspoken conversation was happening between them. He felt out of the loop and that he needed to know what it was. After all, it was about him. Daichi had the right to know.

"Um—"

"Don't worry about it, son," Mr. Misawa said, pressing the needle into Manjoume's flesh.

"Okay…" Daichi muttered. He still felt like he needed to know.

Once more, he looked away while his father patched Manjoume up. He just couldn't handle seeing stitches be put onto him. Altogether, there were thirsty stiches split up in three different spots. Manjoume didn't seem to be in much pain through it all. Daichi could only imagine how many other times he came to the hospital for stitches.

"You're all good," Mr. Misawa announced. "Try not to flex your hand too much. Your brothers should give you a bit of a break."

"You and I both know that that won't happen, Doc," Manjoume muttered, inspecting the new bandages.

"However true that may be, try and convince them." Mr. Misawa pulled off his gloves and went to the sink to wash his hands. "Now, is that all you needed me for? I think Daichi was in the middle of a good sleep."

Daichi stared down at his lap. "I wasn't really…"

"I'm sorry." Manjoume stepped off the bed. "Thank you for patching me up and coming all this way. I appreciate it more than you know."

Mr. Misawa smiled at Manjoume. "Do you have a ride home?"

"Don't I always?" Manjoume looked to Daichi. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Daichi watched as Manjoume left the room then turned to his father. "I feel like I'm lost at sea when it comes to him…"

"I understand but think of it in another way," his father said, patting his shoulder. "You're breaking through to him. That's something to be proud of. Can't you see the good you're doing?"

He had to look back down to the floor. If Daichi thought back to all the things that Manjoume had done with him, it was an improvement. The steps were tiny, but they were there. When he first met him, he would have never expected such a dramatic improvement. Now, Daichi saw him as a completely different person.

Things had changed, and they were for the better.