A/N: After this chapter, there are two chapters left and this story will be completed :) I'm still doing some heavy editing on chapter seventeen, so the update might be delayed next week! Chapter eighteen is a bit of a long one, including an epilogue, so I'm debating splitting that up if I end up adding scenes while editing it. With that said, enjoy!

The fight had broken out abruptly, causing the conversation in the living room to drop immediately. Seated at the coffee table, looking over brochures with Mai that had been brought over for a graduation vacation for their group, Anzu winced when she heard the raised voices in the kitchen. Mai, her forearms lying on the coffee table, did not even glance up. Jounouchi and Yuugi, however, both had the expressions of men deeply uncomfortable. Otogi was looking through a brochure interestedly on Anzu's other side and frowned to himself, though she knew it was more from the voices more so than contemplating the happy faces of tourists on the brochure.

Anzu had skipped her dance class that day to join her friends at the Kame Game Shop, as Mai had wanted to meet about a post-graduation vacation that she wanted to plan for the group. Since she was feeling sore and exhausted from the many hours of dance class, homework, and intense mock exam studying, the idea was more than appealing to Anzu. As soon as she had walked in, she had immediately noticed the tension emanating from Honda and Miho. Mai had simply shrugged to Anzu at her questioning gaze. Clearly Miho had not reached out to Mai, either, in regards to her relationship troubles.

"I told Honda he should have talked to her sooner," Otogi said quietly to Anzu, dropping the brochure on the table, his brow puckering. "She's been stressing about Honda seeing another girl is what some of the girls at school were telling me. I let Honda know, but he didn't believe me."

"Why wouldn't he just say something to her?" Anzu asked with a matching frown.

"Because he thought it was just gossip and said he didn't want to insult her by saying anything." He gestured towards the kitchen. "Now look at where it's gotten him."

"Well, I'm sick of listening to it," Mai announced, rising to her feet. "I'm going to say something."

The remaining four watched Mai apprehensively as she stalked to the kitchen where Honda and Miho were currently arguing. They heard Mai's voice snap out a command, cutting into the current argument. There was the exchange of lowered voices, then silence. From their vantage, they could see Mai standing in the doorway, her hand on her hip. A moment later, Miho shoved past her, nearly toppling Mai off her heeled boots. Anzu's heart instantly constricted with pity as she saw Miho's red-rimmed eyes. "I don't want to hear it, Mai!" Miho snapped at her, wiping her face. "You wouldn't understand – you're okay with Jounouchi flirting with other girls!"

This seemed to touch a nerve with Mai, whose eyes flashed with irritation and she raised herself to her fullest height. "Because I know that it's nothing more than that," she lashed back. "I don't need to worry about my boyfriend if I trust him! It doesn't sound to me like Honda has done anything to cause you to worry. It's not like you've been shown pictures of him with another girl!"

"You don't get it!" Miho returned angrily, not aware of her audience of friends that were watching the scene with wide eyes. "Honda didn't start getting distant until after the school trip when we – "

"That's not true!" Honda bleated, having removed himself from the kitchen. Compared to Miho's anger, he only looked worried and one second away from wringing his hands. "I'm telling you the truth, Miho – ask Anzu! Or better yet, ask Bakura at school. He wouldn't lie about what I've been doing."

Miho eyes seemed to shoot daggers at him. "I plan to!" She sent one last angry look towards him and then, her mouth trembling emotionally, she whirled away and stormed down the stairs, slamming the door behind her with enough force to shake the room.

Anzu made to rise to follow her, but Otogi took her arm, halting her. "Leave her alone, Anzu," Otogi advised. "I don't think she wants to talk to people right now." Reluctantly, she lowered herself back down to the floor. Mai had folded her arms and was scowling at the door, clearly annoyed with having her own relationship brought into the mix. Jounouchi, for his part, had attempted to sink behind his knees, sending a sidelong, furtive look to Mai. He seemed to be expecting her to start a fight with him.

Miserably, Honda made his way to the table and sank into the ground, folding his arms upon the table and pressing his face into them. "What a mess," he mumbled into his arms.

"Hey, it's okay, buddy," Jounouchi attempted bracingly, clapping Honda on the shoulder. "Whatever it is, I'm sure you guys will figure it out."

"As if you don't know what this is about. It's not like she went outside to yell at me."

"Why didn't you tell her that you were studying for the mock exam?" Anzu spoke up tentatively. He raised his face and heaved a world-weary sigh.

"I was trying to surprise her," he said gloomily. "I thought she would be really excited and happy with my mock exam grades. She's been just as anxious about us not getting into the same school, so I wanted to show her that I was serious and that I'd be able to make it in. I didn't think she was going to jump to conclusions."

"Girls don't like a break in routine," Otogi wisely said as Mai flopped over on the other side of Anzu, glowering. "I told you that she was starting to ask questions a week ago. You should have said something to her then."

"I just can't believe that she'd think I'm cheating! I've never done anything to make her think that!" He rubbed his face and then looked over to Anzu hopefully. "You don't think Bakura would play a joke and tell her that I was, do you? I know he has kind of a morbid sense of humor."

"Not about something like this," Anzu reassured him, shaking her head. "I don't think he's going to like getting dragged into it."

"I knew she wouldn't believe you. She seems to think everyone would have my back just because of a joke that Jounouchi made when we first started dating."

"Don't bring me into this!" Jounouchi said, raising his hands. "It's not like I meant it."

"What joke?" Yuugi asked, puzzled.

"Jounouchi and I," Mai interrupted, "were joking about having other boyfriends and girlfriends when we went out with Honda and Miho once. Jounouchi said something about how if he did, Honda wouldn't tell me about his side piece. And then he went on about 'bro code' and apparently Miho took that to heart."

"Er...you guys joke about that?"

"It was funny!" Jounouchi protested. "There was this guy trying to pick up Mai when I was standing right there, so I was teasing her, saying that she probably had five boyfriends besides me! It wasn't like I was serious or anything."

"This is why I don't have girlfriends," Otogi supplied unhelpfully, leaning back and fixing one of his earrings that had gotten tangled in his black hair. After freeing it, allowing it to swing freely, he added, "But I also don't usually go for good girls like Miho."

"I just don't know why she took that joke out of context."

"It's pretty obvious, isn't it?" When all the guys stared at Otogi, confused, he raised his eyebrows at them. "Come on, guys – get with it. Every graduation, people get love confessions and the old girlfriend gets tossed aside for the hot underclassman. She's probably been listening to the girls at school too much and thinks that's going to happen since Honda is her first boyfriend. With the added stress of not knowing what's going to happen in college and Honda suddenly disappearing after school, it's a natural thought for a girl to have. Being that it's close to Valentine's Day doesn't help, either."

"You don't see Anzu having those thoughts!" Honda said defensively, gesturing towards the female in question.

Otogi snorted. "She's dating Bakura, not a normal high school boy. Like she has anything to worry about."

This made Honda lapse into silence and Anzu to pinch Otogi, who yelped in surprise. Mai forcefully changed the topic back to the vacation packages in the brochures. Honda's heart did not seem into it, though, and he left before the others. The remaining five remained and after narrowing it down to a handful of vacation options, they disbanded. As Anzu made her way home, she had half a mind to warn Bakura about Miho, but she was too tired to walk across town to meet him and still doubted whether he had kept his phone.

Oh, well, she decided. I'm sure Bakura will be able to handle it.

The next day, she was met with a very annoyed Bakura and a tearful Miho trailing behind him after class. Anzu had been waiting for him in front of the lockers, watching students stream out in the schoolyard and had started in alarm upon seeing him with Miho. She was not sure whether Bakura had made her cry or her current situation was due to the tears. "What happened?" she asked worriedly, glancing from Bakura to Miho.

"Your friend won't leave me the hell alone," he said waspishly. "Who told her to accost me in class? You?"

"I told you, Honda did," Miho spoke up in an unsteady voice. Passing him, she flung her arms around Anzu. "Oh, Anzu, I feel so stupid! Honda is probably so mad at me and I made myself look so stupid yesterday!" When she broke into earnest tears, Bakura took a step back, appearing simultaneously disgusted and unnerved at the same time. Tears were clearly on the long list of things he was uncomfortable handling.

"I'm leaving before I have to hear more about this than I already have, no thanks to that idiot," Bakura said in a moody tone.

Before Anzu was given a chance to stop him, his long strides took him away from the lockers and outside. Surprised at his quick retreat, she stared after him and then sighed, patting Miho on the back. The other female stopped sobbing and was wiping her tears messily. "Let's go to the bathroom really quick," Anzu said comfortingly, guiding her away from the lockers back into the school to the bathroom.

Once there, Miho splashed her face with cool water and then patted it dry, wiping some of the mascara that had run from her eyes so she looked more presentable. Sniffling, she told Anzu, "I'm sorry for everything. I haven't been acting myself lately."

"It's okay," Anzu reassured her, shaking her head. She was leaning against one of the heaters in the bathroom, warming her bare legs while Miho adjusted her hair in the mirror. "I just don't understand where you got the idea that Honda was seeing someone else. I know he was busy studying, but there had to have been something else."

Miho sighed, tossing the paper towel away and turning to look at Anzu. "At first I thought maybe he was planning something special for Valentine's Day or was working on his car – sometimes he gets pretty absorbed in that stuff and doesn't have time to go out much. But he wouldn't give me a reason for why he had to go home or couldn't hang out after school. And, awhile back, I heard about this girl, Ichika, having a thing for Honda and how she wanted to confess to him before graduation. And when I saw what she looked like, it just...it made me feel like he might prefer her."

Recognizing the name of the girl that had approached Anzu, she nodded slowly. "But why would he? He's liked you since first year, Miho."

"I know! But it was just that...well, him and Jounouchi always talk about how they like the build of American girls – you know, big boobs and curvy hips. And I'm..." Miho suddenly put her hands on her chest, smoothing it over her stomach with an anxious look. "...not that."

"Look," Anzu sighed, "Jounouchi might be a perv like that and maybe they did used to watch those types of girls in porn when they were younger, but Honda isn't Jounouchi. He lied about having sex to impress you, Miho. He's not just going to leave you for a girl like that. He knew her when they were younger and didn't date her, so obviously that's not his type."

Miho's face lit up a fraction. "You think so?"

"Absolutely! I mean, he wrote you a poem about how cute your ribbon was and was constantly talking about how cute you were. I don't think he's into dating that type of girl. He was telling me that he was worried you were going to find someone else."

"Really?" This seemed to cheer Miho a considerable amount and she clasped her hands. "He's insecure, too?"

"Well, I guess – " Anzu began.

"How cute!" Miho giggled. "I was worried I was the only one. Honda can be so sensitive."

Anzu chose not to add her input to this, having a hard time imagining Honda as the sensitive type like Ryou or Yuugi. He certainly was not the lecher that Jounouchi acted, though, so that was promising. Miho lost herself in her thoughts for a moment before stirring from her daydream.

"I guess I owe Bakura an apology," Miho added, looking somewhat embarrassed. "I was so angry when I came in, I started harassing him, wanting times and days when he saw you with Honda. I think he felt cornered."

"I don't think 'cornered' is the right word to use," Anzu replied musingly. "He just doesn't like to be pulled into other people's business. How did this even get brought up with Honda, anyway?"

"Oh, well...outside of the game shop, I finally asked him where he had been lately and he told me he had been studying and asked to go to the mock exam. I kind of blew up on him, called him a liar, and then stormed into the shop." She sighed. "I wish I had just talked to him about it...or looked for him at school. I'm sure if I had gone to the library or the dueling club I would have found him. Everything just feels so complicated and stressful with graduation coming up."

"And we only have a month until graduation," Anzu added with a small smile. "I already sent in my application to U of D, now I just have to take the entrance exam. You're doing the mock exam with us tomorrow, right?"

"Oh, yes! Since the exam is next week, I have to so that I'm prepared. I wish I had done the winter vacation prep classes, but they were kind of expensive and we were all having so much fun." She gave a tiny shrug, smiling. "Hopefully I make it. Do you think Honda will be able to? I'd hate for us to get separated or end up at different schools."

"He's improved a lot. I think he just sent in his application. His grades haven't been the best, but honestly, they don't require a lot. As long as he does well on his exam, it should make up for it."

The two girls exited the bathroom, leaving the school together as they walked out onto the sidewalk. The cold of the winter had not lasted long. Now in February, the temperature was warming as they drew closer to spring. "What about Bakura?" Miho spoke up after a length of thoughtful silence. "Is he going with Ryou to New York?"

Anzu hesitated. Nobody else had addressed the uncertainty between her and Bakura's future after graduation, not even Yuugi. Aside from Mai's probing questions during New Year's, her friends had not thought to discuss it with Anzu. Either it was assumed that they would temporarily be in a long-distance relationship or it simply had not occurred to anyone that the two of them would be in separate countries. Bakura, for his part, had seemed to almost stubbornly refuse to talk about the matter, even when she tried to subtly direct the conversation that way.

"I'm not sure," Anzu admitted, pausing at a cross street that she knew Miho would take to go home. "We haven't talked about it."

"Aren't you worried?" Miho asked in a shocked tone.

She forced herself to plant a brave smile on her lips. "Whatever happens, I'm sure it will work out. It wouldn't be the first time I haven't seen Bakura for a while – I didn't see him during summer vacation."

"True...I don't know that I could do that. I envy your relationship with him sometimes. It seems really mature. You should really ask him, though!" Miho smiled and then gave her a farewell hug. "I have to get home to do some studying. Let's all meet up and walk to the exam center tomorrow! I'll call you and let you know where to meet!"

Anzu nodded and after Miho had turned and hurried across the crosswalk before it turned red, she made her way slowly down the street towards her own home.

Of course, I'm worried, Anzu answered Miho silently. But what can I do? Bakura doesn't want to talk about it and I've learned before that asking him things he doesn't want to talk about just leads to him shutting it down and him telling me to mind my own business. I can only assume he's going to New York with Ryou because why else would he avoid it?

The next day, the three friends met before the exam to have breakfast and do a last-minute review of their notecards. Honda and Miho were in an exceptionally improved mood and it was as if their tension from before had never happened. Anzu drank her coffee idly as she quizzed Miho with the notecards as Honda ate his breakfast. She had not been to this coffee shop since she had gone on her date with Bakura before New Year's. Aside from a few other early morning customers, they were the only ones in the shop.

Once Anzu had gone through the round of notecards with Miho a few times, she handed them over so Miho could quiz Honda. She turned her face towards the window, drinking her latte and listening with half an ear to the questions read out by Miho, answering them in her head. After the mock exam, they would be meeting Yuugi and the others at the arcade to play games that night and go see a movie. Given Bakura's attitude yesterday and Ryou declining the invitation, she doubted that she would see him there. He had been more than annoyed yesterday with Honda for involving him in his personal affairs. Recalling his expression, Anzu smiled to herself. There were few people as uncomfortable with teenage female emotions as Bakura.

After finishing her coffee, the trio collected their things and left the coffee shop, heading towards the exam center.

Miho clapped her hands abruptly as a thought occurred to her as they came to the front of the exam center. "I forgot to tell you – Mai is booking us our rooms in Hakone tonight. She was waiting on Honda and me before she booked anything."

"Where did she decide?" Anzu asked, curious.

"Yoshiike Ryokan, I think. They have private onsen." She gave a sly smile, putting a finger to her lips. "She wanted me to tell you that she booked a room for you and Bakura – Yuugi, Ryou, and Otogi are sharing a room. Oh, and apparently Kaiba is going to be there, as well. She invited him along."

"Wh-what?" Anzu stopped walking, whirling to stare at Miho with a pink face.

"I know, I was surprised Kaiba agreed to come along."

"Not that! I don't care about Kaiba. What do you mean Bakura and I have a room together?"

"All the couples have a room! It'll be romantic!"

"She did ask Bakura, right?" Honda spoke up, his brow puckering in concern before Anzu could say more. Miho's smile fell somewhat and she rubbed the back of her head, a puzzled expression crossing her features.

"I'm not really sure. But he has to know since Ryou is in a different room." She dropped her hand, waving it at Anzu reassuringly. "I'm sure it's fine!"

It's not fine! Anzu thought wildly, feeling a nervous stir in her belly. Bakura hasn't even stayed overnight at my house yet. The idea of falling sleep next to him in a hotel room made her face flush anew and she raised her hands to her cheeks, covering her face as she imagined waking up next to him the morning after.

"Mai said most of the onsen look out into the park, too, so it will have a beautiful view."

This only added to Anzu's distress. Her imagination began to construct the image of the two of them naked in the onsen, gazing out from the onsen before he pulled her away from the hot spring water and took her back to bed and...

"You're thinking something naughty," Miho whispered behind a hand as she grinned at Anzu's red face.

"No! I'm not!" Anzu shook her head quickly and patted her cheeks again in the hopes that her blush would fade and her mind would stop coming up with intimate scenarios in her head. While Honda remained politely puzzled, too oblivious to have noticed anything different in her countenance, Miho smirked knowingly at her as the three entered the exam center to check in.

Even as they checked in and settled in their seats to wait for the exam to start, Anzu found herself dwelling too long on the upcoming vacation next month. One of the things she had forgotten to address with Bakura was his intentional lack of privacy with her. She had not been given a chance to even invite him inside her house lately, as he would say his farewell and head down the street before she could even issue an invitation. Similarly, aside from at school and the one time she had fallen asleep with him on the couch, she had not been to his and Ryou's home to be alone. She had thought it mere coincidence at first, but the more she directed her attention upon it, the more suspicious she became of his actions.

She would not have admitted it to either Miho or Bakura, but she missed their private moments together. I sound like a horny teenager, she reflected dryly as the exam proctor began to hand out papers.

Shaking thoughts of her sex life out of her head, Anzu redirected her attention to the exam and like all the other students, she bent her head and began to read through the exam questions.

For the two hours spent in the exam, there was nothing but the sound of shuffling paper and scribbles of pencil markings. Beside her, Honda would scrunched up his forehead occasionally as he stared down at his paper, chewing on the end of his eraser with a pensive expression. Once Anzu had finished her exam, she gave her friends an encouraging smile as they glanced up when she rose to her feet. After turning in the exam, she made her way out of the exam center and settled on a bench to wait for the other two.

Tilting her head back, she raised a hand to shield her eyes from the sunlight that had begun to peek out from behind clouds. The cool air spelled fresh and the sun, obscured for the last few months behind winter overcast, felt good on her face.

A shadow fell over her and she blinked, lowering her hand. "First one out," Bakura noted, bent slightly over her from behind the bench. "Did you flunk your way through the questions or did your studying pay off?"

Scowling at his taunt, she turned to face him, asking, "What are you doing here?"

He shrugged. "I was nearby and saw you walk out."

"You're a terrible liar, you know."

His mouth curled in a slow, satisfied smile. "I never said why I was nearby." He rounded the bench and settled on it next to her, resting his arm on the back of the bench behind her. "So? How did you do?"

Frowning at his avoidance of her question, she grudgingly answered, "I think I did good. There wasn't much on the exam that I didn't study for. It was good practice for the entrance exam next month. I hope that Miho and Honda pass."

"He has no reason to fail with as much studying as he's been doing." He raised his hand, idly twisting a lock of her hair around his finger, his eyes drifting to her hair. "He's going to piss me off worse than he already did if he ends up with a bad score. I didn't help him with his damn math for nothing."

Distracted by the feel of his hand behind her, she shifted slightly in her seat, causing his gaze to return to her. Reminded of her thoughts before the exam, she cleared her throat slightly. "So...I guess Mai booked us a room for the graduation vacation. We're going to Hakone – it's a park where there's some natural springs."

"Yes, Ryou's already told me."

She fidgeted uncomfortably. "You're okay with that?"

His smile increased slightly and he leaned forward, dropping his fingers from her hair to her neck, his fingertips skimming the bare skin. "Nervous?"

She averted her gaze from him, hearing her heartbeat in her ears and cursing her body for reacting so strongly to the slightest touch from him. She would have liked to summon the sass she sometimes needed in order to take control of the situation, yet found that her mind was too clouded with intimate memories and her body felt like it was on fire from her toes to the tips of her ears.

"Should I be?" she asked instead.

He chuckled and she shivered when he pressed his face into the crook of her neck, his fingers dropping to her shoulder, his lips pressing delicate kisses that sent frissons down her spine. When he raised his head, he said in a soft voice in her ear, "You make it hard to behave, girl."

"You don't need to." This time, she found her courage, and turned to face him, touching his face. He looked amused, as if she had unwittingly participated in a game he was playing without her knowledge.

He drew back from her, putting some space between them. "Here comes that idiot with Nosaka." He nodded his chin towards the doors where Miho and Honda were exiting. As the two approached, Bakura drawled to Honda, "Who the hell asked you to drag me into your drama, Hiroto?"

"Er..." Honda had the grace to look abashed, rubbing his neck uncomfortably. "Sorry about that...I should have said something to you."

"I'm sorry, Bakura!" Miho interrupted before Bakura could scold her boyfriend. She bowed formally to him, clasping her hands in front of her. "I shouldn't have come at you the way I did. It wasn't Honda's fault, I shouldn't have been so mean to you when I talked to you."

Bakura, his arm still resting against the bench behind Anzu, surveyed her with a thoughtful gaze. For her part, Anzu was still processing through the scene that had happened shortly before her friends had exited the building. After a few seconds, Bakura shrugged and rose to his feet, his hands in pockets. His voice was lofty and casual when he finally addressed her, "Fine, apology accepted. I won't be so forgiving next time." In spite of his tone, Miho smiled at him gratefully when she straightened.

"Thank you!" She turned to Anzu, who had gotten to her feet after Bakura. "So! Should we all go get something to eat? After that, I'm starved! It could be like a double date."

"Oh! Um..." Anzu glanced at Bakura, who was gazing at her with his dark, narrow gaze. All she wanted at the moment was to be alone with him, but based on his earlier words, he was trying to employ self-control for whatever unknown reason. His mouth twitched with mirth and he turned away, as if knowing where her thoughts had taken her. "Yeah, let's do that. Where should we go?"

As Miho launched into a list of ideas for food, Anzu stepped forward and took Bakura's hand with Miho on her other side.

I don't know what you're up to, she thought, side-eyeing him, but we can do it your way for now.

TBC