"Jonouchi!" He turned around to see Yugi and Honda rush over to him.
Yugi looked worried. Honda looked pissed.
'Where were you this morning? You were supposed to come by remember? Did something happen?" Yugi asked in a sort of concerned rush. Honda pushed Yugi out of the way.
"What the hell is with that man?! You just bail on a test and not give any warning? We were late to school 'cause Yugi wanted to wait for you!"
A few seats back Seto Kaiba, watched and listened with as much interest. He always had a hard time not paying attention to the Yugi gang of friends. Usually too noisy to be ignored and often important topics would arise leading to trouble. He would have told these fellow classmates to be quiet long ago if he didn't consider it reconnaissance, well that and a little amusing.
Today though, Seto saw how Jonouchi had entered. Something was off. For one thing his expression seemed tight in neither the dopey grin nor pouty face he often got. It was kind of cold. And blank. This was something that dug fear into his heart. The look in Jonouchis' eyes reminded him of himself.at that time.
"Yeah. I know. Sorry. I got held up. " He said it dead-pan. He did manage a smirk at the end though.like he realized he had said something clever. Yugi and Honda took a step back as they suddenly realized the air around their usually goofy pal had changed.
"What happened?" Yugi asked.
"I don't feel like talking about it."
"Why the hell not? We're worried about you?" Honda yelled with a concern more prevalent in his voice.
"Need me to spell it out?! It's not going to happen! Never mind you wouldn't be able to read it anyway." A chill filled the room. Honda cast an eye back to where Seto was sitting. Seto didn't mind because he too would have thought that the tough blond was somehow under his influence. The words had been icy.
"Listen.." Jonouchi sighed looking tired. "I know this is not how I usually am. I am sorry. You guys have been my best friends; even Kaiba being around didn't make my lie suck. Well I'll be starting a new way of life soon, one that will probably keep me this way. If you can't accept this new me, I can't complain. As of this morning I deserve to be your friend anyway. " Everyone stared. Yugi was speechless. Honda leapt forward and grabbed his best friends shirt.
"What the hell happened?!"
"Let go of my shirt."
"What happened? Was it something with your dad? Serenity?"
"Get you hands off me..this is your last warning."
"DAMN IT! Tell me so I, we, can help you!" Honda didn't see the first coming from his right. When it connected the force was enough to send him across the room. The whole class looked at where Hondas body lay and then back at Jonouchi. Some of his classmates didn't know his past. The ones that did stepped further away, this was worse than before. He would never hit a friend, even in those days, and not only had he done it but he hadn't held back in the slightest.
Jonouchi rubbed his hand and straightened his shirt. It was for the greater good. That was the lesion he had learned that morning. If Honda and Yugi and anyone one else found out what was going on, not only would Serenity's life be made miserable but theirs as well. He didn't doubt that he might even be ordered to kill them if they learned the truth. He couldn't do that. No yet, anyway. That thought made him feel sick, that one day he could probably kill anyone without feeling or hesitation. "Better to just let them hate me and watch as they lead happy lives without me." He mused.
Yugi looked at his friend. Tears started to well in his eyes. The puzzle started to rumble.
"I challenge you to a game! If I win you tell me what is wrong and I'll help you!" Jonouchi looked at Yugi. He was obviously in "battle mode" as Jou liked to call it. It had never been directed at him though. He couldn't afford to have anyones' help, especially those he cared about.
"You have nothing to offer me if I won." Yugi realized the truth of that. He was already not going to tell, so his prize would have to be something different. Usually when he did this, whomever he challenged was after something. A lust, a greed, present to exploit. He frowned as nothing came to mind. Just then the teacher arrived.
"What happened?" She shouted upon seeing Honda on the floor and bleeding. Jonouchi scoffed in disgust and in a little relief. A challenge from Yugi could never be taken lightly.
"He grabbed my shirt. I warned him to let go. He didn't. I'll be showing myself to the principals office now." And with that he walked out while the class stared behind him.
"Yugi, Honda, Anzu, Kaiba, please join me in the hall a minute." The teacher helped Honda off the floor and helped him outside. Kaiba wondered absently why he was being called out too. She probably wanted some eyewitness accounts or something.
Outside in the hall, with the door shut behind them, their teacher eyed them all. Anzu began.
"Well, let's see, it all started when."
"No. I don't need an explanation." They all looked at their sensei confused.
"Then why this excursion to the hall?" Seto replied getting the hunch something was really wrong.
"To give you an explanation. (a pause as the group looked at each other) I was late to class because I was meeting with the principal. Turns out the police called and notified him that Jonouchis' father was shot and killed this morning on the way home from a bar. A councilor called us and said they had told Katsuya, and that he might act a little odd. Also, he would be starting a job soon where he might class time to time to take care of expenses. The small group in the hall was silent in shock.
"No wonder he didn't want to talk about it!" Honda cried out suddenly.
'Poor Jonouchi!" Cried Yugi and Anzu at the same time. The three of them ran down the hallway in the direction the blond had gone earlier.
Kaiba looked at the teacher. Something wasn't right.
"Why'd you include me?"
"Because I knew you cared. And that he cares about you too. You think I don't read those essays you turn in?" Obviously Jonouchi had vented his feelings in creative writings as much as Kaiba did. Stupid mutt.
"It is a horrible thing.but.." He turned away and headed back into the classroom. Sure he wanted to follow the tough blond too but he knew that the boy wouldn't talk to any of them, not yet anyway. He couldn't explain where he had been going with his last statement. That it didn't feel right? That if Jonouchis' father just died he wouldn't act like this? Where had this new job come from anyway? He shoved these thoughts aside. Right now there was nothing he could do for the puppy.
Outside the principals' office door, Anzu, Honda, and Yugi eavesdropped as their friend talked.
"Yah yah, fighting is bad, it won't happen again."
"That's not what I was going to say. I was going to say how sorry I am for your loss."
"Not as sorry as I am."
"Of course not. We got the job request form today as well, it looks like a good opportunity for you. I suggest you follow it. I know when I am in pain I throw myself into my work and I feel better. The knowing of a job well done always lifts the darkest spirits." Jonouchi smirked to himself, Lyric was certainly smart. The principal wanted him to run into the arms of the yakuza and not look back. Throw himself into work huh? It didn't seem like such a bad idea. He wondered if that is what Seto Kaiba always did. At that thought he became suddenly curious, about what pain Seto had to run from.
'Where were you this morning? You were supposed to come by remember? Did something happen?" Yugi asked in a sort of concerned rush. Honda pushed Yugi out of the way.
"What the hell is with that man?! You just bail on a test and not give any warning? We were late to school 'cause Yugi wanted to wait for you!"
A few seats back Seto Kaiba, watched and listened with as much interest. He always had a hard time not paying attention to the Yugi gang of friends. Usually too noisy to be ignored and often important topics would arise leading to trouble. He would have told these fellow classmates to be quiet long ago if he didn't consider it reconnaissance, well that and a little amusing.
Today though, Seto saw how Jonouchi had entered. Something was off. For one thing his expression seemed tight in neither the dopey grin nor pouty face he often got. It was kind of cold. And blank. This was something that dug fear into his heart. The look in Jonouchis' eyes reminded him of himself.at that time.
"Yeah. I know. Sorry. I got held up. " He said it dead-pan. He did manage a smirk at the end though.like he realized he had said something clever. Yugi and Honda took a step back as they suddenly realized the air around their usually goofy pal had changed.
"What happened?" Yugi asked.
"I don't feel like talking about it."
"Why the hell not? We're worried about you?" Honda yelled with a concern more prevalent in his voice.
"Need me to spell it out?! It's not going to happen! Never mind you wouldn't be able to read it anyway." A chill filled the room. Honda cast an eye back to where Seto was sitting. Seto didn't mind because he too would have thought that the tough blond was somehow under his influence. The words had been icy.
"Listen.." Jonouchi sighed looking tired. "I know this is not how I usually am. I am sorry. You guys have been my best friends; even Kaiba being around didn't make my lie suck. Well I'll be starting a new way of life soon, one that will probably keep me this way. If you can't accept this new me, I can't complain. As of this morning I deserve to be your friend anyway. " Everyone stared. Yugi was speechless. Honda leapt forward and grabbed his best friends shirt.
"What the hell happened?!"
"Let go of my shirt."
"What happened? Was it something with your dad? Serenity?"
"Get you hands off me..this is your last warning."
"DAMN IT! Tell me so I, we, can help you!" Honda didn't see the first coming from his right. When it connected the force was enough to send him across the room. The whole class looked at where Hondas body lay and then back at Jonouchi. Some of his classmates didn't know his past. The ones that did stepped further away, this was worse than before. He would never hit a friend, even in those days, and not only had he done it but he hadn't held back in the slightest.
Jonouchi rubbed his hand and straightened his shirt. It was for the greater good. That was the lesion he had learned that morning. If Honda and Yugi and anyone one else found out what was going on, not only would Serenity's life be made miserable but theirs as well. He didn't doubt that he might even be ordered to kill them if they learned the truth. He couldn't do that. No yet, anyway. That thought made him feel sick, that one day he could probably kill anyone without feeling or hesitation. "Better to just let them hate me and watch as they lead happy lives without me." He mused.
Yugi looked at his friend. Tears started to well in his eyes. The puzzle started to rumble.
"I challenge you to a game! If I win you tell me what is wrong and I'll help you!" Jonouchi looked at Yugi. He was obviously in "battle mode" as Jou liked to call it. It had never been directed at him though. He couldn't afford to have anyones' help, especially those he cared about.
"You have nothing to offer me if I won." Yugi realized the truth of that. He was already not going to tell, so his prize would have to be something different. Usually when he did this, whomever he challenged was after something. A lust, a greed, present to exploit. He frowned as nothing came to mind. Just then the teacher arrived.
"What happened?" She shouted upon seeing Honda on the floor and bleeding. Jonouchi scoffed in disgust and in a little relief. A challenge from Yugi could never be taken lightly.
"He grabbed my shirt. I warned him to let go. He didn't. I'll be showing myself to the principals office now." And with that he walked out while the class stared behind him.
"Yugi, Honda, Anzu, Kaiba, please join me in the hall a minute." The teacher helped Honda off the floor and helped him outside. Kaiba wondered absently why he was being called out too. She probably wanted some eyewitness accounts or something.
Outside in the hall, with the door shut behind them, their teacher eyed them all. Anzu began.
"Well, let's see, it all started when."
"No. I don't need an explanation." They all looked at their sensei confused.
"Then why this excursion to the hall?" Seto replied getting the hunch something was really wrong.
"To give you an explanation. (a pause as the group looked at each other) I was late to class because I was meeting with the principal. Turns out the police called and notified him that Jonouchis' father was shot and killed this morning on the way home from a bar. A councilor called us and said they had told Katsuya, and that he might act a little odd. Also, he would be starting a job soon where he might class time to time to take care of expenses. The small group in the hall was silent in shock.
"No wonder he didn't want to talk about it!" Honda cried out suddenly.
'Poor Jonouchi!" Cried Yugi and Anzu at the same time. The three of them ran down the hallway in the direction the blond had gone earlier.
Kaiba looked at the teacher. Something wasn't right.
"Why'd you include me?"
"Because I knew you cared. And that he cares about you too. You think I don't read those essays you turn in?" Obviously Jonouchi had vented his feelings in creative writings as much as Kaiba did. Stupid mutt.
"It is a horrible thing.but.." He turned away and headed back into the classroom. Sure he wanted to follow the tough blond too but he knew that the boy wouldn't talk to any of them, not yet anyway. He couldn't explain where he had been going with his last statement. That it didn't feel right? That if Jonouchis' father just died he wouldn't act like this? Where had this new job come from anyway? He shoved these thoughts aside. Right now there was nothing he could do for the puppy.
Outside the principals' office door, Anzu, Honda, and Yugi eavesdropped as their friend talked.
"Yah yah, fighting is bad, it won't happen again."
"That's not what I was going to say. I was going to say how sorry I am for your loss."
"Not as sorry as I am."
"Of course not. We got the job request form today as well, it looks like a good opportunity for you. I suggest you follow it. I know when I am in pain I throw myself into my work and I feel better. The knowing of a job well done always lifts the darkest spirits." Jonouchi smirked to himself, Lyric was certainly smart. The principal wanted him to run into the arms of the yakuza and not look back. Throw himself into work huh? It didn't seem like such a bad idea. He wondered if that is what Seto Kaiba always did. At that thought he became suddenly curious, about what pain Seto had to run from.