Wishes – Chapter 2 – White Day

March 14. White Day. The day when guys give presents and chocolates to their lady loves. Yugi Mutou had spent every moment being watched at school; girls and some guys waiting with bated breath to see who the Duel Monsters Champion and King of Games would give a token of his attention to. They were doomed to disappointment…Yugi spent the entire day seemingly off in some dreamland, occasionally fingering the ring he wore now on the third finger of his left hand.

Rumours had been flying since he had shown up on the 15th of February with the ring. No one knew who had given it to him; no one except his close friends, of course. But no matter how much they were pestered, Anzu, Jou, Honda and Bakura refused to say a word on the matter.

Yugi sighed as the last bell rang. He stretched, then gathered up the last of his books and stuffed them into his bag. Normally he might spend some time after school with the gang, but not today. Today Anzu and Honda were going out for dinner, Jou and Mai were also going out, and Kaiba had – to the shock of everyone – vanished for the day and come back with Shizuka. The younger girl had been blushing and giggling… Honda had freaked, Otogi'd had a fit…and Jou had just walked up to Kaiba and told him with all seriousness that he'd better treat his little sister right, or else. Kaiba had just nodded solemnly.

Yugi giggled to himself. That had been unexpected…but then Kaiba was only predicable in a duel.

He walked into the Game Shop by the back entrance. He'd asked Bakura to come over, but the white-haired teen had demurred, stating that he would rather be alone today. Yugi could understand – he too wanted to be alone. Or rather, the only person he wanted to spend today with was already gone.

The steps never creaked as he made his way through the kitchen and up to his room. Inside, things were still much as they had been through high school, except for one thing – in the corner stood a shrine. It was simple, with only a cartouche carved from wood, a glass ball enclosing a lotus, and a lump of chocolate on it. But to Yugi it was the world – the only connection left between himself and his soulmate.

Reaching into his backpack, he pulled out a small box, carefully placing it on the shrine before kneeling and closing his eyes.

"Atem…" he whispered to the night, to the dead. "I love you. I have a gift for you, beloved. Something to help you remember me in the Land of the Dead." Opening the box, Yugi exposed a ring of white gold, engraved with lotuses and set with a single, flickering diamond. Engraved on this inside were the words "Your aibou forever, Yugi.' using the kanji characters for 'love' and 'a certain one' to spell 'aibou.'

"I hope you like it, love. I saw it and I thought of you."

With a little smile, he opened his eyes. "Everyone's doing fine – Seto's going out with Shizuka, can you imagine that? Jou took it really well. Anzu and Honda are going out – I don't know how long it will last, but I wish them well.

"Did I tell you that she's going to dance school in America? We managed to get the money together and pay her tuition. You should have seen the look on her face when we handed her the card with the note in it!" He paused, worrying his bottom lip.

"I think that's about all, love. Happy White Day!" With a small sad smile, Yugi stood and brushed a loving hand over the cartouche before turning and going back downstairs to help his mother with dinner.

Not two minutes later, he returned to grab his schoolbag and glanced over at the shrine. He blinked when he saw the ring had vanished. Thinking that it had perhaps fallen, Yugi quickly checked all around, but it was nowhere to be found. Instead, under the edge of the lotus ball he found a note on a piece of thick, yellow paper.

'Aibou –

Thank you for the ring. It is beautiful. Say 'hi' to everyone for me.

I love you always.

Atem.

-

AN1: I should perhaps explain that in Egyptian mythology, offerings made to spirits at their mortuary temples were taken to the Land of the Dead.

AN2: Thanks to Yami-Atemu of who brought the different meanings of the kanji characters for 'aibou' to my attention in her story Hidden Past. You should read it, it's really good.