By animeninjaNIPPON

Jonouchi grinned smugly. "I won't say anymore."

For the next half-hour or so, Jonouchi managed to kick my ass and taunt me for my lousy hand. (Actually, it was more like five minutes, but for what it was worth it felt like 30.)

I finally managed to summon Uraby and equip it with Dragon Nails to kill off his Axe Raider, but it only took him down to 7600, just 100 LP ahead of me. He set a monster. I had a feeling things were starting to turn around…

"Don't worry, Jonouchi," Anzu cheered, "you're still in the lead!"

"Nobody asked for your input," Haga snapped. "Being pretty doesn't give you the right to be talkative."

I impulsively turned to look at Haga. How could he compliment another in front of me? It shot a pin of pain into my heart. Then again, maybe he was just generalizing…

"Don't worry, Anzu," Jonouchi replied to the mortified chick. "He doesn't mean it."

"I don't see why he wouldn't," I fired back in defense for my partner. "Everyone thinks she's hot – I mean, look at her. She's got a rack the size of Mt. Fuji."

At that remark, Jonouchi slammed down his current hand and started to step off the platform. "Leave that platform and you forfeit the duel," Kaiba warned him. Reluctantly, he stepped back and took up his cards again.

"Don't let him get to you, Jonouchi," Yugi called out from the cross. "He's doing it on purpose."

Suddenly, Jonouchi brightened up. "Hey, that's right. Well, you better watch it, Dinosaur Ryuzaki – I know crap about you that'll push your buttons, too."

"Like what?" I tried to act oblivious.

"I'm not as low as you," he responded. "I won't use that knowledge to my advantage." Instead, he activated a Hinotama spell card that did direct damage to my life points. I heard Haga scream behind me. His scream bothered me, and it pained me to think that he was suffering. I didn't turn to look at him, though, and that surprised my rival.

"You don't care that your friend just got electrocuted?"

I had to put a stop to this innuendo once and for all – not necessarily for my sake, but for Haga's. I slammed my fist down next to my deck. "What makes you think that he's my friend? We barely know each other, so what do I care if he gets shocked or not?"

"What?" Haga exclaimed. I couldn't tell whether he was playing along or not.

"It sounds like he has a different opinion," Jonouchi said smugly.

"What do you MEAN we're not friends? After all those times we – "

"Both of you SHUT UP!" At that moment, I was so pissed off that I didn't care who I hurt. What did anyone care, anyway?

End of part fifteen