Run For His Money
YoukaiJilly
Seto Kaiba has only met his match in Yugi Mutou...or so he thought. When a new girl comes to Domino High, she'll make it her mission to deflate Seto's head. Although Seto constantly tries her patience she's not backing down!
SIX
"Meeting the People"
LAST TIME…
Once inside her room, Akemi changed into more comfortable clothing and put her slippers back on before heading downstairs to get something to eat. Sitting in the kitchen, she turned on the small television and found it was on a news station. Just as she was about to change the channel, a picture of Seto appeared on the screen.
"Seto Kaiba, the CEO of Kaiba Corp, has announced his company's plans to release the popular underground game, Dungeon Dice Monsters sometime during the next few months. The creator of the game, Ryuuji Otogi has been meeting with Seto Kaiba to fine tune his game so it will be quote: 'The best game possible'…"
Akemi let the remote drop onto the counter after she shut the television off, not wanting to hear any more about Seto Kaiba. Rummaging through the refrigerator, she found something to eat and thought:
'Auntie was right…there is no way on Earth he would know me…'
THE STORY CONTINUES...
Akemi was up in her room with her own television set when her aunt knocked on the door. "Um, Akemi…one of your friends is here." She said. "Some boy with long blonde hair is at the front door."
"Blonde hair…oh, that's Jonouchi. I'll be right down." Akemi replied, blinking. Her aunt left and Akemi clicked off the television before yanking on her slippers and rushing down the stairs. Jonouchi was in the front hallway dressed in sneakers, jeans, tee-shirt and a jacket. "Hey. Uh, what are you doing here? How did you even know where I lived?"
"I live down the street and I saw you come into dis house. I had stuff to do a'home so I couldn't come over right away, but we're all meetin' up wit Yugi and the rest of them over at the arcade. You didn't go with us yesterday so I was wondering if yous wanted to go wit us now." He asked.
"Oh…um…I guess I could. If my aunt doesn't mind that is." Akemi replied. "I'll have to go ask her."
"I heard him dear," said her aunt. "But first, don't you think you should introduce me to this young man? Hello, I'm Natsuko and I am Akemi's aunt."
"Nice to meet yah, name's Jonouchi. Like I said, we're just gonna hang at the arcade. Yugi's granddad has some new stuff in and he always lets us test it."
"All right, but make sure that you're home before dark all right Akemi?" said her aunt, giving her a reproachful look. "Especially after what happened yesterday."
Akemi flushed and finished tying her shoe laces before yanking Jonouchi out the door, yelling good-bye to her aunt. She didn't release him until they were at the end of the street. He looked at her oddly and waited for an explanation.
"Do you remember this morning when I said that I spent that night at Seto's house last night? It was during the storm and I called my aunt but she did not, and still doesn't believe me as to where I was." She said in a calm tone. "That's all."
"Oh." Jonouchi replied.
He took the lead then, showing Akemi a shop here or a store there as they walked along Domino City's streets towards the arcade. As they came up to the door, Jonouchi said, "Oh, and yah'll getta chance tah meet Bakura and Ryuuji. They're other friends."
"Did you say Ryuuji?" Akemi asked as the door swung open.
"Uh huh, I sure did." He replied with a goofy grin.
"Jonouchi! Akemi!" Yugi said pleasantly as they walked into the door. Honda, Anzu, Yugi, an elderly man and two other boys were standing around the counter, looking at something.
"Uh, hello everyone." Akemi said in reply.
"Bakura, Ryuuji, dis is Akemi Harashi." Jonouchi said, introducing her to the two other boys. "And dat there is Yugi's grandpa…just call him Grandpa and you'll be fine."
"Hello Grandpa." She said nervously.
"Ah, Jou. Just in time." Grandpa said. "Ryuuji was just showing us the new merchandise for his game, Dungeon Dice Monsters. I have to say it's quite extraordinary."
"It's nothing special really," said one of the other boys. Akemi glanced over at him. He had long black hair that was tied back with a headband over his forehead. Her mouth dropped open slightly as her sight confirmed what she had all ready guessed.
"I think Ms. Akemi has noticed who you are Ryuuji," said the other teenager boy who Akemi assumed was Bakura.
"Oh right. Hi." Ryuuji said with a tiny smile. "I guess I'm not quite used to people staring at me like they do Seto. I'm just lucky that Kaiba Corp. decided to help me get my game off the ground."
"What!" Akemi exclaimed, her mouth dropping open. "Gah, can't I escape that stupid head for five minutes?"
Ryuuji, Bakura and Grandpa blinked in confusion as Akemi started ranting quietly to her self how stupid the cerulean eyed CEO was. "Oh, right. We forgot to mention that Akemi knows Kaiba personally." Yugi said with a snap of his fingers.
"Well, well, that is most surprising." Grandpa said with curiosity. "How did you meet him?"
That shut Akemi up on the spot. "I'm afraid that I have to keep a secret. Sorry." She said apologetically and with a wink. "Hey Yugi, you're the World Champion of Duel Monsters right?"
"Yeah, I guess I am." Yugi said with a look of both pride and embarrassment.
"Awh, Yugh, stop bein' so modest an' all; you are dah best and youse know it!" Jonouchi said enthusiastically.
"Why do you ask Akemi?" Bakura said with a tiny smile.
"Well…I've never played before and I promised Mokuba that I'd play him really soon and I was hoping that you could help me out." Akemi replied. "If you don't mind that is!"
"Well, both me and Yugh can help yah out!" Jonouchi said proudly slinging his arm around her shoulder. "I'm second under Yugi 'ere."
"With a head twice as big as a melon," Honda teased.
Jonouchi turned on his best friend with an angered look and soon the two were engaged in an insult slinging fight as the rest watched with amused faces. Soon, a few of them were laughing, Akemi included.
"Come on 'Kemi, lets teach yah how to play Duel Monsters!" Jonouchi said after slinging a rather rude comment in Honda's direction. He stepped behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders and using her as a block between him and the angry Honda. She blushed slightly and nodded as Jonouchi stuck his tongue out at his irritated comrade.
Then the group had quite a time helping Akemi learn about the cards and assembled a small deck. By the time dusk rolled around, she was anxious to get home so she didn't worry her aunt. Jonouchi offered to walk her home and she accepted, not wanting to get lost. As they walked along, Akemi looked down at the deck in her hand and smiled.
"Thank you very much Jonouchi for all your help. I feel better than I did earlier today." She told him.
"Nah, it ain't nothing so don't worry 'bout it 'kay?" he said with a hearty laugh. "Well, dis is mah house and yours is down there. Yah think that you can survive to the end o' dah road?" He was smiling broadly at her with his hands tucked into his front pockets.
"Mm hm," she replied. Akemi then moved and wrapped her arms around him in a large hug. She felt his body stiffen and a hiss of air being drawn in so she quickly released him and continued on her way. She turned half way down the street to see if Jonouchi was there and saw that he wasn't. A light in one of the houses that wasn't on before was now lit and she saw two people moving about.
As she turned her head back, Akemi thought that she saw a black limo pulling away out of the corner of her eye. She looked back but found that nothing was there. Sighing, she continued up the street.
Upon reaching her aunts house, she took off her shoes and tugged on the slippers before calling out, "Auntie, I'm home form the game store!"
Her aunt came down the stairs and greeted her with a suspicious stare. She came to the bottom of the stairs and began to circle Akemi as if she were a vulture. Akemi blinked and looked at her aunt as if she had just sprouted another head.
"Uh, Auntie, what are you doing?" Akemi asked.
"I am checking to see if there are any bruises." Her aunt replied with a stern tone. "I began to wonder how many boys you have met since you've arrived here."
"Um, well, there is Seto of course and then Jonouchi, Yugi, Honda, Ryuuji, Bakura and Grandpa." Akemi said, counting them on her fingers.
"Grandpa?"
"Yeah, he's Yugi's grandfather. He runs the gaming store that Jonouchi took me to. They are going to teach me to play Duel Monsters! See? I all ready have a little starting deck." Akemi held up the deck proudly and her aunt peered at it, and Akemi began to think that she half-expected the pictures to start moving.
"Well, that's wonderful Akemi." Her aunt finally said. "You've made some real friends. You'll have to invite them all over some time for a snack."
"Sure thing Auntie. I'm going to head up to bed now all right?" Akemi said, pocketing the cards and giving her aunt a kiss on the cheek. She began up the stairs when her aunt called out to her. Turning, Akemi asked what it was.
"There was a letter for you tapped to the door. The bell rang and by the time I got there and opened the door, no one was there and it was just sticking there with clear tape. It's sitting on your bed." Her aunt said.
"Thank you Auntie. I'll be sure to look at it right away."
With that, Akemi rushed up the stairs and raced to her room. Shutting the door, she located the letter on her bed and ripped it open. Pulling out the paper and then unfolding it, her eyes scanned the penned note with a tiny smile. Folding the paper back up, she placed it inside the envelope and slipped it into a draw in her desk.
"I'll see you there. Don't you worry."
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Author's Note:
Well, here you go. Hope that you like and continue reading! Also, if you'd like you are able to submit any ideas you might like to see as tiny side-stories.