Lifestyles of the Rich and the Arrogant


A/N: Whoo! Chapter thirteen here at last! Oh yeah. I'm warning you now-- this chapter isn't as action-packed as some of the other chapters, nor is it as funny. It's just... good ol' chapter thirteen. I sincerely hope you enjoy it. Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed, and a big thank you as well to everyone reading this. (stern glare) You should review, too. Heh. Anyway-- Enjoy!


Out of Your Income
(In Which Yugi Offers Advice and Honda gets Even)

"Well Anzu," Yugi said at school the next day, having heard the story and had time to dwell on all the intricate details and facts. "I– honestly– think that–"

"He hates me, of course he does!" Anzu interrupted. "God, I just had to fall for the ONE boy in the whole school who wouldn't look at me twice." She flopped her head dramatically onto her desk. "There is something seriously wrong with me."

They were in third period, having a bit of a free day, and using the time to their advantage. Jounouchi and Honda were arguing about something, and so Yugi and Anzu were taking the opportunity to discuss Kaiba's actions the previous day. Kaiba himself had taken his laptop and retreated to a remote corner of the classroom, so there was no danger of him overhearing.

"There's nothing wrong with you," Yugi told her gently. "I mean... nothing really serious, at least." Anzu smiled and rolled her eyes at him. Yugi laughed.

"Well, you know what, Yugi? I'm just not going to worry about it. He just doesn't know what he's missing."

"Anzu," Yugi said, almost laughing, "I really think that–"

"And this stupid crush will fade with time, right? Nothing lasts forever– you hear that all the time!"

"But Anzu, it's obvious he li–"

Anzu sighed, interrupting him again. "I feel so hopeless. I shouldn't have to put up with this!" She growled. "Stupid, stupid boys..."

Yugi couldn't believe his friend didn't see what– to him– was so clear. How could she not know that Kaiba felt the same way? There were so many signs– it was obvious! "Hey, Anzu?" he prodded gently.

"What is it, Yugi?"

"Why don't you... um..." He looked down, a little embarrassed. "Why don't you tell him how you feel? It couldn't hurt, right? And– who knows!– maybe he might, um... like you, too."

Anzu laughed, the idea sounding like utter lunacy. "Yeah. I don't think so, Yugi. We can't even have a civil conversation– how am I supposed to admit to having a crush on him?"

"Well... You said yourself that he's been acting differently. Maybe there's a reason."

Anzu had already formed her next counter-point, when Yugi's words sunk in. "That's..." She frowned. "But that's just so damn unlikely! Could he... I mean... I don't know Yugi, do you really think so?"

He shrugged. "It never hurts to try, right?"

"I guess it doesn't. I guess it doesn't." And for the rest of the day, that thought was foremost in her head.


Later that afternoon, Mokuba hung up the phone with a devilish smirk. Oh the things he could do with the information he had just acquired...

"Life," he murmured to himself as he set off in search of his brother, "is truly sweet."

Seto was in his office, typing something on his sleek new computer. The door was still open, so Mokuba knew that he wasn't too busy. Or, more correctly, he wouldn't mind an interruption.

Mokuba grinned and sauntered into the room, the new– and oh so deliciously evil– information he held adding a definite swagger to his walk. "Hey Seto." His brother looked at him curiously, noting the difference in attitude. "I know something interesting. Something re-eally interesting."

Seto rolled his eyes. "I'm sure you do, Mokuba. Why don't you go... write it down, or tell the TV or something. I'm busy."

"But don't you want to know? Come on– it's really juicy." He put on his best puppy-dog eyes. "Can I tell you? Please?"

Seto sighed, knowing his little brother's stubbornness. He wouldn't be getting any work done until he humored Mokuba for at least a moment. "Fine. What is it, Mokuba? What is just so important that you simply had to interrupt me?"

For a second, Mokuba grinned, holding back his laughter. "YOU LOVE ANZU! HA! Yugi and Honda just told me!"

Seto's eyes widened as he watched his giggling sibling gallop out of the office. Seto knew what he had to do.

"MOKUBA! COME BACK HERE! IT'S NOT TRUE; IT'S NOT TRUE!" Mokuba ran faster, trying to keep away from his rampaging brother. "GET THAT SNEAKY LITTLE ASS OF YOURS BACK HERE RIGHT NOW, MOKUBA! I'M NOT LETTING YOU GET AWAY!"

Mokuba turned and stuck his tongue out at Seto. "At least I'm not the one all loopy for Anzu!"

Seto's nostrils flared and flames burst from his ears. "MOKUBA!"


The next day at school, Seto found himself flooded with even more feelings than usual. After Mokuba's untimely admission of what Seto knew to be the truth, he felt more embarrassed than he normally did. Yes, he... Well, Mazaki was pretty and...

He sighed. Had he really fallen so far? A sniveling hormone-ridden fool? He was appalled.

"Um... hi Kaiba," a soft voice said.

He turned to face it. He had been heading to lunch (or a period of hard work in which he just happened to ingest necessary sustenance), but upon seeing the face of the beautiful young woman who haunted his dreams, he stopped mid-stride.

"Hello Mazaki," he said coldly.

She flushed and looked down. 'Here's your chance!' her mind was screaming. 'You've got his full attention, the halls are emptying– TELL HIM; TELL HIM; TELL HIM!'

"So... did you do that paper for history? I had a lot of trouble finding enough information."

He shrugged. "I finished it with ease. His assignments are hopeless, though; he tries to be creative and 'fun', but fails miserably."

Anzu giggled nervously. "Yeah, you're right."

Yugi, who had happened to be coming out of his classroom, just happened to catch a bit of this exchange. He was about to head to the cafeteria, when he saw two familiar bodies peeking out of an empty classroom. He rolled his eyes– he really had the weirdest friends.

"I got him to admit it!" Honda hissed, glaring at the blond. "He totally has the hots for her!"

"But that's impossible! How? I–" Jounouchi shook his head, still staring in wonder at Anzu and Kaiba. "Maybe I'm totally wrong on this Honda, but I just can't believe it."

Honda snored in laughter and muttered, "It wouldn't be the first time you were wrong, now would it?"

Before Jounouchi could offer suitable retaliation, Yugi appeared. "Hi guys," he said cheerfully, having caught them in the act. "What's up?"

"Oh, nothing," Honda said, lying feverishly, "We were merely discussing a certain unsolvable metaphysic puzzle– quite the quandary, I assure you." Yugi shook his head and chuckled as Jounouchi tried to hide his confusion.

"Yeah, a... quan-whatever." His gaze flipped back and forth between Yugi and Honda. "I do know what that is, you know."

"Oh, of course you do, Jounouchi dear," Honda said, clapping him on the shoulder. "I'd die before I'd dream of doubting you."

"Right..." Jounouchi did not seem convinced of his friend's professed loyalty.

"Anyway!" Yugi interrupted. "It's not nice to spy on others– you had better hope Anzu never finds out."

Honda laughed nervously and looked around. "Spying, Yugi? I'm hurt you'd think such a thing of us. We are your closest friends."

Yugi's face just dead-panned, and Honda knew there was no way that he'd be able to trick Yugi. And after all, there was always a chance Yugi would help instead of hinder. "Ok, you're right," Honda confessed, "But our crime has reason behind it! I simply must prove that I'm not wrong. Tell our particularly dense friend here of our little Anzu's situation– his skepticism is irritatingly persistent."

"Honda says that she and Kaiba are... y'know, well..." He looked at Yugi pleadingly. "She doesn't really like him, right?"

"Um..."

"I told you!" Honda said arrogantly. "She's practically panting over the boy– I can't believe you don't see it."

Jounouchi crossed his arms defensively. "Alright, just shut up about it. At least it won't go anywhere."

Honda and Yugi exchanged glances.

This worried Jounouchi greatly. "Right? It's not going anywhere, right? She's not gonna pursue him or anything, right?"

"Um..."

Honda raised an eyebrow and grinned suggestively. "It appears Kaiba's human after all."

Jounouchi's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. "The hell! You mean he likes her, too?"

They both nodded. "You really don't see it?" Yugi asked, a little surprised. To him, it had been obvious. Jounouchi shook his head. "Well... Yeah. Kaiba feels the same way she does."

"And," Honda interrupted before Yugi could go on, "It is up to us to take advantage of this."

"What the hell are you talking about, Honda?" Jounouchi asked.

"Well boys, we love Anzu like a sister, don't we?" They nodded, agreeing. "And we want her to be happy, don't we?" They nodded again. "Then obviously she and Kaiba sho–"

"I don't think she'd be happy with Kaiba," Jounouchi muttered.

"Shut up," Honda snapped.

Jounouchi grunted. "Excuse me. I always thought it was 'girl-meets-boy' not 'girl-meets-asshole'."

Honda sighed, feeling exasperated. "Thank you for your expert opinion, but–"

"Hey! I'm just as much an expert as you are."

"Sure you are. If believing that's what it takes for you to sleep at night–"

Yugi sighed. "Guys, don't fight. I think they'll come together on their own." He glanced over at Anzu and Kaiba. "Didn't you just hear? They're meeting at the coffee shop tomorrow!"

"Alright!" Honda said, pushing Jounouchi out of the way so he could get a better view. "I smell a date. At this rate, they really will do all the work themselves!"

"I don't know," Jounouchi said, "I give 'em two weeks."

"Oh, a bet, hmm?" Honda asked, excited. "I'll see that. But I think it'll be, oh... three days."

"What about you, Yugi?"

He grinned. "They've already done it. I say they'll be a couple by tomorrow."

"We'll see," Honda said with a grin. He was feeling confident. By then, Anzu and Kaiba were walking away, not quite together, but not quite separately.

Honda and Jounouchi and Yugi, after a suitable wait, followed.

"Eh, Yugi?" Jounouchi asked hesitantly. "You sure you don't mind? I mean, I know that you... well, about Anzu..."

Yugi turned bright red. "No, no; she's just like a sister. Albeit a very pretty sister, but I always knew that we weren't meant to be together."

"Don't worry about it!" Honda said. "We'll find you a girl, don't you worry."

"Yeah, what about the Rebecca kid?"

Honda scoffed. "Don't be stupid. She, as you said, is still just a kid. Yugi deserves a more mature, sophisticated woman."

Jounouchi snorted in laughter. "Oh yeah, like you. Right– maybe we can hook Yugi up with his algebra teacher!"

Instead of getting riled up and defensive as he usually did, Honda just smirked. This unnerved poor Jounouchi. "Ahh yes– I've been meaning to talk to you about that. I found out the most interesting thing the other day. Would you like to know what it is?"

Jounouchi shrugged. "I don't care."

Honda's smirk widened. "I found out Arisa's birthday, and– if you can believe it!– she is three weeks younger than, oh just a certain other blonde duelist we all know. If I'm remembering correctly, I think her name was Mai something, and– Oh, Jounouchi, isn't that the–"

"Just shut up!" Jounouchi said angrily, striding ahead, ignoring Yugi's suppressed chuckles and Honda's extremely pleased smile. "Just shut up."

After that, you can be sure– Jounouchi never found reason to tease Honda about his relationship again.


End A/N: Well! There you have it. Hopefully everyone liked this. I'm not too sure about it, myself. Well, I liked it, but I have a feeling a lot of people are going to think it was boring. (wince) I'd really appreciate a review. I'm hoping for... 10 for this chapter? Please? Heh. No, I don't really care. I have a lot of chapter fourteen written already (and by a lot, I mean at least half! no lie!), so that should follow this pretty soon. (Incentives are always nice...) The end is almost here, everyone, so thank you for sticking with me!

ILB