Disclaimer: The one and only person who possesses Yu-Gi-Oh isn't me.
A/N: Yes, I would like to thank XvXChaosMagicianGirlXvX for everything. Couldn't have done it without her XD. In this chapter, Ishould at least say something sparks between them, well, like the beginning of one? Read on.
Chapter Five: Everything you have
"I want to go to sleep now..." Akina mumbled to herself, sleepily.
She had arrived home and it was time for her to catch up on some much needed sleep. After all the drama that happened today her mind was filled with too many inside thoughts of Kaiba and the moving seesaw relationship with him she was trying her hardest to control.
She stripped herself of her clothes until she wore nothing but black shorts and a coral tank top. She gazed at herself in the mirror. Her fear of black circles forming under her eyes was coming true. Maybe she really ought to quit that job for good.
After a few last finishing touches she got comfortable as she snuggled under her covers and drifted soundly asleep.
The next morning at school she sat down at the same desk as yesterday.
She sat there, taking in all the people surrounding her in a bored manner. Folding her arms, she impatiently waited for class to start. At least the school's real purpose of attending here would keep her mind of off everything else. Only this 'purpose' didn't sustain her much.
"Hey Téa! Where were ya yesterday? You missed the tradition of being here the first day of school!"
Joey rushed over to Téa with Yugi by his side.
Akina glanced up to the other side of the classroom, seeming interested in their conversation. Overall she was just bored.
"My alarm clock woke me up at seven, but I accidentally pressed the off button, and I woke up three hours later. And my parents didn't even have the decency to check if I actually went to school!"
Téa finally noticed the shorter boy that was standing next to Joey. "Oh, good morning, Yugi!" she greeted him, happily.
"Good morning, Téa," Yugi answered pleasantly with a kind smile lighting up his face at Tea's hearty greeting.
"Yo, enough with the reunion here people. It's time to introduce Téa to the new person I owe my life to."
Joey turned Téa clockwise to look forward in Akina's direction.
"Who's she?" Téa asked, significantly to the unfamiliar girl.
Joey leaned on Téa's shoulder, pointing a sturdy finger at Akina. "Téa, that's the girl who saved Serenity's life. Isn't she amazing?" he announced, vigorously.
Téa stared at her for a second, oblivious on how this girl could possibly be the savior of Joey's little sister. But, it was possible for any human being to be a hero, in one way or another.
"Sure, looks like Wonder Woman to me too," Téa replied sarcastically. She rolled her eyes to the side to further enhance the implied tone of her remark.
"I know! She kicked ass trying to save Serenity from some hooligan!" Joey agreed with Téa, totally missing the obvious implied sarcasm. Sometimes Téa felt the urge to smack some sense into Joey. Jeez, he could be so incredibly dense on occasion.
"What, are you into her or something?" she wanted to know, raising an eye-brow inquisitively.
Joey sweat dropped and his cheeks turned a lovely shade of scarlet at this rather unexpected question from Téa. "Wh-What gave you that idea?" he blurted out instantly. He turned back and whispered to Téa as discretely as he could muster, "All I'm sayin' here is that she's a good person. Nothin' special."
Téa smirked, deeming this thinly and poorly veiled excuse a little obvious. "Why don't you go ask her out already?"
Out of disquieted need Téa observed Joey's next reaction. He stood hesitantly next to her, his eyes shadowed beneath his dirty blonde bangs. And the next minute, he spun around sluggishly and fell against the wall, the expression on his face giving away exactly how he felt about the matter.
Yugi, who stood there silently, watching Joey having an episode, didn't know what to do, and only sent a compassionate but awkward smile Joey's way.
Téa only stood there, perceiving Joey's poor manly state.
She sighed sadly. "Joey, Joey, Joey…When will you ever learn?"
"Everyone here is supposed to run, has to run, and will run on my order! Is that clear to anyone who cannot understand my concept?"
They were standing outside on the track field, and Mr. Yamamoto, the gym teacher, was spitting (literally) in everyone's face on the obligation of PE. Everyone was wearing the traditional yet original gym uniform: a fitting short sleeved white t-shirt and navy bloomers.
A silence occurred, shielding everyone in the class with no reply. Akina, unfortunately, had gym and what was even more unfortunate, she had gym, with Kaiba.
"Everyone here is going to have to accompany someone in a race. It's some practice people, practice. So don't let it go through your tiny skulls that you should run like a maniac. But, if you're really good, then by al means, go for it." Mr. Yamamoto took the pencil that had been resting on his right ear and proceeded to use it for his clipboard. "Ishii and Kaiba, you two are up first."
Kaiba immediately obeyed and walked over to the starting line. He positioned his stance until it was time to dash. Akina made a face of disgust and cringed on the way to the starting line. She also positioned herself, ignoring the fact that everyone was watching, and to her predictions, she might lose the race. Kaiba had such long legs, and what, he was six feet tall?
"Make way Ishii, because I don't think there's even a one percent chance you could ever beat me," Kaiba scoffed.
Akina furrowed her eyebrows, aggravated that he already had to start. "We'll see about that Kaiba. I don't think those bones of yours can handle this match. You just waste too much time on your computers."
Mr. Yamamoto blew his whistle. "GO!"
And with that Kaiba and Akina sped off. Kaiba had the leading position, with Akina three feet behind him.
Akina tried moving her legs faster and faster, the feeling of beating his jerky ass just had to be vanquished once and for all.
The three-hundred and sixty degree angle track was pretty extended; enough to get Akina tired out already. She watched her space in front of her, but tried to keep her focus mainly on Kaiba.
'He thinks he's such a smart-ass...' she thought vainly,'Someone should teach him a lesson in manners. I can beat him, I know I can!
Yet, she was a short distance behind Kaiba, and she watched him run like the wind. Man, he had to work out.
Tensely she grinded her teeth and concentrated. She attempted swaying her arms back and forth more forcefully, striving to exceed Kaiba's speed. And in a matter of seconds she succeeded and was right behind him. She watched her feet pound on the ground noisily. Both of them were about halfway around the track.
"I can beat you Kaiba!" she declared while having her chance. She applied determination and confidence and through the tone of her voice she expressed it all.
Kaiba, on the other hand, had been handling this task as if taking candy from a baby up until now. But the instant he heard her wailing behind him a light hesitant surprise prevailed over him.
"I must say it's a 'pleasant' surprise to see that your petite body can handle this kind of stress. Have the days of being a janitor helped you in some way?" Even on the track he would be well-known for his biting insults.
Akina wanted to cuss him out and strangle him, but she ignored him instead and growled wordlessly, seething inside. She couldn't let him make her feel unstable. She wanted to win and wipe that smug grin off his face! It was a true miracle how much hatred she could address to this one boy.
She grumbled almost inaudibly, before advancing her steps wider and faster to get ahead of him. By then, Kaiba noticed two hands appearing from the corner of his eye. Now she was right next to him.
No, he wasn't provoked this time; it was more that he didn't really care. He visualized how hard she wanted to win, even if this was just a pitiful race. He knew that feeling. It was this same decisiveness she displayed that he recognized from his duels with his one and only rival.
The finish line was further up ahead. Akina's goal was to now accomplish getting there before he did. Her legs felt incredibly sore from trying too hard, but she dismissed it. All she had to do was to keep running and running.
"Akina! Good job out there! I think I'll enjoy having you in my class this year," Mr. Yamamoto exclaimed. He took her hand and shook it to congratulate her for a job well done.
Akina, still on her knees inhaled and exhaled rapidly, her throat as dry as a cactus. She felt her heart going crazy and all these feelings rushed inside her blood at the same time.
'He let me win.'
Mr. Yamamoto went to speak to Kaiba after finishing with her. Some students came over to her and hit her on the back, granting her a mere kudos due to her victory, but only that. They still didn't bother interacting with her in any other way.
'He thinks I'm weak.'
She strained herself to get up, continuing with the rest of gym class, up to watching her other classmates' races too.
'He just sees me as a stupid weakling. He's superior to me.'
"Yoshida and Komatsu, you're up next."
'Does he enjoy it?'
"Get ready for your positions. Maybe this one will be as good as the first race."
'He probably felt sorry for me.'
"GO!"
'I need to talk to him.'
Kaiba put away his gym shoes in his cubby and silently slipped on his normal pair of shoes. He thoroughly enjoyed the peace of being alone.
Suddenly the feeling of being watched washed over him. He spun around to find Akina staring at him icily, sitting on the bench behind him. Her arms were crossed in front of her chest. She opened her mouth and was about to protest. Wonderful…
"Why did you do that?"
"Excuse me?"
"Tripping yourself and letting me win!"
"I don't recall."
"Yes, you do. You just don't want to admit it."
"You're wasting my time."
"You're wasting my breath."
"So, don't speak."
"Until I get an answer…."
"Whatever," he cut her off, deciding he had wasted more than enough effort on her. He pointedly tried to ignore her from that point onwards.
Akina narrowed her eyes at the back of his head, as if waiting for it to give away an answer. "Then I'll annoy you until you crack," she spat out.
Kaiba continued putting on his shoes. He guessed he did feel sorry for her during that race, that's why he granted her this victory. He could've easily won. He frowned a bit because of this knowledge, though this went by unnoticed to Akina. If it was one thing he hated, it had to be pity.
Akina looked at his feet under the bench he was sitting on and back at his head. "Why did you let me win? Is it because you felt sorry for me? I get it Kaiba, you're the one who thinks you can win anything, and has to. But in reality only fate chooses who deserves to win."
After she was done ranting, she realized what she just said, and how stupid she felt for preaching like a morally person. Her cheeks flushed a nice shade of red. She felt embarrassed when she wanted to be mad!
"Too bad I don't believe in fate,' he offered dryly, his words tinged with just the tiniest hint of sarcasm.
He was hardly fazed by her 'lecture'. There was undeniable truth in her words, even he could not deny that, but the way she had to end her rant sounded so ridiculous to his own ears, he had to suppress the urge to smack some sense into her. She obviously didn't know he didn't believe in 'fate'.
Kaiba stood up, grabbed his suitcase waiting next to him, and forwarded to exit the building.
Akina let out an annoyed snort. "Fine, Kaiba, I'll see you at work. And don't think you're off the hook just yet!"
Kaiba smirked and called out over his shoulder: "I'm never off your hook, am I?"
He chuckled lightly, imagining the expression Akina would be wearing right now. If she only knew what exactly he was implying.
She blushed madly and felt ireful, scolding herself inside for why she even bothered to lecture him. It was not like she could outsmart the 'Grand King' of wit.
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