Yu-Gi-Oh Original Series
Parallel
Chapter 002
Originally Written: Sunday, April 3rd, 2020 at 1013AM to 1047AM
Yugi Moto was an incredibly short sixteen year old male. Short enough to be forgettable, despite having yellow, red and black hair that made up nearly a third of that height. At least it seemed that way when he looked in a mirror.
So when he entered the Kame Game Shop, he was ignored, even though he walked into the back, unlocked the door, locked it back behind him, and walked up the stairs to the home above despite not living there. The store owner, Solomon, just waved as he passed by. Too quickly for him to notice the patches of bandages on his forehead and nose.
It was just his luck he had to go and do something stupid the same day Tea was out sick. He quickly found the kitchen, and pulled out his usual package from the fridge. A quick snack of soup and a sandwich. He fished through his backpack and put a small envelope in the container's place. Solomon didn't like it when he did that, but Yugi always found a way.
'Don't really play, Duel Monsters, ya know? Gotta pay you back somehow.' He was pretty sure Solomon knew otherwise, but wasn't about to call him out on it.
He sat at the table, ate his lunch, worked a bit on his homework, looked over his battle wounds and pretended his house wasn't completely empty, despite his mother saying she would be home today.
At some point, he shrugged off his blue school jacket, revealing the boring white button up shirt he wore underneath it and hung it off the back of his chair. He pushed his books to the side, pushed up his sleeves and started working on his puzzle.
"How's it going?" Solomon asked sometime into his work. When the store was empty or business was slow, he'd take a quick peek on Yugi. He'd say that it was because he truly was checking up on him, but Yugi figured it was to make sure he wasn't stealing anything. He once made the mistake of visiting out of his usual uniform and nearly gave Solomon a heart attack. The elderly man still let him visit anyway.
"I was almost done, but then I tripped and broke it when I fell."
Solomon hummed, "I'm sorry, my boy."
"Eh, I'll fix it again. I remember where the pieces go." Yugi shrugged. Solomon chatted with him about mundane things his parents never asked him about like school and homework. He looked over his homework, then he was called back down to work.
Yugi debated on asking Solomon if he could work here, just to get a head start on things, but Solomon would never let him. Rules were rules and high school students weren't allowed to work unless within specific situations, none of which he was in.
So he sat and worked on his puzzle. Wishing and hoping and dreaming of potential things that could not be.
Yugi blinked, staring at the completed puzzle sitting on the desk. "Didn't realize I was almost done." He stretched and yawned. "That was fun." He looked outside the kitchen window. It was dark now. Solomon always worked ridiculously late. Kind of like how Yugi played.
Yugi grabbed his things, as well as a sturdy shopping bag and headed back downstairs. "I could help you close up."
"No, no." Solomon declined with a kind smile Yugi never saw on his father's face. "I've got it."
Yugi frowned, "Okay. Thanks for letting me stay again."
"Any time my boy. Are you leaving now?"
"Yea, but first..." Yugi held up his completed puzzle. "I took a bag for this. It can't fit in with my school books anymore."
Solomon's smile slowly turned into a grin. "You finished it!"
Yugi grinned. "It was really fun!"
"I'm so proud of you!"
Yugi ducked his head and rubbed a hand on the back of his neck.
"I am! You stumbled in here as a little tyke who got lost from his parents, and here you are now solving puzzles even the most gifted could not!" Solomon walked around the register and spun him around. "So proud of you!"
Yugi grinned.
"Do you remember the wish you made before putting in the last piece?"
Yugi thought for a bit, then he nodded. It was just an old adventurer's tale, but who was he to deny an old, hard working man his fun.
Solomon smiled a calm smile, and placed his hands on Yugi's shoulders. "I hope your wish comes true. There's no one more deserving than you."
Yugi smiled a small smile. One day he'd be this optimistic.
