'Damn it... Yugi and everyone else left already and I'm stuck here in detention!'
It had been already an hour since Akia started her detention session. Only half an hour to go. She was taking this opportunity finish some late homework. Despite having the indifferent reputation, she actually cared about school... to some extent.
Teacher: "Well, that's it for your detention, Akia. Don't be late tomorrow!"
"Yay! Done with this useless waste of time!"
The teacher sighed as Akia ran out of the classroom.
Back home, Akia discovered that Yugi had his door closed.
'That's strange. He doesn't normally close his door. Teenage crisis?'
Akia put on an evil grin as she opened Yugi's door suddenly.
"Yugi!"
Yugi: "Aaaah!"
Yugi fell off his chair due to Akia's loud entrance.
"What are you doing?"
Akia noticed the puzzle box and puzzle pieces on Yugi's desk.
"Still trying to solve it?"
Yugi: "Yeah. And be more gentle with the door next time... You nearly gave me a heart attack."
"Sorry!"
She grinned as she left Yugi to his puzzle. She understood his obsession with the item. After all, she was also very attached to her millennium scale, even though she didn't quite understand why.
The next day, Yugi tried once more to wake up Akia in the morning.
Yugi: "Akia! Wake up!"
"Later..."
Yugi: "Come on... You don't want another detention now..."
At the word detention, Akia bolted out of her bed.
"No! Please! Anything but that!"
Yugi: "Well now I know how to get you up."
After they both got ready, they said goodbye to their grandpa and went on their way to school.
Sugoroku: "Are my eyes playing tricks on me or did Akia just leave for school early?"
On the way to school, Akia kept complaining the whole way there.
"My reputation will be ruined!"
Yugi: "It wasn't such a good reputation to start with."
"I was seen as the only person who could come late everyday but still manage to somehow pass. How is that not good?"
Akia and Yugi continued their pointless talk until Akia bumped into Tetsu Ushio, the head hall monitor.
"Sorry, whoever you are... Oh. I take back that apology. Watch where you're going, Ushio-senpai!"
Ushio never really appealed to Akia. On top of his eyebrows freaking her out, he was the type of guy that abused his position of power. All in all, she really didn't like him.
Ushio: "You should watch who you're talking to, Akia."
"Yeah, I'm talking to a tall thick eyebrows power hogging freak."
Yugi: "Akia..."
Ushio: "Typical... Yugi, come with me. I have something to show you."
As Ushio dragged Yugi with him, Akia started following them. She knew that Ushio would be up to no good and she wouldn't let Yugi get involved in anything he couldn't handle.
Ushio finally stopped in front of two beaten up students. Akia and Yugi recognized Jounouchi and Honda.
Ushio: "I took care of your bullies for you. You should thank me."
Yugi: "What? I never asked you to do this!"
"Jounouchi, Honda!"
Yugi: "Are you guys alright?"
Jounouchi: "Are you satisfied now, Yugi?"
Yugi: "I never asked for this! Ushio-senpai, why did you do this to my friends?"
Ushio: "Friends? You call those guys friends? Well for all the trouble I went through, you'll have to owe me 200,000 yen."
"You have no right to do this!"
Ushio: "It's either that or you pay with your body, in Yugi's case, a beating."
"I won't let you touch my brother or those two idiots."
Ushio: "Like a scrawny girl like you can do anything... Maybe you could..."
"I already declined all your date offers, this situation won't change that."
Ushio: "Have it your way. I want that money by tomorrow, Yugi."
When Ushio walked away, Akia turned to Jounouchi. She hated seeing him in this state. Even after all the times he tormented Yugi, something made her blood boil with rage when she saw him all beaten up. At the same time, she knew that if Yugi didn't pay that freak, he'd beat all of them up.
"Jounouchi, can you get up?"
Jounouchi: "Yeah, no problem."
"Yugi... I think there's only one easy way to solve this without any violence."
Yugi: "There is?"
"I'll just go on a date with him. I mean, how bad can it be?"
Jounouchi: "No way."
"Look, it's none of your business."
Jounouchi: "It is! I'm involved in this!"
"Why do you care anyway?"
Jounouchi: "I don't know!"
Jounouchi truthfully didn't know why he cared. Akia was probably one of the most annoying people he ever met. He just couldn't accept the idea of her dating a freak like Ushio.
Yugi: "Akia, I won't let you do that either."
"Well, what else can we do?"
Before anyone could answer, the bell rang and all four of them headed for class.
Teacher: "Is the world about to end? How come you're on time, Akia?"
"Don't rub it in!"
After classes ended, Akia noticed that Yugi looked preoccupied about the whole payment thing. She couldn't help but worry. She was seriously thinking of just going out with Ushio for her brother's sake.
Yugi: "Akia, you're not coming home with me?"
"Well... I have some stuff to ask the teacher about. You go on ahead, I'll be home a little later."
Yugi: "...Alright, be careful on your way back."
"I will!"
Akia hated lying to Yugi, but if she told him what she was about to do, he wouldn't have let her do it. She was going to go talk to Ushio and get him to change the deal. When Yugi left, she searched all over the school, trying to find Ushio. Without her being aware of it, Jounouchi and Honda spotted her and started following her.
Jounouchi: "Honda... Isn't it weird that Akia is not with Yugi?"
Honda: "It is, but why are we following her?"
Jounouchi: "She might be getting herself in trouble..."
Honda: "And why do you care?"
Jounouchi: "I don't know!"
Back home, Yugi was worrying about the money he was supposed to pay. He took out his puzzle box, and, for some reason, he felt that he was going to be able to solve it this time. Somehow, he was able to pit all the pieces together, like something was guiding him. He was almost done solving it, when he realized that there was a piece missing.
Yugi: "No way! Did I drop it at school? Right when I almost solved it!"
Yugi took his bag and put his puzzle inside. He then rushed back to school to look for the missing puzzle piece.