Trenchshipping (Hiroto x Haga)
Haga punched a wall and instantly regretted it. He waved his hand a couple times, as though that would get rid of the pain. Had it really been a year since Battle City? Domino hadn't changed an inch. There were even still people walking around with Duel Disks, though they were mostly made up of elementary and middle school kids pretending to be various duelists in the park. There had been one boy with a cardboard pyramid on yarn, pretending to be Yugi, and a girl with a deck crawling with harpies pretending to be Mai Kujaku.
He had left as soon as one of the kids summoned Time Wizard and said he was Katsuya Jonouchi.
It wasn't fair. He had been the champion. Those kids should be looking up to him, not that stupid Jonouchi!
People passed by without looking at him, just another short kid on the sidewalk. Stores flashed their neon lighted Open signs, and people sat around round tables in open air cafes, their laughter floating across the street to Haga, who glared at the sunny blue sky with its white fluffy clouds, convinced that the entire world was mocking him. He thoughts wandered to the untouched college applications on his desk at home, a train ride away. They moved on to his aunt's revelation that she couldn't pay for his college funds, the cards in the Duel Disk he wore that he had barely touched for a year, and the feeling of utter uselessness he had felt all year.
There was an ant colony scurrying about the sidewalk, ignored by the passerby and ignoring the passersby in turn. He wondered for a moment how they managed to find enough space for their whole family in the cracks of the sidewalk.
Haga crouched down to stare at their chaotic, yet strangely organized bustle. It looked like a foot had scuffled across their mound, and they were busy at work repairing it.
"Don't even bother," he said. "Really. Someone will just kick it down again."
"Is that really your approach to life?"
Haga lost his balance in surprise, and, wheeling his arms a few times, managed to fall backwards instead of on top of the busy ants.
A boy stood over him, school bag slung over one shoulder. His navy blue school jacket hung open, revealing the untucked white shirt beneath. He looked down at the fallen Haga, curious brown eyes looking out from under a ridiculously over-spiked brown hair do. What, did he think he was a gang member of something?
"Hey, Haga, right?" he said. "Shouldn't you have school or something?"
Haga was surprised that this kid knew his name, but was determined not to show it. He jumped to his feet, brushing himself off indignantly and trying not to notice how much taller the boy was than him.
"I could ask you the same question," he snapped.
"I have early release," the boy said. "Hiroto Honda, by the way. I doubt you'd remember me."
Haga squinted at him.
"What, have I met you before?"
"Not really. I'm one of Yugi and Jonouchi's friends."
"Oh, perfect. Just what I needed today."
Honda half grinned.
"You seem in a cheerful mood."
"I don't like sarcasm!" Haga snapped. "And for your information, I don't have to be in school. I graduated early."
Noting Honda's unconvinced look, Haga bristled, and drew himself up to his full height.
"I'm older than I look!" he said. "I turned seventeen last week!"
Honda appeared to be trying to hide a smile, and Haga felt himself getting angry again.
"If you just want to laugh at me, then buzz off! I have no time for people like you!"
"Obviously. So what are you doing in Domino again?"
Haga folded his arms, determined not to answer.
"Yugi or Jonouchi?" Honda said.
Haga blinked, taken aback.
"Huh?"
"Yugi, or Jonouchi?" Honda repeated. "Which one are you here to duel?"
Haga glanced down and realized he was wearing his Duel Disk. Damn. A dead giveaway.
"Both of them, one after the other," Haga said. "And in public, too, so I can gloat when I win."
"Or whine when you lose," Honda said.
Haga was about to retort, but Honda cut him off.
"Yugi and Jonouchi don't really duel much anymore, you know. They haven't been in a tournament since...well, since Battle City, I guess."
"Huh?" Haga said. "Why not? Yugi's world champion. Isn't that his job? And Jonouchi's always going off about being 'the true duelist.'"
Honda shrugged.
"Everybody's growing up, moving on, I guess," he said. "Yugi's looking into an internship in Egypt: he wants to study archeology. And Jonouchi, if you can believe it, is thinking about going into social work for troubled teenagers."
"Are we talking about the same Katsuya Jonouchi here?" Haga said.
"Only one I know," Honda said. "What about you, Haga? Are you still dueling?"
"Of course I am!" Haga said, but it was a blatant lie and they both knew it.
Haga hadn't joined a tournament in a year. He had barely looked at his cards. He couldn't bring himself to flip through the worn slips of paper, staring at the creatures that he had once treasured more than anything.
"I – it's because of Yugi, and Jonouchi!" Haga said. "They took away all my confidence! I haven't been able to play a game since I lost to Jonouchi – it's humiliating! I used to be the best of the best, and now look at me! It's all their fault – all of it! That's why I'm going to duel them and win and then I'll be first place again –"
He didn't notice Honda's hand moving until it smacked him firmly on the forehead. Haga stumbled back a few steps, eyes widening in complete surprise. He couldn't speak for a few moments, his mouth flapping open and closed uselessly. Honda jumped into the gap.
"I think you need to get over yourself," Honda said. "Yugi and Jonouchi are moving on. Everyone is. Times change, Haga. People change. You need to stop blaming others, and start looking at what's really going on."
"W-what right do you have to tell me that?" Haga stammered.
Honda grimaced.
"Jonouchi told me the exact same thing once. Only he hit me harder – and in the diaphragm."
Honda shoved his free hand into his pocket.
"It all comes down to one thing, Haga: are you happy? And if not, what's the problem? And don't tell me it's somebody else's fault."
Haga stared at him, completely and utterly taken aback.
"Hey, mommy, look what I found!"
Glasses askew, bangs in his face, he ran over to his mother, bent over a pile of papers with her brow furrowed. She looked up with a tired smile as he held up his hands.
"Oh, wow," she said, always the entranced audience. "That's a huge praying mantis! Where did you find it?"
"In the back yard, on the gate!" he said excitedly. "Can I keep it mom, can I?"
She cupped her hands over his, letting the wondrous green creature climb onto her own hand. She brought it up to her eye level, watching him with that soft, wondering gaze that he always loved.
"Don't you think," she said, without looking away from the mantis, "that he'll be happier if he's free?"
He hadn't thought of it that way. He scuffed his foot, a little ashamed. But she smiled, and let the mantis crawl back into his hand.
"Everyone needs to be let go, little Haga," she said, ruffling his hair. "Even you, someday, will want to fly free. Remember him when you think of that, okay?"
And then he was standing in front of her grave, on an uncharacteristically hot, sunny day, burning up in his too big suit as drying tears stained his face.
And there was the mantis, holding its arms together on top of his mother's grave. Praying.
Her grave read: True freedom lies in letting go.
Honda brought Haga back to the present with a single sentence.
"You gotta keep building," he said, brushing past him. "Those ants are a good example."
Then he was gone.
Haga stood still and frozen in the sidewalk for a few moments, watching the ants work hard building a home that would most likely fall again. Would his dreams fall through again?
A flash of green caught his attention. There was a praying mantis on the wall beside him, staring at him upside down. Haga held its gaze for only the barest moment.
Then he turned, and ran down the street towards the train.
Okay, if you say so, mom.
A/N: I have to say, ever since I started delving into Haga's possibly backstories, I find myself liking him more and more. So that means that the only Yu-Gi-Oh character that I absolutely hate is Bandit Keith. X3 Next up on the Yu-Gi-Oh Shipping Challenge...Trapshipping! (Yami no Bakura x Ryo x Yugi x Yami no Yugi). This should be fun. :3
