Going Pro

Chapter 19: Ambitions of Youth

"You can do it, Jesse!"

"We know you can!"

"Show them whose boss!"

"We're rooting for you!"

The Crystal Beasts were cheering Jesse on as he tied on a headband and rolled up his sleeves. This was it. Cramming for this term's finals had begun!

The full day of testing was just two days away and he had to get good grades. He did alright on his midterms weeks ago, but he had to do even better this time. There were others he had to impress, so he had to make sure he did well so he can continue his career as a duelist. Who knew when his next duel tour would start?

"Jesse! No day-dreaming!" Amethyst Cat reminded him when his eyes and hands stopped moving too long.

"Right!" Jesse declared. He knew for sure he would not fail. Over the weeks, he had been doing everything right. Going over his notes every day, reading the side notes and case studies in the text books, reading the assigned material before class and then again after class. That's why when he took his practice test, he was a little disappointed. All things considered, he knew he still did well, but he wanted to get a really high grade on the real test. He would be ready for anything these final tests threw at him. This way, his practical and theoretical marks would be just as outstanding.

The importance of the final test of the term was felt by everyone. Even Ray was hitting the books hard. As a third year, Daniel was especially worried, because his was going to be the last marks he would get before he had to begin submitting his resume to companies, even though there was still one more term to go for the school year. Jesse was confident Daniel would be alright either way.

When Jesse entered the classroom on the day of the test, Ray was gripping his head and mumbling acronyms he created to help him remember what he had studied. Sean appeared to be relaxed at first, but then Jesse noticed how his eyes were closed as he too was going over things in his head. Evan simply waved to Jesse as he sat down nearby.

Soon they collected their tests. The whole test was actually a packet as it covered all the classes for the term. They had three hours to complete the whole thing.

"Begin," the professor announced and the sound of papers being flipped over rang across the room briefly.

Jesse turned in his completed test in roughly two hours and then went to the cafeteria. No other classes were in session on final test day.

He found Sean and sat down across from him. "How'd it go?" Jesse asked.

"Fine," Sean said simply. "You?"

"There's no way I failed, that's for sure," Jesse grinned then noticed how Sean was playing a mobile game. "What are you playing?"

"Duel World Four," Sean answered. "Number Five just came out, but I haven't finished four, so I'm playing it again from where I left off."

"I didn't know you were into games," Jesse commented, to which Sean paused and raised an eyebrow at him. "You know what I mean," Jesse sighed as he realized how dumb his comment sounded. They are at a private boarding school specifically for gaming entertainment, so of course he's into games.

"I try to play in moderation, so after finals is a good time to play."

Ray slipped into the seat next to Sean, dropped his head on the table and let out a strange whine.

Jesse looked concerned while Sean kept playing his game. "Are you okay?" Jesse asked.

"I suuuuuuuuck," Ray groaned before lifting his head. "I studied and studied, but I have no idea how well I did, there was a lot of questions I wasn't sure on."

"I guess you'll just have to wait and see when the grades come out," Jesse tried.

"Bleh!" Ray dropped his head to the table again.

"Ray, go get a cookie," Sean said calmly as he kept his eyes on his game. Ray made some more noises in response. Finally Sean looked up from his game and directly at Ray's head. "Seriously, go get a cookie," he started seriously, "It'll make you feel better and we can't talk to you when you're like this."

"…Fine," Ray sighed as he dragged himself out of the chair and proceeded to the snack cart at one end of the cafeteria. They had very large cookies packaged and ready to eat as a sweet snack.

"He turns into a bit of a dick when he's hungry and upset," Sean told Jesse. "Don't worry about him."

When Ray came back, he was taking a bite out of a cookie a little bigger than the size of his hand. It looked pretty good. Jesse decided he would get one too in a little while. For now he was still anxious from the hours of testing so his appetite just wasn't present.

"Since it's only a one-week break before the third term starts, is anyone going home for the week?" Jesse asked. "We have been so busy I hadn't thought to ask."

"I don't think so," Sean answered. "Are you?"

Jesse shook his head. "I'm not going home, but I am being picked up tomorrow for an event in Japan. I'm supposed to only be gone for the weekend."

"Really, don't you have to go on tour whenever you can?" Sean commented.

"I guess so, though I still don't have an official agent yet, because Mr. Pegasus wants to keep my dueling tours to a minimum for a little while longer," Jesse explained.

"Why is that? There are other young duelists in the Pros Leagues, like Aster Phoenix, although, I heard he is about to finish college or something like that already so that's probably not a good example." Sean tried to think of another.

"I'm not sure, but I'm glad," Jesse said. "As much as I love to duel, I'm still learning so much, even about my own cards, since I can feel I am using an incomplete deck every time I duel."

"Just in case you don't get that card you're waiting on, you should probably have a backup ace to use," Sean suggested.

Jesse agreed. "I have been trying to find something that will work and feels right, so I hope to find something soon. I just have to keep an eye out." He knew he sounded more sure of himself than he really was.

"Hey guys…" Ray started when he finished his snack. "Do you know when the guest lecture is supposed to start?"

Sean sighed loudly, as if irritated. "We don't even know who the guest lecturer even is."

Jesse forgot about it entirely. He learned a professional duelist was supposed to come to North Academy at least once a year, almost always right after finals, to give a speech or host a seminar. However, there had been no word about when exactly this was supposed to take place this time and nothing about who the guest duelist was going to be. Many had figured it simply wasn't going to happen this time. A few had mused that it was all a big secret that the King of Games himself was going to show.

"Overall, testing hasn't ended yet, so it probably wouldn't be until tonight," Jesse suggested. Ruby Carbuncle perked up for some reason and Jesse looked at the small spirit questioningly. Then he sensed something too.

How strange. He wasn't sure what to make of the feeling at first, but it was akin to a powerful duelist. It was similar, but there wasn't that edge of danger or fear that usually accompanied such a feeling. He was sure it was a seasoned duelist. It had to be, otherwise Jesse would not have sensed it at all.

"Something wrong?" Sean asked.

"Are you spacing out?" Ray added.

"I think the guest arrived," Jesse said looking up.

"Huh?" Sean and Ray looked up and out the window. Chancellor Foster walked by in the distance. They could see there was someone with him.

"Think that's him over there with Foster?" Ray asked.

"Possibly, but I can't see who that is," Sean answered. "We'll find out soon, so no need to worry about it."

Jesse looked over at Ruby Carbuncle again. The spirit seemed very interested in seeing more, so Jesse nodded in approval. With that, the spirit dashed outside to get a better look. Jesse hoped it wasn't danger being sensed. He didn't think so, but he was still learning.

Ray kicked back in his seat and put his feet up on Sean's lap, making the other boy glare at him irritably, but Ray made a face at him to signal he didn't care.

"What am I, a footstool?" Sean grumbled.

"Yes," Ray laughed.

"You want to go?" Sean raised his fist.

"Now look who has the attitude problem, maybe you should eat a cookie?" Ray teased.

Sean sighed and returned to his handheld game and they grumbled some nasty words. Jesse knew they weren't supposed to leave the cafeteria while testing was still in progress in the other buildings, but he wanted to know what Ruby Carbuncle was up to. Both the doors had either a faculty member or a senior student guarding them so no one could leave freely yet.

While he waited, Jesse got some hot water for tea and a snack bar from the snack cart like Ray did earlier. He wished he thought to bring a game or something to read. Waiting was incredibly boring. Eventually Ray started up a conversation again about a new theme for a new deck to replace it current fire-based one. They were able to talk about the cards for many types of decks during the brainstorm.

Finally, testing was officially over so they went out to the courtyard for the assembly. Ruby Carbuncle chirped at Jesse and hopped on his shoulder. Everyone looked up at the stage that was set up high so everyone could see the speaker.

"I hope everyone did well on their exams," Chancellor Foster greeted. "As you all know, we have a special professional guest here today to speak to you about dueling on the professional level. I present to you one of the most famous duelists out of Japan, known for his incredibly luck when gambling everything in a single move, Joey Wheeler."

The students were shocked when a tall blond-haired man stepped forward. "Hello North Academy! I'm Joey Wheeler and I'm here to tell you about dueling out in the real world." He had a bright and confident grin.

"I–I just told them that," Foster asked and Joey laughed it off.

"Dueling in tournaments taught me a lot, especially when I first started," he began. "You see, I was completely green back then, I was pretty much learning the game as I went, and that made dueling really tough sometimes. But I was never alone. As long as I had my friends by my side and cheering me on, every duel could still be an amazing experience, even though they were tough. There were some duels I didn't want to go through, but every duel was important for one reason or another. Make sure you know why you're dueling as you go forward and don't lose sight of that.

"Later on, when I gained more confidence in my deck and in myself, I learned that my opponent could determine how fun a duel was. The best duels of my life were always against my best friends, they were fun, they taught more, and even if I lost, I still had a blast. If every duelist could have a bond that made them feel like that, I believe this world would be changed for the better, so today I ask that everyone here keep an eye out for someone like that, form those bonds, and keeping learning as you go forward, no matter what the outcome might be."

While still in awe they had such a dueling icon standing before them, the students listened intently and applauded when he finished his short speech.

"Bonds, huh?" Jesse smiled when Ruby Carbuncle bumped him.

"Anyway, I hardly get to do these things, so I wanted to give you all the opportunity to ask your own questions," Joey said and many hands were raised immediately. "Whoa okay, how about you?" he pointed to someone in the front row.

"How come you don't do these things more often?"

Joey thought for a second. "It's not that I don't want to or that I'm too busy or anything, but the long story short is that I don't get along with Seto Kaiba." That was no secret in the dueling world. He was even excluded when many other duelists were invited to tour Duel Academy when it was first founded in order to check out the latest technology going in. While Kaiba Corp. directly owns and staffs Duel Academy, it only sponsors and holds shares in the other four international dueling academies, including North Academy. That's why they all have access to much of the same advanced dueling tech, even though the main branch in Japan gets the good stuff first.

Several more questions were asked, and some of them led into lengthy yet animated stories. Some of the questions were so simple, the answers could be found in Duel Magazine, since he's answered so many interview questions before, such as what his favorite duel monster is, or most difficult duel in his career.

When the main school building chimed its announcement bell, they knew it was time to wrap it up. Joey thanked everyone for having him and their hospitality before he left the stage. Jesse was a little disappointed as he walked back with his dorm mates. He wanted to hear more about pro dueling and what to expect later on in the higher levels. How important was his win record verses how strategic and entertaining do his duels have to be? Jesse decided he would find out on his own someday, and when he got an agent, he could ask them too.

"I never expected a superstar to come here," Ray laughed when they walked into the warm cabin.

"What type of person usually comes?" Jesse asked.

"Mostly industry specialists," Daniel said. "Like coordinators, marketing agents, game developers. We don't get as many of the top duelists for some reason."

Jesse looked at all the boys warming up around the fireplace as they got it started. The answer seemed obvious to him. The longer he spent here, the more he wondered why North Academy was built in such a place. It was always so cold and dry, not to mention far away from the rest of society.

"It's a good thing we get a variety of people for the industry, we're all here for many reasons," Sean said.

"Yeah!" Ray exclaimed. "Like I want to be a game artist in the long run, but a pro duelist sounds cool too!"

"You'd need to be a lot better as a duelist though," Sean said and Ray laughed it off.

"What about you Sean?" Ray asked.

"I want to be a gaming journalist," Sean said. "I want to go to as many events as I can and share what I see with the world."

"I think I'm here to go pro with my dueling," Jesse smiled.

"Dude, if you don't make it as a pro, I'll be shocked," Evan said. "If I become a Duel Host like I want to, I better see out in the arenas."

"I'll try," Jesse laughed.

"I'm also hoping to make it as a pro duelist, as least for a while," Kale said. "Then I want to be a dueling manager. I'm not actually that big on travel, so the more I can telecommute, the better."

"Is that because you want to get married and be with your family?" Evan asked.

Kale nodded. "My girlfriend and I have some very long-term plans, and I can't follow through on my promises if I'm never around." Jesse didn't realize Kale was so mature in that way. Since Kale is only a year older, Jesse didn't think about him and his girlfriend being that serious before.

"Since we're on the topic, I'm here to become a game developer," Daniel said. "I hope to at least hear back from the internships I applied for soon." Watching everything Daniel was doing to prepare for the next step after his graduation at the end of the year made Jesse nervous for his own future. It seemed like a lot of work.

Jesse also realized he was the only member of this cabin that was attending the school to be a pro duelist only. He wondered if he should be broadening his scope a little and develop another skill for after his pro career ends, or even just slows downs, assuming it takes off in the first place. An interesting thought came to mind and he shook his head at it.

"What's up?" Ray asked when he saw Jesse make a face.

"Oh, I was just thinking about some old future dream I had when I was little," he said.

"Like what?" Ray asked.

"I used to want to be a veterinarian, but when I found out how much time and college it takes, I gave up on it pretty fast," Jesse explained. "I was never one for school," he laughed. "I think I'd be a better duelist anyway," he admitted.

"When I was a kid, I wanted to be a firefighter!" Ray laughed. "Funny how much we change as we grow up."

"We're not grown up yet," Sean said. "We are still growing and changing. That's why we're here."

"As long as not everything changes," Ray said. "And I was always told to not be in such a hurry to grow up when I was little."

"Ray, you are absolutely right," Sean said. "We're all working hard for our futures, but we also need to slow down and appreciate what's going on right now."

"We should do something fun!" Ray exclaimed.

"After finals party?" Evan grinned.

"Yeah!"

With a large chunk of the student body leaving campus tomorrow, they decided to gather up as many of their classmates of all years and set up a party in the courtyard. Despite being tired and anxious about test results, they all agreed when they listened to the reasoning of the Celtic Warrior boys. With music, games, a huge bonfire, and even an impromptu skit, the festivities lasted well into the night. The staff also joined them, even though they too were leaving for their homes the next day.

Jesse learned a similar party was held by the students at the end of the year with the cooperation of the staff and other services, but when it came to boosting morale, they were allowed to do stuff like this on their own every once in a while.

From the porch of the Celtic Guardian Cabin, Jesse looked at the festivities for a minute. Ray and Sean were goofing off with marshmallows at the bonfire. Evan and Kale were listening to a story from one of their friends from the Flame Swordsman Cabin. Daniel was looking on at his peers in amusement as they played a game.

"Why don't you return to them?" Sapphire Pegasus asked from beside him.

Jesse shrugged. "I just wanted to think for a bit."

"Bi-bi?" Ruby Carbuncle appeared on his shoulder.

"Nothing to worry about," Jesse told the small spirit. "Really."

"It's such a lively event," Emerald Tortoise said.

"It's far too noisy if you ask me," Amethyst Cat said, "I'm happiest right here next to Jesse!"

"Are you kidding, the noise is great!" Amber Mammoth said. "It's been too quiet lately if you ask me."

"Now, now," Jesse tried.

"Are we going to get to go somewhere warm soon?" Cobalt Eagle asked.

"Not unless Mr. Pegasus calls on me," Jesse said. Even though Japan was south of North Academy, if wasn't very warm there this time of year either.

"I hope we get to go somewhere interesting again soon too," Topaz Tiger said. "Then we'd all get to participate in even more interesting duels!"

Jesse chuckled at that. "What, are the academy's duels not interesting anymore?"

"I think he means to say lately it's just been practice," Amethyst cat said.

"Yeah, the practice exercises are not as exciting as actual duels," Amber Mammoth said.

"Well if you're all itching to duel, you should've just said something!" Jesse said and looked out towards his friends. "I have an idea," he said and ran up to Ray and Sean. "Hey guys, wanna duel?"

Ray had a mouthful of marshmallows and wasn't speaking clearly but was nodding excitedly.

"Sure, who should go first?" Sean asked.

"Actually, I wanted to duel both of you, two-on-one," Jesse said.

Sean looked at Ray, who shrugged but nodded in agreement. "Getting cocky now? Think you can handle both of us?"

"We'll just have to find out, but it'll be fun to try!" Jesse grinned.

They got their duel disks and readied their decks. "Duel!" They began.

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Author's Note:

Hope you're enjoying this slice-of-life Jesse/Johan backstory fic. See you next time. Hopefully you'll get the next update in two months or under again, I just managed to do it this time, woot.