Twelve

The rest of the day seemed hellish in the eyes of Jounouchi Katsuya. While he was used to having eyes upon him upon the dance floor in Roppongi that was based on talent-this time around the attention was on him for being well…him and being…together with Japan's youngest multi-billionaire who just so happened to own one of the biggest companies in the world. The attention was disturbing. Girls were heartbroken or jealous. Most people in general were in shock at the news and he knew by this evening everyone would hear about the latest gossip on Seto Kaiba and his new "lover".

"Why didn't you tell-"began Yugi as school ended for the day.

"Not right now. I need to go home before I get followed," snapped Jounouchi before apologizing quickly, "I'm sorry. I'll let you guys know later okay?"

Jounouchi dashed out the door and beyond the school gates of the campus only to be surrounded by photographers and journalists from all sides. It was incredibly awkward and he had nothing to say to them and even then didn't want to encourage anymore rumors to spread.

"Okay! All of you back off!" demanded a high pitched voice of a female.

On the other side of the road was Mai in her red convertible, sunglasses blocking most of her face, she stepped out before pulling Jounouchi out of the crowd before shoving him into the passenger side of the car before shouting at the paparazzi, "Have some respect!"

The mid-aged reporters looked stunned even though they had probably been told off by people before-Mai was no police officer or body guard. She was merely demanding in the tone of voice she spoke in and her beauty would pretty much impress anyone. It was something that many girls wanted to have but couldn't, to be beautiful and strong. Most were either cursed with one or the other.

Mai got into the drivers end before speeding off, Jounouchi stunned and yet thankful for her sudden appearance.

"Now, explain to me; why the hell you're dating your rival?" Mai asked. It was more like a demand at the moment but neither cared.

"I…"

"It's a set up isn't it? It's way too good to be true. Jounouchi, I know better and fairy tales don't exist, poor boys like you don't come from rags to riches that easily and Kaiba has certain requirements and responsibilities that go with is status and whom he dates," declared Mai.

"You're half right," admitted Jounouchi with a sigh.

Mai grinned, "That's why you have some explaining to do because nobody has shut up about it all day and I rather hear it from the source than a bunch of bimbos on the street."

"It is an act. However-my feelings are…." Jounouchi's voice trailed off somewhat hurt by the harsh realities of the situation he was required to explain.

"You have feelings for him?" Mai asked.

Jounouchi silently nodded, "But it's one sided. I just took advantage of it because there were benefits-too many. I guess that makes me selfish hm?"

Mai shook her head in disagreement as they headed down to Akihabara to a manga café to hide. She parked the car in the underground parking garage before answering.

"If you sincerely love him then there's nothing selfish about that. Last time I checking, loving someone was the most unselfish thing in existence."

"It's a dream," said Jounouchi as they walked up stairs. They went towards the entrance and he paid the fee before they hid in a cubicle knowing that nobody would bother them here if they were hidden away.

"Maybe you can make Kaiba fall for you?" Mai suggested as she lounged on one of the chairs before surfing the internet.

"How?"

The blonde haired princess grinned, "Did you or did you not attract his attention without him even knowing it was you Saturday?"

Jounouchi flushed red and nodded.

"Supposedly he had feelings for someone though!" he pointed out.

"Oh really now? It's going to be up to you to figure out who that person is. All I can give you is my sincerest congratulations and wish you all the luck in the world for actually capturing his heart and becoming famous for you and not this scandal that's fit the fan and been blown out of proportion."

Jounouchi blinked, "What exactly has been said?"

"Everything from scandalous sex in public places to it being a trick…to you being a female posing as a male for publicity….everything imaginable," Mai answered.

Jounouchi groaned laying his head down on the desk in defeat. This was not going to be easy getting through.

"Would you like to see?" Mai asked typing away on the key to the rented personal computer.

"I rather wouldn't," Jounouchi murmured.

"You wouldn't believe how many girls are jealous. You should be feeling pretty proud around now," Mai said amused.

"Che, Kaiba will break up with me once this is old news and I'll be normal again and a nobody and the girls can have their precious icon back," said Jounouchi.

The blonde sighed wondering how long he would live with this lie knowing his own true feelings weren't a lie.

_-_-_-_-_

"Hold all of my calls and keep those idiots away from the building visiting I do not want a hold up for the people visiting headquarters or to hold up oncoming traffic. I need all of that mess cleared out by rush hour pronto!" snapped Kaiba as he strode into his headquarters.

"Kaiba-san, sir, while I really respect your wishes; we don't have the staff capable of clearing out all of those people. We have two body guards and most of the security is guarding your manor alone due to your little brother being alone there. We have five hundred people parked out there and all can do currently is have the front the doors locked from the outside which we are currently at the task of doing-right now three security guards, ten office people, and a bell boy. I don't think we could disperse five hundred plus people," Kaiba's secretary explained meekly.

Kaiba sighed, "You for once, have a point."

"Matter of fact sir, I think we're going to have even more people out there by rush hour. The police are already involved but they can't do much unless a riot is caused," mused the secretary.

"Fine, keep everyone out of this building. Once any employees leave-they are locked out until tomorrow morning. I'll have tight security by tomorrow morning to keep anyone who isn't involved with this company outside of the property," Kaiba assured.

The CEO disappeared into his high up office and mentally felt exhausted. He had no idea how people would react. While he knew reporters and netizens would have a ballgame-he'd never expect admirers, book authors of business, college professors, people from Roppongi even-outside wanting to get a glimpse of him and maybe even his lover.

Speaking of which, he was wondering how Jounouchi was coping. He didn't have security and most likely would have to hide…. Kaiba made note to make some room for him at his manor to keep away people from that damned apartment complex.

_-_-_-_-_

Jounouchi had absolutely no idea how in the hell he was going to get to school without being bombarded. His apartment had a few journalist and photographers but a small group of police from the neighborhood (which definitely was in need of police most of the time due to trouble near his part of town) had dispersed them each time anyone was suspicious of invading privacy.

The blonde couldn't hide exactly. His school uniform would give him away. He was forced to depend on Mai yet again, who picked him up and threatened a couple of the buggers that if they didn't back the hell off or move from the car that she'd run them over and make it look like an accident.

"I'm sorry," Jounouchi apologized.

"It's okay. I rather you be safe than stalked," Mai answered with a giggle.

"Ugh. It's going to be hell," Jounouchi groaned as they hit a stop light. A couple of passers stopped and stared and pointed. Some looked at their keitai or newspapers before pointing and chatting. A couple of middle school girls in blue and white serafuku giggled blushing before pulling out an issue of some weekly yaoi manga.

Jounouchi face palmed right about then and Mai rolled her eyes before placing the top over the car as the light turned green.

"It's like they've never seen a gay couple!" Mai exclaimed throwing her hands up.

"Mai you're driving!"

"Oh. Sorry!"

"Point is-I have some connections with the Yakuza so if they give you too hard of a time call me up and I can place a hit or two on some of those bitches," Mai offered with a grin.

Jounouchi did not want to know how his friend knew the Yakuza. It was probably from working at that hostess bar so much. Mai really needed a new job.

They arrived at the campus soon after their conversation only to encounter hordes of paparazzi. Even Mai couldn't shout all of them off. There was one of her and twenty of them. A couple of teachers and staff pushed their way through the crowd to yank Jounouchi across closing gates so none of them could find their way through.

Jounouchi thanked Mai for the ride through the masses of people before he was lead across the campus finding people staring at him from the classroom window. Hordes of people were lined up at the windows from each class. The blonde felt his hazel eyes shooting down in embarrassment as the teachers lead him inside.

"I'm taking it you can handle your way to your classroom from here?" one of the teachers asked. One Jounouchi noted was a first year teacher for 1-A.

"Y-Yeah," he managed to stutter out before making his way up the stairs.

It was a good thing he was early. Jounouchi wouldn't have been defended if he hadn't been. He was a good ten minutes early due to the ride from Mai which he reminded himself to eternally grateful for.

Jounouchi entered the classroom only to find the chatter from seconds ago to be enshrouded in silence. He awkwardly entered the room, all eyes on him as he made his way over to his desk rather stunned that what had been done for a moment. He should have seen it coming.

Blood red paint resembling blood and marker was all over his desk… the words 'die' and 'faggot' boldly standing out in red and black marker across his desk. Black candles were melting from them being lit from both corners as if it were a funeral. Dead and wilting roses laid on his chair, sickening honey and ants eating every bit of sweetness they could find. Jounouchi was sickened and wondered who had hated him so horribly.

Yugi and the others had just walked in as stunned as he was.

"Jounouchi!" Yugi exclaimed stunned.

"Someone grab Mutou-san and the others, they're going to interfere with our game!" exclaimed a girl. Her name being Maki Koriyama from their class… She was the 'princess'. While she wasn't rich, she definitely acted like one and kissed up and played innocent to get her away with teachers and various boyfriends. For awhile, Mai had even been friends with the little Ko-gal wannabe before ditching her before warning her other friends that Koriyama was a slut and a backstabber.

Jounouchi had never personally been in a riff with the girl but knew his classmate played the role well and was known for getting her way through bullying. Something Mai had easily been targeted for. However, Mai was strong and powerful and had a history for being trustworthy-something that the other Gyaru had admired in Mai and remained loyal and trusting towards her before outcasting Koriyama from their circle.

A taller male, one of Koriyama's ex-boyfriend's Yamani, Asano pulled Yugi backwards before dragging him out of the room, Anzu trying to fight back only to be shoved away by Koriyama herself as she sweetly waved before laughing and slamming the sliding door shut.

"You're not so lucky today are you Jounouchi-kun? Honda-san's late and you don't have your boyfriend to help you ne?" she questioned. Her voice as icy and sugarcoated as it got. It was him and a group of girls and four guys… It was her usual group that tended to bully others. This group seemed to be bigger but Jounouchi was already well aware of why.

"This is pretty sad you all," he said.

Koriyama laughed flipping her orange bleached hair over her shoulder, "Speak for yourself fag."

"Che, so what to you plan to do?" asked Jounouchi.

"Ruin you," Koriyama murmured before pushing him back into the wall. She grabbed a candle from the desk prying it off of the wood as Jounouchi was pinned by two guys.

"What the fuck?!" Jounouchi screamed.

"You're not good enough and we'll show Kaiba-kun why," called out one girl as she spat at him. The crowd laughed as Jounouchi winced.

"You're damaged goods Jounouchi-kun, a sick puppy that has diseases…. Why would Kaiba want you?" Koriyama sneered before pouring the dripping wax over his palms. Jounouchi couldn't help it. He knew he was giving in, he knew he was pathetic, but it hurt and he screamed out in pain as hot wax tortured his skin…

"Does it hurt? I thought you being a fuck toy would hurt more than something as small as this," played on one of the guys.

"Faggot," another called out in a hiss.

Jounouchi bent his head down in shame knowing nobody would come to his rescue without being stopped. Koriyama ripped open his uniform shirt before having someone snap off the buttons with scissors before ripping his shirt before pouring hot wax over that area as well. Tears burnt the blonde's eyes and he swore he wouldn't cry-he swore he wouldn't no matter how much it hurt, there was something called pride…

It was unfair. He couldn't hit girls and two guys held him to where he couldn't actively defend himself.

Cold bottled water was dumped at him-hurting more than ever as the wax was hardened by the ice cold water. His button to his uniform pants were snapped off by the scissors and Jounouchi trembled wondering if they were going to go as far as to rape him… Surely someone would come. A teacher. A student. Anything. Anyone.

But it didn't come as his pants and underwear was pulled down to his ankles and Koriyama grinned as if she had won something.

"My, my, you're so small….why would he want you?" she teased. A couple girls laughed at the comment.

"Only a slut like you would know what 'endowed' would be wouldn't you?' Jounouchi shot back in his defense.

Koriyama briefly looked shocked before rolled her pretty little brown eyes, "Just how many times has he fucked you?"

She circled around him before her lithe little hands fondled him making him grimace as her fake acrylic nails were unkind to his sensitive skin.

"Four, five times?" she asked.

"And how long has it been since you've been virgin Koriyama-chan? Let's make a wager ne? You were taken when you were three? Four? Or maybe that's how many times you were fucked when it was taken away from you that night? I could only guess by whom…" Jounouchi snarled.

"You're as smart-mouthed as your little friend Mai…one more word and I out to her little groupies just who she caters to at night," Koriyama threatened.

"It's better than being a street whore," snapped Jounouchi grimacing as Koriyama pulled at him violently attempting to make him hard.

"Last time I checked your little move towards our classmate could be Enjou Kosai… How much does he pay for you so would attend his little ball? Did you honestly think you were Cinderella? Was it your dream come true? Did you fuck him when you both disappeared?"

Suddenly there was a huge bang as his something had violently been threw opened and before Jounouchi knew what was going on, something red was dumped all over Koriyama. Something that was most likely juice before the bottle of cranberry juice was placed in her hand before she was pushed aside by none other than Seto Kaiba himself.

He took once glance as Jounouchi before commenting boredly, "How tacky."

Koriyama looked stunned, "K-Kaiba-kun, I really wanted to do my best for you and make you realize that-"

"Shut the fuck up. You're not of any interest to me bitch," Kaiba said with a laugh before he swung at both males whom ducked and threw Jounouchi towards Kaiba who grabbed onto him. Jounouchi's eyes shot up to look at him even though he was embarrassed he wondered what was going on in his head. What he was thinking…

Kaiba looked hurt…sincere even, before his lips swooped down to kiss him before apologizing softly, "Gomen ne."

Everyone was stunned at that moment as Jounouchi found himself attempting to cover himself. His shirt was ruined and he could barely keep his pants up on his waist horribly enough. His desk was pretty much vandalized in all areas that it was sickening to even look at.

Kaiba pulled Jounouchi forward before exiting the classroom, leading him down the hallway and shoving him into the boy's bathroom.

"K-Kaiba what the-"Jounouchi began confused.

The brunette sighed before violently pulling out paper towels and flicked the water on before moving towards the other male.

"It figures-you can't even defend your fucking self and yet you're always picking a fight with me," Kaiba said.

"Shut up!" hissed Jounouchi as he kicked a stall door out of frustration. Tears brimmed his eyes in utter frustration that he was humiliated the way he was and in front of someone he liked none the less. This publicity shit was getting old and fast.

Kaiba's cold pale hands yanked Jounouchi forwards into him making the blonde blush furiously before realizing just what he was doing. Kaiba was attempting to get rid of the candle wax and clean him up with the damp paper towels which at the time painful hurt.

Finally tears fell much to Jounouchi's humiliation. He cried. He couldn't help it. He broke right then and there and Kaiba somewhat looked shocked and pained.

"Katsuya…"

"It's the burns! That's all!" Jounouchi insisted as he furiously wiped his tears away only to have more fall.

"I see. I'll work as fast as I can…"

Jounouchi at the moment while admittedly humiliated also felt safe due to Kaiba's defense. Anyone would make leeway for him because he had power. The beaten male assumed that he was getting the bad end and was blamed for what was considered a 'horrible mistake' to the CEO's future. Any heartbreak or jealousy would be taken out upon him because it was too good to be true.

Rich boys did not date the poor… Especially not poor boys to add to the factor…

It made his heartbreak at the thought of knowing the truth and knowing this was one huge contract between them so they could both benefit. For Kaiba it would be for the scandal that might raise him in the market. For Jounouchi it was to possibly be known for his talents and not through some silly love scandal and connections.

Jounouchi wondered how the rest of this would lead to their successes and their downfalls. He wondered if he could do himself good and get over his silly little feelings for Kaiba. It was something that he knew must be done if he wanted to avoid getting hurt and damaged more so than he already was. He had then made the decision to milk out this scene as quickly as possibly. Make it look realistic for his own self pleasures….and then leave and keep himself busy with his future which included his career and reuniting with his sister.

The struggle was a desperate one. One that he needed to remind himself of.

'Seto Kaiba will never have feelings for you so don't think you're living a dream…'

Jounouchi realized then that he would only be living melancholy. Half of what he wanted and what surprised him was-he wasn't sure how happy he was with that.

Kaiba finished quickly removing wax and anything else that maimed his poor skinny body before standing and announcing, "We're leaving here."

The blonde blinked. What was going on?

(A/N: Ahhh! Sorry for the long wait peeps! I hope this chapter was worth it. I finally started school and I go for about nine hours and that's not including homework so it's a huge adjustment for me. I've been writing very late at night to finish things through so excuse me if it takes awhile to update. Hopefully when I get adjusted to this school system I'll be able to work on my writing a lot more.

Next chapter's going to be fun. It's funny. I've adapted a soundtrack/playlist for this fic. I do that with A LOT of fics but this is the first one in awhile that I've done one for. Anyone interested in seeing? Lol…

Until next chapter!)