"A tournament?" Eiko asked she was standing behind the counter at the game shop looking at Jonouchi who was smiling.
"Yup that's right a tournament! It's for anyone who hasn't ever been in one, like you!" he said gesturing his hands towards her. Eiko smiled,
"Great when is it?"
"Next month!"
"Are you sure Eiko is ready for a tournament Jonouchi?" Anzu asked walking over beside him.
"Coerce she is! She's been trained by the best duelist around!"
"Yah Aznu she'll be fine she has been trained by Yugi." Honda said smirking,
"I was talking about me," Jonouchi said turning towards his friend giving him a look. Eiko smiled, they always did this. Honda loved to push Jonouchi's buttons, but it wasn't that hard Jonouchi was a bit of a hot head.
"You think I'll be ready in a month?" Eiko asked a bit worried.
"Coerce you will, now lets practice!"
The game had been going on for about 20 minutes; Jonouchi and Eiko were tied with 1000 life points.
"Your doing good Eiko, I'm going feel real bad when I beat you" he grinned Eiko drew a card. It was her turn to grin,
"Sorry Jonouchi not this time," she placed her card on the field, "I play 'tremendous fire'! This card takes away 1000 life points from you and 500 from me. You lose."
"Nice work Eiko! Since when do you have that card?" Jonouchi said excitedly,
"Mr. Mutou gave it to me" Eiko said smiling.
"I got to say that was pretty good Dueling Eiko," Honda said,
"Thanks Honda-" she turned to look at him. When she did she saw that Yugi and Mr. Mutou were watching too. "Ah Mr. Mutou I was just-" she was pretty sure she wasn't suppose to be playing a card game while she was working.
"No kneed for explanation Eiko, it is a game shop." Mr. Mutou said smiling, "I suppose your practicing for the upcoming tournament."
"Yup!" Eiko explained, "Who's having the tournament anyway?"
"Kaiba corp." Mr. Mutou said. 'Ugg,' Eiko thought, 'that could be a problem.' She wasn't quite sure were her relationship stood with Seto. He had said that they weren't friends, but he had also sent her the rose. 'Unless Mokuba did,' he thought was interrupted by the sound of a bell ringing. She knew that meant a customer had come in Eiko jumped up,
"Welcome to the Kame game shop! How may I help you?"
"I'm so glad you could take a day off Kaiba-kun!" Sophie's voice was high and girlish it gave Seto a headache. He didn't even have a day off! She had just dragged him out into the streets of Domino. They had been walking for a few minutes Sophie had been standing extremely close to Seto it made him uncomfortable.
"So, was their something you wanted to talk about?" he asked turning his head toward her.
"Hm," She said looking up at him, their had to be at least a five six inch difference on their height.
"Did you want to talk to me about something," he restated, "you did travel all the way to Japan."
"Oh, well," she said, she tilted her head away shyly, "I just wanted to see you. Seto" Seto stopped dead in his tracks, 'she doesn't think this is a date dose she?' "Seto," he looked down at her, "I've missed you a lot since you left America, I couldn't stop thinking about you." Seto's eyes grew wide; Sophie intertwined her fingers and placed them in front of her making it look like she was praying. She started to talk about love and what it meant to her, how she had felt so lonely throughout the years, other things too but Seto wasn't really listening. When he reliesed that she wasn't going to stop anytime soon he saw it as an opportunity to get away, he started to run in a random direction. He found himself in an open market were people were buying goods like fish, rice, and fruit. Seto took a rest, sitting behind a big crate that hid him from the market.
"Huff, huff, oh god what am I doing. I just left Sophie Breen all alone in Domino city. She probably doesn't even-"
"Seto?" he looked up. Eiko was standing over him her hair in a ponytail; she had on jean shorts, a yellow tank top and was holding a basket. "What are you?"
"Kaiba-kun!" a shrill voice called.
"Crap!" he said pulling Eiko arm so she was at the same level as him.
"What are you!" he covered her mouth with his hand,
"Kaiba-kun!" Sophie said her voice annoyed, "ugg! Were are you!" she said running of in a different direction.
"Phew," Kaiba said relived,
"Mrmmr" Kaiba looked down, his had was still firmly placed over Eiko's mouth. Her face now had a purplish tint,
"Oh," he took his hand off Eiko's mouth, "sorry about that Eiko." Eiko was gasping for breath,
"Its, huff, O. huff K. huff, huff"
"Cabbages?" a girl with brown hair asked. She then looked at Eiko and Seto, seeing how they were huddled next to each other. "Oh I'm sorry am I interrupting something?" the girl asked politely. Seto and Eiko looked at each other, they then reliesed what she meant.
"What!" they exclaimed at the same time,
"I'll just leave now." The girl said still smiling,
"No wait its not-" she left before Eiko could finish her sentence. Kaiba looked over the crate to make sure Sophie was really gone. "So you don't like Sophie ether," Eiko said. Kaiba looked at her shocked,
"You know her?"
"Yah, I met her yesterday in the park with Mokuba" Eiko explained.
"You were with Mokuba?" Kaiba asked, 'oops' Eiko thought. She wasn't sure if Mokuba was allowed to be with her and as far as she knew she had just ratted Mokuba out.
"Look I don't mind that you're with Mokuba" Seto said noticing the look of worry on Eiko's face, "if he wants to be with you I'm fine with that."
"Oh," Eiko said relived, "that's good." Seto stood up ready to leave, "wait!" she said standing up. Seto turned to look at her, "I thought that you didn't want me around."
"I don't make decisions for Mokuba." Seto said simply, "If he wants to open up old wounds he can" he started to walk away again.
"I'm not going to open up old wounds!" Eiko said her voice angry, "I don't even know why you would think that!" Seto wanted to object but he had a better idea,
"Prove it to me." He said,
"What?" Eiko asked confused,
"Prove to me that you won't cause old wounds to re open. Walk with me. Talk with me. Lets see what you stir up."
"Alright," Eiko said a bit ambivalent, "but I'm kind of running errands." She said lifting up a re useable bag,
"Sigh," 'of coerce' Seto thought, "Fine, I'll help" Seto said in a annoyed tone
"Great!" Eiko said smiling ignoring his tone. "First thing on the list, cabbages."
Eiko and Seto had been shopping for about 45 five minuets. They had picked up fish, milk, fruits, and other thinks as well. But neither of them really remembered. The entire time they had been talking and laughing, people looked at them as if they were a couple. But they didn't really notice,
"You have a funny way of showing pain Seto," Eiko said jokingly.
"What do you mean?" Seto asked,
"You do relies that you've been laughing this entire time right?"
"Um, I just..." he studded. Eiko laughed, even when they were little it was a rare sight for Seto to be tong-tied.
"So what's with you and that Sophie girl?" Eiko asked, "She seems to like you."
"Yah, but she annoys me. I talked to her for maybe ten minuets at a party and she became obsessed with me, she thought we were on a date for crying out loud!"
"So that's why you were hiding from her. Why don't you just date her, she seems like the kind of girl that guys like."
"What do you mean?" Seto asked,
"Yah know, cute, rich, ditsy… I could go on." Eiko said simply,
"I'm not a fan of blonds…" Eiko laughed, they passed by a stand, Seto could see about 50 white bags in the back of the shop. He couln't help but wonder what they were.
"I'm sorry but you'll have to be my pack mule for a bit." Eiko said walking over to the stand,
"What do you mean?" Seto asked confused with her statement, Eiko smiled.
"One bag please" she said to a man working at the stand, he handed her a big white bag with the words 'brown rice' written on it in red. Eiko then handed the bag to Seto.
"Wow, this is actually heavy,"
"Well, it is a pound of rice." Eiko said, she continued walking forward, Seto cared the bag over his shoulder and followed Eiko.
"Why don't you just buy a smaller bag?" Seto asked a few minuets later,
"Its cheaper to buy in bulk," she explained.
"How much longer do I have to carry this?"
"Don't worry, my apartment is right over there," she said pointing too a nearby building.
"Kaiba-kun…" Seto turned towards the sound, he saw Sophie using what was left of her energy to approach Seto. She looked like a blond zombie, "I've been looking all over Domino for you…"
"You have got to be kidding me." He said pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger.
"Do you really want her to leave you alone?" Eiko asked,
"Yes more than anything." Seto said looking at Eiko,
"Than trust me for about five seconds." Eiko said, she placed her hand on Seto's cheek,
"What are you?" Eiko brought her lips to Seto's face.
It took Seto about five seconds to figure out what was going on. It looked like Eiko was kissing him, but he didn't feel her lips on his face. Then again he had never been kissed so it wasn't like he was an expert on how it should feel. He shifted he's eyes; he saw that Eiko was lightly kissing her thumb. He had completely forgotten that she had placed her hand on his face. Eiko pulled away smiling,
"K-kaiba," both him and Eiko turned to look at Sophie. "K-kaiba, y-you…" it took her a few seconds to get her bearings. "You man whore!" both Seto's and Eiko's eyes got big, Sophie ran away in the same direction she came from.
"Man whore?" Seto said confused, he looked at Eiko she had a strange look on her face. "Eiko?"
"HA, HAHA, HA!" she started to laugh uncontrollably, "oh my god," she managed to say between laughs. Seto gave her a look, soon the laughing stopped and Eiko struggled to get her breath back. "Sorry," she said as she wiped a tear from her eye. She looked at the spot were Sophie just stood, "Mokuba is right, she is a crazy bitch." It was Seto's turn to laugh, since the day Sophie cad come to Japan Seto had tried to find the right words to describe her and her antics. Who knew that his little brother would have the answer?
"Crazy bitch fits her well…" Seto said smiling
"Thanks for the help Seto," Eiko said they had just finished bringing the groceries to Eiko's apartment. "With that rice it probably would of taken two trips."
"Its no problem Eiko, you got Sophie of my trail," Seto said,
"We'll call it even" Eiko said smiling. They started to walk down the stairs to the entrance of the building, "Seto," Eiko said while they were walking down the stairs, "why did you act like you did,"
"When you came to visit me?" Seto said finishing her sentence. Eiko nodded, "sigh, its because I'm a big jerk Eiko." Seto admitted,
"What? No your not!" Eiko exclaimed, by now they were out side the building. "Ok so maybe you've gotten a bit meaner," Eiko admitted "but-"
"Eiko Tsubaki," a girlish voice interrupted her. Eiko and Seto turned; they saw Sophie with an angry look on her face and a duel disk on her arm. "I challenge you to a duel!"
"What!" Eiko and Seto exclaimed at the same time looking at Sophie was crazy.
"You duel?" Seto asked not recalling her ever mentioning that she was a duelist.
"Of coerce! Now, are you going to duel me or not?" Sophie said pointing towards Eiko.
"Look Sophie," Seto said, "Eiko is-"
"Going to beet your blond butt." Eiko said interrupting Seto mid sentence.
"Um," Seto said leaning over to whisper in Eiko's ear, "that's not what I was going to say."
"I know," Eiko replied, "but if we are ever going to get her out of here this is the best way." She had a point, if convincing her that Seto already had a girl friend didn't initially get her to leave him alone he wasn't sure what would. "Just one thing," Eiko said to Seto,
"What?" Seto asked.
"I need to barrow your duel disk." Seto didn't really like that idea; he didn't like anyone touching his duel disk. But if it would get Sophie out of his hair… "Fine, it's at my house." Eiko smiled,
"I accept your duel Sophie!" she exclaimed pointing back at her.
Mokuba sat in the study, reading a book. 'Were the heck are they?' it had been two hours since Seto and Sophie had left the house, they should have been back by now. Mokuba closed the book; he walked over to the window to look at the garden. His eyes grew wide, 'what the?' he thought. Eiko and Sophie were standing five paces from each other, each with duel disks on their arm. He ran out of the study to the door lead to porch. He saw Seto standing out on the porch looking over the balcony at Eiko and Sophie.
"Seto! What's going on?" he said running over to stand next to his brother.
"Eiko and Sophie are having a duel," Seto said grimly,
"What?" he looked over balcony.
"Alright Eiko," Sophie said, "I'll start! Draw!" she drew a card from her deck and examined it. "I play 'mermaid archer' in attack mode! And end my turn." Eiko drew a card, 'darn, 'I don't have anything that can beat 'Mermaid Archer' in my hand.'
"I play 'Wapapon' in defense mode! I then play one card face down and end my turn!"
"Light verses water, this should be interesting" Mokuba said to Seto.
It had been a few turns, 'mermaid archer' and 'Wapapon' were both off the field and in the graveyard. Eiko had her three 'mystical elves' on the field and 2600 life points; Sophie had 'Catapult Turtle' and 'Flying Fish' on her side of the field with 3050 life points.
"I now sacrifice my two monsters in order to summon, 'Gogiga Gagagigo' in attack mode!" Sophie exclaimed. '2950 attack points!' Eiko thought, "its so over Eiko! I've been able to summon my most powerful monster, and all you have is a bunch of elves. Your lucky that I cant attack on the same turn that I sacrifice." Sophie said grinning, "I end my turn." Eiko drew a card from her deck she smiled
"Sorry Sophie, but I'm winning this duel! I play the spell card 'Occult Attack'!" 'How did she?' Seto thought, he knew that card.
"Bro, I've never heard of that card," Mokuba said,
"That's because it's extremely rare Mokuba."
"What the heck dose that card do?" Sophie asked,
"Well," Eiko began, "if I have the three or more of the same monsters on the field two things happen. One, they're attack points are round up to the nearest thousand." Sophie watched as 'Mystical Elves' attack when up to 1000. "Second it allows them to attack together!"
"What!" Sophie exclaimed,
"Go 'Mystical elves' attack 'Gogiga Gagagigo'!" Sophie lost 50 life points,
"Ha! Please that barely made a scratch!" Eiko smirked,
"I didn't say my turn was over." 'What?' Sophie thought she looked at the field. Eiko still had the face down card she played in her first turn. "I activate my face down card, 'Repeating Attack'! Which allows my elves to attack again!" Sophie was then attacked directly losing all her life points. "You lose Sophie…"
"All right Eiko!" Mokuba exclaimed, 'she did it.' Seto thought to himself. Eiko walked over to Sophie,
"So, you won." Sophie said, "I might as well leave now."
"Its probably for the best that you don't date Kaiba," Eiko said. She smiled "I hear he's a real jerk."
Aoi: I hope you guys enjoyed the first duel in this. I'm not going to make them full duels just to make my life easer. Hope you don't mind. Most of the cards are real, 'Occult Attack' being the only big exception. Hope you enjoyed the chapter!