3.0

The tape labeled 'Caught on Camera' was in Yuugi's hand as he rode the bus home that afternoon. He didn't know exactly what to do with it, feeling sort of against the notion of just full on crushing it or putting it out of commission.

He was grateful towards the spirit who eyed him in his peripheral vision. If it weren't for him, he may have been on television to be humiliated. His dilatory actions kept him from possibly getting bullied even worse by his classmates.

So instead of tearing the seams apart and cracking the plastic of the would-be TV episode, he withdrew a box of chotskies and miscellaneous items and threw it in there once he returned home. He turned to the brooding and observant male, who's firey hair was no longer as untamed as it was during the Director's punishment game. The thousands of squares that were equilateral and perfectly centred creeped him out.

"Mosaics?" He mumbled to himself. Yami's head twitched and he knew he had heard him. Therefore, deciding to elaborate he pushed the box back in its dust bunny ridden corner. "I was just wondering why you had chosen a Mosaic Illusion." Yami's punishment game was directly correlated with Ushio's overbearing and greedy personality.

Yami watched him sit on the edge of his bedding and remove his uniformed jacket. He long lost his tennis shoes of an unknown brand at the door. And as the tiny boy ran a finger over the midst of his brow bone, massaging the sore muscle Yami had a face of disgruntled guilt. "If you remember he told you he would use a mosaic to censor your face. That was my inspiration."

He parts with the answer easily, and Yuugi stares at his socked feet for a moment of silence dragging on. "Thank you…Yami.." Sucking in a hurried inhale, Yuugi grabbed at the string aligning his puzzle to himself. "If you hadn't been there for me…Where would I have been..?"

"..!"

"Ushio would've harmed me, that Director would have completely ruined my social life. I'm..so…happy I met you." He could barely keep his wet eyelashes from leaking, eyeliner that he applied earlier in the morning getting streaked. The blackness shone pathways of rivers on his cheeks from Yuugi's tear ducts.

"Ah…Aibou." Yami had a startling harsh warmness in his chest. It was completely neutral, something that came with being a weird puzzle amnesiac ghost but it still made his stomach flutter. "Don't cry…"

In all honesty Yami was sick of seeing these people take advantage of the boy who had saved him from his confinement. He felt nothing but cold dark hatred for those he had dealt with. But seeing Yuugi here, grateful but still clearly a tiny bit remorseful about everything…

Yuugi swept the tears from his cheeks, forearms batted with splotchy runny eyeliner. "Thank you, really." Yami gulped at the wet, red rimmed eyes that stared up at him. "I'm too weak to handle anything myself."

"That's not true!" Yami finds himself refuting, his baritone voice a little too heavy for his liking. His hands ended up entwined with more meta-physical and existing fingers. He could see the chipped paint on the boy's black fingernails. "You are strong, maybe not in the body but you are in mind. You saved me, and spent years on that puzzle with undeterred resolve. You tried to save Honda and Jounouchi, and even tried to talk to that 'idol' for him."

"Self confidence can be difficult to build up, but your kindness. We both have to work on ourselves. I found myself utterly enraged by those who wished to lay a hand on you. I wished to corrupt their very souls, show them your pain."

Yuugi stared upwards, listening with tears streaming which made Yami's resolve harden. "Don't beat yourself up about it, please."

Yuugi couldn't understand how the one who seemed so perfect admitted that he himself needed personal work. Could someone who looked so untouchable really need to get better? "Okay." He muttered, tightening his physic defying hold on the ghost in front of him.

Managing a reassuring grin, Yuugi wondered how he could be so lucky. The puzzle really could grant wishes, and beside those at school he had the closest thing to a best friend right across from him. He felt like his other half.

I can't imagine not having Yami around me all the time. I feel like we've known each other for years. He thought, just in time as he was taken into a ginger hug.

Violet that gradiented into indigo traced the cement as he walked his way to school. The shard of conscience adjacent to his side stared indifferently before jolting when the tip of Yuugi's tennis shoe got stuck and caused him to trip.

"Yuugi."

Wasting no time getting back he rid himself of dust. /Don't worry mou hitori no boku, I just fell./

Yami watched with hard eyes, arms folded. /W-What's with that look..?/ Yuugi bit his lip, taking a glance at the opaque figure.

Red cerise bored into his soul. "You being harmed upsets me, partner." He more observes rather than states, finding his stomach wrangling with guilt. One formed from the lack of being able to help. "I don't like seeing you in pain.." Continuing he thumbs a look at his tinier look-a-like, breezing over the healing wounds from Ushio. There was even a bruise in the centre of his forehead, right square on his brow bone. That one had been from that director, Uesugi. Despite his best valiant efforts, Yuugi always seemed to wind up with a scratch.

Yuugi could understand someone being unconventally stirred by a friend coming to harm's way. He wouldn't like seeing Yami in pain, which had stricken his anxieties when he watched him do Penalty Games. Despite the brimming confidence, he wondered if they could backfire if Yami lost. Would he be punished instead? And what would happen to Yuugi.

/I don't want to see you hurt either/

His disdain for violence elevated everything to an unusual extent. Suddenly he was thinking about all the trouble he gets others into, much less himself. And for what, to make his friend worry? The one he had been granted by the Puzzle, his wish answered?

The spirit has no counter comment. Maybe he was thinking. Either way the conversation is over, Yuugi summed.

Yawning silently, Yuugi walked up to the bus stop and near the line of other students all dressed up in formal school dress code uniforms. Nobody greeted him and he didn't give one out either. It was pretty common that his peers didn't care for him, in an unabashed way.

So he stood there awkwardly, engaging with the spirit through their discovered mind link in a new conversation. Waiting for public transport meant that Yami could ask him any modern topic to which he could explain to the best of his ability.

As of this morning he officially had a talking spirit over his shoulder for 3 days. And for once it felt like he wasn't being threatened or pestered with some over hanging dread so he took a moment to savour the peace of being normal.

Being at a school bus stop with school kids and waiting for a bus was normal.

And once it came and he got the chance to step out of the cold air that would've soon evaporated into heat, he held onto the last pole he saw. It was just a common routine for him, and looking around he saw Yami had left him to his own devices. If he were a Puzzle Spirit he'd be bored with the wonders of transportation as well.

Another thing he noticed with his sweep around the interior was a kid. He recognized his hair from the back, it was Hanasaki Tomoya from his class. Yuugi couldn't say they were friends, more acquaintances who went through similar things.

Hanasaki never had friends around him, he kept his mouth shut unless spoken to and was short. And bullied. He was just like Yuugi really, well prior to obtaining the Millennium Puzzle's benefits. But his appearance was greatly different from Yuugi's having basic short ash blonde hair, glasses that were just a bit too crooked. The only similarity there was that they were both short.

In fact, he was the only one in the sea of bodies that even compared to Yuugi's height. With a dry mouth, Yuugi briefly wondered why he looked so sad when he saw his hand go into his uniform pocket.

He felt a wave of empathy and with it came out Yami, who curiously spied at the one who had his heart on his sleeve. "Is he a friend of yours?" The voice made Yuugi jump in his skin, before realizing it was just Yami. /Hahh..No, I don't think you consider us 'friends'. I was just wondering why he looked so distraught./ He answers Yami, as they both stare at the blonde from the back.

"Hi Hanasaki-Kun!" Yuugi found himself greeting, waving when brown eyes met his purple ones.

He turned right back around, after a moment and an unreadable expression on his face. Yuugi just blinked, a little disappointed and unnerved. "No answer.." Yami observed aloud, gazing at a plastic bracelet that hung from Hanasaki's wrist. Yami didn't recognize it but it looked to be a Western-like comic book superhero. /Yeah…Oh well, I guess it can't be helped./ Yuugi laughs nervously between their mind link.

Yami wondered just what Hanasaki was thinking before hearing the bus tires squeal. He panicked immediately seeing Yuugi fall backwards, late to make a grab for the pole. That's two falls today… Yuugi rubbed the back of his head, underwhelmed by his catastrophic late reaction time. "Are you alright?" He looked up and saw Yami looking over him worriedly.

/I-I'm okay…Jeez, I need to get a new gimmick, falling over and worrying you is getting old../ Yuugi jokes watching the spirit shake his head in muted amusement.

"It's…Very empty back here." Yami looks around, seeing there's an obvious cut off between the crowded side of the bus and the back side. /Yeah you're right- Oh no!/ Yuugi tenses when he realizes just why it was so empty. A muted beat tore through the atmosphere. /That's Sozoji from Class C…/ Yuugi gulps, knowing the male very well.

Thankfully, his eyes were closed tightly and was concentrating on the music that was blasting despite being trapped between two bulky headphones. The large highschooler had a boombox right between his spread feet and Yuugi rushed to get up. He was just the type of guy that Yuugi hated getting mixed up with. /He's bad news…/ He stresses to a pair of blood red eyes that were tapering maroon. Eager to escape the back, Yuugi pulled on his backpack strap when he felt resistance. A hand grabbing right at the long uniform jacket that seemed to betray him at that moment. "Stop right there Yuugi!"

The music faded out from what he could hear and by the time he twisted around, Sozoji was patting the spot right next to him. Barely any room for an average person with his legs out so far but Yuugi won the award-for least average person. "The place next to me is open, so have a seat." Yuugi takes an experimental tug on his jacket, wondering that maybe if he slipped off the jacket he could run- No but then he'd lose his backpack as well! "There's something I wanted to talk to you about."

Yuugi was guided to the seat by dark brown eyes, shivering and he could feel his own anxiety slipping through his and Yami's mind link. Speaking of, Yami was glaring intently at the man just -waiting- for him to make the wrong hand touch. I have a bad feeling about this, Yuugi winces between the red and brown eyes both focused on him. "Should I handle this?" Yami's opaque form solidifies for a split second but dims out at the frantic shake of head. /We're in public!/

Blissfully unaware of the kid's inner turmoils, Sozoji didn't even bother removing his headphones once to talk to him. "It's about time for another one of my famous 'All Night Solo Live Shows!'

Yuugi in that split moment wished that Yami could actually help him out, having experience with said shows first hand. "Uh…Sozoji.." He squirms to make up an excuse missing the sheets of paper thrown in his face till it's too late. "So anyway, I want you to sell 10 tickets for the show!" Why do I bother… "It's 2,000 Yen each but to hear my singing voice, that's cheap! Make sure to try and get a 6:4 ratio of girls and boys!" Pressed into his hands, Yuugi doesn't dare look him in the eyes. "It's in the evening tonight, You know what'll happen if you don't sell those tickets."

The cracking of knuckles has Yuugi pale in the face and he curses the paper in his hands.

What's wrong with kids at his school?

What's wrong with me?

Footfalls echo the school hallways, Yuugi not getting a glance of those who he recently befriended or Anzu, so Yuugi decides to walk to the class already.

Another dreary day… Yuugi presses his eyes shut tight releasing a sigh. Yami was nowhere to be seen so he just assumed he was off in the Puzzle doing whatever ghost spirit things did when they weren't seen. The sliding door creaked annoyingly as he snapped it open, and Yuugi pressed a hand to his mouth as he yawned.

The classroom was partially empty, as it was still early but most notably there were two girls. His friend Anzu and more so her friend then his, Nosaka Miho. The girl with a ribbon in her hair -No wonder she was dubbed 'Ribbon-chan'-Was leaning over the brunette's desk giggling about something as she held a stack of papers to her chest. "Good more Yuugi-Kun." Anzu smiled from her desk, interrupting Miho who pouted.

"G-Good morning Anzu…Nosaka-chan." He mumbles with a distraught frown before forcing himself to give a smile regardless of what he has going on with Sojozi outside of the classroom. "Morning!" Nosaka waved eagerly, carding a hand through her hair. Yuugi could hear her babble distantly about a variety of topics as she clenched her papers and uniform. Meanwhile, Yuugi just got ready for another day in his first period.

There's no way I could ask them to take these tickets, much less buy them… He thinks in his seat, skin crawling with anxiety. I can't do that to them. Nosaka and Anzu don't need to suffer through it. Burying his face in his hands he can feel tears well up but he grits them out by blinking quickly. How could I even think of doing something so- His thoughts end in alarm, feeling a surge of reassurance. From somewhere, but- Yami?

/Yami?/ He voices in his head, sitting up and scrubbing his eyes. "Mou hitori no ore."He looks up and there Yami is, he seemed to have been drawn out due to his state. /I didn't mean to worry you. I'm sorry…/ He can hear the white noise of the newly emerging classmates but he ignores them for bridled fire red eyes.

A reluctant hand hovers over his hair, eyes darting around before he feels the light touch of a comforting pat. None of his hair moves along with the getsure, but he gets the feeling. His bottom lip wobbles, holding the forearm of the ghost who is wearing the same uniform as him. It always seems to mirror his own form, star pajamas or not. He wonders if he should make more effort to dress up with the guise of Yami, so they can both have what they wish.

Realizing he nodded off to his thoughts he cleared his throat and sent a /Thank you./ to his Yami, to which the ghost gave a firm nod. "Please talk to me if you're in need of comfort. We're partners, remember?"

A small smile appears on his lips. /I could never forget./

"Morning Yuug'!" A boisterous voice brings his gaze from Yami, gaping as a familiar blonde is bounding up to him. Yami looked at Jounouchi with a far away smile, before disappearing fully. Once out of sight he ground his teeth, planning out his newest penalty game for a certain singer.

"A-Ah! Jounouchi-kun, good morning!" He gives a shaky smile, watching Honda come up huffing with both his and Jounouchi's school cases over his shoulder. "An-And Honda-kun…"

"Yo! I saw ya' dazing out Yuug'...Were you lookin' at those girls over there?" He snickers, honey and brown dyed eyes looking at a pair of girls who were minding their own business. Yuugi blinked absently, whole face being doused in red. "No..No I wasn't…!" He squeaks, hands grabbing at his desk like a lifeline. An arm goes around his neck, another instantly roughing up his hair. "You scoundrel..!" Jounouchi laughs, but shuts up once a heavy case is slapped on the desk next to him.

"What's ya problem?" Jounouchi let's go, seeing Honda leering at him. "I'm not gonna carry your stuff all day! Take it!" He shoves it into Jounouchi's chest who wheezes. "Thin ice!" Jounouchi croaks, a little miffed by the sudden mood change.

"Besides, Mutou isn't that kind of guy. You've seen him." Honda hounds him, being able to count on his hand the amount of times he'd even looked at a girl with interest. And most of those were taken up by Anzu. "Eh, he's just a late bloomer." Jounouchi shrugs, eyeing Yuugi who sputters. "No, Honda's right! I-I don't even..!"

"Eh, you just need to find the right girl. Someone'll who'll stand up for ya'." Jounouchi grins at him, patting his shoulder. "I'd suggest someone blonde too, they always have the best…" He gestures to his chest as Yuugi hides his face in his hands. "Please…No more.."

"I feel like you're projecting.." Honda deadpans, a knowing look with a scowl as Jounouchi blinks at him owlishly. "I've got no clue what that means."

"You're practically describing yourself with a rack!"

"The hell I am! Does it look like I've got one!?'

Yuugi just looks away, sighing. He was glad Honda took the heat off of him, his preference has always been a sore spot with him.

And even though his friends were distracting him he couldn't help but have his thoughts circle back to Sozoji… Watching Honda and Jounouchi argue… He bits his lip.

I'm a no good friend.

Somewhere in his soul he felt an exclamation of denial to the thought but he didn't see Yami.

Jounouchi sighed harshly through his nose, palming a hand through his hair after he momentarily flipped off Honda. That guy pissed him off sometimes, reading into things that definitely didn't have any meaning lying beneath. Jounouchi's brain was a one-track mind and he definitely didn't do innuendos. Sure he thinks Yuugi should date a protective blonde, but there wasn't much to that! He would never…

Frustrated with himself he pushed past Honda, needing to change the topic and walked up to Yuugi. "What's up Yuug'? You got somethin' on ya mind?" Startled purple eyes snap over to him and the tri-coloured hair boy laughs sheepishly.

"No, it's nothing.." Yuugi gulps, as he lies through his teeth. Guilt pours in his gut, unable to look him in the eyes. Jounouchi didn't press him, deciding to use his segway to talk about something else. "By the way, I looked into it but it seems there really isn't an idol at school.." Yuugi gapes at him in disbelief, as Honda pinches his nose. "Y-You still haven't given up on that?"

"That's just the thing, I'm gonna be this school's first big idol!"

Idol…I wonder if Sozoji wants to be one? I feel sort of bad for him…No one wants to go see his concerts do they?

But it's really not necessary to force people to come…

Unaware of his spiraling thoughts claiming his attention, Jounouchi looks over. Yuugi…What has you distracted? "Yuugi…" Said boy gasps when he turns to see Jounouchi just as he grabs him by the shoulder, gently shaking him. "Is there something bothering you!? Tell me! I'm here for you man!" Starling proclamations aside, Yuugi looks up in stunned surprise. Determination mixed with something unknown circles in Jounouchi's eyes and Yuugi manages a fond smile. "Really it's nothing…But thanks anyway.."

I don't believe him. Jounouchi searches his eyes but relents. "Alright!" He winks, taking his gaze off of Yuugi and looking at Honda. Said man looks smug, with his chin in his hand.

I feel better now. Yuugi realizes as he leaves his final class, bell ringing throughout the entire school. Really if I told Jounouchi about the tickets, I'm sure he'd pick a fight with Sozoji. I couldn't make my friends suffer like that. And even in remembering Sozoji's smirk, he can't bring himself to rush after the remaining students who collect their items from the grouped together lockers.

I guess I'm just going to have to suffer alone this evening… He frowns at the flooring, passing by a group of kids putting their walking shoes on. Then he sees Hanasaki, looking around with an anxious expression. Yuugi's eyes widen, cupping the spot where there are tickets in his pocket instinctively before he flinches, staring down at his own hand. Dang it…What's wrong with me? Just because Hanasaki isn't my friend…just because I haven't talked to him much…I'm such a jerk!

Gritting his teeth, he exhales and sneaks past him. "Goodbye Hanasaki." He smiles with a shaky tone, studying just how absorbed the glasses wearer looks with something in his pocket. "Uh..Um, Mutou-kun…" Touya maunders, pulling out an oh so familiar slip of paper. "Sorry to bug you, but…C-Could you buy this ticket from me..?" Taken aback, Yuugi swallows thickly. "Do you know Sozoji Jin from Class 1-C? It's a ticket to one of his concerts?"

I wanna be mad but…I was just about to do the same thing to him. He deems. "It'd really help me out if you'd buy one from me…I've got 5 and no one will buy one.." He stumbles, looking like a kicked puppy. I've got more than you..

"You going Hanasaki-kun? You don't seem that enthusiastic." He points out, pulling on a fake smile as his heart drums across his rib cage. "If I tell you, you may not want to buy one. I…Really don't wanna go."

Yuugi couldn't help but see himself in his shoes, so sucking it up he checks his pockets. Nothing. "Um..It was 2000 Yen right?! Sorry, I don't have any money on me right now…"

Am I really going to let him suffer too? He seems nice.. "So let's do this! Give me all those tickets so you don't have to pass them out yourself."

Hanasaki seemed responseless for a moment, looking at his equal in height as if he were crazy. "I…Is that really okay, Yuugi..?" Finding himself smiling when Hanasaki switched over to his first name rather than surname, he beamed over at the dove haired boy. "Yep. If you don't want to go Hanasaki, then you don't have to, right?"

"Thank you Yuugi!"

Flustered, Hanasaki handed over the tickets with a sheepish grin. His clumsy hands brushed over Yuugi's who shoved them all in his pocket after a quick once over. "Later then..!" Yuugi twists around, unaware of the awed look he gets from Hanasaki. When he's out of sight of the school entrance he lets his shoulders slacken. I should be the only one to suffer…

As Yuugi anxiously hummed only his walk home to the bus, Yami sat in a completely empty room. Legs crossed and sitting on a throne with engravings of something -hieroglyphics, a shared memory from Yuugi tells him.- and deep in thought. Day after day, Yuugi seemed to do something that defies his expectations. Why was he so nice? He only self-sabotages himself…

Does it worry me? I care for him, of course it worries me.

Deep in the halls of the unknown and groaning room doors he wonders if these walls have symbolism like the room across from his own? The first time he wandered past his own door, he was buffeted by how curious his own room was compared to the one that looked suspiciously like an extension of Yuugi's. It looked nothing like Yuugi's room, but if you were to add it to his pre-existing room it would fit right in.

Toys, puzzles, game boards, crossword sheets, video game systems. A nice bed with a comforter thrown on top, picture frames, a closet full of assortment knicknacks. And a golden box, Japanese kanji lining it rather than unreadable hieroglyphics. Something you can show but not see?

He recognized the phrase, the one Jounouchi had said to Yuugi, the one shown on the box that he knew the boy owned for so long. But was it really just friendship?

There were things buried around in Yuugi's he found out whilst the other was dreaming. Other than discovering Yuugi sleeping on the bed at night, tucked in the covers and dozing off as he clutched the pillow under his head of hair, he found things hidden. A polaroid photo taped within the inside of a lamp with what he assumed was his father and mother. And digging through his closet he found cards. Magic: The Gathering cards lined a binder deep within and on the last page he even discovered more playing cards. They were more interesting then the ones mostly populating the binder, different types and statistics.

Before he realized it, he soon discovered that this might have been a little invasive. He felt like a doe in a new world, eager to look around and feel without having to possess.

But when he found that polaroid, with sunken edges and watery of his parents, Yami felt as if he pried too much. He was paralysed with guilt, dropping the photo as if it were a thorny rose. He could find out about his partner through Yuugi's own will and no one else's. So staring at the shadow lined walls, he was bored but content not to be tearing apart the curious blue wallpaper that could hide the shorter's deepest secrets.

True to his personality, Yami's own room was harder to get secrets out of. Endless rooms, and yet he felt claustrophobic. Trapped with something.

He rarely felt scared or felt fear, but there must be something other than the coursing shadows.

The darkness of his room ate at his soul.

But if he ever got too scared, Yuugi always had a night light.

The place was empty, Yuugi took it. He wanted it that way, but he also dreaded it. Handheld straps with bells attached to them, he shook them as he was drowned in a barely contained snarl. "Yuugi…What did you just say?!" He was all dressed up, in tassels and everything and aviator shades hanging off his nose. But the tinted eyewear did nothing to disguise the look in Sozoji's eyes. "You didn't sell a single ticket!?" The man is off the stage in an instant, and Yuugi flinches as a large fist grabs the front of his dress shirt. "I-I'm sorry everyone was busy today.." He squeaked out. "But..I'll listen to your songs Sozoji…"

Brown peered over a thin wall of shades and Yuugi felt a twinge of fear when he could hear the man's teeth creak from gritting them so hard. "Damn right you'll stay with me all night! And it's gunna be a live show of blood!"

A part of him wished he had told Jounouchi about it, he admits to himself feeling Yami watch from somewhere. But that was selfish. He'd go down himself in his own sinking ship and wouldn't drag anyone else down. With a frown he watches Sozoji tear a pair of headphones from a duffle bag, and last second knew them from the bus. They were the pair he had been sporting just earlier today. "First of all you will listen with these..!"

Sozoji Jin put them atop his ears, but didn't mess up his hair and rather slipped it through the strands. He felt as if he should be thankful but he knows this minor lenience is all he's getting and he hears the crack of the earphone jack get plugged in. The white noise produced naturally isn't loud enough to keep him from hearing the larger man connect his microphone to the boombox. Dread outlines his stomach as he squirms in his seat. "Max volume!"

It felt like he was getting executed, anticipating the guillotine to fall on his neck and chop his head off with a quick constant stroke. The volume knob was cranked up all the way till it could not budge a feather louder. He stared with pleading eyes but couldn't see beyond the shades. "Let's start with my favourite! Let's go!"

The sudden burst in loudness from his introduction did nothing to quell his ears before he was forced to listen to screaming. It made him jolt as Sozoji screamed and yelled into his microphone, and it might've been good and maybe it would have resembled a classic R&B tune if he weren't screaming like a banshee on helium in Yuugi's poor ears. Beyond his own emotions he felt a jolt of someone else's and a burning rage followed by a pair of flickering eyes mirrored behind his squeezed shut eyelids. Overwhelmed, his consciousness started to fade and he felt something strong pulling him to not be there but by a blessing the hell spawn from 1-C faded from his ears as the instrumental (that he could barely hear) faded out.

Ringing lined his hearing as he felt sweat pour down his temple, Sozoji jabbing a finger in Yuugi's direction. "Yowww! That made me shiver! Now before the next song, let's introduce our special guest!" In a daze, it took a solid second for him to register his words. He could barely hear the spirit in his own head but he could see and the moment the man dawned in tassel tore open the curtains he gasped.

Hanasaki sat, prescription glass cracked and missing valuable pieces, hair pushed up and face bruised. "Hanasaki!" Yuugi yelped, unaware of how shrill his voice got under the headphones' muting. "Ta da! Look at that poor thing..That must have hurt… Well it's your fault for stealing his tickets Yuugi.." Goosebumps lined his skin as he raced up to Hanasaki, seeing the beaten and purple skin up front. "Oh, Hanasaki! I'm sorry I was just trying to help!" Yuugi wailed, one hand on the boy's thigh and the other on his limp shoulder.

"I'm the one who should be apologizing Yuugi, you tried to take all the burden yourself…" Hanasaki mumbles, one eye peeking at Yuugi. "This would've happened no matter what… I was being punished for trying to sell that ticket to you…"

No…It was my own choice…Why are you being punished for me? This was supposed to be mine…

His blood rushed, and his eyes burned furiously with tears the moment Hanasaki gave him a broken smile. "I'm really sorry.." What are you apologizing for!? I got you in this mess! Please….Please..I…

/Yami..!/

/Yami…! Please-!/

"How…How could you do this to his… Our friend Hanasaki!? I really…Won't forgive you." A significantly larger hand grabbed at the headphones, tearing them off in a snappish and brisk motion. "Hey, hey hey! What's that supposed to mean!? You got something to say to me?" Yami glances at the passed out Touya and pivots back at the perpetrator.

"Actually yeah, I do have something to say. Hehe…Listen Sozoji…Let me ask you one question, are you a coward? If you aren't…then you won't try to run from a little game I'd like to have with you."

Sozoji's mouth hangs open, stunted by the demeanor and attitude switch up. Is this really Yuugi Mutou..? It sounds like he's possessed…

"No defiance? Alright, here's the game then. I call it…The Shut the Hell Up game! Sound fun?" Unbeknownst to the singer was that the room wasn't as it normally was, affected by Yami's own puppets, the shadows that grew in his puzzle relentlessly. Resting the headphones on his partner's shoulders, the jack fell off as Yami pulled a toy from the shadows. "Before I explain the game rules, look at the game scales that decide who wins and who loses." It's a toy based off of French Pierrot's name 'Sound Pierrot' and can be found at Yuugi's grandfather's game store. Ironically, it's outfit was eerily similar to Sozoji's bedazzled suit. "This toy is called a Sound Pierrot, which is French for clown. By some coincidence, there seems to be three clowns in this room! If you make any noise near it the sensor picks it up and starts dancing.

By the rules of the game after the signal to begin, neither player will be allowed to make a sound. We must be perfectly silent. You can't even crack your knuckles." Sozoji can barely keep up, wrapping a firm finger around the frame of his aviators. Yami lies two Pierrots on the table and takes a seat on the couch but has a rigid form that would be seen more on a throne in front of peasants than a casual couch posture. "Which is why the clown has been placed right between us. The first one to make the clown dance loses the game! Sounds good?"

"And what happens if you lose, Yuugi?" Taking the bait with his morbid curiosity, Sozoji lets himself lean forward. "I'll give you my life!"

But is it really mine to bet? Yami feels coldness drench the back of his neck, fully aware that Yuugi isn't awake to curate him. He doesn't want to go too far but…

"You will have to participate in my Penalty Game if you lose, however." He explains his conditions, observing the ravenette tear off his sunglasses. "Interesting."

Afterwards a thick silence weighed over both sides of the karaoke room, as the disco ball over head swung in stillness. Yami simply sat completely still, eyes watching over every twitch Sozoji makes, including the position of his hands, feet, and fingers. Meanwhile Sozoji saw that the headphone jack from before rested on the hilt of a water cup.

Hands tightly wrung on his mike he can feel his blood pump, watching the jack in anticipation. That fool hasn't realized it! When he tore out the cord from the headphones the jack was balanced on that glass! It's only a matter of time before it tips over and makes some noise! This game is mine!

Yami, just stares with fiery eyes, peering at the way the bulky man tenses up in pre-emption. He could feel his muscles grow tired from his lack of muscle relaxation but Yami refused to move even an inch. Eyes falling upon the microphone held in hand, he couldn't help his wound up grin. He..Hehe…Fall! Fall!

As if Yami could hear his thoughts, red circles to the glass where his fate falls. Then back to the microphone, as blood pumps and muscles tense further. My heart is pounding…! This is exciting..! After the jack fails to sabotage it and be doused, Sozoji squeezes his eyes in frustration. Thudding becomes too much to bear. Fall already!

Badum

Damn it, when is it going to fall!? Come on, fall!

Badum, badum

"The Pierrot is dancing!" Sozoji managed to get out, but it wasn't Yami's. Rather it was his own, as the toy clown shaked its ruffled arms around. "But…The jack hasn't fallen…! Then what sounds…"

"Hey, Sozoji. Take a look at your hand, your heart's making a whole lot of noise." Sozoji looks down in disbelief, his hand right on the microphone and now he can clearly hear the pounding of his heart through his chest right through the speakers above his head. "Impossible! Heartbeats from a speaker!?" He curses, lifting a thumb and staring at his own hand. An eye opens itself on what he assumes is 'Yuugi's' forehead. "The mike…I set the volume to max..!"

"You've lost! Your habit of holding tightly onto the mike you use to torment others has done you in!" The sick smile on his face cracks as the surrounding room drowns itself in bleak and festering darkness, heart beats in the walls. "Penalty Game! Beat Carnival!"

The screams ripping from Sozoji's throat make Yami wince slightly but he pays no mind to it, believing himself to be justified. With one last glance he leaves the screaming man wallowing in his personal karaoke, helping Touya Hanasaki out of the room. Taking the boy home, he wonders if Yuugi will be okay with him performing a Penalty Game not under watch.

He knows he wouldn't be mad, but he just hopes he's not disappointed.

Oh my Lord have mercy that chapter killed me and my family. Anyway, how was it? Went a little bit off the manga's tight little garner rails but not too far off right? I'm not very good at doing my own plot stuff because for the life of me planning stuff out is a mind melter so I make stuff up as I write.

Sorry this took so long to get out, is 6k words worth the month long wait? I don't think so, because I wrote the first half in the span of that month and wrote more than half of the second literally today. My explanation for taking so long? I had a week-long vacation, I got my driver's license and I got a job. Not an excuse but I just wanna explain why it took so damn long to get this out.

Now let's talk about the chapter, hm? First of all, we've got lots of foreshadowing. I threw my girl Miho into the cauldron (I need coinshipping snippets for I am human), foreshadowed Zombire a tiny bit, gave a Duel Monsters introduction, etc etc.

Gave Sozoji a first name, Jin's a bit basic but works.

Also I loved making Yami salty as hell maybe one day he will be allowed to say fuck lmaooo. I had changed his line with the Sound Pierrot part where he says 'What a coincidence there are two clowns in this room.' To being 'Three clowns' as I originally thought he was calling Sozoji a clown and man that's too funny of a line to pass up.

Well I'm gonna double check this chapter for spelling/grammar errors and then release it! Thanks for reading y'all!

-Millz