Episode 13: The Fangs of the Great Prophet
It was a Wednesday morning at school, Yugi was entering through the main entrance as he was ready for another day. His friends seemed to have been in a good mood as was he. The young high schooler was currently getting his school shoes on, wanting to head to class so he could finish a few problems from the homework before the start of first period.
"Good morning, Yugi." He knew that voice right away, the peppy sound of his childhood friend. Turning to his right, he saw her bending over him, giving a smile and a small wave.
"Morning Anzu!" Yugi greeted back, finally managing to tie his shoes. Every time he saw her, Yugi always felt a boost of energy. She always knew what to say to him to get through any bad situation. She didn't sugarcoat anything though, but that is what he liked about her. "Hey, did you finish the assignment for the first period?" He asked, adjusting his bag to take with him.
"Yeah, it was easier than most assignments we got from there." The brunette giggled as she began to walk with Yugi to their first class together. "If you need any help, I can check it over." She offered.
Yugi nodded, thanking her for her assistants. "There was one particular problem I didn't get." He admits with a sheepish smile. His eyes lit up though as he remembered an important detail. "Oh yeah, how is the job search going?" He asked. A while ago, Anzu was taking a part time job to start raising money. She wanted to save up enough so she could move to America to pursue her career as a dancer on Broadway. Of course, at the time it was kept a secret because after school jobs were forbidden at Domino High, curdosty of Chouno-Sensei. But after she got exposed for abusing her power, the staff and principal were able to remove some of the rules she had put in place. The one that Anzu was mostly excited about was the after school work. Now students were free to seek out jobs of their own, so long as they got permission from their parents and they could keep their grades up. The rule was passed down two weeks ago, and since then, Yugi's friend had been on the hunt.
Anzu replied with a smile. "I actually managed to land one a few days ago."
"Really?" Yugi was excited and happy for her.
Anzu nodded. "It is kind of embarrassing to admit, but I got a job at the Arcade Center downtown." Yugi was even more stunned. The same arcade he went to to check out the new games, and the one he took everyone to for their first time hanging out together. "They needed someone to work the Saturday shifts, and since we only have half days during that time, I volunteered, as well as some Sundays."
"Do you like it there?" He asked her.
"Well… the lights and the noise can be a bit much at times…" Anzu admitted. "But the pay is better than what I got from Burger World. And at least there aren't many old geezers trying to pinch my butt."
Yugi was glad she didn't hate the job, though he wasn't expecting her to like it either. Still, he was happy that Anzu could start saving up for her graduation. He doubted that she would want to go back to working at Burger World anyways. Not only from the negatives she listed, but after the manager was actually an escaped convict and was sent to jail, the restaurant closed down for a while. Even when it opened back up, help was hard to find due to the story behind that restaurant. Anzu was probably already traumatized enough, from what happened. The last thing she wanted was to go back to the place where she had a gun to her head.
Eventually, they managed to get to their first class of the day. Anzu helped out with Yugi's problems on his homework. He was very grateful to have her help him out, when she explained it to him, it just clicked. He and Anzu had been friends since elementary school, and even though life through middle school was harsh, he always counted on her to help him at times. Sure, being a girl, she wasn't always taken seriously. However, she was far more confident and tougher than Yugi could ever be on his own. That was why he liked her, she may like girly things, but she could be a real tomboy.
The morning classes went by pretty smoothly all things considered. Once it was lunch time, Yugi and Anzu began to look for the others to see if they would like to sit down and have lunch with them. They would, they knew they would, but they had to find them. They didn't have to look far, since they saw Miho and Jounouchi out in the hallway, talking to Cosmo as they were writing something down.
"Jounouchi! Miho!" Yugi called out to them. The three other students turned around, seeing him and Anzu come up to them.
"Oh, hey Yugi." Jounouchi greeted his friend.
"Greetings, Yugi and Anzu." Cosmo smiled at them, holding onto a clipboard.
"Were we interrupting something?" Anzu asked, noticing Cosmo holding onto some papers. The green haired girl looked like she was about to say something, only to be interrupted by another of Yugi's friends.
"Hey, Cosmo! I managed to get all of Class C to sign their condolences." Honda said, approaching the green haired girl and handing her some more paper. Yugi and Anzu stared at one another, confused by what Honda said.
"Condolences?" Yugi repeated, looking back at the others.
"Did something happen?" Anzu asked.
Miho raised a brow at the two. "You mean you haven't heard?" Yugi and Anzu were in total silence, as that was their answer.
Cosmo was the one to speak up next. "I'm gathering messages and notes from the students. They're for Shiba-kun, my classmate from Class A."
"Did something happen to him?" Anzu questioned.
"Yeah, his apartment building caught on fire the day before yesterday." Honda explained. Yugi and Anzu gasped, pure horror was written on their faces. One of their students had a fire in their homes? Did that mean…
"Apparently, he was tasked with babysitting his little brother since his mother had to work late that night. They didn't have much to cook, so he took his brother with him to the convenient store to get some food. When they came back, the apartment he was living in was set ablaze." Cosmo informed the two.
"How scary…" Miho shuddered, just picturing it was kind of nerve-wrecking.
"It was a good thing they left, otherwise they would have gotten caught in those flames." Anzu noted.
"From what was heard, the fire department was able to get there before the fire spread throughout more floors. And no one was seriously injured either. There were some that got caught up with the flames, but they are expected to make a full recovery." Honda added more details. "His family is staying in a hotel until they can fix up his place. The fire did a great deal of damage, but the foundation survived."
Yugi gave a sigh of relief, thank goodness. He couldn't imagine how he would feel if he came home one day to see the Game Shop being burnt down. He felt bad for this guy, he hoped he didn't blame himself for what happened. "Do they know what caused the fire?" Yugi wondered.
Cosmo shook her head. "He said all the lights and appliances were turned off before he left with his brother to the store. And the heater was controlled by the boiler room, which is switched off during the spring and summer."
Jounouchi was the one to take over the conversation. "The police seem to be looking into it more, wondering if it was a faulty wire by the building or arson."
"They think the fire was intentional?" Yugi questioned.
"That's what they're investigating." Honda answered.
Cosmo restacked the papers she got, then looked at the brunet. "Thank you again, Honda. I'm sure Shiba-kun will be happy to know we are here to support him and help him out."
"He's been through a lot…" Miho commented. "I hope he will be alright."
"I better go and give these to him." Cosmo stated as she looked at all the notes the kids gave to him.
"Afterwards, would you like to join us for lunch?" Anzu asked the green haired girl. "We were thinking of eating in the classroom since Miho, Yugi and I brought some bentos."
"Yeah, the six of us eating together!" Yugi added, smiling at Cosmo.
The green haired girl gave a smile of her own, nodding at them. "Sure! I'll drop these off for Shiba-kun and come back with my lunch." She promised, walking down the hallway as she headed to her class. Yugi and the others watched her go, until she was out of sight.
"She sure is working hard to help out Shiba-kun." Anzu said.
Jounouchi grinned at Anzu. "She sure is sweet to be thinking of the other students."
Miho nodded in agreement. "So, should we head to the classroom now? Lunch ends in 25 minutes."
"Let me sit next to you, Miho!" Honda begged.
"First we need to get our lunches, Honda and I have to go to the cafeteria." Jounouchi pulled Honda back by the collar, about to walk with him to the mess hall to get their lunches. Before the blond could take his friend away from the purple haired girl, they heard female voices call out.
"Get back!"
"Step aside!"
This caught the attention of the five, as they turned to see a bunch of girls standing in the hallway. They all had a purple headband on their foreheads with a magenta star in the center. Around their necks they wore beaded necklaces that matched the colors of their headbands. But the attention was pointed at the one in the very center of the girls. A young boy, with long, spiky downward dusky, lilac hair. He had on the same headband and necklace as the girls, and he was wearing a jade colored cloak that covered his whole body. He had on a small smile, and though he was in high school, his very pale and slightly scrunched up skin looked like he was a man child. His eyes were a piercing color that matched his cloak, with many lines of eyeliner. Either it was all part of his act, or someone forgot to tell him that Halloween isn't for another few months.
A girl with moss green long hair pointed out at everyone."Everyone open the way! Master Kokurano is passing by!" She ordered. Many of the students that were in the hallways hung to the walls. The group of ten girls walked in a line of two with five in each row, acting like the body guards while the guy was taking up the rear. Yugi and his friends watched, as they were taking up the hallway and wouldn't let anyone else pass. He had never seen this before, and he wasn't the only one confused. Honda and Jounouchi seemed just as baffled, if not annoyed, by the situation.
"What's going on?" The blond asked.
Anzu looked over at the boys, raising a brow. "You haven't heard?"
"That's Kokurano! A student that's famous for his supernatural powers." Miho explained with a small smile.
"He has supernatural powers?" The three boys said in such unison, it was kind of scary yet showed how shocked they were.
"Yeah, apparently he can see into the future." Anzu explained. "He's been pretty accurate so far, from what they say."
"Have you noticed how a lot of the girls are gone during lunch?" Miho asked. "They all go to him so he can tell them their fortunes." Now that she said it, Yugi noticed that there were few girls in the cafeteria lately. So that was the reason, and it also explains why he had so many female supporters as well.
"Come to think of it… I heard from Cosmo that Shiba-kun got a fortune from him that he would have a fire at his home." Honda realized, rubbing his chin as he remembered that detail that was shared with him.
Miho nodded. "That's how he became famous from what was stated."
"Really?" Anzu asked, looking at the other girl. As they talked, Kokurano passed them by, looking over at the group, more specifically the girls. Anzu looked over at the parade, smiling nonchalantly. "Well, I don't really believe in that stuff though." She admits. Yugi was the only one that noticed the prophet staring at Anzu, but he wasn't sure if it was real or his imagination. Soon enough, the girls and him were out of the hallway, having the other students go about their business.
However, this talk of fortune telling gave Jounouchi an idea. A twinkle was seen in his eyes as he smirked with a very insisting expression. "In that case, I'm going to get my fortune told!" He was so fired up, his nostrils were flaring just thinking about it.
"What do you mean?" Anzu questioned. "I thought you were scared of that supernatural stuff?"
"Curses and voodoo magic is one thing, but this is low level charms and incantations! Besides, I want to see if I become successful in my future!" Jounouchi pointed out as he got closer and closer to the brunette. Anzu pushed her hand in his face, making him back up. Jounouchi got the hint and stepped away from her. "Besides, you say that he's almost always right." The blond then turned towards Yugi, sparkles of determination embedded into his eyes. "Come on Yugi, let's go get our fortunes told!"
As much as Yugi did like the idea of fortune telling, he himself didn't really believe in that either. Plus, he'd rather not get his future told to him if there was a possibility of danger. Since Shiba's fortune came true, he was not at all willing to take that route. "Actually… I don't really want to." Yugi grinned sheepishly, raising up his hands in defense. He tried to politely refuse Jounouchi, the last thing he wanted was to dissuade him since for once, his friend seemed really interested in the supernatural to the point he wasn't terrified.
"Exactly!" Honda suddenly said in a serious tone. "Don't be tricked by such a shady character! He's no doubt planning something absurd! As a Beautification member, I can not overlook this!" The brunet declared, raising his fists in defiance. Before the shortest of the group could make a comment, he was grabbed around the neck by Honda's arm, picking him up with ease. "Yugi, let's go!" He began to carry Yugi away from the group, as the smaller one complained that he couldn't breath as he was carried in such a position.
"Hold on!" Jounouchi called out to Honda, making him stop and dropped Yugi, who stood behind the brunet while the blond went up and began to chew out his friend. "That isn't a job a beautification member would subject themselves to. You probably just want to get your fortune told as well. To see how probabile it is for you to get with Miho?" Jounouchi's words caused Honda to back down, but his face showed that he was not wrong.
Even so, he managed to speak up. "You don't know what you're saying, bastard!" He began to walk off, heading towards Kokurano with Jounouchi as they practically dragged Yugi with them. He tried to protest, but they were both stronger than him and he was forced to attend this fortune telling despite his pleads.
Anzu and Miho watched the boys go off, Anzu slightly peeved that they would go so easily and bring Yugi along for the ride. "Those two, I swear…" She noticed that she wasn't alone, as Miho was still by her side. "Aren't you going to go as well?" She asked.
"Miho isn't interested." She proclaimed, smiling innocently. "Miho already knows that her future is to marry a smart, handsome man with a big inheritance."
Anzu sighed, of course Miho would have such deluded gradures. "Only you could probably make that dream come true." At least she wasn't the only one not interested in this fortune telling, so that was something. The girls decided to go get their bentos and meet up with Cosmo for lunch since the boys would be busy.
They ended up going to where Kokurano had set up his fortune telling. It was in class 1-D, he had a small booth with a black background and table. Behind him was a sign that read, 'Keep things in order'. His female staff was there, ensuring that the girls wanting their fortunes got a nice line so they could go one at a time. Yugi was surprised how many girls there were packed into the room, there was more than enough to fill two whole classrooms. The green haired woman who seemed to be the leader, was the one that talked. "Master Kokurano has arrived to start telling his fortunes."
All of the girls began to clap, eagerly waiting for their turn. He had his hands on the table, eyes closed as he bore that slightly creepy smirk. "My sweet dear, what is it you would like to know?" Kokurano asked as the first girl stepped up.
"I must ask, Kokurano. I fear that I may not be able to keep my beauty no matter what I try. Will it at least last until I can find a partner?" She asked, sounding desperate.
The fortune teller remained quiet, squinting his eyes closed for a bit as he hummed. When they fully opened, he gave his answer. "I see it! Your beauty will be with you until the day you die." He promised her.
She held her face, turning around as her big lips turned into a smile. "Oh thank goodness." She giggled happily, trying to hide her blush. The other girls also gasped in amazement, pleased with his predictions. Yugi, on the other hand, was not.
"That doesn't really seem like a prediction, more like what she wanted to hear." He noted. Jounouchi looked around the room, realizing that he, Yugi and Honda were the only guys in the class.
'Why are there so many girls here? It would be embarrassing enough to come here but it would be even more lame if I have him tell my fortune. I gotta find a cover up, quickly!' Jounouchi told himself. He put on a goofy laugh, trying to act cool as he spoke. "Oh man! I can't believe you dragged me here, Honda. All because you love and want to get your fortune told." Yugi looked up at the blond, surprised, yet not really, that he would make it seem like he was pulled here by Honda. Technically, Honda did bring Yugi here against his will, but Jounouchi wanted to come here on his own. He probably figured it was embarrassing for him to want to take fortunes from someone that dealt with mostly female customers.
Honda protested in an aggressive tone as his face held a blush. "You jackass, I didn't drag you here!"
As they were about to have a longer verbal fight, it was cut short as the lead girl pointed in their direction. "You two over there! Keep your voice down!" She ordered. The two were still giving each other hate filled glares, so Yugi was the one that had to apologize for them. He bowed, embarrassed for the call out and said he was sorry. Even though he made amends, the female pointing at him was still talking. "Master Kokurano is currently focusing all of his nerves and energy to see his visions. All of your negativity you are producing will disrupt him and cloud his sight. If all you are going to do is be noisy, then see yourself out!"
Jounouchi realized how serious this chick was. Better to just lay low so he could at least get his fortune told before being kicked out. He laughed along as he rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry about that, no need to be hasty. I'll just get my fortune and be out, promise." He assured, giving a smile their way.
He got a response not from one of the female followers, but from the prophet himself. "Hey you, you're a bit off about me." Jounouchi raised a brow at Kokurano, not understanding what he meant. So the dusky haired student revealed more. "I am not a mere common fortune teller. I don't do palm reading, divination, water reading, feng shui, astrology and especially not fortune telling. All of those prophecies were based around gathering previous information to make educated guesses. Those were methods used in the past, and many are not as accurate as me." He lowered his head, staring directly at them as he kept a calm and mysterious posture. "However, I possess the power of a super ability which allows me to see visions of the future. I call it: prophecy!"
Jounouchi lost interest half way through, he really wasn't able to understand most of what he said, nor did he really care about any explanation. He looked bored as he was given a lecture. "Yeah, yeah, whatever." He then held out his palm, since he was up next for his turn. "Okay, take a look and tell me what you see."
Now it was Kokurano who was slightly annoyed by Jounouchi's idiocy. "You do not understand at all, it seems." He sighed.
Honda then approached the table, getting between Jounouchi and the prophet. "Wait a second! I demand that you give me an explanation for that!" He pointed at the sign about maintaining order behind Kokurano. "Using one of the signs for Beautification Members without permission, and especially to non-members for a purpose like this?! I can not overlook this and request that you answer for-"
"Ahh!" Kokurano smiled as he interrupted Honda. "I can see a vision of you happily marrying the girl you have your heart set on."
Upon hearing that, Honda blushed. Picturing himself at a church, where the bells were going off as doves and rice flew into the air. There he stood, in a black tux with Miho by his side, wearing a white dress. Yugi, Jounouchi, Anzu and their friends and family were there, cheering and praising them as they walked down the stairs. "Let's be happy together, Miho!" Honda smiled, as the purple haired girl held him close.
"Darling." Dream Miho replied in her soft spoken voice. Honda still imagined it, smiling as his eyes were closed. He didn't care about the sign anymore, if this prophet was true, then that meant he and Miho would be happily married.
"I knew it…" He said in pure bliss, still picturing the wedding and how it would go down.
It was short lived though as Jounouchi pushed Honda out of the way, pointing at himself. "Me next! Do me next!" He begged. Before Kokurano could even try and tell Jounouchi's future, the room started to shake. Everyone noticed this, as the ground rumbled while the girls screamed. "An earthquake?" Jounouchi gasped, everyone was holding onto something sturdy to keep their balance, terrified of the movements causing them to rock back and forth. Thankfully, the earthquake only lasted for less than half a minute, and no one was hurt nor was anything shaken off. Jounouchi looked around, sighing in relief. "Looks like it was a small one…"
One of the psychic's followers turned to him, adjusting her glasses. "Are you alright, Master Kokurano?"
He kept his head bowed, his smile upon his face as he seemed calm despite what had happened. "Of course. I knew that this would happen, after all." He reached into his cloak, pulling out a piece of paper and handing it to one of the customers. "This writing was from a future vision I had this morning."
Jounouchi was the one who took it, reading it outloud for everyone to hear. "Today, there will be an earthquake."
"That is our Master Kokurano!" His green haired follower declared. Almost everyone in the room clapped along, applauding the prophet for his accurate prediction.
"He really is the real deal!" Jounouchi stated towards Honda.
"Of course! I never doubted him for a second!" Honda blushed as he rubbed the back of his neck, smiling despite his obvious lie. Yugi, however, was not at all convinced, since he did not believe he actually had a future vision of something that was said to happen. But he kept quiet, not wanting to ruin everyone's happiness. He waited for Jounouchi to get his fortune told before the three boys finally headed out of the room and went to go meet up with the girls. They were in 1-B, sharing their bento lunches with each other around a desk.
Anzu had her bento half filled with rice, with some egg rolls, octopus sausages and even some pieces of sushi. Miho had a few sandwiches, each filled with different ingredients. Cosmo had two rice balls, with lettuce, cucumbers and baby tomatoes. They drank some green tea that Miho shared between the three of them.
"Your bento looks really cute, Anzu." Cosmo commented.
The brunette smiled. "Thanks, yours looks really healthy." She commented.
The green haired girl flushed a bit, looking down. "O-oh… well, many people in my family are vegetarians, so meat isn't usually in our diets."
"Really?" Miho asked. Cosmo nodded to confirm. The lavender haired girl looked behind Cosmo, seeing the three boys approach them. "Hey look, the guys are back!" Anzu and Cosmo turned around, meeting up with the three as they stood by the desk they shared.
"So how did it go?" Anzu asked. "Was it just some harmless make-believe fun?" She sort of mocked that statement, though it wasn't directed at them.
Jounouchi somehow took it as offense, as he glared at the brunette. "Don't be fooled! That guy is the real deal!"
Anzu seemed surprised by his attitude. "You mean you believe it?"
"Of course! He said that he saw me as a police officer in Los Angeles as my future!" As if to prove his point, the blond did an American style salute by raising his hand on his head.
Anzu gave a shrug, clearly not buying it. "That has to be a fake vision."
"Why do you say that?!" Jounouchi demanded her answer, but she just gave him the silent treatment.
Honda went over to Miho, kneeling down as he held his hands together. Sparkles were in his eyes as he spoke to her. "Miho, I hope we create a happy family." He prayed. This in turn made her blink in confusion, but she didn't question it.
Cosmo looked over at Yugi, wondering what he got. "So, what was your fortune?"
Yugi responded by shaking his head. "I didn't get mine. I am not into that fortune telling stuff." He admitted.
Cosmo was baffled. "Really? I thought you would have been the type, since you always talk about supernatural stuff and ancient histories."
Yugi was about to comment on that, but she did have a point. He couldn't really argue against her. "What about you? Aren't you going to get your fortune told?"
"After what happened with Shiba… I'm kind of superstitious. It's not that I don't believe in those kinds of things, it's more along the lines of I don't really want to know nor do I have any intentions of looking into it. Besides, a lot of those predictions are usually pretty vague anyways."
Anzu nodded in agreement, hearing their conversation. "Exactly! Your future should be something you make for yourself. What's the fun of knowing what will happen?"
"Are you saying that me being a cop is something you can't see?" Jounouchi asked her with his hate-filled glare.
"With how quick tempered you are, you'd be lucky to be a parking meter." Anzu mocked.
"Why you…" Jounouchi growled.
Cosmo and Yugi backed away, not wanting to be in the crossfire of that fight. "Still… I do believe in astrology and predicting events, but to say someone can actually see into the future is a bit suspicious." The female student admitted.
Yugi agreed with her. "Especially when he said that he 'predicted' an earthquake that happened a while ago."
"Oh yeah! We felt it over here, luckily it didn't seem to do that much damage. It was pretty mild all things considered. Though, you said he predicted it? I heard that there were some signs of earthquakes all over Japan and we could end up getting hit. It was on the news this morning."
"Exactly! I saw it today as well… I'm surprised no one else noticed."
Cosmo gave a small smile. "How many students here can say they watch the news?" Once again, she had a fair point. The two turned back, seeing how serious Jounouchi and Honda were from what they were told. "Though it seems like some people completely believe in him."
Yugi sighed. "I still believe that those kinds of prophecies are usually tricks though. Especially the earthquake one… and he is only telling everyone what they want to hear. But, I have no room to judge or say anything." Yugi told her, giving a reassuring smile. "I like to think of it as a kind of game. Exposing the trick would be against the rules, right?"
Cosmo raised a brow, giving a slight beam. "You sure like to compare everything to games, huh?"
"Eh? Ah… it's just easier for me." He admits.
Cosmo responded with a giggle. "Well, as long as no one is getting hurt, I suppose there isn't any need to call it out." Yugi agreed with her. To him, everyone was having harmless fun.
The rest of the school day went by pretty quietly all things considered. Yugi was in the locker bay putting his shoes on. He was planning on heading home himself since he just wanted to relax at home for the day. After the crazy thing that was the school's psychic, he wanted to just have some peace and quiet. It was why he didn't go with Jounouchi or Honda today, since they were still discussing their futures that were told to them.
"Hey Yugi!" The short high schooler turned to his right, seeing Anzu walking over to him with her backpack. "Do you want to head home together?" She asked.
"But… don't you work today?"
"I'm off this evening. Plus, it's been awhile since we walked home together. And we could stop by a cafe along the way. I'll treat." She promised, giving a thumbs up.
Yugi nodded. "Sure." He loved the idea of walking home with Anzu, since it meant they could spend time together. Deep down, he smiled widely and was grateful for being blessed.
"Alright, let's go." Anzu headed over to Yugi. Only to hear approaching footsteps behind her. She looked over, wondering if it was the other boys, but instead, was met with the Domino High's Prophet and two of his loyal followers.
"Greetings, Anzu Masaki." Kokurano eyed her. Yugi looked over at the psychic as well, wondering what he was doing. Anzu was kind of surprised to see him here as well, but allowed him to speak. "Aren't you interested in what your future holds for you?"
"Huh?" She turned her body fully to face him.
"Well, you are one of the few girls that haven't visited me, including Miho Nosaka and Cosmo Seedrian. Then again, Miho Nosaka can't be helped since she doesn't take life seriously, and Cosmo Seedrian seems to claim me as a fake. But why haven't you come to me? I'm worried for you." He gave his creepy smile her way, asking her these questions.
"Hmmm..." Anzu tapped her chin as she tried to come up with an answer. "Why indeed." She still had that mocking tone in her voice, clearly not taking the guy seriously. She then smiled while giving her explanation. "Sorry, but I don't believe in those things either. The future is something you create for yourself, and no one can really see that."
The green haired follower glared at Anzu, her tone sounding upset. "How rude of you! Are you saying you doubt Master Kokurano's powers?!"
Anzu herself was slightly annoyed by the tone she was being given by the helpers of this psychic. So she responded in an angry attitude herself. "Whether I believe in it or not is my own choice! I'm not getting pushed into getting my fortune told!" Anzu had had enough, she wasn't going to get through to them and didn't want to waste her energy reasoning. Turning on her heels, she walked over to Yugi. "Let's go, Yugi!" She went into her shoe locker, grabbing her pair of home shoes and putting them on.
"Oh, alright." Yugi agreed. As she was getting changed, he couldn't help but giggle at her counter argument. 'You can always count on Anzu, no matter what. Once she makes up her mind, she won't go back on it. If she isn't into fortune telling, then you can't persuade her otherwise.'
Anzu had managed to get her shoes on, grabbing Yugi's collar and dragging him along. "Hurry up, Yugi." She demanded, walking with him out of the room and away from those creeps.
"So there really are some people that don't believe in Master Kokurano's abilities?" The glasses-wearing girl pondered as they watched the two leave.
Kokurano kept his eyes on the pair, mostly Anzu as he was not going to give up on her just yet. "Well, no matter. Soon, they will know the full extent of my power." He laughed to himself in reassurance.
It was another day at Domino High, Yugi went through the first half of the day with his friends, with nothing too eventful happening. But it was after lunch that they would begin their next class. As of that moment, Jounouchi, Honda and Yugi were in the locker room, changing into some loose, fitting white shirts and light blue shorts. They made a small conversation as they were nearly done dressing up. "It really is getting nice enough to the point to wear shorts, huh?" Honda asked, putting on his shirt.
"That means we'll be able to see the girls in shorter outfits outside of school." Jounouchi smirked, his eyes had a malicious intent as he pictured many women out and about in the streets wearing short skirts and leggings.
"Can your mind not be in the gutter for five minutes?" Honda raised a brow at the blond.
"Speaking of which," Yugi piped up. "Did you guys already get your lighter clothing? We're supposed to start wearing them on Monday." It was halfway through May, meaning that the kids were supposed to be getting their spring and summer uniforms, which they usually wore when they first begin school in April, and halfway through September. However, they were stuck with the heavier uniforms due to some back orders from misinformation they got from some students. So, they weren't able to get their lighter uniforms at the beginning of the school year, when they are supposed to start in April. Instead, they were delayed until nearly a month and a half later. Yugi brought this up because there was a newsletter about the spring uniforms being available now for students. He wondered if the others got theirs yet or were going to sign up to get them.
"Oh yeah, I saw that today. I'll have to get mine right away." Honda stated.
"About time, it's gotten so hot out lately, that I could do with some lighter clothing." Jounouchi complained, finishing up with his outfit. Once all three boys managed to get into their gym attire, they headed out of the locker room, with the blond rolling his shoulders.
"At least we get to be inside, where we get some air conditioning." Yugi pointed out.
"Hey guys…" The three turned around, seeing Miho and Anzu walking up to them in the same clothing, though the main difference being the hem of the neck and shorts of the outfits were different for genders. The girls got red while the males had green. "You got physical education this hour as well?"
"Yeah, what did you get?" Yugi asked Anzu.
"We're playing Tennis today… but we have to do it outside and it is going to be a bit hot out." The brunette complained.
"Really? Well at least it is somewhat fun. Us guys get to do Judo today, that's a tough workout that's making me stiff just thinking about it." Jounouchi complained as he walked ahead to get to class.
"Why are you complaining? You love wrestling and physical activity." Honda pointed out. "Besides, Judo is one of the main basics to defending your manhood." The brunet looked down, bearing a slight blush and smile. "It's a necessary main pillar in a household. Gotta be strong for the family."
Jounouchi interrupted Honda's day dream as the blond gasped with excitement. "It's the boy with his supernatural powers!" Everyone looked over, seeing Kokurano standing there with two of his female followers. Jounouchi practically slid across the floor on his knees, holding his hands together as he looked up at the dusky purple haired boy. "Are you here to tell me something relating to my future as a cop?"
Kokurano had a very displeased look for a moment, due to him being approached by the blond. "Uh… not exactly." He then smiled, getting back to his business. "Actually, I had two visions of different people. I came here to tell you."
"Visions?" Anzu repeated.
Kokurano pointed his finger directly at Jounouchi's forehead. "To you!" The blond dropped his excited nature, listening to what he had to say. "Be aware of the spotlight that falls upon you."
"W-wait, what? Spotlight? On me?" Jounouchi pointed to himself in confusion and a bit of terror.
Kokurano then redirected his finger at Anzu, bearing his smile. "Anzu Masaki… In places that you can not see, there is a man watching over you."
Yugi looked over, seeing Anzu after hearing the prediction. Her face was just as baffled as Jounouchi was, however, it was replaced with an amused grin. "What are you talking about?"
Kokurano had gotten her attention, but he wouldn't reel her in just yet. "If you want more details, I can offer you a session."
Anzu shook her head, keeping her gaze away from him. "I already said I wasn't interested in your foturnes."
"Still stubborn?" Kokurano looked at her, still believing that she had some interest. His gaze looked over to a certain blond as Jounouchi inched himself closer.
"Please, Kokurano! Can you tell me more about this falling spotlight?! Is it a good thing, or something ominous?!" Jounouchi wanted to know more, wondering if it would hurt or help him in the future.
As he was asking his questions, Miho had gone behind Kokurano as she began to lift up his cloak. "Hey, what do you have under this cape of yours?"
The psychic could feel her trying to lift up his clothing, as he tried to move away from her. "Hey! Cut that out! I have no business with those who mock life!" Despite his protests, Miho continued to try and take a peak, only to finally be thwarted by the followers. Jounouchi was still trying to get a more clear reading, but he was ignored.
Anzu sighed, watching the circus that was taking place. Something she wanted no part of. "This is ridiculous." She then started to walk off, heading to the courtyard for her PE lesson.
"Come on Yugi, we better head to class too." Honda advised, walking with the short student as they left Jounouchi and Miho on the spot. While Yugi walked with the brunet, he couldn't help but still look over at Anzu, until she was out of sight.
Eventually, the guys made it to their Judo class, where they would be working on their landing techniques as well as the nage waza, meaning their throwing abilities. Half of the class was focusing on trying to throw their opponents with their weight so they can easily overpower them. Honda was attempting to toss over Jounouchi, and though he was struggling, he had his stance correct. Yugi was in the other half of the class that was practicing their pose when they got tossed to the ground. This way, they will be quicker in getting up after being knocked down.
Yugi had done a few dozen or so falls and pick ups, so he laid on the mat to take a quick breather. His eyes stared at the ceiling, seeing the many lights hanging above. His mind wandered to what Kokurano had said about the vision he had of Anzu. About a man that was watching over her. 'Is there really a man that's watching over Anzu?' He asked himself. If there was, he sure hadn't seen anyone like that. He knew for a fact it couldn't have been Honda or Jounouchi, after all they didn't see Anzu as a romantic interest. Yugi was also certain it couldn't be him, since he is usually with Anzu with her consent. Plus, he didn't exactly see himself as a man, so that description couldn't fit him. The idea of someone watching over his childhood friend made him feel slightly upset. His heart felt heavy as his stomach had butterflies. Was he jealous of the idea? No, he couldn't be, after all he and Anzu weren't an official couple. Then again, he thought back about that love puzzle she said she put in his desk. Maybe… she was starting to have feelings for him? And at the same time, he admitted he had deep feelings for her as well.
Yugi's thoughts were interrupted as Jounouchi came crashing onto him, thanks to Honda who had thrown him away. "I can't breath…" Yugi complained, feeling the weight of Jounouchi on him. Thankfully the blond was able to get up, and rolled off of Yugi to help him. Only for Honda to come forward with his arms crossed over his chest and a smirk upon his face.
"I'm invincible right now!" Honda declared in a cocky tone.
The blond looked over at him, with a stink eyed expression. "Damn you Honda, do you want me to get serious? You know how well I fight when I'm pissed!"
Honda still appeared smudged all things considered. "No matter what you throw my way, it won't change my rose colored future that lays ahead of me."
"Damn you!" Jounouchi got up from the mat, locking arms with Honda as the two tried to toss the other one off of them. Yugi got himself up, dusting off his robe as he watched the two go at it. They were evenly matched for the most part, and it seemed like it would be a tie. A few of the other boys and even the Sensei looked over at Honda and Jounouchi. It seemed that the blond managed to get the brunet off of him, and was ready to push him down, only for Jounouchi and Honda to hear something above them.
"Jounouchi! Look out!" Yugi warned, seeing one of the light fixtures from the ceiling falling. The blond jumped back, covering his arms as the glass shattered, making a big mess. Many of the students gasped, whispering and muttering amongst themselves.
"Alright, everyone back up!" The Sensei ordered, looking over the broken light. He turned his attention to Jounouchi. "Are you alright?" The blond gave a slow nod, checking over to make sure he didn't get any glass in him.
"How could a light fall out of the ceiling?" Honda wondered.
"Maybe it was faulty wiring?" One of the students commented.
"Do you think there could be others that will crash down?"Another boy wondered, shaking as he looked up at the ceiling.
"Alright, alright that's enough!" The teacher yelled at everyone. "Katsuya! Head to the nurses office so she can check you over just to be safe. Everyone else, go and get changed, the rest of the class is cancelled. Head to your study hall room until your next period." The Sensei sighed, looks like until things were checked over, the gym would be closed. A lot of the boys were already heading out the door. Yugi however looked at the crime scene, being reminded of what Kokurano had told Jounouchi.
Meanwhile, the girls were still playing tennis outside in the courtyard. They had finished their session, and many were over by the fountain sinks washing up to clean up the sweat they mustered. Anzu was currently washing her face with a pink washcloth of her own. She had to admit, despite the heat, it was fun to move around and ace the field. Still, as she finished cleaning herself up, she couldn't help but have Kokurano's words ringing in her mind. "In places that I can not see, there is a man watching over me. That's his vision?" While she was pondering the idea, she still thought it was laughable. "As if… there's no way there's someone watching me." She began to laugh out loud, finally admitting how foolish it all sounded.
While she was laughing, she had no idea that someone was sneaking up behind her. By the time she opened her eyes from her giggling fit, she noticed them being covered by a green cloth. Miho's laughter soon filled the air. "Anzu! Looks like I got you!" She held the cloth over Anzu's eyes.
The brunette smiled, trying to shake the washcloth off of her. "Hey, come on Miho. Cut it out…" However, as she was trying to get the rag off of her, she couldn't help but have a sense of deja vu in her mind. She paused, being reminded of the hostage situation from Burger World. She was so scared, being captured at gunpoint. She actually believed she would die, until that strange man… the one she could only hear that sounded slightly like Yugi, but with more confidence. He had managed to get her out of the criminal's grasp before he could harm anyone. By the time Anzu took her blindfold off, she was unable to identify who saved her.
'It couldn't be… was he mentioning that guy?' Anzu wondered, trying to understand the vision that Kokurano had of her. It seemed too coincidental, and while Anzu was still skeptical… maybe there was some sort of connection?
"What's the matter, Anzu?" Miho asked, slightly concerned by her friends' silence.
The brunette shook her head, still not fully believing in the psychics' fortelling. "I-it's nothing Miho. That can't be what he meant…"
"Anzu! Miho!" The two girls turned around, hearing Cosmo's voice full of worry. "There you two are! I was looking for you!"
"What's wrong, Cosmo?" Miho asked.
"Did you guys hear about what happened in the gym during the boy's Judo class?" Anzu and Miho shook their heads, but were very interested. Cosmo kept going with her story. "One of the light fixtures from the ceiling ended up falling. Jounouchi nearly got hurt because of it!" The brunette gasped, once again being reminded of Kokurano's warning towards Jounouchi a little while ago.
"Is Jounouchi okay?" Miho asked out of concern.
Cosmo nodded. "He was able to dodge in time, and the rest of the class was cancelled. The staff is looking over the rest of the lights to see what caused it to fall. Everyone else is making a big ruckus though, saying that another one of Kokurano's prophecies has come true yet again."
"Really? Well, it could just be a coincidence." Miho pointed out, looking over at her other friend. "Right, Anzu?" The brunette was unsure now. First Shiba's fire at his apartment, then Jounouchi's near fatal injury from a spotlight… mixed that with her curiosity of the man that had saved her and she couldn't deny it anymore. "Anzu?" Miho repeated.
"What's wrong, Anzu?" Cosmo also noticed the brunette acting strangely. And neither her nor Miho liked it.
Yugi headed out of his final class for the day, after everything that had happened, he was ready to just head home. He was walking down the hallway, heading towards the locker bay to put on his home sneakers and be off. As he turned a corner, he looked over to see his childhood friend. "Ah, hey Anzu!"
Her head was low, as her eyes seemed to not have that usual pep she tended to have. She only looked up upon being called. "H-hey Yugi…"
The young boy noticed her lack of enthusiasm in her voice, and it made him worry slightly. "Is something wrong?" He asked.
She looked away from him, humming before answering. "Is… Jounouchi alright? I… heard about what happened."
Yugi blinked, relieved that was what she was nervous about. It was natural to have been worried for a friend. "Oh yeah, luckily he didn't get cut by the glass."
"I see…" Anzu noted, still a little unconvinced. It wasn't like her to be so distant without a reason.
Yugi tried to cheer her up by changing the topic. "Hey, how about we head to my house today? Since you treated me yesterday, it's only fair I do the same for you."
Anzu shook her head. "Actually, I was heading over to… see Kokurano." She finally admitted. Yugi was surprised to say the least. Anzu? Going to see that psychic? Even though she was mocking on the idea of someone seeing the future.
"But… Anzu, why would you want to go see Kokurano now all of a sudden?" Yugi had to ask, a slight suspicion in his gut.
"I… just want to." Anzu replied, though that wasn't the answer he was looking for. The vision of Anzu that the psychic saw that morning, he could only be reminded of it.
"Is it… because you…" Yugi trailed off with his wording for a minute, before looking her in the eyes and asking what was on his mind. "Are you curious about that man watching over you? And that is what you want to know more about?"
Anzu turned her gaze from him, a bit of guilt and curiosity were present in her orbs. "Well… not exactly although… I mean, Jounouchi's prediction came true. And besides…" She looked over at him, forcing a smile on her face. "Visiting him once couldn't hurt, even if I don't believe it." That was all she could say before making her way to the classroom Kokurano tended to set up his booth. Yugi knew she was lying, he had been with her for too long to know at this point, she wasn't being honest with him. Even he was curious about this man watching over Anzu, to the point he wondered if Kokurano had more of an answer. One thing was for certain, as he watched her walk off, he didn't want her to go alone.
"Wait for me, Anzu!" Yugi shouted, running after her. He didn't want to leave her alone, his guts telling him something bad was going to happen. So he went with her, to the classroom. Kokurano was there, with more of his followers. When Anzu and Yugi entered, his eyes landed on the girl with a smile.
"Greetings, Anzu Masaki." Kokurano welcomed her. "I knew you would be coming today." From that response, Anzu gasped. Kokurano reached into his cloak, pulling out a piece of paper like he did yesterday from that earthquake.
Yugi was able to read what it said from where he was. "Anzu Masaki will come to me after school." Both him and Anzu were speechless upon reading that message.
"Well now, do you still have a reason to doubt my power?" Kokurano asked with a harsh glare yet a creepy smile.
Anzu turned away from him, holding her hand against her face. Even she was embarrassed to admit it, but perhaps Kokurano really was a genuine psychic. She started regretting her choice of getting her fortune told, but knew it was too late to turn back. "So then… can you tell me more about the vision you had of me?"
Kokurano's eyes softened towards her, though his smile did not dismiss. "Very well… give me your hand please." Begrudgingly, Anzu agreed. Kokurano mused as he looked over her palm, commenting on how soft it was. His rough hands smoothly rubbed her skin, cheeking her over. Anzu herself was slightly grossed out by this, but allowed it since she believed it was part of his ritual. Yugi however, had an expression of pure rage. He couldn't believe Kokurano was defiling her hand for his vision of Anzu. Especially when yesterday, he was mocking about how palm reading was something he didn't do.
Kokurano hummed, moving his hands around above his head. "I see something! Yes, something indeed!" He declared in a very mysterious voice. "I can see a vision involving you! The man that has been watching you from the shadows will soon appear before you!"
Anzu's eyes went wide upon hearing that. "Are you sure?"
"Today at six o'clock sharp… he will appear in the science room. There, you will swoon and fall right into his arms." Kokurano explained. Anzu had a slight blush on her face, admittedly she wanted to see the guy that had saved her from that criminal. The way his voice sounded, he seemed pretty cool and collected.
Yugi however, was not pleased. That spark of anger grew more inside of him. He saw how Kokurano was staring at her, he recognized that look of interest from other guys when they fawned over the female students. 'Anzu… It seems like she believes that prediction!' He knew something was really off, his mind was against his body as he unconsciously ran over, pulling Anzu's hands from Kokurano's.
"Yugi?" Anzu questioned what he was doing, but Yugi's anger took control.
"Don't believe him, Anzu. This guy is a fraud!" He shouted.
"What was that?!" One of Kokurano's followers questioned.
The psychic stood up from his stall, eyeing Yugi with his harsh glare once again. "What a very interesting thing to say to me. On what grounds do you believe I'm this fraud?"
"Because…. I've seen this kind of trick before!" Yugi declared. Kokurano's sly smirk turned into a baffled frown, as he and his female followers listened to Yugi's explanation. "For example, the note about Anzu coming to see you. You could have written it in your cloak and waited for her to come, then claim you predicted it that very day!" Kokurano held his cloak closer to his body, dawning on his smile again.
"Very fair… I'll admit that those frauds could use tricks like that. However, how do you explain about the other predictions?"
"Well, the earthquake one was announced the morning of your so-called prediction. And even though I don't know how to explain the others… I know for a fact that someone watching over Anzu is a lie!" Anzu looked over at Yugi, hearing his declaration. She didn't say anything, but the look she was giving him told Yugi she was speechless.
Before Yugi could say anymore, Kokurano rose up from his seat, hands in the air as he grumbled. His female followers were worried at first, only for him to finally speak. "I see it! I see it! I can see your impending future!" Kokurano then pointed directly at Yugi, his face one of pure terror. "Countless words will fall onto you from heaven! A terrible misfortune of knowledge will fall and crush you!" He panted, his anger seeping out until he regained his composure, smiling maliciously at Yugi. "I'd be careful if I were you." Yugi's eyes wavered, hearing that prophecy coming his way. Anzu could only mutter Yugi's name, once again, she was at a loss for words.
After that fortune telling, Anzu and Yugi walked down the halls of the school. The young boy was hunched over, that vision of his future still echoing in his mind. The brunette noticed how down he was, and even though she knew nothing could help, she wanted to at least persuade him. "Cheer up, Yugi. He probably only said that because you made him mad. Besides, not all predictions come true."
Yugi stopped walking, looking down at the ground. Despite her words, he knew they held empty meaning. After all, he doubted that she was going to let what he said stop her from fulfilling her future. "But then… are you still going, Anzu? To the science room to meet that guy?" He had a feeling that he already knew her answer, but he wanted to hear it from her.
Anzu blinked, noticing how upset his voice was but paid no attention to it. She tried to brush it off by laughing. "I guess I am a bit curious, though it's probably just a stalker." She looked over at Yugi, putting on a smile of hers. "A-At any rate, you shouldn't over think it. See ya!" She gave a wave before running off, leaving Yugi all by his lonesome.
"A-Anzu!" He tried calling out, reaching for her, but she was already far gone. When she was out of sight, he sighed, looking down in disappointment. "I suppose it's none of my business… Whether or not Anzu is interested in this guy…" He gave a sigh as he realized now the error of his actions. "I ended up exposing something with no bias because I got jealous, I ended up breaking the game's rules." He turned on his heels, heading to the locker bay. No use in staying in the school any longer, he saw no reason to go after Anzu. "I feel terrible…" He slumped down the hallway, wondering if Anzu hated him because of what he did and said. He wouldn't blame her.
As he walked down the corridor, his eyes were downcasted onto the floor. A book with a bright red cover. He was surprised, kneeling down and picking it up. "That's strange…" Yugi muttered. He found it weird that there would be a random book laying around, especially in the middle of the halls. He looked around, wondering if anyone was nearby that had this book. When he saw no one, he knew he couldn't just leave the item on it's own. "May as well bring this back to the library." Yugi told himself, making his way to his new destination. He didn't have anything better to do, and he believed it would only be a quick trip.
Once he made it to the library, he maneuvered through many shelves to locate the spot the book would be. The librarian wasn't there, so he had to do the work manually. The place was quiet, and dimly lit, so Yugi made it apparent that he had to get out of there quickly. "Let's see…" He looked over at one of the shelves, trying to find an empty slot to put the book in. "Maybe there's one here?" As he was searching for a place for the book, his ears began to pick up what sounded like strange creaking. He didn't think much of it until it grew louder, and he turned around, wondering what was going on. That was when he saw for himself, the bookcases began to topple over one another, like stacks of dominos. He was frozen in fear, seeing the pages fly off the wooden boards and landing down. 'Countless words.' Yugi repeated the vision that Kokurano gave to him. Just as the final casing was falling on him, the Puzzle around Yugi's neck began to glow.
The dust settled, as the shelves were knocked over. 'Yugi' stood there, a bruise on his right hand as he managed to dodge out of the way in time, but had some books hit his skin. He turned around, looking over as he spoke. "Is this what you meant by 'countless words'?" He asked, seeing a figure in emerald green rushing past him. 'Yugi' knew full well who that color belonged to. It made his eyes narrow, as he finally understood what was really going on. "So then, Kokurano had been making his own predictions come true himself this whole time! He had no super powers to begin with. If that's the case then that means…" Those fiery eyes widened, as he knew who Kokurano's next target was. "Anzu's in danger!" He rushed out, heading to the science room where Anzu was waiting for her 'man of the shadows'. Only, it wouldn't be the person she was expecting.
The brunette herself was waiting in the room that Kokurano had told her to go to. The sun was already setting, indicating how late it was. She sat at one of the desks, patiently waiting for the guy she was supposed to meet. Her eyes always darted back to the clock on the wall, ticking away the time as it neared the destined appointment the psychic predicted. Anzu got up from where she was sitting, walking over to the windows and looked outside as her mind ran with so many thoughts in her head. She thought out loud to herself as she waited a bit longer. "I wonder if it really is the guy who saved me back then… even though I don't know what he looks like, I'll definitely be able to recognize him from his voice."
Before the clock could ding with the appropriate time, Anzu heard the door to the classroom slide open. She turned, believing that the one coming in was the man she was destined to meet. However, she was baffled to be met with the very guy that gave her the prophecy approaching her. Kokurano looked up at her, with his beady eyes gazing at her figure. "Looks like another of my prophecies have come true." He declared.
Hearing that, Anzu raised a brow in slight alarm. "What are you talking about? The guy you told me about isn't here yet." She pointed out, as she made the fatal mistake of turning her head back to the window. She didn't think much of Kokurano, probably just wanted to wait to see what the guy was like and be sure that his vision really was true as he said. Just as she looked back out at the scenery, Anzu gasped, feeling a cloth cover her mouth with a strange fragrance that warfed through her nose, and made her dizzy. She could feel a small yet familiar hand on her other shoulder as Kokurano pressed his face closer to hers. She didn't have any time to protest as the drug took a hold of her.
"But there is! That very man is right here." Kokurano laughed as Anzu began to lose consciousness.
'No way… you planned this from the very beginning…' Now she understood the gravity of the situation. She had fallen into his trap, Kokurano didn't know the very guy that was watching over Anzu, because he made himself that very guy! She felt so stupid, it was such an obvious lie and yet she fell right into because of her own desires. Soon enough, her body began to go numb as the effects of the drug finally took over her form. Her being landed right into Kokurano arms, holding her tightly as he had such a hungry expression. "Now you see? Your destiny was to put your body into my hands!" The false prophet laughed, raising his hands up in the air as he had a power-hungry smile on his face. Anzu's body laid on the ground while he basked in his victory. "As long as people believe I have super powers, everything will go my way and no one will cross me!"
"I wonder about that!" A deep voice called out. Kokurano gasped, losing his smile as he sweated a bit. In the doorway of the room, 'Yugi' was leaning against the frame, his arms crossed over his chest as he looked over at the fake. "It seems that your prediction about me didn't go as you expected."
Kokurano was shocked, seeing 'Yugi' standing there all confident despite what had happened. "How are you…?" He trailed off, not sure how to finish that sentence.
"This whole time, all of your predictions you made come true yourself. The bookcases falling in the library, the light nearly hitting Jounouchi in the gym, this 'mysterious man' for Anzu… I bet you even caused the fire in Shiba's apartment!" He got up from the wall he was leaning against, staring at him with such intensity. "You made those predictions so you could pretend to have psychic powers."
Kokurano tried to remain calm, yet his harsh glare at 'Yugi' called him out. "I have no idea what you mean!"
"If you want to play dumb, go ahead. Because now, it's game time Kokurano!" 'Yugi' declared.
The 'psychic' gave a smudged look towards 'Yugi', snarking at him. "To challenge someone with supernatural powers like me to a mere game, I'll applaud you for your guts." 'Yugi' knew he had him in his game, all he had to do now was beat him at it. The room became dark for a moment, as the high schooler held up a bottle of chemicals. "This game will involve the chloroform bottles you used. The same ones you got to knock out Anzu." 'Yugi' noted, looking over at the brunette for a moment. She was still unconscious, but at least she would be out of harm's way. "If you win, I won't say anything and leave you alone. However, if I win, then you will confess to everything and suffer a terrible fate."
Kokurano, still having his confidence, agreed. "Very well, I accept this challenge. How will we play?"
'Yugi' smiled, turning on the lights to reveal the ceiling had changed. Hanging from lines connecting to the clock on the wall. There were five pins holding the lines on the surface, between the 1 and 2 representing the hours. "Here is the set up, starting now, after every minute, the long hand on the clock will cut one of the strings." 'Yugi' explained as the two looked up at the bottles lined up above them. "It's unknown which string connects to which bottle, meaning this is a game of guessing and chance. We'll take turns catching the bottles that get cut from the clock. Of course, if you're too slow, the bottle of chloroform will break and knock you out." This warning made Kokurano's face scrunch up with anxiety. He sweated a bit as he realized what the penalty of losing will be: losing consciousness in an unsightly way. Sure, it would only be a long nap until it wore off, but during that time word will get out about his secret. "It'll be a close call if you aren't careful. You won't have much time to decide, so choose wisely. I will go first." He declared, holding out his hand as the clock hit the first of the five strings. One of the bottles fell, landing right in the palm of his hand. "Looks like I got the first one right."
Kokurano tried to keep his composure together, he only had to get two, and as it stood he had a 25% chance of getting it right. "So I see. Then it is my turn. I can see it… the next bottle that will fall." He said, using his 'powers' to determine which one will fall next for him. Of course, on the inside he was freaking out, looking at the bottles. He tried guessing which one it would be, since if he didn't make it, he would lose. He grunted, going for it. "Come to me!" He demanded, just as the long hand cut the second string. Kokurano ran, going to the falling bottle and managed to catch it just before it hit the ground. He gasped, relieved that he caught it in time. Turning over his shoulder, he laughed at 'Yugi' trying not to show how nervous he was. "What do you think of that?"
'Yugi' remained indifferent, giving a sly smile his way. "Impressive job." He commented, waiting for the third bottle to fall. Another minute passed, and once another string was cut, 'Yugi' ran over to try and get it. As he ran, he stumbled from Kokurano's foot that got in the way, making him trip as the bottle came closer and closer to the floor. Even though he was able to rebalance himself, he knew he wouldn't be able to reach it in time.
"It looks like I win!" Kokurano declared, as he made 'Yugi' fail to catch the bottle in time. He was just about to walk away before the bottle broke to avoid the fumes. Only to look back and realize that the chloroform was hovering just above the floor. "What the?!" He gasped, not understanding what was happening, until he saw the Millenium Puzzle from 'Yugi's' neck above the glass, keeping it in place. "B-but how?" Kokurano was confused, seeing the bottle frozen in time, as if it was natural.
"Looks like you aren't the only one with supernatural powers." 'Yugi' told him. "Though I wasn't aware that tripping people was another of your abilities."
Kokurano held up his hands, defensively. "Well… I didn't think freezing time was allowed either." He pointed out nervously.
"Fair enough, then we'll call it even." 'Yugi' stated, walking over to get his Puzzle. Kokurano grunted, glaring at him as he casually grabbed the bottle and his Item. So much for getting an easy win. Looks like he would have to endure it a bit longer, if he cheated again, no doubt 'Yugi' would call the game and go back on his word. Once he put the Puzzle around his neck, 'Yugi' looked up at the remaining two bottles with Kokurano. "Now there are only two left hanging up, though your chances of getting it right increases, it will still be a tough decision." It was true, the bottles were so far apart now, that if you got it wrong there was no chance of you catching them. "If you get this wrong, there will be no cover. Of course, having super powers to allow you to see into the future, it should be no problem for the likes of someone such as yourself." 'Yugi' pointed out.
It all came down to this. Kokurano had to get it right or else he would suffer the consequences. He clenched his fist, grunting as he tried to imagine with his so-called abilities. "I can see it clearly." His voice sounded strained, as if he was taking this seriously. He stepped over, looking at the bottle closest to the door of the room. He looked up with confidence. "This is the one that will fall. Now! Come to me!" Kokurano declared, wanting this to be over with. The clock hit the second to final string.
"The Door of Darkness has opened." 'Yugi' declared, as the string connecting the other bottle was cut, making it fall.
"The bottle!" Kokurano gasped, realizing that he was wrong, he quickly ran to catch the chloroform quickly. But he was not fast enough, watching as it hit him right in the face. A cloud of the gas formed around Kokurano, as he was knocked out on the floor, snoring loudly with his cloak frailed open, to reveal many writings written underneath.
"My, my. So many more predictions you had under your cloak." 'Yugi' noted as he watched the unconscious fake. "But in the end, you couldn't even predict the wreckage that was your future." He scoffed, at least now he wouldn't be able to do anything again. He would be out for quite a while, but until then, he had to take care of something else. 'Yugi' bent down, picking up Anzu and carried her bridal style out of the room and down the hallway. He would have to make sure she got back home, hopefully she would wake up by that time but until then, he would carry her. "Too bad your future wasn't as you wanted it to be." 'Yugi' told the limped girl. "Of course, the future is what you make it your own, that is what you told me." He told her, being reminded of her own words.
As he was walking down the halls of the school, he was not aware of Anzu gaining a bit of consciousness. Her eyes were still blurry, but she was able to see the shadow of the man carrying her. 'I was… saved once again.' She thought to herself in her drowsy state. She also noticed a bruise on his hand. That was all she could see before fading into darkness again, being drifted off by the very man that had saved her twice now.
Despite the chaos that happened yesterday, a new day on this Friday morning began anew. The group were walking together at school, as they were talking about the events that happened. "So, Kokurano really was a fake?" Jounouchi asked, surprised as Miho spilled the details.
"I heard from Cosmo who told me that Sparkle told her that they found evidence of him tampering with the lights in the gym. He was found knocked out this morning with disturbing predictions under his hood, so many people are seeing him as a fake." Miho explained.
"Looks like he got busted…" Yugi pointed out.
"Damn it! I can't believe I believed that little creep." Jounouchi whined at his complaint. "I can't believe it was fake."
"In the end, it really is better to not know the future others see, and create your own." Anzu pointed out, as she had to learn that lesson the hard way.
"Miho still knows what her future is." The other girl assured them.
Anzu raised a brow her way. "Looks like you haven't changed." She remarked.
Jounouchi looked over at Yugi, nudging him as he whispered. "But the one who seems to have taken it the hardest is our very own clean up crew." Yugi looked over, seeing Honda ahead of them, walking in a posture that radiated gloom and disappointment. He didn't blame the brunet for his lack of happiness, after all, he got cheated and played into believing he had an actual future with Miho, only for it to be a lie. Both the guys actually felt sorry for him, he was so full of life just two days ago, only for him to be drained entirely.
Miho ran over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Good morning, Honda!" She looked at him as she had a smile. "There's no reason to be so down! It's just as Anzu said, we have to create our own future, right?" That seemed to have done the trick, to her credit. As Honda had a faint flush while starting to leak some tears, calling out her name in a slightly pleased tone. "So we should do our best to make such a future come true!" She raised her hand in the air, high fiving him as Honda smiled now, full of passion.
Jounouchi still had to ask, "Does he even know what future Miho is referring to?"
"At least she changed his attitude." Anzu pointed out.
Yugi looked over at the brunette. "Still, the girls do make valid points. We may not know what the future holds, so best not to overthink it." Anzu nodded, agreeing with him. She knew now that she should have stuck with her own advice, as it was questioning it and giving into her desires that put her in such dangers. Though it was not all in vain as that mysterious man was able to rescue her again. However, she was not able to actually see who it was.
She had on a smile as she thought to herself. 'In the end, I may not have figured out who that guy was. But now I know for certain he is watching over me.' Anzu realized, so technically, Kokurano's vision wasn't wrong, it was that he didn't actually know someone else was watching over her.
"Hey! Hurry up, you two!" Jounouchi holdered at them as Honda and Miho were already way ahead of him. "If we don't get there in ten, we'll be late!"
"Oh yeah!" Yugi realized how little time they had left. He turned towards his friend, smiling. "Come on, Anzu!" He then turned on his heels, running in the direction of Jounouchi and the others. As he was running off, Anzu caught a glimpse of a strange mark on Yugi's hand, it was the same shape and color as the one belonging to her rescuer. The brunette stood there, watching for a moment as Yugi hurried to the blond to catch up.
"That mark… Yugi has the same one…" Anzu muttered, trying to have the wheels in her brain turn as she tried to understand the connection. Why would Yugi have the same wound as her savior? Did that mean, the one that saved her back there… Was him?!