Yu-Gi-Oh! Kaimon! (Season 1)

by CosmoK13

After a devastating fight between darkness and light, six souls were sealed away in mythical items. A prophecy foretold that these six spirits will come together to defeat the darkness. Join Yugi Mutou, as he and his friends, along with the other five chosen hosts, set out on a bunch of adventures to uncover the past, battle against all odds, and use the Power of Spirit Monsters!

16. Chapter 15

Episode 15: The Witch Woman's Scary Transformation

Just as promised, Yugi and Anzu came back to the Kame Game shop. They planned to spend the rest of their day there playing games since their date at the amusement park got canceled. It was bad enough the place was closed due to a loose arsonist, but it also didn't help that Anzu and Yugi got caught up in the affair. Thankfully, they weren't hurt and managed to leave the park safely. Once they were back, Sugaroku was in the shop restacking a few new games on the front desk. When the two students came back earlier than expected, he wondered what had happened to them.

Yugi and Anzu had to explain, and they didn't leave out any details. There was no point in hiding the situation since Sugaroku would find out about it in the news in the next day or two. Of course, the old man was shocked upon the revelation, asking the two many questions to assure they were safe. Yugi promised his grandfather that they managed to get out of there without any wounds. After about ten minutes of interrogation, Sugaroku was satisfied with the answers. "At least you two are alright, that's what's really important."

"And they managed to catch the arsonist that had been causing fires all over the city." Yugi added.

The old man chuckled. "Well, looks like we all can sleep a little easier tonight."

"I'll say." Anzu agreed. She didn't disclose any information about Yugi helping the police out with taking down the criminal. Mostly because Yugi didn't remember such an event and it would only complicate things for the high schooler. Anzu decided to keep the information about a 'cool Yugi' to herself until she could find out more of who this other Yugi was and why he's been showing up. "So, we were wondering if we could play some games here."

"Of course! Let me just finish restocking the cards first, and you two can head in the back." Sugaroku stated, placing boxes of packets on the front counter. Yugi looked at them, wondering what his grandfather was placing for the customers. When he saw the brand name, the young high schooler squealed in excitement.

"No way! You got some more Duel Monsters cards?!"

The old man nodded. "I finally managed to restock this game. It's really been growing in popularity across Japan recently, so I've been getting many orders for them to sell to the fans."

Anzu leaned in towards Yugi, giving a peace sign as she winked while smiling at him. "You know, I've been thinking of getting my own deck to play Duel Monsters." The brunette admitted. Yugi gasped upon hearing that realization. He couldn't believe how interested Anzu was in this game, but that meant he could play with her.

The shop owner got an idea, picking up two Duel Monsters packets and held them up. "Well then, why don't you take one? I know it's a sales product, but after what you two went through today, I'll give them as gifts."

"Really?!" Yugi and Anzu asked in unison, sounding like children on Christmas. They grabbed the packets, tearing off the plastic and looking through the ten cards that were inside the casing. While they checked over their gifts, the door to the store opened, revealing a woman in a purple cloak walking in with a hood covering her head and face. Sugaroku greeted her, as she walked to the back of the store and began to explore the games displayed.

Yugi managed to look over his pack, sighing a bit in disappointment. "Ah… looks like I had no luck. I already own all of these cards." Yugi noted as he checked the ones he had.

Anzu looked at a single card she held in her hand, wide eyed as she studied it. "Hey, can you tell me a bit about this card?" She lowered it, having Yugi look at the illustration.

The moment the boy saw it, his eyes were just as wide as hers. "No way… that's...Violet Hecate!" He gasped, looking over the card as it showed the picture of a woman wearing a purple skin-tight dress with sleeves and a head-dress. In her left hand, she held a golden staff with the head of a snake.

"That card?!" Sugaroku sounded just as surprised.

"What's the big deal? It seems like a normal card to me." Anzu noted. At first glance, it was just a normal card. A dark type with the spellcaster attribute. It was a level four monster with 1800 attack and 2000 defense. But to Yugi and Sugaroku, who knew more about the game and cards, they seemed pretty interested.

"It's not just a normal card, it's part of a ritual. This card is one of the three Hecate sisters, and when combined together, will be able to bring out a powerful monster that has a crazy strong effect!" Yugi explained. Anzu looked back over at the card, humming to herself as she looked over the stats again.

"Indeed, though it is more than capable of being strong on it's own." Sugaroku added.

The brunette held the card a bit longer, listening to what they said about the monster in general. It did seem like a good card to have in one's deck. Even without the other two sisters and their strongest counterpart, it sounded like it could be a great ally. Although, while it did seem tempting, Anzu came to a conclusion about the ownership of the card. "In that case, I'm giving it to you." She held it out for Yugi to take it.

The young boy seemed confused, looking between the card and his friend. "W-wait… are you sure Anzu?"

Anzu nodded. "You know more about this card than I do, and I'm sure it will be in better use to someone that knows more about the game." Yugi held the card in his hand, jumping up and down the store with a big grin on his face, thanking Anzu for the gift. While the brunette remained silent and watched, her mind still wandered as she thought back to the Amusement Park Incident that happened only a few hours ago. 'He's still the same kiddish Yugi as always… But then, where did he go? That Yugi that had such intense and determined eyes?' She had to ask herself, looking over at her friend who was still too happy about the new card he got. She couldn't believe that Yugi and that guy were the same person, just having different personalities. And though this raised more questions for Anzu, she knew it would be better to wait and see what would happen next.

Yugi looked back over at his friend, still having that glow up. "Thank you so much, Anzu! I promise to take good care of it!" Anzu gave a small wave and smile as she assured Yugi that it was no big deal.

"Well, we better head into your living room and play some games. Wanna start with Duel Monsters?" Anzu suggested.

"Sure!" Yugi agreed as the two started heading behind the counter to get to the house part of the building. "Do you need help with your deck again?" He asked Anzu.

"I think I can handle it this time." She assured.

"There's some tea in the fridge if you get thirsty. Help yourselves to any snacks you can make. Just remember to clean up after yourselves." Sugaroku told the two students as they headed back. Once it was only him, he looked back out to the store for any new customers. As he scanned around though, he noticed that the woman that was in here earlier was gone. "Hmm… strange, where did that customer go?" He hummed, but wasn't able to find any trace of her. "Oh well." He didn't bother with it, shrugging it off.

---

Yugi and Anzu spent the rest of the day at the game shop, challenging one another to many games. They played Duel Monsters for a few rounds, Yugi winning all of them of course thanks to his new card. After about an hour of that, they played different boards until the sun started setting. Anzu went back to her house once dusk began to settle, waving to Yugi as they would see each other tomorrow.

That following Monday morning, Yugi took his way to school with her by his side. They walked together casually as they usually did. Once they were inside the locker bay, that was when they met up with everyone else.

"Morning, Yugi! Anzu!" Jounouchi was the first to greet them as he was getting his home shoes off of his feet.

"Hey Jounouchi!" Yugi smiled up at his friend.

The blond looked over at the two, a bit worried. "Are you guys okay? I heard about what happened yesterday." Obviously, they knew he was referring to that arsonist that took control of the Ferris wheel. It was so sudden and happened not that long ago, and yet it feels like forever. It may as well have been years ago, since that would seem better.

Anzu assured the blond that they were alright. They did get caught up with the arsonist, but nothing bad truly happened. Jounouchi was glad to hear that. Though they kept certain information to themselves, what mattered was the outcome.

"So what did you do after that?" Jounouchi asked. "I figured you guys would be somewhere else since the park was closed the rest of the day."

"Oh, we just hung out at my place and played some games." Yugi informed his friend. "Mostly Duel Monsters, which Anzu had made a good deck so far."

"It isn't that good if I haven't beaten you with it." She points out.

"You guys are still playing that game?" Honda asked, appearing behind them.

Yugi giggled. "I've been trying to revise my deck, and thanks to the card Anzu gave me yesterday, I think I'm getting a better chance."

"Rare card?" Miho asked, carrying her briefcase up to the group.

"Oh yeah… what did you call it again? Violet Hecate?" Anzu asked, wondering if that sounded right.

"Yeah, one of the three witch sisters that can be used to ritual summon a stronger monster." Yugi added.

Jounouchi was slightly intrigued when he heard that. "That's why it's so rare?"

Yugi nodded. "But even on it's own, it's pretty strong and easy to summon. Not to mention it's illustration is very beautiful."

Miho smiled, trying to picture the very card they were describing. "Really? Miho wants to see the card herself."

"Says the one that doesn't even have a Duel Monsters deck." Anzu mocked as she took her school shoes out of her locker.

Honda looked over at Miho, seeing her interest in wanting to see the monster and potentially be more involved with the card game. "I think we should get more into it again." He suggested.

"It has been a while, hasn't it?" Jounouchi asked. "And frankly, I wouldn't mind trying to get better at it."

Yugi was delighted to hear that. Perhaps they could all have some Duels together after school. "We can head to my place after school today." Yugi suggested as he opened his cubicle to get his school shoes. "If you need any refreshers on the rules, I'll help explain them." He promised, grabbing his shoes as he looked at his friends. As he was about to put them on, he heard the two boys gasped. Everyone looked to where they were staring at the ground, seeing a white envelope with a pink heart stamp keeping it closed.

"A love letter!" The two boys screamed in unison. They both reached for it, trying to pick it up, but the letter flew around them as they both tried reaching for it.

Anzu watched this, getting a bit annoyed. "Uh guys… I don't think any of us saw whose shoe locker it fell out of." She pointed out.

"Mine, of course!" Honda declared.

"Don't be stupid! It's definitely mine!" Jounouchi interjected. Both were still trying to get the letter as it fluttered in the air, just out of their reach. Eventually, it flew over to where Miho was, grabbing it and looking it over.

"It says here it's for Yugi Mutou." Upon hearing that, Jounouchi and Honda stopped their fighting. Anzu's face turned from annoyed to baffled, and Yugi looked up at Miho as he was just as surprised.

"Eh?" Yugi blinked. "It's… for me?"

"Here." Miho handed him the envelope. Hesitantly, Yugi took it as he kept it sealed up. He wasn't sure what to think. This was the second time now he had gotten some sort of gift from someone that had feelings for him. Yugi wondered if it was from the same girl that tried giving him that puzzle. He didn't have a moment to ponder as the bell rang indicating it was time for class. Everyone hurried, switched their shoes and went to their first period of the day. Yugi kept the letter in his desk, waiting until class was over to open it.

Once the bell rang again for a short break, everyone started to head off to their next class. Yugi still sat at his desk, as everyone of his friends gathered around, eager to learn the contents of the letter. "So, what does it say?" Jounouchi demanded to know.

"Well, what's written there?" Honda became so frustrated, he pounded the desk, making Yugi wince.

"Tell us already!" Jounouchi was becoming antsy as he wanted the answers as well. Yugi was becoming more embarrassed just by the way they were acting. He really was not liking this sort of attention, and it made him want to read the letter on his own. Though he knew that would not be possible.

"All this waiting is irritating! Just let me see!" Honda reached over, grabbing the letter from Yugi's hands as the two guys fought over who would have the rights to read it, declaring that they were Yugi's best friend. The girls watched this train wreck of a show for a while, as each one was trying to claim rights to the confession.

"The more you look at it, the more similar they appear." Miho noted.

Anzu looked at the boys as well, she was becoming more and more irritated just watching them. Eventually, she raised her voice at them to get their attention. "Hand that letter to me now!" The two of them froze, seeing how upset Anzu was. They agreed without any protest, and Jounouchi handed it to her. She was the one that ended up opening the letter and reading it out loud for everyone to hear. "Greetings, I'm sure you must be surprised to suddenly receive a letter like this. However, I had to confess my feelings from my heart that were calling out to you. Ever since I saw you, I felt these butterflies in my stomach that won't go away. Would it be possible to meet, at least once? I'll be waiting at Domino Park at 4 o'clock. Thank you, Risa Kageyama."

Yugi didn't even know what to say about this confession. He listened to Anzu reading the letter, but could not muster up the words to find. He was actually surprised that not one, but two girls ended up admitting to liking him. Unless it was the same girl that gave him that puzzle present a while back. But that can't be it… after all, from what Jounouchi told him, it was a student that went to this high school since they seemed to be close with Miho and Anzu. So… that meant it really was someone else.

Miho leaned in closer, giving a smile Yugi's way. "I had no idea Yugi was so popular with the girls recently."

Yugi's face turned a shade of pink, hearing that was embarrassing enough. "I doubt that… Besides, I don't even know who this Kageyama girl is."

The periwinkle haired girl clapped her hands together in glee. "That means a girl has been watching you from afar! Even more romantic! Isn't that right, Anzu?"

The brunette still held the letter over, reading it again. When her name was called, she looked towards her female friend. Only giving a small "sure". Yugi noticed the tone in her voice, almost as if she didn't know how to process it either.

Honda laughed, as he suddenly grew confident after hearing the letter. "What are you so giddy about?" Jounouchi asked, not getting what made his friend so happy.

"They say that the name matches the body of the person. Risa Kageyama, that is the name belonging to some unattractive girl."

Jounouchi smiled, making the sudden realization. "Yeah, I see what you are saying!"

The two wrapped their arms around each other's shoulders as they grinned like the idiots they were. "For the first time, we completely agreed on something." They laughed together.

"I'm sure it must be a very tall and terribly built girl." Honda started with a confident grin. "That also includes any girl who writes kana in their names." As he was talking, Miho said her name one symbol at a time. She started to trail off and cry as she realized she was one of those girls that Honda was referring to. The moment Honda heard that, he knew he made a mistake. The periwinkle haired girl walked away with her head bowed. Honda waved his arms around, calling after her as he ran to her side to try and cheer her up. Jounouchi followed, probably to mock him some more.

"So Yugi…" Anzu looked over at him with a serious expression. "What are you going to do about this?" He looked up at her, clearly her expression was one where she wanted a directed answer. But he couldn't give one. He sat at his desk, blushing and muttering incoherent words. "You shouldn't force yourself to go if you don't feel comfortable about it." She told him.

Just as quickly as they left, Jounouchi and Honda came back. "What are you saying?" Honda asked. "Even if she is ugly, you should be a man and tell her straight out."

"We seem to be on the same page today, Honda!" Jounouchi commented.

"I agree, Jounouchi." Again, the two laughed, which didn't make Yugi feel any better. Anzu still glared at him, wondering what he would do. Soon, the bell rang out again, signaling for everyone to get to their second class for the day.

Throughout the rest of the day, Yugi was still debating about the idea of going through with meeting this girl in the park. It didn't matter if she was cute or not, the point was that someone seemed interested in Yugi. To be honest, he did like the idea of having an admirer. But… he wasn't sure if he was ready for a relationship. Especially when he didn't even know where he and Anzu stood now. Yugi tried to avoid everyone as best he could, between Honda and Jounouchi making fun of him, Miho rooting for him and Anzu against the idea, it was best he thought it over himself. Lunch time rolled around, and he made the choice to eat in the classroom away from everyone else. He wanted to figure out what he would do on his own.

Yugi grabbed his bento and sat down at his desk. He was just about to eat when someone called him. "Yugi!" He turned around, seeing the green haired girl smiling at him.

"Ah! C-Cosmo…" He didn't know how to react to her.

"Do you mind if I sit with you? I thought we could eat together." She suggested. As much as he wanted to be by himself right now, he supposed it would be alright since Cosmo didn't know the full situation. He gave a small nod as she took a seat across and ate her lunch with him. She started to eat her bread as she noticed that Yugi wasn't eating much. "How come you aren't eating with everyone else?" She asked.

Yugi sighed as he pushed his rice in his bento around. "I just wanted to be alone…"

Cosmo blinked, it really wasn't like Yugi to want to be by himself. "Did something happen?"

"Uh… well…" Yugi trailed off, he didn't know if it was a good idea for Cosmo to know about the letter. The last thing he wanted was more input about this girl. Although, perhaps a third party that was neutral would give him some advice. At any rate, Cosmo should at least know. He gave a sigh, explaining the situation of the love letter he got this morning. She listened with interest, just taking in the information. After he was done, he placed his elbows on the desk and held his face in his hands, a longing expression on his features.

"Risa Kageyama? I don't recognize her as a student from here." Cosmo noted. "But I think I heard that name before."

Yugi looked up at her. "You have?"

The young girl nodded. "She comes to our shop now and again, asking for basil and cattail. Odd orders, I'll admit, but nothing too strange. Apparently she goes to Black Rose Academy from her uniform she wore."

"Black Rose Academy?" Yugi repeated, trying to figure out where that name was from. "Isn't that a boarding school for girls with rich families?"

Cosmo nodded again. "Actually, I had gotten a scholarship to attend there." Cosmo admitted with a blush.

"Eh?! Really?!" Yugi gasped, learning something new about Cosmo. He knew she was smart, but to be able to get into such a school. Though, he did have to ask. "Wait, if you got that, why are you here?"

Cosmo looked down, rubbing the back of her neck. "When we first moved here, we didn't have a lot of money. Even back then we were barely teetering on the lines of poor and middle class. Don't get me wrong, I would have loved to attend such a school that had an amazing opportunity… but, I knew we couldn't afford the expenses, even with the scholarship." Cosmo admits, looking a bit sad as she explained the story. "Galaxina always told me that she could afford it for me… however, I made up my mind to attend Domino High. I was still accepted into the higher grades, and it worked out in the end. Because I met you and everyone else." She said the last line with a smile. This made Yugi glad that she did come to this school, because he considered her a great friend.

"Anyways," Cosmo went on, going back to the topic at hand. "Have you decided what you are going to do for this girl?"

Yugi shook his head, going back to where he was before. "I dunno. You saw her, do you know what she looks like?"

"Well… I never got a good look at her face, only the back of her uniform." Cosmo admitted. "And she doesn't come into the store that often, so it's hard to tell what she officially looks like or what she is like personality wise."

"Honestly, I don't know what I'm going to do…" Yugi pondered the thought more.

"Well, you don't like this girl, right?" Cosmo asked.

"Hard to like someone I don't know."

Cosmo nodded in agreement. "But there's no harm in hearing her out. No one is saying you have to date her, but it wouldn't hurt to meet up with her and get to know her." She suggested.

Yugi looked at Cosmo, hearing her out. "So, what should I do?"

"You really want my advice?" Cosmo asked, making Yugi nod. She scratched her cheek as she gave out her wisdom. "Well, go meet her there and talk to her. Try to get to know her a bit before making your choice. I won't tell you you should date her right away, but flat out rejecting her doesn't seem fair either. At the very least, show up. It would be even more rude to stand her up."

For once, Yugi was given helpful words. He wasn't planning on making this Risa girl his girlfriend, but at the same time if he left her waiting at the park, he would seem like a jerk. At the very least, if he was going to turn her down, he would do it properly and be honest. "Thanks Cosmo, I'll go to the park after school and wait for her. I'll hear her out though, since it's only fair."

The green haired girl nodded, giving him a reassuring smile. "Just be yourself, it's always worked for you so far." She told him, finishing up her lunch. Yugi felt slightly better, knowing what he was going to do. He found his appetite and munched down as much as he could.

---

As promised, Yugi was sitting on a lone bench in the park. He made his way there the second the final class of the day was over. He rushed out of the school as fast as he could, making sure not to tell the others his plan. He wanted to face this Risa girl alone, and hopefully be able to let her down easily. The last thing he wanted was everyone there watching it go down. It would only make him more nervous. He wasn't sure how much longer he had to wait, he just hoped he wouldn't miss her.

"I wonder what I should say to her?" Yugi wondered out loud as he still waited. "I suppose it would be easier if she did the talking first. Just be open-minded and have her speak." He told himself, preparing for a talk with her.

Soon enough, Yugi could hear footsteps approaching him. He was certain it was her, since they sounded so light. Yugi bit his lip, trying to prepare himself for what was to be said. "Um… excuse me." Yugi turned, ready to see the girl who had sent him that envelope. To his amazement though, she was far more beautiful than he had imagined. She had fair skin, matching her black and purple themed school girls uniform. Her eyes had many lashes and had an emerald green shade to them. She had bouncy short iris colored hair, shiny like the rays of the sun. Yugi couldn't deny how cute she looked, as a blush crossed his face that was noticeable. He stared at her, admiring her appearance for a moment. "Were you able to read the letter I sent you?" She asked, wanting to gain his attention.

Yugi snapped out of his thoughts. "Oh… y-yeah." He told her, jumping off the bench. "So you're Risa Kagyeama?"

She giggled. "That's me. I'm glad you could come. I was a bit worried you wouldn't show up." She admitted. Gripping her briefcase in one hand as she held a small pink package in the other. "Oh, I uh… I made this for you." She stretched out her hand to give Yugi the wrapped item. She even went as far as to hand-make him something? Yugi was even more embarrassed, but he thanked her as the blush was still present on his face. She also had one upon her cheeks as well. "I'm… I'm really glad I could have the chance to talk with you, Yugi Mutou." Looks like she was just as flustered as he was. At least Yugi wasn't alone.

He took the present from her and held it in his arms. "I feel kind of bad for not getting you anything now." He laughed nervously.

"Oh no, please. You showing up is enough of a gift for me." She assured him. "I do apologize for it to have been so sudden, but I had to tell you how I felt and well… I don't regret it." Risa sounded pretty confident, even though she was showing how much of a crush she had. Her eyes went to his chest, noticing the pendant around his neck. "Oh! What a pretty pendant you have!" She gushed.

"Huh?" He looked down, noticing what she was referring to. "Oh, that's my Millennium Puzzle. I put it together myself."

"Puzzle?" Risa blinked.

"Yeah, it was in pieces when I found it, but I put it together after some years and now it's my treasure!" He stated proudly.

Risa's eyes sparkled, as she was drawn to his object. "Do you mind if I touch it?" She asked. Yugi nodded, giving her his consent. Her slim hands reached over, barely grazing the golden artifact. She didn't even last five seconds before pulling her hand back so suddenly, turning her back on Yugi. The Domino High student noticed this, and grew a bit worried.

"Is something wrong? Did I do something bad?" He asked, getting nervous as he wondered if his Puzzle did something.

She turned slightly in his direction, bearing a small smile. "N-no. It's nothing. I just got a bit overwhelmed from the excitement." She explained. "I think I should go home now. I'm so sorry!" She rushed off, holding her briefcase as she passed Yugi.

"W-wait, R-Risa!" He tried calling out to her, but she was already gone. She sure could move fast. For a second, the young boy wondered if he should have went after her, but since they were still considered strangers, it would seem stalkerish if he did so. Plus, he had a feeling that she would be contacting him again anyways.

Yugi's attention was taken from Risa as he heard some fumbling behind. That was when he turned around, seeing his friends fall on one another in the bushes. "You guys?" Yugi gasped, seeing his friends look up at him with busted faces. They knew they were caught, but they could show themselves now that Risa was gone. "What are you doing here?" He asked.

The four walked over to him, trying to act casual. Well, Miho, Jounouchi and Honda were acting, Anzu seemed disinterested in the ordeal. "These guys followed you because they wanted to see if you would accept her offer." Anzu explained, pointing to the other three. "I only tagged along to make sure to keep them at bay."

Miho sat down on the bench, looking over at Yugi. "She was far cuter than I pictured! I guess girls with kana in their names aren't as ugly as what Honda stated." The brunet of the boys gave a sigh, now realizing how wrong he was in both accounts.

"So, what did she get you?" Jounouchi asked, changing the subject.

"I haven't opened it yet." Yugi admitted, holding the wrapped package in his lap. He slowly peeled the paper back, revealing the item held inside. It was a light blue vest with a black and red neck collar.

Miho gushed in delight, looking at the outfit. "Ah! It's a summer vest!" She grabbed hold of the outfit, checking it over. "Wow, this is definitely hand-knitted. No doubt it is full of love and care." She showed the vest off to everyone.

This made Yugi's face flush at just the mere mention of the gift. "It's kind of embarrassing when you show it off…" He admits in a whisper, though he didn't hate the gift either.

Honda and Jounouchi stood up, bowing with no motivation or enthusiasm like they had just this morning. "Sorry Yugi," Honda responded. "We're going to be heading home now."

"For some reason, all of the confidence I had in myself seems lost now." Jounouchi stated.

"I seriously need to thoroughly rethink my life and choices." Honda added, as he held up Jounouchi by the shoulders while the blond did the same for him. Yugi watched them leave, noticing how upset they were. It was probably because Yugi managed to get a cute girl like Risa to fall in love with him without doing anything, and those two didn't have what he had.

"Are you okay, Honda?"

"Sorry, Jounouchi." Honda responded. Yugi actually felt sorry for them.

When they left, Anzu turned to Yugi and asked him the real question. "So what did you tell her, Yugi? This Risa girl seems serious about you. Do you feel the same?"

Yugi looked up at the brunette, hearing how serious she was in her tone. He didn't like how she was sounding, almost as if she didn't like the idea. It wasn't like Anzu to get involved in other people's business unless it related to her. "I only just met her and spoke with her briefly. I'm not sure what I'm going to do." He said the last sentence as he looked down at the ground. He still hasn't made up his mind if he wanted to date her or not, it was all new to him.

"Then you're going to turn her down, right? Yup, that's what I thought." She smiled, sounding a bit too happy as she spoke.

"Hold on Anzu, are you feeling jealous?" Miho questioned.

The brunette blinked, blushing as that question caught her off guard. She then turned towards Miho who asked that, becoming defensive. "W-what are you talking about?! I'm only concerned for Yugi as his friend! Am I not allowed my own opinion?!"

"N-no need to be so mad…" Miho tried to protect herself from Anzu's onslaught.

Yugi looked over at Anzu, hearing her speak and utter that single word: friend. 'She still considers me just a friend?' He wondered. If it wasn't clear that the puzzle letter wasn't from her, it was now to Yugi. Maybe that date at the amusement park meant nothing at all, just hanging out as childhood friends and nothing more.

"Besides, there is just something off about that girl." Anzu stated, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I dunno, she seems nice enough to go through all this trouble." Miho pointed out.

The brunette raised a brow, opening her mouth as she was about to say something, but Yugi was the one that interjected. "I still haven't decided what I'm going to do." The girls looked in Yugi's direction as he stood up, grabbing the summer vest. His head was down as he tried avoiding eye contact with his friends. "I still need time to think it over, and I would rather not have anyone tell me otherwise. In the end, it's my decision, and whatever happens, I would rather have my friends support me than tell me off." He then walked away, leaving Miho and Anzu baffled by his sudden outburst.

"Woah, I've never seen Yugi act like that before." Miho noted as she watched him leave them behind. Anzu was also surprised, noticing how Yugi didn't even look at her while he talked. Maybe it really was something she said?

---

Yugi went back home after that confrontation at the park. He was pretty quiet most of the night, since he rather not think about it for the time being. Sugaroku didn't really notice Yugi's behavior, since he was busy manning the shop and taking care of the house. His grandson helped, but they barely spent any time that afternoon. It was during their clean up of supper did the old man suggest having a few Duel Monsters rounds with him. Of course, the high schooler could never refuse a fun game. Plus, he wanted to try out some new strategies and cards after remaking his deck. Though he didn't believe he would win, it would be fun to play with his grandfather regardless.

They played well into the night, agreeing to five rounds before Yugi would be off to bed. They were in round three, both tied at the moment. Yugi had his Violet Hecate on the field, and with the attack boost of the field, she was the most powerful monster he had at the moment.

Sugaroku wasn't going to fall behind. He set down his next monster on his turn. "I play Sapphire Dragon! Looks like I have the advantage now!" Sugaroku smiled, pleased he was taking the lead now. However, as he looked at his grandson, he could see Yugi was staring off out the window, watching the night sky. Part of him was still pondering over the events of this afternoon, meeting with Risa and questioning where he and Anzu stood relationship wise. "Looks like you have something on your mind." The old man noted.

Yugi jumped, hearing his grandfather talk to him. He turned back to his guardian, apologizing. "S-sorry Grandpa, just a lot on my mind."

"Is it serious?" He asked, sounding concerned.

Yugi shook his head. "No, just school stuff and thinking about summer vacation."

"Oh yes! That should be coming up in another month and a half. Any plans?"

Yugi gave a small smile. "None yet, but we're trying to find something that isn't too expensive."

"Well, I'm sure you guys will have a great first high school summer vacation. For now, best to focus on the present. Right now, your precious Violet Hecate won't stand a chance against my Sapphire Dragon." Yugi smiled, despite his grandfather's words, he was going to fight until the end. Even if he didn't win, he was enjoying the time he was spending with his grandfather.

As Sugaroku was about to launch his attack, the landline began to ring out in the kitchen. "Oh? A call this late?" The old man was just as curious.

"It's probably mom or dad. I'll get it." Yugi got up from his seat, running into the kitchen to pick up the phone and speak into it. "Hello, this is the Mutou Residents." Yugi said on his end. It was slightly quiet for a moment, so Yugi tried calling out again. "Hello there?" He asked, wondering if the connection was bad.

"Um… hello there. Do you recognize my voice?" The female tone asked.

Yugi instantly blushed, knowing full well who it was. "R-Risa?!" He looked out to the living room, where his grandfather was waiting for him. He leaned into the microphone of the receiver so he could not be overheard.

"I'm so happy! I didn't know if you had remembered me." She sounded so excited, like the school girl she was.

"H-how did you get this number?" Yugi had to ask.

"Oh, I just called your game shop. Actually that was how I saw you…" She admits. Yugi blinked at her explanation. Saw him? That was when it clicked, she must have been a customer and met him there. He didn't remember ever seeing her though, so it must have been when he was really busy or was doing something else. "I wanted to apologize for running off like that. I suddenly felt really nervous and… well, would it be alright if we could meet again? Tomorrow morning at Domino Park?"

Yugi thought about it for a moment, it did sound reasonable, and he figured he could use this chance to properly turn her down without hurting her feelings. The sooner he stopped letting her on, the easier it would be for both of them. "Sure thing. Let's say six thirty at the park? Just before school starts."

"Alright, I'll see you there." Risa giggled, hanging up as did Yugi. The young boy sighed, tomorrow morning may be a challenge for him, but he had to do what was right. He didn't believe he could commit to a relationship at the moment. He went back to the seat, taking his chair as he got his cards back in his hand.

"Who was that, Yugi?" Sugaroku asked.

The young boy shook his head. "Oh… it was Jounouchi." He lied. "He said that he wanted to meet me before school in the park to discuss any information about that Dueling Tournament coming up."

The old man laughed. "Oh yes, the Japanese first regional Duel Monsters championship. Is he planning on entering?"

Yugi smiled. "He might… but he wants to know more about the prize and the odds."

Suagroku raised a brow his way. "Will you participate?"

Yugi looked down at the table, wondering if he should. "I think I'll wait on that. I still have a long way to go." He admits. The old man nodded, not wanting to force Yugi into it. After all, Duel Monsters was a very strategic game, and he was still considered a beginner. Until he could beat his grandfather, he probably wouldn't stand a chance in a real tournament.

---

The next morning, Yugi got up earlier than he usually did. He grabbed his school stuff and hurried out the door. Before bed, he was trying to practice what he would tell Risa about wanting to not go out with her. There were many things he could say, but none of them felt right. To be honest, he wasn't even sure he could go through with it. However, he couldn't keep up this one-sided relationship either. While he was running to the park, he hoped his mind would be able to come up with the best excuse to let her down easy.

It didn't take long for Yugi to find her, she was waiting for him at the same bench he sat down yesterday. She turned, seeing him approach. Once Yugi was there, he stopped to catch his breath. "I-I'm here…" He told her.

Risa smiled warmly, looking at him. "Thank you again for agreeing to meet me here. I know it may be a bit early, but I didn't want to wait." Her hands reached into her pockets, taking out a pink wrapped package as she handed it towards Yugi. "Oh uh… here you go… They're hand-sewn socks. I thought they would match the vest I made you." She told him.

Yugi looked up at her, with a noticeable blush on his face. She was really being kind to him, bribing him with gifts, yes. But she clearly put a lot of thought and effort into them. As generous as she was, Yugi knew he could not accept. "Um…" His eyes downcasted to the ground, a look of guilt crossed his features. "I'm not sure if I can accept them right now… It's just, I don't really know anything about you." Risa pulled the gift to her chest, her face held that of sadness as it felt like she was rejected. Yugi knew it would come to this, but he at least wanted to know one thing. "Can I ask you, Risa, why did you send me that letter?"

She already had an answer for him and explained right away. "I mentioned that I knew your house was a game shop. I saw you there a few days ago, so happy and cheerful." She admitted, looking away for a moment as her voice held that soft spoken tone. "And then… well I…" She trailed off for a brief moment, but when she turned around, that smile and blush expressed her true feelings. "I fell in love with you, Yugi." Yugi's own face heated up as he gasped, seeing how cute she looked at that moment. So his suspicions were correct, that was how she knew who he was.

"But…" Risa looked down, gripping the package in her hands as her voice became more quiet. "I guess I'm not your type… someone like me, may not be for you." She turned on her heels, starting to walk away. "I'm very sorry." She apologized as she attempted to leave Yugi.

Without even thinking, Yugi raised his voice. "That isn't true at all!" When he realized what he said, he looked down and spoke in a much calmer tone. "You're very pretty and kind, Risa."

The iris haired girl ran over to him, bearing her delighted smile. "You mean it? Then, would it be alright if we could meet again after school?" She asked. The Domino student just hummed, not saying no but not fully accepting the idea either. Risa leaned over, placing the item into Yugi's hands and gently squeezed them. "I'm so excited!" Despite how pleased she was, Yugi was still uncertain about this idea.

He took the socks with him to school, but kept them hidden. He told everyone about Risa calling him last night, and wanting to meet. He couldn't keep it a secret for long, though he did give them some false information.

"Wait what?!" Honda gasped, as he and Jounouchi looked at Yugi as they were waiting for the start of their first class. "You mean you didn't see Risa at the park that morning?!"

Yugi gave a slight nod as he rubbed the back of his head. "Y-yeah… I guess I ended up getting stood up."

"Man, talk about a waste." Jounouchi sighed in disappointment.

"I'm so sorry, Yugi. I was rooting for you as well." Miho told him.

Honda crossed his arms over his chest, gaining a sly smirk. "Well, sometimes it happens."

"Don't feel too bad bud," Jounouchi tried to cheer him up. "In the end, it's her loss."

While the others were trying to keep Yugi's spirits up, he turned to see Anzu, who was sitting at her desk away from them. She looked at Yugi for a moment, before turning her head away as she tried to block everyone out. She probably wasn't going to let up about the situation so soon, not that he blamed her. 'I'm sorry, Anzu.' Yugi thought. He looked at his desk, where the socks that Risa gave him were still wrapped up. 'I have to turn her down soon, real soon.' He told himself.

The day soon came to a close, everyone was heading home as they were glad to be done with school. Yugi was with his friends, as they walked out of the grounds. "Hey, have you guys decided on what we should do for summer vacation yet?" Jounouchi asked.

"Miho wants to go to Hawaii!" The periwinkle girl exclaimed in enjoyment.

Honda, Jounouchi and Miho were discussing possible locations to go to on summer break. Anzu didn't interject in the conversation, and Yugi remained quiet himself. He noticed something out of the corner of his eyes, seeing a familiar girl in a black and pink outfit hiding behind a tree. "Ah! Sorry guys, but I forgot that I have to watch the shop today." Yugi lied to his friends once again.

"Oh, that's okay. We'll hang out later." Jounouchi promised.

"Bye-bye!" Yugi rushed over to where Risa was, while everyone else started walking their own way. However, Yugi didn't notice that Anzu caught a glimpse of him meeting up with Risa. Which made the brunette give him a very hated look in her eyes. "Were you waiting long?" Yugi asked Risa.

The iris haired girl shook her head. "Nope, I just came over. I was able to get out of study hall early. So, shall we go?" He nodded, walking with Risa as they began to head away from the school.

"So, where are we going?" Yugi wondered as he looked up at her.

"I was thinking we could stop at this cute cafe I tend to go to. Since the park might be getting old." Risa suggested.

"I am a bit hungry…" Yugi admitted.

Risa giggled. "They even have a great Mugicha tea." Yugi was looking forward to that, he could never refuse treats. They had to walk through Domino Park for a shortcut, but he didn't mind.

While they were walking along the streets, Yugi was unaware that a car had pulled up to the block. Seto Kaiba was getting back from a meeting in regards to buying stocks for his company. He looked out the window for a moment, seeing a familiar figure walking down the streets with someone. The CEO told his driver to stop, parking at the corner and rolled down the window to get a better look. "Yugi?" He must have been walking with one of his friends. However, he didn't recognize that girl beside him as one of the Domino High students. Come to think of it, as he looked closer at the girl with the purple hair, he began to realize who she was. "That woman… there's no doubt about it…" Looks like Yugi had gotten himself into another jam.

Eventually, the two high schoolers made it to the cafe Risa talked about. It was a very small cafe, with purple seats and a brick wall. There was a counter for drinks to be ordered, where Risa was getting hers and his tea. Yugi sat in one of the booths, waiting for Risa to bring them the drinks she promised. It was a bit dark in here, but Yugi figured it was probably the lighting to help set the mood. "Sorry for the wait." Risa chimed in as she set the cups down and took her seat across from Yugi. The tea was in a white china cup with a golden handle on a white saucer that was decorated in golden prints of flowers and vines.

Yugi took the tea, sniffing it as he smiled. "It smells good." He noted, taking a sip. His smile grew more after drinking it. "It even tastes great!"

Risa giggled. "I added in some sugar to help give it that sweetness. I hope you don't mind."

Yugi shook his head, taking another sip. "I can see why you like this place, the drinks are great. Do you come here often?"

Risa swirled her tea as she stared into the liquid, having that grin upon her at all times. "I try to stop by here at least once a week. It's a great place to just relax and melt your worries away. Plus, my sisters enjoy this place as well. So we usually come here together."

"You have siblings?" Yugi asked, growing curious as this was the first thing he had learned about Risa's personal life.

"Yep! Two actually. I'm considered the youngest out of them, but we tend to stick together no matter what. We have the same hobbies, go to the same school, honestly we're like a dynamic trio." Risa giggled.

Yugi gave a curt nod, he was glad he was learning something about her. It made them feel less like strangers. "You're really lucky," he tells her as he was halfway finished with his drink already. "I was born an only child, and with my parents working abroad, it can be kind of lonely at home. Even with my grandfather there…" he admits, being reminded of his earlier days when he had no friends and tended to drown himself in games to keep busy.

Risa held Yugi's hand, her eyes sparkling. "But you aren't alone though…" She points out. "You have plenty of great friends and even me."

It was like she was reading his thoughts, but her words did help soothe his nerves. For some reason, he seemed compelled to believe her reasoning, perhaps because it was true? "T-thank you, Risa." Yugi blushed, still not used to being alone with her. "And it's great having someone to play games with."

Risa pulled her hand away, taking a drink before asking another question. "What kind of games do you like?"

"Oh, I like all games." He said on instinct.

Risa's eyes lit up as she had an idea. "How about we head back to your game shop and play some games?" She suggested. "Actually, maybe we could try a hand at Duel Monsters."

"You play Duel Monsters?" Yugi was once again surprised to hear that.

Risa nodded. "Spellcasters are my favorite type. I can show you my deck if you'd like."

Now he was more excited, he did like the idea of Dueling against her, or anybody for that matter. "Of course! Let's head back to my house and play there!" Yugi got up from his seat, but as he stood on his legs, he suddenly stumbled back. "Woah…"

Risa noticed this, getting up and looking concerned. "What's wrong, Yugi?"

The young boy gripped onto the seat as his legs were wobbly. "I-I must have gotten up too fast…" He panted, for some reason he could feel heat in his face yet he wasn't blushing or embarrassed.

Risa went over to him, placing a hand on his forehead. She gasped as she held him close. "Oh my! You're burning up!" She started to steady him as they walked out of the cafe together. "Come on, let's get you home so you can rest." She told him, not giving him a choice in the matter, but Yugi didn't complain.

---

Anzu was taking a path to Yugi's house, wearing a white shirt and skirt that had blue trimming on the short shelves, neck and bottom. Her sandals made her only two inches taller, though it wasn't the height she was worried about. The brunette was making her way to the game shop, her eyes narrowed as she was determined to speak to her friend. "No matter what, it always comes down to looks for boys." She muttered to herself. "And it doesn't help that Yugi has always been a wishy-washy kind of guy." She was still pretty upset with the fact he hasn't broken it off with Risa. Especially when she saw him going to her right after school. "I mean, it's one thing to admit you haven't dumped her yet, but to lie about it to your friends. Nothing good is gonna come if he keeps sticking with that woman. Guess I'll have to tell him that myself." She marched faster to the Kame Game Shop, her goal set.

Since she made it to the building, she opened the door to be greeted by Sugaroku. "Ah, Anzu! Didn't know you were coming."

The brunette walked up to the counter, talking with the old man. "Hey grandpa, is Yugi home? I wanted to talk to him."

Sugaroku hummed as he looked up at the girl. "I'm afraid he can't come down now. He's currently upstairs resting from a cold."

She blinked in confusion. "What? Yugi has a cold?"

"Yes, but it doesn't appear too serious. Probably just a summer cold." Sugaroku stated.

Anzu smiled, turning to head to the upstairs apartment of the building. "In that case, I'll make my visit short."

"W-wait, Anzu!" Sugaroku reached out, trying to stop her, but she pardoned herself as she walked into the room behind the counter, going to the upper level. The old man figured he may as well give up, since Anzu could be stubborn. And he wasn't going to be responsible if she caught the cold herself.

The brunette rushed up the stairs, wanting to see how her friend was doing. Hopefully he wasn't too sick and was awake. But she would wait to see him. Opening the door with a smile, she called out to him. "Hey Yugi, how are you feeling?" Her sudden perkiness was lost when she saw his room. He was lying in bed, eyes closed and breathing normally. By his side, was a familiar Black Rose Academy girl with iris hair and emerald eyes.

"Oh, hello there." She looked over at Anzu with a smile, not bothered by the intrusion.

Anzu stood there in the doorway, her eyes wavered as she looked at the girl. "Y-you're here… What are you doing here?" She tried not to sound rude, but in reality she was pretty upset with her presence.

"Please lower your voice." Risa begged, rubbing a pink handkerchief on Yugi's forehead. She looked at his sleeping figure, speaking to Anzu. "He's sleeping to help restore his strength." She was baffled, irritated to see Risa tending to Yugi when she had no right. Sure, it seemed like a good thing, but to Anzu, it just didn't appear that way. "Unfortunately, it seems like this house doesn't have any cold medicine." She sighed.

"That's no good!" Anzu declared. "I'll go out and buy some right now!" She didn't even give anyone time to stop her, as she rushed down the stairs and out the Game Shop. She went to the nearest drug store, going to the front counter and wasted no time. "I need some cold medicine please!" She begged.

The store clerk looked over at the young girl, who seemed a bit winded. "What kind of cold?" The man asked.

"A summer cold… one to help lower fever and give back strength."

The guy looked behind him, searching around until he found a bottle. "Here you go. That'll be 470 yen." He told Anzu as he got the bottle wrapped up in a bag. She dug into her wallet, taking out the cash she had to pay. Once she gave him the money, she took the medicine and rushed back to the Game Shop. She then hurried up the stairs, passing by Sugaroku and opened the door to the bedroom.

"I'm back! I got your medicine, Yugi." She felt triumphant as if she conquered a quest. However, when she took a look into the room, she was shocked to find Yugi sitting up in bed, drinking from a cup.

"Oh, Anzu…" Yugi looked at her, already appearing to have color back in his skin.

Risa took the cup, setting it down as she smiled. "Sorry Anzu, but I already bought the medicine."

The brunette was stunned, hearing that explanation. "W-when did you…" She trailed off, she couldn't understand how Risa was able to get the medicine and make it back before she did. She didn't even see her there, unless she went to a different drug store? When she looked up, she noticed someone else was in the room.

Jounouchi was sitting in the chair, holding onto the back as he smiled goofily. "Oh, I met her at the store. I heard that Yugi had a cold, so I offered to help her."

"It's really not that bad." Yugi told them while Risa placed a hand on his forehead. "I'm feeling better now."

"Looks like your fever has finally gone down." The iris haired girl noted. She looked back to her bin with water and the rag, but noticed something was missing. "Oh, looks like the ice melted."

"I'll go and get some more!" Anzu declared, running down the stairs once again and out to do another task. This time, she went to the general store and purchased a large bag of ice and ran out as quickly as she could while carrying it. As she was running, many thoughts were going on in her head. "Just what is with that girl? She's acting like they're married." Anzu complained, as her hatred towards Risa grew more and more. She hurried back to the game shop, carrying the bag of ice up the stairs into Yugi's room. "Sorry for the wait." She called out as she opened the door. But it once again appeared she was too late.

Risa was dipping the rag into a now ice filled bucket, smiling up at her. "Thank you, but I already got the ice."

That was twice now that she was beaten by Risa. Was she just that fast, or was there something else going on here? "Anzu, why don't you take a seat and relax?" Yugi offered, while the other girl in the room placed the now damp rag on his head.

"Looks to me like Risa has everything taken care of." Jounouchi looked over to see her helping Yugi out with his cold.

"Yeah!" Honda agreed as he gave a peace sign to Anzu.

When she saw the other brown-haired figure in the room, she glared at him. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I just happened to run into Risa while she was carrying the ice." Honda began to explain as he blushed. "She told me that the ice was heavy, so as a Beautification Member…"

"He carried the ice for me on the way here." Risa finished without looking up at the others.

"Yes, that's right." Honda agreed. "When I heard Yugi was sick, I had to help out so I came here with her." So she had another witness to her buying the ice and medicine. Anzu didn't understand what was happening, but she knew there was one other thing she could do.

"Say, Yugi, you like manadrians, right?" Anzu asked, getting hopeful. Yugi looked over at her, confused why she asked that but nodded to confirm. "In that case, wait right there and I'll buy you some tasty ones! Here, catch Beautification!" Anzu tossed the ice bag to Honda, who tried catching it before it could fall on the floor. She then hurried out the door, closing it behind her and ran off. Her destination was the market, trying to locate some small oranges for Yugi.

"Let's see… where would the mandarins be?" She asked, looking around the aisles to locate the fruit. She had to hurry and get back with them or else Risa would end up beating her to it. And the last thing she wanted was to be proven slow three times.

"Anuz Masaki?" The brunette turned her head, hearing her full name be called. She soon saw a lavender haired girl with white highlights standing with a basket full of food. One hand on her hip as she raised a brow with a smile. "Well, I didn't expect to see you here all alone. Usually you're with Yugi or the others."

"Sparkle?" Anzu blinked, she had encountered the girl a few times now in Domino High. Once when she warned Yugi about Kaiba's true nature. And the second when she helped Anzu off from the roof. Despite that, they never really hung out or seemed as close as she was with the others. Honestly, she seemed way too old for that stuff. "Are you here buying your week's rations?" She asked, looking at the basket Sparkle was holding.

"Not really, I was just gathering a few snacks since I'm out at my place. Plus, they finally restocked my favorite chips and I had to buy a bag or two." She chuckled, looking into her basket to see the treasures she had yet to pay for. "What about you? Shopping for yourself or someone else?"

Anzu sighed, holding her arms together. "I'm looking for some mandarins. Yugi came down with a cold so I'm trying to do whatever I can to help him feel better. Even if that Risa girl keeps interfering." She said the last line with a hint of hatred.

Sparkle in turn, tilted her head to indicate that she was missing something from this story. "Who is this Risa girl?"

Anzu looked back, seeing how confused Sparkle probably was. She sighed, telling her everything. How Yugi got a letter from this girl from Black Rose Academy. How she was showering him with home-made gifts, even though he said he wasn't interested in dating her, which he lied about. And now, she was at his house, tending to him like she was his wife and getting the other guys on her side. As Sparkle listened, she could hear how upset Anzu was, but remained silent until she was done with her explanation. "And I swear, that girl is a speed demon! Always getting the stuff I'm getting and coming back before me! She's just doing it to make me look bad." Anzu huffed, crossing her arms as she looked to the ground.

Sparkle looked at the brunette, sighing as she held her hands on her hips to show she was serious. "Anzu, if I may interject, it sounds to me that you are threatened by this girl because she seems closer to Yugi than you are."

Anzu glared at Sparkle, blushing like mad. "I am not jealous! Why does everyone think that?!"

Sparkle smiled as she went on. "Let's see, you constantly told Yugi that he shouldn't go out with this Risa girl, despite it being his decision not yours. You see him hanging around her and when you do, you tend to put up this defensive wall acting like you believe you are doing what's best for him, but maybe it's more for you. An example is when you were going to head to his place today and tell him that he should officially break things off with Risa, barging yourself into his home despite there being signs that maybe you should step back. Then you've been running around the town, getting things that Yugi needs without any hesitation. Yet when you come back to realize that Risa always beats you to the punch, you end up going out of your way to do something for Yugi, as if to prove a point, like what you are doing in this store searching for a food he likes. Am I wrong?"

Anzu opened her mouth, about to protest, but the examples Sparkle gave out did make her ponder. The more she let her words sink in, the more Anzu realized how much she really was letting her jealousy shine through. No matter how much she tried to deny her feelings, her actions spoke otherwise. "If you want my advice," Sparkle began to speak up. "Be honest about your feelings, and figure out how to control them. Actions speak louder than words. Maybe you are jealous of Risa because of how she views Yugi. But here's a question you should be asking yourself: Do you love Yugi? As more than a friend?"

Anzu couldn't answer right away, because she wasn't so sure. She loved what he had done for her, protecting her and saving her in such terrible situations. She knew it was him that helped get Anzu out of those crises, and yet… was it enough? "I… think I do?" She answered in the form of a question, because she couldn't answer honestly.

"Are you sure you love him? Or, do you love the confident side that has his face?" Sparkle asked, making Anzu look up at her, she was the confused one now. Sparkle didn't give much more explanation to that, rather she pointed in a direction in the store. "The mandarins are in the fruit aisle, go down that way." She instructed. That was all Sparkle said before walking off, leaving Anzu to question her feelings and motives.

---

Anzu staggered up the stairs, opening the door to Yugi's room. No one had moved from their positions earlier. Yugi was still laying in bed with Risa by his side. Honda and Jounouchi were near the desk, with the blond sitting on the chair. "Oh, hey Anzu. Did you get the mandarins?" Jounouchi asked.

Anzu's eyes appeared blank, as if she didn't have any confidence left in her, which was unusual for her. "Sorry, looks like they were out." She lied, looking over at Yugi. "Sorry Yugi. I really wanted to get you some."

"Don't worry about it, really I'm fine." Yugi assured from his bed.

"It was very kind of you." Risa told her as she looked over at the brunette. "You must really care for Yugi to have gone through so much today." The iris-haired girl stood up from the bedside. "I better be going home for the day."

"Already?" Jounouchi sounded disappointed at that.

Risa looked over at Yugi, her expression softened. "Sorry, Yugi. I guess we won't be having our Duel today. But perhaps we could make up for it with something else?" Yugi blinked, listening to Risa as he was curious what she would say. "How about we do some trading? I'm sure we could give out some cards to one another to help better structure our deck."

"A-are you sure?" Yugi was hesitant about the offer, but she did help him as he was sick, so the least he could do was agree. He nodded, and gestured to his stack on his desk. They spread out Yugi's cards on his bed, while Risa held her own deck of Duel Monsters.

"Woah, you have so many good cards." Risa commented as she looked over the ones Yugi had.

"They aren't that great, I'm still trying to find a theme." The young boy admitted.

"Mine are spellcaster types, so it might be hard to find one that…" Risa trailed off as her eyes scanned the monsters. Her green eyes soon landed on a certain Hecate card Yugi received not that long ago. "Eh?! No way! You have a Violet Hecate card?!" She picked it up as her eyes shone with sparkles, clearly she was interested in the monster. "I never thought I would see it with my own eyes." She then turned back to Yugi, her smile widened. "Yugi, would you be willing to trade this card for any of mine! I'd trade half of my deck just for it."

Yugi looked at her, she was clearly serious about wanting just that card alone. She did say she was into spellcasters, and if it was under normal circumstances, he wouldn't mind giving the Hecate card to Risa. However, his stubby hands reached over, grabbing it and holding it close. "I'm sorry, Risa… But this is one of the cards I can't give to you." Yugi began to explain. "You see, someone really important to me gave me this card as a gift. So I can not part with it easily." Anzu stared at Yugi, her eyes wavering as he said his explanation. He was referring to her? Did he really cherish the card because of the meaning and not the power it held? She was actually surprised, here she was thinking she was losing Yugi to this Risa girl, but he hadn't changed at all. Maybe Anzu really was over-reacting… "But, you can have one of the other cards if you want." Yugi tried to offer her.

"No thanks… I don't need them." She got up from where she sat, turning around and walking out the door. Anzu stared at her, for some reason her gut was telling her something was off. "I'll see you later… Goodbye." She told Yugi as she closed the door leaving the room. Everyone looked at the door, the brunette stared at it with a bit of annoyance.

"Looks like you made Risa angry." Jounouchi noted.

"Looks like you blew it with her." Honda added.

Anzu approached the two, her anger showing. "Says the guys that were completely seduced by her! You two are pathetic!"

Yugi held the card to his chest, staring at the door as he felt guilty for denying Risa the one card she liked, but it was his choice in the end. "I'm sorry, Risa." Yugi whispered.

Yugi was feeling better now, he still felt a bit weak in his body but his fever was down and he could move around. He escorted everyone out of the game shop, his grandpa left to run a delivery, but would be back soon. "I'll see you guys at school tomorrow." Yugi promised.

"Are you sure you'll be okay? Even with the cold medicine, you won't get over it right away." Jounouchi pointed out.

"I'll head to bed early tonight, so I should be alright. If it is serious, I'll stay home tomorrow." Yugi assured.

"Alright, don't over do it." Honda warned.

"Alright, enough talking!" Anzu declared as she looked at the other two. "Time for Yugi to head back inside."

The shortest of the group gave a small smile her way. "Anzu, I'm fine, really." He assured, only for her to push him into the Game Shop again.

"Hurry up and move," Anzu forced him into the building, making Jounouchi and Honda watch as the other two walked into the Game Shop.

"They sound like a bossy wife and beta husband." Jounouchi whispered to Honda.

"If they got married, that's how it would be." Honda agreed.

Once they were inside, Yugi looked back at Anzu. "Anzu, I'm fine really." He tried to tell her.

"I don't care how well you are now, you are still overcoming a cold and you should head upstairs and get some rest." She demanded, crossing her arms over her chest. She looked at him with a stern expression, clearly she wanted him to take his health seriously.

Yugi giggled, as he looked up at her. "You're right, sorry. Anzu…" Yugi's eyes widened as he looked at the brunette. "Thank you for everything today. I know it may not have turned out the way you wanted, but I'm glad you were here."

The brunette blinked, caught off guard by his words. Despite how she acted, which she admitted wasn't very nice at all, he was grateful for her company and her help? Suddenly, Sparkle's words came back into her mind, as she looked at the young boy. "Y-Yugi… I actually have something I want to say to you…" She told him. Yugi's attention was on her, as she seemed ready to talk. However, their conversation was interrupted as they heard crashing coming from upstairs. "Eh? What was that?" Anzu wondered as she looked up at the ceiling.

"That was from my room!" Yugi gasped, rushing upstairs to see what had happened. He hoped it wasn't anything serious, probably just the wind that knocked something over. He opened the door, turning on the light to see what was going on. "Who's there?" The figure turned around, causing Yugi to gasp as he saw the familiar girl that was here not that long ago.

"Where is it?!"

"R-Risa?!" Yugi saw that she looked different, her hair was more spiky and stuck out, as her eyes lost any light, hypnotized by obsession.

"The Violet Hecate card! Where?!" She demanded to know. Yugi stepped back, holding his hand over his shirt pocket . It was a stupid move, because now Risa knew where it was. "So you do have it!" She rushed over to Yugi, grabbing him by the collar as she tried to get his card. "Give it to me! Hand it over, now!" She demanded, lifting him off the ground as she held a grip on him.

"N-no way… you can't have it…" He told her, as he tried to keep his breathing in line. She tossed him to the bed, strangling him as she hovered over his frame, smirking with malicious intent.

"Give it to me! The Violet Hecate!" Risa declared, as she tried choking him out. Yugi gasped for air, he had to get away from her as fast as he could. He looked to his left, seeing his Millenium puzzle to the side. He reached his fingers over to it, grabbing the string and swung it around. Risa saw the puzzle nearly hit her, which caused her to let him go. Yugi took the opportunity to rush out of the room, heading down the stairs where Anzu made it halfway.

"Yugi, what's going on?" She asked, only to have her arm pulled as he dragged her down the steps and out of the house. Yugi ran with her into the streets, as it was already late at night. "Yugi, what's going on?!"

"It's Risa!" Yugi panted as they ran. "She was in my room… looking for the Hecate card!"

Anzu gasped. "So she was after your card this whole time?" Now she knew the off feeling she had as the girl left. The two of them looked behind, seeing said woman catching up with them as she held a whip in her hand. "She's gaining on us." Anzu gasped for air, as she and Yugi tried to outrun her. As they were moving quickly down the sidewalk, Anzu caught a glimpse of someone in the corner of her eye. She turned her head, seeing a girl that looked identical to Risa running on that side. "Two Risa's?!"

Yugi looked over to see that there were two of the exact same girls, but that wasn't all. They stopped, being cornered as the high schoolers looked around. "No way…" Anzu panted, seeing three Risa's closing in on them. "Triplets!" The three look-a-likes laughed, closing in on Yugi and Anzu. Now Yugi realized what Risa meant about having sisters, those other two were related to her. It was two against three, and the latter's had whips at the ready. The Domino High schoolers would be no match for them.

Yugi tried to remain strong, he didn't want Anzu or himself to get hurt. That was when he felt something around his neck, only to be taken off in a split second with his treasure along for the ride. He looked to see Risa holding the item in her hands as she took it from her whip. "The Millennium Puzzle!" Yugi gasped as he reached for it.

She still bore that sadistic smirk upon her, holding up the artifact as if it were a prize. "Oh? Looks like this is something else that's important to you."

"Give it back right now! It doesn't belong to you! Just like how the Violet Hecate card isn't yours either!" Yugi said in a high-pitched tone, displaying his anger.

Risa and her sisters came closer together, looking like witches themselves. "Oh? Then how about we duel with this Puzzle and the Violet Hecate as the prize?" She offered. Yugi gasped, feeling in his pocket but could not feel the card. They probably took it with them as she grabbed the puzzle. It was a large gamble, with so much on the line. But if he didn't accept, they wouldn't leave them alone. As risky as it was, Yugi knew there were no other options.

"Yugi?" Anzu was against this, wishing that he could back down, but looking at the situation that was forced upon them, she knew that saying no would have consequences.

The short boy looked at the triplets, standing his ground as much as he could. "I'll accept your duel!" He declared.

The three Risa sisters smiled, knowing they had their prey where they wanted them. Pushing Anzu and Yugi down the sidewalk as they lead them to their hideout. They were in a very decent looking mansion, though there was a lot of greenery surrounding it. It wasn't as big as say Kaiba's, but it wasn't too bad on the inside either. That was until they went into a dark wooden door and was pushed into a basement setting. Lit torches lined the walls, with a wooden table in the center and a few chairs. Against one side of the wall was a bricked chimney, holding a cauldron over wood. Shelves lined a few areas of the room, filled with pots and jars of unspeakable things. It looked like something out of a witch's house alright.

The triplets dawned on brown robes, covering their figures but not their twisted faces. They laid out the mat for Duel Monsters, while the triplets stayed on one side of the table, having the other two on the opposite. "So, are you ready to begin? The winner will get the Puzzle and the Violet Hecate." Risa told Yugi as they drew their cards. The said prize was on the far end of the table where none of the parties could get to them. At least they were safe for now. Yugi nodded at Risa, showing he was ready. "In that case, we will allow you to make the first move."

Yugi looked at his hand, trying to figure out what monsters he could play. He was at a disadvantage, not only because his hand had weak monsters, but he also didn't know what Risa and her sisters were capable of. 'This hand is no good. All of these cards have less than 1000 attack points, I can't get a good offense with any of them. What am I going to do?' Yugi thought to himself as he was beginning to sweat. He hadn't even taken his turn yet, but he was already feeling helpless.

Anzu noticed the faint look upon Yugi's face, she noted how worried he was and it made her wonder: Would this be her chance to see that other Yugi again? The one that had such confidence and luck? The stronger Yugi who would never back down from a challenge? It may have been wishful thinking, and perhaps an inappropriate thought, but they could use all the help they could get.

"What's taking so long over there?" One of the triplets asked.

"Hurry up now, we are getting bored." The other one mocked.

Yugi had no choice, he had to play it safe for now. This way he could stall until he got a better card and see what kind of strategy Risa had. He placed a monster in defense position on the field. "I'll place Sleeping Worm in Defense position in the forest area. It starts off with 1700 Defense points, but now that it is in the forest, it has 1850. It'll be my wall." Yugi declared. Hopefully this card would stay on the mat for a few turns until he could pull out a good monster.

"Oh? Starting off with a defense monster? Such an amature move." Risa mocked as she drew a card from her deck. "In that case, for my turn I'll use… Red Hecate!" This monster was a spellcaster, with a warped and wrinkled face dressed in red, baggy clothing. She had 1800 Attack at the start, but the field boost gave her an extra 200, bringing her to a total of 2000.

Yugi gasped as he saw that card, knowing what it was. "No way! That's one of the three witch sisters along with Violet Hecate! How did you manage to get one of those rare cards?" Yugi's question wasn't answered, instead a puff of smoke appeared from the card and summoned the very witch herself from it. Using a fire attack, she wiped out a solid version of Yugi's monster. Anzu screamed, seeing the fire in the air. Even Yugi was stunned by the show.

"W-what was that just now?" Anzu asked, frightened by the show.

"Do not worry, those were just illusions." Risa assured the two. "It's a prototype created by Kaiba Corporation that we managed to take for ourselves. The effects are fake, but the images fool the human eye." Risa chuckled.

Kaiba Corp? Did that mean Seto was in on this? Yugi grunted, he was liking this situation less and less. His eyes went back to his hand, trying to figure out what to do next. "M-my turn… I play the spell card, Monster Reborn! With this card, I can revive Sleeping Worm from the graveyard. Then I'll sacrifice it again to special summon Iron Beetle, with 1900 Attack points, but will have 2050 with the field power bonus." Yugi explained, getting a more powerful monster on the field. Now it had just enough to overpower the Red Hecate sister.

Risa scoffed, not phased at all. "How pointless… we have a trick of our own." She took her turn next, setting another monster on the field. "I summon Yellow Hecate onto the field." This was the second sister of the witches. She seemed more human than the red one, but looked a bit older, wearing yellow clothing such as an oversized cloak and hat.

"Impossible!" Yugi was baffled as he saw the two sisters side by side. "You have two of the Hecate Sisters?"

"That isn't all. I play the spell card, 'Sisters of Witchcraft'. Because this card is on my side, each Hecate card gains an extra 100 attack and Defense for each card with the name 'Hecate' on the field. Bringing up both Sisters to 2200 Attack points. Iron Beetle is no match for either of them!" As if to prove her point, Risa had her Yellow Hecate destroy Yugi's monster, setting it on fire once again.

He could only watch in horror as his most powerful monster was destroyed so easily. One Hecate was bad enough, but with the two of them, it would be nearly impossible to succeed in this duel. "It's useless…" Yugi trailed off, his body suddenly growing hot and heavy as he leaned to one side. Anzu was able to catch him before he fell.

"Yugi, what's wrong?" She asked, suddenly feeling how hot he was, she realized the problem. "Oh no, your fever is back!"

The Risa triplet on the far left of the table chuckled. "Looks like this match is as good as over.

The girl on the other side stood up with a victorious smirk. "Soon all three Hecate sisters will be reunited once again."

"When shall we three meet again?" Risa chanted as she stood from her seat. "When the stars align and the work is done. When the battle is lost yet won. That will be…"

"In that case, it will be when the sun has set, am I correct?" A new voice rang out, causing everyone to turn to the stairs as someone familiar walked down. The triplets gasped, surprised to see the one behind the technology approach. "That line is from the Three Witches of Macbeth, correct? It seems to fit your characters fairly well. The Kageyama Triplets."

"K-Kaiba?!" Yugi's face couldn't hold any more astonishment if it wanted to. Now Kaiba was here? Was this part of a set up? But then again, he didn't sound pleased with the sisters.

The CEO looked over at Anzu and Yugi, heading over to their side. "Looks like you fell for their trap, Yugi. These three are a famous trio who climbed their way up in the regional championship in America. They have been after the three cards to complete their set, resorting to using any method and hurting anyone that gets in their way. Really, they are the lowest of the low."

"You dare to mock us? Last we checked, you did the same thing to build up your deck! You are no different than us!" Risa pointed out.

Kaiba held a smile upon his face, hearing their reactions. "You are correct, I used to be no better than you. However, I now see the error of my ways and understand that what I did didn't get me to where I need to be. Of course, if you think I am wrong, how about we settle it with the Duel?" Kaiba turned over to Yugi. "What do you say, will you allow me to take your place and continue this game?" Yugi couldn't believe his ears. The person that had hated him, the one he hadn't seen at school for so long, was willing to come to his rescue? Surely there was more to it than that… but Yugi really needed all the help he could get.

"You want to duel us?" Risa questioned, as both her and her sisters were taken aback by the offer at first.

"If you win, I will give you all my rare cards and do with them what you want. But if I win, I get all the Hecate sisters and the Puzzle. I'll even give you an advantage in this duel. The Violet Hecate card you stole you may use in your hand." Kaiba offered. The three sisters looked at one another, smiling and giggling as they were not opposed to the idea. Kaiba sat in the chair, while Anzu and Yugi watched from the side. Seto had his deck ready, staring at the sisters. "So then, it's a favorable outcome for you, don't you think?"

"Very well then. You will regret your choice!" Risa warned.

"Then let us begin. I'll go first." Kaiba pulled one of his cards from his hands, setting it down. "I summon Hitotsu-Me Giant, with 1200 attack points." Yugi looked at Kaiba as he played, starting off with a card that was weak. What was he thinking?

"You fool!" Risa mocked. "That card stands no chance against the Hecate's!" As if to prove their words, the two sisters used their magic to burn the monster, destroying it with ease and taking a big chunk out of his life points, leaving him with only half of his starting LP. "To think, not only will we have all three Hecate sisters, but once we defeat Seto Kaiba, we will be the true champions of Duel Monsters in Japan!"

Kaiba kept his composure, not breaking a sweat at all unlike Yugi. "We will see about that." He then drew his next card, the smile on his face widening even further. "My next card is…" He flipped the card over, revealing the dragon of white. "Blue Eyes White Dragon. With 3000 attack points, it can even destroy your Hecate's."

The sisters looked up as the illusion of the Blue Eyes was before them. The strongest card in all of Duel Monsters that had been released. So strong in fact, it's production was canceled. "T-The famous dragon of white…" One of the triplets gasped.

"The Blue Eyes itself." The second one was just as amazed. Kaiba smirked as he ordered the dragon to destroy the Yellow Hecate sister, making it burn in blue flames and giving the triplets only 1300 life points remaining. "Yellow Hecate!" The second triplet gasped, a bit of fear crept into her face.

Risa tried to stay calm, as she looked at the field with determined eyes. "Do not fret girls, we still have our trump card. First, we will play Premature Burial! This spell card will be used to revive Yellow Hecate, but at the cost of 800 life points." Risa explained, meaning they have only 500 life points left. "However, it will be worth it once we summon Violet Hecate." The iris haired girl placed the final Hecate sister on the mat, summoning all three. "And now, I'll activate their special effect! When all three sisters are together, they summon the powerful Gorgon!" The cards fused, creating one giant woman with a similar outfit as the Violet Hecate, but she had a white hat and her hair was that of snakes. "She has the same attack points as Blue Eyes, however, with the field power, she will have 3200, enough to beat your Blue eyes! You have nothing now that can possibly help you!" As if to prove Risa's point, Gorgon managed to use her staff to destroy the White Dragon, bringing Kaiba down to 800 life points now. They were nearly neck and neck, and the triplets had the most powerful monster on the field at the moment.

Yugi looked over at Seto, worried he would actually lose this duel. Even so, the young man looked at his deck with a grin. "Are you sure?" His hand reached to the stack, grabbing the top card. When he saw what it was, His blue eyes widened, and his smile grew as well. "I summon Blue Eyes White Dragon!" He tossed the card onto the field, showing off the second Dragon of White he had.

The triplets gasped, seeing another one appear.

"Impossible!"

"He has two Blue Eyes White Dragons?"

"I thought he only had one."

Even Yugi was amazed. He had heard there were only four left in the world according to his grandfather. He knew one of them belonged to Sugaroku, but Kaiba had two of them? "And now, I will activate the quick play spell card, 'Rush Recklessly'! Increasing my Blue Eyes attack to 3700, making it strong enough to take down your Gorgon and the rest of your life points." The illusion of the newly powered Blue Eyes managed to chomp down on Gorgon, destroying the monster and declaring Seto as the winner.

Yugi and Anzu were pretty relieved, now that they were freed. "He did it!" Yugi cheered, smiling and basking in the victory.

The triplets watched in horror and shame as their trump card was slain so easily. "W-we lost…" Risa trailed off.

"This can not be…" The other triplet declared in denial.

"The three Hecate Sisters were supposed to be the strongest when together!"

Kaiba walked over to the girls, picking up the three Hecate sisters as well as the Gorgon card, holding it in his hands. "Just because you have a strong monster alone, doesn't guarantee your victory. Relying solely on one monster instead of an army is your first mistake. For supposive witches, you would think you'd had enough spells to counteract anything thrown your way. Perhaps you should go back to the books before performing any spells." He gripped the four cards in his hands, tearing them in half right in front of the triplets. They let out a gasp as they watched the cards they worked so hard to get destroyed right before their eyes.

"T-the Hecate sisters!" Risa screamed, falling to the floor with her siblings.

"In the end, they were never your cards to begin with if you didn't get them through a fair trade. Remember that, such a lesson will always stick with you." Kaiba turned on his heels, walking over to Yugi and Anzu, while the Kageyama Triplets cried over their torn cards.

The two Domino high schoolers looked at the CEO, and though they were grateful for his help, Yugi couldn't help but wonder something. "Kaiba… why did you save us?"

The brunet looked down at the shorter boy. "As much as I hated the tie we had… you did teach me something in that Duel. Something that I was searching for yet didn't know I was. I would rather my rival not lose to someone as foolish as those three, but against me. The only one that is going to defeat you is me, and I will keep to that promise. In the meantime, I suggest you keep your guard up and don't be so trusting to everyone you meet. Everyone has their ulterior motives, a friend today could turn into an enemy tomorrow." Yugi was stunned hearing Kaiba's advice, and also about him being his rival. He didn't want to be some sort of enemy to Kaiba, if anything he wished they were friends. And yet… he knew that it may never happen as sad of an idea it was. Still, he was grateful that he was willing to help him in his time of need. So maybe… he did change. "I'll have my limo drive you back to your Game Shop." Seto told them as he began to head back up the stairs. He already did what he had to, now he just had to wrap up the loose ends.

---

Kaiba kept his promise, letting the limo take Yugi and Anzu back to the Kame Game Shop as he waited for another lift. During the ride, they remained silent, not sure what they could say. Yugi and Anzu thanked Kaiba for what he did, and though he took the gratitude, he didn't really seem interested in chatting with them. The limo took about half an hour to get back to the shop. By that point, it was already dark out. Sugaroku had gotten back from his delivery, when the two high schoolers came through the door. Naturally, he bombarded them with questions, but Anzu and Yugi tried to keep it as hushed as they could. Anzu agreed to stay the night, since she didn't want to go home so late. She called her mom on the landline, telling her that Yugi was sick and that she stayed behind to help him. Mrs. Masaki was a bit skeptical about the situation, but allowed Anzu to spend the night since she knew how much she cared for her friends.

Yugi was sitting in the living room, waiting for what Anzu would do. Once she came out of the kitchen, she sat down and looked at her friend. "I uh… spoke with my mom. She said she was okay with me staying over… but I would have to go home straight away tomorrow so she could check me over for a cold." The brunette explained.

Yugi nodded, looking down at the ground. "Anzu…" He trailed off. He knew what he had to say, in order to avoid being called out.

"Y-yeah?" Anzu moved closer to Yugi with a raised brow.

"I… I wanted to say I'm… sorry…" Yugi tried forming the words as best he could. "You were right about Risa. I should have broken things off with her sooner, but I felt guilty for wanting to refuse her without getting to know her. In the end, it only hurt me and everyone else." He held his knees close to his chest, sighing as he took the blame.

The brunette listened to Yugi, on any other day she would have been happy to say she told Yugi how correct she was. However, Sparkle's words seemed to have echoed in her mind. Her blue eyes softened as it was her turn to speak. "Actually, I want to apologize as well." Yugi looked up at her, hearing her speak in a calm voice for a change. "I know that when I was telling you off about Risa, it seemed like I was only worried about you. In truth, I think… no, I was jealous. Seeing you with Risa did stir something in me… and I was trying to disguise it. And my actions today kind of proved how unreasonable I was being. Don't get me wrong, I am glad I was right about feeling off about Risa… but I do feel bad she was using you rather than just being a girlfriend. I know I should have supported you, and I… I'm sorry that I acted like a girl who was threatened by their man being taken away." It took a lot out of Anzu to say such an elaborate apology. She was never one to admit she was wrong, but in this case she wasn't fully right either.

Yugi was impressed by her words, he couldn't believe how vulnerable she was being. It must have killed her somewhat to admit the truth of her feelings. Yugi gave a small smile at her. "Anzu… I forgive you. In the end, you were trying to look out for me even when you didn't know it at the time."

Anzu looked back at him, giving a small smile. At least he wasn't poking fun at her. The brunette sighed. "Let's just admit we both were wrong and at fault. And be glad that we're alright. I guess we better get some rest, you especially."

"Yeah… it is getting late." Yugi agreed, sitting up and heading upstairs to his room. Thankfully his fever went back down, probably only went back up from the stress he was feeling earlier. Still, some more sleep would be a big benefactor to counter his cold. Before he began making his way up the stairs, he looked back over at the brunette. "Anzu… Thank you again for today. Even if it wasn't ideal, having you there and helping made me feel better." He told her as he began to march up the steps.

Anzu looked over, watching as Yugi went to his room. She smiled, glad that everything was settled. Even though she didn't get to see the more confident and mature Yugi, maybe it was best that they should wait on that. It was the reason she got so defensive in the first place.