Episode 20: The Ultimate Game Land Completed
It was a Saturday morning in Domino, the last day of May which meant summer vacation was just around the corner for many of the students in the high school. A few days had passed since Yugi and Cosmo went to the amusement park where he had to face off against Diamond, a Game Master that was sent to challenge Yugi by orders of Seto Kaiba. Yugi remembered only half of the event, and though most of it was blank he was thankful Cosmo and him were able to get out of there without any problems. Even so, Yugi had a feeling in his gut that Diamond's challenge would only be the beginning of something worse. Even after that event, neither of them could shake off such an scare to the point the attractions and rides could take their mind off of it. In the end, the two got some snacks and played a few of the games, which cheered them up, before they decided to head home.
School was the last thing that Yugi wanted to do, but thankfully it was his lucky day. Apparently there was a last minute assembly for the teachers as they wanted to decide what to do for the midterms before the summer break. Which meant that the students would only need to attend half of their classes for the day. This excited the young high schooler as he suggested to his friends they visit the arcade after school.
"Count me in!" Jounouchi agreed. "I haven't let loose with some games in a while!"
Anzu smiled as she spoke. "I managed to get a day off of work, so sure."
"Then it's settled! After school, we'll head to the arcade and play a few games." Yugi declared. Everyone seemed happy with the idea, as it had been a while since they all hung out together as a group. "I'll ask Cosmo during the break if she wants to come as well." He added, thinking that since she hadn't been to the arcade yet, this would be the perfect opportunity.
They were talking with each other, as there were only a few minutes left until the bell would ring, signaling the start of the first class. As they finished their discussion, Yugi noticed that a bunch of the girls were also talking amongst themselves. They were more chatty than usual, and at first Yugi didn't understand why. Until a periwinkle haired girl rushed over. "You guys! You guys!" She called out.
Honda looked at her, seeing she was out of breath. "What is it, Miho?"
"Did you all hear? There's going to be a transfer student in our class!"
Anzu raised a brow. "Really?" This was the first time she heard of such news. Even Yugi was surprised.
"I think I heard something about that this morning." Honda recalled. "But I didn't think it was our class that was getting a new student."
"Miho heard that he's really handsome!" She squealed.
"How do you know it's a guy?" Anzu questioned.
"Because a few students already saw him walking down the halls!" Miho explained.
"Let's just hope this new guy doesn't cause any trouble." Jounouchi sighed, as he was reminded of the problems that arose from the last time there were transfer students such as Kaiba and Fuwa. Yugi didn't blame him, as he was well aware of the events that followed after there was a transfer student in this class. Even so, he was willing to give this new person a chance. After all, it wasn't easy to move into a new school, especially right before a break.
Soon enough, the bell rang and the students flooded back to their seats to wait for the teacher. Once the door opened and the adult walked to the podium, the students did their morning salute and bow. "Morning class. I know you all are excited to get on with the lesson since you have a half day, but that does not mean we are letting up on the learning. Before that though, we have a new transfer student here to join us."
Yugi kept himself in a straight position, becoming curious as to what this new student looked like and their personality. The door slid open to reveal someone walking in, standing near the chalkboard while the teacher wrote the name on the board. Everyone stared in awe as they saw the pale yet flawless boy in front of them, with bluish-white long hair that matched the eyes. "My name is Ryou Bakura. Pleased to meet everyone." The young man spoke in perfect Japanese, yet there was a distinct accent in his voice. He wore the same summer outfit for the males, making him already part of Domino High School.
Yugi was stunned, gazing at the new student as he recognized him instantly. Even though it had only been two weeks since then, he remembered their interaction visibly. "It's him again…" Yugi whispered to himself.
Even Miho was baffled upon seeing the boy that she wanted to have escorted her on the stage during the beauty contest. She blinked a few times, keeping her eyes on him. "No way… it's him…"
Yugi stared at the new student, surprised yet pleased all things considered. While he didn't know the guy personally, he didn't appear to have been too bad either. At least he had somewhat of an interaction before the transfer, and while it was a strange one, perhaps he was just going through some things himself? Yugi did take notice of a certain look in Bakura's eyes, though he figured it was just that of longing. He decided not to question it, since he didn't want to make the student uncomfortable. Bakura was seated over a column of desks away from where Jounouchi sat, much to the dismay of the female student's. After the introduction of the new friend, the teacher began the lesson to help the class prepare for the summer midterms with notes. During the first hour, Yugi would take a glance over at Bakura now and again. He seemed really focused on the lesson, writing down practically everything that was said from the teacher. It was as if he was in his own world. Yugi tried not to make it a habit, so he focused on his own note-taking.
The classes went by fairly quickly, until it was around the time for the forty minute break for lunch. Once the teacher dismissed the lesson and headed out, the students did what they wanted in the break. Bakura was still sitting at his desk, reading over the notes that he took. Even though he was minding his own business, that did not stop three female students from walking over and gawking at him for how handsome he was. They even asked if they could show him around the school and give him a tour. The guys in the class ignored or mocked the scene, upset that the new guy was yet again getting the attention from the girls. Even Jounouchi looked over with a bit of annoyance. "Man, why does he get all the girls? Just because of his weird looks?" He sighed.
Honda looked down at the blond as Jounouchi was still in his seat. "Stop making a big deal, he clearly doesn't like it." Even the brunet could tell that the transfer student wasn't interested in the girls, which Yugi had to agree with. The three kept their eyes on Bakura, especially when he stood up from his chair. The bluish-haired boy began to walk over to the group. Yugi was nervous, as he wondered if he overheard them, yet he wasn't scared either. The short high schooler wondered if it was his imagination, or if the new student was standing right in front of him.
"Ummm…" Bakura began, looking down at Yugi due to the height difference. So he was trying to talk to Yugi? The young Mutou was stunned but wouldn't object.
"It's nice to see you again." Miho interrupted the conversation, as she smiled at him. Bakura turned to her, confused so she pointed to herself. "It's me. From back then."
Hearing this made Honda gasped, as it was the first time he was aware of the relationship the transfer student had with Miho. "What?! When did Miho run into this guy?!" Honda questioned as he glanced back between the girl and the new student.
"Uh…" Bakura blinked, raising a brow. "I'm sorry… have we met before?" He asked.
Miho gasped, horror and shock on her face as she was heartbroken. "You don't remember?"
"No fair, Miho!" One of the girls protested as a few of the female fans began to surround her.
"Sneaking a move like that is so tacky." Another stated in pure disgust.
"N-No wait! It's not like that!" Miho tried to defend herself, though the other girls weren't having any of it.
Yugi gazed over at Miho, feeling bad for her. Technically, he could have jumped in and said that they did meet, as he was there when they were first introduced. Then again, it was a one-sided meeting to begin with considering how adamant Miho was to have the guy walk her on stage for a contest, despite not even knowing his name. He turned back over to Bakura, trying to explain. "You uh… met her a couple of weeks ago." He attempted to jog his memory. "We met each other in front of a store. You asked me if you had done anything since you had relapses in your memory." He wasn't actually trying to help Bakura remember for Miho's benefit, but he wanted to see if he did actually remember that conversation.
The transfer student hummed, looking back at Yugi before he sprouted a smile. "Oh yeah, I kind of remember that. Are you sure nothing happened?" He asked out of concern.
"Oh yeah, all I saw was you walking towards me then stopped to ask that question." Yugi explained. Of course, he did leave out the part about his Puzzle glowing, but figured it was for the best since not even he understood what that meant. "Anyways, nice to meet you, Bakura! I'm Yugi Mutou, but you can call me Yugi if you prefer. This is Jounouchi, Honda and the girl over there is Miho." Yugi introduced himself and his friends. Bakura nodded as he looked at everyone, remembering their names and faces and was kind with their introduction. "I know being the new person can be a bit stressful, but it's a nice school with pretty friendly faces. Well, maybe some are friendlier than others." Yugi laughed sheepishly as he remembered not every student and teacher were humble and considerate. He had enough experience to admit there were some bad eggs in this school. "But, I'm sure you will like Domino High when you give it a chance!" He reassured.
"Thank you…" Bakura wanted to believe Yugi's words. He prayed this school would be different from his previous ones. As long as he doesn't get too attached to anyone, maybe that could happen. His eyes scanned down to Yugi's chest, noticing the golden artifact hanging from a loose piece of rope. "Yugi… I hope you don't find this rude, but I can't stop staring at your pendant." Bakura pointed to the Millennium Puzzle around the younger one's neck. "It certainly has an interesting shape and symbol."
"This?" Yugi held up the triangular item as he was surprised someone was taking an interest in it. Although, he didn't mind. "It's called the Millennium Puzzle. It's a treasure that was found in an Egyptian grave. My grandpa gave it to me as a present." Yugi explained. "It came in a bunch of pieces though, so guess it was broken."
"Probably why they called it a puzzle." Bakura chuckled at his own comment, which Yugi laughed at as well. "Was it difficult to put together?"
"Yeah, it took me a couple of years." Yugi admitted. "But I finally managed to solve it a while back! I've worn it ever since, it's my special treasure." Yugi stated, with some pride in his tone. While he realized how he sounded, he didn't care too much. After all, this puzzle was the only thing he really had that made his life feel accomplished and showed how much he cared for his grandfather's profession.
Bakura seemed just as excited, moving his hand a bit closer to the object. "Can I… touch it?" He asked. Yugi could see how curious the transfer student was, which he admired. Plus, he doubted Bakura would try to steal the puzzle since they were in the classroom with many people. The smaller of the two nodded, watching as Bakura grabbed hold of the item and looked it over, turning it a few times as his eyes narrowed while examining it.
"It's really fascinating, and showcases Egyptian culture in terms of the design and the material." Bakura noted.
Yugi smiled, noting how invested Bakura was with the artifact, to the point he was impressed. "Are you into Egyptian culture yourself?"
"Sort of. My father is an archaeologist, so I grew up surrounded with old antiques and various cultures. I guess since I lived with it most of my life, I found myself having it as a hobby." Bakura explained. So both he and Yugi have a family member who was an archeologist. Something the two have in common yet again, which might be a sign that Bakura could be a potential friend. "Actually, I also have a-" Bakura pressed his thumb right where the eye was, about to finish his sentence only to be cut off as a sudden pain radiated from his chest. The transfer student gasped, feeling a stabbing sensation of tiny but thick needles in his skin. He immediately released the puzzle and clutched his shirt to try and calm himself down.
Yugi became worried as he reached for Bakura. "Are you okay? What's the matter?"
The new student managed to pick himself up, forcing a reassured smile to ease Yugi. "No, I'm fine…" Yugi still seemed to not believe him, as he was ready to object. "Really, it's nothing." Even so, both of them had questions as Bakura kept his hand over his chest. "What… was that all of a sudden? It felt like my heart was being crushed." He thought to himself. It was gone now, but that had never happened to him before. Was it because of the Millennium Puzzle?
"Hey! Yugi!" Yugi and Bakura turned around, seeing four female students glaring at the short male. "Quit hogging Bakura for yourself!" One of the four pulled Bakura's arm, pulling away from Yugi so they could circle around him as they gestured the transfer student towards the door.
"Bakura! We'll give you a tour around the school!" One of the other girls stated in excitement.
"We already created a fan-club for you." A shy girl admitted with a blush on her face.
"Huh?!" Bakura was confused and slightly annoyed, especially as he was forced to be dragged out of the classroom with these sirens.
Jounouchi watched him go, jealousy in him as he noticed how many women flocked him. "Like I said, pretty popular with the girls."
"He didn't seem too fond of being kidnapped though." Honda pointed out.
Yugi however found Bakura was a nice guy, and wanted to get to know him better. A smile spread on his lips as he wanted to be friends with the transfer student, since they already had a lot in common.
As lunch was happening, many students were either eating in the cafeteria, eating in their classroom or they were talking and relaxing before classes. For a certain green-haired girl, she was trying to stay out of sight and hopefully get to the cafeteria without anyone seeing her. She sighed, staying around a corner and tried to ground herself. "This is torture…" She whispered as quietly as she could. "I can't even go to the bathroom without some guy stalking me. I miss the days of being a wallflower and standing with the crowd instead of standing out." She took a deep breath before looking around, where three male students were talking.
"Man, I really hoped she would be here." One of them said in disappointment.
"I really wanted to talk to her. She was like a snow angel!" Another said with a delighted tone.
Seeing and hearing them made Cosmo push her back against the corner. Her feet slowly walked the other way, realizing she would have to take the long route to get to the cafeteria. So much for having a quiet lunch, she thought. Hopefully if she could find Yugi or the others, they could help escort her there without so many people trying to crowd her. She kept walking cautiously in the hopes of running into someone.
At this time, the four girls from class 1-B were showing Bakura around as they were giving him a tour. Of course, he already knew where everything was, yet the fans took this opportunity as an excuse to be close to him. "This is the music room, where the band and choir is held." One of them explained as they were walking through the first floor. The transfer student only nodded, not really caring nor paying attention as he was already aware of the layout. He hated being surrounded by a group, as he'd prefer to just be by himself at this time. Being in a new school was stressful enough that he wanted to process his classes before considering making friends, let alone fans. It wasn't as if they actually wanted to get to know him, these girls were only interested in his looks. That was pretty obvious.
"Uh, do you happen to know where the bathrooms are?" He asked, even though he knew he wanted to try and distract them.
"Over there." The more plump shaped one pointed in that direction.
Bakura used this as an excuse to remove himself. He rushed off to ditch them, being thankful they took the hint to let him go to the restrooms without following too closely. He sighed in relief, as he finally got a moment to breathe. He would take this opportunity to turn around the corner and sneak off. His goal was to gain as much distance between himself and the fangirls as he could, walking at a fast pace while looking behind to check if they were following.
He was heading towards the corner, coming right up on one side while Cosmo walked from the other, as she was too distracted looking back to see if any of the male students were following her. The two were caught in paranoia, that when they reached the point the two walls met, they bumped into each other which caused them to stumble back. "Ahh!" She gasped, rubbing her chest after the impact. The young girl immediately apologized, without realizing who she bumped into. "S-sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going!"
Bakura groaned, as he had been hit but didn't feel any real pain. He managed to look down at the one he bumped into, seeing that it was a girl who was around the same height as Yugi. He blinked, noticing how nervous she was as she looked up at him. She didn't seem to be eyeing him in a love-struck manner though. Instead, she showed genuine concern and worry. "It's… alright. Are you hurt?" He asked, being polite as she didn't seem to be another one of his fans. Though, she didn't seem to have been in the same class as him, now that he thought about it.
Cosmo looked up at the student, as she was not familiar with him. Perhaps he was from a different class and grade? She opened her mouth as she was about to speak, but turned around as her ears picked up the voices of the guys who had been looking for her. Her eyes went wide, while the fear started to rise in her body. Without thinking and desperation, she grabbed onto the boy's arm and pushed him against the door of the girl's bathroom. "Sorry! Please don't say anything!" She begged, as she made him stand in front of the door while she hid in the restroom. Bakura was unsure about the events that were transpiring, but he oddly went along as he stood guard against the door while she was on the other side. As confused as he was, he noticed some other male students running over, looking around the hallway they were in.
"We'd she go?" One of them asked.
"I could have sworn she was here…" Another said, keeping his eyes peeled. They didn't seem to take note of the new student standing in front of the door leading to the girls bathroom. They walked along, continuing their search for whoever they were looking for. Once they were gone, the entrance to the toilets opened, as Cosmo stumbled out with relief on her face.
"Thank goodness… I didn't think they would have caught up to me so quickly."
The blue-haired guy raised a brow at the green-haired girl, as he wondered if her situation was similar to his. "I'm guessing you don't like attention?"
Cosmo looked back up at him, shaking her head to answer his question. "It's more that I'm not used to it. I've never really been this popular before." She admits while holding her skirt nervously. "It's overwhelming and I don't know how to respond."
Oddly enough, Bakura found himself cracking a smile as he felt empathy towards this girl. "Guess that is something we both have in common." He noted more to himself.
"S-sorry again for using you as a human shield." She apologized as she rubbed the back of her neck.
Bakura merely shrugged. "It was for a good reason, and I understand." He stated. "I just got away from a situation like this not too long ago." He kept up that smile, a genuine one as he talked with her. She didn't seem to have any ill-intentions towards him, so he figured he could be a bit open with her.
Cosmo smiled back, pleased that he wasn't upset with her. Though, the more she stared at his features, the more she realized she didn't recognize him. "I'm sorry, you don't seem familiar to me. Are you new here?" She asked.
He nodded. "I just transferred here today actually. I'm in class 1-B."
Cosmo blinked when she heard that. "1-B? Then you must have already met-"
"Bakura!" The two were cut from their conversation, as they noticed the four fan girls coming over to where they were. "There he is!" Bakura was annoyed as the girls managed to follow him. Just when he thought he could finally be left alone.
"There you are! We were worried when you didn't come out of the bathroom after so long." The plump one stated.
"Are you feeling alright?" Another asked. Cosmo looked between the transfer student and the group of girls. Did they know each other?
"This guy must be popular if he managed to make many new friends on his first day here." Cosmo believed, having slight naivety in the situation.
One of the girls with short hair noticed how close Cosmo was standing next to Bakura which caused her to glare at the shortest of the five females. "What are you doing near our Bakura?" She placed her hands on her hips as her eyes narrowed.
Cosmo blinked, confused as to what she meant but when she noticed the group giving her dirty looks, she raised her hands up and tried to defend herself. "I-I'm sorry… I didn't mean to interrupt, I was just…" She trailed off, not sure what she was doing or how she offended the girls. However, she did not want to cause any fights.
Bakura noticed how upset she was, and felt bad she had to be put in such a situation. Although, as he looked back between her and the fans he concocted a plan that he could put into motion. The transfer student placed a hand on her shoulder, which caused Cosmo and the other students to be surprised. Bakura smiled kindly as he explained. "She was going to show me where the cafeteria was." He lied, which shocked the girls but mostly confused the green one. "I'm starting to get a bit peckish and there is only so much time for the break. Besides, I only really need one guide and I know where everything else is. Thank you for your hospitality, but I will let her take it from here." He didn't give the others time to respond or react, as he held Cosmo close and turned their backs on the girls. He began to walk away, leaving the four fans stunned, while Cosmo remained silent and baffled, as he led her down the hallway.
Eventually, the younger of the two managed to look up at the guy after a few corners later. "Um… what was that about?" She questioned.
Bakura removed his hand from her shoulder, being a bit bashful as he had to explain to her the situation. "You aren't the only one that is trying to avoid admirers." He admitted. "Sorry for putting you up to that without your consent."
Cosmo merely smiled at him with sympathy. "After how I used you, it was only fair. I'm glad we could help each other out." She reassured him, showing that she wasn't angry. "Do you still want to head to the cafeteria?" She questioned.
Bakura wasn't sure how to answer at first, until his stomach growled to indicate his hunger. "Well… I suppose we should get there before all the food is gone."
Cosmo tried to hold back a snicker, as she kept her grin. "It's not too far from here. We should be able to make it before the lines get too long. Oh! By the way, I don't believe we properly introduced ourselves." She realized, just as the two started to walk towards the mess hall..
"I guess we haven't. I'm Ryou Bakura, the transfer student that just arrived today."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Cosmo Seedrian." She told him with a slight bow.
"Cosmo? That's a lovely name." He commented.
"Thank you. But… Bakura… that doesn't sound like a Japanese surname."
"You aren't wrong." He chuckled lightly. "Actually, my last name is from Sanskrit origins. It's a name commonly used in ancient India."
"Really?" Cosmo questioned, a bit intrigued. "So your ancestors are from India?"
"Well, maybe many generations ago. But I'm actually half Japanese and half English. My dad was from London and my mother was born and raised in this country."
"England, huh? You must be really good at English then. And your Japanese accent is accurate as well."
"Well, it does help to have parents from those countries to teach you the language. I actually knew English before I learned Japanese since my family lived in England for most of my early childhood." He explained.
"So what brought you to Japan then?" Cosmo questioned.
"Uh… let's just say I wanted to do some schooling abroad." Bakura seemed hesitant with his answer, but Cosmo didn't push it as she felt it must be a sensitive subject and it wasn't her business to pry. "Anyways, Japan seemed the most logical since it was where my mother lived."
"Have you been in Japan for long?"
Bakura tapped his chin as he tried to think. "Let's see… I moved here about four or five years ago? Just when I was in my middle school years. Though the schooling system in this country is far different than England."
"Well, every country has their own ways of teaching. But you seem to have gotten used to it if you have been here that long."
"More or less…" He agreed. "And what about you? Are you native to Japan?"
"Me?" Cosmo questioned. "Actually, I'm-"
"Cosmo!" The girl was interrupted as she and Bakura looked up to see a familiar star-fish head boy coming over to them.
"Oh, Yugi!" She waved to him as he approached the two. Bakura looked between the two as he noticed how peppy their voices were upon greeting each other. Realizing that they must know each other to a friendly extent.
"Was I interrupting something?" Yugi asked, noticing the transfer student next to Cosmo.
"Oh, nothing special. Bakura and I ran into each other and introduced ourselves. We were heading to the cafeteria to get some food. I was also hoping to have run into you as well." She admitted.
"Do you… two know each other?" Bakura finally spoke up.
Yugi looked at the new classmate and smiled. "Yeah, Cosmo and I are actually friends. Did you two just meet?"
"We uh… met each other on our way to the cafeteria." Cosmo stated, wanting to leave out the parts of the fanboys and fangirls. She laughed nervously, but Yugi seemed to have smiled nonetheless.
"Let me guess, she helped you get away from the girls who were giving you a tour?" Yugi joked, but it caught both of the students off guard. "I don't blame you though."
"Yeah, she did help me out." Bakura admitted. "But we were planning on heading to the cafeteria. You are more than welcome to walk with us."
Yugi nodded, as the three began to head towards the lunch room so they could get their meal. There were still over twenty minutes before the break was over, so they had to eat quickly. At least they only had homeroom after lunch, then they could have the rest of the day off. "Oh, by the way Cosmo. We were planning on hanging out today after school. Would you like to join us?" Yugi asked the girl.
The green-haired one's eyes lit up at the invitation. "Really? Of course! I don't have to cover a shift today, and it will be fun!" She beamed. Considering their day at the amusement park was somewhat spoiled, Cosmo thought this would be a way to make up for that. "Are we going to hang out at your house?"
"No, we're planning on going to the arcade instead. Since there would be a lot more space and all of us will be going." Yugi explained. "But we could always head to my house later to play some board games if you want. Maybe even have a Capumon challenge." He suggested.
"That sounds like a great idea!" Cosmo agreed.
Bakura couldn't help but get involved with the other two, as he heard their conversation. "Do you have a lot of games at your place, Yugi?"
The shortest of the two boys looked up at the other then answered. "We have a bunch of them. Mostly because my house is actually a game store."
Hearing that fact made Bakura gain interest. "Your house is a game shop?"
Yugi nodded as he was pleased Bakura was fascinated by that notion. Did that mean… "Do you like games yourself, Bakura?"
"Yeah, I mostly enjoy board games. Especially RPG's."
"RPGs?" Cosmo repeated. "Oh! Role-playing games, right?"
"Yeah, it's where you get to design a character and go on many adventures. It's really expanded over the years mostly through online, but I prefer table top ones."
"There's nothing wrong with enjoying the classics." Yugi assured him. "Actually, why don't you come along with us to the arcade after school, Bakura?"
This caught the blue-haired guy off guard slightly. As he didn't expect the invitation. "A-Are you sure it's alright?"
"I'm sure the others would be happy to see you there, especially Miho." Yugi whispered the name since he knew how she was towards Bakura. "Besides, it would be a great way to get to know one another."
"I know we may seem like strangers now, but Yugi and the others are pretty friendly once you get to know them." Cosmo vouched for the group.
Bakura was a bit hesitant to accept. Not because he didn't like Yugi or Cosmo, but he thought it would be better if he stayed to himself for the first couple of days after transferring. Then again, he did like the idea of playing a few games with these nice people. So long as they weren't tabletop RPG's, it should be fine, right? "Alright… I can join in." He finally gave an answer, still doubtful but was willing to give it a chance. Yugi and Cosmo were both glad to hear his response, as this meant they had a new friend. Even Bakura, who wanted to be alone at first, did find some comfort in these two characters he could truly relate with.
After lunch was over, the students had to get through home room before they could leave the school early. Most of the students just did some studying and finishing up the assignments so they wouldn't have any homework to do tomorrow. Thankfully the school day went by quickly as the bell rang out throughout the classes. Everyone gathered their belongings and headed out the halls to the locker bay. Yugi waited outside the school doors for everyone, as he was the first to get his stuff and be out of the building. Jounouchi and Honda were the first to leave, then all three of the girls met up with them followed by Bakura. Miho was surprised and pleased to know the transfer student would be joining them. Honda however was a bit upset as Bakura had made Miho fall for him, even though it was clear Bakura wasn't looking for a girlfriend of sorts. Jounouchi had to be the one to remind Honda that, and the blond was warming up to Bakura himself.
The seven began to head down the street and made their way to the arcade. It was mostly popular with the younger children, but they would often come here whenever they could to hang out. Especially when there were new games that were being delivered here. Cosmo gasped in amazement as she checked the aesthetic of the place. "This is incredible… I've never been to an arcade before."
"Have you ever played any mechanical or electronic games?" Yugi asked her.
"Aside from that Digi Pet you gave me, not really."
"So, what should we play first?" Jounouchi wondered, as he and Yugi walked around to scan the attractions. The two were in front of a few battle-style consoles, but as the blond looked at the screen he scrunched up his face in annoyance. Yugi noticed this, wondering if something was wrong. "Looks like it's here as well."
"What do you mean?" Yugi asked his friend.
"Check the screen where the ranking lists are present." Jounouchi pointed to the screen of one of the games, showing the scores and the first three letters of the peoples names next to them, indicating who earned those points. At the very top were the letters K-A-I.
"Kai?" Yugi tilted his head, not quite getting the meaning behind it.
"I've seen this in a few other arcades. No matter what type of game or genre, at the top of the scoreboard this guy's name is always there." Jounouchi elaborated.
Despite this statement, Yugi didn't see it as a problem. If anything, it made him kind of giddy. "Looks like there's someone out there that is an expert in games! Do you think this person lives around here?" He asked the blond.
"From what I gathered, they're only reigning at the top of all these arcade games across Japan. So they must at least be Japanese or live here. Though I don't know who they are or what they look like."
"I wonder what kind of person they are. They have to be incredible if they can beat such challenges and get the top score!"
"Why do you care about stuff like that?" Anzu questioned. "It's just someone that scored the highest."
"You would say such a thing as you aren't a true gamer like me and Yugi. So you can not understand our bewilderment." Jounouchi declared.
Anzu glared at him. "Jounouchi, you don't even play a third of the games that Yugi has played." She called him out, which made him fluster. Jounouchi turned his head away from her and crossed his arms over his chest.
Yugi couldn't help but slightly laugh. "Well, how about we try and get the top score this time?" Jounouchi turned to see an optimistic Yugi and his suggestion. He was all for the idea, only to be interrupted by the giggling of two younger boys behind them.
"Beat the record?" One of them stated with a sly smile. "Don't be ridiculous, that's impossible at this point."
The blond looked over at the two, raising a brow. "Why don't you brats mind ya own business?" He wasn't really being threatening, more so slightly annoyed by their teasing.
The other child with a hat on added more details. "There's no way anyone can beat Kaiba's record. Many have tried and everyone has failed."
Upon hearing that familiar name, Yugi turned to them as his eyes widened. "Hold on… did you say Kaiba?"
"Of course." The other answered. "He's the one that got those scores."
"Kai… So Kai must be short for Kaiba." Yugi put the pieces together.
"Seto Kaiba?" Jounouchi added. "Can't imagine what has gotten into him to be running around an arcade rather than focus on his company."
The two younger boys gave a scoff. "You two must be idiots. It wasn't the older Kaiba that made these scores." Once again, Yugi and Jounouchi turned to the kids for an explanation. "Sure, he's really strong, but the one that beat all these games here was his younger brother, Mokuba."
"Mokuba?" Yugi repeated that name in a whispery tone. Come to think of it, Seto did mention he had a younger brother when Yugi and his friends went to Kaiba's house a while ago. Yugi believed Mokuba was still in elementary school, which might explain why he spent time here at the arcades.
"Those brothers have won all sorts of games." The one kid with the hat stated. "But Duel Monsters is what Seto is best at, while Capumon is where Mokuba reigns."
"Anyways, good luck with changing the records. Even though it will take you an eternity." The other laughed as he and his friend walked away.
Jounouchi grunted as he hated the way they talked. "Those brats…"
Yugi was lost in thought as he remembered that day when Seto invited him to his house. Ever since that falling out about the Blue Eyes, he hadn't come back to school. It seemed that Kaiba had some kind of resentment towards the short high schooler, though he did help Yugi and Anzu escape the wrath of the Risa triplets. Perhaps he wasn't too petty, but it made Yugi wonder what he was up to lately. "You okay, Yugi?" Jounouchi noticed that longing expression on his friend's face.
Yugi snapped out of his memory and looked up at his friend. "S-sorry… just thinking."
"'Bout Kaiba?"
Yugi nodded. "I know what he did in the past was bad, but I don't think he's as cruel as we believe." Yugi stated. Even though Jounouchi didn't know the whole story about the Risa sisters, he could tell that his friend was having doubts.
"Look, I get you don't want to see only the bad in people, but you can't just forgive him for what he did to us either." Jounouchi did have a point, that was Yugi's biggest weakness. Even if he told Jounouchi that Kaiba saved him and Anzu, he would have said something like: 'He probably had his own personal reasons for saving you'. Still, he didn't want to believe that Kaiba was a full-on bad guy. "Come on, let's not worry about him. We have a whole day of playing games!" The blond tried to cheer his friend up. Yugi tried not to dwell on the past, he wanted to spend the present enjoying time with his friends. The two headed away from the basic arcade games, and found a double sided machine. It had the title 'Virtual V.S' with a dark blue background and balloon words that had purple coating. "Looks like a fighting game." Jounouchi noted.
"Yeah, it's where you can battle against each other using characters from 'Dragon Fu'!" Yugi explained.
"'Dragon Fu'? Wait, isn't that the name of that old fighting movie franchise from the 90's?" Jounouchi questioned.
Yugi nodded as he had a nerdy smile. "Yeah, the story is about 12 fighting masters that are based off of the Chinese Zodiacs and have special moves based on what animal they have! They fight each other in different parts of Asia to determine which one amongst them is the strongest!"
"Sounds awesome!" The blonde admitted, making a mental note to watch those movies if he could find them. "So, these are the 12 characters from the movie?" He asked, taking a seat across from the machine while staring at the players on the screen.
"Yep! I'm going to be choosing Dragon Fighter! He's my favorite and based on a real life karate master! I really like his style." Yugi admitted, selecting his player on the screen.
"Didn't think you would be interested in fighting games." Jounouchi noted, as Yugi hated violence yet when it came to battling games he seemed okay with them. Still, if Jounouchi could win battles in real life, then this game would be a piece of cake for him once he chose his own character.
Meanwhile, the girls were playing a claw machine, trying to get box prizes using the mechanical hand. Cosmo stepped up to try her hand at it, placing the tokens in then using the stick to maneuver the claw around. Once it was over one of the mystery boxes, she pressed the buttons and watched as the grips tried to get inside the folds on top. The short girl thought she had it, but the moment she moved the crane, the box dropped back to the others. "I really thought I had it that time…" She sighed in defeat.
"These games are usually rigged." Anzu tried to cheer her up.
Bakura walked up to her, smiling with confidence. "Mind if I give it a try?" He suggested. Cosmo looked up at him before stepping back so he could take a turn.
"You got this, Bakura!" Miho cheered, already believing that he would get the prize. The blue-haired guy held onto the stick, moving the claw around until it was above the box that Cosmo was trying to get. Once he pressed the button, the lower jaws clamped at the box and brought it up to the small hole where the slot was. He moved the hand carefully towards the opening, then released the grip as the box dropped, sliding down until it hit the slot. Cosmo reached in and grabbed it, holding it up as she was impressed. "I knew you could do it!" Miho praised his success.
"You were amazing, Bakura." Cosmo smiled, going to him and handing him the box. The young man waved his hand though.
"You keep it, you were trying to get it after all."
"Are you sure?" She asked.
"Yeah, I can just get another one. The trick is which box is more likely to be grabbed." He decided to demonstrate, taking another turn as he played the machine with such skill. The girls watched as he managed to grab hold of another mystery present so easily, then brought it out and grabbed it from the slot. He handed it to Anzu, who took it with a smile.
"Thanks, Bakura!" She began to open the box to see what she got.
"Win one for me next, Bakura!" Miho begged.
Before the transfer student accepted the offer, Honda appeared next to the purple girl. "Miho, let me try it out!" He suggested. Before Bakura could object, Honda pushed him over as the brunet took a turn in trying the crank game. Honda was determined to try and get a gift for Miho. Cosmo and Bakura turned their attention to Yugi and Jounouchi, who were still battling in the virtual fighting game. The smaller girl was cheering Yugi on from the sidelines, while Bakura watched and enjoyed in silence. Honda was still attempting to get one of the prized boxes, despite his struggles. Just when he thought he had one rising up, the box slipped from the grip and fell back into the pile. This caused a shocked expression to be written on his face as he had spent five tokens just to try and get one.
"You're kind of bad at this, Honda." Miho noted.
He slouched his shoulders and lowered his head. "I'm ashamed…" He admitted, but his grief didn't last too long as the three heard the sound of Jounouchi screaming. They looked to see that Jounouchi's character he selected was on the ground, knocked out by Yugi's avatar in the game.
"Man, I didn't think you were weak in virtual fights." Anzu commented as she stood next to the blond.
He turned to her while trying to cradle his wounded pride. "Shut up! In a real fight I would never lose!"
Miho leaned over to Yugi's screen, smiling as she was interested in the game. "This looks kind of fun. Mind if Miho gives it a try?"
Yugi moved out of his seat to give to her. "Sure, I'll walk you through the basics."
Jounouchi looked more determined now as he smiled in satisfaction. "Alright! Now I know I won't lose this time!" He was certain that since Miho was fighting, he would have an easy win as she didn't know the first thing about these kinds of games as much as Yugi. Miho picked a female character associated with the rabbit zodiac while Jounouchi went with the dragon zodiac as he figured that would be the most powerful. When they got to the fight, Jounouchi held that belief that he would win, but as the fight went on it proved to be the opposite. As he took out over seventy percent of her health, Miho resorted to mashing buttons for some combos and took out Jounouchi's avatar with little to no effort.
The periwinkle-haired girl laughed in amusement. "I won!" She declared.
Anzu laughed along as she watched Jounouchi's eyes twitch. "This is just getting pathetic now."
Cosmo giggled along as well as Yugi. "I kind of feel bad for him…"
"Maybe we should choose a different game." Yugi suggested checking around the center.
Miho pointed over to a driving simulator with five seats. "How about we do this one next?"
Everyone looked at the racing game, and while two would be left out, it would hopefully improve Jounouchi's mood. "I'm going first!" The blond stated, taking the second seat from the left of the screen.
"I'll take a lap." Honda agreed, taking the far left and sat next to Jounouchi. Miho and Anzu joined in, with the brunette taking the very middle and Miho sitting next to her. Bakura sat at the far right of the screen, next to Miho, much to her enjoyment.
"Ya gonna be okay not driving this turn?" Jounouchi asked Yugi.
"You guys take this one. I'll go later." He assured. Jounouchi and the others prepared for the race. Miho was cheering for Bakura, despite them racing one another. Honda noticed how clingy she was becoming of the new guy and vowed not to lose this game.
Cosmo stood beside Yugi, watching the screens for a moment before the drivers started their virtual cars. "Hey Yugi, how about we play some air hockey? She suggested.
"Sure!" He agreed, as the two headed a bit away from the cars towards the air hockey table. Bakura watched them go, distracted as they walked away. He didn't even know it was time to start until Jounouchi screamed 'GO!'. The blue-haired one snapped back and looked at the screen, seeing he was behind. His foot pressed the pedal on his car and the one in the screen drove to catch up to them.
Yugi and Cosmo found an empty hockey table, where they went to their sides. "Alright, first one to six wins?" He suggested.
"Sounds good to me." Cosmo agreed. She set the puck in the center and grabbed one of the paddles. Yugi smiled as he tried going for the puck, striking it towards the other goal only for Cosmo to block it at the last second and push it back. Yugi managed to catch it before it reached the goal, but he was impressed by the force to the point he looked up at her in contentment.
"Woah, where did that come from?" Yugi asked, noticing the game face she had on.
She giggled a bit as she kept her eyes on the puck. "Just trying to get to your level." She admitted sheepishly.
This caused Yugi to become even more serious in beating Cosmo. Now that she was bringing everything she had, it was only fair he matched her. The two went at it, each one trying to score by forcing the puck into the goal of their opponents. Though they were not competitive people, they still put their strength into each swing. They were still going even after the other five finished their virtual race. Jounouchi jumped in triumph as he managed to win over the others. "Alright! Victory for Jounouchi!" He sounded like a child who had hit a candy jackpot, but it did make him regain his dignity after losing the last few games. Honda came in second, but at least he beat Bakura who came in dead last. Though the transfer student was distracted as he couldn't help but look back over now and again to hearing Yugi and Cosmo, laughing as the two were playing air hockey. "So, should we go another round?" Jounouchi asked as he revved the gas pedal, preparing for another session.
"Sure! This time I'll leave you in the dust!" Honda declared.
"Let's get Yugi and Cosmo first. See if they want to have a try." Anzu suggested getting up from her seat as did Miho. Bakura did the same, but he began to walk over to where the other two were.
Miho and the others noticed this, as she blinked in confusion. "Bakura…?" She whispered, as his fixation on the two was present to everyone.
"Aww man…" Cosmo sighed in defeat, as the puck flew into her net which gave Yugi the winning shot. "If I didn't overshot, I could have gotten that goal…"
"You were pretty close, it was an even match." Yugi assured her. "I only won by one point, since you were really strong."
Upon hearing that, a blush formed on her face which made her become flustered. "Eh? I think… I'm still a long way away from being strong." She doubted herself once again, not accepting the praise though appreciated it.
"Come on, you just need a bit of practice and encouragement." Yugi told her. "You're already good at some games like Capumon, you can be good in other areas if you give yourself the push."
"You really think so?" Hope began to shine in her eyes, and when he nodded with a prideful smile, it did spark a flame in Cosmo. "T-then I'll keep trying! No matter what happens, I'll do my best to give it my all!" She declared. Yugi was happy to see how excited she was, seeing himself in her at that moment.
"Um… Yugi, Cosmo…" The two shorter high schoolers turned their attention to see Bakura standing a few feet away from them. "We finished our race, so you can head over." He pointed to the car racing simulator.
"Awesome! I'll head over there now!" Yugi began, rushing to the others.
Cosmo giggled with enthusiasm. "I'll just watch, racing games aren't for me…" She admits, still looking over at Yugi as he hopped into one of the seats.
Bakura stared at her with his pale-blue eyes, as an idea came to his mind. "Um… do you think you'd be interested in playing a game with me?" He asked her. He sounded shy in his request, which Cosmo noticed. Still, she couldn't deny him, as there were other attractions they could do.
"What kind of game did you have in mind?" She questioned.
Bakura looked around, trying to find one he thought would be good for the two to attempt. He noticed one against the wall, with a target board. "How about ski ball?" He suggested while pointing over to the game. Cosmo saw the lane with a ring of holes, finding it to look fun. She nodded and the two made their way over to the location.
Yugi was racing Honda and Jounouchi while the other two girls watched the boys race three laps. Once again, the blond found himself the winner. "Alright! That's two for Jounouchi!" He declared as he basked in his glory.
Honda slumped against the wheel in defeat. "Not only did I lose, I was in last place…"
Yugi tried to cheer him up. "I'm sure if you didn't hit that one tree, you would have come in second."
Anzu smiled as she looked at the three boys. "Looks like Jounouchi's pride is at full swing again." She noted.
"Hey, where did Bakura go?" Miho wondered as she looked around for the transfer student. Yugi began to scan for him as well, noticing that Cosmo was nowhere near as well. He didn't have to search for long, as he saw them near the ski ball game.
"Looks like those two are getting along quite well." Jounouchi laughed as he saw them being close together.
Miho glared at Jounouchi, jealousy sparked in her as she got up in his face. "Bakura is probably just being nice, nothing else!"
Jounouchi stepped back as she was practically yelling at him, staring down at her. "Why are you yelling?"
Anzu got in between them and pushed them back. "Alright, enough you two." She warned.
"She started it!" Jounouchi pointed at Miho, who turned her back and crossed her arms.
"Come on guys, let's not make a scene." Honda begged.
Bakura and Cosmo were unable to hear them, as they focused on the game to try and get a higher score than the other. Cosmo rolled her ball down the lane, trying to get it to the higher holes as they were currently tied. She watched as it ended up in the lower left opening, making her sighed in defeat. "I guess I'm kind of bad at this game…"
"I really thought it would be kind of like bowling where you have to use such force and keep it in a certain lane. But the small hill at the end doesn't help…" Bakura admitted as he noticed the structure of the lane. Tickets began to spill out with their score, as Bakura gathered them both up since they didn't get that many separately. "Not sure this will buy anything too good at the prize counter…" He noted.
"Still, at least we didn't do as bad…" Cosmo tried to be optimistic. "Though, I don't think I can consider myself a winner at this point."
Bakura looked over at her, while she had doubt in her words she still held a spark in her eyes. It was clear she could do more if she wanted, but lacked the confidence to reach it. A trait she shared with Yugi… and him. "Uh… I never properly thanked you earlier." Bakura rubbed the back of his neck. "For bailing me out of that tour with the other girls. You did help me out, if I'm being honest."
Cosmo looked up at him, returning that smile. "Well, it was only fair considering I used you to get me away from those guys."
"Looks like we are being chased by people we'd rather avoid." He told her. "Though, why were those students trying to hunt you down?"
Cosmo groaned in exhaustion. "It's a long story…" She tried to dissuade him from being told more.
Bakura was curious though. "I've got time…"
That wasn't what she wanted to hear, especially since she didn't want to explain. Still, she doubted he would judge her and it might feel better to get it off her chest. "Before you came to Domino High, there was this popularity contest that was being held. During the preparation for the event, I agreed to help a friend create a music video she was making. I didn't think much of it, but she ended up showing the video to everyone the day of the contest and… everyone really liked it."
Bakura rubbed his chin when she mentioned the popularity contest. He vaguely remembered back when he bumped into Yugi and Miho on the streets that she was talking about a competition taking place that week and wanted Bakura to escort her on stage when she won. Of course he never showed up, but it wasn't as if he was interested in going since he only just met Miho and didn't know anything about her. Even so, Bakura didn't understand the conflict. "But if everyone liked the video, what's the problem?"
"The problem is that everyone liked it. After that showing, many of the guys wanted to approach me and try to ask me out. I felt so surrounded that it felt like I was suffocating. I don't know how to feel because I'm not used to… I mean I don't…"
"You don't like the attention…" He finished for her, sympathy in his voice.
"I'm not used to it. I've always been the one to just blend into a crowd or watch from the sidelines. I didn't think it was lonely, because I did have friends like Yugi. And I wasn't bombarded with pressure. Now it feels like everything has shifted around me and I'm forced to maneuver through a maze I have no clue how to get out of." She explained using metaphors to indicate how confused this situation was to her. "I miss the old days when things were more peaceful." She admits, pressing her back against the wall.
Bakura watched her, seeing how distraught she appeared as her mental health had drained. He decided to stand next to her, attempting to make her feel better. "I know how you feel." He admits, which gained her attention as she turned her head to face him. "At my previous schools, I had a lot of friends and it was fun to hang out with them. But… things happened and I found myself alone. Right now, I live by myself in an apartment away from everyone else. My father is currently traveling as an archaeologist so I don't see him often. I've gotten used to being on my own, but I still wish to be surrounded by people because I miss that feeling. At the same time, I'm scared I will only end up losing those I grow close to. It's a terrible dilemma for sure…"
Cosmo stared at him, feeling sorry as she had no idea he was all alone. For someone who appeared popular with the female students, he didn't seem like that kind of guy. "You seem like an approachable person though."
Bakura inwardly chuckled. "For all the wrong reasons at times. Especially with fangirls. Actually, you're the first girl in that school that hasn't tried any moves on me."
Bakura expected her to be flustered at that comment, but to his surprise she responded calmly. "Honestly, I don't see myself in a relationship. Not that I don't want to be in one, but I don't have any experience and I don't think it's an appropriate time. Plus, I don't value a partner solely on their looks, but on their personality." She explained.
"Well, as long as you two like one another and treat each other equally with respect, that seems like an ideal relationship." Bakura noted. "Then again, I might be over thinking about it, since I've never been in a relationship myself. Still, we both should take our time, as it isn't something to rush into."
"So… what should I do about my fanboys?" Cosmo asked.
"Well, don't over-think that either. Maybe it's not ideal, but after a few weeks or months, they will most likely forget about the video and move on to the next thing. Plus, with summer vacation coming up, you can take a break from them." That advice did make her feel better. As once the summer break was over, everyone would go back to minding their business. She was surprised how down to earth Bakura was, and how helpful he could be.
"Thanks for the encouragement." She smiled at him, beaming as she looked at him. Bakura really was a good person, she realized. He grinned at her, pleased to have given her some helpful advice. She was easy to talk to, just like Yugi. He hadn't felt this calm in talking with someone in so long. The moment came to a sudden turn as he felt a familiar pain in his chest from this morning. He held his shirt, wincing a bit from the feeling. Cosmo noticed this and grew concerned. "Are you okay, Bakura?"
He glanced up at her, trying to talk through the pain. "Y-yeah… I just need to use the restroom for a moment." He told her, running off real quick to try and locate the bathrooms. Cosmo stood there, watching him go but didn't follow. She wasn't sure what the cause of the pain was, and as worried as she was for him, it wasn't her business to pry. Bakura managed to find the bathrooms and placed himself in one of the sinks. He was all alone, which he was grateful for. He lifted his head up to examine his face in the glass. His skin was paler than usual, as his knuckles turned white while they gripped the sink. By now the pain had gone numb, but the stinging in his chest was there. "What's wrong with me?" He spoke to himself. "I've never felt this pain in my chest before. It only started when I touched Yugi's pendant…" As he realized this, his fingers began to unbutton his shirt. One by one, the two halves detached themselves as he held up a golden artifact in the shape of a circle with a triangle inside. The center of the three-sided shape had a staring eye, while five long sharp prongs were connected to the outer circle with smaller hoops. "It even looks similar to my own pendant…" He held up his necklace, gazing at the item with hypnotized eyes. Was the pain coming from the ring? But, that doesn't make any sense. Bakura had this item for so long, why would it cause him discomfort now? He had so many questions, mainly about the item he had on him. It wouldn't do him any good to overthink this now. He took a few deep breaths to ease the stinging sensation then began to head out and find the others.
"Eh? You want to head back home already?" Yugi asked Cosmo as the six were in a circle talking together.
"Yeah, I promised to be back before dark and the sun is starting to set now." She explained.
"Is it really that late?" Jounouchi questioned, looking up at the clock on the wall, seeing that it was a few minutes past six-thirty. "Man, it really got this late? We've been here since two."
"Maybe we should head back home. I am running low on cash." Anzu admitted.
Bakura heard their conversation as he walked over. "Are we heading out already?" He asked.
"Yeah, it's getting pretty late now." Yugi told him. "Sorry for cutting it short."
"It's alright, I should be heading home anyways. But today was fun."
"Really?" Miho smiled at the notion. "Then maybe we can do something like this again soon!"
"Yeah! What do you say, Bakura? Wanna join us again?" Jounouchi asked.
The blue-haired guy was slightly surprised by the invitation, yet he was grateful for being included. It was nice getting to know everyone as he saw how great of people they were. He nodded, smiling as he hoped that this would happen again. "Thank you, everyone."
"Hey, hey, Bakura! I'll walk you back to your place if you'd like!" Miho volunteered.
The young boy waved a hand up. "That's not necessary…" He assured her, as he wanted to just be on his own and could see this was just an excuse to try and lure her into a date with him. "Thank you, Yugi. I'll see you on Monday." Bakura waved as he headed for the exit.
"See ya!" Yugi waved back to Bakura as did everyone else. They may have only just met Ryou Bakura, but everyone could agree that they had a good feeling about him.
Yugi was heading back with Jounouchi, Anzu and Cosmo, since Honda and Miho walked off together due to the different route they had to take. Plus, since Bakura wasn't coming with, Miho wanted to head home on her own. Cosmo and Yugi walked side by side since their houses were close together, but the other two tagged along as they wanted to see them off while heading the same way. "You sure we can't spend another hour or two at your place playing some games?" Jounouchi asked his friend as they turned the final block to where the Kame Game Shop was.
"I wouldn't mind, but I'm actually tired from the arcade. I know it seems hard to believe, but even I need a break from games once in a while." Yugi giggled.
"Why are you so intent on playing more games anyways?" Anzu asked the blond.
"Hey, I may have street smarts, but when it comes to game smarts, I lack in that development. I even stayed up for a whole week reading a series about different game mechanics and the origins of them."
"They actually make books about that stuff?" Anzu sounded surprised.
"You have to admire his dedication." Cosmo praised.
"Call that what you will." The brunette rolled her eyes.
"I'm really trying to get more into these games." Jounouchi confessed. "I mean, it's really fun… but I also want to show I can just be more than muscles. I know I'm not the smartest, but I think I can do more than just fighting games if I really go through with it!" Hearing such a confession made Yugi crack a smile. It was impressive that Jounouchi wanted to grow stronger mentally, and games were a great way to do so. It seemed that being around Yugi made the blond change his attitude about silly childish challenges, as he once called them. "Besides, if there's ever a situation where Yugi is in a game, and he needs a player two, someone has to fill in that spot!" Looks like he was adding in the excuse of doing this for his best friend, but it didn't offend Yugi. Once they managed to get to the game shop, Yugi reached for the handle to pull the door, but to his surprise, it would not budge no matter how many times he tried to open it. "What's wrong?"
"The door is locked…" Yugi realized, then took out the key from his back pocket. Once it was inserted into the lock, he turned it and was able to open the entrance. "Grandpa! I'm home!" The short boy called out as he looked to the front counter where his grandfather usually was. Once again, he was stunned as the old man was not there. "Where is he?"
"Maybe he went out?" Anzu suggested.
"That would explain why the door was locked." Cosmo added, noticing the sign on the front that turned to 'closed'.
"It's odd though, Grandpa doesn't usually go out to do errands unless someone is here to mend the shop." Yugi walked over to the counter, where Sugaroku usually was. His eyes landed on a thin, vanilla envelope that was laying on the surface. Curiosity made him pick it up, as the others crowded around him. When he turned it over, his name was written on the outer shell. "A letter for me?"
"Who's it from?" Anzu asked.
Cosmo leaned over and read the label. "It says Kaiba Corporation."
"Kaiba?" Jounouchi spat the word. "I don't trust it, why would he send ya a letter?"
Even Yugi had a strange feeling just like Jounouchi about this letter. The fact that it was from Seto, who he hadn't seen in a while and rarely made contact with aside from a few instances, made him nervous just to open it. Still, with a weary hand he pulled the top open and dug in the envelope to take out a piece of paper that had been typed out. He began to read it for everyone to hear. "Greetings Yugi. I am personally writing to you to inform you that the beta version of Kaiba Land has been completed. As promised, when it was finished I would invite you and your friends to be guests on the grand opening day. Inside the envelope are six VIP tickets, one for you and your five friends. I have made arrangements for you and the others to participate in a very special event that I wish to reveal to everyone on that day. A sort of obstacle course that is private to the public. I know this is short notice, but I figured it would be a fun activity for all of you to enjoy. And if you manage to clear it, you will be rewarded heavily. Your grandfather is already waiting for you, as we have given him a special hotel room where he will see you before the start of the challenge. The grand opening of Kaiba Land will be Sunday, June 1st at 10 AM. A limo driver will be at your game shop by eight-thirty to drive you to the destination. Make sure when you get to the building, present your passes to the guard and he will escort you from there. I look forward to seeing you there. Sincerely, Seto Kaiba."
As Yugi read over the letter, he listened to the details that made the gears in his brain turn. Kaiba Land… an obstacle course… his grandfather. Those feelings of dread only grew as Anzu grabbed the tickets that were inside. "June 1st… that's tomorrow." She realized.
"That doesn't give us a lot of time to prepare…" Jounouchi muttered in annoyance.
"What do you suppose this obstacle course he spoke of is about?" Cosmo questioned.
"It must be part of the theme park." Anzu guessed.
Yugi set the letter down, listening to what his friends were saying but their voices sounded far away from him. All he could think about was this obstacle course that he would have to face tomorrow, bringing a terrible sense of instability in his gut and heart. He bit his lip while his head hung down to avoid eye contact. "You guys… I think it's best that I go alone tomorrow." Hearing this caused the three to turn to the short boy as he stared at the floor and clenched his hands. "I am the one that Kaiba wants. You guys shouldn't have to suffer because of me…"
"Yugi…" Cosmo seemed worried with what he was saying.
"Whatever it is that Kaiba has planned, I have a very bad feeling that it won't be pretty. I… I don't want to put you through that." He finally looked up at them with wavering eyes. "I need to do this alone! I don't want to watch any of you get hurt again!" He was reminded of the many times their lives were compromised due to Kaiba's actions. Honda and Jounouchi were beaten to a pulp when Kaiba wanted to get the Blue Eyes. Anzu was nearly eaten by a tiger if Yugi lost to an Ancient Indian game. The recent one was Cosmo nearly losing her head if he didn't beat an old master at Duel Monsters. Yugi could only imagine how worse it would be if he lost any of these challenges.
The blond reached over to grab Yugi's shoulders and look him straight in the eyes. "Don't be stupid, ya moron!"
"J-Jounouchi!" Cosmo gasped as he shook Yugi with such force.
"We are not going to let you go through this alone! Ya don't think I know what that bastard could be up to?! I told ya I didn't trust any of what he was selling, and I sure as hell know that something is fishy about this. But that's all the more reason why you can't go alone! Me and Honda were there when you tried to get your Grandpa's card back. We know just how terrible he can be and what lengths he will go through. You've stuck with me for so long, believed in me and helped me in more ways than I can ever repay ya! So for once… let me do the same by being your player two! I know I'm not as good at games as you are… but that doesn't mean I won't give it my all! We're friends because we stick together when the times get tough, and no matter what, I'll be sticking by your side despite what they will throw our way!"
Yugi stared up at his friend, speechless as he didn't know how to respond to such passion. He knew Jounouchi was very sincere about his friends. While he could drive them crazy and vice versa, he knew that Jounouchi would have their backs. Especially Yugi. Despite wanting to protest, the high schooler felt a sense of happiness to know that Jounouchi still wanted to do this for him. "You aren't gonna face this alone! We're going with you!" Anzu declared, placing her hands on her hips as she agreed with Jounouchi.
Cosmo nodded as she stepped forward. "I'm going as well! I know I have a lot to learn, but I don't want to be on the sidelines and watch you face everything yourself. And I'm sure if Honda and Miho were here, they would say the same thing as well."
Yugi's eyes wavered again as tears began to leak out of his sockets. "Everyone… thank you…" He knew there would still be danger ahead, and as much as he hated the idea of putting everyone through it, he did feel better knowing they wanted to help. Still, he hoped that their support and his inner strength would be enough.
Jounouchi and Anzu informed Miho and Honda about the situation. They even gave them their tickets in case Yugi tried to hide them so they couldn't go with him. Even Cosmo was worried for Yugi, but she was determined to be there for him. The high school boy tried to sleep as much as he could, but his brain couldn't stop thinking about what Kaiba was planning or what challenges he would have to face. He was already panicking about getting there, and when morning came around there was no turning back.
Yugi got up and got dressed, ate some light breakfast and closed the Kame Game Shop for the day. He wouldn't be able to tend to it, and he didn't know how long he would be gone. He waited outside, looking around for his friends as it was already 8:15 in the morning, just fifteen minutes until the limo got here. Cosmo was the first one to arrive, since she was so close to his house. She panted. "I should have figured I would be the first."
Yugi looked over at her direction. "Are you gonna be okay to come with us?"
"Galaxina finished up her finals and she wanted to mend the shop today." Cosmo explained.
"What did you tell her? About Kaiba Land?" Yugi questioned.
"I… didn't want to explain too much." Cosmo admitted. "Considering we don't know what we are dealing with, I'm worried she will be overprotective and not let me go. So I told her we would be checking out a new amusement park. But I doubt she'll see it on the news, since she isn't into that stuff."
Yugi felt a bit guilty that Cosmo had to lie to her older sister, but it wasn't as if he could do anything about it now. Jounouchi was the next one to show up, yawning as he seemed exhausted. "Man, I should have stopped reading those books of games and percentages before midnight hit." He groaned as he was somewhat tired.
"Are you sure you are ready, Jounouchi?" Yugi asked his friend.
The blond gave a thumbs up with a cocky smile. "You just leave everything to me! I'll be backing you up one hundred percent of the way!"
Hearing that eased Yugi's anxiety somewhat. Anzu managed to come along next, followed by Honda and Miho who arrived together. All they had to do was wait for the vehicle to take them to their destination. "So, this is it." Honda noted.
"There's no way we can turn back now." Anzu pointed out.
"What do you think will happen once we get there?" Miho wondered.
"We can only wait and find out." Jounouchi said.
Yugi was still scared, so he looked down at his Millennium Puzzle around his neck and held the golden artifact. He prayed that its power would lead them through victory, because they would need all the help they could get. He may still be unsure about the full potential of this item, but he knew it could possibly save them should they be put in a difficult situation. Cosmo reached over to place a hand on his shoulder, looking at him with a smile. "Whatever happens, we'll face it together!" She promised. Yugi appreciated her comfort, grinning her way.
At eight-thirty on the dot, a black limousine slowly approached the group of six. The driver pulled up right to the shop then rolled down the window to look at the students. "Yugi Mutou and friends?" He asked.
"Yes…" Yugi answered.
"Hop inside the back." The driver ordered as his window rolled up. The gang opened the doors, sliding into the open space where they sat in three on each side. As soon as the door closed, the engine of the car started up and began to transport them to their destination. Everyone was still nervous about what was going to happen once they got there, but they didn't have any choice but to go. As long as they stuck together, they were determined to get through this. Just before the limo drove off from the game shop, a certain blue-haired man looked from the corner as he watched the six hop into the limo. The license plate told him where they were going, as Bakura decided to head there and see what was going on.