Yo-yos, anybody?
"Miracle yo-yo?" Miho and Anzu asked.
It was break period between lessons.
Jounouchi played with a yo-yo. "The finest street item right now is this yo-yo."
"Is something that old really popular?" asked Anzu.
"They've been really cheap lately," said Yuugi.
"All right! Now I'll show you my yo-yo techs!" Jounouchi told them. "First is sleeping, which is the basic technique . . . Long sleeper!" He flicked the yo-yo down and it didn't come back up.
Miho was delighted. "The yo-yo stopped midair and is still spinning!"
"And if you touch the floor while in sleep mode . . . Walk the dog!" Jounouchi ran the yo-yo across the floor before pulling it back.
"How cute!" squealed Miho.
Anzu wasn't impressed. "What? It's just the old walk the dog."
Jounouchi recoiled in humiliation. "Th-then I'll show you an even more amazing technique! Loop to loop!" He started throwing the yo-yo out recklessly.
The others took cover.
"That's dangerous!" Anzu shouted at him.
The yo-yo stopped, caught by Honda.
"Hey, Jounouchi! Don't bring toys to this sacred learning institution!"
Jounouchi scoffed at him. "An old man like you wouldn't understand the appeal of yo-yos."
"Old man?" Honda snapped.
The sound of a yo-yo got their attention. Mahou had one out and was easily manipulating the string to make it do acrobatics. They stared at her in disbelief. Mahou gave it a spin before returning it to her hand.
"But it's so cool," Miho said with wide eyes. "Miho wants to try the yo-yo, too!"
Honda spun around to her, a comically worried expression on his face. "What are you saying, Miho-chan? If anything were to happen while you were playing with a yo-yo . . ." He put his hands on her shoulders. "Miho-chan . . . please . . . Just don't do the yo-yo. It's dangerous!"
"You're the dangerous one," Jounouchi said flatly.
"But . . . Honda-kun is partially right," Anzu said. "Did you hear the story? About the vagrant group with the yo-yos. Not only do they take money, they also use yo-yos as weapons to attack people. Many of our school's students have fallen victim it seems."
"What? Is that true?" Jounouchi asked angrily.
"A yo-yo isn't a tool for hurting people . . ." said Yuugi.
"Yuugi is right," Jounouchi agreed. His face lit up. "All right! I will properly punish those idiots!"
That evening Yuugi sat up in his room. He finished his homework and packed it away. "A vagrant group that uses yo-yos? It's Jounouchi-kun . . . I suppose he really is going to confront them. I wonder if he'll be okay."
There was a knock on his door. He turned around to see Mahou peeking around. "Mahou?"
"Can I come in?"
Yuugi nodded.
Mahou came in and closed the door. She had long changed out of her school uniform into a long skirt and top. At her throat was a blue stone set in gold and held in place around her neck with a piece of black satin.
"Is that . . . ?" Yuugi face lit up. "You fixed it!"
"I wasn't able to fix the chain," Mahou admitted. "But I had some fabric and found some thread. I'm not good at sewing. I pricked my finger a few times." She held up her finger, showing the bandage wrapped around it. Her expression fell.
"Mahou?"
"I just feel bad that it got broken in the first place," she said.
"It wasn't your fault," Yuugi pointed out.
She rubbed at her arms.
"What's wrong?" asked Yuugi.
"I'm . . . worried," she said. "It's about the vagrants. Do you think Jounouchi-kun will be okay?"
Yuugi forced a smile. "I'm sure he will be!"
Mahou nodded and let her gaze fall to the floor.
"Hey, Mahou . . ." Yuugi said, getting her attention.
Mahou raised her head.
"It'll be okay," he assured.
"Yes . . ." she whispered quietly, looking at the Millennium Puzzle.
"Unbelievable!" Honda cried out in shock the next morning. "This is a big incident!"
Jounouchi's seat was empty.
"Jounouchi-kun being absent from school . . . His health is supposed to be his one good point . . ."
"This is the first time Jounouchi-kun has been absent," said Miho.
"I kind of miss him when he's gone," said Anzu, not seeming to be as worried as the others.
Yuugi turned to Honda. "Honda-kun, you haven't heard anything?"
He made a negative sound. "And he hasn't contacted the school either it seems."
"Could it be . . . ?" Yuugi started. "Something happened with him and that vagrant group mentioned yesterday?"
He really went after them last night, didn't he? Mahou thought.
"Anyway, after school let's go check out his house," said Honda.
When school let out, Honda led them to where Jounouchi lived.
"Honda-kun, you've known Jounouchi-kun since middle school?" asked Yuugi.
"Yeah," replied Honda. "I've also visited his home once before."
They stopped at an apartment building.
"Isn't this it?" asked Miho.
"If I recall he's the first one on the third floor," said Honda.
They went up to the third floor and found the apartment.
"This is it," said Honda. He knocked on the door. "Excuse me. Excuse me!"
"Seems like no one's home," said Anzu.
Miho tried the handle and the door opened. "But it's not locked."
The others panicked.
"Miho-chan! Don't enter people's homes without permission!" cried Honda.
"It's okay. We're just taking a peek."
They looked inside.
A bottle smashed against the door, scaring them.
"You shitty kid!" someone yelled from inside. They could see a pair of boots propped up on the table. The man hiccupped. "Why've you been gone since yesterday?"
"Sorry!" Honda yelled.
They slammed the door and ran. They didn't stop until they were down the street and in a park. The girls and Yuugi panted.
"What a surprise," said Yuugi. "Hey, that was . . ."
"It's his dad," confirmed Honda. "He's always been that way from what I've heard. That is the reason he doesn't invite his friends to his home. But where did Jounouchi go? Seems he didn't return home yesterday."
"At any rate, let's all search for him," suggested Yuugi.
They began to wander all over town, trying every place they could think of where Jounouchi would go. Mahou wasn't really paying attention. She was still stuck on what happened at Jounouchi's apartment.
He's like me, she thought. A prisoner in his own home. I mean, his dad doesn't chain him up and make him paint, and Takamine never got that drunk . . . He can leave and go to school, but he always has to come back to that. I got lucky. Mahou looked at Yuugi in front of her. But I have other things to worry about now . . . things I'm not sure I can handle. Takamine I could appease . . . I was his meal ticket . . . but . . .
They stopped.
"No good," announced Honda. "We've been to all the places that I could think of."
Yuugi hung his head. "Jounouchi-kun," he muttered.
"Man . . . that guy never changes," Honda started to complain. "I thought he got better when he entered high school . . ."
"Eh? If that's better . . . then that means he was even worse in middle school?" asked Anzu.
"Yeah, he . . ."
Before Honda could answer her, there was a commotion in the alley. They walked around to see a group of high schoolers with yo-yos. They were holding up another young man.
"Sorry," said the young man.
"What? You think you can just apologize for stepping on someone's foot?"
"S-sorry!"
"Those are Rintama school uniforms," Honda told them. "As usual the bad ones always gather together."
It was then Yuugi noticed a different colored uniform in the group. "Jounouchi-kun!"
The others gasped at seeing him.
"Why is he with those people?" Anzu demanded to know.
One of the Rintama boys hit the young man and took his wallet. "Just give all you got." He turned to Jounouchi and put his hand on his shoulder. "Jounouchi. We'll show you where our gathering spot is. It's a nice shop called J'z."
Yuugi ran after the group.
"Yuugi!"
"No!" Mahou hissed, trying to catch his backpack, but he was already gone.
"Jounouchi-kun!" Yuugi called out.
The group stopped. Jounouchi barely looked over his shoulder at Yuugi.
"Why did you miss school?" Yuugi asked. "Why are you with those people?"
One of the Rintama boys, the one with glasses and green beanie stepped around Jounouchi. "'Those people'? You mean us? Jounouchi, do you know that brat?"
"No, I don't know them," said Jounouchi. "Let's go."
Mahou's eyes widened. Doesn't know us? Why?
"Jounouchi-kun!" Yuugi shouted.
Another boy, this one taller with his hair in a ponytail and several earrings, cut Jounouchi off. "Jounouchi. You've really calmed down."
Honda's eyes widened. That guy! If I recall . . . in middle school he hung out with Jounouchi. Hirotani. Why is he with those guys now?
"Ever since you started going to Domino High, you've hanging out with that kid. You should have come to Rintama with us. With me."
Yuugi took a few steps forward. "No, Jounouchi-kun! Let's go back together," he tried to persuade.
The guy with glasses turned his attention to Yuugi. "I'm tired of your whining! You brat!" He swung and punched Yuugi in the face.
"Yuugi!"
Yuugi went down hard.
Jounouchi didn't move.
Honda and Anzu gathered around Yuugi.
"Bastard!" snarled Honda at glasses guy.
The Rintama boy rubbed his knuckles and laughed. "Don't be all friendly with my friend, Jounouchi-kun."
"Don't show your face again," said another boy.
"Are you okay, Yuugi?" Anzu asked.
Yuugi slowly sat up, grimacing. "Jounouchi-kun . . ."
Anzu stood up. "Jounouchi! You're scum!"
"Open your eyes, Jounouchi!" Honda shouted.
The guy with glasses put his hand on Jounouchi's shoulder again. "Let's go, Jounouchi-kun."
A pair of legs walked passed Yuugi and up to the Rintama students.
"Eh? Mahou-chan?" Miho cried out.
The Rintama students sneered at Mahou. She walked up to Jounouchi, even moving so he would be forced to look at her. She held out a stack of papers.
"Notes from today," she said, fighting to keep her voice steady. "Black ink are notes the teacher wanted us to copy, blue for my personal notes."
Jounouchi didn't move.
"I didn't take all this time to copy these just for you to turn your nose up at them," Mahou said coldly.
Jounouchi took the notes.
"Don't ask me for notes again," Mahou said. She walked back to her friends, the Rintama students glaring at her.
"Let's go," said Hirotani.
They left, Jounouchi still not looking at them.
"Mahou."
"Mahou-chan."
She was shaking as she packed up her bag. "Can we please go?"
Honda and Anzu picked Yuugi up and they went over to a playground. Yuugi, Miho, and Mahou sat on a bench. Honda stood off to the side. Anzu ran to get a cold cloth from a nearby vendor.
Yuugi hissed as Anzu pressed the cloth to his bruised cheek.
"Come on, Yuugi. Hold still," she told him. "Leave the wet handkerchief on your face."
"Thanks," he said.
"But that sure was surprising," said Miho.
"I still don't believe it," said Yuugi. "Jounouchi-kun becoming friends with those guys . . ."
"Those are his old friends," Honda told them.
"Eh?"
"In middle school, Jounouchi was pretty bad. Every day he'd fight. And the one leading him back then was Hirotani who we just met. When he entered high school, I thought he cut it off . . . Why did he return to them now?"
He wouldn't look at us, thought Mahou. He wouldn't have even said anything about us if that Rintama boy hadn't asked anything. And when Yuugi got punched, he didn't react. That's not the Jounouchi we know . . . The Jounouchi we know tackled an escaped convict with a gun to protect us. No . . . something else is going on.
Mahou was broken out of her thoughts by Yuugi's bright voice.
"Jounouchi-kun hasn't changed," he said.
"I wonder about that," said Honda. "He's always been rotten. Better to not deal with Jounouchi anymore. I think he's just an idiot. At any rate, I'm out." He walked away.
Mahou jumped up and ran after him. "Honda-kun!"
He stopped and waited for her.
"Something's wrong here," she told him.
"I know," Honda replied. He glanced at the others still at the bench. "I'll take care of it. The rest of you go home. Okay?"
"Okay." Mahou went back to the bench.
Anzu looked at her. "What was that about?"
Mahou shook her head.
Miho sighed. "What do we do now?"
"There's not much we can do," said Mahou. "We should go home."
"No!" Yuugi cried vehemently, jumping up from the bench. "We need to find Jounouchi-kun! We can't leave him! They said they were going to J'z. Let's find it!"
Mahou was stunned.
"Mmh!" Miho nodded.
"Okay," agreed Anzu.
Mahou stammered, "Y-Yuugi, you do realize that you will be the one explaining to Grandpa while we're coming home late and you are injured, right?" She knew it was a weak ploy to try to get them to go home.
Yuugi shook his head. "I'm not abandoning Jounouchi-kun." He started to run.
"Wait, Yuugi! Do you know where it is?" Anzu called, chasing after him.
"Wait for me!" Miho cried, following.
Mahou sighed. This is a bad idea. She ran to catch up with them.
The sun was setting when they found the sign with J'z on it. They stood in an alley across the street looking at the stairs leading to the below street business.
"He said it was J'z, right?" Anzu wanted to confirm. "That's their gathering spot."
"Hey, maybe we should stop," said Miho, starting to lose her nerve. "Miho is scared!"
Yuugi turned back to her. "We can't leave Jounouchi-kun like this."
Anzu turned. "Ara?"
Coming down the street was Honda. He had a thin purple sash around his shoulder.
"What's with the band?" Anzu giggled behind her hand.
Honda stood at the entry of J'z. "Jounouchi . . . I suppose I am the only one who can open your eyes."
"Honda-kun!"
Honda jumped, ending up on top of the business sign and gripping the wall. "You guys . . ." he realized.
"Despite saying that, you are worried about Jounouchi!" Anzu smirked.
"No . . ." Honda denied. He hopped down and tried to look cool, leaning against the wall. "As a beautification member, I just want to clean Jounouchi's dirtied heart."
Yuugi pointed to the sash. "Hey, what's this?"
"That's secret!" Honda told him.
"Miho wants to know."
To no one's surprise, Honda spun around and began to tell them. "It was two years ago. Jounouchi and I were in middle school. We were chosen to be in a tournament. Halfway through our team was last, but . . . My powerful running quickly got us to second. And then, I gave the band to Jounouchi who was the anchor, it was all up to him. This was the bud of our friendship. This band is the proof of my friendship with Jounouchi. What do you think? Isn't that a good story?"
"Very cool!" said Yuugi.
"Lovely!" gushed Miho. "The friendship between men!"
"Although it's kinda fishy," Anzu added.
Mahou gave Anzu a nudge.
"When Jounouchi sees this band, I'm sure it'll open his eyes," said Honda.
Miho and Yuugi agreed.
"Let's go!" Honda led the way into J'z.
They spoke the employee behind the counter.
"The Rintama guys? I'm sure they're in a fight somewhere. Or else they'd be in the warehouse out of town. That's their base it seems. You guys are from Domino High School, right?"
"Yes," Honda answered.
"Don't blame me for saying it, but you better avoid those guys. Earlier a Domino school student was coerced here."
"Our student?"
"They forced him to join them it seems."
Honda looked down at Yuugi. "It was Jounouchi!"
"I knew it," whispered Yuugi. "Jounouchi-kun was coerced. He's doing it against his will."
"That bastard," Honda growled. He turned to the girls and smiled. "Like I said. Jounouchi was just hanging out with his old friends."
Miho easily accepted the explanation. "I'm sure he'll come to school tomorrow."
"I'm sure he'll be poorly swinging around that yo-yo," added Anzu. "And being stupid."
The boys looked at each other with determination.
They left J'z and Anzu and Miho walked home together. Honda and Yuugi looked at each other before turning to Mahou.
"Mahou, you should head home," said Yuugi.
"What?" she whispered.
Honda nodded. "We won't be far behind you."
"But . . ."
"Tell Grandpa we're helping Jounouchi-kun with something," Yuugi told her.
Mahou sighed. "Okay." She left them and walked home.
Mahou entered the shop and was immediately greeted by Sugoroku.
"You're home late, Mahou." He looked behind her. "Where's Yuugi?"
"He's helping Jounouchi-kun with something," Mahou replied. "I'm going up to my room."
"Eh, Mahou?" Sugoroku called after her, startled as she dashed out of the room. He didn't try to follow her. "Hmm . . ."
Mahou quickly changed out of her school uniform into something more comfortable. She then got out the jar with the ointment in it and began mixing it with essential oils in an empty jar.
Yuugi's face is going to be swollen. Even with the help of the cold cloth from earlier, it's still going to bruise. Maybe this will get it down so Grandpa doesn't ask questions.
As she stirred the concoction together with her finger, her hand hands started shaking. She let her face hover over the jar in hopes the smell of the oils would calm her. It didn't. Her chest started to tighten up now and the jar slipped from her hand. It landed upright.
Mahou grabbed the bottle of lavender oil she was using and held it under her nose.
This usually works . . . It's not helping at all . . . she thought.
As the lavender oil wasn't having the desired effect, Mahou reached for another bottle. This one was her personal perfume blend. She took the cap off and immediately felt a little calmer from the smell. She dabbed some on her wrists before rubbing them together and blotting some under her nose. Mahou took a few deep breaths and tried to refocus on what she was doing. Her hands stopped shaking and her chest loosened.
Much better.
Mahou heard Yuugi walk by her room. She finished the ointment and got some ice in a towel from the kitchen.
Yuugi heard the timid knock on his door. "Come in," he said sullenly.
Mahou came in and closed the door behind her. She could see Yuugi was depressed.
"Mahou . . . Jounouchi-kun . . . he . . ."
Mahou shook her head. "Let's worry about your face right now. Did Grandpa see?"
"No," replied Yuugi.
"Here." She gave him the ice. "And I brought this." She held up the little jar.
Yuugi sat on the bed with the ice while Mahou sat at his desk. She was writing quickly on some notepaper.
"What are you doing?" Yuugi asked.
"Writing down today's notes from class," said Mahou. "I'll do your homework then."
"But . . . I have my notes. You don't need to make an extra copy for me," said Yuugi.
The pen in Mahou's hand paused. "They're for me."
Yuugi frowned. "Huh?"
Mahou turned in the chair. "I gave Jounouchi-kun my notes . . . I hadn't made an extra set . . ." She went back to writing. "I mean, I would have later, but in the moment . . . I gave him mine . . ."
"Oh . . ."
The pen and Yuugi shifting around to get comfortable were the only sounds in the room for several minutes.
Yuugi sniffed.
"What's wrong?" asked Mahou.
He sniffed again. He held the jar up to his nose. "Are you wearing perfume?"
"Oh . . ." Mahou held her wrist up to her nose. "I'm sorry. I put some on earlier. I got it too strong. I'll go wash it off." She started to get up.
"No, no! It's fine!" Yuugi assured her, waving his hands. "It's just really nice . . . I kinda like it in a weird way . . . That's the perfume you made yourself, right?"
She nodded. "I got the idea from an art book on Ancient Egypt. They uncovered all these fragrance jars from the tombs. I'm sure frankincense and myrrh were reserved for royalty and very wealthy. Those would have had to be imported. And cedar was used as part as the embalming process, which makes sense since bugs don't like it."
"Really?" asked Yuugi.
"Mm-hmm. They used cinnamon and lavender, too. With a little trial and error, I made something I liked."
"Wow! You made your own Egyptian perfume!" Yuugi smiled and winced at the pain in his cheek.
"I'm not sure they would have used this exact blend." Mahou picked up the ointment. "I think we can put this on now."
Yuugi held still as she applied it to his cheek. "You're really good at this."
Mahou paused, hesitating on how to respond. "Thank you?"
"Maybe you should give some to Honda-kun," suggested Yuugi. "Jounouchi-kun punched him. You see, we went to the warehouse. Honda-kun showed Jounouchi-kun the band, but Jounouchi-kun kept saying he was only pretending to be our friend. But he's lying, I know he is!"
"I know. The shopkeeper said he was coerced," she said. "It wouldn't surprise me if Jounouchi-kun was doing this to protect us."
"Huh?"
"Leverage, Yuugi. 'Do as I say and nothing happens to your friends.' Hirotani wants Jounouchi-kun . . . and Jounouchi-kun wants us safe." Mahou put the lid on the ointment and went back to writing notes before doing their homework.
Yuugi laid back on his bed and watched her. In another thirty minutes, Mahou had completed their homework.
"Done." She handed him his homework.
Yuugi stared at it. "Mahou!" he gasped. It was all done in his handwriting. "How?"
Mahou stood up with her papers and hurried out of Yuugi's room.
Yuugi blinked at the door and then looked back at his homework. How did she do that?
The next afternoon, Honda and Yuugi went to Rintama High School, unaware that they were being tailed. Hirotani and his gang were hanging out back.
The glasses guy laughed. "Hirotani-san, there are no other groups that defy us. Hirotani-san is on top."
"Now . . . where shall we stretch our reach now?" Hirotani asked.
Honda jumped over the fence. He was wearing the purple band again. Yuugi followed after him and they confronted Hirotani.
"I challenge you, Hirotani!" Honda declared.
'Man . . . this guy never learns," said Hirotani.
"Hirotani. If I win, cut your ties with Jounouchi."
Hirotani chuckled. "Okay. Consider this an honor." He took out his yo-yo. "I'll kill some free time fighting you."
Honda looked around and grabbed a discarded broom. "I'll use a weapon too!"
Hirotani chuckled again. "Here I go." He pressed the side of the yo-yo and spikes sprang out.
Honda and Yuugi gasped.
Hirotani threw the yo-yo. It sliced through the handle of the broom.
Honda stared at the cut in surprise. "What?"
Hirotani slammed his knee into Honda's stomach and Honda went down.
"Honda-kun!" cried Yuugi.
"The final blow!" Hirotani threw the yo-yo again.
Yuugi threw himself over Honda. The yo-yo bounced off the Millennium Puzzle and back at Hirotani's face. A thin line opened and blood ran down Hirotani's cheek.
"You hurt my face . . . Unforgivable!"
The others trembled in fear.
Yuugi looked up to see Hirotani glaring down at him.
"Unforgivable . . . you brat . . ." Hirotani reached down for Yuugi.
"No!"
A piece of the destroyed broom came for Hirotani's head. He ducked aside and looked at who threw it.
Mahou had her hand out from throwing the piece of broom.
"Get her," Hirotani ordered.
Yuugi was tied up to a hook in the warehouse and was being pummeled by the Rintama boys. Mahou was being held by the guy with glasses. Her hair was twisted in his fist and he was forcing her other arm behind her back.
"Take a break," Hirotani ordered the two beating Yuugi.
Yuugi gasped.
"Your body is learning your lesson for you," Hirotani told him. "You see what happens to those who defy me?"
Save me . . . thought Yuugi. Someone . . .
A piece of board covering a large hole in the wall was kicked down.
"Jounouchi," Hirotani greeted.
Jounouchi walked in with his hands in his pockets. "Yuugi. Mahou. Didn't I say quite clearly to ignore me? You don't leave me a choice. I will finish it."
"Jounouchi-kun!" cried Yuugi.
Jounouchi took out his yo-yo and threw it like he was going to hit Yuugi. Instead it curved and hit the Rintama thug next to him.
"Jounouchi!" Hirotani yelled. "What are you doing?"
Jounouchi scoffed. "That's my line. If I joined you, you said you'd keep your hands off my buddies."
Yuugi's face lit up. "I knew it . . . Jounouchi did it for us."
"Give back my buddies," Jounouchi said. "No . . . That's not enough. For laying a hand on my buddies, I'm bring you down!"
Hirotani grinned. "So finally that look in your eyes is back. I'm so happy, Jounouchi. But you are a fool to stand against me."
Mahou was thrown to the ground as the others surrounded Jounouchi and began to throw their yo-yos so he was trapped.
"Well?" asked Hirotani. "Take one step and all that awaits is hell. You never had the power to save your buddies."
"How about this?" Jounouchi stepped forward.
Hirotani was surprised.
"Jounouchi-kun!" Yuugi shouted in alarm.
Mahou held her arm and watched in shock as Jounouchi was hit with the yo-yos as he walked closer to Hirotani.
Jounouchi grunted. Yuugi . . . I'm coming to save you!
"The final blow!" Hirotani threw out his spiked yo-yo.
"Got you!" Jounouchi yelled, throwing his.
They collided and Jounouchi's yo-yo ricocheted Hirotani's back at Yuugi. The spikes cut through the ropes tying Yuugi to the hook. Yuugi fell to the ground.
"Bastard!" snarled Hirotani.
Jounouchi laughed. "Looks like your brutish strength has a use."
Jounouchi was then hit from behind and dropped to the ground.
The Millennium Puzzle glowed, catching the others' attention.
"What?"
Yami grabbed the hook and let himself be pulled up to the catwalk, landing on the railing.
"Thanks," he said quietly.
Mahou got an idea. She reached into her pocket and got her yo-yo. "Yuugi!" She tossed it up to him.
Yami caught it.
"You!" Hirotani yelled.
Yami jumped down from the railing and ran off.
"Chase him! Don't let him leave alive!" Hirotani ordered.
Both Jounouchi and Mahou had the same idea and ran off in different directions. Mahou ran for a different set of stairs to follow Yami.
"There he is! On the roof!" she heard one of the Rintama students yell.
She ran around and looked through the broken windows. Yami was calmly standing on the corrugated roof.
The Rintama students climbed out after him.
"Fool," said the guy with glasses. "There's nowhere to run on the roof."
Yami held out the yo-yo and started throwing it out quickly.
"He's fast!" one gasped.
The yo-yo returned to his hand. "Now . . . it's game time. The rule is simple. The last one standing on this roof is the winner."
"Sounds good," said the glasses guy. "Corner him!"
Mahou watched as they chased Yami around.
"How long are you planning to run?" the glasses guy taunted.
Yami punched holes into the roof as he ran. After leading them on a chase, he ended up on the corner of the roof.
Mahou gasped and looked for something she could do. She could go out on the roof with him, but she didn't have anything to defend herself with.
The glasses guy laughed. "This is it. Will it be our yo-yos or falling? Choose."
Yami smirked. "I wonder about that. This roof is pretty decrepit. It's easy to put holes in it with a yo-yo."
Mahou's eyes widened when she noticed the four Rintama students were inside a ring of holes. They seemed to realize it a second after she did.
"I wonder how long this hole filled roof will hold the weight of you four," said Yami.
A smile spread across Mahou's face. And Yami is standing at the very edge, on top of a beam. If the roof goes, he still has support!
"You brat! You used the yo-yo to make holes?" snapped the glasses guy.
The roof creaked ominously.
Yami pointed at them with the yo-yo in hand. "You do not aim yo-yos at people. They should face the ground."
The roof gave way and the Rintama students fell into the warehouse.
Yami looked down at them.
"Yami!" Mahou was leaning out of a broken window and holding her hand out to him.
Yami carefully picked his way across the roof and took her hand. They climbed back inside.
"Thank you, Mahou-san." He handed her yo-yo back. "Your arm . . ."
Mahou was holding her twisted arm gingerly. "I'll be fine."
"Jounouchi!" they heard Honda yell. "Catch!"
They ran around and heard a crash. The purple band was floating down to Honda. Hirotani was in a heap at his feet. Up on the catwalk where the railing was now broken was Jounouchi.
"You saved me, Honda," said Jounouchi.
"Didn't I say so?" asked Yuugi. "Jounouchi-kun hasn't changed."
"Yuugi. Mahou." Honda was relieved to see they were all right.
The next day at school, Jounouchi had something to announce.
"Eh? You developed a new yo-yo tech?" Anzu repeated back.
Jounouchi held up his yo-yo. "It's a great one that I haven't shown anyone yet."
"I'm so excited!" cried Miho.
"I look forward to seeing it," said Yuugi.
Anzu narrowed her eyes. "I have a bad feeling."
"Look! Special loop! In the sky!" Jounouchi started tossing the yo-yo crazily. He then blushed deeply when he realized the trick blew up the girls' skirts. The yo-yo wrapped around him and knocked him in the head.
Yuugi covered his face and Honda gasped, blushing as well.
Miho and Mahou hurried to push their skirts down.
"Jounouchi, you scum!" Anzu picked up a chair and started chasing Jounouchi with it.
"I didn't do it on purpose!" he shouted back, running from the room.
I had three ways of going with this chapter. I had an idea of Mahou using her yo-yo as a weapon, I had her going after Jounouchi after Hirotani took Yuugi, and then I settled on this.
I'm off to write the next chapter. It won't come out until October, in time for what would be Takahashi-sensei's 62nd birthday. And I'm excited for it. I've had this in my head for over a year and now I get to do it! Things are about to happen with Mahou.