Fanfic100, Puzzleshipping, #34, #59, #88
Sep. 14th, 2014 11:18 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
the_goldenpathTitle: Time
Characters: Yami no Yuugi/Atemu & Mutou Yuugi
Prompt: # 34 Not Enough
Word Count: 461
Rating: PG
Summary: What will it take to see again the one you love?
Author's Notes: None.
Key: ------------- = scene change
--------------------
Your mother is worried about you. She asks if you’re eating well enough, and when you don’t give a satisfying answer, she puts another bowl of tonkatsu in front of you, and she won’t leave your side until you’ve finished it. She asks if you’re sleeping well enough. But of course, kaa-san, you answer, and avoid her scrutinizing eyes. Instead, you show her your radiating smile, and you launch in this enthusiastic monologue about how things are going at school (that new teacher is a nice guy, lots of homework though), and how nice the weather is, etcetera, etcetera..
Your grandfather is worried about you. He asks if you’re taking enough time to relax and wind down from the busy day. What busy day, jii-chan? You smile at him. Yeah, school and helping out at the GameShop might be busy, but it’s nothing you can’t handle. You’re strong and healthy, what kind of person would you be to leave all the heavy lifting to your own grandfather? Sorting through hundreds of Duel Monsters booster packs is a little boring yes, but the shop’s stock needs to be up-to-date, right?
Your friends are worried about you. They ask if you’re comfortable enough, and when you look at them a little quizzically, they clear their throats and give all these explanations, like “We don’t see you enough” or “You look tired” and more of that weird stuff. No worries, everything’s fine, minna-san, you tell them, and thank them for their concern. Yes, it’s been a while since the entire gang went to Burger World, or simply hung out at the mall. But you have to study, you have to help out your grandfather, it’s just a busy time, you know?
But in the end, you discard their worries. Sure, you appreciate your friends looking out for you, but it’s not really necessary. You’ve already got what you want: undivided love and attention, warmth and care. A touch, a smile, a voice, so close to you that you can wrap yourself into it, and feel completely at ease. It’s all in your head, though - and that’s where the problem lies.
You’re not fine. You’re not doing fine at all. You ignore the dark circles under your eyes, you ignore your stomach screaming for food, you ignore the worries around you. You eat, sleep, breathe enough, or so you think, but then again, your thoughts aren’t really with food or sleep, are they? They’re with him, and how he waits for you, patiently, to join him and to be with him. It’s an agonizing wait, but it’s worth it, you just know it’s worth it in the end.
And you realise, maybe one day, that just waiting isn’t enough.
It’s not enough at all.
Title: Turn on the Knob
Characters: Yami no Yuugi/Atemu & Mutou Yuugi
Prompt: # 59 Food
Word Count: 534
Rating: PG
Summary: It’s getting hot… or not?
Author's Notes: Very lame attempt at humor.
--------------------
“I am ready, aibou.”
“Really? That’s so wonderful, mou hitori no boku! I never thought you’d be ready for it so soon!”
“I appreciate your patience, aibou. I know it must have been hard to wait for me, all this time.”
“That’s all right. I know it can be difficult, admitting that you like it.”
An exasperated sigh. “Does it make me a different kind of person?”
“What do you mean?”
“You know… for me to like this… kind of activity.”
“Mou hitori no boku, you’ll never be a different kind of person to me. You are who you are, you know that. And you know I like it too.”
“All right. So… how do we… well, you know, start?”
“You just can’t start like this. You have to wear protective gear.”
“Gear?”
“Yes! Wait… where is it… oh, right here. See?”
“Aibou! You can’t expect me to wear THAT!”
“Shhh! Don’t yell like that! Do you want the entire neighbourhood to hear?”
“Ah, eh…”
“Just wear it, mou hitori no boku. You won’t like it when you get the stuff all over you.”
“Fine.”
“Aww… you look so cute!”
“Aibou…”
“Yes yes, I know it’s your first time. Sorry, I shouldn’t make fun of you…”
“Let us just get on with it.”
“Right. Open this, it won’t work if we don’t put this…”
“Like this?”
“Yes! Neat! Don’t use too much - no no no, that’s waaaay much, mou hitori no boku! Coat, not cover! You have to wipe away the extra stuff or it’ll get way too awkward.”
“It is already quite awkward, aibou.”
“Not at all, you’re doing great! Now you can knead it.”
“Knead? Like this?”
“Careful, careful!”
“This is… quite fun, aibou.”
“Looking good, looking good…”
“Should I go on like this? Or is it time to use that already?”
“What flavour is this? Cinnamon? Oh, that’s good. I love cinnamon!”
“I am glad you like it, aibou. It is one of my favourite flavours as well.”
“Put it in there… oh gods, that’s way too big!”
“What should I do? It will never fit!”
“Move, move, mou hitori no boku!”
“Go easy on me aibou, I have never done this before…”
“I’m feeling really warm right now, and we aren’t finished yet…”
“Let us continue.. where do I put this next?”
“Oh you silly Pharaoh you, you know where to put that!”
“Are you sure?”
“You’re blushing like a little girl!”
“I certainly am not!”
“All right, all right… just fill it up.”
“All the way to the brim? Are you sure?”
“Yes!”
“This is not too much, is it?”
“More! More!”
“I know you like it, but you are getting a little too much into it, aibou…”
“You want it to feel good too, don’t you?”
“Yes, yes, I do… you are right, this feels much better. But now it is entirely stuffed…”
“Stuffed, but smooth. That’s how I like it.”
“I cannot go any further, aibou.”
“That’s fine. I’m almost done…. here!”
“That is all?”
“That’s it. Now all that’s left to do, is to put it in the oven. Who knew baking an apple pie together could be this much fun, mou hitori no boku?”
--------------------------
Title: Just one problem too much
Characters: Yami no Yuugi (Atemu) & Mutou Yuugi
Prompt: #088, School
Word Count: 1.947
Rating: G
Summary: The spirit of the Sennen Puzzle gets in over his head when he meddles with his aibou's homework.
Author's Notes:None
------------------------
"Stupid Tanaka-sensei…" Yuugi muttered under his breath as he kicked at a pebble, huffing when the small piece of rock bounced over the pavement, only to collide with a lantern pole. Hands stuffed deep in his pockets, shoulders slouched and head hanging low, Yuugi barely saw what happened in front of him. He mumbled his excuses whenever he collided with someone, taking some nasty remarks for granted. He knew that he was small, yes, and that his hair was kind of freaky, thank you very much.
"Aibou, why so glum?"
He wasn't startled in the least when he heard the voice echoing in his head. He'd been expecting the other to comment sooner or later. The Nameless Pharaoh wasn't a chatterbox, and certainly not when Yuugi was in class. He didn't want to disturb Yuugi's concentration, no matter how much the other was dying for some distraction.
"It's Tanaka-sensei," Yuugi growled, not bothering to hide his growing irritation. He zigzagged around a few teenagers who yelled something derogative, but he didn't pay attention to them. He'd been picked on and bullied often enough, and ignoring the comments was still the best option. If Jounouchi had been around, he would do some talking with his fists, and Yuugi didn’t want to get his best friend into trouble.
"Ah.. that means… math, right?"
"I can't do it," Yuugi grumbled, heaving an overdramatic sigh. "It's just gibberish to me, and every time Tanaka-sensei explains it to me, he makes me feel like I’m the dumbest kid in the world!”
“Teachers are very important,” the answer came back quite sternly, only to soften: “But they should treat their students with respect, not make them feel bad.”
“Well, he does,” Yuugi said and halted at the last moment for a traffic light. He was almost home, and looking forward to spending some time with his grandfather. On Wednesday, the new stock of the Duel Monsters game arrived, and Yuugi loved to help out, going through all the merchandise.
His fun was cut short, however. His mother was waiting for him when he got home, but not with tea and biscuits. She had a lecture prepared for him, as Tanaka-sensei had called her to inform her about her son’s deplorable grades. After at least an hour of ‘you can do better’ and ‘I expect you to be on top of your class’ and ‘If it wasn’t for these stupid games you kept playing’, Yuugi found himself behind his desk, books in front of him, and thoroughly shaken and upset.
“Aibou?” A tentative ask.
“Leave me alone,” Yuugi said crudely, but he apologized immediately. “I’m sorry, mou hitori no boku. I don’t have time to talk right now.” He felt a gentle pull, and Yuugi allowed it to happen - not a second later, he was in his soul room, the reflection of his heart and mind: a room filled with children’s toys, signifying his innocence and kindness. The Nameless Pharaoh was waiting for him in the hallway, the door to his own soul room (dark and a labyrinth of doors), firmly closed. Apparently, he didn’t want Yuugi to feel even more depressed, as all those doors inside the labyrinth were a painful reminder of his lost memories.
“I’m sorry,” Yuugi repeated. “I shouldn’t have yelled at you. I’m just so frustrated by it all! Every time I think I get it, it eludes me again! I try and I try, but I just don’t get it."
“It is difficult, yes,” the Pharaoh said. “Your mother did not take Tanaka-sensei’s warning well, did she?”
"You know how kaa-san is about my grades." He still couldn’t believe that his sensei had called home to discuss his grade, and making things much worse! He already had a massive workload for math, and his mother was very adamant about hiring a tutor or worse, sending him to an extra math class to get his grade back up. “And it just happens that it’s so important. I can flunk everything I want, but not math!”
“Education is extremely important, aibou. Knowledge is power, and prepares you for what will happen in your future. Your job, your personal life… do your best and work hard.”
“That’s easy for you to say. You don’t have to slough your way through twenty pages of confusing mathematical problems!”
“Do not give up so fast, aibou. How about asking…”
“I did ask for help,” Yuugi interrupted him, getting fed up. “I asked Tanaka-sensei, I asked Anzu, I asked that super-intelligent kid who won the local math tournament, and they all explained it to me over and over again, and I just don’t get it!”
“You are smart enough to understand the problem, I just know you can do this.. is it really necessary to get so worked up about it?”
"Fine. Then you do it!"
"What? Do you want me to do your homework? But aibou.."
Yuugi wasn’t listening anymore. He retreated to his soul room and smacked the door close, something he had never done before. The Pharaoh was right of course, it wasn’t really necessary to get all worked up, but still… if he flunked math, he was going to be held back for a year, which meant that his friends would move up a class without him… and that was a thought he couldn’t stomach. Jounouchi, Anzu, Honda, Miho, Otogi… what if they all went ahead without him? Why did the one subject he was so terribly bad at, have to be so extremely important for his final grade? Oh no, he wasn’t going to cry now, was he? No wonder everyone kept picking on him. Why wasn’t he as strong as the Pharaoh? Yuugi drew his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around his legs, huddling himself. Maybe a private tutor or extra classes weren’t such a bad idea…
… and when he woke up, the alarm clock was blaring. He shut the clock off, and blinked a few times before realizing he was in his bed, clad in his pajamas, and his mother was calling out to him to get ready for school. He didn’t remember a thing about yesterday, like having dinner, or actually doing his homework… Yuugi saw that his book bag was neatly packed, and his desk was meticulously clean. There was no time to wonder, as his mother called for him again - he’d be late for school if he didn’t get moving.
Before he met up with his friends, Yuugi tried to talk to the Pharaoh, but he didn’t get an answer. It was even difficult to feel his presence, which worried Yuugi; but the Sennen Puzzle dangled safely around his neck, so he assumed the Pharaoh wasn’t gone, just unavailable at the moment.
“Good morning, Yuugi!”
“Good morning Anzu,” he smiled at the girl.
“Did you manage to get all of Tanaka-sensei’s work done?” she asked, a little worried. Yuugi
didn’t meet her eyes.
“I’m not sure,” he said.
“You’re not sure? But…”
“Jounouchi-kun! Honda-kun!” Yuugi waved at his other friends, who lazily crossed the road.
“Good morning, Yuugi, Anzu,” they greeted in unison. Before they could ask about the dreaded math class, Yuugi suggested they should get going. Not only was Tanaka-sensei’s class the first one of the day, he was also extremely strict and anyone being tardy, could count on even more homework. They hurried to school and were just in time; the bell started ringing. As soon as they entered the class room, they put their notebooks with the math work on the sensei’s desk. Heavy-hearted, Yuugi put his notebook on the growing pile; he hadn’t had time to look at it, but he was sure all the pages were empty. Anzu nudged him to hurry up, she could hear Tanaka’s footsteps in the hallway. Quickly, they all took their seat and after greeting the sensei, the students sat down and opened their books.
“Class, you will work on the assignment on page 231 while I start grading your work,” Tanaka said. “If you have done your homework well, you’ll notice that you won’t have any trouble with it.”
Yuugi groaned. Page 231 was indeed a continuation of the previous math problems and he hadn’t understood them at all… Anzu made a gesture that was supposed to reassure him. She would help him later, he figured… but right now, he stared blankly at the text and the assignment.
“Mutou-san, you stay after class.” Tanaka’s voice rang out and Yuugi all but flinched. He’d never heard the sensei so stern before, and Tanaka had the reputation of being the sternest teacher of Domino High. He was screwed, to put it crudely.
“We’ll be waiting for you,” Jounouchi said when the bell rang for the next class. Anzu shot him a compassionate look, and Yuugi tried to smile, but he failed miserably. Now he was the only student in the class, and he felt nauseous.
“Approach,” Tanaka said and Yuugi left his desk, leaving the last of his feelings of safety behind. Now he was going to get it… "Mutou-san, I'm glad you managed to do all your homework." His voice was sour. Apparently, Tanaka had been looking forward to tearing him a new one. "Though I thought you were pulling an elaborate prank on me. I'm not really charmed with the method you used to solve the equations. I taught you a better, faster way to work out the equations. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say this is almost like how Ancient Egyptians used to do their calculations. Maybe you thought you were funny, but you weren’t. Next time, you’ll do your work just as I taught you. You’re dismissed, Mutou-san.”
Yuugi all but ran out of the class room, feeling strangely relieved and amazed at the same time. He hadn’t failed his homework, his grade was safe! Somehow… oh, but he knew who he had to thank for that. A smile showed on his face, as he searched for a place where he couldn’t be disturbed. He slipped into an empty class room and sat down, closing his eyes as he retreated into his soul room again. Ignoring the scattered toys, Yuugi crossed the hallway and without hesitation he opened the door to the Pharaoh’s soul room, ending up in the familiar labyrinth.
"Mou hitori no boku?" Usually the Pharaoh would've showed up by now, but there was no one in sight.
"Mou hitori no boku," Yuugi repeated and started opening doors randomly. It didn’t take long for him to locate the right door; Yuugi found him on the floor, curled up and his hands tucked under his head. It looked like an uncomfortable position, and he wondered why the Pharaoh hadn't crossed over to his, Yuugi’s, soul room, with comfy stuffed animals, toys and a bed. The Pharaoh was asleep, so that was why he hadn't responded to the earlier call.
“Mou hitori no boku…” Yuugi kneeled next to him, gently brushing some wayward strands away from his face.
“B square is negative to the angles of triangle ACD,” he muttered, followed by a non-committal sound. He shifted just a little, as if to find a more comfortable position. Yuugi couldn’t help but chuckle, but kept the noise down. He took off his jacket and propped it under the Pharaoh’s head, as a makeshift pillow. Yuugi made sure the other was more comfortable, before straightening himself again.
“Thank you, sweet Pharaoh,” he said. Silently, he went back to his soul room to return to the real world; grateful, he vowed to ask for more help, no matter how boring or difficult math was.
--------------------------
Characters: Yami no Yuugi/Atemu & Mutou Yuugi
Prompt: # 34 Not Enough
Word Count: 461
Rating: PG
Summary: What will it take to see again the one you love?
Author's Notes: None.
Key: ------------- = scene change
Your mother is worried about you. She asks if you’re eating well enough, and when you don’t give a satisfying answer, she puts another bowl of tonkatsu in front of you, and she won’t leave your side until you’ve finished it. She asks if you’re sleeping well enough. But of course, kaa-san, you answer, and avoid her scrutinizing eyes. Instead, you show her your radiating smile, and you launch in this enthusiastic monologue about how things are going at school (that new teacher is a nice guy, lots of homework though), and how nice the weather is, etcetera, etcetera..
Your grandfather is worried about you. He asks if you’re taking enough time to relax and wind down from the busy day. What busy day, jii-chan? You smile at him. Yeah, school and helping out at the GameShop might be busy, but it’s nothing you can’t handle. You’re strong and healthy, what kind of person would you be to leave all the heavy lifting to your own grandfather? Sorting through hundreds of Duel Monsters booster packs is a little boring yes, but the shop’s stock needs to be up-to-date, right?
Your friends are worried about you. They ask if you’re comfortable enough, and when you look at them a little quizzically, they clear their throats and give all these explanations, like “We don’t see you enough” or “You look tired” and more of that weird stuff. No worries, everything’s fine, minna-san, you tell them, and thank them for their concern. Yes, it’s been a while since the entire gang went to Burger World, or simply hung out at the mall. But you have to study, you have to help out your grandfather, it’s just a busy time, you know?
But in the end, you discard their worries. Sure, you appreciate your friends looking out for you, but it’s not really necessary. You’ve already got what you want: undivided love and attention, warmth and care. A touch, a smile, a voice, so close to you that you can wrap yourself into it, and feel completely at ease. It’s all in your head, though - and that’s where the problem lies.
You’re not fine. You’re not doing fine at all. You ignore the dark circles under your eyes, you ignore your stomach screaming for food, you ignore the worries around you. You eat, sleep, breathe enough, or so you think, but then again, your thoughts aren’t really with food or sleep, are they? They’re with him, and how he waits for you, patiently, to join him and to be with him. It’s an agonizing wait, but it’s worth it, you just know it’s worth it in the end.
And you realise, maybe one day, that just waiting isn’t enough.
It’s not enough at all.
Title: Turn on the Knob
Characters: Yami no Yuugi/Atemu & Mutou Yuugi
Prompt: # 59 Food
Word Count: 534
Rating: PG
Summary: It’s getting hot… or not?
Author's Notes: Very lame attempt at humor.
“I am ready, aibou.”
“Really? That’s so wonderful, mou hitori no boku! I never thought you’d be ready for it so soon!”
“I appreciate your patience, aibou. I know it must have been hard to wait for me, all this time.”
“That’s all right. I know it can be difficult, admitting that you like it.”
An exasperated sigh. “Does it make me a different kind of person?”
“What do you mean?”
“You know… for me to like this… kind of activity.”
“Mou hitori no boku, you’ll never be a different kind of person to me. You are who you are, you know that. And you know I like it too.”
“All right. So… how do we… well, you know, start?”
“You just can’t start like this. You have to wear protective gear.”
“Gear?”
“Yes! Wait… where is it… oh, right here. See?”
“Aibou! You can’t expect me to wear THAT!”
“Shhh! Don’t yell like that! Do you want the entire neighbourhood to hear?”
“Ah, eh…”
“Just wear it, mou hitori no boku. You won’t like it when you get the stuff all over you.”
“Fine.”
“Aww… you look so cute!”
“Aibou…”
“Yes yes, I know it’s your first time. Sorry, I shouldn’t make fun of you…”
“Let us just get on with it.”
“Right. Open this, it won’t work if we don’t put this…”
“Like this?”
“Yes! Neat! Don’t use too much - no no no, that’s waaaay much, mou hitori no boku! Coat, not cover! You have to wipe away the extra stuff or it’ll get way too awkward.”
“It is already quite awkward, aibou.”
“Not at all, you’re doing great! Now you can knead it.”
“Knead? Like this?”
“Careful, careful!”
“This is… quite fun, aibou.”
“Looking good, looking good…”
“Should I go on like this? Or is it time to use that already?”
“What flavour is this? Cinnamon? Oh, that’s good. I love cinnamon!”
“I am glad you like it, aibou. It is one of my favourite flavours as well.”
“Put it in there… oh gods, that’s way too big!”
“What should I do? It will never fit!”
“Move, move, mou hitori no boku!”
“Go easy on me aibou, I have never done this before…”
“I’m feeling really warm right now, and we aren’t finished yet…”
“Let us continue.. where do I put this next?”
“Oh you silly Pharaoh you, you know where to put that!”
“Are you sure?”
“You’re blushing like a little girl!”
“I certainly am not!”
“All right, all right… just fill it up.”
“All the way to the brim? Are you sure?”
“Yes!”
“This is not too much, is it?”
“More! More!”
“I know you like it, but you are getting a little too much into it, aibou…”
“You want it to feel good too, don’t you?”
“Yes, yes, I do… you are right, this feels much better. But now it is entirely stuffed…”
“Stuffed, but smooth. That’s how I like it.”
“I cannot go any further, aibou.”
“That’s fine. I’m almost done…. here!”
“That is all?”
“That’s it. Now all that’s left to do, is to put it in the oven. Who knew baking an apple pie together could be this much fun, mou hitori no boku?”
Title: Just one problem too much
Characters: Yami no Yuugi (Atemu) & Mutou Yuugi
Prompt: #088, School
Word Count: 1.947
Rating: G
Summary: The spirit of the Sennen Puzzle gets in over his head when he meddles with his aibou's homework.
Author's Notes:None
"Stupid Tanaka-sensei…" Yuugi muttered under his breath as he kicked at a pebble, huffing when the small piece of rock bounced over the pavement, only to collide with a lantern pole. Hands stuffed deep in his pockets, shoulders slouched and head hanging low, Yuugi barely saw what happened in front of him. He mumbled his excuses whenever he collided with someone, taking some nasty remarks for granted. He knew that he was small, yes, and that his hair was kind of freaky, thank you very much.
"Aibou, why so glum?"
He wasn't startled in the least when he heard the voice echoing in his head. He'd been expecting the other to comment sooner or later. The Nameless Pharaoh wasn't a chatterbox, and certainly not when Yuugi was in class. He didn't want to disturb Yuugi's concentration, no matter how much the other was dying for some distraction.
"It's Tanaka-sensei," Yuugi growled, not bothering to hide his growing irritation. He zigzagged around a few teenagers who yelled something derogative, but he didn't pay attention to them. He'd been picked on and bullied often enough, and ignoring the comments was still the best option. If Jounouchi had been around, he would do some talking with his fists, and Yuugi didn’t want to get his best friend into trouble.
"Ah.. that means… math, right?"
"I can't do it," Yuugi grumbled, heaving an overdramatic sigh. "It's just gibberish to me, and every time Tanaka-sensei explains it to me, he makes me feel like I’m the dumbest kid in the world!”
“Teachers are very important,” the answer came back quite sternly, only to soften: “But they should treat their students with respect, not make them feel bad.”
“Well, he does,” Yuugi said and halted at the last moment for a traffic light. He was almost home, and looking forward to spending some time with his grandfather. On Wednesday, the new stock of the Duel Monsters game arrived, and Yuugi loved to help out, going through all the merchandise.
His fun was cut short, however. His mother was waiting for him when he got home, but not with tea and biscuits. She had a lecture prepared for him, as Tanaka-sensei had called her to inform her about her son’s deplorable grades. After at least an hour of ‘you can do better’ and ‘I expect you to be on top of your class’ and ‘If it wasn’t for these stupid games you kept playing’, Yuugi found himself behind his desk, books in front of him, and thoroughly shaken and upset.
“Aibou?” A tentative ask.
“Leave me alone,” Yuugi said crudely, but he apologized immediately. “I’m sorry, mou hitori no boku. I don’t have time to talk right now.” He felt a gentle pull, and Yuugi allowed it to happen - not a second later, he was in his soul room, the reflection of his heart and mind: a room filled with children’s toys, signifying his innocence and kindness. The Nameless Pharaoh was waiting for him in the hallway, the door to his own soul room (dark and a labyrinth of doors), firmly closed. Apparently, he didn’t want Yuugi to feel even more depressed, as all those doors inside the labyrinth were a painful reminder of his lost memories.
“I’m sorry,” Yuugi repeated. “I shouldn’t have yelled at you. I’m just so frustrated by it all! Every time I think I get it, it eludes me again! I try and I try, but I just don’t get it."
“It is difficult, yes,” the Pharaoh said. “Your mother did not take Tanaka-sensei’s warning well, did she?”
"You know how kaa-san is about my grades." He still couldn’t believe that his sensei had called home to discuss his grade, and making things much worse! He already had a massive workload for math, and his mother was very adamant about hiring a tutor or worse, sending him to an extra math class to get his grade back up. “And it just happens that it’s so important. I can flunk everything I want, but not math!”
“Education is extremely important, aibou. Knowledge is power, and prepares you for what will happen in your future. Your job, your personal life… do your best and work hard.”
“That’s easy for you to say. You don’t have to slough your way through twenty pages of confusing mathematical problems!”
“Do not give up so fast, aibou. How about asking…”
“I did ask for help,” Yuugi interrupted him, getting fed up. “I asked Tanaka-sensei, I asked Anzu, I asked that super-intelligent kid who won the local math tournament, and they all explained it to me over and over again, and I just don’t get it!”
“You are smart enough to understand the problem, I just know you can do this.. is it really necessary to get so worked up about it?”
"Fine. Then you do it!"
"What? Do you want me to do your homework? But aibou.."
Yuugi wasn’t listening anymore. He retreated to his soul room and smacked the door close, something he had never done before. The Pharaoh was right of course, it wasn’t really necessary to get all worked up, but still… if he flunked math, he was going to be held back for a year, which meant that his friends would move up a class without him… and that was a thought he couldn’t stomach. Jounouchi, Anzu, Honda, Miho, Otogi… what if they all went ahead without him? Why did the one subject he was so terribly bad at, have to be so extremely important for his final grade? Oh no, he wasn’t going to cry now, was he? No wonder everyone kept picking on him. Why wasn’t he as strong as the Pharaoh? Yuugi drew his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around his legs, huddling himself. Maybe a private tutor or extra classes weren’t such a bad idea…
… and when he woke up, the alarm clock was blaring. He shut the clock off, and blinked a few times before realizing he was in his bed, clad in his pajamas, and his mother was calling out to him to get ready for school. He didn’t remember a thing about yesterday, like having dinner, or actually doing his homework… Yuugi saw that his book bag was neatly packed, and his desk was meticulously clean. There was no time to wonder, as his mother called for him again - he’d be late for school if he didn’t get moving.
Before he met up with his friends, Yuugi tried to talk to the Pharaoh, but he didn’t get an answer. It was even difficult to feel his presence, which worried Yuugi; but the Sennen Puzzle dangled safely around his neck, so he assumed the Pharaoh wasn’t gone, just unavailable at the moment.
“Good morning, Yuugi!”
“Good morning Anzu,” he smiled at the girl.
“Did you manage to get all of Tanaka-sensei’s work done?” she asked, a little worried. Yuugi
didn’t meet her eyes.
“I’m not sure,” he said.
“You’re not sure? But…”
“Jounouchi-kun! Honda-kun!” Yuugi waved at his other friends, who lazily crossed the road.
“Good morning, Yuugi, Anzu,” they greeted in unison. Before they could ask about the dreaded math class, Yuugi suggested they should get going. Not only was Tanaka-sensei’s class the first one of the day, he was also extremely strict and anyone being tardy, could count on even more homework. They hurried to school and were just in time; the bell started ringing. As soon as they entered the class room, they put their notebooks with the math work on the sensei’s desk. Heavy-hearted, Yuugi put his notebook on the growing pile; he hadn’t had time to look at it, but he was sure all the pages were empty. Anzu nudged him to hurry up, she could hear Tanaka’s footsteps in the hallway. Quickly, they all took their seat and after greeting the sensei, the students sat down and opened their books.
“Class, you will work on the assignment on page 231 while I start grading your work,” Tanaka said. “If you have done your homework well, you’ll notice that you won’t have any trouble with it.”
Yuugi groaned. Page 231 was indeed a continuation of the previous math problems and he hadn’t understood them at all… Anzu made a gesture that was supposed to reassure him. She would help him later, he figured… but right now, he stared blankly at the text and the assignment.
“Mutou-san, you stay after class.” Tanaka’s voice rang out and Yuugi all but flinched. He’d never heard the sensei so stern before, and Tanaka had the reputation of being the sternest teacher of Domino High. He was screwed, to put it crudely.
“We’ll be waiting for you,” Jounouchi said when the bell rang for the next class. Anzu shot him a compassionate look, and Yuugi tried to smile, but he failed miserably. Now he was the only student in the class, and he felt nauseous.
“Approach,” Tanaka said and Yuugi left his desk, leaving the last of his feelings of safety behind. Now he was going to get it… "Mutou-san, I'm glad you managed to do all your homework." His voice was sour. Apparently, Tanaka had been looking forward to tearing him a new one. "Though I thought you were pulling an elaborate prank on me. I'm not really charmed with the method you used to solve the equations. I taught you a better, faster way to work out the equations. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say this is almost like how Ancient Egyptians used to do their calculations. Maybe you thought you were funny, but you weren’t. Next time, you’ll do your work just as I taught you. You’re dismissed, Mutou-san.”
Yuugi all but ran out of the class room, feeling strangely relieved and amazed at the same time. He hadn’t failed his homework, his grade was safe! Somehow… oh, but he knew who he had to thank for that. A smile showed on his face, as he searched for a place where he couldn’t be disturbed. He slipped into an empty class room and sat down, closing his eyes as he retreated into his soul room again. Ignoring the scattered toys, Yuugi crossed the hallway and without hesitation he opened the door to the Pharaoh’s soul room, ending up in the familiar labyrinth.
"Mou hitori no boku?" Usually the Pharaoh would've showed up by now, but there was no one in sight.
"Mou hitori no boku," Yuugi repeated and started opening doors randomly. It didn’t take long for him to locate the right door; Yuugi found him on the floor, curled up and his hands tucked under his head. It looked like an uncomfortable position, and he wondered why the Pharaoh hadn't crossed over to his, Yuugi’s, soul room, with comfy stuffed animals, toys and a bed. The Pharaoh was asleep, so that was why he hadn't responded to the earlier call.
“Mou hitori no boku…” Yuugi kneeled next to him, gently brushing some wayward strands away from his face.
“B square is negative to the angles of triangle ACD,” he muttered, followed by a non-committal sound. He shifted just a little, as if to find a more comfortable position. Yuugi couldn’t help but chuckle, but kept the noise down. He took off his jacket and propped it under the Pharaoh’s head, as a makeshift pillow. Yuugi made sure the other was more comfortable, before straightening himself again.
“Thank you, sweet Pharaoh,” he said. Silently, he went back to his soul room to return to the real world; grateful, he vowed to ask for more help, no matter how boring or difficult math was.
