My name is Yugi Motou. The International Champion for a card game known as Duel Monsters. People who duel call me the King of Games. But unlike any other sort of royalty, it doesn't come with many privileges… More like pains if you ask me. I love duelling… but for the fun of it. Not to prove I am still the King of Games.
I attend high school like any other sixteen year old. I have to do homework and study. I even have a part time job… Lucky me… I work for my Grandpa at his game shop. I'm small for my age so I seem to attract bullies by the bundle. Joey always says I look weak and that's why they are attracted to me… How can someone like me not look weak?
Anyway, today we're hanging out after school. Arcade… Maybe the mall… We haven't actually decided on where yet. But they insist that they want to spend some quality time with me before Joey and I go to the big tournament that is being held in Tokyo.
Oh! I should explain who Joey is. Joey Wheeler is a blond American who moved to Japan while I was in high school. He's a bully turned protector/best friend. I can trust him with anything. I have other friends as well… Tristan Taylor, a dark brown haired guy, use to be another bully. He and Joey were friends and bullied me together before I stood up to Ushio for them. Then there is Tea Gardener, a brown haired, blue eyed girl who seems to be mother hen of the group. When us boys get hurt, she's always fussing over us. My group of friends is small but tight knit.
I have two other friends who are more penpals as I haven't seen them in a long time. Ryou, Malik, and I grew up together. We were so close that our parents would tell us they would have to surgically separate us in order to take us home for the night. Ryou Bakura is an albino boy who moved to England with his parents as the weather there is kinder on his skin. Malik Ishtar, on the other hand, is in Egypt with his brother and sister. They moved there after their parents died. Initially it was supposed to be only for a month but things became complicated for him and they have delayed their return indefinitely. I receive a letter from them every week and I write back as soon as I get one.
I also have a rival. He is a rich boy by the name of Seto Kaiba, CEO of Kaiba Corp. He's been trying to win my title as King of Games ever since I earned it so many years ago. I suppose you could call him a friend as he has helped me out on occasion but he challenges me to duels more than he offers to help.
Anyway, I digress. I've been waiting for my friends at the school gates for a while now and I get the sneaking suspicion someone is watching me. I can feel that creepy crawly feeling you get up your spine when you know someone is staring at your back intently. This stare is intense, almost like lasers. But I can't see who is doing the staring.
"What's eating you Yug'," Joey always catches me in a headlock. He seems to enjoy it for some reason or another. "You look… I dunno… Paranoid."
"I just feel like I'm being watched," I replied with a sigh. I give a shiver and a smile. "I'm probably just imagining it."
"More than likely dude," Tristan gives me a slap on the back. Always for support but always almost knocks me over in the process. "I don't see anyone staring at you here."
"And if they were," Tea rests her hand on mine. I don't mind when she does that… She's the only girl who cares for me in that way. "It would be because you are the undefeated King of Games. Staring at you in awe!"
"Awe?" Yugi stared at her in disbelief. "It would more likely be judgemental. Trying to decide if I look weak enough to be defeated in a duel." He waved his hand at them to prevent any further discussion on the point. "It's probably just me over thinking things again."
"So have you decided what you're going to do next year?" Joey asked. I had yet to choose my electives for next year and was procrastinating over it. "I was thinking of taking up economics."
"Despite being bad at math?" I asked slyly. "I'm considering taking subjects that will help with an archaeology degree."
"So Ancient History, Religion, and Modern History." Tea supplied before arching her eyebrow at Joey. "And the day you do economics would be the day Yugi marries another man."
I laughed nervously at that. I realised I was gay a good while ago. None of my friends know this. I guess they assume I am as straight as an arrow. I don't know if I will ever have the courage to tell them. It was then that I saw a pair of crimson eyes looking my way… More like staring at me intently.
"Don't look now," Tristan hissed softly at us. "The Sennen partners are staring at us." It was well known that Yami and Atemu Sennen were married despite being in high school. They somehow managed to get permission from the government… I have no idea how they managed it but they did. "I wonder what got their attention."
Me… I thought with a gulp. They were the most popular guys in the school and the object of my unrequited affections. I've never acted on my feelings because they are together and knowledge of my affections would be a burden… not to mention unwanted. But I don't understand why they were staring at me.
"Unless you want something," Joey yelled at them, breaking their staring. "Leave!" The glare they gave Joey could of killed him if they had the power to. "It's not nice to stare." They left without once looking back at me.
"Annoying bastards," Joey grumbled before looking at me. "I suppose they were the ones that were staring at you. Made you feel really uncomfortable… I can see it."
"Yeah… I guess…" I shook my head trying to shake the uneasiness from my mind. "Where do you guys want to go?"
"Mall?" Tea asked, her eyes lighting up. "There is a new store that just opened up there!"
"Girly?" Tristan asked a little suspicious.
"I heard of that one," I said feeling myself a bit happier for the change in topic. "It's called Mizuya. It's a restaurant slash karaoke bar. Been meaning to check it out."
"I know right!" Tea said jumping up and down. "We could ask Serenity, Duke, and Mokuba to join us. It'll be fun!"
"Anywhere Mokuba goes, Seto will follow." I said with a sly hint at Joey. "I doubt he will let Mokuba out of his sight for any length of time."
"Let's give them a call and see if they can make it then," Joey said whipping out his phone. "I'll call Serenity." Tea called Duke and I called Mokuba.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I sat on the couch listening to Tea sing The Technicolour Phase by Owl City. The song was kind of creepy in a way as it describes someone being almost stalker-ish. It really made me think of how Yami and Atemu always pop up unexpectedly near me… particularly the line 'You can go anywhere you wish cause I'll be there wherever you are'. I sighed, closed my eyes, and leaned back just letting the music wash over me.
"Yug?" Joey sounded concerned. "You ok?"
"Just tired Joey," I replied with my eyes still closed. "It's good to unwind a bit." I paused before asking. "Do you believe in reincarnation?"
"Not sure about all that mystical stuff, Yug." he said. I felt him move closer to me as Tea flopped down on the seat. The opening notes of I Write Sins not Tragedies by PANIC! At the Disco before Tristan started singing. Not a song I would of really picked him singing but whatever, each to their own.
"I'm not sure of it as well but I keep getting dreams, sometimes even memories, of someone who looks like me," I sat up and watched Tristan dance oddly to the music as he sang. "You know how you were all amazed that I could play a flute?" Joey nodded quickly, urging me to continue. "I didn't learn it. I knew it. I have a memory of me wearing a shenti from Ancient Egypt and playing the flute for two royals."
"The tune you played was from that memory?" Joey asked quietly. Tristan handed me the microphone and I smiled up at him before turning to Joey and nodded. "I'll explain a bit more when I get back."
I got up and flicked through the song list finding a song I felt I needed to really sing. Almost a statement really. The first few notes of Affirmation by Savage Garden began to play and the range of reactions from my friends was almost amusing. During the song I felt someone staring at me again, I looked up to see a familiar pair of crimson eyes watching me through the small overhead window. I closed my eyes and continued to sing, trying to block out the feeling.
Taking a deep breath, I open my eyes and look up at them as I sing "I believe forgiveness is the key to your unhappiness." And continued looking around to by friends until I felt the need to look up at them once more to sing, "I believe in love surviving death into eternity!" Something told me that they two needed those lines as much as I needed to sing this song. Another strong urge forced me to look up and sing, "I believe you don't know what you've got until you say goodbye." I sang the last few words before handing Mokuba the microphone and sat down next to Joey.
"You looked distracted there Yug," Joey commented quietly.
"It seems Yami and Atemu are not finished staring at me yet," I mumbled softly. Joey reached up and shut the blinds on the window. "I don't know why they seem so intent on watching me."
"Perhaps one of us should walk you home this evening," Joey replied, his voice was full of concern. "I don't like how those two seem to always be near you, Yug."
"I'll be fine to walk on my own," I replied, forcing my voice to sound more confident than I felt. "They haven't followed me home before."
"If you say so…"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Part of me was really regretting to taking Joey up on his offer. I ran from the sound of wings behind me. Someone… correction… something was following me and it sounded huge!
I fall over and turn around in time to see a pair of crimson eyes and giant bat wings before everything fell into darkness.
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