Chapter Text
"So!" I began, clapping my hands together brightly as I pirouetted, spinning around to face the others. "Where would you boys like me to take you first?"
It had been a scant handful of minutes since Chancellor Samejima had finished his speech. Ample time for the rest of the student body, as well as the faculty, to make themselves scarce. This left the four of us free to roam Academy Island at our leisure. Normally this would present a substantial issue, given the sheer size of our new home, but I had taken advantage of my early arrival to give the island a cursory examination. While I wouldn't claim to be an expert, I felt I at least possessed enough knowledge to act as an adequate tour guide for my friends. I was rather excited, to be honest. While my brief sojourn around the island yesterday had been fruitful, it had also been rather lonely, so I appreciated the second chance that Bastion and the others presented me with.
Unsurprisingly, it was Judai who broke the silence that met my question, Sho and Bastion choosing to actually consider their options before answering. “I dunno,” he replied, stifling a yawn with a clenched fist. “As long as we don’t have to stand around here anymore. I swear that Chancellor guy doesn’t stop talking, huh? I seriously thought my feet were gonna fall asleep on me.”
A small giggle slipped past my lips as I turned slightly, approaching the edge of the harbor, staring out across the waves as they gently broke against the hard concrete pier. “Well, I have a few options I could recommend,” I began as I slowly lowered myself down, feet dangling over the edge, so that my stylish, ankle-high boots dangled just above the quiet ocean waves. The other three followed suit, Judai flinging himself down next to me with reckless abandon, while Sho quietly slid down next to him. Bastion elected to sit next to me, although of the four of us, he was the only one with the good sense to remove his shoes and socks, allowing him to submerge his feet in the water directly. “First and foremost in my mind is the beach, naturally. It is admittedly a bit of a walk, but I believe it should be well worth the effort.”
“I’ll pass for now,” Bastion replied, wrinkling his nose in mild distaste. “I admit, a trip to the beach does sound rather fun, but I’d rather wait until I’ve settled in a bit more, especially if it’s that far away. I’d rather not risk dragging sand all the way across campus on the very first day.”
“That is a fair point,” I admitted, nodding along with Bastion’s reasoning. “I suppose if we are going to take a trip to the beach, it would be nice to dress appropriately. I put a lot of effort into smuggling my favorite bikinis past Mother, and it would be a shame to leave them gathering dust in my underwear drawer,” I sighed dramatically, slumping backwards onto the concrete surface beneath me, my hands resting behind my head. “Well, I suppose we can postpone a visit to the beach until everyone’s had time to settle in a little. But we absolutely must make the trip sometime. Duel Academy’s beach is simply picturesque, and it would be criminal not to take advantage of it while we have the opportunity.”
“I can imagine,” Bastion replied, nodding his head down to the waves gently brushing against his ankles. “If the water is even half as good as it is here, then I would be delighted to come along with you all some time. Although it will mean having to find swimwear from somewhere. I was unable to fit it into my budget before arriving.”
“Oh, that shouldn’t be an issue,” I replied. “I’m sure Duel Academy will have something for you. I can’t imagine a speedo costing anyone much of anything.” And if Duel Academy did end up charging Bastion for a swimming costume, I’d be more than willing to cover the cost. The eye candy would more than make up for it.
Although, if I wanted a real show while I sunbathed…
“That said,” I told Bastion, with deliberate nonchalance. “If you are a little short on cash, there is an alternative I could offer you.”
Bastion stared at me for a moment, eyebrow raised, before he replied, in a tone as dry and arid as a desert sandstorm, “Sorry to disappoint you, but I’m not going to skinny-dip.”
“I most certainly wasn’t going to suggest skinny-dipping, Bastion,” I said, not even bothering to try hiding my disdain for the mere concept. Seeing the matching looks of surprise shot my way, I elaborated with a roll of the eyes, “I tried it on several prior occasions. It’s nowhere near as fun as it looks.” One of those was a dare, and I have never been one to back down from a challenge. Another was a bet, something else that has always been somewhat of a weakness of mine. And the other…well, that one was just for fun, or so I had hoped. “And since we’re going to a beach it’s even worse,” I continued with a shudder. “Sand already has an unfortunate enough ability to get into places where it really shouldn’t. Subtracting clothes from the equation hardly improves on that.”
“I can imagine,” Bastion replied. “I don’t particularly want to, but I can. So what was your suggestion then?”
My smile grew. “Well, I was going to suggest I offer you one of my swimming costumes. I did bring several with me, after all. I have this absolutely darling two piece that I think would look absolutely wonderful on you.”
“I appreciate the offer, but I think I’ll pass,” Bastion replied, shaking his head with good humor. “Admittedly, it still sounds preferable to nothing at all, but I’ll take my chances with Duel Academy and see how it turns out.”
I sighed, turning over to Sho and Judai, responding with entirely fictitious hurt, “some people have no sense of adventure. What about you boys then? Is there anywhere the two of you would particularly like to visit today?”
After a moment of pause, it was Sho who spoke up, leaning past Judai in his desire to be heard. “Well, I mean, it doesn’t have to be today or anything, it’d probably be better to wait a while, now that I think about it. But I wouldn’t mind checking out the forest sometime. I grew up in the city most of my life, and it’d be cool to spread my wings a little, you know? See what I’ve been missing.”
“I could go for that,” Bastion replied. “I’ve always been an indoor sort of fellow myself too, but the chance to spend some time communing with nature does sound thrilling. Although, as you alluded to, I suspect it would require extensive preparation, certainly far more than a simple day at the beach.”
“Yeah, exactly!” Sho nodded, Bastion’s interest feeding his excitement. “Probably a week or two, I’d say. We’ll wanna plan a route, get some snacks together, some water, make sure everyone has a pair of comfy shoes. And we should probably let the teachers know we’re planning a hike, too. OH! And a camera! So we can get some nice photos on the way.”
To be completely honest, I was far less enthused by the idea of a long trek through a hot and sweaty jungle than an idyllic day relaxing by a cool, sandy beach, but I put those thoughts to one side. Sho was clearly excited about the concept of us all going hiking together, and what kind of friend would I be if I didn't indulge him?
And then Judai spoke, and I could see some of the excitement fade from Sho’s eyes, as well as a curious gleam in Bastion’s, much to my surprise. “Hey, if we’re going hiking, we gotta check out that sweet lookin’ volcano together, right? That’s gotta be like…a once in a lifetime opportunity or something, for sure.”
“Is that even possible?” Bastion asked inquisitively. “While I am aware that it technically qualifies as dormant, Academy Island’s volcano is still capable of erupting. I can’t imagine we’d be allowed to just walk up and take a look.”
“I’m sorry, WHAT?” Sho shrieked, leaping to his feet in panic. “What do you mean it’s ‘capable of erupting’? Who’d be dumb enough to build a school so close to an active volcano, especially when it’s on an island in the middle of nowhere?”
“Seto Kaiba,” I replied simply, which was all the answer Sho, or anyone needed. By now it was a well known fact that Seto Kaiba marched to the beat of his own drum, doing what he wanted, when he wanted, with scant regard for such petty trivialities as consequences. It was something I honestly respected about the man, although I recognized how truly fortunate the world was that he had devoted his life to entertainment, and steered Kaibacorp away from its original incarnation. “And even then, it’s not that uncommon for settlements to be located within close proximity to an active volcano. The Italian city of Naples, for example, lies fairly close to Mount Vesuvius, which has a history of eruptions as recent as the 1940’s.” My parents had taken me to Pompeii on one of our numerous trips to Italy (quite possibly my favorite country outside of my home one) over the years, and once such trip had taken me towards Naples, after I requested to be taken to the Anfiteatro Campano, one of the earliest gladiator schools on record.
“Exactly,” Bastion continued where I left off. “And while I admit there is a world of difference between a place like Academy Island and Italy, I am sure the faculty must have some kind of contingency in place in case of severe volcanic activity.”
“Oh, great,” Sho shot back, sarcasm dripping from his tongue. “Good to know Duel Academy managed to fix the problem they caused. Oh hey, maybe if we go up to Dr. Medici and ask him really nicely he’ll escort us to the active volcano himself?”
“Yo, that’s a great idea, man!” Judai replied, clapping his friend on the back eagerly. “I mean, maybe not Dr. Medici, guy seems like kinda a grumpus, you know? But maybe we can get another teacher to take us, and then they’ll have to let us go. And we already wanted to talk to them about going for a hike, so maybe we can make it a hike up to the volcano, and get them both done at once. Man, how sweet would it be to Duel on the top of an active volcano, huh?”
Sho shot him a look of skepticism, and, even with his burgeoning curiosity, I couldn’t help but notice a hint of hesitation in Bastion’s gaze as well. “Oh come on guys, it’s a volcano! An actual, real volcano. I’ve never seen one in real life before.”
“Mt. Fuji,” Sho replied, his voice utterly flat.
“Sure, I get how it sounds, but- wait, really? Mt. Fuji’s a volcano?” Judai asked, his own curiosity overtaking his eagerness as he looked down at Sho. “Alright, maybe I have seen one before, but still. You guys can’t tell me you’re not even a little interested?”
Sho sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly as he wilted in the face of Judai’s oppressive cheerfulness. “Okay, when you say it out loud, it does sound kinda cool. But…like you said, it’s a volcano, Judai. I still dunno if it’s a great idea for us to go wandering around up there.”
Bastion was silent for a good few seconds, staring at the water beneath his feet. Eventually, he pinched the bridge of his nose, let out a long-suffering sigh, and shook his head. “I cannot believe I am saying this, but I think Judai has a point. I admit, it does sound like it could be dangerous, but at the same time, truly unforgettable. I think I might regret it for the rest of my life if I did not seize this opportunity with both hands.”
“AWWW HELL YEAH!” Judai hollered, clapping his hands together as he literally jumped for joy. “Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about. Alright, what about you Other Yuki? It’s just you and Sho left. You in?”
Sho looked up at me, eyes shimmering as he wordlessly begged me to reject Judai’s proposal. To stick with something sane and reasonable, and not drag us to a volcano. And yet…
I couldn’t do it. I felt a small flash of guilt as I forced myself to turn my gaze away, looking instead towards Judai, who grinned expectantly. “I truly am sorry, Sho,” I said, seeing him wither away further out of the corner of my eye. “I think I agree with Bastion. I don’t think I could forgive myself if I didn’t at least ask the faculty if it was possible.”
Sho slumped back down onto the pier next to us, as Judai literally danced for joy around him. “Yeah, I get it. I don’t really blame you. Still…just my luck, huh? First new friends I make in forever, and their self-preservation skills are worse than mine.” He sighed deeply, shaking his head as he stared at his reflection in the water. “All right,” he said reluctantly. “I’m in. Let’s go see the volcano.”
Judai’s hollers of excitement reached new volumes, and I leant over and rested a supportive hand on Sho’s shoulder. “You don’t have to do this, Sho,” I told him gently. “If you’re genuinely not comfortable going to the volcano, then there’s no need to force yourself. I promise, none of us will think any less of you.”
“I…don’t wanna be left behind again,” Sho replied, shaking his head. “Before I met Judai, and then you guys, I didn’t have any friends. Not really. I mean, there were a few people who wanted to get close to Ryo, but none of them were ever really interested in me. As soon as he showed up, it was all over. I…don’t wanna risk that happening again. Not for anything. I’m coming with you.”
Judai stopped dancing, dropping down next to Sho and placing a firm hand on his shoulder. “Hey, c’mon man, you’re my buddy. I’m not gonna ditch you just ‘cos you say no to me every once in a while. Us Reds gotta stick together, remember?”
A small, melancholy smile flashed across Sho’s face, and he looked up at Judai, eyes alight with hope. “Yeah, Reds stick together. Thanks, Bro.” Then, his eyes sharpened, and for just a brief moment, I saw another flash of that something more that was hidden within Sho. “And if Reds stick together, that means I gotta come with you. Right?”
“Right!” Judai responded, pulling Sho in for a hug. “Atta boy, Sho. I knew you had it in you.” Releasing his friend, Judai pulled himself to his feet, pointing dramatically towards the island. “Alright! Sounds like we have a plan now. Hike to the volcano, get some sweet, sweet Dueling action in, and make sure to get some dope photos of us all at the top.” The tip of his finger drooped slightly, and Judai’s head slumped to match it. “Still leaves us with one other problem though.”
“What are we going to do now?” Bastion replied.
“Yeah.”
As one, three heads turned towards me expectantly, and I smiled, not willing to disappoint them. “Fear not, boys, because I do have one last suggestion for somewhere worth visiting today. And, unlike all of our previous ideas, I know that this will suit our needs quite nicely. While it may lack the excitement factor of an active volcano, Duel Academy naturally has a card shop located on campus, which I was fortunate enough to happen upon during my tour of the island yesterday. According to the woman who owns it, the card shop is not quite ready to receive customers yet, and she was searching for help with the finishing touches. There’s a handful of old Duel Monsters cards that require sorting, and I suspect any help would be greatly appreciated.”
“Man, you coulda just led with that, you know!” Judai proclaimed as he leapt to his feet. “That sounds totally sweet. I mean, I think I’d still rather Duel with Duel Monsters cards than sort ‘em out, but I’ll never turn down a chance to check out some new cards.”
Bastion nodded, pulling himself to his feet as he slipped his shoes back on. “I agree, I think that sounds like a wonderful way to spend an afternoon. I used to spend quite a lot of my free time sorting through bulk at the local game shops back home. There are always gems one can find if they are willing to be patient and methodical enough. Count me in.”
“As long as I don’t have to hear the word volcano again today, I’ll take anything,” Sho said, letting out a sigh of relief as he stood up to join us.
“Wonderful,” I smiled eagerly, striding forward towards the center of academy island. “Follow my lead, boys, and we should be there in no time.”
As predicted, our journey to the card shop passed quickly, and without any major incidents, for which I was immensely grateful. That’s not to say it was smooth sailing the entire way, as apparently my mere existence was too much for some members of Duel Academy to handle, judging from the unkind stares I received from multiple directions. ‘Although,’ I thought to myself as I turned to look at my compatriots, ‘I suppose I’m hardly doing myself any favors on that front.’
Thankfully, despite the badly concealed looks of disdain and desire (one of which was substantially more welcome than the other), nobody was willing to escalate further, and so the four of us walked through Duel Academy unmolested, our idle chatter filling the air.
Once we had arrived at our destination, I reached out with one hand, rapping smartly on the door three times, and waited for Ms. Tome to arrive. After a few seconds of waiting, the door began to swing open in front of us. The others craned their heads to get a peek inside, but before they could see anything, a friendly, middle-aged voice called from behind the still-opening door. “I’m afraid we’re not open yet,” Ms. Tome called in a stressed tone, before she could even see us. “Please come back tomorrow. I’d be more than happy to-”
Ms. Tome fell silent as she turned, before a friendly, welcoming smile broke out across her face as she noticed me brightening her doorway. “Why, hello again. It’s Yukino right? You stopped by for a quick chat yesterday?”
“Yes, Ms. Tome,” I replied smartly, stepping to one side to reveal Ms. Tome to the boys. Father would probably have described her as ‘homely’, a term that, while not inaccurate, certainly carried a dismissive air to it. Still, I had to admit that it was an improvement over Mother’s hypothetical response, which would have been to say nothing, and then immediately call her fat as soon as her back was turned. Which, again, was not an inaccurate description of the woman, but definitely one that felt singularly mean-spirited. While I admittedly did not find Ms. Tome personally attractive, in a world as vast and varied as ours, there was without a shadow of a doubt someone to whom she was the most beautiful person to ever walk the Earth.
And honestly, if even a small percentage of what I’d heard about Ms. Tome’s life when I’d knocked on her door yesterday had been true, then there may have been several people to whom that statement could apply. I had stopped by yesterday on my brief sojourn around Duel Academy, and while I had been disappointed to find the card shop closed, Ms. Tome had been good enough to allow me in for a drink while I helped her organize some shelves. One thing led to another and what was meant to be a five minute stop had turned into an entire afternoon spent with Ms. Tome, learning more about Duel Academy, its history, as well as her own place in it.
“It’s wonderful to see you again, Ms. Tome,” I continued, bowing somewhat stiffly in greeting. Bowing was not a gesture I was even remotely used to, but I felt it was one I might as well try adopting sooner rather than later. “My apologies for the intrusion, especially when you’re as busy as you are, but I was showing my new friends around Duel Academy, and once they heard there was a card shop on campus, they asked if they could come and have a look around.”
“Well, that’s very kind of you,” Ms. Tome replied warmly, before sighing and shaking her head, “but like I said, we’re closed for the day. I was hoping I’d be done by the time Hachi finished his speech, but I have a few boxes of stock that need sorting, not to mention all our old bulk. So I’m afraid there’s nothing I can do. I’d love to make a pot of tea and hear about your new friends, but I really don’t have the time today.”
“Yes, that’s actually why we’re here,” I said. “I mentioned to the boys that you were still in the process of preparing to receive customers, and that you had some old cards that would require sorting, and they offered to come by and assist you. I was thinking we could finish in time for classes to begin tomorrow, if nothing else?”
Ms. Tome’s eyes brightened, and she clasped my hands in delight. “That sounds absolutely wonderful!” she said, turning to include the others in her statement. “Thank you all so much. But are you sure? I’m sure you kids can think of better things to do with your last day of freedom than spending it hanging out with an old lady like me.”
“No, we really couldn’t,” Bastion replied dryly as he stepped forward, bowing in greeting, somehow making the move look fluid and natural compared to my clumsy attempt. “Several ideas were considered and dismissed before we all decided this one sounded the most suitable. Personally speaking, you’d be doing me a favor by allowing us to help you. I feel I’ve gotten a little rusty, so some practice will do me a world of good.” He rubbed his hands together, a gleeful look in his eyes. “I used to spend quite a few of my afternoons sorting through bulk back home, enough that ‘bulk-buster’ became my nickname in certain circles, so this feels wonderfully nostalgic.”
Ms. Tome sagged slightly, relief flooding through her ample frame. “Then please come in, all of you. I can’t tell you how grateful I am for your help. I’ve had a few students ask if we’re open yet, but nobody’s offered to help before now.” She stood to one side, and the four of us filed into her domain. “I wasn’t sure I’d be able to get everything done in time, but with the four of you helping, I think we stand a good chance. You really are lifesavers, you know that?”
“Nahh, nothing like that,” Judai laughed, pushing past me in his eagerness to get inside. “We’re just helpin’ out is all. It’s no big. Besides, I can’t think of much else I’d rather be doin’ right now. Well…maybe Dueling, I guess. But I mean, chilling with my new crew and cracking open a few packs together? That’s gotta be a close second. And I mean, a box of cards is just like a giant pack right? So that’s gotta be even better.”
“I mean, don’t thank me yet,” Sho replied softly as he slipped in. “I’ve never really been good at sorting through cards. I get too distracted by all the cool artwork. But like I said, anything’s better than the volcano.” Sho rolled up the sleeves of his red jacket as he slipped through the doorway and joined the others.
Ms. Tome laughed in sympathy, patting him on the shoulder as he walked past her. “Oh, you poor dear. Well, don’t you worry about a thing,” she said, looking over towards Bastion and Judai, a playful twinkle in her eye. “There’s a few like them every year, who want to go see the volcano for themselves. Hachi’s well equipped to handle it by now. He’ll help you lot figure something safe out.” Sho let out a small sigh of relief, and the pair of us walked in, Ms. Tome gently closing the door behind us. Ms. Tome clapped her hands together, drawing our attention as the noise rang out through the otherwise empty shop. “Alright, before we begin. Yukino, would you mind introducing me to your friends? Otherwise this is going to get complicated.”
“Of course, Ms. Tome,” I replied, stepping to one side and gesturing to each of the boys in turn. “This is Bastion, Judai and Sho. Boys, allow me to officially introduce you to Ms. Tome. She runs the card shop here at Duel Academy.”
Ms. Tome nodded appreciatively towards the boys, who all bowed in greeting again. “It’s lovely to meet you boys,” she said, smiling down at them beatifically. “I’m glad to see Yukino’s managed to make some friends already. After how some of the other students were talking about her…” Ms. Tome trailed off, shaking her head in disappointment. “Well, I’ll be having words with a few of their teachers about proper manners, let’s put it that way. I’m glad that you’re not letting them get you down.”
I shrugged dismissively. “It was less difficult than one might think. I cannot change people’s attitudes towards me any more than I can the weather. So why bother? My time is better spent focusing on matters of actual importance.” My eyes flicked over to my boys, and I smiled softly. “Other people are free to think what they like about me. It matters not.” That said, I had no intention of allowing Duel Academy to walk all over me. There was a fine line between being dismissive and being a doormat, after all. I would have to choose my battles wisely.
“That’s a wonderful attitude to have,” Ms. Tome replied, nodding approvingly as we joined the others. “Sometimes the only winning move is not to play. Besides,” she continued, resting a hand on my shoulder supportively, “I’ve been here long enough that I know how teenagers are. They’ll forget in a week or two. Now then,” she said, turning to Judai and Bastion. “I was hoping the two of you could do me a favor and fetch the bulk boxes from the back room? The door’s just through there,” she said, pointing to a non-descript wooden door behind the counter. “They’re all clearly marked up. You can’t miss them.”
Bastion and Judai nodded, and the pair moved quickly off into the back room, Ms. Tome not too far behind. As soon as the three of them were out of earshot, Sho slumped back into one of the chairs, a forlorn look on his face. “Meanwhile, I’m left here on the sidelines while everyone else does all the heavy lifting.” He shook his head. “I mean, I get it. When you’ve got guys with actual muscle around like those two, why would anyone bother with me? At least they don’t get offered booster seats when they go out to dinner. Now what am I supposed to do?” He asked, sliding further down the chair.
“Well,” I began slowly, resting a supportive hand on Sho’s leg and squeezing. “I understand it must feel frustrating, being pushed to one side like that. But that doesn’t make you useless by any metric. It just means that heavy lifting might not be your true calling.” I turned my gaze towards the table in front of us, Sho’s eyes following mine a second later. Wordlessly, we took in the pile of empty boxes, used cleaning products and various other paraphernalia that towered over us. “There are still things that Ms. Tome will need your help with. Like this table, for example, could definitely use a good cleaning. Unless, of course, you wanted to sit on the floor when the others return?” Sho shook his head, a small flicker of confidence in his eyes as he looked up at the pile of refuse looming over us. “There we go,” I said, squeezing Sho’s shoulder. “I do understand how easy it can be to fall into those kinds of thoughts, but remember what I said at the entrance exams? About self-defeatism?”
“The only person who loses to a self-defeating attitude is the person who has it?” Sho replied after a few seconds of silence.
“That’s…exactly right,” I said, unable to keep the surprise out of my voice at Sho being able to quote my own words back to me, verbatim. It was flattering to know that in spite of our unofficial first meeting, I had apparently left him with a positive opinion of me. “So,” I said as I reached down, gently toying with his hair, “what do you think we should do while we wait?”
Sho, who’s cheeks had turned slightly pink at the unexpected contact, coughed. “I-uh, I suppose we should start cleaning?”
“You suppose correctly,” I replied, turning to the pile in front of us. After a brief, mutual smile, we got to work.
It quickly became evident that what Sho lacked in Bastion and Judai’s raw physicality, he more than made up for with his incredible spatial reasoning. While I still helped to the best of my ability, I swiftly found myself relegated to passing items along for Sho to pack away in one of Ms. Tome’s storage boxes. As I watched Sho stack each box with maybe triple what I would have been able to fit inside it, I found myself lamenting the fact that he had been unable to assist me in packing for Duel Academy. I had no doubt that he would have been able to find room for some of my more clandestine possessions, far away from prying eyes. Regardless, Sho performed his job more than admirably, and by the time Ms. Tome returned with the others, her table had been rendered spotless, a hefty stack of boxes on the floor, next to a proud looking Sho.
“Oh, wow,” Ms. Tome said as she approached, her eyes wide with astonishment. “That looks fantastic! That table’s been filling up for days. I was worried I’d never be able to clean it up in time. Thank you both so much for doing that for me.”
“It was nothing, Ms. Tome,” I replied. “In all honesty, Sho here did most of the work. Any thanks should really go to him.”
Sho stiffened slightly as all attention fell on him, and he stuttered for a brief moment, before catching himself and nodding along. “R-Right. Yeah, that was me. Don’t worry about it.”
“Then thank you, Sho,” Ms. Tome replied, looking directly at him. “That was very kind of you.” She looked at the empty table, then the pile of boxes in front of her, before nodding. “Tell you what, as a thank you for doing all that, why don’t you come and help me prepare the tea, and we can leave these three to get started on setting up? I’ll even let you pick the flavor.”
My eyes widened in shock as I heard Ms. Tome’s offer. I had been here for maybe five hours yesterday, polishing off tea at a truly absurd rate, and not once had I chosen what flavor we were drinking. While it had rankled me a little towards the beginning, every pot of tea had been so sublime that my annoyance had dissipated with practically the first sip. For her to offer Sho his own choice of tea lent a certain amount of gravitas to her words that I suspect went over my friends’ heads.
“Sure,” Sho replied, eyes brightening. “Tea sounds awesome!” He looked over to the three of us, and a look of guilt shot across his face. “Although…I feel kinda bad just leaving everyone else to keep doing all the hard work while I’m off just fetching tea.”
“Just fetching tea?” Ms. Tome responded, her eyes wide with shock. “Just fetching tea? Ridiculous!” A firm unyielding hand clamped down on Sho’s shoulder as Ms. Tome fixed him with a piercing stare. “There is nothing more important when working than a nice, hot cup of tea. The position of tea-maker is one that carries with it the highest honor and importance, and any young man worth his salt should be proud to be allowed to make the tea. Why, back in the Muromachi period, when the traditional tea ceremony was invented, it was originally performed by samurai after returning from the battlefield, to try and restore peace and tranquility to their mind after the horrors of war. It wasn’t actually until the Meiji period in the late 1800’s that the tea ceremony was opened to women, and the tradition began to be seen as a more feminine one.” Ms. Tome shook her head in disappointment, her gaze lightening slightly. “Still, I suppose it isn’t your fault nobody’s taught you that.”
“No, no-one ever mentioned it before,” Sho replied, awestruck. “Samurai? Really? Like…actual samurai like in chanbara? With swords and stuff?”
“Are you a fan too?” Ms. Tome asked in delight. “You have to come around some time. We could have a Zatoichi marathon!” Sho nodded, looking delighted at the prospect, and the two disappeared off into a small room at the side, chattering away happily about samurai films the entire time.
As soon as they were out of earshot, Judai grinned, throwing his hands up in the air excitedly. “Aww hell yeah! Guess who just got free tea for the rest of the year?” Judai’s body moved in what could politely be called an approximation of dancing as he continued to express his delight at what seemed to be a new passion for Sho. “I’m tellin’ ya, you two gotta drop down to the Red dorm with us. Can you imagine how cool it’d be if we could just like…hang out all day?”
Bastion smiled, shaking his head in amusement. “I’m afraid I’ll have to pass. While I admit, being in the same dorm as you and Sho does sound like it could be quite entertaining, my intentions lie in rather the opposite direction.”
“Mine too,” I said, firmly in agreement with Bastion. “I’m afraid I must decline as well. Apologies, but while I am trying very hard not to care about the opinions of Duel Academy, present company notwithstanding, that doesn’t mean I intend to make their lives easier. Meaning I must put my best foot forward and climb to the top of this school's ladder. Maybe instead of us moving down with you,” I suggested gently, “you and Sho could try rising up to join us? I agree that I can’t think of a better way to spend my time at Duel Academy than standing at the top of it, with my friends by my side.”
“Ehhh, the whole ‘climbing through the ranks’ thing ain’t really for me,” Judai replied, to my disappointment. “I mean, I don’t really care what dorm I’m in, as long as I got you guys with me, so it might be worth goin’ for a promotion. But also, I really don’t care about what color jacket I wear, y’know? I know I’m good, so I don’t need to prove anything.”
I had to admit, I was more than a little envious of Judai’s attitude. He truly gave off the impression that he didn’t care what most people thought of him. It was the kind of attitude I was determined to cultivate for myself, and here Judai was, managing to make it appear effortless. I still needed to climb Duel Academy’s ranking system, for my probation if nothing else, but I had to admit that his philosophy had some merit.
My thoughts were interrupted by the timely arrival of Sho and Ms. Tome, two pots of steaming tea in their hands. Sho himself looked far happier and more confident than he had when he left, and he smiled shyly at me as he placed the pot down between the four of us. “It still needs to steep,” he admitted. “But Ms. Tome said it should be fine in a few minutes.” Over his shoulder, Ms. Tome nodded her approval, placing her own pot down next to his.
“That should be fine,” Bastion replied, rubbing his hands with glee as he stared at the large pile of boxes next to us. “While it does that, however, how would you like these boxes sorted? I assume alphabetically?”
Ms. Tome nodded. “I’ll be happy to get you kids some pen and paper in a minute, but I’ll also need a list of what’s in each box.”
“Alphabetized and cataloged. Understood.”
Ms. Tome sagged in relief. “Wonderful. If you need anything else as well, just say the word and I’ll do what I can. Otherwise, I’ll leave this in your capable hands. I’ve still got some budgeting to work on, as well as some new product to set out for tomorrow, and that kind of stuff I’d rather handle myself.”
The four of us nodded, and Ms. Tome departed, leaving the four of us to our own devices. I pulled a box in front of me and opened it, staring down at a jumbled pile of cards in front of me.
As the four of us commenced, it became apparent almost immediately that Bastion was by far the most experienced at this line of work. That’s not to say Sho and Judai were bad, not by any metric, but Bastion’s speed and efficiency was just in a different league to the three of us. I found myself watching in awe as Bastion neatly and professionally divided the contents of his box into four sections, before moving three of them to one side and swiftly sorting through the last one with laser-like focus.
“This would be much easier if I had my recorder with me,” he casually griped as soon as the first pile of cards in front of him had been sorted into a neat stack. While in reality it had probably been closer to three or four minutes, it felt like it had taken him all of ten seconds to neatly arrange the cards in front of him. Then, as if that wasn’t an impressive enough display of experience, Bastion picked up a pen and, without looking, began to note down every card in the pile. “Normally I just make an audio recording as I go through each bulk box,” he explained, placing the pen back down on the table and double-checking one particular card. “It means I can work on both organizing and noting down each card without ever having my tempo disrupted. Unfortunately, I left my recorder in my luggage, so I’m forced to work with slightly less effective methods.”
The three of us all stared at Bastion in awe, Sho and Judai’s small stack of maybe 20 cards suddenly dwarfed by Bastion having finished a quarter of his box. And as for me, I had barely begun, with my own pile barely leaving double digits.
“Damn, dude,” Judai said, leaning in as he stared incredulously at Bastion’s stack of cards. “How the hell did you make that look so easy? Feels like I’ve barely started, and you’re just plowin’ through these things like it’s nothing.”
“Practice,” Bastion replied with a casual shrug. “Money was…somewhat tight where I grew up, so I learned from a young age to make the most out of each and every pound I spent. I used to spend entire afternoons cross-referencing prices from across boroughs for a single card, to make sure my pennies stretched as far as possible. And time was almost as valuable a resource as money, especially when I only had a handful of hours a day to work with. As a result, boxes like this,” Bastion thumped the box in front of him, which was already halfway completed, “were some of my closest allies growing up. There’s always something worthwhile in them somewhere. Even if nothing in here suits my needs, they will suit someone’s, which benefits me eventually anyway. For example, take a look at this,” Bastion finished, pulling a card out of his current stack with a dramatic flourish, before delicately placing it on the table between the four of us.
“Whoa, is that-”
“Dude, no way. You actually found one of those in here?”
Hearing the expressions of shock from Sho and Judai, I quickly looked up from my embarrassingly small pile of sorted cards to the card currently resting in the center of the table.
And my jaw dropped, the handful of cards I had been working on slipping out of my grip and landing on the table in front of me. “I’m sorry, but is that a-”
“It is,” Bastion replied with a proud nod. “Deck Devastation Virus, and in quite good condition too, considering it’s been sitting in storage for who knows how long. As I said, there’s always something worthwhile in a bulk box.”
“You have got to be kidding me,” I said, my eyelid twitching slightly as I stared at the card in front of me, annoyance bleeding into my voice. “I spent over a hundred dollars on a single copy of that card a few months ago. And it’s available here for how much?”
“...Substantially less than that, I would wager,” Bastion replied, thankfully opting not to acknowledge the casual flaunting of my wealth, save for a slight quirk of one eyebrow. He picked up the copy of Deck Devastation Virus and placed it back in his pile, adding it to the list of cards. “If you want, I’d be more than happy to teach the three of you some of the lessons I learned growing up. Heaven knows more people my age could use a little fiscal responsibility.”
I winced. Maybe Bastion had taken it a little personally. “I admit, that might actually be good for me,” I acknowledged, fixing him with a wan smile. “I’m fortunate that my parents are still willing to financially support me after everything, but I suspect that won’t last forever. Starting to learn to look after myself early might do me some good.”
“Yes, I’m sure they left you practically destitute,” Bastion replied, although there was no real heat in his tone this time. He shot me a playful, slightly sarcastic smirk, and I felt myself relax against my chair slightly. It seems Bastion had taken my words for the apology they were. I let out a small laugh at his jibe, hiding it coquettishly behind one hand, and the four of us resumed working, Bastion swiftly moving onto his second box.
After a few minutes of dedicated focus, the other two having moved onto a second box of their own, Sho spoke up. “Hey-uh, Bastion. If you don’t wanna answer this, you don’t have to, but…how are you able to afford this place? I mean, I saw Ryo’s tuition fees, and this place isn’t cheap. If-well…I mean, if you’re…y’know-”
“If I’m poor,” Bastion replied, a hint of weariness in his tone. “Honestly Sho, it’s not a dirty word. I’m not ashamed of my financial situation or anything. But yes, under normal circumstances, you’d be correct, and Duel Academy would be well beyond my means. However, due to some…extenuating circumstances,” Bastion’s eyes flicked over to mine momentarily, only for him to swiftly look away as our gazes met, “there was a last-minute change of plans. The original recipient of the Generation Next scholarship had to turn down the offer to attend Duel Academy, and, as the runner-up in contention for the award, I was offered it in their stead. Needless to say, I accepted.”
It was only sheer willpower that stopped me from dropping the pile of cards in my hand for a second time. I gently placed them on the table in front of me as I took a second to process what I had just heard.
In retrospect, I really should have seen something like this coming eventually. The Generation Next scholarship had originally been my ticket into Duel Academy, a guaranteed place here until Graduation, as long as my grades and performance remained consistent. But then my predilection for rough treatment behind closed (and sometimes open) doors had been discovered, and Industrial Illusions had been forced to withdraw their offer, citing suitability issues. At that point, I had not given the GX Scholarship much thought, save the time it took to come to terms with my having lost it. But just because I was no longer eligible for it, it did not mean the scholarship had disappeared. Finding out that one of my new friends had been the recipient, however? That was a shock, to say the least.
And from the look Bastion had shot my way (one that had mercifully flown completely over Sho and Judai’s heads), he was well aware of this too. We locked eyes again briefly, and I saw a shadow of anxiety flit across his face.
Well, that simply wouldn't do. Bastion was my friend, and had zero reason to feel guilt for the situation we now found ourselves in. So I smiled at him, injecting it with as much warmth and friendliness as I could muster, willing desperately for him to understand that there were truly no hard feelings between us.
Thankfully, it seems I had nothing to be concerned about, if the slight relaxing of Bastion’s shoulders was any indication. He returned my smile and turned back to the other two, visibly more at ease than he had been a minute ago. “Anyway, that’s my story in a nutshell. If not for the GX Scholarship, then I would not be here. It’s a large part of why I cannot accept your offer to join you in Slifer Red, Judai. The GX scholarship carries certain stipulations I must fulfill if I wish to stay. Dropping down to Slifer Red would almost certainly lead to my immediate expulsion. As would ending the first year still in Ra Yellow. It’s Blue or bust for me, I’m afraid. Which means I need to prove myself against the best,” Bastion said, eyes sharpening as he stared at myself and Judai. “So you can expect official statements of challenge coming your way. Both of you.”
For quite possibly the first time since the U.S Nationals, I felt the rush of adrenaline from a proper challenge flood through my veins. Judging by the look in Judai’s eyes, I wasn’t alone in that either. While I was unsure that Bastion (or any student at Duel Academy, for that matter), was capable of handling my tournament deck, there was no doubt in my mind that Bastion would be able to provide me a truly thrilling Duel regardless. The understanding he’d displayed of the game at the entrance exam was impeccable, possibly even superior to mine, as surprising as that was to admit. And based on what I’d heard about his performance in the DBC, his deck-building skills were second to none.
“Then I look forward to our match, Bastion, and by the look on Judai’s face, I think he does too,” I said, laughing gently. “I missed your entrance exam, so I am excited to see what you are capable of.”
“Then I suppose in the interest of fairness, I shall have to Duel Judai first,” Bastion replied confidently. “Give you some time to analyze my strategy.” He pushed his second box of cards to one side, long before I had even finished my first. “Still, I believe that’s enough about me. I would like to know a little more about you three, if you don't mind?”
“Not at all, darling,” I smirked. “I am a little surprised though. I would have thought the three of you had heard enough about me to fill several books by now, even if some of it is complete fiction.”
“Oh no, I’ve definitely heard more about your so-called exploits than I ever thought humanly possible,” Bastion sighed, shaking his head in disgust. “But as you said, a significant portion of it is balderdash anyway, so I hardly feel it worth mentioning.”
I closed the lid on my first box, staring down at it in contemplation. “You raise a fair point,” I admitted. After all, I knew the boys had some misconceptions about my situation, given the amount of apocryphal information that had made its way across the island with the kind of speed only teenage gossip is truly capable of. It might be good to clear the air, and make sure the three had an accurate understanding of my situation. I drummed my fingers against the table for a few seconds, before nodding, my snow-white curls bouncing with the movement.
“It all happened a few weeks ago,” I began. “Shortly before I was set to graduate from Junior High and enter Duel Academy.” I made sure to omit any mention of the GX Scholarship. That was probably best discussed with Bastion first and foremost. “As you have no doubt heard by now, I was caught in flagrante delicto with one of my classmates on school premises.” I paused for a moment, mentally chastising myself as I spotted the look of confusion on Sho and Judai’s face. Of course they wouldn’t know what that meant. The two might have an impressively solid grasp of English, but that obviously, and understandably, didn’t stretch to Latin.
“It means a member of staff walked in on us fucking,” I explained bluntly, not bothering to hide my smirk as Sho’s cheeks immediately began to burn a bright crimson at my candidness. “As it happens, one of my teachers left something behind, and when they came to retrieve it, noticed that the lights in the locker room were on well after it would have been acceptable for us to be there, even if we hadn't been performing the horizontal tango.” Judai winced, exhaling between his teeth, and I nodded. “Believe me, it gets worse,” I continued. “See, the teacher in question was concerned about the possibility of a break-in. Which, given that we had recently been forced to expel one of my classmates for stealing from people’s bags during gym class, was not an unfounded concern. So, that incident fresh in her mind, my teacher decided to phone security.”
“Oh my God,” Bastion murmured under his breath.
I smirked. I couldn’t help it. The opportunity was far too good. “Funny,” I quipped, winking at him, “that’s what I was saying when my teacher walked in.” I laughed in delight as my playful jibe had the intended result on two of my friends, Sho’s and Bastion’s cheeks growing bright red as realization sank in. Judai merely laughed along with me, tea spraying from his mouth as he pounded the table in amusement. I stared quizzically at him for a moment, before shaking my head and continuing.
“Anyway,” I said, irritation spiking as I recalled how the next few days progressed, “there I was, having a grand old time when my English teacher, as well as several members of security, walked in on us. Ruined one of my biggest fantasies and everything. I’m almost more upset about that than I am about being expelled.” The looks quickly shifted back to skepticism and I sighed, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear, forcing myself to calm down. “No, I suppose that’s inaccurate. But I am still upset about it. Anyway, the next morning I find out I’ve been expelled, the only one who was, might I add. Kent walked away with a mere suspension. And then my parents found out, not just about myself and Kent, but about the fact that I’d been sexually active for quite some time now. As you can imagine, they were not happy when they learned this, nor were my so-called friends, none of whom have spoken to me since. And of course, most of my future educational prospects were up in smoke as well. All except for one,” I finished, gesturing a hand around me. “Duel Academy still accepted me, albeit with some extra provisions. So I guess it could have been a lot worse. And at least now, I have nothing to hide. And that’s my story, really,” I said, shrugging as I returned my attention to the box in front of me. “Probably not quite as salacious as the rest of the school has made it sound, is it?”
“I dunno, man, sounds pretty spicy to me,” Judai said with a laugh, sliding a completed box to one side. “Alright, guess it’s my turn then, huh? Don’t really know where to begin though,” he said, leaning back on his chair, staring up at the ceiling in reflection for a few seconds. “I mean, never really been good at talking about this kinda stuff, you know? Not that I don’t want to,” he swiftly clarified, “I just literally don’t know how to start. Most of my childhood’s kinda blurry, remember?”
“Yes, you did say something to that effect,” Bastion admitted. “I had forgotten about it until you mentioned it though.”
“Right,” Judai continued. “So like, I do wanna talk about it, I just don’t really remember much until I was like…seven, maybe eight? Makes it hard to know where to start, you know? Although…I suppose the fact that I don’t remember a lot is probably a good place to start.”
“Well, what do you remember?” Bastion asked, leaning forward in his curiosity.
Judai clicked his tongue. “Dunno, really. There’s only two things I kinda remember, and one of them’s hazy anyway. I think it was something about a friend I once had?” Judai paused, scratching his head for a second, before shaking it and shrugging. “Nahh, it’s gone again. I'm pretty sure they existed, but I don’t remember anything about them. Hell, I don’t even remember if they were a guy or a girl.” Even as Judai chuckled, he looked almost…melancholy about the entire affair. “Ehh,” he said, shrugging again, his eyes brightening once more, “not like it really matters. If I forgot, it can’t really be that important or anything.” Judai reached down to his belt, pulling out a deck of cards and placing them face-up in front of him.
“The other thing is these,” he said. “I’ll never forget the first time I picked up a Duel Monsters deck. It’s funny. I don’t remember anything else about that Duel. Who it was against, whether I won or not, or even what I was actually playing. I just remember that feeling when I drew my first ever starting hand.” Judai looked down at the deck in front of him, an almost reverential look on his face. “I remember feeling like I’d never really been alive before then, you know? Like…my whole life had just been a dream, or somebody else’s or something. Then I drew that first card, and it all felt real all of a sudden. Honestly, it still kinda feels that way sometimes. Not as badly, obviously, but when I’m Dueling, I feel more connected to what’s happening around me. Like I know for sure that everything is real. And then the Duel’s over, and it all just…fades again. Still there, but the world just feels a little quieter when I’m not Dueling. I dunno how to explain it, or why it happens, that’s just how it is for me. Has been as far back as I can remember.”
Silence fell over the table as Judai finished. How was I supposed to respond to something like that? How were any of us? While I had known that Judai was an amnesiac, it wasn’t until that second that the impact of what that meant began to sink in. For there to be a period spanning nearly half of Judai’s life that consisted of nothing more than a hazy blur, apart from nebulous memories of a person of indeterminate gender who may not even exist, and the memories of a single card game? The fact that Judai managed to maintain his upbeat, optimistic attitude was incredible.
“Come on guys, don’t look at me like that,” Judai groused, waving off the looks of sympathy radiating from every direction. “Like I said, it probably wasn’t that important or anything. I mean, how much do you guys remember about bein’ a kid?”
That was not an unreasonable point, I was forced to admit, even if there was a world of difference between merely forgetting something and retrograde amnesia.
“That’s true,” Bastion replied, verbalizing my own thoughts before I got the chance to, “but there’s a difference between not remembering something and honest-to-god amnesia.”
“I mean, yeah, I guess,” came Judai’s eloquent response, before he shrugged once more. “I mean, I guess it’d be pretty cool to figure out what I’m forgetting, but like I said, if it happens, it happens, you know? Not really much point worryin’ about stuff like that. I got better things on my mind. Like Duel Monsters, or you guys,” Judai concluded, smiling warmly at the three of us. I felt a huge rush of affection for Judai at his words. It had been so long since my expulsion I had almost forgotten what it felt like to have friends.
“I guess it’s my turn then, huh?” Sho asked dourly, pushing a finished box to one side. “Just my luck to be the guy who’s gotta follow that up.”
“Sho, you know you don’t have to share anything, right?” I asked tenderly. “Just because myself and Judai discussed our own history so personally, that doesn’t mean you need to force yourself to try and match us.”
“Yukino’s right,” Bastion concurred. “I honestly didn’t expect them to be so open either. I was mostly expecting to break the ice a little, learn everyone’s hobbies and interests, what brought them to Duel Academy, that sort of thing. I suppose I did get the answers I was looking for, after a fashion, but I would wager these two are cut from a different cloth than most of the other students here.” Bastion quickly turned to me, eyes laced with amusement as he added, “Still not a gambler, Yukino.”
I sighed dramatically, rolling my eyes and feigning offense, pulling a weak chuckle from Sho at our byplay. “Yeah, I guess that’s fair,” he admitted, looking down at the cards in his hand. “Still just…feels like I’m not really that interesting, you know? And having to follow up on all three of you talking about how varied your lives are, I just feel kinda boring I guess.”
“We have a phrase back home, Sho,” I replied gently. “It simply says, ‘may you live in interesting times.’ Does it sound familiar at all?” Sho shook his head, and I continued. “Back home it normally carried a sense of irony about it. The idea is that a life full of interesting times can be rather tumultuous, as interesting doesn’t always necessarily equal good. While a boring life can feel somewhat stagnant at times, it’s also safe, free of any significant hindrances, which cannot always be said about those who lived in interesting times.” Sho’s eyes hardened slightly, and I held up a hand to forestall his inevitable response. “That does not mean that your life was free of difficulty, of course, nor that my life was full of one hardship after the next.” I felt rather than saw Bastion’s sigh of relief next to me, and the corner of my mouth twitched upwards in a slight smirk. “Credit me with slightly better perception than that, Bastion. I am well aware I have led quite a charmed life until now, the last few weeks notwithstanding. My general point is that there’s nothing to be ashamed of in having led a quiet, simple life, since it tends to come with its own sets of benefits that more ‘interesting’ people cannot boast.”
“Yeah, I guess that’s true,” Sho admitted, still not sounding entirely convinced. “I just…sometimes wish my life had been a little bigger, you know? It’s just…after Ryo, I never really felt like I stood out very much. Everything came so easy to him. School, Duel Monsters, girls. He made it all look so effortless. And then I came along. Nothing ever worked for me like it did Ryo. I was never as smart as him, or as good at Dueling as him, and I wasn’t anywhere near as popular as him either. Sometimes it felt like even my own parents preferred Ryo over me, not that I blame them or anything,” Sho said sadly, the last fragment coming out in a low mutter. “I just…I never thought I’d really amount to much, but I figured if I was ever going to show I was just as good as Ryo, then Duel Academy was my last chance to prove it. And even after all that, I still ended up stuck in Red.”
“So what?” Judai replied bluntly, shocking Sho into silence for a moment. “I mean yeah, you’re in Red, but you know how many applicants Duel Academy accepts each year? It’s what, like 200? And you’re one of ‘em. That’s still pretty good, dude. Sure, you’re havin’ trouble, but only compared to the best of the best our age, right?”
Sho shook his head bitterly. “Sorry, but I’ve heard that one before,” he said. “My last school told me something similar too many times to count. There’s only so many times you can hear someone tell you you’d be smart anywhere else before it stops meaning anything.”
I felt a pang of sympathy towards the poor boy, and quickly reached out, resting my hand over his affectionately. Sho didn’t respond to the physical contact, a sign of just how forlorn he must have been feeling. “I can’t imagine how hard that must have been,” I said. While my school had operated under similar principles, I had always been in the top percentile of my year, so Sho’s plight was something I had never had to consider before. “If there’s anything I can do to help you improve, just say the word.”
“Seconded,” Bastion nodded. “I’d be happy to help whenever you need it.”
“Are…you guys sure?” Sho asked. “Won’t I just get in the way of your own study?”
“Not even remotely,” Bastion replied, shaking his head. “We actually have another proverb for this situation. ‘Docendo Discimus.’ Loosely translated, it means, ‘by teaching, we learn.’ Teaching you will force me to adjust how I think about Duel Monsters as a game, learn new perspectives and strategies, brush up on fundamentals that may have fallen by the wayside, or some of the lesser used and more complex strategies Duelists can employ, thereby enhancing my own understanding of the game. As such, while I would of course be happy to help even if I didn’t benefit from it, the fact that I can do so allows me to help you without cutting into my own studies.”
“C'mon man, we’re friends. Of course we’re gonna help you out,” Judai said cheerfully. “And I mean, I know I’m not much good at the whole study thing, but I’ll always be nearby if you ever wanna throw down and test something out. I don’t care when it is, either. You wanna wake me up at 2am to Duel, you better know I’m down to clown.”
Sho sniffled, hurriedly wiping a sleeve across his face as support poured in from all sides. “T-Thanks, guys. I-uh…I guess I can’t really say no after all that, can I? I mean, I still don’t know if I’ll ever catch up to Ryo,” he admitted, fixing his now-clean glasses back in place, “but I have to try. Otherwise, I’m the only one who loses, right?” He asked me with a shy, cautious smile. “Only problem is, I don’t really know where to start.”
Bastion thought for a minute, hands moving almost of their own accord as he continued sorting cards. “Well,” he began slowly, “the first thing I’d recommend you consider is what I always ask myself when I build a new deck. How do I aim to win a game of Duel Monsters?”
“Win Duel Monsters?” Sho asked. “I just need to make my opponent’s life points reach zero, don’t I?”
“Most of the time, yes,” Bastion admitted, inclining his head fractionally. “But more to the point, how exactly does your deck plan to do that? Allow me to offer a few practical examples. Let’s start with Dr. Medici, and the deck he used to Duel Judai during the entrance exam. Quite an impressive Duel, might I add,” Bastion said, nodding respectfully towards Judai, who grinned eagerly. “Now, Dr. Medici uses the Ancient Gear series of monsters, best represented by the card Ancient Gear Golem, a monster with attack power equivalent to the legendary Blue Eyes White Dragon. A deck like that wields raw attack power like a sledgehammer, boasting several other monsters with an obscene damage output, such as Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Dragon, or their fusion monster, Ultimate Ancient Gear Golem. It might not be my own preferred style for more aggressive decks, but I cannot argue with the results, nor can I claim that Dr. Medici isn’t an expert in his chosen field.
Of course,” Bastion continued, a hand disappearing into his jacket, reappearing moments later with a deck of his own, which he placed face-up for all to see, “some players prefer a more aggressive control strategy, like this one. While admittedly not an entirely original composition, I have been working on it periodically over the years, adjusting and modifying it to suit my needs, until it feels distinctly like my own creation. Unlike the Ancient Gears, it doesn’t have a shared name amongst all the cards, but practitioners of this style refer to it as the ‘Counter Fairy’ deck. This deck seeks to limit my opponents options and resources, wearing them down over time in a battle of attrition, until they are forced to either admit defeat or run out of life points. Still not my personal favorite playstyle, but it can definitely be quite nasty if used effectively.”
I raised an eyebrow. What Bastion was doing was not necessarily unprecedented, but definitely far from the norm. While a Duelists deck would always become public knowledge eventually, Duelists still rarely shared their secrets so openly, knowing just how easily the information could be used against them. “Bastion,” I called quietly, as Sho looked through the deck Bastion had placed in front of him. “Are you sure you’re comfortable sharing all this with us? You know what we could do with this information, right?”
“Trust me, I’m well aware,” Bastion replied with a confident smirk. “And while your concern is appreciated, I’m not worried. The Counter Fairy style is already a known quantity, so I’m just catching Sho up to the wider Dueling community. Besides,” he said, his smirk growing to the point that it could only be described as devilish. Well, either that or incredibly attractive. “What gave you the impression that I only have one deck?” He reached into his shirt once more, a second set of cards finding its way onto the table. “Which,” he said, raising his voice slightly, “brings me to my third example, and quite possibly my own personal deck of choice.”
Even a brief examination could tell me the cards I was currently staring at were in incredibly poor condition, with dog-eared corners, signs of water damage and even the odd crease present on nearly every card in one form or another. “This,” Bastion said, gently sliding the deck in front of me, “was the first serious deck I ever built, and it has carried me to an uncountable number of victories over the years.” Gingerly, I pulled the deck over towards me, and with great care not to damage any of Bastion’s cards further, drew the top card, turning it over so it revealed itself to me.
“Great Shogun Shien,” I murmured under my breath, looking down at the weather-beaten card. Great Shogun Shien stared back at me, his glowing red eyes sending a shiver down my spine. Somehow, I couldn’t help but feel that I was being…judged, somehow. Worse still, judged and found wanting.
And that was when the wailing began. It started relatively softly at first. A low, rumbled keening that echoed through every fiber of my being, seemingly coming from everywhere and nowhere all at once. I felt the wrist that held Shien begin to shake as the mournful screaming filled me with both deep, unending dread and terrible, soul-crushing sorrow all at once. The background noise of the world around me slowly faded, the boys’ idle conversation, Ms. Tome humming to herself as she worked, even the sound of my blood rushing through my ears, or air leaving my lungs. All of it was gone, replaced only with that hellish wail.
And then, it grew louder.
And louder.
And louder still, growing in intensity and volume with each passing second, as if whatever creature was making this eerie, incomprehensible wailing was growing closer and closer with each passing second.
And then, I felt something press down on my shoulder and I screamed. Great Shogun Shien flew out of my hand, landing back down on the table face-up, those damnable fucking eyes still staring at me. Still judging me for some unknowable sin I had committed. I whirled around, fists clenched and eyes wide with terror as I prepared to face whatever monstrosity had appeared behind me.
And then I froze, as I found myself staring at the round, worried face of Ms. Tome, whose hand had reached up and was pressed against my forehead, her eyes radiating concern. “You don’t seem to have a temperature. Yukino dear, what happened? Are you okay?”
It was like a spell had been broken. As soon as the first words left Ms. Tome’s mouth, the screaming stopped, and the world started to turn again. I could hear my heart beating…no, not just beating. Hammering in my chest like the beats of a ferocious war drum. I could hear my deep, ragged breaths as I fought to regain some semblance of control over myself. “D-Did none of you hear that?” I stammered out, looking wildly around the room. The five of us were still the only people in Ms. Tome’s shop, and I collapsed into my chair, curled hair dangling loosely in front of my wide, terrified eyes. “I-I know I heard someone screaming. I swear it.”
Bastion knelt down next to me, resting a hand on my shoulder. I leant into his touch, hoping it would anchor me back out of whatever cruel nightmare I had just escaped from. “I didn’t hear anything,” he replied seriously. “None of us did.” He looked over at Sho and Judai for affirmation.
“I didn’t hear anything either,” Sho confirmed, eyes darting around the room, then back to me, concern writ plain across his face. “All I saw was Bastion handing you his deck, you drawing the top card and then you just…froze.”
“I…froze?” I asked, my voice a timid, plaintive whimper.
Bastion nodded. “For close to a minute,” he replied. “You just sat there, staring at Great Shogun Shien. We tried calling out to you, but you didn’t respond. Then Ms. Tome came by, and…well-”
“As soon as I touched you, you started screaming,” Ms. Tome said, thrusting a cup of tea into my hands. I took it, and inhaled, the warm, soothing scent of jasmine filling my nostrils. I tipped the cup back and swallowed its contents in one fell swoop, the scalding heat reminding me that I was still alive. “And no, I didn't hear anything either. Did you get enough sleep last night, Yukino? Do you need me to call the nurse?”
Now that Ms. Tome mentioned it, last night’s sleep had been distinctly sub-par. While my new room was wonderful, it definitely wasn’t what I was used to, and the unfamiliar environment had kept me awake most of the night, staring at the ceiling as I desperately longed for sleep. Maybe she was right. Maybe I’d just been hearing things, or…or fallen asleep or something. Nobody else seemed to have heard anything, right? So maybe…maybe my mind was just playing tricks on me. That had to have been it. It was impossible for me to have been the only person to hear that noise.
But then…why had it all felt so real? Great Shogun Shien’s judgmental stare, the feeling of dread that washed over me as we locked eyes, that unearthly, bone-rattling scream that even now still lingered in my ears, the last fragments of that haunting wail tormenting me even after it had stopped.
No.
I hadn’t imagined it. I don’t know what happened, but I know it was real.
“I…suppose I might just be tired,” I said, unwilling to meet anyone’s eyes, knowing even as I said the words that they were a lie. “I admit, my sleep last night was rather sub-optimal. Maybe…Maybe I did just zone out for a moment. Apologies for giving you all a fright.” Even to my ears, the words sounded hollow. I took one last deep, ragged breath in, and plastered a fake smile on my face. It wasn’t hard. I’d spent most of my life doing so.
“Okay,” Bastion said as he stood up. “As luck would have it, we’re just about done here, so if you wanted, we could escort you back to the Yellow dorm so you can get some rest?”
“No!” I replied sharply, before forcing my nerves to settle. “No,” I repeated, in a slightly calmer tone. “Not that I don’t appreciate the offer, but I’ll be fine.” More importantly, I really didn't want to be alone right now, stuck by myself in a large empty room with nothing but the memories of that unending scream to keep me company. “I think I still haven’t fully settled into my new home,” I said, which was technically true. “I’ve always struggled to adapt to changing time zones. And besides,” I said, in an admittedly poor attempt at a distraction, “I’d rather not accidentally sleep through the welcoming ceremony. I’ve heard such wonderful things about Professor Sartyr’s cooking. Not to mention what the other Yellows would say.”
Bastion stared at me skeptically for a second, before he acquiesced, nodding as he and Ms. Tome pulled me to my feet. “Very well,” he said, as I attempted to stand, my legs still shaking. He hooked his arm under mine, and with some help from Ms. Tome, the five of us made our way over to the door, Judai and Sho hovering close by, in case something else happened.
“Thank you for helping with those boxes,” Ms. Tome said as we prepared to leave. “If it hadn’t been for your four, I would have had to leave these unsorted for the school year. It would have taken me weeks to move and catalog all these cards by myself. But thanks to you, they’ll be ready to go by tomorrow. Speaking of, make sure you stop by sometime, I’ll have a little something set aside for each of you.” She turned to me, stepping forward and wrapping her arms around me in a gentle, tender hug. “Thanks for bringing them, dear. And you take care of yourself, you hear? Make sure you have something to drink, and get plenty of rest for tomorrow. And don’t forget to come and see me if you need anything, okay?”
I nodded, leaning almost subconsciously into Ms. Tome’s embrace. “Of course,” I muttered quietly, my voice still trembling. “Thank you for having us.” Ms. Tome smiled wryly at me, and I felt a small pang of longing as she released me.
“Oh, it was my pleasure dear,” she replied. “You just make sure to go and enjoy your last day of freedom, alright. And make sure to look after each other.” Ms. Tome asked, the pointed look she gave Sho, Bastion and Judai making her intentions abundantly clear. They nodded, and bade her farewell.
Bastion took the lead as the four of us headed back through Duel Academy, loudly insisting on wanting to find the classrooms for tomorrow's lessons as soon as possible. After checking if I was okay to walk on my own, he strode on ahead, Sho hurrying to keep up with his focused, determined strides. Judai and I strolled behind, Judai using the other’s brief disappearance as an excuse to fall in step next to me. “Man, am I glad that’s over with,” he sighed. “Things got pretty heavy at the end there. Not to mention loud, you know? Makes me wish I’d brought a pair of earplugs.”
I turned, my head snapping over to Judai so quickly it was a miracle that I managed not to break anything. “Judai,” I asked hesitantly, my eyes wide. “Does that mean…you heard it too? The screaming?”
“Yeah,” Judai replied with a grimace. “They’re not normally that bad either. Trust me, I’ve been hearin’ that kinda stuff as long as I can remember. Whatever was making that sound, it’s not happy.”
Wonderful.
I’d always hated horror movies.