Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Follow the Dragon ❯ Chapter Three ( Chapter 3 )

“Follow the Dragon”

Written and edited by: JoeysGal and F_D_C2003

Rating: NC17

Genre: Comedy/Drama/Hentai/Romance/Shounen

Type: Continuation

Credits to: Various websites and books on China and my friend Erin who previewed my draft and liked it ^_^

 

JoeysGal: Okie dokie, I know it's been a while now, but finding time to write - and do it well - in my hectic schedule gets a bit pressing sometimes. I'm pretty happy with this chapter, so I hope you guys will be too. On to reviewer responses!

 

Sugar_Shinimegami: You really do that? XD Omg! I never knew people did that. You must really like my writing then, huh? That's great! ^__^ thanks for the reviews!

 

Dragonlady222: I figured all the characters had to have something a bit different about them. I guess that's what makes this fic somewhat AU, but you've got to admit that if I went along with how they really are in the series, it would make the whole story a bit gay. Marik ranting on and on and on about world domination while he pounds Malik into the mattress? I don't think so.

 

Lo: I thought I'd try and spend as much time with each individual character as I could; that's what gives a story depth, after all. Detail is very important, to me. You might find me focusing a lot on what they eat, wear, their expressions, tones of voice, etc. Hope you enjoy this one!

 

F_D_C2003: OMFGGG!! I can't believe you ACTUALLY reviewed! Yatta!! ^0^ Yesh, the Yami jokes never die, for they are classics. Thankies for reading, I really hope you do like this next chapter. It's the build up to the drama that is yet to come! :D

 

**

 

Chapter Three

 

 

**

 

“I win, again.”

 

“How is it possible that you beat me every freakin' time?!”

 

Otogi grinned smugly. “Guess I'm just a natural, huh?”

 

“Yeah,” Honda mumbled in defeat. “But I play this game, like, every day, and most of the characters that I choose are up to Shihan level! I know their moves inside-out, upside-down and back-to-front.”

 

“Oh, don't be a sore loser, Honda. You can't be good at everything, you know!” Otogi mock-gloated, then laughed cheerfully, putting the Play Station controller down and making his way to the kitchen.

 

“Oh, that's fair coming from you!” Honda yelled after him. “Mr. `I-excel-at-whatever-I-put-my-mind-to'!”

 

The green-eyed boy flushed, remembering the small speech he had given at prize giving a couple of weeks ago for his outstanding performance in the athletics day finals. He had won trophies for swimming, of course, and the 100m sprint relays. He had, of course, gotten his words jumbled from being so nervous, talking in front of the entire school, and hadn't meant to say that he excelled in everything he put his mind to. Rather, he was supposed to say that hard practice and confidence within himself had made him do so well on the day.

 

Honda got up and followed him to the kitchen. “So, you ready to take on `the Arab'?”

 

Otogi chuckled. “You really must stop calling Malik that.”

 

“What? It's not like I'm being racist or anything.”

 

“It still sounds obnoxious. And, for your information, I'm sort of looking forward to having him as my partner.”

 

Honda put on the jug to boil. “I gotta say, I'm almost relieved to have Anzu. She's pretty easy-going, compared to some of the other people in our class.”

 

“Doesn't she get on your nerves, at all?”

 

“Every now and then,” Honda replied. “But we've been friends for so long, now, it doesn't seem to faze me much anymore.”

 

“I guess she's not so bad now,” Otogi replied, putting some noodles into a pot and covering them with boiling water. “Although, I can only handle so much of her. It seemed like she had this weird obsession with her friends a while back…”

 

“I think that might have just been a phase,” Honda countered. “When Yuugi and Jou and I became friends with her, she was a bit insecure to start with; it was like she was scared to lose us, or something. Yuugi reassured her that we wouldn't desert her, though.”

 

“Do you think she's hot?” Otogi asked.

 

Honda faltered. “Uh… not really. Maybe when I first met her, but I don't really see her in that light anymore.”

 

“Any girls you do think are hot?” Otogi smirked, draining his noodles.

 

Honda shrugged. “Sure. Miho has always been hot to me. Too bad she moved to Nagoya.”

 

“What about Shizuka?”

 

“Oh my God, one word for her - `slut'!” Honda exclaimed.

 

Otogi bellowed with laughter. “Dude, I just never get tired of mentioning her name around you.”

 

“I just can't believe how much she's changed. She's nothing like how she was when I first met her at all! Ever since she started high school here, she's turned into a complete hussy - don't' tell Jou I said that!”

 

“Whatever, you're just all bitter and twisted because she cheated on you.”

 

“We went out for a week - a week! How could someone cheat on someone they've only been dating for, for one, measly, stinking week?!”

 

Otogi was chuckling quietly to himself. After giving Shizuka his phone number after the end of the Battle City Tournament, and never hearing back from her, he decided to take it in his stride. She was young, and uninterested, and - let's face it - Otogi could have whomever he desired. Honda, on the contrary, was determined to succeed in wooing the auburn-haired beauty, and when he finally did, he ended up severely disappointed. When Shizuka turned 14 and Honda was 16, she finally gave in and decided to date him. It had to be the happiest week of Honda's life, until Shizuka apparently became bored, or changed her mind, or both, and went for someone else.

 

“Anyone else you can think of?” Otogi asked as he sat back down on the couch, slurping his noodles.

 

“Hmm… Are we talking about girls who we could actually get, or just any girls in particular?”

 

“Any - guys, too, if you want.”

 

“Dude!” Honda shrieked, going red.

 

Otogi laughed. He had always known that Honda was a strict heterosexual. “Relax, I'm kidding.”

 

“So, back to girls. Let me think… Mai Kujaku - God, I dreamed about that woman for months.”

 

“I think we all did, secretly.” Otogi replied.

 

“Damn Jounouchi! That blond hair of his makes the girls weak at the knees.” Honda griped with envy. “If he can pull Mai - which he did, if not for very long - he can pull anyone.”

 

“Come on, man. It's not like we were hit by the ugly stick when we were born, you know.” Otogi said, being narcissistic as usual.

 

“I don't know. It's been so long since I've had a girlfriend, I'm thinking maybe I should just give up for a while. I don't know what I'm doing wrong.”

 

“I don't think you're doing anything wrong,” Otogi said casually. “Maybe you should think outside the square; try another source.”

 

Honda frowned at the implied meaning. “I'm totally cool with you being bi, Otogi, but honestly, it's not for me. I don't see myself ever going that way.”

 

The dark-haired boy shrugged. “Don't deny til you try.”

 

“Not gonna happen.”

 

“We'll see about that.”

 

“Dude!” Honda cried, tackling the other boy playfully.

 

“I'm joking! I'm joking!” Otogi gasped as Honda mock-strangled him. “Let me go,”

 

“Say sorry,”

 

“No.”

 

“Say sorry and I'll let you go.”

 

“Dude! Get off of me!”

 

“Say it!”

 

“Dude!”

 

“Dude!”

 

“I'm choking!”

 

“Say it!”

 

“IT!”

 

“Argh!”

 

Honda reluctantly released the squirming boy and chortled. “You may beat my ass at Tekken, but you are no match for my brute strength!”

 

“`Brute' would be right.” Otogi muttered, rubbing his neck.

 

“Hey!”

 

After their light-hearted rough-housing, the two boys settled down with their evening meals and watched television for a while. Honda was thinking about how this might be the last time they get to relax alone together - just watching TV and chilling out -for quite some time. They had both become quite close after they had met, and the Battle City Tournament had only brought them closer together. They both knew that the others were amused by their antics in pursuing Shizuka, which kept everyone's moods a little lighter, their minds temporarily taken off of the grave situation they knew they were in.

 

Ever since then, the boys had kept as close friends. Jounouchi was pleased, most of all, since he knew - with a stab of shame - that he had somewhat neglected his friendship with Honda since he had become friends with Yuugi. It was nice to see one of his closest friends be with someone that he got along with so well. Sure, they all got along well in general as a group, but everyone had someone that they stuck with most of the time. For instance, Ryou and Malik were fundamentally inseparable; Anzu and Yuugi still spent a lot of time together, and Otogi and Honda did pretty much everything together as well. Jou, however, flitted between everyone, and they didn't mind one bit. In fact, nobody really disliked Jounouchi; except, of course, for Kaiba.

 

“Do you think Chinese girls are hot?” Honda suddenly asked.

 

“There are a few nice ones,” Otogi replied. “I haven't really met that many.”

 

Honda smirked to himself. “I'm going to find me a hot Chinese girl while we're over there.”

 

“And break her heart by having to leave the next day? Dude, we're only going to be staying in the same place for like, three or four days, tops, before moving on again.”

 

“So?”

 

“So, you're just going to use her?”

 

“Yeah, I guess.”

 

“You do that, then.” Otogi sounded less than amused.

 

Honda frowned. “Why the hostility, Ryuuj'?”

 

“I just think it's unethical to lead someone on, use them, and discard of them like… like this pocky wrapper, here.” The green-eyed boy replied, picking up the pocky wrapper along with the other trash that littered his coffee table, and taking it to the kitchen.

 

Honda sighed. “I'm sorry… You're right; you shouldn't use people like that. It's just that I'm so sick of jerkin' off all the time! I feel like a virgin again, or something.”

 

“Like I said, you can always broaden your horizons.”

 

“I dunno,” Honda replied hesitantly. “It's just so not… me.”

 

“Let me quiz you, then. Out of us guys, who do you think is more attractive?”

 

Honda narrowed his eyes. This was definitely out of his comfort zone. “By `us guys', who do you mean?”

 

“If you had to choose out of, say, me, Jou, Malik, Ryou, Yuugi - or those other three freaks, who would you choose?”

 

Honda didn't particularly care for any of them. Thinking about it, though, Jou was far too close a friend for Honda to judge; Malik, well, he was certainly good-looking, God forbid Honda ever said that; Ryou was cute but not what Honda would go for, and Yuugi was just… Yuugi. Their yamis, on the contrary, were technically not even alive human beings, so they didn't count in Honda's mind.

 

“Do I really have to answer?”

 

“Yes! Now hurry up, my favourite show is on in a minute.”

 

“If I had to choose - and you do realise I'm saying this in the most manly, heterosexual way possible - it would be you. And not because I'm sucking up. And not because I'm dropping a hint!”

 

Otogi's cheeks glowed. “Really?”

 

“Yeah,”

 

“Why me?”

 

Honda grimaced. “Because you asked!”

 

“Thanks.” Otogi replied with a shy smile, making his way back toward the couch.

 

“That's…okay?” Honda was confused. He had known for a long time that Otogi was bi, but they hadn't often spoken openly about it. He suddenly realised that he had embarrassed Otogi by choosing him. “Why, who would you choose?”

 

“That's for me to know, and you to find out.” Otogi said with an accentuated smirk.

 

Honda flushed and said no more. He wasn't entirely sure what to suppose of that statement, but decided to shrug it off. Otogi knew what would be at stake if he crossed the line, and knew when enough was enough. Honda, on the other hand, would one day have pummeled any male who tried to touch him inappropriately into the ground, but now, he started to think otherwise. Yuugi had convinced him to keep an open mind throughout the Battle City Tournament, so why not about this, too? He certainly didn't judge his other friends for their chosen ways, but now he was starting to expand on the idea. What had made Otogi decide to be bi? What sort of chemistry made Malik flirt with Ryou so much? What was it about Kaiba that rubbed Jou up the wrong way all the time? All these ideas were starting to become too much for Honda.

 

Maybe I'll just put the idea to rest, for now. Honda thought stoically. Otogi is my best friend; I don't want to jeopardize our friendship, and I'm sure he doesn't, either. But what did he mean by `that's for me to know and you to find out'? Does that mean he finds me most attractive? Man! This is so totally bogus!

 

**

 

“What do you think it will be like, Yami?”

 

The dark spirit, levitating slightly beside Yuugi on the bed, shrugged a little. “I'm not sure, Yuugi. I've never been to China.”

 

“Do you think it will be much like here?”

 

“I don't know much about the modern world, aibou. In my day as Pharaoh, China was almost unheard of. We knew about a great and prosperous kingdom to the East, but the legends we heard of it were considered myth. Nobody had ever made it there and back in their lifetime to prove anything.”

 

“Wow… It must have taken years to travel from Egypt to China by foot!” Yuugi marveled.

 

“Yes… I remember one day, a boy - a commoner - declared that he was going to travel to the East and return to tell of his journeys. He did go, of course, but never did come back.”

 

A chill ran down Yuugi's spine. “I know I shouldn't be worried about this trip, but I have a feeling that something's going to happen. Something bad.”

 

“I don't think you have anything to worry about, aibou. I'm here to protect you if anything happens, remember?”

 

“Some things are beyond even your control though, Yami.” Yuugi replied, sitting up.

 

Yami frowned. “What sort of `bad things' do you think might happen?”

 

“I don't know. I just have a feeling that Bakura and Marik are going to cause trouble… and we all know how Jou feels about being with Kaiba. I guess I'm just worried for him.”

 

“You shouldn't always put others before yourself, Yuugi. Let their problems stay their problems.” Yami said. “But for now, you should probably get some rest. You have a long day, tomorrow.”

 

“You're probably right, Yami.” Yuugi said, getting up to change. “I've got to stop worrying about everyone else, and concentrate on myself for once!”

 

“That's right,” Yami smiled as his light hopped into bed.

 

Yuugi smiled back at the almost mirror-image staring at him. An affectionate, fuzzy feeling overcame him. “Well, goodnight, Yami.”

 

Yami nodded. “See you in the morning, aibou.” The spirit winked at his other half before disappearing into the Puzzle.

 

Yuugi rolled over, lying awake for a while, staring at nothing, but thinking a million thoughts. He wasn't quite sure what was making him so nervous about the upcoming trip. He should be excited, like everyone else. In a way he was - he couldn't wait to go, but something was niggling at the back of his mind, like an itch that he could not scratch.

 

For some reason he had always had a feeling when something wasn't right. It was obvious that there was a sinister atmosphere to both the Duelist Kingdom and Battle City tournaments - there was evil lurking around every blind corner. But the feeling of apprehension Yuugi had at the moment was like a shadow creeping over him more and more, slowly consuming him.

 

I'm so glad I've got Yami with me. Yuugi thought, closing his eyes. I can't imagine being without him, now. He's been with me for over four years, now… I can't even remember what I was doing before I got the Sennen Puzzle! I don't know what I would do without him… Suddenly a cold fear gripped him, a fear worse than he could ever remember. What would happen if Yami disappeared? He's me… he's part of me…Would I…would I die? Without him? Nobody can live without their soul. But then, how did I live before we found each other?

 

Yuugi decided then and there that he never wanted to part with the darker side of his being. He never wanted Yami to leave. Come Hell or high water, Yuugi and Yami would stay bound as one, for eternity.

 

**

 

Sleepy brown eyes cracked open a smidgen, quickly shutting again as daylight flooded in. Jounouchi groaned and rolled over in bed, wondering vaguely what time it was. Things that he knew he had to do today slowly turned over in his mind, and he smiled, knowing that today was the day he left for China. He suddenly felt excited and threw the covers off of his half-naked body, leaping out of bed.

 

“Hello world!” he shrieked, throwing open his blinds. He pulled on a pair of long pyjama pants and pranced out the door down the hallway, humming a tuneful hum on his way to the kitchen.

 

Jin sat at the table drinking green tea and reading the newspaper. A cigarette was in his right hand. “Ichi Rittoru no Namida by Remioromen?”

 

Jou quirked an eyebrow. “How do you know that song?” he asked as he sat down next to his father.

 

“They play it at work all the time. One of the younger chefs brings in his CDs quite a lot, and Remioromen seems to be his favourite at the moment.” Jin replied, sipping his tea.

 

“Can you still take me to the airport tonight?” Jou asked.

 

“Yeah, that's why I took the day off.” Jin replied. “Thought we could go for lunch or something. I won't get to see you for three weeks, you know.”

 

“Your shout?”

 

“Isn't it always?”

 

Jou grinned cheekily. “I'll go get ready.”

 

**

 

Jounouchi and Jin ended up at one of their favourite restaurants in one of the many enormous malls that Domino had to offer. It was a small Cambodian noodle house that offered Khmer-style cuisine*, and their food was delicious. Although it was tucked away in a quieter corner of the mall underground, it seemed very popular. Jou remembered coming to this place even as a young boy. The mouth-watering aromas of satay, chilli, spring onion and other mysterious flavours filled the air as the two men walked in and found a table.

 

“So, you excited?” Jin asked as the waitress took their orders and went back to the kitchen.

 

“What do you think? Of course I am! It's going to be the first real overseas trip I go on, Dad. I've been waiting so long for this day.” Jou replied.

 

“China's a big place, boy.” Jin said solemnly. “I want you to be very, very careful. You never know what could happen. It's bigger and a lot more dangerous than here in Japan, you know.”

 

“I'll be fine, Dad. I'm travelling with my class, remember? It's not like I'll be by myself.”

 

“I know, Katsuya. I know that you're not a kid anymore, but you mean so much to me. You're the only thing I've got left, now that your mother and Shizuka don't want anything to do with me.” Jin replied, looking down at the table.

 

Jou knew that his father was sensitive about their past family issues and was still hurting from it. Shizuka had been the apple of his eye before Jou's mother - Satsuki - decided to up and leave. It had been painful for everyone - Shizuka didn't want to go with their mother and Jou and Jin didn't want to leave her, either. But they had no choice. Jin had struggled with alcohol abuse for many years before the divorce. But it wasn't because he was ever violent toward Satsuki or his children that made her leave - it was because he made them broke. Money that should have gone toward food or bills was often spent on Jin's habit, and Satsuki had had enough.

 

Jin knew he had screwed up. After Satsuki had left, he felt like he had been left in the dust - an alcoholic with a ten-year-old boy to raise on his own, with no money and a job in a small bar that paid stones. Even though Jou and Shizuka knew that their father had a problem, they still loved him to death. Satsuki was a strict, controlling, yet beautiful woman, but she had no idea about loving or bonding with her children. Jin was kind, generous, and loved his children more than life itself.

 

It wasn't until Jin's current boss found out about his situation that things began to turn around. He suggested Jin attended free Alcoholics Anonymous meetings in the city after work, in which Jin decided to try out. After two months of the meetings, going twice a week, Jin became less and less dependant on the addictive drink. After staying clean, Jin was now able to afford to pay for food and other vital necessities to keep Jounouchi well-cared for. Jin's boss was so proud of him that he gave him a promotion - from bar attendant to kitchen hand - where he then learnt how to prepare meals. He enjoyed it so much that he decided to start attending a hospitality course where he soon qualified as a professional chef.

 

Jin was sad to leave his old work once he found a new job. But the new job - working as a chef at a teppen yaki restaurant - offered many opportunities. Better money; nicer, newer house; new clothes and shoes, and it was something that Jin loved doing. The most important aspect, however, was that his son was happy. Jounouchi was the reason that had brought Jin from rags to riches, as one might put it, and he owed him the world.

 

“Shizuka wants to see you, Pop. She just doesn't know how to go about it. It's been so long since she's seen you.” Jou said.

 

“How is she these days?” Jin asked, being careful not to bring up the subject of Jou's mother. He knew Jou had had an aversion to her ever since she left. Satsuki had said that every time she looked at her son, all she saw was Jin, and she couldn't stand it. Jounouchi, of course, had felt hurt and rejected. He wanted nothing to do with his mother ever again.

 

“She's good. She's doing really well at school; she's popular, she's the top of her class. I think she's happy.”

 

“That's good to hear, really good. I'm pleased she's doing well.”

 

There was a strained silence between them as the waitress came back with their meals. Jounouchi chose what he usually did when he came here - the spicy satay chicken soup with rice noodles and mungbean sprouts; Jin opted for the seafood noodle soup flavoured with traditional Cambodian spices.

 

“I'm going to miss you once you're gone,” Jin said after a time. “I haven't been on my own for a while - it's always been you and me.”

 

“Come on, Pop. It's not like I'm going away forever.” Jou reminded. “You'll be fine while I'm away.”

 

“I just worried so much last time when you went up on that blimp with that Kaiba kid. You put yourself in so much danger up there.”

 

“But this is different; it's a school trip, Dad.” Jounouchi reassured. “Seriously, stop worrying.”

 

Jin strained to smile. “You know I love you, son.”

 

“I love you too, pop.”

 

 

**

 

*= OK, if you haven't tried Cambodian food, I highly recommend it. Not only is it cheap, quick and filling, it's absolutely delicious! You might need to be adventurous though, some of the food can be very spicy!

 

JoeysGal: What did ya'll think of that? I thought I'd end it with a sweet conclusion, just to make you all feel mushy ^0^ May the warm and fuzzy feeling be with you!