Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Follow the Dragon ❯ Chapter Eleven ( Chapter 11 )

“Follow the Dragon”

Written and edited by: JoeysGal

Rating: NC17

Genre: Comedy/Drama/Hentai/Romance/Shounen

Type: Continuation

Credits to: Various websites and books on China, Hong Kong and Japan.

 

DISCLAIMER: Anything you read about in this fic, I DO NOT OWN! I merely use real-life things to make the fic more realistic and believable. I also make no money off of writing this… imagine the possibilities if I was…

 

**

 

JoeysGal: Damn, it must be a miracle for me to post two chapters within weeks of each other!! xD I must say I am quite proud of myself, especially since this is (I think) one of, if not the, longest chapter yet. Enjoy peoples, and, as always, expect the unexpected!!!

 

Etsuyo: Hey, even though you haven't reviewed for a while, or posted up any of yours, I'm still gonna talk to you via… this xD I hope everything's OK with you atm O_o

 

FDC: Girl, what the hell has happened to you!? I haven't heard from you in ages! Anyway I hope are well and I also hope you review this cause it shall boost my ego and make me happy xD ^0^

 

JoeysGal: Just in case you haven't realised it yet…

 

+|+ = dream sequence

// // = yami talking to hikari (via mind link)

/ / = hikari talking to yami (via mind link)

 

 

 

 

Chapter Eleven

 

**

 

“Due to the storm last night, I'm afraid some of the activities on our itinerary have had to have been cancelled.” Matsuri-sensei announced over breakfast.

 

Jou - who was sitting as far away from Kaiba as possible - felt a twinge of disappointment. They were booked in for a harbour cruise at mid-morning which he was sure would be one of the activities that had been cancelled. It was still rather windy outside and the harbour was choppy and full of wreckage that ranged from demolished boats to car doors, tyres, aluminum roofs and more.

 

“We will, however, be going to Jumbo Kingdom for dinner tonight, at five o'clock, provided it wasn't damaged at all.”

 

“Ooh! I've heard about that place! It's got like, three restaurants!” Anzu piped up. “I wondered if we would be going there while we were here.”

 

“What is Jumbo Kingdom?” Honda inquired.

 

“Jumbo Kingdom is… well, it's like a boat, with lots of floors, and on it is several restaurants, a tea garden, and much more.” Matsuri-sensei attempted to explain.

 

“So it's basically like a floating mall?” Malik asked.

 

“Yes, I suppose you could say that.” Matsuri-sensei replied. “Also, instead of taking a train to Guangzhou as we planned earlier, we will be taking a short domestic flight direct to Guilin, our next destination, later this evening.”

 

Some of the students cheered; others complained that they were put off flying after the turbulent flight from Japan. Jounouchi couldn't have cared either way; he was an easy traveler. It was only the jetlag that bothered him on long-haul flights. Otherwise, he was never found to get motion sickness or any other such side-effect of travelling. He actually quite enjoyed road-trips. He was still excited about going snowboarding when he got back home - the drive to Hokkaido was an adventure in itself. He wasn't sure if he and Honda would be taking his motorbike like last time, though. It might be more comfortable - and probably safer - to go in a car this time round, especially if the snow on the roads was thick.

 

“So what will we be doing until we go to Jumbo Kingdom?” one student inquired.

 

“Well, what else is there to do when you've got free time?” the woman said with a glint in her eye. “Shopping, of course!”

 

Anzu literally squealed with delight. “Finally! And we get the whole day!”

 

“I thought we'd never get the chance!” Jou cried.

 

Matsuri-sensei laughed with delight. “You are allowed to go on three conditions - one: you stay in a group at all times; two: you meet the other teachers and I at the hotel lobby at four-thirty at the latest; and three: you each take a map of the city from the hotel reception desk so you don't get lost.”

 

“Do we have to stay in our buddy pairs, too?” Otogi asked.

 

“Not for this activity,” she replied. “But don't go off wandering on your own, okay?”

 

There was a moment of excited chatter before Matsuri-sensei was able to conclude her instructions.

 

“I expect you to have a great time, but please don't get lost and watch yourselves in the street - there could be more damage done than you think. I will be available on my cell-phone or in my hotel room if anybody should need me.”

 

With that said, the woman made her exit, leaving the students buzzing with anticipation about getting to spend a day at their own leisure.

 

“Where are we going to go first?” Honda asked, energetically.

 

“The arcades!” Jou cried.

 

“I want to see if there are any card shops here!” Yuugi said.

 

“I'm going to check out Louis Vuitton - have you seen the size of the one here?!” Anzu said breathlessly.

 

“Wait, wait, wait.” Ryou said, ever the voice of reason. “We'll have to compromise, because we'll have to stay in a group. We can't go to all the places at once.”

 

“He's right,” Yuugi concurred. “Why don't we write down where we want to go on scraps of paper and pull them out of a hat?”

 

It was a lame idea, truth be told, but nobody could think of any better way to do it, or be bothered arguing. After both scraps of paper and a hat were obtained, Yuugi drew the first one. “Designer shopping.” He said, his face dropping somewhat.

 

“Yes! I've waited long enough for this day to come!” Anzu exclaimed, tears of elation brimming on her eyes.

 

Clearly unimpressed, the boys and Anzu `broke camp', so to speak, and were very shortly out the door, maps in-hand, following the jubilant young woman down the street. After dodging haphazard debris, such as a wooden beam (that had once supported a roof) nearly succeeding in impaling Ryou's head, the cluster of Japanese students made it to the enormous department store. The giant gold `LV' emblem above the door shone luminously in the sunlight that was just now breaking through the clouds. Anzu, with stars in her eyes, looked as though she had just walked through the gates of heaven. With not a moment to spare, she thrust herself through the doors.

 

“Dude,” Honda said. “I don't think I've ever seen her so desperate to get through a door before.”

 

“Let's ditch the bitch,” Malik stated bluntly. “There are better things to do around here than waste our time waiting for her to finish trying on clothes and all that.”

 

Ryou blushed. “She's likely to be hours…”

 

For once, Yuugi had to agree. “I guess you guys are right. I'll just let her know that we're moving on. We can come back for her later.”

 

“So, where to now?” Honda questioned.

 

“Let's pull another straw!” Ryou said.

 

“Eh, screw it.” Jou muttered. “I'm not wasting time with that; I'm going to go find me some game shops. Catch you guys up.”

 

“I'm with him,” Malik said.

 

“Same.” Otogi agreed, quickly following suit.

 

“Wait, Jou!” Yuugi cried as he saw the blonde heading off with the others in tow. “We've got to stick together, remember?”

 

“Well then, hurry up!”

 

//Yuugi, I think you should relax a little.// Yami suggested.

 

/I am relaxed!/

 

//Well, what I mean is… Maybe you don't always need to listen to what your teacher says. She probably just said for you to stay in a group because she's worried about you all.//

 

Yuugi flushed, feeling a bit embarrassed. /I guess you're right… I'm here to have fun, even if it means breaking the rules now and then!/

 

“Wait up you guys!” Yuugi cried as he ran to catch up with his friends, the Sennen Puzzle jangling around his neck.

 

**

 

It was getting close to the time they were to return to their hotel, but the group was having so much fun looking around the shops and markets - which included Duel Monster card shops - that they didn't realise the time. They had already bought so much, which included cards, clothes, gadgets, souvenirs, lunch and a whole lot more. They had also gone on a short sight-seeing trip in a cable-car up Mount Victoria. Jounouchi was definitely going to enjoy listening to his new iPod during the long-distance flights and rail journeys that he knew were ahead of him. He also knew that Yuugi would be pestering him for a game of duel monsters soon, now that he had some new cards to try out.

 

Ever the paranoid ones, Ryou and Honda had spontaneously bought several items on their `what to bring' lists, such as earplugs, deodorant, condoms, a guide to bartering and how to fend off hawkers, and phrasebooks.

 

//So, just out of curiosity, have you had any luck with Ryou, yet?//

 

/Don't you worry your pretty little head./ Malik replied, annoyed, since he hadn't really had an opportunity to spend time alone with Ryou yet.

 

//I don't really see how you're going to get the chance to make a move.// Marik scoffed. //I mean, there are people around all the time… The Pharaoh's little runt seems to be at Ryou's side constantly.//

 

Malik stopped to think. Maybe Marik had proposed this deal because he knew that he would be able to win a lot easier. Otogi was Malik's travelling buddy; therefore since they were in each other's proximity about 95% of the time, Marik had every opportunity in the world to make a move on him. Ryou was either with the group or, if he was by himself, Yuugi was undoubtedly somewhere close by. This made it essentially more difficult for Malik to pursue him than it did for Marik to make advances on Otogi.

 

Ra, why didn't I think of that before? But this did not deter Malik - it only made him more determined. I'm not going to panic just yet, Malik thought to himself. I've still got like, 18 days until this trip is over - plenty of time. He thought of sending a silent prayer to Bastet, the cat-headed goddess of love and fertility. She, above anyone else, would listen, at least. Malik thought absent-mindedly. He couldn't help but think, however, even if he did succeed in wooing the alabaster-haired boy, he might be too late.

 

**

 

//What in all the Gods' Underworld is that?//

 

/It's Jumbo Kingdom, yami. Matsuri-sensei explained earlier today that it's like a mall, but instead of being on land, it's on water. And maybe not quite as big as a mall./

 

//I hope it has alcohol.//

 

/You know you can't drink here anyway, Bakura.//

 

After having dumped their newly-acquired goods at the hotel just before 4.30pm, the students arrived at their final destination for the day. Disembarking jadedly - but with rumbling tummies all the same - from the coach, they gazed in awe at the much-awaited Jumbo Kingdom. From the pier it looked like a massive ferry consisting of about five or six floors, beautifully decorated with traditional Chinese details on the edging of the roofs. Being that it was nighttime, a stunning display of colourful lights adorned the floating complex. Students and tourists alike were taking snapshots of it and each other.

 

“Isn't it beautiful, Honda?” Anzu asked as she took a snapshot with her new digital camera. “I can't wait to show these photos to the girls when I get home.”

 

By `girls', Honda knew that Anzu meant the other women in her dance class. She had become increasingly close to the other ladies, and Honda suddenly figured that maybe he should use it to his advantage. “…do any of them like snowboarding?”

 

Anzu gave him a cock-eyed look. “I… don't know. Why?”

 

“Just curious,” he said. “You know, you can come with us to Horotachi if you want, Anzu. You could even bring some of your friends.”

 

The blue-eyed girl rolled her eyes. “I've already said I can't. I've got a competition on that week.”

 

“It's only for one day though! Jounou and I will be up there for a week. Come on… Please come?”

 

Anzu crossed her arms. “You just want me to come so you can get laid with one of my friends. Well, let me tell you something - they aren't like that!”

 

“How do you already know that I wouldn't have a chance with them if they've never even met me?!”

 

“I am so not having this conversation with you again, Honda-san!” Anzu said, making her way to the dock.

 

“What do you mean `again'?” he questioned, following her.

 

“Remember yesterday, and the whole `Donald Trump has a hot wife' conversation?”

 

“But he does!”

 

“Look,” Anzu said, becoming frustrated. “I will try and make it - but no promises! I'll have to see what my timetable is. And if you want me to bring someone, well, I can't promise that either.”

 

“You could ask though, right?”

 

“I will ask.”

 

“That's better than nothing, dude.”

 

“Oh shut up.” Anzu laughed. “Let's go; I'm starving.”

 

“Always thinking about your stomach…”

 

“Like you're one to talk!!”

 

“Hey - a man's got to eat.”

 

The students were suddenly shaken from their fatigue as they entered the floating restaurant, stunned into silence at the beauty of it. Giant sculptures of golden Chinese dragons were emblazoned at the entrance of Dragon Court. The eyes of the dragons were represented by glowing red lights and their bodies adorned elaborately with greenstone.

 

The maître d' showed the entourage of visitors to their tables. Jounouchi studied his surroundings - he didn't think he'd ever been to such a beautiful, classy restaurant before. There were exquisite murals on the walls depicting scenes from the Ming dynasty - or so he was told - as well as richly defined paintings on the ceiling. Lights hung low from the ceiling and glowed dimly to create a more relaxed ambience for the diners.

 

Jou noticed Kaiba still standing by the entranceway where the giant dragons stood. He was talking to somebody on his cell-phone, his back turned to Jou and the others. Dressed in a casual - however expensive - pair of jeans and black cashmere knit with a white shirt underneath, Jounouchi noticed for the first time that Kaiba's lean, statuesque frame was indeed quite striking. He thought back to the episode this morning of seeing Kaiba practically in the nude and, more embarrassingly, at the dream he had had…

 

“Hey, Jou, are you feeling okay? You look like you're burning up,”

 

“Huh? Uh, must be hot in here, I guess.”

 

Anzu promptly slapped her hand to his forehead. “You are burning up! Do you want some panadol?”

 

Jou brushed her hand off. “I'm fine, Anzu, really. Thanks.”

 

She shrugged. “If you say so.”

 

The night grew on and the food was bountiful. A smorgasbord of entrees including wontons, dumplings, spring rolls and cold meat with dipping sauces was served first. An array of mains for everyone to share ranged from white fish in a large bowl of spicy hot oil, fiery Szechwan beef, and Singaporean chili crab to the milder cashew nut prawns, sweet and sour pork and sticky honey chicken, with steamed or fried rice accompanying each dish.

 

By the time dessert was served, everybody was feeling so satisfyingly full that they felt they would rip apart at the seams. Whilst everybody was in cheery conversation over their after-dinner cups of chrysanthemum tea, Jounouchi thought he might slip outside to get some air.

 

Stepping out onto the outdoor patio of the restaurant, Jou noticed that Bakura also had the same thing in mind. The spirit was leaning on the railing, looking out at the still-tempestuous sky and the dark silhouette of the harbour beyond. A cloud of cigarette smoke flew over his head as Jounouchi joined his side.

 

“Got a light?”

 

Bakura lit his cigarette for him. “Didn't think you were cool enough to smoke.”

 

“I'm not, really.” Jou said. “But I don't give a shit.”

 

Bakura smirked. “That's what I want to hear.”

 

“What got you hooked? Surely they didn't have cigarettes back in your day.”

 

“I guess you could say that Marik and his villainous ways have rubbed off on me.”

 

Jou nodded.

 

“What's your excuse?”

 

“Stress reliever.” Jou answered. “I have a few things playing on my mind, that's all.”

 

“Oh yeah? Like what?” the silver-haired spirit grinned.

 

Jou scowled at him. “As if I'm going to tell you of all people.”

 

“Oh, come on. You can let me in on your little secret.”

 

“I'd rather dance with the Devil on the thirteenth floor*.” Jou muttered, rolling his eyes.

 

“Well then, let me guess.” Bakura said, stroking his chin mockingly. “Financial troubles?”

 

“No.” Jou replied.

 

“Family crisis?”

 

“No.”

 

“…girl problems?”

 

“No.”

 

“Boy problems?”

 

Jou flushed. “Err…no…”

 

“Ah-ha!” Bakura cried victoriously. “So, who is he?”

 

“None of your damned business.” Jou replied, frowning. How could he have known? Is it really that obvious? “Anyway, I didn't say it was `boy problems'.”

 

“Well,” Bakura said, inching closer. “If it helps…I'm having a few difficulties in that area, myself.”

 

Jou blew out the last drag of his cigarette. “And what do you want me to do about it?”

 

“What do you say we… forget our troubles… just for the time being?”

 

Seduction and lust gleamed in Bakura's dark eyes as he came closer to Jounouchi, pinning him to the railing. Jou could feel the excitement rousing within the spirit as he pressed up against him.

 

“What do you mean by that?”

 

Bakura smiled maliciously. “Whatever you want it to mean…”

 

Jounouchi closed his eyes as he felt Bakura's hands slide onto his hips underneath his shirt. A pair of warm lips met the flesh of Jou's neck and he gasped out of pure shock and headiness.

 

Why the Hell am I letting him do this?! He thought in a moment of panic.

 

“Bakura…stop.” Jou said hoarsely, surprised at how the action had made him feel so dazed, his voice so weak.

 

The spirit pulled back. “What's wrong?”

 

Jounouchi, with his heart thumping like a gorilla in heat, pushed him back. “I can't… I'm not…” he struggled to address how he was feeling right at that moment. “Just leave me alone.”

 

The blonde boy stalked off, a riot of thoughts and emotions circling his mind and body alike. He was confused, aroused, embarrassed, ashamed, disgusted, angry, but wanting it more and more… just not with Bakura. Damned horny son of a bitch… Jou thought. Does he think I'm easy or something? How'd he even know?!

 

Jounouchi reached the top deck of Jumbo Kingdom, sure now that Bakura was out of sight. He hoped to God that nobody had seen that little occurrence between him and the three-thousand year old spirit. He couldn't even start to explain how or why it had happened. Sighing heavily and deciding that it wasn't just jet-lag or the weather that was fucking with his head now, Jou lit up another cigarette.

 

**

 

Feeling a bit slighted by Jounouchi's rebuff, Bakura returned to his host only to find Malik Ishtar gazing at Ryou from another table with a lovesick look in his eyes. The fiend rolled his eyes apathetically as he returned to his soul room. Ryou, who was blissfully oblivious of Malik's staring, happened to pick up Bakura's change in mood.

 

/Is something wrong?/

 

//It's nothing for you to be concerned about.//

 

/But you seem really pissed off./ Ryou countered. /More so than usual, anyway./

 

//Forget it.//

 

/Come on, yami…/ He hoped he might be able to squeeze it out of him somehow.

 

//You really want to know?//

 

/Yes, of course./

 

//Just take a look at Malik.//

 

Ryou swiveled in his chair and saw Malik gazing at him. Malik quickly turned away, pretending he was involved in some conversation with Otogi and Honda. /What on earth…?/

 

//He's been staring at you like that all night.//

 

/But why?/

 

//You do the math.//

 

Ryou suddenly felt very unsettled and somewhat vulnerable. There was something that his yami knew about Malik that he didn't; and what he was implying - or so Ryou guessed - was that Malik had been ogling him due to the fact that he found him good-looking. Ryou knew that Malik was attracted to the same sex, but never thought in any shape, matter or form that he would become the object of Malik's desire.

 

What's so great about me? Why me? Ryou thought. I'm possibly the unsexiest person out of all of us! Even Bakura is sexier than I am… We practically look the same, but still… Wait, maybe Malik's not looking for someone `sexy' exactly? Someone more… like me? But then, what am I? Certainly not handsome, or cute, or… Am I ugly? Ryou realised for the first time that he had actually never had somebody comment sexually on him before. Bakura had helped him out a few times with his wardrobe, but had never implied in any way that he thought he looked attractive, or hot, or any of that like. `Good' or `better than before' were about the only two things Ryou could think of Bakura ever saying in relation to his looks.

 

If I was ugly, Malik wouldn't find me attractive…But I'm the polar opposite to the type of people he usually goes for… Ryou vaguely recalled the small crush that Malik had had on Otogi Ryuuji when he had first met him. The green-eyed boy definitely knew he was hot, and flaunted it. Ryou wasn't sure if he had known that Malik had taken a shine to him for a few weeks, but doubted he cared. Otogi had been more interested in the girls to start with, anyway. He had broken a few hearts at Domino High and Ryou had not wanted Malik's to be one of them.

 

It's ridiculous. Ryou reasoned to himself. If he likes me in the way that Bakura thinks, then why would he start now? Wouldn't he have liked me like that in the very beginning? How have I changed for him to feel differently now? With a jolt, Ryou suddenly remembered the small incident at Ocean Park the day before. When he looked at me… and his hand brushed against mine like that… I felt so strange, almost spellbound by him. Is that normal? Am I attracted to him, too? He couldn't help but wonder.

 

**

 

Jounouchi was exhausted; it seemed that most of the group was, in fact, including the teachers. The plane ride was a welcome sanctuary from having trekked around Hong Kong most of the day followed by a lengthy and formal dinner outing. The students and teachers alike were glad to be leaving the treacherous islands strewn with dangerous debris, and unruly, chaotic citizens from the typhoon that had passed over, and onto the safe, unaffected territory of mainland China.

 

The flight was approximately an hour and a half from Hong Kong to Guilin and they had landed somewhere around 9.00pm that evening. Jou vaguely picked up the Mandarin-speaking pilot telling the passengers how Guilin was famous mostly for its lush green landscapes and limestone outcrops. He figured it would be a welcome change from the hustle and bustle of Hong Kong - even though he had enjoyed his time there - he was rather looking forward to it. Perhaps the supposed tranquility of the place would give him a little more peace-of-mind to sort out how he was feeling at the moment.

 

It was dark outside, but Jounouchi could feel the change in climate the moment he stepped out of the terminal with his belongings. It was a cool night and not nearly as humid as it had been in Hong Kong - he was thankful for that. Once they had been ushered to their hotel - not quite as swanky as the Imperial Hotel in Hong Kong - Jounouchi decided he had better call his father.

 

“Moshi-moshi? Jounouchi-san speaking.”

 

“Hey, Pop.”

 

“Katsuya?! It's about time I heard from you, you little shit.” Jin laughed. “I was starting to wonder where you'd got to”

 

“Gomen, I've been really busy. It's hard trying to keep up with everything when there's not a lot of time.” Jou said.

 

“I heard about the typhoon; I was hoping you wouldn't get caught up in it.”

 

“It kind of blew over in the night. We've been to lots of cool places though - like Ocean Park. We got to go shopping all day yesterday, which was good. There's so much to do here.”

 

“Where are you calling from?”

 

“We just landed in Guilin about a half hour ago.” Jou said. “I think tomorrow will be good because it's not so hot here. The scenery is beautiful, or so I've been told.”

 

“You will like it there, son.” Jin said. “I know you - you don't like big crowded places. Guilin is a lot more peaceful. At least it was when I went there back in the 80's.” he chuckled.

 

Jou smiled. “How's everything at home?”

 

“Good… Actually, I received a letter from your sister yesterday.”

 

“Shizu-chan? What did it say?” Jou was curious.

 

“It was quite a nice letter,” Jin replied. “She asked if we might be able to catch up while you're still on holiday. It says in the letter that she misses me.”

 

“That's great, Dad… I'm sure you'll have a lot to talk about.”

 

“Yeah, I'm sure we will.” Jin said. “Anyway, this must be costing you a fortune, kid.”

 

“I'll call you again when we get to Shanghai - we should be there in the next four or five days.”

 

“Alright son, thank you for calling.” Jin said in a slightly adoring tone. Then, more teasingly, “Now I can stop wondering if you've been abducted by the Asian mafia or had your kidneys stolen!”

 

Jou laughed, being that he had a similar sense of humour to his father's. “Talk to you again soon, Dad. Aishiteru.”

 

“And you too, Katsuya. Goodnight, son.”

 

**

 

The following two days were spent sightseeing around the picturesque city of Guilin, situated in southern China. Activities included a cruise on the Li River, observing workers in the lush green rice paddies, local tea and beverage tasting and free-time was spent wandering the local shops and market stalls where most of the students had picked up something for a bargain.

 

One highlight of the day included a visit to Reed Flute Cave - an activity that had been put down on most travellers' itineraries. The cave attained its name from the verdant reeds growing outside it, in which the local people made flutes from. Inside the water-eroded cave was an impressive world of dripping stalactites, stone pillars and rock formations created by the carbonate deposition. Illuminated by colored lighting, the natural spectacle glowed in various beautiful colours. Walking through the stone pillars, the students and teachers had feasted their eyes on the wondrous manifestation as the lights appeared to change and manipulate the formation of the cave. It was something that would long stay in the memories of the visitors.

 

It was approximately five o'clock in the evening and the group was found lounging about their hotel, picking at the last of their buffet dinners. The air was charged with an excitement of sorts as Jounouchi and the others waited for their last activity that would be spent in Guilin before they flew out onto their next destination in the morning. It was something that came under the `must do' category - cormorant fishing. It didn't sound terribly extreme, but it was indeed quite a marvelous demonstration - or so they had been told. It entailed cruising on small, lightweight bamboo rafts on the Li River at sunset to watch a traditional method of fishing involving the use of tame cormorants - a type of sea and river bird.

 

“This is going to be so exciting!” Ryou bubbled as he, along with the rest of the group, were making their way down by foot to the dock where they would meet their guide.

 

“I agree,” Yuugi said. “I'll have to take some photos, or Grandpa will never believe me!”

 

Jounouchi was at the rear of the group, walking beside and slightly behind Kaiba. The sky had taken on a brilliant fiery-orange hue, with the random shapes of the limestone hills black silhouettes in the background. The river itself mirrored the sky, looking like a great, watery golden snake winding its way through the land. It was relatively warm, Jou thought, noticing that most people were dressed in their summer attire.

 

Soon they had reached the water's edge where their Chinese guide awaited them. The group congregated in a small circle, listening carefully about what the activity would involve. Each pair of students would get their own bamboo raft to take down the river, lifejackets would have to be worn - even though the river wasn't all that deep - and quietness was appreciated when the fishermen were at work. The lighter person out of the pair would also have to go in front of the raft, so it would not become off balance. This proved to be a hazard for one pair in particular.

 

“You're taller than me, therefore you're fatter.” Jou said, folding his arms across his chest.

 

Kaiba rolled his eyes. “I might be slightly taller, but you are clearly stockier, and muscle weighs more than fat. Now get on the back, mutt.”

 

“I am not stockier than you!” Jou shot back.

 

“We are both completely different builds; now shut up and get on the raft!”

 

Jou deadpanned and grudgingly did what he was told. Slowly the two boys punted their way down the river in tow with the other, becoming small black dots on the river as they lost sight of the dock. Despite having Kaiba in the way, Jou thought that the scenery was some of the most beautiful he'd ever seen. Then again, Jou thought, maybe it's not so bad with Kaiba in the front - he can do all the paddling while I sit back and relax! Jou watched the muscles in Kaiba's arms and back flex and contract as he pushed his oar through the water. Me, stockier? Is he serious? Look at those babies! He's got a perfect physique… The blond was almost tempted to reach out and run his fingers along the smooth, rippling bulges, but held himself back. This isn't the first time I've looked at him this way… Jou stopped, feeling himself colour. Do I have a crushon him…?

 

In the near distance, bright lights flickered near the water's surface, and figures of people standing on other wooden rafts could be seen. As they got closer, they could see that the lights were used to attract the fish to the surface. The cormorants, perched on the sides of the rafts, were tethered with rings round the bases of their necks, diving into the water at their master's command whenever a fish swam close by.

 

The group watched the spectacle for a quarter of an hour or so, bobbing with the gentle waves of the river, as the fishermen and their birds worked as one to catch their food. Once the fisherman was satisfied that he'd got enough, he loosened the ring from around his cormorant's neck and rewarded it with some of the evening's catch.

 

Jounouchi was astounded that such birds could be tamed, let alone trained as a hunting weapon as well. “That's seriously cool,” Jou said, turning to Kaiba as they were now sitting side by side.

 

“Impressive.” Kaiba merely stated. “Did you get any such training when you were a puppy?”

 

Jou initially grimaced at him, then caught his breath a little as he noticed Kaiba's usually-blue eyes change in hue to violet in the luminosity of the blood-red sky. “They're purple…”

 

Kaiba raised an eyebrow. “Purple? Haven't heard of that obedience school before.”

 

“No, I mean your eyes.” Jou said. “They changed colour.”

 

Kaiba couldn't see his eyes - and he was hardly about to bust out a mirror - so his primary reaction was to blush both out of confusion, embarrassment and a little frustration. “Red and blue usually does that.”

 

“Yeah.” Jou smiled, wanting to comment on how nice they looked, but decided against it. It would probably just make things awkward. He figured that Kaiba wasn't one for compliments, especially not from him. He was admired by his fans enough as it was, anyway.

 

Meanwhile, Anzu was gazing dreamily at the countryside before her, thinking of how wonderful it was to be away in an exotic country, doing only what she had dreamed of for years. But there was something missing…

 

“Oh, Honda, isn't this romantic?”

 

He raised an eyebrow. “If your idea of romance is watching birds catch fish, sure.”

 

“No! I mean the sun setting, and being out on the river in this beautiful place - it's not something you get to do every day.”

 

“I still don't see how this is romantic.”

 

Anzu sighed inwardly. “Then what's your idea of romance, Casanova?”

 

“Like, flowers and hearts and shit.”

 

“Well, where would you take a girl on a first date, huh?”

 

“Probably something adventurous, like rock climbing. Or maybe go to the racetrack and watch the guys racing and drifting.” He said. “Girls like that sort of stuff, right?”

 

The brunette raised her eyebrows in distain. “You'd better be making up for it afterward by a candlelit dinner and dancing by moonlight.”

 

Honda screwed up his face. “Dude! What have you been smoking?”

 

“And you wonder why you don't get girls!” Anzu sighed and composed herself. “Okay, so maybe the dancing is a bit much. But most women like stuff like that… Granted, your idea of rock-climbing is original, I'll give you that.”

 

“I won't need a date after we spend the week at Horotachi anyway,” Honda gloated. “There are always hot girls there.”

 

Anzu suddenly realised what that something missing was - a boyfriend.

 

**

 

The last reaches of the glowing red orb slipped over the edge of the Earth as Jounouchi and the rest of his group returned to their hotel. Everyone was feeling sated and content, and slightly euphoric after the relaxing experience on the Li River.

 

Jou had just finished his diary entry for the day when he heard a computer-generated sound elicit from Kaiba's abandoned laptop. The CEO was currently in the shower and Jounouchi couldn't help but be curious. It sounded like he had just received an email or a reminder of sorts, so he went to investigate. Then again, would Kaiba really be so careless as to leave his private information so exposed? Jou couldn't help but feel that curiosity was going to kill this cat.

 

Clicking on Microsoft Outlook, Jou brought up his email inbox. Most of the emails were from his secretary, one stating that she would get her architect to take a look at some photos and sketch out a plan. Jou discovered that the photos were of the giant gold dragons outside the entrance to Dragon Court on Jumbo Kingdom. Kaiba had had a similar idea, perhaps.

 

Bored with the emails, Jounouchi clicked on the second application open which was Microsoft Word. The document open was of his journal that they were to be recording whilst they were in China. Jou flicked through it, though it wasn't terribly interesting. Man, come on! There's gotta be some dirt in here, somewhere…

 

He soon came across a locked folder that required a password to enter into. What would be a likely password? Jou thought. “Mokuba”? He typed it in. It opened. His heart was racing now as he came across several pages of writing, all of which was obviously deemed to be very private. Jounouchi felt a little bit perverted as he began to read it, but found himself transfixed…

 

“3 December `07

 

It has been a long time since I have felt like this; I can't even remember when the last time was. If I am not mistaken, it would appear that someone, who I shall not name, has got a mild infatuation with me. This is nothing new - I know that I have thousands of fans, but this is a little closer to home. What's different about it, this time, is I that I have found myself on a few occasions responding in the same way, although the anonymous person does not know this, and won't. I am unsure as to whether I am sending or receiving mixed signals, thus I refuse to act upon it and make a fool out of myself. I am confused, but I guess it is one of those things that, once again, only I can work out for myself.

 

S.K.”

 

**

 

If you want to see some beautiful photos of the area of China that this chapter is based in, go here: http://www.cedcc.psu.edu/khanjan/cChina3/best_pictures_of_china_3.htm

 

 

JoeysGal: Ooooh what will Jounouchi think of THAT little passage?! I hope you enjoyed this one, because it was pretty fun to write, and it wasn't just a `filler' chapter - in my opinion anyway! Be sure to look out for the next chapter as the scandal becomes more scandalous and the plot begins to thicken!