Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ My Project: Jounouchi Katsuya ❯ Part 1 ( Chapter 1 )

Project: Jounouchi Katsuya

Author's Notes: This story was put up for Vote your Fanfic as an extract on mediaminer.org but I've decided to continue with it because I like the plot formulating in my head. Vote your Fanfic was supposed to prevent me from being like other authors starting half a dozen stories and unable to finish them but it doesn't seem to be working due to the lack of response of reviews to vote. Also I started this as a statement to Joey/Jounouchi's character because I feel that there are too many weepy, pathetic, dumb (as in as dumb as a pile of logs), rape and drug addicted Joey centric fics out there hence I want to write my penny's worth to the small numbers of fanfictions that `don't' have that e.g. fanfictions by D.Draggy, Regen and innominate. Kaiba lovers might not really like this as much.

Sam: This story contains light shounen ai but nothing graphic… @___@ Too many ideas… Oh and I don't own Joey or Seto… Some of this may be OOC on Seto's part but I don't care about Mr `Stick-up-his-ass' Perfect. (Who isn't as perfect as you think) The song, which is Send Me On My Way by Rusted Root and also should be part of the soundtrack of the film Matilda and Ice Age, does not belong to me either.

********Seto POV*******

Oh joy… another project. Here I am sitting at the back of this confounded classroom listening to that good for nothing excuse of a teacher droning about the goodness of Freud. Not that I think Psychology is a bad subject; I did choose to do it as one of my additional studies for a reason. For example… why are some people stupider than others? That question was referring to a certain blonde that thankfully is not sitting in this class; apparently he's chosen to do catering. Typical `thinks with his stomach rather than brain move'. Anyway you must be wondering why a child prodigy like myself who probably knows everything he needs to know in life is still going to school? Alas the laws of my bastard foster father (that I have yet to find a way to break or at least bend) had demanded that I stay in education to get a degree for Business Studies.

Still I suppose it could have been worse, I could have had to study in a boarding school of which I'd only be able to see my brother for, what twice a year? Though recently I've never had much time to see Mokuba since for the past few weeks the company was working on developing this new prototype and had kept me busy. Poor little guy stuck in that mansion on his own, I'll think I'll go spend some time with him now that the prototype's finished but I digress. Anyway tuning to whatever the teacher was going to say ah yes, the project and for once my interest in her words had peaked when she mentioned `psychological profiling'.

"Now psychological profiling has been increasingly popular within police investigations to identifying criminal personnel. Therefore the Psychology Department has decided to base this years project upon it. All of you are required to write a detailed report on one participant's personality traits, psychological processes and generally playing the role of being a psychoanalyst. You also need to compile a video presentation of you're participant of what he or she does in his or her spare time during this entire week"

To put it simply I'm supposed to spy on someone's social life and then write about what they must be thinking, how they feel etc. Technically that would be stalking but since it's in the name of education I don't see why not… besides it could provide an opportunity for any `useful' information I could use against a certain midget. (Yugi: T____T)

"Students that are not studying Psychology and Sociology have been asked permission by the Psychology Department to be your potential participant, however you must comply to keeping certain private businesses such using the bathroom out of it. Censoring equipment is available in the technicians office to omit anything that's unorthodox"

Damn. Yugi takes Sociology that means he won't be in this participant list. Just like my luck, oh hold on I'm looking at the list at the moment and I can't help but grin. I may have spoke too soon as I look at the last few names listed.

Joey Wheeler.

I can't believe the dog is on this list, must have been Yugi who put him up to it for Téa who so happens to be in my class right now. I look over to my right where she normally sits but she's not there. Apparently she has a student council meeting so I doubt she'll be in this class, which means she won't nosy her way into my business. I frown… then again what's so interesting about the inu anyway? Judging from the way he acts I doubt there's very little brain capacity for psychological processing to make even a paragraph of my report. On the other hand… there's nothing stopping me from tweaking here and there and making life a `little' bit more interesting. The dog it is.

I'm feeling quite smug by the end of the day. It's Friday and I got the mutt into another humiliating detention. I also got a good ranting from his friends who were equally or maybe more pissed off than `he' was. Well it's true that I did start the whole thing with the paper airplane but hey, it's the teacher's fault if he can't distinguish between my handwriting with the mutts and also the fact that he should have known that not even the mutt's stupid enough to write: Property of Joseph Wheeler… please return to desk 1C. Petty? I know but it was maths and I was bored plus the dog was just asking for it anyway. Being all happy and optimistic like that really annoys me. You can't expect to get anywhere acting like that; I should know I've had the foster father from hell and scars to prove it. I'm doing him a favour. (A/N: You are so pessimistic) Plus it gives me time to get changed, spend a bit of it with Mokuba and come back with a camera. Anyway feeling huge satisfaction I get into the limo whilst that other idiot Tristan was it? Was spouting the usual pathetic insults.

Normally I'd be sitting around with a stack of forms to fill in the limo but the project got me thinking on what to do. For a start I need a title. I don't really want people to know whom I'm doing my report on right away… They tend to stick their noses to where they don't belong when that happens and it's really irritating. I'm now sitting at my computer thinking of a name for the project. Can't really say `Puppy' cos everyone in school knows about my nickname for him. Maybe something Japanese. Joey… Joe… Jou… Jounouchi. Hmm… That would work plus I like this other name I heard when I went to a business trip once. I type it out in bold letters on my laptop:

Project: Jounouchi Katsuya…

Perfect.

********Normal POV********

"What a jerk" Tristan hissed lividly as the limo sped away into the distance. Yugi, Téa and Ryou stood by him also angry of the dirty trick Seto had pulled on Joey.

"Poor Joey, he doesn't need anymore detentions for his report card" Téa whispered. "He also said he really needed to get home early today…" Yugi sadly looked up at the window where Joey would still be sitting before noticing their maths teacher go out to get something to eat.

"Hey you guys Mr McGuire's out of class so Joey should be alone. Let's go cheer him up" The others nodded in agreement before sneaking back into the school to the classroom. Joey was sitting there had out some of his homework assignments to work on in detention.

"Hey Joey…" Ryou said to the blonde who nodded in acknowledgement looking disheartened at the same time.

"Kaiba's such a creep," he grumbled sitting back in his chair whilst his friend looked at him sympathetically.

"Don't let him get to ya buddy, we all know you're better than him… he's a sad case"

"Tristan's right, at least you still have your friends" Tea added. Joey let a small curve of a smile appear on his face.

"Thanks you guys… but you better go home… it's getting late"

"Are you sure you don't want us to wait for you?" Yugi asked.

"Yeah, not going to be too afraid of the dark when you go home?" Tristan teased. Joey narrowed his eyes and started to growl.

"Watch it poin'y `ead I know where ya live…" he snapped with his heavy Brooklyn accent and with that they had started arguing again of which the others had tried to settle down. Soon after they everyone was convinced that Joey was feeling better and had to leave before McGuire came back. Yugi was the last to leave; he turned back to the blonde who had continued with his homework.

"Hey Joey!" he chirped.

"Yeah Yug'?"

"All our friends are going to the arcade tomorrow, Mai, Duke, everyone. I've been asking you about it…" Joey looked at his small friend. (Yugi: T____T)

"Um… sorry… Yug' I'm kinda busy tomorrow… I got a lot of homework to catch up on" Yugi looked disappointed by this.

"Erm… is there something wrong Joey?" Joey shook his head.

"I just got a lot to do… maybe next time," he said before turning back to his homework. Yugi looked disheartened before he left closing the door. He noticed Mr McGuire coming back with a box, probably full of cakes or such for his tea and hurried to get out of sight to meet up with his friends.

"Hey! What did he say?" Tristan asked.

"He's not coming" Yugi replied glumly. "He says he needs to catch up with his homework"

"Again!?!? Surely he's got it done by now" Téa cried.

"I know I wanted to ask about that… Joey hasn't been hanging out with us for months"

"He's birthday's coming up soon though I hope he has time for that at least," Ryou said.

"Yeah and I got it all planned out…" Téa chirped happily "I've managed to book a party reservation for the huge Duel Monster banquet fest happening at the Rio Dejinero restaurant next week"

"'The' Rio Dejinero restaurant? That place is classy and expensive, how did you manage to afford it?" Yugi said in awe.

"My auntie works as the managing director for the fest so she cut me a deal"

"Perfect. Joey's two favourite things: Duel Monsters and food all in one room" Tristan cried. Everyone cheered up by this prospect and each one of them went home content with the plan. The incident with Kaiba was forgotten.

-----------------------------------------

Seto reached home expecting his little brother to greet him like always did. He smiled as he opened the door to the huge mansion.

"I'm home!!!" he called. Mokuba looked rather surprised but hugged his brother nonetheless.

"Seto… I… didn't know you'd be coming home today… I thought you'd be at the office." Mokuba said. Seto grinned down at him.

"Well… kiddo I did say I was going to find some time to spend it with you after the prototypes finished" he replied. Mokuba bit his lip as if he needed to go somewhere but he also wanted to be with Seto. "Mokuba?"

"Um… well… I had plans to go somewhere today and I was about to leave now, it's kind of important I be there" Mokuba looked at his watch then at him.

"Oh…" was his only replied then before things went quite awkward between them. "Well… where are you going? I could drive you there…"

"Uh… I already have a ride…" Mokuba replied when there was a loud car horn sounded outside the door.

"HEY MOKUBA!!!!"

"COMING!!!" he called back grabbing his backpack. "Sorry Seto" he added meekly to him. Seto blinked a few times before smiling at his brother.

"It's ok kiddo," he said. Mokuba smiled back apologetically before racing towards the car. The door to the mansion just slammed shut.

******Seto POV******

Great, just great, you finally found some time to spend with him and he's already got plans… Fine. I can go… um… do stuff… I still have that project to do… Yeah… I'll go do that. I look at my watch and from the looks of things; I'll still have an hour before that mutt finally gets out of detention. Sigh. What exactly was I thinking that my little brother wouldn't find something else to do. You can't expect him to stay at the mansion just for the sake that his brother `might' come home for a family get together. I mean if he did he might become Agoraphobic. I hear staying in at home for too long does that to you. Unlike you Seto the kid's got a life so don't worry, be happy for him. Now what the hell am I going to for an hour? I suppose I could have something to eat. I head towards the kitchen to find that my cook's not there either. Damn it. I'm going to have that man fired. Oh hang on… I already did.

Mokuba's been nagging me about it I really got to keep in track with what goes on at home. I'd rather die and go to hell before I go off eating processed cow intestines that they insist is prime meat beef burgers at those fast food restaurants.

"Well there's only one option," I say out loud to myself whilst rolling up my sleeves. Five burnt pans, eight fires, three extinguishers, ten cut fingers, twelve plasters and seven bin liners later. "I'm going on a diet". Oh look at the time, he'll be out of detention pretty soon so I grab my hand held camera, mini cameras and microphones, covered up the burnt stain on the carpet with one of them handy pot plants and leave. Mental note: Get the maid to try and scrub that pancake off the ceiling.

Following the address I found the apartment that he's living in and I have to say after picking the lock, it looks like someone had just broken into it because the place is a mess as if someone had a wild party last night and forgot to clean up. Well anyway less gawking more installing and let's see ah this'll make a nice angle plenty of pictures here and here and we're all set. I'm wondering how this is going to turn out considering I've never watched those Reality TV shows before.

******Normal POV*****

Joey stared at the clock after finishing his English, maths and history assignment when Mr McGuire came back. The maths teacher grinned sitting at his desk and rubbing his hands together before opening the checker green box he had brought with him. Written on the top in gold Italic was Nénharma. Mr McGuire glanced noticing the blonde was still there.

"You can go now Mr Wheeler," he announced as Joey got up from his seat. "The food from this café is incredible, especially the desserts"

"Oh really?" Joey said. "Nénharma… kind of a strange name for a café isn't it?"

"That doesn't matter… the food is what counts"

"Enjoy ya tea then" Joey strolled off out of school not seeing that someone was following him.

Seto was hiding nearby as he followed him home whilst the camera he had clipped neatly underneath his jacket to make him look more casual out on the streets. Seto watched as the blonde stopped to look at his watch before breaking into a run, Seto followed towards a quaint looking apartment outside of town. The street was really old from the little shops nearby owned by people in their sixties at least but nonetheless the CEO managed to avoid prying eyes and climbed up the metal ladders and found that he had the perfect view of the blonde from a tilting sky light whilst at the same time would not be noticed by Joey himself. Planting his position he placed a little camera into place. He found the telephone line connected and clipped a little receiver at the end and enabling to tap in onto any phone calls Joey makes or receives. Finally he placed a little microphone by an open window. He had before hand already planted hidden cameras all around Joey's apartment, which meant he could observe him without having to come with his hand held camera all the time but since he really had nothing to do today he sat by the window, watched and through a small TV and microphones. The door shut as Joey brushed back his blonde locks stressfully.

"Jeez Malcolm… I really don't need this…" he rasped to himself as he began cleaning up the mess on the floor. It was took a few minutes as Joey wiped the floor clean muttering how glad he had replaced the carpet with wood flooring. The place was spotless again before he flopped onto the leather couch and switched on the TV that had was at the moment showing some trivia quiz show. Seto widened his eyes as the blonde picked up what looked like a hardback book and a pair of reading glasses. `Joey? Reading? Have I suddenly just jumped into an alternate universe or something?' he thought to himself but shook his head and continued to film. From the well-placed microphones he could hear what was going on and was in for another jaw dropping experience.

"Who did Winston Churchill call `A half-naked fakir'?" asked the presenter on the TV.

"Ghandi" Joey announced the answer though his eyes were still fixed on his book. Seto raised an eyebrow.

"Ghandi?" came the reply of the player.

"That is correct!!! 10 points. Next question: What is the British name for what the Americans sometimes call epinephrine?"

"Adrenaline" Joey snapped at the answer with a turn of a page of his book. Seto nearly slipped with surprise on the window.

"Adrenaline" the player repeated and was awarded another 10 points.

"Now for a bonus 50 points answer this question. Which African capital's name means New Flower?"

"Addis Ababa's" Joey replied still reading.

"Um…" Buzz

"I'm sorry the correct answer is Addis Ababa's"

"Idiot" Joey commented before switching off the TV and getting up leaving whilst Seto looked on very bemused. The telephone had rung and Seto snapped from his dazed state before tapping onto the phone line before Joey grabbed it.

"Yellow…" Joey said down the phone.

"Joey?" a female voice was on the other line. Joey gasped before he spoke and Seto started to wonder where that strong Brooklyn accent had disappeared to.

"Can it be my beloved sister talking to me? O diem praeclarum! (1)"

"Oh. My. God" Seto said in disbelief.

"Oh big brother" Serenity giggled on the other phone. Joey pretended to sound confused as he spoke next.

"Vah! Denuone Latine loquebar? Me ineptum. Interdum modo elabitur (2)"

"Ok Mr Mi Chico Latino… enough with the small talk" Joey chuckled leaning against the fridge. "Correct me if I'm wrong Mr Wheeler but it appears it's someone's birthday next week" Joey grinned

"Oh really? Then whose birthday is it then?"

"Uh, uh not telling who but I'm gonna say I'm going to visit him real soon"

"Oh it's a `he' is it?" Joey asked in mock suspicion. Serenity giggled on the other line. "And when exactly are you going to be visiting this birthday person then?"

Ding, dong went the doorbell as Joey's eyes widened. He ran to the door and wrenched it open as Serenity stood with mobile on hand and giggling down it before squealing and leaping into Joey's arms. There was a loud yelp as Joey fell back first onto the floor from his sister's impact.

"SURPRISE BIG BROTHER!!!!" Serenity squealed delightedly into the blonde's chest.

"My… spine" Joey croaked.

"Mama and I are staying over at Domino for a couple of weeks and she said I could come visit you!!!" Serenity beamed whilst her red hair, which was at the moment tied up high in a white bobble swayed a bit as she rubbed her face into her brother. She was at the moment wearing a pastel pink blouse with white knee cut trousers and white purse to match. Serenity finally got off her big brother.

"And you think it's so funny to break your brother's back by jumping him when he opened the door right?" he joked whilst getting up and dusting himself. Serenity stuck out her tongue cheekily at him whilst a little giggle was heard through the doorway. Seto widened his eyes as he saw the mop of black hair. Mokuba grinned before strolling in with grocery bag in his arms and plopping it on the table of the kitchen.

"Hey squirt…" Joey called following him.

"Denny and Martha have already brought the supplies. You haven't eaten yet have you?" Mokuba asked excitedly. Joey shook his head in answer. "Great!!! ^0^ I wanted you to try my hand on egg and cheese frittatas"

"With courgettes?" Serenity asked eagerly.

"Yep" Mokuba looked ready to bounce off the walls at any minute as he searched in the paper bags and grabbed an onion, a box of eggs, a courgette and prime cheddar cheese.

~On the way, on the way~

Joey and Serenity sat down next to each other as he went to work whilst Seto looked a bit frantic. Weren't either of them going to help in case he cut or burnt himself? However Mokuba didn't have the same fears of cooking as he heated the pan coated with a light bit of oil.

~I would like to reach out my hand

I may see you, I may tell you to run~

He broke and whisked the eggs followed by skilfully chopping the courgette and onion like a professional chef.

~No ba de say no ba de ohm~

Gathering up the vegetables he tossed them into the pan making a terrific sizzling noise.

~Well, Pick me up with a golden hand

I may see you, I may tell you to run~

After a few minutes sweating the vegetables he added a few spices and sauces with enthusiastic vigour before pouring the eggs over them, which quickly bubbled and cooked to a nice looking tart in the pan with the courgettes and onions dotted around it.

~I would like to hold my little hand

How we will run, we will...

How we will crawl, we will...

I would like to hold my little hand~

The finishing touches of cheese melted on top as he took the perfectly cooked frittata and slapping it before the two Wheeler siblings.

~On the way… on the way… (Fading)~

"Voila!" Mokuba announced as Serenity glanced at her brother who was analysing it. Serenity cut a piece onto her plate and took a bite. Her eyes seemed to sparkle from the taste.

"Oh big brother this is delicious!!!" she cried as she spooned a fork full to Joey. He looked at it once more before glancing at Mokuba who looked on anxiously. He took the bite and chewed thoughtfully.

"Well how is it?"

"Hmm… professional wise you were a bit over easy with the seasoning… ^_____^ but not bad, not bad at all" Mokuba giggled before he sat down for his own fill.

"When did you learn to cook Mokuba?"

"Oh I've always liked cooking but it was only when Seto fired our chef 6 months ago that I sneak into the kitchen to practise. One could only eat take out for so much before they start barfing" he replied taking a sip of orange juice Joey had poured for him. Seto suddenly felt guilty for the little guy.

"Well doesn't you're brother cook for you then?"

"PHHHTTTT" Mokuba coughed and spluttered out his orange juice. It would have been a highly funny sight for Joey if he hadn't underestimated Mokuba's spitting range and found himself drenched in orange juice. "…sorry" Mokuba said as Joey wiped himself down. Serenity sniggered a little before she continued.

"Seto's a bad cook?" Mokuba ran his tongue over his upper lip before he answered.

"Swear that you won't let anything I say get out of this room?" he asked. Joey and Serenity looked confused but nodded nonetheless. `NNNNNOOOO!!!!!' Seto screamed in his head as Mokuba sighed. "My brother's not a bad cook, he's just the equivalent to the Hiroshima atom bomb explosion if he comes five metres near the kitchen"

Joey and Serenity's jaws dropped.

"No" Joey rasped in disbelief. Mokuba nodded seriously.

"Yes… my brother can do anything… BUT COOK" DUN, DUN, DUN.

"But surely he can cook something… boil an egg… that's easy" Serenity pressed in Seto's defence. Mokuba nodded.

"Oh yeah… he did try to boil an egg once…" he answered before narrowing his eyes. "It hatched…" (A/N: Cheep, cheep) Joey was in awe of his account. "I'm sorry… I do love my brother… honestly I do… but if I had a choice between climbing Mt Annapurna without a safety harness and hanging out with him when he decides to touch a cooking pot… I'll climb that mountain like Spiderman even if it kills me" Seto went red with embarrassment that this subordinate puppy dog knew his darkest secret, that he was a menace in the kitchen, a walking disaster when he was to touch any culinary tools.

"Well… that's interesting" Joey whispered before glancing at the clock. "Oh shoot I need to get to work now or I won't be getting any sleep tonight. Come on Mokuba"

"I'll help too!!!" Serenity announced bouncing after them. Seto saw them left and immediately followed. Apparently Joey didn't have to go far as the stylish sign of Nénharma was up high on a plaque next door to his apartment.

*****Seto POV****

Mokuba will be grounded for life for telling on me like that and not just to anyone. IT JUST HAD TO BE THAT DAMN DOG!!!!! I growl as I try to find someplace where I can film some more and I'll be sure to cut that part on the tape when I get home. Anyway found a space, the angles not too good but it'll have to do… I'll need to sneak in another few cameras in here as well sometime.

****Normal POV****

Joey and Mokuba got to work on a huge supply of ingredients that was set aside on a table, breaking eggs and whisking them and much to Seto's surprise before long a first batch of what would look like cakes was being made and a wonderful aroma wafted in the air. Serenity had helped with painting some egg onto the pastries when she noticed something stick out of Joey's jacket that was hanging on the wall. She had a look and instantly was worried.

"Big brother?"

"Hmm?" Joey asked when he noticed that she was holding his report card all filled with D's and E's with the exception of a `A' for catering and `A' for PE. Mokuba also looked up and glanced at the report card with wide eyes.

"Mama said she was going to look at your report card too sometime this week. She's not going to be happy about this…" Joey rolled his eyes before continuing to roll his pastry. "I mean she's always said you could easily get straight A's"

"Straight A's?" Mokuba asked. It was his turn to be surprised. Serenity smiled.

"Yeah… it's true I still have all his old letters offering places from Harvard's, Oxford and Cambridge"

"Well that's what happens when you're trying to hold down two jobs AND a full time education little sis" Joey spat bitterly. "Someone has to pay for the bills to feed a family of four and your eye therapy so obviously something has to give. If mom's not happy about it she best get a job and sort herself out before she goes around telling me what to do with mine" Serenity cringed at her brother coldness as he seemed to start bashing at the pastry harder than ever.

"Nénharma… that's a strange name for a café isn't it?" Serenity asked changing the subject. Mokuba giggled.

"Hehe… it's cool though… Joey found it on a Lord of the Rings website" he said

"Oh?"

"It's a site that can translate your name into Elvish" Joey explained. "I typed my name and it said Nénharma so technically the café's called `Wheeler'. (A/N: Clever no? o_0? -_-… Ok… BTW this website does exist it's http://www.chriswetherell.com/elf. I typed Joey's name in for fun and that's how it turned out)

Seto stopped filming for that instant for he had ran out of tape and went home. `Oh what more surprises were there in the life of this Katsuya Jounouchi?' he thought… Only time will tell the next day. Mental note: Remember to ground Mokuba…

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