Game Kings and Ice Queens (Yu-Gi-Oh Season 0)

1. Secrets cast in gold

Yugi looks down at his collapsed house of cards in dismay. There goes that idea down the drain. Not feeling like starting over, he gathers them to put them away only to have one slip off his desk and sliding across the floor, coming to a stop at a pair of feet a few desks over.

Yugi gulps, looking up. She didn't notice. Maybe he can grab it without her noticing. Like many times before, he and Asami Ren are the only ones left in class during lunchtime.

His reasoning is that he can't play sports with the others outside, leaving him often to his own devices and ends up being a the loner. He can't help he's short and uncoordinated.

Ren however is not still inside because of lack of popularity. Many would jump to the opportunity to hang out with her. Her reasoning is because she is a complete sports maniac and lunch is her study time. And you don't interrupt Ren during studying. It's an unspoken rule created to back her up.

Yugi gets up from his seat as quietly as possible and shuffles closer, trying to stay out of her line of sight.

Next to not wanting to interrupt her, he has another fear of being caught in her attention. It's her eyes. Once they meet, his mind has the tendency to become a jumbled mess and he doesn't want to embarrass himself.

He remembers the first time he got to look into her eyes. The class came up with something to pass the time as the teacher was running late and he doesn't know who called it, but they ended up doing a staring contest. Winnings: Eternal fame as the staring master!

It was all a bit silly, but Yugi joined in none-the-less. He could finally do something with his classmates.

He doesn't recall much of it, not even who won. But he remembers Ren sitting down in the seat across from him, eyes closed and sucking in a deep breath. Her fists were balled. He thought it a bit peculiar and was unsure as he found himself sitting across one of his classmates that he maybe exchanged one or two words with for the entire year.

As she released her breath, her eyes opened, hooking onto his like magnets. It was like the ocean engulfed him in that moment, a pristine tropical turquoise ocean.

He quickly found he had no difficulty to keep staring, because even if he wanted to, he couldn't tear his eyes away. His mind went blank and he lost track of time.

Eventually those eyes started to water and squeezed shut, snapping him out of the spell he was in and then, with a quick smile, she was gone as quick as she came. He remembers the disappointment he felt before blushing as he caught himself.

Yugi bends down to pick up the card and despite trying not to he can't resist a glance. He pauses. Is she sleeping?

It looks like it. She's breathing softly, her golden hair curtaining her face as her blue ribbon lies at the edge of her table. She looks tired now that he thinks of it. Better let her sleep while she can. Not that he has the guts to wake her anyway.

Yugi quickly shuffles backwards, scooting back in his seat with a sigh of relief. He throws a final glance at Ren's back, blushing slightly. She sure looks cute when asleep he notes.

Stuffing the deck of cards away, he notices another of his projects sitting in his backpack, calling out to him. Might as well.

He takes out the golden box. It mesmerizes him every time he looks at it. It's a real mystery. It even comes with its own riddle; "The treasure in this box is something you can see, but you've never seen before." he recites. "Let's see..."

Before he can open it, the box is snatched from his hands with lightning speed. Yugi blinks up at his classmate, "Jounouchi-kun."

The blonde badass eyes Yugi's box critically. "Yugi, why are you talking to yourself? Can't see but can see, saying a bunch of stuff I don't get." he complains.