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

10. Digital madness

"Stupid, I told you not to do that in class." Anzu scolds Jounouchi who is rubbing his sore head from the pummeling his teacher gave him.

"What did he do this time?" a voice cuts in, making them and Yugi turn to see... "Ren!"

"How are you doing Ren?" Anzu questions, making the girl smile. "Pretty good. It's sore, and I can't do too much yet with my leg, but it's getting there." she answers, showing off the stitched wound.

"That is gonna be one awesome looking scar." Jounouchi whistles in appreciation. "Jounouchi!" Yugi scolds.

Ren chuckles amusedly. "That's okay. I guess so huh?"

"Hey!" Jounouchi suddenly calls, pointing to something hanging from Ren's bag. "You've got a digital pet too?" She nods, "Yeah, I got a little bored staying at home. Mom got me this to keep me occupied." she explains.

"We've got them too!" Yugi says excitedly. "Look here." he says, showing her the blue case. On the screen it shows a little creature with hair like Yugi's. "It's cute." Ren giggles, making Yugi blush.

"You've probably spent a lot of timing raising yours right?" Jounouchi asks Ren. "Yeah sure."

"Jounouchi too, so much so that the teacher caught him." Anzu says pointedly. "Oooh. Busted." Ren coos, making the boy grumble.

Suddenly the door swings open with a bang, "What a load of crap!" Honda announces. "To waste your time on this to waste your youth. It's useless! Decadent!"

"You don't have to go so far you know!" Anzu scolds him.

"You don't think it's interesting Honda?" Yugi asks. "Yes, but it's of no interest to me." Honda replies.

"That's what you say, but truth is that you couldn't get any. They were sold out everywhere." Jounouchi points out, unimpressed by his friend's words. They quickly zone out as Honda starts on another of his rants about public responsibility and all that.

"Good morning!" a voice calls out. It's Miho. That quickly shuts Honda up.

"How so good morning? The second class is already over." Anzu points out, wondering where Miho has been the whole morning.

She pulls out a digital pet of her own, "Well, taking care of this has been so tiring... I went to bed late yesterday." she confesses, showing a cute digital pet of her own.

"You started on it too?" Yugi questions. "Yeah, I really want to go to Australia!" Miho tells him.

"Australia? How so?" Ren wonders. "Well look at this." Miho says, pulling out a pamphlet. It's saying something about a contest with digital pets. The winner will be called out next Sunday. "I see now..." Ren muses.

"Are you also interested Ren?" she questions. The girl shakes her head. "I'm sure you want it more than I do. I don't want to compete against you if you do." Ren tells her, making Miho hug her in thanks. Jounouchi however has no problem with that.

"But I'm so tired..." Miho sighs. "Could someone raise a digital pet and raise it for me please? I wanted so badly to win this two person trip..." she asks with a pout. No one is surprised when Honda jumps up for the task. Jeesh. What was he saying about humanity again?

Yugi notices another classmate, standing in the back of the class, looking at his feet sadly. "Hayama, aren't you playing with digital pets anymore?" he questions.

The short boy shakes his head, "No, I don't have any." he explains before nearly wincing when a different voice calls his name from the hallway.

"Hayama! Are you there?" "Kujirada..." "Come this way." Kujirada motions and Yugi watches the reluctant looking boy follow after him.