Honda's Ghost Part 5

Ever get that feeling that things are going on beneath your nose that you really should be aware of?

Every single day with Jonouchi and Yugi.

And now Anzu was hiding something.

I would like to point out that while I watched all three of the trouble spots, Honda only really interacted with Jonouchi.

Yugi was usually incredibly cheerful, as long as someone was talking to him, once he thought no one was looking he would turn thoughtful and unusually sober.

I probably wouldn’t have noticed if I didn’t spend most of our time in class expecting an attack from that direction.

Jonouchi was an easily read book, in a foreign language. For all that I knew what he was going to do from moment to moment, I had no real clue what was going on in that blond head. I knew his patterns, I could guess what drove him, but... there was always the but.

Honda seemed quite happy to get swept up in the whirlwind that was Jonouchi most of the time, and I had to admit, even from my spectator’s view, most of the antics the boys got up to was amusing.

The one time it wasn’t, my rage flared, and I got proof that Honda could feel me somewhat, as he immediately tried to backtrack.

Two words.

Panty tank.

Jonouchi got a face full of Anzu’s fist that day, I almost felt sorry for him. Almost.

Honda spent most of that day tense and unhappy, barely taking the lesson in.

I guess, sometimes he can’t forget, although I don’t know what dark roads his mind took.

Hanasaki was forever glum, and I didn’t know what to do about that. I suppose I could have prodded Honda to do something about it, but he had been completely ignoring my hints that he should try befriending Yugi, so I didn’t have much hope on that front.

I spent too much time watching and thinking, thinking and watching. It wasn’t good for me to be trapped in my own thoughts.

I missed my Joey... It was a sudden ache for all that it was expected. Soon I would start to miss my family and other friends, but it was rare that a week would go by that I hadn’t spoken to Joey half a dozen times.

Maybe... I could write a letter? Burn it afterwards, but a letter might be good.

I set the thought aside for now, and tried to focus back on our classmates.

The mystery of Anzu presented itself again.

She had been acting odd for a few days, I wasn’t sure if anyone else had noticed, but it was my habit to observe our classmates, and Anzu was keyed up and more tired than usual. It was little things. She was slower to react, but quicker to anger, as Jonouchi usually managed to do several times a day.

If I had control, I would have blinked.

Jonouchi starts hanging around with Yugi more, Anzu suddenly starts over reacting to Jonouchi? Was she jealous? I tested the thought, turning it over in my mind.

I didn’t know. It seemed plausible but...

I sighed. It would have to wait another day.

The school bell rang, the teachers made a fuss, Honda ignored them, watching a girl...

She was pretty, I supposed. I shifted through Honda’s memories. The student librarian, so she must have an interest in books. Honda’s face warmed, and I felt his hands fisting. I quickly backed away from the memories.

He took a deep breath and spun, stalking out of the classroom.

He didn’t want me to know.

Fine. That was fine. He would tell me eventually, or I would learn from another source.

--__--

The next morning I felt like a fool.

I hadn’t even considered keeping track of the news.

I had picked up the paper on my morning run. There had been an article about a fire that caught my eye.

I had skimmed through the rest of the paper just out of curiosity.

Kaiba was in the business pages.

There was a photo, the Kaiba I knew and his adopted father.

Worse was that I recognised him.

He had faded into the background, a distant figure that didn’t waste much time with school yard games. He was a loner that choose to fade into the crowd.

I hadn’t noticed him.

I had ignored his name.

I had been ignoring a threat all this time?

No.

I might not have known the direction of the threat, but I knew enough to know the school wasn’t safe.

I met up with Jonouchi, who was buzzing about the events of last night, practically ready to tackle the first person to draw his ire, crowing about the stupidity of people setting themselves on fire.

“What!?” I turned to stare at him and Jonouchi grinned.

“I guess that got your attention?” He asked brashly.

“You...” I pulled out the paper.

“Were in Burger World when that escaped convict stopped by?” His grin turned sly.

“I missed the fire?” I asked sorrowfully.

Jonouchi drew back “Yeah... well I’m not going to forgot the smell for a while...”

Oh, yeah, ick. That can’t have been pleasant.

“No...” I said, “I don’t suppose you will. Were the others okay?” I asked.

Jonouchi shrugged, “Anzu and Yugi are fine, I was really worried about them for a while...” He laughed, “Guess I should know better, Anzu is as tough as nails.”

Damn it, I had missed another Shadow Game.