Honda's Ghost Part 7

I was starting to think I should stake out the school.

I knew I couldn’t, and stalking Yugi would lead to far more trouble than I was prepared to deal with.

Actually, stalking in general would lead to far more trouble than I wanted to deal with, so no following people to find out what they were up.

I had very mixed feelings when it came to the idea of befriending Yugi. It was like befriending a storm, it might be powerful, but you were going to get rained on, and there was little hope of staying in the eye of the storm all the time.

There was no question Yugi would make a great friend. I just couldn’t bring myself to trust the Spirit that protected him.

I needed to speak to him.

I had been here almost two months, and I hadn’t managed to make any changes.

I suppose it was good, in a way, I hadn’t made things worse.

At least I hoped I hadn’t. There was really no way of telling, what I knew of their story started at Duelist Kingdom, and that had faded in my mind since the years I had watched it.

Then again, if that story held any element of truth I suppose I should be preparing for a trip, from what I remembered the group had been entirely surprised for the need to camp out on that island, and hadn’t readied any supplies.

Practical considerations I know, but a simple thing like food was always a factor in moral.

Before I knew it, the school festival was upon us.

I had marked the date of the festival down, without realising one important difference between English and Japanese school fairs.

I had figured I would need to donate cakes, or ginger bread, or toys or something. I didn’t realised our class would be expected to organise a stall, I didn’t realise we would have to come up with ideas and put it all together ourselves.

Watching the process, with Anzu had the front organising ideas, I felt amused with myself for being caught out by such a simple cultural difference. I hadn’t even thought to check.

Honda had, curious about what the other classes were doing.

He had taken to talking to students in the other classes, I wasn’t sure why. I assumed he had a plan.

Well... not exactly talking, but listening? Slipping into groups that didn’t mind his presence. I had done something similar during my school and college days so I paid it no mind, but it had proved useful.

I wondered now, how much I was influencing Honda, that he was using patterns I once used. I worried about it now, knowing my mind was a twisting maze at the best of times.

I had to laugh at some of their ideas for a stand. Anzu didn’t write them all on the board, but even the ones she did didn’t seem all that practical from my point of view. How did they expect to cook food on site, or hold a wrestling tournament? There wouldn’t be space for wrestling for one, and even if they did set up a food stand, could any of them cook?

Well... I suppose at 15 years a few should be able to cook by now, but I bet they had no idea the effort it would take to do it in the quantities required.

Thankfully Yugi had a much more sensible idea. Games I could get behind.

My mind immediately jumped to shooting games, and for once Honda was apparently on the same page as he volunteered his air rifle.

I felt unsettled through, wanting to add my suggestions to the pot yet stuck being a mere spectator. Things went back and forth for a while, and I was glad Anzu was in charge, she was rather good at riding herd on the class.

I wanted to help, it sounded like fun, I wanted to make notes and organise and tidy and...

No.

Honda’s life. I could help, I would help, but I had already decided I would not live his life for him.

I wouldn’t break that promise to myself.

I couldn’t break that promise and live with myself afterwards.

I don’t think I would want to.

I don’t want to be that sort of person.

I retreated back, suddenly miserable.

I wish I could talk to someone, anyone.

The next few days were absolutely wretched as I tried to carry on as normal, resist temptation, and ignore the black mood that had descended upon me.

Honda ignored me, and I let him for once.

Jonouchi had his mind completely focused on the carnival games, it was all he would talk about, so I let the words wash over me, and wondered if Honda was ever going to tell him, hope slipping further and further away.

I was now burning more letters to Honda than sending, letting my pain go up in smoke.

There was little point trying to communicate. I would reach out over and over again, but if he didn’t reach back it was pointless.

We looked up as a dark shadow fell across the faire, a massive student blocking out the sun.

Goro Inogashira.

Honda’s eyes flickered behind him, to the set carrying a large slab, grill, and the groups of students just watching.

Oh dear.

Anzu stepped up, as Honda gathered his tools and put them to the side. The other students were frozen, watching Anzu confront the intruder. He scanned the back wall, it hadn’t been finished yet, and pushed aside a board, tapping the nearest student, a girl.

She turned to look, and Honda gestured at the opening, she nodded with relief and slipped out, tugging her friends after her.

As the other students of our class was clearing the area, Jonouchi was trying to extract himself from the barrel, and Yugi was shaking, paying no attention to what we were doing.

I guess Goro Inogashira had a reputation.

Honda swore as the grill forced it’s way in, narrowly missing Jonouchi and sending Yugi flying.

Yugi.

I expected a flare of magic. Something to protect the boy.

I didn’t expect him to hit the wall so hard.

Anzu screamed and ran to him.

I felt a flare of guilt from Honda, as he slipped away.

Wait, what? No. Honda, what are you doing?

Our classmates were standing around looking disheartened.

“What are we going to do?” Asked one, an open ended question to the group, a panicked response to an unexpected attack.

Honda glanced back at the stall. “We clean up, fix anything that’s broken.”

The group moaned and groaned about it, but nothing was irreparable.

Leaving only one problem, the large grill standing in the middle of our assigned area.

Honda attempted to lift it, but it didn’t budge, not even when Jonouchi joined our efforts.

So... that was that then.

My thoughts flickered to the small form holed up in the nurse’s office, and the incredibly powerful spirit by his side.

There was going to be a Shadow Game.

The Spirit wouldn’t let this stand.

All I had to do was wait, and watch.

--__--

With the festival stands, there were plenty of places to wait out of sight.

I even had a good view of the grill, having climbed up to an out of the way spot with my, I mean Honda’s air rifle.

No one ever looked up, all I needed to do was remain quiet and motionless. That I could do.

I was unsurprised to see Yugi, and once seeing Yugi I knew I would see Goro.

Their words filtered up to me, Goro’s laughter, Yugi’s quiet confidence.

Honda stilled at the back of our shared mind, and I realised he hadn’t seen this side of Yugi before, he hadn’t seen the Spirit.

He hadn’t seen the madness lurking beneath the surface.

Ice spit upon the grill, I could hear the sound sputtering as the boys played with their lives.

I hadn’t known. I had guessed, the stories I had heard, the hints I had.

The Spirit of the Puzzle was insane. Playing chicken with Death.

The puck exploded.

The Spirit walked away, chuckling to himself.

I waited.

Slipping down I checked the body.

Still alive. Badly burned. I hesitated, looking up into the night. I couldn’t...

The nearest payphone was only a few meters from the school, I dialled 999. Then laughed at myself when I didn’t get through. 911 didn’t work either, so I poked Honda. Finally 110 put me through to the police and I quickly told them I had heard a large noise, like an explosion from the school.

There. Conscious assured I slipped away.

Tomorrow... maybe I would talk to the Pharaoh tomorrow.

Tomorrow never comes.