Author's notes: Thank you to everyone who reviewed/commented! Here's chapter two! And, as I said before, there'll be yaoi (and yaoi hinting) so... if you don't like that, you were warned.

We don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of the characters! We're not making money off of this, either.

Yu-Gi-Oh!: Fallen Star

by

Neon Tiger (Mouko) and Yuki Ryu

*^*

Chapter Two

Horns sounded off noisily as cars tore down the streets. People walked up and down the sidewalk, going places or returning home, as one would expect in any busy city.

Seto paid them no mind as he wandered down the sidewalk, weaving slightly. He would have suspected that people thought him drunk if he had enough sense to notice it. As it stood, he didn't even have enough sense to remember that he didn't walk home from school; he had a limo.

His stay at the nurse's office proved to be rather unhelpful. He managed to catch a few minutes of sleep but felt worse than he had going in. It was as if sleep were sapping energy instead of replacing it. Or perhaps it was the dreams? He wasn't much into believing that dreams meant something, but they were definitely affecting his mental health.

Seto yelped as a car tore by him, signaling that he had fumbled off the sidewalk and in to the streets. He quickly got back on to the sidewalk and stopped to look around weakly. How could he possibly pick up Mokuba from school if he couldn't even walk down the sidewalk?

Seto sighed and decided to just wing it and hope a car didn't hit him. There was no point in just standing there all day. He turned on his heels and proceeded down the sidewalk once more.

The brunette was vaguely aware of where he was; he could almost swear it was the street leading past the Turtle Shack, Yugi's grandfather's store. Seto stopped to wonder if he was even traveling in the right direction. Was Mokuba's school past the Turtle Shack or on the other side of town entirely? He couldn't even remember.

"Oi, is that who I think it is?"

Seto blinked and almost recognized the voice but simply sighed and resumed his disoriented walking.

"Yeah, it is! It's Kaiba!"

Seto blinked at his name but continued walking, or at least he tried to. He winced as he bumped in to a mailbox and stepped back before continuing onward.

"Hey, Kaiba!"

Seto didn't want to see who was calling his name. He paused and tried to keep on forward but only ended up slamming in to a phone booth. He yelped in pain and flinched, grumbling irritably.

"Kaiba? Are you alright?"

The young CEO jumped and snapped about, having not expected someone to be right behind him.

Yugi started at Seto's reaction. "Kaiba?" he blinked.

"Ah?" Seto blinked repeatedly, then grunted. Of course there stood a chance that he'd see Yugi on that street. His grandfather's card shop was there!

"Whazzup?" Jonouchi stood behind Yugi, holding his briefcase over his shoulder casually.

Seto blinked slowly and rubbed his eyes. "... How many times do I have to tell you that everything's fine before you believe me?"

"When you actually are fine," Yugi frowned. "We're only concerned about you, Kaiba..."

"Yeah, ya don't need to get so defensive!" Jonouchi agreed.

Seto grunted. "I'm not defensive... I'm just... tired."

"How about we help get you home, Kaiba?" Yugi suggested.

"... I have to pick up Mokuba..." Seto muttered, glancing around slowly. "I just need to find his school..."

"Why didn't you take yer limo?" Jonouchi blinked.

Seto paused before his eyes widened. He slapped his forehead and let out an exasperated moan.

Yugi sweatdropped as he had the feeling that the brunette was so tired that he had forgot all about riding in his limo.

"Dude, you forgot?" Jonouchi stared.

"... I didn't forget," Seto grunted, though his cheeks took a distinctive tint. "I wanted the exercise."

"Then why're ya blushin'?" Jonouchi leaned forward to point.

"I'm not," Seto growled.

"Yeah you are!" Jonouchi grinned and poked Seto's nose. "Just admit it!"

"... Don't touch me," Seto grunted.

"Jonouchi, you shouldn't antagonize him, especially when he's not feeling so well," Yugi frowned.

"Eh, it wouldn't be a problem if he weren't so antisocial!" Jonouchi protested.

Seto glowered at Jonouchi.

Yugi sighed at the tactless blonde.

"What? You were thinkin' it too!" Jonouchi blinked.

Seto turned on his heels. "I'm leaving now."

However, he didn't get far as he immediately slammed in to the telephone booth again.

"... ... Ow."

"... Hey, I just had an idea," Yugi said after a moment. "How about I walk you home, Kaiba, while Jonouchi picks up Mokuba?"

"Yeah, that works!" Jonouchi beamed. "I know where the school is!"

Seto's first instinct was to refuse. However, his face hurt and he was almost positive his nose was bleeding. He debated his options, then sighed and nodded. "I suppose... not that I need any help."

"Great!" Yugi smiled, happy that the young CEO was willing to accept his help.

"Okay!" Jonouchi grinned and gave the two of them a thumbs-up. "I'll go get Mokuba then!"

Seto grunted and watched as Jonouchi turned and darted down the sidewalk. Seto blinked as he realized he had, indeed, been walking in the opposite direction and sighed.

"Come on, Kaiba, let's go," Yugi smiled as he held a hand out to the taller boy.

Seto stared at Yugi for a moment, then let out a deep sigh and slowly extended his hand to the other boy. When faced with the options of accepting help from his rival or slamming in to telephone booths or even worse, the young CEO was forced to admit that Yugi was the better option.

Yugi grinned even wider as Seto took his hand, happy that the other boy seemed to be becoming less hostile towards him and his friends, and began to lead Seto off towards his home.

Seto was almost immediately thankful for Yugi's support as with the very first step, he found his legs almost giving out underneath him.

"Whoa, careful!" Yugi yelped as he quickly moved closer to the young CEO, using both hands in an attempt to support the taller boy.

Seto faltered and glanced at Yugi before letting out another sigh. He felt like a complete idiot. Even worse, he felt like a complete idiot in front of the one person he did not want to look like a complete idiot in front of.

"Come on, let's go slow...," Yugi said as he gently helped keep Seto steady as they stumbled towards the other boy's home.

Seto hung his head and sighed. He couldn't go on like this. He needed sleep, one way or another. "I wonder if I can get some tranquilizers...? Sleeping pills wouldn't be strong enough."

"Maybe you should talk to a doctor about this," Yugi suggested, brows furrowed slightly.

"... A doctor couldn't help," Seto grunted. He sincerely doubted doctors could do anything about dreams, outside of drugging him.

"Maybe you should try natural alternatives then?" Yugi tilted his head.

"I wasn't aware there was a natural alternative for dreams," Seto muttered, to himself.

"Is that's what's making you sick?" Yugi blinked, as he didn't realize the young CEO hadn't meant for him to hear that part.

"Ah?" Seto looked up, and then mentally cursed himself for letting that slide. "... You could say that."

"What kind of dreams are they?" Yugi asked, curious.

Seto refrained from snapping at Yugi that it was none of his business. He couldn't very well be rude to the one person keeping him out of getting hit by a car. "I think it's ancient Egypt."

"Oh?"

"... Yes," Seto stared at the ground.

"Would you mind telling me about them?"

Seto clenched his jaw before letting out a deep sigh. They were just dreams. Why should he feel so protective about it, outside of protecting his pride? His pride was already destroyed for the day. "Just random images or scenes... that's all."

"Care to share some of them?"

"... Why would you care one way or another what-?!" Seto snapped his head about to glower at Yugi, then paused and stared with wide eyes.

Instead of Yugi, Yami was the one supporting him.

Seto's jaw fell limp, unable to finish his sentence, as he stared at Yami. He knew there was something different about Yugi; it happened every time Yugi went to duel. Even the voice changed, becoming deeper and more commanding. He wasn't so blind to not notice the changes, as he always was rather shrewd at those sorts of things. However, he always shrugged off the changes as his imagination. Now that he was face to face with it, he began to question everything he had passed off as his imagination.

"Kaiba?" Yami asked, noticing the young CEO's drastic change in demeanor.

Seto felt the color drain from his face as his eyes widened.

"Seto?" Yami repeated.

"Ah?" Seto jerked and raised his gaze from the floor, meeting Yami's gaze before quickly looking away. "Y-yes, my prince?"

"You worried me for a moment there," Yami smiled.

"I... apologize," Seto muttered. "I was thinking..."

Seto raised his eyes slightly to look around the room they now stood in, a bit apprehensive.

The room was exactly like one would expect an Egyptian Prince to have. The bed looked to be made of solid gold with a mattress made of finest silk. Even the blankets and pillows looked to be made of silk as hieroglyphs covered every inch of the bed. Rich murals and statues matching those of the throne room rested in the Prince's room, as well as a rich carpet that protected the royal feet from the cold floor.

Seto wasn't sure if he should take being the prince's room as an honor or as an omen. Why would Yami want to see him, especially after the little incident in the market place?

"Oh? What were you thinking about?" Yami asked curiously, a smile on his face.

Seto swallowed hard. "Just wondering about why... why you wanted to talk to me, my prince."

"Well, to be perfectly honest, I wanted to see if you were willing to become friends," Yami said casually.

"Friends?" Seto looked up, confused. The prince wanted to be friends with HIM? Was this a joke?

"Yes, friends," Yami smiled. "I haven't had a challenge like that in the Shadow Games for a long while. Since we're both the same age, like to play the same game, and have seem to have hit it off, I thought that maybe you were interested in pursuing a friendship."

"I... I...," Seto was at a total loss. He was still rather angry about the whole loss from earlier but he knew that the one he was talking to was his prince. Despite the dangers of upsetting royalty, there was still the matter of his parents... "I don't know what to say, my prince... I am hardly someone people would want their prince to associate with..."

Yami made a face. "Please, Seto, you can speak freely here. You don't have to kiss up."

Seto blinked, then swallowed. "... You noticed?"

"I noticed from when you first came into the throne room," Yami said flatly. "My father might not notice when someone's kissing his ass, but I do."

"... I suppose I have much to learn about the art, then," Seto said, his voice dripping with his usual sarcasm.

"Now THAT'S more like it," Yami chuckled. "You sound more natural when you're not hiding your true feelings."

The young priest glanced at Yami, more than a little confused by his demeanor. He certainly didn't act like a typical prince. "Most would find me naturally infuriating."

"I suppose you are somewhat, but I prefer you this way," Yami grinned.

"You... prefer me to be obnoxious?" Seto arched an eyebrow. Even Heishin disliked Seto's attitude and made sure the brunette remembered that.

"Well... not so much obnoxious but honest." Yami leaned back slightly. "I can't stand seeing someone so full of spirit suppressing it like you were forced to back there."

Seto lowered his gaze slightly. "You get used to it, eventually... but it still stings once and a while."

"Well I want you to stop." Yami frowned sharply. "It's not right."

"I...," Seto looked up, confused by both the demand and the seeming concern. He idly wondered if Heishin would be pleased to hear the prince tell the young priest not to act the very way Heishin wanted him to act. "It's not right... but it's 'proper etiquette'..."

"I don't care, it's still not right."

Seto fidgeted slightly. "I know... but I can't disobey my master..."

Yami sighed and crossed his arms. "If you must continue, then please at least be yourself when around me. Would that be alright with you?" he asked.

"I...," Seto shifted slightly as he pondered that, then nodded. "I don't see why not..."

"Great," Yami smiled.

"... Why do you care, though?" Seto looked at Yami, curiously.

"Because I would like to become friends with you."

"... That's what I don't understand," Seto blinked. "Not even people at the temple want to have anything to do with me. Why would you?"

"Because," Yami shrugged, as if that was all there was to it.

Seto blinked repeatedly. "I... see."

"Would you at least consider it?" Yami asked.

Seto looked at Yami, still trying to fathom what it was that Yami wanted from him. No one ever spoke to him unless they needed something and he just couldn't imagine that anyone would simply want to be 'friends'. However, he imagined that Heishin would be furious if the young priest turned down a chance to 'get in good with the royalty'. "I... suppose... but I wouldn't know the first thing about it."

"Well, I suppose I could teach you a few things," Yami smiled.

Seto wasn't sure how to take that but was mildly relieved. Perhaps he could stave off Heishin's anger by using Yami's sudden interest in him. A rather selfish reason, but one needed to be selfish sometimes when it came to survival. "I'd imagine so. I've never had a... friend."

"I'd be honored if you'd see me as your first then," Yami smiled even wider in quite an inviting manner.

"A-all right," Seto nodded slowly, really starting to grow wary of the situation he was putting himself into.

Yami nodded as he continued to smile at Seto.

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

Seto moaned quietly as he twitched, his mind slowly coming in to focus. He felt tired and groggy, his entire body lethargic. What had happened? He remembered looking at Yugi and then flashing out to a weird dream.

The dream was still very much prominent in his mind, bothering him immensely. What did it mean? Did he really want to know?

Either way, the young CEO pushed it aside for much more important questions. Where was he now?

Seto slowly opened his eyes, flinching at the light that greeted him. "Ah?"

"Ah! You're finally awake, Niisama!"

"Ah?" Seto's eyes snapped open as his eyes focused in on a very familiar sight: Mokuba.

Mokuba leaned over onto Seto's bed, smiling with relief at his older brother. "You had me worried when Yugi told me all about what's been going on with you today," he said.

Seto covered his eyes. He hadn't meant to worry Mokuba; that was the last thing he wanted. "I'm fine, Mokuba..."

"I'm glad," Mokuba smiled before he lunged over to hug Seto.

Seto yelped at the sudden lunge, then laughed quietly and returned it. Mokuba meant so much to him. There was something special about having someone at home who was glad you were alive or even existed. He owed Mokuba a lot for his support and love, something he never got from anyone else.

When Mokuba finally pulled back from the hug, he looked up at his brother quite seriously. "Niisama, you're staying home tomorrow and getting some rest," he said firmly.

"I can't, Mokuba," Seto sighed. "I have school... not to mention work."

"You're staying home!" Mokuba said insistently. "You're going to rest and get better!"

"Mokuba...," Seto sighed again. How could he get his brother to understand? He was needed at the company and his absences at the school were already rather high due to the whole incident with Pegasus.

"I've already called the school," Mokuba said as he crossed his arms. "And I called you in sick at work. You ARE staying home tomorrow and you WILL relax!"

"... You what?" Seto's eyes widened. "Mokuba, I can't stay home..."

"You can. You've got permission, so you're gonna stay home even if I have to do something drastic," Mokuba insisted as he gave the young CEO his best pouting face.

Seto almost surrendered to the pouting face but managed to retain a straight face. "Mokuba..."

Mokuba pouted even more. "If you don't skip work and school so you can relax and get better you're not getting your cards back!"

"... Getting my cards... back?" Seto stared at Mokuba.

"I hid the key to your briefcase," Mokuba stated.

"... I have a spare," Seto looked at Mokuba, levelly.

"Hid that too," Mokuba pouted even more and returned the level gaze, almost a mirror image of his older brother. "AND your briefcase."

"WHAT?!" Seto sat straight up. "Mokuba, that's not even funny!"

"Neither is you nearly getting run over by a car." Mokuba continued to gaze at his brother levelly. Normally he would yield to his older brother's wisdom, but when it came to Seto's well being, Mokuba was a force to be reckoned with.

"... That only happened a couple times!" Seto retorted, hotly. "It won't happen again!"

"Yes, because you're staying home!" Mokuba returned.

Seto's cheek twitched. "That's blackmail."

"I prefer to call it 'looking out for my Niisama'," Mokuba grinned.

Seto sighed. He knew he might as well give up. Mokuba was deadly serious and the tired CEO didn't have the energy to argue. He knew his little brother was just looking out for him and he was thankful for that. Besides, Seto had to admit that he needed someone to look out for him as he rarely did so himself.

"Now for the rest of the day you're going to sleep and tomorrow we're going to do some fun stuff that won't stress you out," Mokuba said, sensing that Seto was no longer going to fight him.

"Like?" Seto grunted as he laid back down, having no other options open to him.

"Going to the museum," Mokuba grinned. "They've got some new stuff on loan and some kids in my class said they're actually pretty cool, and there's new interactive exhibits too."

"Ah," Seto closed his eyes. "I suppose so..."

Mokuba slipped off his brother before fluffing up his brother's pillows a bit and tucking him in. "Now you get some rest, Niisama, and concentrate on feeling better," he said soothingly.

"Since when did you become the big brother?" Seto opened an eye to look at Mokuba, grinning slightly.

"Since you needed someone watching out for you," Mokuba giggled before he lunged over to hug his older brother again.

Seto grunted at the lunge, then chuckled quietly and returned the hug. "Sounds good."

"Yeah, now get some sleep," Mokuba smiled as he slipped off the bed.

He was answered with silence.

Mokuba blinked and looked up to see that Seto was already fast asleep.

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

"Isn't this great, Niisama?"

"I suppose," Seto blinked as he looked around the museum, his hands in his trench coat pockets. The Kaiba brothers stood in the middle of a huge Prehistoric exhibit, surrounded by dinosaur bones and fossils. The room was gigantic, with a huge dome overtop. As a result, there was a deep echo that resonated whenever anyone spoke and filled every corridor with a choking silence any other time.

"Aren't you having fun?" Mokuba blinked, decked out in all sorts of souvenirs from the gift shop.

"Well," Seto tilted his head to peer up at the jaws of the massive dinosaur towering above him. "I am... but I just can't help but wonder how I'd feel if I had my bones on display for people to gawk at."

"Oh," Mokuba blinked then tilted his head slightly. "But these aren't really bones... they're fossils of bones. My teacher taught us that in science class."

"I know," Seto nodded. "But still. Can you imagine being put on display like this? They even have fossilized waste."

"Yeah... I guess you have a point, Niisama," Mokuba muttered as he scratched his cheek. "How about we look at something else instead then?"

"Sounds good," Seto nodded as he turned and headed towards the hallway at the other end of the exhibit. "Where does this lead to?"

"I think that's the new Egyptian exhibit," Mokuba guessed as he walked alongside his brother.

"Egyptian, eh?" Seto didn't miss the irony. The dreams that had been keeping him up at night apparently took place in Egypt, and here he was walking into an Egyptian exhibit.

"Yup," Mokuba nodded, as cheerful as ever. "I heard they got some really cool stuff here too."

"Perhaps," Seto shrugged as he continued to walk, pausing the moment he entered the gigantic exhibit.

The Egyptian exhibit hall was partially what one would expect with priceless artifacts in cases displayed in the middle of the room and along a couple of the walls, but there was also an interactive part to it. There was a large soft-foam pyramid and tomb for kids to run around in, climb onto, and explore. Obviously the museum wanted to cater to the kids' tastes as well as the adults.

"Heh," Seto grinned. "Interesting layout."

"Yeah, this is great!" Mokuba cheered as his attention centered on the kids' area.

Seto grinned at Mokuba, chuckling quietly, and turned to pay more attention to the antiques in the cases. He slowly walked past them, eyeing them with only mild interest. The antiques ranged from crowns and circlets to staffs and statuettes. Nothing was particularly interesting, at least, to a CEO of a giant corporation.

"I'm gonna go over there for a bit, okay Niisama?" Mokuba asked as he pointed at the fake pyramid.

"Okay," Seto nodded, and then smirked. "Don't get lost."

"I won't," Mokuba promised, grinning, before he darted off to play.

"Heh," Seto smirked even wider, then turned to finish looking at the exhibits. He weaved around the glass cases, steadily growing more and more bored with each passing moment. At least, that was until something caught his eye. The young CEO stopped short and turned to stare down at the glass container before him, blinking.

Resting inside the glass container was a beautiful amulet, sporting a large blue diamond with a white star in the center. It was attached to a solid gold band with a matching gold, ridged setting. Two large 'feathers' carved out of fire opal rested on either side of the diamond, dangling free save for where they were attached to the band at the tip.

Seto simply stared at the amulet, unable to look away.

"Enjoying yourself?" an old and mostly bald man wearing thick glasses asked. He wore a business suit and a nametag that proudly stated "Museum Curator".

"... What is this?" Seto pointed at the amulet, meaningfully.

"Oh, that is the Eye of Oasis, a magnificent find we recently acquired," the curator grinned, obviously pleased at the fact that a young person was taking an actual interest in history.

"Eye of Oasis...?" Seto repeated, absently.

"Yes. Beautiful isn't it?" the curator asked.

"Yes...," Seto nodded. "What do you know about it...?"

"Err... well... actually we don't know much except that it's quite old and originated from Egypt," the curator confessed sheepishly.

"How much did you pay for it?" Seto demanded. He knew that items at a museum were either donated or bid on.

"Uh... well... this particular piece was 10 million," the curator blinked.

"Fifty million."

"What?" the curator blinked repeatedly.

The young CEO whirled and pulled his license out of his wallet, displaying it to the curator so that the man would know who he was. "I'll pay you fifty million for it."

The curator's eyes bugged out as he looked at the license and recognized the infamous Seto Kaiba. "M-Mr. K-Kaiba I-I," he stammered, utterly at a loss.

"A hundred million!" Seto barked, his eyes narrowed.

The curator stared at the young CEO for a few moments.

"... Heck, we can always get more exhibits!"

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

"Mornin', Yug'!" Jonouchi grinned as he walked in to the room, his briefcase slung over his shoulder. He glanced around at the class before striding towards Yugi's desk, where Anzu stood casually.

"Good morning, Jonouchi!" Yugi smiled as he waved at his blond friend.

"Good morning, Jonouchi," Anzu smiled, brightly. "It's a lovely day, huh?"

"Yeah," Jonouchi shrugged, and then nodded to Honda. "Yo."

"Hey, man," Honda grinned from where he sat casually in his seat.

"Is Kaiba here today?" Jonouchi looked around. "Not that I'm worried 'bout his obnoxious hide but, ya know... he was stumblin' into cars."

"Not so far... and I'm getting a bit worried," Yugi frowned. "I mean... he wasn't here yesterday or the day before either."

"You don't suppose...?" Anzu began, then paused and blinked.

The door swung open as a very familiar CEO strode in to the room, his expression exceptionally bored and highly neat and trimmed. He looked just as he usually did, tidy and an image of perfection. In fact, the only thing different about him was what he wore around his neck.

The Eye of Oasis.

"Hey, looks like Kaiba's back to normal," Honda observed.

"Yep," Jonouchi nodded. "But what's that thin' he has around his neck?"

"Wow... whatever it is it looks like it's worth a fortune," Yugi blinked, amazed.

"It's gorgeous," Anzu's eyes widened as she watched Seto stride towards his chair, briefcase in one hand and a book in the other. Girls squealed with delight and commented on how 'beautiful' the amulet was, though Seto specifically ignored them.

With a grunt, Seto sat down in his chair and proceeded to open his book and busy himself with it.

"Geez, Kaiba! Where'd the jewelry come from?" Jonouchi tilted his head. Seto tensed but refused to look up.

"For your information, it's not jewelry. It's an amulet," Seto sniffed. "And I bought it from the museum."

"That's pretty cool, Kaiba," Yugi smiled. "I'm glad you're feeling better. You had us all worried."

Seto looked up from his book, glancing at Yugi for a moment before looking back at his book. "... I told you I'd be fine."

"Heh, somethin' tells me that's as close as a 'thank you' as we're gonna get," Jonouchi smirked.

"I think you're right, Jonouchi," Yugi giggled quietly.

"Hm," Seto resumed reading his book, the amulet seemingly glowing from its position against Seto's chest.

"Hey, that's Egyptian, right?" Honda asked as he pointed at the amulet.

"Yes, it is." Seto didn't look up.

"Why did you buy it?" Yugi asked curiously.

Seto paused for a moment, then shrugged. "I don't know."

"Don't know?" Jonouchi blinked. "Why the hell would ya buy something if ya don't know? How much did you pay for it?"

Seto paused, then glowered in to the book. "A hundred million."

"WHAT!?" Jonouchi screeched.

Yugi's jaw dropped.

Honda's eyes bugged out.

"A h-h-hundred...?" Anzu whispered.

Seto turned the page, trying to appear casual. "Yes."

"Th-that's...," Yugi stammered, unable to finish out of shock.

"AND YOU DON'T KNOW WHY YA BOUGHT IT!?" Jonouchi thundered. "ARE YOU INSANE!?"

"What I do with my money is none of your concern!" the young CEO snapped.

"T-that's a bit expensive, though," Anzu stared.

Seto returned to his book with a grunt. "I don't see the problem here. Is there something so strange with me wearing this amulet?"

"No...," Yugi began slowly. "But... paying so much! I mean..." He trailed off, still at a loss.

"Man, Kaiba, you really got taken to the cleaners," Honda said bluntly.

"Hardly," Seto looked up. "My average income from Kaiba Corporation is five hundred million a week."

Yugi's jaw dropped again.

Jonouchi fell over with a crash.

"Hah..." Anzu's eyes widened.

Honda's eyes widened to the size of saucers.

"... What?" Seto blinked.

"F-five HUNDRED MILLION!?" Yugi stammered.

"... What of it?!" the young CEO demanded, defensively.

"That's-!" Honda boggled.

"I-incredible!" Anzu stared.

"... I'd be making more but I've been taking too much time off as it is," Seto grunted, apparently missing the entire issue. "Though that should change once the new hardware's on the market."

"New hardware...?" Yugi blinked.

"Company secret," the brunette replied, returning to his book.

"How the hell do you get a job like that where you make five hundred million a freakin' WEEK!?" Jonouchi demanded.

Seto flinched and refused to look up, though his grip tightened on the book so drastically his knuckles turned white.

Anzu immediately noticed the young CEO's reaction and stared at him. "... Kaiba?"

Seto said nothing, his hands shaking slightly.

"Kaiba?" Yugi asked, becoming concerned as he also noticed. "Are you alright?"

"... I'm fine," came the tense, forcibly monotone reply.

"You don't look so good," Honda pointed out. "Maybe you should see the nurse."

"I'm fine," Seto repeated through clenched teeth.

"You don't look it," Jonouchi stared.

"I'M FINE," Seto practically snarled.

"Are you sure?" Yugi asked gently.

Seto didn't dignify Yugi's inquiry with a response; his knuckles still white as he clenched the book.

"... Pardon us for caring," Honda muttered.

"What'd I say?" Jonouchi's eyes widened as he stared at Yugi.

"I guess it's just a sensitive subject," Yugi said softly to Jonouchi.

"What?" Jonouchi blinked, then scowled. "It's not like he's ADOPTED or anythin'!"

With that, Seto jumped to his feet, his chair toppling over with the sheer force of his actions. Without a word, the brunette quietly turned and stormed towards the door to the classroom.

Yugi stared and blinked slowly. "... Maybe it is...," he said after a moment, very quietly.

"... W-wha-?" Jonouchi's eyes widened.

"Hold it!" the teacher suddenly said as he placed his hand on the young CEO's shoulder. "Just where do you think you're going Mr. Kaiba?"

Seto tensed and turned to glower at the teacher. "Out."

"To where?" the teacher pressed.

Seto simply glared at the teacher.

The teacher returned the glare with an even gaze.

Seto glowered darkly. Sensing the stares increase as he and the teacher faced off, Seto finally decided it would be best just to sit in his desk and suffer through class. With a snort, the young CEO turned on his heels and headed back to his desk. With stiff movements, Seto righted his chair and sat down.

"Now... time for attendance," the teacher announced.