Saturday, 05/05/2001, 1:38 p.m.
Kame Game Shop, second floor.
Sunlight streamed through the shop's green windows, illuminating the interior.
The room, with yellow walls and simple furnishings, housed five figures: four teenagers and an elderly man.
They were Yugi Muto, Anzu Mazaki, Katsuya Jonouchi, Hiroto Honda, and Yugi's grandfather, Sugoroku Muto. They were seated on and around the brown sofa at the center of the room, their eyes fixed on the content playing on a CRT television before them.
The din coming from the TV was deafening. A steady rhythm filled the living room.
The broadcast displayed a large, light green dueling arena, with two figures standing on separate platforms—one red, the other blue. In the background, a sky-blue grandstand packed with children and teenagers could be seen.
On the blue platform stood Shin Osako, dressed entirely in black. On the red platform stood a tall teenager in blue and white, with sharp features, a slender build, short green hair, and gray eyes. His expression was twisted, his gaze downcast.
A blinking red scoreboard hung from the arena ceiling:
Shin Osako 1400 LP / 0 LP Mamoru Tsukamoto
A high-pitched sound escaped the arena at that moment.
Beeee-eeep!
A projection of a tall, stocky green demon with blue wings and dual scimitars vanished from Shin's side of the field after a brief fluctuation.
Meanwhile, the announcer's voice rang out powerfully through the broadcast.
"…And the Eastern Japan Regional Champion this year is… Shin Osako!"
The image on screen focused on Shin, who was being applauded by the crowd. A faint smile graced his lips, his hands raised in a wave to the audience.
At that moment, a tall, heavyset middle-aged man in a black suit and gray tie, with round features, brownish-gray hair, and brown eyes, approached Shin with a white envelope in his right hand. His other hand extended in greeting.
The camera zoomed in on the scene. A smile spread across the man's face. His words came out in a warm tone.
"Congratulations, young man. Best of luck in the National Championship."
Shin shook the man's hand, then nodded seriously. The white envelope now rested in his other hand.
"Thank you."
The camera cut away, and the announcer's voice was soon accompanied by his image on screen—dressed in a black suit and dark sunglasses, a wide grin defining his features.
"…And with this award ceremony, the Eastern Japan Duel Monsters Regional Championship officially comes to a close! Just like yesterday and today, unforgettable moments await us next week in Nagoya, host city of the upcoming Duel Monsters National Championship. The newly crowned Western Champion, Dinosaur Ryuzaki, will face off in the grand final against the Eastern Champion, Shin Osako. But before that, we'll see the third-place match between the runners-up from both regions, Mamoru Tsukamoto and Ryota Kajiki. This promises to be thrilling, no doubt! In the meantime, stay tuned to our channel for more—"
At that moment, Mr. Muto turned off the television with the remote. The screen went black. In a kind tone, he addressed the teens on the sofa, his arms crossed and resting on its back.
"Well, it looks like your friend won, kids. Quite an impressive duel, no doubt about it. Fierce boy. He dominated all his opponents from the start. I'd like to play against him someday."
With a bored look, Jonouchi crossed his arms. Clicking his tongue, he muttered softly.
"Friend? Tsk. Please. Osako doesn't seem interested in any of that. Standoffish bastard."
Yugi, scratching his head with a thoughtful look, raised his eyebrows and remarked with curiosity in his voice.
"It still surprises me that Osako even plays Duel Monsters, honestly."
With a somewhat strained smile, Hiroto murmured awkwardly, his gaze drifting over the TV.
"Yeah, he definitely doesn't seem like someone who'd be into this kind of thing."
Blinking a few times, Mr. Muto asked in a puzzled tone:
"How come you didn't know your friend played Duel Monsters? Didn't he tell you?"
The teens all shook their heads, their expressions uneasy.
Then Jonouchi spoke, resting his chin on his hand, his tone bitter.
"No. That's why I said we're not really friends. Not truly. Osako doesn't make any effort. It's very awkward trying to talk to someone like him. Believe me, I've tried. It's like there's a wall around him, keeping everyone at a distance. Sure, he's polite and he'll respond if you ask him something, but he never seems genuinely interested in talking. Damn, I've never even seen him start a conversation. He's like a damn machine."
A moment of silence fell over the room.
Anzu remained quiet and still, her gaze fixed on the black screen, lost in thought. After blinking a couple of times, she looked sharply at the jaded-looking Jonouchi and spoke critically.
"Everyone has secrets, Jonouchi. Shin is a reserved and introverted person. He doesn't air his problems like he's talking about the weather… unlike someone we know. That's called privacy and respect—concepts you apparently don't understand."
Face flushed, Jonouchi stood up from the sofa with clenched teeth, his words charged with anger.
"Anzu! You—you! Damn it! Why the hell do you defend that bastard so much?! Huh?!"
Meanwhile, Yugi held Jonouchi's arm with an uncomfortable expression. A quiet plea slipped from his lips.
"Stop it already."
Hiroto shook his head from the sofa, his face awkward.
Mr. Muto observed the entire exchange with an amused look.
After shaking off Yugi's grip, Jonouchi's expression shifted from anger to realization. Grinning slyly, he added in a mocking tone, pointing at Anzu.
"Wait a second… Don't tell me you're in love with that guy just because he saved you that time? Oh no. That's gotta be it, right? Ha! No wonder you were acting so weird whenever he came up, huh?! Ha-hahaha! Anzu's in love! Anzu's in lo—Ow! Hey!"
Dodging a uwabaki hurled by Anzu in her outburst, Jonouchi ducked behind the sofa. A toothy grin spread across his face. Sweat dripped down his forehead.
With a red face and an expression wavering between rage and embarrassment, Anzu clenched the hem of her skirt from her seat. A resentful mutter escaped her lips, eyes shut, teeth grinding.
"Stupid Jonouchi! Idiot!"
As Hiroto and Yugi averted their eyes from Anzu, Mr. Muto scratched his head and said with a chuckle:
"Oh, youth."