Yugi and Anzu's Misaligned Love Comedy: The Millennium Puzzle Is a Source of Love Troubles!? - The person I saw in my dream

The rainy season was almost over. The sky still carried its burden of gray clouds, but the light breaking through the gaps already held the feel of summer. A damp wind drifted through the open windows of the after-school classroom. On the blackboard, the day's duty student had left tomorrow's schedule. On a desk, someone's eraser crumbs. Yuugi sat at his own desk, staring out the window. Down in the schoolyard, the soccer club had started practice. A white ball bounced across the dirt. A whistle sounded from far away. "Yuugi-kun." He turned at the voice. Anzu stood in the classroom doorway, a stack of printouts held against her chest. Her chestnut hair caught the evening light, glowing soft and fluffy. "Oh, Anzu." "Got a minute? Can I talk to you?" With that, Anzu plopped down into the seat in front of him. The hem of her skirt fluttered. The braided bracelet on her wrist caught the light from the window and glimmered faintly. "What's up?" Yuugi straightened his back. It was rare for Anzu to approach him like this, so formally. She set the stack of printouts on the desk, then folded both hands in her lap and looked down slightly. "So, um." Her voice was just a little quieter than usual. "Lately, I've been having this weird dream." "A dream?" "Yeah. There's someone in it." Anzu lifted her face. Her large amber eyes looked straight at him. "Someone who looks a lot like you, Yuugi-kun." Something jumped in Yuugi's chest. "L-like me?" "Yeah. The hair, the height, the whole vibe. Really similar. But, you know—" She paused there. "His eyes are completely different." Yuugi stopped breathing. His heart began to pound. The Millennium Puzzle hanging at his chest suddenly felt strangely heavy. (What Anzu's talking about is—) That voice echoed in his head. The other self in the mirror. Sharp eyes. A low voice. (Atem.) No doubt about it. The person Anzu was seeing in her dreams was Atem. "H-heh... is that so." Yuugi managed to force the words out. "Th-that's a weird story." He could hear his own voice cracking. Had Anzu noticed? Under the desk, he clenched his fist tight. She didn't seem to have caught his agitation. "Yeah. It's weird, right? Even I don't know why I keep having that dream." Anzu looked out the window. The voices of the soccer club drifted up from the yard. "But, you know, he's really kind. In the dream, he talks to me. I forget what he says when I wake up, but... just his voice—it's so warm." Her voice drifted a little farther away. "And so." She looked at Yuugi's face once more. "I want to meet him." Yuugi's chest tightened. Meet him. Anzu was saying she wanted to meet Atem. But Atem had told him. —Don't tell anyone about me. —Not your friends, not your family, and not Mazaki Anzu. He couldn't say it. He couldn't tell Anzu the truth. "...Anzu." Yuugi put on the best smile he could manage. "He's just someone in a dream. He doesn't exist in real life. He's probably just a dream your imagination made up." Anzu stared at his face. Her eyes were serious, and yet somehow sad. "...You think so?" "I do." Yuugi nodded. Deep in his chest, it ached. He was lying. Lying to Anzu. But there was no other way. Because it was a promise to Atem. "If you say so, Yuugi-kun, then maybe that's how it is." Anzu smiled softly. But behind that smile, a faint trace of loneliness seemed to linger. "But if he really existed, I think I'd want to meet him." Her words melted into the classroom. Yuugi couldn't say anything. He just kept watching her profile, dyed in the setting sun. Outside the window, students finished with club activities were heading toward the school gate. Among them, he thought he caught a glimpse of a blond pompadour. Jounouchi. Yuugi followed Jounouchi's figure with his eyes and murmured inwardly. (What should I do, Atem?) The Puzzle at his chest gave no answer. ——— Night. Yuugi sat on his bed in his room. The only light was the desk lamp. Orange glow cast shadows into the corners. Game posters on the wall. An open puzzle box on the floor. Through the window, the lights of the shopping district signs filtered faintly through the curtains. "Atem." He called out loud. He gripped the Puzzle at his chest with both hands. "Can you hear me? There's something I want to talk about." Silence for a while. Only the low hum of the refrigerator filled the room. Then, a voice echoed in his head. "I'm listening." Low and quiet. It was Atem's voice, as always. Yuugi drew a breath. "Today, Anzu, she—" "I know. Your heart flows into mine as well." Yuugi was a little surprised. But he understood immediately. Atem was inside him. Everything Yuugi saw, heard, felt—all of it reached Atem too. "Right. Then this'll be quick." Yuugi gazed at the Puzzle in his lap. The golden surface reflected the lamplight, glittering in fine specks. "Anzu said she wants to meet the person she sees in her dreams. I figured out that person is you." Silence. Atem said nothing. Yuugi continued. "She seems really curious about you. She said your eyes were different. Your eyes are way sharper than mine, after all." "...I see." Atem's voice was quiet. Unreadable. "Atem, what should I do? Is it okay to tell Anzu about you?" "No." The answer was immediate. "I told you. Tell no one about me. Not Anzu either." "But..." "Then make her forget about me." Yuugi lifted his head. "What?" "If Anzu is concerned about me, make her forget. The dreams will fade naturally with time." Atem's voice seemed to grow a little more distant. "You make Anzu laugh. That is your role." Yuugi was at a loss for words. A faint loneliness was mixed into Atem's voice. (Just now, Atem sounded lonely.) That was how it felt to Yuugi. But he couldn't ask what it meant. "...Okay." Yuugi nodded slightly. That was all he could say. "Forgive me, Yuugi." Atem's voice faded away. Silence returned to the room. Yuugi sat frozen, staring at the Puzzle. (Why did Atem sound so lonely?) (Doesn't he want to meet Anzu?) (Or does he want to, but can't?) No answer came. Yuugi collapsed onto the bed. He stared up at the ceiling. The old wood grain pattern swam vaguely before his eyes. "I'm supposed to make Anzu laugh..." He murmured aloud. (Can I even do that?) (Anzu said she wants to meet Atem, not me.) A throbbing ache pulsed deep in his chest. It was heartache. ——— The next day. School began as usual. He barely absorbed any of the morning classes. Yuugi doodled meaningless shapes in his notebook over and over. Thinking about Anzu made his chest hurt. Thinking about Atem made it hurt even more. (What do I actually want?) That was all he could think about. Lunch break. Yuugi ate lunch with Anzu on the rooftop. At lunch, the roof of Domino High became a gathering spot for students. Beyond the fence, the town spread out below. The roofs of Yuugi's shopping district. The surface of the Domino River. The distant hills. Today, there were many clouds. "Yuugi-kun, you don't have much energy today." Anzu said it while opening her bag of bread. "Huh? R-really?" "Yeah. You seem kind of spaced out. Are you worried about what we talked about yesterday?" Her eyes peered into his. "N-no, it's nothing." Yuugi hurriedly bit into his bread. Anzu watched him and giggled. "You're so weird." "I'm not weird." "You are. You're a terrible liar, Yuugi-kun." With that, she started eating her own bread. Yuugi stole a glance at her profile. (Anzu really is curious about Atem, after all.) (But I have to make Anzu laugh.) (Because Atem said so.) Yuugi swallowed his bread. "H-hey, Anzu." "What?" "Want to walk home together after school today?" Anzu blinked. "Sure, but... what's with the sudden—" "Nothing. I just thought, once in a while, it'd be nice." To hide his embarrassment, Yuugi looked beyond the fence. "Hmm. Well, okay." Anzu smiled. "Then I'll wait at the school gate after class." "Yeah." Yuugi nodded. His heart was pounding. ——— After school. Yuugi and Anzu walked side by side out the school gate. The evening sky was still bright. A precious stretch of clear weather between the rains. "It's so muggy today." Anzu fanned her face with her hand. "Yeah. The rainy season's probably almost over." "Right? I can't wait for summer break." "What are you doing for summer break, Anzu?" "Dance practice, I guess. And I want to go to the beach." "The beach, huh. Nice." Yuugi walked along, listening to her talk. They crossed the bridge over the Domino River. The water's surface reflected the sunset, glittering brightly. The entrance to the shopping district came into view. "Hey!" Suddenly, a loud voice rang out. "Yuugi's on a date with Anzu!" Yuugi nearly jumped out of his skin. He spun around to find Jounouchi and Honda standing there, grinning. Jounouchi's blond pompadour gleamed in the sunset. Honda stood beside him, arms crossed, laughing with obvious delight. "I-it's not like that!" Yuugi's face went bright red. "It's not a date! We're just walking home together!" "Whoa there, Yuugi~. Walking home together, just the two of you? That's a date, man." "Yeah, yeah. Way to go, Yuugi." Honda clapped Yuugi on the shoulder, hard. "Would you two cut it out!" Anzu crossed her arms and glared at them. "We're just walking home together! What date? Are you idiots?" "Yikes, Anzu-chan's scary." Jounouchi cringed theatrically. "But hey, Yuugi." He leaned in close to Yuugi's face. "You like Anzu, don't you? It's written all over your face." Yuugi's heart nearly leaped out of his chest. "Wh-wh-wh—" The words wouldn't come. His face burned all the way to the tips of his ears. "I-it's not like that!" That was all he finally managed. But his voice cracked completely. "Haha, look at that, Honda. Yuugi's face is bright red." "The more he denies it, the more suspicious it gets." The two of them burst out laughing. "Honestly, you two!" Anzu shouted. "Yuugi-kun is clearly uncomfortable! Stop teasing him!" At her voice, Jounouchi and Honda swallowed their laughter. "Yeah, yeah, my bad." "Sorry, sorry." Jounouchi gave Yuugi's shoulder a light pat. "Well, Yuugi. Hang in there." His voice suddenly turned serious. Yuugi looked up at him, startled. Jounouchi grinned. "You know better than anyone how you feel about Anzu, right?" Yuugi couldn't say anything. Jounouchi didn't say another word. "See you two later." "See you tomorrow." They waved and walked off toward the shopping district. Yuugi and Anzu stood there for a while. "...Sorry, Yuugi-kun." Anzu spoke apologetically. "Those guys, they just tease people constantly." "N-no. It's fine." His face was still hot. (That Jounouchi...) (Why'd he have to say that?) But Jounouchi's words wouldn't leave his head. —You like Anzu, don't you? (I...) Yuugi glanced at Anzu walking beside him. She was looking down slightly as she walked. The sunset dyed her hair gold. (I like Anzu.) (Maybe I do.) Yuugi thought so, deep in his chest. But he couldn't put it into words. ——— Night. Yuugi sat on his bed again. He hadn't turned on the light today. The room was dark. Only the faint neon glow of the shopping district seeped through the window. "Atem." He called into the darkness. "You there?" "Yeah." The reply came immediately. "Jounouchi said something to me today." "I heard." "Right." Yuugi hugged his knees. "I think... I like Anzu." He said it out loud. For the first time, he said those words with his own mouth. "I guess I've known for a long time, but I didn't want to admit it. Anzu's my childhood friend, and I felt like someone like me shouldn't fall for her." He could feel his own voice trembling. "But when Jounouchi said it, I realized—oh, that's it. I like Anzu." Silence. Atem said nothing. Yuugi continued.

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Episode 2

Name: Yugi and Anzu's Misaligned Love Comedy: The Millennium Puzzle Is a Source of Love Troubles!?
Author: Novelia

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