Destined to be Yours

Chapter 45: Stolen Card

"So your sister's operation is later tonight?" Yugi asked Jounouchi. The two of them were walking down the street along with Anzu, Akia and Honda. Akia was way too busy admiring her Duel Disk that she had already unwrapped it while walking.

"Yeah, so I should start heading there now. Wouldn't wanna be late," Jounouchi replied.

"Be careful on your way," Anzu advised him.

"Can I come with you?" Honda asked.

Jounouchi glared at his friend, knowing exactly what his intentions were. "No way. I'm not letting you get anywhere near my sister."

After saying his goodbyes to everyone, Jounouchi headed to the hospital. Everyone else went home for the day.

As soon as Akia got home with Yugi, she dashed up to her room, Duel Disk in hand and slammed her door shut. She then started examining the Duel Disk. She glanced at the instruction manual and threw it away. She hated those things. She'd much rather just discover things on her own than read long boring instructions in tiny letters.

After playing around with the Duel Disk for a while, she started looking at her deck. She frowned and went to her brother's room. "Yugi!"

Yugi was so startled by his sister that he threw his cards in the air. "Akia! I keep telling you to knock before barging in!"

"No time for that! More importantly, we need new cards!"

Yugi sighed and started picking up his cards. "Yeah, I was thinking the same thing and grandpa still doesn't have any new packs."

"Wanna go to another store tomorrow?"

"Sure, I don't mind."

"Awesome!"

Akia then slammed Yugi's door shut and went back to her room.

The next morning, she was the first to wake up, excited about getting the new cards.

"Yugi! Wake up! Now!" Akia shook her brother violently.

Yugi groaned and rolled around in his bed, away from his sister's onslaught. "What's the big rush? Stores only open at nine today..."

"So? It's already six! We have be the first to get in there when they open." Akia forcefully pulled her brother out of his bed. Yugi rubbed his sleepy eyes, a little annoyed to be woken up so early on a day off.

Just as he was about to get ready, the phone downstairs started ringing. Knowing that his grandfather was probably still asleep and that Akia was way too busy with her makeup to go down and get it, he hurried downstairs in his pyjamas to go answer it. "Hello? Jounouchi's mom? Yes... What?" As Yugi listened on, his face became grave and the sleep was wiped away immediately. "But he left last night to go straight to the hospital!"

Akia who had heard the phone as well, went down to see if her brother had picked up after she was done getting ready. Seeing how serious her brother looked made her worry about what the conversation was about.

"Don't worry, we'll go look for him." After saying his goodbyes, Yugi hung up the phone.

"What's wrong? Who was it?" Akia asked her brother.

"Jounouchi's mom... Apparently, he hasn't been to the hospital and Shizuka is refusing to undergo the surgery without him."

"What? But didn't he head there last night? How come he's still not there?"

"I don't know, but I have a really bad feeling about this. I'll call Honda and Anzu. The more people to help, the faster we'll find him."

"Alright, tell them to meet up at the game shop from yesterday. If we try to retrace his steps, maybe we'll find him more easily."

The twins nodded at each other and proceeded with the plan.

After meeting up with the others, they each went in different areas to search for Jounouchi. They agreed to meet back up in a couple of hours in front of the shop.

After looking around, everyone got back to the shop empty-handed, except for Honda.

"Where is he?" Akia inquired about Honda.

"Do you think he might've found him?" Anzu suggested.

"That would be the best case..." Yugi hoped.

The three friends then heard a honking sound coming their way. Looking towards the source of it, they found Honda riding his motorcycle with Jounouchi right behind him, looking all beat up.

"Jounouchi!" Akia yelled out.

"Jounouchi-kun!" Yugi called out to his friend.

"Jounouchi, what happened to you?" Anzu questioned.

Jounouchi looked at them with determination in his eyes, despite his sorry state. "There's no time. I have to go see Shizuka."

"We'll meet you guys there." With that, Honda drove away with Jounouchi towards the hospital.

Yugi, Anzu and Akia went to the nearest bus stop to make it there as well, even though they were all confused about what was happening.

When they made it there, they found Jounouchi and Honda sitting outside in the waiting room.

"How did it go?" Akia asked.

Jounouchi looked worried. "She's in the surgery room."

Everyone then took a seat, not saying much, just silently supporting their friend. After a few hours that seemed like they'd never end, the doctor came out with Jounouchi's mother following behind, a smile on her face.

"Doctor! How was it?" The concerned brother of the patient inquired.

The doctor smiled. "It went very well. Now she just needs some rehabilitation time before she can take off the bandages."

Jounouchi's face instantly lit up. He then took the doctor's hands in his own, shaking them and thanking him over and over. He then ran to Shizuka's room. Before his friends followed him, Akia stopped Honda. "You know what happened, don't you."

"Yeah. I wanted to tell you guys, but it didn't seem like it was the right time," Honda replied.

"Well, tell us now," Anzu egged him on.

Honda then explained to them that he found Jounouchi moping around at the beach shore. Apparently what had happened was that he was attacked by hooded men who challenged him to a duel that he lost. As a result of his loss, they took his Red Eyes Black Dragon and beat him up.

"They took Red Eyes?!" Akia was shocked to hear that. She didn't want the Red Eyes to be in any random person's possession.

"Yeah, and he was in so much shock and shame that he thought he didn't even want to show his face to his sister until I punched some sense into him," Honda explained.

"You two really don't hold back... At least he's alright now," Yugi sighed in relief.

Akia was unable to think straight at that point. She had to find the Red Eyes Black Dragon. It cannot be in someone else's hands.