Yu-Gi-Oh!: Starting with an Underworld Deck, Depressing the World

That afternoon, inside the health classroom at Duel Academy.

A blond, mushroom-haired figure in a blue professor's coat sneaked over to the shoe lockers with a letter in hand.

He glanced both ways, then swiftly opened the locker doors, checking which one belonged to Jiang He.

Once he found his target, he immediately let out a devious "Ooh-hoo-hoo" and slipped a letter bearing a lipstick mark into the locker.

"Now that poor student boy will definitely fall for it, and then my chance for revenge will come!"

After his sneering laugh, the blond mushroom head hurriedly glanced around. Once he was sure no one had noticed him, he quickly made his escape.

"Professor Crowler wouldn't be pulling that trick right now, would he...?" Inside the classroom, Jiang He watched the female health teacher lecture, her hair so big-no, her clothes so white-

When he suddenly remembered which point in the story this was.

He remembered that, in the original timeline, that unlucky old blond mushroom head, Professor Crowler, seemed to use his huge mouth, shaped like a Pot of Greed,

To forge a love letter from Alexis Rhodes bearing a lipstick mark.

Then he would lure Jaden Yuki, the poor student he considered a thorn in his side and wanted expelled, to the Obelisk Blue girls' dorm.

That way, he could secretly take photos and make people think Jaden had gone there to peep on the girls' dorm. Then, according to plan, that hot-blooded idiot Jaden wouldn't be able to explain himself and would have no choice but to leave school.

Although, in the end, the plan had gone awry and turned into a complete misunderstanding.

But now that he was here,

And had likewise become a thorn in that unlucky old Crowler's side, drawing even more aggro than the hot-blooded idiot Jaden Yuki beside him,

Could Crowler have switched his target to him...?

The more Jiang He thought about it, the more peculiar his expression became.

Soon, after the female health teacher finished speaking and let everyone do health activities freely,

He found an excuse to slip out of the classroom alone and check the shoe lockers.

Sure enough,

After opening his locker, Jiang He soon found a love letter bearing a strange lipstick mark above his outdoor shoes...

Chapter 23: Ruthlessly taking the blame.jpg

"..." Jiang He's eye twitched as he looked at the huge "Pot of Greed" lipstick mark, which couldn't possibly have come from Alexis's small mouth.

He truly couldn't figure it out.

In the original timeline, how had Syrus Truesdale, Jaden's little brother, fallen for it and believed the contents of the letter came from Alexis Rhodes,

And gone running over to the Obelisk Blue girls' dorm in the middle of the night...?

A lipstick mark the size of Pot of Greed's had to be one of a kind in all of Duel Academy!

After rubbing his chin and thinking it over,

Jiang He put the letter straight into Syrus Truesdale's locker next to his!

Letting things develop as they originally had didn't seem like a bad idea either.

He could lure out that blond mushroom head, Professor Crowler, and take the opportunity to deal with him...!

After doing that, Jiang He returned to the classroom as though nothing had happened.

He continued watching the female health teacher... ahem, continued paying attention in health class with everyone else!

A little while later, Syrus Truesdale ran clumsily up to the shoe lockers.

Muttering that he was late, he hurried to change his shoes and go inside for class.

But as soon as he opened his locker, he saw a letter stamped with a lipstick mark fall out.

"Huh? What's this?" Syrus picked it up curiously and opened it. The moment he read it, his face turned red!

"I fell in love with you the first time I saw you. I'll be waiting for you behind the Obelisk Blue girls' dorm tonight... from Alexis Rhodes!"

"No way!"

Flustered and blushing, Syrus stared in disbelief at what the letter said. He stumbled back several steps and fell to the floor.

"But since I got it, I'd better go check behind the Obelisk Blue girls' dorm tonight."

Syrus hurriedly put the letter away.

What he hadn't finished reading was that, after "waiting for you behind the girls' dorm"... a name had actually been written there.

Jiang He.

A love letter forged by Professor Crowler, plus Syrus Truesdale, who had read only the first few lines before getting so flustered and red-faced that he skipped the rest and jumped straight to the signature.

Together, they had perfectly created all the conditions for a misunderstanding...

That evening.

Behind the Obelisk Blue girls' dorm.

A sturdy iron gate blocked the only path through the back entrance to the luxurious girls' apartment dormitory.

Beyond it lay a small lake on the island.

That further ruled out the possibility of anyone trying to peep on the girls' dorm.

But at that moment, a blond, mushroom-haired figure in a tight black diving suit, dressed like a clown, climbed the steps from the lake.

He took out a pair of pliers and quickly snipped through the chain locking the iron gate at the back, then considerately opened the gate.

Then he darted at top speed from one low bush to another, hiding himself.

It wouldn't have been an exaggeration to call him a ninja in the flesh.

"Good grief, can Professor Crowler really move that smoothly...?" Jiang He hid behind a tree outside the iron gate, watching the scene with a peculiar expression.

He really couldn't imagine how Professor Crowler, whose physique was no different from an ordinary person's, had somehow burst into such speed.

A moment before that unlucky old Professor Crowler arrived, he had rowed over in a small boat already on the lake.

But he hadn't gone behind the girls' dorm. Instead, he had found a small tree he could hide behind near a short stretch of steps on the shore outside the iron gate.

He had been waiting for that unlucky old Professor Crowler to show up!

Now that Crowler had arrived, Jiang He gave a mischievous grin and took a small camera out of his Slifer Red coat pocket. He had bought it at the shop that afternoon.

He aimed it in Professor Crowler's direction.

Meanwhile, the blond, mushroom-haired figure in the tight black diving suit, who had just darted into the low bushes to hide, was still completely unaware!

He was even snickering to himself.

"Ooh-hoo-hoo, this spot is just a short distance behind the Obelisk Blue girls' dorm's indoor hot spring bath."

"It's designed so you can't see inside without going in, but once poor student boy Jiang He comes over, 'completely unaware,' I can take a picture of him looking lost!"

"Once I've taken the picture, whoever sees it will definitely think he's a pervert peeping on the girls' bath, ooh-hoo-hoo!"

Crowler snickered happily and pulled out a waterproof camera with both hands.

Every so often, he peered down the path leading from the iron gate at the back!

The mantis stalked the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind it.

"Splash, splash."

Soon, Crowler saw a small figure rowing a boat appear outside the iron gate, accompanied by the sound of splashing water!

The figure then walked briskly inside!

He didn't even pay attention to the severed lock beside the iron gate.

But no matter how Crowler looked at him, that was definitely not Jiang He!

"Mamma mia! Why is it Truesdale coming in instead of poor student boy?!"

When Syrus Truesdale had taken another step or two closer from the distant iron gate, making him faintly visible,

Crowler froze just as he was about to take a photo and stood there dumbfounded!

Soon afterward, he saw a faint camera flash light up beside a small tree near the far side of the iron gate!

He could even vaguely make out Jiang He's hateful grinning face peeking out from behind the tree!

Jiang He made a V sign at him!

"Super mamma mia!"

At the sight, Professor Crowler could no longer contain himself. He grabbed his head with both hands and jumped straight up in shock!

Why was poor student boy over there, even turning the tables and taking his photo?!

"Who's there? Is someone outside...?!"

The girls in the Obelisk Blue indoor hot spring bath were quickly alerted, and a voice called out from inside!

From the sound of it, she was clearly one of Alexis's followers.

"Oh no!" Professor Crowler was startled!

He hurriedly put Jiang He out of his mind for the moment, covered his face with his hand, and darted past two low bushes.

Then he quickly jumped into the lake!

Syrus was also startled by Crowler suddenly jumping out and the Obelisk Blue girl calling out her question!

But Crowler's figure was clad in a tight black diving suit!

And he had darted through the bushes with his face covered so quickly that, in the darkness, Syrus hadn't even managed to see who he was!

By the time he came to his senses and tried to turn and run too,

Several fully dressed figures had already come out of the Obelisk Blue indoor bath.

They caught Syrus red-handed!

Ruthlessly left to take the blame!

"This kid's an unlucky one too..." Jiang He really wanted to cover his face.

He had originally thought that once he took Professor Crowler's photo, this misunderstanding would be more or less over.

But he had never expected that blond mushroom head, Professor Crowler, to be so startled by him that he would jump up!

And then there was that unscientific ninja speed as he darted through the bushes...

In the end, it seemed the situation had gone right back onto its original course.

Chapter 24: Standing out because he was too normal

"You were peeping on the girls' dorm! You can't get away now! Just wait until we hand you over to Duel Academy and get you expelled, you disgusting pervert!"

Jasmine, her red hair cut to medium-short length, scolded Syrus.