Shizuka lay on her bed, sprawled out and let a sigh escape her lips. This was the first day in a week and a half that she felt relaxed. She, her mother and grandmother had recently moved to Domino, well to a small fishing village just on the outskirts. With unpacking and Jonouchi and his friends inviting themselves over it took a toll on her. Not that she didn't want them around. It was just that she had become frailer since seeing them last. The half open balcony door let itself in a warm summer breeze that caressed her bare legs as the sheer white curtains danced along. As much as she wanted to lay there and stare up at that wooden ceiling, she had to be somewhere. Draping her legs over the edge of the bed, she sat herself up and took in a long stretch. Today would be a long day.

Grabbing her bag and unwrinkling her white sundress and faded beige cardigan then putting on her over the knee black stockings, she made her way to her dresser. Picking up her crystal butterfly pins, she grabbed her overgrown bangs and swept them to the side. Pinning them into her pale strawberry blonde hair. Her hair had gotten much longer in the past two years, but only recently had her hair lightened up along with her eyes. Their dark hazel had now become a pale leafy green. Her mother and grandmother usually brushed it off as a family or age related thing. Usually pointing out Jonouchi's blonde hair. She though was disturbed by it. After applying some make up she looked at the mirror. After grimacing slightly at her own reflection she put some make up in her bag and walked downstairs. Meeting her at the bottom short wrinkled old woman. With a constant scowl and an appearance that looked like her life decisions had been etched on her face, one angry look from her would fill people in terror. Not to Shizuka though, to her she was just nanny. Shizuka bowed to the tiny woman and smiled.

"Morning nanny, I hope you slept well."

"Hmph" she grumbled. "How can anyone sleep in this weather? I was sweating like a pig in a bacon factory!" Shizuka just giggled and the old woman gave her a mischievous grin. She walked over to the small kitchen where she picked up a tin of pastries. This made the ears cock of a large black labrador who had until been laying peacefully on ground. He walked over and sat by her tail wagging. "No Michi," Shizuka said. "These aren't for you." Michi skulked off over to nanny, who had been staring at Shizuka this entire time.

"You're looking lovely. So where is my little dove flying off to today? she said as Shizuka was about to put a tin of pastries in her bag. She clutched the flower laden tin to her body as she broke eye contact with her grandmother.

"Oh! Um, I'm just visiting Jonouchi. He's showing me the city." she slightly warbled as her nails delicately scratched the tin box. She wasn't lying really, but she was omitting some truth and she knew nanny knew. The woman was a cunning old snake, that could pierce through the mind of anyone who came in her way. Well that and Shizuka was god awful a keeping her true motives hidden. She could feel it, the guilt bubbling up in her chest. She couldn't hold it in any longer she..

"I'm actually going to Mai's big birthday party later and Jonouchi's taking me and I really wanna go!" the girl spat out at a rapid rate. " Please don't tell mom, she'd freak if she knew!" Her grandmother just stared at her for a moment. Probably because at how quickly she crumbled over this. Then just let out a cackling laugh. "Darling that's not something to worry about. Actually I think this is great." Nanny said. " Nori needs to stop mother henning you all the time."

Shizuka let out a sigh of relief even though she knew her grandmother would approve. She knew this was who Jonouchi got his personality from. The only difference was that nanny had years of wisdom and cunning in that mischievious head of hers where as he big brother…well, not so much. "Thank you nanny. Uh, where is mom actually?" Nanny walked over to the couch and plopped herself down.

"Well, she's in the garden talking to some huge hottie outside." she dramatically cooed.

"Nanny…" Shizuka whined as she cringed.

"What? I'm a woman too Tsuki. I still gaze at a looker when I see one." Shizuka just cringed some more as her grandmother laughed. "Ok well he would be if he didn't look so pissed off." Shizuka just stared at her then a revelation hit her. She raced towards the window beside the door and looked out the window in horror. It was him. The main reason she was so stressed over this week, the reason Jonouchi and her mother were at eachothers necks for half the week. Her mother's boss.

"Oh God its Kaiba…" said aloud to herself. Nanny turned her head to Shizuka.

"Kaiba? Wait that's Seto Kaiba!" Nanny said as she made her way to the window a grin plastered on her face. "Now this is interesting." The elderly woman looked the window, going on her tip toes to get a better view. "What do you think they're talking about?" she asked.

"I dunno…" Shizuka quietly replied, completely perplexed at the image that she was staring at. "But I think he's smiling."

"Smiling?! Well that's the scowliest looking smile I've ever seen."

"No I'm pretty sure he's smiling. I don't know what's more unsettling this or his regular look." she laughed. "I wonder what they are talking about?"

Nanny smirked as she went for the door. "Well lets find out, shall we?"

"Nanny no!" Shizuka yelled as she tried to stop her, but it was too late. Nanny opened the door swiftly and with enough force that both Kaiba and her mother both looked to see where the commotion had come from. What they saw was a small docile old lady smiling sweetly and a teenage girl, mouth slightly agape face pale in mild shock. When her mother took in the situation, she smiled to them and waved.

"Shizuka!" she called "Come over here, there is someone I want you to meet." The girl stood motionless for a second before turning to put on her brown loafers. She noticed her grandmother putting on her sandals. There was no way she would follow her out, oh no wait she would! She was the cause of all this and now she was going to make meeting Kaiba even more unbearable. Just for her own amusement.

"You weren't invited." Shizuka grumbled. Trying to keep her rage in hidden, not wanting her grandmother to see that she had gotten to her. Of course Shizuka was as easy to read as a children's book so she deep down knew that her granny was great delight in this, which made Shizuka even angrier. "Now now Tsuki, I can't have you meet a strange man unescorted." she cooed, her face still painted with that aggravatingly sweet smile. Shizuka puffed out her cheeks pursing her lips tightly, wanting to swear the woman out to the high heavens. She couldn't though, besides getting in trouble she knew that if nanny wanted to do something there was no way of getting her out of it. She was tagging along no matter what. So she let out a stressed sigh deflating her cheeks.

"Oh that was good Tsuki, now it looks like you're blushing like a school girl. Perfect!" Nanny said this time with a glint in her eye. Shizuka ignored it or at least tried to and walked past her out the door, trying to keep distance from her. Nanny was making that feat hard though. Shizuka kept her head down looking at the box she had kept holding this entire time. By the time she got there her crimson blush had just gotten redder. Her mother looked at Shizuka and knew immediatly what was going on. Nori decided to make this quick.

"Mr Kai-"

"My goodness Shizuka! I knew you were eager to meet this Seto Kaiba you keep talking about, but you almost broke the door back there." Nanny interjected sweetly. Shizuka's gaze on the box broke as she glowered at her. Nori was giving her mother a death look in her mind but kept her composure. She looked up at Mr Kaiba who seemed to be wearing a poker face over the whole situation, so she continued. Hopefully with no interruption this time.

"I'm sorry Mr Kaiba." Nori apologised. "As I was saying, this is my daughter Shizuka," let out a small sigh. "And my mother, Kotone." Shizuka immediately bowed low while her grandmother did a small bow. Kaiba of course did not return it much to nanny's annoyance.

"Um, we are so grateful that you hired my mother."Shizuka shakily said, still bowing. "She's a very hard worker and-"

"Ms Kawai," Kaiba cut in. Looking up at Kaiba for the first time during this meeting. 'Ms Kawai?' she thought to herself. "Your mother is an outstanding employee. The Kaiba cooperation is proud to have her as part of our staff." Nori thanked him for his generous compliment. Generous it was. Shizuka had never seen Kaiba ever been respectable to anyone before so a compliment on top of that? Where pigs going to fly by next? "You know, I remember you Ms Kawai." He said staring down at her. Shizuka jumped when he mentioned that. She was in trouble now…or was she? His eyes piercing through her didn't seem to hold contempt, neither did his tone of voice. In fact he seemed almost jovial when he said it, almost. It made no sense, especially after the events that happened during battle city.

"I-"

"Oh you're right!" Shizuka's mother interuppted. "That must feel like lifetimes ago." Shizuka just wanted to leave at this point everyone was making her uncomfortable and interrupting eachother so it was time to get the hell out of there. Quickly she bowed to Kaiba again. "It was a pleasure meeting you again, but I must get going." Her mother looked at her watch. "Oh goodness I forgot, you'll miss your train if you don't leave soon." Shizuka was about to turn heel and leave when her mother said. "Mr Kaiba would you like to taste what Shizuka baked last night?"

"Oh yes!" Her grandmother said "She put so much effort into making I'm sure she would be thrilled if you tried one." Shizuka glared a little at her grandmother and looked at Kaiba. He just simply nodded his head in approval to their request. Gingerly she opened the tin to reveal macaroons of many colours lined up neatly. He took a pale yellow one and ate it. Shizuka just closed the tin paying no heed to Kaiba as her mother up at looked him in anticipation as to what he would think. "This is quite delicious Ms Kawai." he smirked slightly. "I think I should hire you as my bakery chef."

Shizuka just stared at him, shocked. 'He complimenting me?! Was he having a joke with me?' she was simply bewildered at this entire affair. There must have been an anterior motive to all this. A cruel joke that she wasn't getting the punchline of. Her mother smiled at her. "See, I told you they were good."

"I must go, thank you for the compliment Mr Kaiba. Goodbye." and with that she fled off to the train station. She could hear her mother called out to her to slow down, but she blanked it out. She needed to escape from that surreal scene. Today really was going to be a long day. Hopefully he would think she was crazy after her grandmother made a mockery of her and avoid her. What she didn't know is that Kaiba's gaze never left her running figure until she could no longer be seen.