Yami awoke inside his soul room. He knew something wasn't right from the moment he opened his eyes. Yami rushed to the door that linked his soul room to Yugi's, even after he separated from Yugi during the ceremonial duel they still had a strong connection, nothing was there. Yami ran through varies corridors finding nothing but locked doors.

"The puzzle! The puzzle hasn't been put together. I'm trapped."

"Hello, my name is Seto and I will be taking care of you all tonight. Can I start the table off with some water…a diet tea perhaps?" Seto stated to his table flatly. He was on his 11th hour of his shift and any fake enthusiasm he had put on for the first 10 hours was long gone.

He'd worked his fourth double in a round this week to try to get the last portion of his young brother's tuition. He was still a few hundred short after saving the entire summer, he expected as much. Rent didn't stop, nor did the bills. Things would have been better if his brother hadn't broken his arm; the trip to the emergency hadn't been pocket change either. The dent that had made in their savings almost landed Seto in the emergency room himself.

He did his best never to let on how stressed he was but he was sure his brother knew, after all he wasn't going to a high ranking school for no reason. He was a bright kid.

"How much have you made today?" a man whispered in his ear.

"I'm not disclosing that information."

"My offer still stands just to let you know. It would be for your brother's benefit. He is the only person in the whole world you care about after all."

"No thanks. I've been taking care for him his whole life and I've never needed any help." Seto snapped as he lifted a tray of assorted drinks and moved back into the dining room.

There was a bit of a dinner rush but nothing compared to the weekend. On the side of the dining room that wasn't being used that night was a small boy about 12 years old reading a book thick enough to be every book a typical child his age as ever read or been read. Seto watched him closely as he took the orders of the table of seven. He could tell just by the boy's posture or lack thereof that he was tired. As Seto sent the orders to the kitchen he wiped his name off the seating chart.

"Wow! You're cutting out early today." The hostess teased.

"Just long enough to put my brother to bed. I'll be back for late night and to close up."

"I swear Seto. Just call it a night. You need to get some sleep before your breakfast shift."

"I'll be fine."

The table didn't camp out after they finished their meal and left a very decent tip. Seto couldn't have been more pleased with them. Taking off his apron he made his way over to his brother and sat down across from him.

"Are you done?" he asked with surprise in his voice.

"I'm taking you home in a minute."

"So you're just taking a break." Seto could hear the lost hope in his brother's voice.

"Every cent counts kiddo." He said as he counted out his money from what he owed the restaurant. He smiled softly as he counted out 20,000YEN for himself. It was a nice sized step closer to what he needed, "Ready to go?"

"Yeah." He sighed as he gathered his books.

The walk home was only seven blocks but the neighborhood did a 180 after the fifth city block. Prostitutes hanging out on the corner looking for their next John with their pimps parked across the street. Drug dealers selling to various people on the street or pulling up to the crib at a red light.

Seto hated living in this area of town he wanted so much more for his brother and himself. But with how much tuition was currently a move wasn't in the near future.

Arriving back to their loft Seto quickly climbed the narrow stairs to the fourth floor. Mokuba always noticed that Seto rushed up the stairs when they were together, it didn't bother him but he wondered why.

"Alright, get dressed for bed." Seto told his brother as they entered their small room.

"You're not really going back to work are you?"

"I am. A lot of things are coming due Mokuba."

"Seto I don't need to go to that school. I don't want to if you're going to work yourself to death." Mokuba said plopping on his bed, "I wish you'd stay home with me."

"Mokuba, I understand I really do but I want you to have the best. Only the best and if I have to work day and night to provide that for you I will."

"But I don't need the best. I'll settle of mediocre."

"If I let you settle for mediocre than I'm nothing but a less than mediocre brother." Seto told Mokuba as he gathered his brother's things for the next day. He always took him over to a friend's house in the morning but as soon as things mellowed out at the restaurant Mokuba would arrive and sit in the empty dining room. Mokuba hadn't always liked the arrangement, in the beginning, but understood why his brother wanted him with him at all times.

"Would you lay down with me until I fall asleep?" Mokuba asked as he opened the book he had been reading before.

"Mokuba I really have to be heading back." Seto told his brother as he looked at the clock on the wall.

"Fine." Mokuba said with a sigh.

"Don't open the door for anyone." Seto told him as he bent over to kiss him, "I'll see you in the morning."

Seto left down the stairs quickly as he made his way back to work.

It always was easier coming through than going in their neighborhood. Cars would slow and drive alongside him mistaking him for a common street walker before driving off.

Arriving back at work Seto was surprised to see a few late night tables being sat upon his arrival.

"You can always count on foreigners to show up for late dinners." The hostess said.

"Let hope it's worth it." Seto told her as he moved towards the first table.

The only six late night tables dined that night but it was worth being awake at 2am polishing wine glasses. Seto had made another 10,000 yen off the tables collectively, which put him 2000 over his goal for his brother's tuition.

Seto yawned as he went over what had to be done in the morning. He of course had to get his brother dressed and to school. He was going with him to drop off the payment for the next term. Then back to work, for brunch, lunch and dinner. After the dinner rush his brother would arrive to do her homework in the closed section on the restaurant. Same thing every day.

"Did you meet your goal?"

"That would be none of your business." Seto replied.

"Why not? I'm only curious."

"Use your imagination then." Seto told him as he collected his things to make the walk home.

"How about a ride home then."

"I can walk."

"Why risk getting robbed? The deadline for your brother's tuition is due in the morning. If I were you I'd accept a ride home."

Seto knew his boss was right. Though he didn't want to Seto reluctantly accepted. Getting into the black and heavily tinted car Seto began to feel as though this was the biggest mistake of his life.

Seto realized that the trip was taking a lot longer than it should have taken because he was being taken uptown.

"I don't live this way."

"I just need to make a stop by the bank." He told him as he pulled up to an atm.

Seto crossed his arms as he stared out the window while he made his withdraw.

"I hope you made enough for your brother's tuition. You work really hard for his well-being. You're what I would call a selfless person. You didn't finish school did you?"

Seto remained silent.

"I figured you didn't. Nothing to be ashamed of. You're thinking of your brother's future."

"What are you getting at?" Seto snapped.

"Don't get defensive." He said as he came to a stop at a red light, "I just figured we could make an arrangement. I know you just barely made enough money to make the tuition payment. I'd gladly pay your up-coming rent for a small favor."

Seto knew exactly where this was going and he wasn't going down the path, "I'll pass."

"Is that so?" he said as he took a moment to regroup and come up with a new course of action. Seto took the moment to undo his seat belt and open the car door. He was farther from home but he wasn't in the mood to be propositioned.

"I'll walk."

"No!" his boss said as he grabbed onto Seto's arm, "I'll pay your brother's remaining tuition. He has two years left right?"

Seto couldn't believe that offer he knew that would be a huge amount of stress off his shoulders.

"You want your brother to have the best and you're running yourself into the ground to do it. Tuition is only going to get more expensive each semester. I wouldn't turn down a little assistance...if I were you." He fanned out several large bills and a check book, "How much is it? 8,890,000 yen right?"

Seto was frozen. He couldn't speak and he just managed to nod.

"That's a large amount of money. And just for the rest of his school year. I'll give you this check if you agree to a few sizeable favors."

"How many is a few?"

"It would vary." He said as he slipped the check and cash into an envelope, "On your performance." He held the envelope out to Seto, "Do we have a deal?"

Seto looked at the envelope. He'd been weighing his options the entire time. He could take a day off from work. Actually spend some time with his brother. Sleep more than four hours. Sleep, "Well?"

"Deal." Seto said as he took the envelope, "What do you want?"

"It's late. I'll discuss it in the morning." He said as he came to a stop outside Seto's building, "I'll be waiting here after you take your brother to school."

Seto got out of the car without another word. He couldn't believe what he'd just done, "Take the day off too Seto. You're going to need it."

Seto woke up to his brother pulling on his arm, "Seto get up." Seto rolled over onto his side as he looked over at the clock 6am. Three hours of sleep, "Why did you sleep in your work clothes?"

"Just tired I guess."

"At least you're being honest with yourself." Mokuba said as he went to wash up, "Were you able to make your goal last night."

Seto took a moment to answer, "Yes, you're fine."

"Was it worth it?"

"It's always worth it when it comes to you Mokuba." Seto said as he turned on the burner to make something quick for his brother and himself to eat.

While Mokuba was taking a shower Seto pull the envelope from under the mattress. He took the money he'd made from the night before and added it too it. Nearly a year of rent was inside it. Plus plenty to put aside to save. Seto moved the envelope and stuck it inside the one of the pots inside the cabinet. He didn't want his brother to suspect anything.

Making their way to the train station Mokuba talked about the new class schedules they would be getting that day in class and that he was hoping for the mass communication class. Seto didn't hear most of what he said but he did his best to focus on his brother's non-stop talking rather than the aftermath of having taken the money. He could only imagine what he'd gotten himself into and still couldn't think of a way out.