Written a minute before midnight for Kaiba's birthday.
Remember
Sometimes Kaiba wishes that someone would throw him a birthday party for once.
Kaiba's briefcase is heavy in his hands as he crosses the empty KaibaCorp lobby. There is no one hiding in the rafters or behind the main desk. Confetti is not going to suddenly fall from the ceiling at any point between here and the exit. There will be no surprise waiting for him when he reaches the cold sidewalk outside.
He doesn't blame the people around him for thinking that he wouldn't like a birthday party. He doesn't exactly radiate with festive spirit. That speech a few years ago about how birthday parties are for fools probably didn't help matters. It was more of a cry for help, really. The people around him should have realized that.
He would appreciate a cake. A cupcake with a candle in it would be nice. He would even accept a cookie with nothing but a few raisins in it. Anything would be preferable to the cold, dead silence that marks this day each and every year.
Somehow he thought this year would be different. Somehow he thought someone somewhere would think to do something special for him for today, but he was wrong. He went the whole day without even a birthday phone call, or even a birthday email. He didn't even get a birthday sticky note.
He supposes he shouldn't have expected any less. He has no one to blame but himself for the lack of festivities. Anyone who would think to even leave a balloon on his desk is probably afraid of incurring his wrath.
As he gets into his limo, even Roland says nothing, and Kaiba knows that if Roland didn't plan anything for him, there's no hope that anyone else did.
He has no idea how wrong he is.