"...N-no," He said, his hands mimicking his trembling lips, as they failed to hold on to the small slip of paper he had just received in the mail. Jounouchi watched the doctor's note fall forlornly.

It's decent was floaty and free, much unlike the great despair the blond suddenly felt. A small noise was made as it hit the ground.

"...Shizuka."

An emotionless buzzing alerted Kaiba that someone was behind his office door. Irritated, the billionaire arose from his desk, and approached it. It had better be someone important, he had work to be done. Did idiots realize how much had to be done everyday to keep even a company as grand as this one from falling?

Pressing the cold metal button on the panel beside the door, He asked gruffly," Who's there? State your business." No answer came, just adding to Kaiba's ire. "Who's there?" He restated as he opened the door. Wasting his time... The son of a bi-

"Jounouchi?" The guy in question looked up, biting his lip nervously. Seto narrowed his eyes, feeling his blood pressure raising, luckily metaphorically, to unhealthy levels. Jounouchi of all people, was squandering his time.

"Uh, K-Kaiba."

"I'm well aware of my name," The man snapped," What is it?"

Clearing out his throat, and suddenly finding a tile in the floor exceedingly interesting, He whispered," Please, I need to ask a favor..." He gazed back up to Kaiba's stoic eyes, which now were sporting an even higher level of aggravation than normal, and took the awkward silence as his cue to continue. "I uh, I need a large sum cash really quick... I'll do anything!"

Kaiba was caught off guard by the abrupt emotion flashing in Jounouchi's eyes. Enough to keep him silent just long enough for the man to start talking again.

"I'll be your janitor or run all your errands! I'd freaking dress up in a dog suit!"

"What does the dog suit-"

"Nothing," He quickly cut off. "Point is, I will do anything for this money! Please!" He dropped to his knees and actually bowed down to Kaiba, his nose to the floor. He'd kiss the man's shoes for the money. When he said anything, he really meant almost anything.

Kaiba glared down at the blond with a smirk on his face. That had to be the most ridiculous, but fitting scenes in his life. Wiping the grin away, he ordered," Get off the floor. Mind explaining why you're begging?" Knowing Yuugi and his friends there was a really drawn out story behind any action, so Seto gestured for the man to come into his office and sit. He certainly didn't want to stand while listening to a friendship speech or some other horror. Not that he had to listen, but Kaiba was curious. And like with all geniuses, even the one's who seemed to be in love with their cold shoulder technique, curiosity demanded answers.

Jounouchi accepted uneasily, he hadn't expected to get this far. Actually, he had figured that Kaiba would have him thrown out of the building upon laying eyes on him. "See, you know how I entered Duelist Kingdom? I did it for the money, but it wasn't for me. It was for Shizuka, my lil' sis." He began to wring his hands anxiously. "Her eyes, they've been bad a long time... and shortly before the competition, she sent me a video letting me know that the doctors had reached their limit, and she was going to go blind. Of course I didn't win, Yuugi did, but he gave me the winnings to pay for the one surgery that could save her eyes. It was a lot, and I was still tight on the money, but I was able to get the surgery payed for. The doctors said it was a success, that I shared with the gang, but..." Jounouchi had to pretend to wipe something out of his eyes, and struggled to keep his voice the same. "But they said there was a 30% chance that she would need another surgery if we wanted it to last past 5 years. And- And I got a letter from the hospital that Shizuka had to go to the other day for the routine check up. It said that she needs the second surgery..." Jounouchi broke off painfully, leaving a tense note in the air.

Kaiba checked his watch and asked, keeping any reaction to this long tale out of his voice," So, tell me this, why do I care?" He observed with interest the vast change in expression on the other's face. From Sorrow to ... Shock? Disgust? More? He wasn't the best at telling expressions when they held too many emotions in them.

"'Cuz I've seen you risk your life for Mokuba. I've seen how much you care about your little brother. I would do the same for Shizuka if it would help. I thought you would understand my situation," He whispered softly, so Kaiba had to lean in slightly to hear.

"Compairing yourself to me to gain empathy. Pathetic. Leave, I have important work to finish up so I can get back to my little brother at home. Who has 20/20 vision," Seto quickly dished out, starting to work on his computer for effect.

Jounouchi just sat their choking on what ever words he was trying to get out. Their was a conquered look carved on his features, mixed with desolation and revulsion.

"What? Was I speaking French? Get the hell out."

Jounouchi quickly averted eyesight and made a faint sniffling sound. He stood up, not letting his face catch any light. "T-thanks for your time," He choked out, his voice wavering. He had failed. He had failed his sister. There was no way he could come up with the money within the doctors time limit for 'optimum effectiveness'.

The CEO watched his latest victim of misanthropy walk out of his office with a dejected gait in his walk. Even out of all of the business men Seto had personally face to face crushed, including his 'father' the bastard, he had never seen a man look so dispirited. Except for one time.

A mirror, when Kaiba had looked in asking him self one important question. How would he save Mokuba?

Seto cursed lightly, rubbing his temples, trying to focus on his paperwork and overload of computer work.

With drooping shoulders, Jounouchi sat up in his bed. Peering at his alarm clock, he read 11:34. How did he sleep in that long? He hadn't stayed up that late. Though sleep had been hard to come by, all that could run through his mind was how in the world he would be able to...

Jounouchi swore remembering the terrible news he had received yesterday. Shizuka...

Knocking at the door dragged Jounouchi out of his depressing thoughts. Quickly throwing on a clean shirt, and deciding his pajama pants were fine, he ran to answer it.

The flimsy door screeched open, he need to fix that soon. "Hel-..lo?" He glanced in both directions confused. No one was there. An envelope on the ground caught his eye. "What could this be...?"

Opening it, something slid out. He grabbed it as it drifted down slowly. His eyes widened as he read the piece of paper. He read it at least three times, still standing in the hall way, not believing what he was seeing.

A... a check. For well enough to cover Shizuka's eye surgery.

Signed by... Kaiba, Seto.