The Briefcase
By: Kekewey
Seto Kaiba sighed in frustration and ran a hand through his hair, playing the day's earlier events through his mind. He'd had five meetings with potential assets and business partners and the last one had not gone well. A frown twisted his mouth as he recalled the details of that meeting. Apparently the woman had been even more paranoid than he. When he asked her to step into his office to view some documents, she'd screamed and run out, after threatening to sue for sexual harassment. Seto's assistants had simply stared after the crazy woman, and then blinked at the young CEO. It was one of the few times Seto had been caught completely off-guard and was at a loss for words. He hadn't even touched the woman and she'd sworn that she'd sue for attempted rape. It was days like these that it just didn't pay to get up in the morning. On days like these, there was one place Seto loved to visit.
He punched the intercom on his desk. "Mizouri-san?"
"Yes Kaiba-sama?" asked the secretary.
"I'm taking the rest of the day off. I'll be back at the usual time tomorrow."
"But Kaiba-sama-"
"I have no more meetings, correct?"
"No Kaiba-sama."
"No scheduled conferences?"
"No Kaiba-sama."
"Then there should be no more objections. I'll leave the paperwork on your desk."
"Yes Kaiba-sama." The secretary sighed. "After today's happenings, I can hardly blame you for wanting the take the rest of the day off."
Seto shut off the intercom and picked up his large silver briefcase and left his office, locking the door behind him. He paused at Mizouri-san's desk to drop off that day's paperwork and walked to the elevator. He took out a security card from the isndie of his trench coat pocket and ran it through the sensor and pressed a button. The elevator traveled down to an underground security room. Seto exited the elevator and opened the heavy security doors, and then, briefcase in hand, strode towards a vault near the floor. He knelt down, opened it, emptied the contents of his briefcase, shut and locked the vault. He then moved to a second vault, one at eye level this time, and opened it. Inside the pressurized vault was a large white cardboard box. Handling it with delicate care, Seto placed it inside his briefcase and shut the bullet-proof object closed.
He entered the elevator and made his way up to the parking lot. He was glad he had driven to work himself today instead of being chauffeured like usual. He walked to his Porsche, unlocked it, slid inside, and placed his briefcase on the passenger's seat. Seto drove out of the parking lot and turned right onto the main street. As he stopped at a stop-light, he dug his cell phone out of his pocket and pressed speed dial one.
"Moshi moshi!" a chirp voice answered.
"Mokuba, it's me."
"Niisama!"
Seto smiled at his brother's enthusiasm. "I'm going to be late getting home tonight, so don't stay up."
"How do you know I stay up?"
"I'm your brother. How could I not know?"
"Did your meetings go well?"
"The last one didn't."
"What happened?"
"You don't want to know."
"Yes I do."
"You don't. I'll be home later. Don't play too many video games."
"Niisama!" Mokuba whined as Seto smiled again and hung up, placing the cell phone in the pocket of his white, sleeveless trench coat. He glanced once at his briefcase and sighed, putting his eyes back onto the road. He drove down the street, turned left, and parked the car at the side of the road. Pausing to put some change into the parking meter, he entered the flower shop, bells on the door jangling merrily.
"Irashaimase! What would you like to buy?"
"Two bouquets. One of sunflowers, another of purple irises." The teen requested. The shopkeeper nodded and went to a glass case, took out the orders, wrapped them, and rung them up.
"That will be 2400 yen, please."
Seto took out his wallet and dug out 2400 yen. As he handed it to the shopkeeper, the shopkeeper's eyes widened.
"Kaiba-san! I didn't recognize you at first! My son just loves your Duel Disk and KaibaLand. He begs me to take him there every day."
If this were any other day, Seto would have narrowed his eyes at the man and walked away. But today, something made Seto smile absentmindedly at the shopkeeper and say, "I'm glad. Sayonara."
"Sayonara, Kaiba-san."
Seto gathered the flowers and left the shop, bells chiming to signal his departure. Seto paused for a moment outside the door. Bells. He shook his head, banishing the memories the bells brought, and went to his car. He shifted he bouquets to one arm so he could open his car door and sat in the driver's seat. He placed the flowers next to the briefcase on the passenger's seat and started the car again.
He drove onto the street and immediately had to stop to wait for a green light. His grip tightened on the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white. Seto hadn't thought of the bells in years, ever since...he cut off that train of thought.
At last the light turned green and Seto eagerly moved forward, just above the speed limit. Once he was safely away from other cars, he pressed a little harder on the gas, and accelerated down the street. If he was going to get emotional, he wanted to do it in a place where he wouldn't injure himself or others. Ten minutes later he reached his destination: Domino City Cemetery. He parked the car in the nearly empty parking lot, picked up his briefcase and flowers, and entered the graveyard.
His boots made no sound on the dirt path as he walked the path to where the graves were. He had memorized the place long ago. Instead of watching the path, he let his gaze wander. It was a clear night, and he could see a few stars. A breeze tickled his hair and Seto stiffened against the sudden chill, grateful that he always wore a trench coat. He hated the cold.
His feet stopped and Seto looked in front of him. Before him stood two large gray tombstones. Carved on them were the names Naomi and Tadashi Mizumaki.
"Hello Okaasan, Otousan." Seto whispered, kneeling on the ground to place the bouquets down. The sunflowers were for his mother, Naomi, the irises for his father, Tadashi. He sat down on the bench placed nearby and placed his briefcase beside it.
"It's been a while, and I'm sorry. Things have been rather hectic recently. I had a meeting today that just went straight to hell. I barely touched the woman, she's the head of Goru Electronics, and she ran straight out of the building like she was being attacked by a Blue Eyes, screaming about attempted rape." Seto shook his head. "It'll be all over the newspapers tomorrow, despite what the ten other workers that were right there say. 'CEO of Kaiba Corp Sued for Attempted Rape'." Seto sighed. "People today will do anything for some dirt. You know I had to double the security guards right after Battle City because of all the reporters? I lost my own tournament and they wanted to know how I felt. I had to threaten to disembowel some to make them leave Mokuba and I alone." Seto laughed. "You should have seen their faces."
Then he frowned. "Then again, maybe not. You never really approved of violence. I remember one time in first grade I knocked a kid down for calling me a name, and you grounded me for two days. Then one time-" Seto froze as a shoe crunched a twig behind him. He whirled around to see Mazaki Anzu frozen behind him, guilt written all over her face.
"What are you doing here?" Seto's eyes narrowed.
"Ano..." Anzu gulped. "I was just visiting my jiichan and I saw you walk by. I followed you and…I couldn't help it."
"What, you wanted an insight on the great Seto Kaiba? You got it. Now go."
"Is it their anniversary today?" Anzu asked, taking a step forward, platform sandals sliding slightly in the mud. She flailed her arms to regain her balance, which she did.
"No." Seto's eyes narrowed dangerously.
"Then why-ahhh!" Her shoes slipped again, and this time she was unable to catch herself as she pitched forward. She grabbed onto the bench to keep from falling face-first into the mud and knocked the briefcase askew. It hit a tombstone and burst open, expelling the white cardboard box right next to Anzu.
"Oh, Kaiba-kun, I'm sorry!" Anzu gasped as she picked up the box. Unfortunately, the box was rather old and it tore in her grip, letting its contents spill onto the bench.
"What?" Anzu frowned as she climbed to her feet to stare at the pieces of paper on the bench. They were photos, maybe thirty in all. Upon them were a young looking man and woman with a very young Seto and Mokuba Kaiba. Anzu picked one up before Seto could stop her and she smiled. The photo was an eight-year-old Seto at his mother's vanity table and he was ringing the numerous bells upon the dresser and smiling.
"You have a nice smile," Anzu said.
Seto blinked, and then snatched the photo out of Anzu's hands, gathered the rest of them, and put them back in the cardboard box. He didn't cover them up and put them back into his briefcase, though.
Despite being given the famous Seto Kaiba glare, Anzu wasn't fazed. "Are these pictures of your parents?"
There was a long silence, and then Seto finally said, "Yes."
"You keep them in your briefcase?"
"Not all the time. Just when I'm visiting."
"Is today the anniversary?"
"No."
"How many times do you visit them?"
"Is today your jiisan's anniversary?"
"No. I just like to visit whenever I feel I need some advice. We were really close, and he always gave the best advice." She pinned him with a glare of her own. "You never answered my question."
"As far as I can tell, it's none of your business."
Anzu pursed her lips. "No, no it's not. But I would like to know."
"Good for you."
Anzu looked down into the box of photos and snatched up the picture she had been admiring earlier. "What's with the bells?"
Seto tried to grab it back, but despite his longer reach, Anzu's dance skills kept the photo out of his range. He narrowed his eyes at her, but decided that the effort wasn't worth it…yet.
"My mother always loved bells, especially those tiny silver ones. She always said that a little jingle always brightened someone's day. She even hung them over the doorway so they chimed when you walked in. She kept a collection of bells on her dresser, and I used to love playing with them. When they died, I wasn't even allowed to take one with me, to remind me of her. I was only allowed to take photos." Anger burned in cobalt eyes.
"I'm sorry," Anzu whispered, handing the photo back.
"I don't want you pity." Seto replaced the top of the box and returned it to its spot in the briefcase, shutting it closed with a snap. He stood and only made it a few steps before Anzu called out to him.
"Wait!"
Seto turned, trench coat fluttering in the breeze. "What?"
"I don't pity you."
"Do I care? No."
"You did a second ago."
Seto didn't answer.
Anzu dug something into her pocket and held it out to Seto. He arched an eyebrow and she stepped towards him so he could see what was in her palm. It was a tiny paper crane.
"My jiichan always made one for me when I was having a bad day. I was going to leave it on his grave, but I thought I might give it to you instead."
Seto hesitated, but he gently picked up the origami, holding it between his index finger and his thumb. "Thanks." He said gruffly, and walked away to his car.
A/N: On Japanese used:
Moshi moshi: a common greeting given when you answer the phone. Means someting like "hello"
Niisama: honorable older brother. Mokuba uses it a lot in the anime.
Irashaimase: a greeting given when you walk into a shop. means "welcome"
Sayonara: good-bye
Okaasan: mother
Otousan: father
Ano: "um"
Jiichan: "grandfather" when a grandchild adresses them.
Jiisan: "grandfather" when someone else adresses the grandfather.
Yen: I'm not sure, but I'm pretty positive it's 100 per dollar, so 2400 yen would roughly make $24. I could be wrong.
This was imspired by the challenge that was given to the author Mamono by Azurite. I thought it interesting soI tried a hand at it. The challenge was:
(1) Seto's briefcase must play a paramount role in this fic
(2) The contents of the briefcase must be revealed before the fic ends
(3) The contents CANNOT be duel monsters cards, KaibaCorp paperwork, etc.
And, if you really want a challenge (use one, some, or all):
(4) The length can be drabble (100 words) to oneshot length (1000 - 10,000). No longer than that!
(5) The fic should have hints of romance, if possible. Otherwise, comedy is preferred.
(6) Someone other than Seto must open the briefcase somehow, and what they see is not what they expect. Their reaction is shocking (to the reader).
(7) If you want an extra challenge, try to finish it in an hour or less.
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