Title: Sow and Reap

Author: Serena J

Rating: R for use of the f-word and some sexual content

Genre(s): Romance, Angst

Pairing(s): Primary Seto/Joey/Atemu

Spoilers: none

Disclaimer: Just the words, not the folks.

Summary: When Seto takes an impromptu vacation, he turns everyone's life upside down.

Chapter 8: My Newest Home.


Chapter 8

When I woke, the sun was up and Honda and Joey had already left. Honda-sama was making breakfast.

"Ah good, you awake!" he said cheerfully. "Eggs, bacon, melon. We eat then we go see about you apartment."

It was easy to see that Honda had gotten his charm and ease from this man and I quickly found myself smiling with him. He went with me to the manager's office and helped me inspect the apartment for damages. The rent was 44,000 yen a month for one room with a half-kitchen and a private bathroom. There was no furniture and only a dozen or so boxes. He stayed with me most of the day to help me unpack.

"Kaiba-san!" He called out while I was unpacking the kitchen. "Here's another one." He waved a note.

We had found my Father's definition of my 'personal belongings' to be rather limited. My cell phone was most notably not there. Much of my clothing was but none of my formal kimonos. Not my Dueling Jacket or my deck. There were enough cooking utensils and dishware for a dinner for two. My toothbrush, my soap, a set of towels. Most of my books and notes for school.

But interspaced in boxes were notes from Ishtaaru containing recipes, phone lists, and other useful bits. One note had a website address. Another, in Mokuba's handwriting listed all the cheat codes for his favorite video games. In between each code, however, were three of my bank account numbers and their PINs. Honda-sama and I began unpacking more carefully when we found the first note and were retaining the packing materials so I could review them more closely later.

When we were done, we sat on the floor, drinking tap water and staring at the line of empty boxes against the wall.

"Thank you, sir," I said. "This would have been much harder without you."

"That's why I'm here." He grinned. "But I think you going to have to buy few things. Table. Futon."

I nodded. "A lamp or two."

"It will get dark in here. We got spare one. I bring it down."

"Sir, really, you've done enough."

He waved me off. "Bring back when you replace." He looked at his watch. "They be home soon. I go cook, I guess."

"I've taken your whole day." I realized guiltily. "I didn't mean to waste your time like this."

"Oh, it's nothing!" He slowly got up, groaning and stretching. "I'd have wasted it sleeping. Work good for the body. I sit all the time."

"At the very least, I can help you cook!"

"Alright – only if you help us eat." He gestured to my mostly empty kitchen. "I think they forgot to pack you lunch." He glanced around. "Among other things."

We went back to their place and started dinner. I chopped; he boiled and fried. It brought memories to the surface, long buried.

My Dad – my biological Father – he was tall – or maybe I was short. He had brown hair and glasses. He'd cook when he came home from work. He wore an apron over his suit. He taught me how to chop vegetables safely. 'No fingers in our soup' he'd laugh. I could just remember his voice. I couldn't remember my mother at all any more except that she had black hair, like Mokuba.

"Kaiba-san?" Honda-sama's voice was distant. "Kaiba?"

I snapped out of my memory suddenly and realized that my face was wet. Then I was sobbing. I had no idea why. My parents had been dead for a decade at least. I cried for them years ago when tears were all I had. Tears were worthless now and I had so much more. I lost my parents and gained an empire.

How much was chopping vegetables in my Father's kitchen worth?

Honda-sama was holding me, arms around me like he was protecting me from something. I pushed him away and I went back to my apartment. I locked the door and tried to ignore him calling for me. Kaiba Seto does not cry. He does not fall apart over life's small challenges. He is not a child to be frightened of future risks. He finds opportunities, takes advantages, makes victories when others can only see defeats. I got out of an orphanage. I built a corporation. I am the greatest living Duelist in the world. Chopping vegetables cannot break me – my will is indomitable.

I remembered telling Mokuba once that so long as we were both alive, the game was still going; the duel wasn't over. I wiped my face and pulled myself together. My Father – the man who raised me, educated me and pushed me – was presenting me with a new challenge. Another of his 'gifts'. Like Bakura, this apparent freedom would have hidden strings attached. But if I succeed over this next year, I won. Gozaburo thought I'd come groveling back when my friends went the way of my money. He was wrong; friends were nice but they were the wrong commodity. I'll find new friends, new lovers. But he can't take my brother. The duel wasn't over yet.

I searched all my clothes – pants, jacket pockets, book bags – and found ¥41,528. That was enough to get a few things. It was still daylight outside so I made some mental notes about what I needed first and headed down to my bike.

Before I got on it, I noticed that the lid of the trunk wasn't closed properly. If it was damaged that was going to have to be replaced – an expensive proposition at this point in my budget. I opened it to examine the lock and almost fell over. My dueling coat had been stuffed in. Under it was my logo dueling disk and my deck. I almost cried again. Whatever Ishtaaru was being paid, she was worth far more.

I went to what passed for downtown. I couldn't afford a computer, so I bought two flash drives and time at an internet café. I opened a new e-mail account for myself as Tak and set up a Facebook page. Then, I sent 'friend' requests to Otogi, Mai and Honda. I found Ishtaaru's website and sent a message to her. I discovered that she had captured my phone memory chip and was able to upload all the data I had stored there. I downloaded as much as I could. Most of it was homework but there were some design ideas I had started and a few personal photos. Anything I couldn't capture, I told her to delete. That wouldn't make it go away, only make it harder for KaibaCorp to find if they look.

My 'sabbatical' was all over the news. KaibaGames' stock dipped in late trading as the news that I was no longer on the board worked its way around the globe. Talking heads debated my sudden departure in every language I could find. Media blogs on the subject were almost entertaining. I was leaving because of illness, or because my lover and I were eloping, or they were covering my sudden death while skiing, or secret military projects, or one even suggested that I wanted to concentrate on my education for a while. I took some time to look for the news stories that my staff normally searched for me. I didn't typically web surf often, but I was going to have to learn how.

I checked the bank accounts Mokuba had supplied me with. Two were set up by KaibaCorp. They were both open but frozen. The balances were intact, but I couldn't withdraw or transfer funds. I did notice on one that my regular payroll had been deposited that morning but was, again, inaccessible. The third account was local; Anzu had set it up so that we had a financial institution if we needed services. The account only had 100 yen in it, but I had full access to the account. Anzu and Ryou were joint holders on the account.

The bank was just about to close when I got there but I managed to slip in before the guard locked the door. I removed Anzu and Ryou, changed the password and got a new bankcard issued, voiding the old. I deposited half the cash I had and left feeling a little more secure. I bought a few groceries, some toothpaste, and a few other necessities. When I got back to my apartment a pair of reading lamps and a foil-covered plate were waiting in front of the door. Under them was a list of homework assignments I'd missed for the day.

I ate the dinner provided as I sat on the floor and did my homework. It was considerably harder without having immediate access to a computer and took longer to write long hand. It was late when I finished.

I knew enough to wash my plate after eating – an ant infestation in my last solo residence taught me that lesson – and I set it to dry so I could return it the next day. I wasn't used to sleeping on floors, but I could adjust. The apartment was cold; I would have to learn how the heat worked soon. And what it cost. Still, it had been a long day and I fell asleep quickly.

I got up early and went to school. I knew they had a computer lab that was open for student use but I had no idea where. It took me a while to find it and when I did I almost left immediately. The machines were antiquated compared to what I was used to. There was one printer and a 20-page maximum. I sat down at the unit furthest from everyone and began typing from my notes. Thankfully, my typing speed was fast enough that the process shouldn't delay me too long.

"Hey, Kaiba! What are you doing here, slumming?" a voice behind me laughed.

I turned to see several of the boys on the baseball team moving toward me. I recognized them all, though I had not taken the time to learn their names. Ryou would know – he had painted two of them. "My system at home is unavailable for a while. This is easier than buying a new one."

They all nodded. "Yeah. I guess even for you, that's kind of pricey. Hey, Suzuki Kazu is throwing a party this weekend; are you going? He's going to set up a Dueling Arena. It's going to be cool." He suddenly looked embarrassed. "I mean, not like anything you've got…."

"Actually, I like dueling in backyard arenas. I find I learn more from people trying to impress their friends than from duelists trying to impress me." Which was actually true. "Do you think Suzuki would mind if I attended?"

"If Kaiba showed up at his duel?" one of the other boys asked. "No way!"

"Then I would be glad to attend." I turned back to my homework. The boys stood awkwardly for a moment and I realized that they didn't understand that I had dismissed them.

Then I realized that I could no longer simply dismiss someone and expect Anzu or Ryou to handle details for me. I turned back to them. "I do not wish to be rude but these assignments are due today and I did not expect to have no computer access last night. At what time will I be expected?"

"Tomorrow. At like 2, I think."

"It's noon." o ane of the others said. "I have to go after my dentist appointment."

I wrote down the time and location on my notes and thanked them. This time they left. I finished two of my assignments but had to leave for class before I could get to the rest.

It was a long day, punctuated by my running back to the computer lab at every opportunity to type and print my homework. In every class, I had homework from the week we were in Aruba that needed to be done on top of the current assignment. Joey wouldn't look at me. Honda kept trying to get me to talk to him anyway, but I found I didn't know what to say. It might be better in the long run if Joey was one of the friends I did lose over the coming year. Most of my classmates asked where Bakura was; he seemed to have more friends than I did. Several times I reached for a cell phone I no longer owned or turned to ask Ryou the status of something only to find he wasn't there. Despite being in a crowded school, I felt very alone.

Eventually, the school day and all the related activities ended. I returned to the computer lab and began my homework.

It was slow. The Lab's internet access was low speed at best and made research ponderous. I quickly realized my dilemma – the internet café had high speed but no word processing software or printers. The lab had the tools I needed but research was so slow as to be worthless. I was going to have to do the bulk of my research after school, draft the work by hand and arrive early to school to type and print it. It would put my time at an even greater premium until I obtained a computer for myself.

There was another plate waiting in front of my door by the time I got home again. The food was cold but filling. I again ate while sitting on the floor doing homework. This time I fell asleep on my books.

Honda and Joey were leaving the apartment building at the same time I was heading to Suzuki's party. There was a time when we would have all piled onto my bike and gone together. This time Joey stalked off to the bus stop and Honda helplessly shrugged and followed him.

Suzuki's family had purchased a semi-permanent dueling arena that I was very proud of. It was more popular in places where homes tended to have land around them but the courtyard of the Suzuki's building was large enough. The only problem was that it didn't work.

I gave his father a half an hour to determine the problem and then I politely offered my assistance. They naturally fell over themselves thanking me. It took me ten minutes to determine that the unit had been improperly installed and – worse – the main projector was beyond repair.

I showed Suzuki-sama the problem and he began swearing. "I had the dealer install it! I'll never get them out here today!"

"I'm very glad of that. I don't want these people touching Kaiba products again. May I use your phone?"

The conversation did not go as expected. First, after announcing myself to the customer service department, I was placed on hold and then transferred twice. Then I was given to a clerk who promised to look into the matter and have a replacement part shipped in 3-6 weeks. I hung up, seething.

I called Anzu. Her secretary refused to connect me. She did forward me to Ryou's secretary – who put me on hold for an interminable amount of time.

"Since when do you have a secretary?" I exploded when he finally answered.

"Kaiba-san." He sounded more than a little distant. "How may I assist you?"

"What is going on? I want every idiot who touched this call fired before the close of business today!"

"Kaiba, you don't have that authority any more," he said coolly. "Please calm down"

My first response was to threaten to fire him. But it was Ryou. I took a breath. "I need a new projector for a KC Duel Arena 3. In fact, I want an entirely new arena. I want the incompetent morons who installed this unit barred from touching Kaiba products for life. Then, I need to speak with engineering; there is no reason that projector unit should be that sensitive to begin with. It is not cost effective and it reflects badly on me. Have the parts delivered as soon as possible – by helicopter, if necessary."

"Kaiba, you are not CEO," he said.

"I DON'T CARE WHAT MY TITLE IS –" I started but he actually yelled louder.

"SETO!" He let a beat of silence go by. "Kaiba-sama has made it expressly clear that you are no longer the CEO. You cannot fire people. You cannot have products delivered by helicopter at will. You cannot simply call engineering. You do not work for this corporation." I didn't know how to respond to any of what he was saying. "I know this is difficult for you but please try to adjust. Where is Honda; let me speak to him."

"I don't know," I replied numbly.

"Well, who's this for?"

"Suzuki Kazu."

"He's one of your classmates, right?"

"Yes."

"He purchased it?"

"His father. Hold on a moment." I handed the phone to Suzuki-sama and looked out the window. I could see much of the room behind me reflected as I watched the party below continue without the arena. The guests were dueling using the arena for its space rather than its technology. I could hear Suzuki-sama explaining the problem and where he purchased the unit.

Eventually Bakura resolved the situation. Suzuki-sama was very happy and thanked Bakura profusely. After he hung up, he thanked me but I cut him off. "You have no need to thank me. I did nothing. If you will excuse me, I am very sorry."

I went home. I took the two clean plates and returned them to Honda's apartment door. I boiled some water and made instant ramen noodles. Maybe I could get a job installing Kaiba tech. Job-hunting is what I should have done instead of wasting my day with people who won't help me in the future.

I took a walk – I needed to start conserving gas – and went to the internet café. I found a huge number of job-hunting sites but none had any jobs listed for our small town.

"So how on earth are you supposed to find a job here, damn it!" I scowled at the machine. I pulled up the local paper but found their website incomprehensible. "Damn it!"

Someone beside me laughed, which did not help my mood. "Let me guess, local job search?"

I looked up to see the waitress smiling at me. I scowled back. This was frustrating enough without being taunted by the staff.

"Sorry! We kind of cater to out-of-towners; they don't get that we're still kind of archaic around here. You're wasting your time with that." She pointed to a stack of print newspapers. "Local listings are in those. And seriously, if you need something quick, a lot of stores still put up help wanted signs."

"Oh. I see." I logged off of the computer. The newspapers were useful but still limited. I still had to prepare a CV to apply for real jobs and then get back online to send it. I didn't bother looking at the retail or lesser positions because, frankly, I had no relate-able skills. I was lucky that KaibaCorp had done some work as a contractor a few years ago and Anzu had saved a copy of my CV as it was included with the bid. I had no idea whether it was a good one or not, but I updated things that were clearly wrong – such as years of experience and most current position. Taking a positive approach, I applied for all fourteen office positions listed in the paper including the six management level jobs.

When I got home, Honda was leaning against my door. "Are you going to talk to him?"

"Talk to whom?" I asked, as if I didn't know whom he meant.

"Come on! Don't be like this! He's driving me crazy. Look, just tell him you're sorry. He's leaving tomorrow."

"I have nothing to be sorry for. If he would like to apologize for something, he may do so." I moved Honda aside and opened my door. "If you will excuse me; I have homework."

"Set-" I closed the door before he could say whatever he was planning.

I made another bowl of instant noodles and did homework until I fell asleep.