Acknowledgements: This new fanfic of mine was inspired by one of the most beautiful Harry Potter fanfics that I have ever read, A Year to Remember by MaRiAn the LiBrArIaN. The fiction was based on the novel (and movie), 'A Walk to Remember' by Nicholas Sparks. I hope that my fanficcie will live up to the beautiful love story from both the novel and the HP fanfic. I recommend that you read said fanfiction in case you are a Harry/Hermione shipper. You won't regret it.
Author's Note: Characters English names are used. Expect some OOC-ness. In this story, Seto is 17, Joey and the gang are 16, Serenity is 15 and Mokuba is 13. Rated due to some sensitive issues in later chapters.
Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh! is the original work of Kazuki Takahashi, A Walk to Remember is a novel by Nicholas Sparks. Only this fanfiction is mine.
Prologue
I was only seventeen when I met her. I used to believe that we are worlds apart, that there was possibly nothing similar between us. Only a year and she managed to turn my whole world around. Boy, I was so naive. And I thought that my life was perfect. I mean, what more could a guy ask for? I have friends, fame and fortune. I was proclaimed as brilliant and treated like royalty. Until she came. Now, I wouldn't know what to do without her.
But I am getting ahead of my story.
Let me start by saying that me and my little brother live in a little town called Domino City. Mokuba and I have been living alone for a few years now, ever since our father died. He was not our real father either; we became orphans when Mokuba was still a baby. Our foster father was known as the 'King of Games' in this town. You see; if there is one thing that this town is famous for, it is the people's inventiveness for the games. And the most famous one of all is Duel Monsters, a card game that was introduced by Kaiba Corporation, which was owned by our foster father, Gozaburo Kaiba.
Maybe you would think that being rich would make our lives better, wouldn't you? Wrong. I spent most of my time protecting Mokuba and myself from him. He may be known as a good and kind man to the rest of the world but to us, he was the Devil Incarnate. Don't get me wrong, it's not as if we were chained and thrown down in the dungeons. He was a strict man, who believed that softness doesn't have a place in this world. No, make that the business world, which is the only kind of world that exists in his eyes. He considered fun and playtime as a waste of time and shouldn't be included in anyone's life, or at least, his children's lives. Our lives are to be patterned after his.
His strictness was what has turned me to rebel against him. I was not your usual rebel who runs away from home and roam the streets. No, my rebellion was strictly encompassed in the business world. For there is nothing sweeter than beating the old man at his own game. Pun intended. When the card game was introduced, I produced a battle station to play the cards with graphic images that pushed that game to a higher level. When the corporation opened up the duel arena to show bigger and 3D images, I invented the duel plate, which projects a more 'virtual reality' feel for the game that is available to more enthusiasts.
Even now, when the old man is gone and I have succeeded as the company's president, it seems that I am still the rebel that I was before. Trying to prove that I am better than he was or could ever be. If there was anything good that ever came out of all this, it is the fact that Mokuba doesn't ever need to be afraid of him anymore. He is free to have fun and be the kid that he still is. He is happy and that is the most important thing for me. The only important thing for me.
But I am not complaining. I do have a life of my own. And as I said before, I have my own friends. After all, there is only one high school in our town where everyone knows everyone else. The students here are classed in two. Those who are popular and those who aren't. Members of this popular group are those who either have fortune or fame, which I have both. It's a small group actually. Aside from me, there is Yugi, the Duel King. Put him in any kind of game and he usually wins it. Then there is Ryou. His father is a world-famous archaeologist, one of the few remaining researchers allowed in Egypt. There is also Mai, the undisputed Duel Queen, who has defeated a lot of men in duel monsters and is as popular as Yugi in that game. Also included in the group are Duke, the creator of Dungeon Dice Monsters; Malik, who comes from a rich Egyptian family; and Tea, Domino High's most popular cheerleader.
That was the history of my past. Of a life I used to have, a life I believed would forever stay that way, until it became ours, hers and mine. Now, I couldn't relate my life without mentioning hers, for she is what has made life complete. It is only fitting that I share with you our story. It might make you laugh, or it might make you cry. But it will definitely make you fall in love, and believe in love. I did. I will tell everything from this point onwards. Nothing will be left out, no word, or thought, or feeling.
I am Seto Kaiba, and this is my story.
Afterthoughts: Ah, romance and angst are sooo hard to write. My YGOmuses leave me whenever I continue writing on this fic. I hope I can finish this with my whole mind still intact. I better get a move on to the next chappies. I hope that all of you will be patient in case my chappies don't come sooner to your liking. Just holler for your reactions!
Thanks to those who have reviewed my latest one-shot, 'The Attack of the Chocolates,' namely: Sakurelle, vendred13, Goddess-of-da-Cheeseburgers, Solo-girl and DragonmageShizuka. Possible sequels for that one-shot are already in the works and might be written in between the chapters of this ficcie, to break the angst-fest on this one.