Chapter 2
" Chapter 2"
" The orphanage looked decent and well kept, but I knew better."
" Indeed, having spent a whole year in that place I probably know the orphanage as well as all orphans do. We had to do our share of chores, which wasn't bad. There were always visitors, looking around for someone to adopt."
" There was always a sense that we do not belong. Like this was not our home, that was not our room, this was not our bed, or not our clothing, not our shoes, not our food. It always seemed that we were taking someone else's share, someone else's home or food or money. Mokuba and I always looked at that place, that beautifully clean place with a sense of misfitting."
" The orphanage looked decent. There was always enough food to at least keep us from starvation, clothes to keep us warm, and smiling faces."
" But the people who kept the orphanage treated us like dirt."
" I couldn't blame them. Even now, I can't. Because I realized that when you become an orphan, when you have no family, you are dirt to everyone else. No one will support you. They think, you're an orphan. You're already alive, being fed, being clothed. What more should you ask for? Absolutely nothing. You should be thankful that people even bothered paying taxes to raise you! And most of all, they think, you're not our child! Why should we care? We've seen a lot of misery already to cope up with your complaining!"
" It wasn't that they were more cold-hearted than anyone else on this planet. They certainly did hate me more than most orphans. The keepers at the orphanage usually already have their own families, their own children. And they look at me, a boy, with no family, a bastard without a mother, no background, no supporters, just a lone child who happened to exist, and then they look at their own children. Their own children aren't bastards. They have a background. They have money. And then they compare me with them and realize I'm smarter than their children."
" Iie! Their children must be smarter than that Seto-bastard! After all, I'm not their child. And all parents wish that their child is the most beautiful, most intelligent, the luckiest person in the world. And then they see me, a competitor. I don't even have parents! Why in the world should I be smarter than their own children? And they become jealous, and envious, and hateful, so as a result they began stepping on my shoulders as I tried to grow, to rise, to learn."
" It first began when I came home from school and was studying for my test. One of the keepers looked over my shoulder and tore the book from my hands. She skimmed through the textbook for a moment, then tossed it into the garbage."
" ' Hey!' I cried. ' What did you do that for?'"
" ' Why bother studying?' The keeper smirked. ' You're just an orphan. You'll never make anything
of yourself. What, are you trying to become the new premiere of Japan? You'll never make it. You're
an orphan with no background. Even worse than the Burakumen, who actually do have
backgrounds, even if they're serfs and work on cowhides.'"
" ' That doesn't mean I can't try!' I sniffed, going towards the garbage can to retrieve my textbook.
Suddenly, she hit me and I fell back."
" ' ' that doesn't mean I can't try'. Well! That's good arrogance from someone like you! You know,
did it ever occur to you that you are nothing in this world? Don't think that because people want to
adopt you because you're so cute or you're so smart that you actually are! You're nothing. You have
no family, no friends, no background, no support. There's no one who loves you. So don't even
bother trying to study hard. No one will care for you just because you study hard. Because guess
what, mister? You're not competent. What can an orphan do? How smart can a little orphan be?' She
smirked. ' About as smart as an earthworm! Hahahahaha!'"
" I sniffed and went back towards the garbage can. She sighed, taking the dirty textbook out."
" ' Just like the ragamuffin that you are, searching around the garbage cans. You know only bums do that, don't you? Well! My son would definetely not do that! He'll never be an embarrassment like an orphan would be!' And with that, she tore the textbook, with those strong arms of hers. The keeper was really strong. Then she ripped out all the pages of the book. I could only stand there and watch as the book shattered into tiny pieces and a cover. She brushed her hands off and left me standing there, feeling so bitter and every bit as shattered as the book that now scattered on the ground."
" ' You don't need to learn that.' They often said afterwards, or ' You can't do that. You're not
competent. My son will be much better than you, so you might as well give up.' Or ' My daughter is
definetely going to get a higher score on that. So don't you get any ideas!' Sometimes they say ' Oh,
you'll never succeed in that. Not because you're not smart. It's just that you're an orphan.'"
" ' I took care that they daren't say a word of what they say to me to my brother. Mokuba probably won't handle that. In fact, it stings me too. I cried a lot at first in that orphanage. At every insult they tossed at me I cry. And the keepers beat me. After all, I shouldn't cry, should I? I'm an orphan. Technically I'm supposed to be dead, but they're kind enough to take me in and waste their money buying food and clothes. I should be grateful. I shouldn't be bawling!"
" So in time I stopped crying. People were wrong. I didn't stop crying because of Gozaburo. I stopped crying at the house for orphans, because they treated me like one. When I stopped crying, they stopped beating me, and in time they stopped openly insulting me. But I knew that they were doing everything they could to push me down so I wouldn't be better than their own children."
" I was a fighter. I fought them off. I stole a chessboard and hid it under my bed. I stole books and read through them. Whatever books there were, textbooks, workbooks. Anything. I took care not to let them know."
" Then there was one orphan who I use to be friends with. His name was Yusuke. He was a year older than I was. One day he caught me working with the textbook and asked if he could borrow it. I lend it to him, telling him where I got it. Later that day the keepers came and beat me. They called me a thief and a murderer. I knew Yusuke somehow gave the secret away."
" So I stopped trusting people. I stopped making friends. I pushed all my companions away. I will be strong. I will not let people push me down. No matter how hard they try."
" I was turning eight in a couple of weeks. Over these times I had refused a great many couples who wanted to adopt me and not Mokuba. So I didn't think Gozaburo will be much different. And besides, I didn't like him. At first glance he seemed menacing, scary. I didn't want to fall prey to that man."
" I was playing chess that time. Gozaburo sat down and asked politely if I wanted to play a game."
" ' No thank you.' I answered, equally polite. ' I'm sure you'll defeat me.'"
" ' Come, you're a smart lad.' Gozaburo smiled, and it was a rather strange smile. ' How about this, if
I win, I adopt you and your brother. If you win, you can ask from me anything you like.'"
" I actually considered that. For some reason I agreed. We played for two hours and he pulled a strange trick and won. That day he went to talk to the keepers. Then he left."
" The keepers treated me weirdly. I knew they didn't like the fact that they've repressed me so long only to lose me to one of the most powerful men in the world. But they lost me, and that was that. I lost too. I hated Gozaburo. His face looked menacing, but I lost the game and therefore Mokuba and I were doomed to go with him."
" Two weeks later Gozaburo came and drove us to our new home."
" It was huge. I remember coming out of the car and just staring at it. Staring and staring and staring at the thing and I wondered how in the world anything can be so big. Against the mansion my old home looked puny and small. Slowly I followed Gozaburo inside. It looked bigger inside than outside and I looked around amazed, Mokuba scared.
" ' Creb will show you to your rooms.'" Gozaburo said to us. Then he left us, young children, me turning eight in a few days, and Mokuba five years old. We unpacked our things and we were fed. All this time Gozaburo never showed up."
" On my eighth birthday, again there was no one to celebrate it except for my brother. We were pampered and fed like swine ready to be killed for the market. On weekends Gozaburo came home and actually spoke a word or two to us. I thought he actually cared for us and for a while I forgot about my first impression of him and enjoyed my free time and liberty to do what I will."
" And then something occurred to me. Gozaburo never pushed us to work or study hard. He never inquired whether I was well or not, or if I was sick. I began to doubt his affections. My doubts were verified when the next weekday, Mokuba set off for school but Gozaburo held me back."
" ' You don't need to go.' Gozaburo laughed. ' What use would it be for me if you go to school? You might as well stay here and fool around.'"
" I blinked at him. ' Why?' I asked. ' I like going to school.'"
" ' Oh, liking and not liking.' Gozaburo shook his head. ' You don't need to go to school. You've
learned enough for an orphan already.'"
" I stared at him. I couldn't believe what I just heard. ' You can't be serious!' I began. ' I didn't even
graduate from my school yet and you're saying I've learned enough already?'"
" ' Oh, come on, other kids will be rejoicing!' Gozaburo slapped me on the shoulders. ' The fact that
they can do whatever they want!'"
" ' But unlike other kids,' I was getting angry, ' I care about my future.'"
" ' Future?!' Gozaburo sputtered. ' You-' he started to laugh and snort, ' think-you have-a future?
You? An orphan?!' Then he started laughing as if this idea was preposterous."
" ' Why? Is there something wrong with this idea?' I asked angrily."
" ' Ah, Seto, Seto. Why bother studying? Because you see, your future is already planned out,
whether you like it or not.' Gozaburo got the better of his mirth. ' So even if you study your best
you won't escape your destiny.'"
" I was fooled for a moment, in fact, for a whole day. Because that day I didn't go to school, but stayed at home like he asked and did all the nonsense I could think of. And then suddenly, late at night, before Gozaburo came home from work, I turned on the computer and accidentally stumbled upon a file."
" It was talking about someone named Noa Kaiba. It listed his statistics, and it matched the green haired boy in the picture frame next to the computer. Then it listed my statistics and oddly enough they nearly matched. Then I stumbled upon another file."
" It's hard to tell how I knew, but I did. I realized that Noa Kaiba was dead, but Gozaburo inserted his thoughts into a virtual world. At first I didn't know how this affects me, but then there were clear words that seem to ring as loud as a thunderstorm."
" ' PROJECT SLD14: INSERTING SUBJECT 401 INTO SUBJECT 602 WITH THE VSDLE.'"
" At first I did not comprehend, but when I looked back to the previous files, just as Gozaburo came home, I found that Noa Kaiba was Subject 401 and I was Subject 602. And that was all I needed to piece things together."
" The next morning I prepared to go to school. Gozaburo stopped me again."
" ' I thought I had this conversation with you.' Gozaburo blinked. ' You shouldn't go to school.'"
" ' I want to go to school.' I answered."
" ' Well boy, you can't. That's final.'"
" ' Nani? I can't? You never said that yesterday!' I cried."
" ' Well yesterday you weren't as stubborn.' Gozaburo looked at me straight in the eye. ' But today
you are, so I am telling you. You will not go to school.'"
" ' Not if I can help it! I'm not going to sit here and become more and more idiotic just because you
want to insert your dead son into my head!' I screamed before I knew what I was saying. Gozaburo
stepped back as if I hit him and then his eyes narrowed dangerously."
" ' How did you know that?' He demanded, coming forward and grabbing me by the collar. ' Spit it
out, boy!'"
" ' You had it on the computer, you bastard!' I screamed. ' I am not going to serve as some empty
shell for a dead person! You're not going to ruin my future this way! I'm not going to sit around
and let you!'"
" ' Oh?' And with that, Gozaburo threw me to the wall. I cried out in pain. Gozaburo then smiled
one of those sadistic smiles of his."
" ' You honestly think that going to school will change that?' Gozaburo laughed. ' It's not worth it,
little Seto. You're not going to school and that's final, and in the future, when you're old enough and
the VSDLE is finished, I'm going to get my son back and you'll be...somewhere.'"
" ' Iie.' I growled, and before anyone could stop me I ran out of the mansion. The guards chased me
but I hid behind a tree and I cried for the last time in my life. I cried because Gozaburo will ruin my
future and I could do nothing to stop him. He wouldn't let me go to school because in the end no
company would want me, but the companies would want Noa. Noa, the one that's supposed to be
dead, will be alive again. And the frightening thing was that no one will miss me when I'm gone
because I had no one. No father, no mother, just me, alone, trying my best to fight a losing battle
against the world."
Noa shut the book.
Well...that was an interesting newsflash. Gozaburo not letting Seto go to school because he was going to serve as a vessel?
Otou-san's crazy. Noa thought, almost impassively. But there was a strange ache in his heart.
What's with that ache? And he felt like throwing something. That never happened before.
Well, now he could see why the title is the way it is!
I need to pay Seto Kaiba a visit. Noa thought, as he stood up and headed towards the limo.
Noa found Seto Kaiba in a rather odd position. The Great Seto Kaiba, normally rather proud and
tall, was crouching next to the wall holding his head.
" Seto?" Noa usually called Seto Kaiba Seto because he would never admit Seto was a " Kaiba". "
This is odd. I'd never imagine you would be crouching like that. What's wrong? Someone kicked
you?"
" Not funny Noa." Seto didn't even turn around or make any move to stand up. " Not now, go away,
you're too loud..."
" Too loud?" Noa was incredulous. " What happened, your eardrums got thinner?"
" Noa," Seto tried to stand but it seemed there was a dizzy spell and he had to crouch down again. "
Noa, do me a favor. Just go. I'm not in the mood for bickering with you right now."
" Oh I can see that." Noa answered. " I'm not in the mood for bickering either. I came in regards of
that book you published."
" Oh, arigatou," Seto answered, leaning against the wall. He was now sitting there with his arms
around his knees. " I'm sure I know already how you feel. Me insulting your ' wonderful father'."
" What made you think that? Seto? Why are you lips white?" Noa blinked. " Iie, don't tell me...you
got..."
" What did I get?" Seto opened his eyes and stared at Noa. " What are you saying?"
Noa whirled around and fled. Thoughts ran all over the place. Could Seto have gotten it? But he usually looked so healthy. But why else would his lips be white? Why else would he be crouching near the wall, having a dizzy spell every time he stood up?
Suddenly, Noa stopped. Then he slapped his forehead with his palm.
Genius, you could have helped him, you twit!
Noa started walking back. Seto has it. I know it. He doesn't know it, but I know. Lips white, cheeks ashen, dizzy spells, the inability to bicker. Hell strike me if I'm wrong!
Noa stopped. Seto had dropped his cell phone. But Seto himself was not there.
" Kuso, that was depressing." Jou muttered. " Only up to the second chapter and already I'm feeling
sorry for him."
" Hai, me too." Yugi agreed. " Can't believe Gozaburo wouldn't let him go to school. That's so
sick!"
" Kind of explains why Seto's so good in school." Jou agreed. " After all, he had a tough fight. But
I wonder how he won?"
" Probably tells you in the next chapter." Yugi answered. " Oops, gotta go. I'll see you tomorrow,
hai?"
" You got it Yug." Jou clicked his tongue. " Ja."
" Ja." Yugi hung up. He turned around and fingered the pages of the book. Yami was on the other
side of the bed.
" Yugi, I honestly don't think Seto Kaiba wanted to publish this." Yami began.
" So?" Yugi answered. " He did. I guess it's too late to go back now."
" It just doesn't seem like Kaiba to just publish his life's story." Yami began. " I think someone
published this on purpose. Sure, Seto might of wrote it, but someone else published it. Or even
worse."
" I...what is this?" Seto sighed. " Listen, I...ooooh deear," He lowered his head to the desk. The
news reporters suddenly fell silent. Seto let his head remain on the desk until the dizzy spell was
over and then lifted his head.
" I don't think these are worthwhile questions." He said before another dizzy spell took over.
" Everyone, get out." Said one of the business officials. " Mr. Kaiba does not need all of you to
bother him. Get out, now."
Silently Seto thanked the official, whoever it was, but he was too dizzy to care.
" Mr. Kaiba?" A voice began. It was the same man. " Are you alright? Perhaps you should go hom and get some rest."
Seto didn't answer. He was feeling nauseous, and he had a feeling that if he spoke he would throw up on the man.