Lifestyles of the Rich and the Arrogant

A/N: WHOO! Can you believe it? Chapter four is finally here! This is where we really start getting into some plot-stuffs. What's going on, you ask? Well, I'll leave that to you to figure out. I've dropped quite a few hints, though perhaps they're only obvious to me because I know what's going on anyway. Heh. The romance will be a long time in coming, but I promise that eventually it will get here. (Do you see the thread I've already set out for that? Ooh, it's a good one.) This chapter will probably seem a bit strange, especially one specific scene. I think it's still pretty good though, so I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. To the fic!


The Root of All Evil
(In Which There are Ulterior Motives and Seto Learns That Luck is Fickle)

Mokuba twirled the phone cord around his finger. He liked the power the big black phone afforded him. He felt, as he spoke through it, that no one could oppose him. Of course, the big, imposing chair, dim-lighting, and metallic computer in front of him added greatly to the effect. "I think I can get Seto to agree," he said proudly, "It shouldn't be too difficult, anyway."

He listened into the receiver for a moment before nodding knowledgeably. "Mm-hmm, I was surprised as well that he agreed. It's very unlike him."

Mokuba grinned. "Really? Well, isn't that interesting. I'll talk with him, and get back to you. Goodbye."

He hung up the phone, and did a congratulatory twirl in the chair. Things were good. Just then, however, Seto chose to make an appearance. "Mokuba?" he asked warily, "What are you up to?"

The younger boy grinned. "Nothing, Seto, I don't know why you'd say that." He hopped out of the chair. "I'm proud of you though. It's not like you to act... so not like you." He handed his brother a paper from the desk. "And before the yelling starts, just remember that you were the one to agree to this." With another grin, he sped out of the room, eagerly awaiting what would surely be humorous consequences.

And sure enough, a few moments later, a great yell reverberated throughout their whole home.

"MOKUBA! WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?"

Luckily for Mokuba, the yelling hadn't lasted long. Seto- calmly and collectedly- had called his company (demanding- calmly and collectedly- an explanation). He received word that he was the one who had given the Ok, that HE, in all his CEO-shining glory, had been the one to approve such an absolutely ludicrous scheme. And that was when Seto (quite calmly and collectedly, mind you) began to get... angry.

It appeared as though things were about to get interesting.


Jounouchi, it could be said, was a simple man. (It could also be argued that the sky is blue.) Well... all arguing aside, Jounouchi was a simple man. He knew what he liked; he knew what he didn't like; and if you ever bothered to spend more than a minute with him in friendly conversation, he wasn't exactly hard to figure out. (We're talking... 25-piece puzzle of a rainbow here.) But, as simple as he was, he had good points galore. He was loyal, and funny, and tough, and true. He loved his friends, that was certain. In fact, he loved his friends so much that when he won a contest for four free tickets to lazer tag at the mall, he oh-so-kindly invited his four friends to join him.

"Sounds awesome," Anzu said happily. "Count me in, definitely."

"Yugi?" Jounouchi asked expectantly, antsy from the excitement.

Yugi smiled and nodded. "Sure- I can think of no reason to decline."

There- two acceptances received. That only left...

"I don't know," Honda said hesitantly. "Does it have to be that night?"

"Yes!" Jounouchi announced adamantly. "The passes don't last forever, you know. What's wrong with that night?"

Honda looked decidedly uncomfortable. "Well... It's just that... I've got a date with Arisa that night."

Jounouchi raised an eyebrow and grinned. "A date, huh? That's so rare I guess we have to make allowances. So who is this Arisa anyway?"

"None of your damn business," Honda snarled.

Jounouchi held up placating hands. "Alright, alright. Don't tell me; I don't care. Besides, me and Yugi will figure it out eventually, right?"

Yugi scratched his head. "If Honda doesn't want us to know, then we really shouldn't pry. I'll admit, I'm a bit interested, but... That's all. Honda deserves this date after all the, um, unwanted advances he's been getting lately. Even though she is, er... attractive, it still must be pretty strange to have a teacher hit on you. Maybe this way she'll leave you alone, huh Honda?"

"Uh... I mean, yeah, yeah. Right." He cleared his throat. "Though, speaking of her, I... uh, I said I'd do her a favor this afternoon." The look he gave them then left nothing hidden.

"What are we looking for again?" Jounouchi asked, bored since they had begun the trip.

"We're picking up some magazines," Honda snapped. "How many times do I have to remind you?" He frowned. "Stop complaining."

They stood in front of the counter of a corner bookstore- where they sold newspapers and magazines as well as books. Honda had proposed an outing to his two dearest friends (Anzu already had plans for the whole afternoon, and was so disappointed she couldn't come) and they, being his dearest friends, had felt themselves obligated to (begrudgingly) accept the invitation. They were seriously starting to regret the decision. Yugi was patient, but Jounouchi was stomping around restlessly like an enraged rhino- with scarcely more grace.

"Alright, I won't complain, but why the hell do you need so many magazines? Extra curricular reading, perhaps?"

"Shut up Jounouchi," Honda snapped again. "I told you- these are what we're going to use for class.

Just then, the owner of the establishment came up to the counter. He set the big bundle of magazines on the countertop and gave a good-natured smile. "Here you go boys," he said. Honda handed him some money, gathered the stack and left. Yugi and Jounouchi, the good ol' boys they were, promptly followed after him.


He took a long drag of his cigarette. "Look sir, I haven't got all day; I was nice enough to make a house call, so can we hurry and get this done? You're not the only job I've got today."

Mokuba grinned. "See Seto? I told you this would be fun."

Seto growled.

The other man sighed. "We already have a contract- you'll get compensated for your troubles, if that's what you're worried about."

"I don't give a damn about the money," Seto said. "I'm not going to do this."

The man- who apparently went by 'the Flasher'- sighed. "You don't actually have a choice." He watched Seto objectively for a moment before smugly smirking. "But I do have a proposition."

Seto raised an eyebrow curiously. "Oh? And just what is it?"

Flasher grinned again. "Well, how 'bout this. We could play a little... game. If I win, you do this- no complaints. If you win, I leave and never bother you again- contract forgotten."

Seto rolled his eyes. That foolish man- challenging him? Challenging Seto Kaiba? He needed to be taught a serious lesson. "Alright, you fool, I accept. Exactly what game did you have in mind?"

"Well..." Flasher took out a deck of playing cards from his back pocket. "Ever heard of poker?"

And Later...

Mokuba was still laughing.

"Shut up," Seto hissed, "It's not funny."

"Seto," he gasped out between his laughs, bent over and clutching his belly, "You lost 37 times." Seto just pouted unhappily.

"Alright," Flasher said, "Let's get started. And we're doing it my way." Seto mustered up the fiercest glare ever recorded and scorchingly aimed its full power at the poor man. Fletcher held up his hands in protest. "Hey, I wasn't the one who wanted to raise the stakes for the thirtieth game. It would have been fine with me- hell, I would have preferred it if you kept your clothes on, but you just had to be cocky and think you could win." He smirked. "And the filming session you have to do now? Ooh, I'd love to see that when it airs."

The time-bomb that was Seto's patience was slowly ticking down.

"Since there is no escaping this," Seto ground out through clenched teeth, "can we get it over with? I am not happy, and if my level of irritation rises any further, then I assure you heads will roll."

Flasher winked at Mokuba, whose laughter had finally subsided. "Don't worry, my skill is unmatched; it won't take us long at all."


There were some things Seto Kaiba never did, and making a fool of himself was one of them. Sitting in his elective class (Beginning Business I, as though he even needed it), he sighed in a most aggravated fashion, and drummed his fingers on his desk top. He stared at the back of Mazaki's head, almost ashamed that his boredom had driven him to such an inane activity. (But... Being ashamed was another thing Seto Kaiba never did.)

Unfortunately- or fortunately were you to look at it differently-, his lapse of concentration was abruptly broken. "Will you stop that stupid drumming?" Anzu hissed quietly, twisting around to glare at him angrily. He glared right back.

"I'm so sorry, perhaps you didn't know- I never take orders from those beneath me." He rolled his eyes at her, and absently leaned his temple against the hand of the arm standing up on the desk.

"I'm trying to learn here! You could at least have the decency to be quiet! Wait... or is being decent also something you'd never do?"

He stonily glanced up at the front of the class, then down to the material in front of him. "I had no idea you found short middle-aged men who hold high positions in businesses so riveting."

"I don't, you asshole! The guy doesn't matter to me, but you never know when she might test us on something."

Seto rolled his eyes again, though secretly glad that she had initiated the argument- riling someone up always amused him. "There's no need to get so defensive, Mazaki; I wouldn't dream of criticizing your taste in men."

She opened her mouth to speak, but upon seeing the tiny smirk he wore, gave an intense one-second glare, and turned haughtily back around.

If she thought that was supposed to injure him, then she obviously had very poor judgement. He was never one to be intimidated or even affected by such paltry tricks. She had served as a brief distraction, but she was just as easily forgotten. It wasn't like she meant anything to him, anyway.

Disliking the lesson for far more reasons (and more personal reasons) than Mazaki could ever guess, he once again sank into his stern, contemplative state. He could surrender to boredom, yes- but giving up was something Seto Kaiba never did.


End A/N: Welly, welly, well then! Wasn't that just more fun than a barrel of monkeys? Come on, you must have figured out what's going on by now! (snickers) Isn't it great? Silly, I'll admit openly, but fun none-the-less. I hope you review- I'm not sure how I am at humor, so feedback would be great. No immediate plans for chapter five; if I'm alive after the holidays I'll see what I can do. I feel elated. This story rocks hard. Rawhr.

ILB