If I owned Yu-Gi-Oh, I would not have needed to study for finals now would I? I would have already been rich! But sadly, I don't, so until I am, I'll have to study for finals again and again…
Jou's job started out as a temporary one, just until he got the one he really wanted. He had planned on leaving after two months to work in the US, but things have changed. He couldn't leave now. Not when he lovesSeto and… he's almost sure thatSeto loves him.
Until You Need Me
From the Present Back to the Past
He had always liked him, that's a known fact. Even if you were not in high school with him, you could see twenty-one year old Katsuya Jounouchi's wistful looks and glances at the certain CEO he just happens be falling for, faster and faster each day at work when Seto Kaiba was not looking. And if you were unfortunate to end up at that crappy school Domino High with them, you would see it's even more obvious. Jou—Katsuya preferred this name, insisting 'Katsuya' was too long—always found someway to talk to him, even if it was to argue.
It's funny. Normally, if someone tried to pick a fight with Jou, he would just ignore him and walk away. But with Seto Kaiba, that was another story. He not only stuck around in the same room with him but even argued back, exchanging childish insults time and time again. Anyone who knew Jou would realize that there must be some reason why he always stayed to fight back with Seto, but no one knew.
Well, no one knew but him.
Katsuya hurried across the street, just barely managing to cross the street without getting run over by this obnoxious teenager with a blonde bimbo. He continued walking aimlessly, but he was still very involved in his thoughts and in his mind. He couldn't help but think and dwell over a certain dilemma he had at the current moment…
Several Weeks Earlier…
"Mr. Jounouchi, you are aware that although you are a highly candidate to get this job in the US, there is little to no chance you might get it, due to the lack of business skills you have acquired…"
Jou leaned forward in his chair, staring at the middle aged balding man who was scratching his head. "What are you talking about? I've studied all the classes necessary though! And more! I meet all the requirements didn't I? Right? Oh no…"
The man nodded sympathetically. "I understand, but you clearly have no experience in working at a major corporation and we are afraid that we cannot take that chance."
"Oh, so I don't get it?" he asked dejectedly and sighed in defeat. He should have known this was coming. Every single bad thing always seemed to happen to him. First his parents get divorced and his mother move halfway across the world, then his father got struck with cancer which made it even more important to Jou to get this job to pay for all the treatments, Serenity deciding that she no longer needed her big brother and completely ignored his last six letters and phone calls, and now this…
Jou leaned back depressed. He looked at the clock, 3:25. He had been waiting for this job interview ever since eight in the morning, losing the chance to eat breakfast and lunch just for a chance and for what? Nothing, absolutely nothing, that's what, just a chance to get rejected again. What a waste of time and stress. How could he ever tell his father that he was not able to get it…?
Sensing his disappointment, the vice president cracked a smile. "Tell you what? I'll hold the spot. We don't need it filled until the next two months or so. If you get a job working at a major company such as Apple or Microsoft for at least a month, you'll be hired immediately."
Jou brightened, smiling automatically. "Really? You would do that?"
"I know how hard it was for me to get this job where I am. Everyone deserves a chance and I got a good feeling about you. Take it, son, and do not make me regret my offer."
"I won't! I promise!" I will get this job, no matter what it takes… even it kills me…
Unfortunately, it was easier said than done. He was shut down every time and it had been a week since his interview. It was all for the same reason: He was too inexperienced. His resume impressed them enough to let him in the door, but in the end, it was his job record that got him out the door.
Sad, Jou continued to walk, passing a newspaper stand. He decided to check the jobs section to see what was there to offer, you know, just in case…
He paid quickly and flipped through the pages with a new feeling of hope surging through his veins. His heart rose when he saw a huge ad saying, "HELP WANTED" but then dropped.
It was for a job at the Kaiba Corporation…
It was the most successful technology company to ever be started. Of course, everyone knew how huge that company is, even bigger than Apple and Microsoft combined. It never had any rival rise up enough to meet their sales at anything. Anything they could do, KC could do it ten times better and more efficiently.
Jou continued to stare at it. Scanning the ad, it seemed almost perfect. Twenty dollars per hour, part time, and even their own little office. Sounded great, Jou knew he had to at least try.
However…
Kaiba Corp.
Kaiba.
KAIBA!
Jou groaned. It was run by no other than the infamous Seto Kaiba, the youngest CEO and the richest. He was a secretive man, always keeping to himself and never really bothering to have any relationships with anybody, other than his little brother Mokuba and even then, hardly anyone knew about Mokuba, Seto had a very good way to keep him away from the media. He was also the most wanted man currently ever since his company took off. He started only when he was eighteen after he graduated from Domino High, the same high school Jou went to.
The only reason how come he knew about Mokuba was because he frequently heard Seto on the phone with him at lunch while he was sitting by himself, typing up something. Seto was always a mysterious person, unwilling to talk to anybody at school. He had many rumors going around about him, but nevertheless, being Seto Kaiba, he merely only had to flash his deadly glare and it would all stop. Everyone knew not to be on the wrong side of Seto Kaiba. He had the worst temper Jou knew and he was probably the coldest heartless person ever known to walk the earth. The only soft spot was Mokuba, and no one could get near him.
Somehow, Seto always found someway to distance himself from any live human being. The only person he ever really associated with in high school was the teachers when he absolutely had to talk to them and… well, when he wanted to make fun of Jou.
Jou had no idea why, but Seto always went out of his way to make him feel uncomfortable, unwanted, unloved, not special, or any nasty feeling in the world. He always insisted on calling himself Jou's master and Jou the puppy dog and other names he didn't really like. Even though Jou knew he could handle it (hell, he got it from his mother all the time in his childhood), he had no idea why it always got to him and why he always had to care. He did not understand why he always had to defend himself and somehow fight back… He always did fight back…
And it could be that little tiny fact that he had a crush on him and that was the only way he ever got a chance to talk to him… but that couldn't be the only reason right? Other than the reason to actually be near him and to even get on top of him when they're rolling around in the grass fighting?
"Are you going to move or what?"
An impatient lady beckoned him to move and Jou hastily moved to the right, giving her room to pass by. He had been so involved in thinking about Seto Kaiba, he didn't even notice he was blocking the way. He continued to walk, leaving the newspaper behind and thinking about his options. He really had nothing to lose by applying (except his dignity maybe, and his pride) and surelySeto still didn't have that grudge against him? They must have grown up over the years and matured…
"You want me offer you a job?"
Jou winced at the cruel voice of who else but Seto Kaiba. Seto was at this desk, and dropped the phone when he heard Jou barely manage to say the words, "I want to apply for a job". When he first walked in, Seto showed no recognition of remembering him at all even though Jou remembered him. He was still on the phone, growling dangerously at the person on the other line so badly that Jou felt sorry for him.
Looking at him, Jou could tell that he hadn't really changed much since high school. Yup, still had that glare and that scowl and smirk of his, that much he could tell right off the bat. He still had those icy cold blue eyes that both girls and guys fell head over heels for. Yes, his hair was still not out of place and looked, well, virtually as perfect as it possibly could be, just covering his eyes in the right ways.
Although… if Jou had it his way, he would probably brush it off so he could see more of Seto's blue eyes but that's not the point…
Standing in front of him, feeling completely vulnerable, made Jou travel back to the days in high school when he still had that mega crush on him. Yeah, he definitely remember the feeling unfortunately.
This was not good.
Seto had dropped the phone the instant Jou murmured the words. He stared at Jou with a shock of disbelief, and then yelled quite loudly, "You want me to offer you a job?" so loudly that the people in the first floor could hear them. This told Jou thatSeto probably remembers him now, why else would he say no so quickly?
Seto looked at him for a few more seconds before remembering the phone. He picked it up and said murderously, "I'll deal with you later" and hung up. Then he took the time to type something else on the computer and then turned to face his high school classmate. The annoyance in his face and the deadly look in his eyes was enough evidence to prove thatSeto definitely remembered him.
Uh oh.
"Yes?" Jou said shyly and nervously?
Seto's eye twitched—so Jou thought—and Seto glanced down at his résumé briefly then tossed it aside on the floor carelessly. "Not impressed. Go find somewhere else dog, this is not the animal pound you know, this is a business."
The résumé landed on Jou's feet. Something inside of him must have triggered his old feelings of rage in the past because he refused to walk away without getting that job. Jou narrowed his eyes just as brutally as Seto did and asked in a very, very forced casual, yet polite at the same time, way. "Why not?"
Seto, who had resumed typing, didn't even bother to look up to answer, "You're not worth my time, puppy dog. Go to the animal shelter, they must need help there."
Twitch, twitch. This time, it was Jou's eye, not Seto's. He balled his hands into two fists ready to fit again back when they were teenagers. He counted in his head from one to ten and then breathed. "Kaiba, please give me a job."
"No."
Twitch. Jou inhaled then exhaled. "Kaiba, I really need this job. Please, consider me at least."
"No."
Twitch, twitch. Jou opened his mouth to say something but then he closed it. "You know what? I don't care. I don't," he paused to pick up his résumé off the floor, "need your stinking job. I," he grabbed his other paper, "don't need to be part of this lousy snobby company," stopped to pick up his briefcase and swung in on his back, "and I don't need to beg you no matter how badly or desperately I may need this," he finally said, finishing the sentence through clenched teeth.
As he made his way to the door, and was ready to leave and never return, he heard Seto
"Why?"
Jou stopped in his tracked and turned around. "What do you mean why? Since when did you care about my reasons for doing this Kaiba?"
"Why do you need this job?" he asked, ignoring his last comment. By this time, the computer was forgotten and Seto had gotten out of his seat and staring at his wall that was filled with many certificates and diplomas, saying it as if they were friends for a long time in a conversation.
"Because I need the experience," Jou said bluntly and sighed. He closed his eyes, thinking about his father and him lying in a hospital bed. He opened them again and stared straight into Seto's dead cold eyes. "Kaiba, I need this for my old man. He's old now. He needs help. I'm all he's got. He has no one else." He shrugged, not seeing what he wanted to see in Seto's blue eyes. "It's okay, I'll find something else."
Jou turned around and Seto had suddenly replied, "You're hired."
Jou swirled back around and saw Seto back behind his desk, typing away as he had done before. Jou stared in disbelief, not believing what he had just heard. "Wh-what did you say?"
Still typing, he answered, "You're hired. You start Monday morning at nine in the morning. If you're late the first time, I dock you money from your paycheck. Late the second time, you're fired. I don't like excuses so don't bother coming up with them because I won't believe it. Do not ever come to my office unless I need to sign a legal document, unless someone telephoned me, or to bring me coffee and lunch. I like my coffee black by the way."
Digesting this information, Jou nearly squealed and wanted to jump up and down for joy like a child but stopped himself just in time. "Thank you so much… Kaiba…san…"
Seto waved his hand at him, motioning that he was done with Jou and just as Jou had decided he should leave, he changed his mind and stood there, staring at Seto for another minute or so. When Seto looked up at him, not hearing the door close behind him, he askedSeto one simple question.
"Why did you change your mind?"
Seto folded his hands on this desk and shut his eyes. He opened them and replied, "I know how it feels to be relied on by someone you love and care about. I would do anything for Mokuba, just like you would for your father, pup." He turned his chair around to face the window, away from him. "You should leave now, I'll have your office set up."
Jou decided to ignore the 'pup' comment and left the room happily. He got his job.
And it began on Monday.
-TBC-
A brand new story by yours truly, hehe! This first started out as a one-shot but then I decided that I have enough of those planned (in my head right now) so I decided to give it a shot and maybe if I'm lucky, this would be as good as The Good Kind of Losing, which I'm afraid, is probably the best I'll ever do…
Oh yeah, I totally got distracted there, reading a US WEEKLY… lol, okay anyways, the usual babblings… leave me a review and tell me what you think of the story (the good and the bad, I'm sure I can take it) and I'll love you for LIFE!
-lilrubydevil-
