Hey, guys. I'm so sorry it's been forever. Between real life struggles and severe writer's block, this chapter was difficult. For the chapter troubles, I blame Kaiba. He was being very difficult this chapter. But at this point, I'm not afraid of him. I'm already expecting him to sue me for all the times I drop his Pop Funko when I cosplay as Kisara.
Anyway, I still don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! If I did, I'd show more brotherly time between Kaiba and Mokuba.
Chapter Eighteen: A Day with the Kaibas
She stroked the mane of her mare as the group proceeded through the city. She couldn't help but be nervous—the people were not so kind to her last time she was among them.
"I can't wait to give Master the slip," her companion chattered next to her, pointing out different landmarks along their way. "One time, the prince and I snuck out to see the bazaar…" The brunette girl bounced in her saddle as she told of the trouble she got into that day, her aquamarine eyes lighting up with her story.
"Are you sure sneaking away is a good idea?" she asked.
"It'll be fine," the apprentice twirled her blue and pink wand. "My magic's improving, and you won't get to explore the city if you stay with the caravan. Oh! Maybe we can get the prince to join us! He'll love it!"
"I don't know," she tucked a lock of white hair behind her ear as she looked to the front of their caravan. She could see black hair edged with magenta conversing with a tall figure in blue with a golden scepter. As much as she enjoyed and loved the brunette's company, she couldn't help but wish she were conversing with him.
The figure in blue turned looked back through the caravan, and their eyes met. He gave her a small smile and a nod and resumed his conversation with his companion. Until they were out of sight, she would have to be content with that.
Ringing drew her attention to the people lined up to see them. In the front, a boy with unruly black hair held a small bell in his hand and waved it back and forth. He watched her with hopeful blue-gray eyes. She pulled her horse to the side and dismounted. Her companion followed her. "Hello," she waved.
"Do you want to go with us to an amusement park?" he asked. "Seto's treat."
"That does sound fun," she smiled. "Where would it be?"
"Heartland City," the boy answered. "They currently have the best one, with the fastest roller coasters."
"Sure," she nodded. Her companion bounced with excitement. "How will we get there?"
"Seto and I will pick you up," he said.
"Okay," she waved good-bye as the boy disappeared into the crowd.
"This going to be so much fun!" her friend said. "Now we definitely have to give Master the slip!"
"I think we already did," she turned back to see the caravan had already gone ahead. "Unless you want to race to catch up."
"No thanks," the brunette flicked her hand at the receding line. "The prince is going to be so jealous when he finds out what we did."
"But first we have to get there," she laughed at her friend's enthusiasm in spite of herself. "And we won't get anywhere just standing here, so let's move."
"Right," the apprentice swung back into her saddle, and they nudged their horses forward.
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Seto sipped his coffee as Mokuba happily munched away at Mrs. Gardner's pancakes. The black-haired woman insisted on serving them something while she went to get Kisara. Seto gawked at her mothering of them, but none of his refusals worked on her—especially with Mokuba blatantly eyeing the breakfast. She served them each two with extra butter and syrup.
"There's no point in arguing with her," Gardner laughed as she helped herself. "Mom makes sure everyone around her is well-fed. She won't let you go until you clean your plate."
Seto rolled eyes and set his cup down. Realizing it wouldn't do to be outright rude to Kisara's current hosts—since they'd likely interact with the Gardners more if Mokuba wanted to keep taking her on outings—he cut the pancakes into bite-size pieces, careful not to get any of the syrupy mess on him.
He shoved down the memory that came with the sweet flavor: his own father making breakfast for them when he didn't have to work. The past was over and done with. And the sooner Kisara got down here, the sooner he could escape Mrs. Gardner's incessant mothering.
"Tea, is your mom ever going to let me sleep in on a Saturday?" Kisara stumbled into the room rubbing her eyes. Seto could tell from her messy hair and snowflake-printed pajamas that the brothers were going to be trapped in that dining room for a while.
"You agreed to this one on your own," Gardner pointed out. "Or did you forget your plans?"
"What plans?" Kisara's eyes fell on the brothers. She blinked and rubbed her eyes again. Seto suppressed a snort at her expression. "Am I still asleep, or are Seto and Mokuba sitting in the dining room eating pancakes?"
"They're really here," Gardner laughed.
"You don't remember me calling this morning?" Mokuba stopped mid-bite to ask.
"That was real?" Kisara ran a hand through her hair. "I thought that was a dream."
"So you don't want to go?" Mokuba turned sad eyes on her.
"No, that's not what I meant," the white-haired girl backpedaled. "Look, give me twenty minutes to get ready and get something to eat."
"Hurry up," Seto took another sip of his coffee.
"Yes, Seto." He could picture her rolling her eyes.
Mokuba and Gardner stood up and carried their empty plates into the kitchen. Seto picked at his forced meal as he waited for them to come back. Common sense told him to eat it before it got cold—they'd learned not to waste food back at the orphanage. He'd learned to not need breakfast under him. So he continued nibbling until an easier answer came along—which probably wouldn't happen until Kisara was ready to go.
"So how is it?" Mrs. Gardner returned.
"Fine," he answered.
"But you've barely touched it," she raised an eyebrow at him.
"I don't do breakfast," he shot her an icy glare.
"Oh, that just won't do at all," Mrs. Gardner stared him down. "I don't care what plans you have or if you're some hotshot CEO. You're not leaving until you clean your plate."
Did this woman think he was five? "Why do you care?"
"Because you're my daughter's friend," she answered. "And even I have heard of you, Seto Kaiba. It was big news when Gozaburo adopted two boys out of the blue. It was even bigger news when you took over the company and changed its direction, and no one has heard anything about your stepfather since then. I can understand you having to grow up fast in that situation. Kisara has told us some of what she's been through, and I can imagine your situation based on what I've heard. So when you're here, I'm going to treat you like you're one of my kids—same goes for your brother. Kisara's already part of the family. And as my kid, you're going to sit there until you clean your plate. I don't care how much money you have. You're doing it."
"I told you arguing with her was pointless," Gardner sat down and tucked back her short brown hair. She started making work on her second serving.
"Come on, Seto. They're really good," Mokuba took a large bite of his helping. "They're almost as good as what Dad used to make."
So he remembers that too. Seto scowled and took another sip of his coffee.
"Why, thank you, Mokuba," Mrs. Gardner smiled.
"Okay, I'm dressed," Kisara ran past the black-haired woman into kitchen. She came back a minute later with her own plate of food and a glass of milk. She sat down next to Seto and started eating, almost as quickly as Mokuba. She glanced to Seto's plate. "Yumi, are you bullying him into breakfast?"
"I wouldn't call it bullying," the older woman answered.
"Yes," Mokuba and Gardner said at the same time. They both started laughing.
"Sorry, Seto," Kisara apologized. "Here, her word is law."
"Let's just get this over with," he scowled and took another bite.
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Kisara fidgeted with the pockets of her white capris. It had taken longer than just her getting ready because of Yumi's determined mothering of the brothers, to Tea and Mokuba's amusement. Seto did not seem thrilled with Yumi. She does take getting used to. On their way out, Yumi told Roland to make sure the three had a good lunch.
"Seto, please stop sulking," Mokuba said. "This is supposed to be a fun day."
"Who said I'm sulking?" Seto muttered.
"I'm sorry, Seto," Kisara leaned forward to see him better. "That's kind of how Yumi is. And don't tell Tea I said this, but I think she gets it from her."
"Does she do that to all the geek squad?" Seto kept his gaze out the window.
"We usually hang out at Yugi's, so not really," Kisara answered. "Mari does the mothering then, usually through guilt-tripping. 'Oh, we'd love to have you, and I made plenty.' Basically she'll make you feel bad for turning her down. Mari liked to mother me when I helped out at the store. Especially while we were getting ready for Duelist Kingdom—Joey and I were frequent subjects. But according to Yugi, Mari will use a ladle if someone misbehaves. I haven't seen it yet, so I have to wonder what Yugi did."
"Aw, now I wanna know," Mokuba groaned.
"Forget it," Seto frowned. "I don't need to know what the dorks in their spare time. They're enough of a pain at school."
"Okay, Seto," Kisara rolled her eyes. "So tell me about this amusement park you guys picked out."
"It's the best in the area, for now," Mokuba said.
"What do you mean 'for now?'" she raised an eyebrow at him.
"We're going to build our own better one," he beamed.
"Mokuba…" Seto threw his brother a warning look.
"Fine," the younger brother pouted. "Anyway, Heartland's amusement park has some of the biggest and fastest rides in the area. And the prizes at the game booths are the best."
"This sounds like fun," Kisara smiled, clamping down on the bit of anxiety that rose with Mokuba's descriptions of the rides. Should I tell them? I don't want to ruin Mokuba's fun.
"So what made you think my phone call was a dream?" Mokuba asked.
Kisara felt her face heat up and let her hair fall into her face. That was not how she expected to greet the brothers. "It's kind of hard to explain," she said. "But whatever conversation we had just melded with the scenario." The girl in her dream seemed so excited at the prospect of the amusement park. But Kisara couldn't remember her face anymore. Wonder what dreamed her up.
"We're almost there, Mr. Kaiba," Roland called from the driver's seat.
"Good," Seto's gaze returned to the window. "Drop us off at the front and find a place to park."
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"Whoa," Kisara's eyes widened at the size of the rides in the area. "Mokuba, are you wanting us to go on every ride?"
"As many as possible," Mokuba grinned. He grabbed her hand. "Come on! Our vouchers let us jump to the front of every line!" He towed her over to the one labeled The Cosmic Whirlwind. In spite of herself, Kisara gulped at the size.
They showed their badges, and the three of them took seats at the front and strapped themselves in. "Umm," Kisara's hair fell into her face as she glanced to the brothers on either side of her. "I should tell you I've never been on one of these before." The machine started inching forward.
"Really?" Mokuba looked at her wide-eyed.
"Not something my guardians thought I needed to do," she whispered. "How fast does it go?"
She got her answer as they started speeding down the hill into the tunnels of the ride. Kisara screamed and clung to Seto, shutting her eyes against every walled neon-lit curve she was sure they were going to crash into. Her screams blended in with the other passengers behind them.
"This is awesome!" Mokuba yelled next to her. She held on tighter as the curves came faster and faster. She screamed louder.
Kisara saw a flash through her closed eyes, and soon after the ride finally began to slow. Coming to a stop, she finally opened her eyes and saw Seto's face just inches from hers. "Sorry," she let go of his arm and let her hair fall into her reddening face.
"Thank you for deafening my ear," he stepped out of the car and extended a hand to her.
"Sorry," Kisara took it and got out. Mokuba was a step behind them.
"So that was your first roller coaster," the younger Kaiba rubbed the back of his head as they entered the souvenir shop of The Cosmic Whirlwind.
"Yeah," Kisara looked down at the ground, still embarrassed at how she reacted. "That was honestly terrifying."
"Next time, say something before we get on," Seto frowned.
"Okay, Seto," she promised.
"Hey, there's our picture!" Mokuba pointed to one of the images on the screen for sale. Speeding around one of the curves, the trio could be seen in the front. Kisara had her arms wrapped around Seto on her left, eyes squeezed shut and her mouth open mid-scream. Seto looked away from her holding his arm, his expression disinterested. On the other side, Mokuba had both of his fists in the air and a large grin on his face. "I'm buying it."
"Mokuba, no," Kisara protested, feeling her face heat up again.
"Aw, come on," Mokuba smirked.
Kisara turned her expression into what she was starting to call her 'Seto-glare.' "Don't you dare show that to anyone," she said.
"Why not?" he gave her an innocent look. "It was your first roller coaster. We gotta have a memento for that."
Seto sighed and handed his brother some money. "Keep it in the folder until we get home."
"Yay!" Mokuba swiped the cash and raced to the counter.
"We're going to regret giving into him at some point," Kisara sighed, her hair covering her face again. She couldn't believe the park had taken a picture of them.
"Maybe you will," Seto smirked. She gave him the Seto-glare. "That won't work on me. I taught it to you."
"One of these days, Seto," Kisara didn't back down.
"Got it! How about we try the bumper cars next?" Mokuba returned waving the folder with the picture.
"All right," Seto agreed and the way to their next destination.
They held up their badges and went to the front of the line. Seto took a car to himself while Kisara and Mokuba shared one. "Let's get him," Mokuba gave an evil grin.
As soon as things powered up, Mokuba drove the car straight at Seto's. Kisara held onto the railing with the force of the impact. "You'll regret challenging me, Little Brother," Seto smirked as he accepted their challenge.
"Bring it on, Seto," Mokuba sneered.
Kisara tried hard not to squeak each time the brothers rammed into each other. The other riders moved to keep their cars out of the brotherly battle that had broken out. Note to self: never encourage their rivalry outside a video game.
The cars powered down, signaling the end of their turn. "I think you two scared everyone else in there," Kisara sighed.
"That just makes it even more awesome," Mokuba grinned. "Hey, about the Tilt-a-Whirl next?"
"What's that one?" Kisara had a bad feeling about the name. Mokuba smirked and pointed to a ride that spun so fast she could barely see the cars as it rocked back and forth. "Ummm…"
"Let's go if we're going to," Seto started walking to it.
Ringing from Kisara's pocket saved her. "Hello?" she answered the phone.
"Hey, Kisara, I'm sorry to interrupt your day with Kaiba," Tea said. "But do you have a minute?"
"Hold on a second," Kisara looked to the brothers and held her hand over the receiver. "You guys go ahead. I'll catch up."
"Are you sure?" Mokuba asked.
"Yeah, it's fine," she assured him. "I don't think I really want to go on that one anyway. But you go have fun."
"Alright," Mokuba relented.
"We'll meet you back here," Seto said. "Don't make us go searching for you."
"Yes, Seto," Kisara rolled her eyes and put the phone back her ear. She waved to the brothers as they showed their badges to the worker at the booth. "Sorry, what's up, Tea?"
"I managed to grab it before Mom and Dad noticed, but you got a package from Industrial Illusions," she answered.
"What?"
"I know," Tea said. "After everything that happened with Duelist Kingdom, I can't help but be nervous."
"Same here," Kisara agreed. "Even though Pegasus doesn't have the Millennium Eye, who knows when that was sent?"
"So what do you want to do with it?" Tea asked.
"Umm," Kisara bit her lip as she considered her options. "Take it to Yugi. If there is some weird surprise with it, he's the best person to deal with it."
"Okay, I'll call and let him know," her foster sister answered.
"No, I'll call," Kisara said. "If it's addressed to me, then it's only right I ask for his help. But either way, I think he'll be happy to see you."
"Kisara," Tea groaned. "Whatever. See you later."
"See you later. Let me know what you find."
Kisara pressed the end button and dialed Yugi's number. "Hello, game shop," a deep voice answered.
"Yami?"
"Hello, Kisara," the spirit said. "If you're wondering, Yugi said working in the store would be a good experience. But I sense he just didn't want to do his shift."
"Don't let Mari know that," Kisara chuckled. "That might be what breaks out the ladle."
"That may be," Yami agreed. "But what can I do for you?"
"Right," Kisara turned to the matter at hand. "Tea's on her way there with a package from Industrial Illusions addressed to me. Can you and Yugi check it out for me? I'd bring it myself, but I'm in Heartland City with Seto and Mokuba."
"We can," the spirit answered.
"Thanks," Kisara sighed in relief. Hopefully there wouldn't be anything bad in it. An idea struck her. "Since I have you, Yami, and Tea is on her way over…"
"I think I see where you're going," Yami chuckled.
"Don't even think about it!" Yugi's voice suddenly blared through the receiver.
"So are you in control now, Yugi?" Kisara asked.
"Yes," he hissed. Kisara could imagine him looking between her and Yami if they were all in the same room. "No more conspiring against me."
"Okay, Yugi," Kisara smothered a laugh. "Let me know if I need to stop by the shop on my way home."
"All right, Kisara," Yugi said. "Have fun with Kaiba."
"Thanks, Yugi. And thank Yami for me too."
"Will do," Yugi hung up.
"What's the problem?" Seto asked from behind her.
She jumped, "Seto, don't scare me like that."
He frowned, "You need to bail for some emergency? Is that why the geek patrol called?"
"No," Kisara rolled her eyes. "I called Yugi so I wouldn't have to run home."
"Sure," Seto deadpanned and looked away.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Kisara crossed her arms and frowned.
"Please, you think I don't know the fake emergency ploy?" he snapped. "If you don't want to be here, just say so."
That stung. Kisara felt her temper rise. "Is that seriously what you think?" she yelled. "I thought you knew me better than that! Or are you the one who doesn't want me around? Did you just invite me because Mokuba wanted to?"
"Don't bring him into this," Seto snarled.
"I guess I have my answer then," Kisara spat. She spun around stomped off. "If you don't want me around, then I won't be around!" She ignored Mokuba's pleas to come back and quickened her pace, leaving the brothers standing by the Tilt-a-Whirl.
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"Way to go, Seto," Mokuba glared at his brother. He stood on his toes to try to spot Kisara in the crowd. There was no sign of her.
"She's the one who jumped to conclusions," Seto crossed his arms, his usual scowl drawn on his face.
Mokuba sighed. His brother may be the smartest person he knew, but Seto could be a real idiot when it came to people. "Give me your phone," Mokuba held out his hand. Seto sighed and complied. Mokuba flipped it open and dialed Kisara's number. After two rings, it said Hi, this is Kisara White. Leave a message, and I'll call you back. "Kisara, it's Mokuba. Call us back, please."
"If it only rang twice, then she's ignoring us," Seto pointed out.
"I'm going to keep trying," Mokuba called again. This time it went to voicemail after one ring. "She must really be mad."
"Just leave her alone, Mokuba," Seto said. "She'll call us back when she wants to."
"Fine," Mokuba pocketed the phone. He wasn't going to let Seto have it back just yet. "But you better apologize when we find her."
"Whatever," Seto turned away, but not before Mokuba saw the tightness in his brother's expression.
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Well that was sure childish. And stupid.
Kisara took a seat at an empty table of the food court and watched the people bustle around. She'd already ignored two calls from Seto. But I can't believe him. What makes him even think that? I thought he knew me better than that.
The smell of food made her stomach grumble so she got up and to browse the different stands. Kisara gawked at the prices. An ice-cream cone cost as much as a meal at the mall. And definitely more than the cash she had in her wallet. This where my hiding my money everywhere but my wallet comes back to bite me. Habits from when her relatives would raid her savings or just not give her anything, Kisara tended to stash different reserves of cash her that it ever amounted to much. So I either call Seto back or go hungry. At the moment, going hungry felt like the better option, so she found another empty table to sit down.
"You look like you could use a break," a girl about her age sat down next to her with a plate of fried pastry topped with cinnamon and apples. She had dark violet hair pulled into a ponytail with lavender streaks in her bangs, and she wore a white T-shirt with the park's logo on it. Her purple eyes crinkled as she smiled. "I'm Haru."
"Kisara," the white-haired girl tried to keep her eyes off Haru's plate. Yumi's words about having a good lunch came back to haunt her.
"Want some," Haru broke off a piece of her food and offered it to her. "I love funnel cakes, but I can never eat a whole one by myself."
"Thanks," Kisara took the offered piece and popped it into her mouth. The combination of fried cake with the tartness of the apples was delicious. "That's really good."
"You've never had a funnel cake?" Haru raised an eyebrow at her. "They're my go-to after I finish a shift running the rides here."
"No," Kisara shook her head. "Let's just say I had a complicated upbringing that didn't let me branch out much."
"That's rough," Haru took a bite of the funnel cake. "But didn't I see you earlier at the bumper cars? I was working the carousel by it. Weren't you with the tall brunet and the black-haired boy?"
"Yeah," Kisara swallowed her bite of food. "They're brothers. I've known them since we were kids."
"Where'd they go?"
"I…" Kisara looked down. "I kind of had a fight with the older one."
"Really bad?" Haru asked.
"Eh," Kisara tilted her hand back and forth above the table. "We've bickered before, mainly because he doesn't really get along with my other friends. But this fight was different. I accused him of only wanting me around because his brother did."
"I see," Haru pursed her lips as she eyed the white-haired girl. "When did the bickering start?"
That's a strange question. "I guess when I transferred to his school," Kisara answered. "We hadn't seen each other since we were nine, and it was a bit of a shock. He brushed me off, and we ended up having a rocky reunion. Things didn't smooth out until a couple of months later."
"Ah," Haru took another bite of the funnel cake. "The way I see it, you're holding onto the kid version you knew. And he might be doing the same thing."
"I know we're not kids anymore," Kisara rolled her eyes.
"But how do want him to behave around you?" Haru raised an eyebrow.
"I…" she paused. I guess part of me is wanting him to be like he used to be. Smiling and having fun with me and Mokuba. But things aren't the same. "I guess you're right, Haru. I hadn't really considered it that way. We used to be so close and spent every minute together we could. Now he's more reserved. I know a lot's happened, but I never looked at how that built the walls around him. Walls that only his brother has a chance at navigating through."
"Well, at least you've identified part of your problem," Haru grinned. "And I'm glad I could help. Now I can't help with the wall thing. That's up to you and your friend to figure out. But I do kind of know what it's like. I recently met up with a friend from elementary school. And let me tell you, we fought like crazy before we realized how stupid we were being."
"That explains how you saw through me so quickly," Kisara took another bite of the funnel cake.
"That, and I enjoy people watching," Haru popped a piece in her mouth. "I think I'm pretty good at reading people, figuring out who's who in the group. As far as I can tell, each group as a loudmouth goofball, a hothead everyone else needs to calm down, a quiet follower, a responsible one that keeps the group out trouble, and a peacemaker to smooth out bickering. Some may also have the dragged along anti-social one and the perpetual younger sibling tagging along."
"Wow," Kisara raised an eyebrow at the the girl. "You haven't even met my friends, and you managed to describe each one a little bit."
"I guess that means you're a normal group. Or at least what I've begun to perceive as normal," Haru grinned. "Roku still doesn't get it. He'd rather seclude himself and study Duel Monster strategies. And I can't make heads or tails of that game. Have you heard of it?"
"Oh yeah," Kisara left out taking third in Duelist Kingdom. "I started playing because of my friends. I like to think I'm pretty good."
"Then you should play Roku sometime," the violet-haired girl laughed. "He beats everyone around here, but we don't have that much of a Duel Monsters crowd. And he kept going on and on about the Duelist Kingdom tournament and how he should have been invited."
"Really?" Kisara ran a hand through her hair, hoping her companion wouldn't make the connection.
"Yeah, he couldn't believe the winners were complete unknowns," Haru laughed. "He keeps saying 'If they can do it, why can't I?' Sometimes it's just fun to watch him go."
"I can imagine," Kisara giggled. Her phone started ringing; she pulled it out of her pocket and flipped it open after a glance at the caller ID. "Hello?"
"Kisara, honey, are you okay?" Yumi asked.
"Yeah, why?"
"Your friend Mokuba called me," her foster mother explained. "He said you had a fight with his brother and weren't answering your phone."
"I'm okay, Yumi," Kisara assured her. "I was pretty mad, and I just didn't want to talk to Seto. I'll call them back soon."
"All right. If you need anything, don't hesitate to call, okay?
"I will. Thanks, Yumi," Kisara hung up. "Sorry, Haru."
"It's okay," Haru brushed it off. "Guardian? You didn't say Mom, but it seemed like a parental figure."
"You're good," Kisara smiled. "Yeah, she's the closest thing I have to a guardian. She's my friend's mom, and I'm living with them now."
"Well you did say complicated earlier," the violet-haired girl shrugged. "So are you going to call your friend or what?"
"I suppose I should," the white-haired girl rolled her eyes and dialed the number.
"Kisara?" Mokuba's voice sounded worried on the other end.
"Hi, Mokuba," she answered. "Sorry I wasn't answering earlier. I've cooled off now. Where are you guys?"
"It might be easier for us to find you," he said.
"Sure. I'm at a table by the funnel cake stand in the food court."
"Great, see you in a few minutes," he hung up.
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"Come on, Seto," Mokuba handed the phone back to his brother. "I don't want to be in the middle of you two fighting."
"I didn't do anything," Seto glared at him.
Mokuba sighed and rubbed his forehead. "I know that, Seto. But you still came off as a bit of a jerk. I mean, seriously? If it were any of the entitled girls at the KaibaCorp functions, none of us would have cared. Heck, that's how we normally deal with those girls. But this is Kisara. She's always had our back. You didn't have to accuse her like that."
"What do you want me to do, Mokuba?" Seto crossed his arms. "I'm not apologizing for something I didn't do."
"I'm telling you to be the bigger person," Mokuba glared back. "Unless you seriously think it will kill you to say sorry."
Seto scowled and said nothing.
"Do it for me?" Mokuba gave his best puppy eyes expression, the one that Seto always had a hard time saying no to.
"You're guilt-tripping me," Seto stated with no change in his expression.
"Only if it works," Mokuba grinned. "I'm not blind to you and Kisara always putting me first. Just so you know, I'm fine doing whatever as long as we get to hang out. But we can't hang out if you and Kisara can't get along. I'm not saying you have to get along with her friends. Just her."
"Whatever," Seto turned towards the food court and walked off.
Mokuba rolled his eyes and followed his brother. In that moment, he wondered who truly was the mature one.
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Kisara waved to the familiar black and brown heads in the food court crowd. The brothers spotted her and beelined to her table. "Hey, guys. This is Haru," she gestured to the violet-haired girl next to her.
"Don't mind me. I just sat down to eat a funnel cake," Haru gave a mischievous grin and popped the last piece of the treat into her mouth.
"Aw, that looked good," Mokuba practically salivated at the pastry. "Seto, can I get one?"
"Fine," Seto fished some money out of his wallet and handed it to him.
"I'll show you where I got mine," Haru stood up and gestured for the younger Kaiba to follow her.
"Thanks!" Mokuba followed the girl, leaving Kisara and Seto alone.
Well it's now or never. Kisara looked down before meeting Seto's gaze. "I—" they both said.
"You go first," she deferred to him.
"No, you," he insisted.
"Alright," Kisara took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gotten angry at you like that. I guess it probably did look how you thought when I was talking to Yugi and Tea."
"I suppose I should remember who I'm talking to," Seto frowned and looked away.
Kisara bit her lip as Haru's observations came back to her. Back then, he would have been the first to apologize. Now he won't even say the words. She really was always comparing him to back then. I have to stop this. I need to look at him now. Not as the boy I want him to be. "Seto, do you look for the version of me you used to know when we talk?"
"Why do you ask that?" he raised an eyebrow at her.
Way to evade the question. She narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm being serious. I…" she paused to gather her thoughts. "Haru made me see I've been looking for you to behave like you used to. And that's not fair to you. And I know you're not eager to talk about what happened in the time we were apart, but… at some point I hope you can open up to me about it. And I'll do the same. I haven't exactly been forthcoming with you about what's happened to me." Kisara let her hair fall into her face as she finished.
Seto brushed her bangs back. "You look better when you don't hide," he muttered and looked away. "But to answer your question, no. I just see you. I don't let people in—there are things about me even Mokuba doesn't know. Things I don't want him to know. But you are someone, if the situation desperately called for it, I would put my trust in. And I expect you to do the same."
"Commanding as ever," Kisara smiled and took his hand. "How about we make a deal? Little by little, let's share what's happened."
"I'll consider it," Seto stepped away, but he didn't let go.
"That's all I can ask for, Seto." she squeezed his hand, feeling its warmth.
"Seto, you gotta try this!" Mokuba's yell made them let go and take a step back.
"Mokuba, we've had funnel cakes before," Seto rolled his eyes.
"But not with chocolate and strawberries," the younger Kaiba sat down with his treat. "Thanks for the suggestion, Haru."
"What can I say?" the teen giggled. "I know my way around a funnel cake. Just don't mix the chocolate and the apple. Those are two great tastes that don't taste great together."
"Ew," Kisara wrinkled her nose. "Why would you try that?"
"I lost a bet," Haru winced. "I told Roku he couldn't win twenty duels in a row, and he proved me wrong. Though if I'd won that bet, I would have made him ride the Tilt-a-Whirl five times in a row.
"Wow, that's mean," Mokuba paused mid-bite.
"But that funnel cake was disgusting," Haru shuddered at the memory.
"There you are, Haru," a teenager with slicked-back black hair walked up to them. He was dressed in jeans and an orange jacket. His black eyes were fixed on the violet-haired girl.
"Speak of the devil," Haru rolled her eyes. "This is Roku, the one who made me eat the grossest funnel cake ever."
"That's what you get for underestimating me," Roku puffed out his chest. He took in his friend's companions. "Wait a second! You're Seto Kaiba! You're one of the best duelists in the world."
"First of all," Seto rolled his eyes, "I am the number one duelist in the world."
"Nah," Roku shook his head. "You're good, but at the moment, Yugi Muto is the King of Games."
"Listen you—"
"Seto, be nice," Kisara cut him off, not wanting a fight to break out between the boys. "Nice to meet you. I'm Kisara," she held out her hand to the teen.
Roku shook it and paused. "I've heard that name." His eyes widened as it clicked. "Did you compete in Duelist Kingdom?"
Well so much for not making the connection. "Yeah," she admitted with a sheepish smile. "I got third place. My friends took first and second."
"You're friends with Yugi Muto?"
"Ah great," Haru sighed. "Now he's going to be on this all day."
"You'd get it if you were into Duel Monsters," Roku snapped at his friend.
"I've tried," Haru argued. "But that game makes no sense. Why the heck are dinosaurs weak against fire? They should be weak against ice since they died off in the Ice Age. And that Mirror Force card you use is way too powerful. You kill me every time with it."
"Stop walking into it, and it won't happen," Roku rolled his eyes.
"Mirror Force is nasty," Kisara agreed with the other girl. "That's one move a friend likes to use."
"See?" Roku pointed at her to emphasize his point. "It's a good card."
"I can't believe we found another geek squad," Seto deadpanned. Mokuba laughed and bit into his funnel cake.
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"That was fun," Mokuba sighed as he shoved his giant stuffed tiger into the limo. "Thanks for the tiger, Seto."
"That employee had no idea what hit him," Kisara laughed and set her small red dragon plushie next to her. She managed to win it knocking glass bottles off a shelf. It took all the tickets Seto bought for her, but she did it.
"He was an amateur," Seto smirked and slid in next to Mokuba.
"Between you and Haru, I'm surprised nothing was broken," Kisara said. Apparently Haru had a wicked throwing arm, and she and Seto started competing on who could knock down more bottles at the booth. Both walked away with the biggest stuffed animals the booth had—Mokuba's tiger and an enormous teddy bear that Haru insisted on giving Roku. Kisara couldn't help but chuckle at the dynamic between those two. "But hanging out with them was fun."
"They were annoying," Seto frowned and crossed his arms.
"You say that about everyone," Kisara and Mokuba said at the same time. They snorted at their synchronized response.
"I hope we can meet up with them again," Kisara smiled as she scrolled through her phone. Before they parted ways, Kisara exchanged contact info with Haru. Odds were they wouldn't be able to see each other in person very often, but Kisara was just happy to have made a new friend. And she suspected Haru was going to appreciated having someone to talk about Roku's antics with. Or explain his overly-complicated Duel Monsters rants.
"I kind of want to see Roku duel you now, Seto," Mokuba grinned. "Maybe if we can get the holographic technology more portable, we can have a real spectacle.
"Please," Seto scoffed. "That guy's a wannabe. He'd be better off dueling the mutt."
"Whatever you say, Seto," Kisara rolled her eyes. "Now I need to call Tea to let her know we're on our way home." She dialed the number and held the phone to her ear.
"Hey, Kisara," Tea greeted her.
"Hey, we're headed back to Domino," Kisara said. "How'd things go with Yugi?"
"All right," she answered, "but you should stop by the game shop on the way. You need to see what you got."
"Okay, I'll be there," Kisara promised. "See you later."
"See you later," Tea hung up.
Kisara looked up to the brothers. "Do you mind dropping me off at the game store?"
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"Bye, Mokuba! I'll see you at school on Monday, Seto!" Kisara waved good-bye to her friends as she hopped out of the limo. The brothers waved through the tinted windows as Roland drove off. Kisara turned into the game shop, the bell above the door ringing as she entered.
"Ah, there you, Kisara," Grandpa smiled from behind the counter. "Yugi and Tea are in the back. "Though I have to say, you are very lucky indeed."
"Okay…?" Kisara bit her lip as the old man chuckled. What is he up to?
She found her friends in the living room seated around the table. "You need to see this, Kisara," Tea gestured her over. On the table was a velvet-lined box and a slip of paper.
On closer look, laying in the center of the box was a Duel Monsters card. Namely, the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. "What?" she whispered. Seto surely had his three, and this one was undamaged. "How did you fix your grandpa's card?"
"We didn't," Yugi answered. "Grandpa's is still behind the counter. This is what was in your package." He handed her the paper.
Kisara unfolded it and read the message.
Dear Kisara-girl,
I hope you won't mind my last act of mind-reading, but seeing as I won't be doing anymore of that in the foreseeable future, I hope you can forgive me. I saw your desire to repair the fourth Blue-Eyes White Dragon, and it warms my heart to see a creature of my beloved game cared for so deeply. It would be such a crime not to honor such a noble request.
But alas, there is nothing I can do for the current copy of the card. So instead I am offering you a replacement. Damaged as it is, the one Solomon Muto is would be deemed worthless by the general public. I do hope you gave Kaiba-boy quite the scolding for it. Offer this to the old man. If he doesn't want it, then the card is yours. After all, one so deeply connected to the dragon should have her own copy.
Toodles,
Maximillion Pegasus
"Is he serious?" she asked when she finished.
"Apparently," Yugi and Tea said at the same time.
"Then it should go to your grandpa," Kisara pushed the box toward Yugi.
"He doesn't want it," Yugi shook his head. "We already showed it to him. He appreciates the gesture, but he wants to keep the damaged one. That's the one Professor Hawkins gave him, so it means more to him. It's not like he's planning on dueling with it."
"But still," Kisara hesitated, her eyes on the card.
"Just take it," Tea insisted. "You deserve it after all we went through at Duelist Kingdom. And you were awesome with it."
"All right," Kisara picked up her new card, locking eyes with the dragon's illustration. I'll take good care of you. Just like you took care of us.
Thanks for being patient, guys. I'm really sorry you had to wait that long for an update, and I hope I won't do it again. I do have to give a shout out to my friend LoveGlutton for originally giving me the idea to have Pegasus just give Kisara a Blue-Eyes (because Pegasus is eccentric like that).
I will also really appreciate feedback on this chapter because I question how in-character I was able to keep Kaiba. He's such a thin line to walk, and I'm not great at writing arguments either, so I will admit that probably could have been better. I also realized I've been relying heavily on the childhood friends trope to the point I feel like they're looking for what they had instead of what they should be going forward with. But I will admit romance is also not my strong suit, which is why I'm going to rely on you guys to tell me how I'm doing. I won't learn if I don't try, and I won't know how I'm doing if you don't tell me. Despite my poking fun at myself or certain characters/situations, I do genuinely want to improve and need you guys to help me with that.
On another note, Haru and Roku were really fun additions to throw in, and they are not OCs (but I did have imagine a good chunk of them for this). Bonus points to those who figure out who they are (though it's not that big of a secret since the setting is a big clue). They may cameo again if the opportunity presents itself since I love their dynamic. Their interactions practically wrote themselves, which was a nice change from the other struggles I had with the chapter.
Anyway, thanks for reading, let me know what you think, and I'll see you next time.