Disclaimer: I do not own any of there songs! They belong to the artist in which I list! I do not own the characters either! The Yu-Gi-Oh! characters belong to their designer and company.
My father was a man going along in his years. At the age of fifty-three, he had his production company settled and fully gray hair. In all the years I can remember, ever since my mother died, he's been more than just a father that was there for me, he's been the father that would listen to whatever I had to say, even if it was just about the weather. Out of the whole messed up people that we call a family, he's been my support, and I've been his.
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We returned home close to eleven at night. Both of us received an earful from Kyomi. I only kept calm because Dad was there and just kept smiling.... Just kept smiling...
"Haru, go to my office, I'll meet you in there." He gave me is good smile before turning back to Kyomi. I turned away before he gave her a good night kiss and said something to her in a low tone. I still didn't understand how he could be so kind to her when she deserved nothing but a good whack in her collagen filled face.
"Did you want some coffee?" I looked up at my father, "Dad, it's almost eleven at night and you want coffee?"
He scratched his head, "Tea then?"
I let a small laugh loose, "I'll just take some juice or water..."
While he left to tell the maid, I seated myself on the cushioned chair is his study room. There was a large bookshelf with many pictures around the room. His desk stood directly across from the door and in front of the window that was currently out of view because of the royal red curtain. But what was great about the office was the smell. It held his scent in ever corner of the room, and it just made it his space.
He returned with the maid in tow. She placed a glass of apple juice on the table in front of me and a small cup of black coffee directly across.
"Thank you Naomi," I granted her a small smile and she returned it even brighter.
"Goodnight," she bowed before exiting the study, leaving in the direction of her room. But, before she left, she closed the door.
"So, how was Tokyo?"
"Oh," he took a sip of his beverage before going into a long rant about how the young "new" board members didn't understand a thing they were told and how they let out subtle hints that he was "aging".
"I'll tell you this, they think they can come into their father's old positions and then try and insult my wise age, then they'll just have to learn it the hard way. I won't retire until I'm on my death bed and when I do retire, I'm handing the company over to you and Hanashi. No extraneous halves of this and halves of that!...."
He kept ranting about how incompetent the young board members were and about how after he passed away what was going to happen. I didn't like how he kept saying "after I die" or "on my death bed"... it made it sound like it was coming...
"Dad, maybe you should calm down a bit..."
He always vented to me, I didn't mind; but, you know when they could start to say something that they might just regret... Dad realized it too. He started chuckling to himself, taking another deep breath before relaxing back into his chair.
"Sorry, I got carried away again... How was the meeting with Kaiba?"
My ears perked up a bit. How did he know I went instead of Hanashi?
"It was... interesting..."
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"Right, Ms. Utaru..." he seemed to be flipping through a thin file. Usually I would comment, and tell him to call me by my first name, but I couldn't stop staring at... him... everything.
'This could not be the silent man that I sit next to in class... Can it?'
In the past, when we did speak, nothing but sarcasm would come out of his mouth. I knew that he helped run the company, but I never thought that he would be the head of it. I suppose now I know...
"Ms. Utaru, why do you think that Kaiba Corp. would need you for advertising. If we wanted to the public to know about something, I would just hold a press conference," he reasoned, tossing the file to the side. What good was it when he already knew of statistics. He needed to know about the people behind it.
"Mr. Kaiba," it felt foreign to her lips, the name, "I won't argue with you about the data of everything. But, you are aware that your company's products are consumed by a variety of ages. Your news announcements may alert the older generation, but what about the younger ones that don't watch the news and have no computer access because of their parents? Not only that; but other companies are growing, Mr. Kaiba. What you need is some new publicity for the public-"
His eyes seemed to sharpen there. "I'm not going into a public relationship with anyone, Ms. Utaru." His gaze effected me not, I continued.
"That wasn't what we had in mind." I still felt slightly awkward with the formality of everything. Even more awkward was the fact that I knew we went to school together, yet he didn't.
"I was thinking, that both of us host a concert at Kaiba Land, for orphans." After that comment, he seemed to be paying more attention. "Why would you be interested in helping orphans?"
'Because I was one myself...'
"Within time, maybe you'll find out, but with the given information, do we have a deal?" I asked expectedly, my toes and legs crossed.
"Why come in person when you could have sent someone else?" Was he avoiding it?
I breathed in the scent of the office, "Why are you seeing me in person?" A question with a question...
"Because of incompetent employees," he said with annoyance laced with his tone. I smiled, "Exactly..."
I looked at him, for the first time, I notice how unique his eyes were. Of course, from this distance, it was hard to get the detail of them, but I could see their radiance. Blue eyes... It wasn't a common trait in Japan, where the vast majority had dark hair and eyes.
Then again, I have purple eyes....
"I won't sign the contract, but I will give you my word that we'll stay in contact. More information will be needed." He finally stated, but that was all I really needed. Another smile formed on my lips, I bowed my head, "Thank you, Mr. Kaiba."
In that hour, I learned a lot more than I expected about Seto Kaiba then I intended...
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The experience was hard to describe, but I defiantly didn't regret going. Sure, I ragged on Hanashi for ditching, but I didn't regret it.
"Haru, I'm going to ask you a question, that I know you don't want to answer, but I want to hear your side of the story." I looked back to my father. I already knew...
"She was talking about Mom," I looked back down to my hands. He was right, I didn't want to talk about this...
"She can't keep talking about Kaa-San like she's been doing... It's not right," I looked my father in the eye, "you know she doesn't deserve to be spoken about that way."
The look in his eye was all to familiar. He had a duty to his wife I understand that, but what about to his past wife, and his daughter? All he did was give an embrace. The embrace of a father was more than the explanations of one. Yet, there was still emptiness inside... somewhere...
Did I want to cry? I don't believe so... We've both dried our tears so long ago, were there any more to shed?
I returned the hug, knowing we both needed the comfort. It hurt me to hear it, yet it hurt him to speak of it.
"I'm sorry Haru... Gomen..."
Well, thank you for reading and I am sorry for the delay. Special thank you to Amy122 and Silver Fantasy for reviewing. I would love to hear from you again.
-Sin