Chapter 13-The Art of Corporate Mastication
4/23/09
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-gi-oh or any brand names or trademarks that I mention. They belong to their respective copyrights, owners, etc. (But I still own a laptop that's still uncooperative…)
It's been in obscene amount of time since I've updated, and I'm so sorry, but I've been insanely busy with life, particularly several group projects. (Warning for anyone. Avoid 10-people groups like the Black Plague. The free rider effect is a dangerous phenomenon.)
"You look very distinguished."
Almond-shaped blue eyes gazed approvingly at the lean man that stood by a wooden counter of the kitchen. Seiji wore a black pantsuit with a crisp white shirt and red tie underneath. His cropped jet black hair, usually plainly combed with short bangs that fell to his forehead, had more style with a bit of gel. With a mug in one hand and a newspaper in the other, the man sat next to Mokuba at an oak-finish dining table. The raven-haired infant shrieked excitedly in his high chair, outstretching his small hands towards the mug of steaming coffee.
"Thank you. You're still grounded."
Seto roughly stirred his cereal with his spoon, tapping his bowl in annoyance. The infant started to clap at his brother's clatter, irritating the seven-year-old further. "I don't think it's fair that I'm punished for fixing the video recorder."
"In the process, a few home videos have mysteriously been replaced with footage of blue-footed boobies. Can you care to explain?"
Seto grumbled wordlessly as he shoved a spoonful of cornflakes into his mouth. It wasn't his fault that idiotic cousin Jun had 'accidentally' handed him one of his father's precious, unmarked VHS tapes, claiming it to be a blank. He had been watching a National Geographic documentary on seabirds, only to be punished for being educational.
Seiji refrained from smiling when the sullen-faced boy started to complain about the unnecessary beings that were fifteen-year-old girls.
His dark brown, almost black, eyes scanned the headlines of his paper as he took a bite from his buttered toast. News of decreasing stock value and increasing oil prices littered the page.
"Don't you have a presentation today?" Seto asked, while his father turned a page of the newspaper.
"Yes, but how did you know?" Small bags appeared under Seiji's eyes due to staying up late to finalize some last-minute details.
"You were practicing in your room yesterday night. I saw." The brunette's eyes shined confidently as he spoke. The boy looked adorable in his school uniform, adorning a white round-collared shirt and gray shorts. "I read that one of the most important parts of business is presentation. When you were practicing your pitch, you were almost perfect."
"Almost?" Seiji asked, amused at boy's solemn tone. "And why were you awake?"
"I was on my way to the bathroom," Seto replied nonchalantly. "You'll get there, but they'll be so impressed by your theme park that they'll partner with you anyway. Daddy, can't the Japanese do something about their housing design? It's inconvenient to walk downstairs at night when I have to use the toilet."
For a moment, Seiji considered increasing the duration of the video game ban. "You'll have to learn to deal with it. Did you finish all of your homework?"
"Of course. You checked it yesterday."
"I'm not talking about the schoolwork. I'm talking about the crossword that I brought you."
Nodding, the boy looked a bit frustrated. Knowing Seto's love for games, his father brought crosswords, puzzles, and other similar items to challenge the boy. The gesture was appreciated, but he preferred Sonic the Hedgehog over a Rubik's cube. Alas, Seiji insisted that he needed to earn such treats by completing small tasks and chores.
Four months passed since the Nakamuras moved to Japan. Seto started school, quickly surpassing his classmates with his brilliance and natural athleticism. Despite his talent, or perhaps because of it, the boy lacked friends. Reserved in nature, Seto did not easily socialize. When he first arrived, his exotic features and newness fascinated them, warranting him to be the center of attention. After the novelty of the 'new kid' vibe passed, he became more of a stranger than he was in America. His position was 'biracial genius boy,' the kid who knew the answers to any question.
Seto, Seiji admitted, did not make adjust to Japan as quickly as he hoped. If he could magically give Seto friends, he would, but his son never seemed to truly relate to people of his own age.
Quickly chugging his coffee, he finished the rest of his cereal. Afterwards, he attempted to feed the nine-month-old a mashed muffin, though, to Seiji's chagrin, most of the contents ended onto his bib.
Soon, an annoyed ganguro girl in a sailor-styled uniform and a self-righteous housewife arrived, gracing their presence with usual graceless selves. After preventing the beginnings of yet another quarrel between Jun and Seto, Seiji headed towards the train station for work.
As he perused through the rest of the newspaper as he sat on the cheap vinyl seat of the train, Seiji couldn't help but feel a small bit of relief. Seiji loved Seto, but the average ratio for these arguments increased on a weekly basis. It bordered on insane.
Work continued with its usual monotony. Whether it included more paperwork or fixing an error with human resources, his job as an assistant manager of the Technology and Manufacturing department continued to be inanely routine as it had been for the last few months. In the little white-washed hole that he called his office, he executed the orders that management gave, brainlessly.
Most people would be content with a comfortable, well-paid position in such a prestigious company, but Seiji Nakamura was a restless dreamer in the disguise of a practical man. He could only be satisfied with bringing his own dreams, the park, into reality.
Seiji was eight when he went to his first amusement park. His grandfather brought him there because he was crying from being bullied. A kid in his class pushed him onto the ground for being the only student who got a perfect score for an exam. His shorts were caked with mud, and his elbows were badly scraped, bleeding. Seiji's father told that he needed to learn to stand up for himself, while his mother fussed and worried, quickly submitting when her husband scolded her for babying him.
His grandfather, the one he named Seto after, reacted differently. He instructed his daughter Kotoko to properly clean his wounds and told him that he was going to take him to a wonderful place.
The wonderful place was a small amusement park that Seiji passed a few times but never went. Compared to the elaborate theme parks that he later visited, the antiquated place barely compared, but, in his eight-year-old eyes, it was heaven. Screaming excitedly at roller coaster dipped at a sudden turn or staring onto the ground from gondola of a Ferris wheel, he felt absolute bliss. It was the type of perfect innocence that only a child could feel. No worries. No burdens. Someone was there to protect. As he ate shaved ice that his grandfather bought, he wondered if he could bring such happiness to other people. His life could have some meaning if he did.
When Seiji told his grandfather that he planned to build the park, the man gave neither support nor discouragement. He quietly spoke a few words of advice, something that Seiji lived by. "Be honest in whatever you do."
Between his and Laura's income and any investments that he held, Seiji had more than enough money in the bank in case of any emergency, but it was not enough to build an amusement park. He needed partners.
For months, even while he was in America, Seiji contacted several businessmen, making several phone calls in order to schedule a meeting with them. Most of them declined, stating that they weren't interested in any new ventures. A few wealthy men were arranged for an appointment, but today's prospect held the most promise so far.
During his lunch break, Seiji scheduled a meeting with a banker.
Seiji felt like an excited schoolboy as he sat across a middle-aged man in an extremely classy restaurant. The man, dressed in an Armani suit, listened as Seiji explained, with an assortment of charts, pie graphs, and brochures—laminated, of course—about a fantasy themed park with a numerous types of rides, ranging from water rides to a carousel. He discussed about benefits of "pay-one-price" tickets, plans of incorporating the food chain Burger World, and budget issues. Finally, with a final enthusiastic smile, he ended the proposal, stating that the park would revolutionize theme parks in all of Japan.
"Excuse me, but what do you exactly do?"
"You mean, my job?" Seiji asked, slightly surprised by the question. This was not the type of response that he expected. "I'm an assistant manager at Kaiba Corporation."
"KaibaCorp. That's a great company. I suggest that you stick with it."
Seiji tried to not let his face appear crestfallen, his shoulders tightening at the response. Forcing a polite smile, he rose as the man stood from his seat and leaned slightly towards the white linen covered table to shake the man's hands. "Thank you for this opportunity. I truly appreciate it. If you have any questions, you have my business card. I will—"
"Hmph. I trust that you can foot the bill? I see that as only appropriate as you've completely wasted my time." Seiji continued to force the pleasant smile, fighting the urge to suggest that the man get a hair transplant. After a few moments of standing awkwardly, he quietly sat onto the green banquet chair, steadying from shock.
This man blatantly insulted his work as if he was some crackpot. Seiji put years of dedication to that amusement park, practically a childhood dream.
A nearby clink of wine goblets followed the high pitch of laughter.
Well, that's one point for Hiroko. Seiji could envision his older cousin grinning in that "I-told-you-so" expression that seemed reserved for him.
They were her mantra, words that she politely framed with her belittling laugh in attempt to hide the true meaning. You are nobody. You are a loser. Who are you to think that you can do something extraordinary?
Seiji picked up a brown briefcase and roughly opened it, flicking open the latch. He should have known better than excite himself over this meeting. He was a no-name in the business world, therefore a risk. Compared to the tycoons that controlled the Japanese economy, he had no finances, power, or influence. During an economic depression, people did not risk their money on an idea, no matter how good it was. Most stuck to the safe formula and put their money with what they knew.
He hardly felt as if he could face Seto in that moment. Ever since his son found the blueprints, the boy grew attached, even going as far as to give his advice and ideas on it.
Hastily throwing the charts and files into the briefcase, uncharacteristic of his usual impeccable organization, he quickly snapped close the suitcase and slipped into his coat. When a waiter came with the bill, Seiji scribbled a check and headed toward the entrance of the restaurant.
The strong whip of cold wind hit him as he opened the gold-tinted doors of the restaurant. Holding tightly to his gray trench coat, the thin man hugged himself as he joined the mob of people in the business district of Domino City and headed towards to the skyscraper with the insignia KC.
...
Placing a bill into a slot of a vending machine, Seiji pressed a button after choosing a drink. A bottle of green tea was released. Seiji bent towards a compartment to reach it. Rising up, he twisted the cap and took a deep sip of the cold drink.
Human resources still hadn't fixed their error. Even in a multi-national company like Kaiba Corporation, they were inefficient.
Seiji sighed, irritated. In fifteen minutes, the managers at from the Technology department would have meeting. It, Seiji learned, was a badly veiled excuse for the upper management at KaibaCorp to brag about their supposed prowess and a social event for the lower managers to mindlessly flatter in attempt a climb the corporate ladder.
More ass-kissing would commence.
After working in the company for roughly three months, Seiji disliked the impersonal environment of the entire company. Although he had met his share of uninteresting and cold businessmen from his job at the construction firm, KaibaCorp was something else altogether.
He respected and believed in hard work and diligence, but there was an unnecessary elitism among his co-workers that he, to say politely, did not enjoy.
Yet, as this afternoon had shown, he would have to endure the snobbery longer. Funding would take time to get. His shoulders still tensed from thinking about the meeting. The banker had been such an asshole.
Laura, he imagined, would have insulted the man without hesitation while keeping a charming smile on her face. She always had such a way with words….
"Hey Nakamura! Are you surviving the economy?"
Seiji turned around to the source of the friendly voice. He faced a shorter man with a dark mustache and thick glasses, carrying a huge stack of files with both hands. The man was Roland Isono, a personal assistant of the Chair Executive Officer. On Seiji's first day, Roland had directed the thirty-one-year-old to his office. Another employee, upset that some stranger had taken the job, attempted to sabotage Seiji by giving false directions of his office. If not for Roland's help, Seiji would have lost his job within the first day. Ever since, they became friends. Whenever they chanced to meet, they had friendly banter, discussing of the news and local happenings of the city.
"Keeping up. How about you?"
"Same as usual, though hectic. It's just work, work, work. I can't believe how boring that my life's become."
"I thought that you said that you were dating that Canadian girl from advertisement."
Roland sighed. "Well, I was, but that didn't work out. I have no time for a relationship. If you want a career, you have to sacrifice something."
"You're twenty-six years old. You need a personal life too."
"Sorry, Nakamura, but I'm currently attempting to climb the corporate ladder." An envelope slipped, nearly falling on the ground. The man nervously grinned as he caught it. "By the way, did you hear about the story about the politician the other day?"
"The one who got accused of getting bribes for the legislature seat?"
Roland nodded. "Well, the politician still kept his seat, since he technically won. I've met the man before for business. He's a pleasant fellow."
"Well, these politicians will promise you candies and rose in one speech and do something else in the next. It's all about winning votes and getting constituents." Seiji added bitterly, "Some people can get away with anything."
"I hear in America that it's a near death sentence to a political career to be accused of being a socialist."
"True. Socialism is a close second. Atheism wins."
Roland shook his head. American politics and their several contradictions baffled him. "Oh. That reminds me. I heard about your subordinate the other day. You probably shouldn't have given her a break."
Seiji stiffened, surprised by the man's sudden trail of thought. "It's my section, and, if she needs a few days to sort out her personal issues, I will give it to her. A frazzled project manager will be inefficient. She's even agreed to not being paid for sick leave."
"I hear that she's having issues with her family." Noticing the older man's confused expression, he explained, "One of the secretaries informed me. You know how they gossip."
Seiji nodded understandingly. "Her daughter's got health issues, and from what I understand, her husband's got major gambling debt. She's the only consistent source of income."
"Poor woman. I heard that he's an alcoholic, but you shouldn't concern yourself with such details."
"I'm not doing something that's out of my power, Isono. It is part of my responsibility to bring a suitable atmosphere to the job environment." His words felt forced as he spoke, almost unnatural. To be honest, he empathized with this woman, remembering how difficult his brother-in-law became when he got drunk. There were several incidents when Brian needed to be bailed from jail after his numerous drunken fights. In one case, Brian became so angry that he smashed the window of a pizza shop for not having his favorite topping.
"You're a decent guy, Nakamura. I wish there were more people in the company like you. Maybe, even the world—"
Seiji interrupted. "Isono, save the cheesy speech for the department heads. I didn't save the world or find the cure to cancer. I just did my job." Roland chuckled at the taller man's flippant expression. His mild-mannered friend was not especially witty, but he occasionally said a sarcastic remark that made him laugh. "Plus, I work for an arms manufacturer. That's a contradiction."
"Contradiction or not, it's true. I still wish that I was as composed as you. I don't see how you can be so calm all the time. My job's so stressful. The boss, he's so…inflexible." Roland finished, fumbling for the right word.
Unlike Roland, Seiji never cared enough about the corporation to truly stress, but he wasn't about to tell him that. "The man might be a bit demanding, but he runs a multi-billion dollar corporation. How can he not be?"
"You don't get it. Master Kaiba likes control. If he sees someone undermine him in any way..." Roland's voice trailed as if contemplating something, leaving his mouth to frown slightly. After deliberating for a few moments, the bespectacled man's lips twisted into a big grin, as if he changed his mind. "Well, see you in the meeting. Remember to bring your protective gear for the corporate sharks," the man added as he headed towards the meeting.
Seiji gave a small wave. After taking another sip from his bottle of green tea, the tall Japanese man picked up his briefcase from the floor and entered the boardroom.
A blue-footed booby is a type of seabird.
Mastication refers to chewing.
To hateandkill_d, Jun does deserve some slapping. And lil Seto's cute. I always say that biracial children make some of the cutest kids.
To The Duelist's Heiress, maybe Seto does care about Mokie. Maybe he doesn't. Sorry. Poor attempts of being mysterious.
To MythCreatorWriter, I'm guessing that he stopped believing in God when he got adopted by Gozaburo or was at the orphanage. I think older Seto Kaiba has a low emotional intelligence, something that Mokie in the anime makes up for. He doesn't seem to know how to deal with people beyond business settings.
To KasumiCho, thank you for your fav and compliment! I honestly thought that chap was crap at first. All I've noticed was that I become pickier about what I read on this website. Hope you enjoyed the book. Hope you update Fall Back to Life and hope everything's going okay. Good luck with your book.
To WolfStar713, I'm glad to know that the descriptions have been getting better. Descriptions of places have always been my weaknesses because I don't want to overwhelm the readers with too much. Thanks for your review.
To Kermita, glad you like Jun. Or find her funny. She's a love/hate character filled with ganguroness. If I was Miss Hiroko, I would be so annoyed, but, as I can be as evil as I want to imaginary characters, Hiroko must go through torture.
To susie25, you probably don't remember this, but Seto came up with that belief about babies on his own. He didn't buy the stork story that his parents were trying to feed him. The real geniuses behind that explanation are my real-life parents. I added the part about advanced machinery because he was Kaiba. That's how my parents stopped me from asking questions. They explained that they had me through prayer.
To ml101, good to hear that you're better. Your health is more important than this silly fanfic. I got sick over my spring break, and it sucked.
To Sakura Takanouchi, it's really lucky that the title worked out. This story was originally a oneshot. I honestly never thought that this story would have gone anywhere beyond that. As for most of the characters, they are all foreigners or outsiders to some extent.
To Demented Insane Spirit, ah another fellow owner of an uncooperative laptop. I give all my sympathy. There should be a sisterhood of the broken battery adapters. Was lil Seto that much of an ass? (glances at chibi Seto) Yeah. He does have some overconfident tendencies, but he wouldn't be Seto without them.
To Noc and NC, ha ha. Even cold-hearted C.E.O's must have once not know about the birds and the bees. Jun and Seto's arguments are fun to write. They have such different personalities that it's hilarious. Though I'm pretty sure that little Seto is glaring daggers at me for it. (If he was real, of course...)
To Happy Penguin, your review made me laugh. Insane in the membrane. (Warning: This fanfic writer is easily amused.) I hope you did well on your German final. I had to learn Spanish. Spanish 3 majorly sucked. Looking forward to your uberly cool review.
To Meconopsis, I'm thrilled that you liked my previous chapter and my other fic. I got a better response for that piece than I expected. (And I'm not a Gozaburo fan either...) The whole birds and the bees was so much fun to write, so I'm glad to know that you enjoyed it.
To evil sasuke girl, I'm glad that you enjoyed the story. Sorry that I haven't updated soon enough.
To Blueglaceon, I wish that I could chibi Seto, but I'm not good at drawing manga. He's cute though...
To XxCharliexX, I'm glad that you enjoyed my story. Hope you continue to enjoy.