Chapter 17 – A Well-Respected Man

1/28/10

Disclaimer: Yu-gi-oh's not mine. Neither is the name of the chapter. Belongs to the Kinks.

Notes: I'm so sorry for not updating. My trip was a great experience, but I lacked computer access. I couldn't update after I came back from vacation because I got the flu among many other things.

Summary: Life goes on in Japan as the Nakamura family attempt to move on from Laura's death. Seiji works for KaibaCorp as a manager. After drinking at a bar with his colleague, Seto's father Seiji finds a dying old man in the alleyway, who tells him that Gozaburo Kaiba is a murderer. Seiji does some investigation at the man's apartment and finds a portfolio with shocking information. Time passes, and Seto returns from school with Jun to find his mother's older brother Brian at his house. Speaking to Seiji, Seto's uncle reveals that his father is in the hospital and needs money for medical bills. When Seiji refuses, Brian loses his temper and beats him so badly that he is sent to the hospital.

Roland stepped off the elevator as it opened to the seventh floor. In one hand, he held several manila folders and straightened the jacket of his already ironed dark pantsuit. The door behind him closed as he headed towards an office filled with many cubicles. The sound of furious typing ensued as he passed by. Soon the employees would clock out for the day, but, knowing his workload, Roland would probably remain at the office for the rest of the night. He still needed to finish research for Gozaburo's latest project.

At the far end of the floor, a square adjoined office's door was closed. Roland paused before knocking at the pinewood door. He had to hear the facts from him; surely there couldn't be any truth to those office rumors.

"Come in," a voice replied absent-mindedly. Roland opened the door, noting that a medium-sized box atop a metal desk filled with a few miscellaneous items. The whitewashed room, if possible, seemed barer than before.

Seiji Nakamura's face focused onto the computer screen.

"Is it true?"

Seiji turned to face Roland, an eyebrow raised quizzically. A thin deep scar spread across his right cheek, one of his many remnants from Seiji's mysterious injuries. Roughly a year ago, Seiji took a sick leave for two weeks, and, when he returned to work, he arrived with an arm in a cast and bandaged cuts that he never explained. Whenever Roland asked his friend, Seiji laughed and changed the topic to something else.

"If what's true, Isono?"

"Are you quitting KaibaCorp?"

Interlacing his fingers together and placing his arms onto the desk, Seiji nodded.

"I don't understand, Nakamura. Why?" Roland wanted to know why his friend never told him about this decision; the two of them hadn't talked to each other as of late, but this was due to work, right?

"KaibaCorp isn't the right fit for me," Seiji answered, sounding almost practiced. Roland couldn't help but notice how tired the manager appeared. Dark circles surrounded his eyes, and skin under his eyes seemed more sunken in than ever.

"Nakamura, you've been avoiding this question for some time, but tell me where you got those injuries from."

Suddenly, Seiji found the wall behind Roland to be interesting and avoided his friend's gaze. "It's personal."

"I'm listening."

Seiji's back tensed slightly as he refrained from twiddling his thumbs. "Well, the issue's been dealt with, so none of this matters anymore. My brother-in-law wanted money from me, so he came to visit. You can say that this was his present when I refused."

Roland's eyes widened. Seiji's injuries must have included stitches across his face and broken bones arm aside from the heavy bruising and swelling that he endured. "How can you be so calm? Press charges!" Roland exclaimed.

"I sent a restraining order. I'm not interested in anything more. Anyway my mother-in-law begged for me to do nothing. It seems that, aside from my father-in-law's hospital bills, my wonderful brother-in-law had major debts with some shady people. I should have expected that," Seiji commented. "Of course, all of them hate me now."

"But you're the victim…" Roland asked, confused.

Seiji chuckled darkly. "As far as my in-laws are concerned, I'm the yellow monkey son-in-law that they never wanted. I don't care anymore. I'm beyond fed up with trying to prove myself to them."

Seiji's matter-of-fact tone and deadpan expression proved difficult to reply back to. In his black pantsuit, the older man looked as if he made commentary on some dull and unexciting news story, not his life problems. Most people fell apart with this level of stress, but Seiji seemed too collected aside from, in Roland's personal opinion, brash decision. "Let me know if you need anything. I could have helped you. A good lawyer—" His beeper started to ring.

"I've got more important issues to deal with. To be honest, I'm more worried for you. Gozaburo's still your boss."

"You have some sort of financial plan, right?"

Seiji smirked. "I wouldn't just quit if I didn't, Isono. I'll try and find something else. It might be lower-paying, but it's worth the stress."

"Huh?" Roland asked as he glanced up from reading his beeper.

A small smile played upon Seiji's lips while he rose from the gray office chair.

"Besides, my kids' futures don't depend on KaibaCorp. To be honest, this might be the smartest decision I ever made. Well, it's not goodbye, Isono. Take care of yourself." After placing a briefcase into the cardboard box, Seiji's hands picked it up and held it tightly. He led his friend out of the office, locked the door, and headed toward the elevator for one last time.

...

A nearby businessman noticed the former manager's cardboard box and gave a sympathetic look.

Ignoring him, Seiji steadily walked amidst the crowds. The evening hustle and bustle of the business district of Domino City slowed down for no one, particularly for an unemployed member of society.

A cool summer breeze hit Seiji, but it did little relax his tightly wound knot in his stomach. Within a few blocks, he would reach the train station, but he had one more task left to do. His lean body tightened as he forced himself to walk to a telephone booth at the corner of the street. His hands trembled as he opened the door.

Placing down his belongings on the ground and closing the door behind him, the man grabbed a wallet from his hands. He put the required number of bills into the slot and picked up the receiver of the phone. His back hunched as he dialed numbers on the touch pad.

The phone rang softly as Seiji hunched against the back. The worst part about a phone call was waiting, particularly when one was filled with the awkward hope that the other end of line would not pick up.

"Hello, Domino Gazette, how may I help you?" a woman asked.

There was a saying that ignorance was bliss, and Seiji found himself believing in it. Perhaps, he could hang up, pretend he knew nothing, and never become involved in this fiasco. Deliver the documents in an anonymous way. Maybe he could leave it this woman's office as an anonymous tip.

"Hello?" Her voice seemed etched with irritation from the lack of response.

It could never be ensured that they were given to the correct person. The journalist, the tweed jacket man who he found in the alley of the ground, died for the truth, and Seiji would be disrespecting his memory if he did anything else. "I got this number from Takahashi Isamu. This is the extension of Kaori, is it not?"

"Mr. Takahashi no longer works here. He passed away." Her tone was curt.

"I know." Seiji twirled the cord. "I'm here because I think I know why. First, I need to ask you something to make sure you can be trusted. Do you know his grandson's nickname?"

"Duke. He brought that kid to the office once and played a dice game with me once. The boy's obsessed with them. It told him that he reminded me of nobility with the way he paraded himself, so his grandfather called him Duke." The woman laughed, no longer holding any of her previous hostility. Seiji felt slightly absurd about this entire ordeal. She stopped laughing, her voice sounding serious. " Do you realize how dangerous this is?"

"Yes, but I could never live with a clean conscience if I didn't do something about it. Takashi Isamu came up with solid proof that could take down KaibaCorp."

"What kind of information?"

"KaibaCorp claims to be dealing with a major financial crisis, but Takahashi's research shows that KaibaCorp's raking in profits. None of them are shown legally, of course."

"KaibaCorp's been suspected of ruthless business practices, but we've never had any proof on them. What have you got?"

This was now or never. "There's a civil war in Crawanda. It's occurring between two tribes. The government represents one tribe, while a terrorist group leads the other. As you already know, the government has been suspected of killing members of the opposite tribe."

"Some label it as genocide. Is KaibaCorp selling arms to that government?"

Seiji's hands gripped the phone tightly. "Yes, but there's more. They're selling to both groups."

"They're double-dealing?" The woman cried excitedly, uttering a few curse words afterwards. "KaibaCorp could get shut down for this. This is the story of a lifetime. Tons of civilians have been dying for the last few years. It's almost an extermination."

"That's not it. If you remember correctly, this conflict started because a Kutsi group is supposedly responsible for an attack on a prominent member of the Crawandan parliament."

Silence permeated before she gasped. "KaibaCorp."

"That's right. They've both been killing each other for nothing. KaibaCorp's responsible. They instigated the entire thing."

...

"What do you mean you quit your job?"

"It means I'm currently unemployed," Seiji answered as he grabbed a yogurt from the kitchen counter. He had changed from his suit into more casual clothes, a white polo shirt and a pair of dark sweats. Nearby, the sound of laughter erupted from the living room as a comedy game show played on the television.

"Explain yourself," Hiroko insisted, her eyes narrowed as her arms crossed against her kimono-clad chest. She had been warming a pot of tea when Seiji made this announcement, but, evidently, her cousin was an imbecile and needed her sound advice. What kind of man left a well-paying job in the middle of an economic recession?

After loosening the collar around his neck, Seiji dug into the snack, ignoring the patronizing look in Hiroko's brown eyes.

His cousin didn't seem ready relent himself as she continued to stare at him eat before choosing her words. "Seiji, you are a damn fool. I suppose you're planning to use your extra time after canvassing for your amusement park. Well, good luck with that. If you were more practical, you'd spend time in making the most of yourself, like getting married."

Seiji took another spoonful from his yogurt. Recently, Hiroko attempted to arrange a blind date with her friend's daughter, and apparently, still felt held sour feelings at his immediate refusal. "I'm not interested in getting married. Hiroko, don't treat me like a child."

Shifting towards the oven, Hiroko scoffed as she turned off the front burner. "You'd be lost without me, Seiji, so stop putting on airs."

"There's something else that I need to discuss." Seiji tossed the empty yogurt can into a wastebasket. "Since I'll be home more, I'll be taking care of Seto and Mokuba on my own."

Her head lowered with her posture still perfect, before she spoke. "What are you saying?"

"Hiroko, I am grateful for everything that you did, but I'll take care of my kids on my own. As I'm unemployed now and will be at home, I wouldn't be able to pay—"

"Are you forgetting everything I did?"

Seiji chose not to retort. The additional income that she made from caring for her nephews, which was very generous, helped support Hiroko's bills. He knew that Hiroko's husband did make much income as a salaryman, but Seiji couldn't afford to pay his cousin now.

"I took care of your children. I made you food. Even if you disgraced our name, even if your children have filthy American blood, I—"

"I think it's best if you leave," Seiji interrupted coolly. The shorter woman composed herself before heading towards the living room. She grabbed a canvass bag by the sofa and commanded Jun to follow. The platinum-haired teenager, along with Seto, overheard the end of the conversation from the sofa, but felt her mother was overreacting.

"Mom, come on. Just chill out."

"Seiji Nakamura, mark my words. I'll never set foot on this house while you're alive." She paid little attention to her daughter 's protests and left to front of door to grab her sandals.

Staring confusedly at her uncle, Jun paused before rising and following her mother. As if nothing particularly interesting had happened, Seiji seated himself on the wooden loveseat.

"When were you going to tell us?" Seto asked, almost accusingly. His father should have first told him, not let him find out about this situation in such an absurd way.

"Seto, I'm sorry. I just need to take a break from work and take care of things at home." Seiji glanced at his son as he continued to glare and a pang of guilt fell upon him. Amidst the craziness of his life, his sons' mere presence saved him in ways that they couldn't possibly comprehend. "Seto, I promise we'll be okay."

Seto said nothing. Before this interruption, he, Jun, and Mokuba were watching a ridiculous game show, but this was a hardly welcome break.

He observed his father's exhausted appearance as Seiji plopped Mokuba from the sofa onto his lap. Now, that he thought about it, his father's frame seemed thinner than ever.

After Brian's unexpected appearance, his father became more dependent on Seto, particularly in duration of his injury. He seemed more burdened with work, arriving later at night than usual. Still, no matter how busy he became, Seiji found time to check over his homework, even though it was always correct, or arrive at Seto's school events, although a bit late.

Seto watched as Seiji tickled the two-year-old, who giggled profusely. During the past year, it became Seto's unofficial responsibility care for Mokuba, whether it meant helping change diapers or toilet training. His relationship with his brother was no longer cemented with its former scorn.

"We should go to the park," Seiji proclaimed as his younger son clapped his hands excitedly.

His father's logic, or how he simply came to this absurd idea so abruptly, took him aback. "It's late."

"It's a beautiful summer evening, and it's about time the three of us truly enjoyed it. What do you say, Mokie?" The toddler nodded fervently in agreement. "Okay, that settles it. Mokie says we're going to the park. Grab your sneakers."

When they arrived, only a few stragglers remained, either relaxing at a bench or walking their dog. Fireflies roamed lazily among them. A breeze of cool air hit him, and it felt refreshing against his skin. His white cotton polo shirt clung comfortably to him, feeling freer than those restrictive dress shirts he wore for work.

The community park boasted nothing unique. It had the usual components of any park: a kiddie playground, a baseball field, and a simple pathway. Several bonsai trees, bushes, and larger plants surrounded the pathway. A walk among its greenery usually calmed him, or in this case, a quick run.

"This is ridiculous." Seto grumbled, already several feet behind his father.

Propped on his shoulders, Mokuba jumped excitedly. "Run, Daddy. Run"

"Hey, it's not fair. Your legs are longer than mine," Seto complained. Seiji stopped when he reached the end of the line. He couldn't help but smile. His son looked so adorable in blue t-shirt and white shorts.

He waited for his son to reach him, expecting Seto would probably sulk at his loss. Enjoying that small moment was all he could do because inside he was falling apart.

Reviews appreciated. More means a MUCH faster update.

To Atem's Sister Atea, Brian does suck but he clearly needs help. Seiji is the only one who understands that. As for what happened to Seiji, I guess you already know. Will Brian get life in parole? (Shuts mouth with zipper)

To The Duelist's Heiress, I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter. Brian is really screwed up and needs a serious reality check. I enjoyed my trip.

To MythCreatorWriter, I adore your lengthy reviews. They make me happy. I added the little bit of Duke, just cause I had to do a cameo. With a story that's heavily about an OC, why not add cameos? To be honest I have no idea what Totoro is. I always assumed he was an extremely odd bear. Seto is a baby for thinking Mokuba will hate him. Hell, Seto's still incredibly immature about many things as an adult. Jun is pretty serious and, although not quite book smart, she's quite good grasp on other things. It's part of the reason why she's so rebellious

To ml101, I'm glad that you enjoyed the chapter. I'm sorry for not updating sooner.

To Sakura Takanouchi, I didn't reveal Brian's full intention to come to Japan to leave a bit of mystery. Although he wants to help his parents, he got in a lot of trouble with shady people because, well, he's Brian. I don't want to reveal too much about Aunt Hiroko, but she's not exactly a good person.

To Hateandkill_d, sorry for not updating. I hope you enjoy this chapter. I do adore chibi Seto and baby Mokie. Chibi Seto's such a brat.

To Zoelle, I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter. Brian had to come back. Even though he's a horrible person, he's so much fun to write.

To Meconopsis, I had to do the YGOTAS reference. You and everyone hates Brian. I'm sure there re some inventive ways to kill him somewhere. I'm glad you liked the ending with Seto and Mokuba. I was going for some level of sappiness without being downright cheesy. Enjoy this chapter

To A person who loves your story, I'm so sorry I didn't update. I honestly planned on updating in November, but life's been crazy. Thank you for waiting for me and getting me focused on this story.