Valkyria : Hello Everyone! Welcome to Chapter Twenty-Four of Caged! It has been brought to my attention that my update times can be a bit misleading. I didn't mean to do this. As I stated in my last author note in the previous chapter that from now on Caged will be updated before or on that specific date that I set. For instance I said that this chapter was going to be on the 27th right? Today is the 21st almost a week early, but within the time slot that I set. Another chapter will be coming on the 27th of June that I promise.
Griever : Wow. You out of breath with that explanation eh?
Valkyria : Whatever. Just wanted to set the record straight. I hope everyone is cool with this? Okay then! Let's get on with the chapter.
Disclaimer : We claim no rights to the anime/manga Yu-gi-oh
Current Song : Samurai Champloo Soundtrack - Deeper Than Words
Chapter Twenty-Four : Denial.
Honda admitted later that talking with Shizuka did wonders for him. She listened patiently and without judgment as he explained how he and Otogi met and how he eventually fell in love with the raven-haired game designer. When he finished his tale, the café was quiet with the occasional customer coming in for a quick cup of coffee before going home for the day.
Shizuka said nothing for a moment, merely picking at the strawberries that were placed on top of her untouched cheesecake. The silence from her side was driving Honda crazy.
"I think," Shizuka placed her fork on the napkin beside her plate and raised her eyes to meet his own. "That you should give yourself some time."
"Time?" he repeated. He didn't expect the younger woman to say that of all things. Though he hadn't seen Shizuka in a while, he knew that she was somewhat of a romantic.
"To think about your relationship that you have or had with Otogi-san." Shizuka further explained. "You see things clearer if you look at them from a distance so to speak. I will be honest with you Honda, I am disappointed in Jou and Yugi for setting this entire thing up, and I will be speaking to him about it later on."
Honda managed to stifle a groan of despair. When Shizuka got a hold of Jou, then the blond would definitely get a hold of him in return.
"Thank you for listening." Honda reached into his back pocket to retrieve his wallet, he threw a couple of yen on the table before rising from his seat. "Do you want me to walk you home?"
Shizuka glanced outside to see that the sun was setting. She turned back to him and nodded her head. "If you wouldn't mind?"
"Of course not." Honda reached over to take the girls bag. "It's the least I could do after you sat here and listened to my sob story."
Surprisingly enough, Shizuka sent him a glare for his choice of words. "It's not a sob story. Don't call it that. And I was glad to listen to you."
Holding the door open for the girl. Honda couldn't help the chuckle that escaped his throat. "You've become quite the firecracker haven't you?"
"I've been told that." the younger girl stated lightly. "What are you going to do now?"
"Go home." Honda responded walking along side the younger girl. "Think about this. I can't stay sad forever."
"No," Shizuka murmured, reaching over and placing her slender hand on his shoulder. "You can't. You still love him don't you?"
Honda gave her a bitter smirk. "Would you think less of me if I said yes?"
Before Shizuka could answer. A deep voice that Honda dreaded to hear called out to him from behind.
"Honda! Honda!"
Both of them turned to see Otogi walking swiftly towards him. Unwillingly, Honda felt a rush of heat pool around his stomach at the sight of that body dressed in tight sleeveless shirt showing off his light muscles and shoulders and a pair of designer denim jean that accented his legs. He desperately tried to ignore the light flush on his face.
Otogi finally came to a stop and glanced down at Shizuka and if Honda didn't know better he could have sworn he saw a flash of jealousy in the older man's eyes.
"Otogi-san." he spoke, internally happy that he could make his voice steady enough. "What can I do for you today?"
Giving Shizuka one more bewildered look, Otogi shifted his gaze to Honda and gave him a forced smile. "I was wonder if we could talk? Alone."
"I'm walking her home." Honda stated firmly, turning his eyes away from the raven-haired man before continuing. "I'll give you a call so we can set up a time. If that's alright."
Otogi's lips thinned at his response, but nodded nonetheless. "Yes, that's fine. I'll be waiting."
Honda watched Otogi turn and walk away until he was out of sight. Honda let out a weary sigh, that could have could have gone much better and that was last possible way he wanted to see Otogi again. He knew that it was going to be full of tension and awkwardness -there was no way to avoid that-
"Shall we?" Shizuka spoke up. Honda noticed that she didn't look the least bit disgruntled or annoyed at Otogi nor did she comment about the awkwardness of the conversation. He could have kissed her right then and there. She was such a kind-hearted young woman and any man would be lucky to have her.
"Yeah." giving Shizuka a blinding smile. He continued down the sidewalk. He would deal with Otogi soon, but for now he wanted to enjoy the company of a good friend who had an understanding heart.
"You can stop grinning now you know," Yugi rolled his eyes before lowering his gaze back down to his homework.
After Rebecca had ran off in tears. He had apologized to Arthur multiple times until the elderly man told him that it was enough and needn't say sorry to something that wasn't his fault in the first place. To his surprise, Arthur had apologized to him for even letting this whole fiasco go unnoticed, with him being to busy with his classes and constantly on call to oversee digs around the world. He had begun to neglect his granddaughter. Something he deeply regretted. With his guilt lighter about the situation, he had left the building to see Jou waiting for him on the steps. Before he could explain what was happening, the blond pulled him into a secluded area and demanded an explanation. Yugi reluctantly told him about the date that Atemu set up with Vivian and the recording. By the time he finished. Jou looked like he was in between deeply concerned to laughing hysterically. Yugi was quick to tell that the situation wasn't in the least bit funny and the whole incident wouldn't be forgotten for a while, which had a sobering effect on the blond. The conversation was cut short by Atemu showing up, he promised to call Jou later and check up on Honda.
"How else do you expect me to react, little one?" Atemu scooted closer to him on the couch and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "I'm very proud of you for finally, finally telling Professor Hawkins about Rebecca."
"Despite what she did, I still didn't like seeing her cry like that." Yugi lips pulled into a heavy frown. "She must've felt so humiliated…"
"You're feeling sorry for her." Atemu pulled away and gave him a incredulous look. "After all the hell she put you through. You feel sorry for her."
"Well excuse me for being a little sensitive to the girl." Yugi drawled sarcastically. He decided that it was time for them to move onto another subject. Rebecca was out of their lives, there was no need for them to talk about it any longer. "How was your day? It couldn't have been worst than mine."
"Reporters. Conference tomorrow afternoon. Mai and Seto on my case about this entire thing." Atemu deadpanned. "My day was spectacular little one."
"It certainly sounds like it." Yugi chuckled. He reached over and ran his hands through the older man's hair. "I'm sorry your day went so bad."
Atemu pulled away and set his homework on the table before settling down in his lap. When he tried to protest the action, the older man merely brushed him off.
"I'm not your pillow you know," Yugi remarked dryly. "If you want to lay down, you have a big, nice comfortable bed upstairs."
"That bed is cold and lonely." Yugi noticed that Atemu's voice was a touch deeper than usual and he felt the heat rush to his face. "It wouldn't be any fun if you weren't there with me."
"Y-You're such a flirt." he turned away from amused crimson eyes. "It will be a long time before I even consider sleeping in your bed."
"You're considering it?" Atemu purred. "So it's going to be soon, right?"
Yugi didn't bother to answer the question, knowing that it was going to goad the businessman to flirting with him even more. He would only admit to himself that he indeed wonder what it was like to fall into bed with someone like Atemu. Would the man be gentle or rough? Yugi swallowed to wet his suddenly dry throat. It would be best to stop those thoughts right now before he had a problem and he could only imagine how the man laying in his lap would react.
"What are you thinking about?" Atemu murmured, lifting a hand to caress Yugi's cheek with the back of his hand. "You have this dreamy look on your face."
"It's nothing." he coughed nervously. "Just have a lot on my mind is all. What are you going to say at the conference tomorrow?"
The cell phone on the coffee table stopped whatever Atemu was going to say. He felt the man turn his head and reach over to grab the slim phone.
Atemu glanced at the caller id and a groan escaped his lips. The urge to toss the phone out the window was overwhelming.
Yugi blinked curiously when Atemu made no move to open the phone. He nudged the man a little causing crimson eyes to turn to him in response.
"Who is it? If you don't mind me asking."
The cell phone stopped for only a moment before starting up again. Whoever was on the other side wanted Atemu to pick up the phone.
A sigh escaped the older man mouth. "My mother." before Yugi had a chance to respond or get over his shock, Atemu sat upright and flipped the phone open and pressed it against his ear.
"…Hello?" Atemu's tone, Yugi noticed, was weary. Something he never heard before.
"About time you picked up son. What were you doing?"
"I was in the shower." Yugi frowned at the lie, but Atemu only winked at him. "What can I do for you mother."
"An explanation about this incident would be nice. I remember that troublesome girl Vivian, but who is this Yugi? He isn't one of your conquests is he?"
Judging from the frown that suddenly appeared on Atemu's lips. Yugi could only guess that whatever his mother said wasn't pleasant.
"No, he's nothing like that. I am very much in love with him."
"Are you now?" skepticism was crystal clear in his mother's voice and Atemu didn't appreciate it in the least. "Do you mind if I speak to this 'love of your life?'
Oh no.
His mother wasn't a bad person per se. She was just overprotective, overbearing and nosy. Traits that almost all mothers had he supposed. If she got a hold of Yugi then he wouldn't be sure that his little one was going to come out unscathed.
Scratch that. No one came out unscathed when they were dealing with his mother. She may be overbearing and overprotective, but she was a ruthless businesswoman that even his father feared her at times. She was mostly the reason why Ishigami Corp was so successful in the first place. He may have learned the legal ropes to the business game from his father, but it was his mother that gave him the illegal ones.
"Atemu? Are you still there? You better not have hung up on me!"
"I'm here, just a second. I'll hand the phone over." Atemu silently held the slim phone to the smaller young man who merely raised a eyebrow.
"Why…" Yugi spoke quietly, keeping his glued to the phone. "Do I have the most horrible feeling about this?"
"That's your conscious little one." Atemu spoke somberly. "It's telling you to beware of the woman on the other side of this phone."
Yugi stared into the businessman's eyes to see if he was joking, but he found no amusement or the usual teasing that seemed to have taken a permanent place there.
"That's not funny." it was the only thing he could think of saying at this point. It wasn't assuring that Atemu wasn't playing around like he usually would.
"It wasn't meant to be." the cell phone was pushed into his hand.
Yugi hesitantly pressed the phone to his ear. "Hello…?"
"Hello darling! My name is Rehema Ishigami. It is a pleasure to meet you, though I wish it were under different circumstances. You are Yugi Motou correct?"
Well, she sounded like a nice woman. Nothing like what Atemu described…
"Yes ma'am."
"I see. Your last name sounds familiar. Have I ever met any relatives of yours."
"My grandfathers name was Solomon Motou. He was an archeologist. Atemu told me that my grandfather and his father met five years ago."
"Ah yes. it's coming back to me now. Solomon was a good honest man and was very adamant about the re-paying the yen by giving us the deed to his business. How is he these days?"
Yugi swallowed. "He-He passed away recently."
The woman on the other line paused for a long moment before speaking up again. "I'm very sorry to hear that. I apologize if I caused you any pain by bringing this up."
"Oh! Not at all! You didn't know ma'am."
Yugi could practically feel the smile that the woman most likely was sporting.
"Well, you certainly are a kind-hearted and well-mannered young man and I would love to meet you in person! It just happens that I need to make a trip to Japan to close a deal for a sake company. I'm sure you nor Atemu wouldn't mind me dropping by for a few days would you?"
Yugi hesitated in responding. She sounded like a such nice woman and it would be rude to tell her that she couldn't come, and Yugi did want to met someone from Atemu's life…
"Of course. We would love to have you Ishigami-san."
The phone was abruptly taken out of his hand and Yugi glared at the older man for the action.
"Mother? What's this about you coming here?"
Rehema laughed, but it had a chilly air to it that caused a shiver to run down Atemu's spine. "You sound as if you don't want you dear mother to come visit you. You don't want me there Atemu? Are you embarrassed to introduce me to that sweet boy?"
"No! of course not mother! It's just that you're so busy these days."
That was total lie and prayed to every god he knew that his mother didn't catch on. He loved the woman to death, but her coming here was equivalent to a hurricane.
"Oh. I'm not busy at all darling. I'll see you in two days time okay? Love you bye!"
The phone hung up before Atemu could protest further. He flipped his own phone closed and stared at Yugi with resignation.
"Why, little one, why?"
"I honestly don't see what the problem is Atemu." he gave the older man a exasperated stare. "She sounds like a nice woman."
"All of her victims say that." Atemu deadpanned. "But you have to remember : Just because they sound sweet doesn't mean they aren't full venom. Vivian for example."
"Okay. First that's a bad example and second. I would like to meet your mother. You never really told me about your family."
"I haven't?" Atemu looked genuinely surprised at that tidbit of information. "I guess there is some things that we still don't know about each other." he gave the smaller young man a smile. "We will have to fix that very soon won't we?"
"Yes. We'll have to do that."
"Here, your tie is crooked." slender hands reached up and adjusted the midnight blue tie.
"Too tight!" Atemu writhed against the hands. "Mai! Are you trying to choke me!"
"It's the least you deserve for putting me in the middle of this. Do you know what those reporters did to me when you left the other day?"
Mai's violet eyes flashed with annoyance. She released her grip on the silk tie giving her boss a chance to breathe. "Come on. Those reporters are waiting just outside the door."
Straightening his black blazer, Atemu stepped through the wooden double door and was instantly assaulted by flashing cameras and numerous questions.
Stepping up to the podium. Atemu held up his hands to silence the room, when that was accomplished, he leaned closer to the microphones.
"I'm sure all of you are wondering about the recent radio broadcasts and the magazine articles stating that I was the father of Vivian Wong's child. I am here to assure you that none of those rumors are true. Now, any questions?"
A brunette haired reporter raised her hand. "Will this effect your company in any way?"
"No. I guarantee that this will not affect the future of Ishigami Corp."
"Is it true that you are in a relationship with this Yugi Motou. The person that was mentioned on the recording?"
Atemu tightened his grip on the edges of the podium before replying. "Yes. I am in a relationship with Yugi Motou."
"A sexual relationship?"
Atemu frowned down at the brunette haired woman, who shrank back. "No, not a sexual relationship. Please, do refrain from asking such personal questions."
"And what of Vivian Wong, the actress and model, is it true that you are the father of her child?"
"No," Atemu forcefully held down a shudder before continuing. "I am not the father of her child. You would need to confirm that with her. I am no longer apart of that."
"Do your clients and employees of Ishigami Corp have a problem with you dating another man, and more younger than you?"
"No. my clients or employees have no problem. In fact, Ishigami Corps clients and stocks have increased sixty-percent in the last year alone."
"That's a quite a jump. You must be proud of your company. How do your parents feel about this situation? You have contacted them about this?"
Another personal question. Didn't he just he say he wanted to scoot away from that. He would get Mai about him setting up this damned conference.
"My parents are well aware of this incident. If there aren't not anymore questions? Then please make your way to the exit through those set of double doors."
Atemu didn't give the reporters another chance to ask anymore questions. He made his way back the way he came with Mai trailing behind him.
"Satisfied?" he asked, pulling the tie loose. "Press Conference over with and those damn flies got what they wanted."
"It is best in the long run Atemu." Mai murmured, she gave him a apologetic look before continuing. "With all of those questions answered then we don't have to worry about the welfare of the company. This scandal will be over with and then you can love Yugi in private."
Atemu took a deep breath and slowly let it out. She was right, once this entire thing was over the only thing he would have to worry about was winning Yugi completely over.
He had one more obstacale to overcome. One very difficult obstacle.
His mother.
A/N : I would have been done earlier if hadn't been for Criminal Minds, one of my favorite shows, hadn't been on for the last couple of hours. You know how you get distracted. I'm not the only one I tell you! *chuckle* Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter and I'll see you soon.
Next Update : June 27th