Author's Info: Hey guys! I am so sorry at how long it's taken. After the last chapter came spring break, and then tests and papers (typical college life) and easter break. I should be on track now, and I have all the documents that were lost in the wake of the broken laptop! I'm going to start typing up the next chapter of Sando no Jigoku right now, so you guys get two updates in one! Thanks to all of you who read/reviewed/commented, especially Azura Soul Reaver, TsuKaza, Jade the Grey, friend9810, DaAmazingMeepers, Killer of MarySues, amsharp, autobot grl Cassa01, Homunculus7SIN, and gOthiCkUrOcHo69. More specific comments after!
The "what"s: Listening to a mix of Yellowcard, Goo Goo Dolls, Vertical Horizon, and others (most of which I was without for a whole month). I'm thinking about how ready I am for summer vacation, and how excited I am to get back into writing. It has been a while since I've been able to write stories. I have written a few poems, but that's been the extent of it for a while. I'm so sorry it's taken me so long! Maybe if we all petition to life to stop having such a sense of humor with me, she'll listen?
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. I just own the current plot and the characters not original to the series. Much as I like Kaiba, I don't know if I want my livelihood to revolve around timely updates! I'm just a student, after all! I just hope you enjoy the update!
Chapter Thirty-One
After the lunch bell rang, Tsuki sighed and looked over at her sister. She couldn't help but notice the way she and Kaiba had spoken quietly to one another during the partnered assignment. In fact, at first she'd been rather amused by the way the two of them had automatically turned to one another with mutually annoyed faces when the teacher called for them to pair off. After all, she knew no one would expect two people who disliked one another to willing work on a project together when not required. Her amusement wore off when she had realized Kaiba was taunting her the entire time. She could tell by her sister's exasperated expression as she grabbed her lunch and stood to leave.
"And where do you think you're going?" she heard Kaiba ask, making Yumi cringe. She would have thought he would have been content for the moment with the amount he had already managed to insult and torment her, yet it seemed he didn't know when enough was enough.
"I'm sorry. I didn't realize you were enjoying my company quite so much. You really shouldn't concern yourself about seeing me again, though. It's only a little lunch break. I'll be back as soon as it's over, and then you'll even have the entire remainder of the work day to spend with me," she said lightly, teasingly. She felt satisfied with the irritated look in his eyes. It gave her a small measure of vengeance for all his cruel comments over the course of the morning. "Now, I would greatly appreciate it if you returned my book that you so ungraciously took from me at the start of the day. I would very much like to be on my way now."
"And why so eager to be rid of my company? Don't tell me you've had enough already. We still have so many hours to spend together. Surely I'm not that boring that you couldn't allow me to accompany you on your excursion?" he asked, barely able to contain his smirk as he knew he had regained control. He watched her face pale then darken in rage. He held up her book and said, "Besides, you shouldn't shut yourself off with books all the time. Spend some time among the living."
"I suppose there is some honor in accepting your request," she said thoughtfully, which made him look at her in surprise. "It's not as though you live in a social sense very often, so if even you are telling me to be social, you who talks to none of your classmates and little more to your employees, then there truly must be something wrong." By the end of her response she had taken a decidedly mocking tone, which only made his scowl darken. She smirked, knowing she had won that particular exchange. "So I do believe I shall go enjoy my lunch now." She turned her back on him, ready to leave, only to feel him grab her arm. She tensed.
"I did not say you could turn your back on me, Makoto," he hissed, glaring at her coldly. He was shocked to see her glaring back at him hatefully, which only served to annoy him further.
"I was not aware I needed your permission to eat lunch where I please," she said coldly. "I may be your personal assistant, but I am not your dog. I do not just roll over and bark on command. I will do as I please, especially in matters not related to work. Do not underestimate what I am willing to do to prove this to you."
"What is going on over there?" Joey asked, looking between Yumi and Kaiba. Kaiba still had his hand on her arm and Yumi looked murderous. "Do you think we should go over there? Yumi looks like she's going to mutilate Rich Boy at this rate."
Yugi had been watching the events unfold as well, and he too had been wondering if it would be wise to intervene. He noticed Yumi was growing increasingly angry, but when he finally decided to take action he noticed Tsuki shake her head, as though telling him to stay out of their affairs. He stared at her in surprise and couldn't help but ask, "Why? Don't you want to help her? She is your sister."
"That's why she has to handle this one on her own. I had no choice but to get involved earlier or there would have been serious issues. If she can't even get out of one lunch date with Kaiba on her own, then I would think she's either not really trying, or that she won't be a match for him at all. She'll be fine in spite of her momentary rage. Besides, there's nothing wrong with her spending a little personal time getting to know her new boss," she said, a teasing note to her voice. Seeing the way her sister suddenly tensed considerably, she could tell she had overheard her in spite of everything going on between her and Kaiba. She hoped that maybe now her sister would make up her mind about whether she would go with Kaiba to lunch or completely push him away. These indecisive games were not helping anyone. Still, she couldn't help the way her eyes widened as she saw Yumi's shoulders slump in defeat.
"Alright, if you really wish to accompany me that badly, I suppose it would be alright. Just do both of us a favor and keep quiet. You have plenty of time in which to find out more personal things about me. Let's leave the competition for the office." Yumi sighed and gathered her things together once again. She noticed Kaiba's surprised expression, surprising her in turn; she had expected him to be smug about the matter. She waited a moment before saying, "Are you coming or not, Kaiba?" She saw him start before he quickly grabbed his lunch and followed after her. What she didn't notice, however, was him slipping her book back into her desk.
***
"Yumi, go ahead. I know you don't want to wait on me," Tsuki said, smiling reassuringly at her sister from the group of people surrounding her. She knew her sister was incredibly anxious about first day of work, and she didn't want to do anything to make the situation worse for her. "I'll be fine, okay? I was actually going to hang out with Yugi and the others this afternoon anyway. Don't worry; I'll be home with plenty of time to spare before you get home. Knowing you and Kaiba, you'll be there for a while."
Yumi flushed slightly out of embarrassment at her sister's outburst. She wished her sister would have kept her occupation more secretive, but she should have known better. Her sister wasn't one to keep confidence in matter that weren't entirely personal. Still, she was relieved her sister was giving her the support and encouragement she desperately needed, especially after today's events.
"We'll see how all this goes," she said with a smile. "Who knows, I might even get home early. Have fun with Yugi and the others, okay?" Yumi gave a small wave to Tsuki and smile at the others before heading out the door. She was grateful Kaiba had left the moment school ended. No doubt he wanted to get to his precious company as soon as possible. She sighed as she got her shoes on and made her way off the grounds. She had to get home and change quickly is she was ever going to get there on time, especially since she did not have a car at the moment.
She rushed home and changed into a business suit she had bought while they were living in Tokyo. It was a simple one: black and streamlined to fit her body nicely. While it was true she didn't focus on her looks or her body the way Tsuki, or even Kaiba, did, she knew it was better to have a suit that fit her properly if she wanted to feel comfortable wearing it for hours, or days, on end.
She grimaced as she realized just how many suits she would now need to purchase. Working for Kaiba meant she would always have to look professional, even if he would be the only person she saw all day. He would not grant her the slack Shinogame had. There would be no jeans and t-shirts here. Kaiba was all about looks.
Looking at the clock, she tensed. She quickly applied light make-up and pulled her hair up into a comfortable, yet professional style before rushing down the stairs and out the door, where she was surprised to see a black car waiting just outside. Her eyes widened in surprise as Kaiba stepped out, a smug expression on his face.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, unable to hide her surprise. "I thought you were already at Kaiba Corp., tinkering with your precious machines and making sure your beloved company was running exactly the way you wanted it, with your employees running around in frenzy, hoping they don't annoy you and get themselves fired." The sarcastic tone in her voice made Kaiba scowl.
"And here I was, willing to offer you a ride to your first day of work out of the goodness of my heart, and you're standing here insulting me," he said, his tone condescending. "I guess you don't really want me to help you ensure you're on time for your first day of work. I guess it's not my problem if you lose your job, then."
She scowled as she realized what he was doing, knowing she was now in a dilemma. Going with him would ensure she got to work on time, but it would require bowing down and apologizing to him for her comments, something she despised doing. She still remembered how Kaiba had gotten her to accept this job in the first place, and it still burned at her insides. She especially hated the way he was already effectively getting under her skin, even though they hadn't even gotten to the office yet. This was not going the way she had planned, and there was nothing she could do at the moment to turn it to her favor.
"Seto, what's going on? What's taking you so long? I thought you said you had to get to work before your new assistant arrived," she heard a voice say from inside the car. She watched as Kaiba's little brother Mokuba stuck his head out. When he saw her standing in front of Kaiba, he gasped. "You're the one who defeated my brother!" He looked at Kaiba in shock, silently demanding an explanation.
"Hello Mokuba," she said politely. "My name is Yumi Makoto, and yes, I'm the one who dueled your brother. I'll also be his new personal assistant, although I'm sure I'll also be more than willing to run errands for you as well." She bowed deeply and smiled. She noticed Mokuba's distrustful expression and chuckled.
"Mokuba, she is our personal assistant. I just thought I'd show one small act of kindness to out newest employee, but it seems she doesn't appreciate our generosity." He smirked as he noticed the scowl appearing on her face. He was winning, and he knew it. He was going to enjoy his victory over her, and he was nowhere near finished with her punishment.
"You mean she's the one working with us?" Mokuba asked, shocked. He got out and walked up to her before examining her intently. After a moment, he grinned and said, "I guess she'll do. Welcome to the Kaiba Corp. family, Yumi! Looks like we'll be seeing a lot of each other from now on, so you better get used to it!" She smiled in response, but was startled when he grabbed her hand and began pulling her to the car.
"Mokuba, what are you—"
"Big brother offered you a ride, didn't he? You might as well come with us! Besides, do you really want to risk being late on your first day?" he asked, grinning widely. She laughed and smiled at his exuberance.
"I guess you're right, Mokuba. That would be rather foolish of me, wouldn't it? Besides, how would I ever face my sister and the others if I get fired my first day on the job?" she said lightly while silently thanking the gods Mokuba was there. Thanks to him she was able to accept Kaiba's offer without injuring her pride. She quietly got into the back seat of the car with the two Kaiba brothers. It was then she realized Kaiba must have been picking up his little brother from school. She smiled a little and looked out the window as the car pulled away from her home.
Responses to my commentators:
Azura Soul Reaver: Glad you liked it!
TsuKaza: I have Tsuki's deck mostly built. Thanks for the link, and for the advice. I think you'll look forward to the duel. The only thing is, there's one duel that is taking place before that, and I have to build another deck. If you'd be willing to discuss this with me, send me a message. (This goes to anyone else willing to help.) I think you'll be excited for that duel too.
Jade the Grey: Thanks for the computer wishes. I hope you like this first glimpse into what work will be like! More to come in the next chapter! Since I haven't entirely messed with spell and trap cards for Tsuki yet, perhaps you can give me a few hints as to which work best with a Psychic/Fairy deck? If you want a general idea of the monsters, I can message the list to you.
DaAmazingMeepers: I hope everything in this chapter makes sense! I also really hope you like the way the day is going!
