Kaiba had made a show to ask me to start coming over, all in order to take care of his brother for him, in front of that girl. I needed to have some form of an excuse to continuously go to his home, after all, we weren't very good friends to begin with, not in the eyes of everyone who knew us, but they were all well aware of the fact that the younger of the Kaiba brothers got on with me just fine. She bought into it, feigned as though watching over Mokuba as well as Kaiba was too much of a burden for her. She didn't wish to seem overeager to be left alone with them. She didn't wish to make herself seem suspicious.
Nor did I.
I told Kaiba that I'd think about it, that just being around him made me sick to my core, that he couldn't even pay me to spend time with him. He took my words head on, knowing full well that I meant not a word of them. Kaiba was a good guy, just caught in a shitty situation.
At lunch Kaiba returned with cheeks stained a deep red, obviously from abuse. A punishment for going against that girl's wishes. He'd take any punishment to save his brother from her, that was clear. So long as I was around no harm would come to the brothers, that too was clear. I'd need to discuss this with my father when I returned home, but for now I would need to watch over the Kaiba brothers.
I took the rest of the day to "think it over", gave my answer by the end of our last class, Hideyuki did not seem pleased with this. She must have put her bets on the chance that I might have declined. Now she'd have only lunch to make Kaiba suffer. She'd never get her hands on Mokuba, at least, not without several witnesses.
She couldn't even start to threaten the kid anymore. Thank god.
I went home with Kaiba that day, a single text to my father to allow him the knowledge of my whereabouts. I couldn't have him worrying over me.
Mokuba was more than pleased to see me come home with his elder brother, he was quite literally jumping with glee. Asked if I was friends with Hideyuki, someone who had so far only been kind to him. Kaiba must not have told his brother what was really going on. It was admirable. He didn't wish for his sister to worry, or for her to lash out at Hideyuki. For her to revolt against the source of all this grief, could cause more harm than what has already been dealt out. There needn't be another innocent victim.
I told her that I wasn't friends with the girl, but that I'd like to be if Mokuba liked her so much.
Mokuba went on explaining how she had tried to save his brother, how afterwards Seto had asked her to date him (which I didn't believe for even a second), how they were surely the cutest couple Mokuba had seen, for the mere fact that this was his brothers first romantic relationship.
It killed me how Mokuba praised this girl, but it was necessary for the kid to like her if she wasn't to be harmed, physically at least. When she found out what actually happened, she'd be devastated. I could hear his cries now.
How the girl had so obviously lied to him, how she had gained his trust and then betrayed him. How she had never deserved his brother in the first place, how he had never really liked her. I agreed with all of this, ten fold. I hated Hideyuki Ane, not for the fact that she could still love Kaiba in the state I once believed him to be in, that was no longer a plausible cause, but for all that she's done, for all that she will do, for the pain and grief, for how she made me feel, for how she ruined Kaiba's reputation, and everything under the sun.
How the world could breed such filth was beyond me, but I refused to show how I despised her, I refused to give away what I knew, I couldn't have Kaiba in any more trouble, I couldn't be the cause of any more of his pain.
That was my last bit of patience, Mokuba's praise. I had to come up with a way to best this girl, a way to expose her for what she was, before she could do anymore.
I had just the plan in mind, but I would need time with Kaiba to discuss it. I'd have to wait.
I hated the mere idea of just sitting by and waiting, but there was nothing I could do until I had the chance to discuss with Kaiba.
He gave me just the opportunity that following monday, another request to use the bathroom, he must have had some desire to speak as well, otherwise he would not have asked.
Once more I was sent with him, and once more we discussed the issue at hand, my plan to stop it. It was iffy at best, but it was all we had. It required the help of several other people, Yugi and crew would have to do. We needed them for a contingency plan.