The next two months passed uneventfully for Yami.
Everything went back to normal surprisingly fast with the added change of Shizuka promising to come over on Fridays to spend weekends with them. She claimed she couldn't stop Joey from staking out by the front gates, so after calling Anzu to make him go away, the trio ended up spending the weekends together.
Yami wasn't sure if Seto was fine with it, but he had seen the CEO sharing a laugh with Shizuka on many occasions, so he assumed it was fine until Seto complained directly to him.
One afternoon, he noticed Isono downloading the grocery list from the screen in the kitchen and then handing it off to a bodyguard.
"Off to the store?" Yami asked cheerfully, and the manservant gave him a stiff bow.
"Yes, they are." Was the stoic reply.
"They?" Yami raised his eyebrows in confusion. "…They're going without you?"
The manservant jerked his head to the side, his cheeks red as he muttered, "I haven't gone since the incident. I won't worry the master needlessly."
Yami blinked and nodded. Ah… Out of everyone who was around him, he couldn't believe he neglected to check in with Isono. The poor man was afraid to grocery shop anymore, when before, Yami knew he enjoyed it.
"Well, I'll go with them today," he asked gently, shrugging, trying to act like it was no big deal. "I want to pick out some snacks."
Isono swallowed thinly and bowed, "sir, if you are going, then I will go." And feel immense relief.
"You don't need to come with me," Yami said slyly, seeing Isono's ears redden. "I've got company as usual—gamma guards 12 and 16, right? They're enough."
"I insist," Isono breathed, straightening his blazer with a smooth motion. "I need some fresh air."
Yami beamed and walked out of the kitchen, thinking to secretly text Seto about this.
"See you in the car. I need to grab my glasses," Yami said as he gave Isono a wave, and then jogged up the staircase to enter the master bedroom's walk-in closet.
He slipped the infrared glasses out of the case with ease and put them on, waiting for a flashback.
There was nothing other than the mild excitement of going out for a mini shopping trip.
The therapy works, Yami thought happily as he strode out the front doors and into the limo that was waiting for him. He sank into the soft seats and felt his phone buzz with a reply from Seto, so he dug it out eagerly to read.
SETO: …guess I never considered he'd be freaked out by that
SETO: you had to situation under control (as usual)
SETO: hey, since you do soCiaL MeDiA more than I do, can you follow Shizuka's ig?
SETO: she had the nerve to softblock me.
SETO: she fought me when I nicely asked her to wear make up to school today
SETO: as if im going to let her leave my house looking like a puffy mess?!
SETO: people will fuckign think I made her cry!
Aw, Yami smiled at the screen and felt the car go over a slight bump as he replied, "you're kind. I'm sure she enjoyed the pampering because she did have a hard cry last night. I will check on her. What is her social media?"
SETO: [ /ig_ ]
Cute, Yami thought as he wondered how fluent she was in English, and he tapped the link, seeing a private account, so he hit 'follow' and waited, turning his attention out the window to see them stopped at a light near a busy crossing.
People were rushing to and fro, carrying shopping bags, briefcases, school bags…
It was a nice day.
His phone vibrated with a response, so he glanced back down, expecting Seto, but it was Shizuka.
: hi, do I know you?
: I had to go private because there was an issue with mistaken identity
: please answer within 30 minutes or I will block you
Wow, Yami thought appreciatively and sent a screenshot to Seto.
Then he replied, "it's me. Y mi. seto said you softblocked him and sent me to check on you"
And on second thought, he sent a heart emoji, adding, "because of last night, he's afraid it'll come back to look bad on him."
Shizuka's reply was instant.
: well im really thankful but he's aiming to be Best Worst Big Brother this year. Did you know he threatened-yes threatened- to CALL MY SCHOOL if I didn't use his account to buy back my all textbooks correctly?!
: Joey just sat there and let him lecture me! ^%&#^%
: anyway, love you. I'll remember this blank account is you. See u soon xoxox
"xo," Yami replied with a cautious tap of his fingers, and he headed back to peek at her feed.
Her first photo posted in the feed was from this morning, where her face was covered by the phone while she took a mirror photo, and the stylist was standing at her elbow, making a cute peace sign.
The caption was: 'had a rough morning but [ /tantanuki-san] made me feel much better! Thank you Seto for the hair and makeup but let's be real, you're really overbearing :skull emoji:
The comments underneath were immense, and Yami felt the car park while he hastily scanned them, screenshotting and sending a few to Seto so he didn't have to read it all.
"lmaooo seto kaiba rite?"
"….i see no kaiba-seto-official account following u…. r u really friends w mokuba kaiba?"
"can he adopt me too? What are the requirements?"
"sugarrdaddyyy? Vjvmvmvm :cashcashcash:"
"shizukaaa! Does your brother know? owuowuowu"
"WHERE CAN IGET THOSE WHITE SHOES?!"
Smiling to himself, Yami climbed out of the car and walked beside Isono while he enjoyed the sun warming his shoulders as they headed down the crowded sidewalk, with one bodyguard a few paces ahead, and one a few paces behind.
Someone brushed too closely to his shoulder, so Yami stepped closer to Isono, his chest clenching with an odd tightness he associated with anger and anxiety, so he asked the manservant for a mask. The man handed him one dutifully from his inner pocket of his blazer, and Yami gratefully looped it on, pressing the band down over his nose and knowing he could make any kind of angry face while covered up. It was a godsend.
His therapist told him to utilize masks, so here he was, doing that. It helped.
The automatic sliding doors opened and greeted him with a blast of music as he stepped into the grocery store, and he winced, telling himself he was doing this for Isono. It wasn't too bad once he moved into an aisle to look at dried herbs.
Isono followed him loyally, and Yami realized he might have to do some shopping for appearances, so he moved towards the pre-prepped food aisle. He always saw interesting food items there that taught him more about Japanese instant-food habits, and it always fascinated him.
He saw a man sitting on a stool, re-stocking sandwiches, so Yami side-stepped him gracefully, eyeing the trays of freshly made yogurts and puddings. Ah…Mokuba might like this…? Maybe he could grab a few as a snack for movie nights and then have their chef make some.
Grabbing one that was green tea flavored, he paused when the employee sitting on the stool stood formally and bowed to him, his hands stiff at his sides while he spoke, "I recognize you from the day my uncle was held hostage at our sister grocery store. Thank you so much for your bravery."
Yami froze and gripped the cold yogurt, feeling the packaging depress around his fingertips.
O-Oh… It was an odd feeling…to be recognized.
"You're welcome. I was off duty," Yami said with a half-hearted shrug, putting the yogurt back, but the man's hand came for it and kept it pressed in his palm while he stammered.
"Please. Everything in your shopping cart is on us today. You really saved us there. My mom was worried sick because my aunt was on-scene, keeping her on the phone while everything was happening," the man ranted, and Yami was beginning to feel uncomfortable. "My uncle told me all about how you rode around on a cart, singing as a distraction while the police came in. Truly, thank you—Ah! Did you want meat? We have a fresh batch!"
The man dashed away, leaving Yami standing there holding the yogurt that was still stinging his palms from the coldness.
So odd. Small community of grocery store owners, huh? And Seto thought they could avoid being recognized by never going back to the other location. Laughable.
He turned to give Isono a small smile before remembering the man couldn't see his expressions through the mask, and the manservant nodded gravely at him.
"Guess I'll try this flavor, and a few others," Yami said, putting the yogurt into the basket Isono was holding and walked down the display, seeing a man with long white hair curiously picking up a tray of meat sauce and sniffing it through the plastic curiously before turning it over, trying to read the label.
Stepping around that man too, Yami eyed a meat and onion bento, so he shot out to grab it, completely thrown when the stranger beside him also reached for it.
Rush hour shopping is the worst! Yami sang to himself as he politely retracted his hand, bobbed his head in apology, and took the one underneath it.
The man beside him let out a stiff gasp, and hissed under his breath, "….you!"
Ah yes, recognized again. Leaving, Yami rolled his eyes and took the bento back to Isono to place it in his basket, and the moment he bent down to set it in, he heard the tell-tale click of a gun safety followed by a loud shout, "don't! move! ….Everyone get down! This man is an internationally wanted…terrorist!"
The appearance of the gun made the neighboring shoppers rush away in a panic, knocking over several rack displays of plant seeds while a child could be heard wailing over the mad scramble.
Yami stayed unmoving, with his hand still on the bento while Isono's knuckles whitened over the handles of the shopping basket.
Yami blinked and felt an eerie calm settle over him. Caught, at last? He'd be dragged away in this grocery store while Isono watched. Or…he could fight back and then run. The manservant carried a gun in a shoulder holster, and Yami knew he could reach forward to grab it and turn around before the man behind him could even let out another shout.
It would all be caught on the grocery store cameras. But it was fine, since he was wearing the glasses…for now…
"Put. Your hands up, Atem," the man behind him said shakily, staring at the mass of spiky hair in front of him, noticing the assassin was dressed down in a plain blue blazer and dark slacks. Looking like a salary man. Blending in with Japanese society, like the psychopath he was!
"Can I turn around to face you?" Yami asked mildly, wondering who this man was, and why he sounded so scared. "I am unarmed." For now.
He raised his arms slowly and felt them ache. Gods… He'd just had a physical therapy session yesterday and the ice bath did not help. And now, this.
Turning around slowly to face his accuser, Yami stared at the man with stark white hair wearing a sharp, maroon blazer. A stranger. Who was he? If he was another hitman sent to kill, why hadn't he fired yet? And the bullet might hit Isono behind him.
Oh that would devastate Seto and Mokuba...
Author's note:
cliffhangerrrrr :O