Categories > Anime/Manga > Yu-Gi-Oh! > [ Bend and Not Break ] [ A Seto Kaiba Story ]
Crash!
"Goddamnit, ____! What the hell are you doing?!" Nahoko shouts, as she grabs a dustpan and broom to clean up the shattered coffee pot.
"I'm sorry, Nahoko. I'll do it." You reach for the broom. "Here, just give it to me."
She groans, "I don't know why I even bother to work here! This is disgusting! I mean, look at this place. There's no one here! I could be out getting my hair done, or a manicure, but I'm stuck here slaving away for you while you break coffee pots, and --"
Midori rushes over, and brushes through Nahoko's hair with her fingers. "Oh, honey, don't worry so much, it's bad for you."
"I just need to go to the spa..." Nahoko says, flipping her hair over her shoulder, as if she were a movie star, or some kind of royalty.
"That's /it/!" Kaede lashes out, slamming her fist against the counter. The sound brings a deafening silence throughout the cafe. You close your eyes, and thank your stars for the empty cafe. Kaede continues, "If you don't know why you bother working here, then don't! But I'd really like to see you go out and get your hair and nails done without a paycheck, so until you find a way to do so, either shut the hell up, or find a nice spot in the unemployment line." Kaede glares at the two girls in an overly threatening manner.
"Kaede, that wasn't necessary. Look, why don't you just take a break. All three of you. Yumiko and I can handle things around here, right Yumiko?" You ask, turning to the shy girl, who's in shock over Kaede's outburst.
"Yes, that will be fine." She replies, as she helps you clean up the broken coffee pot.
"Are you serious, ____?" Nahoko asks, with a disbelieving tone.
"Yes. Now get out of here before I change my mind," you reply with a soft smile.
Midori and Nahoko quickly rush to the back room to change out of their uniforms, and Kaede sends a look over to you, which you reply to with an equally defiant glare. "____, what the heck was that all about? You two can't handle this place during the morning rush hour."
You lean on the counter, and turn to look at her once more. "What's wrong with you, Kaede? Did you not get enough sleep last night? Because I sure as hell didn't, getting home at two in the morning, after an absolutely horrendous night; not the mention the migraine from hell, and the flat tire. Maybe you should think twice next time you want to set me up on a trick date."
"____, I was just trying to cheer you up. You're my best friend, and I just wanted to see you happy, for once. I did it with the best intentions."
"I don't know, Kaede. When I'm ready to eagerly jump into a relationship, believe me, you'll be the first one to find out. Until then, please don't --"
"Okay, okay. I won't." She says, as she sits down, dejectedly.
"Now do you want to tell me what's wrong?" You ask her, as you sit on the counter, next to the register.
"Mike said he didn't want to see me again...after last night's disaster." She says, with a sigh. You feel a slight pinch of guilt, knowing that you caused the disaster. But you weren't going to let some loser run his hands over you, while you proceeded to "dance."
"Kaede, about last night...I'm sorry I ruined it for you. And I'm sure you'll find someone worth your time. And by the looks of that guy, along with his cousin, I don't think they're even worth a thought. So keep your chin up, and do yourself a favor, and take the rest of the day off, okay?" You smile, as a few customers walk in, the beginning of the morning rush.
"Are you sure?"
"I'm sure." You watch your friend's familiar happy demeanor become evident in her eyes, once again.
"Thanks, ____."
"Don't mention it." You reply, as you watch Kaede walk out the door, passing a few more customers on the way.
*
The flow of caffeine addicts dies down a little bit, and you sigh, resting your head on your hand. Yumiko sighs, right along with you, and sits next to you on one of the bar stool-esque chairs. "So what happened last night?" She asks, drumming her fingers against the counter, as you watch for customers.
"Oh, Kaede decided to trick me into going out on a date with some random loser..." You say, with a slight smile. "Then we drove off, and I ran over a broken whiskey bottle, and my tire deflated. Then we got a ride home from one of our particularly attractive customers." Your smile gets a little brighter, as you remember the end to the night before.
"Ahh...I see. He wouldn't happen to be the one Nahoko likes, would he?"
"The very same."
She lets out a soft laugh, "____, that's pretty devious." She pats you on the shoulder, with a kind smile. "You look a lot happier than you've been in a while."
"Thanks, Yumiko." You turn to her, and give her a smile in return, as she gets up to go wash the tables. "Although, I have to admit, I've been rather clumsy today."
"I'd have to agree with you, there." She laughs, and continues to wipe the tables down with a rag.
*
You wash a few coffee pots, later that evening, hoping to get all the chores done before the shop closes in a few hours. But Yumiko's voice brings you out of your regimental state of mind.
"____. It's late. If you want, I can stay until closing tonight." She says, smiling at you.
"Oh, it's fine, I can handle it." You furiously wipe the coffee pots, and turn around to place them in the cupboard, almost crashing into Yumiko.
"____!" She cries, with a surprised tone, as you gasp. "Just take a break, all right? You're working way too hard!"
"...All right. But only if you're sure you can handle things." You reply, wiping the back of your hand on your forehead.
"I'll be fine."
"Remember to lock the register." You instruct, as you make for the back room.
"I know."
"And turn off all the lights." You grab your coat.
"Got it."
"And don't forget to lock all the doors before you go, and--"
"____!" Yumiko groans, and you can't help but laugh, as you make for the door. You look at her, and she gives you an empathetic smile. "Have a good night."
"You too." You reply, as you shut the door behind you, almost crashing into someone. "Oh, I'm sorry." You say, as you start to walk to your car.
You feel a tight grasp on your hand, and you quickly look up, your heart racing with nervousness. Finally, you let out a sigh of relief, as you find yourself looking into a pair of devastating blue eyes. "Good evening to you too." Seto says with a small smile.
"You scared me." You whisper, as he squeezes your hand, lightly.
"I seem to do that a lot." He pauses, "But then again, you're pretty jumpy."
"Shut up!" You snap, with a glare.
He's about the say something, when the door to the cafe opens.
"____, you forgot your purse." Yumiko says, before Seto quickly lets go of your hand.
You shoot a quick, teasing smile towards him, and take your purse from Yumiko. "Thank you." Turning to him, you give him an innocent look. "I'll see you some other time."
As you walk by, you let your hand brush against his, and his eyes linger after you. You send him a glance before you get into your fixed car, which you'd forced Kaede to pick up this afternoon, on her break. With a sigh, you start the car, as you watch him walk into the cafe, and with that, you speed off, back to your apartment, ready for a warm bath, and some dinner.
*
The rain crashes outside your window with a harsh clap of thunder, and a strong blaze of lightning, streaking across the sky to light up your dark apartment. You sit on the couch, unperturbed, as you watch a late night run of Scream/, with a half pint of chocolate ice cream. You squirm in your seat, as Casey Becker answers the phone. 'Dumbass! Why pick the phone up in the first place?'/ you think, and continue to watch, your eyes glued to the television.
"Who's there?"
"Never say 'Who's there?' Don't you watch scary movies? It's a death wish. You might as well come out to investigate a strange noise, or something."
You cover your eyes with the blanket, and just as Ghostface is running up behind Casey, before the grotesque murder, the phone rings. You scream and turn the TV off, and try to regain your composure. The phone rings again, and your eyes flick towards it, before you nervously pick it up. "H-Hello?"
"____? It's me." You hear a familiar voice through the phone, and you sigh in relief.
"Oh...hi, Jason. What's wrong? You sound worried." You say, before clenching your teeth, in an attempt to stay polite.
"____, my car got towed, and I need a ride back to my house...do you think you could help me out?"
You roll your eyes, and hold back a grumble. "Jason, I...well..."
"Please, ____, just this one time. I swear, I won't "
You cut him off. "I guess it wouldn't be a problem. Where are you right now?"
"Outside of Charlie's."
You groan. "Again?" With a sigh, you continue, "Where do you want me to drop you off, and how far is it from Charlie's?"
"My friend's house. It's only like, five minutes away from here, by car." He says, with a reassuring tone, over his desperate voice.
"Can't your friend pick you up?" You ask, while turning the light on. You twirl your hair around your finger, and wait for an answer.
"They're working." He replies, after a short pause.
"Whatever. I'll come pick you up, but that's it, all right?"
"Thanks, ____."
"Yeah, yeah. I'll be there in five minutes." You hang up the phone, and walk to the back room, with a disgusted groan. You quickly put on a pair of jeans, and an old, white button up shirt, which fits snugly. With another grumble, you put your hair up, and grab your jacket, wondering why Jason picked today to get his car towed. Or where he gathered the nerve to call, for that matter.
You quickly get your keys, and your purse, before slamming the door shut, and locking your apartment. You plod down the stairs, and into the rain, before running to your car. You get in, and quickly drive off to Charlie's, feeling extremely disgruntled.
*
You park swiftly, and honk your horn, motioning your soggy ex-boyfriend into the car. He opens the door, and gets in, unintentionally slamming the door shut, even though he knows you hate that. "Well, where am I going?" You ask him, with a testy glare.
He motions you down the road, and you start to drive, peering through the windshield, as the rain continues to pour down. The smell of alcohol and tobacco fills the air, and you keep yourself from yelling at him. A few minutes later, as promised several times, you arrive at the destination. Jason melts your infamous glower with a small smile, a token of his appreciation. "____, I really don't know what I would've done without your help. Thanks so much."
"You're welcome." You give him a sympathetic smile, and look towards the house, which you're parked in front of. "Who are you staying with, anyway?" Suddenly, you wish you hadn't wasted those five seconds you could've used to drive off, as you watch the front door to the house open quickly. A sheepish Jason gets out of the car, and receives a worried-looking Midori, who runs out of the house, and jumps into his arms.
"I was so worried about you!" She cries, and plants a sickeningly sweet kiss on his lips.
"A friend of mine dropped me off." He says, and motions to the car.
"Jason, I have to go." You quickly say, as you feel your stomach drop. You shut the door of the car, and quickly drive off, leaving the two of them looking behind you.
"So all this time...she's been the one he's seeing. I should've known. Nahoko and her stupid slut friend." You cringe, as you drive back to your apartment, feeling sick to your stomach. 'I have to call Kaede...'
*
"What?!" Kaede shrieks in disbelief. "You mean he was cheating on you with that little...that little wench?"
"Kaede, that's not the point." You calmly say, as you sit down on the couch. "Jason and I are over. The point is, he lied. He told me it was his friend's house, and she just about ran out and started making out with him," you exaggerate. "I mean, as much as I dislike Midori, he could've at least told me he was staying there...like, after we broke up."
A few moments of silence pass, and Kaede finally answers. "That's bullshit, ____!" She cries, and you can almost picture her overly dramatic expression. "He totally took advantage of you. And Midori's all to blame! She knew you were dating Jason."
"Actually, she didn't know. Nahoko knew." You correct her, as you stand up again.
"Whatever. It's the same thing. It's not like you can tell the difference between them anyway. They're both whiney, annoying sluts."
"That you hired." You say, with a sarcastic tone.
"Well, that doesn't mean I can't fire them." She replies, deviously.
"Kaede, it's unprofessional to fire someone, because of personal issues. If you knew they were such whiney, annoying sluts, you shouldn't have hired them in the first place." You lecture her, as you walk to the kitchen to get a drink. Kaede suddenly yelps in surprise. You blink, and then ask, "What's going on?"
"I'm watching Scream..." she says, uninterestedly.
You roll your eyes. "Look, if you're busy, I'll just talk to you tomorrow."
"Aww, ____. Don't let this get to you. I'll tell you what. You and I can go and get some dinner tomorrow, and we'll have some fun."
You laugh. "Yeah, right. After our last 'fun' night, I've had my fill of adventure. But if you want, you can come over."
"That sounds good. I haven't had none a' yer good ol' home cookin' in a while, anyway." She says, with an excited tone.
You laugh at her put on accent. "Okay, well I'll pick you up tomorrow morning, and you can come home with me after work." You plan, more so with yourself than with her.
"All right. Well, hey, I have to go. I don't wanna miss any more of this movie."
"Okay, bye." You say, and hang up.
After a cold glass of water, you rub your temples, feeling another migraine building up. You grab your jacket once more, and look outside the window. The rain still taps against the glass, but the force has died down. You decide to take a quiet trip to the library, just to cool down. After all, nothing dramatic can happen at the library, right?
"Goddamnit, ____! What the hell are you doing?!" Nahoko shouts, as she grabs a dustpan and broom to clean up the shattered coffee pot.
"I'm sorry, Nahoko. I'll do it." You reach for the broom. "Here, just give it to me."
She groans, "I don't know why I even bother to work here! This is disgusting! I mean, look at this place. There's no one here! I could be out getting my hair done, or a manicure, but I'm stuck here slaving away for you while you break coffee pots, and --"
Midori rushes over, and brushes through Nahoko's hair with her fingers. "Oh, honey, don't worry so much, it's bad for you."
"I just need to go to the spa..." Nahoko says, flipping her hair over her shoulder, as if she were a movie star, or some kind of royalty.
"That's /it/!" Kaede lashes out, slamming her fist against the counter. The sound brings a deafening silence throughout the cafe. You close your eyes, and thank your stars for the empty cafe. Kaede continues, "If you don't know why you bother working here, then don't! But I'd really like to see you go out and get your hair and nails done without a paycheck, so until you find a way to do so, either shut the hell up, or find a nice spot in the unemployment line." Kaede glares at the two girls in an overly threatening manner.
"Kaede, that wasn't necessary. Look, why don't you just take a break. All three of you. Yumiko and I can handle things around here, right Yumiko?" You ask, turning to the shy girl, who's in shock over Kaede's outburst.
"Yes, that will be fine." She replies, as she helps you clean up the broken coffee pot.
"Are you serious, ____?" Nahoko asks, with a disbelieving tone.
"Yes. Now get out of here before I change my mind," you reply with a soft smile.
Midori and Nahoko quickly rush to the back room to change out of their uniforms, and Kaede sends a look over to you, which you reply to with an equally defiant glare. "____, what the heck was that all about? You two can't handle this place during the morning rush hour."
You lean on the counter, and turn to look at her once more. "What's wrong with you, Kaede? Did you not get enough sleep last night? Because I sure as hell didn't, getting home at two in the morning, after an absolutely horrendous night; not the mention the migraine from hell, and the flat tire. Maybe you should think twice next time you want to set me up on a trick date."
"____, I was just trying to cheer you up. You're my best friend, and I just wanted to see you happy, for once. I did it with the best intentions."
"I don't know, Kaede. When I'm ready to eagerly jump into a relationship, believe me, you'll be the first one to find out. Until then, please don't --"
"Okay, okay. I won't." She says, as she sits down, dejectedly.
"Now do you want to tell me what's wrong?" You ask her, as you sit on the counter, next to the register.
"Mike said he didn't want to see me again...after last night's disaster." She says, with a sigh. You feel a slight pinch of guilt, knowing that you caused the disaster. But you weren't going to let some loser run his hands over you, while you proceeded to "dance."
"Kaede, about last night...I'm sorry I ruined it for you. And I'm sure you'll find someone worth your time. And by the looks of that guy, along with his cousin, I don't think they're even worth a thought. So keep your chin up, and do yourself a favor, and take the rest of the day off, okay?" You smile, as a few customers walk in, the beginning of the morning rush.
"Are you sure?"
"I'm sure." You watch your friend's familiar happy demeanor become evident in her eyes, once again.
"Thanks, ____."
"Don't mention it." You reply, as you watch Kaede walk out the door, passing a few more customers on the way.
*
The flow of caffeine addicts dies down a little bit, and you sigh, resting your head on your hand. Yumiko sighs, right along with you, and sits next to you on one of the bar stool-esque chairs. "So what happened last night?" She asks, drumming her fingers against the counter, as you watch for customers.
"Oh, Kaede decided to trick me into going out on a date with some random loser..." You say, with a slight smile. "Then we drove off, and I ran over a broken whiskey bottle, and my tire deflated. Then we got a ride home from one of our particularly attractive customers." Your smile gets a little brighter, as you remember the end to the night before.
"Ahh...I see. He wouldn't happen to be the one Nahoko likes, would he?"
"The very same."
She lets out a soft laugh, "____, that's pretty devious." She pats you on the shoulder, with a kind smile. "You look a lot happier than you've been in a while."
"Thanks, Yumiko." You turn to her, and give her a smile in return, as she gets up to go wash the tables. "Although, I have to admit, I've been rather clumsy today."
"I'd have to agree with you, there." She laughs, and continues to wipe the tables down with a rag.
*
You wash a few coffee pots, later that evening, hoping to get all the chores done before the shop closes in a few hours. But Yumiko's voice brings you out of your regimental state of mind.
"____. It's late. If you want, I can stay until closing tonight." She says, smiling at you.
"Oh, it's fine, I can handle it." You furiously wipe the coffee pots, and turn around to place them in the cupboard, almost crashing into Yumiko.
"____!" She cries, with a surprised tone, as you gasp. "Just take a break, all right? You're working way too hard!"
"...All right. But only if you're sure you can handle things." You reply, wiping the back of your hand on your forehead.
"I'll be fine."
"Remember to lock the register." You instruct, as you make for the back room.
"I know."
"And turn off all the lights." You grab your coat.
"Got it."
"And don't forget to lock all the doors before you go, and--"
"____!" Yumiko groans, and you can't help but laugh, as you make for the door. You look at her, and she gives you an empathetic smile. "Have a good night."
"You too." You reply, as you shut the door behind you, almost crashing into someone. "Oh, I'm sorry." You say, as you start to walk to your car.
You feel a tight grasp on your hand, and you quickly look up, your heart racing with nervousness. Finally, you let out a sigh of relief, as you find yourself looking into a pair of devastating blue eyes. "Good evening to you too." Seto says with a small smile.
"You scared me." You whisper, as he squeezes your hand, lightly.
"I seem to do that a lot." He pauses, "But then again, you're pretty jumpy."
"Shut up!" You snap, with a glare.
He's about the say something, when the door to the cafe opens.
"____, you forgot your purse." Yumiko says, before Seto quickly lets go of your hand.
You shoot a quick, teasing smile towards him, and take your purse from Yumiko. "Thank you." Turning to him, you give him an innocent look. "I'll see you some other time."
As you walk by, you let your hand brush against his, and his eyes linger after you. You send him a glance before you get into your fixed car, which you'd forced Kaede to pick up this afternoon, on her break. With a sigh, you start the car, as you watch him walk into the cafe, and with that, you speed off, back to your apartment, ready for a warm bath, and some dinner.
*
The rain crashes outside your window with a harsh clap of thunder, and a strong blaze of lightning, streaking across the sky to light up your dark apartment. You sit on the couch, unperturbed, as you watch a late night run of Scream/, with a half pint of chocolate ice cream. You squirm in your seat, as Casey Becker answers the phone. 'Dumbass! Why pick the phone up in the first place?'/ you think, and continue to watch, your eyes glued to the television.
"Who's there?"
"Never say 'Who's there?' Don't you watch scary movies? It's a death wish. You might as well come out to investigate a strange noise, or something."
You cover your eyes with the blanket, and just as Ghostface is running up behind Casey, before the grotesque murder, the phone rings. You scream and turn the TV off, and try to regain your composure. The phone rings again, and your eyes flick towards it, before you nervously pick it up. "H-Hello?"
"____? It's me." You hear a familiar voice through the phone, and you sigh in relief.
"Oh...hi, Jason. What's wrong? You sound worried." You say, before clenching your teeth, in an attempt to stay polite.
"____, my car got towed, and I need a ride back to my house...do you think you could help me out?"
You roll your eyes, and hold back a grumble. "Jason, I...well..."
"Please, ____, just this one time. I swear, I won't "
You cut him off. "I guess it wouldn't be a problem. Where are you right now?"
"Outside of Charlie's."
You groan. "Again?" With a sigh, you continue, "Where do you want me to drop you off, and how far is it from Charlie's?"
"My friend's house. It's only like, five minutes away from here, by car." He says, with a reassuring tone, over his desperate voice.
"Can't your friend pick you up?" You ask, while turning the light on. You twirl your hair around your finger, and wait for an answer.
"They're working." He replies, after a short pause.
"Whatever. I'll come pick you up, but that's it, all right?"
"Thanks, ____."
"Yeah, yeah. I'll be there in five minutes." You hang up the phone, and walk to the back room, with a disgusted groan. You quickly put on a pair of jeans, and an old, white button up shirt, which fits snugly. With another grumble, you put your hair up, and grab your jacket, wondering why Jason picked today to get his car towed. Or where he gathered the nerve to call, for that matter.
You quickly get your keys, and your purse, before slamming the door shut, and locking your apartment. You plod down the stairs, and into the rain, before running to your car. You get in, and quickly drive off to Charlie's, feeling extremely disgruntled.
*
You park swiftly, and honk your horn, motioning your soggy ex-boyfriend into the car. He opens the door, and gets in, unintentionally slamming the door shut, even though he knows you hate that. "Well, where am I going?" You ask him, with a testy glare.
He motions you down the road, and you start to drive, peering through the windshield, as the rain continues to pour down. The smell of alcohol and tobacco fills the air, and you keep yourself from yelling at him. A few minutes later, as promised several times, you arrive at the destination. Jason melts your infamous glower with a small smile, a token of his appreciation. "____, I really don't know what I would've done without your help. Thanks so much."
"You're welcome." You give him a sympathetic smile, and look towards the house, which you're parked in front of. "Who are you staying with, anyway?" Suddenly, you wish you hadn't wasted those five seconds you could've used to drive off, as you watch the front door to the house open quickly. A sheepish Jason gets out of the car, and receives a worried-looking Midori, who runs out of the house, and jumps into his arms.
"I was so worried about you!" She cries, and plants a sickeningly sweet kiss on his lips.
"A friend of mine dropped me off." He says, and motions to the car.
"Jason, I have to go." You quickly say, as you feel your stomach drop. You shut the door of the car, and quickly drive off, leaving the two of them looking behind you.
"So all this time...she's been the one he's seeing. I should've known. Nahoko and her stupid slut friend." You cringe, as you drive back to your apartment, feeling sick to your stomach. 'I have to call Kaede...'
*
"What?!" Kaede shrieks in disbelief. "You mean he was cheating on you with that little...that little wench?"
"Kaede, that's not the point." You calmly say, as you sit down on the couch. "Jason and I are over. The point is, he lied. He told me it was his friend's house, and she just about ran out and started making out with him," you exaggerate. "I mean, as much as I dislike Midori, he could've at least told me he was staying there...like, after we broke up."
A few moments of silence pass, and Kaede finally answers. "That's bullshit, ____!" She cries, and you can almost picture her overly dramatic expression. "He totally took advantage of you. And Midori's all to blame! She knew you were dating Jason."
"Actually, she didn't know. Nahoko knew." You correct her, as you stand up again.
"Whatever. It's the same thing. It's not like you can tell the difference between them anyway. They're both whiney, annoying sluts."
"That you hired." You say, with a sarcastic tone.
"Well, that doesn't mean I can't fire them." She replies, deviously.
"Kaede, it's unprofessional to fire someone, because of personal issues. If you knew they were such whiney, annoying sluts, you shouldn't have hired them in the first place." You lecture her, as you walk to the kitchen to get a drink. Kaede suddenly yelps in surprise. You blink, and then ask, "What's going on?"
"I'm watching Scream..." she says, uninterestedly.
You roll your eyes. "Look, if you're busy, I'll just talk to you tomorrow."
"Aww, ____. Don't let this get to you. I'll tell you what. You and I can go and get some dinner tomorrow, and we'll have some fun."
You laugh. "Yeah, right. After our last 'fun' night, I've had my fill of adventure. But if you want, you can come over."
"That sounds good. I haven't had none a' yer good ol' home cookin' in a while, anyway." She says, with an excited tone.
You laugh at her put on accent. "Okay, well I'll pick you up tomorrow morning, and you can come home with me after work." You plan, more so with yourself than with her.
"All right. Well, hey, I have to go. I don't wanna miss any more of this movie."
"Okay, bye." You say, and hang up.
After a cold glass of water, you rub your temples, feeling another migraine building up. You grab your jacket once more, and look outside the window. The rain still taps against the glass, but the force has died down. You decide to take a quiet trip to the library, just to cool down. After all, nothing dramatic can happen at the library, right?
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