Categories > Anime/Manga > Yu-Gi-Oh! > [ Bend and Not Break ] [ A Seto Kaiba Story ]
During the few days you had off from work, you spent all of your energy erasing the memory of Jason from both your home and heart. You didn't need a worthless boyfriend who probably slept around, and you had decided it was time to start anew. 'Bye, bye, hope you rot in hell.' you think maliciously as you dump the last of the photos you had of Jason into the trash. 'Hello new and hopefully much better life.'
Unfortunately, the new resolution at a new start didn't quite work out. Been used to sleeping late on your time off, you scramble out of bed twenty minutes before the coffee shop had to be opened, running around your apartment in a frenzy to at least look respectable and at the same time be at the shop before the morning regulars died of caffeine withdrawal. "I hope Kaede is there," you grumble as you jump into your car, looking at the mirror and patting away the few nasty flyways your hair sported. The only reply you got to your muttering was the screech of your car as you raced out of your apartment complex, hoping you got there before you had a mob of caffeine addicts knocking down the shop.
"____! I'm glad you're here," Kaede says relieved as you walk in, ignoring the glares of the black haired man who was clearly disgruntled at being denied his coffee for a few more seconds than necessary. Kaede hastily turns her attention to the man and hands him his cup and change, and you hurriedly tie on your apron. Remembering the man from a few days before and his comment on your uniform, you discreetly check your attire. Satisfied everything was in place, you turn to Kaede. But the horde of customers commands your attention, so you take care of business first and girl talk can wait.
After what seems forever, the flow of demanding caffeine craving people ebbs, and you have a moment to breathe. "So, how was your time off?" Kaede questions. You notice Nahoko not-so-discreetly listening in as she and Midori wash a couple of coffee pots.
"Oh, it was awesome! I had the best time ever!" you gush, putting on a fake show for Nahoko's displeasure.
You continue with the happy facade until Nahoko announces grumpily, "I'm going to take my break now. Come on Midori." Midori follows the other girl like an obedient puppy and you watch them stroll out the cafe.
As soon as they're out the door, you let your face crumble into a glum stare. "My time off was the capital of the doldrums. The only happy moments were when I took my scissors to all of Jason's pictures, and even that was dissatisfying, considering I had to vacuum up the mess."
Kaede laughs at your dramatic expression. "Oh, ____, you always bounce back from whatever funk you're in, and this time it shouldn't too difficult. And forget about that Jason." A mischievous twinkle lights in her eyes as she continues, "Just look for someone better suited for you. A good example would be that brown haired hunk that came in a couple of days ago. He actually came yesterday, but he looked around, ordered a coffee, and left in a huff..." Kaede continues to blab about how gorgeous he was, and you tune her out as you think about your time off.
The shift never felt too long for you, but on this particular day, you think the clock must have broken as the time slowly crawled by. Nahoko was being annoying as usual, so you threatened to dock her pay if she didn't shut up about buying the cutest shoes at the mall. Nahoko and Midori spent the rest of the time staring daggers at you while wiping the tables. You didn't care, though. You couldn't wait to go home and burn any things of Jason you had forgotten. The clock chimes, and you think 'Only an hour to go...'
Just a couple of minutes before you happily skip out the door of the coffee place, Kaede comes up to you and says, worriedly, "____, can you cover the rest of my shift? My mother just called my cell, and something is wrong with --"
You wave your hand, cutting her off. "Say no more. I'll get Nahoko and Midori to help me. It's going to help them anyway, considering they lost a lot of their pay after they took a two hour break."
The two other girls immediately stop their work, and let out an exasperated groan, in unison.
A sigh of relief escapes from Kaede, but then she bites her lower lip. "Now all I need is someone to pick me up"
The jingle of your car keys finishes her sentence. "Take my car. I'll call you when I need a ride back home."
"Thank you so much ____! I'll pay you back one day!" she exclaims, grinning, taking your keys and heading towards the door of KL Cafe.
"Just buy me a quart of chocolate ice cream and we're even!" you call back, and she laughs.
"Done!" Just as she steps out of the door, she narrowly escapes from colliding into someone. Kaede smiles sheepishly and ducks outside. The man merely raises an eyebrow, and glances your way. You keep from rolling your eyes as you recognize the brown haired, blue eyed guy who had the guts to criticize your outfit.
He nears the counter, and you wait patiently while he ponders what coffee to buy. 'Jeez, it's that difficult to decide what flavor of hot water you want?' you think irritably as his eyes sweep over you again. Giggles and sniggers draw your attention to the back, and you gladly leave the man alone to check out Nahoko and Midori. "Oh, my gosh, have you ever seen a guy so hot?" Nahoko sighs, and Midori mimics her sigh, dreamily staring into space.
"If you two don't mind, please don't drool. I've already mopped the floor, and I don't want to do it again," you interrupt their daydreaming as you glare at them. The trash that they were supposed to take out was still in the wastebasket, the dishes still dirty, and you ask yourself why do you even bother to keep them. Nahoko narrows her eyes, her tongue ready to release a retort, when you say sharply, "Seeing as you two aren't needed anymore and the coffee shop is about to close anyway, just go home."
Nahoko sneaks one last look at the brunette waiting in the front, and you lose your patience. "Now." Nahoko throws you a dirty look, but she stomps around you and out the door. Midori sends you a meek smile, but you're too busy keeping from hurling a mug at Nahoko's back to notice.
You approach the man again, and he says impatiently, "I guess I'll have a mocha cappuccino."
You raise your eyebrow and snap, "Didn't anyone teach you to say please?" You knew it was a bad idea to snarl at customers, but you aren't going to be treated as though you're lesser than him.
The man glares at you for a moment, as though debating whether to shove a muffin in your face and leave or say the six-lettered word. "Okay, fine. Please," he finally replies sarcastically, stressing the last word as though it was dangerous to his health, but you ignore the cynicism and move away to make his coffee. As he settles himself in the corner of KL Cafe, you realize that you two are the only ones in the shop.
Shrugging off your uneasiness, you bring to coffee to him. He looks up at you, and you notice he has hauntingly beautiful azure eyes. He opens his mouth to say something when the door opens with an echoing bang. You whirl around, and come face with none other than Jason.
"____..." a whiff of alcohol reaches your nose, and you angrily pull him away from the blue eyed man. Jason better not make a scene with a customer around, or he might not live to regret it.
"Jason, what the hell are you doing here?! Get it though your thick head that I don't ever want to see you again!" you whisper harshly, noticing the man sending looks over to you and Jason.
"But ____, I love you so much...I need you..." Jason pleads, and he moves closer, as though about to kiss you. You place a hand on his chest and shove him back slightly before his lips touch your own.
"If you ever did love me, why sleep with those tramps?" you growl.
Jason blinks, saying slowly, "It was a mistake. I love you..." Suddenly he falls to his knees, wailing, "____, it was a mistake! Please, give me another chance!" He wraps his arms around your knees and sobs.
Your face turns crimson at Jason's whine. The blue-eyed man was sniggering into his coffee cup, as though enjoying the most hilarious thing he had ever seen in his life. Before Jason starts spewing poetry in his drunken state, you hastily say, "Okay, Jason, get off the floor. I'll talk to you tomorrow. Please, Jason, leave."
Jason's repentant face gives your heart a twinge of pity and the old spark starts to burn again. Jason blinks back tears and shows a watery smile. "You promise?" You hesitate and reply, "Yes, I promise."
Jason gets up off the floor and encases you in a tight hug before running out of KL Cafe. You sigh; you aren't a mean person, but the things Jason had done to you were quickly changing you into a hardened person. Your only defense against getting your heart broken again was to act harsh and push away anything that could hurt you.
"You sure know how to pick the winners," a taunting voice catches your ear, and you draw your attention to the only other person in the shop.
You glare at the man and reply, "Who are you to say anything?" You're just about to lash at him when you sigh and say, "You know what? Forget it. I'm not going to waste my breath arguing with you. Just butt out of my business."
The man raises an eyebrow, "So is this how you treat all your customers?"
You pick up your purse from behind the counter and the keys to KL Cafe. "Just the ones that are especially lovely." You reply, sarcastically.
"Well, I'm honored," the man quips with just as much sarcasm. You roll your eyes and ignore his comment; you pick up the shop's phone and punch in Kaede's number.
After a few rings, she answers. "Hello?"
"Kaede, do you think you can come pick me up sometime soon?"
"I'm so sorry, ____, but I don't think I can. My dad..." her voice trails off, and you can tell she's in the brink of tears.
"Hey, don't worry, it's okay. I'll just walk home. It's not that too far a walk."
Kaede sighs. "I promise I'll drop off the car the first thing in the morning. ____, you're seriously the best ever. Thank you so much."
"Aw, don't make me blush Kaede. The best wishes to your dad, see you tomorrow. Bye."
"Thanks again. Bye ____."
You hang up, rubbing your sore temples, the telltale sign of a migraine. "Listen, I have to close the coffee shop, because I need to get home quickly," you tell the lone customer in the shop.
He merely stirs his coffee and replies, "You should have thought twice before letting your friend borrow your car, hm?"
You glare at him as you gather your stuff. "That's none of your business." He sips his coffee and regards you with his piercing blue eyes. "How about I make it my business?"
You sigh and say, "Right. What can you possibly do to help?"
He takes his sweet time answering as he drains the last of his coffee before he responds, "I'll give you a ride home. Unless, of course, you like walking in the midst of a storm." startled at his remark, you glance out the large windows of KL Cafe. A harsh rain from the storm gray sky was tapping against the glass of KL Cafe's windows, a sight so familiar, you didn't even notice it until the man mentioned it.
Ignoring that you know nothing about the man and you could be making the biggest mistake of your life, you follow him outside and lock the doors of KL Cafe. Your eyes droop and you stifle back a yawn. Two shifts was hard work for anyone who had spent most of the earlier week in leisure. Your sore muscles moan in discomfort as you shuffle along with the brunette. Since he's not making any attempt at conversation, you decide to be quiet also. 'I'm so tired' you think. You don't even notice when and how you got into the man's car, all you recall is sleepily telling him your address.
Before you know it, he comes to a stop. "Well, here we are," he says stiffly, glancing at you. You smile and reach for the door handle, ready to bolt from the frosty company of the cold and aloof brunette. But he grabs your arm and pulls you back. "What-" you start to protest, but he asks, "I'm not just going to give you a ride and ask for nothing in return."
You gulp. What were you thinking, telling a complete stranger where you lived just because of a little rain? "What do you want?" you try your hardest to look unafraid, but he smirks.
"Don't worry, all I want is your name."
You sigh and hesitantly answer, "____."
He lets go and says, "Well, ____, thank you for an amusing evening, and I hope to see the rerun of the little drama with that man you called Jason."
You glare at him before getting out of his car, slamming the door and hoping you damaged it. "Thank you for the ride, but it's the last time I'll thank you for anything." you scathingly reply.
He lets out a low laugh before answering, "Not that I mind." Before you can yell at him, he speeds out of there, leaving you standing open mouthed in the rain and wondering what possessed you to take a favor from a pompous jerk.
'Men...'
Unfortunately, the new resolution at a new start didn't quite work out. Been used to sleeping late on your time off, you scramble out of bed twenty minutes before the coffee shop had to be opened, running around your apartment in a frenzy to at least look respectable and at the same time be at the shop before the morning regulars died of caffeine withdrawal. "I hope Kaede is there," you grumble as you jump into your car, looking at the mirror and patting away the few nasty flyways your hair sported. The only reply you got to your muttering was the screech of your car as you raced out of your apartment complex, hoping you got there before you had a mob of caffeine addicts knocking down the shop.
"____! I'm glad you're here," Kaede says relieved as you walk in, ignoring the glares of the black haired man who was clearly disgruntled at being denied his coffee for a few more seconds than necessary. Kaede hastily turns her attention to the man and hands him his cup and change, and you hurriedly tie on your apron. Remembering the man from a few days before and his comment on your uniform, you discreetly check your attire. Satisfied everything was in place, you turn to Kaede. But the horde of customers commands your attention, so you take care of business first and girl talk can wait.
After what seems forever, the flow of demanding caffeine craving people ebbs, and you have a moment to breathe. "So, how was your time off?" Kaede questions. You notice Nahoko not-so-discreetly listening in as she and Midori wash a couple of coffee pots.
"Oh, it was awesome! I had the best time ever!" you gush, putting on a fake show for Nahoko's displeasure.
You continue with the happy facade until Nahoko announces grumpily, "I'm going to take my break now. Come on Midori." Midori follows the other girl like an obedient puppy and you watch them stroll out the cafe.
As soon as they're out the door, you let your face crumble into a glum stare. "My time off was the capital of the doldrums. The only happy moments were when I took my scissors to all of Jason's pictures, and even that was dissatisfying, considering I had to vacuum up the mess."
Kaede laughs at your dramatic expression. "Oh, ____, you always bounce back from whatever funk you're in, and this time it shouldn't too difficult. And forget about that Jason." A mischievous twinkle lights in her eyes as she continues, "Just look for someone better suited for you. A good example would be that brown haired hunk that came in a couple of days ago. He actually came yesterday, but he looked around, ordered a coffee, and left in a huff..." Kaede continues to blab about how gorgeous he was, and you tune her out as you think about your time off.
The shift never felt too long for you, but on this particular day, you think the clock must have broken as the time slowly crawled by. Nahoko was being annoying as usual, so you threatened to dock her pay if she didn't shut up about buying the cutest shoes at the mall. Nahoko and Midori spent the rest of the time staring daggers at you while wiping the tables. You didn't care, though. You couldn't wait to go home and burn any things of Jason you had forgotten. The clock chimes, and you think 'Only an hour to go...'
Just a couple of minutes before you happily skip out the door of the coffee place, Kaede comes up to you and says, worriedly, "____, can you cover the rest of my shift? My mother just called my cell, and something is wrong with --"
You wave your hand, cutting her off. "Say no more. I'll get Nahoko and Midori to help me. It's going to help them anyway, considering they lost a lot of their pay after they took a two hour break."
The two other girls immediately stop their work, and let out an exasperated groan, in unison.
A sigh of relief escapes from Kaede, but then she bites her lower lip. "Now all I need is someone to pick me up"
The jingle of your car keys finishes her sentence. "Take my car. I'll call you when I need a ride back home."
"Thank you so much ____! I'll pay you back one day!" she exclaims, grinning, taking your keys and heading towards the door of KL Cafe.
"Just buy me a quart of chocolate ice cream and we're even!" you call back, and she laughs.
"Done!" Just as she steps out of the door, she narrowly escapes from colliding into someone. Kaede smiles sheepishly and ducks outside. The man merely raises an eyebrow, and glances your way. You keep from rolling your eyes as you recognize the brown haired, blue eyed guy who had the guts to criticize your outfit.
He nears the counter, and you wait patiently while he ponders what coffee to buy. 'Jeez, it's that difficult to decide what flavor of hot water you want?' you think irritably as his eyes sweep over you again. Giggles and sniggers draw your attention to the back, and you gladly leave the man alone to check out Nahoko and Midori. "Oh, my gosh, have you ever seen a guy so hot?" Nahoko sighs, and Midori mimics her sigh, dreamily staring into space.
"If you two don't mind, please don't drool. I've already mopped the floor, and I don't want to do it again," you interrupt their daydreaming as you glare at them. The trash that they were supposed to take out was still in the wastebasket, the dishes still dirty, and you ask yourself why do you even bother to keep them. Nahoko narrows her eyes, her tongue ready to release a retort, when you say sharply, "Seeing as you two aren't needed anymore and the coffee shop is about to close anyway, just go home."
Nahoko sneaks one last look at the brunette waiting in the front, and you lose your patience. "Now." Nahoko throws you a dirty look, but she stomps around you and out the door. Midori sends you a meek smile, but you're too busy keeping from hurling a mug at Nahoko's back to notice.
You approach the man again, and he says impatiently, "I guess I'll have a mocha cappuccino."
You raise your eyebrow and snap, "Didn't anyone teach you to say please?" You knew it was a bad idea to snarl at customers, but you aren't going to be treated as though you're lesser than him.
The man glares at you for a moment, as though debating whether to shove a muffin in your face and leave or say the six-lettered word. "Okay, fine. Please," he finally replies sarcastically, stressing the last word as though it was dangerous to his health, but you ignore the cynicism and move away to make his coffee. As he settles himself in the corner of KL Cafe, you realize that you two are the only ones in the shop.
Shrugging off your uneasiness, you bring to coffee to him. He looks up at you, and you notice he has hauntingly beautiful azure eyes. He opens his mouth to say something when the door opens with an echoing bang. You whirl around, and come face with none other than Jason.
"____..." a whiff of alcohol reaches your nose, and you angrily pull him away from the blue eyed man. Jason better not make a scene with a customer around, or he might not live to regret it.
"Jason, what the hell are you doing here?! Get it though your thick head that I don't ever want to see you again!" you whisper harshly, noticing the man sending looks over to you and Jason.
"But ____, I love you so much...I need you..." Jason pleads, and he moves closer, as though about to kiss you. You place a hand on his chest and shove him back slightly before his lips touch your own.
"If you ever did love me, why sleep with those tramps?" you growl.
Jason blinks, saying slowly, "It was a mistake. I love you..." Suddenly he falls to his knees, wailing, "____, it was a mistake! Please, give me another chance!" He wraps his arms around your knees and sobs.
Your face turns crimson at Jason's whine. The blue-eyed man was sniggering into his coffee cup, as though enjoying the most hilarious thing he had ever seen in his life. Before Jason starts spewing poetry in his drunken state, you hastily say, "Okay, Jason, get off the floor. I'll talk to you tomorrow. Please, Jason, leave."
Jason's repentant face gives your heart a twinge of pity and the old spark starts to burn again. Jason blinks back tears and shows a watery smile. "You promise?" You hesitate and reply, "Yes, I promise."
Jason gets up off the floor and encases you in a tight hug before running out of KL Cafe. You sigh; you aren't a mean person, but the things Jason had done to you were quickly changing you into a hardened person. Your only defense against getting your heart broken again was to act harsh and push away anything that could hurt you.
"You sure know how to pick the winners," a taunting voice catches your ear, and you draw your attention to the only other person in the shop.
You glare at the man and reply, "Who are you to say anything?" You're just about to lash at him when you sigh and say, "You know what? Forget it. I'm not going to waste my breath arguing with you. Just butt out of my business."
The man raises an eyebrow, "So is this how you treat all your customers?"
You pick up your purse from behind the counter and the keys to KL Cafe. "Just the ones that are especially lovely." You reply, sarcastically.
"Well, I'm honored," the man quips with just as much sarcasm. You roll your eyes and ignore his comment; you pick up the shop's phone and punch in Kaede's number.
After a few rings, she answers. "Hello?"
"Kaede, do you think you can come pick me up sometime soon?"
"I'm so sorry, ____, but I don't think I can. My dad..." her voice trails off, and you can tell she's in the brink of tears.
"Hey, don't worry, it's okay. I'll just walk home. It's not that too far a walk."
Kaede sighs. "I promise I'll drop off the car the first thing in the morning. ____, you're seriously the best ever. Thank you so much."
"Aw, don't make me blush Kaede. The best wishes to your dad, see you tomorrow. Bye."
"Thanks again. Bye ____."
You hang up, rubbing your sore temples, the telltale sign of a migraine. "Listen, I have to close the coffee shop, because I need to get home quickly," you tell the lone customer in the shop.
He merely stirs his coffee and replies, "You should have thought twice before letting your friend borrow your car, hm?"
You glare at him as you gather your stuff. "That's none of your business." He sips his coffee and regards you with his piercing blue eyes. "How about I make it my business?"
You sigh and say, "Right. What can you possibly do to help?"
He takes his sweet time answering as he drains the last of his coffee before he responds, "I'll give you a ride home. Unless, of course, you like walking in the midst of a storm." startled at his remark, you glance out the large windows of KL Cafe. A harsh rain from the storm gray sky was tapping against the glass of KL Cafe's windows, a sight so familiar, you didn't even notice it until the man mentioned it.
Ignoring that you know nothing about the man and you could be making the biggest mistake of your life, you follow him outside and lock the doors of KL Cafe. Your eyes droop and you stifle back a yawn. Two shifts was hard work for anyone who had spent most of the earlier week in leisure. Your sore muscles moan in discomfort as you shuffle along with the brunette. Since he's not making any attempt at conversation, you decide to be quiet also. 'I'm so tired' you think. You don't even notice when and how you got into the man's car, all you recall is sleepily telling him your address.
Before you know it, he comes to a stop. "Well, here we are," he says stiffly, glancing at you. You smile and reach for the door handle, ready to bolt from the frosty company of the cold and aloof brunette. But he grabs your arm and pulls you back. "What-" you start to protest, but he asks, "I'm not just going to give you a ride and ask for nothing in return."
You gulp. What were you thinking, telling a complete stranger where you lived just because of a little rain? "What do you want?" you try your hardest to look unafraid, but he smirks.
"Don't worry, all I want is your name."
You sigh and hesitantly answer, "____."
He lets go and says, "Well, ____, thank you for an amusing evening, and I hope to see the rerun of the little drama with that man you called Jason."
You glare at him before getting out of his car, slamming the door and hoping you damaged it. "Thank you for the ride, but it's the last time I'll thank you for anything." you scathingly reply.
He lets out a low laugh before answering, "Not that I mind." Before you can yell at him, he speeds out of there, leaving you standing open mouthed in the rain and wondering what possessed you to take a favor from a pompous jerk.
'Men...'
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