Back to school [open]

[protovy]

Today was going to be his first day in high school wasn't it? The thought excited Mokuba, his brother Seto had already entered before him since the boy wanted to say good-bye to some of his friends. He didn't tell his brother who it was though since he knew he would disapprove of it. After all the friends he said good-bye to was Yugi and Tea. He didn't really have anyone else to call friends but them. Sure he hung out with some people in grade school but they weren't really his friends. Even more was the fact that they were pretty much just people who follow him around because he was the champion of Capsule Monster so they weren't really his friends. He didn't even remember their name a month after he left school was was actually when he got kidnapped by Pegasus. Since that day, he had quit school and was tutored by people his brother had hired for him.

The boy was waiting outside now as he had just turned in his exam to see if he is allowed to be in this school or not. It was going to take a couple of days for them to grade, due to the fact that the school was secluded. His brother got in fine though since he was smart. After all he was Seto, his older brother that he was so proud of. The thought made him smiled. Yeah, now he really couldn't wait till the exam is graded. He was pretty confident in his exam since the last month of studying was with his brother. Still it felt kidn of lonely just waiting outside of this office. It wasn't like he could just go anywhere though. After all he would be lost.

'Ring!'

The sound of the bell snapped the boy out of his thoughts. Let's see that was about the fifth class bell so it should be lunch now. That meant that people were going to walk out and see him. Would they think that he got into trouble? He didn't want to start off his school year again badly. A bit nervous his feet started to kick in the air. It wasn't natural for him to be shy about this but he had quit school for quite a while and he was one of the youngest students. That is if the exam was good enough for him to skip a grade. That wast he thing he feared most, if he couldn't skip a grade then he will have to go to a different school and that would cause problems for Seto. He came here to check up on Selena after all and if he was going to a different school his brother might be bothered. Also, he wanted to see his cousin as well, he haven't seen her in what feels like forever.

As the students passed him, he can hear the small gossips. They were on various things, hottest t.v. shows, boys, girls, lunch, weekends, concerts and ect. None of it sound interesting at all to him. He continued to kick the air as he waited for lunch to be over. His stomach grumbled though, he haven't eaten breakfast today since he was so nervous. A sigh escaped his lips as he continued to wait. Patience, that was what he needed, patience.

[seto]

for far too long i've been denied
i'm making my move so just step aside

no one can say i never tried
to do everything to get back my pride

Kaiba, unlike his classmates, did not consider the ring of the bell as signal to start the race for the cafeteria. As chairs squealed around him, books swept into bags and arms, words bit back for an hour and a half rushing from relieved mouths, Seto blinked stoically, a slight line of irritation showing at the corner of his mouth. Long fingers shut the book in his hands with a soft snap. He reached down, grabbing a briefcase that contained the materials for this class he’d never bothered to bring out, and got to his feet silently, gracefully. As per usual, he was the last one out the door, long strides carrying him out and down the hallway. His step was perfectly straight, unaffected by other students because they recognized and moved out of the way as if touching him would result in a punch to the face. They didn’t realize it would be verbal instead of physical.

He moved swiftly out of the building, moving purposefully toward the Administration Office as he had been between every class. This time, the journey paid off. Unbeknownst to Kaiba, the icy aura that surrounded the CEO warmed a degree or two. The bench that had been empty throughout the day was now occupied. The youngest Kaiba kicked his feet restlessly, obviously trying not to catch anyone’s attention. He looked smaller than usual against the large face of the building behind him and a rare, but small smile curved the corner of Seto’s mouth. He continued toward him, the flash of his walk slightly dulled by the lack of swirling trench coat. Seto took a seat silently beside Mokuba, pulling his briefcase onto his lap and opening it. It wasn’t surprising that Seto carried quite a bit of things in it, all of it almost obsessively ordered. A lunch he didn’t plan to eat was there as well and he pulled it out, dropping it onto Mokuba’s lap.

The briefcase was closed again and set on the ground between his feet before he looked to Mokuba. "Eat." The word was less of his usually commands and more of an offer. Seto knew that Mokuba didn't eat when he was nervous, like how Seto forgot to eat when he was working. However, he wasn’t going to force him. Seto rarely made Mokuba do things he didn’t want to. He was highly spoiled.

The elder Kaiba crossed his legs and arms in the same smooth motion, leaning back on the bench. "How long have you been sitting here?" It was only around Mokuba that his questions weren’t sarcastic or rhetorical. There was honest curiosity in his voice now. He’d finished his test obviously, and now he, and Seto, had to wait for the results. He hoped they didn't take days to receive as he'd been informed prior to Mokuba taking the placement test. Regardless of the test, Mokuba was the only one that had taken it. Correcting it should take an hour perhaps, no more, and certainly not days. Not for his sake, but for Mokuba's. The longer it took, the more Mokuba would question how well he did on it. Seto would rather not put him through that.

[protovy]

It wasn't soon did Mokuba heard footsteps coming closer. He pulled his head up and looked straight in front of him. His face instantly brightened at the sight. The person stood out quite a lot for the boy. His worries were instantly gone as if his brother had come to tell him that they had graded his test and he passed. "Ni-sama!" he chirped. A grin was on his face as his brother came closer to him. He hadn't seen his brother much mainly because he had been living in a hotel. The school didn't let him in the dorms until he had passed the test and even then it was only if he passes the test. If, the thought scared him a bit as that meant that he might not make it and all the times his brother spent helping him study would go to waste.

As his brother unfolded his lunch, he stared at it. Everything in his brother's case was so organized which was to be expected of Seto."Hmm." he hummed as the older Kaiba placed the lunch on his lap. He looked down at it for a moment. Wasn't his brother going to eat this?

"Eat."

Now that he got the message, he opened the box to see it had omelet and his favorite food in the entire world: Chocolate Parfait! A smile grew on his face as he dove into dessert first. He couldn't help himself, he was hungry and he loved the thing. After the first bite though he stared at his brother for a moment. He put the parfait down next to him and grabbed the box to hand it to his brother Seto."Only if you eat some too." he stated. He didn't want him to go hungry after all. It was the last thing he wanted and this was his brother's lunch as well.

"How long have you been sitting here?"

That was a good question? He was so nervous that it felt like he had been here for days. If it wasn't for the bell, he would had most likely fallen asleep. Each class was an hour and he heard about six bells, each period have two bells and each passing period is about five minutes so..."Three hours and fifteen minutes." he answered. Although because lunch had began, he wasn't exactly sure how long that he thought about it. After all with lunch it was longer and then there was the time it took for his brother to come here. So in other words he must had missed some minutes. He mentally slapped himself for that mistake. His brother had probably noticed it.

He quickly decided to change the subject at the embarrassment."So how's school?" he asked as he changed the subject. He was pretty sure that his brother was bored. After all, his brother probably knew a lot of things the student didn't know. Although he must be happy not to see Yugi, Anzu and most of all Jounouchi. The two never got along and Mokuba can see why. He didn't like Jounochi that much either. He fights with his brother way too much. After all the blond was always the one that starts the fight in the first place and acts as if he was better than Seto which is obviously not true. On the other hand though Yugi was humble so he was much easier to get along with.

"Have you seen Selena yet?" he asked quite curious as he took a bite out of his parfait. He was hungry and well dessert wasn't exactly filling but he refused to eat until Seto does. After all it was his brother's lunch and he was already a big bother for his brother with the renting of the hotel, all the private lessons his brother had given him and then there was lunch. Also lets not forget the fact that he took a lot of time out by just going to this school in the first place.Even more was that he wondered if he had seen their cousin yet. After all, she must be in this school somewhere. She was the one that had suggested going to this school after all.

[seto]

for far too long i've been denied
i'm making my move so just step aside
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
no one can say i never tried
to do everything to get back my pride

Seto wasn’t hungry at all, but he took a few bites of the lunch anyway. If it got Mokuba to eat, he would have a bit. He gave the younger Kaiba a parental look, an eyebrow lifting. “You're going to eat more than just dessert,” he scolded. Not that he would exactly enforce it at the moment. As long as he was eating. Seto’s lip quirked at Mokuba’s attempt at an exact response. But. Had it really been that long? And with no results. However, Mokuba changed the subject quickly and Seto let him, figuring he was slightly numb from the placement test. Seto shrugged slightly. “Not much different than Domino.” He bit back on comments on the geek squad. While he didn’t exactly approve, he knew that Mokuba liked them. He’d refrain for his sake.

“Selena?” Seto shook his head. He tugged idly at the collar of his uniform, quickly recounting his day. He was used to collars as he often wore turtlenecks but the one of the uniform was still stiff from lack of wear. It rubbed merciless against his neck, irritating already raw skin. “No. She’s a first year, isn’t she? You’ll see her far more than I will.” He gave up on the useless fight, tucking his arm back down into the crook of his other. Kaiba wondered idly if she was getting along well. If he ran into her, he might ask. He probably wouldn’t seek her out. If she did need something, she could find him or Mokuba.

To be honest, Seto wasn’t exactly on good terms with the rest of the Kaiba’s and those that didn’t blame him for what had happened he didn’t bother to reach out to. And why should he? Avarice was a trait placed down in the Kaiba genes. He didn’t need any help as it was, but any of it would come at a high price. Selena was the only exception. He was appreciative to her for having entertained Mokuba while Gozaburo had still been alive. She and Mokuba were roughly, if not the same age, and Mokuba was fond of her. That was almost enough for Seto. And from what Seto had seen of her, the little that it was, she seemed to have a better streak than most of his “legal” relatives.

Seto blinked casually, his eyes refocusing on the grounds splayed out before them. The Kaiba’s weren’t a subject he neither dwelled on nor enjoyed. He pushed it aside, looking at his little brother. He reached out, grabbing himself another bite of the omelet to appease Mokuba. He swallowed it down before he spoke again. “How did you do?” He asked, referring to the test. Seto doubted he’d failed it. The two of them had spent long hours studying to insure that Mokuba was ready for high school courses. In fact, Seto might have taught him extra, things he wouldn’t need to know until later in his school years. Mokuba was a quick learner. Seto was sure he did fine.

[protovy]

“You're going to eat more than just dessert,”

At Seto's words, Mokuba nervously chuckled and scratch the back of his head. Well, it was true that he was going to need more than dessert but well, he was kind of...he didn't want it to melt. Even more was that it was his favorite food in the entire world with how good it taste. The delicious flavor that melts on his tongue. It just tasted so good that he couldn't resist it. Resisting was pretty much futile for him with how much he loved it. Although that wasn't to say that he didn't love anything else, it was just that the chocolate parfait was just so good. It was like duel monster to his brother, simply irresistible. It amazed the boy how his brother had went away from Domino where his rival Yugi was. Although the thought made him happy that his brother chose hm and his cousin over Duel Monsters.

“Not much different than Domino.”

"Oh so Jōnouchi no yarō is here?" he asked in a joking manner. He was pretty sure Jonouchi wasn't here, after all the guy was most likely too poor to afford this. Also if he was here, there would most likely already be rumors of a blond hair punk trying to start a fight with a rich brunet. The thought made him chuckled a bit as he knew that would never happen. That was unless that idiot had actually suddenly got money from lottery or something but what are the chances of that? Pretty much none seeing how it is random and sothere was no way to guess.

“No. She’s a first year, isn’t she? You’ll see her far more than I will.”

Hmm, so he hasn't seen Selena yet either huh? They haven't seen their cousins in years, sure there were times where she back but she stopped with the multiple incidents from Pegasus and those god cards. Not to mention the Big Five and Seto's tournament, the Kaiba brothers were simply way too busy and it always made him felt guilty. After all back then she would always play with Mokuba and made sure that she was never too busy for him. He liked playing with her too and always welcomed her presence. After all, she was so nice and she took him around the park and everything. She was just fun to be around with in general as she taught him games that were more physical like hide-and-seek or even tag. The games that he would try to play with his brother but always fail as he was too tired about his studies.

As his brother took another bite, Mokuba smiled, glad that Seto was eating some more. He grabbed the fork and took a bite out of the omelet as well. His face lit up at how good it tasted. Even more was that it satisfied his stomach a lot more than his dessert which was now pretty much finished. Although the chocolate parfait satisfied his taste bugs a lot more.

“How did you do?”

Well he wasn't so sure, since the test wasn't finished grading. It wasn't too hard, although he was stuck on one or two questions but it wasn't that big of a deal. He was pretty sure he had aced science and math though since well he had a lot of practice with computer and programing which have a lot to do with numbers and of course computers."I got stuck on a few questions but I think I got them right." he responded as he hoped that Seto wasn't too disappointed in him, after all he had taken time off of school and work only for the younger Kaiba to not get a hundred percent like his brother would have.

[seto]

for far too long i've been denied
i'm making my move so just step aside
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
no one can say i never tried
to do everything to get back my pride

Mokuba’s comment took Seto a moment to find funny. “We can only hope.” The sarcasm was tinted with the same teasing that Mokuba had used. There was an obvious note of struggle not to sound completely disgusted by the thought of that happening. Yeah right. As if Jounouchi could, let alone would, pay this much for an education. It’d be a waste of his time and the academy’s. Besides, the mutt would never leave Yugi’s side. The two of them came hand in hand. If Yugi showed up here, Jounouchi would be quick to follow. While he wouldn’t exactly mind challenging Yugi again, he’d give up the chance if it meant keeping his flee-ridden mutt out of sight and sound. Of course, Yugi did have all three goddamn God Cards. There would be no point in challenging him until he figured out how to get around that.

But he digressed.

Mokuba took a bite of the omelet and Seto offered the rest of it to him silently. He hadn’t been hungry to start and was only eating to make Mokuba happy. Seto was used to not eating as he rarely remembered or felt the urge to do so when he worked, which he did more often than not. Besides, the look on Mokuba’s face signaled he’d liked it. And Seto never worried about himself having enough energy from food.

“I’m sure you did.” If the words had been to anyone else, the sarcasm would have been heavy. However, there was a genuine, albeit small, smile on his usually straight lips. He shook his head briefly. Seto could hear the worried note Mokuba was trying to cover up. While the eldest Kaiba did treat Mokuba like he was better than all the rest of the world, he did often have to take the father-figure and push Mokuba back into line. He didn’t let Mokuba get away with everything (just damn near close to it). However, Seto would never rebuke him over something like this, even if, by some freak accident, Mokuba didn’t pass the test. If it came down to that, Seto would blame himself before laying it on his little brother. In that case, Seto was at fault for not teaching him well enough. “You’re smarter than everyone I’ve seen today,” he added to emphasize his confidence in him. He meant it.

Seto’s eyes slid past Mokuba to the door that lead into the office they were sitting outside of, recalling how long Mokuba had said he'd been here. Honestly. That long without the results? Obviously someone wasn’t doing their job well. It was probably all on a Scantron to boot. He knew that didn’t take this long to grade. His eyes flickered back to Mokuba, silent for a moment. “Did they tell you to wait here?” He asked, debating how he would react to the answer if it was ‘yes.’ It was obvious he wasn't every happy about it. While Seto would willing tarnish his sure-to-be-poor attendance ahead of schedule to sit with Mokuba until he was allowed to leave, he knew Mokuba would rather being doing anything rather than sitting still for so long. Especially now that he was eating. The repressed energy was going to build up eventually. Mokuba was only thirteen after all.

Of course, he wouldn't embarrass Mokuba by going in and demanding the conclusion to the test. He doubted Mokuba would like that, despite the urge he had to do it. It probably wouldn't help them welcome Mokuba to the academy either. But Seto was highly impatient and when he wanted results he got them immediately, if not before the words were out of his mouth. However. Seto had no control here and so he was left to following orders from men and woman he was smarter than, and waiting for a just-barely-adequate system to turn over far overdue answers.

[protovy]

Mokuba slowly finished the rest of the omelet that his brother had given him. It tasted so good, too bad it ended pretty quickly though. Guess that's one of the many bad things about life, good things always seems to end so quickly. The thought made him remembered the time when his brother would always play with him. Back then, even though they pretty much had nothing, he was happy just to be with his brother. It was just so much fun back then when they didn't have that much to worry about and before that man came into their lives. It was all that man's fault.

Although now things are starting to come back to normal. After all, ever since his brother' second duel with Yugi he became himself again, or at least as close as possible anyway so in a way everything ended pretty well. Just having the brother he loved back made everything in between worth it. Besides, his brother was in much more pain than he was doing that time, having to always do studies that were far passed his grade level and barely allowed to rest. Even more was that there were times where he would try his best to sneak over to the younger Kaiba.

“I’m sure you did.”

Those words made the boy smile. Yep his brother really was back. He slowly nodded, as he silently prayed that was the case. After all, he didn't want to fail, it was pretty much not an option for him like his brother when he had to study back then. Only his brother went through something harder than him, so he has to make sure that he can pas this test. That was just how he had always work always telling himself that his brother had been through tougher things so he has to make sure that he can do it too. He didn't want to be left behind with how great his brother was after all.

“Did they tell you to wait here?”

"Yes." he answered. They old him to wait here."They said that they had a busy schedule so the test will be done after lunch at the earliest." he informed his brother. He never really knew how busy the school could be but just waited and tried his best to entertain himself. It took him a moment to realize that his brother might barge into the room. That would be so embarrassing. He looked at his brother as he tried to read what the man would do. In his head he was silently praying that it was just in his head. He didn't want to say anything though since he didn't want to upset the older Kaiba."And since lunch should almost be over, I'm sure they would be done soon." he quickly added.

It would be best to change the subject but what was he suppose to talk about? He looked around the room and couldn't exactly think of anything at the moment. That was until he saw the counselor room. That was the room that talked about people's future and dreams. That's when it hit him. It might sound weird though but it was something he had wished for a while."Ni-sama, if I pass, can you teach me how to play Duel Monsters? That is if you have the time." After all, his brother was usually busy in domino and now that he was away from the company he would most likely be even more busy to make sure that no one tries to take it away from him because he was gone.

Once the thought passed his mind he shook his head. What was he thinking, his brother was busy making money fo the both of them and adding more things to Kaiba land."Never mind." he stated as he tried to take back his request. He was being a bit too selfish since he was also the one that had asked his brother to come to this school in the first place.