Chapter 14: My Newest Job

Much to my own surprise, I got the job at the mall. I suspected it had more to do with my appearance than my skills, but I wasn't going to complain. It was a job and it paid enough to meet my current expenses – mostly assisting Honda with household costs. They required that I wear clothing purchased from the store stock while on shift, but they provided me with a monthly allowance for 'uniforms'.

My first day, I quickly discovered that my co-workers were all girls. It was a bit uncomfortable. They were very close and called each other by cute pet names. The first two shifts, they spent most of their time 'training' me – which I realized quickly was a euphemism for 'prying into my personal life'.

Finally, near the end of my second day, one of the girls asked me out right if I was 'that' Kaiba.

"Yes." I said simply. There was no reason to drag it out.

"So why are you here?"

"I needed a job." I finished folding the last shirt and picked up the empty box. "I still need to select pants and a shirt for tomorrow. Do you mind if I do that now?"

She didn't. In fact, none of the girls minded. They seemed to enjoy assisting me in choosing things to try on. I was in the changing room putting on some ridiculously tight pants that Joey would have loved when I realized that my co-workers might have had the same idea.

I came out of the dressing room. "I'm gay."

"Wow!" Kimura gushed. "You don't look gay at all! Those pants fit perfectly."

"You look scrumptious!" Suzuki agreed.

"No, ladies, I don't mean I look gay. I mean I am gay. I have a boyfriend."

A couple of them looked outright disappointed but Fujita, our manager on duty, tried to remain unaffected. "So? No one cares about that kind of thing."

I had to smile. "Good. I didn't want it to be a problem. Besides, I think it's a bad idea to date co-workers." They all agreed with me that it was. I looked at the outfit in the mirror. On Joey, it might have looked reasonable. On me, it was just silly.

"You should totally wear that tomorrow for the sale." Kimura exclaimed!

"Yes! But leave the shirt open!" Suzuki began unbuttoning me.

"Absolutely not!" I took a step back but the wall was behind me.

"But you have a great chest!" She said as she flung the shirt open. "There! See?"

The girls began quickly agreeing, but I had to retain some kind of dignity. "I cannot parade around a place of business half-dressed."

"He's right." Fujita came to my rescue. "Put this on under it. Then you can leave the button down open and still look hot."

I looked at the shirt – it was labeled 'large' but there wasn't enough fabric for that to be accurate. I looked at the girls around me. "This does qualify as sexual harassment, you realize."

Fujita shrugged. "Hey, we're all wearing micro-minis. This is fashion and sex sells." She pointed to the dressing room. "Put it on, boy; let's see how it looks."

It looked absurd but at least I wasn't naked. I sighed deeply. At least there was little to no chance of anyone who knew me seeing me dressed this way.

"SeSe-kun, come out and let us see you."

"Stop calling me that!" I snapped as I exited the little room. "You could at least leave me the decency of a name!" They ignored me and instead focused on whether my belt was fashionably loose enough.

Over the next few days, my strength and energy began to reach more normal levels and I started practicing with the Cheering Squad again. The first week, I found myself drained when I got to the store, but KimKim, Miko-chan and ChouChou were forgiving and let me do light work on those nights. That largely consisted of operating the register and folding clothing. The register was easy and soon I was routinely the one assigned to closing and reconciling the store for the night.

The dreams returned. Joey and Yami shared me nightly. I was able to function through school, but evenings at the store I began to flag.

"SeSe-kun, what's wrong?" ChouChou was everyone's little sister. It was hard not to feel some affection for her as she rubbed my shoulders. "You seem even more tired than usual."

"It's nothing. I've been having some trouble sleeping recently."

"You poor thing." She cooed. "That boyfriend of yours is not doing his job."

I smiled. "My boyfriend is in America for the time being. I haven't seen him in several months."

"Really? He left you all alone?"

"Well, I'm hardly alone."

"If you were my guy, I'd never let a cutie like you out of my sight!"

"Joey trusts me." I said sadly.

"Oh, I'd trust you," she laughed, "just not anybody else!"

My life became ordinary. I made enough money to put a down payment on my cap and gown. I was able to contribute to Honda-sama's rent and grocery bills. I purchased a cell phone; not the top of the line I was used to but a pre-paid unit that was capable of calls and text.

And I was able to finally make an appointment to see Mokuba. Seeing him for a few minutes at a time at school was not the same. We spent a day together really catching up on our personal lives. We did not discuss KaibaCorp or father. It was a wonderful day.

I had my official return to the Cheering Squad at the first Volley Ball game of the season. The Squad did their 'get well Kaiba' cheer before the start of the game – something they had apparently done several times while I was out. When they reached the end, they shouted "Come Back" and what sounded like most of our school responded "Kaiba". On the third call and response, I performed a series of backward handsprings, the last using one of my teammates as a springboard and landing me roughly front and center of the group. I did not 'stick' the landing but the crowd screamed wildly regardless. It was overwhelming.

These people, these strangers, were cheering for my healthy return to a group they had little to no connection with. My teammates, supporting me and helping me to our bench, made sense. We worked together and my absence created more work for the others. But the audience was unaffected by my presence. And yet they cheered for me as if they were personally involved.

"SeSe-kun!" A girl shouted. Mortified, I looked up to see KimKim, Miko-chan, and ChouChou rushing over.

"Dear God." I had time to sigh before the three of them actually hugged me. I heard a bit of good-natured snickering from my teammates and at least one lament that the wrong man was receiving the female attention.

"That was awesome, Kaiba-kun!" Another familiar voice called out. "Kaiba-kun?"

"Give him a chance, Yugi." Pharaoh chuckled. "He's occupied at the moment."

"Why do all the girls like him?" Honda asked.

"I could answer that if you like." Pharaoh teased him.

"Girls, please!" I finally managed to break free and stood up. "Kimura, Fujita and Suzuki meet Mutou, Mutou and Honda." They greeted each other but I watched as Pharaoh's eyes spent far more time reviewing my form fitting uniform than acknowledging the girls I introduced.

"You are looking well, Prince. Back to your former glory."

"Not quite, but better than I have been." Looking at him made me breathless. "What brings you here today?"

"Yugi said I would see something interesting."

"Did you?"

"Oh yes." His eyes caressed me again. "I am losing patience with this game, Prince."

"Then stop playing, Pharaoh." I was still panting from my performance. I had to be; just looking at Pharaoh could not affect me so much.

"SeSe-kun, we have to go." ChouChou kissed my cheek. "But we will see you tonight, right?"

"Please say yes; the store is boring without you!" KimKim added.

"SeSe-kun?" Honda looked at me first with confusion and then with growing mirth. "SeSe-kun?"

"Honda," I warned, "don't."

"What store?" Yugi wanted to know.

Miko-chan kindly told him. "Oh we all work at the G&N at the mall."

"The G&N?" Honda was up to barely restrained laughter.

"I told you I was working retail." I said with a deep sign.

"Yeah, but not where!" He pulled out his phone. "Oh, I have got to tell Joey this one!"

"Honda –" I reached out to stop him but my teammates interceded and pulled me out for our next cheer. When we returned to the bench, my guests were gone.

Watanabe – one of my squad mates – leaned over to me. "That guy with Yugi-kun, is he why you turned me down?"

I shook my head. "I am still seeing Wheeler-san. Mutou is available if you'd care to pursue him."

He sighed. "Out of my league."

It wasn't the response I expected. "And I'm not?"

"Well, yeah," he shrugged, "but I know you."

After the game, I went to work. I changed clothes at the store rather than let anyone see me in the ridiculous outfits Fujita recommended out of the limited stock of clothing I had purchased. We had developed a routine. I had a locker containing my 'uniforms'. Miko-chan would pick what she wanted me to wear for the shift and hang it on the locker door. If something new came into stock, she would add it to my locker and extend me credit until payday.

As much as I hated to admit it, there did seem to be a spike in sales when I wore a garment we had in stock. And, personally, the added attention of my co-workers – and some of the customers – seemed to ease the dreams somewhat. Plus I had to admit to having enough ego that I was pleased to be the store's resident 'hottie'.

"Oh, by sweet Ra!"

I looked up from folding shirts to see Pharaoh, looking good enough to eat, watching me. "What are you doing here?"

"Satisfying my curiosity." He smirked.

It echoed our first conversation. "You didn't believe I existed?"

"I didn't believe –"

We were interrupted by the sound of loud guffaws. In the doorway, Honda, Mutou and Mokuba were literally falling on each other laughing.

"Tell me you got the picture!" Mokuba managed.

Mutou nodded. "I'm posting it now."

"Wait – posting what?" I crossed over to them and snatched his phone away in time to see the confirmation message pop up. I scrolled to the camera and saw the picture he posted on Facebook.

It was of me, leaned back against the rack while I spoke to Pharaoh. My black Hawaiian-style over-shirt was open displaying the skin tight pink t-shirt Miko-chan insisted complimented my eyes. My left hand was combing through my now shoulder-length hair. I looked like a G&N poster boy.

"You had no right to post that without my permission!" I railed at Mutou. "Take it down now!"

"Oh Kaiba-kun –" he started but I cut him off.

"Take it down or so help me, I will insure that you regret it."

"Nii-sama!" Mokuba put his hand on my shoulder. "Relax! It's a picture! You look great – it's just not like you at all."

Any other time I would have been overjoyed to see my brother but I don't take embarrassment well. I stalked back to the stock room where they couldn't follow me.

ChouChou could and did. "SeSe-kun? Your friends are still waiting."

"They are NOT my friends."

"You mean that one you were flirting with isn't your boyfriend?"

"Certainly not." I told myself as much as her. "And I wasn't flirting."

"Is he straight?"

I looked at her. She was an intelligent young woman with a great deal of retail skill. "Is this where you want to be?"