Chapter 21: Another Unanticipated Turn

I went up. I still had an hour or so of study time before I needed to sleep. An odd odor struck me as I reached the door and I realized that I was wearing one of Shuzo's unwashed gym shirts. 'The man's ego knows no bounds' I laughed to myself as I opened the door.

"Hey, Kaiba!" Honda yelled out.

"You survived." Otogi unexpectedly added. "I was – Good lord! What are you wearing?"

"His shirt." I said, amused. I held up the gi. "The clean one, relatively speaking."

"Collecting new garments, Prince?" I had seen Yugi sitting with Honda, but somehow failed to notice Pharaoh sitting by the window. I crossed the room to him and leaned over for a kiss only to have him push me away. "You stink." He scowled.

"My evening has been quite athletic. I'll shower. Give me just a few moments." I went into the bathroom and started the water.

Moments after I stepped under the spray – Shuzo's odor was astoundingly strong – Honda stormed into the bathroom without even knocking.

"Are you really that callous or have you finally lost your damn mind?"

I looked at him; stunned by this new level of intrusion. "Were you not aware that I was bathing or is this some new method of seeing me nude?"

"Seriously. What the hell was that?"

"What was what?"

He gaped at me. I turned off the water and began drying myself. "Are you –? Are you serious?

You walk in smelling like a whorehouse, waving one guy's shirt, wearing another and we're all supposed to just let it go? What's Yami supposed to think, dude? What the hell?"

"I see. So Joey can sleep with another man for fun, but if I complete a business transaction, somehow that's wrong." I wrapped the towel around my shoulders and began drying my hair.

"Huh?" Honda looked completely confused.

"You chastise me, but not Joey."

"Are you nuts?" Honda threw his hands up. "You think I didn't lay Joey out for screwing around on you? You think I still don't tell him he's a moron for losing you? And, Dude, that is so not the point. Joey's stupid; he fell hard for you and got all freaked out. He always does that as soon as he starts feeling like it's serious he goes and jumps on someone else.

Only this time, I knew he'd regret it. But you, you're not stupid. I figured you wouldn't go jump on someone, not after Joey just did it to you. Especially not the way you and Yami go at it! Seriously, he is pissed off!"

"Fine! I'll go explain things to him." I started walk past Honda.

"OK, a) could you wrap that up and b) he's not here. He and Yugi left. Like I said, he's kind of seriously pissed off. And I can't really blame him."

I stepped into the living room – after wrapping the towel around my waist – to find it empty. I found my cell phone and called Pharaoh. He didn't answer. I hung up with a frustrated sigh.

"So what the hell?" Honda asked again.

"It was business." I couldn't help chuckling. "Shuzo actually tried to seduce me."

"Seduce you?"

"He thinks I'm some young office gopher – which is the very reason he shouldn't have considered even looking at me – but in his infinite wisdom, he decided to bed me and then threaten me if I exposed him."

"Oh shit!" Poor Honda looked horrified. "You were raped!?"

I laughed. "Certainly not; although he was stronger than I'm used to." Honda was looking more even more bewildered. "Shuzo will not want the sexual nature of our 'workout' revealed for a number of reasons. I am now assured of his vote in my favor, and when I terminate him without severance he will be unlikely to pursue the matter."

"Ok, I am so lost ... Did you sleep with another guy?"

"I had sex with someone other than Pharaoh, yes."

"So you cheated on him!"

"Certainly not!" The towel began slipping so I retied the knot. "This was business. There are no off-limits tactics. I assure you, if I thought a greater advantage could have been gained by buying him off, I would have done that. But it is always more successful to let the mouse build its own trap. He propositioned me. He set himself up. Hmmm. Actually, I could claim rape. He is considerably stronger than I am. It wouldn't have taken much for him to overpower me if I had let him."

"If you had let him?"

"I don't practice as I should, but I am a shodan in judo."

"So this was business."

"Yes."

"Like prostitution."

I sighed. "I dislike that characterization, but yes, I used my body to buy an advantage."

"And that's ok to you?" I shrugged. "Have you totally flipped?"

"I don't why this is an issue. I do whatever is necessary for the best outcome for

KaibaCorp."

"And you think having sex with some guy just to get his votes is ok?"

"Frankly, this works out better than buying him out as I have limited funds and I don't know when I'll have access to them. If I could have slept with all of them it would have simplified the process." Honda's jaw dropped. "I assure you; it was not the first time I've used sex to ensure obedience."

"There is no way your father would condone..." Honda started, but my laughter stopped him.

"Condone? His suggested it! He is very much against homosexuality, but he has no problem using any advantage. He has sent virginal secretaries to the beds of cold-blooded executives with the instructions that they are to return to the office with a signed contract and a bloodstain. Using me as bait was nothing to him." He looked sick but I went on anyway; I didn't seem to be able to stop. "My first time – for KaibaCorp, not myself – was when I was

13. An English banker Father needed financing from was claiming that the company wasn't stable. It was completely a ploy for a bribe, of course. Father made it my job to get the loan when he caught the man staring at me once too often. When I asked my Father what I should do, he said, 'Take off your pants and close your eyes. When he's finished, hand him a pen.' I personally made six million off the resulting investments."

"Dude..." Honda was truly shaken and honestly I found myself little unsettled. I hadn't thought about that incident in a very long time. "That – that is the worst thing I have ever heard. Why do you want to go back there? Look," he crossed the room to me, "I know it's not glamorous or what you're used to but we can make space on the boat for one more. It's honest and it pays pretty well – well, for most people – and no one out there does crap like that to a kid!"

"Hiroto, I am going back there because I have given everything I am to that corporation and

I will not allow my Father to steal that investment from me. I am going back because the only way all of that stops is if I stop it – my Father will never change the corporate culture. I'm going back for Mokuba; because what would stop my Father from using him the way he uses me if I did not acquiesce to his every demand?"

Honda stared at me for a long moment. I realized that the towel had slipped; I was shivering even though the room was warm. His expression was set. It was a look I'd never seen from him before – absolute resolve.

"That's it. I'm calling the cops."

"What?"

He grabbed the phone receiver, but I got his hand before he could dial. "Hey, I don't know if you knew this, but child abuse is illegal. This isn't some third world country!"

"You don't understand!" I tried to take the receiver from him, but he wouldn't let go. "That won't work! My Father plays golf with the Prime Minister. Half a dozen judges are in his chess club. The police won't even go to the house if he didn't make the call."

"lt's not right Seto! It's just not right."

"No one cares if it's right." I yanked the phone from his hand and slammed it back in its cradle. "And no one enforces child welfare. I was an orphan, Hiroto, believe me, my Father is not the worst." I smiled at the irony. "Besides, the Japanese criminal code does not consider it rape to have sex with a boy. I looked it up." I went back to finish my shower.

It had been a long time since I thought about the banker. That was largely the reason I was always content to leave Mokuba out of KaibaCorp business affairs. The English Banker, the

Polish Arms Distributor, the Russian Government Official, the others. I stopped trying to remember them all. Undoubtedly, Ryou had a similar list of 'business contacts' that Father had asked him to attend to. They had all taught me a great deal about sex and tactics. As I got older, I even managed to enjoy myself occasionally.

I also learned how to negotiate and often replaced sexual congress with the threat of exposure. Who would believe those evil brutes against such an innocent face? And if they signed whatever Father wanted signed, he didn't care how I did it.

I was still shivering despite the warmth of the water. I turned up the hot as far as I could take and washed. It ran out before I finished and I had to rinse in icy cold. I dried off briskly. That gave me something real to shiver about.

When I left the bath, Honda was on the phone talking softly. He glanced at me and mouthed

'Yugi'. I rolled my eyes and went into the bedroom. I threw on a t-shirt and grabbed my calculus book. I studied until I found myself falling asleep. Honda finished his conversation and watched me.

If he had anything further to say, he didn't say it.

When we came home from school the next day, we could smell food cooking as we opened the door. "Dad!" Honda cried out happily. "You're early."

"We got lucky and meet our quota a day early," He replied with a grin and a hug for both of us. "I get an extra day with my boy. That's one of you, right? Don't tell me – I can figure this out. Wait! I remember. Mine doesn't eat much." He threw his arm around my shoulder.

"Funny, you don't look like me, son."

"You dye your hair." I quipped, pointing to his almost-bald head. I pulled away from his grasp as they both laughed. Slipping into the bedroom, I took a deep breath. If Honda-sama was back, then Honda would be leaving in a few days. I'd have to do something about my living arrangements sooner than I thought. I found one of my few suitcases and began packing.

"Hey, Seto, where'd you – oh, here you are. Dinner's almost..." Honda voice trailed off.

"What are you doing?"

"If you still intend to leave with your father, then I will need a new place to stay. I'm sure I can stay with Pharaoh for a few days."

"Not unless you've apologized." He reminded me. "Besides, why would you need a place to stay? Nobody will be here."

"I can't stay in your home." I said, still packing. "It would not be right."

"Hey Dad!" Honda yelled. "Do you want Seto to move out when we leave?"

"Who's gonna pick up the mail if he leaves?" His father yelled back. "You two gonna eat or is all this for me?"

Honda looked back at me. "Any more dumb ideas or are you convinced?"

There was no way I was going to abuse their goodwill. The daily rate for their apartment was roughly 1500 yen. By the time they return from sea, I'd either have KaibaCorp back or I'd be working for I2. Either way, I would be able to pay them. "Thank you, Honda."

We went to have dinner. After, Honda and I did the dishes. "So what will it take for you to apologize to Yami?"

"First, I need to have done something unintentional or that I regret having done."

"Or you could just be the bigger man and admit fault."

"Ah teen drama." Honda-sama sighed. "Catch me up. Any pretty girls involved?"

"A pretty boy," I offered. "Does that count?"

"You got bad luck with boys. Maybe you need to switch."

I laughed. "I'm afraid it doesn't work that way. Most girls don't have any appeal to me."

Although when I occasionally caught Miko-chan from just the right angle, I found my vague memories of her intriguing.

"Shame. You got no luck with boys; he got no luck with girls."

"Dad!"

"That Anzu call back yet?"

"Anzu is in a very difficult position right now." I answered for him. "She's not at liberty to call."

"Hey – how come you don't just date him?' Honda-sama pointed back and forth between Honda and I.

Honda gagged. "How about because I like girls?"

"I like my men a little less butch." I tried to keep a straight face and stared significantly at Honda-sama. "Although I have found a few interesting older men recently."

"That's so wrong on so many levels I don't even know where to start." Honda shook his head.

"Bah! You're not drunk enough to look at me." His father chuckled. "You better go make up with your boyfriend." He stood, yawned and stretched. "I'm too old to stay up all night with you two. Wake me when you leave for school."